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It is probably the strangest sport anyone has ever invented. And at first sight, it looks like the easiest. Competitors have to do two things. The first is to stand still. The second is to place their hand anywhere on the body of a car, and keep it there. This is where things start getting difficult. Lots of other people are doing the same thing. And the winner of the "handathon" contest is the person who can carry on doing it for the longest time. That person gets to own the car. It still seems to be an easy thing to do. At the beginning it is. Anyone can stand still. But when the contest has been going for four or five days, standing still seems like the most difficult job in the world. And keeping the hand in place over this time becomes an act of serious attention. After a few days, the hand seems to belong to someone else--someone who wants to go home and get some sleep. Competitors are allowed to take a five-minute break every hour to eat, drink or do whatever else is necessary. No one is allowed to lean on the car for support. Winners need to be able to show great powers of attention. They also need to be able to develop special skills. Maybe the popularity of the handathon is due to the fact that it is not necessary to be a trained athlete to enter. Entrants in the Longview handathon certainly don't seem to do much preparation. Most say they will prepare by "getting lots of sleep". Others say they will "eat healthy food" or "pray for success". The whole event gives ordinary people the chance to do something interesting and win something at the end. Handathons are competitions, but there is little rivalry between the competitors. They help each other out and keep each other's spirits up. People who drop out early return with food, drink and encouragement for those still standing. Why is handathon popular? Answer: Anyone who is interested can join in it. Dianna was born in a rich family on July 1st,1961. On July 29, 1981, Diana married Prince Charles. Later she gave birth to Prince William and Prince Harry. Dianna enjoyed taking part in international Charities . One day in July 1991, she went to a hospital to see AIDS patients with Barbara Bush, the wife of the president of the United States at the time. Princess Diana talked to an AIDS patient who was unable to stand up. She even hugged him and encouraged him to fight against the illness . The patient was very _ and said, "AIDS patients do need warm hugs." Of course, she made it. Unfortunately, she died in August 1997. British Prime Minister, Tony Blair said in his speech that Diana was the People's Princess. After her death, people set up a fund to remember Diana and help those who need help. What was the aim of setting up the fund? Answer: To help people who need help Help wanted Can you spend two hours a week doing some gardening? We are in need of help from 2 pm to 4 pm every Saturday. If you word like to help out, please call Elaine at 4435--7792 A Telephone Message From:Jessica To:Lucas Date: May5 Time:15:00 Message: She says that you must put on Your sports shoes, cap and sunglasses; bring Somefood and drinks at the school gate at 8 am tomorrow. Tel: 8467-6352. Taken by:Jim Found Feb13,2016/6/30 An ipad was found in the library on the morning of Feb12. Please call 3345--67898 or come to Class 2, Grade 8 to get it. Lost March 7, 2016 Lost near Man Street. Puppy is 6 months old. He is a black schnauzer . He is very important to me. Reward . Please call Allen at 8956--7778. What can you infer according to the fourth piece of information? Answer: We treat him as my family member. My grandfather was a teacher.He was the headmaster of a school for boys between the ages of thirteen and eighteen.I know that he was a kind and gentle man at heart,because when I was young (and he was old),he gave me presents and seated me on his knees,and told me stories.But I believe the boys at his school were afraid of him. At school,when he walked into a classroom full of noisy boys,those boys went red in the faces,and looked down at their shoes.If a boy brought his poor,careless work,which was not the best that boy could do,my grandfather picked up the boy's work and threw it across the room,shouting,"Do it all again,and bring it back early tomorrow morning!" If the boy was late,or if he forgot to bring the work,he had to do it again.My grandfather never forgot. He was a very different man at school,from the man I saw day by day in his own home. When he received poor work,my grandfather _ . Answer: shouted at the boy and threw his work across the room About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas . I didn't even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that was incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which was doctor's code for preparing to die. It meant to try to tell your kids everything you thought you'd have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It meant to make sure everything was buttoned up so that it would be as easy as possible for your family. It meant to say your goodbyes. I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy . I was calm, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I'm fine now. This is the closest I've been to facing death. No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true. Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by the principle -- which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. _ somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary. The author's main purpose in writing the passage is to let the readers _ . Answer: treasure their lifetime to fulfill their own business
Question: The interview has been going on for about 20 minutes and everything seems to be going well.Then, suddenly, the interviewer asks an unexpected question, "Which is more important, law or love?" Job applicants in the West increasingly find themselves asked strange questions like this.And the signs are that this is beginning to happen in China. Employers want people who are skilled, enthusiastic and devoted.So these are the qualities that any reasonably intelligent job applicant will try to show no matter what his or her actual feelings are.In response, employers are increasingly using the questions which try and show the applicant's true personality. The question in the first paragraph comes from a test called the Kiersey Temperament Sorter.It is an attempt to discover how people solve problems, rather than what they know.This is often called aptitude test. According to Mark Baldwin of Alliance, many job applicants in China are finding this type of questions difficult."When a Chinese fills out an aptitude test, he or she will think there is a right answer but they may fail because they try to guess what the examiner wants to see." This is sometimes called the prisoner's dilemma .Applicants are trying to act cleverly in their own interest, but they fail because they don't understand what the interviewer is looking for.Remember that in an aptitude test, the correct answer is the honest answer. According to the writer, in an aptitude test, Chinese job applicants should _ . A. not tell the truth B. offer a complete answer C. learn to tell what they really think D. find out what the examiner wants to know Answer: C Question: Only three local students won Chinese Blog Competition. And 15 of the 18 awards went to students from China. 170 students' task: to get a fully-designed blog up and running, complete with many postings based on a theme of choice--all written in Chinese. Themes ranged from local opinions-such as the usage of Singlish, education and whether Singapore can be a cultural centre-to food blogs. The entries were judged on Language proficiency and the quality of writing, as well as the design and level of exchanging ideas with readers. Academics from the National University of Singapore and the SIM University IT experts, and a journalist from Chinese newspaper Lianhe Zaobao in Singapore made up the judges. In the end, only three Singaporean students made it to the award list--the rest of the awards were swept up by students from China. "No surprise, " said Mr. Chow Yaw Long, 37, teachers in charge from Innova Junior College, which organized the event. "Although the topics were local subjects, the foreign students were generally better in terms of the content of the posts and their grasp of the Chinese language. " One of the three local students winning the first prize in the Best Language Award was blogger Christina Gao 19, from the Saint Andrew's Junior College, who spared no effort in researching for and writing her blog. Each entry took her between five and seven days to produce, complete with pictures and even podcasts Her advice for bloggers is: Be responsible "Some bloggers out there only seek to blame the authorities and other bloggers." Said Miss Gao. "I think they lack responsibilities and there is no value to their posts." The competition was organized by _ . A. the National University of Singapore B. Chinese newspaper Lianhe Zaobao C. the Saint Andrew's Junior College D. Innova Junior College Answer: D Question: Mei Qiyue, 13, of Chongqing, leaves her dorm early every morning and doesn't return until late at night. She feels stressed in the dorm. "My roommates look down on me. When I say something, they never agree with me. Sometimes, they even laugh at me together," said Mei. "The dorm is like hell. I want to leave the moment I walk in." Mei is not alone. Many middle school students lave such problems. Plans, opinions and other small differences can create conflict . "Most teenagers are the only child in the family where they are the 'King' or 'Queen'. They can't stand other kids' different ideas, so conflicts between them come out in the dorm," said Sun Yunxiao, a professor in Beijing. According to Sun, roommate relations are important in schools, and students should be serious about them. He suggests that students should be patient, sincere and cooperative in dealing with their roommates. Zou Ming, 14, of Shanxi, and his roommates didn't clean their dorm for a long time during their first semester. "Later, we began to hate each other because nobody would clean," said Zou. "One day, we had a dorm meeting. At the meeting we discussed the problem seriously and decided each other of us would clean for a week." After the meeting, they cleaned the dorm for the first time together, and the boys have become good friends. "I think we should take care of the dorm like our family and our roommates like our brothers," said Zou. "Only in this way can we have a happy dorm like and make lifelong friends." What problem does the story mainly talk about? A. Students can't make friends easily in a new school. B. Chinese middle school students are not really to be independent. C. Keeping good roommate relations is not easy for some students. D. Students still need their parents' help even when they are in middle school. Answer: C Question: More than 40 countries, including Russia and Taiwan, have agreed to be founding members of China's proposed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. However, two of the world's largest economies, the United States and Japan, have _ at this time. China proposed the bank last October as a way to finance roads, bridges, ports and other needed infrastructureprojects in Asia. The time limit for joining as a founding member was March 31. In only a few months, the number of countries seeking membership nearly doubled. They came from Africa, Europe, South America, Asia and the Pacific. Some European powers added themselves to the list. They include Britain, Germany, France and Italy. Other important economies include South Korea, Australia and Russia. Taiwan also sought to become a founding member. But it is not clear how China will react. Taiwan and China do not have diplomatic ties. But, relations have improved since the election of President Ma Ying-jeou in 2008. The two sides also are working on details of a trade agreement. However, popular opposition in Taiwan to mainland China's increased influenceon the island remains very strong. The U.S. and Japan have said they are concerned about the governance of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, or AIIB. The United States has urged countries to consider details about the bank's governance and standards -- itssocialand environmental policy -- before joining. Critics say the AIIB threatens the work of existing development banks such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the Asian Development Bank. Yet, the Asian Development Bank itself noted in a recent report that the need for infrastructure projects in Asia is great. The institution, led by the U.S. and Japan, estimated last May that the Asia Pacific area needed $800 billion each year in infrastructure development. Experts are watching to see how China will take its leadership role in the new bank. The AIIB is expected to start with $100 billion in capital, mostly from China. Some experts point to the high interest in membership. Shi Yinhong is a political scientist at Renmin University in Beijing. He says China's leading part in the bank comes withbenefitsand costs. In other words, while China has gained from the effort to develop the AIIB, it will also have to satisfy other bank members and multi-national institutions. Officials at the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and Asian Development Bank say they are looking for ways to cooperate with the AIIB. Which of the following is true? A. The bank proposed by China aims to finance needed infrastructureprojects in the world. B. There is no time limit for joining as a founding member. C. Many countries in the world actively applied to seek membership. D. China has given a definite attitude toward Taiwan. Answer: C Question: To encourage population growth in an area A. dry out any water sources B. add another water feature C. plant more toxic flowers D. kill off any prey Answer: B
Which city would you prefer to visit, London or Paris?London had welcomed 16.8 million foreign visitors in 2014, compared with 15.2 million visitors to Paris, according to a new report released by UK research firm Euromonitor International in January. Boris Johnson, London's mayor, is very proud."With so many fascinating museums, the best theater scene in the world, more green space than any other European city, numerous top sporting venues , a low crime rate and much else besides, it is no wonder that people from all over the globe are flocking to London in record numbers. These figures prove that London is without doubt the greatest city on the planet,"he told The Telegraph. However, Paris' mayor, Anne Hidalgo, is not as pleased. "London is in some ways a suburb of Paris," she said.The Huffington Post used the word " _ " to describe these back-and-forth insults . It refers to arguments about unimportant things, like small children fighting over a toy, or lovers arguing over the TV remote. France and Britain are separated only by the English Channel. For centuries, they fought over territory .But in fact, Paris and London are very similar. Both are centers of fashion and the arts. Even their most famous landmarks are a little similar --- the Palace of Versailles outside Paris and Buckingham Palace in London, for example. That's the trouble - they're as good as each other. As the Daily Mail put it: London and Paris are "head-to-head" in their battle for supremacy. In fact, visitors to these great cities love them equally.Hidalgo also wrote an article in The Telegraph, but changed her words slightly: "London is a suburb of Paris and Paris is a suburb of London."Does this mean these two cities could one day "grow up", stop bickering, and become friends. In her article in The Telegraph, we can infer Anne Hidalgo _ . Answer: Social media is one of the fastest-growing industries in today's world. A study conducted by the US think tank Pew Research Center showed that 92 percent of teenagers go online daily. The wide spread of social media has changed nearly all parts of teenagers' lives. Changing relationships High school student Elly Cooper from Illinois said social media often reduces face-to-face communication. "It makes in-person relationships harder because people give attention to their phones instead of their boyfriends or girlfriends," Cooper said. There's also a greater possibility of things getting lost in translation over social media. "If half of your relationship is over social media, you don't really know how the other person is reacting," Sienna Schulte, a junior student from Illinois, said. Yet, some people believe social media has made it easier to start relationships with anyone from anywhere. Beth Kaplan from Illinois met her long-distance friend through social media. He currently lives in Scotland, but they're still able to frequently communicate with one another. "I can feel close to someone that I'm talking to via FaceTime," Kaplan said. Wanting to be "liked" The rise of social media has changed the way teenagers see themselves. The 19-year-old Essena O'Neill announced on the social networking service Instagram that she was quitting social media because it made her obsessed with appearing perfect online. Negative comments also can do great damage to a teenager's self-esteem . In particular, anonymous social media apps such as Yik Yak may provide opportunities for cyber bullying . The app allows users within 5 miles (8 km) to create and add comments to everything. Teenagers who get negative comments on these sites can't help but feel hurt. Opening new doors However, Armin Korsos, a student from Illinois, takes advantage of the comments he receives over social media to improve his videos on the social networking site Youtube. "Social media can help people show themselves and their talents to the world in a way that was never possible before," Korsos said. But Korsos recognizes that social media has become a distraction . "Social media, though it helps people connect with their friends and stay updated, is not all necessary." Which statement about the use of social media would Armin Korsos probably agree with? Answer: When I was seven years old, my family made me an ant farm. First, we put clean sand in a thin glass box. Then we waited for the ants to arrive. After the ants were in the glass farm, they started to make tunnels . I was amazed that each one knew exactly what to do. Each had its own job. On the fifth day a tragedy happened. I put my face so close to the glass farm that I knocked it over. All the tunnels fell down. Although the ants remained alive after their earthquake, one by one began to die. I was scared as I watched them give up building their tunnels to carry the bodies to a corner the farm. My mother said that the ants were dying of sadness. They simply could not stand that their tunnels were gone. Although much time has passed, I still think of that ant farm. Mom had hoped it would teach me about the natural world, but it taught me much more. Over the years, I came to realize the importance of teamwork. Working together, the ants were able to make an amazing world for themselves. I also learned that they should be admired for their hard work. But there was an even larger lesson that I did not realize until recently: Adversity is a natural part of life, and must be accepted. Unlike the ants, we cannot give up when we are sad. We have to realize that if a tunnel is gone, we must build another. Giving up, I say, is not a good choice. Which statement is WRONG according to the passage? Answer: After nitrogen becomes part of the lithosphere, what is the next change that nitrogen will undergo? Answer: Are the British people Europeans?This may seem a strange question to Africans and Asians,who tend to think of all white men as Europeans. But the British,when they are in Britain,do not regard themselves as Europeans. The Europeans,to them,are those rather excitable foreigners from the other side of English Channel,who have never learnt how to speak English. Europe is "the Continent":a place full of interests for English tourists,but also the source of almost all the wars in which Britain has ever been involved. Thus,although geographically speaking Britain is a part of Europe,yet the fact that it is a separate island has made its people feel very,very insular . They feel,in many ways,different from the rest of Europe,and they sometimes annoy continental nations by failing to support them,or even to understand them,in time of need. Where did the British people come from?This is quite interesting question,since they are a mixture of many different races ,and all these races invaded Britain at various times from Europe. Nobody knows very much about prefix = st1 /Britainbefore the Romans came during the first century B. C.,but there had been at least three invasions before that. The first of these was by a dark--haired Mediterranean race called Iberians. The other two were by Celtic tribes :first the Gaels,whose descendants are the modern Scots and Irish,some of whom still speak the Gaelic language;secondly the Britons,who gave their name to the whole island of Britain. These were the people whom the Romans conquered. The Romans gave the Britons a good deal of civilization,but they never settled in Britain in very large numbers,so the British race survived until the overthrow of the Roman Empire by the"barbarians"--the numerous Germanic tribes which overran the whole of Western Europe. It can be inferred from the passage that_. Answer:
Saturday 28 April, 2001: Dennis Tito was setting off on his holiday. Mr. Tito's journey was certainly unusual! So was the transport he chose, and the price of his trip. The 60-year-old multi-millionaire from New York was sitting on board a Russian spaceship. He was on a journey to the International Space Station. It might have been a routine trip for the two astronauts who were traveling with him, but for him it was certainly no ordinary journey. Dennis Tito was the first tourist ever in space, and he had paid the sum of $20 million to go there. As the spacecraft left the earth's atmosphere, Tito drank a glass of fruit juice to celebrate and looked down at the earth's blue-green surface. Two minutes later, he was sick. Luckily it was only a minor problem. He soon recovered, and from then on enjoyed a smooth journey. When he arrived at the space station, there was a big smile on his face. "A great trip!" he commented. "I love space." For a long time space travel was something for heroes. But all this is going to change. Companies like ProSpace are investing large amounts of money in space travel. They want space and space travel to belong to the public, not just governments. There are other plans, like voyages through space from one side of the world to the other. Maybe we will be able to depart from New York at nine o'clock in the morning, and arrive an hour later-- in Tokyo! Such a schedule would allow the business traveler to return to New York on the same day, and still have eight hours for a meeting! According to the passage, Dennis Tito _ . There was a heavy snow last night. Maria stayed at home. Her cousin Cara came to visit her. She came back from Beijing. She told Maria something about her vacation. "It was pretty good. "She said. Cara visited the Palace Museum and the Great Wall. She took a lot of photos. It was lunch time. Maria's parents were not at home. They decided to cook by themselves. Maria cooked noodles with some tomatoes and peppers . After Cara ate up the noodles, she said slowly, "I think it is delicious!" But Maria thought the food was too awful. She said," Cara, thank you, but I put too many peppers!" --How was the weather? --It was _ . Mars Was Not Always Bitterly Cold Scientists at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have reported evidence that Mars was warmer and wetter long ago than it is today. The Caltech scientists say they have directly _ the temperature of Mars four billion years ago. At least, they established the surface temperature on part of the planet at that time. The researchers say it is the first such evidence to be discovered and presented. The Caltech scientists say carbonate minerals formed on Mars at about eighteen degrees Celsius. They reached the finding after studying a meteorite that had its beginnings near the Martian surface. Today, the average temperature on Mars is sixty-three degrees below zero Celsius. The finding was reported on the website of the National Academy of Sciences. Caltech Assistant Professor Woody Fischer helped to prepare the report. He says eighteen degrees Celsius is not especially cold or hot. He says this makes the finding extremely interesting. Knowing the temperature can give scientists an idea of the climate on Mars long ago. It can also help them decide whether the planet had liquid water. Spacecraft orbiting Mars have shown what appear to be rivers, lakebeds and mineral deposits. These pictures suggest that, at one time, water did flow there. Mars Rover vehicles and other spacecraft have confirmed the information. Caltech Geology Professor John Eiler was another writer of the report. He says knowing the temperature of Mars from long ago provides valuable information. It shows that early in the planet's history, at least part of Mars could support a climate like that of Earth. The meteorite the scientists examined is one of the oldest known rocks in the world. It is called the Allan Hills meteorite. Its name came from the place in Antarctica where it was found in 1984. The meteorite is believed to have blown loose from the Mars' surface when another space rock struck its "home." Where can we most probably read this passage? Vancouver's Chinatown--Canada's largest Chinatown Vancouver's Chinatown is North America's second biggest Chinatown, after San Francisco's. Mandarin and Cantonese are the mother tongues in 30% of Vancouver homes, which makes Chinese the largest "minority" ethnic group . Vancouver's Chinatown is the place to visit for a taste of Chinese culture. In Chinatown, there are a lot of traditional products and buildings, such as the stone lions which represent for the prestige(;),many red lanterns which stands for the happiness. What's more interesting, in Chinatown, a typical Suzhou garden can be found. Chinatown not only expresses the culture of China to the other cultures, but also one part shows that Vancouver is the multicultural society. Chinatown which carries many Chinese cultures is built by Chinese in Vancouver. In the beginning, Chinatown was the community only for Chinese people, but nowadays, more and more other people from different countries are willing to know the Chinatown. It is the part of the Vancouver's society, and Chinatown is also changing gradually in order to adjust to Vancouver. There are lots of interesting markets with many varieties of fresh and dried seafood and mushrooms in the Chinatown. You'll also find cheap and fine house ware and traditional Chinese medicine. During the summer, on weekend evenings, Keefer and Pender Streets become a busy open-air night market. If you have enough time for a meal, try at one of the many small restaurants. It is not an expensive, multi-course culinary adventure. Relax in the peaceful Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, or just steps on Pender Street. Visit the Chinese Cultural Centre Museum, or participate in one of its many activities. In Vancouver's Chinatown you can see all the things EXCEPT _ . This year some twenty-three hundred teenagers (young people aged from 13 to 19) from all over the world will spend about ten months in US homes. They will attend US schools, meet US teenagers, and form impressions of the real America. At the same time, about thirteen hundred American teenagers will go to other countries to learn new languages and gain a new understanding of the rest of the world. Here is a two-way student exchange in action. Fred, nineteen, spent last year in Germany with George's family. In turn, George's son Mike spent a year in Fred's home in America. Fred, a lively young man, knew little German when he arrived, but after two months' study, the language began to come to him. Schools were completely different from what he had expected--much harder. Students rose respectfully when the teacher entered the room. They took fourteen subjects instead of the six that are usual in the United States. There were almost no outside activities. Family life, too, was different. The father's word was law, and all activities were around the family rather than the individual . Fred found the food too simple at first. Also, he missed having a car. "Back home, you pick up some friends in a car and go out and have a good time. In Germany, you walk, but you soon learn to like it." At the same time, In America, Mike, a friendly German boy, was also forming his idea."I suppose I should criticize American schools," he says. "It is far too easy by our level. But I have to say that I like it very much. In Germany we do nothing but study. Here we take part in many outside activities. I think that maybe your schools are better in training for citizens . There ought to be some middle ground between the two. The world exchange programme is mainly to _ .
I stole your dog today. No, I didn't set a foot on your house, but from the condition of your dog, I can imagine what it looks like...the word "rubbish" comes to mind. I found her along a road, with a heavy chain wrapped around her neck, still attached to rotten boards from her doghouse. Not only did I know that most of the town people had already ignored her, judging by where I found her, but I knew that if she had gotten into the Woods, the "cross" that she dragged behind her would have wrapped around a tree until starvation or thirst killed her. She has a beautiful name now. Already in the first week she has come to look more like she should. Her eyes sparkle and she has learned to wag her tail in greeting. She has stopped flinching when I make a sudden movement, because she knows now that I won't beat her, in fact, she rarely leaves my side. She's even become brave enough to bark at a cat and today I watched from the window as she attempted to play with the other dogs. No, it's clear she does not miss you or her former life on a chain. It's not clear yet whether she'll remain here or whether I'll find her a loving home where she can count on more individual attention than I can give her, but one thing is certain, this is one bit of stolen "property" who is never returning to you. So sue me, accuse me, plead with the courts that she is rightfully yours ... I'm convinced this is the best "crime" I've ever committed. Hardly anything has pleased me more than the day I stole your dog. I need only look into her beautiful brown eyes to know that she'd defend my decision with her life. If we have one prayer, it is that you will not replace her, and if we have one special day to celebrate together, it is the day I stole your dog and the day she stole my heart. It can be inferred from the passage that _ . Answer: the dog was treated badly by its former master As is known to all, color1s appear in every language to express people's feeling and thoughts.Then, what is the situation in American English? Red is a hot color1.Americans may say they are red hot about something unfair.They are red hot when they are very angry about something.The small hot-tasting peppers found in many Mexican foods are called red hot for their color1 and their fiery taste.Fast loud music is popular with many people.They may say the music is red hot, especially the kind called Dixieland Jazz. Pink is a lighter kind of red.People sometimes say they are in the pink when they are in good health.The expression was first used in America at the beginning of the twentieth century.It comes from the fact that many babies are born with nice pink skin that shows that they are in good health. The color1 black is often used in expressions.People describe a day on which everything goes wrong as a black day.People or things on a blacklist are connected with things illegal now.But at one time, some businesses refused to employ people who were on a blacklist for belonging to unpopular organizations. The color1 green is natural for trees and grass.But it is an unnatural color1 for humans.A person who has a sick feeling in his stomach may say he feels a little green.A passenger on a boat who is feeling very sick from high waves may look very green. Sometimes a person may be upset because he does not have something as nice as a friend has.That person may say he is green with envy.Some people are green with envy because a friend has more dollars or greenbacks.Dollars are called greenbacks because green is the color1 of the back side of the paper money. People use "in the pink" to express they are in good health because _ . Answer: healthy babies are born with nice pink skin The Black family often do housework together at the weekend. Pam often cleans bedrooms. Her father buys _ for the next week. Her mother washes the clothes. John, Pam's brother, helps to cut the grass in the garden. The Blacks often ride bikes to the park nearby. In the park, they can play basketball and football. They always have a good time there. They say they like working and playing together. Who always works in the garden at the weekend? Answer: John. Winter is a very special time in Northern Norway. Winter also means skiing, and Narvik can offer some of the best skiing in Norway. The view and light change frequently and no two days are the same. For many people, the northern lights are an unforgettable sight, and in Narvik the sky is especially clear and great for watching at night. The tourist season lasts from February to April, although May can be fascinating too, often with fantastic dry snow and an unbelievable light lasting well into the evening. Ski hire It is possible for adults and children to hire skiing equipment such as snowboards. All equipment is prepared for us. If you would like to book your equipment, please email Narvikfjellet. Cross-country skiing There are 12 kilometers of cross country ski run in Narvik. You need to bring your own skis as there is no cross-country hire. However, equipment can be bought at local sports shops in and around Narvik. Off-piste skiing In order to explore Narvik's off-piste opportunities you need to know the dangers when choosing routes. It is suggested that you bring necessary equipment such as a shovel and a GPS locator. Ask Narvikfjellet for an experienced guide. With a guide you can explore Narvik's special off-piste areas in a safe manner. Sometimes it is nice to do something different and not everybody enjoys skiing. Then you can go horse-riding, or visit the local museums. Price examples for the 2013--2014 season Time Children(8-15 years old) Adults 1 day NOK 230 NOK 325 3 days NOK 590 NOK 835 5 days NOK 815 NOK 1,170 7 days NOK 970 NOK 1,375 Children 0-7 years can enjoy the service for free . You are most likely to find this text in a _ . Answer: Travel Guide First Frenchman: I once heard someone shout, "Look out." I put my head out of a window and a glass of water fell on me. It seems that "look out" may mean "Don't look out." Second Frenchman: I was once on a ship and heard the captain shout, "All hands on deck . I put my hands on the deck and someone walked on them." Third Frenchman: I once went early in the morning to the doctor's and his nurse came to the door and said, "he's not up yet. Come back in half an hour." When I went a second time for him, she said, "he's not down yet." I had to go away again. Later I thought the doctor should be in the house in the evening, so I went there once more. "Oh, how sorry I am! He's not in ! I'd better tell him to wait for you if you could come tomorrow." said the nurse. "Well! He's not up, he is not down, and he is not in. please tell me where he stays!" I said angrily. When the third Frenchman went back for the second time, the doctor _ . Answer: was still in an upstairs room.
How much of an addict(/) are you? Are you like any of the people? 1I dislike haircut. I seldom get a haircut. So when I get one, my hair is really short. My hair gets really long before my next haircut. --- Harry 2I hardly drink soda .I usually drink coffee. I sometimes drink eight cups a day. ---Rose 3I exercise regularly .Sometimes I spend 4 or 5 hours on it in one day. ---Sam 4I have a bar(/) of chocolate sometimes. I can't eat a lot of it, because it makes me heavy. ---Kim 5I have a TV in my living room, one is in my dining room, one is in my bedroom. I even have one in the bathroom. --- John 6I spend a lot of time shopping, but I don't spend a great deal of money. I mostly do window shopping. ---Jenny How often does Harry get a haircut? A Once a month B Twice a year C hardly ever D Always Answer: C Design your own adventure spent at IZE's Blue Creek Field Station by choosing activities per day from the list below. Short Cave Hike: 2-hour activity where you will be exposed to the ultimate tropical rainforest experience. At every turn along the trail,a novel experience awaits. Perhaps it's a trail of leaf cutter ants or a delicate tree snake. You will follow your Maya Guides up a steep incline to the entrance of one of the most wonderful limestone caves in Belize. Ethnobotany Walk: 3-hour activity where you will explore the medical and cookery uses of the local herbs,plants and trees. The Mayans were masters in using the jungle's natural resources for their medical needs. You will learn about the vines that store drinking water and other remarkable remedies that nature offers. You will get a first-hand look at the crops the Maya harvest such as cocoa,mango , rice, beans, etc. Hokeb Ha Cave Hike:Spend time in one of the most spectacular limestone caves in Belize. The name of this cave means "where the water enters the earth". Stalactites hang from the ceiling, and colonies of bats live in the darkest gaps. You can also search for Mayan artificial crafts over l,000 years old. Lizard Hike: 2-4 hour activity where you will swim and hike along the clear blue river as you look for lizards in the tall trees. Can you identify which species? Is it the spectacular dinosaur that looks like green lizards? Belize is home to many of the 3,800 species of lizards in the worldi During the Short Cave Hike, you _ . A will be lost in the tropical forest B may enjoy unexpected views on the way C can be bitten by the tree snakes occasionally D need to follow the track of ants in the forests Answer: B Swiss International Air lines(SWISS)will introduce daily non-stop flights between Beijing and Zurich. The new service to the financial center of Switzerland is expected to start on Dec.12,2012,which marks an expansion of services for the Chinese market.In May 2008,SWISS already started direct flights to Shanghai. The first flight to Europe has a special price of 2,680 yuan,which does not include taxes and fuel surcharges. "I am delighted the airlines of Switzerland can contribute to growing economic ties between the two countries with new daily flights scheduled,"says SWISS CEO Harry Hohmeister. "We are witnessing a growing demand for tourist travel in both directions." Apart from Shanghai and Hong Kong,Beijing will be the third Chinese destination for SWISS. The new route marks a return to Beijing for SWISS:the airlines previously flew to the Chinese capital as late as June 2003. SWISS will initially operate its new daily non-stop Beijing-Zurich flights with an Airbus A340-300(219 seats)and Airbu: A330-300(236 seats)air-crafts. The modem SWISS business class offers the most suitable comforts since the seats can be adjusted into a two-meter-long bed. Seating firmness and softness can be adjusted thanks to air cushions. With the introduction of the new SWISS service from Beijing,the Lufthansa Group Airlines may attract more Chinese customers when traveling to Europe. SWISS.Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines already connect five Chinese cities with Europe and beyond. This airlines group is the leading European airlines network in the Chinese market. In the summer of 2011,the Lufthansa Group operated 78 weekly flights from China including Hong Kong to Europe. SWISS is part of the Lufthansa Group as well as a member of the Star Alliance,the world's biggest airlines grouping. What's special about the Airbus of the new flight? A The Airbus can carry more passengers than other planes. B The seats in it can be adjusted into comfortable beds. C It offers all kinds of services for passengers to choose from. D It has two kinds of air cushions on its seats. Answer: C Below is a web page from Google. The completer results archive of summer and winter Olympic games, with winners lists, statistics, national anthems and flags of all contries since 1896. www. olympic. it/english/home-16k Beijing steel plants to run at the lowest level of cost during 2008 Olympics [2007-03-11] Beijing able to treat 90 pct of waste water [2007-02-05] Air quality in Beijing has improved over the past six years [2007-02-01]Green Olympics dream coming true ... en. Beijing2008.com/80/67/column211716780.shtml-52k Beijing announced the 2008 Olympic Games torch relay route and set off the Olympic Games torch on Thursday. ... Green Olympics is one of the three concepts of the Beijing Games. ... english.china.com/zh _ cn/news/sports/110592227/14069663.html-26k Environmental Symbol of Beijing Olympics --'Green Olympics', officially announced on Saturday, 24 September 2005. The symbol, created using a calligraphic art form, is composed of human and tree-like shapes, ... my.opera.com/green _ head/blog/show.dml/92155-18k On behalf of BOCOC, Wang Wei, executive vice president of BOCOC, gave a presentation about Green Olympics, introduced the environment protection work of BMC and BOCOC, and answered several questions such as protection of cultural relics ... en.beijing2008.com/84/91/article211929184.shtml-36k Who was the founder of the Modern Olympics? In which cities were the modern Olympic Games due to be held/ scheduled during the 'war years', i.e., 1916, 1940, and 1944? ... In which three years of the Modern Olympic Games were ... More questions ... www.funtrivia.com/quizzes/sports/ olympic _ games.html-12k ... aimed at young researchers engaged in scholarly research on the Olympic Movement, its history and values, and the impact of the ...[ Full story] SPORT ACCORD[2005-01-23]... www.olympic.org/ As put forward in the various official texts, the Olympic symbols of ancient Olympia, the Olympic flame and the Marathon race are bridges between the ancient and the modern Olympic Games, ... www.c2008.org/rendanews/knowledge _ detail.asp?id=911-106k What do we learn from the above web page? A Beijing has made efforts to improve its air quality. B The Olympic torch relay route has not been planned. C The Olympic flag will be on display in Athens. D A quiz on the Olympics will be held in Beijing. Answer: A Billie Holiday was an American jazz singer and songwriter. Nicknamed Lady Day by her loyal friend and musical partner, Lester Young, Holiday was a great influence on jazz and pop singing. Her voiced style, strongly inspired by jazz instrumentalists, pioneered a new way of controlling tempo . Above all, she was admired for her deeply personal and direct approach to singing. Billie Holiday was born Eleanora Fagan on April 7, 1915, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her father, Clarence Halliday (Holiday), a musician, did not marry or live with her mother. Her mother had moved to Philadelphia when thirteen, after being driven away from her parents' home in Sandtown-Winchester, Baltimore for becoming pregnant. With no support from her own parents, Holiday's mother arranged for the young Holiday to stay with her older married half sister, Eva Miller, who lived in Baltimore. During her final period of separation from her mother, Holiday began to perform the songs she learned while working in the brothel . By early 1929, Holiday joined her mother in Harlem. Their landlady was a sharply dressed woman named Florence Williams, who ran a brothel at 151 West 140th Street. In order to live, Holiday and her mother had to work there. Holiday had not yet turned fourteen at that time. On May 2, 1929, the house was raided , and Holiday and her mother were sent to prison. After spending some time in a workhouse, her mother was released in July, followed by Holiday in October, at the age of 14. She co-wrote a few songs, and several of them have become jazz standards, notably God Bless the Child, Don't Explain, and Lady Sings the Blues. She also became famous for singing jazz standards written by others, including Easy Living and Strange Fruit. Her early career is hard to track down exactly. But, she later gained work singing in local jazz clubs before being spotted by a talent scout , John Hammond, in 1933, aged 18. Her voice and recordings are loved for the depth of emotion and intensity she could bring to classic standards. Her range of voice was not the greatest, but, her extraordinary gravelly voice was soon to become very famous and influential. She was an important icon of the jazz era and influential in the development of jazz singing. In the late 1930s she began singing a civil rights song called Strange Fruit--a song which told the tale of a lynching of a black man in the deep south. It was very controversial for that period and it was not played on radios. It was recorded for Commodore records and she performed it many times over the next 20 years. In early 1959 she found out that she had cirrhosis of the liver. The doctor told her to stop drinking, which she did for a short time, but soon returned to heavy drinking. By May she had lost twenty pounds, friends Leonard Feather, Joe Glaser, and Allan Morrison tried to get her to check into to a hospital, she put them off. On May 31, 1959, Holiday was taken to Metropolitan Hospital in New York suffering from liver and heart disease. She was arrested for drug possession as she lay dying, and her hospital room was raided by authorities. Police officers were stationed at the door to her room. Holiday remained under police guard at the hospital until she died from cirrhosis of the liver on July 17, 1959.Billie Holiday had difficult life experiences which influenced her attitude towards life. She experienced many violent relationships. She also became increasingly dependent on various drugs which contributed to her early death in 1959, aged just 44. It can be inferred from the passage that Holiday . A had the greatest range of voice B wrote many songs like Easy Living C was gifted and had a happy childhood D was famous for her voice and way of singing Answer: D
Your peers are people your age or close to it who have experiences and interests similar to yours. You and your friends make dozens of decisions every day, and you influence each other's choices and behavior. This is often _ --- it's human nature to listen to and learn from other people in your age group. Sometimes, though, the stresses in your life can actually come from your peers. They may pressure you into doing something you're uncomfortable with, such as shoplifting, doing drugs or drinking, or taking dangerous risks when driving a car. The pressure to conform can be powerful and hard to resist. A person might feel pressure to do something just because others are doing it. Peer pressure can influence a person to do something that is relatively harmless--- or something that has more serious consequences. People may feel pressure to conform, so they fit in or are accepted, or so they don't feel awkward or uncomfortable. When people are unsure of what to do in a social situation, they naturally look to others for cues about what is and isn't acceptable. The people who are most easily influenced will follow someone else's lead first. Then others may go along, too --- so it can be easy to think, "It must be OK. Everyone else is doing it. They must know what they're doing." Before you know it, many people are going along with the crowd --- perhaps on something they might not otherwise do. Responding to peer pressure is part of human nature --- but some people are more likely to give in, and others are better able to resist and stand their ground. It's not always easy to resist negative peer pressure. But when you do, it is easy to feel good about it afterwards. And you may even be a positive influence on your peers who feel the same way --- often it just takes one person to speak out or take a different action to change a situation. Which of the following is a kind of peer pressure? A crow is about twenty inches long and black all over. Crows are dirty birds because they live on bad food. Crows eat a lot of waste food. In this way they are more useful to us than any birds. They clean up the dirty things in our streets. Crows are always hungry. They look for food all day, and in the evening you can see them in large numbers flying back to their nests in the trees. They sleep there at night. Crows are much noisier than other birds. Very often a large number of crows will get together on one house and talk. Sometimes they talk together, and sometimes they do it by turns like human beings . It is easy to tell from crow's sound if they are pleased or angry. Perhaps crows talk a lot because they are friendly birds. A pair of crows will live together all their lives, and if one of them dies, the other one becomes very sad and quiet for the rest of its life and some time later it dies too. If a pair of crows loves each other, _ Johnston bought 100 bolts of standard blue wool, No. 1 quality, from McHugh. The sales contract provided that Johnston would make payment prior to inspection. The 100 bolts were shipped, and Johnston paid McHugh. Upon inspection, however, Johnston discovered that the wool was No. 2 quality. Johnston thereupon tendered back the wool to McHugh and demanded return of his payment. McHugh refused on the ground that there is no difference between No. 1 quality wool and No. 2 quality wool."Which of the following statements regarding the contract provision for preinspection payment is correct? While I was having dinner with a well-known author and lecturer, our conversation drifted to money. "I have enough money," he told me casually. "I don't need any more money." "Of course you can say that," I thought to myself. "You get fifteen thousand dollars for a lecture." Then I caught my thought process, and pondered more deeply on his statement. Is he satisfied because he has a lot of money, or does he have a lot of money because he chooses to be satisfied? _ So is enoughness something that happens to us when we reach a certain level, or is it an experience we can choose and celebrate at any time? My friends Adrian and Carey live in a humble cottage in the rainforest. They have quite a modest income, no telephone, and they walk around naked most of the time. I think they are the happiest people I know. They wake up with the sun, love each other very much, and welcome guests with a full and open heart. They appreciate every moment of their lives, have no distraction games going, and are not waiting for the big break around the corner. When I am with them, the predominant feeling I have is, "It's all right here--why would anyone want anything more?" Ram Dass used to say, "There are three kinds of people in the world: those who say, 'Too much!'; those who say, 'Not enough!'; and those who say, "Ah, just right!'"; Since "too much" of one thing implies "not enough" of another, there are really only two approaches to life: lack or contentment. Which of the following best suits the passage? In which environment is white fur color an advantage for survival?
Most people want their children to be successful in school and a parent's role in that success must be very important. Parents should help children to build their confidence and achievements. Parents should also play the role of a friend as well as a teacher in children's education. Learning about math or reading isn't the only problem we face in school. Maybe we are having problems with teachers, classmates or other people. At this time we really need a person who is ready to hear what we are thinking. And the person should be you---my dear parents. If we have nobody to talk with, we will have more stress in our school life. Please listen to our worries. It's good for our study and health. On the other hand, parents can't leave all the problems to the teachers. Although it's their job, even the best and brightest teachers can not take care of every child. We still need personal attention, so the role the parents is to make sure we can get _ . Stay in touch with our homework and the tests. Connect with our teachers regularly to talk about how things are going in our classroom. If we need more help, be active in getting it and work with us. Nothing helps a child succeed more than a parent. A little willingness from a parent can play a very important role in the children's studies. The more attention parents pay, the more achievements children will make. When we are having problems with others, we really need a person who is ready to A. listen to our worries B. care for our health C. work out math problems D. help with our studies Answer: A You must have seen an oil lamp before. But do you know how it works? One end of the lamp wick is immersed(............) in oil and the other end is not immersed. When you light the end which is not immersed, it will burst into flame . This is because the oil is able to rise up the lamp wick thus helping it to burn. In the same way, if you immerse the end of a piece of chalk into a glass of water, the water will soon climb up the chalk making it wet. If a piece of ordinary glass tubing is heated in a gas flame until it becomes soft,it can be pull into a tube of a very small hole. Immerse the tube into water or any other liquid which wets glass, you will find that the liquid rises to a height of several centimeters. This is known as capillary action. The liquid rises because there is an attractive force between the liquid and the glass. The attractive force depends on the diameter of the tube and the type of liquid used. Why can an oil lamp work? A. Because there is oil. B. Because there is oil climbing up the wick. C. Because the other end is immersed. D. Because the wet end is lighted. Answer: B Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, "Mum, you must come and see the daffodils before they are over." I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Lake Arrowhead. "I will go next Tuesday," I promised, a little unwillingly, on her third call. The next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and so I drove there. When I finally walked into Carolyn's house and hugged and greeted my grandchildren, I said, "Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! Theroad is invisible in the cloud and fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and thesechildren that I want to see!" My daughter smiled calmly and said, "We drive in this weather all the time, Mum. You will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience." After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small road and I saw a small church. On the far side of the church, I saw a hand-lettered sign that read "Daffodil Garden"?We got out of the car and each took a child's hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path. Then, we turned a comer of the path, and I looked up amazed. Before me lay the most beautiful sight. Flows of flowers of different colors seemed poured down the peak and slopes. There were five acres of flowers! A seas of daffodil! It was like a fairyland all beyond description. "But who has done this?" I asked Carolyn. "It's just one woman," Carolyn answered. That's her home, "Carolyn pointed to a well-kept A-frame house that looked small and modest in the midst of all that glory. We walked up to the house. On the patio , we saw a poster." Answers to the Questions I KnowYou Are Asking" was the headline. The first answer was a simple one. "50,000 bulbs " it read. The second answer was, "One at a time,by one woman." The third answer was, "Began in 1958." I thought of this woman whom I Had never met, who, more than fifty years before, had begun-one bulb at a time-to bring the beauty and joy to the mountain top. Just planting one bulb at a time, year after year, had changed the world where she lived and created something of magnificence, beauty, and inspiration. When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small amounts of daily effort, we too can accomplish great things. Everyone can do something to change the world. What do we know from the passage about the woman who grew daffodil? A. She must have been a modest woman B. She worked as a professional gardener C. She grew the daffodils over 50 years by herself D. Being poor, she made a living by selling daffodils Answer: C Suppose we built a robot to explore the planet Mars. We provide the robot with seeing detectors to keep it away from danger. It is powered entirely by the sun. Should we program the robot to be equally active at all times? No, the robot would be using up energy at a time when it was not receiving any. So we would probably program it to stop its activity at night and to wake up at dawn the next morning. According to evolutionary theory of sleep, evolution equipped us with a regular pattern of sleeping and waking for the same reason. The theory does not deny that sleep provides some important restorative functions. It merely says that evolution has programmed us to perform those functions at a time when activity would be inefficient and possibly dangerous. However, sleep protects us only from the sort of trouble we might walk into; it does not protect us from trouble that comes looking for us. So we sleep well when we are in a familiar, safe place, but we sleep lightly, if at all, when we fear that bears will nose into the tent. The evolutionary theory explain the differences in sleep among creatures. Why do cats, for instance, sleep so much, while horses sleep so little? Surely cats do not need five times as much repair and restoration as horses do. But cats can afford to have long periods of inactivity because they spend little time eating and are unlikely to be attacked while they sleep. Horses must spend almost all their waking hours eating, because what they eat is very low in energy value. Moreover, they cannot afford to sleep too long or too deeply, because their survival depends on their ability to run away from attackers. The author uses the example of the robot in space exploration to tell us _ . A. the differences between robots and men B. the reason why men need to sleep C. about the need for robots to save power D. about the danger of men working at night Answer: B Infiniti, Nissan's luxury brand, continues to show off ideas for the future. The Q80 Inspiration here in Paris is an excellent piece of work, perhaps a concept elegant enough to make us forget that Infiniti's former Hong Kong-based president, Johan de Nysschen, moved to take over General Motors' Cadillac car brand in July and Infiniti chairman Andy Palmer is the new CEO at Aston Martin, the British luxury car brand. The Q80, if it becomes reality, will be brought to market by Infiniti's new boss, former BMW (another famous car brand )executive Roland Kruger. He should focus on this, at least until he is head-hunted to another company. The Q80 Inspiration is a low and sexy four-door fastback, and it is also a showcase for technology - from autonomous driving to eco-friendly power trains. Here in Paris, the Infiniti people say the hybrid drive in this concept suggest exactly where the brand is going in the future. The company says the Q80 speaks to how Infiniti plans to pull people into more expensive cars - cars that compete with the Porsche Panamera, for instance. Alfonso Albaisa, Infiniti Executive Design Director, said the car "delivers feminine elegance and muscular menace in equal measure and strikes big in terms of styling, craftsmanship, choice of materials and attention to detail." Most importantly, for luxury cars buyers who are increasingly puzzled by all the technology, the designers focused on making things simple. "There is a tendency with modern design that every time you add interior features and technology you add complexity," said Albaisa, pointing to the concept's easy-to -understand -and -operate infotainment interface. As for power, the Q80 Inspiration gets 550 horsepower from a twin turbocharged 3.0-litre V-6 combined with a hybrid electric power train. Fuel economy could be as good as 5.5 litres/100 km. In the future Infiniti will pay more attention to _ . A. details B. craftsmanship C. energy conservation D. materials Answer: C
Dr charlotte Uhlenbroek recently returned to London after filming her second series, Jungle. It was difficult, 19-week trip, during which she explored the rainforests of Borneo, the Amazon and Congo, travelling around using variety of means of transport, including hot-air balloons and canoes. "I'm interested in the way animals communicate with each other. It was sometimes dangerous making the program ---I even went swimming with piranha fish. But the worst thing was insects. On one occasion I had 70 sand-fly bites on my arm. Luckily I didn't get sick. I prefer not to take tablets every day, but if I get a fever, take some medicine immediately." Filming the series was exciting, but also frightening at times. Her most challenging experience was climbing a 100-meter tree in Borneo, as she has a great fear of heights. "I had to keep pulling myself further and further upwards. All I wanted to do was get down again. Suddenly the safety equipment didn't look very strong and I thought that my ropes would break and I would crash to the ground." What did she enjoy most about returning to London? "When I've been away in hot uncomfortable conditions for a long time I dream about an ice-cold drink and my bed at home! But the thing I look forward to the most is nice long showers. There wasn't much water in some of the places we visited and I worried that I was using it all up and not leaving any for my colleagues on the camera team! " Charlotte found climbing the tree in Borneo so frightening because _ . A she hates being in high places B she was unable to get down C her equipment suddenly broke D she slipped and fell to the ground Answer: A. she hates being in high places The popular college rankings focus primarily on prestige as measured by the SAT scores of incoming students and how many applicants are turned away. An initiative started last fall by the Obama administration could help families go beyond these limited, and far too easily exploited, indexes to learn quickly and easily how a college is compared with its competitors nationally on important criteria like graduation rates, what a degree actually costs and how much debt a student can expect to run up by graduation day. If the federal government makes it legally necessary to disclose this information in a clear and consistent way, as it should, families will be better able to make informed college choices. And this will help put pressure on colleges that perform poorly to improve. Critics may regard this initiative as an example of government overreach. But given that the federal government spends nearly $190 billion a year on higher education aid to students, it has a legitimate interest in making sure that the money flows to the schools that best meet their responsibilities to families and students. Congress has taken some steps to require greater transparency from colleges. The 1990 Student Right to Know Act, for example, required colleges and universities that receive federal aid to disclose graduation rates. And the 2008 Higher Education Opportunity Act required schools to offer a way for consumers to determine actual costs after student aid is taken into account. But many colleges have done a poor job of obeying federal disclosure rules, and much of the available information is not in one place. The administration's new efforts would enforce reporting requirements and provide some new tools. President Obama wants to expand campus-based aid to about $10 billion from the current $2.7 billion. He has proposed moving money away from colleges that fail to control tuition increases or provide good value to others that do a better job. That is a worthy idea in principle, but he will need strong data-based evidence to determine how colleges are doing. The transparency initiatives are a good place to start and should be embraced by both parties in Congress. If students and families, facing higher tuition and rising debt, are to make sound choices, they need more and better information. A most suitable title for the passage could be _ . A Congress To Require Greater Transparency B What College Parents and Students Need to Know C What a Good College Is Measured By D Parents and Students Need to Make Wise Choices Answer: B. What College Parents and Students Need to Know A good way to practice your writing and be recognized by professionals and scholars is to enter writing contests. There are a variety of different writing contests open to teens who enjoy writing essays, fictional stories, poems and other written pieces. Creative communication Essay Contest The Creative Communication Essay Contest is sponsored by Creative Communication, an organization which promotes and encourages creative writing in students. The contest is open to students in grades four to 12. To enter, submit an original , non-fiction essay of 100 to 300 words on a topic of your choice. The contest is held three times a year with a fall deadline in October, a spring deadline in February and a summer deadline in July. Winners are chosen each time, one in each of the three divisions--grades 4-6, 7-9 and 10-12. American Library of Student Poetry Contest The American Library of Student Poetry Contest is open to students in grades three to 12. To enter, submit an original poem of 20 lines or less. Poems are judged on originality, creativity and artistic quality, and submissions are accepted throughout the year, with the winners being announced in September. First-,second- and third-place winners are chosen within each of the four grade categories, grades 3-5,6-7, 8-9, 10-12. YCteen Essay Contest The YCteen Essay Contest is hosted by YCteen, a life style magazine for teens. The contest is open to American teens , ages 14to19, and is held twice a year with the first deadline being in October and the second in December. To enter, submit an original, non-fiction essay of about 800 words answering a given essay question. Past questions have focused on issues such as climate change and activism. All winning entries will be published on the YCteen website and in the print version of the magazine. Scholastic Art & Writing Awards The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is an art and creative writing contest hosted and sponsored by a group of more than 100 literary art organizations across the United States. The contest is open to teens in grades seven to 12 going to school in the United States and American schools abroad . Pieces can be submitted to any of 28 available categories, including humor, poetry, critical essays, journalism and more. Submissions are accepted starting in September, and the deadline ranges from December to January depending on your region. In what way is the American Library of Student Poetry Contest different from the other writing contests? A Poems must be submitted in September. B It is for students from different grades. C There is no deadline for submissions. D Winners are chosen within each grade category. Answer: C. There is no deadline for submissions. What is green food? Do you enjoy green food every day? The concept of "green food" was first suggested by the Department of the Ministry of Agriculture in 1990. Green symbolizes life, health and energy. Nowadays, people demand healthy and fresh food. Having enough food to eat is only a basic requirement, and they need more than this. They want to enjoy unpolluted, safe and nutritious food and eat comfortably. So the government does this through a set of "from the land to the dinner table" quality controls. It requires to change China's traditional agricultural structures and ensure the food of high quality. Safe vegetables refers to products without substances harmful to humans. Growing such vegetables requires no strong poisons, thus guaranteeing vegetables fresh and clean. There are strict regulations in place for even applying fertilizer . The examination of vegetables should reach the state food hygiene standard. The following conditions for green food are regulated by the China Green Food Development Center. Firstly, products or raw materials must reach the green ecological environment standard set by the Ministry of Agriculture. Secondly, crop planting, livestock raising, fish breeding and food processing must follow green food operating procedures set by the Ministry. Products must be up to the green food hygiene standard. External packing must be pasted with national standard universal labels, special green food packing decoration and tag regulations. However, by now, our goal hasn't been completely realized. When you return home with a full basket, you are still worried about whether what you have bought is green and healthy. Indeed, for the sake of our health, we still have a long way to go. Which of the following isn't the required standard green food must reach? A Green food must not cause ecological destruction. B Green food should agree with green food operating procedures. C Green food itself should be labeled with special packing decoration. D Green food should meet the green food hygiene standard. Answer: C. Green food itself should be labeled with special packing decoration. Winners Club You choose to be a winner! The Winners Club is a bank account specially designed for teenagers.It has been made to help you better manage your money. The Winners Club is a transaction account where you receive a key-card so you can get to your money 24/7--that' s 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! It' s a club with impressive features for teenagers: * No account keeping fees! You' re no millionaire so we don' t expect you to pay large fees. In fact, there are no account keeping or transaction fees! * Excellent interest rates! You want your money to grow. The Winners Club has a good rate of interest which gets even better if you make at least two deposits without taking them out in a month. * Convenient Teenagers are busy--we get that. You may never need to come to a bank at all. With the Winners Club you can choose to use handy tellers and to bank from home using the phone and the Internet...You can have money directly deposited into your Winners Club account. This could be your pocket money or your pay from your part-time job! * Mega magazine included Along with your regular report, you will receive a FREE magazine full of good ideas to make even more of your money. There are also fantastic offers and competitions only for Winners Club members. The Winners Club is a great choice for teenagers. And it is so easy to join. Simply fill in an application form. You will have to get permission from your parent or guardian(so we can organize that cool key-card)but it is easy. We can' t wait to hear from you. It' s the best way to choose to be a winner! What is the purpose of this text? A To set up a club. B To provide part-time jobs. C To organize key-cards. D To introduce a new banking service. Answer: D. To introduce a new banking service.
The school day begins at 8:45.Class teachers meet the class and check who is present and absent at the beginning of the day. We meet as a whole school once a week on Fridays. The head teacher makes a speech to the whole school. Morning lessons begin at 9:05.There are three one-hour lessons with a fifteen-minute break.The lunch break is from 1 p.m. to 1:45p.m..Afternoon lessons begin at 1:50p.m. and the school day finishes at 4 p.m. All students study and take exams in maths, science and English. In addition, they choose one subject from history, geography, Art, Design and Technology, French and Spanish... All students take PHSE(Personal Health and Safety Education) lessons but no exams are offered. After school sports practice and matches are arranged on Wednesday afternoon and Saturday morning. Chess, music, language and theatre clubs also arrange meetings after school. Students may join as many clubs as they like, but should join at least one. The school has a good record in sports. Last year we were champions in football and tennis, and individual students won prizes for swimming and gymnastics. The first lesson begins at _ in the morning. About 15 years ago, readers of The Independent, a daily national newspaper, were asked by its travel journalists what they missed when they were away from home, and what they looked forward to when they returned. Apart from "family", "friends" and "favorite foods", many people mentioned "the Sunday newspapers" and "the crossword puzzle". It's certainly true that among their many hobbies, the English enjoy words, above all reading them and playing with them. Reading books is one of the most popular relaxation activities, with approximately 100,000 books a year published. Over 80 per cent of the population regularly read a daily newspaper, and there are more newspapers per person than any other country except Japan. The weekend newspapers generally contain hundreds of pages, and even the most popular hobbies -- fishing, stamp collecting, train-spotting, bird-watching, walking, sports, pets, flower-arranging, knitting and pigeon-fancying -- have at least _ , if not several specialist magazines, devoted to them. In fact, many people probably spend more time reading about their hobbies than actually doing them. It's also undoubtedly true that word games, puzzles and competitions are hugely popular in newspapers, on the radio and even on television. One of the most popular television games in the 1980s and 1990s was "Call My Bluff" where two teams of players had to guess which of three meanings of an unfamiliar word was correct. In many cases newspapers have a word games section, such as a "Words within Words" competition where the aim is to make as many words as possible with the letters of a single word. Above all, crossword puzzles are the most familiar word game, with clues ranging from words which have the same meaning as other words, to the "Cryptic" where the meaning of the word is expressed in a very indirect way, and in a variety of linguistic and cultural references. Apparently, some people choose their newspaper not because of the quality of the news coverage but because of the crossword puzzle. You may think that you would need an excellent command of the English language to enjoy playing with words as much as the English do. But many of the word games are very simple and good fun, and in fact, the only skill you must have is to speak and listen or read and write a little. What is the author's purpose of writing the article? Parkour is a new sport that is developing quickly in the world. The aim of parkour is to jump, climb or run over any all stair, or fence on your path easily. Usually, it is done in a city environment. Practicers take very wall or roof as their training place. If you have seen the beginning of the James Bond movie Casino Royale, then you have seen an excellent example of parkour. David Belle, a young Frenchman, developed parkour in the 1990s. His father's experiences as a fireman as well as an acrobat influenced him a lot. His childhood friend, Sebastien Foucan, is the actor in the movie Casino Royale with his parkour performance. Foucan is thought to have developed free-running, which is a more artistic and skillful type of parkour. David belle traveled to India and said one way he trained was by watching a physical one. The aim is to become so skillful, and it is almost unnecessary for you to think about the different actions in running through a path full of barriers . Parkour is not exactly a sport. It is not developed fro competition. It is more about learning to control mind and body in difficult situations. There are many basic movements in parkour. One example is where practicers swing through the narrow space between two bars while keeping their body level with the ground. This is called the underbar. Other movements are the tic-tac and the kong vault jump. Skillful practicers seem to get out of control of gravity. The popularity has spread largely because of parkour videos and organizations on the Internet. And if you search on the Web, you will find parkour groups performing their skills near you. Which of the following is TRUE according to the text? One of the hardest things to do when you are a small child is to start school, and have a new teacher every year. I remember when I was in fourth grade, there were tons of rumors about my teacher. They said that he would hit kids with erasers. _ , and to this day I still remember him as one of those people who really helped me in life. One of the things that you can do to help your kids get ready for a new teacher is to go to meet him or her before the year starts. This allows students to know who the teacher is, and break the ice. It is common for students to be fearful of the teacher for the first few days. Maybe they look scary . However, as a parent, you need to teach your kids that teachers are people too, and that they want nothing but the best for you in life. If your child is still having trouble adjusting to a teacher, you could ask your child to be taught by a different teacher. Adjusting to teachers can be an uncertain thing for a young child. Whether your child knows nothing about this person, or maybe he has heard a rumor about him, it can be a scary thing. As a parent, all you can do is to make sure that your children know the teacher is there to help, not be scary. When the author was in the fourth grade, he _ . Critical thinking is an important skill that can increase students' ability to learn in any situation. This can be applied to traditional education, or directly in a career related role. Many teachers find it such a valuable skill that they give their students a critical thinking question every day. Developing this ability can mean the difference between "just passing a course" and "understanding the material well enough" so that what students learn from _ will follow them throughout their life. Some characteristics of a critical thinker that teachers should encourage are; -asking questions as a reaction to something read or discussed; -determining the "deeper meaning" of a particular passage or topic; -providing input and opinions to topics as a direct result of analysis and research; -reasoning in an effort to develop an argument of your own opinion. It is important for a student to understand more than definition . One way to truly understand an idea is to have hands-on practice, and to apply concepts learned in a textbook. Such "mini-examples" will interest a student and improve their understanding of a topic. This is how life-long skills can be developed. Teachers that use critical thinking practices in the classroom can "go above and beyond" by asking questions that promote a greater comprehension of the material. Instructors should be able to challenge students and create an environment where they are analyzing material and gaining a better understanding. This will make the classroom move in a direction for learning. It can also help students to stay interested in the course material, as they always have a new concept to consider. At the same time, students benefit greatly from developing critical thinking skills. When learned early on, these skills can be used throughout their college education. Students can understand how to consider a topic, analyze it, and discuss it from different points of view. These are skills that will benefit them when they are part of the workforce as well. Critical thinking can best be described as _ .
Time Temp Glasses Are you a person who wants to know the time and temperature during the day? You might like Temp Glasses. These special glasses show the time above your right eye and the temperature your left eye. It is surely easier than wearing a wristwatch, and you never have to guess the Tature. Alarm Fork Do you eat too quickly? Do you eat too much? How can the Alarm Fork help you? Aren't you is ? Well, this special fork has two lights: one green and one red. When the green is on, it's OK to eat a piece of food. The fork "knows" when you eat a piece, and soon the red goes on. Wait for the green light before you eat another piece. Smell This Sow do you know if your breath smells nice, or if it smells bad? It's difficult It) know, because it's very hard to smell the air that comes out of your own mouth. Smell This is useful for this ion. Smell This covers your nose and your mouth. Docs your breath smell nice, or do you need a piece of gum ? Banana Suitcase Has this ever happened to you? You put a banana in your bag lunch in the morning, and when pen the bag at noon, the banana looks like someone drove a car over it. If you put your banana Banana Suitcase, this will never happen. It keeps a banana safe, delicious, and looking like a m! The writer thinks that the four inventions are _ . A dangerous B useless C unusual D expensive Answer: C. unusual I once had a friend that was diagnosed with terminal cancer , and the news that he might only live up to six months was a great shock to him, his family, and his friends.However, in spite of the serious illness, he was initially determined to look into all available treatments that might cure or extend his life.I think that when you find yourself in such situations, you tend to look up every possible way for hope of saving your life. As months went on and his health grew worse, I noticed an unexpected change in attitude that came over him.He had also been a happy person with a cheerful personality, but rather than give in to discouragement and self-pity, he took comfort in God and humanity .His talks focused on others rather than himself, and he spoke of the afterlife as something he was prepared for, believing that his concerned ancestors, including his mother and father, were there waiting for him. During the last few months, weeks, and days of his life, he was kindly cared for by family, friends, his loving wife, who looked after both his physical and emotional needs, and workers from a local hospice came to the home to regulate his medication and provide any other needed support.He didn't complain about his fate, and he willingly allowed others to serve him. Indeed, one might think why God allows death and suffering in our world, but for me, such experiences taught me to value family more and kindness for others.You often can't learn these important attributes in the lap of luxury , and perhaps, such an experience is the greatest and final gift the illness can give those left behind. Which word can best describe the man's initial reaction as soon as he was diagnosed with cancer? A Satisfied. B Sad C Surprised D Concerned. Answer: C. Surprised Eco City Farms are becoming more popular in cities and towns around the United States. Eco City Farms in Edmonston,Maryland, is located near shopping centers, car repair shops and homes. The neighborhood is a workingclass community. People do not have very much money, and they have limited access to fresh food in markets. Over the past two years, the farm has attracted volunteers from the community like Marcy Clark. She schools her four children at home. On a recent day she brought them to Eco City Farms for a lesson. Her son Alston Clark thinks his experience is very valuable. "I like coming out here," he says, "You know, you connect with the earth, where your food comes from. You appreciate the food a little bit more." Margaret Morgan started Eco City Farms. She thinks of it as a place where people can learn to live healthier lives. "Growing food in a community brings people together," she continues, "Every piece of what we do here is a demonstration to show people everything about how to have an ecofriendly community." she says. From the Eco City Farms people come to know that they are not only growing food and raising chickens and bees, but improving the soil with compost made from food waste. Eco City Farms is an experimental operation. The farm gets its power not from the local electricity networks, but from the sun with solar panels. In winter, the green houses use a geothermal system. Vegetables can be grown all year. So once a week, all winter long, neighbors like Chris Moss and her three children bike to the farm to pick up a share of the harvest. "I like eating the vegetables," says fiveyearold Owen Moss. In which column of a newspaper can you most probably read this article? _ A Environment. B Travel. C People. D Education. Answer: A. Environment. People travel for a lot of reasons.Some travelers go to see battlefields or religious shrines.Others are looking for culture,or simply want to have their photos taken in front of famous places.But most Europeans are willing to pay a lot of money and put up with a lot of inconveniences for the sun because they have so little of it.Residents of cities like London,Copenhagen,and Amsterdam spend a lot of their winter in the dark because the days are so short and much of the rest of the year is in the rain.Every summer,more than 25 million people travel to Mediterranean resorts and beaches for their vacation.They all come for the same reason: sun. The huge crowds mean lots of money for the economies of Mediterranean countries.Italy's 30,000 hotels are booked every summer.And 13 million people camp out on French Beaches,parks,and roadsides.Spain's long sandy coastline attracts more people than anywhere else.37 million tourists visit yearly,or one tourist for every person living in Spain. But there are signs that the area is getting more tourism than it can handle.The Mediterranean is already one of the most polluted seas on earth.And with increased tourism,it's getting worse.The French can't figure out what to do with all the garbage left by campers around St.Tropez.And in many places,swimming is dangerous because of pollution. None of this,however,is damaging anyone's fun.The Mediterranean gets more popular every year with tourists.Obviously,they don't go there for clean water.They stand traffic jams and seem to like crowded beaches.They don't even mind the pollution.No matter how dirty the water is,the coastline still looks beautiful.And as long as the sun shines,it's still better than sitting in the cold rain in Berlin,London,or else. Which of the following will damage the tourists' fun at Mediterranean resorts and beaches? A Polluted water. B Crowded buses. C Traffic jams. D Rainy weather Answer: D. Rainy weather From now on, never spend your precious time thinking of reasons for your failures and shortcomings. Instead, realize that the seeds of success were planted within you when you were born. Only you have the power to make those seeds grow. The seeds, and the power to grow them, are contained in the most awesome machine ever created: the human mind. Success is a choice and not a chance. You were born a winner. You were born rich. You can be a success if only you make the right choice. You cannot be successful without first developing your self-confidence. Your level of self-confidence is always based on the degree of control that you are able to exercise over yourself, and thus over your life. People with low self-confidence are people who do not believe that they have any power, or responsibility for their lives. They are mere victims. They are leaves tossed by the winds of chance blown about with any sudden change in the weather. You can exercise control over your life only to the degree that you believe that you are responsible for everything that happens in your life. Failures think that everything happens by accident and chance. Successful people realize that they are responsible. Everything happens as a result of something. If we can identify the cause, we can control the effect. We are responsible for what we choose to think and believe. One generally rises to the level that one expects. We are responsible for setting our expectations. Our success is dependent upon our level of confidence. If you associate with positive-thinking people, you are definitely going to achieve success. On the contrary, the opposite happens. We are responsible for finding, planting, and nurturing the seeds that contain future victory, born from setbacks. In short, in all areas of your life, whether they be financial, physical, emotional, or spiritual, you are responsible. Once you recognize this, accept it, and firmly believe it, you are on the road to success. Losers would think that _ . A success is the result of hard work B working hard will lead to success C their failure is only because of bad luck D they don't make efforts to succeed Answer: C. their failure is only because of bad luck
Are you interested in country music?I like it very much !It will take me away for a while after I am tired .The guitars and songs will take me to mountains and fields. Country music usually talks of everyday life and feelings.It's the spirit of America ,easy to understand ,slow and simple. Country music developed in the Southern United States.It was the folk music of American countryside.Many of songs tell about the lives of farmers .They talk about love,crops or death. The life of the countryside can be hard,so the words in country music are often sad.At first,people played the music only at family parties.But it became more popular later. In the 1920s,people played country songs on the radio,and they made them into records. When people in the countryside moved to towns and cities to look for work,they took their music with them.Country music continued to change and became popular across America. John Denver was one of America's most famous country singers in the 1970s.His song "Take Me home,Country Roads"is well-known and people still play it today. Country music developed _ . Answer: Welcome to Harry Potter and the case of the teenage depression. The popular series is being used in a book designed to help teenagers deal with feelings such as anger and depression. Australian psychologist Dr Julie-Anne Sykley has written the book Harry Potter Power , which uses ideas and characters from British author J.K. Rowling's series to help teenagers develop a happy feeling. Ms Sykley said she had been working on the book for 10 years to help young people feel happier , healthier and more powerful. "I found there was a lot of special hidden material in the (Harry Potter) books and lots of powerful psychological messages that could help young people," she said . " I sense _ really need some help and guidance to improve their resilience and help them make better choices in their life ." Harry Potter fans would be familiar with characters in Ms Sykley's book. " The magical hippogriff creature , for example , was used as a symbol of hope in Harry Potter Power," she said . Dementors were depressing spirits used in her book to help teenagers learn how to prevent mental illness , Ms Sykley said . "It's a great way to introduce the idea of depression ," she said . " Puzzles, games and secret messages were designed to keep learning about depression and anger interesting and informative," she said . Although Harry Potter Power was marketed to young people aged 12 and older , Ms Sykley said it was suitable for adults and professionals such as teachers and psychologists. Many Harry Potter fans have welcomed the book , which is published by Interactive Publications , and is now on sale . According to the passage , Harry Potter Power _ . Answer: Job Interviews You have the education and the work experience; now all you need is the job. Most people spend more time getting ready for an evening out than they do preparing for a job interview. There are several things you can do to have a successful job interview. Here are some of them: 1. Know about the company where you are trying to get a job. Find out what the company does and who their competitors are. 2. Know yourself. Most interviewers will ask a question related to your strengths and weaknesses. Before the interview, examine the job you are applying for and determine the top skills needed for that position. For instance, if you are applying for a job as a telephone operator, it's more important that you have strong communication skills than that you are tidy. 3. Have proof. It's easy to say you have good organization skills. But if you can tell the interviewer about a time you organized an event, it makes the claim much more solid. 4. Prepare questions to ask about the company and the job. An interview is a stressful event. When you are under pressure, it can be difficult to think straight. Preparing before the interview will make it easier to give answers to those tough questions. But you can't think of every question they might ask. So relax and be confident. Remember, first impressions are lasting. This article is about _ . Answer: Which object is nonliving? Answer: "Joe? Is chat you?" The woman speaking to me at he baseball game looked somewhat familiar, "Marci? " "It IS you ! " she exclaimed, smiling broadly. "God, it's good to see you again !" It was good to see Marci, too. Very often during the past few decades, I've wondered about her, I almost tried to reach her a few years ago after talking to a shared friend, who had indicated that the 1990s had been pretty rough for Marci. So, running into her at the baseball game was, at the very least, just happening by chance. We spent a few minutes talking about the business of our lives: kids and grandkids, husbands and houses, education and recreation. It's always a little upsetting to see how few words are required to summarize 32 years of living. We played a little "have you seen...?" and "did you know,..?" And we recalled the good old, bad old days we used to spend together. Then Marci grew quiet for a moment, looking out over the crowd walking about the marketing area at the stadium. "You know, Joe." she said, "I've always wanted to tell you...how...you know...how sorry I am for the way I treated you." Hearing that, I felt I was suffering extreme embarrassment. One does not like to remember when one has been rid of by others roughly and suddenly. "It's OK." I said. "No big deal." At least, I thought to myself, not now. "But I was so stupid: she continued. Yes, you were. I thought. "We were both pretty young:' I said. "I know," she said. "But that's no excuse for..." She hesitated. then continued. "It's just always bothered me, remembering how mean I was to you.And I've wanted to tell you that I'm sorry. So...I'm sorry." The smile on her face was warm and sincere, and there was something in her eyes, it looked a lot like relief-- _ since she had played Wif'fle ball with my heart. "OK:'I said. "Apology accepted! Overcome by the sweetness of the moment. I reached an arm around her and gave her a quick hug Just then, the crowd erupted with a huge cheer, and Marci and I both returned our attention to the game By the time I looked over to where she had been, she was gone. But the warm, wonderful feeling of our brief exchange was still there, and continues to this day whenever I think about it . We all carry bitter, discomforting memories of deeds done or undone, and words said or unsaid. And we all bear wounds --some slight, some not so slight--that have been inflicted upon us by others.The healing balm of forgiveness can calm a troubled conscience and bring peace to an injured soul, even years after the fact. Of course,it isn't enough to just say "I'm sorry," and "You're forgiven." While there is indeed great power in those simple words, it is not available to those who are insincere, or who are only looking for a way to control or exploit.But when those words are truly felt and sincerely expressed , they can open the door to miracles( )of the heart and soul - miracles of forgiveness, even at a baseball game. Which of the following is the best title for the passage? Answer:
When my daughter, Sophie, was admitted to a college we were very happy, but a little worried about becoming empty nesters. I knew I had to do something to help myself adapt, starting with the summer before she left. Sophie had a pack of colorful T-shirts. I knew she wouldn't wear them any more, so I decided to make a quilt out of them for her bed at college. It focused my energy, and also let me relive some memories. I tried to work on the quilt when Sophie wasn't at home----which turned out to be often. She was very busy with her friends. Even when she was around, her door was shut more than usual. I felt a bit hurt. After all, we didn't have much time together before she went to college, I was already missing her, and she hadn't ever left yet. When we arrived at the college, a wave of emotion flooded me. I tried to hold it back, but Sophie saw it in my face. She took a big red book from her bag. "I made this for you, Mom," she said. Then I knew why she had been staying behind a closed door that summer. It was an album of photographs documenting the life of our family over the last 17 years. I broke into tears. Some of it was sadness at having to let her go, but some of it was joy. I knew that our connection was more powerful than ever, and that we'd always be connected by the strongest of threads, the love that went into every stitch of her quilt and every photo of my album. In Sophie's dormitory I unfolded the quilt on her bed. For a moment she was speechless. Then she threw her arms around me. "Mom, I love you," she said. One of her new friends was calling her outside. Sophie turned, and I let her go. How did the author feel when they arrived at the college? She was sorry to be leaving her daughter. Dad was lying in the hospital weakly, but his smile was as sure as ever . It was another attack of lung illness. My husband and I stayed with him for the weekend but had to return to our jobs on Monday. Local relatives would help Dad get home from hospital and look after him. But I longed to be able to let him know that we cared about him too, even when we weren't with him. Then I remembered a family tradition when our children were small. When leaving our grandparents' home after a visit, each child would write a love note to their grandparents. We hid notes in a box, under a hairbrush or next to the phone or even in the microwave oven. For days, our grandparents would smile as they discovered these reminders of our love. So as I tidied Dad's kitchen and made up a bed for him downstairs in the living room, I wrote some notes. Some were practical, "Dad, I put the food in the fridge so it wouldn't spoil". Some expressed my love, "Dad, I hope you will sleep well in your new bed." Most notes were downstairs where he would stay for several weeks until he recovered strength, but one note I hid upstairs under his pillow, "Dad, if you have found this note, you must be feeling better. We are so glad!" Just like his medicine strengthened him physically, these "emotional vitamins" would improve his spiritual health. Several weeks later, in one of our regular phone calls, I asked Dad how he was doing. He said, "Pretty good. I just found your note under my pillow upstairs!" We can infer from the text that the writer's father _ . had suffered from the same illness before. Have you ever walked outside thinking it was one temperature but quickly discovered it felt colder? That is because of the "wind chill" effect. Wind chill is how cold people and animals feel when they are outside, not the actual temperature on the thermometer . It is based on how quickly your body loses heat when it is exposed to wind and cold. When the wind is strong, your body quickly loses heat, making the temperature of your skin drop. When scientists first started calculating wind chill, they used research conducted in 1945 by explorers to Antarctica who measured how quickly water froze outside. But water freezes faster than exposed skin, so the wind chill index based on that data wasn't accurate. In 2001, the US government began to measure wind chill more precisely by testing how quickly people's skin froze. Twelve volunteers were placed in a chilled wind tunnel. Equipment was stuck to their faces to measure the heat flow from their cheeks, forehead, nose and chin while they walked three miles per hour on a treadmill . The experiment revealed how quickly exposed skin can be damaged, particularly unprotected areas like your fingers, toes, the tip of your nose and your ear lobes. In fact, 40 percent of your body heat can be lost through your head! Signs you might have frostbite are when the skin turns white or pale and you lose feeling in that area. The information collected from the volunteers helped scientists work out the math to compute wind chill. It involves wind speed and air temperature. If, for example, the temperature outside is zero degrees Fahrenheit and the wind is blowing at 15 miles per hour, the wind chill is calculated at 19 degrees below zero. At that wind chill temperature, exposed skin can freeze in 30 minutes. You can find a calculation table at www.nws.noaa.gov/om/windchill/index.shtml. Experts advise in cold weather that you wear loose-fitting, lightweight, warm clothing, worn on top of each other. Air caught between the clothes will keep you warm. The best cold-weather coats have head coverings made of woven material that keep out water. So next time the temperature drops and you want to play outside, listen to your parents when they tell you to wrap up warm! When might a person have frostbite according to the passage? When his skin turns pale and he has no feeling in that area. 2000 years ago, this method would likely have brought sand from the coast to the desert constant breezes over time My parents divorced when I was 8 years old. Their marriage was a mistake of World War II. And about 50 years ago, I was the only child I knew who didn't have a father at home on Father's Day. Divorce was very uncommon back then. So when my friends were in town shopping for presents for their fathers, I decided since my mother was both Mother and Father, no one else was like her, who better deserved(be worth) a present on Father's Day than her? I bought her a little set of tools, just a few things, hammer, pliers and screwdriver and a box to put all these things in. I got some ideas from my grandfather and named it Mother's Tool Box. She was excited, more at the thought of being cared for on Father's Day than of the present. She always said she liked her Father's Day memories better than the Mother's Day ones. It made her feel special -- and she was. I have noticed in the past few years, greeting cards are even made for "Mother on Father's Day". Ever since then, my mother has got cards on Father's Day. By the way, she knew just how to use those tools and others she had ever used over the years. Hammer, pliers and screwdriver are probably things _ . more often used by men
Anny was a five-year-old girl. One day when she and her mother were in a department store , Anny saw a plastic pearl necklace . What a beautiful necklace! She wanted it very much, so she begged her mother to buy it for her. The mother said, "Well, I can buy you the necklace, but when we get home, we should discuss what you can do to pay for it. Can we do that?" Anny agreed with much happiness, and she got the necklace. How much Anny loved the necklace! She wore it everywhere and every minute. Anny also did part - time jobs to make pocket money. She worked very hard. Soon she succeeded in paying off the price for the necklace. Anny's daddy knew how she tried her best to get the necklace. He also knew how much Anny cared about it. One night, he asked Anny if she loved him. "Sure, Daddy." the little girl said. "Then how about giving me your necklace?" "Oh, no, Daddy! Not my necklace!" Anny cried. "Oh, dear, it's fine." her father gave her a kiss. Several days later, Anny went to her daddy, with her lips trembling . "Here, Daddy. I love you." She held out her hand. Inside it was the plastic pearl necklace that she loved so much. When he saw this, Anny's father smiled with surprise. He then pulled a cute box out of his pocket. Inside the box was a real and colourful pearl necklace, which was waiting for Anny for so long. One day, Anny _ in a department store. got a plastic pearl necklace All plants require this H2O Do you like listening to music? Does all of the music bring happiness to you? Do you know some music is noise? What is noise? Noise is a loud or unwanted sound. It is also called noise pollution. Where is noise from? Noise can be caused by many kinds of machines, such as motorcycles, planes, farm tractors and TVs. And, to some people, rock bands are also noise. What happens to people who live near noisy machines or use them over a period of time? Doctors find that noise pollution can influence both our health and behavior. It can cause high stress levels, hearing loss, sleep problems, and other harmful effects. Scientists use a unit of measure called a decibel to measure the loudness of a sound. The sound of a quiet room, for example, measures 35 decibels. Talk measures between 40 to 65 decibels. Sounds from traffic and from some rock bands can measure over 120 decibels. Noise at this high level causes the greatest hearing loss. How do we reduce noise damage? Turn down your music player or wear ear muffs when you are working in a noisy environment. Ear muffs for human can protect against noise pollution. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? A decibel is a unit that measures sound. Clyde, a small-clawed otter, was moved from Auckland Zoo to Wellington Zoo two months ago. The zookeepers hoped he and the other otter Bonnie might start a family together. But only two days after he arrived, Clyde went missing. He had dug his way under one of the walls and was nowhere to be seen. The zookeepers set up cages inside the zoo, with plates of Clyde's favorite fish in them, hoping to catch him. Two days went by and still there was no sign of Clyde. At last a couple saw Clyde at their house --- a whole kilometer away in Newtown. Clyde was hiding in an out-of-reach hole outside their laundry. The zookeepers arrived and set up some more traps to try to catch him. But Clyde is a pretty smart otter. Twice he managed to get the fish out of a trap without being caught. Five days after he'd escaped, Clyde's days on the run came to an end when he was finally caught in one of the traps. It was no good putting Clyde back in his old home---he'd only dig his way out again. So he and Bonnie were put into the zoo hospital. There was no chance of their escaping from there. Meanwhile, the zookeepers were working hard to make Clyde's old home safer. They put an iron barrier underground to stop him digging their way out. Then Bonnie and Clyde went home again. But a month after his first escape, Clyde was out again. Once more the zookeepers came hurrying to catch Clyde. They found him by following the bubbles he made in the river nearby. Nobody knew how Clyde had escaped. But this time he was only out for an hour. So---back he went to the hospital again. Poor Clyde. It seemed that he wasn't happy at Wellington Zoo, even though he and Bonnie were getting on well together. The keepers didn't like seeing him unhappy, so they planned to look for a home for him somewhere else. Where was Clyde found after his first escape? At a house a kilometer away. Following Christmas dinner,my family was relaxing around the kitchen table.The goodcooking smells still stayed.My sister,our chef, was enjoying the compliments."Delicious meal!""Everything was wonderful."Dad had risen from his chair and was contentedly standing nearby. My nephew,never one to sit still for too long,began playing his new basketball around the table and throughout the kitchen.Upon nearing Dad,he stopped----almost uncertainly.With shaking,wrinkled hands,Dad had reached out for the ball.He did not speak,and the boy,confused,looked up and over at us.It took some convincing,but the ball was lightly passedover. I watched my father closely to see what he would do.A playful smile appeared on his face.Holding the ball and reaching forward,Dad bounced it on the floor then caught it.This action was repeated.Nodding approvingly,he then turned towards our assembled group.Gently throwing the ball away,Dad began a game of catch. The ball continued to be passed though eager pairs of outstretched hands.Cries of"Over here!"rang through the warm kitchen.Dad's active participation in this game was remarkable to me,since he had advanced Alzheimer's disease.This disease had robbed him of many memories and the recognition of people,places mid points in time. In my younger years,playing with Dad was rare.To his credit,Dad worked hard and provided for us.He was very private and never showed nor shared much emotion.His game of choice was chess,which he did eventually teach me how to play.As an adult,I had become a caregiver and watched helplessly as Dad declined.Connecting moments between father and son had been few and far before he took the basketball. I'm not sure how long we played catch.What I do know is that our game ended all too soon,and it was time to face the reality of dirty dishes piled high on countertops.The moment,though,will certainly last forever.On this Christmas,Dad gave me a special memory--one that I will always treasure. How did the author feel on his father's active participation? Amazed.
Careercast.com is out with its list of best and worst jobs of 2012. It's bad news for the writer of this story, but much brighter for the folks who program the code that keeps this website busy. Using a method that looked at physical demands, work environment, income, stress and hiring outlook, career Website Careercast.com, ranked the top 200 jobs. They also ranked the jobs with the most stress. Not surprisingly, none of the most stressful jobs show up on the best jobs list. At the top is software engineer and at the bottom is the lumberjack. Cutting trees failed to skate above the bottom 10 percent in all ranking categories, except income. "Unemployment for lumberjacks is very high, and the demand for their services is expected to continue to fall through 2016. And while working outside all day may seem like a great job perk , being a lumberjack not only is considered the worst job, but also one of the world's most dangerous," according to Careercast.com. And, for that most dangerous job, a lumberjack earns a little more than $32,000 a year. That's about $56,000 less than the easy job of a software engineer, which has the average salary at $88,000 a year, according to Careercast. Here's a complete look at the best and worst jobs. And, take a look at the most stressful jobs. You may be surprised. Best Jobs Worst Jobs Most Stressful Jobs Software Engineer Lumberjack Enlisted Soldier Actuary Dairy Farmer Firefighter Human Resources Manager Enlisted Military Soldier Airline Pilot Dental Hygienist Oil Rig Worker Military General Financial Planner Reporter (Newspaper) Police Officer Audiologist Waiter/Waitress Event Coordinator Occupational Therapist Meter Reader Public Relations Executive Online Advertising Manager Dishwasher Corporate Executive Computer Systems Analyst Butcher Photojournalist Mathematician Broadcaster Taxi Driver According to the passage, the list is good news for _ . Online Advertising Managers. Usually, when your teacher asks a question, there is only one correct answer. But there is one question that has millions of current answers. That question is "What's your name?" Everyone gives a different answer, but everyone is correct. Have you ever wondered about people's names? Where do they come from? What do they mean? People's first names, or given names, are chosen by their parents. Sometimes the name of a grandparent or other member of the family is used. Some parents choose the name of a well-known person. A boy could be named George Washington Smith; a girl could be named Helen Keller Jones. Some people give their children names that mean good things. Clara means "bright"; Beatrice means "one who gives happiness"; Donald means "world ruler"; Leonard means "as brave as a lion". The earliest last names, or surnames, were taken from place names. A family with the name Brook or Brooks probably lived near brook ;someone who was called Longstreet probably lived on a long, paved road. The Greenwood family lived in or near a leafy forest. Other early surnames came from people's occupations. The most common occupational name is Smith, which means a person who makes things with iron or other metals. In the past, smiths were very important workers in every town and village. Some other occupational names are: Carter -- a person who owned or drove a cart; Potter --a person who made pots and pans. The ancestors of the Baker family probably baked bread for their neighbors in their native village. The Carpenter's great-great-great-grandfather probably built houses and furniture. Sometimes people were known for the color of their hair or skin, or their size, or their special abilities. When there were two men who were named John in the same village, the John with the gray hair probably became John Gray. Or the John was very tall could call himself John Tallman. John Fish was probably an excellent swimmer and John Lightfoot was probably a fast runner or a good dancer. Some family names were made by adding something to the father's name. English-speaking people added -s or -son. The Johnsons are _ of John; the Roberts family's ancestor was Robert. Irish and Scottish people added Mac or Mc or O. Perhaps all of the MacDonnells and the McDonnells and the O'Donnells are descendants of the same Donnell. Which of the following aspects do the surnames in the passage NOT cover? People's characters. When I was young, my mother didn't have the money to send me to school, but she thought it was important for me to keep up with education. So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself. But because she had to go to work, the only time she could do it was at 4:30 in the morning. We need every one of you to develop your talents and your skills so that you can help us old folks solve our most difficult problems. If you quit on school--you're not just quitting on yourself, you're quitting on your country. No one's written your destiny for you, because you write your own destiny. You make your own future. That's why today I'm calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education and do everything you can to meet them. Your goal can be something as simple as doing all your homework, paying attention in class, or spending some time reading a book. But whatever you decide to do, I want you to commit to it. I want you to really work at it. I know that sometimes you get that sense from TV that you can be rich and successful without any hard work--that your ticket to success is through rapping or basketball or being a reality TV star. No one's born being good at all things. You become good at things through hard work. You're not a good athlete the first time you play a new sport. You don't hit every note the first time you sing a song. You've got to practice. What does the writer want everyone to do by improving their talents and skills? To offer help to the old people who have difficulties. Help Wanted PAINTER Must have at least 3 years painting experience. Commercial and new construction work. $10/hr. Immediate opening. Call 435-9201 with work history. SECRETARY Part time position available in friendly, busy office. Good typing and general office skills. Some weekends required. High pay. Various duties. Apply at East Side Management, 500 Park Drive, Dewitt, NY. 13214. Help wanted VET ASSISTENT Person needed for busy animal hospital. Some nights and weekends. Apply in person to Johnson Marks Animal Hospital, 404 Snow Road, Syracuse, NY 13224. After 4 p.m. only please. NURSES' ASSISTANTS Fulltime and part time positions available for modern nursing home. High pay. Call Mrs. Downes, R.N. at 543 7618. Help Wanted COOK NEEDED Immediately. Busy downtown restaurant. Must be good and dependable. Experience preferred. Weekends required. Call 324-9817. SALESPERSON Experienced. Must have some knowledge of men's clothing industry. Available to work evenings and some Saturdays. Send resume to: Martin Apparel, 237 Rockledge St., Syracuse, NY. 13224. Help Wanted TEACHER Small private school needs English and maths teachers. Must have BS degree and at least 4 years teaching experience. Send resume to: Wales Charter School 19 South 8th St. NY. 13214. HOTEL needs part time FRONT DESK CLERK No experience necessary. Excellent people and phone skills a must. Some computer skills helpful. $13/hr. Call: Mr. Jones 357-2897. If you dislike working on Sundays, being a _ should be your best choice. salesperson It often happens that a number of applicants with almost identical qualifications and experience all apply for the same position. In their educational background, special skills and work experience, there is little, if anything, to choose between half a dozen candidates . How then does the employer make a choice? Usually on the basis of an interview. There are many arguments about the interview as a selection procedure. The main argument against it is that it results in a wholly subjective decision. As often as not, employers do not choose the best candidate, but the one who makes a good first impression on them. Some employers, of course, reply to this argument by saying that they have become so experienced in interviewing staff that they are able to make a sound assessment of each candidate's likely performance. Those in favor of the interview insist that the well-structured procedure is valid in assessing a candidate's ability, an essential guarantee for the future job. They also argue that an employer is concerned not only with a candidate's ability, but with the suitability of his or her personality for the particular work situation. Many employers, for example, will overlook occasional inefficiencies from their secretary so long as she has a pleasant personality. Perhaps the real purpose of an interview is not to assess the assessable aspects of each candidate but to make a guess at the more intangible (, ) things, such as personality, character and social ability. Today, interview is still the key section of the entire selection procedure, though different employers have different standards for competence . Generally speaking, candidates who interview well tend to be confident, but never boastful ; direct and straight-forward in their questions andanswers; cheerful and friendly, but never over-familiar; and sincerely enthusiastic and optimistic. Candidates who interview badly tend to be at either end of the spectrum (, ) of human behavior. They are either very shy or over-confident. They show either a lack of enthusiasm or an excess of it. They either talk too little or never stop talking. They are either over-polite or rudely abrupt . We can infer from the passage that an employer might tolerate his secretary's occasional mistakes if the latter is _ . cheerful
Some people believe that international sport brings about good will between the nations and that if countries play games together they will learn to live together. Others say that the opposite is true: that international contests encourage false national pride and lead to misunderstanding and hatred. There is probably some truth in both arguments, but in recent years the Olympic Games have done little to support the view that sport encourages international brotherhood. Not only was there the terrible incident with the murder of athletes, but the Games were also ruined by those incidents caused mainly by minor national contests. One country received its second - place medal with great anger after the hockey final. There had been noisy scenes at the end of the hockey match, the losers objecting to the final decisions. They were certain that one of their goals should not have been dismissed and that the opposite side's victory was unfair. Their manager was angry when he said: "This wasn't hockey. Hockey and the International Hockey Society are finished. "The president of the society said later that such words could result in the pause of the team for at least three years. The American basketball team announced that they would not give away first place to prefix = st1 /Russia, after a fighting end to their contest. The game had ended in quarrel. It was thought at first that theUnited Stateshad won, by a single point, but it was announced that there were three seconds still to play, A Russian player then threw the ball from one end of the court to the other, and another player beat it into the basket. It was the first time theUSAhad ever lost an Olympic basketball match. The judges discussed the matter for four and a half hours before announcing that the result would stand. The American players then decided not to receive the silver medals. Incidents of this kind will continue as long as sport is played for honors or money rather than for the love of the game. The suggestion that sportsmen should compete as individuals , or in non national teams, might be too much to hope for. But in the present organization of the Olympics there is far too much that encourages dangerous nationalism. What conclusion can be drawn from the passage? _ . Answer: Early to bed, Early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise. This is an old English saying. Have you heard it before? It means that we must go to bed early and get up early in the morning. If we do, we shall be healthy. We shall also be rich(wealthy) and clever(wise). Is this true? Perhaps it is. the body must have enough sleep. Children need ten hours' sleep every night. If you do not go to bed early, you cannot have enough sleep. Then you cannot think properly and you cannot do your work properly. You will not be wise and you may not become wealthy! Some people go to bed late at night and get up late in the morning. This is not good for them. We must sleep at night when it is dark. The dark helps us to sleep properly. When the daylight comes, we must get up. This is the time for exercise. Exercise means doing things with the body. Walking, running, jumping, swimming, and playing games are all exercise. If the body is not used, it becomes weak. Exercise keeps it strong. Exercise helps the blood to move ,brains in our heads also need blood. We think with our brains. If we keep our bodies healthy, and take exercise, we can think better. Our bodies also need air to breathe. Without air we die. We must have a lot of clean, fresh air to breathe if we want to be healthy. A habit is something we do _ . Answer: Are you working hard? Do you like to Do you like to talk with people? Do you like to meet people? If your answer is "Yes", then we write stories? If you want to work for our have a job for you as a waiter. magazine as a reporter, please call Karen at Call AL Hotel at 556779 558366 (3)HELP WANTED (4)CLEANER WANTED Do you like babies? Can you look after one Can you make a large house clean and baby for two days? If you are sure to take good tidy? If you hope to get the job paid at $20 care of it, call us at 766588. once a week, call us this evening. $ 80 0rmore 8: 00-20: 20 Today Hurry Tell: 833800 If the owner of the large house asks a cleaner to tidy his house twice a week, how much will the cleaner get in a month? _ . Answer: Our youngest child eagerly entered kindergarten, while our oldest child excitedly went to college--and I felt left behind. After being very happy as a stay-at-home mother of six children, I suddenly felt stuck on a dead-end road and lacked direction. An inner anxiety troubled me that life was passing by. The road, requiring expensive education, appeared too long and difficult. Thanks to supportive friends and family, I eventually discovered the road sign pointing to the ideal program at an excellent college, which offered a lot of student grants . Driving to my first class, I, aged 40, was eager and nervous. School required sacrifices : weekends for class, sleep for study, and life's luxuries for tuition fees. But the rewards greatly outweighed the cost. The narrow and rocky road developed perseverance and patience, while the smooth and open road built low confidence. Along the way, I met fellow travelers of all ages and interests: a 50-year-old woman who learned photography at the community college; a successful 62-year-old businessman who worked toward a nursing degree to serve in developing countries; an 80-year-old woman who enthusiastically started classes to learn how to surf the Internet, so she could keep up with the world. Twelve years after starting the journey as a non-traditional student, I graduated with a doctoral degree in literature. My children have been especially proud, calling me Dr. Mom. When you hear the small, still voice asking you to do something more or different, remember you can trust your heart. How did the author look at the sacrifices she had made? Answer: Despondent over losing his job, Wilmont drank all night at a bar. While driving home, he noticed a car following him and, in his intoxicated state, concluded he was being followed by robbers. In fact, a police car was following him on suspicion of drunk driving. In his effort to get away, Wilmont sped through a stop sign and struck and killed a pedestrian. He was arrested by the police. Wilmont is prosecuted for manslaughter. He should be Answer:
Extracts From Information Booklet For Car Ferry Passengers CAR DECKS Car drivers are advised to use the handbrake before leaving their cars, to lock all doors and to take with them all belongings that may be needed during the crossing. CURRENCY EXCHANGE We regret that there are no facilities aboard for the exchange of cheques of any kind but most European currencies together with Euro cards and various types of international credit cards are accepted for payment in restaurants, shops, cinemas, etc. and to carry out other transactions on board. PASSENGER FACILITIES ON BOARD The following are a small selection of those available. PROMENADE DECK : Here you can enjoy a pleasant stroll, go for a jog, or sit or lie back in the sunshine in adaptable reclining seats . We would however suggest passengers that decks may be slippery in wet or freezing weather. VIEWING BRIDGE: This is situated below the Captain's Bridge and offers a view over the bow of the ship. The viewing bridge is reached from the promenade deck via the foremost stairway. A LA CARTE RESTAURANT: This serves the same breakfast buffet as the main dining room. Scandinavian and international specialties are available at lunch and dinner times. No reservations required. DUTY-FREE SHOP: This is a supermarket offering Scandinavian and international goods, foodstuffs, spirits, tobacco goods, sweets etc. OPENING TIMES: The opening times of the various shops, restaurants and other facilities are shown on the relevant entrance doors as well as on the boards in the main halls on Decks 4. Passengers to the A La Carte restaurant _ . Answer: can sit wherever they like when they come in A rich woman begins to learn painting . When she is sixty years old, she loves it very much. She paints and paints. After ten years, there are lots of pictures in her workroom, and she thinks they are very good. One day, the old woman is badly ill in bed, but she doesn't forget her pictures. She says to his grandson, Hand, "I want to give my pictures to a school, then the students will remember me. But which school do you think is the best, my dear?" "Well," says the little boy, "You'd better give them to the blind school!" We can know from the passage that _ . Answer: the old woman's pictures are not good Perry suffered a serious injury while participating in an impromptu basketball game at a public park. The injury occurred when Perry and Dever, on opposing teams, each tried to obtain possession of the ball when it rebounded from the backboard after a missed shot at the basket. During that encounter, Perry was struck and injured by Dever's elbow. Perry now seeks compensation from Dever. At the trial, evidence was introduced tending to prove that the game had been rough from the beginning, that elbows and knees had frequently been used to discourage interference by opposing players, and that Perry had been one of those making liberal use of such tactics. In this action, will Perry prevail? Answer: No, unless Dever intentionally used force that exceeded the players' consent. 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 . How many people are there in this family ? Answer: 6. One sunny day, Martha went on a walk through the park. While walking, she noticed something strange. No one was outside. She was the only person at the park. "How strange, where is everyone?" she thought. Martha looked everywhere. She looked inside the restrooms, under the benches, and even at the top of the slide. She was confused. Usually, she would see her friends playing with each other. She started walking again when one of her friends popped up, surprising her. Her friend asked her, "Why are you outside?" Martha asked what she meant, and explained that she always came out to the park to play. Her friend then looked at her strangely and asked, "Didn't Stephan invite you to his party?" Martha hadn't known that Stephan was holding a party. She was sad that he hadn't invited her. She walked back home, upset. What kind of day was it? Answer: Sunny
One day in l965, when I worked at View Ridge School in Seattle, a fourth-grade teacher approached me. She had a student who finished his work before all the others and needed a challenge. "Could he help in the library?" She asked. I said, "Send him along." Soon a slight, sandy-haired boy in jeans and a T-shift appeared. "Do you have a job for me?" he asked. I told him about the Dewey Decimal System for shelving books. He picked up the idea immediately. Then I showed him a stack of cards for long-overdue books that I was beginning to think had actually been returned but were misshelved with the wrong cards in them. He said, "Is it kind of a detective job?" I answered yes, and he became working. He had found three books with wrong cards by the time his teacher opened the door and announced, "Time for break!" He argued for finishing the finding job; She made the case for fresh air. She won. The next morning, he arrived early. "I want to finish these books," he said. At the end of the day, when he asked to be a librarian on a regular basis, it was easy to say yes. He worked untiringly. After a few weeks I found a note on my desk, inviting me to dinner at the boy's home. At the end of a pleasant evening, his mother announced that the family would be moving to neighbouring school district. Her son's first concern, she said, was leaving the View Ridge library. "Who will find the lost books?" he asked. When the time came, I said a reluctant good-bye. I missed him, but not for long. A few days later he came back and joyfully announced: "The librarian over there doesn't let boys work in the library. My mother got me transferred back to View Ridge. My dad will drop me off on his way to work. And if he can't, I'll walk!" I should have had an inkling such focused determination would take that young man wherever he wanted to go. What I could not have guessed, however, was that he would become a wizard of the Information Age: Bill Gates, tycoon of Microsoft and America's richest man. What impressed the author most was that the boy _ . New research shows sheep are clever People often make jokes about how dull sheep are, but new research shows they may be cleverer than we think. Researchers at the University of Cambridge discovered that Welsh mountain sheep have brainpower that equals rodents . Tests found that the sheep can map the area they live in, and some may even be able to plan ahead. Young fish prefer noisy neighbors A new study has shown that young fish like to live on reefs with noisy neighbors! Researchers from the universities of Auckland and Bristol found that young fish looking for a home choose areas where other noisy fish live. The scientists produced all kinds of sounds which had been recorded in different natural environments. The young fish seemed to prefer the sounds of natural reefs, complete with noisy animals! The scientists compared the choice to a music fan wandering around at a music festival, choosing to set up a tent closest to the music they like best! Butterflies are disappearing A new study has shown that 17 species of butterfly found in Europe have dropped by 70% in the last 20 years. The information collected from 3,000 sites across 15 countries shows it may be caused by the loss of grasslands covered with flowers. You can encourage butterflies to come into your garden by planting flowers. What is the passage mainly about? Dear Mrs. Smith, I was a students of yours in Grade Six, and I hope you still remember me. I'm writing this letter because I want to let you know that the school year with you was important and special to me. It made a big contribution to my life. I know I was very quiet in your class, and you never said much to me. But you did something that made a big difference in my life. You see, all through my first year in school, I hated to read. Books were just words that had very little to do with me, and I was bored by them. I'll never forget the first day of Grade Six when you took out a thick book and began to read the story to our class. Your voice seemed to change with the people in the story, I couldn't wait until after lunch when you would read to the class. You read us all kinds of wonderful books. During the summer after my year in your class, I missed hearing the stories you would read. So one day I picked up a book and read it all on my own. I found out that I could make the words interesting, too. I love to read! Thank you for opening the world of books for me. Yours, Jenny Jenny was not sure if(="whether)" Mrs. Smith could remember her because _ at school. Although there are many ways in which people communicate through speech, public speaking has probably received more study and attracted more attention than any other. Politicians winning an election, salespeople presenting products and etc. All depend upon this form of public communication. Even people who do not make speaking a part of their daily work are often asked to make public speeches: students at graduation, for instance, or members of churches, clubs or other organizations. Nearly everyone speaks in public at some time or other, and those who perform the task well often become leaders. There are many reasons for speaking in public. A public speaker may hope to teach an audience about new ideas, or provide information about some topic. Creating a good feeling or entertaining an audience may be another purpose. Public speakers, however, most often seek to persuade an audience to accept new opinions, to take certain actions, or to see the world in a new way. Public speakers usually know well in advance when they are scheduled to make a speech. Consequently, they are able to prepare their message before they deliver it. Sometimes, though, speakers must deliver the message unprepared, or off the cuff, such as when they are asked to speak at a wedding reception or to participate in an interview. When they do not have to speak unprepared, most speakers write their own speeches. Politicians and business managers sometimes employ professional writers who prepare their speeches for them. These professional writers may work alone or in small teams. Although the speaker may have some ideas into the contents of the speech, the writers sometimes have a great influence over the opinions expressed by their employers. Regardless of how a speech is prepared, the person who delivers it is given credit for its effect upon its hearers. Public speaking is well known to average people because _ . What a miracle! A low-cost Lost in Thailand <<>> has got the best ticket sales. It is true that Lost in Thailand has become the most popular Chinese film of all time. The ticket sales The movie Lost in Thailand cost just 30 million yuan to make, but it has earned more than 1.2 billion yuan. It has got more ticket than Painted Skin: The Resurrection, the best-selling movie this summer in China. The story summary Lost in Thailand is a comedy. It is a story about three Chinese men who met on their trips to Thailand. The movie has a great plot. Xu Lang is a businessman. He hurried to Thailand to look for his boss because of his special purpose. His competitor, Gao Bo followed him to Thailand, too. Xu Lang met Wang Bao, a pancake maker on his way to Thailand, Three Chinese men had some funny and _ experiences in Thailand and the story made people high. The director and actors The director of the movie is Xu Zheng. He has been a popular actor for about ten years. He was famous for his role, the Evil Pig in a popular TV serious. Lost in Thailand is his first movie that was directed by Xu Zheng. Xu Zheng is a lead role in the movie. Huang Bo and Wang Baoqiang are China's top comedians and the both play the important roles in the movie. ,A, B, c, D,. (10) .Why did Xu Lang go to Thailand?
Poor weather. Technical difficulties. These are some of the typical causes of cancelled trains and planes. But sometimes, the excuse can be a lot more _ . Just recently, passengers waiting for a train to Peterborough heard the following announcement, "For reasons beyond our control, we regret to inform passengers that the 13:46 Train to Peterborough has been cancelled. The next train will be arriving on Platform in approximately 36 minutes." Oh, well, another delayed train, thought most passengers. But a couple of them decided to enquire further. Incredibly, they were informed that the real reason for the non-arrival of the train was that the driver refused to do his job because his seat was wet. "A wet seat? That's got to be a joke," said one passenger angrily. "I wouldn't normally complain if the train is just a bit delayed, but this was unbelievable, " he added. "What really made me angry is that this driver refused to get in the train," said another passenger. "He probably went off for a cup of tea after that!" she added. A spokesperson for the rail company apologized for the incident, but said the driver couldn't sit on the damp seat, and wouldn't be able to drive the train standing up. The spokesperson went on to explain that the seat had become wet after water entered through an open window when the train was being cleaned in a "train wash" In another transport-related incident, a flight from Chicago to Frankfurt made an emergency landing in Canada after the pilot spilled his coffee. Apparently, the spilt liquid caused the plane's radio to send out "transponder code 7500", which is used to inform ground control that there's been a hi-jacking . After landing in Toronto, the 255 passengers crew members were put up in a hotel for the night, then flown on to Frankfurt the following afternoon. "What a disgusting trip!" said one tired passenger after the painful experience had ended. So, does your job have the potential to cause such disorder? The flight made an emergency landing in Canada because " _ ". A the plane was hijacked B the plane engines went wrong C the pilot ran out of coffee D the plane's radio sent out a wrong signal Answer: D Why should mankind explore space? Why should money, time and effort be spent exploring and researching something with so few obvious benefits? Why should resources be spent on space rather than on conditions and people on Earth? These are questions that, understandably, are very often asked. Perhaps the best answer lies in our genetic makeup as human beings. What drove our ancestors to move from the trees into the plains, and on into all possible areas and environments? The wider the spread of a species, the better its chance of survival. Perhaps the best reason for exploring space is this genetic tendency to expand wherever possible. Nearly every successful civilization has explored, because by doing so, any dangers in surrounding areas can be identified and prepared for. Without knowledge, we may be completely destroyed by the danger. With knowledge, we can lessen its effects. Exploration also allows minerals and other potential resources to be found. Even if we have no immediate need of them, they will perhaps be useful later. Resources may be more than physical possessions . Knowledge or techniques have been gained through exploration. The techniques may have medical applications which can improve the length or quality of our lives. We have already benefited from other spin-offs including improvements in earthquake prediction, in satellites for weather forecasting and in communications systems. Even non-stick pans and mirrored sunglasses are by-products of technological developments in the space industry! While many resources are spent on what seems a small return, the exploration of space allows creative, brave and intelligent members of our species to focus on what may serve to save us. While space may hold many wonders and explanations of how the universe was formed or how it works, it also holds dangers. The danger exists, but knowledge can help human being to survive. Without the ability to reach out across space, the chance to save ourselves might not exist. While Earth is the only planet known to support life, surely the adaptive ability of humans would allow us to live on other planets. It is true that the lifestyle would be different, but human life and cultures have adapted in the past and surely could in the future. What makes it possible for humans to live on other planets? A Our genetic makeup. B Resources on the earth. C The adaptive ability of humans. D By-products in space exploration. Answer: C Sports News of the Week Bolt regains 100m title in Moscow Last updated: Mon, Aug-12-2013, 08:54 USAIN BOLT of Jamaica won the men's 100 meters final during the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Moscow on Sunday. Usain Bolt was made to look human by a combination of a Russian rainstorm and a fired-up Justin Gatlin on Sunday but the Jamaican superstar was still good enough to regain his world 100 meters title in a surging 9.77 seconds. With former world and Olympic champion and twice-banned doper Gatlin leading at halfway, Bolt was forced to race a rival, rather than the clock. Jason Dufner wins PGA Championship Last Updated: Monday, August 12, 2013, 10:38 Jason Dufner won his first major title at the 95th PGA Championship, the top U.S. golf competition, seizing an early lead on Sunday at Oak Hill, Texas and holding on for victory despite a bogey-bogey finish. The 36-year-old American, who squandered a four-shot lead with four holes to play in losing the 2011 PGA Championship, fired a final-round two-under par 68 to finish on 10-under par 270 for 72 holes. Isinbaeva leads harvest day for host Russia at Moscow worlds Last updated: WeD.August 14, 2013, 10:35 Russia's "pole vault queen" Elena Isinbaeva ignited the Luzhniki stadium as she claimed her third world title on the fourth day of the 2013 IAAF World Championships here on Tuesday, which saw host Russia harvested two gold and one silver medals in seven finals, Ireland's Heffernan wins world walk title at 35 Last Updated: Wednesday, August 14,2013,15:15 Ireland's Robert Heffernan won the world championship 50km walk title on Wednesday as the 35-year-old finally tasted glory after 13 years of heartbreak and near-misses. Heffernan, fourth in the 2012 Olympic 50km and fourth in both walks at last year's European championships, broke clear of Mikhail Ryzhov after 35km to deny Russia a clean sweep of the walks after they took gold in both 20km events earlier in the week. _ won the world championship at last after trying hard for 13 years. A Jason B Bolt C Isinbaeva D Heffernan Answer: D Living in a foreign culture there are many times when I realize that my perspective on life is drastically different from those Koreans I interact with on a daily basis. This past week I have been greatly challenged to change my perspective and here is why. My dream in life is to become a doctor, one who changes the world. But last week I opened an email from UBC that contained the words "regrets", no interview. I didn't get an interview to medical school, thus will not be entering school for September 2009. My immediate reaction was one of extreme disappointment and anger--mostly directed at myself for not working hard enough, for not seeking out the opportunities necessary to have a good application, for simply not being good enough. My mind was full of hopelessness and despair that left me with no desire to further seek for the dream that I've held for quite a time now. During the past week two things happened. At church our pastor mentioned perspective in a section of his sermon . He stated that when we take our eyes off ourselves and realize God's greatness, our circumstances will be seen through a new perspective. The second thing that reminded me to look at perspective was reading a book. The Mitford Series is so good if you are looking for books to read. So last night I was reading and one of the main characters (who is a priest) is trying to figure out what to say at church. His sermon ended up saying "In everything we give thanks." It is easy to give thanks when we feel successful in life. It is easy to give thanks when we receive a blessing. But seriously, who in their right mind says thanks for the financial problems I have? What can we infer from the passage? A The author can't really free from the disappointment. B The author thinks the second sermon is wiser. C The author still wants to be a doctor. D The author thanks God for not being admitted by the university. Answer: A It was Saturday. As always, it was a busy one, for "Six days shall you labor and all your work" was taken seriously back then. Outside, Father and Mr. Patrick next door were busy chopping firewood. Inside their own houses, Mother and Mrs. Patrick were engaged in spring cleaning. Somehow the boys had slipped away to the back lot with their kites. Now, even at the risk of having brother caught to beat carpets, they had sent him to the kitchen for more string . It seemed there was no limit to the heights to which kites would fly today. My mother looked at the sitting room, its furniture disordered for a thorough sweeping. Again she cast a look toward the window. "Come on, girls! Let's take string to the boys and watch them fly the kites a minute." On the way we met Mrs. Patric, laughing guiltily as if she were doing something wrong, together with her girls. There never was such a day for flying kites! We played all our fresh string into the boys' kites and they went up higher and higher. We could hardly distinguish the orange-colored spots of the kites. Now and then we slowly pulled one kite back, watching it dancing up and down in the wind, and finally bringing it down to earth, just for the joy of sending it up again. Even our fathers dropped their tools and joined us. Our mothers took their turn, laughing like schoolgirls. I think _ . Parents forgot their duty and their dignity; children forgot their everyday fights and little jealousies. "Perhaps it's like this in the kingdom of heaven," I thought confusedly. It was growing dark before we all walked sleepily back to the housed. I suppose we had some sort of supper. I suppose there must have been surface tidying-up, for the house on Sunday looked clean and orderly enough. The strange thing was, we didn't mention that day afterward. I felt a little embarrassed. Surely none of the others had been as excited as I. I locked the memory up in that deepest part of me where we keep "the things that cannot be and yet they are." The years went on, then one day I was hurrying about my kitchen in a city apartment, trying to get some work out of the way while my three-year-old insistently cried her desire to "go park, see duck." "I can't go!" I said. "I have this and this to do, and when I'm through I'll be too tired to walk that far." My mother, who was visiting us, looked up from the peas she was shelling. "It's a wonderful day," she offered, "really warm, yet there's a fine breeze. Do you remember that day we flew kites?" I stopped in my dash between stove and sink. The locked door flew open and with it a rush of memories. "Come on," I told my little girl. "You're right, it's too good a day to miss." Another decade passed. We were in the aftermath of a great war. All evening we had been asking our returned soldier, the youngest Patrick Boy, about his experiences as a prisoner of war. He had talked freely, but now for a long time he had been silent. What was he thinking of --- what dark and horrible things? "Say!" A smile sipped out from his lips. "Do you remember --- no, of course you wouldn't. It probably didn't make the impression on you as it did on me." I hardly dared speak. "Remember what?" "I used to think of that day a lot in POW camp , when things weren't too good. Do you remember the day we flew the kites?" The youngest Patrick boy is mentioned to show that _ . A the writer was not alone in treasuring her fond memories B his experience in POW camp threw a shadow over his life C childhood friendship means so much to the writer D people like him really changed a lot after the war Answer: A
Anger is a kind of feeling. Many things can make you angry. When your teacher gives you too much homework, when your team loses an important game, when a friend borrows your favorite thing and then breaks it, you may get really angry. Usually, your body will tell you when you are angry. For example, you breathe faster, your face turns red, and you may want to break something or hit someone, but sometimes, you hide your anger. For example, you may hide it in your heart. The problem is that if you do this, you may get a headache or your stomach may hurt. In fact, it's not good to hide your anger, and it's normal for you to get angry sometimes. But anger must be let out in the right way, without hurting others or yourself. When you get angry, you can talk about it with other people. It's helpful to talk about your anger with an adult, such as parents, a teacher, etc. When you talk about anger, those bad feelings can start to go away. Here are some other things you can do when you start to feel angry: talk to a good friend; count from 1 to 100; give someone a hug ; go for a bike ride; think about good things, etc. Remember that how you act when you are angry can make everything better or worse. Don't let your anger you. _ shows that you're not angry. A. Taking a faster breath B. Getting a headache C. Getting a stomachache D. Wanting to protect someone Answer: D It doesn't look like the heart of a green revolution. The huge chimneys stick up above the line of pine trees and don't make for the most scenic view as you wander around the clear blue waters of the nearby lake. But it is this power plant that has helped the small Swedish city of Vaxjo become arguably the greenest place in Europe. On closer observation, the only thing emerging from the chimneys is the faintest mists of steam. And inside it smells more like a sauna than a furnace . That's because it is not oil fuelling the plant, but woodchip and other wood waste from the area's sawmills. And as well as generating electricity, it also supplies 90 per cent of this southern Swedish town with heating and hot water.[:Zxxk.Com] The gases produced as the wood burns are changed into liquid form, and are purified before they reach the chimney. And instead of wasting this liquid, the power plant pumps it around town. Some runs out of the town's public taps; the rest is directed through pipes that run through individual heaters, warming homes and offices. The pile of wood chippings in the yard towers above head height and takes almost five minutes to walk around. That's enough to keep Vaxjo warm on the snowiest day in winter, or supply it with hot water for a fortnight in summer, and it's good way of using the paper industry's waste. As well as the centuries-- old Swedish policy of planting a new tree for every one felled, the ashes swept out of the furnace each day find their way back to the forest as fertilizer . It was this green plant that netted Vaxjo the European Union's award for sustainable development, making it the greenest city on the continent. However, it is not just the citizen's consciences and moral histories to which the town's current day authorities are appealing. They know how to talk to their wallets too. Oil-generated electricity costs about 16,000 kronor a year(PS1,170) per person, while the new power plant's electricity comes in at two thirds of the price. They've been planning for over ten years to become a "Fossil Fuel Free City". But according to Anders Franzen, the head of planning and development department at the city council: "The battle in the energy sector has been won, yes, but the next battleground is transport." What's the main reason for "inside it smells more like a sauna than a furnace"? A. It is surrounded by pine trees. B. It produces lots of hot water. C. It is fuelled by woodchip and wood waste . D. It sends out the smoke from the chimneys. Answer: C Since the beginning of history, man has been attracted by the idea of living forever, of winning the fight against death and disease. So far, this has only remained a dream. Many people have wondered whether it would be possible to find a way to preserve human bodies, and what would be the best way. It has long been known that meat of fruit can be kept fresh for long periods by freezing; in ancient China, for example, food was stored with ice to keep it fresh. This method could also be useful for preserving humans. However, most living beings that exist under warm conditions die when frozen. This is because of the harmful effects of freezing ice crystals , which not only are larger than the volume of the water originally in the cells, but also form sharp cutting shapes that harm the cells. In the 1940s Dr B.J. Luyet and a group of scientists in England were working on the problem of freezing cells without damaging them. Since the harm caused by ice crystals was the main cause of damage, Luyet suggested removing some or all of the water from the cells before freezing them. Using living cells form chicken, Luyet and his assistants discovered that they could partly dry the chicken cells, using a mixture of the white part of an egg and glycerin . Some success was obtained. The chicken cells were dried, frozen for a period of time, and then carefully unfrozen. Almost all the cells recovered when they reached normal temperatures. Since then, the cooling of whole animals to a temperature far below freezing point for later unfreezing has become more of a possibility, and the glycerin method would probably be used to accomplish this. When this can be done completely and successfully, science will have moved much closer to its aim of freezing and storing incurable patients until the day they can be cured. What does the passage mainly talk about? A. Easy but practical ways to remove water from living cells. B. The possibility of preserving human bodies by freezing. C. The practice of preserving food by freezing. D. The harmful effects of freezing. Answer: B The time children spend outdoors could be linked to a reduced risk of being short-sighted, research suggests. An analysis of eight previous studies by University of Cambridge researchers found that for each additional hour spent outside per week, the risk of short-sightedness was reduced by 2%.They said exposure to natural light and time spent looking at distant objects could be key factors . The studies involved more than 10,000 children and adolescents. Dr Justin Sherwin and his research team concluded that short-sighted children spent an average of 3.7 fewer hours per week outdoors than those who either had normal vision or were far-sighted. But they said the reasons were not yet clear.They expected to find that children who spent more time outdoors also spent less time doing activities like reading, studying or playing computer games, but no such link was found in two of the eight studies which looked at this relationship. However, Dr Sherwin said they would now need more precise data to try to understand which factors, such as increased use of distance vision, reduced use of near vision, natural ultraviolet light exposure and physical activity,are most important. "Any increase in time spent outdoors must be weighed against exposure to ultraviolet radiation and the increased risk of skin cancer, cataracts and other cancers."he said."On the other hand, increasing outdoor physical activity could protect against diabetes and obesity, for example." Short-sightedness is a common eye condition that causes distant objects to appear blurred , while close objects can be seen clearly. It is much more common today in the UK and the United States than it was just 30 to 40 years ago. Approximately 1-2% of five-year-olds to seven-year-olds in the UK have short-sightedness.About.five million British people are short-sighted and some 200,000 of them will be seriously short-sighted. In some parts of Asia, more than 80% of the population suffers from short-sightedness. Which of the following is TRUE? A. Students who spent more time outdoors read less B. Only one factor contributes to short-sightedness C. The increase in time spent outdoors means more exposure to ultraviolet radiation D. The less time children spent outdoors, the more short-sighted they are Answer: C A poor traveler arrived at a small village. He had no food or money. He only had a cooking pot. He made a small cooking fire, placed his pot on it, and poured in some water. When a few villagers asked what he was doing, he said that he was making stone soup which was a recipe passed down from his father. He then dropped a round stone into the pot. Then the traveler told the villagers stories of his travels and the exciting things he'd seen. He tasted his soup and said it was nice, but a bit of salt would be better. One villager went home and came back with some salt for the soup. A few more villagers stopped to see what was going on when they heard the traveler speaking. The traveler told more stories and said that some carrots or onions would be nice to the delicious soup. So another villager said he could give a few carrots and brought them from his home. This continued with the traveler asking for onions, a bit of meat, celery , potatoes to the soup. Finally, the soup was OK and everyone enjoyed the tasty meal. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage? A. The traveler put tomatoes, potatoes and carrots into the soup. B. The villagers were happy to taste the soup. C. The traveler said the recipe was from his father. D. The traveler got the soup and paid for nothing. Answer: A
Question: Lion is a special animal to Chinese people. A couple of stone lions, a male and a female , can often be seen in front of the gates of old buildings. The male lion is on the left with his right paw on a ball, and the female on the right. And her left paw is touching a baby animal. The lion is the king in the animal world because he is powerful. The ball shows the country or the family will be together forever, and the baby animal with the female shows that you will have many children. The stone lions were also used to show the families were powerful. If you had no money or power, you couldn't put the stone lions in front of your houses. It was also popular to make bridges with stone lions. The best known of this is the Lugou Bridge (also as Marco Polo Bridge), built from 1189 to 1192. The stone lions on the bridge are most famous. Maybe there are 485 lions in all, maybe there are 498 or 501. A famous saying is that "the lions on the Lugou Bridge are uncountable ." Who is the king in the animal world according to the text? A. Tigers B. Lions C. Elephants D. Bears Answer: B. Lions Question: Mr.Brown was traveling by train.He was very hungry.The train stopped at a small station.He wanted to buy some cakes to eat very much.But it rained hard.So he wanted someone to help him.Then a little boy came here.Mr.Brown asked him to buy cakes for him.He gave the little boy some money and said,"Go and buy two cakes with the money.One cake is for me,and the other is for you." The little boy was happy and ran to buy cakes in the rain.A few minutes later the boy came back.He said to Mr.Brown,"I'm very sorry,sir.I eat the last cake.It's fifty fen.And it's very delicious.Thank you very much.Here is your fifty fen." Mr.Brown wanted the little boy to _ . A. buy two cakes for him B. buy two cakes for them C. eat the two cakes D. buy one cake Answer: B. buy two cakes for them Question: East Bus --- maybe the best choice on your visit to the famous places of interest in Beijing. Sit back, relax and see all there is to see, with no need to worry about driving, finding a parking place or leaving your car with no one to watch it. We have lots of buses taking you to visit Tian'anmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven Park, the Olympic Center and the Great Wall. The whole tour will take you three days. Chinese & English speaking guides. Booking by phone four days in advance . Tour price: Y=580.00 per person (half price for children under 1.2m tall ), including the ticket price, breakfast and lunch. For more information, please phone Yong'an Tourism Company at 010-23368688/23368689. Add: 356 Chaoyang Road, Beijing. Open 7 days a week. 8:00-16:00. ,. Which of the following is not true? A. The tour price includes six meals. B. Visitors can see six places within three days. C. Visitors must go to the company to book the tickets. D. The office hour of the company is eight hours a day Answer: C. Visitors must go to the company to book the tickets. Question: Do your kids ask a lot of questions? If they do, that's great. Because that's how children learn. Some of these questions may be easy to answer. Others may be hard. And they want to get the right answers. Do your kids ask such questions? Why is the sky blue? Why is the sunset red? Why are leaves green? Why do leaves change color in autumn? How do airplanes fly? Can you answer these questions? If not, don't worry. Though Science Made Simple can't help with all of life's important questions, it can help with those. In this fast changing world, the more your children know about science, the better. Get the help you need now, and every month you can get Science Made Simple online for only $11.95 for 10 issues . Click here: questions @sciencemadesimple. Com for more information. Remember, if you are not happy with your first issue, we will give back all your money. Which of the following can be found in Science Made Simple? A. Painting skills. B. How airplanes fly. C. The newest films. D. Travel routes . Answer: B. How airplanes fly. Question: For thousands of years, people thought of glass as something beautiful to look at. Only recently have they come to think of it as something to look through. Stores display their goods in large glass windows. Glass bottles and jars that hold food and drink allow us to see the contents. Glass is used to make eyeglasses, microscopes, telescopes, and many other extremely useful and necessary objects. Until the Second World War, most of the glass used for optical instruments was imported from Europe. However, during the war Americans could not get European glass, and they were forced to make their own. Therefore, new kinds of glasses were developed that had been previously unknown. These new effects were achieved by mixing other chemical elements with the sand. Some of these new glasses are very strong and can resist many kinds of shocks. Legend has it that a very hard glass was invented by a Roman who showed his discovery to the Emperor. When the Emperor saw the glass he feared that it would become more valuable than gold and sliver, making his treasure worthless. Therefore, he had the glassmaker killed, and the secret was not discovered again for hundreds of years. In the present century, safety glass was invented for use in modern cars and planes. Safety glass is made by placing a layer of plastic between two layers of plate glass. When the outside layer of glass is broken, the pieces do not scatter and injure people. Some glass of the type is strong enough to resist bullets . Although nowadays plastics have replaced glass under conditions where glass might be easily broken, there are new uses being developed, for the greatest advantage of glass is that its component parts are inexpensive and can be found all over the world. As time goes by, glass _ . A. is regarded as transparent B. is used to make things look pleasant C. is seen as more than decoration D. is widely used to replace steel in making containers Answer: C. is seen as more than decoration
Question: Mr. and Mrs. Turner live outside a small town. They have a big farm and they are always busy working on it. Their son, Peter, studied at a middle school. The young man studied hard and did well in his lessons. It made them happy. Last month Peter finished middle school and passed the entrance examination . Mrs. Turner was very happy and told the farmers about it. Yesterday morning the woman went to the town to buy something for her son. On the bus she told one of her friends how clever and able her son was. She spoke very loudly. All the people in the bus began to listen to her. "Which university will your son study in?" a woman next to her asked. "In the most famous university in our country!" Mrs. Turner said happily. "The most famous university?" "Oxford University ." Most of the passengers looked at her carefully. Some of them said to her, "Congratulations!" A woman said, "I'm sure he'll know Fred Smith." "Who's Fred Smith?" "He's my son." "Does he study in the university, too?" "No, "said the woman. "He is one of the professors ." Mrs. Turner spoke so loudly in the bus that _ . A. her friend could hear her B. all the people could hear her C. she hoped to make all the people happy D. she hoped they would say congratulations to her Answer: B Question: Chinese TV viewers are getting a closer look at the changing roles of dads in the new reality show Where Are We Going, Dad? that is showing on Hunan Television. The show follows the adventure of five superstar dads who partner up with their young children(aged 4 to 6) and try to complete a set of tasks. In one show the group travel to a small village where they have to find something to cook a meal. Along the way we see the kids and their dads having fun, but we also see them having a lot of emotions . There are loving moments, tearful moments and uncomfortable moments as the dads try to deal with their cranky children. The show provides an interesting view on modern family life. In the show, we can see how young dads are trying to find the best way to raise their children. A father is very important for a family. Psychologists say that a strong fatherly influence is important in a child's development. Father teach their children skills and give them confidence to try new things. A child learns that if something goes wrong, he or she can _ on dad to help fix it. The psychologists also say that without a dad, a child runs a greater risk of dropping out of school and getting into trouble. According to the passage, which of the following sentences is TRUE? A. All the kids in the show are less than seven years old. B. The dads in the show are all psychologists. C. The dads don't care about the children's bad temper . D. Moms have a stronger influence on the kids than dads. Answer: A Question: 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. We can know from the passage that _ . A. the boss thought the idea was suitable for the author B. the author wanted someone else to try the idea C. the author might not regret if he failed the idea D. the author might go back to his boss if he failed Answer: C Question: One day, Jack came to Mike's house and said , "Mike, you have so many good books. Can you lend me a book to read?" Mike didn't want to lend a book to his friend, and he said, "Why do you want to take my book home? You can read it here in my house." Jack found that his friend was very selfish, but he said nothing. The next day, Mike came to Jack's house and said, " Jack , you have a good garden-knife, I want to work in my garden tomorrow. Can I use it for two days?" Jack answered, "Why do you want to take my garden knife home? You can work with it in my garden." What did Jack want to do in Mike's Home? He wanted to _ A. come to Mike's house B. lend him a book C. borrow a book from Mike D. buy him a book Answer: C Question: My first experience of modern city life was quite impressive. I was very curious when I arrived in London. First, I noticed so many people were on a trip in a busy way. When I first saw the machine on the underground where you are expected to feed your ticket in and have to run through moving barriers , I was completely fascinated at it. Flashing with the light, the little green man, telling you when to cross the road, was also quite interesting, and so were those street advertisements which kept changing subjects as you look. In my native place, my life is so different from people's here. I am a market gardener from Makono, a village which is led by a market-managing group. People there usually walk two hours a day to get water from a well. What's more, I am used to going, for many hours, without drinking , so it was strange to be offered cups of tea all the time here in London. In my native place, on market days, I usually walk for several hours with my basket full of fruits and vegetables on my head, carrying them to the market for sale, to earn PS1per basket. Without the produce from my garden, I could not pay for education or healthcare for my children. Gardening is not a hobby for me - it's _ . But here people are planting something only to kill their leisure time. During our visiting-time in Britain, we visited some local government agencies, schools, churches and farms in Sussex, Scotland, Yorshire, Loncolnshire and Cambridgeshire, meeting people who were of the same profession as we are. Children in Burley-in-Wharfedale, Yorkshire, prepared a special get-together to greet us and we were also asked a lot about our life which was quite fascinating to them. For example, how we make our houses out of mud and how we get our water for our daily necessities, as well as for our garden. The most disadvantage in the writer's native place should be that _ . A. there are many market-managing groups for gardeners B. the lack of water makes the life there even harder C. people there like to travel about on foot for enjoyment D. people support themselves using the garden produce Answer: B
There are plenty of different parks to visit in the UK. All theme parks in Britain have cafes, restaurants, picnic areas and gift shops, so you'll still have plenty to see and do when you and the kids have been on enough rides. There are usually smaller "funfair" rides and games as well, so younger children won't get bored. Several theme parks also have other attractions next to them, e.g. water parks often open all year round, unlike the theme parks. Wherever you are in Britain, there's likely to be a theme park within one or two hours' drive, bus ride or train journey. Several theme parks even have accommodation so you can stay for a day or two if you want to make a trip into a short holiday. Prices for UK theme parks vary considerably; some have an entrance price which allows you to go on all the rides, while in others you have to pay for every ride individually. It can also make a difference whether you go during peak time or not. For example, tickets always cost more during school holidays and weekends than they do during the weekdays. Theme parks always get very busy during the summer months, so if you don't like crowds, it's usually a good idea to go earlier or later in the year! If you're thinking of visiting a UK theme park, it's worth having a look for special offers on tickets. Products such as chocolate bars and cereals sometimes have "buy one get one free" offers on theme park tickets, so keep a look out in shops and supermarkets. The best title for the text would be _ . Look! This is a photo of my family. My name is Brooklyn. I am 11 years old now. You know my father? Yes, he is David Beckham. He is a good football player . He is thirty-nine years old now. This is my mother. Her name is Victoria. She is thirty-six years old now. I have a brother. But he is not in this photo. He is only 1 year old. His name is Romeo. We are very happy. ,. My father is _ years old. Once there was a man and a woman. They had been married for more than 60 years. They kept no secrets from each other except that the old woman had a shoe box under her bed. She told her husband never to open or ask about it. For all these years, he had never thought about the box. But one day the old woman got very sick and the doctor said she would never get better. The woman said it was time that he should know what was in the box. The old man took the shoe box to his wife's bedside. When he opened it, he found two beautiful doilies and some money. The money was $25,000. "When we got married, "she said, "my grandmother told me that the secret of a happy family was never to fight. She told me if every time I got angry with you, I should just keep quiet and crochet one doily." The old man was so moved because only two doilies were in the box. He thought she had only been angry with him twice in all those years. "My dear," he said, "but what about all the money? Where did it all come from?" "Oh," she said, "that's the money I made from selling the doilies. So far, I have sold 2,500 doilies." The old woman let her husband open her shoe box because _ . At room temperature, what state of matter is copper? Located along California's San Andreas Fault, the city of San Francisco is likely to take precautions(,) in the event of the next big earthquake. According to aNew York Timesreport, emergency planners in San Francisco are not only thinking of human evacuation(,) plans in the event of an earthquake, but also of how to care for pets during a natural disaster. Ideally, the planners will be able to train pet-disaster responders who work to evacuate dogs, cats and other household pets from the disaster site to one of the 125 temporary animal shelters that will be set up or, if the pet is injured, it will be brought to an emergency animal medical unit where there will be people on hand to tend to the pet's injury. The city's "no-pets-left-behind" policy results from the great number of pet deaths during the destruction of Hurricane Katrina. As emergency responders arrived to rescue people isolated in their homes during Katrina, hurricane victims were told that they could not take their pets along with them when evacuating; thus, many pet owners were forced to make the heart-breaking decision to save themselves while leaving their pets behind to perhaps meet their deaths. Since then, the U.S. has passed the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act of 2006, allocating federal funds for animal disaster planning projects. Yet, not all counties are as progressive as San Francisco has been in the effort to protect pets in the event of a natural disaster. Pets are after all, a large part of San Francisco's population -- overnumbering the number of school age children in the city. Over the last three years, San Francisco has received $350,000 in federal funds _ to animal disaster preparedness efforts in order to protect animals in the case of a disaster such as an earthquake. The city is still working on obtaining $300,000 to pay for an emergency animal unit. Until then, animal lovers in San Francisco will continue to work to ensure that pets are never an afterthought when it comes to rescues during earthquakes or other life threatening situations. What do we know about Hurricane Katrina?
We all, at one time or another , were like a rock star, singing and dancing along to our favourite song. Most of us have done this in our own room when we were kids or even when we grew up. Me? I love to do that when I drive! I turn on the radio, find a song that I can sing along, and soon my arms are in the air. I am moving along to the music. Most of the time, I do this on my way to work. Yes, that is true. I will be in my nice work clothes in my car. Someone may look at me strangely or even laugh at me when I stopped at a traffic light. Personally I love to get lost in the music. That can lead me to share with you the importance of being silly! The meaning of the word silly, according to the dictionary is : stupid, foolish and nonsensical. I know many people do not want to look foolish. So they are always serious in their life, but in fact that is really stupid. No one is perfect, I repeat: no one is perfect. I don't care how educated, how thin, how beautiful, how simple, how frugal , how rich, and so on ... No one is perfect! So why pretend to be something you are not? Life is so short... _ , so why waste a single second on being so "perfect"? When we were kids, we had no idea of fear and we had no care in the world so we could do things without worrying about how we appeared to others. However, as we grew up, we lost that kind of feeling. So don't be afraid to be silly. The next time you feel down, go and turn on your favourite song , sing and dance along just like there is no tomorrow. Or watch something that makes you laugh. Trust me, you will feel a whole lot better, and who doesn't want to feel good. While driving to work, the writer often _ . A. sings and moves along to the music B. laughs at others at the traffic lights C. pretends to be serious D. watches his favourite movies Answer: A Rush Hour 15:00 23:00 My Life as Mcdull 9:00 13:00 1Action Movie Do you like Jackie Chan? Rush Hour is another movie of his. It's so exciting. Come and have fun! 2Cartoon Mcdull is a little pig. He's kind of silly but he's very cute. Do you want to enjoy happiness with him? Be sure to watch it! Mr. Bean 11:00 19:00 Harry Potter III 17:00 21:00 3Comedy Rowan is a great actor. His movie Mr. Bean is coming. It's very funny. Don't miss it! 4Science Fiction Harry Potter has been in the wizardry school for three years. He begins a new life. How is everything going? Who is an action movie character? A. Jackie Chan. B. Rowan. C. Mcdull. D. Harry Potter. Answer: A "Hi, Jenny!" "Hi, Brian! What class do you have next?" "I have art next," says Brian. "It's my favourite. I draw six pictures every week." "You are a good painter ," says Jenny. "I see some of your pictures. They are beautiful. I like art too, but I am not good at it. I am not going to be a painter when I am older!" "I tell you, Jenny," says Brian. "Art is interesting for everyone. You don't need to be good at it." "You are right, Brian," says Jenny. "And I like our art teacher. He teaches us a lot. I am much better at art this year. "Yes. Mr. Smith is good. He looks like a great painter too, with his long hair and big beard ." "When do you have art lesson, Jenny?" asks Brian. Jenny looks at her timetable. "I have art tomorrow morning," she says. "What class are you going to now?" asks Brian. "I'm going to music class. It's one of my favourites! We are learning a new song this week. I love to sing. What's the time, please?" Brian looks at his watch. "Oh, no! It's 2:13! There are only two minutes!" "Hurry, Brian!" says Jenny. "We don't want to be late for class! See you later." "Okay. I am going to art class. See you after school!" Which of the following is Not right according to the article? A. Jenny and Brain like singing. B. Jenny and Brian like drawing. C. Jenny is doing better in art this year. D. Brian thinks everyone can enjoy art. Answer: A Can feeling of nostalgia be good for you? Or is it unhealthy to have a strong love for the past? For years, medical experts have studied nostalgia and the reasons for it. Many experts warn that too much nostalgia is harmful. They say living in the past shows that a person is unhappy with his present life. These feelings keep the person from living his life to its fullest. However, experts say it is normal to love the past sometimes. In fact, a little nostalgia can enrich a person's life. Dr. Louise Kaplan has written several books about nostalgia. She says these feelings often begin when a young person is between 13 and 19 years old. "This is the time when you must face the loss of your childhood, "Kaplan says. "You see your new life is easily destroyed. But you think romantically about a golden past. You remember your childhood as a time when life is perfect." These feelings continue as the person gets older, Kaplan adds. She says many grown persons have a hard time keeping up with changes in the modem world, so they think back to their younger years. At that time the world seemed simple and more harmless. Kaplan says these feelings do not always actually exist. The good old days did not always exist. The good old days weren't always good. However, she says nostalgia can be helpful, if used properly. "Feelings of nostalgia can cause you to remember a time when you had high hopes and dreams, "Kaplan says. "It might give you the strong wish to catch those dreams today in your past life." She adds that nostalgia can prevent you from "cutting yourself off from your aim". Feeling of nostalgia _ . A. can cause you to think of your past which was full of hopes and dreams B. might cause you to try to realize the golden dream in the present life C. fill one with hopes for the future no matter what happens D. bring about a love for the past and a hope for the future Answer: A The day after Thanksgiving is considered the first day of the holiday shopping season in the prefix = st1 /United States. It even has a name -- "Black Friday." The name comes from the idea that this is the day when store owners begin to show a profit for the year. In the past, before calculators and computers, workers recorded the profits and losses of American businesses in special books. They used red ink to record losses. They used black ink to record profits. They used the term "in the red" to mean losing money. "In the black" meant making a profit. So "Black Friday" was the day when the store owners moved from being "in the red" to "in the black." Many people consider "Black Friday" to be the busiest shopping day of the year. But that is probably false. Researchers say it may be the day when the largest number of people go to stores. But it is not necessarily the day when shoppers spend the largest amount of money. Some experts say Americans just want to get out of the house the day after Thanksgiving. And many stores reduce some of their prices on "Black Friday." However, experts say that many people wait until much closer to Christmas, December 25, hoping to find even lower prices. They say the busiest day of the year in terms of the amount of shoppers and sales is usually the Saturday before Christmas. A marketing services company carried out a public opinion study about shopping last month. It asked almost one thousand Americans about their gift buying plans. One-third said they plan to go to stores to shop on the day after Thanksgiving. The study found that these shoppers are mainly young people, probably because older people do not want to deal with huge crowds. In fact, business leaders say many older Americans are doing their shopping at home -- on the computer. They say the day most people shop online is the Monday after "Black Friday." They even have a name for it -- "Cyber Monday." From the passage we can conclude that _ . A. Stores failed to earn much money from older people on "Black Friday". B. "Cyber Monday" has a larger amount of sales than "Black Friday". C. All young people prefer going to stores on "Black Friday". D. Older people like shopping on-line because of cheaper prices. Answer: A
Copernicus changed the way people viewed the solar system by Answer: claiming Earth is in orbit about the Sun. The world has a fast growing population and people need more land for houses, factories, highways, and so on. The farmland is decreasing with each passing day. How to meet the need of feeding the growing population? One way is to introduce some high-output gene into a crop to enable it to produce more. Biologists over the years have discovered genes which can raise output of the crops, resist pests, improve taste, etc. However, in many western countries there is widespread concern over the safety of"Genetically Modified"(GM) foods, because they think there may be serious problems of environment, health, safety, morality and so on. As a scientist I must admit GM foods involve great risks to humans. In fact in Europe they're called "Frankenstein foods" by many. Frankenstein is a character in a novel. He was a very clever scientist. He created a monster , which eventually killed him. Soybeans can be made into many foods. However, it's hard to _ . Therefore, it's very important we have to make sure the soybean, if genetically modified, is free from any poisonous matter harmful to human beings. For this we need very good testing. We do have some testing on some animals, but no completely satisfactory testing has ever been made so far. They're entirely new, and their problems are entirely unknown. It takes time to develop persuasive tests to know whether they're harmful to us or not. We may not be able to tell what may happen if we take GM foods. Some of them may be resistant to antibiotics . Then many of the medicines we have today will have no effect on people eating GM foods. A more likely case is the GM foods may contain genes some people are allergic to. GM products have already come into our lives but most people even know nothing about it. At least we have to be clear about what we are eating. The China Consumers Association is calling for labeling on GM foods so that consumers will know before they buy them. Which of the following is TRUE about GM foods? Answer: Sometimes consumers can hardly tell GM soybeans from natural ones. The journey two naval officers made some time ago to the very deepest point on the earth makes us realize how much of the world still remains to be explored.The two men went down 7 miles to the bottoms of the Pacific Ocean inside a small steel ball called a "bathyscaphe" to find out if there are any ocean currents or signs of life.Above the ball there was a special tank full of petrol which was slowly emptied into the water to make the bathyscaphe heavy enough to complete its journey. It was necessary to set out early, so that the bathyscaphe would come to the surface in daylight, and so be easily found by the mother ship which would be waiting for it.The divers began preparations at dawn and soon afterwards, when all was ready, the steel ball disappeared under the surface of the water. The divers felt as if they were going down steps as they passed through warm and cold layers of water.In time, the temperature dropped to freezing point and the men shivered inside the ball.They kept in touch with the mother ship by telephone describing how they felt.Then , at a depth of 3,000 feet, the telephone stopped working and they were quite cut off from the outside world.All went well until some four hours later at 30,000 feet, the men were startled by a loud, cracking noise; even the smallest hole in the ball would have meant instant death.Luckily, though, it was only one of the outer windows that badly broken.Soon afterwards, the bathyscaphe touched the soft ocean floor raising a big cloud of "dust" made up of small, dead sea-creatures.Here, powerful lights lit up the dark water and the men were surprised to see fish swimming just above them quite untroubled by the enormous pressure.But they didn't dare to leave the lights on for long, as the heat from the lights made the water boil.Quite unexpectedly, the telephone began working again and the faint but clear voices of the officers were heard on the mother ship 7 miles away.After a stay of thirty minutes the men began their journey up, arriving three hours later, cold and wet through, but none the worse for their experience. In your opinion, the journey made by the two naval officers to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean was _ . Answer: dangerous and meaningful Americans are very direct people. When they want something, they say"Yes", and when they don't, they say "No".If they want something different from what is given, they ask for it. Here's an example : I arrive at someone's house and he or she gives me wine, but I don't want wine. Maybe I don't like it or maybe I just don't want it. I will say "No thanks". If everyone around me is drinking something, I would ask for something else,"No thanks. But I'll take a bit of tea if you have some." It's a polite way to ask something you really want. If I really want wine, I just say "Yes, thank you". Unless they happen know the Chinese customs(;), _ will not ask you again and again after you to eat or drink something. ,,. (10) When Americans don't want what is given, they would say" _ " Answer: No,thanks It was a hot Saturday afternoon, and James was going shopping with his mother. While she made her shopping list, James looked out the window. In the sky, he saw pretty birds. He smiled - James liked birds. He saw one last Friday when he was getting muddy in the puddles, and another on Wednesday when he was playing with his toy spaceship. Once his mother was done making her list, James got his shoes on before getting in the car. "Should I bring my jacket, Mom?" he asked. "No," his mother answered, fixing his hair, "it is warmer today than it was yesterday, in fact, it's hot!" James and his mother got in the car, and drove off to the store. He leaned his head on the car window, looking at the animals and trees they passed. He saw flowers, a puppy, ants, and people walking, and even a chipmunk! When they got to the store, James and his mother grabbed an empty shopping cart. James always liked helping his mother do her shopping - she sometimes let him get a treat if he was good. They went up and down the aisles, picking up the things on the list, including James' favorite food - peanut butter - and James was very well behaved. As they finished their shopping and walked to the front of the store in order to pay, James' mother said, "James, you can get a candy bar if you'd like, so I can say 'thank you' for being a super good helper today." James was so excited. He picked one with peanuts and chocolate, and placed it with the rest of their items. When they got home, James spent the rest of the day playing Legos in his room. It was a good day. What day is it? Answer: Saturday
Question: On May 29, 1973, Thomas Bradley, a black man, was elected mayor of Los Angeles. Los Angeles is the third largest city in the United States, with a population of three million. About sixteen percent of the city's population are black. News of this election appeared on the front pages of newspapers everywhere in the United States. Here is how one major newspaper reported the event: LOS ANGELES ELECTS BRADLEY MAYOR UNSEATING YORTYBLACK WINS 56% OF VOTES Bradley called his victory over Yorty "the fulfillment of a dream". During his childhood and youth, people had kept telling him, "You can't do this, you can't go there, because you are a Negro." Nevertheless he had won a decisive victory over a man who had been won 43.7 percent. Los Angeles voters have had many opportunities to judge. Thomas Bradley had to form an opinion of him. The son of a poor farmer Texas, he joined the Los Angeles police force in 1940. During his twenty-one years on the police force he earned a law degree by attending school at night. He was elected to the city council ten years ago. At the time of the Los Angeles election, three other American cities already had black mayors, but none of those cities had as large a population as Los Angeles. Besides, the percentage of blacks in those other cities was much larger. Cleveland, Ohio, had thirty-six percent black when Carl Stokes was elected mayor of Cleveland in 1967. In the same year Richard Hatcher was elected mayor of Cary. In Newark, New Jersey, sixty percent of the population were black when Kenneth Gibson was elected in 1970. Thus election of a black mayor in those cities was not very surprising. In Los Angeles thousands of white citizens voted for Thomas Bradley because they believed he would be a better mayor than the white candidate . Bradley had spent forty-eight of his fifty-five years in Los Angeles. Four years ago Bradley lost mayoral election to Yorty. This time Bradley won. From Bradley's victory in the election we can see that _ . A. blacks had equal rights as whites in the USA B. black people's situation began to be improving much more than before C. one can be successful through hard work in the USA no matter what color he is D. it is certain that someday the USA will have a black president Answer: B. black people's situation began to be improving much more than before Question: Some pigs lend lo be optimistic while others have a more pessimisitic view , according to a new research that is meaningful to animal welfare. The study, published in the journal Biology Letters, is the first to show that mood and personality interact in an animal, influencing judgment. Asher, a researcher at ihc University of Newcastle's Institute of Neurowcience, and her team housed groups of pigs in the two types of environments. One reflected sandard commercial conditions and the other was _ with more space and plenty of sell, deep straw. After the pigs got accusitomed to these new homes over a few weeks , the rescarchers picked 18 pigs from each type of housing arrangement to train and test their judgment. " To do this, we trained each pig that in one comer of a training room there would be a bowl wilh chocolate sweets -- specifically M&Ms, pigs love M&Ms -- and in a bowl at the opposite side of the room there would be a bowl that would contain coffee beans, which pigs find bitter-tasting," senior author Lisa Collins of the Univerersty of Lincoln's School of Life Sciences said. Over n number of training trials , pigs leamed to go to the bowl reliably when it was in the corner where they had figured out to expect M&Ms.On the contrary,they quickly leamed to avoid the bowl when it was't in the comer where they would expect to find the coffee beans. The rescearchers next placed an unfamimliar bowl in different locations , to see how the pigs would react. Some gaily dashed to the bowl no matter what, exhibiting optimism that it would contain there favorite sweds. Others, however, behaved as though they expected it to contain coffee beans, displaying pessimism. The findings suggest that a one -- size- fits - all answer to animal welfare issues does not exist. Even if pigs are just equal lo bacon or other meal for some people, there is still cause for conccrn . Student have suggested that how an animal is trented during is lifetime can directly affect meal quality and taste. Which bowl can test whether a pig is optimistic or pessimistic? A. The bowl with chocolate sweets. B. The bowl containing coffee beans. C. The bowl full of both sweets and beans. D. The bowl unfamiliar to two types of pigs. Answer: D. The bowl unfamiliar to two types of pigs. Question: Do you often feel lonely? What do you do when you feel that way? Hide yourself away and spend your time reading, watching TV or walking around? You might think that feeling lonely is just like feeling happy, sad or scared -- that it's just one of your various moods. That is true. However, if you let yourself be lonely for too long without dealing with it, you could be making a serious mistake. Doctors have known for some time that feeling lonely is bad for the mind. It can lead to mental health problems such as depression, stress and reduce confidence. "Being lonely means not feeling connected or cared for, but it's not about being mentally alone," Lisa Jaremka, scientist from Ohio State University, US, told Live Science in January. And there's growing evidence that not having friends is connected with physical illness as well. In 2006, for example, scientists studied 2,800 women who had cancer. They found that those who had few friends or family were five times more likely to die of their disease than women with many social contacts. Also, even healthy people had a better chance of falling ill if they felt left out by others, according to the BBC. The results have scientists thinking that loneliness might hurt the immune system , which protects the body from diseases. Hoping to prove this theory, Jaremka and her research team put volunteers through a stress test. During the test, volunteers were asked to make an unprepared speech in front of a group of stony-faced people. The researchers found that volunteers who said they were lonely in their daily lives felt more stress during the test. And their blood samples showed that all the stress had managed to cause harmful changes to their immune system. "Loneliness has been thought of in many ways as a chronic stressor -- a socially painful situation that can last for quite a long time, " explained Jaremka, who led the study. The number of people suffering from loneliness is increasing all over the world. However, solving the problem is easier said than done. It won't work to just "tell anyone to go out and find someone to love you", said Jaremka. "We need to create support networks." What was the purpose of the stress test carried out by Jaremka's team? A. To find out how people fight diseases. B. To prove loneliness hurts people's immune systems. C. To find out the relationship between loneliness and stress. D. To see how people's emotions change when they give unprepared speeches. Answer: B. To prove loneliness hurts people's immune systems. Question: We always want to prepare ourselves to the changes we may face when we go to a different country. Well, I have to say that for me, even after living in the US for one year and a half, I am still not used to the changes of weather, or how to manage my money well. There are many things that can give us culture shocks, but it is up to us whether to make it a big shock or a small one. I know that changing schools was a big thing for me. It helped me to be stronger and open towards meeting new people. Sometimes it feels like everybody is already in a group. This makes it harder for someone else to go in. But, it is not that hard. Actually many people know that you are from another country. They feel curious about your "history", and would often think you are a different man. Another thing that can produce a shock to me is the sudden change of weather. During the last couple of days, there was an ice-snow storm. It was the biggest in 15 years in the state of Missouri. It was raining ice, really, and you could hear sounds outside the window like little pieces of rocks hitting it, of course it was the ice. It started _ so heavily that the University had to close down for two days, and it got worse when it started snowing after the ice storm. As international students, you may at times find something very difficult, but hey, anyone can beat and overcome it to make studying aboard an unforgettable experience. What is the main idea of this article? A. We may often change school to get used to living in a different country. B. The author exercised a lot during the ice-snow storm and became stronger. C. Students form other countries are curious about American history. D. Studying abroad is cool though there are difficulties. Answer: D. Studying abroad is cool though there are difficulties. Question: Which geologic process most likely led to the uplifting of the Rocky Mountains? A. glaciation B. flooding C. faulting D. erosion Answer: C. faulting
We have two daughters: Kristen is seven years old and Kelly is four. Last Sunday evening, we invited some people home for dinner. I dressed them nicely for the party, and told them that their job was to join Mommy in answering the door when the bell rang. Mommy would introduce them to the guests, and then they would take the guests' coats upstairs and put them on the bed in the second bedroom. The guests arrived. I introduced my two daughters to each of them. The adults were nice and kind and said how lucky we were to have such good kids. Each of the guests made a particular fuss over Kelly, the younger one, admiring her dress, her hair and her smile. They said she was a remarkable girl to be carrying coats upstairs at her age. I thought to myself that we adults usually _ the younger one because she's the one who seems more easily hurt. We do it with the best of intentions. But we seldom think of how it might affect the other child. I was a little worried that Kristen would feel she was being outshined. I was about to serve dinner when I realized that she had been missing for twenty minutes. I ran upstairs and found her in the bedroom, crying. I said, "What are you doing, my dear?" She turned to me with a sad expression and said, "Mommy, why don't people like me the way they like my sister? Is it because I'm not pretty? Is that why they don't say nice things about me as much?" I tried to explain to her, kissing and hugging her to make her feel better. Now whenever I visit a friend's home, I make it a point to speak to the elder child first. The guests praised Kelly for carrying coats upstairs because of her _ . young age The worker I hired to repair my house had just finished a difficult first day on the job. A broken wheel made him an hour late; his ladder( )fell down when he was painting the roof and now his old truck wouldn't start. With each problem he shouted angrily more at himself than at his things. As I drove him home, the man didn't say a word. I tried talking to the man to kill time. I managed to find out that he had come up from Blue Hills in Victoria with his family six months ago to find a job. This was his first job since moving here. I now knew why his price was lower than any other worker I could find in the local newspaper. He really needed the job. His clothes told me as much. On arriving, much to my surprise, he invited me to meet his family. As we walked through his front garden he suddenly stopped at a small tree and placed his hands on it. Then , when he opened the door he completely changed. Instead of his troubled face, there was now a warm smile, hugs for his two children and a kiss for his wife. The following day, I asked him about the tree. "That's my trouble tree," he answered. "Work troubles aren't welcome at home with my wife and children. So I hang them on that tree every night when I come home. Then in the morning I pick them up again." "And you know what else?" he said smiling, "The next morning I find that there aren't as many as I remember hanging up the night before." What can we learn from the passage ? A happy family can make many problems go away. When TV news programs report wars or disasters, the editors rarely use the most horrifying pictures of dead or wounded victims because they don't want to upset their viewers. Even so, viewers are usually warned in advance that they may find some of these scenes disturbing, so they can look away if they choose. But the men and women whose job is to record those scenes-the TV cameramen-have no such choice. It is their duty to witness the horrors of the world and record them, no matter how terrible and unpleasant they may be. Consequently, it is one of the most dangerous, exposed and emotionally taxing jobs the world has to offer. Today, the demand for their work is rising. The explosion of satellite broadcasting and 24-hour news in recent years has created an almost insatiable demand for TV information. But major broadcasters and the TV news agencies--such as Reuters and WTN-have never had enough staff to meet the worldwide demand for up-to-date pictures, so increasingly they turn to "freelance" TV cameramen. These freelance cameramen are independent operators tied to no particular organization. They will work for any company which hires them, be it for just a few hours or for several weeks in a war zone. But if the freelance cameraman is injured in the course of the job, the TV company is not responsible for him. The freelancer must survive on his own. TV will always need hard, vivid moving pictures which are fresh, but these companies feel uncomfortable with large numbers of employees on their books, explains Nick Growing, once foreign editor for Britain Channel 4 News and now a BBC news presenter. By hiring freelancers, they can buy in the skills they need only when they need them. It also enables them to contract out the risk, he says. We can infer from the passage that the freelance cameramen _ . have to take a lot of risks in the course of work A female dog is having puppies. She has black fur, brown eyes, and a curly tail. She can sit, bark, and roll over on command. Which set of traits can the female dog's puppies inherit? brown eyes, black fur Overpopulation may result from a boom in reproduction of an organism
Close your eyes and imagine you are living in the next two centuries or more. You'll be living in a world filled with smart robots, which will be helping you to take care of your children, or your elderly parents in your home. You'll live much longer thanks to the medicine made by genetic science. And mankind may be going farther in space than ever before---you will be living on the moon or Mars. How should we view the changes that wait for us in the future? Should we be optimistic about the years ahead, or worried about what the future holds? Some scientists and experts are having a discussion about how technology, science and society will develop in the future. "I'm looking forward to the day when more technology will come to my life." Says Hohn Searle, a professor at the University of California Berkeley Philosophy, "because I think further research in such areas as genetics, physics, chemitry and medicine will help us to overcome poverty , improve health, and make life longer." Hugh Herr, at MIT's Biomechatronecs Group, considers very powerful weapons as concern over the future. Another is the growing role of technology in our lives. "Machines taking over what humans do is not a good thing," Herr says. That is a similar concern shared by Danisla Cerqui, a social and cultural scientist. "I am afraid that the long-term future we are building will have no space left for human beings,"says Cerqui. " The main values of our society are related to information that must progress as quickly as possible, and computers are much better than humans in these tasks." (293words) What is John Searle's attitude towards the future of technology? Answer: Every Saturday or Sunday night my family and I go out and feed the homeless people in the city of Orlando. There are thousands of people across the United States without any food or shelter. My family and I have been doing this for several months. We all get together in the kitchen and prepare the food. Some of the meals are sandwiches, cookies and a bottle of water. Sometimes my mom prepares a steaming hot delicious meal. We then bag them all up to feed 30 or more people. I like to write special notes on the bags like "God loves you." Before my family and I get into the car we ask God for protection in a family prayer. A lot of people misunderstand homeless people. Not all homeless people are drug addicts or bad people. Some are really nice. Some of them just had bad things that happened to them. At first when my family and I went out on the street we had to earn their trust. A lot of people are unkind to them for no good reason. But now that they see us every week, they trust us. We even know some of their names. We all have to remember that these are people that have feelings. Some of them shake our hands for giving them food, and thank us. Some of them do really funny dances because they are happy. We have become really close with this man named Tony and his wife. They have all of their personal belongings in shopping carts. After meeting with them several times he has told us a lot about his life. He graduated from Harvard University and has a PHD. He used to teach French and Spanish. He lost his job after the economic crisis began. After we get done feeding the homeless, _ makes me appreciate what I have at home. Sometimes it makes me sad, and makes my mom cry. I love feeding the homeless, and making a difference in someone's life. The following statements are all right except _ . Answer: Allen and Bradley were law school classmates who had competed for the position of editor of the law review. Allen had the higher grade point average, but Bradley was elected editor, largely in recognition of a long and important largely in recognition of a long and important note that had appeared in the review over her name. During the following placement interview season, Allen was interviewed by a representative of a nationally prominent law firm. In response to the interviewer's request for information about the authorship of the law review note, Allen said that he had heard that the note attributed to Bradley was largely the work of another student. The firm told Bradley that it would not interview her because of doubts about the authorship of the note. This greatly distressed Bradley. In fact the note had been prepared by Bradley without assistance from anyone else. If Bradley asserts a claim against Allen based on defamation, Bradley will Answer: The story is about a young girl named Yang Liu. She was ill, because she couldn't sleep well. Every night, she felt very tired, but she stayed awake . Soon Yang Liu went to see a doctor, "I just can't get to sleep at night. What should I do?""Count from 1 to 1,000. By the time you reach 1,000, you can be asleep . I hope you feel better soon," said the doctor. The next day Yang Liu came back to the doctor's office. She still looked tired. "Well," said the doctor, "how are you feeling today?" "I tried counting one, two, three... up to one thousand. But when I reached seven hundred and eighty-nine, I began to feel sleepy . I had to get up and drink some coffee so that I could go on counting up to one thousand. After I finished counting all the numbers I still couldn't fall asleep," she said. What made Yang Liu stay awake that night? Answer: An unpleasant habit of announcing the death of a celebrity has sprung in recent years, when in fact the subject is alive and well. The latest blatantly false was the supposed death of Hong Kong action star Jackie Chan from a heart attack. It spread rapidly on the Chinese blogosphere and Twitter in the West, and there was even, supposedly, a message from US President Barack Obama paying homage to the martial arts hero. "Jackie Chan is a man who can talk through talent, he is a constant reminder of the strength of humanity. He will forever be in our hearts, a true inspiration who inspired many generations," Cruelly, it was the actor's son, Jaycee Chan, who had to prove if the news was true, by making a phone call and finding him, fortunately, "busy as hell" organizing, with other Hong Kong celebrities, a charity concert on Friday to raise money for those struck down by the earthquake in Japan. Jaycee Chan described the false news as an "insane joke", but Jackie Chan was not angry at the news. He said, " It is not the first time to hear that I was dead." The Hong Kong-based The Sun Newspaper reported on Wednesday that a blogger with the handle "SKIPHOPZ" was the source of the false news. , . To prove if the news was true, the actor's son _ . Answer:
Korean culture is really exciting right now. The Korean Wave is sweeping Asian countries including China. Young people are going crazy about Korean TV dramas, Korean pop songs, taekwondo and the Korean language. The Korean Wave started a few years ago with the TV series "Winter Sonata". This love story is still popular. People, especially girls, like the beautiful story and handsome actors like Bae Yong Jun . In the music world, Korean girls are making themselves heard in China. You can often find big Korean names like Baby Vox, S. E. S and Finkle at the top of the Chinese music charts . The Korean Wave has also made young people want to try the clothes and hairstyles of pop stars, too. Not only that. Now some girls in China are having plastic surgery to change the way they look. People say some beautiful Korean stars have had plastic surgery. These stars don't make plastic surgery look shameful . Are all the faces of beautiful Korean girls not real? Find out for yourself when you next visit South Korea. Korean stars often change their looks by _ . A singing pop songs B acting in TV dramas C trying different food D having plastic surgery Answer: D. having plastic surgery 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. Which of the following is TRUE? A Kids should only play team sports. B Playing sports can help kids keep active and healthy. C Most parents don't let their kids play team sports. D Non-sport activities can't keep kids active and healthy. Answer: B. Playing sports can help kids keep active and healthy. A fried of mine named Paul received an automobile from his brother as a Christmas present. On Christmas Eve when Paul came out of his office, a naughty street boy was walking around the shiny new car, admiring it. "Is this your car, Mister?" he asked.. Paul nodded, "My brother gave it to me for Christmas." The boy was surprised. "You mean your brother gave it to you and it didn't cost you anything? I wish..." He hesitated . Of course Paul knew what he was going to wish for. He was going to wish he had a brother like that. But what the boy said made Paul think all the way. "I wish ," the boy went on, "that I could be a brother like that." Paul looked at the boy in surprise, adding, "Would you like to take a ride in my automobile?" "Yes, I'd love that." After a short ride, the boy turned and said, "Mister, would you mind driving in front of my house?" Paul smiled, He thought he knew what the boy wanted. But Paul was wrong again. "Will you stop where those two steps are?" the boy asked. He ran up the steps. Then in a while Paul heard him coming back, but he didn't come fast. He was carrying his little crippled brother. He pointed to the car and said, "There it is, Buddy, just like I told you up stairs. His brother gave it to him for Christmas. And some day I'm going to give one just like it and then you can see for yourself all the pretty things in the Christmas windows that I've been trying tell you about. " Paul got out and lifted the boy to the front seat. The shining-eyed older brother climbed in beside him and the three of them began a memorable holiday ride. That Christmas Eve, Paul learned what "It is more blessed to give" means. When the boy asked for a ride home, Paul thought the boy wanted to _ . A play a trick on him B own a car like Paul's C pick up someone important to him. D show off by riding home in a car Answer: D. show off by riding home in a car Dewey is the true story of an abandoned kitten who went on to live an extraordinary life, inspiring a struggling single mother , transforming a sleepy library and the local people of Lowa farm town, and eventually getting hold of the hearts of animal lovers around the world. Vicki Myron was a single mom ,who , after surviving the loss of her family farm and an alcoholic husband ,went back to school and became a librarian .As the director of the Spencer Public Library, her biggest challenge was to raise the spirits of the residents of a remote town affected deeply by the farm crisis of the 1980s .Her solution came when Vicki found a tiny kitten almost frozen to death in the library's night drop box.Recognizing the extraordinary strength and uniqueness of this kitten , Vivki received approval from the library board to adopt him as Spencer's resident cat.From that moment on, her life ---and the town of Spencer--- would change forever. Dewey, as the townspeople named the kitten, grew into a friendly cat whose funny behavior kept people laughing and whose sixth sense about those in need created hundreds of deep and loving friendships.As his fame grew, people drove hundreds of miles to meet Dewey, and he even became a subject of a hit documentary in Japan !Through it all, Dewey remained a loyal companion , a beacon of hope not just for Vicki Myron, but for the entire town of Spencer as it slowly pulled itself up from the worst financial crisis in its long history. When Dewey died in 2006 at the age of 19, his _ appeared in over 250 newspapers , including the New York Times and USA Today , and was announced on the national television evening news. In which sections of a magazine will readers find the passage? A Fabric of fashion B Reading hour C Smart and sharp science D Health tips Answer: B. Reading hour William Herschel was born on November 15th, 1738 in Hanover in a family of musicians. In 1757,he fled to England and began earning a living as an organist and later composer and conductor. In 1772, he convinced his sister Caroline to join him as a singer. In their spare time the brother-sister team became occupied in astronomy. William died at his home in Slough, near Windsor on August 25th,1822,and Caroline on September 1st,1848. Herschel's first major discoveries were to show that Mars and Jupiter exhibit axial rotation . Herschel struck fame in 1781,when on March 13th he discovered the planet Uranus while engaged in work aimed at determining stellar parallax .This being the first new planet discovered since ancient times, Herschel, until then a mere amateur astronomer relatively unknown even in England, became world-famous. Adopting a historically proven strategy, Herschel named the new planet Georgium Sidum,in honor of the then ruling English king GeorgeIII. The trick worked once again, as King GeorgeIII gave William and Caroline the titles of"The King's Astronomer"and"Assistant to the King's Astronomer", an honor which came with a life's pension for both. In 1782 they moved to Bath, and shortly thereafter to Slough, and from this point on William and Caroline could devote themselves entirely to astronomy. The Herschels went on to discover two moons of Uranus in 1787. While Caroline became increasingly occupied with the search for comets at which she was quite successful, William became for a time interested in the Sun. Inspired by Wilson's 1774 work, he put forth the theory of sunspots ,an opinion that continued to exist well into the nineteenth century. In 1800,he became interested in the solar spectrum ,and uncovered the first evidence for solar energy output outside of the visible spectrum, in what is now known as the infrared .In 1801, he published two papers that effectively started the field of solar influences on Earth's weather. Herschel made himself known to the world mainly by _ . A discovering the planet Uranus B determining stellar parallax C discovering two moons of Uranus D uncovering the evidence for the infrared Answer: A. discovering the planet Uranus
A long time before I was born, my grandma and grandpa moved into the house on Beechwood Avenue. They had a young family of 4 little girls. During that time, work was hard to find, so Grandpa did whatever jobs he could. He worked on a farm during the week and at weekends he and Grandpa grew some of their own food in the garden . Everybody worked to keep the garden growing. All summer long, the family ate food from the garden and enjoyed the beautiful flowers. Grandma made jam with strawberry, tomatoes, beans, peppers, pears and peaches. It was good to eat through the long winter. The family grew up, and before too many years had passed, the grandchildren came to visit. Grandma and Grandpa still planted their garden every spring. Everyone still enjoyed the good food from the garden and always took some home. Grandchildren grew up, and grandparents grew older. It became harder for Grandma and Grandpa to keep up the garden. So they made it a little smaller. There was still plenty to eat from the garden and lovely flowers to enjoy. Then one summer when Grandpa was eighty-nine years old, all he could do was to watch from his chair as the vegetables grew and the flowers came out. Summer slowly went away, and Grandpa died before it was time to bring in the harvest . Grandchildren took their grandparents' vegetables home because _ . they liked them better In most parts of the world there are four seasons. They are spring, summer, fall and winter. In different seasons people wear different clothes and do different things. For example, in summer the weather is hot, so people usually wear cool clothes and do things like swimming, boating or surfing . But near the polar regions , there are only two seasons: winter and summer. In winter, nights are long. For more than two months you can't see the sun. In summer, days are long and the sun is always in the sky. There are no nights. The people living near the North Pole are called Inuit . In summer they live in tents and catch deer for food. In winter they live in small round snow houses. They can build a snow house. They make holes in the ice and catch fish and seals . They eat much meat but not many vegetables. Which sentence is right? Inuit build snow houses in winter. In the fall of 1985, I was a bright-eyed girl heading off to Howard University, aiming at a legal career and dreaming of sitting on a Supreme Court bench somewhere. Twenty-one years later I am still a bright-eyed dreamer and one with quite a different tale to tell. My grandma, an amazing woman, graduated from college at the age of 65. She was the first in our family to reach that goal. But one year after I started college, she developed cancer. I made the choice to leave college to care for her. It meant that school and my personal dream would have to wait. Then I got married with another dream: building my family with a combination of adopt and biological children. In 1999, we adopted our first son. To lay eyes on him was fantastic--and very emotional. A year later came our second adopted boy. Then followed Son No. 3. In 2003, I gave birth to another boy. You can imagine how busy I became, raising four boys under the age of 8! Our home was a complete zoo--a joyous zoo. Not surprising, I never did make it back to college full-time. But I never gave up on the dream either. I had only one choice: to find a way. That meant taking as few as one class each term. The hardest part was feeling guilty about the time I spent away from the boys. They often wanted me to stay home with them. There certainly were times I wanted to give up, but I knew I should set an example for them to follow through the rest of their lives. In 2007, I graduated from the University of North Carolina. It took me over 21 years to get my college degree! I am not special, just single-minded. It always struck me that when you're looking at a big challenge from the outside it looks huge, but when you're in the midst of it, it just seems normal. Everything you want won't arrive in your life on one day. It's a process. Remember: little steps add up to big dreams. When the author went to Howard University, her dream was to be _ . a judge Britons may like to complain a lot, but they rarely do so right now, explains BBC writer Ruth Margolis. They would rather grumble afterward. This is because Britons hate to put someone out and cause any embarrassment. Margolis writes, "For instance, I'm much more comfortable just leaving that piece of raw chicken on my plate instead of complaining to restaurant staff. But beware: if this kind of thing happens when you're dining with an American, they will most likely speak up on your behalf and not understand why you find this ashamed." In a BBC blog post comparing cultural differences between the UK and the US, Margolis mentions a few other things that Americans like to do that are offensive to Britons. * Not making introductions Margolis says most Britons dislike this approach because "talking to strangers without being introduced gives them a stomachache". Americans rarely introduce a new friend to their friends at parties. Strangers are supposed to introduce themselves. * "Quite" good Using "quite" to mean "very" happens a lot in the US. But if you are invited to a dinner party in Britain, don't describe the meal as "quite good" if you want to express high praise. To Britons' ears, "quite" _ the "good": the meal was OK but could have been better. * Money Talk Americans can talk about money subjects for hours without feeling uncomfortable. For Britons, says Margolis, "Talking about how much we make is unthinkable -- even 1ess so than discussing our feelings." * Over-politeness "It's not that I want shop assistants to be actively rude. But neither do I want to expend energy responding to someone who's been paid to ask: 'How are you today?'" says Margolis. In the US, it is not unusual to be greeted by a perfect stranger as "honey" or "sweetie". But Margolis says Britons find put-on friendliness, especially in stores, deeply irritating. What does the text mainly talk about? Some American habits that annoy Britons. Which traits could be pass along using reproduction and genetic material? nose
March 5 is Lei Feng Day. Lei Feng is one of the most famous role models in China. He is known for his warm heart and kind deeds . We should learn from him. In honor of this great person, we did lots of kind deeds on March 4. Take a look! Xu Hanchi, 13: I went to a square in a local university with my classmates to do cleaning. We swept off the fallen leaves and picked up rubbish. When we finished, the ground was very clean. Though no one came up to praise us, we still felt very happy. We learned that doing good things itself could make us happy. Zhu Lingyue, 14: My group cleaned the teachers' office that day. When we got there, we were surprised that the office was not as clean as we expected. How could teachers work in such an untidy place? We started cleaning quickly. Teachers work really hard and may not have the time to clean their offices. It's great that we can do something to help make them less tired. Tom Rui, 14: We helped clean the yard in the front of a hospital, but some patients there left us a very bad impression . They were very impolite and shouted at nurses and doctors. I think nurses and doctors' work is hard. They try their best to help us. We should give them more respect and understanding. Tom Rui thinks the patients in the hospital are _ A kind B polit C happy D rude Answer: D. rude Our school life is very interesting! My friends and I study hard at school. And we are good at our lessons. We are very happy. We have lots of time for our hobbies. My classmates all want to go to different clubs. Helen wants to join the Reading Club. She loves reading books. The Reading Club meets every Wednesday at three thirty. Lily enjoys dancing. She wants to join the Dancing Club. It meets on Mondays at four thirty. There's also an Art Club. It meets on Fridays at four o'clock. Nick doesn't want to join the Art Club. He doesn't like drawing. He thinks it is too difficult for him . Nick likes playing computer games. He wants to join the Computer Club. It meets every Thursday at three forty-five. Mike loves sports. He wants to join the football team. They play football every Monday at three thirty. I want to join the Music Club. I like listening to music with my friends. The Music Club meets on Tuesday at three fifteen. ,: What team does Mike want to join ? A The football team. B The basketball team. C The badminton team. D The volleyball team. Answer: A. The football team. Hello, boys and girls! My name is Zhang Hanyun, and my English name is Selina Zhang. Kristy Zhang's Chinese name is also Zhang Hanyun. She is a singer. But I'm a clerk at Mr. Cool's Clothes Store. We have shorts in black and white for $3. We have shirts in blue, black and white. The blue shirts are $7. The black shirts are also $7. The white shirts are on sale for $4. For boys, we have white socks. A pair of white socks is only $1. We only have black shoes. We sell black shoes for only $18. Come and see for yourself at Mr. Cool's Clothes Store. Selina Zhang is a _ . A clerk B teacher C student D singer Answer: A. clerk Mr Smith is a teacher. He is near-sighted . But he doesn't wear glasses. One day, he is walking in a street. He is thinking something. Suddenly a strong wind blows his cap off his head. My Smith runs after it. He wants to catch it but he can't. At this time, an old woman from a door of the house says to him. " Hi! What are you doing, sir?" "Running after my cap." "Your cap? Aha......that's my black cat. "She says. "Your cat? Sorry, but where is my cap?" Which's not true? A He runs after the old woman's cat. B He thinks that black cat is his black cap. C He is wearing a pair of glasses. D He is a teacher. Answer: C. He is wearing a pair of glasses. After moving to the United States, immigrant groups trying to fit in tend to choose high-calorie, fatty foods in an attempt to appear more American, a new study finds. That's one reason why immigrants approach U.S. levels of obesity within 15 years of moving to America. The researchers also did an experiment that measured whether or not the threat of appearing un-American influenced respondents' food choices.After being questioned about their ability to speak English,75 percent of Asian-Americans identified a typical American food as their favorite. Only 25 percent of Asian-Americans who had not been asked if they spoke English did the same. When their American identity was called into question during a follow-up study, Asian-American participants also tended to choose typical American dishes, such as hamburgers and grilled cheese sandwiches, over more Asian fare. In that experiment, 55 Asian-Americans were asked to choose a meal from a local Asian or American restaurant. Some participants were told that only Americans could participate in the study. Those who chose the more typical American _ ended up consuming an extra 182 calories, including 12 grams of fat and seven grams of saturated fat . "People who feel like they need to prove they belong in a culture will change their habits in an attempt to fit in," said Sapna Cheryan, an author of the study and assistant professor of psychology at the University of Washington. "If immigrants and their children choose unhealthy American foods over healthier traditional foods across their lives, this process of fitting in could lead to poorer health," Cheryan added. Social pressures, the study concluded, are at the heart of the problem. "In American society today, being American is associated with being white. Americans who don't fit this image even if they were born here and speak English feel that pressure to prove that they're American," said Cheryan. According to Sauna Cheryan, _ . A what immigrants have done is ridiculous B American traditional foods are healthier C immigrants risk their health in order to fit in D American culture affects immigrants deeply Answer: C. immigrants risk their health in order to fit in
Question: The creation of a Chinese Green Card in 2004 was a milestone in the country's immigration law. Five years on, the card is an increasingly sought-after document. On August 15, 2004, the Regulations on Examination and Approval of Permanent Residence oAliens in China created a Green Card system granting qualified foreigners the right to live in China permanently. Liu Lili, who works in the Exit and Entry Administration of Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau, has watched the Green Card system develop since its inception. She said nearly all applications received by the Bureau are approved. So far, 323 people have been granted a "Green Card" qualifying them for permanent residence in Beijing. Another 15 are awaiting final approval. It takes around 6 months to process each application. Of the 323 Green Card holders, 94 are wives or husbands of Chinese citizens; 50 are minors dependent on their parents; 20 are senior citizens returning to live with relatives; 114 are individuals who have made outstanding contributions or are of special importance to China (another 7 are their family members); and 23 are high-level foreign personnel who hold posts in businesses (another 15 are their family members). Liu said the authorities had been granting residence to returning senior citizens for some time before the Green Card system was formally launched .The government has approved permanent residence for over 3,000 foreigners since the implementation of the Law on Control of the Entry and Exit of Aliens which was adopted by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress in November 1985. Four groups of people are eligible for permanent residence: high-level foreign personnel who hold posts in businesses that promote China's economic, scientific and technological development or social progress; foreign citizens who make large direct investments in China; persons who have made outstanding contributions or are of special importance to China; and people who come to China to be with family, such as husbands and wives, minors dependent on their parents, and senior citizens dependent on their relatives. Liu said that most applications she dealt with were from American citizens. Why do overseas citizens apply for permanent residence status in China? The main concern, aid Liu, is the political factor. Once people have a "Green Card", they feel they are accepted and trusted by the Chinese government. The "Green Card" also facilitates entry and exit. With permanent residence status, visas are no longer needed and people can enter and leave the country using only a valid passport. China offers outstanding career opportunities and is seen by many as safer and more secure than many other countries, said Liu. Liu said that Green Card holders have the same rights and responsibilities as Chinese citizens. However the card is not equivalent to Chinese nationality and holders are not allowed to vote in elections, hold political office, or serve in the military. Obtaining a Green Card is not easy. The qualifying conditions are tough. Unless you are a close relative of a Chinese citizen,you will either have to invest a substantial amount of money in the country or make a genuinely outstanding contribution to the country's development. To meet increasing demand, he authorities are considering making the Green Card more available by broadening the range of applicants without lowering the requirements, aid Liu, but she gave no further details. If a foreign gets a Green Card in China, he /she _ . A. has the right to vote in China. B. can be a high official in China C. can enter or leave China without a visa D. becomes a citizen of Chinese nationality Answer: C Question: High school graduation is worth celebrating. It marks a big change in the lives of young adults. However, it ought to mean even more. It ought to mean that the graduate is ready for college or career. In a report issued last year, we found that almost half of recent Illinois high school graduates required remedial courses upon enrolling a community college. These courses require time and money to complete, yet offer no credits toward a degree. Too often, students never get through those remedial courses and end up dropping out of college. Why is the remediation rate so high? A large part of the reason is that we have not set high enough standards for what our students need to learn from kindergarten to high school. They simply aren't equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed. The same is true for careers. In Illinois, good jobs continue to go vacant even while we are trying hard to go through tough economic times. This is due largely to the mismatch between the skills and knowledge we provide our students with and what employers in a modern economy need workers to know. The good news is that in Illinois we have a plan to help get our students ready for life in the real world. We have already taken an important first step by becoming one of the 45 states to adopt the Common Core State Standards and have begun introducing them to classrooms this year. The new standards provide fewer, clearer and higher benchmarks for academic progress. They focus on deeper knowledge required at each grade level, give teachers the opportunity to explore topics fully and ensure students can apply what they've learned. Research shows that when expectations are raised, students rise to meet them. Adapting to higher standards and raising expectations may prove challenging, but they are the steps we must take so that our students are successful in high school and prepared for college and careers. Readiness is worth a celebration. According to the passage, in most cases, students taking part in remedial courses _ . A. come from wealthy families B. leave college before finishing their courses C. are offered credits toward a degree D. are likely to develop their academic interest Answer: B Question: Plan on traveling around the USA? There are a number of outstanding websites that can make your American dream come true. www.101 usaholidays.co.uk This is the latest offering that features 101 holiday ideas to the USA.It's a diverse selection,ranging from touring in the footsteps of Martin Luther King to a golfing break inArizona and a cycling and wine--tasting trip in California's Napa Valley.Narrow down what you're looking for--whether by price,region,theme and who will be traveling--and then just the photos of the relevant holidays remain on view.It's a really clever design. http://byways.Org The National Scenic Byways Program covers 150 memorable roads.Some are natural scenic routes,such as Route l along the California coast.Others focus on history(such as Route 66)or man-made attractions(the Las Vegas Strip).For each,you're provided with a map telling the route's length and how long is allowed. www.oyster.com This is the best website for reviews of hotels in US cities and tourist sites.There are photos of each hotel.Importantly,these are not promotional photos provided by the hotels,but more honest and revealing ones taken by inspectors.From the 243 hotels reviewed in New York,you can narrow down what you are looking for by locations,facilities and styles,or just pick out a selection of the best. http://seaworldparks.com. SeaWorld in San Diego can make dreams come true,but the price is not affordable for the majority of people.So turn to long--established,giving big discounts on tickets,hotel and dining at SeaWorld. At which website are travel ideas for wine lovers are available? A. www.101 usaholidays.co.uk B. http://byways.org C. WWW.oyster.com D. http://seaworldparks.com Answer: A Question: Once upon a time, two men were walking in the forest. One was thin and tall, and very bad too. The other was fat and short, and very honest. The tall man said to the short man, "We are good friends. If any beast comes, I'll help you." The short man said, " Of course, we are good friends. We will help each other." At that time, a bear came to them. The tall man climbed up the tree quickly to hide himself in the branches and forgot his promise to the short man. But the fat man couldn't climb the tree. He said to his friend, "Help me! Help me! I can't climb up. Look! The bear is coming!" The tall man said, "No! No! No! You can't stay with me. The tree is not strong." The bear was coming. The short man lay down under the tree, pretending to be dead and holding his breath. The bear smelled around his body. It doesn't touch the dead. After the bear went away without harming the short man, the tall man came down and asked the short man, "What did the bear whisper in your ear when it was close to you?" The short man answered, "the bear told me not to believe such a selfish friend like you. And it also said that a friend in need is a friend indeed." The tall man was very _ . A. honest B. helpful C. selfish D. good-looking Answer: C Question: Here's an unusual story: a diamond ring was recently found in an egg. The magician, Liu Qian, discovered it, in front of an audience of millions at CCTV's Spring Festival Gala. Liu's magic tricks have made the centuries-old art of magic fashionable once again, and made him the hottest magician in prefix = st1 /China. As a seasoned young magician from Taiwan, Liu is popular worldwide for his magic shows. Countries he has performed in include theUnited States,Japan,South Koreaand theUK. Witnessing something impossible happen right before your eyes is the root of people's love for magic. Liu is known for his interaction with his audiences. He has a unique understanding of showmanship. "It is actually thinking, rather than one's manipulation skills, that is more important to achieving a successful magic show. We think carefully about how to design the shows creatively, to make them appear more intriguing ," Liu said. Liu's success dates back to his childhood. Born in 1976 in Taiwan, he found himself attracted to a magic toy in a shop when he was seven years old. At the age of 12, he wonTaiwan's Youth Magic Contest, which was judged by the great American magician, David Copperfield. Yet, Liu never planned on becoming a professional magician. He studied Japanese literature at university and only hoped to be an amateur magician in his spare time. However, his failure to find a decent job after graduation pushed him towards magic as a career. To refine his performing skills, he has performed on streets, roads and fields, for pedestrians , policemen and farmers. "Street shows are the biggest challenge for us magicians. We have to deal with unexpected situations and tough crowds." Liu said. The passage is mainly about _ . A. Why Liu Qian plays magic well B. What magic tricks are C. Why people love magic D. How Liu Qian becameChina's hottest magician Answer: D
A lazy Susan is an addition to a table that is designed to assist in moving food from one person to another while dining. This is achieved through the use of a turntable , which usually moves the food in a circle when it is pushed by those at the table. In this way, the food never has to be picked up and passed around the table. Instead, it remains in place on the lazy Susan. A lazy Susan may also be a part of a kitchen cabinet . In this sense, the lazy Susan is a type of shelving unit within the cabinet that is able to turn around its axis . One may turn the lazy Susan in order to find certain goods in storage. From the outside, a lazy Susan appears to be two cabinets that are located at a right angle to each another. When one of these cabinets is pushed, however, both doors move and the lazy Susan is revealed inside. It is believed that Thomas Jefferson invented the lazy Susan in the 18th century, though it was called "dumbwaiter" at that time. It is said that Jefferson invented the lazy Susan because his daughter complained she was always served last at table and, as a result, never found herself full when leaving the table. Others believe that Thomas Edison was the inventor, as he is believed to have invented the turntable for his phonograph . The turntable may have developed into the lazy Susan later. Regardless of who invented it, it wasn't until 1917 that the term "lazy Susan" was used in an advertisement for the invention. In Britain, however, the term "dumbwaiter" is still used rather than "lazy Susan". The reason for the naming of it is still a mystery. One theory is that it was named after either Jefferson's or Edison's daughter, both of whom were named Susan. According to those who believed Thomas Jefferson invented the lazy Susan, _ . A. his daughter was very lazy B. the lazy Susan didn't exist until the 18th century C. Thomas Edison was his friend D. Thomas Edison didn't invent the phonograph Answer: B It was a cold winter day. A woman drove up to the Rainbow Bridge tollbooth . "I'm paying for myself, and for the six cars behind me," she said with a smile, handing over seven tickets. One after another, the next six drivers arriving at the tollbooth were informed, "Some lady up ahead already paid your fare." It turned out that the woman, Natalie Smith, had read something on a friend's refrigerator: "Practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty." The phrase impressed her so much that she copied it down. Judy Foreman spotted the same phrase on a warehouse wall far away from home. When it stayed on her mind for days, she gave up and drove all the way back to copy it down. "I thought it was beautiful," she said, explaining why she'd taken to writing it at the bottom of all her letters, "like a message from above." Her husband, Frank, liked the phrase so much that he put it up on the classroom wall for his students, one of whom was the daughter of Alice Johnson, a local news reporter. Alice put it in the newspaper, admitting that though she liked it, she didn't know where it came from or what it really meant. Two days later, Alice got a call from Anne Herbert, a woman living in Marin. It was in a restaurant that Anne wrote the phrase down on a piece of paper, after turning it around in her mind for days. "Here's the idea," Anne says. "Anything you think there should be more of, do it randomly." Her fantasies include painting the classrooms of shabby schools, leaving hot meals on kitchen tables in the poor part of town, and giving money secretly to a proud old lady. Anne says, " _ ." The acts of random kindness spread. If you were one of those drivers who found your fare paid, who knows what you might have been inspired to do for someone else later. Like all great events, kindness begins slowly, with every single act. Let it be yours! Judy Foreman copied down the phrase because she _ . A. thought it was beautifully written B. wanted to know what it really meant C. decided to write it on a warehouse wall D. wanted her husband to put it up in the classroom Answer: A In a nation with a one-child family planning policy, it's understandable for parents to worry over whether they are petting their children. Are the children truly as fragile as sometimes made out to be? The concern has been brought into focus with the popularity of a hit reality TV series, Hunan TV's Dad! Where Are We Going? and Zhejiang TV's First Time In Life. In both, children as young as three have become new public figures. In the show First Time In Life, children chosen from ordinary families are given small tasks to complete by themselves;the ongoing Dad! show centers on five celebrity fathers and their children who are forced to live a simple life in rural areas, far outside their comfort zone. Regardless of their family background, the children's reactions to new environments have struck the public. In one episode of Dad! , the five-year-old daughter of former Olympic diving champion Tian Liang cries and hides behind her father when they arrive at a rural village. In an episode of the other series, a young girl in Tianjin breaks down into a tearful fit after being asked by her father to go out alone to buy eggs and a pancake. In the eyes of some observers, these kids show no sense of independence, and the reason is put down to parents who are overly sheltering. But television viewers and parents were heartened when the sobbing Tianjin girl finally wiped away her tears as she returned holding the pancake. In the case of Tian's daughter, she eventually began to take care of her younger companions and learned to seek help from people she didn't know. The father of the Tianjin girl felt "delightfully shocked" and said. "She used to have to be accompanied by her mother or grandmother. Now she has the courage to do it all by herself. " The shows have led many parents to change how they raise their children. Shanghai mother Liang Jing said she would try to "give some training" to her shy son, asking him to tidy up his toys. Lin Yi, a parenting expert in Beijing, said giving kids a chance to do things for themselves helps to raise their sense of achievement, which carries benefits throughout their lives. " It can be inferred from the underline words "delightfully shocked" that . A. father is more important than mother in a family B. children deserve a chance to be independent C. parents should provide a safe environment D. the children are as fragile as parents expected Answer: B Sometimes Karen likes to go to the library. Her friend Michael also likes the library, but her other friend James does not like the library. Karen and Michael like to read about different things. They can learn about things that they don't know much about. They also like to read fun and exciting stories. The librarian, Mr. Hernandez, knows Michael and Karen, because they are in the library a lot. He knows what kind of books they like. When the library gets new books, he tells Karen and Michael about any books that he thinks they would like. James only goes to the library when he has to read a book for class. Mr. Hernandez does not know very much about James, because James does not go to the library often. Karen's favorite books are about airplanes, cars, and trains. She like reading about how fast they can go, and about the workers who build them. When she grows up, she is going to buy a fast car and travel to different states. Michael likes books about dinosaurs, cowboys, and fireworks. When he grows up, he is going to buy a costume and dress up like a cowboy. What type of books are Michael's favorites? A. Books about James and Karen B. Books about dressing up like a clown C. Books about dinosaurs, cowboys, and fireworks D. Books about libraries Answer: C The teaching of physics in schools is in danger of dying out unless urgent action is taken to deal with a serious lack of teachers, the government is warned today. The number of students taking physics at A-level has fallen 38% since 1990, according to a research. At the same time the number of mew physics teachers has dropped sharply while the shortage is likely to worsen as older teachers retire. prefix = st1 /Britain's leading scientists and engineers expressed alarm over the findings, which they say are part of the problems in science education generally. Lord May of Oxford, president of the Royal Society, theUK's National Academy of Science, said, "The problems facing science at A-level are well beyond physics. We have over and over again noted the general downward trend of students studying the sciences beside biology and math at A-level. If we fail to deal with this then we may lose the ability to train the next generation of scientists, technologists and engineers." Alan Smithers and Pamela Robinson, who did the research in 432 schools and colleges inEnglandandWales, said that since 1990, the number of physics students had fallen by 38%, from 45,334 to 28,119. Nearly 10% of state schools now do not offer A-level physics, and of those that do 39.5% had five students or fewer taking it this year. Over the same period, the research discovered, the number of people who are allowed to become physics teachers dropped from about a third of the science total to 12.8%. The supply of physics teachers is not _ itself, with nearly twice as many aged over 50 as 30 or younger. Another danger is the redefinition of science subjects to "general science". Professor Smithers and Dr Robinson warn that the subject is in danger of dying out in schools." Physics in schools and colleges is at risk through redefinition and lack of teachers with expertise in the subject," they said. "If physics is to survive in schools, both as basic education and as a platform for higher level study and research, there is a need for immediate action." Five students or fewer take A-level physics this year in _ . A. 432 schools and colleges inEnglandandWales B. nearly 35.6% of the state schools C. 39.5% of state schools D. 90% of state schools offering the course Answer: B
Still seeking a destination for your long summer holidays? There is a good place which may be your favorite option. Arts of Hope is an overnight performing arts summer camp in Saint Paul, Minnesota, the USA for kids aged 10 and older from around the world. More than just a performing arts camp, Arts of Hope offers participants a unique opportunity to live with kids from other cultures while learning and performing music from many countries. Each summer, up to 75 children venture to Minnesota from Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and the US. They arrive as strangers but soon become friends as they learn popular songs and dances from each other's cultures. The lessons learned during these six weeks are profound. The friendships are enduring. And the stories are inspirational. Taking part in the Arts of Hope camp is a life-changing experience. DATES The Arts of Hope 2013 session will run from June 17 to July 30. Because Arts of Hope is a global camp, it is impossible for us to schedule the program to fit all the school schedules of all the schools in the world. Therefore, we understand that some participants may need to arrive late or leave early. Don't let that stop you from applying! We are happy to make special arrangements as needed. Just send us an email to explain your scheduling challenges. We are happy to arrange a special study room for late arrivals to make up for the missed lessons. PARTICIPANT FEE For the 2013 summer, the fee for new, first-time participants is $2,950, subject to the special discounts offered below. SPECIAL DISCOUNTS If you apply before February 28, you can get a special fee reduction of $100. Also, there is a 20% fee discount for additional participants from your family if you have a brother or sister who is a Arts of Hope participant. The discount applies to the second, third, and any other additional siblings attending in the same year from the same family. Apply early to assure your place! Please sign up now! If you and your sister apply for the first time on May 16, how much will both of you pay in total? Answer: $5,310 When I was an education official in Palo Alto, California, Polly Tyner, the president of our school board, wrote a letter that was printed in the Palo Alto Times. Polly's son, Jim, had great difficulty in school. He was classified as the educationally disabled and required a great deal of patience on the part of his parents and teachers. But Jim was a happy kid with a great smile that lit up the room. His parents acknowledged his academic difficulties, but always tried to help him see his strengths so that he could walk with pride. Shortly after Jim finished high school, he was killed in a motorcycle accident. After his death, his mother submitted this letter to the newspaper: Today we buried our 20-year-old son. He was killed instantly in a motorcycle accident on Friday night. How I wish I had known when I talked to him last that it would be the last time. If I had only known I would have said, "Jim, I love you and I'm very proud of you." I would have taken the time to count the many blessings he brought to the lives of the many who loved him. I would have taken the time to appreciate his beautiful smile, the sound of his laughter, his genuine love of people. When you put all the good qualities on the scale and try to balance all the _ phenomena such as the radio which was always too loud, the haircut that wasn't to our liking, the dirty socks under the bed, etc., your angry feelings won't amount to much. I won't get another chance to tell my son all that I would have wanted him to hear, but, other parents, you do have a chance. Tell your young people what you would want them to hear if you knew it would be your last conversation. The last time I talked to Jim was the day he died. He called me to say, "Hi, Mom! I just called to say I love you. Got to go to work. Bye." He gave me something to treasure forever. If there is any purpose at all for Jim's death, maybe it is to make others appreciate more of life and to have people, especially family members, take the time to let each other know just how much we care. You may never have another chance. According to the passage, we know that _ . Answer: Jim's parents were patient with him Free Wi-Fi has become very important to us: many stores and shopping malls offer it, restaurants use it to attract customers, and for libraries and coffee shops it is a must-have service. Even when people are traveling, they scan for free Wi-Fi. When selecting or rating a hotel, six in ten travelers believe that unlimited Wi-Fi is the most important factor. "Today, people will never forget to pack their smart phones, tablets and laptops into the suitcase," said the Daily Mail. "We rely on free Wi-Fi heavily when traveling--especially when it comes to checking social media, checking out travel tips, and accessing websites." However, despite the opportunities that free Wi-Fi gives us, "our over-reliance on technology has come at a price, with travelers feeling unable to escape social media", said Lonely Planet, the world's largest travel guide brand. Anita Isalska, Lonely Planet editor and tech addict, was forced to unplug when in an isolated camp in Greenland recently. "Adjusting to this slower pace, I began to realize that: social media had changed into a habit," she wrote. "I had believed I was capturing moments, but in reality my busy fingers were preventing me enjoying travel's deepest pleasures. How fully can you appreciate a huge glacier or wild flowers when your brain is selecting the right photo filter or the perfect six seconds to take photos" In September, Lonely Planet released 10 predictions for the future of global travel. One of them was that true escapes will be highly valued in future, so remote hotels will start to make their lack of the Internet into an appealing feature. Would you like to have an unplugged holiday What has Anita Isalska realized in Greenland ? Answer: Her over-reliance on technology has come at a price. Dana Cummings was in his thirties before he first went surfing. But, even more interesting is that Dana Cummings chose to learn the sport after losing a leg in a car accident. Now, nine years later, he helps other disabled people learn how to ride the waves in AmpSurf. On the coast of Maine, he is working with 27-year-old Matthew Fish, who is partly blind. Cummings takes hold of Fish and leads him into the ocean. The surfboard floats next to them. Fish lies on the surfboard. He tries to stand up on it. After a few attempts he is up and riding all the way back to land. "That was exciting," Fish says. A car accident in 2002 took Dana Cummings' leg. He says the crash changed him more than just physically. "Losing my leg made me realize how precious life is and get off the couch and start living. I do more things now than I ever did before. Next week I am going to compete in a contest in Hawaii," Dana says. One year later Dana Cummings formed AmpSurf. AmpSurf is a group that volunteers to hold surfing classes and events for people with all kinds of disabilities. Recently, AmpSurf took its training programs to the East Coast. Eleven students attended the class in Maine. They came from all over the northeastern United States. Dana Cummings thinks AmpSurf can change the way a disabled person thinks. "Most people with disabilities consider himself or herself unlucky and useless, but we want them to see what they can do. Who cares you lose your leg or you are blind, whatever? Have fun. Just enjoy life. Take the most advantage of _ you can," Dana says. When did Dana Cummings set up AmpSurf according to the text? Answer: In 2003. An eight-year-old boy named Liangliang liked watching cartoons every day instead of doing his homework, so his mother stopped him from watching cartoons. Liangliang called the police to take his mother away--such a "good reason" to call the police. Most people would just laugh it off. However, it shows that something is wrong with our education. It rings alarm to our Chinese parents to think about it. Parents should ask themselves why they're so angry when their kids want to watch cartoons instead of doing homework. Kids are supposed to be simple and naughty . They can just ask their kids to do things they expect them to do. Schoolwork is important but a healthy childhood is much more important. If they push their kids too hard, the kids will not listen to them. Instead, parents should spend some time talking to their kids and help them grow in a good way. It's also a good way to help parents themselves to grow, too. In China, lots of parents care more about scores than any other things. They hope their kids can be top students and go to the top colleges. Curriculum Reformation is coming though, and it would bring some changes to our schools. It's also time for parents to change their minds to reduce pressure on their kids and help them to grow happily and naturally. According to the passage, if parents push their kids too hard, _ . Answer: the kids will not follow them
A koala's home can be destroyed because of A affection B magic C my heart D exploding hot liquid Answer: D. exploding hot liquid In 1977, a dead author of detective stories saved the life of a 19-month-old baby in a most unusual way. The author was Agatha Christie, one of the most successful writers of detective stories in the world. In June 1977, a baby girl became seriously ill in Qatar, near Saudi Arabia. Doctors were unable to find out the cause of her illness with confidence, so she was sent to Hammersmith Hospital in London. She was then only semi-conscious and on the "Dangerously Ill" list. A team of doctors hurried to examine the baby only to discover that they, too, were confused by the very unusual symptoms . While they were discussing the baby's case, a nurse asked to speak to them. "Excuse me," said Nurse Marsha Maitlan, "but I think the baby is suffering from thallium poisoning." "What makes you think that?" Dr. Brown asked. "Thallium poisoning is extremely rare." "A few days ago, I was reading a novel called A Pale Horse by Agatha Christie," Nurse Maitlan explained. "In the book, somebody uses thallium poison, and all the symptoms are described. They're exactly the same as the baby's." "You're very thoughtful and you may be right," another doctor said. "We'll carry out some tests and find out whether it's thallium or not." Tests showed that the baby had indeed been poisoned by thallium, a rare metallic substance used in making special glass. Once they knew the cause of the illness, the doctors were able to give the baby the correct treatment. She soon recovered and was sent back to Qatar. Later it was reported that the poison might have come from an insecticide used in Qatar. It seems likely from the passage that the baby's illness had something to do with _ . A a harmful substance used to kill insects B a dangerous pair of glasses C the water in Qatar D a dead writer Answer: A. a harmful substance used to kill insects With eco-tourism on the rise, eco-hotels are fast becoming the darling of the travel industry. These days, however, staying at an eco-hotel doesn't necessarily mean vacationing in a tree house in the Costa Rican jungle, although that is certainly a choice. The majority of eco-hotels fall into several categories: hotels and resorts that conserve ecologically important habitats; "green" hotels that reduce, recycle, minimize waste, and protect water; sustainable hotels that harvest food from gardens on the hotel property or get part or all of their power from renewable energy; hotels that encourage community involvement such as guests taking part in trail clearing; and hotels that offer some form of environmental education to their guests. As such, eco-hotels are a various group. Stylish urban hotels like the Willard Inter-Continental Washington focus on energy conservation whereas the Rosario Resort & Spa on Orcas Island in Washington State offers a wildly popular "green" vacation package where guests can "take a hike, clear a trail". No matter what you call them, eco-hotel, eco-lodge, eco-resort, or green hotel, they're all part of the "greening" of the tourism industry. Part of what drives this greening of the hotel industry is no doubt competition. Going green is another way to distinguish a hotel from the mass of other excellent hotels that consumers have to choose from. But for many hotels, it's also part of their philosophy. With the concept of "going green" firmly rooted in consumers' minds, eco-hotels have taken it to the next level, and whether or not money is the driving factor behind the greening of the hotel industry doesn't matter so much as it's good for the planet. From the passage, we know the Rosario Resort & Spa is a kind of hotel that _ . A encourages its guests to participate in its greening activities B harvests food from its own garden C has courses on the environment for its guests D protects important habitats Answer: A. encourages its guests to participate in its greening activities For all the dinner table, a glass of milk seems to be a constant, at least it was when I was growing up. It was widely believed that milk was integral in building strong bones and teeth. There's no doubt that dairy products , and milk in particular, are high in protein and calcium, and most milk products are supplemented with Vitamin D and A. While it's well known that our bones need calcium, some studies suggest that high calcium intake doesn't necessarily lower a person's risk for fractures . A Harvard study found that people who drank two or more glasses of milk had no greater protection from breaking a bone than those who drank a glass or less a week. There's no doubt that we need calcium. Some anti-dairy supporters claim that dairy can lead to heart disease. Much of this claim is based on high fat and high dairy products, like cheeses and creams, which may indeed contribute to cardiovascular problems. Some studies have linked high milk intakes with a risk of prostate cancer; this seems to be caused by high-fat dairy products, not dairy in general. Although milk was always regarded as one of the most important thing we need for our bones, yet least promoted, factors involved in strengthening bones. Perhaps we should think of dairy as less like a nutrient and more like a food. If you like it, eat it. If not, find _ . Because some claims may not be completely true, when I eat a cream, I'm not thinking about calcium, protein, or any such thing I'm thinking delicious. Which of the following is TRUE on the milk? A The more milk you drink, the more risk for fractures you might be. B The more milk you drink, the less risk for fractures you might be. C The less milk you drink, the less risk for fractures you might be. D There is no link between them. Answer: D. There is no link between them. A dog has a piece of meat in his mouth. He's going to eat it at home. As he is walking on a bridge, he looks down and sees himself in the river. That dog looks like him and he has a piece of meat in his mouth, too. The dog thinks it's another dog. So he says to himself, "I want to eat more meat. I must make him run away from here and get the meat in his mouth. Then I can have two pieces." He opens his mouth to bark. That dog in the water barks at him. Suddenly, his meat goes down into the water. The dog is so angry, he jumps into the water to catch the other dog. The dog in the water _ . A is more hungry B is very angry at him C is very kind D is not a real dog at all Answer: D. is not a real dog at all
"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." You probably heard those lines in grammar school, but do you really agree that harsh or negative words do not harm us? Words have power. Surely we all have had our feelings hurt by something someone said. We may not say words to hurt others, but the way we interpret them and how we say them may cause great harm. Here's an example An ancient king dreamed all his teeth had fallen out. He sent for a wise man to explain his dream to him the dream means that all your relatives will die and you will be left alone! The king was very angry and threw the interpreter into prison. He then sent for another interpreter who said, "Congratulations! King! You will live many more years. In fact, you will survive all your relatives. Long Live the King!" Both interpreters gave the same interpretation, but there was a huge difference in the way they said it. Our speech must be understood by those who hear our words, but the way we say things and the intention behind them have as much power as the words themselves. Words can cause anger or appreciation. Which would you rather receive? People who say harsh and negative things may not mean to harm, but have you ever known anyone who is a _ ? They often look at the dark sides of things. They always see the glass as half empty rather than half full. How do you feel when you are around this type of person? Remember words have power. Use them wisely. The author mentions the story of the ancient king to show that _ . A one dream sometimes has different explanations B good words can bring good luck to people C people should be careful when talking to a king D different ways of saying things have different effects Answer: D. different ways of saying things have different effects Something strange was unbelievable. Take Robert for example. After the terrible car accident, his whole world had been completely dark and quiet for almost ten years. The loss of sight and hearing made him try many times to put end to his life. His family especially his wife did their best to tend and comfort him. By and by he finally regained the courage to live on. On a hot summer afternoon he was taking a walk with a stick near his house when a thunderstorm started suddenly. He stood under a large tree in order not to get himself wet. Unfortunately he was struck down to the ground by a lightning. The witnesses thought him dead but he woke up some 20 minutes later lying face down in muddy water below the tree. He felt that he was trembling badly, but when he opened his eyes ,he didn't dare to believe that he saw a plough( )lying near the wall. When Mrs Edwards came running up to him, she shouted their neighbours for help. And he saw her and heard her voice for the first time in nearly ten years. The news of Robert's regaining his sight and hearing quickly spread in his area. And many doctors came to prove the truth of the news. Most of them said that he gained sight and hearing again obviously from the knock of lightning; none of them could give convincing reasons, however. The only reasonable explanation given by one doctor was that, since Edwards lost his sight and hearing as a result of sudden shock in a terrible accident, perhaps the only way for them to regain was by another sudden shock. What did Edwards see first after being struck down by a lightning? A His wife B The large tree C A plough D The lightning itself Answer: C. A plough In the United Sates elementary education begins at the age of six. At this stage nearly all the teachers are women, mostly married. The atmosphere is usually very friendly, and the teachers have now accepted the idea that the important thing is to make the children happy and interested. The old authoritarian methods of education were discredited rather a long time ago--so much that many people now think that they have gone too far in the direction of trying to make children happy and interested rather than giving them actual instruction. The social education of young children tries to make them accept the idea that human beings in a society need to work together for their common goods. So the emphasis is on co-operation rather than competition throughout most of this process. This may seem curious, in view of the fact that American society is highly competitive; however, the need for making people sociable in this sense has come to be regarded as one of the functions of education. Most Americans do grow up with competitive ideas, and obviously quite a few as criminals, but it is not fair to say that the educational system fails. It probably does succeed in making most people sociable and ready to help one another both in material ways and through kindness and friendliness. The American educational system emphasises _ . A material wealth B competition C co-operation D personal benefit Answer: C. co-operation Birds that are half-asleep -- with one brain hemisphere alert and the other sleeping -- control which side of the brain remains awake, according to a new study of sleeping ducks. Earlier studies have recorded half-brain sleep in a wide range of birds. The brain hemispheres take turns sinking into the sleep stage characterized by slow brain waves. The eye controlled by the sleeping hemisphere keeps shut, while the wakeful hemisphere's eye stays open and alert. Birds also can sleep with both hemispheres resting at once. Decades of studies of bird groups led researchers to predict extra alertness in the end-of-the-row sleepers which tend to be attacked more easily. Sure enough, the end birds tended to watch carefully on the side away from their companions. Ducks in the inner spots showed no preference for gaze direction. Also, birds napping at the end of the line depend on single-hemisphere sleep, rather than total relaxation, more often than inner ducks did. Turning 16 birds through the positions in a four-duck row, the researchers found that compared with 12 percent for birds in inner spots, outer birds half-asleep during some 32 percent of napping time. "We believe this is the first evidence for an animal behaviorally controlling sleep and wakefulness at the same time in different regions of the brain," the researchers say. The results provide the best evidence for a long-standing assumption that single-hemisphere sleep developed over time as creatures scanned for enemies. The preference for opening an eye on the lookout side could be widespread, he predicts. He's seen it in a pair of birds napping side-by-side in the zoo and in a single pet bird sleeping by a mirror. The mirror-side eye closed as if the reflection were a companion and the other eye stayed open. Useful as half-sleeping might be, it's only been found in birds and such water animals as dolphins, whales, and seals. Perhaps keeping one side of the brain awake allows a sleeping animal to surface occasionally to avoid drowning. Studies of birds may offer unique insights into sleep. Jerome M. Siegel of the UCLA says he wonders if birds' half-brain sleep "is just the tip of the iceberg." He supposes that more examples may turn up when we take a closer look at other species. By saying "just the tip of the iceberg", Siegel suggests that _ . A half-brain sleep has something to do with icy weather B the mystery of half-brain sleep is close to being solved C most birds living in cold regions tend to be half sleepers D half-brain sleep may exist among other species Answer: D. half-brain sleep may exist among other species For many workers trying to lose weight, the weekend is a chance to do some exercise and eat something healthier than a supermarket sandwich at their desk. But some slimmers take a slightly different approach -- consuming more than half their weekly calorie intake from Friday night to Sunday. Away from the daily routine at work that helps them keep control of what they eat, they are snacking and drinking their way to a shocking 10,000 calories, a survey has found. Almost three-quarters of people trying to lose weight admit to over-eating at the weekend. A meal with friends or family, complete with alcohol, as well as a late-night snack before bed, can lead to adults consuming up to 3,500 calories in one day, a survey found. Men typically need 2,500 calories a day and women 2,000 calories. Consuming this amount would see men and women get through half their weekly calorie intake over the course of a 'bad' weekend. Women were found to eat less on a Sunday because of guilt over their consumption over the previous two days. Men had fewer doubts about a third day of excess. The biggest weekend diet danger comes from snacking between meals, the survey found. Some say they will often spend Saturday night in front of the TV with their families -- combining watching their favorite shows with crisps and biscuits. And seven in ten people admitted to having fattening takeaways at weekends, with pizza the most popular. Alcohol is another big factor in weekend bingeing.Around 70 percent still like to have a roast on a Sunday or a big meal with family or friends and a third of those will have second helpings. A spokesman from Forza Supplements, the diet company that conducted the survey, said, "We all have bad weekends where we have a lot of fun, but dieting goes out of the window." The 5:2 diet is becoming increasingly popular -- where we limit our calories for five days and allow ourselves a few treats on the other two days. "For many people, the two days off are Saturday and Sunday but they go way too far" According to the passage, those who try to lose weight _ . A intake more calories on weekdays than on weekends B get their efforts to lose weight ruined by over-eating on weekends C always have bad weekends due to their intention to lose weight D keep wide aware of their desire to lose weight by keeping a strict diet Answer: B. get their efforts to lose weight ruined by over-eating on weekends
Anna was excited about starting her first day in the new school. However, when she first walked past the students in the school, her excitement turned to fear, and then to loneliness over the next few days. "Why didn't anyone say 'hi' to me or invite me to his or her lunch table? Is it because of my clothes or my hair?" she wondered. Almost every day during the first week, Anna stayed alone, thinking that there must have been something wrong with her or that nobody saw her at all! What caused Anna's problem? The reason was that nobody knew her. Most people don't like talking with strangers . So it's your job to volunteer to make contact with people who you want to know. The easiest way to catch their attention is to notice them first. Make eye contact with them and smile at them. When you smile at them, you are doing your best to show your kindness to them, and they are sure to understand that you are saying, "Hey, how's everything going?" In this way, you are taking the first step towards the road to friendship. When Anna realized this, she started talking to her classmates. Guess what happened? It really worked. She had made two friends by the end of the month. In fact, saying "hi" or making friends with strangers is not hard. And the joy it brings you is really great. So try to open your heart to strangers! Which of the following shows the change in Anna's feelings? Answer: excited-afraid-lonely-happy Growing up in Puerto Rico, our family was no different from so many others. My parents got married after my father came back when the war ended. Both of my parents were struggling with the hard economic realities of the time. But somehow, they found time to cherish those cultural values that shaped our everyday life. In our daily life, we celebrated together with our friends or family members every birthday, every graduation, and all holidays with music and dancing, typical foods. When we visited our family in the countryside -- a trip that took about two hours in a car, with five children fighting as to who would get a window or the front seat -- we would break into song, and somehow the trip would turn into one full of happiness and fun. We would sing not only interesting children's songs but also beautiful love songs -- songs about the love of the country though we didn't understand the meaning of the words many times. I came to Philadelphia for the first time in 1973 to do a residency in family medicine. I remember the many hours of work. I was facing issues of life and death and suffering the clearly social unfairness and issues of poverty and race. These were all aggravated by my feeling of cultural differences. An important turning point in my life happened one Saturday night when I attended a concert of Puerto Rican singer and composer Antonio Caban Vale. The music showed my familiar rhythms, and the words spoke to my heart. I had found a space to express, celebrate, and share my culture in Philadelphia. Therefore, I believe diversity is seen as an advantage and not as a disadvantage. As a Puerto Rican, I am a mixture of races and I believe in my strength because of this. What do we know about the author's parents? Answer: They took cultural values seriously. One day at the end of the class, a wise teacher told each of her students to bring a plastic bag and a bag of potatoes to school. The next day she told her students, "From today on, for every person you don't like in your lives, you can choose a potato, write the person's name and the date on it and then put it in the plastic bag." Day after day, some of the students' bags were very heavy. They were then told to carry this bag with them everywhere they went for a week. They would put it inside their quilts at night, on the seats when sitting in a car or on a bus, and next to their desks at school. The days carrying the bag around with them made students get to know what a weight they were carrying in their minds. They had to pay attention to it all the time so that they wouldn't forget it. As time passed by, the potatoes went bad and smelt nasty . They all tried to get rid of them. Too often we think of tolerance as a gift to other people, and clearly it is for ourselves! If we choose to keep our sadness and hatred in our hearts, we will have to carry them around all our lives. Do you think you have got anything from the wise teacher and what she asked her students to do? Which is the best title of the passage Answer: Less hatred, happier life. Two European Summer Must 'Seas' When you think of summer,the beach,clear water, sunny skies, and relaxing days are a few things that come to mind, and two of the best places to experience these summer feels are two gorgeous European bodies of water: the Mediterranean Sea and the Adriatic Sea! These two incredible Seas hold some of my favorite travel memories and I would revisit each one in a heart beat! The Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea can be accessed from various European countries as well as a few North African countries. And while many think of visiting Ibiza, Malta, or the Greek islands to experience the Mediterranean, my Mediterranean beach days came while visiting the seaside city of Marseille in the South of France! Marseille was a lovely city with easy access to the Sea, also with pretty sandy beaches. The gorgeous crystal clear blue water made it unlike any beach day in America! Not only were the beaches amazing, but the city of Marseille was adorable and filled with numerous cute shops and seaside restaurants. And the Mediterranean-style food was delicious! The Adriatic Sea The Adriatic Sea is equally as stunning and surely worth a visit! The Croatian coast has numerous beach clubs, some private and some public, that tourists are able to visit and you can experience the beauty of the Adriatic Sea there! Zrce Novalja, a Croatian seaside town I visited, was impressively featured by the rather rocky beach in place of sand. The rocks were small and smooth, making swimming in the sea and wading in the water just as easy as sandy beaches! Plus the locals in Croatia are also extremely friendly, making the experience even more memorable. The writer's trip to the two seas was full of _ . Answer: wonderful experiences On May 12, 2008, an earthquake of 8 magnitude struck prefix = st1 /Sichuan. Everyone inChinawas shocked, and quickly became heartbroken as reported deaths climbed from 10,000 to 32,000 to more than 62,000 people. The death toll is still rising, and the number of injured and missing is many times more. The Chinese people faced this disaster with compassion and courage. I was touched by the teacher who died forming a bridge with his body between two desks, protecting four surviving students under him, by the trapped child who told the rescue workers to save others first, and by the dying mother who texted her baby, "My Treasure: If you survive, always remember I love you." She died using her own body to protect her 3-month-old from harm. But don't worry about this baby growing up without a family. Thousands of families in Chinahave already volunteered to adopt earthquake orphans. And the Chinese people faced this disaster with resourcefulness and tenacity . A brave CEO took his weekend SUV, drove hundreds of miles, started digging, and saved several lives. A child used his hands to dig out two fellow students. His hands were severely injured, but his friends survived. Cab drivers turned their cars into ambulances and delivery trucks. More than 100,000 brave soldiers risked (and some gave) their lives to find every survivor. These are the heroes among us, whether they use an SUV, a shovel or a phone. Their heroic deeds and selflessness inspired me so deeply that I can recall only one other such occasion. It was 9/11---I vividly remember the police officers, the firefighters, and of course the passengers and crew on United Flight 93. As a Chinese American, I hope that the Chinese and the Americans will see that they have so much in common---their compassion, courage, and generosity. I hope that people will see that these heroic commonalities are much stronger than any differences. And I hope that these heroes from 9/11 and 5/12 will inspire all of us to turn our anxiety into courage, our misery into tenacity, and our sorrow into love. The author compares the 5/12 earthquake to 9/11 attacks because _ . Answer: both Americans and Chinese were brave and full of compassion in emergencies
Dear Anna, It is nice to see the photo of your room. Here is a photo of my room. These are my bed and my desk. My clock and some books are on the desk. Sometimes the books are on the bed. I like _ books on the bed. Oh, that is my hat on the bed. It is yellow. My quilt is yellow, too. My schoolbag is on the sofa. It is green. I take it to school every day. Yours, Mona . The letter is from _ . A Anna B Mona C Allan D Emma Answer: B. Mona People who are learning a foreign language should not feel embarrassed because they sometimes use the wrong word. From time to time we all have difficulty even with our own language. If people think that these mistakes are funny, they may laugh; but they do not mean to be rude. The important thing is that they admire people who try to speak their language. Every public speaker knows that mistakes can happen. Even radio announcers will sometimes use the wrong word or call somebody by the wrong name. This happens so often, in fact, that a man in New York is able to make a living by listening to the radio and recording all the mistakes that he hears. Kermit Shafter calls these mistakes "bloopers". In his home, Mr. Shafter has many radios turned to different stations to record every mistake that is made. He puts the funniest ones on records and in books, which have become very popular wherever English is spoken. If Mr. Shafer took his tape recorder into a school where students are learning to speak English, he would very soon have enough bloopers for another book. Mistakes can be fun if we are not easily embarrassed. They also remind us to say something correctly the next time. What does Mr. Shafer do with some of his "bloopers"? A He makes them widely known to English speakers. B He makes them known only to English learners. C He keeps them for himself for fun. D He sells them to radio announcers. Answer: A. He makes them widely known to English speakers. Nearly eight hundred million people in this world cannot read or write,most of them in developing countries.Two-thirds are women and girls. John Wood who started the Room to Read campaign ,has opened1650 schools and 15000 libraries in some of the world's poorest communities .He said that from the beginning,Room to Read's goal was to reach 10 million children around the world in the poorest countries. In 1998,on a three-week vacation journey in Nepal,Wood met a local headmaster who invited him to visit his school in a far mountain village.The experience changed Wood's life. "This headmaster had 450 students at the school,but he didn't have any books," Wood said."He had a library that was empty." Wood promised to fill the library shelves and returned to the village one year later with some of his friends with 3000 books.And that was just the start.Later,Wood used some of his personal money to start Room to Read. He believes that world change begins with educated children.Today,the programme can be found in10 countries across Asia and Africa. Wood believes the key to the program's success is local support.While Room to Read gives away money and provides books,communities offer land and parents help build the school.Agnes,a Room to Read teacher in Zambia who also runs the library,is proud to say the literacy' at her school has improved. Room to Read's biggest challenge is the huge need. Hundreds of communities have asked for literacy prograrnmes.One way of Room to Read's success is that it will achieve Wood's goal of reaching 10 million kids by 2015,five years earlier than it is planned. John Wood is a person that is _ . A helpful and generous B honest and brave C careless but active D strict but friendly Answer: A. helpful and generous Miss Popular I was awkward in middle school: bony and athletic, with a high grade in science and a low one in self-esteem. Though I had a few friends, I wasn't popular. I was picked last in football and I sometimes ate lunch by myself. I remember the day Brittany came to our school. Her teeth were crooked , and she was a little overweight. Not that this mattered though, because she walked around like she was better than all of us. She was outspoken and incredibly frightening, making people lose confidence. Around Brittany, I tried my best to go unnoticed. Standing out or stealing her spotlight could only result in one thing: conflict. Brittany was always the first girl picked for teams; I was lucky if I was picked at all. I was thrown the ball while she stood with the quarterback, chatting about the last party she'd gone to. I had never been to a party before or kissed a boy. One day, a classmate asked me to the school dance. I was flattered. Then Brittany told me during science class that she had persuaded him to invite me. She asked in front of everyone, "Why would anyone even want you?" I went home and cried. Although she was seemingly perfect in everyone's eyes, I wanted to be everything that she wasn't and yet a million times more perfect. Brittany was so frightening and violent, but I wanted to be calm and not at all aggressive. I found Brittany's online profile a few weeks ago. She still had the same chubby face and mocking simile, and had posted half-naked pictures of herself. But as I read on, I realized that Brittany had died in a drunken driving accident a year ago. She had been 16 and pregnant at the time. Suddenly my view of Brittany changed from a bad influence into a struggling little girl whose life was taken before she could understand right from wrong. My experience with Brittany taught me that though we are all innocent in our youth, the choices we make will have great effects on us forever. I will always remember Brittany as that loud, overconfident girl. As part of that shy insecure person I used to be will always keep me modest. According to the passage we can learn that the author _ . A was afraid of Brittany and followed her lead B saw the influence that low self-esteem can have C was determined to be better than Brittany D knew she was quietly different from Brittany Answer: D. knew she was quietly different from Brittany Jamey really wanted a pet dog, so he went to ask his parents. "Mom, Dad, can I we get a dog?" Jamey's mom and dad thought about this, and then answered him. "Having a pet can be a lot of work, Jamey. When you own a dog, you have to feed him, and take him for walks, and clean up after him. You even have to do those things when you would rather be playing or watching TV. If you promise to help take care of him, we'll get a dog." Jamey was very happy to hear this! The next weekend, his mom and dad took him to a big building where puppies and kittens without homes were kept. It was very noisy inside! Jamey looked at a big yellow dog first. "This dog is pretty big, Jamey," his father said. "He might need a bigger yard to run around in than we have." Jamey thought that Dad was right about that. The next dog Jamey looked at was a very small white dog. It barked over and over again as Jamey and his mother looked at it. "This dog is very noisy Jamey. He might need a lot of attention from you. Do you think you want to give this puppy that much attention?" Jamey wasn't sure he could give the little white dog all the time it needed to be happy. Finally Jamey looked at a third dog, a brown dog that was bigger than the white dog, but smaller than the yellow one. The dog came over to Jamey right away and seemed to love to be petted and fussed over. "Do you like the brown dog?" asked Jamey's dad. "Yes!" said Jamey. "Can we get him?" "Will you feed him and walk him every afternoon when you get home from school?" asked Jamey's mom. "I promise," said Jamey. "In that case, I guess we have a dog!" This made Jamey very happy. What did Jamey have to promise his parents so he could get a dog? A Jamey had to promise to only let his mom and dad feed and walk the dog. B Jamey had to promise to pet the dog. C Jamey had to promise to clean up after the dog. D Jamey had to promise to feed and walk the dog. Answer: D. Jamey had to promise to feed and walk the dog.
The New Year is the time to buy a new calendar . Yet it can take a lot of time just to choose the right one. There are lots and lots of choices. There are small ones. Big ones. Calendars sit on a desk. Calendars hang on the wall. Calendars are carried around. In one way all calendars are the same. They all list the same days of the year in exactly the same order. Calendars have become popular gifts because many are filled with beautiful pictures. Some have pictures of famous art works. It is like hanging a different painting on your wall each month. You can even learn from calendars. They often give information about their subject--such as famous writers or American Indians or flower gardens. There are calendars about food and about beautiful places in the world. Calendars about sports and about movies. Funny calendars with popular cartoon characters. For pet lovers, there are calendars with pictures of cats doing unusual things. Three hundred sixty-five of them--one for each day of the year. There are calendars with pictures of cars, too. There are even calendars for children who can draw the pictures themselves. Some people do not just look at their calendars. They use them to write down important things they must remember, like meetings or doctor's appointments. Busy people can buy small calendars to carry around to help them organize and plan their life. Since there are so many choices, you must spend your time choosing your favourite calendars. From the passage we can know that _ . Calendars can help busy people to make a plan for the life. This is a heart-warming story. It tells about a woman who finally decided to ask her boss for a raise in salary . All day she felt nervous. Late in the afternoon she summoned the courage to approach her boss. To her delight, the boss agreed to a raise. She was so delighted. The woman arrived home happily that evening. To her surprise, she found a beautiful table set with their best dishes. Candles were softly glowing. Her husband had come home early and prepared a festive meal. She wondered if someone from the office had told him about it, or... did he just got the news by accident. She found him in the kitchen and told him the good news. They hugged and kissed, then sat down to the wonderful meal. Next to her plate the woman found a beautifully card with some words. It read, "Congratulations, darling! I knew you'd get the raise! These things will tell you how much I love you." Following the supper, her husband went into the kitchen to clean up. She noticed that a second card had fallen from his pocket. She picked it up from the floor, she read, "Don't worry about not getting the raise! You are the best anyway! These things will tell you how much I love you." According to the Nobel Peace Prize, Mother Teresa said, "What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family." ,,. (1,5) What's the best title of this passage? Love without measure. When other nine-year-old kids were playing games, she was working at a petrol station. When other teens were studying or going out, she struggled to find a place to sleep on the street. But she overcame these terrible setbacks to win a highly competitive scholarship and gain entry to Harvard University. And her amazing story has inspired a movie, " Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story " , shown in late April. Liz Murray, a 22-year-old American girl, has been writing a real-life story of willpower and determination. Liz grew up in the shadow of two drug-addicted parents. There was never enough food or warm clothes in the house. Liz was the only member of the family who had a job. Her mother had AIDS and died when Liz was just 15 years old. The effect of that loss became a turning point in her life. Connecting the environment in which she had grown up with how her mother had died, she decided to do something about it. Liz went back to school. She threw herself into her studies, never telling her teachers that she was homeless. At night, she lived on the streets. _ " she wrote in her book Breaking Night. She admitted that she used envy to drive herself on. She used the benefits that come easily to others, such as a safe living environment, to encourage herself that " next to nothing could hold me down " . She finished high school in just two years and won a full scholarship to study at Harvard University . But Liz decided to leave her top university a couple of months earlier this year in order to take care of her father, who has also developed AIDS. " I love my parents so much. They are drug addicts. But I never forget that they love me all the time. " Liz wants moviegoers to come away with the idea that changing your life is " as simple as making a decision " . When she wrote " What drove me to live on...I had only experienced a small part of the society " , she meant that _ . she would do something for her own life The English test will be removed from China's college entrance exam by 2020, according to the Ministry of Education. The national college entrance exam, known as the "Gaokao" has been used to evaluate Chinese students for three decades. The Ministry of Education has worked out a plan for reforming exams and enrollment. Tests will be held several times a year to allow students to choose when and how often they sit the exam so as to reduce study pressure and change China's once-in-a-lifetime exam system. The decision has aroused a heated discussion among Shanghai educators and parents who doubted the reform would reduce the burden of learning English or if the substitute test could reflect a student's English skills and help students learn English better. Cai Jigang, a professor from Fudan University said, "The reform shows China is to give students more test-taking chances. But more chances might become more of a burden since Chinese students are likely to repeat the test until they get the highest score." "In my opinion, the reform doesn't mean English is no longer important for Chinese students after it will be excluded from the unified college entrance exam," said Yu Lizhong, chancellor of New York University Shanghai, "In a way, English is even more important than before since the test would only serve as reference, while every college and university, even every major, canhave different requirements of a student's English skills under a diverse evaluation system." Yu said some students will have their study pressure reduced if the major they choose doesn't need excellent English while others still need to study hard if they want to be among the best students. The education ministry said the reform would not affect students attending the college entrance exam over the next three years. But parents with younger children are concerned. Zhang Hui, the mother of a fourth-grade girl at Pudong Zhuyuan Primary School, said English was her daughter's strength, so canceling the English test would not favor her child. According to the passage, some Shanghai educators and parents argue that _ . the reform may accomplish the very opposite Hi!I'm Lucy. I am a student in Class 5,Grade 7.I have a big schoolbag. It is blue and red. The price is Y=88.1.have a nice pencil box in it. It is Y=10.Its color is white. I bought it in a store. There are four pencils and one pen. Each pencil is Y=1 and the pen is Y=12.My eraser is yellow. The price is Y=2.My ruler is orange and very long. I like them very much. I study very hard. I am in Grade _ . Seven
Li Denghai, with his muddy boots and tanned face, may not look like he is one of China's famous agricultural pioneers. But the 61-year-old man from Shandong Province has made scientific breakthroughs , which made great contributions to China's food security . His main work has been in achieving the higher output of corn production. Li, who holds the world record for the highest output of summer corn, once says, "Corn has a life; it sings and dances. If you listen clearly, it can speak to you." He started his research in 1969 when he was 20 and just dropped out of a high school. He then read an article which pointed that corn output per mu in the USA was six times higher than that in China. He was shocked and set out to work on just a small piece of land _ to see if he could increase the output. He often went to the field with a flashlight late at night, if he had been away during the day. By careful nurturing he managed to double the output. Li Denghai was awarded the "China Award for Significant Contribution to the Maize Industry" in 2005, and the same year the company named after his own name came into the market on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. Li, however, is never happier than when he is in the middle of his cornfields. "I can forget my tiredness when talking to my corns," he says. When Li Denghai began the study of corn, _ . One of the United States' social problems is the breakdown of the two-parent family. Today, millions of American children grow up without fathers. Too often, these children lack the love and help they badly need and which they would ordinarily receive from not one but two parents. In the old days, American parents placed the needs of their children above their own. At present, however, nearly one half of all new marriages end in divorce, with often troubling results for their children. Worse, every year, thousands of teenage, unmarried Americans become mothers outside marriage, with generally terrible results for the mothers and children alike and for American society more generally. However, Chinese continue to value whole marriages. This is not to say that Chinese marriages are all perfect. They certainly are not, judging from increasing rates of divorce and extramarital affairs-but the willingness of Chinese to set aside their own needs and stay together for the sake of the children is admirable and worthy of study. Families, in whatever form they may take, are important to Americans. If one was to ask a group of Americans what is the dearest to them, the majority would say"family".And yet, so many Americans spend much more time at work, that is, beyond the formal forty-hour work week-than they do with their own families. Obviously, the USA is one of the most powerful in the world, owing in large measure to"workaholism" . It seems to me that Chinese generally find a better balance between work and family needs than many Americans do. I don't see the number of workaholics in China that I do in the United States(or American organizations in China).Instead, average Chinese usually head home right after work(in the office or field),have meals together, and spend time with their family members. What's more, Chinese try to make more time for grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins than many Americans; in many cases, multigenerational families live together. Of course, like many facts of Chinese society, this is all changing; increasing numbers of"New Chinese"are working longer hours and spending less time with their families than ever before. Still, while Americans do value their loved ones, I think we have something to learn from the Chinese about finding the proper balance between work and family. What does the author think according to the passage? This room is not big but nice. There's a bed, a desk and some chairs in it. The desk is next to the window. On the desk, there is a book, a glass and some cakes. The bed is next to the desk. There are trousers and a coat on the bed. The trousers are green. They are new. The coat is yellow. It's new, too. Under the bed, there are some shoes and two balls. This is Susan's room. She's a good student. This room is not _ . One day, in an English class, the students are having their lessons. Their teacher, a young woman is very happy. She sings some nice songs with them and then she goes to the blackboard and writes "SMILES" on it. "This is the longest word in English," she says to the class. A girl stands up and says, "It has only six letters. How can it be the longest word in English?"The teacher smiles and says, "Oh, look! There is a mile between the first letter and the last one." Why is the word "SMILES" the longest in English? I grew up in Jamaica Plain, an urban community located on the outskirts of Boston, Massachusetts. In the 1940's it was a wholesome, specific little community. It was my home and I loved it there; back then I thought I would never leave. My best friend Rose and I used to collectively dream about raising a family of our own someday. We had it all planned out to live next door to one another. Our dream remained alive through grade school, high school, and even beyond. Rose was my maid of honor when I got married in 1953 to the love of my life, Dick. Even then she joked that she was just one perfect guy short of being married, thus bringing us closer to our dream. Meanwhile, Dick aspired to be an officer in the Marines and I fully supported his ambitions. I realized that he might be stationed far away from Jamaica Plain, but I told him I would relocate and adjust. The idea of experiencing new places together seemed somewhat romantic to me. So, in 1955, Dick was stationed in Alaska and we relocated. Rose was sad to see me leave, but wished me the best of luck. Rose and I remained in touch for a few years by regular phone call but after a while we lost track of one another. Back in the 1950's it was a lot more difficult to stay in touch with someone over a long distance, especially if you were relocating every few years. There were no email addresses or transferable phone number and directory lookup services were available at best. I thought of her several times over the years. Once in the mid 1960's ,when I was visiting the Greater Boston area, I tried to determine her whereabouts but my search turned up empty-handed. Jamaica Plain had changed drastically in the 10 years I was gone. A pretty obvious shift in income demographics was affecting my old neighborhood. My family had moved out of the area, as did many of the people I used to know. Rose was nowhere to be found. 52 years passed and we never spoke. I've since raised a family of five, all of whom now have families of their own, and Dick passed away a few years ago. Basically, a lifetime has passed. Now here I am at the doorstep to my 80th birthday and I receive a random phone call on an idle Wednesday afternoon. "Hello?" I said. "Hi Natalie, it's Rose," the voice on the other end replied. "It's been so long. I don't know if you remember me, but we used to be best friends in Jamaica Plain when we were kid" she said. We haven't seen each other yet, but we have spent countless hours on the phone catching up on 52 years of our lives. The interesting thing is that even after 52 years of separation our personalities and interests are still extremely similar. We both share a passion for several hobbies that we each picked up independently several years after we lost touch with one another. It almost feels like we are picking up right where we left off, which is really strange considering the circumstances. Her husband passed away a few years ago as well, but she mailed me several photographs of her family that were taken over the years. It's so crazy, just looking at the photos and listening to her describe her family reminds me of my own; a reasonably large, healthy family. Part of me feels like we led fairly similar lives. I don't think the numerous similarities between our two lives are a coincidence either. I think it shows that we didn't just call each other best friend we truly were best friend and even now we can be best friends again. Real friends have two things in common: a compatible personality and a strong-willed character. The compatible personality is what initiates the connection between two people and a strong-willed character at both ends is what maintains the connection. If those two ingredients are present in a friendship, the friendship is for real, and can thus sustain the tests of time and prolonged absence without faltering. What was the dream of the writer and Rose when young except that _ ?
In an experiment, a scientist named Pavlov rang a bell before he fed his dogs, which made the dogs drool. Soon the dogs would drool when they heard the bell, even if they did not receive any food. What type of response did the dogs exhibit? Answer: a learned behavior When Jane put out the idea of homeschooling to her parents, the first reaction they gave was, "You are cutting the child off the world.'' "Did the child really get cut off or did the child socialize better?" The moment we hear of homeschooling, we think the child will have no opportunities to interact with peers. However, in my friend's opinion, we forget that when attending a regular school, the child is not into socializing all the while. The child is restricted to so many other activities. Studies take a major role in a child's life. The child hardly has the time to interact at school. The child might be meeting and studying along with many peers; however, how many kids interact with all the kids in a class? But in homeschooling system, as my friend mentioned, the kid has all the time and can plan his day accordingly. During the day the child studies just like other school-going kids but with no burden of homework and project work, the child has so much free time in the evening as to effectively interact and play with peers. The quality time the child spends in education is really impressive. Homeschooled kids have the opportunity to socialize more often as they have a lot of time in their hands. They can also make socializing a regular habit. Just as my friend said, her child goes to a neighboring park almost every day and has a set of friends who go there daily. Other children get back home to finish off homework and project work whereas her child who is already through with studies gets the opportunity to spend time with family members. When I heard this, I really felt how lucky the child was. Definitely the child had a better opportunity to socialize when compared with my kid. However, I might not consider homeschooling for my kid, as I am so used to the conventional schooling system and feel regular schooling the safest bet. How does the passage mainly develop? Answer: By making comparisons. Long long ago a man went to India and he had never been there before. When he got there, he saw a lot of fruit, but much of it was expensive because they couldn't grow much because there was little water. Finally he saw a big basket of some very red and long fruit. And it was the cheapest in the shop. So he went up and asked, "How much each kilo?"and the shop keeper said, "Two rupees . "Two rupees in India was nothing. So he bought a whole kilogram of the fruit and started eating it. But after he ate some of it:oh, my god!His eyes watered, his mouth watered and burnt, and his face became red. He jumped up and down, saying, "Ah!Ah!Ah!" But he still continued to eat the fruit!Some people who were looking at him shook their heads and said, "You're crazy, man. Those are chilies !You can't eat so many!People use them as a _ , but only a little bit to put into food for taste. You can't just eat them like that. "But the silly man said, "No, I can't stop!I paid money for them, and now I'll eat them up. It's my money!" And you think that man was silly, right?We sometimes do a lot of things like that. We spend money, time or effort doing something. And even though it's been a long time, hard experience tells us it won't work, and we know there's no more hope, we still continue just because we've put money, time, effort and love in to it. Just like the man who ate the chilies and felt so bad but couldn't stop because he didn't want to waste the money he'd paid. So even if you've lost something, let it go and move on. That's better than continuing to lose. From the passage, we can learn that _ . Answer: letting something go is better than keeping on losing School violence is in the headlines again after recent shootings at schools in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Colorado. After hearing the news, it's natural for students -- no matter how old they are or where they go to school -- to worry about whether this type of incident may someday happen to them. So how safe are schools? It's actually safer to be in a school than in a car. Twice as many 15-to-19-year-olds die in car accidents than in shootings (and that's all shootings, not just the ones that happen in schools). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, less than 1% of all homicides among school-age children happen on school grounds or on the way to and from school. So the vast majority of students will never experience violence at school. However, some schools have re-evaluated their safety needs in response to the concerns of families and communities. Some now require that guests check in at the office or have more guards on duty. Some schools have fixed metal detectors. Another thing that helps make schools safer is greater awareness of problems like bullying and discrimination. Many schools have practiced programs to fight these problems and to help teachers and administrators know more about protecting students from this type of violence. The cause of school violence isn't easy to understand. There is no single reason why students become violent. Some are just copying behavior they've seen at home, in the streets, or in video games, movies, or television. There's one thing experts do agree on, though: Having access to guns or other weapons makes it easier for some people to lash out against the things or people they don't like. After schools have re-evaluated their safety needs, _ . Answer: teachers will pay more attention to shootings Each year on the first Saturday in March, a group of middle-aged men and a few women gather at sunrise on a beach near prefix = st1 /St. Petersburg,Fla.Above the high-water line are more than 50 small boats. At exactly 7 a.m., Steve Isaac stands at the water's edge with his arm raised and yells: "Go!" Most of the boats are part of the Everglades Challenge. They head for a finish line many days and 300 miles to the south, at Key Largo. But this Saturday, for the first time, 10 of the brave mariners--including a journalist, whose progress will be available online--will compete in the world's toughest small boat race, called the Ultimate Florida Challenge. Instead of finishing at Key Largo, the 10 boaters will continue around the state, heading north past Miami, the Kennedy Space Center, and Jacksonville, then down the Suwannee River, eventually passing most of Florida before arriving back at the beach near St. Petersburg. It will be 1,200 miles of head winds and burning sun. But it will also take the challengers through some of the most impressive scenery in North America. The rules are no-nonsense: First one back to the beach wins. The voyage must be completed within a month. Human power or sails, only. No motors. No rides in cars or tows from power boats. No help from family or friends. And at least once a day, participants are required to acknowledge by cell phone or radio that they are still alive. The race will be a replay of the tale of the tortoise and the rabbit. The trick, if there is one, is to be a tortoise and just keep moving forward. But the one-month deadline means that being too much of a tortoise may result in failure. So challengers have to be a little bit of a rabbit, as well. Which can be the best title for the passage? Answer: Around the coast in 30 days
Question: Scales A. measure how much belly fat the user has B. measure height of the user C. help users know if they need to drop some lbs. D. help users determine their blood sugar levels Answer: C Question: James got up at five to seven. His parents and his little twin sisters went traveling in France and he had to look after himself at home. He opened the fridge, but he found only two hamburgers in it. He decided to have breakfast in the restaurant at the other side of the street. He sat at a table and the waiter came up and said, "Can I take your order , James?" "But you don't show your menu to me, Mr. Hunt," said the boy. "Oh, sorry! I forget it. Here it is." James looked at the menu carefully. It was: Bread $1.30 Sandwich $1.80 Hamburger $2.40 Pizza $2.40Egg $0.30 Milk $0.50 Coffee $0.70 Coke $0.30 James brought out his wallet and found there was only 6.50 dollars in it. "Well," said Mr. Hunt. "What about a hamburger, a pizza, two eggs and a glass of coke?" "Oh, no," said the boy. "I'll buy a picture-book this afternoon. It's 1.50 dollars." "I see," said the waiter. And then he brought the boy a nice breakfast. James hoped to pay _ dollars for his breakfast. A. 5.00 B. 1.50 C. 6.50 D. 3.50 Answer: A Question: When Mark first arrived in Thailand, he saw an old man selling something cheap in the street of Chiang Mai. The old man was one of the poor people in Chiang Mai and there was no difference from beggars . Most of them were some lonely old people. Their life had no support. Mark was a kind man, so he gave some changes to him without thinking. The old man told him to pick something he liked. Mark didn't choose anything and left. But the old man followed him closely. AT first, Mark didn't think a lot, just supposing he wanted to go home. But when he went out very far saw the old man still following him, he was a bit tired, thinking the old man must feel he was kind and wanted to beg more money from him. Mark turned back and told him not to follow him because he hadn't much money. But the old man seemed not to understand what he meant, still following him. The bag on his back made him sweat all over. Mark happened to meet his Thai colleague in the street and his colleague heard this. The colleague turned to ask why the old man was following his friend. The old man said out of breath, "My son, you gave me money, but didn't want my things, so I have to give you something. I see you are a foreigner, likely not to familiar with here. I just want to follow you and show you the way. All I can do for you is this." Mark was shocked. He said he didn't know why, when he felt the old man was just like his father. The old man followed Mark closely _ . A. because he wanted to go back home B. because he wanted to sell more things to Mark C. because he wanted to beg more money D. because he wanted to show Mark the way Answer: D Question: A reader from Brazil recently wrote to us asking for some advice. He's planning a trip to the United States, and wanted to know about the best places to travel in America. Today, we are going to give you some information which may help you when choosing your destination. Each of the 50 states in America has interesting things to offer visitors, but some are more popular than others. Washington, D.C. is famous for its historical places, like the White House and the Lincoln Memorial. Visitors to Los Angeles, California can see the Hollywood Walk of Fame or shop the stores on Rodeo Drive where they may see a star or two. The Grand Canyon in Arizona appeals to hikers, climbers and nature lovers, as does Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. TripAdvisor is a website where people can write reviews about their travel experiences. Every year, TripAdvisor makes a list of the top 25 cities to visit in the United States. The results are based on the opinions of visitors to the website. Brooke Ferencsik of TripAdvisor said the top picks on the list were not surprising. And it's no secret why New York City was named the number one destination. New York City is sometimes called "the city that never sleeps" because it can be very busy. It is an exciting place for many people because there is so much to do. But the city might be too busy for travelers looking for rest and calm. They might want something more like Myrtle Beach, in the state of South Carolina, which made it to number 21 on Trip Advisor's list. "A lot of people come to Myrtle Beach for great weather, it's a wonderful family vacation spot, the beaches - got the wonderful Atlantic beaches there - there's a lot of family-friendly parks and water parks." Many people take time off from their jobs in the summer to travel. Because there are many tourists visiting other places, June until August is known as "high season." Traveling during the high season can be crowded. Hotels, restaurants, and transportation might also be very expensive. If you want to save money on a trip, it is a good idea to plan to leave before or after the summer months. These times are known as "shoulder seasons" for travel. "If you're looking for value, try and think about traveling through the shoulder season if it's possible - the shoulder season being the fall or the spring. The weather is still very good in some of these destinations, and you can get better prices." America's major cities are still the most popular destinations for visitors. Ferencsik says this is because of the good quality of services they provide tourists. "They do a great job of giving travelers what they want when they're on vacation. I think they kind of cater to every type of traveler need. So whether you're traveling alone, you're traveling for business, you're traveling with your family - whatever it is, those destinations are really tuned in to delivering amazing experiences and just a lot of different opportunities when you're there." Which of the following is NOT true about Myrtle Beach? A. People can enjoy a wonderful holiday with their family there. B. It's a place where people can have rest and calm. C. It's on the list of the top 25 cities to visit in the United States. D. It's in North Carolina with great weather that attracts tourists. Answer: D Question: Songs that make our hearts soar can make them stronger too, US researchers reported on Tuesday. They found that when people listened to their favorite music, their blood vessels dilated in much the same way as when they are laughing, or taking blood medications. "We have a pretty impressive effect," said Dr Michael Miller, director of preventive cardiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore. "Blood vessel diameter improved," he said. "The vessel opened up pretty significantly. You can see the vessels opening up with other activities such as exercise." A similar effect is seen with drugs such as statins and ACE inhibitors. When blood vessels open up more, blood flows more smoothly and is less likely to form the clots that cause heart attacks and strokes. Elastic vessels also resist the hardening activity of atherosclerosis . "We are not saying to stop your statins or not to exercise but rather to add this to an overall program of heart health," said Miller, who presented his findings to a meeting of the American Heart Association in New Orleans. Miller's team tested 10 healthy, non-smoking men and women, who were told to bring their favorite music. They spent half an hour listening to the recordings and half an hour listening to music they said made them feel anxious while the researchers did ultrasound tests designed to show blood vessel function. Compared to their normal baseline measurements, blood vessel diameter increased 26 percent on average when the volunteers heard their joyful music. Listening to music they disliked - in most cases in this group heavy metal - blood vessels narrowed by six percent, Miller said. Miller said he came up with the idea after discovering the laughter caused blood to literally flow more smoothly." I asked myself what other things make us feel real good, besides calories from dark chocolate of course. Music came to mind. ... It makes me feel real good," he said. Most of the volunteers chose country music but Miller said the style is not so important rather what pleases each individual. What can be the best title for the text? A. Favorite Music Benefits Heart. B. Favorite Music and Medical Science. C. Country Music and Heavy Music. D. Music Choice Affects Life and Work. Answer: A
You are busy with your job but want to make new friends? You miss your old friends and try to find them? Then try a new website --- Facebook. Mark Zuckerberg,a Harvard student,created Facebook only about eight years ago. At first,it was only for Harvard students. Soon it became popular on the Internet. Now over 25 million people around the world use it to keep in touch with their friends. People like Facebook because it makes them feel comfortable. On Facebook,they share joys or sorrows by posting pictures and videos. What's more,they leave messages and give online presents to their friends. Now Facebook,like eBay,is a place to sell things. The best part about Facebook is to help find old friends. For people,the only thing to do is to sign their real names. Then it takes a short time to sign their old friends. So have fun with Facebook if you love to be with friends,old or new. According to the passage,eBay is a website A. for shopping B. for making friends C. for taking pictures D. for listening to music Answer: A. for shopping It all began with a stop at a red light. Kevin Salwen was driving his 14-year-old daughter, Hannah, back from a sleepover in 2006 . While waiting at a traffic light, they saw a black Mercedes Coupe on one side and a homeless man begging for food on the other. "Dad, if that man had a less nice car, that man there could have a meal."Hannah protested. The light changed and they drove on, but Hannah was too young to be reasonable. She pestered her parents about _ insisting that she wanted to do something. "What do you want to do?" her mom responded. "Sell our house?" Warning! _ . Hannah seized upon the idea of selling the luxurious family home and donating half the proceeds to charity, while using the other half to buy a more modest replacement home. Eventually, that's what the family did. The project --crazy, impetuous and utterly inspiring -- is written down in detail in a book by father and daughter scheduled to be published next month: "The Power of Half." It's a book that, frankly, I'd be nervous about leaving around where my own teenage kids might find it. An impressionable child reads this, and the next thing you know your whole family is out on the street. At a time of enormous needs in Haiti and elsewhere, when so many Americans are trying to help Haitians by sending everything from text messages to shoes, the Salwens offer an example of a family that came together to make a difference -- for themselves as much as the people they were trying to help. In a column a week ago, it described neurological evidence from brain scans that unselfishness lights up parts of the brain normally associated with more primary satisfaction. The Salwens' experience confirms the selfish pleasures of selflessness. Mr. Salwen and his wife, Joan, had always assumed that their kids would be better off in a bigger house. But after they downsized, there was much less space to retreat to, so the family members spent more time around each other. A smaller house unexpectedly turned out to be a more family-friendly house. The best title for the passage should be " _ ". A. The Less, the Better B. An Expected Satisfaction C. Something We Can Live Without D. Somewhat Crazy but Inspiring Answer: D. Somewhat Crazy but Inspiring Heavy rains have caused disasters across China this summer, bringing the worst landslides in decades. The most deadly disaster happened on August 8 when a big landslide hit Zhouqu County in Gansu province, killing at least 1,407 people. On August 18, landslides hit Gongshan, a town in northwestern Yunnan. At least 38 people were killed and 54 are missing. Heavy rains also caused landslides in several counties in Sichuan province. People were forced to evacuate to safe places. Landslides and devastation Landslides take place when dirt and rocks slide down a slope together. Sometimes these landslides are small, and hardly noticeable. Other times however, they can be massive, involving the entire side of a mountain. Landslides can be caused by a number of different things. Often rain, which adds weight to the side of a slope, can cause one. Other times they might be caused by erosion .When a stream slowly removes the base of a slope, it weakens the entire side of the mountain. As a slide moves down a mountain slope, it can pick up great speed and energy. Some slides travel at a speed of 300km an hour. The resulting winds can be so powerful that they are known to strip the leaves off surrounding trees. Earthquakes and landslides Some experts think the landslides in Sichuan were related to the magnitude-8.0 Wenchuan earthquake on May 12, 2008. The quake has caused a change in the structure of the Earth's surface, making it more likely that land will slide in the rain, according to geologist Xu Qiang of the Chengdu University of Technology. Landslides pose threats to 140 cities and towns in the country, one quarter of which are in Sichuan, said Wei Fangqiang, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Landslide prevention If you want to avoid being a landslide victim, the easiest thing to do is avoid living on slopes or close to mountains. If you live in a landslide-threatened area, try not to water the slopes if possible. If there are large rocks on the slopes above your house, remove them so that they don't cause damage if they fall. It might also be helpful to plant trees on the slopes. Over time, the tree roots may make the soil firmer. What is the main idea of the article? A. Landslides and their prevention. B. The after-effects of the Wenchuan earthquake. C. The mostly deadly disaster in China. D. How to survive a landslide. Answer: A. Landslides and their prevention. It's not polite to arrive at a dinner party more than 15 to 20 minutes late. The host or hostess usually waits for all the guests to arrive before serving the meal. If someone is late, the food may be spooked , and so might the host of hostess's spirit. If you will have to be late, call and tell them to start without you. It's even worse to be early !the host or hostess will probably not be ready. If you are early, drive or walk around the block a few minutes, or just sit in your car until the right time. Though it's often important to arrive at a party on time, yet on the other hand, for open houses, he host or hostess invites guests to arrive and leave between certain times, so you can arrive at any time within the times he or she gives you. It's nice to bring an empty stomach, but it's even nicer to bring a small present. The present should not cost a lot, or you might embarrass the host or hostess. Flowers, wine, or a box of candy will do fine. Never bring more as a present. In an introduction, the order of a name is (1)the given name, (2)the family name. In other words, the given name comes first. It's important not only to learn and remember names, but to repeat them often in conversation. After the introduction, we usually call friends by their given names. Older people may want you to call them by their titles and family names, such as "Mr.Jones", "Mr.Smith","Ms.Johson",or "Dr.Brown". A maiden name is a woman's family name at birth. In the United States and Canada, after a woman marries, she takes the family name of her husband in place of her maiden name. It is now becoming common, however, for women to keep their maiden names after they get married. Some older people usually want to be called by _ A. their given names B. their titles and their family names C. their family names D. surnames Answer: B. their titles and their family names Just three years since Lady Gaga had her first US number one single, the pop star has claimed the top spot in Forbes magazine's annual Celebrity 100 list. The popular star moved up four positions from last year and has knocked TV chat show host Oprah Winfrey of the top spot. But how has the singer become such a global phenomenon in such a short space of time ? Two experts in music, fashion and social networking give their opinions. George Ergatoudis ----Head of Music Radio1 " The key thing is Lady Gaga realized by using all the current social networking sites, and connecting that with her fashion, she has become an all-round star. Every time she goes out the door she looks different. She's getting photographed, she's aware of that and she's using it by updating her look literally on a daily basis. Another key thing wat that quite early on, her record label was showing how gifted she is as a musician. The music she makes, the songs she writes and the production she has are all brilliant contemporary pop music. She literally is turning into a global superstar." Calum Brannan ---Co-Founder of social Networking support company crowd Control HQ "Social media is a reflection of what we love, so people are becoming very good at sharing exactly what they love and the brands and musicians they love. The fact she has 10 million Twitter followers and 30million Facebook fans is a massive reflection on Lady Gaga and the influence she has. Once out there, Twitter and Facebook help keep that person's profile alive. Her fans are always talking about her and sharing everything she does even when she's not on stage or in concert. I think even if she wasn't on Facebook and Twitter, her fans and followers would put her there anyway. But the most important thing is,she is on there and she's using them." Both George Ergatoudis and Calum Brannan owe Lady Gaga's success to _ . A. hard work B. social media C. her faithful fans D. her music talents Answer: B. social media
Emotional intelligence, or EQ, is the ability to read and understand emotions in ourselves and others. It is said that emotional intelligence makes up 80 percent of one's success. Ever since the 1995 publication of US writer Daniel Goleman's best-seller, Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ, EQ has been seen by leaders and educators as the solution to many social problems. In some Western countries such as the US, emotional intelligence is now taught widely in secondary, business and medical schools. EQ is important. But our enthusiasm for it has hidden a dark side, says a recent article in The Atlantic. Recent research and studies show that as people improve their emotional skills, they become better at manipulating others. When someone knows what others are feeling, they can motivate them to act against their own best interests. Does this remind you of those "managers" at pyramid scheme companies? Hundreds of thousands of otherwise cautious and rational people have been brainwashed by their impassioned speeches and become bankrupt as a result. Social scientists have begun to document this dark side of emotional intelligence. A study by the University of Cambridge found that when a leader gave an inspiring speech filled with emotion, the audience was less likely to look over the message and remembered less of the content. Researchers call this the "awestruck effect" , but it may just as easily be described as the dumbstruck effect, says The Atlantic article. Leaders who master emotions can rob us of our ability to reason. If they have self-serving motives, or their values are out of step with our own, emotional intelligence becomes a weapon of manipulation and the results can be destroyed. Another recent study from Kyoto University shows that people with high interpersonal EQ influence others' emotions based on their own goals. _ According to them, emotional intelligence helps people disguise one set of emotions while expressing another for personal gain. Emotionally intelligent people "intentionally shape their emotions to leave favorable impressions of themselves", Kilduff's team writes in the journal Research in Organizational Behavior. It seems that to better understand the dark side of EQ, we need to look no further than Shakespeare's Macbeth or its modern adaption on TV: House of Cards. What does the passage mainly talk about? Answer: The dark side of EQ. In today's world English is the most wildly used language. It is our duty to learn English in the new situation of the reform and opening to the outside world. How can we master the English language? I'd like to give you some good advice. First, get interested in it. I enjoy listening to foreign friends talking when I was a child. At the same time I watched the English programme Follow Meon TV. From then on, I kept on learning English. The more I learned, the more progress I made. Second, practice makes perfect. Many people study English very hard, but they are very shy to speak it in public, for they are afraid of making mistakes. Remember you have to make a mistake before you can correct it. A native English speaker makes mistakes sometimes, too. Third, the beginners should be encouraged to pay attention to _ The English language has many idioms. For example, you should say "He is as strong as a cow." When learning English, we will _ . Answer: not be afraid of making mistakes Why don't so many Americans accept the theory of evolution? A 2001 Gallup Poll found that 45 percent of Americans agree with the statement "God created the human being pretty much in their present form at one time within the last 10,000 years or so ", while 37 percent preferred a mixed belief that "Human beings have developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life, but God guided this process", and only 12percent accepted the standard scientific theory that "Human being have developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life, but God had no part in this process". There are at least four reasons to make people resistant to accepting evolution. 1. The warfare model of science and religion. The belief that there is a war between science and religion where one is right and the other is wrong, and that one must choose one over the other. 2. The belief that evolution is a threat to specific religious tenets . Many people attempt to use science to prove certain religious tenets, but when they do not appear to fit, the science is rejected. 3. Misunderstanding of evolutionary theory. A significant problem is that most people know so little about the theory. In the 2001 Gallup Poll, for example, a quarter of the people surveyed said they didn't know enough to say whether they accepted evolution or not, and only 34 percent considered themselves to be "very informed " about the theory. 4. The fear that evolution degrades our humanity. Darwin revealed us to be "mere animals", subject to the same natural laws and historical forces as all other animals. Believers should embrace science, especially evolutionary theory, for what it has done to uncover the magnificence of the divinity in a depth never dreamed by our ancient ancestors. We have learned a lot in 4,000 years, and that knowledge should never be denied. Instead, science should be welcomed by all who cherish human understanding and wisdom. What is the writer's view on the evolutionary theory? Answer: It is science and should be accepted. Angelina Jolie is an American actress. She has received an Academy Award and three Golden Globe Awards. Jolie is keen on charity, and is noted for her work with refugees as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). She has been recognized as one of the world's most attractive people, as well as the world's "sexiest" and "most beautiful" woman. Born in Los Angels, California, Jolie is the daughter of actors Jon Voight and Marcheline Bertrand. After her parents' separation in 1976, Jolie and her brother were raised by their mother, who abandoned her acting ambitions and moved with them to Palisades, New York. As a child, Jolie regularly saw movies with her mother and later explained that this has inspired her interest in acting. Jolie achieved wider fame after her performance of video games heroine Lara Croft in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, and since then she has established herself as one of the best-known and highest-paid actress in Hollywood. Jolie has had her biggest commercial successes with the action-comedy Mr.&Mrs.Smith. After divorcing her second ex-husband, Jolie lives with actor Brad Pitt, in a relationship that has attracted world-wide media attention. Jolie and Pitt have three adopted children, Maddox, Pax, and Zahara, and three biological children, Shiloh, Knox, and Vivienne.ks#5u It's reported recently that Jolie and Brad Pitt have finally decided to legally become husband and wife, and the wedding ceremony will take place in September in their France castle. The couple will leave Hollywood, choosing to _ to southern France. They will also leave the U.S. to move to Europe. It seems that Jolie and Pitt will do this for their six children, who greatly desire this. Which of the following can'tbe used to describe Jolie according to this passage? Answer: Jolie is the richest actress in Hollywood. This site contains 100 original short stories about life in America. These stories are written for ESL(English as a second language ) learners who are, at least, high beginners. We want to help ESL students learn English as quickly and effortlessly as possible. Learning should be interesting, not boring. We hope that learners will find that these stories are of some help to improve their English. The stories have interesting topics and are easy to understand. Each story comes with an audio narrative so that learners can listen as they read. The audio requires downloading the free Real Player. Each story contains a search for pictures, definitions, and pronunciation." Following each story are four sets of exercises, and each containing 10 items. Exercise A is "Yes / No Questions". The learner is asked questions like, "Does Sara have children?" The learner can then type in, "Yes, she does." Then the learner can check whether it's the right answer or not. Exercise B is "Wh-Questions". The learner is asked questions like, "Where does Sara live?" The learner can then type in, "She lives in Pasadena." Then the learner can check his answer. Exercise C is "Ask Questions". The learner is given an answer like, "They have two children." The learner must then type in a question like, "How many children do they have?"The learner can then check to see whether he is correct or not. Exercise D is "Dictation". The learner listens to a sentence. Most of the sentences duplicate the sentences in the stories. The learner types the dictation and then checks to see whether he is correct or not. Work on the site is in progress. Help us make it better as the years go by. We welcome all comments, suggestions, complaints, new ideas, and questions. Click here to send us emails. If you want to improve your listening ability, you may mainly do some practice in _ . Answer: Exercise D
Even if trees cannot walk, they are still on the move. In parts of the Arctic, entire forests are moving northward. Across the Arctic, temperatures are rising faster than anywhere else in the world. As that happens, the tree line that marks where forests stop and the treeless tundra starts has been shifting northward. Trees growing along the tree line must protect themselves from the cold wind. To do _ , plants tend to grow horizontal branches low to the ground. The energy it takes for trees to grow this way means they don't have enough energy to make seeds. But as Earth's climate has been warming, trees no longer have to just grow horizontally. Many can instead grow up toward the sky. This takes less energy. And with all the leftover energy. these trees have started producing more seeds. This happens especially in places where the white spruce grows. White spruce, which is a North American tree, is quite able to produce a lot of seeds, which can move long distances in the wind. When wind-blown seeds end up on the tundra beyond the tree line, they eventually can sprout new trees. This explains how a forest can move. Of course, the process would work only if the tundra were warm enough. But in recent years, the whole planet has been warming. New trees will provide shelters for some snow, keeping the sun's rays from making the white surface disappear. Instead, the trees absorb the sun's heat. This warms the surrounding air. The extra warmth encourages even more trees to produce seeds. That further boosts a forest's ability to expand. In addition, more trees will trap more snow, preventing much of it from being blown away. Snow can trap heat in the soil below,which encourages trees to grow. The recent rise of temperature has helped more trees grow. The recent rise of temperatures has helped more trees grow past the tree line. People worry about impacts on the animals that depend on frozen conditions for food and shelter. What is the main cause of the trees in the Arctic moving northward? A The rising temperature. B The shrinking of northern tundra. C The fierce and cold wind. D The abundant resources in the north. Answer: A. The rising temperature. One day, in an English class, the students are having their lessons. Their teacher, a young woman is very happy. She sings some nice songs with them and then she goes to the blackboard and writes "SMILES" on it. "This is the longest word in English," she says to the class. A girl stands up and says, "It has only six letters. How can it be the longest word in English?"The teacher smiles and says, "Oh, look! There is a mile between the first letter and the last one." One day, the students are having _ . A a good time B a big meal C a long meeting D an English lesson Answer: D. an English lesson Everybody has a home. We people have homes,animals have homes,too. Some animals live under the ground. The woodchuck lives in holes under the ground. His home has two doors. If anybody comes in one door, he goes out from the other door. Some birds live in nests and trees. They come out for food in the day and go back to sleep at night. But many birds just live in the trees. Bees work hard to make their homes. There are many,many little rooms in their house... Cows ,sheep and chicks live in people's homes. And that is called farm. We see all kinds of animals in the zoo. It's a big home for lots of animals. _ have homes. A Everybody B Woodchucks and bees C Bees and birds D People and animals Answer: D. People and animals It's no secret that doing good makes others happy - but did you know it can make you happy as well? According to a study, people participating in meaningful activities were happier and felt that their lives had more purpose than people who only engaged in pleasure-seeking behaviors. Try giving these four things to others to start your journey to a happier and healthier lifestyle. 1. Your Time With a busy life, it can be hard to find any time to give away. However, volunteering your time has great benefits, including making new friends and connections, learning new skills and even advancing your career. According to a paper about the link between health and volunteering, volunteering is connected with lower instances of depression and reduces the risk of dying by 22 percent. 2. Your Attention Most of us think we're good listeners, but according to psychologist Paul Donoghue, most people are aware that others don't listen as well as they could. In addition, they're not fully aware that they themselves aren't listening. When practicing mindfulness meditation , you focus on what you experience in the moment and let your thoughts and emotions pass through without judgment. Did you know that giving someone your undivided attention helps you also? When done well, active listening strengthens your focus-which is a major part of good meditation. 3. Your Compassion The psychological meaning of compassion is the ability to understand another person's emotional state. Compassion differs from empathy in that those who experience compassion not only put themselves in another person's shoes, but also want to reduce that person's suffering. A brain-imaging study showed that the brain's pleasure centers are equally active when we give money to the poor as when we receive money ourselves. 4. Your Money According to an experiment, those who spend money on other people are significantly happier than those who spend the same quantity of money on themselves. Whether or not you can offer other gifts, donating money helps make real change happen. It represents time spent, compassion and careful attention to the needs of others. Which of the four gifts matters most according to the author? A Time. B Money. C Attention. D Compassion. Answer: B. Money. Dear Editor: While a new school term is about to begin, perhaps we should reconsider the matter of examinations. In July, two writers(letters to the editor) praised the cancellation of exams because they believe "Tests don't tell the whole story". As a teacher who has worked in four countries, I have had the experience that a student who earns good marks is generally a good student, and a student's final mark in a subject is usually a grade average of the year's work. Of course there are expectations, but they do not have the frequency that would give an unfair picture of a student's ability. The simple fact is that proper class work; diligent exam studies and good marks are almost certain indicators of a student's future performance. The opposite is, almost certainly, incompetence. There is no acceptable substitute for competition of quality. How can teachers and future officials determine what a student has learned and remembered? Should we simply take the student's mark for it? Any institution that "liberates" students from fair and formal exams is misguided, if not ignorant and surely the "graduates " of such institutions will lack trustworthiness , not to mention being rejected by foreign universities for graduate or other studies. When all is said and done, I sense that a fear of failure and a fear of unpleasant comparison with others are at the bottom of most ban-exam talks. Excellence and quality fear nothing. On the contrary, they seek competition and desire the satisfaction of being the best. If a student graduated from a university which does not require exams, he would _ . A have to continue his studies B not be admitted by foreign institutions C be incompetent D have a feeling of failure Answer: B. not be admitted by foreign institutions
Most people like buying things by touching them on a store shelf. Many people begin to feel some goods as theirs when they touch them. They have "mine, mine, mine" feeling as little as 30 seconds after touching an object . In a study, some people were shown a cheap coffee cup, and were allowed to hold it for 10 seconds or 30 seconds. They were then allowed to buy it in either a closed or an open place. The people knew the real price of the cup before they began to buy. If people hold the cup for a longer time, he will pay more for it. In fact, people hold the cup for 30 seconds pay more than the others. "The amazing part of this study is that people can become almost attached to something like a cup." said James Wolf,"By touching the cup and holding it in their hands, they begin to feel the cup is theirs. Once they begin to feel it as theirs, they are willing to keep it." Many businessmen use this way to sell their things. For example, car sellers send the buyers out on test drives and pet shop owners encourage people to play with the dogs in the window. When you are testing out new cars, you are going to buy it at once. But you can do better if you get ready for it. The _ people hold the cup, the more they will pay for it. A longer B shorter C more D less Answer: A. longer Charlie Boswell has always been a great hero. He has encouraged thousands of people to rise above circumstances and live out true meaning of life. He was blinded during World War II while rescuing his friend from a tank that was under fire. He was a great athlete before the accident. In order to prove his talent and determination, he decided to try a brand new sport, a sport he never imagined playing, even with his eyesight--golf ! Through determination and a deep love for the game he became the National Blind Golf Champion! He won that honor 13 times. One of his heroes was the great golfer Ben Hogan, so it truly was an honor for Charlie to win the Ben Hogan Award in 1958. Upon meeting Ben Hogan, Charlie was respectful and stated that he had one wish and it was to have one round of golf with the great Ben Hogan. Mr. Hogan agreed that playing a round together would be an honor for him as well, as he had heard about all of Charlie's accomplishments and truly admired his skills. "Would you like to play for money, Mr. Hogan?" asked out Charlie "I can't play you for money, it wouldn't be fair!" said Mr. Hogan. "Aw, come on Mr. Hogan...$ 1,000 per hole!" "I can't, what would people think of me, taking advantage of you and your circumstance?" replied the sighted golfer. "Chicken, Mr. Hogan?" "Okay," replied the embarrassed Hogan, "but I am going to play my best!" "I wouldn't expect anything else," said the confident Boswell. "Now that you're on, Mr. Boswell, you name the time and the place!" The very _ Boswell responded, "10 o'clock ... tonight!" What would be the result of the match? A Charlie won. B Hogan won. C Neither of them won. D Not mentioned. Answer: A. Charlie won. It had been a long time since I had been to Jacksonville, Florida. I had driven to town hoping to see the old barber shop where my hair had been cut as a child. I parked my truck and decided to try and locate a telephone to see if the Florida Barber College had moved to a new location. After walking about a block I saw an open shoe store. I walked inside and asked if I could use their telephone book. Unable to find a listing for the Barber College, I picked out the number of a local beauty salon, hoping they might tell me if the barber college was still in business. The number was busy, so I decided to wait and try again in a few minutes. As the salesman and I stood talking the front door opened and a young man about twenty came into the store pushing himself in a wheelchair. "I need a new pair of shoes," said the customer. As he turned the corner, there was a blanket across his lap. I was shocked to see that the young man had no legs. "A gift for a friend?" I asked the boy. "No," he replied. They are for me," he continued, with a smile on his face. I just smiled back and watched to see what would happen next. "What type of shoe would you like?" asked the clerk. "How about a pair of cowboy boots?" The man pointed to the back wall where three or four pairs of boots were displayed. The salesman, sharply turning, headed off to the backroom. "Isn't this fun?" the boy asked me. I moved my hand to let him know that I did not understand his question. "When I was a kid, my parents used to buy me a new pair of shoes every year. That was such a wonderful feeling. Something I have never forgotten. The smell of the leather and the pride I felt when I walked around the store showing off my new shoes." The salesman came walking down the aisle with a large box. He sat it down on the floor, took out one boot and handed it to the young man. The boy closed his eyes. He placed the boot against his nose, and drew in a large breath. I did not know what to say as tears began to fall on the young man's cheeks. "What type of accident did you have?" I asked him. "Farm accident," he said, as he tried to clear his voice. "Do you want the cowboy boots?" the salesman asked him. "Oh, yes!" he answered. "I see buying a new pair of shoes still gives you that good feeling you talked about," I told the young man, as I smiled. "Yes it does." he said "And I may have someone, and his feet to share it with some day." How did the author feel when he saw a young man without legs buying a pair of shoes? A Unexpected. B Proud. C Sympathetic. D Superior. Answer: A. Unexpected. I am sure we've all come across inspiring quotes that made us nod in agreement or made us think, "Wow, that's good quote".But we end up going back to procrastinating on whatever it was we were procrastinating on.So are these inspirational quotes even worth reading? Well, that depends. Quotes, books, articles, audio programs... all of these things are just tools and they're only effective when you use them.I don't know about you but most quotes I read don't do anything for me.However, every now and then, I will come across one that will positively affect me in some way such as reminding me to be grateful, getting me to work out extra hard at the gym without being pressed by my wife, or never give up when things get tough. From my experience, reading quotes is more effective when you're actually trying to motivate yourself rather than just reading them for the sake of reading them.The second you feel the urge to take action, you'd better immediately get up off your chair and take action. These quotes aren't for everyone.If you have read tons of them and have never been motivated or had a positive change in the way you look at life or how you treat others, or these quotes don't help you to insist on doing something when you feel like giving up on it, then it's probably not worth your time reading more of them.If you have done something a bunch of times and it's not giving you the results you want, don't keep doing it.Try something else. Now if you've found some value in reading these quotes in the past, continue to make them more effective by letting them guide your life. I'll end this text with one of my favorite quotes, which reminds me to constantly examine my habits."We are what we repeatedly do.Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit."---- Aristotle What attitude does the author have towards most quotes he has read? A Negative B grateful C Doubtful D Interested Answer: A. Negative Over the years I've been teaching kids about a simple but powerful spirit--the ant philosophy. I think we should study ants. Ants have an amazing four-part philosophy, and here is the first part:they never _ . That's a good philosophy. If they're heading somewhere and you try to stop them,they'll look for another way. They'll climb over, and they'll climb around. They keep looking for another way. What a neat philosophy, to never quit looking for a way to get where they're supposed to go! Second,ants think about winter all summer. That's an important perspective(,). You can' t be so naive as to think summer will last forever. So ants are gathering their winter food in summer. An ancient story says, "Don't build your house on the sand in summer. "There is some reason in what it says. It is important to think ahead. In summer, you've to think about the storm. You've got to think about freezing while you are enjoying the sand and the sun. The third part of the ant philosophy is that ants think about summer all winter. That is also important. During the winter, ants remind themselves,"This won't last long;we'll soon be out of here. "And on the first warm day,the ants are out. If it turns cold again,they'll go back,but then they come out again if it is warm. They can't wait to get out. And here is the last part of the ant philosophy. How much will an ant gather during the summer to prepare for the winter? All that it possibly can. What an incredible philosophy, the "all-that-you-possibly-can" philosophy! What a great philosophy to have--the ant philosophy! Never give up,look ahead,stay active and do all you can. Which of the following shows the "all-that-you-possibly-can" philosophy? A We should try our best to do what we can. B One should think of what will happen in the future. C One should get more pay for what he has done. D We should spend more time doing our work. Answer: A. We should try our best to do what we can.
Greek Roman Festival Friday, April 28th You can join one group. As a member of the group, you will take part in at least ONE of the following activities. 1Compete in an Olympic event. Remember there is only small space for each event, so don't be late. Hercules Throw. Throw a football through a hoop 20 feet away. Three Headed Race Three people line up with touching legs tied. Then they run 100 metres in the playground. Toga Barrow Race This is like a wheelbarrow race. (Runners take hold of partners feet while partners walk on hands.) 2Make Greek or Roman food. Mrs Jones has a list of recipes from ancient Greece and Rome. You may make American food, but be sure to give it a special, mythological name. For example, call your chocolate cake "Zeus's Delight." This is a great way to practice your skills in the kitchen. 3Create a work of art for the museum. Be sure your artwork shows ancient Greek or Roman culture. Artworks may include sculptures, paintings, mosaics, drawings or models. The museum is a great place to show off your artistic talent. 4Perform a new short performance, song or dance for the talent show. Rewrite your favorite Greek myth by using modern language, or change the words of a popular song to tell a Greek or Roman story. Send your creative ideas to your English teacher for agreement. You must first perform for a group of teachers. The teachers choose the BEST performance groups for the talent show, so be sure your group has prepared for it. This timetable will help groups know when each event will take place and where to go. Group Number1:00-1:251:30-1:552:00-2:252:30-3:30IOlympics/ Playground Museum/Library Food Court/ Dining Hall IIFood Court/ Dining Hall Olympics/ Playground Museum/Library IIIMuseum/Library Food Court/ Dining Hall Olympics/ Playground Talent Show/ School Theatre For what purpose is the festival most probably held? A. To improve students artistic talent. B. To make students more physically strong. C. To make students more creative in making foods or performing. D. To help students learn about ancient Greek and Roman cultures. Answer: D The Lego Group had a very low beginning in the workshop of Ole Kirk Christiansen,a carpenter from Denmark.Christiansen began creating wooden toys in 1932.Two years later, he came upon the Lego name by putting together the first two letters of the Danish words Leg and Godt,which mean "play well."The name could be interpreted as "I put together" in Latin;it is also similar to the Greek verb meaning "gather" or "pick up". In 1947,the company enlarged to making plastic toys.At first,the use of plastic for toy production was not highly regarded by salesmen and consumers of the time.Many of the Lego Group's shipments were returned,following poor sales.However, Christiansen's son,Godtfred Kirk Christiansen,saw the great potential in Lego bricks to become a system for creative play-As the junior managing director of the Lego Group,he spent years trying to improve the "locking" ability of the bricks and made the bricks more versatile .In 1958, the modem interlocking brick design was finally developed and patented . Today Lego is sold in more than 1 30 countries.Every minute 33,824 Lego bricks are made,and kids around the world spend 5 billion hours a year playing with Lego.There will be more than 400 million people playing with Lego bricks this year.On average,every person in the world owns 62 Lego bricks,and about seven Lego sets are sold every second. This year Lego fans all over the world are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the tiny building blocks.Though already 50 years old,Lego is still the same product it was in the 1950s. Bricks bought then are still compatible with present bricks and that is probably the reason the toy has never fallen out of favor. Which of the following is true in describing the popularity of Lego? A. More than 5 billion people in the world own Lego sets. B. Children spend an average of 62 dollars on Lego bricks each year. C. People in the world spend 400 million hours playing with Lego every year. D. The Lego Group now produces more than 30 thousand toy bricks every minute. Answer: D Last year more than 13 Korean TV series were introduced in China. Turn on the TV, and Korean beauties are appearing during peak viewing times . Some of the dramas are being _ , but audiences continue to watch them. Why are the South Korean TV series loved by so many Chinese people? Cheng Yiting, a student from East China Normal University, gives us her reasons. She thinks that the good-looking actors with cool clothes and the beautiful sight in the dramas are the selling points for South Korean TV dramas. But what attracted the young audiences most is the pure and moving love stories. And it seems that South Korean TV series has also won the hearts of middle-aged people. They are touched by the morals in the shows. These include the importance of respecting elders and social order. Though some people think South Korean TV series are too slow and too long, most of the Chinese audiences like them. Maybe we are really tired of Western TV series. Compared with that, South Korean TV series are not bad. What does the writer want to tell us? A. We are fed up with South Korean TV series. B. South Korean TV series is a great success and popular in China. C. South Korean TV series are better than Chinese TV series. D. We can learn a lot from Korean TV series so we need to watch them again and again. Answer: B Bears are found in Asia, Africa and America. They are very strong, with short tails and thick legs. Bears eat almost everything. They seem to enjoy meat, vegetables, fruit, milk and rice. Bears are not quite dangerous as people imagine them to be. Like most animals, they will try to stay away from human beings. However, bears are not weak animals. Sometimes they kill hunters, for they can be very dangerous. Bears have a good sense of smell but they have poor eyesight. They are also hard of hearing but they are very clever. They feed mainly on roots, frogs, fish and also small insects. They will sometimes kill deer and other large animals, but they seem to like small animals better. In the cold area, bears hibernate, or go to sleep from October to April. Before they start to hibernate, they eat a lot and store fat. The mother bear has its babies, usually two, towards the end of hibernation. A large bear is much cleverer than a cat and most other animals. You may notice at the zoo how cleverly they ask for food. They sit up and hold out their paws. You would have to teach a dog such a trick but the bears learn this by themselves. Which of the following not true? A. Bears never kill large animals. B. Bears are found in many places. C. Bears have to hibernate in the winter. D. Bears didn't need to be taught to ask for food Answer: A What will be more available in an area when rainfall increases? A. air B. fire C. H2O D. dirt Answer: C
The old lady got up early to be ready for the post.Although she seldom received letters or parcels,today she was sure there would be something.Myra wouldn't forget her mother's birthday, even if she seldom wrote at other times.Of course Myra was busy.Her husband had been made Mayor, and Myra herself had got a medal for her work for the aged. The old lady was eighty today.She had put on her best dress.Perhaps Myra might come.The old lady was sure of that.Two spots of color brightened her cheeks.She was excited--like a child.She would enjoy her day. Mrs. Morrison,a social worker,had brought a card and a bunch of flowers when she came to do the breakfast.Mrs. Grant downstairs had made a cake.The little boy from the ground floor,Johnnie,had been up with a packet of candies,and offered to help her fetch the post. "I guess you'll get lots and lots of presents,"he said,I did last week when l was six." What would she like ? A pair of slippers,a table lamp,a book or a little clock.So many lovely things. She stood by the window,watching.The postman turned round the corner on his bicycle.Her heart beat fast.Johnnie had seen him too and ran to the gate.And then he gave her four envelopes.Three were unsealed cards from old friends.The fourth was sealed,in Myra's writing. "No parcel,Johnnie?" "No,granny." Maybe the parcel was too large to come by letter post.That was _ .It would come later by parcel post.She must be patient. But disappointment flooded her.She tore the envelope open unwillingly.A cheque fell to the floor like a bird with a broken, wing.Slowly the old lady bent to pick it up.With trembling fingers she tore it into little bits. How is the passage organized? Answer: In order of time. I went to bed at 11pm, it was snowing. I slept deep and my clock didn't work. It was so cold that I didn't want to get up again. I called my mother "Mom, my alarm clock is dead, but tomorrow morning I need to get up at six o'clock to catch an early bus . Can you give me a wakeup call?" My mother's voice was a little dull, "Fine, dear." Phone rings pulled me out of my dreams. Mom said from the other end of the line,"It is time to get up, and you need to catch the early bus." I looked at my watch-5:40."Didn't I ask you to wake me up at SIX?" I complained."Let me have some more sleep, please!" I got up and ready for the trip. It was a dark, cold morning, and everywhere was filled with snow. As I reached the bus stop, I found a white-haired couple had already been waiting. "You see, you didn't sleep at all night and got here so early," the man murmured( ) to his wife. The bus finally came. The driver was a very young man. He waited just long enough for me to get on before he started the bus again. "Please wait," I said to the driver. "There are two older people that need to get on, too. It is so cold, and they have waited for a long time. How could you leave them behind?" Without stopping the bus, the young driver said"That's OK, they are my parents. This is my first day on the job, so they came to make sure I was all right." I couldn't hold back my tears. My mobile phone rang, incoming was my father's message, "Sweetie, your mom is not feeling well, she was awake most of the night so that she wouldn't miss your wakeup call." The wakeup call, the older couple, the young driver...reminded me of a Jewish proverb: "When a father gives something to his son, the son smiles; when a son gives something to his father, the father cries." Why did the writer need to get up at six a.m. the next morning? Answer: Because he needed to catch the early bus. For three days Mr Bunter did not say a word. He looked at people sensibly enough but seemed unable to hear any questions put to him. An officer remarked to the captain, "Those brass plates on the steps of the bridge-ladder are very dangerous things. " "Are they?" replied Captain Johns, "It takes more than a brass plate to make an able-bodied man fall down in that way. And the weather fine, everything dry, and the ship going on a smooth sea!" On the fourth day, the chief officer looked better. He could hear and understand and could even speak in a weak voice. "Well, Mr Bunter," said Captain Johns, "Can you tell us what caused the accident!" Bunter moved his head slightly and fixed his cold blue stare on the Captain's eyes and said in a whisper, "You--were--right!" "Bless my soul!" cried out Captain Johns, "Do you mean you had a supernatural experience that night? You saw a ghost on my ship?" Unwillingness, shame, disgust would have been seen on poor Bunter's face if a good part of it had not been wrapped in bandage . He tried hard and answered, "Yes, I have seen." "And did it --did it knock you down from the ladder?" "Come! Am I the sort of man to be knocked down by a ghost?" Captain Johns pointed a finger at Bunter. "You've been terrified, " he said , "That's what's the matter, even the man at the wheel was frightened, though he couldn't see anything. He felt the supernatural. You've been punished because you wouldn't believe, Mr Bunter. " "Suppose I have, " said Bunter, "You don't know what I saw. And I can't tell you what it was like. Every man has his own ghosts. I stepped back. I don't remember anything else. " "The man at the wheel said you went backwards as if something had hit you." "It was a sort of inward blow, " Bunter explained, "Aren't you satisfied now that I believe?" We can know from the story that _ . Answer: Mr Bunter had somehow fallen down the bridge backwards slope is a measure of the difference in elevation from the top to the base of a Answer: pyramid Sharpening a pencil and tearing paper are examples of physical changes. Which statement describes why these are physical changes? Answer: There is a change in the appearance of the objects.
A geologist found fossils of horse bones in different rock layers of a canyon. The fossils in the lower levels show shorter bones than those in the upper-level fossils. Which conclusion is based on the geologist's observations? Horse's became larger over time. Some localized layers of rock contain the element iridium. Iridium is most often found in space objects such as meteoroids and asteroids. The discovery of these iridium-containing layers has been matched to which phenomena in Earth's history? mass species extinctions C 8:30 PM Outlook Outlook is back with a new series of reports to keep you up date with all that's new in the world of entertainment. Stories go all the way from the technical to the romantic, from stage to screen. There will be reports of the stars of the moment, the stars of the future and the stars of the past. The director with his new film,he designer with the latest fashion and the musician with the popular song are part of the new Outlook . The program is introduced by Fran Levine. 9:00 PM Discovery When a 10-year-old boy gets a first class degree in mathematics or an 8-year-old plays chess like a future grand master, they are considered as geniuses . Where does the quality of genius come from? Is it all in the genes or can any child be turned into a genius ? And if parents do have a child who might become a genius in the future,what should they do? In this 30-minute film, Barry Johnson , the professor at School of Medicine , New York University will help you discover the answer . 10:00 P Science/Health Is it possible to beat high blood pressure without drugs? The answer is "yes", according to the researchers at Johns Hopkins and three other medical centers . After a study of 800 persons with high blood pressure , they found that after 6 months , those devoted to weight loss--exercise and eating a low--salt , low-fat food--lost about 13 pounds and became fitter . Plus , 35% of them dropped into the "normal" category . This week, Dr . Alan Duckworth will tell you how these people reduce their blood pressure to a level similar to what's achieved with Hypertension drugs . From Outlook , you can get a great deal of information about_. famous stars The word "conservation" has a thrifty meaning. To conserve is to save and protect, to leave what we ourselves enjoy in such a good condition that others may also share the enjoyment. Our forefathers had no idea that human population would increase faster than the supplies of raw materials: most of them, even until very recently, had the foolish idea that the treasures were "limitless" and could "last forever". Most of the citizens of earlier generations knew little or nothing about the complicated and delicate system that runs all through nature, and which means that, as in a living body, an unhealthy condition of one part will sooner or later be harmful to all the others. Fifty years ago, nature study was not part of school work; scientific forestry was a new idea; wood was still cheap because it could be brought in any quantity from distant woodlands; soil destruction and river floods were not national problems; nobody had yet studied long-term climatic cycles in relation to proper land use; even the word "conservation" had nothing of the meaning that it has for us today. For the sake of ourselves and those who will come after us, we must now set about correcting the mistakes of our forefathers. Conservation should be made part of everybody's daily life. To know about the water table in ground is just as important to us as a knowledge of the basic math formulas . We need to know why all watersheds need the protection of plant life and why the running current of streams and rivers must be made to give their full benefit to the soil before they finally escape to the sea. We need to be taught the duty of planting trees as well as of cutting them. We need to know the importance of big, grown trees, because _ In a word, it should be our goal to restore as much of the original beauty of nature as we can. According to the author, the greatest mistake of our forefathers was that _ . they had little or no sense of environmental protection Fourteen is not an age at which you try to earn millions of dollars. But for Bangalore boy, Suhas Gopinath, it was. One day in August, 1999, Suhas, studying at the Air Force School in Hebbal, was surfing the Net at a cyber cafe. He happened to hit an MSN source code . That made him decide to learn more about HTML and to design and set up his own website under the address of a US-based company, Network Solutions. He kept updating his website, posting interesting things on it. This impressed Network Solutions and they invited him to attend a class on Web design and development. His mom and uncle criticised him for not taking his education seriously. But gradually, his dad started encouraging him and even bought him a computer and Net connection. In fact, that was his first investment in the company. On May 14, 2000, along with friends Clifford Leslie and Binay M. N, he floated his own website -- www.coolhindustani.com. He did not have the money to start, for his parents refused to give him a penny. So he wrote to Network Solutions Inc. in the US and they readily agreed. In August, the same year, he set up Globals Inc., a Web solutions and networking company, with a team of four. Now, he has 400 employees, more than 200 customers across the globe and offices in 11 countries, and he is worth over $100 million. After finishing his high school education, he studied at Stanford University for two years. But Suhas says: "Education alone will not make a good professional ." What is TRUE about Globals Inc.? It is a world-class company.
Many times when people hear the words social networking, their brains automatically go to sites such as Twitter or Facebook.However, there are sites for those into social networking and into reading. Sound crazy? It's really not. If you' ve ever wanted a site where you can receive book recommendations, follow your favorite authors, and keep up with what your friends are reading.then look no further than Goodreads, com. Goodreads provides useful services for those in the reading world, It is a site where you can win books by going to giveaways and simply entering your information.Some giveaways are even signed by the author.And the books aren't boring, old or torn copies - many of them are ARC's (Advanced Readers Copies), for which you can write a short review on the site.Anyone can post reviews of their favorite books or series so that others may _ to read them as well. Another function of the site is offering book clubs and interest groups.You can have interactive discussions with groups of people reading the same things, sort of like a blog.You can also make friends with people and post statuses similar to Facebook.Your friends can send you hook recommendations and you can add them to your shelf if you choose. Shelves are by far one of the best features on the site.You can categorize your entire library and put hooks you want to read on your "to - read" shelf.These virtual shelves allow you to see what you' ve read and also let you keep track of the number of books you' ve read in a year. You can even read original writing for free because many people post their own writing on the site to gain feedback and advice on how to improve.Anyone can join this site for free and fall in love with not just a hook, but a book site as well. What do we know about the shelves on Coodreads.com? Answer: That is where people put books they have read or want to read. Dear Victor: I am a college student. Nowadays games on the net are very popular with college students. Some of my roommates are very interested in them. They not only play games in their free time, but also keep talking about them at night when lights are off, and they regard games as part of life. I've begged them to give it up, but they wouldn't listen to me. It has become a rather big problem. Should I report it to our teachers or do something else? Ted, Dear Ted: Drop it. Your roommates, as grown-ups, can do whatever they want with their time so long as it doesn't break school rules or violate other people's interests. Playing perhaps gives these students relaxation from hard study. If they play too often, have little time to study, and they will _ , but you will not. Reporting to the teachers would only harm your good name in your dormitory . However you have rights to ask your roommates to be quiet when you need sleep. If they aren't angry with you, they will stop talking. But be polite and friendly. Perhaps, in return, join them in a game or two. Victor. According to the second letter, some college students _ . Answer: can relax themselves while playing games on the net As the population of small fish in a lake decreases, the population of large fish that depend on the small fish for food will Answer: decrease in number Sleet, rain, snow, and hail are forms of Answer: precipitation An old man was going home late one night with his horse and cart after a day's hard work. When he was not far from his house, the light on the cart went out. He tried but could not mend it. He was near his home, and so he went along the road without a light. When a policeman saw this, he stopped the old carter. "Where is your light?" asked the policeman. "No man may take a cart along the road at night without a light. You know that. You have broken the law ." "I had a light, but it has just gone out," said the old man. "I don't believe that story," said the policeman. He took out a book and got ready to write. What's your name and where do you live?" he asked. "Please don't take my name," said the old man. "My home is just there. You can see it from here. I had a light nearly the whole way. I haven't come far without a light." "You came all the way without a light. What's your name?" The carter quickly took the policeman's hand and put it down on top of the light. The light was still hot and burnt the policeman's hand. The policeman jumped and he was very angry. "Now, what do you think?" said the carter. "Did I come all the way without a light?" Where did the policeman stop the old man? Answer: Near the old man's home.
Google, the Internet search and mapping company, has developed a car that can steer without a driver. Sometimes the reality is stranger than science fiction: Google is road-testing cars that steer, stop and start without a human driver. The goal is to "help prevent traffic accidents, free up people's time and reduce carbon emissions." says Sebastian Thrun, who is the project leader for the driverless car, or Carbot. By developing the car and the software that drives it, Google wants to change how people get from place to p1ace. Eric Schmidt, one of the company's top officials, said, "Your car should drive itself. It just makes sense." So far, the driverless autos have gone about 140,000 miles on California roads without people taking over the driving. Many of the roads are very busy or full of curves that challenge human drivers. The autos' software makes it possible to know speed limits, traffic patterns and road maps. The vehicles use radar, lasers and video cameras to find other cars and avoid people crossing streets. There has only been one accident during the testing. And in that case, the Carbot was hit from behind by a human driver when Goog1e's car was stopped at a red light. Engineers say the driverless cars are safer than autos with people behind the wheel because the computers react much more quickly than humans. The Carbot is still in very early testing stages. Experts agree that it will be years before you will be able to buy one. But it is likely that one day you will be sitting in the driver's seat of a driverless car. When the auto was first invented it was called a "horseless carriage". Now it seems that it is time for the "driverless carriage" to be part of our 1ives. The driverless car is safer than an auto with people because _ . Answer: the software responds to emergencies faster than a human driver The year 2009 is the Year of Ox. The ox is a representative of the fanning culture of China. In the farming economy , oxen are the major animals pulling plows . Of course, the good of oxen is not limited to plowing. In fact, they are seen as "boats on land" for their ability to carry loads. Besides, the whole body of an ox is full of treasures. Their meat and milk are food full of nutrition, and their skin can be used to make clothes and shoes. With all these qualities, oxen are regarded as generous creatures. In the past, oxen played an important role in the spiritual life of the Chinese. Even today, oxen still play a special part in some folk activities. For example, some people who1ire in southwest China will cook cattle bone soup and share it among family members when holding the ceremony for children who reach 13. They believe that the cattle bone soup represents the blood relationship among family members. In order to express their love for oxen, people in some other areas will run to shake off diseases on the 16th day of the first month by the lunar calendar , and during their run they will take their oxen along, which indicates they regard the creature as human. Because of the contribution of oxen in their lives, the Chinese people are very grateful to the animal. In addition, the use of oxen in ceremonies and the thanks people owe to oxen help to develop various traditional customs, which becomes an important part of the folk culture of the Chinese nation. Which of the following helps to develop traditional customs? Answer: People's respect and love for oxen. If you go to Hong Kong by air, you will arrive at Kai Tak Airport. Because there was no enough land, it was built out into the sea. It is in the part of Hong Kong called Kowloon. Kowloon is one of the two big cities in Hong Kong. The other city is Hong Kong itself. It is on an island. You can get there by ship or through a tunnel under the sea. Much of Hong Kong is farmland and mountains. The population of Hong Kong is over 6 million. Most of them are Chinese. Chinese and English are spoken by many people there. Clothes, computers, radios and TVs are made in Hong Kong. You can watch dog-racing or motor-racing. Some places are quiet and beautiful. When you are hot and tired, there are small and cool gardens to rest in. There are also a lot of tall buildings to live in. Hong Kong is also a good place for Chinese cooking. You can enjoy many kinds of Chinese cooking, for example, fish, meat and vegetables. Beijing Roast Duck is famous as well. There is certainly a lot to see and to do in Hong Kong. In 1997, Hong Kong was returned to China. It's a part of China. Kowloon is _ . Answer: a part of Hong Kong You never see him, but they're with you every time you fly. They record where you are going, how fast you're traveling and whether everything on your airplane is functioning normally. Their ability to withstand almost any disaster makes them seem like something out of a comic book. They're known as the black box. When planes fall from the sky, as a Yemeni airliner did on its way to Comoros Islands in the India ocean June 30, 2009, the black box is the best bet for identifying what went wrong. So when a French submarine detected the device's homing signal five days later, the discovery marked a huge step toward determining the cause of a tragedy in which 152 passengers were killed. In 1958, Australian scientist David Warren developed a flight-memory recorder that would track basic information like altitude and direction. That was the first mode for a black box, which became a requirement on all U.S. commercial flights by 1960. Early models often failed to withstand crashes, however, so in 1965 the device was completely redesigned and moved to the rear of the plane - the area least subject to impact - from its original position in the landing wells . The same year, the Federal Aviation Authority required that the boxes, which were never actually black, be painted orange or yellow to aid visibility. Modern airplanes have two black boxes: a voice recorder, which tracks pilots' conversations, and a flight-data recorder, which monitors fuel levels, engine noises and other operating functions that help investigators reconstruct the aircraft's final moments. Placed in an insulated case and surrounded by a quarter-inch-thick panels of stainless steel, the boxes can withstand massive force and temperatures up to 2,000degF. When submerged , they're also able to emit signals from depths of 20,000 ft. Experts believe the boxes from Air France Flight 447, which crashed near Brazil on June 1,2009, are in water nearly that deep, but statistics say they're still likely to turn up. In the approximately 20 deep-sea crashes over the past 30 years, only one plane's black boxes were never recovered. Why was the black box redesigned in 1965? Answer: The early models often got damaged in the crash. A volcanic eruption in Iceland has sent ash across northern Europe Airlines have stopped or changed the flights across the Atlantic Ocean, leaving hundreds of passengers stuck in airports. Grimsvom is one of the largest and most active volcanoes in Europe. What makes Grimsvom different is that it lies under a huge glacier of ice up to 12 maters thick. The hot volcano heats up the ice above it, which then forms a layer of water between the glacier and the volcano This layer of water puts pressure on the volcano, keeping it stable, As the water flows out from under the glacier, the pressure lifts. The lava from the volcano then comes up to the surface. This is exactly what happened today. Now, airlines have to make changes to their flights so as not to fly through the clouds of volcanic ash. according to KLM, one of Europe's biggest airlines, airplanes cannot go under the cloud or over it. Going through the cloud can result in ash getting stuck in the airplane's engines, causing damage to the plane. The eruption has also caused problems for animals in Iceland. The volcano left ash and sharp. Glass-like rocks all over the countryside. Farmers are keeping their animals inside to stop them from eating ash--covered grass to the sharp object. This text is most probably taken from _ . Answer: a newspaper report
Look, this is the first plane in the world to be created using the new technology of "3D printing". The airplane was built using only a computer--but it can fly at a speed of 100mph and has a two-meter wingspan. It was produced using a special nylon laser printer that builds up something layer-by-layer. The parts were made separately and attached using a "snap fit" technique so the aircraft could be put together without tools in minutes. No fasteners at all were used in the manufacture of the plane. Unmanned and electrically powered, the plane can travel in near silence and is also equipped with a small autopilot system. The special production process used is known as "laser sintering "and allows the designers to create shapes and structures that would normally include costly manufacturing techniques. This technology allows a highly-tailored aircraft to be developed from your own design to first flight in days, while using traditional materials and techniques would take months. And because no tooling is required for manufacture, major changes to the shape and scale of the aircraft can be made with no extra cost. Professor Jim Scanlon, who led the team, said, "The process allows the design team to revisit historical techniques and ideas that would have been too expensive using traditional manufacturing." He added, "This form of structure is very firm and lightweight, but very complex. If it was manufactured traditionally it would require a large number of individually tailored parts that would have to be connected or fastened at great expense." The new printed plane is known as the Southampton University Laser Sintered Aircraft--or SULSA for short--and is part of a wider project using cutting-edge manufacturing techniques. The University of Southampton has been at the leading position of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle development since the early 1990s. This kind of plane has the following advantages EXCEPT _ . Answer: it only requires simple and cheap tools How good are U.S. drivers? The CBS TV "National Drivers Test" showed that many U.S. drivers have a lot to learn. Here's why: CBS picked 1,799 samples to take the test in TV studios in New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Los Angeles. More than two out of five of the drivers failed the test. And the average score was the lowest passing mark-51 points out of a possible 80. Chicago drivers did best with an average of 53 points. Los Angeles drivers came next with 52 points. New York and Philadephia drivers tied with 50 points-a failing score. Drivers with 50 points or less were rated "poorly informed" by the judges. Here are some of the test results: (1) Are men better informed drivers than women?-Yes. Men averaged 52 points. Women got average of 49. (2) Are older drivers better informed than younger drivers?-No. Drivers under 26 averaged 52 points. Drivers from 27 to 45 averaged 51. Driver over 45 failed with 48 points on average. (3) Does education make a difference?-Yes. College graduates averaged 52 points. High school graduates averaged 50. Those without high school diplomas got 48. And people who had taken driver education courses scored an average of 53 points-three more than those who hadn't. (4) Does driving experience make a difference?-Yes. Drivers with three or more years' experience averaged 51 points. Drivers with less experience averaged 49. Here are some surprising facts brought out by the test: (1)More than one out of three drivers did not know that a blinking red light means a full stop. (2)Three out of ten drivers did not know that an octagonal (eight-sided) sign means stop. (3)More than two of three drivers did not know what to do when being "tailgated"(,) The answer: slow down, drive to the right, and let the driver behind pass. The results of the test were turned over to the National Safety Council. They will help future safety planning. From the information in this article, you could say that _ . Answer: experience makes difference among drivers Vancouver Natural Resources As a major centre for the global forestry industry, Vancouver is host to many international forestry conferences and events, and the natural home of the massive BC forestry business. Companies such as Canfor and West Fraser Timber Co., the second and third largest lumber producers in the world, are headquartered in Vancouver. Vancouver is also a major centre for the mining industry. International trade International trade is a key part for Vancouver's economy. The city has Canada's largest port and is one of North America's major gateways for Pan-Pacific trade. The Port of Vancouver ranks first in North America in total foreign exports and second on the West Coast in total goods volume. Banking and Financial The headquarters for HSBC Canada is located in the Financial District in downtown. Canada's third largest commercial entity , Jim Pattison Group is also based in Vancouver. International relation Vancouver is a major centre for diplomacy and foreign relations. Most countries of the world have consulate or general offices in the Central Business District. In fact, many major diplomatic conferences are hosted by the city - including the world famous G7 summit with President Clinton, APEC, and the World Trade Organization. Greenpeace has its world headquarters in the city. Therefore, Vancouver was among the first North American cities to declare itself a Nuclear Weapons Free Zone. Tourism Tourism is a leading industry to Vancouver. The Whistler-Blackcomb Resort is among the most popular skiing resorts in North America, and will be the site of the downhill events of the 2010 Winter Olympics. Vancouver's beaches, parks, waterfronts, and mountain backdrops and its multi- cultural character attract more and more tourists. Film Vancouver was the source of the sobriquet "Hollywood North", for hosting the production of about ten percent of Hollywood's movies. Many U.S. television and films series are shot exclusively in Vancouver. This has partly been because of the favourable Canadian dollar exchange rate. The passage is probably taken from _ . Answer: a geography book Once a boy often made trouble. His mother gave him many nails . She told him to hammer(,)one in the garden fence every time he lost his patience and fought with someone. The first day he hammered 27 nails. In the following weeks he learned how to control himself better and the number of nails hammered became smaller and smaller. He learned it was easier to control himself than to hammer nails. The day finally came when he didn't hammer any nails. He went to tell his mother about it. Then his mother told him to pull off a nail from the fence each time he didn't lose his patience. After some days he told his mother that all the nails had been pulled off, so she took him to the fence and said to him, "You've behaved well, but look at all the holes in the fence. The fence will never be again like it was before. When you fight with someone, you leave wounds in him like these. The trouble may be over, but the wounds will always be there." So, learn to control yourself before you hammer the nail in the fence. Try not to leave any holes in your past. The writer wants us to _ . Answer: learn to control ourselves Do you know any people like these? They are part of a new addiction called Internet addiction.Internet addicts spend at least thirty to forty hours online every week.The use of the Internet can be an addiction like drug use.People lose control of the time they spend on the Internet. For example,one college student was missing for several days.His friends were worried,and they called the police.The police found the student in the computer lab, he was surfing the net for several days straight. Studies show that about 6% to 10% of Internet users become addicted.And people worry about the teens because the Internet is changing the playing field for some of them.They spend more time in cyberspace than in the real world of friends and family. Is "surfing the net'' a hobby or an addiction for you? You may have a problem if you have these symptoms : You do not go to important family activities or you do not do school work because you like to spend hours on the Internet. You can't wait for your next online time. You plan to spend a short time online,but then you spend several hours. You go out with your friends less and less. What is the writer trying to tell us at the end of the passage? Answer: Don't be addicted to the Internet.
Hemingway(1898~1961) was born in Illinois. His family took him, as a boy, hunting and fishing trips and so made him know early the kinds of virtues, such as courage and endurance , which were later shown in his stories. After high school, he worked as a newspaper reporter and then went abroad to take part in World War I. After the war, he lived for several years in Paris. It was not long before he began publishing remarkable short stories. In the year he left Paris he published the powerful novel The Sun Also Rises. His subjects were often war and its effects on people, or contests, such as hunting or bullfighting, which demand endurance and courage. Hemingway's style of writing is striking. His sentences are short, his words are simple, yet they are often filled with feelings. A careful reading can show us, further more, that we see how the action of his stories continue during the silence, during the times his character say nothing. This action is often full of meaning. There are times when the most powerful effect comes from restraint . Such times happen often in Hemingway's writings. He perfected the art of expressing excitement with few words. Hemingway's short stories were first published _ . Answer: after World War I. Maybe you often have arguments with your parens about clothes , homework,friends and many other things. But what's going on when your parents fight with each other? Most teenagers feel sad or afraid when their parents fight. They might think their parents don't love each other any more and that their arguments will lead to a divorce . In fact, it is normal for parents to disagree and argue sometimes. They might disagree about important things like jobs and family decisions. They might even disagree about little things that don't seem important at all---like what's for dinner. Maybe sometimes parents feel so strongly about their differences that it may lead to arguments. However, these arguments are often over quickly. Parents may say sorry and _ ,and the family returns to normal. As a family member, you should find out what it really means when your parents fight. When your parents get angry with each other, they might say things they don't really mean.Most people may lose their cool, so if your parents are fighting, don't worry too much about it. Try to find a good way to solve it . If your parents' fighting really bothers you, you might find it hard to sleep or go to school. If this happens, try talking to your parents about their behavior. They may not even realize it until you tell them how their arguments has affected you. You can also tell other relatives, a teacher or a close friend. Just remember that no family is perfect and arguments are common in every family. What should we do when our parents' fighting bothers us? Answer: Talk to them about our feelings. In England, we look forward to our birthdays for 364 days a year! We invite special people to celebrate it with us. The Presents Presents are opened as soon as the children are awake. They can't wait for the birthday cake later in the day! The Cards Friends and family send birthday cards. Sending birthday cards is a custom that began in England about 100 years ago. The Party The birthday child will have a party to which friends and family are invited. Visitors to the party bring presents for the birthday child. The children play games such as musical chairs and pass the parcel . The Cake The birthday cake is decorated on a theme . A candle for each year is lit and placed on top and the child blows out the candles making a wish. We don't put objects inside the cake as stated on many websites. The Bumps It used to be traditional for the birthday child to have the bumps. Friends would hold the child by the legs and under the arms and lift the child up and down bumping them gently on the ground. The number of bumps given is the age of the child plus one for extra good luck. As this can be dangerous, clapping is often done instead. The Sweets Some children do take sweets to school to share with their classmates on their birthdays. What would be the best title for this passage? Answer: How English children celebrate their birthdays Modern Foreign Language Teacher A successful, popular school in central South London has a new vacancy for an MFL Teacher of Spanish to start immediately after the Christmas holidays. We required a specialist Spanish teacher; therefore Spanish should be your major language. Besides this, you need to make the lessons interesting and you should also have teaching experience. Please contact Robert Eagle at 88143425. General Manager We are seeking a General Manager for our new workshop facility in Doha, Qatar. The successful individual should possess a Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, along with 19 to 15 years' work experience in the Oil & Gas, Petrochemicals, Fertilizer or Marine industry and CNC machinery tools and equipment. A minimum of five years'; experience in a senior managerial capacity is essential. Candidates that have work experience in Gulf countries or in the Middle East are encouraged to apply. Please contact Brian Gambles at 88146725. Finance Manager The successful individual will be able to demonstrate substantial commercial experience working within a corporate, blue-chip environment. You will be able to interact with and present confidently to senior management. The business offers an excellent working culture and genuine opportunities for significant career advancement and development. Please contact Mr. McMahon at 88147959. HR Manager We are looking for an HR Manager to join our project team who will be responsible for a new HR and Payroll project. A minimum of three years' HR management experience is required for this position. The successful individual will need to have managed HR teams and supported Payroll. If you have the relevant experience and are available for a new assignment, contact Matt Ridley at 88146550. We know from the ads that the position of General Manager requires a person who _ . Answer: has a Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering There was once a boy who hardly had any toys or money. Nevertheless, he was a very happy little boy. He said that what made him happy was doing things for others, and that doing so gave him a nice feeling inside. However, no one really believed him, they thought he was silly. He spent all day helping others, dispensing charity to the poorest, and looking after abandoned animals. Very seldom did he ever do anything for himself. One day, he met a famous doctor who thought the boy's case was so peculiar that he decided to investigate him. So, with a complex system of cameras and tubes, the doctor managed to record what was happening inside the boy. What he discovered was surprising. Each time the boy did something good, a thousand tiny angels gathered around the boy's heart and started tickling it. That explained the boy's happiness, but the doctor continued studying until he discovered that we all have our own thousand angels inside us. Unfortunately, he found that, as we do so few good things, the angels spend most of their time wandering about, bored. And so it was that the secret to happiness was discovered. Thanks to that little boy we now know exactly what we have to do to feel our hearts being tickled. The famous doctor hopes to discover_. Answer: what it is that makes the boy so happy
Scientists are worried that an asteroid will possibly hit the earth in 2036. If scientists are right, planet earth is 24 years away from a major disaster. Scientists have been monitoring the progress of a 390-metre-wide asteroid ever since it was discovered last June. They have announced that it could hit the earth, causing huge damage, in 2036. NASA estimates that the impact from the asteroid named after Apophis and ancient Egyptian demon would release more than 100,000 times the energy released in the nuclear explosion over Hiroshima. Thousands of square kilometers would be directly affected by the explosion. The whole planet would see the effects of the dust released into the atmosphere. This is the worst possible scenario of any asteroid in recorded history. Having more than 20 years' warning of possible impact might seem plenty of time. But scientists insist that there is actually very little time left to decide. Luckily, however, they aren't short on ideas for the asteroid. The favored method is also probably the easiest--throwing a spacecraft at the asteroid to change its direction. The European Space Agency plans to test this in the next decade. One idea that seems to have no support from astronomers is the use of explosive, although this sounds more likely to the public or Hollywood producer. At present, scientists are trying to make a better estimate of how much time we have, through more observations. In spring of next year, there will be another chance for radar observation of Apophis. This will help astronomers calculate the orbits of the asteroid more accurately. If, at that stage, they can't rule out an impact with the earth in 2036, the next chance to make better observations will not be until 2016, then 2029. "If we wait until 2029 and the worst--case scenario turns out to be true, it would seem unlikely that we'd be able to do anything about 2036," warns Prof Fitzsimmons. According to the scientists' observation, _ . Answer: Li Bingyin is now studying law at the Stern School of Business at New York University. She wrote this letter just before hurricane Sandy destroyed the East Coast. Dear readers, The storm will really _ on the city! Right now I am sitting in my dormitory , waiting for the blackout to come any second, and listening to the wind howl outside my windows. Hurricane Sandy is supposed to hit the East Coast hard today. Due to the bad weather, most schools and universities have canceled classes for Monday and Tuesday. Luckily, the university has taken steps to prepare for this storm. University officials sent out e-mails with explanation in the case of a blackout, evacuation , or other emergency. Just recently, I received several text messages from the school about power off in certain dormitories. They advised us to prepare a bag with essentials , in case we needed to leave the building and move to a safer place. Yesterday I went out to buy a flashlight , but all of the nearby stores were sold out. Everyone was storing water, food and other supplies for the storm. Right now the city is unusually quiet. On any other day, there would be the sounds of cars, people chatting, and street artists performing. Tonight, there's just the wind and rain hitting the window. The subway system has been closed since last night, and there is nobody on the streets. Hopefully Hurricane Sandy will soon pass without leaving much damage Sincerely, Li Bingyin From the passage we can know that _ . Answer: Life in an American high school is an interesting and exciting learning experience. High school in America is not just a place for studying some subjects. It is also an important social centre, where students can develop other interests and talents. The high school course is divided into four years. School usually starts at about 8:00 am, and ends at about 3 pm. There's no class on Saturday. Students have lunch at the school cafeteria , where they can choose from a variety of good things to eat and drink. After lunch they can play sports, talk to friends or simply relax. The lunch break lasts about an hour. When the school day ends, some students go home, but many still stay at school for after-school activities. There are many activities to take part in and clubs to join. With the headmaster's agreement, students can start any kind of club that is educational and fun! American high school students like to be "popular". This means being a good student, being active in the community and being well-liked by others. Popular students are elected to take part in Student Union. Every year in June there are prizes for the best athletes. Most American high school students have a part-time job during the school year and a full-time job during the summer. Parents encourage their children to work because it's part of growing up and becoming responsible and independent. Most high schools have a job list to help students find work. Teenagers are fond of their jobs! According to the passage, American high school students _ . Answer: Man has a big brain. He can think, learn and speak. Scientists thought that men are different from animals because they can think and learn. They know now that dogs, cats and birds can learn too. They are beginning to understand that. They make noises when they are afraid, or angry or unhappy. Apes can understand some things more quickly than human, one or two of them have learnt a few words. But they can not join words to make sentences. They can not think like us because they have no language. Language is a wonderful thing. Man has been able to build a modern world because he has language. Every child can speak his own language very well when he is four or five, --but no animal learns to speak. How do children learn it ? Scientists do not really know. What happens inside our body when we speak? They do not know. They only know that man can speak because he has a brain. Scientists now know_. Answer: Henry was an office worker in a big city. He worked very hard and enjoyed traveling in his holidays. He usually went to the seaside, but one year he saw an advertisement in a newspaper. "Enjoy country life. Spend a few weeks at west hill farm. good food., fresh air, horse riding,Walking,fishing, cheap and interesting." "This sounds a good idea," He thought. "I'll spend a month at west hill farm. I think I can enjoy horse riding, walking and fishing. They'll make a change from sitting by the seaside and swimming." He wrote to the farmer. In the letter he said that he would like to spend all of July there. Then on the first of July, he left for west hill farm.But four days later, he returned home. "What was wrong with west hill farm?" His best friend, Ed, asked him. "Didn't you enjoy country life?" "Country life was very good," Henry said. "But there was another problem." "Oh. what?" "Well," he said, "The first day I was there a sheep died, and we had roast mutton for dinner." "What's wrong with that?" Ed asked. "Fresh meat is the best." "I know, but on the second day a cow died, and we had roast beef for dinner." "Lucky you!" "You don't understand," Henry said. "On the third day a pig died and we had roast pork for dinner." "A different meat every day," Ed said loudly, " And you are ing!" "Let me finish," Henry said. "On the fourth day the farmer died, and i didn't dare stay for dinner!" Henry came back home several days later because _ . Answer:
Maria was a teacher at a small school in Arizona. Maria had worked in the past at schools in California, Texas, and Vermont, but had to leave these schools because the school in Arizona was perfect for her dream job. When she moved to Arizona she found a small little one bedroom house that fit her perfectly. The house was on the top floor of another building, owned by another teacher. In her house was a bed, dresser, table and telephone. Nothing else came with the house. So Maria wanted to go shopping with her new teacher friend. So they went down to the mall to buy things for her new house. First she wanted to look for some chairs to go with her table. Then she wanted to find a TV for her living room and a TV for her bedroom. Last she wanted to find a big comfy couch for her living room. When she got to the couch store she had a few different choices. She could buy the biggest couch they had but would go over her limit, it was black. She could buy the middle couch right at her limit, which was brown. Or she could buy the smallest couch well under her limit, but was not a very good color, red. Maria went with the middle couch knowing she would not like the color of the smaller one even if it was least expensive. Maria then had to choose if she wanted them to deliver her couch or if she would pick it up. Knowing she had only a small car she went with the deliver choice. She also had to choose if she wanted them to set up the couch for her or for her to set it up herself. She went with them setting it up since they would be there to deliver it anyway. Maria loved her new house and job. What did the house come with? A Chairs, couch, table, bed. B Dresser, bed, table and telephone. C Telephone, TV, chairs, bed. D Dresser, chairs, table, bed. Answer: B Mayor Bill de Blasio designated the Lunar New Year an official public school holiday in New York City in June, 2015. The move came after de Blasio in March, 2015 declared school holidays on the most-observed holiday in Islam, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. De Blasio, _ a promise made during his 2013 mayoral campaign, said students would also have a day off on the Lunar New Year, and not long ago the Asian holiday took place on February 8, 2016. "About 15% of the city's school system is of Asian descent , and many student, have been taking the day off as a sick day" said State Senator Daniel Squadron. "It's a big deal," he said, whose district includes Manhattan's Chinatown. "Families have had to choose between their most important cultural celebration and missing a day of school." The city's Department of Education had been working on the practical arrangements for adding another holiday while maintaining the legal 180 school days. The problem was solved by combining two half days that previously did not count towards the total to form a single full day that can be counted towards the total. After San Francisco, New York is the second major urban school district to add the Lunar New Year to the official school calendar. "This holiday is not about kids just getting a day off from school," said Assemblyman Ron Kim. "It's about the City of New York telling hundreds of Asian-American societies that America is a cultural melting pot." Kim said recognizing the holiday is one way of pushing back against feelings of isolation and marginalization felt by the Asian-American community. How does New York make the Lunar New Year an official public school holiday? A By cancelling a legal 1-day holiday. B By copying the way of San Francisco. C By adding a new full day to the school calendar. D By changing the legal 180 school days. Answer: C At the Presbyterian Church in downtown Harare, Zimbabwe, 15-year-old Lovemore and other children crowd around tables in a small room, answering questions in their workbooks. Their uniforms are clean and worn with pride, and in many ways it would be difficult to distinguish this classroom from any other. These children, like Lovemore, live at the Mbare bus station, a crowded, dirty and dangerous place for anyone, especially at night. Lovemore said that he started to face problems once his mother died and his father stopped paying school fees. When Lovemore's father remarried, Lovemore was forced onto the street, no longer welcome at home. After meeting a worker from the Presbyterian Children's Club (PCC), Lovemore felt encouraged to take advantage of the opportunity to get an education. Since joining the program, he is always at the top of his class. He spends his mornings at the PCC, where he receives his only meals for the day. At night, he sleeps on the ground at the bus station. The few clothes he owns are hidden in secret places around town so that no one will steal them. At the end of each day, Lovemore and his classmates take their books with them to study at night in the market square. "We read by the street lights, but sometimes the guards drive us away." Each year, the top three students are given a chance to go to formal school. Those who successfully complete their grade-seven exams will be given a PCC scholarship to attend a boarding school , proving there is hope for forgotten children like Lovemore. Started in 1996, the program provides free education, basic meals, health care and clothing to more than 70 children. "There are people who care here, and other kids like me," Lovemore said. "It feels like this is my family." Lovemore began to live on the streets _ . A when he left Harare B when his mother died C after his father's second marriage D after meeting a worker from the PCC Answer: C Today, I felt terrible. My head was full of problems, burdens and confusion. I decided to take a walk even though I didn't know where I would go. The most extraordinary thing happened when I was on this walk. I saw an old man sitting on a chair. He was a seller of second-hand shoes. I thought he looked at least seventy years old. He seemed so tired and nobody was buying his shoes. I wanted to give him something but I had not brought anything with me. Then, a little girl came toward him. I heard the child say, "Grandfather, may I polish your shoes?" That old man took pity on her and he gave her a shoe to polish. The girl said, "I polish the shoe because I need money to buy my brother a new school uniform." I heard this and tears came to my eyes. The old man answered, "Oh, little girl. Just stop doing this. Come with me and I will buy you a school uniform." Then they walked to a market and I followed them behind. There he bought her a school uniform. The girl said, "Thank you so much for doing this. May God bless you." Then she left, leaving the old man smiling. He walked away from the market, but I stopped him. I whispered in his ear, "You are a hero! Thank you for your kindness!" As I walked away, I glanced back and I could see him still smiling. My own sadness disappeared and was chased away by the light of this kind act. I began realizing that I have a lot to be thankful for. I hope, some day, I can show my appreciation of what I have by following the example of the old man who only had a little, but shared it beautifully with someone who had nothing. When seeing the old shoe seller, how did the author feel? A Sympathy. B Sorrow. C Regret. D Disappointment. Answer: A I grew up in a small town. My father raised chickens and ran a construction company. I was barely 10 years old when my dad gave me the responsibility of feeding the chickens and cleaning up the stable. He believed it was important for me to have those jobs to learn responsibility. Then, when I was 22, I found a job in Natchbill at a country music club called the Natchbill Palace, I washed dishes and cooked from 4: 00 pm to 9: 00 pm and then went on stage and sang until 2:00 in the morning. It wasn't long before I became known as a singing cook. I had been rejected so many times by record companies that it was hard not to be discouraged. One night, a woman executive from a company named Warner Brothers Records came to hear me sing. When the show was over, we sat down and talked and after she left, I said to myself it was one more rejection. A few weeks later, my manager received a phone call -- Warner Brothers wanted to sign me to a record deal. Soon after, I released my first record in June 1986. It sold over 2 million copies. My best efforts had gone into every job I've ever held. It was the sense of responsibility that made me feel like a man. Knowing that I had done my best filled me with pride. I still feel that way today, even though I have become a well-known singer. What made the writer proud of himself? A His ability to live independently. B His sense of responsibility in whatever he did. C His courage in the face of rejections. D His hard work in his early days. Answer: B
The Friday after the American holiday of Thanksgiving is called Black Friday. It's said that it's the day that store ledgers move into the black and companies become profitable. On that day, retailers slash prices to get consumers to buy. It is also a time when many Americans start their Christmas shopping. VOA's Elizabeth Lee tells us how the economy may affect consumers on that bargain day. This day should be a shopper's dream. "It's just the deals, the sales and everything you can get for a lesser price," said Sandy Thomas, a shopper. But it's a nightmare for others. "I think it's crazy. I've done all of my shopping throughout the week so I don't have to go out on Friday," she said. It's called Black Friday, the start of the traditional Christmas shopping season in the United States. Every year it's the day after the Thanksgiving holiday. Stores open before sunrise and there are deep discounts everywhere you look. Last year a crowd of bargain-hunters killed a Wal-mart worker in a New York suburb. This year, many stores are increasing security while they slash prices. "This is a huge time for the retail stores," said Fred Joutz from George Washington University. "This is when they begin making their profits for the year." Economics professor Fred Joutz says how Americans spend the weekend after Thanksgiving is a good indication of how consumers feel about the future. With the unemployment rate above 10 percent, Joutz says Americans are saving more and spending less. Some retailers are attracting consumers by opening on Thanksgiving Day, when shops are traditionally closed. Other stores open their doors anywhere from midnight to four in the morning. And shoppers will be lining up in front of the doors in order to be one of the first ones to walk through and get a big discount. Electronics like flat screen TVs are usually the first items to go. Sandy Thomas says it's an annual family tradition and well worth it. "I just save maybe half of what I would have spent on a regular, you know, shopping trip," she said. Economists say U.S. consumers will spend money this Black Friday, but they will spend it more carefully. From the passage we know that _ . I go to Australia for a meeting with my workmate, Chris. We decide to drive across the country after the meeting. The drive will take four days and most of it was across the desert . The first day is a lot of fun because we are happy to hear each other's jokes . But on the third day, we begin to get _ . We are quite quiet for some hours when Chris sees some kangaroos .We are both excited and decide to take a closer look. Chris drives very quickly to catch up with them. We got closer and closer. Suddenly , we hear a loud BANG! Chris stops the car and we get out. Beside the car is a large kangaroo lying on the ground. Chris goes over to it and puts his cap on its head. He takes off his sunglasses and puts them on the kangaroo and does the same with his jacket. Then he puts his arm around the kangaroo and tells me to take a photo of them together. I take out my camera. When I am focusing the camera, I sees the kangaroo move . It suddenly wakes up, and runs away before we can do anything. I start laughing but Chris looks worried. He says his wallet is in the jacket. I start laughing even louder . I stop laughing when he says that our car keys are also in the jacket. Why do they hear a loud BANG? There are a lot of school rules around the world. For example, in Australia, Canada, Japan and the United States, students have to wear uniforms, and they are not allowed to wear earrings. Some schools in Japan and other countries have rules about hair. For example, students are not allowed to change the color of their hair. In the United States, boys can not have their hair grow long. For safety at some US schools, students must have a pair of indoor shoes at school every day. This makes sure students won't fall over on the wet floors and keeps the schools clean. Gum chewing is not allowed in many US school buildings, as it is difficult to clean up. And if students chew gum in class, they may not pay much attention to their studies. In most foreign countries, school students are allowed to work part-time. But differently, Japanese school students are not allowed to work part-time or change the color of their hair. ,. (5,2,10) What shouldn't the students be allowed to do in Japan? My children are perfect. All four of them. Perfect and beautiful and clever. I bet yours are, too. Except, of course, they are not. In reality, my children and yours are likely to be reasonably average in terms of looks, behavior, intelligence and charm. That's why it is called average. Your belief in your child being special is more probably a biological thing than a fact. A loved one, particularly a loved child, is edited as we observe them. Other people's children are spoiled; ours are spirited. Theirs are naughty; ours are confident. This is all natural and even touching when not taken too far. However, it is one thing feeding this idea to ourselves but feeding it to our children may be a little less desirable. We have the idea that -- unlike my parents' generation -- we should build our children's self-respect as high as we can. Therefore, their random scribble is up there with Picasso, their C-minus is an unfortunate oversight on the part of the teacher, and the fact that no one wants to be friends with them is because they are particularly clever or sensitive. Children see through this kind of thing very quickly and ignore their parents' praises as a matter of course. As they grow up, they sense that the wider world judges them differently. This leads to a - hopefully gentle - cynicism about anything their parents tell them about their achievements. Perhaps that is OK -- but I'm not sure if it is good for them to have the parental praise so overlooked. If parents were a little _ sometimes, this could have two positive effects -- first, when praise came, it would be more likely to be believed and, second, it would fit in rather more accurately with the picture of reality that the child is forming in their heads. A lot of pressure is put on children who are told they are beautiful, special and perfect. Because then, where is there to go? Only downwards. They become too much aware of their status in your eyes, and a danger must be that they fear failing you. To be over-praised by your parents is the counter side of being criticized all the time. Both can have negative consequences. It is important to give your children the freedom to be flawed -- to know that it's OK to be imperfect, and that, in fact, we often love people for their flaws -- perfect people (whom we can only imagine, as they do not exist) are easy to respect, but hard to love. Now I am nearly 60, my main insight is that I am much less special than I once believed. This knowledge has actually been helpful in leading a more well-balanced life. I certainly wouldn't like to go back to attitudes that my parents, particularly my father, held, that to praise the child was to "spoil them" or make them bigheaded. However, the history of families is like the history of everything else -- the story of overreactions. We praise our children to the skies, partly because we think it makes them feel good, but also because it makes us feel good. And perhaps it is more the latter than the former. Too much love can be as big a burden as a shortage of it. My advice is to limit your praise. Then every piece of praise will count, rather than being just ignored. Which of the following will the writer most probably agree with? I knew I was all right now. Nobody else would come ahunting after me. I got my traps out of the canoe and made me a nice camp in the thick woods. I made a tent out of my blankets to put my things under so the rain couldn't get at them. I caught a catfish and towards sundown I started my camp fire and had supper. When it was dark I sat by my camp fire, feeling pretty satisfied; but by and by it got sort of lonesome, so I went and sat on the bank and listened to the current crashing along, and counted the stars and drift logs and rafts that came down, and then went to bed; there was no better way to _ when you are lonesome; you can't stay so, and you soon get it over. And so for three days and nights. No difference--just the same thing. But the next day I went exploring around the island. I was boss of it; it all belonged to me, and I wanted to know all about it; but mainly I wanted to spend the time. I found plenty of strawberries and green summer grapes; and the green blackberries were just beginning to show. Well, I went fooling along in the deep woods till I judged I wasn't far from the foot of the island. I had my gun along, but I had shot nothing; it was for protection. About this time I almost stepped on a goodsized snake, and it moved quietly and smoothly through the grass and flowers, and I was after it, trying to get a shot at it. I clipped along, and all of a sudden I bounded right on to the ashes of a camp fire that was still smoking. My heart jumped up among my lungs. I never waited to look further, but unlocked my gun and went sneaking back on my tiptoes as fast as I could. Every now and then I stopped a second among the thick leaves and listened, but my breath came so hard that I couldn't hear anything else. I moved quietly along another piece further, then listened again; and so on, and so on. If I saw a stump , I took it for a man; if I stepped on a stick and broke it, it made me feel that a person had cut one of my breaths in two and I only got half, and the short half, too. There was no time to be fooling around. When getting to the camp, I got all my traps into my canoe again to have them out of sight. I put out the fire and threw the ashes around to look like an old last year's camp, and then climbed a tree. I suppose I was up for two hours; but I didn't see or hear anything--I only thought I heard and saw as much as a thousand things. Well, I couldn't stay up there forever, so at last I got down, but I kept in the thick woods and on the lookout all the time. All I could get to eat was berries and what was left over from breakfast. How did the boy feel when he saw the ashes of a camp fire that was still smoking?
Chinese writer and translator Yang Jiang died early on May 25, 2016 in Beijing at age 104. The longest-living Chinese woman writer, she was known for her modest, subtle and witty writing style. Yang became a household name in China for her novels, essays, plays and translated works. Her most popular novel, Baptism, describing a group of intellectuals adjusting to a new society in the early 1950s, has been translated into French and English. Yang began learning Spanish in 1959 at age 48, and started to translate Don Quixote in 1962. She was the first to translate Don Quixote into Chinese. The work was stopped twice due to the "cultural revolution". She completed it in 1976, and the Chinese edition was published in 1978 and has sold more than 1 million copies. In that year, the Spanish king and queen visited China, and then-leader Deng Xiao-ping gave the royal couple Yang's translation as a gift. Yang was received by Deng at the Great Hall of the People. While shaking hands, Deng asked her when she had completed the translation. "It's just published," she replied, having no time to tell the full story. She was married to Qian Zhongshu, a well-known scholar and author of the best-selling novel Fortress Besieged. Yang's _ about her family, The Three of Us, written after her husband and daughter died, in 1998 and 1997 respectively, was translated into German. Yang never stopped writing. At 94, she started writing the book Walking onto the Edge of Life to reflect on her life. It won China's top book award in 2007. At 100, she was still writing articles for newspapers. In which did she start writing the book Walking onto the Edge of Life ? Answer: Cowboy or spaceman? A dilemma for a children's party, perhaps. But also a question for economists, argued Kenneth Boulding, a British economist, in an essay published in 1966. We have run our economies, he warned, like cowboys on the open grassland: taking and using the world's resources, confident that more lies over the horizon. But the Earth is less a grassland than a spaceship--a closed system, alone in space, carrying limited supplies. We need, said Boulding, an economics that takes seriously the idea of environmental limits. In the half century since his essay, a new movement has responded to his challenge. "Ecological economists", as they call themselves, want to revolutionise its aims and assumptions. What do they say--and will their ideas achieve lift-off? To its advocators, ecological economics is neither ecology nor economics, but a mix of both. Their starting point is to recognise that the human economy is part of the natural world. Our environment, they note, is both a source of resources and a sink for wastes. But it is ignored in conventional textbooks, where neat diagrams trace the flows between firms, households and the government as though nature did not exist. That is a mistake, say ecological economists. There are two ways our economies can grow, ecological economists point out: through technological change, or through more intensive use of resources. Only the former, they say, is worth having. They are suspicious of GDP, a crude measure which does not take account of resource exhaustion, unpaid work, and countless other factors. In its place they advocate moreholistic approaches, such as the Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI), a composite index that includes things like the cost of pollution, deforestation and car accidents. While GDP has kept growing, global GPI per person peaked in 1978: by destroying our environment we are making ourselves poorer, not richer. The solution, says Herman Daly, a former World Bank economist and eco-guru, is a "steady-state" economy, where the use of materials and energy is held constant. Mainstream economists are unimpressed. The GPI, they point out, is a subjective measure. And talk of limits to growth has had a bad press since the days of Thomas Malthus, a gloomy 18th century cleric who predicted, wrongly, that overpopulation would lead to famine. Human beings find solutions to some of the most annoying problems. But ecological economists warn against self-satisfaction. In 2009 a paper in Nature, a scientific journal, argued that human activity is already overstepping safe planetary boundaries on issues such as biodiversity and climate change. That suggests that ecological economists are at least asking some important questions, even if their answers turn out to be wrong. The comparison between GDP and GPI data in 1978 has warned us that . Answer: Cell phones _ are all around us.We use cell phones to call our friends,send text messages,play games,and even take photographs. Now imagine using your cell phone to call your air conditioner . If this were possible you could tell your air conditioner to rum on before you got home.Does this sound impossible to you? Well,it could become possible sooner than you think.In the near future,we might use cell phones as remote controls for the electrical devices in our homes.People are already working to develop different ways to communicate wirelessly with devices we use every day.For example,it is already possible for cell phones to communicate with laptop computers.Business people using laptops during meetings Call use their cell phones as remote controls.They can use their cell phones to send instructions to computers to turn on,change pictures,and turn off. With the same technology ,people can use their cell phones to control other devices.You can call your stereo to play music automatically .You can call your lights to turn on when you enter a room.Maybe even by next summer you will be able to call your air conditioner ! Which instructions can be sent to a laptop according to the passage? Answer: Lying in the sun on a rock , the cougar saw Jeb and his son Tom before they saw it . Jeb put his bag down quickly and pulled his jacket open with both hands , making himself look big to the cougar . It worked . The cougar hesitated , ready to attack Jeb , but ready to forget the whole thing , too . Jeb let go of his jacket , grasped Tom and held him across his body , making a cross . Now the cougar's enemy looked even bigger , and it rose up , ready to move away , but unfortunately Tom got scared and struggled free of Jeb . " Tom , no ! " shouted his father . But Tom broke and ran and that's the last thing you do with a cougar . The second Tom broke free , Jeb threw himself on the cougar , just as it jumped from the rock . They hit each other in mid-air and both fell . The cougar was on Jeb in a flash , leaving Tom alone , which was what Jeb wanted . Cougars are not as big as most people think and a determined man stands a chance , even with just his fists . As the cougar's claws got into his left shoulder , Jeb swung his fist at its eyes and hit hard . The animal howled and put its head back . Jeb followed up with his other fist . Then out of the corner of his eye , Jeb saw Tom . The boy was running back to help his father . " knife , Tom , " shouted Jeb . The boy ran to his father's bag , while Jeb started shouting as well as hitting , to keep the cougar's attention away from Tom . Tom got the knife and ran over to Jeb . The cougar was moving its head in and out , trying to find a way through the wall Jeb was making out of his arms . Tom swung with the knife , into the cougar's back . It howled horribly and ran off into the mountains . The whole fight had taken about thirty seconds . Which of the following words can be used to describe Jeb ? Answer: Greenwich is on the River, five miles from the middle of London, and its history is two thousand years old. The first English people were fishermen there, and they named the place Greenwich, meaning "green village". Later the English kings and queens lived at Greenwich in their beautiful places. The name of the earliest palace was Placentia. Its windows were made of glass--the first in England. But trouble was coming to Greenwich. In 1649, a war started in England and for eleven years there was no king. The men who had worked for him at Placentia decided to live in the place themselves. They sold all its beautiful things, and bought small pieces of the palace garden with money. Finally, the war ended and King Charles II came back. But Placentia was falling down. So King Charles built a new and bigger palace, which is now open to the public. At this time, Charles was worried about losing so many of its ships at sea because their sailors did not know how to tell exactly where they were. So in 1675, Charles made John Flamsteed, the first astronomer in England, try to find the answer. Flamsteed worked in a new building on the high ground in Greenwich Park. From it with a telescope which he made himself, Flamsteed could look all round the sky. And he did, night after night, for twenty years. Carrying on Flamsteed's work a hundred years later, an astronomer called Harrison finally made a clock which told the time at sea, and helped sailors to know where they were.You can see Harrison's clock, still working, in Greenwich's museum of the sea. Because of Flamsteed's work, every country in the world now tells its time by Greenwich time. Who made the first clock which could tell the time at sea? Answer:
Question: The following notice is posted in the bus station. Time Table: Buses leave the Railway Station, New York City, from7:00 a.m. and every half-hour thereafter, until 11:30 p.m. (7 days a week) Buses leave Brennan Station 20 minutes before and after every hour from 6:20 a.m. to 11:40 p.m. (7 days a week) Evening rush hours (5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.); Buses leave the Railway Station, New York City every 15 minutes.(Monday--Friday) Holidays Buses leave every hour on the hour, each direction.(Trip time:30minutes each way) *All tickets must be bought at Window 12, the Railway Station, New York City, or at the Brennan Station Window BEFORE boarding buses. Where should passengers buy their tickets? A. From the bus driver. B. On the bus after getting on it. C. From the conductor. D. At the station before boarding. Answer: D. At the station before boarding. Question: Have you ever noticed advertisements which say "Learn a foreign language in 6 weeks, or your money back! From the first day your pronunciation will be excellent. Just send..." and so on? Of course, it never happens quite like that. The only language that is easy to learn is one's mother tongue. And think how much practice that gets! Before the Second World War people usually learnt a foreign language in order to read the literature of the country. Now speaking a foreign language is what most people want. Every year millions of people start learning one. How do they do it? Some people try at home, with books and records of tapes; some use radio or television programmes; some use computers and network; others go to evening classes. If they use the language only 2 or 3 times a week, learning it will take a long time, like learning a foreign language at school. A few people try to learn a language fast by studying for 6 or more hours a day. It is clearly easier to learn the language in the country where it is spoken. However, most people cannot afford this, and for many it is not necessary. They need the language in order to do their work better. For example, scientists and doctors chiefly need to be able to read books and reports in the foreign language. Whether the language is learnt quickly or slowly, it is hard work. Machines and good books will help, but they cannot do the student's work for him. According to some advertisements, you _ . A. have to pay your money if you cannot master a foreign language in 6 weeks B. needn't pay you money if you cannot learn a foreign language in 6 weeks C. must pay your money if you cannot master a foreign language in 6 weeks D. will be paid much money if you cannot learn a foreign language in 6 weeks Answer: B. needn't pay you money if you cannot learn a foreign language in 6 weeks Question: Dear Malia and Sasha, I know that you've both had a lot of fun these last two years on the campaign trail , going to picnics and parades and state fairs, eating all sorts of junk food your mother and I probably shouldn't have let you have. But I also know that it hasn't always been easy for you and Mom, and that though you both are excited about that new puppy , it doesn't make up for all the time we've been apart. I know how much I've missed these past two years, and today I want to tell you a little more about why I decided to take our family on this journey. When I was a young man, I thought life was all about me--about how I'd make my way in the world, become successful, and get the things I want. But then the two of you came into my world with all your smiles that never fail to fill my heart and light up my day. And suddenly, all my big plans for myself didn't seem so important anymore. I soon found that the greatest joy in my life was the joy I saw in yours. And I realized that my own life wouldn't be so important unless I was able to ensure that you had every opportunity for happiness and fulfillment in yours. In the end, girls, that's why I ran for President: because of what I want for you and for every child in this nation. I want all our children to go to schools worthy of their potential --schools that challenge them, inspire them, and teach them a sense of wonder about the world around them. I want them to have the chance to go to college--even if their parents aren't rich. And I want them to get good jobs: jobs that pay well and give them benefits like health care, jobs that let them spend time with their own kids and retire with dignity . I want us to push the boundaries of discovery so that you'll live to see new technologies and inventions that improve our lives and make our planet cleaner and safer. And I want us to push our own human boundaries to reach beyond the divides of race and gender that keep us from seeing the best in each other. (An extract from Obama letter to his daughters) Why did Obama run for president? A. He wanted to set a good example to his daughters. B. He promised to realize his dream. C. He expected to build a way of success for his daughters. D. He thought he was supposed to help every American child with happiness and fulfillment. Answer: D. He thought he was supposed to help every American child with happiness and fulfillment. Question: A child, who has once got interested in a tale, likes, as a rule, to have it retold in almost the same words, but this should not lead parents to treat printed fairy stories as formal texts. It is always much better to "tell" a story than just "read" it out of a book, and, if a parent can produce his own as an improvement on the printed text, according to his child's actual situation, so much the better. There is a charge made against some fairy tales, as they probably harm children by frightening them or leaving them sad feelings. To prove it, an experiment has been done to show that children who have heard terrible fairy stories often feel more uneasy than those who have not. As for fears, there are some cases where children get timid by some fairy story. Often, however, this arises from the child having heard the story once. Familiarity with the story by repetition may weaken the pain of fear. There are also people who object to fairy stories on the grounds that the stories are not objectively true, and that those giants, witches, two-headed dragons, magic carpets etc. do not really exist, so children should be taught to learn the reality by studying history, instead of being got fond of the strange side in fairy tales. Those, who prefer to create such stories, are so peculiar that it is hard to argue with them. If their creative exaggeration were _ , the world should be full of mad men attempting to fly from New York to Philadelphia on a stick or covering a telephone with kisses in the belief that it was their beloved girl-friend. Not once is a fairy story ever declared to be a description of the real world, but not every child is clever enough to be aware of it. Parents should choose their children's "bed-time" reading materials with much care. Only the fairy stories containing positive effect will make a clever and caring child with rich imagination. One of the reasons why some people are not in favor of fairy tales is that _ . A. they are made up far from the truth B. they are so full of imagination C. they are not interesting at all D. they make history difficult to teach Answer: A. they are made up far from the truth Question: My mind went blank when I saw the gun pointing against the car window as we pulled out of the garage. This can't be happening to me. Then I felt the gun, cold, against my head, and I heard my friend Jeremy saying, "What do you want? Take my wallet," but at the time I thought of nothing. I remember being a little annoyed when the gunman pulled me from the car by the hair. I remember the walk to the house --- Jeremy, me, the two men with two guns. I remember the fear and anger in the gunmen's voices because Jeremy was being slow, and I remember wondering why he was being slow. I did not realize that Jeremy had thrown the keys into the bush. But I remember that sound of the gun hitting Jeremy's head and the feeling as the man who had hold of my hair released me. And I remember the split second when I realized he was looking at Jeremy, and I remember wondering how far I could run before he pulled the trigger. But I was already running, and upon reaching the car across the street, I didn't crouch behind it but screamed instead. I remember thinking there was something ridiculous and illogical about screaming "Help, help!" at eight o'clock on a Tuesday evening in December and changing my plea to the more specific "Help, let me in, please let me in!" But the houses were cold, closed, unfriendly, and I ran on until I heard Jeremy's screams behind me announcing that our attackers had fled. The neighbors who had not opened their doors to us came out with baseball bats and helped Jeremy find his glasses and keys. In a group they were very brave. We waited for the police to come until someone said to someone else that the noodles were getting cold, and I said politely, "Please go and eat. We're O.K." I was happy to see them go. They had been talking of stricter sentences for criminals, of bringing back the death penalty and how the President is going to clean up the country. I was thinking, they could be saying all of this over my dead body, and I still feel that stiffer sentences wouldn't change a thing. In a rush all the anger I should have felt for my attackers was directed against these contented people standing in front of their warm, comfortable homes talking about all the guns they were going to buy. What good would guns have been to Jeremy and me? People all over the neighborhood had called to report our screams, and the police turned out in force twenty minutes later. They were ill-tempered about what was, to them, much trouble about nothing. After all, Jeremy was hardly hurt, and we were hopeless when it came to describing the gunmen. "Typical," said one policeman when we couldn't even agree on how tall the men were. Both of us were able to describe the guns in horrifying detail, but the two policemen who stayed to make the report didn't think that would be much help. The policemen were matter-of-fact about the whole thing. The thin one said, "That was a stupid thing to do, throwing away the keys. When a man has a gun against your head you do what you're told." Jeremy looked properly embarrassed. Then the fat policeman came up and the thin one went to look around the outside of the house. "That was the best thing you could have done, throwing away the keys," he said. "If you had gone into the house with them..." His voice became weaker. "They would have hurt her" --- he twisted his head toward me - "and killed you both." Jeremy looked happier. "Look," said the fat policeman kindly, "there's no right or wrong in the situation. There's just luck." All that sleepless night I replayed the moment those black gloves came up to the car window. How long did the whole thing last? Three minutes, five, eight? No matter how many hours of my life I may spend reliving it, I know there is no way to prepare for the next time --- no intelligent response to a gun. The fat cop was right. There's only luck. The next time I might end up dead. And I'm sure there will be a next time. It can happen anywhere, anytime, to anyone. Security is an illusion ; there is no safety in locks or in guns. Guns make some people feel safe and some people feel strong, but they're fooling themselves. The author was happy to see the neighbors go because _ . A. she hated to listen to their empty talk B. she did not want to become an object of pity C. she was angered by their being late to come to her help D. she wanted to be left alone with Jeremy to get over the shock Answer: A. she hated to listen to their empty talk
A new study published recently in the American Heart Association's journal Circulation: Heart Failure reveals that according to a new large study, women who consumed five or more servings of baked fish had a thirty percent lower risk of heart failure in comparison to women who consumed less than one serving a month. Researchers examined the diets of 84,493 women from 50 to 79 years old. The women who consumed a lot of baked fish like salmon received stronger benefits than those who consumed mostly tuna, grouper or white fish. The consumption of baked fish also appeared to provide protection against high blood pressure cardiovascular disease . It also found that those women who consumed more baked fish tended to have a lower body mass index , exercise more and consume more fruits and vegetables in comparison to those who consumed fried fish. Researchers note that past research has discovered that the fatty acids in fish probably decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease by decreasing inflammation and improving blood pressure along with heart and blood vessel functioning. This study does show the link between fish consumption and heart failure risk but it was not designed to show cause and effect. This study also showed that just by consuming one serving of fried fish a week was linked to a 49% greater risk of heart failure. It also found that the consumption of fried fish was linked to a lower fiber intake and a higher calorie intake. Dr Lloyd-Jones, associate professor with North-western's Feinberg School of Medicine, states frequent consumption of baked fish appears to be part of a suitable pattern that is greatly beneficial for numerous things. This advocates that fish is a very good source of lean protein that we should be increasing as a part of our diet. Recommendations from the American Heart Association suggest consuming a minimum of two 3.5 ounce servings of fish especially fatty each week. Compared to women who consumed fried fish, those who consumed baked fish _ . A. have a better figure B. eat more meat C. have higher blood pressure D. are more relaxed Answer: A. have a better figure Women's fashions change more rapidly than men's. In the early 1990's, all women wore their skirts to the ankle. Today, some skirts are even longer than before, but some are very short. Women's shoes have also gone through all sorts of boots for women were very common at the beginning of this century. Then for years, they were not considered fashionable. Today, they're back again in all colours, lengths and materials. In fact, today's women can wear all types of clothes on almost any occasion. While all of these changes were taking place in women's fashions, men's clothing remained almost the same until a few years ago. And, in fact, most men are still dressed in the kinds of clothes they used to wear. The passage tries to tell us _ . A. boots for women have been thought fashionable since 1900 B. women's shoes are back again in all colours, length etc. C. today men are dressed in the kinds of clothes they used to wear D. fashions for clothes, shoes and so on always change Answer: D. fashions for clothes, shoes and so on always change I recently read about a wonderful act of kindness. It is about the country singer, Jan Howard, and it happened in the mid 1950s. You can read about it in her autobiography , Sunshine and Shadow. She suffered a lot with her three children, two of whom were babies. She was forced to leave her husband because he didn't care about the family. At one point she suffered a nervous breakdown due to his cruel and uncaring behavior. She took her children with her and decided to leave their home, but didn't know her destination. This all took place in a small town in Kansas, called Frontenac. She had very little gas in the tank and no money at all and she didn't even manage to make it out of Frontenac. As she used up the gas she got into a panic . She then went to a house, not knowing the owner. She "put her pride in her pocket" and went to the door. After she explained her situation to an old lady who answered the door, the lady asked her husband to help Jan carry the children into the house. These kind people allowed her to stay for two weeks until she received some money in the mail from a . They fed and cared for Jan and her children. This is one of the most exciting acts of kindness I have ever come across in my fifty years. These angels were named Henry and Sarah and they would always be warmly remembered by me for what they did for Jan and her children. From the passage we learn that the author _ . A. believes Jan Howard met with angels B. doesn't know the old couple's names C. doesn't know where the old couple lived D. thinks highly of the old couple Answer: D. thinks highly of the old couple Smart Exercise Doctors are starting to find more and more information that suggests a connection between exercise and brain development. Judy Cameron, a scientist at Oregon Health and prefix = st1 /ScienceUniversity, studies brain development. According to her research, it seems that exercise can make blood vessels, including those in the brain, stronger and more fully developed. Dr. Cameron claims this allows people who exercise to concentrate better. As she says: "While we already know that exercise is good for the heart, exercise can literally cause physical changes in the brain." The effects of exercise on brain development can even be seen in babies. Babies who do activities that require a lot of movement and physical activity show greater brain development than babies who are less physically active. With babies, even a little movement can show big results. Margaret Barnes, a pediatrician , believes in the importance of exercise. She thinks that many learning disabilities that children have in elementary school or high school can be traced back to a lack of movement as babies. "Babies need movement that stimulates their five senses. They need to establish a connection between motion and memory. In this way, as they get older, children will begin to associate physical activity with higher learning," says Margaret. Older people can beef uptheir brains as well.CornellUniversitystudied a group of seniors ranging in age from seventy to seventy-nine. Their study showed a short-term memory increase of up to 40 percent after exercising just three hours a week. The exercise does not have to be very difficult, but it does have to increase the heart rate. Also, just like the motion for infants, exercise for older people should involve some complexity. Learning some new skills or motions helps to open up memory paths in the brain that may not have been used for a long time. For most people, any type of physical activity that increases the heart rate is helpful. The main goal is to increase the brain's flow of blood. And your brain can benefit from as little as two to three hours of exercise a week. Margaret Barnes thinks that a lack of movement in infancy can A. lead to learning troubles later. B. cause physical disabilities later. C. stimulate the five senses. D. bring about changes in the brain. Answer: A. lead to learning troubles later. Some children are flying kites near the river. They are very high and Peter can see them from the classroom. After lunch his aunt comes to see his mother and brings a kite to him. It looks like a bird. He wants to fly it but his mother doesn't let him do that. "It's time to go to school," says his mother, "You can fly it after dinner." The boy is unhappy, and says goodbye to his aunt and leaves. Now he is in the classroom but he doesn't listen to Miss Black. He only thinks how to fly the kite. Miss Black writes something on the blackboard and then turns to the class. "Name(......) nine things with milk in them, Peter." she says. The boy doesn't hear her and still sits there. A boy in Row 4 beats his back and he knows it. He stands up and Miss Black asks him the question again. He thinks for some time and then says, "Yes, madam, tea, coffee, cake and ...er...six cows ." Peter's mother tells him to fly the kite _ . A. at breakfast B. in the classroom C. after dinner D. in school Answer: C. after dinner
An insect bee stands out on the logo of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, despite "Bee" being unrelated to the name of the insect. "Bee" refers to "a gathering", where people join together in an activity. The National Spelling Bee was formed in 1925 as a collection of many local spelling bees,organized by Louisville. With competitions, cash prizes, and a trip to the nation's capital, it was hoped the Bee would _ "general interest among pupils in a dull subject". Mark Neuhauser won the first National Spelling Bee held that year, by successfully spelling "gladiolus".In 2014,there were two winners of the Bee--a conclusion that has only happened three other times in Bee history, and not since 1962. Sriram Hathwar, a 14yearold from New York and Ansun Sujoe, a 13yearold from Texas shared the excitement as cochampions after 22 rounds of spelling. Each took home over $30,000 in cash, scholarships and bonds. The Spelling Bee has been held every year except for 19431945 due to World War II.Later, the Scripps Company acquired the rights to the program in 1941. The bee is held in late May or early June of each year.It is open to students who have not yet completed the eighth grade, reached their 15th birthday, nor won a previous National Spelling Bee.Its goal is educational:not only to encourage children to perfect the art of spelling, but also to help enlarge their vocabularies and widen their knowledge of the English language. When did Mark win the National Spelling Bee? A In 1925. B In 1941. C In 1962. D In 2014. Answer: A Hundreds of Chinese officials are to be sacked or demoted for their part in a vaccine scandal that has added to discontent at poor oversight of food and drug safety, especially relating to children. Xinhua, the state news agency, said late on Wednesday that 357 officials are to face punishment, with 192 criminal cases already filed and 202 people detained after improperly stored or transported vaccines were sent to 59 health institutions. This is the latest in a string of food and drug safety scandals in a country where parents often import products for infants and babies from overseas to ensure quality. Many remember with fear the 2008 milk powder scandal, in which infant formula laced with melamine caused at least six deaths and 300,000 children to fall ill. Beijing last month made public an illegal operation in eastern Shandong province in which a hospital pharmacist and her daughter traded $88m in vaccines that may have been compromised because they were expired or improperly stored or transported. The China Food and Drug Administration said, however, that the vaccines posed no greater than the normal risk to patients. "We don't see that the vaccines' effectiveness has been reduced," added the health watchdog in a report. Nonetheless, health officials fear a backlash against Chinese-manufactured vaccines, which already have a reputation for being more dangerous than those made overseas. Wang Yuedan, deputy director of Peking University's immunology department, said the key to evaluating risks is to check whether package seals are broken or for pollution with micro-organisms. "The vaccines in the Shandong case don't have those problems," he said. Those vaccines had been subject to higher than normal temperatures that could have lowered their effectiveness and reduced their protective value. But the official investigation showed the vaccines "are still effective", he said. Beijing, which publicized the affair almost a year after it was exposed, and several years after it started, appeared eager to show commitment to crack down on abuses by announcing the action, political analysts said. The CFDA said a system was being set up to track vaccines from production to use. The World Health Organization warned the scandal could endanger China's public health gains if parents become distrustful of vaccines. It also expressed confidence in Chinese vaccines, saying public immunization campaigns had erased polio and sharply reduced cases of hepatitis B and measles. According to Wang Yuedan's opinion, the vaccines in Shandong _ . A were polluted by micro-organisms. B were resistant to high temperature. C decreased their value of protection D were still effective Answer: C An international group of coffee experts has considered Ethiopia's coffee as the best in the world. Coffee is a top export ( ) of the country. But at home, it is seen as national pride. Ethiopians feel good about their coffee, and enjoying a drink with friends is a long tradition. Some people say the climate produces quality beans. Morton Wennersgarrd is a coffee importer. He said,"Ethiopia has different ancient types of coffee. They are planted in places with perfect soil, perfect altitude ( ), and climates that are really suitable for coffee processing." Finding the best quality beans is often an issue of taste. The process is known as cupping -- tasting and comparing coffee from different roasted beans, grading and then pricing them. But before international experts come to taste, coffee beans are studied in small coffee laboratories. Helen Assefa, a lab technician, describes the process, "When the coffee comes to the lab, we assess ( ) its quality first by recording the details. Then we weigh the moisture level and we examine the beans for analysis. After that we grind ( ) the coffee beans and taste the samples. At the end we check for defective beans." Mubarik Abaoli is a lab worker. He says that testing is a very difficult and long process. "We select out the defects by hand. And we select out the defect according to the defect types." Ethiopia has got a lot of money by exporting coffee to more than 120 countries. The country has an export revenue ( ) of more than $840 million a year. But not all the best coffee leaves Ethiopia. Forty percent of the coffee grown in the country stays there. It remains an important part of everyday life at work, at home and at ceremonies. Ethiopians' attitude towards coffee may best be described as _ . A proud B relaxed C brave D doubtful Answer: A Dan Bebber is a senior research fellow at the University of Exeter in Britain. He says research has shown that wild plants and animals are moving toward Earth's North and South poles as the planet warms. Mr Bebber wanted to know if the same thing was happening with organisms that attack agricultural crops. He examined reports of first sightings of new insects and diseases around the world. The records came from CABI - the Centre for Agricultural Bioscience International. He says the group began collecting information from developing and industrialized countries years ago. Dan Bebber and his research team studied 612 different organisms - from viruses and bacteria to insects like beetles and butterflies. They found that since 1960, crop pests and diseases have been moving toward the poles at an average rate of about 3 kilometers each year. Mr Bebber says this puts the most productive farmland in the world in danger. "As new species of pests and diseases evolve and potentially the environment for them becomes more _ at higher latitudes, the pressure on the breadbaskets of the world is going to increase." Farmers face other threats. Invasive species passed through trade are also causing problems. Gene Kritsky is an Entomologist at the College of Mount St. Joseph in Ohio. He specialises in the study of insects. He says climate change may improve conditions for some invasive species. "It means that species in other parts of the world that might do well in warmer temperatures can now do well in the breadbasket of America." Another Entomologist Christian Krupke of Purdue University says the effects of these changes will depend very much on the crop, the insect and the disease. But he says the research is a warning sign that people should care about climate change and do something about it. Which of the following is not a threat that farmers have to face? A Climate change helps crop pests to adapt to new environment. B Foreign species are brought in by trade. C Invasive species doing well in warmer places might do well in America. D The impacts of the climate and species changes on crops are not easy to determine. Answer: D Parents need to be good role models to help their children make sensible financial decisions, according to Adam Hancock and his team, from East Caronlina University in the US. Their work highlights that parents who argue about finances contribute to increasing credit card debt among their children during their students years. Their work is published online in Springer's Journal of Family and Economic Issues. Credit card debt among college students has been a growing concern for researchers and policymakers over the last decade. In addition, there is growing concern among educators that more students are dropping out of school, not because of academic failure, but because of financial reasons, and credit card especially. Hancock and colleagues' study is the first to examine how parental interactions, and financial knowledge and attitudes may have a cumulative effect on the number of credit cards students own and their level of credit card debt. The researchers analyzed data for 420 undergraduate students from seven different American universities, who took part in the College Student Financial Literacy Survey. According to the online survey, nearly two-thirds of students had a credit card, and nearly a third had more than one. Those students who reported that their parents argued about finances were more likely to have more than two cards than the students whose parents who did not argue about finances. In terms of debt, those students who had two or more credit cards were nearly three times more likely to report having credit card debt over $500. The researchers conclude, "It is clear that the influence of parents cannot be neglected. Researchers, educators and policymakers should work in finding effective ways to increase the positive financial behaviors for college students. We need to help students learn financial skills and establish healthy financial attitudes at earlier ages to prevent poor financial habits from taking root. " If you have two or more credit cards, you are more likely to _ . A get wealthy B have argument C buy more things D become in debt Answer: D
The Basics of Math--Made Clear Basic Math introduces students to the basic concepts of mathematics, as well as the fundamentals of more tricky areas. These 30 fantastic lectures are designed to provide students with an understanding of arithmetic and to prepare them for Algebra and beyond. The lessons in Basic Math cover every basic aspect of arithmetic. They also look into exponents , the order of operations, and square roots. In addition to learning how to perform various mathematical operations, students discover why these operations work, how a particular mathematical topic relates to other branches of mathematics, and how these operations can be used practically. Basic Math starts from the relatively easier concepts and gradually moves on to the more troublesome ones, so as to allow for steady and sure understanding of the material by students. The lectures offer students the chance to "make sense" of mathematical knowledge that may have seemed so frightening. They also help students prepare for college mathematics and overcome their anxiety about this amazing--and completely understandable--field of study. By the conclusion of the course, students will have improved their understanding of basic math. They will be able to clear away the mystery of mathematics and face their studies with more confidence than they ever imagined. In addition, they will strengthen their ability to accept new and exciting mathematical challenges. Professor H. Siegel, honored by Kentucky Educational Television as "the best math teacher in America," is a devoted teacher and has a gift for explaining mathematical concepts in ways that make them seem clear and obvious. From the basic concrete ideas to the more abstract problems, he is master in making math lectures learner-friendlier and less scary. With a PhD in Mathematics Education from Georgia State University, Dr. Siegel teaches mathematics at Central Arizona College. His courses include various make-up classes and a number of lectures for future primary school teachers. If the course fails to provide complete satisfaction to you, you can easily exchange it for any other course that we offer. Or you can get your money back. Where is the passage most likely to have been taken from? A A news report. B A book review C A lesson plan. D An advertisement Answer: D. An advertisement Come and see the Indian elephants and the new tigers form Northeast of China. The beautiful birds from England are ready to sing songs for you, and the monkeys from Mount Emei will be happy to talk to you. The lovely dogs from Australia want to laugh at you. Sichuan pandas will play balls for you. The giraffes from Africaare waiting to look down on you. Keep the zoo clean. Do not touch, feed or go near to the animals. Where are the pandas from? A India. B China. C Africa. D Australia. Answer: B. China. Book 1 : Brack Obama Grades: 3-5 Our Price: $ 8.95 His mother came from Kansas. His father came from Kenya. He grew up in Hawaii and Indonesia, far from the center of American politics. Few people had even heard of Brack Obama before 2004. But one powerful speech in Boston changed all that for the Illinois senator . In 2008, this inspiring leader ran for the country's top job, President. Book 2: Danica Patrick Grades: 3-5 Our Price: $ 8.95 Growing up, Danica Patrick dreamed of racing in the Indianapolis 500. In 2005, her dream came true. Danica finished the race in fourth place, the best ever result by a woman. Three years later, she became the first female to win an IndyCar race. As a woman competing in a sport dominated by men, Danica faced many obstacles. But she never stopped believing in herself, no matter what the difficulties. Book 3: Ellen Ochoa Grades: 3-5 Our Price: $ 8.95 Some people dream of becoming stars. Ellen Ochoa dreamed of living among them! She worked hard to make her dream of becoming an astronaut come true. On April 8, 1993, she strapped herself in for the ride of her life aboard the space shuttle Discovery. Ochoa aimed high and ly went where no Hispanic woman had gone before. Find out about Ochoa's amazing journey in her own words and photos from her personal collection! Book 4: LeBron James Grades: 3-5 Our Price: $ 8.95 Fans, teammates, and opponents know him as King James. Many people consider LeBron James to be the most talented basketball Player of his generation. But there is much more to his story. He overcame hard times as a kid and rose to national fame as a teenager. He then jumped right from high school to the pros. Along the way, LeBron never lost sight of where he came from or who he is. Emma is dreaming of being a car racer. Who can be an example to her? A Brack Obama B Danica Patrick C Ellen Ochoa D LeBron James Answer: B. Danica Patrick Australian sleep researchers have developed a set of hi-tech "sunglasses", described as the world's first "time control" glasses, which can imitate sunlight patterns. The team, from Flinders University, in Adelaide, says the glasses send out a soft green glow that helps a traveller adapt to changing sleep patterns and time zones in "small steps". It targets a part of the brain that regulates the human body-clock, by sending signals to the rest of the body that help it slowly realise it is in a different area of the world. It has been suggested the device, called the "Re-Timer", is currently the only wearable body clock adjustment system commercially available. Scientists say the device, officially launched in South Australia, can help ridf the negative effects of long-timel travel and bring new relief to insomnia sufferers, shift workers and even teenagers. "The light from Re-Timer stimulates the part of the brain responsible for regulating the 24-hour body clock," said Prof Leon Lack, its chief inventor. Extensive research has shown that green light is one of the most effective wavelengths for influencing the body clock. The battery-powered device, which retail for PS162 in Britain, then sends signals that cause the production of hormones and daily cycles known as circadian rhythms . Those people who want to sleep peacefully, but wake earlier, should wear it for 50 minutes in the morning for three days. Those who want a lie- in, should wear it for the same time before bed to delay the body clock. The device, which is powered by an inbuilt rechargeable battery, can also be worn as sunglasses during daily tasks such as reading or using a computer. "The glasses have been designed to be user friendly and comfortable to wear so people can go about their normal activities wearing them at work or at home," he said, adding they had been designed based on 25 years of university research. It is estimated that up to 94 per cent of long-time travellers suffer from jet lag because the body becomes confused to travelling through different time zones. So the glasses are good news to them. It uses the outside world as indicators as to whether it should be awake or asleep including factors such as light, silence or noise. Airlines are said to be seeking a "silver bullet" for the tiredness and confusion that often follow a long-timel flight and are in discussions to buy the device. If you wear a "Re-Timer" an hour before bed, you will probably _ . A wake up earlier than usual B spend a longer bed time C sleep less but feel energetic D have a sleep without dreams Answer: B. spend a longer bed time Henry works in a factory. He comes from a poor family and was in school for only four years. He has to do the hard work, but he hasn't got much money. He likes to watch football matches very much and spends much time on it. One evening there was a big football match on a playground. He borrowed some money from his friend and hurried there. There were a lot of people there. And all the tickets were sold out. He was sorry for it. He saw a pole outside the playground and climbed up it quickly. A policeman came and said, "It's dangerous to stay on it! Come down!" "Wait a minute, please!" Henry said and just at that moment the policeman heard cheers in the playground and asked in a hurry, "Which team has kicked a goal?" "Ours!" "Wonderful! You can stay there. But take care!" the policeman said happily and left. When the match was nearly over, he came again and asked, "Who's won?" "Theirs, 3:2." "Come down," said the policeman angrily. "Such a match isn't worth watching!" Henry had to come down. But soon they heard cheers again. The policeman said anxiously, "Climb up and quickly and see who's kicked a goal!" Henry didn't have much schooling because _ . A he liked playing football. B he spent much time on watching football match C his family was poor. D he had to do the hard work when he was in school Answer: C. his family was poor.
When you don't speak, you may be still communicating. It is true that you may not wish to say anything. But your very silence may show your wish to be left alone or to stay uninvolved, which is the message you want to send. So it has been said that while we speak with our vocal organs, we _ with our whole bodies. All of us communicate with one anther nonverbally , as well as with words. Sometimes we know what we are doing with the use of gestures such as the thumbs-up sign to indicate that we approve. But most of the time we are not aware that we are doing it. Body language serves a variety of purpose. Firstly it can replace verbal communication, as with the use of gesture. Secondly, it can modify verbal communication. Loudness and tone of voice is an example here. Thirdly it regulates social interaction: turn taking is largely governed by non-verbal signals. Fourthly it conveys our emotions. Finally it conveys our attitude towards ourselves and towards the people we are communicating with. _ is particularly important for successful cross-cultural communications. Every culture has its own body language. So in order to achieve a more successful cross-cultural communications, we heed not only what to say but also how to say it appropriately. Observation shows that a truly bilingual person switches his body language at the same time he switches language. The best title for the passage is " _ ". A Verbal Language B Communication Skills C Ways to Communication D Body Language Answer: D LOS ANGELES--The advice offered from any other 82-year-olds might have made young people yawn and roll their eyes. But when former South African President Nelson Mandela advised two dozenprefix = st1 /Los Angelesto take education seriously, his audience was listening. The famed old man said to the young people that if they expected to improve the lives of others in the future, they must work at improving their own lives now. "Education is one of the most important weapons you have," Mandela advised, "it will place you in a far better position to serve yourself and your community." "The point is, he was young once and rebellious once and he kept his dream alive, just as you each have dreams." ExplainedSouth Africa's ambassador to theUnited States, Sheita Sisulu, as she introduced Mandela to the young crowd. Asked for specific advice about changing society by 21-year-old Ahmed Younis, Mandela suggested that somehow helping arouse more American interest in foreign affairs might be a start. "There is an impression that Americans, in general, have not followed international developments properly," Mandela said, "I'm not making that statement myself, but there are serious political analysts who say Americans are not well informed as to what has happened in the world." 22-year-old Omari Trice said Mandela left him full of passion. "He's a person who set the tone for an entire nation." said Trice. "You go away feeling you need to be Superman in order to get things done." Trice said. Nelson Mandela makes the point in his speech that American youth leaders should _ . A improve their own lives B go to college for better education C put more importance on education D become interested in foreign affairs Answer: C Look at this.It's a blue bag.It is my bag.What's in it? Look,this is my English book.It's blue,too.My Chinese book is also in my bag.It is yellow.This is my pencil box.It's big and nice.I like English and Chinese.My bag is my good friend. My _ is my good friend. A Chinese book B English book C pencil box D bag Answer: D Scientists and religious experts are debating the value of a small piece of papyrus that found its way to a researcher in the United States. The piece of paper raises an ages-old question about Jesus, whose life and teachings form the heart of Christianity. Could Jesus have been married? Harvard Divinity School Professor Karen King recently explained the Coptic wording on the papyrus. She says the words mean that Jesus called Mary Magdalene, an early Christian, "my wife." She says he did this while speaking to his disciples, or followers. "I don't think that this text is that significant. There are so many barriers for it to get over. You've got to show that it's reliable, and there are real questions about whether that text is reliable." Professor Bock expresses other concerns about the papyrus. For example, he says, there is not enough writing on it to establish the real meaning of the words. He says the word "wife" may not mean "wife" in the traditional way. And, he says the papyrus is just one text showing that Jesus might have been married. "And then you've got the fact that this is one text out of many, many, many texts that don't indicate that Jesus was married. And I think had Jesus been married, the early tradition about Jesus would have reflected that." What's the writer's opinion about the debate going on in the passage? A He holds the view that Jesus was married. B He doesn't believe it that Jesus had a wife. C He is just giving a neutral statement. D He is indifferent to the question. Answer: C Something in chocolate could be used to stop coughs and lead to more effective medicines, say UK researchers. Their study found that theobromine , found in cocoa, was nearly a third more effective in stopping coughs than codeine, which was considered the best cough medicine at present. The Imperial College London researchers who published their results online said the discovery could lead to more effective cough treatment. "While coughing is not necessarily harmful it can have a major effect on the quality of life, and this discovery could be a huge step forward in treating this problem," said Professor Peter Barnes. Ten healthy volunteers were given theobromine, codeine or placebo, a pill that contains no medicine, during the experiment. Neither the volunteers nor the researchers knew who received which pill. The researchers then measured levels of capsaicin, which is used in research to cause coughing and as a sign of how well the medicines are stopping coughs. The team found that, when the volunteers were given theobromine, the capsaicin needed to produce a cough was around a third higher than in the placebo group. When they were given codeine they needed only slightly higher levers of capsaicin to cause a cough compared with the placebo. The researchers said that theobromine worked by keeping down a nerve activity , which cause coughing. They also found that unlike some standard cough treatments, theobromine caused no side effects such as sleepiness. Which of the following would be the best title for the text? A Codeine: A New Medicine B Chocolate May Cure Coughs C Cough Treatment: A Hard Case D Theobromine Can Cause Coughs Answer: B
Question: Red roses were her favorites; her name was also Rose. And every year her husband sent them, tied with pretty bows. The year he died, the roses were delivered to her door. The card said, "Be my Valentine " , like all the years before. Each year he sent her roses, and the note would always say, "I love you even more this year, than last year on this day. My love for you will always grow, with every passing year." She knew this was the last time that the roses would appear. She thought, he ordered roses in advance before this day. Her loving husband did not know that he would pass away. He always liked to do things early. Then, if he got too busy, everything would work out fine. She cut away some stems, placed them in a very special vase, and set the vase beside the picture of his smiling face. She would sit for hours in her husband's favorite chair, staring at his photo and the roses sitting there. A year went by, and it was hard to live without her mate. Loneliness and solitude had become her fate. Then, the very hour, as on Valentine's Day before, the doorbell rang, and there were roses, sitting by her door. She brought the roses in, and just looked at them in shock. Then, she went to get the telephone to call the florist shop. The owner answered, and she asked him, if he would explain why someone would do this to her, causing her such pain. "I know your husband passed away, more than a year ago," the owner said, "I knew you'd call, and you would want to know. The flowers you received today were paid for in advance. Your husband always planned ahead. He left nothing to chance." "There is a standing order that I have on file down here. And he has paid, well in advance; you'll get them every year. There is also another thing that I think you should know. He wrote a special little card ... he did this years ago." "Then, should ever, I find out that he's no longer here. That's the card ... that should be sent to you the following year." She thanked him and hung up the phone ,her tears now flowing hard. Her fingers shaking, she slowly reached to get the card. Inside the card, she saw that he had written her a note. Then,as she stared in total silence, this is what he wrote: "Hello my love, I know it's been a year since I was gone. I hope it hasn't been too hard for you to overcome. I know it must be lonely, and the pain is very real. If it was the other way, I know how I would feel. The love we shared made everything so beautiful in life. I loved you more than words can say. You were the perfect wife." "You were my friend and lover; you satisfied my every need. I know it's only been a year, but please try not to grieve. I want you to be happy, even when you shed your tears. That is why the roses will be sent to you for years." "When you get these roses, think of all the happiness that we had together, and how both of us were blessed. I have always loved you and I know I always will. But, my love, you must go on; you have some living still." "Please ... try to find happiness, while living out your days. I know it is not easy, but I hope you find some ways. The roses will come every year, and they will only stop when your door's not answered, when the florist stops to knock. He will come five times that day, in case you have gone out. But after his last visit, he will know without a doubt. To take the roses to the place, where I've instructed him, and place them where we are, together once again." What can we know about Rose's husband when he was alive? A. He knew his wife loved roses more than himself. B. He preferred to make arrangements ahead of time. C. He gave his wife a pleasant surprise every Valentine's Day. D. He was so busy that he had to order roses in advance each year. Answer: B Question: Here's how you can take action and make sure you are doing what you can to reduce your personal carbon footprint when traveling this year. Before you go Turn off and unplug all of your non-essential electronic appliances. Experts say that 5-10 percent of the average family's electric bill is from electronic appliances that are plugged in 24 hours a day. Televisions, computers, coffeemakers, toasters and even lamps can suck up power. If you are gone for any extended period, consider turning down the temperature on your water heater since there is no sense in keeping that water hot if you are not going to be around to use it. Choose a different way If you have a little extras time to spare, driving or taking a train to your destination might be an option. And there are always the long-haul options like Megabus. If you do have to take a plane, fly non-stop. If you want to have a lower carbon footprint, avoid private jets even if you can afford them. At the hotel Utilize every conservation program that the hotel offers. Reuse your towels and turn off your air conditioning or heat before you leave for the day. Bring your own soap, shampoo and moisturizer, or at least take whatever is left of the hotel-supplied notions home with you to finish using there. Skip the morning printed newspaper and read it on your Tablet PC, phone or computer. Drinking Carry a water bottle with you so that you don't have to buy plastic bottles. Travel to certain parts of the world and you will understand why. There's nothing more disturbing than seeing something made up of plastic bottles and bags. Halong Bay in Vietnam is a great example where this kind man-made pollution is clearly visible. What should you do at the hotel in order to live a low-carbon life? A. Use different towels every day. B. Obtain information in the morning. C. Bring the leftover soap for later use. D. Keep your tablet, phone or computer on. Answer: C Question: John likes chocolates very much, but his mother doesn't give him. They're bad for his teeth, she thinks. John has a very nice grandfather. The old man loves John very much and sometimes he buys John some chocolates. Then his mother let him eat them. Because she wants to make the old man happy. One Sunday evening before his seventh birthday, he shouts, "Please, God , let them give me a big box of chocolates for my birthday." His mother says, "God can't hear you. Don't shout ! " "I know," says the clever boy with a smile. "But my grandfather is in the next room. And he can." John is _ . A. seventh years old. B. seven-years-old . C. seven years old . D. 17 years old. Answer: C Question: Believe it or not, optical illusion can cut highway crashes. Japan is a case in point. It has reduced automobile crashes on some roads by nearly 75 percent using a simple optical illusion. Bent strips, called chevrons , painted on the roads make drivers think that they are driving faster than they really are, and thus drivers slow down. Now the American Automobile Association Foundations For Traffic Safety in Washington D.C. is planning to repeat Japan's success. Starting next year, the foundation will paint chevrons and other patterns of stripes on selected roads around the country to test how well the patterns reduce highway crashes. Excessive speed plays a major role in as much as one fifty of all fatal traffic accidents, according to the foundation. To help reduce those accidents, the foundation will conduct its tests in areas where speed-related hazards are the greatest-curves, exit slopes, traffic circles, and bridges. Some studies suggest that straight, horizontal bars painted across roads can initially cut the average speed of drivers in half. However, traffic often returns to full speed within months as drivers become used to seeing the painted bars. Chevrons, scientists say, not only give drivers the impression that they are driving faster than they really are but also make a lane appear to be narrower. The result is a longer lasting reduction of highway speed and the number of traffic accidents. The advantage of chevrons over straight, horizontal bars is that the former _ . A. can keep drivers awake B. can cut road accidents in half C. will look more attractive D. will have a longer effect on drivers Answer: D Question: Fun places to visit in Singapore Jurong Bird Park At Jurong Bird Park you can see more than 5,000 birds and even feed some of them by hand! If feeding birds makes you hungry, you can join the park's parrots for lunch. PulauUbin Take a small boat into Singapore's past.A 10-minute ride will take you to this island.The life on the island has not been changed since the 1960s. Malls and Markets Walk through Orchard Road's modern malls.Then try an open-air shopping experience at the markets.There you can buy inexpensive clothes,toys and old furniture. Night Safari Night Safari lets you see animals that are active at night in their natural environment.Walk through the park at night to get close to the animals from seven different areas. You can go to Night Safari to _ . A. watch animals B. take a boat trip C. buy some clothes D. feed and eat with birds Answer: A
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. Standard room doesn't offer _ . Answer: While Errenzhuan has gained in popularity over the past few years, not least as a result of comedians such as Xiao Shenyang, so has the Western equivalent of the ancient art form - stand-up comedy. Stand-up comedy differs from Errenzhuan. It normally features a single person on stage, as opposed to a duet. Although music is sometimes included, other features such as dance are a lot rarer. Instead, stand-up comedy is usually just one person, a microphone and the audience. Whether the comedian _ or has people in fits of laughter is all down to his or her skill. I never used to like the idea of stand-up comedy. It seemed too forced for me. "I'll laugh when I feel like it," I thought. I don't want to have someone stand in front of me, pressuring me to chuckle. Stand-ups also have a reputation for picking on their audience. If you sit close to the front of the stage, you'd better be careful. One cough or wrong move, and the comedian will pounce. Before long, you are the focus of all the jokes. But a couple of years ago, I went to see a comedian who changed my opinion - British stand-up Stewart Lee. He is not hugely famous, but instead of jokes, he told very funny, often long stories about his life. His delivery was dry, and he had a very quick wit. I soon began to appreciate just how hard it is to make people laugh on demand. The great thing about stand-ups is that you hardly ever see two that are the same. There are so many different approaches, and people from all sorts of backgrounds can make people laugh in different ways. For example, one of the most popular stand-up comedians in the world is Chris Rock. Rock is African-American, and uses his race, and the problems he faces because of it, as material for his routines. He turns a topic that is normally serious into something funny. "A black C student can't be a manager at Burger King, meanwhile a white C student just happens to be the President of the United States," he once joked about racism in the United States during George Bush's presidency. That is the beauty of stand-up comedy. Just about anything can be turned into a joke. The passage is mainly about _ . Answer: We all know that when leaves fall to the ground they die and become food for worms. When worms pass the leaves, their waste can help to make the soil rich, from which the plants use to get their nutrition. The plants grow and provide food for animals. When the animals eat the plants, their waste goes back into the soil. It's a perfect cycle. But at the Elephant Conservation Centre in Lampang, Northern Thailand, they are using elephant waste for something more--to make 100% natural, beautiful color1ful paper products! 100 years ago over 100,000 elephants in prefix = st1 /Thailandworked on farms, building sites and even in the army. However, only 6,000 remain there today because of advances in technology that have made elephants' old word less necessary. Elephants are doing new jobs now, including entertaining tourists by painting and playing football, and now by helping in the paper making industry. And their keepers, called Mahouts, can earn a living for their families and help their elephants by using elephant waste, also called "dung" to make beautiful, natural, paper products without any bad smell. Every day an adult elephant eats about 200kg of plants like bamboo, grass and watermelon seeds. His body system breaks the plants into 50kg of fibers, which can produce 115 sheets of fibrous paper. The first step to make this special natural paper is to collect the fiber rich "dung" from the elephant. The next step is to wash it and boil it for five hours to kill bacteria. (The water the use in this process is reused to water plans at the Centre, which, in turn, feed the elephants). After it's boiled, they cut fibers up. During the cutting process, they add in the desired color1 of the paper. For the fourth step, they take the mixture and make balls of 300g. Each ball is then speeds lightly over bamboo frames to dry into one large sheet of paper. After a few hours in the sun, the sheets are dry enough to remove. The result is a wonderful, 100% natural, recycled paper. People around the world are getting interested in buying this special elephant paper for their holiday cards, writing paper and much more, because it's beautiful, natural and helps so many. What are the exact words to describe the whole process of the product? Answer: Your body is special - no two people in the world are alike , Although you are different from everyone else , you have exactly the same body parts as the people around you , doing different jobs that keep all of us alive . What is inside my head ? Your head _ the most valuable part of your body - your brain . As you are reading , your eyes send pictures to your brain which makes meaning from what you see . Your brain helps you to remember and think , and makes sure your body is doing what it should . What is my skin for ? Your skin covers your body . In most parts of your body , the skin is just as thick as half a centimeter . If you have your skin cut , it will have a quick cure and stop viruses from getting into your body . Your skin also helps you feel the heat and coldness of the environment around you . Hair grows from inside the skin . When you feel hot , extra heat comes out through your skin . As a result , your body temperature drops . How do I move ? Muscles are found in most parts of your body . They work with your bones to help you move - whenever you cry or smile , eat or speak , walk or dance , etc . Why do I breathe ? Your body needs to take in oxygen from the air and give out the unwanted carbon dioxide in the body . When you breathe , air comes through your nose and mouth into your lungs where oxygen flows to different parts of your body . What makes me sneeze ? When dust or a strong smell gets into your nose , you sneeze . This is the way your body cleans up the dust in your nose . Your lungs push out the air and try to clear your nose . What does my heart do ? Your heart is a very special muscle . It is slightly bigger than your fist and grows bigger as you do . If you place your hand on your heart , you will feel your heart beating which forces blood to move around your body . If you have no skin covering your body , what would happen ? Answer: On the third day of November, Ron and Pam went to the store. They wanted to get some food for a new recipe. It was late in the afternoon, but they wanted to eat the food soon at dinner. To save time they split the list in half. Ron was to get the pasta and tomato sauce, and Pam was to get the vegetables and juice. They went their separate ways in the store, and made plans to meet in the checkout line in half an hour. On her way to the fruit and vegetable section, Pam ran into her friend Tom. Tom had bought a pet bunny for his friend and wanted to buy it some food. He asked Pam what he needs to feed the bunny. Pam told him lettuce and carrots, so he put 5 heads of lettuce in his basket along with one bag of carrots. Tom said goodbye to Pam and went to the front of the store to buy his vegetables. Now it was time for Pam to pick out the vegetables she would buy for dinner. She wanted to make a salad, so she bought spinach, 2 big red tomatoes, a box of mushrooms, and 3 cucumbers. Pam then went to where they kept the juice and grabbed a big bottle of lemonade. Pam went to the front of the store and met Ron. They handed their items to the sales clerk so that they could buy them. The total cost of the food was 20 dollars. As a gift to Pam, Ron paid for the food and said happy birthday. As a gift he would be cooking her dinner. Why did Pam and Ron go their separate ways in the store? Answer:
What will the weather be like? Some people say they can know what the weather will be like from birds. When they see birds fly high out to the sea, they know it is a nice day, because birds don't like to fly out if it rains. When the weather is bad, the birds will come back to the beach. A big wind may come with a rain. Birds do not like to fly in a big wind. They may sit in a tree when rain is coming. Other animals can also _ the weather. It is a cloudy day. The rain is coming. Chickens are not quiet, and they are running here and there. Frogs are making big noise in the pool. If it is a nice day, the frogs will come out of the water. How many kinds of animals can we find in the passage? Answer: A man went to see a doctor. "Open your mouth ", the doctor said. The man opened his mouth and the doctor looked in quickly. "It's clear what's wrong with you .You need more exercise, " the doctor said. "But doctor," the man said "I don't think ..." "Don't tell me what you think," " I am the doctor, not you. I know what you need . I see hundreds of people like you. None of them get any exercise. They sit in offices all day and in front of theTV in the evening. What you need is to walk quickly for at least 20 minutes a day" "Doctor, you don't understand ," the man said, "I..." "I don't want to hear any excuses," the doctor said , " You must find time for exercise .If you don't you will get fat and have health problems when you are older." " But I walk every day ,"the man said. "Oh, yes , and I know what kind of walk that is .You walk a few feet to the train station from your house, a few more feet from the station to your office, and a few more feet from your office to a restaurant for lunch and back. That's not real walking .I'm talking about a walk in the park for twenty minutes every day."" Will you listen to me , doctor !" the man shouted, getting angry with this doctor who thought he knew everything. "I m a postman"., the man went on, " and I walk for seven hours every day! It's my wife, she is ill." Which of the following is true? Answer: Angelina Jolie is an American actress. She has received an Academy Award and three Golden Globe Awards. Jolie is keen on charity, and is noted for her work with refugees as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). She has been recognized as one of the world's most attractive people, as well as the world's "sexiest" and "most beautiful" woman. Born in Los Angels, California, Jolie is the daughter of actors Jon Voight and Marcheline Bertrand. After her parents' separation in 1976, Jolie and her brother were raised by their mother, who abandoned her acting ambitions and moved with them to Palisades, New York. As a child, Jolie regularly saw movies with her mother and later explained that this has inspired her interest in acting. Jolie achieved wider fame after her performance of video games heroine Lara Croft in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, and since then she has established herself as one of the best-known and highest-paid actress in Hollywood. Jolie has had her biggest commercial successes with the action-comedy Mr.&Mrs.Smith. After divorcing her second ex-husband, Jolie lives with actor Brad Pitt, in a relationship that has attracted world-wide media attention. Jolie and Pitt have three adopted children, Maddox, Pax, and Zahara, and three biological children, Shiloh, Knox, and Vivienne.ks#5u It's reported recently that Jolie and Brad Pitt have finally decided to legally become husband and wife, and the wedding ceremony will take place in September in their France castle. The couple will leave Hollywood, choosing to _ to southern France. They will also leave the U.S. to move to Europe. It seems that Jolie and Pitt will do this for their six children, who greatly desire this. What do you think is the reason for Jolie's interest in acting when she was a child? Answer: My mother always told us there is no use crying over spilt milk. That means you should not get angry when something bad happens and cannot be changed. She also told us you have to break some eggs to make an omelet . This means you have to do what is necessary to move forward. My mother believed you are what you eat. A good diet is important for good health. She would always give us healthy food. She liked serving us meat and potatoes for dinner. The meat and potatoes can also mean the most important part of something. It describes someone who likes simple things. People always said my father was the salt of the earth, because he would never pour salt on a wound , or make someone feel worse about something that was already a bad experience. However, sometimes he told us a story that seemed bigger than life. So we had to take it with a grain of salt. That is, we could not believe everything he told us. My manager at work does not always know what is going on in our office. Yet she is right about one thing: there is no such thing as a free lunch. Something may appear to be free, but there may be a hidden cost. When we fail to see problems at work, the manager tells us to wake up and smell the coffee. We need to pay more attention and fix the problem. I once made a big mistake at the office and felt silly. I had egg on my face. Over the weekend, my friend invited me to watch a football game on television. But I do not like football. It is not my cup of tea. I hope I have given you food for thought, that is, something to think about. When problems came up, the author's mother told them to _ . Answer: The Blacks are English . Now they are in Beijing . This is their first visit to China. They are going to stay in China for three weeks . They want to learn some Chinese ,too. He likes driving in Beijing very much .Mrs Blacks is a teacher .She often visits a middle school in Beijing ,and she likes to speak with students. They take a lot of photos in China .When they are back to English ,They're going to show the photos to their friends. They want the English People to know more about China. The Blacks take many photos in China because they _ . Answer:
The English language is changing fast,thanks to the rapid progress of technology.We all have a rapid choice:We can either bury our heads in the sand and spend the rest of our lives wishing Shakespeare were alive and well.Or we can embrace the new English,enter into the spirit of the Internet age called Weblish. "You can't keep away from it, for the simple reason that whenever a new variety of language comes along,it inevitably influence the language as a whole."Says Dr David Crystal,honorary professor of linguistics at the University of Wales in BangoL, whose book "Language and the Internet" has just been published. The trouble with keeping up with the new English is not so much that there are so many new words but that the old words no longer mean what we thought they did.In the past, if someone said they did not have Windows,you would have to suppose they lived in a cave.These days, it is probably because they use a Mac(which is a computer,not a rain coat).Spam is as disliked as it ever was,but whereas it once meant an unappetizing canned meat.It now stands for unwanted 'junk" email.Spellings are changing,too.Not only is text-messaging playing "hvc with vrbs" (havoc with verbs),but the conventions of email communication place little emphasis on "perfect speaking". Weblish loves to see nouns happily become verbs ("please bookmark this site"),and verbs become nouns ("Send me the download").Verbs and prepositions are regularly thrown together to become new nouns or adjectives(dial--up,logon,print-on,pull--down,upload),while others are created from simply pairing nouns:cyberspace,emit Internet,hyperlink,metatag,netspeak. The best title of this passage would be _ . A. Technology and English B. Newly invented English Words C. Keep Up with the Latest Weblish D. Keep Up with the Latest Development in Answer: C. Keep Up with the Latest Weblish The red crab lives on Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean and has been found nowhere else in the world. But on its homeland it is a very significant species -- some 120 million individuals cover the rain forest floor and play a major role in determining the structure of the ecosystem. These large crabs are active during the day but prefer to stay in the shade and can die in the heat of direct sunlight. They feed on fallen leaves, seeds, fruits and flowers, recycling nutrients and helping to determine the spread and composition of native plants. Most of the year the red crabs live in the holes they dig throughout the forest. During the dry season they hide in these shelters to keep their body wet and remain there for two to three months. But when wet season returns in October or November they begin a legendary mass migration to their seaside breeding grounds, moving in color1ful wave that wash over all obstacles like roads (including special passages and some closed roads built for the red crab) and even seaside cliffs. The annual migration is also closely tied to the lunar schedule. The crabs arrive at the coast and breed at such a time that the females can produce eggs and develop them in caves for a dozen or so days before carrying them into the sea exactly when high tide turns between the last quarter and new moon. During this period sea level on the beaches varies the least and offers an easier approach, which is so important that if the weather delays the migration crabs will put off laying eggs until the next lunar month. Red crab eggs grow right away, and the young live in the sea for a month before returning to the coast, changing into air breathers, and slowly returning inland to begin the cycle once again. The red crab is a very significant species on its homeland because _ . A. it's gradually dying out B. it's not found anywhere else C. it's well protected by the local people D. its huge population affects its native ecosystem Answer: D. its huge population affects its native ecosystem Which is most likely to occur? A. a female fly lays eggs while it is an adult B. a female fly lays eggs while it is a larvae C. a male fly lays eggs while it is an adult D. a male fly lays eggs while it is a larvae Answer: A. a female fly lays eggs while it is an adult Which form of energy is found in food? A. chemical B. electrical C. sound D. mechanical Answer: A. chemical Mrs. Obama spoke to the graduates of Martin Luther King Jr. High School on Saturday in her only high school commencement speech this year. The ceremony took place in the gymnasium of Tennessee State University. The first lady told the 170 graduates that she spent too much of her time in college focusing on academe achievements. While her success in college and law school led to a good job, she said, she ended up focusing on public service. "My message to you today is that don't waste a minute living someone else's dream," she said. "It takes a lot of real work to discover what brings you joy and you won't find what you love simply by checking mailboxes or surfing the net." She said MLK reminded her of her own high school experience in Chicago. "My No.1 goal was to go to a high school that would push me and challenge me," she said. "I wanted to go somewhere that would celebrate achievement. Unfortunately, schools like this don't exist for every kid." she said. "You are blessed." The first lady told graduates that failure may be a part of their college lives and careers, and that how they respond determines what they will become. "That's when you find out what you're really made of in those hard times," she said. "But you can only do that if you're willing to put yourself in a position where you might fail." Overcoming difficulties has been the mark of many great people, she said, "Oprah was demoted from her first job as a news reporter, and now she doesn't even need a last name," she said of media giant Oprah Winfrey "And then there's this guy Barack Obama, I could take up a whole afternoon talking about his failures. He lost his first race for Congress", the first lady joked, "and now he gets to call himself my husband." Where can you probably find this text? A. In a politics book. B. On a news website. C. In a graduation paper. D. On Mrs. Obama's blog. Answer: B. On a news website.
What shows that the Earth being tilted on its axis causes ones side of the Earth to receive less energy from the Sun than the other side? A summer in the USA, winter in Australia B snow will be on the North Pole instead of the South Pole C seasonal changes take place D some countries are warmer than others Answer: A. summer in the USA, winter in Australia Lungs are to hampsters as ________ are black tipped sharks. A gills B hearts C stomachs D fins Answer: A. gills When Frank began his story, we all listened. "I grew up in San Pedro. My Dad was a fisherman, and he loved the sea. He had his own boat, but it was hard making a living on the sea. He worked hard and would stay out until he caught enough to feed the family. Not just enough for our family, but also for his Mom and Dad and the other kids that were still at home." He looked at us and said, "I wish you could have met my Dad. He was a big man, and he was _ from pulling the nets and fighting the seas for his catch. When you got close to him, he smelled the ocean." Frank's voice dropped a bit. "When the weather was bad, he would drive me to school. He would pull right up in front, and it seemed like everybody would be standing around and watching. Then he would lean over and give me a big kiss on the cheek and tell me to be a good boy. It was so embarrassing for me. Here I was twelve years old, and my Dad would lean over and kiss me good-bye!" He paused and then went on, "I remember the day I thought I was too old for a good-bye kiss. When we got to the school and came to a stop, he had his usual big smile. He started to lean toward me, but I put my hand up and said, 'No, Dad.' It was the first time I had ever talked to him that way, and he had this surprised look on his face. I said, ' Dad, I'm too old for a good-bye kiss. I'm too old for any kind of kiss.' My Dad looked at me for the longest time, and his eyes started to tear up. I had never seen him cry. He turned and looked our the windshield. ' You're right,' he said. ' You are a big boy... a man. I won't kiss you anymore..'" For the moment, Frank got a funny look on his face, and the tears began to well up in his eyes. "It wasn't long after that when my Dad went to sea and never came back." I looked at Frank and saw that tears were running down his cheeks. Frank spoke again. " Guys, you don't know what I would give to have my Dad give me just one more kiss on the cheek... to feel his rough old face... to smell the ocean on him... to feel his arm around my neck. I wish I had been a man then. If I had been a man, I would never have told my Dad I was too old for a good-bye kiss." Which can be served as the best title? A A Life-long Regret B An Embarrassing Story C Dad's Good-bye Kiss D I Want You Back Answer: C. Dad's Good-bye Kiss Are you concerned about your body image? These days, both women and men are surrounded by magazines and websites full of tips about dieting, exercise and fashion. Not to mention hairstyles! Gone are the days when all men had to think about was wearing a nice suit to be smart and handsome. Things have changed. Now, a survey by the University of the West of England(UWE) has suggested that 80% of men confess to being unhappy about their body. The biggest body issues for them were beer bellies and lack of muscles. Some think this sudden vanity is due to the pressure or influence of role models we see on TV and in magazines. People end up with a perception of what the perfect body should look like. But not everybody wants to put in the effort to have perfect pecs and dazzling white teeth like Arnold Schwarzenegger. An opportunistic entrepreneur has even invented a muscle-enhancing shirt to be worn under a man's clothes to make him look more of a hunk. But Joe Warner, the former editor of Men's Fitness magazine in the UK, thinks the padded shirt is just a gimmick. He thinks many people in the country are obese, or overweight, and should accept they need to do more exercise. Warner says: "I think it's a real shame people still want shortcuts when it doesn't take an awful lot of effort to get to the gym or go for a walk." Exercise is always a good thing. But we mustn't forget that beauty is only skin deep. Character is more important than appearance. So before I head off to the pub, it might be worth spending an hour at the gym. I'm not looking to get a six-pack , but looking healthier would certainly improve my confidence and self-esteem. What about you: how much do you worry about your physique? What does the passage mainly talk about? A You shouldn't judge a book by its cover. B More and more people become obese in England. C Role models put great pressure on common people. D Men become more and more conscious of their body image. Answer: D. Men become more and more conscious of their body image. The final exam comes with June. When the exam ends , the summer vacation begins. Boys and girls have about two months to relax. The summer vacation is the best part of the year for most children. The weather is usually fine. They can swim, go to summer camp or visit other places with their parents. Of course, the beaches are good places for relaxing. Some children are lucky to live near the sea. They can enjoy the sea anytime . But for the children far from the sea, they go to the beaches for one or two weeks with their parents. Why do children like spending their summer vacations on the beaches? It is because they like the sand , the sun, the cool wind and the sea water. There are lots of new things to see, nice things to eat, and exciting things to do. ,. Which of the following is not right? A Children like going to the beaches only because they can see lots of new things. B Children like summer vacation best. C Children can swim and enjoy the sand, wind, and water on the beaches. D Children far from the sea can go to the beaches with their parents. Answer: A. Children like going to the beaches only because they can see lots of new things.
Have you ever heard the old saying ,"Never judge a book by its cover" ?This is a good rule to follow when trying to judge the intelligence of others. Some people have minds that shine only in certain situations. A young people with an unusual gift in writing may find himself speechless in the presence of a pretty girl when he speaks. He may not be able to find the right words. But don't make mistake of thinking him stupid, with a pen and a paper, he can express himself better than anybody . Other people may fool you into overestimating their intelligence by putting up a good front. A student who listens attentively and takes notes in class is sure to make a favorable impression on his teachers. But when it comes to exams, he may score near the bottom of the class . It all boils down to this: you can't judge someone by appearance. The only way to determine a person's intelligence is to get to know him. Then you can see how he reacts to different situations. The more situation you see, the better your judgment is likely to be. So take your time. Don't judge a book by its cover . The writer of this passage wants to tell us _ . Answer: not to judge person's intelligence by his appearance Is getting a black belt on your life's to-do list? Then this elderly woman in San Francisco just might be your hero. Just two years before her 100th birthday, Sensei Keiko Fukuda has become the first woman to achieve a tenth-degree black belt --- the highest rank in Judo . Fukuda is now one of only four living people who have earned the tenth-degree black belt. Throughout history, only 16 people have ever achieved this honor. Fukuda began practicing Judo in 1935 and is the only surviving student of its founder, Kano Jiguro. At her teacher's requirement, she learned English to help spread Judo internationally. During a time when getting married, building a family and becoming a housewife were the norms ,Fukuda broke from tradition, continuing Judo instead of getting married. "All I did was Judo ... This was my marriage," Fukuda replied tearfully to the San Francisco Chronicle. "This is when my destiny was set. I just imagined how long the road would be." She described the Jiguro's school as "old-fashioned and sexist about belts and ranks". In fact, an edict that prevented women from achieving any higher than a fifth-degree black belt kept Fukuda at that level for 30 years. She finally got the sixth degree in 1972 when a women's division was created. Fukuda thinks Judo and her life to be "gentle, kind and beautiful, yet firm and strong, both mentally and physically". Fukuda says this kind of beauty is not external . She explained. "I believe this inner beauty is true beauty... All my life this has been my dream." Her dream was turned into reality, and the 98-year-old Sensei Keiko Fukuda continues to teach Judo three times a week at a women's Judo training center. Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the article? Answer: It took her 30 years to get a tenth-degree black belt. What's delicious to eat and comes in a variety of color1s? Eggplant! And no, it has nothing to do with chickens! This strangely named vegetable is, however, as versatile as an egg.It can be steamed, fried, and baked.It can be eaten by itself or combined with meats and other vegetables. Eggplant was first grown in India in the 5th century BC. Its popularity soon spread to China and then throughout Asia.Finally, during the Middle Ages the vegetable made its way to Europe. At that time, eggplant was not the shiny purple vegetable most people know today.Instead, it resembled a white egg. Due to this egg-like appearance, eggplant got its name.In its early days, the vegetable was so bitter that people often called it a "mad apple." This nickname started because people believed its bitterness was bad for one' s health. People actually thought eggplant could cause insanity and cancer. Fortunately today people know that eggplant doesn't cause insanity or cancer.In fact eggplant is so healthy that it may prevent cancer.In addition, the brain and the heart benefit from this super vegetable.Since it's high in fiber, eggplant can improve digestion. Italy, Turkey, Egypt, China and Japan are the leading growers of eggplant in the world today.Depending on its location, eggplant may be purple, green, orange or yellow-white.And it can be as small as a tomato or as large as a cucumber.Dish varieties range from simple to complex, with all of them being delicious. Today, thousands of people gather in Loomis, Calif, for the annual Loomis Eggplant Festival.The main activity at the festival is eating delicious eggplant dishes.There is plenty more to do and see, though.Recipe contests, arts and crafts, performers, races and children's activities all "egg-cite" festival-goers.Most people at the festival would agree--eggplant is an "egg-cellent" vegetable. Most people come to the Loomis Eggplant Festival to _ . Answer: enjoy food with eggplant Men are spending more and more time in the kitchen encouraged by celebrity chefs like Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver, according to a report from Oxford University. The effect of the celebrity role models, who have given cooking a more manly picture, has combined with a more general drive towards sexual equality and men now spend more than twice the amount of time preparing meals than they did in 1961. According to the research by Prof. Jonatahn Gershuny, who runs the Centre for Time Research at Oxford, men now spend more than half an hour a day cooking, up from just 12 minutes a day in 1961. Prof. Gershuny said, "The man in the kitchen is part of a much wider social trend. There has been 40 years of sexual equality, but there is another 40 years probably to come." Women, who a generation ago spent nearly two hours a day cooking, now spend just one hour and seven minutes--a great fall, but they still spend far more time in the kitchen than men. Some experts have named these men in aprons as "Gastrosexuals (men using cooking skills to impress friends)", who have been inspired to pick up a kitchen knife by the success of Ramsay, Oliver as well as other male celebrity chefs such as Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Marco Pierre White and Keith Floyd. "I was married in 1974. When my father came to visit me a few weeks later, I was wearing an apron when I opened the door. He laughed," said Prof. Gershuny. "That would never happen now." Two-thirds of adults say that they come together to share at least three times a week, even if it is not necessarily around a kitchen or dining room table. Prof. Gershuny pointed out that the family meal was now rarely eaten by all of its members around a table--with many "family meals" in fact taken on the sofa in the sitting room, and shared by family members. "The family meal has changed a lot, and few of us eat--as I did when I was a child--at least two meals a day together as a family. But it has survived in a different format." Which is the best title for the passage? Answer: Cooking into a New Trend for Men The food we eat seems to have great effects on our health. Although science has made great steps in making food more fit to eat, it has, at the same time, made many foods unfit to eat. Some research has shown that perhaps eighty percent of all human illnesses are related to diet and forty percent of cancer is related to diet as well. Different cultures are subject to certain illnesses because of the food that is characteristic in these cultures. That food is related to illness is not a new discovery. In 1945, government researchers realized that nitrates and nitrites , commonly used to keep color in meats, and other food additives, caused cancer. Yet, these additives remain in our food, and it becomes more difficult all the time to know which things on the packaging labels of processed food are helpful or harmful. The additives which we eat are not all so direct. Farmers often give penicillin to cows and chick and because of this, penicillin has been found in the milk of treated cows. Sometimes similar drugs are given to animals not for medicinal purposes, but for financial reasons. The farmers are simply trying to fatten the animals in order to get a higher price on the market. Although the FDA has tried repeatedly to control these, the practices continue. According to the passage, the FDA might be _ . Answer: an organization which controls the safety of food
Question: Dogs and cats are not for students who live in the dormitory. Just think about the noise, the smell and all that wild behavior--chewing on whatever they can get their teeth on, or knocking over the trash can. But don't feel sad. There are smaller and less destructive pets to make your dormitory life colorful. Betta fish They make great pets with their big personality and astonishing colors, ranging from bright red, dark blue to lemon yellow. Unlike many fish, most bettas react to their owner's presence and become more active when they are nearby, which is unusual in the fish world. Chinchillas Without bad smell, about the size of a rabbit and with fur so dense that they can't get pests such as fleas , the friendly creature originally from the Andes Mountains in South America makes an ideal indoor pet. Chinchillas are very social animals, so if you only have one, you will become its family. In cold winter days, in a glance at this fury pet in a dorm will bring you a lot of warmth. Land hermit crabs In a society where owners are often asked "Are they tasty?", land hermit crabs are among the most unlucky animals commonly kept as pets. But they are easy to care for, inexpensive and fascinating to watch. And the fact that they don't cause any allergic reactions makes them perfect for college dormitories. Red-eared sliders If you're interested in a lifelong friend, a red-eared slider makes a wonderful pet. If well cared for, they can live for around 40 years. But there are a couple of things you should know. Red-eared can grow to an adult size of up to 30cm! So you may need a larger tank quickly. In addition, you will need to provide UV lighting, water heater, and a swimming area and a basking area. Housing a red eared slider is not easy. The text is mainly to _ . A. introduce the best way to keep pets B. offer useful tips for choosing pets C. inform students of lifestyle of pets D. recommend some dormitory pets Answer: D. recommend some dormitory pets Question: WASHINGTON--US President Barack Obama said Thursday that he had known about NBA star Jeremy Lin's talent long before the"Linsanity"phenomenon swept the sport. "I knew about Jeremy before you did because Arne Duncan, my secretary of education, was captain of the Harvard team,"Obama told the famous US sportswriter Bill Simmons in an interview. "When Arne and I were playing, he said,'I'm telling you, we've got this terrific guard named Jeremy Lin at Harvard.'And then when one of my best friends, whose son is a freshman at Harvard, went for a recruiting trip he saw Lin in action, so I've been on the Jeremy Lin bandwagon for a while,"said the president, who is a Harvard Law graduate. Lin, the New York Knicks' point guard, though he was cut twice in December 2011, had had a sudden rise in the past month to high points scoring stardom in Madison Square Garden, the world's biggest basketball stage. He is the first Chinese-American player in the NBA. He has already developed a devoted following among many Asian-Americans and in China, Taiwan, the Philippines and other countries. Clicks to the NYKnicks. Com website _ as basketball fans from around the world search for Lin's news and highlights. "He seems like a wonderful young man. It elevates this great sport all round the world,"said Obama, a Chicago Bulls fan."And what's been encouraging is to see how fast the sport has bounced back recently."But he sounded a note of caution on how much basketball costs to watch. "It's really important for professional athletes and sports owners to just remember you got a whole bunch of folks out here, all across the country, who invest so much in their teams. All they ask is not to be so selfish that you're not looking out for your fans,"Obama said. President Obama learned about Jeremy long before through _ . A. news reports B. a friend C. Bill Simmons D. Arne Duncan Answer: D. Arne Duncan Question: When I was a seven-year-old girl, I used to go door-to-door with my mother to ask the residents for donations to the American Lung Association. Some would give a few coins; others, on rare occasions, a whole dollar; but most would silently shake their heads. No matter what the amount was, my mother always thanked the givers, wrote their names and addresses on her large envelope, and placed the money inside. And then we returned to our apartment, and my mother counted the money. The yield didn't match the effort: I don't think she collected more than $10. Still, she sent the collection to the organization. Even as a child, I knew my mother's actions were great, which aroused my pride in her. Asking poor people to give to an organization which aimed to help others wasn't what you did. Other charities gave to these folks; you didn't ask them to give. To them , her efforts likely seemed foolish. But to me, her efforts had an influence on me as I grew up. Although my charitable giving is modest, I faithfully and regularly donate to the organization which is aimed at fighting AIDS; to stop hunger, and homelessness; to support public broadcasting, the arts, and public education; and to heal families. And I volunteer my time to teach little girls and fix our badly broken public schools. I do these things because I believe I've been given much, so much is required of me. I never asked my mother why she collected those donations, and, besides, the lung cancer that killed her twenty-one years ago prevents me from asking now. But had I asked, my mother's response would have been simple:"Because I can."That's what she would have said. But from that look in her eyes and her daily efforts to make life a bit brighter, I know she also acted on hope that tomorrow would be better and that her actions somehow would make a difference. When the author's mother asked for donation from door to door,_. A. she would collect more than 100 dollars every time B. many people wished to be remembered by others. C. the author understood how terrible their life was D. most people were not able to offer their help Answer: D. most people were not able to offer their help Question: There was once a farmer who lived near a road. It was not a busy road,but from time to time,cars passed the farm. Near the farm gate, there was a large hole in the road. this hole was always full of water, and the drivers of the cars could not see how deep the hole was. They thought it was probably not deep.So when they drove into the hole, they could not drive out because it was so deep. The farmer did not spend much time working on his farm. He spent most time watching the hole. Whenever a car drove into it, he would pull the car out with his tractor and he would charge the drivers for much more money than they had expected. One day, a driver of a car said to him, "You must have made a lot of money pulling cars out of this hole night and day." "Oh no," the farmer said, "I don't pull cars out of the hole at night. At night I fill the hole with water." Many cars went into the hole because the drivers _ . A. were going too fast to stop their cars B. did not see the hole ahead of them C. did not know the hole was very deep D. liked very much driving through water Answer: C. did not know the hole was very deep Question: What is the source of the organic matter needed for most fertile soils? A. moving water B. eroded sand C. decaying plants D. weathered bedrock Answer: C. decaying plants
Everyone would like to be remembered. A few people even try to do something that no one else in history has ever tried to do. These people sometimes have their names recorded in the Guinness Book of Records. Often it takes a group of people to do something unusual. One such team paddled a bathtub 145 kilometers for 24 hours. This group had 13 members. They paddled their bathtub on a river near Ashford, Great Britain on May 28 and 29, 1983. A month later, a racing team of hospital bed pushers in Avon ,Great Britain, pushed a hospital bed 16 kilometers in just 50 minutes! However, the distance record for hospital bed pushing is still held by the men of Brunt field Bedding Center. This team from Edinburgh pushed a hospital bed 5,203 kilometers in 1979. It took the team 35 days to cover the distance. Another group of record makers held the highest dinner party in the world. Nine people from Sydney, Australia, climbed Mountain Huascaran on June 28 1989.The climbers carried a dinner table, chairs, and a meal up the mountain .When they reached the top, they all put on warm suits for dinner. People all over the world are trying hard to do something unusual to make a record. It should be understood; however, that now not all the records will be kept in the Guinness Book of Records. What was unusual about the highest dinner party held by the nine people in the passage? A. The people who held the dinner party all came from Sydney. B. Only nine people held the highest dinner party. C. They had a meal on the mountain. D. They carried a dinner table and chairs up the mountain to hold the dinner party. Answer: D. They carried a dinner table and chairs up the mountain to hold the dinner party. The digestion process begins in which of the following? A. large intestine B. mouth C. small intestine D. stomach Answer: B. mouth What can cause light to bounce off an object? A. something painted black B. surface with aluminium C. water condensation D. springs and coils Answer: B. surface with aluminium Have you ever wondered when people will make up their minds to become friends? Dr. Leon answered the question in his book, "During their first four minutes together! Whenever you meet someone in a social situation, remember to focus your undivided attention on him for four minutes. That would change a lot of people's whole lives." When you are introduced to new people, you are supposed to appear friendly and self-confident to attract them. Generally speaking, "You like those who like you." On the other hand, it's unwise to make others think you are too sure of yourself. You may not sure about such advice, saying, "But In reality, I'm not either friendly or self-confident. That's not my nature. Wouldn't it be dishonest for me to behave that way?" For that question, Dr. Leon would tell you that a little practice can help you feel comfortable about changing your social habits. You will get used to any changes you choose to make in your personality . "It's like getting used to a new car. It may be unfamiliar at first, but it goes much better than the old." However, you may still wonder if it's dishonest to give the appearance of friendly and self-confidence while you don't actually feel that way. Perhaps, but according to Dr. Leon, "Entire honesty" is not always good for social relationships, especially during the first few minutes of two strangers' being introduced to each other. There is a time for a certain amount of _ may be the best choice for the first few minutes of contacting a stranger. That is not a suitable time to complain about one's health or to mention shortcomings you find in other people. It is not the right time to tell the whole truth about one's opinions and impressions. The author also makes it clear that that interpersonal relations need to be regarded as a required course in every school, along with reading, writing, and mathematics. In his opinion, success in life depends mainly on how you get along with other people. That is at least as important as how much you know. The best title for the passage could be _ . A. The Key to Success B. Best Ways to Make Friends C. Personal Relations D. The First Four Minutes Answer: D. The First Four Minutes Feeling tired? Under too much stress? Well, you may want to try Yoga . It's what more and more people have been turning to to release the trouble of modern life. Practically unheard of in the West until 50 years ago, Yoga has become one of the most popular health trends around the world, including prefix = st1 /China. If you search for Yoga on line in Chinese, lots of pages are there to see, most of which are main pages of Yoga clubs. In order to keep fit and lose weight, many girls spend more than 1000 yuan taking part in Yoga classes every month. However, are you really ready for it? There are several things you need to know before you really take it. First, do not force your body too much. Yoga has many difficult poses. They are beautiful and worth boasting if you could finish them. But if you force yourself to do as exactly as an experienced Yoga teacher does, you may hurt your body, instead of strengthening it. Do you remember you original purpose for playing Yoga? It is self -building, not competing. Second, do some research about the Yoga class that you are to registering. Yoga is new in Chinaand there are not so many certificated well-trained Yoga teachers. Some not well organized clubs just find someone learn a little Yoga and certificate them. But be aware, a non- _ teacher might wrongly guide you and you could not benefit from the classes much except that they force you to exercise your body a bit. Considering about the large amount of money you invest in it, it's worth and reasonable to make sure the teachers in the club are qualified before you join. Third, it would be better to learn something about nutrition when you practice Yoga. In the very beginning, Yoga was part of the Vedas, bible of the traditional Indian philosophy. So it could be regarded as a kind of lifestyle. When you have decided to care for your body, why not feed it properly? In fact, good clubs have their own nutritionists. Anyhow, make sure you are ready before you act. The fashion may change quickly. But what benefits is still good for us. The author's main purpose in writing the passage is to_. A. tell people how to relax themselves B. let people know more about Yoga C. give people some advice on taking part in Yoga classes D. tell peoples Yoga has gained its popularity in China Answer: C. give people some advice on taking part in Yoga classes
For high school leavers starting out in the working world,it is very important to learn particular skills and practice how to behave in an interview or how to find all internship .In some countries,schools have programs to help students onto the path to work.In the Unites States,however,such programs are still few and far between. Research shows that if high schools provide career-related courses,students are likely to get higher earnings in later years.The students are more likely to stay in school,graduate and go on to higher education. In Germany,students as young as 13 and 14 are expected to do internships.German companies work with schools to make sure that young people get the education they need for future employment. But in America, education reform programs focus on how well students do in exams instead of bringing them into contact with the working world.Harvard Education school professor Robert Schwartz has criticized education reformers for trying to place all graduates directly on the four-year college track.Schwartz argued that this approach leaves the country's most vulnerable kids with no jobs and no skills. Schwartz believed that the best career programs encourage kids to go for higher education while also teaching them valuable practical skills at high sch001.James Madison High School in New York,for example,encourages students to choose classes on career--based courses.The school then helps them gain on--the-job experience in those fields while they're still at high school. However,even for teens whose schools encourage them to connect with work,the job market is daunting.In the US,unemployment rates for 16-to 19-year-olds are above 20 percent for the third summer in a row. "The risk is that if teenagers miss out on the Summer job experience,they become part of this generation of teens who had trouble in landing a job,"said Michael,a researcher in the US. According to Robert Schwartz, _ . Answer: students should get contact with the working world at high school Imagine looking for your lost dog. You step into a cave . But instead of the dog, you find beautiful cave paintings. You see paintings of horses, deer, and bison that are drawn in black, brown, red and yellow. Your first question would probably be "Who did this?" This is what happened to four French boys in 1940. They found the Lascaux caves. The paintings the boys discovered in those caves are 17,000 years old. They were drawn by the ancient people called Cro-Magnons. Cro-Magnons looked much like people of today. They used tools, such as fishing nets. But their art was extremely good. The main cave at Lascaux is called the Great Hall of Bulls, which has a picture of bulls and horses in many colors. The largest animal is 18 feet long. There are smaller animals, such as bison, stags and a bear. There is also a strange spotted two-horned animal. To the left of the main cave are the most famous paintings that are the drawings of multicolored animals. One painting is called Little Horses. On the ceiling are horses and cows. The most unusual sight may be in the Shaft of the Dead Man where there is a thinoceros , a carefully drawn dead man, a wounded bison and a bird. Why did Cro-Magnon artists do these beautiful drawings on cave walls? Did the drawings call upon some magical power? Did the Cro-Magnon people hope that the drawings would bring good luck? There is one thing the paintings seem to tell us. The Cro- Magnons were interested in the world. They looked at beauty and they understood it. What is the main idea of the passage? Answer: The Lascanx caves hold ancient colorful paintings. Monday.....oh, I don't like Monday because I will have to go back to school again after the weekend. Tuesday is not so bad. I usually play tennis with my friends after school. On Wednesday evening I don't go out. I stay at home and do my homework. I like Thursday because the next day is Friday. I always go out on Friday -maybe to the cinema. I love the weekend. On Saturday I stay in bed until lunchtime, and I sometimes go to the shops in the afternoon. In the evening we go to a club--there are good bands there every Saturday. Then on Sundays I go to my friend's house or she comes to mine. I usually visit my grandmother for an hour in the afternoon. Then the weekend is over and it's Monday.... And I feel bad again! From the text, we know that the writer _ Answer: doesn't like school very much Teenager Jake Deham was skiing with his family in the US when he fell over and lost one of his skis. His family didn't know that he had a problem. They kept on skiing. When they got to the foot of the mountain, there was no sign of Jake. Jake couldn't find his ski anywhere. In the end, he decided to take off his other ski and walk down the mountain. But he couldn't work out the right way to go. It was now getting dark and he was a long way from any place of safety. He knew that he might die that night in the cold temperatures. But Jake kept calm. At home, Jake watched a lot of programmes about living in difficult situations. He remembered the advice from these programmes and knew that he should build a hole in the snow. He made a hole so the wind couldn't blow into it. Outside his hole, the temperature fell to a dangerous -15degC that night, but inside it Jake was safe from the cold. After the long evening passed, Jake began to think his way out. He had to get down the mountain. The TV programmes always said, "If you are lost, you should find someone else's tracks through the snow and follow them." "I wanted to live my life." remembered Jake, "So I got up and I found some ski tracks and I followed those." He walked and walked and finally saw lights... His mum was very happy when she heard her son was saved. Amazingly, Jake didn't even have to go to hospital. He got through the terrible experience without any injuries. So, the next time someone says that watching TV is a waste of time, think of Jake. Sometimes TV can save your life! . What probably happen to Jake when he saw lights? Answer: Jake found a team of men who came to save him. Cars!!! Holidays! Thousands of prizes ! Hurry ! FREE with every packet of SPLASH! Your personal lucky number! Will be among the 500,000 Winners! Use SPLASH for the SOFTEST ... QIUCKEST...WHITEST WASH! DON'T DELAY ... BUY A PACKET TODAY! If you want to get prize, _ . Answer: please buy a packet of splash
Question: Plants are very important. This is because plants can make food from air, water and sunlight. Animals and man cannot make food from air, water and sunlight. Animals can get their food by eating plants and other animals. Man gets his food by eating plants and animals, too. So animals and man need plants to live. This is why there are so many plants around us. There are two kinds of plants: flowering plants and non-flowering plants. Almost all the trees around us are flowers and fruit. Non-flowering plants don't grow flowers. You can't see many non-flowering plants around you. If you look carefully at the plants around you, you'll find that there are many kinds of plants. Some plants are very big and some very small. Most of them are green. We can live on the earth because of the plants around us. We need many plants around us because _ . A. plants can grow easily B. plants are green C. we can get what we need from plants D. we like all kinds of plants Answer: C Question: So, let's imagine you are walking down the street drinking a box of tea. You finish drinking the tea. Now, what do you do with the box? Do you drop it on the ground? Or, do you do the right thing and drop it in a trash can? Hopefully, you drop it in the trash can because, besides harming the environment, littering is also very impolite. Recently, a magazine published a list of the most polite cities in the world. They looked three things: did people litter, did shop clerks say thank you and did people hold the door open for the person behind them? The top three politest cities were New York, USA, Zurich, Switzerland, and Toronto, Canada. Hong Kong, China was number 35. Shanghai wasn't even on the list. Does that mean that Shanghai is not a polite city? Well, maybe. There are different ways to judge politeness but the survey was looking at how a visitor to a city would feel when walking around its public places. Visitors don't like to step over empty tea boxes as they walk down the street. They don't like it when they buy something and the shop clerk doesn't say thank you or even give them a smile. They also don't like it when someone lets a door slam into them instead of holding it open. Shanghai is a nice city but it is not always the most polite city. I don't think this is intentional . I think it's just a lack of awareness . China is becoming a popular place for tourists to visit. When they come to Shanghai they will find a friendly city: it would be nice if they also found a polite one. And, remember, being polite makes you feel good, too. It's nice to be nice. How many cities are mentioned in this passage? A. Four. B. Five. C. Six. D. Seven. Answer: B Question: Does your older brother think he's cleverer than you ? Well, he's probably right. According to a new research published in the journal Intelligence, the oldest children in families are likely to have the highest IQs and the youngest the lowest. A number of studies have suggested that IQ scores decline with birth order. In the most recent study, at Vrije University, Amsterdam, researchers looked at men and women whose IQ had been tested at the ages of 5,12 ,and 18. The results , which show a trend for the oldest to score better than the youngest in each test, involved about 200,000 people. That showed that first-borns had a three-point IQ advantage over the second-born, who was a point ahead of the next in line. The order of birth can also affect personality, achievement, and career, with first-borns being more academically successful and more likely to win Nobel prizes. However, eldest children are less likely to be radical and pioneering. Charles Darwin, for example, was the fifth child of six. Exactly why there should be such differences is not clear, and there are a number of theories on environmental influences on the child. The so-called dilution theory suggests that as family resources, both emotional and physical, as well as economic, are limited, it follows that, as a result , as more children come along, the levels of parental attention and encouragement will drop. Another theory is that the intellectual environment in the family favors the first-born who has, at least for some time, the benefit of individual care and help. The theory which enjoys the most support is that the extra time and patience that the earlier-borns get from their parents, compared with those arriving later, gives them an advantage. The passage is developed mainly by A. offering opinion with further explanation B. pointing out similarities and difference C. comparing opinions from different fields D. providing typical examples Answer: A Question: BEIJING--Alarmed by the overreaching ambitions of many Chinese provinces to grow at all costs, China's top economic chief is calling on officials to calm down and spare a thought for the environment. Zhang Ping, who heads China's National Development and Reform Commission, the central economic planning agency, said only five or six of China's 30 provinces are targeting annual economic growth of 8 percent or 9 percent. The remaining provinces are aiming for growth rates of more than 10 percent this year, with some wanting to double economic output in the coming five years. "China has a planned energy supply of about 4 billion cubic tons of coal equivalent for the next five years, and this is not enough to meet demands for economic growth to double," he was quoted as saying on the news portal Sina.Com. Beijing is increasingly concerned with the ambitions of Chinese provinces across the country to chase high growth despite the central government's urgent request for a more moderate and sustainable pace of expansion. Years of rapid economic growth has China's environment, with Beijing trying to remove some of the damage now.It has an annual growth target of 7 percent for the next five years, well down from last year's 10 percent. Zhang said Beijing has asked local governments to take into account the supply of "energy, environment, water and land" to set more reasonable growth targets. The general idea of the whole passage can be that _ . A. China's economy is developing B. China's top chief places more emphasis on the environment C. all Chinese provinces should slow down their economic growth rates D. economic high growth should go hand in hand with environmental protection Answer: D Question: The State of Missoula has enacted a new election code designed to increase voter responsibility in the exercise of the franchise and to enlarge citizen participation in the electoral process. None of its provisions conflicts with federal statutes.Which of the following is the strongest reason for finding unconstitutional a requirement in the Missoula election code that each voter must be literate in English? A. The requirement violates Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution, which provides that representatives to Congress be chosen "by the People of the several States." B. The requirement violates Article I, Section 4 of the Constitution, which gives Congress the power to "make or alter" state regulations providing for the "Times" and "Manner" of holding elections for senators and representatives. C. the requirement violates the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. D. The requirement violates the equal protection of the laws clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Answer: D
Queen Victoria was monarch of Great Britain from 1837 until her death in 1901. This period is often called the Victorian Age. Queen Victoria was a stern and serious woman. One reason she was so serious was that she had suffered a great loss. When she was twenty years old, she married a German prince named Albert. Victoria and Albert were deeply in love, and their marriage was extremely happy. In 1861, after they had been married for twenty-one years, Albert died, leaving Queen Victoria heartbroken. For the rest of her life, the lonely Victoria mourned his loss. It was customary in those days for a widow to dress in black for a short time after the death of her husband. But Queen Victoria dressed in black for forty years. And for forty years, as another sigh of her grief, she wrote her letters white paper edged in black. Even before Prince Albert died, Queen Victoria was known as a very serious woman. She had a strong sense of duty and worked very hard at all her tasks. In her diary she wrote, "I love to be employed; I hate to be idle." She never forgot that she was Britain's queen and always acted with great dignity. Victoria had high ideals and moral standards that sometimes made her seem stuffy. She was also very sure of herself. She always thought that she was right, and she expected everyone to agree with her. Queen Victoria wrote her letters on white paper edged in black because _ Answer: Bill, Frank, Dave and Tom were brothers. Every year they sent their mother expensive gifts on her birthday. They liked to show her how rich they were. The eldest brother, Bill, had lots of money and wanted his mother to have the most expensive gift, but he didn't know what to buy. So he put an ad in the newspaper, "Wanted--the greatest gift for my mother". About a week before his mother's birthday, a man came to his office. He brought a big bird, this bird can speak foreign languages and sing pop songs. The man made the bird talk in French and tell a joke in Japanese. Then the bird sang a beautiful song. The next day, Bill sent the bird to his mother with a birthday card. The day after his mother's birthday, he called his mother, "Well, mother," he asked, "what do you think of the bird?" "Oh, it's very delicious, dear." said his mother. The best title for this passage is _ . Answer: Three "Great Walls" built around the United States' Tornado Alley could reduce tornadoes from destroying billions of dollars in property and endangering millions of lives, a physicist has claimed. Professor Rongjia Tao of Temple University, Philadelphia unveiled a proposal this week calling for the construction of three 1,000-foot barriers up to 100 miles long, which would act like hill ranges and soften winds before tornadoes could form, the BBC reports. The $16.9 billion plan would call for the faux hill ranges in North Dakota, along the border between Kansas and Oklahoma, and in Texas and Louisiana, ostensibly saving billions of dollars in damage every year, Tao said. The walls would not shelter towns, he said, but instead would soften the streams of hot southern and cold northern air that form tornadoes when they clash in the first place. But critics laughed at Tao's proposals. Leading tornado experts pointed to areas that are already protected by hill ranges the size of the barriers Tao is proposing, yet still have plenty of tornados, like parts of Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri. And even if the plan did work, it would create more problems than it would solve, scientists said, by creating catastrophic weather side effects. "Everybody I know is of 100% agreement - this is a poorly conceived idea," Professor Joshua Wurman of the Center for Severe Weather Research. "From what I can gather his concept of how tornadoes form is fundamentally flawed . Meteorologists cringe when they hear about 'clashing hot and cold air'. It's a lot more complicated than that." What's the main idea of the passage? Answer: It was one of the hottest days of the dry season. It had not rained in almost a month. The crops were dying. Cows had stopped giving milk. If it did not rain soon, we would lose everything. On this day, I witnessed a wonder. I was making lunch when I saw my 6-year-old son, Billy, walking very slowly toward the woods. Minutes later he came running out again, toward the house. Soon after, I saw him walking toward 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. Leaves slapped his face but he kept walking into the woods. Then I saw an amazing sight. Several large deer stood in front of him. Billy walked right up to them. I saw a tiny baby deer lying on the ground. It was dying of thirst, and it lifted its head with great effort 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 tap. Billy opened it and a small trickle came out. He knelt down, letting the drops 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 pot of water from the kitchen. I let him walk to the baby deer alone while I stood at the edge of the woods. As tears rolled down my face, they were suddenly joined by other drops... and more drops... as if the sky itself was crying. Which of the following is true according to the passage? Answer: New crime prediction software should reduce not only the murder rate, but the rate of other crimes. Developed by Richard Berk, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, the software has already used in Baltimore and Philadelphia to predict which individuals on probation or parole are most likely to murder and to be murdered. "When a person goes on probation or parole he is supervised by an officer. The question is 'what level of supervision is appropriate?'" said Berk. It used to be that parole officers used the person's criminal record, and their judgment to make decisions. "This research replaces those _ ," he said. Technology helps determine level of supervision. On average there is one murder for every 100,000 people. Even among high-risk groups the murder rate is one in 100. Predicting such a rare event is very difficult, but advances in computer technology works. Years ago, the researchers made a dataset of more than 60,000 various crimes. Using the software they developed, they found some much more likely to commit murder when paroled or probated. They could identify eight future murderers out of 100. Berk's software examines roughly two dozen variables , from criminal record to geographic location. The type of crimes, and more importantly, the age at which that crime was committed, were two of the most predictive variables. "People assume that if someone murdered then they will murder in the future," said Berk. " What really matters is what that person did as a young individual. Predicting future crimes sounds well. But we aren't anywhere near being able to do that." "Berk's scientific answer leaves policymakers with difficult questions. By labeling one group of people as high risk, and supervise them closely, there should be fewer murders, which the potential victims should be happy about. It also means that those high-risk individuals will be supervised more aggressively. For human rights advocates, that means punishing people who, most likely, will not commit a crime in the future," said Bushway. "It comes down to a question of whether you would rather make these errors or those errors." From Para 7, we can infer that _ . Answer:
Papa's jaw dropped when Mama told him that Sister had cheated on her final exams--not to succeed but to fail. "It's unbelievable!" he said. "Sister has always been so proud of her good grades!" "Yes, she has," said Mama. "But it's not unbelievable. It just shows how badly she wanted off the swimming team." "Wanted off the swimming team?" said Papa. "She never said anything about that to me." "Of course she didn't," said Mama. "She was afraid you'd _ . You already had her getting a swimming scholarship to college and winning gold medals at the Olympics. Can you imagine how much pressure she must have felt? For her, being on the team couldn't have been much fun." "Oh, my gosh!" Papa said, clapping a hand to his forehead. "I've been so stupid! I just thought she'd want to be a champion swimmer because she's so good at it." "It's like anything else, dear," said Mama. "No matter how good at it you are, if it stops being fun, you won't want to do it anymore." Papa put his head in his hands. "She must be really mad at me," he mumbled. "Maybe I should say sorry to her." Sister's footsteps could be heard on the stairs. She came into the kitchen and looked hopefully up at her parents. "Honey," said Mama with a smile, "your papa and I have decided that there's no reason for you to be on the swimming team if you don't want to." Sister's face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Yippee!" she cried. "And," added Papa, "there's no need for any more drills. I'm sure you'll bring your grades back up all by yourself." Sister ran to Papa and jumped into his arms. She gave him a big hug. "I'm going to go play cards with Lizzy!" she said. "See you later!" From the kitchen window, Mama and Papa watched their daughter run down the sunny road toward Lizzy's house. "It's good to see her happy again," said Mama. "It sure is," Papa agreed. "As for the swimming team, there's always next year." "If?" Mama prompted him. "Oh, right," said Papa. "If she wants to." Mama smiled. "At least you're learning, dear," she said. She kissed him. "Well, you know what they say," Papa said. "Better late than never." Which of the following words best describes Papa? Answer: Sitting at a desk in a classroom all day can be pretty boring. The teachers at Ward Elementary in Winston -Salem,North Carolina ,picked up on that and traded in their students' desks for exercise bikes as a part of their Read and Ride program! The Read and Ride program began five years ago.One classroom has enough bikes for every student in any given class,and throughout the day teachers bring in their students to the room to ride them and read their books. Even regular classrooms have one bike in the back of each room for students who just can't sit still to use to help them burn energy in a good way. Students love being more active! Teachers enjoy seeing students eager to read.Parents appreciate stronger,smarter children.Headmasters value this effective and cost-free program."Riding exercise bikes makes reading fun for many kids who get frustrated when they read.Thus,they have a way to release that frustration while they ride,"said Scott Ertl,who started the program."As we can see,everyone wants to promote literacy and lose weight! But many students who are overweight struggle with sports and activities since they don't want to always be the last or lose with others watching on the playground.On exercise bikes,however,students are able to exert themselves at their own level--without anyone noticing when they slow down or take a break." As it turns out,not only are the bikes helping the students burn calories,they're also helping them learn better and stay focused.At the end of the school year the school analyzed testing data and found that students that spent more time reading and riding did more than twice as well on reading tests than their fellow students who spent the least time in the program. The program helps the students in the following ways except _ . Answer: My grandmother Adele loved culture and was generous with its gifts. When I was a child, she took me to museums, restaurants, dances. She showered me with gifts from her travels around the world. But I can only remember her giving me one book--a book that, to this day, I have not read. She presented me with her own favorite childhood book: Hans Brinker. My grandmother was happy to share this book with me. She even decorated the title page with her proud writing. I tried to read it. I adored reading, and would dive into a new pile of books from the library all at once. But something about Hans Brinker just wouldn't let me in. The story was set in Holland, a long time ago. It felt dull and unfamiliar--even though I was a fan of classics of other times and places. I simply read the first pages over and over. I could not progress. Standing on a bookshelf in our living room, the book was like something I avoided. It scolded me for not being interested, for not trying hard enough, for disappointing my grandmother. The book started to fit in, almost forgotten, until Adele asked. Had I read it? Did I like it? Always determined, she wanted to know the answer. I would make some kind of excuse, feel bad, and open it again, hoping for a new reaction. _ . Years passed and finally Adele and I both accepted that I would never read Hans Brinker. Eventually I cleared the book from the shelf. The Hans Brinker experience led me to set a rule that I've lived by ever since: Do not ask about a book given as a gift. Don't ask, despite your desire to discuss it to grow closer. The desire for such connection is what gives book-giving with special meaning--and increases the owner's possibility to be a letdown. Guilt is basically the same as for all gifts, though. If the giver doesn't have the pleasure of seeing or hearing about the gift being enjoyed, and asks whether it is, then the owner--unless she can truthfully say "yes"--either has to admit to not liking the present, or else lie on the spot. Neither is pleasant. So, don't ask. When the author was a kid, his grandmother _ . Answer: There are about 34,000 different known species of spiders in the world, but only a dozen of them are harmful to humans. Four of the deadliest spiders in the world are the following. These spiders should undoubtedly be avoided. Brown Recluse Spider The brown recluse spider is native to the United States. It prefers areas that are dark and quiet. They can be found both indoors and outside. Their characteristic marking is a dark violin shape on top. The brown recluse spider is not an aggressive spider, but will inject venom into its victims if it is pressed against the skin. In children, the elderly, and those with lowered immune systems, the venom will cause serious illness or death. Black Widow Spider The black widow can be found in the southeastern United States. Their characteristic marking is a red hourglass shape on their black stomach. It is not an aggressive spider. The black widow injects a neurotoxin into its victims. The neurotoxin can interfere with nerves to muscle tissue. In children and the elderly, the neurotoxin can be fatal. Brazilian Wandering Spider The Brazilian wandering spider has a few names such as the banana spider and the armed spider. They can be found in the regions of Central and South America where the climate is warm. These are highly aggressive spiders and are extremely dangerous. They wander around the forest floor and are commonly found in people's homes. It injects a neurotoxin which can cause death. Sydney Funnel-Web Spider The Sydney funnel-web spider resides near Sydney, Australia. They can grow to 3 inches in length and have a dark and smooth body. They are extremely aggressive and are the most poisonous spiders. They will strike repeatedly, possibly causing death by injecting a neurotoxin into their victims. These four species of spiders are not all aggressive, but all can cause painful bites and serious bad reactions. Keep your eyes open because the best way to deal with these dangerous creatures is to avoid them. The brown recluse spider and the black widow are mainly different in _ . Answer: A girl comes back from school. She doesn't look happy. Her grandma asks,"What's wrong, my girl?" "Everything is wrong. The new school is far from home. I don't have any friends at the new school. I can't answer the teachers' questions in class. I don't like the school lunch," the girl answers. Grandma smiles and says, "Don't be sad, my girl. Would you like something to eat?" "Good. What can I have?" the girl becomes happy. "Here, have some cooking oil ." "No, I can't eat that." "What about some raw eggs?" "No. Nobody eats raw eggs." "Would you like some _ then?" "Grandma, I can't eat these things." "Then what about a cake?" "Good. I like that." "Cooking oil, raw eggs and flour are not nice to eat. But when you put them together in the right way and bake them, they will make a wonderful cake. Life is just like baking a cake." What would the girl like to eat? Answer:
It's impossible to determine how many people would have lost their lives without the contribution of African-American inventor Dr Charles Drew. Charles Drew was born on June 3, 1904, in Washington, DC. His early interest was in education, but he was also an outstanding athlete. While in college, he was awarded as the man who contributed the most to sports during his four years in school. Drew's sister Elsie suffered from tuberculosis and died in 1920. Her death influenced his decision to study medicine. After becoming a doctor and working as a college instructor, Drew went to Columbia University, where he earned his Doctor of Medical Science degree. During this time he became involved in research on blood and blood transfusions. At Columbia, he wrote a paper on "banked blood", in which he described a technique he developed for the long-term preservation of blood plasma. Before his discovery, blood could not be stored for more than two days because of the rapid breakdown of red blood cells. Drew had discovered that by separating the plasma from the whole blood and then refrigerating them separately, they could be combined a week later for a blood transfusion. Drew became the first African American to receive a PhD in medical science. After World War II broke out, Drew was called upon to put his techniques into practice. He was named a project director for the American Red Cross but soon quit his post after the government issued an order that blood taken from white donors should be separated from that of black donors. On April 1, 1950, after he attended the annual free clinic at the John A. Andrew Memorial Hospital, he and other three physicians decided to drive back home. As he was tired from spending the night before in the operating room, he lost control of his car. Drew was badly injured and was taken to Alamance General Hospital in Burlington, North Carolina. He was pronounced dead half an hour after he first received medical attention. Drew's funeral was held on April 5, 1950, at the Nineteenth Street Baptist Church in Washington, DC. But contrary to popular thought, he was not refused a blood transfusion by an all-white hospital. He indeed received a transfusion but was beyond the help of the doctors attending to him. As Dr. John Ford, one of the doctors who survived the accident, later explained, "We all received the very best of care. The fact that he was a Black did not in any way limit the care that was given to him." Over the years, Drew has been considered one of the most honored figures in the medical field. According to the passage, _ might have contributed to the invention of blood banks. Answer: the technique of separating plasma from the whole blood The booking notes of the play "The Age of Innocence". Price: $10 BOOKING There are four easy ways to book seats for performance: -----in person The Box Office is open from Money to Saturday, 10 a.m.----8 p.m. -----by telephone Ring 01324976 to reserve your tickets or to pay by credit card (Visa, Master Card and Amex accepted). -----on-line/online Simply complete the booking form and return it to Global Theatre Box Office. -----online/on-line Complete the on-line booking form at www. Satanfiedtheatre. com. DISCOUNT Saver: $2 off any seat booked any time in advance for performances from Monday to Thursday. Savers are available for children up to 16 years old, those over 60 and full-time students. Supersavers: half-price seats are available for people with disabilities and one companion. It is advisable to book in advance. There is a maximum of eight wheelchair spaces available and one wheelchair space will be held until an hour before the show. Standby: best available seats are on sale for $6 from one hour before the performance for people eligible for Saver and Supersaver discounts and thirty minutes before for all other customers. Group booking: there is a ten percent discount for parties of twelve or more. School: school parties of ten or more can book $6 standby tickets in advance and will get every tenth ticket free. PLEASE NOTE: we are unable to exchange tickets for refund money unless a performance is cancelled due to unpredicted circumstances. If you make a group booking for a group of 14 adults, how much should you pay? Answer: $126 My grandfather was a teacher.He was the headmaster of a school for boys between the ages of thirteen and eighteen.I know that he was a kind and gentle man at heart,because when I was young (and he was old),he gave me presents and seated me on his knees,and told me stories.But I believe the boys at his school were afraid of him. At school,when he walked into a classroom full of noisy boys,those boys went red in the faces,and looked down at their shoes.If a boy brought his poor,careless work,which was not the best that boy could do,my grandfather picked up the boy's work and threw it across the room,shouting,"Do it all again,and bring it back early tomorrow morning!" If the boy was late,or if he forgot to bring the work,he had to do it again.My grandfather never forgot. He was a very different man at school,from the man I saw day by day in his own home. He was a different man at home because _ . Answer: he didn't get angry at home Born with easy-broken bone disease, Zhang Yonghong is only half a meter tall and must use a wheelchair. His thin arms and legs can hardly support any weight, and he is unable to take care of himself. However, his hands are able to produce fine paper-cuts, which will free his daughter from the same disease. To support himself, he learned how to make paper-cut art from his mother. He sold his artwork and taught his techniques in Xi'an for eight years before discovering his young daughter _ the disease from him, leading Zhang to move his family to Beijing for his daughter's better treatment five years ago. The daughter's treatment costs about 30,000 yuan a year. The family's savings was used up in two years, and Zhang was forced to start to sell his work in underground passages with his healthy wife, who soon left him because of the hard life. With a little help from government, he was lucky to meet some kindhearted people in Beijing. A Hong Kong businessman gave 60,000 yuan to him last year to treat the girl and start a small shop on Qiangulouyuan, which is known as a famous hutong that attracts lots of tourists over holidays. Zhang Rui, a university graduate, spends most of her time helping Zhang sell the paper-cuts, translating the stories of the paper-cuts into English and selling the works on the roadside of Nanluoguxiang. However, the artist still lives beyond his income and struggles to continue his small business. "Selling paper-cuts is his only source of income. Without this, he can't support the family and treat his daughter," says Zhang Rui, who hopes more people will help Zhang. Why did his wife leave him? Answer: Because the life was too hard for them. Women are friendly. But men are more competitive. Why? Researchers have found it's all down to the hormone oxytocin . Although known as the love hormone, it affects the sexes differently. "Women tend to be social in their behavior. They often share with others. But men tend to be competitive. They are trying to improve their social status," said Professor Ryan. Generally, people believe that the hormone exytocin is let out in our body in various social situations and our body creates a large amount of it during positive social interaction such as falling in love or giving birth. But in a previous experiment Professor Ryan found that the hormone is also let out in our body during negative social interactions such as envy. Further researches showed that in men the hormone oxytocin improves the ability to recognize competitive relationships, but in women it raises the ability to recognize friendship. Professor Ryan's recent experiment used 62 men and women aged 20 to 37. Half of the participants received oxytocin. The other half received placebo . [( )] [( :Love my Dog.)] After a week, the two groups switched with participants. They went through the same procedure with the other material. Following each treatment, they were shown some video pictures with different social interactions. Then they were asked to analyze the relationships by answering some questions. The questions were about telling friendship from competition. And their answers should be based on gestures, body language and facial expressions. The results indicated that, after treatment with oxytocin, men's ability to correctly recognize competitive relationships improved, but in women it was the ability to correctly recognize friendship that got better. Professor Ryan thus concluded: "Our experiment proves that the hormone oxytocin can raise people's abilities to better distinguish different social interactions. And the behavior differences between men and women are caused by biological factor that are mainly hormonal." What causes men and women to behave differently according to the text? Answer: Oxytocin.
Not so long ago, a sailor sailing across the cold waters of the northern Pacific Ocean might have had every chance of being confronted by a sea cow. This cow would have measured 10 meters long, and weighed between five and ten tones. And it would spend most of its day cruising the seas, eating grass growing underwater. The cow in question was known as Steller's sea cow, which is now extinct. Today, many people are unaware that such an extraordinary creature once existed, or don't know its incredible story. But scientists have discovered many fundamental facts about this mystical animal. Surprisingly, the first recorded sighting of a Steller's sea cow didn't happen until 1741, when a sailing expedition was stuck on an uninhabited island, later named Bering Island. The sailor survived by hunting and eating the huge sea cow. Like its modern relatives, the sea cow lived in herds. _ and its slow-moving behaviour made it easy to be caught. Those sailors that escaped Bering Island spread word of the bounty of meat to be found off its shores. As a result, more and more expeditions came to hunt the animals. One report stated that one sea cow could feed 33 men for a month. Incredibly, just 27 years after the island and species had been discovered by modern man, the last sea cow was reported killed. That makes the Steller's sea cow one of the few truly large mammals known to have been driven extinct in the modern age. Which of the following words can be used to describe the Steller's sea cow? Answer: All the people know that exercise is important. We all need to exercise. Doctors say it is good for us. It makes your heart and body strong. Children who often exercise are more alert . It is healthy for the mind and the body. This means they do better in tests and schoolwork than those who don't exercise. There are many ways to do exercise. You can walk, run, swim, skate, or play ball games. Make sure you exercise in the following ways: 1. You have to like what you're doing. 2. Exercise enough, but not too much. It's best to exercise twice each week. Thirty minutes each time is enough. 3. Try all kinds of things until you find one, two or even three sports _ for you. Lots of people choose to exercise at fitness centers . Why? Because there are a lot of sports equipment there. The equipment will help exercise your arms, legs and other parts of your body to make you healthy. Some people buy sports equipment for their homes. But it is very expensive. Exercising can be fun. Friends can exercise together at a fitness center, or they can play sports together outside. How do you exercise? Which of the following sports is NOT mentioned in the passage? Answer: What purpose does a plant light serve? Answer: Is education compulsory after age 16? Under the present law, the school leaving age is 16. After 2013 the education leaving age will rise to 17. And from 2015 it will rise again, to 18. The government is raising the leaving age because research shows that young people who carry on learning or training until the age of 18 earn more money, are likely to be healthier and less likely to be in trouble with the police. So although at the moment your child can leave education once they're 16, it's worth thinking carefully about the benefits of carrying on. What options are available after 16? Education after16 doesn't just mean staying at school full-time: your child can stay at school, go to college, or take up an apprenticeship or a part-time training course. They can earn money and learn new skills at the same time if they want to. The main qualifications available are: Diplomas: providing the background for a range of careers Vocational qualifications: for young people who already know what career they want to follow and need training for specific jobs A levels: offered as specific mainly academic subjects International Baccalaureate: offering a wider range of subjects than A levels What financial help is available? If your child continues in education after 16 and your household income is less than PS30,810 a year, your child should be eligible for up to PS30 a week to help with their costs. It won't affect any benefits you get as an individual or as a family, and the money will be paid directly into your child's bank account. This money is known as Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA). What kind of people is the passage intended for? Answer: Do you know why different animals or pests have their special colors? Colors in them seem to be used mainly to protect themselves. Some birds like eating locusts. but birds cannot easily catch them. Why? It is because locusts change their colors together with the change of the colors of crops. When crops are green, locusts look green. But as the harvest time comes, locusts change to the same brown color as crops have. Some other pests with different colors from plants are easily found and eaten by others. So they have to hide themselves for lives and appear only at night. If you study the animal life, you'll find the main use of coloring is protecting themselves. Bears, lions and other animals move quietly through forests. They cannot be seen by hunters. This is because they have the colors much like the tree. Have you ever noticed an even more strange act? A kind of fish in the sea can send out a kind of very black liquid when it faces danger. While the liquid spread over, the enemies cannot find it. And it immediately swims away. So it has lived up to now though it isn't strong at all. , . From the passage we learn that locusts _ . Answer:
Today, we send millions of Christmas cards every year. But in fact the Christmas card is a ly modern invention. In the Middle Ages, European wood engravers produced prints with religious themes. But the first real Christmas card, as we understand the term today, was designed in London, England in 1840. It went on sale in 1843. The designer was John Callott Horsley, a well- known British painter and member of the Royal Academy. He designed the card at the suggestion of his friend Sir Henry Cole, who was the first director of the Victoria & Albert Museum. Horsley produced 1,000 cards and offered them for sale at 1s (one shilling) each. They were printed on stiff card and coloured by hand, with the greeting: "A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You". The card shows three pictures: in the center, a family party; to one side the hungry receiving food; to the other side the poor being clothed. Puritans immediately _ the card, since it showed people drinking in the family party. But with most people the idea was a great success and the Christmas card quickly became very popular. Christmas cards were not the first greetings cards. Since 1796, with improvements in printing, merchants had been sending cards to their customers offering "best wishes" for the new year. In many countries, Christmas cards gradually became even more popular than New Year's cards. As Christmas is the birthday of Jesus Christ, cards often show scenes of His nativity. Others show images connected with Christmas such as wintry scenes of snow-laden pine, Father Christmas card is "Merry Christmas", but many other greetings are also used, such as "Happy Xmas" or "Happy Noel". What would be the best title of the text? Answer: People like to read or listen to stories, especially children. After reading, some children wish to be writers some day. They want to write stories or books for people to read. That's good! It's good to write something for people to read! But they should know that they need to be good readers first before they are really good writers. They should read a lot of books. Instead of watching TV and spending a lot of time playing games when they are free. There is more fun in reading. After you read some good books, you may want to look for more books to read. Before you decide to be a good writer, you should say to yourself. "I must read more and more to become better and better at writing!" Why do some children want to be writers when they grow up ? Answer: To witness physical change you would need to observe the life cycle of a Answer: Can you swim? Swimming is one of the most popular activities in summer. It can be learned early in life. Little children can learn to swim as soon as they walk. In fact, you need the same skills in walking as in swimming. However, I believe that five is the best age to learn it. By five or six, a child knows fear of water, a very important thing to know. It's wise to be afraid. The young understand that the water can sometimes be very dangerous. When you swim, you should follow certain rules: Never swim alone! No matter how good you are in the water, don't risk drowning by swimming alone. If you swim by yourself, you may get into trouble. Don't go beyond your abilities. Most swimmers know it clearly not to swim too far from the bank or the beach. Don't show off your skills by doing dangerous tricks. Don't smoke. Swimming depends on a healthy body. Work at any activity that builds muscles . Little children can learn to swim as soon as _ . Answer: The year was 1932. Amelia Earhart was flying alone from North America to England in a small single-engined aeroplane. At midnight, several hours after she had left Newfoundland, she ran into bad weather. To make things worse, her altimeter failed and she didn't know how high she was flying. At night, and in a storm, a pilot is in great difficulty without an altimeter. At times, her plane nearly plunged into the sea. Just before dawn, there was further trouble. Amelia noticed flames coming from the engine. Would she be able to reach land? There was nothing to do except to keep going and to hope. In the end, Amelia Earhart did reach Ireland, and for the courage she had shown, she was warmly welcomed in England and Europe. When she returned to the United States, she was honored by President Hoover at a special dinner in the White House. From that time on, Amelia Earhart was famous. What was so important about her flight? Amelia Earhart was the first woman to fly the Atlantic Ocean alone, and she had set a record of fourteen hours and fifty-six minutes. In the years that followed, Amelia Earhart made several flights across the United States, and on each occasion she set a new record for flying time. Amelia Earhart made these flights to show that women had a place in aviation and that air travel was useful. Which of the following statements is NOT the difficulty which Amelia Earhart met in her flight from north America to England? Answer:
Two new studies suggest that modern running shoes could increase the risk of injuries to runners. One study involved sixty-eight healthy young women and men who ran at least twenty-four kilometers a week. The runners were observed on a treadmill machine . Sometimes they wore running shoes. Other times they ran barefoot . Researchers from the JKM Technologies company in Virginia, the University of Virginia and the University of Colorado did the study. They found that running shoes create more stress that could damage knees, hips and ankle joints than running barefoot. They observed that the effect was even greater than the effect reported earlier for walking in high heels. The study appeared in the official scientific journal of The American Academy of Physical Medicine. The other study appeared in the journal Nature. It compared runners in the United States and Kenya. The researchers were from Harvard University in Massachusetts, Moi University in Kenya and the University of Glasgow in Scotland. They divided the runners into three groups. One group had always run shoeless. Another group had always run with shoes. And the third group had changed to shoeless running. Runners who wear shoes usually come down heel first. That puts great force on the back of the foot. But the study found that barefoot runners generally land on the front or middle of their foot. That way they ease into their landing and avoid striking their heel. Harvard's Daniel Lieberman led the study. He says the way most running shoes are designed may explain why those who wear them land on their heels. The heel of the shoe is bigger and heavier than other parts of the shoe, so it would seem more likely to come down first. Also, the heel generally has thick material under it to soften landings. But the researchers do not suggest that runners immediately start running barefoot. They say it takes some training. And there can be risks, like running when your feet are too cold to feel if you get injured. The study was partly supported by Vibram, which makes a kind of footwear that it says is like running barefoot. The findings have gotten a lot of attention. But the researchers say there are many problems in the way the press has reported in their paper. So they have tried to explain their findings on a Harvard Website. What can we learn from the passage? A The way that we run by landing on the front or middle of our foot could avoid damaging our heel. B We should start running barefoot in no time. C Running in modern running shoes could cause more serious effects than running in high heels. D We won't be injured if we run barefoot. Answer: A The idea about the phoenix goes back to Ancient Egypt, where we find the phoenix described as a handsome, eagle-like bird, with part-golden, part-red plumage, that spent most of its life in the Arabian deserts. It was rarely seen and according to one version of the story, only appeared in Egypt once every five hundred years, when it flew to Heliopolis, "city of the sun", and deliberately burnt itself to ashes by settling on the altar flame there! However, it seems it did not really die because from those same ashes a young, fully formed phoenix was born and flew away, apparently back to Arabia. It is pretty obvious that no one has ever seen or will see a living phoenix. The interesting thing is that we can find certain clues which may explain one aspect of the Egyptians' idea. It may sound unbelievable, but some birds are apparently quite charmed by flames and small fires, especially members of the crow family. One zoologist actually proved this by setting fire to some straw near to a tame rook, a large black bird like a crow. Far from becoming nervous and backing away, the bird deliberately stood over the flames, with raised and vibrating wings. It didn't get burnt, but the image it presented by its strange behavior was almost exactly like that shown in illustrations of the mythical phoenix! Why birds should occasionally behave in this strange way is not clear. One idea is that they carefully use the heat of the flames to relieve the annoyance caused by their feather mites which all birds have. Whatever the reason, it is quite possible that the Ancient Egyptians saw birds behaving in this way, from time to time, and used it as the basis of their phoenix myth, adding fanciful details which closely linked it to their worship of the sun and their belief in _ . Nowadays, the phoenix is much less important to us than it was to the Egyptians. But the logo of modern fire insurance companies, which employ the phoenix as one of their symbols, refers that in one sense the idea of it remains. Which of the following statements is NOT correct? A The ancient Egyptians worshiped the phoenix. B The scientists have discovered why birds are attracted by fire. C The modern people still favor the idea of the phoenix. D The mythical tales about the phoenix were based on facts. Answer: B Two best friends lived in a small town. They grew up together and did everything together. One boy was named James, and he was a cute, fat kid who was always picked on. And then the other boy was named Alex, and he was handsome and cool. They were opposites, but they didn't care. Alex would always protect James from the bullies because James was weak. One day, James was being teased by the bullies, Gordon and Johnny, but Alex wasn't there to save him. James didn't know what to do and was scared. But then he remembered all of the times Alex stood up for him. James looked up to Alex and he thought of him as his hero. James wanted to protect himself and not have Alex always come to help. So this time, James got up and was brave. He stood up to Gordon and Johnny and told them that he wasn't scared. The bullies didn't know what to do and then gave up. They went away to look for more fun things to do. Alex saw the whole thing and was proud of James for being brave. Now James and Alex protect each other and stand up for each other. They still are the best of friends. Why did James stand up to the bullies? A Because he was weak. He wanted to be the opposite. B He wanted to protect himself. He didn't want Alex to always help him. C Because they grew up together. They were best friends. D He wanted to not be scared. He wanted someone to be proud of him. Answer: B It is well known that the United States' population come from all over the world. The immigrants can learn the language, English, to keep this country united, but it is unnecessary to change their culture for an American way of life. I believe that recent immigrants should learn English in order to live in the country. They should learn the "public language". If they don't learn English, they won't be able to communicate and do what they want. For example, my mother's friend came to the United States from Ecuador three years ago. She doesn't speak English. One day, her daughter, Anita, couldn't breathe. Anita didn't know what was going on, but she told her mother to call an ambulance. When her mother called the hospital, she couldn't communicate. The operator couldn't understand what Anita's mother was saying. Fortunately, her mother's sister arrived and called the ambulance. The doctor told her sister that if she hadn't arrived at the hospital on time, Anita could have died. A pill had gotten stuck in her throat. Immigrants should learn English to speak with the public, but they can also keep their language at home. The children of immigrants should learn how to speak their parents' language. It is very important to communicate with our relatives and family. If we learn English only and forget our private "language", we won't be able to communicate with our parents. For example, Florence, my co-worker, speaks English only. Her mother didn't teach her Spanish (her mother's mother language). Now, Florence can't communicate with her grandparents or other relatives in Puerto Rico. She has lost her mother's mother language, tradition and culture. Immigrants have the freedom to keep their culture and values. Immigrants should know where they come from and what their family's culture is. In this way, they can transmit it to future generations. In conclusion, immigrants should learn English in order to communicate with the public and to keep the country united, but they shouldn't give up their own culture. By writing the passage, the author mainly wants to _ . A show that the United States is a multi-cultural country B advise immigrants to learn English and keep their own culture C explain why so many people move to the United States D describe the difficulties immigrants meet in a new country Answer: B Zoos have been around for centuries -- and they've changed a lot over the years. In the Middle Ages, wealthy people kept animals in their gardens. Public animal parks appeared in European cities in the late 1700s and early 1800s. The Philadelphia Zoo, the first in the United States, opened in 1874. Until a few decades ago, most zoos were organized by creatures -- monkeys in one area, cats in another, birds somewhere else, just like museum collections. In recent years, zoos have instead begun grouping animals that would normally interact in the wild. Moreover, instead of closing animals behind bars, designers are creating landscapes like the environments in which these creatures would naturally be found. Nearby signs provide information about the animals and their habitats in parts of the world where they normally live. The Denver Zoo's new Predator Ridge exhibit, for example, aims to teach visitors about Africa. Eight acres of land provide homes for 14 animal species, including lions, porcupines, cranes, and wild dogs. Plants from _ grow alongside African-like landform. Ten-foot-tall mounds give lions a place from which to survey their surroundings, just as they would do in the wild. Landscape design makes visitors to the Denver Zoo's Predator Ridge exhibit feel like they're really in Africa. Animals in Predator Ridge can't actually be mixed with one another, for safety reasons. But hidden deep channels and other smart features allow visitors to see all the animals at once. Different species can see each other too. We can learn from the passage that _ . A the earliest zoos were probably rich people's gardens B the Philadelphia Zoo is the first zoo in the world C the new Predator Ridge exhibit is held in Africa D more animals will be kept in zoos in the future Answer: A
John Smith was a very handsome young man but he was lazy. He had finished his education and was happy to sit in his room and listen to the radio all day long. In fact, he had been doing nothing for almost six months, which worried his father a lot. One day Mr. Smith decided that he had to do something. "Johnny, When I was your age I was working and supporting my ten brothers and sisters. I want you to go out and get a job." So that was what he did. In fact, in the next three months, Johnny started ten jobs and was fired from ten jobs. He explained to his father. "They wanted me to be at work at 8:00 a. m. and told me to do all sorts of unpleasant things." "I don't care how you do it," Mr. Smith said. "Either you earn some money or move out of the house. I gave you one week's time." In the next few days Johnny began to change. He still stayed in his room all day, but spent his time writing letters and reading through the newspapers. More and more posts began to arrive for him. He bought a new suit for himself and invited his parents to the theatre and for dinner afterwards at the most expensive restaurant in town. When his proud parents arrived home after their evening hour, a policeman was waiting at the front door. "John Smith," he said as he handed him a piece of paper, "I'll see you in the court tomorrow." When he got outside, Johnny told his parents everything. "When you told me to earn some money, I decided to put an advertisement in the newspaper saying, 'New way to money fast! Send me $ 5 and I'll tell you my secret.' When I received the money I wrote back telling people to do as I do." Johnny was fined $250 by the court and was ordered to pay all the people back. As he left the court house feeling very ashamed, a newspaper man came up to him, "Young man, would you like to tell your story to my newspaper for $2,500?" Why was Johnny fined $ 250? Answer: Because he cheated the people. You bring each other.We'll provide everything else. To book the romantic getaway of a lifetime. Visit windjammerlanding.com or call 18775220722 The Romance Package From $2,650 for 5 days/4 nights in a Premium Ocean View Room Allinclusive food&beverage 1hou couples massage Sparking wine&flowers upon arrival 1 inroom champagne breakfast Airport taxi transfers All service&taxes Windjammer Landing VILLA BEACH RESORE,ST.LUCIA If you want to go to the place which is mentioned in the passage,you should visit or call _ . Answer: windjammerlanding.com Announcements Bret Harte vs. Calaveras alumni boys The annual Bret Harte vs. CHS alumni boys basketball game will be held at 7 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 30, at Calaveras High. All players must have played at least one year of basketball team. Cost to play is $30. Admission for audience is $ 5 for adults and $ 2 for kids. 6-year-old kids and kids who are under 6 are admitted free. For more information, call Kraig Clifton at 743-0679 or Jeff Eltringham at 736-0162. CHS girls basketball Skills The Calaveras High School girls basketball program presents the Junior Redskins Winter Skills, a developmental basketball program for girls in fifth through eighth grades that will be held from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Sundays. Sign-ups are still being accepted for the second of the two five-week sessions, which will be held on five consecutive Sundays beginning on Jan. 12, 2016. Cost is $25 per session. Each participant receives a T-shirt at the end of each session. For more information or to sign up, call Jeremy Malamed at 217-4563 or email sports.calent@gmail.com. CHS swim/baseball coaching vacancies Calaveras High School(CHS) is looking for a head boys/girls swim coach and a baseball coach for the 2016 spring season. Applications will be accepted and jobs will remain open until filled. Interview dates are to be set. Anyone interested can stop by the district office or the high school for an application. For more information, call Mike Koepp at 754-1811. Foothills Little League sign-ups Foothills Little League will hold sign-ups for the 2016 season from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 4, at Pizza Factory in Valley Springs. All players must provide proofs of residency and a birth certificate. For more information, call Shawn Threet at 304-7399 or leave a message at 772-1516. Yoga in Rail Road Flat Yoga is being offered at Rail Road Flat Elementary from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., Fridays with instructor Kristine Louise. Costs are a $5 instructor fee and $ 2 donation to The Friends of Rail Road Flat School. For more information, visit friendsofrrfschool.org. Who will take part in the game to be held on Nov. 30? Answer: Boys who were on the CHS basketball team. The Galapagos Islands are in the Pacific Ocean, off the western coast of South America They are a rocky, lonely spot, but they are also one of the most unusual places in the world. One reason is that they are the home of some of the last giant tortoises left on earth. Weighing hundreds of pounds, these tortoises go slowly around the rocks and sand of the islands. Strangely, each of these islands has its own particular kinds of tortoises. There are seven different kinds of tortoises on the eight islands, and each kind is slightly different from the other. Hundreds of years ago, thousands of tortoises were around these islands. However, all that changed when people started landing there. When people first arrived in 1535, crews would seize as many tortoises as they could. They would roll the tortoises onto their backs when they were brought onto the ships. The tortoises were completely helpless once on their backs, so they could only lie there until used for soups and stews. Almost 100,000 tortoises were carried off in this way. The tortoises faced other problems, too. Soon after the first ships, settlers arrived, bringing pigs, goats, donkeys, dogs and cats. A11 0f these animals ruined life for the tortoises. Donkeys and goats ate all the plants that the tortoises usually fed on, while the pigs, dogs and cats ate thousands of baby tortoises each year. Within a few years, it was hard to find any tortoise eggs-or even any baby tortoises. Finally, in the 1950s, scientists decided that something must be done. The first part of their plan was to remove as many cats, dogs and other animals as they could from the islands. Next, they tried to make sure that more baby tortoises would be born; This slow, hard work continues today, and, thanks to it, the number of tortoises is now increasing every year. Perhaps these wonderful animals will not disappear after all What's the result of the scientists' effort? Answer: There are more and more giant tortoises on the islands. Penn sued Duke's Bar for injuries suffered in an automobile accident caused by Chase, who had been a patron of Duke's Bar. Penn claimed that Chase was permitted to drink too much liquor at Duke's Bar before the accidentPenn offered evidence that, after the accident, the manager of Duke's Bar established house rules limiting all customers to two drinks per hour, with a maximum limit of four drinks per night. This evidence is Answer: inadmissible, because its admission would discourage the taking of such remedial measures
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. Which of the following is linked to what some early markings show? Older people who have low expectations for a satisfying future may be more likely to live longer, healthier lives than those who see brighter days ahead, according to new research "Our findings showed that being overly optimistic in predicting a better future was associated with a greater risk of disability and death within the following decade," said Frieder R. Lang, the leading researcher of the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany." Pessimism about the future may encourage people to live more carefully, taking health and safety measures." Lang and colleagues examined data collected from 1993 to 2003 for the national German Socio-Economic Panel, an annual survey on approximately 40,000 people from 18 to 96 years old. The researchers divided the data according to age groups: 18 to 39 years old, 40 to 64 years old and 65 years old and above. Through mostly in-person interviews, the participants were asked to rate how satisfied they were with their lives and how satisfied they thought they would be in five years. Five years after the first interview, 43 percent of the oldest group had underestimated their future life satisfaction, 25 percent had predicted accurately and 32 percent had overestimated , according to the study. The researchers calculated that each increase in overestimating future life satisfaction was related to a 9.5 -percent increase in reporting disabilities and a 10- percent increase in risk of death. Because a darker outlook on the future is often more realistic, older adults' predictions of their future satisfaction may be more accurate, according to the study. In contrast, the youngest group had the sunniest outlook. "We argue, though, that the analysis may depend on age and available resources. These findings shed new light on how our perspectives can either help us take action or prevent us from taking action that can help improve our chances of a long, healthy life," Lang said. The passage most probably appears in the _ section of a website. French novelist Jules Verne (1828--1905) is often called the father of science fiction. Although he was not a great traveler himself, his characters travelled to the moon (inFrom the Earth to the Moon), under the sea (inTwenty thousand leagues under the sea), into a volcano (inA journey to the centre of the earth), around the world (inAround the World in Eighty Days) and to many other places. Jules Verne was born in the French city of Nantes in 1828. When he was a boy he ran away from home to work on a ship. However, his father soon found him and brought him home. After that he decided that any future travel he did would be in books. In 1847 his father sent Jules to Paris to study to be a lawyer. Even though he was busy writing, Verne passed his exams in 1849 with high marks. When Jules told his father he did not want to be a lawyer, his father was very angry. He stopped sending his son any money, so Jules had to earn a living by his writing. Over the next few years he wrote many stories and plays, which brought him only a little money. Then, in 1856, he met Honorine de Viane, a rich, young widow with two children. The couple married the next year. After his marriage, Verne worked as a businessman in Paris. However, he was not very successful at his job and spent most of his time writing books and doing research for the next one. In 1863 he published his novelFive Weeks in a balloonand the following year he publishedA Journey to the centre of the earthwhich made him famous. His books became so popular and earned him so much money that he was able to leave his job and work full time on his writing. In his Lifetime, Jules Verne wrote more than 50 books and he became a rich man. Many of this imaginative novels have been turned into films. Which book can be considered as a turning point in Jules Verne's life? Western coral snakes have a striped color pattern and are poisonous. Arizona mountain king snakes look like western coral snakes but are not poisonous. The color pattern of the Arizona mountain king snake is an example of When Susan White went back to high school a couple of years ago, she never had any thought about actually getting a high school diploma. "I just wanted to learn more," she said. But when she found out that many of her classmates were planning to graduate, Mrs. White recalled , "I said my young friends can graduate from high school, so can I." She seems to have been right. As soon as she finishes a history course, Mrs. White will graduate next month. And when she does, she will enter the record books as the oldest person ever to graduate from high school in the United States. Mrs. White is 98 years old and nobody has finished high school at an older age. Mrs. White dropped out of school in the 10thgrade, but her ability to learn has clearly not been reduced after she left school for 80 years. Since going back to her studies, she has kept up a straight record that is the highest possible. Now that she is about to get a diploma, Mrs. White has become a strong believer in getting a good education. "I don't like anyone dropping out of school," she said. "It makes me mad when a person decides to leave school, because future generations will have to know even more than we do in order to survive ".Mrs. White sets a good example of lifelong study! How many other students older than Mrs. White have got a school diploma?
Recently, the documentary "A Bite of China", which takes the fine foods as the theme, has beaten many TV series, becoming extremely popular on the microblog and turning into the hottest topic. Chinese people are proud of the great food culture of China and some even praise the documentary by saying that "it is a best video that arouses our great love of our country". Produced by Chen Xiaoqing, an award-winning documentary maker, "A Bite of China" is filled with mouthwatering images of food ranging from royal cooking to local specialties. It focuses on the beautiful and simplified process of food making and attracts food lovers and ordinary audiences. "Television is filled with food these days, especially introductions by some professional cooks, even famous TV hosts. We also have some scenes of food-making, but how to create dishes is only one aspect of food culture," Chen says. "The program tries to bring something new by presenting more cultural elements related to dishes, such as eating habits and eating principles," be adds. Each series lasts 50 minutes. Every series will focus on different people, who will tell stories about their adventures with food. "A Bite of China" also focuses on social changes while presenting food cultures, such as the dispersion of families that leave the elderly in their hometowns while other members work outside. In such cases food serves as reminders of happy times and expectations of reunions. Which of the foliowing statements is NOT true according to the passage? The documentary usually lasts fifty minutes. Do you like listening to music? Do you often turn up the music when you're using earphones? If so, your hearing may have been damaged . The World Health Organization (WHO) is worried that 1.1 billion children and young people are damaging their hearing by listening to loud music. Nearly half the young people in developed countries may lose their hearing because of the "unsafe use" of music players, including smartphones. Loud music in nightclubs, parties and at sports also make it worse. The WHO advises young people to listen to music for just one hour a day. Dr. Etienne Krug told BBC: "What we're trying to do is to draw people's attention to a problem that is not talked about enough." He said it's easy to solve this problem. Dr. Krug said keeping the music down and limiting the listening time to less than one hour a day would save a lot of people's hearing. However, he also said, "Even an hour can be too much if the music is too loud." Ralph Holme, a researcher, explained how loud noise can damage ears. He said: "Loud sounds damage your hearing by killing off thousands of little hair cells in the inner ear. The cells can tell different sounds through vibration . But they are very _ --they get damaged easily and even die if they vibrate too much because of loud sounds for too long." He warned: "The bigger problem is they don't grow back and the ear can no longer get sound." No one wants to lose their hearing! Therefore, next time when you listen to music, make sure it's not too loud and only listen for less than an hour. You can enjoy your music much better in this way. How long does WHO advise young people to listen to music a day? For just one hour. Fame troubled Marie Curie and also her husband, because science was their world and in their world of science fame and honor had no value. One day, when a writer for a newspaper tried to ask Marie about herself and her thoughts and her belief, she answered him, "In science we must be interested in things, not in persons." Much of the real character and spirit of this unusual woman is found in these few words, which she was later often to repeat. One evening, at a big party, a friend asked if she would like to see the king of Greece, who was also a guest. She answered in her simple manner, "I don't see the value of it." Then, seeing that she had hurt the feeling of her friend, she quickly added, "But...but...of course, I shall do whatever you please, just as you please. The reason why Marie Curie's friend suggested she meet the king of Greece was that _ . her friend enjoyed meeting great persons There have always been a lot of commonly believed but exercise. Some people believe that they can't help putting on hold that if they stop exercising, their muscles will turn into fat. Here are some more myths: false ideas about being fat and doing weight as they get older, while others I'll never lose weightI come from a fat family Wrong! While we can't change the body type we are bom with, we can't blame our genes for making us fat. There's plenty of evidence that fatness runs in families, and the main reason is that they share the same habits of eating too much and exercising too little. I am fat because I burn calories slowly Wrong! Fatness is not caused by a slow metabolism . In fact, although fat people consume more energy than slim people,they also fail to realize how much they eat! Keeping a diary can help you work out your daily food intake more accurately. Exercise is boring Wrong! Anything will become boring if you do it repetitively. The key is to develop a balanced and varied program thafs fun as well as progressive. If you enjoy a Sunday walk,take a different route. If you do yoga,try a tai chi class. If you like swimming, set yourself a distance or time challenge. No pain, no gain Wrong! Exercise is not meant to hurt. Indeed, pain is your body telling you something's wrong, and continuing to exercise could lead to serious injury. You may experience mild discomfort as you begin to exercise regularly, but this is your body adapting to the positive changes in your lifestyle and the aches should disappear relatively quickly. If they don't, rest and seek medical advice. What is the purpose of the passage? To clarify some misconceptions about fatness and exercise. The United States: Fliers may want to have their tickets in hand before catching their planes, but the airline companies are doing everything they can to bring forward cost-saving ticketless flight--no paper needed, just a ticket number and a photo ID. Anyone who buys a Northwest E-ticket through the airline's computer service by June 16 will get an award. Next time you fly, you can buy another ticket for a friend for $99, good anywhere in the US or Canada, along with the lowest ticket prices. Some airlines offer extra frequent-flier miles for the ticketless crowd. And there are rising punishments for paper lovers. American, Northwest, United, and US Airways have raised the cost for lost-ticket replacement to $70 from either $60 or $50. The airlines insist that the increase in price is not meant to push travelers toward E-tickets but only covers the increasing cost of replacing and tracking a missing ticket. The airline companies say that they have raised the lost-ticket replacement price in order to _ . pay for the work to deal with lost tickets
When traveling, it's important to learn about the customs and etiquette of the global village, What we consider polite behavior at home isn't always accepted outside our borders.Don't be regarded rude or disrespectful on your travels. Gift giving should be a happy, positive experience.When selecting a present for someone in the Netherlands, don't purchase fancy kitchen knives or scissors.Giving sharp, pointy objects as gifts is considered unlucky.Be careful when presenting flowers to a friend or business partner in Russia.Yellow blooms suggest cheat or a relationship break-up. Traditionally, red carnations are placed on the tombs of the dead.Writing cards or notes while visiting South Korea, be mindful of your pen's ink color.Writing a person's name in red ink traditionally suggests that the person has passed away-an important point to remember when giving a birthday card. Being early or on time is viewed as being rude, too eager or even greedy in Venezuela.If you are invited over to someone's home for a meal, it's recommended that you arrive 10 to 15 minutes later than the requested time.When having a meal in Egypt, don't use the saltshaker . It's _ to your host to spread salt on your food, which means that you find the meal terrible.Japan is a very polite nation, and their fondness for etiquette extends to the mealtime use of chopsticks.According to Japanese custom, it's considered ill-mannered to point, play with, or stab food with chopsticks.If you're in the middle of eating, use the opposite end of your chopsticks to secure food from a shared plate.Using the end that touches your mouth is extremely offensive , not to mention unhygienic . Where does this passage probably come from? a tourist guide. The dog was playing in the street outside. I walked past the dog and threw the ball to him. He seemed to be hot from the heat of the day. I then headed to the store because I needed to buy some food and other things that were needed. I entered the store and said hi to Mr. Jones. He had been working at the store for a long time. I walked to the back of the store and picked up some cold sodas and a bottle of orange juice. I then went and picked up some popcorn. This would be good for eating later while watching tv. I then went to the dog food section and picked a meat treat for the dog. I then went up to the front of the store and paid Mr. Jones. He smiled and thanked me for shopping at his store. Then I walked back to my house and looked at the dog. His name was Rex and had lived with us for around four years. His coat was brown and white. I unwrapped the dog treat and gave it to him. Rex seemed happy and started to lick my hand in happiness. He was a good dog and it made me feel good that he was happy. What did Mr. Jones do he smiled and thanked me for shopping at his store A pile of iron will tug devices for locating directions The food on the moon has come a long way from the freeze - dried bread to half - dried food. They have changed a lot in the past few years. And now US scientists want to grow vegetables in mini - greenhouses on the moon. Scientists say they are looking forward to a time when people on the moon or even Mars will be able to eat green and fresh vegetables. Paragon Space Development Corporation has shown people what it called the first step toward growing flowers - and finally food - on the moon. Paragon, which is a partner of NASA in experiments at the International Space Station, calls it a "Lunar Oasis " This is a closed greenhouse placed in a metal box. It is designed to safely land a laboratory plant on the moon surface, and protect it while it grows. The small greenhouse is to be sent up into space by Odyssey Moon Ltd, which takes part in the Google Lunar X Prize. This competition offers $ 20 million to any company which can send up, land and operate a lunar rover on the moon surface. Leaders of Paragon say future testing of the "Lunar Oasis" will be driven by Odyssey's flight schedule, which will not happen until 2012 at the earliest. When it is sent up, the greenhouse will have the seeds of cabbage inside it. Because they go from seed to flower in just 14 days, they can complete their life cycle in a lunar night. "Growing plants on the Moon or Mars seems so far away, but it is important that we do this research now," Paragon president Jane Poynter said. "It takes a long time to do a lot of research." According to the passage, Paragon Space Development Corporation _ . may test "Lunar Oasis" in the future Phaethon stood impatiently at the heavy golden doors. He ordered the guards, Month and Year, to let him approach his father's throne. As the doors opened slowly, the sun's rays almost blinded him. Phaethon protected his eyes and felt his way toward Apollo's throne. "Come here, my son. Follow my voice," Apollo's voice echoed. "What is so urgent that you have my guards hurrying to do your bidding?" "Father, I have a problem. All of my friends have been teasing me. They don't believe that you're my father or that you make the sun rise and set," complained Phaethon. Apollo replied, "Oh? That problem again? Well, just to prove it to your friends once and for all, I will satisfy any wish you desire." "Really? Then I have only one wish," answered Phaethon. "I'd like to drive your chariot and make the sun rise tomorrow morning!" Apollo was horrified. "No, not that! No one but me can drive the chariot. The horses are too powerful!" "You said I could have anything," murmured Phaethon. Bound by his promise, Apollo had to agree. His heart was sick with worry as he ordered Dawn to prepare the horses, Hour and Day, to the Golden Chariot. Phaethon could hardly wait to jump in the driver's seat and take the reins . He hoped all his friends were watching the sky and waiting for him through the stars. "Wait, my son! There are things you need to know!" cried Apollo. "Oh, Father! You worry too much. I've often seen you drive. I know what to do," Phaethon answered. Apollo hurried to give directions. "You have never driven my chariot before. You must make the horses stay on the path. If you are too low, you will _ the earth and large land on it could be thrown into a world of fire." "I know, Father. Now watch me take off!" shouted Phaethon. Dawn stepped back and released the horses go. The horses were filled with excitement. The sky begged for Dawn's light, so she ran toward the horizon to make the darkness fade. As Phaethon was about to get on, Apollo took him by the arm and said, "Please listen to me! If you go too high, you will warm the cold depths of the heavens, and the Bear or Snake or the Scorpion will come alive!" Phaethon just laughed. "My friends are waiting. I've got to go!" he shouted. With that, the chariot was off. It was a wild ride. Hour and Day were difficult to control. Phaethon did not have his father's strong arms or years of experience. The horses wove from side to side and jumped up and down through the heavens, hitting everything in their way. The sun bounced along behind the chariot like a basketball. It scratched the stars and slipped along mountaintops, leaving burnt remains behind. Phaethon's friends ran for cover as they watched. Just as his father had warned him, the figures in the sky began to move. Suddenly the Scorpion appeared suddenly before him, but Phaethon dashed by in time. The Snake struck out and bit a wheel off the chariot. Apollo, seeing the destruction, rushed up toward the heavens, but he was too late! The Bear had waken up from his icy hibernation and seized Phaethon before his father could reach him. Apollo took hold of the reins and finally regained control of Hour and Day, but it was years before the earth's mountaintops were white with snow again. The scorched areas became deserts where very little would grow. Phaethon became a part of the stars alongside the Bear, where his father could regretfully keep an eye on him. It can be concluded that this passage is mainly about the conflict between _ . Wisdom and Inexperience
As a young woman who was always interested in style, I got lucky in interning with a fashion company in Tokyo, last summer. I worked as an assistant in the Business Planning Department, helping with marketing for the 2007 Spring/Summer collections. Fashion is a beautiful industry. But against my expectation, it also has lots of ordinary work. Every day, I would do sample testing, prepare the brochure for future launches, and meet with customers and visitors. Japanese companies had a traditional work style. We had a meeting every morning at 9 o'clock. Every Monday, all employees, including those in other parts ofprefix = st1 /Japan, would take part in a conference call. Every afternoon, after finishing work, each of us would say goodbye to every manager in the company, which took more than five minutes. All of this kept me fresh. And the strict work atmosphere caused me to work harder. At the end of last August, the company's 2007 Spring/Summer collection started with a big show and was very successful. Lots of customers showed an interest in our products, including a businessman from Hong Kong. He went to our company for more details on the products, but he couldn't speak Japanese and none of the staff spoke good English. Just when the situation seemed helpless, I offered to give it a try. I was a Japanese major, but I had also practiced my English often. My translation job was praised by both the customer and my boss. And the guest made a big purchase. The two-month internship taught me a lot about business. And the pay - 150,000 yen, or over 10,000 yuan a month- was enough to cover my daily living costs inTokyo. Moreover, the experience made me stand out. Every interviewer I've spoken with showed an interest and discussed my internship with me. And thanks to this experience, I've found a good job in one of the Big Four accounting firms and will start working this summer. Before she interned in the fashion company in Tokyo, the writer _ Answer: didn't expect a fashion industry had lots of work as ordinary as normal. The Amazing Kids! PenPals Program is a literacy-based , traditional letter-writing pen pal program, available to all children aged 5-17 worldwide. At $10 per child, our program is a low-cost and fun way to help your children practice their literacy skills while they are making new friends. Groups of 15 or more receive a 50% discount. Children love our program because: It helps them develop new (and possibly life-long)friendships. It allows them to practice the traditional form of letter writing and correspondence. They love getting letters in the mail from their pen pals! Parents love our program because: It offers one of the few remaining choices for finding an established, safe and trusted traditional pen pal program to their children. It helps strengthen communication and literacy skills taught in their children's classroom. It helps open their children's eyes to a larger world, and other cultures and traditions outside their own. Many parents remember having a pen pal when they were children and want to give their children the same positive, fun learning experience. Parents love helping their children find new friends of their own age and gender. Frequently asked questions Why is there a fee? We are a small, all-volunteer non-profit organization, and the fees help cover our cost of running the program. How did the Amazing Kids! PenPals Program begin? The program began as a way of reaching out to the children affected by the devastating hurricanes of 2005. Our hope was that by matching young hurricane survivors with a new pen pal, we could help them in their recovery from the trauma they experienced. The program is now available to all children worldwide. We continue to welcome teachers, youth groups or agencies who like to work with hurricane survivors. How does it work? Amazing Kids! will match students of the same gender and age with other students who may share similar interests and hobbies, based on the information provided on the registration form. I've completed all forms and made my payment. What happens next? Someone from Amazing Kids! will contact you once a match has been found. You will be asked to call the other parent, teacher or group leader of the pen pal Amazing Kids! has selected. If both adults agree that the pen pal match is a good one, then the students may begin writing to each other. If the match is determined not to be a good one, Amazing Kids! will try and find an alternative match. .Parents may agree the program helps children _ . Answer: communicate well with others On November 1, Debbit, an accountant, and Barrister, a lawyer, contracted for the sale by Debbit to Barrister of the law books Debbit had inherited from his father. Barrister agreed to pay the purchase price of $10,000 when Debbit delivered the books on December 1. On November 10, Barrister received a signed letter from Debbit that stated: "I have decided to dispose of the book stacks containing the law books you have already purchased. If you want the stacks, I will deliver them to you along with the books on December 1 at no additional cost to you. Let me know before November 15 whether you want them. I will not sell them to anyone else before then." On November 14, Barrister faxed and Debbit received November 14, Barrister faxed and Debbit received the following message: "I accept your offer of the stacks." Debbit was not a merchant with respect to either law books or book stacks. For this question only, assume that on November 12 Debbit told Barrister that he had November 12 Debbit told Barrister that he had decided not to part with the stacks. Will this communication operate as a legally effective revocation of his offer to deliver the stacks? Answer: Yes, because Debbit was not a merchant with respect to book stacks. By 2012,the world may need to cope with as many as 50 million people who have fled their homeland,not for political or economic reasons but because the environment has been so badly changed that it cannot support life. The statement has been released by the United Nations to mark UN Disaster Reduction Day. More people are made homeless by environmental disasters than by war,according to the research by the Red Cross. That reality is proved by the earthquake in Pakistan. The widely publicized disaster has brought aid from the global community,according to Janos Bogardi,director of the United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security. "If we can move swiftly in and give them a new start where they are,then they may stay in the area. Otherwise,they become environmental refugees. Environmentalrelated migrations are most acute in SubSaharan Africa,but they also affect millions of people in Asia and India. Meanwhile,the United States is witnessing increased pressure from victims of mismanaged and worsening soil and water conditions in Mexico and Latin America." he says. Janos Bogardi says these refugees suffer from the impact of gradual environmental change--global warming,sea level rise,air and water pollution and more intense storms,floods and droughts that degrade the land. This is a slow process,but unfortunately a process that is very difficult to go backwards once final damage is done. Janos Bogardi says they are calling on the global community to recognize the serious situation of environmental refugees and to work together to lessen the impact of environmental disaster. Janos Bogardi's attitude towards solving the problem is that of being _ . Answer: constructive Slang is a popular, less official and often very current form of language. It is an important part of a living language and is constantly changing as language changes. Slang is often playful, direct and sometimes less respectful than the more official and traditional version of language. So now I'm going to lay it on you! To "lay it on" is American slang for "to tell" or "to explain." Slang can take many forms. For example, slang can be local to one city or area. In Washington, D.C. there is a whole set of slang to describe politics and business in the city. For example, the term POTUS stands for President of the United States. POTUS can often be found with his wife, FLOTUS, the first lady of the United States. "Inside the Beltway" is a popular expression that describes the area of Washington, D.C. The beltway is the large highway that circles the city. The Internet has helped create a whole new kind of computer-related slang. An "angry fruit salad" is an expression that describes a website with too many bright colors. "Netiquette" is slang for correct behavior when using the Internet. Young people often develop the latest slang. For example, to say Special English "rocks" or is "phat" means Special English is really great. A "kegger" is a party where beer is served. If something is "wack", it is wild and crazy. Different professions often have their own slang as well. For example, medical workers might refer to a complaining patient as a "gomer". A "tough stick" is someone whose veins are difficult to find when he or she needs to have blood taken. No matter how well you speak English, there are always new and interesting slang words to discover. There are entire dictionaries for describing slang. Many experts do not even agree on what is and what is not slang. Often slang words later become a part of officially accepted language. Official or not, slang is an energetic and exciting part of the American language that continues to change. Which of the following is not mentioned to have helped create slang? Answer: President of the United States.
Hoorah!I have escaped the Czech Republic! I am now wearing light clothing and sunglasses, although the _ today,as it is cool and overcast with cloud and it has rained slightly. The city of Qatar is flat and sandy with few trees -- mostly palms. You can see construction everywhere, new streets with hotels and apartment blocks in prefix = st1 /Venicetheme. It's a mix of super modern and traditional building styles. Everything looks new including the vehicles. There are many huge roundabouts; no traffic rules or at least no one obeys any. The huge 4-storey shopping mall in fantastic style has an ice rink on the ground floor. Thousands of people walk round the waterfront after dark. Qataris are very religious and there are calls to prayers regularly. Qatari men are dressed in all sorts of traditional clothing plus western dresses. You can easily find imported labour from South Asian countries, poorly paid and discriminated against. I am told that Qataris don't hide their racist attitudes. Women are always wonderful sights. Some are in all sorts of black clothing with face uncovered; some totally enveloped; lots wearing western dresses. Best sight so far: a woman in a mall completely wrapped in black including gloves, not even an eye shown -- wearing glasses on the outside of her veil , using a cell phone while fingering a dress. I am living with my employers -- a New Zealandcouple, and another teacher namedWayne, all about my age. We share one apartment. I have a large room with a bathroom attached: it is a little run-down but very comfortable. The only rather annoying thing is that I have to use the laptop on my bed as there is no desk and chair in here. As soon as it is clear that I will be staying I will make a change to all this. I haven't lived with other people for many years and have been used to living alone so it will be interesting to see how this works. It is true that the author is _ . not certain how long she will be staying My name is Dennis. I'm a worker of a big store. I don't work in the morning. I work at night. Every morning I come home at about 6:30. I have breakfast at 7:00. After breakfast I go to bed. I get up at around 2:30. I have lunch at 2:45 and dinner at 7:40. Then I go to work at 8:30. My work starts at 9:00. I look after the store every night. I like my work very much. . When does he go to bed? After breakfast. Recently, I came across an interesting article on the differences between British English and American English. I had a lot of fun reading it and thinking of as many differences as I could as an American. Their cars have "bonnets ",while ours have "hoods". They park their cars in a "car park" while we leave our in a "parking lot". Our "cookies" are their "biscuits", while their "rubbers" are our "erasers". Then there are the food words. Would you want to eat something called "Toad in the Hole" or "Bangers and Mash" or "Spotted Dick"? I'm here to report they are all very tasty. There are American equivalents , of course. We've got "Shoofly Mud Pie". What they call "crisps" is what we call "potato chips" and when we ask for "chips" in England we will get what we know at home in America as "French fries". They find it hysterical that we call the "toilet" the "bathroom" and they really double over with laughter when we ask for the "restroom". American ladies in England who ask for the "little girl's room" or the "power room" will be met with blank stares. A "fag" is a "cigarette" in the UK, which can lead to endless confusion for British visitors looking for a cigarette in America. Americans on the other hand are endlessly confused by English signs put up over doorways saying "Way Out". We Americans walk on the sidewalk not the pavement. "Pavement" in America is the actual cement the sidewalk is made of. The examples given at the end of the passage mainly show that _ . Americans and the British may find it hard to understand each other A black hole is created when a large star burns out. Like our sun, stars are unbelievably hot furnaces that burn their own matter as fuel. When most of the fuel is used up, the star begins to die. The death of a star is not a quiet event. First there is a huge explosion. As its outer layer is blasted off into space, the dying star shines as brightly as a billion suns. After the explosion gravity pulls in what's left of the star. As the outside of the star sinks toward the center, the star gets smaller and smaller. The material the star is made of becomes tightly packed together. A star is so dense that a teaspoon of matter from it weighs billion of pounds. The more the star shrinks, the stronger the gravity inside it becomes. Soon the star is very tiny, and the gravity pulling it in is unbelievably strong. In fact, the gravity is so strong that it even pulls light into the star! Since all the light is pulled in, none can go out. The star becomes black when there is no light. Then a black hole is born! That's what we know about black holes. What we don't know is this: What happens inside a black hole after the star has been squeezed into a tiny ball? Does it keep getting smaller and smaller forever? Such a possibility is hard to imagine. But if the black hole doesn't keep shrinking, what happens to it? Some scientists think black holes are like doorways to another world. They say that as the star disappears from our universe, it goes into another universe. In other words a black hole in our universe could turn into a "white hole" in a different universe. As the black hole swallows light, the white hole shines brightly--somewhere else. But where? A different place, perhaps, or a different time -- many years in the past or future. Could you travel through a black hole? Right now, no. Nothing we know of could go into a black hole without being crushed. So far the time being, black hole must remain a mystery. Black holes are a mystery--but that hasn't stopped scientists from dreaming about them. One scientist suggested that in the future we might make use of the power of black holes. They would supply all of Earth's energy needs, with plenty to spare. Another scientist wondered if a black hole could some day be used to swallow earthly waste--a sort of huge waste disposal in the sky! Which of the following doesn't help produce a black hole? The dying star shines very brightly. The name sounds funny but the idea is no joke: it's a personal toilet called the pee-pool, Anders Wilhelmson, a Swedish architect, is the inventor of the pee-pool. He became interested in the idea of sanitation after taking part in a research project on the social and political development of cities, One of the most common problems he found in developing countries was the lack of toilets, He wanted to do something to help, So working with others, he started the project in 2005, and the next year started a company called Peepoolple. The toilet is a single--use bag made of environmentally friendly plastics, The inside is treated with urea , a chemical commonly used as fertilizer, The hotter the weather, the more quickly the waste turns into what is needed by plants The sanitation process can be as soon as a couple of hours or as long as two to four weeks ,You can just bury it in a pot and grow whatever you like. The company expects to start selling the bags in August in Kenya and Bangladesh, But it is just beginning production and sales in Nairobi now, Full production could reach about half a million bags a day and people may be able to buy the pee-pool in countries Vietnam, Bangladesh, etc. The United Nations says more than two and a half billion people around the world do not have good sanitation .Many have no choice but to use the outdoors, which is not only bad for the environment ,but also harmful to people's health, Each year, poor sanitation leads to three fifths of those people getting an infectious disease which on average causes one out of 1,000 patients to die. Jack Smith, the founder of the World Toilet Organization, says " _ is quite an unacceptable situation given the fact that we are living in the modem world, And strangely, many of them own televisions, phones but have no toilet." What can be learned about the pee-pool from the passage? It works better in summer than in winter
Question: My name is Cathy. I'm English, but I'm in shandong with my family now. Look! This is a photo of my family. This is my father. He is a manager of a theatre. He likes running. My mother is a nurse. She likes listening to music. The boy is my brother, Sam. His favourite sport is basketball. Who is the girl next to him? It's me. I like table tennis very much. How many people are there in Cathy's family? A. Two. B. Three. C. Five. D. Four. Answer: D. Four. Question: Welcome to Phillip Island Nature Park and the penguin Parade . You will see the world's smallest penguins-- the little penguins appearing from the ocean and crossing the beach to their home in line. It's a natural experience. Remember the Little penguins are wild. You are a visitor to their home. Making the most of your visit Here are some helpful hints : The Penguins Parade last 50 minutes from the time penguins first cross the beach. Dress in warm clothes, for the Paradeis in the open air on the beach. It is best to get down to the beach at least 15 minutest before the parade begins. Protecting the Penguins We do have some simple rules--designed to protect the penguins and make your visit more enjoyable. Photography--including video cameral is not allowed. Photography during the Parades. Make sure that your cameral is placed inside your bag, or in a bag provided, before walking down to the beach, Photographs can be bought at proper price in the gift shop. Smoking is not allowed anywhere. And remember, the penguins are wild birds so please don't try to touch them. The passage is written mainly to _ . A. help make people's visit more pleasant B. introduce the life of the Little Penguins C. welcome people to Phillip bland Nature Park D. encourage people to protect the Little Penguins Answer: A. help make people's visit more pleasant Question: Have you thought of such questions as "Why do I have to study math?" or "I am not interested in history at all. My dream is to be an engineer.Should I give history up?" Maybe you are right. After you leave school, it's necessary for you to understand such things. Please remember that at school, besides getting knowledge, you should pay attention to some other important things. First, try to find what you are most interested in. At school, you study many subjects. Try to find which you like and which you don't like. This may be helpful to you in the future. Second, maybe you don't like math and you want to drop it. But the logical thinking ability from math can help you solve some problems. At school, you should practice your brain by thinking. Third, you should believe in yourself. Maybe you learn English at school, but you don't need to speak English in your daily life at all. You should think learning English can prove that you have the ability of learning languages. Suppose you go to France one day and find a job there. Then you can tell yourself, "I can do my job well. At school I learned English well, and now I must be able to learn French well, too." But if you have no confidence, what will happen? Try to challenge yourself as often as possible. I think many of us like playing computer games. When we fail in a game, we always want to try it again. Why? Because we want to get the highest marks, though it is hard for us to get it. If we want to challenge ourselves, we must face more difficult things and make greatest progress. Learning Engl ish well can help someone _ . A. have confidence in learning languages B. go to France C. study in a good school D. get a good result in the exam. Answer: A. have confidence in learning languages Question: The Great Plague of London in 1665 was the last in a long senies of plague that first began in London in June 1499.1t killed between 75,000 and 100,000. First suspected in late 1664,it began to spread eastwards in April 1665 from the poor suburb of St. Giles to the crowded and dirty communities on its way to the walled City of London. The Great Plague at Its Peak By September 1665 ,the death rate had reached 8,000 per week. Helpless city authorities began to abandon quarantine measures. Houses containing the dead and dying were no longer locked. London's mournful silence was broken by the noise of carts carrying the dead for burial in churches or public plague pits. Well-off residents soon fled to the countryside, leaving the poor behind in poor old commun/ties. Thousands of dogs and cats were killed to remove a feared source of contagion ,and piles of rotting garbage were burned. Doctors cut swellings and bled black spots in attempts to cure plague victims. Plague Orders prohibited churches from keeping dead bodies in their buildings during public assemblies or services, and camers of the dead had to identify themselves and could not mix with the public. Samuel Pepys: Eyewitness Accounts In his famous diary, Samuel Pepys, a member of Parliament, conveyed the sad image of desperate people wandering the streets in search of relief from the ruins of the plague. His notes during 1665 indicated the severity of London's Great Plague. In July, he mourned " the sad news of the death of so manv in the community, forty last night, the bell always going either for deaths or burials. " A month later, when London's death rate rose sharply, Pepys noted that surviors are forced to carry the dead to be buried by daylight, the nights not enough to do it The Plague Declines and the Government Reacts By February 1666,the Great Plague had nearly run its course.lt died out during the Great Fire that same year and never returned. Central parts of London were rebuilt with wider streets to relieve crowding and better waste water svstems to improve public cleanliness. New Plague Orders were issued in May 1666,which banned the burial of future plague victims in churches and small churchyards, enforced the use of quicklime at chosen burial sites, and strictly prohibited opening graves less than one year after burial as a safeguard against the spread of infection. 1n the course of the Great PJague,it was a common practice to _ . A. keep dead bodies in the church buildings B. burn piles of rotting garbage in the streets C. carry the dead for church burials in the daytime D. unlock the houses containing the dead and dying Answer: A. keep dead bodies in the church buildings Question: Skin--diving ( ) is a new sport today . This sport can take you to a wonderful world . It's like to visit the moon . When you're under the water, it's easy for you to climb big rocks ( ) because you're not heavy. Here, under the water , everything is blue and green . During the day , there's enough light . And you can see a lot of fish swimming around you. You can catch them with your hands. To catch fish is of the most interesting parts of this sport . When you have tanks ( ) of air on your back , you can stay in deep water for a long time . But you must be careful when you dive in deep water . Skin--diving will take you to _ . A. the moon B. a new world C. rivers D. the earth Answer: B. a new world
If someone released a pollutant into the world, it would be all aside from trees As a senior high school student, my-future is always on my mind. To-be exact,thoughts of the future have kept me up count.less nights and made me worrv enough to do poorly on more than one test. Because of this, words of wisdom are a scurce of comfort.Steve Jobs gave a speech to Stanford's graduating.class in 2005 and his words resound re-peatedly in my mind whenever I think about my future. It started when l became a junior, when college came into view. It's the first big step to making your life your own. So when Jobs discussed his life as a student, some fears were eased. He, too, felt the need to attend college to make something of himself. He faced what many are extremely afraid of: uncertainty. His lack of understanding caused him to stop attending college and focus on what he felt was important. His story had a happy ending, of course, since he certainly turned out well. This doesn't mean that students shouldn't attend college, but rather that theyshouldn't worry so much. You'll get where you neecl to go, even if your path is a bit morewinding than you'd like. Jobs.talked about the hardships in his work. His love of his work helped him carry on and he got wh.ere he was meant to be, which restates the point: don't panic.One particular part of his speech stayed with me. Steve Jobs quoted thc saying"Stay hungry, stay foolisll" and it has become my motto. Staying foolish is realizing thatyou are still a fool, no matter how much you've learned or experienced. There is alwaysmore to explore. Staying hungry is wanting to find those things about which you are stilluneducated. Steve Jobs' level of success is possible to achieve, and I aim to prove that. With the will power to go into the world living every day like it's my last and allowing the future to take care of itself, 1 will do great things. In the last moments of my life, I'll be proud of what I have done and hope to have all the wisdom -a person could wish for. The passage is mainly about the wisdorn drawn from a speech Vanatsaya Viseskul, a sweet-voiced, round-faced 16-year-old Thai singer, whose name, at the moment, is inextricably linked with the late Teresa Teng, a singer from Taiwan whose love songs gained her wide fame across Asia, sat on a chair in a dressing room of a theater in Beijing. Viseskul was preparing for her performance at a gala by China Oriental Performing Arts Group, one of the country's most prestigious performing arts groups, which has official support. It was beyond doubt that she was expecting that her debut for this great group would be a success for her career. Titled Oriental Love, the gala, which was staged from Dec. 14 to 17 at Mei Lanfang Grand Theater, showcased music and dances from more than 10 countries. Viseskul, representing Thailand, performedTheMoonRepresentsMyHeart, one of Teng's most famous ballads, which is also one of the favorite songs of the young Thai singer. The romance conveyed by this famous song has been attracting millions of people who have ever heard it and it will by no means be forgotten by them. It is Viseskul's first public performance after participating in the popular reality TV show, the fourth season ofTheVoiceofChina, which was aired by Zhejiang Satellite TV from July to October. In this program Viseskul began to be known by the Chinese audience and they were amazed at the similarity of her appearance to that of Teng. During the show, sheperformed Teng's popular hits. Thanks to her voice, singing style as well as her image, which resembles the legendary Teng, Viseskul gained overnight fame, though she didn't win the competition at last. However, it seemed that her life did become different after the reality show. With nearly 100,000 followers on her Sina Weibo account, Viseskul was recognized by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Kingdom of Thailand and the Tourism Authority of Thailand for her contribution to promoting a positive image of Thailand in China at the competition. Viseskul talks slowly and softly in fluent Chinese. It's easy to forget that she is just 16 because of her smile and calmness on and off the stage. Born in a small village of Kamphaeng Phet, Viseskul was fond of singing from the time she was 3. At 7, she listened to Teng's songs for the first time after her parents traveled back from Hong Kong, bringing home the CDs of the singer. You can hardly imagine her enthusiasm about them when spotting and listening to them. "The moment I listened to her songs, I felt so familiar. Though I couldn't speak any Chinese, I learned the songs fast. Since then, I hoped to visit China and become a singer,"she says, adding that she likes Chinese songs, especially those from the 1970s and 1980s. Many of her friends and s showed great puzzlement and they just couldn't make out why she was so crazy about Chinese music. In 2014, Viseskul was admitted into the affiliated high school of the China Conservatory of Music. Now, she is studying at an international school in Beijing, focusing on learning Chinese. She also has other plans, such as furthering her studies in Japan or South Korea. However challenging it may be for her to become a superstar, she is determined to carry on regardless of any obstacles she may encounter in the future. Which of the following does the writer most probably agree on? There is still a long way for Viseskul to go before she really shines. "Good fences make good neighbors", the television commentator said, misquoting Robert Frost for the millionth time in my memory.It made me wonder if the poet was not looking down from Heaven and sadly shaking his head. No line of poetry has ever been more misused in history than that one.It comes from Frost' s great poem Mending Wall.In it he writes of him and his neighbor repairing the broken stone wall that divides their property .Frost questions why they are doing so, because there are no animals that need fencing in.He sees as well that the wall is a symbol of the barriers that people create to separate themselves from each other.He wisely writes that, "Before I built a wall I'd ask to know what I was walling in or walling out, and to whom I was like to give offence .'Something there is that doesn't love a wall, that wants it down'." His neighbor, however, who Frost describes as a "stone savage" who "moves in darkness" refuses to part from the ways of his forefathers and goes along foolishly with their belief that "Good fences make good neighbors." I wonder if Mr.Frost would have ever written his poem if he had known that the line he wrote in irony would be used again and again to encourage what he was so against.Perhaps he would have written a different one about tearing down the fences that separate us and breaking apart the walls that hide our hearts from each other.Either way, we should embrace the wisdom he shared with us.Fences and walls separate us from each other.We need to take them down stone by stone, walk through them, and embrace each other in joy.We need to love our neighbors.We need to see that good fences DO NOT make good neighbors.They just make lonely hearts. What does the wall in Frost's poem stand for according to the author? The distance between neighbors. If you go to visit London,you will see a lot of buses and cars on the road,you will also see a lot of bikes because more people travel by bike.Why? There are a lot of reasons for this.First,it's very cheap to buy a bike,and riding bikes is quick, too.You often need to wait for a bus for half an hour.When the bus comes,there are so many other buses and cars on the roads so the bus moves very slowly.The underground train is quick but very expensive. I travel to work by bus for about four years.I often arrive at work late and feel tired.Then one day , a friend of mine says, "I go to work by bike,why don't we travel together?""Because my bike's old,"I answer,"and there are so many buses and cars on the road.I feel afraid...""Don't be afraid!"says my friend,"If you follow me and we ride slowly,you will be fine." Two days later I buy a new bike.We go slowly, but we arrive at work quickly. I spend 40 minutes going by bus, but only half an hour by bike! Now I love riding a bike. And I feel healthy. Many people think my idea is good and maybe you'll see more bikes on the road in the future. Many people think in the same way as I do.That's why you see a lot of bikes on the road.Who knows,perhaps in the future we'll have roads for bicycles only.I hope so! Maybe you'll see more _ on the road in the future. bicycles
Lanny, the owner of Whiteacre in fee simple, leased Whiteacre to Teri for a term of ten years by properly executed written instrument. The lease was promptly and properly recorded. It contained an option for Teri to purchase Whiteacre by tendering $250,000 as purchase price any time "during the term of this lease." One year later, Teri, by a properly executed written instrument, purported to assign the option to Oscar, expressly retaining all of the remaining term of the lease. The instrument of remaining term of the lease. The instrument of assignment was promptly and properly recorded. Two years later, Lanny contracted to sell Whiteacre to Jones and to convey a marketable title "subject to the rights of Teri under her lease." Jones refused to close because of the outstanding option assigned to Oscar. Lanny brought an appropriate action against Jones for specific performance. If judgment is rendered in favor of Lanny, it will be because the relevant jurisdiction has adopted a rule on a key issue as to which various state courts have split. Which of the following identifies the determinative rule or doctrine upon which the split occurs, and states the position favorable to Lanny? A In a contract to buy, any form of "subject to a lease" clause that fails to mention expressly an existing option means that the seller is agreeing to sell free and clear of any option originally included in the lease. B Marketable title can be conveyed so long as any outstanding option not mentioned in the purchase contract has not yet been exercised. C Options to purchase by lessees are subject to the Rule Against Perpetuities. D Options to purchase contained in a lease cannot be assigned separately from the lease. Answer: D. Options to purchase contained in a lease cannot be assigned separately from the lease. Kelly Reeves was getting ready for a trip when her phone slipped into a sink full of water. Panic moment! She quickly picked up the wet phone and tried to turn it on, but nothing worked. Her first reaction? She got dressed, drove to the nearest store, and bought a new mobile at full price. A new study finds that fear of losing your phone is a common illness. About 66 percent of those surveyed suffer from _ or "no mobile phone phobia". Interestingly, more women worry about losing their phone than men. Fortunately, there's a solution. The first step is to figure out if you have nomophobia. Checking your phone too often is one thing, but the true sign of a problem is that you can't conduct business or go about your routine when the fear becomes so severe. Do you go to unusual lengths to make sure you have your phone? That's another sign of a problem. If you find you check your phone plenty of times per hour, or a total of an hour per day, there may be a problem. Some of the treatments are similar to those for treating anxiety attacks: leaving the phone behind and not checking e-mail or text messages, and then learning to tolerate the after anxiety. Even if this leads to a high level of worry and stress, the solution is to push through the fear and learn to deal with not having your phone. Of course, there are also technological alternatives. Luis Levy, a co-founder at Novy PR, says he uses an application called Cerberus that can automatically track the location of his phone. To find it, he can just go to a website and see the phone's location. He also insures his phone through a service called Asurion. The company's description of its product reads like a prescription for anxiety:"60 million phones are lost, stolen or damaged each year. You'll have complete peace of mind knowing that your phone is protected and you can quickly reconnect with family, friends and work, as soon as the very next day!" Why can the service called Asurion help to treat nomophobia? A It lets you know other people also lose their phones. B It will give you a new phone through insurance. C It enables you to reconnect with your acquaintances. D It gives you a prescription to treat nomophobia Answer: C. It enables you to reconnect with your acquaintances. It was the beginning of the school year a few years ago and I had a little boy in my class who came from a non - English speaking home, He was very quiet and shy, I wasn't sure how much he understood during the school day and I was especially concerned that he just stood by himself at break time and did not play, If I tried to talk to him , he would turn away and tightly shut his eyes to hide from me. After a day or two of this, I decided to seek the help from one of my outgoing and friendly little girls, I called her over and she ran to me , ready to help. I immediately began a long speech about what I needed from her, I asked her if she would try to get him to play, and I started talking quickly about all these suggestions on how she could start communication with him , I explained she could do that , she could try this idea, she could try that idea, "Don't worry, I speak kid" And she ran off. I stood there all alone, silently watching her, It took less than a minute for the two new friends to urn off, hand in hand , happily joining a game of tag taking place all over the gym. I often think of that small moment, about what I learned and how important it is for all teachers to speak kid --- big kid, little kid and middle kid , I know my focus must be on teaching students how to think , how to approach problems ,and how to figure out solutions and teaching them never to let _ away , We must be ready to learn from our students because those "teachable moments "during the school days are for us , the teachers, as well as our kids. After the girl agreed to help, the author _ A taught her what to do in detail B thanked her for her willingness to help C thanked her for her willingness to help D reminded her of what she should be careful about Answer: A. taught her what to do in detail A teacher stood in front of his history class of twenty students just before handing out the final exam. His students sat quietly and waited for him to speak. "It's been a pleasure teaching you this term," he said. "You've all worked very hard, so I have a pleasant surprise for you. Everyone who chooses not to take the final exam will get a "B" for the course." Most of the students jumped out of their seats. They thanked the teacher happily, and walked out of the classroom. Only a few students stayed. The teacher looked at them. "This is your last chance," he said. "Does anyone else want to leave?" All the students there stayed in their seats and took out their pencils. The teacher smiled. "Congratulations ," he said. "I'm glad to see you believe in yourselves. You all get 'A's." The teacher gave the students who stayed in the classroom "A"s because _ . A they studied hard B the teacher liked them C they believed in themselves D they were cleverer than the other students Answer: C. they believed in themselves Have you ever wanted to stop eating something sweet but you just couldn't ?Is the first thing you do wehn you get home from schol to look in the biscuit tin ?Can you eat a huge bar of chocolate all by yourself ?Can you say "no"to sweets at parties ?If you can't ,thenn there is a reason ...perhapos you are a sugar addict !Does that sound funny ?Well ,doctors say that people who eat sweets regularly can easily becoame addicted to sugar .What's more ,most sugar addicts don't even realize that they are addicted !Sugar addiction is serious becauase it can really _ your health .doctors say that we should eat food which is healthy such as fresh fruits and vegetables,and that we shouldn't eat a lot of sugar ,fat or fast food .But sugar addicts can't follow this advice .They know they must stop eating sweet food,bu htey can't . So what can you do if you think you are ddced o he taste of sugar?Well here is some advice : Eat some fresh fruits when you really want something sweet to eat . Cut down son sweet foo lowly .Don't try to stp eating it at once You have to tell your parents ,If they know ,they will help you. What does the nderlined word "damage"mean ? A be kind to B be good ofr C be harmful to D be sorry for Answer: C. be harmful to
Monkeys That Lend a Hand Have you ever dropped something while both your hands were full and wished you had another hand to pick it up? Some people cannot use their arms or hands to do simple jobs because they have been hurt or are sick. Usually they depend on other people to help them. This problem made two women think about how they could help people who cannot do everyday things for themselves. In 1979 Dr. M. J. Willard and Judi Zazula began looking at some small, friendly monkeys called capuchin monkeys. These monkeys have hands like people's hands, and they like to be around people. Could the monkeys be trained to do things that people could not do for themselves? The women wanted to find out if their idea would work. So they spent a long time training some capuchin monkeys, and they found that these animals made great helpers. Today the first step in training a young capuchin monkey is to have it stay home with people and watch how they live. The monkeys learn how to _ around people. Then the monkeys go to a special school in Boston. There they learn how to do many easy chores. They are taught how to carry food and pick up dropped objects. They learn how to open doors and turn light switches on and off. They even learn how to use CD players and VCRs. After a monkey finishes its training, it goes to live with a person who needs help. If the person wants a light turned on, the monkey does it. If the person needs a glass of water, the monkey brings it. If the person wants to watch TV, the monkey turns it on. The monkey becomes a very important part of that person's life. In fact, the monkey often becomes the person's good friend. What is the passage mainly about? Answer: How capuchin monkeys can help people do things. I was sleeping soundly last night when I was awakened by someone's groans .I listened , and heard it was from Sam,a student from Africa. I really wanted to go on sleeping, as I had insomnia and had just fallen asleep, but I couldn't because Sam groaned louder and louder,showing he was seriously ill. At that time , Robbie,a student from China , also got up to help. We found some pills,got some water , and helped him sit up to take them, hoping this would make his pain go down a little and get over the difficult time. If only daytime would come soon, everything would become easier. Things went contrary)to our wishes. Sam's condition developed from bad to worse. We telephoned the emergency service , and in no time an ambulance stopped in front of our gate. We helped the medical workers carry Sam to the vehicle,and then both Robbie and I got in and took Sam to the hospital. We helped him go through many medical examinations. After all kinds of tests,we were told that the final diagnosis was appendicitis . Luckily , Sam didn't need an operation because we brought him to the hospital in time. He got timely treatment. After Sam felt much better , we rushed back to prepare ourselves for the class. We were a little tired , but we had certainly done something good,something right. Why didn't Sam need an operation? Answer: Because Sam was sent to the hospital in time. (2013*,D)In 1974,after filling out fifty applications,going through four interviews,and winning one offer,I took what I could get--a teaching job at what I considered a distant wild area:western New Jersey.My characteristic optimism was alive only when I reminded myself that I would be doing what I had wanted to do since I was fourteen--teaching English. School started,but I felt more and more as if I were in a foreign country.Was this rural area really New Jersey?My students took a week off when hunting season began.I was told they were also frequently absent in late October to help their fathers make hay on the farms.I was a young woman from New York City,who thought that"Make hay while the sun shines" just meant to have a good time. But,still,I was teaching English.I worked hard,taking time off only to eat and sleep.And then there was my sixthgrade class--seventeen boys and five girls who were only six years younger than me.I had a problem long before I knew it.I was struggling in my work as a young idealistic teacher.I wanted to make literature come alive and to promote a love of the written word.The students wanted to throw spitballs and whisper dirty words in the back of the room. In college I had been taught that a successful educator should ignore bad behavior.So I did,confident that,as the textbook had said,the bad behavior would disappear as I gave my students positive attention.It sounds reasonable,but the text evidently ignored the fact that humans,particularly teenagers,rarely seem reasonable.By the time my boss,who was also my taskmaster,known to be the strictest,most demanding,most quick to fire inexperienced teachers,came into the classroom to observe me,the students exhibited very little good behavior to praise. My boss sat in the back of the room.The boys in the class were making animal noises,hitting each other while the girls filed their nails or read magazines.I just pretended it all wasn't happening,and went on lecturing and tried to ask some inspiring questions.My boss,sitting in the back of room,seemed to be growing bigger and bigger.After twenty minutes he left,silently.Visions of unemployment marched before my eyes. I felt mildly victorious that I got through the rest of class without crying,but at my next free period I had to face him.I wondered if he would let me finish out the day.I walked to his office,took a deep breath,and opened the door. He was sitting in his chair,and he looked at me long and hard.I said nothing.All I could think of was that I was not an English teacher;I had been lying to myself,pretending that everything was fine. When he spoke,he said simply,without accusation,"You had nothing to say to them." "You had nothing to say to them."he repeated."No wonder they're bored.Why not get to the meat of the literature and stop talking about symbolism.Talk with them,not at them.And more important,why do you ignore their bad behavior?"We talked.He named my problems and offered solutions.We roleplayed.He was the bad student,and I was the forceful,yet,warm,teacher. As the year progressed,we spent many hours discussing literature and ideas about human beings and their motivations.He helped me identify my weaknesses and my strengths.In short,he made a teacher of me by teaching me the reality of Emerson's words:"The secret to education lies in respecting the pupil." Fifteen years later I still drive that same winding road to the same school.Thanks to the help I received that difficult first year,the school is my home now. It can be inferred from the story that in 1974 _ . Answer: it was rather difficult to get a job in the USA "Whoosh!" The ball flew into the net and the game was finally over. This game had gone into overtime twice. Until the last goal was scored, no one had any idea which team would win. Dave felt so bad because his team had lost. He liked playing soccer, but he liked winning even more. Now the two teams should have a picnic together. Dave did not want to eat lunch with the other team. The other team would probably brag by talking about how they won the game. Dave went to the locker room to change out of his soccer clothes. There the coach talked to the team about what they had done well. They also talked about how they could improve. Then everybody walked outside towards the picnic table. One of the players from the other team was standing near the picnic table. He handed Dave a paper plate. "Hi, I'm Miguel," he said. "Hi," Dave replied, looking down at the ground. "You played great," Miguel said. "I didn't think we were going to win." Dave was surprised. Miguel was not bragging at all. "Thanks," Dave said to Miguel. "You played great, too." Dave felt happy. Dave promised himself that the next time his team won a game, he would not brag to the other team. It was wonderful to win, but it was even more important to be a good winner. What happened first in the story? Answer: The soccer game ended. One day, I received a call from a colleague. He was about to give a student a zero for his answer to a physical problem ,while the student claimed a perfect score. I was elected as their arbiter( ).I read the examination problem: "Show how it is possible to determine the height of a tall building with the aid of a barometer ." The student had answered: "Take the barometer to the top of the building,attach a long rope to it,lower it to the street,and then bring it up, measuring the length of the rope. The length of it is the height of the building. " The student had really answered the question completely ,but the answer didn't confirm his competence in physics. I suggested the student try again. I gave him six minutes to answer the question, warning that the answer should show some knowledge of physics. Five minutes later, he said he had many answers and clashed off one, which read: "Take the barometer to the top of the building and lean over the edge of the roof. Drop the barometer, timing its fall with a stopwatch. Then, use the physical formula to calculate the height of the building. " At this point, my colleague had to accept it, and then the student made almost full marks. I couldn't help asking the student what the other answers were. He listed many others ,and then added5"Probably the best is to take the barometer to the. administrator and said to him,' Sir, here is a fine barometer. If you tell me the height of the building, I will give it to you.," Then, I asked the student if he really did not know the conventional answer to this question. He admitted that he did ,but said that he was fed up with high school and college instructors trying to teach him how to think. The name of the student was Bohr who later was famous all over ,the world. He won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1922. We know from the passage that _ Answer: the student knew the expected answer
There are many unusual hotels around the world. In Greenland , there is a hotel made of ice, open between December and April every year. In Turkey , there is a cave hotel with a television, furniture, and a bathroom in each room. And in Bolivia , there is a hotel named the Salt Palace Hotel. Thousands of years ago, the area around the Salt Palace Hotel was a large lake. But today, the area has only two small lakes and two salt deserts . The larger of the two deserts is called Uyuni salt desert. During the day, the desert is bright white because of the salt. There are no roads across the Uyuni desert, so local people must show guests the way to the hotel. In the early 1990s, a man named Juan Quesada built the hotel. He cut big blocks of salt from the desert and used the blocks to build it. Everything in the hotel is made of salt: the walls, the roof , the tables, the chairs, the beds, and the hotel's bar. The sun makes the walls and roof warm during the day. At night the desert is very cold, but the rooms are warm. The hotel has twelve rooms. A single room costs$40 a night, and a double room costs$60. A sign on the hotel's wall tells guests, " Please don't lick the walls." [:Zxxk.Com] Juan Quesada got the salt from _ to build the hotel. A. the salt deserts B. Greenland C. Turkey D. the small lake Answer: A Kids will often ignore your requests for them to shut off the TV, start their chores , or do their homework as a way to avoid following your directions. Before you know it, you've started to sound like a broken record as you repeatedly ask them to do their assignments, clean their room, or take out the trash. Rather than saying, "Do your chores now", you'll be more effective if you set a target time for when the chores have to be completed. So instead of arguing about starting chores,just say, "If chores are't done by 4 p.m, here are the consequences." Then it's up to your child to complete the chores. Put the ball back in their court. Don't argue or fight with them,just say, "That's the way it's going to be." It shouldn't be punitive as much as it should be persuasive. "If your chores aren't done by 4 p.m, then no video game time until chores are done. And if finishing those chores runs into homework time, that's going to be your loss." On the other hand, when dealing with homework, keep it very simple. Have a time when homework starts, and at that time, all electronics go off and do not go back on until you see that their homework is done. If your child says they have no homework, then they should use that time to study or read. Either way, there should be a time set aside when the electronics are off. When a kid wears his iPod or headphones when you're trying to talk to him, make no bones about it; he is not ignoring you, he is disrespecting you. At that point, everything else should stop until he takes the earplugs out of his ears. Don't try to communicate with him when he's wearing headphones--even if he tells you he can hear you. Wearing them while you're talking to him is a sign of disrespect. Parents should be very tough about this kind of thing. Remember, mutual respect becomes more important as children mature . According to the passage,it seldom happens that _ . A. kids turn a deaf ear to their parents' requests B. parents' directions sound like a broken record C. children are ready to follow their parents' directions D. parents are unaware of what they are repeating to their kids Answer: C This is a picture of a classroom. The classroom is big and clean. You can see a teacher's desk, six desks and seven chairs. You can see a girl and a boy ,too. Four books are on the teacher's desk. A pencil case is on the desk. Two pens and two rulers are in the pencil case .A school bag is under a chair. A ball is on the floor. The girl is Mary, She is 11.The boy is Jack. He is 12.They are is Class Two. They are friends. The teacher is Miss Smith. She is not here. The two pens are _ A. in the pencil case B. on the teacher's desk. C. on the floor D. in the bag Answer: A The biggest challenge faced by travelers especially those who like to have a backpacking trip is how to ensure a steady supply of clean clothes. Now, thanks to a great invention called Scrubba Wash Pack, that worry may be a thing of the past. The portable washing machine was invented by Ash Newland in 2010, while planning to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. Struck by the limited packing space, he got inspiration from traditional washboards to create a bag that could be used to clean clothes. Then he quitted his career as a lawyer and focused on perfecting the bag's design. By 2012, the bag was ready for the public. It weighed only 180 grams and required very little storage space, making it perfect for anyone wishing to travel light. Not surprisingly, the bag worth 55 dollars was an instant hit with travelers, university students and even passengers. However, Newland was not satisfied. He still saw a flaw with his invention - dirty clothes had to be carried around in a separate bag! The recently introduced Scrubba Wash Pack solves that problem. In order to make the pack active, dirty clothes are placed inside the bag along with two to three liters of water. The bag is then shut tightly to ensure all air is squeezed out and the clothes are massaged for a few minutes. After a quick wash, they are clean and ready to be dried. According to Newland, the pack can clean anything from jeans to smelly socks! What's even more amazing is that with a capacity to hold 13-liters of water, it can be used to wash more clothes at a time. The best part is that the 99-dollar pack that will be available for sale later this year, only weighs 300 grams and is completely foldable, making it easy to store when it's not in use. With the Scrubba Wash Pack, wandering through foreign cities searching for a washing shop, or paying for washing machines may soon be a thing of the past! Why wasn't Ash Newland satisfied with his former invention? A. Clothes couldn't be washed well. B. The invention was not so convenient. C. The bag couldn't contain enough water. D. The cost of the invention was very high. Answer: B I try to be a good son, but no matter how hard I try, my parents never seem to be satisfied. They think I should eat healthier food, should wear cleaner clothes, and I should get better grades. And according to them, my hair should be shorter, my room should be neater, and my friends should be more polite when they come to visit. You know it isn't easy to be a teenager. We try to be good parents, but no matter how hard we try, our children never seem to be satisfied. They think we should wear more fashionable clothes, we should buy a faster car, and we should listen to more beautiful music. And according to them, we should be more patient when they talk about their problems, we should be more friendly when their friends come to visit, and we should be more understanding when they come home late on Saturday night. You know it isn't easy to be parents, either. Do you and your parents also have such problems? Well, why don't you take a walk and have a talk on Saturday? May 15th is the International Day of Families. On that day, people around the world give thanks for good things about their families and work on family problems. A study last year showed that many Nanjing families had the same problem like this. The children, 12 to 15 years old, didn't like talking with their parents much. They weren't happy at home. Of course, lots of kids have the same feeling like that. But you and your parents will be much happier if you can be friends. Parents are the closest people to you in the world. They love you just because you're their child. And they would do anything for you. Which is a good way for children to get closer to their parents according to the passage? A. To eat healthier food and wear cleaner clothes. B. To get high grades and cut hair shorter. C. To stay and chat with their parents as often as possible. D. To make more friends and come home early. Answer: C
Although most of Pakistanis live in the countryside, still many Pakistanis live in cities. Karachi has over 5 million people and Lahore has over 3 million people. Islamabad was built to be Pakistan's capital. The rich city people live in large, air conditioned houses. Pakistan has 121,000 miles of roads. Bus services and minibuses are available to the public. The trains are still the most common transport of long-distance travel for Pakistanis. Pakistan also has an airline that operates domestic and international flights. It is difficult to identify Pakistani food because the country shares food traditions with its neighbour, India. The main difference between Pakistani and Indian food is that Pakistani food is less spicy . Pakistani dishes are often made with yoghurt , which reduces the effect of the hot spices used in cooking. Wheat is the main food for most of the people. It is eaten in the form of bread named chapattis or roti, together with vegetables in season. Sweet tea, milk, or lassi, a drink made from yoghurt, makes the meal perfect. Those who can afford to buy it eat meat, although in the countryside these are usually festival foods. Goat meat is a favourite. Pakistanis will not eat pork by the way. The main food for most of the Pakistani people is _ . A. lassi B. wheat C. meat D. pork Answer: B In today's world, almost everyone knows that air pollution and water pollution are harmful to people's health. However, not all the persons know that noise is also a kind of pollution, and that is harmful to human health, too. People who work and live under noisy conditions become deaf . Today, however, scientists believe that 10 percent of workers in Britain are being deafened by the noise where they work. Many of the workers who print newspapers and books, and who weave cloth become deaf. Quite a few people living near airports also become deaf. Recently it was discovered that many teenagers in America could hear no better than 65-year-old people, for these young people like to listen to "pop" music and most of "pop" music is a kind of noise. Besides, noise produced by jet planes or machines will make people's life difficult and unpleasant, or even make people ill or even drive them mad . It is said that a continuous noise of over 85 decibels can cause deafness. Nowadays the government in many countries have made laws to reduce or control noise and make it less than 85 decibels. In China, the people's government is trying to solve not only air and water pollution problems but also noise pollution problem. Today scientists believe that _ . A. 90 percent of all the workers in Britain are not suffering from noise B. 10 percent of all the workers in Britain are working in noisy places C. the hearing of 10 percent of all the workers in Britain are being deafened by the noise where they work D. 90 percent of all the workers are free from any noise Answer: C Two Chinese living in South Africa were killed in a robbery on February 5, bringing the total number of Chinese killed in the country to four in less than a month. Chen Jianqing, 35, from Southeast China's Fujian Province, who ran a shop with her husband in a small town 45 kilometers away from South African capital Johannesburg, was shot dead. www.zxxk.com "One of her business partners died later in the hospital," the Chinese consulate officials in Johannesburg said yesterday. "Local police are trying to find more information about the case. And we have told the victims' relatives and are helping them come to Johannesburg," Consul Wu Gang told China Daily. Chen's husband was injured during the robbery but did not suffer seriously, said Wu. The robbery happened at about 5:45 pm local time and the armed robbers ran away after taking more than 50,000 South African rand (US $8,200) and some jewelry, Xinhua News Agency reported. The killing happened just three days after Chen Jingmin, a 23-year-old man from Qingdao, Shandong Province, was shot dead north outside Johannesburg by armed robbers. On January 10, a Hong Kong businessman was attacked and robbed at his home in Johannesburg and died the next day in the hospital. All these happened just in less than a month. According to records, there were more than 40 robberies attacking Chinese in South Africa last year, in which eight were killed. More than 100,000 Chinese are doing various kinds of businesses in South Africa, according to a Chinese official in the country. An increasing number of them are becoming targets of robbers after buying big houses or luxury cars, the official said. The passage is probably _ . A. a business story B. a scientific article C. a newspaper report D. an official document Answer: C DID you get a flu shot this year? For the first time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the prefix = st1 /USis recommending that all children aged from 6 months to 18 years receive the flu vaccine. Vaccines battle diseases caused by bacteria and viruses. A weakened form of the germ is introduced into the body. The body makes special substances called antibodies to fight the germs. If the actual germs were to attack, the antibodies would fight it. Because there are many kinds of flu viruses, scientists must create a new vaccine formula each year. Researchers must make a prediction. It is like forecasting the weather. Sometimes they are right on, and sometimes they are off. But even when the vaccinedoes not closely match circulating flu types, it can make the illness less serious. "The flu vaccine is not as effective as the polio vaccine or the measles vaccine," says Dr William Schaffner of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. "It's not a great vaccine, but it is quite a good vaccine." But a flu vaccine doesn't work for everyone. There are certain people who should be careful about taking it. Because the vaccine is produced in eggs, those who are allergic to eggs should not take it. If you have a fever, you should wait until you recover. Some people are afraid that they might get the flu from the flu shot. Scientists say that it is not possible, because the viruses in the flu shot are inactivated. But some minor side effects such as low-grade fever and body ache could occur. If they do, they begin soon after the shot and usually last only one to two days. Did you know? Smallpox was the first disease people tried to prevent by putting a virus into a healthy person. In 1796, English scientist Edward Jenner placed some infected material under a boy's skin. By saying "It's not a great vaccine, but it is quite a good vaccine", the author means the flu vaccine_. A. is not as effective as the polio and measles vaccines B. is not effective, compared with the polio and measles vaccines C. does help to make illness less serious D. is quite good because it works for everyone Answer: C Students who work during term time to support themselves at university are far more likely to graduate with a poor degree, according to a government-funded study published yesterday. Undergraduates with part-time jobs are a third less likely to get a first or upper second-class degree than other students, harming their career chances. Students from the poorest backgrounds were most likely to take jobs during term because they could not depend on help from their parents. The report, commissioned by the Department for Education and Skills, also found a clear relation between fear of debt and employment in non-graduate jobs. Students from poorer backgrounds are known to be more unwilling to be in debt than those from middle class families. The study of 8,600 people who graduated in 1999 was made by Peter Elias, of Warwick University, and Kate Purcell, from Bristol Business School. They found that twice as many first-class degrees were awarded to students who did not work during term compared with those who did. Between 35 and 38 percent who worked during term achieved a lower second, compared with about 28 percent of those who did not. Professor Elias said that the increase in school fees next year to PS3,000 would have to be monitored carefully for its effect on poorer students. "Higher education is going to be a harder struggle for those who do not come with all the advantages," he said. He suggested that universities could get in touch with employers to provide work experience on good salaries to choose students during holidays, so that they did not have to work during term. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage? A. Poor students can't take part-time jobs all the time at university. B. Employers have the duty to help poor students solve the money problem. C. First class degrees couldn't be given to the students whose families were poor. D. High school fees are one of the important reasons why students have to take term-jobs. Answer: D
We considered a list of the best American books. Here are five that may help accurately show the national character. Most from a century or so ago, they still entertain, teach, and inspire: Moby-Dick by Herman Melville First published in 1851, the adventure stories of Captain Ahab and his monomaniacal pursuit of the white whale draw us into a universe full of fascinating characters and stories. The Education of Henry Adams by Henry Adams Published in 1918, the book was an autobiography. Born in one of America's most famous political families, Adams provides insight into his family, including his experience as private secretary to his father, minister to England during the American Civil war. Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman When Whitman published Leaves of Grass in 1855, he wanted to accurately describe the American experience and reflect the great changes in the American literary world that had taken place during his lifetime. Poems by Emily Dickinson An enthusiastic poet whose works have had considerable influence on modern poetry, Dickson's frequent use of dashes, occasional capitalization of nouns, and unconventional metaphors have contributed to her reputation as one of the most inventive poets of the 19thcentury American literature. However, most of her poems were not published during her lifetime. The Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow First published in 1855, this is Longfellow's most popular and most recognized poem, the heroic life and death of a magic American Indian, sent by the Great Spirit to guide the nations in the ways of peace. Walt Whitman wrote Leaves of Grass in order to _ . When the traffic lights turn red, we will stop driving a car or crossing a street. Why is red used for traffic lights instead of other colors? As we know, scattering happens when light goes through the air. For the same media , if the _ is long, the sscattering will be short. If the wavelength is short, then the scattering will be long. Of all lights we can see, red has the longest wavelength. So the scattering is the weakest. That means the red light travels far. In fact, it travels farther on rainy days. Using the red light can help drivers in farther places see the lights. It helps drivers slow down or stop in time. So there will be fewer accidents. Moreover, red can also excite people. We can act more quickly when we see the color red. In a word, red lights help drivers stop in time and help prevent accidents. Which of the following is the best title? Sam, an unemployed piano tuner, said it was only the second thing he had ever won in his life. The first thing was an Afghan blanket at a church raffle when he was 25 years old. But this was much bigger: it was $120,000! He had won the Big Cube, a state lottery game. To win, a contestant must first guess which number a spinning cube will stop on. The cube has six numbers on it: 1X, 10X, 50X, 100X, 500X, and 1000X. If he is correct, the contestant must then guess which of two selected variables is going to be greater. So, just guessing which number appears on the cube does not guarantee that you will win any money. Sam correctly guessed 1000X, but he still had to choose between two variables. One variable was the number of cars that would run the stop sign at Hill Street and Lake Avenue in six hours. The other variable was the number of times that a teenage boy would change TV channels in a three-hour period. This was a tough decision. Finally, Sam flipped a coin. It came up heads, so Sam picked the teenager. He picked right. The stop sign was run only 76 times, but the teen clicked 120 times. Sixty-year-old Sam jumped for joy, for he had just won 1000 times 120, or $120,000. Sam dreamily left the lottery studio. Talking excitedly on his cell phone while crossing the street, he got hit by a little sports car. Sam is slowly getting better. He was in the hospital for a month. His hospital bill was $110,000. And the insurance company for the little sports car's owner sued Sam for $9,000 worth of repairs. Also, Sam still has to pay federal taxes on his winnings. Sam doesn't play the state lottery any more. He says it's better to be unlucky. Sam's experience shows that _ Alice, 35 years old I like shopping, but shopping with young children is not a good thing. I have to look after them while I'm shopping. I go shopping with my husband only when I want to buy something for him. When I look at a cheap dress, he always says, "It's nice on you." But when I have an expensive one in my hands, he always says, "I don't think it fits you well." So I often go shopping with my friends. It's fun. Maria, 26 years old I like shopping very much, but I never go shopping on weekends. There are too many people in shops. I don't like shopping with other people. It usually takes me much time to buy things because I never buy the first thing I see. I always look around other shops to find the same thing cheaper. I'm good at finding cheap things. I don't like buying food in small shops or street markets. I think food in the supermarkets is fresh and cheap. Maria likes to buy food in _ . Do you want to know something about the history of weather? Don't look at the sky. Don't look for old weather reports. Looking at tree rings is more important. Correct weather reports date back only one century, but some trees can provide an exact record of the 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 and rainfall would limit the growth of a tree. The change from a favorable to an unfavorable climate can be determined by reading the pattern of rings in a tree trunk. To find the weather of ten years ago, 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 closed together, then the climate was bad for the tree. Studying tree rings is important not only for the history of weather, but also for the history of man. In a region of New Mexico you can find only sand---no trees and no people. However, many centuries ago a large population lived there. They left suddenly. Why? A scientist studied patterns of dead tree rings which had grown there. He decided 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 instance studying tree rings uncovers an exciting fact about the history of man. The scientists are interested in studying tree rings because they can tell _ .
Adam Smith was the first person to see the importance of the division of the labor. He gave us an example of the process by which pins were made in England. One man draws out the wire, another strengthens it, a third cuts it, a fourth points it, and a fifth gives it a head. Just to make the head requires two or three different operations. The work of making pins is divided into about eighteen different operations, which in some factories are all performed by different people, though in others the same man will sometimes perform two or three of them. Ten men, Smith said, in this way, turned out twelve pounds of pins a day or about 4,800 pins a worker. But if all of them had worked separately and independently without division of labor, they certainly could not have made twenty pins in a day and not even one. There can be no doubt that division of labor is an efficient way of organizing work. Fewer people can make more pins. Adam Smith saw this, but he also took it for granted that the division of labor is itself responsible for economic growth and development and it accounts for the difference between expanding economies and those that stand still. In fact, the division of labor adds nothing new, and it only enables people to produce more of what they already have. Adam Smith mentioned the number 4,800 in order to _ . A. show the advantages of the old labor system B. stress how powerful the individual worker was C. show the advantages of the division of labor D. stress the importance of increasing production Answer: C. show the advantages of the division of labor Where would nitrogen most easily be found in the nitrogen cycle? A. in animal waste B. in drinking water supplies C. in underground mineral deposits D. in carbon dioxide released by factories into the atmosphere Answer: A. in animal waste Many French academics,teachers and parents complain because they feel that intellectual levels are falling rapidly!The figures prove it:young people visit museums less,spend their lives chatting on the Internet,read nothing but Stephen King,while watching American soaps such as Friends or reality shows like Star Academy on television,music player glued to their cars,and the games console handy. It is,however,easy to see these habits in a positive light.Music is the favorite leisure activity:86% of 14-to18-year-olds put it at the top of their activities,above the cinema(71%),clubbing(68%),sport(56%) and television(48%).For 90% of young people aged 14to 18,radio is also very popular:they listen to it every day without exception.International popular music has a strong showing,but songs in French are still in the majority(60%). Young people do,of course,watch a lot of television,but less than their elders,and if they tend to choose mostly soaps and reality TV shows,that is because these are the programs people talk about,which encourages social interaction.Do young people read less than they used to?Maybe,but that's also true of the elders.Young people still read more than their elders.When asked,"Do you like reading?",94% of 14-to-18-year-olds say they do,and 81% are convinced that computers will never replace books. Contrary to popular belief,reading continues to occupy an extremely important place in leisure-time activities,but the reading matter young people choose has changed considerably:there is a greater variety of media(computers and new technologies) and young people admit to taste they would perhaps have been ashamed of in the past.For example,comic strips,Stenphen King or other authors not recognized by mainstream culture,such as Betty Mahmoody (Not Without My Daughter),Mary Higgins Clark or Jostein Gaader (Sophie's World).As Beatrice Toulon,Editor in Chief of the magazine Phosphore,see it,"They don't read the same things as their parents did,but they are not afraid to admit it.They have their own culture,which they flaunt openly!" Which activity is the most popular with young French people? A. Music. B. Sport. C. Cinema. D. TV. Answer: A. Music. A new study suggests that early exposure to germs strengthens the immune system. That means letting children get a little dirty might be good for their health later in life. The study involved laboratory mice. It found that adult mice raised in a germ-free environment were more likely to develop allergies, asthma and other autoimmune disorders. There are more than eighty disorders where cells that normally defend the body instead attack tissues and organs. Richard Blumberg,who led the study,is a professor at Harvard Medical School in Boston,Massachusetts. He says,in 1989,medical researchers who sought to explain these diseases, first discovered that the increasing use of antibacterial soaps and other products, especially early in life, could weaken immune systems. Now, Dr. Blumberg and his team have what is the first biological evidence to link early exposure to germs to stronger adult immune systems. They say this exposure could prevent the development of some autoimmune diseases. In the adult germ-free mice, they found that inflammation in the lungs and colon was caused by so-called killer T cells. These normally fight infection. But they became overactive and targeted healthy tissue--an autoimmune condition seen in asthma and a disease called ulcerative colitis . Dr. Blumberg says the mice raised in a normal environment did not have the same reaction. He says their immune systems had been "educated" by early exposure to germs. Rates of autoimmune disorders are rising worldwide, but mostly in wealthier, industrialized countries. According to Dr. Blumberg, it might be high time that people were warned to be more careful with the early use of antibiotics and the prescription from their doctors. Rob Dunn is a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. He says the new study does not mean people should stop washing. "Wash your hands , but don't do it with antibacterial soap. Let your kids play in a reasonable amount of dirt and get outside and get exposed to a diversity of things", says Rob Dunn. Who first found immune systems might get harmed by overly using antibacterial products? A. A professor of ecology and evolutionary biology. B. A professor at Harvard Medical School in Boston. C. Medical researchers who tried to explain autoimmune disorders. D. Medical researchers who tried to treat autoimmune disorders. Answer: C. Medical researchers who tried to explain autoimmune disorders. Call it proof of how carefully students court college admissions offices these days :thank-you notes have become the new trend . Tank the one that came with M &Ms to match Lehigh University's school color1s of brown and white ,and with the applicant's name inscribed on the candy .She thanked officials for her interview adding ,"Keep me on the tip of your tongue when reviewing applications ." Leon Washington ,the dean of admissions and financial aid at Lehigh ,said that Lehigh received 50or 60 thank-you notes in just one day last week ,The notes are directed not just to admission officers ,but also to college tour guide and alumni who are often the ones conducting college interviews these days . Parents also _ the act ,such as the couple that thanked Mr. O'Cain of Furman for a "most positive "campus visit .Then they put in a plug for their son ,saying that he had always been " a high achiever and a hard worker "and that they knew Furman would be just the place to "help him reach his potential " At other campuses ,like Williams College and Princeton ,the motes go into applicants' files "Is it necessary to write a thank -you note ?"said Janet Rapelye ,dean of admissions at Princeton "No ,in and of itself .it's not going to change a decision ,But I'm still in favor of them ,Expressing gratitude is a lovely quality " Sometimes they are lovely .Carolyn Lawrence in California ,who advises students and their parents on college admissions ,recalls a note she received from a student admitted early to her first-choice college ,It came on a postcard of the Eiffel Tower ,It said : "I spent my spring break ----- a) on last -minute college visits b) in a month-long anxiety attack waiting to her back from colleges c) vacationing in Paris with my family and being forever grateful to Carolyn Lawrence for her help The answer is C. Thank you " What can be inferred from the text? A. You will be admitted early into a top college if you are good at writing thank-you notes . B. The writer doesn't think writing a note will help anyone get admitted into a good college . C. Even if the thank--you notes may not be a determining factor in getting into a good college they put you in good light . D. There is no need to spend your spring break on last- minute college visits . Answer: C. Even if the thank--you notes may not be a determining factor in getting into a good college they put you in good light .
LaMar Baylor, an American performer in the Broadway musical, spends most of his time in New York City.But since 2011, he has also spent weeks in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda.There, he teaches dance to boys who live on the street.His teaching is part of an effort by the Rebecca Davis Dance Company.The project helps young people learn more about dance and learn how to behave in a classroom environment. Rebecca Davis and LaMar Baylor teach ballet to street children in Kigali, Rwanda.The children have lost all of their families.Some have been in prison; others have sold their bodies for sex.Dance classes provide the children with structured learning and self-expression that they've never had before. Rebecca Davis is the founder and director of the dance company.She got the idea for the project after visiting Rwanda in 2008.There she met a large number of street children who were dancing, and she thought that dance could be used to get them off the street and into a safe place.She believes that learning to dance is a step toward education.She says children can take classes in information and technology after they have learned to attend classes and follow directions. Boys who have done best in the classes win scholarships and are sent to the Sunrise Boarding School.About 30 boys have won this kind of financial aid. As for LaMar Baylor, he knows from his own experience how dance can lead to a better life.He is from Camden, New Jersey.Camden has sometimes been called America's poorest and most dangerous city.He now thanks dancing for saving his life. The Rwanda program is the largest one set up by the Rebecca Davis Dance Company, and Ms.Davis has also set up dance programs in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Guinea.About 2,000 children in the three countries have taken part in the project since it was begun in 2010. What do we learn about the street children from the passage? Chengdu No.7 High School has formed a bright character and good tradition in school operation in the long period education and teaching practices. It mainly focuses on compulsory subjects, with a combination of selected subjects. It has formed a practical teaching system which mainly focuses on subject practical teaching, social practices teaching and campus extracurricular activities teaching. In the year of 1994, Mr. Li Lanqing, who was the then Prime Minister of the State Council, highly evaluated Chengdu No.7 High School when he visited here and said: "The happiest thing I have seen in the school is that students can get fully developed". With 100 years' history, Chengdu No.7 High School has many talents. Large numbers of alumni became academic masters, talents and government backbones by holding key positions in education and scientific research departments, key businesses, national defense authorities and governments. Famous people Sun Zhen and Tian Jiaying once studied at No.7 High School, while academicians from Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engieering like Chen Jiayong, Li Yinyuan, Pu Fuke graduated from Chengdu No.7 High School. Chengdu No.7 High School has many intelligent students. There are about 400 students every year from Chengdu No.7 High School who get municipal-above level prizes in various competitions. Up to the year of 2010, 9 gold medals have been obtained in International High School Students' Subjects Olympic Competitions. Every year more than half of the school graduates are accepted into famous Chinese universities. Its acceptance rate ranks top. Also there are about 100 students every year who are accepted by famous overseas universities. Chengdu No.7 High School has four student organizations, two newspapers, four magazines as well as more than 30 student communities and more than 80 selective courses and activity classes. All of these provide a great stage and diversified options for student full development. Chengdu No.7 High School is the window for international communication and one of the first Chinese communication bases with foreign schools in Sichuan Province. It has friendly cooperative relationship with schools from more than 10 countries for mutual visiting and exchanging in teaching. We can learn from the text that _ . When Regis Mngwiro and the other villagers moved to a new place in southeastern Zimbabwe, Africa, they were happy to find a lake nearby. Now, they would no longer have to walk long distances looking for water. At last, they had a source of water what they call their own. But several days later, two young boys saw something they had never seen before--a huge animal was standing at the edge of the lake, eating grass. When the animal saw the boys, it walked into the lake and disappeared beneath the water. Regis looked into the story of the big creature that vanished into to the lake. "When I took a closer look at the dung , I realized that it was from a hippo ," he said. Twelve hippos were living in the lake. The villagers were worried. In the countrry of Zimbabwe, hippos attack humans more often than lions do. The hippos would often stay on the village side of the lake all day. This meant that the villagers could not go near the lake until the hippos got out. It was too long a wait for the villagers, because they needed the water from the lake to survive . "This is the only source of fresh water in the village," said a villager. "There is no way we can avoid this lake." So the women began moving in groups whenever they went to get water from the lake. Before collecting water, they made sure no hippos were nearby. The men began fishing in pairs, with one man always looking out for hippos. It took time, but these days, the hippos and humans live side by side. The villagers say that when the hippos find people coming, they swim slowly to the other side of the lake and mind their own business. The villagers do not go into the part of the lake where the hippos usually stay. They have learned to share the lake they both need to survive. What would be the best title for the passage? "BANG!" the door caused a reverberation . It was just standing there, with Father standing on one side, and I on the other side. We were both in great anger. "Never set foot in this house again!" stormed Father. With tears welling up in my eyes, I rushed out of the flat and ran along the street. The street lights were shining, causing rather sad-feeling. I wandered aimlessly. A young father who held a child in his arms walked past me. I felt as if I saw my childhood from another space: happy and carefree. But now... I don't know whether it is because I have grown up or because Dad is getting old. We differ in our ways of thinking. He always puts his opinions and codes of behaviour on me. Whenever I do something wrong, he never admits it. We are just like two people coming from two different worlds. It feels like there is an iron door between us that can never be opened. I wandered in the streets, without a destination in mind. My heart was frozen on this hot summer night. As I walked on there were fewer and fewer people on the streets, until I had only the street lights to keep me company. When I finally reached the high-rise apartment block in which I lived, I saw that the light was still on. I thought to myself: "Is Father waiting for me, or is he still angry with me?" In fact, it was nothing. Perhaps, Dad was throwing away some of his old stamps. Perhaps he thought they were useless. I never had the courage to tell him that I liked collecting stamps. I can't stand his outrageous words: "I can't throw you away, let alone these old papers?" All the lights were off except Father's. Dad was always like this. Maybe he didn't know how to express himself. After shouting at me, he never showed any mercy or any moments of regret. After an argument he has the habit of creeping up in my sleep and then tucking me underneath the covers. This was how he always was. He has been a leader for so long that telling everyone else what to do has become his second nature. The light was still on. "Am I wrong?" I whispered, maybe... With the key in hand, I was as nervous as I had ever been. At last, I decided to open the door. As soon as I opened the door tears ran down my cheeks. I suddenly realized that the iron door that I had imagined between us did not exist at all. Love---is second to none. What conclusion can you come to after reading the passage? Research at the University of Liverpool, UK, has found that Shakespeare's language stimulates positive brain activity. Shakespeare uses a linguistic technique known as functional change that involves, for example, using a noun to serve as a verb.Researchers found that this technique allows the brain to understand what a word means before it understands the function of the word within a sentence.This process causes a sudden peak in brain activity and forces the brain to work backwards in order to fully understand what Shakespeare is trying to say. Professor Philip Davis, from the university's School of English, said: "The brain reacts to reading a phrase such as 'he godded me' from the tragedy of Coriolanus, in a similar way to putting a jigsaw puzzle together.If it is easy to see which pieces fit together you become bored of the game.But if the pieces don't appear to fit, when we know they should, the brain becomes excited.By throwing irregular words into seemingly normal sentences, Shakespeare surprises the brain in a manner that produces a sudden burst of activity -- a sense of drama created out of the simplest of things." Experts believe that this heightened brain activity may be one of the reasons why Shakespeare's plays have such a dramatic impact on their readers. Professor Neil Roberts, from the university's Magnetic Resonance and Image Analysis Research Center, and Professor Davis, together with Dr Guillaune Thierry, from the University of Wales, UK, monitored 20 participants using an electroencephalogram (EEG) as they read selected lines from Shakespeare's plays. "The brain signal is relatively stable when we understand the meaning of a word but when the word changes the grammar of the whole sentence, brain readings suddenly peak.The brain is then forced to retrace its thinking process in order to understand what it is supposed to make of this unusual word," explains Professor Roberts. Based on the research, Shakespeare's plays have a great effect on their reader lies in _ .
Working women make up nearly half of the U.S. workforce, and 51 percent of professional workers, like doctors, lawyers, nurses and accountants, are female. While climbing the career ladder can be rewarding, it often comes with one big downside: weight gain! New research published this week in the International Journal of Obesity shows that working women are more likely to be overweight, and the more you work, the more pounds you're likely to pile on. Like many women, I work... a lot! As a self-employed nutrition communications specialist, I sit at my desk, in front of a computer, for hours on end. Sitting alone is one of the worst things you can do for your health, and it's directly linked to being overweight and increased fatness, so the fact that women in the workforce gain weight isn't that surprising. If you work, you have less time to move around. Obesity researchers are revealing many other ways that employment is harmful to your diet and waistline. In the International Journal of Obesity study, some 9,276 Australian women aged 45-50 had their body weight and employment status monitored for two years. Results? Those who worked more than 35 hours were likely to gain weight compared to those who worked fewer hours or were out of the workforce. What's more, the more hours a woman worked in a week, the more weight she gained. The authors of the Australian study attribute weight gain among working women to inactivity, lack of time for food preparation, more use of prepared foods, high levels of stress, lack of sleep and consuming more alcohol. I'll also add in travel, meals eaten out and working at night as other factors that I can find to make balancing work with a healthy diet a challenge. The text above is probably taken from _ . Answer: a health and fitness magazine One type of electrical circuit that requires a switch could be Answer: dimming table lights Mr. Brown is a very old man. Every morning he goes for a walk in the park. And he comes home at 12:30 for his lunch. But today a police car stops at his house at twelve o'clock. Two policemen help him out. One of them says to Mr Brown's daughter," The old man can't find his way in the park. He asks us to take him home in the car." The daughter thanks the policemen. After they leave, she asks her father, " Dad, you go to that park every day. But today, you can't find the way. What's wrong with you?" The old man smiles like a child and says, " I can find my way home. I don't want to walk home today, you know?" Mr Brown says _ . Answer: he doesn't want to walk home today My father is seventy-five years old this year. But he looks very young. He looks like a sixty-year-old man. Now he can do everything all by himself. For example, he cooks, washes clothes, does the housework and so on. Every morning, my father goes out with a radio. He listens to the music or the news and goes to the park to play taijiquan. In the park, he talks and laughs with other old people. After coming back from the park, he begins to have breakfast and then he goes to the university for the old. He learns drawing there. In the afternoon, he plays on the computer for about one or two hours. After supper he watches TV and learns about the world. He goes to bed at about eight o'clock. He never stays up. He likes to share his ways of keeping healthy with others. Are you healthy? If not, what do you learn from my father's secret of keeping healthy? ,. The writer's father will be _ years old next year. Answer: 76 Plants preparing for dormancy is a sign Answer: the earth is tilting
Nearly a thousand people laugh heartily together for half an hour every morning in a park in Shenzhen. Guangzhou Daily took a closer look at those happy people. They are members of a group named Laughing Club, and when they get together, all they do is laugh. Zhang Lixin, the founder of the club and regarded as the 'laugh leader', told the paper that laughing does him a lot of good. He started after he read some advice in a book and tried giggling after quarrelling with his wife to relax. After laughing for a few days, Zhang found himself more outgoing and relaxed. Soon his wife joined him, bringing the family more laughter and less bickering. When he got to know a kind of "laughing yoga" is good for the health, Zhang went to Bombay to learn from the locals and developed what he learned into more than 30 ways of laughing. The "lion bellow "is to shout with the fingers outstretched near the ears. There is the "open mouth laugh", the "bow-pulling laugh", the "welcoming laugh" and even the "quarrelling laugh", with different arm movements of laugh style. The "laugh movement" swept over Shenzhen in a few of months, attracting tens of thousands of people to join, and has been followed in nearby cities such as Guangzhou. Every morning at the lake front and at 8 pm on every Monday, Wednesday, Friday at the mountain peak square in Lianhua Mountain Park, club members gather to laugh and shout loudly. According to the passage, when cannot you see club members practicing laughing in Lianhua Mountain Park? A At 8 pm on Sunday. B At 8 pm on Monday. C At 8 pm on Friday. D At 8 pm on Wednesday. Answer: A If a globe has a range of populace, it likely also has A old babies B varied homes C poisoned blood D teal rabbits Answer: B China is a country with a long history. It has great traditional culture, especially Chinese characters. Chinese characters usually have more than one meaning and some of them are very interesting. Here are six ones. We use "pinyin" here because "pinyin" is the Chinese spelling way for the characters. For example, "fu" is the "pinyin" for good luck in Chinese. "pinyin" "fu" is only the phonic part of the character and if you want to know the meaning of good luck "fu", you must read Chinese character because "fu" also represents other Chinese characters that sound the same. "fu" means blessing, good fortune, good luck. Chinese _ "fu" is one of the most popular ones used during Chinese New Year. Chinese people often put up "fu" upside down on the front door of a house or an apartment. The upside down "fu" means good luck comes since the character for upside down in Chinese sounds the same as the character for "come". "lu" is used to mean official's a pay in old China. "shou" means long life, age or birthday. "xi" is happiness, The doubled character "xi" means double happiness. It is usually put up everywhere at Chinese weddings. "cai" is weath or money. Chinese often say " money can make a ghost turn a millstone". It is to say money really can do a lot of things. But, money can't buy everything. "he" is an important part of Chinese culture. It means good relations with other people, when you have "he", things will be a lot easier for you. The top six lucky Chinese charaters. "fu" "lu" "shou" "xi" "cai" "he",are particularly loved by Chinese people. The upside down "fu" means _ A coming B good luck comes C good fortune D "fu" is upside down Answer: B Bicycles, a long-forgotten vehicle that seems to belong to the last century, are returning to the streets of Guangzhou, as the city starts to ban the running of motorcycle in urban Guangzhou. "Business has never been so good for my shop," said Chen Yongwu, a bicycle shop owner at the city's Donghua West Road, "I have to work 12 hours a day to meet the demand of my customers. " "Even my wife and brother-in-law have to give me a hand lately. " Chen originally ran a motorcycle repair shop. He grasped the opportunity of the motorcycle ban, and started his bicycle business soon after hearing about the banning. "I sold 23 bicycles on January 2 alone. " Said Chen. Bicycle is more convenient and healthier "My home is one kilometer from the metro station," said a middle-aged man who is waiting for his bicycle at Chen's shop, "it is too tiresome to walk to the station, but taking a bus for such a short distance is a waste of money. " "So I decided to buy a bicycle. " The bicycle costs around 600 yuan, which is equal to the bus fare of half a year. "Besides, riding a bicycle to work is much healthier than riding a bus. " The bicycle buyers can be categorized into two groups. One group of buyers buy the bicycles for the transportation of small commodities; the other ride the bicycles to work. Arising problems Riding a bicycle to work may be healthy, but it is not without problems. The lack of bicycle lanes has posed a big threat to the safety of the bicycle riders in Guangzhou. "I was riding my bicycle on Huifu West Road on day," said Mr. Zhang, "then suddenly the bus pulled over besides me near the bus station. " "I was so frightened at the time, because the bus nearly hit me. " The sideways in Guangzhou are usually crowded with foot passengers, so citizens also could not use the sideways. "It is worse than walking. " Besides, finding a place a park the bicycles could be very difficult, much more difficult then finding a place to park your car. Where can the passage most likely come from? A A magazine B A newspaper C A textbook D A booklet Answer: B Think of life as a game in which you are playing with five balls in the air. You name them work, family, health, friends and spirit and you keep all of them in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce( )back. But the other four balls, family, health, friends and spirit, are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be broken. They will never be the same. You must understand that and try to have balance in your life. How? Don't look down on your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different and each of us is special. Don't let other people set goals for you. Only you know what is best to yourself. Don't give up when you still have something to give. _ Don't be afraid of difficulties. Be brave! Don't run through life so fast that you forget not only where you have been, but also where you are going. Don't be afraid to learn. Knowledge is a treasure you can always carry easily. Don't use time or words carelessly. You can't get them back. Yesterday is history, tomorrow is mystery , and today is a gift; that's why we call it " the present". Life is not a competition, but a trip ,step by step. The sentence "Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying." means that _ A if we don't give up, there is always hope B you should set goals for yourself C you should learn to give up D although you try, nothing will change Answer: A
Justin Bieber used to be an ordinary Canadian boy, but his life totally changed in 2008. With his great musical talent, this 17-year-old boy has become a superstar in the music industry. Justin Bieber was born in Straford, Ontario and was raised by his single mother. Bieber learned to play musical instruments when he was very young. In 2007,he took part in a local singing competition in his hometown, and he did it just for fun. He never took singing lessons before but surprisingly he placed second in the competition. Then,with the help of his mother, he uploaded videos of him singing on a website and they successfully attracted the attention of viewers. His videos got popular through word of mouth and some of them have received up to 10,000,000 views. Justin Bieber would have never gotten a career in the music business without his videos. Scooter Braun, a former marketing executive of So So Def Recordings, had watched Bieber's videos and he was impressed by the boy's talent. Braun then contracted Bieber and he flew the boy into Atlanta 7 months after the first video was posted. Bieber showed his talent in singing as well as his ability in playing musical instruments. He then got a record deal. In 2009,Justin Bieber released his first single "One Time" while he was recording the debut album .The single "One Time" tells a story about love. This song had success not only in Canada and the US, but also in the international market. Then he released his debut album "My World 2.0"in 2010 and the song "Baby" became the lead single. This album successfully entered the Top Ten Charts in seven countries. In June 2010, he started his first world tour in Hartford, Connecticut. One month later, he started recording his second album. What is the best title for the text? Our clothes are a powerful tool that can make us feel better about ourselves. One way in which this works is by wearing different color1s of clothes. Normally when we are sad, we will wear dark color1ed clothes. Oppositely, when we are happy, we often choose to wear brightly color1ed clothes. The reason for this is that our choice of color1 mirrors is how we are feeling. Those who don't believe in the idea are often heard saying, "if only this truly worked". Well in reply to those people, there has been a lot of research into what happens to someone's feelings when they are asked to wear just one color1 of clothes. It has been proven that if we wear particular color1s of clothes they can change our feelings. Suppose we are feeling sad, if we wear black we may begin to feel worse. However, if we wear green, red or yellow, we may begin to feel better. Each color1 is said to have its own healing power. So remember, if you are not feeling your best, you can always try out some different color1ed clothes. If one color1 has no effect on your feelings, maybe another will. What's the author's attitude toward "wearing particular color1s of clothes can change our feelings"? One night Mr White left his car outside his house as usual. But when he came down the next morning to go to his office, he found that his car wasn't there. He called the police and told them what had happened. When Mr White came home from his office that evening, his car was back again at his usual place in front of his house. He checked it carefully to see whether it had been broken, but found two tickets and a letter on one of his seats. The letter said, "We're very sorry. We took your car because we had all emergency ." Mr and Mrs White went to the cinema with the tickets that evening and enjoyed themselves very much. When they came back from the cinema, they found that thieves had taken almost everything away from their house. Mr White's car appeared again _ . People do not analyze every problem they meet. Sometimes they try to remember a solution from the last time they had a similar problem. They often accept the opinions or ideas of other people. Other times they begin to act without thinking. They try to find a solution by trial and error. However, when all these methods fail, the person with a problem has to start analyzing. There are six stages in analyzing a problem. First the person must recognize that there is a problem. For example, Sam's bicycle is broken, and he cannot read it to class as he usually does. Sam must see that there is a problem with his bicycle. Next the thinker must define the problem. Before Sam can repair his bicycle, he must find out the reason why it does not work. For instance, he must determine if the problem is with the gears, the brakes, or the frame. He must make his problem more specific. Now the person must look for information that will make the problem clearer and lead to possible solutions. For instance, suppose Sam decided that his bike does not work because there is something wrong with the gear wheels. At this time, he can look in his bicycle repair book and read about gears. He can talk to his friends at the bike shop. He can look at his gears carefully. After studying the problem, the person should have several suggestions for a possible solution. Take Sam as an illustration. His suggestions might be: put oil on the gear wheels; buy new gear wheels and replace the old ones; tighten or loosen the gear wheels. Eventually one suggestion seems to be the solution to the problem. Sometimes the final idea comes very suddenly because the thinker suddenly sees something new or sees something in a new way. Sam, for example, suddenly sees that there is a piece of chewing gum between the gear wheels. He immediately realizes the solution to his problem: he must clean the gear wheels. Finally the solution is tested. Sam cleans the gear wheels and finds that afterwards his bicycle works perfectly. he has solved the problem. In analyzing a problem we should do all the following _ . Six people are talking about two pie shops in a TV program. Lily: I've been going to Pie House for twenty years. Now Marie's son is taking care of the business, and he makes pies as good as his mother's. I enjoy my stay there as before. My family also like the pies. We feel relaxed while staying there. * Olive: I went to Pie Corner once. Their pies were great, too. But I feel more comfortable at Pie House. I am used to the taste there, which makes me feel happy. I'm really a fan of Pie House. * Ned: Uncle Roy used to work for my mom. Later he opened Pie Corner on the next block after he got married. At the beginning, it's not easy for him, but it is becoming more and more popular especially among young people. They think Pie Corner can often give them a surprise. * Marie: Roy was already quite _ when working with me. I mean he had different, sometimes even strange, ideas about pies. There were times I thought his pies wouldn't taste good, but they turned out magically delicious. He is really creative and can always make new pies, which attract many people. * Lee: Ned has done quite well with Pie House. His pies make you feel warm. But if you want to try something interesting, you should go to Pie Corner. *** Chuck: The two pie shops are really different from each other. If eating Roy's pies is like taking an exciting trip, then Ned's pies are just like a sweet home you go back to after a long trip. Which one to go to depends on what you like. What do we know about the six people?
Dear Mr. Barton, I am writing for the _ to inform you of our feelings about your act. We've really had enough of you. Although we have tried to speak to you politely on several occasions, you have always answered with a stream of verbal abuse . Ever since you moved in three months ago, you have shown very little consideration for the other residents of this building, though many residents expressed their unhappiness with you. For the past six weekends, you have held very noisy parties, which have not finished until early the next morning. As you know, most of the people here are elderly or have very young children, and the noise keeps them awake all night. You don't have to be so noisy, do you? Last weekend the situation _ when two of your friends fought with each other on the first floor. The fighting was so bad that the police had to be called. What's more, your friends left the stairs in a terrible state --- they even broke two windows on their way out! We feel that we can't bear this type of act. We strongly demand that you pay for this damage to the window soon. If you don't and you carry on being a nuisance . We will kick you out! Legal steps will be taken if necessary. Yours sincerely What does the word " _ " mean? Answer: FreeRice.comis a non-profit website run by the United Nations World Food Program (UNWFP). It aims to provide education to everyone for free and help end world hunger. Join us and have fun with our vocabulary game. For each vocabulary word you get right, we donate free rice through UNWFP to those hungry people. How do you play the vocabulary game? Click on the answer that is closest in meaning to 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 UNWFP. How does the vocabulary game help you? This game may make you smarter. While learning new vocabulary, it can help you: Present your ideas better Write better papers, e-mails and business letters Speak more accurately and influentially Read faster because you understand better Get better grades in high school and college Perform better at job interviews Be more effective and successful at your job After you have done FreeRice for a couple of days, you may notice a 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 database containing thousands of words at different levels 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. Sign up now and you will have fun as well as help end world hunger. People of different vocabulary levels can play the game because _ . Answer: The search for life in the universe took a step forward last month with the opening of the Allen Telescope Array in Hat Creek, California. The telescopes were partly made possible by a gift of twenty-five million dollars from Paul Allen. The total cost of the project is already fifty million dollars. At present, there are 42 radio telescopes working at the Hat Creek observatory. The signals they receive are combined to create what is equal to a single, very large telescope. The telescope will be used to observe objects like exploding stars, black holes and other objects that are predicted but have not yet been observed. Seth Shostak of the SETI Institute says this is the first telescope whose main purpose is to search for signals from intelligent life in space. The SETI Institute is based in Mountain View, California. The organization supports the search for other life forms in the universe. What makes the Allen Telescope Array unusual is that it can collect and study information from a wide area of the sky. In addition, the 42 telescopes can study information about several projects at the same time. That means studies of large areas of the sky can be made faster than ever before. Some officials think the Allen Telescope Array will be completed in three more years. 350 individual radio telescopes are planned. The new abilities of the Allen Telescope Array will make searching for stars similar to the sun much faster. An earlier search by SETI, Project Phoenix, studied about 800 stars to a distance of 240 light years. The project ended in 2004. With the Allen Telescope Array, astronomers hope to gather thousands of times more information in the search for life beyond our planet. The main purpose of the Allen Telescope Array is_. Answer: Quick Service A man took a pair of shoes to a shoe repair shop and said to the shoemaker, "I'd like you to repair these shoes for me, please." "Certainly, sir." the shoemaker said. "When will they be ready?" the man asked. "I'm a bit busy, but they will be ready for you on Thursday," he said. "That's fine." the man said and left the shop. The next morning he received a letter, offering him a job in another country. Within 24 hours he was on an airplane to his new job. Twenty years passed and he returned to his hometown. He remembered his shoes. "They were a good pair of shoes," he thought, "I wonder if the shoemaker is still there and still has them. I'll go and see. " The same shop, although he was an old man by now. "Good morning. " he said to the shoe maker, "Twenty years ago, I brought in a pair of shoes. Do you still have them?" "Name?" the old shoemaker asked. "Smith." the man said. "I'll go and see. They may be in the back." The shoemaker went out to the back of his shop and a few minutes later returned, carrying a pair of shoes. "Here they are." he said, "One pair of brown shoes. I'm a bit busy now, but they'll be ready on Thursday." Why did the man go to a shoemaker? Answer: Running is becoming popular these days. Many of us run for health. Doctors say many health problems come from these bad habits: eating and drinking too much, smoking and not taking enough exercise. Doctors tell us. "Eat and drink less, don't smoke, and exercise more." Running is a good way of exercise because it helps to build a strong heart. It also helps most people lose weight. One 68-year-old woman runs three times a week. "I love to eat." She says. She runs to lose _ Running is good for health in other ways, too. Many runners say running keeps colds and other small health problems away. "Running is my doctor." says one man. Running can also help people to relax. So today men and women of all ages enjoy running. Many people enjoy running because they want to _ . Answer:
Fallingwater is a house built over a waterfall in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Frank Lloyd Wright, America's most famous architect, designed the house in 1935. It instantly became famous, and today it is a National Historic Landmark. Guided House Tour This tour features all the major rooms of the house and lasts about one hour. Photography is not permitted during this tour. The Guided House Tour allows children six-year-old and older to enjoy the house with their parents. Adults --$$ 20. 00 with advance purchase. --$$ 23. 00 when purchased on site Youth (ages 6~ 12) -- $$ 14. 00 with advance purchase -- $$ 17. 00 when purchased on site Daily from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm,except Wednesday. In-Depth Tour The tour is best if you desire a greater understanding of what Wright was seeking to create with his masterwork. The number of visitors on each tour is limited and photography is permitted for personal use only. Children nine years and older may accompany adults on this tour. $ 65. 00 per person(Available by advance ticket purchase only) Daily from 10: 00 am to 4: 00 pm Sunset Tour As afternoon turns to evening, the changing light allows you to see Fallingwater from an entirely new perspective. The number of visitors is limited and photography is permitted for personal use only. Children under nine-years-old are not permitted on this tour. $ 110. 00 per person(Available by advance ticket purchase only) May, June, & September-Saturdays at 4:30 p. m. July & August-Fridays and Saturdays at 4:45 p. m. Brunch Tour The guests join their guide for brunch before they leave. Children nine years and older may accompany adults on this tour. Please allow three hours total for this experience. $ 115. 00 per person(Available by advance ticket purchase only) May through September --Saturdays & Sundays at 9:00 a. m Where can a couple with an eight-year-old girl make a tour? A. Guided House Tour. B. In-Depth Tour. C. Brunch Tour. D. Sunset Tour. Answer: A. Guided House Tour. Miss. Green taught Physics in a London school. Last month she explained to one of her classes about sound, and she decided to test them to see how well she did in her work. She said to them, "Now, I have a sister in Washington. If I was calling her on the telephone, and at the same time you were 20 metres away, and listened to me from the other side of the street, who would hear what I said earlier, my sister or you? And why?" The cleverest boy answered at once, "Your sister, Miss. Green, because electricity travels faster than sound waves." "That's very good." Miss. Green said. But then one of the girls put up her hand. Miss. Green said, "Yes, Betty?""I don't think so," Betty said. "Your sister would hear you earlier because when it's eleven o'clock here, it's six o'clock in Washington." Miss. Green _ . A. was pleased with what the cleverest boy said B. didn't think the cleverest boy's answer was so good C. thought Betty's answer was much better D. thought Betty is more clever than the cleverest boy Answer: A. was pleased with what the cleverest boy said To Jim, Hi, Jim. I'm a Chinese girl .My English name is Betty. I'm a student. I live in Nanjing with my parents. Nanjing is a big city in China. I like playing table tennis and running. I like listening to music, too . My favourite food is rice and fish. My dad is a doctor and my mum is a worker. To Betty, Hi, Betty. I'm a boy. My name is Jim Hand. I'm a student, too. I live in London with my parents and my sister. London is big , too. It's in England. My sister likes reading books, but I like watching TV. She can type and write Chinese. I can draw and sing very well. My parents are both teachers. Who can write Chinese? A. Jim B. Betty C. Jim's sister D. Betty's father Answer: C. Jim's sister How much pocket money do you get from your parents every month? Maybe 200 yuan? But for Li Beibei, 30 yuan each month is enough. The only thing she buys is lunch--1.5 yuan each day. "Meat is too expensive for me," said Li. Li, 14, is a Junior 1 student at Beijing's Xingzhi Experimental School. Her parents are migrant workers . They came to Beijing from a village in Luohe, He'nan two years ago. Her father now works as a cleaner and gets 500 yuan every month. Her mother has no job. Li Beibei has 460 friends at Xingzhi. Every day, Li gets up at 5:30 am and rides her bike for 20 minutes to get to school. Like many teens, Li has a lot of homework--usually at least one hour every day. But that is not all her work. During the weekdays she helps her mum cook. On weekends, she helps wash clothes. "I could cook when I was eight. Dad said sometimes I cook better than Mum!" Li said she wanted to be a doctor. "I watch TV and find out there are many people with AIDS in He'nan. Some are kids. They need help," said Li. But she is afraid to leave school. "I hope I will always be in school," said Li. "Dad works hard to get money. I promise him I will study hard to be a good student and a good doctor in the future." Which of the following sentences is TRUE? _ . A. The girl's parents are both cleaners B. Her parents gave her 30 yuan to buy books C. The girl often helps her mother do some housework D. She studies hardest in her class Answer: C. The girl often helps her mother do some housework In many European countries it is normal to have a long break in the middle of the day when all members of the family return to their houses to eat together. This is not very common in Britain because normally it is a long way from the place of work or school to the home. Consequently the British people tend to have a big breakfast before they go to work and the meal at midday is not spent with the members of the family but with workmates or schoolmates. Lunch is normally eaten between 12: 30 p.m. and 1: 30 p.m. Most people finish work at five thirty. It often takes at least an hour to get home from the school or workplace so people tend to eat their evening meal or "dinner" between 6: 30 p.m. and 8 p.m. On Sundays people don't have to work, so they take the opportunity to eat together with their family. Sunday lunch is usually the best meal of the week and many of the meals which are considered typically British are eaten for Sunday lunch. For example roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. This is a typical British family eating together on Sunday. After lunch the father will smoke his pipe and read the newspaper sitting on his favorite armchair while his wife washes the dishes. The children will play traditional English games such as hopscotch, skipping or doctors and nurses. Although everyone in Britain understands that "breakfast" is the first meal of the day, there is a lot of confusion about the words for other meals such as "dinner, lunch, tea, high tea, brunch and supper" and if you ask a British person what these words mean, most of them will give you a different answer according to what part of the country they are from or what social class they are from. Another example of this is the pronunciation of the word "scones" (a type of cake eaten with Devonshire clotted cream, strawberry jam and cups of tea, known as a "cream tea") Why do the British have a lot of confusion about the words for other meals except breakfast? A. Because of the different pronunciations. B. Because of the different eating times. C. Because of the different eating habits. D. Because of the different parts of country and social classes. Answer: D. Because of the different parts of country and social classes.
One day, a poor man, who had only one piece of bread to eat, was walking past a restaurant. There was a large pot of soup on the table. The poor man held his bread over the soup, so the steam from the soup went into the bread, and gave it a good smell. Then he ate the bread. The restaurant owner was very angry at this, and he asked the man for money, in exchange for the steam from the soup. The poor man had no money, so the restaurant owner took him to Nasreddin, who was a judge at that time. Nasreddin thought about the case for a little while. Then he took some money from his pocket. He held the coins next to the restaurant owner's ear, and shook them, so that they made a dingling noise. "What was that?" asked the restaurant owner. "That was payment for you," answered Nasreddin. "What do you mean? That was just the sound of coins!" protested the restaurant owner. "The sound of the coin is payment for the smell of the soup," answered Nasreddin. "Now go back to your restaurant." Why did Nasreddin make a noise with the coins? A To make the poor man relaxed. B To pay for the smell of the soup. C To make the restaurant owner happy. D To show that he was a rich person. Answer: B. To pay for the smell of the soup. "Don't worry if you have problems!" It is easy to say until you are in the midst of a really big one.The only people who don't have troubles are gathered in little neighborhoods.Most communities have at least one.We call them cemeteries.If you're breathing, you have difficulties.It's the way of life.And believe it or not, most of your problems may actually be good for you! Let me explain. Maybe you have heard the Great Barrier Reef, stretching some 1,800 miles from New Guinea to Australia.Tour guides regularly take visitors to view the reef. On one tour, a traveler asked the guide an interesting question."I notice that the lagoon side of the reef looks pale and lifeless, while the ocean side is vibrant and colorful," the traveler observed.Why is this? The guide gave an interesting answer, "The coral around the lagoon side is in still water, with no challenge for its survival.It dies early.The coral on the ocean side is constantly being tested by wind, waves and storms.It has to fight for its survival every day.As it is challenged and tested, it changes and adapts.It grows healthy.It grows strong.And it reproduces." Then he added, "That's the way it is with every living organism." That's how it is with people.Challenged and tested, we come alive! Like coral pounded by the sea, we grow.Physical demands can cause us to grow stronger.Mental and emotional stress can produce tough-mindedness and resiliency.Spiritual testing can produce strength of character and faithfulness.So, you have problems? No problem! Just tell yourself, "There I grow again!" Remember: A smooth sea never made a skilled mariner. Who has no problems according to the passage? A The persons who are very famous. B The persons who have much money. C The persons who have been born. D The persons who are living in the cemeteries. Answer: D. The persons who are living in the cemeteries. Switzerland is famous for its watches. However, this country didn't invent the watch. It was the British who did it. Here is a story of how the watch was brought to Switzerland. Many years ago, an Englishman was traveling to Italy, on his way he stopped in a small town in south Switzerland. This Englishman traveled in a carriage inside which there was a carriage watch. This was the earliest kind of watch. A native shop assistant happened to see the watch. He wondered what it was and asked the Englishman about it, "it is a carriage watch," said the man. "This machine tells the time but now it isn't working." At once the shop assistant offered to try to repair it. So the traveler handed him the watch. The assistant was a very wise man. So it was not very surprising that he managed to repair it. He even remembered how it was made. As soon as the traveler had gone on his journey, he made a watch exactly the same type. Thus the watch-making was started in Switzerland. Today Swiss watches are sold in stores all over the world. Switzerland is famous for _ . A making watches. B selling watches. C inventing watches. D the carriage watch Answer: A. making watches. In earliest times, men considered lightning to be one of the great mysteries of nature. Some ancient people believed that lightning and thunder were the weapons of the gods. In reality, lightning is a flow of electricity formed high above the earth .A single flash of lightning 1.6 kilometers long has enough electricity to light one million light bulbs. The American scientist and statesman, Benjamin Franklin, was the first to show the connection between electricity and lightning in 1752.In the same year he also built the first lightning rod . This device protects buildings from being damaged by lightning. Modern science has discovered that one stroke of lightning has a voltage of more than 15 million volts .A flash of lightning between a cloud and the earth may be as long as 13 kilometers, and travel at a speed of 30 million meters per second . Scientists judge that there are about 2, 000 million flashes of lightning per year. Lightning hits the Empire State Building in New York City 30 to 48 times a year. In the United States alone it kills an average of one person every day. The safest place to be in case of an electrical storm is in a closed car.Outside, one should go to low ground and not get under trees.Also, one should stay out of water and away from metal fences.Inside a house, people should avoid open doorways and windows and not touch wires or metal things. With lightning, it is better to be safe than sorry! Which of the following is NOT true? A In the US about one person per day dies from lightning. B The Empire State Building frequently gets hit by lightning. C Swimming during a thunderstorm is a good idea. D A closed car is the best place to be during an electrical storm. Answer: C. Swimming during a thunderstorm is a good idea. Most people like buying things by touching them on a store shelf. Many people begin to feel some goods as theirs when they touch them. They have "mine, mine, mine" feeling as little as 30 seconds after touching an object . In a study, some people were shown a cheap coffee cup, and were allowed to hold it for 10 seconds or 30 seconds. They were then allowed to buy it in either a closed or an open place. The people knew the real price of the cup before they began to buy. If people hold the cup for a longer time, he will pay more for it. In fact, people hold the cup for 30 seconds pay more than the others. "The amazing part of this study is that people can become almost attached to something like a cup." said James Wolf,"By touching the cup and holding it in their hands, they begin to feel the cup is theirs. Once they begin to feel it as theirs, they are willing to keep it." Many businessmen use this way to sell their things. For example, car sellers send the buyers out on test drives and pet shop owners encourage people to play with the dogs in the window. When you are testing out new cars, you are going to buy it at once. But you can do better if you get ready for it. Which of the following is NOT true? A Many businessmen use this"touch" way to sell their things. B By touching the cup and holding it in their hands, many people begin to feel the cup is theirs. C If people hold the cup for a longer time, he will pay less for it. D Car sellers send the buyers out on test drives and pet shop owners encourage people to play with the dogs in the window in order to sell them. Answer: C. If people hold the cup for a longer time, he will pay less for it.
It is reported that some developed countries have shipped broken parts of computers to China. Such a thing can be founded every day although it is against international laws. Last month Hong Kong officers found 131,000 kilograms of broken computers, TVs and phones sent from Japan. Things like these are called electronic waste, or e-waste. Dealing with them is not an easy job because dangerous poison like mercury and lead can be found in them. Every time an old computer breaks down, it needs to be dealt with safely. But at present, broken computer parts are usually _ . It may be hundreds of years before they are really goes in the earth. Many places in China are polluted by e-waste. Guiyu in Guangdong province is one of them. This town is named as "the e-waste capital of the world". It has to deal with 1.5 million kilograms of e-waste each year, from which it makes 75 million years. But it comes at a cost. Many of the poison in e-waste find their way into the environment. Plastic is burned outdoors and chemical water is poured into rivers, Greenpeace, an environmental group, has found the air, the earth and the rivers in Guiyu badly polluted. The Chinese government wants the country to develop, but in a way that doesn't do harm to the environment and people's life. This year, China presents a new protection law, the strictest one we have ever had. Computer companies like Lenovo and Dell will be asked to take back their old computers. This is because the companies that make computers know best to deal with them safely. Hopefully, the problem with e-waste will be solved in the near future. The town of Guiya in Guangdong Province _ . has serious e-waste pollution There was a woman, about 30 years old, married with two children. She had grown up in a home where she was constantly criticized and often treated unfairly by her parents. As a result, she was negative and fearful, and had no confidence at all. One day, she was hit by a car. When she awoke, she found herself in a hospital. She could still speak, but had no recollection of any part of her past life. She was a total amnesiac! Her husband and children visited her daily, but she did not know them. Determined to understand what had happened to her, she began reading medical textbooks and studying in the specialized area of amnesia and memory loss. She met and discussed with specialists in this field. Eventually she wrote a paper on her condition. Not long afterward, she was invited to address a medical conference to deliver her paper, answer questions about her amnesia, and share her experiences and ideas. During this period, something amazing happened. She became a genuinely positive, confident, outgoing woman, well informed, and very much in demand as a speaker and authority in the medical profession. All memory of her negative childhood had been wiped out. She changed her thinking and changed her life. Each person comes into the world with no thoughts or ideas at all, and everything that a person thinks and feels is learned from babyhood onward. The adult becomes the sum total of everything he or she learns, feels, and experiences while growing up. Everyone is born with no self-concept at all. Every idea, opinion, feeling, attitude, or value you have as an adult is the result of an idea or impression you took in and accepted as true. When you believe something to be true, it becomes true for you, whatever the fact may be. You are not what you think you are, but what you think, you are. What happened to the woman after the accident? She was in complete memory loss. A dog can't speak words, but it can "talk". It has feelings just as you do. At times it may feel angry or afraid. Watch a dog closely. You can see what it is trying to tell you. When you are afraid, you may look down shyly. A fearful dog looks away from you. It may run away too. When you are angry with people, you stare at them and press your lips together. An angry dog also stares. Sometimes the hair along its back stands up. Do you feel _ when you have done something you shouldn't? Dogs can feel guilty, too. At times when I come home, my dog gives me a guilty look. Then I know he's done something wrong. Dogs need love and attention. Some dogs are very unhappy when they are left alone for a long time. Some dogs even snap if they don't get enough attention. You may have a dog or you may know a dog. Treat it well if you want to have fun with it. Play with it. Take it for a walk. Don't order it round too much. Try not to punish it one time and not the next for doing the same thing. Always remember, a dog has needs and feelings just as you do. Talk to a dog, it'll talk to you, too. You can tell that a dog has done something bad when _ . it has a guilty expression Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao promised that the country would take actions to improve school bus safety on Sunday, a day after China saw its second terrible school bus accident in November, 2011. "School buses should be safe mobile campuses for students," the premier said at a national meeting on women and children, "Society should remember in mind that children should be the first to enjoy all kinds of social caring and the last ones to suffer from any disaster." School buses have become a hot topic in China since the deaths of 21 people, including 19 pre-school students, in a traffic accident between a truck and a school-owned minibus in Gansu province on Nov. 16, 2011. The nine-seat minibus was carrying 64 people at the time of the accident, according to the reports. The second accident, in which a school bus in the northern province of Liaoning _ on Friday, left 35 people injured, according to China Daily. "In recent days, a series of big accidents involving school buses has led to great anger among the people. These accidents have also made me uncomfortable," said Mr Wang, an old teacher from Jiangsu. And he also thought that school bus safety must become a serious problem for schools and the government. Premier Wen has already asked the government to develop new safety standard for school buses and made sure to help local government with safe buses for school-age children. How did Mr Wang feel when such accidents happened? angry Are you interested in country music?I like it very much !It will take me away for a while after I am tired .The guitars and songs will take me to mountains and fields. Country music usually talks of everyday life and feelings.It's the spirit of America ,easy to understand ,slow and simple. Country music developed in the Southern United States.It was the folk music of American countryside.Many of songs tell about the lives of farmers .They talk about love,crops or death. The life of the countryside can be hard,so the words in country music are often sad.At first,people played the music only at family parties.But it became more popular later. In the 1920s,people played country songs on the radio,and they made them into records. When people in the countryside moved to towns and cities to look for work,they took their music with them.Country music continued to change and became popular across America. John Denver was one of America's most famous country singers in the 1970s.His song "Take Me home,Country Roads"is well-known and people still play it today. People began to make country song records _ . in the 1920s

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