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Soft winds blew throughout the Windy City today. We welcomed the winds, as it was another hot day in Chicago. The wind blew, bringing us some coolness and making the weather not that hot. But it was a beautiful summer day with a blue sky. Chicago is a great city for eating, and we have enjoyed tasting the different foods. Last night, we tried one of the city's most famous foods: deep-dish pizza. Chicago claims credit for the rich and cheesy thick-crust pizza, covered with a sweet tomato sauce. We topped it with olives and green peppers. We were touring the city, mainly looking for delicious local foods. Today, we enjoyed a Polish specialty at lunch: Pierogis, an Eastern European dumpling-like dish, filled with foods like potatoes, cheese, mushrooms, cabbage and meat. Polish immigrants started settling in Chicago in the 1850s, and the city has one of the largest Polish communities in the U.S. We took a break from exploring the city to talk with some of you! Ashley and Caty logged onto the Internet for an on-the-road version of TALK2US. We spoke to an English teacher in Tokyo, Japan, and a graduate student in India. Meanwhile, Adam searched for some locations around the city to shoot some video. He chose a spectacular spot: Navy Pier, Chicago's most-visited attraction. The winds from Lake Michigan keep visitors cool, and the view of the Chicago skyline never fails to impress. In fact, the view made all of us _ ! Our time in Chicago has come to an end. Tomorrow, the true journey begins, as we pass through Illinois and into Missouri via Route 66. Springfield, the home of Abe Lincoln, and St. Louis, the "gateway to the West," wait for us. Why did the author and her companions like the soft winds? 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 second attempt, the gentleman refused his offer because _ . The ratio of an object's mass to its volume is its Jack and James were good friends .One day,they were walking through the desert .During the journey they had a big fight,and Jack hit james in the face.James felt hurt,but he didn't say anything.Instead( ),he wrote in the sand:Today my best friend hit me in the face. They kept on walking until they found an oasis .They decided to get some water there .Suddenly James had trouble in the water,he fell into the mire and was in danger.Jack saved him at once.When he felt Ok,he wrote on a stone:Today my best friend saved my life. "After I hurt you ,you wrote in the sand, and now you wrote on the stone.Why?"asked Jack."When someone hurts us,we should write it down in the sand so that the wind of forgiveness can blow it away.But when someone does anything good for us,we must write it down on the stone,so no wind can blow it away." Since then ,the two friends have never fought with each other again. Hatred can bring you nothing but unhappiness .If you don't forgive others,you are making trouble for yourself.Keep a peaceful heart all the time and remember to be always thankful to those who ahve helped you! What can we learn from the passage? When I decided to get married, my father decided to share some wisdom. "Lori, it is just as easy to love a rich man as it is to love a poor man, " he said. My boyfriend didn't have much money, but I loved him. "What?" I cried. " How can you say that? I want to marry for love, NOT for money." " But why not marry someone you love who has money?" he asked. "Rich men are materialistic . I'd rather marry a poor man who loves me," I said and he gave in. And as we went on, with my family growing, I learned why my father put such importance on money. We had to cover the rent, car, electricity, food, and medical bills. We were under lot of pressure. The worries over whether we would be asked to move out or if we had the money to wash our clothes at the Laundromat this week made me question if I did the right thing by marrying a "poor" man. I realized that I had entered the ranks of the poor. Not that I'd ever been rich. Most of my life, I considered us in the lower middle-class rank. We had a house of our own, food on the table, cars, clothes, and money for college. But now, as I listened to an apartment neighbour talk about her monthly "Mother's Day" gift, I realized she was talking about her welfare check . And another young mother tried to "help" me out by connecting me with a friend who stole baby clothes from a department store. " For a small cut," she said, " I could return my 'purchase' for cash." It made me sick. How poor was I? I had a college education but wasn't using it. I insisted on not missing a minute of our children's childhood and it came at a price. My husband was working as hard as he could and it wasn't enough. But somehow we made it. The kids grew. Today, we look back and see the great values gained by going through those hard years. My children are not materialistic. They never thought they were poor growing up because we always managed to give a little bit of food, money, or clothes to the "poor". They were satisfied with the simple things in life that come free such as a beach day or a horse back ride from their dad. We had our worries, but we still treasured our very favorite part of the day when we'd nest under the covers and talked about our future, the kids and how much we loved each other. Sure our financial troubles caused a lot of fights, but we didn't leave each other. We began to live a better life. We moved to a better community with good schools for the kids. And soon, we'll face a new challenge with wealth. But we'll never give up. My father died three years ago. Before he died, he knew I made the right choice. I'm proud of my decision. . Why didn't the writer's children think they were poor growing up?
Nothing evokes Alaska like a whale exploding out of the water or an eagle pulling a silver fish from the river .Combine these images with high mountains,brilliant icebergs and wonderful meals and you really do have the Best of Alaska! Join us for an unforgettable 7-day excursion to the last frontier! Highlights: JUNEAU:Juneau, the state capital,is rich in culture and scenic beauty.It is here that we start and end our trip. HAINES:Haines is a small community located along the fjords .The natural beauty and expansive wilderness found here have made Haines a premier center for adventure in Alaska. ALASKA INDIAN ARTS:Alaska Indian Arts is a nonprofit corporation dedicated to the preservation and continuation of traditional native craft and culture of the Northwest Native Tribes.We spend a few hours learning carving, native beading and culture from these master artists. SKAGWAY:Skagway is a lively town,which still reflects its gold rush roots and contains colorful shops.In Skagway, we stop by the Klondike Gold Rush National Park Visitor's Center and ride the White Pass Yukon Route Railway. GUSTAVUS:Gustavus is the gateway to Glacier Bay National Park.We'II stay at a comfortable lodge here for two nights.This will be the base for both the whale-watching excursion and a full day cruise in Glacier Bay. DATES/PRICES: May 15,June 17,July 16,August 14. 7 days--$3500,including lodging,all meals,excursions,guides,park fees,sales taxes,and transportation between Juneau,Skagway, Haines,and Gustavus.Not included:Alcohol,personal items,airfare to and from Juneau. Contact: E-mail:info@alaskamountainguides.com Call:800--766--3396 Write:Alaska Mountain Guides &Climbing School P.O.Box 1081,Haines AK 99827 You can watch a whale exploding out of the water at _ . A Glacier Bay National Park B the Klondike Gold Rush National Park C the White Pass Yukon D the Northwest Native Tribes Answer: A Work-life balance: Ways to restore harmony and reduce stress Finding work-life balance in today's frenetically paced world is no simple task. Spend more time at work than at home, and you miss out on a rewarding personal life. Then again, when you face challenges in your personal life, such as caring for an aging parent or coping with marital problems, concentrating on your job can be difficult. Whether the problem is too much focus on work or too little, when your work life and your personal life feel out of balance, stress -- along with its harmful effects -- is the result. The good news is that you can take control of your work-life balance -- and give yourself the time to do the things that are most important to you. The first step is to recognize how the world of work has changed. Then you can evaluate your relationship to work and apply some specific strategies for striking a healthier balance. How work invades your personal life There was a time when employees showed up for work Monday through Friday and worked eight- to nine-hour days. The boundaries between work and home were fairly clear then. But the world has changed and, unfortunately, the boundaries have blurred for many workers. Here's why: Global economy. As more skilled workers enter the global labor market and companies outsource or move more jobs to reduce labor costs, people feel pressured to work longer and produce more just to protect their jobs. International business. Work continues around the world 24 hours a day for some people. If you work in an international organization, you might be on call around the clock for troubleshooting or consulting. Advanced communication technology. Many people now have the ability to work anywhere -- from their home, from their car and even on vacation. And some managers expect this. Longer hours. Employers commonly ask employees to work longer hours than they're scheduled. Often, overtime is mandatory. If you hope to move up the career ladder, you may find yourself regularly working more than 40 hours a week to achieve and exceed expectations. Changes in family roles. Today's married worker is typically part of a dual-career couple, which makes it difficult to find time to meet commitments to family, friends and community. Married to your work It can be tempting to rack up the hours at work -- especially if you're trying to earn a promotion or some extra money for a child's education or a dream vacation. For others, working more hours feels necessary in order to manage the workload. But if you're spending most of your time at work, your home life will likely pay the price. Consider the pros and cons of working extra hours on your work-life balance: Fatigue. Your ability to think and your eye-hand coordination decrease when you're tired. This means you're less productive and may make more mistakes. These mistakes can lead to injury or rework and negatively impact your professional reputation. Family. You may miss out on important events, such as your child's first bike ride, your father's 60th birthday or your high-school reunion. Missing out on important milestones may harm relationships with your loved ones. Friends. Trusted friends are a key part of your support system. But if you're spending time at the office instead of with them, you'll find it difficult to nurture those friendships. Expectations. If you regularly work extra hours, you may be given more responsibility. This could create a never-ending and increasing cycle, causing more concerns and challenges. Sometimes working overtime is important. If you work for a company that requires mandatory overtime, you won't be able to avoid it, but you can learn to manage it. Most importantly, say no when you're too tired, when it's affecting your health or when you have crucial family obligations. Striking the best work-life balance _ With so many demands on your time -- from overtime to family obligations -- it can feel difficult to strike this balance. The goal is to make time for the activities that are the most important to you. Here are some ideas to help you find the balance that's best for you: Learn to say no. Whether it's a co-worker asking you to spearhead an extra project or your child's teacher asking you to manage the class play, remember that it's OK to respectfully say no. When you quit doing the things you only do out of guilt or a false sense of obligation, you'll make more room in your life for the activities that are meaningful to you and bring you joy. Leave work at work. Make a conscious decision to separate work time from personal time. When with your family, for instance, turn off your cell phone and put away your laptop computer. Manage your time. Organize household tasks efficiently. Do one or two loads of laundry every day, rather than saving it all for your day off. A weekly family calendar of important dates and a daily list of to-dos will help you avoid deadline panic. If your employer offers a course in time management, sign up for it. Get enough sleep. There's nothing as stressful and potentially dangerous as working when you're sleep-deprived. Not only is your productivity affected, but also you can make costly mistakes. You may then have to work even more hours to make up for these mistakes. Communicate clearly. Limit time-consuming misunderstandings by communicating clearly and listening carefully. Take notes if necessary. Nurture yourself. Set aside time each day for an activity that you enjoy, such as walking, working out or listening to music. Set aside one night each week for recreation. Take the phone off the hook, power down the computer and turn off the TV. Discover activities you can do with your partner, family or friends, such as playing golf, fishing or canoeing. Making time for activities you enjoy will rejuvenate you. Remember, striking a work-life balance isn't a one-shot deal. Creating balance in your life is a continuous process. Balance doesn't mean doing everything. Examine your priorities and set boundaries. Be firm in what you can and cannot do. Only you can restore harmony to your lifestyle. What will happen if you're spending most of your time at work? A You might lose all your friends. B You will lose both health and wealth. C You perhaps be given more responsibility. D You may be misunderstood by your loved ones. Answer: C There are some things humans can go without. We can lose a kidney or a lung, an arm or two and still live perfectly well. But some fish put us to shame. They can _ without stomachs. One such fish is the stout longtom. The group it belongs to carries a more appropriate name: the needlefish. All needlefish lack stomachs. Their ancestors had them, but later they were lost. The stout longtom can reach 1.3 meters in length, and lives near the sea surface. Like all needlefish, it can jump out of the water to escape its enemies. Tropical fishermen are sometimes injured by needlefish. In 1977, a 10-year-old Hawaiian boy was killed when a needlefish jumped through his brain. The longtom eats smaller fish. It teeth are not good at cutting fish into pieces, so it swallows fish whole. Ryan Day from Australia and his colleagues wanted to know how the longtom digests its meaty meals without a stomach, so they ran some chemical tests about the fish. Day's results show that the longtom can consume food without the help of a stomach. It uses a special material called trypsin that can break down proteins without acid -- although the approach is less efficient than using a stomach. Because it's a meat-eating animal, the longtom gets a lot of protein in its food, so it can afford this slightly less efficient system for absorbing it. Two plant-eating fish that Day studies actually had higher levels of trypsin in their body, as their food was low in protein. Day thinks that the longtom and its stomachless relatives might actually have arrived at an energy-saving solution. He says that although the stomach is critical to many kinds of animal, the organ is "a fairly expensive organ to run". This perhaps explains why some animals have got rid of theirs. What plays a key role in the longtom's digestion process? A Trypsin. B Acid C The stomach. D Protein in its body. Answer: A John "Mad Jack" Mytton (1796--1834) was a carefree English aristocrat who was born into immense wealth. However, he died a poor man after a life that was once described as " _ ". So, what went wrong? As a young boy, Jack went to Westminster School, but after only one year he was expelled for fighting with a teacher. He was then sent to Harrow School but only lasted three days before he was also thrown out. He was eventually educated by private tutors. After school, Jack went to Cambridge University. He arrived with 2,000 bottles of port, but left without graduating - he found university life boring. Later, he joined the army, enlisting with the 7th Hussars. As a young officer, he spent a year with the regiment in France as part of the occupation force after Napoleon's defeat in 1815. Jack passed the time gambling and drinking before resigning his commission. At the age of 21, he returned to his country house just in time to receive his inheritance. With an annual income of over PS800,000 in today's money, Jack was extremely rich... but it didn't take him long to spend it all. In 1819, he became an MP. In order to secure his seat, he offered voters PS10 notes to vote for him, spending more than PS10,000 in total. However, he found politics dull and went to parliament only once. Back at home, he would often drop bank notes in the gardens of his estate, and gave his servants vast amounts of spending money. Once he lost his racetrack winnings (several thousand pounds) when the wind blew all the money away. One of Jack's favorite pastimes was hunting. He would go in any kind of weather, occasionally with no clothes on. Sometimes, he would get up in the middle of the night, take off with a gun to look for something to shoot. Jack also kept a large number of pets. These included about 2,000 dogs. Some were fed on steak and Champagne and even wore livery. A favorite horse had free range inside Halston Hall and would often lie with Jack in front of the fire. Jack was a bit of a practical joker, too. He once left a horse in the bedroom of a guest. Another visitor fell asleep and woke up to find a live bear and two bulldogs in his bed. In 1826, as a result of a bet, Jack rode his horse into the Bedford Hotel, up the grand staircase and onto the balcony. Then, still sitting on the horse, he jumped off the balcony, landing among the diners in the restaurant below. Another time, he invited a local doctor to dine at Halston Hall. As soon as the doctor had left, Jack put on a highwayman's costume and raced ahead to rob the unsuspecting man. On another occasion, a passenger in Jack's carriage admitted that he'd never been in an accident, so Jack drove the carriage up a hill and turned it over. He would also slip red-hot coals into people's pockets as a joke. Eventually, Jack ran out of money and fell into debt. In 1830, he fled to France to avoid his creditors , but returned a couple of years later, ending up in prison in Southwark, London. Jack died there in 1834, a poor, lonely man. [(<<>> 20119 "Hell Raiser")] It can be inferred in the passage that _ .[ ] A Jack was first educated by private tutors and eventually graduated from Cambridge University. B Jack joined the army and succeeded in defeating Napoleon's army in 1815. C Jack bribed the voters in order to gain a position of MP. D Jack fed his favorite horse with meat and wine and often lay with it in front of the fire. Answer: C If you are lost in the mountains, stay calm in the face of darkness, loneliness, and the unknown. It will greatly increase your chances of survival. Many people think that preparing necessary equipment and knowing how to use it are very important, but in fact eighty percent of mountain survival is your reaction to fear. Finding a hiding place Unnecessary labor will make you sweat and make you cold. Find a hiding place around you before trying to start your own construction. If you are in a snow-covered area, you may be able to dig a cave in deep snow for protection from the wind. You should try to hide yourself in the middle of the mountain if possible. Stay out of the valleys--- cold air falls, and the valley floor can be the coldest area on the mountain. Signal rescuers for help The best time to signal rescuers is during the day. Signal for help from the highest point possible--- it will be easier for rescuers to see you, and any sound you make will travel farther. If you take a box of matches and a space blanket ( a special blanket for traveling ), build three smoky fires and put your blanket ---gold side facing out --- on the ground. Do not walk away It will make finding you more difficult , as search teams will be trying to follow your path and may miss you if you have gone off in a different direction. Searchers often end up finding a car with no one in it. If you get frostbitten , do not rewarm the affected area until you are out of danger. You can walk on frostbitten feet, but once you warm the area and can feel the pain, you will not want to walk anywhere. Try to protect the frostbitten area and keep it dry until you are rescued. Which statement is not true according to the passage? A If lost in the mountains, you must try to find a way out quickly. B Stay out of the valleys when looking for a hiding place C The best time to signal rescuers is during the day D With a space blanket, you can put it on the ground---gold side facing out Answer: A
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!" What time does leave home? _ Answer: 7:40 In the world today, all of the people need recreation . We cannot work all the time if we are going to keep healthy and enjoy life. Everyone has his own way of relaxing. Perhaps the most popular form is to take part in sports. There are team sports, such as basketball and football; There are also individual sports, such as swimming and running. Skating and mountain climbing are the most popular recreation for people who like to be outdoor. Not everyone who enjoys sports likes to take part in them. Many people like watching them on TV or listening to them on the radio. So many people like some forms of indoor recreation, such as watching TV, singing and dancing. It doesn't matter whether we like indoor recreation or take part in outdoor sports. It is important for everyone to relax from time to time, and enjoy some forms of recreation. Which is the most popular form of recreation according to this text? Answer: Sports. While you're hurrying around picking up gifts in the last few days before Christmas, do you have any time to think about how much your s, or friends will actually value what you find? WePay, a Website that helps people collect, manage and spend money online, has analysed tons of research, reports and surveys from different sources, and the results were surprising! Are Gift Cards a Good Idea? Rather than give someone a gift that they might not like, it's better just to pick up a gift card so they can buy what they really want, right? Wrong. This year, $ 2.5 billion in gift cards went unspent. Of that amount, $1.3 billion went unspent because people didn't bother making the time. Another $ I billion or so was forgotten altogether. How Much Do We Really Value the Gifts We're Given? The lucky recipient of a gift, like a cashmere sweater, will value it less than the amount it was purchased for. And ladies, contrary to what you might think, place less monetary value on the diamond ring they are given than the guys who have bought it for them. What Happens to Our Gifts After They're Given? Many complain that the holiday season means shopping and crazily spending money, but studies show that once the big day arrives, we are less focused on gifts than we think. Every year, at least one gift per person is regifted, returned or never even opened And How Do We Really Feel About Fruit Cakes? We all know that no one likes fruit cakes, right? Wrong, once again. Although fruit cakes continue to be taken away behind the rest of the holiday cookies and cakes on the dessert table, one in four people still consider giving them as gifts. What does this all really mean? To be clear, it's certainly not that you shouldn't enjoy the holiday spirit and feel great about giving gifts to those most important to you. While so many of us are worrying about how much money we're spending and who we still need to buy for, it simply helps to take a step back and rethink what it really means to give a gift. The text is mainly about _ . Answer: the stories behind the holiday gifts Suppose you have everything: a good job, good health, good relationships and a lot of money to spend. But still there is something missing from your life. Guess what? The love. It is not something that you should ignore. Life without love is just like body without soul. Love gives meaning to life as without love life is meaningless. Lucky is the person who gets love and keeps the flames of love burning for ever. It is not a matter of days or months. _ It is easy to fall in love but difficult to keep the flames of love burning. Before having serious long term love relationships, be sure that the person you love is also sincere with you. A selfish person can make your life terrible. If this is the case with you then try to get rid of that person as soon as possible. Most people do not give importance to their love life as they give importance to their professional life. This is a bad choice which ruins the whole life. A balance between the two is necessary in order to enjoy life in its entirety. Do not lose the love you need. In order to make your life more exciting and enjoyable, you need a loving and caring person with whom you can share your values, dreams, joys and jokes. In difficult times of failure, pain, or loss of dear ones, this person should stand firm beside you and comfort you in every possible manner. Love your life and love the person who is in your life. Keep the flames of love burning to live a great, great life. If you want to keep the flames of love burning, you should _ . Answer: make certain that the person you love is also sincere When a storm is coming, most people leave the area as quickly as possible and head for safety. But there are a few people who will get into their cars and go straight for the center of the storm. These people are willing to risk being killed by floods or 100-kilometer-an-hour winds for the excitement of watching the storm close up. "Storm chasing " is becoming an increasing popular hobby, especially in the Midwest of the United States, where there are frequent storms between March and July. A storm chaser begins the day by checking the Internet for the latest weather report, and then drives up to 1000 kilometers to where the storm will be and waits for it to develop. Although anyone can do it, storm chasing is extremely dangerous. The power of a big storm can throw a cow into the air or destroy a whole house in seconds. Storm chasers are also often hurt in accidents caused by driving in a heavy rain. If you are a beginner, it is much safer to join a group for storm-chasing vacations during the storm season. Even then, storm chasing is not all adventure and excitement. "Storm chasing is 95% driving," says Daniel Lynch, who spends most of his summer storm-chasing. "Sometimes you can sit around for hours waiting for something to happen, and all you get is blue sky and a few light showers." However, for storm chasers, it is all worth it. "When you get close to a storm, it is the most exciting sight you will ever see in your life," says Jasper Morley. "Every storm is an example of the power of nature. It is the greatest show on earth." What can we learn from the text? Answer: Sometimes storm chasers get nothing but disappointment
You're more likely to shiver on a Answer: A hobby is not a job or a school subject. A hobby is something you enjoy doing in your spare time. It's not something you need to do. It's just fun. Some people make model ships, keep pets, plant flowers, play computer games or chat on the Internet. Some paint pictures or dance to music. Some collect everything from stamps to seashells ... People take up hobbies because they think these activities can bring them many things like happiness, friendship and knowledge. Anyone, rich or poor, old or young, sick or well, can have a hobby. A hobby will make your life colorful. ,. When do people often take up hobbies? Answer: Being able to count at least ten people as friends makes us happy, but those with five or fewer are likely to be miserable, researchers say. Their study of hundreds of men and women also found t hat people who feel satisfied with their lives always have lots of close friends and regularly make new ones. While it is not clear whether our friends make us happy or we make friends because we are happy, the researchers say it is clear that we should maintain our friendships. Psychologist RichardTunney said, "Whatever the reason is, actively working on friendships in the same way as to maintain a marriage is a prerequisite to happiness. "Dr. Tunney, of Nottingham University, quizzed more than 1,700 people about their satisfaction with their lives and the state of their friendships. Those with five friends or fewer had just a 40 percent chance of being happy. In other words they were more likely to be unhappy than happy. Ten was the first number at which people were more likely to be happy than unhappy. The happiest people were those with dozens of friends, according to the study, which was carried out for the National Lottery . For women, this meant having 33 friends;for men, the number was 49. Dr. Tunney said,"People who were extremely satisfied with their lives had twice the number of friends of people who were extremely dissatisfied. " Women tended to have fewer friends than men but formed tighter relationships. Interestingly, the study found that childhood friends are no more likely to make us happy than people we become close to later in life. Lottery winners, however, have a differentopinion on life. They are always happier than others despite spending their time with asmall circle of old friends. This could be because they trust people they've known for along time. Which of the following opinions may Richard Tunney NOT agree with? Answer: Many kids think they are too common. They think they are not the prettiest and smartest. Sometimes kids don't know how special they are. When they see outstanding athletes or cool stars, they often think: Am I outstanding? What am I going to be when I grow up ? Growing up means understanding what you can do and what you can _ to the world. When you are young, you don't see that. But when get older, you may know that by being yourself, you do offer something to other people. Maybe you aren't the best, but that doesn't make you "not special" Think about your friends. Write down some things that you like about them. Think about why you are friends. You are going to know that in the end, though they aren't the smartest or the prettiest or the most talented, they are great in their way. And they feel just the same as you. In fact it is great to be the best at something, but it's OK if you can't. If you just live our life and try hard, you are still pretty amazing .And you can make your dream come true. You'll get to know that your friends are great in your own way _ . Answer: Look at the cat on the left. Find anything strange? In 1961, a man found a strange cat on his farm in Scotland. The cat's ears were folded , bent forward, on its head. In fact, this was a new kind of cat. People named it the "Scottish Fold". The Scottish Fold has a round head and big eyes. Its neck and legs are short. They make it look very lovely. Interestingly, all the Scottish Folds are born with straight and unfolded ears. And when they are growing up day by day, some cats' ears will begin to fold. So, the Scottish Fold comes in two types: folded ears and straight ears. There is a nickname for the Scottish Fold. It is the "Messenger of Peace". Why? Because the Folds are sweet and friendly animals. They can _ with other cats. And unlike some other cats, they can even get along well with dogs! In many different places, for example, at a noisy house or in a cat show, you can see them playing with other animals happily. Well, when you come to a new school, do you think it's difficult to feel comfortable in the new place? Perhaps you can learn from the Scottish Fold, which is always sweet and friendly to others. The Scottish Fold _ Answer:
Quickly ask yourself: What did you eat today? Now tell me how you actually feel. If you're complaining of stress, anxiety, depression, aches and pains, foggy thinking, or just a general lack of energy, a new medical theory will blow your mind. The chances are that those disease-like symptoms are all the result of what's called hidden food allergies . This is what Ken Drew found out when he was lucky enough to be recommended to medical practitioner Dr. Patel. Patel is considered something of a genius, and has been called a modern day Louis Pasteur. You've heard of him, of course--Pasteur figured out how to keep milk from getting spoiled. Dr. Patel is like a Louis Pasteur for keeping your body from getting spoiled from chronic diseases. "Foggy thinking, slightly constipated , heart pain,...you name it. It's part of getting old," you say. "It's just stress." Most of the body's immune defenses are all located in your stomach, so when you have a hidden food allergy and you expose yourself to harmful foods, your defenses malfunction and disease-carrying bacteria take over. Had you not eaten that one food you were allergic to for breakfast, you would never have got sick. Together, Dr Patel and Ken Drew have developed the Reverse My Disease program, which claims it can _ your body against diseases like arthritis , Alzheimer's, diabetes, heart disease and cancers. You won't need a prescription and there isn't any kind of medical procedure involved. There's no medical jargon, no complicated diet to do. What it does do is claim to tell you how to hack your body's natural defense system. Dr. Patel has remained under the radar of the entire medical establishment because his ideas are so threatening to doctors who don't want you to stop being sick enough for them to write you prescriptions. Those doctor visits cost you, so check out Reverse My Disease if you want to prevent disease by learning how to eat food that won't harm your body. What is the author's attitude towards Reverse My Disease? Answer: At heart, parents always wish the best for their children, and they work hard for that. Nowadays, we see parents deciding the schools for their little ones before the baby is even born. Once kids start going to school, some parents want to have a time-to-time update of their kid's activities. They want to come to the classroom every day, keep an eye on whom they talk to, know the friends they keep, start telling them how to do their job, and keep talking or giving a feedback to them about everything under the sun. Besides, they send their kids for extra hobby classes, as they want their children to do best in every field. When it comes to the education, super mom and dad have all the plans made for their children, and I am sure that they have come up with the best. So, try to fight for the dreams that your parents have set for you. However, in some cases, it may happen that the kids have some different dreams. Parents sometimes don't even consider the choices of their kids and may force them to do what they wanted to do in life. It's good to plan the future for the children, but leave at least some decisions to them. So what should the children do? First, hear out all the plans that your parents have made for you. If you have some different ideas, then sit down and talk to your family about it. Be patient and respect their decisions, but put your plan forth, and make them understand what you want to do and why. Many times, you are not aware of the difficulties that you may have to face while _ your dreams. Ask your parents for suggestions, which will make them feel good and involved. That way, they may support you if you are going on the right path. What is the author's attitude towards these super parents' behaviors? Answer: Some people are so rude! Who sends an e-mail or a text message that just says "Thank you"? Who leaves a voice mail message rather than texts you? Who asks for a fact easily found on Google? Don't these people realize that they're wasting your time? Maybe I'm the rude one for not appreciating life's little politeness. But many social agreed standards just don't make sense to people drowning in digital communication. In texts, you don't have to declare who you are or even say hello; E-mail, too, is slower than a text; Voice mail is a now impolite way of trying to connect. My father learned this lesson after leaving me a dozen voice mail messages, none of which I listened to. _ , he called my sister to express his dissatisfaction that I never returned his phone calls. "Why are you leaving him voice mails?" my sister asked. "Just text him." In the age of the smartphone, there is no reason to ask once-acceptable questions about: the weather forecast, a business's phone number, or directions to a house, a restaurant, which can be easily found on Google Maps. But people still ask these things. And when you answer, they respond with a thank-you e-mail. How to handle these differing standards? Easy: Consider your audience. Some people, especially older ones, appreciate a thank-you message. Others, like me, want no reply. The anthropologist Margaret Mead once said that in traditional societies, the young learn from the old. But in modern societies, the old can also learn from the young. Here's hoping that politeness never goes out of fashion but that time-wasting forms of communication do. Which of the following does the writer agree to? Answer: WASHINGTON (October 10, 2014) -- This year's Nobel Prize for Physics was awarded to inventors of LEDs, now being used around the world. However, according to the International Energy Agency and the World Bank, more than a billion people in the world still do not have access to electricity. After sunset, most of them use candles or oil lamps. A company in the Netherlands is trying to change that with its products based on LEDs. When darkness falls, many kids in rural parts of Haiti, Rwanda, or refugee camps in Syria read or do their homework by candlelight or a kerosene -burning lamp. The open flames sometimes cause fires, while poisonous gases lead to respiratory problems. Portable electric light is safer, healthier and now, even cheaper. "This is the first time that artificial light or solar LED is now less expensive than kerosene," said Camille van Gestel, head of a Dutch company called WakaWaka, over Skype. He added WakaWaka, which means "Shine Bright" in Swahili, is the most efficient solar-powered light and phone charger in the world today. When fully charged, it shines for up to 16 hours. It is affordable, sustainable, and its battery lasts for a long time. It can be set up on any flat surface, hung from a ceiling or set on top of a glass bottle. Van Gestel said his company operates like any other business, but some of the money made from selling its products is used to make WakaWaka lights affordable to poor people. He said the plan is supported by international non-government organizations. "The International Rescue Committee was one of the first to actually take the WakaWaka power into Syria, to provide light and power for Syrian refugees, and now the WakaWaka is the most valued non-food item in Syria," said Van Gestel. In the past 24 months, the company has distributed around 300,000 units in places such as Syria, Hati, Rwanda, Indonesia and the Philippines. Its goal is to reach 1.2 billion people by 2030. What would be the best title for the passage? Answer: In the United States, people like going camping for vacation. They do everything for themselves to relax in the woods instead of staying at a modern hotel or a restaurant. They enjoy themselves far away from the noisy cities for a few days. What should you prepare if you want to go camping like them? When you are camping, you make all of your own food. Barbeques are very necessary while camping. You can bring bread, drinks, meat and vegetables to the camp. You'd better bring some wood and a lighter to _ . Remember to put stones around the fire to make sure it won't get too big and dangerous. When the fire is ready, you can cook food over it. Children really like this activity at night. The whole family sit around the fire, eat their favorite food. Certainly they can sing songs and dance together. What a pleasant and exciting moment. Camping is a fun activity for the family to do. Vacation does not have to mean going to visit a place far away. It could be as simple as setting up a tent in the nearby woods. What are NOT necessary if you are camping? Answer:
Some spiders hunt on the ground, others build webs to trap their food, but the grass water spider catches its prey by running along the surface of the water. This special water spider lives on the grassy banks of streams where mosquitoes, damsel flies and other insects come to feed and breed. Although it is one of the largest spiders in prefix = st1 /New Zealand, it has an unusual ability. It doesn't disturb the water as it waits for its meal, and there is barely a ripple when it skims across the surface at lightning speed to catch its prey. Grass water spiders deal swiftly with larger insects like damsel flies by pulling their heads under the water and holding them there until they drown. After a meal, the grass water spider spends up to half an hour grooming itself. It wipes its eight eyes, brushes its antennae , and takes special care to clean the hairs on its body. It is the hairs that trap tiny bubbles of air so that the spider can run down a blade of grass and stay underwater for up to an hour when it is frightened. The hairs also keep the spider dry, even underwater. It is only when the female spider is caring for the young that she does not hunt on the water. After mating, she produces a large egg sac , which she carries around for five weeks. Once the eggs start to hatch, she attaches the sac to some blades of grass or a thistle. She then tears the sac open and releases the tiny spiders into the nursery web. How does the grass water spider kill its prey? Answer: by drowning After the coming of Europeans to the Americas, Indians were forced to change their way of life. Yet the influence of Native American culture is still felt throughout the United States. Many of the foods commonly eaten in the United States today were first grown by American Indians. Among these foods are corn, white and sweet potatoes, peanuts, pumpkins, tomatoes, and certain beans and berries. Native Americans also discovered ways to use herbs and other plants as medicines. Native American inventions, such as canoes, ponchos and parkas ,hammocks and snowshoes are still in use today. Other marks of Indian culture were left in American place names. The state of Alaska, for example, takes its name from a Native American word meaning "great land". Today nearly 1.5 million Native Americans live in the United States. Some still preserve the ways of their ancestors, speaking Indian languages and keeping alive their legends, art forms, and customs. Other Native Americans keep few of the old ways, but remain proud of their people's contributions to American history. Americans have come to appreciate the beauty of Indian crafts . Many artists find _ in traditional Indian designs. Many Indian values, too, have become widely held. Americans today believe that the land, air and water are precious resources that must be carefully protected. As one government official wrote recently: We have slowly come back to some of the truths that the Indians knew from the beginning. People need to learn from nature, to keep an ear to the earth, and to refill their spirits in frequent contacts with animals and wild land. What influences Americans most according to the passage? Answer: Agriculture of Native Americans. How do most students spend their weekends? Do they have time to do the things they like? Let's see what some students do during their weekends. Ben is eleven. He has a sister, Kate. Both of them like going to the cinema. Every Sunday morning, they go to the town by train and then they go to the cinema because they live in a village and there is no cinema there. They get to the town at noon. They usually have a big lunch in their favourite restaurant first, and then they buy some food in the supermarket before they go to their favourite cinema called Star Cinema. They like it because the seats there are _ and the films in the cinema are always the newest. They always have a good time on Sundays. But when the weather is bad or they are busy with their homework or someone visits them, they can't go to the cinema. They go to the town to see a film because _ . Answer: there is no cinema in the village Cleverness is a gift while kindness is a choice.Gifts are easy--they're given after a11.Choicecan be hard. I got the idea to start Amazon 16 years ago.Icame across the fact that the Internet usage was growing at 2300 percent per year.I'd never seen or heard of anything that grew that fast,andtheidea of building all online bookstore with millions of titles was very exciting to me. I had just turned 30 years old,and I'd been married for a year.I told my wife MacKenzie that I wanted to quit my job and go to do this crazy thing that probably wouldn't work since most start-ups don'tand I wasn't sure what to expect.MacKenzie told me I should go for it.As a young boy,I'dbeen a garageinventor.I'd always wanted to be all inventor,and she wanted me to follow my passion. I was working at a financial firm in New York Citywith a bunch of very smart peopleand Ihad a brilliant boss that I much admired.I went to my boss and toldhim I wanted to start a company selling books on the Internet.He took me on a longwalk in Central Park,listened carefully to me,and finally said,"That sounds like a really good ides,but it would be an even better idea for someone who didn't already have a good job."That 1ogic made some sense to me,and he convinced me to think about it for 48 hours before making a final decision.Seenin that light.it really wasa difficult choice,but ultimately,I decided I had to give it a shot.I didn't think I'd regret trying and failing. _ After much consideration,I took the less safe path to follow my passion,and I'm proud ofthat choice.For all ofus,in the end,we are our choice. What inspired the author with the idea of building an online bookstore? Answer: The greatly increasing usage of the Internet. As students, you may have many dreams. They can be very big like becoming Superman, or they can be small. You may just want to become one of the ten best students in your class. If you find a dream, what do you do with it? Do you ever try to make your dream come true? Follow Your Heart by Australian writer Andrew Matthews tells us that making our dreams come true is life's biggest _ . "You may think you're not very good at some school subjects, or that it is impossible for you to become a star. These ideas stop you from getting your dream," the book says. In fact, everyone can make his dream come true. The first important thing you must do is to remember what your dream is. Don't let it leave your heart . Keep telling yourself what you want. Do this step by step and your dream will come true faster. A big dream is, in fact, many small dreams. Never give up your dream. There will be difficulties on the road. But the biggest problem comes from yourself. You need to decide what is the most important. Studying instead of watching TV will bring you better exam points. Saving five yuan instead of buying an ice cream means you can buy a new book. When you get closer to your dream, it may change a little. Then you will be able to learn more skills and find new interests. What is the best title of the text? Answer: How to make your dream real
If you are sitting down listening to what I'm going to say, stand up. Move your legs. Touch your toes, if you can. Do anything but sit. If you cut down on the time you spend sitting, you might live longer. New research shows that sitting less than three hours a day might extend your life by two years. Just the opposite, says Peter Katzmarzyk. He is a scientist at the University of Louisiana in the southern United States. He says that sitting is _ in our lives. "We sit while we're eating; we sit in the car; we sit while we watch TV. Many of us sit for many hours at work. " But, he adds, that does not make sitting good for us. The human body is designed to move. But modern lifestyles and office jobs rarely give us the chance to move around. Exercise is important. So is not sitting. "We can't throw away physical activity. It's extremely important. We have 60 years of research showing us that. Even if you exercise for 30 minutes a day, what goes on in the other 23-and-a-half hours a day is also very important." Mr. Katzmarzyk and his co-workers are part of a new generation of researchers studying how sitting all day affects length of life. This is a relatively new area of study--studies that have assessed the relationship between sitting and mortality or television viewing and mortality. Making uses of the few studies available to them, they found that cutting television time to less than two hours a day could add one-point four years to life. New desk designs are helping Change is already coming to some offices, especially in the design of desks. A "standing desk" lets people stand while they work. Another new design is called the "treadmill desk." A treadmill is an exercise machine that lets you walk in one place. That's one of the strategies that many companies are using now. Some companies may equip their employees with a "standing desk" or a "treadmill desk". Other companies may not buy one for everybody, but they'll have a bank of these desks where people can go for an hour a day and answer their emails or talk on the phone. Even some U.S. schools are beginning to experiment with such desks to keep children moving. Mr. Katzmarzyk says studying this problem has inspired his team to make a few changes in their own lives. "As a university professor, you know, it is a very sedentary occupation. We're chained to a desk in terms of writing papers and doing research. We really try to limit the amount of time we spend doing that." Suggestions for sitting less If you work in office job or have a sedentary job, Mr. Katzmarzyk and his team suggest a few simple changes: get up from your desk as often as you can take walks at lunch time walk to your colleagues' offices and talk directly instead of emailing them All these activities may help you live longer. The word "ubiquitous " (in Para. 3) means " _ ". A common B normal C individual D specific Answer: A Paris has the Eiffel Tower; New York has the Statue of Liberty; and prefix = st1 /Brussels, the Manneken Piss. Think of the Belgian capital and, if anything, you think of the small peeing boy _ a 60-meter-high bronze figure standing on a block, supplying a constant stream of water to the basin under him. Some might laugh. But for Jacques Stroobants, the statue is up there with the best of them. "I'm proud of him. People come from all around the world to see him," says 60-year-old Stroobants with a fatherly glance at the little boy. As the most famous landmark of Brussels, Manneken Piss has a very special place in the heart of Belgians. The original Manneken Piss dates back to 1388, but the statue tourists see today dates from 1619 when the city built a second one after the original was destroyed. Many stories go round Manneken Piss. Nobody knows why he was made. One story is that he saved Brusselsby putting out the flames of a deadly fire with his well-aimed piss. But the most believable story is that the boy, the son of a wealthy man, was kidnapped. The father had a statue built in honor of the way his son was found-peeing against a tree. Perhaps best-known for his naked beauty, the "peeing boy" has also been clothed in some of the finest clothes money can buy. Stroobants has been changing his clothes for the last 29 years. On average, he has clothes on 300 days a year. And on special days, he pees beer. A few of the ways he's been dressed are; a football player, Mozart and an army general. Now, he has more than 600 pieces of clothes. There is no strict charge for those wishing to provide clothes for the little boy. But certain conditions must be met. "The clothes cannot include either advertising or political message," said Stroobants, because they would cheapen the national treasure. But Manneken Piss is still something local people can make money from _ by selling all kinds of souvenirs. Which of the following is not true according to the passage? A Tourists cannot provide clothes for the peeing boy. B The Manneken Piss has attracted many visitors. C The peeing boy is the national treasure of Belgium. D Local people make money by selling souvenirs. Answer: A What do you do if you are in trouble on a lonely island? Surely you need to find a way to get in touch with the outside world. Your best chance of doing this is to draw the attention of a passing plane. Body signals Pilots from different countries understand body signals if they have the correct training, When you wave your arms up and down in a straight line, it means, "yes". When you point downwards and swing your arm from side to side, it means "no". If you want the pilot to know that it's safe to land, push your hands out in front of you and bend your knees. If you want to say that it's not safe to land, put your arms in the air and move them to one side. Smoke signals The smoke from a fire can be seen from far away, so it's a good way to draw attention. If the weather is dry, it isn't hard to start a fire. Remember, however, that fires can be very dangerous if they get out of control. Never light a tire unless you're sure that it can't spread. If the ground is dark, light smoke can be seen more easily. Green grass and leaves produce light smoke. Ground-to-air signals It's a good idea lo build some signals, too. Use large pieces of wood to make the symbols . If you can't find any wood, use earth. Some useful symbols are: F "I need food and water" II "I need medicine." I "I am badly hurt." X "I am unable lo move from here." Pilots' replies If the pilot lowers the plane's wings from side to side, this means: "message received and understood" (At night, the pilot flashes the plane's green lights.) If the pilot flies the plane in a clockwise circle, this means "message received hut not understood" (At night, the: pilot flashes the plants red lights.) However, there is no signal which means "message not received. If the pilot flies the plane in a clockwise circle, what does this mean? A It means " message not received". B It means " message received and understood". C It means "message received but not understood". D It's not mentioned in the passage. Answer: C It was a cold night. The taxi driver didn't take even one passenger all day. When he went by the railwaystation, he saw a young man coming out with two bags in his hands. So he drove to him and asked, " whereare you going ,sir? "To the Red Hotel," the young man answered. When the taxi driver heard this, he didn't feel happy anymore. The young man would give him only three dollars because the hotel was near the railway station. Butsuddenly, he had an idea. He took the young man through many streets of the big city. After a long time, they arrived at the hotel. "Here we are! You should pay me fifteen dollars, please."the taxi driver said to the young man. "What? Fifteen dollars! Do you think I'm a fool? Only last week, Itook a taxi from the railway station to this hotel and I only gave the driver thirteen dollars. I know how muchI have to pay for the trip." The story probably happened _ . A on a winter morning . B on a winter night . C on a rainy day. D on a rainy night . Answer: B Jess really felt very happy.When he arrived at his seat in the classroom that morning,he found an invitation on his desk.It was from several of his classmates asking him to join them on a camping trip.This was the first time he was asked to join in an out-of-school activity.Why were they asking him now? Nobody seemed to like him.In fact,he had been so lonely that he drowned his feeling with food.As a result,he had put on a lot of weight,and this gave the kids something more to make fun of him. Cindy,who was standing near Jess when he read the invitation,went out quickly to tell the others that the trick had worked.Everyone was pleased that Jess thought that was true.But there was no camping trip.The whole thing was made up. At first,Cindy thought it was fun.But later,when Jess told her that he was going to buy a sleeping bag with his savings ,Cindy had a second idea.She knew that Jess's family had little money,and she hated to see him spend his savings on something he would never use.Cindy also hated to tell Jess the truth.Her close friends would be angry with her.What could she do now? Choose the best title for this passage. A Jess and His School B Jess and His Friends C An Invitation for Jess D Jess and His Camping Trip Answer: C
A block of ice is placed on a hot sidewalk. The ice melts because A. the energy from the ice flows to the sidewalk. B. the energy from the sidewalk flows to the ice. C. convection currents flow between the ice and the sidewalk. D. radiation flows between the ice and the sidewalk. Answer: B. the energy from the sidewalk flows to the ice. Inventor,physicist,surveyor,astronomer,biologist,artist... Robert Hooke was all these and more. Some say he was the greatest experimental scientist of the seventeenth century. Once he worked with renowned men of science like Christian Huygens,Antony van Leeuwenhoek,Robert Boyle,Isaac Newton and the great architect,Christopher Wren. Hooke's early education began at home,under the guidance of his father. He entered Westminster School at the age of thirteen,and from there he went to Oxford,where he came in contact with some of the best scientists in England. Hooke impressed them with his skill at designing experiments and devising instruments. In 1662,at the age of twenty-eight,he was named Curator of Experiments of the newly formed Royal Society of London. Hooke accepted the job,even though he knew that it had no money to pay him! Watching living things through the microscope was one of his favorite occupations. He devised a compound microscope for this purpose. One day while observing a cork under a microscope,he saw honeycomb-like structures. They were cells--the smallest units of life.In fact,it was Hooke who coined the term "cell" as the boxlike cells of the cork reminded him of the cells of a monastery . Perhaps because of his varied interests,Hooke often left experiments unfinished. Others took up where he left off and then claimed sole credit. This sometimes led to quarrels with colleagues. One work that he finished was his book MICROGRAPHIA,a volume that reveals the immense potential of the microscope. The book also includes,among other things,ideas on gravity and light which may have helped scientists like Newton while they were developing their own theories on these phenomena. Hooke made valuable contributions to astronomy too. A crater on the moon is named after him in appreciation of his services to this branch of science. Robert Hooke couldn't get along well with his colleagues because _ . A. he couldn't finish his work on time sometimes B. he had all kinds of interests in his daily life C. he was too proud to look up to them D. the other scientists took the fruits of his experiments Answer: D. the other scientists took the fruits of his experiments If you want to help children develop language and speech skills, UCLA researchers say, listening to what they have to say is just as important as talking to them. The effect of a conversation between a child and an adult is about six times as great as the effect of adult speech input alone, the researchers found. "Adults speaking to children helps language develop, but what matters much more is the interaction," said the study' s lead author, Frederick Zimmerman, an associate professor in the School of Public Health at the University of California, Los Angeles. The researchers also found that TV viewing didn' t have much of an effect -- positively or negatively -- as long as it wasn' t displacing conversations between an adult and a child. The UCLA study included 275 families with children between 2 months and 48 months old. They represented a variety of incomes and education. The researchers found that, in an average day, children hear about 13,000 spoken words from adults and participated in about 400 adultchild conversations a day. Assessed separately, factors positively associated with language development included each additional 100 conversations a day and each 1,000 word increase in the number of words spoken by adults and heard by children. When looked at alone, TV was negatively associated with language development. But, when the three factors were analyzed together, the only one that stood out was conversation between adults and children. "The more a child speaks and interacts with an adult, the better idea a parent has about where the child is," Zimmerman said. "Although it' s mostly done unconsciously, parents will provide feedback and correct mistakes. They'll also _ their speech to the child. Parents can give a child words by talking to them about what they' re doing, such as, 'I'm putting on your pajamas now'. But give your child the opportunity to talk, hopefully without the rest of the noise in the environment," she added. "If parents can carve out some conversation time -- maybe at bath time or at dinner time -- that' s a wonderful thing." What would be the best title for the passage? A. Talk with kids, not at them B. Let your children voice their own opinions C. How to develop a child' s language ability D. The importance of early child language development Answer: A. Talk with kids, not at them Maurice Sendak's children's book,Where the Wild Things Are,published in 1963,has become very successful throughout the years and was made into a movie earlier this year. The book's main character is a boy named Max who gets into trouble with his mother and is sent to bed without any supper.Before long,Max's room magically becomes a forest,and he sails away to a land where monsters live.Max isn't scared,though,and becomes king of the wild things,but after a while,he begins feeling homesick.Max sails back home and his supper is still hot when he arrives in his bedroom. Many teachers and professors like this story and use it to help children develop creativity and imagination. Melina Davis,an education professor,said she likes how the book contains a couple of pages that have only pictures on them. "This allows children to shape the story themselves," she said. The book contains a few of larger words that some parents worry may confuse children,but experts say those words help improve children's reading skills and challenge them. Davis said the book is well written which helps kids get involved in the story. "The book talks about what all children go through,like 'I was naughty but my mommy still loves me'" Davis said. The book also encourages children to face their fears."I think it's really good to show that Max is friends with the monsters," Davis said."Kids can find out monsters aren't always the thing under the bed that's going to scare them.I think this is good because it shows that the children can go to scary places but still have a positive experience." Since the book has been successful throughout the years,a movie was recently made and many people are excited to see it.Davis said she thinks the movie will be wonderful but it might be a little scary for younger children."You don't want bad dreams over a book that's extremely wonderful'" Davis said. What's the author's purpose in writing the passage? A. To suggest ways to improve children's reading. B. To comment on a famous children's book. C. To encourage children to read scary stories. D. To introduce a movie based on a children's book. Answer: B. To comment on a famous children's book. James lives in Hawaii and his mother lives in Korea. James speaks English (he never learned Korean), and his mom only speaks Korean. They communicate perfectly. Eric is from Honduras, but he lives in the U.S. Eric just started learning English and speaks very little. But, everyday Eric reads the latest local US news on the Web, with no problem. What these people (and close to 60 million others around the world) share is a remarkable, free software program called Babylon. Babylon may well be the most advanced translation software in the world, and it's a must-have for anyone whose life goes beyond the borders of their own language or those who want it to. Once you download it, you can simply highlight the part in practically any format, and it's instantly translated into the language of your choice. You can use it to translate a website, email, word doc, pdf, and actually any document in any format you can think of. You can write a document in your native language, and Babylon will instantly translate it into another before you send it. The program translates 75 languages, including Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Indian, and Russian. It also includes up-to-date encyclopedias , dictionaries, and spell checkers. Babylon is a long way from early translation software that would, more often than not, make an unreadable text with grammar errors that was better suited for making laughs than comprehension. Babylon's ability to understand and translate is perfect. In fact, businesses are adopting Babylon as the standard when it comes to translating commercial communications and other important documents. Babylon is also a great tool for people who are learning another language. Use it anytime you come across a word or passage you don't understand. What users enjoy most is the program's ability to open up a different world to them. Whether it's surfing a news site in a different country, or being able to properly communicate with a family member or friend overseas, Babylon can make it happen. Best of all, Babylon is free! To get your free copy, visit Babylon.com. While using Babylon, _ . A. you should pay to download the program B. you need to send the text to the program directly C. you must change the text into a format you need D. you just need to highlight the part that wants translating Answer: D. you just need to highlight the part that wants translating
Have you ever felt tired or had too much stress? Do you know how to deal with them? Here is some advice about these. Learn to relax. Overwork is the main reason why so many students feel tired and stressed. Cut down some of the jobs you need to do each day so that you can only concentrate on the most important things. Leaving time for activities that are relaxing and fun. This might mean reading a good book, listening to the music, going for a walk or taking a relaxing bath. Get a good night's sleep. Getting enough sleep will help you keep your body and mind in the best form. If you stay up late and need to get up early for school the next day, you may not be able to concentrate on the things you need to do. Exercise regularly and eat well. Don't rush through your meals. Eat less junk food or fast food. Eat healthy food instead. Get to know pleasant people. Some people are _ , while others not. Choose optimistic people as your friends and spend more time with them and you'll be as happy as them. Learn to be calm when you face any problem. Find out the best option from those that are in your mind. Knowing that you are able to solve problems is a good way to build up your self-confidence. Have a happy attitude . Your attitude decides the way you see things. Is your cup half full or half empty? Learn to think more positively about the difficulties you face. Don't look at the half empty cup in your life. To be away from worries, which point is NOT mentioned in the article? Answer: A group of kids at McIntyre Elementary School, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, have created a special bench to make sure their fellow classmates aren't left out on the playground. Called the "Buddy Bench", students can use the seat as a safe and supportive place to let others know they'd like to be included in playtime, but may be too shy to ask. The concept of the Buddy Bench is simple: Students who want to partake in playground games and activities, but may feel hesitant, can take a seat, which signifies to other children on the playground that they may need something extra to encourage them to participate. The idea for the bench came about last year, when Farrell, school counselor at McIntyre Elementary, was conducting a leadership group to help students overcome shyness and gain confidence. Four fourth-grade students came up with the idea for the Buddy Bench in this workshop, and worked with Farrell to draft a letter to present to the Parent Teacher Staff Organization to make the bench a reality. The PTSO approved the students' proposal, and installed a bright metal bench with a cheerful sign that reads "Buddy Bench" on the school's playground. Since it was installed on Nov. 16, the bench has been effective. The simple concept has resonated with the students, and already has created a better environment within the school community. "Each day, I go to see the buddy bench working," Farrell said. "The lessons _ are learning now will benefit them their entire lives. It is simply a beautiful example of kids wanting to be kind and continue to be kind every day." Who is Buddy Bench created for? Answer: Ralph and Norton can grow to be 40 feet long and live in a tank as large as a football field.What are they? They're the only two whale sharks at a North American aquarium . You can see Ralph and Norton at the world's largest aquarium, the new Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta. The aquarium's giant tanks hold eight million gallons of water and will be home to about 100,000 fish! The aquarium was designed to look like a giant ship breaking through the waves.It has 60 different habitats from the sea and five galleries , each with a different theme.About 2.4 million visitors are expected to come each year. _ " Said Jeff Swanagan, the aquarium's executive director. Ralph and Norton arrived in June, 2005 from Taiwan.They were only 15 and 13 feet long, but they may grow to be more than 40 feet long! Whale sharks are the world's largest fish.Three full-time vets will work there to make sure that Ralph, Norton, and all of the aquarium's sea life stay healthy.Students from the University of Georgia will help run the aquarium and conduct research at the animal hospital. The aquarium was paid for almost completely by a $ 200 million gift from Bemie Marcus, co-founder of Home Depot Inc, and his wife, Billi."It's going to be the most unique aquarium in the world," said Marcus.Marcus said the aquarium was a "thank you" note to the city of Atlanta and the State of Georgia, where the Home Depot first opened for business. By saying "We want to be the world's most engaging aquarium" Jeff Swanagan means _ . Answer: There are forty-eight students in our class. There are twenty-three boys and twenty-five girls. Some students live near the school, and some others live very far from the school. About half of the students come to school by bike . They often get to school at a quarter to seven. About ten students often come to school by bus. They often go to school very early, too. Another ten students come to school on foot. Their homes are near the school, but they are often late for school, because they get up very late. More than half of the students usually come to school _ . Answer: It was Christmas Eve. When everyone went to bed, Bunny couldn't fall asleep. He still couldn't think of what he wanted as a special Christmas present. He wondered how Santa -- Father Christmas would know what to bring him if he didn't know himself.,. . As he was sitting up in bed, Bunny heard a big noise on the roof and a sound downstairs. It was Santa Claus, he realized. Bunny jumped out of bed and ran down the hall to the stairs. He hoped to take a look at the old man before Santa left for his next stop. By the time Bunny was at the bottom of the stairs, everything was silent again. Lots of presents were put under the Christmas tree, but Santa was gone. A little disappointed , Bunny turned to climb back upstairs when he heard a cry. "Hello," said Bunny. "Is somebody there?" He was answered by another cry. Bunny looked around the big pile of presents to see what was making the noise. Right under the tree was a funny looking brown animal with big feet and sad eyes. It also had antlers on its head. Bunny almost mistook it for a dog. "Are you a reindeer?" asked Bunny. "Yes," replied the brown animal with antlers. "My name is Ralph." "And you were pulling Santa's sled ?" "I was until I got air-sick," replied Ralph. "Santa had to leave me here and go on with the other seven reindeer." "Isn't it a bit unusual for a reindeer to get air-sick? I mean, isn't flying what reindeer are famous for?" "Not me, I'm afraid. It makes me scared. I always feel sick when it comes to flying," replied Ralph. "But everyone wanted me to pull Santa's sled, so when it was my turn I gave it a try. I'm afraid I just wasn't _ for the job. Now I'm stuck here and I don't know how to get back to the North Pole." "Well, if you like, you can stay with us as a friend," said Bunny. As he made the offer, Bunny suddenly realized the special present he wanted from Santa was a new friend! This article seems to tell us that _ . Answer:
The booger on the balloon sailed far and wide. The wind pushed it. The wind pulled it. The booger on the balloon sailed into a house. In the house was a table. On the table was an orange. Next to the orange was some chocolate. Under the table was a crayon. Under the crayon was a seed. The booger on the balloon flew out of the house. Outside, there was snow. A dog went woof. A cat went meow. But the booger on the balloon did not hear them. The booger on the balloon had no ears! The wind blew the booger on the balloon far away, until one day... ...POP! The booger on the balloon fell on top of an alligator, never to be seen again. What happened to the balloon? Answer: What is most likely to happen to a roof as the sun comes into contact with it? Answer: Hong Kong businesses hit by nearly two months of illegal street occupations breathed a collective sigh of relief on Wednesday. Police finally cleared illegal protesters camped at the main intersection in the Mong Kok district, arresting two student leaders. More than 7,000 officers backed bailiffs (,)clearing occupied sections of Argyle Street and Nathan Road. The two-day operation saw 148 people arrested for various offenses, including contempt of court, resisting arrest, possession of offensive weapons, unlawful gathering and attacking police. The Chief Leader Stephen Hui said 22 officers were injured during the clearances. Police used pepper spray and batons to keep protesters from reclaiming cleared roads and from spreading the illegal occupation to neighboring streets. Six-lane Nathan Road, which goes through the heart of Kowloon, was cleared after nearly five hours. However, comments on the Internet said protesters were looking to reoccupy roads later in the evening. This week's actions mark the first time the authorities have successfully cleared one of the three main protest sites, which sprang up after demonstrators seized key intersections in late September to press for unconstitutional reforms. Contractor Kwan Sui-sum, 55, said he wished the Nathan Road clearance had come earlier, as he has had to pay HK$20,000 ($2,580) after the protesters delayed building reconstruction work. The owner of the Chung Hing Duty Free drug store was cautiously optimistic and eager for his store at the corner of the cleared intersection to get back to business. Sales dropped by 40 percent during the occupation, he said. "I'm not worried about the guess that the protesters will return. I trust in Hong Kong's rule of law and in the police," the man said, who wished to remain unknown as he fears attack from protesters. But five stores at a cleared site owned by jewelry chain Chow Tai Fook were still closed hours later. A company spokesman said the outlets will remain shut while it continues to monitor the situation. What Hong Kong police will probably do next according to the passage? Answer: He was a single father, raising a 5-year-old boy alone. He worried about his son growing up without a mother to care for him. One day he went away on business, leaving the child alone. He was worried about the child all the way, not knowing if he had eaten. But his child always told him not to worry. He went home quickly after finishing his work. When he got home, the child was deep asleep. He was tired out. When he was about to sleep himself, he was surprised to find an overturned bowl of noodles under the quilt. He spanked his sleeping son angrily:"Why are you so naughty, making the quilt dirty? Who will wash it?" It was the first time that he had hit his boy after his wife's death. "I haven't," the boy explained with tears in his eyes. "This is your supper, Daddy." In order to let his father eat dinner as soon as he got home, the boy cooked two bowls of noodles: one for himself, the other one for his father. He was afraid his father's noodles would get cold, so he placed them under the quilt to keep them hot. Hearing this, the father hugged his boy tightly without saying a word. The single father was always worried about _ . Answer: Some parents say their kids don't like sports. Why? Some kids don't like sports because they don't know how to play them. If the kids know how to play a new sport, maybe they will like it. Taking P.E. classes at school is a good way to learn new sports. Another way is to watch videos about sports. Kids can also read some books to learn new sports. Some kids don't like playing sports because they were once on a team and didn't have fun. For those kids, it's a good idea to talk with their teachers or parents. With their help, maybe the kids will like playing sports again. There are many kinds of sports, so a kid should find the sports that _ him or her. If a kid doesn't like team sports, parents can ask him or her to try individual sports, such as swimming and running. Playing sports is a good form of exercise, and it can help kids keep active and healthy. Of course, non-sport activities can also keep kids fit, such as walking a dog, cleaning the room and watering the garden. If kids don't have a great time on a team, maybe _ . Answer:
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (KABC)A Santa Monica High School teacher who was put on leave after using physical force to control a student who was selling marijuana in his classroom has received surprising support on Facebook. The incident was captured on video and has caused a sudden reaction from parents, teachers, students and even graduates. They are showing their support for Black. A Facebook page supporting "Coach Black" has over 4,700 likes. And many want him back in the classroom. Student witnesses say Mark Black, who is also the wrestling coach, tried to confiscate a bag of marijuana and was then injured by the student with a pencil. The cellphone video shows Black locking the student's legs and pinning the student to the ground. "He just wanted him to stop and he was trying to be a teacher and help, and I don't think it was his fault." said student Kylan Townsend. School Board member Oscar De La Tone says Mr. Black is one of his teachers at Santa Monica High School. "I know him very well. I know him to be a fair person, a good person, someone who cares deeply about his students," said De La Torre. He says that the video does not tell the whole story and that the incident brings to light the issue of drug use, something the district needs to address. But in an email to parents, Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Superintendent Sandra Lyon says the teacher's behavior is "absolutely alarming." She put Black on leave during an independent investigation. Lyon has come under fire from parents for initially saying the kind of physical action used by the teacher was unacceptable. On Saturday, Lyon released the following statement to Eyewitness News: "I want to stress that teachers are at times confronted with difficult, even threatening situations, and they must make judgment calls to protect safety. I want to emphasize that putting the teacher who was involved in this incident on leave until completion of an independent investigation is a matter of standard policy and practice; it in no way prejudices the outcome of the investigation." Students hope the situation will have a quick and just resolution. An online petition pas also peen createu by one of Black's former students. The petition has already gained thousands of signatures.Black did not respond to a request for comment. Which of the following can be the best title for the passage? A. Teacher Put on Leave Receives Support B. Thousands Come and Sign the Petition C. School Teacher Wrestled with Student D. Cellphone Video on the Facebook Page Answer: A. Teacher Put on Leave Receives Support They only got engaged on Saturday, but it seems that Rochelle Wiseman and Marvin Humes are planning on marrying in March. The pop stars are eager to tie the knot in just ten weeks in order for their big day to coincide with their birthdays. are both keen to turn the events into one big celebration. According to the Daily Star, the couple think it is the perfect excuse to have one huge party. "After getting engaged this Christmas, Rochelle and Marvin didn't waste any time in thinking about dates," a source told the newspaper. The couple apparently came to a mutual agreement that they would like to be married by the summer, and then the subject of their birthdays came up."Rochelle has been telling her pals how excited she is and that she loves the birthday idea," the source continued, "she thinks combining the events will make it the most amazing three--way celebration ever." JLS star Marvin proposed to Rochelle during a festive break in Antigua,and The Saturdays singer was keen to announce the news as soon as possible." _ " she tweeted on December 31. She also posted a photo of her and her husband-to-be in which she flashes her PS45,000 heart-shaped diamond engagement ring. Rochelle Wiseman and Marvin Humes want to get married in March _ . A. to celebrate both their wedding and birthdays B. to make their wedding different from others C. to satisfy the curiosity of their fans D. to please their parents and relatives Answer: A. to celebrate both their wedding and birthdays Eating a diet high in processed food increases the risk of depression , research suggests. What's more, people who ate plenty of vegetables, fruit and fish actually had a lower risk of depression, the University College London team found. Data on diet among 3,500 middle-aged civil servants were compared with their emotional state five years later, a British journal reported. They split the participants into two types of diet--those who ate a diet largely based on whole food,which includes lots of fruit, vegetables and fish,and those who ate a mainly processed food diet, such as sweetened desserts, fried food, processed meat,refined grains and high fat dairy products After accounting for factors such as gender, age, education, physical activity, smoking habits and chronic diseases, they found a significant difference in the future depression risk with the different diets. Those who ate the most wholefood had a 26% lower risk of future depression than those who ate the least wholefood. By contrast, people with a diet high in processed food had a 58% higher risk of depression than those who ate a diet low in processed foods. Study author Dr. Archana Singh Manoux pointed out there was a chance that the finding could be explained by lifestyle factor they had not accounted for. He also pointed in a paper that a Mediterranean diet was associated with a lower risk of depression, but the problem with that is if you live in Britain, the likelihood of you eating a Mediterranean diet is not very high. Dr.Andrew McCulloeh, chief executive of the Mental Health Foundation, said, this study adds to an existing body of solid research that shows the strong links between what we eat and our mental health. He added people's diets were becoming increasingly unhealthy. The UK population is consuming less nutritious, fresh produce and more saturated fats and sugars. Why might the author have written this text? A. To tell people what a healthy diet actually is. B. To prove people's diets are increasingly unhealthy. C. To encourage people to cut down on processed food. D. To introduce some experts on the research team. Answer: C. To encourage people to cut down on processed food. Some say college is wasted on the young. So many of us look back at our own college years and realize what we could have done differently to make the most of them. While we can't go back, we certainly can offer our sons and daughters our best advice to help them make the right choices in college. Hopefully, they will have fewer regrets than we do. Following are five guidelines parents can share with their college-bound kids to put the whole experience in perspective. EDUCATION IS YOUR FIRST PRIORITY As soon as you arrive on campus, there will be competing interests. Feel free to check them out but always remember that you are there first and foremost for your education. Go to class prepared and on time. Be engaged during class. Make sure your professor knows you and realizes that you care. BE RESPONSIBLE There are many layers of responsibility. Do what you say you will do and, if you can't, own up to it early and communicate clearly. But being responsible isn't just about meeting your commitments; it is also about taking care of you, your body, and your friends. For example, more than 1800 college students die annually from alcohol-related injuries. Look out for yourself and other people. Make moderate, sensible decisions so you aren't reeling from the consequences later. TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY Incredible opportunities will present themselves: studying abroad, interning at a unique place, trying new things. Don't let fear prevent you from taking advantage of them. There may never be so much time or as many resources devoted to your betterment again in your life. Say yes to opportunities that will help you grow. FIND AND BE A MENTOR Some of the best lessons available to us can come outside of the classroom in the form of a mentor. One of the most powerful growth opportunities is being a mentor. Early on, find someone on campus who you feel can help you grow and develop a relationship with him or her. Also find someone for you to mentor. You will reinforce and enrich your own learning experience by teaching someone else. GET THE JOB DONE It is natural to occasionally feel you want to quit, when it makes more sense to you to go find a full-time job. Resist that urge. As Jocelyn Negron-Rios, a mother of two, who is currently completing her degree, advises, "No matter how difficult it seems, keep at it because however insurmountable it feels now multiply that by 10,000 and that is how it feels when you are in your thirties with a full-time job and a family and are trying to pursue a degree." What is the main purpose of the passage? A. To give some rules for the college students. B. To call on the students to make full use of college years. C. To summarize some tips for parents to share with their children. D. To analyze the benefits and difficulties of college life. Answer: C. To summarize some tips for parents to share with their children. Once upon a time, a horse, a cow, a ox, and a donkey were playing outside when they got really hungry. So, they went to a drive-in to get some lunch. The horse ordered a cheeseburger. The cow ordered a chili dog. The ox ordered a chicken sandwich. And the donkey ordered a fish sandwich. The horse ordered fries. The cow ordered onion rings. The ox ordered a baked potato. The donkey ordered a side salad. The horse had ketchup on his cheeseburger. The cow had mayonnaise on his chili dog. The ox had mustard on his chicken sandwich. And the donkey had Miracle Whip on his fish sandwich. But the restaurant didn't get any of the orders right because they had their sauces mixed up. The ketchup got mixed up with the Miracle Whip. The mayonnaise got mixed up with the ketchup. The mustard got mixed up with the mayonnaise. And the Miracle Whip got mixed up with the mustard. The Miracle Whip was red. The ketchup was yellow. The mayonnaise was blue. And the mustard was green. Which side was ordered with the fish sandwich? A. a side salad B. onion rings C. baked potato D. fries Answer: A. a side salad
Last Friday my brother and I were driving home together after doing some shopping and gave our attention to an interesting conversation. Because of this distraction my brother took a wrong turn. Unfortunately, the wrong turn took us towards a bridge and we had no way to turn back. Unwillingly, my brother paid the bridge fee and drove on. He was clearly frustrated by the mistake and the needless waste of $4. We eventually reached an exit and, as we took it, my brother noticed a young fellow pulled over to the side of the road. He came out of his car and tried to phone someone. I was busy trying to figure out which way we would go next but my brother pulled over and asked the guy if he needed any help. And he did. He had a flat tire and needed a tool to get it off. My brother gave him a wrench, and then began to help him change the flat. The young man said that this had been a bad week for him: earlier he had gotten into a minor car accident, and now this flat on his way home from work. But he called us "a breath of fresh air" and kept thanking us because he really would have been stuck if we hadn't come along. After we finished the job he thanked us again and pulled out $20 from his pocket and tried to give it to us. "No," I said. "We were never supposed to even get on that bridge,we took a wrong turn. But now we know why we did. It was to help you. Thank you for turning our mistake into an opportunity to serve." What I loved most was that my brother was able to see a chance to help. His reaction in the situation is a lesson for everyone and we felt so good the rest of the day. Which of the following sentences best describes the writer's experience? Answer: If you light a lamp for somebody, it will also brighten your path. If you could be anybody in the world, who would it be? Your neighbour or a super star? A few people have experienced what it might be like to step into the skin of another person, thanks to an unusual virtual reality device. Rikke Wahl, an actress, model and artist, was one of the participants in a body swapping experiment at the Be Another lab, a project developed by a group of artists based in Barcelona. She swapped with her partner, an actor, using a machine called The Machine to Be Another and temporarily became a man. "As I looked down, I saw my whole body as a man, dressed in my partner's pants," she said. "That's the picture I remember best." The set-up is relatively simple. Both users wear a virtual reality headset with a camera on the top. The video from each camera is sent to the other person, so what you see is the exact view of your partner. If she moves her arm, you see it. If you move your arm, she sees it. To get used to seeing another person's body without actually having control of it, participants start by raising their arms and legs very slowly, so that the other can follow along. Eventually, this kind of slow synchronised movement becomes comfortable, and participants really start to feel as though they are living in another person's body. Using such technology promises to alter people's behaviour afterwards-potentially for the better. Studies have shown that virtual reality can be effective in fighting racism-the bias that humans have against those who don't look or sound like them. Researchers at the University of Barcelona gave people a questionnaire called the Implicit Association Test, which measures the strength of people's associations between, for instance, black people and adjectives such as good, bad, athletic or awkward. Then they asked them to control the body of a dark skinned digital character using virtual reality glasses, before taking the test again. This time, the participants' bias scores were lower. The idea is that once you've "put yourself in another's shoes" you're less likely to think ill of them, because your brain has internalised the feeling of being that person. The creators of The Machine to Be Another hope to achieve a similar result. "At the end of body swapping, people feel like holding each other in their arms," says Arthur Pointeau, a programmer with the project. "It's a really nice way to have this kind of experience. I would really, really recommend it to everyone." It can be concluded from the passage that _ . Answer: virtual reality helps promote understanding among people The Most Scenic Drives in America Price: $25.00 Description: This book includes 120 easytofollow maps, 400 breathtaking photos, fascinating facts, tips, suggested side trips and much more. 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With this book in hand, the dream is within easy reach. Shellie has a free time after she leaves work, so she can buy _ book to kill time. Answer: Strange Stories, Amazing Facts of America's Past Seeing the stars will be harder when what happens? Answer: light in an area becomes greater A warm blanket is the ideal sleep aid for a freezing winter night. The right blanket can warm your bones but the wrong one can affect your sleep. I asked experts for advice on picking the perfect blanket for a good night's sleep. Here's what they told me. When it comes to sleep temperature, experts recommend following the principle: not too cold, not too hot, but just right. "People seem to sleep best at temperature between 62 and 70 degrees F," says Dr. Alice Hoagland. When the surrounding temperature falls too low, it can _ you from sleep. A good blanket helps drive the coldness away. At the other extreme, overheating yourself can affect your sleep as well. "Core body temperature typically drops during the first four hour's of sleep," says Dr. Hoagland. This decline in body temperature helps you fall asleep and stay asleep. "In medical care, weighted blankets are one of our most powerful tools for helping people who are anxious, upset, and possibly losing control," says Dr. Karen Moore. These special blankets are filled with weighted pellets. Weighted blankets are also marketed for general use as an aid to sleep and relaxation. Like a firm hug, weighted blankets help us feel safe." This is the reason why many people like to sleep under a blanket even in summer. "If you want to try this type of blanket, the best weight depends on your body size and personal preference. However, 15 to 30 pounds is typical for adults," Moor says. She adds that weighted blankets are not recommended for those recovering from surgery. "People can also have serious preferences for a particular blanket," says Dr. Hoagland. "Regularly using a favorite blanket for sleep can help to develop a conditioned response so that sleep is quicker." In fact, many sleep centers ask patients to bring their own blanket and pillow from home, which helps them fall asleep more easily. The author wrote the passage mainly to tell us _ . Answer: how to choose the perfect blanket
From a plane we can see the fields, cities, mountains or seas below. If we go into space, we see more and more of the earth. People and man-made satellites have been sent out into space to look at the earth carefully and people have learnt more about the earth in the last few years. The sea looks very beautiful when the sun is shining on it. But it can be very terrible when there is a strong wind. The sea is very big. It nearly covers three quarters of the earth. The sea is also very deep in some places. There is one place and at that place the sea is about 11 kilometers deep. The highest mountain in the world is about 9 kilometers high. If that mountain was put into the sea at that place, there would be still 2 kilometers of water above it! In most parts of the sea, there are many kinds of fishes and plants. Some live near the top of the sea. Others live deep down. There are also a lot of small living things, and lots of fishes live by eating them. The sea can be very cold. When people go down, the sea becomes colder and colder. Only some men can go down into the deep sea. But, in 1970, five women scientists lived in the deep sea for fourteen days. The last sentence "But, in 1970, five women scientists lived in the deep sea for fourteen days." means that _ . A women wanted to live in the deep sea for a long time B women could go deeper into the sea than men C women liked living in the deep sea better than men D women could do the same work as men Answer: D Animals are unable to grow or remain healthy without A proper sustenance B ice C restaurants D socks Answer: A Peter is a boy. His full name is Peter Brown. He is nine years old. His telephone number is 010-55882226. Peter has an email address. It's peterbrown@hotmail.com. He likes singing and dancing. Jane is Peter's sister. Jane is seven years old. Her QQ number is 735469. Jane's email address is janebrown@hotmail.com. She is good at swimming and playing volleyball. What does Peter like doing? A Singing and swimming B Dancing and swimming C Painting and dancing D Singing and dancing Answer: D Preferences tend to be A genetic B learned attributes C naturally occurring D taught Answer: B Dear editor( ), Can't your newspaper do something about the custom of hitchhiking? A short time ago, on a car travel I counted at least 50 people standing beside the road, asking for rides. Many of them were young women. Don't they understand how dangerous it is to get into the car driven by a stranger? How much do they know about the driver? Is he a good driver or not? They know nothing! Many of these young hitchhikers may come from good families. Don't their parents teach them anything about the world? I always taught my children not to talk to strangers. I never let them take rides from people they didn't know. Isn't there enough crime today without asking for trouble by hitchhiking? On the other hand, hitchhiking may bring some traffic trouble. Don't you think what I said is true? A Worried Grandfather What do you think a good editor is going to do after he gets the letter? A He will either return the letter to the old man or give it to the police station. B He will write back to the Worried Grandfather and tell him not to hitchhike C He will ask someone to write something about it in the newspaper. D He will hold a meeting to tell the drivers to make the traffic trouble less. Answer: C
Question: Screws and bolts are needed to do what with a bike? A. eat it B. cry C. nothing D. construct it Answer: D. construct it Question: B Gift Idea The other day I was shopping for Grandma when I realized I had no gift ideas at all. It was not a birthday gift or anything like that. It was simply sort of a hello gift. That is how we do things in my family. We don't really give gifts for special occasions. Instead, we occasionally just give presents to each other to tell other people that we are thinking about them. That was why I wanted a gift for Grandma. But it was like my imagination had dried up. I have gone through all of the gift ideas in previous years, fruits, wines, cheeses, little handmade crafts, and anything else that you can give to a grandmother. I had even given her gift watches, and CDs. What else was there? I have always found gift ideas for men a little bit easier than for women, because for men, you can always get the usual things, such as video games, power tools and things like that. With a woman's gift idea, however, you have to know more about her. You cannot just get someone a book or a CD. You have to know all about her taste in movies, music, and literature. My grandmother likes to read a lot, but what she likes is always pretty popular. I didn't want to get her a book that she might not like, but I was running out of time. I needed a gift idea for this weekend and went to visit her. After all, I hadn't seen her for a long time. I wanted to give her a gift so she would not feel ignored. Finally, I came up with the perfect gift idea. I made a collection of all the stories I had written in the past year. It wasn't a typical gift idea like a bunch of flowers, but it really worked in the situation. You see, I am a writer and my grandma has always been my fan. Anyway, I had been learning about bookbinding recently, and had pretty much mastered the art. I figured that I would add a little bit of handmade artwork to the stories, bind it altogether, and give it to her. It took hours to complete, but it was well worth the effort. She ly loved it. How does the writer feel about giving gifts to women? A. Interesting. B. Challenging. C. Time-wasting. D. Popular. Answer: B. Challenging. Question: What is the primary function of skin cells? A. to deliver messages to the brain B. to generate movement of muscles C. to provide a physical barrier to the body D. to produce carbohydrates for energy Answer: C. to provide a physical barrier to the body Question: In America: There are many more cars than in China. Maybe the number of cars in California is the same as the number in China. But there are fewer traffic jams and accidents in America than in China. We hardly see traffic police in the street, but all cars obey traffic rules strictly , and people hardly find that a car does not obey traffic rules in the street. About America traffic rules, there are many better terms , such as: 1. Stop line: There are stop line in all crossing without traffic lights(some have two stop lines and others have four stop lines); all cars must stop while meeting the stop lines. 2.Traffic lights: There are traffic lights in the crossing of the road .Cars may almost turn every direction. the traffic lights can give signals step by step including u-turn . There is a kind of middle lane of turning left. When a car wants to turn left in the road, he may enter into the middle lane of turning left and give a signal of turning left. When he thinks being safe he may turn left. 3. Specific item: Such as parking, there are three kinds of lines (its color are white, blue or red) in the roadside. Every line may park different kinds of cars. There are streets in some residential areas, and no car can park at any time or any period time. 4. About the priority of passengers and cars: At any case, passengers have the priority to cars. But only after passengers have passed the road and gotten the top of sidestep, cars may go ahead. In general, traffic rules of America are very specific, convenient and safe. According to the passage, we can know _ . A. there are more traffic jams and accidents in America than in China B. traffic policemen are often seen in the street in America C. California may have as many cars as China D. You can easily find that a car does not obey traffic rules in the street in America Answer: C. California may have as many cars as China Question: WASHINGTON(Reuters)--Federal Government Agencies in the capital region will remain closed for a second day on Tuesday as residents trying to clean up the weekend storm that shocked the area with two feet of snow. Another big winter storm was expected to hit the U.S. mid--Atlantic on Tuesday and last through Wednesday, the National Weather Service forecast on Monday. _ snowfall is ranged from 10 to 20 inches, it said. The new storm was expected to hit other big cities along the East Coast, including Baltimore and Philadelphia, which is still extending into New Jersey and New York. It would pile on to the 32 inches of snow that fell in suburban Washington in the biggest snowfall to hit the city in decades. The Office of Personnel Management announced on Monday evening that Federal Government Offices in the Washington area would be closed on Tuesday. Emergency employees were expected to report for work in time, but non--emergency employees were excused. The Federal Government was closed on Monday, though President Barack Obama still held meetings at the White House. Schools and most businesses in the region also were shut. In the county, about 80,000 people lost power on Saturday, and some customers still had no electricity or heat on Monday. Many schools said classes would be canceled through Tuesday, even before the latest storm warning. On Monday, winter sunshine bathed the nation's capital and the surrounding region, where people dug out their driveways and sidewalks to finally start to clear streets in some residential neighborhoods. Bus service on Monday was limited to just a small number of routes in the Washington, D.C. Cold and snow blanketed much of the central United States this winter, slowing weight gain in cattle and pigs, delaying livestock sales, and increasing feed costs for producers. The new storm might also hit the Northeast, the nation's largest market for heating fuel. The weekend blast largely bypassed that region. Which of the following can be the best title for the passage? A. Another Big Winter Storm Hit the West Coast of the USA B. Weather Closes Government Offices a Second Day C. A Big Snowstorm on the Way to America D. More Cities Govered by Snow in America Answer: B. Weather Closes Government Offices a Second Day
Question: What were you doing before you started reading this? Were you fully focused on another article? Or eating breakfast? Organizing your day? Or were you staring out of the window, feeling restless and bored? It is likely to have been the latter. Brief moments of boredom are universal, and are frequently what drives us to stop what we are doing and move to something that we hope will be more exciting. But although boredom is common, it is neither unimportant nor favorable, according to Dr John Eastwood, a psychologist at York University, Toronto. Eastwood is the joint author ofThe Unengaged Mind, a major new paper on the theory of boredom. Boredom, he points out in the paper, has been connected with overeating, depression, anxiety, and an increased risk of making mistakes. Mistakes at work might not be a matter of life and death for most of us, but if you are an air traffic controller, pilot or nuclear power plant operator, they most certainly can be. Commercial polo Sami Franks confirms that boredom can make pilots lose attention. "When you fly a lengthy distance, there are two pilots, one of whom is monitoring all the screens while the other does the paperwork, talks to air traffic control and so on. You need to be alert for landing and takeoff, but once you're 500 ft above the runway, the plane's on autopilot and it can be very quiet and boring. In a study I saw of pilots who woke up after a short sleep. 30% of them reported seeing the other pilot asleep too," said Franks. However, Dr Esther Priyadharshini, a senior lecturer in education at the university of East Anglia, has studied boredom and says it can be seen in a positive light. "We can't prevent boredom--it's an unavoidable human emotion. We have to accept it and find ways to control it. We all need downtime. There's no need to be fully busy with work at all times." she says. Children who complain that they have nothing to do on rainy holidays may try to find other things to focus on. The artist Grayson Perry has reportedly spoken of how long periods of boredom in childhood may have improved his creativity. "We all need vacant time to mull things over," says Priyadharshini. Which of the following might be Perry's opinion on boredom? A. It often leads to failure. B. It has a beneficial effect. C. It is more likely to happen to children. D. It makes children lose interest in learning. Answer: B Question: Setting off fireworks is usually a pleasure for many teenagers. Even though this is not legal in many areas, some will still find a way to get fireworks and have themselves a little celebration. You may know some teenagers that use fireworks in other manners, such as a try to set fire to buildings. This can result in some serious legal problems. Not only is it not legal to have the fireworks, but the teenagers will also be charged with the damage to buildings. You may think it's all fun, but it's dangerous for others as well as for your future. Setting off fireworks is dangerous especially when you don't know how to set off fireworks. Teenagers that don't know about the proper way to set off fireworks could end up in a lot of trouble. If something goes wrong, bodily harm can happen. It is possible for fireworks not to get off correctly and explode on the ground. If the teenager is too close, he could suffer some serious physical injuries. Teenagers can also cause a lot of harm to others who are in the same area as the fireworks. When teenagers do not know how to correctly deal with lighting fireworks, they will place a lot of people in harm's way. Many teenagers that were present for the fireworks show have been injured by a firework that was lit by another teenager. It is very common for teenagers with fireworks to set fire to nearby things, such as trees and buildings. This is why teenagers should always be supervised by an adult. Though they may seem fun and harmless, fireworks can actually cause a lot of damage if they are not dealt with correctly. It is common for teenagers to get into a lot of trouble for simply having fireworks, even if they are not caught setting them off. In addition to personal safety, the safety of surrounding things should always be considered. If teenagers damage buildings with fireworks, they will _ A. have themselves a little celebration B. hurt themselves and be in danger too C. be charged with the damage D. be punished by their parents Answer: C Question: Do you know that people without friends are more likely to die an early death? It's true.However,not all the friends are helpful to up your chances of living a long,happy life. The following types of friends are just what you need to keep the doctor away. A Loyal Best Friend Sometimes a loyal best friend is the only thing you need to stay calm. Everyone needs a non-judgmental friend who will support them no matter what.This is the kind of friend who knows all of your deepest and darkest secrets, but still loves you all the same. An Honest Confidant There are certain situations in life where we need to hear the harsh truth. It is really hard for you to face it, but that's what the honest confidant is for. Friends are supposed to be honest with each other. If you find someone who is bravely honest with you (in a constructive way), then hold on to this person! People like that are hard to come by these days. A Polar Opposite If you only develop friendships with others who follow the same beliefs, customs, and values as you do, chances are you're kept away from the rest of the world. Try to break out of your comfortable zone and befriend people who hold opposing views. You'll learn to accept people who don't see the world exactly the way you see it. A Work Pal Do you know that with a full--time job, you spend at least 50%of your waking hours at work? Depressing, isn't it? The more isolated you are at work, the more depressed you get. That's why it makes sense to get a work pal to chat with to help you get through the week. You spend 50%of your waking hours at work, and so does your work pal. You'll find it much easier to complain about work with someone than to eat lunch alone every day. With them in your life, you're bound to live a long and happy life! You need a Polar Opposite as a friend because he will _ . A. help open your eyes to a different world B. teach us to build a comfortable zone C. support you no matter what you do D. change you into an entirely different person Answer: A Question: Sunshine Sports Center One of the most modern sports centers in town, the Sunshine Sports Center is not just a sports club but much more! With a swimming pool for adults and teens, and a smaller one for children, our center has something for all the members of the family.Parents can relax while children play in the water.For anybody who is interested in competitive sports, football and basketball courts are the ideal places to work off stress. Whether you just want to keep in shape, lose some weight or build your strength, there's the super-modern equipment and three personal trainers to look after you and answer your questions.They can also give you general advice about healthy eating and dieting. Lessons It doesn't matter if you're five or eighty-five, there's something for you at the Sunshine Sports Center! We offer personal training in all sports if you want it, but there are also group lessons for all sports if you prefer teamwork. Kids and teenagers Take advantage of our special offer for younger members.For members between five and sixteen years old, there are special lessons in water polo, competitive swimming and diving.There are many classes for all levels of swimmers, with a lifeguard on duty from 9:00 am when the pool opens until it closes at 7:00 pm. Social events Sunshine Sports Center is not only for sport! You can enjoy a delicious meal at our restaurant or have a milkshake with your friends on the balcony overlooking the swimming pool and the courts.In addition, there are lovely gardens where families or friends can have a picnic! To celebrate a birthday, there is no better place than the Sunshine Sports Center. So, come on Sign up for Sunshine Sports Center today! People can ask personal trainers for advice when they _ . A. build strength B. sign up C. learn to swim D. play basketball Answer: A Question: There are many new ways of shopping , and online shopping is one of them. You can buy almost everything on the Internet, and it's very easy. First, you choose something--clothes, tickets, a mobile phone, even a new computer--and pay for it. Then you receive it a few days later by post. Online shopping has several advantages. First, you can shop at any time. The shops are always open. Second, shopping usually takes a lot of time. But to shop on the Internet you only need a computer and a mouse! You can also compare the prices of the same product and spend a lot... or save money. But many people like going out and shopping with friends. They don't like shopping on the Internet because they can't see the product or try the clothes on. Also paying over the Internet isn't always safe. Online shopping is changing our way of life. One day no one will go to the shops any more, because you'll be able to buy anything on the Internet, and you will be able to receive it anywhere in the world at any time! Which is not the advantage of online shopping? A. Save money. B. Easy and quick. C. Paying over the Internet isn't always safe. D. You can compare the prices of the same product. Answer: C
A new study links heavy air pollution from coal burning to shorter lives in northern China. Researchers estimate that the half-billion people alive there in the 1990s will live an average of 5 years less than their southern counterparts because they breathed dirtier air. China itself made the comparison possible: for decades, a now-discontinued government policy provided free coal for heating, but only in the colder north. Researchers found significant differences in both _ pollution of the air and life expectancy in the two regions. While previous studies have found that pollution affects human health, "the deeper and ultimately more important question is the impact on life expectancy," said one of the researchers, Michael Greenstone, a professor of environmental economics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "This study provides a unique setting to answer the life expectancy question because the(heating) policy dramatically changes pollution concentrations ,,,Greenstone said in an email. "Further, due to the low rates of migration in China in this period, we can know people's exposure over long time periods," he said. The policy gave free coal for fuel boilers to heat homes and offices to cities north of the Huai Rivwhich divides China into north and south. It was in effect for much of the 1950-198,0 period of central planning, and, though discontinued after 1980, it has left a legacy in the north of heavy coal burning, which releases particulate pollutants into the air that can harm human health. Researchers found no other government policies that treated China's north differently from the south. The researchers collected data for 90 cities, from 1981 to 2000, on the annual daily average concentration of total suspended particulates. In China, those are considered to be particulates that are 100 micrometers or less in diameter, sent out from sources including power stations, construction sites and vehicles. Among them, PM2.5 is of especially great health concern because it can go deep into the lungs. The researchers estimated the impact on life expectancies using death data from 1991-2000. They found that in the north, the concentration of particulates was 184 micrograms per cubic meteror 55 percent higher than in the south, and life expectancies were 5.5 years lower on average across all age ranges. The main idea of this passage is that _ * research in China finds air pollution shortened life expectancy Building a foundation for your child of family values may not be as easy as you think. Often we believe that our child will pick up on our values if they live in the same home. While they may pick up many of our values, parents need to remember they are not the only influence in their child's life. These outside values often compete with family values for your child's attention. If we do not make a conscious effort to _ our children, they may not get instilled at all. I wish I had learned that lesson a little earlier. I thought if I lived my values for my children they would pick them up and make their own. Sometimes this happened and sometimes it didn't. I often see twenty-something "kids" who have no faith in many of the values of their family in favor of the values of their friends. Children will often pick up the negative you show quicker than the positive, so the positive things need extra focus to set them. Some of the influences your children face every day include their church, their school, their friends, any clubs or sporting groups they are part of and more. Kids spend many hours a day at school and with their friends. Sometimes in the business of life, we suppose our children will obtain that foundation we want for them. Instilling a foundation of family values to sustain your child requires more than living it in front of them. That is important, but building up your child with this important foundation must become intentional. That means we plan times to gather as a family. We plan activities together that show the values we want to pass on. We talk about our values; we live our values; we discuss the values of others and how they differ from ours; we constantly look for opportunities and make our own opportunities to share these values in word or deed with our children. Family values give our children a foundation to build upon. It helps them know they are loved and gives them a sense of belongings. Upon this sure foundation, they can spread their wings and grow to become parents who share these same values with their own children. Family values can be passed on if _ . parents foster them intentionally It's 8:30, time for John to start work. So he turns on his radio. Then he eats breakfast. As he eats, he reads his e-mail and reviews his to-do list. Then he sits on the sofa and thinks about an article he needs to write ... Wait a minute! Radio? Breakfast? Sofa? What kind of workplace is this? Well, actually it is John's house, and he is a telecommuter -- he works at home, communicating with the workplace through the Internet. Like John, millions of people -- and their employers -- are finding that telecommuting is a great way to work. Telecommuters can follow their own timetables. They work in the comfort of homes, where they can also look after young children or elderly parents. They save time and money by not traveling to work. Their employers save, too, because they need less office space and furniture. Studies show that telecommuters change jobs less often. This saves employers even more money. Telecommuting helps society, too, by reducing pollution and traffic problems. Jobs that are _ telecommuting include writing, design work, computer programming and accounting. If a job is related to working with information, a telecommuter can probably do it. From the passage we can learn that John does his job _ . through the Internet Decomposers are important for dolphins Can you write down a Chinese word being read to you? Sometimes it can be difficult when you find the word is not included in most dictionaries. Lu Jialei, 14, from Hangzhou Foreign Language School, won the CCTV Chinese Character Spelling Contest on Oct 18th, 2013. About 160 people competed. The host read a word to the contestant, explained its meaning and gave sample sentences. The contestant was required to write down the word. Winning the contest was a "surprise" to Lu. "I was not the smartest one," she said. "But I paid attention to details." To prepare for the contest, she and her teammates studied the Modern Chinese Dictionary for 10 days. There are more than 56,000 entries including characters, words and phrases in it. She also had a secret weapon. She studied how Chinese characters were formed. "When others paid attention to the plot of a story, she looked at how authors use words and sentences to express themselves," said Su Yunsheng, Lu's Chinese teacher. Su is happy to see students like Lu find the beauty of Chinese language. "Besides using something Chinese and having Chinese traditional festivals, learning to write Chinese characters is also an important part of inheriting Chinese culture," said Su. The contestant was required to write down the word _ . after the host explained its meaning and gave sample sentences
The number of big-production movies shot in San Francisco has _ with the rise of digital technology. Instead of going on location, producers can recreate the city's look in studios with the help of computers at lower cost. But San Francisco still attracts moviemakers, as its long history of film offers plenty of iconic spots to visit. Here are just a few: Alcatraz: The Enforcer (1976), Escape From Alcatraz(1979), Murder in the First (1995), The Rock (1996) A federal prison from 1934 to 1963, Alcatraz housed notorious criminals. Now a national park, Alcatraz offers visitors a chance to tour the prison, including a look at one of the cells portrayed in Clint Eastwood's Escape from Alcatraz, with the concrete chipped away behind the vent . Fort Point, Golden Gate Bridge: High Anxiety (1977), Foul Play (1978), The Presidio(1988), Dopamine(2003) Built to protect the San Francisco Bay area from attacks during the Civil War, Fort Point is where James Stewart saved Kim Novak in Vertigo, right at the base. The bridge has also been blown up countless times on films, including inX-Men:The last Stand (2006) andMonsters vs. Aliens(2009). The best view is from the north side, looking back to the city. Coit Tower: The Enforcer, Inner Space(1987), The Presidio, Sister Act 2(1993), The Rock, Dr. Dolittle (1998), Boys and Girls(2003) The narrow white concrete column at the top of Telegraph Hill has been a part of San Francisco's skyline since 1933, and offers amazing views of the bay and the city. Coit Tower has been in the backdrop of numerous movies filmed in San Francisco. City Hall: A view to a Kill(1985),Class Action(1991),Final Analysis(1992),Bedazzled(2000),The Wedding Planner(2001), Milk(2008) City Hall has one of the largest domes in the world and it replaced a structure destroyed in the 1906 earthquake. It was used at the end of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and Metro City Hall in the 2010 animated movie,Megamind, was an homage to San Francisco's City Hall. This passage is most likely to be found in the _ section of a newspaper. Answer: Steven Spielberg's new movie Lincolnpaints a vivid and breath-taking picture of the 16th U.S. president and his determination to end slavery. Spielberg based his film on parts ofTeam of Rivals, a book by Doris Kearns Goodwin. He makes Abraham Lincoln relevant today by presenting a cunning political mind trying to overcome Washington's all too familiar political divisions. In previous movies, Lincoln was shown as a simple yet almost perfect man. But Spielberg's Lincolnis different. "I was determined to make a movie about a working president dealing with real problems. Not some angel," Spielberg said. We watch the president first ending slavery and then the war. The film's adviser, historian Eric Martin, explains how Lincoln's thinking evolved. "His main objective when the war began was not the freeing of the slaves but to keep the country united. Lincoln realizes that in order to keep the country together, the question of slavery will have to be addressed," Martin said. The film focuses on the last four months of his presidency. In the movie, the arguments among political enemies seem very similar to the problems we see in Washington today. The disagreements were bitter. The film turns to Lincoln's relationships with his wife and kids, his beliefs and constant self-examination. Daniel Day-Lewis, the actor who plays Lincoln, offers an Oscar-worthy performance as the 16th President. Not only is his physical similarity to the president incredible, he is able to capture many of Lincoln's mannerisms and his high-pitched, almost lady-like voice. "I found it very easy to play the role of Lincoln because the real man himself was so open. When I was researching his history to prepare for the part, one of the most surprising things I found was just how accessible he was. Even in war-time, when he was in great danger, he was always willing to meet with others and share his ideas," Day-Lewis said. Spielberg's Lincolnwill head to the Oscars. But more important it will make history. According to Martin, Abraham Lincoln _ . Answer: Night after night, she came to tuck me in , even long after my childhood years. Following her longstanding custom, she'd lean down and push my long hair out of the way, then kiss my forehead. I don't remember when it first started annoying me -- her hands pushing my hair that way. But it did annoy me, for they felt work-worn and rough against my young skin. Finally, one night, I shouted at her: "Don't do that anymore -- your hands are too rough!" She didn't say anything in reply. But never again did my mother close out my day with that familiar expression of her love. Lying awake long afterward, my words rang in my mind. But pride overwhelmed my conscience, and I didn't tell her I was sorry. Time after time, with the passing years, my thoughts returned to that night. I missed my mother's hands, missed her goodnight kiss upon my forehead. Sometimes the incident seemed very close, sometimes far away. But always it appeared in the back of my mind. Well, the years have passed, and I'm not a little girl any more. Mom is in her mid-seventies, and those hands I once thought to be so rough are still doing things for me and my family. She's been our doctor, reaching for medicine to calm a young girl's stomach or ease the pain of a boy's injured knee. She cooks the best fried chicken in the world...gets stains out of blue jeans like I never could...and still insists on dishing out ice cream at any hour of the day or night. Through the years, my mother's hands have put in countless hours of toil, and most of hers were before automatic washers! Now, my own children are grown and gone. Mom no longer has Dad, and on special occasions, I find myself drawn next door to spend the night with her. So it was that late on Thanksgiving Eve, as I drifted into sleep in the bedroom of my youth, a familiar hand hesitantly stole across my face to brush the hair from my forehead. Then a kiss, ever so gently, touched my brow. In my memory, for the thousandth time, I recalled the night my surly young voice complained: "Don't do that any more --your hands are too rough!" Catching Mom's hand in hand, I blurted out how sorry I was for that night. I thought she'd remember, as I did. But Mom didn't know what I was talking about. She had forgotten --and forgiven --long ago. That night, I fell asleep with a new appreciation for my gentle mother and her caring hands. And the guilt I had carried around for so long was nowhere to be found. Which of the following best describes the author's mother? Answer: The area of child psychology is one of the most significant and well studied of all the branches of psychology. It aims to help with achieving a greater understanding of the behavior of children through an understanding of their minds. It deals with children who range from the prenatal stage right up to the stage of adolescence. The psychologist Jean Piaget (1896-1980) has been credited with making a major breakthrough in this area when he put forward his idea that children were not actually less intelligent than adults, rather they just thought in a different way. Preciously the development of children right from birth through to adulthood was an area that was almost completely _ . In fact very little work was done in this area. However, interest in this field has now developed to the point of being one of the most debated of all the areas of psychology. Despite popular belief that factors such as genetics or personal characteristics are the only determining factors that influence a youth's behavior, this is not in fact the case. In reality, development actually includes many more factors than those contained within an individual. Factors such as environment, which can include social relationships and the surrounding culture, also play important roles. Relationships with both peers and adults will no doubt affect how children think and learn, and therefore develop. These relationships can include those that are found not only within families but also in schools and peer groups. Culturally speaking, this factor will contribute greatly to how children develop their personality concerning the values they end up holding (perhaps for a lifetime) as well as how they view such things as traditions and customs. Nowadays, psychologists have agreed that a child's psychology is both unique and highly complex. However, there are debates on many different points in this field and many viewpoints exist. The author's purpose in writing the passage is to _ . Answer: Although Zhang Bichen, a 25-year-old songstress with a powerful yet delicate voice, took the crown of this year's The Voice of China, runner-up Parhat Halik, 32, seems to have impressed more of the audience with his husky , natural and, most of all, distinguished sound. Despite his unmistakable voice, Parhat Halik's music is also special. Generally, it's rock -- but influenced and mixed by different styles within the genre. Read on and find out where Halik's music gets its inspiration. Blues rock Representative artists: Guns N' Roses, The Rolling Stones, John Maye Blues rock combines improvisation with rock 'n' roll style. It began to develop in the mid-1960s in Britain and the US, when rock bands such as the Rolling Stones experimented with music from older African-American blues musicians. It borrows the idea of instrumental combo from blues but is played at a faster tempo and louder volume, distinguishing it from the blues. The sound is created with the electric guitar, piano, bass and drums. As the root for several contemporary rock styles, such as heavy metal and hard rock, blues rock had a rebirth in the early 2000s, with artists including John Mayer and The Black Keys. Folk rock Representative artists: Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel, The Byrds As the name indicates, folk rock is a genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. Also developed in the mid-1960s, folk rock was pioneered by the US band The Byrds, who began playing traditional folk music and Bob Dylan-penned material with rock instruments, in a style heavily influenced by The Beatles and other British bands. The genre was most popular among teenagers and college students at the time, because it includes both rock 'n' roll's free spirit and the more serious, culturally authentic and socially aware sounds of folk music. Soft rock Representative artists: Bryan Adams, Eagles, Elton John, James Blunt Compared to hard rock's loud and aggressive nature, soft rock, or light rock, uses the techniques of rock music to compose a softer and less threatening sound. Derived from folk rock, it uses acoustic instruments and puts more emphasis on melody and harmony. Although the genre gets quite a bad name among hardcore rock fans, who see it as "wimpy" , it doesn't mean soft rock is without merit . Soft rock songs often deal with themes like romantic relationships and everyday life in a thoughtful and complex way hard rock simply couldn't. What is hardcore rock fans' attitude towards soft rock? Answer:
When you meet someone for the first time, do you put across a good impression? And what do we mean by "good" in the context? According to Presence, a new book by Harvard Business School professor Amy Cuddy, people assess you on two main criteria when they first meet you: 1. Can I trust this person? 2. Can I respect this person? Your level of trustworthiness, or warmth, is the most important factor in how people initially admire you, Cuddy says-yet many mistakenly believe that the second factor,characterised as competence, is more important."From an evolutionary aspect,"Cuddy writes,"it is more important to our survival to know whether a person deserves our trust." While displaying competence is certainly beneficial, particularly in a work setting, Cuddy warns that focusing on winning people's respect, while failing to win their trust, can backfire-a common problem for young professionals attempting to make a good impression early on in their careers. "If someone you're trying to influence doesn't trust you, you're not going to get very far", Cuddy says, "A warm, trustworthy person who is also strong elicits admiration, but only after you've established trust does your strength become a gift rather than a threat." In Cuddy's book she also explains some of the science that can help you spot a liar. When a person is lying there is likely to be differences between what they are saying and what they are doing, she suggests. "Lying is hard work," she writes, "We're telling one story while suppressing another, and most of us are experiencing psychological guilt about doing this, which we're also trying suppress. We just don't have the brainpower to manage it all without letting something go-without'leaking'." "It's about how well or poorly our multiple channels of communications-facial expressions, posture, movement, vocal qualities, speech-co-operate,"she adds. "When we're consciously looking for signs of cheat or truth, we pay too much attention to words and not enough to the external body language," the professor adds. "Truth reveals itself more clearly through actions than it does through our words. Which of the following is NOT true of Professor Cuddy's concepts? Answer: We take it for granted that with memory we can remember most of things which happened in our life. But it is difficult to imagine what life would be like without memory. The meanings of thousands of everyday perceptions , the basis for the decisions we make, and the roots of our habits and skills are to be found in our past experiences, which are brought into the present by memory. Memory can be defined as the ability to keep information available for later use. It not only includes "remembering" things like arithmetic or historical facts, but also involves any change in the way an animal typically behaves. Memory is involved when a rat gives up eating grain because he has sniffed something suspicious in the grain pile. Memory exists not only in humans and animals but also in some physical objects and machines. Computers, for example, contain devices for storing data for later use. It is interesting to compare the memory storage capacity of a computer with that of a human being. The instant access memory of a large computer may hold up to 100,000 "words"--strings of alphabetic or numerical characters--ready for instant use. An average U.S. teenager probably recognizes the meaning of about 1000,000 words of English. However, this is but a part of the total amount of information that the teenager has stored. Consider, for example, the number of faces and places that the teenager can recognize on sight. The use of words is the basis of the advanced problem solving intelligence of human beings. A large part of a person's memory is in terms of words and combinations of words. But while language greatly expands the number and the kind of things a person can remember, it also requires a huge memory capacity. It may well be this capacity that distinguishes humans, setting them apart from other animals. Which of the following is true about memory? Answer: Most shoplifters agree that the January sales offer wonderful opportunities for the hard-working thief. With the shops so crowded and the staff so busy, it does not require any extraordinary talent to help you to take one or two little things and escape unnoticed. It is known, in the business, as "hoisting". But the hoisting game is not what it used to be. Even at the height of the sales, shoplifters today never know if they are being watched by one of those evil little balls that hang from the ceilings of so many department stores above the most desirable goods. As if that was not trouble enough for them, they can now be filmed at work and obliged to attend a showing of their performance in court. Selfridges was the first big London store to install closed-circuit videotape equipment to watch its sales floors. In October last year the store won its first court case for shoplifting using an evidence a videotape clearly showing a couple stealing dresses. It was an important test case which encouraged other stores to install similar equipment. When the balls, called sputniks, first make an appearance in shops, it was widely believed that their only function was to frighten shoplifters. Their somewhat ridiculous appearances, the curious holes and red lights going on and off, certainly make the theory believable. It did not take long, however, for serious shoplifters to start showing suitable respect. Soon after the equipment was in operation at Selfridges, store detective Brian Chadwick was sitting in the control room watching a woman secretly putting bottles of perfume into her bag. "As she turned to go," Chadwick recalled, "she suddenly looked up at the 'sputnik' and stopped. She could not possibly have seen that the camera was trained on her because it is completely hidden, but she must have had a feeling that I was looking at her." "For a moment she paused, but then she returned to counter and started putting everything back. When she had finished, she opened her bag towards the camera to show it was empty and hurried out of the store. " The case last October was important because _ . Answer: Did you know that there are actually people who have paid for a flight to the moon? In the future, there will be a lot more opportunities to travel to faraway places than now... perhaps even as far as the moon. As people adventure further and further away and as planes, trains, cars, and rocket ships become faster, is it safer to have these vehicles controlled by humans or by computers? While many flights by plane are controlled automatically by machines, most people today wouldn't let their car drive itself. That's because currently the autopilot function on your car can only keep it on the same course you are travelling on. It won't turn the car right or left. It won't stop if an animal jumps in the way. However, cars today can sense when something is too close and warn the driver with flashing lights and alarms. Many cars also have GPS(global positioning systems) that tell drivers which road to take and when to turn. These systems, unlike human drivers, never get lost. In the future, it is easy to believe that your car will be better able to drive itself with the aid of computers that can determine the position of your car and the speed it should travel at. In addition to computers being 'smarter' than people regarding the best way to go or knowing how close another vehicle is, computers don't get sick, tired, or angry. This means they won't make the same mistakes that people make when they are not having a good day. While responding with emotion is a good thing when choosing the best way to deal with a friend's personal problem, it may not be such a good thing when deciding what to do at the wheel of a fast-moving vehicle. So what are the disadvantages of autopilot systems? Maybe one disadvantage is that a small computer problem could cause a serious accident. It could also be argued that in unexpected situations, computers might not be able to respond appropriately; some decisions require human emotions. Another problem might be that if everything were controlled by computers or robots, people wouldn't have any jobs. What's the author's attitude towards the autopilot? Answer: Does being rich make you happy? Many studies on happiness give negative answers. Here are some points in being happy. Basic Human Needs Must Be Met People whose basic needs for shelter, clothing and food are not met will find it very difficult to feel happy. Of course, there are exceptions, but for most of us, we can only be happy once our basic needs are met. The Joneses Cannot Be Escaped People's happiness is not determined by how much they have, but by how much people around them have. So, we tend to feel happy once our basic needs are met and we have more than the people surrounding us. This means that while keeping up with _ could be destructive if we let it go too far. It is also part of humana nature to want to feel at least on the same level, financially, as those surrounding us. You Should Escape The Rat Race We should know the importance of staying out of the rat race. So yes, you need to work hard, get the education you need to land a good job and work long enough and hard enough to get to a place where you can easily meet your basic needs. What are basic needs? For most middle or upper middle class Americans, basic needs are not very basic anymore. For most of us, once our basic needs have been met, happiness is achieved when we engage in activities we like, spend time with friends and family and stay active. Making money for the sake of making money does not make people happy. Ideally, these questions should be answered when you're still young and just starting out. Don't wait until your midlife crisis to realize that half your life has passed you by and you're still unhappy. In the view of the author, we know that _ . Answer:
You can see Pizza Hut every some blocks, so it must be a very big business. Indeed it is. But believe it or not, the business was started in 1958 by two college students with a _ of 600 dollars. The Carney brothers were trying to make some money .so that they could pay their way through college. They borrowed the money from their mother and sold pizza in a small house in their neighborhood. That's how they got the name of the business. On the first day of business, they gave away pizza to draw customers . Year after year, their business grows and now they often give free meals and work chances to those in need. Pizza Hut has been set up for about _ years. Answer: 56 What is a job of white blood cells? Answer: fight disease If a wooded area is cleared and corn is planted, what will MOST likely happen? Answer: Animal habitats will be destroyed. I live in a very over populated beach area in the Los Angeles, and I love the beautiful scenery! But because of many people, lots of things are easy to be out of order, and sometimes it's also easy to _ . Today was a day I wish I did not get out of bed. I mean that if I did not have to wake up and deal with all the things that I deal with on a daily basis, it would have been wonderful. I had a cup of coffee this morning and that was my meal for breakfast, not healthy I know. Anyway, my stomach was sounding like a truck. So, I jumped in my car and decided to buy some food. I was in line at Taco Bell and the line was like a long snake! Finally I got to place my order, but a young girl in nice clothes pulled in and was stuck in such a way that unless I moved for her, she wouldn't be able to get out. So I backed up and waved her into my place in the front of the line. To my surprise, this young girl did not say thanks. I was cool with it because I thought that I had done something nice for a change. After the girl received her food and pulled away, I pulled into the ordering spot, not mad, but hungry, and the employee said, "Hi, that girl just paid for your food." That food was the most satisfying nourishment my body had ever taken! If just by chance you are that person who bought my food, I should say "Thank you!" The best title for the passage might be _ . Answer: Kindness is spreading Cats are the most popular pets among Americans. So it is not surprising there are many expressions about cats. Do you know any of them? Now let me introduce some to you. Some cats like to catch small birds, like canaries. If someone looks very proud or satisfied with himself, we say he looks like the cat that ate the canary. Sometimes, a cat likes to play with a small animal it catches. So if you play cat and mouse with someone, you change between different kinds of behavior when dealing with another person. For example, a child might offer something sweet to her little brother, and then take it away when reaches for it. A cat will often catch a small animal and present it to its owner. The saying that looks like something the cat dragged in describes something in bad condition. A fat cat is a person with a lot of money. There are many other expressions about cats in America. How interesting! Which kind of cat are you, or which kind would you like to be? The canary is a kind of _ . Answer: bird
Want to be a volunteer for Beijing Olympics in 2008? Recently, the recruiting started. The recruiting of Beijing Olympics Volunteer starts from Aug 28, 2006 to end of March 2008. Stage 1: Beijing Volunteers From August 28, 2006, the program opens to applicants in Beijing (and Beijing only). Stage 2: China Volunteers From Dec, 2006, people from outside Beijing can submit their application. Stage 3: Overseas Volunteers By March 2007, people from outside China (including in other countries) can apply for volunteering in Olympics 2008. The Program Travel, hotel are not provided. Only working meal is available for volunteers (makes sense, isn't it?) If you have any questions, just call Olympics Volunteer hotline: +86-10-12308 According to news, 100k college students have applied for the position after three days of recruiting. 50,000 to 100,000 volunteers are needed for the game. If you want to participate, just call the number and ask more questions about the program. However, my guess is, to be admitted to the program is not easy. Who has the most time to apply for volunteering in Olympics 2008 ? James Proud, a British businessman who settled in San Francisco launched a Twitter campaign called "Stop DST". Daylight Saving Time (DST) refers to the time during the summer when clocks are one hour ahead of standard time. "Daylight saving was created to save energy, and it doesn't really do that." Proud said, "but what's even worse are its negative health effects. It's both outdated and harmful." daylight saving has been linked to a surprising number of health issues such as heart attacks, but Proud has a particular interest in the topic because of its disruptive effects on sleep. Last year, German researchers suggested that our body cocks never really adjust t daylight saving, which causes a host of health problems. Till Roenneberg of Ludwig-Maximillians University said that because of DST, "the majority of the population has severely decreased productivity, decreased quality of life, increasing chance of getting illness, and is just plain tired." The week after daylight saving also witnesses a sudden increase in fatal traffic accidents, according to the University of Colorado. It is believed that this is caused both by disrupted sleep schedules and the shift of daylight hours from the morning to the evening. "Daylight saving is an economic tradition. And all economic choices involve achieving a balance. " said behavioral economist David Gerard. "Even if we decide to abolish daylight saving, there would be a large number of unhappy people." Some such people are shift works, students and parents of schoolchildren, all of whom get to enjoy an extra hour of daylight after work or class with DST. Plus, restaurants love the extra evening sales DST allows. Daylight saving has also been linked to lower crime rates, due to the "deterrent effect" of longer daylight. Basically, more light increase a criminal's chances of being seen by witnesses or police, which discourages criminal activity. Gerard also point out that an extra hour of daylight has vastly more influence in the American South, where the sun sets earlier, even in the summer, than in the north. That's why residents of southern states may values DST more. What was Gerard's attitude towards DST? Benny and his Dad wanted to make a pizza. On Sunday afternoon, they went to the supermarket to buy the ingredients. At the supermarket, they picked up some pizza dough, sauce, cheese, and pepperoni slices. The next day, Benny and his Dad started making the pizza. First, Benny rolled out the dough. Then, his Dad poured the sauce over the dough. Afterwards, Benny put the cheese on the pizza Last, Benny's dad put pepperoni slices on top. "Now, we must put it in the oven", Benny's Dad said. They slid the pizza into the oven and waited for it to finish cooking. After some time, Benny's Dad removed the pizza from the oven. The cheese was bubbly. "It looks great!" Benny shouted. After the cheese stopped bubbling, Benny's Dad cut the pizza into eight slices. Benny got four slices and Benny's Dad got four slices. They were both happy with how the pizza came out. They both enjoyed eating the pizza very much. What did Benny and his Dad need to buy ingredients to make? Iggy Azalea doesn't look like a rapper . On May 17, she attended the 2015 Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas, US, with pink hair and a blue coat. She looked like a model, but won big as a rapper. The 24-year-old Australian beat out big names like Nicki Minaj and Drake to win the award for Top Rap Artist. It's a great achievement in many people's eyes, but Azalea knew what she wanted from the beginning. At 15 she dropped out of high school because she was only interested in art class. She worked as a house cleaner to save money for her dream the following year. Before her 16th birthday, Azalea left her home, a tiny town in Australia, for the US, making up her mind to become a rapper. Moving from Miami to Houston to Atlanta, she started rapping in the Southern-style accent of her surroundings and her single "Ignorant Art" came out in 2011. From then on, she has never looked back. However, her style has caused lots of discussions. She might be one of the most polarizing artists. She raps with a southern American accent, even though she speaks with an Australian one. Many people comment that she overuses black culture in her music. Her supporters are against it. Female American rapper MC Lyte defended Azalea in an interview, saying she should not be judged because of where she's from. "Hip hop is universal, no color1 lines." MC Lyte said. Azalea herself is proud of her music. "I really want to be focused on what I'm doing," she said in an interview."That's really dangerous when you're trying to figure out ways to entertain people and make them happy. I don't want to be a part of that." Which of the following can best describe Iggy Azalea? A small boy sat on the street with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said: " I am blind, please help". There were only a few coins in the hat. A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words. Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were. The boy recognized his footsteps and asked :"Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?" The man said: "I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way." What he had written was: "Today is a beautiful day but I cannot see it." Do you think the first sign and the second sign were saying the same thing? Of course both signs told people the boy was blind. But the first sign simply told people to help by putting some money in the hat. The second sign told people that they were able to enjoy the day, but the boy could not enjoy it because he was blind. The first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign told people they were so lucky that they were not blind. There are at least two lessons we can learn from this simple story. The first is: Be thankful for what you have. Someone else has less. Help where you can. The second is:Be creative. Think differently. There is always a better way! How did the man help the blind boy?
Larry the dinosaur was going to go to a dinosaur birthday party that night, and he was very excited, because the party was for him! He was turning 7 years old, which in dinosaur years, that means he was going to be an adult! There were so many different things he was going to do! He knew that there was going to be a moon bounce, and that he was going to get a lot of presents from all of his dinosaur friends, but the thing that he was most excited about, was the cake! Larry's favorite food was cake, and he hoped that they got the right flavor. Larry's favorite flavor was banana. Larry went to school that day and everyone told him happy birthday! When he came home from school, all the lights were out. "Hello?" Larry said, as he came into the house. All of the sudden, the lights went on, and there was everyone! "Happy birthday Larry!" all of his friends shouted. Confetti went everywhere. "Where is the cake?" he asked. "Here it is!" said his mom, and brought out the cake. "It's a chocolate cake, like you wanted!" Larry froze. "I said that I wanted a banana cake." said Larry. He was very sad. "Now the party is going to be no fun." "Oh Larry." said his mom. "Your friends are here, and we worked very hard to set up this party for you! Please at least go spend some time with your friends." Larry was sad, but he tried to have fun. And the more he tried to have fun, the more he liked the party. The moon bounce was fun, and the gifts were very nice. He found out that you can still have fun even when things don't go as planned. What is Larry's favorite food? Answer: Banana cake. As any housewives who has tried to keep order at the dinner table knows, there is far more to a family meal than food. Sociologist Michael Lewis has been studying 50 families to find out just how much more. Lewis carried out his study by videotaping the families while they ate ordinary meals in their own homes. They found that parents with small families talk actively with each other and their children. But as the number of children gets larger, conversation gives way to the parents' efforts to control the loud noise they make. That can have an important effect on the children. "In general the more question-asking the parents do, the higher the children's IQ scores," Lewis says. "And the more children there are, the less question-asking there is." The study also provides an explanation for why middle children often seem to have a harder time in life than their siblings. Lewis found that in families with three or four children, dinner conversation is likely to center on the oldest child, who has the most to talk about, and the youngest, who needs the most attention. " _ ," says Lewis. "When you see someone get up from the table and walk around during dinner, chances are it's the middle child." There is, however, one thing that stops all conversation and prevents anyone from having attention: "When the TV is on," Lewis says, "dinner is nothing." Which of the following statements would the writer agree to? Answer: Parents should talk to each of their children frequently. "Mind your own business." we're told."Don't talk about others behind their backs."The problem with this advice is that,not only is it unrealistic,it's also counterproductive . Common sense holds that gossip hurts people's feelings and damages relationships.But recent research shows the opposite--that strong communities and relationships between people would be impossible without gossip. Gossip is a way for people to let you know the limits of social behavior."If you move into a community and your neighbor tells you how the former homeowner never dealt with his rubbish properly,his gossip is letting you in on something,"says Dr.Ralph Rosnow of Temple University."Gossip says:these are the boundaries and you are crossing them.You're not _ the rules and you'd better get back in line." Seen this way,gossip is a way to communicate criticism without conflict ,giving you a chance to change your behavior without losing face. On the other hand,what about ill-willed gossip,the kind that puts other people down? Gossip is hearing something we like about someone we don't and,in nearly every country in the world,gossip magazines have huge numbers of readers.According to researchers,however,this kind of gossip also has a good side because it helps us put our own problems in perspective ."If we read bad news about well-known people,or get the frightful details of our neighbors' bad situation over a cup of coffee,our own problems begin to pale in comparison ,"says Dr.Jack Levin of Northeastern University. However,that doesn't mean that gossip is necessarily a good thing,either.Researchers found that people who gossip a lot tend to feel like they're under a lot of stress.This might be because while they're busy talking about other people,they're also busy thinking what other people are saying about them. According to the passage,people in general think that _ . Answer: it's a bad habit to gossip Which converts sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to grow? Answer: a thing that flowers As the light died out of the sky, and I watched the colour of the snow on the mountain tops change, I felt I was waking from my unhappy dream, and I began to understand how much I loved Agnes. She had been the one who had always guided and supported me, and now I realized I needed her love for the rest of my life. Had falling in love with Dora been a mistake? We had both been very young, it is true. I had always called Agnes sister, and now perhaps I no longer had the right to ask whether her love for me was more than sisterly. However, I decided to return, and travelled home to England, after three years of absence. I was delighted to find that Traddles had married his Sophy, and was doing well as a lawyer. My aunt had moved back to her old Dover house, and was living happily there with Mr.Dick and Peggotty. When I visited my aunt, I took the opportunity of asking her about Agnes. "Has she--has she any young man she'd like to marry?" I asked as lightly as possible. My aunt looked carefully at me as she replied, "I suspect she has, David. She's never mentioned it to me, but I think--I feel sure she's going to marry soon." I was firm with myself and did not show my feelings. I borrowed a horse and rode to Canterbury to ask Agnes myself. When I saw that beautiful, gentle face again, I knew I had come home. I knew how dear she was to me, and would always be. "Agnes," I said, "I am so grateful to you, for making me what I am, for helping me to be good! But I think you have a secret. Let me share it, Agnes, as your brother! Tell me whom you love!" Agnes turned away from me and burst into tears. Somehow these tears did not sadden me, but gave me hope. "My dear Agnes! Don't cry!" "David, leave me! I can't talk about it now!" she sobbed. "Agnes, you're dearer to me than anything in the world. Don't think I'll be jealous of any man you choose to marry. I only want you to be happy!" She had stopped crying now and was calmer. "If I have a secret, David, it is--not a new one. It has been my secret--for a long time!" I was wild with hope. "Not a new one!" Did she mean ...? "Dearest Agnes! Dare I hope to call you more than a sister!" She was in my arms and sobbing again, but this time with happiness. "I went away, Agnes, loving you! I returned home, loving you!" We held each other for some time, sure now of each other's love. "There is something I must tell you, David," she said gently, looking calmly into my face. "I have loved you all my life!" She added, "And something else--before our sweet Dora died, she asked me--can you guess--to fill the empty place in your heart." And Agnes laid her head on my shoulder, and cried. And I cried with her, although we were both so happy. Which of the following is true according to the passage? Answer: Agnes loved David dearly, but David was not sure of that at first.
An example of a house hold item that could be an insulator could be A Diamonds B Silver C Gold D Tupperware Answer: D. Tupperware In meditation ,people sit quietly and focus their attention on their breath .As they breathe in and out ,they attend to their feelings .As thoughts go through their minds. They let _ go. Breathe .Let go .Breathe .Let go . According to a recent study at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre,Massachusetts. Three months of training in this kind of meditation causes a market change in how the brain allocates attention. It appears that the ability to let go thoughts that come into mind frees the brain to attend to more rapidly changing things and events in the outside world. Expert mediators are better than other people at catching such fast-changing stimuli( ),like facial expressions. The study provides evidence for changes in the workings of the brain with mental training. People can learn and improve abilities of all sorts with practice, everything from driving to playing the piano. The study has shown that meditation is good for the brain. It appears to reduce pressure and promote a sense of well-being. In an experiment, 17 volunteers with no meditation experience in the experimental group spent three months meditating 10 to 12 hours a day .A control group also with no meditation experience meditated for 20 minutes a day over the same period .Both groups were then given the tests with two numbers in a group of letters. As both group looked for the numbers , their brain activity was recorded. Everyone could catch the first number .But the brain recordings showed that the less experienced mediators tended to grasp the first number and hang onto it, so they missed the second number .Those with more experience gave less attention to the first number .as if letting it go ,which led to an increased ability to grasp the second number ,This shows that attention can change with practice. Just ask Daniel Levision , who meditated for three months as part of the study ."I am a much better listener," he said . " I do not get lost in my own personal reaction to what people are saying." In the experiment ,volunteers doing meditation for longer hours _ . A were more likely to catch both of the members B were used to memorizing numbers in groups C usually ignored the first number observed D paid more attention to numbers than to letters Answer: D. paid more attention to numbers than to letters My son Joey was born with club feet.The doctors told us that he would be able to walk,but would never run very well.By the time he was eight,you wouldn't know he had a problem when you saw him walk. The children in our neighborhood ran around playing,and Joey would join them, run and play,too.We never told him that he probably wouldn't be able to run as well as the other children.So he didn't know. In seventh grade he decided to go out for the cross-country team.Every day he worked harder and ran more than any of the others.Although the entire team runs,only the top seven runners score for the school.We didn't tell him he probably would never be on the team,so he didn't know. He continued to run four to five miles a day,every day - even the day he had a high fever.I was worried,so I went to see him after school.I found him running all alone.I asked him how he felt."Okay," he said.He had two more miles to go.Yet he looked straight ahead and kept running.We never told him he couldn't run miles with a high fever.So he didn't know. Two weeks later,the names of the team runners were called.Joey was Number Six on the list.Joey was on the team! He was in seventh grade.We never told him he couldn't do it! The writer wants to tell us _ . A children shouldn't do what they can't do B children with club feet can't take part in sports C parents should tell their children what they can do D parents should know how to help their children in the right way. Answer: D. parents should know how to help their children in the right way. While many teenagers may dream of meeting with pop star Jay Chou or NBA hero Yao Ming, Li Jing had a far more powerful person on her mind. The Senior 2 from Beijing No. 35 High School dreamt of meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin. After more than a year of hard work and with a little good luck, Li fulfilled her dream. On October 11, 2004, the 16-year-old girl joined a team of Chinese Journalists who went to the Kremlin , Moscow, to interview Putin. Li felt nervous before talking with Putin."But his greeting and warm smile put me at ease," she said. Li admires Putin very much, because of his strong will and style of leadership. "He looks very cool," Li said. During her interview, Li asked Putin whether he plans to educate his two teenage daughters to be officials in the future. Putin smiled and answered he hopes they can do whatever job suits their interests and personalities. Although Li would only have several minutes, she started working on her interview questions last August after applying for the opportunity. "Journalists" work is by no means easy. You need to do lots of homework on your _ ,"she said. She read many books about Putin and Russia in her spare time. Li's parents encouraged her to be a student journalist. "We fully support her, as long as it does not affect studies,"said her father. Previous in her job for a student magazine, Chinese Young Journalists, she wrote a letter to President Hu Jintao during the SARS epidemic . Li has learnt a lot from her experience. She said learning to manage her time and develop the confidence to speak with important people were not things she could learn in class. It can be inferred from the passage that _ A Everybody can be a journalist easily. B Putin will force his daughters to what he plans for them. C President Hu Jintao answered Lijing's letter. D Journalists must get permission to ask questions. Answer: D. Journalists must get permission to ask questions. Figuring out how to lose weight is a challenge for many of us, particularly considering that the quickest path to weight loss is different for everyone. Of course the common methods are always proper diet and exercise, which not only work in weight loss but also keep a body healthy. Of course you've heard this before -- the challenge is to follow through. Others have lost weight by following these simple guidelines, and so can you. Set small, practical goals. If you have a lot of weight to lose, try for 5 pounds, relax a bit and then go for 5 more. Start a regular exercise program and _ . Don't be afraid of those sweat suits and pants! Do extra exercise in addition to your regular program. Park at the far end of the parking lot and walk; take the stairs instead of the lift. Healthy foods are an important ingredient in losing weight. Eat low-fat, high-fiber foods such as salads and vegetable pastas. Choose foods that you like. Learn to prepare healthful, low-calorie foods that taste good by checking healthy cook books for new recipes. Eating well doesn't have to mean eating dull. Eat smaller more frequent meals. This way your body starts to increase its metabolism so that calories are burned faster. Also mini-meals can prevent overeating. Plan ahead and keep a food diary. Keep the fridge stocked with healthy foods such as vegetables and fruit and you'll be less likely to run out for high-calorie, high- -fat junk food. This will help you know where you can improve your diet. Which of the following should be kept in your fridge if you want to lose weight according to the passage A Butter. B Chocolates. C Hamburgers. D Apples. Answer: D. Apples.
As with any house guests, indoor plants require a certain amount of basic, regular attention if they are going to feel at home. The first consideration when purchasing plants is to make reasonably sure that they are suitable for the condition in which they are going to be housed. A general rule for most plants being brought indoors for the first time is to ensure that they have reasonable temperature of not less than 60 degrees Fahrenheit, a position out of cold air, safe from pets and not exposed to strong sunlight. Plants love company. When plants are growing together, they create an atmosphere of damp around themselves which is far more beneficial than hot dry conditions. A group of plants will also present a more pleasing picture and provide an opportunity for a creative arrangement. There is no secret to this. Just rely on your natural feeling for harmony. Watering and feeding plants are probably the two areas of care that are the least well understood, but, again, if you follow a few simple rules, your plants should do well. Cold slightly warm water is therefore the answer. It is usually better to pour water on to the soil on the surface of the pot rather than put the water into the pot holder at the bottom. Avoid giving small amount of water at regular intervals- it is much better to wet the soil right through the pot in one go and then to allow it to dry noticeably before giving it a further watering. The majority of indoor plants will be in active growth from March until October, and during this time, the established ones will benefit from regular feeding. This may mean feeding with a weak liquid fertilizer at each watering or at intervals of a week or ten days with fertilizer at a standard strength. It is important, however, to ensure that plants are not fed when growth is inactive, when the soil in the pot is dry, or too soon after the plants has been potted up. What is the best time to feed the plants? A. When the soil is dry. B. When the temperature is high. C. When their growth is active. D. When they have just been planted. Answer: C. When their growth is active. I cheated on a unit test in math class this morning during second period with Mr. Burke. Afterward, I was too sick to eat lunch just thinking about it. I came straight home from school, went to my room, and lay on the floor trying to decide whether it would be better to run away from home now or after supper. Mostly I wished I was dead. Yesterday Mr. Burke announced there'd be a unit test and anyone who didn't pass would have to come to school on Saturday, most particularly me, since I didn't pass the last unit test. I did plan to study just to prove to him that I'm plenty smart--which I am mostly--except in math. Anyway, I got my desk ready to study on . Just when I was ready to work, Nicho came into my room with our new rabbit and it jumped on my desk and knocked the flashcards all over the floor. What a mess! Nicho and I finally took the rabbit outside but then Philip came to my room and also Marty from next door and before long it was dinner. After dinner my father said I could watch a special on television if I'd done all my homework. Of course I said I had. That was the beginning. I felt terrible telling my father a lie about the homework. It was nine o'clock when I got up to my room and that was too late to study for the unit test so I lay in my bed with the light off and decided what I would do the next day when I was in Mr. Burke's math class not knowing the 8- and 9-times tables. So, you see, the cheating was planned after all. The next day, I'd go into class as usual, acting like things were going just great. I'd sit down next to Stanley Plummer--he is so smart in math it makes you sick--and from time to time, I'd glance over at his paper to copy the answers. Lying on the floor of my room, I begin to think that probably I've been bad all along. It just took this math test to clinch it. I'll probably never tell the truth again. I tell my mother I'm sick when she calls me to come down for dinner. She doesn't believe me, but puts me to bed anyhow. I lie there in the early winter darkness wondering what terrible thing I'll be doing next when my father comes in and sits down on my bed. "What's the matter?" he asks. "I've got a stomachache," I say. Luckily, it's too dark to see his face. "Is that all?" "Yeah." "Mommy says you've been in your room since school." "I was sick there too," I say. "She thinks something happened today and you're upset." That's the thing that really drives me crazy about my mother. She knows things sitting inside my head the same as if I was turned inside out. "Well," my father says. I can tell he doesn't believe me. "My stomach is feeling sort of upset." I hedge. "Okay," he says and he pats my leg and gets up. Just as he shuts the door to my room I call out to him in a voice I don't even recognize as my own. "How come?" he calls back not surprised or anything. So I tell him I cheated on this math test. To tell the truth, I'm pretty much surprised at myself. I didn't plan to tell him anything. He doesn't say anything at first and that just about kills me. I'd be fine if he'd spank me or something. And then he says I'll have to call Mr. Burke. It's not what I had in mind. "Now?" I ask surprised. "Now," he says. He turns on the light and pulls off my covers. "I'm not going to," I say. But I do it. I call Mr. Burke, and I tell him exactly what happened, even that I decided to cheat the night before the test. He says I'll come on Saturday to take another test, which is okay with me, and I thank him a whole lot for being understanding and all. "Today I thought I was turning into a criminal," I tell my father when he turns out my light. Sometimes my father kisses me good night and sometimes he doesn't. I never know. But tonight he does. The author' mother often drives him crazy because _ -. A. She really knows what he is thinking B. she was very strict with him C. she doesn't believe him D. she asks him to come down for dinner Answer: A. She really knows what he is thinking Coolest Hotels in the World Ariau Amazon Towers The Ariau Amazon Towers hotel lets you sleep in a tree house. Eight towers make up this hotel that offers over 300 rooms. If you really want to get into the spirit, the Tarzan Suite which is large enough for big family. You'll thirty feet up in the air and can travel between the towers through their wooden walkways. Prices starting at $300 one night for each person for a regular room and going all the way up to $3000 for the Tarzan Suite. For more information, visit the website: http://www.ariautowers.com The Ice Hotel Every winter in Jukkasjarvi, Sweden, a special kind of hotel called the Ice Hotel is built. Each year, world-famous artists are invited to design and produce works of art from the ice, many of which can be found in the rooms. You'll have your choice between hot or cold rooms, but you will be well advised to stay at least one night in a cold room for a true experience. Prices: starting $318 one night for each person for either a cold room or a warm one. For more information, visit the website: http://www.icehotel.com Propeller Island City Lodge Propeller Island City Lodge is a very special hotel that was designed by a German artist. Each room provides you with the possibility of living in a work of art. Every single piece of furniture in the thirty rooms of the hotel has been hand-made and each room is completely different. You'll be able to choose a room based on your own personal tastes. Prices: starting at just $91 a night, and an additional person for only 20 extra dollars. For more information, visit the website: http://www.propeller-island.com For information about other cool hotels in the world, visit the website: _ What is special about the Ariau Amazon Towers hotel? A. You can sleep in tree houses. B. You can choose any of the towers. C. It is designed for big families. D. Every room has a walkway. Answer: A. You can sleep in tree houses. If boy wizard Harry Potter uses his magic to capture the hearts of millions of teenagers, high school students Gabriella and Troy have charmed American boys and girls with their stories of campus life. They are the leading characters in High School Musical, a series of hugely successful films in the US. The sequel , High School Musical 3, came out on October 24 and has topped the American box office for two straight weeks. The show has everything attractive to teenagers -- dancing, catchy music, puppy love and good looks. The story starts when high school basketball star Troy and brainy Gabriella -- _ -- meet during the winter break. At a karaoke contest they discover their love for singing and an interest in each other. When school starts, Troy finds out that Gabriella is the new girl at his school. Eager to find the magic they had during karaoke, Troy and Gabriella decide to audition for the school's upcoming musical. This angers the school's drama queen Sharpay. However, they overcome difficulties and become the leading actors. But the story doesn't end there. High School Musical 2 follows their adventures over summer vacation when Sharpay tires to break up Troy and Gabriella. In the latest sequel, high-school seniors are facing the possibilities of being separated from each other as they go off in different directions when graduating from high school. Joined by the rest of their friends, Troy and Gabriella stage a musical reflecting their experiences, hopes and fears about the future. "The success of the High School Musical films shows Disney's long-term efforts to attract youngsters for whom Mickey Mouse seems to babyish," wrote New York Times reporter Dave Itzkoff. "For the time being, the movie has made fictional high school students as recognizable as that 79-year-old mouse." What is the passage mainly about? A. Boy wizard -- Harry Potter. B. High school students Gabriella and Troy. C. A successful show -- High School Musical. D. Disney's long-term efforts. Answer: C. A successful show -- High School Musical. Bookie's, the campus bookstore is located at the Campus Activity Centre, main floor. Bookie's is the only place in Kamloops to buy your course textbooks. There is a booklist in the bookstore listing the books required for each course. If you need help in finding your course textbooks, ask any of the staff in the bookstore. There are more than just textbooks at bookie's. They carry a wide variety of stationary, art supplies and gift items. You can also buy telephone cards, postage stamps and bus passes. You must show your student card to get a discount for the bus passes. TEXTBOOK RETURNS 1) Do I need my receipt to return books? Yes. 2) How long do I have to return books? Books purchased must be returned within ten working days of the date of the purchase. 3) What if I wrote my name in the book? Unfortunately, we can not give you a full refund for books not in mint condition as publishers will not accept this for credit. 4) What happens if I miss the last day for return? We may purchase the text book as "used" in accordance with our Buyback program. 5) What if I discover that my book has missing pages half way through the semester? We will replace the _ books, new or used, for a like copy of that title. Cash refunds are not given for defective books returned outside the normal return dates. BUYBACKS 1) What books do you buy back? We buy back all current edition textbooks. If we do not use them at UCC, we buy them back according to the value established in the North American marketplace. 2) How much do I get for my books? If bookie's is buying the book for use at UCC, you will receive 50% of the current new retail price. In order to receive optimum buyback price, discs and supplements must accompany the book. 3) What happens to the books that I sell? Books for bookie's are processed by our staff and sold to students at 75% of the new retail price. 4) What condition do my books need to be in? Books should be in good condition, meaning that the cover is still attached and all pages intact. Notes and markings on the pages of the books are perfectly fine. Workbooks and study guides are generally not purchased back unless they are free of all markings. No sales receipt is required for these books. BOOKSTORE HOURS Monday-Thursday 9:00am-6:00pm Friday 9:00am-5:00pm Saturday and Sunday Closed The items which can be bought back don't include _ . A. textbooks with markings B. workbooks with markings C. textbooks with covers and all pages D. study guides free of markings Answer: B. workbooks with markings
Standing in front of the "Chilkoot Trailhead" sign for 15 minutes, I didn't take one step. I was afraid of bears. That's what was keeping me from walking the trail alone. I had hiked through black-bear country back home in Colorado, but now I was in Alaska, home to the fierce brown grizzly bear. Fortunately, a friendly couple arrived and asked me to take their picture. We started talking and soon were walking the trail together. I was relieved. Ron and Carol were from Alaska and they taught me how to stay safe in bear country. I had finally started my hike along the famous Chilkoot Trail, where more than 115 years ago, thousands of gold miners had walked. I was writing a book about the Klondike Gold Rush, and I wanted to follow in the footsteps of the miners to know what it was really like. Ron, Carol, and I walked through the forest. As I was looking around at the beautiful scenery in the forest, I tripped over a big tree root and injured my ankle . Fortunately, my ankle felt better in the morning, and we followed the trail. We went to bed early that night because the following day would be the toughest hike of all. At dawn, we started hiking up the steep , green valley. Icy glaciers covered the mountains above. Soon we were as high as the clouds and could see only 20 feet in front of us. Finally, we reached the top of the Chilkoot pass and saw a Canadian flag moving in the heavy wind. Hours later, we arrived at our campground. The following morning, my ankle was feeling fine, and my fear of bears had mostly disappeared. I said good-bye to Ron and Carol and walked alone for the next two days. Without seeing any bears the entire trip, I finally arrived at Bennett Lake. I rode the old train down to the town of Skagway and checked into my hotel. While relaxing in my comfortable bed in the hotel, I thought of the miners from the Klondike Gold Rush. When the miners reached Bennett Lake, they had to cut down trees, build boats, and travel 500 miles down dangerous rivers and lakes. Then, when they finally reached the goldfields, they had to start digging. The author hiked along the Chilkoot Trail to _ . Answer: find inspiration for his writing What kind of pets do people have in your country? Dogs? Cats? How about a duck, hippo or lion? Here are two cases of animal owners with unusual pets. Barrie Hayman has a pet duck called Star. Barrie adopted him after his brothers and sisters stayed away from him at birth. Barrie, a duck breeder, realized the little duck needed special attention. So he began taking Star with him everywhere he went. "I would put him in my pocket while I did my shopping," said Barrie. Now, at five months, Star is too big for Barrie's pocket, but the two are still _ . They watch sports, together and even share a drink together. Barrie said, "He is a fantastic duck. I've never known any like him." Star even has his own Facebook page, with more than 2,000 Face book friends. Then there is the case of Tonie and Shirley Joubert in South Africa. They live with their hippo, Jessica. Tonie saved Jessica from floodwaters when she was only a day old. Jessica lives outside their riverside house, but she knows how to open the kitchen door, and often goes there for a snack. Tonie recently said, "I don't know whether Jessica sees me as a hippo or whether she sees herself as a human." Shirley is more certain, "Jessica sees herself as our child and I see Jessica as my daughter. I can't imagine my life without Jessica." Jessica is free to leave, and often visits wild hippos that live nearby. But she always returns home at night. Jessica's website notes that she has three hippo boyfriends, but one in particular,Fred, is her favorite. They often go grazing together and Fred has recently moved onto the Joubert's house as well. Barrie took Star everywhere he went because _ . Answer: he wanted care more about Star Edmund Halley was an English scientist who lived over 200 years ago. He studied the observations of comets which other scientists had made. The orbit of one particular comet was a very difficult mathematical problem. He could not figure it out. Neither could other scientists who dealt with such problems. However, Halley had a friend named Isaac Newton, who was a brilliant mathematician. Newton thought he had already worked out that problem, but he could not find the papers on which he had done it. He told Halley that the orbit of a comet had the shape of an ellipse . Now Halley set to work. He figured out(,)the orbits of some of the comets that had been observed by scientists. He made a surprising discovery. The comets that had appeared in the years 1531, 1607, and 1682 all had the same orbit. Yet their appearance had been 75 to 76 years apart. This seemed very strange to Halley. Three different comets followed the same orbit. The more Halley thought about it, the more he thought that there had not been three different comets as people thought. He decided that they had simply seen the same comet three times. The comet had gone away and had come back again. It was an astonishing idea! Halley felt certain to make a prediction of what would happen in the future. He decided that this would appear in the year 1758. There were 53 years to go before Halley's prediction could be tested. In 1758 the comet appeared in the sky. Halley did not see it, for he had died some years before. Ever since then that comet had been called Halley's comet, in his honor. Edmund Halley figured out the orbit of _ . Answer: the same comet appearing at different times An old problem is getting new attention in the United States--bullying.Recent cases included the tragic case of a fifteen-year-old girl whose family moved from Ireland.She hanged herself in Massachusetts in January following months of bullying.Her parents criticized her school for failing to protect her.Officials have brought criminal charges against several teenagers. Judy Kaczynski is president of an anti-bullying group called Bully Police USA.Her daughter Tina was the victim of severe bullying starting in middle school in the state of Minnesota.She said, "Our daughter was a very outgoing child.She was a bubbly personality, very involved in all kinds of things, had lots of friends.And over a period of time her grades fell completely.She started having health issues.She couldn't sleep.She wasn't eating.She had terrible stomach pains.She started clenching her jaw and grinding her teeth at night.She didn't want to go to school." Bullying is defined as negative behavior repeated over time against the same person. It can involve physical violence.Or it can be verbal -- for example, insults or threats.Spreading lies about someone or excluding a person from a group is known as social or relational bullying. And now there is cyberbullying, which uses the Internet, e-mail or text messages.It has easy appeal for the bully because it does not involve face-to-face contact and it can be done at any time. The first serious research studies into bullying were done in Norway in the late 1970s.The latest government study in the United States was released last year.It found that about one-third of students age twelve to eighteen were bullied at school. Susan Sweater is a psychologist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and co-director of the Bullying Research Network.She says schools should treat bullying as a mental health problem to get bullies and victims the help they need.She says bullying is connected to depression, anxiety and anti-social behavior, and bullies are often victims themselves. From the case of Tina, we can know that _ . Answer: victims suffered a lot A young American doctor is asleep when his doorbell rings. It is late at night, but he has to put on his coat to answer it. It is a man! He is standing with a hat in his hand. "How do you do?" says the man. "Can you go with me now to a place out of the town? It is quite far from here, but I know you have a car and I can show you the way." "Certainly," says the doctor, "I can go with you now." The car is at the front door. The man gets into the doctor's car and they drive off. They drive for a long time, and finally the man says, "Here we are. This is my home. Now I give you money and you may go back." "But I must see the patient ," the doctor says. "How can I go back without seeing the patient?" "There's no patient," says the man, "nobody is ill. I live here. There is no taxi at this time, but a doctor often goes out for night calls . So, excuse me. Here is your money. Thank you, doctor. Good night!" The man gives the doctor money, because _ . Answer: the doctor takes him home late at night
Alderbury International Festival Society FESTIVAL 22ND MAY-9TH JUNE 2012 Art Displays of paintings, drawings and photographs from Europe and Asia are all part of the Festival programme, with a total of more than 400 pieces of work to be seen. Early century advertisements will be on display at this year's festival. Copies of these advertisements are to be sold at the box office. Music There will be a huge rang of music in this year's festival from 14thdance music to modern jazz. Many famous musicians will be visiting the Festival as well as at least two internationally famous bands. Lunchtime concerts-Every day of the Festival! All lunchtime concerts begin at 1:00p.m. and last about 55 minutes, except on Monday, 26 of May, which is to be held in the Guildhall. All tickets are priced at PS2.00. How to get the tickets Telephone reservations: 63362/6641 from 1stApril Payment for tickets reserved by telephone must be received at the Festival Box Office within 3 days. The tickets will then be sent by post. One can buy tickets in person from 1stMay. The Festival Box Office will be open as follows: Monday to Saturday 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Sunday(during the Festival only )9:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. In the Festival, you can _ . A buy copies of ancient advertisements B see more than 400 drawings C get some paintings at the box offices D display your works for free Answer: A What will you do if you get 5 million ? Some people give some different answers. Sally: I want to do business . If I am rich, I will do a lot of things for my family. For me nothing is more important than my family. I will buy a new house for them and travel around the world. Joe: If I have 5 million, I will use the money to do everything I like. At first, I will use 2 million to open my own shop. And I will use another 2 million to buy some new houses. In the future, the houses which I buy will become more expensive,and I will sell them to other people. Finally, I will use 1 million to buy some presents for my family and my best friend. Anna: If I have 5 million, I will put 3 million in the bank and spend 2 million. I will visit Paris, London and New York. I will eat delicious food, play games, and build a building with a swimming pool. Jack: I will buy an island if I have 5 million. Then I will be the king of the island nad I will invite my friends to my island. Where will Anna visit if she gets 5 million? A China and japan B London, Paris and New York C London, Paris and Belgium D Angola, Cuba and Inda. Answer: B Watching bison up close is fascinating, like watching a grass fire about to leap out of control. With their huge, wedge-shaped heads and silver-dollar-size brown eyes, the 2,000-pound animals are symbols of another place and time. More than 100 bison now roam the 30,000-acre American Prairie Reserve in eastern Montana -- the first time they've inhabited that region in a century. Direct descendants of the tens of millions of bison that once populated the Western plains, they represent an epic effort: to restore a piece of America's prairie to the national grandeur that Lewis and Clark extolled two centuries ago. During that famous expedition across the Western states to the Pacific, the two explorers encountered so many bison that they had to wait hours for one herd to pass. In order to protect what's here and reintroduce long-gone wildlife (something the World Wildlife Fund is helping with), the American Prairie Foundation began purchasing land from local ranchers in 2004. It now owns 30,000 acres and has grazing privileges on another 57,000. Its goal over the next 25 years is to assemble three million acres, the largest area of land devoted to wildlife management in the continental United States. Already, herds of elk, deer, and pronghorn antelope roam the grasslands, where visitors can camp, hike, and bike. Cottonwoods and willows are thriving along streams, creating habitats for bobcats, beavers, and other animals. Not everyone shares APF's vision. Some residents of Phillips County (pop. 3,904) worry that the area could become a prairie Disneyland, overcrowded with tourists. But the biggest obstacle is the ranchers themselves, whose cattle compete with prairie dogs and bison for grass and space. "People like me have no intention of selling their ranches," says Dale Veseth, who heads the Ranchers Stewardship Alliance of 35 families in Phillips County and whose family has been ranching here since 1886. "They've been a labor of love through the generations." Instead, he wants APF to pay or ranchers to raise bison. This would be far less costly for the foundation, he argues, than buying the land directly. If you go to the American Prairie Reserve in eastern Montana, you will see _ . A the burning fire moving across the grassland B hundreds of bison travelling through the prairie C tens of millions of bison occupying the farmland D groups of experts examining the dead bison Answer: B In 1939 two brothers, Mac and Dick McDonald, started a drive-in restaurant in San Bernardino, California. They carefully chose a busy corner for their location. They had run their own businesses for years, first a theater, then a barbecue restaurant, then another drive-in. But in their new operation, they offered a new, shortened menu: French fries, hamburgers, and sodas. To this small selection they added one new idea: quick service,no waiters or waitresses, and no tips. Their hamburgers were sold for fifteen cents. Cheese was another four cents. Their French fries and hamburgers had a remarkable uniformity , for the brothers had developed a strict routine for the preparation of their food, and they insisted on their cooks' sticking to their routine. Their new drive-in became surprisingly popular, particularly for lunch. People drove up by the hundred during the busy noontime. The self-service restaurant was so popular that the brothers had allowed ten copies of their restaurant to be opened. They were content with this modest success until they met Ray Kroc. Kroc was a salesman who met the McDonald brothers in 1954 when he was selling milkshake-mixing machines. He quickly saw the special attraction of the brothers' fast-food restaurants and bought the right to franchise other copies of their restaurants. The agreement included the right to duplicate the menu, the equipment, even their red and white buildings the golden arches . Today McDonald's is really a household name. In 1976, McDonald's had over$1 billion in total sales. Its first twenty-two years is one of the most surprising successes in modern American business history. Which of the following statement is NOT true? A Today McDonald's is very popular in the world. B The first twenty-two years of McDonald's is the most surprising success in American business history. C Mac and Dick McDonald were content with their business at first. D It is convenient to eat in a drive-in. Answer: B Japanese people work very hard at studying English. They start studying English at the age of 12. Most young Japanese people spend a lot of time and work hard at studying English, but Japanese people are not good at English. Here are the reasons: There are few people from English-speaking countries in Japan. They don't have enough chances to speak with them. Japan is an island country and they feel that other countries are far away. So they don't use English very often. And the Japanese feel that it is strange to talk to each other in English. The Japanese education doesn't always follow the educational trends in the world. It puts a lot of importance on grammar and vocabulary, and less on speaking, listening and reading skills. Many Japanese students' English becomes worse after they go to university .They have to learn English again if they work in English-speaking countries. Sometimes the Japanese feel shy about speaking wrong or broken English. How is the university students' English in Japan? A Very good B Worse than before C Very bad D As good as before Answer: B
Skeptics are a strange lot. Some of them refuse to admit the serious threat of human activities to the environment, and they are tired of people who disagree with them. Those people, say skeptics, spread nothing but bad news about the environment. The "eco-guilt" brought on by the discouraging news about our planet gives rise to the popularity of skeptics as people search for more comforting worldviews. Perhaps that explain why a new book by Bjorn Lomborg received so much publicity. That book, The Skeptical Environmentalist, declares that it measures the "real state of the world" as fine. Of course, another explanation is the deep pockets some big businesses with special interests. Indeed, Mr. Lomborg's views are similar to those of some Industry-funded organizations, which start huge activities though the media to confuse the public about issues like global warming. So it was strange to see Mr. Lomborg's book go largely unchallenged in the media though his beliefs were contrary to most scientific opinions. One national newspaper in Canada ran a number of articles and reviews full of words of praise, even with the conclusion that "After Lomborg, the environmental movement will begin to die down." Such one-sided views should have immediately been challenged. But only a different review appeared in Nature, a respected science magazine with specific readership. The review remarked that Mr. Lomborg's "preference for unexamined materials is incredible ". A critical eye is valuable, and the media should present information in such a way that could allow people to make informed decisions. Unfortunately, that is often inaccessible as blocked by the desire to be shocking or to defend some special interests. People might become half-blind before a world partially exhibited by the media. That's a shame, because matters concerning the health of the planet are far too important to be treated lightly. The author mentioned the review in Nature in order to _ . voice a different opinion It was dark. As John was walking on his way home, he suddenly found an ugly old man staring at him. The old man said, "Son, why don't you get a book? It will keep you company." John noticed all the books the old man had were related to the super nature . Trying to act bravely, he found one and the old man said, "That's an interesting book. It's $25." The old man kept staring at John, which almost frightened him. He quickly searched his pockets and found $25.John quickly paid for it. Then the old man called out, "Whatever happens, don't turn to the last page. Do remember, or you will regret it!" Reaching home, John heard his parents talking about a strange old book seller that appeared only at night during a full moon and then disappeared. Nervously, he ran straight to his room. At midnight, as he was sound asleep in bed, a blast of cold wind blew in through the window and woke him up. He looked at his table and saw the book. For a while, he was frozen in fear, but he was so curious. Slowly he got out of bed and carefully picked up the book. As he took a look at the last page, he cried out and fainted . This is what he read on the last page! Original Price:$10.99 Promotional Price: $2.99 When did John turn to the last page of the book? After he was woken up at midnight. Do you still remember the funny question: why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side. Most people know this joke. But recently, some people have been much more concerned with how the grizzly bear and mountain lion can cross the road. Millions of animals die each year on US roads, the Federal Highway Administration reports. In fact, only about 80 ocelots , an endangered wild cat exist in the US today. The main reason? Road kill. "Ecopassages" may help animals cross the road without being hit by cars. They are paths both over and under roads. "These ecopassages can be extremely useful, so that wildlife can avoid human conflicts," said Jodi Hilty of the Wildlife Conservation Society. But do animals actually use the ecopassages? The answer is yes. Paul Beier of Northern Arizona University found foot marks left by mountain lions on an ecopassage that went under a highway. This showed that the lion used the passage. Builders of some ecopassages try to make them look like a natural part of an area by planting trees on and around them. Animals seem _ . Animals as different as salamanders and grizzly bears are using the bridges and underpasses. The next time you visit a park or drive through an area with a lot of wildlife, look around. You might see an animal overpass! When the writer says that animals seem "to be catching on", he means _ . animals begin to learn to use ecopassages Birmingham----The wedding took place in aprefix = st1 /Birminghamhotel. The bride and her father arrived in a new black American sports car. Her father looked nervous and uncomfortable in front of the cameras. The bride wore a silk wedding dress. She smiled nervously at the waiting photographers and went to a room on the first floor where she met her future husband for the very first time. Carla Germaine and Greg Cordell were the winners of a radio station's competition. The aim of the competition was to find two strangers prepared to marry without having met each other. Miss Germaine,23, is a model. Mr. Cordell, 27, is a TV salesman. They were among the two hundred people who entered for a peculiar "experiment" organized by BMRB radio in Birmingham,England. Greg and Carla were among eight finalists who were interviewed live on radio. They took a lie detector test and the station also spoke to their friends and family about their personalities. The competition judges included an astrologer who declared that they were suited. The couple celebrated their wedding with a wedding breakfast and a party for 100 guests in the evening, but not everyone shared their joy. Miss Germaine's mother looked anxious throughout the wedding and Mr. Cordell's parents are reported to be less than delighted. Organizations, including the marriage guidance service Relate, have criticized the marriage. As one person put it, "We have enough problems getting young people to take marriage seriously without this. Marriage should always be about love." The couple are now on a Caribbean honeymoon followed by journalists. Their other prizes include a year's free use of a wonderful apartment in the centre ofBirmingham, and a car. But will it last? How did the couple's parents react to the wedding? The bridegroom's parents were not that joyful. One cold morning in winter, I went alone to a hillside to do some hunting. I sat there waiting for about an hour. Suddenly, a big beautiful deer appeared less than 20 feet away from me. There was no cover near him. Surely I could shoot him. To my surprise, he came toward me! He was curious, I suppose, or maybe he was stupid. For this was not a youngster, but a fully grown-up one. He must have known about men and their guns. But this deer came closer, and I still waited. His big eyes never moved away from my face. His wonderful head with a set of antlers was clear in sight. I was getting a bit nervous as he walked closer. A big deer can do a lot of damage. Well, he walked right up to where I was sitting. Then he stopped and looked at me. What happened next was hard to believe. But it all seemed quite natural. I held out my hands and scratched his head right between the antlers. And he liked it. The big, wild, beautiful deer bent his head. I scratched and touched his head and body. His nose touched my shoulder. I fed him with my last sandwich. Well, he finally went his way, down the hill. Shoot him? Not me. You wouldn't, either. Not after that. I just watched him go, a strong deer carrying a proud head. I picked up my gun, and started walking back. Suddenly, I heard two shots, one after another. If you have hunted much, you will know what two shots mean. They mean a kill. I had forgotten that there were other hunters around. You will now understand why I gave up hunting from that day on. After reading the whole passage, we can know that the passage is written in a(n) _ tone. sad
A student uses a pH meter to measure the acidity of a water sample from a lake. For what purpose is the student most likely testing the water? Much of Canada's forestry production goes towards making pulp and paper. According to the Canadian Pulp and Paper Association, Canada supplies 34% of the world's wood pulp and 49% of its newsprint paper. If these paper products could be produced in some other way, Canadian forests could be preserved. Recently, a possible alternative way of producing paper has been suggested by agriculturalists and environmentalists: a plant called hemp. Hemp has been grown by many countries. It produces fiber which can be made into paper, fuel, oils, textiles, food, and rope. For centuries, it was essential to the economies of many countries because it was used to make the ropes and cables used on sailing ships; colonial expansion and the establishment of a world-wide trading network would not have been possible without hemp. Nowadays, ships' cables are usually made from wire, but scientists are now suggesting that the growing of hemp should be revived for the production. According to its supporters, four times as much paper can be produced from land using hemp rather than trees, and many environmentalists believe that the large-scale growing of hemp could reduce the pressure on Canada's forests. However, there is a problem: hemp is illegal in many countries of the world. This plant, so useful for fiber, rope, oil, fuel and textiles, is a species related to the plant from which marijuana is produced. In fact, marijuana cannot be produced from the hemp plant, since it contains almost no THC(the active ingredient in the drug). In recent years, a movement for legalization has been gathering strength. It is concerned only with the hemp plant used to produce fiber; this group wants to make it legal to grow the plant and sell the fiber for production. Why was hemp banned in many countries of the world? Homestay UK/Great Britain Here you will find a selection of homestay hosts and host families in the UK. If you want to learn more about the British host family of your choice, please click on information at www. Homestaybooking. Com. You will then see a personal introduction of the UK homestay host. If you don't want to search yourself, just register for free and receive our matching recommendations. Chika and Tara from London, the United Kingdom Information about the homestay host Chika is 28 years old. She is away from home most of the time. Tara is 18 years old. She is at home every day. They both speak English. Chika and Tara's guests can stay for at least 5 nights and up to a maximum of 365 nights. Chika and Tara have no children living at home. It is a non-smoking residence . No pets live in this household. Information about the homestay accommodation The accommodation is in London. The name of the neighborhood is Greenwich. The distance to the city center is 1.6km. The next access point to public transport is at 15 m distance. Three guests can stay in Tara and Chika's house at the same time. The following accommodation is generally available: Single room with shared use of the family bathroom Size: 12.0 m2 Facilities: desk, Internet access, mirror, hairdryer and wardrobe Price per night per person: PS20.00 per night(one single) Twin room with shared use of the family bathroom Size: 15.0 m2 Facilities: TV, desk, Internet access, mirror, hairdryer and wordrobe Price per night per person: PS20.00 per night(one guest) PS17.00 per night(two guests) The room charge includes the following services: Internet access, regular room cleaning, breakfast, free use of the washing machine. Additional available service at an extra charge: Pick-up service(PS60.00 one-way); Lunch(PS6.00 per person per day); Dinner(PS6.00 per person per night) Vegetarian meals are available. Chika and Tara's house would be a good choice for _ . There is a park near my home. People like to go to this park after work. Some of them go to the park every day. Look! That is Mr. King. He is sitting on a chair and watching the children. Some children are playing a game. Some boys are playing soccer. Lucy and Lily are standing under a tree. They are talking. There is a small river in the park. We can see some boats on the water. Some children are sitting in the boats with their fathers and mothers. Listen! A girl is singing. This is really a nice park. I come here after school every day. Lucy is talking with _ . Look carefully and you'll find musicians at the top of almost any industry. The television broadcaster Paula Zahn(cello) and the NBC chief White House correspondent Chuck Todd (French horn) attended college on music scholarships; Both Microsoft's Mr. Allen and the venture capitalist Rogar McNamee have rock bands. Lorry Page, a co-founder of Google, played saxophone in high school. The former World Bank president James D. Wolfensohn has played cello at Carnegie Hall. The connection isn't a coincidence. I know because I asked. I put the question to top-flight professionals in industries from tech to finance to media, all of whom had serious ( if often little-known) past lives as musicians. Almost all made a connection between their music training and their professional achievements. Will your school music program turn your kid into a Paul Allen, the billionaire co-founder of Microsoft (guitar)? Or a Woody Allen (clarinet )? Probably not. These are outstanding achievers. But the way these and other visionaries I spoke to process music is interesting. But the key question is: why does that connection exist? Paul Allen offers an answer. He says music "establish your confidence in the ability to create." He began playing the violin at age 7 and switched to the guitar as a teenager. Even in the early days of Microsoft, he would pick up his guitar at the end of marathon days of programming. The music was the emotional analog to his day job, both of them show his different creativity. He says, "something is pushing you to look beyond what currently exists and express yourself in a new way." For many of the high achievers I spoke with, music functions as a "hidden language," as Mr. Wolfensohn calls it, one that enhances the ability to connect different or even opposite ideas. When he ran the World Band, Mr. Wolfensohn traveled to more than 100 countries, often taking in local performances (and occasionally joining in on a borrowed cello), which helped him understand "the culture of people". Consider the qualities these high achievers say music has sharpened : cooperation, creativity, discipline and the capacity to coordinate conflicting ideas. All are qualities obviously absent from public life. Music may not make you a genius, or rich, or even a better person. But it helps train you to think differently, to process different points of views --- and most important, to take pleasure in listening. Which of the following is true?
Let's pretend we're sailing down the Rhine River on a pleasure boat. The Rhine is one of the main waterways of Germany, and the river traffic is heavy. It's interesting to watch the many boats going up and down the river. But the river traffic is not nearly so interesting as the beautiful scenery along the banks and hillsides. The boat is passing many old castles. We can see people working in the vineyards on the hillsides. There are vineyards as far as the eye can see. Wine from the Rhine Valley is famous all over the world. Suddenly our boat slows down and begins to turn a little. We are coming to a sharp bend in the river. On our right we can see a rocky cliff over 400 feet high. At first it looks quite ordinary, but there is nothing ordinary about it. There are many stories, poems, and songs about the cliff. We are looking at the Lorelei. Then someone on the boat begins to sing in German, the song of the Lorelei. It is a song about a beautiful siren who has lured many sailors to their deaths. The siren is supposed to sit on the rock combing her long golden hair and singing. The sailors who hear her forget to steer , and the current of river hurls their boats on the rocks and dashes them to pieces. Soon other people on the boat begin to sing. The beautiful song adds to special magic to the moment, and you begin to realize why so many people have made this trip down the Rhine to see the rock of the Lorelei. The most interesting thing to those who are sailing down the Rhine River on a pleasure boat is _ . A to watch many boats going up and down the river B to see the beautiful scene along the banks and hillsides C to hear a song about beautiful siren D to see a beautiful siren combing her golden hair Answer: B While the 1970s pop psychotherapy movement focused on the importance of letting anger out, more recent research suggests that there's a smarter, healthier way to react to life's misfortunes with forgiveness. In a recent study, it was found that when individuals were about to forgive, they experienced greater joy, a greater sense of control over life and less depression. Sound appealing. Why holding a grudge can be harmful? Your boyfriend blows you off for an important date. If you stay angry at him, you'll probably get fresh flowers on your doorstep and maybe a romantic meal or two. But grudge-holding only gives us the illusion of power. If you hold on to that anger on a chronic basis, then it has power over you, eating away at your peace of mind and perhaps even your immune system. A study by Kathleen Lawler, Ph. D., a psychology professor at the University of Tennessee, confirms that people who are unable to forgive report more stress in their lives, more illness and more visits to the doctor than do forgiving folk. Going from a grudge to forgiveness A few ways to develop your capacity to tolerate--Try writing a daily "forgiveness" reminder in your journal; it may sound out of date, but it's a great way to help gain control over your emotional life.--Write a letter to your offender, detailing exactly what's bothering you. Then throw it. You'll feel better, even if your message never reaches its intended target.--What, exactly, makes your blood boil? Forgiveness isn't about swallowing anger or being a doormat. It's not about forgetting, either. On the contrary, it's about acknowledging an offence with your eyes wide open--and then releasing the anger. That means not quarrelling with the person who hurt you, but focusing on the good parts of your life. *An act of courage Are you still not convinced that it's worth it to put your energies toward forgiving? Besides the benefits to your mental and physical health, true forgiveness is a sign of strength and spiritual virtue . "It takes a lot of moral muscle to forgive," says Dr Witvleit of Hope College in Michigan. The bottom line: Forgiving eventually benefits the forgiver more than the person who has done wrong. So start putting your own well-being first, and live life with as much interest and love as you can. The author thinks when one forgives, . A he will ignore the offence B he bears the offence without complaints C he tries his best to forget the bad experience D he does not stick to the past but welcomes the bright side of life Answer: D Want to be a happy married couple? Consider having kids. A new study found that having children boosts happiness.And the more, literally, the merrier. But unmarried couples shouldn't expect to find greater happiness through child-raising.The study, published in the Oct.14 online edition of the Journal of Happiness Studies, suggests that having children has little or no effect on boosting happiness among couples who aren't hitched . The findings contradict previous research that suggested that having more offspring doesn't lead to greater happiness and might even make people less satisfied with their lives.One theory behind the conclusion is that parents don't receive many rewards in return for the hard work of raising children. The new study, however, notes that parents say children are one of the most important things in their lives, if not the most important. The study found that life satisfaction for married people -- women especially -- goes up the more kids they have.Single, separated and co-habiting people, by contrast, report negative experiences. "One is tempted to advance that children make people rich under the 'right conditions' -- a time in life when people feel that they are ready, or at least willing, to enter parenthood," Dr.Luis Angeles, of the University of Glasgow in Scotland, said in a news release from the journal's publisher."This time can come at very different moments for different individuals, but a likely signal of its approach may well be the act of marriage." Which of the following can be inferred from the passage? A The more children women have, the happier they are. B The more children the married women have, the more unsatisfied they become. C Raising kids can give any person happiness. D Without marriage, one woman had better not raise kids. Answer: D Testing has taken the place of teaching in most public schools. Pretests, drills, tests, and retests. They know that the best way to read a textbook is to look at the questions at the end of the chapter and then read the text quickly for the answers. I believe that my daughter Erica, who gets excellent marks, has never read a chapter of any of her school textbooks all the way through. And teachers are often heard to say proudly and openly that they teach to the test. Teaching to the test is a curious phenomenon . Instead of deciding what skills students ought to learn, helping students learn them, and then using some methods of assessment to discover whether students have mastered the skills, teachers are encouraged to teach the students in the opposite way. First one looks at a test. Then one chooses the skills needed not to master reading, but to do well in the test. Finally, the test skills are taught. The ability to read or write might suggest the ability to do reasonably well on standardized tests. However, neither reading nor writing develops simply through being taught to take tests. We must be careful to avoid mistaking preparations for a test of a skill with the acquisition of that skill. Too many discussions of basic skills make this misunderstanding because people are tested rather than concerned with the nature and quality of what is taught. Recently, many schools have faced what could be called the crisis of comprehension or, in simple words, the phenomenon of students with grammar skills still being unable to understand what they read. These students are quite good at test taking and filling in workbooks. However, they have little or no experience reading or thinking, and talking about what they read. They know the details but can't see or understand the whole. They are taught to be so concerned with grades that they have no time to think about meaning, and reread things if necessary. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? A The teachers are curious about teaching to the test. B Skills in general are not only useless but often mislead students. C Ability to read and write has nothing to do with ability to do well in tests. D Preparations for a test of a skill do not mean the acquisition of that skill. Answer: D Which animal will eat only plants? A snake B fish C slug D deer Answer: D
Question: Computers are very popular with students now. It's very easy for them to surf the Internet .Most of them go to the Internet bar and spend more than two hours there. They can do their homework,get some information for their study,download music,and send emails on the computer. But some of them spend too much time playing computer games,and it is bad for their study. Which of the following is popular with students today? A. The television. B. The radio. C. The recorder. D. The computer. Answer: D. The computer. Question: Many years ago, there was an old man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn not to judge things too quickly. So he told them to go and look at a pear tree. It was far away from his home. The first son went in winter, the second in spring, the third in summer, and the youngest son in autumn. When the sons came back, the old man asked them to say what they had seen. The first son complained the tree was ugly. The second son said the tree was covered with buds and full of hope. The third son said the tree was full of green leaves. They looked so beautiful, and it was the most wonderful thing he had ever seen. The youngest son said that the tree was bowed down with heavy fruits. It was full of life and fulfillment . The man explained that all of his sons were right, but each of them had seen just one season of the tree. He told them that they couldn't judge a tree or a person by only one season. "If you give up when it's winter, you will miss the hope of your spring, the beauty of your summer, and the fulfillment of your autumn." said the old man. It is true that we shouldn't let the hard season break the happiness of the other seasons. Never give up during the difficult days and better times are sure to come some day. Which son thought the tree was ugly? A. The first one. B. The second one. C. The third one. D. The fourth one. Answer: A. The first one. Question: Wugging, or web use giving, describes the act of giving to charity at no cost to the user. By using Everyclick. com, which is being added to a number of university computers across theprefix = st1 /UKthis week , students can raise money every time they search, but it won't cost them a penny. Research shows that students are enthusiastic about supporting charity, 88% of full time students have used the Internet to give to charity. This figure is high, considering this age group is often the least likely to have their own income. 19% of 22 to 24 years old have short-term debts of more thanPS5,000. With rising personal debt levels in this age group, due to university tuition fees or personal loans and a lack of long-term savings, traditional methods of donating to charity are often not appealing or possible. Beth Truman, a 21-year-old recent university graduate has used Everyclick. com to donate to her chosen charity, the RSPCA, for two years and has seen the "wugging" movement grow popular with students. "When you're at university you become more socially aware, but it's sometimes hard to give to others when you have little money yourself. " says Beth. "Wugging is great for people in this age group as it allows them to use the technology on a daily basis to give it to charity, without costing them a single penny. " Wugging is perfect for people who want to be more socially aware and supportive but don't feel they have the _ to do so. Students using the web can generate money for causes they care about without it costing them anything in terms of time or money, and charities get a valuable source of funding. Everyclick. com works like any other search engine, allowing users to search for information, news and images but users can identify which of the UK's 170,000 charities they would like to support through their clicks. Everyclick. com then makes monthly payments to every registered charity. Launched in June 2005 Everyclick. com is now the eighth largest search engine and one of the busiest charity websites in theUK. How does Beth Truman think of the "wugging"? A. It makes giving to charity easy. B. It is easier to search for information. C. It stresses the importance of charity in people's daily lives. D. It is a common way to promote the students' social awareness. Answer: A. It makes giving to charity easy. Question: Researchers continue to show the power behind our sense of smell.Recent studies have found,among other things,that the smell of foods like pizza can cause uncontrollable anger in drivers on roads. The review explains that smell is unique in its effects on the brain.According to Conrad King,the researcher who carried out the review,"more than any other senses,the sense of smell goes through the logical part of the brain and acts on the systems concerned with feelings.This is why the smell of baking bread can destroy the best intentions of a dieter." Smell,which dictates the unbelievable complexity of food tastes,has always been the least understood of our senses.Our noses are able to detect up to 10,000distinct smells.Our ability to smell and taste this extremely large range of smells is controlled by something like 1,000genes ,which make up an amazing 3% of the human genome.Researchers Richard Axel and Linda Buck were together awarded a Nobel Prize in 2004for their ground-breaking research on the nature of this extraordinary sense.These two scientists were the first to describe the family of 1,000olfactory genes and to explain how our olfactory system works. According to one study in the research review,smelling fresh pizza or even the packaging of fast foods can be enough to make drivers feel impatient with other road users.They are then more likely to speed and experience uncontrollable anger on roads.The most reasonable explanation is that these can all make drivers feel hungry,and therefore desperate to satisfy their appetites. In contrast,the smells of peppermint and cinnamon were shown to improve concentration levels as well as reduce drivers'impatience.Similarly,the smells of lemon and coffee appeared to promote clear thinking and mental focus. However,the way genes regulate smell differs from person to person.A study by researchers in Israel has identified at least 50olfactory genes which are switched on in some people and not in others.They believe this may explain why some of us love some smells and tastes while others hate them.The Israel researchers say their study shows that nearly every human being shows a different pattern of active and inactive smell-detecting receptors. What did Richard Axel and Linda Buck find out? A. The category of food smells. B. The logical part of human brain. C. The nature of human olfactory system. D. The relationship between food and feelings. Answer: C. The nature of human olfactory system. Question: Many people think that water will never be used up because there are many rivers and lakes. And the rain can make us get enough fresh water. Also, we can dig wells to find fresh water under the ground. In fact, it is wrong and dangerous to think so. In some areas, people fight for fresh water. There is little rain there all year round. Let's look around us. Some factories pour dirty water into rivers. And some people drop litter into rivers. We see polluted water here and there. We must do something to help people understand about preventing water from being polluted. It's never too late if we take action right now. What do people fight for in some areas? A. Fresh water. B. Little rain. C. Pouring dirty water. D. Money. Answer: A. Fresh water.
Her opponent was the defending champion whose childhood dream was to win the French Open. She was the underdog who never saw the tournament on TV as a girl in China and never thought she'd get far on the red clay of the French Open, one of the four tennis Grand Slams . But it was Li Na who fell on her back in triumph on June 4. Nearly two hours' hitting gave Li a 2-0 victory over Francesca Schiavone of Italy and made her the only tennis player, man or woman, from Asia to take home a Grand Slam title. Chinese media have been swept along by the praise. An editorial carried by Xinhua News Agency said "Li Na is the best PR (Public Relations) for China," and called her an "outstanding name card for the country" and a "brilliant diplomat". It compared Li to Chinese NBA star Yao Ming, noting that both "can speak very fluent English, and both of them have a kind of sense of humor that is appreciated by foreigners". Success has come late for Li. She once gave up tennis for two years and studied journalism at Wuhan's Huazhong University of Science and Technology. But in 2004, she returned and continues to play the best tennis she could. "Dream comes true," Li said after the match. "I am so happy that my efforts have paid off." Li has often been seen as a rebel , or at least a representative of a new generation. She has a tattoo , has dyed her hair many different color1s and has even been known to yell at her husband in public. "The plain-speaking, tattooed, individualist has the ability to transcendthe sport and become a global star", the BBC news reported. No matter how important the French Open championship is, Li is not resting on her laurels -- she's already thinking about winning a second major title. "When you have the first one, naturally you will think about the second one. Now I have more confidence playing on other surfaces," Li told China Daily, as she prepares for the Wimbledon Championship, which will start on June 20. According to the passage, we can know that _ . Answer: Many, many years back, in a place full of magic, there lived a man and a woman who were married. The man and woman did not love one another or anything else. The man was a wood man and often spent days alone in the wood. One day the man spent more time in the wood and he became lost. After days and days he grew hungry and weak. When he thought for sure he was going to die a tall wizard appeared before him. The man did not know the wizard had placed a spell on him, making him get lost, but he did. The wizard smiled at the man in a friendly way and said to him, "I can show you the way out of the woods, if you give me the one thing you love most in the world." Since there was nothing that the man loved, he said yes at once. The Wizard showed the man the way home and then disappeared into the wood. The man and woman lived well for many years and the man never told his meeting to the wizard and after a time, he too forgot about his promise. In time the woman gave birth and the man had a daughter who he loved. One day the wizard came to the door to take the girl, making the man remember his promise. The man was very sad to lose his daughter. But in the end he had to give her over to the wizard. The wizard was bad and locked the girl away in a cave. Every day the girl grew to be prettier and smarter. Every day the Wizard asked if the girl would marry him, but he was mean and she would not marry him. And every time the girl said no, the wizard would find a new way to make her sad. But the girl had found a secret flower that was very beautiful. "If you marry me I can let you out." "There is a lovely bit of sunlight that comes in through the rocks. I am very happy here in my cave." The girl said. The wizard became angry and steam poured from his eyes He blocked out the sun so the girl lived only in darkness. Still the girl said no. The wizard came back again and told the girl, "If you marry me I can let you out." The wizard became angry and steam poured from his mouth "There is a lovely stream of water that comes in through the rocks. I am very happy here in my cave." The girl said. The wizard became angry and steam poured from his ears He blocked out the water so the girl lived only in dry sand. Still the girl said no. The wizard came back again and told the girl, "If you marry me I can let you out." Again, the girl only said "There is a soft wind that comes in through the rocks. I am very happy here in my cave." The wizard became angry and steam poured from his ears and fire came out of his eyes So the Wizard blocked out the wind and left the girl in a hot cave with no air. But the girl would still not marry him. The wizard became so angry he turned to flame and burned up. The girl was free and went down to her flower only to find it was gone. Instead she found a handsome prince. "I thank you my lady," he said, "for saving me from the evil wizard. In return you may come live in my palace with me and be happy." The girl said yes. In time they came to love one another and got married and lived happy together. Who was lost in the woods? Answer: Elderly people are growing healthier, happier and more independent, say American scientists. The results of a 14-year study to be announced later this month reveal that the diseases associated with old age are affecting fewer and fewer people and when they do suffer a stroke , it is much later in their life. In the last 14 years, the National Long-term Care Survey has gathered data on the health and lifestyles of more than 20,000 men and women over 65. Researchers, now analyzing the results of data gathered in 1994, say arthritis, high blood pressure and circulation problems -- the major medical complaints in this age group -- are troubling a smaller proportion every year. And the data confirms that the rate at which these diseases are declining continues to increase. Other diseases of old age -- dementia, strokes, arteriosclerosis and emphysema -- are also troubling fewer and fewer people. "It really raises the question of what should be considered normal ageing," says Kenneth Manton, a demographer from Duke University in North Carolina. He says the problems doctors accepted as normal in a 65-year-old in 1982 are often not appearing until people are 70 or 75. Clearly, certain diseases are beating a retreat in the face of medical advances. But there may be other contributing factors. Improvements in childhood nutrition in the first quarter of the twentieth century, for example, gave today's elderly people a better start in life than their former generations. On the downside, an increase in some cancers and bronchitis may reflect changing smoking habits and poorer air quality, say the researchers. "These may be subtle influences," says Manton, "but our subjects have been exposed to worse and worse pollution for over 60 years. It's not surprising we see some effect." One interesting correlation Manton uncovered is that better-educated people are likely to live longer. For example, 65-year-old women with fewer than eight years of schooling are expected, on average, to live to 82. Those who continued their education live an extra seven years. Although some of this can be attributed to a higher income, Manton believes it is mainly because educated people seek more medical attention. The survey also assessed how independent people over 65 were, and again found a striking trend. Almost 80% of those in the 1994 survey could complete everyday activities ranging from eating and dressing unaided to complex tasks such as cooking and managing their finances. That represents a significant drop in the number of disabled old people in the population. According to Manton, slowing the trend has saved the United States government's medicare system more than $200 billion, suggesting that the ageing of America's population may prove less of a financial burden than expected. But independence can have drawbacks. Scientists found that elderly people who felt emotionally isolated maintained higher levels of stress hormones even when asleep. The research suggests that older people live best when they feel independent but know they can get help when they need it. What is the main reason for better-educated people to live longer according to Manton? Answer: I cheated on a unit test in math class this morning during second period with Mr. Burke. Afterward, I was too sick to eat lunch just thinking about it. I came straight home from school, went to my room, and lay on the floor trying to decide whether it would be better to run away from home now or after supper. Mostly I wished I was dead. Yesterday Mr. Burke announced there'd be a unit test and anyone who didn't pass would have to come to school on Saturday, most particularly me, since I didn't pass the last unit test. I did plan to study just to prove to him that I'm plenty smart--which I am mostly--except in math. Anyway, I got my desk ready to study on . Just when I was ready to work, Nicho came into my room with our new rabbit and it jumped on my desk and knocked the flashcards all over the floor. What a mess! Nicho and I finally took the rabbit outside but then Philip came to my room and also Marty from next door and before long it was dinner. After dinner my father said I could watch a special on television if I'd done all my homework. Of course I said I had. That was the beginning. I felt terrible telling my father a lie about the homework. It was nine o'clock when I got up to my room and that was too late to study for the unit test so I lay in my bed with the light off and decided what I would do the next day when I was in Mr. Burke's math class not knowing the 8- and 9-times tables. So, you see, the cheating was planned after all. The next day, I'd go into class as usual, acting like things were going just great. I'd sit down next to Stanley Plummer--he is so smart in math it makes you sick--and from time to time, I'd glance over at his paper to copy the answers. Lying on the floor of my room, I begin to think that probably I've been bad all along. It just took this math test to clinch it. I'll probably never tell the truth again. I tell my mother I'm sick when she calls me to come down for dinner. She doesn't believe me, but puts me to bed anyhow. I lie there in the early winter darkness wondering what terrible thing I'll be doing next when my father comes in and sits down on my bed. "What's the matter?" he asks. "I've got a stomachache," I say. Luckily, it's too dark to see his face. "Is that all?" "Yeah." "Mommy says you've been in your room since school." "I was sick there too," I say. "She thinks something happened today and you're upset." That's the thing that really drives me crazy about my mother. She knows things sitting inside my head the same as if I was turned inside out. "Well," my father says. I can tell he doesn't believe me. "My stomach is feeling sort of upset." I hedge. "Okay," he says and he pats my leg and gets up. Just as he shuts the door to my room I call out to him in a voice I don't even recognize as my own. "How come?" he calls back not surprised or anything. So I tell him I cheated on this math test. To tell the truth, I'm pretty much surprised at myself. I didn't plan to tell him anything. He doesn't say anything at first and that just about kills me. I'd be fine if he'd spank me or something. And then he says I'll have to call Mr. Burke. It's not what I had in mind. "Now?" I ask surprised. "Now," he says. He turns on the light and pulls off my covers. "I'm not going to," I say. But I do it. I call Mr. Burke, and I tell him exactly what happened, even that I decided to cheat the night before the test. He says I'll come on Saturday to take another test, which is okay with me, and I thank him a whole lot for being understanding and all. "Today I thought I was turning into a criminal," I tell my father when he turns out my light. Sometimes my father kisses me good night and sometimes he doesn't. I never know. But tonight he does. After he was informed of what he had done, the father _ . Answer: Nowadays we can see ATMs everywhere. So we'd better learn how to use an ATM to withdraw money. First, we must find an ATM for your cards. Some ATMs can only work with certain bank's cards. But now more and more ATMs can use all the banks' cards. Second, we can put our cards in a slot on the right side of the machine. Make sure the card is facing the right way. Then , when the screen says, "Please enter your PIN," we can press the numbers. After that, we can select the type of transaction .So we can press the key for withdrawing money. Next, we can put in the amount of money we want to withdraw by pressing the numbers. Then the screen may say, "Please wait". After a short while, we can take our money from the slot at the bottom of the machine. At last, if we don't need other services, we can press the key for ending. Then our cards will come out from the slot we put it in. And we can finish our dealing and take the cards and money away. Can we use every ATM to withdraw our money in a certain card? Answer:
WASHINGTON--Considering the serious warnings lately about Internet viruses, users may be encouraged to unplug their machines just to keep them safe. In reality, common sense and a few basic tips can keep Internet surfers secure. Antivirus software is a must, and it should be updated at least once a week to recognize newly released viruses. People with broadband Internet connections should also have a firewall. These protect the computer from attacks by hackers. Then it is time to think about computer habits. Unlike old viruses, which spread only through shared diskettes, the Internet brings viruses straight to the email-box. If email with attachment comes from an unknown sender, or unexpectedly from a known sender, it should not be opened. On receipt of an unexpected attachment from a friend, experts suggest a telephone call to make sure of the mail's source before opening. Why should antivirus software be updated at least once a week? Because _ . A the newly published antivirus software is more expensive B the previous antivirus software cannot work longer than a week C the inventors of viruses have suggested this idea D computer viruses are always developing Answer: D Banquets are usually held in restaurants in private rooms that have been reserved for the purpose. You will be met at the door and led to the banquet room. Traditionally, the head of your delegation should enter the room first. Do not be surprised if your hosts greet you with a loud round of applause. The proper response is to applaud back. Seating arrangements are stricter than in the West. Guests should never assume that they may sit where they please and should wait for hosts to guide them to their places. Traditionally, the Chinese regard the right side as the superior and the left side as the inferior. Therefore on formal occasions, the host invariably arranges for the main guests to sit on his right side. It is the host's responsibility to serve the guests, and at very formal banquets people do not begin to eat until the host has served a portion to the principal guest. Or, the host may simply raise his chopsticks and announce that eating has begun. After this point, one may serve oneself any food in any amount. Remember to go slow on eating. Don't fill yourself up when five courses are left to go. To stop eating in the middle of a banquet is rude, and your host may incorrectly think that something has been done to offend you. Drinking takes an important place in Chinese banquets. It is likely that the host will stand and hold his glass out with both hands while saying a few words. When he says the words "gan bei",which means bottoms up, all present should drain their glasses. After this initial toast, drinking and toasting are open to all. No words are needed to make a toast, and it is not necessary to drain your glass, although to do so is more respectful. When filling another glass, it is polite to fill it as full as you can. This symbolizes full respect and friendship. When the last dish is finished, the banquet has officially ended. There is little ceremony involved with its conclusion. The host may ask if you have eaten your fill. Then the principal host will rise, signaling that the banquet has ended. Generally, the principal host will bid good evening to everyone at the door and stay behind to settle the bill with the restaurateur. Other hosts usually accompany guests to their vehicles and remain outside waving until the cars have left the premises. To attend a formal banquet, you _ . A may enter the banquet room directly when you arrive . B may stop eating in the middle of the banquet. C may help yourself to any food immediately the dishes are served. D should applaud back when greeted with a loud round of applause . Answer: D Explore the State of California California is one of the most interesting states of America that offers a lot of wonderful sceneries and fun attractions. It is also the most populated state and the third largest in land area. Anyone who has been to California would agree that it is indeed a place that offers a lot to tourists of all ages. Here are some top picks of the best places to visit in California State. San Francisco Bay Area - Witness the famous San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge which is one of the city's landmarks; and enjoy the beauty of Fisherman's Wharf that offers a lot of seafood restaurants. You should not miss the city's world-famous Cable Car System which is by far the only manually operated cable car system in the whole world. Yosemite National Park - This is one of the very first wilderness parks in the whole of America. It is known for its natural beauty and breathtaking sceneries. It offers a breath of fresh air away from the city life. Major places to visit include the Yosemite Falls, Sentinel Dome, El Capitan, Mariposa Grove and Glacier Point among many others. Los Angeles - Explore the home of the L.A. Lakers and do not fail to visit the Disneyland which is one of the major attractions of the city. The warm weather in Los Angeles makes it possible to do a lot of outdoor activities especially during the summer months. It is a family-friendly place that offers a wonderful shopping and dining experience. For those who particularly love the city and night life, L.A. can offer the best of almost everything. Napa Valley - With over a million visitors every year, Napa Valley is indeed a place you should not miss if you are in California. It is California's most popular wine growing _ . You can also experience the Wine Train and hot air balloon ride over the valley. Which of the following is true according to the passage? A Napa Valley will bring us a wonderful shopping and dining experience. B San Francisco Bay Area is California's most popular wine growing region. C Los Angeles allows us to visit the Disneyland and enjoy almost everything. D In Yosemite National Park, we can see the Yosemite Falls, Golden Gate Bridge Answer: C Coffee is one of the world's most widely-enjoyed drinks. Now, a new research suggests that if you drink enough coffee, it might help you avoid certain kinds of cancer. Dr. Mia Hashibe of the University of Utah School of Medicine was interested in the connection between coffee drinking and certain cancers of the head and neck. Researchers have looked into this before, but without reaching any firm conclusions. She said, "So this finding from our new study was quite a surprise. We didn't really have any expectation of which direction it could go into." To sort out the confusion, Hashibe and her assistants used statistical ( ) techniques to, in effect, make one big study out of the earlier smaller studies. She explained, "Thanks to the earlier studies, we have a lot more power than earlier studies that looked at this. And we included 4,000 cancer patients who have cancer of the mouth and throat. And then 9,000 controls, people who do not have cancer. ' Those studies--in Europe and the United States--found that people who drank a lot of coffee were less likely to develop cancers of the mouth and throat. "We saw a protective effect for drinking more than 4 cups of coffee per day," Hashibe said. "This was the 40 percent decrease in risk. We did not see the same effect for drinking three cups or less per day." Mia Hashibe said there was a weak connection between cancer risk and drinking coffee without caffeine. And she and her assistants found no proof that drinking tea provided the same protection as drinking Coffee. Their research is published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Hashibe says it is not clear how coffee might protect drinkers from certain cancers. "There are a few chemicals that are known to be antioxidants in coffee. So we are thinking perhaps they are playing some sort of protective role against several cancers." What do we know about Dr. Mia Hashibe and her research? A She knew for sure how coffee may affect drinkers. B She included 4,000 people without cancer in study. C She found an effect for three cups of coffee a day. D She based her research on several earlier studies. Answer: D Beatrix Potter was a great English writer and artist, best known for her children's books featuring animal characters such as in the children's classic -- The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Beatrix was born into a rich London-based family where she was tutored by very strict private teachers and so spent her youth isolated from other youngsters. During her youth she had a lot of pets and spent vacations in Scotland and also the Lake District. It was at the Lake District that she developed a love of wildlife. She studied the area's natural wonders carefully and painted them continuously. But her old-fashioned, Manchester-born parents discouraged her intellectual improvement, thinking it inappropriate for a young lady. However, her study and watercolour paintings of wild mushrooms made her widely respected within the field of biology. In her 30's, Beatrix Potter wrote the remarkably successful kid's book, The Tale of Pew Rabbit. Close to that time she became secretly engaged to her publisher Norman Warne. This caused a great disagreement with her parents, who did not approve of Beatrix getting married to somebody of lower social status. Sadly, Warne died before the marriage ceremony. Ultimately Beatrix Potter began writing and also illustrating kid's books full-time. Using profits from her books, Beatrix grew to become economically independent of her parents and was eventually in a position to buy Hill Top Farm in the Lake District. She extended the property with additional purchases of neighbouring land over time. In her 40's, Bestrix married William Heelis, a local lawyer. She ended up becoming a sheep breeder and farmer while continuing to publish as well as illustrate books for children. In all she authored 23 publications. Beatrix died on December 22, 1943, and left the majority of her property to the National Trust. Her books carry on selling well globally, in many different languages. Her stories have been retold in numerous formats including a ballet, movies, and cartoons. Such is her reputation, and that of the characters from her publications, that many Beatrix Potter statues have been created. These tiny Beatrix Potter statues which include pretty much all the actual characters in her publications have become highly valued by art collects and fans of her literature throughout the world. In which of the following areas did Beatrix Potter show an interest during her life? A Writing, biology, farming. B Drawing, nature, ballet. C Movies, farming, drawing. D Writing, mushrooms, travel. Answer: A
Question: Many daily American expressions are based (......) on colours. Red is a hot colour. Americans often use it to represent heat. When they say "red-hot", that means they are very angry about something. Loud music is popular with many people. Some may say that such music is red-hot. Pink is a lighter kind of red. People sometimes say "I'm in the pink" when they are in good health. The expression was first used in America at the beginning of the 20th century. It probably comes from the fact that many babies are born with a nice pink colour that shows that they are in good health. Blue is a cool colour. The old Blues music in the United States is the opposite of red-hot music. Blues is slow and sad. Someone who is "blue" is very sad. The colour green is natural for trees and grass. But it is an unnatural colour for humans. A person who has an upset stomach may say "I'm feeling a bit green". A person on a boat who is feeling very sick from high waves can be said "look very green". Sometimes a person may be very jealous because he does not have anything as nice as someone has, like a fast new car. That person may say "I'm green with envy". Some people are green with envy because someone has more dollars or "greenbacks". Dollars are called greenbacks in American slangs because that is the colour of the bottom of their bank notes. The colour black is used often in expressions. People may say "it's a black day" when everything goes wrong on that day. In some cases, colours describe a situation. _ were common during the World War II. All the lights in a city were turned off at night to make it difficult for enemy planes to find their aims in the dark. What does "I'm in the pink" mean? A. I'm sad. B. I'm happy. C. I'm healthy. D. I'm worried. Answer: C. I'm healthy. Question: Tim had always a red bike. His birthday party was coming up and he hoped that his parents would finally get him the bike. When his friends came over for the party, Tim was very worried that he wouldn't get the bike. He looked at all the presents and none of them seemed big enough to have a bike in them. Tim was sad. When it was time to open the presents he opened them one at a time. The first present was not a bike. The second present was not a bike. The third present was the biggest one. Tim knew if the bike was going to be in any of the presents it was going to be in this box. Tim opened it and there was no bike inside. Just as Tim tried not to look too upset, his Dad brought in the biggest present of them all. His Dad had been hiding the present all along. Tim opened it and his new bike was inside the box. Tim put the bike together with his Dad's help. What color was the bike Tim always wanted? A. Yellow B. Green C. Red D. Blue Answer: C. Red Question: Most American teenagers can't wait to get rid of their "mental mouth" nickname . They count down the days they can finally take their braces off. However, trendy teenagers in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand can't wait to get them on, even if they don't need them. Braces are the latest teenage fashion trend in Southeast Asia. Having a mouthful of metal has become so popular with Asian teens that there have been reports of many teens wearing fake braces. Many Asian beauty shops are now offering to put in cheap fake braces. There are even cheaper do-it-yourself braces such as " Hello Kitty," Mickey Mouse" or others for a price of around $100. Braces are considered a sign of wealth in Southeast Asia. A real set of braces in Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand, for example, will cost around $ 1,200, which is a large amount for the country with a GDP of $345 billion ( a billion is 1,000 million), compared to the US which had a GDP of $1,506 Trillion ( a Trillion is 1,000 billion) last year. While Asian teens may think that their colorful fake braces are cool, experts say that these trendy fashion braces can cause illness and can even lead to death. According to the New York Daily News, fake fashion braces have already been linked to the deaths of two teens in Thailand.A 17-year-old in the northeast city of Khon Kaen died from heart failure caused by a thyroid infection from a pair of fake fashion braces. Police also linked the death of another 14-year-old girl in Chonburi to a pair of fashion braces she had brought from an illegal shop. Although the government is giving warnings about fake braces, the trend has been going strong for at least four years. What's worse, the trend for fake braces shows no sign of slowing down. Teens in Southeast Asia wear fake braces mainly to _ . A. follow fashion B. protect their teeth C. show their DIY ability D. Prove their social position Answer: A. follow fashion Question: "Is it possible for Brownie not to be glad to be back after a happy stay at my uncle's?"Miss Gauss asked Dad."It'll be all right. Give her a bit more to eat," he said in a low voice, without tearing his eyes from Brownie while his wife was busy packing Brownie's belongings, saying,"Brownie is not so cute as her younger brother, Spotty. Take care of the little thing when walking him." It happened on the night of July 10th, 2013 before the Gausses took a trip to Hawaii. They entrusted their pet to me because they thought I was the first person they'd confide in. And another intention of theirs was that I had already trained Spotty into a wellknown pet in my community, which can act many tricks, such as "Sit down!" "Stand up!" "Give me your right hand!" "Turn around!" She can even sing, and, of course, that's just a strange sharp noise. Having seen them off, I took beautiful Brownie home in my arms, for fear that he would slip away. _ so I tried many ways to be his friend, which made Spotty rather unhappy. They often fought a battle, seemingly to break my roof loose. Soon, Brownie turned out to be an agreeable family member. He was an endearing pet, often begging for comforts in my arms. I seized the chance to train him and he achieved a lot, which I texted Mr.Gauss. They were so overjoyed and decided to fly home ahead of time to see Brownie's qualitative change. But,all this was thoroughly destroyed because of Brownie's death in a traffic accident. What a poor little creature!He was really dogged by bad luck, and he was saved from death shortly after his birth. For whatever reason,therefore, I was overwhelmed by feelings of guilt, which seemed to run most deeply in me. The best way to cheer ourselves up is to try first to cheer somebody else up. That will be an everlasting pain in my heart, a wound that does not heal. When the writer says"Brownie was the kind of gogo but unsociable baby", he means _ . A. Brownie was active but unfriendly B. Brownie was easygoing but unfriendly C. Brownie was a pet that runs fast D. Brownie was active but homeless Answer: A. Brownie was active but unfriendly Question: There was a famous church in London. It was 110 meters high. The center of the church was like a bell. The ceiling of the church was painted by a famous artist. They built a platform so that the artist could put up a ladder on it and paint the ceiling. The platform was about 70 meters over the ground. One day the artist was working hard and nearly finished one popular corner of the ceiling. Also on the platform was his assistant , who was mixing paints. The artist stepped back so that he could see how his work was doing. To have a better look at his painting, he stepped back again. _ "What do you think you are doing?" he shouted angrily. "Are you mad ?" His assistant replied, "I saw you walking backwards to have a better look at your painting. But you didn't notice that you reached the very edge of the platform. You were in great danger. I wanted to make you move forwards. If I had not made you run forwards, you would have fallen backwards off the edge of the platform." Why did the artist step back again? A. To have a better look at his painting. B. To see how his work was doing. C. To paint a bowl in his painting. D. To pour some paint on his painting. Answer: A. To have a better look at his painting.
Tom Becker has won the 2007 Waterstone's children's book prize with his first novel, Darkside, receiving a cheque for PS1,000 and the promise of display in branches of the book store across the country. The 25-year-old author described winning as an "unbelievable feeling". "I didn't think my book would be on the shortlist and stood a chance of winning, and it's amazing to receive such an important award at the beginning of my writing career. Needless to say I am absolutely made up." he said. The novel, inspired by film noir , fantasy and a fascination with the dark side of the 19th century, is for children between the ages of nine and 12. It tells the story of a boy, Jonathan Stirling, who discovers a similar world filled with vampires and werewolves . This alternative reality has a clearly Victorian air, and is ruled by a descendant of Jack the Ripper. Soon hunters from the other side begin searching for Jonathan, who finds himself driven into their world. Waterstone's head children's buyer, Wayne Winstone, thought highly of Becker's "huge" achievement. He said: "Tom Becker's writing style attracts you in the same way that Darren Shan's does with his mix of adventure and the supernatural. "I have a feeling that Tom has real potential and could be one of the big names in children's writing in the future." This year's shortlist also included Michael Broad's Jake Cake, Philip Caveney's Sebastian Darke and Siobhan Dowd's A Swift Pure Cry. Last year's prize was won by Julia Golding with The Diamond of Drury Lane. How did Tom Becker feel at the news that he had won the prize? A. He was proud of his ability of making up stories. B. He was shocked and didn't believe it was true. C. He was very surprised and delighted. D. He had expected he would win the prize. Answer: C Dear Sir, Thirty years ago, I walked into your bakery and asked for some loaves of bread to sell. At that time I was twelve years old. A young lady was working that day. She gave me five loaves and wished me good luck. I took the loaves and went out to sell them. It took me all day, but I sold them all. At the end of the day, I had some money. I was the happiest boy in the world as I walked home that evening. The next day, I went to a bicycle shop. I paid a deposit on a new bicycle. And then I started my next job--as a newspaper deliver boy. Soon I could pay the rest of the money for the bicycle and the bike was mine. I was so proud! Today, I still work in the delivery business. I have a lot of trucks to send goods all over the country. I live in a beautiful house, but I don't ride a bicycle these days. I drive a large and nice car. I do not know who that young lady was. But because she gave me the start, I have become a successful man. I'd like to show my thanks to her. Yours, George Jenkins Why did the man write the letter? Because he wanted to _ . A. give the money back to that young lady B. pay for the bread C. thank the lady for giving him the start thirty years ago D. let the boss of the bakery know the young lady was kind Answer: C A survey shows that the number of fires in government buildings each year is small compared to home fires. This is probably because such buildings are taken good care of and managed. However, at home after work fire safety is your own duty. For most of us who live in high-rise buildings, the safety of you and your family depends on how much you know to do with an emergency . When a fire happens, there is usually little time to decide what to do or how to act. The best thing is to make your emergency plan as soon as possible. Sit down with the family and prepare a careful escape project. Do remember that every fire is _ . Fire and smoke can move very quickly and the situations in any part of the building may change very quickly. Smoke is usually more dangerous than fire. It can spread throughout the building and enter your house when the fire is many floors away. Some information says it is best to leave your house immediately when there is a fire. Others say it is safer to stay there. Which is correct? Usually the best thing to do is to leave the building as soon as possible. However, do not try to leave your house a long time after the fire alarm has sounded. There is a higher chance that heavy smoke has already spread into stairways and hallways. Never travel through smoke. You must stay inside your house and place wet towels at the bottom of the door to stop smoke from entering. Call the Fire Services Department by dialing "119", tell them where you are and then move to the most smoke-free room. Open the window there to let in fresh air if possible. Hang a sheet from the window to show fire fighters where you are. The writer wrote this passage in order to _ . A. tell people some information about fires B. teach people some skills of preventing fires C. give people some advice on escaping from fires D. show people some causes of fires in tall buildings Answer: C "If you have not played video games, your childhood should be called 'incomplete'." That's from Zhan Zaozao, 29, the screenwriter of Play to Grow Up, a 40-minute short movie. It tells the story of two men growing up fans of video games and how they find happiness in games. While people think playing games makes one lazy and is a waste of time, Zhan tries to prove that one can make a living out of it. In the movie, the two heroes, Dunzi and Yanjing, who are in middle school, visit a video games room on the street each day after school. But why make a short movie about video games, since there are lots to write about childhood, such as puppy love, sports and study? "Playing games is so important to everyone's childhood from little kids to teenagers, though it's a bittersweet experience," said Zhan. According to him, his teachers and parents didn't allow video games, but they played games "under their noses " anyway. In the movie, the two playmates follow different paths after school. Dunzi opens a small store selling gaming products. Yanjing works as a manager in his father's company, After years of working and facing various problems in life, they get together again, build a video game machine and play on the street. Free, simple and happy. They rediscover the carefree childhood, which they have lost in the adult world. Many consider playing games as a bad influence, but it isn't all true, according to Zhan. "It can change your attitude toward life," said Zhan. "On the other hand, the movie also tells you that, although the world of video games is fun, you must face real life at the end of the day. " What is the purpose of Zhan writing the short movie? A. To memorize his past. B. To offer an exciting movie. C. To prove that people can make life better with playing video games. D. To prove that people can make a living out of playing video games. Answer: D What does success mean? Is it becoming famous, rich, coming up with an idea that changes people's lives, or helping others and feeling happy? People who have a billion dollars, for example, are they successful? Why don't they stop trying to make money then? Why would they possibly need more than a billion dollars? They try to make more because there will never be enough . They will never be happy enough. If all that you're working for is money, you will do terrible things to get it. If all that you want is a successful business, you will cheat people to get it . If all that you want is fame ,you will give up your _ to achieve it . What's the real success? For me, being rich or famous is not all to life. I might have a lot of readers now on Zen Habits, but I don't feel that's what makes me a success. I've been a success even when I had no readers, because I was doing what I loved. Even when no one else would have called me a successful man. I loved writing, and I was happy. Success isn't about achieving something in the future, but about doing something right now that you love. So, forget about success, and just find joy and love right now, in this moment. That is a success you can achieve, without any method. Just go out and do it. Which of the following is RIGHT? A. People who have a billion dollars must be very happy. B. Readers can read the writer's articles on Zen Habits. C. Success is very important to the writer. D. The writer thinks if people want to own success, they should try many ways. Answer: B
I met my step-mom for the first time when I moved to America to be reunited with my father. From the beginning she made sure to let me know that I was safe and welcome. I remember when I first saw her at the airport. It was different but not uncomfortable. After I was picked up from the airport we went home and she unpacked my luggage. Then she took me shopping for new clothes since the ones I had brought with me from Africa were a bit worn. That night before I went to bed she came to my room, which was the first room I had ever had for my own, with the first bed I didn't have to share. She told me she was glad to have me and that she would take good care of me. Before she walked out of my new room, she asked me for a hug. I had no idea what she was talking about. I did not know what the word hug meant, not because I didn't speak English, but I had just never heard the word before, let alone knew what it meant. So, I just looked at her with a questioning expression on my face. But she didn't give up. She called my father into the room and asked him to explain to me what she meant. When my father was explaining I looked at her and wondered why she wanted to hug me. She then told me it was because she loved me and opened her arms wide. Shyly I opened mine and we hugged. That was my very first hug and I was 11 at that time. I'm 23 now and, thankfully, I have received many hugs since then. I consider her my birth mother because life began when I came to stay with her. For the first time there were no kids for me to take care of and I became a child for the first time. There was no work waiting for me every day other than the occasional chores that she gave me to teach me responsibility. Today I say thank-you to my mother; thank you for giving me my childhood back after it had been taken away from me. I am who I am today because of your love! What can be the best title for the passage? Answer: My First Hug Historians say Harriet Tubman was born in the year 1820.Nobody really knows. But we do know that Harriet Tubman was one of the bravest women ever born in the United States. From a very early age,Harriet knew how slaves suffered. At six years old,she was sent to the fields. Working outside not only made her body strong but also made her learn about the Underground Railroad,on which she helped hundreds of people escape from slavery later. She also learned many things from the other slaves,which one day would help her lead her people to freedom. She became more of a rebel . In 1844,at about age 24,she married a free black man named John Tubman. By now,Harriet was sure she wanted to try to escape. Suddenly,the time came. Her owner died. Though opposed by her husband,she decided to escape. With the help of the Underground Railroad,and through a variety of suffering she finally crossed the border into Pennsylvania,where slavery was banned. Now that Harriet was free,she did not forget the hundreds of other slaves back in Maryland. Harriet traveled back and forth eighteen times,helping about 300 slaves escape into free territory. She became an expert at hiding from slave hunters. The people she helped called her Moses. At one time,anyone finding Harriet was promised $40,000 for catching her-dead or alive. During the Civil War,Harriet Tubman went into enemy territory to spy for the North. She also served as a nurse. After four years of bloody fighting,the North won the war. After the fighting ended,Harriet Tubman returned to Auburn,New York. She kept working. She traveled and gave speeches to raise money for better education for black children. She also worked for women's rights and housing. Harriet Tubman died in 1913.She was about 93 years old. By that time,she was recognized as an American hero. The United States government gave a funeral with military honors for the woman known as Moses. According to the text,we know that _ . Answer: Harriet Tubman still worked for black people after the Civil War I quit the game, WOW, a couple of years ago. My life has improved dramatically. I went from being single to being engaged, I received a second promotion in my career, and life couldn't be hatter. But even then, I still had an urge to play and I thought about it every day. About a month ago, I decided to start playing again. My friends still played and claimed that it's better than before. So I figured I'd give it a shot, and so far I've managed my time well. But the funny thing is that I'm not enjoying it as much as I thought I would. That sense of accomplishment I used to have back then is gone. I figured out why... My enjoyment in the game came from progression. 1 loved accomplishing quests and hitting 60, then beating the basses with 40 other people. Some nights sucked ,when nothing was done. But other nights, when we beat the hell out of a main boss, it felt incredible. I was actually progressing and improving in something. It may not have been real life, but it was there, on my screen, and it was visible for all to see. But now I've actually pursued tangible goals, and realized the sense of accomplishment in WOW is worthless. I don't get excited when the list of epic drops from a boss is sent to me from my friends. I haven't even been interested in getting a flying mount, or PVP gear. I just don't really care about them. I actually don't care about anything that happens in the game, except for some quests. 1 out of every 10 quests you do has an enjoyable story that makes it more interesting. But even so, they are what you can get out of a book, or a good single player game. Even though WOW is enjoyable in some aspects, it's extremely boring in others. Now to me, above all, it's not worth my time to go through it, just to have temporary fun. Why did the writer quit the game a couple of years ago? Answer: This passage doesn't tell us. When Ben Franklin was only a boy,he always wanted to know about things. He was always asking his father and brothers "What?"and "How?" and "Why?" They couldn't always tell him what he wanted to know. When they couldn't tell him,Ben tried to find out for himself. Many times Ben did find out things that no one knew before. The other boys would say,"That Ben Franklin!He's always finding out something new!" Ben lived close to the water.He liked to go there to see the boats. He saw how the wind blew them across the water. One day Ben said to himself,"Why can't the wind help me float across the water?And I'm going to try." Ben got his big kite.He took hold of the kite string and ran with it.The wind took the kite up into the air. Then Ben jumped into the water. The wind blew the kite high into the air.Ben began to float across the water. Soon he was on the other side, _ . One boy shouted,"Look at Ben floating across the water!His kite takes him to the other side without any work!" "Yes," said another."He's always finding new ways to do things." His father and brothers _ . Answer: couldn't answer all his questions Read the following directions on a bottle of medicine: "Take two tablets with water, followed by one tablet every eight hours, as required, For maximum night-time and early morning relief, take two tablets at bed - time, Do not take more than six tablets in twenty-four hours. For children six to twelve years old, give half the amount for a grownup. For children under six years old, ask for your doctor's advice. Reduce the amount if nervousness, _ , or sleeplessness occurs," Obviously the medicine _ . Answer: may be dangerous to small children.
Mr. Brown worked in a factory of a small town. He had been there for twenty years before one day he was sent to the capital for important business. He was quite excited because he had never been there before. Before he set off, he asked his wife and three daughters if they wanted him to buy something for them in London. Mrs. Brown began to think it over and then she said she wished her husband would be able to buy a nice umbrella for her, and so did their three daughters. As he was afraid he would forget it, he drew an umbrella on his hand. To his regret, he lost _ at the station. On the train Mr. Brown sat opposite to an old woman. The woman's umbrella was so nice that he carefully looked at it and said to himself not to forget to buy a few umbrellas like it. When the train arrived at the station in London, he said good-bye to the old woman, took his bag and her umbrella and was going to get off. "Wait a minute, sir," shouted the old woman. "That's my umbrella!" Now Mr. Brown noticed that he had taken her umbrella. His face turned red at once and said in a hurry,"Oh, I'm very sorry, Madam! I didn't mean it!" Seven days later Mr. Brown left the capital. To his surprise, he met the old woman and sat opposite to her again. Looking at the four umbrellas, the old woman was satisfied with herself. "It seems that I had a better choice than the other four women." She thought. How did Mr. Brown get the four umbrellas? Answer: Forty-two of the fifty American states offered some kind of public online learning this past school year.One state,Michigan,now requires all students to have an online learning experience before they finish high school.Even the idea of a school has changed since the rise ofthe Internet in the 1990s. A new report from the Center for Evaluation and Education Policy at Indiana University says eighteen states have full-time virtual schools.There are no buildings.All classes are online. Florida started the first statewide public virtual school in the United States in 1997.Today,the Florida Virtual School offers more man ninety courses.56,000 students were enrolled as of December.Almost sixty percent were female.The school's website says each student was enrolled in an average of two classes. Florida Virtual School has now opened the Florida Virtual Global School.Students in other countries pay for classes.Janet Heiking teaches an English class.She lives in Indianapolis, Indiana.Her students live as far away as Africa and Japan.She says they are taking her Advanced Placement class to prepare for attending an American college.They can earn college credits by passing the AP test. So how good are virtual schools? Studies have shown mixed results, as a new report from Indiana University notes.For example, students at Florida Virtual School earned higher grades than those taking the same courses the traditional way.And they scored higher on a statewide test.But virtual school students in Kansas and Colorado had lower test scores or performed at a lower level than traditional learners.Studies also find that virtual schools may not save much in operating costs. Education experts say the mixed results suggest the need for more research to find the best ways to teach in virtual schools.A1so, they say schools of education need to train more teachers to work in both real and virtual classrooms. A virtual school is one that _ . Answer: Lions eat animals Answer: The 32ndHong Kong Art Festival,to be held early next year,will be based on the theme of "family". The art festival, considered to be Asia's best, began in 1973. "We hope that people from Beijing and from all over the world will go to Hong Kong to enjoy the multiple performances in our art festival," Douglas Gautier, the festival's management director, said in a press conference in the capital. In the 29 days of the festival, which runs from February 8 to March 7,2004, the audience can choose from 111 performances of 51 programmes staged by 700 foreign performers,450 local artists and 160 actors from the mainland. Programmes vary from classical music, jazz, world music, Western and Peking opera, drama and dance to outdoor spectaculars. The programmes include Beethoven's only opera Fidelio, Shakespeare's drama Romeo and Juliet, the ballet Mozartina and African dances, to name just a few. The lineup includes the English Touring Theatre, Prague Chamber Orchestra, Zurich Ballet, the Spanish National Dance Troupe, as well as Europe Galante the Petersen Quarter, pianists Angela Hewitt and Marc-Andre Hamelin, and saxophonist Jan Garbarek. In an effort to increase attendance, hotels and airlines are offering _ along with art festival ticket sales, most of which are at 20% and 30% discounts. For more information, please check: _ The press conference must have been held _ . Answer: For many people, the name Baskin-Robbins is connected to sweet memories of eating ice cream. Irvine Robbins, who helped create this famous company, died in May at the age of ninety. His career of making fun and exciting ice cream flavors changed the way Americans enjoy this food. Irvine Robbins opened his first ice cream store in 1945 in California. At the time, there were no stores that sold only ice cream. His sister's husband, Burton Baskin, also opened his own ice cream stores. In 1948 they combined their six stores into one business. Baskin and Robbins realized that they were too busy to operate each store well. So, they decided to sell part of each operation to the manager of that store. This permitted the company to grow quickly. By 1953, they renamed their company Baskin-Robbins. They advertised that they sold 31 kinds of ice cream to show the many choices buyers had. There was one flavor for every day of the month. Robbins and Baskin sold "Lunar Cheesecake " the day after astronauts landed on the moon in 1969. Other flavors included "ChaChaCha", for cherry chocolate chip, and Robbins' personal favorite "Jamoca Almond Fudge". They said, "We sell fun, not just ice cream." By 1967, there were 500 Baskin-Robbins stores in the United States. The business partners sold their company that year. Today, there are more than 5,800 Baskin-Robbins stores around the world. Baskin-Robbins enjoyed its good business essentially due to _ . Answer:
Question: In northern China winter is long and cold, lasting from December through March. You can often see snow. Summer lasts from May through the end of August. The best time to visit northern China is spring and autumn. The days are warm but the nights are cool. Winters in central China feel colder than they look. You will seldom see snow. Winters are short, lasting from January to the end of March. Summers are long hot and humid, lasting from April through September/October. In spring flowers are blooming and the tree's leaves turn green so there is an air of freshness. However, autumn usually sees clearer skies, and it rains a little. It is very wet in the south and high temperatures last for a long time. Winter from January to March, is short but can feel very cold. But it doesn't snow. Summer through September is the rainy season where temperatures and humidity reach highs. In autumn the heat and humidity weather stops. There is always a chance of rain. Winter in northern China is _ . A. hot B. cool C. long D. short Answer: C Question: Since around the later part of the 1950s, society started to realize that tobacco cigarettes caused health problems. As research progressed along with increasing numbers of people that developed lung cancer, emphysema, and other smoking related illnesses, cigarette smoking has become less accepted and popular. Unfortunately, the nicotine contained in cigarettes is one of the most addictive substances on the planet and makes quitting smoking one of the hardest things to do. In 2003, Chinese pharmacist, Hon Lik invented the electronic cigarette as a safer, and cleaner way to breathe in nicotine after his father, a heavy smoker, passed away from lung cancer attributed to smoking tobacco cigarettes. Hon Lik applied for his first patent on the electronic cigarette in 2003 and afterwards introduced e-cigs to the Chinese market in the following year through his employer, Golden Dragon Holdings. Golden Dragon Holdings later changed the company's name to "Ruyan" in order to better match the company's name(Ruyan means "almost like smoke")to the new product. Since the renaming, the Ruyan company has continued e-cigarette development and grown to be one of the largest global e-cig manufactures. Dr.Sam Han, CEO of Cixi E-CIG Technology, Inc, Ltd. also has a number of e-cig related inventions, including four patents in the United States and two in China that are electronic cigarette and e-liquid technology related. Similar to Hon Lik's father. Dr. Han was a heavy smoker for more than 40 years before beginning to work on electronic cigarette technologies in order to help himself and others make the shift to vapor smoking. Dr.Han continues to market and conduct R&D in e-cig related techonologies to this date. After the successful deployment of Ruyan and Cixi E-CIG electronic cigarettes in China and Asia, the products started to be sold in significant quantities on the Internet. Since when have Chinese smokers have been able to buy Hon Lik's electronic cigarettes according to the passage? A. 2000. B. 2003. C. 2004. D. 2005. Answer: C Question: New York's streets were covered by people dressed in elephant costumes and others waving antiwar posters with pictures of US President George W. Bush on them last week. But this was no carnival - it was the Republican Party's National Convention , which attracted thousands of protestors . It was the largest protest ever at a US political convention, with at least 120,000 people marching through Manhattan on August 29. They demanded that the US leave Iraq and a new president be chosen. The Republicans say the opposition - Democrat Party encouraged the people on to the streets. They believe it is a democratic move to help win presidential election, to be held on November 2. The election is described as "the decisive battle between donkey and elephant". The two animals are the symbols of the two major political parties in the US. The elephant represents the Republicans, whose candidate , President George W. Bush, is trying to defeat the donkey to win his second them. The donkey represents the democrats, whose candidate, John Kerry, is trying to kick the elephant out of the White House. Republicans think the elephant is powerful and clever, but the Democrats argue it is stupid and conservative . In return, the Republicans regard the donkey as stubborn and silly but the Democrats say it is humble, plain, smart and courageous. The Republicans have been sending emails to Bush supporters and journalists with the heading, "An Elephant Never Forgets", said party spokeswoman Heather Layman. Elephants are known for their long memories. The emails suggest that Bush will keep his promises, while Kerry will not stick to his words. It is interesting that both symbols were created by a single person, Thomas Nast, a famous political cartoonist of the late 19th century. During the election in 1874, Nast drew a cartoon, in which a donkey in a lion's skin frightened an elephant marked "Republican". What does "kick the elephant out of the White House" mean? A. Drive the animal out of the White House. B. Drive President Bush out of power. C. Keep the elephant out of the White House. D. Insist on Bush's being elected. Answer: B Question: Have you ever heard of Jinjiang Hotel? It is on our busiest street. It's the best place to live in if you travel here. The hotel is only 0.5 kilometer from the biggest supermarket and the subway. It has three kinds of rooms for different people to use. The first kind is standard room, that is two beds with a bathroom. It offers you the air conditioner, the television and the telephone. Second is the single room, that has only one bed. Though it has only one bed, you can enjoy yourself, for the bed is really comfortable and the environment is really good. The last one we call commercial room. That is served for businessmen. The commercial room has the best quality. It also provides 24-hour hot water. You can have free tea in the afternoon. Imagine how nice as you drink tea as talking about your business with your partners. If you want to eat something, please just call 123, the food will arrive in ten minutes. One great thing is that it is very safe here because we have a few strong guards working day and night, so I'm sure you will have a great time living here. Another reason why travelers like to live in the hotel is that _ . A. it has a safe living environment B. you can go to the dining room to order food C. it is the biggest D. you can work like the guards day and night. Answer: A Question: The word tolerance is widely used in liberal democracies. It indicates a positive meaning. Politicians urge us to be tolerant towards minorities. Educators teach us to be tolerant towards the other. The press is full of references to the need to display tolerance when faced with individuals or groups espousing a different view or holding a different religious belief. A tolerant society is an objective sought after by anyone who believes in the values of democracy. A tolerant individual is attributed with virtuous qualities. The question we must ask is whether we have been using the word tolerance fully aware of its meaning and whether we have applied it correctly to reflect what we really wish to convey? The word tolerance means to bear, or to bear with. If I tolerate something or someone, I basically say that I am ready to bear it or him. I can tolerate a bad smell or a noisy neighbour. The act of toleration forces me to desist from conveying my objection to the existence of a phenomenon, which I find difficult to bear. A bad smell or a noisy neighbour is considered by me to be an objectionable phenomenon. By tolerating either of them, I am not transforming the bad smell or the noisy neighbour into positive phenomena. Let's be honest: I don't have a different taste when it comes to bad smells. I simply dislike it and wish that it disappears. I don't respect the noisy neighbour. I would rather have him stop at once the noise he is making so I can live in peace. To try to remove the bad smell or take reasonable action in order for the noisy neighbour to stop bothering me would most probably not be considered an intolerant act by most people. Now, let's try to apply the word tolerance in reference to a person who is law-abiding and holds a legally acceptable different view from my own. I may have a strong view, which is opposed to his. Quite frankly, I may decide to tolerate his view. By so doing, I would be attributing to it a negative characteristic. I would apply the same attitude to his view as to the bad smell or noisy neighbour. Thus, to try to take action in order to make his view disappear would be considered an intolerant act. To tolerate his view the way I would a bad smell or a noisy neighbour, could hardly be considered virtuous. The subject tolerating is by nature not equal to the object being tolerated. If I tolerate you, I essentially say that I am above you and am prepared, although unwillingly, to bear with your presence or with your practices or opinions. That may be true in the case of an individual who is ready to tolerate the other. However, this attitude by such an individual, though empirically true, is hardly a virtue. Certainly, the fact that an individual, in reality, may merely tolerate the other or his opinion does not justify a government or any official authority promoting tolerance as a virtue. One cannot tolerate an equal being. True equality involves respect, not toleration. To respect the other as a distinctive person is hardly to tolerate him. This is the true meaning of equality: diversity existing in a mutually-respectful socio-legal setting. The danger with tolerance is that it can lead to the acceptance of individuals or groups bent on destroying the foundations of democratic systems. We have seen such cases with regard to political parties or destructive religious groups that have been treated in a liberal manner under the guise of tolerance. A tolerant attitude involves the grant of a favour, not a right. The question we should ask ourselves is whether we would ever wish a parliament to make laws according to us, as individuals and as part of a collective entity or a permission to pursue certain actions interpreted as a favour rather than a right? Indeed, would we ever wish anyone to listen to our views and accept us the way we are simply because he is kind enough to tolerate us? The example of a bad smell and a noisy neighbour is raised to indicate that _ . A. the writer are fed up with them B. most people find them hard to tolerate C. the writer isn't prejudiced against them D. tolerating them isn't a virtuous act Answer: D
The whole morning we just checked our own things. We were looking for items to give away. We thought of blankets, food and clothing. Our aim was not to find things we no longer wanted, but things we use every day and would be useful to others. We made up boxes with the things and added some small toys. Inside the boxes a simple letter was placed, reading: "Please take these items and know that your life is important. Times are difficult but they will pass. We share what we have, believing it will matter. Use the blanket to stay warm. Be safe and know that the human spirit can overcome anything. Don't hold your head down. Someday please do the same when you can. How you do it and when, your heart will tell you. This kind act was not because the phone rang or for any reason. It was simply because it was the right time to do. We have often seen homeless people at the park where we left the belongings. The city would say that it isn't a problem but I see the lives walking to and from it. I noticed that my wife had put her favorite green coat into one of the boxes. I asked if she was sure about it and she simply replied that it had a hood . She liked the coat but knew the hood could shelter someone from the rain. We don't know where these gifts of compassion will go. We never go back and see what happens. It's unimportant. The right things will find the right people and that is all that counts. On the way my wife started to cry. When I asked why, she said because some things felt so right. What's the best title for this passage? A. Boxes filled with compassion B. Good behavior leading to happiness C. The most important thing in our life D. Happiness coming from sharing things Answer: A. Boxes filled with compassion Brigham Young University students can now receive the unconditional love of dogs without breakingrules prohibiting petsin university housing. Jenna Miller started her company Puppies for Rent this summer in the Provo area as a wayfor studentsand otherstorent puppies by the hour. The pups have been rented for first dates and surprise parties and by mothers rewarding their children. After signing a contract, customers can rent them for $15 an hour, $25 for two hours and $10for each additional hour. Miller offers her seven puppies for playtime rentals, with each dog hand delivered straight tothe customers' door. Her lawyer brother helps her with legal contracts and fees. She now has four employees helpinglook after and deliverthe animal. Carl Arky, spokesman for the Humane Society of Utah said his group is against the business. Puppies need consistency and stability in their lives, he said, and renting them to various peoplemight affect the animals' growth and development. Miller said the animals are treated well and she has a 100 percent success rate so far findingthem a permanent home. Money paid byrenters goes toward adoption fees if they decide to own a puppy. Which of thefollowing are not possiblerenters of the puppies? A. Younglovers. B. Party organizers. C. Mothers. D. Scientific groupmembers. Answer: D. Scientific groupmembers. A new study says electronic toys are not helping babies learn. "Even if companies are marketing them as educational, they're not teaching the babies anything at this time," said Anna Sosa the study's author. Researchers listened to audio recordings of parents playing with their babies aged 10 months to 16 months. The researchers compared the experiences when the children played with electronic toys, traditional toys such as blocks, or when the children looked at books. What they found is that parents talked less with their babies when the babies played with electronic toys. Why is this important? Research shows that how quickly children develop language is often based on what they hear from parents. When the infants played with electronic toys, parents said little to their children. But with traditional toys, such as blocks, parents shared the names and descriptions of the animals, colors and shapes as their children played. There was even more information given by parents as their babies looked at the pictures in books. Of course, there is no need for parents to throw out electronic toys, but they should look at their infants' play with such toys as entertainment, not a learning experience. Toy Industry Association spokeswoman Adrienne Appell responded to the study. She said it is important that parents make time to play with their children. "Playing is a way that kids can learn so much, not only cognitive skills, but social and developmental skills," she said. She added that play should be balanced, including time for just "make believe" activities, as well as traditional and electronic toys. What's Anna Sosa's attitude towards companies claiming that their toys are educational? A. supportive B. doubtful C. uninterested D. indifferent Answer: B. doubtful Now is a great time to start thinking about how the 2015 Summer course offerings might help you complete your academic program at a faster rate and with less money! Whether you register for Summer not, we have some great activities and other special events planned for Rowan students, faculty and staff. Wehope you will join us! Registration Information Register online at Gwinnett Online Campus between March 16, 2015 and June l, 2015. Class Dates Online Summer School June 8, 2015 to July 6, 2015 GCPS offers free Academic Summer School for qualifying elementary and middle school students in Grades 3~8. Details 15-day session with no classes on Fridays, (NO classes on June12,June19,and June26) First day of class is Monday, June8,and last day is Wednesday, Julyl.(June8-11:June15-18, June 22-25,June 29-Julyl) ' The dates for elementary and middle school summer school are June 8 through July l with no Summer school on Fridays (15 days). Parents of suitable students will be _ that their children may participate in the free session and given specifics about location and hours. The free academic summer school is for students who did not meet promotion criteria at their grade level. Summer school will not be provided at every school, due to maintenance and construction at some schools and plans for combined "cluster" summer school sites, Participating students will be told of location for summer school. Most summer school sites will not offer transportation. Those schools with additional federal funding to offer transportation will tell parents regarding availability. What day is June 20, 2015? A. Thursday. B. Friday. C. Saturday. D. Sunday. Answer: C. Saturday. A normal conversation between strangers involves more than talk. It also involves the dynamics of space interaction. If one person gets too close, the other person will back up. If the first person invades the other's space again, the other person will back up again. The person who finds himself or herself backing up is trying to increase the distance of the comfort zone. The person closing in is trying to decrease that distance. Most likely neither person is fully aware of what is going on. In the 1960s, American anthropologist Edward T. Hall was a pioneer in the study of human behavioral use of space. His field of study became known as proxemics.Hall said that personal space for people in the United States can be defined as having four distinct zones: the intimate zone within 18 inches of your body, for whispering and embracing; the personal zone of 18 inches to four feet, for talking with close friends; the social zone of four to 10 feet, for conversing with acquaintances; and the public zone of 10 to 25 feet, for interacting with strangers or talking to a group. Historians say that our standards of personal space began with the Industrial Revolution in the 18thcentury. In cities such as London and New York, people of different social and economic classes were suddenly crammed together, so they unconsciously developed a commonly understood code of courtesy to restrict the space around them. People exhibit nonverbal messages of discomfort when their zones are violated. Invaded people might tap their toes, pull at their hair, become completely rigid, or even become angry. As hall noted in his landmark work, a comfortable conversation needs to include the parameters of human personal space. If you and a close friend began talking when you were eight feet apart, you would probably soon _ . A. move closer together B. move farther apart C. begin talking more softly D. ask another friend to join the conversation Answer: A. move closer together
Can you remember any of the bad habits you used to have when you were very young? Perhaps, as a baby, you used to suck your thumb . Of course, you do not do that any more, but you can surely remember your mother's efforts to train you. The good habits you now have in such matters as personal cleanliness were part of this early training. We may not suck our thumbs any more, but as we get older we get other bad habits. We can't give them up easily, either.(Anyone who has tried to give up smoking knows this very well!) Each period brings its own problems. In babyhood, it's thumb-sucking; in childhood, it's nail-biting; in our teens, it's smoking; in middle-age, it's over-eating, and so on. And if anyone tells you that he has no bad habits, you can be sure that he must have the worst habit of all. Which of the following is NOT true to the passage? Answer: Large areas of the Amazon rainforest were grassland until just 2,000 years ago when it has been found. Researchers say the find gives new light on the Amazon's history - and show it was a savannah rather than the high forest it is today. They believe much of the area was grassland until a natural shift to a wetter climate about 2,000 years ago let the rainforests form, according to a study that challenges common belief that the world's biggest tropical forest is far older. The arrival of European diseases after Columbus crossed the Atlantic in 1492 may also have sped up the growth of forests by killing the local people farming the region, the scientists wrote in the US journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). "The dominant ecosystem was more like a savannah than the rainforest we see today," John Carson, lead author at the University of Reading in England, said of the findings about the southern Amazon. The scientists said that a shift toward wetter conditions, perhaps caused by natural shifts in the Earth's orbit around the sun, led to growth of more trees starting about 2,000 years ago. The "findings suggest that rather than being rainforest hunter-gatherers, or large-scale forest clearers, the people of the Amazon from 2,500 to 500 years ago were farmers," the University of Reading said in a statement. Carson said that perhaps a fifth of the Amazon basin, in the south, may have been savannah until the shift, with forests covering the rest. In one lake, Laguna Granja, rainforest plants only took over from grass as the main sources of sediments about 500 years old, suggesting a link to the arrival of Europeans. And understanding the forest could help solve puzzles about climate change. The Amazon rainforest affects climate change because trees soak up heat-trapping carbon dioxide as they grow and release it when they rot or are burnt. Brazil has sharply slowed deforestation rates in recent years. How does the author think about Columbus' crossing the Atlantic in 1492? Answer: Bonus culture has become the subject of many studies nowadays. Many people have been angered by the way some bankers and high officials seem to have been rewarded for failure. Others find the idea of offering many-million-dollar bonuses morally disgusting. But few have asked whether performance-related bonuses really do improve performance. The answer seems so obvious that even to ask the question can appear ridiculous. Indeed, in spite of all the complaints about them, financial encouragements continue to be introduced in more and more areas, from healthcare and public services to teaching and universities. So it may come as a shock to many to learn that paying for results can actually make people perform badly in many circumstances, and that the more you pay, the worse they perform. No one is arguing that bonuses can help companies and institutions attract and keep the best staff. Nor does anyone argue against the idea that you can encourage people to do specific tasks by linking payments to those tasks. Rather, the point is about how to get the best out of people. Do employees really perform better if you promise to pay them more for getting results? There are some obvious reasons why such payments can fail. It has been argued, for instance, that cash bonuses contributed to the financial crash, because traders had little enthusiasm to make sure that their companies enjoyed long-term survival. Most bonus projects are poorly designed, says Professor Malcolm Higgs. He thinks the reason is that organizations try to keep bonus arrangements simple. Nevertheless, he thinks bonus projects can work as long as they link the interests of individual employees with the long-term goals of a business. Bonuses can also encourage cheating. "Once you start making people's rewards dependent on outcomes rather than behaviors, the evidence is people will do whatever they can to get those outcomes," says Professor Edward Deci. "In many cases the high officials simply lied and cheated to make the stock price go up so they got huge bonuses." But the work of Deci and others suggests the problem with bonuses runs far deeper than poor design or cheating. In 1971, he asked students to solve puzzles, with some receiving cash prizes for doing well and others getting nothing. Deci found those offered cash were less likely to keep working on puzzles after they had done enough to get paid. These studies suggest that offering rewards can stop people doing things for the pure joy of it. This was the basis for a series of books by Kohn in which he argues that rewarding children, students and workers with grades, scholarships and other "bribes" leads to low-quality work in the long run. Those who believe in the power of bonuses fail to distinguish between inner drive and outside pressure -- wanting to do something because you like it for itself in contrast to doing something because you want the reward, Kohn says. "It's not just that these two are different, it's often that the more you reward people for doing something, the more their inner drive tends to decline." A "do this and get that" approach might improve performance in the short term, but over longer periods it will always fail, Kohn says. People who receive bonus will naturally play safe, become less creative, cooperate less and feel less valued, he adds. What's more, the studies also suggest that offering rewards can also stop people taking responsibility. If a person plays safe to get a bonus, he is probably being _ . Answer: Many centuries ago, birthdays were considered a time when the bad spirits were able to harm you. It was believed that you should have your friends and family around you so that their good wishes and present-giving would keep the bad spirits away. People also believed that, by lighting candles, they were sending a signal or wishes to the gods. Later on, candles started to be used on birthday cakes. One story about the beginnings of the birthday cake is that it started with the Greeks, who made round cakes standing for the full moon for their moon goddess . They also placed candles on the cake to make it light, again like the moon. However, the Germans are said to have first used cakes and candles. They used a sweet cake and they put a large candle in the centre of the cake to mean "the light of life". The "Happy Birthday" song is more than a hundred years old. The music was written in 1893 by two sisters, Patty and Mildred Hill, who were schoolteachers in Louisville, Kentucky. The music was first used as a morning greeting to their students with the title, "Good Morning To All". In 1935, the words legally belonged to the Hill sisters, and the copyright has been bought and sold for millions of dollars ever since. The present copyright is owned by Warner Communications. They bought it in 1989 for more than $22 million. The text mainly talks about _ . Answer: Which is a visible example of water vapor Answer:
Question: Genes are unable to determine a person's A. eye color. B. athletic ability. C. number of teeth. D. shape of earlobes. Answer: B. athletic ability. Question: Before coming to France,I always thought that French people wear formal clothes. But, when I arrived in Paris, I came to know why France could remain the lead in world fashion and Paris could attract so many designers from all over the world to come. On the boulevard of Champs-elysees, there are many fashion shops of famous brands, such as Chanel, Dior, Pierre Cardin. In daily life, however, most of Parisians never wear clothes like those on the super models. On the opposite, I found people in Paris often dress in very simple designs and usually in dark. Such situation doesn't affect French designers to create more and more new styles. But I would say people in Paris dress more formally than those in the rest of France. In other French cities, what people wear are usually casual dresses, such as T-shirts and jeans. French people act as the fashion leaders, but they accept other clothes styles as well. Montpellier, the city I live in, is in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. Here are many immigrants from Algeria, Morocco and other African countries. The Arabian and African cultures are influential in this city. Therefore, you can find a lot of young people dress in the North African style. France could remain the lead in world fashion and Paris could attract so many designers from all over the world because_. A. French people never wear fashionable clothes B. French designers are creative C. French people accept fashionable clothes and other styles D. both B and C Answer: D. both B and C Question: Li Ping is going to England. He wants to know something about English people. One day he sees an English girl in the street. Then he comes up to her. "Excuse me, may I ask you some questions?" "Of course you may."answers the girl politely. "I'll go to London. What should I notice when I'm talking with English people in London? "asks Li Ping. "Well, don't ask a woman how old she is and..." "But how old are you? "Li Ping stops the girl and asks suddenly. "I..."The girl gets angry. "Why do you get so angry?"asks Li Ping. "Now we are in China, not in England, you see" Whom does Li Ping see in the street? A. He sees a girl. B. He sees a boy. C. He sees a woman. D. He sees an old man. Answer: A. He sees a girl. Question: A Scottish university is considering allowing students to use their own computers in exams. Edinburgh University already has the equipment to allow a small number of students to use computers during exams. Senior officials at Edinburgh University say that it is unfair to expect students to use pens and paper in exams when the majority of their coursework is done on computers. Undergraduates at the School of Divinity have the choice of using computers with their final answers being collected on a USB stick, but the take-up stands at less than 10 per cent. Dai Hounsell, professor of higher education at the university, said, "We've got to look at alternatives to the handwritten exam. Looking ahead ten years from now, I'm sure there will not be handwritten answers any longer in the exam of certain subjects, but how we get there from here isn't easy. The plan doesn't apply so much to science and engineering subjects where students have to use charts and mathematical formulae . There isn't technology at the moment to allow them to do that on a computer." He adds that the approval of students is the key before anything is carried out. He also said, "We don't want to put students' future at risk by experimenting as there are technical things which can go wrong. There could be a power failure." Nora Mogey, head of Media and Learning Technology Service at the university, said, "A lot of students are not _ enough to make that step in such an important situation. They don't feel they've had enough practice in typing on a computer with a time limit in a high-pressure environment. They think they do better with a pen in their hand than on a keyboard." Jennifer Cadiz, president at the National Union of Students in the UK, said, "It's great to see universities recognizing that times have changed. Exams can be a really stressful time for students and it's helpful to offer them a flexible way to complete exams." No other major Scottish universities have plans to follow in Edinburgh University's footsteps and the Scottish Qualifications Authority says it has decided not to carry out the plan in its universities. What's Dai Hounsell's attitude towards Edinburgh University's new plan? A. He opposes it. B. He isn't optimistic about it. C. He is fond of it. D. He thinks it necessary. Answer: B. He isn't optimistic about it. Question: The New Year holidays bring delicious food, but no one wants a weight problem after they are over. American Food psychologist Brian Wansink has recently published "Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think". The book explains why we eat what we eat and how we can control our eating. Most of his suggestions are based on scientific studies he has conducted as director of Cornell University's Food and Brand Lab. Here are 10 of his tips for the holiday season: 1 People tend to eat more when distracted by conversation or a game on TV. Setting your chopsticks down and giving full attention to the conversation will prevent overeating. 2 See it before you eat it. Eating chips from a bowl led one group to consume 134 fewer calories than others who ate straight from the bag. 3 Keep the evidence on the table, such as chicken bones, cake papers, and candy wrappers . Studies have shown that leaving the wrappers and remains of food on the table leads diners to eat less. 4 Budget calories. Do not eat the appetizer if you know you want dessert. It will be easier to count how many calories you consume. 5 Sit next to the slowest eater at the table and try to eat slower than him or her. Always be the last one to start eating, and set your chopsticks down after every bite. 6 Don't avoid the food you really want, but eat it in smaller portions . 7 The more variety, the more people will eat. When there are a smaller number of dishes on the table people eat less. 8 Put foods that are unhealthy in the back of the cupboard , the back of the refrigerator, the back of the freezer. You can also "hide" food that is bad for you. Office workers ate 23 percent less candy when it was in a white, covered candy dish than in a see-through one. 9 Use small bowls. A study found that people serving themselves from smaller bowls ate 59 per cent less. 10 Use tall, narrow glasses for drinks. Even experienced waiters poured more into short, wide glasses than into thin ones. What is the main point of the article? A. To report the tips of an American food psychologist on holiday eating. B. To report on studies of weight problems conducted by an American food psychologist. C. To report on the delicious food which can be eaten on the New Year holidays. D. To introduce a book called Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think. Answer: A. To report the tips of an American food psychologist on holiday eating.
Hi,I'm Mimi. I'm four years old. I enjoy listening to music very much. I can sing and dance. This is a photo of me at my birthday party. I look very cool because it is my birthday today.It is favorite day of this year.I get up early and I'm ready for my birthday party.I have a lot of animal friends .iIcall them to my home on the phone. Then I take a bus to go shopping. I buy some food ,friut and drinks in the super market.At 7:0p.m,the party begins.All my friend asks me to sing some songs for them .I'm shy in front of them but I feel happy.Look! I'm playing guitar.They are listening tomy songs They clap their hands from time to time.at last ,all my friends walk to me and sing." Happy birthday" to me.How happy my birthday is !And my friends have a good time . What time does the birthday party begin? A. 5:00 a.m B. 6:30 p.m C. 7:00 a.m D. 7:00p.m Answer: D. 7:00p.m As China becomes increasingly urbanized , it has to find space for its urban and rural citizens as both groups become increasingly integrated. Experts suggest a possible model way may be "re-inventing" a "garden city". China's mega-cities are bursting at the borders and the country is now undergoing the quickest and biggest urbanization in the history of mankind. It is estimated that by 2025, China will have 400 million more people living in its cities, raising its urban population to 900 million. Besides, new satellite towns are mushrooming on the urban fringes while city ring roads are rippling outwards into the countryside at amazing speed. Satellite maps collected by Professor Joshua Bolchover at the University of Hong Kong bring the problem sharply into focus. They track the changing rural-urban framework in the past 30 years, and suggest that cities are cruelly destroying surrounding rural land and rapidly reducing the amount of arable land, which gives way to new residential blocks, new industrial zones, new financial centers and the other inevitable signs and signatures of economic growth. This, however, is not sustainable growth pattern, especially when China has the world's largest population to feed. So concerned urban planners are starting to note the social and physical effects of diaspora when replaced rural communities are forced into the cities. On the other hand, a trend of thought is gradually taking shape and this is the concept of the "garden city", a combination of country and city that is being proposed by architects and city planners. Hua Li, from Tao Architects, is among the many professionals with such a voice. His argument is supported by a long-term study on this subject. As Hua says, the answer is to preserve patches of productive farmland within urban boundaries. Less transportation means we have fresh agricultural products at lower costs and less carbon emission in the city. And urban farmland can also be showcased for agricultural tourism and education. The concept is already practiced at the grassroot level. Agriculture has gone into the air, up to roof and balcony in some communities in the cities. It's common to see organic "hanging garden" on the roof of some traditional courtyard home. According to some people, the rooftop project translate to tangible (=" practical)" benefits, such as safe, nutritious vegetables, a cooler home in summer. Some say thanks to the tomatoes they plant that are natural insect killers, there're fewer mosquitoes. Apart from these, it also contributes to better bonding with neighbors. Zhang, a doctor in Beijing, began creating his hanging garden five years ago. Since his garden became home to 30 kinds of vegetables and fruit --- all enough to feed his family, neighbors have enjoyed dropping by for a relaxing chat or just to see how well the lovely vegetables and fruit are doing. Although people like Zhang are still rare and the greening of roof space with vegetables and fruit takes skill and energy, with more positive media exposure and advanced technology there is the prospect that garden city will become common practice in the near future. By then, cities will no longer look so gray when seen from the satellites. In Hua Li's opinion, a combination of country and city will _ . A. benefit the environment and lower living costs B. become a project that needs a long-term study C. lead to more rural communities being replaced D. attract more farmers to take tours in cities Answer: A. benefit the environment and lower living costs For centuries,mankind and dogs have suffered from a communication failure.We can tell dogs what we want them to do and sometimes they comply,but we've always struggled when it comes to understanding the true meaning of their barks and whimpers.There is exciting news now-a dog translator has been invented to help you communicate with your furry friend. Researchers at North Carolina State University have fashioned some kind of miracle dog translator body harness .What's special about it is that it doesn't just rely on the dog's vocalizations to interpret what Fido is banging on about. Oh no-this miracle harness reads and interprets the ordinary dogs'body language as well,giving us a full two-way dog communication experience. Researcher David Roberts says:"Dogs communicate primarily through body language,and one of our challenges was to develop sensors that tell us about their behavior by observing their posture remotely." Sensors on the harness monitor the dog's heart rate and body temperature and software builds up a vocabulary,letting the human know what the dog is feeling. What would dogs say if they could talk to us?The human can even communicate back through the harness thanks to vibration motors,supposedly by tapping into the dog's senses so that it can understand what you're trying to say to it. The dog harness is designed for dogs involved in search and rescue and other front-line work,but it's got us dreaming of a beautiful future,one where humans and dogs can co-exist as equals,with the dog able to fully express itself at all times. Why can't people communicate with dogs? A. They have difficulty understanding dogs'barks and whimpers. B. They have no idea about dogs'behavior in relation to their posture. C. They don't know how to tell dogs what they want them to do. D. They don't have a machine to translate the dogs'language. Answer: A. They have difficulty understanding dogs'barks and whimpers. A gentleman once advertised for a boy to help him in his office, and nearly fifty persons asked for the place. Out of the whole number he in a short time chose one, and sent all the other boys away. "I should like to know," said a friend, "on what ground you chose that boy. He didn't even have a recommendation with him. "You are mistaken,"said the gentleman, "he had a great many: - "He made his shoes clean when he came in, and closed the door after him; showing that he was orderly . "He gave his seat to the disabled old man; showing that he was _ "He took off his cap when he came in, and answered my questions quickly and respectfully c) ; showing that he was polite. "He lifted up the book which I had purposely laid on the floor, and put it on the table, while all the others stepped over it or pushed it aside; showing that he was careful. "And he waited quietly for his turn, instead of pushing the others aside; showing that he was modest ( ) . "When I talked with him, I noticed that his clothes were carefully brushed, his hair in nice order, and his teeth as white as milk. When he wrote his name, I noticed that his fingernails were clean; instead of having some untidy personal habits. "Don't you call these things letters of recommendation? I do; and the things that I can discover a boy by using my eyes for ten minutes, is worth more than all the fine letters that he can bring." What can you learn from this passage? A. The gentleman is a wise man. B. All gentlemen can choose the right person by using their eyes. C. Good behaviors c) and good habits ae important for a person. D. One should pay more attention to his recommendation than to his behaviors. Answer: C. Good behaviors c) and good habits ae important for a person. There are an extremely large number of antsworldwide. Each individual ant hardly weigh anything, but put together they weigh roughly the same as all of mankind. They also live nearly everywhere, except on frozen mountain tops and around the poles.Foranimals their size, ants have been astonishingly successful, largely due to their wonderfulsocial behavior. In colonies that range in size from a few hundred to tens of millions, they organize their lives with a clear division of labor. Even more amazing is how they achievethis level of organization. Where we use sound and sight to communicate, ants dependprimarily on pheromone , chemicals sent out by individuals and smelled or tastedby fellow members of their colony. When an ant finds food, it produces a pheromone that will lead others straight to where the food is. When an individual ant comes under attack or is dying, it sends out an alarm pheromone to warn the colony to prepare for a conflict as a defense unit. In fact, when it comes to the art of war, ants have no equal. They are completely fearless and will readily take on a creature much larger than themselves, attacking in large groups and overcoming their target. Such is their devotion to the common good of the colony that not only soldier ants but also worker ants will sacrifice their lives to help defeat an enemy. Behaving in this selfless and devoted manner, these little creatures have survived on Earth, for more than 140 million years, far longer than dinosaurs. Because they think as one, they have a collective intelligence greater than you would expect from itsindividual parts. Which of the following contributes most to the survival of ants? A. Their behavior. B. Their size. C. Their number. D. Their weight Answer: A. Their behavior.
Question: For those who are tired doing the laundry, Samsung has found an answer: a washing machine that can tell you when your laundry is done via a smartphone app(application). Strange though it may seem -- "my wife already does that" was a common response among attendees viewing the device when it was introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this week -- Samsung is just one of many appliance makers racing to install a large number of internet-connected features in machines in an effort to make them "smart". Last year, it was a refrigerator that tweeted. This year, it's Wi-Fi-enabled laundry machines and fridges that can tell you when your groceries are going bad. The washers and dryers, available starting in the spring, connect to any smartphone through a downloadable application. The phone can then be used as a remote control, so the machines can be turned on and off while their owners is at work or on the bus. Samsung says it's not just something new -- the app connection actually has some practical uses. "If you started to dry clothes in the morning and forgot to take them out, you can go to your phone and restart your dryer for the time when come home, so your clothes are refreshed and ready to go," said spokesperson Amy Schmidt. The company also says that with electricity rate varying depending on the time of day, more control over when the machines are used can help save money. Perhaps, but what they will probably really accomplish is what all good technologies do --enable laziness. Rather than getting up to check on whether the laundry is done, users will instead monitor it on their phones while watching TV. What can we learn about the new laundry machines? A. They can tell you when your clothes need washing B. They can be controlled with a smartphone C. They are difficult to operate D. They are sold at a low price Answer: B. They can be controlled with a smartphone Question: A study by St. Louis University has found that a lovable dog named Sparky and a robotic dog AIBO, were about equally effective at reducing the loneliness of nursing home residents. The study confirmed previous findings that dogs have a good effect on nursing home residents . Dr. Andrew Smith led the Stanford University teamat built a home-assistance robot. "If humans can feel an emotional tie with robots, some day they could be not just our assistants, but also our companions," he said. To test whether residents responded better to Sparky, a trained dog, or the Sony-made robotic dog, researchers divided 38 nursing home residents into three groups at three long-term care centers in St, Louis. One group had weekly 30-minute one-on-one visits with Sparky; another group had similar visits with AIBO; a control group had no contact with either dog.The groups' respective levels of loneliness were tested by having them answer a number of questions at the beginning and near the end of the visits. After two months, both groups that had contact with the dogs were less lonely and more attached. Most of the elderly regarded Sparky, a 9-year-old dog, as an audience for their life stories, said investigator Marian Banks. "He listened attentively, wagged his tail, and allowed them to pet him," said Banks, who adopted and trained Sparky after finding him in a street behind her home seven years ago. Those who were together with AIBO took a little longer to warm to the robotic creature.Over time, however, they grew comfortable with him, and petted and talked to him. He would respond by wagging his tail, vocalizing , and blinking his lights. "AIBO is charming once you start to interact with him," said the study's author, Dr. William Banks, " He's an attractive sort of guy. He gives a feeling: of being personal, not just a robot. " What would be the best title for the passage? A. Robots Serve People Better Than Thought B. No More Lonely Old Age with Emotional Robots C. Dogs equipped with robots to Help the Elderly D. Robots and Dogs Can Equally Cheer up the Elderly Answer: B. No More Lonely Old Age with Emotional Robots Question: All our food comes from the soil . Some of us eat meat, but animals live on plants. If there are no plants, we will have no animals and meat. So the soil is necessary for us to live. The top of ground is usually covered with grass or other plants. Plants grow in soil, which has a dark color. This dark soil is humus. Dead leaves, dead plants and animals' waste make it, but this takes a long time. When the humus has been made, plants can grow well in it. All soil needs food. If we don't give it any, the plants will be weak. Animals' waste is the best food for the soil, but chemical fertilizers are also very useful. The same crop should not be grown in the same place every year; it is better to have a different crop. A change of crop and the use of a good fertilizer will keep the land in good condition. When the soil is dry, the wind blows it away. Sometimes heavy rain carries the humus down to a river. People should grow more and more trees and grass to stop wind from carrying the humus away. It takes hundreds of years to make humus, and so we must save every bit of it. Without soil, where can we grow food? We should save every bit of humus, because _ . A. it takes a long time to make humus B. sometimes the wind will blow the dry soil away C. the chemical fertilizers are expensive D. animals waste is the best food for the soil Answer: A. it takes a long time to make humus Question: Man-made satellites have been sent up into space by many countries. These satellites go round the earth and help us to learn more about the earth, the weather and other things. Most countries use these satellites to sent and receive messages. For example, with their help China can send their programs to America, too. We can also use satellites to help us to make telephone calls to foreign countries. Man-made satellites are _ to people. A. terrible B. useful C. unknown D. not necessary Answer: B. useful Question: the closest star to the human planet delivers solar energy to the planet A. maybe B. the moon C. this is uncertain D. this is affirmative Answer: D. this is affirmative
My mother has always been a follower of traditional methods when it comes to anything. She cooks traditional food,likes dressing up traditionally and likes the traditional way of shopping. She loves going to markets and going from one shop to another to find out what suits her best. She can walk miles when it comes to shopping along with her friends. She knows all the local markets and shops and knows very well where she can get best discounts . However,now she always gets tired when she goes out in the market. So one day I decided to introduce a new shop,which is much larger than usual markets and where she can also get discounts.I am talking about online gift stores. She has a basic knowledge of computers and can operate computers. At the beginning,she was doubtful about shopping from these online gift shops because she wasn't too sure about the quality of the products. One day I decided to get her some branded things so that she could build trust in these shops. I ordered a Timex watch and a Sisley handbag for her. She never bought things online,but when they were delivered as a gift,she jumped for joy. She could not believe that I had ordered these gifts for her despite her being not much positive about online shops. However,after she saw both the products,she was assured that these online gift shops sent the promised brands and products,she loved her new watch and handbag. After this experience she ordered a gift for her friend's wedding. She chose a gift basket that could be made according to her requirements. They sent a beautifully decorated basket with fine wines and chocolates. The basket was so artistically decorated that it became her friend's favorite gift. Since then she has been consistently shopping online. What was the attitude of the author's mother to shopping online at first? A She thought it was a good idea. B She thought goods online were cheap. C She doubted the quality of the goods. D She worried about the difficulty in operation. Answer: C She's not afraid of anything. Snakes? No problem. Walking alone in the dark? Easy. We're not talking about a superhero here -- SM is a 44-year-old mother. And she's fearless because she happens to be missing part of her brain: the amygdala . Shaped like a pair of almonds sitting in the middle of your brain, the amygdala helps control fear and anxiety. A rare condition called Urbach-Wiethe disease left SM without her amygdala, and seems to have completely erased her sense of fear. To try to understand how the amygdala works, a team of researchers made their efforts to scare SM. They showed her horror movies and took her to the Waverly Hills Sanatorium Haunted House in Kentucky. She pushed out one of the monsters and laughed. SM said she didn't like snakes, but at a pet store full of poisonous creatures, she kept asking to touch them. When asked to rate her feelings, SM reported feeling surprised or disgusted, but never fearful. "She tends to approach everything she should be avoiding," says Justin Feinstein of the University of Iowa. This means the amygdala could control deeper urges to approach or avoid danger. Other scientists have a different opinion, though. "I don't believe you can make a general statement about what the amygdala does by a single case study," Elizabeth Phelps said. In 2002, Phelps published a study on a similar patient with amygdala damage who still showed fear. It may sound like fun to be totally fearless, but we get scared for a good reason. "The nature of fear is survival and the amygdala helps us stay alive by avoiding situations, people, or objects that put our life in danger," Feinstein said. SM was once followed in a park after dark by a man with a knife, and she simply walked away. "It is quite remarkable that she is still alive," said Feinstein. What is Elizabeth Phelps' attitude toward the function of the amygdala based on the research on SM? A Indifferent B Supportive C Disapproving D Interested Answer: C As jewelry designers,my sister Jodie and I are always traveling for work.We need to go to a lot of shows,so we can't pack lightly and usually bring about four suitcases filled with our work. Most of our stuff is made from heavy materials and metals.So part of the routine for us when we fly is getting stopped by security.Our jewelry sets off the alarms,and we've become accustomed to arriving early to go through private screenings.Most of the time,it's not troublesome. However,on our recent trip to a Paris trade show,we were stopped at security and asked to empty our bags. One of the agents walked over to another agent and they started whispering to each other.Both gentlemen came back,and one of them then told us that it seemed that we were carrying a very dangerous object. My sister and I just said,"Huh?"Of course,we were a little concerned,thinking that maybe someone put something dangerous in one of our bags when we weren't looking. One of the agents then started to unpack our bags.I kept asking what he was 1ooking for and then the object in question finally appeared.It was our Cosima necklace.It's a piece of jewelry,with large,metal triangular spikes. My sister and I 1ooked at each other and breathed a huge sigh of relief.We started laughing and explained to the two male agents that it was just a necklace from our collection.not a weapon of mass destruction.They thought we were lying,and one agent kept repeating that he believed it was a weapon. I tried to explain that we were jewelry designers going to a trade show,and this was simply a piece from our collection.But the agents didn't _ it.Then a few women guards came over to assist.One of the women guards was holding an earring up to her ear and another was trying on a ring.Apparently,they liked our stuff. It was only at this point that the male guards gave up.And I think they also got tired of listening to a bunch of women talk about jewelry.They let us through. We took the names of the women agents and sent them a piece of jewelry when we got back to say thanks. The writer sent the women agents a piece of jewelry in order to _ . A persuade them to buy her jewelry later B get help from them next time C show them her talent in designing jewelry D show them her gratitude for their assistance Answer: D When I left home for college, I sought to escape the limited world of farmers, small towns, and country life. I long for the excitement of the city, for the fast pace that rural life lacked, for adventure beyond the horizon. I dreamed of exploring the city, living within a new culture and landscape, and becoming part of the pulse of an urban jungle. Yet some of my best times were driving home, leaving the city behind and slipping back into the valley. As city life disappeared and traffic thinned, I could see the faces of the other drivers relax. Then, around a bend in the highway, the grassland of the valley would come into being, offering a view of gentle rolling hills. The land seemed permanent. I felt as if I had stepped back in time. I took comfort in the stability of the valley. Driving through small farm communities, I imagined the founding families still rooted in their grand homes, generations working the same lands, neighbors remaining neighbors for generations. I allowed familiar farmhouse landmarks to guide me. Close to home, I often turned off the main highway and took a different, getting familiar farms again and testing my memory. Friends lived in those houses. I had eaten meals and spent time there; I had worked on some of these farms, lending a hand during a peak harvest, helping a family friend for a day or two. The houses and lands looked the same, and I could picture the gentle faces and hear familiar voices as if little had been changed. As I eased into our driveway I'd return to old ways, becoming a son once again, a child on the family farm. My feelings were honest and real. How I longed for a land where life stood still and my memories could be relived. When I left the farm for college, I could only return as visitor to the valley, a traveler looking for home. Now the farm is once again my true home. I live in that farmhouse and work the permanent lands. My world may seem unchanged to casual observers, but they are wrong. I know this: if there's a constant on these farms, it's the constant of change. The good observer will recognize the differences. A farmer replants an orchard with a new variety of peaches. Irrigation is added to block of old grapes, so I imagine the vineyard has a new owner. Occasionally the changes are clearly evident, like a FOR SALE sign. But I need to read the small print in order to make sure that a bank has taken possession of the farm. Most of the changes contain two stories. One is the physical change of the farm, the other involves the people on that land, the human story behind the change. I've been back on the farm for a decade and still haven't heard all the stories behind the changes around me. But once I add my stories to the landscape, I can call this place my home, a home that continues to evolve and changes as I add more and more of my stories. A poet returns to the valley and says, "Little has changed in the valley, and how closed-minded you all are!" He comments about the lack of interest in sports, social and environmental issues in the poverty and inequality of our life. He was born and raised here, so he might have the right to criticize and lecture us. Yet he speaks for many who think they know the valley. How differently would others think of us if they knew the stories of a grape harvest in a wet year or a peach without a home? What made the writer relax as he drove from the city to the country? A The land seemed familiar to him. B The traffic moved more slowly. C He could see for miles and miles. D The people he passed seemed to be calmer. Answer: A Arthur Miller (1915--2005) is universally recognized as one of the greatest dramatists of the 20th century. Miller's father had moved to the USA from Austria-Hungary, drawn like so many others by the "Great American Dream". However, he experienced severe financial hardship when his family business was ruined in the Great Depression of the early 1930s. Miller's most famous play,Death of a Salesman,is a powerful attack on the American system, with its aggressive way of doing business and its insistence on money and social status as indicators of worth. In Willy Loman, the hero of the play, we see a man who has got into trouble with this system. Willy is "burnt out" and in the cruel world of business there is no room for sentiment: if he can't do the work, then he is no good to his employer, the Wagner Company, and he must go. Willy is painfully aware of this, and at a loss as to what to do with his lack of success. He refuses to face the fact that he has failed and kills himself in the end. When it was first staged in 1949, the play was greeted with enthusiastic reviews, and it won the Tony Award for Best Play, the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award, and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It was the first play to win all three of these major awards. Miller died of heart failure at his home in Roxbury, Connecticut, on the evening of February 10, 2005, the 56th anniversary of the first performance ofDeath of a Salesmanon Broadway. What can we learn about Willy Loman? A He treats his employer badly. B He runs the Wagner Company. C He is a victim of the American system. D He is regarded as a hero by his colleagues. Answer: C
Question: Janice is an American engineer working in Nanjing. She and her husband George, who is teaching English at a university, have been eager to get to know Chinese people better, so they were pleased when Liu, Janice's young co-worker, invited them to her home for dinner. When they arrived, Liu introduced them to her husband Yang and asked them to sit down at a table containing eight plates of various cold dishes. Half an hour later she came back and sat down and the three began to eat. Yang came in from time to time, putting hot dishes on the table. Most of the food was wonderful, though neither George nor Janice could eat the fatty pork, and there was much more than they could eat. They kept wishing Yang would sit down so they could talk to him. Finally he did sit down to eat a bit, but soon it was time to go home. Janice and George felt slightly depressed by this experience, but returned the invitation two weeks later. They decided to make a nice American meal and felt lucky to find olives, crackers , tomato juice, and even some cheese in the shop. They put these out as appetizers . For the main course they prepared spaghetti and a salad. When Liu and Yang arrived and began to have dinner, they took small tastes of the appetizers and seemed surprised when both George and Janice sat down with them. They ate only a little spaghetti and didn't finish the salad on their plates. After a while, George cleared the table and served coffee and pastries . Yang and Liu each put four spoons of sugar into their coffee but didn't drink much of it and ate only a bite or two of pastry. After they left, George and Janice were upset. " We left their place so full but they're going to have to eat again when they get home. What went wrong? During the dinner at Janice's home, Liu and Yang _ . A. found little food to enjoy. B. ate much salad and pastry. C. drank a lot of coffee with much sugar. D. showed much interest in American food. Answer: A Question: When my family moved to America from a small village in Guangdong, China, we brought not only our luggage, but also our village rules, customs and culture. One of the rules is that young people should always respect elders. Unluckily, this rule led to my very first embarrassment in the United States. I had a part-time job as a waiter in a Chinese restaurant. One time, when I was serving food to a middle-aged couple, the wife asked me how the food could be served so quickly. I told her that I had made sure they got their food quickly because I always respect the elderly. As soon as I said that, her face showed great displeasure. My manager, who happened to hear what I said, took me aside and gave me a long lecture about how sensitive Americans are and how they dislike the description "old". I then walked back to the table and apologized to the wife. After the couple heard my reason, they understood that the problem was caused by cultural differences, so they laughed and were no longer angry. In my village in China, people are proud of being old. Not so many people live to be seventy or eighty, and people who reach such an age have the most knowledge and experience. Young people always respect older people because they know they can learn from their rich experience. However, in the United States, people think "growing old" is a problem since "old" shows that a person is going to retire or that the body is not working well. Here many people try to keep themselves away from growing old by doing exercises or jogging, and women put on makeup, hoping to look young. When I told the couple in the restaurant that I respect the elderly, they got angry because this caused them to feel they had failed to stay young. I had told them something they didn't want to hear. After that, I changed the way I had been with older people. It is not that I don't respect them any more; I still respect them, but now I don't show my feelings through words. When Jack called the couple "elderly", they became[ _ . A. nervous B. satisfied C. unhappy D. excited Answer: C Question: Writer: Amy Gillett Price:$24.95Fare :$3.99(Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.) INTRODUCTION .................................9 Lesson 1: Bob's Day at Work...........................11 Lesson 2: Bob Returns Home with Bad News.........17 Lesson 3: Ted's Day at School........................23 Lesson 4: Nicole's Day at School.....................27 Lesson 5: Ted Goes Out for the Evening...............33 REVIEW: Lessons 1-5 .................................37 : If you want to know about Bob's day at work, you should read _ . A. Lesson 1 B. Lesson 2 C. Lesson 3 D. Lesson 4 Answer: A Question: Apple a day may poison children Children who eat an apple or pear a day may be exceeding the pesticide safety limit because of remains on the fruit,according to research. Using data of the British Department of Environment on pesticides on fruit collected from supermarkets,scientists thought that each day some children would get a poisonous level of pesticides. The research,published on Sunday,says the government repeatedly claims that the levels of pesticide are safe because,instead of measuring individual apples, researchers buy 10,crush them and take an average reading to see if they are safe. This is the internationally agreed method of checking remains. But government figures show that the pesticide is not averagely spread across the batch ,and one or two apples could contain 90% or more of the pesticide in the batch. It used mathematical modeling to measure exposure to pesticides for children aged between 18 months and four years old. The pesticides involved can destroy children's hormones and some are suspected of causing cancer. The good news for British fruit growers is that samples grown in this country had lower _ level than imported fruit,so buying home-produced fruit will reduce the danger,said Emily Diamand,one of the Earth's senior food researchers and one of the authors of the report. The internationally agreed method of checking remains is to buy _ . A. two apples,crush them and take an average reading to see if they are safe B. five apples,crush them and test to see if they are safe C. ten apples,crush them and take an average reading to see if they are safe D. eighty apples,and then test them by crushing Answer: C Question: Standard English is the formal English that you need to use when you write in coursework or in the exam. Standard English is the form of English you learn in school. All written English should be standard -- that means it should be clear enough for anyone in Britain to understand it. Standard English developed as the main form of printed English in the 15th Century. At the time, every region of Britain used to spell words differently, but printers needed a fixed spelling. Printers like Caxton chose the East Midlands dialect form which was used in London and the South East. Soon Standard English replaced all written dialect forms -- the other forms of English spoken around the country. It also replaced French and Latin in law and in academic work. In the 18th Century, people wrote dictionaries and grammar books which standardized spelling -- Dr Johnson's Dictionary of 1755 fixed many of the spellings we still use today. All written English should be Standard English -- any grammar rules you learn are for Standard English and you will definitely need to learn them to avoid making mistakes in your work. The rules of Standard English mean using the correct forms of words with the correct spellings. Avoid slang words -- words that your teachers or friends wouldn't understand. You'll lose marks if the examiners can't understand what you say or write. Don't use dialect words. Every region has words or phrases that are only used there. Don't use them in your coursework, because you won't be understood. Make sure you revise grammar and punctuation you have learned, and learn the list of commonly misspelled words you have made. Cliches are ideas or sayings which have been used so often that they've become boring and unoriginal. Phrases like, "As good as it gets" "At the end of the day" "In the fullness of time" are all cliches. So are images like, "as fierce as a lion" "as cunning as a fox". If you use them you will sound boring and unimaginative -- that could mean you lose marks for writing and speaking style. So avoid cliches. Why do we need to use Standard English? A. Because no one can understand dialect words. B. Because there are many kinds of English in the world, we need Standard English to make communication easier. C. Because local dialect belongs to certain region, not every one can understand it. D. Because standard English has been used for a long time. Answer: C
Watching TV is a very popular pastime in the prefix = st1 /UKbut what kind of programmes do British people like to watch? Well, the most-watched TV programmes every week are very popular dramas that are usually on at least four times every week. They are dramas based in one neighbourhood that try to describe ordinary life in theUK--- we call these dramas 'soap operas' or 'soaps'. In the early days of TV, there were often dramas on during the day. Back in those days, it was traditional for the husband to go out to work and for the wife to stay at home and look after the house and the children. Most of these daytime dramas were aimed at entertaining the housewives who would traditionally be at home, probably doing the washing. Companies selling washing powder would advertise their products at times when these dramas were on, and sometimes those companies would even sponsor the drama. Hence the word 'soap'. So what about the word opera? Well, that's because these dramas are often an exaggeration of real life. They are supposed to represent ordinary life but to make them entertaining, lots of dramatic events like murders, divorces, affairs etc. all happen probably much more regularly than they would in a normal neighbourhood. Most soap operas these days are shown in the evening. Each show will have several different storylines happening at once that continue over several shows. The same _ will appear in every show too. There are lots of different soaps on in theUKon different channels but there are three main popular ones. 'Coronation Street' has been on since 1960. It is set in a suburb of Manchester and it's supposed to represent working class life in the north ofEngland. Then there's 'Eastenders' which started in 1985, set in the East End of London and 'Emmerdale', which is set on a farm in Yorkshire, in the north of England. Which of the following stories takes place inManchester? Answer: Coronation Street. The strong emphasis on educational achievement in China, Japan and other parts of South-East Asia may be coming at a heavy price. Researchers say that hard work at school plus the lack of exposure to outdoor light is damaging the eyes of almost nine out of ten students--with one in five at serious risk of visual impairment and blindness. The scientists say that young people need up to three hours a day of outdoor light, but many infants are also missing out as they nap during lunch time. Dr. Ian Morgan is the lead author of the study. "I think what's happened in South-East Asia is that we've got _ . We've got the massive educational pressures and we've got the construction of a child's day in a way that really minimises the amount of time they spend outside in bright light." The scientists say that genetic factors, long thought to play a big role in short-sightedness, are not as important as the environment. They point to Singapore as a place with several different racial groups, all of whom are now suffering high levels of short-sightedness. The authors suggest that compulsory time outdoors should be considered by educational authorities across South-East Asia as a way of dealing with the problem. By mentioning Singapore, the author intends to tell us that _ . Answer: the environment has greater effect on people's eyes Getting away for a short time always seems like a great idea--until you have to pack. The rule is: pack light. Here are some tips to help you pack. Organize Yourself Make a list. Think of what you need from your head to your toes. When you've done this once, it'll be easier next time. Start Small Consider buying small-size samples of shampoo, toothpaste, and other items at your local store. Make sure they are all sealed tightly. In an emergency, you can purchase them at your destination. But remember that the time you spend buying things at your destination will reduce your visiting time. The Clothing Dilemma Choosing which clothes to bring is probably the hardest packing decision to make. Think once again from head to toe -- hat, shirts, jeans, sneakers, etc. Once you've picked out what you want to bring, think carefully. Do you really need that extra pair of jeans? If so, fine. Don't try to fool yourself. You are the one who will be left holding the bag. Weather is an important factor in your packing. If it's cold, you could wear a jacket, a sweater, a regular shirt, and a T-shirt. Layering up will keep you warm and it will leave more room in your bag. Roll up your casual clothes instead of folding and laying them flat. This leaves more room to pack other things, and keeps your clothes fairly wrinkle-free. Remember how much easier it will be to carry your bag! This text would be most helpful to a reader who is _ . Answer: going on a vacation The New York Times' Room for Debate blog has a panel considering the pluses and minuses of summer homework. This has been the subject of debate in our house. Our 11th-grade daughter's summer assignments were very challenging, to the point where I sometimes wondered if more of her time would have been better spent just riding a bicycle or swimming around a pool. Here are some opinions from the panel: Harris Cooper, psychologist, Duke University: "The long summer vacation disrupts the rhythm of instruction, leads to forgetting and requires time be spent reviewing old material when students return to school in the fall. My advice? Teachers, you need to be careful about what and how much summer homework you assign. Summer homework shouldn't be expected to overcome a student's learning deficits ; that's what summer school is for. Parents, if the assignments are clear and reasonable, support the teachers. " Nancy Kalish, co-author of the Case Against Homework: "Schools should rethink summer homework, and not just because it stresses out kids (and parents). The truth is, homework doesn't accomplish what we assume it does. According to a Duke University review of more than 175 studies, there is little or no connection between homework and standardized test score or long-term achievement in primary school." Mark Bauerlein, professor of English at Emory University: "To the general question of whether or not schools should assign summer homework, the answer is 'Yes.' The reason comes not only from the brain drain of summer. It relates also to an attitude young people take toward education. They tie knowledge to the syllabus , not to themselves. They read and study to write the paper and score highly in the test, not to furnish their minds. In a word, they regard learning as a classroom thing. That's all." It seems to me that summer homework is a good idea to keep the brain cells moving, but like everything else it should be given in moderation. Mark Bauerlein might agree that summer homework _ . Answer: helps students develop the right attitude toward learning During a sporting event, a referee uses a whistle to alert the teams to start and stop playing. What causes the sound from the referee's whistle to travel in all directions? Answer: vibrations of the air
Who give us life,raise us and are our constant support and wellwishers?Our mothers.That's why millions of people across the world take Mother's Day as an opportunity to express thanks and send best wishes to their moms. However,the celebration of Mother's Day is not the recent thing that many believe it to be.It was the ancient Greeks who started the tradition by celebrating their annual spring festival in honor of Rhea,the mother of many gods and goddesses. Later,in the 1600s,Mothering Sunday came to be celebrated in England.On the fourth Sunday of Lent ,children brought flowers and special fruitcakes to show their respect for their mothers.It may be the root of the modern Mother's Day. Thanks to the great efforts of Julia Ward Howe and Anna Jarvis,Mother's Day became an official festival in the US.It is celebrated on the second Sunday in May.Later,many countries began to celebrate this day as Mother's Day. Today,Mother's Day is an international festival honoring mothers.It is celebrated all over the world in different ways.In Western countries,the most common way is to treat mothers with breakfast in bed.Kids often allow their mothers to sleep till late in the morning while they prepare her favorite breakfast with their fathers.Some also make handmade gifts or buy beautiful carnations .It is the day when you acknowledge your mothers contribution in your life and pay a tribute to her,often with flowers and gifts.It complements Father's Day,the celebration honoring fathers. Today,Mother's Day is a day celebrated on various days in many places around the world. Why do people across the world celebrate Mother's Day? A. Because they want to express thanks and send best wishes to their mothers. B. Because they want to express thanks and send best wishes to Rhea. C. Because Mother's Day is an official festival in the US. D. Because Mother's Day is an international festival. Answer: A. Because they want to express thanks and send best wishes to their mothers. Hello,everyone.Because of the high rate of school violence in some areas,teenagers'safety becomes a serious problem.We are planning to set up an organization named School Watch to make sure that students have a safe school environment.Please be part of our plan! What is School Watch? School Watch is a volunteer project in our school.It helps us stop violence and improve the quality of school life.It will keep yourself and your schoolmates safe.The other members of School Watch care for you and your classroom and you do the same for them. Is it for everyone? Anybody can become a member of School Watch because everyone has something to offer. What else can it do? School Watch makes it possible for us not only to help each other but also to make friends with each other.Some members may offer to help schoolmates who have problems with their homework. Who is the Best School Watcher? Our school will look for the Best School Watcher and give him or her lots of prizes.You could be the one! How do you start? To be part of this plan,the only thing you need to do is to talk to the director of the plan in your grade.If you want to get more information, check the official website at www.schoolwatch. com. The members of School Watch are probably _ . A. teenagers B. parents C. policemen D. teachers Answer: A. teenagers It is reasonable to say that every teenager can be affected by peer pressure at some point. Every day, in any high school, peer pressure has a major influence over the behavior of teenagers. It can be as subtle as being persuaded to be late for class or as extreme as a dangerous drug. Whether subtle or extreme, peer pressure can have damaging, sometimes life changing, and even serious results. "Teens don't often consider the long-term results that some behavior can cause," said Terri Price, a researcher. "Peer pressure can be very difficult to handle for many teens because of their fears of not fitting in". Peer pressure has always been part of teen life, but teens experience _ differently than their former generations did in the past. Sources of peer pressure have increased because of the Internet and other electronic communications. Recognizing peer pressure can be as simple as noticing that you have been asked to do something that you are not comfortable with. "Listen to your instinct , which is a sign for whether something is right or wrong. If it feels wrong, then most likely it is. "says Price. Teens are in a time of life when they are still discovering who they are. Many teens are influenced by peer pressure because of their insecurities . This can make them helpless especially when their self-control is weak or they lack healthy support, causing them to take risky behavior or turn to unhealthy support. Dealing with peer pressure is a topic of concern for teens. People can say, "Just say no," but the truth is that the statement is easier said than done. Why are teens easily influenced by peer pressure? A. Because they don't have the feeling of safety. B. Because they are afraid of fitting in or being accepted. C. Because they need support for their health. D. Because they have nobody to turn to when in trouble. Answer: A. Because they don't have the feeling of safety. Mrs. Sato is sad. It is her birthday, and she has no families with her. Her husband died in 1985. Her daughter doesn't live in the same city. Her son is working. Mrs. Sato goes to the telephone and calls a company in Tokyo, Japan. "Hello", a woman answers. "Hello", Mrs. Sato says. "I'd like to rent a family." "What would you like ?" the woman asks Mrs. Sato. "A son, A daughter ,Some grandchildren. " "I'd like to rent a daughter, a son-in-law, and two grandchildren, "Mrs. Sato says. At seven o'clock that evening, four actors come to Mrs. Sato's house----a woman, a man, and two children. "Happy Birthday!"the actors say. The actors are with Mrs. Sato for three hours. They talk with her, eat dinner with her, and watch TV with her. Then they go home. Mrs. Sato is happy. Mrs. Sato is sad because _ . A. her husband died B. her daughter lives far away C. no families come for her birthday D. her son is working Answer: C. no families come for her birthday My father' s response to the bank building at 43rd Street and Fifth Avenue in New York city was immediate and definite: "You won' t catch me putting my money in there!" he declared, "Not in that glass box. " Of course, my father is a gentleman of the old school, a member of the generation to whom a good deal of modern architecture is upsetting, but I believe that his negative response was not so much to the architecture as to a violation of his concept of the nature of money. In his generation money was thought of as a real commodity that could be carried, or stolen. Therefore, to attract the custom of a sensible man, a bank had to have heavy walls, barred windows, and bronze doors, to make sure of the fact, however, untrue, that money would be safe inside. If a building' s design made it appear strong, the institution was necessarily reliable, and the meaning of the heavy wall as an architecture symbol showed the general attitude toward money. But the attitude toward money has, of course, changed. Except pocket money, cash of any kind is now rarely used; money as a tangible commodity has largely been replaced by credit. The banker no longer offers us a safe: he offers us a service in which the most valuable factor is the creativity for the invention of large numbers. It is in no way surprising, in view of this change in attitude, that we are witnessing the disappearance of the heavy-walled bank. Just as the older bank emphasized its strength, this bank by its architecture is proud of imaginative powers. The main idea of this passage is that _ . A. money is not as valuable as it was in the past B. changes have taken place in both the appearance and the concept of banks C. the architectural style of the older bank is better than that of the modern bank D. belief makes the older generation think that the modern bank is unreliable Answer: B. changes have taken place in both the appearance and the concept of banks
One day Marilla said, "Anne, your new teacher, Miss Stacy, spoke to me yesterday. She says you must study for the examinations for Queen's College in two years' time. Then if you do well, you can study at Queen's in Charlottetown for a year, and after that you'll be a teacher!" "That doesn't matter, Anne. When Matthew and I adopted you three years ago, we decided to look after you as well as we could. Of course we'll pay for you to study."So in the afternoons Anne and some of her friends stayed late at school, and Miss Stacy helped them with the special examination work. Diana didn't want to go to Queen's, so she went home early, but Gilbert stayed. He and Anne still never spoke and everybody knew that they were enemies, because they both wanted to be first in the examination. Secretly, Anne was sorry that she and Gilbert weren't friends, but it was too late now. For two years, Anne studied hard at school. She enjoyed learning, and Miss Stacy was pleased with her. But she didn't study all the time. In the evenings and at weekends she visited her friends, or walked through the fields with Diana, or sat talking to Matthew. "Your Anne is a big girl now. She's taller than you," Rachel Lynde told Marilla one day. "You're right, Rachel!" said Marilla in surprise. "And she's a very good girl now, isn't she? She doesn't get into trouble these days. I'm sure she helps you a lot with the housework, Marilla." "Yes, I don't know what I'd do without her," said Marilla, smiling. "And look at her! Those beautiful grey eyes, and that red-brown hair! You know, Marilla, I thought you and Matthew made a mistake when you adopted her. But now I see I was wrong. You've looked after her very well." "Well, thank you, Rachel," replied Marilla, pleased. That evening, when Matthew came into the kitchen, he saw that his sister was crying. "What's the matter?" he asked, surprised. "You haven't cried since... well, I can't remember when." "It's just... well, I was thinking about Anne," said Marilla. "I'll...I'll miss her when she goes away." "When she goes to Queen's, you mean? Yes, but she can come home at weekends, on the train." "I'll still miss her," said Marilla sadly." In June the Avonlea boys and girls had to go to Charlottetown to take their examinations. "Oh, I do hope that I've done well," Anne told Diana when she arrived back at Green Gables. "The examinations were very difficult. And I've got to wait for three weeks before I know! Three weeks! I'll die!" Anne wanted to do better than Gilbert. But she also wanted to do well for Matthew and Marilla. That was very important to her. Diana was the first to hear the news, she ran into the kitchen at Green Gables and shouted, "Look, Anne! It's in Father's newspaper! You're first... with Gilbert... out of all the students on the island! Oh, how wonderful!" Anne took the paper with shaking hands, and saw her name, at the top of the list of two hundred. She could not speak. "Well, now, I knew it," said Matthew with a warm smile. "You've done well, I must say, Anne," said Marilla, who was secretly very pleased. For the next three weeks Anne and Marilla were very busy. Anne needs new dresses to take to Charlottetown. From the passage, we can learn that _ . when Anne became a teacher, she would have lived in the family for six years Nowadays, a cellphone service is available to everyone, everywhere. Probably thousands of people have already been using it, but I just discovered it, so I'm going to claim it and also name it: Fake Foning. The technology has been working well for me at the office, but there are infinite applications. Virtually in any public space. Say you work at a big university with lots of talky faculty members buzzing about. Now, say you need to use the restroom. The trip down the hall will take approximately one hour, because a person can't walk into those talky people without getting pulled aside for a question, a bit of gossip, a new read on a certain line of Paradise Lost. So, a cellphone. Any cellphone. Just pick it up. Don't dial. Just hold that phone to your face and start talking. Walk confidently down the hall engaged in fake conversation, making sure to tailor both the topic and content to the person standing before you whom you are trying to avoid. For standard colleague avoidance, I suggest fake chatting about fake business: "Yes, I'm glad you called, because we really need to hammer out the details. What's that? Yes, I read Page 12, but if you look at the bottom of 4, I think you can see the problem begins right there." Be engaged in your fake fone conversation. Make eye contact with the people passing, nod to them, gesture keen interest in talking to them at a later time, point to your phone, shrug and move on. Shoppers should consider fake foning anytime they spot a talky neighbor in the produce department pinching unripe peaches. Without your phone at your face, you'd be in for a 20-minute speech on how terrible the world is. One important caution about fake foning. The other day I was fake foning my way past a colleague, and he was actually following me to get my attention. I knew he wanted to ask about a project I had not yet finished. I was trying to buy myself some time, so I continued fake foning with my doctor. "So I don't need the operation? Oh, doctor, that is the best news." And then: Brrrrrrng! Brrrrrmg! Brrrrrmg! My phone started ringing, right there while it was planted on my face. My colleague looked at me, and I at him, and naturally I gasped. "What is the matter with this thing?" I said, pulling the phone away to look at it, and then putting it back to my ear. "Hello? Are you still there?" Oops. What does the last example show? One has to be careful while fake foning. Coupons to spend "How did you spend your coupons?" On their first day back to school, many students in Hangzhou greeted each other this way. The coupons referred to the 100 yuan coupons each student received form the city government before the Spring Festival holidays. Over 260,000 primary school and middle school students were given coupons. They could use them in local stores and supermarkets, or to see movies and buy books. The same coupons have also been given to low income families in Hangzhou. Other cities, including Chengdu and Nanjing, also gave coupons to their citizens. More cities are expected to follow their lead. Why are local governments doing this? These programmes are all part of a broader effort in China to increase domestic demand in the face of the global financial crisis. The crisis has seriously affected China's exports and investments . Many factories in southern cities have been closed down. Some companies are laying off workers or reducing their pay. The stock market and real estate market have been falling. In a time of financial crisis, people usually respond by saving money. They are uncertain about the future and are afraid that more difficult times may be ahead. Now many people are choosing not to spend money carelessly. Major chain stores have seen a sharp slowdown in sales, analysts say. But spending keeps an economy healthy. If people don't spend, there will be too many products in the market. Then shops will stop buying products from factories. When factories receive no orders, they close down. The workers there accordingly lose their jobs. Also, if people don't spend, the service industry suffers. The total result is that the whole economy breaks down. Issuing coupons is a practical and effective way to increase domestic demand in the current situation, said Jiang Zengwei, vice-minister of China's Ministry of Commerce. Hangzhou reported a rise in customers in local markets during Spring Festival holiday. However, issuing coupons is only a temporary measure. To increase consumers' confidence, the government needs to establish a sound secure social system in the long term. When people don't have to worry about education, health care and their pension, they will be more willing to spend instead of saving. What is NOT the influence that the global financial crisis has brought us? People begin to spend money without a second thought. This is Mr Brown's family. In his family there are four people:Mr Brown, Mrs Brown, their son Tony and their daughter Sally. Mr Brown is sitting in a chair. He is reading a newspaper. Mrs Brown is sitting at the desk. She is writing a letter. Tony is lying in the bed. He is reading a storybook. Sally is sitting on the floor. She is playing with her toy car. There is a cat under the desk. What is the cat doing? It is sleeping. What is Mr Brown doing? He is reading a newspaper. Not too long ago, our teacher, being a "tree-hugger"(as the kids call her), had us write an essay on an environmental issue. I was eager to start, but something made me stop. "What is an environmental issue?" one kid asked. "What if we don't care about the environment?" another complained. "It's not like it affects me." These comments _ me. I have always cared about the environment and assumed that others did too. From the surprised look on my teacher's face, I could tell she felt the same way. In no time, I finished my essay. In my essay I wrote about logging , which is an important industry, but if we continue to cut down trees without replacing, it will damage the environment. There are so many things that we can do to save our world. Recycling, of course, is always a good thing, but not everyone has a recycling plant nearby (I don't). There are other ways to help the environment. Plant a tree. Don't waste water. I can't stand it when a person's excuse for not caring is "Nothing is going to happen in my lifetime, so why should I care?" Sure, the chances of something terrible happening are slim, but I want people to realize that if we don't deal with it, someone will have to eventually. Do you want that to be your children? Or your children's children? When my teacher told me to read my essay to my class, I was a little embarrassed because I didn't want everyone to call me "tree-hugger". I realize now that if being a tree-hugger means you care about the environment, I'm a tree-hugger 100 percent. I just wish more people were. We can infer from the passage that _ . the teacher liked the author's essay
If this fell on you, you would probably die Two good friends, Sam and Jason, met with a car accident on their way home one snowy night. The next morning, Sam woke up blind. His legs were broken. The doctor, Mr Lee, was standing by his bed, looking at him worriedly. When he saw Sam awake, he asked, "How are you feeling, Sam?" Sam smiled and said, "Not bad, Doctor. Thank you very much for doing the special operation ." Mr Lee was moved by Sam. When he was leaving, Sam said, "Please don't tell Jason about it." "Well...Well...OK," Mr Lee replied. Months later when Jason's wounds healed , Sam was still very sick. He couldn't see or walk. He could do nothing but stay in his wheelchair all day long. At first, Jason stayed with him for a few days. But days later, Jason thought it boring to spend time with a disabled man like Sam. So he went to see Sam less and less. He made new friends. From then on, he didn't go to visit Sam any more. Sam didn't have any family or friends except Jason. He felt very sad. Things went from bad to worse. Sam died a year later. When Jason came, Mr Lee gave him a letter from Sam. In the letter Sam said, "Dear Jason, I am disabled. But I want you to be a healthy man. So I gave my eyes to you so that you can enjoy life as a healthy man. Now you have new friends. I'm glad to see that you are as healthy and happy as usual. I'm glad you live a happy life. You are always my best friend... Sam". When he finished reading the letter, Mr Lee said, "I have promised that I will keep this a secret until Sam is gone. Now you know it." Jason stood there like a stone. Tears ran down his face. The car accident happened _ . The governor of the state of Green proposes to place a Christmas nativity scene, the components of which would be permanently donated to the state by private citizens, in the Green Capitol Building rotunda where the Green Legislature meets annually. The governor further proposes to display this stateowned nativity scene annually from December 1 to December 31, next to permanent displays that depict the various products manufactured in Green. The governor's proposal is supported by all members of both houses of the legislature. If challenged in a lawsuit on establishment clause grounds, the proposed nativity scene display would be held You heard about the sign posted on a farm fence? Inside there was a big and mean bull. The sign read, "Don't attempt to cross this field unless you can do it in 9.9 seconds. The bull can do it in 10!" Don't try to cross that field unless you are prepared! And isn't that the way it is in life? We have to be ready when the opportunity arises or else we will have little chance of success. Sixth-grade teacher Ms. Shelton believed in readiness. When she walked into the classroom on the first day and began writing words of an eighth-grade level on the blackboard, the students immediately said that the words were not at their level and they couldn't learn them. Their teacher insisted that they could and would learn these words. She said that she would never teach down to them. Ms. Shelton ended by saying that one of the students in the classroom could go on to greatness, maybe even be president someday, and she wanted them to prepare for that day. Ms. Shelton said those words many years ago. Little did she know that someday one of her students--Jesse Jackson--would take them seriously. She believed that if they were well prepared, they could achieve high goals. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "People only see what they are prepared to see." If that's true, then it is also true that they only become what they are prepared to become. And a lot of life is just about getting ready. Think of today as a chance to prepare yourself for the exciting future you are looking for. Today is not wasted. If you desire more from life, you can use today as training. For you will experience only what you are prepared to experience. Something wonderful can happen. And you can use today to get ready for tomorrow. Why did Ms. Shelton insist students could and would learn the words of an eighth-grade level? The price of gas has been going up. We do not know when it will end. Many people want to know how they can save fuel . The best way to save fuel is to change driving habits. The accelerator , or gas pedal,has a lot to do with how much gas you use.The faster you drive, the more gas you use. Drivers should slow down a bit to save fuel. Driving at a steady speed helps to save much gas you use.Accelerating slowly to get to the speed you want helps save gas, too. The more you drive your car.the more gas you use.Think about the places you need to go before leaving your home. _ ) that you need to do as you can in one trip.Always try to pick the shortest route when going somewhere. Cars that are in good working condition use less fuel. Take care of your car. Make sure the engine is running well and is tuned-up often. Have a mechanic check if something seems wrong. Tires are important, too. Keep the tires inflated properly on a car. It will help the car roll better. If a car's tires are worn, then they should be replaced. Finally,think about using your car less.Walk or ride a bike if you do not have to go far.Carpool or take public transportation when you can.Leaving your car at home really saves gas. How many ways of saving fuel are mentioned in the passage?
Ye Xiaogang is known as one of the most famous modern Chinese composers. He learned to play the piano at the age of four.His father was a composer who wrote a lot of music for films.But when his father was sent to a farm to work.Ye was only 11 at that time. Ye had to work on another farm for a year before entering a factory.He worked in the factory for six years until he was 22. The workers in the factory were friendly and helped him a lot,but he could not play the piano any more.No matter how hard he worked on the farm or in the factory,he never left music.He just waited for chances.He dreamed of becoming a pianist. When Ye could play the piano again.he practiced hard every day in order to go to the Central Conservatory of Music in 1978.but the school would not recruit piano students that year.In the end.Ye chose composition as his major .although he was not familiar with it. In 1980.he studied at Cambridge University.Then he went to a famous school of music in the US in 1987 to take more courses. As a famous composer in China.Ye worked for many organizations. He wrote many symphonies .He also wrote film and TV music.which traditional composers hardly ever worked on. The writer mainly tells us _ . A. how to learn the piano B. how to realize our dreams C. the history of a famous music school D. the experiences of a famous musician Answer: D A recent experiment held in Japan shows that it is almost impossible for people to walk exactly straight for 60 metres. Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology found 20 healthy men and asked them to walk as straight as possible to a target 60 metres away at normal speed. Each man had to walk on white paper fixed flat to the floor wearing wet colored socks. The footprints revealed that all walked in a winding rather than a straight line. Researchers found that people readjust the direction of walking every few seconds. The amount of the winding differed from _ to subject. This suggests that none of us can walk in a strictly straight line. We walk in a winding way mainly because of a slight structural or functional imbalance of our limbs . Although we may start walking in a straight line, several steps afterwards we have changed direction. Eyesight helps us to correct the direction of walking and leads us to the target. Your ears also help you walk. After turning around a lot with your eyes closed, you can hardly stand still, let alone walk straight. It's all because your ears help you balance. Inside your inner ear there is a structure which contains liquids. On the sides of the organ are many tiny hair-like structures that move around as the liquid flows. When you spin the liquid inside also spins. The difference is that when you stop, the liquid continues to spin for a while. Dizziness is the result of these nerves in your ear. When you open your eyes, although your eyesight tells you to walk in a straight line, your brain will trust your ears more, thus you walk in a curved line. The purpose of writing the article is to _ . A. prove that ears and eyes help us to walk straight B. explain why we can hardly walk in a strictly straight line C. point out the importance of noticing everyday science D. give background information about a latest study Answer: B Deaf teenagers Orlando Chavez and German Resendiz have been friends since kindergarten. Together the two boys, who go to Escondido High School in California, have had the difficult job of learning in schools where the majority of the students can speak and hear. Orlando lost his hearing at the age of one. German was born deaf, and his parents moved from Mexico to find a school where he could learn sign language. He met Orlando on their first day of kindergarten. "We were in a special class with about 25 other deaf kids," German remembers. "Before then, I didn't know I was deaf and that I was different." "Being young and deaf in regular classes was very hard," signs Orlando. "The other kids didn't understand us and we didn't understand them. But we've all grown up together, and today, I'm popular because I'm deaf. Kids try hard to communicate with me." Some things are very difficult for the two boys."We can't talk on the phone, so if we need help, we can't call an emergency service," German signs. "And we can't order food in a drive-thru." Despite their difficulties, the two boys have found work putting food in bags at a local supermarket. They got their jobs through a "workability" program, designed for teenagers from local schools with different types of learning disabilities. German has worked in the supermarket since August, and Orlando started in November. "The other people who work here have been very nice to us," Orlando signs."They even sign sometimes. At first, we were nervous, but we've learned a lot and we're getting better." The opportunity to earn money has been exciting, both boys said. After high school, they hope to attend the National Technical Institute for the Deaf in New York. Both boys are happy to _ . A. have the opportunity to earn money. B. work at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf. C. help students with learning disabilities. D. design programs for the deaf. Answer: A Isabel goes jogging for two miles on a sunny afternoon. At the end of her run, she is warmer. As Isabel jogs, which function does the skin perform to help stabilize her body temperature? A. Her skin exchanges oxygen and carbon dioxide. B. Her skin produces red blood cells. C. Her skin releases hormones. D. Her skin discharges water. Answer: D Traveler My fifteen-year-old son has just returned from abroad with rolls of exposed film and a hundred dollars in uncashed traveler's checks, and is asleep at the moment.His blue duffel bag lies on the floor where he dropped it.Obviously, he postponed as much sleep as he could: when he walked in and we hugged, his electrical system suddenly switched off, and he headed directly for the bed, where I imagine he beat his old record of sixteen hours. It was his first trip overseas, so weeks before it, I pressed travel books on him, and a tape cassette of useful French phrases; drew up a list of people to visit; advised him on clothing and other things.At the luggage store where we went to buy him a suitcase, he headed for the duffels, saying that suitcases were more for old people. During the trip, he called home three times: from London, Paris, and a village named Ullapool.Near Ullapool, he climbed a mountain in a rainstorm that almost blew him off.In the village, a man spoke to him in Gaelic, and, too polite to interrupt, my son listened to him for ten or fifteen minutes, trying to nod in the right places.The French he learned from the cassette didn't hold water in Paris.The French he talked to shrugged and walked on. When my son called, I sat down at the kitchen table and leaned forward and hung on every word. His voice came through clearly, though two of the calls were like ship-to-shore communication.When I interrupted him with a "Great!" or a "Really?", I knocked a little hole in his communication.So I just sat and listened. I have never listened to a telephone so attentively and with so much pleasure.It was wonderful to hear news from him that was so new to me.In my book, he was the first man to land on the moon, and I knew that I had no advice to give him and that what I had already given was probably not much help. The unused checks are certainly evidence of that.Youth travels light.No suitcase, not much luggage and a slim expense account, and yet he went to the scene, and came back safely.I sit here amazed. The night when your child returns with dust on his shoes from a country you've never seen is a night you would gladly turn into a week. During the trip, the author's son _ . A. ran out of money B. had inadequate sleep C. forgot to call his mother D. failed to take good pictures Answer: B
BEIJING - China's National Tourism Administration (NTA) said Saturday that 215 Chinese tour groups in Japan were safeandsoundafter a _ 8.8-magnitude earthquake jolted the country's eastern coast Friday. A total of 4,578 Chinese tourists were staying in Japan at the time of the quake. By Saturday noon, all the 215 tour groups that they booked with had contacted domestic travel agencies, with no death or injury reported, said the NTA upon information from local tourism authorities. The NTA has activated the emergency response system and issued a travel alert for Japan and countries along the Pacific Rim, it said in a statement on its website. The NTA has also called for travel agencies to protect the security of Chinese tourists in Japan and keep in touch with the Chinese embassy and consulates in Japan, as well as China's tourism authorities. Chinese tour agencies had started to bring back tourists from the quake-hit Japan and many trips had been called off. China CYTS Tours, one of China's major travel agencies, had promised a full refund for trip cancellation and offered to bear the extra expense for tourist protection in disasters and unrest. A massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck the east coast of Japan's main Honshu Island at 1:46 pm Beijing Time Friday, which had triggered huge tsunami along Japan's Pacific coast and caused hundreds of deaths and catastrophic damage. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? A In all, 4,578 Chinese were staying in Japan at the time of the quake. B Japan also called for travel agencies to protect the security of Chinese tourists. C 215 Chinese tour groups in Japan were organized by China CYTS Tours. D Earthquake-caused tsunami resulted in hundreds of deaths and disastrous damage. Answer: D As an old Chinese saying goes, food is what matters most to people. A Bite of China Season Two, all about the history and culture of eating and cooking in China, broadcast on CCTV-1 from April 18 to June 6. Food plays an important role in our daily life. It is also one of the most important parts of Chinese culture. Besides the rich food culture in China, A Bite of China Season Two also wants to show the joys and sadnesses of ordinary Chinese in changing times through food. The documentary makes viewers long for home and the tastes of childhood. One Weibo user wrote, "A Bite of China Season Two makes me have so many words to say. It makes me think of my parents and grandmother. I remember my father taught me how to fish when I was a kid. I haven't been home for a long time, so I've decided to go back in a few days." The documentary uses food as a window to introduce China to the world. Viewers can see how Chinese people love life by loving food. The new season is not just an introduction to food. It also explores the relationship between Chinese people and their food. Anyone who wants to know more about Chinese food culture and Chinese society should have a bite of the programme. When did the programme begin on CCTV-1? A April 6. B April 18. C June 6. D July 6. Answer: B Where would a polar bear enjoy living A in a small cage B in a reef in the ocean C in a tropical environment D much closer to one of the earth's poles than to the equator Answer: D Who touched the hearts of Chinese people in the past year? Luo Yang, 51, the father of China's carrier jet, who devoted his whole life to the aircraft industry, is no doubt one such person. Luo was the head of production for the new J-15 fighter. On November 25, he was joining in fighter jet landing exercises for the Liaoning as usual. Shortly after the successful landing of the J-15, Luo experienced a sudden heart attack. He was soon sent to the hospital but the doctors couldn't save his life. Luo was given an award for his special contribution to the country by China Central Television on February 19. As general manager of the Shenyang Aircraft Corp, Luo didn't use his power to improve the quality of his life. He gave up the chance to move into a new apartment. His suit was ten years old and his watch strap was faded .All he focused on was the aircraft industry. Luo seldom had the time for a good chat with his wife and daughter. He always started work at 6 am and returned home around midnight when they were sleeping. When devoted to his work, Luo always forgot about everything else. His final days were all spent on the J-15. At one point, he felt unwell, but he didn't leave the carrier or see a doctor. "I spent eight days on the carrier with Luo. He worked all day and night under huge pressure," recalled Meng Jun, one of his colleagues . Luo's death is a big _ to the country. His example, however, has inspired many people. "It's a pity Luo Yang died when the aircraft carrier achieved success. It's good to see more young people are entering this career now," said Yang Yu, a commentator for China Central Television. According to the passage, we can infer that Luo Yang was chosen as _ . A one of the top ten people touching China in 2013 B one of the most successful pilots in the world C one of the most popular managers in 2013 D one of the most creative scientists in 2013 Answer: A In our home it was natural to fear our father . Even our mother was afraid of him. As children, my sister and I thought every family was like that. Every family had an unpredictable dad who was impossible to please and a praying mom who was there to protect the children. We were good children. Mom was always telling us we were, even if Daddy couldn't see it . part of this was because we didn't dare to do anything. Then came the day we found something new and fun to do. We worked at drawing with chalk on our wooden front door and making lots of pretty pictures all over it. We had a great time. We thought Mom would love it and praise us. The praise we expected did not come. Instead, Mom was mad. We did not understand why, but we knew we were in big trouble! Off we ran to find a place to hid. In our wooded yard it was not hard for two small children to find safety. Together, we hid behind a tree and did not move. Soon we heard the frightened voices of Mom and our neighbors calling out to us. The sun set and it began to get dark. Those around us became more anxious, and we became more frightened. However, we still didn't move. As we clung together in the dark, we became aware of yet another voice, one we recognized with great fear: our daddy. But there was something strangely different about it. In it we heard something we had never heard before: fear, agony and despair. Then came his prayers in tearful voice. Our daddy was promising God that he would give his life to him if he would safely return his girls. Nothing in our lives had prepared us for this kind of shock. Neither of us remembers making a decision to come out. We were drawn to him like a magnet , our fears disappearing into the forest. We didn't know yet if we actually took steps or if God somehow moved us out and into Daddy's arms. What we do remember were those strong, loving arms holding us and crying, hugging us like we were precious. Things were different after that. _ . Our whole family was changed by a piece of chalk. The children's drawing on the door _ . A brought them great trouble B gained their mother's praise C made their father very angry D failed to meet their mother's demands Answer: A
Art Beat in January 2016 Beijing Youth choir to perform The youth choir of China National Symphony Orchestra will soon perform classics including the Mexican folk song, The Golden Nightingale, and the Blue Danube, adapted from a waltz by Johann Strauss II. Pianists Zhao Lin and Wang Tianyang will join in the show. 7:30 pm, Jan 23. Forbidden City Concert Hall, inside Zhongshan Park, west of Tian'anmen Square, Xicheng district. 010-6559-8285. Orchestra recitals The China National Center for the Performing Arts Orchestra led by conductor Lyu Jia will give two recitals, featuring works including Beethoven's Coriolanus Overture and Mozart's Symphonies No. 40 & No. 41 Jupiter. Cellist Wang Jian will join in the performances, playing Schumann's Cello Concerto in A minor, Op 129 and Saint-Saens' Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op 33. 7:30 pm, Jan 15; 2:30 pm, Jan 16. China National Center for the Performing Arts, No. 2 West Chang'an Avenue, Xicheng District. 010-6655-0000. Ballet from Paris Paris Opera Ballet will present two gala performances in the city. Besides highlights of classical ballet, such as Swan Lake and Manon, the program will also include modern pieces from the company's repertoire. The leading etoiles are Ludmila Pagliero and Karl Paquette. 7:15 pm, Jan 15-16. Shanghai Oriental Art Center, 425 Dingxiang Road, Pudong district. 021-6854-1234. Ensemble of swans Shanghai Ballet will present two performances of Swan Lake. The production choreographed by British artist Derek Deane who has just completed a tour in 26 cities of the Netherlands. The spectacular production features an ensemble of 48 dancers. 7:15 pm, Jan 22-23. Shanghai Grand Theater, 300 Renmin Avenue, Huangpu district. 400-106-8686. If you only spare some time in the afternoon, you can enjoy _ . A Beethoven's Coriolanus Overture B Classical ballet Manon C The Golden Nightingale D Classical ballet Swan Lake Answer: A. Beethoven's Coriolanus Overture Do you know what an eagle does when a storm is coming? The eagle will fly to some high spot and wait for the winds to come. When the storm hits, it opens its wings so that the wind will pick it up and lift it above the storm. While the storm rages below, the eagle is flying above it. The eagle does not shirk the storm. It simply uses the storm to lift it higher. It rises on the winds that bring the storm. When the storms of life come to us--- and all of us will experience them--- we can rise above them by setting our minds and our belief, like an eagle does. The storms do not have to beat us. We can use the nature's power to lift us above them. We are able to ride the winds of the storm that bring sickness, tragedy, failure and disappointment in our lives. We can fly above the storm. Remember, it is not the burdens of life that weigh us down, it is how we face them. What should we do when the storms of life come to us? A Encourage ourselves to rise above them. B Be ready to lose our belief. C Run away before they come. D Use the nature's power to hide ourselves. Answer: A. Encourage ourselves to rise above them. Ever wonder how much a cloud weighs? What about a hurricane? A meteorologist has done some estimates and the results might surprise you. Let's start with a very simple white puffy cloud -- a cumulus cloud . How much does the water in a cumulus cloud weigh? Peggy LeMone, senior scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, did the numbers. "The water in the little cloud weighs about 550 tons," she calculates. "Or if you want to convert it to something that might be a little more meaningful ... think of elephants." The thought of a hundred elephants-worth of water suspended in the sky begs another question -- what keeps it up there? "First of all, the water isn't in elephant sized particles , it's in tiny tiny tiny particles," explains LeMone. And those particles float on the warmer air that's rising below. But still, the concept of so much water floating in the sky was surprising even to a meteorologist like LeMone. "I had no idea how much a cloud would weigh, actually, when I started the calculations," she says. So how many elephant units of water are inside a big storm cloud--10 times bigger all the way around than the "puffy" cumulus cloud? Again, LeMone did the numbers: About 200,000 elephants. Now, ratchet up the calculations for a hurricane about the size of Missouri and the figures get really massive. "What we're doing is weighing the water in one cubic meter theoretically pulled from a cloud and then multiplying by the number of meters in a whole hurricane," she explains. The result? Forty million elephants. That means the water in one hurricane weighs more than all the elephants on the planet. Perhaps even more than all the elephants that have ever lived on the planet. How did Peggy LeMone feel about the result of her calculations? A She found it not convincing. B She thought it needed further calculations. C She was quite surprised at it. D She considered the calculations inaccurate. Answer: C. She was quite surprised at it. To explain why he liked his art teacher the best, 16-year-old Dainzin Tanam could not write more words than a simple sentence "Because he teaches me painting." In the eyes of his teachers at the Lhasa Special Education School, the deaf boy was a little painter. Five years ago, however, all Tanam could do was to stay in bed until noon, and then stare at the sky through the window, waiting for his parents' return. His mother Yangzom said she had no other choice but to lock him in the house every day as she and her husband had to work and they did not want to allow the boy to roam the streets. "Every day when I came back home and saw my lonely poor son, I felt my heart hurt. But now I can finally feel a bit relieved," the mother said. She said it was the school that changed his son. "Without the school, I dared not imagine how my son would be now." With a governmental fund of 4.5 million yuan, the special education school was founded in 2000. The only government-run school for handicapped children in Tibet, it now has 28 teachers and 120 school children in nine classes of 5 grades. Eight classes in the school are for deaf kids and the other one is for blind kids. Students can enjoy free food, boarding, clothing and medical services in the school, which is open to deaf and blind children from all over the autonomous region. Tibetan sign language and Tibetan Braille are basic courses here. Children also have Tibetan, Chinese, mathematics, science, painting, dancing and sports lessons. A "black and white" textbook seemed appealing among the color1ful books in Tanam's schoolbag. The text was handwritten. It was the Tibetan language textbook compiled and written by teachers themselves. "As textbooks for students in ordinary schools sometimes are too abstract and hard for our kids to understand, two other Tibetan language teachers and I compiled the textbook to make things easier for them," said teacher Dawa. Those books with the love of all the teachers, though not spoke out, will surely help children enjoy their life by supporting themselves after leaving the school. How old was the Dainzin Tanam when he began to go to the Lhasa Special Education School? A 16 years old B 11 years old C 21 years old D 5 years old Answer: B. 11 years old Young women are more adventurous than young men when traveling abroad in gap years. One in three female backpackers visits more than three countries during a year out and travels alone, according to new research. By contrast, the majority of their male counterparts visit only one country and tend to travel in groups, says a survey by the Gap Year company, which provides information and services for students considering taking a year out. More women than men say that their prime reason for taking time off is to see the world and experience different cultures. Men were more likely to rank "having fun" higher on their list of priorities. Women were more likely to value the challenge of a foreign trip, and many cited reasons such as learning a language and meeting new people. The more adventurous gap years taken by women seem to work to their benefit: more than three quarters of those surveyed reported increased confidence, self-reliance and independence, whereas only half of the men had that experience. The research also showed that women were more likely to do voluntary work while traveling, with more than one in ten helping with teaching or development projects. One of the reasons given for this is a wish to see the country in an authentic light. A greater proportion of women than men faced objections or criticism from their families over their gap-year plans. Among the men surveyed, lack of money was the main barrier to travel. Carolyn Martin, a doctor from London, was a typically confident female traveler. Starting in Cape Town, she traveled around southern Africa and Australia with a string of unusual and sometimes dangerous jobs. "I had one job chasing elephants off the runway in Africa by banging a stick against a pan," she recalled. "It was OK but one day I did get chased by one." She said that she had traveled alone because "you meet more people". Which of the following statements is TRUE? A Men students will travel less during the gap year because of their part-time jobs. B Women students will travel more but face more objections. C The article suggests that women traveling alone will have dangerous experiences. D Men students prefer traveling inside their own country to going abroad. Answer: B. Women students will travel more but face more objections.
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." According to the passage, the new Israeli law banning skinny models is _ . A practical B acceptable C reasonable D controversial Answer: D For a commuter rushing to catch a train, a minute can mean the difference between dinner with the family and leftovers in the microwave. What most passengers don't realize is that their minute is already there. Every commuter train that departs from New York City -- about 900 a day -- leaves a minute later than scheduled. If the timetable says 8:14, the train will actually leave at 8:15. In other words, if you think you have only a minute to get that train -- well, relax. You have two. The courtesy minute, in place for decades and published only in private timetables for employees, is meant as a grace period for those who need the extra time to get off the platform and onto the train. "If everyone knows they get an extra minute, they're going to waste time doing unimportant things," explained Marjorie Anders, a spokeswoman for the Metro-North Railroad. Told of this article, Ms. Anders laughed. " _ !" she said. Entirely hidden from the riding public, the secret minute is an odd departure from the railroad culture of down-to-the-second accuracy. The railroad industry helped invent the concept of standard time, and time zones were established in the United States in the 1880s, 35 years before they were written into law. And most commuters know their train by the precise minute it departs. The trains quickly make up the minute: at all other stops, the public timetable prevails. The phantom minute does not exist at commuter railroads in Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, or San Francisco. But in New York, the secret minute dates back decades. "That's been done forever, from my knowledge," said Jack Swanberg, 70, an unofficial historian of Metro-North. "I was the trainmaster starting in 1970 and I'm sure it's been the case since 1870 for all I know." The courtesy minute was hidden from the public to _ . A prevent the passengers' idleness B help invent the concept of standard time C show the railroad company's consideration D follow the ancient tradition of New York City Answer: A We know the mosquito very well. Mosquitoes fly everywhere. They can be found almost all over the world, and there are more than 2,500 kinds of them. No one likes the mosquito. But the mosquito may decide that she loves you. She? Yes,she. It's true that male mosquito doesn't bite and only the female mosquito bites because she needs blood to lay eggs. She is always looking for things or people she wants to bite. If she likes what she finds, she bites. But if she doesn't like your blood,she will turn to someone else for more delicious blood. Next time a mosquito bites you,just remember you are chosen. You're different from the others! If the mosquito likes you,she lands on your body without letting you know. She bites you so quickly and quietly that you may not feel anything different. After she bites,you will have an itch on your body because she puts something from her mouth together with your blood. By the time the itching begins,and she has flown away. And then what happens? Well,after her delicious dinner,the mosquito feels tired. She just wants to find a place to have a good rest. There,on a leaf or a wall, she begins to lay eggs,hundreds of eggs. The mosquito bites you _ . A when you're asleep B because you have choose it C too quickly to let you know D but doesn't like you Answer: C You may have heard the term "the American Dream". In 1848, James W. Marshall found gold in California and people began having golden dreams. That 19th century "American Dream" motivated the Gold Rush and gave California its nickname of the "Golden State". The American Dream drove not only 1800s gold-rush prospectors but also waves of immigrants throughout that century and the next. People from Europe, and a large number of Chinese, arrived in the US in the 19th century hoping that in America they would find gold in the streets. But most, instead, worked as railroad labourers. They created the oldest Chinatown, in San Francisco, and gave the city a Chinese name "the old gold hill". In the 20th century, some critics said that it was no longer possible to become prosperous through determination and hard work. Unfair education for students from poor families and racial discrimination almost made the American Dream a nightmare. Then, in the 1990s, California saw a new wave of dreamers in Silicon Valley. People poured their energy into the Internet. This new chapter of the American Dream attracted many business people and young talents from China and India to form start-ups and seek fortunes in America. Better pay, a nice house, and a rising standard of living will always be attractive. However, the new American Dream is no longer just about money. It encourages Americans to consume wisely to protect the environment, improve the quality of life, and promote social justice. The Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, has become the model of the new American Dream. After years of hard work, he grew from a poor young man from Austria into a movie superstar and then governor. Many people hope his story can save the American Dream and give California a brighter future. What's the best title of the passage? A Wave of Immigrants to America B Make Fortunes Abroad C Hard Work Leads to Success D Changes of America's Golden Dream Answer: D Future historians will be in a particular position when they come to record the history of our own times. They will hardly know which facts to select from the great mass of evidence that's always increasing. What is more, they will not have to rely only oh the written word. Films, videos, CDs and CD-ROMs are just some of the huge amount of information they will have. They will be able, as it were, to see and hear us in action. But the historian attempting to show the distant past again is always faced with a difficult task. He has to make proper use of evidence available to draw reasonable conclusions. Good news is that even evidence that may appear unimportant can shed light on the history of early man. Up to now, historians have assumed that calendars came into being with the appearance of agriculture, for man of that time was faced with a real need to understand something about the seasons. Recent scientific evidence seems to suggest that this assumption is incorrect Historians have long been puzzled by dots, lines and symbols which have been carved on walls, bones and so on. The nomads who made these markings lived by hunting and fishing during the last Ice Age which began about 35,000 B.C. and ended about 10,000 B.C. By comparing and analyzing markings made in various parts of the world, historians have been able to read this difficult "language". They have found that it is connected with the passing of days and the stages of the moon. It is, in fact, a primitive type of calendar. It has long been known that the hunting scenes drawn on walls were not simply a form of expression of art. They had a certain meaning, for they were as near as early man could get to writing. It is possible that there is a certain relation between these, paintings and the markings that sometimes accompany them. It seems that man was making a real effort to understand the seasons 20,000 years earlier than has been supposed. What can we infer from this passage? A Agriculture existed thanks to calendars. B Calendars appeared thanks to Agriculture. C Agriculture started long before calendars appeared D Calendars appeared long before agriculture started Answer: D
Robert Ballard was born in 1942. From an early age, he loved the sea. Ballard grew up in Southern California. He spent his free time at the beach near his home. He enjoyed fishing and swimming. He even learned to dive. When Ballard wasn't at the ocean, he loved reading about it. At age 10, he read 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, a book which describes the undersea adventures of Captain Nemo. Ballard decided he wanted to be like Captain Nemo when he grew up. His parents helped him follow his dream. Ballard was a hardworking student. He spent many years learning all he could about the ocean. By the age of 28, he was an expert. In 1970, he took a job as a scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Massachusetts. There he studied underwater mountains of the Atlantic Ocean. He came up with ways to predict volcanoes under the oceans. Working with other scientists, Ballard also found previously unknown sea animals. These animals lived far below the ocean's surface, where scientists had believed no animals could live. By the 1980s, Ballard's interests changed. He developed unmanned vehicles to explore the ocean bottom. His first find, the well-known ship Titanic, made Ballard famous. He was not happy with just one big find, however. He looked for -- and found -- other well-known ships. One was the German battleship Bismarck. Another was the U.S. Yorktown, an aircraft carrier that sank during World War II. Today Robert Ballard is still an underwater explorer. He also heads an organization that encourages students to learn about science. Ballard hopes that some of the students will follow in his footsteps. After all, the world's huge oceans are mostly unknown. Who knows what remains to be discovered under the sea? When Ballard worked at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, he _ . thought of ideas to predict underwater volcanoes The baby monkey is much more developed at brith than the human baby. Almost from the moment it is born,the baby monkey can move around and hold tightly to its mother. During the first few days of its life the baby will approach and hold onto almost any large,warm, and soft object in its environment , particularly if that object also gives it milk. After a week or so , however, the baby monkey begins to avoid newcomers and focuses its attentions on "mother"-----the real mother or the mother-substitute . During the first two weeks of its life warmth is perhaps the most important psychological thing that a monkey mother has to give to its baby. The Harlows, a couple who are both psychologists, discovered this fact by offering baby monkeys a choice of two types of mother-substitutes ----one covered with cloth and one make of bare wire. IF the two artificial mothers were both the same temperature, the little monkeys always preferred the cloth mother. However, if the wire model was heated, while the cloth model was cool, for the first two weeks after brith the baby monkeys picked the warm wire mother-substitutes as their favorites. Thereafter they switched and spent most of their time on the more comfortable cloth mother. Why is cloth preferable to bare wire? Sometime that the Harlows called contact comfort seems to be the answer, and a most powerful influence it is. Baby monkeys spend much of their time rubbing against their mothers' skins, putting themselves in as close contact with the parent as they can. Whenever the young animal is frightened, disturbed, or annoyed, it typically rushes to its mother and rubs itself against her body. Wire does n't "rub"as well as does soft cloth. Prolonged "contact comfort" with a cloth mother appears to give the babies confidence and is much more rewarding to them than is either warmth or milk. According to the Harlows, the basic quality of a baby's love for its mother is trust. If the baby is put into an unfamiliar playroom without its mother, the baby ignores the toys no matter how interesting they might be. It screams in terror and curls up into a furry little ball. If its cloth mother is now introduced into the playroom, the baby rushes to it and holds onto it for dear life. After a few minutes of contact comfort, it obviously begins to feel more secure. It then climbs down from the mother-substitute and begins to explore the toys, but often rushes back for a deep embrace as if to make sure that its mother is still there and that all is well. Bit by bit its fears of the new environment are gone and it spends more and more time playing with the toys and less and less time holding onto its mother". Psychologically, what does the baby monkey desire most during the first two weeks of its life? Warmth What does gravity cause substances on a planet? things to descend to the lowest surface possible Wanda, the neighborhood witch, was a good witch and had been one for about 221 years. Her fondest dream was to become a fairy godmother. She had been going to the Fairy Godmother Academy for 103 years, learning fairy godmother magic: how to turn pumpkins into coaches, how to make things vanish in clouds of smoke, even how to change mice into horses and footmen. Just that very morning the principal of the Academy had said Wanda was ready for her final test. She was to change the first animal she met into something else. The animal was to be so happy at becoming whatever it became that it would say, "Oh, happy day! I'm a..." If it did, Wanda would pass the test. She would become a fairy godmother, with a sparkling pink dress, a golden crown, and a magic wand tipped with a shining star. However, if she failed, she would have to start school all over again--all 103 years of it. "Good luck," the principal said as Wanda left the Academy. The very first animal Wanda bumped into was Charley, a little green frog who sat in a pond by the side of the road catching bugs with his long, sticky tongue and croaking "Baroomp! Baroomp!" When Charley saw Wanda he jumped onto a lily pad. "Hi," he cried. "Witch way are you going? Ha, ha. That's a joke, Wanda. 'Witch way are you going?' Get it?" "I get it, Charley," replied Wanda, "but it's not much of a joke. Anyway, I'm glad you're here. I have a surprise for you. You'll be so happy." Then, without even an "if you please," Wanda waved her wand, said a magic word, and poof ! Charley, the little green frog, turned into a prince! He was a handsome prince but a wet one. The lily pad had collapsed under his weight and dumped him into the water. Charley-turned-prince stood up and looked at his reflection in the water. "Hey!" he cried. "You turned me into a prince! It's a surprise all right, but I don't want to be a prince. I want to be a frog! Change me back right now!" "Oh, dear," Wanda said. "You know I don't like to be yelled at, Charley. Now you've made me forget the reverse spell. But who wouldn't rather be a prince than a frog?" "I wouldn't!" cried Charley. "I want to be a frog!" He stuck out his tongue, missing a bug flying by the end of his nose. "Look at that, Wanda! I was such a good fly catcher. And I had eyes on top of my head, too. I could see forward and backward and sideways all at once, but look at me now. With my eyes in front of my face, I can only see one direction at a time. I don't even have a castle, Wanda. What kind of prince is that? I'd really rather be a frog. Please change me back!" "I can't, Charley. But you'll learn to be happy as a prince. As for a castle, I can take care of that." She waved her wand, and suddenly a castle appeared by the banks of the pond. It had stone walls, oaken doors, and pennants waving from its turrets. "Your very own palace, Charley! You'll have servants, eat fancy foods and ice cream." "Bah!" Charley interrupted. "Who wants servants, or ice cream and fancy foods? I want bugs!" He stuck out his tongue and looked down his nose at it, cross-eyed. "This tongue is no good--it's too short!" he cried. "I can't even see it." Again Wanda waved her wand. "Look, Charley, musicians," she said. Out of the castle marched dozens of musicians blowing trumpets, tootling flutes, and banging drums. "See? Your own band. They'll play music, and you can sing and dance and snap your fingers to your heart's content." "I don't want to sing and dance!" Charley cried. "And why would I do something as silly as snapping my fingers?" "Snapping fingers!" exclaimed Wanda. "That's it, Charley. That's what I forgot!" She snapped her fingers, cried "Upsi-doodle!" and poof! The castle and musicians disappeared and the prince became a little green frog. Charley hopped onto a lily pad. He looked at himself in the water. "You did it, Wanda. Oh, happy day! I'm a frog." Wanda smiled and thought to herself, "So I have to go back to school for another 103 years. Who cares? Charley's happy, and that's what really counts." Well, it wasn't exactly 'Oh, happy day! I'm a prince,' but the principal of the Fairy Godmother Academy decided that 'Oh, happy day! I'm a frog' was close enough. Wanda hadn't thought about herself. She had only wanted to make Charley happy. Thinking about others was the most important thing fairy godmothers had to do. The principal waved her magic wand. Look! Wanda the Witch became Wanda the Fairy Godmother...sparkling pink dress, magic wand with a star, and all. The most important thing for a fairy godmother to do is _ . always care about the others Hi,I'm Mimi. I'm four years old. I enjoy listening to music very much. I can sing and dance. This is a photo of me at my birthday party. I look very cool because it is my birthday today.It is favorite day of this year.I get up early and I'm ready for my birthday party.I have a lot of animal friends .iIcall them to my home on the phone. Then I take a bus to go shopping. I buy some food ,friut and drinks in the super market.At 7:0p.m,the party begins.All my friend asks me to sing some songs for them .I'm shy in front of them but I feel happy.Look! I'm playing guitar.They are listening tomy songs They clap their hands from time to time.at last ,all my friends walk to me and sing." Happy birthday" to me.How happy my birthday is !And my friends have a good time . How old is MiMi? 4.
A MENTORING program is giving life changing opportunities to Banbury youth. Young Inspirations was founded two years ago to provide mentoring sessions for students and unemployed young adults aged 11 to 21. Alex Goldberg, the program's founder, said; "We set up Young Inspirations because we wanted to give young people experiences which will potentially be life changing and broaden their outlook. "We try to create work experience opportunities that will really make a difference to our youth. For example, we've secured internships with world-famous firms such as Honda. "At a time of funding cutbacks where schools are finding it more and more difficult to offer this kind of mentoring, it is extremely important that these opportunities are available both to help youth with their school work and grades and to give them opportunities which may help shape their futures. " Kieran Hepburn, 14, is one of a group of Banbury youth who has benefited from the program so far. In October the Banbury School pupil was accompanied by Young Inspirations staff to Paris where he was an observer at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO) International Youth Forum . The event was held for young people from around the world, to seek their views on how the future of youth and education should look. Kieran joined several hundred observers mostly in their 20s and was the only UK school pupil to attend the event. Kieran thinks the trip was a life changing experience. " Before we left I didn't quite know what to make of it but when we got there we didn't stop, it was amazing," he said, " We went to three or four hours of debates each day and then did something cultural each afternoon. " The main theme of the forum was how youth can drive change in political and public life. It dealt with issues such as drug abuse, violence and unemployment. Kieran said: " It has really helped me to improve my confidence and social skills as well as my school grades and I was voted most improved pupil at school in August. " The Young Inspirations mentoring sessions take place each Friday in Banbury. For details visit www.younginspirations.com. What would be the best tide for the passage? A. Alex Goldberg, Founder of Young Inspirations B. Young People Find a World of Opportunity C. Kieran, Banbury School Pupil to Paris D. Debates Help Youth with Their Grades Answer: B Theater managers will often ask people to turn off their phones before a play or other live shows, but sometimes people forget. Broadway shows have come to a stop when a phone has rung in the audience. It is not uncommon to hear phones ring in movie theatres, libraries and even places of worship. Can you think of anything more annoying than trying to watch a movie while the lady behind you tells the babysitter where to find the baby lotion . The right thing to do would be to take the call in the rest-room, and turn off the phone before returning to your seat. When did every call become so urgent that we can't wait to answer it, no matter where we are, who we are with or what we are doing? Why do cell phones bring out the worst manners in normally thoughtful people? Lew Friedland, a communications professor at the prefix = st1 /UniversityofWisconsin- Madison, told CNN Reporter Amy Cox that this lack of manners is because people might be unaware of what they are doing or of the other people around them. He said that this unconscious rudeness has caused even public space to be divided up into small private space. Places like bus stops are public spaces. But when we are there while someone has a private conversation on the phone, we feel like we are _ .What can we do? Which one of the following is Wrongaccording to this passage? A. It is unusual to hear phones in libraries now. B. We can answer a phone no matter where we are. C. It is polite to make a call while having a meeting. D. It is impolite to make a call in the bus stop. Answer: B Considered one of Europe's two "bicycle capitals" along with Amsterdam, Copenhagen counts more bicycles than people and cycling is so popular that its numerous bike paths can become crowded. Two-wheeler traffic jams are especially regular on the main Noerrebrogade road used by around 36,000 cyclists a day. "You have to elbow your way in to go forward and some cyclists aren't always thoughtful," complains 22-year-old university student Lea Bresell. The creation of bike highways "comes right on time", says Danish Cyclist Federation Spokesman Frits Bredal. "Copenhagen's roads are overloaded with people who want to ride their bicycles in all kinds of weather," he says. "If in the 1960s Danes viewed the car as the symbol of freedom, the bicycles have supposed that role today," Bredal says. "It's a _ of transportation used by all social classes, even politicians ride bikes," he says. It is on crowded Noerrebrogade--the busiest bicycle street in Europe, according to the cyclist association--that city planners have decided to build the first of Copenhagen's environmentally friendly roads. The jammed bike paths will be widened up to four metres on either side of the road, which itself will be reserved for bikes only. The idea is to make Noerrebrogade "Europe's great cycling street", says Andreas Roehl, Copenhagen government's bicycle program manager who is also known as "Mr. Bike". But Roehl is not content with making life easier for Copenhagen's inner-city cyclists: He wants to get suburbanites out of their cars and onto two wheels as well. His goal is to hike the percentage of suburban commuters cycling to and from the city from the 37 percent it is today to 50 percent by 2015. Why does Copenhagen plan to build the first bike highway? A. Because bike highways are environmentally friendly. B. Because it's a part of the city's development program. C. Because the inner-city commuters urge that it should be built. D. Because too many bicycles cause the paths to be crowded. Answer: D Tom goes everywhere with Catherine Green, a 54-year-old secretary. He moves around her office at work and goes shopping with her. "Most people don't seem to mind Tom," says Catherine, who thinks he is wonderful. "He's my fourth child," she says. She may think of him and treat him that way as her son. He moves around buying his food, paying his health bills and his taxes, but in fact Tom is a dog. Catherine and Tom live in Sweden, a country where everyone is expected to lead an orderly life according to rules laid down by the government, which also provides a high level of care for its people. This level of care costs money. People in Sweden pay taxes on everything, so aren't surprised to find that owning a dog means more taxes. Some people are paying as much as 500 Swedish kronor in taxes a year for the right to keep their dog, which is spent by the government on dog hospitals and sometimes medical treatment for a dog that falls ill. However, most such treatment is expensive, so owners often decide to offer health and even life _ for their dog. In Sweden dog owners must pay for any damage their dog does. A Swedish Kennel Club official explains what this means: if your dog runs out on the road and gets hit by a passing car, you, as the owner, have to pay for any damage done to the car, even if your dog has been killed in the accident. If a dog causes a car accident and gets killed, who should pay for the damage done to the car? A. The owner of the car. B. The owner of the dog. C. The insurance company. D. The government. Answer: B Do you know anything about the history of weather? Don't look at the sky. Don't look for old weather reports. Looking at the tree rings is more important. Correct weather reports date back only one century, but some trees can provide an exact record of weather even further back. It is natural that a tree would grow best in a climate with plenty of sunlight and rainfall. It is also expected that little sunlight or rainfall would reduce the growth of a tree. The change from a favorable to an unfavorable climate can be found out by the reading pattern of rings in a tree trunk. To find out the weather of ten years ago, you can count the rings of a tree trunk from the outside to the inside. If the tenth ring is far from the other rings, then it is certain that plenty of sunny and rainy weather occurred. If the rings are close together, then the climate was bad for the tree. Studying trees is important not only for the history of weather, but also for the history of man. In an area of New Mexico you can find only sand -- no trees or people. However, many centuries ago a large population lived there. They left suddenly. Why? A scientist studied the pattern of the rings of dead trees that had grown there. He made up his mind that the people had to leave because they had cut down all the trees. Trees were necessary to make fires and buildings. So, after the people destroyed the trees, they had to move. In this example studying tree rings uncovered an exciting fact about the history of man. If the ring was far from the others, we can conclude that the weather of that year was _ . A. bad B. sunny C. rainy D. favorable Answer: D
Flags have existed for over 3000 years. The earliest flags were wooden or metal poles topped with a carving. About 2000 years ago pies of fabric were added to some poles for decoration. Over the next 500 years the free-flying part of the flag became more important. Every country today has its own flag. Many groups and organizations also have a flag which stands for, or symbolizes, the aims of the group. The flag depicts a world map, centered on the north pole. The map is surrounded by an olive wreath symbolizing peace and co-operation. The flag is blue and white. A very old flag is likely to _ . A be made of fabric B have a map on it C have white shapes on it D be made of carved wood Answer: D TEENSGIVING in SPRING 2010 Frequently Asked Questions What is TEENSGIVING? TEENSGIVING is an exciting yearly event where hundreds of New York City teens gather together annually for a remarkable day of community service. This year, TEENSGIVING in SRING 2010 participants will once again better New York City and impact thousands of lives! When is TEENSGIVING in SPRING2010? SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2010 Where is TEENSGIVING? All over New York City. Everyone will meet at the 92nd Street Y (92nd and Lexington) at 9:00 AM for the event kick-off. Then, all TEENSGIVING volunteers will disperse across the city to work with our partnering agencies where they will make a HUGE difference and have fun! Who participates in TEENSGIVING? Hundreds of teenagers from around the city. Teens come from the 92nd Street Y, various city schools, youth groups, and organizations in the area. In addition, many adult volunteers (aged 21 and older) will donate their time to TEENSGIVING in SPRING 2010. What projects do participants do at the agencies? Sample projects include painting park benches, planting gardens, visiting and playing with underprivileged children, assembling craft kits for children in hospitals, assisting at animal shelters, working at soup kitchens, delivering meals and celebrating with families at homeless shelters. Do I get anything for participating in TEENSGIVING? Yes! Everybody benefits! Teen volunteers will receive 6 hours of community service credit, good towards honor society, high school graduation and college application requirements. Adult volunteers will be "thanked" with a light breakfast, a gift certificate for their troubles, and the satisfaction of helping our city's youth contribute to their community. In addition, all teen and adult volunteers will receive a cool TEENSGIVING in SPRING 2010 T-shirt. This sounds awesome! How do I register for TEENSGIVING in SPRING2010? Interested teens and/or adults should e-mail the TEENSGIVING Coordinator Josh Hyman at jhyman@92Y.org(subjet:TEENSGIVING) to receive more information and to register for this fantastic event! Teens can also contact their school's Community Service Advisor TEENSGIVING is sponsored by the 92nd Street Y. The writer's purpose in writing this passage is to _ . A informreadersofsomefrequentlyaskedquestions B introduceTEENSGIVINGinSPRING2010toreaders C encouragereaderstoaskmorequestionsaboutTEENSGIVING D callonreaderstoparticipateinTEENSGIVINGinSPRING2010 Answer: B Once again, I was in a new school. There was a girl in my class named Paris. That's where the similarities ended. I was tall and she was small. I was one of the oldest in the class while she was the youngest. I was awkward and shy. She wasn't. I couldn't stand her, considering her my enemy. But she wanted to be friends with me. One day, she invited me over and I said yes---I was too shocked to say no. Actually no one had invited me over to play before. But the girl, who wore the latest fashions, wanted to see me. She lived on the fourth floor in a two-room place with her mother, her stepfather, her two brothers and her sister. When we got to the room she shared with her sister, she took out a big case of Barbies which was my next surprise. I would have thought she'd outgrown them. I had never played with them. But we sat on the floor of a walk-in cupboard laughing as we made up crazy stories about the Barbies. That's when we found out that we both wanted to be writers when we were older. We both had wild imaginations. We had a great day that afternoon. Our jaws ached from smiling so much. She showed me her outfits , which had mostly come from a designer clothing store down the block. T he woman who owned it used her as a model sometimes for her newspaper ads and gave her clothes in exchange. Paris had the whole neighborhood attracted. The bookstore owners lent her fashion magazines, the movie theater gave her free passes and the pizza place let her have free pieces. Soon I included in her magic world. We slept over at each other's house, spent ever free moment together. My dark hair grew out and I learned to love being tall. Paris, my first real friend since childhood, helped me get through th tough teenage years and taught me and amazing thing about making friends: your "worst enemy" can turn out to be your best friend. In the article the writer describes Paris as a girl who was _ . A awkward and shy B fashionable and proud C quiet and lonely D friendly and lovely Answer: D Those accustomed to browsing through thousands of books in large bookstores may find Japan's Morioka Shoten a little strange. That's because this tiny bookstore that is located in Ginza, Tokyo sells only a single book at a time. Opened in May 2015, Morioka Shoten is the brainchild of Yoshiyuki Morioka. He began his career as a bookstore clerk in Tokyo's Kanda district before branching out to open his own store. It was here while organizing book reading and signing that he realized that customers usually came into the store with one title in mind. Morioka began to wonder if a store could exist by selling multiple copies of just one single book. In November 2014, he partnered with Masamichi Toyama to establish a unique bookstore with the philosophy of "A Single Room with a Single Book". The selections that are picked by Morioka change weekly and vary widely to attract customers with different interests. Recent choices include The True Deceiver, an award-winning Swedish novel by Tove Jansson, Hans Andersen's Fairy Tales, and a collection of Karl Blossfeldt's photography of plants. Morioka has also selected books written by a famous Japanese author Mimei Ogawa. To highlight his only offering, Morioka often uses clever tricks. For example, when selling a book about flowers, the storekeeper decorated his shop with the ones that had been mentioned in the book. He also encourages authors to hold talks and discussions so they can connect with customers. Morioka says his goal is for the customers to experience being inside a book, not just a bookstore. Risky as the idea might seem, things appear to be going well. The storekeeper says he has sold over 2,100 books. Things can get better given that his bookstore is becoming increasingly popular not just among the locals but also visitors form other countries. What's the author's opinion about the bookstore's future? A Risky. B Promising. C Unpredictable. D Hopeless. Answer: B Some prey animals may elude predators by A being stinky B being friendly C being slow D being loving Answer: A
Crossing Texas and Mexico, the Big Bend region is high in biodiversity . It's a place so _ that if something doesn't bite, stick, or sting, it's probably a rock. You know you have arrived in the heart of the Chihuahuan Desert when it feels as if you have fallen off the edge of the earth and into the rabbit hole. Nothing is as it appears. Moths are the size of birds. Are those twin pillars of black rock (a landmark known as Mule Ear Peaks) ten miles (16 kilometers) away or fifty (80 kilometers)? Visibility reaches more than a hundred miles on a clear day, and since there are few roads or buildings to use as milestones, distance is difficult to judge. This is a place where water runs uphill, where rainbows have to wait for rain. The line between myth and reality is unclear. Stare long enough at the Chisos Mountains or the Sierra del Carmen, the two mountain ranges, known as sky islands, which lie on the land, and they rise and float above the plain. The vast Chihuahuan Desert is a land of no people. There is always the chance you'll die of thirst. The "You Can Die"possibilities are endless, and keep some visitors -- 350,000 a year to Big Bend National Park, built in 1944 -- from coming back. Those who do return are left to think of the remarkable courage of the brave few who have managed to survive in this terrible environment. What is the passage mainly about? The natural wonders of the Chihuahuan Desert. The Internet has revolutionized our lives to such an extent that for most people, the global network has become more than just a tool but rather an indispensable aid in everyday life. More and more people go online as wireless networks have brought the Internet closer and closer: it's on our mobile phones, in our cars and TV sets, in hospital surgery rooms and in fishing boats that battle the waves of the Atlantic. And this revolution has brought along with it a new way of shopping. Both big and small, e-commerce websites have literally flooded the Internet by the hundreds of thousands. Anything you can buy from a brick and mortar store you can also buy online: from food and clothes to guns and bombs, no matter what you're looking for, you're bound to find the right online store with just a few clicks of the mouse. This revolution has sent cold trembles down the backbones of brick and mortar business owners. And what was their reaction? They've opened online stores to go hand in hand with their conventional businesses. Nowadays, every "Mom and Pop's" cheesecake store also has a website. In a recent survey, 68% of small business owners have stated that they are scared of being put out of business by the powerful flood that e-commerce has become. So it's no wonder many of them have decided to join the revolution and establish some kind of an online presence even though most of them have stated that they dislike the Internet. But do the big players have reasons to be afraid? Are we going to start seeing ghostly, deserted Wal-Marts across the country? Probably not in the near future but the day will come when most people will just stop shopping offline anymore. A trip to Wal-Marts wastes time, burns gas and sometimes adds a few extra dots on the stress counter. The recent advancements in mobile technology and the introduction of mobile phones with improved web capabilities has even made some people order their groceries when they get out from work and have them delivered at their doorstep by the time they get home. And as "Time is money", this practice is lifesaving for people who work two jobs. Technology will continue to advance and e-commerce will follow closely in its footsteps. Everything will become easier and less time consuming, leaving us more time to enjoy the things that really matter in life: the ones we love, our friends and hobbies. In response to the threat of online business, the brick-and-mortar store owners _ . have opened their online stores A new plan for getting children to and from school is being started by a local government in Eastern England. This could end the worries of many parents fearful for their children's safety on the roads. Until now the local government have only been prepared to provide bus services for children living more than three miles from their school, or sometimes less if special reasons existed.Now it has been decided that if a group of parents ask for help in organizing transport they will be prepared to go ahead, as long as the arrangement will not lose money and children taking part will be attending their nearest school. The new plan is to be tried out this term for children living at Milton who attend Impington School.The children live just within the three-mile limit and the local government have said in the past that they will not agree to provide free transport to the school.But now they have agreed to offer a sum of money for a bus service from Milton to Impington and back, a plan which has the support of the school's headmaster. Between 50 and 60 parents have said they would like their children to take part.Final calculations have still to be carried out, but a government official has said the cost to parents should be less than PS20 a term. They have been able to arrange the service at a low cost because there is already an agreement with the bus company for a bus to take children who live further away to Impington.The same bus would now just make one more journey to pick up the Milton children.The official said they would get in touch with other groups of parents who in the past had asked if transport could be provided for their children, to see if they would like to take part in the new plan. Which of the following is possible if the plan is carried out? The parents can get rid of their worries. Scientists who have studied the hydrosphere concluded that about 71% of Earth is covered with water. Which part of the hydrosphere is most often associated with the formation of organic rocks? oceans A recent National Public Radio program examined the disappearance of some of the first words we were probably taught - "please" and "thank you." Other polite phrases are also disappearing. "You're welcome" has been replaced by "sure," "no problem," "you bet" or "enjoy." Are we becoming ruder, or are patterns of speech merely updating for changing times? Peter Post, director of the program, argues about people stopping using "you're welcome". He says, "Thank you" is an expression of appreciation one person offers another. To respond "No problem" is to ignore this acceptance as really being undeserved. By responding with a simple "you're welcome," Post adds, a person admits the thanks and shows appreciation for the person giving it. Whatever polite vocabulary you believe is fading, sociologist Gregory E. Smith says that such fading is a sign that we're becoming ruder as a society. "Saying please and thank you, asking permission, offering help, and following up on solutions to problems are no longer as important," he says. In 2011, 76 percent of people surveyed said Americans are becoming less civil. But could it be that it's simply the words we're using that are changing? Actually, the principles of respect, consideration and honesty are universal and timeless, but manners do change. For example, it's important to greet people when you see them, though the form of greeting has changed over time. "How do you do," for instance, became "Hello, how are you?" which changed into "Hello, how are things," or "How's it going?". As for "no problem", if the appreciation is expressed in a sincere manner, many Americans think they do not see its use as a loss of politeness. According to the text, when you meet a person for the first time, _ . you still need to express your greetings
During her sixty-year career performing, Lena Horne entertained people with her beauty and rich, emotional voice. She used her fame to fight social injustices toward African-Americans. Lena Horne was born in New York in 1917. At sixteen, Lena became a dancer at the famous Club in New York City. After taking voice lessons, she soon became a singer. In 1940, Lena Horne became the first African-American to perform with an all-white jazz band. After performing at a club in Hollywood, California, she caught the attention of filmmakers. She soon began making movies. Her films became very popular. In the 1940's, Lena Horne was the first African-American in Hollywood to sign a long-term contract with a major movie studio. Her deal with MGM stated that she would never play the role of a servant. She refused to play roles that represented African-Americans disrespectfully . But this refusal also limited her movie career. Lena Horne once said that World War Two helped make her a star. She was popular with both black and white soldiers. She sang on army radio programs and traveled to perform for the troops. Once, she noted that German prisoners of war were permitted to sit closer to the stage than black soldiers. She was very angry. These experiences led to Lena Horne's work in the civil rights movement. Lena Horne sang at civil rights gatherings. She took part in the March on Washington protest in 1963. It was during this event that Martin Luther King Junior gave his "I Have a Dream" speech. She protested racial separation at the hotels where she performed. She took action so that she and her musicians would be allowed to stay in those hotels. Black musicians at the time generally stayed in black neighborhoods. Lena Horne died in New York in 2010. We can infer that _ . Answer: black actresses often played roles of servants in the film in the 1940's Dear Joan, How are you? I'm in Beijing now. I study at Yu Lin High School. I like Beijing very much, and I have two good friends here. They are Tom and Wei Hua. Tom is from Canada and Wei Hua is from China. We are in the same class. They often help me with my Chinese. I can speak a little Chinese now. The teachers are kind to me. I like Chinese food here, like Guangdong food, Sichuan food, and Hu'nan food. They are nice. Some times we go out to eat. Jiaozi is my favorite food. I often have jiaozi for lunch and have noodles for supper. I have milk and bread for breakfast. What about you? Yours, Lily Can Lily speak Chinese? Answer: Yes, but a little. Most cultures have a feast or festival of light. Each culture celebrates this festival in a different way. The Jewish Festival of Light is called Hanukkah. It usually takes place in December. The story of why Hanukkah is celebrated is very old. It is told that a long time ago, Jewish people called the Macabees were at war with a country called Syria. On the day that the Macabees won the war, they cleaned up their holy place, which is called a temple, because the Syrian people had been living there. They wanted to light their holy lamps to say thank you for the end of the year, but found only a very small amount of oil left over to do that. The Macabees lit the lamps anyway, thinking that they would soon go out. The lamps kept burning for eight days! The Jewish people celebrate Hanukkah every year by lighting a candlestick that has eight candleholders. Every night a new candle is lit so that on the eighth night, all eight candles stand together. Presents are given at this time and money is given to the poor. The Christmas story is not quite as old as the Hanukkah story, but it is also very old. Christmas is the time when Christians around the world celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. It is believed that Christ was born in a stable. On the night of his birth, angels, shepherds and three wise men visited him. The wise men brought gifts with them. This is a happy and busy time of the year. Homes are decorated with Christmas trees and decorations. It is a time for being with the family. Families travel long distances to gather at Christmas. Lots of lights are put up everywhere. This is to show that Jesus is the"Light of the world"who came to bring peace to all people. Lanterns are another form of light. In China, the Lantern Festival goes back to the Han Dynasty. One emperor heard that Buddhist monks would light lanterns to _ Buddha on the 15th day of the 1st lunar month;so he also ordered to light lanterns in the imperial palace and temples to show respect to Buddha on the day. Later, the rite developed into a grand festival among common people. During the festival, parks become a sea of lanterns. Sometimes streets are blocked off and lanterns are put down on each side to make a hallway of lanterns. People also hang lanterns in their gardens, outside their houses or on boats. It is believed that the lanterns will guide visitors and the spirits of ancestors to the celebrations. The Lantern Festival is a time for families to reunite. What do people usually do at Christmas? Answer: They set up Christmas trees and decorate their homes. A farmer who lived in a small village had a bad pain in the chest. This never seemed to get any better. The farmer decided that he would go to see a doctor in the nearest town. But as he was a miserly person, he thought he would find out how much he would have to pay the doctor. He was told that a sick person had to pay three pounds for the first visit and one pound for the second visit. The farmer thought about this for a long time, and then he decided to go to the doctor in the town. As he came into the doctor's room, he said, "Good morning, doctor. Here I am again." The doctor was a little surprised. He asked him a few questions, checked his chest and then took the pound which the farmer insisted on giving him. Then the doctor said with a smile, "Well, sir, there's nothing new. Please go on taking the same medicine I gave you the first time you came to see me." How many pounds did a sick person have to pay the doctor in the town for two visits? Answer: Four. An incandescent light bulb requires a filament to Answer: emit illumination
one inherited characteristic of fur is it's hue The 2ndWorld Cup Live Painting Competition Brief Introduction The 2ndYouth World Cup Live Painting Competition is a global charity event hosted by Canada Youth Arts Development Foundation and supported by UNICEF. It is a global painting Olympic of the world's children and youth, and also a global charity event aiming to help poor children worldwide. We don't have ready formulas, but we believe in action. The Youth World Cup Live Painting Competition aims to change things for the better. The competition will be a platform to raise awareness for the welfare of poor children. We hope that this annual competition and charity event will grow into an annual celebration of painting, the Olympic of cultural and artistic exchange. All participants are separated into four groups Children Group 1 (Age 4-7) Children Group 2 (Age 8-12) Youth Group 1 (Age 13-17) Youth Group 2 (Age 18-25) Main categories for this edition are Friendship Dream Environmental Protection Tools Pen, pencil, oil, water color, any painting tools and materials are welcome. Size A3 size (43cm x 28cm) Entry fee There is no entry fee. Eligibility This competition is open to anyone worldwide aged 4-25 years old. Deadline June 30, 2014 Prize The Committee will issue one First Award (Gold Medal), three Second Awards (Silver Medals), six Third Awards (Bronze Medals), and Best Innovation Award, Best Color Award, Best Structure Award, Best Method Award, Best Quality Award. First Award will receive the Golden Cup and $500 CAD, Second Award--Silver Cup and $300 CAD, Third Award--Bronze Cup and $100 CAD. All winners of the First Award, Second Award and Third Award from each group will have the opportunities to attend the final competition for live painting competition, which is to be held in Richmond Olympic Oval, Richmond, Canada on August 12th, 2014. All participants in the final competition will receive a certificate, which will be delivered directly from the Organizing Committee. It can be known from the passage that _ . the groups are divided by the age of the participants A few degrees can make a big difference when it comes to food storage.Foods can go bad if they get too warm.But for many of the world's poor, finding a good way to keep food cool is difficult.Refrigerators are costly and they need electricity. Yet spoiled food not only creates health risks but also economic losses.Farmers lose money when they have to throw away products that they cannot sell quickly. But in nineteen ninety-five a teacher in northern Nigeria named Mohammed Bah Abba found a solution.He developed the "Pot-in-Pot Preservation/Cooling System." It uses two round containers made of clay.A smaller pot is placed inside a larger one.The space between the two pots is filled with wet sand.The inner pot can be filled with fruit, vegetables or drinks.A wet cloth covers the whole cooling system. Food stored in the smaller pot is kept from spoiling through a simple evaporation process.Water in the sand between the two pots evaporates through the surface of the larger pot, where drier outside air is moving.The evaporation process creates a drop in temperature of several degrees.This cools the inner pot and helps keep food safe from harmful bacteria.Some foods can be kept fresh this way for several weeks. People throughout Nigeria began using the invention.And it became popular with farmers in other African countries.Mohammed Bah Abba personally financed the first 5,000 pot-in-pot systems for his own community and five villages nearby. In 2000, the Rolex Watch Company of Switzerland honored him with the Rolex Award for Enterprise.This award recognizes people trying to develop projects aimed at improving human knowledge and well-being.A committee considers projects in science and medicine, technology, exploration and discovery, the environment and cultural history.Winners receive financial assistance to help develop and extend their projects.The award is given every two years.The most recent one was given last year. Mohammed Bah Abba got the Rolex Award for Enterprise because _ . his invention was beneficial for the poor You may get a cold sometimes. It often starts with a sore throat. You sneeze and your nose runs. You usually have a headache, too. Often you have a cough later. It's not a serious illness, but you may feel quite bad. _ For example, you can take aspirin to get rid of your headache. It is good to rest and drink a lot of water, too. A doctor once told me, "With the right medicine, the cold will last for seven days. With no medicine, it will go on for a week!" Where does our medicine come from? A long time ago, people knew that some plants made them feel better. For example, the juice of lemons makes a sore throat better. Now, scientists find some parts of plants can make some medicine. Because of these medicines, people now live longer than their grandparents. What can make a sore throat better? The juice of lemons. Learning to communicate in another language may be challenging, but it is also a very rewarding and enriching experience. It is the best passport to discovering another culture. Here are a few tips to help you make the most of the experience. Work at your own pace. Make the most of the time you have available to study. You will find you can learn more effectively if you study for half an hour every day, rather than try to do a whole unit in one sitting. Why not learn with someone else? It helps if you can learn with someone else. If you can persuade a friend or family member to study with you, it will give you extra motivation to keep working. Remember that you can go a long way with just a little language. Even if you feel unsure about your ability to form right sentences, you'll find that it is possible to communicate with just a few words. Above all, don't worry about getting things wrong: people will still be able to understand you. The more confidence you gain in communicating, the more fluent you'll become. Build up your vocabulary. A wide vocabulary is the key to successful language learning but don't try to learn too much at once. It's best to study frequently. Put words into sentences to fix them in mind, and come back to them later. Learning vocabulary in this way is usually very effective. And most of all, have fun! This passage is basically about some _ of foreign language learning. suggestions
Born in Ghana,West Africa,in 1989,Freddy Adu has become one of the most promising young soccer players in the world.Soccer fans have been crazy about him since 2003,when he became the youngest player to join a professional sports team in the United States.The next year,he became the youngest athlete ever to play in an allstar game,a match in which the best players from many professional teams compete. As a child,Adu did what many children in Ghana love to do--play soccer.His mother recognized her son's talentand encouraged it by providing soccer balls,which were expensive for them.Since he had soccer balls,other children always came looking for him and played together. Education was very important to Adu's mother,and she wasn't sure that her son could receive a good education in Ghana.So she tried hard and moved to Maryland,U.S. in 1997,when he was eight years old.His new school friends soon noticed his talent for soccer,and the parents of one friend encouraged him to join a soccer club.This was his first time playing organized soccer,and he helped his team from the Potomac Soccer Association win a tournament in Italy in 2000.One professional Italian team was so impressed by Adu that they offered him $750,000 to play for them.Adu's mother refused the offer and thought that her eleven-year-old son needed to finish school first. Adu did finish high school at the age of 14.Nowadays,he is playing professional soccer and living with his mother in a house he bought for her.His salary with the D.C. United team is $500,000 a year,and Adu is also paid to advertise products such as sports shoes and drinks.Adu is happy that his mother no longer has to work at two jobs,and his fans are happy that they can watch him play their favourite sport for many years to come. What can we learn from the passage? _ Answer: Some time ago, I discovered that one of my chairs had a broken leg. I didn't think there would be any difficulty in getting it mended , as there are a whole lot of antique shops near my home . So I left home one morning carrying the chair with me. I went into the first shop expecting a friendly reception. I was quite wrong. The man wouldn't even look at my chair. The second shop, though slightly more polite, was just the same, and the third and, the fourth-so I decided that my approach must be wrong. I went into the fifth shop with a plan in my mind. I placed the chair on the floor and said to the shopkeeper, "Would you like to buy a chair?" He looked it over carefully and said, "Yes, not a bad chair. How much do you want for it, sir?" "Twenty pounds," I said. "OK," he said, "I'll give you twenty pounds." "It's got a slightly broken leg," I said. "Yes I saw that, it's nothing." Everything was going according to plan and I was getting excited. "What will you do with it?" I asked. "Oh, it will be easy to sell once the repair is done." "I'll buy it," I said. "What do you mean? You've just sold it to me," he said. "Yes, I know but I've changed my mind. I'm sorry. I'll give you twenty-seven pounds for it." "You must be crazy," he said. Then, suddenly the penny dropped. "I know what you want. You want me to repair your chair." "You're right," I said. "And what would you have done if I had walked in and said, 'Would you mend this chair for me'?" "I wouldn't have agreed to do it," he said. "We don't do repairs, not enough money in it and too much trouble. But I'll mend this for you, shall we say for a five?" He was a very nice man and was greatly amused by the whole thing. From the text, we can learn that the writer was _ . Answer: From James Dean to Growing Pains, Hollywood has long had a love affair with the relationship between teens and their parents. As the fascination with this relationship attests, parents play a crucial role in the development of their children's personalities. Teenagers learn by closely observing what people around them do. Parents are literally their first teachers and serve as role models. From hygiene to habits, from time management to personal manner, parents form the foundation of their children's characteristics. These tiny individual factors on our everyday behavior collectively constitute who we are. A second influence occurs at the spiritual level. Parental treatment of children is reflected in children's relationship with others. For example, my dad was quite angry with my study habits a few years back and lost his temper.I clearly remember that I too would easily lose my cool and shout at people, often saying things I later regretted, in those difficult days. Parents of my fellow classmates often tend to be anxious about the studies of their children, which can lead to a lack of confidence in their children. If we are boats weathering a storm as we navigate toward maturity, then parents should be our captains. It is as easy to lead us to shipwreck as is to take us ashore safely. To be fair, the guidance and influence of our parents are not the sole factors in molding us. There are numerous examples of teens forging their own paths and becoming something of which their parents never dreamed. Even so, parents must be a fundamental force that positively influences their children. At their best, they can help to solve teenage problems with a respect for their children's thoughts. We can conclude from the passage that _ . Answer: Sir Emest Shackleton was not only a great explorer, but also an intelligent man. He once found himself and two of his men at the top of an icy mountain ridge . They had no way to get down to its side. Their destination had been the tiny Whaling Station of strummers, near the South Pole. Shackleton knew if they didn't get down from the ridge, no one would ever hear from them again. Shackleton knew there was only one thing to do. He explained that they would all have to slide down. He instructed the two men to wind their ropes into a coil .Then each of the men sat down on a coiled and slid down the icy slope into the darkness. When they found themselves at the bottom, unhurt, Shackleton said, "You know, we shouldn't do that kind of thing too often." The laughter broke the tension all the men were feeling. They arrived later than expected, but safely at the Whaling Station. It would be _ if they couldn't slide down the ridge. Answer: Enjoying a better life at school, with shorter class hours, greater privacy and more rights is all you dream of, right? For students in Shanghai, they are no longer just dreams. This week experts and law-makers in Shanghai had a meeting to talk about a new law . It is called the "Shanghai Underage Protection Law ". The law says students' diaries and letters are their secrets and "Nobody can read them if they don't agree." Do your teachers sometimes say something bad to you? Maybe they send you out of the classroom because you fail to finish doing your homework. If this happens in Shanghai, you can stand up and say "No". Shanghai students may have less homework because of the law. Class hours may become shorter for juniors next year, down from 45 minutes to 40 minutes in some schools. The law also talks about students' health. According to the rules,"Smoking in these places full of kids is not allowed."That means you can ask your teacher to stop if he smokes in a classroom. The law makes schools safer for students. "No dancing halls, Internet bars or computer game bars are allowed within(......)200 meters of a school gate." the law says. The law is great, right? Many students like it. "My mom reads my diaries sometimes. I think she will be afraid if I tell her she is doing something against the law." said Luo Jia, 13, at Shanghai Fuxing Junior School. If you want to know more about the law, go to "www.spcsc.sh.cn". ,. According to the passage, we know the new law is _ for the students. Answer:
Question: On August18,2012,the White House staff prepared for a special group of guests. The First Lady was hosting an important lunch. At 10 o'clock, her guests arrived. Fifty-four children, each with a parent or grandparent, walked into the White House. The lucky guests were the winners of the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge. It was a contest created by the First Lady a few months ago. She asked kids ages 8 to 12 to think up healthy, delicious lunch recipes. Winners from across the country, one from every state, were brought to Washington D.C, for the "state dinner". At the start of the meal, the First Lady welcomed her guests and congratulated them on winning the contest. "You were the winner in your state---the whole state," she said. "You guys won! Cool!" She also explained what made the recipes win. "You came up with dishes that are good for you, but more importantly, they taste good, too," she said. Just before the dessert time, Michelle stood up to make an announcement. "We have a special guest who wanted to stop by and say hello," she explained. "So it's my honor to introduce the President of the United States." The President walked to each table, shaking hands with the winners and their family members. For the kids, this was _ ." It was amazing to watch the President," Kayla, one winner said. "His visit was a surprise and that 's a really big meal." How many winners were there in each state? A. One B. Two C. Three D. Four Answer: A Question: When I was young, I wished for a good car and a big house. That was my idea of success. I took all the advanced classes and tried to do well in the exams with my mind set on going to a key school. I just knew that I would somehow become famous and be able to afford the car and the dream house. All the way through junior years, my mind was planning this beautiful future. Then in the eleventh grade, many losses changed my mind. First, one of my friends died at 16. Soon after, my great-grandmother passed away, followed by my beloved fourth-grade teacher. These events left me not knowing what to do or where to go . Death had never touched me so closely. After a long period of emptiness, it finally struck me: Life is not promised and neither is future success. Though I was attempting to achieve material success, I was not enjoying my daily life. I realized that finding inner peace, purpose and happiness will stick with me forever and that is real success. Enjoying life's precious quirks ( ) makes an ordinary person more successful than a wealthy person who isn't content and takes everything for granted. The summer before senior years, my attitude changed greatly. Instead of memorizing facts, I began learning skills. Instead of focusing on the future, I focused on today and the many blessings and successes that came with it. I still get excellent grades, but now I devote weeks to studying instead of struggling for exams, and I think about the future with a deeper sense of meaning. For me, being successful means truly living life each day. What does the author want to tell the readers? A. The true meaning of the life. B. The true meaning of studying. C. How to achieve success. D. His opinion about success. Answer: D Question: Joe Brown had a shop where he sold meat.One day a woman came into the shop at five to one."I'm sorry I'm late."she said, "I need some more meat for my dinner tonight."Joe had only one piece of meat in his shop.He took it out of the fridge and said:"This is $ 6.50." "That piece is too small."the woman said, "haven't you got anything bigger?"Joe went into the room behind his shop,took the meat into the fridge,took it out again and closed the door with a lot of noise.Then he brought the piece of meat to the woman and said:"This piece of meat is bigger and more expensive.It's $ 8.75." "Good." the woman said with a smile, "give me both of them, please?" How many pieces of meat were kept in the fridge? A. Only one piece of meat. B. Two pieces of meat. C. Several pieces of meat. D. Many pieces of meat. Answer: A Question: The great white shark is the largest shark and is probably the most well-known and feared shark. The great white shark is gray or bluish above and white below. The largest Great Whites can reach lengths of 22 feet and weigh up to 5,000 pounds. The Great White has massive teeth, which are positioned in rows. When the Great White attacks, it bites its prey and shakes its head back and forth. The serrated teeth act as a saw and literally tear the victim apart. Actually the Great White Shark often swallows many of its own teeth in an attack. Great Whites employ several hunting skills depending on the prey. Most of the time, the shark will remain still underwater before attacking its prey from underneath. In the case of hunting some kinds of seals, the impact of the shark is so powerful that it knocks both the shark and the seal clear out of the water. With larger prey such as elephant seals, the shark will simply take a huge bite out of it and wait for it to bleed to death. When hunting dolphins, the shark will attack from above, to avoid detection from the dolphin's echolocation. Interestingly, a Great White Shark has never been observed giving birth. However, pregnant females have been caught. The Great White Shark is known to be ovoviviparous. Females give birth to eight or nine pups that are already about five feet in length upon birth, which is different from other egg-laying animals. Despite the fear of Great White Sharks, at least in part generated by Steven Spielberg's 1975 movie, Jaws, Great White Sharks do not target humans as prey. Most attacks are attributed to mistaken identity. Sharks can easily mistake humans for seals. Many human injuries caused by Great White Sharks are cases of test-biting. If a shark is unsure about a floating object, it often gives it test bite to determine what kind of object it is. While such bites do little damage to buoys and other objects, they obviously can cause serious damage on the human body. Which aspect is not mentioned in the passage? A. Diet B. Appearance C. Reproduction D. Hunting Answer: A Question: The idea for the book Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone came to Joanne Kathleen Rowling in 1990. It took her seven years to finish writing it. During those seven years she had a number of jobs, including one job as an English teacher in Portugal. Rowling sent the book to four publishers before one of them bought it. She was very happy to sell her book because it was her life's dream to be a published writer. Before she sold her book, Rowling was living in a small apartment with her daughter and was so poor that she could not afford heat in the winter. Harry Potter became very successful with children and adults in England. The book also really took off in the United States. After her second and third books were published, the three Harry Potter books filled the top three places on many newspapers' lists of best-sellers. Then the books were made into popular movies. Without question, Rowling's life had completely changed, in just three years. Harry Potter books have now sold more than 30 million books around the world and have been translated into more than thirty-five languages. In 1997, Rowling was earning PS70 (about US$110) a week. By the end of 2001, she had earned over PS150 million ($250 million), making her one of the most successful female writers of all time. How many languages has Harry Potter been translated into? A. more than 35 B. about 135 C. about 90 D. more than 150 Answer: A
Question: People are different. Some are _ . These people are outgoing, confident, and know the "gift of the gab". They also feel very comfortable when in groups of people. Unfortunately we have the other extreme. This is the introvert. The introvert feels sick in crowds, and does not like them. These people feel awkward in the crowds, when placed in this type of situation. Many introverts are shy and lack confidence. They need to get used to people, and want to run away when questioned by people. The introvert feels very lonely in a crowd, but this could happen to the outgoing as well. I think that I fall into the middle of the two kinds. Sometimes if I am comfortable about the type of people in the crowds, I feel welcome. If for some reason the crowd consists of different types of people, then I do not feel very comfortable in the crowd. So what do I do when I suddenly feel lost and alone in the crowd? I try to calm my mind by taking deep breath and telling myself that even this will pass. I then try, and get away from the crowd by making excuses or even trying to get to my car and go home. This, of course, is a poor excuse and doesn't often work well. These are excuses that are employed. The ones that I am not so proud of are acting like I have an emergency to go to. This is a very good lie, but I feel really bad afterwards. I have tried this one, and have succeeded. I try and find someone who feels just like I do. I then try and make a new friend. Sometimes this works and sometimes it does not. This is quite a noble way of staying in the crowd. The word "extrovert" is most likely to mean _ . A. serious B. excited C. outgoing D. nervous Answer: C. outgoing Question: Carnival does not take place only in Louisiana. There are many celebrations around the world. In Brazil, the celebration is supposed to go on from the Saturday before Mardi Gras to Mardi Gras Day, but in some Brazilian cities the celebration can last seven or eight days. Just like New Orleans, not many important things are decided in Brazil from New Year's Day to Mardi Gras Day because everyone is preparing for or celebrating carnival. Most Brazilian parades have a subject, which could be political and historical. The parades had to have a subject related to Brazil until 1996. Some cities in Brazil do not have a street carnival but they might have an indoor ball. Bolivia has carnival parades for children and then more parades for adults. The children dress up in costumes and march in the streets. The adults make traditional dance groups and dance in the streets. But the main part of Bolivia's carnival is getting wet. Almost everyone gets wet from water balloons and water buckets. In Oruru, Bolivia, their carnival is held in the last ten days of the carnival season. People there participate in crafts and dancing, but their main carnival event is a ceremonial parade that lasts for twenty hours and parades for four kilometers. Over 20,000 dancers are involved as well as 10,000 musicians. This parade attracts at least 400,000 people. The carnival in Venice, Italy is often regarded as the most carefully prepared carnival and lasts the ten days before Lent . Many events are held in the canals including shows, concerts, dances, and water processions . The official ending to the celebration is the ball held in St. Mark's Square. From the passage we learn that in Brazil _ . A. all urban residents celebrate carnival for a week B. people prepare for or celebrate carnival after Mardi Gras Day C. the parades should have a subject related to Brazil D. not all cities have a street carnival Answer: D. not all cities have a street carnival Question: Undersea restaurant Ithaa Ithaa is the very first undersea restaurant in the world located 5 meters below sea level in the Republic of Maldives. The 5-by-9-metre restaurant can hold 14 people at a time and has a transparent roof offering a 270 panoramic underwater view. The restaurant was designed and constructed by M. J. Murphy Ltd., a design consultancy based in New Zealand. It was opened on April 15, 2005. Food served in the restaurant can be described as contemporary European with Asian influence. Tip: Work on technical designs and drawings for Ithaa started in March 2004. Once constructed, Ithaa would be put into the water. Because of technical challenges, limited resources, and quality control problems in building something underwater, the restaurant can only exist for about 20 years. Skyline Queenstown Restaurant The famous New Zealand restaurant offers delightful fresh seafood, salads, roast meats and delicious desserts, while the panoramic view from the windows will attract you day or night. It' s the ideal place for that special night out and the best place in Queenstown to watch the sun go down! With live music creating a relaxing atmosphere and never ending scenery to admire, you will be entertained as you eat in the restaurant. Tip: Unlike other restaurants, the Skyline Queenstown Restaurant has tiered seating to guarantee beautiful lake and mountain views from every table. Revolving Restaurant Allalin Located in the Allalinhom mountain, Saas-Fee, Switzerland, Revolving Allalin is the highest revolving restaurant in the world at about 3,500 m. The restaurant offers a rich selection. Valaisian platter, pasta and pizza ... all this and much more is on the menu of the world-famous restaurant. Enjoy the eating delights offered in the world's highest revolving restaurant, while some mountain tops slowly pass by. Tip: Known as the 'Pearl of the Alps', Saas-Fee offers many sports and activities: The popular holiday village features the Metro Alpine, the highest underground railway in the world up to the skiing area and the highest revolving restaurant at 3,500 m. What do we know about Ithaa? A. It was constructed in New Zealand. B. It will exist for another 20 years. C. It was finished in March 2004. D. It can seat 14 diners at most. Answer: D. It can seat 14 diners at most. Question: Acid rain has a pH below 5.6. This rain can damage soil, lakes, crops, and buildings. Acid rain is caused by all of the following except A. industrial emissions from factories. B. coal that is burned to produce heat and power. C. automobile exhaust. D. nuclear power plants that produce radiation. Answer: D. nuclear power plants that produce radiation. Question: Farmers, especially in developing countries, are often criticized for cutting down forests. But a new study suggests that many farmers recognize the value of keeping trees. Researchers using satellite images found at least ten percent tree cover on more than one billion hectares of farmland. That is almost half the farmland in the world. Earlier estimates were much lower but incomplete. The authors of the new study say it may still underestimate the true extent worldwide. The study found the most tree cover in South America. Next comes Africa south of the Sahara, followed by Southeast Asia. North Africa and West Asia have the least. The study found that climate conditions alone could not explain the amount of tree cover in different areas. Nor could the size of nearby populations, meaning people and trees can live together. There are areas with few trees but also few people, and areas with many trees and many people. The findings suggest that things like land rights, markets or government policies can influence tree planting and protection. Dennis Garrity, who heads the World Agroforestry Center, says farmers are acting on their own to protect and plant trees. The problem, he says, is that policy makers and planners have been slow to recognize this and to support such efforts. The satellite images may not show what the farmers are using the trees for, but trees provide nuts, fruit, wood and other products. They also help prevent soil loss and protect water supplies. Even under drought conditions, trees can often provide food and a way to earn money until the next growing season. Some trees act as natural fertilizers. They take nitrogen out of the air and put it in the soil. Scientists at the Center say the use of fertilizer trees can re-duce the need for chemical nitrogen by up to three-fourths. Trees also capture carbon dioxide, a gas linked to climate change. In Dennis Garrity's opinion, _ A. most farmers care about nothing but their own interests B. there are usually few people living in areas with few trees C. government plays a small role in tree planting and protection D. government should support farmers in planting and protecting trees Answer: D. government should support farmers in planting and protecting trees
The Flying Hat By Shannon Blackman "The most _ story I've ever read. I couldn't help laughing after I finished it. Be ready to laugh your heart out." Willy King, Best Book winner "It's a story that makes you smile in your dreams. Blackman's excellent writing cheers you up." The Tide, London "One of the best-selling books of the year. More than two million copies have been sold." The Sunday Reader, New York "This book has become the talk of the country. The story is making its way into movie theaters. I can't wait to see it!" Marian Miller, author of Ms. Lilly Which is said about The Flying Hat? Answer: A movie about the story is coming out. After a long winter's hibernation, a female bear and her two cubs exit their cave and begin to search for food. One place they check is Answer: berry bushes The following is a true story. It happened in the northern end of Queensland, Australia, where all kinds of animals live in the forest. Lisa, a 33-year-old woman, went to prepare lunch in the kitchen, leaving Barney, her three-year-old son, playing by himself in the back garden. Suddenly, a sharp cry of Barney came into the mother's ears, and Lisa rushed into the backyard in a hurry and found a big snake entwining the little child with its terrible body and trying to eat the boy as its delicious dish! It was a boa ! Lisa was terrified and quite angry. She made up her mind to save her son from the snake's mouth. It was fearless mother love that made Lisa forget what she faced. She took up an old hoe from the ground and beat the boa with all her might. One...two... With the hoe, Lisa beat the snake repeatedly, but useless. The little boy's voice and breath were getting weaker and weaker. Lisa's heart was broken and she got nearly mad. Suddenly Lisa put away the hoe and threw herself to the boa, opening her mouth and bit into the boa's back as if trying to eat a rare steak . Lisa was really mad! Blood was spurting out of the boa's body and covered most of Lisa's body. The boa was so badly wounded that it let go of Barney and moved back into the forest hurriedly. It had never known how a man had such terrible sharp teeth! On halfway home, the boa died. It was fearless mother love that saved the little boy. Lisa failed in fighting against the boa at first just because _ . Answer: the boa was too strong Children are losing the ability to play properly because they are being given too many toys and games, according to new research. The studies show that children, especially those under five, are often overwhelmed and actually play less than those with fewer toys. It may even harm their development. The studies show that giving children too many toys or toys of the wrong type can actually be doing them harm. They get overwhelmed and cannot concentrate on anything long enough to learn from it. The conclusions have been backed up by British research looking at children with ly fewer toys, whose parents spend more time reading, singing or playing with them. It showed such children surpass youngsters from richer backgrounds, even those who could use computers. Some parents notice the ill effect early. Orhan Ismail, a researcher saw a change for the worse in Cameron, his 10-month-old son, after he was given a lot of toys last Christmas. Ismail said, " If there are too many toys in front of him, he will just keep flitting around them and then end up going off and finding something like a slipper to play with. Now we just get out one or two toys and hide the rest in a box. " Alexander and her husband also decided to limit the toys their 6 daughters play with. She believed many toys restrict children's imaginations. She said, " A Barbie can only work as a Barbie. But a cardboard box can become anything. The only limitations are in the child's mind. " Experts hesitate to put a figure on the number of toys children should have, but many believe two dozen is enough for children of preschool age. Which of the following is TRUE about toys given to children? Answer: One or two toys at a time will help children concentrate. A long time ago, my grandma and grandpa lived in a house with a big front yard. They planted lots of vegetables and flowers in the yard. They worked hard to keep the garden growing. All summer long, the family ate food from the garden and enjoyed the flowers. Years passed. It became harder for them to keep up the garden. So they made it a little smaller. Then one summer Grandpa died. It was a lonely winter for Grandma. It was hard for her to care for the garden alone. When spring came, she planted just a few vegetables and flowers. One day in the early summer, Grandma heard big noises in the yard. She looked out of the window and saw thousands of bees. What could she do? Should she _ someone to get rid of the bees? But that would cost more than she could afford. She decided to wait. Over the next few days, the bees were busy with their own business. Grandma decided the bees wouldn't bother anyone, so she didn't give them another thought. That summer, Grandma's little garden grew and grew. The neighbors would stop to admire the big crop of vegetables and the lovely flowers. One day, Grandma's brother visited. As Grandma made him delicious squash pan cakes , she told him about the bees. Frank said, "Farmers often hire beekeepers to set up beehives . The bees, pollinate the crops and help them to grow." "So that's why my garden is doing so well!" Grandma exclaimed . After that, she believed that Grandpa had sent the bees to take his place and make Grandma's little garden grow and grow... Which of the following statement is not true according to the text? Answer: Grandpa sent the bees to help Grandma.
In the 1500s, South American fishermen said that the sea became warmer every few years. They gave this special event a Spanish name 'El Nino', meaning 'the baby'. It is called 'the baby' because it arrives around Christmas. El Nino is a huge area of warm water in the middle of cold water in the Pacific Ocean. It happens every two to seven years. It moves around the ocean and becomes bigger and smaller at different times. This warm water affects the weather. It is always raining over El Nino. El Nino contains a lot of energy. Scientists think this energy is formed when wind comes from the northern half of the world. The winds blow across warm sea water in the south. When the strong wind hits the warm water, violent weather happens. Scientists think that El Nino existed for many thousands of years. El Nino affects every person in the world because it affects the entire world's weather. It can bring the rain that farmers need. It can bring storms that destroy homes. It can mean that fishermen cannot catch fish, and it can bring floods. There is nothing we can do about El Nino. It is an event of nature. We can help the world's weather by trying to stop the greenhouse effect and air pollution. The most important job for scientists is to learn how to predict when El Nino is going to bring dangerous weather. Then, people can try to prepare for storms, floods and droughts. New technology like satellite pictures and temperature measuring equipment can help. Still, it is very hard to say when or where El Nino will cause damage. We can help the world's weather by _ . A finding out more about El Nino B being careful during the floods C driving cars D stopping the greenhouse effect Answer: D Do you want to be healthy? Then you must eat well and get a lot of exercise. If you're healthy, your body works well and you also feel well. Here are some trips. Eat more fruit and vegetables. "One apple a day, keep the doctor away!"Fruit and vegetables have rich vitamins. They can help us to keep healthy. Remember to eat some fruit and vegetables every day. Drink water and milk often. When you are thirsty, water is the best choice. Try to limit soda drinks, such as Coca Cola, Sprite and Fanta. Milk is also very good for your body. Drink a cup of milk every day if possible. Listen to your body. You'd better notice how your body feels when you eat. That is to say you should stop eating when you're full. It can make you feel comfortable. Limit screen time. Don't spend too much time watching TV or DCDs, playing video games or using the computer. You should do some outdoor activities, such as playing basketball, going riding and swimming. If you follow the tips, I'm sure you'll have a healthy body. If you _ , you'll feel uncomfortable. A stop eating when you're full B eat too much C listen to your body D drink a little soda Answer: B Long ago in a small town, there was a place known as the House of 1,000 Mirrors. A small, happy little dog learned of this place and decided to visit. When he arrived, he bounced happily up the stairs to the doorway of the house. He looked through the doorway with his ears lifted high and his tail wagging as fast as it could. To his great surprise, he found himself staring at 1,000 other happy little dogs with their tails wagging just as his. He smiled a great smile, and was answered with 1,000 great smiles just as warm and friendly. As he left the house, he thought to himself, " This is a wonderful place. I will come back and visit often." In this same village, another little dog, who was not quite as happy as the first one, decided to visit the house. He slowly climbed the stairs and hung his head low as he looked into the door. When he saw the 1,000 unfriendly looking dogs staring back at him, he growled at them and was horrified to see 1,000 little dogs growling back at him. As he left, he thought to himself, "This is a horrible place, and I will never go back there again." All the faces in the world are mirrors. What kind of reflections do you see on the faces of the people you meet? Which of the following is the most suitable title for the passage? A A Small Happy Little Dog B The House of 1,000 Mirrors C The Wonderful Place and the Horrible Place. D Two Little Dogs Answer: B When we walked into Papillon Bleu, a Chinese restaurant around the corner from Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal's Old Port, the sole waiter on duty looked surprised to see us. At 7:45 on a Saturday night, at the height of tourist season, just one young white family sat in the dining room. We walked past them to a table in the back, Chopin drifting quietly from the speakers into the certain shade of dim light that only Chinese restaurants seem to have. At our seats, bright yellow napkins, folded into fans, rested on a blue tablecloth next to cutlery . Sometime in the last 18 years of operation, Papillon Bleu stopped bothering with chopsticks. "How did you find out about us?"our waiter politely asked. I told him that my family used to own a Chinese restaurant that served peanut butter dumplings and I wanted to taste them again. Papillon Bleu came up when I googled"Best Peanut Butter Dumplings in Montreal". He shook his head and told us that while it might have been the case a few years ago, they had switched peanut butter brands to cut costs. But the significance for me wasn't which brand they used, it was that they served peanut butter dumplings. Commonly known as Hunan dumplings, this specialty exists neither in China, nor anywhere else in North America. Instead, Hunan dumplings are a unique Quebecois tradition, and a slowly dying one, found in the second-generation Chinese family restaurants. Peanut butter dumplings taste exactly how they sound, but also unlike anything else. It is a kind of dumpling that coats your mouth with a distinct store-brand quality, a little too sweet, but buttery, and luxuriously warm, perfectly suited to resist the bone-chilling effects of the Montreal winter. What does the author think of the Montreal winter? A Freezing. B Mild. C Cool. D Warm. Answer: A Tom has got a big family .His grandparents are in America.His parents are in China . His father is a manager and his mother is a teacher .They have got two children . Tom is a boy and Jane is a girl . Tom is thirteen and Jane is eight . Jane and I are good friends and we are in the same class . Who is older ( ) , Tom or Jane ? A Tom. B Jane. C Theyarethesame. D Idon tknow. Answer: A
The "Bystander Apathy Effect" was first studied by researchers in New York after neighbors ignored--and in some cases turned up the volume on their TVs--the cries of a woman as she was murdered (over a half-hour period). With regard to helping those in difficulty generally, they found that: (1) women are helped more than men; (2) men help more than women; (3) attractive women are helped more than unattractive women. Other factors relate to the number of people in the area, whether the person is thought to be in trouble through their own fault, and whether a person sees himself as being able to help. According to Adrian Furnham, Professor of University College, London, there are three reasons why we tend to stand by doing nothing: (1) "Shifting of responsibility"-the more people there are, the less likely help is to be given. Each person excuses himself by thinking someone else will help, so that the more "other people' there are, the greater the total shifting of responsibility. (2) "'Fear of making a mistake''-situations are often not clear. People think that those involved in an accident may know each other or it may be a joke, so a fear of embarrassment makes them keep themselves to themselves. (3) "Fear of the consequences if attention is turned on you, and the person is violent." Laurie Taylor, Professor of Sociology at London University, says: "In the experiments I've seen on intervention , much depends on the neighborhood or setting. There is a silence on public transport which is hard to break. We are embarrassed to draw attention to something that is happening, while in a football match, people get involved, and a fight would easily follow. " Psychotherapist Alan Dupuy identifies the importance of the individual: "The British as a whole have some difficulty intervening, but there are exceptional individuals in every group who are prepared to intervene, regardless of their own safety: These would be people with a strong moral code or religious ideals." The author wrote this article _ . A to explain why bystanders behave as they do B to urge people to stand out when in need C to criticize the selfishness of bystanders D to analyze the weakness of human nature Answer: A Traditionally, business people would get to know each other over a round of golf. But road cycling is fast catching up as the preferred way of networking recently. "When you play golf with somebody you have to decide if you"re going to beat them, or let thembeat you," says Peter Murray, a chairman of the NLA centre. "If they"re your customers and youdon"t want to beat them, sometimes you might have to make some kind of cheating in order to lose. That seems to me not a good way of doing things." Group cycling, and especially long-distance riding, is a shared experience, Mr Murray says. Riders often work together and help each other out, taking turns to be at the front so that the riders in their group can save almost a third of the effort needed to travel at the same speed. How someone rides a bike can give you a real insight into what a person is like, says Jean-Jacques Lorraine, founding director of Morrow Lorraine, a team member of Cycle to Cannes. "Some riders are very single-minded, others more collaborative; some are skillful, others an open book.""If I walk into a meeting and somebody says ,,I"ve done Cycle to Cannes" , it"s a done deal really," says Mr Lorraine. Mr Mottram, CEO of Rapha, believes it is easier to get to know people by cycling than in other situations. "T here is an easy environment about conversations on a bike." Mr Lorraine makes the point more directly: "I feel open and honest to others. I often find I"m saying things on a bike which I wouldn"t normally say, and equally I"ve been confided in when I wasn"t expecting it." Why do cycle rides lend riders so well to networking? "Getting a quick lunch or drink after work doesn"t give you long enough to get to know someone," Mr. Murray says. He believes long ridesget people together. "A younger rider can be cycling along with a boss and help him in some wayand you get a reversal of the relationship. This changes the relationship when they are off theride too." Perhaps the main reason why cycling is a good way to network is that it"s a passion and away of life. "Getting out on the bike is what we"re all dreaming of doing while we"re sitting at our computers," says Mr Mottram. And a shared passion is a fantastic way to start any relationship. What could be the best title of the passage? A Advantages and Disadvantages of Cycling. B Two Good Ways of Networking. C Cycling Is the New Golf. D Cycling Develops Fast. Answer: C Among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the oldest one is the Great Pyramid of Giza. There are three large pyramids at Giza, outside the modern capital of Egypt, Cairo. The largest and most famous one is called the Great Pyramid. The workers built it as a tomb for the Pharaoh Khufu . It took more than twenty years to build the Great Pyramid. When it was built, the pyramid was about 146.5 metres high. Over the years it has lost about eight metres off its top. The pyramid is made of large stone blocks -- 2,300,000 of them! Each of these blocks weighs over 2,000 kilograms. The ancient Egyptians did not have any modern machines. How did they build the pyramid? The pyramid shows that the ancient people were _ and had great skills. People once thought that the Egyptians made slaves do all the work on the Great Pyramid. But in fact, they used farmers. In fact, the Egyptians used _ to build the pyramid. A machines B slaves C farmers D children Answer: C When I was small, my grandmother died. I was so sad that I had no tears. But that night when my dad tried to cheer me up, my laugh turned into crying. So it came as no surprise to learn that scientists believe crying and laughing come from the same part of the brain. Just as laughing has many health advantages, scientists are discovering that so, too, does crying. Whatever it takes for us to _ pressure is important to our emotional health, and a study found that 85 percent of women and 73 percent of men report feeling better after crying. Besides, tears attract help from other people. Researchers agree that when we cry, people around us become kinder and friendly and they are more ready to provide support and comfort. Tears also enable us to understand our emotions better; sometimes we don't even know we're very sad until we cry. We learn about our emotions through crying, and then we can deal with them. Just as crying can be healthy, not crying - holding back tears of anger, pain or suffering - can be bad for physical health. Studies have shown that too much control of emotions can lead to high blood pressure and heart problems. If you have a health problem, doctors will certainly not ask you to cry. But when you feel like crying, don't fight it. It's a natural -and healthy-emotional response . Why did the father tried to cheer his daughter up? A Because she was crying. B Because she never had tears. C Because she was very sad. D Because she was very happy. Answer: C Have you ever heard of the group Westlife? Maybe you have, but I'm sure many of you don't know very much about it. Westlife is an Irish boy band group, which was made up of 6 boys in the beginning and called IOU. The group quickly became popular with young people thanks to their song Swear It Again, which was at the top of the UK charts in April 1999. Chinese fans got their first chance to see Westlife on March 6th, 2006 in Beijing. Although the four-member group has been singing pop for seven years, the young boys have all since grown up and their songs are still very popular. When they performed in Beijing, Westlife released their new album Face to Face in China. Face to Face has been at the top of the British charts for a long time. The album's most popular song You Raise Me Up mixes traditional Irish music with pop music. Although hip-hop is quite popular among the young, Westlife has no plans to change. They said, "Hip-hop is for the young, but pop can be enjoyed by moms who are busy cooking meals and raising the kids. The number of people in the group _ between 1999 and 2006. A went from 6 to 4 B went from 4 to 6 C went from 5 to 4 D didn't change Answer: A
Shree Bose is one of the most impressive kids graduating from Fort Worth Country Day High School this year. Bose has a large circle of friends, and there's one who you may have heard of: President Obama. He has twice publicly recognized her achievements in cancer research and spoken with her in the Oval Office. If that isn't enough, Bose recently gave a TED Talk about her work with the cancer drug Cisplatin, which also won her first prize at the Google Science Fair and recognition as one of Glamour magazine's Young Amazing Women of the Year. After watching her grandfather struggle with liver cancer, Bose was determined to help out in any way she could. As a high school student though, her scientific choices were limited. She reached out to various hospitals and research centers, but doctors turned down her requests because they felt she was too inexperienced medically. Only the North Texas Science Health Center respected her determination and chose to guide her. The results were amazing. Bose chose to study a protein and its reaction with the cancer drug Cisplatin. She noticed that when she prevented this protein from growing, Cisplatin was allowed to begin destroying cancer cells once again. "My project not only contributes to the understanding of the relationship between the protein and Cisplatin, but also suggests a newer, more effective treatment for patients who resist Cisplatin," Bose said. Bose's achievements aren't limited to the lab, though. She was also captain of her swim team and editor-in-chief of her school paper. Bose is currently getting practical experience at the National Institute of Health and she'll be attending Harvard in the fall. She plans to study molecular biology and go to medical school. Eventually, she would like to be a doctor. President Obama has spoken with Bose because she _ . A. gave a TED Talk recently B. is captain of her swim team C. has a large circle of friends D. contributed to the cancer research Answer: D. contributed to the cancer research The Beets were a new couple . The things in their rooms, such as the television, the computer, the fridge, furniture and so on, were all left by their parents. They only paid some money for their food and clothes. But they tried their best to save money. If they had something important to tell their friends, they always visited them instead of calling them. One day, it was a quarter past nine. Mr. Beet didn't come back. His wife was a little worried. The supper was cold and she had waited for two hours. She was sitting by the table in the dark room. Suddenly the woman heard someone coming upstairs. It was her husband's step. She hurried to open the door. In the dark she could hear his deep breathing . As soon as he sat down, she turned on the light and found he looked very tired. "Why do you come back so late, dear?" asked the woman. "Haven't you caught a bus?" "Yes, but I didn't take it." "Why not?" "I ran after it so that I saved two dollars this evening." "That's great!" the woman said happily. "Run after a taxi next time and you'll save both more time and money." Mrs. Beet sat in the dark because _ . A. she wanted to save money. B. she didn't like the bright light. C. she was afraid to be seen. D. she wanted to have a good rest. Answer: A. she wanted to save money. mimicry is used for avoiding predators by animals by camouflaging as what kind of animal? A. frightful B. weak C. tame D. vulnerable Answer: A. frightful "I feel fat." "I hate my hair." "I wish I were taller." Julia Bluhm, 14, was sick of hearing comments like these. Many girls she knew seemed to worry too much about their appearance -- their weight, skin, hair, even the shape of their faces. So Julia decided to do something about it. Her target? Seventeen, a popular girls' magazine. "I look at the pictures, and they just don't look like girls I see walking down the street," the eighth-grader from Maine told The New York Times. Of course they don't. Magazines use programs like Photoshop to remove zits , add shine to hair, and slim waistlines. Often, girls are made to look like Barbie dolls. Julia fears that these impossible standards of beauty make teens feel terrible about their own appearances. After all, even the models aren't as perfect as they look in print! So Julia launched an online petition asking Seventeen to put at least one unaltered photo in each issue. "I want to see regular girls that look like me in a magazine that's supposed to be for me," she wrote. Days later, her petition had thousands of signatures. Julia and her mom traveled to New York City and joined a demonstration in front of Seventeen' s offices. Then they were invited to meet with Seventeen's editor-in-chief, Ann Shoket. A few months later, Shoket announced that the staff of Seventeen had signed a "Body Peace Treaty." They promised to "never change girls' body or face shapes" and only use photos of "real girls and models who are healthy." In addition, they promised to be more open about the ways in which images are changed before publication. Julia's fight against teen self-hate is far from over, but for now it seems she's winning -- and she's thrilled. "This is a huge victory," she wrote in a message on her petition page. "I'm so unbelievably happy." Why did Julia launch an online petition? A. To fight for real beauty. B. To join a demonstration. C. To set a standard of beauty. D. To ask Seventeen to apologize. Answer: A. To fight for real beauty. Every day,it is easy to see advertisements in English all around us.Look at your own bags and clothes,and at the bags and clothes of your classmates.How many different advertisements can you see which use English words? Often bags and clothes show the name of the company that made them. This is a popular form.A special picture or symbol called a logo is sometimes used.Logos appear on many different products .They are popular because when you see a logo,it is hard to forget that product or company. It is common to see advertisements on TV and hear them on the radio.Most advertisements are very short.Sometimes the advertisers use a short sentence which is easy for people to say and remember. Nike,for example,has a simple English sentence which is used all around the world:"Just do it."Advertisements often use funny situations as well.It is simple to remember it. All advertisements are designed to make people buy a product.An advertisement for a soft drink,for example,might show a group of young people who are having fun.The young people are al1 drinking the soft drink.Advertisers are saying to you,"Why don't you buy this drink and be like these people? You can be young and modern." You might think that advertisements are not after you,but the next time you buy a soft drink,ask yourself this question:Why am I buying this particular product? The best title of this passage may be _ . A. Advertisements for Bags and Clothes B. Advertisements on TV and Radio C. Advertisements About Sports D. Advertisements Around Us Answer: D. Advertisements Around Us
Dear Mum, I don't think you understand my life. You think I should be studying all the time. I know you want me to find a good job when I grow up, but I would like to have a wonderful time, too. You never think about fun things for me to do like music, sports. Two days ago, when I was watching a football game on TV, you asked me to stop and do my homework. After finishing my homework, still I wasn't allowed to read my football magazines. You said I had to go to bed early. That was bad enough, but yesterday was the worst day. I bought some computer games, and put them in my bag so that you wouldn't see them. I told you I had to do my homework first. I know it was wrong to lie to you, but you told me that Dad would talk to me later. Mum, I didn't quite like what you did to me! I really love you, mum, but I wish you could try not to be so hard on me. Love, Zhang Ning _ is Zhang Ning's favourite sport. A. Football B. Volleyball C. Basketball D. Baseball Answer: A The witch wanted to stop making poisons in her big pot. She wanted to be a cook instead. She could make all sorts of treats, like blueberry sandwiches, orange pizzas, and grape pie. Her best treat she made was strawberry eggs. She wanted the people from town to invite her to parties. She wanted them to ask her to cook for them. Most of all, she wanted them to be friends with her. Her plan was to get them to try her strawberry eggs. They were shaped like eggs but when you would chew on them they tasted like strawberries. They also had medicine in them so they would help people too. They were delicious. Finally the big day came. The witch brought her cart into the town. She was late to town because she got lost. Then her wagon broke and she had to fix its wheel. It was full of the strawberry eggs. The witch started handed them out. At first people were nervous. They did not know the witch well. They knew she was the witch who lived in the woods, all alone. They knew she had made poisons. But once the sheriff tried them, everyone started trying them. After everyone in town had one, they put the witch on their shoulders and cheered for her, even the town's baker. Finally the town's leader asked the witch if she would move into the town. The witch happily said yes and they all had as many strawberry eggs as they could ever want. What did the witch want MOST from the people? A. To be invited to parties. B. To be asked to cook for them. C. To be the town leader D. To be friends with them. Answer: D The Puritans get a bad reputation in America--especially when it comes to alcohol. Mayflower, the first ship that came over from England to Massachusetts Bay, actually carried more beer than water.In fact the Founding Fathers of America liked a drink--Samuel Adams was a partner in his father's brewery, and Thomas Jefferson was famous for importing European wines. Early Americans took a healthful small drink for breakfast, whiskey was a typical lunchtime drink, ale accompanied supper and the day ended with another drink called nightcap.Most Americans in 1790 consumed an average of 5.8 gallons of pure alcohol a year.In 1830, consumption reached 7.1 gallons a year and alcoholism was starting to have a serious influence on communities.Women and children might be in physical danger if the man of the house began drinking.If he became ill or lost his job through drinking, there was no social safety net to support or protect his family.Eventually, alcoholism was being treated as a disease. By the late 19th Century, support for Prohibition, banning the manufacture and sale of alcohol, was powerful.The first arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol was in 1897.On 16 January 1919, Prohibition was set into law.However, by the 1930s when American economy was experiencing a hard time it was widely believed that making alcohol legal again would provide badly-needed jobs and taxes.So in February of 1933, Prohibition was endeD. Still, Prohibition had a great influence on alcohol drinking in this country.In 1955, Americans drank an average of 2.3 gallons of pure alcohol a year.The Prohibition movement was still quite strong after Prohibition ended and it led to a lot of local prohibition on alcohol. The American presidency has done a lot to rehabilitate alcohol and make it respectable again.Presidents Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama can all be seen on film drinking socially and making official toasts with international celebrities. What can be learned about Prohibition in America? A. It came into law in the 19th century. B. It discouraged alcohol drinking. C. Its effect disappeared after its removal. D. It failed to forbid drunk driving. Answer: B The Nobel Prizes in physiology or medicine, physics and chemistry are the most respected prizes in science. But talk to scientists in private, and many will complain why (besides jealousy, perhaps) are some scientists unhappy with the Nobels? One reason is that the committees can often be slow to recognize achievement. Alfred Nobel specified in his will that the prizes should reward work done in the previous year. But experience soon showed that this was risky, as medals were given out for discoveries that later proved questionable. So a degree of caution is probably advisable. Sometimes, though, it can lead to strange results. Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, for instance, had to wait until 1983 to win a prize for work he had done in the 1930s on the structure of stars. However, Albert Einstein never won a prize for his theory of relativity. Even though some pretty suggestive evidence had been produced by Arthur Eddington in 1919, relativity, which has later passed every experimental test ever thrown at it, was still considered somewhat risky and obscure. Another criticism concerns the tradition that no more than three people can share a prize. Science is rarely this clear-cut. Take this year's physics prize, which recognised Peter Higgs for predicting the existence of the mass-bestowing particle that now bears his name. Dr Higgs was only one of several people with a claim. Two other teams---- Rober Brout and Francois Englert, as well as Gerald Guralnik, Carl Hageh and Tom Kibble----- submitted papers on the same idea to the same journal that published Dr Higgs's work, all within a few months of each other. Science often works like this, with different people coming up with similar ideas at similar times. In the event, the committee decided to honour Dr Engler (Brout is dead, therefore unqualified), whose paper was earlier than Dr Higgs's but did not explicitly predict a particle, over Dr Guralnik and his collaborators, who were more comprehensive but published a few weeks later. Which of the following words has the closest meaning to "submitted"? A. surrendered B. suggested C. presented D. provided Answer: C On the way back from work every evening, more often than not there would be a homeless man standing at the exit of the freeway . He looked to be in his late 40s but was probably a lot younger. He had shoulder length straight black hair and a short beard. Every day after work I would remember to gather any spare change, and put it aside to give to him if I saw him. A feeling of joy would come over me every time I saw him, while coming off the ramp . So did he. Sometimes the red light would be on for a minute and we would ask each other about our day. His answer would always be the same, "I'm blessed!" Then one day I was called into my boss's office and was told that I was being laid off. For the rest of that day all I could think of was "how am I going to provide for my kids as a mother, how am I going to pay rent?" Needless to say that on my way home that day I was very sad and upset. I didn't remember to look for my spare change and keep it ready like I usually did. Yet there he was as always, as I turned the ramp. He set his eyes on me, while still smiling and waving at others as usual. While I was waiting for the red light to turn, he strolled over to my car. He had a big smile. He looked at me straight in the eyes and said, "Today I will give you a dollar." He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a dollar bill. You see that day he taught me a valuable lesson more than a dollar bill. No matter what material things are taken from you, no one can take away your choice to be joyful. Every time I'm faced with challenges, I think of the homeless man's valuable lesson and remember that I am blessed. The writer would have a short conversation with the homeless man when_. A. she waited for the red light to turn B. she gave spare change to him C. she had a good time that day D. she wanted to know how he lived Answer: A
By the mid-nineteenth century, the term "icebox" had entered the American language, but ice was still only beginning to affect the diet of ordinary citizens in the United States. The ice trade grew with the growth of cities. Ice was used in hotels, taverns , and hospitals, and by some forward-looking city dealers in fresh meat, fresh fish, and butter. After the Civil War (1861-1865), as ice was used to refrigerate freight cars, it also came into household use. Even before 1880, half of the ice sold in New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore, and one-third of that sold in Boston and Chicago, went to families for their own use. This had become possible because a new household convenience, the icebox, a precursor of the modern fridge, had been invented. Making an efficient icebox as not as easy as we might now suppose. In the early nineteenth century, the knowledge of the physics of heat, which was essential to a science of refrigeration, was rudimentary . The commonsense notion that the best icebox was one that prevented the ice from melting was of course mistaken, for it was the melting of the ice that performed the cooling. Nevertheless, early efforts to economize ice included wrapping up the ice in blankets, which kept the ice from doing its job. Not until near the end of the nineteenth century did inventors achieve the delicate balance of insulation and circulation needed for an efficient icebox. But as early as 1803, and ingenious Maryland farmer, Thomas Moore, had been on the right track. He owned a farm about twenty miles outside the city of Washington, for which the village of Georgetown was the market center. When he used an icebox of his own design to transport his butter to market, he found that customers would pass up the rapidly melting stuff in the tubs of his competitors to pay a premium price for his butter, still fresh and hard in neat, one-pound bricks. One advantage of his icebox, Moore explained, was that farmers would no longer have to travel to market at night in order to keep their produce cool. Where was ice used after the Civil War? Answer: In refrigerating freight cars and households. When families gather for Christmas dinner, some will stick to formal traditions dating back to grandma's generation. Their tables will be set with the good dishes and silver, and the dress code will be Sunday best. But in many other homes, this china-and-silver elegance has given way to a stoneware and stainless informality, with dresses assuming an equally casual-Friday look. For hosts and guests, the change means greater simplicity and comfort. For makers of fine china in Britain, it spells economic hard times. Last week _ , the largest employer in Stoke-on-Trent, announced that it is eliminating 1,000 jobs -- one-fifth of its total workforce. That brings to more than 4, 000 the number of positions lost in 18 months in the pottery region. Wedgwood and other pottery factories made cuts earlier. Although a strong pound and weak markets in Asia play a role in the downsizing, the layoffs in Stoke have their roots in earthshaking social shifts. A spokesman for Royal Doulton admitted that the company "has been somewhat slow in catching up with the trend" toward casual dining. Families eat together less often, he explained, and more people eat alone, either because they are single or they eat in front of television. Even dinner parties, if they happen at all, have gone casual. In a time of long work hours and demanding family schedules, busy hosts insist, rightly, that it's better to share a takeout pizza on paper plates in the family room than to wait for the perfect moment or a "real" dinner party. Too often, the perfect moment never comes. Iron a fine-patterned tablecloth? Forget it. Polish the silver? Who has time? Yet the loss of formality has its down side. The fine points of etiquette that children might once have learned at the table by observation or instruction from parents and grandparents (" Chew with your mouth closed." "Keep your elbows off the table. ") must be picked up else-where. Some companies now offer etiquette seminars for employees who may be able professionally but inexperienced socially. It can be learned from the passage that 'Royal Doulton is _ . Answer: a producer of fine china Choose the best answer (,): David Copperfield is one of the world's most famous magicians . He became the youngest member of the Society of American Magicians when he was 12. Now he is famous all over the world. In 1983, he made the Statue of Liberty in New York disappear for a few minutes. In 1986, Copperfield first came to China. He walked through the Great Wall in Beijing! During his second visit in 2002, lots of Chinese people were lucky enough to enjoy his shows. Copperfield's shows are not just magic. He also dances and does lots of interesting things to make his fans happy. He even asks his fans to help him do tricks ! One of Copperfield's greatest tricks is flying. In his shows in China, he even made some fans fly around the theatre! In another trick, an electric saw cut Copperfield's body into two halves. Copperfield's magic is different each time. What do you think he will do next time? It will be fun to wait and see! According to the passage, we can't see Copperfield _ in his shows. Answer: walking in the water for several minutes Long long ago, there was a little girl living in a small poor house on a hill. When she played in her little garden, she could see a beautiful house high on the other hill. This house had golden windows. They were so nice that the little girl dreamed all day, "How _ it would be to grow up and live in a house with golden windows!" When she was old enough to go outside her garden, she asked her mother if she could go for a walk outside the gate. Her mother agreed, telling her to keep close to the house and not to go too far. The day was beautiful and the little girl walked until she got to the gate of the house with golden windows. As she looked at the house with golden windows, she was so disappointed . All the windows were common and very dirty. So sad that she didn't go any further and turned, heart broken. As she went back, she was surprised to see a little house with golden windows as the sun shone on her own house. She realized that she had been living in the "house with golden windows" all the time. Everything she dreamed was right there under her nose! What did the girl dream of? Answer: Living in a house with golden windows. Energy will be expended for Answer: a monkey with a puncture wound to get better
The group of people introduced themselves to me and my German classmate Julia. They were from a production company, currently in the process of filming a movie based in DuAn, a rural area a few hours north of Nanning. They tried to explain the plot of the film, but neither mine nor Julia's Chinese was good enough to fully understand what they were saying. They then asked if we would be interested in being part of the project. I came to China to experience new things and new opportunity, and being in a movie sounded so exciting. So in less than a second, I jumped at the chance of being in the film. Julia on the other hand was not so enthusiastic. It took 30 minutes to convince her to be part of the film, and she eventually accepted the chance. That afternoon we were taken to the production company's office to meet the director and some of the cast. We all sat together, drinking tea, talking about why I and Julia were in China and about the film. It seemed a little bit like a dream. Ever since I was a small child, I dreamed of becoming a movie star, but I would never have guessed that my dream would come true, especially now in China. At the end of the talk, we were given scripts and had a few photographs taken. We were given the production schedule and ensured that our scenes would only be shot at weekends so it wouldn't interfere with our studies. We left the office excited about the film, but unknowing what filming was actually like. On our first day of filming, we were picked up in the early morning from the university and we drove deep into the countryside. We arrived on location and waited for our scene to be shot. We watched as the other actors and crew went about their work, busy shooting and re-shooting the same scene from different angles and perspectives. I never knew how much effort and care went into filming even the most short and simple scene. It was then our turn to shoot, and I was very nervous and very excited. Which of the following is TRUE about the filming? Answer: Last week my youngest son and I visited my father at his new home in Tucson, Arizona. He moved there a few years ago, and I was eager to see his new place and meet his friends. My earliest memories of my father are a tall, handsome, successful man devoted to his work and his family, but uncomfortable with his children. He seemed to expect too much of me. He seemed unhappy with me unless I got straight A's and unhappy with my boyfriends if their fathers were not as "successful" as he was. Whenever I went out with him on weekends, I used to feel very nervous. On the first day of my visit, we went out with one of my father's friends for lunch at an outdoor cafe. We talked along that afternoon, did some shopping, ate on the street table, and laughed over my son's funny facial expressions. Gone was my father's critical air and strict rules. After my visit to Tucson , My father seemed to be so friendly and gentle. What had held him back before? The next day dad pulled out his childhood pictures and told me quite a few stories about his own childhood. Although our times together became easier over the years, I never felt closer to him at that moment. After so many years, I'm at last seeing another side of my father. And in doing so, I'm delighted with _ . My dad, in his new home in Arizona, is back to me from where he was. Why did the writer feel uncomfortable about her father as a young adult? Answer: Wesla Whitfield, a famous jazz singer, has a unique style and life story, so I decided to see one of her performances and interview her for my column. I went to a nightclub in New York and watched the stage lights go up. After the band played an introduction, Wesla Whitfield wheeled herself onstage in a wheelchair. As she sang, Whitfield's voice was so powerful and soulful that everyone in the room forgot the wheelchair was even there. At 57, Whitfield is small and pretty, witty and humble, persistent and philosophical. Raised in California, Whitfield began performing in public at age 18, when she took a job as a singing waitress at a pizza parlour . After studying classical music in college, she moved to San Francisco and went on to sing with the San Francisco Opera Chorus. Walking home from rehearsal at age 29, she was caught in the midst of a random shooting that left her paralyzed from the waist down. I asked how she dealt with the realization that she'd never walk again, and she confessed that initially she didn't want to face it. After a year of depression she tried to kill herself. She was then admitted to a hospital for treatment, where she was able to recover. Whitfield said she came to understand that the only thing she had lost in this misfortunate event was the ability to walk. She still possessed her most valuable asset--her mind. Pointing to her head, she said, "Everything important is in here. The only real disability in life is losing your mind." When I asked if she was angry about what she had lost, she admitted to being frustrated occasionally, "especially when everybody's dancing, because I love to dance. But when that happens I just remove myself so I can focus instead on what I can do." What advice would Wesla most likely give other disabled people? Answer: "My Best Teacher Ever" Contest Students Tell us why, in 300 words or less, your teacher (present or past) is the best teacher ever. Assay Topic Who was/is your best teacher ever? What makes him or her the best? Participation The contest is open to all students enrolled in grades 2 through 12. Entries Word limit: 300 Essays will be judged on the following criteria by Readers editorial staff: originally, creativity--40 percent clarity of presentation-- 40 percent *grammar, punctuation, spelling --20 percent All entries should be word-processed, typed, or hand-printed on 8.5-inch by 11-inch paper or submitted as an attached word or text document via email. Each entry must include the entrant's name, age, complete home mailing address, phone number, school name, and grade, as well as the submitting teacher's name, school name, complete school mailing address and email address. Contest Deadline Entries must be postmarked on or before April 26, 2013, or mailed by EST on that date. Submission Email your entry with attached essay and entry information (entrant's name, age, complete home mailing address, phone number, school name, and grade, submitting teacher's name, email address, school name, and complete school mailing address) to web-contest @ readers.com or mail your entry with attached entry form to this address: Readers Publishing My Best Teacher Ever Contest Attn: Anne Flounders 44 South Broadway, 18 Floor White Plains, NY10601 Prizes One winner will be chosen in each of two categories: elementary (grades 2-6) and secondary (grades 7-12). Winning students will win a $ 50 gift card and may have their essays published on readers.com. Teachers of winning students will win one free classroom subscription to the Readers magazine of their choice. Winning essays will be posted up on signing of a release by students and their agent or guardian. Winning essays will be announced on May 7, 2013, Teacher Appreciation Day, on readers.com, and winners will be notified directly. According to the text, your essay _ . Answer: Most Americans would have a difficult time telling you, specifically, what the values are which Americans live by. They have never given the matter any thought. Over the years I have introduced thousands of international visitors to life in the United States. This has caused me to try to look at Americans through the eyes of foreign visitors, I am confident that the values listed in this booklet describe most (but not all )Americans, and that understanding these values can help you, the international visitor, understand Americans. It is my belief that if foreign visitors really understand how deeply these 13 values are _ in Americans, they will then be able to understand 95% of American actions --actions which might otherwise appear "strange,"" confusing," or "unbelievable" when evaluated from the perspective (aspect) of the foreigner's own society and its values. The different behaviors of a people or a culture make sense only when seen through the basic beliefs, assumptions and values of that particular group. When you encounter (meet) an action, or hear a statement in the United States which surprises you, try to see it as an expression of one or more of the values listed in this booklet. Visitors sometimes find Americans behave in a strange, confusing or unbelievable way, probably because _ . Answer:
I am 22. I used to work in a hotel. It was boring. One day a guest and I had a conversation. She asked me, 6/Do you like your job?" I was sad because I knew the answer. "No". She was 74 and gave me the most beautiful advice that I remember in all my life: You are too young to hate your job, young man. Go to get your passport and start your adventure( ). " So I did. Since I was a little kid I was dreaming to know Europe. So next day I had my passport. And one week later, my plane tickets. It was impossible to have a long holiday. So I resigned . My boss said I was crazy. My friends said that I was not responsible. I just paid no attention to those voices. It was Europe in winter. Not the best time to travel there. But Europe in winter is really cheap. I packed some books, a camera, 4 shirts, 2 pants, a coat, gloves, 2 pairs of walking shoes, candies and music to give away. I had little money. I just walked and walked. I went to high mountains and big cities. saw some beautiful sunsets . I heard some of the best musicians (for free). I discovered that there was still love in the world. I realized that sunrises are not always blue or yellow. Sometimes they mix. I spent 22 days and $1,500 (including the plane tickets). What I did to save money: 1. Used Couch, Surfing'( ). 2. Ate 20-cents bread. 3. Went to Burger King to get free potato chips and water. 4. Learned to cook. 5. Talked with local people. They always know where to do cool and cheap 6. Only went to free museums (only in England). Until this point in my life, I never had a clear idea of how to deal with my life. Now I do. I want to be a photographer so that I can inspire people with my pictures. Thanks to this travel. Thanks to that lady. What didn't the man take with him? _ . Answer: I was brought up in the British, stiff upper lip style. Strong feelings aren't something you display in public. So, you can imagine that I was unprepared for the outpouring of public grief at a Chinese funeral. My editorial team leader died recently after a short illness. He was 31. The news was so unexpected that it left us all shocked and upset. A female colleague burst into tears and cried piteously at her desk. Somehow we got through the day's work. The next day was the funeral. Our big boss stepped forward to deliver a eulogy and was soon in tears. She carried on, in Chinese of course, but at the end said in English: "There will be no more deadlines for you in heaven." Next came a long-term colleague who also dissolved in tears but carried on with her speech despite being almost overcome by emotion. Then a close friend of the dead man paid tribute, weeping openly as he spoke. Sorrow is spreading. Me and women were now sobbing uncontrollably. Finally, the man's mother, supported between two women, addressed her son in his coffin. She almost collapsed and had to be held up. We were invited to step forward to each lay a white rose on the casket. Our dead colleague looked as if he was taking a nap. At the end of the service I walked away from the funeral parlor stunned at the outpouring of emotion. In the UK, families grieve privately and then try to hold it together and not break down at a funeral. Here in China it would seem that grieving is a public affair. It strikes me that it is more cathartic to cry your eyes out than try to keep it bottled up for fear of embarrassment, which is what many of us do in the West. Afterwards, a Chinese colleague told me that the lamenting at the funeral had been restrained by Chinese standards. In some rural areas, she said, people used to be paid to mourn noisily. This struck me like something out of novel by Charles Dickens. But we have all seen on TV scenes of grief-stricken people in Gaza and the West Bank, in Afghanistan, Iraq and the relatives of victims of terrorist bombings around the world. Chinese grief is no different. I realized that it's the reserved British way of mourning that is out of step with the rest of the world. This passage talks mainly about _ . Answer: It was once thought that only time could mend a broken heart, but now scientists think taking a couple of aspirin might be the best way to get over a break-up. Previous studies have shown that people experience feelings of romantic rejection in the same way that they experience physical pain. And Psychology Professor Water Michel, of Columbia University, also believes that the psychological pain of ending a relationship is similar to physical pain, and should be treated like any other injury. "When we speak about rejection experiences in terms of physical pain, it is not just a metaphor - the broken heart and emotional pain really do hurt in a physical way," he said. "When you look at a picture of the one who broke your heart, you experience a pain in a similar area of the brain which is activated when you burn your arm. " Research shows that people who are given a simple painkiller, like aspirin, are able to handle feelings of rejection better than _ given a placebo . 'Take two aspirins and call me next morning' would be a cold-hearted response to a friend's late-night report of fresh heartbreak, but it has a solid basis in the research. The aspirin is a kind of _ . Answer: Every country has its heroes. The heroes are the people the nation and especially the young people admire. If you get a list of the heroes of a nation,it will tell you the potential of that nation. Today in prefix = st1 /America,if you ask the high school students to list their heroes,their choice would probably fall into three groups. The first group of heroes would be the rock stars--the people connected with rock music. There is no doubt that such people do have talent but one wonders if one should hold up rock stars as a model. The rock stars too often are mixed with drugs and their personal life is not all that good. The rock stars are rich and wear the latest fashion styles. However,one should seek more in a hero than such things as money and good clothes. A second type of hero for the American youth is the sports star. Again you have a person who has a great ability in one area-sports. However,too often the personal life of the sports star is a bit of a disorder. Too frequently drugs and drinking are a part of life of the sports star. A third type of hero is the TV or movie star. This person may have lots of acting talent and is quite handsome. However,the personal life of too many actors is quite sad and they should not be held up as a model of young people. Today,the rock star,the athlete,and the actor all have become the models of the youth in America. Really,do you hear a young person say that his hero is a doctor,a teacher,or a scientist?These people are not rich and do not wear fashionable clothes. However,they are talented people who work hard to make the world a better place for everyone. What is really sad is that the young try to imitate their heroes. They like to wear the same clothes and follow their styles. If the heroes of today for the American young people are limited only to rock stars,athletes and actors,the future does not look too bright. According to the writer,people should admire those _ . Answer: We often praise the world of science. It explains the world and makes our lives easier with technology. One of the most exciting fields in science is artificial intelligence ( AI). This is an area where scientists are working on making machines that think like humans. However, Professor Stephen Hawking, a well-known British scientist, is not for _ kind of technology. "The development of artificial intelligence could spell the end of human". He said so just after using the machine made for him. As Hawking has a serious illness called ALS, he needs an AI computer to communicate. The computer learns how Hawking thinks and suggests the words he may want to use next. This kind of AI is very useful, but Hawking fears the possibility of making machines that can be smarter than humans. And it's easy to imagine how terrible things may be. We can see on TV some big killer machines that are far cleverer than us. "Humans can't compete because of their slow biological evolution " said Hawking. But no everyone holds the same idea towards AI technology. "I believe we can make good use of the technology for a long time. It will help us to solve many problems in the future." said Rollo Carpenter, CEO of Cleverbot in the UK. In which way do you think AI is heading? Should we be hopeful or fearful? The best title for this passage may be _ . Answer:
One day when driving home John saw a group of bicycle racers riding down the road. When they stopped at a store he pulled over to talk to them. Their names were David, Mark, and Sam. When he asked them how they got into racing they each had a different story to tell. Sam started with his dad when he was much younger. Mark started when he met Sam, who was racing. David started when he saw a race on TV. John was very interested in learning to race bicycles like the three men he met. So he asked them where he could buy a bike like theirs, and how much would it cost. Sam said he would give him his old bike for free. Mark told him of a store nearby, and David told him of a store on the web. John said goodbye to the racers so that they could keep going on their ride. John then went home and left Sam a note so that he could pick up his old bike. He then went to his desk to look up some stuff on bike racing. He was so excited his mother heard him from the other room shouting about wheels. He looked into the safety parts of bike riding including the wrong time to ride and the stuff he would need like, a helmet and horn. How did Sam start racing. Sam started with his father when he was younger. If drinking coffee or tea has become part of your daily routine, you might wonder what it's doing to your long-term heart health. New research from Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, a journal of the American Heart Association, found that high tea consumption and proper coffee consumption may be associated with decreased rates of death from coronary heart disease ( CHD) . The study followed more than 37,000 tea and coffee drinkers over 13 years. Participants completed food recalls to document their typical intake of tea and coffee, and were divided into groups that ranged from light to heavy consumption. Researchers accounted for variables such as health histories, height, weight, and waist circumference and recorded the number of deaths from cardiovascular disease and stroke during the study period. Overall results showed that consuming more than six cups of tea per day was associated with a 36% lower risk of death from heart disease compared to consuming less than one cup of tea per day. There appeared to be no such protective effect of tea-drinking at any amount for risk of death from stroke. Among coffee drinkers, more proper consumption levels (2-3 cups per day) were associated with the greatest risk reduction for death from heart disease (21% ) compared to drinking less than one cup of coffee per day. Researchers acknowledged certain inconclusive variables within their findings. For example, the difference between decaffeinated and regular coffee could not be accurately accounted for, nor could specific recommendations be made for type of tea, though due to its popularity in the Netherlands where the study took place, researchers assumed most tea consumption to be black tea. Furthermore, researchers found that tea and coffee drinkers had opposite lifestyles, with tea drinkers tending to engage in healthy lifestyle habits and coffee drinkers being more likely to eat less healthy and smoke. It was difficult to say with certainty what impact these other lifestyle variables may have contributed to the overall results. Which of the following variables haven't been considered? The type of tea and coffee. Youth, friendship and love are the main themes of this year's Chinese movies, such as So Young(<<>> ) and American Dreams in China(<<>> ). Tiny Times(<<>> ), one of the most popular movies this summer, also has the same features. The movie was based on author and director Guo Jingming's novel of the same name. It tells a story about four girls who come from different backgrounds and of different personalities. Since it was shown on June 27, Tiny Times has made 483 million yuan at the box office. The sequel of it was shown on Aug 8 and it has also been a big box office hit. Cao Yuhan, 13, a high school student at Beijing Jianhua Experimental School, is a big fan of the movie. "I'm deeply touched by their friendship," Cao said. "When Nan Xiwang is in trouble, the other three girls try their best to help her, even running barefoot in the snow. However, not everyone has had good things to say. The people's Daily said that the film went too far in encouraging youths to become materialistic . Film commentator Raymond Zhou wrote on his online blog that "Buying luxury goods seems as a way to express love or friendship, and the word 'money' is repeated over and over again. Song Kexin, 14, a high school student at Zhida Middle School in Taiyuan, Shanxi, shows a typical example of a fan's attitude . And that's to look for the positive value. "That movie is a little far from our daily life. My friends and I are not having parties every day," Song said, "But I admire Tang Wanru's optimistic attitude. She's always looking at the bright side of life. I should learn from her." What does film commentator Zhou Liming think of the movie? It shows money expresses love or friendship. It's time to go home now. I am on a bus on a rainy day, and a woman with a dog gets on the bus. It is a big dog and its feet are not clean. I don't want the dog to sit near me. But the woman says to the conductor . "Oh, I pay for my dog. Can he sit here like the other people?" The conductor looks at the dog and says, "Yes, madam, but he must not put his feet on the chair." Why do the woman and the dog get on the bus? It is a rainy day. Many years ago I lived in a western country. My very first job was in the city and I was excited to go to work by public transport! I had never been employed before and my chances of travelling on a bus by myself had always been very slim. So, I was very happy with my new lifestyle! I left home each morning in time to catch the 8.05 bus from the main road. One autumn morning I could see the bus approaching. I could also see an elderly lady walking with a lovely dog beside her. There were some youngsters behind her. The bus arrived and we got on. Only eight passengers were permitted to travel standing. I was inside the bus when the conductor called, "Only eight standing passengers! Could the last one to get on please get off?" I saw those youngsters inside, right in front of me, and it occurred that they had jumped the queue! I turned and saw the elderly lady with her dog about to get off. I moved quickly to get in front of her. I encouraged her to stay, knowing very well I would be late that morning, but it didn't bother me. It was only as I moved past her to get off the bus that I realized -- she was blind! Her dog was her guide dog! Well, I eventually got to the office. After the day's work I went to the bus stand in front of my office to make the return journey. What a pleasant surprise! The lady and her dog were there! I was really pleased because I would get a better chance to speak with her. I started the conversation and she recognized my Asian accent! She asked if I was the same person who helped her that morning. Amazing! From there onwards it was one long happy conversation. These beautiful memories are still fresh in my mind. By helping others, I feel content! From the first passage, we can learn that the author _ . enjoy going to work by public transport
In the latest beauty craze sweeping social media in China,women--and even some men--are boasting that they are paper thin,by posting photographs of their waists behind a vertical piece of A4 paper.To qualify,the waist must be entirely hidden by the paper.A piece of A4 paper is 8.3 by ll.7 inches,roughly the size of a sheet of American letter paper. With the A4 Waist,the trend is attracting hundreds of photographs and thousands of comments on Weibo and other social media networks like Weixin or WeChat.Being abnormally thin is a widespread standard of beauty for women,one that has been criticized as an unhealthy ideal of female attractiveness. The tiny waist has a long tradition in China,going back at least to King Ling of Chu,who ruled from 540 to 529 B.C.Many in China know the passage from the Book of Han,the history of the Western Han Dynasty:"The King of Chu loved a narrow waist.Many people at court starved to death.'' Several commentators have found the A4 trend disturbing.In a telephone interview,He Xiaobin,senior fashion features editor at the Chinese edition of GQ magazine,said,"I find it completely stupid.Everybody has a different frame and body shape.Using a single size to define all human beings and thinking you have created a new standard is foolish.''The A4 waist challenge annoyed him,saying that it allows certain people to gain bragging rights,while leaving others in depression. Luckily,some who do not qualify are turning to humor for comfort.Can they substitute a different paper size,such as A3,which is 11.7 inches across Or measure a body part besides the waist? According to He Xiaobin,showing A4 waist in social media is _ . A traditional B challenging C disturbing D instructive Answer: C The piano on which Mozart wrote all of his late works returned home to Vienna for the first time since his death in 1791.The piano will stand in his former Vienna home, now a museum, for two weeks, ending in a concert of the works by Mozart. Mozart bought the instrument from Anton Walter, the most famous piano maker of his time, in 1782.He wrote more than 50 works for the piano on it, many of them in the apartment in Vienna.After Mozart's death, Constanze, Mozart's wife, gave the instrument to their elder surviving son, Carl Thomas, who donated it to the Mozarteum Salzburg on what would have been the composer's 100th birthday.The piano is now part of the permanent exhibition in the Austrian city of Salzburg. " It was very hard to let it go," said Matthias Schulz, director of the Mozarteum Salzburg." If we didn' t know it was in the best hands, we wouldn' t have done it." The piano is much smaller and lighter than modern concert ones.Its sound is fresher and brighter than that of a modern piano, with lighter action and hammers . Piano restorer Josef Meingast, who has looked after the Mozart piano since 1975, said it was superior to any of its surviving copies.Meingast said he had to fight to replace the existing strings , dating from a 1973 restoration, with softer ones that produce a rounder sound thought to be more similar to what Mozart would have produced. Russian pianist Alexander Melnikov, who planned to give a concert of Mozart' s music on the piano on November 7, said he was privileged to play such an instrument.It's easily the biggest day of a musician' s life." What is the main idea of this passage? A Mozart's piano returns home to Vinna. B Mozart's piano connects too many artists. C Mozart's piano reflects all his wonderful life. D Mozart's piano is restored to its original form. Answer: A High-altitude cirrus clouds are primarily formed from which substance? A carbon dioxide gas B solid ice crystals C nitrogen compounds D ozone molecules Answer: B Scientists claim that the continents of South America and Africa were once a single landmass. All of the following observations support this claim except A the mountains on these continents have similar rocks of the same age. B these continents appear to fit together like the pieces of a puzzle. C similar fish live in the ocean off the coasts of these continents. D the same kinds of fossils have been found on these continents. Answer: C Male peacocks have large brightly colored tail feathers. What is the most likely reason for this? A to attract potential mates B to distract potential predators C to help catch food D to preserve warmth Answer: A
Erden Eruc has been rowing across the Pacific Ocean in a rowboat since he left California on July 10, 2007. He has been heading for Australia with only birds, fish, and sharks ever since. Crossing the Pacific is only part of his journey. Eruc has decided to go all the way around the world using his own energy. He will row, bike, walk and climb the world without help from any motors at all. His plan includes climbing the tallest peak on six of the continents along the way. For the first part of his trip, he bicycled 5,546 miles from Seattle, Washington to Mount McKinley in Alaska and back, walked 67 miles to base camp and climbed 20,320 feet to McKinley's peak. Now in the second part of his adventure , he is rowing to Australia. Why would he try to go around the world this way? He explains that he wants to encourage kids to dream their dreams and get to their own goals. He wants to show kids that there might be hard parts along the way, and sometimes they might not even get to that final goal. But they can have adventures and learn a lot along the way. When his trip around the world takes him across land, he enjoys meeting people---especially children. He has already visited many schools and shared his story. Eruc encourages all kids to set their eyes on a goal and not give up. He says, "with goals, we will make progress, and we will be farther along than when we started, even if we don't get to some goals. That's called life!" We can learn from the passage that Eruc _ during his adventure. A. took a train B. rowed his boat C. traveled by air D. traveled by bus Answer: B. rowed his boat I grew up in Lakeland, Los Angeles.We all lived on my parents' farm.When I was 12,1 got a part-time job on a dairy farm, helping to milk cows.We milked 65 cows at 5 o'clock in the morning and again at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, seven days a week. One day before daylight, I complained to my father about having to go to milk those cows.My father said, "You know, boy, to work is a blessing." Going to college was a rare privilege for a kid from Lakeland.My father told me if I picked something to study that I liked, I would always look forward to my work.But he also added, "Even having a job you hate is better than not having a job at all." I wanted to be a farmer, but I joined the army to help pay for college. In the late 1980s, during a visit to Bangladesh, I saw a woman with a baby on her back, breaking bricks with a hammer.I asked a Bangladesh officer why they weren't using a machine, which would have been a lot easier.He told me a machine would put that lady out of work.Breaking those bricks meant she would earn enough money to feed herself and her baby that day.Although that woman's job was bad, it was enough to keep a small family alive.It reminded me of my father's words: to work is a blessing. I don't think I'll ever quit working.I'm retired from the army, but I'm still working to help people.I'm not going to stop.I believe in my father's words.I believe in the blessing of work. By saying "to work is a blessing" , the author's father meant _ . A. it was a good thing to have a job to do B. it was hard to find a good job for kids C. everyone had to make a living by working D. one could only achieve his goal through work Answer: A. it was a good thing to have a job to do It was Christmas, and there was a big party in the house. Guests came and went, but the party went on. Then the bell rang. Several people shouted, "Come in!"and a small man opened the front door and came in. Nobody knew him. But the host went to meet him, and took him to the bar for a drink. The man sat there happily for an hour and a half and drank.Then suddenly he stopped and looked at the host. "Do you know," he said, "nobody invited me to this party. I don't know you, 'I don't know your wife, and I don't know any of your guests. My wife and I wanted to go out in our car, but one of your guests' cars was in front of our gate, so I came here to find him and my wife is waiting in our car for me to come back. The best title is _ . A. A small Man B. A Strange Guest C. A Friendly Host D. A funny Man Answer: A. A small Man I was born in Thailand, where I feel at home. I am used to jumping on to a song taow (red taxi), and squeezing in between two strangers. I am used to bargaining at the market to get a shirt that I like. I love telling bilingual jokes and I am used to the surprised looks I get from the Thais when I can speak their language fluently. Every two years my family goes to America for the summer, and every two years my world is turned upside down. The prices of everything are three times what they were in Thailand, but there is the sweet drink Dr. Pepper! And Bluebell Ice-cream! And everything you could imagine! I am amazed at it all, but the biggest change for me is the people. There are white people everywhere. I am not tall but average , my yellow hair is no longer out of place, and speaking English no longer draws looks. I should feel comfortable. I'm not out of place anymore, and nobody is looking at me, but I feel like they are. Now I feel out of place and different. I'm not used to giving people handshakes and hugs when I meet them for the first time. I get looks when I have trouble figuring out how much money to pay. I know different music, different places, and different fashion. I can't understand these people who have never left their town or city. Still, there are quite a few _ about living overseas. I get to meet people from all over the world, and I know how to adjust to different cultures and places. I have been to places most people see only in geography books. Still, being so different makes it hard to know who you are. I'm not Thai, but I am not American either. I am a mix of both cultures, a third culture kid. In this text, the author mainly wants to describe _ . A. her different lifestyles B. a kind of culture shock C. a feeling of loneliness D. her ability to face difficulties Answer: B. a kind of culture shock #Ruffi Ruff! Where's Scruff? Reading level: Baby--reschool Hardcover: 16 pages Language: English Availability: In Stock.Sold by Amazon-com.Gift--wrap available. Book Description: It's bath time for Scruff.But does anyone know where he's hiding? Have the cows seen him? Moo--no! How about the pigs? Oink--no! But not for toddlers.If they look carefully, they'll find Scruffhiding on every pop--up page! #You and Me, Baby Reading level: Baby--Grade 1 Hardcover: 40 pages Language: English Availability: In Stock.Ships from and sold byAmazon.com.Gift--wrap available. Only 4 left in stock--rder soon. #The Giving Tree Reading level: Ages 4~8 Hardcover: 64 pages Language: English Availability: Sold all the year round and choose One--Day Shipping at checkout. Book Description: Once there was a tree...and she loved a little boy.Every day the boy would come to the tree to eat her apples, swing from her branches, or slide down her trunk...and the tree was happy. #Where the Wild Things Are Reading level: Ages 6~10 Hardcover Comic: 62 pages Language: English Availability: In Stock.Ships from and Sold by Amazon-com.Gift--wrap available.Order it at once, and choose One--Day Shipping at checkout. #Goodnight Moon(Board book) Reading level: Baby--Preschool Board book: 30 pages Language: English Availability: In Stock.Ships from and sold by Amazon-com. Book description: Perhaps the perfect children's bedtime book.Goodnight Moon is a short poem of goodnight wishes from a young rabbit.He says goodnight to every object in sight and within earshot, including the "quiet old lady whispering hush." The sellers will provide the service of wrapping except _ . A. Where the Wild Things Are B. You and Me, Baby C. RuffS Ruff! Where's Scrufl? D. Goodnight Moon Answer: D. Goodnight Moon
Have you ever wondered why birds sing? Maybe you thought that they were just happy.After all,you probably sing or whistle when you are happy. Some scientists believe that birds do sing some of the time just because they are happy.However,they sing most of the time for a very different reason.Their singing is actually a warning to other birds to stay out of their territory Do you know what a "territory" is? A territory is an area that an animal,usually the male,claims as its own.Only he and his family are welcome there.No other families 0f the same species are welcome.Your yard and house are your territory where only your family and friends are welcome.If a stranger should enter your territory and threaten you,you might shout.Probably this would be enough to frighten him away. If so,you have actually scared the stranger away without having to fight him.A bird does the same thing. But he expects an outsider almost any time,especially at nesting season.So he is screaming all the time,whether he can see an outsider or not This screaming is what we call a bird's song,and it is usually enough to keep an outsider away. Birds sing loudest in the spring when they are trying to attract a mate and warn others not to enter the territory of theirs. You can see that birds have a language all their own.Most of it has to do with attracting mates and setting up territories. Why do birds keep on singing at nesting season? Answer: Because their singing helps frighten outsiders away. When we think of Hollywood, we think of films and famous film stars. They are part of Hollywood' s history. Today people make films in other places, too. Not all famous film stars live in Hollywood. But Hollywood is still a very special part in Los Angeles, California. You can easily see where Hollywood is in Los Angeles. There is a big sign on the hills. It says "HOLLYWOOD". The white letters are fifty feet tall. You can see the sign from far away. The Hollywood sign is a famous Hollywood landmark in Los Angeles. Many postcards show this famous Hollywood landmark. In the hills of Hollywood, there is also the Hollywood Bowl. This is an open-air theatre. It is one of the biggest open-air theatres in the world. It has seventeen thousand seats and a very different stage . The design of the stage was by a great American called Fran Lioyd Wright. You can listen to all kinds of concerts at the Hollywood Bowl. We learn from the reading that _ . Answer: Hollywood is one part of Los Angeles Jee Hock and Meng Kim were very good friends. Jee Hock could not see. He was blind. Meng Kim could not walk. He was lame. They lived in a village near a forest. Everyone in the village was going to a rich man's dinner on the other side of the forest. Jee Hock and Meng Kim were anxious to attend the dinner too. Blind Jee Hock thought of a plan. He would carry Meng Kim. The lame man could tell him the way. Meng Kim said that the plan was a good one. On the way through the forest, Meng Kim saw a tiger. He did not tell Jee Hock about it. Instead, he quietly asked Jee Hock to carry him to the nearest tree. Upon reaching an over banging branch, Meng kim quickly hauled himself up. Then the tiger roared. Jee Hock at once knew a tiger was near. He lay down quietly. The tiger came to him and sniffed his body. The tiger's whiskers touched Jee Hock's nose. At once Jee Hock sneezed, "Ah choooooo!" The tiger was afraid and ran away. Then Meng Kim came down from the tree. He asked Jee Hock about the tiger. Jee Hock said that the tiger had told him to choose his friends wisely. Jee Hock sneezed because the tiger's whiskers _ . Answer: touched his nose After the "Big Bang ",the earth was just a cloud of energetic dust. What it was to become was a mystery until the dust began to slowly combine into a ball moving around the sun. The problem was that the earth became violent because it was not clear whether the solid shape was to last or not. It exploded loudly with fire and rock, which were in time to produce the water vapor, carbon dioxide, oxygen, nitrogen and other gases, which were to make the earth's atmosphere. As the earth cooled down, water began to appear on its surface. Nobody knew that it was going to be different from other planets going round the sun. Water had already disappeared from planets like Mars or satellites like the moon, but it stayed on the earth. This is how the earth began to show its special qualities. Many people think that this was important for the beginning of life. It allowed the earth to dissolve harmful gases, which had become part of the earth's atmosphere, into the oceans and seas. That made it possible for life to begin to develop. What scientists think is that the earth was different because of the arrival of small plants growing in the water on its surface. Nobody understood that these plants were the start of many changes. They multiplied and filled the first oceans and seas with oxygen .This encouraged the development of early shellfish and all sorts of fish. Many millions of years later the first green plants began to appear on land. Scientists believe that taking carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and filling the air with oxygen helped life to develop. Later land animals appeared. Some were insects. Others, called amphibians, were able to live on land as well as in the sea. When the plants grew into forests, reptiles appeared for the first time. They produced young generally by laying eggs. Later, some huge animals, called dinosaurs, developed, They laid eggs too. They became the most important animals on the earth for millions of years. But when they disappeared, mammals became more important. They were the last group of animals and they were different because they produced their young from within their bodies. Small clever animals, now with hands and feet, appeared and spread all over the earth. They developed new methods of growing food, hunting and moving around. As time went by they covered the earth and have become the most important animals on the planet. But they are not taking care of the earth very well. They are putting too much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which prevents heat from escaping from the earth into space. The earth may become too hot for the lives on it. Whether life will continue on the earth for millions of years to come will depend on whether this problem can be solved. Why was it necessary for plants to grow before animals? Answer: Plants provided oxygen for animals to breathe. We are all busy talking about and using the Internet ,but how many of us know about the history of the Internet? Many people are surprised when they find that the Internet was set up in the 1960s.At that time, computers were large and expensive. Computer networks didn' t work well .If one computer in the network broke down ,then the whole network stopped. So a new network system had to be set up. It should be good enough to be used by many different computers.If part of the network was not working ,information could be sent through another part.In this way the computer network system would keep on working all the time.At first,the Internet was only used by the government ,but,in the early 1970s, universities,hospitals and banks were allowed to use it too. However, computers were still expensive and the Internet was difficult to use.By the start of the 1990s,computers become cheaper and easier to use.Scientists had also developed software that made "surfing " the Internet more convenient . Today it is easy to get on-line and it is said that millions of people use the Internet every day. Sending e-mail is more and more popular among students. The Internet has now become one of the most important parts of people' s life. Scientists set up a new network system to _ . Answer: make the system work well
TOKYO-- At first glance, Japanese cellphones are young people's favorites, with elegant design and quick access to the Internet. However, despite years of competition in overseas markets, Japan's cellphone makers have little presence beyond the country's shores. The only Japanese cellphone maker with any meaningful global share is Sony Ericsson, and that company is a London-based joint venture between a Japanese electronics maker and a Swedish telecommunications firm. And Sony Ericsson has been hit by big losses. Its market share was just 6.3 percent in the first quarter of 2009, behind Nokia of Finland, Samsung Electronics and LG of South Korea, and Motorola of Illinois. This year, Mr Natsuno, who developed a popular wireless Internet service called i-Mode, invited some of the best minds in the field to debate how Japanese cellphones could go global. "The most amazing thing about Japan is that even the average person out there will have a very advanced phone, "said Mr Natsuno. Japan has 100 million users of advanced third-generation smart phones, twice the number of the United States, a much larger market. Many Japanese rely on their phones, not a PC, for Internet access. Indeed, Japanese cellphone makers thought they had positioned themselves to dominate the age of digital data. But they were a little too clever. In the 1990s, they set a standard for the second-generation network that was refused everywhere else. Then Japan quickly adopted a third-generation standard in 2001. However, it made Japanese phones too advanced for most markets. Several Japanese companies are now considering a push into overseas markets, including NEC. Panasonic, Sharp, Toshiba and Fujitsu are said to be planning similar moves. "Japanese cellphone makers need to either look overseas, or exit the business", said Kenshi Tazaki, a managing vice president at the consulting firm Gartner Japan. Why are Japanese cellphone makers a little too clever? Answer: Because their technical standards are too advanced to be accepted overseas. Life-long learning is the concept that "It's never too soon or too late for learning." -- a philosophy that has taken root in a larger number of different organizations. Life-long learning is an attitude -- learners believe that one can and should be open to new ideas, decisions, skills or behaviors. Life-long learning throws the well-known rule "You can't teach an old dog new tricks" out of the door. Life-long learning provides the general public with learning opportunities at all ages and in different ways: at work, at home and through leisure activities, not just through formal channels such as school and higher education. Life-long education is often achieved through distance learning or e-learning, continuing education, home schooling, etc. It also includes training programs for those who want to improve their qualifications, bring their skills up to date or retrain for a new line of work. In later life, especially in retirement, continued learning takes various forms, crossing traditional academic limits. One of the reasons why life-long education has become so important is the rapid progress of modern science and technology. Although the period of primary, secondary and university education is increased, the knowledge and skills gained there are usually not _ for a professional career spanning three or four decades. What is the main idea behind life-long education? Answer: To allow people to have chances to receive education throughout their life. It was one of the hottest days of the dry season. There was no rain for almost a month. The crops were dying. Cows stopped giving milk. On this day, I witnessed a wonder. I was making lunch when I saw my 6-year-old son, Billy, walking very slowly towards the woods. Minutes later he came running out again, towards the house. Soon after, I saw him walking towards the woods again. This went on for an hour. Finally I walked out of the house quietly and followed him. Billy cupped both hands in front of him as he walked, careful not to drop the water he carried. Then I saw an amazing sight. Several large deer stood in front of him. Billy walked right up to them. I saw a baby deer lying on the ground. It was dying of thirst, and it tried to lift its head to drink the water in my boy's hands. When the water was gone, Billy ran back to the house. I followed him to the kitchen. Billy opened the tap and a small trickle came out. He let the drips slowly fill up his "cup". Now I understood what was going on. The week before, he tried giving water to our horses but I told him not to waste water. Now when he stood up and turned, I was there in front of him. His eyes filled with tears . "I'm not wasting," he said. I joined him with a small cup of water from the kitchen. I let him walk to the baby deer alone while I stood by the woods. Tears rolled down my face. Suddenly there were some drops falling, as if the sky itself was crying. The boy carried the water to the baby deer _ . Answer: by cupping his both hands I remember reading a story once about a man who found a bag with a lot of clay balls by the seashore. They didn't look like much, but they intrigued (......) the man so he took the bag with him. As he walked along the beach, to pass the time, he would throw the clay balls one at a time out into the ocean as far as he could throw. He thought little about it until he dropped one of the balls and it broke open on a rock. Inside was a beautiful, precious stone . Excited, the man started breaking open the remaining clay balls. Each contained a similar treasure. He found thousands of dollars worth of jewels in the 20 or so clay balls he had left. Then it struck him. He had been on the beach for a long time. He had thrown maybe 50 or 60 of the clay balls with their hidden treasure into the ocean waves. Instead of thousands of dollars in treasure, he could have had tens of thousand, but he just threw it all away. You know sometimes, it's like that with people, we look at someone, maybe even ourselves, and we see the external clay vessel. It doesn't look like much from the outside. It isn't always beautiful, so we discount(,) it, we see that person as less important than someone more beautiful or well-known or wealthy. There is a treasure in each and every one of us. If we take the time to get to know that person, and if we ask God to show us that person the way He sees him, then _ From this passage we can learn _ . Answer: we can't judge things or people only by their appearance A concert under the theme of the 28-year-old charity song Let the World Be Filled with Love is set to bring 100 celebrated singers to perform in Quanzhou in southeast China's Fujian Province next month. The concert is set to cover 10 cities including Beijing. Quanzhou is the first stop of the touring schedule. The song Let the World Be Filled with Love was written by famous Chinese singer and songwriter Guo Feng. It was performed by a chorus of 100 singers during a concert for world peace that year. The song also made Guo Feng famous. The concert is organized by China TV Artists Association. It aims to improve local charity programmes. The concert has so far received positive feedback from some of the biggest names from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan, including Hollywood actor Jackie Chan. It is well known that Jackie Chan has made great contributions to the music scene for years with songs like A Hero Never Dies and Don't Go Home. He sang the theme song to the film Fairy Tale with Kim Hee Sun. Between shooting films and joining in public activities all over the world, it took Chan about a year to finish an album. By joining in charity activities, Jackie Chan has provided scholarships for needy students and helped injured performers and their families. So far, he has been involved in over 100 public welfare projects in 52 cities in over 30 countries. How long did it take Jackie Chan to finish an album? Answer: About one year.
A person makes dresses and everyone in a location buys them. Once everyone has bought a dress, the dress sales Answer: Hello, I'm Allan Peterson. I'm an English boy. But I am in China. I have a good friend. Let me tell you something about him. His name is Li Ming. He is a student. He is in class Two, Grade One, No.5 middle school. We are classmates. Li Ming is 14 years old. He likes basketball and English. We often play basketball after school. What school is Alan in? Answer: My parents are amazing. I had the most wonderful childhood, and it's not because I had everything I wanted or because I was a cool kid. I have learned a lot about parenting from what my parents did. Here are a few gems that I use now or plan to use in the future with my two boys. Here's how a conversation often went when I was a kid. Usually it was around 4:30 p.m. I said, "I'm hungry. Can I have a cookie?" My mom answered, "No. Have a banana." "I don't want a banana." "Then you're not hungry." Sometimes I was angry about it, but I knew that was good for me. Thanks mom for not letting me eat junk food . Now I agree with my mother and I have this same conversation with my three-year-old son. I hope it helps him form healthy diet habits. I know many of us heard this as children. "If everyone jumped off a bridge, would you do it, too?" If our kids asked for something just because everyone else had it or was doing it, we often got this response. It was the perfect response, and we soon learned not to ask for things because everyone else had it, but because it was something we wanted. I will always be thankful that my parents let us try the things that interested us, not the things they wanted to push us into. This helped me try swimming, dance, and the piano before second grade. I found a love -- singing -- and kept up with that through my college years. It drives me crazy, as a mom and teacher, when I see kids who are pushed into their parents' favorite activities, even when they don't have a passion for them. Which of the following may be supported by the writer? Answer: The police, answering a complaint about noise, arrived at Sam's apartment and found Sam's wife dead on the living room floor. One of the officers turned to Sam and asked, "What happened?" Sam replied, "She was a bitch and I took care of her." At Sam's trial, his statement should be ruled Answer: If you had a chance to prepare dinner for your mother, would you choose to make it right now or some day in the future? Watch the video Paradise Dinner by Liu Xiaoyu, a junior at[Hebei Institute of Communications, and you will find a right answer. Recently the six-minute film Paradise Dinner won a great success on the Internet. It told the story of a son who made a big lunch for his mother, but he can only send the dinner to paradise, because his mother has been dead. "If you do not show your _ to your mother right now, you might never have the opportunity in the future, because your mother is growing older and older day by day-this is the main theme of my film, " said the 21-year-old Liu. Liu conceived the story for Paradise Dinner over his 2010 summer vacation. One day during that holiday, Liu found his parents were not young any more. " So I decided to write a story for Paradise Dinner to call for all people, especially young people, to show more filial piety to their parents," he said. With the help of his teachers and his schoolmates, he found actors, Zhang who played the mother and Yuan Zhen who played the son. At last he finished the film. Many Web users said they liked the film very much and most of them cried like Liu's parents when they watched it. From the passage, we know Liu Xiaoyu _ . Answer:
Smith was a landlord . He loved money very much and never gave anything to anybody. Soon he became rich. One day the weather was fine. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and the sun was very warm. The landlord was walking along a river with his friends, when, all of a sudden, he slipped and fell into it. He cried, "Help! Help!" One of his friends held out his hand and said, "Give me your hand and I will pull you out." The landlord's head went under the water and then came up again, but he did not give his hand to his friends. Then another of his friends tried but the same thing happened. Just then a farmer came over and saw all this. He knew the landlord very well. He said to the others, "Let me try." He held out his hand and said to the landlord," Take my hand and I will pull you out." Hearing this, the landlord took the farmer's hand, and in a minute the farmer pulled the landlord out of the water. All the others got very surprised at this and asked the farmer, "Why did he give his hand to you but not to us?" The farmer said, "You don't know your friend very well, When you say 'give' to him, he does nothing, but when you say 'take', he takes." Smith became very rich, because he _ gave anything to anybody. 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." Margaret quit her job as a nurse because _ A little old man and his wife walked slowly into McDonald's on a cold winter evening. They took a table near the back wall, and then the little old man walked to the cash register to order. After a while he got the food back and they began to open it. There was one hamburger, some French fries and one drink. The little old man carefully cut the hamburger in half and divided the French fries in two piles. Then he neatly put the half of the food in front of his wife. He took a sip of the drink and his wife _ . "how poor the old people are!" the people around them thought. As the man began to eat his hamburger and his French fries, his wife sat there watching him and took turns to drink. A young man came over and offered to buy another meal for them. But they refused politely and said that they got used to sharing everything. Then a young lady asked a question of the little old lady. " Madam, why aren't you eating? You said that you share everything, then what are you waiting for?" She answered, "The teeth." What did the old man order? To the Editor, I have been reading your newspaper, theHometown Gazette, for the past two years, ever since I moved to Smithville. We moved here from New York City, so I am accustomed to reading excellent newspapers such asThe New York Times. In fact, we still have theTimesdelivered on Sundays. The entire family enjoys reading the recipes in the newspaper, as well as the Styles section. TheTimesis great, but theGazetteis another story. I've never read an article that doesn't contain at least three or four spelling or grammatical errors. For instance, in last week's issue, you misspelled the word "secretary" used a singular verb with a plural noun, and used "it's" as a possessive . And that was just in the lead story! In case you never went to elementary school, "it's" means "it is". It's not a possessive adjective! It's a pity that this tiny little hick town has only one newspaper, because I' d like to have an alternative to the rag you publish. I find it hard to believe your news stories. If you can' t spell correctly, how can you get your facts right? I've been meaning to get this off my chest for some time. Please cancel my subscription . And buy yourself a dictionary. Sincerely, Jane Z. Jones Which statement from the passage is a fact? As De Witt Wallace lay in bed recovering from injuries that he unfortunately came by in World War I, he found there was a wealth of interesting information to read. Realizing few people would have the time to get through all this information, he knew exactly what to do. In 1920, this young American submitted a sample magazine containing shortened articles to publishers across America. However, all turned him down. Undeterred, De Witt and his new bride Lila Bell Acheson published the first issue of Reader's Digest in February 1922. Working from home, the Wallaces printed 5,000 copies, which were sold by mail to 1,500 people and priced at 25 cents. From these humble beginnings grew the world's most widely-read magazine. The magazine became popular and, by 1935, sales topped one million. In 1938, the first international edition was published in the United Kingdom. During World War II, editions were published for the first time in Latin America and Sweden. After the war Reader's Digest moved into Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, South Africa and Switzerland. In 1950, Reader's Digest published its shortened Books (now known as Select Editions in Australia). In 1959, music, the first non-print product line, was introduced. In 1962, Reader's Digest revolutionized direct mail by introducing easy-to-enter Sweepstakes and a year later the first Reader's Digest general book was published. In 1986, video was added to the Reader's Digest product line. In 1973, the Wallaces gave up active management of Reader's Digest. De Witt died in 1981, aged 91; Lila in 1984, aged 94. With no heirs to the Wallace empire to take control, Reader's Digest became a public company in the early 1990s and is now headed by a Chief Executive Office and Chairman of the Board. What can be known about Reader's Digest from the passage?
After a confirmed rabies case in Parke County, Indiana, experts are urging caution if you find a bat in your home or office. "If you try to kill a bat, you are more likely to get bitten," said Joy O'Keefe, assistant professor of biology and director of Indiana State University's Centre for Bat Research, Outreach and Conservation. "Most bats people find in their houses are healthy and are not going to bite them and give them rabies." But they could be a federally endangered species, such as the Indiana Bat, which is found in this area. So if you spot a bat in your home or office, don't kill it or touch it with bare hands, O'Keefe said. Instead, put on a pair of heavy gloves and gently move it into a box or bucket. Once contained, the bat can be removed outside. "If it's a healthy bat, it'll fly away eventually," O'Keefe said. "If it doesn't move or seem to be healthy, you can take it to the health department to be tested." This is the time of year when bats move from their summer resting sites to their winter resting sites, O'Keefe said. "We get calls every year during the first month of school year from people finding bats in the university's buildings," said O'Keefe. Bats are a great help to people, as every night they can eat up to their entire body weight of insects. Bats, however, are facing great threats from epidemics , habitat destruction and other things. "The best way the average person can help bats is by understanding them and by telling other people how awesome bats are and what bats do for us," O' Keefe said. "Hopefully, _ will make people think that if there's a bat in their house, they should try to get it out but not kill it. That would be really positive for bats--to not have people be one of their major threats." We can infer that the text is probably written in _ . Answer: autumn More and more mainland high school graduates are considering attending universities in Hong Kong. They feel that attractive scholarships, the high quality of education and a chance to experience a different culture present a good opportunity. At Fudan University's prefix = st1 /Handancampus, nearly 800 local high school graduates have attended an admission interview for Hong Kong University (HKU). The candidates have already passed the national college entrance exam and an HKU written test. HKU applicants in the mainland are 10,000 students this year, more than doubling last year's applicants. "Most of the applicants are excellent high school graduates with outstanding performance in the national college entrance exam," Cui Jijia, an official with HKU's Shanghaioffice, said. Excellent freshmen from the mainland will be awarded a scholarship ranging from HK$30,000 (US$3,862) to HK$100,000 this year, as HKU has set aside a total scholarship budget of HK$55 million for first-year students. One HKU applicant says that entering a university in Hong Kong provides access to jobs in Hong Kong in the future. "I'll choose HKU if I receive an offer from both a local school and HKU," he says. Besides HKU, some other universities from Hong Kong also hold admission interviews for students from mainland high schools. They expect to enroll more than 1,300 mainland students. Which one is not the reason for mainland students to enter a university in Hong Kong? Answer: The tuition in a Hong Kong university is not high. The church seems cold this morning, even after all the people, friends and family, fill the benches. I sit here in silence, in shock and denial. This was not supposed to happen. What about our dreams, or our plans? We were going to raise our children, travel the world, and grow old together. I'm only 37, a typical housewife. I don't know if I can do all this alone--two children, no father. What do I do or say? The faces of so many people confuse me as they come to pay their last respects. Some have real sorrow; I can see it in their eyes. The others seem to just say, "I told you so." Those famous last words: I-told-you-so. How I can't stand them. And the pointing fingers as so-called family and so-called friends pick me out of the crowd for others to see. I want to scream and wake up but I can't do anything but sit there. How can they be so blind? I fell in love with a man. Love knows no boundaries . He was a good man, hardworking, caring and kind. He was retired from the Navy and a gentleman. He was sensitive to others' needs, the kind of man that knew what to do or say, how to humor any situation and calm everyone's fears. I remember our first child was a big surprise to both of us. I remember when I told him the news. He fell off his chair, saying over and over in disbelief, "But I'm almost sixty." After a few months he started planning our next and even doing his famous little dance whenever he discussed the idea. A man, thirty years older than I, lies in a coffin. Flowers, the American flag and his VFW comrades surround him, paying tribute to him as the man he really was. And I sit alone here, with our two children, in silence, praying that this cold morning at church is only a nightmare and I will awake to his loving arms again. Which of the following can't be used to describe the writer's feelings for the man? Answer: Complaining. One of the speaking rules you need to know might sound strange to most ESL (English as a second language) students, but it is one of the most important rules. If you want to pass examinations, then study grammar. However, if you want to become fluent in English, then you should try to learn English without studying the grammar. Studying grammar will only slow you down and confuse you. You will think about the rules when creating sentences instead of naturally saying a sentence like a native. Remember that only a small part of English speakers know more than 20% of all the grammar rules. Many ESL students know more grammar than native speakers. I can confidently say this with experience. I am a native English speaker, majored in English Literature, and have been teaching English for more than 10 years. However, many of my students know more details about English grammar than I do. When they sometimes ask me about grammar, I can easily look up the definition and apply it, but I can't tell them the answer _ I often ask my native English friends some grammar questions, and only a few of them know the correct answer. However, they are fluent in English and can read, speak, listen, and communicate effectively. Do you want to be able to recite the definition of a causative verb, or do you want to be able to speak English fluently? According to the author, what opinion do most ESL students hold? Answer: Grammar is very important in English learning. What do you like? Different people like different things. Some people like loud music, other people don't. They think it is too noisy. They like soft music. Many people like sports, but they do not like the same sports. In some countries, cricket is a very popular sport. In others, it is not popular at all. No one plays it and few people watch it on TV. The World Cup is very popular. Millions of people watch the games on TV. Some people don't like doing sports. They just like to watch other people playing. Different people like different foods. Some people do not like meat. They eat most kinds of fruits and vegetables. Some people do not like potatoes and bread. They prefer rice or corn. Not everyone like the same colors. Most people have a favorite color. Some people like bright colors. Others prefer pale colors. The world is an interesting place because we all like different things. What do people who don't like meat eat? Answer: Mostly fruits and vegetables
Question: Years after throwing a bottle-up note into a lake for a class project and just one year after his death, a man's childhood message was found and returned to his mother. Eleven years ago, a then 10-year-old boy, Joshua Baker, wrote the message, folded and put it in an empty container, his mother, Maggie Holbrook said. He died last February in a motor vehicle accident in California. He had recently returned after a serving in the Middle East as a US marine. "I think he was just letting us know he was OK and keep doing what we are doing." Holbrook said. The message surfaced in White Lake in late April, just days after the 11th anniversary of its being thrown into the lake. It was found by one of Baker's closest friends, Steve Lieder, she said. Lieder and two friends were chatting near the lake when Lieder looked down and saw the bottle. He broke it open and found the note inside. "My name is Joshua Baker. I am 10. If you find this, put it on the news. The date is 4/16/98." They immediately took it to Holbrook, who said she is now having the note preserved and will display it in her home. She can remember when her son wrote the message for the school project. She said she always wondered why he didn't put it in the nearby Wolf River, which has a much stronger current. "I still remember the day he wrote it, " Holbrook said. "I couldn't understand why he threw I in the lake. No one would never see it again. Now I know." What was Joshua Baker when he died in motor vehicle accident in California? A. An official B. A soldier C. A worker D. A teacher Answer: B Question: Is there a difference in meaning between "It's too late to telephone. Mary is asleep now." and "It's too late to telephone. Mary will be asleep now."? Yes. The difference is in the reason given for it being too late to telephone. In the first sentence "Mary is asleep now", the speaker is stating a fact. In the second sentence "Mary will be asleep now", the speaker is saying what Mary usually does. In fact, it's possible that Mary isn't asleep, but she is usually asleep at this time. So let's take two situations. In the first case, imagine Mary's mother answers the telephone. You: "May I speak to Mary, please?" Mother: "No. It's too late. Mary is asleep now." You: "Are you sure? It's only 10 0'clock." Mother: "Yes. I went to her room and she was asleep." The mother knows that Mary is asleep because she went into her room and saw her. Here is another case. Two friends decide to telephone Mary. Jack: "Let's telephone Mary. It's 10 0'clock." Jill: "No. It's too late. She will be asleep now." Jill knows that Mary always goes to bed before 10 o'clock, so now she'll probably be asleep. But it is also possible that she is staying up late. In the second situation, Jill _ . A. knows that Mary has gone to bed B. doesn't know whether Mary is asleep C. is sure that Mary cannot answer the telephone D. thinks it's possible that Mary cannot answer the telephone Answer: D Question: For the Travel section, writers and editors selected special items to profile from a dozen cities. Brussels: Chocolate. Nearly half the chocolate consumed in the world is eaten in Europe, and Belgium--with average consumption of 14.99 pounds per person a year--certainly covers its fair share. While Brussels, the country's capital, is home to hundreds of chocolate makers, what makes a visit necessary is the rich heritage of traditional chocolate makers. Budapest: Paprika The job of preparing Hungarian paprika was once considered too dangerous for mothers to do. A woman who touched her children upon returning from work risked burning them, so only the elderly and unmarried were allowed the delicate task of separating the skin from the flesh. But by the early 20thcentury, sweeter varieties and a machine turned paprika into a common feature of all Hungarian cuisine. Lisbon: Tiles Is there a bluer country than Portugal? The blue sky and Atlantic Ocean embrace the land. The blue moods of Fado, the dark folk music, form the national soundtrack. And all across Portugal, the typically--blue designs of azulejos--ceramic tiles--are spread across churches, castles, palaces, university halls, parks. The result is a beautiful land of Christian saints, Portuguese kings, historical glories, aristocrats at leisure, seascapes and so on. Madrid: Guitars Walking into one the Madrid's storied guitar makers' workshops can feel like stepping into the past. Curly wood shavings, from the palest pine to ebony, fall onto the floor as artisans turn some humble wood into works of art. It's painstaking work--all done by hand--with classical guitar models and the methods of making them changing little over the last century. What's the similarity of the four items? A. They're all treasures of a city. B. They all date back several centuries. C. Their production processes are all painstaking. D. They all win popularity in most European countries. Answer: A Question: London has become a cycle-friendly zone after the launch of a new bike hire scheme. It has been designed to encourage more people to cycle in and around central London. So how does it work?First you have to sign up to the scheme to be sent a key. The key will unlock one of the bikes, which are kept at docking stations in and around central London. You have to pay an access fee for the key and then you pay as you go, for the length of time you use the bike. Transport for London, which runs the scheme, are hoping to have 6,000 bikes and 400 docking stations in place by the end of the year. The new hire system is hoping to ease traffic jams in London and is expected to create up to 40,000 extra cycle trips a day into the city centre. London Mayor Boris Johnston launched the scheme and said London has been "filled with thousands of gleaming machines that will transform the look and feel of our street and become as commonplace on our roads as black cabs and red buses". However, there have been a few problems since the scheme was launched last Friday. On the first day some people found they couldn't dock their bike properly and their usage of the bike had not registered. Transport for London did admit they had been expecting a few "teething problems" and have said they would not charge for the first day as a "gesture of goodwill". Some other people have criticized the lack of docking stations and locks for the bikes as well as the price it costs to hire the bicycles. Despite the comments, the green-thinking London Mayor still says with certainty, "My crusade for the capital to become the greatest big cycling city in the world has taken a great pedal-powered push forwards." What is the aim of the new bike hire scheme in London? A. To promote the bicycle industry in London. B. To make London seem more friendly. C. To reduce the air pollution in London D. To relieve the traffic problem in London. Answer: D Question: Malaria is a common disease in many countries. What is the cause of this disease? A. a virus B. a bacterium C. a fungus D. a parasite Answer: D
That which is alive is made of cells such as A. rocks B. dirt C. water D. grapes Answer: D. grapes One day, when I was in college, a dishonest-looking character approached me in the student union with a leather jacket he wanted to sell. It was a beauty: buttery smooth cowskin, with artfully sewed lines and long leather fringes . I can't remember what the price was, but it was apparently too little for such a jacket. Even as I paid the money that day, I knew something wasn't right. Surely, a couple of days later, the jacket's real owner, a student about my age came to me as I was on my way to class. "That's my jacket," he said, "and I want it back." "No way," I answered. "I paid for it, and I have no idea if it's yours. It's mine." He didn't challenge me, and I left, but the uneasiness I had about my new possession now _ A few days later, riding my bike across campus, I saw the real owner standing on the sidewalk. I rode over, took the jacket off, handed it to him said I was sorry, and rode off without another word. More than the weight of the jacket had been lifted from my shoulders. We're all human, which means that sometimes we do things we shouldn't do or say things we shouldn't say. Sometimes we realize too late that our actions have been hurtful to somebody else. When these hard times occur, the best response --- the only response, really --- is, "I'm sorry." Admitting a wrongdoing, as soon as possible and frankly, helps the other person begin to heal. But just as important, it cleans up our own soul and sets us free. That is a small price to pay for a clear conscience. The phrase "had a visible face" in the passage probably implies " _ ". A. started to bother me badly B. might be clearly expressed C. began to give me away openly D. could be instantly melting away Answer: C. began to give me away openly We usually have three meals. We have breakfast, lunch and supper. We often have more time for lunch and supper, and we eat a big lunch or supper. But a good breakfast is very important . It's easy for you to understand it. You don't eat anything for about twelve hours from the last supper. One good breakfast should be rice or bread, an egg and milk. On a cold morning a cup of hot drink is necessary . Get up a little early and you can have enough time to eat breakfast. A good breakfast helps you to study well. It helps you to work well and play happily. You will be fun for a day after you enjoy a good breakfast. When do we usually have breakfast? A. Before getting up. B. After the work. C. After getting up. D. Before going to bed. Answer: C. After getting up. Anthony was sad. He was, as he put it, "not very bright" and couldn't win the attention of his very wealthy parents, who preferred his "clever" older brother. At age 8, Anthony was sent away to a boarding school in his native England, even though he screamed and pleaded with his parents year after year not to send him. "The thought was ,it would be good for me," he recalled. It was not. Anthony did badly in his studies, had few friends and was bullied for five years. "My teachers couldn't have had a lower opinion of me," he said. "I wasn't even smart enough to rebel. The one thing I remember from the very earliest age was the desire to write. When I was 10 years old, I remember asking my parents to get me a typewriter for my birthday because I wanted to be a writer." Now, at 55, Anthony is one of the world's most successful children's book authors. His Alex Rider series has sold more than 5 million copies,and the eighth book featuring the young spy, Crocodile Tears, has come out. The Alex Rider books tell the adventures of 14-year-old Alex Rider, an agent for the British intelligence agency M16. Anthony says he doesn't try to write for kids; it just comes out that way." I have a feeling that it has something to do with purity and simplicity. I give as little information as is necessary to describe the room, the character in the room, and get on with the action," he said. The style has also made Anthony a successful writer of television shows for adults in Britain because, he says, writing books for kids is a lot like writing television for grown-ups: In both cases, it's all about entertaining people with a good story. Now, Anthony couldn't be happier with his life. He sums up his success:"...you can be anything you want to be if you just believe in yourself. I do believe it completely." Which of the following is true of Anthony? A. He was the beloved child of his family. B. Although he is successful, he isn't very happy. C. He places more emphasis on the characters' behavior in his stories. D. Studying in a boarding school proved a good choice for him. Answer: C. He places more emphasis on the characters' behavior in his stories. Sandra usually gets up at six in the morning. She usually has breakfast at six thirty. She goes to school at around seven o'clock. School starts at seven thirty. Sandra learns many subjects at school: math, English, science, history, art, music and PE. Her favorite subject is music. It's relaxing, and the music teacher is fun. Sandra has four classes in the morning. At eleven forty she comes home for lunch. She has lunch with her grandmother. In the afternoon, she isn't very busy. She has only two classes. After school she does her homework and plays with other kids. In the evening, Sandra's parents come home from work at five o'clock. The family have dinner at six. After that they usually listen to music or watch TV. Sandra goes to bed at nine thirty. Her grandmother goes to bed at nine, and her parents go to bed at around ten o'clock. Sandra goes to school at _ . A. 6:00 B. 6:30 C. 7:00 D. 7:30 Answer: C. 7:00
London police are well known in the world. Today there are policemen everywhere, but in 1700 there was no policeman in London at all. A few old men used to protect the city streets at night, and they were not paid very much. About 300 years ago, London started to get bigger. The city was very dirty and many people were poor. There were so many thieves who stole money in the streets that people had to stay in their homes as much as possible. In 1750, Henry Fielding started to pay a group of people to stop thieves. They were like policemen and were called "Bow Street Runners" because they worked near Bow Street. Fifty years later, there were 120 Bow Street Runners, but London had become very big and needed more policemen. So, in 1829, the first London Police Force was started with 3,000 officers. Most of the men worked on foot, but a few rode horses. There was no policewoman in London until 1920. Today, London police are quite well paid and only a few police officers still ride horses. Perhaps the London Police Force's greatest achievement is to meet changing conditions and provide excellent police service . The two main reasons for the Force's development were the growth of population and the progress of science and technology. London Police Force is famous in the world, because _ . A it provides excellent service B it has many policewomen C the police officers work on horses D it has a long history Answer: A. it provides excellent service The day my husband fell to his death,it started to snow,just like any November day.His body,when I found it,was lightly covered with snow.It snowed almost every day for the next four months,while I sat on the couch and watched it pile up.One morning,I _ downstairs and was surprised to see a snow remover clearing my driveway and the bent back of a woman shoveling my walk.I dropped to my knees,crawled through the living room.And back up stairs so those good people would not see me.I was embarrassed.My first thought was,how would I ever repay them? I didn't have the strength to brush my hair let alone shovel someone's walk. Before John's death,I took pride in the fact that I rarely asked for help or favors,I defined myself by my competence and independence.So who was I if I was no longer capable and busy? How could I respect myself if all I did was sit on the couch every day and watch the snowfall? Learning how to receive the love and support that came my way wasn't easy.Friends cooked forme and l cried because I couldn't even help them set the table."I'm not usually this lazy,"I wept.Finally,my friend Kathy sat down with me and said,"Mary,cooking for you is not a burden. I love you and I want to do it.It makes me feel good to be able to do something for you." Over and over,I heard similar emotions from the people who supported me during those dark days.One very wise man told me,"You are not doing nothing.Being fully open to your sorrow may be the hardest work you will everdo." I am not the person I once was,but in many ways I have changed for the better.My heart is now filled with thanks for people around me.I have been surprised to learn that there is incredible freedom that comes from facing one's worst fear and walking away whole.I believe there is strength,for sure,in accepting a dark period of our life. Which of the following is true according to the passage? A The writer's friend was unwilling to cook for her. B The writer had been busy with her life before. C The writer recovered from her sorrow quickly with his friend's help. D The day her husband died,it was snowing heavily. Answer: B. The writer had been busy with her life before. My name is Takashi. I am ten years old. I live in Tokyo, the capital of Japan. Now I'd like to tell you something about my school day. In the morning I get up at seven, and I eat breakfast at half past seven at a table called a kotatsu. We usually sit on mats with our legs under the table. After breakfast, I start going to school at ten to eight. I usually wear a yellow hat and a T-shirt. The clothes can tell other people my address and my school. I go to school from Monday to Friday and every other Saturday. When it's lunch time, we eat in our classroom. Our teacher eats with us, too. Sometimes we have sushi, a kind of popular Japanese food. Many people in Japan like it very much. We make it with rice, fish and eggs. My school day is not easy, but most of us enjoy it because we want to have a good future. What's the best title for the passage? A My School Day in Japan. B My Favourite Food. C My Teacher and School. D My Breakfast and Lunch. Answer: A. My School Day in Japan. In a recent announcement, Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT)said that they have joined forces to offer free online courses in an effort to attract millions of online learners worldwide. Beginning this fall, a number of courses developed by teachers at both universities will be offered online through a new $60 million program, known as edX. "Anyone with an Internet connection anywhere in the world can use our online courses," Harvard President Drew Faust said during a meeting to announce the plan. MIT has offered a program called OpenCourseWare for ten years that makes materials from more than 2,000 classes free online. It has been used by more than 100 million people. In December, the school announced it also would begin offering a special certificate, known as MITx, for people who complete certain online courses. Harvard has long offered courses to a wider population through a similar program. The MITx will serve as the foundation for the new learning platform. MIT President Susan Hockfield said more than 120,000 people signed up for the first MITx course. She said Harvard and MIT hope other universities will join them in offering courses on the open-source edX platform. " _ ," Hockfield said. Other universities, including Stanford, Yale and Carnegie-Mellon, have been experimenting with teaching to a global population online. The Harvard-MIT program will be monitored by a not-for-profit organization based in Cambridge, to be owned equally by the two universities. Both MIT and Harvard have provided $30 million to start the program. They also plan to use the edX platform to research how students learn and which teaching methods and tools are most successful. What is said about online education in the text? A Universities have been trying online courses. B About 2,000 online courses have been offered. C Over 100 million people have finished courses online. D Stanford and Yale together have courses similar to edX. Answer: A. Universities have been trying online courses. When I was a kid, I was just like every other kid. As usual, I liked being with friends and having fun. But I didn't like school much. I didn't like the rule of learning, studying, memorizing, etc. Too much work. As I got into high school, things changed for me. I started reading a lot of books. Books taught me about life and helped me learn about the world. I read around 30 books during each senior year. I learned to love reading then. Little did I know at that time that I would write books by myself. I've written 7 books since then. One book I wrote, Powerful Attitudes, was a huge success within a network marketing company in the USA. When I was 17 years old, I took about a dozen guitar lessons. I fell in love with guitar music no matter if it is blues, rock, flamenco or classical. I've attended concerts and have heard some great guitarists through the years. Recently, I bought myself a piano and began to learn to play it. I've made great progress. My knowledge of music and playing guitar has helped me a lot in learning the piano. Last week, I employed a Chinese teacher to teach me Chinese. I've learned about 200 words in my first week. I'm inspired and motivated to learn. In fact, I feel a bit _ , thinking of learning Chinese. It's like a mountain I want to climb and conquer. I'm 56 years old and my love to learn it runs deep in my heart, mind and soul. What I certainly learned while growing up is to love learning. I never want to stop learning. I never want to stop studying people, life, processes and new things. I think the openness of admitting what you don't know, makes you a good learner. You never lie to yourself or to others about your knowledge and experience. I have the attitude that if I don't know something, I will learn to know it. What can we learn about the author from the passage? A He fell in love with reading when he was a child. B One of his books enjoyed a lot of success. C He began to love music recently. D He is good at Chinese. Answer: B. One of his books enjoyed a lot of success.
On August 4, while a young man in Hangzhou was caught because of killing another young man with his car, a 17-year-old girl died because of the same reason in the same city. It's reported that the driver was badly drunk. Cars are more and more popular for more Chinese these days. And the numbers of car accidents are increasing. From 1994 to 2008, deaths because of drunk-driving increased 7.3%. In 2009, a total of 18,371 people were killed in car accidents because of drunk driving. In the middle of August, there were some new rules to deal with the drunk drivers: 1. If a driver's alcohol content is 20mg per 100 ml of blood, he is regarded as a drunk driver. 2. If a driver's alcohol content is 80mg per 100ml or more, he will be held for 15 days and have their license revoked for six months, and are given a fine of 2,000 yuan. The first weekend, 3,167 drivers were held because of high levels of alcohol in their blood. So many people are calling for the law to deal with drunk drivers in order to make drivers understand that drunk drinking can make serious problems. You may find this article _ . A in the school magazine B in a newspaper C in an advertisement D in a science book Answer: B. in a newspaper My parents lived to be ninety-three and ninety-four. Mother lived longer and kept her mental sharpness until a few days before she died. Dad suffered from dementia probably for the last six months of his life. It's hard to say how long because his dear wife knew how to cover his forgetfulness or sometimes strange behavior up for him. There were times, however, when mother became totally frustrated with the changes she saw taking place and she would blame him for doing things on purpose just to make her angry. He loved juicy fruit gum, but she kept it hidden from sight and rationed it because he could chew five or six sticks in an hour and ask for another package. "I have to watch him like a hawk." she said. Even though they lived in an assisted-living facility, my father would not bathe himself and would not let any staff person help him. So mother adjusted his shower temperature, washed his back, brought him a dry towel, and helped him dress. With her heart failure and the need for oxygen full time, this chore wore her out, both physically and emotionally. Then he started getting up in the middle of night. He would go into their bathroom, which was actually a part of their bedroom, turn on all the lights, and shave. Mother could not convince him to return to bed until he finished. As a result, mother couldn't get enough sleep at night. I don't have any answers that might have made their last months together any easier. Since they were very private people, sometimes it was hard to know what was really going on. When I stopped by their place, mother would talk nonstop as usual and daddy would smile a lot, like what he used to do. I took along food they enjoyed to them, like smoothies or milkshakes. Mother lovedorchids and they thrived under her care so she usually received one for any special occasion. Daddy would often let me brush his "angel hair", as mother named it, and I might help her fasten jewelry. All of these little things were ways to say "I love you", but we didn't often discuss some of the truly important issues related to my daddy's declining health. I tried to respect their privacy and treat them with the dignity they deserved. I think they both tried to protect me, their daughter. I guess that's what parents do. Seeing her father smile a lot, the writer _ . A found it unusual B knew he was pretending C considered her father normal D wanted to talk nonstop with him Answer: C. considered her father normal There are fifty states in the United States. The largest in population is California,the largest in area is Alaska. Alaska is the smallest in population and Rhode Island is the smallest in size. The oldest states are the ones along the Atlantic coast. The newest states are Alaska and Hawaii. Alaska is also the coldest state. California and Florida are the warmer. Henry and his family live in Seattle, a big city, on the Pacific coast. But Los Angeles and San Francisco, also on the Pacific coast, are larger than Seattle. Henry's cousin, Susan, lives in New York. It is the largest city in the United States. Thousands of people visit New York each year. The most important city in the United States is Washington D. C. It is the capital, but it is much smaller than New York. Which state is the smallest in population? A Rhode Island. B Seattle. C San Francisco. D Alaska. Answer: D. Alaska. A person wants to use a raw material to make a toy, so they use A bronze B plastic C denim D logs Answer: D. logs Deserts are found where there is little rainfall or where rain for a whole year falls in only a few weeks' time. Ten inches of rain may be enough for many plants to survive if the rain is spread throughout the year. If it falls within one or two months and the rest of the year is dry, those plants may die and a desert may form. Sand begins as tiny pieces of rock that get smaller and smaller as wind and weather wear them down. Sand dunes are formed as winds move the sand across the desert. Bit by bit, the dunes grow over the years, always moving with the winds and changing the shape. Most of them are only a few feet tall, but they can grow to be several hundred feet high. There is, however, much more to a desert than sand. In the deserts of the southwestern United States, cliffs and deep valleys were formed from thick mud that once lay beneath a sea more than millions of years ago. Over the centuries, the water dried up. Wind, sand, rain, heat and cold all wore away at the remaining rocks. The faces of the desert mountains are always changing--very, very slowly--as these forces of nature continue to work on the rock. Most deserts have a surprising variety of life. There are plants, animals and insects that have adapted to life in the desert. During the heat of the day, a visitor may see very few signs of living things, but as the air begins to cool in the evening, the desert comes to life. As the sun begins to rise again in the sky, the desert once again becomes quiet and lonely. It can be learned from the text that in a desert _ . A there is no rainfall throughout the year B life exists in rough conditions C all sand dunes are a few feet high D rocks are worn away only by wind and heat Answer: B. life exists in rough conditions
In Washington D.C., 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is a very special address. It is the address of the White House, the home of the president of the United States. Originally the White House was gray and was called the presidential Palace. It was built from 1792 to 1800. At this time, the city of Washington itself was being built. It was to be the nation's new capital city. George Washington, the first president, and Pierre Charles L'Enfant, a French engineer, chose the place for the new city. L'Enfant then planned the city. The president's home was an important part of the plan. A contest was held to pick a design for the president's home. An architect named James Hoban won. He designed a large three-story house of gray stone. President Washington never lived in the Presidential Palace. The first president to live there was John Adams, the second president of the United States, and his wife Mrs.Adams did not really like her new house. In her letters, she often complained about the cold. Fifty fireplaces were not enough to keep the house warm. In 1812 the United States and Britain went to war. In 1814 the British invaded Washington. They burned many buildings, including the Presidential Palace. After the war James Hoban, the original architect, partially rebuilt the president's home. To cover the marks of the fire, the building was painted white. Before long it became known as the White House. The White House is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the United States. Every year more than 1.5 million visitors go through the five rooms that are open to the public. The White House was built in Washington _ . Answer: because it was to be the nation's capital city Many people use their mobile phones as the alarm clock and are more used to checking e-mails before sleeping. However, these habits are becoming sleeping problems. Several years ago, my boss used to stay up working on her mobile phone and got badly ill because of _ . Now she always leaves her phone in another room at night. And she encourages friends to do so. "I sent each of my friends the same christmas gift - an alarm clock so that they could stop using their phones as the alarm clock," she said. If your mobile phone wakes you up in the morning, it may also be keeping you up at night. A study in 2008 showed that people in mobile phone radiation mostly had sleeping problems. And according to a Swedish study, a quarter of young people in this country feel like there must be phones around them. Most of them feel sorry for not returning messages. So they even have to reply to their friends before sleeping. So what kind of people prefer to use mobile phones in their bedrooms? A recent study has shown that three-quarter people aged between 18 and 34 prefer to sleep with their phones near them. That number falls off a little in middle age, but only people aged 65 and older are used to leaving the phone in another room while sleeping. According to the Swedish study, _ of young people in Sweden always put phones around them while sleeping. Answer: 25% In a small town, there lived a doctor. He was good and kind. He was ready to go and help people. People always went to him when they were ill. Many years later, the doctor began to forget things. The people were afraid and little by little, they stopped going to him. The doctor saw his business wasn't as good as before. He thought, "Well, if I were the patients(people who don't feel well), I'd be afraid to go to me too. Maybe it's time for me to stop being a doctor. But if this town has no doctor, what will the people do when they become ill?" His wife heard him talking to himself and said, "Why don't you find a young doctor _ ? Then people will have another good doctor to take care of them and I will get my husband back." The doctor did as what his wife said. He found a very good young doctor to help the people. The doctor and his wife then had time to take long walks together, go dancing, go traveling and spend the rest of their days together. Which of the following is NOT true? Answer: The old doctor was still busy working at the doctor's at last. Now many boys wear the same clothes as girls, and some of them have long hair. So sometimes it's difficult to tell whether they are boys or girls. One Sunday morning, I went for a walk with my grandfather in the park near my house. After a while, my grandfather was tired, so he sat down on a bench near the pool. "Oh," my grandfather said to the person with long curly hair next to him on the bench. "Can you see the person with long hair on the other side of the pool? Is it a boy or a girl?" "Which one?" asks the person with long curly hair. "The one who is eating a hamburger near the pool," said my grandfather. "He is a boy," said the person, "he's my son, Han Han." "Oh," my grandfather said, "I'm sorry, I don't know you are his mother." "No, I'm not his mother. I'm his father." The writer's house is near a _ . Answer: park Anger is a natural emotion that everyone experiences in life. Some researchers believe the first sound a baby makes when born could be a sign of anger. Anger may be the original or first emotion we feel and respond to. Imagine, before hunger, thirst, love, desire or any other describable feeling, we may experience anger. Not only is anger a natural emotion, it is in many cases a perfectly healthy emotion. Anger can motivate people to make very positive changes in their lives. Anger can motivate individuals to do positive and memorable acts. Sometimes we have to be angry at injustice, at evil, or even at nature, before we can do what needs to be done to correct wrongs or make things better. But of course, that is not how we usually think of anger. Most people think of anger as an emotion we must keep under control. Children are sometimes sent to their rooms or punished for expressing anger in an excessive way. Parents tell a child to "get control" of himself when the child shows anger. We may be angry with friends or at work, but we know it is usually inappropriate to show it. We have to control the anger or suffer what may be the negative consequences. Very early in life, we learn that anger is something that must be controlleD.We learn this for a good reason. We know that uncontrolled anger can lead to fights, car accidents, bad relationships with others, unacceptable social behavior, and many other problems. Many experts say that if one holds his anger in, it can even lead to severe mental and physical health problems. So what can we do to understand and calm this natural emotion that we call anger? Experts offer many solutions to excessive and harmful anger. Some of these solutions include talking about what triggers the anger with someone you trust and is a good friend, leaving a situation that causes anger, beating on a pillow, exercising more in one's daily life, therapy, medication, and many other methods. Whatever solution one chooses, it is good to know that by trying to find the solution to the problem of anger, the first step in the right direction to solving the anger problem has been taken. What may happen when people try to control anger? Answer: Suffer mental and physical health problems.
You've heard of 3D printing from newspaper and TV programs. It can "print" in plastic, metal, nylon, and over a hundred other materials. 3D printing technology has been around since the 1980s, it was not widely used until the early 2010s. The first working 3D printer was created in 1984 by Chuck Hull. 3D printers use many different types of technologies, but they all share one thing in common: they create a three-dimensional object by building it layer , by continuing layer, until the whole object is completed. Imagine a baker lay down each layer one at a time until the whole cake is formed. 3D printing is somewhat similar, but just a bit stricter. How can 3D printers work so well? The most important thing-a program, a 3D printer also needs to have instructions for what to print from a computer. It needs a file as well. The file which is a Computer Aided Design (CAD) paper is created with the use of a 3D modeling program. The program creates a paper that is sent to the 3D printer. Along the way, software pieces the design into hundreds, or more likely thousands of layers. The 3D printer builds up one layer at a time, from the bottom to the top, until the object is done. 3D printings can be used for making many kinds of things such as machine parts, daily life objects, even human organs using a person's own cells. Nowadays, Marc. Dillon founds a project which deals with many world famous paintings like Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, Van Gogh's Sunflower with 3D technology. This project helps the blind people enjoy the fantastic art through touching. In order to provide a good user experience, these 3D paintings have special instruments which can tell people what they touch. The first working 3D printer was created in _ . A 1980 B 1984 C 2001 D 2010 Answer: B Children who spend more time outdoors may have a lower risk of becoming nearsighted, new research suggests. In the study, researchers looked at about 1,900 schoolchildren. The scientists found that the kids who had been instructed to spend more time outdoors over three years were 23 percent less likely to develop nearsightedness during this time than those who had not been instructed to spend more time outdoors. Moreover, among the kids who did become nearsighted during the study, the degree to which their eyesight worsened was slightly smaller among those who spent more time outdoors. The researchers selected six schools and required the children, whose average age was 7 at the start of the study, to attend one additional 60-minute class of outdoor activities during each school day for three years. The parents of these children were also encouraged to engage their children in outdoor activities after school, especially during weekends and holidays. The other half of the children, from another six schools, continued their usual activity patterns. Afterthree years, 30.4 percent of the kids in the intervention group had become nearsighted, compared with 38.5 percent of the kids in the other group. It is not clear exactly why spending more time outside would benefit children's eyesight, the researchers said. However, some research has suggested that the higher levels of light intensity found outdoors may increase the release of the chemical dopamine of the eye. In turn, dopamine is known to restrain the type of growth in the eye that is associated with nearsightedness. Based on the new results, the researchers recommend that children spend more time outdoors because of the potential benefits to their eyesight. However, it's important to protect kids' skin and eyes from UV light, which can be damaging. What can be inferred about the chemical dopamine? A It can contribute to poor sight. B It can damage people's brain. C It is beneficial to eyesight. D It means low levels of light intensity. Answer: C I might be letting my young son watch too much television. I am certainly watching too much many of his programs. They can really be puzzling as they force you to _ . For example, when Franklin (the turtle) wanted a pet, his parents did not want it to be a frog. They felt that frogs belong in a pond. Isn't that where turtles belong? And why is it that Little Bear's animal friends can all talk and behave like people, but his friend Emily has a dog that can only bark and fetch? Tell me that isn't a mystery! Dog lovers can be reassured (less worried or frightened) by Kipper and his friends. These dogs are very human. However, the only time they wear clothes is when they put on bathing suits to go swimming. I am confused! Speaking of dogs, could Pluto ever be Goofy's pet? I don't get it! What did the great Mr. Disney have in mind? And this is unfair! The other day we watched a very nice little pig setting up a picnic. One of the foods was a big ham. Could it have been a soybeam ham? Is there such a thing? I hope so! Another thing that really bothers me: what if Elmo(one of my son's favorite cartoon stars) isn't real? He can't be a mere puppet ! He's got a better attitude than most people. I just keep wondering. I think we will turn off the TV and go out for a walk. Maybe we will run into that mouse who dresses well but certainly doesn't speak as clearly as the average bear. The author probably _ . A believes that Elmo is a real creature B wishes that Elmo were a real live creature C feels that Elmo is very annoying creature D won't let is son watch Sesame Street Answer: A A long-term American study shows the importance of early education for poor children. The study is known as the Abecedarian Project. It involved more than one-hundred young children from poor families in North Carolina. Half of the children attended an all-day program at a high-quality childcare center. The center offered educational, health and social programs. Children took part in games and activities to increase their thinking and language skills and social and emotional development. The program also included health foods for the children The children attended the program from when they were a few weeks old until the age of five years. The other group of children did not attend the childcare center. After the age of five, both groups attended public school. Researchers compared the two groups of children. When they were babies, both groups had similar results in tests for mental and physical skills. However, from the age of eighteen months, the children in the educational child care program did much better in tests. The researchers tested the children again when they were twelve and fifteen years old. The tests found that the children who had been in the childcare center continued to have higher average test results. These children did much better on tests of reading and mathematics. A few years ago, organizers of the Abecedarian Project tested the students again. At the time, each student was twenty-one years old. They were tested for thinking and educational ability, employment, parenting and social skills. The researchers found that the young adults who had the early education still did better in reading and mathematics tests. They were more than two times as likely to be attending college or to have completed college. In addition, the children who received early education were older on average, when their first child was born. The study offers more evidence that learning during the first months and years of life is important for all later development. The researchers of the Abecedarian Project believe their study shows a need for lawmakers to spend money on public early education. They believe these kinds of programs could reduce the number of children who do not complete school and are unemployed. What don't we know about the Abecedarian Project after reading the text? A How important early education is for poor children. B What the children learned at the child-care center. C Whether lawmakers will spend money on public early education. D How many children are involved in the Abecedarian Project. Answer: C Thoughts on Shenzhen Airport Traffic Accident March 1 was a very sad day for everyone. On that day a huge traffic accident happened at the Shenzhen Airport. Nine people lost their lives and 23 people were injured. For those people, it was a night- mare! To learn a lesson, we must know who caused the accident and why. The answer looks obvious. It's the car owner's fault because she drove her car into the people. However, is that true? Is that her fault? What about the dead and injured people? Did they have their own faults as well? The answer is yes. According to news reports, at that time, many people were standing in the turning section of the viaduct watching the airplanes take off and land. Suddenly, a car appeared. Maybe the car owner got nervous, so she mistakenly stamped on the accelerator instead of the brake pedal, which caused the accident. In my opinion, of course the driver should be blamed because she caused the accident. However, for those dead and injured people, although we feel sorry for them, they have their own responsibilities as well. They should have been aware of their own safety. They shouldn't have been standing in a dangerous place to watch the airplanes take off and land. What does the writer want to tell us in the passage? A We shouldn't drive cars to the airport. B We mustn't stand and watch the planes at the airport. C We should be aware of our own safety anytime and anywhere. D Driving a car is dangerous for the young people. Answer: C
During the past Spring Festival, many children may have received red packets from their families. But Xing Pu, a 40-year-old economist, is asking the government to give red packets to every Chinese citizen. Xing suggested the government give out 1,000 Yuan to each Chinese since the government income has increased rapidly in recent years. He said his suggestion would allow everyone to directly enjoy the fruits of the country's economic success, help the lower-income groups deal with rising prices and increase consumption around the country. Recent years have seen the government carry out a series of pro-poor and pro-rural policies, including increasing spending on public healthcare and calling off the agricultural tax. But the lower-income group still needs more help while being hit hard by an 11-year high in prices and recent snowstorms. Xing said while making the draft, he has borrowed many ideas from practices in countries like the United States and Singapore. Earlier this year, the governments of the two nations offered cash handouts to their citizens as the result of a surplus in government income. As for in China, "We can even encourage the rich to donate their 1,000 Yuan red packet to the poor," said Xing. Although Xing's suggestion has gained wide support among ordinary Chinese on the Internet, many other economists criticized it as unpractical. Even Xing himself admitted he made the suggestion without any careful calculation. But they agreed with Xing's point that the growing economic pie should be shared among the people. "To better use the increase of money, handing out money is not a solution that holds good for all time. It could be better to improve the public service or cut the price of energy use in daily life," said Qiao Xinsheng, an economic professor. Xing Pu's ideas of giving red packets to every Chinese citizen mainly came from _ . Li Ming likes walking. He goes for a walk after his father comes back from work. Li Ming likes water very much. He often throws his toys into the water. He plays with the water and sometimes he is wet all over . His mother says, "You are from fish, I think."Li Ming is very glad. "Yes, I like fish very much because fish can swim." One Sunday morning, Li Ming goes to a park with his father. There are many trees and flowers in the park. There are a lot of people in the park. Some of them are sitting under the trees. Some of them are sitting at the tables and having tea or drinks. There is a big swimming pool in the middle of the park. Li Ming asks his father to take him to the pool. "Why do you want to go there?" asks his father. "I want to learn swimming,"answers Li Ming. "And you can teach me , I think." "You are too young. And I'm sorry I can't swim." says his father. "You can't swim? Wang Hai's father swims very well. Why can't you swim?" "His father likes eating fish. So he swims very well." Says his father. "Oh, I see,"says Li Ming. "But you like eating chicken very much. Can you lay eggs ?"asks Li Ming. ,. Li Ming often walks with _ . There are many fun, free activities that you can do as a family. All that is required is a bit of imagination and some time set aside for fun. And the best part is that these are the kind of memories a child will remember for a lifetime. Family game night Find out any of the games that are already around the house. Kids often get computer games for Christmas or birthdays, and would love to have a chance to play with their family. Or, make up some games of your own. " _ " is a fun game to play that will challenge a child to use his/her imagination. Divide the family into teams and let each team come up with words that the other has to act out. _ Pick some time for the family to sit down and come up with their own masterpiece. It doesn't need to be just a drawing -- take some old magazines sitting around the house, let the kids cut out pictures and paste them into their own montage. Or, use items from nature. Let them use leaves, pine cones, twigs and whatever else they can find to create something from their imaginations. Family Picnic Taking the family for a picnic is a great way for some fun that doesn't cost any money. If the weather is nice, take them to a park or playground and let the kids have a day of playing. Or, if it is the middle of winter and a foot of snow is on the ground, set up a picnic in the living room. Family Field Trip A family field trip doesn't have to cost a dime. Ask a nearby farm if it would be alright to bring your kids out for a tour and to see some of the animals. Or take them to a park and make a scavenger hunt where they need to find certain items from nature. Ask a local business if you could bring the family for a tour to see how things work -- you might be surprised at the number of people who would be thrilled to share what they do with others, and it could be an interesting lesson for the kids. The writer wrote this passage mainly to _ . Consumer electronics once again topped the list of the most wanted gifts this holiday season. "Seventy-six percent of consumers who plan to buy holiday gifts say that they will spend money or buy at least one technology product; definitely a solid vote of confidence for technology." Steve Koenig is with the Consumer Electronics Association. He says the group's latest research also shows that Americans this year are spending more on technology products. " " From tablet computers to smart phones, American shoppers have been lining up to get the newest and coolest electronic devices on the market. There are more choices today than ever before. "It's kind of hard to make a decision." Tablet computers are one of the best-selling products this year. Brian Tong is Senior Editor of CNET.com. The website reports on tech news and examines the latest electronic products. He says the Apple iPad Mini is one of the most popular tablets. Its starting price is $329. One of Apple's biggest competitors is the Google Nexus 7. It starts at $199. " is more powerful than what's in the iPad Mini, but also it offers you a lot of things like maps that work better than Apple's maps. But Brian Tong says there is one reason why people may like the iPad Mini more than the Nexus 7. "If you just want to read books and surf the Internet, you don't really need to get an iPad Mini, but if you want the largest robust group of apps that's where the iPad and Apple's ecosystem shines the most." Elman Chacon is with the electronics store Best Buy. He says another hot product this season is smart cameras. They connect to the Internet through WiFi. This makes it easy for users to email or upload photographs directly from the camera. "You can literally take a picture and upload it into your Facebook in a matter of seconds. These things are pretty cool because they do a lot of things." Streaming media boxes also connect to the Internet. People are able to watch web content such as movies and YouTube videos on their televisions. Another popular item is wireless speaker systems. The newest ones work with any device that has Bluetooth technology, including smart phones, laptops and tablets. Which of the following is true according to the passage? Most good interviewers will make an effort to establish and keep eye contact. Make sure that you do not find yourself looking down or away. If you wear glasses, be sure to buy the non-glare lenses. Do not stare. Rapidly nodding your head can leave the impression that you are impatient and too eager to add something to the conversation -- if only the interviewer would let you. Slower nodding, on the other hand, emphasizes interest, shows that you are validating the comments of your interviewer, and encourages him to continue. Tilting the head slightly, when combined with eye contact and a natural smile, shows friendliness and approachability . Your smile is one of the most powerful positive body signals. Everybody looks better when they smile. Offer an unforced, confident smile. Avoid at all costs the technique that some applicants use: grinning idiotically for the length of the interview, no matter what. This will only communicate that you are insincere . It's worth remembering that the mouth provides a seemingly limitless supply of opportunities to convey weakness. This may be done by touching the mouth frequently; "faking" a cough when confused with a difficult question; and /or gnawing on one's lips absentmindedly . Employing any of these "insincerity signs" when you are asked about say, why you lost your last job, will confirm or instill _ about your honesty. The mouth may make your weakness known by _ according to the passage.
Mosquitoes ruin countless American picnics every year, but around the world, this bloodsucking beast isn't just annoying--it causes a health problem. More than a million people die from the spread of mosquito-borne diseases like malaria and yellow fever each year. Attempts to control populations via insecticides like DDT have had ruinous side effects for nature and human health. Neurobiologist Leslie B. Vosshall has a different solution for stopping the insects and the spread of disease. "I believe the key to controlling mosquito behavior is to understand better how they sense us," she says. At their Rockefeller University lab, Vosshall and her colleagues are studying the chemical sensory processes by which mosquitoes choose hosts. How do they sense heat, humidity, carbon dioxide, and body odor ? What makes some people more attractive to a mosquito than others? It takes blood and sweat to find out. To study how mosquitoes assess body odor, Vosshall and her teammates might wear stockings on their arms and keep from showering for 24 hours to create sample smells, _ They insert their arms into the insects' hidden home to study how mosquitoes land, bite, and feed and then they document how this changes. This can mean getting anywhere from one bite to 400, depending on the experiment. Studying male mosquitoes is more pleasant. Since they don't feed on blood, the lab tests their sense of smell using honey. Vosshall and her team have also begun to study how genetics contribute to mosquitoes' choice of a host. She's even created a breed that is unable to sense carbon dioxide, an important trigger for the insects. "By using genetics to make mutant mosquitoes, we can document exactly how and why mosquitoes hunt humans," Vosshall says. Once Vosshall figures out what makes mosquitoes flock to us, she can get to work on making them leave us alone. Many of her lab's proposed solutions sound simple enough, including bracelets that carry long-lasting repellants or traps that can reduce populations, but the breakthroughs, when they come, may save millions of lives in the developing world--and a lot of itching everywhere else. Vosshall and her colleagues are mainly studying mosquitoes' _ . Answer: The English love sports.One of the popular games in England is cricket .But cricket doesn't change much these years.For some parts of England, the eight months of the football season is more important than the four months of the cricket season. Most middle schools have sports fields and boys usually play rugby or football in winter and cricket in summer.While school girls play tennis or baseball in summer and basketball or hockey in winter ,boys seldom play basketball.The more popular grown-up games are golf and tennis. A lot of people play them. The British also like watching horse racing, but few show interest in bike racing. Britain is the home of many modern popular sports. . In England, _ are popular grown-up games. Answer: EUROPE is home to a variety of cultural treasures. Lonely Planet has offered pairs of cities for culture-hungry but time-poor travelers. London and Paris It takes you about two hours to travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, a high-speed railway service. The two capital cities have been competing in fashion, art and nightlife for decades--but each secretly looks up to the other. No one can doubt the grand and impressive beauty of Paris' Louvre Museum, but if you want to save money, you cannot skip the British Museum free to visit. Compared with London, Paris has more outdoor attractions, such as the beautiful green walkway La Promenade Plantee. In Paris, you'll see diners linger over red wine. While in London, you can try some afternoon tea, eat fish and chips or salted cake. Vienna and Bratislava Austrian capital Vienna and Slovakia city Bratislava are an hour apart by train. But since they are linked by the Danube River, the best way to travel is by ship. A tour of the two cities is the perfect way to experience everything from 17thcentury's Habsburg dynasty splendor to sci-fi restaurants. Vienna is famous for Mozart and imperial palaces. You can appreciate the perfect blending of architecture and nature in the grand Scholoss Schonbrunn Palace, and reward yourself with a cup of Vienna coffee, which has made its way to the world's cultural heritage list. Bratislava is best known for its fine dining--the remarkable UFO restaurant. You can enjoy a meat-laden dinner here in an amazing setting. What's the relationship between London and Paris according to the text? Answer: A famous teacher was speaking to the students at our school. He began his lesson by holding up a PS100 bill. Then he said to the three hundred students, "Who would like to have this PS100 bill?" The students began to put up their hands at once. Then he said, "I am going to give this bill to one of you, but first, let me do this." He then made this bill into a ball. Then he said, "Who wants it?" Hands went into the air. "Well," he said, "What if I do this?" and he dropped it on the floor and stepped on it. He picked up the dirty, crumpled bill and said, "Who still wants it?" _ "My friends," he said, "You've learned a valued lesson today. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it didn't go down in value. It was still worth PS100. Many times in our lives, we're dropped, crumpled, and stepped on by the chances we take and the things that happen to us. We feel as if we are worth nothing. But remember, no matter what has happened to you, you will never lose your value. You are always valuable to those who love you. Your value doesn't come from what you drop or whom you know,but WHO YOU ARE . You are special and valuable. Don't ever forget it! What lesson can you learn from the passage? Answer: One of the most important things in the world is friendship. In order to have friends, youhave to be a friend. You have to be with them in both good and bad times. In return, they will be there for you. But how can you be a good friend? Listen. Listen when they are talking. Keep eye contact. Don't say anything unless they ask you a question. Sometimes you're not required to have anything to say; they just need someone to talk to about their feelings. Help them. If your friends are ever in need of something, be there to help them. You should try to put them first, but make sure you don't become their slave . Try to take an extra pencil or pen with you to classes as they may forget to take one. Have a few extra dollars in your pocket in case they forget something they need. Be there for them. Try to make something for your friends to help make them feel better in hard times. Making cards and baking things are among the nicest things you can do for a friend when they are in hard times. Marilyn Monroe once said, "I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, and I am out of control and at times hard to deal with. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you surely don't deserve me at my best. " Always remember this! If you don't want to deal with your friends when they'redepressed, then you don't deserve to be with them during those parties where you have a good time! Try to make plans with your friends. Go shopping, go for an ice cream, have a party, go to a movie and so on. Make time to know each other even better by doing something you both enjoy. These are the things you'll remember once you're all long graduated when looking back on your life ! We can learn from the passage that _ . Answer:
"Oh,you must have been a spoiled kid.You must be really bossy.I wonder what you're going to be like to deal with?" That's often the response Angela Hult gets when people find out she's an only child,she told ABC News.Despite such negative remarks,Hult has decided to have only one child herself.And she's not alone. According to the US' Office for National Statistics,women approaching the end of their childbearing years had an average of 1.9 children in 2004,compared with 3.1 for their counterparts in 1976.The percentage of onechild families in Britain had risen from 18 percent in 1972 to 26 percent in 2007. But even though only children are becoming increasingly common,the traditional view that they're selfish,spoiled and lack social skills holds strong.Even parents of only children,like Hult,are made to feel guilty about having only one child.Worried that they're being selfish and endangering their child's future,they flock to online discussion forums seeking advice.Soon,however,they ask themselves:is this social prejudice really reasonable? "There have been hundreds and hundreds of research studies that show that only children are no different from their peers ," Susan Newman,a social psychologist at Rutgers University in the US,told ABC News. This raises another question:why are only children still viewed with such suspicion? "There is a belief that's been around probably since humans first existed that to have just one child is somehow dangerous,both for you and for the continuation of your race," Toni Falbo,a professor of educational psychology,told the Guardian."In the past a lot of children died.You'd have had to be crazy to only have one." Times,of course,have changed and infant mortality has largely reduced.So what do only children themselves say? Kayley Kravitz,a blogger for The Huffington Post,grew up as an only child and highly recommends the experience."Being an only child taught me the most valuable skill of all:the ability to be alone," she said. What does Susan Newman mean? Answer: Only children are as good as their peers. Everyone has two personalities -- one is showed to the world and the other is secret and real. You don't show your secret personality when you're awake because you can control yourself, but when you're asleep, your sleeping _ shows the real you. And the important position that best shows your secret personality is when you go to sleep. If you go to sleep on your back, you're a very open person. You usually believe people and you are easily influenced by new ideas. You don't like to make people unhappy, so you never show your real feelings. You're quite shy and you aren't very confident . If you sleep on your stomach, you are a person who likes to keep secrets. You worry a lot and you're always easy to be sad. You never want to change your ideas, and you are pleased with your life. You usually live for today not for tomorrow. If you sleep on curled up ,you are probably a very nervous person. You have a low opinion of yourself and often don't want to be hurt, so you are very defensive . You're shy and you don't like meeting people. You like to be alone. If you sleep on your side, you usually have a well-balanced personality. You know your strengths and weaknesses. You're usually careful. You have a confident personality. You sometimes feel worried, but you don't often get unhappy. You always say out what you think, even if it sometimes makes people angry. You may find the passage in _ . Answer: a science magazine Mrs. White was very fat. She weighed 100 kilos, so she went to see a doctor. The doctor said, "You need a diet ,Mrs. White, and I have a good way here." He gave Mrs. White a small book and said, "Read this carefully and eat the things on page 11 every day. Then come back and see me in two weeks." Mrs. White came again two weeks later, but she wasn't thinner. She was fatter than before. The doctor was surprised and asked," Are you eating the things on page 11 of the small book? " "Yes, doctor. "she answered. The next day the doctor visited Mrs. White during her dinner. He was very surprised at what he saw. " Mrs. White," he said," why are you eating potatoes and bread? They aren't in your diet. " "Doctor," Mrs. White answered, " I follow my diet at lunchtime. But this is my dinner. " ,,. What's the meaning of" I follow my diet at lunchtime. But this is my dinner"? Answer: She only followed the diet at lunchtime, and she didn't follow the diet at dinner. No one can deny that buttons are an important clothing device. But, can they rise to the level of art? Organizers of an exhibit in New York think so. Peter Souleo Wright organized "The Button Show" at Rush Arts Gallery in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. Eleven artists used the small, ordinary objects to create sculptures, portraits and wearable art. Some of the works are political, some are personal and others are just fun. Wright said each artist reimagines and repurposes the buttons to make art. "What I tried to do with this show," he said , "was to look at artists who were promoting that level of craft." He said he wanted the button art to be comparable to a painting "because of the amount of detail and precision in the work". Artist Beau McCall produced "A Harlem Hangover". It looks like a wine bottle that fell over on a table. A stream of connected red buttons hang over the side, like wine flowing down. Similar red buttons form a small pool on the floor. McCall layers buttons of different shapes and sizes to create the bottle. The stitching that holds them together is also part of the artistic design. For San Francisco-based artist Lisa Kokin, buttons are highly personal. After her father died in 2001, she created a portrait of him using only buttons. That memorial to her father led to other button portraits, including those of activists Rosa Parks and Cesar Chavez. Others use buttons for details. Artist Amalia Amaki of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, placed them on and around old photographs. Los Angeles artist Camilla Taylor attached buttons to three large sculptures that look like headless animals with long , narrow legs. "The Button Show" ends at March 12. The Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation paid for the exhibition. The foundation was created in 1995 by the Simmons brothers: artist Danny, hip-hop producer Russell and rapper Rev. Run. The foundation seeks to bring the artists to urban youth and to provide support for new artists. Whose works are personal? Answer: Lisa Kokin. Today, an increasing number of people are always looking at their mobile phones with their heads down. These people are called the "Heads-down Tribe" . Are you a heads-down tribe member? Heads-down tribe members now can be seen everywhere. Using mobile phones may cause accidents and even cost a lot of money. Also, more and more interesting and strange facts happen to the "Heads-down Tribe". Let's have a look at an interesting TV report. A man in America kept using his mobile phone on his way home. As a result, he bumped into a big lost bear on the street. When he lifted his eyes from the phone,he was so scared that he turned around and ran away as quickly as possible. Another fact is that we can often see people in the restaurant eating face to face but looking at their own mobile phones. It's strange that they don't talk to the ones who sit opposite to them during the meal. Some of them even have fun communicating with others on the phone. Mobile phones are helpful and necessary tools for modern life. Are mobile phones good or bad? It depends on how people use them. Let's be "healthy" users and try to be the "Heads-up Tribe". According to the passage, what do the "Heads-down Tribe" do when they eat in a restaurant? Answer: They don't talk to the people who sit opposite.
Things you need to know about studying there Study style Since the 1950s, the Netherlands has had courses in English especially for foreign students. Students are expected to be critical of what they read and hear, and to be able of working independently. Foreign students will soon notice that at Dutch institutions for higher learning people are expected to do a lot of talking. The most common form of teaching is the seminar or working group, where a small group of students work under a teacher's supervision to analyze a certain problem. On exams, they have to show that they know the material, and that they have formed well-founded opinions on the subject. Accommodations If you are in an exchange programme or an international course, it is quite possible that a room will be arranged for you. Accept it immediately, or you will regret it later. That's because finding a place to live in a country as crowded as the Netherlands is not easy. Before you leave China, ask your host institution whether or not housing will indeed be arranged in advance. If you are in the Netherlands and still looking for a place, ask the international relations office or the student dean for advice. Expences Tuition: Bachelor's degree:about 2,500 euros a year Master's degree: 5,000-12,000 euros a year Living expenses: Experience has shown that a year in the Netherlands costs a Chinese Student about 450-700 euros a month. Here is a breakdown of average prices of supermarket goods: Litre of milk: 0.5--0.8 euro Kilo of apples: 1.5 euros Shampoo, 400ml: 4 euros Tube of toothpaste: 1 euro Bed sheet: 20 euros Other expenses: Haircut: 15 euros Air ticket to China: 600-800 euros Mobile phone call(one minute): 0.1-0.3 euro Phone call to China (with IP card): 7 euros(one minute) Postage stamp in the Netherlands: 0.39 euro Stamp for China: 0.78 euro (1 euro-about 10 yuan) Transportation Trains, buses and trams run throughout the country. If you really want to sample Dutch life, and get around quickly and easily, buy yourself a bicycle. Most students buy second-hand bicycles. A reasonable one will cost you 70-120 euros. You can find them at second-hand bicycle shops or at the bicycle parking facilities near railway stations. Most students ride second-hand bicycles mainly because_. A. they can ride them fast and easily B. bicycles are safe and comfortable for riding C. bicycles are convenient and easy to park D. bicycles are convenient and cheap Answer: D The effect of the Great Lakes on weather in the region is called the lake effect. In winter*the lakes often have no ice in the middle. The seasonal winds from the west pick up the slightly warmer wet air from the lake surface. As the slightly warmer wet air passes over the colder land surface, it often produces heavy snowfall. This is similar to the effect of warmer air passing over mountain ranges, which often leads to dropping snow. During the period of freezing weather, the "snow belt",caused by the seasonal winds, receives regular snow fall and this phenomenon along the eastern shore forms the localized weather pattern, especially in Michigan, Ohio and so on. The lakes also _ seasonal temperatures to some degree, by absorbing heat to cool the air in summer and then slowly giving out that heat in autumn. This function of the lakes protects the autumn against frost, and it also keeps the summer time temperatures cooler than further inland. This temperature buffering produces areas known as "fruit belts",where fruits typically grown farther south can be produced. That is why some southern fruits like apples ,cherries and grapes can be found in western Michigan near the lake shore as far north as the Grand Traverse Bay. The eastern shore of Lake Michigan and the southern shore of Lake Erie have many wine makers as a result of this. However ,the lake effect has been found to be related to the occurrence of bad weather. For example, fogs are often formed over medium-sized areas along the shorelines of the lakes. This is most noticeable along Lake Superior's shores ,due to its coastal climate. A case in point is Hurricane Hazel in 1954,and tornadoes in Michigan and Ontario in 2007. Such evidence shows that the lake effect may help strengthen storms. What result does "the lake effect" bring to the eastern shore? _ . A. Seasonal winds B. Warmer wet air C. Mild weather D. Heavy snowfalls Answer: D A three-year independent investigation into the September 11, 2001 attack on the Pentagon has _ new eyewitness evidence which, according to the Southern California-based researchers who conducted the investigation conclusively (and unfortunately), establishes as a historical fact that the violence which took place in Arlington that day was not the result of a surprise attack by suicide hijackers, but rather a military black operation involving a carefully planned and skillfully executed deception." A CNN Reporter at the scene states that there is no evidence that a 757 hit the Pentagon. What hit the Pentagon? A Boeing 757 loaded with passengers and fuel right? Who was on Flight 757? According to the Flight Information there were No Arabs on it. That makes me wonder if Flight 757 actually existed at all. From the pictures and the videos, people can find that there are several doubtful points that need to be taken into consideration, for example the marker line on the grass in the satellite and ground pictures, the different colors of the smoke, the hole which the plane impacted, and the standing pylons . Also, from the comparison of the different pictures, people can find some other strange points. For example, the gear is not the matching one. The wreckage of the plane is not the one from the American Airlines. The glass on the pavement of the pole is another doubtful point. The last thing that need considering is about the collapse. One of the gif video shows the plane impacting the Pentagon. The only problem with this video footage is that it has been altered and can not be fully trusted. These crash photos and videos shown here clearly have been doctored and don't even match the physics of what happened. So where is the real video? It leaves me many questions. Is this a missile? It is a real enigma. What is the author's attitude towards the 911 investigation? A. Positive. B. Neutral. C. Skeptical. D. Negative. Answer: C Sports play an important role in British life. The most popular sport is football. Cricket is also popular in England, but is less important in the other home nations. Rugby union and rugby league are the other major team sports. Tennis is the most important sport for the two weeks of the Wimbledon Championships Football The modern global game of football developed from traditional British football games in the 19thcentury. Club football is organized separately in each of the home nations. English football has a league system which combines thousands of clubs. Scotland has a similar but smaller club football structure. The top level league in Wales is the league of Wales. In Northern Ireland the main league is the Irish Football League. Each season the most successful clubs from each of the home nations qualify for(......) the two Europe wide club competitions organized by UEFA , the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Cup. Cricket Cricket was invented in England. It is regarded as England's national summer game and it is probably the second most widely covered sport. There are eighteen professional country clubs, seventeen of them in England and one in Wales. Each summer the country clubs compete in the first class Country Championship, which consist of two leagues of nine teams and in which matches are played over four days. Rugby Like football, rugby union and rugby league both developed from traditional British football games in the 19thcentury. For much of the 20thcentury there was great _ between rugby leagues, which was a mainly working class game based in the industrial areas of northern England, and rugby union, which is a mainly middle class game in England, and is also popular in the other home nations. Tennis Tennis is yet another sport which originated in the United Kingdom and the governing body of the sport is the LTA . However, no British man has won Wimbledon since 1936 and no British woman since 1977. The only British players of either sex to reach the world top 50 in recent years are Greg Rusedski, who learnt his tennis in Canada, and Tim Henman and Andrew Murray ,who did not pass through the LTA system either. From what can we read the passage? A. tour guidebook B. book review C. news report D. news magzine Answer: D Which piece of lab equipment is necessary to determine the mass of 2 teaspoons of sand? A. glass beaker B. balance C. eye dropper D. graduated cylinder Answer: B
When a vegetative organism lifeform goes into a state of creating a life from itself, what is it called? Answer: 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 was thought highly of especially because of its _ . Answer: One day an out of work mimic is visiting the zoo and attempts to earn some money as a street performer. As soon as he starts to draw the crowd,a zoo keeper grabs him and drags him into his office. The zoo keeper explains to the mimic that the zoo's most popular attraction,a gorilla ,has died suddenly and the keeper fears that attendance at the zoo will fall off. He offers the mimic a job to dress up as the gorilla until they can get another one. The mimic accepts. So the next morning the mimic puts on the gorilla suit and enters the cage before the crowd comes. He discovers that it's a great job. He can sleep all he wants,play and make fun of people and he draws bigger crowds than he ever did as a mimic. However,eventually the crowds tire of him and he tires of just swinging on wires. He begins to notice that the people are paying more attention to the lion in the cage next to his. Not wanting to lose the attention of his audience,he climbs to the top of his cage,crawls across a partition ,and dangles from the top to the lion's cage. Of course,this makes the lion very angry,but the crowd loves it. At the end of the day the zoo keeper comes and gives the mimic a raise for being such a good attraction. Well,this goes on for some time-the mimic keeps taunting the lion,the crowds grow larger,and his salary keeps going up. Then one terrible day when he is dangling over the angry lion he slips and falls. The mimic is terrified. The lion gathers itself and prepares to attack. The mimic is so scared that he begins to run round and round the cage with the lion close behind. Finally,the mimic starts screaming and yelling,"Help me,help me!"But the lion is quick and attacks. The mimic soon finds himself flat on his back looking up at the angry lion and the lion says,"Shut up,you idiot!Do you want to get us both fired?" The mimic visits the zoo to _ . Answer: Now more and more foreign families move to Yiwu. The Kings is one of them. The King family is from an Arabic Country. Mr King is a businessman. Mrs King is 35 years old , five years younger than her husband. She is a teacher. They have two children. Tony, their son,is a student. He is 10. He studies in Wuai Primary school. Tony has got a sister, Alice. She is 5 years old. They like Yiwu very much. How old is Mr King? Answer: The whole morning we just checked our own things. We were looking for items to give away. We thought of blankets, food and clothing. Our aim was not to find things we no longer wanted, but things we use every day and would be useful to others. We made up boxes with the things and added some small toys. Inside the boxes a simple letter was placed, reading: "Please take these items and know that your life is important. Times are difficult but they will pass. We share what we have, believing it will matter. Use the blanket to stay warm. Be safe and know that the human spirit can overcome anything. Don't hold your head down. Someday please do the same when you can. How you do it and when, your heart will tell you. This kind act was not because the phone rang or for any reason. It was simply because it was the right time to do. We have often seen homeless people at the park where we left the belongings. The city would say that it isn't a problem but I see the lives walking to and from it. I noticed that my wife had put her favorite green coat into one of the boxes. I asked if she was sure about it and she simply replied that it had a hood . She liked the coat but knew the hood could shelter someone from the rain. We don't know where these gifts of compassion will go. We never go back and see what happens. It's unimportant. The right things will find the right people and that is all that counts. On the way my wife started to cry. When I asked why, she said because some things felt so right. The couple placed the letter inside the box mainly to _ . Answer:
You might not want a holiday in your hometown, but there is probably someone who does. And, in exchange, you could have a cheap vacation anywhere in the world. Just picture the scene: you're watching the sunset from the balcony of a Caribbean island house. It's large. And it's free as long as you don't mind the owners living in your home at the same time. All you need to be a home-swapper is the Internet and a rough idea of when and where you want to go on holiday. When you find someone whose dates match yours, and who wants to visit your area, you're all set to swap. The advantages are numerous: you can save a fortune in accommodation cost. You could get to use the owners' car, boat, bikes, pool or gym. You might even be able to come to an arrangement about looking after each other's pets! You also get to live like a local, and you might be invited around to neighbors' homes for tea, barbecues and tips on the area. People say that these cultural experiences are the memories that last. Plus, instead of one tiny hotel room, you have an entire house where you can make yourself at home. And it's not cold and impersonal like a hotel room. Of course, there are disadvantages. A lot of effort and communication are needed before the arrangements are finalized. Nobody wants a stranger living in their house, sleeping in their bed and using their bathroom, so you have to get to know each other well beforehand. Some people are concerned about theft or property damage, but in reality this is very rare. Most home-exchangers have the view that "If they can trust me with their house, I can trust them with mine." The worse complaint people have is the difference in standards of cleanness. If you're interested in home-exchange for your next holiday, start by contacting a famous agency like homelink.org and intervac,co.uk. These agencies will also have advice about preparing for a home-exchange. Where can you most probably find the passage? Answer: A few years ago, Pioneer Hi-Bred International, where I was employed. purchased Norand Corporation. Pioneer's sales representatives in the field used Norand hand-held terminals to upload daily sales information and download new price and sales incentive information. Pioneer bought so many of these hand-held-terminals, the economies made the purchase of Norand look interesting. Owning Norand also allowed Pioneer to explore high-technology markets outside agriculture. But after a few years, the emerging laptop PC technology made the hand-held units obsolete . Pioneer sold Norand at a loss. Pioneer always took a given percent of the annual profits to divide equally among all employees, so our profit-sharing checks were lower than if Pioneer had not purchased Norand. Additionally, my Pioneer stock was lower than it had been before the purchase of Norand. I was not pleased. The CEO of Pioneer, Tom Urban, made annual formal visits to each of the Pioneer divisions to talk about the state of the business and to listen to employees' concerns. When he walked into the meeting room for his first visit after the sale of Norand, he acknowledged the group, remove his jacket, and neatly folded it across the back of the chair. He loosened his tie, undid his collar and rolled up his sleeves. _ . He said, "I made a mistake buying Norand and I am sorry. I am sorry your profit-sharing was lower because of the purchase, and I am sorry your stock was hurt by the purchase. I will continue to take risks, but I am a bit smarter now, and I will work harder for you." A great man and leader stood before us that day. As I sat listening to him, I knew I could trust him, and that he deserved every bit of loyalty I could give to him and to Pioneer. I also knew I could take risks in my own job. In the brief moment of silence before the questions started, I recall thinking that follow him into any battle. Why did Tom Urban remove his jacket, loosen his tie, undo his collar and roll up his sleeves before he spoke? Answer: In Jewish history, King Solomon is considered to be the wisest man who ever lived. There are many stories about the wisdom of King Solomon. Here's one. One day two women came before the King. They carried with them a little baby, which was set down on the floor, at the foot of Solomon's throne. One of the women said "Five days ago I gave birth to a child. This woman and I live in the same house, and three days later she also gave birth, but that same night her child died, and at midnight she arose and, while I was sleeping, took my son away from me, and laid her dead child in its place. When I awoke in the morning I thought at first that my son was dead, until I realized that it was not my child." "No," interrupted the second woman, "she is lying, my lord, she is lying! The living child is mine and the dead is hers!" "No," cried the first woman, wildly. "No, the dead child is yours, and the living child is mine." King Solomon raised his hand for silence. "One of you says 'my child lives and yours is dead ', and the other says 'your child is dead and my child lives': there is a simple way to resolve the matter. Bring me a sword." A sword was brought, and the crowd waited to see what the King would do. "Very well," he said, "cut the child in half, and give them each half." The first woman turned pale. She said in a trembling voice. "Give her the child. I beg you, do not kill it." But the other woman's face remained hard. "Let it be neither mine nor yours," she said, "divide it as the King has ordered." Then Solomon arose, and pointed to the first woman. "The child belongs to her," he said. "Give her the child, and do not kill it. She is its mother." Word of this judgment spread throughout Israel, and people marveled at the wisdom of the King. The lesson of this story is rather simple. It is easy to tell the people who really care: they are willing to give up their half in order to keep the whole alive. In short, sometimes insisting on getting your fair share is still a losing strategy. Which of the following qualities can not describe King Solomon? Answer: If you want to get the most out of the study of a language, you must also read for pleasure: novels, plays, travel books, and so on. And in reading books of this kind the important thing is _ ; to try to grasp what the writer is going to tell you in the book as a whole. This is impossible if you stop and think over the meaning of every single word which happens to be unfamiliar. You can not enjoy a story if you stop half a dozen times on every page in order to look up words in the dictionary. You may even prevent yourself from understanding the story as a whole by doing this. When you are reading books of this kind, therefore, you will usually have to depend mainly on the context to help you. If you meet an unfamiliar word, do not let it take too much of your attention from the main idea of the story. In all probability you will meet the same word again a few pages later on in a slightly different context, and each time you see it that your understanding of it will become more exact. .What is the passage's main idea? Answer: Making greener choices and encouraging healthy lifestyles can promote your health and benefit the environment. Here are some guidelines to follow: Choose foods thoughtfully Americans have never had such a variety or abundance of food to choose from. Besides so many choices, we now hear about our "food print", the amount of land needed to supply one person's nutritional needs for a year. Do we buy cherry tomatoes from Mexico or tomatoes grown locally in a hothouse? Do we get the Granny Smiths from the farmers' market or the supermarket? Is organic produce healthier for us and the planet? These are very complex issues that require analysis of many criteria, including the energy used in producing and transporting the food, as well as the type of soil and methods of raising the food. Despite the complexities, there are some general guidelines you can follow. For instance, eat less meat or eat low on the food chain. Your doctor may have recommended you to restrict your consumption of red meat because of its too much fat content. Beyond that, there are environmental reasons, too. Raising food animals contributes substantially to climate change because a meat-based diet requires more land, energy and water than a plant-based one. _ Drinking plenty of fluids is significant during hot weather or when exercising. But is bottled water the way to go? You may not think so when seeing the true costs. Based on a survey, manufacturing the 30-plus billion plastic water bottles can produce more than 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide and use three times the amount of water in the bottle. Adding in transportation, the energy used comes to over 50 million barrels of oil equivalent . Consequently, skip the bottled water and drink tap water, both at home and at restaurants. Additionally, bottled water is not necessarily cleaner than tap. According to the text, which of the following is true? Answer:
Travelling and even living abroad can be great for broadening your horizons and learning about different cultures. However, after returning home from being abroad for a long period, many people can suffer from the problem of reverse culture shock. Reverse culture shock is a condition that happens when you return home and find things have changed greatly from how you have remembered them while you are away. It develops feelings of anxiety, hostility and boredom. One of the biggest change people encounter when returning home after spending a great deal of time abroad is that their relationships with friends and family are not as familiar as they once used to be. While reverse culture shock is a very common condition, there are actually many ways you can deal with and lessen the effects of this condition. Posting a regular blog, or updating your status on Facebook or Twitter, can really help to keep your friendships with people back at home. The best thing about posting regular updates is that your friends and family always know what you are getting up to, so they won't be surprised by the changes they see in you when you do finally return home. You could even ask close family and friends to keep you updated on life at home so you are not left feeling shocked by changes that might happen while you are away. If you are left feeling a bit upset that none of your friends want to hear all about your amazing travel stories when you get home, then why not try sharing the world with them by writing online travel reviews. For those who are considering travelling abroad, your experiences could prove very useful, and may even encourage them to do some of the things you are lucky enough to have experienced while you were away. Reverse culture shock can happen when _ . A one enters a new culture B one has been used to a foreign culture C one returns from abroad after staying there for a long period of time D one is back from a long holiday Answer: C The death of languages is not a new phenomenon. Languages usually have a relatively short life span as well as a very high death rate. Only a few, including Egyptian, Chinese, Greek, Latin, have lasted more than 2,000 years. What is new, however, is the speed at which they are dying out. Europe's colonial conquests caused a sharp decline in linguistic diversity, eliminating at least 15 percent of all languages spoken at the time. Over the last 300 years, Europe has lost a dozen, and Australia has only 20 left of the 250 spoken at the end of the 18th century. The rise of nation-states has also been decisive in selecting and consolidating national languages and sidelining others. By making great efforts to establish an official language in education, the media and the civil service, national governments have deliberately tried to eliminate minority languages. This process of linguistic standardization has been boosted by industrialization and scientific progress, which have imposed new methods of communication that are swift, straightforward and practical. Language diversity came to be seen as an obstacle to trade and the spread of knowledge. Monolingualism became an ideal. More recently, the internationalization of financial markets, the spread of information by electronic media and other aspects of globalization have intensified the threat to "small" languages. A language not on the Internet is a language that "no longer exists" in the modern world. It is out of the game. The serious effects of the death of languages are evident. First of all, it is possible that if we all ended up speaking the same language, our brains would lose some of their natural capacity for linguistic inventiveness. We would never be able to figure out the origins of human language or resolve the mystery of "the first language". As each language dies, a chapter of human history closes. Multilingualism is the most accurate reflection of multiculturalism. The destruction of the first will inevitably lead to the loss of the second. Imposing a language without any links to a people's culture and way of life stifles the expression of their collective genius. A language is not only used for the main instrument of human communication. It also expresses the world vision of those who speak it, their ways of using knowledge. To safeguard languages is an urgent matter. The serious effects of the death of languages include all except that _ . A People would fail to understand how languages originated B Language diversity would become an obstacle to globalization C Monolingualism would lead to the loss of multiculturalism D Human brains would become less creative linguistically Answer: B We are all busy talking about and using the Internet, but how many of us know the history of the Internet ? Many people are surprised when they find that the Internet was set up in the 1960s. At that time, computers were large and expensive. Computer networks didn't work well . If one computer in the network broke down, then the whole network stopped. So a new network system had to be set up. It should be good enough to be used by many different computers. If part of the network was not working, information could be sent through another part. In this way computer network system would keep on working all the time. At first the Internet was only used by the government, but in 1970s, universities, hospitals and banks were allowed to use it, too. However, computers were still very expensive and the Internet was difficult to use. By the start of the 1990s, computers became cheaper and easier to use. Scientists had also developed software that made " surfing " the Internet more convenient. Today it is easy to get on-line and it is said that millions of people use the Internet every day. Sending e-mail is more and more popular among students. The Internet has now become one of the most important parts of peoples' life. The Internet has a history of more than _ years. A sixty B ten C fourty D fifty Answer: D High heels were first worn in the 1500s, and were popular with both women and men. Today, high heels are strictly a female fashion that is easily found in stores. High heels are the hit items featured on the runway and are widely worn by celebrities. For instance, in the popular TV drama, Sex and the City, the main character, Carrie, is a lover of high heels that in almost every episode, she purchases a pair of gorgeous 4-inch high heels. Carrie loves the heels so much that she even sets her email address as "shoe girl". This clearly shows how much modern women love high heels. Even though high heels are popular, they are not the most comfortable shoes to wear. In many ways, high heels have already changed the shape of people's lives. Doctors have warned that continuous wear can cause back pain and serious damage to the knees. Though it is yet to be proven, some psychological reports suggest that high heels can lead to mental disorder, as it is stressful to the people who wear high heels, in the sense that they have to bear the pain in every step. According to Mayann Los Russo, chief editor of Footwear News, high heels are desirable because they make people appear taller. She says, "I think it goes back to the idea of pain before beauty." Indeed, some people feel that they always need to look appealing in front of their peers. Still, Dr. Casey Kerrigan, a professor at Harvard Medical School, warns, "It takes a long time to feel the effects. And once you do, it's too late." Despite the damage high heels can do to the feet and legs, they remain popular. Most women accept the pain because they like how they look wearing high heels. It is important that we all understand that we should never hurt ourselves just to please others. People who believe in "pain before beauty" will _ . A watch Sex and the City B wear clothes that their peers like C keep up with the trend D wear pretty but uncomfortable fashion Answer: D Dear Reader: I receive many letters from children and can't answer them all -- there wouldn't be time enough in a day.That is why I am sending you this printed reply to your letter.I'll try to answer some of the questions that are commonly asked. Where did I get the idea for Stuart Little and for Charlotte's Web? Well, many years ago I went to bed one night in a railway sleeping car, and during the night I dreamed about a tiny boy who acted rather like a mouse.That's how the story of Stuart Little got started. As for Charlotte's Web, I like animals and my barn is a very pleasant place to be, at all hours.One day when I was on my way to feed the pig, I began feeling sorry for the pig because, like most pigs, he was doomed to die.This made me sa So I started thinking of ways to save a pig's life.I had been watching a big grey spider at her work and was impressed by how clever she was at weaving.Gradually I worked the spider into the story that you know, a story of friendship and salvation on a farm.Three years after I started writing it, it was publishe (I am not a fast worker, as you can see.) Sometimes I'm asked how old I was when I started to write, and what made me want to write.I started early - as soon as I could spell.In fact, I can't remember any time in my life when I wasn't busy writing.I don't know what caused me to do it, or why I enjoyed it, but I think children often find pleasure and satisfaction is trying to set their thoughts down on paper, either in words or in pictures.I was no good at drawing, so I used words instea As I grew older, I found that writing can be a way of earning a living. Some of my readers want me to visit their school.Some want me to send a picture, or an autograph, or a book.And some ask questions about my family and my animals and my pets.Much as I'd like to, I can't go visiting.I can't send books, either - you can find them in a bookstore or a library.Many children assume that a writer owns (or even makes) his own books.This is not true - books are made by the publisher.If a writer wants a copy, he must buy it.That's why I can't send books.And I do not send autographs - I leave that to the movie stars.I live most of the year in the country, in New Englan From our windows we can look out at the sea and the mountains.I live near my married son and three grandchildren. Are my stories true, you ask? No, they are imaginary tales, containing fantastic characters and events.In real life, a family doesn't have a child who looks like a mouse; in real life, a spider doesn't spin words in her we In real life, a swan doesn't blow a trumpet.But real life is only one kind of life - there is also the life of the imagination.And although my stories are imaginary, I like to think that there is some truth in them, too - truth about the way people and animals feel and think and act. Yours sincerely, White Which of the following may not be the question asked by E.B.White's readers? A Where do you live? B Are your stories true? C Can you come and visit our school? D Why do you send us this printed letter? Answer: D
How does refraction affect the look of things I had managed to sell all my papers and was coming home in the snow. It was that strange hour in New York when the workers were walking towards home in the evening. I recognized my father near Cooper Union, a frozen figure in an old overcoat standing by a banana cart . He looked so lonely; tears came to my eyes. Then he saw me, and his face lit with his sad, beautiful smile. "Arch," he said, "so you have sold your papers! Come and eat a banana." He offered me one, but I refused it. I felt it important that my father sell his bananas, not give them away. He thought I was shy, and joked with me, and made me eat the banana. It smelled of wet snow. "You haven't sold many bananas today, Dad," I said. "What can I do? No one seems to want them," Dad said. It was true. The crowds pushed home; the sky darkened over the New York buildings; the tall street lamps were lit; street cars and bikes went by. Nobody and nothing in the great city stopped for my father's bananas. "I ought to yell ," said my father sadly. "I ought to make a big noise like other peddlers , but it makes my throat sore. Anyway, I'm ashamed of yelling; it makes me feel like a fool." I had eaten one of his bananas. A voice deep down told me that I ought to pay for it somehow. I must remain here and help my father. "I'll yell for you, Dad," I volunteered. "Arch, no," he said, "go home; you have worked enough today. Just tell momma I'll be late." But I yelled and yelled. My father, standing by, spoke words of praise, and said I was a wonderful yeller. However, nobody else paid attention; nobody listened and came to buy our bananas. My father tried to stop me at last. He said, "That was wonderful yelling, Arch. But it's just we are unlucky today! Let's go home." I insisted on keeping up my yells. But at last my father persuaded me to leave with him. What happened to the father and the son at last? Ole Bull was a very famous violinist from Norway. He really liked to play the violin. But his father thought that playing the violin was not useful. So his father sent him to university to study. However, playing the violin was his dream. He didn't want to give up his dream. So he left university before he finished his studies and spent all his time and energy practicing the violin. Unfortunately, his violin teacher was not very good. So when it was time for him to start his concert tour, he still couldn't play the violin very well. Therefore, a Milan newspaper critic1criticized him and said that he was an untrained violinist. The critic said, " _ 2yet." When facing this kind of problem, some people may become very angry and some people try to learn from it. Fortunately, Ole Bull belonged to the second group. He went to the newspaper office and found the critic. Instead of being angry, he talked about his mistakes with the man and listened to the man's advice. After he met the critic, he gave up the rest of his concerts. Then he went back to practice the violin with the help of good teachers. In the end, he got great success when he was only 26. He also became one of the most famous violinists in the world. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage? Scientists have recently discovered that mothers tend to hold their baby on the left.Of 255 right-handed mothers,83% held the baby on the left.And out of 32 left-handed women,78%held the baby on the left As a control( ),women were watched coming from supermarkets carrying baby-sized bags;the bags were held with no side preference. Then,dental patients were given a large rubber ball to hold during treatment.The majority held the ball to their left side,even when it was interrupted with the dentist's activities. This suggested that in times of stress objects are held against the left side. At that point,something clearly contrary was observed.A large number of mothers who brought their premature babies to a clinic were seen to hold their babies against their right side. So,115 mothers who had been separated from their babies for 24 hours after birth were observed for holding response.The experimenters presented the baby directly to midline of the mother's body, and noted how she held the baby.53% placed the baby on the left and 47% on the right.And it was also noted that the mothers of the group who had held their baby on the left had already had a baby from which they had not been separated after birth. Left-handed holding enables the baby to hear the heartbeat.In order to discover whether hearing the heart has a beneficial effect on the baby,the sound of a human heart-beat was played to 102 babies in a New York nursery for 4 days.A control group of babies was not exposed to heart-beats.The babies in the heart-beat group gained more weight and cried far less than the babies in the control group. Scientists found that. As you can see,water works hard in your body every day.That's why it's important to give your body the water it needs to carry out all its different jobs.On a regular day,your body loses 2 to 3 quarts of water--enough to fill a 2liter soda bottle.You probably guess that water is lost when you sweat--especially on a hot day. But your body also loses water in an almost invisible way--evaporation .Water escapes from your body through your skin and in your breath.How?Your breath contains droplets of water that are usually too tiny to see.They become visible for a quick second in the cold when you can "see your breath".But water evaporates this way all year round.Your skin also contains water,which escapes in tiny droplets that go into the air.The water in your skin evaporates into the air,but fortunately,your body can replace the water it loses so your skin doesn't dry out. Eating and drinking is one way to replace the water your body loses.Most foods have a lot of water in them,especially fruits and vegetables.Grapes,watermelons,oranges,and cantaloupes are delicious and full of water. But you can't _ food alone to get that water back,and that's why it's also a good idea to drink water every day.You might have heard someone say that people need to drink 6 to 8 cups (1.4 to 1.9 liters) of water each day.Depending on how much water you're getting from foods and other liquids,6 to 8 cups might not be necessary.If you eat a lot of fruits and vegetables,or you like to eat soup every day,you'll get some of the water your body needs. Water in your body loses by the following ways EXCEPT _ .
Use The Periodic Table of the Elements and the information below to answer the question. Magnesium metal (Mg) is grayish-white in color and reacts actively with water. Fluorine (F2) is a greenish-yellow gas at room temperature and is a member of the halogen family. These two elements react to produce magnesium fluoride (MgF2), a chemical commonly used in making windows and lenses. How do the elements magnesium (Mg) and fluorine (F2) produce the compound magnesium fluoride (MgF2)? Answer: by chemically combining Leader is a labor leader in Metropolis. Ten years ago he was divorced. Both he and his first wife 16 have since married other persons. Recently, News, a newspaper in another city, ran a feature article on improper influences it asserted had been used by labor officials to secure favorable rulings from government officials. The story said that in 1960 Leader's first wife, with Leader's knowledge and concurrence, gave sexual favors to the mayor of Metropolis and then persuaded him to grant concessions to Leader's union, with which Metropolis was then negotiating a labor contract. The story named Leader and identified his first wife by her former and current surnames. The reporter for News believed the story to be true, since it had been related to him by two very reliable sources. Leader's first wife suffered emotional distress and became very depressed. If she asserts a claim based on defamation against News, she will Answer: not prevail if News exercised ordinary care in determining if the story was true or false We know music is very important in our daily life.Do you notice music playing at any of those places when you go somewhere? Today, most stores,stations,restaurants and other places play music.You might even hear music in an office or on a farm. Scientists believe that music influences the way people behave.They think that the sound of western classical music makes people feel richer.When a restaurant plays classical music,people spend more money on food and drinks.When the restaurant plays modern music,people spend less money.Without music,people spend even less. Scientists also believe that loud,fast music makes people eat faster.Some restaurants play fast music during their hours.This makes people eat faster and leave quickly.Restaurants can make more money in this way. Some scientists think that music makes you think and learn better.They say that music helps students to be more active.It is true that people learn better when they are relaxed.And 1istening to music can help you relax. The next time you hear music somewhere,be careful,it might influance the way you do things. Which of the following can be the best title for the passage? Answer: Music and behavior Living things depend on energy from Answer: the Sun Which of the following is an example of matter changing state? Answer: heating a pan of water until the water is all gone
Question: More than 10,000 people were made homeless in Ternang when the Sungai Mas overflowed its banks yesterday after six days of continuous heavy rain. The wooden bridge across the river has been washed away. The town is cut off by flood waters. At the fifth mile, Jalan Tengkn, the water is two meters deep. It is closed to all traffic. Flooding first happened at mid-afternoon yesterday along the river banks. People trying to get to higher ground were just in time to escape the destroying of the flood. Most of the flood victims had to leave all their things behind. The National Flood Relief Center was reported to give its help and by early evening the whole town was moved out, helped by the army, police, Red Cross Society and volunteers . The flood victims are now housed in different simple relief centers in the nearby town of Ternang. "Everything possible is being done to help the unlucky people," a government spokesman said, "In fact, money, food and clothing have begun to come in from public organizations and helpful people. A Disaster Relief Fund will be started as soon as possible." According to the latest reports it is still raining heavily at Ternang. The whole town is expected to be wholly covered by the water. So far no deaths have been reported. It seems that the flood happened just because _ . A. the banks were too low B. the river was too narrow C. they had had wet days for some time D. the wooden bridge across the river was broken Answer: C. they had had wet days for some time Question: FreeRice.com--For Each Vocabulary Word You Get Right, We Donate Free Rice through the United Nations World Food Program to Help End World Hunger 1 word = 20 grains; 5 words = 100 grains Play and feed hungry people . How to play Click on the answer that best defines the word. If you get it right, you get a harder word. If wrong, you get an easier word. For each word you get right, we donate 20 grains of rice to the United Nations World Food Program. WARNING: This game may make you smarter. It may improve your speaking, writing, thinking, grades, job performance... (more) Frequently Asked Questions How does playing the vocabulary game at FreeRice help me? Learning new vocabulary has tremendous benefits. It can help you: Present your ideas better Write better papers, emails and business letters Speak more accurately and influentially Read faster because you understand better Get better grades in high school, college and graduate school Perform better at job interviews and conferences Be more effective and successful at your job... After you have done FreeRice for a couple of days, you may notice an odd phenomenon. Words that you have never consciously used before will begin to pop into your head while you are speaking or writing. You will feel yourself using and knowing more words. How does the FreeRice vocabulary program work? FreeRice has a custom database containing thousands of words at varying degrees of difficulty. There are words proper for people just learning English and words that will challenge the most learned professors. In between are thousands of words for students, business people, doctors, truck drivers... everyone! FreeRice adjusts to your level of vocabulary. It starts by giving you words at different levels of difficulty and then, based on how you do, designs a proper starting level for you. When you get a word wrong, you go to an easier level. When you get three words in a row right, you go to a harder level. There are 60 levels in all, but it is rare for people to get above level 50. People of different levels of learning can surf FreeRice because _ . A. it offers a large vocabulary B. it adjusts to the player's level of vocabulary C. it is free of charge to play the game D. it is designed to meet the needs of people in different fields Answer: B. it adjusts to the player's level of vocabulary Question: Charles Blackman:Alice in Wonderland An Exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV),Australia 10 June --12 August 2015 Venue The Ian Potter Centre Admission Free entry Charles Blackman is famous for his beautiful painting of dreams. In 1956, he heard for the first time Lewis Carroll's extraordinary tale of Alice in Wonderland -the story of a Victorian girl who falls down a rabbit hole, meets a lot of funny characters and experiences all kinds of things. At that time, Blackman's wife was suffering form progressive blindness. The story of Alice moving through the strange situations, often disheartened by various events, was similar to his wife's experiences. It also reflected so much of his own life. All this contributed to the completion of the Alice in Wonderland paintings. Illustrator Workshop Go straight to the experts for an introductory course in book illustration. The course includes an introduction to the process of illustration and its techniques, workshop exercise and group projects. Dates Sunday 17 June &Sunday 5Aug.10am--1pm Venue Gas Works Arts Park Wonderful World Celebrate the exhibition and Children's Book Week with special activities just for the day, including a special visit from Alice and the White Rabbit Date Sunday 24 June, 11am--4pm Venue Exhibition Space, Level 3 Topsy-Turvy Visit the exhibition or discover wonderful curiosities in artworks in the NGV Collection and make a magic world in a box. Alice and the White Rabbit will be with you. Walt Disney's Alice in Wonderland will be screened. Dates Sunday 8,15,22,29 July, and Tuesday 24-Friday 27 July, 12noon--3pm Venue Theatre, NGV Australia Drawing Workshop Distortions of scale ( ) can make artworks strange but interesting. Find out how Charles Blackman distorted scale in his paintings to create a curious world. Then experiment with scale in your own drawings. More information upon booking. Date Friday 27 July, 10:30am-3pm Venue Foyer, Level 3 Which two activities can you participate in on the same day? _ A. Illustrator Workshop and Drawing Workshop. B. Topsy-Turvy and Drawing Workshop. C. Wonderful World and Topsy -Turvy. D. Illustrator Workshop and Wonderful World. Answer: B. Topsy-Turvy and Drawing Workshop. Question: Mr. Smith is well known in Washington because of his many social blunders. He always likes to attend the various social functions because he wants to expand his circle of friends. Whenever he is invited, he goes, unless he is ill. Recently he received an invitation to a fashionable banquet. Although he did not know the hostess, he accepted the invitation. He was secretly very pleased, because he felt that his reputation as a desirable guest was growing. When he arrived at the banquet hall, he found that about one hundred people had been invited. He began to move a-round the hall. He spoke to other guests whether he knew them or not. He soon realized that he had never met any of the other people present, although they seemed to know each other. At dinner he was seated beside a very dignified woman. The woman tried to be friendly even though she had never met Mr. Smith before. She spoke politely whenever he spoke to her. Between the first and the second course of the meal, she, turned to Mr. Smith and said, "Do you see that gray-haired man at the end of the table? The one with glasses." "Ah, yes. Who is he?" "He's the Secretary of the Interior!" she replied. Mr. Smith said, "So that's the secretary of the Interior! I' m afraid that I find very little to admire about him, although he is the Secretary." The woman stiffened and did not reply. Mr. Smith continued in spite of her coldness. "I really can't see how he received his appointment unless he is perhaps a relative of the President." "It hardly matters whether you like the Secretary or not," she said. "He was chosen because the President thought he was the man for the job. If he does the job well, you should have no complaint." "That's just it," persisted Mr. Smith. "No one does the things he does, unless he is a complete fool!" "Sir!" said the woman in all her dignity. "Do you know who I am?" "No," replied Mr. Smith. "I am the Secretary's wife," she said coldly. Mr. Smith was shocked, but he went on in spite of his embarrassment. "Madam, do you know who I am?" "No, I don't," the woman replied. "Thank goodness!" exclaimed Mr. Smith, as he quickly left the table. When Mr. Smith learned that the woman didn't know who he was, he felt _ . A. shocked B. worried C. embarrassed D. relieved Answer: D. relieved Question: When John Weston awoke that morning, he remembered that his mother was going into hospital. He hadn't worked out quite what was wrong with her. He knew, though that she hadn't been well for some time now, and it had become almost familiar to him to see her eyes narrowed in a sudden attack of pain, and her hand pressing against her heart. Their own doctor, who she had finally gone to for advice, had sent her to an expert who knew all about these things. He had told her that just as soon as there was a bed for her, she would have to come into his hospital where he could look after her himself. During the weeks since then the pains had come even more frequently, and the narrowed eyes became an almost permanent part of her expression. Always rather sharp, she began losing her temper over little things so that John's father kept his thoughts to himself more and more. John, as ready as possible to make allowances, tried to think what it would be like to have toothache all the time and how bad-tempered that would make you. So his mother would go into hospital for a few days. He was going to stay with his Aunt Daisy till she came back, and his father would stay on at home by himself. John's cousin, Mona, was to come in and make the bed and wash the pots and dust round now and again. That was the arrangement, and John didn't care much for it. Apart from missing his mother(and he was glad she was going away because they would make her better), he wasn't very fond of his Aunt Daisy because she was even more bad-tempered than his mother. Mrs Weston went to see her doctor _ . A. as soon as she realized that something was wrong B. only after her husband advised her to C. a long time after the trouble began D. when John asked what was wrong with her Answer: C. a long time after the trouble began
Did you ever think someone was scary because they looked different or ate strange food? Well, they might think the same about you! One of the things we all need to do is to _ variety.We shouldn't think badly of people from other cultures because they behave differently from us. Sometimes we treat people from other countries unfairly, because one person from that culture did something bad.Well, has your class ever been punished just because a few kids were causing trouble? Has your whole family ever been blamed for something your little sister did? It doesn't seem fair, does it? It's just equally unfair to blame a whole culture for what two or three people have done. So here are some things that you can do to help yourself understand other cultures: 1Find common ground! Just remember that even though some people look different on the outside, that doesn't change how they are on the inside.They still have the exact same feelings! 2 _ Because someone from another culture has been mean to you, you decide to avoid everyone from that culture.Well think about it.Why are you blaming them for something they didn't have anything to do with? Put yourself in their shoes.How would you feel? Putting yourself inside someone else's head can be a very powerful way to understand WHY they are acting the way they are. 3Try to make friends with people from other cultures! You could ask them about their culture, or what it is like in their country, if they can remember, or if they have ever lived there.Try foods from their culture, or ask them about words in their language.You might be surprised at how interesting other cultures can be! You can join great discussion groups, participate in projects, and have lots of fun doing new things. 4Be aware that you've judged other people If you know what you have done, it helps to make things better.Pay attention to what you think about other people.It helps. What is mainly discussed in this passage? A Why there are differences between people B What to do to understand other cultures C How people feel when they meet people from other cultures D The differences between people from different cultures Answer: B. What to do to understand other cultures If I wanted to build endurance I could A cycling to Publix B eat more food C sleep all day D only eat pizza Answer: A. cycling to Publix Beijing Restaurant _ SOUPS :Tofu soupY=10. 00 Bone soupY=15. 00 Chicken soupY=20. 00 STAPLES:Fried riceY=8. 00 Fried noodlesY=10. 00 Hot dogY=4. 00 Meat pieY=10. 00 SandwichY=10. 00 HamburgerY=10. 00 MAIN COURSES:Roast chickenY=30. 00 Italian pizzaY=9. 00 Indian curriesY=15. 00 Pork and cabbageY=15. 00 Cheese pieY=10. 00 BeefY=15. 00 Beijing Roast DuckY=50. 00 SausageY=15. 00 DESSERTS :Fruit saladY=8. 00 Pear pancakeY=6. 00 Apple pieY=6. 00 Ice creamY=4. 00 DRINKS :CokeY=5. 00 CoffeeY=5. 00 TeaY=3. 00 Apple juiceY=3. 00 BeerY=10. 00 WineY=30. 00 MilkY=3. 00 LemonadeY=4. 00 How many kinds of main courses are there in this restaurant? A 7. B 8. C 9. D 10. Answer: B. 8. North American black bears are shy animals. They are fearful by nature, and will usuallyrun away if they see or hear people. Because of this, it can be difficult for scientists to learnabout these animals. In order to study black bears, researchers from New Jersey, USA, catch bears and usedrugs to help them go to sleep. Researchers then work out the size and the weight of the bear,take blood to test for diseases, _ a tooth and take it to the lab to find out its age. Fromthese studies, researchers want to find out how many bears live in New Jersey, how long theylive, and how many babies they produce. But in Minnesota, USA, researchers study bears that are completely awake. The bears knowthe researchers' voices and they are not afraid of die research team. With the help of a few grapes to keep the bears busy, researchers can touch them to check their hearts, look at their teeth, and do other jobs.Researchers can also walk or sit with bears for hours and make videos to learn about their everyday lives. In both places, the main purpose is the same--to make sure there is a healthy population of black bears. But theresearch methods and the kinds of information that researchers, are able to collect are quite different. Which of the following may NOT be included in the New Jersey studies on bears? A The age. B The way of their communication. C The weight. D The number of babies they produce. Answer: B. The way of their communication. Dear Frank, Thank you for your email. I'm very glad you are having a good trip now. Ottawa is very beautiful in May. I hope I can have a chance to go there one day. Our summer holiday will start next month. I like my summer holiday, although it's hot at that time in America. In summer holiday, I can swim in the sea and go fishing. It's so cool. And I am going to our hometown near Chicago with my sister, Linda, and my parents agree .Our uncle lives there, so Linda and I can stay with him. We are not going to take a plane. We are going there by train. I am going to fish there. And Linda likes painting. She is going to do some painting there. I'm sure we'll have a good time. Sincerely, Jack Jack and Linda are going to live in the home of _ . A their friend's B their teacher's C their uncle's D their grandparents' Answer: C. their uncle's
All her life, my mother wanted busy children. It was very important that her house should remain at all things clean and tidy. You could turn your back for a moment in my mother's house, leave a half written letter on the dining room table, a magazine open on the chair, and turn around to find that my mother had "put it back where it belonged." as she explained. My wife, on one of her first visits to my mother's house, placed a packet of biscuits on an end table and went to the kitchen to fetch a drink. When she returned, she found the packet had been removed. Confused , she set down her drink and went back to the kitchen for more biscuits, only to return to find that her drink had disappeared. Up to then she had guessed that everyone in my family held onto their drinks, so as not to make water rings on the end tables. Now she knows better. These disappearances had a confusing effect on our family. We were all inclined to (......) forgetfulness, and it was common for one of us, upon returning from the bathroom, to find the every sign of his work in progress had disappeared suddenly. "Do you remember what I was doing?" was a question frequently asked, but rarely answered. Now _ , and my brother does the cleaning in his house, perhaps to avoid having to be the one to lift his feet. I try not to think about it too much, but I have at this later time started to dust the furniture once a week. Which of the following is TRUE about my mother? Everywhere you will always find "the white--haired boy", sometimes called "the fair-haired boy" He gets special treatment, as if he were above everybody else. You will find him in school, in college, at home, or where you work. In school, he is the teacher's pet, her darling who can do nothing wrong. Sometimes she lets him do little jobs for her. He comes to class in the morning, all shiny and clean, He is always raising his hand, ready with an answer to the teacher's questions. And he knows all the answers. _ especially if you are at the bottom of the class and the teacher thinks you are stupid. How you hate the white-haired boy! In college, he walks--more often strides--across the school grounds as if he owned them. Sometimes he wears a colorful football or basketball shirt or sweater, with a bright red, or green or yellow college letter proudly worn on the front of it--as a big B, for Bullfinch University. What broad shoulders, what muscles he has! He makes the girls happy by just smiling at them. He has the mark of success on him. At home, "the fair-haired boy" is mother's choice, her favorite. Sometimes, he is the oldest son--at times, the youngest. If you are in between, you are out of luck. On the job, you might meet another of these "white-haired boys"; you cannot escape him. For some strange reason, he is the man who always moves ahead. He gets better and better jobs, with more and more money. But you stand still, wondering why, and trying to explain to your-self why you hate him so much. Then, you discover that there are others who share your feelings, ready to "let their hair down" --to tell you their private thoughts. One of them asks: "What does he have that I haven't got?" You ask yourself the same question. Finally, there comes a day when you decide to stop hating him. Is it perhaps because he has been made boss and you find yourself working for him? In the author's opinion, the reason why you finally stop hating the white-haired boy is that _ There's a whole lot of things that people fill their stomachs with. Some of them keep people alive. Some of them taste good to people. Some of them help people win pie-eating contests. Alcohol does none of these things. Why do people keep drinking it? And what does it do once it gets to their stomachs? There are all kinds of alcohol molecules , but the one that people most often pour down their throat is ethanol . Ethanol is very tiny and it dissolves in water, so it gets into all sorts of places that it's not supposed to. Alcohol heads for the digestive system. Because it dissolves in water, it can get into the water in the bloodstream. Because ethanol, to a certain extent, can pass through cell membranes . It can go almost anywhere. It spreads through the muscles, and is sweated -- unmetabolized and whole -- through the skin. It gets into the heart. It even takes a walk through the brain, and this is the secret of its powers. Alcohol depresses the nerves, and the nerves affect almost every area of the body. Enough alcohol makes people sleep, so people who become unconscious choke on their own vomit . Most worryingly, enough alcohol can shut down those parts of the brain just like any other parts. People become unconscious and their brains simply forget to breathe. Alcohol is broken down in the liver. Alcohol doesn't destroy the liver, but products that the liver breaks the alcohol into do cause damage. A glass of wine per day can not do any harm. Instead, it can prevent heart attacks or can make someone functionally young. And it is kind of nice to know that sometimes, relaxation and cheer can be bottled. All that's needed is to take care how much alcohol is let into a person's brain. How does the author introduce the topic of the text? Friendship is the most important thing in the world. But now do you find a real friendship and keep it? An American writer tells young students some smart ways to find friends. He says finding friendship is just like planting a tree. You plant the seed and take care of it to make it grow. First, to make friends, you must be kind and friendly to others. You should learn to smile at others and try to make a stranger feel at home. _ . Second, friends should negotiate instead of quarrel . When you don't agree with someone, please discuss with him or her. But even the best friends can quarrel. After the quarrel, you have to talk to him or her. If he or she doesn't want to talk, you could write a letter. Tell him or her how you are feeling, and explain why you did this or that. Finally, never believe in those who leave you when you are in trouble. And never leave your friend when he or she is in trouble. Remember, a friend in need is a friend indeed. The American writer thinks finding friendship is just like _ . Li Ming likes walking. He goes for a walk after his father comes back from work. Li Ming likes water very much. He often throws his toys into the water. He plays with the water and sometimes he is wet all over . His mother says, "You are from fish, I think."Li Ming is very glad. "Yes, I like fish very much because fish can swim." One Sunday morning, Li Ming goes to a park with his father. There are many trees and flowers in the park. There are a lot of people in the park. Some of them are sitting under the trees. Some of them are sitting at the tables and having tea or drinks. There is a big swimming pool in the middle of the park. Li Ming asks his father to take him to the pool. "Why do you want to go there?" asks his father. "I want to learn swimming,"answers Li Ming. "And you can teach me , I think." "You are too young. And I'm sorry I can't swim." says his father. "You can't swim? Wang Hai's father swims very well. Why can't you swim?" "His father likes eating fish. So he swims very well." Says his father. "Oh, I see,"says Li Ming. "But you like eating chicken very much. Can you lay eggs ?"asks Li Ming. ,. Li Ming's father doesn't _ on Sundays.
February 11th is the birthday of the most famous American inventor,Thomas Alva Edison.Edison was born in 1847.He was not a good student when he was a young boy.His teacher said he was one of the most dumb headed students .He did badly in many subjects and left school after only three months.So his mother took him home and taught him herself.Edison didn't like school at all,but he loved science.He liked to ask questions. One day his father found him sitting on some eggs.His father asked him why.The boy didn't answer.He asked his father instead,"Why can't I hatch chickens,but hens can?" Edison invented 1328 things in his life,and these things made our lives more comfortable and the world more beautiful.People will never forget him. Edison's teacher said _ . Answer: One afternoon last week, I saw three tearful children from my son's school being comforted by teachers. That morning, my 11-year-old had stomach pains, retching into a bowl. Talking to other mothers later, I heard about other children with stomachache or difficult sleeping the night before. What caused so much pain? Sports day. Sports day might be necessary at a highly-competitive independent school, but not at a village primary school. For the children who can fly like the wind, sports day cause no problem. For those who are overweight or just not good at sport, it is nightmare . Even for those who enjoy running but fall halfway down the track in front of the entire school and their parents, it can prove a disease. Why do we put our children through this annual suffering? Some may say competition is character building; or it's taking part, not winning, that's important; or that's a tradition of school life. I just felt great pity for those children in tears or in pain. Team games at the end of sports day produced some close races, wild enthusiasm, lots of shouting -- and were fun to watch. More importantly, the children who were not so fast or quick at passing the ball were hidden a little from everyone's eyes. Some of them also had the thrill of being on the winning side. I wish that sports day could be abandoned and replaced with some other less competitive event. Perhaps an afternoon of team games, with a few races for those who want them, would be less stressful for the children and a lot more fun to watch. What is the author's attitude towards sports day? Answer: Ice Hotel Quebec, located 30 minutes west of Downtown Quebec City, Canada, is only open during the winter season. The hotel is made entirely of ice. The two galleries at the Ice Hotel Quebec feature events such as ice painting and ice sculpture competitions. Things to Do Guests have a choice of different winter vacation activities, including cross-country skiing, ice skating, dog sledding , ice fishing and sliding . Ice Hotel Quebec has a sauna( ),so remember to pack your bathing suit. Rooms & Suites The hotel offers 18 rooms and 14 theme suites built from 12,000 tons of snow and 400 tons of ice. The walls at Ice Hotel Quebec are four feet thick and allow the hotel to keep a temperature of -2degC to -5degC. The furniture at the hotel is made of snow and ice, including the beds. The beds are equipped with a thick foam mattress and an extra thick sleeping bag. That is enough to prevent you from catching a cold. Vacation Tip Ice Hotel Quebec offers 30-minute guided public tours daily from 10:30am to 4:30pm. It costs $15 CAD for adults, $7.5 for children (under eight), $13for students\seniors (above sixty), and $42 for families. Plan This Vacation Ice Hotel Quebec-Canada will be open for its sixth season from January 5thto April 1st. Costs for overnight stays start at $199CAD per person. If you're looking for something really different to do on your next trip, think creatively and plan to visit the truly unusual Ice Hotel Quebec! If you visit the Ice Hotel, you can enjoy the following EXCEPT _ . Answer: Travel Voucher : Please download Travel Voucher from this website.For every confirmed booking you will be required to print a voucher which is presented at the destination.You will receive a link to your voucher by email once your booking is confirmed. Which of the following is NOT the place that the visitors will go to? Answer: Northern Lights Tour Located in the middle of the northern lights belt, Tromso can offer some of the highest levels of northern lights activity on earth. Perhaps Tromso is the world's best place for a Northern Lights Tour. Join one of our Northern Lights Holidays this winter. It could become one of the greatest experiences in your life. DESTINATION Tromso county, Norway. PRICE $450 per person WHEN 2th September until 31st March. PICK-UP Each evening at 6 PM outside your hotel. DROP-OFF Earliest at 12 AM. When we have a sighting we often stay out later, at no extra cost. SIZE OF GROUP Maximum 8 participants is recommended and normal, but not absolute. A small group allows more freedom in terms of chasing the northern lights. INCLUDED - Transportation each day in a comfortable car - A meal each day - All necessary equipment such as snowshoes, flashlight, water-filled bottle, woolen underwear, a warm, hat, warm shoes, warm stockings, and reindeer skin to lie on, if needed. - A guide who will do anything necessary to find the northern lights. EXCITING CHASE A Northern Lights Holiday means an intense and exciting chase--to the coast or deep into the wild, perhaps even to the Finnish border. Each day on a Northern Lights Tour we contact meteorologists shortly before departure to get accurate information. In order to find out where we will have best chances to see the northern lights. WE GUARANTEE A GREAT TRIP The northern lights are unpredictable, but we guarantee that we will do everything to find _ . Patience is a keyword on Northern Lights Tour. ECO-TOURISM We offer ecologically sustainable and responsible tours. Travelling in small groups is an essential part of the ecotourism concept, as small groups have lesser impact on nature and will not disturb the wildlife unnecessarily. A small group is preferred for the following reasons EXCEPT that _ . Answer:
Question: From the health point of view we are living in a marvelous age. We are immunized from birth against many of the most dangerous diseases. A large number of once fatal illnesses can now be cured by modern drugs and surgery. It is almost certain hat one day remedies will be found for the most stubborn remaining diseases. The expectation of life has increased enormously. But though the possibility of living a long and happy life is greater than ever before, every day we witness the incredible slaughter of men, women and children on the roads. Man versus the motorcar! It is a never-ending battle which man is losing. Thousands of people the world over are killed or horribly killed each year and we are quietly sitting back and letting it happen. It has been rightly said that when a man is sitting behind a steering wheel, his car becomes the extension of his personality. There is no doubt that the motorcar often brings out a man's very worst qualities. People who are normally quiet and pleasant may become unrecognizable when they are behind a steering-wheel. They are ill-mannered and aggressive, willful as two-years-olds and utterly selfish. All their hidden frustrations, disappointments and jealousies seem to be brought to the surface by the act of driving. The surprising thing is that society smiles so kindly on the motorist and seems to forgive his behavior. Everything is done for his convenience. Cities are allowed to become almost uninhabitable because of heavy tragic; towns are made ugly by huge car parks; the countryside is desecrated by road networks; and the mass annual slaughter becomes nothing more than a statistic, to be conveniently forgotten. It is high time a world code were created to reduce this senseless waste of human life. With regard to driving, the laws of some countries are notoriously lax and even the strictest are not strict enough. A code which was universally accepted could only have a dramatically beneficial effect on the accident rate. Here are a few examples of some of the things that might be done. The driving test should be standardized and made far more difficult than it is; all the drivers should be made to take a test every three years or so, the age at which young people are allowed to drive any vehicle should be raised to at least 21; all vehicles should be put through strict annual tests for safety. Even the smallest amount of alcohol in the blood can weaken a person's driving ability. Present drinking and drinking laws (where they exist) should be made much stricter. Maximum and minimum speed limits should be enforced on all roads. Governments should lay down safety specifications for manufacturers. All advertising stressing power and performance should be banned. These measures may sound extremely harsh. But surely nothing should be considered as too severe if it results in reducing the annual loss of human life. After all, the world is for human being, not motorcars. What does the author think of society toward motorists? A. Society smiles on motorists. B. Huge car parks are built in cities and towns. C. Victims of accidents are nothing. D. Society forgives their rude driving. Answer: D. Society forgives their rude driving. Question: If you go to Egypt, you'll see a lot of pyramids. The biggest of all is the Great Pyramid. It is about 137 meters high and made of 2,300,000 big stones. Each stone weighs about two and a half tons .The biggest ones even weigh fifteen tons. It took more than 100,000 men twenty years to build it. Nobody can tell just how the men cut, carried and lifted the huge stones without our modern machines . The Egyptian kings told the people to build the pyramids for themselves. They thought they had tombs strong enough to keep their bodies well until they came back to life. But they never thought that about 5,000 years later their bodies would be on show in museums. The Great Pyramid is about _ and made of _ huge stones. A. 137 metres high; 100;000 B. 137 high metres; 2;300;000 C. 137 metres; 2;300;000 D. 137 meters high; 2;300;000 Answer: D. 137 meters high; 2;300;000 Question: All schools have their own rules. The rules change from one school to another. Some schools are much stricter than others. There are also some rules that are strange or funny to us. Here are some funny school rules: Strict Japanese rules Most schools ask students to wear uniforms, such as sports suits or skirts. But Japanese schools even have rules about the colour of underwear ! They also require that girls' socks should be folded in a certain way and boys' heads should be shaved . Other Japanese schools tell students that they can't go to the movies after sunset. Different shoes in the USA At some American schools, students have to change their shoes when they go into the schools every day. This makes sure students won't fall over on the floors and keeps the schools clean. No strange hair in the UK Strange hairstyles are not allowed in some British schools. But they might allow students to wear certain hairstyles during the World Cup years. There were two students who had special hairstyles during the 2002 World Cup. After the World Cup, their teachers asked them to go to the barber's at once. What's the best title of the passage? A. Different school uniforms B. Different hairstyles C. Different shoes D. Different school rules Answer: D. Different school rules Question: He met her at the party. She was so outstanding, with many boys around her, while he was so normal, with nobody paying attention to him. At the end of the party, he invited her to have coffee with him. She was surprised, but due to being polite, she agreed. They sat in a nice coffee shop. He was too nervous to say anything, and she felt uncomfortable, thinking, "Please let me go home." Suddenly he asked the waiter, "Would you please give me some salt? I'd like to put it in my coffee." Everybody stared at him---so strange! His face turned red, but, still, he put the salt in his coffee and drank it. She asked him curiously, "Why do you have this hobby?" He replied, "When I was a little boy, I lived near the sea. I liked playing in the sea, and I could feel the taste of the sea, just like the taste of the salty coffee. Now every time I have the salty coffee, I always think of my childhood. I miss my hometown so much. I miss my parents who are still living there." While saying that, tears filled his eyes. She was deeply touched. That's his true feeling, from the bottom of his heart. A man who can tell about his homesickness must be a man who loves home, cares about home, and has a good sense of responsibility. Then she also started to speak, about her faraway hometown, her childhood, her family. That was a really nice talk, also a beautiful beginning of their story. They continued to date. She found that actually he was a man who meets all her demands: he was kind-hearted, warm and careful. He was such a good person but ! Thanks to his salty coffee! Then the story was just like every beautiful love story, the princess married the prince, then they were living a happy life...And, every time she made coffee for him, she put some salt in the coffee. After 40 years, he passed away, leaving her a letter which said, "My dearest, please forgive my whole-life lie. This was the only lie I said to you ---the salty coffee." "Remember the first time we dated? I was so nervous at that time. Actually I wanted some sugar, but I said salt. It was hard for me to change so I just went ahead." "I tried to tell you the truth many times in my life, but I was too afraid to do that, as I have promised not to lie to you for anything." "Now I'm dying, I'm afraid of nothing so I tell you the truth: I don't like the salty coffee. What a strange and bad taste! But I have had the salty coffee for my whole life!" "Since I knew you, I never feel sorry for anything I do for you. Having you with me is my biggest happiness for my whole life. If I can live for a second time, I still want to know you and have you for my whole life, even though I have to drink the salty coffee again." Her tears made the letter totally wet. Someday, someone asked her, "What's the taste of salty coffee?" "It's sweet," she replied. It is implied in the passage that the woman _ when reading the letter left by her husband. A. was confused about his behavior B. was touched by his white lie C. felt sorry to know the truth too late D. felt angry about his dishonesty Answer: B. was touched by his white lie Question: David is a twelve-year-old boy. He is tall and strong with short blond hair. He likes sports and reading. Every week David gets ten dollars from his parents. This money is his weekly pocket money. It's not a present. David must work for the family to get the money. On Monday, David must sweep the floor and walk the dog after he finishes his homework. On Tuesday, David must take out the rubbish bags in the morning and clean the garden after school. On Wednesday, he should wash the dishes and clean the kitchen after dinner. On Thursday, he helps his mother do some cooking. Sometimes he has to go to the supermarket to buy some food and drinks. On Friday, he should water (...... ) the flowers in the garden after school. On Saturday and Sunday, David doesn't need to do the housework, so he goes to the cinema with his classmates or does some shopping in the shopping mall. David wants to buy a new football, but he doesn't have enough money. He is looking forward to getting more pocket money. David _ on Wednesday. A. takes out the rubbish bags B. buys some food and drinks C. washes the dishes and cleans the kitchen D. goes to the cinema with his classmates Answer: C. washes the dishes and cleans the kitchen
For medical students, real experience begins not in a classroom but at a teaching hospital. These doctors in training are guided. But sometimes accidents happen and the students get injured. For example, they might stick themselves with a needle while treating patients. Such needle sticks are common. But a recent study found that medical students often fail to report them. Failing to report an injury like this can be dangerous if a patient, or a medical worker, has an infectious disease. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, did the study, which involved a survey answered by almost 700 surgeons in training in the United States. Almost 60% said they had suffered needle stick injuries when they were in medical school. Many said they were stuck more than once. Yet nearly half of those whose most recent incident happened in school did not report it to a health office. If they had, they would have been tested to see if they needed treatment to prevent an infection like HIV or hepatitis. Most known cases of HIV or hepatitis are reported, but other possible infections often are not. Martin Makary, the lead author of the study, says medical students who are stuck put themselves and others in danger from infectious diseases. Doctor Makary said, "A needle that goes through the skin needs to be as sharp as possible." Doctors in training may have to do hundreds of stitches in some cases to close the skin after an operation. Doctor Makary said, "I support using _ tip needles which are considered safer. This needle is still sharp enough to go through body tissue, but it does have a blunt tip, so that if it accidentally goes into my finger, it's much less likely to hurt me." How common are needle sticks among health care workers? An estimated 600,000 to 800,000 of these and similar injuries are reported each year in the United States. But Doctor Makary says the real number may be much higher. The study advises doctors to protect their hands by wearing two sets of gloves. It also urges hospitals to establish a special telephone number for medical workers and students to call if they are injured. The idea is for hospitals to send a clear message that there is no reason not to report this kind of accident. If they report needle stick injuries, medical students will _ . Answer: While all my classmates seen to be crazy about a one-way ticket to Mars , I'd rather say Mars is totally unsuitable for human existence. People won't have enough food supplies there, and the terrible environment would make it impossible for them to live a long life. Besides, the journey won't be safe. Can anybody explain to me just why people would go to Mars, never to return? Steve Minear, UK Here are the things you can think of: the desire to explore a foreign and unique environment, the excitement of being the first humans to open up a new world, the expectation of fame and glory...For scientists there is another reason. Their observations and research will probably lead to great scientific achievements. Donal Trollop, Canada There are already too many people on the Earth. I think that sometime before the end of the century, there will be a human colony on Mars. It will happen when people finally realize that tow-way trips to the red planet Mars are unnecessary. Most of the danger of space Flight is in the launches and landings. Cutting the trip home would therefore reduce the danger of accidents, save a lot of money, and open the way to building an everlasting human settlement on another world. Enough supplies can be sent on ahead. And every two years more supplies and more people will needs, and Mars is far more pleasant than the other planets in the outer space. Paul Davies. USA Paul Davies points out that _ . Answer: Biologists have discovered that the beluga whales of Canada's St. Lawrence River have the highest rates of cancer among animals. What is most likely the reason for this high incidence of cancer in these whales? Answer: The first day of school, our professor introduced an old lady Rose to us. "Why are you in college at such an age?" I asked her. She replied, "I always dreamed of having a college education and now I'm getting one!" We became friends quickly. At the end of the term I invited Rose to make a speech to our football team. I'll never forget what she taught us. She said, "There are some secrets of staying young and being happy. You have to laugh and find humor every day. You must have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you will die. There is a huge difference between growing old and growing up. Anybody can grow older. That doesn't need any _ or ability. To grow up, you must always find the opportunity in change. Have no regrets. The people who are afraid of death are those with regrets." At the end of the year, Rose finished her college. One week after graduation, Rose died peacefully in her sleep. We would always remember the great woman. At the end of the term the writer invited Rose to _ . Answer: Because I will be away for a few days after Spring Break, I am writing this during the actual holiday, when I can use time to catch up on a number of purely administrative items. First of all, you should have received the letter I sent out on April 2 advising of the transition arrangements to new leadership at ISM (International School of Moscow). In that letter I pointed out that Dr. Paul Malone will be arriving in Moscow on Monday, May 4th, and that I will work with him during that week to ensure smooth transition. My last day at ISM will be Friday, May 8th. Several people have asked me why I required Dr. Malone to come early. There are many problems facing ISM at the moment which have major implications for the future, and it makes sense for the new director to come aboard before the end of the school year. This will give him the chance to play a major role in the planning process for 2014--2015 and beyond. The fact that Paul Malone is able to arrive in early May is good for the school. I have been working closely with him, and will do everything possible to see that he can move in easily when I leave. From here I will go to Hong Kong for a couple of weeks to spend time in my new situation, and then I will return to the United States for a few weeks' vacation. In the most recent edition of the Compass(a kind of paper of ISM), I wrote briefly what I consider to be the major challenge for ISM in the future. I am sure that the new leadership of the school will be able to face those challenges in an active manner, which will ensure a strong future for the school. I shall certainly watch the progress of the school with interest. The results of the school for the past few years have been quite outstanding, and I fully expect that level of performance to continue. Why should Dr. Malone come to ISM early? Answer:
Tom was three years old. He liked to watch TV with his parents after supper, but his parents never let him stay long. Mother would say, "It's eight o'clock now. It's time for you to go to bed, Tom." "But why don't you go to bed, too?" Tom always asked. "We are adults ," mother would say, "And adults go to bed late." One evening Tom asked his mother for an apple. "But it's too late," his mother didn't want to give him anything to eat at bedtime. "The apples are already asleep." "But not all of them, Mom." Tom said, "The baby apples are perhaps asleep, but their parents are surely awake." His parents _ let him stay long. Answer: In China,cultural differences arose from growing rice or wheat.Different thinking styles between northern and southern Chinese people can trace their roots to rice fields and wheat fields. Rice farming promotes a holistic focus on distinguishing relationships among people and objects,and valuing others as much as or more than oneself, say psychologist Thomas Talhelm of the University of Virginia and his colleagues.Holistic thinking among many modem Chinese people partly reflects regional histories of building communal irrigation systems and cooperatively planting and harvesting rice fields over thousands of years. They draw that conclusion based on studies of college students from regions with different agricultural practices.Students from southern and central China's rice.growing provinces think holistically, even though they have probably never farmed rice,Talhelm's group reports.In contrast,students from northern and central Chinese provinces that have specialized in wheat growing exhibit a preference for abstract analysis and self over others,the scientists find.Wheat is less labor-intensive to grow than rice,SO farmers can plant and harvest crops without much help from neighbors.Analytical,individualistic thinking is not more common among students from richer Provinces, contrary to the argument that this attitude springs from modernization. "Rice theory might explain why East Asia is so much less individualistic than expected based on its wealth, " Talhelm says. Talhelm,s team tested 1,162 Chinese students,who Viewed lists of three items,such as a rabbit,a dog and a carrot. For each list,students chose two items that belonged together. Earlier research found that analytical thinkers often group items according to categories,so rabbits and dogs go together.Holistic thinkers tend to 1ook for relationships,such as rabbits eating carrots. Students from rice-growing areas made an average of around seven to nine holistic matches of 10 possible matches,compared with roughly f1ve to seven holistic matches for those from Wheat-growing areas. Talhelm's team also analyzed national statistics in China from 1 996,2000 and 2010 and found a higher divorce rate and a greater number of successful patents for new inventions in wheat-growing provinces than in rice-growing provinces. That trend is in line with the ides that analytical thinking develops both individualism and creativity. People who think holistically probably _ . Answer: Matt and his wife lived in the country. Matt was very mean and hated spending money. One day a fair came to the nearby town. They went to the fair and looked at all the things to buy. Matt's wife wanted to buy a hat only costing $28, but was refused. Later on, a comb of $5 attracted her attention, but he would not let her spend any money. Then, in a nearby field, they saw a small airplane. "Fun flight!" the notice said, "$10 for 10 minutes." Matt had never been in an airplane and he wanted to go on a fun flight. However, he didn't want to pay for his wife either. "I've only got $10," he told the pilot. "Can my wife come with me for free?" The pilot wasn't selling many tickets, so he said, "I'll make a bargain with you. If your wife doesn't scream, she can have a free flight." Matt agreed, and got into the small airplane with his wife. The pilot took off and made his airplane do all kinds of things. At one moment it was flying upside down. When the plane landed, the pilot said, "OK, your wife didn't make a sound. She can have her ride free." "Thank you," Matt said, "it wasn't easy for her, you know, especially when she fell out." The passage is intended to _ . Answer: Are you worried by the rising crime rate? If you are, you probably know that your house, possessions and person are increasingly in danger of suffering from great rise in the cases of burglary(;) and attack. Figures show an ever-increasing crime rate, but it is only too easy to imagine "It will never happen to me". Unfortunately, statistics show that it really can happen to you and, if you live in a large city, you run twice the risk of being a victim. Fortunately, there is something definite which you can do. Protect Alarms can help to protect your house with a burglar alarm system which is effective, simple to operate and easily affordable. You must remember that owning a burglar alarm is no indication that your house is packed with valuable possessions. It quite simply indicates to unwelcome visitors that yours is one house they will not break into easily, so they carry on to an unprotected house where their job is made a lot easier. Send now for our free leaflet telling you how we can Protect Alarm your house quickly, easily and cheaply. Complete and tear off the slip below and post it to us. Postage is free. Also, telephone us on 327 6721 where we have a round-the-clock answering service. It costs nothing to find out about Protect Alarm. Anyone who takes an interest in the crime rate will, according to the text, be aware that _ . Answer: The way to teach the kids to take good care of pets The best way to teach your child how to be responsible pet caregivers is to be on yourself. This should start before you even get a pet--make sure you have realistic expectations about pet ownership. And take steps to select the right animal at the right time. As soon as you bring a pet in, set up and enforce rules regarding proper pet care. For example, tell your child not to pull the animal's tail, ears, or other body parts, and insist they never tease(,), hit, or chase it. Teach the child how to properly pick up, hold, and pat the animal. These simple lessons are essential to helping the kid become a responsible caretaker. Although a certain pet-care activity must be handled by an adult, you can still include your child by explaining why and what you're doing. For example, when you take your pet to the veterinarian to be spayed or neutered, explain to your child how the operation not only reduces pet overpopulation but can also make it healthier, calmer, and more affectionate. Also involve your child in a pet-training activity, which not only make your pet a more well-mannered family member, but teach your child humane treatment and effective communication. Ultimately, your child will learn how to treat animals--and people--by watching how you treat the family pet. And they'll pay close attention to how you react when a pet scratches the furniture, barks excessively, or soils in the house. Frustrating as these problems are, "getting rid of" the pet isn't just unfair to the pet and your child, but it also sends the wrong message about commitment, trust, and responsibility. When faced with pet problems, get to the root of the problem. Often a veterinarian, animal shelter professional, or dog trainer can help you resolve pet issues so you can keep the whole family together. According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE? Answer:
A cactus stood all alone in the desert, wondering why it was stuck in the middle of nowhere."I do nothing but stand here all day," it sighed."What use am I? I'm the ugliest plant in the desert.My spines are thick and prickly , my leaves are rubbery and tough, I can't offer shade or juicy fruit to any passing traveler.I don't see that I'm any use at all." All it did was stand in the sun day after day, growing taller and fatter.Its spines grew longer and its leaves tougher...It truly was strange-looking. "I wish I could do something useful," it sighed.By day, hawks circled high overhead."What can I do with my life?" the cactus called.Whether they heard or not, the hawks sailed away.At night, the moon floated into the sky and cast its pale glow on the desert floor."What good can 1 do with my life?" the cactus Called: The moon only stared coldly as it goes on its way.A lizard crawled by, leaving a little trail in the sand with its tail."What worthy thing can I do?" the cactus called."You?" the lizard laughed, pausing a moment."Worthy deed? Why, you can't do anything! The hawks circle ways overhead, tracing delicate patterns for us all to admire.The moon hangs high like a lantern at night, so we can see our way home.Even I, the lowly lizard can decorate the sands with these beautiful brush-drawings as I pull my tail along.But you do nothing but get uglier every day." And so it went on year after year.At last the cactus grew old, and it knew its time was short."Oh, God" it cried out, "I've wondered so long, and I've tried so hard.Forgive me if I've failed to find something worthy to do." But just then the cactus felt a strange stirring and unfolding.At its very tip, like a sudden crown, a glorious flower suddenly opened in bloom. Never had the desert known such a blossom.Its fragrance perfumed the air far and wide and brought happiness to all passing by. The butterflies paused to admire its beauty, and even the moon smiled when it rose to find such a treasure.The cactus heard a voice."You have waited long," the God said."the heart that seeks to do good reflects My glory, and will always bring something worthwhile to the world, something in which all can rejoice --even if for only a moment." Whose attitude to the cactus is the worst? A The hawks'. B The moon's. C The lizard's. D The butterflies'. Answer: C . As the world's largest terrestrial carnivore ,the polar bear is the king of the great white north. Adult males can measure more than 9 feet in length and weigh between 770 and 1,430 pounds. The bear's body and neck are elongated, and the head is narrow and long with small, rounded ears. Polar bear populations can be found in northern Canada, Greenland, Norway and Russia, and there have been reports that polar bear tracks have been found as far north as the North Pole. The 5,000,000-square-mile range of the polar bear circles the Arctic and contains stretches of open water where seals are easily caught. Polar bears live on the annual Arctic sea ice that provides a platform from which they can hunt. They hunt seals on the sea ice by breaking into seal dens in the sea ice. The dens aren't visible from above,but seeing is less important than smelling to a polar bear -- with their keen sense of smell,polar bears can sense the breathing holes of seals in their dens beneath the snow and ice. As the southern edge of the Arctic ice cap melts in summer, polar bears are stranded on land and spend their summers fasting ,living off body fat stored from hunting in spring and winter. It might come as a surprise that this species faces an uncertain future. Climate change is causing the disappearance of sea ice from which polar bears hunt seals. Sea ice in the Arctic is melting earlier and forming later each year. With about 22,000 polar bears living in the wild,the species is not endangered at the moment, but its future is far from certain. People have reached an agreement that controls the hunting of polar bears and directs each nation to protect their habitats, but it does not protect the bears against the biggest man-made threat to their survival : global warming. If current warming trends continue, scientists believe that polar bears may disappear within 100 years. Polar bears search for seals mainly through their _ . A eyes B ears C noses D necks Answer: C Moving to a new town or even a new neighborhood is stressful at any age, but a new study shows that frequent moves in childhood are related to poorer well-being in adulthood, especially among people who are more introverted or neurotic . The researchers tested the relationship between the number of childhood moves and well-being in a sample of 7108 American adults who were followed for 10 years. "We know that children who move frequently are more likely to perform poorly in school and have more behavioral problems," said the study's lead author Shigehiro Oishi. "However, the long-term effects of moving on well-being in adulthood have been overlooked by researchers." The study's participants, who were between the ages of 20 and 75, were contacted in 1994 and 1995 and were surveyed again 10 years later. They were asked how many times they had moved as children, as well as about their psychological well-being, personality type and social relationships. The researchers found that the more times people moved as children, the more likely they were to report lower life satisfaction and psychological well-being at the time they were surveyed. The research also showed that those who moved frequently as children had fewer quality social relationships as adults. The researchers also looked to see if different personality types affected frequent movers' well-being. Among introverts, the more moves participants reported as children, the worse off they were as adults. "Moving a lot makes it difficult for people to keep long-term close relationships." Said Oishi. "This might not be a serious problem for outgoing people who can make friends quickly and easily." The findings showed neurotic people who moved frequently reported less life satisfaction and poorer psychological well-being than people who did not move as much and people who were not neurotic. However, the number and quality of neurotic people's relationships had no effect on their well-being, no matter how often they had moved as children. In the article, Oishi thinks this may be because neurotic people have more negative reactions to stressful life events in general. "We can guess that moving often creates more stress," Oishi said. "But we need more research on this link before we can conclude that moving often in childhood can, in fact, be dangerous to your health in the long-term." What is the purpose of the study? A To show the relationship between moving and performance in school B To show the relationship between moving and well-being C To investigate Americans' well-being in general D To research the personality types of Americans Answer: B COURSE: History 101 "Instruction to American History" INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Jane Klammer OFFICE: 305 Marshall Hall OFFICE HOURS: 11:15 -12:30 M, W, F, (Monday Wednesday Friday) CLASS: 363 Marshall Hall 3:35 -5:00 T, Th (Tuesday Thursday) 10:00-11:00 M, W, F, other times by appointment TELEPHONE: 255---4786 TEXTBOOK: Green, Robert P. ,The American Tradition; Charles E. A History of the United States, Merrill Publishing Co. Columbus, Ohio 1984 which is available (that can be obtained) at the College Bookstore. COURSE REQUIREMENT: (something needed) mid-term exam: October 10 20% of the final grade final exam: December 10 40% of the final grade Term paper due: December 15 40% of the final grade Attendance is not required, but you are responsible for all the information given in the class lectures. In the lectures I will talk about the chapters in the textbook and other material that I choose to supplement the course. The exams will cover all the information. Therefore, I advise you to come to the classroom as much as possible. If you have to miss a class, be sure to get the class notes from another student. Your homework assignments are listed on the next page. You are supposed to read the chapter about which I will be lecturing before you come to class. This is to make sure that you understand as much as possible while taking notes in my lectures. Be prepared when you come to class. If there are any changes in the assigned homework, I will announce in class. The term paper is 40% of your final grade. It should not exceed15 pages. (Anyone thinking of majoring in history may write 25 pages). Before the mid-term exam you will choose the topic for your paper. Have a good term! According to the passage, which of the following is true? A The textbook is written by Dr. Jane Klammer. B If you have to miss a class, be sure to say sorry to Prof. Klammer. C The student can buy "Introduction to American History" at the College Bookstore. D Prof. Klammer advises her students to take notes in her class. Answer: D Many people have long dreamed of being able to fly around as simply as riding a bicycle. Yet the safety and strength of a flying bike was always a big problem. Over the past 10 years, developments in technology have moved the dream of personal flying vehicles closer to reality. Now, two groups of inventors say such vehicles may be available very soon. Grant Stapleton from Malloy Aeronautics says the Hoverbike, which is able to get in and out of small spaces very quickly, will be a truly personal flying vehicle. "It can be moved across continents very quickly because it can be folded and packed," he adds. Mr. Stapleton says safety was the company's main concern when developing the Hoverbike. He ays the designers solved the safety issue by using overlapping rotors to power the vehicle. The company is testing both a one-third size model and a full-size prototype of the Hoverbike. Inventors say their Hoverbike will most likely be used first by the police and emergency rescue teams. In New Zealand, the Martin Aircraft Company is also testing a full-size prototype of its personal flying bike, called Jetpack. It can fly for more than 30 minutes, up t0 1,000 meters high and reach a speed of 74 kilometers per hour. Peter Coker is the CEO of Martin Aircraft Company. He said Jetpack "is built around safety from the start, " In his words, "reliability is the most important part of it. We have safety built into the actual structure itself, very similar to a Formula One racing car. " Jetpack uses a gasoline-powered engine that produces two powerful jet streams. Mr. Coker says it also has a parachute that can be used should there be an emergency. "It opens at a very low altitude and actually saves both the aircraft and the pilot in an emergency," he adds. Who are expected to use the Hoverbike first? A People who dream of flying. B People who really love cycling. C People who design the bike. D People who serve public purposes. Answer: D
Question: Alice's mother died when Alice was five years old. Alice, who grew up to be my mother, told me that after her mother's death her family was too poor to even afford to give her a doll. In December 2012, I had a job at a local bank. One afternoon, we were decorating the tree in the bank lobby . One of my customers approached me with her beautiful handmade dolls. I decided to get one for my daughter, Katie, who was almost five years old. Then I had an idea. I asked my customer if she could make me a special doll for my mother--one with gray hair and spectacles : a grandmother doll. And she gladly agreed. A friend had told me that his dad who played Santa Claus would be willing to make a visit on Christmas morning to our home to deliver my Katie her presents, so I made some special arrangements. Christmas Day arrived and at the planned time; so did Santa Claus. Katie was surprised that Santa had come to see her at her own house. As Santa turned to leave, he looked once more into his bag and found one more gift. As he asked who Alice was, my mother, surprised at her name being called, indicated that she in fact was Alice. Santa handed her the gift, with a message card that read: For Alice: I was cleaning out my sleigh before my trip this year and came across this package that was supposed to be delivered on December 25,1953. The present inside has aged, but I felt that you might still wish to have it. Many apologies for the lateness of the gift. Love, Santa Claus My mother's reaction was one of the most deeply emotional scenes I have ever seen. She couldn't speak but only held the doll she had waited fifty-nine years to receive as tears of joy ran down her cheeks. That doll, given by "Santa", made my mother the happiest "child" that Christmas. The reason why the writer's mother couldn't have a doll when young was that _ . A. Santa Clause forgot to deliver the doll to her B. her daughter couldn't make a doll by herself C. her parents left the doll in the Santa Clause's sleigh D. her family was badly off when she was a child Answer: D Question: SPACE is a lonely place. Hundreds of thousands of kilometers from home, astronauts have a hard life. It stands to reason that, once in a while, they need to have a good cry. But this is a lot harder than it sounds. We still know very little about space, and about living in zero gravity. In fact, we are discovering new things every time astronauts take to the skies (and beyond). As The Atlantic reported in January, crying is not all that simple in space. This is because when a person normally cries, gravity makes their tears move downwards. But in a spacecraft, this is not the case. Here, there is no gravity, which is why we so often see pictures of astronauts floating around. This means that, strangely, when you cry your tears have nowhere to go. As a result, they just stick to your eyes. In May 2011, astronaut Andrew Feustel experienced this. "Tears," as he said, "don't fall off your eye... they just kind of stay there. " This can be quite painful. In space, your eyes get very dry, and the added moisture is irritating . Sometimes, things get even weirder . The astronaut Ron Parise told The Atlantic that when tears get big enough, they "break free of the eye and float around". No one can be quite sure why we cry. Why should water in our eyes have anything to do with feeling sad? If you stop to think about it, crying is a very strange thing indeed. And now, thanks to the wonders of space, it just got even stranger. What can we learn from the passage? A. In space our eyes are very wet. B. Tears will float around if they are big enough in space. C. People know everything about living in zero gravity. D. Gravity makes people's tears move upwards in space. Answer: B Question: It was in the Victorian Era that the novel became the leading form of literature in English. Most writers were more concerned to meet the tastes of the middle class. The best known works of the period included the works of Charles Dickens and the Bronte sisters and others. Charles Dickens came on the literary scene in the 1830s. Dickens wrote vividly about London life and the struggles of the poor. Most of his works were written in a very humorous style, which was popular with readers of all classes. The Bronte sisters were English writers of the 1840s and 1850s. They began to write from early childhood. In 1846 they published the first book at their own expense as poets; however, their book attracted little attention, selling only two copies. Then the sisters turned to writing novels, each producing a novel in the following year. An interest in rural matters and the changing social and economic situation of the countryside may be seen in the novels of Thomas Hardy and a number of others. Literature for children developed as a single style. Some works became well-known, such as those of Lewis Carroll and Edward Lear. Adventure novels were written for adults but are now generally grouped in the list for children. Helen Beatrix Potter was an English author at the end of the Victorian Era, best known for her children's books, which featured animal characters. In her thirties, Potter published the highly successful children's bookThe Tale of Peter Rabbitin 1902. What can we know about Charles Dickens from the text? A. He described the struggles of the poor in London. B. He showed an interest in rural matters in his writing. C. He focused on changing social and economic situation of the countryside. D. He published the highly successful children's book. Answer: A Question: Braking and Stopping Two important factors that influence the distance you take to stop a car are how quickly you react to danger and the speed at which you are traveling. The average reaction time (from the time driver sees danger to when he/she applies the brakes) is two seconds. Reaction time is affected by the driver's levels of tiredness, alcohol and concentration . Braking distance ( the distance travelled after the driver has applied the brakes) depends on factors such as your speed, type of brakes, type pressure and tread , vehicle weight, wind speed, slope of the road, surface smoothness and the driver's braking technique. Remember: As your speed doubles, your total stopping distance more than doubles. At 60km/hr a vehicle will travel 34 meters while the driver is reacting to the danger, and another 21 meters before the car comes to a stop. Total stopping distance is 55 meters. Total stopping distances shown in the graph are for vehicles with good brakes, on a dry smooth level road surface, and fitted with good tyres with the correct depth of tread. If I am alert and my car is in good condition, my total stopping distance will be _ if I am tired and my car is in bad condition. A. more than B. less than C. the same as D. greater than Answer: B Question: Half a century after the March of Dimes (a US charity organization that collects money for children) put the 20th century's most feared childhood disease on the road to eradication , Bill Gates declared polio his important job and challenged world leaders to finish the job. India, Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan now have active transmission of the disease. Gates says the biggest problem with the success of the Global Polio Eradication program in those countries and elsewhere is lack of money. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation plans to increase its $200 million annual contribution by $102 million this year, Gates says. Gates recently met privately with Pakistan's President in Washington, D.C., to try to persuade him to provide full support for Pakistan's eradication plan. Children in the USA also are at risk, experts say. Parents who don't vaccinate their children because they are fearful of vaccine side-effects create a large number of children who are likely to be harmed by the virus. "If you increase the number of unvaccinated children, you increase the chance that this virus will find new subjects," says David Oshinsky, Pulitzer Prized-winning author of Polio: An American Story. "We've got to get this vaccine into the mouths of children," says Bruce Aylward, head of the World Health Organization's eradication program. In 1988, when the World Health Organization launched the Global Polio Eradication program, the disease killed 350,000 children a year worldwide. By last year, the total dropped to fewer than 1,500 worldwide, Aylward says. If Gates provides the final push for polio eradication, he may be remembered as much for helping prevent polio as for founding Microsoft, Oshinsky says. "As long as there's polio anywhere, people everywhere are at risk," Aylawrd says. " According to Oshinsky, _ . A. Gates should devote more time to Microsoft B. polio eradication is a very important cause C. vaccine side-effects should not be ignored D. polio has been brought under control Answer: B

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