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"Write All About It" Centerville High School Essay Contest Rules 1. Students are asked to submit essays of 500 to 700 words of their own work. Any essay containing material plagiarized from another source will be disqualified. 2. Manuscripts should be typed double-spaced, with the student's name, address, and grade level on a separate sheet of paper. 3. Essays must be turned in by 4:00 p.m. on November 30. They can be brought to Mrs. Elton in Room 104 or to Mr. Markham in the school library. Essay-Writing Tips 1. Catch your readers' interest-Your opening should immediately pull your readers into your essay. Asking a question or starting with an anecdote, quotation, or surprising statement are some good ways to do this. 2. Create a picture-Use active words that show your readers what is happening. Instead of telling your readers vaguely that "the room was disordered," paint a picture using active verbs and lively adjectives. 3. Have a purpose-Well-written essays do more than just describe an incident or express a viewpoint, they also communicate a message. 4.Check for mistakes-Read your paper over to check for mistakes. Ask another student to read your paper and make suggestions. Another pair of eyes will often spot a mistake you've overlooked. 5. Format your essay-Neatly type your essay on white paper. Choose an attractive cover for submission. The computer lab will be open after school from 3:15 to 4:45 p.m. each day this month so that students can use the computers. Prizes Winning essays will be published in the Centerville Times. Everyone who takes part in it will also receive a free pass to enter one school activity this year. First Prize: $ 50 savings bond Second Prize: Dictionary and reference book Third Prize: Pen set and journal The article is written to _ . A convince the students of the prizes available B explain how to write a good essay C inform the students of the essay contest D show how to organize an essay contest Answer: C. inform the students of the essay contest Toddler Teacher About the Job November 16, 2011 TITLE: Toddler Teacher LOCATION: Sinton & Falfurrias, TX . REQUIREMENTS: Must have an Associate's or Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Development. Must have a valid driver's license and a safe driving record. Bilingual (English/Spanish) ability is preferred. Three years of prior employment experience in a pre-school program is required. Computer skills, including the use of word processing software, are preferred. Must be able to pass a pr -employment physical, a criminal background check and fingerprint clearance. Since the toddlers are very young,, the teachers should be very patient and help them. GENERAL DUTIES: Responsible for the day-to-day supervision and operation of the assigned classroom. Application Deadline: Open Until Filled Apply At: Community Action Corporation of South Texas P. O. Drawer 1820 Alice, Texas 78332 Teacher About the Job Location: Falfurrias & Hebbronville, TX Requirements: An Associate or Baccalaureate degree in early childhood or a related field and three years of teaching experience in a licensed public school setting at a grade level no higher than elementary school. If employed with an Associate degree, must obtain a Baccalaureate degree within four years of employment. Bilingual ability (Spanish/English) is preferred. Good communication skills, in written and oral forms, are necessary. General Duties: Children here are older than toddlers. Their ages are from 4 t0 5. So the teacher will provide activities that support the growth and development of each child in the assigned classroom. Application Deadline: Open Until Filled Send Application to: Community Action Corporation of South Texas P. O- Drawer 1820 Smith, Texas 78333 What is the common requirement of the two jobs? A Good communication skills. . B Good computer software skills!' C Three years of professional experience. D A valid driver's license and safe record. Answer: C. Three years of professional experience. The thing was a hot one! A farmer had shot two wolves on purpose. He had seen the wolves on his farm and decided to get them before they caused trouble. He knew wolves were a kind of protected animals. However, he also knew most of his neighbors would shoot wolves, too. Shortly after the farmer skinned the wolves, problems began. It seemed that someone didn't like the idea of killing wolves after all. The officials had arrived. Out-of-town reporters got hold of the story. And now the farmer was on trial for his killing of the wolves. Which of the following is not true? A The story was soon known in other places. B Someone didn't want wolves to be killed so the farmer was on trial. C The farmer was guilty of his killing. D The local government took measures for the thing. Answer: B. Someone didn't want wolves to be killed so the farmer was on trial. Amy was looking for a gift for her little daughter.Suddenly she stopped before a store of dolls."Girls like dolls,"she thought as she stepped into it.Looking around,she saw a grandma doll...one with gray hair and a pair of glasses.In her mind appeared Joyce,her mother. When Amy was a little girl,she got her first doll from Joyce for her birthday.Then the second,the third...A doll a year never arrived late. " Why always a doll? " This question had been in Amy's mind until one day her father gave the answer. Little Joyce dreamed to have a doll.Her parents promised one for her fifth birthday.Sadly ,they both died in a traffic accident before it arrived.The never-received gift was the most precious in her eyes. Her mother's story being recalled,Amy got an idea. It was Joyce's birthday.A package was sent to her with a card that read: Dear Joyce , I forget to send you the package that you should have received on May 20,1 956,your fifth Birthday.The gift inside has aged ,but I thought that you might still wish to have it. Love ,Angel of Joy Joyce opened the package and saw a lovely grandma doll.She clasped the doll that she had waited so many years for ,crying softly.The doll given by "Angel of Joy",made her the happiest "child" in the world. What can we learn from the story? A Dolls are every little girl's dream toys. B Grandma dolls are best gifts for parents. C Parents sometimes need their"Angel of Joy". D Parents'birthdays are very important. Answer: C. Parents sometimes need their"Angel of Joy". A fad diet is a diet that suddenly becomes popular, usually because it promises people that they will lose a lot of weight overnight. Although dieters may really show weight loss from a fad diet, they will almost certainly get back the weight if their usual eating habits remain unchanged. Moreover, fad diets continuously call for special products of questionable value or for "health foods" that may cost twice as much as supermarket foods. Worse yet, certain fad diets don't include nutrients good for health. People have been known to become very ill as a result of following medically unhealthy diets. The worse fact of fad diets, though, is that they keep people who are over-weight or sick from receiving the medical care that they truly need. From the text we know that _ . A people refuse to accept fad diets B fad diets can help people to lose weight C a man can lose weight after eating a fad diet D fad diets are now welcomed by people Answer: B. fad diets can help people to lose weight
Get ready to cycle your heart out at these local and overseas destinations perfect for cycling. 1. Amsterdam, The Netherlands. With more bikes than people, the city has a large number of cyclists. Low speed limits in the centre control the impact of cars, while bike racks( ) on public transport make it easy to travel long distances. You can also find rental shops everywhere. 2. Berlin, Germany. With over 1000 km of bike paths, the vast majority of which are protected lanes, it's no wonder Berliners love to get around by bike. For the traveller, the major sights are within easy reach on a bicycle. The "Call A Bike" share system allows you to simply lock the bike to any fixed object and call in a code to return it. 3. Paris, France. Home to the Velib' public bike sharing system that has over 20, 000 bikes, and with 500km of bike paths, Paris cyclists can enjoy the city safe from motorists. A Velib' station is almost always within sight, or just around the next corner. 4. Tokyo, Japan. Despite being home to one of the most developed public transportation networks on the planet, Tokyo residents still cycle in large numbers. Though the extent of bike lanes is limited, safe drivers ease the tension between car and cyclist. Unique automatic underground bike parking garages are provided when you need to store your bicycle. 5. Perth, Australia. A large part of Perth's intelligent basic facilities are made up of bike paths, which allow commuters to get into and around their city with ease. There are free bike lockers and racks across the city. For the visitor, numerous scenic routes line the coastline and the local Swan River. Where can you store your bicycle in Tokyo? Answer: In the future, when robots can be used both in homes and in other areas, they could improve the living standards of people. Many people burn their energy on their day-to-day tasks like cooking, cleaning after work, etc. When robots can complete such jobs, people can spend more time with their family and friends. Experts say that many major problems in the modern world are caused by miscommunication. When people have more time, they can talk freely to solve such issues and eventually create a happy society. Robots can be used on certain jobs to avoid accidents caused by careless behavior of some people. When robots are used on such work, it does not risk any human life due to accidents at the workplace. Human resources can be efficiently used by performing tasks which demand human skills like critical thinking and problem solving. Robots can be used on low-end jobs like moving heavy things and heavy weight lifting. While some people talk about how robots can be useful to humans, others voice their concerns about reduction in human value and the creation of a lazy society due to heavy dependency on robots. When robots become cheaper to produce, employers may prefer to use more robots than humans. As the technology constantly improves the abilities of robots, it could weaken the value of humans. Many people may rely on robots heavily. Some may even develop the habit of using robots on tasks that they can easily do. This could create a lazy society. As an aging society, Japan sees it a must to build robots that take care of elderly people at their home, because without them, the nation's health care system can't cope. There will simply be too many elderly people to care for as the nation faces a decreasing birth rate, an aging population, and the loosening of family ties. However, many of Japan's elderly people would prefer human helpers rather than robots. Above all, Japan wants, if not "needs", its immigration policy is anti-immigration. In conclusion, robots can be used on anything that can eventually improve humans' living standards but we can't depend on them too much. Robots can be used to help humans live in harmony and form a happy society. Compared with humans, robots are better at _ Answer: Mr. Green once worked in a big company.He was quite busy so that he couldn't do any reading.So he gave up his job and opened a bookshop in the center of the town.It wasn't big but all the books were nice and most people liked to buy some there.When the shop was closed,he could read at home.He knew a lot and many learned people were glad to make friends with him. It was Sunday and it was cold outside.Mr. Green was very busy.At nine in the evening all the buyers left,but a woman was still there.She was dressed up and seemed to be waiting for somebody there. Standing by the shelves,she looked over the books one after another,and made them in a terrible mess .Mr. Green came up to her and asked," Excuse me,madam.What can I do for you?" "Your books are not interesting at all,"said the woman,"I want a delicious one." "That's easy," Mr. Green smiled.He brought out a cookbook and said,"Here you are,madam." Why did Mr. Green change his job? _ Answer: Recently we told you about a finding that more years of school could help students get higherscores on intelligence tests.That was the finding of a study of teenage males in Norway.Now,other research shows that physical activity may help students do better in their classes . The research comes as educators in some countries are reducing time for activities like physical education.They are using the time instead for academic subjects like maths and reading.The studies appeared between 2007 and 2013.They included more than 55,000 children,aged 6 to 18. Amika Singh:"Based on the results of our study,we can conclude that being physically active is beneficial for academic performance. There are,first,Physiological explanations,like more blood flow, and so more oxygen to the brain.Being physically active means there are more hormones produced like endorphins .And endorphins make your stress level lower and your mood improved, which means you also perform better." Also,students involved in organized sports learn rules and how to follow them.This could improve their classroom behavior and help them keep their mind on their work. The study leaves some questions unanswered,however.Ms.Stash says it is not possible to say whether the amount or kind of activity affected the level of academic improvement.This is because of differences among the studies . Also.they were mostly observational studies.An observational study is where researchers do not do controlled comparisons.They only describe what they observe.So they might observe a link that students who are more active often have better grades.But that does not necessarily mean being active was the cause of those higher grades. The researchers said they found only two high - quality studies.They called for more high- quality studies to confirm their findings.They also pointed out that " _ Still,the general finding was that physically active kids are more likely to do better in school.Ms.Singh says schools should consider that finding before they cut physical education programs.Her paper on "Physical Activity and Performance at School"is published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. The passage mainly tells us that _ Answer: British Study Tours Using the wonderful railway system we offer an unusual holiday, sport and study program . Your hotel is a train: eat and sleep on the train and spend each day in a different part of Britain. Summer Schools in France We offer summer schools for students between the ages of 12 and 16. Live with a French family and choose from different activities including horse-riding, football, swimming and skiing. Summer in Australia We will arrange a program for your students. All our courses take place at the college in Sydney. Morning classes are held in Chinese; evening classes on Australian history are in English. We offer an exciting program of evening activities including music. Dance and theatre. Holiday Programs in Germany We offer morning classes in German at all levels from beginner upwards. In the afternoon you are free to join in our mountain walks or to go shopping in the nearby town. In the evening we organize a full program for fun. All ages welcome. If you like traveling by train, you can go to _ . Answer:
A new study says that birds living in big cities sing shorter, faster songs that are higher-pitched than those sung by their brothers in the forests. The researchers think that the birds adjust their songs to allow themselves to be heard over the noises of the city, especially the low traffic noise. To study how urban birds song, Hans Slabbekoorn and Ardie den Bore, biologists at the University of Leiden in Netherlands, travelled around Europe and recorded bird songs in ten major cities and in nearby forests. The species they focused on, the great tit , is widespread across Eurasia and one of the few types of birds that _ in big cities. Singing is crucial for males, which use their songs to attract mates and mark out their territory. The changing songs could play a role in eventually causing the city birds and the forest dwellers to evolve into separate species. The findings could also help explain why usually only a few bird species thrive in cities. By contrast, many more bird species tend to be found in forests and other undeveloped habitats. Studies like this could eventually help researchers predict how urbanization will affect birds, using this knowledge could help urban planners design more pleasant city environments, study co-author Slabbe-koorn said. "You can make a city much more livable if you pay attention to where the noise goes and where the people go," he said. "It would be easy to fit the birds into those models." Then cities wouldn't be strictly for the people, but also for the birds. Males usually sing their songs to _ . Answer: attract mates and mark out their living area LONDON--Archaeologists have discovered a smaller prehistoric site near Britain's famous circle of standing stones at Stonehenge. Researchers have named the site "Bluehenge" after the color of the 27 Welsh stones that were laid to make up a path. The stones have disappeared, but the path of holes remains. The new circle, unearthed over the summer by researchers from Sheffield University, represents an important find, researchers said Saturday. The site is about a mile away from Stonehenge. Bluehenge, about 80 miles southwest of London, is believed to date back to about the time Stonehenge was built, about 5,000 years ago. Mike Parker Pearson of Sheffield University said he believed the path and stonehenge itself were linked to rituals of life and death. Mike Parker suggested that the ancient funerary rituals began at a different circle site known as "Wood-henge", which represented the world of the living. The bodies of the dead were then brought down the River Avon to Bluehenge, which represented death, and were finally carried along a ceremonial route known as the Avenue to Stonehenge. Bournemouth University Professor Tim Darvill, an expert on Stonehenge, told Britain's Dail Mail that Bluehenge "adds to the richness" of the ancient site's story. "This henge is very important because it forms part of the picture of ceremonial monuments in the area and puts Stonehenge into context," Darvill was quoted as saying. "It's no longer Stonehenge standing alone, but it has to be seen in context with the landscape." From the passage we can learn that _ . Answer: funerary rituals were carried out along the path starting from Woodhenge, River Avon to Bluehenge, finally Stonehenge. Most people have jobs. They go to work nearly every day. Some people are lucky, because they have very interesting jobs. Some people must take a long time to learn how to do their jobs. For example, to be a doctor, one should study for at least five years. Some young people have very interesting and high-paying jobs. Many young athletes are very successful. Football and tennis players are usually under 35 years old, for older people can't play these sports very well. They can't move fast enough. Golf, however, is a good sport for older people. Many golf players are quite old, but they can still play golf very well. Most people work until they are about 60 years old. Then they _ and have a lot of free time. Some people never retire. These people usually have interesting jobs. Writers, artists, scientists and actors usually work till they are very old. ,. Which of the following is NOT true? Answer: Football and tennis players can work as long as they like. Some weird , wild and wonderful stories color1ed the news in 2010: A Copenhagen bus company has put "love seats" on 103 of its vehicles for people looking for a partner."Even love at first sight is possible on the bus," said a spokesman for the British Arriva company to explain the two seats on each bus that are covered in red cloth and a "love seat" sign. Shoppers at an international luxury fair in Verona, Italy, found a cell-phone-equipped golden coffin among the items on display.The phones will help "the dead" contact s if they have been buried alive by mistake. A man in New York came up with a disarming way to set off his latest bank heist, approaching the clerk's window with a large bunch of flowers and handing over a hold-up note saying "give me the money!" An Englishman who lost all his legs and arms in an electrical accident successfully swam across the Channel, a challenge he had been preparing for two years.The whole cost is 400 dollars. A set of artificial teeth made for Britain's war-time prime minister Winston Churchill known as "the teeth that saved the world" sold for nearly 18,000 pounds (21,500 euros, 24,000 dollars) at auction . A British woman caused an Internet hate campaign after she was caught on camera dumping a cat in a rubbish bin.She was fined 250 pounds (400 dollars, 280 euros) after pleading guilty. The BBC apologized completely and without any doubts after a radio presenter jokingly announced that Queen Elizabeth II had died. Two Australian men needing surgery after shooting each other in the buttocks during a drinking session to see if it would hurt were charged 400 dollars separately. A Kuwaiti MP proposed state-aid for male citizens to take second wives, in a bid to reduce the large number of unmarried women in the state. From the last news we can infer that _ . Answer: There are many single women in Kuwait My experience in learning English is very simple. I am at the level that almost everyone can reach. Though I focused on English for over two years, an English expert or a native speaker can easily find out my problems--the lack of professional learning, mistakes throughout my writings, and sentences and expressions based on Chinese thoughts. Though I have many weaknesses in English, I have harvested a lot of things many people at my age wish to have. This proves that English, considered a subject that can hardly be self-taught, may be acquired through everyday learning and practice. Some of my friends, including my parents, think it is a miracle . They believe it is my perseverance that helps me learn English. It helps, I admit, but it deserves not all the credit. I don't know yet if it's difficult to overcome my weaknesses, but I know I'll be proud of myself when I grasp everything that helps improve my English. Many students with English teachers to turn to, English classes to study in and new English learning devices and books to refer to, can't learn English well. Why? To answer that question, I have to ask you, "Why do you learn English?" I may receive many different answers, but there is a direct answer: To use it every day. From this point we know there's great similarity between English and other subjects like maths. Not everyone becomes mathematician, but everyone must learn to use it in daily life. The author learns English _ . Answer: by himself
People like to say:"The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world."Or theysay:"Behind every successful man,there is a woman." Now some women still like making their husbands and sons successful.But some women want more for themselves.They want to be successful as men. Today the best jobs are still given to men.Even when women do the same work,they are often paid less than men.Some women want these things changed.They want to stand beside the men,with the same chances for success. Now many American women are earning money outside their homes.More than half of the women at the age of eighteen to sixty-five have good jobs.In general,working women have more education than those who stay at home. Among women with jobs,eight out of ten drive a car to work,and most of them often spend their holidays away from home.They like traveling by air.Women's work has made several changes in women's lives and in men's lives,too. But things are quite different from those in the Middle East countries. In the Middle East countries,women have to stay at home.They look after their families and do all the housework.They can't find work outside.When they go out in public.they cover their faces with something and walk behind their husbands. For the past few years the women's life has been changing in those countries.Many women want to play an active role in the society.Though working gives them few chances of getting married,many men still want to marry them in the old ways. Working gives women _ . chances to play an important role in the society With about 10 million new iPhone 6s ordered in the initial days on the market, a lot of old iPhones are bound to be thrown into the dustbins. Sure, you could sell, donate or recycle your old iPhone, but you probably will not. And there are better things to do with it. One creative example: At the Missouri University of Science and Technology, a biology class is making old iPhones into microscopes. Using less than $10 worth of supplies, the old phones are mounted onto a lens and can magnify an object to 175 times its size. Here are 5 smart-and-cheap uses for old iPhones. Music for your car Take your music library on the road. Some cars are equipped with docking ports for iPhones and have dashboard screens so you can choose your favourite music hands-free. Or you can just use the cigarette lighter for power. Remote Control Televisions, speakers and other devices now have apps that allow users to make their iPhones into fashionable remotes. Carm Lyman, 42, of Napa, California, transformed his iPhone 4 into a remote for his household sound system after his iPhone 5 arrived. Lyman can control the audio levels and activate speakers in various parts of his home as well as access different music services. Cookbook No need to go through recipe books or hunt around for other devices when you have a kitchen iPhone. Download a cookbook app, such as My Recipe Book (99 cents) or Big Oven (free), and just leave the device on the kitchen counter. It takes up almost no space and will hold far more recipes than any book. Baby Monitor Sure, you can spend $100 or more on a baby monitor, or you can just set your old iPhone up to watch video of your baby in real time as well as hear and even talk to him or her. Cloud Baby Monitor ($3.99) also allows parents to receive the signal on a wireless network or on WiFi so they do not have to be within a certain number of feet of the monitor. Vehicle Tracker Whether you need to find your car if it is stolen, record where you have traveled, or spy on your teenage driver, the built-in GPS in your phone can be used as a tracking device. An app like InstaMapper ($2.99) lets you watch the vehicle in real-time and have a record of it. Keep in mind that the phone can still dial 911, even if it does not have cellphone service, Smith said. You can also use your old phone as a back-up in case your new model suffers irreparable harm. That said, the battery of a phone that sits in a drawer unused could be exhausted to the point where it is no longer workable. If you expect the uses to work properly, _ . some extra work must be done to your phone Can dolphins talk ? Maybe they can't talk with words ,but they can talk with sounds . They show their feelings with sounds . Dolphins travel in group . We call a group of them a "school ". They don't study , but they travel together. Dolphins talk to other dolphins in the school .They give information . They tell other dolphins when they are happy or sad or afraid . They say "welcome "when a dolphin comes back to the school . They talk when they play . They make a few sounds above water . They make many more sounds under water . People can hear these sounds because they are very high . Sometimes people catch dolphins for large aquariums . People can watch the dolphins in a show . Dolphins don't like to be in the aquarium , being away from their school . They are sad and lonely if they do so . There are many stories about dolphins . They help people . Sometimes they save someone's life . Many people believe that dolphins can bring good luck . Dolphins show their feelings with _ . sounds I sometimes wonder if old Finchley has the right personality to be a research scientist. He keeps asking when he'll be coming back. After all, it was his own fault. Nobody tries out what has just been invented on themselves any more but Finchley. Well, he must have pumped about a thousand cc into himself before I noticed he was clearly becoming smaller. It was funny watching him, because his clothes remained the same in size. They simply piled up around him so that he looked like a small boy in his father's clothes. But he kept getting smaller and smaller. As my colleague Dawson and I watched him, he disappeared! All we could see was Finchley's clothes on the floor. They looked so strange, because the lab coat was on top, shirt and trousers inside and, I suppose, underclothes inside again. It gave me a strange feeling, and I think Dawson was a bit shaken, too. Dawson was sitting on his chair in front of a microscope he'd been using to examine a family of mites . He looked through the scope kind of absently again, and was nearly scared to lose awareness when he found old Finchley waving back from the other end. It seems as if Finchley had taken a free ride on a dust mite and landed on the land of the mite family. Of course, we didn't know till Finchley told us later. But anyhow, as I said, Dawson nearly passed out. He jumped off his chair and pointed at the microscope, too shocked to speak. It can probably be concluded that Finchley _ . is a devoted scientist A man named Smith was sitting on his roof during a flood, and the water was up to his feet. Before long a fellow in a canoe passed and shouted, "Can I give you a lift to higher ground?" "No, thanks," said Smith. "I have faith in God and he will save me." Soon the water rose to Smith's waist.(,) At this point a motor boat pulled up and someone called out, "Can I give you a lift to higher ground?" "No, thanks, I have faith in God and he will save me." Later a helicopter flew by, and Smith was now standing on the roof with water up to his neck. "Grab the rope, "shouted the pilot. "I'll pull you up." "No, thanks," said Smith. "I have faith in God and he will save me. "But after hours of struggling with water, poor exhausted Smith drowned and went to his reward. As he arrived at the Pearly Gates, Smith met God and complained about this. "Tell me, God, "he said, "I had such faith in you to save me and you let me drown. What happened?" To which God replied, "What do you want from me? I sent you two boats and a helicopter." What do you think of this passage? This passage is very _ . humorous
I grew up in New Hampshire, a small town in South Canada, where in my father's words for the seasons were "Spring, Summer, Fairtime and Winter!" At that time, a week-long fair was held in the town every autumn. Thousands of people from other towns came to sell and buy things. It was the busiest time of the year. When "Fairtime" came, my grandma became the most "useful" and busiest person of the family. Grandma was a kind, well-educated old lady. She was good at cooking. All her relatives liked the food she cooked. During "Fairtime", they would come to live in her house and have meals there. Grandma was always happy to look after them. Year after year, many people moved to big cities. There was no longer "Fairtime". Grandma became very old and was gradually going blind. My parents and I moved to live with Grandma in her house. We did our best to make her day-to-day life as comfortable as possible. I was at high school then. What I often did at home was to help Grandma with the daily newspaper's crossword puzzle. However, she didn't look happy. She often sat in her room for hours, without saying a word. To attract people to move back, the Town Hall decided to reopen the fair. One day, when I came back from school, I saw Grandma wearing her glasses, washing the dishes in the kitchen. With a big smile on her face, she looked a lot much younger. She told me that her two nieces would come. "They said the food I cooked was very delicious and they want to stay in my house again," Grandma said happily. "They will stay here for one week and we can have a big party. That must be the busiest week I've had in years!" I suddenly realized that Grandma didn't want to be looked after. She wanted to be "useful", _ and helpful. Which is NOT true according to the passage? The Tropical Paradise Holiday Welcome to St Anna, our tropical paradise just off the coast of Latin America. You can spend two weeks in our luxury four-star hotel. The cost of your flight is included in the holiday, and you can be picked up from your home by our special airport bus. On your arriving, our coach will be waiting to take you to the hotel. All flights leave from Heathrow on a Monday morning. The Cowrie Hotel is built right on the beachfront, and many rooms have wonderful ocean views. If swimming and surfing are not enough for you, the hotel also offers horse rides on the island, and a discount membership of the golf club. The Rain Forest Adventure Holiday Every year Broughton holidays offer twelve days of unforgettable adventure in a tropical rain forest. You may have a choice of Borneo, Malaysia, Indonesia, or even to the greatest rain forest of them all, the mighty Amazonian forest. You will fly to our special base camps at the edge of the forest, where you will be given five days of survival training, and talks on the local wildlife. Then you take a bus into the forest. You will have to walk the final five miles to the camp sites to avoid disturbing the local ecology. All of the camp sites have been carefully built to cause the minimal amount of disturbance to the local wildlife. Remember that these adventure holidays take you deep into the wilderness,and they are not suitable for families with young children. Also remember that no more than two dozen guests can stay at any camp at one time, so if you want to go on one of these very special holidays, you will need to book early ![: _ What can we learn about the rain forest holiday? When you visit America, you will see the word Motel on signs and notice boards. It is made up of "motor" and "hotel" and it is really a hotel for people who arrive by car (how-ever, you don't need a car to stay at one). You have to pay when you arrive for your room, which usually has a bath. Meals are not provided, but there will certainly be a cafeteria . Americans eat a lot of salads and sandwiches. Along the main roads there are a lot of motels. Each tries to offer more than next. Some provide television in every bedroom; others have swimming pools; and so on. Motels are especially useful when you are in the country, far from a town or city. You will also find them in the big National Parks. In these great National Parks, you may meet guests you don't expect to see. An American friend told me a little story. In the middle of a moonless night she heard strange noises outside her motel window in the Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Thinking it might be a thief, she jumped out of bed, opened the door and _ towards a dark shadow . As she got close, she saw the thief. She was dreadfully frightened: it wasn't a human thief -- it was a big black bear. The bear was turning over some empty tins with its paw, looking for tasty bits of food. My friend decided to leave that particular thief alone! There are also, of course, places called "rooming houses", where they receive lodgers . You will see such signs as Tourists or Rooms Rent, and you could try one of these. A word of warning -- looking for a room in New York during the tourist season is like looking for gold on the moon! Which of the following is TRUE about motels? School and Einstein did not mix well. His teachers thought that he was stupid and that Einstein's thoughts and words were jumbled . His schoolwork was poor. Playing the violin was all he was good at as a child. When he was ten, he met Dr. Max Talmy. Talmy talked with the boy and tried to help him. They discussed books and Einstein showed an interest in maths. He understood difficult problems and ideas. Inside this "stupid" boy was a genius. Schoolwork never became easy for Einstein. He could not learn things by heart. Paying attention was hard for him. He even did not passed his first test to enter college. Because of his learning problems, Einstein made few friends. He was shy in groups of people. Yet he overcame his shortcomings. He became a well-known scientist in the field of physics. He was one of the most important thinkers of the modern age. Einstein was not welcome at school really because _ . Several years ago, I had to replace a receptionist for my unit. Before I advertised for the position, I was approached by another manager, and asked ifl would consider a transfer from his staffinstead of opening a new competition. My natural question was to ask who he wanted me to consider and why. It appeared from his description of this employee, Maria, that she was having a lot of problems performing her duties, and had difficulties with her boss, and did not appear to respond to any attempts he, the manager, had made to settle the issues. Now, after listening to his explanation, I really had severe doubts. What crossed my mind, after this discussion, was that he wanted me to take a problem off his hands. I told him I would think about it and would let him know the next day. As promised, after thinking more about this potential performance issue, I decided that I would agree to speak with Maria privately before I made any decision. And, what I found out during this interview, left me deep in thought. As it tumed out, the performance issue appeared to result from working for a boss who never extended a good morning. greeting, never gave a word of encouragement, and was constantly changing the work load and routines. The end result was a totally ruined employee who was unconfident, hated to see a new work day start. I decided to accept her transfer to my unit. What started out as a shy, withdrawn and frightened employee turned out to be one of the most productive and loyal employee that I had eyer worked with. Maria couldn't do enough and was constantly asking for more and for more responsibility. I was morethan happy to give her what she needed-praise for work well done, respect as a person, and encouragement for doing well in anything she dealt with. Sometimes, we are guilty of holding others back from accomplishing or doing, or developing as they should or could. It may be a wise idea that we all look in the mirror, from time to time, to seewhat we are really like. Why did Maria fail to perform well in her previous job?
Question: Being able to call on the old boy's network helps you get your foot in the door,but has little impact on your later success.Having good connections does change your possibility of being offered a higher wage when you start working,but has no impact on your eventual wage.Coming from a wealthy background has little impact on lifetime earnings.Over time,brain power soon overtakes ,and intelligence is the factor,which will determine your earnings and success.The speed of your rise through the ranks is determined largely by your own intelligence. The study monitored earnings and promotions over the course of 25 years.Scores were used to assess the SocioEconomic Background(SEB)-wealth and connections-and standard Army intelligence tests used to assess intelligence.The study is sure to infuriate those angered by wealthy groups such as Oxford's upper-crust Bullingdon Club,of which both David Cameron and Borris Johnson were members. Professor Yoav Ganzach says that these findings have a positive message for those,who can't rely on nepotism for their first job."Your family can help you start your career and you do get an advantage,but it doesn't help you progress.And once you start working,you can go wherever your abilities take you," he says.When intelligence and SEB are pitted directly against once another ,intelligence is a more accurate predictor of future career success,he say. What's the main idea of the passage? A. Earnings and promotions are up to your own. B. A study conducted by Professor Yoav Ganzach. C. SEB is very important in one's first career. D. Success is determined by your own brain power. Answer: D. Success is determined by your own brain power. Question: LG Electronics, the world's fourth largest cell phone producer, has added another feature to the mobile phone-reading books for the visually impaired . The company started marketing the model, the LF1300 on Sep.18.No other people but the blind and visually-impaired with a certificate can buy the talking phone at sales shops of LG Electronics. "The LF1300 is the world's first mobile phone that is capable of reading books for the print-disabled, who otherwise could not enjoy them.This is not about making money but about continuing to put froth efforts to reduce the digital difference for the disabled," LG Vice President said. Its users can download about 300 audio books from the Internet site of LG Sangam Library to their phones for free in two ways. One is to access the digital library's Website on a computer designed for the blind to get the audio books and transfer them to cell phones. The other is to download the digital books directly with cell phones through the wireless net work by touching a hot key on the LF1300 phone. On top of its unique feature of reading books, the LF1300 is no worse than the pupular top-line phones in both outlooks and frnctionalities . The phone is armed with an MP3 player and a Bluetooth headset, enabling users to listen to the music or talk without a cord. The user interface of the LF1300 is also designed for the blind,enabling phone users to control it through a voice guidance system. However, because the phone's internal mimory of 17MB is small even for a single audio book file, which takes up 80MB on average, a high-volume external memory is a must for the talking book services. The best title of the passage might be _ . A. A New Type of Cell Phone is on the Market B. Mobile Phones Can Read Books for the Print-Disabled C. The Disabled will Benefit from Cell Phone Producers D. Advanced Technology Helps the Blind Read Books Answer: B. Mobile Phones Can Read Books for the Print-Disabled Question: If you're into sports, you've seen it happen--tennis players jump over the net to shake hands after a hard match; football players exchange clothes after 90 minutes of knocking each other around; even boxers touch gloves at the beginning of each round. Players in every event, from spelling _ to golf, act in this way. It's all part of sportsmanship, a great tradition in sport and competition. It means playing and being calm all through the match. Everyone feels great when they win. In the last few years, you might see some players celebrate a goal with a long victory dance or talk big about their ability. However, it's always hard for people to say in public that they made a bad play. Good sportsmanship is what they really need. It's the golden rule of sports. Good sportsmanship means that you play by the rules, talk politely to everyone during games and stay cool even when you lose the game. At the school sports meeting, for example, it's more important for you to know how to work as part of a team and cheer your teammates on. That may help you enjoy more success at your future work. In competition--as in life--you may not always win, but believe me, sportsmanship will help you get through, and there is always the next match. ,. Why does the author think good sportsmanship is really important? A. It's all part of sports . B. It's all part of celebration C. It's the golden rule of sports D. It's know to stay cool Answer: D. It's know to stay cool Question: By the growing national Occupy Wall Street movement, hundreds of protesters moved through midtown Manhattan on Tuesday. They called this "Millionaires March". They marched two by two up the sidewalk, planning to pass the homes of some of New York City's wealthiest people. They said they didn't have a permit and didn't want to lead the traffic jam. "No Billionaire Left Behind," said on a card that was written by Arlene Geiger, who teaches economics at Manhattan's John Hay College of Criminal Justice. New York's 2 percent "millionaires' tax" will last till this December. Protesters expressed they cared about how much less the wealthy would pay and who would get less money then. Protesters have been camped out for weeks in lower Manhattan's Zuccotti Park, near Wall Street. They say they're fighting for the "99 percent" of Americans who do not fall into the wealthiest 1 percent of population. Their causes range from bringing down Wall Street to fighting global warning. The movement gained _ through social media, and has taken place in several other cities. In Boston, hundreds of college students marched through downtown Boston on Monday and gathered on Boston Common, holding signs that read "Fund education, not corporations". The protesters were angry with the education system. They said it was like "irresponsible, unaccountable, and unethical financial practices" of Wall Street. And now, a lot more movements have taken places in some European countries. What led the movement in Boston? ks5u A. The economy system. B. The education system. C. The culture system. D. The environmental problem. Answer: B. The education system. Question: If you like texting and are trying to lose weight, a new study found that using texting to track diet and exercise habits may help you lose weight. Previous research has shown that keeping food and exercise diaries improves the likelihood of success when you are trying to lose weight. Using a computer or a pen and paper to record information, however, can be a burden and cause some people to give up. Duke University researchers said using text messages to track eating and exercise habits can save time, and increase the chances that people will stick with their weight-loss rules. The study included 26 obese women with an average age of 38. The women used daily texting as part of their weight-loss program. The text messages focused on tracking personalized goals, such as avoiding sugary drinks or walking 10,000 steps a day. Messages also provided brief feedback and tips. Every morning, the women received a text from an automated system that said, "Please text yesterday's personal information of steps you walked and how many sugary drinks you had." Based on the women's responses to the text message, the system sent another text with personalized feedback and tips. After six months, the women who used daily texting lost an average of nearly 3 pounds, while another group of women who used traditional methods to keep food and exercise diaries gained an average of 2.5 pounds, according to the study, which was published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research. "Text messaging has become popular and may be an effective method to simplify tracking of diet and exercise behavior," Dori Steinberg, who was responsible for this research, said. Steinberg said, "Text messaging offers several advantages compared to other self-monitoring methods. Unlike web-based diet and exercise diaries, data in a text message can be entered quickly on nearly all cellphone platforms so it is very convenient to receive feedback. Besides, because of the limited number of words used in text messages, it saves time." What's Dori Steinberg's attitude towards text messaging? A. Unknown. B. Negative. C. Positive. D. Unconcerned. Answer: C. Positive.
Question: There are 70,000 pubs in England and Wales have several thousand more in Scotland. Every country has its drinking shop, but none has an institution quite like the British pub. The most important feature of a good pub (which modern buildings hardly ever achieve) is a feeling of something private. It must have nooks and crannies, corners and snugs, where conversations and assignations can take place without the whole world listening in. Most pubs have at least two separate bars. The "public bar" which is for ordinary and women is the basic drinking shop. The "lounge bar" (or saloon bar) which is for traveling salesmen and "ladies" probably has a carpet on the floor and rather more comfortable decoration. There may be a difference of a few pence in the drink prices, although all pubs are required by law to put their price lists easily seen on display. Pubs have been changing over the past few decades. More and more of them sell good, inexpensive food and are competing strongly with restaurants. Tea and coffee are often on offer and children are being made more welcome. The law says that no one under 14 may enter a pub, and between 14 and 18 they must be accompanied by an adult and may not buy or consume alcoholic drink. In reality some pubs, especially in country districts, welcome whole families. Some set aside special rooms for children and where there are gardens they are almost always welcome. The most basic change, however, came about in the 1938 licensing laws which allowed pubs in England and Wales to open not just at lunch time and in the evening, but all day, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. (Scottish laws already permitted all day opening.) According to the British people, what kind of pub is a good one? A. The one with all day opening time. B. The one with good and inexpensive food. C. The one with all kinds of people enjoying themselves. D. The one with different parts where people can have a private conversation. Answer: D. The one with different parts where people can have a private conversation. Question: The first day of the month of May is known as May Day. It is the time of year when warmer weather begins. People celebrate the coming of summer with customs that are expressions of joy and hope after a long winter. Today, May Day activities have been moved to the May Day holiday on the first Monday of the month. It is a public holiday when families take advantage of the time off to visit some of the UK's many attractions, including parks, zoos, historic buildings, ancient towns and villages and beautiful countryside. May Day celebrations have their origins in the Roman festival of Flora, the goddess of fruit and flowers, which marked the beginning of summer. People would decorate their houses and villages with leaves and flowers they picked at daybreak in the belief that the vegetation spirits would bring good luck. In the very early morning, young girls went into the fields and washed their faces with dew . They believed _ made them very beautiful for the following year. May Day was an important day in the Middle Ages and was a favorite holiday of many English villages. People of the time used to cut down young trees and stick them in the ground in the village to mark the arrival of summer. This is the origin of the maypole . People danced around them in celebration of the end of winter. Maypoles were once common all over England and were kept from one year to the next. The tallest maypole is said to have been put up in London on the Strand in 1661. It stood more than 143 feet high and was cut down in 1717, when it was used by Newton to support a new reflecting telescope invented by Dutch scientist Huygens. What can we learn about the maypole? A. People climb it on May Day. B. It was usually found in the cities. C. It dates from the Middle Ages. D. People used old, tall trees to make it. Answer: C. It dates from the Middle Ages. Question: China may be the world's largest market for e-bikes, but Europe is fast catching up. The EU's official statistics agency says the figure reached the one million e-bike mark two years ago, and sales have sharply increased since then. When working errands around Berlin, Lutz, who usually works with horses, uses the company's new e-bike that charges easily and has a range of 140 kilometers. "We found there was no parking spot problem or other worries. And on top of all this, we don't pollute the environment. Petrol is also saved," said Lutz Baddack, owner of Reitsport Baddack. Unlike many other parts of the world, the EU does not require registration for e-bikes. Nearly half a million are expected to be sold in Germany this year, in all shapes and sizes. It's not just bike fans buying them. People who usually drive cars also use them occasionally," said Stefan Gelbhaar. Dealers say the elderly are also big customers. Sales of ordinary bicycles fell in Germany last year, but sales of e-bikes rose by eight percent. Sales figures are expected to keep rising. "In five years we will have the market share of 20 percent, maybe more," said Marcus Kendler, owner of E-Motion. In the hillier parts, that figure has already been beyond it. The sales of e-bikes in Germany have been much larger than those in any other country in Europe. But other countries are fast catching up. In Europe, with the various brands at the market and falling prices, e-bikes are here to stay and not just a repeated trend. In Germany the sales of e-bikes _ . A. have been the biggest in Europe B. have been larger than in China C. reached one million two years ago D. have taken up 20% of the market Answer: A. have been the biggest in Europe Question: It was a cloudy day on November 11, 2015. We walked in so quietly that the nurse at the desk didn't even lift her eyes from the book. Mum pointed at a big chair by the door and I knew she wanted me to sit down. While I watched, mouth open in surprise, Mum took off her hat and coat and gave them to me to hold. She walked quietly to the small room by the lift and took out a wet mop . She pushed the mop past the desk and as the nurse looked up, Mum nodded and said, "Very dirty floors." "Yes, I'm glad they've finally decided to clean them," the nurse answered. She looked at Mum strangely and said, "But aren't you working late?" Mum just pushed harder, each swipe of the mop taking her farther and farther down the hall. I watched until she was out of sight and the nurse had turned back to writing in the big book. After a long time Mum came back. Her eyes were shining. She quickly put the mop back and took my hand. As we turned to go out of the door, Mum nodded politely to the nurse and said, "Thank you." Outside, Mum told me, "Dagma is fine. No fever. " "You see her, Mum?" "Of course. I told her about the hospital rules, and she will not expect us until tomorrow. Dad will stop worrying as well. It's a fine hospital. But the floors! A mop is no good. You need a brush. " Mum went to see Dagma in the hospital to _ . A. give her some messages about Dad B. make sure her room was clean C. check that she was still there D. find out how she was Answer: D. find out how she was Question: I live in a busy town, and there are many kinds of shops in the town. There are also three restaurants. They are Mr Li's, Mr Cool's and Mrs Zhao's. People have different views about the three restaurants. I think Mr Li's has the friendliest service and the seats there are the most comfortable. However, it has the worst noodles. The color of the wall in Mr Cool's is pink. And it has the cheapest hamburgers, but the service of it is the worst of the three. And it has the hardest seats. Mrs Zhao's has the best food, and it is the most expensive. Though the seats are not very comfortable, it has the most _ . The color of the wall in Mr Cool's is _ . A. white B. red C. pink D. blue Answer: C. pink
Speed-reading is an indispensable skill in the Internet age. We skim over articles, e-mails and tweets to try to grasp key words and the essential meaning of a certain text. Bombarded with information from our electronic devices, it would be impossible to cope if we read word by word, line by line. But a new trend calls on people to unplug and enjoy reading slowly, listing benefits beyond intellectual stimulation. A recent story from The Wall Street Journal reported on a book club in Wellington, New Zealand, where members meet in a cafe and turn off their smart phones. They sink into cozy chairs and read in silence for an hour. Unlike traditional book clubs, the point of the Slow Reading Club isn't exchanging ideas about a certain book, but to get away from electronic devices and read in a quiet, relaxed environment. According to the Journal, the Wellington book club is just one example of a movement initiated by book lovers who miss the old-fashioned way of reading before the Internet and smart phones. Slow readers, such as The Atlantic's Maura Kelly, say a regular reading habit sharpens the mind, improves concentration, reduces stress levels and deepens the ability to empathize. Some of these benefits have been backed up by science. For example, a study of 300 elderly people published by the journal Neurology last year showed that regular engagement in intellectually strenuous activities like reading slowed the rate of memory loss later in life. Slow reading means a return to an uninterrupted pattern in a quiet environment free of distractions. "Aim for 30 minutes a day," advises Kelly from The Atlantic. "You can squeeze in that half hour pretty easily if only during your free moments - whenever you find yourself automatically firing up your laptop to check your favorite site, or scanning Twitter for something to pass the time - you pick up a meaningful work of literature," Kelly said. "Reach for your e-reader, if you like. Kindles make books like War and Peace less heavy, not less substantive , and also ensure you'll never lose your place." We prefer speed -reading because _ . A we rely on e-mails and tweets too much. B we are busier than before C we have to read faster to get more information D we do not enjoy reading any more Answer: C. we have to read faster to get more information Airtight plastic bags can help farmers protect their harvests without the use of harmful chemicals. These bags are designed to keep air out of crops in storage. Using them is a simple way to fight insects and keep crops fresh. Ten countries in West and Central Africa are involved in a project to improve the storage of cowpeas, also known as black-eyed peas. Farmers can lose much of the harvest to insects called bruchids , which grow from egg to adult in a few weeks and then lay forty to sixty eggs. They can destroy the whole harvest within months. Farmers can sell their crops immediately. But selling at harvest time means more competition and lower prices.Or they can use pesticides to kill the bugs. But a crop scientist Dieudonne Baributsa says, "They end up misusing or overusing the pesticide. In Nigeria, they have reported a lot of cases of death. They usually call cowpeas 'killer beans' in Nigeria." Mr. Baributsa is a researcher at Purdue University in Indiana, America. The project is called PICS---Purdue Improved Cowpea Storage. He says the storage bags are thick enough that any insects already in the cowpeas willdie from a lack of oxygen. The lack of air will also help prevent the growth of bacteria that can ruin the harvest. The bags cost about two dollars each. Mr. Baributsa says that is not much, especially if it means farmers can wait long enough to get a better price for their crops. The bags are produced locally. Donors currently support the project, but the groups involved are working to build a lasting market for the bags because donation for the project will not lastforever. A company based in the United States called GrainPro makes another kind of airtight bags. These are called SuperGrainbags. Phil Villers, the company's president, says storing a harvest safely not only helps farmers earn more money, but also reduces the amount of the harvest loss to insects, spoilage and mishandling. "What does not get wasted and eaten means it is possible to feed a hungry world," said Phil Villers. According to the passage, the storage bags can do the following EXCEPT _ . A double the total harvest B raise farmers' income C help fight world hunger D help project crops from being spoiled Answer: A. double the total harvest Which of the following is most likely to occur? A rice grains absorb other rice grains B humans absorb other humans C Play-Doh absorbs other colors of Play-Doh D sponges absorb other sponges Answer: C. Play-Doh absorbs other colors of Play-Doh "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." Well, milk may work in the same way! Milk is the natural food for mammalian babies. It helps them grow strong because it is rich in protein , calcium and vitamins. Milk can also help you sleep better because it calms you down. But remember to drink milk with care. Find out how old the milk is. Make sure it is fresh and hasn't gone bad. Don't drink milk when your stomach is empty. Eat some bread or corn at the same time. That'll help you take in more protein and vitamins. Doctors say teens need at least 500ml of milk a day. That's two or three cups. Milk-drinking started long ago, as early as 6,000-8,000BC. At that time people started to keep cows, sheep and goats to get their milk. Of course what you drink today isn't that fresh from the cow. People cool the fresh milk down to 40C to stop the bacteria growing. In factories, milk is pasteurized to stop it growing bad. After disinfections and packaging, it goes to the supermarkets. Yoghourt also comes from milk. People make some special bacteria to change the taste of milk and make the nutrients in it easier for people to take in. Maybe that's why it's getting more popular with people! When you drink milk , you'd better _ . A find out when the milk was produced B make sure it's fresh and hasn't gone bad C not drink milk when your stomach is empty D do all of the above Answer: D. do all of the above Turning left under a bridge in Beijing, Hu Xingxin, 24, suddenly braked to a stop in front of a yellow light at a busy crossroad. "According to the new traffic regulations, running a yellow light is equal to running a red one," said the Beijing-based IT technician. "Since the new rules came into effect I'm always ready to hit the brakes to avoid a penalty." Authorities have since changed the rules and running a yellow light no longer results in a 6-point punishment. New traffic regulations are the latest measure to improve road safety, which has become a problem in China. Experts say that to achieve better road safety, various and comprehensive methods are needed. Updating the rules are only part of the story. According to the WHO (World Health Organization), traffic accidents kill more people around the world than malaria and are the leading cause of death for young people aged 5 to 29 -- especially in developing countries. Each year up to 1.3 million people are killed and more than 50 million injured in traffic accidents around the world. The economic consequences are also significant: according to a study by the World Bank and Harvard University, traffic accidents on average cost a country 1 to 3 percent of its annual Gross National Product.. The newly revised regulations impose much heavier punishment on drivers who violate traffic rules. Under the new regulations, 52 different violations result in penalties, up from 38 under the previous system. Eleven kinds of violations now result in the deduction of 12 points, compared to six points under the previous regulation. These violations include drunken driving and using fake license plates, as well as driving without a valid license. But traffic regulations are only one aspect of many regarding problems with road safety in China. Other components of road safety include technology and urban design. Which violation will not lead to a deduction of 12 points? A Drunken driving. B Running a red light. C Using fake license plates. D Driving without a license. Answer: B. Running a red light.
If a park becomes more and more arid, the animals there will probably Answer: A GRANDMOTHER, Michelle Riotton, 78, survived after falling down a mountain valley. She set off for a walk alone dressed only in a light jacket and trousers. "I slipped into a valley!" said Mrs Riotton, who said the fall happened in a deep forest close to her home village. It was warm and sunny when the accident happened, but temperatures dropped to very low when night fell, and it rained. "I wasn't afraid," said Mrs Riotton. "But I was worried that my children and grandchildren would become too worried about me." Mrs Riotton said she covered herself in leaves when feeling cold, taking very small bites of two biscuits which she had in her pocket and drinking rainwater which fell down her face. She spent six nights before she was found on Saturday. She was lying at the bottom of the valley, which was less than a mile from her home. The search had once been stopped, but Patrice Fossard, one of her neighbors, insisted that the search continue. "There was no way we could give up her, even if deep inside we felt we had little hope of finding her alive," said Mr Fossard. "It was a miracle that Michelle was finally found." Mrs Riotton said she would be taking life easier from now on. "Enough is enough!" she said. "No more forests -- don't want to visit one again." A mountain policeman said walking alone in the mountain was not recommended and that Mrs Riotton should have carried a mobile phone with her. "The mountains are particularly dangerous at this time of year as sunny afternoons can quickly change into cold, wet and stormy evenings." he said. "Anybody walking into the mountains should carry safety equipment and be prepared for any kind of emergency." Michelle Riotton got lost on _ . Answer: My name is Peter. I was born in Paris. When I was three, my family moved to London. We stayed there for one year then my dad had to move to New York. We spent about two years there. I moved to Shanghai last May and I like the new country very much. I study at an international school in Shanghai. There are people from nearly all parts of the world. I like my school very much and I can learn many things. I love learning Chinese and keep practising it with my classmates. After school, my favourite sport is football. I like drawing and painting, too. Shanghai has four seasons and I like spring best here, because I can go out in the evening and play with my friends. In my hometown, the summers are hotter than Shanghai but the winters are not so cold as they are here. Shanghai is like a small world where all kinds of people and food can be seen. I like being part of it and I am very happy to stay here. Which of the following is TRUE? Answer: My summer holiday began on July 5th. I didn't want to stay at home and did nothing in the hot summer. I called my grandma, and she asked me to go to her village. I was very happy with it. After four hours, I got to my grandma's house by bus. There are many trees around her house. I liked to play games with other children during the day. At night, people in the neighborhood often came and sat together to chat. My grandma liked telling stories. My new friends and I enjoyed her stories very much. There is a pool in the village. My friends and I often went there with some food and _ fish in the pool. Then we cooked the fish and had dinner there. It was not easy to catch fish, but it was interesting and exciting. I stayed there for about a month, and then I went back home. What is the passage mainly about? Answer: Lisa never had the chance to know her father. He and her mother divorced when she was just a young child. Even though he didn't move far, he never came to visit his children. Lisa often wondered about her father. What did he look like and what was he doing? All she knew was his name: Jeff White. After Lisa grew up, she became a nurse at a hospital, where she would help provide medicine and comfort for patients in their final days. A few weeks ago, she received a new patient whose name was Jeff White. When Jeff came into his room, Lisa asked him if he had any children. Jeff told her that he had two daughters, Lisa and Elly. Lisa couldn't hold her tears back. She told him, "I am Lisa, your daughter." Jeff embraced her, saying that he was not a good father. And the daughter held his hand and kissed him. Then Jeff began to sing This Magic Moment. Jeff could have just weeks left to live, so Lisa wanted to make the most of the time she had with him. Lisa also brought her kid to the hospital to meet their grandfather. The kid made cards for him with the words, "I love you." What did Lisa know about her father? She knew her father's _ . Answer:
Genes are located on chromosomes which are composed of A. DNA. B. RNA. C. ATP. D. ADP. Answer: A. DNA. Several years ago, a television reporter was talking to three of the most important people in America. One was a very rich banker, another owned one of the largest companies in the world, and the third owned many buildings in the center of New York. The reporter was talking to them about being important. "How do we know if someone is really important?" the reporter asked the banker. The banker thought for a few moments and then said," I think anybody who is invited to the Whiter House to meet the President of the United States is really important. " The reporter then turned to the owner of the very large company. "Do you agree with that?" she asked. The man shook his head, "No. I think the President invites a lot of people to the White House. You'd only be important if while you were visiting the President, there was a telephone call from the president of another country, and the President of the US said he was too busy to answer it. " The reporter turned to the third man. "Do you think so?" "No, I don't." he said. "I don't think that makes the visitor important. That makes the President important. " "Then what would make the visitor important?" the reporter and the other two men asked. "Oh, I think if the visitor to the White House was talking to the President and the phone rang, and the President picked up the receiver, listened and then said, "It's for you." The banker thought _ . A. he was really important because he was a rich banker B. the visitor to the White House was really important C. the visitor who met the President of the United States D. the reporter was really important Answer: B. the visitor to the White House was really important The weather is getting hotter. You are thirsty playing basketball or riding home from school. A cold drink may be just the thing. But be careful what you are drinking. Something that looks cool may not be good for your health. There are plenty of "energy drinks" on the market. Most of them have beautiful colors and cool names. The lists on them tell you they are helpful to your health. Sounds great! But after a careful check you may find that most energy drinks have lots of caffeine in them. These drinks are especially aimed at young people, students, busy people and sports players. Makers sometimes say their drinks make you better at sports and can keep you awake. But be careful not to drink too much. Caffeine makes your heart beat fast. Because of this, the International Olympic Committee(IOC) has limited its use. Caffeine in most energy drinks is at least as strong as that in a cup of coffee or tea. Possible health dangers have something to do with energy drinks. Just one box of energy drink can make you nervous, have difficulty sleeping and can even cause heart problems. Scientists say that teenagers should be _ from taking drinks with a lot of caffeine in them. Many people like drinking energy drinks because of the following EXCEPT that _ . A. they have beautiful colors and cool names B. they have lots of caffeine C. they can keep them awake and better at sports D. they are said to be helpful to health Answer: B. they have lots of caffeine According to the Big Bang Theory, how is the universe changing? A. It is contracting. B. It is expanding. C. Only the rim is expanding. D. Only the center is contracting. Answer: B. It is expanding. The world's biggest Internet search engine, Google, has proven once again to be King of the Web. Users can download "Google Wi-Fi" software and then enjoy free Wi-Fi service available in some US cities since last Tuesday. Wi-Fi is short for "Wireless Fidelity" . It allows laptop computers and personal digital assistants to the Internet at high speed by radio signal. A person with a Wi-Fi enabled computer can connect to the Internet when near one of the network's access points. The place covered by one or several access points is called a hotspot. Google has already set up two "hotspots" in the US city of San Francisco which provide a free Wi-Fi service. The Wi-Fi technology even allows users to enjoy a free Internet phone service. Some scientists argue that Wi-Fi may replace mobile phone networks. Wi-Fi is still limited to a few cities, where there are "hotspots". But its capability of sending information has already done better than that of the mobile phone network, even that of 3G(Third Generation Telecommunication Technology). Some scientists have started to call Wi-Fi 4G. In addition to a high speed Internet connection, Wi-Fi has other advantages compared to mobile phones. Wi-Fi is global. The same Wi-Fi system works in different countries around the world. Different from using cell phones, you don't need to change computers to use Internet phones when you go to other places and most importantly, many Internet phones cost you nothing at all. Which of the following is NOT true of Wi-Fi? A. The high speed Internet connection. B. Many free Internet phones. C. Being used in all the US cities. D. Using the same computers for Internet phones when you go to other places. Answer: C. Being used in all the US cities.
A man and his wife had a small restaurant near a train station. The restaurant often stayed open until after midnight, because people came to drink and have meals while they were waiting for trains. At two o'clock one morning, a farmer was still sitting at a table there. He was asleep. The wife of the owner of the restaurant was very sleepy and wanted to go to bed. She looked at the farmer several times and waited for him to wake up and go, but each time she looked, the farmer was still there sleeping. Then at last she went to her husband and said to him, "You have woken him six times now, but why haven't you sent him away? It's very late." "Oh, no, I don't want to _ " answered her husband with a smile. "You see, whenever I wake him up, he asks for his bill , and when I give him the bill, he pays it and then goes to sleep again." The wife did not go to bed because she was waiting for the farmer to _ . wake up and go Mr. Smith is thirty one .He is tall and heavy , and he has short hair . He likes children and his job .He works at school and gives the children classes from Monday to Friday .He often has much work to do , but he often plays games with his students after school .All his students like him very much .On Sunday he drives to his parents' house and stays with his father and mother .Sometimes he goes to see his friends on Sundays .He drives back to school on Monday morning . Which is TRUE ? He likes his students and plays games with them Three surfers rushed to save a man's life after he was left drifting on a notorious stretch of water. The men stayed with Greg Popple for 30 minutes and had to be rescued themselves by helicopter as the drama unfolded. The 45-year-old had floated out on a body board near Hutchwns Point at 8:30 am. He found himself in trouble about half-a-mile from the shore and dangerously close to rocks. Surfers Graig Evans, 31, Robert Miles, 19, and Owain Daviees, 23, were risking their own safety to keep him floating for 30 minutes. Luckily a passer-by noticed what was going on and raised the alarm. Porthcawl Coastguard, Porthcaw Lifeboat and an RAF helicopter all took part in the rescue. "The man who got into trouble was a body boarder-there was a big tide where he was," said Joe Missen. "Three other surfers spotted he was in difficulty and he was going down. They kept him afloat because he was in a state of shock and out of energy. If Mr. Popple was closer to the rocks, it could have been a lot worse, but they managed to keep him from harm". Mr. Missen's mum Alison, also part of the rescue team, said, "That part of the water is notorious for taking people out to nowhere". The three men had clocked off a night shift at Ford Motor Company shortly before the incident. "I headed straight down to the beach for a surf, when I saw him flailing . We just swam straight out to him and kept him calm while the help came". The four men were taken to the life boat house to recover, without injuries. What would be the best title for the text? Surfers Rescue Man Caught in Tide Today's story is about Zhang Qian,a student from Beijing. He's now studying in the United States. He's living with an American family in New York. Today is the Dragon Boat Festival. It's 9: 00 a.m. and Zhang Qian's family are at home. His mom and aunt are making zongzi. His dad and uncle are watching the boat races on TV. Is Zhang Qian also watching the races and eating zongzi? It's 9: 00 p. m. in New York,and it's the night before the festival. But there isn't a Dragon Boat Festival in the US, so it's like any other night for Zhang Qian and his host family . The mother is reading a story to her young children. The father is watching a football game on TV. Zhang Qian is talking on the phone to his cousin in Beijing. Zhang Qian misses his family and wants to have his mom's delicious zongzi. Zhang Qian likes New York and his host family a lot, but there's still 'no place like home'. According to the passage, what can we learn about New York? People don't do anything for Dragon Boat Festival. Driving speeds have largely stabilized, and nowadays, safety concerns are important and reducing road accidents to minimum is a must. So, automakers are focused on safety systems more than ever before. Given the emphasis on improving safety, it's possible that well-known phrases such as "live fast and die young" may lose their meaning as innovative new devices are built into cars and trucks and other things that go. Many of the new safety systems that are being added to high-end vehicles are computer-assisted technologies that transfer some of the vehicle's operations to the vehicle itself, rather than relying only on the driver's decision-making skills. For example, predictive brake assist is an in-vehicle feature that prepares the vehicle for braking when its built-in sensors detect a potential object ahead. The predictive brake assist basically places the vehicle's braking system on alert, which helps the system to slow down the car in as little time and as short a distance as possible. Other in-vehicle sensors will detect moving and still objects and will even distinguish the objects based on simple patterns, such as other vehicles vs. a person. What's more, built-in "active systems", i.e., predictive precollision systems, will provide drivers with advance detection of potential contact between vehicles. These systems compute the movement of the objects and detect possible dangerous intersections . What technological developments have enabled innovations like predictive precollision systems? Essentially, these so-called active systems are the result of vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications. These communication links allow highways to provide a vehicle's owners with services such as renting a movie during the trip, as well as reduce reaction delays when medical care is needed due to a crash. Despite these new technologies, drivers cannot take safety for granted. Until all vehicles are fully automated, it is the drivers themselves who are responsible for operating their vehicles and obeying traffic laws designed to keep roadways secure. So, keep your eyes on the road and your hands on the steering wheel . Predictive Precollision can be used to _ . detect potential contacts between vehicles in advance
Traveling to Cuba as an American is like jumping through hoops .To help you better prepare for your trip,here are what you need to know about traveling to Cuba. You wilI need to obtain a visa to travel to Cuba.You'11 need to apply for the visa associated with your travel purposes,such as religious or medical travel,family visits,or people-to-people travel,which is the most common type of visa attained by Americans. Because of the U.S.restriction,banks have not yet been able to establish a foothold in Cuba,meaning it's a cash--focused country.You can exchange currency at the Jose Marti International Airport or at your hotel.Keep in mind that there is a 10 percent fee to exchange U.S.currency for Cuban currency.You'11 also want to be sure to carry change for tips. You can reserve a hotel room in Cuba online.Then you can call to confirm your reservation.You can also book through a travel agency.However,payment can be tricky:Even if you pay for your room through your travel agent,the restriction may prevent your payment from reaching your hotel in time(another reason to book well in advance).Come prepared with enough cash to cover the cost,just in case. If you expect to find the blue waters,volcanic landscapes and beautiful villages of other nearby islands,you'11 be disappointed.But beauty is not hard to find here.Old Havana--a UNESCO World Heritage Site--is home to splendid architecture and a bit of paladars(privately owned res--taurants).Limited economic opportunities have led Cubans to be creative in other ways.You can't go two blocks without coming across street paintings,art studios and joyful ballet music. How much will you pay if you want to exchange$1.000 for Cuban money? Answer: The old man walked with a cane slowly into the restaurant. His poor jacket, patched trousers, and worn-out shoes made him stand out from the usual Saturday morning breakfast crowd. Unforgettable were his pale blue eyes that shone like diamonds, large rosy cheeks, and thin lips held in a steady smile. He walked toward a table by the window. A young waitress watched him and ran over to him, saying, "Here, Sir. Let me give you a hand with that chair." Without a word, he smiled and nodded a thank you. She pulled the chair away from the table. Supporting him with one arm, she helped him move in front of the chair, and get comfortably seated. Then she pushed the table up close to him, and leaned his cane against the table where he could reach it. In a soft, clear voice he said, "Thank you, Miss." "You are welcome, Sir." She replied. "My name is Mary. I'll be back in a moment. If you need anything, just wave at me!" After he had finished a hearty meal of pancakes, bacon, and lemon tea, Mary brought him the change, helping him up from his chair and out from behind the table. She handed him his cane, and walked with him to the front door. Holding the door open for him, she said, "Come back and see us, Sir!" He nodded a thank you and said softly with a smile, "You are very kind!" When Mary went to clean his table, she was shocked. Under his plate she found a business card and a note written on the napkin , under which was a $100 bill. The note on the napkin read, "Dear Mary, I respect you very much, and you respect yourself, too. It shows by the way you treat others. You have found the secret of happiness. Your kind gestures will shine though those who meet you." The man she had served was the owner of the restaurant. This was the first time that she, or any of his workers, had seen him in person. Which of the following titles goes best with the story? Answer: Preventing obesity and smoking can save lives, but it doesn't save money, reported researchers. "It was a small surprise, for it is against the common belief," said Pieter Van Baal, who led the study. "But it makes sense. If you live longer, then you cost the health system more." The researchers found that from age 20 to 56, obese people racked up the most expensive health costs. But on average, healthy people lived 84 years. Smokers lived about 77 years, and obese people lived about 80 years. Smokers and obese people tended to have more heart disease than healthy people. Therefore in the long run, the thin and healthy group cost about $417, 000, from age 20 on. Smokers cost about $326, 000 and obese people $371, 000. "The result throws a bucket of cold water onto the idea, based on guesswork, that obesity is going to cost trillions of dollars," said Patrick Basham, a professor of health politics. "If we're going to worry about the future of obesity, we should stop worrying about its financial impact," he said. "The benefits of obesity prevention may not be seen immediately in terms of cost saving in tomorrow's budget, but there are long-term gains," said Van Baal. "These are often immeasurable when it comes to people living longer and healthier lives." In the meanwhile, he said that governments should recognize that successful smoking and obesity prevention programs mean that people will have a longer chance of dying of something more expensive later in life. "Lung cancer is a cheap disease to treat because people don't survive very long. But if they are old enough to get Alzheimer's one day, they may survive longer and cost more. We are not advising that governments stop trying to prevent obesity," Van Baal said. "But they should do it for the right reasons." What can we know about the belief that obesity costs much? Answer: With a microscope, you see that an object has a cell wall, a chloroplast, and a nucleus. What is being observed? Answer: Once again, I had run away and really did not know why. I walked out of the gate to go to school and then kept walking, and walking, and walking. I was 11years old. It was almost dark; I was tired, cold, and all alone. I had not eaten all day and was afraid to turn myself over the police. I knew I would receive another beating once I returned to the Children's Home Society. There was nothing for me to do, except keep on walking. As darkness fell, I entered the darkened area in a city park sat down on a wooden bench hoping to avoid the police cars. It was cold and I began to tremble uncontrollably. All was quiet except for the passing cars in the distance. "Well, hello young man." A voice came from behind me. I jumped, almost falling off the park bench. My heart was beating ninety miles per hour. I gasped and I could hardly catch my breath. I looked up and saw a woman standing behind me in the shadows. "You look cold and hungry," she said. She took off her scarf, wrapped it around my shoulders and asked me to follow her. We walked about twenty feet, and then stopped under one of the park streetlights. She held out her hand and said, "Here, you take this letter." Seeing nothing in her hand., I stood still. "Reach out and take the letter from my hand," she insisted. Slowly I reached out, acting as though I was taking something from her hand. "Now hold the paper tightly and take it to any store owner," she instructed. I closed my thumb and finger as though I were grasping the letter and began walking toward Five Points. Several blocks down the road, I came to a store with a woman sitting behind a counter. I opened the door, walked in, and stopped directly in front of her. Very slowly I held out my hand toward her. I watched her face to see if she might think I was crazy or something. She reached out and as her hand touched mine, I opened my tightly closed fingers and stood there waiting. She pulled back, smiled, and looked down at her hands. She immediately turned and walked to the back of the store. After a while, the woman returned holding a paper plate. "Here is something for you to eat." She smiled and signaled to me to eat. Within two or three minutes, I downed the entire plate of food and several Coca Colas. Before I left, she held out her hand and asked me to take the letter. Again seeing nothing, I held out my hand and closed my thumb and finger as though I were taking something from her. Tightly grasping nothing more than air, I walked out into the street and headed back to the park. The old woman was still there. "It is really magic. Can I have the letter so I can be magic too?" I asked her. She reached out, took my hand, and opened my tightly closed fingers. Whatever was being held between my fingers, she took and placed into her apron pocket. "Would you help someone if they were hungry?" she asked me. "Yes Ma'am." "Would you help someone if they were hurt, cold or scared?" "Yes Ma'am. I would be their friend." "You are a very lucky little boy. You will never need the magic letter," she responded. What does the writer want to tell us through the story? Answer:
Question: It's 5:00 p. m. Mike is driving his new car to his sister's factory. He wants to pick up his sister. But he doesn't know the way. He stops in front of a bank. At this time he sees an old man near his car. Mike comes out of the car and asks the old man, "Excuse me. Where is the factory?"The old man says,"Yes, I know the way to the factory. I can go there with you."The old man is now sitting in Mike's car. Soon they come to a small house and the old man says,"Stop here, please!"Mike stops the car and says,"But this isn't a factory at all.""No,"says the old man, "This is my house. I want to get home before dinner. Thank you for taking me home. The factory is behind the bank. So go back to the bank and then turn left. You'll see the factory. You can't miss it."After half an hour, Mike gets to his sister's factory. It's just behind the bank! ,. Mike wants to go to _ . A. his sister's factory B. the old man's house C. a bank D. his home Answer: A Question: Several years ago, I taught teenagers with feeling troubles in a group home. These very tough kids often came directly from prison to my classroom. They often wanted to escape from the group home. They were society's "throwaway" kids--youngsters without families to love and care for them. They desperately needed to receive love. Then I found one thing more important for them. So, when a friend suggested an idea, I thought it would be a great program for my students. The plan was simple. We arranged that every Wednesday morning, I'd bring over my little crew, and they were supposed to clean the runs, wash dog and cat bowls, and feed the animals at our local animal shelter. Then came the risky part of the program. After doing their chores, the youngsters would earn the freedom to walk one of the dogs in the wooded area behind the shelter, where I couldn't even see them. We began the project. Each week, I carefully went over the list of students who had met the requirements. All that week, students worked hard to control their tempers and be cooperative. I emphasized how much the animals needed their love and care. As they served the animals, the youngsters were transforming before our eyes. Never before had they been considered contributing members of society. Yet now these kids begged to volunteer at the shelter. As we had planned, my students walked the dogs, unwatched, in the woods for up to half an hour. I impressed on each of them my trust and respect that they'd bring back the animal in their care safely and on time. Remarkably, I never lost a student or an animal. The world might not have needed or might have forgotten about my kids, but the animals didn't. these shining animals showed some very needy kids the way back home from heartbreak and abuse. In the writer's opinion, the most helpful thing for these troubled kids was _ . A. how to be accepted by society B. to be given enough love and care C. to learn how to give others love and care D. how to be taught to believe in others Answer: C Question: This is a teacher's family. The father's name is Lake Smith. He's forty - four. The mother's name is Kate Green. She's forty - two. The Smiths have a son, Jim, and a daughter, Ann. Jim is fourteen, and Ann is twelve. The son looks like his father, and the daughter looks like her mother. They are all in No.4 Middle School. But the Smiths are teachers; the son and daughter are students. What's Jim's father? ----He is _ . A. a worker B. a teacher C. a doctor D. a driver Answer: B Question: There are seven days in a week. They are Sunday, Monday, Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Most children go toschool from Monday to Friday. Most people don't work on Saturday orSunday and most shops are closed in England on Saturday and Sunday. But in China shops are open every day. Sunday is always a holiday.Some people go to church on that day. The time between Fridayevening and Monday morning is the weekend. It is time for rest. Wedon't work all the time. We have to rest from time to time. We rest overthe weekend. Most people go to work on _ . A. Saturday B. Sunday C. Tuesday D. Monday Answer: C Question: Timber companies can best manage the number of trees in forests by A. converting deforested areas into malls. B. planting trees to replace what they cut down. C. adding pesticides to the soil around the trees. D. removing the tree stumps when trees are cut down. Answer: B
My dream ended when I was born. Although I never knew it then, I just held on to something that would never come to pass. Dreams really do exist. But in the morning when you wake up, they are remembered just as a dream. That is what happened to me. I always had the dream to dance like a beautiful ballerina turning around and around and hearing people applaud for me. When I was young, I would turn around and around in the fields of wildflowers that grew in my backyard. Reality woke me up when I heard someone saying, "I don't know why you bother trying to dance. Ballerinas are pretty and slender girls. Besides, you don't have the talent to even be a ballerina." I remember how those words hurt every feeling in my body. I fell to the ground and wept for hours. I enjoyed hanging out by the water. I would sit there for hours and stare at my reflection . There I was, looking nothing like a pretty ballerina dancer. Reflections don't lie. Once the waves would come, my reflection was washed away just like my dream to dance. www.ks5u.com As I grew older, I began to realize that the reason my dream was even born was because it was something that was inside of me. The dream I had was never nurtured and cared for, so it slowly died. It's not that I wanted it to die, but I allowed it to die the day I started listening to the words, "You can't do it." When I finally woke up from many years of dreaming, I realized that you can't only settle for dancing in the wildflowers, you have to move on to the platform. Which of the following can serve as the best title for the passage? Which would likely live under a rock? One is never too old to learn. Life learning (sometimes called un-schooling or self-directed learning) is one of those concepts that are almost easier to explain by saying what it isn't than what it is. And that's probably because our own schooled backgrounds have convinced us that learning happens only in a fine building on certain days, between certain hours, and managed by a specially trained professional. Within that schooling framestudy, no matter how hard teachers try and no matter how good their textbooks, many bright students get bored, many slower students struggle and give up or lose their self-respect, and most of them reach the end of the process unprepared to enter into society. They have memorized a certain body of knowledge long enough to rush back the information on tests, but they haven't really learnt much, at least of the official curriculum. Life learners, on the other hand, know that learning is not difficult, that people learn things quite easily if they're not compelled and forced, if they see a need to learn something, and if they are trusted and respected enough to learn it on their own timetable, at their own speed, in their own way--no matter what age and no matter whether we're at school or at home. Life learning is independent of time, location or the presence of teacher. It does not require mom or dad to teach, or kids to work in workbooks at the table from 9 to noon. Life learning is learner-driven. It involves living and learning--in and from the real world. It is about exploring, questioning, experimenting, making messes, taking risks without fear of making mistakes, being laughed at and trying again. Furthermore, life learning is about trusting kids to learn what they need to know and about helping them to learn and grow in their own ways. It is about providing positive experiences that enable children to understand the world and their culture and to interact with it. According to the author, the schooling framestudy often _ . New research has shown that loneliness may affect ants to a greater extent than many other living creatures. It has long been known that loneliness can lead to a shorter life. In humans, it has even been found to be a driver of high blood pressure, sleep disorder, and depression that's independent of factors like age, race, gender, weight and economic status. However, loneliness has never been identified as a factor that can cut human lifespan by more than a small part of the average. Ants, on the other hand, appear to be far more sensitive to this stress, with loneliness leading to a surprising 91 percent reduction in lifespan. That's at least according to a study that details how "lonely" ants only live up to six days on average. Ants living in a community, on the other hand, were found to live up to about 66 days. In a series of experiments where ants were picked from their colonies and separated, they were found to continuously walk without rest,consuming far more energy than they could ever. The reason for the behavior is that an isolated ant is simple trying to get back to its colony at all costs, and doesn't know what to do without its nest mates. After all, many entomologists would argue that an ant colony is far more a single living entity than its members. If you were to take a single part from a clock, it would simply move aimlessly as well, running without a purpose. However, while there is a difference between aimlessness and loneliness, the researchers found that the latter affects lonely ants more directly. The study indicated that ants can't even eat alone, as they normally collect some of the food they gather in the field in a specialized organ called a crop.This crop is normally shared with other ants back at a nest,but as for a single ant, it simply just sits there, undigested and useless. How does loneliness influence a person? Uncle Lee is coming to have dinner with us. Mom and I go shopping. We don't have any meat. We need to buy some. It's ten yuan a kilo before. But now two kilos are sixty yuan. I say, "Mom, let's buy some fish." Mom answers, "OK." Fish is Uncle Lee's favorite food. We buy one kilo and a half. We also buy some vegetables and some chicken, but we don't buy any hamburgers. Uncle Lee doesn't like them at all. Mom also wants to buy some apples for me. You know, I like bananas, oranges and peaches, but I like apples best. But we can't find any. We go home at a quarter to five in the afternoon. How much is meat now?
Rachael lives in Wisconsin and has lived there all her life. She is just an average girl; at first when you are around her, she seems to be very shy. If you get to know her, she'll start to open up but always keep things to herself. Sports are something that keeps her going, a way to release stress. Usually, you will see Rachael out with friends or just sitting down reading a good book. She takes pride in the fact that she can read a whole book in one day, and that she still doesn't consider herself a bookworm. Some people call Rachael strange because of things she does. She's learned to _ what other people think because she just doesn't care any more. She likes to surround herself with people like her so it makes he feel like she is the less strange one in most situations. Rachael wants to be two completely different people in her life. A communication journalist for one, she has always wanted to be that person. The second possible career would be lawyer. It's a huge goal, and one day you'll see her doing something she loves. Influenced by her parents, Rachael enjoys listening to all kinds of music. Rarely, if ever, do you see her without some sort of music. Every morning you can see Rachael in her bathroom getting ready for school with her player at maximum volume .Her parents always get mad at her about that, but she can't hear them anyway over the music. They don't know that she uses their surround sound stereo when they aren't at home! It can be inferred from the passage that _ . A Rachael likes to be different from others B Rachael never reads books carefully C Rachael will be a lawyer in the future D Rachael's parents also like music Answer: D Huaihua Foreign Language School Lin Nan, Teacher of English Yingfeng Street, Huaihua, China Tel:0745-2709348 Fax:0745-2709756 E-mail: Linan@21cn.com Bp:1240822018Zip code:418000 Daqing Children's Hospital Liu Hong, Doctor 12 Xingling Road, Changchun, Jilin 130027 Tel:0431-5645972 13704358529(mobile) Fax:0431-5768904 E-mail:cclh@163.com Red Star Farm Zhang Hui, Farmer Shangping Village, Zhejiang, 419100 Tel: 0745-6826194 13973098479(mobile) Bp:1270803706 Tiantai Taxi Company Yang Jun, Driver 235St. Tongzhi, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 31007 Tel:0571-7038385 Fax:0571-7065834 E-mail:hzyi@163.com Bp:1992301636 You may telephone _ for help if your grandmother is ill. A Yang Jun B Zhang Hui C Liu Hong D Li Nan Answer: C Fun places to visit in Singapore Jurong Bird Park At Jurong Bird Park you can see more than 5,000 birds and even feed some of them by hand! If feeding birds makes you hungry, you can join the park's parrots for lunch. PulauUbin Take a small boat into Singapore's past.A 10-minute ride will take you to this island.The life on the island has not been changed since the 1960s. Malls and Markets Walk through Orchard Road's modern malls.Then try an open-air shopping experience at the markets.There you can buy inexpensive clothes,toys and old furniture. Night Safari Night Safari lets you see animals that are active at night in their natural environment.Walk through the park at night to get close to the animals from seven different areas. How many fun places are talked about? A 2 B 3 C 4 D 5 Answer: C An earthquake is literally an earth-shattering experience! There you are enjoying an afternoon nap, having a cup of coffee in the morning, or even sleeping on a cold winter night when -- WHAM! -- the entire crockery shelf _ , and all the plates and cups break into pieces. A painting on the wall nearly knocks you down as it falls. What should one do in an earthquake? The prime-time news gives no warning, nor is there a time of year, like the monsoon season, when an earthquake always occurs. Unlike a tornado or hurricane, there is no known way of predicting an earthquake. Though about 500, 000 earthquakes occur each year, only 100 of them cause damage! However, an earthquake can strike any time of the day or night, so it needs to be prepared for when you have the misfortune of being caught in the middle of one. If you're indoors, stay indoors, unless you're on the ground floor, where you can easily run outside. The best thing to do if you're indoors is to hide under a strong piece of furniture like a bed or desk. Do not head for the stairway if you're living on an upper storey, because stairways can collapse. If you're driving, get out of traffic and stop on a wide and open road. Do not stop on a bridge, or in another case, under one. Stay inside your car until the shaking stops. Before you restart driving, look out for fissures , breaks in the road, and bumps or cracks. Inside your home, be careful not to turn on the gas until you' re sure the cylinder is safe, and there is no leak. Avoid using your telephone unless there's an emergency. You could be occupying lines that are needed by other people. Lastly, if you're not trapped or seriously hurt, do not expect fire fighters, army or police to help you. They may be busy rescuing people in greater need than you! What should you do if you're driving on a bridge during an earthquake? A Stop where you are and get out of the car. B Leave the car and run away. C Keep on driving until you're off it. D Stop under the bridge and stay inside your car. Answer: C There is a thunderstorm close to your house. The windows rattle at the same time that you hear the thunder. What causes the windows to rattle? A Sound waves from the thunder B Light from the lightning C Rain from the clouds D The high humidity during the storm Answer: A
In America,Virginia Beach has all the elements of a classic seaside resort:brilliant beaches,a lively boardwalk,plenty of restaurants and nightspots,and amusement rides sure to appeal to kids.Many believe Virginia Beach is at its best in the off-season,when the town is less crowded but the weather is still mild. Meanwhile,some safety tips should be followed,enjoying the happiness and excitement the beach offers. The number l safety tip concerns ocean safety:pay attention to Flag conditions posted on the lifeguard stands.Lifeguards post a red flag to warn when the ocean water is dangerous.Take them seriously! Tourists from land-locked regions are particularly easily attracted by the magic of the waves.However,a calm ocean can become risky without warning.Make sure you swim near a lifeguard.Swimming without lifeguard protection is almost five times as great as drowning at a beach with lifeguards. Never swim alone.Many drownings involve single swimmers.When you swim with someone else,if one of you has a problem,the other may be able to get help,including signaling for assistance from others. Don't fight the current.The facts show that some 80% of rescues by lifeguards at ocean beaches are caused by currents.These currents are formed by surf and gravity,because once surf pushes water up the slope of a beach,gravity pulls it back.This can create concentrated rivers of water moving offshore.If you are caught in a rip current,don't fight it by trying to swim directly to shore.Instead,swim parallel to shore until you feel the current relax,then swim to shore.Most rip currents are narrow and a short swim parallel to shore will help bring you to safety. Many people believe the best time to visit Virginia Beach may be _ . Answer: Dear Linda, I'm glad to hear from you and I would like to be your pen friend. In your letter, you said you wanted to know something about my school life . I walk to school at 7:30 every morning because the school is near our house. When I get to school at about 7:45, I often do the cleaning with my classmates. After that we do some reading for half an hour. We have four lessons in the morning. I often have my lunch at 12:00 at school. We usually have two lessons in the afternoon. The school is over at about 5:00 and then I go home. My favorite subject is Chinese. I like all the teachers because they are friendly. I am keen on sports and I enjoy playing football best. I'm a member of our school football team. What about your school life? Best wishes! Dick It often takes Dick about _ to walk to school every morning. Answer: Dianna was born in a rich family on July 1st,1961. On July 29, 1981, Diana married Prince Charles. Later she gave birth to Prince William and Prince Harry. Dianna enjoyed taking part in international Charities . One day in July 1991, she went to a hospital to see AIDS patients with Barbara Bush, the wife of the president of the United States at the time. Princess Diana talked to an AIDS patient who was unable to stand up. She even hugged him and encouraged him to fight against the illness . The patient was very _ and said, "AIDS patients do need warm hugs." Of course, she made it. Unfortunately, she died in August 1997. British Prime Minister, Tony Blair said in his speech that Diana was the People's Princess. After her death, people set up a fund to remember Diana and help those who need help. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? Answer: During my second year of nursing school, our teacher gave us a test. I was a hardworking student and I did well in all the subjects. I finished the questions successfully until I read the last one: "What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?" Of course this was a joke. I saw the cleaning woman every day. She is short and about 60 years old. She has dark hair. But how would I know her name? I had never talked with her before. In fact, I'd never even thought about talking to her. I stared at my paper and started to feel rather guilty. Finally, I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Before the class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our grades. "Absolutely," the teacher said. "In your life, you will meet many people. All are important. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is to smile and to say hello." I've never forgotten that lesson. Everyone deserves my attention and I should get to know all of the people who work and live around me. That was, perhaps, the most important lesson of my life. I also learned the cleaning woman's name was Dorothy. How was the writer at the nursing school? Answer: Peters sued Davis for $100,000 for injuries received in a traffic accident. Davis charged Peters with contributory negligence and alleged that Peters failed to have his lights on at a time when it was dark enough to require them.Davis calls Bystander to testify that Passenger, who was riding in Peters's automobile and who also was injured, confided to Bystander at the scene of the accident that "we should have had our lights on." Bystander's testimony is Answer:
The girl looking for the job turned out to be excellent but she ended up giving her employer a headache when it also turned out that she used an unreal diploma . In December, a Civil Administration Bureau in the city of Wuhan, Hubei Province, announced that it needed five new staff members. Some 120 people applied and took the exam. Applicants were required to show proof of a college degree at least. Mei Jing beat everyone in the test and the interview. When a follow-up check was done, however, her education certificate was discovered to be an unreal one. This was a bit of an embarrassment for the employers. A _ one might say. If she were hired because of her excellent performance, she still wouldn't have the qualifications on paper. But, if she were dropped because she didn't meet the education requirements, they would lose a good worker. Tough problem! While Mei's future hangs in the balance, the public having learned of the case got involved. Some people said the Bureau should employ her, since results are the only important thing. "After all, ability is more important than a diploma, "said one office worker. Others, however, have attacked Mei's dishonesty. They said that morality was, after all, more important than talent, especially in the case of a government position. Mei wasn't honest, so she shouldn't be hired. But, Shen Ronghua, the head of the Shanghai Public Administration and Human Resources Institute, tries to be a bit more philosophical. "There is still a sort of 'diploma means this' prejudice among people," Shen explains, "Many employers regard a diploma as the only sign of ability and talent." So, with this in mind, people may pay little attention to whether someone has real ability or not. They turn to chasing a diploma instead. The unreal diploma is the natural product of this thought. The conclusion? "China needs a new human resource system. The new system will not define a person only by his or her diploma, " Shen says. What can we infer from this news report? Answer: Kenya is losing an average of 100 of its 2,000 lions each year because of growing human settlements, increasing farming, climate change and diseases, according to the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS). "Lions have a special place in Kenyans' life," said Paul Udoto, a spokesman for the organization. "Other than being the symbol of national strength, they are among the Big Five, a main attraction for visitors to Kenya." There were 2,749 lions in Kenya in 2002 and their population dropped to 2,280 by 2004 and to about 2,000 today, according to KWS figures. "The fall of the lion population is worrying and every effort needs to be made to make sure that Kenya either protects its population of 2,000 lions at present or increases the numbers to an ecologically acceptable level," said Mr. Udoto. "There is no doubt that the numbers are in free fall. I'd be surprised if they even last as long as 20 years," said Laurence Frank, project director of Living With Lions, a Kenya-based animal protection organization. "When I first came here 30 years ago, I would always hear lions roaring across the land at night and see their tracks in the morning. Now that is very rare." "The reason is simple. As the numbers of people grow and the numbers of cows increase, they take up much of the lion's space. Alongside that there are other ways, including poisoning, to kill lions." Animal lovers are making a new strategy to save the animals. Part of the measures will include tracking lions fitted with radio collars in the Amboseli area in southern Kenya, close to the border with Tanzania. Wildlife officials in Tanzania face similar challenges in protecting their lions, but there is far less human encroachment on the animals' homeland there than in Kenya. What will the following passage most probably talk about? Answer: Dear Gregory, Merry Christmas! You are now the proud owner of an iPhone. Hot Damn! You are a good & responsible 13 year old boy and you deserve this gift. But with the acceptance of this present comes rules and regulations. Please read through the following contract. I hope that you understand it is my job to raise you into a well rounded, healthy young man that can function in the world and coexist with technology, not be ruled by it. Failure to comply with the following list will result in termination of your iPhone ownership. 1. It is my phone. I bought it. I pay for it. I am loaning it to you. Aren't I the greatest? 2. If it rings, answer it. It is a phone. Say hello, use your manners. Do not ever ignore a phone call if the screen reads "Mom" or "Dad". Not ever. 3. It does not go to school with you. Have a conversation with the people you text in person. It's a life skill. *Half days, field trips and after school activities will require special consideration. 4. If it falls into the toilet, smashes on the ground, or vanishes into thin air, you are responsible for the replacement costs or repairs. Mow a lawn, babysit, stash some birthday money. It will happen, you should be prepared. 5. Turn it off, silence it, put it away in public. Especially in a restaurant, at the movies, or while speaking with another human being. You are not a rude person; do not allow the iPhone to change that. 7. Learn to live without it. Be bigger and more powerful than FOMO - fear of missing out. Leave your phone home sometimes and feel safe and secure in that decision. It is not alive or an extension of you. 8. Keep your eyes up. See the world happening around you. Stare out a window. Listen to the birds. Take a walk. Talk to a stranger. Wonder without googling. 9. If you will mess up. I will take away your phone. We will sit down and talk about it. We will start over again. You and I, we are always learning. I am on your team. We are in this together. It is my hope that you can agree to these terms. I hope you enjoy your awesome new iPhone. Merry Christmas! xoxoxo Mom The author's main purpose in writing the article is to _ Answer: What happens when a hemisphere is tilted away from the sun? Answer: Even if you are saying and doing the right things at your job and in your personal life, you could be making a bad impression on everyone with what you don't say. That's because much of our reactions to others are based on body language. If your body language is communicating a negative message, that's the message you could be sending, regardless of what actual words come out of your mouth. What are negative messages sent via body language? Things like having arms folded across your chest can show hostility . Lack of eye contact can indicate shiftiness . An unsmiling face could communicate a variety of things, like anger, disappointment, or sadness, depending upon what other facial expressions are included. Want to know what body language communicates? Watch a TV show or a movie with the sound off, and see how much you can figure out of the plot, or at least you can get a sense of what is going on. However, many of the clues that indicate negativity could also be the result of nervousness or other issues. For example, somebody who doesn't make eye contact could simply be nervous. The same goes with a not-so-warm hand-shake. Or, someone folding his arms could simply be more comfortable with the arms that way, not realizing what the arms' position sends. Someone who doesn't smile could be self-conscious about her teeth. At any rate, the person who sends off bad body language may not even realize that they're doing it. Unfortunately, some people who do recognize what body language communicates are scam artists. They may have the firmest handshake, the shiniest smile, and make the greatest eye contact to convince others of their sincerity, because they know how much this nonverbal communications plays a part in communicating sincerity. Yet people _ it, because their body language seems sincere. But what if you're in the opposite situation? If you're not sure what your body language is communicating, ask a trusted friend for help. You can also concentrate on standing up straight and sitting up straight, if posture is a problem. Practicing in front of a mirror can help you get rid of bad habits. Remember to smile and nod if needed. And try to learn how to relax. Before you know it, you will be sending more positive messages with your body language. A serious face could indicate a lot of different information _ . Answer:
Question: If you do not use your arms or your legs some time, they become weak; when you start using them again, they slowly become strong again. Everybody knows this and nobody would think of questioning this fact. Yet there are many people who do not seem to know that memory works in the same way. When someone says that he has a good memory, he really means that he keeps his memory in practice by exercising it frequently either consciously or unconsciously. When someone else says that his memory is poor, he really means that he doesn't give it enough chances to become strong. If a friend complains that his arms and legs are weak, we know that it is his own fault. But if he tells us that he has a poor memory, many of us think his parents are to blame and that he is just unlucky, and few of us realize that it is just as much as his own fault as if it is his arms or legs that were weak. This passage mainly tells us that _ . A. one's memory can be trained B. one should practise using his arms or legs more frequently C. if someone has a good memory, he is usually lucky D. it's his parents fault if he has a poor memory Answer: A Question: "You know, these cups bring to mind a tea quote I heard." Mary's aunt said. She poured tea. There were four of them and there were four totally different cups on the table. They took their tea cups. "What quote?" Mary asked. "Well, maybe I should rather say it is a story," aunt said, "I heard that there was a wise teacher who took all his students for tea. They were surprised that all the cups on the table were different. Each of them took a cup and started drinking their tea, each looking at the cups of others. The teacher let them do that for a while and then said,' Do you notice your behavior? You are all looking at each other's tea cup and I can see some of you with the broken ones are even envious of the finer cups of others. Is this not so?' " The students agreed, amused by their own behavior. "You may have wondered why you all had different cups, but I put them here on purpose. You see they represent life itself. Life is like that tea and the cups are like the physical circumstances of your life. You all got the same thing in your cups -- tea. And yet you can not truly enjoy it in your envy of another's cup. It's just the same with life. You forget to enjoy your own life when you concentrate on envying the circumstances of someone else's life. So now, close your eyes, and taste your own tea. Really taste it. And tell me -- did it matter from which cup it came from?" Aunt finished telling her short tea story and they all sat in silence for a while, tasting their tea. A sleepy fly buzzed past, a bird sang in the tree. And it really did not matter one bit from which tea cup they drank. What can be the best title for the passage? A. More than tea in a cup B. The value of tea C. Tea vs cup D. Enjoying tea with a broken cup Answer: A Question: They say that sticks and stones may break your bones, but words will never hurt you. Yet childhood bullying really can damage your long-term health. Gone are the days when bullying was considered an unavoidable and finally harmless part of growing up -- just last month we learned that childhood bullying can lead to poorer mental health even into middle age. Now William Copeland at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, and his colleagues have shown that it can have lasting physiological effects too. They tracked 1,420 nine-year-olds right through their teens. Each child was seen up to nine times during the study and asked about bullying. The team then measured levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) in their blood. CRP is a marker of inflammation linked to higher risk of cardiovascular disease and problems like diabetes. "Because we were collecting biological samples throughout, we were able to look at CRP levels in subjects _ their bullying involvement." says Copeland. "This really gives us an idea of the changes bullying brings about." Although CRP levels naturally rise in everyone during adolescence, levels were highest in children who reported suffering from bullies. Even at the ages of 19 and 21, children who had once been bullied had CRP levels about 1.4 times higher than peers who were neither wrongdoers nor victims. In a cruel twist, the bullies had the lowest levels of all, suggesting they didn't suffer the same health risks. They may even see a benefit from their behavior, though Copeland stresses it doesn't defend their actions. "The goal would instead be to find other ways to produce this protective effect without it being at someone else's expense." he says. Andrea Danese at King's College London has before shown that ill-treatment during childhood can lead to high levels of inflammation in adult life. "This new study is a helpful addition in showing that these effects extend to another important childhood stressor." he says. He suggests that care workers monitor levels of CRP in children having psychotherapy to see if it is helping to reduce the stress of being bullied. What does the phrase "prior to" in Para.2 mean? A. through B. during C. after D. before Answer: D Question: A German taxi-driver, Franz Bussman, recently found his brother who was thought to have been killed twenty years ago. While on a walking tour with his wife, he stopped to talk to a workman. After they had gone on, Mrs. Bussman said that the workman was closely like her husband and even suggested that he might be his brother. Franz laughed at the idea, pointing out that his brother had been killed in action during the war. Though Mrs. Busman knew this story quite well, she thought there was a chance in a million that she might be right. A few days later, she sent a boy to the workman to ask him if his name was Hans Bussman. Needless to say, the man's name was Hans Bussman. And he really was Franz's long-lost brother. When the brothers were reunited, Hans explained how it was that he was still alive. After having been wondered towards the end of the war, he had been sent to hospital and was separated from his unit . The hospital had been bombed and Hans had made his way back into Western Germany on foot. Meanwhile, his unit was lost and all records of him had been destroyed. Hans returned to his home, but the house had been bombed up. Guessing that his family had all been killed during an air-raid , Hans settled down in a village fifty miles away where he had remained ever since. How to understand the sentence "There was a chance in a million that she might be right."? A. It was impossible for her to be right. B. She had no chance to meet his brother any more. C. There were many chances for her to meet his brother again. D. There was a little possibility of what she suggested, though little. Answer: D Question: Going to college and living away from home for the first time can be terribie.Students tend to have higher academic achievements in college when they enjoy living in the dormitory.Most colleges and universities have many programs that help first-year students adjust to studying and living in a new community.Take advantage of these programs and make new friends as you adjust to your college life. _ .Greet and meet everyone in the dorm.Find out their class schedules and hobbies.You may be able to find study partners this way.Most students are just like you being away from their home the first time.Don't be afraid toknock on your neighbors'doors and introduce yourself.The residence staff will also help you in adjusting tocollege iife.Get to know them as soon as possible. Get along with your roommate.Your roommates can be eitherr your lifelong friends or enemies.Try to be friends to them.Respect each other, including their space.Do not use your roommates' belongings without permission.Communicate among each other regarding your daily schedule, study or sleep habits and off campus guest visits. Always say hello. Get involved.To adjust to college life away from home,you need to got involved in college activities.Join clubs.Attend events that are hosted by your residence life and academic departments.Attend those events with your new friends. Most colleges have many events throughout the semester.Student union is a great place to meet new friends and learn about the upcoming events. Call home when you need to.College life can be very exciting in the beginning. Most students get lonely and homesick during the middle of the semester or during festivals,It is normal to feel sad.Call home or even visit home when you need to. Talk to your friends back home.Understand that many people love and support you and they are very proud of you. According to the text,when you feel homesick at college,you can _ . A. find study partners B. join clubs C. call your parents D. talk to new friends Answer: C
HANGZHOU, China -- Millions of Chinese basketball fans who were upset about the retirement of Yao Ming, are excited to see another even more shining star, Jeremy Lin, rising from the N.B.A and becoming a household name all across China. "We are amazed by Lin Shuhao's magic performance and should cheer him on," one Internet user wrote. "His sport shirts have sold out, even including the counterfeit ones," said Zheng Xiaojun, a 24-year-old clerk. Lin's amazing success over the last month has caught the imagination of the Chinese. He has been particularly popular here in northern Zhejiang province, from which his grandmother went to Taiwan in the late 1940s. Cai Qi, a well-known micro blogger, posted a message on micro blog over the weekend stating that Lin's hometown is Jiaxing, a city near Hangzhou where Lin's grandmother grew up. Cai Qi's nephew Yu Guohua, a 56-year-old factory worker, is Lin's closest still living in northern Zhejiang. He said in a telephone interview that Lin had come to play basketball with the Jiaxing High School team last May and had been surrounded by admirers. Yu said he did not have a chance to meet Lin in the crowd, but managed to speak with his family. "His father was very supportive of Lin's playing basketball, but his grandmother was not, for fear he would be injured," Yu said. Lin may owe his height, 6 feet 3 inches, to his grandmother's family, Yu said. Chen Weiji, the father of Lin's grandmother, was well over 6 feet and all of Chen's children were tall as well, he said. The N.B.A. believes that 300 million people in China play basketball. The retirement last year of Yao Ming took its main Asian draw away from the N.B.A. But Lin's appearance has helped the league remain a hot topic of Chinese online chatter. Which is the best title of the report? Answer: Two Chinese spacecrafts successfully completed China's first space docking early November 3, 2011, which has taken the country a step closer to building its own space station. Nearly two days after its launch, the unmanned spacecraftShenzhou VIIIdocked with the space lab module Tiangong I more than 343 km above the earth surface.Shenzhou VIIIandTiangong Itook apart after flying together for 12 days. On the 14th of November, the two spacecrafts finished the second docking. ThenShenzhou VIIIparted fromTiangong Iagain and returned to the earth safely on the 17th.Tiangong Iis still traveling around the earth in the space, waiting for the arrival ofShenzhou IXandXand so on in the near future. _ marked another great leap for China's space program and made China the third country in the world, after the United States and Russia, to master the space docking technique . The world's first space docking was achieved in 1966, when the manned U.S, spacecraft Gemini 8 (8) docked with an unmanned Agena Target Vehicle . Space docking is necessary to explore space beyond Earth's orbit. "The capability increases China's ability to act independently in space, as well as its ability to work together with others," said Gregory Kulacki, a U.S. space scientist and senior analyst. "With the success of its first space docking, China is now equipped with the basic technology and ability required for the construction of a space station," said Zhou Jianping, chief designer of China's manned space program." The country is on its way to building a permanent manned space station around 2020." What's the best title of this passage? Answer: The south and east of the Great Lakes is famous for the huge amounts of snow it receives. When the snow starts to fall every year, people start discussing the phrase "lake-effect snow". Lake-effect snow which is influenced by the movement of cold air over the relatively warm water of the Great Lakes often comes in late autumn and early winter. Because of the at least 20 degrees' difference between the lake water and the overrunning air, it's easy to form huge amounts of snow. As the cool air crosses the water of Great Lakes, the lowest levels of the atmosphere begin to warm and pick up moisture. This newly warmed atmosphere is lighter than the cold air above it, so it starts rising. As the changed air continues to climb higher and higher, it finally meets much colder atmosphere which changes the moisture into water drops and ice, forming clouds. After this course repeats a number of times, the clouds become heavier and heavier, and then they are changed into snow and fall down. The most important point that decides the amount of snowfall is the direction of the wind. If the wind runs perpendicularly across the lake, there won't be plenty of time for clouds to develop. However, if the wind runs in the opposite direction, clouds will form easily. The longer the cold air travels over the lake, the more moisture it is able to produce, which leads to a greater amount of snow. The largest amount of the lake-effect snow was found across the U.P. of Michigan, the northwestern Pennsylvania and the far southwestern and northwestern New York, which are all along the south or east of the Great Lakes. It has been over 100 inches of snowfall in a winter season. From the passage, we can learn that _ . Answer: Here is a question I have often asked at dinner parties: You're on an island with only one other person, your best friend. He's dying of cancer. In his final days, he tells you, "I have 100,000 dollars in a bank back home. When I die, make sure my son goes to medical school." Then he dies. But his son is a no-good playboy who has no interest in going to medical school and will waste that money away in a very short time. But your son is entering college, and he is willing to become a doctor. Which one do you give the money to for medical school? I've asked this question of everyone from the president of a famous university to an ordinary young soldier, and it has never failed to get a discussion going. Everyone has an opinion, most of them different, but all of them correct. Sometimes this one topic lasts the whole evening. What the writer often says at dinner parties is _ . Answer: Most people who move to a foreign country may experience a period of time when they have a lot of stress in the new culture. This feeling is often called "culture shock" and it is important to learn how to deal with culture shock. First of all, you should know that everyone in a new situation will go through some form of culture shock. There are four general stages of cultural adjustment . The first stage is usually referred to as the honeymoon stage. Upon arriving in a new environment, you'll be interested in the new culture. Everything will seem exciting, and everyone will seem friendly and helpful. The second stage is called the withdrawal stage. The excitement that you felt before changes to frustration as you find it difficult to deal with new problems. The language is hard to learn; friends are hard to make; simple things like shopping and going to the bank are challenges. It is at this stage that you are likely to feel anxious and homesick. If you are one of those who manage to stick it out , you will enter the third stage---- the recovery stage. At this point, you'll feel more confident in the new culture. You'll start to understand and accept the way things are done and the way people behave in your new environment. The last stage is the stability stage---- this is the point when people start to feel at home in the new culture. At this stage, you will behave well in the new culture, and prefer some aspects of the new culture to your own culture. There is, in a sense, a fifth stage to this process. If you decide to return home after a long period in a new culture, you may experience what is called "reverse culture shock". This means that you may find aspects of your own culture "foreign", because you're so used to the new culture. Reverse culture shock is usually pretty mild and doesn't last for very long. In which stage will people feel most uncomfortable? Answer:
Every time I lost a tooth I would put it under my pillow at night. The next morning I would wake up to find two coins replacing my tooth. Then I'd wonder about the tooth fairy all day. "Mom, where do you think the tooth fairy lives? What does she do with the teeth she collects?" My mom said she didn't know. She only knew that the tooth fairy took the tooth away while we were sleeping and left us some money under our pillow. But I wanted to find out. So I think it was a good thing that I would lose another tooth. The plan was to stay up all night and ask the tooth fairy when she showed up. That night I lay quietly in my bed, growing sleepy as the night went on. Moments later, I felt that someone was close to me. Through my half-opened eyes, I didn't see any feet, but I knew it was the tooth fairy. I watched her run around and fly right out of my room. She was wearing a shiny green dress. After she left, I immediately felt under my pillow. There were two coins. I had never even felt my pillow move. I wondered if she used magic. As I got older, I learned from my teachers that the tooth fairy didn't exist. It was just a mythical figure of early childhood. I kind of thought it was, but how could I see the tooth fairy fly that night? Then one night my mom came into my room to check on me. The moonlight was bright that night and it shone through my window right on her shiny green nightdress. Right then I knew deep down that my mom was the tooth fairy. When the author felt someone was close to her, she _ . A thought her mother had come B believed she was in a dream C was only half awake D was unable to sleep Answer: C. was only half awake Failure is probably the most exhausting experience a person ever has. There is nothing more tiring than not succeeding. We experience this tiredness in two ways: as start-up fatigue and performance fatigue. In the former case, we keep putting off a task because it has either too boring or too difficult. And the longer we delay it, the more tired we feel. Such start-up fatigue is very real, even if not actually physical, not something in our muscles and bones. The solution is obvious though perhaps not easy to apply: always handle the most difficult job first. Years ago, I was asked to write 102 essays on the great ideas of some famous authors. Applying my own rule, I determined to write them in alphabetical , never letting myself leave out a tough idea. And I always started the day's work with the difficult task of essay-writing. Experience proved that the rule works. Performance fatigue is more difficult to handle. Though willing to get started, we cannot seem to do the job right. Its difficulties appear so great that, however hard we work, we fail again and again. In such a situation, I work as hard as I can-then let the unconscious take over. When planning Encyclopaedia Britannica (<<>> ), I had to create a table of contents based on the topics of its articles. Nothing like this had ever been done before, and day after dat I kept coming up with solutions, but none of them worked. My fatigue became almost unbearable. One day, mentally exhausted, I wrote down all the reasons why this problem could not be solved. I tried to convince myself that the trouble was with the problem itself, not with me. Relived, I sat back in an easy chair and fell asleep. An hour later, I woke up suddenly with the solution clearly in mind. In the weeks that followed, the solution which had come up in my unconscious mind provided correct at every step. Though I worked as hard as before, I felt no fatigue. Success was now as exciting as failure had been depressing. Human beings, I believe must try to succeed. Success, then, means never feeling tired. People with start-up fatigue are most likely to . A delay tasks B work hard C seek help D accept failure Answer: A. delay tasks When I first got an e-mail account ten years ago, I received communications only from family, friends, and colleagues. Now it seems that every time I check my e-mail,I have an endless series of advertisements and other _ that do not interest me at all. If we want e-mail to continue to be useful, we need specific laws that make spamming a crime. If lawmakers do not do something soon to prohibit spam, the problem will certainly get much worse. Computer programs allow spammers to send hundreds of millions of e-mails almost instantly. As more and more advertisers turn to spam to sell their products,individual e-mail boxes are often flooded with spam e-mails. Would people continue to use e-mail if they had to deal with an annoying amount of spam each time? This problem is troubling individuals and companies as well. Many spam e-mails contain computer viruses that can shut down the entire network of a company. Companies rely on e-mail for their employees to communicate with each other. Spam frequently causes failures in their local communications networks, and their employees are thus unable to communicate effectively. Such a situation results in a loss of productivity and requires companies to repeatedly repair their networks. These computer problems raise production costs of companies, which are, in the end, passed on to the consumer. For these reasons, I believe that lawmakers need to legislate against spare. Spammers should be fined, and perhaps sent to prison if they continue to disturb people. E-mail is a tool which helps people all over the world to communicate conveniently, but spam is destroying this convenience. According to the text, what is the major cause of the flooding spam? A Companies rely on e-mail for communications. B More people in the world communicate by e-mail. C Many computer viruses contain spam e-mail. D More advertisers begin to promote sales through spam. Answer: D. More advertisers begin to promote sales through spam. A peacock and a tortoise were good friends. One day, a bird catcher caught the peacock and was going to sell him on the market. The peacock asked the bird catcher to allow him to say goodbye to his friend the tortoise. The bird catcher agreed. The tortoise asked the bird catcher to let the peacock go, but he refused. The tortoise then said, "If I give you a nice gift, will you let my friend go?" "Certainly," answered the bird catcher. So the tortoise jumped into the river and after some time, he came up with a big pearl . The bird catcher was so surprised. He was so happy that he let the peacock go. A few days later, the bird catcher came back to the tortoise. He thought he didn't get enough for letting the peacock go. He told the tortoise that he would catch the peacock again unless he got another big pearl. The tortoise knew his friend the peacock went to a safe place. "Well," said the tortoise, "please return the pearl that I gave you and I will come back with two." The bird catcher thought for some time and gave the pearl to the tortoise. Then the tortoise swam away and said, "I am not so stupid to take one and give two!" The bird catcher could only stand by the river and feel sorry for being greedy . What did the peacock want to do before the bird catcher was going to sell him? A To give a gift to his friend. B To give a gift to his parents. C To say goodbye to his friend. D To say goodbye to his parents. Answer: C. To say goodbye to his friend. (CNN) -- In the last week, the Apple iWatch has made the jump from unlikely rumor to a real product that's probably in development, thanks to reports showing up in various publications. The clues are planting the seeds of an Apple watch in consumers' minds. The general public has not been crying out for a better watch. And Apple prides itself on knowing what the people want before they do, and an Apple watch would be much more than just a fancy timepiece. It's not about the watch form factor, but creating a wearable mobile device that takes advantage of advances in mobile computing technology such as cheap sensors, better battery life and improved voice recognition. If executed correctly, an Apple watch could bring about a profitable industry of products to go with it, like it did with the iOS App Store and mobile applications. "It's unlimited, the number of wearable things you can put into," said Gene Munster, an analyst with Piper Jaffray, who imagines small companies making inexpensive products like belts with sensors that send warnings to the watch when you've eaten too much. Apple is not entering virgin territory. There are already a handful of fancy smart watches available, but most act as accessories , connecting to the more powerful Android and iOS smartphones and tablets over Bluetooth. For example, the new Pebble smart watch passes on alerts from a smartphone, so when you receive a text, e-mail, or Facebook notification it is pushed to the watch, which vibrates . Wearable technology is also booming, thanks to cheap sensors that can be used to track things like movement and heart rates. The number of wearable fitness products has been growing at a fast pace, but an Apple offering would shake up the industry completely. "We're finally getting some players involved, and Apple is the real one that can add some value to some of this wearable technology," said Munster. Apple isn't alone in seeing the potential for this type of technology. Google is working on its own wearable platform, Google Glasses. The two will compete against each other when they are finally available, each sporting its own unique opinion on what kind of user interface people will use (voice control and a small touchscreen or augmented reality). And they will, of course, have their own ecosystems of accessories and apps. Traditional watches have dropped in popularity in recent years. Smartphones display the easy-to-see time and are already in our back pockets, so it can seem unnecessary to also tie a small clock to our wrists. But when you start packing more power, sensors and connection options like Bluetooth into a watch, it no longer stays to be a watch and becomes a small wearable computer. An Apple watch could suddenly become better than the current crop of smart watches by creating a platform, not another accessory. According to Munster, the three tasks people use their smartphones for are, in order, texting, Internet and phone calls. Two out of three of those tasks would be a natural fit for a small device, while the need to surf and play games would ensure the smartphone doesn't become out of date. This passage should be put under the category of _ . A inventions B culture C entertainment D economy Answer: A. inventions
As a child,Alain Robert was afraid of height.One day,when he was 12,he returned home from school.At the front door of his building,he looked for his keys.He didn't find them.It was 3.30p.m.and his parents worked until 6.00p.m.Alain looked at his apartment on the eighth floor.He saw an open window.He closed his eyes and imagined himself climbing the building.When he opened his eyes,he told himself,'I can do it.'Fifteen minutes later,he was in his house and his fear of height was gone. Then,Alain tried to climb buildings.In 2003,he climbed a building in London,dressing up as aspiderman to advertise the movie.In 2004,he climbedTaipei 101(one of the tallest buildings in the world).To reach the top of a building,Alain used only his hands and special shoes. Alain takes climbing as a hobby.He also does it to raise money for charity(for have and the homeless).When he climbs,he wants to send a massage to people.If you have a dream----something you really want to do,it can become true.But you must be brave and keep trying.If something bad happens,don't give up.Close your eyes and tell yourself,'I can do it.' Alain Robert first climbed the tall building _ . A in 2003 B in 2004 C at 6.00p.m. D at the age of12 Answer: A There is one type of illness in the world that affects more people than anything else and is very deadly. If untreated this illness could affect everything you do. What is this illness? Depression. Serious depression requires professional treatment. Self-induced depression is something each of us can change. Everyone's circumstances are different, but the causes of self-induced depression are common: low self-esteem, hurtful thinking and a bad attitude. So how can we change the way we think, feel, and cultivate a cheerful attitude? First we must look at ourselves, truly and honestly examining our motives for what we wish to achieve. If you are dissatisfied because you feel you haven't or can't do anything, then one step is needed - to set goals. Always start your goals relatively small and easy to attain. Think of them as sand; one grain may be insignificant but as a group they form the beach. Once you have set and attained small goals for yourself, move on to slightly larger, more challenging goals. It takes more than just setting goals to be happy. It takes positive thinking. How can we attain this? There are a number of factors that can make us think negatively and one of those is diet. In my opinion, a person who eats a lot of take out and fast food is feeding their body junk. Start by eating better foods which give the body much NEEDED minerals. If your physical body is happy, it's much easier for your mental body or "thinking ability" to be happy. Next, exercise. A half-hour a day is recommended for positive well being. Then think about good memories you had, or generally think of things that make you smile. Remember, everything you wear costs money but to wear a smile is free. A smile can be the difference between an average day and a great day. If you follow these steps, positive change is inevitable. According to the passage we can learn that _ . A a practical goal can help people to achieve a sense of success B we shouldn't be satisfied with small goals that are insignificant C we should avoid challenging goals that may lead to failure D people can enjoy happiness only if they set reasonable goals Answer: A Mum gives little Tom ten yuan. Then little Tom goes shopping. He gets on the bus and sits down next to an old woman. Then he sees the old woman's bag is open. There is ten yuan in it. He quickly looks into his pocket. The money isn't there now! Little Tom is sure that the old woman is a thief . He decides to take back the money from the old woman's bag. So he carefully puts his hand into the old woman's bag,takes the money and says nothing. Suddenly the old woman shouts,"Where is my money? I can't find it. There is a thief in the bus." Little Tom feels strange . Then he sees his own ten yuan under his seat. Little Tom is thinking a question now,"Am I a thief ?" Little Tom sees _ ten yuan under his seat. A his own B the old woman' s C the thief' s D the driver' s Answer: A There are quite a few advantages of wearing school uniforms. The idea may seem disagreeable at first, but considering all the positive effective coming from wearing uniforms you would be more likely to enjoy them. Teachers love school uniforms because it helps provide an orderly learning environment. Having students dressed in uniforms may teach them how to present themselves in a neat and professional manner. It gives students the opportunity to learn how to dress like young ladies and gentleman. And they can focus their attention on academics rather than style. Purchasing school uniforms is easy and needs less hesitation and consideration. No matter what the school' s policy is, there are only specific essential pieces to the wardrobe that are necessary, so _ . A few wardrobe items can last a long time. Parents could also enjoy an easy morning, as it will take less time to choose a set of clothes for the school day. Students wearing uniforms will feel less pressure about what to wear or not to wear when their classmates are dressed similarly. Getting dressed before school becomes less of a chore when students are limited in their choices, so there shouldn't be any trouble about choosing an outfit for the day and getting ready quickly. Some students may not like the lack of individuality with a uniform, but some school dress code policies may offer them the opportunities to show their unique styles. Uniforms today are also becoming trendier and can be seen in many areas of pop culture. Celebrities and fashion designers are using uniforms as inspiration for new looks which also appeal to students. Teachers think that wearing school uniforms _ . A is just a tradition that students should follow B makes students feel less pressure in study C helps students put more effort into their studies D makes students lose their independence and identity Answer: C If you want to stay young, sit down and have a good think. This is the research finding of a team of Japanese doctors, who say that most of our brains are not getting enough exercise--and as a result, we are aging unnecessarily soon. Professor Taiju Matsuzawa wanted to find out why otherwise healthy farmers in northern Japan appeared to be losing their ability to think and reason at a relatively early age, and how the process of aging could be slowed down. With a team of colleagues at Tokyo National University, he set about measuring brain volumes of a thousand people of different ages and varying occupations. Computer technology enabled the researchers to obtain precise measurements of the volume of the front and side sections of the brain, which relate to intellect and emotion, and determine the human character. (The rear section of the brain, which controls functions like eating and breathing, does not contract with age, and one can continue living without intellectual or emotional faculties.) Contraction of front and side parts--as cells die off--was observed in some subjects in their thirties, but it was still not evident in some sixty- and seventy-year-olds. Matsuzawa concluded from his tests that there is a simple remedy to the contraction normally associated with age--using the head. The findings show in general terms that contraction of the brain begins sooner in people in the country than in the towns. Those least at risk, says Matsuzawa, are lawyers, followed by university professors and doctors. White collar workers doing routine work in government offices are, however, as likely to have shrinking brains as the farm worker, bus driver and shop assistant. Matsuzawa's findings show that thinking can prevent the brain from shrinking. Blood must circulate properly in the head to supply the fresh oxygen the brain cells need. "The best way to maintain good blood circulation is through using the brain," he says, "Think hard and engage in conversation. Don't rely on pocket calculators." According to the passage, which people seem to age slower than the others? A Lawyers. B Farmers. C Clerks. D Shop assistants. Answer: A
Scientists from England's Newcastle University have discovered that bacteria have the ability to detect smells, according to a study by the university on Sunday. The team of scientists, led by Dr. Reindert Nijland, discovered that bacteria can detect certain types of smell- producing chemicals, including ammonia that is produced by other bacteria. Once they sense the smells from other kinds of bacteria, the bacteria will gather together to form a colony and form a layer of slime in order to force the competitors out of their area. The response decreases as the distance between the two bacterial colonies increases. That slime, also known as biofilm, is one of the primary causes of infection on many medical implants . Biofilms also slow down ships and are believed to cost the marine industry millions of dollars annually. However, they can also be used to clean up spilled oil floating on the sea, as they grow strong on it. "This is the first evidence of a bacterial 'nose'able to detect potential competitors," Dr. Nijland said in the August 15 statement, which confirms that bacteria possess qualities similar to four of the five senses that humans enjoy (sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell), the others being touch, taste, and sight. "The fact that bacteria formed slime when exposed to ammonia has important significance for understanding how biofilms are formed and how we might be able to use them to our advantage," he added. Their findings were published in Sunday's edition of biotechnology journal, and could change the way scientists look at how each of the senses developed over time. "It was thought for a long time that smell existed only in complex living creatures," Dr. Nijland said. "Now we see that bacteria are able to do the same, so the indication is that the ability may have developed even earlier." The findings may help scientists know more about _ . Answer: the development of the senses. "You are what you eat," says the old saying. So how can we know what food is healthy? Unluckily, a lot of food that looks good may have pollution. Where is the pollution from? It has something to do with how people produce food: growing it on the farm, processing it in factories, and making it ready for you to eat. Here's what happens: Most farmers use chemicals to stop their crops from getting sick. Many of these chemicals remain in the food that you eat. Some people believe this may cause cancer. These chemicals may also pollute water and air, and kill animals and even people by accident. Most drinks are just flavored water . Every drink coming in plastic bottles which you then throw away means a waste. Sugary drinks make you fat. In the factories, much of what you eat and drink gets messed. Often things are put into food to make it delicious and look good but they might be harmful to people. And some food like meat often gets polluted by bacteria. What you can do: Try to get organic food. Organic food doesn't have any ingredients that are bad for the land, air or water. Don't eat processed food or drinks. Eat fresh food whenever you can and cook at home. Which of the following processes cannot make the food be polluted? Answer: Eating Until the twentieth century cigarettes were not an important threat to public health. Men used tobacco mainly in the form of cigars. They chewed tobacco, piped tobacco, and snuffed. Most women did not use tobacco at all. The cigarette industry began in 1870s with the development of the cigarette manufacturing machine. This made it possible to produce great numbers of cigarettes very quickly, and it reduced the price. Today cigarette smoking is a widespread habit. About forty-three percent of the adult men and thirty-one percent of the adult women in the United States smoke cigarettes regularly. It is encouraging to note, however, that millions of people have quit smoking. Seventy-five percent of the male population and forty-six percent of the female population have smoked cigarettes for some time during their lives, but twenty-six percent of these men and eleven percent of the women have stopped smoking. The number of persons who have given up smoking is increasing. Men as a group smoke more than women. Among both men and women the age group with the highest proportion of smokers is the age group 24--44. Income, education, and occupation all play a part in determining a person's smoking habit. City people smoke more than people living on farms. Well-educated men with high incomes are less likely to smoke cigarettes than men with fewer years of schooling and lower incomes. On the other hand, if a well-educated man with a higher income smokes, he's likely to smoke more packs of cigarettes per day. The situation is somewhat different for women. There are slightly more smokers among women with higher family incomes and higher education than among the lower income and lower educational groups. These more highly educated women tend to smoke more heavily. Among teenagers the _ is similar. There are fewer teenager smokers from upper-income, well-educated families, and also fewer from families living in farm areas. High school students who are preparing for college are less likely to smoke than those who don't plan to continue their education after high school. Children are most likely to start smoking if one or both of their parents smoke. According to the passage, if a teenager doesn't plan to go to college, and if his parents both smoke, he will _ . Answer: probably start to smoke in the future. Can you imagine exchanging the pleasure of city life for a quiet life in the countryside? Many people want to move from the country to the city because they think that life in the city is more exciting and better than that in countryside, especially young people who like new, modern things. People like popular things and feel that they can only find the latest styles in the city. However, it is possible to enjoy the higher quality of country life and still enjoy some of the advantages of living in the city. Nowadays, traveling is fast and easy, and information can be found on the Internet, so many people are able to do their work in home offices. Because they have e-mail and personal computers, they don't have to be in big cities to manage their businesses. It is not important where they actually work because the results of their work can be sent everywhere with e-mails. Therefore, there is no need to put up with all of the disadvantages of the city. Now they can escape busy city life to enjoy the quiet country life and still be able to have successful jobs. Other people are interested in technological things and high-tech jobs and think they can only find them in big cities. If they want to find a job, especially a good position in a company, they think that they have to live in a city. For these jobs, they are willing to put up with many of the disadvantages of city life, such as crime, heavy traffic, and pollution. According to the passage, what does the countryside have but cities don't have? Answer: Natural environment. A man made a nice talking machine. It could weigh people. The man wanted to try the machine before he could make a lot of these kinds of machines. He put the machine into the waiting room of a station . There were always lots of people in and out there. The first one began to use the machine. It was an Indian woman. When she stand on the machine, the machine thought for a few minutes to decide which language it should speak. "Good morning, madam," it said in Indian. "Your weight is 72 kilos. That's three kilos more. If you eat more fruit and vegetables, you will be soon all right. Wish you a nice day." The second one who used the machine was a nice Chinese girl. She stood on the machine and waited to hear her weight. "Good morning , Miss ,"the machine said in Chinese. "Your weight is 45 kilos. It's all right for your age and height. Go on to eat what you eat every day. Wish you a nice day." The third one to use the machine was a very fat American woman. She thought for a long time before standing on the machine. But as soon as she stood on the machine, the machine spoke quickly in English , "Good morning . Will one of you get off?" The nice talking machine could _ Answer: weigh and talk to people
Robert is eleven years old. He loves to watch TV. But for one full year, he did not watch TV at all. What was the reason? Robert's parents said they would give him $500 if he didn't watch TV for a year. Robert's parents thought he watched too much TV. One day his mother saw a newspaper story about a boy who didn't watch TV for a year. She showed the story to Robert. "It was a joke," his mother said, "I didn't think he would do it." But Robert liked the idea. He turned off the TV right away. He said, "It doesn't matter to me whether to watch TV or not. I just want the money." At first, Robert's parents were very happy. Robert read the newspaper, played outside, played computer games, and played cards with his mother. But after a while, he got bored. Every evening, he asked his parents, "What are we doing tonight?" Sometimes his mother and father wished he would watch TV, just for one evening. Robert always said, "No, it would cost me money!" Finally the year was over. Then Robert started watching his favourite TV shows all day long again. Robert got the money from his parents. What does he plan to do with the $500? "I want to buy myself a TV set!" he said. What is Robert's hobby? Answer: There are more than 100 million cars in the United States. An ordinary car gets less than 15 miles from each gallon of gas. It travels about 10,000 miles each year. In that time, it uses about 650 gallons of gas. In all , automobiles use up some 70 billion gallons of gas a year. That comes out to be four-and-a-half million barrels a day. The importance of saving gas, then, cannot be stressed too much. Let's say, the fuel used by each car could be cut back just 15 percent. This could be done by making fewer trips each day. It could be done by keeping the automobiles in good shape. It could be done through better driving habits. If these were done, the nation's use of fuel would fall by close to two-thirds of a million barrels per day. Everyone can help to save gas. One way is to ride buses. Some could walk to work. Others could ride their bikes. Another way is to share a ride. People could share cars. About one-third of all cars are used for going to and from work. You can go shopping with a friend from time to time. If two people use a car instead of two, they all save. Driving stress would be less, too, with fewer cars on the road. The savings on gas around the nation would come to more than one-half million barrels a day. Still another way to save is by cutting out trips one does not need to take. Can you find one car trip per week that could be done by telephone? Can you combine trips? If each car travelled 10 miles less each week, they could save three-and-a-half billion gallons of gas a year. This comes to nearly 5 percent of the total passenger cars demand for gas. The way people drive decides how much fuel they save. Careful drivers may get 20 percent more miles per gallon than ordinary drivers. They obey the 55-mile-per-hour speed limit. If just one gallon of gas were saved each week for each car in the country, a total of five-and-a-half billion gallons could be saved a year. Which of the following statements is true about an average car according to the passage? Answer: In many countries, heart disease kills a lot of women and even more men. There are four major causes of this disease and these are smoking, poor or bad diet, a family history of heart disease and stressful work. Among these main wrong-doers, the most common cause is stress. What is stress and how do you feel when you are under stress? Imagine you live alone - you are lying in bed at night and, suddenly, you hear someone in the kitchen. Immediately your heart begins to beat very fast and you feel that you can hardly breathe. What you are feeling is not stress, but fear. However, your body changes in the same way when you feel stress. That means that if you feel anxious and worried during an important examination, your heart may beat very fast and you may feel breathless too. You are experiencing stress. Another common situation in which a person is likely to feel stress is to have to do something, for example, performing a boring duty, every day. Let us look at the case of Annie who was a nurse. She felt a lot of stress in her work and began to have very bad headaches at the end of the day. Each morning she woke up more tired than she was when she went to sleep. She did not want to go out in the evening with her friends and she felt unhappy all the time. Finally, she sat down and thought about her life. She saw a lot of illness and death in her work but that was not the reason why she was under stress. The real reason was that she felt unable to make a positive decision in her job - she had to do what the doctors and sisters told her. So, Annie went back to college for further study. When she graduated, she found a job where she was part of a team as before, but where she had responsibility in making decisions. Her working hours were longer and her work more difficult than when she was a nurse but she enjoyed it. She felt she was in control of her life and her work. For Annie, stress in her old job had made her change her life and end a difficult situation. Stress in her new job became a good thing because it helped her achieve satisfaction in her life and in her work. According to the passage, _ die of heart disease. Answer: Mathilda,15, is Turkana, a native people that has survived by raising cattle in a semiarid region. Mathilda's school, like most schools in the area, doesn't have access to clean water and sanitation facilities for its students. So instead of spending their whole school day learning, Mathilda and her classmates start their day by spending two hours to the closest river fetching water ---water that is anyway most likely not safe to drink. They do the same thing again in the afternoon, so they often lose around half of their school day fetching water. Mathilda has to do the same thing outside of school hours to get the water her family needs at home, leaving her little time for studying. Because of rising temperatures, water has become harder and harder to find here, and people have to spend more and more time trying to find it. This is just one small example of how climate change is making it harder to realize people's rights to water, education and security. Unfortunately, most higher-income countries remained silent on the issue. This is despite studies showing that communities already facing marginalization ,such as women and children, mostly suffer from climate change. This is especially the case for those in countries with limited resources and fragile ecosystems. Meanwhile, women consist of the majority of the world 's poor,and so are more dependent for their livelihood on natural resources that are threatened by climate change. And around the world, women and girls are the most likely to be responsible for fetching water for their families. This exposes them to danger and leaves them with less time to attend school, earn money, or simply to rest. But the fact is that the effects of climate change will be felt globally. Despite the difficulties she is facing, trying to get an education, Mathilda says she hopes to serve her community in a leadership role when she grows up. "All of the world's leaders need to work together to solve this problem that we are all facing," she said. Mathilda has to spend _ fetching water every school day. Answer: Dinosaur carcasses are a form of Answer:
Question: For a student, reading ability is very important in our study. How to read faster and understand better? Here is some advice for you. 1. Find Your Purpose for Reading Before you start reading, ask yourself why you are reading this book. Most people read for two main reasons---pleasure or knowledge. Being clear about your reading purpose not only helps you to stay away from books that you don't need to read. It also reminds you why reading the. book is important to you when you are reading it. You can easily keep reading and finish the book faster. 2. Read Only What You Are Interested in Whether you're reading fiction or nonfiction, it's important to enjoy what you read. Your friends may share books they love, but those books might not be the ones you enjoy. 3. Give up Books That You Don't Enjoy You may have chosen books that agree with your purpose. You may have chosen books that you are interested in. But when you are reading them, there may still be some books that you won't enjoy reading, Whenever you realize that you aren't enjoying the book you are reading, give it up. Remember reading shouldn't be a chore. 4. Give Yourself a Deadline to Finish Each Book Before you read each book, ask yourself when you need to finish this book by. What I find interesting is that I read books that I borrow from libraries faster than the books I bought. The reason is the books I bought don't have a due date! I don't need to return those books, When you don't set a _ to finish your book. There isn't a sense of urgency . And when something isn't urgent, you will like to put it off. When you find that you aren't enjoying the book you are reading, you should _ . A. share with your friends B. keep reading it C. give it up D. take it easy Answer: C Question: As time goes by, sports have become more and more important in people's modern life. People take part in different kinds of sports, like football, basketball, table tennis, swimming and so on. Sports are popular all over the world. People also like watching sports matches . Sports stars are very popular with people, especially students. There are sports matches all over the world nearly every year, but the most important and famous is the Olympic Games. Every player wants to win the game. At that time all sports fans sit in front of TVs to watch games. Some even go to the stadium to watch. Why are sports so popular? Because sports can keep our body strong. Do you like playing sports? How often do you exercise? ,. _ become an important part of people's life. A. TVs B. Computers C. Sports D. Telephones Answer: C Question: Many children act in TV shows. They work several hours every day, so they can not go to regular school. How do they get an education? In Hollywood, many TV shows are made. About forty teachers give lessons to the children in the shows. They teach wherever their pupils are working. The teachers' job is very important. They are responsible for making sure that the children work only the permitted hours each week. They are also responsible for making sure that children learn the required subjects. They make sure, too, that the children get enough rest and play, along with their education. Children actors are required to attend classes twenty hours each week. California law says they must be taught from September to June. If they do not make much progress in school, they are not permitted to continue working in TV shows. TV children are usually good pupils, and most of their teachers like this special kind of work. Their classes are held in some wonderful places. Sometimes the "classroom" is a Mississippi riverboat, and sometimes it is the inside of a spaceship. Often the pupils become famous TV or movie stars. . The pupils are not allowed to continue working if they _ . A. do not act well B. go to regular school C. do not get good marks D. cannot become famous stars Answer: C Question: It was lunch time. Mike was in the garden with Linda. Suddenly, two aliens arrived! "Wow! Aliens!" They were so excited that they _ loudly. "Hello, friends!" The two aliens came out from a small flying machine. "Hi! Come and have lunch with us." Mike said. "Do you like earth food?" Linda asked. "We don't know. Let's have a try," the aliens said. "What's this? Is it a phone?" the tall alien asked. "No, it's a banana," Mike said. The tall alien took a bite , "Yuke! I don't like bananas." "What's this? Is it a ball?" the short alien asked. "No, it's an egg," Linda said. The tall alien took a bite, "Yuke! I don't like eggs." "What's this? Is it a hat?" the tall alien asked. "No, it's a lunchbox!" Mike said. The tall alien took a bite, "Yum! I like lunchboxes!" Where were Mike and Linda? A. In the garden. B. In the park. C. In the zoo. D. On the playground. Answer: A Question: We were on our way home from Houston one Saturday morning. We decided to stop at a local gas station to get coffee and something to snack on since it was a good hour and a half before we got home. When we were done, we got back into our car and before I started it, we noticed a man standing outside in front of the building. He was a homeless man with worn clothes and it looked like he had gone in and gotten himself some coffee or something warm to drink since it was cold this time of the year. He must have not had enough money to get something to eat. Then a dog walked up to the front of the building. I could tell she was a "she", because you could tell that she had baby dogs. She was terribly in need of something to eat and I felt so bad for her. I knew if she didn't eat soon, she and her baby dogs would not make it. I and my wife sat there and looked at her. We noticed that people walked by and didn't even pet her, like most people do when they walk by an animal in front of a store. We still did not do anything. But the homeless man, who I thought did not buy himself anything to eat, went back into the store. And what he did brought tears to me and my wife. He had gone into the store and with what money he may have had, bought a can of dog food and fed that dog. This story plays a great part in our lives. You see, that was Mother's Day weekend. And a lot of people forget that some animals are parents too. It took a homeless man, to show me what I should have done. He make me a better man that day. The homeless man only had something to drink because _ . A. he didn't have enough money for food B. he was thirsty only C. the store only provided drinks D. he felt cold that day Answer: A
There is an endless supply of stories about sleepwalkers . People have been said to climb on roofs, solve mathematical problems, write music, walk through windows, and do murder in their sleep. In Revere, Massachusetts, a hundred policemen searched for a lost boy who left his home in his sleep and woke up five hours later on a strange sofa in a strange living room, with no idea how he had got there. At the University of Lowa, a student was reported to have the habit of getting up in the middle of the night and walking three-quarters of a mile to the Lowa River. He would take a swim and then go back to his room to bed. An American expert on sleep claims that he has never seen a sleepwalker. He is said to know more about sleep than any other living man, and during the last thirty-five years he has lost a lot of sleep watching people sleep. He says, "Of course, I know that there are sleepwalkers because I have read about them in the newspapers. But none of my sleepers ever walked, and if I were to advertise for sleepwalkers for an experiment, I doubt whether I would get many takers ." Sleepwalking, however, is a scientific reality. It is one of those strange things that sometimes look quite fantastic . Doctors say that sleepwalking is much more common than is generally supposed. Many sleepwalkers do not try to find help and their sleepwalking is never recorded. It was reported that a boy _ . Answer: As a published author with a degree in English, 33-year-old Tom Williams has achieved more than many people will in a lifetime. What makes those achievements more impressive is that he's dyslexic. At school Tom, who has worked as a literary agent and now has a full-time job with a digital publishing company, would often find keeping up in lessons so tiring that he would fall asleep. "I found it quite frustrating that everybody else had neat handwriting and could spell and I just couldn't do what they could," says Tom, who has written a respected biography of crime writer Raymond Chandler. It wasn't until the age of 17 that he was given a test for dyslexia that showed why he'd struggled for so long. He was always studying for A-levels including English. "My teacher didn't think I'd get the grades I was capable of," he says. "So she pushed for me to be tested and I'm grateful that she did." Until his diagnosis Tom had been ranked somewhere in the middle of his classes at school. He couldn't understand why assignments would come back covered in red ink. However, after Tom's diagnosis, when his condition began to be taken properly into account, he found himself at the top of the class. To study English well, he wrote down new words as he came across them and tried to find somewhere quiet and well lit to read and write. He says people were often surprised that someone with dyslexia wanted to pursue a degree in English. Similarly, when he went to study at University College London, the tutors were initially taken aback at his degree choice. Not everyone understands dyslexia so well. "If teachers aren't trained to recognize signs of dyslexia, they'll think children are less able," he says. To make sure that doesn't happen and to encourage a deeper understanding of the condition among those affected by it, Tom becomes a supporter of the charity Dyslexia Action. According to the text, Tom Williams . Answer: Are you able to send a letter with pictures and sounds to someone, anywhere in the world without putting a stamp on it? With an e-mail you can just do that. Using computers you can send e-mails quickly and easily. The post is much slower than email. E-mail can send its messages to the other side of the world in seconds. E-mail is easy to use and it saves time and money. The different time and different parts of the world do not matter when you send an e-mail. It does not matter if your friends are in bed when you send an e-mail to them, or you are seeing a film at the cinema when they send an e-mail back. How long does it take to send an e-mail? Answer: "When your mother scolds you, you can look elsewhere and think about other things. Just ignore her words. But remember: such a tough attitude cannot be used often." These words are from a series of cartoons which outline skills for children to fight against their mothers. The images have created heated debate among Chinese netizens. Regarded as "a book for children aged 6 to 12 who are always scolded by their parents", the cartoons, drawn by two 10yearold Beijing girls, list over 20 skills which children can use to deal with their mothers' anger such as crying, pretending to be ashamed, fleeing into the toilet and pleasing her afterwards. Each skill is described with vivid pictures and humorous notes. The creativity of the young girls has amazed netizens, the Yangtse Evening Post reported on Thursday. According to one of the girls' mothers, her daughter once received a poor mark in an exam, and the mother blamed her and compared her performance with another classmate. The daughter's feelings led to her creating the cartoons. The girl's father, who first posted the pictures on his Sohu Microblog on Monday, said he hopes parents pay close attention to the pictures, allow children to feel free to develop their own characteristics and try not to criticize them so often. The father said the cartoons aren't finished yet; his daughter will continue with them when she has time. "The cartoons, although an individual case, reflect a modern phenomenon and some of the problems within Chinese family education," said Yu Qinfang, an expert on family education. According to a survey of 104 children and their parents, Yu discovered that as many as 51.9 percent of primary school students hate being urged to do things by their mothers. "Not giving children enough time and hurrying them to do things seems to be a very tiny detail within family life, but it is potentially a huge problem which can easily be ignored by parents. A mother's blame may lead to negative feelings within her child's heart," Yu said. "Parents should learn to blame less and be more patient." What do we know about the book? Answer: Air travel is such an everyday experience these days that we are not surprised when we read about a politician having talks with the Japanese Prime Minister one day, attending a meeting in Australia the following morning and having to be off at midday to sign a trade agreement in Hong Kong. But frequent long-distance flying can be so tiring that the traveler begins to feel his brain is in one country, his digestion in another and his powers of concentration nowhere---in short, he hardly knows where he is. Air travel is so quick nowadays that we can leave London after breakfast and be in New York in eight hours, yet what really disturbs us most is that when we arrive it is lunch time while we have already had lunch on the plane and are expecting dinner. Doctors say that air travelers are in no condition to work after crossing a number of time zones. Airline pilots, however, often live by their own watches. After a long air travel, a traveler _ . Answer:
Students often complain their teachers give them too much homework . Now , two reports show that in America this is not true . The Brookings report shows that most students do less than one hour of homework . The Rand report shows that only 10% of high school students spend more than two hours a night on homework . The Brookings report also talks about a study from 1995 . American students do almost the least homework among twenty countries . Students in France , Italy and South Africa spend more than two hours on homework . The Rand report says there was only one time when homework greatly increased in America .During the early 1960s , Americans were not happy when the former Soviet Union became the first country to reach space . People thought it was necessary to improve education . Parents want their children to have time for sports , music lessons and other things after school. some experts say schools need to give useful homework . The former Soviet Union was the _ to get to space . Answer: Whenever there's a terrible storm, there are plenty of sad stories. Many people lost their houses, their cars and their pets. But sometimes these stories have happy endings too. A family in New Jersey, US, had a cat named Vivien. She is very smart. She could even draw with her wet paws on the floor. They all love her very much. When hurricane Sandy hit America in October, they moved to a safer place-13km away from home. Sadly Vivien went missing. The whole family were worried about her. They put up posters on the Internet to look for her. All the nine family members searched wherever they thought she could stay, but they didn't find it. The family thought Vivien was gone forever. But six months later, Vivien showed up at their house, according to Yahoo News. They considered her return as a wonder. No one can be sure where Vivien was for all that time. Many animals are good at finding their way home. People usually say that dogs and cats find their way home through using their sense of smell. But that doesn't explain how Vivien found her way back. Hurricane Sandy blew away the normal smells of home. "I wish she could talk," said her owner. From the passage we know Sandy is a Answer: An aspirin a day keeps the doctor away. Aspirin has long been praised as a wonder drug and has been in your family since you can remember. Not only does it cure pain, it also lowers the risk of heart attack and stroke . But taking the pills daily may not work for everyone. Although taking an occasional aspirin or two is safe for most adults to use for headaches,body aches or fever, daily use of aspirin can have serious side effects. Up to 60 per cent of us,both healthy people and those being treated for all types of heart disease, may have some level of resistance to aspirin' s benefits. Aspirin keeps platelets from sticking, lowering the risk of clotting . People who are aspirin - resistant still get pain relief but not the full blood - thinning effects. How do you know whether you' re resistant? New blood tests can help your doctor decide whether to give you a different medicine, especially if you' re at risk or are being treated for heart disease. The tests aren' t yet widely available, but it doesn' t hurt to ask. People taking aspirin daily should limit the amount of alcohol they drink because of its additional blood - thinning effects and potential to upset your stomach. Thus you should not have more than one drink if you' re a woman or two dr/nks a day if you' re a man. Does daily aspirin treatment differ between men and women? Recent studies have focused on the effects of aspirin in women, finding that its effects differ between the sexes, and for women, between age groups. All in all, aspirin is still an effective, affordable and simple option for many people at risk of heart attack and stroke. Though it is readily available, always check with your doctor before starting daily aspirin treatment. What does the writer think of taking aspirin daily? Answer: It is never too early, or too late, to encourage a child to read. With the chill of winter upon us, the following is a list of wonderful stories with winter and or snow themes. Waiting for Winter It was written by Sebastian Meschenmoser. A little squirrel , who has never seen snow, is determined that he will not miss it this year. He gets the help of his good friends, a bear and a hedgehog, trying to stay awake until they can all see the first snowfall of winter. This book is a wonderful story to read aloud to young children or for older children to read by themselves. The Snowy Day The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats is a short read, but since its first publication it has been loved by millions. It tells about a beautiful story about the magic and possibility of the first snowfall of winter, which appeals to young and older children. The Polar Express Popularized by the 2004 Warner Brothers all-digital film, The Polar Express was first published in 1985. The hero of this story is a boy who is given the opportunity to receive a gift from Santa himself. A magical train appears outside his bedroom window, taking him away on a fantastic journey to the North Pole. Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree It was written by Robert E. Barry. Mr Willowby orders a lovely new Christmas tree, and when it is delivered to his home he finds it far too tall. He has the top of the tree cut off in order to make it just the right height. This book follows the treetop on its journey through the forest, where it brings the joy of the holidays for some woodland creatures. This book teaches us a valuable lesson about the joy of giving, and happiness that it can bring to the hearts of recipients . What can we learn about Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree? Answer: When you buy cooking oil in the supermarket, you may notice that some brands are labeled as "GM (genetically modified)-free". So, what is genetic modification? Are GM foods safe? These questions have been put back into the spotlight recently. On Nov 19, the Food and Drug Administrati0n (FDA) in the US announced that it had approved the AquAdvantage salmon to go on the market, making it the first genetically modified animal to be approved as food anywhere in the world. GM foods are plants or animals that have been given a gene from another plant or animal to make them stronger in some way. The AquAdvantage salmon contains a gene from another type of salmon that makes it grow faster. Although the FDA has said "food from the fish is safe to eat", some believe that scientists can't completely understand the potential health risks of GM foods, simply because they're so new. Others worry that the fish could escape into the wild and cause ecological problems. GM crops have experienced the same controversy, even though GM technology cuts down on the use of pesticides on crops and increases yields. While GM animals are new, GM crops have already appeared on our plates: A total of 28 countries in the world including the US, Brazil and India planted 181.5 million hectares (1.815 million km2) of GM crops in 2014, according to the International Service for tile Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications. In China, we grow GM cotton and papaya and import GM soybeans, corn, rape, cotton and beets from abroad. Due to safety worries, many countries have regulations for producing and selling GM food. In European Union countries, each GM food must be approved before it can be used. This process can take up to 17 months. The origin of all GM foods must also be traceable, and all food with a GM content of more than 0.9 percent must also be labeled, according to EU website europa.eu. The US is less strict about GM foods. According to FDA regulations, companies introducing new GM foods to the market should report them at least 120 days before release. The labeling is voluntary, except that a product cannot be labeled as "GM-free" if genetically modified materials are used. In China, GM foods can only be produced after strict tests by the Ministry of Agriculture say that they are safe. All food that is made from GM crops or contains GM ingredients must be clearly labeled on the wrapper. Which of the following is TRUE about regulations for producing and selling GM food? Answer:
One day a few years ago a very funny thing happened to a neighbor of mine. He is a teacher at one of London's big medical schools, He had finished his teaching for the summer term and was at the airport on his way to Russia to give a lecture. He had put a few clothes and his lecture notes in his shoulder bag, but he had put Rupert, the skeleton to be used in his lecture, in a large brown suitcase . At the airport desk, he suddenly thought that he had forgotten to buy a newspaper. He left his suitcase near the desk and went over to the shop. When he got back he discovered that someone had taken his suitcase by mistake. He often wonders what they said when they got home and found Rupert. What happened at the airport? A The skeleton went missing . B The skeleton was stolen . C The teacher forgot his suitcase. D The teacher took the wrong suitcase . Answer: A. The skeleton went missing . There is a big zoo in our city. There are lots of different animals in it. There are some scary tigers and lions. They like eating meat and they eat much meat every day. There are also two big elephants and a baby one. Children like to ride them. The elephants are very kind and friendly. They eat much grass and bananas. In the zoo, we can also see different kinds of bears----brown bears, black bears and white bears. They are all slow and clumsy. They stand on their back legs and lift their front legs to ask for food. They like cakes very much. Do you like pandas? There's only one in the zoo. Her name is Lingling, she is very cute. She likes eating bamboo a lot. She is kind of shy. She is very interesting and lovely. Elephants eat_. A grass and meat B bananas and grass C cakes and bananas D meat and bananas Answer: B. bananas and grass About three hundred words in the English language come from the names of people. Many of these words are technical words. When there is a new invention of discovery, a new word may be coined after the inventor or scientist. It is interesting to observe how many common words have found their way into the language from the names of people. Lord Sandwich, who lived from 1718-1792, used to sit at the gambling table eating bread with meat in between. As the Lord was the only one among his friends who ate bread in that way, his friends began to call the bread "sandwich" for fun. Later on,the word became part of the English language. The word "boycott" means to refuse to have anything to do with somebody or something. It comes from a man called Captain Boycott. He was a land agent in 1880 and he collected rents and taxes for an English landowner in Ireland. But the Captain was a very harsh man. He treated his poor tenants very badly. His tenants decided not to speak to him at all. Eventually word got back to the landowner and the Captain was removed . The word "boycott" became popular and was used by everyone to mean the kind of treatment that was received by Captain Boycott. Sandwich is a word coined by _ . A Lord Sandwich B the friends of Lord Sandwich C inventors D scientists Answer: B. the friends of Lord Sandwich Peat is an important factor when A Driving a new car B Putting a fresh raspberry seed in soil C Taking the temperature for the day D Having a large breakfast Answer: B. Putting a fresh raspberry seed in soil Zurich of Switzerland is the city with the highest quality of life in 2006, while Baghdad, for the third year running, has the lowest, a survey published by human resource company Mercer on Monday shows. Zurich, Geneva and Vancouver made the top three in the list while Bangui in the Central African Republic and Brazzaville, the capital of Congo Republic, joined Baghdad in the bottom three. The top three cities in the list are all unchanged from last year. Almost half the top 30 scoring cities are in Western Europe. In this region, Vienna follows Zurich and prefix = st1 /Genevain 4th position. Other highly-rated cities include Dusseldorf, Frankfurt andMunichin positions 6, 7 and 8 respectively. Athens remains the lowest scoring city in Western Europe, standing at position 79. Chicago is one of the biggest climbers in the rankings since 2005, rising to 41st from 52nd due to reduced crime rates, while Cairois one of the biggest fallers, sliding nine places to 131st out of 215 cities. "This was due to political conflicts and terrorist attacks in the city and surrounding area," Mercer said. Asia-Pacific Auckland and Wellington have both moved up the rankings from 8th to 5th and 14th to 12th places respectively, while Sydneyremains at position 9. In Asia, Singaporeranks 34th followed byTokyo,Japan's highest scoring city, at position 35. Hong Kong's modern and efficient infrastructure, including its airport which is considered one of best in the world, has pushed it up from 70th to 68th position. The top-ranking city in China's mainland isShanghaiin 103rd place. "Beijing and Shanghaiare on the rise and should experience rapid improvements in quality of living in the coming years. This is mainly due to greater international investment driven by the availability and lower cost of labor and manufacturing skills," explained Mr. Slagin Parakatil, Senior Researcher at Mercer. Mercer bases its annual survey on 39 quality-of-life factors, from political stability to schools, bars, restaurants and the environment. The top ten cities in the list: Zurich, Switzerland Geneva, Switzerland Vancouver, Canada Vienna, Austria Auckland, New Zealand Dusseldorf, Germany Munich, Germany Sydney, Australia Berne, Switzerland By mentioning what Mr. Slagin Parakatil said, the author wants to show _ . A Beijing and Shanghaiare less developed now B greater international investment will lead to the improvement in quality of life in Beijing and Shanghai C Mr. Slagin Parakatil expects little of Beijing and Shanghai D Beijng and Shanghaiwill improve rapidly in quality of life in the next few years Answer: D. Beijng and Shanghaiwill improve rapidly in quality of life in the next few years
It was another day to jump rope in gym class. Lynn and Mike turned the long rope in big, slow circles. The whole class hurried to get in line to wait for their turn to jump. Millie stood at the back of the line and _ . Nick went first. He watched the rope and ran in at just the right time. Everyone counted. He made it all the way to 30 jumps. One after another, the kids watched the rope, ran in, and jumped. Then it was Millie's turn. She watched the rope go around and around, but she didn't move. She felt like everyone was looking at her. Millie's friends cheered. "Go, Millie, go!" Millie's face turned red. At last, she gave it a try, but she failed. The truth was that Millie had been jumping rope at home every day. With a short rope, she could jump 100 times without missing. She just didn't know how to run in and start jumping with a long rope. Since she was the only kid on her street, there was no one to help turn the long rope. Just then, Ms Miles, the gym teacher, brought out a bunch of short jump ropes. "Let's see how long each one of you can jump without missing," she said as she gave each student a short rope, "Ready, set. Go!" Millie smiled for the first time ever in gym class. As she jumped, she sang rhymes quietly to herself. After a while, Millie realized that everyone was cheering, "Go, Millie, go!" She was the only one still jumping rope! The surprise almost made her miss a step, but she kept going. When at last she was too tired to go on, she stopped. The whole class cheered. Everyone was looking at her and smiling. Millie smiled back! Why did Millie smile for the first time in gym class? She did something well at last. Maybe you love them and want to pet every one you see.Or maybe you're afraid of them and want to move to a dogfree neighborhood.Either way,dogs are a part of life.Millions of people have dogs as pets.You'll see them all over town,in the city,country,and even when you're on vacation. Like many kinds of pets--no matter how small or cute they are--dogs need to be respected as animals that,under certain conditions,could hurt you.Nearly 5 million dog bites happen every year in the United States.No one wants a dog bite,but how do you prevent one? One dog expert has come up with an easy way for kids to remember some tips to prevent dog bites.It spells "DOG SAFE". Don't tease,please:Teasing a dog can make it angry enough to bite.For instance,if a dog has food or a toy,never try to take it away.You wouldn't like it if someone took your snack while you were eating it! Only pet with permission:Never pet a dog without asking the owner if it's OK.Some dogs don't like to be touched by strangers. Give space:Little kids especially might run right up to a lovely dog and try to pet it or give it a hug.But dogs need space.Crowding a dog can frighten or anger the dog. Slow down:Some dogs like to chase and bite.Of course,you don't want to be chased or bitten!The way to avoid it is to go slow around dogs.Never run toward them or away from them.If a dog you don't know runs toward you,freeze.If you need to get away,back up slowly. Always get help:You may want to bring home a dog that seems lost or injured.But animals who are lost or injured may be very frightened or in pain.Find a grownup instead who can decide how to care for the animal. Fingers together:When feeding a dog a treat,put the treat in the palm of your hand and keep your fingers and thumb close together.Why?The dog is less likely to get confused about which is the treat--the doggie snack or your finger! Even good dogs can bite:Some people are very surprised when their dog bites someone,but all dogs can bite.Avoid doing things that make dogs scared or angry,such as backing them into a corner or bothering them when they are sleeping. Which of the following is TRUE according to the text? You can't pet a dog unless its owner allows you to. As you climb into the hill country, the roads get dustier and rougher, and fewer cars can be seen. Phonxay is one of the poorest districts of Laos, and many of its villages are only accessible by footpath. Our destination this hot morning is a concrete water tank that can be found just off the road. A UK organization helped to build it six years ago, and in the nearby village of Thapho, where clean drinking water is scarce, it has made a big difference. The tank feeds six taps which in turn give water to over 800 people---it has improved things for almost every family, from schoolchildren to grannies. But lately, we were told, the clean water supply has come under pressure from new arrivals, people who have come down from the hill areas, and there are concerns that there will not be enough clean water to go round. There are also serious worries about resources in Laos. The Chinese are building a 400km railway link, which could transform the landlocked country. About 150,000 Chinese workers will be involved. What will this do to local clean water supplies? How will the workers be fed? The vast majority of Laotians live on farms. But with foreign investors wanting to buy up land, local people will have to be moved to make room for them. Heavily dependent on both foreign aid and foreign investment, Laos still falls well behind its neighbours, although its economy has grown at about 6% a year in the last decade. Its biggest economic problem is the lack of locally trained skilled workforce. But there are reasons to be hopeful for the future. Laos is beautiful, and foreign tourism continues to grow: fortunately so far the fast-food chains and coffee bars common elsewhere are nowhere to be seen. Although all local media are government-run, the Internet is not controlled and the BBC and CNN are available to those with satellite dishes. The government has also achieved impressive results in rural development, with communities benefiting not just from cleaner water but the construction of new schools and regular visits from medical teams. Poverty will not be history in Laos within the next decade, but with small steps forward and a bit of outside help, the country could find itself out of the UN's least-developed category by 2020. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT a reason for Laos to be hopeful? The government owns all local media. Sometime early in the next century, human beings will move to Mars. They will live there for about a year, and then will be replaced with another group of pioneers. Building the base on Mars will advance our knowledge of the solar system and aid in our understanding of the earth. We already know that Mars resembles the earth in many aspects: general size, presence of water, length of day, range of temperatures. These resemblances have caused many people to consider a centuries-long project: to terraform Mars. Terraforming means _ a planet's surface so that Earth's life forms can survive there. This concept, previously found only in science fiction is now being seriously considered by scientists. Terraforming Mars is theoretically simple: add nitrogen and oxygen to the atmosphere; pump water to the surface; and add the earth's plants and animals in the order in which they developed on Earth. But it will take at least 300 years. Some people think that such a project is too huge for humans to undertake, but there are very good reasons to make the attempt. The earth now contains some 6 billion people, and no one has any idea of how many humans the earth can support. Our very existence and numbers are threatening many other species. We also have had some experience with terraforming our own planet: altering the landscape, the atmosphere and the climate. Currently terraforming earth has become a wiser activity as we try to control global warming, air and water pollution, and preserve some natural living places. While the possibility of such a project is small, it is not impossible .Even if earth -bound societies come and go in the next 300 years, the project can continue through the work of the Mars settlers without the need for constant backing from the earth. The future existence of all the people in our world may very well depend upon our ability to terraform Mars. What would be the best title for this passage? Terraforming Mars. Cyprus is the third largest island and one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Mediterranean Sea. It attracts over 24 million tourists every year. It gained independence from the UK in 1960. Cyprus is a developed country and has been a member of the European Union since 1 May ,2004. It didn't begin to use the euro until 1 January. 2008. As a tourist destination, Cyprus has clean beaches and fine weather all the year round. There are Roman and Greek ruins on the island, which attract tourists most. You can enjoy skiing and hiking in its huge mountains and charming villages. In the towns and cities, there are some modern hotels, bars and clubs with bright lights and rich nightlife. The story of the island can date back over 10,000 years. Cyprus has long been seen as an important strategic base. Many civilizations have swept through it over the years. In 1974 the Turkish army arrived on the northern coast of Cyprus. They were invited by the Turkish Cypriot leader in order to protect the Turkish villages. Since then the Turkish army took control of the northern third of the island. The Greek Cypriot controlled the other. UN peacekeeping forces kept the peace between the two sides. Although it has political problems, Cyprus is a country that easily links modern European culture with its past. Here, visitors can discover clean beaches, all kinds of grape wine and ancient ruins. With fruit trees around, the old stone villages make tourists feel that modern Europe seems a very long way away indeed. What's the most attractive to tourists in Cyprus? The ancient ruins.
Question: The ocean contains large amounts of what? A. people B. salty biscuits C. fires D. saline liquids Answer: D Question: Most Americans get what money they have from their work; that is, they earn an income from wages or salaries. The richest Americans, however, get most of their money from what they own -- their stocks, bonds, real estate, and other forms of property, or wealth. Although there are few accurate statistics to go by, wealth in American society appears to be concentrated in very few hands. More than 20 percent of everything that can be privately owned is held by less than one percent of the adult population and more than 75 percent of all wealth is owned by 20 percent of American adults. The plain fact is that most Americans have no wealth at all aside from their homes, automobiles, and a small amount of savings. Income in the United States is not as highly concentrated as wealth. In 1917 the richest 10 percent of American families received 26.1 percent of all income, while the poorest 10 percent received 17 percent, mainly from Social Security and other government payments. The most striking aspect of income distribution is that it has not changed significantly since the end of World War II. Although economic growth has roughly doubled real disposable family income (the money left after taxes and adjusted for inflation) over the last generation, the size of the shares given to the rich and the poor is about the same. By any measure economic inequality is great in the United States. The reality behind these statistics is that a large number of Americans are poor. In 1918, 14 percent of the population was living below the federal government's poverty line, which at that time was an annual income of $ 9 287 for a nonfarm family of two adults and two children. In other words, about one out of seven Americans over 31 million people was officially considered unable to buy the basic necessities of food, clothes, and shelter. The suggested poverty line in 1981 would have been an income of about $11, 200 for a family of four. By this relative definition, about 20 percent of the population or more than 45 million Americans are poor. What is the percentage of wealth that is in the hands of most Americans? A. Less than 25%. B. More than 25%. C. More than 75%. D. Less than 20%. Answer: A Question: Each year, about 10,000 to 100,000 animal species die off. They join the countless species that have gone extinct over the course of Earth's history - and extinction means forever. At least it used to. Scientists are now closing in on the ability to bring back extinct species. No, this doesn't mean the plot of Jurassic Park is going to become a reality. Researchers need DNA to bring back a species. DNA is the chemical that carries the structure for a living thing. Dinosaurs have been gone too long for any of their DNA to remain in fossils. But there's a very real chance that we will be able to bring back more recently extinct species. This could even include Ice Age animals like the woolly mammoth. In 2003, a team of Spanish and French scientists re-created the Pyrenean ibex, which had gone extinct three years earlier. The new animal didn't survive long, but scientific advances should improve the success rate. In January, Australian scientists announced that they were on their way to bringing back the gastric brooding frog. That we can bring species back doesn't mean that we should. There may be benefits to reviving a species. But there's no way to know how it will turn out. For example, would a passenger pigeon fit into its old habitat? Or might it crowd out existing species? Environmentalists worry that our ability to bring species back might cut down support for the hard work of traditional conservation. Why worry about preserving a wildlife habitat or fighting poachers if we know we can just make up for our mistakes? But those extinctions are our mistakes to correct, which may give us an obligation to do so. As businessman and environmentalist Stewart Brand recently said, "Humans have made a huge hole in nature. We have the ability now to repair some of that damage." We would do well to remember the lesson of Jurassic Park: Proceed with caution. Why is the plot of Jurassic Park not going to become a reality? A. Because dinosaurs are forbidden to be brought back to life. B. Because it is impossible for scientists to bring back extinct huge animals. C. Because scientists are not interested in bringing back dinosaurs. D. Because it is impossible to find DNA of dinosaurs in fossils. Answer: D Question: Mary likes dogs very much. She has a pug-dog. It is white. It has big eyes and ears. It is small but it is cute and beautiful. Every morning, the dog eats some bread and meat. They are the dog's favorite food. When Mary goes to school, the dog always waits for her at the gate. When she comes back home, the dog follows her here and there. When Mary does her homework, it lies near her feet. When Mary watches TV, the dog sits on the sofa near her. When Mary goes to bed, the dog lies its bed next to Mary's. in the evening, they often run and play in the yard . They are really good friends. ,. (1x5=5) The dog _ when Mary watches TV. A. follows her here and there B. lies near her C. sits on the sofa D. lies on the bed Answer: C Question: A bumpkin went to a big city for the first time. He went into an office building and saw a short and fat woman stepped into a small room. After her, the door closed and the light on the top flashed. After a while the door opened slowly, a young beautiful modern girl walked out of the small room. The bumpkin opened his eyes wide in surprise. He said to himself in a low voice, "What a pity! I haven't brought my wife here!" The room he saw was perhaps _ . A. an office B. a toilet C. a lift D. a helicopter Answer: C
I have a rule for travel: Never carry a map. I prefer to ask for directions. Foreign visitors are often puzzled in Japan because most streets there don't have names. In Japan, people use _ in their directions instead of street names. For example, the Japanese will say to travelers, "Go straight down to the corner. Turn left at the big hotel and go past a fruit market. The post office is across from the bus stop." In the countryside of the American Midwest, usually there are not many landmarks. There are no mountains, so the land is very flat . In many places there are no towns or buildings within miles. Instead of landmarks, people will tell you directions and distance. In Kansas or Iowa, for example, people will say, "Go north two miles. Turn east, and then go another mile." People in Los Angeles, California, have no idea of distance on the map: They measure distance by means of time, not miles. "How far away is the post office?" you ask. "Oh," they answer, "It's about five minutes from here." You say, "Yes, but how many miles away is it?" They don't know. People in Greece sometimes do not even try to give directions because visitors seldom understand the Greek language. Instead of giving you the direction, a Greek will often say, "Follow me." Then he'll lead you through the streets of the city to the post office. Sometimes a person doesn't know the answer to your question. What happens in this situation? A New Yorker might say, "Sorry, I have no idea." But in Yucatan, Mexico, no one answers, "I don't know." People in Yucatan think that "I don't know" is impolite. They usually give an answer, often a wrong one. A visitor can get very, very lost in Yucatan! One thing will help you everywhere -- in Japan, in the United States, in Greece, in Mexico, or in any other place. You might not understand a person's words, but maybe you can understand his body language. He or she will usually turn and then point in the correct direction. Go in that direction, and you may find the post office! In which place do people tell distance by means of time? Los Angeles, California A young girl decided to study judo despite the fact that she had lost her left arm in a car accident. The girl began lessons with an old Japanese judo instructor. The girl was doing well. So she couldn't understand why, after three months of training, the instructor had taught her only one move. "Instructor," the girl finally said, "Shouldn't I be learning more moves?" "This is the only move you know, but this is the only move you'll ever need to know," the instructor replied. Not quite understanding, but believing in her teacher, the girl kept training. Several months later, the instructor took the girl to her first tournament . Surprising herself, the girl easily won her first two matches. The third match proved to be more difficult, but after some time, her opponent became impatient. The girl used her one move to win the match. Still amazed by her success, the girl was now in the finals. This time, her opponent was bigger, stronger and more experienced. For a while, the girl appeared to be overmatched. Concerned that the girl might get hurt, the referee called a time-out . She was about to stop the match when the instructor intervened . "No," the instructor insisted, "Let her continue." Soon after the match restarted, her opponent made an important mistake: she dropped her guard. Instantly, the girl used her move to defeat her opponent. The girl had won the match and the tournament. She was the champion. On the way home, the girl and her teacher reviewed every move in each match. Then the girl asked what was really on her mind. "Instructor, how did I win the tournament with only one move?" "You won for two reasons," the teacher answered. "First, you've almost mastered one of the most difficult throws in all of judo. Second, the only known defense for that move is for your opponent to grab your left arm." What can we learn from the passage? Sometimes our biggest weakness may become our biggest strength Here is nine o' clock news Prime Minister Abdul Krim of Tyrea has said that the danger in the Middle East is greater now than for the past two years. His country does not want war, he says, but the Tyrean people have waited too long for an end to the troubles with their neighbours. If war comes, says Mr King, Tyrea will be ready. Ben Kitson, the writer of stories and plays for children, has died at his home in California. Mr Kitson was 82. His most famous book of stories, The Gentleman's House, sells all over the world, in more than twenty-five languages. Policeman in New York have stopped work. Their leader , Mr Paulo Angeli, says that they will return to work only when they receive more money for working long hours and doing what Mr Angel calls "the most dangerous job in the city." It has been a good year on the farm. The warm, wet spring, and the fine summer have been very good for all kinds of food plants. This means that fruit and vegetables will cost less in the shops this year. And now it's time for "Morning Music". . Mr Ben Kitson wrote _ . children 's stories and plays My name is Kerula. I am 10 years old and I live in Cairo, Egypt. It's the capital of my country and is the largest city in all of Africa. Egypt is very dry and hot. Most of it is covered with desert, so most of our people live near the Nile River. Kids go to primary school from ages 6-12. I learn cooking, sewing and embroidery . Only half of the kids in primary school go to general school. (I hope to go there.) In the first two years we learn reading, writing and math. In the third year of school we learn science and Quran . Some popular games are marbles and hide and seek. The most popular sport in my country is soccer. To have fun, we also visit markets to _ things and to see our friends. I get around by taking the train. Sometimes when my family goes on vacation we take a boat, plane, or a camel. I like to visit the Great Pyramids. Near the pyramids there stands the Sphinx . It used to be facing open desert but now lots of buildings are in Egypt, and it is just facing buildings. Well, I had better rap things up, bye! If a girl is in Grade 2 in a general school, what is she learning? Reading, writing and math. An example of a fossil is a paw print in what? hard stones
Brooke Martin's golden retriever Kayla hated being left alone or separated. She would howl, pace, and chew on things. Brooke learned that other people had the same problem with their pets. She wondered: --What if you could talk to your dog if you were gone? Working with her father in their garage, the 16-year-old came up with several ideas. Finally, she invented a device that allowed pet owners to video chat with their pets! She calls the device iCPooch. --The dog doesn't have to answer the call,explains Brooke. --It comes up immediately on the screen on their end. It's a two-way audio and video--you can see and hear each other.With a click of a button you can even send the dog a treat! Her invention has earned her a spot competing against nine other finalists in a young scientist competition for middle-school students. These finalists, selected based on their short video presentations, are working with mentors over the summer before heading to the final competition in St. Paul, Minn. After Martin's video put her among the 10 finalists in the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge, she was paired with Delony Langer-Anderson, a product development scientist in 3M's consumer health care division. --I just lead her down the product development path,Langer-Anderson told Live Science. This path includes guidance on how to test the potential product, which combines a video chat device that answers immediately on the dog's end with a dog treat device the owner can remotely activate. One thing I have thought about a lot is, what happens if while the device is on the floor, what if your dog knocks it over, or scratches the screen? Martin said. She and Langer-Anderson discussed this, and Martin is now testing materials at a local dog shelter by taping them to the dog house floors to see how well they withstand sharp teeth and claws. The finalists create models they can test, with the guidance from a mentor. Their projects include a fuel cell that transforms cut grass into electricity and an app that rewards drivers for not texting or calling. Langer-Anderson tries to help the students work through the scientific method, testing their hypothesis, in a determined way, --so the kids don't get buried in data.she said. Which of the following would be the best title of the text? A. "iCPooch" wins in a young scientist competition. B. A 16-year-old girl invents a device for dog hunger. C. A man-made device lets people chat with their pets. D. A kid-invented device calm dogs' separation anxiety. Answer: D. A kid-invented device calm dogs' separation anxiety. Geologists frequently use mass spectrometers in determining the relative age of rocks. A spectrometer can differentiate between the ratios of isotopes in rock samples and calculates the radioactive decay involving what two isotopes? A. Uranium - Lead B. Rubidium - Strontium C. Potassium - Argon D. Uranium - Strontium Answer: A. Uranium - Lead Sometimes in the next century, the familiar early-newspaper on the front porch will disappear. And instead of reading your newspaper, it will read to you. You'll get up and turn on the computer newspaper just like switching on the TV. An electronic voice will distribute stories about the latest events, guided by a program that selects the type of news you want. You'll even get to choose the kind of voice you want to hear. Want more information on the brief story? A simple touch makes the entire text appear. Save it in your own personal computer if you like. These are among the predictions from communication experts working on the newspaper of the future. Pictured as part of broader home based media and entertainment systems, computer newspapers would unite print and broadcast reporting, offering news and analysis with video images of news events. Most of the technology is available now, but convincing more people that they don't need paper to read a newspaper is the next step. But resistance to computer newspapers may be stronger from within journalism. Since it is such a cultural change, it may be that the present generation of journalists and publishers will have to die off before the next generation realize that the newspaper industry is no longer a newspaper industry. Technology is making the end of traditional newspapers unavoidable. Despite technological advances, it could take decades to replace news-print with computer screens. It might take 30 to 40 years to complete the changeover because people need to buy computers and because newspapers have established financial interests in the paper industry. The best title for this passage is _ . A. Computer Newspapers Are Well Liked B. Newspapers of the Future Will Likely Be on Computers C. Paper Newspapers Are out of Fashion D. Communications Technology in the Future Answer: B. Newspapers of the Future Will Likely Be on Computers More than two million Americans above 65 years of age suffer from depression. And in the next 35 years, twice as many people will find themselves in that age range --including me, and probably you too! So, what activities can prevent depression as we get older? Researchers at UCLA turned to a gentle "Westernized" version of tai chi, the 2,000-year-old Chinese martial art . When a group of adults over 60 on antidepressant drug therapy attended a weekly tai chi exercise class, standard rating scales showed greater improvement in their level of depression, along with improved quality of life, better memory and cognition , and more overall energy when compared to study participants taking the same medicine but going to a weekly health education class. "This is the first study to prove the benefits of tai chi in the management of late-life depression, and we were encouraged by the results," said Dr Helen Lavretsky, a UCLA professor. "We know that nearly two-thirds of elderly patients who seek treatment for their depression fail to achieve relief with a prescribed medication ." In the study, 112 adults above 60 with major depression were treated with the prescription antidepressant medicine for approximately four weeks.Among those participants, 73 who showed only little improvement continued to receive the daily medication but were also assigned to 10 weeks of either a tai chi class or a health education class for two hours per week. "Both groups showed improvement in the severity of depression," said Lavretsky. But greater benefits were noted among those participating in tai chi. This study shows that adding a mind-body exercise like tai chi, which is widely available in the community, can improve the outcomes of treating depression in older adults.With tai.chi, we may be able to treat other, coexisting medical conditions without exposing them to additional medications." Which of the following views does Dr Helen Lavretsky agree with? A. Nearly two thirds of elderly patients with depression were improved with a prescribed medication. B. Only the group taking part in tai chi improved the severity of depression. C. Tai chi can help to improve the results of treating late-life depression. D. People should combine tai chi and a health education class to treat their depression. Answer: C. Tai chi can help to improve the results of treating late-life depression. When I was about 12, I had an enemy , a girl who liked to point out my shortcomings . Week by week her list grew: I was very thin; I wasn't a good student; I talked too much; I was too proud , and so on. I tried to hear all these as long as I could. At last, I became very angry. I ran to my father with tears in my eyes. He listened to me quietly. Then he asked, "Are the thing she said true or not? Janet, didn't you ever think about what you are really like? Well, you now have that girl's opinion. Go and make a list of everything she said and mark the points that are true. Pay no attention to the other things she said." I did as he told me. To my great surprise, I discovered that about half the things were true. Some of them I couldn't change (like being very thin), but a good number I could --- and suddenly I wanted to change. For the first time I got a very clear picture of myself. I brought the list back to Daddy. He wouldn't like to take it. "That is just for you," he said, "You know better than anyone else the truth about yourself. But you have to learn to listen, not just close your ears in anger and feeling hurt. When something said about you is true, you will find it will be of help to you. Our world is full of people who think they know your duty. Don't shut your ears. Listen to them all, but hear the truth and do the right thing." Daddy's advice has returned to me at many important periods. In my life, I have never had a better piece of advice. Which do you think would be the best title for this passage? A. Not An Enemy, But the Best Friend B. The Best Advice I've Ever Had C. My Father D. My Childhood Answer: B. The Best Advice I've Ever Had
I am a taxi driver. One Monday morning, I had stopped at New York Hospital when I found _ man dashing down the steps. He was waving to me. I waited until he jumped into the cab. " LaGuardia Airport, please," he said. As always, I wondered about my passenger. " What do you do?" " I am in the neurology department at the hospital." For some unknown reason, I decided to ask for his help. " Could I ask a favor of you?" He didn't answer. " I have a son, 16. He's doing well in school. He wants a job this summer. Is there any possibility that you might get him a summer job?" After a pause, he said, " The medical students have a research project. Maybe he could fit in. Have him send me his school records." He searched his pocket and handed me a card. That evening, I pulled the card from my pocket. " Robbie," I announced proudly, " this could be a summer job for you. Send him your school records." He read it out loud, " Fred Plum, New York Hospital." " Is this a joke?" he said in disbelief. After I shouted and threatened to cut off his pocket-money, Robbie promised to send off his grades the next morning. Two weeks later, when I arrived home, my son handed me a letter from Plum. He was to phone Plum's secretary for an interview. Robbie got the job. The white coat he wore made him feel more important than he really was. As high school graduation neared, Plum was kind enough to write letters of recommendation for universities. To our delight, Robbie was admitted to New York Medical College. It never occurred to me that a stranger should change my son's future. The author threatened to cut off Robbie's pocket-money probably because _ . Answer: You may have heard some respectable elders say, "It's not what you want in this world, but what you get." Psychology teaches that you do get what you want if you know what you want and want the right things. You can make a mental blueprint of a desire as you would make a blueprint of a house, and each of us is continually making these blueprints in the general routine of everyday living. If we intend to give a dinner for friends, we plan the menu, make a shopping list, and decide which food to cook first, and such planning is essential and necessary for any type of meal to be served. Similarly, you can make a blueprint for your could-be-job, take a sheet of paper, and write a brief account of yourself. In making a blueprint for a job, begin with yourself, for when you know exactly what you have to offer, you can intelligently plan where to sell your service. This account of yourself is actually a description of your working life and should include education, experience and references. Such an account is valuable. It can be referred to filling out standard application blanks and it is extremely helpful in personal interviews. While talking to you, your could-be employer is deciding whether your education, your experience and other qualifications will pay him to employ you, and your abilities must be displayed on an orderly and reasonably connected manner. When you have carefully prepared a blueprint of your abilities and desires, you have something exact to sell. Then you are ready to hunt for a job. Get all the possible information about your could-be job. Make your eyes and ears open, and use your own judgment. Spend a certain amount of time each day seeking in the employment you wish for, and keep in mind: Obtaining a job is your job now! When the elders say, "It's not what you want in the world, but what you get", they mean _ . Answer: Health insurance can be very expensive. Some working people do not make enough money to pay for it. In the US there is a program called Healthy Families. This program offers people health insurance at a low cost. Families are charged about Y=7.00 a month for every child, and Y=10.00 for every adult. It costs much less than any other kind of health insurance. Having health insurance is very important. With this insurance, people can see a doctor when they are sick or hurt. The program is not expensive at all, but many people are still not enrolling in it. People say that it still costs too much money. They need all of their money to pay for things like food and rent. It would be great if everyone could have health insurance. People are working hard to come up with ways to make this happen. One idea is to make the Healthy Families Program free for some people. It is important for people to see a doctor when they need to. The Healthy Families Program makes it possible for more people to do this. Many ideas are being considered. Hopefully some of them will allow even more families to get health insurance. The Healthy Families Program is made to help those who don't have welfare and cannot earn enough to pay for private health insurance. It is an important program, but officials say that too many people are signing up for it and then dropping out because of the Healthy Families Program's cost. The passage is mainly about _ . Answer: Which of these is a function of all cells? Answer: October 15, 1970 was declared International White Cane Safety Day (IWCSD) for the first time by the President of the International Federation of the Blind (IFB). This date was adopted at the first convention of the IFB, held in Colombo on October 4, 1969. The object of _ is to enable the general public to have a better understanding of blindness and visual handicap, and to make people more aware of the white cane as a mobility aid. Peguilly d'Herbemont was born on 25th June 1888 into an old French noble family of the same name. In her youth she led the conventional and protected existence, lack of great activity, of a girl from a "good family", an existence reminding of the life of the aristocracy before the French Revolution. She never visited a public school, but was educated by German and English governesses and nuns. Her movements were restricted and were mainly confined to the family positions in Paris and Belgium, but she spent most of her time at the castle of Charmois not far from Verdun. In the process of helping individual blind people across the road, Peguilly d'Herbemont was made aware by narrow scrapes which almost led to accidents, of the dangerous situation of the visually impaired brought about by the steadily increasing traffic on the roads. She first spoke about measures to protect the blind against street hazards to her mother in 1930, but she was of the opinion that it was unfit for a lady of good society to create a public outcry and advised her to stick to the transcription of books, a popular pastime of ladies of rank at the time. But the idea did not leave her. The urgent wish to encourage the integration of the blind into society by providing them with a means of moving about more freely without endangering others, and at the same time attracting the attention of passers-by ready to offer assistance, caused her to take the unusual step of writing to the editor of the Paris daily Echo de Paris in which she suggested issuing the blind of the Paris region with white sticks similar to those used by the traffic police. The editor took up the idea, published it in November 1930 and saw to it that the relevant authorities acted with atypical speed. Thus it was that the white cane received official backing, and on 7th February 1931. Which of the following is true about Peguilly d'Herbemont? Answer:
A car needs gas to run and your body also needs food to work for you. Eating the right kind of food is very important. It can help your body grow strong to take care of what you eat. There are four main food groups altogether. The _ group has food like milk, cheese and sour milk. The other three groups are the meat and fish group, the fruit and vegetable group, and the bread and rice group. Each meal should have at least one food from all four main groups. With all these food together, you will be given enough energy during the day. It is easy to get into bad eating habits. You may eat your breakfast in a hurry to get to school on time. Or you may not have time for a good lunch. It may seem easy to finish your supper with fish and chips all the time. But you will find yourself tired in these days and you can not think quickly. Watching what you eat will help keep your body healthy and strong. It is also good to take some exercise. It will help you eat more if you take a walk or play games in the open air. Having a good eating habit with some exercise is the key to your health. Which of the following is a good eating-habit? A Going to school without any breakfast B Eating fish and chips for supper all the time. C Eating your lunch in a very short time. D Having at least one food from all four groups in each meal. Answer: D Please excuse me if I'm a little sad today. Mark is leaving, and I'm feeling kind of sad. You probably don't know Mark, but you might be lucky enough to know someone just like him. He's been the heart and soul of the office for a couple of years combining great professional skills with a sweet nature. He just wants to do his job, and to do it superbly well. And now he's moving on to an exciting new professional opportunity. It sounds like it could be the chance of a lifetime, and we're genuinely, sincerely pleased for him. But that doesn't make it any easier to say goodbye to a dear friend and trusted colleague. Life has a way of throwing these curve balls at us. Just when we start to get comfortable with a person, a place or a situation. A terrific neighbor moves away. Someone in the family graduates. A child finds new love and loyalties through marriage. The family's principle bread-winner is laid off. But how do we do that? A friend of mine who works for the government once told me that the answer to life's problems can be summed up in four words: "Go with the flow." "It's like surfing," Chris explained. "You can't organize the ocean. Waves just happen. You ride them where they take you, then you paddle back out there and catch the next one. Sure, you're always hoping for the perfect wave where you can get. But mostly you just take them the way they come. I'm not exactly sure, but I think Chris was saying that life is a series of events--both good and bad. There will always be life-influencing factors over which you have no control. That doesn't mean you don't keep trying to make all your dreams come true. It just means that when things come up that aren't exactly in your plan, you work around them--and then you move on. Of course, some bumps along the road of life are easier to take than others. A rained-out picnic, for example, is easier to cope with than the sudden death of a loved one. But the principle is the same. We're going to miss Mark, just like you'll miss that graduate, that neighbor or that newlywed. But rather than drown ourselves in the sadness of our parting, we'll focus on our hopes for a brighter future--for him, and for us. And then we'll go out and do everything we can to make that future happen. In the writer's opinion, one should _ when unexpected things come up. A accept them and hope for a better future B do as planned C overcome difficulties and let them in control D never give up until he succeeds Answer: A Polar Ice Melting As spring arrives in the Arctic, new research suggests average temperatures are rising and ice caps are quickly melting. The melting ice threatens to shrink glaciers. The shrinking could raise sea levels around the world. Rising Waters What happens at the polar ice caps could affect the entire globe, said Bette Otto-Bliesner of the National Center for Atmospheric Research. A large amount of polluting gases is produced when people burn fossil fuels such as coal and oil to produce power for cities, factories and cars and to heat homes. According to the studies, an increase in the release of these gases could raise Arctic temperatures by 5 to 8 degrees within the next 100 years. That warmth could melt ice caps. The melting ice could then raise sea levels one to three feet over the next 100 to 150 years. Melting Glaciers Another study reports an increase in earthquakes caused by melting glaciers. The number of glacial earthquakes in Greenland's polar region has more than doubled since 2002. "People often think of glaciers as . . . slow moving, but in fact they can also move rather quickly," researcher Goeran Ekstroem of Harvard University said. Some glaciers are as large as Manhattan, New York, and as tall as the Empire State Building! How do warming temperatures contribute to earthquakes? As glaciers melt, flowing water eases their path. This can cause sudden movement, which makes the ground shake. Which human activity most negatively affects the glacial environment? A destruction of habitat B increased land pollution C decreased use of fossil fuels D production of polluting gases Answer: D It is not unusual to see your desk-mate yawn as he complains that he didn't have a good sleep the night before. Many teens don't get enough sleep because they have too much homework, which keeps them up at night. Some teens cannot sleep at night even when they want to. Studies show that during your teenage years, the body's biological clock is reset, telling you to sleep later at night and wake up later in the morning. But changes in the body clock aren't the only reason teens lose sleep. Lots of people have insomnia . The most common cause of insomnia is stress. But all sorts of things can lead to insomnia. These include physical discomfort, emotional troubles and even sleeping environment. It's common for everyone to have insomnia from time to time. But if it lasts for a month or more go and see a doctor. Some people have a condition that causes stomach acid to move backward towards the chest. This produces the uncomfortable, burning feeling called heartburn. So even if the person doesn't notice the feelings of heartburn because he is sleeping, he may feel tired the next day. Most teens have nightmares sometimes. But, if they are frequent, a person's sleep pattern can be seriously affected. The most common cause of nightmares is emotional problems, such as stress or anxiety. If you have them a lot, it's a good idea to talk to a doctor. Doctors encourage teens to make lifestyle changes to develop good sleeping habits. You probably know that coffee can keep you awake, but did you know that playing video games or watching TV does the same? The Teenagers' biological clock _ . A easily makes teenagers lead to insomnia B is the origin of their insomnia C provides them with plenty of time at night D is helpful to improve their concentration Answer: A The Spring Festival is the Chinese New Year's Day. It usually comes in January or February. Everyone in China likes it very much. All the families have a big dinner to celebrate it. Children like the Spring Festival best because they can get presents such as nice food, new clothes and red packets from their grandparents, their parents, their uncles and aunts. People eat dumplings on the Spring Festival. Chinese think eating dumplings can bring them money in the new year. Chinese people _ to celebrate Chinese New Year. A have a big dinner B have a party C watch TV D stay at home Answer: A
The earth is 4 600 million years old. We humans have lived on earth for only 35 000 years, but during this period we have changed our planet a lot in many ways. Some things we've done are very good for the earth while some are bad. All over the world, people have cut down millions of trees. When it rains or when the wind blows, the earth is taken away. Forests have become deserts, so more and more sorts of animals and plants are disappearing. In big cities, cars and buses have polluted the air. Many people in cities now have health problems. Factories have also polluted the land and the water. As a result, many rivers and lakes are now dead. Around the earth, there's a special kind of oxygen called "ozone"(O3). It is important to the earth. But now air pollution is destroying it and that has made a very big hole in the ozone layer. Too much harmful radiation from the sun passes through the hole and reaches the earth directly. This is very dangerous because this kind of radiation can cause cancer. Carbon dioxide (CO2) in the air has increased a lot. It mainly comes from burning oil, coal and wood. This has formed a "blanket" around the earth. The heat from the sun can't escape so the temperature is rising. This is called "the greenhouse effect". It causes the level of the oceans to rise and the climate of the earth to change. All these problems are very serious, so we must do something now. ,A, B, C, D. The level of the oceans is rising because of _ . Answer: the greenhouse effect Years ago a John Hopkin's professor gave a group of graduate students this task: Go to the slums . Take 200 boys, between the ages of 12 and 16, and research into their background and environment. Then predict their chances for the future. The students, after consulting social statistics, talking to the boys, and compiling much data, concluded that 90 percent of the boys would spend some time in prison. Twentyfive years later another group of graduate students was given the job of testing the prediction. They went back to the same area. Some of the boys--by then men--were still there, a few had died, some had moved away, but they got in touch with 180 of the original 200. They found that only four of the group had ever been sent to prison. Why was it that these men, who had lived in a breeding place of crime, had such a surprisingly good record? The researchers were continually told: "Well, there was a teacher..." They pressed further, and found that in 75 percent of the cases it was the same woman. The researchers went to this teacher, now living in a home for retired teachers. How had she exerted this remarkable influence over that group of children? Could she give them any reason why these boys should have remembered her? "No," she said, "no I really couldn't." And then, thinking back over the years, she said amusingly, more to herself than to her questioners: "I loved those boys." What were a group of graduate students instructed to do? Answer: To study 200 boys in the slums between 12 to 16 and predict their future. Warm water freezes more quickly than cold water. Sir Francis Bacon said that almost four hundred years ago. But few people believed him until 1970. In that year a Canadian scientist George Kill proved the English professor was right. Dr Kill filled an open oil pail with cold water. He filled another with warm water. He put both in the same low temperature. The warm water froze first. The lack of covers on the pails is the secret. Some of the warm water changed into vapor. This meant that less of the warm water was left to be frozen. And so the warm water froze faster than the cold water even though it had a greater temperature drop to make. Why does warm water freeze first in the same freezing weather? Answer: Because some of the warm water turns to vapor, the amount becomes less than that of cold water. Anyone who has ever traveled with a teenager knows that the teenager can make the vacation good or bad for the entire family. As a travel agent, Lynda Maxwell said, "If teenagers are happy, everybody is happy." Teenagers are often interested in travelling, but their interests and schedules often aren't the same as their parents'. It means that when the parents start to look for a place of interest in the early morning, their teenagers may be sleeping soundly! The thing makes travelling with teenagers very difficult, but it isn't impossible. The experts said, "The keys to success is what parents do before they travel." For many families, the hardest part may be finding a vacation time that is right for everyone. Be sure to sit down with everyone else in the family before setting a date. "After setting a date, ask teenagers where they would choose to go," suggested Maxwell. It is possible that they'd like nothing more than to sit on a beach for a week. "Maybe there's a compromise ," said Maxwell. "Most teenagers like using the Internet now, so parents can ask them to think up the ideas about what to see and do," said Brad Anderson. "I find teenagers are excellent at making great suggestions." Maxwell thinks that _ . Answer: parents should discuss the travel plan with their teenagers My neighbor Mr. Black is seventy years old. He always complains about how fast things have changed, and he often says that life was better in the past than today. Now cities are full of cars. Some families even have two or more cars, so parking is becoming a big problem. The traffic in some cities is very bad. Some car drivers drive too fast, so there are more traffic accidents. Yesterday Mr. Black's old friend died because a car hit him. He is very sad now. Most families own computers now. Now more and more children use the Internet now. The number of children using the Internet is becoming bigger and bigger. Mr. Black's grandson is a high school student. He often plays computer games on the Internet till midnight. He feels tired in the early hours of the morning and spends less time doing homework. His English teacher told Mr. Black that his grandson failed another test. Mr. Black got very angry with his grandson. Families aren't what they used to be. A lot of families have broken up. If the husband and wife have problems with their marriage, they will _ . And mothers used to stay at home and take care of their children, but now parents are both busy working. No one has time to look after children at home. And people talk less to each other than before. They are too busy to talk, too busy to eat, too busy to think. Mr. Black thinks that life was simple and happy, but now it has changed a lot. What does Mr. Black think of the life now? Answer: It's worse than it used to be
For many students in the UK today, deciding whether or not to go to university can be as much about affordability as it is about ambition and aspiration. In the past, students in the UK could apply to a university or college. They were sure that even if they came from a low income family, their tuition fees and some of their living (or maintenance) costs would be covered by a local authority grant . A university education was, in a financial sense, open to all and the number of students attending university grew yearly. Sadly, it seems, those days are long gone. The turning point came in 1998, when the Labour Government introduced tuition fees of PS1,000 a year and, instead of giving students a maintenance grant, asked them to cover their own living expenses with a repayable student loan. Only students on the lowest incomes were entitled to a grant. The flood gates had been opened. As time passed, the ceiling on tuition fees rose, and although applicants from Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales still qualified for varying levels of subsidy , by 2009/10 students in England often found themselves facing tuition fees overPS3,000 a year. In 2011 the Government announced that, from 2012, universities could charge fees of up to PS9,000 a year. Although the Government by stating that postgraduates did not have to begin repaying their student loans until they were earning more than PS21,000 a year, the news created over-dissatisfaction. Many students argued that it was unfair that students should have to begin their work life loaded with huge debt, while others complained that the changes would bring back a class divide to university education. These views were reflected in the number of students applying for a university place, which by January 2012 fell by more than 22,000. The Universities Minister, David Willetts, stood by the decision to increase tuition fees, saying that they would not "put universities' finance on a bearable footing" and that they would accelerate "a stronger focus on high quality teaching." The writer _ the change about university education fees. A is in favor of B is opposed to C takes no notice of D is neither for nor against Answer: B. is opposed to Black is the color of power. It has the meaning of submission . It is popular in fashion because it makes people look thinner. White is the color for brides . White is considered a summer color. White is popular in fashion because it is light and goes with everything. Red is a hot and strong color. It can make the heart beat faster. It is also the color of love. Red clothes can make people look heavier. And red things get noticed more than things that are another color. The color of the sky and the ocean, blue, is one of the most popular colors. It is often used in bedrooms. Blue can also be cold and make people feel sad. Green means nature. It is the most comfortable color on the eyes and can improve vision . It is a calming color. Hospitals often use green because it can make patients relax. Yellow is the most difficult color for the eyes to take in. Yellow is the color of sunshine. It is a warm color like red. On the one hand, it is the color of happiness and joy. On the other hand, it means fear and dishonest behavior. Black is a color often used in fashion because it can make people look _ . A powerful B relaxed C thinner D heavier Answer: C. thinner It's puzzling, isn't it? No matter where you try to tickle yourself, even on the soles of your feet or under your arms, you just can't. To understand why, you need to know more about how your brain works. One of its main tasks is to try to make good guesses about what's going to happen next. While you're busy getting on with your life, walking downstairs or eating your breakfast, parts of your brain are always trying to predict the future. Remember when you first learned how to ride a bicycle? At first, it took a lot of concentration to keep the handlebars steady and push the pedals . But after a while, cycling became easy. Now you're not aware of the movements you make to keep the bike going. From experience, your brain knows exactly what to expect so your body rides the bike automatically. Your brain is predicting all the movements you need to make. You only have to think consciously about cycling if something changes---like if there's a strong wind or you get a flat tyre. When something unexpected happens like this, your brain is forced to change its predictions about what will happen next. If it does its job well, you'll adjust to the strong wind, leaning your body so you don't fall. Why is it so important for our brains to predict what will happen next? It helps us make fewer mistakes and can even save our lives. For example, when a chief fireman sees a fire, he immediately makes decisions about how best to position his men. His past experiences help him foresee what might happen and choose the best plan for fighting the fire. His brain can instantly predict how different plans would work out, and he can _ any bad or dangerous plans without putting his men at risk in real life. So how does all this answer your question about tickling? Because your brain is always predicting your own actions, and how your body will feel as a result, you cannot tickle yourself. Other people can tickle you because they can surprise you. You can't predict what their tickling actions will be. Our brains cannot predict what will happen when we _ . A walk down the stairs B eat our breakfast C suddenly lose our balance and fall D ride a bike Answer: C. suddenly lose our balance and fall One evening in February 2007 . a student named Paula Ceely brought her car to a stop on a remote in Wales . She got out to open a metal gate that blocked her path . That's when she heard the whistle sounded by the driver of a train.Her Renault Clio parked across a railway line. Second later,she watched the train drag her car almost a kilometre down the railway tracks. Ceely's _ made the news because she blamed it on her GPS device .She had never driven the route before .It was dark and raining heavily . Ceely was relying on her GPS. But it made no mention of the crossing ."I put my complete trust in the device and it led me right into the path of a speeding train ,"she told the BBC. W ho is to blame here ? Rick Stevenson ,who tells Ceely's story in his book When Machines Fail US, finger at the limitations of technology. We put our faith in digital devices, he says, but our digital helpers are too often not up to the job. They are filled with small problems. And it's not just GPS devices: Stevenson takes us on a tour of digital disasters involving everything from mobile phones to wireless key boards. The problem with his argument in the book is that it's not clear why he only focuses digital technology,while there may be a number of other possible causes. A map-maker might have left the crossing off a paper map. Maybe we should blame Ceely for not paying attention. perhaps the railway authorities are at fault for poor signaling system. Or maybe someone has studied the relative dangers and worked out that there really is something specific wrong with the CPS equipment. But Stevenson doesn't say. It's a problem that runs through the book. In a section on cars, Stevenson gives an accout of the advanced techniques that criminals use to defeat computer-based locking systems for cars. He offers two independent sets of figures on car theft; both show a small rise in some parts of the country. He says that once once again not all new locks have proved reliable. Perhaps, but maybe it's also due to the shortage of policemen on the streets. Or changing social circumstances. Or some combination of these factors . The game between humans and their smart devices is complex. It is shaped by economics and psychology and the cultures we live in. Somewhere in the mix of those forces there may be way a wiser use of technology. If there is such a way, it should involve more than just an awareness of the shortcomings of our machines. After all, we have lived with them for thousands of years. They have probably been fooling us for just as long . Which of the following would Rick Stevenson most probably agree with? A Moderntechnologyiswhatwe can'tlivewithout. B Digitaltechnologyoftenfalls shortofoutexpectation. C Digitaldevicesaremore reliablethantheyusedtobe. D GPSerrorisnottheonly causeforCelery'saccident. Answer: B. Digitaltechnologyoftenfalls shortofoutexpectation. Last year college students in America spent an estimated $700 on textbooks on average. The National Association of College Stores reported more than five billion dollars in sales of textbooks and course materials. The association spokesman Charles Schmidt says electronic textbooks now just make up 2%~3% of sales. But he says that is expected to reach 10%~15% by 2012. Online versions are now available for many of the most popular college textbooks. An etextbook can cost half the price of a new print textbook. But students usually lose access to them after the end of the term. And the books cannot be placed on more than one device ,so they are not easy to share. So what do students think of etextbooks?Administrators at Northwest Missouri State University wanted to find it out. Earlier this year they tested them with 500 students in 20 classes. The university is unusual. It provides laptop computers for all 7,000 of its fulltime students. It does not require students to buy their textbooks either. They rent them to save money. The school aims to save even more by moving to etextbooks. The students in the survey reported that downloading the books from the Internet was easy. They liked the idea of carrying lighter backpacks. And 56% said they were better able to find information. But most found that using etextbooks did not change their study habits. And 60% felt they read more when they were reading on paper. In all,almost half the students said they still liked physical textbooks better. But the survey found that cost could be a big influence.55% said they would choose etextbooks if using them meant their textbook rental fee would not increase. Roger Von Holzen heads the Center for Information Technology in Education at Northwest Missouri State University. He tells us that administrators are disappointed with the etextbooks now available because the majority are not interactive . He thinks growth will come when more digital books include video,activities,games and other ways to interact with the information. The technology is improving. But for now,most of the books are just words on a screen. How many surveyed students think paper books make better reading? A 60%. B 56%. C 55%. D 50%. Answer: A. 60%.
"Eat local." It's one way to reduce human effect on the planet.Eating local means to try to buy and consume foods that are grown in places close to home.However, most of the food sold at supermarkets is not locally grown or produced.Trucks and planes deliver these foods from hundreds or thousands of miles away.During the transportation, greenhouse gases are produced, causing global warming.So the shorter the distance your foods must travel, the less the harm is done to the environment. But how do you get local food if you live in a large city, hundreds of miles away from farms?Environmental health scientist Dickson Despommier and his students came up with the idea of a "vertical farm". A vertical farm is a glass-walled structure that could be built as tall as a skyscraper.Since the garden is built upwards, rather than outwards, it requires much less space than an ordinary farm.The world is quickly running out of room for ordinary farming.Vertical farms could be a key to this situation.Despommier imagines a 30-story building with a greenhouse on every floor.The walls of the building would be clear, to allow crops to get as much sunlight as possible.Depending on a city's water resources, Despommier thinks hydroponic farming is another method for the vertical farm which needs no soil to grow plants. Despommier says the hydroponic greenhouses would use a system that would use a city's waste water and fill it with nutrition to make the crops grow.If this method works, it would provide food to a city and save millions of tons of water. The idea of a vertical farm has attracted the attention of government officials around the world.Scott Stringer, a government official from New York City, thinks the city is suitable for the vertical farming."Obviously we don't have much land left for us," Stringer said, "But the sky is the limit in Manhattan." Despommier admits that there is still a lot of work to do to make vertical farms a reality."But I think vertical farming is an idea that can work in a big way." he says. By saying "the sky is the limit in Manhattan", Stringer means _ . A people can make full use of vertical space of Manhattan B there is a limit for using empty land in Manhattan C the height of buildings in Manhattan is limited D Manhattan has a great potential for development Answer: A Recently I paid a visit to Harvard University, where there are top class scientists and professors and the best academic system in the world. I was pretty shocked when I first stepped onto the campus. Well, it's not even really a campus. It's more like a district in a small town. Harvard's main buildings are from the 18thcentury. They look very old and simple. You might even say they're a little shabby. They don't fit the modern idea of university at all. The buildings are surrounded by grass and trees, so I felt as if I had walked into a medieval castle. But when I looked across the street, busy shops and in-fashion students made me feel like I was in the 21stcentury again. It creates a strong contrast and brings a special atmosphere to the school. Our tour guide Gary took us around and told us, "You see this grass field in the center of the school? Here is where they host their graduation ceremony. They just set up tents and benches and have a very simple ceremony. Unbelievable! Who would think the most talented students just graduate on the lawn?" I saw some students put a blanket on the grass and lie down to read a book. When I listened to the soft sound of pages turning, along with the chirping of the birds, I felt very calm. There was no competitive feeling at all. Harvard has the world's first computer in its science center and there are hundreds of high-end computers too. Its religion and the literature departments are also among the best. It is the perfect mix of tradition and new technology. It makes Harvard a very attractive place to study in. I hope one day I'll attend my dream school---Harvard. The article is mainly about _ . A the author's campus life in Harvard B the author's impression of Harvard C Harvard's old buildings D the academic system at Harvard Answer: B Peter and his seven-year-old sister ,Kate , were at the same school. Not long after his tenth birthday Peter was entrusted to take her to school. It was only two stops down the road , but the way his parents kept going on about it , you might have thought Peter was taking Kate to the North Pole . He was given instructions the night before. When he woke up , he had to listen to them over and over again. He was to keep hold of Kate's hand at all times , sit close to the front nearest the window , and tell the bus driver the name of his stop. Peter repeated all this back to his mother and set out for the bus stop with his sister. They held hands all the way. Actually he didn't mind this but simply hoped that none of his friends would see him holding a girl's hand. The bus came. They got on and sat close to the front. It was ridiculous sitting there holding hands and there were some boys from school there, so they let go of each other. Peter was feeling proud of himself. He could take care of his sister anywhere. If they were alone tighter on a mountain pass and came face to face with a pack of hungry wolves, he could know exactly what to do. Taking care and not to make sudden movement, he would move away with Kate until they had their backs to a large rock. That way the wolves would not be able to surround them. Then he takes from his pocket two important things--his hunting knife and a box of matches. He takes the knife from its sheath and sets it down on the grass, ready in case the wolves attack. They're coming close now. They're so hungry and are watering and growling . Kate is crying, but he cannot comfort her. He knows he has to concentrate on his plan. Right at their feet are some dry leaves and twigs. Quickly and skillfully, Peter gathers them into a small pile. The wolves are edging closer. He has to get this right. There's only one match left in the box. He bends down, cups his hand and lights the match. There's strong rush of wind. The flame flickers, but Peter holds it close to the pile and then first one leaf, then another, then the end of a twig catch fire, and soon the little pile is burning. He piles on more leaves and twigs and larger sticks. The wolves are backing off. Wild animals are terrified of fire. The flames are leaping higher and the wind is carrying the smoke right into their jaws. Now Peter takes holds of the hunting knife and ... Ridiculous! A daydream like this could make him miss his stop if he wasn't careful. The bus had come to a halt. The kids from his school were already getting off. Peter leaped to his feet and just managed to jump to the pavement as the bus was starting off again. It was more than fifty yards down the road when he realized he had forgotten something. Was it his backpack ? No. It was his sister. He had saved her from the wolves and left her sitting there. For a moment, he couldn't move. He stood watching the bus pull away up the road. "Come back," he murmured, "Come back." Before getting on the bus, _ . A Peter and Kate let go of each other B Peter was told instructions twice C Peter recited the instructions to his mother D Peter managed to avoid meeting his friends Answer: C Best High School Band Plays Turner Field The North Cobb High School Band routinely takes the field every Friday night during football season. The band plays at North Cobb football games. This week, the band had to get ready a little earlier in the week. That's because they played before the Atlanta Braves baseball game at Turner Field. North Cobb won wsbtv.com's Best High School Band Tournament last season. The prize for winning was a chance to play on the field at Turner Field before a Major League Baseball game. Tuesday night, the band collected the prize. "We were excited," North Cobb High School Band drum major Madison Hall said. "Growing up in Atlanta, the Braves have always been such a famous figure in Atlanta, so we were really exited to have the opportunity to perform in front of a lot of people and in front of our community." The tournament featured 64 high school bands from across Georgia. Wsbtv.com users determined the top four bands through voting with the Atlanta Braves entertainment staff selecting the winner from the final four. They selected North Cobb. "We have a number of great students at North Cobb," director Greg Williams said. "We've got the best parents in the world," he said. "The kids are so amazing, they are really bright, talented, and they work hard. They do anything we ask them to do and I really think that's a lot of keys to our success." Under the leadership of Williams and assistant band director Scott Pannell, the band made its way onto the outfield grass just as Atlanta Braves catcher Brian McCann was warming up. "It was amazing," said Pannell. "Just going out in the tunnel and going into the stadium. And just looking at the Braves players on the left and seeing them over by our kids, it's just unbelievable." The Atlanta Braves have once again partnered with wsbtv.com to reward this year's winner of the Best High School Band Tournament a chance to play at Turner Field. We can infer from the passage that _ . A the North High School Band is the pride of the Braves B the competition between the school bands is very fierce C the Atlanta Braves have been admired all over the USA D only bright kids can be admitted to the North High School Answer: B I was working with a client who was completely burned out on her career and life and then ready for a career change. As we were talking, she said, "I just wish I had meaningful work. I don't feel like I am making a difference. I am just wasting my life." This is the theme I hear most often from clients who have been in the workforce awhile.All of us want to feel like we are making a difference. We want to believe our work means something. The problem comes in defining "meaningful work". What is it? That answer is different for everyone. For some meaningful work might be helping others organize their office. For others it may mean making a million dollars. What really matters is how you see it. What is meaningful work to you? Take out a piece of paper and answer these questions. How do you define meaningful work? When do you feel like you are really making a difference? What work have you done so far that feels the most meaningful? Write down whatever comes to mind. What you want to do is meaningful. It is very easy to start judging yourself as being selfish. Stop! Allow yourself to be honest. The fact is when Picasso painted; he was doing it because he liked to paint. He was not thinking, "Oh, I hope this brings joy to others' lives." He painted because he wanted to. When Beethoven composed, he did it because he loved music. Even scientists searching for a cure for cancer are immersed in their work because it fascinates them. Don't look down on your work. It is easy to _ the importance of work that feels meaningful. I remember Tony Robbins told a story of talking with the owner of a major company. The man said to Tony, "I wish I could do what you do because it makes such adifference in people's lives". Tony said, "You have got to be kidding! Look at what adifference you make. You provide work, health insurance and security for thousands ofpeople!" Don't underestimate the value you provide. Take a look at what you have written about meaningful work. Do you see any themes? How do you wish to contribute to this world? Whatever you choose, remember that the greatest gift you can give is to find work that makes you feel fulfilled and delighted. Respect your preference because giving your gifts to the world, whatever they look like, is the most meaningful action you can ever take. .According to the passage, what meaningful job does the writer advise us to take? A The one which is popular in society. B The one which brings you profits. C The one which wins you fame. D The one which interests you. Answer: D
Raising pets is a popular online game among teenagers. "More than 20 of my classmates have adopted pets online." Said Wang Hui from Beijing. If you go to some websites, you can adopt virtual pets like penguins , chickens, dogs and elephants. You can feed, wash, talk to and play with your pet. Dai Yingshuang of Shanghai said, "It's great fun and I have also learned how to take care of others." She usually asks her uncle to take care of her pet while she is at school. If you don't feed and care for the pet, it will become unhappy and unhealthy. So raising an online pet means spending a lot of time online. This makes many parents worried. They fear it will have a bad influence on the children's studies. Wang Zhaotong from Anhui has raised a penguin since last year. She said, "My parents know about the penguin and think it's okay." If the students can keep the _ between studying and playing, it's not bad for them to "raise" pets online. What does Dai Yingshuang think of raising pets online? A It isn't great fun. B It wastes time. C It's not interesting. D It's interesting. Answer: D. It's interesting. I come from a city on the United States'east coast. It's a ten-hour flight for me to get home from Shanghai. When I got off the plane, I took photos of the blue sky and white clouds along the way. After two weeks, I returned to Shanghai. Much to my surprise, the blue sky in Shanghai that I liked before was not as blue as that in the US. I couldn't help wondering what had happened. A few days later, I went to tour Waitan (a famous tourist attraction in Shanghai) by the Huangpu River with some of my friends. There we saw five Ferrari sports cars by the side of the road. The red and yellow cars looked so nice that everyone was looking at them. However, when I turned my head, I noticed the sky over Waitan, I was shocked to find that the buildings in the Lujiazui area on the other side of Huangpu River could hardly be seen. It was then that I realized that Ferrari cars could be bought with money, but a blue sky couldn't. Shanghai is an important economic and trade center in China. It has made great contributions to the whole nation's economic development. However, we need to protect the environment during economic growth. Pollution is poisoning our air and our rivers. Without clean air and rivers, how will people be able to survive? Who might be interested in this passage? A Those who love Ferrari sports cars. B Those who care about the environment. C Those who want to travel in Shanghai. D Those who like to take photos. Answer: B. Those who care about the environment. Mr. and Mrs. Smith come from London, England. They work in China now. They teach English in a middle school. They like their work very much. They have two children, Sam and Sue. They are both in Shanghai with their parents. Mr. Smith can't speak Chinese, but his wife can speak it very well. Mr. Smith likes swimming and reading, and Mrs. Smith likes swimming and reading, too. They often go swimming in the afternoon and read in the evening. Sam and Sue like playing games with Chinese boys and girls. Sam's uncle works on a farm near London. He likes swimming, too. He wants to work in Shanghai, but he can' t speak Chinese. So he is still there and goes to Chinese classes every day. What sport does Mrs. Smith like? A Swimming B Running C Playing basketball D Walking Answer: A. Swimming These days there are lot of possibilities to be always connected to family and friends. Now that I have just moved lo France, this can be very convenient. 1 can ring my sister who lives in Los Angeles on Viber, or I can Skype my parents or friends back in England for a chat. However, sometimes the convenient and dependability of technology can be _ . Even the most out-going people need some "down time" to calm down on their own and get relaxed. This is something that I consider necessary and healthy. After all, you have to live with yourself for the rest of your life, so you'd better know how to enjoy your own company. It can be a good thing to have time to yourself to collect your thoughts and free your feelings. Today 1 went for a walk by myself around the lake and just dav-dreamed. It was so relaxing and enjoyable and helped me let go of my bad emotions. However, somehow it seems rude or perhaps makes people feel that you'reupset to sayto people:" I'm going to go and spend sometime by myself. " Andoften when we are spending time 'alone' , we are actually connected with a piece of electrical equipment. We try to make something into a Facebook or a Tweet to attract our friends, or we scroll (> through Facebook nosing into other people's lives orseeing what friends are up to. We judge ourselvesand other people by the photos they put online, so we can tell how much fun they are having compared to us. This is an age when we can get so much surface information about other people's lives, but being wrapped up in what other people are doing or always thinking about other people's recognition of us can be quite unhealthy. Perhaps these days forget about the simple pleasure of spending time just for us. Having said all that, I also think that spending too muchtime byyourself can separate you from others. I suppose it is important to find a good balance between spending valuable time by yourself and with other people. The writer agrees * A It's important to know what other people think of us B its harmful to always compare ourselves with others C technology helps us lo judge and improve ourselves D technology helps us to know about other people clearly Answer: B. its harmful to always compare ourselves with others Although there are no state controlled survival courses in Britain or the United States,there are various independent organizations offering similar activities.Students can participate(take part)in outdoor training courses through university clubs and societies.Anyone can register with such groups,which then organize courses,training and trips for all members. One of the most popular outdoor training programmes in both the US and Britain is Outward Bound .It was founded in 1941 in Wales and attracts hundreds of thousands of adventurous types every year. The courses are intended to broaden minds through experiences that build confidence, self-esteem and character.As well as specialist courses such as canoeing,leadership skills and sailing,participants can take part in week long adventure training camps which include a host of sports and survival training education skills. Michael Williams,an American student,took part in an Outward Bound course last year.He said:"We learned lots of first aid skills,lots of natural history ,lots of environmental facts, and participated in a wildlife preservation programme.Beyond that,my favorite skills learned were sailing and rock climbing."Courses can last up to 40 days and are open to anyone over the age of 14.Students must be in general good health,but do not need to be experienced in outdoor-sports.There is no selection process;everyone is welcome,although new participants are advised to pick a course matching their physical capacity.Most of the British courses take place in the Brecon Beacons in Wales.Another similar organization is the UK Survival School,which includes courses on learning to 1ive with the environment, sailing and winter survival.On a basic survival weekend students will learn how to get water and food, how to make fire and cook with it,to find and build a shelter,control survival life support,how to cross rivers.Send off a distress signal,and to use compasses by day and night. According to the leaders,such adventures are "an awakening, an exploration into the unknown."Outward Bound believes that participants will "use mind and body traveling some of the Earth's roughest wilderness areas." In an Outward Bound course last year,the most exciting experience Michael Williams had was _ . A learning first aid skills B collecting facts of environment C rock climbing and sailing D preserving wildlife Answer: C. rock climbing and sailing
Question: Many independent Chinese women like to earn their own bread, even if their husbands are already bringing home the bacon. But a recent survey suggests that such women find more joy from relationships, rather than successful careers. About 73 percent of the 7,000 women surveyed in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou said they would choose to work even if their husbands earned enough for the family. The survey also found that 77 percent define happiness as "enjoying a relationship". But striking a balance between career and family can bring challenges to the woman's career advancement. "In my company, women usually have an equal or even a higher starting salary than men," said Li Hua, general manager of Beijing Chuangjiashe Book Circulation Company. "However, as they begin to climb up the career ladder, women often meet problems along the way, while men can climb the ladder more easily." Both physical and emotional differences can prevent some women from taking tough positions, Li said. But family life is often the main difficulty for Chinese career women. Despite these challenges, however, some experts believe it's reasonable for some women to want to be breadwinners. "In this way, the roles of a family are decided by the parents' abilities rather than their gender ," said Gu Donghui, a sociology professor at Fudan University. Gu says women should have the freedom to decide if they want to stay at home or work to support the family. "Everyone has a different interpretation of what it means to find self-worth". Wang Haibin, an economic expert from Renmin University shares that view: "Traditionally, we tend to regard the family as the cell unit of society. Some members have always been expected to make sacrifices for it. But, it really doesn't matter who earns more. Economic independence and personal choice is essential for both sexes in the family." What's the main problem that career women meet while working? A. Physical difference B. Tough positions C. Family life D. The career ladder Answer: C. Family life Question: How Room Designs Affect Our Work and Feelings Architects have long had the feeling that the places we live in can affect our thoughts, feelings and behaviors. But now scientists are giving this feeling an empirical(,) basis. They are discovering how to design spaces that promote creativity, keep people focused and lead to relaxation. Researches show that aspects of the physical environment can influence creativity. In 2007, Joan Meyers-Levy at the University of Minnesota, reported that the height of a room's ceiling affects how people think. Her research indicates that higher ceilings encourage people to think more freely, which may lead them to make more abstract connections. Low ceilings, on the other hand, may inspire a more detailed outlook. In additions to ceiling height, the view afforded by a building may influence an occupant's ability to concentrate. Nancy Wells and her colleagues at Cornell University found in their study that kids who experienced the greatest increase in greenness as a result of a family move made the most gains on a standard test of attention. Using nature to improve focus of attention ought to pay off academically, and it seems to, according to a study led by C. Kenneth Tanner, head of the School Design & Planning Laboratory at the University of Georgia. Tanner and his team found that students in classrooms with unblocked views of at least 50 feet outside the window had higher scores on tests of vocabulary, language arts and maths than did students whose classrooms primarily overlooked roads and parking lots. Recent study on room lighting design suggests than dim light helps people to loosen up. If that is true generally, keeping the light low during dinner or at parties could increase relaxation. Researchers of Harvard Medical School also discovered that furniture with rounded edges could help visitors relax. So far scientists have focused mainly on public buildings. "We have a very limited number of studies, _ ," architect David Allison says. "How do you take answers to very specific questions and make broad, generalized use of them? That's what we're all struggling with." What does Joan Meyers-Levy focus on in her research? A. Light. B. Ceilings. C. Windows. D. Furniture. Answer: B. Ceilings. Question: There are some stories behind English words. You've spent a lot of time studying how to use English in a proper way. But have you ever wondered why English speakers say some of the things they say? For example, why do they say "an easy task" is "a piece of cake"? Why do the two letters "OK" means "all right"? Many English words and phrases have stories behind them. Sometimes these stories can help us look back into old western history. Let's take a look at a few of the original * common English words and phrases: OK "OK" was an American who lived in the 19th century. His name was "Old Kinderhook". In one year he was trying to take the place of the leader of his town. His supporters went around the town shouting " OK \ OK \" The supporters thought their future leader was " all right". The expression caught on, and now if something is "all right" , people like to say "OK\|" Boss* Is your boss nice to you? If not, just be glad you weren't living in the old times. Back to that time, bosses could do anything bad to their men and could even beat* them! That explains why the word "boss" comes from an old German word meaning "to beat". A piece of cake A famous American writer named Ogden Nash lived in the 1930s. Many readers enjoyed his poems and wrote them down in their notebooks. In one of his poems, Nash wrote, " Her picture's in the papers now, and life's a piece of cake. " His readers found these words interesting and quickly wrote them down. They thought that if one picture in a newspaper could make you famous, wouldn't life be easy? For nearly 70 years, "a piece of cake" has meant any task or activity that is easy. In this passage "a piece of cake" means " _ ". A. an easy task or activity B. a difficult task or activity C. a simple newspaper to read D. a famous picture in a newspaper Answer: A. an easy task or activity Question: Mr Green is a teacher of English. He comes from America. He teaches English in China. He speaks English quite well. He reads a lot of books and his wife Mrs Green often writes books for the students. He gets up at five in the morning. He leaves home at ten to six. He begins the first lesson at 8:00. He teaches English every day except Sunday. At ten to twelve he finishes his lessons. Ten minutes later he has lunch. In the afternoon he often plays games with his students at about four o'clock. Sometimes he teaches his students in his room. Supper time is at about six. After that he reads newspapers and watches TV. At about ten to eleven he goes to bed. He leaves home at _ . A. 5:00 B. 5:50 C. 6:10 D. 6:30 Answer: B. 5:50 Question: A 26-year-old Montreal man appears to have succeeded in his quest to barter a single, red paper clip all the way up to a house. It took almost a year and 14 trades, but Kyle MacDonald has been offered a two-storey farmhouse in Kipling, Sask., for a paid role in a movie. MacDonald began his quest last summer when he decided he wanted to live in a house. He didn't have a job, so instead of posting a resume, he looked at a red paper clip on his desk and decided to trade it on an Internet website. The response was immediate --a fish pen was offered for exchange. MacDonald then bartered the fish pen for a handmade doorknob from a potter in Seattle. In Massachusetts, MacDonald traded the doorknob for a camp stove. He traded the stove to a U.S. soldier in California for a generator. Then he exchanged the generator for an "instant party kit" -- an empty keg and an illuminated Budweiser beer sign. MacDonald then traded the keg and sign for a snowmobile. He bartered all the way up to an afternoon with rock star Alice Cooper, a KISS snow globe and finally a paid role in a Corbin Bernsen movie. "Now, I'm sure the first question on your mind is, 'Why would Corbin Bernsen trade a role in a film for a snow globe? A KISS snow globe,' MacDonald said on his website."Well, Corbin happens to be arguably one of the biggest snow globe collectors on the planet. Now, the town of Kipling, Sask., Canada, with a population of 1,100,has offered MacDonald a farmhouse in exchange for the role in the movie. The town is going to hold a competition for the movie role. MacDonald said: "There're people all over the world that are saying that they have paper clips clipped to the top of their computer, or on their desk or on their shirt, and it proves that anything is possible and I think to a certain degree it's true." MacDonald, who has attracted international media attention in his quest, said the journey has turned out to be more exciting than the goal. "This is not the end. This may be the end of this part of the story, but this story will go on." Which shows the correct order of the trades? A. Paper clipsnow globesnowmobilehouse B. Paper clipkeg of beerdoorknobsnowmobile C. Paper clipcamp stovesnowmobilemovie role D. Paper clipkeg of beercamp stovesnowmobile Answer: C. Paper clipcamp stovesnowmobilemovie role
Don't you just love ice skating every winter?I am sure,that since winter is approaching,your skates are set to come out,just waiting to be used.Impress your friends with your new trick on how to iceskate backwards with the help of these tips.Skating backwards on ice is a bit difficult but once you master the basic,there's nothing like it.Follow the steps given below and you will be able to skate backwards in no time. Stand Straight The first thing that you need to do is,stand straight.If you feel that you are falling backwards,then just put your chin up and slightly bend your knees.Don't worry;this happens to all. Confidence Is What You Need The most important step while learning how to skate backwards,is having enough confidence in yourself and in what you are doing.How can you achieve this?By practice.Just practice rolling backwards down a gentle slop every single day or just by pushing off from a wall or something of that sort.But before you do that,make sure that the place where you are practicing is free from any kind of debris because otherwise,you could land up in the hospital due to some accident.While going backwards,just get used to the feeling of moving backwards.One of the important ice skating tips and techniques is that if you feel that you are losing your balance,then scissor your skates.Keep practicing this till you are confident about it. Maintain Speed Confident now?Great!Now the next step is to maintain your speed.While rolling in a straight line with one skate,with the other try sculling ,that is,keep pushing yourself backwards with an outwards stroke .Now bring the skate which you were using to scull,and then again,repeat the same process.Make sure that you put most of your weight on the skate which is moving straight and not the one with which you are sculling.Now,try the same thing using the other foot.Again keep doing this till you are confident enough. Increase Your Speed Now Once you are confident that you can scull with either foot,the next thing that you have to do is increase your speed.Try some of your own tricks now.Scull with either foot or with both at the same time. Scull and Be Aware While you keep one foot straight,keep sculling with the other.You can do that simultaneously with both feet.Concentrate on what you are doing but don't get so involved,that you don't see where you are going.If you are not watching your back,you might just bang against something or someone. The purpose of the text is _ . A to compare different ways of iceskating backwards B to introduce the culture of iceskating backwards C to explain advantages of iceskating backwards D to offer some advice on iceskating backwards Answer: D. to offer some advice on iceskating backwards On a BA flight from Johannesburg, a middle-aged South African lady found herself sitting next to a black man. She called the cabin crew attendant over to complain about her seating. "What seems to be the problem, Madam?" Asked the attendant. "Can't you see?" She said, "You've sat me next to a black. I can't possibly sit next to this dirty disgusting human. Find me another seat!" "Please calm down, Madam," the attendant replied, "The flight is very full today, but I'll tell you what I'll do--I'll go and check to see if we have any seats available in club or first class." A few minutes later, the attendant returned with the good news, which she delivered to the lady, who cannot help but look at the people around her with a smug and self-satisfied grin. "Madam, unfortunately, as I guessed, economy is full. I've spoken to the cabin services director, and club is also full. However, we do have one seat in first class." Before the lady had a chance to answer, the attendant continued. "It's most extraordinary to make this kind of upgrade, however, and I have had to get special permission from the captain. But, according to this _ , the captain felt that it was unbelievable that someone should be forced to sit next to such an obnoxious person." Having said that, the attendant turned to the black man sitting next to the lady, and said, "So if you'd like to get your things, sir, I have your seat ready for you." At that moment, the surrounding passengers stood and gave a long-lasting ovation while the black man walked up to the front of the plane... How many types of seats are there in the plane? A 2 B 3 C 4 D 5 Answer: B. 3 People in the UK spend their free time in different ways. They usually use it to relax. They spend a lot of their free time at home. The most popular activity is watching TV. People in the UK watch TV for about 25 hours a week. They often record programs so they can watch them later. Reading is also a popular way of spending free time. People in the UK spend a lot of time reading newspapers and magazines. Many people in the UK have pets. They like playing with their pets in their free time. In summer, gardening is popular. And families often have a "day out" on the weekend. They often go to a festival or see a show. Young people like to go to clubs, and people of all ages like to go to the cinema. In winter, "do-it-yourself" is popular. People often spend their free time repairing houses. Some free time activities are with friends. Asking friends for a drink or a meal at home is the most usual one. Sometimes people and their friends have dinner in a restaurant. On the weekend, people in the UK like to spend their free time doing sports. The popular kinds of sports are soccer, horse racing, swimming, tennis, skating, climbing and hill walking. . What is the favorite free time activity of people in the UK? A Reading. B Watching TV. C Doing sports. D Playing with their pets. Answer: B. Watching TV. One of the most popular and enduring myths about depression is that depressed people are sad all the time--and that by extension, people who are happy can't be experiencing depression, even if they say they are. It is a mistaken version of depression. Depression doesn't make you sad all the time. When I'm having a depressive feeling, I'm not walking around in black clothes, and weeping. I go out with friends. I play jokes. I keep working, and have friendly chats with the people I work with. I read books. Above all, I experience moments of happiness. Yet I feel a strange conflicting pressure. On the one hand, I feel like I need to engage in a sort of sadness for people to understand that I really am depressed and that each day is a struggle for me. Because that way I will appear suitably sad, and thus, depressed--and then maybe people will recognize that I'm depressed and perhaps they'll even offer support and assistance. On the other hand, I feel an extreme pressure to perform just the opposite, because sad depressed people are boring and no fun, as I am continually reminded every time I speak openly about depression or express feelings of sadness and frustration. I'm caught in a trap where if I don't perform sadness, I'm not really depressed, but if I express sadness at all to any degree, I'm annoying and boring and should stop being so self-centered. Depression can become your master, but you can slip out from under it occasionally. And many depressed people don't actually spend it fainting dramatically on the couch and talking about how miserable they are. What's the writer's attitude to being sad and depressed? A Positive. B Negative. C Indifferent. D Cold. Answer: B. Negative. The Chinese word"Shanzhai" means a small mountain village, but now it becomes an accepted name for fakes after" Shanzhai cell phones " produced by small workshops in southern China ,became popular in the mainland market over the past few years. Besides" Shanzhai" electronic products, there are "Shanzhai" movies, "Shanzhai" stars and even a "Shanzhai" Spring Festival Gala, a copy of the 25-year-old traditional show presented by CCTV on Chinese Lunar New Year's Eve. " Shanzhai" has become a culture of its own,symbolizing anything that _ something famous. The phenomenon has caused a public debate over whether it is healthy or sick being a copycat. In southwestern China's Chongqing Municipality,a "Shanzhai" -version"Bird's Nest" woven by farmers with bamboo attracts wide attention and the"Shanzhai"-version "Water Cube"is popular with tourists too. Both are copies of the famous Olympics buildings in Beijing. Xie Xizhang,a literature critic,said that taking the "Shanzhai" Gala as an example, when the traditional CCTV program becomes less and less attractive to the audience, the "Shanzhai" version appears naturally to attract people. "In spite of its poor techniques and operation, 'Shanzhai' culture meets the psychological demands of common people and could be a comfort to their minds," Xie said. Tian Huiqun,a professor at Beijing Normal University,said that "Shanzhai" culture never copies classic things,only trendy products. In that sense,it's like a computer virus, multiplying without meaning. Though controversial,"Shanzhai" culture is becoming a widely accepted phenomenon. "To the mainstream culture, the rise of 'Shanzhai' culture is a challenge as well as a motivation," said Xie. Tian said different kinds of cultures developing together is an ideal situation and it is for the public to choose. According to Xie Xizhang ,the mainstream culture _ . A will be held back by "Shanzhai"culture B will sooner or later be replaced by "Shanzhai" culture C may develop faster because of the challenging of "Shanzhai" culture D thinks nothing of the challenge of"Shanzhai"culture Answer: C. may develop faster because of the challenging of "Shanzhai" culture
Sitting at a desk in a classroom all day can be pretty boring. The teachers at Ward Elementary in Winston -Salem,North Carolina ,picked up on that and traded in their students' desks for exercise bikes as a part of their Read and Ride program! The Read and Ride program began five years ago.One classroom has enough bikes for every student in any given class,and throughout the day teachers bring in their students to the room to ride them and read their books. Even regular classrooms have one bike in the back of each room for students who just can't sit still to use to help them burn energy in a good way. Students love being more active! Teachers enjoy seeing students eager to read.Parents appreciate stronger,smarter children.Headmasters value this effective and cost-free program."Riding exercise bikes makes reading fun for many kids who get frustrated when they read.Thus,they have a way to release that frustration while they ride,"said Scott Ertl,who started the program."As we can see,everyone wants to promote literacy and lose weight! But many students who are overweight struggle with sports and activities since they don't want to always be the last or lose with others watching on the playground.On exercise bikes,however,students are able to exert themselves at their own level--without anyone noticing when they slow down or take a break." As it turns out,not only are the bikes helping the students burn calories,they're also helping them learn better and stay focused.At the end of the school year the school analyzed testing data and found that students that spent more time reading and riding did more than twice as well on reading tests than their fellow students who spent the least time in the program. Why did the teachers start the Read and Ride program? A To get the students out of the classrooms. B To make the students more active in sports. C To read effectively in an active way. D To help the overweight students keep fit. Answer: C. To read effectively in an active way. Most Chinese people expect to relax and enjoy themselves during the Golden Week. But for those trying to go someplace,it may seem more disappointment than pleasure. This year, the severe traffic jam resulted in a roadside wedding. The suffering of being stuck in traffic was possibly most strongly felt by Lv Kangzhou and his bride Yan Mengxia. By tradition, the groom drove early in the morning to the bride's home in Zhejiang province in East China to pick her up along with her family and take them to his family's hometown for the wedding. By 4 p.m., Lv's wedding was 90 minutes away, but his car had not moved an inch for a long time. Lv contacted the local radio to explain his difficult situation and ask for a traffic forecast. The radio host told Lv there was no way he could hold his wedding on time and offered to hold their wedding on the air. At 5:30 p.m., Lv and his bride said their vows on the side of the road while Lv's family and friends witnessed the ceremony while listening to the radio. Lv wasn't the only person stuck in the Golden Week crowds. According to the state news agency Xinhua, 11.7 million people traveled by train Wednesday. It calculated that 120,000 people gathered at Tiananmen Square in Beijing to watch the flag raising ceremony. Last year, the Forbidden City in Beijing hosted 175,000 tourists on a single day during Golden Week, and the number is expecting to be even bigger this year. Chinese internet users routinely complain about the Golden Week holiday every year. As internet user Tuzhi said on Sina Weibo: "On the Great Wall, I'm holding your hand, but I cannot see your face." Lv, the groom, called the local radio because he wanted _ . A to ask for help B to hold their wedding on the air C to complain about the traffic conclusion D to find someone to pick them up Answer: A. to ask for help When I was in 7th grade, I had a lot of trouble reading. My mother used to sit by my side, and explain each paragraph of each school reading assignment to me because I didn't understand what I was reading. She would have to read each paragraph to me, and then after each paragraph, she summarized what we just read. In class, I tried to hide the fact that I couldn't read. My teachers gave us the last 10 minutes of class to start our reading homework, and I would sit there for the last ten minutes of class staring at the page, pretending I was reading it -I remember a terrible feeling of not wanting to get in trouble for not being able to comprehend .I had to wait until I got home so my mother could explain it to me. How did I never get into Cornell University? By eighth grade I started understanding a little on my own, but I was reading at an _ slow speed. In eighth grade, I got hold of all the speed reading books I could get my hands on. I read them all very slowly at the time. I even went out and took a course on speed reading. Then I developed my own system which was easier and produced quicker results. I started practicing these techniques every day, and as I started to read faster, my understanding increased. I found that I stopped daydreaming and thinking about other things while I was reading, and started getting the larger meaning. I was reading faster and comprehending better. I found that when you read slowly, word by word, you get lost in the words, lose the bigger picture, and your comprehension drops. When you read faster, your concentration actually increases and your comprehension goes up because instead of getting lost in the words, you see the overall picture. From her own experience, the writer found that _ . A one's comprehension drops if one reads too slowly B in order to understand better, one has to read slowly C one tends to neglect the detailed information if one reads fast D many people read fast in order to save time Answer: A. one's comprehension drops if one reads too slowly With a busy life and job, pressure can make you look tired and aged. KissiHealth-BeautyCentergives classes, makes training plans according to your physical conditions, and sets up an individual file. All these things will help you to get to know your body and the way to keep it fit. 1) BODY-BUILDING Imported gym equipment will help you build up your body's muscles, making you look full of energy and strength. 2) GYMNASTIC EXERCISES A bright and large exercise room with excellent equipment and music will give your body a chance to enjoy movement with rhythm. 3) SPECIAL "LAZY-BONE"FITNESSCENTER "Lazy-bone" fitness equipment is the first bodyshaping set of seven beds in Houston. Designed according to human anatomic and kinematic theory, the seven special beds will help you to exercise your waist, abdomen , hips or legs. In the relaxing hours you may try them to strengthen your muscles and lose weight. Tuition: "Lazy-bone" fitness card, 1000 dollars /month (gymnastic classes included). Open Time: 10:30 a.m. --10:30 p.m. every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday Tel: 59185700 Address: 16 Johnson Street,Houston The purpose of this passage is to _ . A give advice on health B introduce new ways of body-building C ask you to go to the center D introduce ways to lose weight Answer: C. ask you to go to the center Why are the rocks and pebbles found on riverbeds usually smooth? A The rocks and pebbles in riverbeds are not very old. B The rocks and pebbles rub against each other as water flows over them. C Rivers can only flow over smooth rocks and pebbles. D Organisms in the rivers break down the rocks and pebbles. Answer: B. The rocks and pebbles rub against each other as water flows over them.
You have the ability to decide if you are happy or not. Happiness is a choice. You can't depend on someone else to make you happy. That is a lesson I learned early on in my marriage. I realized that I couldn't rely on my husband as my source of happiness. I learned that my happiness depended on me and not my husband's actions. I learned that you have to choose to be happy. You can choose your emotions. True happiness comes from within; it can't be forced by outside forces. So how do you choose happiness? The same way you choose to smile or choose to wear a certain outfit. You choose it because that's what you want to experience in your life. You want to buy a new pair of shoes so you choose a pair that you like and feel good. You wouldn't buy a pair of shoes that you don't like or that don't fit well, right? So why do we keep choosing emotions and feelings that don't make us feel good? Choosing to be happy after you realize your anger has shown up (or even choosing to be calm) can be beneficial. We choose our feelings; no one can do that for us. If we let others get to us, influence our emotions - we are giving them power over us. When others cause us anger or pain, we are giving them our power. We need to keep our feelings in check and not react automatically to what is thrown at us. We need to think our actions out instead of just reacting to what someone says or does. Remember that we can always choose happiness. At first it will be difficult to just switch your thoughts and feelings from anger, self-doubt, or fear to joy and happiness. But it is only a thought away. Don't dwell on what happens to you unnecessarily but realize what is causing you to feel that way. Realize that thoughts, feelings and emotions can change. Then move on and choose to be happy. The writer suggests that we should _ . Answer: hold back our feelings properly Sir Edmund Hillary is best known for being the first, along with climbing partner Tenzing Norgay, to reach the top of Mount Everest . However, he also made many visits to Antarctica . In 1957, he led the first trip over ice to the South Pole. Hillary also helped his home country, New Zealand, build a research center on Antarctica, called Scott Base. He visited it in January 2007, when he was 87 years old. In the 1900s, many people like Hillary saw Antarctica as an exciting place. Scientists are interested in how glaciers flow and melt. They also worry that global warming is making glaciers melt faster. It has caused a 75 percent increase in ice loss in the last 10 years, according to a new study. Scientists say ice loss could cause water levels around the world to rise faster than expected. Ice is melting faster than expected because of global warming. Researchers in Antarctica are studying many other subjects too. Some use the cold weather and clear air as a way to study things that affect other parts of the globe. Antarctica has the cleanest air in the world. That allows scientists to compare the air there to the air in polluted places. Antarctica is the darkest place on earth, so it is a great place to study the stars. Some scientists are even studying penguin droppings . They have developed a new test to learn more about penguins' diets. Who of the following would NOT be interested in Antarctica? Answer: Adventurers who decide to climb Mount Everest. Jan was a window cleaner. One morning, Jan was in a lift of a high building with his window cleaning tools when the building was on fire. There were five other passengers in the lift. All of a sudden the lift stopped. Although they didn't know what had happened outside, they had only 100 minutes to get out of the building before it would fall into the dust. Soon smoke began coming into the lift. The men knew that something was wrong. They tried to open the door but found a wall in front of them. The wall had the number 15 on it and they knew they were on the 15th floor. But their lift usually didn't stop there, so there was no opening for them to escape. Jan decided they would have to make their own. Knowing that the wall was made of a material that could be cut through, Jan took out his window cleaning tools, and began knocking a hole through the wall. When he felt tired, others helped. Starting with one small hole, they cut through the three-inch-thick wall. Then they kicked hard at the wall. The wall cracked apart. They saw before them a tile wall! Refusing to give up, they knocked a hole through the tile, then made the opening big enough to get through. Surprisingly, the fire-fighters were outside the hole, they took Jan and his partners to the nearest stairs and they ran down the stairs as quickly as possible. By 10:23, Jan and the others ran out of the building. Five minutes later, the building burned down. did they do when they saw a tile wall? Answer: They went on knocking through the wall. It was just three degrees above zero."That's cold", thought Jane as she got ready to deliver her morning papers . Jane had 50 customers ,and on cold mornings when she couldn't ride her bicycle , it took her more than an hour to make her rounds. As she collected her papers and put them into a big canvas bag , Jane regretted that she hadn't finished her maths homework the night before . There was still time . She would hurry with the papers and finish the maths before breakfast. Less than an hour later Jane nearly finished. She had only five customers to go. She could then go home to finish her maths homework while her Mom cooked breakfast . As she rounded the corner , she saw a car in the middle of the street . It was Mr Zimmerman , the elderly man who walked with a walking stick . His car was out of gas . "I'd like to help Mr Zimmerman," thought Jane ,"but if I do , I won't have time to do my homework." She hated to think what Mr Robert would say if she didn't finish papers. "It's his own fault for running out of gas," Jane talked to herself. "The station is only a half mile down the street . Surely Mr Zimmerman can walk that far, even on a cold morning like this...can't he?" As she walked down the street , Jane still wondered what to do. Jane delivered her papers _ . Answer: before she went to school There is one thing that everyone wants more than anything else .Some people try to get it by making money .They think that when they have enough money to buy such things as houses ,arms ,and cars ,they will have the one thing that everyone wants . Other people believe that if they know enough, they will find this thing .They study all their lives in search of it .Still others think that if they have power, they will find this thing .They keep telling themselves: When I am a boss, I will no longer have to search for this thing. What is it that everyone wants more than anything else? What is it that all of us keep working and searching for each day? It is happiness. Happiness is a strange thing .It does not mean the same to all men .What will make one man happy may not make another man happy .Some men say that happiness comes from helping others ,other men say that happiness comes from making life more pleasant for everyone .What do you mean when you say"That makes me happy." Read what different people have said about happiness .Perhaps you will learn something that will bring you peace of mind ,comfort ,money or may bring you what you search for happiness. The main idea of this passage is that _ Answer: happiness is the thing that everyone wants to get
Andrew wanted to make some extra money to buy a toy truck that he really wanted but didn't get for his birthday. The truck cost thirty dollars and it made four different noises. The truck also had a ladder that was three feet long. Andrew had asked for it for his birthday but didn't get it. He did get a camera from his uncle and a puzzle from his friend. In order to make the money his mom told him that he needed to do chores around the house. His mom told him that he could make five dollars by mowing the lawn. He chose to do this chore and it took him three hours. She then gave him the money. He also chose to walk the dog every day for a week which made him one dollar a day. His grandpa gave him a late birthday present for his birthday. His grandpa's gift was twelve dollars. He spent the afternoon counting his money and found that he was still short of his goal. What does Andrew want to buy? Two felled trees, split in twain, with the same number of rings, means they're the same Recently we've observed an increasing request from disadvantaged and regional schools for attending one of our zoo areas at no cost or partly paid some organizations. Zoos Victoria believes that all children should have the opportunity to have an early memory of visiting the zoo, and gain an understanding of the wild and natural world that humans share with animals. Zoos Victoria wins the support of the Ian Potter Foundation to help achieve this goal. Funding available for schools to enter an educational program at Zoos Victoria in 2012 Applications are open from November 23, 2011 to February 12, 2012. Children from disadvantaged and originally isolated schools are provided with the opportunity to visit the zoo and attend an interactive education experience at no charge. The program objectives are: To start developing "environmentalists" within low social and economic groups. To support the youth from disadvantaged backgrounds to have greater awareness of wildlife and have ongoing opportunities to get relevant information about animals and the environment through the zoos' website. What is covered under the program? Travel to the zoo -- transport costs will be partly or fully paid back to the school on the basis of the number of children applying for the program. Student entry to one area of Zoos Victoria and an educational experience. Which schools are able to take part in the program? Open to schools in Victoria. Consideration will be given to schools that have not previously been able to enter one of our zoo areas, list as "disadvantaged" ones or come from regionally isolated areas. Able to visit an area of Zoos Victoria within the 2012 school year. Applications must be supported by the school principal . Able to complete a short evaluation of the program. How to apply for the program? Download the application forms. Complete all the details, including a signature from your principal and attaching a quote for transport costs. Return the application forms to Margaret Harwood at Zoos Victoria by email to mharwood@zoo.org.au or by post to PO Box 74, Parkville, VIC 3052. *Please contact Margaret Harwood at 03 9285 9462, if there are any further questions. Zoos Victoria wanted to help students in disadvantaged and regional schools _ . Beautiful people are indeed happier,a new study says,but not always for the same reasons. For handsome men,the extra kicks are more likely to come from economic benefits,like increased wages, while women are more likely to find joy just looking in the mirror. "Women feel that beauty is naturally important," says Daniel Hamermesh,a University of Texas at Austin labor economist and the study's lead author. "They just feel bad if they're ugly." Hamermesh is the acknowledged father of pulchronomics, or the economic study of beauty. It can be a dangerous job. He once made angry an audience of young Mormon women, many of whom wished to stay home with future children, by explaining that homemakers tend to be less attractive than their working-girl peers . "Since beautiful women tend to be paid more,they have more motivation to stay in the work force," he says. The pursuit of good looks drives several huge industries--in 2010, Americans spent $845 million on face-lifts alone--but few economists focused on beauty's financial power until the mid-1990s,when Hamermesh and his colleague, Jeff Biddle of Michigan State University, became the first scholars to track the effect of appearance on earnings potential for a large sample of adults. Like many other desirable commodities , "beauty is rare," Hamermesh says, "and that rareness commands a price." A handsome man is estimated to make 13 percent more during his career than a "looks-challenged" peer, according to calculations in Hamermesh's recent book, Beauty Pays. Interestingly, the net benefit is slightly less for pretty women, who may make up the difference by trading on their looks to marry men with higher earning potential. And some studies have shown that attractive people are more likely to be hired in a recession . Hamermesh argues that "there's not much we can do to improve our pulchritude ". There are even studies suggesting that for every dollar spent on cosmetic products,only 4 cents returns as salary--making lipstick a truly awful investment. _ . One 2006 study showed that the less beautiful may actually profit from their lack of looks. People tend to expect less from the unattractive, so when they go beyond those low expectations they are rewarded. And the beautiful ones are often primarily held to a higher standard-- "then hit with a 'beauty penalty' if they fail to deliver." Hamermesh says. Which of the following is right according to the passage? Is early childhood education really necessary ? Early childhood education primarily focuses on learning through playing to develop the child's physical , sensory , communicational and social development . Early childhood education has become a concern of the government , who pushes poor children to be formally trained before they are old enough for kindergarten . There are good reasons for the government to push early childhood education . Studies have shown that orphaned children who did not receive good care and education become developmentally delayed causing failure in school , and even in life. Further studies show that poor children who take part in Head Start programs are more prepared for school , less likely to end up in Special Education classes , and are less likely to receive public help or go to jail (prison) . There are also negative parts to putting a child in formal education programs too early . Time Magazine Online explains that " the younger the child is , the less his chances of catching up with first-grade work ." I have personally witnessed many children of my generation who went to Head Start programs become frustrated and bored with school before they finished high school . Yet parents have been sure that the earlier the child starts school , the better off he or she is , so they push to start children earlier . Actually while early formal education of poor children does show great gains in the early elementary years , studies also show that this head start is really a " false start" , as the gains are lost in middle and high school years. It seems that environment is a bigger factor on life's success than early education . Head Start programs have not achieved its original goal in closing the achievement gap in poor and middle school children. Perhaps it is time to find other ways to close that gap . According to the studies , _ .
Astronomy is the oldest science known to man. Thousands of years ago man looked at the stars and wondered about the heavens. But man was limited by what he could see with his eyes alone. The Greeks studied astronomy over 2,000 years ago. They could see the size, color, and brightness of a star. They could see its place in the sky. They watched the stars move as the seasons changed. But the Greeks had no tools to help themselves study the heavens. Each new tool added to the field of astronomy helped man reach out into space. They did not know that the planet called Saturn had rings around it. Their sight was so limited that they could not see all the planets. In the early 1700s, people thought there were only six planets. Nepture , the last of eight planets to be discovered, was not seen until 1846. Before the spectroscope , man did not know what kind of gases was in the sun or other stars. Without the radio telescope, we didn't know that radio noises came from far out in space. Today, astronomy is a growing science. We had learned more in the last fifty years than in the whole history of astronomy. . This passage mainly talks about _ . A. tools used in astronomy B. the development of astronomy in the last 50 years C. Greeks' achievements in astronomy D. new tools and the development of astronomy Answer: D Martha was busy with her job. She believed she had to work harder because she loved her father who was sick with cancer. She had to provide for his expensive medicines. Her brothers and sisters meanwhile stayed with their father most of the time. They bathed him, sang for him, spoon-fed him or simply kept him company. One day Martha was hurt. She overheard her father telling her mother, "All our children love me except Martha." "How can this be?" Martha thought. "Am I not the one killing myself in my work to have money to pay for his medicines? My brothers and sisters do not even provide their share in the expenses." One night, as Martha was as usual late in going home, she saw her father was lying awake. She walked close to his bedsides. Her father held her hands and said, "I miss you. I don't have much time. Stay with me." And she stayed with her father holding his hand the whole night. The next morning Martha said to everybody, "I have taken a leave of absence. I would like to be with father. I will bathe him and sing for him from now on." Her father had a beautiful smile. He knew Martha loved him, too. As children, we need the presence of our loved ones. Adults need no less. I have observed my mother's orchids . When she is away for a long time, they are unhealthy and many of them wither . But when she is around , they bloom with beautiful flowers. My mother does nothing special . She just spends her time looking after them. Before Martha heard her parents' talk ,she thought her father _ . A. was satisfied with her love for him B. disliked her brothers and sisters C. was proud of her D. would recover from the disease Answer: A (Some classmates are talking about their weekend.) Linda: I stayed at home and studied over the weekend. I studied for my English test on Saturday. Yesterday I wrote a geography paper. In the evening I talked to my pen pal on the phone. What did you do? Tim: I had a good time. On Saturday morning I played tennis, in the afternoon I went to the beach, and in the evening I went to Nancy's birthday party. On Sunday I went to the mountains with my friends. Mary: Oh, your weekend was great. But mine was boring. I stayed at home the whole weekend. I cleaned my room and washed my clothes. I even watered the flowers. And only in the evening I watched TV for a short time. Did you go out, Dave? Dave: No, I didn't. I stayed at home and watched TV on Saturday. Yesterday I watched a movie on TV, Fearless. It was very exciting. Which of the following statements about Linda is NOT true? A. Linda had a pen pal. B. Linda had a geography test on Sunday. C. Linda had English and geography at school. D. Linda was busy with her studies over weekend. Answer: B (2013*,D)When asked about happiness,we usually think of something extraordinary,an absolute delight,which seems to get rarer the older we get. For kids,happiness has a magical quality.Their delight at winning a race or getting a new bike is unreserved . In the teenage years the concept of happiness changes.Suddenly it's conditional on such things as excitement,love and popularity.I can still recall the excitement of being invited to dance with the most attractive boy at the school party. In adulthood the things that bring deep joy-love,marriage,birth-also bring responsibility and the risk of loss.For adults,happiness is complicated . My definition of happiness is "the capacity for enjoyment".The more we can enjoy what we have,the happier we are.It's easy to overlook the pleasure we get from the company of friends,the freedom to live where we please,and even good health. I experienced my little moments of pleasure yesterday.First I was overjoyed when I shut the last lunchbox and had the house to myself.Then I spent an uninterrupted morning writing,which I love.When the kids and my husband came home,I enjoyed their noise after the quiet of the day. Psychologists tell us that to be happy we need a mix of enjoyable leisure time and satisfying work.I don't think that my grandmother,who raised 14 children,had much of either.She did have a network of close friends and family,and maybe this is what satisfied her. We,however,with so many choices and such pressure to succeed in every area,have turned happiness into one more thing we've got to have.We're so selfconscious about our "right" to it that it's making us miserable.So we chase it and equal it with wealth and success,without noticing that the people who have those things aren't necessarily happier. Happiness isn't about what happens to us-it's about how we see what happens to us.It's the skillful way of finding a positive for every negative.It's not wishing for what we don't have,but enjoying what we do possess. What can be concluded from the passage? A. Happiness lies between the positive and the negative. B. Each man is the master of his own fate. C. Success leads to happiness. D. Happy is he who is content. Answer: D Aria Ricardo was a beautiful, slim young woman with dark hair, dark eyes, and dark skin.She used to work as a model and earn as much as $ 2 000 in one day in front of the camera.She modeled for top magazines in Paris, Rome, Tokyo, and throughout the United States. Aria's father, now retired because of a disability, was a police officer who really loved his work.Aria would rather follow in her father's footsteps than pursue her modeling career.She remembered listening to her father tell stories when he came home after a day on the beat.The excitement, tensions and risks of police work appealed to her. Aria got started in the modeling business quite by accident.She accompanied a friend to an interview at a modeling agency.Her friend wanted the job, while Aria didn't.The people at the agency were impressed with Aria's appearance and poise.They knew she'd be brilliant in front of the camera.So they sent her on her first modeling job--for Seventeen Magazine--right away. Despite her success as a model, Aria never gave up her dream of being a police officer.She passed the written exam for the New York Police Department.She planned to enter the Police Academy as quickly as possible.Her family and friends thought she was out of her mind even to consider such a thing.Police work was dangerous and the pay couldn't compare to a top model's income.But Aria knew what she wanted, and she went for it.She had never really intended to be a model anyway.Finally she hooked her fish. Aria Ricardo probably is a _ now. A. photographer working for a magazine B. student of the Police Academy C. top model of a world company D. woman police officer Answer: D
Question: BEIJING, prefix = st1 /China(CNN) ---China's economic growth dropped to 9 percent for 2008, according to numbers released by the government Thursday --- in line with expectations, but still the slowest rate the nation has seen in seven years. Economists are concerned about what the slowdown means for investment in the future, whether new projects will be undertaken in manufacturing companies and in factories. If not, it will translate into more job losses and erase any optimism about a rebound in 2009. Since 2001, Chinahas been used to double-digit growth as consumers buy Chinese goods. However, the export sector was hit hard in late 2008, with December exports down 2.8 percent. Consumer spending has mostly held up in China, as people there do not carry as much debt as their American counterparts and can continue to spend. Consumer confidence, however, is a problem, said Dong Tao, Asia chief economist for Credit Suisse. Infrastructure is the only thing driving the Chinese economy, Dong said. Tens of thousands of Chinese factories have closed, millions of people are looking for jobs and an untold number of migrants who can't find work may be leaving cities for good because of the slowdown, which would have been unheard of six months ago. Fourth quarter numbers showed growth at 6.8 percent. Goldman Sachs predicted 6.5 percent, down from 9 percent in the third quarter. For all of 2008, Goldman Sachs had predicted 8.8 percent, down from 11.9 percent in 2007. According to Dong Tao, the only thing driving the Chinese economy is _ . A. export B. infrastructure C. consumer confidence D. consumer spending Answer: B. infrastructure Question: Something strange was unbelievable. Take Robert for example. After the terrible car accident, his whole world had been completely dark and quiet for almost ten years. The loss of sight and hearing made him try many times to put end to his life. His family especially his wife did their best to tend and comfort him. By and by he finally regained the courage to live on. On a hot summer afternoon he was taking a walk with a stick near his house when a thunderstorm started suddenly. He stood under a large tree in order not to get himself wet. Unfortunately he was struck down to the ground by a lightning. The witnesses thought him dead but he woke up some 20 minutes later lying face down in muddy water below the tree. He felt that he was trembling badly, but when he opened his eyes ,he didn't dare to believe that he saw a plough( )lying near the wall. When Mrs Edwards came running up to him, she shouted their neighbours for help. And he saw her and heard her voice for the first time in nearly ten years. The news of Robert's regaining his sight and hearing quickly spread in his area. And many doctors came to prove the truth of the news. Most of them said that he gained sight and hearing again obviously from the knock of lightning; none of them could give convincing reasons, however. The only reasonable explanation given by one doctor was that, since Edwards lost his sight and hearing as a result of sudden shock in a terrible accident, perhaps the only way for them to regain was by another sudden shock. Which of the following is NOT true? A. Edwards had been deaf and blind for nearly ten years B. Edwards lost all his senses for about 20 minutes after the lightning had struck him down C. Doctor held the belief that Edwards was never really blind and deaf. D. Edwards woke up with face in mud. Answer: C. Doctor held the belief that Edwards was never really blind and deaf. Question: When people think of food in the United States, they think mostly of fast foods like hamburgers and hot dogs. In fact, in the U.S. cities like New York and Los Angeles, there are thousands of different kinds of restaurants with foods from all over the world. So if you like to try different foods, the United States is the place for you. The United States has people from all over the world, and they bring with them typical foods from their countries. You can eat tempura in Japanese restaurants, tacos in Mexican restaurants, paella in Spanish restaurants, pasta in Italian restaurants, and you can also eat America's most popular food, pizza. Yes, pizza! Pizza is from Italy, but today it is an important part of the U.S. menu. There are about 58,000 pizzerias in the United States--that's about 17% of all restaurants in the country, and the number is growing. The United States has eating places for all tastes--and all pockets. You can buy a hot dog on the street and pay one or two dollars. Or you can go to a four-star restaurant and pay $200 for a dinner There are many different kinds of food in America because _ . A. Americans have different eating habits B. cheap foods like hamburgers and hot dogs are less popular than before C. more and more tourists from other countries visit America D. Americans are from different countries of the world Answer: D. Americans are from different countries of the world Question: At thirteen, I was diagnosed with kind of attention disorder. It made school difficult for me. When everyone else in the class was focusing on tasks, I could not. In my first literature class, Mrs.Smith asked us to read a story and then write on it, all within 45 minutes. I raised my hand right away and said,"Mrs.Smith, you see, the doctor said I have attention problems. I might not be able to do it." She glanced down at me through her glasses, "you are no different from your classmates, young man." I tried, but I didn't finish the reading when the bell rang. I had to take it home. In the quietness of my bedroom, the story suddenly all became clear to me. It was about a blind person, Louis Braille. He lived in a time when the blind couldn't get much education. But Louis didn't give up. Instead, he invented a reading system of raised dots , which opened up a whole new world of knowledge to the blind. Wasn't I the "blind" in my class, being made to learn like the "sighted" students? My thoughts spilled out and my pen started to dance. I completed the task within 40 minutes. Indeed, I was no different from others; I just needed a quieter place. If Louis could find his way out of his problems, why should I ever give up? I didn't expect anything when I handed in my paper to Mrs.Smith, so it was quite a surprise when it came back to me the next day- with an"A" on it. At the bottom of the paper were these words:" See what you can do when you keep trying?" The author didn't finish the reading in class because. A. He was new to the class B. He was tired of literature C. He had an attention disorder D. He wanted to take the task home Answer: C. He had an attention disorder Question: Cars are lots of fun, but they could also be dangerous. We have to be careful when we drive them or ride in them. It's always a good idea to put on your seat belt when you're in a car. Why? Think about this example: You put an egg on a skateboard and give it a push. If the skateboard hits a stone, it will stop, but the egg won't. It will fly through the air, hit the ground and break. Now, think what would happen if you tied the egg to the skateboard. When the skateboard hits a stone, the egg won't go flying; it will stay safely on the skateboard. Volvo, a famous Swedish carmaker, was the first to use seat belts in 1849. Air bags are also very important for car safety, because sometimes a seat belt isn't enough. If the car is going really fast and runs into something, seat belts could even hurt the people who wear them. Most new cars have air bags in front of and next to the seats. When a car hits something, its air bags will come out quickly in less than one second to keep the people inside safe. The writer gives the example of the egg to _ . A. tell us that eggs are easy to break B. show how to wear a seat belt C. show why it's important to wear a seat belt in a car D. tell us what a skateboard is Answer: C. show why it's important to wear a seat belt in a car
Such chronic diseases as heart disease, stroke, cancer and lung disorders are the most leading causes of death in the world. Yet health experts say these conditions are often the most preventable. The World Health Organization (WHO) points out chronic diseases lead to about 17 million early deaths each year. The United Nations (UN) agency expects more than 380 million people to die of chronic diseases by 2015. About 80% of the deaths will happen in developing nations. Chronic diseases now cause two-thirds of all deaths in the Asia-Pacific area. In ten years it could be almost three-fourths. People are getting sick in their most economically productive years. In fact, chronic diseases are killing more middle-aged people in poorer countries than in richer ones. The WHO estimates that chronic diseases will cost China alone more than 500,000 million dollars in the next ten years. That estimate represents the costs of medical treatment and lost productivity. Russia and India are also expected to face huge economic losses. According to a WHO report, deaths from chronic diseases have increased largely as the result of economic gains in many countries. Until recently infectious and parasitic diseases have been the main killers in Asia and the Pacific but they are no longer the major cause of death in most countries. As many as 80% of the deaths from chronic diseases could be prevented, health officials say. An important tool for governments is to limit the marketing of alcohol and tobacco to young people. Also, more programs are needed to urge healthy eating and more physical activity. The UN aims to reduce chronic-disease deaths by 2% each year by international action through 2015, that's to say, 36 million lives could be saved, including 25 million in Asia and the Pacific. The best title for the passage would be " _ ". A Different Measures to Fight Chronic Diseases B The WHO's Report on Heath in Developing Countries C The UN: the Leader of International Community D Chronic Diseases: the World's Leading Killer Answer: D. Chronic Diseases: the World's Leading Killer Friedrich Dobl, a Yugoslav working in Germany, was fed up with traffic jams. At long weekends and holiday times when he wanted to get him quickly he always found himself behind hundreds of other cars moving slowly along the notorious foreign workers' route through Germany and Austria. How easy it all was for police and emergency services. A siren, a flashing light? And like magic everyone was out the way. Going home from work one night he passed a garage. And there in front of him was the answer to his problems. An old ambulance was for sale. The red cross had been removed. But not the flashing light, and the siren. He tried the light. It flashed magnificently. He tried the siren. That too sounded impressive. He bought the ambulance and opened up for himself a dream world of motoring. It began early in the morning, all his luggage in the back of the ambulance and motorway in Germany looking reasonably clear. Soon, as always, a long line of traffic appeared ahead. He switched on the flashing light and set off the siren. Cars swiftly slowed and pulled off the fast lane. Other cars stopped and drivers waved him ahead to an open road all his own. In record time he crossed the border into Austria. The big bluff was working. Police even waved him through the confusion caused by an accident. But then the Yugoslav made his big mistake. Until then he had only stopped for petrol. Now he was driving past a real accident, lights flashing , to late realize that it was not another traffic jam as he assumed. They stopped him, and after hearing the story of his ride across two countries fined him 12. 5 pounds. Why did he decide to buy the ambulance? A because he had always wanted one B because he wanted to resell it at a higher price C because he liked the siren and the flashing light D because he knew that other traffic would get clear of the way for an ambulance. Answer: D. because he knew that other traffic would get clear of the way for an ambulance. Johnson likes swimming in a small river near his house. But then his father goes to work in a big city and Johnson goes with his family. Their new house has a garden, but the garden is very small Johnson is not very happy. "Is there a river near the house?"He asks his father on the first morning." No, there isn't. But there is a big park near here. And there's a pool in it. ""We are going there this afternoon. "says his father. Johnson is happy. Johnson and his father go to the park in the afternoon. Johnson wants to walk near the pool. But he sees a sign. His father reads it to him: "Warning: This pool is dangerous.365 people fell into it. "Johanson looks into the pool carefully, then he says,"I can't see them. There is a _ near the pool. A sign B river C garden D tree Answer: A. sign The process of digestion breaks down proteins into smaller molecules that are used to rebuild other proteins. During digestion, proteins undergo A cell division. B nuclear reactions. C natural selection. D chemical changes. Answer: D. chemical changes. A great loss--Shirley Temple dies at 85 February 12,2014 BYDERRIKJ.LANG ,Associated Press Shirley Temple Black, who died on February 10that age 85, wasn't just a child star. She was THE child star--the sweet little girl whose shining smile helped _ some of the darkest days the US has known during the Great Depression. It's hard today to imagine the super star Shirley was once "America's Little Darling". She sang and danced her way to the top of the box office in such films as Bright Eyes, Curly Top and Heidi. By 1940, she had appeared in 43 films. Temple teamed with Bill Robison in four movies, and their dance on the stairs in The Little Colonel is still a legendary film moment. In the 1930s, her name on a movie introduction assured a packed house. She inspired dolls, dresses, dishes--even a drink (alcohol-free, of course). US President Franklin D. Roosevelt once famously said that "as long as our country has Shirley Temple, we will be all right.'' Unlike so many of today's child stars, Temple didn't end up with her name appearing across the headlines for bad behaviors. Instead of getting her photos on front pages or struggling with drugs and alcohol, Temple went on to a second career in diplomacy , including presidential appointments as ambassador to Ghana. She surprised a lot of people who doubted her with her grace, knowledge and eagerness to serve. In fact, her career in public service (20 years) was longer than her career in movies (19). The role she valued most, however, was as wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. The world has lost a treasured Hollywood legend. But her movies will allow that little dynamic figure to continue charming audiences for a very long time. What part did she regard as the most important in her life? A A top movie star. B A businesswoman. C Her family role. D Her diplomacy career. Answer: C. Her family role.
Presents For Children's Day Charles M. Schulz was born in 1922 in Minneapolis, the only child of a housewife and a barber. His interest in comics was encouraged by his father, who loved the funny pages. Charles M. Schulz sold seventeen cartoons to the Saturday Evening Post from 1948 to 1950 and Li'l Folks to the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Peanuts debuted on October 2, 1950, and ran without interruption for the next fifty years. Charles M. Schulz died in 2000. IT'S A DOG'S LIFE SNOOPY It's a Dog's Life, Snoopy brings all your familiar friends together for great times and fun. IT'S A BIG WORLD CHARLIE BROWN Charlie Brown faces some of life's little challenges with the help of Snoopy, Lucy, Peppermint Patty, Linus, and the rest of the gang in It's a Big World, Charlie Brown. *PEANUTS 2000 The last one is the special edition Peanuts 2000, which includes all the last year's Peanuts comic strip and Charles M. Schulz's famous farewell strip. Come and visit our website at www.ballantinebooks.com or come to Ballantine Bookshop, you'll have a big surprise. Who doesn't belong to the Peanuts gang? If you go to Brisbane, Australia, you can easily get a small book called Discover Brisbane free. The book tells you almost everything in Brisbane: the restaurants, the shops, the cinemas, the streets, the buses, the trains, the banks, etc. Here is something about banks on page 49: ANZ Banking Group Cnr. Greek && Queen Sts .................. 228 3228 Bank of New Zealand 410 Queen Street ........................... 221 0411 Bank of Queensland 229 Elizabeth Street ........................ 229 3122 Commonwealth Banking Group 240 Queen Street ........................... 237 3111 National Australia Bank Ltd 225 Adelaide Street ........................ 221 6422 Westpac Banking Corp 260 Queen Street ........................... 227 2666 Banking hours are Mon.-Thu. 9:30 am to 4 pm. Fri. 9:30 am to 5 pm. All banks close Sat. Sun. && Public Holidays. Australia has a decimal currency with 100 cents to the dollar. Notes available are: $100, $50, $20, $10, $5 Gold coins are: $2 && $1 Silver coins are: 50, 20, 10&&5 cent Copper coins are: 2 && 1 cent In Australia, the banks have their longest service hours on _ . Joe came to New York from the Middle West, dreaming about painting. Delia came to New York from the South, dreaming about music. Joe and Delia met in a studio. Before long they were good friends and got married. They had only a small flat to live in, but they were happy. They loved each other, and they were both interested in art. Everything was fine until one day they found they had spent all their money. Delia decided to give music lessons. One afternoon she said to her husband: "Joe, , I've found a pupil, a general's daughter. She is a sweet girl. I'm to give three lessons a week and get $5 a lesson." But Joe was not glad. "But how about me?" he said." Do you think I'm going to watch you work while I play with my art? No, I want to earn some money too." "Joe, , you are silly," said Delia. "You must keep at your studies. We can live quite happily on $15 a week." "Well, perhaps I can sell some of my pictures," said Joe. Every day they parted in the morning and met in the evening. A week passed and Delia brought home fifteen dollars, but she looked a little tired. "Clementina sometimes gets on my nerves. I'm afraid she doesn't practice enough. But the general is the nicest old man! I wish you could know him, Joe." And then Joe took eighteen dollars out of his pocket. "I've sold one of my pictures to a man from Peoria," he said, "and he has ordered another." "I'm so glad," said Delia. "Thirty-three dollars! We never had so much to spend before. We'll have a good supper tonight." Next week Joe came home and put another eighteen dollars on the table. In half an hour Delia came, her right hand in a bandage. "What's the matter with your hand?" said Joe. Delia laughed and said: "Oh, a funny thing happened! Clemantina gave me a plate of soup and spilled some of it on my hand. She was very sorry for it. And so was the old general. But why are you looking at me like that, Joe?" "What time this afternoon did you burn your hand, Delia?" "Five o'clock, I think. The iron-I mean the soup-was ready about five, Why?" "Delia, come and sit here," said Joe. He drew her to the couch and sat beside her. "What do you do every day, Delia? Do you really give music lesson? Tell me the truth." She began to cry. "I couldn't get any pupils," she said, "So I got a place in a laundry ironing shirts. This afternoon a girl accidentally set down an iron on my hand and I got a bad burn. But tell me, Joe, how did you guess that I wasn't giving music lessons?" "It's very simple," said Joe. "I knew all about your bandages because I had to send them upstairs to a girl in the laundry who had an accident with a hot iron. You see, I work in the engine-room of the same laundry where you work." "And your pictures? Did you sell any to that man from Peoria?" "Well, _ And then they both laughed. Who hurt Delia's hand? Don't you want to go to school? You could tell your parents you're ill. But last Monday, students from Shanghai and Zhejiang had an even better excuse: a typhoon ! Typhoon Khanun hit East China on September 11. In Shanghai, all the school were closed the next day, Monday. It was the first time that Shanghai had to close schools because of bad weather. But some students still came to school that day. " I didn't get the notice that the school was closing," said Shen Sheng, a Junior 2 student from Shanghai Aiguo School. " But it was nice that we could play in school rather than study." The school kept Shen and other 20 students safe inside and let them play sports like table tennis. But the storm wasn't all fun games. Typhoon Khanun killed 14 people. In Zhejiang, it _ about 8,000 houses. More than one million people had to be taken to safer places. Every year, typhoons hit different places around the world. Most happen in July, August and September. This year 15 typhoons hit China. Khanun was the strongest. Typhoons bring strong winds and rains. The winds can blow away houses and cars. The rains are bad for farmers' fields. Typhoon also kills people. Earlier this month, Typhoon Talim hit East and Central China. It killed at least 124 people. What did Shanghai Aiguo School do with Shen Sheng and some other students when they still came to school that day? While working with troubled teens,I used to have them do the Ten Years in the Future exercise. I asked them to write a letter to a friend as if it was ten years in the future. Most of these boys and girls didn't think about the next week,much less ten years to come. Like the Cheshire Cat says in Alice in Wonderland, "If you don't know where you want to go,then it doesn't really matter what road you take!" We had some great conversations as they really thought about what they wanted. For most of them, this was the first time they had ever thought this way! But the real story is what happened to me. I did the exercise right along with them on many occasions, writing my dreams and visions in detail. In my letter to a friend, I had moved to the country, built my own home,authored a book,and started my own business. Over the next ten years, something magic happened.All my dreams and visions became a reality, almost as if arranged by an unseen hand. I did write books and start my business. We did move to the country and I did build my own home. This letter to a friend will become a magnetic factor in your life. Your vision will guide you in your yearly goals, your monthly goals,and your daily activities. For example: "Leslie,I just wanted to make contact again and tell you about my life. I started my own gardening business in 2020 and it's really taken off. " Remember to describe all the details as if they have already happened. Write to a real person who you think may still know in ten years. This will help make it more real for you. Sit down and write your Ten Years in the Future letter today. According to the writer,"Leslie" in your letter should be the person that _ .
Open today's newspaper. What do you see? Ads! Turn on the TV. Still more ads! Everywhere you look, someone has something to sell. Here are some ways ads get us to buy. Some ads use famous people. Stars are paid to sell a product. Think about it. Do they really know about medicine? Do they know about soft drinks? These people may be famous. But they may not know about what they are selling. Some ads make you think you're getting the words of experts . A man in a white coat comes on TV. He looks nice. "I use White and Black, " he says. This man looks like a doctor. But he is an actor. He has been paid to sell this product. Does soap have anything to do with a pretty child? Not much. But ads may show their products with something nice, such as the sun, the flowers and so on. Such an ad is about feelings rather than fact. Ads are full of strong words like "new" and "power" . They can help a product sell. The soap may be called "Spring Rain". A car may be called "Tiger". Strong words work on our feelings. Some ads make promises . But can they keep them? No. Some ads use our fear of being too late. "Buy now! " they say, "Selling ends soon. " Check to see if this is true. Don't hurry. Take time to think. All ads hope we will buy something, do something, or think in a certain way. Know what ads are doing. Ask questions to yourself. Don't let their words and pictures fool you. uld not always believe the ads. Some stars appear in the ads because _ . Answer: they are famous You probably remember me from the other day. I was the one who reacted very slowly to the green traffic light. When you honked your horn ,I realized I was holding up traffic, so please accept my apology. However, I do want you to know why I seemed in a confused state. You see, I was just at the doctor's office getting the results of the examination I had two weeks ago, and I was wondering how I would tell my husband and children that I had cancer. There were still tears in my eyes, so,quite simply I didn't even see the lights change. Perhaps I should not have been driving, but I didn't want to miss my appointment. I was in the express lane at the supermarket without thinking and moving. Please accept my apology. My mind was on my youngest daughter who ran away from home, and she?'just sixteen. I was so worried then. You see, she somehow got in with the wrong crowd and started using drugs and drinking. I was remembering what a pretty little girl she had been most of her life. I know you were unhappy along with others in line. Please, accept my apology. I remember you from the store last week. I was so mean to you, when you were doing your job to the best of your ability. I acted so childishly. Please accept my apology. You see, I arrived home from work just yesterday and discovered that my wife had left me, but I should never have taken it out on you. Please, accept my apology. The above are imagined incidents, and yet they expressed a very real truth. The old saying about judging others before you "have walked a mile in their shoes" is a much needed reminder. Perhaps we all could try to learn the fact that there are problems and situation in the lives of others which we are totally unaware of. So, maybe before we get angry in similar situations, we should think a moment and understand that things may be going on in other's lives which have caused them to be slower, absent-minded or angry. Patience, as they say, is a virtue. What does the author mainly want to express? Answer: We need more patience and understanding. What makes us happy? For 15-year-old Ellie Wilson from London, going through the turbulent period between childhood and adulthood is "a pain". However, she also enjoys happy times with friends, even though they have a lot of arguments. "The thing about me and my friends is that one minute we're up and then the next we're down; one minute I want to shout the house down, the next I feel so happy that I just want to hug everyone in the room at once," she said to British paper The Independent. Wilson's generation have all the latest fashions and electronic equipment. But owning them does not necessarily make them happier. New research shows that it is the simple things in life that please us most. Close friends, playing sport and a stable home life are more important to a teenager's happiness than the wealth of their parents, according to a study published this month by the Institute for Social and Economic Research at the University of Essex in Britain. Researcher Gundi Knies found families' incomes didn't necessarily play a part in happiness. But happy children tend to have their own bedroom, a bike or other leisure equipment. Children who have friends over for tea once a fortnight and those who go swimming once a month were also happier with their lives than those who do not. A sense of belonging clearly had an influence on how satisfied people were. Children with lots of friends reported higher levels of happiness than those without. Children who live with both their parents were happier than those living in single families and step family relationships. Diet plays an important role too. Children who have fewer than five portions of fruit and vegetables a day or who eat fast food most days tend to be less happy. The study also finds that girls make up both the happiest and least happy groups of children. "Older girls are unhappier because they are going through puberty and their parents become more protective. Girls also become very conscious of the way they look and the way they are treated," Knies told UK newspaper The Observer. "In general boys don't face the same pressures." What is the article mainly about? Answer: What influences teenage happiness. Which of these BEST describes the way a feather feels? Answer: Soft A special laboratory at the University of Chicago is busy only at night. It is a dream laboratory where researchers are at work studying dreamers. Their findings have discovered that everyone dreams from three to seven times a night, although in ordinary life a person may remember none or only one of his dreams. While the subjects--usually students--sleep, special machines record their brain waves and eye movements as well as the body movements that signal the end of a dream. Surprisingly, all subjects sleep soundly. Observers report that a person usually fidgets before a dream. Once the dream has started, his body relaxes and his eyes become more active, as if the curtain had gone up on a show. As soon as the machine shows that the dream is over, a buzzer wakens the sleeper. He sits up, records his dream, and goes back to sleep--perhaps to dream some more. Researchers have found that if the dreamer is wakened immediately after his dream, he can usually recall the entire dream. If he is allowed to sleep even five more minutes, his memory of the dream will have disappeared. The machines being used in the experiment record _ . Answer: the subjects' brain waves and eye movements
Question: In the West, advertisements are the fuel that makes mass media work. Many TV stations, newspapers, magazines, radio stations are privately owned. The government does not give them money. So where does the money come from? From advertisements. Without advertisements, there would not be these private businesses. Have you ever asked yourself what advertising is? Through the years, people have given different answers to the question. For some time it was felt that advertising was a means of "keeping your name before the public". And some people thought that advertising was "truth well told". Now more and more people consider it in this way: Advertising is the paid, non-personal, and usually persuasive presentation of goods, services and ideas by some certain sponsors through various media. First, advertising is usually paid for. Various sponsors pay for the advertisements we see, read, and hear over the various media. Second, advertising is non-personal. It is not face-to-face communication. Although you may feel that a message in a certain advertisement is aimed directly at you, in fact, it is directed at large groups of people. Third, advertising is usually persuasive. Directly or indirectly it asks people to do something. All advertisements try to make people believe that the product, idea, or service advertised can benefit them. Fourth, the sponsors of the advertisement must show their names. From the advertisement, we can see if the sponsor is a company, or a single person. Fifth, advertising reaches us through old and modern mass media. Included in the old media are newspapers, magazines, radio, television, and films. Modern media include emails, matchbox covers, and boards on top of buildings. The existence of the privately owned mass media depends on the support of _ . A. the government B. their owners families C. advertisements D. the TV stations Answer: C Question: First Man-Bear-Pig, and now global warming; it seems Al Gore never stops to surprise the world. Recently Al Gore produced the movie An Inconvenient Truthwhich explained the threats and told us how to control global warming. What it left out is that there is no proof that human activity is even causing global warming, let alone if global warming is even taking place. Global warming is the idea that greenhouse gases that shut in infra-red radiation in the earth' s atmosphere are becoming more powerful and heating our planet up. The theory is that if the planet continues to heat up the polar ice caps could melt and cover the earth in water. Over the last 100 years the Earth has increased one degree in temperature, and sea level has risen millimeters. Even though this "eye-opening" news is taking place, there is no clear proof saying that it is due to global warming. It could be just a regular weather pattern the earth is circulating. The polar ice caps have not grown or reduced in size since man began tracking them. Also the ground-based temperature has remained the same besides growing cities. In fact most clues support the idea that global warming is not taking place and human activity isn't causing any earth to melt down. Although Al Gore insists the world is on its way to certain destruction, the facts say otherwise. It seems that driving to work won' t lead to the doom ( ) of mankind, and the movie Water World won' t be happening any time soon. Global warming is the idea generally about _ . A. greenhouses B. infrared radiation C. greenhouse gases D. the atmosphere Answer: C Question: The University of South Carolina has developed a sociology course dedicated to the life, work and rise to fame of pop star Lady Gaga. Lady Gaga and the Sociology of the Fame is to be taught by Professor Mathieu Deflem, a fan of the singer. The course, which has its own blog, is due to start in spring 2011. The Belgian born sociologist, whose research interests also include counter-terrorism, international policing, crime control and internet technology, says he has seen Lady Gaga in concert 30 times. "We're going to look at Lady Gaga as a social event," Prof Deflem told the USC student newspaper, the Daily Gamecock. "So it's not the person, and it's not the music. It's more this thing out there in society that has 10 million followers on Facebook and six million on Twitter. I mean, that's a social phenomenon.". It will look at business and marketing strategies, the role of old and new media, fans and live concerts, gay culture, religious and political themes, sex and sexuality, and the cities of New York and Hollywood, it says. Prof Deflem said he initially planned to call the course the Sociology of Fame or the Sociology of Celebrity, and to use Lady Gaga as an example. Also a fan of Frank Zappa, Prince, Led Zeppelin, Alice Cooper, Status Quo and Ritchie Blackmore, Prof Deflem says his interest in Lady Gaga began when he first saw her perform on television on 9 January 2009. "They don't have to be hardcore fans. The better fan will not necessarily be the better student. But you have to have some interest in the topic. So if you really don't like her, you probably shouldn't take the course." As a student of learning Lady Gaga ,he or she should _ . A. be loyal fan of Lady Gaga B. be the best student C. be interested in the topic D. be a friend of Lady Gaga Answer: C Question: a plant needs this to survive A. bugs to eat B. liquid food C. finger food D. nutritional material Answer: D Question: Which is likely water vapor? A. a dog B. a cat C. a rat D. puffy white fliers Answer: D
Do you have to be very smart to live a happy life? The character of McDull tells you that this is not true. He is famous for having a birthmark on his right eye. He is not very clever, but he has a heart of gold. He is also happy, with lots of dreams. McDull wanted to visit the Maldives . But his mother didn't have enough money for a trip there. So she lied to him and took him to a place called Hong Kong. The place has a sign that says, "Go to the Maldives." It made McDull very happy. He thought he was really excited in the Maldives! McDull is just a common pig. He has many dreams, but they never come true. That doesn't stop him trying. McDull lives his life in a simple and happy way. His idea towards life is "Never give up". The cartoon pig character was created in Hong Kong by Alice Mark and Brian Tse. McDull first showed up as a character in the McMug comics. McMug is another cartoon pig. But McDull is more popular with a huge number of fans everywhere! Where are the artists who created McDull from? A Hong Kong. B Japan. C America. D Not mentioned. Answer: A. Hong Kong. Dear Peter, My name is Frank. I am from America. Here is a picture of my friends. We are in the same grade. Look at the picture, in the middle, you can see my friend Jimmy. He likes all the sports. He likes to eat apples and French fries. You can see Helen in the picture, too. Helen likes math. Her favorite food is meat. But Sandra doesn't like math. Look, Sandra is here in the picture. She can speak French. She likes ping-pong. Behind her, there is a girl. She is Sally. She is a black girl. She likes to swim. And she likes to eat ice cream. Maria and Rick are behind Jimmy. Maria likes computer very much. She plays computer games very well. Rick is fun. He can play soccer ball. He likes strawberries best. I like math, too. I like to eat bananas. All of us think Beijing Opera is fun. So we go to see it. But we can't _ the words. So we don't want to see it again. But my father likes it very much. He often watches it. He can understand it. One interesting thing:two of my English friends can understand it, too. They are Maya and Kelsey. They are not in the picture. They often go to see Beijing Opera like my father. Can you send me a picture of your friends. Yours, Frank Frank has _ friends in the picture. A seven B six C five D eight Answer: B. six Cats have an amazing sense of smell, which is something like 12 times that of humans. Your cat is able to smell, whether you know it or not, whenever you come home or enter a new space. They can tell who you are, where you were an hour ago and sometimes even what you had for breakfast! Some people believe that cats can smell illnesses not only in themselves and other cats, but in humans as well. Cats also have an extra sense organ that is unique to cat's family. The "Jacobsen's organ" as it is known, can be described as somewhere between smell and taste. It separates tastes particles from the air, allowing the cat to "taste" whatever it can smell. Therefore, you may sometimes have seen a cat with its mouth slightly open and perhaps its tongue just a bit out when it is smelling smells. Whenever my cats do this, they seem to have a look of deep concentration on their faces. A cat's smell is so good that it can recognize each ingredient in foods. Very few smells are dislikable to cats, so mothballs have always been used to keep cats off gardens, since cats cannot stand the smell of them. Smells are also very important to your cat. They can recognize boundaries (,), people, other animals, food, and their environment. Your cat will walk around, checking for new things and will smell the slightest change. A cat can tell not only who you are, but also your general health and attitude, all from smells. According to the passage, we can learn that _ . A cats can tell what you did before you came home B cats can cure your diseases with the Jacobsen's organ C cats' sense of smell is much stronger than humans' D you will stay healthy if you keep a cat at home Answer: C. cats' sense of smell is much stronger than humans' The novelist, Harriet Beecher Stowe, born 200 years ago, was a poor housewife with six children, and she suffered from various illnesses. Driven by the hatred of slavery, she found time to write Uncle Tom's Cabin, which became the most influential novel in American history and caused great change, both at home and abroad. Today, however, the book has a different reputation, owing to the popular image of its character, Uncle Tom, whose name has become a saying for a cowardly black man who betrays his race. But this view is wrong: the original Uncle Tom was physically and morally strong, an inspiration for black people and other oppressed people worldwide. Indeed, that was why, in the mid-19th century, Southerners attacked Uncle Tom's Cabin as a dangerously destructive book, while Northern reformers--especially black people--often praised it. The book was influential overseas too. In Russia it inspired Vladimir Lenin, who recalled it as his favorite book in childhood. It was the first American novel to be translated and published in China, and it fueled anti-slavery movements in Cuba and Brazil. The book's progressive appeal was the character of Uncle Tom himself: a strong man who is notable because he does not betray his race; one reason he gives up escaping from his plantation is that he doesn't want to put his fellow slaves in danger. And he is finally killed because he refuses to tell his master where two runaway slaves are hiding. Unfortunately, these themes were lost in many of the stage versions of Uncle Tom's Cabin. The play, seen by more people than those who read the book, remained popular up to the 1950s and still appears occasionally. But in the play, Stowe's revolutionary themes were drowned. But it doesn't have to be that way; indeed; during the civil rights era it was those who most closely resembled Uncle Tom--Stowe's Uncle Tom, not the embarrassed one of popular myth--that proved most effective in promoting progress. Both Stowe and Uncle Tom deserve our reconsideration and our respect. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true? A The themes of revolution and progress in the book were lost in the play B There are more people who have read the book, Uncle Tom's Cabin, than those who have seen the stage version. C The play was very popular and it is still put on from time to time today. D It was Uncle Tom in the book that promoted the progress of mankind. Answer: B. There are more people who have read the book, Uncle Tom's Cabin, than those who have seen the stage version. If your job requires a lot of sitting, you could be putting your health at danger. The American Journal of Epidemiology did a study in 2010 on the correlation between sitting and an individual's physical health. In the study, 53,440 working men and 69,776 working women were surveyed on their time spent sitting. The subjects were all disease free when employed. The researchers identified 11,307 deaths in men and 7,923 deaths in women during the 14-year follow-up. The findings: Women who reported sitting for more than six hours per day had an approximately 40 higher all-cause death rate than those who reported less than three hours a day, and men had an approximately 20 higher death rate. Well, now's a fine time to get this information. But why didn't they tell me this years ago? I would have planned on taking a more active job instead of the sedentary job of an editor. So what can you do if you have to work for a living at a job that requires a lot of sitting? Here are some ideas: Take frequent breaks. It is recommended that workers vary activities, change their position, and take short breaks every 20 minutes to rest muscles and increase blood circulation. Get a standing desk. Some studies have shown that working from an upright position may be better for health. The serious fitness people can even purchase a treadmill desk. It only goes about one mile per hour. Have a walking meeting. If your group is kind of small, going for a walk while discussing topics is a good alternative. What is the main idea of the text? A Your job could be killing you. B Working out leads to health risks. C Long-time sitting is positively associated with health. D A study on sitting time and physical health was completed. Answer: A. Your job could be killing you.
Margaret, married with two small children, has been working for the last seven years as a night cleaner, cleaning offices in a big building. She trained as a nurse, but had to give it up when her elder child became seriously ill. "I would have liked to go back to it, but theshifts are all wrong for me, as I have to be home to get the children up and off to school." So she works as a cleaner instead, from 9 p.m. till 6 a.m. five nights a week for just PS90, before tax and insurance. "It's better than it was last year, but I still think that people who work 'unsocial hours' should get a bit extra." The hours she's chosen to work meant that she sees plenty of the children, but very little of her husband. However, she doesn't think that puts any pressure on their relationship. Her work isn't physically very hard, but it's not exactly pleasant, either. "I do get angry with people who leave their offices like a place for raising pigs. If they realized people like me have to do it, perhaps they'd be a bit more careful." The fact that she's working all night doesn't worry Margaret at all. Unlike some dark buildings at night, the building where she works is fully lit, and the women work in groups of three. "Since I've got to be here, I try to enjoy myself----and I usually do, because of the other girls. We all have a good laugh, so the time never drags." Another challenge Margaret has to face is the reaction of other people when she tells them what she does for a living. "They think you're a cleaner because you don't know how to read and write," said Margaret. "I used to think _ but I don't think that way any more. I don't dislike the work though I can't say I'm mad about it." When at work, Margaret feels _ . A. Lighthearted because of her fellow workers B. happy because the building is fully lit C. tired because of the heavy workload D. bored because time passed slowly Answer: A An increase in students applying to study economics at university is being attributed to the global economic crisis awakening a public thirst for knowledge about how the financial system works. Applications for degree courses beginning this autumn were up by 15% this January, according to UCAS, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service. A spokesman for the Royal Economic Society said applications to do economics at A-level were also up. Professor John Beath, the president of the society and a leading lecture at St Andrews University, said his first-year lectures which are open to students from all departments--were drawing crowds of 400, rather than the usual 250. "There are a large number of students who are not economics majors, who would like to learn something about it. One of the things I have done this year is to relate my teaching to contemporary events in a way that one hasn't traditionally done. " He added. University applications rose 70% last year. But there were rises above average in several subjects. Nursing saw a 15% jump, with people's renewed interest in careers in the pubic sector , which are seen as more secure in economic crisis. A recent study showed almost two thirds of parents believed schools should do more to teach pupils about financial matters, and almost half said their children had asked them what was going on, although a minority of parents felt they did not understand it themselves well enough to explain. Zack Hocking, the head of Child Trust Funds, said: "It's possible that one good thing to arise from the downturn will be a generation that's financially wiser and betterequipped(...) to manage their money through times of economic uncertainty." Professor John Beath's lectures are _ . A. given in a traditional way B. connected with the present situation C. open to both students and their parents D. warmly received by economics Answer: B I was born in New York, but I grew up in San Francisco. I began to live in London 25 years ago. If I am asked now where I want to live forever, I would say London. But I will always be American. San Francisco, like London, has many parks. Every day my sisters and I were taken to play in the parks as children. I didn't go to school. I only had three hours of formal education when I was five. I was sent to school in the morning but came home at noon on the first day. I said I didn't enjoy it and hadn't learned anything. My parents thought that school was unsuitable for me. They agreed with me, so I never went back to school. Then my mother taught me and my two sisters at home, in the way of an English lady who had good education. We learned languages and reading more than sciences and maths. Sometimes she taught us herself, but we also had other teachers. They asked us to take lessons every day. About once a week we walked to Golden Gate Park. While we were walking, my mother taught me to read music. One day I noticed a little toy train in the window of a shop and I remember now how I'd like to have it. I couldn't say "r" when I was small. My mother said if I could say an "r" well, I would have the toy train. I practiced and practiced. Then one morning I woke everybody up with my "r"s. I got the toy train. I usually get the things I want in life -- but I work hard for them. Which of the following is TRUE? A. The writer was taught by his mother and other teachers. B. The writer had no education at all. C. The writer didn't have lessons every day. D. The writer walked to the park to learn languages once a week. Answer: A Animals help with seed dispersal due to the seeds from the fruit they eat being A. expelled via excrement B. smiled C. expelled from school D. kicked Answer: A "I don't believe in Santa Claus!" Trogmire announced. Tremor looked shocked. "Why not?" he asked. "Because he never leaves me any gifts at all," Trogmire growled. Tremor thought about the evidence for a few seconds. "Maybe," he suggested, "it's because when Santa checked his list, your name wasn't in the 'nice' column." "So, he could at least bring me a lump of coal!" Trogmire replied. "And," he went on, "Troubled doesn't believe in Santa, either." "Right," Tremor said, "because he saw his parents putting the 'From Santa' presents under the tree. But I know the truth about that. My mother found out from Troubled's mother. When Troubled's parents got an e-mail from Santa, saying that he would never bring Troubled another gift, they didn't want to tell him the truth. So now they buy presents and pretend they're from Santa." "What did Troubled do to get Santa so mad?" Trogmire questioned. "I think it had something to do with the time he put glue paper all over the living room floor on Christmas Eve, and left a sign that said, 'Trapped like a rat!' hanging over the fireplace." said Tremor. "I guess Santa doesn't have a sense of humour," sighed Trogmire. "Well, at least I'm not the only one who Santa scratched off his name list." Troubled's parents never _ . A. told him about the message from Santa B. loved him very much C. cared about how he behaved D. bought him anything Answer: A
Dear Vicky, Thanks for your letter and for the photos of your family. Now it's my turn! This is a photo of my family. My dad is called Peter. He's a dentist. He likes playing golf and he loves watching sports on TV. In fact, we all like watching TV! My mom's name is Diana. She's a teacher. She likes reading and she also likes watching romantic movies. I have two brothers-James and Brian. James is nine years old. He likes watching cartoons and playing video games. Little Brian is still a baby. He's only two years old. He doesn't like watching TV! He likes playing with his teddy bear. And me? Well, I like watching tennis on TV but I prefer to play. Do you like playing tennis? I do. Maybe we can play some time? What do you like to do? Write and tell me. Yours truly, Debbie The letter is from _ . A Debbie B Vicky C Peter D Diana Answer: A. Debbie The following are some important sights in New York. American Museum of Natural History Four floors of exhibition halls here include the world-famous fossil halls with their skeletons of enormous dinosaurs and other creatures; the culture halls, representing a variety of indigenous peoples; and mammal, bird and reptile halls. The renovated Milstein hall of Ocean Life showcases the profusion of life in Earth's "last frontier". Also here: Rose Center for Earth and space, with Hayden Planetarium and exhibits on Earth and our universe. Open: Sunday-Thursday, 10:00-17:45; Friday-Saturday: 10:00-20:45 Empire State Building At 102 stories tall, the Empire State Building commands an inspiring view of Manhattan. Each year, over 3.5 million people come here for the view from the 86th-floor observatory, where they can take in the sights of the city from a glass-enclosed pavilion or the encircling open-air promenade. Observatory Hours: 8:00am to midnight daily. Last elevators go up at 11:15pm. Open daily 365 days a year. Metropolitan Museum of Art (One of the greatest museums in the world) It is impossible to "do" the entire museum in one day or describe everything you can see here. Go to the museum & spend some time in the Great Hall where you will find all types of help in many languages for planning your visit. If you can, get a guide before your visit or look at their website where you can plan well & learn about their many special exhibitions & programs. Fee: $12 adults, $7 students & seniors, under 12 with adult free. Open: Tuesday-Thursday and Sunday. 9:30-17:15; Friday-Saturday, 9:30-20:45. Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) MoMA houses an outstanding collection of American & European paintings & sculptures from late 19th C. to present. Innovative in its definition of "art", it was a pioneer in exhibiting film, photography, and industrial design. Its retrospectives can draw record-breaking attendance. A happy place to take small children, as strollers are allowed. Open: Sunday-Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, 10:30-17:45; Friday, 10:30-20:15. You can visit Museum of Modern Art at the following time EXCEPT _ . A at 14:30 on Monday B at 7:00 pm on Friday C at 10:40 on Wednesday D at 12:00 on Sunday Answer: C. at 10:40 on Wednesday From bankers to factory staff, employees in the West face a cold _ of losing their jobs as a global recession starts to bite. For colleagues in the East, the pain is more likely to come through a pay cut. Human resource experts say cultural differences explain why Asian companies try harder to preserve jobs in difficult times, which will prevent unemployment and may help Asian economies survive at a time of slowing exports. The East Asian attitude may also make it easier for companies to recover quickly from the economic downturn since they will not need to rehire or train new staff, but build up a more loyal and devoted group. "In the Confucian mindset, the right thing to do is to share the burden, which is the sense of collective responsibility. While in the West, it's more about individual survival," said Michael Benoliel, associate professor of organizational behavior at Singapore Management University (SMU). In contrast, local Western companies from General Motors to Goldman Sachs plan to lay off workers by the thousand, but at the Asian units of Western multinationals or western units of Asian groups, job cuts will probably be less severe. Japan's jobless rate was 4 percent in September, up from 3.8 percent in January, while Hong Kong's was flat at 3.4 percent. But US unemployment is expected to have jumped to 6.3 percent last month from below 5 percent in January. Experts say that while there are noticeable differences in labor practices in East and West, the gap will narrow as more firms become more multinational and competition forces firms to adopt the best practices of rivals from abroad. In which company can we infer the job cuts will be probably the most severe? A A local American group. B A small Japanese company. C A German branch of a Korean multinational. D A Hong Kong's unit of a French company. Answer: A. A local American group. Tom is thirteen years old. He is in Grade Seven this year. He likes playing football and watching football matches. And he often reads newspapers. He does his best to know when and where there is going to be a football match. Now Tom is having lunch and he is also reading newspapers. He is very happy because there is going to be a nice football match on TV at four this afternoon. He wants to watch it very much, but he is going to have English and maths lessons in the afternoon. He thinks hard and finds a way. "Hello, Mrs Black,"Tom says to his teacher on the telephone."Tom is ill in bed. He wants to ask for half a day's leave ." "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that,"says Mrs Black."But who is that?" "It's my father, Mrs Black,"Tom answers. What does the teacher think of Tom after she hears Tom's last words? A She knows Tom will watch a football match. B She knows Tom's father is calling her. C She knows Tom is honest . D She knows Tom is telling a lie . Answer: D. She knows Tom is telling a lie . When it was getting dark, a wolf was walking along the road. Then he was surprised to see his huge shadow under his feet. "Wow, I didn't know I was so big!" The wolf was happy to know it. As time went by, the sun was going down and his shadow grew bigger and bigger, so it looked like a giant. "Oh, look at my shadow. I'm so big!" The wolf thought that he was as big as his shadow. "I'm huge and excellent. I don't need to be afraid of the lion." From then the wolf walked with his shoulders open. He thought of himself as the king of the forest. "Why should I fear the lion? Lion! Come out! Here is your match ."It made the lion very angry, so he went to see the wolf. "Here I am. I heard you said you could beat me. Now I'm here. Why don't you prove it?" The lion's sharp claw hit the wolf's head hard. The wolf was knocked out. "Ah, help me!" But it was too late when the wolf got to know that he wasn't as big or strong as his shadow. Unluckily, he became the lion's delicious supper. . Why was the wolf so surprised? A He grew very quickly. B He beat the other animals in the forest. C He saw his huge shadow. D He didn't need to be afraid of the lion any more. Answer: C. He saw his huge shadow.
Question: Once many years ago, I pulled a family out of a burning car somewhere in Wyoming. Last week I received a telephone call from a woman who could not stop crying as she told me that one of my stories had saved her son from committing suicide. In closing she called me a hero. That got me thinking about what a hero is. Was I a hero because I pulled a family from a burning car? If so, how could I be a hero just because I wrote a story that saved someone's life? Today I decided to look up the word "hero" in the dictionary to see exactly what it meant. It read "a person who does. something brave". As I read on, it also said "a person who is good and noble ". That statement impressed me more than the part about being brave. So I thought about something very important. Say I was walking into the local Wal-Mart Store and I happened to open, and hold the door for someone as a _ . As they passed me by, I say, "How are you today?" Most of the time that would be no big deal, but this time let's say it was for someone who was deeply depressed and near the end of the rope. That may have very well been the only kindness or courtesy shown to them in a very long time. Having been near "the end of my rope", after my marriage of twenty years ended, I was in such a condition. I was within hours trying to get enough courage to end the pain and misery. When I returned home, someone had sent me a card in the mail which told me how much they would appreciate me as a friend. That wonderful card probably saved my life. That person, without even knowing it, saved a life and became a hero. Gee, who would have ever thought that anyone can become a hero, and possibly save a life just by being kind and courteous to others? The best part of all is that becoming a hero is free to all who wish to wear such an honor. After the writer got divorced, _ A. he devoted all his life to helping the poor B. he led a very happy life C. he led an extremely unhappy and uncomfortable life D. he found much pleasure in supporting the homeless Answer: C Question: What you give your s and friends can help you know yourself better. Also, what they give you can tell you something about their personality. Most gift--giving (and getting) shows nothing more than the spirit of love and friendship. But it is possible to form some connections between the kinds of things brought and the people who buy them. Here is a guide to who gives what and why. The clothes you wear tell something about your personality. They tell the world not only how you want to be seen but how you see yourself as well. When someone gives you something to wear that agrees with your self-image, they're saying, "I agree with you. I like you the way you are. " Such a gift should be taken as a form of compliment . On the other hand, a gift of clothing that doesn't match your personality could be an insult to your character. Making something by hand has become the exception in many countries today. If you receive a homemade gift, you're lucky. It may not be made perfectly, but it will show a certain quality of love. They've given time and emotion, two important characteristics of being creative. A person who thinks of food when thinking of gifts is a good example of what human warmth means. Whether you give a box of chocolate, a bag of oranges, or a ball of cheese, all carry the same message of comfort and support. People who give books as gifts either like reading or would like everyone to think they do. If you happen to receive a large heavy book, its giver may be much more interested in the way things appear than in the way they actually are. Of course, reading is a way of new things. Giving a book can be a way of sharing a feeling or newly learned meaning. The giver is probably trying to say to you what the book said to him. A person who likes the self-image of another person will give the latter a gift _ . A. fashionable and expensive B. made at home by himself C. that agrees with the personality of the receiver D. that matches the character of the giver Answer: C Question: Recently, one of my best friends, whom I've shared just about everything with since the first day of kindergarten, spent the weekend with me.Since I moved to a new town several years ago, we've both always looked forward to the few times a year when we can see each other. Over the weekend, we spent hours and hours, staying up late into the night, talking about the people she was hanging around with.She started telling me stories about her new boyfriend, about how he experimented with drugs and was into other self-destructive behavior.I was blown away! She told me how she had been lying to her parents about where she was going and even stealing out to see this guy because they didn't want her around him.No matter how hard I tried to tell her that she deserved better, she didn't believe me.Her self-respect seemed to have disappeared. I tried to convince her that she was ruining her future and heading for big trouble.I felt like I was getting nowhere.I just couldn't believe that she really thought it was acceptable to hang with a bunch of losers, especially her boyfriend. By the time she left, I was really worried about her and exhausted by the experience.It had been so frustrating, I had come close to telling her several times during the weekend that maybe we had just grown too far apart to continue our friendship,but I didn't.I put the power of friendship to the final test.We'd been friends for far too long.I had to hope that she valued me enough to know that I was trying to save her from hurting herself.I wanted to believe that our friendship could conquer anything. A few days later, she called to say that she had thought long and hard about our conversation, and then she told me that she had broken up with her boyfriend.I just listened on the other end of the phone with tears of joy running down my face.It was one of the truly rewarding moments in my life.Never had I been so proud of a friend. In the writer's opinion, her friend _ . A. was a girl with no self-respect B. could find a better boyfriend C. was brave enough to stick to her own choice D. didn't value the writer's suggestion Answer: B Question: Why is music so important to children? Here are some of my ideas. Music has a positive influence on children's intelligence ! New research shows that music can offer children an interesting environment. It has a good influence on children's intelligence. Children can learn, understand and think in a logical way if they study music at an early age. Playing music with others gives children a feeling of belonging to the group! Some children might have trouble _ activities with others because they are shy, they have limited language ability or they don't like doing sports, but they usually feel relaxed when they take part in a music activity. Playing music with others gives children a wonderful feeling of belonging to the group. Music makes children happy! Children seem to experience much pleasure in music. Whether they are listening to music, singing along with a song, playing an instrument or dancing to music, they seem totally absorbed(......) in music. Which of the following is NOT the reason why some children have trouble participating in activities with others? A. They have poor language ability. B. They don't like doing sports. C. They are shy. D. They don't like music. Answer: D Question: Most American families are smaller than those in other countries. Usually there are one or two parents and one or two children in each American family. Children in the USA will leave their parents when they grow up. They want to find better jobs, so they usually live far away from their parents. They often write to their parents or call them. And they go to visit their parents during their holidays. Parents will ask their children to do some work around their house. In many families children will get money for doing some housework so that they can learn to make money for their own. Parents usually let their children choose their own jobs. Americans think that for young people it is important to decide on their lives by themselves. Why do most American children live far away from their parents? A. They are old enough to live all by themselves B. The parents are too busy to look after their children C. They want to have more chance to look for better jobs D. They can keep in touch with their parents by writing and telephoning Answer: C
People's Daily Online: On the night of February 5, 2009, CCTV - 1 broadcasted the "Moving China in 2008" award ceremony. The ceremonybroke its tradition, presenting the special award this year to the whole Chinese people. In the award presentation speech, the committee noted that, "In 2008,prefix = st1 /Chinawent through many sad and happy moments. In resisting the snowstorm, earthquake relief, the Olympic Games and the space walk by one of the Shenzhou VII taikonauts, Chinese people displayed courage and wisdom, demonstrating to the world their amazing national strength." Compared with the ceremony before, the biggest change in the award presentation was that this year's award presentation ceremony was divided into four parts, according to the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter. The awards were presented to the ten winners according to the time order. The year of 2008 was not a _ year for Chinese people. A peaceful B different C good D happy Answer: A Miss Liu is an English teacher. She is very young. She works very well and the students all like her. There are twenty-six boys and twenty-four girls in her class. Now some of them are playing on the playground. Jim and Bill are jumping. Sam and Mike are running. Lucy and Simon are singing. The other girls are playing games with their teacher. They're happy. Miss Liu is _ . A a Chinese teacher B very old C an English teacher D not good Answer: C British Women Writers in different periods of time The English Renaissance The English Renaissance began in the later part of the fifteenth century and lasted until the 1660s. Among the most famous women writers of this period is Aphra Behn, who is seen as the first professional woman writer in English. She wrote a number of plays that dealt with topics such as racism and slavery. A good example isOroonokopublished in 1688. Aphra Behn's works include also the playsThe Amourous Prince,The Town Fop, The Dutch Loverand her only tragedy,Abdelazer. The neoclassical period Among the well-known women in Bristish literature during the neoclassical period, from 1660 to the end of the eighteenth century, is Anne Finch. She wrote poetry and tried to express all that she saw and experienced. Two other women are recognized for their contribution to neoclassical British literature: Mary Astell and Lady Mary Wortley Montagu. Mary Astell was a philosopher and a feminist writer. She is best known now for her theories on the education of women. The Romantic period Jane Austen is one of the most famous women writers that worked during the Romantic period (1798-1832). Her works include several novels, most of which focus on marriage as a way for young women to secure social standing and economic security. Her most famous novels arePride and Prejudice,Sense and SensibilityandEmma. Another famous woman writer from the English Romanticism is Mary Shelley. She is the author ofFrankenstein,History of Six Weeks TourandThe Last Man. The Victorian period The Victorian period, between the 1830s and 1900, was the time when the Bronte sisters, George Eliot and Elizabeth Gaskell lived and wrote. Charlotte Bronte, Emily Bronte and Anne Bronte produced many British literary classics. Charlotte's novels includeJane Eyre,Shirley,Villette and The Professor. Mary Anne Evans adopted the male pen name George as she wanted to set herself apart from the feminine genre of cookbooks and domestic moral tales. Her most famous novel isThe Mill on the Flosspublished in 1860. In which period can readers find books about racial discrimination written by momen? A In the English Renaissance. B In the neoclassical period. C In the Romantic period. D In the Victorian period. Answer: A Which can best be described as hibernation for most amphibians? A a brain dead frog in mud B a frog napping for an hour in mud C a frog burying itself in mud for months D a frog sleeping for the night in mud Answer: C American children have exciting after-school life, a new study says. Many junior and senior students have lots of funny things to do in their free time. More than 57% have activities every day. 82% have activities at least four times a week. American students spend their free time doing sports, or enjoying arts, music and dancing. They like to have life outside school because they can make a lot of friends during their activities. How often do 82% students have activities? A Every day. B Every weekend. C At least four times a week. D Every Sunday. Answer: C
Waiting anxiously to be reunited with the son he had not seen for 13 years, Phil Baker took a walk along the beach with his wife Lyn to relax himself. His boy Benji, 21, was finally back to Australia after living most of his life in the UK, half a world away from his dad. As he looked out at the ocean, wondering how his son might have changed over the years, Phil saw some people on the kayaks in trouble on the water. Without hesitation, he dived into the sea to help. And as he carried a stricken young man trembling and semi-conscious to the shore, he realized the young man was his long-lost son. "I looked at his face, and something occurred to me," says Phil. "Those brown eyes were very familiar." Although Phil had seen just a few photos of his son since the boy was eight years old, he recognized him at once. It would be reasonable to suppose it was a father's instinct that _ Phil to help ---- but at the moment he dived into the water to go to the aid of the struggling group, he only thought he was helping a stranger in trouble. He said, "Two people were desperately paddling on one of the kayaks and it seemed like someone fell into the water. I told Lyn, 'Something is not right; I'm going to help.' " "l took off my T-shirt and threw my keys on the sand. Diving into the water, I saw there were two instructors on board and a man lying in the water. He was shaking violently. Linking arms with one instructor, I helped to carry the man out of the water. He was drifting in and out of consciousness and his hands and feet were blue." Then Phil looked into the boy's eyes and wept as he realized the stricken stranger was his own son. Phil recalled, "I asked the instructor, 'what's his name?' " He replied, 'Benji'. In an instant, I knew that stranger was my boy. I checked his breathing and pulse and said, "It's me, your dad. You're going to be OK." Benji tells how it felt to be saved by his long-lost dad. "All I remember was waking up on the beach and seeing my dad there," he says, "And I recognized his face straight away." From the passage, it can be inferred that _ . Do you often watch TV programs? There are many TV programs on Chinese cuisines (, ),but few are like A Bite of China. It tries to bring something new by introducing more cultural features related to dishes, such as eating habits and wonderful stories about food. It's said that more than 100 million Chinese people are watching the program. Most Chinese people regard this program as more than just the regular food shows. They see it as an amazing documentary providing a special view of Chinese as well as the relations between people and food , between people and society. On the other hand, the documentary also stimulates Chinese people's consumption . Taobao, one of China's biggest online shopping sites, reports that the search on food items that were introduced by the documentary has increased to 4 million times in one week, and sales have increased to 5.82 million. To get enough good stories, the production team spent three months doing research and interviews in about 60 cities before they started making the documentary last July. Filming lasted about nine months. Liu Wen, the director, says "As CCTV-9 serves as a window, allowing the world to better understand China, the documentary aims to help the world not only enjoy the beauty of Chinese cuisines, but also learn Chinese customs." This program is quite different from other food shows because it has more features of _ . "Just ate chicken feet for lunch. " These were the words I wrote on my blog yesterday. By the next day there were hundreds of comments from my friends. They ranged from "OH MY GOD! That is so disgusting! " to "What were they like?" to "Why can't you eat sandwiches like everyone else?" To Chinese people, chicken feet are a normal snack. To my friends in Britain, the thought of eating a chicken's foot is----well, weird . As weird, in fact, as eating a bullfrog, scorpion , snake, or turtle. But if there are two things I love more than anything else in life, they are: trying new things and food. I arrived in Beijing five months ago. Since then, I've searched for the "weirdest" foods so I can try them, then treat my friends to some "virtual eating" on my blog. One weekend, I went to Wangfujing, Beijing's "snack street". The trip gave me tons of blog material. "I chose a stick with three live, wriggling scorpions on it," I wrote. "And it was pretty good. The scorpion was warm and crispy. The legs did have a tendency to get stuck between one's teeth, however. What's more, I am sure scorpion number two stung me with its tail in revenge ." Next came snake: "A bit like a cross between fish and chicken, with a slightly rubbery texture and meaty taste." Some people were actually angry when I ate turtle soup----especially when I posted pictures showing the poor little guy's head staring sadly up at us from the bowl. "I am never speaking to you again," wrote one (former) friend. Still, I will continue my culinary quest. Next on my list is starfish, though I feel I should have some vegetables too----algae, maybe. So what am I eating, tonight, you may ask. Pizza. Well, a girl's gotta have a break sometimes. What does the writer like most in life? When I entered college in the early 1980s, I had my heart set on being a first-grade teacher. I did all of my observations in others' first-grade classroom. I interviewed for my first job in a first-grade classroom. At last the district offered me a job---as a fifth-grade teacher in an inner-city building, considered at the time to be one of our district's most difficult tasks. It wasn't the first-grade classroom after I had hoped for, but it was my classroom after I had made such great efforts! I managed to deal with everything in first year successfully, while working to form relationships with my students was no easy thing, especially with Alexader. He had learning disabilities in both math and reading. The other children were sometimes unfriendly to him. He was a difficult child to get to open up, but I was determined to make efforts. You can imagine my delight when finally, in late spring, Alexander raised his hand during the math class discussion for the first time ever. Thrilled, I immediately called him. Well, you can imagine my surprise when he suddenly told a story about his grandma, who had a hole in her head. You see, we were studying fraction that day, and I had just explained that a fraction is "a part of a whole". Alexander obviously didn't realize the difference between "whole" and "hole". "Homophones ''I told myself,"had better be tomorrow's English lesson." Acknowledging Alexander that day was exactly what he needed from me. We had suddenly developed a special relationship. Alexander felt such a connection to me after that, that he even went one step further. I arrived at the school the following morning and was surprised to find Alexander and his grandma waiting for me. Grandma began by saying,"Alexander said he told you that I had a hole in my head."I smiled nervously and said ,"Don't worry. You know kids! They have great imaginations"Grandma replied,"You didn't believe him, did you?""No, of course not,"I said .Well, just at that time, Grandma proudly showed the hole in her head. I will never forget that day, and the lesson that I learned from being Alexander's teacher. If a child ever again tells me about a family member with a hole in his or her head, I will believe him or her! When offered a job as a fifth-grade teacher, the writer _ I have many new teachers in high school, but Lori Runkle, my English Language and Composition teacher, is my favorite teacher. Ms. Runkle enjoys getting to know more about students, so I have many chances to talk with her after class. I have always wanted to become a journalist . Since Ms. Runkle used to be a journalist back in the United States, she has introduced many helpful journalistic writing skills to me. Although she is my teacher, Ms. Runkle and I are more like friends. She often invites my classmates and me to take part in different activities outdoors. For example, I went to listen to a journalist's speech, which helped me better understand current events . Not only does Ms. Runkle talk with me outside of school, she is also a great teacher in the classroom. English Language and Composition is a really hard subject for a second language learner. We felt worried in the beginning, but Ms. Runkle really makes an effort to help us out. In class, Ms. Runkle always encourages students to question everything to keep us active. One part of class I love the most is when groups of students are requested to give speeches on events that are happening in the world. It requires a lot of deep thinking and I really learn quite a lot from it. I love Ms. Runkle very much. She not only helps me to get good scores, but also acts as a good friend and always gives me advice on life. We can infer from the passage that Ms. Runkle is _ .
if a person wanted some mineral graphite, where might they likely find some? in a pencil for drawing class Once it was possible to define male and female roles easily by the division of labor. Men worked outside the home and earned the income to support their families, while women cooked the meals and took care of the home and the children. These roles were firmly fixed for most people, and there was not much opportunity for women to exchange their roles. But by the middle of last century, men's and women's roles were becoming less firmly fixed. In the 1950s, economic and social success was the goal of the typical American. But in the 1960s a new force developed called the counterculture. The people involved in this movement did not value the middle-class American goals. The counterculture presented men and women with new role choices. Taking more interest in childcare, men began to share child-raising tasks with their wives. In fact, some young men and women moved to communal homes or farms where the economic and childcare responsibilities were shared equally by both sexes. In addition, many Americans did not value the traditional male role of soldier. Some young men refused to be drafted as soldiers to fight in the war in Vietnam. In terms of numbers, the counterculture was not a very large group of people. But its influence spread to many parts of American society. Working men of all classes began to change their economic and social patterns. Industrial workers and business executives alike cut down on "overtime" work so that they could spend more leisure time with their families. Some doctors, lawyers, and teachers turned away from high paying situations to practice their professions in poorer neighborhoods. In the 1970s, the feminist movement, or women's liberation, produced additional economic and social changes. Women of all ages and at all levels of society were entering the work force in greater numbers. Most of them still took traditional women's jobs as public school teaching, nursing, and secretarial work. But some women began to enter traditionally male occupations: police work, banking, dentistry, and construction work. Women were asking for equal work, and equal opportunities for promotion. Today the experts generally agree that important changes are taking place in the roles of men and women. Naturally,there are difficulties in adjusting to these transformations. The best title for the passage may be _ . New influence in American Life "It is a dreadful thing to be poor a fortnight before Christmas, " said Clorinda, with the mournful sigh of seventeen years. Aunt Emmy smiled. Aunt Emmy was sixty, and spent the hours she didn't spend in a bed, on a sofa or in a wheel chair; but Aunt Emmy was never heard to sigh. "The gifts which money can purchase are not the only ones we can give," said Aunt Emmy gently, "nor the best, either." "Oh, I know it's nicer to give something of your own work," agreed Clorinda, "but materials for fancy work cost too. That kind of gift is just as much out of the question for me as any other." "That was not what I meant," said Aunt Emmy. "What did you mean, then?" asked Clorinda, looking puzzled. Aunt Emmy smiled. "Suppose you think out my meaning for yourself," she said. "That would be better than if I explained it. Besides, I don't think I could explain it. Take the beautiful line of a beautiful poem to help you in your thinking out: ' " "I'd put it the other way and say, 'The giver without the gift is bare," said Clorinda. "That is my predicament exactly. Well, I hope by next Christmas I'll not be quite bankrupt. I'm going into Mr. Callender's store down at Murraybridge in February. He has offered me the place, you know." "Won't your aunt miss you terribly?" said Aunt Emmy gravely. "I think she would rather have your companionship than a part of your salary, Clorinda," said Aunt Emmy. "But of course you must decide for yourself, dear." "Well, I must say bye-bye and run home." Clorinda lived just across the road from Aunt Emmy in a tiny white house behind some huge willows. But Aunt Mary lived there too--the only relative Clorinda had, for Aunt Emmy wasn't really her aunt at all. Clorinda had always lived with Aunt Mary ever since she could remember. Clorinda puzzled over Aunt Emmy's meaning for days. Then all at once it came to her. On Christmas Day, Clorinda went over to Aunt Emmy's.Aunt Emmy was lying on the sofa before the fire, and Clorinda sat down beside her. "I've come to tell you all about it," she said. "Aunt Emmy, I thought for days over your meaning ... And then one evening it just came to me. At first I didn't think I could give some of them, and then I thought how selfish I was. I would have been willing to pay any amount of money for gifts if I had had it, but I wasn't willing to pay what I had. I got over that, though, Aunt Emmy. Now I'm going to tell you what I did give." "First, there was old Aunt Kitty. You know she was my nurse when I was a baby. She is always glad when I go to see her, but I've never gone except when I couldn't help it. She is very deaf, and rather dull and stupid, you know. Well, I gave her a whole day. I took my knitting yesterday, and sat with her the whole time and just talked and talked. She was so pleased and proud; she told me when I came away that she hadn't had such a nice time for years. " "Then there was ... Florence. You know, Aunt Emmy, we were always intimate friends until last year. Then Florence once told Rose Watson something I had told her . I found it out and I was so hurt. I couldn't forgive Florence, and I told her plainly I could never be a real friend to her again. Florence felt badly, because she really did love me, and she asked me to forgive her, but it seemed as if I couldn't. Well, Aunt Emmy, that was my Christmas gift to her ... my forgiveness." "I gave Aunt Mary her gift this morning. I told her I wasn't going to Murraybridge, that I just meant to stay home with her. She was so glad--and I'm glad, too, now that I've decided so." "Your gifts have been real gifts, Clorinda," said Aunt Emmy. "Something of you--the best of you--went into each of them." "I didn't forget you, Aunt Emmy," she said, as she unpinned the paper. There was a rosebush. Aunt Emmy loved flowers. She put her finger under one of the roses and kissed it. "It's as sweet as yourself, dear child," she said tenderly. "And it will be a joy to me all through the lonely winter days. You've found out the best meaning of Christmas giving, haven't you, dear?" "Yes, thanks to you, Aunt Emmy," said Clorinda softly. Which of the following is the best title? Clorinda's Gifts Your cell phone holds secrets about you. Besides the names and numbers that you've programmed into it, traces of your DNA remain on it, according to a new study. DNA is genetic material that appears in every cell. Like your fingerprint, your DNA is unique to you --- unless you have an identical twin. Scientists today usually analyze DNA in blood,saliva , or hair left behind at the scene of a crime. The results often help detectives identify criminals and their victims. Meghan J. McFadden, a biologist at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, heard about a crime in which the suspect bled onto a cell phone and later dropped the device. This made her wonder whether traces of DNA remained on cell phones --- even when no blood was involved. To find out, she and a colleague collectedflip-style phones from 10 volunteers. They collected invisible traces of the users from two parts of the phone: the outside, where the user holds it, and the speaker, which is placed at the user's ear. The scientists scrubbed(meaning "cleaned") the phones using a liquid mixture made mostly of alcohol. The aim of washing was to remove all detectable traces of DNA. The owners got their phones back for another week. Then the researchers collected the phones and repeated collecting traces on each phone once more. They discovered DNA that belonged to the phone's owner on each of the phones. Surprisingly, DNA showed up even in swabs that were taken immediately after the phones were cleaned. That suggests that washing won't remove all traces of evidence from a criminal's cell phone. So cell phones can now be added to the list of clues that can help a crime-scene investigation. McFadden decided to find out whether people leave their DNA on their cell phones when she _ . heard about a crime involving a cell phone Abraham Lincoln was born into poverty 200 years ago. At any other time and place, this lowly origin would have dictated his future, but in Lincoln's case, his self-determination and force of will made it possible for him to secure his seat in his country's history. He has become a role model in the self-made America. If you want to learn about somebody who didn't quit, look no further. Abraham Lincoln had two business ventures failed, and the second one made him bankrupt, so he had to spend the next 17 years of his life paying for the debt. He also lost 8 different elections. It seemed that he had never done things right at the first time: the first time he ran for state legislature for Congress, for land officer, for Senate, all of these failed, and the first time he sought the vice-presidential nomination, he got less than 100 votes nationally. But he never found it too shameful to carry on his mission. Then later in 1860, on such a rough road, he made it to the White House. He lived up to his famous saying, "Always bear in mind that your own determination to success is more important than any other." He could have quit many times----but he didn't and because he didn't quit,he became one of the greatest presidents in the history of America. One important way Lincoln influences present society is that we look back on his lifeas a role model for future generations. Lincoln's high character influences us because we compare present-day politicians to the example Lincoln set. A major influence Lincoln has on the united States today is simply through the good example he set when it came to honesty, persistence and leadership. Why does the writer consider Lincoln as one of the greatest presidents in America? Because he still influences America as a role model.
When I was a boy, I was a football fan. I played football with some other boys in the backyard all the time. My mom was worried that I would get ill in the hot summer. One day my brother gave me a new football. I came into the yard and played it excitedly. But suddenly, the ball flew through the window and nearly hit my dad. Dad said nothing. He took my football and cut it in half. I didn't cry because I knew how terrible my mistake was. I didn't expect to get another football. But to my surprise, Dad bought me another one the next month and told me to be more careful. I was really thankful for my father's forgiveness . He showed me that even when I made a mistake, he still loved me and gave me another chance. Parents always give us their unconditional love and forgiveness. We should always give our love and forgiveness to them, too. The writer played football in the backyard all the time because _ . A. he was easy to get ill B. he was a football fan C. his father was a football player D. his mother was worried about him Answer: B. he was a football fan Massachusetts-based Merriam-Webster Inc. said "w00t" reflects a new direction in the American language led by a generation raised on video games and mobile phone text-messaging. It's like saying "yay," the dictionary said. "It could be after a triumph or for no reason at all," Merriam-Webster said. Visitors to Merriam-Webster's Web site were invited to vote for one of 20 words and phrases selected from the most frequently looked-up words on the site and submitted by readers. Merriam-Webster President John Morse said "w00t" reflected the growing use of numeric keyboards to type words. "People look for self-evident numeral-letter substitutions: 0 for O; 3 for E; 7 for T; and 4 for A," he said. "This is simply a different and more efficient way of representing the alphabetical character." Online gamers often replace numbers and symbols with letters to form what Merriam-Webster calls an "esoteric computer hacker language" known as "l33t speak." This translates into "leet," which is short for "elite." One Web site, www.thinkgeek.com, already sells T-shirts with the word "w00t" printed on the front. Runner-up was "facebook" as a new verb meaning to add someone to a list of friends on the Web site Facebook.com or to search for people on the social networking site. "Truthiness" was the word of last year picked by Webster. A separate survey of words used in the media and on the Internet by California-based Global Language Monitor produced a different set of winners last week. "Hybrid" took top honors as word of the year with "climate change" the top phrase. Runner-up was "surge," based on the "surge" of 30,000 extra U.S. troops deployed to Iraq since mid-June, followed by the word "Bluetooth," a technology used to connect electronic devices via radio waves. "The English language is becoming more and more a globalized language every year," said Global Language Monitor president Paul Payack, noting that this year's list included words also selected from India, Singapore, China and Australia. The best title for this passage could be _ . A. More Globalized Word B. Words Used in the Media and on the Internet C. 'W00t' Crowned Word of Year D. Online gamers' Triumph Answer: C. 'W00t' Crowned Word of Year "BANG!" the door caused a reverberation . It was just standing there, with father standing on one side, and I on the other side. We were both in great anger. "Never set foot in this house again!" stormed father. With tears welling up in my eyes, I rushed out of the flat and ran along the street.The street lights were shining, causing rather sad-feeling. I walked around aimlessly. A young father who held a child in his arms walked past me. I felt as if I saw my childhood from another space: happy and carefree. But now ... I don't know whether it is because I have grown up or because dad is getting old. We differ in our ways of thinking. He always put his opinions of behavior on me. Whenever I do something wrong, he never admits it. We are just like two people coming from two different worlds. It feels like there is an iron door between us that can never be opened. I wandered the streets, without a destination in mind. My heart was frozen on this hot summer night. As I walked on there were fewer and fewer people on the streets, until I had only the street lights to keep me company. When I finally reached the high-rise apartment block in which I lived, I saw that the light was still on. I thought to myself: "Is father waiting for me, or is he still angry with me?" In fact, it was nothing. Perhaps, dad was throwing away some of his old stamps. Perhaps he thought they were useless. I never had the courage to tell him that I liked collecting stamps. All the lights were off except father's. Dad was always like this. Maybe he didn't know how to express himself. After shouting at me, he never showed any moments of regret. However, after an argument he has the habit of _ while I am sleeping. This was how he always was.He has been a leader for so long that telling everyone else what to do has become his second nature. The light was still on. "Am I wrong?" I whispered, maybe... With the key in hand, I was as nervous as I had ever been. At last, I decided to open the door. As soon as I opened the door tears ran down my face. I suddenly realized that the iron door that I had imagined between us did not exist at all. Love--it's second to none! What conclusion can be drawn after reading the passage? A. The father treats his son in an unfair way. B. The father is actually kind to his son. C. The father is neither kind nor cruel to his son. D. The father is always finding mistakes with his son. Answer: B. The father is actually kind to his son. I became a stand- up comic at 12:45 yesterday afternoon when I walked onto a comedy club stage and did a "bit". It was an audition in which people had exactly two minutes each to perform for a producer. I am not a comic, have never appeared onstage, am awkward before many people, and have no social skills. But I have written some funny things in the newspapers, and I figured that if you can write funny, you can be funny. That was my first mistake. Good stand - up comics improve their acts over months if not years, practicing before bathroom mirrors or their friends. I developed the key skill the morning I went on. I also brought a box of plastic beads , because I figured they could be useful. For the first few seconds, I was simply staring forward, mouth open, expressing the concept:"Uuungh". Finally I said, "This is my first performance as a stand - up comic. It's a kind of a special moment for me. I'd like to take this opportunity to say something to my mother, who was an inspiration to me throughout my life. My mother passed away a few years ago, but I feel she is still with me. All the time, wherever I go, I feel her presence. Day in and day out. So I would like to say this to her. LEAVE ME ALONE, MA!" Some people actually laughed. Then I said, "Anyway, this really is my first time onstage, and I'm pretty nervous because I'm not all that funny and I have a really bad stage presence. But I've been working on the problem. A long time ago a Greek guy named Demosthenes had the same problem I have, and he became a great speaker by sticking pebbles in his mouth, so I thought I would (and here I began putting the beads in my mouth) try that. See, the idea is that if you can talk through the pebbles ( now I was putting them in by the handful) you can learn to talk better and wfnm fmuff frmphm grphnm . . ." More laughter. I looked at my watch, said something that might have sounded like "My time is up," and left to somewhat spirited applause. What the audience did not know was that I was quietly choking on a slippery bead. We can learn from the text that the author _ . A. is a professional comic B. has rich stage experience C. is good at communicating with others D. has had his stories published in the newspapers Answer: D. has had his stories published in the newspapers Scientists around the world have been studying the warming of waters in the Pacific Ocean known as El Nino . The appearance of El Nino is known to affect the weather around the world. Scientists still do not completely understand it. Yet they now find they can use it to tell about the future in different areas of the world. One example is the work of two scientists at Columbia University in New York, Mark Cane and Gordon Eshel. A scientist of Zimbabwe , Roger Buckland worked with them. They have found that when El Nino appears, Zimbabwe has little or no rain. This means corn crops in Zimbabwe are poor. The last El Nino was in 1991 to 1993. That was when southeastern Africa suffered a serious lack of rain. The scientists wrote about their recent work in the publication Nature. Their computer program can tell when an El Nino will develop up to a year before it does. They suggest that this could provide an effective early warning system for southern Africa, and could prevent many people from starving. Scientists study El Nino in order that _ . A. they can provide a kind of early warning to the place that will suffer from drought B. they can tell why Zimbabwe has little or no rain C. they can do some research work in this field. D. they can put all this information into their computers. Answer: A. they can provide a kind of early warning to the place that will suffer from drought
Some people remember the things by writing notes to themselves. Then they leave the notes in obvious places, such as on the table or on the floor in the middle of the living room. I don't think I like to write notes to myself. Most of the time I lose them or forget to look at them until it's too late. I prefer to use an alarm clock to tell me what I should do. I have ten alarm clocks in my house. They could tell me about things. For example, if I have to make a telephone call at a certain time, I'll set an alarm clock to go off a few minutes early and put the clock by the telephone. Or if I want to watch a certain television program, I'll set an alarm clock at the right time and put the clock on top of the TV set. I can remember almost anything if I use my clocks. However, sometimes an alarm clock goes off and I don't know what it means. I always remember setting it, but I do not know why I set it. If the clock is by the telephone, I know I may have set it to tell me to call someone, but I can't be sure. I might have set it to tell myself that somebody was to call me at a certain time. In this passage, "go off" means _ . The Round Bird is not like any other birds. He has a big round body but with little wings. He can not fly but he expects to play with other birds in the sky. Every day and in many ways, he tries to fly. And he tries again and again. But nothing works. Then he thinks it will be better use the tree. It is very hard for a little bird to do so, but he climbs up the tree! The Round Bird really wants to learn to fly. A few minutes later, he sits on a branch and gets ready to jump and flap his wings. He practices many times and flap some more, but they don't work! In the end, he climbs down the tree and starts thinking seriously. After thinking for a long time, he knows that although he really wants to fly and tries hard, there are some birds are not able to do. He can't fly because of his body and his little wings. But he knows that there are still some things he is able to. Then the only job for the Round Bird is to find those special things that only special birds like him can do. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? THE first night in Yosemite had been awful. I hadn't been able to sleep and I was stuck in a too small tent with my wife and two kids. "Things haven't worked out," I said to myself. But, like so many other things I complain before my morning coffee, this one was ridiculously off-key. Things weren't bad; they were good. A hundred yards(91 meters) away was Summit Lake, with its wonderful early morning mists shimmering off the water. A couple of miles to the southwest was the base of the Lassen Peak Trail. The base was 8,000 feet (2,400 meters) above sea level, huge snow banks dotting the place even in mid August. It was beautiful. We fired up the camp stove, got out our cold boxes from the heavy metal locker ,fired up some bacon, cut open some bread, and boiled up a cup of coffee. Half an hour later, my 6-year-old daughter and I were in the parking lot of the Lassen Peak Trail, getting ready to hike. We wouldn't make it all the way-- young legs get pretty tired on a steep mountain path, but it didn't matter. We would see great views spread out below us, the volcanic ash that layered on the earth turning the melting snow a mysterious pink as the sun struck it. Later, on the hike, I felt stupid about my morning complaints. Everything had been worthwhile. It gave me enormous satisfaction to see my daughter so excited about the view from the mountain. Yes, camping is uncomfortable. But there's also something wonderful about being so close to nature. Just as importantly, there's something about getting young children out of their increasingly technology-filled comfort zones and forcing them to encounter the non-cyber world around them. We lose something when we spend all our time cocooned inside a carefully constructed modernity, when read about daily affronts to the environment, yet don't fully realize what is at risk, removed as we are from nature. It's a good thing to reconnect every so often with the Great Outdoors. By Sasha Abramsky How did the author first feel about camping in Yosemite? Judging from recent surveys, most experts in sleep behavior agree that there is virtually an epidemic of sleepiness in the nation."I can't think of a single study that hasn't found Americans getting less sleep than they ought to," says Dr.David.Even people who think they are sleeping enough would probably be better off with more rest. The beginning of our sleep-deficit(lack)crises can be traced back to the invention of the light bulb a century ago.From diary entries and our personal accounts from the 18th and 19th centuries, sleep scientists have reached the conclusion that the average person used to sleep about 9.5 hours a night."The best sleep habits once were forced on us, when we had nothing to do in the evening down on the farm, and it was dark." By the 1950s and 1960s, the sleep schedule had been reduced dramatically, to between 7.5 and 8 hours, and most people had to wake to an alarm clock."People cheat in their sleep, and they don't even realize they're doing it," says Dr.David."They think they're okay because they can get by on 6.5 hours, when they really need 7.5, 8 or even more to feel ideally energetic. " Perhaps the most merciless robber of sleep, researches say, is the complexity of the day.Whenever pressures from work, family, friends and community increase, many people consider sleep the least expensive item on their programs."In our society, you're considered dynamic if you say you need only 5.5 hours' sleep.If you've got to get 8.5 hours, people think you lack drive and ambition." To determine the consequences of sleep-deficit, researchers have put subjects through a set of psychological and performance tests requiring them, for instance, to add columns of numbers or recall a passage read to them only minutes earlier."We've found that if you're in sleep deficit, performance suffers," says Dr.David."Short-term memory is weakened, as are abilities to make decisions and to concentrate." What is the main topic of the passage? It was a late Wednesday night when the dreading phone call reached our home. I sat up, somehow terrified, so I could hear the phone call better. To my surprise, I heard my mom burst into tears. "Get the car, Dean! Andrea has been in a car accident." _ We got to the hospital, but were not allowed to see Andrea. The next morning, after wearing masks, we were allowed to go to the ICU to see Andrea. Well, the least I could say was that everything was injured in her body and she lost all of her memories. It was a fatal accident. Over the next two months, I lived more at the hospital than I did at my house. I watched as Andrea worked so hard to gain back everyday motor skills. She never once complained or pitied herself; her determined spirit was shining through. After two weeks in the ICU and two months of the regular hospital treatment, Andrea was able to come home. She missed several months of school, so it was hard for her to catch up. Andrea had tasks to accomplish, and no matter how hard it was, she stuck with them until the job was done. Though busy with dealing with pain and therapy, she always found time to love and play with me. I'll never forget the impact that this incident made on my life. I admire her strong-willed personality and her determined spirit. Today she is perfectly normal, despite the scars and the pins holding her leg in place. I couldn't ask for a better sister, hero, or best friend. During the treatment, Andrea _ .
This is Linda's room. It's a nice room. It's very clean . I can see a brown bed. A photo of a boy is on the wall . Can you see a brown desk? Yes, it's in the room, on the left . A green chair is on the floor. Some books and blue pens are on the desk. Linda's lamp is on the desk, too. It's a pink lamp. Where is Linda? Is she in the room? No, she isn't. She is at school. _ is on the wall. Dear Peter, My name is Frank. I am from America. Here is a picture of my friends. We are in the same grade. Look at the picture, in the middle, you can see my friend Jimmy. He likes all the sports. He likes to eat apples and French fries. You can see Helen in the picture, too. Helen likes math. Her favorite food is meat. But Sandra doesn't like math. Look, Sandra is here in the picture. She can speak French. She likes ping-pong. Behind her, there is a girl. She is Sally. She is a black girl. She likes to swim. And she likes to eat ice cream. Maria and Rick are behind Jimmy. Maria likes computer very much. She plays computer games very well. Rick is fun. He can play soccer ball. He likes strawberries best. I like math, too. I like to eat bananas. All of us think Beijing Opera is fun. So we go to see it. But we can't _ the words. So we don't want to see it again. But my father likes it very much. He often watches it. He can understand it. One interesting thing:two of my English friends can understand it, too. They are Maya and Kelsey. They are not in the picture. They often go to see Beijing Opera like my father. Can you send me a picture of your friends. Yours, Frank _ like sports. Once upon a time there were two smart boys. Their talents were obvious from an early age. They knew they were special, and they desired that, in the future, everyone would admit how great they were. They developed in a different way. The first boy had a successful career. He took part in all kinds of competitions, visited the most important people and places. No one doubted that he would be the wisest and most important person in the land. The second boy always felt a heavy responsibility. He would feel _ to help others. This didn't leave him enough time to follow his dreams of greatness. He was busy looking for ways to help others. As a result, he was a much-loved and well-known person in his small circle. A disaster took place, spreading misery there. The first man had never come across anything like this, and he failed to improve the situation. The second man was used to solving all kinds of problems, and had such useful know-how in certain subjects. So the disaster hardly affected the people at all. His methods were adopted there, and the name of this man spread even wider. Indeed, he was elected the governor of the nation. The first man understood the greatest wisdom is from the things we do in life, from the impact we have on others, and from the need to improve ourselves. He never again took part in competitions. Instead, he always took books with him to be ready to help others. The passage is mainly developed by _ . Divorce is bad for environment US researchers raised a new theory on Monday: divorce is bad for the environment. The global trend toward higher divorce rates has created more households with fewet People,scientists at Michigan State University reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. More households means more houses,fuel and water are Heeded for them,the researchers wrote."Globally,the number of households is increasing much faster than the number of people,"said co-author "Jack" Liu in a telephone interview. "Even in regions with declining population, we see _ increase in the number of households. Divorce is the main reason for reducing the number of people in a household," he said. The average divorced person's household is about 40 to 50 percent smaller than the average married person's household, Liu said. But whether there are three or six people in a house ,the amount of fuel needed to heat them is about the same. In the prefix = st1 /United States, divorced households used 73 billion kilowatt--hours of electricity and 2.850 trillion litres of water in 2005 that could have been saved if households had stayed the same size as when they were married. I the United Statesand 11 other countries between 1998 and 2002, if divorced households had combined to have the same average household size as married households, there could have been 7.4 million fewer households. The number of divorced households in those countries ranged from 40,000 in Costa Ricato almost 16 million in theUnited Statesaround 2000. The number of rooms per person in divorced households was 33 percent to 95 percent greater than in married households. "If you really want to get divorced, maybe you can remarry with somebody else, or live together with somebody else you like", Liu said. In Americawhen the number of households is_, the number of people in a house is . One afternoon, Kate and her brother Bob went out to play.Kate was eight, and Bob was ten."Let's go to the bridge and we can see fish in the river." said Kate. "I don't know..." Bob said."Mum told us, 'don't go on the bridge.' She said it's dangerous." Kate said, "I am not afraid.Are you?" They walked onto the bridge and began looking for fish in the river.The bridge was a train bridge.Trains went over the bridge three times a day. The children were standing in the middle of the bridge when they heard a loud noise."A train is coming!" Bob shouted."Run!" He ran to the end of the bridge.He was safe. Kate ran, too, but she fell.The train was coming fast.Kate ran towards Bob.She fell again right on the train tracks .There was no time to leave.She had to lie down between the tracks.A few seconds later, the train went over the girl, but she was not hurt at all.She stood up and said to Bob, "Don't tell Mum! Don't tell Mum!" At last their mother found out about the story.She was angry because they went on the bridge.But she was happy that Kate was all right. Bob and Kate were _ .
Question: More and more, the operations of our businesses, governments, and financial institutions are controlled by information that exists only inside computer memories. Anyone clever enough to modify this information for his own purposes can get big reward. Even worse, a number of people who have done this and been caught at it have managed to get away without punishment. It's easy for computer crimes to go undetected if no one checks up on what the computer is doing. But even if the crime is detected, the criminal may walk away not only unpunished but with a glowing recommendation from his former employers. Of course, we have no statistics on crimes that go undetected. But it's disturbing to note how many of the crimes we do know about were detected by accident, not by systematic inspections or other security procedures. The computer criminals who have been caught may have been the victims of uncommonly bad luck. Unlike other lawbreakers, who must leave the country, commit suicide, or go to jail, computer criminals sometimes escape punishment, demanding not only that they not be charged but that they be given good recommendations and perhaps other benefits. All too often, their demands have been met. Why? Because company executives are afraid of the bad publicity that would result if the public found out that their computer had been misused. They hesitate at the thought of a criminal boasting in open court of how he juggled the most confidential records right under the noses of the company's executives, accountants, and security staff. And so another computer criminal departs with just the recommendations he needs to continue his crimes elsewhere. The passage is mainly about _ . A. why computer criminals are often able to escape punishment B. why computer crimes are difficult to detect by systematic inspections C. how computer criminals mange to get good recommendations from their former employers D. why computer crimes can' be eliminated Answer: D Question: More than 6000 children were expelled from US schools last year for bringng guns and bombs to school,the US Department of Education said on May 8. The department gave a report on the expulsions as saying handguns accounted for 58 per cent of the 6093 expulsions in 1996--97,against 7 per cent for rifles or shotguns and 35 per cent for other types of firearms. "The report is a clear sign that our nation's public schools are cracking down " on students who bring guns to school,"Education Secretary Richard Riey said in a statement."We need to be tough-minded about keeping guns out of our schools and do everything to keep our children safe." In March 1997,an 11-year-old boy and a 13-year-old using hand-guns and rifles shot dead four children and a teacher at a school in Jonesboro,Arkansas.In October,two were killed and seven wounded in a shooting at a Mississippi school.Two months later,a 14-year-old boy killed three high school students and wounded five in Daducab,Kentucky. "Most of the expulsions,56 per cent,were from high schools,which have students from about age 13,34 per cent were from junior high schools and 9 per cent were from elementary schools." The report said. How many students were shot dead in 1997 in US schools? A. 10 B. 9 C. 12 D. 22 Answer: B Question: The 2012 Olympic Games are coming! More than two hundred disabled bikers from thirty-three countries have been competing in Los Angeles, California. They are seeking a chance to compete at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London. The games are to open in August after the end of the London Olympics. Here, let's know something about three excellent disabled bikers who will be seen at the 2012 Paralympic Games. American cyclist Jennifer Schuble got hurt in her brain when she was a college student and lost some of the feeling in her feet. Her arm was later damaged in a car accident and she has muscle sclerosis . But she says cycling let her return to competitive sports, "Doing physical exercise has always been part of my daily life, and every day I play soccer run to keep fit. With cycling, I'm able to strengthen my legs." She won the gold medal in the five-hundred-meter event at the Beijing Paralympic Games in 2008. Like most of the riders, she has moved beyond her disabilities, dealing with daily life just like everyone else. American Sam Kavanagh lost his leg in a skiing accident seven years ago. After recovering, he returned to cycling which he had enjoyed in college. He says the American team will have a hard time during the competition, " Great Britain has top athletes in paracycling events. The Americans alwayse come flying. They're very strong. But I have confidence in our team." British Paralympic champion Sarah Storey was born without a working left hand. She has won gold medals in both cyvling and swimming. She competed in her first games in 1992. She also competed in the Commonwealth Games in 2010 against non-disabled athletes. Sarah Storey says getting ready for the Paralympic Games needs continuous training. She will keep training even after the games. According to Sam Kavanagh, _ . A. disabled people should exercise more to win B. the American team will face great challenge C. Australia is most likely to win the competition D. most Australians are good at riding bikes Answer: B Question: Today Han Mei's classmates are having an art lesson in the park. Now they are playing near the lake. The boy in black is flying a kite. He is Li Lei. The girl in red is reading a book. Who is she? Ha, she's just Han Mei. Lucy and Lily are twins. They look the same and they are dancing under a big tree. There is a boat on the lake. Mrs. Green and Mrs. Brown are in the boat. They are their teachers. And now the children are drawing pictures on the grass near the lake. The teachers are teaching how to draw pictures. But what is Joe doing? Oh, he is looking for his pencil case. Where are the girls dancing? A. Under the tree B. In a boat C. In the classroom D. Near the lake Answer: A Question: I attended a birthday party in 1991. My teacher was then 59 years old. But her fellow teacher said that we were celebrating her 39thbirthday! We were all surprised and puzzled. After the party I was told by the fellow teacher that American women have a special saying about birthdays. If a woman is over 40, or even if she is 80, her birthday is always the 39th. If she is in her thirties, her birthday will be the 29th. And in her twenties, it's the 19th. They usually have their "real" birthday when they are below 20. This shows that American women, especially elderly women, are very sensitive about their ages. But my teacher always says, "We want to be younger," so about the age of Western women, my advice is that if you don't know it, don't ask about it; if you really know it, don't mention it. The writer wants to tell us _ . A. that a Western woman always celebrates her 39 thbirthday B. not to ask a Western woman's age whether you know her well or not C. to ask a Western woman's age freely D. not to attend an old Western woman's birthday party Answer: B
Question: Joe is a taxi driver. Now, after working for a long time, he is very tired. So he lies down on the chair in his car, and wants to have a sleep. But a man comes up to his car, and asks, "Excuse me, what's the time, please?" Joe is a little unhappy ,but he looks at his watch ,and says, "It's 10:15." The man thanks Joe and goes away. Joe says to himself, "Now I can go back to sleep again." But at 10:20,another man comes up and asks the same question, " Excuse me, sir, what's the time, please?" Joe can't sleep again. He has to tell his man the time. In ten minutes, four people come to his car and ask the time. He is very friendly, but he wants to sleep. So he writes "I don't know the time." on a piece of paper and puts the paper outside the window of his car."Now no one will come and ask me the time." But he is wrong! Look, another man is coming up to his car. He is knocking loudly at the window of Joe's car. Joe wakes up. The man says, "It's 10:50 now, sir!" Joe can't go to sleep because _ . A. some people ask him the time. B. people want to talk to him. C. people don't want him to sleep. D. people know him well. Answer: A Question: A car that runs on coffee is unveiled(shown to the public for the first time)today but at between 25 and 50 times the cost of running a car on petrol, the invention won't please any motor industry accountants. Nicknamed the Car-puccino, it has been created using a 1988 Volkswagen Scirocco bought for PS400 and it was chosen because it looked like the time-traveling DeLorean in the movieBack To The Future.The car will be driven the 210 miles between Manchester and London powered only by roasted coffee granules .It has been built by a team from the BBC1 science programme Bang Goes The Theory and will go on display at the Big Bang science fair in Manchester to show how fuels other than traditional petrol can power vehicles. The team calculates the Car-puccino will do three miles per kilo of ground coffee -- about 56 cups of espressos per mile.The journey will use about 70 kilos of ground coffee which, at supermarket prices of between PS13 and PS26 a kilo depending on brand and quality, will cost between PS910 and PS1,820, or between 25 and 50 times the PS36 cost of petrol for the journey.In total, the trip will cost 11,760 espressos, and the team will have to take 'coffee breaks' roughly every 30 to 45 miles to pour in more granules.They will also have to stop about every 60 miles to clean out the 'coffee filters' to rid them of the soot and tar which is also generated by the process.So despite a top speed of 60mph, the many stops mean the going will be slow, with the journey taking around ten hours. Sadly, the inventors will still have to pay duty on their coffee fuel---even though tax collectors at Her Majesty's Revenue and Custom haven't yet worked out how much. Nick Watson, producer of Bang Goes The Theory, said, "Coffee, like wood or coal, has some carbon content so you can use it as a fuel.The coffee needs to be very dry and in granules to allow the air to move through the pile of coffee as it burns.The brand doesn't matter." He said the same technology could be used to power a car on other unusual fuels, such as woodchips or nut shells, construction or agricultural waste. What can be inferred from the passage? A. All kinds of materials can be used as fuels. B. The Car-puccino will be put into the market soon. C. Nick Watson is the designer of the Car-puccino D. Much remains to be improved for the Car-puccino. Answer: D Question: As global warming continues to be a major concern for the future of our planet,people are starting to turn to green living practices to help save it for future generations.Green living involves every aspect of our daily life from driving to work to mowing our lawns. Making the switch to green living all at once might scare most people away from carrying out those earth-friendly changes.There are many ways to ease into this practice and still help save the earth's environment. Air pollution is a major problem for some cities.A lot of it comes from the factories, but that's not the only way contributing to global warming.Automobiles give off a fair amount of pollutant into the air.When you have a lot of cars driving around on the city streets, you're multiplying the amounts of pollutant being emitted by each car that's destroying our ozone .If you want to save the environment,you can start by either car pooling,walking more instead of driving or even purchasing hybrid models that don't do as much damage. Then let's take a look at your home.What kinds of bulbs are you using? The standard bulbs we use only contribute to higher electricity bills and more carbon dioxide.If you switch at least some of your standard bulbs with the compact fluorescent bulbs,you can save the environment while saving on your electric bill. Recycling is also an excellent way to save our environment.Try to buy as many products as you can that can be recycled.The less trash that has to be burned or buried into our soil,the better off our planet will be. These small changes may seem that they couldn't help much for the environment,but they can help tremendously.Every little bit we do is a much-needed step toward reserving natural resources for our future generations. In order to give off less harmful gas into the air, we can_. A. close all the factories that may cause pollution B. limit the car production C. forbid too many cars to run in the streets D. choose those cars which may cause the least pollution Answer: D Question: A glacier is a slow moving river of ice. How does a glacier help create soil? A. It scrapes small particles off large rocks. B. It carries plants down mountains and to oceans. C. It melts and becomes part of streams and rivers. D. It freezes small particles of dirt to form large rocks. Answer: A Question: The holiday season is the time of magic moments. Our hearts are waiting for something special to happen. Children dream of meeting Santa Claus and receive desirable presents. I'm sure that grandparents are waiting for their kids' and grandchildren's visit. If your holiday schedule is tightly packed, then you should find at least two hours to pay a visit to your grandparents. We often forget about three magic words "l love you". Love is not a sign of weakness and our grandparents deserve to hear these pleasant and healing words. Don't feel shy of showing and proving your love. Your hug and a frank smile can be the best cure for different diseases to your dear grandparents. Old people are very sensible creatures. They need both physical and mental supports. Younger people should be patient enough to pay attention, hear out and don't let their grandparents feel too old, lonely and useless. There're hundreds of ideas on how to make something good and useful for your grandparents. The best one is to bring a fresh and bushy Christmas tree to their house. Do your best to decorate it with lights and ribbons. Encourage your grandparents to do it together. Unfortunately, people are like candles. The light of their eyes can die out in a moment. Chances are high that their hearts will stop one day. Why don't we begin to value things before we lose them? I know that not everyone can answer this challenging question. I hope this week will bring a lot of joy to children, parents and their grandparents. Don't forget to treat grandparents with respect because they're an essential part of your family. Your grandparents will be happy except when A. you give them a frank and sweet smile B. you pay more attention to them C. they are ignored D. they know they are useful Answer: C
Question: Mr Smith works in a factory in the middle of the city. The factory is not far from his home. It is about 800 meters away. So Mr Smith doesn't go to work by bus. He usually goes there by bike, sometimes he walks to work. It takes him 10 minutes to get there by bike or 20 minutes on foot. He usually leaves home at ten minutes to eight. Today something is wrong with his bike. He wants to walk there. His work starts at half past eight in the morning and finishes at a quarter to five in the afternoon. ,. Why doesn't Mr Smith go to work by bus? A. Because there is no bus. B. Because his factory is not far from his home. C. Because he likes riding a bike. D. Because he doesn't like taking a bus. Answer: B Question: Mike is a factory worker. He is often very tired after a day's work. His wife, Jenny, has no job, so she stays at home to cook the meals. Every day he can have his dinner when he gets home from his factory. One day, Mike came home very late because he was very busy in the factory. He was very hungry when he got home. He was not happy when he found his dinner was not ready. He was very angry with his wife. He shouted at her, "I'm going out to eat in a restaurant." "Wait for five minutes," said his wife. "Why? Do you think that dinner will be ready in five minutes?" asked Mike. "Of course not," she answered. "But I can be ready to go with you in five minutes." Mike was _ when he found his dinner was not ready. A. happy B. glad C. hungry D. not happy Answer: D Question: DIY, which means Do It Yourself, is quite popular in UK. Lots of stores and supermarkets sell DIY things. TV programs show people how to DIY. English people like DIY. There is a saying in UK---"An Englishman's home is his castle". Huge numbers of people spend their holidays making their homes beautiful "castles". If there is anything that needs fixing around their houses, such as painting the walls or putting in a new shower, they will do the jobs themselves. They share DIY experiences with their friends. More and more people have discovered the joy of DIY. Sometimes people also DIY for saving money. With the economic downturn at present, many people can not afford to buy a bigger house. They are looking at how they can make their houses better without spending a lot of money. It is not surprising that DIY is so popular. DIY can be difficult. There is a huge market for DIY furniture which people need to put together themselves with a few basic tools . However, people often find it not easy to build a piece of furniture because they can't understand the instructions. Sometimes the instructions are simple and clear, but the furniture itself is difficult to build. One thing is for sure, though most DIY projects are started with the best intentions (,), many of them may not get finished. DIY can also be dangerous. For example, anything electrical should be done by a professional worker. Unluckily, many people don't care about this warning and put themselves in danger. It is reported that in just one year over 230 000 people were hurt while doing DIY in UK, including 41 000 who fell off ladders . Therefore, DIY can bring us fun and help us save money, but it is not always as easy as it is thought to be if _ . Maybe factories should make products that are easier and safer for us to DIY. How do many English people spend their holidays according to the passage ? A. Making their homes beautiful. B. Visiting their friends. C. Traveling all over the world. D. Making a lot of money. Answer: A Question: When he was driving home one evening on a country road,he saw an old lady,stranded on the side of the road.He stopped in front of her car and got out.Even with the smile on his face,she was worried.He looked poor and hungry.He knew how she felt.He said,"I am here to help you,madam.Why don't you wait in the car where it's warm? By the way, my name is Joe." She had a flat tire.Joe crawled under the car,changed the tire.But he got dirty and his hands hurt.She could not thank him enough and asked him how much she owed him.He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back,the next time she saw someone who needed help,she could give that person the assistance they needed,and Joe added,"And think of me." She drove off.A few miles down the road the lady saw a small restaurant.She went in.The waitress had a sweet smile,and was nearly eight months pregnant .The old lady wondered how someone like her who seemed poor could be so kind to a stranger.Then she remembered Joe.After the lady finished her meal,the waitress went to get her change from a hundred--dollar bill.But she stepped right out the door. When the waitress came back,she noticed something written on a napkin,"I am helping you because someone once helped me.If you really want to pay me back,here's what you do---Do not let the chain of love end with you." That night when she got home,she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written.She and her husband needed money with the baby due next month.She knew how worried her husband was,and as he lay sleeping next to her,she whispered,"Everything's going to be all right.I love you,Joe." When Joe stopped to help the lady,she _ A. became excited B. was afraid to be hurt C. refused his offer D. thanked him Answer: B Question: Poet Dean Young has dealt with impermanence( )a lot in his career, but it's a particularly strong theme in Young's latest collection, Fall Higher.The new collection was published in April, just days after the poet received a life-saving heart transplant after about a decade of living with a weakening heart condition. Young, whose work is often frank and rich with twisted humor, tells NPR's Renee Montaigne that as he recovers from operation, he's also slowly returning to his everyday writing habits. "I'm getting back to it," Young says."Not with the sort of concentration and sort of flame that I look forward to in the future, but I am blackening some pages." And on those blackened pages you'll find poems like " How Grasp Green," which carries themes of springtime and rebirth.It's one of the first poems Young has written since his transplant. It's easy to spot clues to Young's awful health situation in the lines of his poetry. Fall Higher's "Vintage" opens with, "Because I will die soon, I fall asleep, during the lecture on the ongoing emergency." And the poem "-The Rhythms Pronounce Themselves Then Vanish--published in The /Vew Barker in February --opens with the CT scan that revealed Young's heart condition. Young says "Rhythms" was written about the beginning of his illness. "I had been having a lot of physical pain so that I could hardly walk a block.I got sent to a gastroenterologist and he did a series of tests, and then the tests came back to me and it was all heart related," he says." And the outlook wasn't good. Hearts tend to come up a lot in poetry, and that's especially true of Young's work, which has clearly been influenced by the troubles of his own heart, "A lot of times, it's not just a metaphor ," Young says."For me, it's an actual concern because I've been living with this disease for over 10 years.My father died of heart problems when he was 49, so it's been a sort of shadowy concern for me my whole life. But Young's poems also deal with more abstract matters of the heart.He wrote Fall Higher's, "Late Valentine" for his wife."We've been married since late November and most of it has been spent in the hospital," Young says of his marriage to poet Laurie Saurborn Young, who says " 'Late Valentine' is very sweet. Today, Young says, his friends can't help but comment on how pink his cheeks have become--the result of a new heart and better circulation .But Young wrote the poems of Fall Higher before the transplant, at a time when, at its weakest point, his old heart was pumping at 8 percent of what it should have been. He was staring death in the face--but he was still able to look at his life and see art in it. Young's work also touches on themes of randomness and fate --two factors that contributed to him getting a second chance in the form of a new heart from a 22-year-old student. "Everything in life is molecules bouncing against molecules," Young says, and having a successful transplant is no different." Somebody had to die; it had to be a fit; my blood and his blood had to not have an argument; the heart had to be transported; I had to get it." There were, in short, an amazing number of variables that led to Young being here today. "I just feel enormous gratitude," he says of his donor ."He gave me a heart so I'm still alive-"I'm sure I'm going to think about this person for the rest of my life." What is the text mainly about? A. Dean Young and his latest collection. B. Dean Young and his heart problems. C. The meaning of Fall Higher. D. An analysis of Dean Young's poems. Answer: A
Question: Last week, my granddaughter started kindergarten, and I wished her every success. But part of me didn't. I actually wanted her to fail in some ways because I believe that failure can be good for our learning process. Success is proving that you can do something that you already know you can do, or doing something correctly the first time, which can often be a problematic victory. First-time success is usually a fluke . First-time failure, by contrast, is expected to be the natural order of things. Failure is how we learn. In Africa they describe a good cook as "She who has broken many pots." If you've spent enough time in the kitchen to have broken a lot of pots, probably you know a fair amount about cooking. I once had dinner with a group of cooks, and they spent time comparing knife wounds and burn scars. They knew how much credibility their failures gave them. I earn my living by writing a daily newspaper column. Each week I am aware that one column I write is going to be the worst column. I try my best every day. I have learned to cherish that column. A successful column usually means that I am discussing my familiar topic, writing in a style I am used to or saying the same things as anyone else but in a fancy way. My younger daughter is a trapeze artist. She spent three years putting together a show, and she did it successfully for years. There was no reason for her to change it but she did anyway. She said she was no longer learning anything new and she was bored. And if she was bored, there was no point in subjecting (......) her body to all that stress. She risked failure and great public embarrassment in order to feed her soul. My granddaughter is a perfectionist. She will feel her failures, and I will want to comfort her. But I will also, I hope, remind her of what she learned, and how she can do better next time. I hope I can tell her, though, that it's not the end of the world. Indeed, with luck, it is the beginning. The author develops the article mainly by _ . A. giving examples B. following the time order C. comparing different opinions D. presenting a cause and analyzing its effects Answer: A. giving examples Question: The entire house was lit with lights. It was Meera's wedding the next day. Seema walked to her daughter's bedroom. Meera was not there, so she left the envelope on Meera's bed and went away. When Meera came out of the bathroom, her eyes fell on the envelope. She picked it up and opened it. Sitting on the bed, she started to read it: My darling daughter, I am so happy for you. My darling is getting married! To such a good man! At the same time, I am a little worried, too. The reason? You are going to a new house where everything is going to be new: the people, relationships and surroundings. Yes, you are smart and Vinod will be there with you to help, but I have a few things to say: Accept Vinod's parents as your parents. Remember that your mother-in-law will have her own understanding about you. So it is up to you to give her a good impression. Earn respect from family members. If that means changing yourself a little bit and adapting to their customs, just do it. It will help you to settle into your new home. Never compare your mother's home and their home. It may not be appreciated. The kitchen is one place where small fights can appear. It is your mother-in-law's king- dom, so ask her permission if you want to cook something. If she offers help, accept it. This will help in building trust between you. Similarly, offer her your help when she is busy cooking. Thus, a new relationship will be born: one of respect and understanding. Finally, respect your husband, as he is your life partner. Remember that a marriage requires trust, love and compromise . I could have sat with you and told you, but I felt that writing all this down would make you understand better and I am sure you will give your whole heart to this relationship. Remember that both Papa and I are here for you always. Love, Ma Where was Meera when her mother went to her bedroom? A. In the kitchen. B. In Vinod's house. C. In the bedroom. D. In the bathroom. Answer: D. In the bathroom. Question: In March, when Ohm was 17, Stereo delivered to Ohm a television set. At that time Ohm agreed in writing to pay $400 for the set on July 1 when he would reach his 18th birthday. Eighteen is the applicable statutory age of majority, and on that date Ohm was to receive the proceeds of a trust. On July 1, when the reasonable value of the television set was $250, Ohm sent Stereo a signed letter stating, "I'll only pay you $300; that is all the set is worth." In an action against Ohm for money damages on July 2, what is the maximum amount that Stereo will be entitled to recover? A. Nothing B. $250, the reasonable value of the set C. $300, the amount Ohm promised to pay in his letter of July 1 D. $400, the original sale price Answer: C. $300, the amount Ohm promised to pay in his letter of July 1 Question: A cardinal makes brief contact with a picnic table, and between them there is A. death B. transactions C. animosity D. abrasion Answer: D. abrasion Question: If you want to get a new cell phone number, don't forget to bring your ID with you . As of September 1, people have to register with their ID to buy a new cell phone number. You can show your ID card orhukou, but student ID's won't work. If you already have a cell phone number, it is better to register it before 2013. The new rules are meant to prevent junk messages and fraud through cell phones. A cell phone user in China on average received 43.3 messages a week in the first half of this year. According to reports, about 12 of those were junk messages. In a survey, about 74.5 percent of users said they have received fraudulent messages. If all people register their cell phone number with ID information, it will be easier for police to find the people behind those messages. Situations in other countries Because cell phone are getting more and more popular, many countries have made stricter cell phone rules. Countries like India, Japan, Australia, and Singapore all ask users to register their ID information. Ulrich Mller is a German living in Beijing. "In Germany, you have to show your ID when you buy a cell phone card," he said. "The rules have been there for a long time. Most people know about it." Linda van der Horst is a student at Peking University. She said that in the Netherlands ,people have to show ID information and bank account information to buy a cell phone card. If you register your cell phone number with ID information, _ . A. you will receive more junk messages B. the cell phone service company may stop your service C. the police will find the people behind messages D. you can buy a new cell phone Answer: C. the police will find the people behind messages
I shall never forget the day when the earthquake took place. The time was about 5 o'clock in the afternoon and I was driving along the road to take my daughter from school. Our plan was to go swimming together. I had finished my work at 4 o'clock and then gone to the Post Office. Then I'd stopped off at a shop in order to get some fresh fruit. We like to have some fruit to eat after our swim. I was driving along a high road on my way to my daughter's school. Over my road was another road which was built like a bridge for cars coming to the other way. I was hungry so I put the bag of apples in the seat beside me and started to eat one. Suddenly I saw the cars in front of me start to move from side to side. Then my car started to shake! I didn't know what was happening. Perhaps something had gone wrong with my car. I drove a little more slowly and then I stopped the car and at the same moment the road fell onto the cars in front of me. I found myself in the dark. I couldn't move. The bottom parts of both of my legs and my feet were hurting badly and I couldn't move them. All around me was quiet. But above me I could hear shouts and a lot of noise. Then I memorized what had happened. I had been in an earthquake. For about two hours nobody came. Luckily I could reach the bag of apples, so at least I had plenty to eat. Then I heard people climbing towards me. A team of people had come to see if anyone was under the broken road. I called out. "I'm here!" I heard a shout. Soon a stranger climbed to the side of the road near my car. "How are you doing?" he asked. "Not too bad," I said, "but my feet and leg feel as if they're broken." "We'll have you out of there just as soon as we can." They didn't get me out until the next morning. I had been in my car for fourteen hours. The writer's car began to move from side to side because _ . A there was something wrong with his car B he ate apples as he drove C an earthquake began to happen D he drove too fast Answer: C. an earthquake began to happen A plant needs to feed, so it A spreads it's leaves B has a bite C spreads upside down D catches rabbits Answer: A. spreads it's leaves Free On-line Short Stories For Kids: Trevor The Taxi In this children's story, suited to younger children, we have an adventure with Trevor. He is a taxi. Trevor loves his life: "Sometimes he takes patients to the nursing home, where they can get better after being ill, and sometimes he takes people home when they have been shopping, and Stan puts all their packages inside Trevor's boot, so they will not get wet or broken." The black cab, in this adventure, goes far beyond the call of duty whilst he achieves his wildest dreams! What could this be? Well you will just have to read this short story for yourself! Free On-line Short Stories For Kids: The Girl Who Believed In Fairies The fairy queen is upset and the elves just don't know what to do: "Oh dear, oh dear," sobbed the queen, getting her hankie all wet with her constant crying. For the twelfth time that day, Elgie the chief elf took her hankie and wrung it out on to the carpet of grass that grew all around the palace." How will they manage to help the queen? Why was she so unhappy? There is only one person that can help! Can she do it? This is a lovely fairy tale that will glow the embers of your heart - only for young girls! Free On-line Short Stories For Kids: The Envious Kings This story is suitable for 6 years and upwards. Unfolding in the story pages of this recommendation is a children's story about two kings who were competing with each other: "In spite of the easy life that the two kings had, they were not happy, for each of them kept thinking that the other one had a bigger and better palace, or owned more horses, or had more jewels or even had creamier milk." They were both petty and, through their envy, they caused themselves much trouble. Who do you think saved the day? Well, you will just have to read the story to find out! Free On-line Short Stories For Kids: The Wise Old Woman This story is probably suited to the 8 years old age range and upwards, although would appeal to adults, alike. Here I introduce you to one of my kids on-line stories listed on the writing and literature section of Hubpages. In this parable you will find a magical world of wisdom involving trees, people and someone very special. "As she stood and watched, the knowledge melted into her and the sapling grew...The magical transition took her breath away and as she watched on with ore, she noticed something strange." So, what was this strangeness and magical transition? Let me leave you with wonderment ... and a click of the link! Free On-line Short Stories For Kids: Unusual Stories - Faffenburger's Odyssey This story is probably more suited to the older child. So who is Faffenburger? Well with one of these free on-line short stories for kids, we enter into a different realm. A world of nonsense as Faffenburger moves within alpha and omega. This is a rather unusual story as you will find out! "My friend, Henry Faffenburger stomped down the long lane on his short stumpy legs, moonlight glancing off his bald-spot, which was a little surprising as there was no moon that night. As he rounded the bend, he saw a pair of headlights coming toward him. They drew level, and stopped. A small man with yellow eyes emerged from the darkness behind the lights, and enquired if Faffenburger would like a lift. "Where are you going ?" asked my friend. "Wherever you want to go", replied the owner of the yellow eyes." So, the adventure begins! Where will they go? Alpha, Omega or just the middle? After all, it was a long summer - especially the middle! Take a closer look at this - you might find something a little more strange and a little more hidden that you have noticed before. Intrigued? Well you should be with Faffenburger's Odyssey! Who will most probably find the passage useful? A parents with children B children who love to surf the Internet C teachers in high school D experts who concern children Answer: A. parents with children Mr Robin had his house in a tree. His four baby robins lived in it. They grew very fast. Soon the house was too little for them. "It is time for you to fly," said Mr Robin. "Oh, we can not fly," said the baby robins. "You can, if you try, " said Mr Robin. A robin tried. He flew into a tree. "Oh, how interesting!" said the little robin. "I like to fly. See me go!" Then the other robins tried. In a little while they could all fly. The robins could fly, but they could not sing. "No, Dad, we can not sing." "You can, if you try. Hear the other birds sing. Look at the pretty flowers and the blue sky. Then you will want to sing. Hear me sing to you. Now sing for me." One little robin sang. Then they all sang. A little girl came by. "Wow, hear the birds sing!" she said. "How happy they are!" What did the girl think of the birds? A They were poor. B They were rude. C They were happy. D They were sad. Answer: C. They were happy. The blue eyes that looked at him from outside the door were like the light through a maginifying glass when it is at its brightest and smallest, when paper and leaves begin to smoke. "Hey . " said the man in the door. " Remember me? " " Yes. " the boy said. whispering. "Rick. " He felt so surprised to see Rick. All of Rick seemed to be shown in the eyes. With a strong feeling that ought to have hurt him. " You knew me." Rick said. " You hadn't forgotten. " " You're--just the same. " the boy said. and felt much thankful. He seemed even to be wearing the same clothes, the same blue shirt and grey trousers. He was thin, but he was built to be lean; and he was still, or again. sunburnt. After everything, the slow white smile still showed the slight feeling of happiness. " Let's look at you." Rick said, dropping into a chair. Then slowly he felt more at home, and he became once more just Rick as if nothing had happened. There were lines about his eyes. and deeper lines on his cheeks. but he looked like-just Rick, lined by sunfight and smiling. " When I look at you." he said, " You make me think about me, for we look like each other. " " Yes, " said the boy, eagerly, " they all think we both look like my grandfather. " From the passage we can tell that the boy _ . A was worried that Rick had forgotten him B was proud of what Rick had done C was pleased to see Rick D wondered where Rick had been Answer: C. was pleased to see Rick
Question: Fiji is a beautiful country which consists of many islands. It's located in the South Pacific and it's famous for its beautiful scenery. Here are some family resorts for you. Shangri-La's Fijian Resort &Spa, Yanuca Island (4.5stars) Hitting the top spot once again is the worthy Shangri-La's Fijian Resort and Spa, Situated on its own private island, the resort is an easy 45 minutes by road from the airport. Idyllic island landscapes of tropical gardens and white sand beaches, with swimming right off shore, wait for the visitors. Kids stay and eat free, making the Shangri-la an affordable tropical stay. www. shangri-la.com The Naviti Resort, Coral Coast(4 stars) Located on the famous Coral Coast, this resort is popular with Australian families looking for value and quality. Kids rule at the Rugg Rats Club while there are also specialized teenager activities that will keep them busy both on resort grounds and beyond. Meanwhile, the whole family will enjoy outstanding facilities including 9-hole golf course, swim-up bar, fully equipped gym and giant chess board. www.warwicknaviti.com Mana Island Resort&Spa, Mana Island (4 stars) Learning about Fijian culture is a big part of the Vonu kids' Club at Mana Island, with activities including palm weaving, local games and shell collecting which are all part of the fun. Add to these two pools, a large playground, plenty of water sports. www.manafiji.com Sheraton Denarau Villas (5 stars) Sheraton Denarau Villas are specially designed to suit families, with dining areas, kitchen and laundry facilities plus the convenience of full hotel facilities. These are family-friendly activities on offer including fish feeding, Iawn bowls, boating and a special children's program. www. sheraton.com/denarauvillasoffers Which of the following may offer the best service based on their standard? A. Shangri-La's Fijian Resort&Spa B. Sheraton Denarau Villas C. Mana Island Resort&Spa D. The Naviti Resort, Coral Coast Answer: B. Sheraton Denarau Villas Question: Kate lives in London with her parents. She is a schoolgirl. Today is Kate's birthday and she's fifteen years old. Her father's name is Smith. He works in a hospital. People think he is a good doctor. Kate's mother is a nurse. She is a very good nurse. Kate has two brothers and a sister, and they study in China. Her elder brother speaks Chinese very well and has many friends there. He is a college student. But her younger brother and sister are middle-school students. Both of them are studying Chinese very hard and want to be teachers of Chinese in their country . Her younger brother and sister want to teach _ people Chinese. A. English B. American C. Chinese D. China Answer: A. English Question: A strong earthquake struck the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan on Saturday, killing more than 30 people and injuring hundreds of others, local authorities said on April 20th 2013. The quake struck Ya'an just after 8 a.m. local time about 115 kilometers (70 miles) away from the provincial capital, Chengdu, at a depth of around 12 kilometers, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. There was conflicting information about the earthquake's strength, with the USGS putting the magnitude at 6.6 and the China Earthquake Networks Center gauging it at 7.0. Earthquakes happen without warning. They can happen any time of a day, at any point during the year. When an earthquake is happening, you should know what you should do or not do. Do NOT go outside. You could get injured from falling glass or parts of buildings. If you are outside, stay away from buildings and power lines. Stay under a desk, table, or other strong furniture. Hold on to it. Or stay in a corner of the building. Cover your face and head with your arms and cover your mouth with a towel or clothing. Stay inside until shaking stops and it is safe to go outside. Keep away from pictures or advertisements on the wall or the building, and anything else that could fall and hurt you. Most people get injured by falling things during an earthquake, not by the shaking itself. Also keep away from a fire. You could fall down and burn yourself on the fire. If you are driving when an earthquake happens, stop the car if it's safe. Stay inside your car until the earthquake stops, and don't drive near bridges. Try not to stop by power lines or trees. These could fall and hurt you. From this passage,about the earthquake on Saturday, we know _ . A. the earthquake's strength is 7.0 according to the USGS's information B. the earthquake is 115 miles away from the provincial capital, Chengdu C. the earthquake killed hundreds of the locals D. the earthquake struck Ya'an about 12 kilometers in depth Answer: D. the earthquake struck Ya'an about 12 kilometers in depth Question: Captain Goodfellow Do your children enjoy interesting stories, funny games, and exciting dances? Captain Goodfellow will be ready to teach all these things to children of all ages at the City Theatre on Saturday morning at 10:00, free. Walking Tour of the Town Forget your worries on Saturday morning. Take a beautiful walk and learn about local history. Meet at the front entrance of City Hall at 9:30. Wear comfortable shoes! Films at the Museum Two European films will be shown on Saturday afternoon at the Museum Theatre. See Broken Window at 1:30. The Workers will be at 3:45. For further information, call 4987898. International Picnic Are you tired of eating the same food every day? Come to Central Park on Saturday and enjoy food from all over the world. Delicious and not expensive. Noon to 5:00 p.m. Take Me out to the Ballgame It's October, and tonight is your last chance to see the Redbirds this year. Get your tickets at the gate. It might be cold... Don't forget sweaters and jackets. Do you want to hear "The Zoo"? "The Zoo, a popular group from Australia, will give their first U.S. concert tomorrow night at 8 at Rose Hall, City College. You can probably eat Chinese, Italian, and Arab food _ . A. at the front entrance of City Hall B. at the Ballgame C. at 5:00 p.m. D. at Central Park on Saturday Answer: D. at Central Park on Saturday Question: Let me tell you my pen friend Ivan. He is 12 years old. He likes playing football. He usually play football with his friends at weekends. Ivan lives with his father and mother in a city in France. They have a dream home with five rooms, a swimming pool and a garden. They often have a party in the garden at weekends. They like to help their neighbours. His home is not near his school, so Ivan takes a bus for an hour and then walks for 10 minutes to school. There is a Basketball Club near his school. He likes play basketball in the club. Ivan's father is a worker. He is busy. Ivan's mother is a doctor. She is nice to the patients. Ivan wants to be a teacher when he grows up. I want to be a teacher, too. Every month Ivan writes two letters to me. He'll come to Suqian next year. We'll meet then. What are Ivan's hobbies? A. Basketball and swimming B. football and basketball C. Football and swimming D. Reading and swimming Answer: B. football and basketball
United States President George W. Bush is expected to issue a directive in the next few weeks. It will give the US Air Force a green light for the development of space weapons, US media reported last week. This would potentially start a new global arms race, some experts have warned. To keep that from happening, last Wednesday the White House explained that it was not considering putting weapons in space. It said it was making a shift in US space policy to allow for protection of satellites. But some defense analysts and arms control advocates argue that the policy will pave the way for the US to put both defensive and offensive weapons in space. "No one should be fooled," said Theresa Hitchens, an American weapons expert. The US is now restricted by a 1996 directive signed by President Bill Clinton. Plans for space weapons were vetoed by the Clinton cabinet. The directive emphasized the peaceful use of space , in agreement with almost unanimous global opinion. The US military has placed importance on space and has sent up numberous satellites for troop communications and to provide intelligence and data to guide bombs to their targets. The US Air Force wants to develop space- based weapons that could strike targets anywhere in the world within 90 minutes of receiving the order to open fire. These new weapons under development cover a wide range. They include hunter- killer satellites and orbiting weapons. And they use lasers, radio waves, or even dense metal tubes, known as " Rods from God", dropped from space to do the damage. There are many barriers to the setting up of this kind of program, experts say. First is the coast. It is estimated that the budget may be US $220 billion to US $ 1 trillion . The technical difficulties of developing reliable space weapons are also a problem. And, the program will draw strong criticism from around the world. Experts worry about starting a space arms race. Which of the following might be the best title for the passage? The summer has seen a series of marine disputes involving China, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan and the Philippines. This week there were more anti-Japanese riots in cities across China because of a dispute over a group of uninhabited islands known to the Japanese as the Senkakus and to the Chinese as the Diaoyu Islands. One Chinese newspaper has helpfully suggested skipping the pointless diplomacy and moving straight to the main course by serving up Japan with an atom bomb. The government in Beijing is trying to play down the dispute, aware of the economic interests in keeping the peace. China is re-emerging after what it sees as 150 years of humiliation, surrounded by anxious neighbours, many of them allied to America. In that context, disputes about _ could become very significant. Whatever the legality of Japan's claim to the islands, its roots lie in empire-building. China's leaders now face sharp criticism if they do not fight their country's corner. A recent poll suggested that over half of China's citizens thought the next few years would see a "military dispute" with Japan. The islands matter, therefore, less because of fishing, oil or gas than as counters in the high-stakes game for Asia's future. Japan, Vietnam and the Philippines fear that if they give in, China will sense weakness and prepare the next demand. China fears that if it fails to press its case, America and others will conclude that they are free to scheme against it. Asia's inability to deal with the islands raises doubts about how it would cope with a genuine crisis, on the Korean peninsula, say, or across the Strait of Taiwan. And the tendency for the slightest quarrel to turn into a full-blown conflict presents problems for America, which both aims to reassure China that it welcomes its rise, and also uses the threat of military force to guarantee that the Pacific is worthy of the name. Which of the following is TRUE? Name:Off the Beaten Path Cover price:$30.00 Our price:$19.80 The best-selling Reader's Digest travel book has 40% new content including over 200 new sites, over 200 new full-color photographs, and all-new, up-to-date maps. It focuses on more than 1, 000 of the United States' most overlooked must-see destinations. Name:Container Gardens by Number Cover price:$ 15.95 Our price:$9.49 A unique book contains 50 easy-to-follow container designs. Each design provides a simple numbered planting plan that shows exactly how to create each display, with an instruction of the finished planter and in-depth plant information. The plans are easy to follow and for any type of living space or garden. Name:Best Weekend Projects Cover price:$ 17.95 Our price:$13.96 Choose from 80 unique ideas to create an extraordinary living space. The projects are practical, as well as attractive, and will improve your home and yard and can be made in a weekend. These 80 well-designed projects are presented in a clear, easy-to-follow style that addresses readers in an accessible, user-friendly tone. Name:l80l Home Remedies Cover price:$ 40.00 Our price:$ 29.96 Plenty of health complaints can be handled at home. Each and every remedy will be tested by a doctor to make sure it is safe and sound. Dozens of conditions are covered, from headaches, sunburn, bad breath, and blisters(;)to allergies, and hiccups . Which of the following could help you to deal with common diseases without a doctor? On a hot summer's day Jonathan and his classmates were anxiously sitting in their classroom, waiting for the final bell of the day to sound. Jonathan prayed that the bell would ring soon, because he wanted to quickly run home before the three huge, fat, smelly bullies could see him. Every day the three bullies would wait there for an innocent school kid to tease and bully. The moment the bell sounded, Jonathan rushed out with his bag. He sped off across the school field and out onto the walkway. However, all of his effort was useless because leaning on a fence were the three bullies. Jonathan thought about crossing the street next to him, but it would be too risky. So he hid behind a small bush in hope that the three would leave. But he moved too quickly and was seen by one of the bullies. They approached him then. One bully grabbed Jonathan by the collar of his shirt and grabbed the money out of Jonathan's pocket and put it into his own. "G-Give it back", Jonathan weakly said. "G-G-Give it b-back", mocked the bully. The other two bullies laughed. Beside them was a small dirty stream. "Let's throw him in there", said one of the bullies. Then they threw Jonathan into the stream and walked off down the walkway. Jonathan shakily picked himself up out of the creek and continued his walk home with his head down and tears in his eyes. He dared not cry because he knew boys didn't cry. Jonathan arrived at his house where his mother was waiting outside the front door with an angry look on her face. "Why are you so late and dirty?" she asked curiously. "I slipped", he quietly replied. Jonathan didn't tell the truth to his mother because _ . Roman Pantheon is one of the greatest achievements of the ancient Romans. The ancient Romans were good architects and they built many wonderful buildings. Another good example of a Roman architectural style is the Roman Coliseum, which is a large building used for public sports events or entertainment. The Roman architectural style has been borrowed by many of the western countries. The architecture of Pantheon is unique to Rome. In Latin and Greek, pantheon means "Temple of all the Gods". Marcus Agrippa built the original Pantheon in 27 BC. But the Pantheon built by Agrippa was completely destroyed in 80 AD when a fire broke out. The Roman Pantheon that is visited by many tourists today was rebuilt in 125 AD by the Roman emperor Hadrian. Hadrian's architects followed the exact design of Marcus Agrippa. Historians believe that the Pantheon was a place of worship because it housed all the gods and goddesses of the ancient Romans. The Pantheon of Rome is an amazing example of ancient Roman architecture. This building has been in use for over 2000 years. The Roman Pantheon is famous for its design, size. The most unbelievable feature of this building is its huge concrete dome . The Pantheon's dome was thought to be the largest, until recent times. Phocas, the Byzantine Emperor presented the Roman Pantheon to Pope Boniface IV to save it from the destruction. In 609 AD, it was turned into a church. During Papal rule, it was used as a burial ground for kings and other famous people. There are tombs of Raphael (a painter), King Victor Emmanuel II, King Umberto I and many more in the Pantheon. Some of the buildings that were constructed on the model of the Roman Pantheon are The Rotunda - University of Virginia, Low Memorial Library - Columbia University, Grand Auditorium - Tsinghua University, Jefferson Memorial - Washington D.C. and Duomo - Florence. The Pantheon which tourists visit at present was built in _ .
Zebras cannot clap. However, one weekend a magic clown wiggled his nose and said a few magical words and a zebra could clap. This zebra lived in a zoo with many other zebras. This zebra's name was John, John the Zebra. John was so excited that he could clap. He tried to clap as much as he could. He had trouble understanding when and what to clap. He would clap at things that were sad and things that were happy. He clapped when he was excited and when he was scared. He even clapped that he could clap. After a couple of weeks, his friend Sam was getting annoyed with John. He said "John, I know you like clapping but I am beginning to be annoyed by your clapping." John said he was sorry, but that Sam did not understand how special it was to be the first Zebra that could clap. A few more weeks went by and the same Magical clown came by John's zoo. He looked at John, who was clapping his heart out, and wiggled his nose and said some different magical words. Suddenly, John could not clap any more. And that month was first and only time a zebra could clap. Who was annoyed by John's clapping? Answer: He lost his arms in an accident that claimed his father's life--who was the main source of support for the family. Since then, he has had to depend on the arms of his younger brother. For the sake of taking care of him, his younger brother became his shadow, never leaving him alone for years. Except for writing with his toes, he was completely unable to do anything in his life. One late night, he suffered from diarrhea and had to wake up his younger brother. His younger brother accompanied him into the toilet and then went back to dorm to wait. But being so tired, his younger brother fell asleep, leaving him on the toilet for two hours till the teacher on duty discovered him. As the two brothers grew up together, they had their share of problems and they would often quarrel. Then one day, his younger brother wanted to live separate from him, living his own life, as many normal people do. So he was heart-broken and didn't know what to do. A similar misfortune happened to a girl, too. One night her mother, who suffered from chronic mental illness, disappeared. So her father went out looking for her mother, leaving her alone at home. She tried to prepare meals for her parents, only to overturn the kerosene light on the stove, resulting in a fire which took her hands away. Though her elder sister, who was studying in another city, showed her willingness to take care of her, she was determined to be completely independent. At school, she always studied hard. Most of all she learned to be self-dependent. Once she wrote the following in her composition: "I am lucky. Though I lost my arms, I still have legs; I am lucky." Though my wings are broken, my heart can still fly." One day, the boy and the girl were both invited to appear on a television interview program. The boy told the TV host about his uncertain future at being left on his own, whereas the girl was full of enthusiasm for her life. They both were asked to write something on a piece of paper with their toes. The boy wrote: My younger brother's arms are my arms; while the girl wrote: Broken wings, flying heart. They had both endured the same misfortune, but their different attitudes determined the nature of their lives. It is true that life is unpredictable. Disasters can strike at any time. How you handle misfortune when confronted with it actually is the true test of your character. If you choose only to complain and escape from the misfortune, it will always follow you wherever you go. But if you decide to be strong, the hardship will turn out to be fortune on which new hopes will arise. When the girl wrote the words: Broken wings, flying heart, she really meant _ . Answer: But that did not really surprise me much. I knew very well that in addition to the great planets-- such as the Earth, Jupiter, Mars, Venus-- to which we have given names, there are also hundreds of others, some of which are so small that one has a hard time seeing them through the telescope. When an astronomer discovers one of these he does not give it a name, but only a number. He might call it, for example, "Asteroid 325." I have serious reason to believe that the planet from which the little prince came is the asteroid known as B-612. This asteroid has only once been seen through the telescope. That was by a Turkish astronomer, in 1909. On making his discovery, the astronomer had presented it to the International Astronomical Congress, in a great demonstration . But he was in Turkish costume, and so nobody would believe what he said. Grown-ups are like that... Fortunately, however, for the reputation of Asteroid B-612, a Turkish dictator made a law that his subjects should change to European costume under pain of death .So in 1920 the astronomer gave his demonstration all over again, dressed with impressive style and elegance. And this time everybody accepted his report. If I have told you these details about the asteroid, and made a note of its number for you, it is for the grown-ups and their ways. When you tell them that you have made a new friend, they never ask you any questions about essential matters. They never say to you, "What does his voice sound like? What games does he love best? Does he collect butterflies?" Instead, they demand: "How old is he? How many brothers has he? How much money does his father make?" If you were to say to the grown-ups: "I saw a beautiful house made of rosy brick, with geraniums in the windows and doves on the roof," they would not be able to get any idea of that house at all. You would have to say to them: "I saw a house that cost $20,000." Then they would cry out: "Oh, what a pretty house that is!" _ , if you say to them: "The proof that the little prince existed is that he was charming, that he laughed, and that he was looking for a sheep." And what good would it do to tell them that? They would shrug their shoulders, and treat you like a child. But if you said to them: "The planet he came from is Asteroid B-612," then they would be convinced, and leave you free from their questions. They are like that. One must not hold it against them. Children should always show great forbearance toward grown-up people. But certainly, for us who understand life, figures are a matter of indifference . Which of the following might be the most suitable word for the blank? Answer: The ruins of Moore, Oklahoma, a town destructed for the fourth time in 14 years by a major tornado , are a reminder that current building codes can't do much to prevent property destruction and loss of life, especially when a powerful tornado cuts through town. But the total death number can be reduced when people take shelter in underground storm bunkers and hardened safe rooms. The tornado that carved a path of destruction through Moore took 24 lives. Its winds were clocked at 400 kilometers per hour. With only 15 minutes' warning, residents fled town or took refuge in the firmest corners of their homes. The luckiest were able to climb into shelters or move to safe rooms. In Moore those rooms saved lives. But at two schools destroyed by Monday's tornado, no such shelter was available. Leslie Chapman Henderson is CEO of a non-profit group called the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes. She's an advocate for tornado safe rooms. "The safe room is an interior room of the home that has been reinforced and tested to withstand high wind. In fact, we've already heard of stories of survival of people who were in safe rooms, either above or below ground," she said. Better storm forecasts give people more time to react. But they need someplace safe to go. Buildings can be built to resist strong winds, but not like those in the F-5 tornado that touched down in Moore. Chapman Henderson says even the building codes that do exist are not widely adopted or enforced. As its residents prepare to rebuild, Moore's mayor is pushing for an order to make safe rooms compulsory in all new construction. Similar proposals were made following each of the previous tornado strikes, but none were adopted. According to Chapman Henderson, which of the following does she probably agree with? Answer: Benjamin Franklin is remembered as an inventor, author, statesman, and signer of the Declaration of Independence. But all great people were kids once and got into naughty. In writing about his life, Franklin recalled a youthful event that he later regretted. Franklin was born in Boston in 1706. His father, whom Ben admired and respected, was a soapmaker and candlemaker with a large family. At the age of ten, Ben was taken out of school and put to work in the shop. Ben described his duties as "cutting wick for the candles, filling the dipping mold .But of course he preferred playing outdoors with his friends. One such plot is told here in his own words. "There was a saltwetland that bounded part of the millpond, on the edge of which, at high water, we used to stand to fish for minnows . By much abuse, we had made it a only quagmire . My proposal was to build a wharf there fit for us to stand upon, and I showed my comrades a large pile of stones, which were intended for a new house near the wetland, and which would very well suit our purpose. Accordingly, in the evening, when the workmen were gone, I gathered a number of my playfellows, and working with them diligently like so many ants, sometimes two or three to a stone, we brought them all away and built our little wharf. The next morning the workmen were surprised at missing the stones, which were found in our wharf. Inquiry was made after the removers;we were discovered and complained of;several of us were corrected by our fathers;and, though I pleaded the usefulness of the work, mine convinced me that nothing was useful which was not honest." Why did Franklin regret a youthful event that he did? Answer:
Does school start too early? Judging from the teenagers who yawn in class, it does. And those students aren't just lazy. Scientific studies have shown that school does start too early for young students. According to a series of studies done across the U.S., the later classes begin, the more academic performance improves. Boys and girls naturally stay up later and sleep in later. The trend begins around age 13 or 14 and peaks between 17 and 19.The teens also need more sleep in general, so forcing them to be up early for school cuts into their sleep time as well as their sleep rhythm, making them less ready to learn during those first-period classes. Practice is proving the science. Hundreds of school districts in the U.S. have experimented with later start times and the academic performance of students has improved as a result. A study of 9,000 high school students in three states showed that grades in science, math, English and social studies all rose when school began at 8:35 or later. What's more, attendance goes up and student depression goes down. The later school starts, the better the result, too. According to a study, delaying the opening bell from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. paid off more than delaying only until 8:00 a.m. Students who get at least eight hours of sleep, and preferably nine, perform better than those who do not, so a greater delay raises the chances of achieving those numbers. So, it turns out morning class is just too early for students to learn chemistry equations or study an ancient poem. If you cannot change the school schedule, adjusting your own timetable to ensure eight hours' sleep can also help you perform better at school. According to the article, students can obtain relatively enough sleep by _ . A. changing the sleep rhythm B. changing the opening bell C. adjusting their own schedule D. sleeping as late as possible Answer: C. adjusting their own schedule A program in the United States invites young people to visit a prison. The goal is to teach them to avoid bad choices and bad influences that could put them behind bars for life. Students can take a tour of the prison, in school groups or by themselves.At the end, the young people sit down for a discussion with some of the _ . The program is called Prisoners Against Teen Tragedy, or PATT. It takes place at the Maryland Correctional Institution-HagerstoWn, a medium-security prison for men. Sal Mauriello, a case specialist, said,"We have a group of eleven _ who are in the PATT program. They tell the youth what they went through as a child, what their crimes consist of. They try to teach them about peer pressure . They try to teach them about bad choices." The Prisoners Against Teen Tragedy program also includes an essay-writing contest, and most teens who visit come to understand what even one bad decision can mean. Prisoners Against Teen Tragedy began in 1988. It is one of Maryland's oldest programs to keep young people from a life of crime. But there are also others. Prison spokesman Mark Vernarelli said, "We found that girls really need special sit-down sessions sometimes more than boys do, so we have a program for girls only. we also have a program that travels across the state,which talks about the dangers of gang affiliation ." The prisoners in the PATT program also gain from the program. It offers them a chance to help repay society for their crimes, and keep others from following in their footsteps. We can infer from the text that _ . A. PATT is a win-win program B. students should not make friends with prisoners C. teachers must accompany students in PATT D. students help improve the conditions of the prison Answer: A. PATT is a win-win program Seated in a convertible with the top down at 60 miles an hour,Mary looked at the flies that sat on top of Mark's hair.How could they stay there?She wondered. Mary had not seen Mark in years,until the other day when he came into the cafe where she worked.His appearance was different from when he was in high school.Now,he was a bit fat and thick glasses covered his eyes.However,that didn't change Mary's feelings for him at all.He had just bought a brand new red sports car and asked her if she would like to go for a ride and then have dinner with him.Her heart beat with excitement as he opened the door for her.She noticed something very strange as Mark got into the car started to drive away.On the hair was a group of flies just sitting there. Mary stared in amazement.It seemed the faster they drove,the more determined the flies were to stick to his hair. Mary remained silent.She leaned forward and turned the radio on,to try to divert her attention away from the flies,but she couldn't help thinking about them.She looked up at Mark,who was completely devoted to what was going on and continued to sing to the music while driving merrily along. Finally,Mark pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road beside a diner and looked in the mirror and said,"May,I would like to comb my hair before we get something to cat.Could you reach under the seat and give me my hair cream?" Mary reached under the seat and pulled cut a camping backpack,which contained a round jar and started to laugh wildly as she pointed to the label . "That's not hair cream on your hair,Mark!It says it's Fly Trap Glue !" What did Mary probably do? A. A car saleswoman. B. A waitress. C. A cook. D. A driver. Answer: B. A waitress. My bike was a three-speed English "racer", purchased during my second year in college in November 1964 for $44. Most of the money was earned by myself in my spare time, but I had to get my mother to help me out a little. At that time, bikes were rare on a college campus. My reason for getting a bicycle was a little strange. A friend of mine convinced me to take a summer job selling door-to-door and suggested that I should use a bicycle to travel between houses. The job didn't work out, but was in my brain. That fall, I borrowed another student's bike and rode 45 miles on the first day, but his bike soon had a flat which he didn't like fixing. So I had to buy one. I immediately started using mine almost every day. Before getting the bike, I sometimes walked 28 miles to my parents' house. Now the bike gave me a quicker method, but my first trip took four hours due to strong headwinds that had me fight for every foot. Once I made a trip of 100 miles in one day. I decided to use the bike to go camping in the Smokies. During the trip, I recognized the need for handlebars and more gears, so I bought a ten-speed after just one year though I loved this bike. The first bike "hung around" for a couple of years, and then I gave it to my sister's kids who let it become part of their lives. What can we learn from the passage? A. His mother gave him some money when he bought the first bike. B. The first bike was a gift from his mother. C. He bought the first bike for racing. D. He wanted to buy a bike because all his classmates had one. Answer: A. His mother gave him some money when he bought the first bike. When it comes to success in business and success in life, there are few qualities as important as confidence. People naturally have different levels of confidence.Some have a higher level of confidence than others do, but even those whose confidence is lacking can learn to build their level of confidence and reach their most important goals.Increasing self confidence is one of the most common reasons people give for seeking the help of psychologists and other professionals. One of the many places where a greater level of confidence is useful is in the workplace.We all know how difficult it can be, for instance, to ask the boss for a raise.This process can be extremely difficult for those who lack confidence in their own abilities.After all, if you are unsure about your own abilities, how will you ever convince your boss that you deserve more money for the work you do? Even if you are not asking for that big raise, having plenty of confidence in your abilities is important to success.If you are certain of your abilities, chances are that those around you, whether they are your coworkers, your colleagues or your superiors, will see that confidence, and that will help to assure them that you are the best at what you do. Being thought of as the person to go to, and being seen as an expert in your chosen field, is naturally very important to success on the job.If you can make yourself the person people go to for guidance and advice, you will help to protect yourself from the ever present danger of downsizing .After all, if you are a recognized expert at the office, you will be regarded as an indispensable member of the team. Having a high level of confidence, after all, does not mean overlooking the places where you could improve.Knowing what you do well and where you need help will help you enjoy increased success and confidence. Psychologists and other professionals can offer help to those _ . A. who dream to be recognized experts B. who expect to give guidance to others C. who want to ask the boss for a raise D. who think their goals are hard to reach Answer: D. who think their goals are hard to reach
My first visit to London was one and a half years ago. It was a wonderful trip. I stayed in the city for three weeks, and I had many impressions. I visited all the famous places. I'd like to tell you about some of the places I visited in this beautiful city. First, I went to the Tower of London, and I want to say that it is a very interesting historical place. I found out that a long time ago, it was a prison. Later it became a castle for the royal family. Or maybe it is the reverse; I'm not sure, but later they left this place and lived in Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace. I also enjoyed visiting the House of Parliament and Westminster Abbey, two very popular places for tourists. They are very old and beautiful. The Abbey is built in a kind of Gothic style; it is fantastic. In London, you can also enjoy nature. There are many parks such as Hyde Park, Green Park, and Holland Park. These parks are wonderful green, quiet places where you can relax and escape the noise of the city. Trafalgar Square is a popular place for students and other young people. You will find lots of pigeons there. If you have time, you can feed them and they will be very happy. You can buy special food for them, but be careful! Tons of birds are going to surround you if you feed them. Another very special place in London that I like is St. Paul's Cathedral which was designed by Sir Christopher Wren. I also was impressed with the museums in London. They're very popular. I found them interesting because you can learn about the history of England. I had a wonderful time in London. I really liked it because it is a city that is rich in history. What is attractive to you most in Trafalgar Square? Answer: Feeding the pigeons Your body, which has close relations with the food you eat, is the most important thing you own, so it needs proper treatment and proper nourishment . The old saying "an apple a day keeps the doctor away." is not as silly as some people think. The body needs fruit and vegetables because they contain vitamins. Many people take extra vitamins in pill form , believing that these will make them healthy. But a good diet is made up of nutritive food and this gives all the vitamins you need. The body doesn't need or use extra vitamins, so why they waste money on them? In the modern Western world, many people are too busy to bother about eating properly. They throw anything into their stomachs, eating hurriedly and carelessly. The list of illnesses caused or made worse by bad eating habits is frightening. From the passage we can draw a conclusion that if we want to keep healthy, we should _ . Answer: eat properly ." Those words were some of the last penned by George Eastman. He included them in his suicide note. They mark an ignoble end to a noble life, the leave taking of a truly great man. The same words could now be said for the company he left behind. Actually, the Eastman Kodak Company is through. It has been mismanaged financially, technologically and competitively. For 20 years, its leaders have foolishly spent down the patrimony of a century's prosperity. One of America's bedrock brands is about to disappear, the Kodak moment has passed. But George Eastman is not how he died, and the Eastman Kodak Company is not how it is being killed. Though the ends be needless and premature, they must not be allowed to overshadow the greatness that came before. Few companies have done so much good for so many people, or defined and lifted so profoundly the spirit of a nation and perhaps the world. It is impossible to understand the 20th Century without recognizing the role of the Eastman Kodak Company. Kodak served mankind through entertainment, science, national defense and the stockpiling of family memories. Kodak took us to the top of Mount Suribachi and to the Sea of Tranquility. It introduced us to the merry old Land of Oz and to stars from Charlie Chaplin to John Wayne, and Elizabeth Taylor to Tom Hanks. It showed us the shot that killed President Kennedy, and his brother bleeding out on a kitchen floor, and a fallen Martin Luther King Jr. on the hard balcony of a Memphis motel. When that sailor kissed the nurse, and when the spy planes saw missiles in Cuba, Kodak was the eyes of a nation. From the deck of the Missouri to the grandeur of Monument Valley, Kodak took us there. Virtually every significant image of the 20th Century is a gift to posterity from the Eastman Kodak Company. In an era of easy digital photography, when we can take a picture of anything at any time, we cannot imagine what life was like before George Eastman brought photography to people. Yes, there were photographers, and for relatively large sums of money they would take stilted pictures in studios and formal settings. But most people couldn't afford photographs, and so all they had to remember distant loved ones, or earlier times of their lives, was memory. Children could not know what their parents had looked like as young people, grandparents far away might never learn what their grandchildren looked like. Eastman Kodak allowed memory to move from the uncertainty of recollection, to the permanence of a photograph. But it wasn't just people whose features were savable; it was events, the sacred and precious times that families cherish. The Kodak moment, was humanity's moment. And it wasn't just people whose features were savable; it was events, the precious times that familes cherish. Kodak let the fleeting moments of birthdays and weddings, picnics and parties, be preserved and saved. It allowed for the creation of the most egalitarian art form. Lovers could take one another's pictures, children were photographed walking out the door on the first day of school, decided what was worth recording, and hundreds of millions of such decisions were made. And for centuries to come, those long dead will smile and dance and communicate to their unborn progeny. Family history will be not only names on paper, but smiles on faces. The cash flow not just provided thousands of people with job, but also allowed the company's founder to engage in some of the most generous philanthropy in America's history. Not just in Kodak's home city of Rochester, New York, but in Tuskegee and London, and at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He bankrolled two historically black colleges, fixed the teeth of Europe's poor, and quietly did good wherever he could. While doing good, Kodak did very well. Over all the years, all the Kodakers over all the years are essential parts of that monumental legacy. They prospered a great company, but they - with that company - blessed the world. That is what we should remember about the Eastman Kodak Company. Like its founder, we should remember how it lived, not how it died. History will forget the small men who have scuttled this company. But history will never forget Kodak. What is the writer's attitude towards the Eastman Kodak Company? Answer: Respectful Many years ago,a French naturalist,the Count de Buffon,wrote some books about natural history.The books were a great success even though some critics did not like them.Some critics said,"Count Buffon is more of a poet than a scientist." Thomas Jefferson did not like what the Count had said about the natural wonders of the New World.It seemed to Jefferson that the Count had spoken of natural wonders in America as if they were unimportant. This troubled Thomas Jefferson.He too was a naturalist,as well as a farmer,inventor,historian,writer and politician.He had seen the natural wonders of Europe.To him,they were no more important than those of the New World. In 1788,Thomas Jefferson wrote about his home state,Virginia.While writing,he thought of its natural beauty and then of the words of the Count de Buffon.At that moment.Jefferson created a new word--belittle.He said."The Count de Buffon believes that nature belittles her productions on this side of the Atlantic." Noah Webster,the American word expert,liked this word.He put it in this English language dictionary in 1806,"Belittle--to make small,unimportant." Americans had already accepted Jefferson's word and started to use it.In 1797,the Independent Chronicle newspaper used the word to describe a politician the paper supported."He is an honorable man,"the paper wrote,"so let the opposition try to belittle him as much as they please." In 1872,a famous American word expert decided that the time had come to kill this word.He said,"Belittle has no chance of becoming English.And as more critical writers of America,like those of Britain,feel no need of it,the sooner it is forgotten,the better." This expert failed to kill the word.Today.belittle is used where the English language is spoken. From the text we can know that . Answer: the word"belittle"survived from disagreements Flight Distance Any observant people have noticed that a wild animal will allow a man or other potential enemy to approach only up to a given distance before it escapes. "Flight distance" is the terms used for this interspecies spacing. As a general rule, there is a positive relationship between the size of an animal and its flight distance --- the larger the animal, the greater the distance it must keep between itself and the enemy. An antelope will escape when the enemy is as much as five hundred yards away. The wall lizard's flight distance, on the other hand, is about six feet. Flight is the basic means of survival for mobile creatures. Critical Distance Critical distance apparently is present wherever and whenever there is a flight reaction. "Critical distance" includes the narrow zone separating flight distance from attack distance. A lion in a zoo will flee from an approaching man until it meets a barrier that it cannot overcome. If the man continues the approach, he soon penetrates(,)the lion's critical distance, at which point the cornered lion turns back and begins slowly stalk the man. Social Distance Social animals need to stay in touch with each other. Loss of contact with the group can be fatal for a variety of reasons including exposure to enemies. Social distance is not simply the distance at which an animal will lose contact with his group --- that is, the distance at which it can no longer see, hear, or smell the group --- it is rather a psychological distance, one at which the animal apparently begins to feel anxious when it goes beyond its limits. We can think of it as a hidden band that contains the group. Social distance varies from species to species. It is quite short --- apparently only a few yards --- among some animals, and quite long among others. Social distance is not always rigidly fixed but is determined in part by the situation. When the young of apes and humans are mobile but not yet under control of the mother's voice, social distance may be the length of her reach. This is readily observed among baboons in a zoo. When the baby approaches a certain point, the mother reaches out to seize the end of its tail and pull it back to her. When added control is needed because of danger, social distance shortens. To show this in man, one has only to watch a family with a number of small children holding hands as they cross a busy street. Which of the following is the most suitable explanation to "Flight distance"? Answer: Distance between an animal and its enemy before escaping
Many experts say that Billy Wilder changed the history of American movies. He is often called the best movie maker Hollywood has ever had. He was known for making movies that offered sharp social comment.Wilder was one of the first directors to do this.Between the middle l930s and the l980s,Billy Wilder made almost fifty movies.During that time he received more than twenty nominations from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.He won six of the Oscar awards.His movies have been seen by people around the world. In l944,Billy Wilder made the film Double Indemnity.Some critics said this movie established him as one of the greatest Hollywood directors.Wilder directed The Lost Weekend in 1945.Ray Milland plays the part of an alcoholic writer in the movie.It shows that alcohol rules his life,yet he does not admit it.He hides alcohol in his home and says he is not drinking. In l950, Wilder made Sunset Boulevard.This movie told of an aging actress in silent movies.She plans to return to movies though facing many problems.In l954,Billy Wilder became an independent producer.The next year,Wilder's first movie as an independent filmmaker was a huge success.It was The Seven Year Ihch.In this movie,a married man wants to cheat on his wife with some of his friends.In l959,Wilder made a funny movie that was very popular.It was Some Like It Hot.It tells about two jazz musicians being chased by criminals.They decide to wear women's clothes and join a band in which all the musicians were women. Wilder died in March,2002.He was ninety--five.A current Hollywood producer said:"Billy Wilder made movies that people will never forget." The text is mainly about _ A. the background of American movies B. Wilder's achievements in American movies C. Wilder's attitude to American movies D. the development of American movies Answer: B. Wilder's achievements in American movies August has always been difficult for me. It is the time when I realize that the books my English teacher assigned to me are not going to read themselves and that I have a difficult month in front of me. You might think that I don't want to spend my summer reading, but that's not the problem: I love reading. On the first day of my summer holidays this year, I went to the library and got "A Gathering of Old Men" by African-American writer Ernest Gaines. I enjoyed it very much. I read all the magazines that my parents subscribe to and spend about 30 minutes every day with the morning paper. So why do I hate summer reading for school? Because the books on summer reading lists are often slow-going and just uninviting. Teachers and librarians don't understand that summer reading can be entertaining as well as educational. They choose books that a friend of my mother's calls "spinach books": good for you, but not much fun to take in. Every summer, I read them, hate them and get bitter about the experience. This bitterness started three years ago when I was about to begin high school. As preparation, my English teacher told me to read "The Age of Innocence" by American author Edith Wharton. I'm sure there are many people who enjoyed "The Age of Innocence"--some might even say it's their favorite book. But I don't think any of these people read it as a 14-year-old boy on his summer vacation. "The Age of Innocence" is the story of a forbidden romance in prefix = st1 /New York100 years ago. At 14, my only experience with romance was my love for baseball. I couldn't imagine being in love, much less being in love in 1900. "The Age of Innocence" was totally different to my life. Most of my required summer reading has been like that--books written in a style that plays up the adjectives and plays down the verbs. I guess teachers don't think exciting plots make for "good literature". To me, though, a good writer describes events and characters in a way that makes the reader want to know what happens next. If I were making up a summer reading list, it would include "The Friends of Eddie Coyle" by George V. Higgins, "The Right Stuff" by Tom Wolfe, and "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer. These are all books that have literary value but, just as important, can also entertain kids on vacation. If the teachers could stand a little fun in the books they assign, my Augusts would be a lot more enjoyable. Which of the following could be the best title of this passage? A. Why Can't Teachers Set Us Fun Books? B. I Don't Like Readingon the Vacation C. Teachers, Don't Set Us Any ReadingAssignments D. Teachers, Set Us Free Answer: A. Why Can't Teachers Set Us Fun Books? We people have homes.Animals have homes,too. Some animals live under the ground.The woodchuck lives in the holes under the ground.His home has two doors.If someone comes in through one door,he will go out through the other door.Some birds live in the holes in the trees.They come out for food during the day and go back to sleep at night.But most birds live iust in the trees.It's very interesting that turtles usually carry their homes on their backs.Bees always work hard to make their homes.Cats,dogs and some other pets live in people's homes.And we can see many kinds of animals in the zoo,so the zoo is also a big home for animals. According to the passage,most birds _ . A. live in the holes in the trees B. come out for food during the day and at night C. live just in the trees D. live under the ground Answer: C. live just in the trees A French woman goes to London to see her son. She knows a little English, but can not speak it very well. One day she goes to a shop. She wants to buy a hen for supper. But she can not remember the English word for "hen". Just then the shop waiter asks her, "Can I help you?" "I want the egg's mother." the woman answered. The shop waiter does not understand her and says, "Sorry, we have not any bigger eggs." Suddenly the woman remembers the word "cock". "I want the cock's wife!" she says. This time the shop waiter laughs. The woman _ . A. only knows a little English B. knows much English C. doesn't know English D. doesn't buy a hen at last Answer: A. only knows a little English The speaker, a teacher from a community college, addressed a sympathetic audience. Heads nodded in agreement when he said, "High school English teachers are not doing their jobs." He described the inadequacies of his students, all high school graduates who can use language only at a grade 9 level. I was unable to determine from his answers to my questions how this grade 9 level had been established. My topic is not standards nor its decline . What the speaker was really saying is that he is no longer young; he has been teaching for sixteen years, and is able to think and speak like a mature adult. My point is that the frequent complaint of one generation about the one immediately following it is inevitable. It is also human nature to look for the reasons for our dissatisfaction. Before English became a school subject in the late nineteenth century, it was difficult to find the target of the blame for language deficiencies . But since then, English teachers have been under constant attack. The complainers think they have hit upon an original idea. As their own command of the language improves, they notice that young people do not have this same ability. Unaware that their own ability has developed through the years, they assume the new generation of young people must be hopeless in this respect. To the eyes and ears of sensitive adults the language of the young always seems inadequate. Since this concern about the decline and fall of the English language is not perceived as a generational phenomenon but rather as something new and peculiar to today's young people, it naturally follows that today's English teachers cannot be doing their jobs. Otherwise, young people would not commit offenses against the language. The speaker the author mentioned in the passage believed that _ . A. the language of the younger generation is usually inferior to that of the older generation B. the students had a poor command of English because they didn't work hard enough C. he was an excellent language teacher because he had been teaching English for sixteen years D. English teachers should be held responsible for the students' poor command of English Answer: D. English teachers should be held responsible for the students' poor command of English
The word "day" has two meanings. When we talk about the number of days in a year, we are using "day" to mean 24 hours. But when we talk about day and night, we are using "day" to mean the time between sunrise and sunset. Since the earth looks like a ball, the sun can shine on only half of it at a time. Always one half of the earth is having day and the other half night. A place is moved from day into night and from night into day over and over by the spinning of the earth. At the equator day and night are sometimes the same length. They are each twelve hours long. The sun rises at 6 in the morning and sets at 6 in the evening. For six months the North Pole is tilted toward the sun. In those months the Northern Hemisphere gets more hours of sunlight than the Southern Hemisphere. Days are longer than nights. South of the equator nights are longer than days. For the other six months the North Pole is tilted away from the sun. Then the Southern Hemisphere gets more sunlight. Days are longer than night. North of the equator nights are longer than days. Winter is the season of long nights. Summer is the season of long days. When it is winter in China, _ . Answer: Every school has an ugly girl. In my primary school, it was me. From first grade through fourth, I had to wear heavy orthopedic shoes because of my weak ankles. I sounded like overweight elephant wearing bricks whenever I took a single step. "Hey, Bigfoot!" "Geez, you're going to start an earthquake!" Then in sixth grade I had to start wear glasses. Mom asked for the least expensive ones and that made me look like a fool. "Four eyes!" "Couldn't you cover up more of your faces? Why stop at the eyes?" In Seventh, I started competing on the city swim team, thinking that if I got a killer body, nobody would notice my face. Wrong again. I loved being fast and winning ribbons now and then, but now I had red, wet eyes from the chlorine in the pool. I also did not develop a killer body. I changed my strategy at Eighth grade, the last year of middle school. I offered my help to anyone who needs. I worked for other girls, so they could hang out with their friends. My new program began to work. People who would never have acknowledged my existence before were suddenly seeking me out. I'd been feeling pretty good until one day I went to Christine's house to help her fill envelopes. Going into each envelope was invitation to Christine's birthday party; it was a big event at a fancy hotel. Complete with dinner. She asked me to help her address these envelopes. There was no envelope for me. My heart was broken. I tried to escape from all the eyes. High school had to be better, right? Yes and no. Now that I'm here, I know there are still lots of shallow people judging you on what you're wearing or how cool your hair is , but there are also kids who talk to you because they liked your answers or just as you're kind, honest, and a good friend. I still do kind things because I like the feeling I get when I am helping people. I, with my friends, went to Children's hospital, playing games and reading to the sick kids. I still had wet red and not a smart look, but you cannot tell me I am not beautiful. Every time I visit hospital, five-year-old Terry grasps my hand, "Morri, you are so nice. I want to grow up to be just like you." From what Morri experienced in the last year of middle school, we can learn that _ . Answer: Armed only with iPhones, the inventive rock band Atomic Tom has gone viral by way of the New York subway. The band has scored an Internet hit with the video to the song "Take Me Out." Singer Luke White says the production was a top-secret operation. "We didn't tell anyone about this. It was completely top-secret from our family, from our friends, from our label, our management, everybody. So the first time that people saw this video was last Friday when we put it on YouTube,"explained White. Since uploading the video to YouTube, band members have spent several days refreshing the page to watch the number of hits rise. The video has also made its way around Twitter as many people have shared it with their friends. "I mean, it still hasn' t quite hit.It' s just kind of blowing our minds right now that we're getting this: ma ny people are fond of it, and they' re sharing it with their friends.We don' t know what it's like really to have something that's viral, so all of this is very new to us." said Eric Espiritu, the lead guitarist of the band. White explains how the video came together: "We did our research with the applications( ) and found applications that worked out really well with the instruments and then we plugged them all into, plugged our phones into mini-battery powered amplifiers that we put underneath our seats, and we did a lot of, you know, practices, in terms of figuring out what the balance of the sound and like who was overpowering, who was too loud or who was too soft." The idea for the video came from Espiritu's younger brother Benjamin. The younger Espiritu directed the video from his initial concept through the final edit and upload to the Internet. "I' ve seen a lot of the music applications come out, and I' ve never actually had the chance to play with them,"says Ben Espiritu. "When I started hearing about how they sound and e verything, I thought it might be unique to take it one step further and then create an entire band just performing solely on the iPhones, and I thought it would be a pretty cool idea." Ben says the success of the band' s music video is a credit to the talent and ability of the musicians, but it' s also a sign of the times. "It really comes down to seeing something different, seeing something unique, and I think that that' s always, in any type of art form, what will speak to people, and I think it does reflect the times that we live in, taking a smart phone and then being able to turn it into an instrument, not only just an instrument, but making it sound really good." How did the video come into being? Answer: Diao Weihao, a student who studies business English at the Chengdu campus of Sichuan International Studies University, was in his dormitory when the earthquake struck at 2:30 pm on Monday. The 22-year-old felt that his chair was shaking. All of a sudden, the textbooks on the bookshelf began to fall to the floor. The glass in the window broke. "It felt like our dormitory building was being hit by a tractor," recalled Diao. "I wasn't afraid.. I was even excited and curious. Now, looking back, it was a scary experience." Diao and his roommates kept their calm. They didn't try to get out of the building until the shaking stopped. They were on the fifth floor and they feared there might be trouble if they didn't remain calm. "We've watched lots of disaster films, and that helped us keep cool," he said. "Only one student sprained his ankle. He was escaping in a hurry. Most of us got outside quickly and safely." They were surprised to see so many students outside. "I began to realize then what had happened," he said. The college had warned them that in the event of an earthquake, they should leave the dormitory immediately. A few did rush in when it was safe to grab some clothes to keep warm. Without any tents or bedding, the students stayed on the football field for the whole night. Rain started falling in the morning, but the students all kept in good order. They simply chatted and shared their feelings and comforted each other. "Our students seemed to have self-control," he said. "I heard that hospitals in Chengdu have lots of injured people who jumped out of buildings." Now, Diao is mostly worried about the people in Wenchuan County. "It seems we won't be able to have classes in one or two day's time," said Diao. "I want to become a volunteer at the damage-hit area, or donate my blood to the injured people in hospital. Also, I will write on my blog to keep people calm and encourage them to protect themselves during emergencies." Since the university is close to Dujiangyan, Diao and his classmates are still forbidden to return to their dorms or classrooms. However, they can eat in the canteen and get information about other parts of Sichuan by reading the newspapers. What did Diao Weihao feel when he realized what was happening? Answer: October 21 was a very dark day in Texas.Not only did Hurricane Hanna destroy homes,it caused the largest business damage in Texas's history.The worst thing is Hanna's destructive force nearly wiped out most power poles and power lines.According to Center Point Energy,Hurricane Hanna affected 2.15 million customers.Currently, more than 4,000 of them are still in the dark.Crews have worked 16-hour shifts to restore power to residents. Most of Houston seems to be returning to normal.Schools,restaurants,retail stores and gas stations are open.Smiles are back.But harder-hit places,including Galveston,will take much longer to recover. Hundreds of people are still missing,and coastal towns are a mess.Some ruins from storm have drifted south to other beaches in Texas.Several public schools in Galveston are closed due to water damage.Parents are registering kids in other area schools which are scheduled to begin class on November 13.Many school supplies were destroyed. Clara Barton Village is an emergency shelter located at Alamo Elementary School in Galveston,Texas.This is where Paula Reed and her family are staying.Believe it or not,Paula Reed and her family consider this hurricane a blessing.When Paula was a girl,she was an orphan,but was taken in by her stepmom,Antonia Flores.Reed lost contact with Flores and had been trying desperately to locate her for the past few years.Before the hurricane,Reed and her family moved away from Galveston to a San Antonio shelter.There,she reunited with Flores after 30 long years! The moment they saw each other, their lives were changed. It can be inferred that the residents in Houston _ . Answer:
It's impolite to spit out the first bite of your dinner. But to a type of Australian snake, this rude behavior is a matter of life and death. The snake, called a floodplain death adder , eats two types of frogs that are hard to stomach. The frogs produce chemicals to defend them from predators . One of these species, the Dahl's frog, can kill a snake that tries to eat it. The other species, the marbled frog, is less dangerous but still tough to eat. When attacked, _ produces a glue like substance. Leaves and branches get caught up in this material, making a big sticky mess that gets in the way of anything trying to swallow it. A marbled frog can even get stuck on the head of an attacking snake. Both frogs have good defense methods. But the floodplain death adder knows how to get around each of them. Floodplain death adders quickly strike these frogs, using their poisonous teeth to inject poison. But then, instead of swallowing their dinner immediately, the snakes sit back and wait for their preys to become safe to eat. That's because both the Dahl's frog's protective toxin and the marbled frog's glue break down over time. After a while, the frog toxin is no longer poisonous and the glue is no longer sticky. The two substances break down at different rates, and floodplain death adders seem to know the difference, And adder waits for a different length of time depending on the species of frog it just struck. The stickiness of the marbled frog glue decreased by as much as two-thirds after just 10 minutes. And that's just about how long an adder waits before eating a marbled frog. On the other hand, the snakes wait for about 40 minutes before eating a Dahl's frog. That's enough time for the frog's toxin to break down into harmless substances. But even a quick strike gives a taste of the Dahl frog's toxin. After striking such a frog, a floodplain death adder thrashes around and lies on its back with its mouth open, It's like the snake has just had a mouthful of chili pepper. By comparison, when given frogs that have no chemical defenses, floodplain death adders eat their prey immediately after striking. Snakes, despite the fact that they've got this tiny pea-size brain are clearly capable of recognizing what kind of frog they've bitten. What's the floodplain death adder's method to make the frogs safe to eat ? They inject poison on the preys and wait for the breaking down of their toxin and glue before eating them The first visit to a foreign country that I can remember was when I was about seven years old. We live about 5 miles away from the Canadian border . My family and I went to Parc Safari, Quebec, a wonderful place that has animals and rides. We drove down a nice long road. My sister and I sat in the back of the car, and it was a hatchback so we opened it up. I remember feeding the animals snacks we had bought for ourselves. The time we went we were told there would not be monkeys because they had escaped and had not been found. I remember thinking to myself, how cool it would be to see a monkey in our backyard. Even though the monkeys were not there it was still so much fun. When we reached the area that had camels, giraffes and other animals, I remember one of the camels reached into the car to get our snacks. However, we were a little _ because the camels seemed to froth at the mouth and we had camel slobber all over the car and us. It was one of the best family vacations that I can remember. It was not too far from home, it was in a different country and it was with my family. I cannot remember if we went on the rides or not but seeing many animals was a great time. Now I am grown up and have a son, and I am planning to go there again. He is 7 years old and I think he is at a great age to enjoy a trip like this. I am sure it has changed a lot over the years but it will still be a great family trip. Where did the author live when he was 7 years old? Near the Canadian border Long working hours,the fewest holidays and the high cost of living mean the big salaries on offer in the UK do not go as far as those earned in other countries,making Britain and Ireland the worst places to live in Europe. France and Spain are the two countries topping the European Quality of Life Index out today,according to the place comparison website Switch.com. The French enjoy longer lives,better healthcare,more holidays and cheaper prices.In contrast Britons work three years longer and die two years younger after paying above the European average for fuel,food,alcohol and cigarettes.The amount we spend on healthcare and education is below the European average. Only Ireland and Poland spend less,but Ireland has more doctors and hospital beds and Poland has more beds than the UK.People in Germany,Spain,France,Italy,the Netherlands and Sweden all enjoy longer life expectancy than Britons.And while we may be giving up work earlier,the average age at which we retire is still the fourth highest in Europe----and the UK state retirement age is set to rise. Ann Robinson,of Switch.com,said:"There's more to good living than money and this report shows why so many Britons are giving up on (......)the UK and heading to France and Spain.We earn substantially more than our European neighbors,but this level of income is needed just to keep a roof over our heads,food on the table and our homes warm" . "It's giving us a _ standard of living,but it's not helping us achieve the quality of life that people in other countries enjoy.For too long the focus in the UK had been on standard of living rather than quality of life." What do you think would be the best title for the passage? High standard of living is one thing and good quality of life is another. What should college life be like? Easy, joyful and fun? Unfortunately, facing heavy pressure from a _ job market, many students know that they are facing an even more uncertain future and they are beginning to feel lost, according to a survey. The research, conducted by the Social Survey Institute of China, covers more than 2,000 college students from big cities. The report shows that about 75 percent enjoy their lives on campus. However, there are still 16.7 percent "lost ones" who think life is boring and aimless, while 8.3 percent complain that they have too much to study. Around half of the participants have no clear career plan after graduation and 41.7 percent say that they have not thought about it. Only 8.3 percent have a clear blueprint and believe that they can realize their dreams. 58.3 percent of the participants gave a sure answer to the question "Are you a popular guy?", leaving 41.7 percent as unsure. 91.7 percent of the students thought they could get along very well with others, the final 8.3 percent finding it difficult to choose a particular answer. Answers such as "doing things your own way" and "forget other people's opinions" seemed to be popular among modern college students, with 75 percent agreeing with this attitude. 25 percent said that they worried about opinions of other people. Objecting to the feeling in Suicide is Painless, most students criticize suicide on campus. 58.3 percent urged school leaders to discover hidden social reasons behind suicide, thus helping to prevent it. 33.3 percent thought students who did suicide couldn't face life's bigger challenges in the future even if they survived. Surprisingly, 8.3 percent admitted that they once wanted to kill themselves, but finally decided against it. This article is written to give a report on _ . the results of a survey of college students Some people surveyed tasted the sweet, salty, and crunchy together with other tastes of food as they listen to different noises. It shows that louder noises reduced the reported sweetness or saltiness of food while increasing the measure of crunchiness . It may go some way to explain why airline food is widely complained about by both the workers and passengers. Andy Woods, a researcher, said, "It's a general opinion that plane foods aren't fantastic, but I'm sure airlines do their best, so we wondered if there were other reasons. One thought was that perhaps the background noise may have an effect. NASA gives their space explorers very strong-tasting foods, because for some reason, they can't taste food that strongly--again, it may have something to do with the background noise." In a study, 48 people were fed sweet foods or salty ones, while listening to nothing or noise through earphones. Meanwhile they rated the foods. In noisier settings, foods were rated less salty or sweet than they were when it was silent, but were rated crunchier. "The evidence shows that if the background noise is loud, your attention might be drawn to that, away from the food." Dr. Woods said. "We are still at an early stage of progressing and this is a rather small study to really draw definitive conclusions from," Dr Woods said, "but they suggest that restaurants could well adapt their choice of food for a given environment." Also in the group's findings there is the suggestion that the overall satisfaction with the food is also related to the degree to which people like what they are hearing. Why does NASA give their space explorers very strong-tasting foods? Loud noises in space may weaken the explorers' sense of taste.
Stay in the magic with your friends and family and book a hotel stay at either Disney's Hollywood Hotel or Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel.As a hotel guest, you can enjoy an extra day at Hong Kong Disneyland Park during your stay when you buy a one-day ticket! How It Works Hotel guests staying at either the Disney's Hollywood Hotel or Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel who buy a Hong Kong Disneyland Park ticket will receive an extra park admission for the following day.Guests can buy Stay and Play for 2 Days tickets as soon as you check in at the Front Desk.Ticket price will be based on the first day a guest visits the Park.If the first visit day is a Regular Day, guests can buy Regular Day tickets even though the following day may be a Peak or Special Day.If the first visit day is a Peak Day, Guests should buy Peak Day tickets even though the following day may be a Regular Day. This offer is available 13 May through 30 September 2006.Guests who have bought their Hong Kong Disneyland Park tickets before 13 May 2006 can exchange their unused and not expired tickets to Stay and Play for 2 Days tickets at the Hotel Front Desk. Where to Buy Guests can book their hotel stay through the following: Call Hong Kong Disneyland Reservation Center at +852 1-830-830, opens daily 9 am-6 pm. OR Get in touch with your travel agent. Dates to Remember Offer Period 13 May 2006 - 30 September 2006 Last Day to buy Stay and Play for 2 days tickets 29 September 2006 Last Visit Date 30 September 2006 For more information, please click here. This advertisement is probably taken from _ . A. a newspaper B. a magazine C. the website D. a travel handbook Answer: C It is never too early, or too late, to encourage a child to read. With the chill of winter upon us, the following is a list of wonderful stories with winter and or snow themes. Waiting for Winter It was written by Sebastian Meschenmoser. A little squirrel , who has never seen snow, is determined that he will not miss it this year. He gets the help of his good friends, a bear and a hedgehog, trying to stay awake until they can all see the first snowfall of winter. This book is a wonderful story to read aloud to young children or for older children to read by themselves. The Snowy Day The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats is a short read, but since its first publication it has been loved by millions. It tells about a beautiful story about the magic and possibility of the first snowfall of winter, which appeals to young and older children. The Polar Express Popularized by the 2004 Warner Brothers all-digital film, The Polar Express was first published in 1985. The hero of this story is a boy who is given the opportunity to receive a gift from Santa himself. A magical train appears outside his bedroom window, taking him away on a fantastic journey to the North Pole. Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree It was written by Robert E. Barry. Mr Willowby orders a lovely new Christmas tree, and when it is delivered to his home he finds it far too tall. He has the top of the tree cut off in order to make it just the right height. This book follows the treetop on its journey through the forest, where it brings the joy of the holidays for some woodland creatures. This book teaches us a valuable lesson about the joy of giving, and happiness that it can bring to the hearts of recipients . Waiting for Winter and The Snowy Day are similar in that _ . A. they are intended for older children and adults B. they are centered around the first snowfall of winter C. they are short novels and are loved by millions D. they are fairy tales about talking animals Answer: B A tent can be one of the more costly items on your camping equipment shopping list. It is definitely something that you need to consider carefully. By seeing a tent for real you will be able to get a better impression of its size and construction in the traditional shop. However,the _ is that,unless you are experienced,you may miss out some of the details that the manufacturer's promotional material makes clear. Cheap tents often look similar to the quality models they are mimicking ,but you can be sure that they use inferior materials and probably have lower design standards. Shop staff are often campers themselves. That means they usually can give lots of advice. If a shop assistant agrees with your own conclusions,that will be great;if they try to change your decision with a clear and reasonable argument,then that will be worth considering;if they just try to bamboozle ,or even bully,you then walk away. The Internet is a wonderful tool,and so long as you know how to make the most of search engines and put in a little effort,you really have the perfect answer waiting to be found. That answer will be different for every camper as each of us has different needs. Don't be surprised to see your favorite criticized somewhere,but if you see too much criticism,then you had better start thinking again. No problem. You won't have spent anything yet,so think of it positively as a large expense saved. Probably the best approach,if you have the time,is to research tents online and make a short list. Then try to inspect those tents at nearby shops. Then you can make a final decision on where to buy your chosen model based purely on total cost. Which of the following would be the main idea of this passage? A. It is good to buy your tent in the traditional shop. B. You'd better buy a tent with the help of the Internet. C. Better buy a tent combining seeing tents for real in shops and researching them online. D. Going camping is really beneficial to your health. Answer: C The traditional distinction between products that satisfy needs and those satisfy wants is no longer adequate to describe classes of products. In today's prosperous societies, the distinction has become unclear because so many wants have been turned into needs.A writer, for instance, can work with paper and pencils. These are legal needs for the task.But the work can be done more quickly and efficiently with a word processor. Thus a computer is soon viewed as a need rather than a want. In the field of marketing, consumer goods are classed according to the way in which they are purchased.The two main classes are convenience goods and shopping goods.Two lesser types are specialty goods and unsought goods. It must be emphasized that all of these types are based on the way shoppers think about products, not on the nature of the products themselves. What is regarded as a convenience item in France(wine,for example)should be a specialty goods in the United States. People do not spend a great deal of time shopping for such convenience items as groceries, newspapers, toothpaste, aspirin, and candy. The buying of convenience goods may be done routinely, as some families buy groceries once a week. Such regularly purchased items are called staples. Sometimes convenience products are bought without enough thinking; someone has a sudden desire for an ice cream sundae on a hot day. Or they may be purchased as emergency items. Shopping goods are items for which customers search. They compare prices. quality, and styles, and may visit a number of stores before making a decision.Buying an automobile is often done this way. Shopping goods fail into two classes:those that are recognized as basically the same and those that are regarded as different. Items that are looked upon as basically the same include such things as home appliances, television sets, and automobiles.Having decided on the model desired, the customer is primarily interested in getting the item at the most favorable price. Items regarded as essentially different include clothing, furniture, and dishes. Quality, style and fashion will either take precedence over price, or they win not matter at all. Staples are items that _ . A. are convenient to purchase B. are purchased without enough thinking C. people "want but don't need" D. people are in constant need of Answer: D Below are some classified ads from an English newspaper. FOR SALE Come to our moving sale -- Plants, pottery, books,clothes, etc. Sat, Dec. 14th -- 9a. m.---5p. m. 1612 Ferndale, Apt. 1. Call 800 4696. Used fur coats and jackets. Good condition. $ 30 -- $ 50. Call 800 0436 Moving: Must sell. TV21, $ 50; AM/FM radio A/C or battery, $ 15; cassette tape recorder, $ 10. Call 800 0739 LOST AND FOUND Found: Cat, 6 months old, black and white markings. Found near Linden and South U. Steve. 800 4661. LOST: Gold wire rim glasses in brown case. Campus area. Reward. Call 8002896. FOUND: Nov. 8th -- A black and white puppy in PackardJewett area. Call 8005770. PERSONAL OVERSEAS JOBS--Australia, Europe, S. America, Africa. Students all professions and occupations, $ 700 to $ 3000 monthly. Expenses paid, overtime Sightseeing. Free information at Students' Union. The International Center plans to publish a booklet of student travel adventures. If you' d like to write about your foreign experiences, unusual or just plain interesting, call us (800 9310) and ask for Mike or Janet. ROOMMATES FEMALE ROOMMATE WANTED: Own room near campus. Available December 1st. Rent $ 300 per month until March 1st. $ 450 thereafter. Call Jill for details, 800 7839. DOMESTIC SERVICE Early hour wake up Service: For prompt (on time), courteous (polite) wakeup service, call 800 0760. HELP WANTED Babysitter -- my home If you are available a few hours during the day, and some evenings to care for 2 schoolage children, please call Gayle Moore, 800 1111, Person wanted for delivery work. Own transportation. Good pay. Apply 2311 E. Stadium. Office 101, after 9 a. m. Waitress wanted 10a. m. --2 p. m. or 10:30 a. m. --5 p.m. Apply in person. 207 S. Main, Curtis Restaurant. Help wanted for house cleaning 1/2 day on weekends. Good wages. Sylvan Street. Call 800 2817. To have your travel notes published, you may contact _ . A. Students' Union B. Gayle Moore C. The International Center D. LifePlanning Workshop Answer: C
Taste is such a subjective matter that we don't usually conduct preference tests for food. The most you can say about anyone's preference is that it's one person's opinion. But because the two big cola companies--Coca-Cola and Pepsi Cola are marketed so aggressively, we've wondered how big a role taste preference actually plays in brand loyalty. We set up a taste test that challenged people who identified themselves as either Coca-Cola or Pepsi fans: Find your brand in a blind tasting. We invited staff volunteers who had a strong liking for either Coca-Cola Classic or Pepsi, Diet Coke, or Diet Pepsi. These were people who thought they'd have no trouble telling their brand from the other brand. We eventually located 19 regular cola drinkers and 27 diet cola drinkers. Then we fed them four unidentified samples of cola one at a time, regular colas for the one group, diet versions for the other. We asked them to tell us whether each sample was Coke or Pepsi; then we analyzed the records statistically to compare the participants' choices with what mere guess-work could have accomplished. Getting all four samples right was a tough test, but not too tough, we thought, for people who believed they could recognize their brand. In the end, only 7 out of 19 regular cola drinkers correctly identified their brand of choice in all four trials. The diet-cola drinkers did a little worse----only 7 of 27 identified all four samples correctly. While both groups did better than chance would predict, nearly half the participants in each group made the wrong choice two or more times. Two people got all four samples wrong. Overall, half the participants did about as well on the last round of tasting as on the first, so tiredness, or taste _ , was not a factor. Our preference test results suggest that only a few Pepsi participants and Coke fans may really be able to tell their favorite brand by taste and price. According to the passage the preference test was conducted in order to _ . Answer: if a toy car needed to be measured for its content capacity, which of these might help? Answer: The United States is one of the greatest fruit-growing countries in the world. Fine red apples come from Washington and New York. Golden oranges come from Southern California and Florida. Fruit grows in all parts of America. The kind of fruit that is grown depends on the weather in each place. Orange trees cannot be grown where temperatures drop below freezing. Southern California and Florida are far from each other, but their weather is much the same. They do not often have freezing temperatures. In Washington, apple trees are planted near the Atlantic Ocean. In New York, they grow near the Great Lakes. Apple trees are often planted near water. Water temperature changes more slowly than land temperature. Near water, temperature does not drop so fast. There is less chance of frost in late spring or early autumn. Frost can kill apples. America has many kinds of weather. It has many kinds of soil. Because of this, they grow and eat more fruit than any other country in the world. From the passage, we know that _ . Answer: In Singapore,most of us love window-shopping while some others enjoy having a picnic at East Coast Park or Changi Beach on sunny days.Singaporeans are never bothered by the occasional thunderstorm.However,we know that if it rains for long continuous periods,there will be more serious effects.Just recently the main shopping street of Orchard Road was flooded and some part of Bukit Timah was impassable to traffic.People reacted by writing in to the newspaper to complain about this! We forget that other countries suffer much worse effects. Elsewhere,heavy tropical storms often result in floods that ruin crops especially in Thailand and Malaysia.This in turn usually means that the price of rice and vegetables here in Singapore will rise because we import these products from them.If there is a typhoon or tsunami,thousands of lives are lost too.This happened in Indonesia and Phuket in Thailand in 2004 and _ serves to remind us of how Mother Nature can cause great damage. Weather patterns in general have changed dramatically in recent years.Scientists believe that global warming and the resulting melting of the polar ice-cap has caused the level of the ocean to rise.This in turn causes flooding of low-lying areas in countries where the land is rather flat and some parts of which is below water level.It is believed that human activities have caused Mother Nature to show her extreme anger,so it is now important that we really work together to cut down on harmful activities,for example,illegal logging or irresponsible forest-burning to clear land for farming. What will happen in Singapore if there are floods in its neighboring countries? Answer: When you are in England, you must be very careful in the streets because the traffic drives on the left. Before you cross a street, you must look to the right first and then left. If the traffic lights are red, the traffic must stop. Then the people on foot can cross the road. If the traffic lights are green, the traffic can go. People on foot mustn't cross. In the morning and in the evening when people go to or come from work, the streets are very busy. Traffic is most dangerous then. When you go by bus in England, you have to be careful, too. Always remember the traffic moves on the left. So you must be careful. Have a look first or you will go the wrong way. In many English cities, there are big buses with two floors. You can sit on the second floor. From there you can see the city very clearly. It's very interesting. When you are in England, you must always remember that _ . Answer:
In any family with more than one child, chidren seem to naturally compete for their parents' love and attention. Parents say they love every child equally. But is that true? Susan, founder of a consulting firm in Chicago, interviewed 216 women and found that even though none of her questions asked directly about a parent favoring one child over another, about two-thirds of the women said there was a favored child. And they also remembered their experience when they were young. One of the women said, "My mother always liked my brother better, and he got to go to summer camp in 1968 and I didn't." Plumez, who interviewed parents with both biological children and adoptive children for an adoption book in 2008, found that what matters most is whether your temperaments are pleasing. "In some cases, parents would say they felt closer to their adopted children," she says, "Some parents like the children with characters similar to theirs. Two people who are shy and withdrawn might get along well, unless the shy parent doesn't like that aspect of themselves and they try to push the naturally withdrawn child to be more ." It could be a result of gender, birth order or how easy or difficult a child's temperament may be, but a parent's different treatment has far-reaching effects. Students have found that less-favored children may suffer emotionally, with decreased self-esteem and behavioral problems in childhood. Favoritism is a reason for the next generation not to like each other. Experts say it is not realistic to say everyone should be treated equally, because no two people are the same and they relate differently to others. "It does not mean that parent loves or likes one child more. It has to do with which one of them is independent," says psychologist Laurie Kramer of the University of Illinois. What can we infer from the passage? Answer: It was Sunday morning. A butcher heard the doorbell and thought it must be a customer. But he was surprised to see that a dog was coming into his shop. The dog had $10 and a note in its mouth. The butcher took the note and read it. It said,"10 pork chops , please."So the butcher took the money and put a bag of chops in the dog's mouth. Then he quickly closed the shop because he decided to follow the dog. He found the dog on the street. The dog was waiting for a green light. Then the dog walked across the road. The dog went to a bus stop. When a bus arrived, the dog checked the number and then got on the bus. After a while, the dog stood up on his back paws to push the "stop" button . The bus stopped and the dog got off. Then the butcher followed it to get off the bus. The dog ran to a house and dropped the bag in front of the front door. It then began to beat its head against the front door. After a while, a big man opened the door and began shouting at the dog. The butcher ran up and shouted at the man, "What are you doing? Your dog is a genius ." The owner of the dog said, "Genius? No way! I always tell him to take the keys when he goes to the stores. But he never listens to me!" How did the dog take the note? Answer: Language is a major problem for the European Union (EU). The agreement or treaty which created the organization that eventually became the EU, the Treaty of Rome, stated that each country's language must be treated equally. The original six countries had only three languages between them: French, German and Dutch/Flemish. However, there are now 15 countries in the EU, with a total of 12 languages. EU documents must be translated into all these languages, and at official meetings the speeches must be translated into all the languages by interpreters. All this translating is very expensive and time-consuming . It is said that nearly half of all employees of the EU are engaged in translating documents and speeches, and nearly half of the EU's administrative costs are spent on this task. In the near future it is probable that several more countries, most of them having their own languages, will join the EU, thus making the situation even worse. The problem is not just cost; there are practical difficulties as well. With 12 languages, there are 132 possible "translation situations" that might be needed. It is often difficult to find people in the right place at the right time who can translate from (for example) Danish into Greek, or Dutch into Portuguese, at a high professional standard. In practice the problem has been made less severe by the use of English in many contacts between EU officials, since almost all of them speak some English. However, any move to reduce the number of official languages (perhaps to four or five) would be a blow to the pride of the smaller Countries. Another commonly suggested solution is to make English the official language for all EU business. However, this is strongly resisted by powerful member countries like France and Germany. The organization that eventually became the EU _ . Answer: The earth's best-known encyclopedia announced today that it would no longer publish print editions. Like so many newspapers and publishing houses, Encyclopedia Britannica is going completely digital. Jorge Cauz is President of Encyclopedia Britannica.He says the company is now focusing on digital learning. "We're digital, we're mobile, and we're social," said Cauz. "We're a very different company from 20 or 30 years ago." Britannica encyclopedias were first published in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1768. Americans started buying them at the turn of the 20thcentury. In the mid- 1900s, salesmen would go door-to-door to sell the books. The company's first digital reference was created in1981. CD-ROMs came out in1989 and Britannica went to the Web in 1994. But Britannica didn't take the electronic world very seriously during the last 20 years. Because people turned to the Internet, the company's sales went down. What hasn't changed is the way Britannica creates its material. The company has thousands of expert writers and more than 100 editors. Contributors include many scholars, Nobel _ and world leaders, such as Bill Clinton and Desmond Tutu. Britannica's website also provides educational tools. At Britannica Online School Edition, teachers share lesson plans. Online versions of the encyclopedia serve more than 100 million people around the world. The company plans to mark the end of print edition by making the contents of its website free for one week. Which might be the best title of the report? Answer: A forest is flooded when a natural dam breaks, leaving the forest floor under two meters of water. Which animal is most affected by the flooding? Answer:
Dear Kitty: News! We have a new flat! The rooms are small, but they are comfortable. There are more rooms here than in our old flat. This is good because now I have my own room. In the old flat, I share with my sister. My bedroom is my favourite room in our flat. I can be alone in it. I can read or draw. I can listen to my radio or play CDs. I can play games on my computer and send e-mails to my friends. My second favorite room is the kitchen. I love helping my mother cook our meals. She is a very good cook. She is teaching me how to make many different kinds of dishes. She lived in Morocco when she was a girl, and she can cook Moroccan food. It's very delicious. That's all for now. Write soon and tell me about your home. Please get on the Internet so that we can send e-mails to each other. All good wishes! Anna Which room is Anna's favorite? Answer: The bedroom. My mind seems always to return to the day when I met Carl. The city bus stopped at a corner to pick up the daily commuters (someone who travels regularly to and from work), a group in which I was included. Boarding the bus, I looked for a place to sit. At last, I found a place near the back. The man in the seat next to the one I was going for was an older man in a grey suit, well-worn dress shoes, and a black hat like I always pictured reporters wearing, but without the little press card. Seated, I began to read the book I had been carrying, which was Jack Kerouac's On the Road. The man in the seat next to me introduced himself by asking if I had read any other book like the one I was holding. When I told him I had, he seemed to become interested, and so did I. He introduced himself as Carl and asked if I liked jazz, and I told him that I didn't really listen to it, and that I liked rock and roll. Waiting for Carl to tell me that I should listen to real music, I was shocked when he just smiled and nodded. He said, "You remind me of myself when I was your age. I remember how my parents hated jazz and how they couldn't see how I could listen to that awful noise. I bet your parents say the same thing, don't they?" Now it was my turn to smile, amused with how right he was. As the bus carried us from one side of the city to the other, Carl and I talked about a lot of different things. The more we talked, the more amazed I became at how much the two of us really had in common, despite the age difference. I haven't seen him since we parted, but the thought of our connection that day rarely leaves my mind. Carl really made me think about how much we can learn from each other if we just break through the blocks between us we've got. I mean, I would have never thought before that day that I could have anything in common with someone so much older than I. But Carl taught me that no matter what we are, we are all just people, and that we should make an extra effort to try and get to know our neighbors and people we see every day, regardless of age, race, religion, sex, or anything else. If we all take the time to attempt to understand each other, I think that the world would be a much better place that we could share together, as humans. After talking with Carl, the author realized that _ . Answer: age was not necessarily a problem in heart-to-heart communication IN China, red is known to be a lucky color. But you may be surprised to know that British culture is also full of the color red. It's true: Go to Britain and you will see red everywhere. There are red postboxes on street corners and on the sides of buildings. The British red phone box is famous all over the world. The famous double-decker bus is red. Red is the color traditionally worn by British soldiers in battle , and there is red in the UK's Union Jack national flag. Britain even has a famous team of stunt jet fighters called "The Red Arrows". To go with British culture's love of red, British nature also features many red animals. A beloved bird is the robin , which has a bright red breast . At Christmastime in winter, the bird is commonly found on the greetings cards people send each other. There is also quite a rare animal called the red squirrel . Foxes are red, and they used to be hunted by men in red outfits . But is red considered lucky to British people? A good way to see how a culture looks at a color is to look at the way it uses it in language. The results may surprise you. Even though Britain has a lot of red on its high streets and in its countryside, red is used quite differently as a metaphor . If someone "sees red", they are angry. When a person is "red faced", they are out of breath or blushing . Red is also a political color: it means a left-winger (blue is the color of the political right). To be "in the red" is to be in debt (someone in credit is "in the black"). Look hard enough and you'll find the color red being used in all countries. For instance the "red heart" symbol is pretty universal. But whether the British realize it or not, red is everywhere in Britain. It does seem that the country is in love with the color. It can be inferred from the article that _ . Answer: red has different meanings depending on the context You are from a middle- class family, and live in a normal-size home without any showy possessions, but you are surrounded by surprising consumption . This contrast is beginning to bother your 6-year-old son. You are worried that he will want to live as they do, and wonder if you should move. Sometimes big pocket money, joyful birthday parties, special playrooms and super-big houses tell you that your neighbors probably have more money than you do, and that they're not as careful as you are with money, but you may find that they cook and dig in the garden with their children just as often as you do, talk with them as freely and read to them every night. Or you may find that some of these parents stay in one wing of their big house while their child plays by himself, way off in a wing of his own. In that unfortunate case, he is basically growing up alone without being looked after properly, but this can happen to a child who lives in a normal-size house, too, if he has a TV, a computer and a few video games in his room. Even the most caring parent doesn't walk in and out of it to see what show her child is watching, what Internet site he has found and if he's still playing that video game. Too much uncontrolled screen time may lead to a certain loss of innocence ,but mostly this child will lose the sense of unity and satisfaction, and if it doesn't , you might decide to move. Don't judge your neighborhood too harshly ,though. There are some things that are right with almost any neighborhood and some things that are wrong with the best of them--like those super-big houses. The wealth of their owners--and the way they throw money around--may make your son feel sorry for himself, unless you help him understand that you and his dad save some of the money, give some to people who don't have enough and use the rest to pay for whatever the family needs. Children want--should be provided with--explanations when their parents don't give them what they want. What is the problem with the worried parent in the text? Answer: She worries about the effect of her neighbors on her son. One day a lady saw a mouse running across her kitchen floor. She was very afraid of mouse, so she ran out of the house, got into a bus and went to the shops. There she bought a mousetrap. The shopkeeper said to her, "Put some cheese in it and you will soon catch that mouse." The lady went home with her mousetrap, but when she looked in her cupboard, she could not find any cheese in it. She did not want to go back to the shop, because it was very late, so she cut a picture of some cheese out of a magazine and put that in the trap. Surprisingly, the picture of the cheese was quite successful! When the lady came down to the kitchen the next morning she found a picture of a mouse in the trap beside the picture of the cheese What would be the best title of the story? Answer: A fine match
Question: Blameless I was a freshman in college when I met the Whites. They were completely different from my own family, yet I felt at home with them immediately. Jane White and I became friends at school, and her family welcomed me like a long-lost cousin. In my family, it was always important to place blame when anything bad happened. "Who did this? "my mother would scream about a dirty kitchen. "This is all your fault, Katharine, "my father would insist when the cat got out or the dishwasher broke. From the time we were little, my sister, brothers and I told on each other. We set a place for blame at the dinner table. But the Whites didn't worry about who had done what. They picked up the pieces and moved on with their lives. The beauty of this was driven home to me the summer Jane died. In July, the White sisters and I decided to take a car trip from their home in Florida to New York. The two older sisters, Sarah and Jane, were college students, and the youngest, Amy, had recently turned sixteen. Proud of having a new driver's license ,Amy was excited about practicing her driving on the trip. She showed off her license to everyone she met. The big sisters shared the driving of Sarah's new car during the first part of the trip, but when they reached less crowded areas, they let Amy take over. Somewhere in South Carolina, we pulled off the highway to eat. After lunch, Amy got behind the wheel. She came to a crossroads with a stop sign. Whether she was nervous or just didn't see the sign no one would ever know, but Amy continued into the crossroads without stopping. The driver of a large truck, unable to stop in time, ran into our car. Jane was killed immediately. I was slightly injured. The most difficult thing that I've ever done was to call the Whites to tell them about the accident and that Jane had died. Painful as it was for me to lose a good friend, I knew that it was far worse for them to lose a child. When Mr. and Mrs. White arrived at the hospital, they found their two daughters sharing a room. Sarah had a few cuts on the head; Amy's leg was broken. They hugged us all and cried tears of sadness and of joy at seeing their daughters. They wiped away the girls' tears and made a few jokes at Amy as she learned to use her crutches . To both of their daughters, and especially to Amy, over and over they simply said, "We're so glad that you're alive. " I was astonished. No blame. No accusations. Later, I asked the Whites why they never talked about the fact that Amy was driving and had run a stop sign. Mrs. White said, "Jane's gone, and we miss her terribly. Nothing we say or do will ever bring her back. But Amy has her whole life ahead of her. How can she lead a full and happy life if she feels we blame her for her sister's death? " They were right. Amy graduated from the University of California and got married several years ago. She works as a teacher of learning-disabled students. She's also a mother of two little girls of her own, the oldest named Jane. How did the accident occur? A. Amy didn't know what to do when she saw the stop sign. B. Amy didn't slow down so their car ran into a truck. C. Amy didn't stop at a crossroads and a truck hit their car. D. Amy didn't get off the highway at a crossroads. Answer: C Question: You've got plenty of emails from your mom, and maybe even a few from dear old grandma. But have you ever received a message from a river? Now, Ireland's River Lee is sending out much information, thanks to wireless technology. In a program called the DEPLOY project, scientists have put some sensors in rivers that can find pollution levels. Instead of asking scientists to collect water _ several times a day, the government can now examine pollution levels in the water, and find out if there is anything polluted entering the river. This makes it much easier for scientists to protect the environment, since problems can be discovered before a serious pollution accident really happens. People in the area can also receive free reports from the river, so that they can find out whether the water is safe for swimming or boating on a certain day. And people can also know if the water is clear enough for them to drink and use. The DEPLOY project has not only started in Ireland, also the same programs have started in thousands of places around the U.S. Now you live in a world in which you could receive information with your mobile phone about environment. The technology should help to make us know more about the pollution that surrounds us--which just might get us all a little more involved with trying to clean up our world. How do scientists find pollution levels in rivers? A. By putting sensors in rivers. B. By using mobile phones. C. By boating or swimming. D. By surfing the Internet. Answer: A Question: If you have no friends around you, it's time that you should know about your neighborhood. Not all of your neighbors out there are friendly, but at least you need to communicate with them. It is common that when you are new to the neighborhood, your neighbors might actually greet you in an inspiring way. In other words, they are pleased to welcome you in their neighbor-hood. Both you and your neighbors may start in getting known to each other by introducing yourselves. This is a sign that you and your neighbors are actually friends. Instead of watching television and playing computer games all the time, you also need to take a break and have some fun talking with your neighbors. But if you want to make friends with them, you need to do something that might please them. The only problem for this situation is that you are afraid to approach and greet them in a nice way. This is a challenge that you or your fellow neighbors must be aware of. You need to get as many friends as possible in your neighborhood, and one of them is to get closer with the unfriendly. If you want to get closer with him but he refuses to be friends with you, don't force him anymore. Treat him with some respect if you don't like to create any more problems. However, if he agrees to be your friend, you are lucky and start treating him like a friend. It is very tough to approach a person in your neighborhood, but it is a good challenge. This is how important for you to get closer with your neighbors, even if they're unfriendly. This is better than sticking yourself alone at home and not having time for social interactions with real people. Which of the following statements does the writer agree with according to the passage? A. It's just natural that all our neighbors are not friendly. B. Neighbors are usually unwilling to greet newcomers. C. Television and online games help reduce one's loneliness. D. Making friends with the unfriendly neighbors needs patience. Answer: A Question: There are times when nothing seems to be working in our favor. We may use complaining as a coping mechanism (,) when we are truly unhappy. However, there are many times when we don't try our best and just want things to work our way. We may try to cover our faults by complaining about the unfairness of it all. These are expressive complaints where the complainer just wants to let out his/her anger or frustration, with no real intention of solving the problem. The complainer expects pity and recognition from the listeners although the results often disappoint him/her. Sometimes, we use complaints as a conversation starter. Conversations that start with a complaint often have a domino effect. It may cause the listener to include his/her complaints in the conversation as well, which makes you think that you are not the only one facing problems. However, your good feeling won't last long as long as you are always focusing on the negative. When complaining becomes a habit, you complain to anyone that comes around. Negativity that comes from complaining kills creativity and innovation . Habitual complainers are less likely to come up with new ideas, as they are busy finding faults and discourage others from trying new things by making them feel that they won't work. When you spend time with people who constantly complain, you are likely to view things in a negative light. This will make things worse. This can affect the way you perceive your own situation, and even the people around you. Though expressing your feelings may momentarily improve your state of mind, it could sometimes have a bad effect on the listener's state of mind. A recent study has shown that at social gatherings while people who are unhappy may join you when you play the victim at the beginning, the majority would start avoiding you because of your negativity. According to the author, complaining at social gatherings is _ . A. unusual B. acceptable C. unwelcome D. frustrating Answer: C Question: Edda, a Little Valkyrie's First Day of School Written and illustrated by Adam Auerbach. 32 pp. Christy Ottaviano/Holt. $15.50. Edda's home is in Asgard, "a land full of magic and adventure." But Edda, the littlest Valkyrie, doesn't have quite enough to do, until her father flies her "all the way to Earth for the first day of school." The contrast between home and school is hard to get used to (in one, she can ride reindeer; in the other she gazes guinea pig through glass at the classroom). In his first picture book, Auerbach mixes the two worlds perfectly. Children are likely to appreciate the joke. Planet Kindergarten By Sue Ganz-Schmitt. Illustrated by Shane Prigmore. 32 pp. Chronicle. $14.99. After careful preparations and a successful blastoff, a boy finds himself in a very unfamiliar environment. "We're aliens from many galaxies on Planet Kindergarten," he reflects as he sees his very varied classmates for the first time. Prigmore, who designs for the movie industry, uses black backgrounds and bright colors to give this space adventure visual excitement and humor. The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade By Justin Roberts. Illustrated by Christian Robinson. 42 pp. Putnam. $18.99. It makes sense that the author of the long, rhyming lines in "The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade" is a children's music performer. The story is about the power of one small person to fight prejudice. Sally, whom no one ever seems to notice, is "paying super extra special attention" to the "terrible stuff" happening around her. When she decides to take action, she's not alone for long. And Two Boys Booed By Judith Viorst. 32 pp. Margaret Ferguson/Farrar, Straus & Giroux. $16.59. Ever felt quietly confident one minute, and a shaking mess the next? In Viorst's story about determination, a little boy wakes up thinking about singing his song in the class talent show. Which of the following is true about the book Edda, a Little Valkyrie's First Day of School? A. Edda found it easy to apply herself to the life on earth. B. The book was Adam Auerbach's first picture book. C. The book was illustrated by Shane Prigmore. D. The story of the book was about a little boy's determination. Answer: B
Michael, a normal American, stays home on workdays. He plugs into his personal computer terminal in order to connect with the office. After work he puts on his headphones, watches a movie on his home video recorder or plays baseball on the computer. On many days, Michael doesn't talk to any other human beings, and he doesn't see any people except the ones on television. _ . The inventions of modern technology seem to be cutting us off from communicating with our fellow human beings. The world of business is one area in which technology is separating us. Experts say, for example, that many people will soon be able to work at home. With access to a large central computer, employees such as office clerks, insurance agents, and accountants could do their job at display terminals in their own homes. They would never have to actually see the people they're dealing with. Also, the way employees are paid will change. Workers' salaries will be automatically paid into their bank accounts, making paper checks unnecessary. No workers will stand in line to receive their pay or cash their checks. Personal banking will change, too. Customers will deal with machines to put in or take out money from their accounts. Another area in which technology is changing is entertainment. Music, for instance, was once a group experience. People listened to music at concert halls or in small social gatherings. For many people now, however, music is an individual experience. Walking along the street or sitting in their living rooms, they wear headphones to build a wall of music around them. Movie entertainment is changing, too. Movies used to be social events. Now, fewer people are going out to see a movie. Many more are choosing to wait for a film to appear on television or are borrowing videotapes to watch at home. Instead of laughing with others, viewers watch movies in their own living rooms. What is the main idea of the passage? A. We may no longer need to communicate with other people. B. Modern technology seems to be separating people. C. We may no longer need to work in the office. D. Modern technology makes it possible for us to work at home. Answer: B. Modern technology seems to be separating people. Characteristics that are inherited are unnaturally changeable. Which one of these is inherited? A. how much you drink B. How much you eat C. How short you are D. how much you weigh Answer: C. How short you are Here are some tips on how to talk with your parents. Try to start your talk with something fun. This will make talking easier. For example, ask your parents questions about their day. They love this! Make it clear what you want to tell your parents If they have an opinion, let them finish and don't disturb. Ask them to do the same for you. Show them respect by listening to them carefully. Look at their eyes sincerely. Be honest. Honesty builds trust . Life is good when your parents trust you. If your parents don't understand, that's OK. It doesn't mean they don't love you pr they're not trying. Sometimes you have to explain things to them again or in a different way, When you finish the talk, thank them for listening,. Say something like, "thanks! That helped." It will let them know this is important to you, and make them want to do it more often. If you feel there are still things to talk about, set up a time with them to talk about it another day. Why should we look at their eyes while listening? A. Because they make us do that. B. Because this shows we agree with what they say C. Because this makes them feel respected D. Because this shows we understand them Answer: C. Because this makes them feel respected Being outgoing is good for your life. Those who are more outgoing like to meet lots of people and have more fun in life. In fact, being outgoing is not as hard as you think. Even shy people can be outgoing. You can start becoming outgoing with your best friend or a group of friends. But the real challenge comes when you meet strange people or new friends. Smile more, and usually they will return your smile. In this way, you may have some talks. Start a talk. Just a smile "Hello" or "How is it going" is a good start. If you want to make interesting talks, you should read news in newspapers and prepare your views, or surf the Internet for new information and then keep that in mind. The easier way to become more outgoing is to go out. This is also the most important step . Go to a park, beach, club, party or any other place that you think can be fun, and you may make new friends there. When you start a talk with a stranger, you should say " _ " A. What's the matter? B. What's your name? C. How's it going? D. Are you healthy? Answer: C. How's it going? (Reuters) --- A stampede killed at least 36 people during New Year's Eve celebrations in Shanghai, authorities said, but the police denied reports that it was caused by people rushing to pick up fake money thrown from a building overlooking the city's famous waterfront. It was the worst disaster in the modern city since 58 died in an apartment building fire in 2010. The cause of the crush has still to be confirmed, though state media and some witnesses have said it was at least partly aroused when people rushed to pick up coupons that looked like bank notes. A man named Wu said the fake money had been thrown down from a bar above the street as part of the celebrations. "This incident happened after the stampede," police said in a brief statement, without saying what the real cause was. Another witness said there had been a problem away from the area where the fake bills were thrown, with people trying to get on to a raised platform overlooking the river. Xinhua news agency said that people had been trampled on after falling down on the steps up to the platform. Authorities had shown some concern about crowd control in the days leading up to New Year's Eve. They recently canceled an annual 3D laser show on the Bund, which last year attracted as many as 300,000 people. On New Year's Eve, Beijing also canceled a countdown event in the central business district, Chinese media said, due to police fears about overcrowding. The Shanghai government said on its official microblog that an inquiry had begun, and that all other New Year events had been canceled. In 2004, 37 people died in a stampede in northern Beijing, on a bridge at a scenic spot, during the Lunar New Year holiday. What can be inferred according to the passage? A. The local government had shown their worry about overcrowding. B. People like 3D laser show better than any other events. C. Some possible measures had been taken by authorities. D. The celebrations in Beijing were influenced by this stampede. Answer: C. Some possible measures had been taken by authorities.
Once upon a time, there was an old man named John. John loved to eat peaches. In fact, John's whole family, including his mother Stephanie, his father Bob, and his brother James loved to eat peaches. John would eat peaches in the morning for breakfast, in the afternoon for lunch, and in the evening for dinner. John and his best friend, Rick, shared their love for peaches. One day John and Rick started a peach farm so that they would never run out of their favorite fruit. They planted hundreds of peach trees and waited for them to bear fruit. After 6 years of waiting, 1 lonely peach finally grew on one of the trees John and Rick planted. They picked the peach and brought it home. They waited until the weekend to eat it in case more peaches grew, but none did. John and Rick were sad and confused about their farm. They planted hundreds of trees and were sure that there would be thousands of peaches for them to eat in no time. Another peach never grew on their farm for 17 years. One day, a mighty crack of thunder led to a strong storm. Lightning hit the ground over and over, and John and Rick were scared their trees might be killed. The next morning, every tree on the farm had more than 10 peaches on it. John and Rick started shouting for joy. What did John and Rick both love? A Thunder B Peaches C Trees D Lunch Answer: B. Peaches Hot water is best when you want to A go rock climbing B have cold drinks C cleanse your hands D go running Answer: C. cleanse your hands if a salmon visits the site of its birth, what could be the reason for that? A it is coming to have its own offspring B it is coming home to die C it is coming to see its father D it is coming to visit its mom Answer: A. it is coming to have its own offspring What is your favorite color? Do you like yellow, orange, and red? If you do, you must be an optimist , a leader, an active person who enjoys life, people and excitement. Do you prefer grays and blues? Then you are probably quiet, shy and you would rather follow than lead. If you love green, you are strong-minded and determined. You wish to succeed and want other people to see you are successful. At least this is what psychologists tell us, and they should know, because they have been seriously studying the meaning of color preference , and the effect that colors have on human beings. They tell us that we don't choose our favorite color as we grow up. If you happen to love brown, you did so as soon as you opened your eyes, or at least as soon as you could see clearly. A yellow room makes us feel more cheerful and more comfortable than a dark green one, and a red dress rings warmth and cheer to the saddest winter day. On the other hand, black is depressing . Light and bright colors make people not only happier but more active. It is a fact that factory workers work better, harder, and have fewer accidents when their machines are painted orange rather than black or dark gray. Remember, then, that if you feel low, you can always brighten your day or your life with a new shirt or a few colorful things. Remember also that you will know your friends and your enemies better when you find out what colors they like and dislike. And don't forget that anyone can guess a lot about your character when you choose a piece of handkerchief. The main idea of this passage is _ . A one's color preference shows one's character B you can brighten your life with wonderful colors C psychologists have been studying the meaning of color preference D one's color preference has something to do with his character and colors have effects on human beings Answer: D. one's color preference has something to do with his character and colors have effects on human beings For hundreds of years, Japan has been hit, from time to time, by enormous tsunamis. These awful sudden risings of the sea are caused by earthquakes or underwater volcanic action. The story of the boy Yuuki is the story of such a disaster. Yuuki lived with his family in a sea-side village, below a small mountain. One day, as he played on top of the mountain, he felt an earthquake beneath his feet. It was not strong enough to frighten anybody and passed quickly. Soon after, however, Yuuki noticed the sea darken and begin running away from the shore very fast, leaving behind wide stretches of beach that had never been exposed before. With a gasp, Yuuki remembered reading that just before a terrible tsunami, the sea suddenly and quickly rolls backward. He ran to the beach, warning the villagers who had gathered to admire the huge new stretch of beach. "Get back!" shouted the boy. "There is terrible danger!" But no one listened. They laughed at him and continued playing in the new sand and watching the sea roll backward even more. Desperate, Yuuki could think of only one thing to do. He lit a tree branch, raced to the rice fields and began burning the stacks of harvested rice. Then he called out, "Fire! Fire! Everyone run to the mountain! Now!" When everyone reached the mountain-top, a villager cried out, "Yuuki is mad! I saw him set the fire." Yuuki hung his head in shame, but said nothing as the villagers cursed him. Just then, someone cried, "Look!" In the distance what seemed to be a huge dark line was speeding towards the shore. As it got nearer the people realized the long thin line of darkness was the returning sea, towering like a mountain. The villagers watched in terror as the water struck the shore, smashing over their homes then tearing out the land as it receded. On the mountain everyone stared speechlessly at the destruction below. "I'm sorry I burned the fields," said Yuuki, his voice trembling. "Yuuki," village-chief answered. "You saved us all." The villagers cheered and raised Yuuki into the air. "We were going to celebrate our rice harvest tonight," said one, "but now we'll celebrate that we're all still alive!" ,(A, B, CD),. How did Yuuki save the villagers from the disaster? A He told them about the earthquake. B He explained why the sea was flowing out. C He set fire to the rice fields. D He told the village chief to warn the people. Answer: C. He set fire to the rice fields.
Science fiction is a popular kind of writing, and many people think of Jules Verne as the father of science fiction. He was born in France in 1828. His father wanted him to become a lawyer , but when he was about twenty years old, Verne decided to become a writer. At first he wrote plays for the theater. Then, in 1863, he wrote a story called Five Weeks in a Balloon. The success of this book encouraged him to write more stories such as A Journey to the Center of the Earth(1864) and From the Earth to the Moon(1865). In the 19th century, many people were interested in science and inventions. Jules Verne wrote about scientific subjects in his stories and, as a result, they were very popular. Verne's writing included many predictions for the 20th century and many of them came true. He described space flight, movies, and air conditioning, a long time before they appeared. These books were very successful and they made Verne rich. Jules Verne's books have been the subjects for many movies. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was a successful movie for Walt Disney. It was the first Disney movie to use real actors instead of cartoon drawings. Around the World in Eighty Days is another famous movie based on one of Verne's books. The main character is an Englishman called Phileas Fogg. For him, the most important thing is to be always on time! Why were Jules Verne's books very popular in the19th century? A Because his books made him rich and famous. B Because his books have been the subjects for many movies. C Because many people were interested in science and inventions. D Because people loved him. Answer: C If we are to help students develop reading skills in a foreign language, it is important to understand what is involved in the reading process itself. If we have a clear idea of how "good readers" read, either in their own or a foreign language, this will enable us to decide whether particular reading techniques are likely to help learners or not. In considering the reading process, it is important to distinguish between two quite separate activities: reading for meaning (or "silent reading") and reading aloud. Reading for meaning is the activity we normally engage in when we read books, newspapers, road signs, etc.; it is what you are doing as you read this text. It involves looking at sentences and understanding the message they convey, in other words "making sense" of a written text. It doesn't normally involve saying the words we read, not even silently inside our heads; there are important reasons for this, which are outlined below. Reading aloud is a completely different activity; its purpose is not just to understand a text but to convey the information to someone else. It is not an activity we engage in very often outside the classroom; common examples are reading out parts of a newspaper article to a friend, or reading a notice to other people who can't see it. Obviously, reading aloud involves looking at a text, understanding it and also saying it. Because our attention is divided between reading and speaking, it is a much more difficult activity than reading silently; we often stumble and make mistakes when reading aloud in our own language, and reading aloud in a foreign language is even more difficult. When we read for meaning, we do not need to read every letter or every word, nor even every word in each sentence. This is because, provided the text makes sense, we can guess much of what it says as we read it. The passage is mainly about _ . A reading skills B silent reading C reading processes D reading aloud Answer: C The first Thanksgiving was in 1621. Each year, we celebrate Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November. What do American children think of Thanksgiving? This is what some of them wrote. Thanksgiving is a holiday to say "Thank you". It means eating turkey and having a special party with your family. Thanksgiving is giving thanks to people that help you. I think it is a special holiday. You give thanks to your family and your friends. Annie Lots of people have done things for me that I like. Lots of people like to make me happy, like my mum. Many people have done things for me and make sure I am all right. I am pleased that people care about me. Most people I know give me money or presents at Thanksgiving. Sometimes people take me to visit places or ask me to their houses. I like to do nice things for other people. Also I hope people help me when I get old. Jeremy Once we were at my grandparents' house during Thanksgiving and we went to the store to buy a turkey, but they didn't have any, so we had to buy a live one. When we went out to kill it, it had gone! There was nothing left except feathers . That year we had to eat chicken instead of turkey. Eleanor I'm thankful for having a really good mum who looks after me so well and having good teachers and especially Ms. McMillan because she helps to try new things. I love all my family. I enjoy Thanksgiving because I eat turkey with all my family and I love it. Ryan Which is the best title for the passage? A Opinions About Thanksgiving B How to Eat Turkey C How to Thank Others D How to Try New Things Answer: A Do you know something about the holiday camps in Hong Kong? The students in Hong Kong used to take part in an English holiday camp in their holidays. And their parents weren't with them, though they were very young. Now they still enjoy taking part in many kinds of holiday camps without their parents. Many parents let their children take part in some kinds of holiday camps in order to learn some practical knowledge in their life. And also learn some knowledge about living skills, science, reading and writing... The most important for the children is to learn to look after themselves. Holiday camps in Hong Kong are not so expensive. Most of the families can afford to send their children there for further study, for making their bodies strong... It is said that students in Hong Kong have much knowledge about many things. Perhaps it has to do with the kinds of holiday camps. Students in Hong Kong like to take part in the _ . A holiday camps B English holiday camps C science holiday camps D Chinese holiday camps Answer: B Television has a huge influence on our lives. It is one of the most important ways of getting information. People spend part of their spare time watching television, and much of what they learn comes from it. What we see on TV-movies, news shows, sports shows, advertisements and so on have increased our knowledge and have changed the way we learn about the world today. However, not everything on TV is true. Most of the viewers are children. Television sometimes is like a baby-sitter . It spends more time with children than parents do. But it keeps them in the living room away from healthy outdoor activities. They spend less time playing soccer or walking in the park or playing games in the yard. Of course, there are some programs on TV that are good for children. But there are also some shows which are bad. Children should not watch unhealthy shows. Maybe we can't change what is on TV, but we can choose what we watch. Do you agree? The passage is mainly about _ . A children spend too much time watching TV B people spend their time on TV for information C TV programs attract children D the great influence TV has on our lives Answer: D
You are what you eat Keeping better eating habits can help you have less illness. A healthy eating plan means choosing the right food to eat and cooking food in a healthy way. _ Do you often change your toothbrush? Maybe you think it is unnecessary. A study shows old toothbrushes bring disease . You should often change your toothbrush. Exercise Swimming, cycling, jogging, skating, dancing, walking and some other activities can help you stay healthy. You should exercise at least three times a week and for twenty minutes or more each time. Do it! Plan out your life You should have breakfast before you go to school. Have a right meal for lunch. Follow a healthy diet. What's the passage mainly about? Answer: In 1693 the philosopher John Locke warned that children should not be given too much "unhealthy fruit" to eat.Three centuries later, misguided ideas about child-raising are still popular.Many parents fear that their children will die unless ceaselessly watched.In America the law can be equally paranoid .In South Carolina this month Debra Harrell was jailed for letting her 9-year-old daughter play in a park unsupervised . Her severe punishment reflects the rich world's worry about parenting.By most objective measures, modern parents are far more conscientious than previous generations.Dads are more hands-on than their fathers were, and working mothers spend more time nurturing their children than the housewives of the 1960s did.However, there are two problems in this picture, connected to class.One is at the lower end.Even if poor parents spend more time with their children than they once did, they spend less than rich parents do.America is a _ here: its government spends abundantly on school-age kids but much less than other rich countries on the first two or three years of life.If America did more to help poor parents with young children, it would have huge returns. The second one, occurs at the other end of the income scale, and may even apply to otherwise rational Economist readers: well-educated, rich parents try to do too much.Safety is part of it--they fear that if they are not constantly watching their children may break their necks, which is the least rational.Despite the impression you get from watching crime dramas, children in rich countries are safe, so long as they look both ways before crossing the road.The other popular parental fear--that your children might not get into an Ivy League college--is more rational.Academic success matters more than ever before.But beyond a certain point, parenting makes less difference than many parents imagine.Studies in Minnesota and Sweden, for example, found that identical twins grew up equally intelligent whether they were raised together or apart.A study in Colorado found that children that adopted and raised by brainy parents ended up no brainier than those adopted by average parents. This doesn't mean that parenting is irrelevant.The families who adopt children are carefully screened, so they tend to be warm, capable and middle-class.But the twin and adoption studies indicate that any child given a loving home and adequate stimulation is likely to fulfill her potential.Put another way, better-off parents can afford to relax a bit.And if you are less stressed, your children will appreciate it, even if you still make them eat their fruit and vegetables. This passage is mainly written to _ . Answer: Yesterday I started the Year of Giving, my first day of a year-long journey into exploring the act of giving and the meaning of charity. I chose December 15 as the starting date, which marked three years since my mother died from heart disease. She was one of the most generous people that I have ever known. She always thought of others first and certainly serves as an inspiration to me. I had a rather busy day yesterday, ironic for someone who is unemployed right now. In the morning I went to the gym, and unsuccessfully got the phone call from the unemployment office for some job searching. Before I knew it, it was noon. I grabbed a quick lunch and rushed down to a meeting. On my way to Connecticut, I wondered if I would see someone that I would feel forced to give my first $10 to. I was running late and decided to do it afterwards. After the meeting I had about half an hour to find the first person of my Year of Giving! I decided to check out Dupont Circle. I had met a guy there named Jerry once and thought he would willingly accept my first $10. He wasn't there, but I did see a man sitting by himself who looked really lonely, so I approached him. Now I had to figure out what I was going to say. I think I said something like, "Hi, can I sit down here?" "I would like to know if I could give you $10?" He asked me to repeat what I had said. I did, then he looked at me funny, got up and left. I then started walking south where I spotted a man standing by the bus stop on Connecticut Ave. He appeared to be in his 60s. I don't know what drew me to him, but I thought I would make my second attempt. I was a bit nervous and asked him which bus came by that stop. Then I explained that I was starting a year-long project to give $10 to someone every day and that I wanted to give my $10 for today to him. The gentleman, I later found out that his name was Ed, responded without hesitation that he could not accept my offer and that there were many people more deserving the money than him. This was exactly one of the things that I hoped would happen. People would think of others before themselves! In the author's first attempt to give away the money, _ . Answer: If you want to watch and know something about birds, you must find a good place near the bird nest . Birds sit on eggs and take care of their babies from April to June. Because the baby birds are too young to leave the nest, parents often go to look for food and come back in several minutes. So it is good to watch birds. When we watch birds, we'd better hide ourselves in a close place to the nest, and it's better to use binoculars . But how to make a bird nest? A good bird nest must be very fine, strong, thick and comfortable. If you want to make one, please follow these: a) Each nest must have six boards . Don't make the boards too slippery . b) Dig a small hole in the front of the nest as a "door". The "door" is big enough so birds can fly in or out easily. c) Make sure the rainwater can't go into the nest. d) One piece of the board should be easy to open. e) Don't forget to color the nest. We should leave a hole in the front of the nest so that _ easily. Answer: Riding School: You can start horse--riding at any age.Choose private or group lessons any weekday between 9 a.m.and 8:30 P.m.(3:30 p.m.on Saturdays).There are 10 kilometers of tracks and paths for leisurely rides across farmland and open country.You will need a riding hat. Opening Hours:Monday through Friday:9:00 a.m.--8:30 p.m. Phone:(412)396--6754 Fax :(412)396--6752 Sailing Club: Our Young Sailor's Course leads to the Stage 1 Sailing qualification .You'll learn how to sail safely and the course also covers sailing theory and first aid.Have fun with other course members , afterwards in the clubroom.There are 10 weekly two-hour 1essons (Tuesdays 6 p.m.~8 p.m.). Opening Hours:Tuesdays:6:00 p.m.--8:00 p.m. Phone:(412)396--6644 Fax:(412)396--6644 Diving Centre: Our experienced instructors offer one-month courses in deep-sea diving for beginners.There are two evening lessons a week,in which you learn to breathe underwater and use the equipment safely.You only need swimming costume and towel.Reduced rates for couples. Opening Hours:Monday and Friday:6:30 p.m.--8:30 p.m. Phone:(412)396--6312 Fax:(412)396--6706 Medical Center: The staff of the Medical Center aim to provide convenient and comprehensive medical care to students and staff of the university.The center is well equipped and the staff here are trained to deal with a broad range of medical problems.Both female and male doctors as well as nursing staff are available for consultation .Also,all kinds of medicines are sold here and are cheaper for students than other drugstores. Opening Hours:24 hours from Monday to Sunday Phone:(412)396--6649 Fax:(412)396--6648 Water sports Club: We use a two-kilometer length of river for speedboat racing,and water-skiing,A beginners' course consists of ten 20-minute lessons.You will learn to handle boats safely and confidently,but must be able to swim.The club is in a convenient central position and is open daily from 9 a.m to 4 p.m,with lessons all through the day. Opening Hours:Monday through Friday:9:00 a.m.--4:00 p.m. .You want to do an activity one evening a week and get a certificate in the end,you can go to _ . Answer:
Were you born in the 1990s? Do you think you are different from older generations? As there has been considerable discussion about "the post1990s" in newspapers and on the Internet recently, people including the group themselves, have begun to look at some things that help shape their culture. Do you find them true? 1. Jay Chou He is not handsome. When he hums no one can understand him. But the 28yearold Taiwan singer has stolen the hearts of many boys and girls who were born in the 1990s. They are crazy about him. Huang Kaiqin, a 16yearold Shanghai student, said,"I love him! I love everything from his lyrics to his melody , and to his attitude toward the life. " 2. PSP Its full name is Play Station Portable and it's a Sony product for game fans. Teens love it because PSP is better than the Game Boy in terms of pictures, controls and choices of games. With a PSP you can also play MP3 or MP4, watch movies and so on. 3. Naruto Among all the popular cartoons and comic books, the Japanese manga series has been this generation's favorite read. Naruto, who was orphaned at birth, grows from being a naughty boy to a powerful ninja . Naruto teaches readers that honor is very important and not to give up, even if something is hard to achieve. 4. iPods MP3s are not in any way, shape or form. But the iPod is amazing because it is a complete library of music in your hand. Post90s are always excited about the latest product. 5. Tuzki Tuzki, the white and hairy baby rabbit, was not born until January this year. But Tuzki's popularity has been spreading quickly among post90s who like QQ and MSN. Wang Lin, a college student, created the cool little rabbit. 6. Chat lingo On the Internet, the chat lingo is cool and convenient. But one day, teachers notice a new generation of errors entering their students' essays. Words such as "3Q","ORZ" and "b4" confuse adults but are part of teens' everyday lives. The best topic of this passage might be _ . the post1990s Global warming and changing climatic conditions are triggering disease epidemics in wildlife around the world, reports a famous team of ecologists and epidemiologists in the Friday June 21st issue of Science. "What is most surprising is the fact that climate sensitive outbreaks are happening with so many different types of pathogens ----viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites----as well as in such a wide range of hosts including corals, oysters, terrestrial plants, birds, and humans, " says lead author Drew Harvell of Cornell University. "This isn't just a question of coral bleaching for a few marine ecologists, nor just a question of malaria for a few health officials---the number of similar increases in disease incidence is astonishing," says coauthor Richard Ostfeld from the Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook prefix = st1 /New York. "We don't want to be alarmists, but we are alarmed." The team documented examples of viruses, bacteria, and fungi associated with diseases that develop more rapidly with slight rises in temperature. Many vectors of disease such as mosquitoes, flies, and rodents, as well as the viral, fungal, and bacterial pathogens are highly temperature and moisture sensitive. As temperature increases, _ are likely to spread into new areas and may have potentially devastating effects on wildlife populations that have not been previously exposed. Reproduction, growth, and biting rates of insects all go up with increases of temperature. Winter is the limiting time for many pathogens, killing back populations each year. With milder winters, this population bottleneck may be removed for many species. Warmer, longer summers also mean that the period of time of disease transmission is longer. Warmer summers may increase host susceptibility to disease due to thermal stress, particularly in the oceans. Marine bacteria and fungal growth rates are positively correlated with increasing temperature. Where can we probably find this passage? In a _ . magazine Chen Hua is in a new school now. It's near her home. It's about 10 minutes on foot. But she has a problem. Classes begin at 7:50 in the morning, and she is often late for school. "How do you usually come to school?" says his teacher. "I usually come to school on foot." Chen Hua answers. "What time do you usually get up?" says her teacher. "I usually get up at 6:00." Chen Hua answers. "Well, it's early. And what time do you leave home?" says her teacher. "I leave home at 7:40." Chen Hua answers. "Why don't you leave home a little earlier ?" says her teacher. "Sorry, I can't." Chen Hua answers. "Mom is ill. She stays in bed all day. So I must look after her. I must cook breakfast. I must help her have breakfast. At 7:30 I must give her medicine on time. Then I'm often late for school." Chen Hua says with tears in her eyes. "Oh, sorry, I see. You're a good girl!" How does Chen Hua go to her new school? On foot Researchers Look Behind the Tears to Study Crying Many people found themselves unusually moved by the historic presidential inauguration last week in Washington. Watching the huge crowds, we saw laughter, cheers, hugs---but also many tears. It made us wonder why do people cry? Surely tears must be good for us--away to calm the mind and cleanse the body. Yet studies show that crying sometimes makes people feel worse. Three researchers in Florida and the Netherlands recently looked more deeply into the subject. They examined detailed descriptions of crying experiences. Psychologist Jonathan Rottenberg at the University of South Florida says they wanted to study crying as it happens in everyday life, not in a laboratory. The team analyzed information from the International Study on Adult Crying. As part of that study, three thousand people in different countries, mostly college students, wrote about recent crying experiences. They noted causes, surroundings and any people involved in the event. They also reported how they felt after they cried. Professor Roaenberg says the research showed that all crying experiences are not created equal. Crying does not always make a person feel better, he says. About ten percent of people reported feeling worse after they cried. But a third felt better after crying. And a majority reported the experience as helpful. The research showed that people who cry alone may not do as well as those with others around. People who reached out for emotional support at the time---and received it---reported better results from the crying experience. But Professor Rottenberg says those who felt shame or embarrassment while crying were less likely to report that crying had been helpful. Research has shown that women cry more often and more intensely than men. But it may not have better effect, says the psychologist. The new findings, he says, did not show that a person's sex was an advantage of beneficial crying. In other words, just because women cry more does not mean they are more likely to have a "good" cry. The paper entitled "Is Crying Beneficial?" appeared in December in Current Directions in Psychological Science and there is more to learn. Jonathan Rottenberg says the science of crying is still _ . We can learn from the passage that _ . some support from others may make crying helpful What's the most important thing for you to have in your life? Somebody thinks it's hard work, others think it's knowledge , love and luck... If you arrange the 26 English letters in order and use numbers to represent each of them, for example, 1 for a, 2 for b, 3 for c ......26 for z, you can change an English word into a number. So hard work becomes 8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11="98," meaning 98 is its mark ;Z-X-X-K]knowledge: 11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5="96;" love: 12+15+22+5="54," and luck: 12+21+3+11="47," a smallmark. None of these words can give one a full mark. What about money? It can't, either. Then what else? Don't be worried. You can always find an answer to a problem in your life, when you change your way of looking at things or doing things, or your attitude . Yes, attitude is the word. See for yourself; attitude: 1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5="100," a full mark. Different attitudes lead to different kinds of life. Most time people hope for a better life. They will have a better life if they change their attitudes. When you become friendly towards others, you will meet more smiling faces. In the same way, if you take a positive attitude towards failure, you'll find it's also helpful though it has made you lose lots of things. The writer thinks _ is the most important thing in a person's life. attitude
When you were looking for a reliable, honest auto mechanize, how did you find him? Before you went into that restaurant you recently tried, how did you know that it served great good? If you are like most people on the planet, you want to lower your risk of a big ugly surprise so you asked people you trust to refer to a business they trust. Marketers call this friend-to friend recognition of business "word-of -mouth advertising. When you do a treat job for your customer for a band job, people are going to talk about your business. Unfortunately, because we humans seem to feel negative emotions more intensively than positive ones, there're more likely to tell more of our friends about bad experiences with busyness than positive ones. Understand this: customer believes their own experience. You can't make them believed that your company is wonderful when they felt they were treated badly. So, to get positive word-of-mouth going for your business in this service- based economy, you've got to do a really outstanding job for everyone, exactly. And when you do, you build a great reputation. That takes time. But it forms a close link with your customers in a way that no advertising and no promotional coupon ever could. The good news is that because there are so many different businesses chasing after your customers' money, people want to know whom they can trust. So people are going to be talking about you. Create a free sales force for your business - an army of delighted customers who tell everyone that they know how good your company is to do business with. That's great antidote to _ . According to the passage, whether we go to a place or not depend on _ . Answer: Rafting the GRAND CANYON Welcomes You! For an exciting,fun and challenging white water tours,Rafting the GRAND CANYON is here to help you plan the right tour for you.Whether you want to travel for two days or ten,hike in or not,go on an oar raft or motorized trip,we will help you find the trip that meets your needs. For those who will be vacationing on the offseason a trip on the Native American Red River rafting is available year around or a one day trip is available on the Colorado River from Diamond Creek to Pierce Ferry (about three hours from Las Vegas). Most of the trips depart from Lees Ferry,Arizona (approximately 21/2hours from the south rim of the Grand Canyon).We offer partial trips which allow you to get on or off at Phantom Ranch located at the bottom of the Grand Canyon National Park South Rim.Requiring a hike in or out,with proper planning the horse ride up or down is also an option.Most trips occur between April and October. Since all rafting on the Colorado requires a permit,planning and reserving your trip requires reservations well in advance.Please let us know when you would like to go and we will contact all the river concessionaires to help you find the best trip for you. For planning your trip,questions,concerns or to make your reservations,please email or call the toll free number below.Since these trips are limited we highly recommend you make your reservations months in advance. To talk to a live person call us toll free:18002226966or 7026556060 If you have any questions regarding a trip,please CLICK _ HERE to fill out our form.This will speed up the process of getting you accurate information regarding your trip. If you would like to send us an email other than about an upcoming trip you can contact us at info@raftingthegrandcanyon.com. We look forward to helping you plan your trip!(Please NO Travel Agents) On the trip on the Grand Canyon,you are not recommended to enjoy . Answer: If there is an "Olympics for Eating", the days from Halloween in October to Super Bowl Sunday in January are it. Kids always get at least 7 pounds heavier over these holidays. Well, what do we have in the "Olympic for eating"? The first activity is the Halloween Candy. You can try any way to collect candies. Next is the Thanksgiving food. You have dinner around a turkey with family and friends on Thanksgiving Day. Eat the delicious food as much as you can. About one month later there is Christmas and then the New Year's celebration. Go on eating delicious porridge and peas. You are so lucky to have so many holidays and get so close to each other. At last, the game ends with Super Bowl Sunday. On this day, you don't have dinner. You have mountains of snacks! Who wins the game? Those who don't get heavier! Start practising now! You must be more careful about what you can eat! Olympics for Eating is _ . Answer: A little boy invited his mother to attend his school's first teacher-parent meeting. To the little boy's dismay , his mother said she would go. This would be the first time that his classmates and teachers met his mother and he was _ by her appearance . There was a severe scar that covered nearly the whole right side of her face. The boy never wanted to talk about why or how she got the scar. At the meeting, the people were impressed by the kindness of his mother with the scar, but the little boy was still embarrassed and hid himself from everyone. However, he could hear clearly the conversation between his mother and the teacher. "How did you get the scar on your face?" the teacher asked. The mother replied, "When my son was a baby, he was in a room that caught on fire. Everyone was too afraid to go in because the fire was out of control, but I went in. As I was running towards his bed, I saw a burning wood falling down and I placed myself over him trying to protect him. I was knocked to be unconscious , but luckily, a fireman came in and saved both of us." She touched the burned side of her face. "This scar will be forever, but until today, I have never regretted doing what I did." When the little boy heard this, he couldn't help running towards his mother with tears in his eyes. He hugged her and felt his mother was greater than anyone. He held her hand tightly for the rest of the day. In fact, the boy's mother was _ . Answer: "Some of the worst human tragedies happening in the world today go on because we don't really see them.We rarely make eye communication with people who are suffering,so we act sometimes as if the people don't exist." The speaker is Bill Gates,the world's richest man.At a gathering in Seattle,he is talking not as the Microsoft chairman but as a partner in a strong personal duty.For Gates and his wife,Melinda,making less inequality in global health and domestic education has become a life's goal. Having set up their foundation with close to $29 billion,the Gateses are on track to become history's greatest philanthropists .But they do more than just give money out.Experts praise the couple for their wisdom and their ability to gather others:"Even with this great contribution,"says Susan Schwab,president and CEO of the University System of Maryland Foundation,"they know they can't solve these problems alone." Their devotion came from different sources.For Melinda,it was a vacation to Zaire.Where she was struck by meeting women in being extremely poor.For Bill,it was reading that millions of children die every year from preventable diseases."Melinda and I had assumed that if there were medicines and treatments that could save lives,government would be doing everything they could to get them to...people,"Bill said at the World Health Assembly in Geneva."We couldn't escape the cruel conclusion that...some lives are seen as worth saving and others are not." From shock came action.They focused on the simple message that one life is worth no more or less than another.Frances Hesselbein,chairman of the non-profit Leader to Leader Institute, says:"Sometimes people give in a very fair way,but there is something about what they are doing...that is the opposite of that.It is very difficult to understand and very personal." Both Gateses read scientific books and travel extensively in developing countries.So far, the Gateses have devoted $9 billion to global health.They share a sense of urgency."We're not doing enough in developing countries to give out the treatments and practices we know are effective in fighting diseases such as malaria,tuberculosis and HIV,"the couple told U.S.News. What do we know about the projects supported by Gates' Foundation? Answer:
There is a brown female Canadian duck that weighs only four hundred fifty grams. The duck had flown to the southern state of Florida for the winter.A hunter shot it on January fifteenth and took it to his home in the city of Tallahassee.He put it in the refrigerator .Two days later the man's wife opened the refrigerator door.The duck lifted its head and looked at her.It was alive! The family took the duck to a doctor who treats animals.The doctor gave the duck to the Goose Creek Animal Sanctuary .Animal sanctuaries provide homes for animals and teach people about their care. The doctor said it was easy to understand why people thought the duck was dead. He said ducks generally do not move a 1ot,especially after being shot.And he said its low body temperature helped it survive in the refrigerator. _ was enough to make the duck famous around the world.The Tallahassee newspaper published the story that was re-printed in many different countries.But that was not the end of the story. Workers at the wildlife sanctuary named the duck Perky.And they got the doctor to give an operation to repair the duck's damaged wing.During the operation,Perky stopped breathing--not just once but two times.The doctor tried to save Perky by giving her oxygen.But he finally said the duck had died.A few seconds later, however, Perky began to move.Reports say the people in the operating room were so happy that they cried. Workers at the wildlife sanctuary say Perky will not have any more operations. It seems the drugs that were used had side-effects on her.Perky is expected to live at the sanctuary.And a local company has begun to sell T-shirts showing a picture of the lucky duck. Money from the sale of the shirts will help pay for Perky's care. It can be inferred from the passage that _ . A. the local company will get large profits by selling the T-shirts B. it was illegal for me hunter to shoot the duck C. the duck is likely to be well cared for in the sanctuary D. Perky likes Florida better than Canada Answer: C. the duck is likely to be well cared for in the sanctuary The bell rings and in a few moments. the most disordered part of the day begins-lunch. Food begins to be dished out. and some students are eager to see their friends. while others cannot bear the thought of what is about to happen. Anxie0, builds for many as they think today will be just like any other day. Press repeat and this happens every day. But Bridport Elementary in Bridport introduced a system to solve this classic scene of loneliness and meet new friendships. There's hardly room for the question, "Will you save me a seat?" at Britiport Elementary where students are guided to assigned tables and given the. opportunity to open their hearts and minds to a new friend. The school's president Kilbourne had observed too many days in which the same kids were left alone, while the others were always accompanied by friends. Something had to change. The school gives a new system- in which students line up to pick a numbered stick before getting their food. Each stick has a number that's linked with a table, showing where they will eat lunch for the day. This system was used five months ago. Today, if you walked into the cafeteria. you wouldn't find any numbers or any sticks. Kilbourne made a promise to the students that the system would eventually disappear if she saw that students learned to value inclusivity and friendship. People really saw a change. A girl was walking around by herself with her lunch in her hand. and four tables asked her to join them. At another table. a kindergartener was sitting alone for just a few moments before two sixth graders came over to sit with him. and actively included him in conversation. Now we are left wondering: how can lessons learned from the cafeteria be used elsewhere? Students and adults all over the country could benefit from an approach in which every person is always welcome at the table in any situation. Why couldn't w e find any numbers or any sticks in the cafeteria? A. Because students were tired of them. B. Because they didn't work out as expected. C. Because they were replaced by something else. D. Because there was no need for them any more. Answer: D. Because there was no need for them any more. Homestay provides English language students with the opportunity to speak English outside the classroom and the experience of being part of a British home. What to Expect The host will provide accommodation and meals. Rooms will be cleaned and bedcovers changed at least once a week. You will be given the house key and the host is there to offer help and advice as well as to take an interest in your physical and mental health. Accommodation Zones Homestays are located in London mainly in Zones2,3 and 4 of the transport system. Most hosts do not live in the town centre as much of central London is commercial and not residential . Zones 3 and 4 often offer larger accommodation in a less crowed area. It is very convenient to travel in London by Underground. Meal Plans Available Continental Breakfast Breakfast and Dinner Breakfast, Packed Lunch and Dinner It's important to note that few English families still provide a traditional cooked breakfast. Your accommodation includes Continental Breakfast which normally consists of fruit juice, cereal ,bread and tea or coffee. Cheese, fruit and cold meat are not normally part of a Continental Breakfast in England. Dinners usually consist of meat or fish with vegetables followed by dessert, fruit and coffee. Friends If you wish to invite a friend over to visit. you must first ask your host's permission. You have no right to entertain friends in a family home as some families feel it is an invasion of their privacy. Self-Catering Accommodation in Private Homes Accommodation on a room-only basis includes shared kitchen and bathroom facilities and often a main living room. This kind of accommodation offers an independent lifestyle and is more suitable for the long-stay student. However, it does not provide the same family atmosphere as an ordinary homestay and may not benefit those who need to practise English at home quite as much. According to the passage. What does continental Breakfast include? A. Dessert and coffee. B. Fruit and vegetables. C. Bread and fruit juice. D. Cereal and cold meat. Answer: C. Bread and fruit juice. I was blind, but I was ashamed of it if it was known. I refused to use a white stick and hated asking for help. After all, I was a teenager girl, and I couldn't bear people to look at me and think I was not like them. I must have been a terrible danger on the roads, coming across me wandering through the traffic, motorists probably would have to step rapidly on their brakes. Apart from that, there were all sorts of disasters that used to occur on the way to and from work. One evening, I got off the bus about halfway home where I had to change buses, and as usual I ran into something,"I'm awfully sorry,"I said and stepped forward only to run into it again. When it happened a third time, I realized I had been apologizing to a lamppost. This was just one of the stupid things that constantly happened to me. So I carried on and found the bus stop, which was a request stop, where the bus wouldn't stop unless passengers wanted to get on or off. No one else was there and I had to try to guess if the bus had arrived. Generally in this situation, because I hated showing I was blind by asking for help, I tried to guess at the sound. Sometimes I would stop a big lorry and stand there feeling stupid as it drew away. In the end, I usually managed to swallow my pride and ask someone at the stop for help. But on this particular evening no one joined me at the stop; It seemed that everyone had suddenly decided not to travel by bus. Of course I heard plenty of buses pass, or I thought I did. But because I had given up stopping them for fear of making a fool of myself, I let them all go by. I stood there alone for half an hour without stopping one. Then I gave up. I decided to walk on to the next stop. At the request stop that evening, the girl _ . A. stopped a big lorry B. stopped the wrong bus C. made no attempt to stop the bus D. was not noticed by other people Answer: C. made no attempt to stop the bus A woman repeated a bit of gossip about a neighbor. Within a few days, the whole village knew the story. The person she talked about was deeply hurt and angry. Later, the woman spreading the rumor learned that it was completely untrue. She was very sorry and went to a wise man to find out what she could do to repair the harm. "Go to the marketplace," he said, "buy a chicken, and have it killed. Then on your way home, pick its feathers and drop them one by one along the road." Although surprised by this advice, the woman did what she was told. The next day the wise man said, "Now, go and collect all those feathers you dropped yesterday and bring them back to me." The woman followed the same road, but she was so _ when she found the wind had blown the feathers all away. After searching for hours, she returned with only three in her hand. "You see," said the wise man, "it's easy to drop them, but it is impossible to get them all back. So it is the same with gossip. It doesn't take much to spread a rumor, but once you do, you can never completely undo( ) the wrong." Why did the the woman feel sorry ? A. She didn't know the story. B. She hurt her neighbor deeply. C. She was hurt deeply. D. She was told an untrue story. Answer: B. She hurt her neighbor deeply.
Soccer is played by millions of people all over the world, but there have only been few players who were truly great. How did these players get that way---was it through training and practice, or are great players "born, not made"? First, these players came from places that have had famous stars in the past---players that a young boy can look up to and try to imitate. In the history of soccer, only seven countries have ever won the World Cup---three from South America and four from Western Europe. There has never been a great national team---or a really great player---from North America or from Asia. Second, these players have all had years of practice in the game. Alfredo Di Stefano was the son of a soccer player, as was Pele. Most players begin playing the game at the age of three or four. Finally, many great players come from the same kind of neighborhood---a poor, crowded area where a boy's dream is not to be a doctor, lawyer, or businessman, but to become a rich, famous athlete or entertainer. For example, Liverpool, which produced the Beatles, had one of the best English soccer teams in recent years. Pele practiced in the street with a "ball" made of rags. And George Best learned the _ that made him famous by bouncing the ball off a wall in the slums of Belfast. All great players have a lot in common, but that doesn't explain why they are great. Hundreds of boys played in those Brazilian streets, but only one became Pele. The greatest players are born with some unique quality that sets them apart from all the others. The writer mentions all the factors that may affect a soccer player's success except _ . Answer: It never occurred to Sun Yukun that the decision he made four years ago would have an impact on his career. When the 22-year-old entered college in 2009, he decided not to change his rural residence to a students' collective one. But when he finished college and was offered a job with a state-owned enterprise in Beijing, Sun was told that he couldn't accept the offer unless he had an urban hukou (household registration record). This time, he had no choice but to change his residence status. Transferring hukou to a university became optional in 2003, and many students are confronted with the dilemma of whether to do so or not. Professionals suggest they make the decision based on their current situation and future plans. 'I regret transferring my hukou' Wang Jinbi, 20, is an accounting major at Beijing Union University. Coming from Chifeng, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, she transferred her hukou when she enrolled at university. "I didn't think it was a big deal," Wang says. "Since I'm registering under an urban hukou, it doesn't matter whether it's in Beijing or Inner Mongolia, I thought." What Wang didn't expect, however, is that she would regret her decision later. "After two years of study, I've figured out my future plans. I want to return to my hometown and make a living there," she says. That means Wang needs to transfer her hukou back again, which she worries will be a troublesome procedure. "I have a friend who graduated last year. She spent a lot of time and energy transferring her hukou back to her hometown again due to complicated paperworks," says Wang. Guidelines for transferring hukou Wang's experience is not uncommon. Many students don't know what their decision means for their future. In order to help these students, Xie Yongqiang, from the Chengdu Municipal Bureau of Justice, posted a guideline for transferring hukou on a micro blog. According to Xie, students should firstly think about where they're going to stay. "If you like the city where you're studying and are considering staying there after graduation, then you should transfer your hukou," he wrote. Students should also transfer their hukou if they intend to participate in an exchange program. According to Ju Haojie, deputy director of the household registration department at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, when applying for exchange programs, it saves a lot of trouble if students have a collective hukou registered under the university. But Xie also made suggestions for students with a rural registration. "If your family has land and a house, it's possible that you'll get a share of compensation in the event of a forced relocation. For those students, I would recommend them not to transfer their hukou," he wrote. This doesn't affect students in terms of receiving medical insurance and other benefits at university. 'I want to stay in Beijing' Sometimes, students abandon their rural hukou for the prospect of a better future. Tang Yanwei is one of them. The 23-year-old from Yantai, Shandong province, had a rural hukou but transferred it after enrolling at Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture. Although there are a lot of preferential policies for rural residents, for Tang, an urban hukou in Beijing is attractive. "I want to stay in Beijing, so a students' collective Beijing urban hukou is a promising start," he says. "I'll do anything that could help me stay here. After all, there's no turning back for me now." Under which circumstance can we NOT transfer our hukou? Answer: After 21 years of marriage, my wife wanted me to take another woman out to dinner and a movie. The other woman my wife wanted me to visit was my mother, who has been a widow for 19 years, but the demands of my work and my three children had made it impossible to visit her often. That Friday after work, when I arrived at her house, my mother waited in the door with her coat on. She had curled her hair and was wearing the dress that she had worn to celebrate her last wedding anniversary. We went to a restaurant that, although not elegant, was very nice and comfortable. My mother took my arm as if she were the First Lady. During the dinner, we had an agreeable conversation, nothing extraordinary but catching up on recent events of each other's life. We talked so much that we missed the movie. As we arrived at her house later, she said, "I'll go out with you again, but only if you let me invite you." I agreed. A few days later, my mother died of a massive heart attack. It happened so suddenly that I didn't have a chance to do anything for her. Some time later, I received an envelope with a copy of a restaurant receipt from the same place Mother and I had dined. An attached note said "I paid this bill in advance. I wasn't sure that I could be there; but, nevertheless, I paid for two plates--one for you and the other for your wife. You w ill never know what that night meant for me. I love you, son." At that moment, I understood the importance of saying in time 'I love YOU' and to give our loved ones the time that they deserve. Nothing in life is more important than your family. Give them the time they deserve because these things cannot be put off till some "other" time. The author of the passage tends to agree that _ . Answer: A villa designed to resist earthquakes with "self-healing" cracks in its walls, thanks to nanotechnology applications with self-healing polymers , is to be built on a Greek mountainside. The villa's walls will include special particles that turn into a liquid when squeezed under pressure, flow into cracks, and then harden to form a solid material. The NanoManufacturing Institute (NMI), based in Leeds University, will play a key role in an EU project to construct the home by December 2010. The project, called "Intelligent Safe and Secure Buildings" (ISSB) is funded under the EU's Sixth Framework program. This potentially life-saving scheme is led by German building manufacturer Knauf. The villa will be built in Amphilochia, in western Greece, where Knauf currently runs a manufacturing plant. If the experiment is successful, more tremor-resistant homes could be built in earthquake zones across the globe. NMI chief executive Professor Terry Wilkins said, "What we're trying to achieve here is very exciting. We're looking to use polymers in much tougher situations than ever before on a larger scale." Monitors contained in the villa's walls will be able to collect vast amounts of data about the building over time. Wireless sensors will record any stresses and vibrations, as well as temperature, humidity and gas levels. The walls are to be built from new load-bearing steel frames and high-strength gypsum board. Prof Wilkins said, "If there are any problems, the intelligent sensor network will be able to alert residents immediately so they have time to escape. If whole groups of houses are so constructed, we could use a larger network of sensors to get even more information. If the house falls down, we have got hand-held devices that can be used over the ruins to pick out where the embedded sensors are hidden to get some information about how the villa collapsed. Also, we can get information about anyone who may be around, so it potentially becomes a tool for rescue." What Prof Wilkins said suggests that _ . Answer: In the US, the most popular way to welcome the new year is with a big party. Some parties are at private homes. But in recent years, it has become more and more common for Americans to go to a hotel or eating-place on the night of December 31st. There, they can eat a big dinner, drink champagne, and dance to orchestra music. Most New Year's parties are usually noisy. People shout and sing. And often, guests blow on small noisemakers when the new year arrives at midnight. This tradition of noise making is believed to start centuries ago. People thought that loud sounds would drive away the bad spirits of the old year. The biggest, noisiest New Year's party in the US takes place in Times Square in New York. Thousands of people gather there. Some of them ring bells and set fireworks. Others blow whistles of car horns . And at twelve o'clock, they begin to cheer as an electric sign in the shape of a red apple lights up on top of a tall building. The Times Square celebration includes another well-known American tradition. Since 1929, the band of musician Guy Lombardo has given a concert on New Year's Eve. Guy Lombardo died in 1977. But, Bill Lombardo, has kept the tradition alive with a band concert at a New York city hotel. When the crowds in Times Square start cheering the arrival of the new year, television cameras show the band playing the song Auld Lang Syne. The most usual way to welcome the new year in the US is _ . Answer:
Which scientific model could be used to predict the properties of an element? Periodic Table At least eight babies in East China'sprefix = st1 /AnhuiProvincehave died since last year. they died of serious deficiency disease which happened to them because of fake milk powders. More than 100 other babies in Fuyang, mostly between three and five months old, are still in poor nutrition after drinking different kinds of cheap milk powders produced in North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province and Beijing. The baby victims were born healthy, but they became thinner and thinner, and had large heads for their bodies after fake milk powders were fed to them. "My girl, the first child of mine, died when she was only four months old after drinking the 'Haobaobei'milk powder."said Zhang Linwei, a 32-year-old villager of the Wangzhuang Village in Fuyang. Zhang found that his daughter got ill after the girl didn't want to drink the milk powder any more half a month before. "Before that , I though my daughter's face was becoming fatter and fatter because she was fed well and grew fast."the baby's father said. The girl died nine days later after she was sent to hospital and all of the family's savings were spent on her medical treatment. "It is like a terrible dream. I never thought that my baby would _ like this ."he said. Zhang said he tried to telephone and write to the producer of the milk powder by the address on the packing bag but never made it. "The fake milk powders only have 5-6 per cent protein and the lowest is has only 1 per cent. For babies, drinking such fake milk powder is no different from drinking water,"Zhang Fangjun, said a medical expert with the Fuyang People's Hospital. "Such so-called milk powders cannot afford any nutrition for babies' growth," Zhang said. The fake milk powders, which were produced in North China's Inner Monglolia Autonomous Region, Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province and Beijing_. killed at least eight babies inAnhuiProvince A 70-year study of personality suggests that pessimism is a risk factor for early death, especially among men. The study results also indicate that pessimism can be linked to increased risk for sudden death from accidents or violence, according to the report published in the March issue ofPsychological Science. Christopher Peterson of the University of Michigan and his colleagues analyzed data from the Terman Life-Cycle Study, which began by studying California public-school children with high IQs in 1921 and followed them through their life. Most of the 1,528 children were teenagers when the study began. Those still living are now in their 80s. In 1936 and 1940, participants were asked to complete a questionnaire designed to obtain information about difficult life events and their effect on overall outlook. One such question was, "What do you regard as your most serious fault of personality or character?" Pessimists were defined as fatalistic people who tend to blame themselves when things go wrong and who believe that one bad event can ruin the rest of their life. They also tend to expect bad things to happen to them and feel that they have little or no ability to change their situation. Males were more likely than females to be classified as pessimistic. Compared with individuals with a more cheerful and optimistic outlook, pessimists were more likely to die from accidents and violence (including suicide). A pessimistic personality may lead to poor problem-solving ability, social difficulties and risky decision-making. Taken together, these variables put the pessimist at higher risk of untimely death, say the researchers. Such a person is less likely to avoid or escape potentially dangerous situations, the researchers concluded. "A pessimistic way of thinking in which people worry too much about bad events, predicts untimely death decades later," according to Peterson. The analysis made by Christopher Peterson and his colleagues shows that pessimistic people _ will die untimely if they are not able to learn to be cheerful and optimistic. According to a report , more than a million workers will fail to take their full annul leave this year in UK. That's to say, totally, those workers will give up 6.2 million days of vacation, with an average of five days for each worker. For their employers, they feel happy because that is equal to a potential $500 million of 'free' work, which, according to an economist will boost the output of the economy by about two percent. The report also showed that the main reasons employees give up their remaining annul leave are due to pressures at work and their failing to appreciate that taking a break could make them more productive and, in turn, boost the economy in the long term. The research, done by price comparison website Travel Supermarket, found that more than one in four of those who will give up their remaining holidays (28 percent) will do so due to pressures at work. Bob Atkinson, travel expert for Travel Supermarket said: "As the economy is not so satisfying, it's no surprise that people are cautious to take all their leave, especially if they feel stressed and uncertainty at work." Nine percent of the 2,020 people surveyed also said they would feel guilty about taking the leave because their work would have to be taken care of by their colleagues. A further three percent said they would be concerned about how taking time off would look to their employer, while the same percentage said they did not want to miss anything interesting or beneficial at work in the time they would be away. Vicky Redwood, chief UK economist at Capital Economics, said: "Suppose that there are about 250 working days in a year, getting an extra five 'free' days of work from their employees could in theory boost the output of the economy by about two percent. On the other hand, if workers are less productive as a result of not getting enough breaks from work, taking all the annual leave, in fact, will perhaps increase the economy." The passage is mainly about _ . the fact that one million employees in UK don't take all their annual leave Depression is the second most common cause of disability worldwide after back pain, according to a review of research. The disease must be treated as a global public health priority , experts report in the journal PLOS Medicine. The study compared depression with more than 200 other diseases and injuries as a cause of disability. "Globally, only a small part of patients have opportunities to be treated," the World Health Organization (WHO) says. Depression was ranked at number two as a global cause of disability, but its effects varied in different countries and regions. For example, rates of major depression were highest in Afghanistan and lowest in Japan. In the UK, depression was ranked number three in terms of years when people lived with a disability. Dr Alize Ferrari from the University of Queensland's School of Population Health led the study. "Depression is a big problem and we definitely need to pay more attention to it than we do now," she told BBC News. "There's still more work to be done in terms of awareness of the disease and also successful ways of treating it. The burden is different between countries, so the rate of depression tends to be higher in low and middle income countries and lower in high income countries." Policy-makers have made an effort to bring depression to the forefront, but there is still a lot more work to be done." "There're lots of confusions we know related to mental health," Prof. Alize Ferrari explained. "What one person recognizes as disabling might be different to another person and might be different across countries as well, there are lots of cultural effects and explanations that are related to depression, which makes it more important to raise awareness of the size of the problem and also signs and how to find depression." The data--for the year 2010--follows similar studies in 1990 and 2000 looking at the global burden of depression. Commenting on the study, Dr Daniel Chisholm, a health economist at the department of mental health and substance abuse at the WHO said depression was a very disabling condition. "It's a big public health challenge and a big problem to be thought about but not enough is being done. Around the world only a tiny part of people get any sort of treatment or diagnosis." Dr Daniel Chisholm said. The WHO recently started a global mental health action plan to raise awareness of depression among policy-makers. Why did the WHO start a global mental health action plan? To make policy-makers of all countries pay attention to the problem of depression.
It would be very exciting to be a reporter on a newspaper. As soon as a reporter's boss gives him a story to write, the reporter is on the job. He keeps his mind on what he is going to do. He does not begin writing the story until he knows what he should find out. He must know why he should write the story. At times a reporter must search hard to find all of the facts he needs for a story. The facts may not be right under his nose. To find the facts, he has to recognize important details. While gathering information for a story, he asks himself questions:Should I use this information? Is this an important fact? A reporter writes the story as fast as he can, so it can go right away into the newspaper. The story also needs a headline, which tells very quickly what the news story is about and is printed bigger and blacker than the rest of the news story. Every big newspaper has many reporters,because many stories are needed in the newspaper. Would you like to be one? Which statement is true according to the passage? Answer: A reporter begins to write when knowing what he should find out. Faced with a tough job market, fresh graduates are dreaming of running their own businesses instead. But a recent survey has showed that such ambitions lack the required support and remain just that -- dreams. The Shanghai Municipal Employment Promotion Center poll of 1,276 graduates in several universities and colleges in the city, released last Friday, showed 59.78 percent of respondents considered the possibility of setting up a company or at least a small store. "But they just stop at the 'thinking' stage," it stated. Respondents put the top reasons for not going it alone down to a shortage of investment and a lack of business opportunity. They also listed lack of business experience and social networks, the need for advanced study and objections from family members as factors that stood in their way. More than 90 percent of the interviewees said they would rather take up a job after graduating and then consider starting their own business two or three years down the road. Guo Bing, a senior student in Shanghai International Studies University majoring in English, decided he wanted to be his own boss last year. But he is looking for a job first. "If I fail to find a satisfying job, I would like to establish a company in exhibition services," Guo said. The Shanghai native has some relatives working in a local printing plant. With their help, Guo hopes to produce exhibition brochures at a relatively low price. He is also confident that his English language skills can help him do well in the industry. "Social networking is an important factor leading to business success," Guo said. Guo said that the shortage of graduate jobs is the main reason driving more university students to set up a business right after their graduation. Jiang said the university sets up a business guide team made of government officials and professionals. They regularly give training courses to students who show an interest in having their own business. The parents of university graduates are more willing to help their children start up alone, the survey showed" Once you win the support of your family, you have won half the battle," Guo added. Which of the following can be the best title? Answer: Graduates Who Can Only Dream of Being Boss I will never forget my first English class. It is very interesting. It's the first class in the morning. The teacher goes into the classroom with a smile on his face. At the beginning, he makes a self-introduction . And he tells us that his English name is John. Then he asks all of us to think of English names for ourselves. We are very excited to find a good name. Then he asks us to write our names down on a piece of paper. I think about my English name for a long time. Then I come up with a beautiful name ---Shirley. All the students write their names down and give the paper to the teacher. When the teacher calls "Shirley" to answer his question, three girls stand up at the same time. What do we do in the first English class? Answer: Find English names for ourselves. A boy couldn't speak when he was 3 years old. A lot of people thought he was a foolish boy. When the boy was 9 years old, he could speak but he still couldn't speak well. His teacher didn't like him at all and his classmates laughed at him. He felt very sad, One day his father had a walk with him. They went to a wood and there were a lot of trees there. Then his father took him to two trees and said to him."Boy, this tree is sabal (,)and this tree is fir . Sabal grows very quickly at first but a few years later, it will stop growing, so the tallest Sabal can't reach ten meters. But the fir is different, it grows very slowly at first but it never stops growing so it can grow very tall." Then his father took him to another fir. It was so tall, so strong. It can reach the sky. The father said to his son, "Son, you are the fir."The boy understood his father's words. The boy became a very great scientist. Do you know who he is? He is the world-famous scientist. His name is Einstein. Is the sabal taller than the fir? Answer: No, it isn't. In prefix = st1 /America, drivers' education is part of regular high school curriculum. Every student in his or her second year of high school is required to take a class in driver's education. However, unlike other courses, it is not given during the regular school year. Instead, it is a summer course. The course is divided up into two parts: class time for learning laws and regulations and driving time to practise driving. Class time is not unlike any other class. The students have a text from which they study the basic laws they must know to pass the written driving test that is given to anyone wanting to get a driver's license. Driving time is a chance for the students to get behind the wheel (steering wheel) and practise starting steering, backing up, parking, switching lanes, turning corners, and all the other maneuvers required to drive a car. Each student is required to drive a total of six hours. The students are divided up into groups of four. The students and the instructor go out driving for two-hour blocks of time. Thus, each student gets half an hour driving time per outing. The instructor and "driver" sit in the front seats and the other three students sit in the back. Drivers Ed cars are unlike other cars in which they have two sets of brakes, one on the driver's side and one on the other side where the instructor sits. Thus, if the student driver should run into difficulties the instructor can take over. The car also has another special feature. On the top of the car is a sign that reads: STUDENT DRIVER. That lets nearby drivers know that they should use extra caution because the student driver is a beginning driver, not very experienced and prone to driving slowly. After the student has passed the driver's education course and reached the appropriate age to drive (this age differs in every state but in most cases the person must be 16 years old), they can go to a designated state office to take their driver's test, which is made up of an eye examination, a written test, and a road test. The person must pass all three tests in order to be given a driver's license. If the person did well in his or her driver's education class, he or she will pass the test _ and get a driver's license. In the last sentence,"with flying color1s"means _ . Answer: successfully
My name is Mike. I have a big family. It's Saturday morning. My grandfather is sitting on the sofa near the window. He is reading the newspaper. My grandmother is taking photos of some flowers in the garden near the house. My father is watching sports games on TV in his bedroom. Basketball games are his favorite but he can't play basketball. Where are my two sisters? Oh, look! Lily is over there. She is listening to music. She likes music very much. Lucy is in her room. There is a computer in her room. She is surfing the Internet . She is writing an e-mail to her friend. What am I doing? I am doing my homework. Do you know who is cooking? Mike's father likes _ very much. Answer: watching sports games Xiangzi - Lucky, in English - is appropriately named. His owner Qiu Hong, a sports marketer,lets the dog enjoy two daily walks,a collection of imported American toys, $300 worth of monthly food and treats and his own sofa in her high-rise apartment. When Ms. Qiu feels bored, she takes Xiangzi out for a long run in her car. In a sense, Xiangzi is not just a dog, but a social phenomenon - and, perhaps, a marker of how quickly the Chinese nation is booming through its transformation from poor farmer to first-world citizen.Twenty years ago,there were hardly any dogs in Beijing, but now there're 900,000 registered dogs with countless thousands of others unlicensed. How this came to be is, in some ways, the story of modern China as well. "People used to be focused on improving their own lives, and they weren't really acquainted with raising dogs," said Ms. Qiu. "But with the improvement in the economy, people's outlooks have changed." Having a dog can be a way to relieve the stress in people's lives, but mostly Beijing dogs have, as in the West, become objects of affection - even devotion - by their owners. It's easy to find dog-treat stores, dog Web sites, dog social networks, dog swimming pools - even, for a time recently, a bring-your-dog cinema and a bring-your-dog bar on Beijing's downtown nightclub row. The doglike devotion of pet owners here seems to have softened the city government heart. In 1994, Beijing officials relaxed their no-dog policy to "severely restrict" dogs. In 2003,it was changed again to allow anyone to own a dog, but to limit city dogs to no more than 35 centimeters in height. And nowadays the restriction seems to be loosely carried out. As for sti-fried Pekingese - well, that dog,too, may have seen its day. A formal suggestion to ban the eating of dogs has been made by a law professor named Chang Jiwen, who considered himself "not so much a dog lover as a China lover". "With China developing so quickly, more people should know how to treat animals properly," he said in 3 telephone interview. Judging from the article,we can know that _ . Answer: Pet owners can be as devoted as the dog Which substance is likely present for the birth of a mountain? Answer: magma Trees are useful to man in three important ways: they give him wood and other useful things, they give him cool places, and they help to stop drought and flood. Unluckily, in many parts of the world, man has not found that the third of these points is the most important. Man wants to make money from trees, so he has cut them down in large numbers, only to find that without them he has lost the best friends he had. And also, he is usually too careless to plant and look after new trees. So the forests slowly disappear. This does not only mean that man will have fewer trees. The results are even worse: for where there are trees, their roots break up soil-make the rain in-and also bind the soil, thus stopping it from being washed away easily; but where there are no trees, the rain falls on hard ground and flows away, causing floods and carrying away the rich top-soil. When all the top-soil is gone, nothing is left but useless desert. In many places forests slowly disappear because _ . Answer: all the above In the old days, children were familiar with birth and death as part of life. Now this is perhaps the first generation of American youngsters who have never been close by during of the birth a baby and have never experienced the death of a family member. Nowadays when people grow old, we often send them to nursing homes. When they get sick, we send them to a hospital, where children are forbidden to visit terminally in patients-- even when those patients are their parents. This deprives the dying patient of family members during the last few days of his life and it deprives the children of an experience of death, which is an important learning experience. Some of my colleagues and I once interviewed and followed about 500 terminally in order to find out what they could teach us and how we could be of more benefit, not just to them but to the members of their families as well. We were most impressed by the fact that even those patients who were not told of their serious illness were quite aware of its potential outcome. It is important for family members, and doctors and nurses to understand these patients' communication in order to truly understand their needs, fears and fantasies . Most of our patients welcomed another human being with whom they could talk openly, honestly, and frankly about their trouble. Many of them shared with us their great need to be informed, to be kept up - to - date on their medical condition and to be told when the end was near. We found out that patients who had been dealt with openly and frankly were better able to cope with the coming of detach and finally to reach a true stage of acceptance before death. It may be concluded from the passage that _ . Answer: dying patients should be truthfully informed of their condition
Oprah Winfrey,born in 1954,is all American talk show host,best known for her multiawardwinning talk show. She is also,according to some assessments,the most influential woman in theworld. It's no surprise that her endorsement can bringovernight sales fortune that defeats most,if not all,marketingcampaigns .The star features about 20 products each year On her"Favorite Things" show.There's even a term for it: the Oprah Effect. Her television career began unexpectedly. When she was 16 year old,she had the idea of being a journalist to tell other people's stories in a way that made a difference in their lives and the world.She was on television by the time she was 19 years old. And in 1986 she started her own television show with a continuous determination to succeed at first TIME magazine wrote,"People would have doubted Oprah Winfrey's swift rise to host of The most popular talk show on TV .In a field ruled by white males,she is a black female of big size. As interviewers go,she is no match for,say,what she lacks in journalistic toughness.She makes up for in plainspoken curiosity,rich humor and,above all understanding Guests with sad stories to tell tend to bring out a tear in Oprah's eye .They,in turn,often find themselves exposing things they would not imagine telling anyone,much less a national TV audience." "I was nervous about the competition and then I became my own competition raising the bar every year,pushing,pushing,pushing myself as hard as I knew. It doesn't matter how far you might rise. At some point you are bound to fall if you're constantly doing what we do, raising the bar. If you're constantly pushing yourself higher,higher the law of averages,you will at some point fall. And when you do I want you to know this,remember this:there is no such thing as failure. Failure is just life trying to move us in another direction"as Oprah addressed graduates at Harvard on May 30,2013. Which of the following best describes Oprah Winfrey? Answer: Ricky and Carmen were friends. Ricky was an inchworm. He had a skinny body and was bright green. Carmen was a ladybug. She had a round body and was red with black spots. They liked to play together in the grass. One day Ricky and Carmen were playing in the grass. Carmen saw something new. She asked Ricky, "What is that yellow thing?" Ricky did not know. They went over to the yellow thing. It was not grass. It was not alive. It was big and flat and looked like it might be fun for jumping. Carmen said, "Let's jump on it." Ricky said, "Okay, but I hope we don't get in trouble." They jumped on the big yellow thing. It was fun! They were happy jumping together! All of a sudden, the big yellow thing moved. It went up in the air. Ricky and Carmen held on. It went up and up. It went into the sky. Ricky and Carmen were scared. They wanted to get down. They shouted, "Help, help!" A bird heard them and flew over. His name was George. George said, "What's wrong? Don't you like it up here on your kite?" "No, we don't!" said Ricky. "What's a kite?" said Carmen. George told them they were on a kite. He showed them the string. He said, "You can follow that string all the way to the ground." It looked like a long way down. But they thanked George for his help and slowly crawled down the string to the ground. They were safe. What kind of animal was Carmen? Answer: You may have heard of the famous saying, "East or west, home is the best." What does the word "home" mean to you? How do you say the word in French? In Chinese? In your language? Although people usually know what the word means, it sometimes has no exact translation. It's not surprising, because the idea of home is " different from country to country and from person to person". A home is more than a roof and four walls. It's the cooking ,eating, talking, playing and sleeping that go on inside. And at home you usually feel safe and relaxed. Homes look different in different countries. They also have different things inside. For example, in cold northern Europe, there's a fire in the living room or kitchen and all the chairs face it, In the south, where the sun shines a lot and it's more important to keep the heat out, there are small windows and cool stone floors. We asked some people about their homes. How often do people move house in your country? " In my country many people don't stay in one place for a very long time. They often move every ten years or so." ------Cheryl, Boston, USA What are the features of homes in your country? " In Britain, even in town, there's always a garden. We have separate bedrooms and living rooms. But we don't often have balconies. The weather isn't warm enough!" ------Pat, Exeter, England Which one of the following sentences is TRUE? Answer: People in the United States honor their parents with two special days: Mother's Day,on the second Sunday in May, and Father's Day, on the third Sunday in June. Mother's Day was proclaimed a day for national observance by President Woodrow Wilson in 1915. Ann Jarvis from Graffon, West Virginia, had started the idea to have a day to honor mothers. She was the one who chose the second Sunday in May and also began the custom of wearing a carnation. In 1909, Mrs Dodd from Spokane, Washington, thought of the idea of a day to honor fathers. She wanted to honor her own father, William Smart. After her mother died, he had the responsibility of raising a family of five sons and a daughter. In 1910, the first Father's Day was _ in Spokane. Senator Margaret Chase Smith helped establish Father's Day as a national commenortative day , in 1972. These days are set aside to show love and respect for parents. They raise their children and educate them to be responsible citizens. They give love and care. These two special days are celebrated in many different ways. On Mother's Day people wear carnations. A red one symbolizes a living mother. A white one shows that the mother is dead. Many people attend religious services to honor parents. It is also a day when people whose parents are dead visit the cemetery. On these days families get togher at home as well as in restaurants. They often have outdoor barbecues for Father's Day. These are days of fun and good feelings and memories. Another tradition is to give cards and gifts. Children make them in school. Many people make their own presents. These are valued more than the ones bought in stores. It is not the value of the gift that is important, but it is " the thought that counts". Greeting card stores, florists, candy makers, bakeries, telephone companies, and other stores do a lot of business during these holidays. People celebrate these two special days in many ways except _ . Answer: Don't you think it interesting that there were strange coincidences in the deaths of President Kennedy and President Lincoln? For example, John Kennedy was elected president in 1960 while Abraham Lincoln in 1860, between which was a hundred years. Both men were killed from behind, on black Friday , and with their wives on the spot. The two men were born exactly one hundred years away, as were their murderers, Lee Oawald and John Booth. Perhaps the strangest coincidence is that President Kennedy's secretary , whose name was Lincoln, advised the president not to go to Dallas, where the president was shot. President Lincoln's secretary, named Kennedy, advised the president not to go to the Ford Theatre, where the president met his death. Black Friday means that _ . Answer:
Poteet Strawberry Festival Poteet, Texas, USA April 11 - April 13 Description: The Poteet Strawberry Festival is one of the oldest, most popular events in the state and is recognized as the largest agricultural festival in Texas as well as one of the most exciting, dynamic festivals in the Greater Southwest. The 100-acre site, which is located on Hwy. 16, 20 minutes south of San Antonio, offers free parking, clean public restrooms, handicapped accessibility, complete RV facilities, and tent covered activities during the fun filled Festival Weekend. The Poteet Strawberry Festival includes fourteen areas of continuous, family entertainment featuring concerts with nationally known Country Western and Tejano stars, dancers, gunslingers, clowns, puppets, regional bands, various contests, and rodeo performances. These activities are included in the price of a $10.00 admission ticket. Children aged 12 and under are admitted free of charge as well as active, reserve and retired military with proper ID. Performers: Craig Morgan, Pam Tillis, Rick Trevino Location: Poteet, Texas Directions: 30 miles south of San Antonio on Hwy. 16 Times: The Festival Grounds will open at 6:00 pm Fri. and at 10:00 am both Sat. & Sun. Admission: Adult $10.00 Children 12 & under / active, reserve, and retired military personnel with proper ID are admitted FREE Website: http://www.strawberryfestival.com Telephone: 830-276-3323 Email: nitaharvey@sbcglobal.net Jack, a soldier, together with his two children (one is 10, the other 18) wants to take part in the activity. How much should they pay? Answer: 10 dollars. It was January lst, the first day of the year and a holiday for me.I went to the bank to get the bank work out of the way. The bank clerk nodded and I sat in front of him. He was busy filling up entries in his register. I put my form and booklet in front of him.After waiting for a few more minutes, in which I showed all signs of being impatient, I asked him if my work was done. He shouted, "Nothing is done, and it will take time ! " Just then I saw his morning cup of tea, which had been lying there for the last ten minutes, untoucheD.The tea had turned almost cold while he was doing his work.Suddenly I felt what this man must be feeling when customers like me come always in a hurry to get their work done. We do not even feel the need to thank them for being there. So I told him, "Sir, please have your teA.I am not in a hurry. " This man suddenly looked up at me and for the first time we had eye contact.I saw a different person there, who was as hard-pressed for time as I always am. _ . I felt that he was also missing the small things in life like a hot cup of tea or lying in a warm bed for a few more minutes like me.He gave me a rare smile and said, "It is an everyday affair with me; you are not in a hurry but somebody else will be. He really touched my heart with his wise words. I felt that all this time I thought of him as someone who was there for my convenience, but today I suddenly felt a strange communion with him. I vowed to be friendly with people who help me with my work and be thankful that they are there for me. What does the text try to tell us? Answer: To be thankful to those who help you. Energy pod: It was designed by a US company with NASA technology. It puts the human body in the best sleeping position and blocks outside noise to create an ideal napping experience. Silicon Valley high-tech companies such as Google provide the Pod for employees. White noise radio: White noise is a sound signal that contains equal power and frequency. Some radios provide white noise to mask other noises so that people can sleep without disturbance. High-tech sleepwear: A US-based company designs a nightgown with special fabric that stimulates blood flow to tired muscles helping one relax in deeper restorative sleep. Emu pillow: Inspired by emu that buried its head in sands when it's scared, a type of pillow has been designed in China for office workers to take a nap, safe and sound. It turns the computer desk into a sleep hub with even two pockets to store the hands. How do you probably get the information? Answer: From a newspaper. One way that scientists learn about man is by studying animals.In this lab, the scientists are studying the relationship between diet and health. They are studying the relationship between the amount of food the mice eat and their health.The mice are in three groups.All three groups are receiving the same healthy food.The first group is eating one cup of food each day, the second group is eating two cups, and the third group is eating three cups. After three years, the healthiest group is the one that is only eating one cup of food each day.The mice in this group are a little thinner. But _ are more active.Most of the day, they are running, playing with one another.Also, they are living longer.Mice usually live for two years.Most of the mice in this group are still alive after three years. The second group of mice is healthy, too.They are active, but not as active as the thinner mice.They are only living about two years. The last group of mice is receiving more food than the other two groups.Most of the day, these mice are eating or sleeping.They are not very active.These mice are living longer than the scientists thought-about a year and a half.But they are not healthy.They are sick more often than the other two groups. People give each group of the mice _ amount of food every year. Answer: a different In 1841, a book was published which astonished the world. It was called"Incidents of Travel in Central America, Chiapas and Yucatan". The author John Loud Stephens had just returned from a long, difficult and dangerous journey through the thick rain forest of southern prefix = st1 /MexicoandGuatemala. He had once been there with Frederick Catherwood, an architect and artist, to search for the remains of a lost civilization known as the Mayas .Very little was known about the Mayas at that time, but Catherwood's drawing in the book showed incredible cities with temples, pyramids and other buildings as impressive as those of their northern neighbors, the Aztecs. These cities, however, were deserted. The inhabitants had disappeared almost a thousand years before. Since that time, far more has been learned about this remarkable civilization. The Mayas had a highly developed system of government and of agriculture, as well as an incredibly accurate system of measuring time. They were also wonderful engineers capable of moving huge blocks stone long distances and cutting them to accurate shapes and sizes. And yet although the Mayas knew about the wheel, they never used it. Neither did they use metals other than copper. What is ever more surprising is that they suddenly abandoned many of their cities and built new ones in the jungle. Some time around AD900, Mayan civilization collapsed. By the year 1200, their last great capital,Chichen Itza, was deserted. Who were these strange people and the even stranger gods they worshipped ? What brought about their sudden and mysterious collapse? Some writers have tried to prove that the Mayas had contact with visitors from space and even that they themselves came from another planet. Some people believe that their civilization came to an end because the Mayas never developed a proper resistance to local germs and diseases. All we really know is that when the first Europeans appeared off their coast in 1517, this great and mysterious culture was only a memory. What brought about Mayan sudden collapse? Answer: No one knows for sure
An Israeli law banning too skinny models went into effect with the start of 2013. The law, approved last March in Israel, requires models to prove they have maintained a Body Mass Index (BMI) of at least 18.5 for three months before a fashion show. That means a woman who is 5'8'' tall can weigh no less than 119 pounds. "This law is another step in the war against eating disorders," said physician Adatto. "Underweight models," he explained, "can no longer serve as role models for innocent young people who copy their false image of being skinny." But some critics in this country say it is misguided, focusing on weight instead of health. They also say the Israeli ban is bound to fail because of the strong power of the fashion industry. "I think it's an approach that isn't going to work." Said eating disorder expert Susan Ice, who worked with an organization which creates a healthy working environment for models. But Adatto told the reporter that he began to concern the issue after meeting an ambitious model who looked like she needed to be hospitalized. He said. "I realized that only legislation can change the situation. There was no time to waste, so many girls were dieting to death." However, the efforts to regulate models' weight in Spain and Italy have not resulted in significant changes in part because of difficulties in determining reliable methods of measuring weight and health. Still, folks including Ice say there's no denying that images from Hollywood and the fashion industry can be difficult for young women to deal with. "Certainly I don't believe the modeling industry has caused the rise in eating disorders, but it makes it harder," she says. "It's a difficult recovery environment, worshiping thinness as the beauty ideal." In the opinion of the critics, the law won't succeed because _ . Answer: A modern-day love story of a man seeing the girl of his dreams across a New York subway train and tracking her down over the Internet has failed to have a fairytale ending with the relationship over. For Web designer Patrick Moberg, then 21, from Brooklyn, it was love at first sight when he saw a woman on a Manthttan train last November. But he lost her in the crowd so he set up a website with a sketch picture to find her--www.Nygirlofmydreams.com. Unbelievably in a city of 8 million people, it only took Moberg 48 hours to find the woman, with his phone ringing non-stop and email box overflowing. New Yorkers took pity on the subway Romeo and joined his hunt. The mysterious girl was named as Camille Hayton, from Melbourne, Australia, who was working at the magazine Black Book and also lived in Brooklyn. One of her friends saw the sketched picture on the Web site and recognized her. But after finding each other, appearing on TV and getting international press, the couple took their romance out of the public eye, with Moberg closing down the Web site and with both refusing to make any more comments--until now. Hayton told Australian newspaper The Sunday Telegraph that she dated Moberg for about two months but it just didn't work out. "I say we dated for a while but now we're just friends," Hayton, now 23, told the newspaper. Hayton said she is still recognized about three times a week on the streets of Manhattan as "that girl" and the question is always the same: "So what happened?" "I think the situation was so intense that it linked us," she said, adding, "it linked us in a way that you could mistake, I guess, for being more romantic than it was. I don't know. But I wanted to give it a go so didn't wonder what if, what if?" Hayton told The Sunday Telegraph that she is enjoying single life in New York, keeping busy with acting classes, working in two clothing stores. Last week she had a small role as a waitress in the long-running daytime soap As the World Turns. "I just can't believe it happened. It feels like a long time ago," said Hayton. Moberg, however, was still refusing to comment on the relationship. After Moborg lost the girl in the crowd he set up a website with_. Answer: New Yorkers and visitors to the Big Apple will get to ring in the Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year in the U.S., in style with a fireworks display on the Hudson River set to music written by Academy Award-winning composer Tan Dun. The display is part of the second annual "Happy Chinese New Year: Fantastic Art China" festival held in New York on February 5-10, 2016. The China Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA), the U.S.-China Cultural Institute and the Cultural Associate of the Committee of 100 announced this year's events on November 18 at a press conference at the Lincoln Center. The "Fantastic Art China" festival will feature a larger and more diverse series of artistic and cultural events across New York's top cultural venues and landmarks, including the Lincoln Center, Empire State Building and Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. This year's theme focuses on exploring the complicated relationship between sound and image, said Professor Yu Ding from CAFA, who is also president of Fantastic Art China and in charge of the festival's design. Lunar New Year, which celebrates the "Year of the Monkey" in 2016, is an opportunity to bring China's modern art to mainstream America, and the festival serves as an innovative approach to establishing cultural exchange between China and New York City, Yu said. UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Tan Dun's music is a new edition that will be featured at several venues, including a major art exhibition at the Javits Center, events at the Lincoln Center and the fireworks display on the Hudson, which will take place on the evening of February 6. Five barges on the river will launch the fireworks designed by CAFA that will tell a story about celebration and conservation. "We Chinese are fond of nature, so the best way to celebrate the Lunar New Year is to salute with the sounds of nature, such as sounds of water, stone and bamboo," said Tan Dun at the press conference, "And it will be fun to use the music of water during the firework display." In addition to the fireworks, a special lighting show at the Empire State Building will _ New York City during the holiday. Chinese New Year is being recognized as a public school holiday for the first time in New York. Children from the National Dance Institute, which represents 75 schools, will perform traditional Chinese dances at the Lincoln Center and the Javits Center. And, in celebration of the "Year of the Monkey" events will feature a conservation message about the endangered golden monkey in China. This passage is written mainly in order to _ . Answer: I have lived and worked in Slovakia for about three years. And I have talked to many people who had been working overseas for quite a long time. Here are some of the things that I have found helpful to anyone preparing to live or work abroad. Hopefully these tips will help. Research: Knowing about the geography and history of the place will help a lot. You don't have to be an expert but just know the basics. If you're going to be living there it is worth the effort. Find someone you trust at home: Find a friend or you really trust at home to handle things that you might have to deal with when you're abroad. My parents were great at helping me with many things. They have been great at helping me to move to Slovakia and come back to the United States. Live simply: Learning to live on a small amount of money is a skill. It takes time. Living abroad can be expensive, so being able to live simply will help with costs. The other thing is that having lots of things to carry around is annoying. Try to experience the culture: Be open-minded and try your best to really experience the culture. Learn the language, hang out with the natives and try to have fun. You may not like everything but making an effort will help you make new friends and make life more enjoyable. Learning the language can be a challenge but most local people will see it as a sign of respect if you try, not only that it is just a cool way to impress your friends when they come to visit. Before leaving for a foreign country, we are supposed to _ . Answer: Many young people in America go to camps when they are out of school during the summer. They are offered a chance to explore different things: nature, sports, music, technology ----even business and economy. One such program for high school students in the Pacific Northwest is called Washington Business Week. The program began in 1975. Officials say forty-five thousand people have attended Washington Business Week. Other states now have similar camps. Washington Business Week describes itself as a way to learn more about how to plan for the future in an ever-changing economy. Students form an executive management team. They lead an imaginary company to financial success. The camp is held at three colleges in Washington State. The high school students live in the college housing. The cost of the camp is almost three hundred dollars, but families can receive financial assistance . Some business camps are free. These are for students from poor areas. The National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) is an organization based in New York City that supports such camps. It has programs around the United States and its Web site lists international partners in China, Tanzania and a few other countries. NFTE says it has served more than one hundred thousand young people since 1987. Among other business camps is Camp C.E.O.. C.E.O is an chief executive officer. And this camp is for girls only. Camp C.E.O. is supported by the Girl Scouts of America and takes place for one week each summer. The camp took place last month in Tennessee. The girls worked with successful businesswomen from different industries. The girls learned how to build a business and develop an idea into a product. And, we imagine, they also had some fun. Which of the following is the best title of the passage? Answer:
Students in many countries are learning English. Some of these students are small children. Others are teen-agers. Many are adults. Some learn at school, others by themselves. A few learn English by learning the language over the radio, on TV, or in film. One must work hard to learn another language. Why do all these people want to learn English? It is difficult to answer this question. Many boys and girls learn English at school because it is one of their subjects required for study. They study their own language and maths and English: Some people learn it because it is useful for their work. Many people learn English for their work. Many people learn English for their higher studies, because at college or university some of their books are in English. Other people learn English because they want to read newspapers or magazines in English. People learn English _ . Answer: Milk was one of the main foods of people long before history was written. It will probably keep on being one as long as there are animals that give milk. Even the word "milk" is very old. It comes from Sanskrit ( ), one of the oldest languages known to man. A very old picture of _ has been found. It was drawn more than five thousand years ago. In the years long ago, people got their milk from their own animals. But later new inventions made the milk industry a big business. In 1851 Gail Borden found a way to take some of the water out of milk. This made it keep much longer. Four years later, Louis Pasteur introduced a way to kill the bacteria ( ) in milk. Next, a special milk bottle was made. This was followed by the invention of machines that could fill bottles with milk. These discoveries had a great effect on the milk industry. They meant that milk could be stored longer. Some people believe that milk drinking will become less popular that it has been. But remember how long milk has been an important food and think of many ways in which it is useful. It seems safe to say that milk industry will always be important. The word "milk" comes from _ . Answer: There's a body of water in Israel that is actually below sea level. Water constantly runs into it, but, because of the law of gravity ,nothing can flow out of it. Do you know the name of this famous lake? It's called the Dead Sea. It's called this because no living thing could live there. The water is almost dead, compared to what happens with "living water". When you think of the term "living water", the image that comes to mind is a rushing river that is flowing. It's filled with life and movement. It doesn't just "receive", but is also "giving" simultaneously. Many of us believe that we need to receive more of something in order to be happy. Whether what we desire is money or something else, we think we need more of it in order to be fulfilled. As a result, we begin to operate in fear and therefore don't give anything because we're afraid that we won't have enough. The result? Like the Dead Sea, we become lifeless. Life is meant to flow. when a pool stops flowing, it becomes stagnant . Stagnant water breeds disease and death. It can't breathe. It can't receive any more. If nothing is flowing out, there's no room for anything else to come in. The solution? Give. As you give, you'll receive. It's a universal law. You see it at work everywhere. we've somehow been deceived ( )into believing that if we don't give, we'll have more. Or we're afraid that if we do give, we won't have anything left. On one hand, this seems to make sense. But it doesn't work. Because when we don't give, we shut off the flow of what's coming in. According to the passage, if you refuse to give, you will _ . Answer: Charlie woke up from his nap. He had finished eating all the delicious food on the table that Samantha had made for him and he was tired. With a laugh, Charlie looked at the green balloon that his daughter Samantha had put over his head to float. Bobo the dog walked into the room where Charlie was sitting and made a noise. Bobo barked. \tabCharlie looked at Bobo and smiled, and then grabbed his brown hat from the table. Next to his hat there was a picture of a rainbow that Samantha had drawn for Charlie. It was a pretty rainbow. Chelsea the cat walked in on Bobo with his barking and Charlie with his hat in hand and then meowed. Chelsea and Bobo looked at each other. Charlie, seeing the two looking at each other, made the choice that enough was enough and opened the door to walk outside. Samantha was standing outside the house on the lawn, and with a yell, she surprised Charlie! With a wave of her hand, she showed him the duck that she was watching. Samantha gave the duck the name Wilfred, and Charlie was pleased. He and Samantha watched Wilfred walk away and they saw a real rainbow in the distance. It was a beautiful start to the day. Bluebird the blue bird was flying high in the sky, and Charlie smiled. In the distance, he saw a white airplane. What did Charlie see a picture of on the table and the real thing in the sky? Answer: M: Hi, Ann! Tomorrow will be August 1st. When is your holiday going to start? W: Very soon. I'm going to leave the day after tomorrow. M: How long are you going to be away? W: About two weeks. M: Where are you going? W: I'm going to the beach this time. M: Are you going to stay alone? W: No. I will stay in a hotel with my friends. M: Oh, good. It's hard to find a place to stay at the beach in August. W: That's right. And in a few days, I will swim every day, play beach ball, lie in the sun and just take it easy. M: Don't tell me about that. It sounds so great! W: What about you, John? Where are you going to spend your holiday? M: I don't know. I should think about it. Is it easy to find a place to stay at the beach in August? Answer:
Every morning, the newspaper chief editor holds a meeting with the reporters. They discuss the main events of the day. Reporters are then sent to cover the events. As soon as the reporters know what to write about, they get down to work. They telephone people and fix a time for a face-to-face interview with them. Sometimes they do telephone interviews. Checking information is very important. They go to the newspaper's own library to look up any information that they need. This is called "doing one's homework". At the same time, the picture editor decides which photographs will be used for the next day's paper. All the people who work on a newspaper must be able to work fast. Reporters have to stop working on one story and start working at once on the important new one. They must find out the new information as quickly as possible. Later in the day, everything is put together at the news desk. Reporters return, type their stories into the computer and hand them to the editor. The chief editor decides which will be the most important story on the front page. Sometimes this will have to be changed if something more important happens late in the day. Other editors read the stories which the reporters have written and make any necessary changes. Finally, there is no more time left for adding new stories, and the time for printing the newspaper has come. This is done on fast-moving printing machines. The newspapers are then delivered by truck, plane or rail. Speed is important. People want to buy the latest newspaper; nobody wants to buy yesterday's. The best title for this passage is " _ ". How a newspaper is produced With a busy life and job, pressure can make you look tired and aged.Kissi Health-Beauty Center gives classes, makes training plans according to your physical conditions, and sets up an individual file .All these things will help you to get to know your body and the way to keep it fit. 1)BODY-BUILDING Imported gym equipment that will help you build up your body's muscle, making you look full of energy and strength. 2)GYMNASTIC EXERCISE A bright and large exercise room with excellent equipment and music will give your body a chance to enjoy movement with rhythm. 3)SPECIAL "LAZY-BONE" FITNESS CENTER 'Lazy-bone' fitness equipment is the first body shaping set of seven beds in Beijing, which helps you to exercise your waist, abdomen, hips or legs.In the relaxing hours you may try them to strengthen your muscles and lose weight. Tuition: 'Lazy-bone' fitness card, 1,200 yuan/ month (gymnastic classes included) Class Time: Gymnastic Class, 18:30-19:30 every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Tel: 5918570 Address: 16 Dongsanhuan Beilu, Chaoyang District, Beijing Through the advertisement, the center wants to show it's _ one. the most advanced Six years ago, I walked into a local animal shelter on a cold, rainy day. Although my house was already full of cats and dogs, I still couldn't resist an occasional visit to the shelter. This time as I was walking down the row of pens full of barking dogs I noticed a small boy looking into one of them. He had a malnourished looking body and a bony face with a big nose sticking out of the middle of it. He was looking at a small, golden dog. Its bony ribs were showing and its thin tail was folded between its legs. It wasn't begging for attention like the other puppies but was hiding in the corner instead. The boy looked up at me with sad eyes and asked what was wrong with it. "It was probably abused and abandoned", I said. "That is why it is so scared." The boy immediately turned to an older lady and said, "Grandma, I want this one." The old woman smiled and walked to the front desk to fill out the adoption forms. I followed and asked about the boy. I found out that he'd had a rough start in life too. She had just gotten custody of him after the state had taken him from his parents. She had hoped getting a dog would make it easier on him. I looked back at him, holding his scared puppy, and said a prayer for them both. It was yesterday. I was driving down the road enjoying a gloriously sunny, spring day. Then in a green front yard I saw the boy. His teenage body was tall and strong. His nose no longer seemed big but fit well into his smiling face. He was throwing a ball to a healthy, happy dog with shining golden hair. His little act of love and kindness had indeed gone a long way. It had saved a dog's life, healed his own heart, and given this middle-aged man fresh hope for us all. The Grandma wanted the boy to adopt a dog so that _ . his life could be easier She is widely seen as proof that good looks can last for ever. But, at nearly 500 years of age, time is catching up with the Mona Lisa. The health of the famous picture, painted by Leonardo da Vinci in 1505, is getting worse by the year, according to the Louver Museum where it is housed. "The thin, wooden panel on which the Mona Lisa is painted in oil has changed shape since experts checked it two years ago," the museum said. Visitors have noticed changes but repairing the world's most famous painting is not easy. Experts are not sure about the materials the Italian artist used and their current chemical state. Nearly 6 million people go to see the Mona Lisa every year, many attracted by the mystery of her smile. "It is very interesting that when you're not looking at her, she seems to be smiling, and then you look at her and she stops," said Professor Margaret Livingstone of Harvard University. "It's because direct vision is excellent at picking up details, but less suited to looking at shadows. Da Vinci painted the smile in shadows." However, the actual history of the Mona Lisa is just as mysterious as the smile. Da Vinci himself loved it so much that he always carried it with him, until it was eventually sold to France's King Francis I in 1519. In 1911, the painting was stolen from the Louver by a former employee, who took it out of the museum, hidden under his coat. He said he planned to return it to Italy. The painting was sent back to France two years later. During World War II, French hid the painting in small towns to keep it out of the hands of German forces. We can infer from the text that _ the Mona Lisa has been catching people's wide attention in the past 500 years Maybe you can not imagine what a hotel made of trash looks like. But in Rome, Italy, there is a campaign called Save the Beach that has created a hotel out of 12 tons of trash in order to raise awareness of our waste. Save the Beach is an environmental awareness campaign set up by the makers of Corona Beer. They collected all the trash from all the beaches all across Europe. Then they built the special hotel. It was reported that the hotel was fully booked . And it was open only for four days there in early June, the same time as World Environment Day. Next to the "trash hotel" was the slogan of Save the Beach. It said, we have built the first hotel made of trash in the world. This will be the future of our holidays if we do nothing to protect our beaches. The hotel was built just to show the _ we were causing to the sea and the coastline . We live in the time of trash and we are running the risk of becoming trash ourselves. Do we really want such a world? The trash hotel in Rome was just the beginning to support healthy, clean and trash-free beaches all across Europe by Save the Beach. Maybe there will be more surprising ideas in the future. Let's wait and see. The hotel was open only for four days in early June because _ Many people went to the beach in June
The tough economy is bringing new shoppers to the secondhand market. Plato's Closet in Charlotte, NC is a private company which mainly buys and sells used clothes. While Charlotte has outstanding secondhand stores offering high-end and sophisticated brands for women, most of their stock applies to adults. Plato's Closet targets teens and those in their 20s.Plato's Closet, with stores in Matthews and the university area, sells clothes and accessories that are currently popular at up to 70 percent off retail prices . The two hottest brands, for buying and selling, are Hollister and Abercrombie & Fitch. Even though the offerings tend to be suitable for young people, there are a variety of shoppers at Plato's Closet of varying ages. Women in their 30s; 40s and older could easily find a purse, jacket or piece of jewelry they like. Customer Beth Gibbs, 52, who has three teenage daughters, said she used to shop at name-brand stores, but "this year I'm shopping more in secondhand stores", because of the economy. If you're selling Unlike higher-end resale stores which usually work on consignment , Plato's Closet buys on the spot. Items can be gently used, but must be in very good condition. Clothes should be less than two years old and styles should be the same as those still being sold at the shopping center. There is no negotiation; prices are set company-wide. If what you sell amounts to $30 or less, they'll give you cash. More than that, you'll get a Visa cash card. Secondhand success Don't get discouraged if you can't find something on your first trip. Resale shops are always getting new lists of goods and change their styles with each season. Be sure to check each piece carefully before buying. Price comparison Jackets: New York & Company black blazer, $12; retail: $37. Pants: Express Editor-style pants, $12; retail: $69.90. Shoes: Nine West black peep-toe pumps, $12; retail: $89. Jewelry: Necklaces, $3-$5; retail: $18-$30. (365) What is the difference between Plato's Closet and other resale shops? Answer: They offer service for people of different ages. The ozone layer is a thin layer of gas around the earth. It forms a special "blanket" around the planet. This "blanket" protects the earth from dangerous rays produced by the sun. Without the ozone layer, the earth's climate could warm to dangerous levels. This increase in temperature would threaten our survival. Scientists recently have discovered a hole in the ozone layer above the Antarctica. Now there is great concern that this warning has started, endangering all life on the earth. What has destroyed part of the ozone layer? Scientists do not know for sure. They suspect that our popular spray cans have played a part in the damage. Many spray cans contain dangerous gases. These gases might have destroyed the ozone layer fifteen miles above the earth's surface, The chemicals used in refrigerators and air conditioners may contribute to the problem, too. Many scientists believe that the destruction of the ozone layer is a serious problem for people everywhere. Global warming could change weather patterns around the world. Farmers and ranchers could find it more and more difficult to produce enough food for the earth's people. If more of the sun's dangerous rays reached the earth, there also could be an increase in skin cancers. Some skin cancers might cause people to die. Although some scientists do not believe there is a serious danger, obviously no one wants to take any chance on such a possibility. Can scientists repair the hole in the ozone layer? They really don't know the answer to that question. Can people do anything to save the ozone layer that the earth still has? Scientists stress the need to limit the use of spray cans and other items that contain the dangerous gases. This will not be an easy task. People all over the world use these items. Solving the problem certainly will require commitment and cooperation from everyone. Saving the ozone layer needs everyone's effort because _ . Answer: people all over the world use items containing dangerous gases Self-confidence is an attitude which allows individuals to have positive yet realistic views of themselves and their situations. Self-confident people trust their own abilities, have a general sense of control in their lives, and believe that,within reason, they will be able to do what they wish., plan., and expect. Having self-confidence does not mean that individuals will be able to do everything. Self-confident people have expectations that are realistic. Even when some of their expectations are not met,they continue to be positive and to accept themselves. People who are not self-confident depend too much on the approval of others in order to feel good about themselves. They tend to avoid taking risks because they fear failure. They generally do not expect to be successful. They often put themselves down and tend to ignore compliments paid to them By contrast,self-confident people are willing to risk the disapproval of others because they generally trust their own abilities. They tend to accept themselves;they don't feel they have to conform in order to be accepted. Many factors affect the development of self-confidence. Parents' attitudes are crucial to children's feelings about themselves,particularly in children's early years. When parents pro- vide acceptance, children receive a solid foundation for good feelings about themselves. If one or both parents are much to critical or demanding, or if they are overprotective and discourage children's moves toward independence, children may come to believe they are unqualified or inadequate. Surprisingly, lack of self-confidence is not necessarily related to lack of ability. Instead it is often the result of focusing too much on the unrealistic expectations or standards of others, especially parents and society. Friends' influences can be as powerful or more powerful than those of parents and society in shaping feelings of one's self. Students in their college years reexamine values and develop their own identities and thus are particularly sensitive to the influence of friends. According to the passage, self-confident people tend to _ . Answer: be practical It's 10 pm. You may not know where your child is, but the chip does. The chip will also know if your child has fallen and needs immediate help. Once doctors arrive, the chip will also be able to tell them which drugs are not suitable for little Johnny or Janie. At the hospital, the chip will tell doctors his or her complete medical history. And of course, when you arrive to pick up your child, settling the hospital bill with your health insurance policy will be a simple matter of waving your own chip-the one embedded in your hand. To some, this may sound unbelievable. But the technology for such chips is no longer the stuff of science fiction. And it may soon offer many other benefits besides locating lost children or elderly patients. It could be used as credit cards and people won't have to carry wallets anymore. On the other hand, some are already wondering what this sort of technology may do to the sense of personal privacy and liberty. "Any technology of this kind could result in abuse of personal privacy," says Lee Tien, senior staff attorney for the Electronic Frontier Foundation. "If a kid can be tracked, do you want other people to be able to track your kid? It's a double-edged sword." Applied Digital Solutions, Inc. in Palm Beach, Florida, says it has recently applied to the Food and Drug Administration for permission to begin testing its device in humans. About the size of a grain of rice, the microchip can be encoded with bits of information and embedded in humans under a layer of skin. When scanned by a nearby reader, the embedded chip gives the data. Most embedded chip designs are so-called passive chips, which give information only when scanned by a nearby reader. But active chips-such as the proposed Digital Angel of the future-will give out information all the time. And that means designers will have to develop some sort of power source that can provide a continuous source of energy, yet be small enough to be embedded with the chips. In addition to technical problems, many suspect that all sorts of legal and privacy issues would have to be cleared as well. What is the attitude of Lee Tien towards the chips? Answer: Cautious. People have flown kites in Japan for more than 1,000 years. There are different kinds of kites there.Some look like bats ;others look like birds. Most have pictures on them.There are many interesting stories about kites in Japan.One story tells about a thief who used a kite.He wanted to steal the gold from the top of a high tower.The thief and his friends made a large kite.One dark windy night he caught hold of the kite.His friends raised it into the air.Then they moved the kite near the top of the tower.The thief was able to steal the gold.Another story tells about a father and a son.They were in trouble on an island near Japan.The father made a large kite.His son flew in it back to Japan. The young men of Japan have kite matches.When the kites are flying, the match starts.The young men try to break each other's kite strings . The last kite left in the sky is the winner. In the kite match the young men try to _ . Answer: stop each other's kites from flying in the sky
I think the Buddy Club is great. I really enjoy talking with the older students about school life and growing up. They can tell me a lot. One student told me how he relaxed before exams. Another student told me about great websites about learning History and English. The Buddy Club is also a good place to just forget about school altogether! One of the older students taught us origami . We made paper planes, birds and hats together. The table tennis tournament was a great idea. I didn't do very well, but I learnt a lot from watching the doubles tournament won by a fourteen-year-old girl and a seventeen-year-old boy. Last year, we had the annual Buddy Club Picnic. Everyone enjoyed the games we played. After I learnt how to fish, I caught two fish in the lake. I think it might be a good idea to change the Buddy Club Picnic to a weekend camping trip. We could learn how to put up tents and how to find our way through a forest. Many of the older students know how to do this already, and I think they would like to teach the younger students. I want to say again how much I enjoy the club. When I'm older, I will make friends with younger students. Then, I can tell them all about school life and growing up. Did the writer win the table tennis tournament? A. No, and he was very unhappy. B. No, but came second. C. Yes, he won the doubles. D. No, but he enjoyed watching it. Answer: D. No, but he enjoyed watching it. Dear Customers, I love slipping into a comfortable chair for a long read--as I relax into the chair, I also relax into the author's words, stories and ideas. The physical book is so elegant that it disappears into the background, and what remains is the author's world. Today, we at Amazon are excited to announce Mindle, a wireless, portable reading device with instant access to more than 90,000 books, magazines and newspapers. We've been working on Mindle for more than three years. Our top design objective was for Mindle to disappear in your hands--to get out of the way--so you can enjoy your reading. We also wanted to go beyond the physical book. Mindle is wireless, so whether you're lying in bed or riding a train, you can think of a book, and have it in less than 60 seconds. No computer is needed--you do your reading directly from the device. We chose the same wireless technology used in advanced mobile phones. But unlike mobile phones, there are no monthly wireless bills, no service or data plans, and no yearly contracts. There is no software to install (,). We want you to get lost in your reading and not in the technology. Mindle uses a new kind of display called electronic paper. Sharp and natural with no strong light, reading on Mindle is nothing like reading from a computer screen. Mindle weighs only 10.3 ounces--less than paperback--but can carry two hundred books. Enjoy learning about Mindle and many thanks! Jeff Bezos Founder & CEO Different from mobile phones, Mindle _ . A. has a much more friendly screen B. can work in the absence of electricity C. doesn't involve regular bills D. is wireless and can be used anywhere. Answer: C. doesn't involve regular bills Once, there was a big apple tree. A little boy loved to climb to the tree top, ate the apples and played around it. With time on, the little boy grew up. He no longer played around it every day. One day, the boy came back, sad. "Come and play with me," the tree said. "I am no longer a kid." The boy replied, " I need money to buy toys." "I don't have money..., but you can pick all my apples and sell them." The boy was so excited. He picked all apples and left happily. The boy never came back after that. One day, the boy returned. "Come and play with me," the tree said happily. "I have no time to play. We need a house for my family." "You can cut off my branches." So the boy cut all the branches off the tree and left happily. But he never came back since then. Again, the boy returned and said. " I want to make a _ across the sea. Can you give me a boat?" "Use my trunk to build your boat." So the boy cut the trunk to make a boat. He went sailing and never showed up for a long time. Finally, the boy returned after he left for so many years. "Sorry, my boy. But I don't have anything for you anymore. the only thing left is my dying roots." the tree said with tears. "I don't need much now, just a place to rest. I am tired after all these years." The boy replied. "Good! Old tree roots is the best place to rest. Come and rest with me." The boy sat down and the tree was glad and smiled with tears. You may think that the boy is cold to the tree but that's how we are treating our parents. The tree is our parents. When we were young, we loved to play with them. When we grow up, we leave them, and only come to them when we need something or when we are in trouble. Whatever we ask for, parents will give everything they have and always be there waiting for us home. The boy made his house for his family by _ . A. picking the apples B. cutting off all the branches of the tree. C. cutting the trunk of the tree. D. digging the dying roots of the tree Answer: B. cutting off all the branches of the tree. There was a Bulgarian boy who was an exchange student in the USA. He lived with an American family. One day, he went to his room in the evening, and did his homework. His host-mom came to him and asked if he would like to go along to the movies. He wanted to go, so he shook his head from side to side, said "Yes". His host-mom did a couple of steps back, and looked puzzled. She thought that he didn't want to go out because he shook his head from side to side. However, he wanted to go out to the movies. Bulgarians shake their heads from side to side when they mean "yes". People in other countries shake their heads from side to side when they mean "no". Gestures can have different meanings according to different cultures. For example, in America, putting your index finger and your thumb in a circle is commonly used as an OK sign that means everything is all right. However, in France, that sign is used to express "nothing" or "zero", which can have a negative meaning. Generally speaking, gestures are a type of communication that uses a part of our body, and when speaking with people from other cultures, gestures can be important keys or clues to understand them. However, we need to understand that those gestures vary from culture to culture, and it is necessary for us to have an open mind in understanding the different gestures. Putting the index finger and the thumb in a circle means OK for _ . A. a Bulgarian B. a Frenchman C. an American D. everybody Answer: C. an American Manhattan Island is surrounded on the east by the East and Harlem Rivers and on the west by the North and Hudson Rivers.It links with the other four towns which make up New York City and with New Jersey are by means of subways,underground tunnels and bridges which lead into Manhanttan from the surrounding area. The Brooklyn Bridge was the first suspension bridge to link Brooklyn to Manhanttan.It is also the second oldest bridge in New York.The architect was John Augustus Roebling,who was the chief engineer of the suspended Railroad Bridge at Niagara Falls. Misfortune accompanied the building of the bridge,which took place from 1869 to 1883.The architect died as a result of an accident early during the construction.His son,Washington Roebling,carried on his father's work,using the most advanced engineering techniques of the day.He also fell ill during the construction of the bridge and was obliged to direct the work on it from an apartment window overlooking the site. Since its construction the Brooklyn Bridge has remained a busy and important passage in New York. The Brooklyn Bridge is 6775 feet long and 1595 feet wide.The suspended part is 3450 feet long and 85 feet wide.It has a clearance of 133 feet above water level.Four huge cables extend across the bridge,supported by two towers,each 272 feet high.Each of these cables is made up of 5700 wires. Washington Roebling was forced to _ . A. direct the building work on the bridge B. lead the builders of the bridge in a hospital C. give his directions to the workers from a flat nearby D. direct the construction of the bridge by radio Answer: C. give his directions to the workers from a flat nearby
In the 1950s,a family who owned a farm near Beulah,Michigan kept a bull chained to an elm .The bull paced around the tree,dragging the heavy iron chain,which led to a groove in the bark.The groove deepened over the years,though for whatever reason,it did not kill the tree. After some years,the family took their bull away.They cut the chain,leaving the loop around the tree and one link hanging down. Then one year,agricultural disaster struck Michigan in the form of Dutch Elm Disease.All of the elms lining the road leading to the farm became infected and died.Everyone thought that the old elm would be next. The farm's owners considered doing the safe thing:pulling it out and cutting it up into firewood before it died.But they simply could not bring themselves to do it.It was as if the old tree had become a family friend.So they decided to _ . Amazingly,the tree did not die.Nobody could understand why it was the only elm that was still standing in the country! Plant pathologists from Michigan State University came out to observe the tree.They observed the scar left by the iron chain,now almost completely covered by bark.The plant experts decided that it was the chain that saved the elm's life.They reasoned that the tree must have absorbed so much iron from the chain that it became immune to the fungus . It's said that what doesn't kill you will make you stronger.Or,as Ernest Hemimgway put it,"Life breaks us all,but afterwards,many of us are strongest at the broken places." What is the best title for the text? University Room Regulations Approved and Prohibited Items The following items are approved for use in residential rooms: electric blankets, hair dryers, personal computers, radios, televisions and DVD players. Items that are not allowed in student rooms include: candles, ceiling fans, fireworks, waterbeds, sun lamps and wireless routers. Please note that any prohibited items will be taken away by the Office of Residence Life. Access to Residential Rooms Students are provided with a combination for their room door locks upon check-in. Do not share your room door lock combination with anyone. The Office of Residence Life may change the door lock combination at any time at the expense of the resident if it is found that the student has shared the combination with others. The fee is $25 to change a room combination. Cooking Policy Students living in buildings that have kitchens are only permitted to cook in the kitchen. Students must clean up after cooking. This is not the responsibility of housekeeping staff. Kitchens that are not kept clean may be closed for use. With the exception of using a small microwave oven to heat food, students are not permitted to cook in their rooms. Pet Policy No pets except fish are permitted in student rooms. Students who are found with pets, whether visiting or owned by the student, are subject to an initial fine of $100 and a continuing fine of $50 a day per pet. Students receive written notice when the fine goes into effect. If, one week from the date of written notice, the pet is not removed, the student is referred to the Student Court. Quiet Hours Residential buildings must maintain an atmosphere that supports the academic mission of the University. Minimum quiet hours in all campus residences are 11:00 pm to 8:00 am Sunday through Thursday. Quiet hours on Friday and Saturday nights are 1:00 am to 8:00 am. Students who violate quiet hours are subject to a fine of $25. When can students enjoy a party in residences? Hi, my name is Millie. I'm from New York but I'm living in a small town in England now. There is one wide road in this town and there is no train. You can see a shop, a restaurant and a pub along the road. There is a church near the shop. We usually go to the church on Sunday mornings. There is a lake to the east of the town. Many people like to have a picnic near the lake. My house is not very big but it is very beautiful. I have a garden in front of my house and I often grow some flowers in it. There is a table and some chairs in the garden, too. I often read books and drink tea there. Sometimes my friends come to visit me and we like to talk in my garden. My life here is comfortable so I am very happy. ,. When does Millie go to the church? Great grandmother Lillian Lowe today claimed she is the world's oldest Facebook user at 103 -- and she updates her status from her iPad. Just two months away from her 104thbirthday, the family of young-at-heart Lillian believe she is the oldest of the social networking website's 500 million users around the world. Lillian Lowe is thought to have taken the crown of oldest Facebook user from 104-year-old Ivy Bean who died in her sleep in July. Lillian said today that she is a big fan of the social networking site. "I love it. It is very exciting. It's a wonderful way of exploring something new. But I must say it's really a waste of time. I'm sure there are lots of other things I should be doing rather than playing on a computer." She has 34 Facebook "friends" -- and her most active one is her great grand-daughter Kaylee Lowe, 10. She said, "I can recommend it to any grandparents who keep in touch with their family by telephone all the time." Lillian was born in 1907 and she can still remember the news of the Titanicsinking in 1912. Lillian said, "I think almost everything has been invented during my time. What I particularly like now is this Google Earth. "When I was 84, I visited Australia with my younger sister Mary, who will be 100 next year. "We had a lovely trip, so yesterday I looked at Australia again on the Internet. "I've always read a lot during my life, and this computer has just taken the place of a book." Her grandson Steve set Lillian up with her Facebook account -- and gave her his iPad to use. Steve said, "Now and again, she might be surprised at a few of the funny teenage behaviors she sees on Facebook. "But she's pretty tolerant and it doesn't annoy her. What's great about Grandma is that she's not afraid to take on new things and is always willing to learn -- she's a great inspiration to us all." According to Lillian Lowe, the social networking site is _ . James got up at five to seven. His parents and his little twin sisters went traveling in France and he had to look after himself at home. He opened the fridge, but he found only two hamburgers in it. He decided to have breakfast in the restaurant at the other side of the street. He sat at a table and the waiter came up and said, "Can I take your order , James?" "But you don't show your menu to me, Mr. Hunt," said the boy. "Oh, sorry! I forget it. Here it is." James looked at the menu carefully. It was: Bread $1.30 Sandwich $1.80 Hamburger $2.40 Pizza $2.40Egg $0.30 Milk $0.50 Coffee $0.70 Coke $0.30 James brought out his wallet and found there was only 6.50 dollars in it. "Well," said Mr. Hunt. "What about a hamburger, a pizza, two eggs and a glass of coke?" "Oh, no," said the boy. "I'll buy a picture-book this afternoon. It's 1.50 dollars." "I see," said the waiter. And then he brought the boy a nice breakfast. _ are the most expensive in the menu?
Last Friday a storm swept through two villages in the New Territories , destroying fourteen homes. Seven others were so badly destroyed that their owners had to leave them, and fifteen others had broken windows or broken roofs. One person was killed, several were badly hurt and taken to hospital, and a number of other people received smaller hurt. Altogether over two hundred people were homeless after the storm. A farmer, Mr. Tan, said that the storm began early in the morning and lasted for over an hour. "I was eating with my wife and children," he said, "when we heard a loud noise. A few minutes later our house fell down on top of us. We tried our best to climb out but then I saw that one of my children was missing. I went back inside and found him safe but very frightened." Mrs. Woo Mei Fong said that her husband had just left for work when she felt that her house was moving. She ran outside at once with her children. "There was no time to take anything," she said, "A few minutes later, the roof came down." Soldiers helped to take people out of the water area and the welfare government brought them food, clothes and some other things. This passage may be from _ . A. a guide book B. an introduction C. an advertisement D. a newspaper Answer: D In the morning , we went camping in Green Nature Park. We were happy because it was a sunny day. However, in the afternoon , when we finished our picnic , it was dark and windy. Soon ,there was a shower. Unluckily, none of us brought an umbrella. We ran about but we could find no place to hide . Twenty minutes passed and it was still raining .There were hours to go before we reached the campsite . It was even worse that our compass showed that we went to the wrong way. We had lost our way! We had to make a quick decision as it was raining heavily. Chris said we could set up a tent to hide in, so Mary and Tom helped to set up _ . Chris and I tried to make a fire to keep up warm. But we couldn't as everything was wet. We dried ourselves and waited inside the tent. At about five o'clock , it stopped raining. We decided to give up the camping trip because all of us were tired. This camping trip may not be successful but we know each other better. And the most important thing I've learned from this trip is the importance of team spirit . It was even worse that they _ . A. had no picnic B. lost their way C. couldn't light the fire D. couldn't know each other Answer: B News 1 Yuan Longping, the father of hybrid rice, won the World Food Prize on Monday. Yuan developed the world's first popular and widely known hybrid rice. Hybrid rice plants can make more rice than regular ones. News 2 Have you ever got angry at books that are full of mistakes? Don't worry, things will get better soon. Last week, China started checking textbooks, dictionaries and children's books all over the country. The government said the results of the check would come out at the end of June. News 3 People will see a new "star" in the sky soon. China plants to send a satellite into space by December 2006.It will stay in space for one year. It will go around the moon and take pictures. It must be very expensive, right? That's for sure; 1.4 billion yuan! News 4 Have you ever thought of being able to fly around the world in a few hours? One day, maybe you can. Last Saturday, the American X-43A airplane made its first flight. It reached a speed of 8,000 kilometers per hour. This makes it the fastest plane in the world.X-43A is only three to four meters long, but it's very heavy. It weighs 1,270 kilograms. The speed of the fastest plane in the world is _ . A. 1.4 kilometers per second B. 43 kilometers per minute C. 1,270 kilometers per hour D. 8,000 kilometers per hour Answer: D Jeff Keith has only one leg. When he was 12 years old, Jeff had cancer . Doctors had to cut off most of his right leg. Every day Jeff puts on an artificial leg . With the plastic artificial leg Jeff can ride a bicycle, swim, and play soccer. He can also run. Jeff made a plan with his friends who had plastic legs, too. They decided to run across America. When he was 22 years old, Jeff Keith ran across the United States from the east to the west. He started running in Boston. Seven months later, he stopped running in Los Angeles. He ran 3,200 miles. Jeff stopped in cities on the way to Los Angeles. In every city people gave Jeff money. The money was not for Jeff, but for the American Cancer Society. Jeff is _ , but he can do many things. He is studying to be a lawyer . Jeff says, "People can do anything they want to do. I want people to know that. I ran not only for disabled people. I ran for everybody." ,. From the passage we know that Boston is _ . A. in the west B. half between the east and west C. near Los Angeles D. in the east Answer: D There is a lot of misunderstanding about studying. Most students have not been taught the principles behind really effective working. Imagine a graph showing the amount a person learns against the number of hours he works in a day. If he doesn't do any work, he learns nothing (point 0). If he does an hour's work he learns a certain amount (point 1). If he does two hours' work he learns about twice as much (point 2). If he does more work he'll learn still more (point 3). However, if he tries to do twenty-three and a half hours' work in a day, he will be so tired that he'll hardly remember anything: what he learns will be very little (point 4). If he did less work he'd learn more (point 5). Now whatever the exact shape of the graph's curve , made by joining these points, it must have a high point. Point "X" is the very maximum anyone can learn in the day. And this represents the optimum , the best, amount of work to do. It is the best possible compromise between adequate time at the books and fatigue . Fatigue is an absolutely real thing; one can't escape it or ignore it. If you try to ignore it and press yourself to work past the optimum, you will only get on this downward slope and achieve less than the best - and then become very tired and lose your power of concentration. The skill in being a student consists of getting one's daily study as near the optimum point as possible. I cannot tell you what the optimum is. It differs with the type of work, it differs from person to person, and even in the same person it varies from week to week. You must try to find your own. Every day you study, bear this principle of the optimum in mind. When you feel yourself getting fatigued, if you find yourself reading the same paragraph over and over again and not taking it in, that's a pretty good sign you've reached your highest point for the day and should stop. Most ordinary students find their optimum at five hours a day. Yours may be a little more or a little less - but if you get in five hours' good work a day, you will be doing well. Now, what are you doing with yourself when you aren't working? Before examinations some students do nothing at all except sit in a chair and worry. Here is another misunderstanding. People often think that the mind works like the body; it does not. If one wanted to save one's physical energy in order to cut the maximum amount of firewood, one would lie flat on a bed and rest when one wasn't chopping. But the mind cannot rest. Even in sleep you dream, even if you forget your dreams. The mind is always turning. It gets its relaxation only by variety. That is what makes the mind rest. When you've finished your optimum number of hours you must stop. You must not then sit around in the chair thinking about the work - that only tires without any learning. You must get out and do something. It doesn't matter what - anything so long as you are actively doing something else but work. Fatigue can result in _ . A. loss of memory B. a need for relaxation C. a lot of anxiety D. loss of concentration Answer: D
do ecosystems remain the same? Answer: they are altered with time You can love them or hate them, but no matter which tourist destination you visit, chances are you'll see someone with their head buried in a Lonely Planet guidebook. Lonely Planet is one of the world's largest travel guide brands, publishing more than 500 different guides in eight languages.The popular brand also produces television shows, websites and podcasts all devoted to travel. Some people praise Lonely Planet books because they make traveling easy and affordable.They also save time and make sure you don't miss the best things. They also provide the reviews of hostels, hotels, restaurants and ticket information about your destination. This can be great if you're a nervous traveler, or if you haven't traveled by yourself before.If you're in a country where you don't speak the language, sometimes there's nothing better than getting into a taxi and opening up a guidebook.You simply point to a map that directs the taxi driver to a hostel that's cheap and clean, with friendly staff and cold beer. But others criticize Lonely Planet and other travel guide publishers like them.They say guidebooks take the fun and spontaneity out of traveling, and that part of the enjoyment of travel comes from the fact that anything can happen.They also regret that if you follow a guidebook, you'll end up doing the same thing and having the same experience as everyone else.You might end up seeing the same group of people over and over, because everyone is reading the same book and following the same route. Another criticism of travel guides is that they have a large impact on local communities.For example, some locals devote their lives to behaving in ways that attract tourists.They pretend to live a traditional lifestyle, wear traditional clothes and live in traditional houses in order to attract the tourist dollar. What do we know about the Lonely Planet guidebook from the text? Answer: It's very useful to a person who's nervous about touring an unfamiliar place. Pedro Rossi is happy--he is very,very happy! He won $500,000! He won the lottery ! Pedro is happy for only a few days. Then he remembers his lottery ticket! He throws it in the garbage _ ! Pedro runs to the garbage can and looks in it. The garbage can is not over there at all! "The garbage is gone,"his wife says. "The garbage truck comes in the morning." The garbage truck takes the garbage can to the garbage dump ! Pedro runs to the dump. He looks for it for two days. But he can't find it. Pedro lives in town in Brazil. Pedro tells the people in the town,"Look for my lottery ticket at the dump. If you find it,I can give you half the money." Everyday hundreds of people go to the dump to look for the ticket. Five days later,a man finds it. Pedro gives the man $250,000. Pedro won $500,000 in the lottery. Now he won only 250,000. But he is not sad. "Before,one man was happy,"Pedro says. "Now two men are happy!" He gives _ of his money to the man. Answer: 250,000 One day, a boy had a fight with one of his classmates. He didn't wait until school was over, and hurried home to his grandfather. He told him his story angrily. "He is really bad," the boy said, "and I hate him." The grandfather said, "Let me tell you a story. When I was a boy, I, too, sometimes hated others for what they did..." As the boy listened carefully, the grandfather went on,"There are always two tigers inside my heart. One is good and kind. He gets on well with everything around him. But the other is bad and unfriendly. Even the smallest thing will make him angry. He fights with everyone all the time, and for no reason. He can't think carefully because he always hates others. It is difficult to live with these two tigers inside my heart. They both try to control me." The boy looked into his grandfather's eyes and asked,"Which tiger always controls you, Grandfather?" The old man said slowly and seriously, "The one that I feed. I always feed the good and kind tiger, so I never hate others and seldom get angry now." ,. The bad tiger fights with everyone all the time _ . Answer: for no reason Easter Eggs Easter falls officially on the Sunday following the first full moon after March 21. The name Easter itself derives from Europe, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of springtime and sunrise. Christians relate the rising of the sun to resurrection of Jesus, Son of God, and therefore Easter, like Easter, represents rebirth of the soul. It is because of this association of the holiday with rebirth that the egg has long been its chief symbol. The egg was a symbol of spring and fertility (for the egg is the original germ from which all life proceeds) long before the Christian era. The ancient Persians, Greeks and Chinese exchanged eggs at their spring festivals. In Christian times the egg took on a new meaning, symbolizing Christ's tomb---a cold and hard casket from which new life finally broke forth in triumph. In modern times the egg is still the most important part of Easter customs. Egg-rolling contests, egg hunts and egg-dyeing are still very popular with Americans at Easter time. Today Easter is more a family day than a religious holiday. Relatives and friends get together for large Easter dinners. Many American and friends get together for large Easter dinners. Many American cities have Easter parades. People enjoy the return of the milder weather by walking outdoors to display their new spring clothes. It can be concluded that the core of the holiday's significance is_. Answer: new life.
Question: If December 26's tsunamis have taught us anything, it is that nature does not recognize national boundaries . The same can be said of a lot of many other problems facing human beings. Global warming, for example, will affect the whole world. Similarly, diseases like AIDS or SARS can spread rapidly from country to country. At no other time in human history has it been so urgent for humans to recognize that they need to learn to stick together. If they don't, the chances are that they will soon find themselves alone. What will it take to get humans to take this truth seriously? Disaster seems to be a good way of _ . The tsunamis, for example, have opened the hearts of countless numbers of people all over the world who offered their immediate help. But why can't they come together to avoid a disaster that they know will occur if they do not act in time? One of the reasons is a lack of imagination. Most people can readily understand, for example, how rising global temperatures can melt the polar ice-cap, raise sea-levels, and greatly change global weather. But these changes will not occur overnight. And people find it difficult to imagine changes that will occur in stages, slowly, and over years. So they pay little attention to the problem. They hide their heads in the sand. They think that something, somehow, will come to make the problem disappear. The Indian Ocean tsunami killed tens of thousands of people and left millions homeless. Diseases may kill many more if clean water supplies are not provided in time in the disaster areas. But already the disaster has revealed some good things: One, there is more goodwill and kindness in the world than we are likely to believe. And two, the world is indeed capable of coming together as one in the face of the disaster. We pray that some of this spirit runs over into 2005. There are many disasters -- man-made, not natural ones -- that might be avoided if the world can learn to stick together. The reason why people pay little attention to disasters beforehand is that _ . A. they are not advised to take actions B. they hardly realize hidden disasters will happen suddenly C. they think others can solve the problem D. they believe disasters will disappear with no reasons Answer: B. they hardly realize hidden disasters will happen suddenly Question: A Festival for the Dead is held once a year in Japan. This festival is a cheerful occasion, for on this day, the dead are said to return to their homes and they are welcomed by the living. As they are expected to be hungry after their long journey, food is laid out for them. Speciallymade lanterns are hung outside each house to help the dead to find their way. All night long, people dance and sing. In the early morning, the food that had been laid out for the dead is thrown into a river or into the sea as it is considered unlucky for anyone living to eat it. In towns that are near the sea, the tiny lanterns which had been hung in the streets the night before, are placed into the water when the festival is over. Thousands of lanterns slowly drift out to sea guiding the dead on their return journey to the other world. This is a moving spectacle(,), for crowds of people stand on the shore watching the lanterns drifting away until they can be seen no more. What happens to the lanterns at the end of the festival? A. The lanterns are put away to be used next year. B. They are thrown away. C. They are placed into the water. D. They are hung outside all the way. Answer: C. They are placed into the water. Question: If a creature is building a soft space for sitting and roosting, it is likely A. a chickadee B. a rabbit C. a ferret D. a dog Answer: A. a chickadee Question: The date was like any other day in his life. After school Bill walked past the shop on the street corner. He stopped to look at the front row of shoes, and he felt sorry for himself. He really wanted to have a pair for his birthday. He sadly walked away and thought of what to tell his mother. He knew she would give him anything if she could. But he also knew very well she had little money. He decided not to go home at once, because he looked worried and he didn't want to make his mother worry about it. So he went to the park and there he sat on the grass. Then he saw a girl in a wheelchair . He found that the girl moved the wheels with her hands. Bill looked at her carefully and he was surprised to see that the girl had no feet. He looked down at his own feet."It's much better to be without shoes than without feet," he thought. It was not right for him to feel sorry and sad. He went away and smiled. He thought he was luckier in life. In the park, Bill found the girl was _ . A. walking in a wheelchair B. looking at him carefully C. with feet D. moving the wheels with her hands Answer: D. moving the wheels with her hands Question: The children in the village wear dirty, cheap clothes. They sleep beside cows and sheep in small houses. They have no school. But they can write 26 English letters, and some know a few English words. How did it happen? It was because a U.S. group called One Computer Every Child offered them 20 computers. Can children teach themselves to read when they have no schools or teachers but have the help of today's new technology ? The goal of the group is to find out the answer. And the results are exciting. "The children are learning more than they would in one year of school," said Matt Keller, who organized the programme. The fastest learner was an eight-year-old boy called Kelbesa Negusse. He said that he himself was like a lion. Keller said, "Seven months ago he didn't know any English. But now he has known many words. I think if you give them food and water they will never leave the computer room. They will spend day and night there." Kelbesa said, "I like the computer because I can learn things with it." He added, "I know many English words, like dog, monkey, horse, sheep, cow, pig and cat." Keller said that One Computer Every Child was planning a programme for children who couldn't go to school. What can we learn from the passage? A. Kelbesa is in Grade2 now. B. The computers help the children a lot. C. Keller is the teacher of those children. D. Kelbesa doesn't like the computer. Answer: B. The computers help the children a lot.
Question: If you want to walk in the footsteps of some of the world's greatest figures, then go to Oxford. Many of Oxford's 38 colleges are open to the public year-round. Here are a few of the colleges worth visiting and some famous people who have studied there. Christ Church College Long before it became known as a location for the Harry Potter films, Christ Church was the college where Albert Einstein, author Charles Dodgson who wrote Alice in Wonderland, and 13 British prime ministers studied. In this large and popular college, you can see the paintings in the 16th-century Great Hall. Magdalen College Many consider Magdalen to be one of the most beautiful Oxford's colleges. This is where author Oscar Wilde read his classics course. You can enjoy the medieval church with its 15th-century tower. Opposite the college is the beautiful Botanic Garden founded in 1621. Merton College Founded in 1264, Merton has the oldest medieval library in use. J. R. R. Tolkien is said to have spent many hours here writing The Lord of the Rings. One of the college's treasures is an astrolabe ,thought to have belonged to Chaucer. The college has the most amazing collection of medieval colored glass in Oxford. Bodleian Library The Bodleian Library, the main research library of the University of Oxford, is the largest university library in the UK. It is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in Britain is second in size only to the British Library. It holds more than 9 million printed items on 189 km of shelving and seats up to 2,500 readers. The users of the library here include five kings, 40 Nobel Prize winners, 25 British prime minister and countless famous writers. Which of the following can travelers see in Magdalen College? A. A 15 th-century tower. B. A seven-ton tower bell. C. England's smallest cathedral. D. British oldest botanic garden. Answer: A. A 15 th-century tower. Question: The United States government wants to know what the public thinks about its findings on the safety of cloned animals. The Food and Drug Administration says meat and milk from clones of adult cattle, pigs and goats are safe to eat. An F.D.A. official called them "as safe to eat as the food we eat every day." And when those clones reproduce sexually , the agency says, their offspring are safe to eat as well. But research on cloned sheep is limited. So the F.D.A. proposes that sheep clones not be used for human food. The United States this year could become the first country to approve the sale of foods from cloned animals. First, however, the public will have ninety days to comment on three proposed documents. On December 28th the F.D.A. released a long report, called a draft risk assessment, along with two policy documents. The agency says it must receive comments by April second. The F.D.A. seemed ready to act several years ago, but an advisory committee called for more research. For now, the government will continue to ask producers to honor a request that they not sell foods from cloned animals. Clones are still rare. They cost a lot and are difficult to produce. The F.D.A. says most food from cloning is expected to come not from clones themselves, but from their sexually reproduced offspring. It says clones are expected to be used mostly as breeding animals to spread good qualities. Public opinion studies show most Americans do not like the idea of food from cloned animals. But this research also shows the public knows little about cloning. Cloning differs from genetic engineering. A cell taken from a so-called donor animals is grown into an embryo in the laboratory. Next, the embryo is placed into the uterus of a female animal. If the process is successful, the pregnancy reaches full term and a genetic copy of the donor animal is born. From the passage we know that_. A. foods from cloned animals are popular in America B. cloned adult animals are safe to eat except sheep. C. cloned animals will be easy to produce D. most foods from cloning is expected to take place of other foods Answer: B. cloned adult animals are safe to eat except sheep. Question: Carl studied in our middle school three years ago. Last August his father found a job in another city and his family moved there. He began to study in the new school and we often write to each other. He often tells me something about the city where he lives now and his studies in the school. So I can know what happens to him. Last Friday Carl came to our city again. He hoped to accompany his old grandpa during the summer holiday. He was taller and stronger than before. We swam in the river outside the city together and had a picnic on the island. It surprised me that he had learnt to cook when we were traveling in the wild forest. He told me his parents were both busy and sometimes he stayed at home and he had to look after himself. "How do you like your school?" I asked. "Wonderful," said the young man." It has a tall building and there 're two chemistry labs, two biology labs and three physics ones. And its library is big and there're plenty of books in it." "I can see you are satisfied with it." "Yes," he answered. "But our geography teacher often says it himself in class." "So does our new history teacher." I said. "But he doesn't notice it. He often talks on and on in a flow of the eloquence , but none of us listens to him." Carl came back to our city to _ . A. take his summer holiday. B. look after his grandpa C. have a picnic on the island. D. travel in the wild forest. Answer: B. look after his grandpa Question: My grandmother was a master gardener. She could make anything bloom . Even me. For most of her life, she lived on a farm in the mountains of North Carolina, where she raised four children, buried a husband, and watched the changing of the seasons. After my parents divorced , my dad moved back to the farm. I visited on weekends or holidays. While my dad ate my grandmother's vegetables, I breathed in her flowers. I was a skinny kid, but her flowers filled a thousand hungry places in my soul. When my regular farm tasks were done, I was free to climb the mountain, singing songs and gathering flowers. Sometimes the plants scratched me. My grandmother would say: "Beauty has a price. I hope it was worth it." "Yes, ma'am," I'd say. "It was." Then I'd scratch some more. I loved gathering flowers on my own. But what I loved best was gathering them with her. I walked behind her like a sponge with legs, trying to soak it all up. At the end of the day, we'd sort the flowers and make bouquets : One for the living room, one for the kitchen, and three for the bedrooms. Even then, as a child, I knew what I needed most from my grandmother was not her flowers, but her time. She's been gone for years, but sometimes, when I reach down to pick a flower or pull a weed, I see her hand, not mine. I thought I'd grow up to be a gardener too. I told myself, someday, when my children had children, I'd be a gardening grandma. Then the grandbabies started showing up, and I discovered I'd much rather chase after them than go digging. The truth is, I'm no gardener. I'm a picker, not a planter. I differ from my grandmother in lots of ways, but this: I will always carry within me a heart she made from her own. They don't need to plant a garden. My children are my flowers. Delight and complete me with a beauty that is worth any price. All I need to do is care for them with time, water them with love, and hope that someday, when they hold their first grandchild, they might see my hand. What does the article mainly talk about? A. The qualities that make the author different from her grandmother. B. The wonderful time the author spent with her grandmother in her childhood. C. The efforts the author made to become as great a gardener as her grandmother. D. The author's memories of her grandmother and how she influenced the author. Answer: D. The author's memories of her grandmother and how she influenced the author. Question: UK Attention, Harry Potter fans: The sixth novel in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter stories, , will go on sale in the United States, Canada, Britain and Australia on July 16, 2005 Italy According to a recent study, there are now more dogs and cats in Italian homes than children. There are at least 14.5 million dogs cats in Italian homes compared with 8.7 million children under the age of 15.Italy has one of the lowest birth rates in Europe. A psychologist said that pets were loved by many young Italians who could not have or did not want to have children. In Italy, spending on pets has increased by 20 percent in the past five years. US The start of a new years is time when many Americans like to think about ways to make improvements for the future. But this year, instead of the usually New Year's resolution to lose weight, quit smoking or exercise more, the US Department of Homeland Security is urging Americans to create a family emergency plan for any terror attack. France & Iraq The two French journalists who had been held hostage in Iraq for 124 days were freed last week. Christian Chesnot, 37 and Georges Malbunot, 41, were kidnapped along with their Iraqi driver on Aug, 20 in Iraq. French Prime Minister, Jean-Pierre Raffarin, said that the French government had not paid ransom for their release. Which is the suitable title for the second passage? A. The Lowest Birth Rates B. More Pets Than Children C. Great Change On Money Spending D. A scientific Research Report Answer: B. More Pets Than Children
Question: Almost every child in cities has the chance to go to school, but not all children in the countries are so lucky. There is a girl called Xiao Fang. She is eight years old and lives in a small village in Guangxi. When she was young, she wanted to go to school. But she could not, because her family was too poor to afford the school fees for her, so her parents had to keep her at home. Instead of studying, Xiao Fang worked in the fields with her parents every day. Then Hope Project heard about Xiao Fang. It agreed to help Xiao Fang to go to school. Her wish of study came true, and now she is studying in a school. Unluckily there are many thousands of children who can not go to school. You can join in Hope Project and help these children. You know all the good work needs money. Hope Project needs your help. If you give Hope Project Y=300 each year, it can pay for one child to go to school for a whole year. With more money, Hope Project can build new schools, buy good desks, chairs, blackboards and books. let's help the children together and give them a chance to have a good start in life. With Y=300, _ . A. one child can go to school for nine years B. a new school can be built C. many children can go to school D. a child can go to school for a whole year Answer: D. a child can go to school for a whole year Question: Scientists explain why people often blame others when things don't work out. Researchers say that when it comes to fixing blame, we can't always trust our own judgment .When things go wrong and we're to blame, we 're supposed to feel guilty. Right? Not necessarily. It turns out that when we do something that causes a negative result, we actually feel less responsible for our actions. But we see the entire situation differently if things turn out well. The "blame game" is nothing new. Behavior experts have long known that people push responsibility to others, or to outside factors, when things don't work out. But the new research shows that this reaction is more than about wanting to escape blame. We actually don't believe that what happened is our fault. To learn more about the "blame game", researchers conducted a study. They asked 34 people to press keys that produced three different noises. The noises were positive (amusement, laughter), negative (fear, upset, or anger), or neutral . The volunteers were asked to try to judge the time that it took between when they pushed the button and when they heard the sounds. Volunteers felt there was longer time between their actions and the negative sounds than that between their actions and the positive ones. In their minds, the negative results were separate from their actions. Therefore, they were able to feel less responsible for them. The findings suggest that perhaps more of us need to realize that unpleasant or negative situations may actually be our fault - even if we don't see it that way. And taking more responsibility for our actions could lead to better relationships with others. If one feels longer time before hearing the sounds, he probably pushes the button A. playing pleasant music B. raising a laugh C. making an angry shout D. producing cough sounds Answer: C. making an angry shout Question: One summer when I was sixteen, I planted a vegetable garden. I wanted a bunch of different vegetables, so I planted seven tomato plants, three pepper plants, six corn plants, and two cucumber plants. My mom loves zucchini so I also planted ten zucchini plants. I watered the garden daily with a watering can. When weeds started to take over, I pulled them back. About a month in, I started getting fresh vegetables every day. I walked to the garden with a big basket every morning and picked the vegetables that were ready. Sometimes I ate them right off the vine. One day I walked down to the garden and saw that the zucchini plants were taking over. Each of my ten plants had many zucchini, giving me hundreds of zucchinis each week. I didn't know what to do with the zucchini so I gave some to my neighbor. I gave some to my parents to take to their friends. Then I went door to door and gave zucchini to everyone in the neighborhood. How many zucchini plants did I plant? A. six B. sixteen C. ten D. two Answer: C. ten Question: When Geoff Marcy was 14, his parents bought him a telescope. Every night, he would go onto the roof outside his window to see the wonders of the sky. "What excited me most was whether there were planets in other solar systems where life might exist," he says. "I decided to try to find planets orbiting other stars like our Sun." And he did. "My fellow researcher, Paul Butler, and I found our first planet in 1995," Dr. Marcy says. "We worked for ten years without finding anything! _ and our patience paid off." Since then, the two scientists have discovered 65 of the more than 100 planets found orbiting other stars. Dr. Marcy and Dr. Butler also spotted the first "family" of three planets. In June 2002 they announced another discovery: a Jupiter-like planet orbiting star 55Cancri. At first, the two researchers found only planets that orbit close to stars. Recently, the scientists found planets farther out. The planet orbiting 55Cancri is a major breakthrough: it is the first sighting of a large gas planet about same distance from the star as Jupiter is from the Sun. Why is this important ? Scientists think that life on Earth may exist because of two special features in our solar system. The first is Jupiter. "Because it's so big, Jupiter pulls comets and asteroids , or they all come and hit the Earth." Dr. Marcy explains. "Without Jupiter , life on Earth would likely have been destroyed." A second feature is that Earth is a rocky planet where liquid water, which is necessary for life , can exist. Unlike gas planets, rocky planets like Earth have surfaces where water can gather in pools and seas, which may support life. A huge space exists between the Jupiter-like planet and two other planets that lie close to 55Cancri. Is there an Earth-like planet in the space, too small for us to notice? If so, says Dr. Marcy, "We would have two striking similarities to our solar system: a Jupiter-like planet and an Earth-like planet. And there may be life!" Dr. Marcy thinks that life may exist in the 55Cancri system because _ . A. he has found the system similar to the solar system. B. he has discovered an Earth-like planet there. C. he has discovered a rocky planet there. D. he has found signs of life in the system Answer: A. he has found the system similar to the solar system. Question: FIFA has decided that the Football World Cup 2018 will be held in Russia. Before the answer was given to the public, many people thought England would be the winner. Famous football player, David Beckham, Prince William and Prime Minister David Cameron all worked hard to help England to hold the Football World Cup 2018. Mr. Cameron promised that England would make every fan feel at home and that it would host the most wonderful Football World Cup in history. David Beckham spoke movingly of how his grandfather, a football fan, died as he was playing in the Football World Cup. FIFA president, Sepp Blatter, described England as "the motherland of football" before he opened the envelope with the winner's name in it. Prince William said, "Certainly we're very disappointed. We have worked hard, but sadly, it didn't work." He added later, "I'm sorry for England football fans. We have given everything we could." Before the answer was given, hundreds of fans had gathered in London and other main English cities in the cold weather in the hope of good news, but the news let them down. The last Football World Cup help in England was the Football World Cup 1966. Where will the Football World Cup 2018 be held? A. In Africa. B. In Russia. C. In England. D. In London. Answer: B. In Russia.

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