Split (1)

train · 20k rows

text stringlengths 1.53k 16.3k
It was late in a spring afternoon. I was sitting at a fruit stand beside Beihai Lake looking at the shinning ripple , which awoke me to a full sense of life. A mother and her daughter were sitting opposite to me. The latter, a lovely girl of seven or eight with a pretty, small nose, was occupied with an ice cream. Her mother, holding the child's sweater, was whispering to her. A sudden breeze blew and the child sneezed. Her mother rapidly put the sweater on her and began to button it up. In her hurry the buttons were wrongly matched, which was unnoticed by her until several had been done. The mother at once unbuttoned the sweater and did it again. Such an unimportant incident, however, did not escape the child's eye. "Ha-ha, mum, see how your mind has wandered!" said the girl with a loud laughter, which brought a bit angry look to the mother's face. As an onlooker, I imagined a good dressing down for the little girl because of the impolite remark she made. But instead there was only an embarrassing interval of a few seconds. Then I heard the mother's gentle voice: "Yes, it surely has, for my heart has gone out to you!" said the mother, pointing a kind finger at the girl's little chest. The child blinked puzzlingly, hiding her red face in the arms of her mother who hugged her gently. A smile of satisfaction spread over the mother's face. I was deeply moved by the scene of motherly love. What was the most praiseworthy thing about the mother was her way of treating the child's behavior. Nowadays many people seem to forget that the best way to educate a child is not tolerating or blaming, or even moral lecturing, but tender enlightening with love. Which of the following statements is true? A The child was very naughty. B Many people are short of love. C The writer was familiar with the mother. D The writer can't agree more with the mother's way of educating her child. Answer: D The First Hello The man from the telephone department got off the bus, and made his way to the tea stall, wiping the sweat off his head, face, then slipping his handkerchief under his shirt to wipe his neck and back. It was a year ago that the phone line had been installed, six months later men from the public works department had come to put up the phone booth -- a neat box-like structure, with a glass window, and wooden ledges, yellow in colour. And days after that, a painter had taken an entire day to colour in broad, black brushstrokes, the words: STD Booth, local and STD allowded. No one could tell that the last word had been misspelled. Besides, he had taken the entire day. After he had a cup of tea, he had left, waving cheerfully. And now months later, someone else was here again. Everyone watched the man as he sat on the bench. No one said a word, and soon the sound of him slurping his tea filled the hot afternoon. A few leaves fell, heavy in the heat, and sometimes a car passed, on its way to the main city farther away. When the man had finished, he made to pay but the tea shop owner who sat behind his steaming kettle and the washed upturned cups, waved him away. "You are our guest here." So the man took his handkerchief out again and wiped his face. They crowded around him as he shut himself up in the phone booth. When the children pressed their nose against the glass, he shooed them away, as he took out a shiny black instrument and placed it on the narrow shelf. A sigh of satisfaction passed through everyone that soon changed to an excited yell as they saw him dial a number, pressing a finger into the ringed dialer of the phone and letting it go all the way in a half-circle. A while later, they hear him say into the mouthpiece, "Hello." "Hello, " the children around the booth took up the cry, the teashop owner broke into a smile and the men waiting for a bus smiled and said hello to each other. The sadhu who sat under the banyan tree nodded wisely. As the sound carried, more hellos were heard. The women winnowing grain giggled as they tried the word tentatively, the shepherds feeding their flocks called out to their sheep, laughing as they used the word. "It's a big occasion," said the headman, in an awed voice. "It is, " agreed those around him. The telephone man emerged and handed over a small chit of paper to the headman. "This is the telephone number." The headman looked at it reverently as if it were a mantra . The others around him read out the numbers slowly, digit-by-digit. The telephone man was now too tired to notice the cheering around him. He knew he had to wait long before the bus to take him back arrived. As he sipped his second cup of tea, he remembered something else. "Oh, you can't start using the phone now. The minister will come next month and inaugurate it." No one said a word. No one was surprised. They had waited so long; a month more did not really matter. A misspelled word on the booth _ . A was a joke shared by the painter and the local people B made the painter miss his tea break C went unnoticed by the local people D kept everyone occupied for an entire day Answer: C Weighing too much can damage your health, and obesity is a growing problem for both kids and adults around the world. Sleep might be one answer to the problem. A new study has found that elementary school students who slept too little were more likely to gain pounds. Past studies have shown a link between sleeping less and weighing more, but scientists have had a tough time determining"which came first, the chicken or the egg,"says Julie C. Lumeng of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. In other words, it hasn't been clear whether kids who weigh too much have trouble sleeping, or whether sleeping less leads to weight gain. Both scenarios seemed equally possible. To get a better idea of which causes which, Lumeng and her colleagues interviewed the parents of 785 third graders from around the United States. The parents answered questions about how well their kids slept that year. Three years later, the parents answered the same questions. By sixth grade, 18 percent of kids involved in the study were obese. The scientists found no relationship between weight and the students' race or gender. It also didn't matter how strict their parents were, or whether they were boys or girls. Obesity struck all of these groups equally. Instead, sleep seemed to be the key factor. Over the 3 years of the study, the children averaged a healthy 9.5 hours of sleep a night. Some kids, however, slept a lot more -- or less -- than others. For the sixth graders, every hour of sleep above the 9.5-hour average was linked to a 20 percent lower risk of being obese. Sleep appeared doubly important for the third graders. Every extra hour of sleep they got was linked to a 40 percent drop in obesity. What did the interview find out? A 9.5 hours of sleep a night is enough for children. B The more a child sleeps, the healthier he will be. C Six graders need much more sleep than third graders. D One's race or gender has nothing to do with his weight. Answer: D Barefoot Traveler is a tour agent that specializes in diving holidays,tailor-made to your own needs.The most popular destinations include Bonaire,Tobago,the Bahamas, Maldives,Oman,Seychelles and Thailand. Our friendly and knowledgeable staff,who are qualified divers themselves,will be able to advise you on the best destinations for your requirements. Whether you want to learn to dive,further your diving qualifications,continue to discover the underwater world,or simply relax on the beach,we are here'to help organize your holiday. We are happy to satisfy single travelers and offer special discounts . Group discounts are offered to groups of eight or more travelers and tailor-made packages are available for Dive Clubs. We also offer a series of diving liveaboard choices throughout the Caribbean.Indian Ocean and South East Asia.Liveaboards are very popular scuba diving holidays for those who want to access the best diving sites. Our barefoot luxury holiday brand is for those trying something a little more special,whether it's your honeymoon,anniversary or simply for more discerning travelers.We have a selection of 4 and 5 star levels which are the best in luxury holidays. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? A It's impossible to be offered tailor-made packages when you join Dive Clubs. B Au staff are qualified divers with wide knowledge on the best diving. C Barefoot Traveler specializes in simple holidays. D Travelers can enjoy Winter Sun. Answer: B Homes that are built to be environmentally friendly because they use energy more efficiently than other homes are called "green" homes. "Green" homes often have reflective roofs and walls made of recycled materials. The windows in these energy-saving homes are double-paned, meaning each window has two pieces of glass. Double-paned windows have a layer of air between the window panes. This layer is a barrier against extreme temperatures and saves energy. A solar panel on a "green" home uses A chemical energy B mechanical energy C a renewable energy source D a nonrenewable energy source Answer: C
You either have it , or you don't -a sense of direction ,that is .But why is it that some people could find their way across the Sahara without a map ,while others can lose themselves in the next street? Scientists say we're all born with a sense of direction ,but it is not property understood how it works .One theory is that people with a good sense of direction have simply worked harder at developing it. Research being carried out atprefix = st1 /LiverpoolUniversitysupports this idea and suggests that if we don't use it. we lose it . "Children as young as seven have the ability to find their way around." says Jim Martland .Research Director of the project . "However if they are not allowed out alone or are taken everywhere by car ,they never develop the skills" Jim Martland also emphasizes that young people should be taught certain skills to improve their sense of direction .He makes the following suggestions. If you are using a map ,turn it so it relates to the way you are facing. If you leave your bike in a strange place ,put it near something like a big stone or a tree. Note landmarks on the route as you go away from your bike .When you return ,go back along the same route *Simplify the way of finding your direction by using lines such as streets in a town,streams ,or walls in the countryside to guide you .Count your steps so that you know how far you have gone and note any landmarks such as tower blocks or hills which can help to find out where you are. Now you need never get lost again! Scientists believe that_. everybody posses a sense of direction from birth My name is Li Jing. Today let me show you around my community. In front of my apartment , there is a very small garden with a table, four chairs and some flowers. I love taking a walk in the garden in summer. After getting out of the garden, I can get to a big market soon. I walk past the market when I go to work every day. There are fresh vegetables, fruit and meat there. I often buy some fresh fruit there with my friends. After passing the market, I will be near the main road . There are a lot of shops on both sides of the road, like shoe shops, clothes shops ... After walking straight along the main road for fifteen minutes, I can see a bus stop. I only need to pay 0.5 yuan, and then I can go almost anywhere. That's very cheap. I feel very happy to live in a community like this. Li Jing has to walk along the main road forbefore getting to the bus stop. 15 minutes "A child is dying---out of breath!" I had just begun my working day in the city, when these words came through the radio of the police car I was driving. I turned on the red lights and siren and drove off as fast as I could. "Just my luck!" I thought. I didn't know this city well and my first call of the day was a life-and-death sudden happening, several kilometers away. I got to the house. A mother, filled with fear, handed me her baby, his face already blue. Was I too late? Dear me! I did what had been taught to do in such a serious condition. A small thing flew out of the baby's mouth on to the floor. It was a button. Thank heaven! The holes in it let a little air through. A doctor rushed into the room. He had with him an oxygen bag. The child began to cry at the top of his voice, burned red and started to look for his mother. He was angry but was saved. The baby was still living when the writer got to the house because _ . the button happened to have holes in it Some birds use their beaks for the same purpose as their feet When Elizabeth Kenny was a little girl, she fell off a horse and hurt her arm. Mrs. Kenny took her to a doctor in Toowoomba, Queensland. In the doctor's, Elizabeth saw many bottles of medicine standing in a row. Since then, she wanted to be a nurse. As soon as she was old enough, Elizabeth was trained in a hospital. After working for some time, she made a surprising discovery. Among her patients were some children who had lost the use of their legs because of polio ( ) . Kenny tried putting hot cloth on their legs and washing them in a special way. The results were great. The children were able to use their legs again. Most doctors would not believe that children could get well in such a simple way. Gradually, however, she became famous. From 1993 on people from many parts of the world brought their children to Australia to receive treatment by this wonderful nurse. She was invited to America where her methods were used in many hospitals. Money was collected to build Kenny foundations which were for polio patients. Kenny died in 1952, but she will long be remembered for her fight against polio. The children who suffered from polio _ . couldn't walk
The year of 2014 saw smart people always busy inventing useful things, which have hepled to make the world better, smarter and a little for fun. Now, let's take a look at some of the inventions. Super banana Australian biogeneticist James Dale visited Uganda, a poor African country, in the early 2000s, where he found that 15-30 percent of children under 5 were at risk of going blind because they did not get enough Vitamin A. Dale also learned that people there love bananas. They eat three to 11 bananas a day. So he came up with the idea to plant bananas containing added nutrition in order to improve Ugandans' health. With the help of Bill Gates' foundation, Dale developed the "super banana". He added a gene to the fruit, making it rich in Vitamin A. Coaching basketball Basketball is popular worldwide, partly because you only need a hoop and a ball to play the game. But this simple game has experienced a technology makeover this year with the development of a smart-sensor basketball. The ball, called the 94Fifty Basketball, has nine sensors inside. They can tell you anything from how fast you are going to how accurate your shot angles are. With a Bluetooth chip inside, the basketball can connect to your smartphone and tell you in the voice of a coach to "snap your wrist ", or"go faster", depending on the data. The Hovercraft Thanks to the California-based company Hendo, flying past your friends on a floating board could soon become a reality. The Hovercraft has four small engines. These create a special magnetic field which produce enough force to lift the board off the ground. At the moment, the hoverboard can only float an inch off the ground for 15 minutes and must fly over a metal material. It's expensive too, at $10,000 (61,810 yuan), but the company hopes that one day the technology could be used. Wireless electricity Most of us could not bear to live without wireless Internet. We use it every day for everything from our phones to our cars. But one company wants to go a step further, by combining wireless technology with electricity. That's right, no more tangled wires and no more having to sit and hold your cell phone near a power socket in the corner of the room. WiTricity, a US company, has invented technology that can power objects up to 2.4 meters away. It uses a special plug-in coil that creates a magnetic field! Which of the following statements would James Dale agree with? A Children in Uganda should eat fewer bananas. B Vitamin A is largely found in fruits like bananas. C Super bananas are definitely a safe biological product. D people's eating habits can be used to develop new food. Answer: D. people's eating habits can be used to develop new food. Dear daughter, As we drove off from Columbia, I wanted to write a letter to you to tell you all that is on my mind. I want to tell you how proud we are. Getting into Columbia is a real testament of what a great well-rounded student you are. Your academic, artistic, and social skills have truly blossomed in the last few years. You have become a talented and accomplished young woman. College will be the most important years in your life. It is in college that you will truly discover what learning is about. You often question "what good is this course". I encourage you to be inquisitive, but I also want to tell you: "Education is what you have left after all that is taught is forgotten." What I mean by that is the materials taught isn't as important as you gaining the ability to learn a new subject, and the ability to analyze a new problem. That is really what learning in college is about - this will be the period where you go from teacher-taught to master-inspired, after which you must become self-learner. So do take each subject seriously, and even if what you learn isn't critical for your life, the skills of learning will be something you cherish forever. Follow your passion in college. Take courses you think you will enjoy. Don't be trapped in what others think or say. Steve Jobs says when you are in college, your passion will create many dots, and later in your life you will connect them. In his great speech given at Stanford commencement, he gave the great example where he took calligraphy, and a decade later, it became the basis of the beautiful Macintosh fonts, which later ignited desktop publishing, and brought wonderful tools like Microsoft Word to our lives. His expedition into calligraphy was a dot, and the Macintosh became the connecting line. Enjoy picking your dots, and be assured one day you will find your calling, and connect a beautiful curve through the dots of yourself . Most importantly, make friends and be happy. College friends are often the best in life, because during college you are closer to them physically than to your family. Also, going through independence and adulthood is a natural bonding experience. So please treasure your college years - make the best of your free time, become an independent thinker in control of your destiny, evolve yourself into a bi-cultural talent, be bold to experiment, learn and grow through your successes and challenges. When I faced the greatest challenge and opportunity in my life in 2005, you gave me a big hug and said "bonne chance", which means "good luck" and "good courage". Now I do the same for you. Bonne chance, my angel and princess. May Columbia become the happiest four years in your life, and may you blossom into just what you dream to be. Love, Dad (& Mom) What can we learn from the passage? A The daughter is a well-rounded college student. B The father faced the greatest challenge in 2006. C The daughter is a freshman in college. D Steve Jobs gave the great example where he took calligraphy at Columbia commencement. Answer: C. The daughter is a freshman in college. On warm summer days with little or no wind, the air temperature in cities can be up to ten degrees higher than that of the surrounding countryside. This is a phenomenon commonly referred to as the "urban heat island" effect. This phenomenon happens when pavement, buildings, and other infrastructure replace natural land cover. _ Unlike soil, paved areas contribute to runoff, which means that as paved areas increase, the amount of water available for evaporation decreases. Moreover, urban areas have fewer trees and less natural vegetation which help to control the heat by providing shade and blocking solar radiation. The surfaces of leaves also provide water for evaporation which cools the air, further worsening the heat island effect. In particular, during summer, more energy is required to cool the insides of building and for refrigeration, thereby creating additional heat output. This in turn leads to higher ambient air temperatures, which can also significantly increase the formation of urban smog in an area, _ local air quality. Such a situation may directly affect public health with individuals more likely to suffer from heat exhaustion and the effects of asthma . The passage is mainly developed by _ . A giving typical examples B following the time order C presenting the effect and analyzing the cause D analyzing a problem and seeking the solution Answer: C. presenting the effect and analyzing the cause Just because you are in a wheelchair doesn't mean you can't enjoy the competitiveness --the all-around fun --that playing sports offers you. More and more wheelchair users are playing sports every day --some even on a professional level. The following are just a few examples of the different choices you have. Wheelchair basketball is a very common wheelchair sport. It was started over forty years ago as part of a medical recovery program. Over the years it has grown rapidly. Today wheelchair basketball is a professional sport that has more than 180 teams across the United States. In order to play wheelchair basketball, it is essential to have a lightweight wheelchair. Several different kinds of sports wheelchairs are on the market today just for sports fans. Another wheelchair sport, quad rugby , was specifically designed for people who can't move their arms or legs and are unable to play wheelchair basketball. It is a mixture of wheelchair basketball and ice hockey. To play the game you must have two teams of four players each. Power soccer is another fun wheelchair sport that can be very fun and exciting. Players in power soccer must have an electric wheelchair. Two teams have two 30-minute halves to push the soccer ball over the other team's goal line. The first team to reach the other team's goal line most frequently wins. Based on the sport you choose to take part in, there are several things you can buy for your wheelchair, including belts, gloves, bags for carrying things, drink holders and special back supports. In which part of the newspaper will you read this passage? A Technology. B Society. C Culture. D Health. Answer: D. Health. Once upon a time, there was a little white mouse that lived on a farm. He liked to hide in the hay stacks where it was warm through the day and night. On cold winter days, he would wiggle out from the hay stack to get closer to the lamp in the barn, getting some extra warmth. One winter day, the mouse was very cold, but needed something to eat. He left the hay stack, and ran past the lamp. He ran across an old wood board that was laying on top of the snow - the mouse didn't have mittens and wanted to keep his feet warm. He ran and ran until he couldn't any longer. The cold weather was keeping every living thing inside, so the mouse was all alone. He walked towards the house and met a little bug named Fred. Fred told the mouse that he went inside and found lots of crumbs to eat on the kitchen floor. The mouse waited until the farmer's wife, Julie, came out the back door, and then the mouse ran into the kitchen. There were bread crumbs everywhere! The mouse ate as many as he could before anyone found him. He heard the back door open again, and hid under the oven. It was warm there - there must have been a pie baking. Farmer Bill liked pies more than bread, cake, or cookies. The mouse stayed there to warm up, then ran back to the barn to sleep for the night. What was baking in the oven? A Cookies B Bread C A cake D A pie Answer: D. A pie
Question: I'm Jack. I'm a middle school student. I have lessons from Monday to Friday. At weekends, I usually get up very late. I wash my face, brush my teeth and then go out to do morning exercises. I eat my breakfast at about nine o'clock. After that, I often go to the park with my parents. The park is a little far from our home, so we go there by bus. It often takes us about twenty minutes to get there by bus. The park is very beautiful. There are always lots of people in the park. There are men and women, old and young. Parents must take good care of their children. There is a large lake in the middle of the park. I often go swimming there. Sometimes, I fly kites. We always have a good time there. What is in the middle of the park? A. A small hill. B. A big library. C. A large lake. D. A beautiful square. Answer: C. A large lake. Question: David Moore taught science at the City School. He needed some expensive books, and so he bought them. He put the books in his car in a quiet street. Then he went to other shops to buy something else. At six he came back to the car. One door was open - and the books were not there! David drove home to Fry Road. On Friday people read this in the newspaper: Books: Have you any old books? I buy old and modern books. Open all day on Saturdays. David Moore, 26 Fry Road. David stayed at home on Saturday. The first man came at eight. David took him to the kitchen. At half past nine another man arrived. He had a bag under his arm. "Mr Moore?" the man asked. "That's right," David said. "Can I help you?" "I've got some good books. You buy books, don't you?" "Yes. Bring them in. Let me have a look." Soon the books were on the dining-table. "Come in now," David called, "and bring the list." A policeman came into the dining-room. He read the names on the books and the names on the list in his hand. They were the same. "Come with me, sir," the policeman said to the man. Mr Moore probably bought the books on _ . A. Wednesday B. Friday C. Saturday D. Sunday Answer: A. Wednesday Question: Learning English is just like learning to ride a bicycle. When learning English becomes a kind of habit, everything will become easier. Please think about how we learned to ride a bicycle. There are four stages : At the first stage, the child doesn't know what it is to ride a bicycle, nor can he ride. So look at ourselves, when we learned English at the first time, we were also in this condition. And then is the second stage. Although the child cannot ride himself, he grows and understands what it is to ride a bicycle. So, at this time, teachers are our navigation marks. So according to this, we are just like the child starting to learn and now come to the third stage. He can ride a bicycle but has to think every time how to do it. At last, the fourth stage comes when the child has practiced consciously riding the bicycle so much that he doesn't have to think. Riding a bicycle becomes a kind of habit. He can talk to people and wave to others while riding. Learning English is just like learning to ride a bicycle. When learning becomes a kind of habit, we'll find we can be successful not only in English but also in other subjects. When learning becomes a kind of habit, I think, no, I believe, one day we'll succeed and the success will belong to us forever. ,,. When we learned English for the first time, we didn't know _ . A. we were in this condition B. we were riding a bike C. what it was to ride a bicycle D. what English was Answer: D. what English was Question: Londoners are great readers. They buy vast numbers of newspapers and magazines and of books -- especially paperbacks , which are still comparatively cheap in spite of ever-increasing rises in the costs of printing. They still continue to buy "proper" books, too, printed on good paper and bound between hard covers. There are many streets in London containing shops which specialize in book-selling. Perhaps the best known of these is Charring Cross Road in the very heart of London. Here bookshops of all sorts and sizes are to be found, from the celebrated one which boasts of being "the biggest bookshop in the world" to the tiny, dusty little places which seem to have been left over from Dickens' time. Some of these shops stock , or will obtain, any kind of book, but many of them specialize in second-hand books, in art books, in foreign books, in books on philosophy, politics or any other of the myriad subjects about which books may be written. One shop in this area specializes only in books about ballet! Although it may be the most convenient place for Londoners to buy books, Charring Cross Road is not the cheapest. For the really cheap second-hand volumes, the collector must venture off the beaten track, to Farringdon Road, for example, in the East Central district of London. Here there is nothing so impressive as bookshops. Instead, the booksellers come along each morning and pour out their sacks of books onto small barrows which line the gutters . And the collectors, some professionals and some amateurs , have been waiting for them. In places like this one can still, occasionally, pick up for a few pence an old volume that may be worth many pounds. The best topic for this passage is " _ ". A. Bookshops in London B. The biggest bookshop in the world C. Charring Cross Road D. Buying books in London Answer: D. Buying books in London Question: Until March 28, the fate of the gray wolf in the Rocky Mountains was in the hands of the federal government because the wolf was listed as an endangered species. But once it was removed from the list -- a decision that is being challenged in court by a dozen conservation groups -- the gray wolf fell under the protection of individual states. That is turning out to mean almost no protection at all. prefix = st1 /Idaho's Fish and Game department announced last week that it would allow 428 of the state's estimated 1,000 wolves to die this year. Some will die of natural causes. Most will be killed by hunters. Idaho officials argue that the remaining population will still be larger than the very small number to be protected in the original federal wolf recovery plans. But Idaho's Fish and Game department has overruled its own staff biologists, who for the good of the wolf population -- and the ecosystem as a whole -- argued that more animals should be allowed to survive. Sadly, in Idaho, wolves are nothing more than another game animal to be managed for the benefit of human hunters. Beginning on Sept. 15, any Idaho hunter with a hunting license and $10.50 for a wolf tag will be entitled to shoot one wolf, at least until the quota of dead wolves in his region has been reached. And how will a hunter know if the local quota has been reached? There will be a hot line, of course. Hunters will be encouraged not to shoot wolves wearing radio collars because those wolves are still being studied. Perhaps the solution is to fit all wolves with radio collars. It is still possible that Idaho's wolves -- and the wolves in other states -- will get a _ . A federal judge will soon decide whether to support or object to the government's decision to delist the gray wolf. We hope he will restore the wolf to the endangered species list. There is no better proof of how dangerous life is for wolves thanIdaho's plan to protect them. Whose point of view may the author agree to? A. Idaho's Fish and Game department. B. Idaho's officials. C. Staff biologists in Idaho's Fish and Game department. D. The federal judge. Answer: C. Staff biologists in Idaho's Fish and Game department.
WASHINGTON -- President Obama brought together the leaders of Japan and South Korea to discuss cooperation on containing North Korea and its nuclear weapons programs. Japan and North Korea have had tense relations over unresolved issues, some of them dating back 100 years. The three leaders emphasized the importance of cooperation in dealing with North Korea. The meeting took place Tuesday in the Hague, after a twoday nuclear security summit. President Obama praised South Korean President Park Geunhye and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for overcoming their differences to discuss a serious threat to regional peace. He emphasized the importance of cooperation on the North Korean nuclear issue. Obama said the three discussed steps to deepen diplomatic and military cooperation, including joint military exercises and missile defense against Pyongyang. He said further discussions would take place next month, during his visits to Seoul and Tokyo. The South Korean president stressed the importance of a united response to North Korea, but also called on the North to choose a peaceful path. "I sincerely hope that this meeting will offer a chance for us to reconfirm our trilateral coordination and strengthen the cooperation on the nuclear front," said Park. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed. "Particularly it is extremely important that we were able to confirm close cooperation among Japan, the United States and the Republic of Korea on the issue of North Korea, the three countries who would like to cooperate so that North Korea will be able to take a positive position with regard to nuclear and missile issue," said Abe. Japan and South Korea have several unresolved issues, including Japan's refusal to apologize again for crimes committed 70 years ago. Former U.S. diplomat Richard Armitage told an audience this week that painful historic injustices take a long time to heal, and that it is in Japan's interest to continue apologizing for as long as necessary. "There is a historical record of enormous generosity, achievement and respect for human rights and human freedom," said Armitage. According to the report, what are the three leaders' opinions to the meeting? Answer: They should deepen diplomatic and military cooperation to defend North Korea. My daughter recently asked me what a travel agency does. There is one located on our street and it has just been completely rebuilt. I told her that they helped people book their trips and vacations. "Why haven't we ever been there?' she wanted to know. "Because we do everything ourselves online these days." I explained. "But why do you do it yourself if other people want to do it for you?" she wondered out loud. The answer is that the travel agency makes a little bit of money on each ticket you book through them. If you book your ticket yourself online, you save that money. Saving money sounds great except that when you think about it you typically spend three evenings comparing prices to end up saving EUR30 on a EUR300 trip. All those EUR30 discounts add up of course so I guess we should be happy with that. Consider books for a moment. Buying your book at Amazon saves you 30% to 40% on each book. Add to that the convenience of shopping from home and getting the package delivered to your home address. So far so good. Unfortunately, that does mean you spend too much time browsing Amason.com while you could do something fun instead. Like maybe reading an actual book? Then the package arrives and you aren't home and end up having to pick it up at the local post-office. All in all I wonder how much time I end up investing in the whole process. Time sounds free, but to most of us, it is more valuable than money. The Internet Economy promised to get rid of the middle-men and we loved it. Somehow, I'm starting to get the feeling that we ourselves ended up doing the work of the middle-men we were so eager to get rid of. In any project you can always pick two of these: fast, cheap or good. We seem to have focused a lot on "cheap" and "good" but the extra time we need to invest to also keep it "fast" comes out of our own pockets. Your can always make more money, but you can never make more time. What is the best title for the passage? Answer: The hidden cost of the Internet Economy. Spending time with your kids is the best way to give them you attention. No matter whether you stay at home or work outside the home, you can still give quality time to your kids. Quality time doesn't mean the whole family sitting for four hours watching TV. It means turning the TV off and playing games together, reading books, going for walks---anything! Giving kids your attention means listening to them when they talk. I don't mean half-way listening and saying "uh huh" like we do to our spouses when they're talking about their day at work. I mean sitting down, looking children in the eye, and listening. Ask questions. Be interested. It shows that you're paying attention, even if your question is just, "So you say you painted the cat blue?" Raising kids is not the time to be selfish with your time. You can be selfish later on when they're grown and having kids of their own. If you feel guilty about not being able to spend enough time with your kids, resist trying to buy their attention. You don't have to make every weekend a Disneyland day. And you don't have to continually buy them gifts as a means of letting them know you love them. The answer is "time". Time is what they want most from you. Your kids, no matter what age, are on some type of schedule. They get up, eat breakfast, eat lunch, eat dinner, etc. What do they do the rest of the time? Fill up some of the empty spots in their schedules with activities. Have them help you do something around the house or make them take part in a project with you. This is how day care workers are able to keep so many kids under control---they fill up the day with activities. According to the author, spending quality time with kids means _ . Answer: doing meaningful things together with them When you buy a T-shirt, or a fur coat in a store, it often carries a label telling who made it or from what store it was bought. Instead, some labels show the dress is famous and it is very expensive, so buyers secretly wish they could be carried forever. On the other hand, buyers who deal with the cheapest products would be pleased to be away with labels _ . However, there is another label more important than the one showing from which store the dress was bought. When a person buys a fur coat, or a jacket from a store, a label telling what the product is made of should be carried to it. The label is required by law. Besides telling what the product on show is made of, the label should be in clear English and be where one can find it easily. The information on the label must be true. The reason for this is that most buyers today aren't expert enough to know exactly what kind of fur or material they are buying. The buyers must believe in the store that sells the products or in what the label says. Which of the following is TRUE? Answer: Not all buyers know the materials they are buying. Bored? Don't know what to do with your time? Get your friends or family together, go to the park or go hiking, do something fun --just don't turn on your TV. The 10th annual TV-Turnoff Week starts on Monday. The TV-Turnoff Network, a nonprofit organization, began the program in 1994 to get children and adults to watch less television so that their time is spent doing more productive things. This year, millions of people will participate and find much more interesting things to do besides sitting in front of the television. Experts are convinced that watching too much TV keeps kids from participating in healthy physical activities. The average household has a television on for 7 hours and 40 minutes a day! Kids spend more time watching TV than they spend in school. Turning off the TV gives you a chance to be with your family and friends. Going without it frees up valuable time that could be spent reading a good book, writing, drawing, or discovering something else that may interest you. There are many organizations that support TV-Turnoff Week, including The Boys and Girls Clubs of America, YMCA, Girl Scouts USA, and Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America.Even First Lady Laura Bush is a supporter. "Television is no substitute for a parent. It doesn't help develop language skills; it's simply background noise," says Mrs. Bush. Even kids who may not have liked going without TV have discovered the benefits. "I really didn't like TV-Turnoff Week except I did notice that my grades went up and I was in a good mood all week," said Drew Henderson, a student in Donora, Pennsylvania. Which is not the advantage of turning off the TV? Answer: Developing language skills.
Some years ago, I went to Australia for a meeting with my friend, Chris. We decided to drive across country to Brisbane to visit another friend after the meeting ended. The first day we were excited and laughed at each other's jokes. By the third day of driving in the endless desert, we began to get bored. We had been quiet for a few hours when suddenly Chris saw some kangaroos. We were both excited and decided to get a closer look. Chris _ to catch up with the kangaroos. We got closer and closer, and Chris was doing 110 kilometers per hour. We were very close to the kangaroos--too close--when we heard a loud BANG! Chris stopped the car and we got out. Behind the car was a large kangaroo lying still on the ground. Chris went over to the kangaroo and put his baseball cap on its head. He took off his sunglasses and put them on the kangaroo and did the same with his jacket. Then he put his arm around the kangaroo and told me to take a photo of them together. I was still in shock, but I took out my camera. While I was taking the photo, I saw the kangaroo move. It suddenly woke up, looked at Chris, and jumped away into the distance before we could do anything. I started laughing but Chris looked very serious. He said his purse and passport were in the jacket. I started laughing even harder. I stopped laughing, however, when he said our car keys were also in the jacket. Why did the writer and Chris go to Brisbane? A. To have a trip. B. To have a meeting. C. To see kangaroos. D. To visit their friend. Answer: D. To visit their friend. Do you need friends? I'm sure your answer is "Yes,of course. Everybody does! " You need friends when you play and when you work. If you have friends, you will feel happy. If you have no friends. you will feel lonely . Do you know how to make friends? There is only one good way--You make friends by being friendly. A friendly person is interested in other people. He is always helpful If you want to make friends with a new classmate, you can talk with him, tell him about the other classmates in your class and try your best to be helpful to him. Which of the following is true? A. No one needs friends. B. Everyone needs friends. C. Only classmates need friends. D. Someone needs friends. Answer: B. Everyone needs friends. Kenya is losing an average of 100 of its 2,000 lions each year because of growing human settlements, increasing farming, climate change and diseases, according to the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS). "Lions have a special place in Kenyans' life," said Paul Udoto, a spokesman for the organization. "Other than being the symbol of national strength, they are among the Big Five, a main attraction for visitors to Kenya." There were 2,749 lions in Kenya in 2002 and their population dropped to 2,280 by 2004 and to about 2,000 today, according to KWS figures. "The fall of the lion population is worrying and every effort needs to be made to make sure that Kenya either protects its population of 2,000 lions at present or increases the numbers to an ecologically acceptable level," said Mr. Udoto. "There is no doubt that the numbers are in free fall. I'd be surprised if they even last as long as 20 years," said Laurence Frank, project director of Living With Lions, a Kenya-based animal protection organization. "When I first came here 30 years ago, I would always hear lions roaring across the land at night and see their tracks in the morning. Now that is very rare." "The reason is simple. As the numbers of people grow and the numbers of cows increase, they take up much of the lion's space. Alongside that there are other ways, including poisoning, to kill lions." Animal lovers are making a new strategy to save the animals. Part of the measures will include tracking lions fitted with radio collars in the Amboseli area in southern Kenya, close to the border with Tanzania. Wildlife officials in Tanzania face similar challenges in protecting their lions, but there is far less human encroachment on the animals' homeland there than in Kenya. What is the main idea of the passage? A. Kenya is losing its Big Five. B. Kenyan wildlife is in danger. C. Lions face extinction in Kenya. D. Lions' place in Kenyans' life is falling. Answer: C. Lions face extinction in Kenya. We eat what our friends eat, according to a new study presented at the Agricultural and Applied Economic Association's 2013 annual meeting in Washington, D. C. The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Illinois and Oklahoma State University, provided fresh confirmation of how much our environment influences our eating habits. The scientific team analyzed the lunch receipts from a restaurant in Oklahoma that agreed to use three menus designed by the researchers for three months in 2010. One group of diners -- the control group -- used the restaurant's original menus with item and price listings. The second group received menus with calorie counts and the third group used menus that had both calorie counts and a traffic light symbol designed to indicate calorie ranges. A green traffic light meant an food option was 400 calories or less, a yellow light indicated 401 calories to 800 calories and a red light was placed next to choices with more than 800 calories. By analyzing diners' receipts, the researchers picked out interesting patterns in what regular customers ordered. They also interviewed servers and found that people who were part of larger parties and received menus with traffic lights typically ordered healthier choices, which the researchers say suggests the influence of peer pressure. The researchers then created a model to assess how customers felt about their choices. Based on the popularity of menu items, the researchers determined the probability that individuals were satisfied with their choice. Interestingly, this standard of satisfaction was influenced by expected factors such as price and calories, but also by fellow diners' menu choices as well. They found that even if a customer firstly felt less satisfied about their choice of say, a salad, they felt better about it if their friends ordered an item within the same menu category. "The message from this research is that people were happier if they were making similar choices to those sitting around them," study author Bill Ellison, an economist at the University of Illinois, said in a statement. "If my peers are ordering higher-calorie items or spending more money, then I am also happier, or at least less unhappy, if I order higher-calorie foods and spend more money. " So if you're hoping to eat better, try dining with friends who do too. The researchers found that customers were influenced by factors such as _ . A. price, calories and friends' choices B. price, color1s and servers' suggestions C. color1s and fellow diners' menu choices D. price and the popularity of menu items Answer: A. price, calories and friends' choices Jean Driscoll can go faster in her wheelchair than the world's best marathoners can run! In April, Jean finished the Boston Marathon in 1 hour 34 minutes 22 seconds. That's about 33 minutes faster than the winning male runner! She competed on the track, too. She was second in the 800 meter wheelchair race at the 1992 Olympics. Jean doesn't like to be told she's brave. "I'm in sports because I'm a competitive person!" Jean was born with spina befida , a birth illness that damages the spine . She began to use a wheelchair to get around in high school. Then she tried wheelchair race and was amazed." Players crashed into each other and fell out of their chairs," she says, "It was fun." Jean tried other wheelchair sports. At the University of Illinois, her wheelchair basketball team won two national titles. Now Jean coaches and teaches. She tries to get people to set goals. "When I sign my a utograph ,says Jean, "I write, dream big and work hard." What is Jean's advice on how to succeed? A. Work hard. B. Hope for the best. C. Have great wishes and work hard. D. Dream a lot. Answer: C. Have great wishes and work hard.
My husband and children think they are very lucky that they are living and that it's Christmas again. We live on a dirty street in a dirty house among people who aren't much good. But Johnny and children can't see this,never can they see! What a pity it is that our neighbors have to make happiness out of all this dirt. I decided that my children must get out of this. The money that we've saved isn't nearly enough. The McGaritys have money but they are so proud. They look down upon the poor. The McGarity girl just yesterday stood out there in the street eating from a bag of candy while a ring of hungry children watched her. I saw those children looking at her and crying in their hearts; and when she couldn't eat any more she threw the rest down the sewer . Why, is it only because they have money? There is more to happiness than money in the world, isn't there? Miss Jackson who teaches at the Settlement House isn't rich, but she knows things. She understands people. Her eyes look straight into yours when she talks with you. She can read your mind. I'd like to see the children be like Miss Jackson when they grow up. In this text, the writer tries to tell us that _ . Answer: The Beatles were the most influential band in pop history. In their 8-year, 12-album history, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr altered popular culture dramatically. It wasn't just the suits and changing lengths of hair the four Liverpool boys wore that had such an impact, but what they seemed to stand for. The world saw them as the voice of a new generation, one with a very different attitude to life. Their influence was at its height in the 1 960s.but their music continues to stir listeners today.However, up until recently one aspect of the Beatles was struck in Yesterday:The music had never been remastered .But on September 9 that situation came to an end,with the release of the entire band's music in a digital makeover.It is probably the biggest reissue in pop music history, said British newspaper the Financial Times. The albums were to be remastered at Abbey Road Studios in London, the location where the band produced much of their work.The cover of their 1ast album,Abbey Road of 1969.featured the four young men striding across a zebra crossing on Abbey Road itself.It is one of the most famous Of a11 Beatles images. Recently, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the album, hundreds of Beatles lovers gathered there to show their appreciation. Pop groups come and go.The boy band pursued by screaming fans one year will be forgotten the next.But the Beatles are one Of the few groups whose music seems to have endured.Why? Paul McCartney's biographer Barry Miles has an explanation:"They were the first rock band...and they just happened to be the best.They were the first band to play stadiums,to have their own products.They were ground--breaking in every way."he says. What does the author mean by"They were ground-breaking in every way." Answer: When we talk of plants, most of us will think of things that grow from the ground and have green leaves, but there are plants that do not look or act like other plants. Some of these belong to a special class of plants called fungi. Fungi may appear almost everywhere. They commonly grow in wet places where they call get food and water easily. Because fungi do not have green leaves to make their own food, but fungi must take their food from animals, other plants or water. Some fungi live on dead or rotting wood, while others grow on living trees or in dirt or moss . Mushrooms are the best-known fungi. There are many kinds of mushrooms appearing in all shapes and sizes. For example, cauliflower mushrooms are found in forests from July to October.They can grow to be as heavy as fifty pounds! They grow at the foot of trees Squirrel's bread is another kind of wild mushroom Its appearance and use Call explain its name. These fungi look like small golden cakes Squirrels can easily eat them or carry them off to their hole to eat later. The mushrooms found in food stores are carefully grown by people who know they are safe to eat. People are warned never to touch of taste wild mushrooms because some of them are deadly. Even less dangerous ones cart still make a person very sick.. Squirrel's bread is a kind of _ . Answer: Towards the end of Middle English, a sudden change in pronunciation started, with vowels being pronounced shorter and shorter. From the 16 century the British had contact with people from around the world. This means that many new words and phrases entered the language. The invention of printing also meant that there was a common language in print. Books became cheaper and more people learned to read. Spelling and grammar became fixed and the dialect of London became the standard. In 1604, the first English dictionary was published. The numbers of words in Early Modern English and Late Modern English differ. Late Modern English has a lot more words because of two main factors: firstly, the Industrial Revolution created a need for new words; secondly, the British Empire covered one quarter of the earth's surface, and the English language took in foreign words from many countries. From around 1600, the English colonization of North America resulted in the creation of American English. Some English pronunciation and words when they reached America. In some ways, American English is more like the English of Shakespeare than modern British English. Some expressions that the British call " Americanisms" are in fact original British expressions that were preserved in the colonies but were lost in Britain. Spanish also had an influence on American English, with words like canyon, ranch, stampede and vigilante being examples of Spanish words that entered English. French words and West African words also influenced American English. Today, American English is the most influential . But there are many other kinds of English around the world, including Australian English, New Zealand English, Canadian English, South African English , Indian English and Caribbean English. They have differences. From Paragraph 2, we know that the Industrial Revolution _ . Answer: Money and Happiness A Guide to Living the Good Life Author: Laura Rowley Publisher: Wiley (March 1, 2016) Laura Rowley helps us all understand the money-happiness connection in our own lives so that we spend our time and efforts wisely. She offers insights that every reader can use to make smarter decisions that will lead to living a rich life in every possible definition of the term. Happiness The Science Behind Your Smile Author: Daniel Nettle Publisher: Oxford University Press (July 1, 2016) This is the first book to look thoroughly at what happiness is and how it works. Nettle examines whether people are basically happy or unhappy, whether success can make us happy, why some people are happier than others, and much more. The Happiness Makeover How to Teach Yourself to Be Happy and Enjoy Every Day Author: M. J. Ryan Publisher: Broadway (May 10, 2016) Ryan's own desire to be happier first led her to study what is known about happiness from brain science, psychology, and the wisdom traditions of the world.The Happiness Makeover draws on this wide-ranging knowledge and presents a plan that will help you: Clear away happiness problems like worry, fear, envy, and dislikes. Learn to think confidently. Find daily ways to truly enjoy, even relish, the moments of your life. Health and Happiness Hormones and Qualities Llives Author: Steven F. Hotze Publisher: Forrest Publishing (April, 2016) Dr Steven Hotze is leading a wellness revolution that advances a new model of healthcare. Unlike the popular medical way of treating individual symptoms with the familiar "anti" drugs, Dr Hotze deals with the basic causes of poor health. In Hormones, Health, and Happiness you are shown how to reach and keep the best body functioning. Based on a process of biologically the same hormones and other natural treatments, it can help you enjoy a better quality of life. Which is the best title for the passage? Answer:
A young boy recently received an unexpected message in the mail from his father Joseph, who died two years ago. Rowan's dad was a hardworking man who wanted to give his son the best life he could. It was why Rowan's mother, Julie Van Stone, said Joseph joined the Navy and went to MIT to get two masters degrees. While at school in Boston, he would often write to Rowan. Even when he left school and was driving back to Colorado, he would send postcards from each state he stopped in. Those postcards were sent in 2007. "I remember him saying he had sent 5 or 6, and I only got 3 or 4 in the mail. But I never thought anything of it," Van Stone said. Those postcards and pictures are priceless memories for Van Stone and her son, especially after Joseph passed away from a rare brain disease. Rowan never had a chance to say goodbye. But, on Saturday, just days before the two-year anniversary of Joseph's death, a postcard arrived in the mail. It arrived March 11, 2015. The message read: "Hello from Pennsylvania. I love you, and I miss you so much. See you soon. Love, Daddy." Neither he nor his mother knows how it happened, and they may never know. But, they have their own ideas why. "I feel like that was the final goodbye that he didn't get to say," Van Stone said. Van Stone says Joseph's last words to her before he died were: "Everything is a circle. We will see each other again. All that matters is love." How long did it take for the postcard to reach Rowan? Answer: 8 years. Introductory Chemistry was taught at Duke University for many years by professor Bonk. One year, two guys took the class and did pretty well on all the quizzes and mid-terms. They each had a solid A. These two friends were so confident in going into the final that the weekend before finals week, despite the Chemistry final being on Monday, they decided to go to the University of Virginia to party with some friends. They had a great time there. However, with their hangovers and tiredness, they overslept all day Sunday and didn't make it back to Duke until early Monday morning. Rather than taking the final then, they found professor Bonk after the final and explained to him how they missed the final. They told him they went up to the University of Virginia for the weekend and had planned to come back in time to study, but they had a flat tire on the way back and didn't have a spare. So they were late getting back to campus. Bonk thought this over and agreed that they could take the final the following day. The two guys, happy and relieved, studied that night and went in the next day at the time that Bonk had told them. He placed them in separate rooms and handed each of them a test booklet. He told them to begin. They looked at the first problem which was something simple about solution . It was worth 5 points. "Cool," they thought, "this is going to be an easy final". They then turned the page. They were unprepared, however, for what they saw on it. The question contained only two words: (95 points) Which tire? From the passage we can get a lesson that _ . Answer: he is wise that is honest On March 1, Computer Programs, Inc. (CP) orally agreed with Holiday Department Store (HDS) to write a set of programs for HDS's computer and to coordinate the programs with HDS's billing methods. A subsequent memo, signed by both parties, provided in its entirety: HDS will pay CP $20,000 in two equal installments within one month of completion if CP is successful in shortening by one-half the 17 processing time for the financial transactions now handled on HDS's Zenon 747 computer; CP to complete by July 1. This agreement may be amended only by a signed writing. On June 6, CP demanded $10,000, saying the job was one-half done. After HDS denied liability, the parties orally agreed that HDS should deposit $20,000 in escrow, pending completion to the satisfaction of HDS's computer systems manager. The escrow deposit was thereupon made. On July 5, CP completed the programs, having used an amount of time in which it could have earned $18,000 had it devoted that time to other jobs. Tests by CP and HDS's computer systems manager then showed that the computer programs, not being perfectly coordinated with HDS's billing methods, cut processing time by only 47 percent. They would, however, save HDS $12,000 a year. Further, if HDS would spend $5,000 to change its invoice preparation methods, as recommended by CP, the programs would cut processing time by a total of 58 percent, saving HDS another $8,000 a year. HDS's computer systems manager refused in good faith to certify satisfactory completion. HDS asked the escrow agent to return the $20,000 and asserted that nothing was owed to CP even though HDS continued to use the programs"Assume for this question only that CP was in breach of contract because of its four-day delay in completion and that an express condition precedent to HDS's duty to pay the contract 18 price has failed. Can CP nevertheless recover the reasonable value of its service? Answer: Yes, because HDS was continuing to use programs created by CP for which, as HDS knew, CP expected to be paid. Get Your Degree at Home! Have you ever wondered what a degree might be worth to your job or career? It means a lot of Americans with an Associate Degree average nearly $ 10,000 more in their earnings than those with just a high school diploma. Harcourt Learning Direct offers you a way to get a Specialized Associate Degree in 11 of today's growing fields---without having to go to college full time .With Harcourt, you study at home, in your spare time---so you don't have to give up your present job while you train for a better one. Choose from exciting majors like Business management, Accounting, Dressmaking & Design, Bookkeeping, Photography, Computer Science, Engineering, and more! Your training includes everything you need! Books, lessons, learning aids--- even professional-quality tools and equipment---everything you need to master your training and move ahead to a new career is included in the low tuition price you pay. Your education is nationally recognized! Nearly 2,000 American companies---including General Electric, IBM, General Motors, Ford, and many others have used our training for their employees. If companies like these recognize the value of our training, you can be sure that employers in your area will, too! Earn your degree in as little as two years! Get a career diploma in just six months! The career of your dreams is closer than you think! Even if you have no experience before, you can get valuable job skills in today's hottest fields! Step-by-step lessons make learning easy .Prepare for promotions, pay raises, even start a business of your own! Send today for FREE information about Harcourt at home training! Simply fill your name and address on the coupon ( ) above. Then, write in the name and number of the one program you're most interested in, and mail it today. We'll rush you free information about how you can take advantage of the opportunities in the field you've chosen. Act today! Mail coupon today or call the number below: 1-800-372-1589 Call anytime, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. www.harcourt-learning.com. E-mail: Harcourt @ learning .com How can you contact Harcourt learning Direct? Answer: By sending an e-mail. A "widow's peak" hairline in humans is coded by the dominant allele W. A straight hairline is coded by the recessive allele w. A man with a homozygous dominant WW produces a zygote with a woman with a heterozygous dominant Ww for the trait. Which allele combinations could occur in the zygote? Answer: WW or Ww
Life may not always seem fair, but we can learn to deal with it and make new choices along the way. I remember so clearly sitting next to my dad as we drove through the town. I was complaining about something unfair that had happened to me. Dad looked directly at me and said, "No one ever said life was fair." I was shocked at his answer. Later on as my marriage had problems even though I tried to save it. _ . Now as I raise two kids alone, try to create new relationships and build a business, I am forced to face the inevitable truth every day. Gradually I've found that I have accepted my dad's wisdom. We all will face loss or unexpected changes. But unfairness should not be the only thing in our life. We choose for ourselves what seems fair by comparing our lives with others', and this can lead us to feel that our own lives are unfair. People need to ignore what others have and set their own plans. Certainly, there're so many unhappy events in the world and in our lives, and when we deal with them, we try to control as many things as we can. Then, the sense of " it's not fair" often comes when we can't control the things in our lives. So please put your efforts into the process rather than the result. You should learn that life is unfair, but you can be fair and learn how to enjoy life. How did the author feel when she heard her father's answer? Answer: Why do I volunteer with Big brothers / Big sisters of America? I have many reasons. Perhaps the biggest reason is that people once volunteered to help me. Years ago, I was on the other side of the table. I was lonely and I felt lost. It's a little embarrassing to talk about it now, but whatever the right direction in life was, I was going the opposite way. More than once, I found myself on the wrong path. If someone hadn't stepped in when he did, I probably wouldn't even be here now. I'd rather be in a prison or somewhere a lot smaller and deeper. I've seen the work that big brothers / sisters have been doing all over the country and I'm pleased to be part of it. I've never done anything that made me prouder than my volunteer work. Big brothers and sisters helped me get over sadness and depression as soon as possible. Then, if I can help anyone like they helped me, I am willing to serve for as long as they will have me serve them. There are no words to describe the joy I get from helping somebody turn their life around. Every time I think that that's me now, I'm proud and happy. Volunteering is how I want to leave my mark on the world. I recommend volunteering work to everybody, especially to somebody who isn't sure where they are going in life. Helping someone find their path is often the best way to find yours. Be a volunteer, and you will find your purpose in life. What is the writer's purpose in writing this passage? Answer: A rich man was riding along the road and saw an old man digging in his garden. On the ground lay a young tree, ready to be planted. The rich man called out to the old man. "What kind of tree are you planting there, my good man?" "This is a fig tree, sir." He said. "A fig tree?" The rich man was very surprised. "Why, how old are you, may I ask?" "I am ninety years old this year." "What ?" cried the man. "You are ninety years old. You are planting a very young tree now and it will take years to give fruit. You certainly don't hope to live long enough to get any fruit from this tree." The old man looked around the garden. Then he said with a smile, "Tell me , sir. Did you eat figs when you were a boy?" "Sure , why do you ask this question?" the man asked. "Then tell me this,"he said. "Who planted the fig tree?" "Why-why? I don't know." "You see, sir. Our forefather planted trees for us to enjoy and I am doing the same for the people after me." The rich man was quiet and said, "You are right, my good man. We should do something for the people after us. Thank you very much." The rich man rode away. What can we learn from the article? Answer: Which of these is one similarity of the elements in the first group of the periodic table? Answer: Blogs are being used more and more by teachers. Many Internet services now offer free and easy ways to create personal Web pages. Through comments on blogs, or Web logs, teachers can share their classroom experiences. They can exchange ideas and discuss successes and failures. They can debate educational policies. Or they can just sympathize with each other. A teacher in the American state of North Carolina recently wrote on her blog: "Apparently the teachers at my school use too much paper. So my principal yelled at everyone at the last staff meeting for, like, ten minutes. Now, I've just been told, we are not getting anymore paper for the rest of the year." This unidentified blogger is now in her third year of teaching, but still calls her sitefirstyearteacher.blogspot.com. A blogger who calls himself Minister Lawrence works as a substitute teacher. In April he wrote about a disputed plan to split the Omaha, Nebraska, public schools into separate systems for black, Latino and white students. Supporters say minority parents do not have enough power over their children's education. But Minister Lawrence wrote at teachersparadise.blogspot.com: "I'm afraid that what this says' to a lot of people is that blacks, whites and Hispanics are not equal, and "reinforces" racist beliefs among people." Educators did not become involved with blogging right away. Many were concerned with privacy issues and security. But now, thousands of teacher blogs can be found on the Internet. Many teachers do not identify themselves, and they change the names of students and co-workers. Minister Lawrence's blogs are about _ Answer:
As I was leaving to meet Lynne,my roommate told me that I'd better take some money,but I didn't listen to him. I thought that Lynne would pay because she had invited me. I arrived at the restaurant exactly on time. I'd been told that Americans expect you to be on time. Lynne and I sat at a table in the corner of the restaurant and a waitress came and took our order. The dinner was a great success. I talked a lot about Saudi Arabia and Lynne told me all about herself. After two hours the waitress finally came and asked if we wanted one check or two. Lynne said two. We went to the cashier and Lynne paid her check. I was embarrassed when the cashier gave me my bill. I had no money to pay for my meal. Then I had an idea. I pretended to look for something in my pockets and said,"Oh!I forgot my money! Can I call my roommate,please?" The cashier showed me where the phone was and I quickly called my roommate. In a few minutes he arrived with some money,but he couldn't hide how he felt. He laughed all the way home. Now,I think it's funny too. But at the time I was terribly embarrassed. I thought that an invitation to have dinner meant the same thing in the United States as in my country. I guess you have to understand that your customs are only your customs. When you visit a foreign country,you have to learn about their customs,too. The writer and Lynne _ . shared a successful dinner Last year I was put into a lowerlevel math class at school. The reason I was in this class had nothing to do with my intellect or maths skills. I am blind. The only problem with being in this class was that I was surrounded by "atrisk" students. These were kids who did not do well in school and they were constantly in trouble with the school and the law. One Tuesday morning, I went to a Christian Student Union meeting before school. There was a guest speaker there that day talking to us about praying for our enemies. I began to think about this. As I considered the idea, I prayed and asked God how I could pray for the kids in my class. I had forgotten that they weren't bad kids; they were just lost. At first, the prayers were mechanical. When I would hear their voices in class, I would pray, "Dear God, please bless soandso..." But as I continued, I began to think of the kids more often, and in my quiet time at home I would ask God to bless the rest of my classmates. As time went on, my classmates became more than just annoying kids to me. There was something growing inside my heart for them, something that wasn't there before. They began to feel like family, and I was learning to love them in a way I never thought possible. I now see that praying is such a powerful act. Prayer is the most powerful tool a Christian has. When I pray for those around me, it also blesses my life, and it changes my opinion of others. I realized I needed God's blessings to see the world through loving eyes. The prayers I said for others turned out to help me the most. What can we learn from the passage? By praying for others, the writer learned a lot. A recent study suggests that teens' relationship with parents, friends and teachers may have a lot to do with why they don't get a good night's sleep. David Maume, a sociologist and sleep researcher, analyzed federal health data, which interviewed 974 teenagers when they were 12, and then again at 15. He found that family dynamics have much to do with how well kids sleep. Teens, who had warm relations with their parents and felt like they could talk to them or their parents were supportive of them, tended to sleep better. However, families that were going through a divorce or a remarriage tended to affect teens' sleep. And problems at school also affected teens' sleep. Feeling safe at school and having good relations with teachers tended to promote better sleep. As did good relationships with friends. Kids who took part in sports or other positive social activities or shared similar academic goals with their friends were also more likely to get a good night's sleep. These add up to what makes lots of sense: a general feeling of well-being helps teens sleep. If we're happy and contented, we're much more likely to sleep better than if we're sad and anxious. Now, of course, teens can hardly resist being drawn to their computers and social networking. Maume also found that when parents were strict not only about bedtime, but also about limiting technology, kids slept better. It's a finding that seems obvious, but parents really do matter when it comes to health habits of their teenagers. Clearly, teenagers aren't getting 9 to 10 hours a night, which puts them at risk for all the consequences of lack of sleep, including poor academic performance, colds and stress. Para 5 functions as _ . an addition Are you looking for something fun and would you like to help others in your spare time? Then join us to be a volunteer! We're a non-profit organization. We have volunteer jobs of all ages. Anyone, from twelve-year-old children to people in their seventies can become a volunteer. You can help people in many ways. Schools need help with taking care of children while parents are working. Hospitals need volunteers to look after children while their parents are seeing a doctor. Animal lovers can help take care of those dogs and cats without homes. There is something for everyone. "As a volunteer, I don't want to get anything. Seeing the children's happy faces, I'm happy, too." Said Carlos Domingo, an old woman of 62. "I often played computer games in my spare time before. Now I help older people learn how to use computers." said another volunteer at the age of 18. If everyone helps out a bit, we'll have a better world to live in. Interested? Call us 1-800-555-5756 or visit our website: www.activol.com. Volunteers want to get _ when they help others. nothing When I was a child, I was shocked at the idea that my sisters could be my best friends. Now, I wouldn't have it any other way. At the time, the idea of my two sisters being my closest friends seemed strange to me. We fought all the time over toys, food, attention, what to watch on television--you name it, and we quarreled about it at some point. How could my sisters be my best friends? They weren't the same age as I. We all had our own friends in school. My mother never let the three of us forget that sisters are lifelong friends. Her wish like most parents' was to give us something that she never had. Growing up as an only child, she longed for siblings. When she gave birth to three daughters, the fulfillment of her dream had only just begun. She had given each of us a gift and she wanted to make sure we did not take that gift for granted. She would frequently tell us how lucky we were. But there were other, more subtle ways that she encouraged us to grow closer. She never showed favoritism to one daughter over the other, as not to cause jealousy or bitterness between sisters. She constantly took us places together--skating, shopping and swimming, so that we developed common interests. And when we were teenagers, Mom always punished us equally, giving us yet another bonding experience. We didn't always get along beautifully and fought just like any other _ . But somewhere in between Mom's lectures, the family vacations and the shared memories, we realized that our mother was right. Today I share things with my sisters that I do with no one else. My sister Cindy and I ran the New York City Marathon together, side by side, even holding hands when we crossed the finish line. When my sister Karen got married, I was her maid of honor . Cindy and I traveled through Europe together and even shared an apartment for two years. The three of us trust each other with our greatest secrets. It was twenty-three years ago that my mother first asked me who my two best friends were. Today she doesn't have to. She already knows. As a child, the author was shocked at her mother's idea because _ . they didn't have much in common
Dear Tim, Today is Saturday. It's 7:00 in the evening in Beijing. I'm writing to tell you something about my life. My father is watching CCTV news. That's his favorite show. My brother is playing computer games. My dog Dick is taking the hat to me. He wants me to put it on and go out for a walk with him. What a clever dog! Outside, I can hear cars and buses coming and going quickly. Also there are some boys playing ball games. It's really a noisy but happy evening. Do you think so? What are your family doing? I know the time here is thirteen hours ahead of the time in New York. Please write to me soon. Best wishes! Yours, Daniel What time is it in Beijing? Answer: 5:00 p.m. Exercise. Get fit. Watch your weight. We see these messages all around us in magazines and newspapers, but how do you choose the right activity? There are three main goals for fitness. First, strengthening the heart and lungs. Second, strengthening the muscles. Third, controlling body weight. Not all activities will meet each goal. You may center on one goal or, for total fitness, all three. Running No other exercise will help you lose weight faster than running. It also strengthens your heart, lungs, and leg muscles. But it can hurt your joints. If you feel pain in your knees, you need to stop and choose a different activity. Walking This activity puts less stress on the body than running. But to see results you need to get your heart beating faster. This means you'll need to walk fast. Swimming Swimming is a great way to strengthen different pasts of your body. But if weight loss is your goal, you may want to pass on the pool. The water in a swimming pool is cooler than our body temperature. The body naturally protects itself from the cold by keeping fat. Cycling Riding a bicycle will help you lose weight and work your leg muscles. But be careful! If you live in the city, stay on bike path, away from traffic. Or you can ride indoors on a stationary bike. Weight lifting We often hear of elderly people falling and hurting themselves. They just don't have the strength to catch themselves. Lifting weights can prevent that. It also helps prevent injury form other activities. The drawback to weight lifting is that you'll need to pay for a membership at a gym. You can choose any activity below to lose your weight except _ . Answer: swimming 4-Day Beijing Culture Group Tour Are you new to Shanghai? Do you want to see more of China? If the answer is yes, how about going to Beijing for the weekend? Visit the Great Wall and other places of interest, and enjoy Beijing Roast Duck. Tour price: $590 Call us! 800-820-6222 8-Day Colorful Yunnan Group Tour If you like a spring climate and clean air, then Yunnan is the place for you! Another true highlight of the area is experiencing the cultures of minorities that live in this area. Places to visit: Kunming, Dali, Lijiang Tour price: $1,290 Call us: 800-820-8188 4-Day Beautiful Guilin Private Tour Are you tired of city life? Do you want some fresh air? Then come to Guilin and Yangshuo for a few relaxing days to enjoy the river life, or just take it easy in one of the many cafes and bars. Tour price: 1person $630 2-5persons $565 6-9persons $527 Call us: 800-810-6562 5-Day Sanya Private Tour Sanya is famous for its wonderful sunshine, white sandy beaches and clear water. Instead of a busy trip, you can relax here by walking along the beaches and enjoying the fresh air! Tour price: 1person $569 2-5persons $548 6-9persons $535 Call us! 800-810-5222 If you take the " _ ", you will be able to experience different cultures. Answer: 8-Day Colorful Yunnan Group Tour Happiness pays off, studies show. Psychologists seeking the real secrets of happiness report that very happy people tend to be more _ and agreeable than less happy people. "Our findings suggest that very happy people have rich and satisfying social relationships and spend little time alone compared to average people," write psychologists Ed Diener and Martin E. P. Seligman in the journal Psychological Science. Solid social relationships do not promise happiness, but they are an important contributing factor. The very happy people whom the authors studied all said they had good quality social relationships. However, the authors write, there is no single key to high happiness. "High happiness seems to be like beautiful symphonic music--including many instruments, without any one being enough for the beautiful quality." Diener regards happiness as "subjective wellbeing"--in other words, the person evaluates his or her own quality of life. The question to ask is, "Is my life going well, according to the standards I choose to use?" If the answer is "yes", then that person is judged to be happy. Because people evaluate their lives based on happiness, subjective wellbeing is very important. Though necessary, it is not enough for having a good life. "Subjective wellbeing seems quite necessary for the 'good society', although it is not enough for that society because there are other things we also value and would want in such a place." says Diener. Can subjective wellbeing be measured scientificall? Diener points out three parts contributing to happiness: pleasant emotions and moods, lack of negative emotions and moods, and satisfaction judgment, to which other factors including cheerfulness and feelings of fulfillment may be added. There is no magic formula for happiness. Diener suggests steps you can take to ensure you are as happy as you can be. Surrounding yourself with good friends and family--people who care about you and whom you care about--is a start. Joining in activities you enjoy and value is also important; whether it's work or play, keeping busy in an environment enjoyable to you will contribute much to your subjective wellbeing. In addition, a healthy outlook is necessary. Which of the following does NOT belong to factors contributing to happiness? Answer: Negative emotions. The tough economy is bringing new shoppers to the secondhand market. Plato's Closet in Charlotte, NC is a private company which mainly buys and sells used clothes. While Charlotte has outstanding secondhand stores offering high-end and sophisticated brands for women, most of their stock applies to adults. Plato's Closet targets teens and those in their 20s.Plato's Closet, with stores in Matthews and the university area, sells clothes and accessories that are currently popular at up to 70 percent off retail prices . The two hottest brands, for buying and selling, are Hollister and Abercrombie & Fitch. Even though the offerings tend to be suitable for young people, there are a variety of shoppers at Plato's Closet of varying ages. Women in their 30s; 40s and older could easily find a purse, jacket or piece of jewelry they like. Customer Beth Gibbs, 52, who has three teenage daughters, said she used to shop at name-brand stores, but "this year I'm shopping more in secondhand stores", because of the economy. If you're selling Unlike higher-end resale stores which usually work on consignment , Plato's Closet buys on the spot. Items can be gently used, but must be in very good condition. Clothes should be less than two years old and styles should be the same as those still being sold at the shopping center. There is no negotiation; prices are set company-wide. If what you sell amounts to $30 or less, they'll give you cash. More than that, you'll get a Visa cash card. Secondhand success Don't get discouraged if you can't find something on your first trip. Resale shops are always getting new lists of goods and change their styles with each season. Be sure to check each piece carefully before buying. Price comparison Jackets: New York & Company black blazer, $12; retail: $37. Pants: Express Editor-style pants, $12; retail: $69.90. Shoes: Nine West black peep-toe pumps, $12; retail: $89. Jewelry: Necklaces, $3-$5; retail: $18-$30. (365) If you buy a pair of Express Editor-style pants in Plato's Closet, you can save _ . Answer: 57.9 dollars
Two identical lamps contain the same amount of different types of oil. They are allowed to burn until all the oil has been burned. Which measurement will best provide the total difference in chemical energy between the two oils? Answer: time it took for lamps to use oil As graduation draws near, those who haven't landed a job yet may be desperate to find one. Perhaps some of the job offers they have received are below their skill and experience levels. Is it better to take these offers, or reject them and remain unemployed? Recently, David Pedulla, a University of Texas sociologist, conducted a study about how taking a job below your skill level could affect your future employment. In the study, Pedulla developed resumes for imaginary job applicants. The job seekers he created had a few things in common. They had a college degree, worked nearly two years at their first job, and about 4.5 years at their second job. What differed was their third job in the most recent year. They either had a full-time job that matched their skills, a part-time job below their skill levels, or were unemployed. Then Pedulla submitted 2,420 resumes based on his imaginary job seekers, along with cover letters, to online ads for 1,210 real jobs. Each applicant had a real phone number that employers could contact if they were interested in talking with the applicant further. The callback rates varied widely based on how the imaginary job seekers had spent their last year. The applicants who had full-time jobs the previous year were called back 10.4 percent of the time. Those whose most recent year of employment was in a job below their skill levels were only called back about 5 percent. Male applicants unemployed for a year were called back 4.2 percent of the time, while the figure is 7.5 percent for unemployed females. However, Pedulla cautioned that the experiment only measured the initial interest of employers in his fictional job candidates, not whether the employers would hire them or what they would be paid based on their most recent job experiences. Which statement is NOT true about Pedulla's experiment? Answer: The applicants' resumes and phone numbers are created by Pedulla. Money off your rented textbooks from TextbookRental.ca Offer details Pay online Limit 1 voucher per person, may buy 5 more for others Shipping is extra (average $6, return shipping included) The voucher is valid towards shipping Taxes extra High spots Save up to 75% on every textbook Rent books by the semester Fast shipping Buyback program for your old books Make a great gift Keeping school expenses low is important. Get a better bargain on academic supplies with today's WagJag: for $10, receive $25 towards rental textbooks from TextbookRental.ca. TextbookRental.ca helps students continue with their study while saving precious money for other purposes. The site contains books in all academic fields--arts, sciences, business, education and more. Once you find your desired textbooks, complete the easy checkout process and your course materials will be shipped to your dorm or home. Discounts on each single book vary but can save you up to 75%. After the semester finishes, mail back your books (free of marking, stains or other damage), using the included prepaid return envelope. The site's 15-day return policy lets you send unneeded books back for a refund. Centered in Toronto, TextbookRental.ca has delivery places across the country to make sure students from Victoria to St. John's get their textbooks in a timely fashion. The site also lets students save a little money by buying their previously purchased used textbooks. If you're not happy with your purchase, let us know why and we'll give you a full refund. Seriously, it's that simple! TextbookRental.ca Contact WagJag--WagJag Business Hours are Monday-Friday 9:00 am to 7:00 pm. E-mail: info@wagjag.com Phone: 416-687-5848 Toll free :1-855-492-4524 Fax: 1-866-268-4286 What is the main advantage of the service from TextbookRental.ca? Answer: It helps students limit school expenses. A tiny spark grows and the result tears through an area of nature and spreads through the mountains, consuming Answer: bark and canopies If you're a male and you're reading this, congratulations: you're a survivor. According to statistics, you are more than twice as likely to die of skin cancer as a woman, and nine times more likely to die of AIDS. Assuming you make it to the end of your natural term, about 78 years for men in Australia, you'll die on average five years before a woman. There are many reasons for this--typically, men take more risks than women and are more likely to drink and smoke--but perhaps more importantly, men don't go to the doctor. "Men aren't seeing doctors as often as they should," says Dr. Gullotta. "This is particularly so for the over-40s, when diseases tend to strike." Gullotta says a healthy man should visit the doctor every year or two. For those over 45, it should be at least once a year. Two months ago Gullotta saw a 50-year-old man who had delayed doing anything about his smoker's cough for a year. "When I finally saw him it had already spread and he has since died from lung cancer," he says. "Earlier detection and treatment may not have cured him, but it would have prolonged his life." According to a recent survey, 95% of women aged between 15 and early 40s see a doctor once a year, compared to 70% of men in the same age group. "A lot of men think they're undefeatable," Gullota says. "They only come in when a friend drops dead on the golf course and they think, 'Geez, if it could happen to him, ...'" Then there's the ostrich approach. "Some men are scared of what might be there and would rather not know," says Dr. Ross Cartmill. "Most men get their cars serviced more regularly than they service their bodies," Cartmill says. He believes most diseases that commonly affect men could be addressed by preventive check-ups. Regular check-ups for men would inevitably place strain on the public purse, Cartmill says. "But prevention is cheaper in the long run than having to treat the diseases. Besides, the ultimate cost is far greater: it is called premature death." Which of the following best completes the sentence 'Geez, if it could happen to him, ...' (Line 2, Para.8)? Answer: it could happen to me, too
When I was 23 years old I was in a dangerous relationship with the man who was my fiance at the time. I was being physically and verbally abused on a daily basis. I was financially tied to him after he spent all my savings to pay his debts but I wanted to be free! For the longest time I was too embarrassed to tell my mother about the situation. She had warned me about him. But, eventually, I worked up the courage to tell her and she sent me the money I needed to leave. Before the money arrived, he found out what I planned to do. I was so scared of what he might do that I decided to leave without taking all my belongings and just get out of there. Then, on my way to safety, my car died! I had automobile insurance (thanks to my mom) so I called the AAA and had them pull the car to a garage. It turned out the repair was going to cost $800 and the money my mom sent hadn't arrived by that point. The owner of the garage must have known something was up because he asked what was wrong. I told him a brief version of my story and promised him I could pay him in two days. He never told me his name but I will never forget him or what he did for me that day! He fixed the car immediately and told me he would not accept any payment ---- ever! He said he had a daughter almost my age and hoped that if she ever needed help in the future then some stranger might do the same for her. Since then I have tried to help people in my own way. Now I have a beautiful 12-year-old daughter and I hope throughout her life she can help others and be helped when she needs it, like I was! From the text we can infer that _ . A. the author's mother had a bad impression of her fiance B. the author was force to hand over all her money C. the garage keeper knew the author very well D. the author had helped the daughter of the garage keeper before Answer: A A camera can take an image and A. preserve it B. edit it C. lock it in D. produce it Answer: A Sports, school are tiring. But there is a great way to _ after all of those activities. Go to north London, to the coolest part of the city---Camden. There you can find fashion trends (,) and famous people. Sam and I walked down Camden High Street and made our way to a bridge over Regent's Canal. It is a 9-mile man-made river that goes through London. We went into a big market and saw crazy signs, fun T-shirts, and things like hand-made earrings for sale. We bought Chinese fried noodles. It tasted very different from the noodles we make at home, and we ate it with a fork instead of chopsticks! Camden is famous for the punk style that started in the 1970s. Punks walked around with bright pink and green hair, broken clothes with safety pins, metal buttons and pierced ears and lips. Punk music shops played loud, heavy rock music. But there were also groups of hippies with big sweaters. They sat in cafes drinking soymilk, with black clothes, black lipstick and painted white faces. Besides all these "normal" people, a lot of famous people come to Camden. Actor Orlando Bloom from Pirates of the Caribbean lives there. Camden is especially known as a home to famous musicians. Lots of top bands played here, including Coldplay, Oasis---and Sam's favourite band, The Vaccines. I had never heard of them before---But luckily they were playing that night in Camden. Which of the following is the punk style? A. Tom wears broken clothes with metal buttons. B. Jim has short black hair and wears a blue suit. C. Light music is played loudly in punk music shop D. Mary has a big sweater and paints her face white. Answer: A Many people like to travel by plane because it is fast, but I don't like it because an airport is usually far from the city. You have to get there early and wait for hours for the plane to take off and it is often late. You can't open the windows. You can't choose the food. Planes are fast, but they still take hours to get out of the airport and into the city. I like traveling by train . I think trains are safe. Railway stations are usually in cities. When you are late for a train, you can catch another one. You can walk around in the train and open the windows. You can see many interesting things on your way. I know it takes a little more time. I also like cars. You can start your journey when you want to , and you don't need to get to a railway station or a bus stop. Also you can carry many things with you in a car. But sometimes there are too many cars on the road. ,. (5) What does the writer think of the plane, the train and the car ? A. He thinks it takes a lot of time to go to and get out of the airport. B. He likes to take a train because it takes a little more time. C. He likes to take a car because he has a car. D. He likes to take a plane because it's fast. Answer: A BERLIN (AP)----A tiger escaped its enclosure at Cologne Zoo in western Germany on Saturday and killed a female keeper before being shot dead by the zoo's director, police said. The tiger slipped through a passage between the enclosure and a neighboring storage building, where it fatally attacked the 43-year-old keeper, said police spokesman Stefan Kirchner. "It appears the gate wasn't properly shut," Kirchner told The Associated Press. The zoo was evacuated and a SWAT team was called in, police said.But before it arrived, the zoo's director managed to kill the tiger by climbing onto the storage building and shooting it through a skylight using a rifle. Kirchner said it was unlikely that members of the public had witnessed the incident. "This is the darkest day of my life," the zoo's director, Theo Pagel, was quoted as saying by Cologne newspaper Express. The paper said on its website that the Siberian tiger was a 4-year-old male called Tltai that came to Cologne Zoo from an animal park in England.In November it fathered three cubs with a 7-year-old Siberian tiger called Hanya, according to the zoo's website. Police said the zoo reopened after Saturday's incident, which occurred around noon.However, a planned late-night opening of the zoo has been canceled. Cologne Zoo is one of the oldest in Germany.It was founded in 1860 and houses some 10,000 animals consisting of more than 700 different species. According to the police, what was the direct reason for the incident? A. The zoo keeper was a new hand. B. A gate was not closed appropriately. C. The zoo had neglected the secret passage. D. It was very dark when the incident happened. Answer: B
One day an old man is selling a horse. A young man comes to the horse and begins to look at it slowly. Then the old man goes up to him and says in his ears, "Don't say anything about the horse before I sell it, then I will give you some meat." "All right," says the young man. After the old man sells the horse, he gives the young man some meat and says, "Now, can you tell me how you see the bad ears of the horse?" "I didn't find the bad ears," says the young man. "Then why do you look at the horse?" asks the old man. The young man answers, "Because I never saw a horse before, and I want to know what it looks like." What is the old man doing? A He is giving some meat to the young man. B He is selling a horse. C He is looking at a horse D He is finding the bad ears of the horse Answer: B China's new popular word, "tuhao", may be taken in next year's Oxford English dictionary. The word caught the attention of the dictionary's editing team after BBC's recent program on influential Chinese words. "If its influence continues, it is very likely to appear on our updated list of words," said Julie Kleeman, project manager with the editing team. Kleeman told the Beijing Youth Daily that "tuhao" has some similarities with the English word "bling", which refers to expensive, ostentatious clothing or jewelry. Both the two words have existed for long but later on took a new meaning. In Chinese, "tu" means rude and "hao" means rich. It has traditionally been referred to rich people who throw their weight around in China's rural areas. In recent years, people in the ACG (anime, comic and game) circle borrowed the term to describe those who spend money in an unreasonable manner. The word gained acceptance in September with the launch of Apple's new gold-colored iPhone, an item loved by China's nouveau riche . The color became known as "tuhao gold".The word is now often used by the online community to refer to people who have the cash but lack the class to go with it. Kleeman also mentioned another Chinese word "dama" which may also be taken in the dictionary. "Dama", meaning middle-aged women, was first used in the Western media by the Wall Street Journal in May when thousands of Chinese women were buying up record number of gold. They were the driving force in the global gold market between April and June when the gold prices had dropped. "People can have an intuitive grasp of the meanings if they see pinyin", Kleeman said adding that people avoided using an English word to keep the original meaning. The new words will be first uploaded on the official website before the dictionaries arrive. The online version is also renewed every three months. What's the similarity between "tuhhao" and "dama"? A Both take new meanings. B Both were created in British. C Both will be uploaded in the next dictionary version. D They have the same meaning. Answer: A Hi,I'm Mimi. I'm four years old. I enjoy listening to music very much. I can sing and dance. This is a photo of me at my birthday party. I look very cool because it is my birthday today.It is favorite day of this year.I get up early and I'm ready for my birthday party.I have a lot of animal friends .iIcall them to my home on the phone. Then I take a bus to go shopping. I buy some food ,friut and drinks in the super market.At 7:0p.m,the party begins.All my friend asks me to sing some songs for them .I'm shy in front of them but I feel happy.Look! I'm playing guitar.They are listening tomy songs They clap their hands from time to time.at last ,all my friends walk to me and sing." Happy birthday" to me.How happy my birthday is !And my friends have a good time . .Why does MiMi look cool today?Because _ A his animal friends come. B his parents love him. C it is his birthday. D he wears nice clothes. Answer: C You do not need every word to understand the meaning of what you read. In fact, too much emphasis on separate words both slows your speed and reduces your comprehension. First, any habit which slows down your silent reading to the speed at which you speak or read aloud, is inefficient. If you point to each word as you read, or move your head, or form the words with your lips, you read poorly. Less obvious habits also hold back reading efficiency . One is "saying" each word silently by moving your tongue or throat; another is "hearing" each word as you read. These are habits which should have been outgrown long ago. The beginning reader is learning how letters can make words, how written words are pronounced, and how sentences are put together. Your reading purpose is quite different, which is to understand meaning. It has been supposed that up to 75% of the words in English sentences are not really necessary for expressing the meaning. The secret of silent reading is to find out those key words and phrases which carry the thought, and to pay less attention to words which exist only for grammatical completeness. An efficient reader can grasp the meaning from a page at least twice as fast as he can read the page aloud. He takes in a whole phrase or thought unit at a time. If he "says" or "hears" words to himself, they are selected ones, said for emphasis. While reading, efficient readers usually _ . A move their eyes quickly B take in whole phrases or thought units C point at key words D read only important points for speed Answer: B Many college-bound freshmen are worrying about more than just who their roommates will be this fall. They may also be nervous about the well-known fact that they are likely to gain weight this school year. Or will they? While many of us remember the extra weight that showed up right around the start of our college careers, we are not always clear on how much weight we realize gained or why. Many nutrition experts and psychologists think that it is the change in environment and the stress of a new beginning that cause the typical college freshmen to gain extra pounds. As students start a new stage of their lives, many eat to deal with the stress of change or loneliness. Often, college students are making meals or choosing foods independently for the first time in their lives. If they live in the college dormitory, they have a wide variety of foods to select from that may be higher in calories and fatter than the foods they consumed living at home. In addition, college social events usually center around food. I clearly remember sitting in my dorm cafeteria for two or three hours on a Saturday morning socializing with my new friends. Instead of eating only one meal, we would start with breakfast, eat throughout the duration of our socializing, and finish with lunch. Food also makes an appearance after late-night parties, as part of a school day, or simply to break the monotony( ). So will this year's typical freshmen really gain 15 pounds? According to a 2006 Tufts University study, students enrolling in college this fall will gain weight, but maybe not the assumed 15 pounds. Based on the students surveyed, the study found that men can expect to gain an average of 6 pounds and women an average of 4.5 pounds during the freshman year. From the writer's experience, the writer thinks that _ . A foods in the dorm cafeteria are all higher in calories and fatter B the best way to break the monotony is through breakfast, lunch and supper C students in college will gain an average of about 5.25 pounds every fall D social events in the college are usually celebrated around food Answer: D
Tony is Allen's classmate. One day,Tony comes to Allen's home. When he sees many books in Allen's study, he says to Allen, "Allen, you have so many good books. Can I borrow a book from you?" Allen doesn't want to lend a book to his classmate and he says, "Why do you want to take my book home? You can read it here in my home. " Tony sees that his classmate is very selfish , but he says nothing. The next day, Allen comes to Tony's house and says, "Tony, you have a good garden-knife. I want to work in my garden tomorrow. Can I use it for two days?" Tony answers, "Why do you want to take my garden-knife home? You can work with it in my garden. " Tony wants to borrow _ from Allen. A. a knife B. a book C. a garden-knife D. mone Answer: B. a book Jessica watches the Sun set in the evening sky. What causes the setting of the Sun? A. The distance between Earth and the Sun is increasing. B. The tilt of Earth on its axis is constantly changing. C. Earth is revolving around the Sun. D. Earth is rotating on its axis. Answer: D. Earth is rotating on its axis. Amsterdam is one of the most beautiful cities in Holland . It is the capital of Holland. There are many big squares and nice museums. Hundreds and thousands of people from all over the world visit there every year. Riding bicycles is a fun and easy way to get around Amsterdam. Most students go to school by bicycle. People ride their bicycles to work. Even the policemen work on bicycles. There are many roads and traffic signs for bicycles in Amsterdam. There are also many places for bicycle parking. If you travel in Amsterdam, you don't need to take a bus or a taxi, just ride a bicycle. You can reach more places by bicycle than by any other way. It is also fantastic to go for a ride. There are a lot of bicycle shops in Amsterdam. You can buy yourself a nice bicycle at a good price in the shops. If you don't wants to buy a bicycle, you can go to a bicycle rental . You can find one in almost every place of the city. You'd better find a guide when you are travelling in Amsterdam. Because he would take you to some of the city's most beautiful places. Riding bicycles in Amsterdam is great fun and relaxing. But there is one thing you must keep in mind. You should always follow the traffic rules. Why do many people visit there every year? A. Because riding bicycles is very easy and fun. B. Because there are many big squares and nice museums. C. Because there are many bicycle rentals. D. Because it is the capital of Holland. Answer: B. Because there are many big squares and nice museums. IF you lived by the sea, you'd know that typhoons are frequent visitors during summer .They bring Strong winds, heavy rain and flooding But most of the time, when people stay indoors, they're just all right. This is what the people in the Philippines used to believe - until they met the "super typhoon", Haiyan. The typhoon hit the country on Nov 8, at around 5 am, when most people were still asleep. But being at home didn't keep them safe, since few buildings remained standing once they were hit by wind as violent as 376 kilometers per hour, according to NBC News. "This is at the top end of any tropical system that we've seen on our planet," said Bryan Norcross, a weather scientist working for NBC. And so far, Haiyan has caused more than 3,600 deaths and left millions of people homeless. .But where did Haiyan get its destructive power? According to Brian McNoldy, a tropical weather expert at the University of Miami, US, Haiyan was so strong because "it had everything working for it" "All typhoons feed off the warm ocean waters," Colin Price, a weather researcher at Tel Aviv University in Israel, told National Geographic. Tropical storms are like giant engines ,powered by the heat transferred from the ocean waters to the air above. However, because of climate change, the oceans have been warming up in recent decades. "Warmer oceans will result in more intense storms," Price said. Also, Haiyan started near the equator ,where it was able to pick up more heat before heading to the Philippines. Moreover, the route it traveled was mostly along open ocean, which means no land prevented it from gathering steam . In addition, there happened to be very little "wind shear in the area this time. Wind shear is a sudden change in wind speed or direction, which can tear apart developing storms. This is like when you stir a glass of water with a chopstick: a swirl will form, 'but if you move the chopstick in the opposite direction, the swirl will quickly disappear." "When all those things _ in a certain way, you're going to get something like'Haiyan'."Jim Kossin, a scientist with the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told National Geographic. The article mainly talks about A. how destructive Haiyan was B. Why Haiyan was so destructive C. how typhoons like Haiyan form D. ways to protect yourself when typhoons hit Answer: B. Why Haiyan was so destructive If you travel in some areas of India, you'll be lucky enough to be waited on by special guides - monkeys. These monkeys are always ready to serve you. Hungry, you just need to point to your own stomach and they'll lead you to the nearest restaurant. Thirsty, the monkeys will lead you to a bar. Tired, you put both of your hands behind your head and the monkeys will take you to the nearest hotel. Don't feel surprised when they put out their hairy hands to you after the service is done. They are just asking for a little money as a tip. After that, they will wave their hands as if they are saying goodbye to you. Believe it or not, these monkeys are from the school for monkeys in India, where they were trained for one year. They are not the only monkey students in the world. Some are being trained as nurses in an American medical college. These monkeys are about to look after patients and help-them with their housework. A three-year-old monkey named Helen has learned to turn on TV, turn off lights, and open doors and windows when she is told to. Once the job is done, she will rush to her master, hoping to get some food as a reward. When you're thirsty, the monkey will lead you to _ . A. a bar B. a hotel C. a restaurant D. a shop Answer: A. a bar
There once was a doggy named Jack that was really bored. One day he was sitting on the sofa he thought to himself, "Maybe I'll go for a ride." The dog put on his shoes and hat and walked out of the door. He began riding down the street and he saw a lot of funny things. He saw a pumpkin name Sue using toothpaste, a cat name Walt watching a movie and a bear name Phil cooking on a grill. On his drive back home he saw a rat name Randy, and a lion name Leo riding a bike. When the doggy got back home he wanted to write a book about all of the things that he saw. He went into his office and gathered the pen and paper, sat down and began writing. After hours of writing he felt that his leg was hurting from being bent under the table so long. He wrote his last sentence and got up to walk off the pain. The doggy cooked his dinner, ate, then went to bed and the next day he woke up and read his story and liked what he wrote so much that he thought he would write another story later that day. After hours of writing what took place before the next day? A. He read his story and chose to write another one B. He went to bed C. He wrote his last sentence and got up to walk off the pain. The doggy cooked his dinner, ate, then went to bed. D. He cooked his dinner and went to bed. Answer: C Sometimes children do not do what their parents tell them to do.When this happens,a parent tries to help the child to do the right thing.When this does not work,the parent usually punishes the child. There are many things that a parent can do.One thing that people have done is to spank the child.When a parent spanks a child, they will use their hand or a hard object to strike them on the bottom.This means showing the child that they have done something wrong. One parent remembers being spanked when he was a child.His parents used a wooden spoon.When he spanked his own children with his hand, he saw that he put a red mark on his child's leg.He never did that again. One problem with spanking is that it teaches the child to hit someone when they do not like what the other person is doing.Another problem with spanking is that the parent is usually angry and can hit the child too hard.Sometimes parents will use spanking for everything and not try other ways to get the child to do the right thing. Many parents are not sure of what to do instead of spanking.Some people think that their religion tells them that spanking is okay.Some think that the law lets them do it.The courts say that parents have the right to teach their children how to behave. Other things should be tried before a parent decides to spank a child.Telling the child exactly what is wanted from them can be one thing.Giving a child more than one choice is another thing that can be tried.Getting down to the child's level and taking a more child-friendly approach can help as well. From this passage,we can conclude that A. good children always do the right thing B. parents should try their best to avoid spanking their children C. parents have no choice but to spank their children D. children can have more than one choice to avoid being spanked Answer: B If someone says to you, "give me five", do not search your pocket for five yuan! It will make others laugh! The person's not asking for your money, but your fingers. In the US, "give me five" or "give me the high five" is a popular gesture. You can see it often in films or on TV. It means the slapping( ) of each other's raised right hands together. People do it when they meet for the first time or something happy happens. For example, a student has good marks in exams or wins a lottery . If a football team wins game, the players will give high fives to everyone around to cerebrate. This gesture may come from the old Rome gesture of raising the right arm for the emperor . This showed that the person raising his arm did not have a sword in his hand. If someone _ , he WON'T show the gesture "give me five". A. passes the exam B. wins a lottery C. does well in a match D. wants to say goodbye Answer: D Every year, thousands of new high school graduates pack their bags, move to new cities, and sign papers accepting loans, the money borrowed from a bank or lenders etc, which they might not be able to pay back. Without proper education on personal finance, especially as it relates to paying for college, young adults are guided into improper loan plans that result in years of debt after graduation. In order to set students up to succeed financially, it is important to educate students and parents on their financial options before school in the fall. The best way to support families heading for college is to require that every high school student take a personal finance class before graduation. This will help smooth the transition into adulthood. The average student takes out at least one loan to cover the costs of their education each year. In 2014 the average student graduating from college carried a negative balance of about $20,000 in debt, which often spread over multiple lenders. Upon graduation, students rarely know exactly how much money they owe, and even though they are in the state of being unable to pay their debts, they cannot wipe out student loans. These students spend much of their adult lives paying off the gradual increasing debts. A personal finance course would teach students how to manage their income and expenditures, while helping to significantly reduce the amount of debt students carry into adulthood. By teaching students how to save money and live within their means, this course will provide the next generation with a foundation to progress financially. Students choosing to get a job straight out of high school would also benefit from finance education for these very reasons. With education on how to manage their finances, all young people will have the knowledge to make healthy decisions, leading them to improve good credit and purchase needed items like cars and homes with skill and confidence. While not every young person makes financial mistakes, those who do can face years of difficulty trying to get their finances back under control. Rather than help them through these hard times when they happen, we should try to prevent them from happening at all. Making the completion of personal finance coursework a requirement for graduation would ensure that young people are at least aware of the basics of preserving a financial stability. Having financial knowledge, high school students are probably able to _ . A. smooth their way for college B. get out of their financial trap C. free from the cost of their college education D. avoid the risk of the future financial trouble Answer: D China's new popular word, "tuhao", may be taken in next year's Oxford English dictionary. The word caught the attention of the dictionary's editing team after BBC's recent program on influential Chinese words. "If its influence continues, it is very likely to appear on our updated list of words," said Julie Kleeman, project manager with the editing team. Kleeman told the Beijing Youth Daily that "tuhao" has some similarities with the English word "bling", which refers to expensive, ostentatious clothing or jewelry. Both the two words have existed for long but later on took a new meaning. In Chinese, "tu" means rude and "hao" means rich. It has traditionally been referred to rich people who throw their weight around in China's rural areas. In recent years, people in the ACG (anime, comic and game) circle borrowed the term to describe those who spend money in an unreasonable manner. The word gained acceptance in September with the launch of Apple's new gold-colored iPhone, an item loved by China's nouveau riche . The color became known as "tuhao gold".The word is now often used by the online community to refer to people who have the cash but lack the class to go with it. Kleeman also mentioned another Chinese word "dama" which may also be taken in the dictionary. "Dama", meaning middle-aged women, was first used in the Western media by the Wall Street Journal in May when thousands of Chinese women were buying up record number of gold. They were the driving force in the global gold market between April and June when the gold prices had dropped. "People can have an intuitive grasp of the meanings if they see pinyin", Kleeman said adding that people avoided using an English word to keep the original meaning. The new words will be first uploaded on the official website before the dictionaries arrive. The online version is also renewed every three months. The passage most probably belongs to _ . A. a social survey B. an advertisement C. a news report D. a publishing notice Answer: C
There are probably no people on Earth who like to gossip as much as the British. If prying into other's lives were an Olympic sport, then Team GB would surely take the gold medal. And when the British can't watch the lives of real people, they have another source of entertainment to fall back on--the soap opera. British soap operas are very different to US TV dramas. For one, they are normally longer running. The two most popular, Coronation Street and East-enders, have been running for 48 and 24 years respectively. Both are broadcast several times a week, so remarkably there have been more than 7,000 _ of Coronation Street. The most obvious difference is that, unlike US dramas, the British soap operas focus on the real world. There is little glamour , the stars are rarely rich, and they normally have boring jobs. Perhaps the appeal is that the lives of the characters often mirror the lives of the audience--but with some drama added. This means the viewer can relate to the characters and feel the pain and happiness they go through on the show. Because these soap operas last for decades, the cast is ever changing. The shows rarely focus on one or two main characters. Like the real world, people come and go all the time. However, there are exceptions. Coronation Street's William Roach, 76, has played the role of Ken Barlow since the very first episode of the show in 1960, and he is still a regular. The choice of which soap opera you follow is often cultural: People from the north of British tend to watch Coronation Street as it is set in Manchester. People from the south generally prefer East-enders, which is set in the east of London. The show is generally considered grittier and is aimed at a younger audience. What is the main difference between American dramas and British soap operas? Answer: British soap operas deal with real people. Golden sunlight danced in the treetops, and children's laughter filled the park. The smell of popcorn played on the breeze, and life seemed good. It was one of the happiest Saturday mornings I had spent with my little daughter, Gigi. That is, until two strangers threw her into their car and sped away. It seemed like a bad dream. I could barely whisper when the police questioned me. For hours we waited,but there was no word on the whereabouts of the car. Tears would start to come. Then nothing. I was numb with fear. "Go home, Ma'am," the police officer said. "I'll have someone drive you. We'll also want to monitor your telephone. The kidnappers might call, and we'll want to keep track. Trust me, these guys can't get far. " After what had just happened, it was hard for me to trust anything. My friend Gloria came over that afternoon. "I heard about Gigi on the radio," she said. "Everyone is looking for the car. The interstates are all blocked." She took my hand. "Look here," Gloria said. " I want you to have this picture, and I want you to pray with me." It was a picture of a little girl sound asleep in her bed. Standing by the bed was a tall, blond angel. His hand was touching the girl's shoulder as he smiled down at her. My nerves were frazzled. "You know I don't believe in that kind of thing!" I snapped. "I'm too exhausted for any hocus-pocus right now, Gloria!I want my daughter home!" I started to shake, and then I began sobbing. Gloria placed the photo on our mantle and knelt down beside me. "Just pray with me," she said, holding my hand. I had no strength left, so we prayed and waited what seemed an eternity. Together, we waited by the phone until sunset. The phone never rang. Suddenly, the front door swung open. I looked up and screamed. There stood Gigi. "Gigi! Thank God!" I cried, throwing my arms around her, "Where did those men take you? How did you get home? Did the police find you?" "No Mommy!" said Gigi. "I was really scared because those men said they were taking me far away. We were going really fast on an old rock road never seen before. But then a tall man walked out in front of the car, and they ran off the road and hit a tree." Then the tall man ran up and opened the car door and pulled me out. He was really nice, and said I would be okay now, and that those men couldn't hurt me. I must have gone to sleep, because then I woke up here in front of our house. He must have brought me home," "But who... how did he know... where to bring you?" My voice broke and trailed to a whisper. "I don't know, Mommy," Gigi said. "But he was really friendly, and I wasn't scared of him at all." Just then Gigi noticed Gloria's picture on the mantle. "That's him!" She gave a loud cry, pointing at the picture. "Mommy, the tail blond man dressed like an angel. That's the man that pulled me out of the car!" I felt chill-bumps across my neck and arms. Gloria turned pale. "Are you sure that's the man?" Gloria asked. "Yeah, that's him. Except he didn't have wings, and he was wearing blue jeans and a tee shirt. But that's him exactly. I'd remember him anywhere!" Later that night, the police found the injured kidnappers in their damaged car fifty miles from our home. When questioned-the driver remembered making a sharp turn to avoid hitting a tall blond man and the backseat door that Gigi sat by had been completely torn off its hinges. Twenty years have gone by. We have never heard from anyone claiming to have rescued Gigi and there have been no logical explanations for Gigi's miraculous escape and return home from a wreck so far away. There have always been things that people can't explain. But, from that day forward, I believe that all experiences, positive and negative, are given to us for our strengthening and learning. Gigi now takes her little girl to the park on Saturdays. They enjoy the sunlight as it dances in the treetops, the smell of popcorn, and the laughter of children. She keeps Gloria's picture on her mantle, and she remembers her angelic friend. And, like my daughter, I have a faith that has carried me through many trials since that day many years ago. What is the writer's attitude towards the pray together with Gloria? Answer: Doubtful The ability to memorize things seems to be a vanishing technique.So what can we do to bring out brain cells back into action? A newly published book on memory, Moomvalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything, by American journalist Joshua Foer, makes a telling point, one that is an analysis of the importance of memorising events and stories in human history; the decline of its role in modem life; and the techniques that we need to adopt to restore the art of remembering. As For points out, we no longer need to remember telephone numbers.Our mobile phones do that for us.We don't recall addresses either.We send emails from computers that store electronic addresses.Nor do we bother to remember multiplication tables .Pocket calculators do the job of multiplying quite nicely.Museums, photographs, the digital media and books also act as storehouses for memories that once we had to keep in mind. As a result, we no longer remember long poems or folk stories by heart, feats of memory that were once the cornerstones of most people's lives.Indeed, society has changed so much that we no longer know what techniques we should employ to remember such lengthy works.We are, quite simply, forgetting how to remember. And let's face it, there is nothing sadder than someone who has lost their mobile phone and who finds they cannot even phone home or call their parents or partners because they cannot remember a single telephone number.That is a sad example of loss of personal independence.So, yes, there is a need for us to he able to remember certain things in life. Therefore, Foer's book outlines the methods that need to be mastered in order to promote our memories and regain the ability to recall long strings of names, numbers or faces.In the process, he adds, we will become more aware of the world about us. The trick, Foer says, is to adopt a process known as " elaborative encoding", which involves transforming information, such as a shopping list, into a series of "absorbing visual images".If you want to remember a list of household objects--potatoes, cottage cheese, sugar and other items, then _ them in an unforgettable manner, he says.Start by creating an image of a large jar of potatoes standing in the garden.Next to it, imagine a giant tub of cottage cheese--the size of an outdoor pool--and then picture Lady Gaga swimming in it.And so on.Each image should be as fantastic and memorable as possible. Using methods like this, it becomes possible to achieve great feats of memory quite easily, Foer says.It certainly seems to have worked for him: he won the annual US Memory Championships after learning how to memorize 120 random digits in five minutes; the first and last names of 156 strangers in 15 minutes; and a deck of cards in under two minutes."What I had really trained my brain to do, as much as to memorise, was to be more mindful and to pay attention to the world around," he says. These techniques employed by Foer to master his memory were developed by Ed Cooke--a British writer and a world memory championship grandmaster.He acted as Foer's trainer during preparations for the book and helped him achieve his championship performances." Memory techniques do just one thing: they make information more meaningful to the mind, making the things we try to learn unforgettably bright and amusing," said Cooke. This passage can be sorted as _ . Answer: a book review "It hurts me more than you," and "This is for your own good." These are the statements my mother used to make years ago when I had to learn Latin, clean my room, stay home and do homework That was before we entered the permissive period in education in which we decided it was all right not to push our children to achieve their best in school. The schools and the educators made it easy to us. They thought that it was all right to be parents who take a let-alone policy. We stopped making our children do homework. We gave them calculators, turned on the television, left the teaching to the teachers and went on vacation. Now teachers, faced with children who have been developing at their own pace for the past 15 years, are realizing we've made a terrible mistake. One such teacher is Sharon Klompus who says of her students - "so passive" - and wonders what happened. Nothing was demanded of them, she believes. "Television," says Klompus, "contributes to children's passivity. We're not training kids to work any more. We're talking about a generation of kids who've never been hurt or hungry. They have learned somebody will always do it for them. Instead of saying 'go look it up', you tell them the answer. It takes greater energy to say no to a kid." Yes, it does. It takes energy and it takes work. It's time for parents to end their vacation and come back to work. It's time to take the car away, to turn the TV off, to tell them it hurts you more than them but it's for their own good. It's time to start telling them "no" again. We learn from the text that the author's mother used to lay emphasis on _ . Answer: order and rule Category : prefix = st1 /Tours/ Guides Ad Number:508 Date Posted: 27/05/2006 Price:$1297 for 7 days Expires On: 03/12/2007 Description Subscribe to FREE Focus e - newsletter online. Focus on Mexicowebsite provides FREE comprehensive information about living, retiring, working or investing inLake Chapala,Mexico. Covering all topics; health care, cost of living, driving to Mexico, non - residency for Canadians, taxes, banking and investing, communications, real estate(renting or buying), immigration, Mexican legal system, safety, religion, the Lake, transportation, things to do, charities, clubs and organizations and more.... In addition, we offer 7- Day and 10- Day Focus on Mexico Programs where you can experience(test drive)Lake Chapala to see if it is for you. Hear from Experts at live conferences, all the meals are covered at excellent restaurants, all the trips included, even some cocktail parties. Meet the locals and get the straight goods. There is no better way to get all the information and the experience and no better way to find out in Mexicois right for you. "Mexicois the next destination of the Baby Boomer generation. And ' Focus onMexico' is the best way to get there. Whether it's real estate(buying or renting), immigration advice, health care, legal matters - or just about anything else, the friendly Focus on Mexico group can provide these services with expert advice and at a ridiculously low cost. Canadians and Americans couldn't hope for better." From Paul Jackson, Associate Editor, CalgarySun. Seller Information Contact: Marie Telephone: 376 - 766 - 3987 Dwyer - Bullock APDO 1179 Chapala, Jalisco E- mail: marie @ focusonmexico. com 45900 Mexico Web Site:http://focusonmexico.com In how many ways can you get further information directly from Marie? Answer: Three.
To switch or not to switch, that is the question.Google's announcement of its Nexus One smartphone happened over a week ago and I'm still receiving lots of e-mails from readers asking the same question: Should they give up their iPhone for the Nexus One? Some people with iPhones, disappointed by American Telephone&Telegraph's inadequate service and the high monthly cost, are wondering if they have really got something to replace it.Does the Nexus One offer the functions that Apple has led them to expect? I'm on the fence myself, even though I never thought I'd be interested in anything but the iPhone.From my experience using the Nexus One, and from talking to people who have made the change, it's not necessarily about the differences between the iPhone and the Nexus One.The phones are extremely similar in design and general feel.Instead, the decision can be made based on the software services you use on your desktop. My friend Chad Dickerson received a pre-launch Nexus One from Google three weeks ago.He said Google's phone feels connected to certain services on the Web in a way the iPhone doesn't."Compared to the iPhone, the Google phone feels like it's part of the Internet to me," he said."If you live in a Google world, you have that world in your pocket in a way that's cleaner and more connected than the iPhone." Personally, the phones work perfectly with their own software, but both of them don't make an effort to play well with other services. Why are some iPhone users expecting a new type of phone? Because of the limited service and high cost. Prime Minister Tony Blair faced new allegations on Thursday that he misled Parliament and the public in making the case for the war in Iraq after he disclosed his chief legal adviser's written opinion raising questions about the legality of the war. US Forest Service officials are reminding people to stay off Forest Service roads that are closed. The fine for disobeying the rule of road closures is a maximum of $ 5, 000 fine and/or six months in prison. Those who enter the area and cause road damage may also be required to pay for repairs. In a second study presented at the meeting, scientists from the UK and Denmark showed that even a few days of high temperatures can severely reduce production of crops such as wheat, soybeans, rice and groundnuts, if it occurs when the plants are flowering. A bomb exploded in Thailand's mainly Muslin south on Sunday, killing two policemen and wounding three others, a day after Thailand' s queen condemned those behind a 15-month wave of violence . Mechanicsburg 3, West York l: Ken Stamper and Rusty Bowman had seven kills each, and Ryan Warfield had six to lead the Wildcats past the Bulldogs, 25-11, 25-15, 15-25, 25-23, in a non-league match. According to the U. S. Forest Service officials, those who enter the area and damage the closed roads _ . shall be fined or put in prison, and may pay for the repairs In a cold winter, a couple had to move out of their big house because of bankruptcy . The husband worked day and night to support the family but with no care of his wife. So she thought, "he doesn't love me anymore, he just thinks about his work". One day, she wanted to take a shower, but her husband stopped her at the door, "Let me take it first, OK?" "Why not let me first," she asked. "I was tired, you take it later, OK?" She was very sad. On a rainy day, she found nothing to do and turned on his computer. After a few minutes, her eyes were full of tears...it was his diary: "Today, I was quite sad, she asked me why I was always taking the shower first, and I said I was tired. She was unhappy. I wasn't as rich as before! We moved to the small house and it was very cold. But I found that if one person took the shower first, the room could get a little warmer. So every time I rushed to the bathroom first. When she took the shower, the room would get warmer, at least 1degC or 2degC.Now I can't give her comfortable life or buy expensive dresses for her, but at least, I can give her 1degClove." The man wanted to take the shower first because _ . he wanted to make the bathroom warmer French people pride themselves on their delicious foods, such as cheese, baguettes and croissants(two kinds of food). In fact, food is an important part of French culture. Families and friends spend hours over the dinner table each night. It is the opposite of the fast-food habit common in other parts of the West. It's the reason why the French are very angry that a McDonald's is opening beneath Paris's most famous museum: the Louvre . The new restaurant will be the 1,142nd McDonald's in France, and will open in the underground approach to the museum. But many French people can't understand why this American chain is opening in the heart of French culture. However, McDonald's is paying no notice to the complaint. McDonald's now has 31,000 chains worldwide. Tourists are hungry, and opening chains in tourist spots pays well. There is another chain threatening France's heritage. This time it is coffee rather than burgers. As more and more Starbucks open in Paris, traditional French cafes are forced to close. The trouble with American companies opening chains throughout the world is the destructive effect they can have on a country's culture. How can a small, independent coffee shop compete with the multi-billion dollar chain? You can go to a Starbucks in any city in the world, but you can only go to a Parisian cafe in France. Responsibility is with the tourists. A McDonald's wouldn't open so near the Louvre if it weren't not going to make money. Similarly, a Pizza Hut wouldn't overlook Egypt's Great Pyramid if no one wants to sit in it. Maybe next time you visit the Great Wall, you should think twice before ordering a Cappuccino in the Starbucks. The McDonald's will be located in the underground approach to the museum because _ . opening a chain in tourist spot is rewarding Oxford University students think about the collegiate system as follws: "The collegiate system is exactly what I expect, lots of students all living together, with the JCR(Junior Common Room) acting to support students and organize parties and social events." 2nd year undergraduate, Archaeology and Anthropology "Most of all, I like the collegiate structure, which appeals to me as it is less of an imposing 'body' to get involved with. This allows you to play sports and do other things similarly at any level that you like. I play football and cricket for my college and also play recreational rugby and tennis where I can fit it in." 2nd year undergraduate, Biochemistry "I choose to study at Oxford firstly because I want to study at the highest level and stretch my mind;I felt that the Oxford tutorial system is the best environment to achieve this. Secondly because the collegiate system seems to offer a friendlier atmosphere than a large campus..." 2nd year undergraduate, Mathematics "Not only is Oxford one of the top universities in the world...students here have the benefit of the social support of a small college community." 3rd year undergraduate, Medicine "The aspect of Oxford that I appreciate the most is the sense of belonging that the collegiate system offers. If you choose to accept it, your college will provide you with the social scaffolding to ensure that both your weeks and weekends are fun.." DPhil student, Inorganic Chemistry *"The college system and the amazing sports opportunities make the experience of Oxford even better because there is so much more to do once you leave the lab..." DPhil student, Physiology If John is high school leaver, who is interested in sports, how many comments listed here are appealing to him? 2
Hello, I'm Peter in the second grade. Now I have one thing to say: It's not easy being a kid. Being a kid might look like fun, but sometimes it's not fun at all. Yesterday I was playing outside with my friend. We were having a good time. But suddenly, my mother said, "Peter, it's time to come inside now. It's getting dark." When you're an adult, no one can tell you what to do or when to do it. When you are a kid, you have to get up early in the morning and go to school. At school, you have to study math, English, science and history. After school, you have to do your homework. When you are an adult, you do not have to go to school and you never have homework to do. When you are a kid, the older kids sometimes _ you. When I was walking home from school on Monday, Tom and Steve bothered me. Steve took my schoolbag and put it in a tree. It made me very mad. When you are an adult, no one can pick on you. When you are a kid, you have to go to bed early. On school nights, my mom asks me to go to bed at 9:00 pm. But I do have parents who love me, which is really great. So I think I like being a kid, even though it's not easy being a kid. ,. What was Peter doing when his mother called him home yesterday? A. He was playing with his pet. B. He was cleaning his bike. C. He was drawing a picture. D. He was playing with his friend. Answer: D I have a robot friend, Robbi. It looks like my toy car because it moves on four wheels. It is always helpful. "Come on, Robbi! Bring me milk." "Yes, Sandy," says Robbi. It goes to the kitchen and comes back with a glass of milk. It can find milk among orange juice, water, apple juice. Do you think Robbi is a waiter only good at doing housework? No, it's much more than that! It has brains , too! Let me ask Robbi a few questions. "Robbi, how many letters are there in English?" "26." "Who is Barack Obama?" "He is the president of the USA." When night comes, I need to sleep. It closes its eyes and stands there quietly! In the morning, It opens its eyes and begins to work again. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage? A. Robbi is good at doing his housework. B. Robbi knows a lot of things. C. Robbi stands quietly when the writer sleeps D. Robbi looks like a little boy. Answer: D American researchers have developed a technique that may become an important tool in fighting AIDS virus from attacking its target-cells in the body's defense system.When AIDS virus enters the blood,it searches for blood cells called T4 lymphocytes .The virus connects to the outside of T4 lymphocytes.Then it forces its way inside.There it directs the cells' genetic material to produce copies of the AIDS virus.This is how AIDS spreads. Researchers think they may be able to stop AIDS from connecting to T4 ceils.When AIDS virus finds a T4 cell,it actually connects to a part of the cell called CD4 protein. Researchers want to fool the virus by putting copies or clones of the CD4 protein into the blood.This way the AIDS virus will connect to cloned protein instead of the real ones.Scientists use genetic engineering methods to make the clones.Normally a CD4 protein remains on the T4 cell at all times;the AIDS virus must go to it. In a new technique,however,the cloned CD4 protein is not connected to a cell.It floats freely,so a lot more can be put into the blood to keep the AIDS virus away from real CD4 protein on T4 cells.One report says the.AIDS virus connects to cloned protein just as effectively as it connects to real protein.That report was based on tests with blood cells grown in labs.The technique is just now beginning to be tested in animals.If successful,it may be tested in humans within a year. When the AIDS virus enters the blood,it is reproduced by _ . A. itself B. the blood cells C. the CD4 protein D. the genetic material of T4 lymphocytes Answer: D On the night of July 6, 1943, a plane took off from an Air Force base in England to intercept German fighters over the English Channel. Piloting the plane was Captain Thomas Nash. Looking westward, Nash saw twelve orange lights in a row, moving at a fantastic rate of speed. An old experienced flyer, he had never seen anything like them. Thinking they might be a new German weapon, he decided to give chase. But when he swung the plane around and headed directly for the lights, they disappeared. Captain Nash may have been the first to see such orange lights but he wasn't the last. His experience was repeated many times by pilots during World WarIIboth in Europe and the Far East. Pilots in the Korean War also reported seeing the strange lights. What were they? No one knows for sure, but there is an interesting theory to account for them. According to this theory, the orange lights are space animals -- animals specially adapted to life in the upper atmosphere just as some creatures are adapted to life at the bottom of the sea. These space animals, the theory says, live so far up in the atmosphere that they are not visible from earth. They feed partly on the air and partly on energy from sunlight. Being almost pure energy themselves, they can adjust their bodies to glow at night. During the day they become invisible. Before World War II, continues the theory, there was little radiated energy available on the earth's surface. Then came the development of rockets, atomic reactors , and hydroelectric plants . The space creatures are attracted to these sources of energy of food. At night when there is no energy from sunlight, they go down into the lower levels in search of a meal. They may even drift into the range of human eyesight. This explains the fact that they have been sighted regularly from the earth since 1943. The theory says that during the daytime the space animals _ . A. glow brightly in the sky B. are invisible C. can be spotted from earth D. visit the earth's surface Answer: B Britain has laws to make sure that women have the same chances as men in education, jobs and training. But it's still unusual to find women doing dirty or heavy jobs. Nikki Henriques is a car _ engineer in London. She used to be a secretary. Barty Philips, a journalist with "The Observer", a Sunday newspaper, asked her why she wanted to work with cars. "My first reason was independence ," she said. "I also wanted to use my hands, and I like learning about how things work. Many people prefer to have a woman repair their cars, too." Nikki didn't find it easy to become a car maintenance engineer. She went to a Government Skill Centre--a special sort of college where people can learn a new job for twenty weeks. "For ten weeks I was the only woman among four hundred men, and some of them were rude to me. It was also very tiring--from 8 in the morning to 5 in the afternoon, with only 30 minutes for lunch." Now Nikki works free-lance, that is, she's self-employed, working for herself and not for a garage or a company. Barty Phillips also spoke to Rose, who works as a general builder in Sheffield, an industrial town in the north of England. Like Nikki, Rose used to be a secretary. "I didn't enjoy it at all." she said. "I wanted to do more practical work, and I wanted to be self-employed." Rose joined a women's building co-operative, and she learnt her job from other people and from experience. However, many of the women in her group have been specially trained. Most of the jobs they do are improvements to buildings and general repairs. "People often say, 'Oh, women aren't strong enough,' but I don't think strength is important." said Rose, "The important thing is to get used to doing a different sort of work." Rose would like more women to come into the building industry. "Everything built at the moment is a product of man's world. If women become builders, they will be able to understand the production of their house and their towns." According to Rose, a woman wishing to be a general builder _ . A. must be specially trained B. should be strong enough C. can learn her job either from others or by experience D. must get used to doing a different sort of work Answer: D
Body Language in the United States Most people shake hands and make eye contact when they meet people for the first time. Among very good friends, a woman may give another woman a little hug, and a man may kiss a woman quickly on the cheek. Males don't hug one another, which, however, is changing. Men usually shake hands with the right hand. Sometimes they use the left hand to either cover the handshake or lightly hold the other person's arm. This shows greater warmth and friendship. Most people wave hello or good -bye by extending the arm palm facing outward, and twisting the hand at the wrist. Another way is to raise the arm, palm outward, and move the whole arm and hand back and forth. This is important to know because in many other countries, the same movements mean "no". When people are waiting in a public place, such as the post office, they usually form lines. Some people get angry and complain if someone pushes their way into a line or jumps ahead of other people. Moreover, many women like men to open doors for them. They also like men to give up their seats on public transportation. However, some women do not like this type of behavior. They feel that men and women should be treated in the same way. In the United States, it's important to make direct eye contact in business and social situations. If you don't make eye contact, people will probably think that you are bored or not interested. If there is silence in these situations, people usually try to make conservation. Periods of silence make many people uncomfortable. People in the United States usually stand about one arm's length away from each other while talking or standing together. This space is called "the comfort zone". In the United States, mothers sometimes show that they are angry with children by shaking an index finger at them. People may show that they like children by patting them on the top of the head. Some women don't like to be offered a seat by men because _ . Answer: Hello! The University of Hawaii is located just outside of downtown Honolulu in green Manoa valley. We invite you to visit and want to let you know about our learning programs, the richness of our culture, the beauty of our environment, the spirit of our students and teachers, advanced equipment and modern buildings. We look forward to seeing you come. The following information is given so that your visit will be as easy as possible. You should get in touch with us ahead of time. You may directly contact the office of the College to schedule appointment service at 1-877-447-3233. To arrange a campus tour please hand in a request through our Online Campus Visit Request Form. Tours are on weekdays: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 9:00a.m. -- 9:30a.m.: Meet with a University Representative 9:30a.m. -- 11:30a.m.: General Campus Tour with a UHM (The University of Hawaii at Manoa) student Tuesday & Thursday 1:00p.m. -- 1:30p.m.: Meet with a University Representative 1:30p.m. -- 3:30p.m.: General Campus Tour with a UHM student You also can get in touch with us by: Phone Number: 1 (877) 447-3233, or 1 (808) 956-6524 E-mail: visituhm@hawaii.edu How do you get to UHM? It is in Honolulu less than 3 miles away from Waikiki and about 9 miles from Honolulu International Airport. By car: From Waikiki and from Honolulu International Airport Taxi: Taxi fare to UHM is about $25.00, except baggage charges and a tip of 10 to 15 percent. Public bus: Luggage is allowed on city buses. Bus stops are on the second floor of the airport. A one-way fare is $2.00 (in exact change). According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE? Answer: Our planet was born some billions of years ago. Ever since this planet has developed, it has surprised us human beings. No matter how much we human beings have developed technologically, we cannot ever create this kind of natural planet. The human race can only discover some amazing facts about it. Let us find out what some of them are. On September 13, 1922 El Azizia, a place in Libya, recorded a temperature of 136 degrees Fahrenheit. This was the highest temperature ever measured on the planet Earth. The highest waterfall in the world is Angel Falls in Venezuela, which drops from an amazing height of 3,212 feet. The waterfall drops over the edge of Auyantepui in the Canaima National Park. The gravitational pull of the Earth can be escaped if someone moves at a speed of 6.95 miles per second. At such a speed, one could travel from New York to Philadelphia in just 20 seconds. If the entire water in the world's oceans evaporated, the salt we got from these oceans could cover the entire planet with a 500-foot deep layer of salt. The deepest lake on Earth is Lake Baikal in Russia. Lake Baikal is the largest freshwater lake in the world, containing about 20% of the world's unfrozen surface fresh water. The Andes in South America spreads over 4,525 miles. This is the longest mountain range in the world. Did you know that the biggest valley in the world is the Grand Valley in Mesa County, Colorado and Grand County, Utah? It is about 30 miles (48 km) long and 5 miles (8 km) wide, along the Colorado River. The amazing facts about the earth are too many to be told completely above. Where is the longest mountain range in the world? Answer: Recently, a student used his Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) to film a female teacher scolding and tearing the work of a classmate. The public discussion that the incident caused started on the Internet. However, when it came to the media's attention, it quickly became a major topic in the education circles. The reactions so far suggest that the focus of the debate has been on one question: whom to blame? Teachers who are anxious to defend their professional dignity have tried to put the blame on the students. They mentioned their right to privacy )and for this reason they requested the Ministry of Education (MOE) to prohibit PDAs in schools. On the other hand, some parents and students have taken a different position. They feel that the teacher is also at fault. Caught up in the war of words between both sides, people are no longer interested in the "truth" of the matter which seems now unimportant. It was left to newspapers to discover the central point of the controversial issue, by stressing the problems that are not always easily noticed in our educational system. For those responsible for educating the young, this PDA incident conveys the message that "Times have changed",a reality that must have been felt even more strongly by the female teacher when reflecting on this unpleasant experience. Different times call for different professional approaches in education. The ability to understand the students they are teaching has always been the quality of successful teachers. Despite some factors, the incident shows that the teacher lacks good qualities on her part. Besides, the rules under current system to deal with recalcitrant students need to be improved. Also, it is an example which shows the issue we are familiar with: what to do with new technology? With PDA, the new technology, the interaction between the teacher and students in classroom has been changed. The author's purpose in writing this passage is to _ . Answer: A businesswoman, a mother of four, an international fashion icon , a woman committed to making the world a better place for women and children--Queen Rania of Jordan is truly changing the world. Rania was bom in Kuwait, in 1970.Shortly after Iraq invaded that country in 1990, her family fled and settled in Jordan.After graduating from a business school, Rania became successful in the business world. When she was just 22, she went to a dinner party that changed her life forever.It was there that she met Jordan' s Prince Abdullah.Six months later, Rania and Abdullah had a royal wedding and started a family. After the death of her father - in - law, King Hussein, in 1999, Prince Abdullah was crowned King Abdullah II of Jordan, and Rania became the world' s youngest living queen. In her role as Queen, Rania has become well known around the world for her charity work and her efforts to improve educational opportunities for girls.She is an outspoken advocate of women' s rights, education reform, and child abuse.She is also well - known for her efforts to remove Western stereotypes about the Muslim world. Rania explains that there is a direct relationship between increasing education and eliminating poverty." You can change the course of a nation through education," she says." One of the most important things you can do for a girl is empower her with her education.Once she has the education she can then have control over her income, she can change her life, she can have choices." In the future, Rania says, she hopes for a more open and secure world."We look at problems happening halfway across the world and we think,' Well, that' s their problem.' But it' s not," she says." When you solve somebody else' s problem, you are solving a problem for yourself, because our world today is so interconnected." The text mainly describes Rania as _ . Answer:
LOS ANGELES ----Disney's "The Lion King", one of the most successful animated films ever, will roar again this weekend with a 3D version that could put it back at the top of the box office with a very proud $12million. The 1994 version was the second highest box-office earning film of that year and ranks fourth on the all-time animated list with over $784 million. Hot on the heels of the box office success of "The Lion King 3D", Disney and Pixar are remaking four of their classic animated films in 3D versions for movie theaters. Encouraged by the success of "The Lion King 3D", the movie studio said it would release a 3D version of 1991 animated film. "Beauty and the Beast"in January 2012 for a limited run in movie theaters. It will be followed by Pixar's sea-adventure "Finding Nemo" in September 2012, the classic 1989 Disney romance "The Little Mermaid" in September 2013, following"Monsters, Inc." In January 2013. "Great stories and great characters are timeless, and at Disney we're lucky to have a treasure of both," said Alan Bergman, president of the Walt Disney Studios. "We're excited to give audiences of all ages the chance to experience these beloved stories in an exciting new way with 3D----and in the case of younger people, for the first time on the big screen," Bergman said in a statement. Since 1994, "The Lion King " has earned some $883 million at the worldwide box office, including recent sales from the 3D version of the beloved story of the African animal kingdom. Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Little Mermaid" have so far earned $380 million and $228 million worldwide. Pixar's 2001 hit"Monsters, Inc." made $526 million worldwide and the 2003 Oscar winning film "Finding Nemo" made more than $867million. What advantage does The Walt Disney Studio have over the others? Answer: There was once an animal named Eddy. He was not a dog, a bunny or a bear but a little kitten. Unlike the black, white and orange cats in his neighborhood, Eddy was a gray cat. He loved to go outside and run around the streets and the city. He liked to listen to the birds chirp and watch the children draw with chalk. He was a very smart and friendly kitten. Eddy was good at many things. He was good at hopping, running and playing. The thing Eddy was best at was climbing! His claws gripped trees hard which made it easy for him to pull himself up. Anyone who saw Eddy climb might think he was part monkey! Eddy also loved his family. When he wasn't outside he liked to sit with people when they would read, play with toys and eat. Eddy was a very lazy cat! He loved to sleep most of the day, at least 12 hours! His family could always count on him to be sleepy. What color was Eddy? Answer: My cousin Bob likes watching sports matches very much . He goes to the stadium to watch football matches at the weekend. He is also good at playing football. Now he is in the Football Club. Beckham is his favourite football player. When Bob is free, he always buys newspapers about sports. He watches sports news on TV,too. Bob's school is very big and beautiful. There is a football field, a tennis court and a swimming pool in it. He usually plays football with his friends after school. He wants to be a good football player. Bob wants to be a good _ player. Answer: Geography is the study of Earth and its climates. Scientists use it to study global warming and track the weather. Governments use it to learn where people live and work and to plan what to do with the land. It is now easier than ever to use geography because of a science called space technology. The United States launched its first satellite in 1958. Some space missions that followed were geographical studies. In fact, earth science is a big part of the work of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Astronauts looked out of the space shuttle. They decided to take photographs of Earth from their vantage point. Over the years, picture quality improved. Shuttle photography now shows land features, such as rivers. It can even show the streets of large cities. Photos of the same places at different times show how the land is changing. NASA does not use just photographs, though. In 1958 it launched TIROS (the Television Infrared Observation Satellite). This first use of a satellite to study Earth was effective in giving weather forecasts. It led to the creation of new space tools to use in geography. The Landsat Program began in 1972. This satellite sent detailed views of Earth from space. The pictures were so precise that scientists could count the number and kinds of crops in a field. Landsat showed where Earth's surface had faults along which earthquakes might happen. This information helped in the planning of new cities and factories. Landsat also made discoveries. In Antarctica it located ranges of unknown mountains. It pinpointed small lakes in Virginia that were no ton maps. Landsat, now more advanced, still flies today. Another space tool is Earth Observing-1 (EO-1). This spacecraft flies right behind Landsat. It takes pictures of the same sites. The two sets of pictures, viewed together, show how cities grow and how other places, such as rain forests, become smaller over time. This helps scientists learn how people affect geography. One of the newest space tools is the Geographical Information Systems (GIS). GIS is computer software that helps scientists to study Earth. GIS is different from earlier space tools. Businesses, schools, and even average people -- not just the government --can use it to show them how changes in the planet might affect them. Which of the following is true according to the passage? Answer: News Review APEC Blue People in Beijing got the saying after the APEC meeting in Beijing. It refers to the clear blue sky during the meeting. To get such a blue sky, many factories in Beijing and nearby cities stopped work, and the number of cars on the road was cut. A Warning Ticket A 24-year-old woman in Nanjing was given a warning ticket for eating food on the subway. Eating is not allowed on Nanjing subway. Up to now, 2,698 people have been punished because of their eating, smoking or selling goods on the subway. A Teacher-free Exam Recently, students at Ningbo Huamao Foreign Language School in Zhejiang took their mid-term exam -a teacher-free exam. After handing out the exam papers, the teachers left the classroom, leaving the students to take the exam without being watched. They only came back to collect the papers at the end. A Tomato Fight Do you want a tomato shower? Come to the "tomato fight" in Spain! Once every year, people in the town of Bunol throw tomatoes at each other. Don't worry. It's not a real fight. People do this only for fun. In the town of Bunol, Spain, people throw tomatoes at each other _ . Answer:
During the day we work and play, and at night we sleep. Our bodies rest while we are sleeping. In the morning we are ready to work and play again. When we are asleep, our bodies grow most. When children feel tired and angry, they usually need more sleep. We can get our lessons better, and we feel better, too, when we have enough sleep. Boys and girls, eight or nine years old, need ten hours of sleep every night. Our bodies need plenty of air when we sleep. If we do not get enough fresh air we wake up feeling tired. While in bed we must not cover our heads. If we do, our lungs will not get enough fresh air. If we open our windows at night we can have plenty of fresh air. Cool air is better than warm air. Boys and girls must get plenty of sleep if they want to grow and be strong. Which is the best air for us? _ air. A Hot B Cool C Warm D Dry Answer: B. Cool A student mixed salt and sugar. Which statement describes the physical properties of salt and sugar after they were mixed? A The sugar dissolved the salt. B The salt and sugar changed color. C The sugar and the salt were unchanged. D The salt and sugar formed a new material. Answer: C. The sugar and the salt were unchanged. Leeds Castle One of the most popular places of interest in Britain Opening times Open all year round except 7th and 8th November and Christmas Day(25th December)2014. 1 April to 30 September 2014 Open:10:30 am--5:30 pm; Gates close at 6pm 1 October 2014 to 31 March 2015 Open:10:30 am--4 pm ; Gates close at 5pm Prices Adults:PS16.50 Students:PS9.50 Children under 4:free What time does Leeds Castle close on 29th October? A 6 pm. B 6:30 pm. C 5:30 pm. D 5 pm. Answer: D. 5 pm. Tommy was a cowboy. He and his horse, Candy, lived by the Gentle River. The Gentle River was as clear as a mirror. One day, Tommy was riding Candy along the shore when he saw a fire in the distance. "Wow," Tommy said. "I wonder why there's a fire." Tommy and Candy went to see. The fire was deep in the hills, and it took a long time to get there. By the time they arrived, it was almost supper time. The fire was a campfire. There was a little girl at the fire. She was drawing pictures with crayons. "Hello," Tommy said. "What are you doing in the hills?" "I'm Lucy," the girl said. "I'm camping, but my tent got blown away by the wind. So I'm sitting by the fire and drawing pictures." "What are you drawing?" "I'm finishing up this drawing of a dragon," she said. Then she pointed at two drawings on the ground next to her. They were held in place with pebbles. "This is an elf," she said. "And this is a pony." "They're very pretty," Tommy said. "I'm Tommy, and this is Candy." "Pleased to meet you," Lucy said. "Would you like to draw with me? We can do a drawing of Candy together." "That would be fun," Tommy said. And so they sat down and drew a picture of Candy together. What was the Gentle River like? A a pony B a fire C a mirror D a horse Answer: C. a mirror Once there was a man who lied to eat mangoes. One day he decided to get the sweetest mango from the very top of the tree. Mangoes which are exposed to the sun the most are the sweetest. So he climbed up to the top, where the branches were thin. He managed to pick up a few sweet reddish fruits, but, in an attempt to climb down, he slipped and started falling towards the ground. Fortunately, he caught the branch as he was falling and remained helplessly hanging on the tree. Then he started to call nearby villagers for help. They immediately came with a ladder and sticks, but could do little to help him. Then after some time one calm and thoughtful person arrived - a well-known sage who lived in a simple hut nearby. People were very curious to see what he would do, as he was famous in solving many people's problems in the area and sometimes very complicated ones. He was silent for a minute and then picked up a stone and threw it at the hanging man. Everybody was surprised. The hanging mango lover started to shout: What are you doing?! Are you crazy? Do you want me to break my neck?" The sage was silent. Then he took another stone and threw it at the man. The man was very angry: "If I could just come down, I would show you!" That's what everybody wanted - that he came down. But how? Now everybody was tense, as to what would happen next! Some wanted to chastise the sage, but they didn't. The sage picked another stone and threw it again at the man, even more forcefully. Now the man on the tree was enraged and developed a great determination to come down and take revenge. He then used all his skill and strength and somehow reached the branches which were safe to start going down. And he made it! Everybody was amazed. However, the rescued man found the sage gone. He stood there, realizing that the man really sed him because he induced him to try his best and save himself. "I should be thankful and not angry." What does the story imply? A Anger saves one's life. B Wisdom does count. C Skill and strength count. D Anger is the biggest enemy. Answer: B. Wisdom does count.
Parents are not only looking for a unique name for their baby, but they also want a name that has a special meaning. American Indians usually have pretty interesting names. These names are given to them through various methods and usually by an elder. American Indians feel very strongly abouL naming their child, and it is almost treated like a ritual. In some American Indian cultures. they even hold a ceremony when they are to name a child Amcrican Indian children are usually named by an elder who could be eheir grandmother, grandfather. mother or father. The name given by the elder comes to them in many different forms such as charactcnstics of the person, dreams that the elder may have. or the name of a family member who has died It is also true that some Amerlcan Indians arc named after some sort of animal while others are named after nature Some tribes name their children after events that happen before thiir birth. Also in different tribes. two of the American Indians in the same tribe can't share the same name Once the person with the name has died. then the name may be used again. It is said that Amcrican Indians believe that they shoutd not address the baby by the name that they are given because if the name is too well-known. the child or baby may be called back to the spirit world; this is what causes many American Indians to be given nicknames . Many Amcrican Indians arc more commonly known by their nicknames instead of their names given at birth Why are American Indians given nicknames? A. It is not convenient to use their formal names B. They don't want to be famous in the tribes. C. Parents are afraid cheir child would die young. D. Nicknames are shortcr and easier to address. Answer: C Skin-diving is a new sport today. This sport take you into a wonderful new world. It is like a visit to the moon! When you are under water, it is easy for you to climb big rocks, because you are on longer heavy. Here, under water, everything is blue and green. During the day, there is plenty of light. When fish swims nearby, you can catch them with your hands. 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. To catch fish is one of the most interesting parts of this sport. Besides, there are more uses for Skin-diving. You can clean ships without taking them out of the water. You can get many things from the deep sea. Now you can see that Skin-diving is both useful and interesting. Which of the following statements is NOT true ? A. Skin-diving is a new sport. B. Skin-diving is like visiting the moon C. The only use of skin-diving is to have more fun. D. Skin-diving is not only interesting but useful. Answer: C Some trees can survive a long time without water. Think of trees that grow in the desert. But other trees may need more moisture than they can get from rainfall or from the air . Trees and other plants can look thirsty. Leaves can become weak and hang downward. They can also turn yellow. Yellowing can be a sign of too much water. But it can also be a warning sign of too little water. With a newly planted tree, the roots have not yet spread out from the root ball. The root ball can become dry faster than the dirt around it. So put water on the area of the root ball and the surrounding soil until the roots become established. Once a tree is well established, water deeply instead of watering often. The amount of water needed depends on the tree and the soil. Clay soils hold water for longer periods while sandy soil holds less water. During the hottest season, a deep watering may satisfy a tree for anywhere from ten days to four weeks. Ted Swiecki is a plant scientist . He says people should not water established trees at the base of the trunk . This can harm the tree. Too much water in the soil at the base of a tree can lead to the growth of fungi . If the area is too wet, harmful organisms have a better chance to invade the tree and cause disease. Mr. Swiecki says this is true especially in Mediterranean and semi-dry climates. Many trees in these climates have adapted to having a dry area near their base during the hottest season. He said, "Water displaces (,)air in the soil. And roots are aerobic ; they require oxygen for the soil to function properly. So if you keep the soil completely wet and there's no air there, then the roots are starving for oxygen." As to a well-established tree, _ . A. watering deeply matters more than watering often B. we should water them as often as possible C. its roots have not spread out from the root ball yet D. a deep watering satisfies it for at most ten days in cold weather Answer: A Kate's parents planned a family trip to Europe! This would be Kate's first big vacation out of America. She loves to be on planes. The plane ride was fun and they landed in Paris, France. They went to the Eiffel Tower and the Seine River. Kate even learned how to say hello in French! They ate delicious food. Then they took a train to London, England. They drank tea and toast and went to see art. Then they took another plane to Spain. They went to the beach and ate delicious Spanish food. Spanish food was her favorite so far. A new friend taught her "Hola," which is hello in Spanish. Finally, they went to Italy. They ate pasta and pizza and saw the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Her mom took a funny picture of her pretending to hold the tower. She learned to say hello in Italian, too. Kate had such a fun time on her vacation. She took a lot of pictures and then made a photo album to show to her friends at school. Kate wants to go back to Europe one day. She loves to travel and see new and different places. Which country's food did Kate enjoy the most? A. England B. Spain C. France D. Italy Answer: B Hours & Admission Open Daily 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. except major holidays (see below) July and August only - Thursdays until 7:00 p.m. Please Note: all MIT Museum sites are wheelchair accessible. Admission beginning July l, 2013 Adults: $10.00; youth under 18, students, seniors: $5:00; children under age 5: free Admission is free the last Sunday of each month, all day, from September 2013 -June 2014 Evening programs are free with Museum Admission Visit our Partner Organizations pages for more information about discounts . Closed, 2013: January l: New Year's Day May 27: Memorial Day July 4: Independence Day September 2: Labor Day November 28: Thanksgiving Day December 24 & 25: Christmas Eve & Christmas Day December 31: Early Closing for New Year's Day You won't be refused at the door if you go there at _ . A. Thanksgiving Day B. Christmas Day C. 6 p.m. on a Thursday of July D. 6 p.m. on a Tuesday of August Answer: C
Question: The fact that blind people can see things using parts of their bodies apart from their eyes may help us to understand our feelings about color.If they can sense color differences, then perhaps we, too, are affected by color without knowing it.Salesmen have discovered by experience over a long period of time that sugar sells badly in green wrappings, that blue foods are considered not agreeable to the taste, and that cosmetics should never be packed in brown.These discoveries have grown into a whole subject of color psychology. Some of our preferences are clearly psychological.Dark blue is the color of the night sky and therefore connected with calm, while yellow is a day color connected with energy and encouragement.Experiments have shown that colors, partly because they are connected with psychology, also have a direct effect on people's mind.People in bright red surroundings show an increase in breathing speed, heartbeat and blood pressure.Red is exciting.Pure blue has exactly the opposite effect; it is a calming color.Being exciting, red was chosen as the signal for danger, but a closer study shows that a bright yellow can produce a more basic state of alarm, so fire engines in some advanced areas are now rushing around in bright yellow colors that stop buses, trucks and cars. It can be inferred from the passage that _ . A. blind people cannot sense color differences B. foods sell well in green or blue wrappings C. w hat color we prefer depends on our state of mind D. a bright color has exactly the opposite effect to red Answer: C Question: Nigel is our new next-door neighbour. He's a pilot . He was in the R.F.A. He will fly to New York next month. The month after next he'll fly to Tokyo. At the moment, he's in Madrid. He flew to Spain a week ago. He'll return to London the week after next . He's only forty-one years old, and he has already been to nearly every country in the world. Nigel is a very lucky man. But his wife isn't very lucky. She usually stays at home! _ Nigel will fly to Tokyo. A. Next month B. The month after next C. A week before D. We don't know in the text. Answer: B Question: Snow can be very beautiful. When snow covers everything around you , the world looks like a "Winter Wonderland". That is the name of a very popular song about winter. Richard Smith and Felix Bernard wrote the song in 1934. But winter is not always such a beautiful and happy time. It is cold outside.The wind blows and makes it even colder. The days are shorter and darker. The sun rarely shines. The leaves on the trees are brown or have fallen to the ground. The flowers are mostly gone. It is not surprising that some people are sad in winter. And some people dream about being somewhere else where it is warm and pretty----like the state of California. The Mamas and the Papas recorded their famous song, "California Dreaming" in 1965. During the 1960s, many other famous rock groups sang songs about winter. Here is a song by Simon and Garfunkel called "A Hazy Shade of Winter". They sing about life and hope. In 1968, the group Blood, Sweat and Tears recorded this gentle, sad song about winter. They sing about a lost love and forgotten memories in "Sometimes in Winter". Gordon Lightfoot wrote and recorded another sad and lovely song about winter in 1975.Sarah McLachlan recorded "Song for a Winter's Night" for an album in 2006.She sings about reading a love letter and wishing the writer were with her. Finally, on a lovely note, we leave you this sad song by Wayne. What do we learn about the song "Sometimes in Winter" from the passage? A. It was written for Sarah McLachlan . B. Gordon Lightfoot made some changes to it. C. It is a gentle and sad song about winter. D. It first came out in the 1970s. Answer: C Question: The sound of the rain hitting the windows wakes me up and it sounds just exactly as it did 15 years ago, which reminded me of my girlhood. It was my second day of school and it was raining heavily. I could not resist the habit I had at home, so I fell asleep right at my desk. I woke up to find myself not in the classroom but carried on Dad's back. We were halfway home. It was the last time I felt close to him. After that, he never carried me or hugged me as other fathers did to their children. I was not bothered much by this thought. I was proud of it, for I felt independent and "grown up." However, there were times when I felt depressed by not having sought comfort from him. One day, I was writing Chinese characters as homework. I hated doing this more than anything. Dad came and stood behind me for a moment, watching me scratching the paper. Then he said, "This kind of writing needs patience. Your writing is not strong enough. Press harder." I follow his advice for the next two words, but as I could see little improvement, I followed my own method----the fast way. His advice did not improve my writing but our relationship. As I grew older, I found out that he had finished his schooling in Grade 6, which was the highest grade in the town then, so he was considered to be a scholar. People used to ask him to write something to put on the walls, but he never felt very useful. He often said to me, "As you can see, this family is going to count on you. We are useless to improve you anything for your future.You have to get an education to change the life for yourself." As a result of his expectation, I have made it through high school and through college. What was the author's purpose in writing this passage? A. to introduce her father. B. to demonstrate people her attitude toward life. C. to encourage people to follow their fathers' suggestions. D. to show what matters to her personal development. Answer: D Question: One day Frank was walking with his mother when they came to a pretty garden. Frank looked in, and saw that it had clean gravel walks and beautiful flowers. He called to his mother and said, "Mum, come and look at this pretty garden. I wish I might open the gate, and walk in." The gardener heard what Frank said, and kindly invited him and his mother to come into the garden. Frank's mother thanked the man. Then she said to her son, "Frank, if I take you to walk in this garden, you must take care not to meddle with anything in it." Frank walked along the tidy gravel walks, and looked at everything, but touched nothing that he saw. He did not step on any of the borders , and was careful that his clothes should not brush the tops of the flowers so that he might not break them. The gardener was much pleased with Frank, because he was so careful to behave well. He showed him the seeds, and told him the name of many of the flowers and plants. While Frank was admiring the beauty of a flower, a little boy came to the gate, and finding it locked. He shook it hard, but it would not open. Then he said, "Let me in. Let me in. Will you not let me in this garden?" "No," said the gardener, "1 will not let you in, Tom. When I let you in yesterday, you meddled with my flowers, and pulled some of my fruit. I do not choose to let a boy into my garden who meddles with the plants." Tom looked ashamed, and when he found that the gardener would not let him in, he went slowly away. Frank saw and felt how much happier a boy may be by not meddling with what does not belong to him. He and his mother then continued their walk in the garden, and enjoyed the day very much. Before they left, the gardener gave each of them some pretty flowers. We can learn from the story that_. A. it is bad manners to break flowers B. you'll be happy if you're friendly to others C. no one wants to make friends with selfish people D. you may be happy if you don't meddle with the things of others Answer: D
When Sally Ride was ten years old, she had no idea that she would some day grow up to be one of America's first woman astronauts. In fact, if you had asked her then what wanted to be, she would have said, " I want to play shortstop for the Los Angeles Dodgers." Sally collected baseball cards by the boxful, and she knew the name and batting average of every player in the National League. But major league baseball didn't seem much of a possibility for a girl, even an athletic one like Sally, so her father and mother talked her into taking tennis lessons when she was twelve. At first she hated to trade in her baseball bat for a tennis racket, but it wasn't long before she started to win tournaments in her new sport. " Tennis became much more fun when I started winning," Sally remembers. Soon a row of trophies replaced her box of baseball cards, and tennis star Billie Jean King replaced Dodger shortstop Maury Wills as her sports idol. Sally first became interested in the space program in 1962 when astronaut John Glenn orbited the earth in his Mercury space capsule. Sally was ten years old at the time, but she remembers the launch and the splashdown as if they happened yesterday. The girl who used to memorize batting averages became a space fan. She quickly learned the name of every NASA astronaut(there were only eight of them in 1962), the date of every launch, and the name and number of every spacecraft from Freedom 7 to Skylab 3. She could tell you the speed of light (186,300 miles per second), the distance to the moon (238,860 miles), and the names of the three nearest stars( the Sun, Alpha Centauri, and Barnard's Star). By the time she was sixteen, Sally had decided to become an astrophysicist, a scientist who studies space. She had also become a nationally ranked tennis player. She remembers yawning through an important tennis match on June 20, 1969, after staying up all night to watch Neil Armstrong's first steps on the moon. Sally lost the match. As Sally got older, many of her friends started playing professional tennis. Some of them tried to talk her into quitting school to join them on the professional tennis circuit. But Sally said no. " Black holes are more interesting to me than backhands," she told them. Now she knows that she made the right choice, but in 1970 Sally had no way of knowing that NASA would open the space program to women. At the age of twelve, Sally Ride _ . A. was interested in playing tennis B. was persuaded into taking tennis training C. began to become interested in space D. decided to become an astrophysicist Answer: B. was persuaded into taking tennis training High in the mountains, and deep in the forest, lives a lake with many plants and animals in and around her. The plants and animals have enough food and clean water to keep them healthy. The wind carries air, and the rain comes down clear and clean. But recently, Lucy Lake and her friends haven't been feeling very well. All the plants and animals get together to talk about the problem. "Why are we sick?" "What can we do?" ask all of them. No one has any answers. Just then two hikers appear. The animals tell them about their problems. "Can you help us?" they ask. "Yes," one hiker says. "I think it's because of acid rain." "Acid rain comes from chemicals in the air. The pollution comes from factories, cars and trucks." "So, although I don't want to, I help the pollution travel through the air!" says the wind. "And I carry it to the land!" cries the rain. "If you can help us think of some solutions , we will send a message to tell people how to clean up our environment," one hiker says. With the help of the plants and animals, the two hikers make a list of ideas for saving Lucy Lake and her friends. Time passes, and the forest and lake begin to feel a little better. The next time the hikers climb up the mountains to Lucy Lake, they smile at what they find. "We're glad things have started to change," one hiker says. "And we're glad helped us make a difference," says the other. Which of the following is NOT true? A. Acid rain is very harmful only to plants and animals. B. Human activities are the main cause of acid rain. C. Acid rain can make the living things in the environment get sick. D. We should clean up our environment to protect us against acid rain. Answer: A. Acid rain is very harmful only to plants and animals. Most of us think that when we step under a shower we're getting clean.We are, but we're also giving a home to lots of tiny little creatures we didn't even know about. A showerhead carries thousands of bacteria called Mycobacterium.These can cause problems like coughs and tiredness, and a general feeling of poorliness .When you turn on the water, the bacteria go from the showerhead onto and into your body. This is a finding of Norman R.Pace and his team at the University of Colorado, in the US.The scientists investigated bacteria in all kinds of human environment, including showers. Pace's team looked at 45 showerheads in nine American cities.They discovered that 30 percent of them had large amounts of flying Mycobacterium. But Pace said that they pose few threats to the health.Only those with a frail immune system might need to worry. He told the New York Times that the bactertia are not as unpleasant as might be thought.He said that having a shower is no more dangerous than anything else we do in the morning. But for those who feel sick about the idea of all those microorganisms , he had some advice. Let the water run for 30 seconds before getting into the shower.Why? The number of bacteria is smaller than when the water is just turned on.If that seems like a waste of water, he added that you could also change your showerhead every few months. But Pace had good news too.He has also been testing the air in US subways.Apart from iron particles , which are ground off the track by the wheels of trains, subway air is fresh.The reason is that a train's movement pumps fresh outdoor air into the tunnels . Pace explained that he wanted to understand the natural microbial environments of public places.This kind of knowledge might help _ the microbes to be used in a bioterrorist attack. According to the research of Pace's team, which of the following contributes to fresh air in US subways? A. Train wheels. B. Iron particles. C. The movement of the trains. D. Air conditioners on the trains. Answer: C. The movement of the trains. If you think American cooking means opening a package and throwing the contents into the microwave oven , think again. On the one hand, it's true that many Americans have cold cereal for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch and instant dinners. From busy homemakers to working people, many Americans enjoy the convenience of fast food that can be ready to serve in 10 minutes or less. On the other hand, many Americans realize the importance of cooking skills. Parents -- especially mothers -- see the importance of training their children -- especially daughters. Most Americans think that there's nothing better than a good home-cooked meal. _ . Probably every cook has his or her own way of cooking. But there are some basic skills that most people follow. For example, baking is a main method of preparing food in America. For that reason, Americans would find it next to impossible to live without an oven. American cooks pay special attention to the balance of foods, too. In planning a big meal they try to include meat, a few vegetables, some bread and often a dessert. They also like to make sure the meal is colorful. Having several different colors of food on the plate usually makes for a healthy meal. For those who need guidance in their cooking, or for those who have just run out of ideas, recipes are a great help. Recipes list all the ingredients for a dish (generally in the order used), the amount of each to use, and a description of how to put them together. Many Americans have cold cereal for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch and instant dinner because _ . A. they like instant food very much B. they don't like cooking at all C. most American working people are busy and don't have time to cook D. fast food is delicious and it usually contains a lot of vitamins Answer: C. most American working people are busy and don't have time to cook Apple is known for offering the best customer service in the consumer technology market, such as Lenovo, Google and Nokia, in customer satisfaction surveys every year . A particular story tells of how an Apple store manager broke a rule to earn a new, 10-year-old customer for life. Matt tells us this touching story: My daughter has been saving her birthday money and allowance for almost 9 months so that she could afford an iPod touch with a camera in it. As of this morning, she had saved the amount needed and headed to an Apple store in Utah with my wife. They arrived at 10:30 am, not realizing that the store would be closed from 11 am to 2 am that day. As they approach the store, two friendly Apple employees greeted them and said they were sorry, but they were closed. My wife pointed to my daughter who had a mason jar full of cash in her arms and explained why they were there and also pointed out that it was not quite 11 am yet. They again said they were sorry, but could not let them in. My wife and daughter were sad and regretful, but understood and made their way to another store in the mall. About three stores down, an Apple employee raced after them and explained that the manager was going to make an exception and let them in. Every one of the employees stopped what they were doing as my daughter approached the register. As she took all of the cash out of the mason jar, one employee stepped forward and said, "I don't mean to bother you, but I have to tell you that this made my day wonderful." After the transaction , my daughter and wife were on their way out, the store manager raised his voice and said to all of the employees, "Everyone, please give a round of applause for saving her money and buying an iPod today." What is the text mainly about ? A. A good example on how to bargain with an Apple employee. B. How a girl and her mother tried to buy what they wanted. C. A touching story about how Apple earned a new customer for life. D. The reason why a girl wanted to buy an Apple product. Answer: C. A touching story about how Apple earned a new customer for life.
Question: In animal skin tissue, cell division is responsible for A. growth and repair B. sexual reproduction C. obtaining energy D. production of sex cells Answer: A Question: Sing the Language You're Learning How can you remember a song from your childhood to this day? Why do your teachers use songs to teach you English? It seems there is a scientific reason for this. Researchers are now studying the relationship between music and remembering a foreign language. They find that remembering words in a song is the best way to remember even the most difficult language. "Singing could be a new way of learning a foreign language. The brain likes to remember things when they are used in a _ and meaningful way", said Dr, Karen Ludke. The findings may help those who have difficulties learning foreign languages. On his blog, Dr. Ludke writes, "A listen-and-repeat singing method can support foreign language learning, and opens the door for future research in this area." Many language teachers know the value of using music and singing. Hua Zhuying, a teacher at a Chinese language school in Washington, D.C. depends heavily on songs in teaching Chinese. She says, "I use music all the time to teach children Chinese. For little kids usually we use the music. Not only does it work, but it is fun for kids." "Sometimes, I think if I were taught English that way, maybe I could speak much better English than now," Hua Zhuying adds. Our brain likes music, especially for remembering. So, if you're still struggling in learning a language, why not try singing it out ? From the passage, we know that Hua Zhuying _ . A. is interested in writing English songs B. teaches children English by using music C. teaches Chinese in an American school D. is a researcher in a language school Answer: C Question: Santa Claus is someone who will remain in the hearts of children forever. Santa C1aus also has some other names: Saint Nicholas, St. Nick, Kris Kringle, Pelznickel. Two of his names-Santa Claus and Saint Nicholas-both come from the Dutch who settled in New York long ago. The Dutch honored this kindly saint with a yearly festival on December sixth. The Dutch spoke the name "Saint Nikolas" very fast. It sounded like "sinterklaas". And so, when the English said this word, it sounded like "Santa Claus". West of New York, in Pennsylvania, many German farmers had also heard of Saint Nikolas. But they cal1ed him "Pelznickel". This word came from "pelz", meaning fur, and "nickel" for Nicholas. So, to the Germans of Pennsylvania,"Pelznickel" was a man dressed in fur who came once a year with gifts for good children. Soon, people began to feel that the 1ove and kindness Pelznickel brought should be part of a celebration honoring the "Christkindl", as the Germans ca1led the Christ child. After a time, this became Kris Kringle. Later, Kris Kringle became another name for Santa Claus himself. Whatever he is called, he is still the same short, fat, jolly old man with a long beard, wearing a red suit with white fur. The picture of Santa Claus as we see him came from Thomas Nast. He was an American painter born in Bavaria. Someone asked him to paint a picture of Santa Claus. Nast remembered when he was a little boy in southern Germany Every Christmas, a fat old man gave toys and cakes to the children. So, when Nast painted the picture, his Santa Claus looked like the kindly old man of his childhood. And through the years, Nast's painting has remained as the most popular picture of Santa Claus. Santa can be seen almost everywhere. It is easy to find them by the long lines of children waiting to tell Santa what they want for Christmas. What did the term "Kris Kringle" originally refer to? A. A German festival. B. Good child. C. Love and kindness. D. A kind of fur. Answer: B Question: Air pollution by sources ranging from cooking fires to auto fumes contributed to an estimated seven million deaths worldwide in 2012, the UN health agency has said. "Air pollution, and we're talking about both indoors and outdoors, is now the biggest environmental health problem, and _ is affecting everyone, both developed and developing countries," said Maria Neira, the World Health Organisation's public and environmental health chief. Globally, pollution was linked to one death in eight in 2012, new WHO research found. The biggest pollution-related killers were heart disease, stroke, pulmonary disease and lung cancer. The hardest-hit regions of the globe were what the WHO labels Southeast Asia, which includes India and Indonesia, and the Western Pacific, ranging from China and South Korea to Japan and the Philippines. Together, they accounted for 5.9 million deaths. The global death toll included 4.3 million deaths due to indoor air pollution, chiefly caused by cooking over coal, wood and biomass stoves. The toll from outdoor pollution was 3.7 million, with sources ranging from coal heating fires to diesel engines. Many people are exposed to both indoor and outdoor pollution, the WHO said, and due to that overlap the separate death toll attributed to the two sources cannot simply be added together, hence the figure of seven million deaths. The new figure is "shocking and worrying", Ms Neira told reporters. When it last released an estimate for deaths related to air pollution, in 2008, the agency had put the figure related to outdoor pollution at 1.3 million, while the number blamed on indoor pollution was 1.9 million. But a change in research methods makes comparison difficult between the 2008 estimate and the 2012 figures, Neira said. In the past, for example, the WHO did not take into account the overlap between exposure to both forms, and only assessed urban pollution. Satellite imagery has made it easier to assess rural pollution, and new knowledge about the health impact of exposure has enabled a better count. "The risks from air pollution are now far greater than previously thought or understood, particularly for heart disease and strokes," said Neira. "Few risks have a greater impact on global health today than air pollution. The evidence signals the need for concerted action to clean up the air we all breathe." According to the WHO, some 2.9 billion people in poor nations live in homes that use fires as their principle method of cooking and heating. Carlos Dora, the WHO's public and environmental health coordinator, said that turned homes into "combustion chambers". Simple measures to stem the impact include so-called "clean cook stoves", which are a low-tech option, as well as improved ventilation, he said. Countries also need to rethink policies, Mr Dora said, pointing to the impact in the developed world of a shift to cleaner power sources, more efficient management of energy demand, and technical strides in the auto industry. He also said transport policies needed a shake-up. With air pollution having sparked a recent scare in France, leading to restrictions on car use and the temporary scrapping of public transport fees in Paris, Mr Dora said such measures could be applied in the longer term. "You can't buy clean air in a bottle," he said."The air is a shared resource. In order to breathe clean air, we have to have interventions in the areas that pollute air." The WHO said it planned by the end of this year to release a ranking of the world's 1,600 most polluted cities. The death toll in 2008 can hardly compare with that in 2012 because _ . A. the death toll included 4.3 million deaths due to indoor air pollution. B. in 2008 the WHO only assessed rural pollution. C. the research methods changed. D. the risks from air pollution are now far greater than previously thought. Answer: C Question: At least once a month one of my little kind kids and I try to have a father and daughter date night. Last night we were out for diner together after doing some fun things. We talked about some of her kind activities she did at school for their 100 Acts of Kindness challenge her class had. It was great to listen to the little things she and her classmates did to spread kindness. Many times on our date night we try to do an act of our own, as she is often my sidekick on our kindness adventures. My later smile card is one about anonymously buying a stranger's meal so I asked Rachel if we should find someone in the restaurant and buy their dinner. She loved the idea so we chose an older couple sitting behind us. I had a few Smile Cards on me (as always!) so we separately told our server our plan. He was new and wasn't sure how to do it but said he would go and find out. When he dropped off the checks, she smiled at us and told us he would give them the Smile Cards and that the world needed more people like us. Rachel got the biggest smile on her face when he said that to her and I love that he helped remind her that kindness matters. My daughter normally likes to stay and watch the reactions of our kindness "victims" but we had to get going. When we got home she was so excited to tell her Mom about what we did. My wife told Rachel how nice that was and how it would spread many smiles with the server, his manager, the couple and anyone else they told about the experience. We love any ripple of kindness we can send out into the world and I'm sure we made the couple smile with that one last night! How did Father feel when he heard the kindness activities his daughter did at school? A. Delighted B. Interested C. Encouraged D. Depressed Answer: A
No opera smells of the sea quite like Britten's Peter Grimes. The music makes us constantly aware of the sea's immensity, it's potential for threat, and the play of light on its waves. But the sea isn't just a special background, it weighs on the lives of the characters, offering them a living, but at a price. In the first act the laboured sound of the strings evokes the complete heaviness of the sailor's work, as they haul the boats up the shingle . Then a storm gathers which rages through the scene at the Inn, and stirs up an orchestral hurricane. Even when it's calm and favorable, the sea is inescapable. In the comfortable enclosed world of the opera house, this can only be suggested. In the production of Peter Grimes about to open at the Aldeburgh Festival, it will be really present, because the opera is taking place on the beach, the setting for much of the narrative of Britten's opera, and also the poem by the Suffolk poet George Crabbe that inspired it. This won't be the first opera production to be set in the actual landscape in which the action takes place. There's a well-known filmed production of Tosca shot in Castel Gandolfo in Rome, and a production of Donizetti's Anna Bolena was once mounted in the moat surrounding the Tower of London. But those were manageable urban landscapes, with comfortingly solid buildings to act as wind shields and acoustic blocks. On the Aldeburgh beach there's actually nothing, apart from a few boats, some whole, some wrecked. Here anything more complicated than walking the dog is hard to solve. The wind blows away one's words, so conversation is hard, and anything not tied down tends to blow away. The sliding shingle turns one's steps into a drunken stagger. The idea of performing an opera in these conditions seems quite _ -- an accusation Aldeburgh director Jonathan Reakie takes cheerfully on the chin. Why has he done it? "Well, Grimes is the opera of Britten's that's most associated with Aldeburgh, but it's never been produced at the Festival which he founded. There just isn't the space for it. In his anniversary year we wanted to focus on Britten's connection with Suffolk, and this seemed the boldest way to do it." Having had the mad idea, Reakie found his colleagues were not just accepting, but enthusiastic. "We spent a long time thinking about ways to do it. One idea we had was to do all the scenes at the right time of day. There's one scene at dawn, another at midday, and a lot of action at night, but that was too complicated. Then we thought about doing a few scenes on the beach. But in the end, we thought hell, let's just do the whole thing." Reakie's partners' attitude towards his opera on a beach is _ . Answer: BEIJING, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- Commander-in-chief of China's manned space program Chang Wanquan announced Thursday night that the launch of Tiangong-1 space lab module is successful. China's first space lab module Tiangong-1 blasted off at 9:16 p.m. Beijing Time (1316 GMT) Thursday from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest desert area. The unmanned module, carried by Long March-2FT1 rocket, will test space docking with a spacecraft later this year, _ the way for China to become the third country in the world to operate a permanent space station around 2020. The Tiangong-1 will orbit the Earth for about one month to await Shenzhou-8 unmanned spacecraft. Once the two vehicles successfully rendezvous , they will conduct the first space docking at a height of 340 kilometers above Earth surface. After two docking tests, Tiangong-1 will await Shenzhou-9 and Shenzhou-10 in the next two years, according to a plan of China's manned space program. The 8.5-tonne Tiangong-1, with a length of 10.4 meters and maximum diameter of 3.35 meters, provides a room of 15 cubic meters for two to three astronauts to live and work. Zhang Shancong, deputy chief designer of the Tiangong-1, told Xinhua that the module carries special cameras which will take hyperspectral images of China's vast farmlands to detect heavy metal pollution and pesticide residue as well as plant disease. Moreover, scientists on the ground will also conduct experiments on photonic crystal , a new material expected to revolutionize information technology, in the low-gravity environment inside the Tiangong-1 as these experiments would be extremely difficult to conduct on Earth's surface. "China is clearly becoming a global power and its investments in areas like technology and space exploration reflect this," said Peter Singer, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Brookings Institution. "It is a natural result of the growth in political and economic power and is to be expected," said Zhou Jianping, chief designer of China's manned space program, "China will turn its future space station into an international platform for space research and application. A space station could provide a low-gravity environment for research on geography, astronomy and bio-technology, which will bring unimaginably greater achievements than those conducted on Earth's surface. " "The Chinese nation has pursued peace since ancient times," Zhou also said, "China's ultimate intention with the space program is to explore space resources and make use of them for mankind's well-being." Tiangong-1 will do the following things in the future Except that it will _ . Answer: Brownie and Spotty were neighbor dogs who met every day to play together. These two loved each other and played together so often that they had worn a path through the grass of the field between their respective houses. One evening, Brownie's family noticed that Brownie hadn't returned home. They went looking for him with no success and by the next week he was still missing. Curiously, Spotty showed up at Brownie's house alone. Barking, whining and generally pestering Brownie's human family. Busy with their own lives, they just ignored the nervous little neighbor dog. Continuously,Ted, Brownie's owner, was disturbed by the angry, determined little dog. Spotty followed Ted about, barking insistently, then rushing toward a nearby empty lot and back, as if to say, "Follow me! It's urgent!" Eventually, Ted followed Spotty to a deserted spot half a mile from the house. There Ted found his beloved Brownie alive, one of his hind legs crushed in a steel leghold trap. Horrified, Ted now wished he'd taken Spotty's earlier appeals seriously. Then Ted noticed something quite remarkable. Spotty had done more than simply led Brownie's human owner to his trapped friend. In a circle around the injured dog, Ted found an array of dog food and table scraps which were later identified as the remains of every meal Spotty had been fed that week! Spotty had been visiting Brownie regularly, in the hope of keeping his friend alive by sacrificing his own comfort. Spotty had evidently stayed with Brownie to protect him from hunger and other dangers, and keep his spirits up. Brownie's leg was treated by a veterinarian and he recovered. For many years thereafter, the two families watched the faithful friends chasing each other down that well worn path between their houses. Why did Ted pay little attention to Spotty at the very beginning? Answer: My son Paul got a job in a large chain of guitar stores. It was the first time for him to do such a job. The pay was based on a small salary and his sales. They offered him some training on how to get close to a customer, introduce the product and make the sale. However, he wasn't doing well. He was very _ . One morning Paul said to me, "Mum, you used to be a sales trainer. Can you tell me why I'm not doing well?" I said, "The key is that you must love the people you are selling your product to, not count the money you will make in your mind. Do what is best for them even though they are just buying something small or a cheap guitar." He promised he would try it. After some time, his sales began to increase. He became the top salesman in the store and his salary was increased. Within six months, he was one of the top ten salespeople in the whole chains of guitar stores around the country. His company held a big party to honor the top ten salespeople. New cars, great hotels and delicious dinners were the prizes. Paul was of course included. After the dinner, the boss of the company asked, "Paul, how did you make it?" Paul answered, " I don't want to tell you. You won't believe me." "Of course I'll believe you. Tell me." "I started loving the people who came in," Paul told him. The boss replied, "Okay Paul, now tell me how you REALLY make it." His mother suggested that Paul should _ . Answer: World War II lasted from 1939 to 1945. Life changed for everybody, including women and children because of the war. Millions of people lost their lives during the war. The Diary of a Young Girl was a record of that time. The book was written by a girl named Anne Frank. Anne Frank was born in Germany in June 1929. Because the German Nazi hated the Jews and warned to kill them, her family had to move to another country. In July 1942, they went into hiding in a secret place in her father's office. During that difficult time, Anne kept writing diaries until she and her family were discovered by the Nazis in August 1944. They were caught and sent to a Nazi camp. The next year, her mother died. In the same year, she and her elder sister died of illness, before the war ended. After the war, her father collected her diaries and the book The Diary of a Young Girl came out in 1947. It has been put into over 30 languages since then. The book has been read by people all over the world. In her diary, Anne wrote down her thoughts, her feelings, her hopes and her dreams for the future, "I want the diary to be my friend, and I'm going to call this friend Kitty." "I can't spend all day complaining because it's impossible to have any fun! ... Every day, I feel the beauty of nature and the goodness of the people around me. With all that, why should 1 be sad?" The Diary of a Young Girl has also become a symbol of the greatness of the human spirit. It is called one of the wisest and most moving records on war. From the passage, we can infer _ . Answer:
I had worked long and hard on this project. Knowing it was finally completed gave me great satisfaction. "Perfect!"I said "Now, all I have to do is to keep the dogs off it."I went about setting . Up barriers using old fence, deck chairs, planters, and anything I could find so as to avoid footprints both on the oil paint and our carpet . It worked perfectly . Just before returning to the house and to a much needed shower, I took one last look at this fine work of art. "What is that?"I said. "Where did that come from ?" Clearly marked and evenly spaced across the entire area, the tiny marks ran in straight lines. .I carefully stepped to our flower garden. It was there I found several of the small markings. Now, almost frozen in place by this shocking discovery, I remained in position so as to prevent further damage to my work.. Just then, off to my left, it appeared. A chipmunk . He was as surprised as I was . We stood there face to face looking at each other, wondering who would make the first move . The warm , humid air was now getting the best of me . Sweat now ran freely over my head, and in poor timing into my eyes . I reached up to rub them and when I opened my eyes he was gone . My only satisfaction was in thinking that when he returned home he tracked oily footprints into his own home . And , hoping he was married , his wife would not let him live it down for the rest of his life . I stood up, shook my head, laughing about it and walking into my house. Yes, I tracked oil on the carpet. I am married. My wife will not let me live it down for the rest of my life . What did the author do to the chipmunk ? Answer: Though my career as a banker was financially rewarding, I was never content with the work. I was annoyed by my workmates' coldness and endless counting. Gradually, I began to envy my wife Julie's teaching career, which was full of passion and challenges. However, I admitted that leaving a secure(, ) position and going to school needed courage. One winter evening I heard Julie complaining about a student's bad academic performance. She said, "Baxter used to do his homework very well, but it has dropped recently." The next evening when I arrived home, Julie asked, "Will you drive me to Baxter's house? I want to talk with his family about his homework." After an hour, a hut stood before us. Baxter was busy gathering firewood in the front yard. Seeing us, Baxter was surprised, but greeted us happily. Julie asked, "Where are your parents?" Baxter said they were not in. We found that it was dark in the hut. On our way home, Julie cried, "His work was good in the early autumn when the days were longer. But now, in the dark, he can't do his homework." Then she decided to help him so that he could focus on his studies. I was moved by her kindness and I wanted to help poor students. At the end of the month, I said goodbye to the bank. Now I am teaching the students and I love my job. Why did the writer envy his wife's teaching career? Because _ . Answer: Mouth bacteria grow fast in airless conditions. Oxygen rich saliva keeps their numbers down. When we sleep, for example, the saliva stream slows, and sulfur producing bacteria gains the upper hand, producing classic "morning breath". Alcohol drinking, too much talking, breathing through the mouth during exercise, anything that dries the mouth produces bad breath. So can stress, though it's not understood why. Some people's breath turns sour every time they go on a job interview. Saliva flow gradually slows with age, which explains why the elderly have more bad breath trouble than younger people do. Babies, however, who make plenty of saliva and whose mouths contain ly few bacteria have characteristically sweet breath. For most of us, the simple, dry mouth variety of bad breath is easily cured. Eating or drinking starts saliva and sweeps away many of the bacteria. Breakfast often stops morning breath. Those with constant dry mouth find that it helps to keep gum, hard candy, or a bottle of water or juice around. Brushing the teeth wipes out dry mouth bad breath because it clears away many of the offending bacteria. Surprisingly, one thing that rarely works is mouthwash. The liquid can mask bad breath smell with its own smell, but the effect lasts no more than an hour. Some mouthwashes claim to kill the bacteria responsible for bad breath. The trouble is, they don't necessarily reach all offending germs. Most bacteria are well protected from mouthwash under thick layers of mucus . If the mouthwash contains alcohol--as most do--it can worsen the problem by drying out the mouth. Which of the following is mentioned as one of the causes of bad breath? Answer: A teacher of English as a second language is the 2004 Teacher of the Year in the United States .Kathy Mellor of Rhode Island will spend the next year as an international spokeswoman for education. President Bush and his wife, Laura ,honored her during a ceremony at the White House last week. For the past nineteen years ,Kathy Mellor has taught English as a second language at Davisville Middle School in North Kingstown, Rhode Island ,in the northeastern United States .She redesigned the program for E.S.L students at her school to provide each student with one to three periods per day in classes for English learners .How much instruction the students get depends on their level of skill in listening ,speaking ,reading and writing. The amount of time they spend in these classes in reduced as their level of English increases. A teacher describes this as the most successful E.S.L. program in North Kingstown. She also praises Kathy Mellor for providing help to students and their families by forming a local parents group for speakers of other languages .This improved their ability to help their children. Kathy Mellor earned a master's degree in education from Rhode Island College. She studied teaching English as a second language. She was chosen for the national honor of Teacher of the Year from among top teachers in each of the fifty states .As Teacher of the Year ,Kathy Mellor will travel around the United States and to other countries .She will talk about the importance of education and the work of teachers. From this passage we can learn that _ . Answer: Walt Disney As one of the most famous film production companies in the history of the business,Walt Disney now holds 15.3 percent of the US and Canadian market share. With highly successful movies like Pirates of the Caribbean,National Treasure,Meet the Robinsons and Enchanted,there's no doubt that Disney will continue to play a key role in the industry for years to come. Paramount Pictures With 15.5 percent of the US and Canadian market share,Paramount Pictures continues to be one of the most successful film production companies in the world. Star Trek,War of the Worlds,Mission:Impossible,Transformers and Tropic Thunder are just a few of the popular films produced by Paramount Pictures. 20th Century Fox Also known as "Twentieth Century Fox",this highly successful movie production company makes up 11.9 percent of the US and Canadian market share. Some of the biggest and most successful movies from this empire include the X-Men series,Mr and Mrs Smith and Fantastic Four. Warner Bros. Pictures Including about 19.7 percent of the US and Canadian market share,Warner Bros. Pictures is the biggest player in the film industry. Owning the rights to major films like Harry Potter,Superman,Batman,The Matrix and Star Wars has made Warner Bros. Pictures the No.1 name in the business. Universal Studios 12.2 percent of the US and Canadian market share belongs to Universal Studios,which continues to make millions for the film industry. With major _ like the Bourne series,the American Pie series,Knocked Up,American Gangster and The Incredible Hulk,it's very clear that Universal Studios knows what it takes to make money in this industry. Columbia Pictures Making up 12.9 percent of the US and Canadian market share,Columbia Pictures remains a big player in the business. Some of this company's recent successes include Casino Royale,The Da Vinci Code,the Spider Man series and Step Brothers. Which of the following movie production companies is the most successful in the US and Canadian markets? Answer:
April 20this Mary's fourteenth birthday. It is Saturday. She invites Kate, Helen, Jane, and Tom to her birthday party. Each of them brings a birthday present for her and says," Happy birthday, Mary" Mary's mother makes a big cake. It has fourteen candles on it. All says "How wonderful!" They have a lot of ice-cream, too. After finishing the ice-cream and cake, Kate plays the piano. How well she plays! Then they sing and play games. Mary is very happy. Everybody looks happy. What is on the cake? Answer: Fourteen candles Dolphins are not fish. They are mammals .They live in groups and speak to each other in their own language. But they are quite different from almost all land animals. Their brain is as big as men's and they live a long life at least 20 or 30 years. Like some animals, dolphins use sounds to help them find their way around. They also use these sounds to talk to each other and to help them find food. They do not use their ears to receive sounds,but use the jaw--the lower part of the mouth. It is strange that dolphins are friendly to men, and for thousands of years, there are many stories about dolphins and men. In the 19th century, in a dangerous part of the sea near New Zealand,there was a dolphin. The seamen liked him very much and gave him a very good name, Jack. From 1871 to 1903 ,Jack met every boat in the area and showed it the way. In 1903 a passenger on a boat with the name of The Penguin shot and hurt Jack. Luckily the dolphin didn't die, and after a long time he was well again. He guided the ships through the area for nine more years, but he refused to help the boat of the Penguin. Today, some people still kill dolphins, but many countries in the world now protect them. In these places, people are not allowed to kill them. Who was Jack? Answer: A dolphin. June is from England. Her family are in Beijing now. She is fourteen years old. The date of her birth is September seventh. Her father, Mr Smith, is an English teacher. And her mother, Mrs Smith, is an English teacher, too. They all like Chinese movies. Mr Smith likes action movies. He thinks they are really exciting. His favorite actor is Jet Li. Mrs Smith likes Beijing Opera. She thinks she can learn much about Chinese history by seeing them. And June herself likes comedies. Her favorite actor is Zhao Benshan. She thinks he is very funny. She also thinks Zhao Benshan's movies are better than Rowan Atkinson's. Mr Smith and Mrs Smith like Beijing Roast Duck . They often go to Quanjude to have it. _ likes action movies. Answer: Mr Smith Computer programmer David Jones earned PS35,000 a year designing new computer games, yet he cannot find a bank prepared to let him have a check card, he has been told to wait another two years until he is 18. He works for a small firm in Liverpool, where most young people of his age are finding jobs. David's biggest headache is what to do with his money. Though he has high payment, he cannot drive a car, or get credit card . David got his job four months ago, a year after leaving school with six O-levels and working for a time in a computer shop. "I got the job because the people who run the firm knew I had already written some programs," he said. "I suppose PS35,000 sounds a lot but I hope it will come to more than that this year." He spends some of his money on records and clothes, and gives his mother PS20 a week as he lives with his parents. But most of his spare time is spent working. "Unfortunately, computing was not part of our studies at school, " he said. "But I had been studying it in books and magazines for four years in my spare time. I knew what I wanted to do and never considered staying on at school. Most people in this business are fairly young, anyway. I would like to earn a million and I suppose early retirement is a possibility. You never know when the market might disappear." He was employed by the company because _ . Answer: he had written some computer programs. British men are abandoning(,) their stiff (, )upper lips but still do not wear their hearts on their sleeves like Americans, a new survey showed. When it comes tostrong emotion, the onceseriousBritish are now happy to shed tears quite openly. "Thirty percent of all British males have cried in the last month. That is a very high figure," said Peter Marsh, director of the Social Issues Research Center which took the emotional temperature of Britain. "Only two percent said they could not remember when they last cried," the head of the independent research group said. Long gone is the "No Tears -- We're British" time when emotion was considered distinctly bad form. "In our survey of 2,000 people, very few people in their forties or fifties had seen their father cry. Now it is twice as many," he told reporters. "Seventy-seven percent of men considered crying in public increasingly acceptable." Almost half the British men opened the floodgatesover a sad movie, book or TV program. Self-pity got 17 percent crying. Nine percent cried at weddings. From the days of Empire, the British have always considered themselves models of reserve , laughing at "excitable foreigners" who show no self-control. Marsh argued the divide was still there: "We have probably not caught up with the Americans or the Italians when it comes to the actual display of emotions." "But we are clearly changing. What we take as typical British reserve has significantly faded " Women's battle for equal rights has certainly had an effect -- both in the workplace and at home. "Men in their twenties or thirties are interacting with women on equal terms much more than a generation ago. They have to relate to the opposite sex. Women become more man-like and men become more female. That transfers into the work place too," Marsh said. British men cried most _ . Answer: over a sad film
Why do people buy art? To answer this question, ask yourself what your reasons are for thinking of getting a piece of art. An artwork can cost a large amount of money, but if it meets your needs, it's worth every penny. People buy art for many reasons. Many people buy an artwork simply because they like it, even if it is by an unknown artist. Art, as long as you enjoy it, is never a waste of money. Art is for enjoyment. Art is meant to be shown. Don't ever feel pressured into buying something you won't enjoy looking at day after day, no matter what other people may say. Don't buy something that doesn't attract you just because it is trendy, or because the artist is famous, or because you have been advised that the artwork will make a good investment. If you don't like the artwork at all, don't buy it! Art improves your environment. Have you ever noticed that all beautiful homes have art as an integral part of the decoration? Art lends life and color to otherwise plain and ordinary walls. A well thought--out art collection will help create a unique atmosphere in your home and make it more attractive. Art makes a statement. The kind of art you surround yourself with says much about your personality tastes and values. _ . Art enriches your life. Love--even the love of a work of art--contributes to healthier living and a longer lifespan . Art should enrich your life. Otherwise, why do you spend precious time and resources on it? Just remember to select something which will appeal to your tastes, and keep to a sensible budget. Good art needn't cost an arm and a leg. Happy art collecting! According to the author, what should you consider when buying a piece of art? Answer: Whether it brings pleasure to you. Electrical conduction would be when a voltage flows through Answer: a piece of steel wool Elderly people are growing healthier, happier and more independent, say American scientists. The results of a 14-year study to be announced later this month reveal that the diseases associated with old age are affecting fewer and fewer people and when they do suffer a stroke , it is much later in their life. In the last 14 years, the National Long-term Care Survey has gathered data on the health and lifestyles of more than 20,000 men and women over 65. Researchers, now analyzing the results of data gathered in 1994, say arthritis, high blood pressure and circulation problems -- the major medical complaints in this age group -- are troubling a smaller proportion every year. And the data confirms that the rate at which these diseases are declining continues to increase. Other diseases of old age -- dementia, strokes, arteriosclerosis and emphysema -- are also troubling fewer and fewer people. "It really raises the question of what should be considered normal ageing," says Kenneth Manton, a demographer from Duke University in North Carolina. He says the problems doctors accepted as normal in a 65-year-old in 1982 are often not appearing until people are 70 or 75. Clearly, certain diseases are beating a retreat in the face of medical advances. But there may be other contributing factors. Improvements in childhood nutrition in the first quarter of the twentieth century, for example, gave today's elderly people a better start in life than their former generations. On the downside, an increase in some cancers and bronchitis may reflect changing smoking habits and poorer air quality, say the researchers. "These may be subtle influences," says Manton, "but our subjects have been exposed to worse and worse pollution for over 60 years. It's not surprising we see some effect." One interesting correlation Manton uncovered is that better-educated people are likely to live longer. For example, 65-year-old women with fewer than eight years of schooling are expected, on average, to live to 82. Those who continued their education live an extra seven years. Although some of this can be attributed to a higher income, Manton believes it is mainly because educated people seek more medical attention. The survey also assessed how independent people over 65 were, and again found a striking trend. Almost 80% of those in the 1994 survey could complete everyday activities ranging from eating and dressing unaided to complex tasks such as cooking and managing their finances. That represents a significant drop in the number of disabled old people in the population. According to Manton, slowing the trend has saved the United States government's medicare system more than $200 billion, suggesting that the ageing of America's population may prove less of a financial burden than expected. But independence can have drawbacks. Scientists found that elderly people who felt emotionally isolated maintained higher levels of stress hormones even when asleep. The research suggests that older people live best when they feel independent but know they can get help when they need it. What is the main topic of this passage? Answer: A healthier, happier and more independent ageing population in the US. WASHINGTON---At least four more U.S. air-traffic controllers are caught nodding off on the job at three separate airports across the nation, the government said Wednesday. The controller working alone in the tower fell asleep and was out of communication for 16 minutes while a medical flight carrying a patient was trying to land at about 2 A.M. Wednesday at Reno-Tahoe International Airport in Nevada, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement. The FAA announced that it is also investigating a controller who fell asleep Monday at Boeing King County International Airport in Seattle and two controllers who were unresponsive at Preston Smith International Airport in Lubbock, Texas, on March 29.The agency had earlier revealed that an air-traffic supervisor fell asleep March 23 at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and a controller slept for five hours at McGhee Tyson Airport in Knoxville, Tennessee on Feb.19. "I am sick of this," Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Chairman Jay Rockefeller, a West Virginia Democrat, said in a statement. "We can't have an aviation system where some of the people responsible for safety are asleep at the switch." As the incidents pile up, sleep experts say it demonstrates that the agency faces a systemic issue with the thousands of people expected to work through the night in safety-critical jobs. Scientific research shows that workers on midnight shifts make more errors because it is so difficult for the body to adapt to sleeping during the day, they say. ks5u The agency will add an extra controller at the 27 towers staffed with one worker on the midnight shift, the FAA statement said. Agency chief Randy Babbitt and the controllers' union president, Paul Rinaldi, will visit facilities around the country next week to reinforce the need for "the highest professional standards," according to the FAA. Doug Church, a spokesman for Rinaldi of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, didn't immediately return a telephone call for comment. Representative John Mica, the Florida Republican who chairs the House transportation committee, criticized the decision to add controllers. "Only in the federal government would you _ , averaging $161,000 per year in salary and benefits, that aren't doing their job," Mica said in a statement. Mica has pushed legislation that would allow as many as 90 smaller airports to switch from federal to private controllers. "People have known these problems with fatigue have existed for years," said John Goglia, a Boston-based aviation safety consultant. "They're now showing up. The FAA is admitting they exist. Now the FAA needs to work on it." Babbitt said April 6 a controller was in the process of being fired for deliberately sleeping on the job at the McGhee Tyson Airport in Knoxville, Tennessee, on February 19. The four controllers in Nevada, Seattle and Texas have been suspended pending investigations, the FAA said. We can infer from the passage that _ . Answer: The incidents are rooted in fatigue problems and those on midnight shifts need an extra nap Webbed feet aid in what Answer: ducks chasing prey underwater
Many gardeners believe that "talking" to their plants helps them grow---it turns out that _ may not be crazy after all. According to the scientists from the University of Exeter, plants may keep communicating with each other through a secret "unseen" language. For their experiment, the scientists picked a cabbage plant that is known to send out a gas when its surface is cut. In order to get video evidence of the communication, they changed the cabbage gene by adding the protein---luciderase , which is what makes fireflies glow in the dark. When the changed cabbage plant was in full bloom, they cut a leaf off with a pair of scissors, and almost immediately, thanks to the luciderase, they could see the plant sending out "methyl jasmonate ". While this was a known fact, what was surprising was the fact that the minute this gas began to give out, the nearby cabbage plants seemed to sense some kind of danger and started to send out a gas that they normally have to keep predators like caterpillars away. What the scientists are not sure is whether the plants are trying to warn the other leaves or the near plants about the danger---something that will require further research However, the team, which is led by Professor Nick Smirnoff, is quite excited about the findings because this is the first time it has been proved that plants do not live a passive life, but actually move, sense and even communicate with each other. However, before you get all concerned, they are quite sure that plants do not feel the pain when they are cut, since they do not have nerves---so go ahead and bite into that juicy carrot! According to the experiment, plants _ . Does eating a good breakfast improve school study? A study of more than 1,000 pupils in the city of Lawrence suggests it does. Youngsters who took part in the breakfast program improved their scores in the tests much more than those who didn't. Among those who attended the program, fewer were found late for school than those who didn't. And much fewer were found absent from their classes. "Starting the day with a meal appears to be quite helpful," says Amy Sampson, a research professor, who carried out the experiment on the students for a year. Students who miss breakfast may be losing out on important nourishment in fruit, milk, bread and so on. If you are in a hurry in the morning, get you some pieces of bread with some fruit or yogurt. In that case, you won't have to go to the selling machines for some chips or candy bars. According to the passage, pupils who took part in the breakfast program _ . A large rock breaks into small pieces within 10 years. Which process is most likely responsible for breaking the large rock into small pieces within 10 years? Captain Henry,a 98"year--old American retired fisherman,has become a first--time author.having written and published his autobiography In a Fisherman's Language after learning to read at the age of 91. Mr.Henry spent most of his life without even his closest family members knowing he wasilliterate .Forced to quit school in the third grade to take odd jobs,he kept the secret close to his chest,only telling his late wife.Henry's granddaughter,Marlisa,told reporters how he used tricks,like waiting for others to order at restaurants first,to avoid the issue. A family dispute in his 90s,she said,aroused his desire for education."He signed a document he could not read about where he was going to live, Marlisa said.Starting with his name,he eventually moved on to the ABC's and children's books.He put them down since his wife fell ill.After the tragic loss of his wife,, he went back to reading and began to log his life.He wrote about his family's voyage from Portugal to the US,how he went on to captain a boat,and his many journeys at sea. His life stories have become so popular that nearly 800 copies were sold in the first two weeks after the book's release.One thousand more have since been printed as requests for the book flood in from as far as Germany.And now even Hollywood producers have approached Mr.Henry about buying the rights to his life story for a big screen adaptation. The family also now has a book agent and a deal in the works to publish a second edition.Meanwhile,the family says they are reconnecting and closer than ever as a result of Henry's.1ate--life efforts.."Everyone has a story,"Marlisa said."It teaches that when you're down and out. never give up." When did Henry begin writing his life story? Alan is an English boy. Now he studies in Shanghai Yucai Middle School. He is in Grade Seven. He has a dog. It's black and white. The dog's very smart. Alan likes it very much. Its favorite food is bone. Every day when Alan gets home, the dog meets him in front of the house. Alan's friend, Jenny is an American girl. She is in Shanghai too. They are in the same grade, but in different classes. She has a panda. It's also black and white, but it's not a real panda. It's a toy. The panda is very clean. Jenny often washes it in water. Where is the panda now? Oh, it's sleeping with jenny. Every night it sleeps with Jenny. What's Alan's pet dog's favorite food?
House buyers have three main choices: building from the ground up, moving into an old house or buying a new one. All the three are very different and should be considered carefully. Your budget will probably have the biggest effect on your choice. Comparing the three will help you make a good decision. New houses are untouched and fresh, which means they can suit your personality and you know exactly where all of the materials come from. New houses won't hold many unpleasant surprises, such as weak foundations, or other damaged areas. Most of these modern houses are also far more eco-friendly, with future decoration being just as easy to make and do as you like. Buying new houses is also a great way to save money, and you may find its benefit with the price going up in the future. Some buildings, such as those that are rare or in certain areas, are of value over the years. Sometimes it is the history that draws more buyers into older houses. A famous person may have lived there, or an important event may have taken place in the house. This may not add any value to the house, but it can add to the attraction. There may be more repairs which will need to be done in the old houses,so before you think you've found a great bargain, be sure to get a careful inspection. There are those who prefer building from the ground up. Building your own house can be a very rewarding, tiring, and expensive experience. While people have many expectations of planning and building their own houses, one thing is sure: it will take a while. There are always difficulties during construction, so you always find the construction time will be longer than your plan, not to mention the budget. Time can add up as well as materials and costs. Building is a good choice for those who are able and qualified. What is the writer's purpose in writing this passage? Answer: One way animals usually respond to a sudden drop in temperature is by Answer: Is your schoolbag too heavy to carry? The e-schoolbag will help you. In fact, the e-schoolbag should perhaps be called an e-textbook. It is a small computer for students. Heavy schoolbags have been a serious problem for them for a long time. But the e-schoolbag will change everything. It is much lighter than a usual schoolbag. Also, it is as small as a usual textbook, an exercise book and so on. They can be made into _ that are as small as a stamp. The students can read the text page by page on the "screen", take notes, or even send e-mails to their teachers. All they have to do is to put the right chip into the e-schoolbag and press the button. It is said that e-schoolbags have been put into use in some Chinese middle schools. In 2012, some students in Shanghai started to use e-schoolbags in the new term. Some say that e-textbooks can be easily broken. Some say it is not good to students' eyes. But only time will tell us all. Students can't _ when they use e-schoolbags. Answer: Soccer has the FIFA World Cup. Tennis has the majors. Golf has the majors. Football has the Super Bowl. Basketball has the NBA. These major sports all have established leagues for professionals and amateurs, so why do they have a spot in the Olympics? The Olympics isn't the most desirable title in these sports. An Olympic gold medal, for example, can't motivate some footballers to work hard, because they have to reserve sufficient physical strength for the supremacy--the FIFA Cup. Every year the Olympic committee votes, and every year someone gets let down. A sport endangered of being cut is very close to my heart, wrestling. I grew up with it: the first 8 years of my life were in a college wrestling room, watching my dad coach his team and the countless hours continue to this day. Wrestling meant everything to my dad: he was an Olympian, Pan American winner, World champion, Olympic coach, and Division 1 coach. In February 2013, they dropped wrestling, softball, and baseball. In May, they allowed the three sports to be short-listed. However, in September they voted on the return of wrestling. My point is that it isn't fair that basketball, tennis, football (soccer), and golf all take spots on the summer Olympics outline for sports. They all have leagues that the whole world participates in. I can't say for all of the sports that an Olympic gold is the ultimate title, but I can tell you a fact that in wrestling, both freestyle and Greco-Roman, it truly is. These "smaller" sports, that maybe don't make boatloads of money, need the Olympics. It means so much to so many people, fans, athletes, and families. They deserve spots, they don't have professional leagues, and can't fill entire stadiums, and they need the support of the Olympic Games. The whole point of the Olympics is to bring people together, so shouldn't less popular sports be included? What is the ultimate title of wrestling? Answer: Friends are important in our lives, but how to keep our friendship is more important. Here are some ways for you. Write letters If your best friend moves to other cities, you could buy the same magazine, E-mail, phone or write each other about the articles in the magazine that make you laugh. This will make you have the same interest. Don't forget to visit each other as often as you can. Think of your friends first What are your friends' thoughts, dreams, hopes and fears? What are her past experiences ? From these, you could think of ways to support your friends. You put your friend first, she or he feels special, and you both grow closer to each other. Gifts from the heart Take photos of a whole day or weekend together. Write a short story about your time you enjoyed. Save the movie tickets, restaurant stubs or special gifts you find every place you travel. Put everything in a box you'll keep all the time. Create your own fun ways to keep your friendship if you can. _ makes you and your friends have the same interest. Answer:
Tens of thousands of ancient pictures carved into the rocks at one of France's most important tourist sites are being gradually destroyed. Scientists and researchers fear that the 36,000 drawings on rocks in Mont Bego in the French Alps are being damaged so rapidly that they will not survive for future generations. The mountain, believed to have once been a site for prayer, is scattered with 4,000-year-old drawings cut into bare rock. They include pictures of cows with horns, cultivated fields and various gods and goddesses. But as the popularity of the site increases, the pictures are being ruined by thoughtless graffiti . Jean Clottes is the chairman of the International Committee on Rock Art. He says, "People think that because the pictures have been there so long they will always continue to be there. But if the damage continues at this rate there will be nothing left in 50 years." He describes seeing tourists stamping on the drawings, wearing away the rock and definition of the artwork as they do so. Some visitors, he says, even cut off parts to take home as souvenirs. "When people think they can't take a good enough photograph, they rub the drawings to get a clearer picture," he said. "The drawings are polished by the weather, and if the sun is shining and the visitors can't see them properly they simply rub them to make them look fresher." Other researchers describe how people arrive carrying long sticks with sharp ends to scratch their own drawings, or even their names, in the rocks. But experts are divided over the best way to preserve the drawings. Henry de Lumley, director of the Museum of Natural History in Paris, believes that the only way to save the site is to turn the whole mountain into a "no-go" area, preventing the public from going there except on guided tours. Otherwise, he says, not only will the site be completely destroyed but important research work will be reduced. Clottes disagrees, "The measure suggested by Henry de Lumley is the most severe, and while it is the most effective, it is also certain to bring about protests from people who live there," he said. "The site was classified as a historic monument years ago by the Ministry of Culture, and we must do as much as possible to save what is there." David Lavergne, the regional architect, also wants to avoid closing the site. "Henry de Lumley's idea isn't ideal," he said. "Our department feels that the best solution is to let people look at the site, but because the area is very big it is difficult to prevent visitors from damaging it. I would prefer that everyone was able to look at it, but the main problem is money. We do not have the funds to employ the necessary number of guards. We may have to consider charging a fee. It doesn't seem to be possible to get the government support." In Nice, Annie Echassoux, who also worked on researching the site, is alarmed that as the mountain becomes easier to reach -- tourists can now avoid the three-and-a-half-hour walk by hiring vehicles -- the damage will increase rapidly. She thinks that the only solution is to rope off the area and provide guides. "You can't say the plan can't go ahead because there is no money," she said. "That is not good enough. Money must be provided because the Ministry of Culture has classified this area as a historic site. If we don't take steps, we will be responsible for losing the drawings for the next generation." Henry de Lumley is eager to _ . Answer: keep out individual visitors The Beatles were the most influential band in pop history. In their 8-year, 12-album history, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr altered popular culture dramatically. It wasn't just the suits and changing lengths of hair the four Liverpool boys wore that had such an impact, but what they seemed to stand for. The world saw them as the voice of a new generation, one with a very different attitude to life. Their influence was at its height in the 1 960s.but their music continues to stir listeners today.However, up until recently one aspect of the Beatles was struck in Yesterday:The music had never been remastered .But on September 9 that situation came to an end,with the release of the entire band's music in a digital makeover.It is probably the biggest reissue in pop music history, said British newspaper the Financial Times. The albums were to be remastered at Abbey Road Studios in London, the location where the band produced much of their work.The cover of their 1ast album,Abbey Road of 1969.featured the four young men striding across a zebra crossing on Abbey Road itself.It is one of the most famous Of a11 Beatles images. Recently, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the album, hundreds of Beatles lovers gathered there to show their appreciation. Pop groups come and go.The boy band pursued by screaming fans one year will be forgotten the next.But the Beatles are one Of the few groups whose music seems to have endured.Why? Paul McCartney's biographer Barry Miles has an explanation:"They were the first rock band...and they just happened to be the best.They were the first band to play stadiums,to have their own products.They were ground--breaking in every way."he says. Why did the Beatles change popular culture? Answer: Because of their different attitude to life. This is a picture .There is a lake in the middle of the picture .On the lake we can see a boat .In the boat, there is a boy and his father .The boy is fishing .His father is looking at him .We can see some fish swimming in the lake .On the right of the picture , we can see a big tree .A young woman is reading a book .Her name is Mary .We can see very nice flowers near her seat .A little yellow dog is beside her feet .There are some birds in the sky .On the other side of the lake ,we can see three children .They are laughing and flying kites .They are having fun. There are _ people in the picture . Answer: 6 Toby, an 11-year-old boy, is playing with a ball. The ball goes into the street and Toby runs for the ball. A car hit Toby. An ambulance takes Toby to the hospital in 30 minutes. The doctors at the hospital tell Toby's parents, "Toby is in a coma." Every day Toby's parents visit him at the hospital. They sit next to Toby's bed and talk to him. But Toby never talks to them. He just sleeps. One day, Toby's father says ," Wake up, Toby. Wake up, come home and play with Rusty." Rusty is Toby's dog. When Toby's father says 'Rusty', Toby moves his arm. "Rusty!" Toby's father says again. Again, Toby moves his arm . Toby's parents have an idea. They tell the nurse, "We want to bring Toby's dog to the hospital." The nurse says "OK". The next day, Toby's parents bring Rusty to the hospital. When they put the dog on Toby's bed, Toby opens his eyes and hugs the dog. Toby's parents bring Rusty to the hospital every day. One day Rusty jumps onto Toby's bed and scratches his arms. Toby says his first words "Bad dog!". After eight weeks, Toby is well. He leaves the hospital and goes home. From the story, we can learn that _ . Answer: Toby is in hospital for about eight weeks A child's room is not only a bedroom. You can see computers, mobile phones, televisions, DVD players, Playstation, and other 21st-century toys. Britain's 8 to 16-year-olds have bedroom possessions about PS 3,300. But they don't just have hi-tech toys . A child's room also has expensive clothes, sunglasses, watches, and sports equipment 40% of children have a room that is a home office, mini cinema, and sports hall . 90% have a TV, and 70% have a DVD player. 60% have a CD player, iPod, or MP3 player. 25% have their own computers. With so much to do in their bedrooms, it is no surprise that children spend more time there than anywhere else in the house. One girl spends so long on her mobile phone in her room that her parents have to text her to speak to her. Another child goes into his room as soon as he gets home form school and plays on his Playstation until bedtime. Childred's bedrooms are their kingdoms . Some families hardly do anylhing all together. People eat different meals at different times, and watch different TV programmes in different rooms. Parents and children _ together at home. Answer: hardly do anything
English Students' Education English schools begin in September after a long summer holiday. There are two terms in a school year. The first term is from September to January, and the second term is from February to June. Most English children begin to go to school when they are five years old. When they finish high school, they are seventeen or eighteen years old. High school students take only five or six subjects each term. They usually go the the same class every day, and they have homework for every class. After class, they do a lot of interesting things. After high school, many students go to college1. They usually have to pay a lot of money. So they have to work after class to get money for their studies. Notes:1. go to college High school students _ after class. A. do housework B. go to work C. play sports D. do interesting things Answer: D In elementary school, Guadalupe Quintanilla was often referred to as a "slow learner" by her teachers. But she really wasn't slow at all. She just didn't understand the language used in the classroom. Her problem was that she didn't speak English. So she left school after the fourth grade. When Guadalupe grew up, married, and had children of her own, she knew that her children were clever. But some of their teachers didn't think so. The children were having trouble in school because they didn't speak English. Mrs Quintanilla was angry. She didn't want people to think that her children were slow learners. So she decided to learn English herself as a way of helping them. She practiced English. She looked up words in the dictionary. She asked the school headmaster to let her sit in on classes. It wasn't easy, but she passed all her exams. She said that many of the other students helped her. Mrs Quintanilla has helped her children with their lessons. Her two sons have won success. One is a teacher, and the other is a doctor. Her youngest child, a daughter, is studying in a university. The story is mainly about _ . A. learning to sing and dance B. the problem of slow learning C. going to a university D. Mrs Quintanilla's success Answer: D The gray-haired lady can't wait to leave the building to search for her dad. Unless watched, she will walk in the streets in an effort to find her father, who died 30 years ago. Not all cases of Alzheimer's disease look like this, but Alzheimer's is a serious disease that is said to be the fourth or fifth leading cause of death for people over age 75. It is said that about three percent of the U.S. population over age 65 have Alzheimer's. In the early stages, people may exhibit short-term memory loss. Some may experience changes in personality, easy to be angry. As the disease progresses, patients might lose the ability to move and may be unable to speak or move at all. This progressive disease generally lasts 8 to 10 years before death occurs. While no one is certain what causes these changes in the brain's nerve fibers , their effect is certain. Alzheimer's destroys not only the patients, but also spouses , friends and families. What should you do if you notice progressive memory loss in yourself or a loved one? Have the person examined by a doctor who is a specialist in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease? Though many reasons other than Alzheimer's disease may cause memory loss, its early diagnosis and treatment may delay some of the most serious effects. What feeling will you likely experience if a loved one suffers from Alzheimer's disease? A person will often go through the various stages of sadness, shock, anger, and so on. If the spouse develops the disease, you may experience hurt and disappointment when he or she doesn't remember you are married. Life for the Alzheimer's patients and their loved ones will never be the same as the disease progresses, bringing a deep sorrow, loss and even anger towards God. No matter what feelings are present, facing them honestly will serve one better than burying them. From the passage we know that _ . A. early treatment may stop Alzheimer's disease occurring B. it is still unknown what causes the changes in the brain's nerve fibers C. nerve fibers in the brain will cause Alzheimer's disease D. when one suffers from Alzheimer's disease, he will be buried Answer: B The year is 2094,It has been announced that a comet is heading towards the Earth.Most of it will miss our planet, but two pieces will probably hit the southern half of the Earth. On 17 July, a piece four kilometers wide enters the Earth's atmosphere with a massive explosion.About half of the piece is destoryed but the remaining part hits the South Atlantic at 200times the speed of sound.The sea boils and a huge gole is made in the sea bed.Huge waves are created and spread outwards form the hole.The eall of water,a kilometer high,rushes towards southern Africa at 800 kilometers an hour.Cities on the African coast are totally destroyed and millions of people are drowned. Before the waves reach South America.the second piece of the comet lands in Argentina.Earthquakes and volcanoes are set off in the Andes Moutains.The shock waves move north into California and all around the Pacific Ocean. The cities of Los Angeles,San Francisco and Tokyo are completely destroyed by earthquakes,Millions of people in the southern half of the earth are already dead,but the north won't eacape for long.Because of the explosions the sun is hidden by clouds of dust,and temperatures around the world fall to almost zero.Crops are ruined.The sun won't be seen again for many years.Wars break out as countries fight for food.A year later,no more than 10 million remain laive. Could it really happen?In fact,it has already happened more than once in the history of the Earth.The dinesaurs were on the Earth for over 160 million years,Then 65 million years ago they suddenly disappeared.Many scientists believe that the Earth was hit by a piece of object in space. The dinosaurs couldn't live through the cold climate that followed and they died out .Will we meet the same end ? Why can't the northern half of the earth escape ofr long? A. Because the land is covered with water. B. because people there can not live at the temperature of zero. C. Because wars break out among countries. D. Because the light and heat from the sun can not reach the earth. Answer: D With only about 1, 000 pandas left in the world, China is desperately trying to clone the animal and save the endangered species . That's a move similar to what a Texas A & M University researchers have been undertaking for the past five years in a project called "Noah's Ark". Noah's Ark is aimed at collecting eggs, embryos , semen and DNA of endangered animals and storing them in liquid nitrogen . If certain species should become extinct, Dr. Duane Kraemer, a professor in Texas A & M's College of Veterinary Medicine, says there would be enough of the basic building blocks to reintroduce the species in the future. It is estimated that as many as 2,000 species of mammals, birds reptiles will become extinct in over 100 years. The panda, native only to China, is in danger of becoming extinct in the next 25 years. This week, Chinese scientists said they grew an embryo by introducing cells from a dead female panda into the egg cells of a Japanese white rabbit. They are now trying to implant the embryo into a host animal. The entire procedure could take from three to five years to complete. "The nuclear transfer of one species to another is not easy, and the lack of available(capable of being used) panda eggs could be a major problem," Kraemer believes. "They will probably have to do several hundred transfers to result in one pregnancy (having a baby). It takes a long time and it's difficult, but this could be groundbreaking science if it works. They are certainly not putting any live pandas at risk, so it is worth the effort," adds Kraemer, who is one of the leaders of the Project at Texas A& M, the first-ever attempt at cloning a dog. "They are trying to do something that's never been done, and this is very similar to our work in Noah's Ark. We're both trying to save animals that face extinction. I certainly appreciate their effort and there's a lot we can learn from what they are attempting to do. It's a research that is very much needed. " The aim of "Noah's Ark" project is to _ . A. make efforts to clone the endangered pandas B. save endangered animals from dying out C. collect DNA of endangered animals to study D. transfer the nuclear of one animal to another Answer: B
Roberta Monk, a famous author, had a life insurance policy with Drummond Life Insurance Company. Her son, Peter, was beneficiary. Roberta disappeared from her residence in the city of Metropolis two years ago and has not been seen since. On the day that Roberta disappeared, Sky Airlines Flight 22 left Metropolis for Rio de Janeiro and vanished; the plane's passenger list included a Roberta Rector. Peter is now suing Drummond Life Insurance Company for the proceeds of his mother's policy. At trial, Peter offers to testify that his mother told him that she planned to write her next novel under the pen name of Roberta Rector. Peter's testimony is A admissible as circumstantial evidence that Roberta Monk was on the plane. B admissible as a party admission, because Roberta and Peter Monk are in privity with each other. C inadmissible, because Roberta Monk has not been missing more than seven years. D inadmissible, because it is hearsay not within any exception. Answer: A. admissible as circumstantial evidence that Roberta Monk was on the plane. Two more people have died in China from a new strain of bird flu, raising the death toll from the virus to 13, state media reported Sunday. The official Xinhua News Agency said the two deaths were reported in Shanghai and that three new cases were also confirmed in the financial hub. A total of 11 new cases were reported Sunday - including two in a central province that previously had been unaffected. In all, 60 cases of the virus, known as H7N9, have been reported in China. The two cases reported Sunday in central Henan province, which is next to Beijing, followed an announcement Saturday that a 7-year-old girl had become the first person in the capital to be infected with the virus. All previous reported cases were in Shanghai and other eastern areas of China. A World Health Organization official said Sunday that it wasn't surprising that the virus had spread to Beijing. Michael O'Leary, head of WHO's office in China, said it's not the case that everyone confirmed to be infected with H7N9 was "clustered in one small area with the same source of exposure." "So we've been expecting new cases to occur. ... Furthermore, we still expect that there will be other cases," he said. Four new cases were reported Sunday in eastern Zhejiang province and two more in Jiangsu. Health officials believe the virus, which was first spotted in humans last month, is spreading through direct contact with infected fowl. O'Leary said "the good news" was that there was still no evidence that humans had passed on the virus to other humans. "As far as we know, all the cases are individually infected in a sporadic and not connected way," he said, adding that the source of infection was still being investigated. The girl from Beijing, whose parents are in the live poultry trade, was admitted to a hospital Thursday with symptoms of fever, sore throat, coughing and headache, the Beijing Health Bureau said. O'Leary said early treatment can be effective, as demonstrated by the girl, who was in stable condition. In the only other reported cases outside of eastern China, health officials in Henan province said tests on two men Thursday had later revealed they had the virus. They said a 34-year-old restaurant chef who had displayed flu symptoms for about a week was in critical condition in a hospital, while a 65-year-old farmer who was in frequent contact with poultry was in stable condition after receiving treatment. They said 19 people who had been in close contact with the two men did not show any flu symptoms. China has been more open in its response to the new virus than it was a decade ago with an outbreak of SARS, when authorities were highly criticized for not releasing information. According to the passage, death toll from Bird Flu in China rises to _ A 13 B 60 C 11 D 5 Answer: A. 13 Every time Lionel Messi breaks a record, it seems appropriate to compare him to the legends that came before him. In 2012, he rewrote soccer history on multiple occasions, and his latest record came when he scored his 86th goal of the calendar year, breaking Gerd Muller's previous mark, before wrapping up the year with 91 goals. All statistics indicate that Messi is currently the best player in the world, and that he will go down in history as the top footballer of his generation. But when he is judged against all-time greats like Pele and Diego Maradona, he still has work to do. We don't know whether the Barcelona striker will have another year in which he records more than 90 goals, but he must still sustain a similar level of production for the next several seasons. Messi has already taken part in three of Barcelona's victorious Champions League campaigns, and he played an important role in two of them. In order to firmly establish himself as the greatest club football player in history, he must win the tournament a few more times. Most importantly, the Argentine needs to win on the international stage. Regardless of what Messi does for Barcelona, his legacy will be incomplete if he cannot win the World Cup with Argentina. Both Pele and Maradona led their countries to the top of international soccer during their careers, and Messi's performances for his country have been severely disappointing. While he was still a teenager in 2006 --and his lackluster showing is excusable due to his youth--he cannot brush off the disappointment that characterized Argentina's performance in 2010. But the 4-0 loss to Germany in the 2010 World Cup Quarter Final seems to have sparked Messi. He scored 12 times for Argentina last year, and the next World Cup could finally be Messi's breakout performance in blue and white stripes. Due to all of his accomplishments, it is easy to forget that the extraordinary footballer is just 25 years old. If he can avoid injury or lengthy slumps until his speed and skills start to decline due to age, he may continue to break records and win trophies. What will Messi have to do in order to be complete in his soccer career? A He must win the World Cup with Argentina. B He must win the tournament a few more times. C He must defeat Pele and Maradona. D He must avoid injury or lengthy slumps. Answer: A. He must win the World Cup with Argentina. "Did you go skating a lot last year?" I asked. Jen shook her head and looked at me. Finally she said, "On Thanksgiving, Mom and I always went to visit some friends who lived on a farm. I especially loved seeing their big turkeys." Until then, I didn't think about how Jen felt. She had a new stepfather and stepbrother, and had a new town and home, too. Jen and her mom used to live near a lake where Dad and I went every summer, and she had to move up north with us. She had more changes than me. Jen seemed sad, so I was busy thinking of some ways to cheer her up on Thanksgiving. I told her my plan and she was excited. First we made a huge snowball, and then a small snowball. Then we built a wall behind the big snowball as a tail. Jen mixed some food coloring with water, saying, "We can spray colors on the tail." Our snow turkey had a red, blue, green, and yellow tail. We were so busy that we didn't notice our parents come outside. Dad found a hat for the snow turkey, and Mom wrapped her scarf around its neck. " _ ," Mom said. "You're a good brother, and you always come up with great ideas.'' A happy feeling spread through me. I began to understand how much she cared about everyone in our new family. How many people are there in Jen's new family? A Two. B Three. C Four. D Five. Answer: C. Four. Grown-ups know that people and objects are solid. At the movies, we know that if we reach out to touch Tom Cruise, all we will feel is air. But does a baby have this understanding? To see whether babies know objects are solid. T. Bower designed a method for projecting an optical illusion of a hanging ball. His plan was to first give babies a real ball, one they could be expected to show surprise in their faces and movements. All the 16 to 24-week-old babies tested were surprised when they reached for the illusion and found that the ball was not there. Grown-ups also have a sense of _ . We know that if we put a box in a room and lock the door, the box will still be there when we come back. But does a baby realize that a ball that rolls under a chair does not disappear and go to never-never land ? Experiments done by Bower suggest that babies develop a sense of object permanence when they are about 18 weeks old. In his experiments, Bower used a toy train that went behind a screen. When 16-week-old and 22-week-old babies watched the toy train disappear behind the left side of the screen, they looked to the right, expecting it to re-appear. If the experiment took the train off the table and lifted the screen, all the babies seemed surprised not to see the train. This seems to show that all the babies had a sense of object permanence. But the second part of the experiment showed that this was not really the case. The researcher substituted a ball for the train when it went behind the screen. The 22-week-old babies seemed surprised and looked back to the left side for the train. But the 16-week-old babies did not seem to notice the switch . Thus, the 16-week-old babies seemed to have a sense of "something permanence," while the 22-week-old babies had a sense of object permanence related to a particular object. Which of the following statements is true? A The babies didn't have a sense of direction. B The older babies preferred toy trains to balls. C The younger babies liked looking for missing objects D The babies couldn't tell a ball from its optical illusion. Answer: D. The babies couldn't tell a ball from its optical illusion.
I fell in love with England because it was quaint --all those little houses, looking terribly old-fashioned but nice, like dolls' houses. I loved the countryside and the pubs, and I loved London. I've slightly changed my mind after seventeen years because I think it's an ugly town now. Things have changed. For everybody, England meant gentlemen, fair play, and good manners. The fair play is going, unfortunately, and so are the gentlemanly attitudes and good manners--people shut doors heavily in your face and politeness is disappearing. I regret that there are so few comfortable meeting places. You're forced to live indoors. In Paris I go out much more, to restaurants and nightclubs. To meet friends here it usually has to be in a pub, and it can be difficult to go there alone as a woman. The cafes are not terribly nice. As a woman, I feel unsafe here. I spend a bomb on taxis because I will not take public transport after 10 p. m. I used to use _ , but now I'm afraid. The idea of family seems to be more or less non-existent in England. My family is well united and that's typically French. In Middlesex I had a neighbour who is 82 now. His family only lived two miles away, but I took him to France for Christmas once because he was always alone. The writer took her neighbour to France for Christmas because he _ . Answer: A few years ago, in one experiment in behavioural psychology, Stanley Milgram of Yale University tested 40 subjects for their willingness to obey instructions given by a "leader" in a situation in which the subjects might feel a personal dislike of the actions they were called upon to perform. Specifically, Milgram told each volunteer "teacher-subject" that the experiment was in the noble cause of education, and was designed to test whether or not punishing pupils for their mistakes would have a positive effect on the pupils' ability to learn. The teacher-subjects were placed before a panel of thirty switches with labels ranging from "15 volts of electricity (slight shock)" to "450 volts (danger -- severe shock)" in steps of 15 volts each. The teacher-subject was told that whenever the pupil gave the wrong answer to a question, a shock was to be administered. The supposed "pupil" was in reality an actor hired by Milgram to pretend to receive the shocks by giving out cries and screams. Milgram told the teacher-subject to ignore the reactions of the pupil, and to administer whatever level of shock was called for. As the experiment unfolded, the "pupil" would deliberately give the wrong answers to questions, thereby bringing on various electrical punishments, even up to the danger level of 300 volts and beyond. Many of the teacher-subjects _ administering the higher levels of punishment, and turned to Milgram. In these situations, Milgram calmly explained that the teacher-subject was to carry on with the experiment and that it was important for the sake of the experiment that the procedure be followed through to the end. What Milgram was trying to discover was the number of teacher-subjects who would be willing to administer the highest levels of shock, even in the face of strong personal and moral revulsion against the rules and conditions of the experiment. Before carrying out the experiment, Milgram explained his idea to a group of 39 psychiatrists and asked them to predict the average percentage of people who would be willing to administer the highest shock level of 450 volts. The overwhelming consensus was that basically all the teacher-subjects would refuse to obey the experimenter. The psychiatrists felt that "most subjects would not go beyond 150 volts" and only a small percentage of about one in 1,000 would give the highest shock of 450 volts. What were the actual results? Well, over 60 per cent of the teacher-subjects continued to obey Milgram up to the 450-volt limit! In repetitions of the experiment in other countries, the percentage was even higher, reaching 85 per cent in one country. How can we possibly account for this result? One might firstly argue that there must be some sort of built-in animal aggression instinct that was activated by the experiment. A modem sociobiologist might even go so far as to claim that this aggressive instinct was of survival value to our ancestors in their struggle against the hardships of life on the plains and in the caves, finally finding its way into our genetic make-up. Another explanation is to see the teacher-subjects' actions as a result of the social context in which the experiment was carried out. As Milgram himself pointed out, "Most subjects in the experiment see their behaviour in a larger context that is good and useful to society -- the pursuit of scientific troth. The psychological laboratory has a strong claim to legitimacy and gains trust and confidence in those who perform there. An action such as shocking a victim, which in isolation appears evil, acquires a completely different meaning when placed in this setting". Here we have two different explanations. The problem for us is to sort out which of these two polar explanations is more reasonable. This is the problem of modern sociobiology -- to discover how hard-wired genetic programming decides the interaction of animals and humans with their environment, that is, their behaviour. Put another way, sociobiology is concerned with explaining the biological basis of all behaviour. Which of the following is right about the experiment? Answer: I still clearly remember that day. I was on the side of the road for about four hours with my big jeep. I put signs in the windows that said, "Need a jack ." As I was about to give up,a truck stopped and a man got off. He looked at the situation, made a judgment and went back to take a jack. After about two hours, we finished the job with sweats. We were both dirty. His wife took a large bottle of water for us to wash our hands. I tried to put $ 20 in the man's hand, but he wouldn't take it, so I went to give it to his wife as quietly as I could. I asked their little girl where they lived, thinking maybe Pd send them a gift. She said they lived in Mexico. They were in Oregon now,so Mommy and Daddy could pick cherries for the next few weeks. After that, they were going to pick peaches and then go back home. After I said goodbye and started going back to my jeep, the girl ran to me and handed me a tamale for lunch. I thanked them again and walked back to my jeep. When I opened the tamale, what did I find inside? My $ 20! I ran to the truck and the guy rolled down his window. He started shaking his head, smiled, and with what looked like great concentration said in English, "Today you, tomorrow me. " Then he drove away, with his daughter waving to me from the back. This family, working on a seasonal basis where time is money, took a couple of hours to help a stranger while others passed by quietly. Since then I've helped many people like the Mexican family. I didn't accept their money. Every time I was able to help,I felt as if I was putting something in the bank. What can we infer from the passage? Answer: One morning last summer Joyce Andrews made some sausage sandwiches for her husband's lunch. There was one sausage left over. Mrs. Andrews didn't care for them herself, and so she gave the last one to Henry, their little dog, Henry ate it up quickly. During the morning the dog got ill. He wouldn't stop shaking his head, and couldn't stand properly. Joyce thought, "He's eaten something that didn't agree with him. Maybe that sausage very bad..." she suddenly remembered her husband's lunch. She ran to the telephone and called Jim at office. "Jim, I hope you haven't eaten any of those sandwiches yet." "You have Two? Well, listen--don't eat any more. I gave Henry the last sausage, and new he's ill. Go to the doctor, Jim." "What? You feel all right? No, Jim, don't take a chance with your health. I'm sure the sausages are bad. Please go..." "Yes, Jim. Tell him about the dog. Get some medicine." Jim came back at lunch time and went to bed. "I had a very unpleasant hour at the doctor" he told Joyce, "and the medicine made me very sick." The next morning Jim was fine. Henry seemed quite fit again, too. At eleven o'clock milkman came with the milk. "Morning, Mrs. Andrews," the milkman said "How's your dog this morning? I've been thinking about him..." "Have you? Well, he seems all right now, but..." "Yesterday morning he and I had I a little accident. He jumped up at me, and I dropped a bottle of milk on his head." Why did Joyce telephone Jim? Answer: Dr. Wiseman started the "laugh lab" project in September 2001. It is the largest study of humor. Participants are invited to log on the laugh lab website, give a few personal details, tell their favorite jokes and judge the jokes told by other people. Their project will last for a year, and the organizers hope to finally discover the world's funniest joke. But there is also a serious purpose. The researchers want to know what people from different nations and cultures find funny. And they want to find out the differences between male's and female's sense of humor. The idea is that if we want to understand each other, we have to find out what makes us laugh. This is a subject that has long interested psychologists and philosophers . Most of the time, people are not completely honest. We do things that society expects us to and say things that help us get what we want. But laughing cannot be controlled. When we laugh, we tell the truth about ourselves. By December 2001 over 10,000 jokes had been submitted . This gave the scientists enough evidence to make early conclusions. It seems that men and women do have different senses of humor, for example. "Our findings show the major differences in the ways in which males and females use humor," said Dr Wiseman. "Males use humor to appear superior (,) to others, while women are more skilled in languages and prefer word play." Researchers also found that there really is such a thing as a national sense of humor. The British enjoy what is usually called "toilet humor". But the French like their jokes short and sharp, "You're a high priced lawyer. Will you answer two questions for $ 500?" "Yes. What's the second question?" The Germans are famous for not having a sense of humor. But the survey found that German participants were more likely to find submitted jokes funny than any other nationality. Perhaps that proves the point. Is this joke funny? I don't know, but let's say yes, just to be safe. Dr Wiseman and his workmates also submitted jokes created by computer. But none of those who took part in the survey found any of them amusing. Perhaps this is relief . Computers already seem like they can do everything. But at least they should leave the funny things to us. The writer gave the examples of the British, the French and the Germans _ . Answer:
Carnival does not take place only in Louisiana. There are many celebrations around the world. In Brazil, the celebration is supposed to go on from the Saturday before Mardi Gras to Mardi Gras Day, but in some Brazilian cities the celebration can last seven or eight days. Just like New Orleans, not many important things are decided in Brazil from New Year's Day to Mardi Gras Day because everyone is preparing for or celebrating carnival. Most Brazilian parades have a subject, which could be political and historical. The parades had to have a subject related to Brazil until 1996. Some cities in Brazil do not have a street carnival but they might have an indoor ball. Bolivia has carnival parades for children and then more parades for adults. The children dress up in costumes and march in the streets. The adults make traditional dance groups and dance in the streets. But the main part of Bolivia's carnival is getting wet. Almost everyone gets wet from water balloons and water buckets. In Oruru, Bolivia, their carnival is held in the last ten days of the carnival season. People there participate in crafts and dancing, but their main carnival event is a ceremonial parade that lasts for twenty hours and parades for four kilometers. Over 20,000 dancers are involved as well as 10,000 musicians. This parade attracts at least 400,000 people. The carnival in Venice, Italy is often regarded as the most carefully prepared carnival and lasts the ten days before Lent . Many events are held in the canals including shows, concerts, dances, and water processions . The official ending to the celebration is the ball held in St. Mark's Square. What's the best title of the passage? A Carnivals around the world. B History of carnival. C Customs of carnival. D Carnival parades. Answer: A There was once an octopus who lived under the ocean. His name was Fred. Fred had never seen the world above the ocean before. He had spent all of his life under water with his friends, a blow fish named Joey, a sponge named Pam, a star fish named Elaine, and another octopus, Stacey. So you can imagine his surprise when he found a treasure chest that had been lost by a ship that had sunk. Inside the chest were things that were completely new to him. Among these was a whole bunch of food items, such as a bottle of ketchup, a coffee mug, a cherry pie, a sandwich, and more. When Fred found these things, he wanted to keep them all for himself. So when he returned to his friends, he didn't tell them what he had found. When his best friend Stacey asked him where he had been, Fred lied and said that he had only gone for a swim. But Stacey didn't believe him. Later on, when Fred was sound asleep in his bed, Stacey visited his room to see what he had been up to. She went digging around in his room for something interesting. When she found the treasure chest, she was amazed at what was inside. But she was also upset at Fred for lying to her, so she woke up him in the middle of the night to yell at him. Fred understood his mistake and apologized to Stacey, and then they shared the food. What did Fred find under water? A A golden watch B Nothing C A treasure chest D A bed Answer: C Malawi Lake Home to 1,000 species of fish, Malawi Lake is Africa's third largest lake at 363 miles long and up to about 50 miles wide in some spots. Located 2,300 feet below sea level, it supports hundreds of local villages with its rich underwater stock. The lake's southern area represents the world's first freshwater national park. A star of the water here is the mbuna, a native freshwater fish known for eating directly from people's hands. Peyto Lake Banff National Park's Peyto Park is brilliant turquoise . For the most dramatic views of the 1.7-mile-long lake, encircled with thick forest and dangerous mountain peaks, pull into at Bow Summit, the parkway's highest point, and follow the steep hike to the overlook. Crater Lake Thousands of years ago, a 12,000-foot-high volcano in the Cascade Range exploded. The massive pit left behind became known as Crater Lake. Forests of towering evergreens and 2,000-foot-high cliffs surround the lake. At 1,949 feet deep, it's the deepest lake in the United States. If winter hiking and cross-country skiing aren't your thing, wait until early July to visit, when the roads have been plowed and the trails cleared. Taal Lake This dangerous beauty, situated just 37.28 miles south of Manila, is the deepest lake in the Philippines, with a depth of 564feet. Taal Lake is also home to one of the world's smallest but most active volcanoes, the Taal Volcano, which sits within its water on the island of Luzon. The lake itself was formed when a larger volcano crater here collapsed. Plenty of tour groups offer trips to the natural wonder ---- in spite of the fact that the volcanoes are very active. According to the text, the mbuna _ . A looks like a star B can be fed by hand C is as small as people's hand D is the only fish in Malawi Lake Answer: D To make Chinese students healthier and stronger, China's Ministry of Education has started a campaign. The campaign asks students to run every school day. Te campaign has started since October last year and will last until April this year. Kids at primary schools have to run 1km per day. It's 1.5kms for middle school students and 2 kms for high school and university students. And records will be set for every student. By the end of April 2009, a primary school student has to run 120kms in total/ A middle school students have to run 240kms by that time. Since the campaign started, people have had different ideas about it. Some people think it is good for students. They think the campaign can make students healthier. Some students have little exercise and the campaign can make them run. But some people don't think so. They think some schools don't have enough place for students to do running. If students have to run on the road, maybe it is not safe. They also think there are many ways to become healthier; running is not the only way. So they think the campaign is not a right decision. Why don't some people think the campaign is good? A Because they don't think it's safe enough for a student to run such a long way every day. B Because they don't think it's safe to make so many students run together every day. C Because they think students are busy with their school work and have no time to run. D Because they think there are other ways to keep healthy besides worrying about the safe problem. Answer: D Miss Green is very fat. She weighs 100 kg and she is getting heavier and heavier every day. So one day she goes to see the doctor. The doctor says,"You need a diet, Miss Green, and I have a good one here." He gives her a small book and says, "Read this carefully and eat the things on Page 11 every day. Then come back and see me in two weeks' time." Miss Green comes back again two weeks later. She isn't thinner. She is fatter instead. The doctor is surprised and says, "Are you eating the things on Page 11 of the small book?" "Yes, doctor." she answers. The next day the doctor visits Miss Green during her dinner. She is surprised to see the doctor. "Miss Green," he says, "why are you eating potatoes and bread? They aren't on your diet." "But, doctor," Miss Green answers, "I ate my diet at lunchtime. This is my dinner." Potatoes and bread can make people _ . A well B thin C fat D ill Answer: C
China's economy, the world's second largest,is showing signs of a rebound that could help it emerge from its worst economic period in l3 years. According to the latest government figures,growth picked up to 7.9%in the final three months of 2012.from 7.4%in the previous quarter.This was driven by state investment in infrastructure(,)projects and efforts to get consumers and companies to spend. Economic stability is seen as vital for China as its new leaders take over "It is obvious that the slowdown in the Chinese economy has _ for the moment."said Fraser Howie,an economist and co-author of Red Capitalism. "But one has to be mindful that any recovery will be limited in its scope,because of the various difficult and unexpected problems that China is facing,"he added. "The new leaders,who take charge in March,will now have to find the right balance between trying to prevent the formation of a property bubble and keeping a healthy growth rate going." That may prove tricky, especially because China's economic growth has slowed significantly from the highs of previous years,and analysts warn that state stimulus measures may decrease. On Friday,the statistical office reported that GDP...the Gross Domestic Product, the main measure of growth.increased by 7.8%in 2012, down from 9.3%in 2011.That was the slowest annual rate of growth since l 999.But it is still way above the weak growth rates experienced by most other major economies last year.Figures for the US,the world's largest economy,and Japan,the third largest.are expected to show growth of about 2%.The l7 members of the euro zone are collectively expected to contract by about 0.4% According to the passage,the new leaders of China have to _ Answer: keep the balance between the property industry and a healthy growth rate We have dreams almost every night. Do you ever notice the colors of your dreams? Do you dream in black and white or do you dream in yellow, red and green? New research suggests that the type of television you watched as a child has a great effect on the color of your dreams. While almost all people under 25 dream in color, thousands of people over 55, all of whom were brought up with black and white TV sets, often dream in monochrome . "It suggests there could be a critical period in our childhood when watching films has a big impact on the way dreams are formed", said Eva Murzyn, a psychology student at Dundee University in Britain who carried out the study. Research from 1915 through the 1950s suggested that the vast majority of dreams are in black and white. But the tide turned in the sixties, and later results suggested that up to 83 percent of dreams contain some color. Since this period also marked the transition between black-and-white film and TV and Technicolor ,an obvious explanation was that the media had been painting people's dreams. However, there weren't any firm conclusions. But now Miss Murzyn believes she has proven the link. She made a survey of more than 60 people, half of whom were over 55 and half of whom were under 25. She asked the volunteers to answer a questionnaire on the color of their dreams and their childhood exposure to film and TV. She then analyzed her own data. Only 4.4 percent of the under-25s' dreams were black and white. The over-55s who had had access to color TV and film during their childhood also reported a very low proportion of just 7.3 percent. But the over-55s who only had access to black-and -white media reported dreaming in black and white about a quarter of the time. Even though they would have spent only a few hours a day watching TV or films, their attention and emotion would have been heightened during this time, leaving a deeper imprint on their mind, Miss Murzyn told the New Scientist. "The crucial time is between three and ten when we all begin to have the ability to dream", she said. Which is WRONG according to the passage? Answer: Eva Murzyn is a professor at Dundee University in Britain. When I was ten my dad helped me buy my first ten-speed bicycle from Allen. I put up $60 of my grass cutting and snow shoveling money and my dad put up the other half I would pay him back over the next six months. Although it was not in the latest style, it was my ticket to the adult world. I spent that summer and autumn riding happily. My sister Liz, a prisoner of her five-speed bicycle, never had a chance to keep up. Just before the Christmas deadline to pay my dad back, we were hit with several snowstorms. This allowed me to shovel enough driveways to pay off my debt. I was now officially a bike owner; it was a feeling unlike any other. On that Christmas morning, my dad gave me a used portable record player. I was excited. However, my joy was short-lived after my dad called my sister to the kitchen. "We have one more gift for you." he said as he opened the door that led to the garage. There, on the steps, stood a new ten-speed bicycle. "It's not fair," I complained. "I worked so hard for my bike and it's not even new. Then Liz gets a new bike. She didn't have to do anything for it. " My dad smiled. "She didn't have to do anything for it because it' s not really for her," he said. What did that mean? I didn't want her bike. By spring Liz and I were riding all over town together now that she could keep up. As we grew, Liz and I became true friends. Still I wasn't smart enough to figure out what my dad meant until years later. That new bike was not a gift for Liz -- it was a gift for me. He'd given me the gift of my sister's company, the ability to stay together rather than drift apart in the face of my ability to travel. He gave me my best friend. Why was the author's Christmas joy short-lived? Answer: His sister got a better gift. Dear Linda, I'm glad to hear from you and I would like to be your pen friend. In your letter, you said you wanted to know something about my school life . I walk to school at 7:30 every morning because the school is near our house. When I get to school at about 7:45, I often do the cleaning with my classmates. After that we do some reading for half an hour. We have four lessons in the morning. I often have my lunch at 12:00 at school. We usually have two lessons in the afternoon. The school is over at about 5:00 and then I go home. My favorite subject is Chinese. I like all the teachers because they are friendly. I am keen on sports and I enjoy playing football best. I'm a member of our school football team. What about your school life? Best wishes! Dick After Dick gets to school, he _ first. Answer: does the cleaning He is a real turtle . Someone who always moves very slowly. She is such a sheep. A follower; someone who can't think for him or herself. He's being an ostrich . Someone who hides his/her head in the sand and refuses to face problems or reality. He's a lamb. A gentle, patient, understanding person. Nice and considerate. What a crab he is! A grouchy person; someone who is often angry and in a bad mood. Buddy hates to wake up on Monday morning. He doesn't speak to his wife or children, and he often shouts at the other drivers on his way to work. Everybody stays out of his way at least until noon time. After that he's all right. Buddy's boss says, " Buddy is a good guy, but on Monday morning, he's an absolute _ ." Answer: crab
While some scientists overlook the existence of a sixth sense for danger, a new research from Washington University in St. Louis has discovered a brain area that clearly acts as an early warning system and helps us adjust our behavior to avoid dangerous situations. "Our brains are better at picking up not obvious warning signs than we previously thought," said Joshua Brown, a PhD in psychology in the issue of the journal Science. The findings offer exact scientific evidence for a new way to form a concept of the complex control processes taking place in and around the ACC, a brain area located near the top of the frontal lobes and along the walls that divide the left and right hemispheres . "In the past, we found activity in the ACC when people had to make a difficult decision, or after they make a mistake," Brown said. "But now we find that this brain area can actually learn to recognize when you might make a mistake, even before a difficult decision has to be made. So the ACC appears to act as an early warning system---- it learns to warn us in advance when our behavior might lead to a negative outcome, so that we can be more careful and avoid making a mistake." By providing a clearer picture by which we self monitor and control our behavior, the study is an important step in efforts to develop more effective treatments for mental illnesses. It also provides a new way of understanding inappropriate behaviors that often accompany mental illnesses. "Our results suggest how injury of the ACC can lead to breakdowns in the early warning system, so that the brain fails to stop or control inappropriate behavior ahead of time," said Brown. "On the other hand, in those persons with mental disorder, the ACC might warn us of an upcoming problem even when no problem is in the existence." Known to be an important part of the brain's control system, the ACC is believed to help adjust between cold, hard, fact-based reasoning and emotional responses, such as love, fear or expectation. The new research helps us understand _ . A. why we are likely to make mistakes when the ACC is badly injured B. why people with illnesses usually have so many strange behaviors C. how the ACC works when something dangerous happens D. how our brain warns us of failure in advance Answer: A. why we are likely to make mistakes when the ACC is badly injured Watson won his most important game and became Southern Chess Master in 1977.He was given the silver cup. "It isn't rightly mine."he said,when he was holding the cup, "It was won two years ago when I was on holiday in...." "A family was staying at my hotel at that time.Mrs Prang,the mother,was told that I played chess;and she begged me to give her young son a game." "He's only ten."She said,Ive been told that you play quite well." "Well,as you can guess.I wasn't too happy. A player likes the opponent to play as well as he does. But it was holiday time and I agreed to play. We placed the board in the garden. The game began .I hoped it would be quick-----and so it was." "I soon knew that David Prang was no learner.After ten minutes his sister came outside and began to play tennis against in our game. He moved a piece without care. I gave my attention to the board." "Call me when you are ready,Mr Watson,"he said. "When I was ready?" I looked up. He had gone off to play with his sister,I studied the board-----and found I was driven into a corner. So it went on with David;a quick move,then tennis,back to the board,then back to his sister.My difficult condition became impossible to change. I was beaten,oh,so easily,by a ten-year-old chess player. He was the winner--in twenty-eight minutes." "David Prang:a name to remember.I had a chance to use his game today and it won this cup for me. To him,of course,it'sonly one of a hundred,or perhaps a thousand,winning games." When Mr Watson said "it isn' t rightly mine. It was won...."he meant _ two years before. A. he had played chess with a little boy for twenty-eight minutes B. he had had a chance to take part in an important game C. he had learned how to play chess from a child D. he had learned a good game from a child. Answer: D. he had learned a good game from a child. Many years ago a kind farmer bought a tank of gas for a mom with two children. He didn't accept any money but just smiled and said, "Pass it on to someone else." The mom was my mother. After many years, I had a similar experience. A few weeks ago as my husband and I were filling up our car with a coupon for 99 cents a gallon, I got into a long line to pay. I could see that the young man before me was having some kind of problem; I quickly realized that he had misunderstood the coupon and thought it was 99 cents to fill his small truck. Everyone was saying, "99 cents a gallon is so cheap - they can't give the gas away." He was embarrassed and was just calling his wife when I got to the counter . He said to his wife, "Just come here because I don't have enough money on me." I asked the cashier how much his was, and she told me. I told her I would pay for it and touched the man on the arm and told him to tell his wife it had been paid for. He nodded and turned back to the phone, then stopped and looked at me. "What?" I told him again, and I was so surprised to see everyone stop what they were doing to watch me as if I had just grown another head. When he asked how he could give the money back to me, I just said, "Pass it on to someone else in need!" Which of the following is the best title for the passage? A. A Kind Farmer B. A Tank of Gas C. Help for a Young Man D. A Mistake about a Coupon Answer: B. A Tank of Gas Ballet as a charming dance form has fascinated audiences for many years. It is a form of dance that combines beauty and grace to tell a story in a dance form. Generally performed in theatres, ballet has always been a favored dream of many little girls. While ballet dancers need to work very hard for many years to perform in a professional ballet company, this does not discourage the girls. Many people think that ballet originated in France, due to the ballet steps that all have French names. However, ballet can be traced back to Italy during the Renaissance period of the 1400s. While this was really just a pioneer to the classical ballet, the dances performed in Italy during this time led to the further development of ballet in France. The first ballet company arose in France and was called The Queen's Ballet Company. In the 1800s the romantic style of ballet appeared, thanks in part to the ballet La Sylphide. La Sylphide made much use of the toe dancing technique and brought about many changes to ballet. All romantic ballets focused on women and this encouraged women to take on increasingly to become ballerinas. While ballet prospered in other nations, it started declining in France. The decline could be because ballet was seen as being very worldly with mythical steps. The shift from mythical steps to more reasonable style that could be co-related to human movements came about in the twentieth century. This was because of the many different styles of dance that were becoming increasingly popular. The change that started in the twentieth century continues to transform ballet even today where it mixes different styles of dance. Some ballets today have even gone so far as to combine another style of dance into the ballet. In 1944 a ballet was introduced called Fancy Free that use Jazz dance with the ballet steps to create a revolutionary ballet, and it was well received. With time, ballet has developed and changed in many forms. A ballet by professionals continues to charm audiences despite the fact that most of us cannot even dream of performing most of the steps and moves of a ballet dancer. The passage mainly talks about _ . A. the development of classical ballet B. the popularity of classical ballet C. the meaning of classical ballet D. the techniques of ballet dancing Answer: A. the development of classical ballet Sir, Just over six months ago, I saw an advertisement in the Morning Mail for a set of the complete works of William Shakespeare. Your company, Cosmo books Ltd., offered this set (eight books of plays and two books of poetry) at what was claimed to be a 'remarkable' price: fifteen pounds and fifty pence, including postage and packing. I had wanted a set of Shakespeare's plays and poems for some time, and these books, in red imitation leather, looked particularly attractive; so I sent for them. Two weeks later, the books arrived, together with a set of the complete works of Charles Dickens which I had not ordered. So I returned the Dickens books to you, with a cheque for fifteen pounds and fifty pence for the works of Shakespeare. Two more weeks passed. Then there arrived on my door step a second set of the works of Shakespeare, the same set of novels by Dickens and a six book set of the plays of Moliere, in French. Since I do not read French, these were of no use to me at all. However, I could not afford to post all these books back to you, so I wrote to you at the end of August of last year, instructing you to come and collect all the books that I did not want, and asking you not to send any other books until further notice. You did not reply to that letter. Instead you sent me a bill for forty two pounds, and a set of the plays of Schiller, in German. Since then, a new set of books has arrived every two weeks, the works of Goethe, the poems of Milton, the plays of Strindberg; I hardly know what I have. The books are still all in their boxes, in the garage, and my car has to stand in the rain outside. I have no room for any more books, and even if I read from now until the Last Judgment, I should not finish reading all the books that you have sent me. Please send no more books, send no more bills, send no more angry letters demanding payment. Just send one large lorry and take all the books away, leaving me only with the one set of the complete works of Shakespeare for which I have paid. Yours faithfully, SIMON WALKER Mr. Walker answered the advertisement because _ A. he claimed that the books were being offered at a remarkable price. B. he wanted a set of Shakespeare's works which was a good bargain C. he had ordered the set and had been waiting for them to come for some time. D. the set he already had was not particularly attractive. Answer: B. he wanted a set of Shakespeare's works which was a good bargain
According to a survey released by the Nielson Company on Thursday, China has become a global tourist attraction after the Beijing Olympics. The survey said the Olympics not only built up China's image but also served as an advertisement for China's tourism. The online survey was conducted on consumers in 16 countries and regions before Games' opening ceremony and after the closing. About 80 percent of the respondents had not been to China before the events and 50 percent of them expressed hopes of visiting China after the Games. According to the survey, 70 percent of the respondents felt Beijing was more modern and scientific than what they had thought. The most interested respondents were from Singapore, India, Mexico, South Africa and the Republic of Korea, as well as China's Hong Kong and Taiwan. Pan Wen, in charge of Chinese tourism research of the Nielson Company, said the World Tourism Organization predicted that China would become the largest tourist attraction in the world with 137 million foreign tourists every year. "This figure would be realized earlier with the aid of the Beijing Olympics," Pan said. When was the online survey conducted? Answer: Once there was a man traveling in a faraway village.As he was passing the elephants,he suddenly stopped.He found that these huge elephants were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg.No chains ,no cages.It was clear that the elephants could,at any time,break away from their ropes but for some reason,they did not. He saw a trainer nearby and asked why these animals just stood there and didn't try to get away."Well,"the trainer said,"when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and,at that age,it's enohgh to hold them.As they grow up,they still believe they cannot break away.They believe the rope can hold them,so they never try to break free." How could it be?These animals could at any time break free from their ropes.But because they were always stuck right where they were,they believed they couldn't. Just like the elephants,how many of us go through life believing that we cannot do something,just because we failed at it once before? _ .We should never give up the struggle in life. Why do the elephants never try to break free from the ropes? Answer: What are the specific traits that will assist executives to climb the ladder of success? Opinions vary widely. Given almost equal qualifications and circumstances, some claim the success factor is largely a matter of luck--being in the right place at the right time. Others speak of an almost crazy devotion to work, combined with a degree of ruthlessness. One"expert" believes that it's undoubtedly a matter of how much education your mother had. To make it big, executives must possess four basic skills: First, drive . Business success takes an unusual amount of energy. A successful executive -- almost by definition--is a striver. He will get tense when he is not striving. Second, people sense. Some say being able to judge people is more important than a high IQ. The skill can be instinctual , but in most cases it is painstakingly learned. Third, communications ability. Different executives make themselves understood in different ways, Some transmit ideas best face to face; others are masters of the telephone call; still others are persuasive writers. One way or another, they all communicate clearly. Fourth, calm under pressure. No businessman will get very far if he chokes up. The successful executives must_. Answer: All you need to participate in home exchange is a house! You don't need to compare values of the houses or search for a _ partner in the case of a home similar to yours. It just requires identifying a home where you and your family can stay comfortably in the place you wish to visit. You need to search for a person or a family with whom you would be comfortable exchanging your home with,for a short period of time. In home exchange,you would be taking care of other people's home,as well as enjoying the country while they would be doing the same from your home. People who have traveled a lot would know that the most expensive part of traveling is paying hotel bills. In many cases, vacations cannot last for long mainly because of the high accommodation expenses. Holiday home exchange is one of the most simple and intelligent ways to cut down an accommodation expenses. It is an equal trade for bath the families and enables both to enjoy the advantages of a home while traveling to another country. Home exchanges have become very popular in major cities in the United Kingdom as it allows you to benefit from time-share. Mostly, people participating in home exchanges prefer to involve their friends or neighbors to entertain their visitors, by providing the home exchange visitors with information regarding the local sightseeing attractions. Many families with children try to swap houses with families who have children of the similar age group. It saves time and energy that is often exhausted in carrying around a number of toys and equipment. The individual traveler often finds house swapping a great way of relaxing in the comforts of a home after a tiring day of sightseeing and can spend more time to get to know the area better. What's the main reason for people exchanging homes during the holiday? Answer: Miya volunteered abroad in Costa Rica with World Endeavors assisting at an orphanage and teaching English at a school. As a freshman at Yale University, Miya had plans to go to medical school.Knowing that her next two summers would be occupied doing research, Miya decided to go abroad the summer after her freshman year."I wanted to improve my command of the Spanish language and learn about the culture and history of another country," she explained.In the summer of 2014, Miya volunteered for six weeks in the World Endeavors program in Atenas, Costa Rica, working in an orphanage and teaching English to children in grades one through six. "A long time before I left, I had positive expectations for the trip," said Miya.But as the date grew closer she found herself getting more and more nervous."I thought, what if my host family doesn't like me? What if I get sick?" Her fears, as fears often are, turned out to be unfounded."The people were so supportive and loving," said Miya."I felt like I was part of the family." Miya's host family had a large network of cousins who all lived within shouting distance. The family would cook together, and at night would go dancing, talk or eat ice cream.She noted that the World Endeavors staff on location--Diego and Mercedes, and Mercedes' husband and daughter -were particularly helpful, taking her right to her neighborhood from the airport, and checking up periodically to make sure everything was going well. While her nights were spent dancing, cooking, and talking with her host family, Miya's days were occupied with the children of her host city."I would teach in the morning, and work in the orphanage in the afternoon," said Miya, whose placements were within walking distance from her host family.While the children were a lot of work, Miya felt a strong connection to the kids in the orphanage. Miya noted that Costa Rica is one of the more developed countries in Central America. A nearby Internet cafe, for example, helped her to stay in touch with her family while she was away.And now, back in the United States, the Internet helps her keep in touch with her host family.Their correspondence continues in Spanish.And her host parents, Rosario and Jorge, recently sent Miya a Christmas card through the mail. Back at school, Miya continues to pursue her instinct to improve education through volunteering. She participates in a mentoring group and works on a community health education program for high school students.Her time in Costa Rica, she says, "fits right into my interests in global health." What is World Endeavors? Answer:
To win an Oscar is an achievement at any age. To do so at 22, as Jennifer Lawrence has, is just amazing. Recently, the American star won Best Actress at this year's Academy Awards for her role in the film The Silver Linings Playbook. According to Time magazine's Richard Corliss, Lawrence is that rare young actress who "lends a mature intelligence to any role". Though Lawrence has found great success through her big screen work, Lawrence wasn't sure what she really liked doing before the age of 14. She thought she'd go to college and maybe find a career as a doctor or a travel agent. Lawrence's two brothers were star athletes and one of them was a straight-A student. Unlike them, she suffered through school, never quite finding where she belonged. However, during a trip to New York, Lawrence suddenly realized that she wanted to be an actress. When she was enjoying the beautiful city, a model seeker asked if he could take her picture, and the next day he called her in for an audition . "I read the script and it was the first time I had that feeling like I understand this," Lawrence said. "Within 20 minutes, in the cab ride from the hotel room, I decided I didn't want to be a model. In fact, I wanted to be an actress." Having appreciated this young lady's performance, the agency was so impressed with her reading that they signed her on the spot. But she insisted on finishing high school so she could give her full attention to her acting career. Lawrence burst onto the Hollywood scene last year with The Hunger Games, which established her as the highest-grossing female action hero of all time. Rolling Stone called her"the most talented young actress in America". From the text we can know that Lawrence is an actress of great _ . A. confidence B. ambition C. independence D. talent Answer: D. talent A person can find a sparrow's home by A. looking at its face B. looking at a detailed map C. seeing where it was born D. noting where it frequently consumes Answer: D. noting where it frequently consumes An extinct mountain goat that was once common in the Pyrenees became the first animal to be brought back from extinction. Researchers used frozen DNA to produce a clone, but the newborn kid died within minutes of birth due to breathing difficulties. The Pyrenean ibex is a type of mountain goat,which is believed to have died out completely in 2000. Before the death of the last known individual(a13-year-old female known as Celia), biologists took cells from her skin and ears. An earlier cloning attempt to use the skin cells failed. But the latest attempt involved the creation of 439 cloned embryos. Of these cloned embryos, 57 were put into the female domestic goats, but only one goat gave birth and the newborn cloned kid died after seven minutes as a result of lung disease. Researchers say that other cloned animals, including sheep, have been born with similar lung disease, but they say that overall the experiment was a major step forward in the effort to bring the ibex back to its mountain home. The leading researcher Jose Folch says, "the cloned kid was genetically like the ibex;in species such as the ibex,cloning is the only possibility to avoid its complete disappearance." The failure to produce a living clone from DNA that was frozen only a decade ago shows the difficulty researchers would face in trying to bring back species that have been extinct for decades or centuries. Researchers have had the idea of bringing back the Tasmanian tiger, which went extinct in 1936. There are, however, other species that have been seriously suggested for cloning,such as the giant panda, the African bongo antelope, the Sumatran tiger and the pygmy hippo. Supporters believe cloning provides hope of keeping these endangered animals alive before they die out. We can conclude from the passage that _ . A. cloning has developed quickly in developed countries. B. no more animals will die out in the future. C. cloning makes it possible to preserve endangered species. D. cloning seldom results in physical problems for animals. Answer: C. cloning makes it possible to preserve endangered species. Let's travel the world together Nickname: Zaloxx Email:jdlxx8@yahoo. com When to travel: Feb 2010-Apr 2010 Self-introduction.. A 40+ male with strong physical and financial abilities. Hope to travel in India, Singapore and Thailand for business as well as for fun. My travel plan: Fly to Delhi and spend 3 weeks in India travelling mostly in north. Fly to Singapore and Thailand for a few business matters and mainly for fun. Whom I am looking for: A female to travel with me. She should be an attractive 30-40 healthy romantic lady and love travelling and relaxing. Together for Christmas and New Year? Nickname: Rue Rose Email: sofitsao@taishin, com. tw When to travel: Dec 2010-Jan 2011 Self-introduction: I am a fit, young, looking 40 years old female, who is easy-going, fun to be with. My travel plan: Would like to go somewhere hot-Cuba, Africa, Morocco, and so on. Perhaps the Christmas and New Year there are more interesting. Whom I am looking for: A male much with similar interests. A non-smoker and light drinker. Travel in good company! Nickname: Louise Email: misskennedy@hotmail, co. uk When to travel: Jan 2010 Self-introduction: 40 years old, fun-loving and easy-going. My travel plan: I need a break and I am open to anywhere. Whom I am looking for: A male travel companion , 24-40. A non-smoker who enjoys outside activities. Prefer someone that speaks Spanish. Need a travel companion in Thailand! Nickname: Gio Email: esteban407@yahoo, com When to travel: Feb 2010-Apr 2010 Self-introduction: I am 28 years old from London. I like to keep fit and enjoy hiking and camping. My travel plan: I plan to visit Thailand and travel around the country to enjoy nature and the sunshine. Whom I am looking for: Someone around my age. A male who is willing to have an active holiday. People in the advertisements above want to _ . A. introduce their travel experiences B. make friends with strangers while traveling C. find proper travel partners D. look for someone to look after them while traveling Answer: C. find proper travel partners You might not know it, but there is something wonderful at your fingertips. You can make people happier, healthier and more hard-working just by touching their arms or holding their hands. Doctors say that body contact is a kind of medicine that can work wonders. When people are touched, the quantity of hemoglobin -a type of matter that produces the red color in blood increases greatly. This results in more oxygen reaching every part of the body and the whole body benefits. In experiments, bottle-fed baby monkeys were separated from their mothers for the first ten days of life. They became sad and negative. Studies showed the monkeys were more probable to become ill than other babies that were allowed to stay with their mothers. Human babies react in much the same way. Some years ago, a scientist noticed that some well-fed babies in a clean nursery became weak. Yet babies in another nursery were growing healthily, even though they ate less well and were not kept as clean. The reason, he concluded, was that they often had touches from nurses. Experiments show that most people like being touched. And nearly all doctors believe touch helps to reduce patients' fear of treatment. Of course there is time when a touch is not welcome. But even if we don't like being touched, a smile can make us feel better. Smiling increases blood flow and starts the production of "happy brain" chemicals. So let's have a big smile and don't forget to keep in touch. Which of the following is NOT true? A. Everyone knows that body contact can make people happier. B. People may work harder because of body contact. C. Your fingertips can do something. D. People may not understand the importance of touching. Answer: A. Everyone knows that body contact can make people happier.
Rowena and Billy Wrangler are model high school students. They study hard and do extremely well on achievement tests. And next year,Rowena will be attending Harvard University.Billy,her younger brother,hopes to go to Cornell.What makes Rowena and Billy different from most students is that they don't go to school.In fact,they've never been to school.Since kindergarten,they've studied at home.Like many of more than one million people who receive home schooling in the United States, they feel as if they've gotten a good education. The home-schooling trend began in the U.S.in the 1980s with parents keeping their children out of public schools so they could provide religious education at home. Today,as the home-schooling trend continues to grow,parents are more likely to consider home schooling as an option because they believe schools don't do a very good job of teaching and are occasionally dangerous places.But can parents really do a better job? The answer in many cases is yes.In many studies,students taught at home ranked average or above average when compared to students who went to public schools.More importantly,these students were often more self-directed and have a greater depth of knowledge.They were well prepared for academic challenges. One such student,Robert Conrad, now a sophomore at university, claims he really learned how to study and schedule his time during his eight years of home schooling.Still, not every student is as successful as Robert. "For every home-schooling success story,there are an equal number of failures."states Henry Lipscomb,an educational researcher."There are just so many disadvantages that students taught at home have to overcome." For example,they have fewer chances to get in touch with others of their own age.Consequently,they sometimes lack the usual social skills."No matter what,though,"states Lipscomb,"home-schooling is a growing trend.I think we'll be seeing more and more of this." Compared with other students, Rowena and Billy are most different in the fact that _ . A. they preferred to teach themselves B. they do extremely well on achievement tests C. they don't go to school as other teenagers D. they feel they have gotten a good education Answer: C. they don't go to school as other teenagers Perhaps you do not know your school principal well . But you might be wise to take him or her seriously . Beijing University will enroll students recommended by high school principals this year . If the students recommended pass the interviews by Beijing University , they will have 30 extra points added to their national college entrance exam scores if they want to apply to the university. Beijing University said the reason was a desire to give students with comprehensive or special abilities a chance to stand out . However , a survey showed 10,046 out of 14,227 people are against the measure . Some experts agree to the criticism . Liu Daoyu , former president of Wuhan University is one strong opponent . " There are so many high schools in China . But only 39 schools are allowed to recommend students ." Is it fair to the rest of the schools in China ? Besides , most of the 39 schools are in big cities , which is more unfair to other regions ." The reform is also unfair to other students , some day . According to Liu , in the competitive exam , one extra point can put a student ahead of a large number of others------never mind 30 . " Principals do not know students well . How can they guarantee the recommendation will be fair ?" asked Wang Xuming , an education expert . The Ministry of Education said the move is a good experiment in college admission reforms and the public should support it even if it is not yet mature . It said Beijing University promised a series of supervision measures to avoid cheating . For example , the information of schools and principals that recommend students , and the recommended students will be put online for a week for public supervision . If a student passes the interview by Beijing University , he or she _ A. can also apply to other universities B. will be admitted into Beijing University C. will have comprehensive and special abilities D. needn`t accept the public supervision Answer: A. can also apply to other universities The booger on the balloon sailed far and wide. The wind pushed it. The wind pulled it. The booger on the balloon sailed into a house. In the house was a table. On the table was an orange. Next to the orange was some chocolate. Under the table was a crayon. Under the crayon was a seed. The booger on the balloon flew out of the house. Outside, there was snow. A dog went woof. A cat went meow. But the booger on the balloon did not hear them. The booger on the balloon had no ears! The wind blew the booger on the balloon far away, until one day... ...POP! The booger on the balloon fell on top of an alligator, never to be seen again. What was under the table A. an orange and some chocolate B. a booger and a balloon C. a crayon and a seed D. snow and an alligator Answer: C. a crayon and a seed If your hand is being burned on a stove A. you will feel cool B. you will be chilled C. your nervousness will disappear D. your nerves will make you aware Answer: D. your nerves will make you aware Ray's wedding had gone off smoothly. Everyone seemed to have had a good time. A few people had too good a time; they went home with designated drivers. All evening, the gift table remained unguarded. Who would steal anything, Ray thought. He had never heard of such a thing happening at a wedding. But his best friend Aaron said there was a first time for everything. He walked out regularly from the inside festivities to check on the gift table, making sure no one doubtful was hanging around it. Ray and Julia went on a 3-week honeymoon to Italy right after the wedding. When they got back, they opened all the gifts and sent out thank-you notes. But there was one problem. A married couple that used to be good friends had obviously given nothing. This surprised Julia, because Walt and Mary said they were excited to be invited. And, they actually seemed to have had a great time at the wedding. Frankly, Ray didn't even care if they hadn't given a gift. He just needed to know whether to send a thank-you note. Ray called Aaron. Aaron said maybe Walt had left an envelope on the gift table like Aaron had. "Yes, but we got your envelope with the cash inside," Ray said. "Maybe my envelope looked too thin, and some thief thought Walt's envelope looked nice and fat." Aaron asked Ray if he had looked everywhere for Walt's gift. Had he called up the wedding site to see if anything had been left behind? Ray said that he had looked everywhere and made a lot of calls that were fruitless. Ray didn't know what to do. If he sent Walt and Mary a thank-you note for a gift they hadn't given, they would be _ . If he didn't send them a thank-you note for a gift they had given, they would get angry. "What would you do?" Ray asked. Aaron said he would call Walt up and tell him the problem. "You can't go wrong with simply being honest," Aaron said. "Oh, yes, you can," Ray contradicted him. "Sometimes it's best to let sleeping dogs lie." But he thought about it, and finally decided that Aaron was right. He called Walt and told him the problem. Walt said that yes, he had given an envelope. In fact, the envelope contained $500 cash. "$500?!" Ray asked. "That's a lot of cash, Walt!" Walt admitted that it was, but he had gotten a fat raise early that year and Ray's was the only wedding he'd been to in quite a while. Ray thanked him very much, and apologized sincerely for someone stealing Walt's generous gift. Walt told him that it was "only money". When Ray told Aaron about Walt's gift, Aaron laughed. "The only thief at the wedding was Walt! I stopped playing cards with him last year because I caught him cheating. And it was only a $10 pot! I'm sure I told you about that." "Yes, you did tell me," Ray said. But, of course, he had to send Walt a thank-you note anyway. Which of the following might be the best title for the passage? A. A Wedding Party B. The Wedding Gift C. The Thief at the Wedding D. A Secret at the Wedding Answer: B. The Wedding Gift
Hongkong has about forty beaches. They are open to all people. Some of the beaches are the best in the world. People can go there for a swim. You can go to most of them by bus. To go to some beaches you have to take a boat. There are toilets, clothes changing rooms and places to buy food and drinks on most of the beaches. You will swim there safely if you do as the following: 1. Don't swim alone. You should go with an adult or your friends. 2. Don't swim right after a meal or when you are hungry or tired. 3. You should not stay in the water too long. 4. Do not go out in a boat if you can't swim or if you're not wearing a life jacket. Remember: A red flag means that it is dangerous for anyone to go into the water. A blue flag means that it is dangerous for children and weak swimmers to enter the sea. When you see a blue flag, you know that _ there. Answer: children should not swim Dear College Dean, It is my understanding that this college has received a large donation to be used to enhance (improve) the quality of life for students: expand the bookstore or add computers to the computer lab. It is the tradition of this school to promote education and to be the pioneer of new technology. That is why I strongly argue in favor of the addition of more computers to the computer lab. Although expanding the campus bookstore to include CDs, gifts, and a snack bar will give a nicer look to the college, we have to think about a greater goal and a more practical way to enhance the quality of life for students. What do we .want for our students and our college? Do we want our college to be known as a place with a great bookstore where you can find CDs and gifts, or as a place where the students can explore and research in their field using the best tools provided by technology? In addition, there are already several snack bars on campus, and there are music stores nearby, so students do not depend on the college bookstore for these things. We live in a highly technological world and computers play an increasingly important role in how we live. As a learning institution, this college has the responsibility to offer its students the best technology to help them prepare for their future. Many students will be expected to be familiar with the latest software and other tools when they go on to work or to graduate school. While they are in college, students find they are expected to use computers. Many professors expect students to use computers to do homework or to complete projects. Since students are competing for good grades, those who have limited access to computers are at a great disadvantage. Furthermore, being able to do projects using the computer enhances the process of learning. If there are more computers, no more will students have to wait in line while scanning the room for an empty chair and computer.. No longer will they have to sit and wait while an outdated computer struggles to follow their commands. Having more new and faster computers available will enable students to finish their work more quickly. The more computers are used in society, the more colleges will depend on them as a tool of teaching and learning. Making computers more available to students facilitates their learning process by making the process easier, more interesting, more engaging, and in the process enhancing their quality of life. From the passage we can infer that _ . Answer: present computers in the college cannot meet the demands of the students Charlie Vansant, a college student of Athens, Ohio who reported that his car was stolen, got a surprise when he learned a woman had mistaken it for her daughter's car and taken it-using her key. Kate Anderson became an accidental car thief when picking up her daughter's car near an Ohio University building last week. Anderson spotted the Toyota Camry and used her daughter's key to unlock the car, start the engine and drive home-without realizing that the car wasn't her daughter's. When Charlie Vansant left class a short time later, he found only an empty parking spot. He first assumed the car had been _ , but when the police couldn't find a record of it, they took a theft report. The morning after Anderson took the car, her daughter discovered the Camry in the driveway wasn't hers. Anderson said she was able to find Vansant's name on paperwork in the glove compartment and look up his phone number on the website for the university. When Anderson told Charlie the car was in her driveway, "It sounded real suspicious at first, as she wanted to hold the thing for ransom ," said Vansant. He eventually went to the house with a police officer, where he was reunited with his car. According to the police report, the case was closed "because of mistaken car identity", Anderson wasn't charged. Vansant seemed to blame the car company more than the "thief". "Her key fit not only my lock, but my ignition as well - so high-five for Toyota. I guess." he said. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage? Answer: Mrs. Anderson stole Charlie's car at the request of her daughter. What separates animals that thrive and those that go extinct are Answer: the ability to adapt Chicago is next to a beautiful lake, Lake Michigan. In the summer Lake Michigan is warm and blue .People lie on the beaches and swim in the water. In the winter Lake Michigan is cold and gray .Snow covers the beaches, and ice covers the water. On a cold January day, a little boy and his father were playing in the snow on Chicago beach. The boy was Jimrsy Tontlewicx. He was four years old .Several Minutes went by .The father still couldn't find Jimmy. Firemen arrived .Twenty minutes later they found Jimmy and pulled him out of the water. Jimmy was not breathing, and his heart was not beating . He was dead. At the beach paramedics worked on Jimmy for an hour . He began to breathe , and his heart began to beat . The paramedics rushed Jimmy to the hospital.Doctors at the hospital put Jimmy in bed .They put him on a cold mattress because they wanted his body to warm up slowly. They gave him some medicine because they wanted him to sleep .After six weeks in the hospital he got better ,Then he went to another hospital. He stayed there for seven weeks .He began to walk ,talk ,and play again. Jimmy was in the water for more than 20 minutes . He couldn't breathe in the water . He couldn't get any oxygen .But today he is alive and healthy. How is it possible? Jimmy is alive because the water was ice cold. Usually the brain needs a lot of oxygen .But when it's very cold , the brain slows down. It does not need much oxygen .So the ice cold water saved Jimmy . Jimmy's father has another reason .He says ,"Jimmy is alive today because he is a fighter . " How long did Jimmy stay in hospital before he got healthy? Answer: Thirteen weeks
This winter, the air quality over the north China plain was so bad that it was actually off the standard scale. The air pollution reached levels that the World Health Organization describes as dangerous. On Thursday, heavy smog blanketed most of northern and eastern China again. It is reasonable to ask why the air pollution is so bad this winter. Weather conditions and topographic factors have been given as reasons, but, although contributing factors, these are not to blame. The worsening air pollution is linked to an energy mix that relies heavily on coal and to motor vehicle emissions . But despite the astonishing growth of motor vehicles in our cities, it is the burning of coal that is the biggest cause of air pollution. More than half of the country's power plants are located in the eastern region and China's coal consumption has more than doubled in the past decade, reaching 3.8 billion tons last year, accounting for almost half the world's total coal consumption. And with coal occupying nearly 70 percent of the country's primary energy consumption, it has become critical to reduce the use of coal if we are to solve the nation's overall air pollution problem. In the face of the poisonous air recently, one citizen said, "we have nothing but hot air to purify the skies". In fact, the government plans to have 350 billion yuan ($55.67 billion) investment in improving coal-fired facilities and limiting the use of yellow-label cars that do not meet the Euro I emissions standard and so on. However, it would be far more effective to reduce emissions at the source, which means that the biggest challenge currently facing government departments is saying "no" to the country's air polluting offenders. According to the Joint Prevention and Control Plan on Air Pollution in Key Regions released recently by the State Council, the amount of coal the nation consumes is set to rise by 30 percent during the period of the 12th Five-Year Plan. This is not going to let anyone breathe easier. This highlights a key problem when it comes to environmental issues in this country - economic development comes first. The fundamental cause of the worsening air pollution is the idea of economic growth at any cost, which has resulted in ever-worsening pollution. And the priority given to economic growth presents another problem, namely the failure of existing environmental protection policies and regulations to control pollution. For instance, the current weak regulations covering emissions would suggest there has been a significant reduction in emissions when clearly this is not the case. Also those enterprises found breaking the regulations are still far lower than the cost of treating the pollution they produce. This means even if many large-scale enterprises with lagging production capacity fail to meet the requirements for environmental protection, the environmental protection department is incapable of shutting these enterprises down or forcing their relocation. [: _ Z _ X _ X _ K] Dealing with air pollution requires taking action at the local level to reduce vehicle emissions and at the regional level to reduce industrial emissions. But it also requires giving more priority to environmental issues in policymaking. Our hope is that the environmental protection department will be truly capable of saying "no" to pollution, and it will raise standards and effectively enforce them, and that governments at all levels will prioritize quality of life not just economic growth. It can be learned from the passage that the essential reason for the worsening air conditions in China is _ . Answer: the sharp growth of coal consumption in recent years It was mother's Day, but the young mother was a little unhappy. Because she was 800 miles away from her parents. In the morning she phone her mother to wish her a happy mother's Day, And her mother told her about the beautiful lilacs in the garden. Later that day, when she told her husband about the lilacs. He said. "I know where we can find all that you want. Get the children and come on."So they went, driving down the country roads. There on a small hill, they saw a lot of beautiful purple lilacs .The young woman ran quickly to enjoy the flowers .Carefully, she picked a few here and a few there. On their way home there was a smile on her face .When they were passing a nursing home ,the young woman saw an old granny sitting in a chair .She had no children with her .They stopped the car and the young woman walked to the old woman, put the flowers in her hands , and smiled at her .The old granny thanked her again and again . She smiled happily, too. When the young mother came back to her car , her children asked her ,"Who is that old granny ? Why did you give flowers to her ?""I don't kown her ."Their mother said ,"But it's Mother's Day , and she has no children. I have all of you , and I still have my mother . Just think how much those flowers meant to her ." The young woman was a little unhappy on Mother's Day because _ . Answer: she was a long way from her mother . Since the Internet came into homes, the daily life has never been the same again. But the thing that worries most of us is that we can get viruses from the Internet. But can we catch viruses on our cell phones? A new study in the journal Science says yes, but the spread of such mobile software that can bring harm to our cell phones won't reach dangerous levels until more cell phones are on the same operating system. Computers are easily attacked by viruses because they share data, especially over the Internet. Of course, nowadays, more people are using their cell phones more and more frequently. They use them for emailing, text messaging and downloading troublesome ring tones, etc.,so it is obvious that cell phone viruses are a threat as well. Scientists used nameless call data from more than six million cell phone users to help model a possible outbreak. And they concluded that viruses that spread from phone to phone by Bluetooth are not much concerned, because users have to be in close physical relation for their phones to "see" one another. However, viruses that spread through multimedia messaging services can move much faster, because they can come in disguise , such as a cool tune sent by a friend. The good news is that to be effective, these viruses need their victims to all use the same operating system, which not enough of us do. Because there is no Microsoft operating system for mobile phones, yet. Thank goodness. What can we infer about Bluetooth according to the scientists? Answer: It won't possibly cause the outbreak of cell phone viruses. Everyone needs to be healthy. Do you eat healthy food every day? It's important for your health. You need fruit, like oranges, apples and bananas. _ " You also need vegetables, like carrots and broccoli. Fruit and vegetables are good for our health. But don't eat lots of chocolate. It's not good healthy food. What about dessert? Don't eat lots of dessert because it's not good for your health. Many people eat lots of chocolate and dessert, so they are _ . Sports can also keep you healthy. Play sports every day. Don't be lazy. You can be healthy. What are healthy food? Answer: Fruit and vegetables. The Museum of Childhood is Australia's most comprehensive collection of childhood items including toys, dolls, infant and school material. Housed in a modern facility , the displays reflect Australian childhood experience over time including play, child rearing(=raising),orphanage childhood and home, school and war time experience. There are many hands-on exhibits and education sessions including the famous" lesson" in the 1920s One Teacher Bush Classroom. The Museum also hosts national touring exhibitions and conducts special activities on Sundays and school holidays(ring for details). Open: Tuesday--Friday 10am--4pm,Sunday 10am--4:30pm,or by arrangement. Special activities on Sundays as advertise. Closed: Public holidays,16 December--18 January. Location: Edith Cowan University campus, Bay Road, Claremont(take bus 208 and alight at the Bay Road and Princessinter section. The Museum is 15 minutes' walk from Claremont. The main purpose of the Museum of Childhood is to _ . Answer: reflect Australian childhood experience over time.
Jackson was driving back home along a road one evening. He just lost his job. It was winter and it was very cold, just like his feelings. An old lady with her car was standing on one side of the road. The lady looked very worried. She needed help. No one stopped to help her. Jackson stopped in front of her and got out of his car. Even when he put a smile on his face, the old lady still looked worried. Was he going to hurt her? He didn't look safe, and he looked poor and hungry. Jackson knew how she felt. He said." I'm here to help you, madam. Why don't you wait in my car? By the way, my name is Jackson." The lady thought for a while and then went into his car. There was something wrong with her car. Jackson went under her car to repair it. After a long time, he finished it. He got dirty and his hands hurt. Then the lady told him that her name was Annie. She asked Jackson how much she should pay for his help. Jackson never thought about getting money. This was not a job to him. This was helping someone in need. He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she should give that person help. What kind of text is this? Answer: story. Historians usually just study great things that happened in the past time, but Drew Faust has made history! On February 11, 2007, Faust was named president of Harvard University.She is the first woman to hold the position in the school's 371-year history. "I am a historian," she said."I've spent a lot of time thinking about the past, and about how it shapes the future.No university in the country, perhaps the world, has as remarkable a past as Harvard's." "And our common enterprise is to make Harvard's future even more remarkable than its past.That will mean recognizing and building on what we already do well.It will also mean recognizing what we don't do as well as we should, and not being satisfied until we find ways to do better." It is her great desire for improvement and willingness to try out new ideas that have given Drew success in a world controlled by men."This is a man's world, my girl, and the sooner you learn that, the better off you'll be." Drew Faust recalls her mother telling her this when she was young, but she didn't _ it. Faust grew up in a well-off family in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley in the 1950s.Even then, she was a trailblazer .A conversation with her family's black handyman and driver inspired her to write a letter, on school notebook paper, to President Dwight Eisenhower. She asked that he help bring US citizens together in the south, a much divided part of the country at the time. "Drew Faust is a historian with her eyes on the future," said Susan Graham, a professor of Harvard.Many of the university's schools said that they believe Harvard will have a brighter future under the leadership of Drew Faust. What did her mother mean by saying "This is a man's world, my girl..."? Answer: To tell her to do things as a girl should do. Your particular relationships with your parents, not God or genes, determines your academic performance. In my case, it was my father who made the difference. I had three sisters and my father never showed much interest in their success. He took no notice of the school reports of one of them. They all made it to university. But this was largely because of my mother's encouragement. However badly I did, and it was usually very bad, he always told me I was clever and that I could do well. When I was eight and remained at the bottom of my class, he tried to coach me in Latin and maths. His main goal was to show me that, if I could make myself concentrate on the dull tasks, I could do them. He chose the head of my house at public school with great care. He found a man who made a huge effort to teach _ with which he started when I was 13. Together, they convinced me to take exams seriously. But the most important factor was that I knew my dad loved me. He expressed this in many kind letters. When we were together, he would take me in his arms. He encouraged me to think for myself and to enjoy what I enjoyed. He once watched me eating a huge amount of chocolate and said, "Eat as much as you like -- you won't always enjoy it that much." So I started working hard. I agreed with his own clever ways. And I started to enjoy the learning of knowledge and the expression of ideas. Although exams gave little opportunity for that, I could sort of see _ . A lot of parents do not realize how important the emotional aspect of the relationship is. It determines their child's performance. I recently heard a parent discussing what school their child might get into. "I don't know how bright he is," she said. Many parents are troubled by their children's marks at school. Their relationship with the child is almost wholly built around this. It was not at all like that with my dad. Until I was eight, he did not seem to worry about marks. And, after that, it was never exam performance that he was concerned with. Rather, he concentrated on my self-perception . He constantly showed me that I was not stupid by pointing out things I had said that were signs of intelligence. It meant I had a reasonable self-regard. I kept failing exams. But, my father thought there was a difference between my failing one exam and whether I would be a success or failure in life. Which of the following statements is NOT true about "my father"? Answer: He paid much attention to my school marks. A survey by an international temporary service agency found that U. S. managers believe that people with a sense of humour do better at their jobs, compared with those who have little or no sense of humour. In fact, about 96 percent of those surveyed said people with a sense of humour do better. The survey went on to point out that the results suggest that a sense of humour may help light-hearted employees keep their jobs during tough times. And, what's more, it may push them up the corporate ladder past their humourless colleagues. Why? It seems that those with a sense of humour are better communicators and better team players. Studies have shown that happy workers are more productive. In fact, a researcher at California State University found that humour could help the employees to release tension. Research done by psychologist Dr. Ashton Trice at Mary Baldwin College in Virginia showed that humour helps us think. When people feel stuck on important projects, they tend to feel angry or depressed. According to Dr. Trice's research, taking time out to laugh can help us to get rid of negative feelings and allow us to return to a task or move on to another project unaffected by past defeat. If humour is really this important, then why don't we use it more often on the job? Most likely, the main reason is that many people are unaware of the positive effects of humour in the workplace. However, it is important to realize that some humour is not suitable for the workplace, and that it is often used at wrong times. Many people don't use humour more in the workplace because _ . Answer: they don't know the positive effects of humour A Notice of Delnor Hospital (the "Hospital") THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED ( ) If you have any questions about this notice, please contact: The ASIFlex Privacy Office PO BOX 6044 Columnbia MO 65205- 0858 We understand that medical information about you and your health is personal. We are committed to protecting your medical information. We create a record of the care and services you receive at the Hospital. We need this record to provide you with quality care and to comply with certain legal requirements. This notice explains the ways in which we may use and disclose medical information about you. We also describe your rights and certain obligation( ) we have regarding the use and disclosure of medical information. HOW WE MAY USE AND DISCLOSE MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU The following categories describe different ways that we use and disclose your medical information. Not every use or disclosure in every category is listed. However, all of the ways we are permitted to use and disclose information will fall within one of the categories. For Treatment. We may use your medical information to provide you with medical treatment or services. We may disclose your medical information to doctors, nurses and technicians. In addition, the doctor may need to tell the dietician if you have diabetes so that we may arrange appropriate meals. Different departments within the Hospital also may share your medical information. For Payment. We may use and disclose your medical information so that the treatment and services you receive at the Hospital may be billed and payment may be collected from you, an insurance company or a third party. We also may tell your health plan about a treatment you are going to receive to obtain prior approval or to determine whether your plan will cover the treatment. For Health Care Operations. We may use and disclose your medical information for the Hospital operations purposes. These uses and disclosures are necessary to run the Hospital and to make sure that all of our patients receive quality care. We also may combine your medical information with those of many Hospital patients to determine whether additional services should be offered, what services are no longer needed and whether certain new treatments are effective. Which of the following isn't mentioned in the notice? Answer: The patient will be told how soon he can recover after an operation
Question: The earth moves round the sun ,and the moon goes round the earth .When our part of the earth turns to the sun ,it is day ,When our part of the earth turns away from the sun ,it is night. The sun is much bigger than the moon .But sometimes the moon looks bigger than the sun, because it's much nearer to the earth. The sun is very bright .It gives a very strong light .The moon looks quite bright, too .But it doesn't give any light at all. The moon looks much bigger and brighter than the stars .But actually , the stars are much bigger and brighter than the moon .They look smaller than the moon because they're much farther away from us. The stars _ . A. look much bigger than the sun B. look much brighter than the moon C. are a lot brighter than the moon, but they are not bigger than the moon D. are much farther away from us than the moon Answer: D. are much farther away from us than the moon Question: The Bowler family had a very unusual experience this year. It was one of more than 400 families who applied to 1900 house, a reality TV show which took a typical family back a hundred years to see how people lived in the days before the internet, computer games and even electricity. The Bowler family spent three months in a London home without a telephone, computers, TV, or fast food. The bowlers wore clothes from 1900, ate only food available in England at that time, and cooked their meals on a single stove. Paul Bowler still went to work every day in a then uniform. The children changed their clothes on the way to and from school and their classmates didn't know about their unusual home life. Joyce stayed at home, cooking and cleaning like a typical housewife of the time, though everything took three times as long. So does Joyce think that people's lives were better in the old days? "I think people in the old days had just as many troubles and worries," Joyce said. "And I don't think their life was better or worse, there were lots of things back then that I'm happy I don't have to deal with nowadays, but on the other hand life was simpler." "We had a lot more time with our family, and it was hard being nice to each other all the time," eleven-year-old Hilary said. So what did the Bowler family miss most about modern life while living in the 1900 house? Paul, 39: "telephone and a hot shower" Joyce, 44: "a quick cup of tea from a kettle you could just turn on" Hilary, 11: "rock CD" Joseph, 9: "hamburger and computer games" What would Hilary expect most from modern life in the three months? A. To make phone calls. B. To listen to music. C. To chat on the Internet. D. To play computer games. Answer: B. To listen to music. Question: A new battery claims that it "lasts twice as long as competing batteries under the same loading conditions." Which comparison of the battery with competing batteries would validate this claim? A. It is twice as large. B. It contains more electrons. C. It stores more chemical energy. D. It destroys less energy when used. Answer: C. It stores more chemical energy. Question: Books are not Nadia Konyk's thing. Her mother brings them home from the library, but Nadia rarely shows interest. Instead, like so many other teenagers, Nadia, 15, is addicted to the Internet. She regularly spends at least six hours a day in front of the computer, spending most of her time reading and commenting on stories written by other users. Her mother, Deborah Konyk, would prefer that Nadia read books for a change. As teenagers' scores on reading tests have declined, some argue that the hours spent surfing the Internet are the enemy of reading--destroying a precious common culture that exists only through the reading of books. Critics have warned that electronic media would destroy reading. Others say the Internet has created a new kind of reading. The Web inspires a teenager like Nadia, who might otherwise spend most of her leisure time watching television, to read and write. What is different now, some literacy experts say, is that spending time on the Web engages viewers with text. Web supporters believe that strong readers on the Web may eventually surpass those who rely on books. Reading five Web sites, experts say, can be more enriching than reading one book. "It takes a long time to read a 400-page book," said Spiro. "In a tenth of the time," he said, the Internet allows a reader to "cover a lot more of the topic from different points of view." Some literacy experts say that reading itself should be redefined. Interpreting videos or pictures, they say, may be as important a skill as analyzing a novel or a poem. "Kids are using sound and images so they have a world of ideas to put together," said Donna Alvermann, a professor of literacy education at the University of Georgia. "Books aren't out of the picture, but they're only one way of experiencing information in the world today." Next year, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which gives reading, math and science tests to 15-year-old students in more than 50 countries, will add an electronic reading component . The United States says it will not participate because an additional test would overburden schools. How many hours does Nadia spend in front of the computer in a week? A. Exactly forty-two hours B. Usually fifty hours C. More than forty hours D. At most thirty-six hours Answer: C. More than forty hours Question: 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. Why did the mother give her son nails? A. To put the garden fence right. B. To put them away. C. To help him understand something. D. To make him lose patience. Answer: C. To help him understand something.
BEIJING, prefix = st1 /China(CNN) ---China's economic growth dropped to 9 percent for 2008, according to numbers released by the government Thursday --- in line with expectations, but still the slowest rate the nation has seen in seven years. Economists are concerned about what the slowdown means for investment in the future, whether new projects will be undertaken in manufacturing companies and in factories. If not, it will translate into more job losses and erase any optimism about a rebound in 2009. Since 2001, Chinahas been used to double-digit growth as consumers buy Chinese goods. However, the export sector was hit hard in late 2008, with December exports down 2.8 percent. Consumer spending has mostly held up in China, as people there do not carry as much debt as their American counterparts and can continue to spend. Consumer confidence, however, is a problem, said Dong Tao, Asia chief economist for Credit Suisse. Infrastructure is the only thing driving the Chinese economy, Dong said. Tens of thousands of Chinese factories have closed, millions of people are looking for jobs and an untold number of migrants who can't find work may be leaving cities for good because of the slowdown, which would have been unheard of six months ago. Fourth quarter numbers showed growth at 6.8 percent. Goldman Sachs predicted 6.5 percent, down from 9 percent in the third quarter. For all of 2008, Goldman Sachs had predicted 8.8 percent, down from 11.9 percent in 2007. The best title of this passage should be _ . rock from deep down creates what as it becomes less hot American farmers are raising five percent more goats for meat these days. Goat meat is high in protein and lower in unhealthy fat than many other meats.Even so,the industry is small compared to chicken,beef and pork. But immigration has brought more of a taste for goat to America from all over the world. Experts from the University of Illinois offer some questions for people to consider if they are thinking about raising goats. First of all,do you understand that there always has to be someone to care for the goats? How much land do you have available? And how good is it? Poor ground may support two to four goats on half a hectare.Better grassland can support six to eight. If goats and cattle share the land,two goats can be added for each cow. The goats will eat weeds and other plants that cattle do not like. Do you have buildings for the number of female goats you plan to keep during winter? An open,cold,dry barn is better than a closed,warm barn where the air is wet. *Do you have the equipment to clean barns and to harvest hay to feed your goats? Or will you get someone else to do it,or buy the hay? The experts say a profitable business in goat meat may take three to five years to establish.And, of course, there are no guarantees . If someone has two hectares of good grass land, what is the maximum number of cows and goats he can raise? However wealthy we may be, we can never find enough hours in the day to do everything we want. Economics deals with this problem through the concept of opportunity cost, which simply refers to whether someone's time or money could be better spent on something else. Every hour of our time has a value. For every hour we work at one job we could quite easily be doing another, or be sleeping or watching a film. Each of these options has a different opportunity cost--namely, what they cost us in missed opportunities. Say you intend to watch a football match but the tickets are expensive and it will take you a couple of hours to get to and from the stadium. Why not, you might reason, watch the game from home and use the _ money and _ to have dinner with friends? This--the alternative use of your cash and time--is the opportunity cost. For economists, every decision is made by knowledge of what one must forgo--in terms of money and enjoyment--in order to take it up. By knowing precisely what you are receiving and what you are missing out on, you ought to be able to make better-informed, more reasonable decisions. Consider that most famous economic rule of all: there's no such thing as a free lunch. Even if someone offers to take you out to lunch for free, the time you will spend in the restaurant still costs you something in terms of forgone opportunities. Some people find the idea of opportunity cost extremely discouraging: imagine spending your entire life calculating whether your time would be better spent elsewhere doing something more profitable or enjoyable. Yet, in a sense it's human nature to do precisely that--we assess the advantages and disadvantages of decisions all the time. In the business world, a popular phrase is "value for money." People want their cash to go as far as possible. However, another is fast obtaining an advantage: "value for time." The biggest restriction on our resources is the number of hours we can devote to something, so we look to maximize the return we get on our investment of time. By reading this passage you are giving over a bit of your time which could be spent doing other activities, such as sleeping and eating. In return, however, this passage will help you to think like an economist, closely considering the opportunity cost of each of your decisions. What are forgone opportunities? I live in a busy town, and there are many kinds of shops in the town. There are also three restaurants. They are Mr Li's, Mr Cool's and Mrs Zhao's. People have different views about the three restaurants. I think Mr Li's has the friendliest service and the seats there are the most comfortable. However, it has the worst noodles. The color of the wall in Mr Cool's is pink. And it has the cheapest hamburgers, but the service of it is the worst of the three. And it has the hardest seats. Mrs Zhao's has the best food, and it is the most expensive. Though the seats are not very comfortable, it has the most _ . Which of the following is Not right?
Wild animals are our friends, but many of them are getting fewer and fewer. We should try to protect them. The four animals below are now in danger. Tibetan Antelopes Tibetan antelopes are medium-sized animals. They mainly feed on grass. They are usually found in groups of about 20. They are killed for their wool, which is warm, soft and fine and can be made into expensive clothes. Although people can get the wool without killing the animals, people simply kill them before taking the wool. The number of them is dropping year by year. There are less than 75,000 Tibetan antelopes left in the world, down from a million 50 years ago. Golden Monkeys Golden monkeys are mainly found in Sichuan, Gansu, Shanxi provinces and Shengnongjia mountainous area of Hubei Province. Golden monkeys have golden-orange fur. They move around in the daytime, usually in groups of as many as 100 to 200 heads, or 20 to 30 heads. They feed on fruits and young leaves of bamboos. But people are destroying the environment where they live. Trees and bamboos are disappearing, so golden monkeys have less and less to eat. Elephans ks5u Elephants are very big and strong. They are bigger than any other animals on land. They are grey and have long trunks and tusks. They have poor eyesight, but very good hearing and smell. They can lift heavy things and break down branches with their trunks. Elephants are very friendly towards each other and towards their neighbours. Normally, they live in a group for many years. Young male elephants do not leave the group until they are about 12 years old. Now, there are very few elephants in the world. The number of them is becoming smaller and smaller because their living areas are used for farming. Also, people hunt them for their tusks. Wolves Wolves are not very big. They have grey fur. Wolves have very good eyesight, hearing and smell. Wolves' food is vavious. They eat animals, insects and snails. They are friendly to each other and never attack people. They do not kill for fun. Wolves are in danger, too. They are losing their living areas because people cut down forests. Soon they will have no home or food. What can be the best title of the passage? A Wild animals in danger B How to hunt wild animals C Animals in the zoo D How to train the animals Answer: A How important is your mobile phone, better known to Americans as a cellphone? Jack said, "I use my phone all the time. I'm always on my phone." Ann said, "It's important to me because it's like my life saver." Jenny said, "I need my cellphone. I cannot live without it." So far, no studies have proven beyond question that the radio signals from cellphones cause brain cancer or other health problems. But a new study by government scientists in the United States has some people wondering what to think. The scientists have found that holding a cellphone to your ear for more than fifty minutes increases brain cell activity. Even the scientists themselves are not sure about the meaning of their findings. Dr Nora Volkow led the study. She heads the National Institute on Drug Abuse, part of the National Institutes of Health. Dr Volkow says she is not concerned that fifty minutes of cellphone exposure would harm anyone. But she says the research does show the need to study whether there are long-lasting effects of repeated exposure over several years. Her team studied forty-seven healthy volunteers between January and December of 2009. The volunteers had cellphones placed against both ears while the scientists made images of their brain activity. As part of the test, one phone was activated for fifty minutes. The other phone was off. After that, the volunteers were tested with both phones turned off. Dr Volkow says the brain scans showed increased activity in brain cells closest to the activated phone. The scans showed how the brain cells used sugar to produce energy, a normal activity. The activity was seven percent higher in areas of the brain closest to the cellphone antenna . Dr Giuseppe Esposito is a nuclear medicine expert at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington. He says after many years of studies, better kinds of research are still needed to settle questions about cellphone safety. These studies would take years. The results of the study tell us that _ . A people use cellphones for too long every day B using cellphones has an effect on brain cells C cellphones that are powered off can also affect the brain D increased activity in brain cells has many causes Answer: B LAST week, the College Board announced that it was revising the SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test) in an effort to make it more acceptable to test-takers, teachers, college admission officers and the public more generally. Test-takers who receive lower scores than they have hoped for are likely to be concerned about their academic future. It's no wonder that it's hard to discuss the test without negative feelings. The SAT isn't perfect. Like any test, it can be misused, and may reflect unequal educational opportunities. Even before the announcement of the SAT's redesign, experts were discussing the test's limitations. Writing in The New Yorker, Elizabeth Kolbert described its questions as limited: "Critical thinking was never called for, let alone curiosity or imagination." But the SAT provides an effective measure of a person's ability to reason through verbal and mathematical materials, a skill required in college. Although there are conflicting reports on the issue, a study published in the journal Educational and Psychological Measurement in 2011 found that the SAT can meaningfully add to the prediction of a student's first-year college academic performance, above his grades in high school alone. The fact that the SAT can help predict this is, to me, an astonishing achievement that cannot be ignored. We cannot afford to ignore tests because they fall short of perfection or make us uncomfortable. But there's a better way to make the SAT more acceptable in the long run: We should expand the types of tests we use so as to more fully reflect what students can do. What if, in addition to the SAT, students were offered new tests that measured more diverse abilities? For future artists or musicians, there are tests that measure creative thinking --a largely ignored ability by the SAT. For future engineers, there are tests that measure their sense of space. And new measures of "personal intelligence" -- the ability to reason about a person's motives, emotions and patterns of activities -- may also tell us something important about students' self-knowledge and understanding of others. The article most probably appears in the newspaper column _ . A Sports B Entertainment C City News D Education Answer: D You can use plants like star anise for A hugging B running C swimming D sustenance seasoning Answer: D Steve and Yaser first met in their chemistry class at an American university. Yaser was an international student from Jordan. He wanted to learn more about American culture and hoped that he and Steve would become good friends. At first, Steve seemed very friendly. He always greeted Yaser warmly before class. Sometimes he offered to study with Yaser. He even invited Yaser to have lunch with him. But after the term was over, Steve seemed distant. The two former classmates didn't see each other very often at school. One day Yaser decided to call Steve. Steve didn't seem very interested in talking to him. Yaser was hurt by Steve's change of attitude. "Steve said we were friends," Yaser complained, "and I thought friends were friends forever." Yaser was a little confused. As a foreigner, he doesn't understand the way Americans view friendship. Americans use the word "friend" in a very general way. They may call both casual acquaintances(;) and close companions "friends". These friendships are based on common interests. When the shared activity ends, the friendship may fade . Now as Steve and Yaser are no longer classmates, their "friendship" has changed. In some cultures friendship means a strong lifelong bond between two people. In these cultures friendships develop slowly, since they are built to last. American society is one of rapid change. Studies show that one out five American families moves every year. American friendships develop quickly, and _ may change just quickly as well. People from the United States may at first seem friendly. Americans often chat easily with strangers. But American friendliness is not always an offer of true friendship. After an experience like Yaser's , people who've been in this country for only a few months may consider Americans to be fickle . Learning how Americans view friendship can help non-Americans avoid misunderstandings. It can also help them make friends in the American way. This passage mainly tells us _ . A that people should not make friends with Americans. B that everyone needs friends. C the importance of keeping friendships D how Americans view friendship Answer: D
In my last essay,I wrote briefly about a bathtub in the classroom.What really was the use of that bathtub?"Guys,i t is Reading Workshop time now.When I call your table,get your things,please!"said Mrs.Toalson.She was holding a cup that had many sticks in it;on every stick was written each student's name and table number. What does she mean? Probably books,I thought.Mrs.Toalson picked a stick out of the cup and said,"Okay,Aniqa's table;Table Two,you may get your things."Then my four classmates ran for the cushions in the bathtub.Mrs.Toalson kept picking sticks and calling out different table numbers.On hearing their numbers,students would run to get cushions.Because there were not enough cushions for everyone,the last to be called had to go without.Those students sighed,"Oh!They are the lucky ones." Finally,Mrs.Toalson picked the last,stick;what is she going to do now? "Kate,you may use the bathtub."Mrs.Toalson said.Gosh!Use the bathtub?Is Kate going to take a bath,1 wondered.Kate is the girl who had pretty brown hair.She ran happily with her book to the bathtub and lay down in it.As she read,she hugged a teddy bear.I think it must be comfortable reading in a bathtub. Except for lucky Kate,everybody had to read elsewhere.Some were sitting on the seats,some were lying down under the table,and everybody's reading pose was different. Just then,my friend found me sitting at my table quietly,not doing anything.She said,"Mary,let me find you a book."I nodded.Then she led me to a comer of the classroom where the bookshelf was and picked a picture book for me. Regina thought that it would be more fun to read outside on the grass.What a great idea!The next day our whole class went to the park across the street from our schoo1.As we read,animals such as squirrels ran around us.It was amazing ! In Mrs.Toalson's Reading Workshop,every student can learn _ . Answer: Eagles eat what? Answer: A lot of grown-ups worry that spending too much time playing video games isn't good for a kid's health. Now some doctors have noticed that kids who bring their hand-held game players to the hospital seem less worried about being there. These patients also seem to experience less pain when they are concentrating on a superhero adventure or a car race. At the Johns Hopkins Children's Center in Maryland, young patients are finding hospital visits easier to deal with, thanks to a test program called the Hospital-based On-line Pediatric Environment (HOPE). Patients in HOPE have a life-threatening condition where their kidneys no longer filter wastes from their blood. To get their blood cleaned, these kids must be hooked up to dialysis machines at the hospital three times a week, for at least three hours each time. HOPE allows kids to play online sports, racing, and adventure games with each other. Eventually they will be able to connect with kids in other hospitals who are suffering from the same problem. "We want to use the power of the Internet to bring together kids who feel that they are separated by their illness, and let them know that they are not alone," said Arun Mathews, the doctor who heads the program. He loves video games himself and got the idea to connect kids all over the country. Many researchers elsewhere are testing video game programs that might help young patients. For example, nine-year-old Ben Duskin of San Francisco, who was struggling with cancer helped to design a video game where players get rid of cancer cells. That's all great news, because doctors already know that reducing pain and worry helps patients heal faster. What's the main idea of the passage? Answer: The biggest hamburger restaurant chain in the world is McDonald's. It started in 1955 with just one restaurant, but now has more than 20000 worldwide. There are more than 12000 McDonald's restaurants only in the US. You can find them in 100 countries on six continents. There isn't a McDonald's in Antarctica, but I don't suppose they eat hamburgers at the South Pole. When you eat at a McDonald's restaurant you are joining the 35 million people who eat and drink at McDonald's every day, and there are more than one million people who work there. McDonald's has sold 100 billion hamburgers since it opened, and it sells more than 6.8 million pounds of French Fries every day. How do you like your hamburger restaurant? There are old McDonald's ---- part of one restaurant in England is 600 years old. There are elegant McDonald's ---- there is one on the Champs Elysees in Paris. There are cool McDonald's ---- there is one in Hollywood. There are McDonald's restaurants on ships and trains, in hospitals and zoos, in airports and in colleges. Clearly many people like the speed, hygiene and cheapness of fast food restaurants. However, not everyone likes fast food. Some people question the nutritional value of the food; some people think the fast food causes too much waste and pollution. So the fast food business gives us _ , as well as convenient, affordable meals. From the passage we can infer that _ . Answer: The terracotta warriors have guarded the Qin Shihuang Tomb for over 2,000 years. The construction of the tomb started in 247 BC, and it took 36 years to complete. There are thousands of pottery figures of warriors and horses in this magnificent tomb. The museum is located five kilometers east of Xi'an, in Lintong County. The Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Guangzhou was built in memory of Dr Sun Yat-sen. The Hall is a beautiful building in the style of a Chinese palace. It can seat an audience of 5, 000, but not a single pillar is found inside. In front of the Hall stands a bronze statue of Dr Sun Yat-sen. The Potala Palace in Lhasa was built in the seventh century. However, the construction of today's buildings began in 1645. It took three years to complete . The Potala Palace is thirteen stories high and has more than 1,000 rooms. To help _ the buildings, only a few people are admitted each day. The terracotta warriors have guarded the Qin Shihuang Tomb for _ 2,000 years. Answer:
Food festivals around the world Stilton Cheese Rolling May Day is a traditional day for celebrations, but the 2,000 English villagers of Stilton must be the only people in the world who include these rolling in their annual plans. Teams of four,dressed in a variety of strange and funny clothes , roll a complete cheese along a 50-metre course. On the way, they must not kick or throw their cheese, or go into their competitors' lane. Competition is fierce and the chief prize is a complete Stilton cheese weighing about four kilos (disappointingly, but understandably the cheeses used in the race are wooden ones). All the competitors arc served with beer or port wine, the traditional accompaniment for Stilton cheese. Fiery Foods Festival--The Hottest Festival on Earth Every year more than 10,000 people head for the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico. They come from as far away as Australia, the Caribbean and China, but they all share a common addiction--food that is not just spicy ,but hot enough to make your mouth burn, your head spin and your eyes water. Their destination is the Fiery Eood and BBQ Festival which is held over a period of three clays every March. You might like to try a chocolate-covered habanero pepper--officially the hottest pepper in the world--or any one of the thousands of products that are on show. But one thing's for sure--if you don't like the feeling of a burning tongue, this festival isn't for you! La Tomatina--The World's Biggest Food Fight On the last Wednesday of every August, the Spanish town of Bunol hosts Ea Tomatina--the world's largest food fight. A week-long celebration leads up to an exciting tomato battle as the highlight of the week's events. The early morning sees the arrival of large trucks with tomatoes--official fight-starters get things going by casting tomatoes at the crowd. The battle lasts little more than half an hour, in which time around 50,000 kilograms of tomatoes have been thrown at anyone or anything that moves, runs, or fights back. Then everyone heads down to the river to make friends again--and for a much-needed wash! The celebration of La Tomatina lasts . Answer: seven days How often do you go on holiday? Going on holiday makes you feel good while you're there-you gain the health benefits for months, new research shows. Jetting off to exotic destinations such as the Maldives cuts your blood pressure, helps you sleep better and bounce back from stress, it found. The benefits last at least a fortnight longer than the vacation and can be felt for months in some cases where it is claimed. Experts say workers should always take their full holiday entitlement each year-as many as one in three don't-to get the benefits. The study compared key health markers in holidaymakers visiting Thailand, Peru or the Maldives, with people who stayed at home and continued working. The average blood pressure of those on holiday dropped by 6% while the workers saw their blood pressure rise by 2% over the same period. The sleep quality of holiday-makers improved by 17% while that of the non-holidaymakers _ by 14%. The study also found the ability of vacationers to recover from stress--known as the stress-resilience test-improved by 29%. There was a 71% fall in stress resilience scores among workers. Test showed a fall in blood glucose levels, reducing the risk of diabetes, trimmer waistlines and enhanced mood and energy levels, with the effects sustained for at least 2 weeks after returning home. The Holiday Health Experiment was conducted by tour operator Kuoni and Nuffield Health, the UK's largest healthcare charity. Which of the following can we infer from the passage? Answer: Holiday makers are more adaptable than non-holidaymakers. Perhaps it is hard to imagine that a bad tooth could be deadly. But doctors in the Washington area say a twelveyearold boy died last month of a tooth infection that spread to his brain. They say it might have been prevented if the boy had received the dental care he needed. Experts at the National Institutes of Health say good dental care should start at birth. They say breast milk is the best food for the healthy development of teeth. Breast milk can help slow bacterial growth and acid production in the mouth. When baby's teeth begin to appear,you can clean them with a wet toothbrush. Dentists say it is important to find soft toothbrushes made especially for babies,and use them very gently. The use of fluoride to protect teeth is common in many parts of the world. This natural element is often added to drinking water supplies. The fluoride mixes with enamel ,the hard surface on teeth,to help prevent holes,or cavities from forming. But the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry points out that young children often swallow toothpaste when they brush their teeth. The group notes that swallowing fluoridated toothpaste can cause problems. So young children should be carefully supervised when they brush their teeth. And only a small amount of fluoridated toothpaste,the size of a green pea,should be used. Parents often wonder what effects sucking a thumb or sucking on a pacifier might have on their baby's teeth. Dental experts generally agree that this is fine early in life. The American Academy of Family Physicians says most kids stop sucking their thumbs by the age of four. If it continues,the group advises parents to talk to their child's dentist or doctor. It could influence the correct development of permanent teeth. Which one of the followings is NOT true according to this passage? Answer: Dental experts suggest stopping babies sucking their thumbs. Redwood trees are the tallest plants on the earth,reaching heights of up to 100 meters.They are also known for their longevity,typically 500 to 1000 years,but sometimes more than 2000 years.A hundred million years ago,in the age of dinosaurs,redwoods were common in the forests of a much more moist and tropical North America.As the climate became drier and colder,they declined to a narrow strip along the Pacific coast of Northern Califomia. The trunk of redwood trees is very strong and usually forms a single straight column.It is covered with a soft bark.This bark can be pretty thick,well over two feet in the more mature trees.It gives the older trees a certain kind of protection from insects,but the main benefit is that it keeps the center of the tree harmless from moderate forest fires because of its thickness.This fire resistant quality explains why the giant redwood grows to live that long.While most other types of trees are destroyed by forest fires,the giant redwood actually prospers because of them. Moderate fires will clear the ground of competing plant life,and the rising heat dries and opens the ripe fruit of the redwood,releasing many thousands of seeds onto the ground below. New trees are often produced from shoots,little baby trees,which form at the base of the trunk.These shoots grow slowly,fed by the root system of the "mother'' tree.When the main tree dies,the shoots are then free to grow as full trees,forming a "fairy ring" of trees around the original tree.These trees,in turn,may give rise to more shoots,and the cycle continues. Which of the following is a function of the tree bark as mentioned in the passage? Answer: It prevents redwood trees from attack by insects. The wallet is heading for extinction. As a day-to-day essential, it will die off with the generation who read print newspapers. The kind of shopping, where you hand over notes and count out change in return, now happens only in the most minor of our retailers , like buying a bar of chocolate or a pint of milk from a corner shop. At the shops where you spend any real money, that money is increasingly abstracted. And this is more and more true, the higher up the scale you go. At the most cutting-edge retail stores, Victoria Beckham on Dover Street, for instance, you don't go and stand at any kind of cash register when you decide to pay. The staff are equipped with iPads to take your payment while you relax on a sofa. Across society, the abstraction of the idea of cash makes me uneasy. Maybe I'm just old-fashioned. But earning money isn't quick or easy for most of us. Isn't it a bit weird that spending it should happen in half a blink of an eye? Doesn't a wallet, that time-honored Friday-night feeling of pleasing, promising fatness, represent something that matters? But I'll leave the economics to the experts. What bothers me about the death of the wallet is the change it represents in our physical environment. Everything about the look and feel of a wallet, the way the materials wear and tear and loosen with age, the plastic and paper and gold and silver, and handwritten phone numbers and printed cinema tickets, is the very opposite of what our world is becoming. The opposite of a wallet is a smart phone or an iPad. The rounded edges, cool glass, smooth and unknowable as a pebble . Instead of digging through pieces of paper, we move our fingers left and right. No more counting out coins. Show your wallet, if you still have one. It may not be here much longer. How are businesses done in big modern stores? Answer: Electronically.
Question: While I lived in Ireland, part of my college course was to work with children with special needs. I was selected to work in a school with children with disabilities . I had a lot of rooms to choose from, but I chose to work in the room that was for children with severe disabilities. They had no speech and most were in a wheelchair. The teacher of that room asked if I would work with a girl who had epilepsy and other brain disabilities. She was 15 years old. The teacher thought that it was an achievement for her to be able to put on her coat all by herself. I saw more in her. She always wanted to put string through the shaped blocks to make a necklace. For the 5 years she was in the school the teachers always tried to help her but always ended up doing all the work. I knew this smart girl could do more and so I encouraged her. She had a thumb which she could not move but I encouraged her so much to try. She got very upset most days and sometimes I wanted to give up. Finally after a week this young girl was able to do what she had been wanting to do by herself for so many years. Her teacher cried when she saw what this girl was able to do with just some encouragement. I wish everyone would encourage people rather than tell them they can't or do it for them. How did the teachers feel about the girl before the writer came? A. Puzzled. B. Angry. C. Disappointed. D. Worried. Answer: C. Disappointed. Question: At EF--English First, we provide the best English language training program available, and teachers are at the heart of our learning center. EF has over 120 schools in 50 cities, and is a very popular name in China. EF is looking for native English speakers with teaching experience to help Chinese people learn English well. While teaching English with EF, you will continue to develop as a teaching profession while experiencing life in this great nation. As soon as you walk into an EF school, you will understand why creating a welcoming learning environment is important for us to teach English. Our schools have modern well-equipped classrooms, computer labs, and teaching preparation areas. Our teachers receive a complete modern teaching program to prepare themselves to teach our high standards. And they've got high salary. EF was set up a year before 1965 with the duty to "break down barriers in language, culture and geography". It has helped over 15 million students to learn a new language and travel abroad. What's the main purpose of the passage? A. To provide the best English language training. B. To ask more English speakers to China. C. To employ native English teachers to teach in China. D. To make people learn about EF Answer: C. To employ native English teachers to teach in China. Question: One day, a poor boy who was trying to pay his way through school by sending newspapers door to door, was so hungry that he decided to beg for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked hungry so she brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, "How much do I owe you?" "You don't owe me anything," she replied. "Then I thank you from the bottom of my heart." With these words, Howard Kelly left that house. Years later the woman became badly ill and was finally sent to the hospital in a big city. Dr. Howard Kelly, now famous, was called in. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Dressed in his doctor's clothes, Dr. Kelly went into her room and recognized her at once. From that day on, he gave special attention to her, and decided to do his best to save her life. At last the woman was saved. Dr. Kelly asked the business office to pass the final bill to him. He looked at it and then wrote something on the side. The bill was sent to the woman's room. She was afraid to open it because she was sure that it would take the rest of her life to pay for it off. Finally she looked, and the note on the side of the bill caught her attention. She read these words: "Paid in full with a glass of milk, Dr. Howard Kelly." Tear of joy flooded her eyes. Which is true about the boy and the woman? A. He was too shy to ask her for some water. B. She thought he was not hungry but thirsty. C. She never thought he would save her life later. D. She wanted him to pay for the glass of milk. Answer: C. She never thought he would save her life later. Question: We may all like to consider ourselves free spirits. But a study of the tracks left by 50,000 mobile phone users over three months has finally proved that the truth is otherwise. "We are all in one way or another boring," says Albert-Laszlo Barabasi at the Center for Complex Network Research at Northeastern University in Boston, who co-wrote the study. "Spontaneous individuals are largely absent from the population," Barabasi and colleagues used three months' worth of data from a mobile phone network to track the mobile phone towers each person's phone connected to each hour of the day, showing their general location. They conclude that regardless of whether a person typically remains close to home or wanders far and wide, their movements are probably predictable as much as 93 percent of the time. Surprisingly, the mobile phone data showed that individuals' movements were more or less as predictable at weekends as on weekdays, suggesting that routine is rooted in human nature rather than being an effect of work patterns. The mobile phone records were handled to make out the most visited locations for each user. Then the probability of finding a given user at his most visited locations at each hour through the day was calculated. People were to be found in their most visited location for any given hour 70 percent of the time. Not surprisingly, the figure increased at night, and decreased at lunchtime and in the early evening, when most people were returning home from work. The team analyzed the randomness of people's traces to show it was possible in theory to predict the average person's places as much as 93 percent of the time. "Say your routine movement is from home to the coffee shop to work: if you are at home and then go to the coffee shop it's easy for me to predict that you are going to work," says co-author Nicholas Blumm. This predictability was not much affected by differences in age, gender, language spoken or whether a person lived in a rural or urban setting. The "spontaneous individuals" are most probably people who _ . A. are boring in some way B. act with much freedom C. can live without a mobile phone D. rely much on a mobile phone in life Answer: B. act with much freedom Question: If a leaf falls off a tree then the leaf is what? A. vibrant B. decisive C. unliving D. flowering Answer: C. unliving
On Nov.18,1995,Itzhak Perlman,the violinist,came on stage to give a concert at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City. If you have ever been to a Perlman concert, _ him.He was stricken with polio as a child,and so he has braces on both legs and walks with the aid of two crutches . He walks painfully, yet majestically, until he reaches his chair.Then he sits down,slowly, puts his crutches on the floor, undoes the clasps on his legs,tucks one foot back and extends the other foot forward.Then he bends down and picks up the violin, puts it under his chin,nods to the conductor and proceeds to play. But this time,something went wrong.Just as he fmished the first few bars ,one of the strings on his violin broke.You could hear it snap ---it went off like gunfire across the room.There was no mistaking what that meant.There was no mistaking what he had to do. We figured that he would have to get up,put on the clasps again,pick up the crutches and limp his way off stage-to either find another violin or else find another string for this one.But he didn't.Instead.he waited a moment,closed his eyes and then signaled the conductor to begin again. The orchestra began,and he played from where he had left off.And he played with such passion and such power and such purity as they had never heard before. When he finished, there was an awesome silence in the room.And then people rose and cheered.He smiled,wiped the sweat from this brow, raised his bow to quit us,and then he said in a quiet tone."You know, sometimes it is the artist's task to find out how much music you can still make with what you have left.'' What did the audience feel when Itzhak Perlman finished playing? A. Surprised. B. Disappointed. C. Moved. D. Satistied. Answer: C. Moved. The day when the jobs were handed out was one of the most exciting moments for all the children in the class. It took place during the first week of the term. Every kid was given a job for which they would be responsible for the rest of that school year. Some jobs were more interesting than others, and the children were eager to be given one of the best ones. When giving them out, the teacher took into account which pupils had been most responsible during the previous year. During the previous year Rita had carried out the teacher's instructions perfectly. All the children knew Rita would be given the best job. _ Each child received a normal job. But Rita's job was very different. She was given a little box containing some sand and one ant. Though the teacher insisted that this ant was very special, Rita felt disappointed. Most of her classmates felt sorry for her. Even her father became very angry with the teacher and he encouraged Rita to pay no attention to this insignificant pet. However, Rita preferred to show the teacher her error by doing something special with that job of little interest. Rita started investigating all about her little ant and gave the ant the best food, and it grew quite a bit bigger. One day, a man, who looked very important, came into their classroom and declared, "Your class has been chosen to accompany me, this summer, on a journey to the tropical rain forest, where we will investigate all kinds of insects. Among all the schools of this region, your class has best cared for the little ant." That day the school was filled with joy and celebration. Everyone thanked Rita for having been so patient and responsible. And many children learnt that to be given the most important task you have to know how to be responsible even in what are the smallest tasks. What did the teacher base his decision on when giving out jobs to the children? A. Their characters and interests. B. Their class performance during the previous year. C. Their working performance during the previous year. D. Their ability of managing their accounts during the previous year. Answer: C. Their working performance during the previous year. Who would have thought that potato fries could unite an entire country? Well, that seems to be the case in Belgium where there is currently a movement to have Belgian potato fries officially recognized as cultural heritage. The fries are served in a paper cone from a "fritkot", which is a shack or a food truck. Across Belgium, there are at least 5,000 fritkots which is 10 times more common than McDonald's restaurants in the United States. The movement for the fries to be declared official cultural heritage was started by UNAFRI, also known as the national association of fritkot owners. They claim that their establishments represent Belgium very well. "A cone of potato chips is Belgium in miniature . What's amazing is that this way of thinking is the same, in spite of differences among communities and regions," added spokesman Bernard Lefevre. Tourists can even be seen to line up with locals in Brussels to buy a cone of fries from wellknown fritkots such as Frit Flagey and Maison Antoine. "Before I came here, the only thing I knew about Belgium [Z-x-x-k.Com]was that they liked their fries," said Rachael Webb, a tourist from Ottowa, Canada. In order to be recognized by UNESCO, it has to be formally supported by the Belgian government of culture. As of right now, UNESCO has a list of 314 items of "cultural heritage" that they say is worthy enough to be preserved. Items on the list include Turkish coffee and the old native singing of the Central African Republic. Potatoes reached Belgium in the 16th century, but it wasn't until the 19th century that they were cut up into fries and sold as a meal. From the passage, we can know that Maison Antoine _ . A. is a popular Belgian tourist destination B. is very welcome among Canadians C. is a famous restaurant in Belgium D. is a big international company Answer: C. is a famous restaurant in Belgium studying 20 minutes a day for 20 days. You'll start with the basics and move on to more complex reading comprehension and critical thinking strategies. Please note that although each chapter can be an effective skill builder on its own, it is important that you proceed through this book in order, from Lesson I through Lesson 20. Each lesson builds on skills and ideas discussed in the previous chapters. As you move through this book and your reading skills develop, the passages you read will increase both in length and in complexity. The book begins with a pretest, which will allow you to see how well you can answer various kinds of reading comprehension questions now, as you begin. When you finish the book, take the posttest to see how much you've improved. The text is divided into four sections, each focusing on a different group of related reading and thinking strategies. These strategies will be outlined at the beginning of each section and then reviewed in a special "putting it all together" final lesson. Each lesson provides several exercises that allow you to practice the skills you learn. To ensure you're on the right track, each lesson also provides answers and explanations 'for all of the practice questions. Additionally, you will find practical suggestions in each chapter for how to continue practicing these skills in your daily life. The most important thing you can do to improve your reading skills is to become an active reader. The following guidelines and suggestions outlined will familiarize you with active reading techniques. Use these techniques as much as possible as you work your way through the lessons in this book. According to the passage, the pretest aims to A. tell you where your starting level is B. arouse your interest in using the book C. illustrate the structure of the text D. introduce the test-taking techniques Answer: A. tell you where your starting level is When Cath Pirret and her husband Iain took their daughters Jessie, 10, and Holly, 7, to Britain earlier this year, it was a trip that was all about showing the girls where their parents grew up. But there were also some key sightseeing opportunities, such as Stonehenge, Hadrian's Wall and Tate Modern, before heading to Paris to see the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo. So, what did the couple from Melbourne hope their girls would get from the trip? "A greater understanding that travel is not a difficult thing to do," Cath says."Some of the highlights are to meet new people and adapt to lots of different situations." Cath believes that children, in order to truly benefit from travel, need to be old enough to understand and appreciate the experience. Sydney-based ABC Radio broadcaster and film critic C.J. Johnson travelled a lot with his parents as a child. His father was "really into rivers" and decided he was going to make it the "family mission" to see the "seven great rivers of the world". There's no doubt, thanks to a richer society and the greater ease and access to all forms of travel, that few -- if any -- generations of parents and children have ever had the ability to journey together as far, as wide and as deep as the present one.Travel brings history to life, builds children's independence and opens their minds. A child's view also helps adults to see the world through new eyes. For Keith Bellows, the award-winning editor-in-chief of the American National Geographic Traveler magazine says the world is simply"the greatest classroom we have". He's convinced, like Spicer, that any parent willing and financially able to give the gift of travel offers a gift that keeps on giving. "Children who learn to travel will travel to learn," he says. "And they will do it all their lives." With that in mind, Bellows, a father of three, wrote a book, 100 Places that Can Change Your Child's Life. The couple and their kids _ . A. went to see the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo first B. visited Hadrian's Wall and Tate Modern in France C. first stayed in Britain and then went to France D. only preferred to have the key sightseeing trips Answer: C. first stayed in Britain and then went to France
Until the 1980s, the American homeless population comprised mainly older males. Today, homelessness strikes much younger part of society. In fact, a 25-city survey by the U. S. Conference of Mayors in 1987 found that families with children make up the fastest growing part of the homeless population. Many homeless children gather in inner cities; this transient and frequently frightened student population creates additional problems -- both legal and educational -- for already overburdened urban school administrators and teachers. Estimates of the number of homeless Americans range from 350,000 to three million. Likewise, estimates of the number of homeless school children vary radically. A U.S. Department of Education report, based on state estimates, states that there are 220,000 homeless school-age children, about a third of whom do not attend school on a regular basis, But the National Coalition for the Homeless estimates that there are at least two times as many homeless children, and that less than half of them attend school regularly. One part of the homeless population that is particularly difficult to count consists of the "throwaway" youths who have been cast of their homes. The Elementary School Center in New York City estimates that there are 1.5 million of them, many of whom are not counted as children because they do not stay in family shelters and tend to live by themselves on the streets. Federal law, the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987, includes a section that addresses the educational needs of homeless children. The educational provisions of the McKinney Act are based on the belief that all homeless children have the right to a free, appropriate education. The National Coalition for the homeless believes that the number of homeless children is _ . 440,000 During the Victorian period, ordinary people started going on holidays to the seaside for the first time. When a woman entered a room, it was considered rude for a man to offer his seat to her because the cushion might still be warm. People thought that you could digest food better in the dark, so the dining room was often located in the basement. It was considered improper to look into someone's bedroom, so most bedrooms were on the second or third floor. People went to great lengths to hide their water closets from view. In some homes, they were behind a curtain or screen, in a separate part of the house or even outside. A lot of men used macassar oil to slick back their hair. In order to stop this grease from sticking to the furniture, pieces of material called antimacassars were placed over the backs of chairs. For a lady, to show her ankles was considered taboo . ks5u Many people kept a hedgehog in the basement so it could eat insects. When Queen Victoria came to the power in 1837, most people lived in villages and worked on the land. There was no electricity (gas lamps or candles were used for light) and most people walked or traveled by boat, train and horse. However, by the end of her reign in 1901, the majority of the population lived in towns and worked in offices, shops and factories, and there was piped water, gas and even electricity. According to the passage, we can learn that in Victorian time _ . it was improper for a lady to show her ankles. Sam really felt very happy. When he arrived at his seat in the classroom that morning, he found an invitation on his desk. It was from several of his classmates asking him to join them on a camping trip. This was the first time he was asked to join in an out-of-school activity. Why were they asking him now? Nobody seemed to like him. In fact, he had been so lonely that he ate a lot of food. As a result, he put on a lot of weight, and this gave the kids something more to make fun of him. Cindy, who was standing near Sam when Sam read the invitation, went out quickly to tell the others that _ . Everyone was pleased that Sam thought that was true, but there was no camping trip. The whole thing was made up . At first, Cindy thought it was fun. But later, when Sam told her that he was going to buy a sleeping bag with his savings, Cindy had second thoughts. She knew that Sam's family had little money, and she hated to see him spend his savings on something he would never use, Cindy also hated to tell Sam the truth. Her close friends would be angry with her. What can she do now? What was Sam's real problem? He was lonely. A. You and Me, Baby Reading level: Baby - Grade 1 Hardcover: 40 pages Language: English List Price: $15.95 Price: $12.44 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. You Save: $3.51 (22%) Availability: In Stock. Ships from and sold by Amazon. com. Gift - wrap available. Only 4 left in stock-order soon(more on the way). Want it delivered Thursday, September 27. B. Ruff! Ruff! Where's Scruff? Reading level: Baby - Preschool Hardcover: 16 pages Language: English Price: $11.16 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Availability: In Stock. Sold by Amazon. com. Gift - wrap available. Want it delivered Thursday, September 2. Book Description: It's bath time for Scruff. But does anyone know where he's hiding? Have the cows seen him? Moo - no !How about the pigs? Oink - no ! Looking for that dog is just too tough! But not for toddlers. If they look carefully, they'll find Scruff hiding on every pop - up page ! C. The Giving Tree Reading level: Ages 4 - 8 Hardcover: 64 pages Language: English Price: $11.55 Availability: Sold all year round and choose One - Day Shipping at checkout. Book Description: Once there was a tree... and she loved a little boy. Every day the boy would come to the tree to eat her apples, swing from her branches, or slide down her think... and the tree was happy. D. Where the Wild Things Are Reading level: Ages 6 - 10 Hardcover comic: 62 pages Language: English List Price: $16.95 Price: $11.53 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $ 25. You Save: $5.42(32%) Availability: In Stock. Ships from and sold by Amazon. com. Gift - wrap available. Want it delivered Thursday, September 12. Order it at once, and choose One - Day Shipping at checkout. Which of the following is Not true according to the passage? The reading level of four kinds of books are the same. Absence If a student is absent, parents are asked to contact the school and report that absence. Simply ring the school and you will be directed to the absence phone system. You should then give the name of the student and their tutor teacher. Attendance School hours are 08:35 to 15:00. If a student is late, they must sign in at the Student Office. School times are as follows: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. 08:35 - 09:35 Period 1 09:35 - 10:35 Period 2 10:35 - 10:50 Tutor Time 10:50 - 11:10 Interval 11:10 - 12:05 Period 3 12:05 - 13:00 Period 4 13:00 - 13.45 Lunch 13:45 - 14:05 School-wide reading 14:05 - 15:00 Period 5 Wednesday Only 09:00 - 09:55 Period 1 09:55 - 10:50 Period 2 Rest of the times are the same as for the other days. Cellphones The current cell phone policy is that, although permitted at school, they must not be used or turned on during class time. Which of the following is true? You are not late if you go to your classroom at 8 o'clock on Thursday.
Some students who took the International English Language Testing System(IELTS) exam in August and September, 2015 have had their results"withheld permanently", sending a strong signal that the examiners intend to stamp out cheating, some senior language tutors said. Yang Yuting, chief language training tutor at Amber Education, an overseas education consulting agency, said there have been a few cases in which candidates' IELTS results were canceled in recent years, leaving the students with no qualification but this is the first time he has heard that results, including those of some of his students, were"withheld permanently", meaning IELTS will not give the students their results, nor will they give them to others. Wang Xin, a senior student at the Communication University of China in Beijing, took an IELTS test on August 1 and the results were due within 10 working days. But she was then informed that her results were undergoing routine checks. Soon after that, she received an e-mail telling her that"a decision has been made to withhold this result permanently"and stating that Wang had"breached IELTS test rules and regulations". A number of students who took the test during the past two months in cities including Nanjing, Changsha and Guangzhou, have had the same experience. Many test takers said they were confused because they didn't know how they had breached the rules and regulations. IELTS authorities said in an e-mail toChinaDailythat IELTS takes the responsibility of providing test results very seriously. Results are only withheld in cases where there is strong evidence to suggest that the candidates have not observed IELTS regulations."In these cases, we are unable to guarantee that their result is a true reflection of their English language skills,"they said in the e-mail, although they gave no figures of how many students were involved."We regret any inconvenience this may cause, but these measures are essential to protect the value of the results for more than 2.5 million test takers every year. Hundreds of thousands of people take IELTS in China every year and the number of results which are permanently withheld is a tiny proportion ,"they said. Hu Min, president ofNew Channel International Education Group, an English-language tutorial agency in China, said a major cause of results being withheld might be an extreme imbalance in performance levels in the four sections of the test."For example, if a student scores very high in the reading and listening sections while performing poorly in writing and speaking, IELTS authorities may suspect that the test taker has memorized the reading and listening questions -- a practice that is very popular among Chinese test takers,"he said."IELTS authorities discourage such a practice and would determine that the scores can't reflect the real English level if test takers do so." What's the attitude of IELTS authorities towards those with an extremely imbalanced performance in the test? Answer: Skeptical. In 1988, Mary Anderson was at the Miami airport checking in for a flight to Norway to be with her husband when she was told she wouldn't be able to check her luggage without paying a $100 surcharge . Mary had no money as her new husband had left for Norway and she had no one else to call . " I was completely desperate and tried to think which of my things I could manage without ," says Mary . As tears ran down her face , a voice behind her said , "That's okay, I'll pay for her ." Rather surprised , Mary turned around to see a tall man whom she had never seen before . He had a gentle and kind voice that was firm and decisive . Although this happened twenty years ago , Mary still remembers the authority that radiated from the man . Mary was pleased to bring her luggage to Norway and told the stranger she would give his money back . The man wrote his name and address on a piece of paper and gave it to Mary . She thanked him repeatedly . When she finally walked off towards the boarding gate, he waved goodbye to her . That man turned out to be Barack Obama . Mary paid the money back to Obama the day she joined her husband . At that time he had just finished his job as a poorly paid community worker in Chicago , and had started his law studies at Harward University . In the spring of 2006 , Mary's parents heard Obama was considering a run for President . They wrote a letter saying that they would support him. At the same time , they thanked Obama for helping their daughter 18 years earlier . And Obama replied , " I want to thank you for the lovely things you wrote about me and for reminding me of what happened at Miami airport . I'm happy I could help her then , and I'm delighted to hear that your daughter is happy in Norway . Please send her my best wishes . Sincerely , Barack Obama, United States Senator ." What's the passage mainly about ? Answer: Obama helped a stranger 20 years ago Television has changed our lives in many ways. Many people now spend more time watching TV than doing anything else. Researchers in the USA has estimated that when most students leave school they have spent 11,000 hours in the classroom and 22,000 hours watching television. But what effect does this have? Benefits of television: 1. Television helps us to learn more about the world and to know and see many mew things. Television can offer present information to us in a more effective way than books. It can also make things more _ . 2. It entertains us. It is an enjoyable way to relax. For millions of people around the world, television is a source of companionship and helps them to cope with everyday life. 3. It has increased the popularity of sports and arts. 4. It has made us aware of our global responsibilities. In 2000, for example, 1.5billion people in 147 countries watched a TV pop concert and helped to collect more than $100million for people in Africa. Dangers: 1. Television can make us passive . We don't have to think and our brains become lazy. 2. It encourages us to buy things that we don't need, and can make us unhappy with our own life. 3. It takes time away from activities such as reading, conversation, and games. 4. It gives a false picture of society. A study in 2003 showed that people who watch a lot of TV are more afraid of crime. They also think that there is a lot more crime than there really is . 5. Some critics say that television make people violent. A ten-year study in the United States showed that children who watch violent television programmes are more likely to be violent themselves. Which of the following number is NOT true of the pop concert mentioned in the passage? Answer: 1.5million people watched it on TV. When we talk about superstitious beliefs , the beliefs associated with Friday the 13th , no doubt , deserve a special mention . In fact , such is the fear associated with this date that people just can't seem to stick to their daily routine on this day . The data from Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute suggests that somewhere around 17 to 21 million Americans are affected by the fear associated with this day , i.e. the combination of Friday and 13 . Even worse , the financial losses caused on this day amounts to as much as US$800 million every year . As we flipped through the pages of history , we realized that Friday the 13th bears the brunt of bad luck associated with number 13 , the unluckiest number , and Friday , the unluckiest day of the week . Number 13 has always been considered unlucky , mainly as a result of it being associated with various occurrences in mythology . While some associate it with the instance of Norse mythology , in which the god of joy and gladness - Balter , was killed in a dishonest manner by Loki - the god of discord and mischief , who was the 13th guest , others associate it with the Last Supper , in which the 13th guest was Judas , who betrayed Jesus to his enemies for 30 pieces of silver . Similarly , Friday has also been a sign of bad luck to many people , with incidents like Jesus being crucified on this unfaithful day , contributing to this belief . It is also widely believed that Cain killed Able on this very day of the week . The fear of Friday the 13th is known as friggatriskaidekaphobia and paraskevidekatriaphobia , the former combining the words frigga , meaning Friday , and triskaidekaphobia , meaning the phobia of number 13 . Over the period , the belief that Friday the 13th is an unlucky day has just become one of the most widely accepted superstitions , which consequently causes much blind panic and unreasonable fear in the world . What does Friday the 13th refer to according to passage ? Answer: The 13th day of a month falling on a Friday . It does not have to be January 1st to give yourself a chance to make the most out of your day -- and your life. Every day is a new day and a fresh start to learn, grow, develop your strengths, heal yourself from past regrets or hurts, and move forward older and wiser. Every day gives you a chance to reinvent yourself, to fine-tune who you are, and build on lessons of what you have learned. It is never too late to change things that are not working in your life and switch gears, instead of thinking in the same old ways, hoping for a different outcome. Be intelligent, be flexible, and keep and open mind to start each day anew! Flexibility is the key! Ask yourself: How do you wake up each day? Do you start your day going already feeling pressured and rushed? Do you go through the morning routine without much thought at all, doing what you "have to do" to start your day? How about starting each new day with a moment to stop, breathe and think of a positive intention for the day. Think not just what you want to DO, but how you want to BE today? Each day is a new beginning and a blank slate. How would you like to create your day? Think of it as a blank canvas -- what would you like to paint on it. What can you create? If you wake up in a negative mindset, you are more likely to paint a dark picture throughout the day, and your canvas will not reflect hope, happiness and joy. If you take each day to think positively, and have a positive intention for how you would like to create your day, how would your life be different? What positive outcome can reflect your positive intention? What can daily positive intentions do for you? Every day you will give yourself the gift of an "attitude of gratitude." Visualizing how you would like your day will help release positive energy from within you and you will attract more positive energy from those around you. Instead of spinning your wheels in an old way of thinking, each day is a chance to reframe and re-look at things in a different way. You can experience each day an awe in the beauty and creation of the world -- and the beauty of you who is in it! You find yourself shifting from an "I can't mindset" to an "I can" mindset. With a focus on positive intentions, you feel more empowered and more like a "victor" than a "victim." You are more mindful of the present, and will be more likely to live fully in the present each moment of each day. After all, the past is a great place to visit, but you don't want to live there! So how about starting each day taking a moment to think of a positive intention for the day? Each morning, write it down and reflect each evening on how you did! Here are examples of Positive Intentions: "Today I would like to replace my feelings of annoyance towards my co-worker to feelings of acceptance." "I am looking forward today to focusing on what I am grateful for in my life, rather than what is missing, and express gratefulness to others." "Today I want to slow my life down and take time to savor the moment, especially with my children".. Using each day to recommit yourself to positive thinking and intention will help you create the life you want and that you deserve! Which of the followings is considered to be positive intention? Answer: Mr. Smith treated me to dinner, so I'd like to send him a card.
Fog is formed by water vapor condensing in what? empty space There are different ways to store fish. One way to keep fish for future use is canning it. We'll have this article describing, step by step, how to prepare dried fish. Begin with fish that are out of the water. If the fish are small, leave their heads on. Cut off the heads if the fish are longer than twenty centimeters or weigh more than one hundred fifteen grams. Now clean the freshly caught fish. Cut off the scales and cut open the stomach. Remove everything inside. Then wash the fish in clean water and fill salt into them. Next, put the fish in a container with a solution of three hundred grams of salt and one liter of water. This will remove the blood from the meat. Keep the fish in the saltwater for about thirty minutes. After that , wash them again in clean water. Next, put the fish in a solution that has more salt in the water. The water should be salty enough so that the fish can float to the top. If the fish sink to the bottom of the container, add more salt to the water. Cover the container with a clean piece of wood. Place a heavy stone on the wood to hold it down. Leave the fish there for about six hours. After that, remove them from the saltwater and place them on a clean surface. Cover the fish with a clean piece of white cloth and let them dry. ,. Which of the following is in the correct order? remove everything inside the stomach -wash the fish -fill salt into them. What is a Chinatown? Is it a town in China? Of course not! It is in a foreign country. It is a place where many overseas Chinese live together. There are lots of Chinatowns in America. The biggest one is in New York. There are about 150,000 people in it. It is the home of Chinese New Yorkers. And it is also a good place to go. Shopping in Chinatown Shopping in Chinatown is fun. You can find lots of things there. Most of them are made in China. Mott Street is the best place to shop because the things there are very cheap. Eating in Chinatown Chinatown has more than 200 restaurants. You can enjoy traditional Chinese food there. New Silver Palace Restaurant is one of the best restaurants. Why don't you have breakfast with a cup of green tea in it? You can eat some Shanghai food in Evergreen Restaurant. Living in Chinatown Living in Chinatown is comfortable. You can find hospitals, schools, banks, libraries and supermarkets in it. In some schools, students must study Chinese. Many overseas Chinese send their children to these schools. They want their children to learn more about China and its culture . The Chinatown in New York has _ . some shops, restaurants and schools "I left Tangier, my birthplace, the 13th of June 1325 with the intention of making the pilgrimage to Mecca... to leave all my friends both female and male, to abandon my home as birds abandon their nests." So begins an old manuscript in a library in Paris-the travel journal of Ibn Battuta. Almost two centuries before Columbus, Ibn Battuta set off for Mecca, returning home three decades later as one of history's great travelers. Driven by curiosity, he journeyed to remote comers of the Islamic world, traveling through 44 modern countries, three times as far as Marco Polo. Little celebrated in the West, his name is well known among Arabs. In his hometown of Tangier, a square, a hotel, a cafe, a ferry boat, and even a hamburger are named after him. Ibn Battuta stayed in Mecca as a student for several years, but the urge to travel soon took over. In one adventure, he traveled to India seeking profitable employment with the sultan of Delhi.On the way, he described his group being attacked in the open country by 80 men on foot, and two horsemen. "We fought... killing one of their horsemen and about twelve of the foot soldiers... I was hit by an arrow and my horse by another, but God in his grace preserved me... ". In Delhi, the sultan gave him the position of judge, based on his _ study at Mecca. But the sultan had an unpredictable character, and Ibn Battuta looked for an opportunity to leave. When the sultan offered to finance a trip to China, he agreed. IbnBattuta set off in three ships, but misfortune struck while he was still on the shore. A sudden storm grounded and broke up two ships, scattering treasure and drowning many people and horses. As he watched, the third ship with all his belongings and slaves (one carrying his child), was carried out to sea and never heard from again. After a lifetime of incredible adventures, Ibn Battuta was finally ordered by the sultan of Morocco to return home to share his wisdom with the world. Fortunately, he agreed and wrote a book that has been translated into numerous languages, allowing people everywhere to read about his unparalleled journeys. It can be inferred from the text that _ . Ibn wasn't fond of the sultan of Delhi A young and handsome executive was driving down a neighborhood street. He thought he saw something. Then he slowed down, watching out for children rushing out from between parked cars. As his car passed, no kids appeared. Instead, a brick smashed into his door! He slammed on the brakes (make his car stop). The angry driver then jumped out of his car, caught the nearest child and pushed him up against a parked car, shouting, "Who are you and what was that all about?" The little boy was full of apology, "Please,Mister... Please, I'm sorry...I didn't know what else I could do. I threw the brick because no one else would stop." With tears dripping down his face, the youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car. "It's my brother," he said. "He fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up." Now weeping, the boy asked the executive, "Would you please help me to get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me." Touched beyond words, the executive tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He hurriedly lifted the boy back into the wheelchair, then took out his fancy handkerchief and dabbed (a light touch) at the fresh scrapes and cuts. A quick look told him everything was going to be okay. "Thank you and may God bless you." The grateful child told the stranger. Shaken up for words, the man simply watched the little boy push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home. God whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts. Sometimes when we don't have time to listen, he has to throw a brick at us. Don't go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention! The executive slowed down because _ . he was afraid that some boys would suddenly rush out
A new Long March Twenty-one people from Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland began a new Long March on October 15. They will walk about 8,000 kilometers from Ruijin, Jiangxi to Wuqi, Shanxi. They hope to get 20.2 million Yuan to build 101 schools and help poor children go back to school. They hope to finish the march by August 16, 2012. The football team The Chinese under-17 football team is No. 1 in Asia. They won the Asian U-17 Championship(U-17)in Japan on Saturday. They beat the Democratic People's Republic of Korea by 1:0. After 85 minutes, Wang Weilong got the only goal. They took the cup for the first time in 12 years. Liu leaves China Chinese actor Liu Ye left for the US on Monday to make a film called Meteor(<<>> ). He is going to act with the Hollywood film star Meryl Streep. His former classmate Zhang Ziyi sent Liu a message to encourage him. Liu was worried about his English, and worked hard on it before he left. People know him from films like last year's "Mei Ren Cao". The second piece of news tells us _ . Answer: the Chinese under-17 football team won the championship for the first time in 12years Seconds are used to measure Answer: passing of time One in 400 children in the United States has diabetes . And the most difficult thing for the young diabetic patients is that many of them don't have a clear idea when they need to take insulin(a drug used in treating diabetes).The parents of one Long Island boy found the perfect solution--Hero, a specially trained dog that can discover when a diabetic is in trouble and find help. Johnny Pion, eight years old, is a poor kid that was told he was a diabetic in 2008. He can't do without insulin. His blood-sugar levels should be closely checked. He even can't go out to play without his mom or dad fearing he might need help. With Hero in her new home, Johnny's parents may worry a little less. They received the news about Hero on the newspaper. The dog cost around $20,000. With the help of friends and family, the Pions brought Hero home from Warren Retrievers in Virginia. Mary Campbell. Hero's trainer, said the dog could discover the slightest changes in blood sugar by her sense of smell."Humans have 5 million smell receptors ; dogs have 5 billion smell receptors,"she said. When the dog discovers something's wrong, she'll rub her head against Johnny's legs. If he doesn't answer her, Hero knows to look for Johnny's mom and dad. Hero even could ring up 911. On their first night, Johnny's was comfortably sleeping in his own bed with Hero and not with his parents for the first time. Night time is very important because blood sugar goes unchecked while sleeping. Now Hero is a round-the-clock nurse. After Johnny Pions got ill, he had to _ . Answer: sleep under the care of others The most common disease in the world is the cold. It often starts with a sore throat . You sneeze and your nose runs. You usually have a headache, too. Often you have a cough later. It's not a serious disease, but you can feel quite bad. There isn't a cure for a cold, but you can take some medicine to make you feel better. For example, you can take aspirin to get rid of your headache. It is good to rest. and to drink a lot of water, too. A doctor once told me."With the right medicine. a cold will last for seven days. With no medicine, it will go on for a whole week!" A long time ago, people understood that some plants made them feel better. For example, the juice of lemons makes a sore throat feel better. In modern times, scientists have found out which chemicals are in them. Man, of our medicines today are made from those chemicals. There are some diseases that we can't cure yet. And nobody has found a cure for old age. But because of modern medicines, the average people now live longer than their grandparents. A cold often starts with _ . Answer: a pain in your throat It's a great sunny day,so it's time to get out and enjoy the weather.Many of us would like to,but we have projects due,tasks that need to be done,people that we need to see,and money that needs to be made. What if your company gave you that time off as _ for the great effort that you gave to the team to finish a project on time?See,when it comes to teamwork,the main focus is for the team to work together.In a "winning" team there is an equal balance of people who have unique strengths and weaknesses. Take the example of the Chicago Bulls of the 1990s.Michael Jordan was the greatest basketball player to play the game,but did they win a championship every year when Michael had played?No.It took a (Dtype) Michael Jordan to lead the team and control the outcome.It took a(n) (Itype) wild and energetic Dennis Rodman to keep the team fun and interesting.It took (Stypes) Scottie Pippin,Bill Cartwright,and John Paxson to support the team.And it took the (Ctype) analytical mind of Coach Phil Jackson to create a foundation for the players to play on.In the end they,the Chicago Bulls,were able to win six championships within eight years. What is your team made up of?All Jordans?All Jacksons?All Rodmans?Or all Pippins,Cartwrights and Paxsons?It is you who can choose who's on your team.Try finding the right people for the right job,and you will have a "winning" team every time! What would be the best title for this passage? Answer: Working Together for a Team
Sharks have lived in the oceans for over 450 million years, long before dinosaurs appeared. There are now about 360 species of sharks, whose size, behavior, and other characteristics differ widely. Every year, we catch and kill over 100 million sharks, mostly for food and for their fins. Dried shark fins are used to make shark fin soup, which sells for as much as $50 a bowl in fine Hong Kong restaurants. Other sharks are killed for sport and out of fear. Sharks are vulnerable to overfishing because it takes most species 10 to 15 years to begin reproducing and they produce only a few offspring . Influenced by movies and popular novels, most people see sharks as people-eating monsters. This is far from the truth. Every year, a few types of shark injure about 100 people worldwide and kill about 25. Most attacks are by great white sharks, which often feed on sea lions and other marine mammals. They sometimes mistake human swimmers for their normal prey, especially if they are wearing black wet suits. If you are a typical ocean-goer, your chances of being killed by an unprovoked attack by a shark are about 1 in 100 million. You are more likely to be killed by a pig than a shark and thousands of times more likely to get killed when you drive a car. Sharks help save human lives. In addition to providing people with food, they are helping us learn how to fight cancer, bacteria, and viruses. Sharks are very healthy and have aging processes similar to ours. Their highly effective immune system allows wounds to heal quickly without becoming infected, and their blood is being studied in connection with AIDS research. Sharks are among the few animals in the world that almost never get cancer and eye cataracts . Understanding why can help us improve human health. Chemicals taken from shark cartilage have killed cancerous tumors in laboratory animals, research that someday could help _ your life. Sharks are needed in the world's ocean ecosystems. Although they don't need us, we need them. We are much more dangerous to sharks than they are to us. For every shark that bites a person, we kill one million sharks. Which of the following is NOT a reason why people kill sharks? The deadly earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan on March 11 damaged two nuclear power stations. Officials are now working to prevent dangerous radiation from poisoning the air in the area surrounding the Fukushima Daiichi plant. The Japanese government has ordered people living within 12 and a half miles of the plant to , and asked those living 12 and a half to 20 miles away to stay indoors. Nuclear power plants create energy using a chemical reaction that produces large amounts of heat. Reactors in Japan have many long, thin rods, called fuel rods , which must be kept cool. If the reactor's fuel rods aren't cooled, the reaction can burn out of control. That's what happened at the two Japanese plants after the quake caused a power failure and the cooling systems malfunctioned . This overheating could cause radiation to escape and sicken many people. Japan's 54 nuclear reactors are built to withstand the many small or moderate earthquakes the country faces each year. But Friday's earthquake was one of the most severe earthquakes ever recorded. People exposed to unsafe levels of radiation have a higher than normal risk of getting cancer. The Japanese government has been distributing potassium iodide pills to people in the surrounding areas to protect those who may have come in contact with radiation from the power plant. The pills flood the body with healthy potassium iodide. The potassium iodide works to crowd out "bad" iodine in the body that may have been poisoned by radiation. On Tuesday morning, 750 workers left the Fukushima Daiichi plant. However, 50 workers stayed behind to use sweater to cool the fuel rods. These dedicated employees are risking their own lives to save many others. On Thursday, officials used helicopters, fire trucks, and water cannons to spray water on the reactors to cool the fuel rods. But it's not clear whether these efforts were successful. Officials are now working on a power line to restore electricity to the plant. They hope this will help restart the plant's cooling system and stop the fuel rods from leaking radiation. What can we learn from the text? as a source of light moves directly overhead of an object , the size of the shadow of that object will do what? A farm planted levels or floors is called a vertical farm. A skyscraper type building can house a vertical farm. Since the garden is built upwards,rather than outwards,it requires much less space than a conventional farm. The world is quickly running out of room for conventional farming. Vertical farms could be a key to this situation. An 18story vertical farm could feed as many as 50,000 people,all in an area which is the size of the average city block. Vertical farms in the city could cut down on transportation costs as well. Think about the amount of fuel it takes to transport food from farmland to city. The resources saved would be surprising. Besides saving travel time,food would be delivered in fresher condition and with less damage. There is a growing concern about the use of pesticides in agriculture today. But the vertical farm would be a greenhouse type environment, avoiding the need for a large number of pesticides. Vertical farms can be built in a contained space,therefore they are an excellent solution for living well in an environment far different from our own. Hydroponics could be a big part of vertical gardening. This would reduce the amount of soil needed to grow food. Of course,not all food does well with this type of planting,but there are many crops that actually seem to do better. In some climates,a lack of sunlight creates a short growing season. The solar power option may not work as well here. The addition of grow lights would make it possible to grow crops in vertical gardens in these areas .In other words,we could grow crops in areas where we never could before. Vertical farms may just be a concept for now,but they are a concept that will solve many of our problems in the future. It can be learned from the passage that vertical farms _ . In pea plants, the allele for smooth peas is dominant (S). If a heterozygous smooth pea plant (Ss) is crossed with a homozygous smooth pea plant (SS), which are the possible genotypes the offspring could have?
In 1933 an unknown American called Clarence Nash went to see the film-maker Walter Disney. He had an unusual voice and he wanted to work in Disney's cartoon film for children. When Walter Disney heard Nash's voice, he said, "Stop! That's our duck!" The duck was the now-famous Donald Duck, who first appeared in 1934 in the film, The Wise Little Hen. Donald lived in an old houseboat and worn his sailor jacket and hat. Later that year he became a star after an eight minute Mickey Mouse film. The cinema audiences liked him because he was lazy and greedy, and because he lost his temper very easily. And they loved his voice when he became angry with Mickey's eight nephews. Soon Donald was more popular than Mickey Mouse himself, probably because he wasn't a goody-goody, like Mickey. In the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, Donald and his friends Mickey, Goofy and Pluto made hundreds of Disney cartoons. He also made educational film about the place of the USA in the world, and safety in the home. Then in 1966 Donald Duck and his voice disappeared--there were no more new cartoons. Clarence Nash died in February, 1985. But today's Children can still see the old cartoons on the television and hear that famous voice. Who made Donald Duck cartoons? Answer: The place of the family computer may turn into a hot argue as your children get older. Whether you have one computer in the house or five, you should think the following things as you make a final decision. There is a certain number of danger if you allow your children to have a computer with Internet in their rooms with no parental direction. They may share improper information and chat with strangers if they know that no one will be watching. This does not mean that you cannot allow your children to have a computer in their rooms. Think allowing a computer without Internet. This is especially useful for teens who use the computer for creative projects, playing video games and listening to music. Keep in mind, however, that it is possible that your kids are more skilled at computers than you are and may remove any blocks you have in place. Computer Use The way your family computers are used will play a role in deciding where they should be placed. A machine used only for homework will need to be in a quiet place where there is low traffic. One used for chatting online can be in the room where most of the family spend their time. If Mom and Dad use a computer for work, those needs will also have to be thought. Space Space must also be considered in computer placement. The computer will need electricity, plenty of desk space and a spot away from this bright light of windows. You will not want it placed in a room where your kids may be noisy. What might be the best place for family computers used by students? Answer: Which of these elements is found in the greatest amount in organisms? Answer: Last week I did a survey about TV shows at No. 2 Middle School. Some students' answers are interesting. Li Ming's favorite shows are sports shows. He often watches basketball games on CCTV-5.And he likes Kobe Bryant beastlier Yuan, a 12-year-old girl, says she can't stand sitcoms. But they're her grandmother's favorite.Liu Yuan loves cartoons very much. She watches Pleasant Goat and Big Wolf every day. She thinks cartoons are interesting and relaxing. Sun Jing doesn't mind game shows.Liu Hui likes talk shows. She thinks she can learn more about life from them. And there is another interesting thing. Most moms like Healthy Living but most dads like the news. Which of the following is TRUE? Answer: The pull of gravity on objects increase as what happens? Answer:
Remembering names is an important social skill. Here are some ways to master it. Recite and repeat in conversation. When you hear a person's name, repeat it. Immediately say it to yourself several times without moving your lips. You could also repeat the name in a way that does not sound forced or artificial. Ask the other person to recite and repeat. You can let other people help you remember their names. After you've been introduced to someone, ask that person to spell the name mad pronounce it correctly for you. Most people will be pleased by the effort you're making to learn their names. Admit you don't know. Admitting that you can't remember someone's name can actually make people relaxed. Most of them will feel sympathy if you say. "I'm working to remember names better. Yours is right on the tip of my tongue. What is it again?" Use connections. Link each person yon meet with one thing you find interesting or unusual. For example, you could make a mental note: "Vicki Cheng -- tall, black hair." To reinforce your associations, write them on a small card as soon as possible. Limit the number of new names you learn at one time. When meeting a group of people, concentrate on remembering just two or three names. Free yourself from remembering every one. Few of the people in mass introductions expect you to remember their names. Another way is to limit yourself to learning just first names. Last names can come later. Go early. Consider going early to conferences, parties and classes. Sometimes just a few people show up on time. There're fewer names for you to remember. And as more people arrive, you can hear them being introduced to others --- an automatic review for you. When you meet a group of people, it is better to remember _ a couple of names first An example of being a predator is a bird catching worms in its mouth For many years, scientists have known that laughing is good for the health of our minds and bodies. Now we are learning that it's not just laughter. Having fun and playing are also good for us! Researchers have found that play is good for people of all ages. Play actually leads to the growth of more nerve connections in the brain and gives us more brain power. Play is necessary during childhood. As children play, they learn how to make friends and relate to others. They develop their imaginations and become more creative. Kids carry these qualities with them as they grow older. Amy Whitcomb teaches maths at a school in San Francisco. For several years, she has used games to teach maths. In one class, students play a game with small bags of candy to _ how many pieces in the bags are red. When they get the correct answer, they can eat the candy! Amy says, "If it's not fun, they're not going to want to be there. They're not going to want to learn." The spirit of playfulness continues through the teenage years into adulthood . The famous company Google, for example, keeps a lot of toys and games at different places in their offices and encourages people to use them. Their motto is "Work hard. Play hard." They know that people often get their best ideas when they are just "playing around " and let their imaginations go wild. So next time you have to solve a difficult maths problem or can't think of a topic for an article, take a short play break. Do a little dance, or play a quick game. Then come back to it. Maybe you'll be surprised at what your brain can do. The example of the company Google is given to show that _ . play is also fit for adults A growing number of college students are applying to take entry tests for medical and dental schools among increasing graduate unemployment in Korea. "I've decided to apply for the test to enter a medical college to become a doctor, changing from my original plan to prepare for a lawyer qualification exam in order to get a more stable job in the future," said a 24-year-old college graduate, Lee, who majored in business administration during his undergraduate schooling. The new medical and dental school system is getting popularity, attracting an increasing number of students every year since its appearance in 2004, as it is open to all college graduates regardless of their previous majors. The Education Development introduced the new medical and dental education system, in which college students with bachelor's degrees are allowed to study medicine or dentistry by taking the Medical Education Test (MET) and Dental Education Test (DET). Ten medical schools and six dental colleges that have used the new system have received 4,377 applications for the entrance exams. Applicants are getting younger compared with those in their 20s representing 76.9 percent of the total. The tests might be easier for students with biology and chemistry majors, but graduates from other majors are also applying for the tests. Under the existing medical and dental education system, students should take a two-year premedical course followed by a four-year medical course. Students graduating under the new medical or dental education system are given master's degrees, while those graduates who studied under the previous system have bachelor's degrees. We can learn from the passage that _ . it takes a longer time to get the master's degree in the old system Several days ago, I was walking home from school and saw some writing on the fence of a house I was passing by. It said, "Happiness is a direction, not a destination ." I had been having a bad day and just reading this brightened my day a little. I also took out a pen and wrote one of my favorite quotes down. ww.szzx100.com When I came back to the fence, I saw another quote under mine in the handwriting as the first one. I added another, and we kept at this pattern for quite a while. One day, I was writing another quote on the fence and the old man, one of my neighbors, who owned the fence, saw me. He came out and I was afraid he would be mad at me for writing on his fence; he was not known to be very friendly. He gave me a sharp glance and then read the quotes on the fence. Without saying a word, he said something to himself and then went back inside. I was a bit terrified for a while, afraid to go back to the fence, but when I did, I noticed not more quotes but two words in entirely different handwriting had been added, "Thank you." Later, I saw the old man in his front yard. He beckoned me over and told me how my quotes had been inspiring him, how he thanked me and how he was glad to see young people still have "values". We are now good friend and I talk to him a lot. This experience has changed my life. I still don't know who wrote that very first quote, but if he is out there, I'd like to say "thanks" to that unknown friend. Why did the writer begin to write a quote on the fence? He had gotten some help from the quote.
Who hasn't found themselves reaching for the closest food available when they're tired and stressed? More and more research is proving that this isn't all in our mind. Some foods really do lead to a change in our moods . Carbohydrate for calm This is how some people medicate themselves with food -- by reaching for cookies or pasta whenever they're upset. Unfortunately, it doesn't always work. You must eat a meal consisting of 100% carbohydrate, on an empty stomach, to obtain the serotonin increase so that you have a good mood. To get the wishedfor effect, you must not eat anything for four hours and then eat at least 30 grams of straight carbohydrate. Dry cereal , a piece of bread with jam, or a potato should _ Protein for power Of course, sometimes we don't need to be calm and sleepy.Sometimes we need a great deal of mental concentration, so this is when it's important to mix protein and carbohydrate. The protein will prevent the tryptophan from flooding your brain,and the rise in serotonin won't occur. Why dessert makes us happy Fat and sugar cause the brain to let go endorphins , which send pleasure signals throughout the body. This would be fine, except humans are not particularly good at stopping at one cookie or cake. You can also satisfy your sweet tooth by choosing fruit for dessert. Timing your meals for energy Blood sugar drops after four hours of going without food, causing a decrease in energy. Eating usually fixes this within 20 to 30 minutes, but don't suppose that eating more will cause a faster increase in energy. When you eat has as much of an effect on your mood as what you eat. If you regularly go for a long period of time between meals, rethink your schedule and plan ahead. We can infer from the last two parts that _ . A. fat and sugar can greatly help people feel happy B. we humans tend to eat lots of cookies and cakes C. the more we eat, the faster we will gain energy D. what we eat is more important than when we eat Answer: A. fat and sugar can greatly help people feel happy Energy pod: It was designed by a US company with NASA technology. It puts the human body in the best sleeping position and blocks outside noise to create an ideal napping experience. Silicon Valley high-tech companies such as Google provide the Pod for employees. White noise radio: White noise is a sound signal that contains equal power and frequency. Some radios provide white noise to mask other noises so that people can sleep without disturbance. High-tech sleepwear: A US-based company designs a nightgown with special fabric that stimulates blood flow to tired muscles helping one relax in deeper restorative sleep. Emu pillow: Inspired by emu that buried its head in sands when it's scared, a type of pillow has been designed in China for office workers to take a nap, safe and sound. It turns the computer desk into a sleep hub with even two pockets to store the hands. These are designed for those who _ . A. have enough sleep. B. are working for high-tech companies. C. are in poor health. D. are victims of sleeping sickness. Answer: D. are victims of sleeping sickness. A group of fifteen-year-old students at Sunshine School are holding a charity sale to raise money to help their classmate Lisa. Lisa had cerebral palsy when she was a baby. People who have cerebral palsy have trouble walking. Although Lisa has to use a wheelchair to help her get around, she never gives up. And she is always ready to help others. "Lisa has the chance of standing up, but she needs an operation which will cost lots of money." Lisa's doctor said. "I never thought that I could stand up one day. Actually the news is surprising for me. However, when I see my parents are worried about the cost of the operation, I am sad. I am used to my life. I don't mind if I can't stand up." Lisa said. "Now my classmates and some other kind people are helping me. I am really thankful. If I stood up one day, I could try my best to help more people." "While helping Lisa, we can also learn a lot. We have learned how to cook cookies and how to sell them," Betty, one of Lisa's classmates said. "Now we know making money is not easy, so we won't waste money anymore." Alex, a boy in Lisa's class, told a reporter that they could raise about $100 every day. "We have raised about $2,100 so far. We hope we will raise more money for Lisa's operation." he said. What do you know from Lisa's words? A. Lisa is very happy with her life. B. Lisa's parents don't wish her to stand up. C. Lisa is angry with her parents. D. Lisa's family doesn't have enough money to do the operation. Answer: D. Lisa's family doesn't have enough money to do the operation. The telephone rang when Mrs. Gates was cooking lunch. Her son Bruce went to answer the phone. His aunt said she was coming to see them with her daughter that afternoon. Mrs. Gates was happy because she hadn't seen her sister for several months. She knew the girl liked bananas very much, but she was busy in the kitchen and couldn't go to buy any for her. She gave some money to Bruce and said, "Go and buy two kilos of bananas in the shop. " Bruce liked bananas, too. He went out happily. Half an hour later he came back with a bag in his hand. Mrs. Gates weighed the bananas and found they were half a kilo short. She took the bag to the shopkeeper and said, "I sent my little son for two kilos of bananas, but you gave him only one and a half kilos!" "Have you weighed your little son yet, madam?" asked the shopkeeper, "My scales are all right." The shopkeeper thought that _ . A. Mrs. Gates' son ate the bananas B. Mrs. Gates' scales were wrong C. Mrs. Gates had eaten the bananas D. his scales were wrong Answer: A. Mrs. Gates' son ate the bananas Construction Company contracted to build a laundry for Wash Company on the latter's vacant lot in a residential area. As a part of its work, Construction Company dug a trench from the partially completed laundry to the edge of a public sidewalk; water pipes were to be installed in the trench. Because of the contour of the land, the trench was dug to a depth ranging from seven to nine feet. Construction Company did not place any barriers around the trench and permitted it to lie open for almost a week while Construction Company waited for delivery of the water pipes. This was known to Wash Company, but it raised no objection. During the time the trench was open, a series of heavy rains fell, causing five feet of surface water to gather in the bottom of the trench. While this condition existed, five-year-old Tommy, who was playing on the vacant lot with friends, stumbled and fell into the trench. Robert, an adult passerby, saw this and immediately lowered himself into the trench to rescue Tommy. However, his doing so caused the rainsoaked walls of the trench to collapse, killing both him and Tommy. In a claim for wrongful death by Tommy's administrator against Construction Company, the most likely result is that the administrator will A. recover, because Construction Company left the open trench unprotected. B. recover, because construction companies are strictly liable for inherently dangerous conditions. C. not recover, because Tommy was a trespasser. D. not recover, because Tommy's death was a result of the collapse of the trench, an independent intervening cause Answer: A. recover, because Construction Company left the open trench unprotected.
Brrriiinnng. The alarm clock announces the start of another busy weekday in the morning. You jump out of bed, rush into the shower, into your clothes and out the door with hardly a moment to think. A stressful journey to work gets your blood pressure climbing. Once at the office, you glance through the newspaper with depressing stories or reports of disasters. In that sort of mood, who can get down to work, particularly some creative, original problem-solving work? The way most of us spend our mornings is exactly opposite to the conditions that promote flexible, open-minded thinking. Imaginative ideas are most likely to come to us when we're unfocused. If you are one of those energetic morning people, your most inventive time comes in the early evening when you are relaxed. Sleepy people's lack of focus leads to an increase in creative problem solving. By not giving yourself time to tune into your wandering mind, you're missing out on the surprising solutions it may offer. The trip you take to work doesn't help, either. The stress slows down the speed with which signals travel between neurons , making inspirations less likely to occur. And while we all should read a lot about what's going on in the world, it would not make you feel good for sure, so put that news website or newspaper aside until after the day's work is done. So what would our mornings look like if we wanted to start them with a full capacity for creative problem solving? We'd set the alarm a few minutes early and lie awake in bed, following our thoughts where they lead. We'd stand a little longer under the warm water of the shower, stopping thinking about tasks in favor of a few more minutes of relaxation. We'd take some deep breaths on our way to work, instead of complaining about heavy traffic. And once in the office--after we get a cup of coffee--we'd click on links not to the news of the day but to the funniest videos the web has to offer. By "tune into your wandering mind" (in Para. 2), the author means " _ ". stop concentrating on anything Hello, children and parents. Thank you all for coming to this meeting. I'd like to start by confirming that we will receive some money from the government for our school trip to Indonesia. We will receive approximately $1,300 per child, which will reduce the overall cost to you. Now that we are sure to get the money, it is time to do some serious planning. We are sure that the trip will be very exciting for the children, especially if they have not traveled overseas before. There are many benefits to having some exposure to different places and cultures. Your children will be able to learn a lot about other people and cultures on this trip. Leanne is with us tonight. Leanne, where are you? Put up your hand, Leanne, so that the people can see who you are. Thank you. Leanne went on the trip last year and will be happy to tell you .of her experiences and answer any questions you might have. We will hear from her a bit later in the meeting. We only have five months to organize the trip. From past experience I can tell you that the time will go very quickly! So we need to start organizing the trip. This is the agenda for tonight's meeting: * Passport: when and how to apply for one * Schedule: what places we will visit * Health matters: what precautions you need to take, plus any special needs that your child may have * Studying: description of the school and type of lessons your child will attend * Money: paying for the trip, plus how much money your child should take * Hotel: where we will be staying *Clothing and personal items: what your children should take with them Are there any other items that you would like to place on the agenda? The speaker will discuss the following except transport As is known to all, in daily conversation modern people like to use simple words and simple sentences, especially some sentences with some parts left out. Here is an interesting example from the conversation between Henry, a fisherman, and his wife Sylvia. Do you know what they are talking about? Sylvia: Going? Henry: Been. Sylvia: Any? Henry: Some. Sylvia: Big? Henry: Small. Which of the following is TRUE according to the conversation? Henry has just been back with some fish. A scientist working on a new package design wants to use a material that is highly recyclable, biodegradable, and inexpensive. The best material for the package design is cardboard. A single night of taking the drug Ecstasy can cause serious brain damage and speed up the start of Parkinson's disease , scientists say. Just two or three Ecstasy tablets can permanently destroy brain cells that affect movement and reasoning, according to American research that links the drug to Parkinson's for the first time. A study by a team at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, involving squirrel monkeys and baboons found that both species suffered permanent damage to key cells, which are lost in Parkinson's, after receiving three low doses of Ecstasy at three-hour periods. The study is particularly important because baboons are one of the best animal models for the human brain. George Ricaurte, who led the research, said that the widespread abuse of drug might have caused severe damage. "The most troubling result is that young adults using Ecstasy may be increasing their risk of developing Parkinsonism as they get older." Alan Leshner, a former director of the US National Institute on Drug Abuse, said, "This study emphasizes the multi-aspect damage that Ecstasy causes to users. We've long known that repeated use damages brain cells. But this study shows that even very occasional use can have long-lasting effects on many different brain systems. It sends an important message to young people: don't experiment with your own brain." Janet Betts, a mother whose teenage daughter Leah died after a single Ecstasy tablet in 1995, said, "This comes as no surprise. But people can't see the effects at first, and they say it won't happen to them. We'll see the symptoms later, just as we have with smoking." We know from the passage that a low dose of Ecstasy _ . can permanently destroy one's brain cells
I have tried many ways to be ill. I don't wear a sweater when I should, and two days ago I walked in the rain without my shoes. But so far nothing has happened. Debbie once told me about a boy in her class who liked being away from school. He would rub the end of the thermometer until it went up to 39degC. Then he'd put it in his mouth and his mother would think he was really ill. This morning I tried doing that but it never went above 35degC and I rubbed it for ten minutes. So I held the thermometer next to the light on my desk and it went up to 40degC. I thought I'd put it in my mouth and walk downstairs like that. Then my mother would take it out and she would be worried when she saw that I was rather ill. The only trouble was I didn't know the thermometer would be so hot. As soon as I put it into my mouth, it burnt my tongue! I spit the thermometer out. It fell on the floor but it didn't break. I will have to think of a better way to get my mother and father back together. Why did the writer spit the thermometer out? Answer: This is my beautiful home. There is a small garden in front of my house. There are many beautiful flowers in the garden. Behind my house there is a big tree. Near the tree, you can see a garage. My father's beautiful car is in it now. On the first floor, there is a large living room, a dining room, a kitchen and a bathroom. I like watching TV in the living room. On the second floor, there is a small study room and two bedrooms. I love playing with the computer in my study. What a nice home! I like it very much. There is _ in the garage. Answer: Do you get enough sleep? With so much homework, it's often difficult to get the rest you need. But you need to try, because sleep keeps you healthy and it stops you getting fat. Recently, a group of US scientists did a study of kids aged between 8 and 13. The studt found that if kids sleep for just one extra hour each day, the chance of their getting fat is cut by about 30%. Why? When people don't get enough sleep, they become tired. When they are tired, they don't exercise enough. Also, kids like snacks. If they are awake an extra hour or two each day, they have more time to eat snacks or other unhealthy foods. So, how much sleep should you get? Scientists suggest 10 to 11 hours a night for kids aged 5 to 12. For older kids, eight to nine hours will do. If you are 9, how long do the scientists advice you to sleep? Answer: Bicycle Safety Operation Always ride your bike in a safe, controlled manner on campus . Obey rules and regulations. Watch out for walkers and other bicyclists, and always use your lights in dark conditions. Theft Prevention Always securely lock your bicycle to a bicycle rack -- even if you are only away for a minute. Register your bike with the University Department of Public Safety. It's fast, easy, and free. Registration permanently records your serial number, which is useful in the possible recovery of the bike stolen. Equipment Brakes Make sure that they are in good working order and adjusted properly. Helmet A necessity, make sure your helmet meets current safety standards and fits properly. Lights Always have a front headlight -- visible at least 500 feet in front of the bike. A taillight is a good idea. Rules of the Road Riding on Campus As a bicycle rider, you have a responsibility to ride only on streets and posted bicycle paths. Riding on sidewalks or other walkways can lead to a fine. The speed limit for bicycles on campus is 15 mph, unless otherwise posted. Always give the right of way to walkers. If you are involved in an accident, you are required to offer appropriate aid, call the Department of Public Safety and remain at the scene until the officer lets you go. Bicycle Parking Only park in areas reserved for bikes. Trees, handrails, hallways, and sign posts are not for bicycle parking, and parking in such spots can result in a fine. If Things Go Wrong If you break the rules, you will be fined. Besides violating rules while riding bicycles on campus, you could be fined for: No bicycle registration ............................................. $25 Bicycle parking banned .............................................$30 Blocking path with bicycle ........................................$40 Violation of bicycle equipment requirement ......................$35 Registration of your bicycle may help you _ . Answer: As we know, the concept of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games is "Green Olympics, High-tech Olympics and People's Olympics." _ . Among them "Green Olympics" embraces the essence of the 3000-year long Chinese philosophy, namely harmony and unity of nature and human existence. On the World Environment Day in 2003, Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2008 Olympic Game began the Green Office Project. _ . On September 24, 2005, the logo of the Green Olympics was shown at the Beijing Young Palace. _ . It consists of the crown of a tree and the shape of a human being that are used to create the form of a large tree reaching the sky. The image represents harmony and unity between human beings and nature. Just like swinging color1ed strips that surround and cross each other, the green lines form a crown of tree and recall flowers in full bloom, expressing the sustainable development of environment protection. Let's participate in green actions, such as beautifying the environment , protecting the environment and saving resources. _ . Answer:
People used to think that wetlands were wasted land. Developers would drain them with ditches ,fill them in with tons of soil,and build houses,schools,and parking areas on them.Then scientists began to realize the important role wetlands played in the environment. Wetlands act like giant sponges during storms.They soak up extra storm water and afterward release it slowly back into the water cycle.This helps prevent flooding. Towns where people have drained wetlands have found that in a big storm,their streets and homes are often flooded because there are no wetlands to soak up the excess water. Wetlands also act as giant filters where pollutants are absorbed and dissolved over time.Though wetlands can become polluted from dumping,wastewater,and fertilizer runoff from farm fields,they are able to process some pollutants over time because of all the microorganisms and plants living there. Wetlands are especially important for providing homes and breeding grounds to millions of birds,fish,and amphibians worldwide. Many wetlands have become national wildlife refuges ,where you can go to take pictures and look at birds and animals. The Everglades are a huge wetland that once covered more than four million acres of southern Florida. Sometimes called the "river of grass",the Everglades are a shallow sheet of water that slowly flowed across a grassy plain. In the late 1800s people began draining parts of the Everglades for development. Roads were built and towns sprang up.The Everglades shrank to half its original size. Cities like Miami grew up where once there was a thriving wetland. Sewage and waste from the cities were pumped into the remaining wetlands. Over time scientists began to see the importance of the Everglades. Even with its smaller size,the Everglades filtered the pollutants coming from the cities,absorbing the worst of it like a sewage treatment plant. During storms the Everglades protected the cities from storm surge flooding. They also are just a great place to visit and see wildlife. We can infer from the passage that _ . A some wetlands can be used to build cities or towns B wetlands in the world are disappearing fast C wetlands play an important role in the ecosystem D wetlands are especially important to wildlife Answer: C. wetlands play an important role in the ecosystem My Favourite Sweater by Bonnie Highsmith Taylor My favourite sweater grew too small. I love that sweater best of all. My grandma made it when I was three. She made that sweater just for me. I picked the yarn , a special blue. The color of bluebells, wet with dew When I was three I was very small But now I'm five and much too tall I have a new jacket now that's green So I gave my sweater to our cat Queen. Queen just had _ out in the shed My favourite sweater is now their bed. What color is the girl's new jacket? A green B blue C red D purple Answer: A. green Mr Smith had a week's vacation, so he said,"I'm going to the seaside by train. "He put on his best clothes, took a small bag, went to the railway station and got into the train. He wore a beautiful hat, and he often put his head out of the window during the trip and looked at the beautiful scenery. Suddenly, the wind pulled his hat off. Mr Smith quickly threw his old bag out of the window, too. The other people in the train laughed,"Is your bag going to bring back your beautiful hat?" they asked. "No," Mr Smith answered."But My name and address are on the bag. If someone finds both of them, he or she will send me the bag and the hat." Mr Smith went to take a vacation for _ . A nine years B half a month C seven days D eight days Answer: C. seven days Tornadoes are one of the worst weather events on earth. Each year, tornadoes kill many people. The storms often carry homes, cars and trees from one place to another. And they can also _ anything when they pass by. A tornado comes from a thunderstorm in the sky down to the ground. It is big at the top and small at the bottom. A tornado appears when winds in different directions meet in the cloud and begin to turn in circles. People can see tornadoes almost everywhere in the world. But most happen from late winter to middle summer. There is a second high season in November. During spring, warm air moves north and mixes with the cold air left from winter. In November, the opposite happens. Cold air moves south and mixes with the warm air left from summer. Tornadoes always come suddenly. Weather scientists have done something to predict tornadoes. But the storms often move too fast for people to protect themselves. Last year, tornadoes killed more than one hundred people in United States. Scientists say the best place to be in is a small room, without windows, in the middle the lowest part of a building when tornadoes come. ,. From the passage, we know that _ . A the United States has very few tornadoes B tornadoes are one of the worst weather events in the world C people should stay in big rooms with windows when tornadoes come D more than one thousand people were killed by tornadoes in the USA last year Answer: D. more than one thousand people were killed by tornadoes in the USA last year Reading is an activity that people enjoy a lot in their free time. Some like reading newspapers, and others enjoy novels or comic books. I like reading about the lives of great people. _ always gives me a lot of ideas on how to make my own life better. Great people are remembered not because they were handsome or beautiful, but because they did not give up when their lives were difficult. They used every opportunity to change their lives and make the world better. One good example is Orville and Wilbur Wright, the two brothers who invented the airplane. The plane has made the world into a small village. Hard work, not good luck, is the reason why the Wright Brothers could invent this convenient machine and become remarkable people. Today we still remember them when we see planes in the sky. When I feel sad, stories of great people always help me feel better. This is why I enjoy reading about great people's lives. Wright Brothers are great ,because they _ . A invented a new kind of medicine B changed their lives better C tried to make the world better D they worked hard and became rich Answer: C. tried to make the world better
"Fingers were made before forks." When a person gives up good manners, put aside knife and fork, and dives into his food, someone is likely to repeat that saying. The fork was an ancient agricultural tool, but for centuries no one thought of eating with it. Not until the eleventh century, when a young lady from Constantinople brought her fork to Italy, did the custom reach Europe. By the fifteenth century the use of the fork was wide-spread in Italy. The English explanation was that Italians were unwilling to eat food touched with fingers, "seeing all men's fingers are not alike clean. Anyone who used a fork to eat with was laughed at in England for the next hundred years. Not until the late 1600's did using a fork become a common custom. The best title of the passage is " _ '. Answer: Have you ever wondered how your favorite NBA team received its famous name? All NBA teams have an interesting story or a history behind their names. Some of the names reflect the city's culture or history, others came from previous owners and many were selected through "Name the Team" contests. For teams like Los Angeles and Utah, the names were not always a reflection of the city. Even though Los Angeles has no lakes, the Laker name has been a city treasure for almost 40 years. Before going to Los Angeles, the team originated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In 1948, team officials chose the name for its direct relationship to the state's motto, "The Land of 10,000 Lakes." The team name went unchanged after moving to Los Angeles in 1960. Because Utah's team originated in New Orleans, Louisiana, it was called the Jazz. In 1974, New Orleans club officials chose the name to represent the city for its reputation as the "jazz capital of the world." The name stayed with the team even after finding a new home in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1979. The Chicago Bull's original owner, Richard Klein, named the team the Bulls. He picked the name because a fighting bull is relentless, and never quits. Klein, who founded the club in1966, believed these qualities were necessary for a championship team and hoped his Chicago athletes would live up to the team name. A belief that Bulls----winner of the six NBA championships have definitely followed. In 1967, the Indian Pacers selected their team name in a different way from most other teams. Their decision was based on what they wanted to accomplish in the NBA. Team officials chose the Pacers name because the organization wanted to set the "pace" in professional basketball This passage can be entitled _ . Answer: Against the supposition that forest fires in Alaska, Canada and Siberia warm the climate, scientists have discovered that cooling may occur in areas where burnt trees allow more snow to mirror more sunlight into space. This finding suggests that taking steps to prevent northern forest fires to limit the release of greenhouse gases may warm the climate in northern regions. Usually large fires destroyed forests in these areas over the past decade. Scientists predict that with climate warming, fires may occur more frequently over the next several centuries as a result of a longer fire season. Sunlight taken in by the earth tends to cause warming, while heat mirrored back into space tends to cause cooling. This is the first study to analyze all aspects of how northern fires influence climate. Earlier studies by other scientists have suggested that fire in northern regions speed up climate warming because greenhouse gases from burning trees and plants are released into the atmosphere and thus trap heat. Scientists found that right after the fire, large amounts of greenhouse gases entered the atmosphere and caused warming. Ozone levels increased, and ash from the fire fell on far-off sea ice, darkening the surface and causing more radiation from the sun to be taken in. The following spring, however, the land within the area of the fire was brighter than before the fire, because fewer trees covered the ground. Snow on the ground mirrored more sunlight back into space, leading to cooling. "We need to find out all possible ways to reduce the growth of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere." Scientists tracked the change in the amount of radiation entering and leaving the climate system as a result of the fire, and found a measurement closely related to the global air temperature. Typically, fire in northern regions occurs in the same area every 80 to 150 years. Scientists, however, found that when fire occurs more frequently, more radiation is lost from the earth and cooling results. Specifically, they determined when fire returns 20 years earlier than predicted, 0.5 watts per square meter of area burned are _ by the earth from greenhouse gases, but 0.9 watts per square meter will be sent back into space. The net effect is cooling. Watts are used to measure the rate at which energy is gained or lost from the earth. .According to the new findings, taking steps to prevent northern forest fires may _ . Answer: Global warming is the process of earth's atmosphere heating up. Over the last 100 years, the average temperature of earth's atmosphere has gone up 1 Fahrenheit. The weather has not changed exactly the same way in every area of the planet. But scientists think that the rise in average temperature is already affecting the earth's climate. Many scientists now believe that global warming is caused by cutting down trees, producing more trash, and polluting the environment which are some of the reasons why the temperature has gone up. Many scientists believe that the biggest causes of global warming are new human technologies that release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The greenhouse effect is not new. Certain gases in the atmosphere, like carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane, making it hard for heat energy to go into space. In the past, the climate didn't change much because nature produced just the right amount of greenhouse gases to deal with it. Today, most scientists are pretty sure that the rising temperature can't be blamed on nature. Ever since the industrial revolution in the 1700s, humans have relied on machines for daily life. And many of those machines give off a lot of greenhouse gases. An increase in the release of greenhouse gases from human activities is throwing nature off balance. The climate is a very complicated thing, but many scientists agree that the rising atmospheric temperature has already damaged the environment. Sheets of ice, called glaciers, are melting in Antarctica and other parts of the globe. As glaciers break off and melt into the oceans, they are adding warm water to the oceans and causing the sea level to rise. Over the past 100 years, the sea level has risen 6-8 inches around the world. That means land along the coasts is beginning to disappear under water. Bigger and warmer oceans are also adding to other weather problems caused by pollution in the atmosphere. Some places have received more rain, others have had bigger storms and a few areas in the world have experienced unusual droughts. What causes global warming according to scientists? Answer: The University of Wales, Bangor has been rated the top university in the UK for the help and support provided for students by theTimes Higher Education Supplement.We want to make sure all our students are happy and that they enjoy their time here in Bangor. We realize that you may need some support during your time here to solve some personal problems or difficulties. Our Student Services Centre and the Students' Union can offer the following: * An advice service that is free and confidential. * You'll have a personal teacher in your department. * A Peer Guide will welcome you to Bangor during your first week and answer any question you might have. * Student Services and Security are on call during the day and there is a warden on call at evenings and weekends at all our halls of residence. * Personal support and advice on a variety of problems through the Students' Union Welfare Advice Centre. * Nightline, a confidential support service run during the night by students for students. * A team of staff volunteers are available to deal with any serious incident which happens outside normal university hours. * Health care in daily surgeries where you don't need an appointment. You will need to register with a local General Practitioner . We also have a nurse who can make visits to your place when necessary. * An adviser for international students. * A room where local postgraduate students who live at home and travel to the university each day, can spend their free time. The university welcomes applications from disabled students and aims to provide equal opportunities for all. For more information please see our Student Services pages. The author's main purpose of writing the passage is to _ . Answer:
It was a beautiful day at the beach--blue sky, gentle wind, calm sea.I knew these things because a man sitting five feet from me was shouting them into his mobile phone, like a play-by-play announcer . "IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY," he shouted."THE SKY IS BLUE, AND THERE'S A GENTLE WIND, AND THE WATER IS CALM, AND..." Behind me, a woman, her mobile phone pressed to her ear was walking back and forth. "She DIDN'T," she was saying."No.She DIDN'T.She DID? Really? Are you SERIOUS? She did NOT.She DID? No she..." And so on.This woman had two children, who were playing in the sea.I found myself watching them, because the woman surely was not.A huge squid could have caught and snatched the children, and this woman would not have noticed.Or, if she had noticed, she'd have said, "Listen.I have to go, because a huge squid just......No! She didn't ! She DID? No! She......" And next to me, the play-by-play man would have said: "...AND A HUGE SQUID JUST ATE TWO CHILDREN, AND I'M GETTING A LITTLE SUNBURNED, AND ..." It used to be that the major trouble at the beach was the fellow who brought a boom box and turned it up so loud that the bass notes caused seagulls to explode.But at least you knew where these fellows were; you never know which beachgoers have mobile phones.You'll settle next to what appears to be a sleeping sunbather, or even (you hope) a _ , and you'll lie happily on your towel, and you'll get all the way to the second sentence of your 467-page book before you fall asleep to the hypnotic surge of the surf , and ... BREEP! BREEP! The corpse sits up, feels urgently for its mobile phone, and shouts "Hello! I'm at the beach! Yes! It's nice! Very peaceful! What? She did? No, she didn't! She DID? No, she..." Loud mobile-phoners never seem to get urgent calls.Just once, I'd like to hear one of them say, "Hello? Yes, this is Dr.Johnson.Oh, Dr.Smith.You've opened the abdominal cavity ? Good! Now the appendix should be right under the ... What? No, that's the liver.Don't take THAT out, ha ha! Oh, you did? My God! OK, now listen carefully..." We can infer from the passage that _ . Answer: the writer hates to be disturbed while enjoying holidays on the beach. It's a sure sign that summer is over and winter is on the way -- leaves that were once deep green turn red, yellow and bright orange. It happens every autumn. But did you ever wonder why? The leaves start changing color when the nights start getting longer and the temperature starts getting cooler. Some scientists think that as the number of daylight hours _ the leaves stop making chlorophyll which makes plants green. The reason is that the process of making chlorophyll requires sunlight. But according to horticulture educator Susan Rose from Colorado State University, it turns out leaves don't really change color at all. "The fall colors are actually there all along," she said. "But they are covered by the green chlorophyll. As the chlorophyll stops being produced, the other colors can shine through." The kind of color that the leaves are going to change to is determined by the plant's genetic background. In some places, the leaves start changing color in September -- before autumn even officially begins. In other places, they don't change until late October or even November. Some scientists say the leaves have been changing color later than usual in recent years. And they think global warming has something to do with that. In one study, researchers found that the growing season in the Northern Hemisphere was nearly a week longer, on average, in 2008 than it was in 1982. And a professor from Harvard University found that the leaves, west of Boston, Massachusetts, are changing color about three days later than they used to. However, other scientists disagree with the global warming theory. Susan Rose said the leaves in her part of Colorado are changing "right on schedule." But the leaves in other parts of that state are running a little late. "The lateness in the mountains may have something to do with the really warm late summer and early fall," she said. "But I'm afraid that's just a guess." Scientists guess leaves change color later than usual probably as a result of _ . Answer: global warming Miss Li is a teacher. She teaches in a middle school. She gets up at half past five in the morning. She has breakfast at 6:00.After that she goes to school by bike. She gets there very early. She cleans her desks and chairs for other teachers. Classes begin at 8:00.She and the other teachers work hard. She goes home at 4:00 in the afternoon. Then she does some housework .After dinner she reads books and goes over the students' homework. She goes to bed at about ten. After supper she _ . Answer: both A and B American Watersports Tuesday-Saturday Located on the beach of the Sea Gardens Beach Resort, there are fun things to rent for the whole family. They offer rentals for kayaks, jet skis, and even parasail! Enjoy the water up-close or from a bird's eye view! No matter what activity you're enjoying, be sure to protect yourself and your family from the sun's powerful rays and apply plenty of sun block! 15thStreet Boat Company Monday-Saturday 15thStreet Boat Company offers rental boats of all kinds. They're sure to have what you are looking for, whether it's a small boat for a quick and simple outing or an extravagant boat with comfortable seats with a stereo and high tech navigation. You can rent a boat for half a day or a couple of days, or even weeks at a time. If you want it, they've got it. It's fun for everyone! Coconut's Watersports 9am-5pm Monday through Sunday Coconut's Watersports is open 7 days a week for your convenience and offers tons of water fun for the whole family. Jet Ski activities last 30 minutes or 1 hour and can make stops along the way. You must be at least 14 years of age to ride alone and can be as young as 3 to ride along with an adult. Everybody is required to wear a life jacket and a license is required to operate the Jet Ski. Bathing suits and shorts are recommended. Jet Ski Tours of Miami Thursday-Sunday 10am-7pm Jet Ski Tours of Miami includes onsite parking, indoor restrooms, lockers, and life jackets for participants. You may choose a one or two tour and each Jet Ski can hold up to 3 people. You must be at least 18 years old in order to ride. As long as you are accompanied by an adult, there is no age limitation for any passenger. There is a restaurant nearby to eat at. The tour visits 6 different islands and passes by Bayside and Hard Rock. You may even catch a glimpse of dolphins or a manatee resting in these fabulous Florida waters. You should especially protect yourself from sun burnt while visiting _ . Answer: American Watersports I am a Chinese boy. My name is Li Lei. I am twelve. My sister's name is Li Mei. She's Fourteen. Li Mei and I are students. We like school. My mother is a teacher. She is a teacher of English. My father is a policeman. My young brother's name is Li Hong. He is only four. We all like him. Li Lei is _ . Answer: Chinese
My son Joey was born with club feet.The doctors told us that he would be able to walk,but would never run very well.By the time he was eight,you wouldn't know he had a problem when you saw him walk. The children in our neighborhood ran around playing,and Joey would join them, run and play,too.We never told him that he probably wouldn't be able to run as well as the other children.So he didn't know. In seventh grade he decided to go out for the cross-country team.Every day he worked harder and ran more than any of the others.Although the entire team runs,only the top seven runners score for the school.We didn't tell him he probably would never be on the team,so he didn't know. He continued to run four to five miles a day,every day - even the day he had a high fever.I was worried,so I went to see him after school.I found him running all alone.I asked him how he felt."Okay," he said.He had two more miles to go.Yet he looked straight ahead and kept running.We never told him he couldn't run miles with a high fever.So he didn't know. Two weeks later,the names of the team runners were called.Joey was Number Six on the list.Joey was on the team! He was in seventh grade.We never told him he couldn't do it! Few people know Joey's club feet before _ . Answer: he was eight years old In 1997, a group of twenty British women made history. Working in five teams with four women in each team, they walked to the North Pole. Apart from one experienced female guide, the other women were all ordinary people who had never done anything like this in their lives before. They managed to survive in an environment which had defeated several very experienced men during the same time period. The women set off as soon as they were ready. Once on the ice, each woman had to ski along while dragging a sledge weighing over 50 kilos. The temperature was always below the freezing point and sometimes strong winds made walking while pulling so much weight almost impossible. It was also very difficult for them to put up their tents when they stopped each night. In such conditions, the women were making good progress if they covered fourteen or fifteen kilometers a day. But there was another problem. Part of the journey was across a frozen sea with moving water underneath the ice and at some points the team would drift back more than five kilometers during the night. That meant that after walking in these very severe conditions for ten hours on one day, they had to spend part of the next day covering the same ground again. Furthermore, each day it took three hours from waking up to setting off and another three hours every evening to set up the camp and prepare the evening meal. So, how did they manage to succeed? They realized that they were part of a team. If any one of them didn't pull her sledge or get her job done, she would endanger the success of the whole expedition. Any form of selfishness could result in the efforts of everyone else being completely wasted, so personal Feelings had to be put on one side. At the end of their journey, the women agreed that it was mental effort far more than physical fitness that got them to the North Pole. What is the main message of the text? Answer: Motivation and teamwork achieve goals. The 1800s saw many firsts, including the invention of the bicycle and ready-to-eat cereal. Another interesting event also debuted in the 1800s. In 1888, the world's first beauty contest was held in Spa, Belgium. Though little is known about that first competition, the idea caught on. Today, beauty contests can be found in countries from Argentina to Zambia. Most people agree that the business of beauty contests began in America. In 1921, local businessmen in Atlantic City, New Jersey, wanted summer tourists to stay longer. So they came up with the idea of beauty pageant. The pageant was successful, and 100,000 tourists stayed to see the first "Miss America" crowned. After a few years, the annual event no longer focused only on girl's beauty. A talent competition was added in 1938. And not long after that, college scholarships became the official contest prize. These were just the beginning of the changes for the beauty contest industry. www.ks5u.com From the mid-to late-20th century, beauty contests began popping up everywhere. In 1951, the Miss World Pageant got its start in London. Over time, this contest has changed its focus from beauty alone to beauty and intelligence. Miss Universe began in 1952,Miss International in 1960 and Miss Earth in 2001. Today, these still are considered the four most famous international beauty contests. Through the years, controversy has surrounded beauty contests. Many people have objected to women competing in swimsuits as it only calls attention to one's looks. Outside pressure and changes in society, therefore, brought about changes in the beauty contest world. Today, women are judged on areas other than just appearance. These include intelligence, speaking ability, poise and talent. The women who compete in the pageants are often asked why they do it. Many say it's because the contests build their confidence and public speaking skills and offer scholarships. Today, millions of women worldwide compete for these very reasons. What would be the best title for the passage? www.ks5u.com Answer: A look at beauty contests College students go 'blind for a day' A group of 18 students at the prefix = st1 /leshanTeachers' Collegeexperienced the hardships of the vision damaged during a "blind for a day" exercise over the weekend. The college's Department of Education organized the event, aiming to give students an understanding of the daily battle faced by the vision damaged so that they may offer their help in the future. Taiyuan forbids taking pets into its parks The local government of Taiyuanhas banned pets from being taken into the city's parks. The regulation, which came into effect on Saturday, states that anyone who takes pets into parks will be fined from 10 yuan (US$1.27) to 200(US$25). The local government said it introduced the rule because pets may cause harm to other park visitors and their waste pollutes the environment. Enormous pumpkin steals the show A 240-kilogram pumpkin worth over 2,300 yuan (US$293) was the star attraction at an agricultural show in Foshan's Shunde District over the weekend. Visitors all wanted to have their pictures taken with the huge pumpkin at the first Guangdong Agricultural Products Fair. The pumpkin was planted by the Zhuhai Academy of Agriculture Science. More than 1,000 seagulls die on beachofShandong More than 1,000 seagulls died on the beach in Jimo,ShandongProvince, last week. Experts investigating the case stressed that the cause of death was not bird flu. They said the seagulls died from a disease, but they are still testing samples to determine which one. Taiyuangovernment banned pets from getting into parks because _ .Which of the following is wrong? Answer: A person who takes pets into park will be fined US$ 1. In opposing President Barack Obama's opening to Cuba, Florida's Republican senator, Marco Rubio, explained, "This entire policy shift announced today is based on an illusion, on a lie, the lie and the illusion that more commerce and access to money and goods will _ political freedom for the Cuban people." Rubio has correctly touched on the hottest issue. But theory, logic and history suggest that he's wrong in his conclusions. I would recommend to Rubio one of the classics of conservative thought, Milton Friedman's "Capitalism and Freedom." He doesn't have to spend too much time on it. The first chapter outlines the "relation between economic freedom and political freedom." The point Friedman makes in the book is one that America's founding fathers well understood. Drawing on the political philosopher John Locke, they believed that the freedom to buy, sell, own and trade were primary elements of human freedom and individual autonomy . As they expand, liberty expands. This is not just theory, of course. Over the last two centuries, the countries that embraced "more commerce and access to money and goods" in Rubio's phrase -- Britain, America, then Western Europe and East Asia -- have moved toward greater prosperity, but also political freedom. If you exclude oil-rich countries, where money is not earned but dug from the ground, on the whole there has been a strong connection between economic freedom and political freedom. In Latin America today, democracy and markets have acted to strengthen each other, transforming the continent, which 30 years ago was almost entirely ruled by dictatorships to one that is today almost entirely ruled by democracies. After opening up its economy in the 1970s, Chile began to grow, but that growth then produced a stronger civil society that over time contributed to the end of the dictatorship within the country. Yet Cuba is an outlier, one of the last regimes in Latin America that has embraced neither markets nor ballots. The Obama administration is acting on the theory that more commerce, capitalism, contact, travel and trade will empower the people of Cuba and thus gives them a greater voice in their political future. And so the first point to make is that it will help Cubans economically -- it will raise their incomes, their standard of living, and boost access to technology. These are all good things in and of themselves. But easing the embargo will also help Americans, who will benefit from being able to trade with a neighbor. This is the reason that conservatives have long understood that free trade is not a gift bestowed on someone. It helps both countries and in particular, helps the United States. That's why the Wall Street Journal's editorial page -- bastion of conservative thought -- has been an advocate on lifting the trade embargo against Cuba, which is a far larger step than Obama's normalization. Who doesn't believe that democracy and markets strengthen each other? Answer: Marco Rubio
Singapore is building an airport where indoor trees, waterfalls and a 'rain vortex' sit alongside check-in queues, waiting rooms and baggage carousels . Where once sat a car park, there will soon be thousands of trees and plants across 22,000 sq metres of landscaped indoor parklands. This will be joined by a 40m-high indoor waterfall, expected to be the world's tallest. These are the plans for the new 3.5 hectare 'Jewel' development at Singapore's Changi Airport, scheduled to open in 2018; a five-storey, 134,000 square metre complex, mixing natural outdoor plants with modern airport facilities. "The aim behind the introduction of such lush landscaping is purely to provide all visitors with a memorable experience, one where they are surrounded by nature and greenery,"says Philip Yim, Chief Executive Officer of Jewel Changi Airport Development. Promised sustainability measures include "extensive usage of photovoltaic panels "to produce renewable energy, as well as encouraging the use of natural lighting and a "high efficiency" air-conditioning system. The indoor waterfall, named the "Rain Vortex", will make use of special lighting effects to change at night into what is promised to be a dramatic light and sound show. "The Rain Vortex is one example of how sustainable design plays an important role in the planning of the attraction," says Yim. 'In the event of a rain storm, the power of the rain water will flow naturally through the oculus. The excess rain water collected will be used for irrigation of the landscaping at Jewel.' Yim quotes the popular reputation Singapore enjoys as "the garden city", where greenery is recognised as an essential part of the urban landscape, an attractive image which clearly inspires Jewel's design. However, it remains to be seen whether, beyond the aesthetic appeal, Jewel can add genuine environmental things to something as un-environmental as an international airport. What can we infer about the Rain Vortex? Answer: Its design will be a great success environmentally. Uncle Li and Uncle Wang are good friends. They live next to each other and their farms are both at the foot of the mountain. So they can help each other. But neither of them likes to use his head. They work hard but they are both poor. Most villagers have built new houses, but they still live in the low and broken houses. They never find out why. Once Uncle Li went to town to buy some medicine for his wife. In the town he heard the apples in a city were expensive. He told Uncle Wang about it as soon as he went back. They decided to carry some apples to the city. They borrowed some money from their friends and bought nearly 1,000 kilograms of apples in the villages and carried them to the city on a tractor . Bad luck! A lot of apples were in the city when they arrived. A few days later they had to sell them at a low price. They felt unhappy and returned to their village. "I can't understand why we sustained losses in business while others always profit " Uncle Li asked one day. "The tractor was too small" Uncle Wang said without thinking. "We'll carry more apples on a truck next time!" "I agree!" said Uncle Li. "How foolish we were!" Uncle Li and Uncle Wang were unhappy because _ . Answer: they had sustained losses in business Many people think the camel stores only water in its hump ,but it does not,Instead,the camel stores something else there----food.The camel's hump is really a hump of fat.When the camel,often called"a ship of the desert",is not travelling and is in a place where there is plenty of food and water,it eats and drinks a lot. As it does so, its hump rises from the fat its body makes. Then when the camel is travelling through the desert and when there is little food,it can live off the stored fat. A camel can go on for days or weeks with little feed or water.However its hunger reaches the point starvation ,its hump shrinks and may even slip off its back and hang down its side. Camels are not fussy about what they eat.Thorny plants don't hurt their mouths,grasses of any kinds will do and so will hay,dry grain,cactuses.(,,) There are one--humpcamels and two--hump camels. Camels with one hump are calledArabian camels,mainly coming from North Africa. Camels with two humps are mainly from Asia. Which is the following is true? Answer: Camels can live a very bad life. Have you ever noticed that your fingertips are winked when you've just finished swimming or washing dishes? It seems as if your hands have aged 30 years in a second. But is this an accident? Or is it something that nature has built into our bodies? If your finger's wrinkling up had no use at all, " it wouldn't need to." Professor Tom Smulders from Newcastle University, UK, told BBC News. By studying wet fingers closely, Smulders and his partners found that the wrinkles looked a bit like the patterns on the car tire or on the bottom of the running shoes. So they made a guess that wrinkles on fingers might be able to help the hand hold things more tightly. To test _ , researchers asked 20 people to pick up marbles from water with their hands. But before they started, some of the people had to keep their hands in water for half an hour. The researchers found that the people with wrinkled fingers completed the task the task faster than those with dry hands. But when they were asked to move dry marbles, all the people performed equally well, no matter they had the wrinkled fingers or not. Our ancestors might not have played with marbles, but wrinkled fingers could have made it easier for them to climb around in the wet forests and catch fish from rivers, researchers say. Similarly, our toes also get wrinkled in water. This may have developed from our ancestor's need to run on wet ground. But the question is, if wrinkled fingers are so helpful, why don't our hands just stay that way all the time? Researchers explained that wrinkling has its disadvantage: wet fingertips are far less sensitive than smooth ones, reducing our sense of touch. What might be the disadvantage of wrinkled fingers? Answer: They are not so sensitive as dry fingers. Toby, an 11-year-old boy, is playing with a ball. The ball goes into the street and Toby runs for the ball. A car hit Toby. An ambulance takes Toby to the hospital in 30 minutes. The doctors at the hospital tell Toby's parents, "Toby is in a coma." Every day Toby's parents visit him at the hospital. They sit next to Toby's bed and talk to him. But Toby never talks to them. He just sleeps. One day, Toby's father says ," Wake up, Toby. Wake up, come home and play with Rusty." Rusty is Toby's dog. When Toby's father says 'Rusty', Toby moves his arm. "Rusty!" Toby's father says again. Again, Toby moves his arm . Toby's parents have an idea. They tell the nurse, "We want to bring Toby's dog to the hospital." The nurse says "OK". The next day, Toby's parents bring Rusty to the hospital. When they put the dog on Toby's bed, Toby opens his eyes and hugs the dog. Toby's parents bring Rusty to the hospital every day. One day Rusty jumps onto Toby's bed and scratches his arms. Toby says his first words "Bad dog!". After eight weeks, Toby is well. He leaves the hospital and goes home. The best title for the story may be _ . Answer: Toby and Rusty
What can help you sleep soundly? Answer: ear plugs Scientists have always been interested in the high level of organization in ant societies. American researchers have watched ants build life-saving rafts to keep afloat during floods. They also have documented how ant colonies choose their next queen--the female whose job is to produce eggs rather than seek food for others. New technology is helping to improve researchers' understanding of the insects. But there is still a lot to be learned. Fire ants living in Brazilian forests are perfectly at home in an environment where flooding is common. To save themselves, the insects connect their legs together and create floating rafts. Some ant rafts can be up to 20 centimeters wide. David Hu who is a mechanical engineer with the Georgia Institute of Technology, also known as Georgia Tech, says, "If you have 100 ants, which means 600 legs, 99 percent of those legs will be connected to a neighbor. So they're very, very good at maintaining this network." David Hu and other Georgia Tech researchers want to study ants and the secret of their engineering. They freeze ant rafts and then look at them with the help of computed technology, or CT, images. The pictures show that larger ants serve in central positions to which smaller ants hold. The larger ants form pockets of air that keep the insects afloat. Scientists say small robots or materials that can change shape could be programmed in a similar way, working towards a shared goal. Researchers at North Carolina State University are also studying ants. They examined how Indian jumping ants choose the leader of the colony when they lose their top female or queen. What can we know from what David Hu said? Answer: Ants know the way to join together tightly. It is a beautiful spring morning. There isn't a cloud, and the sun is warm but not too hot. So Mr. Green is surprised when he sees an old man at the bus stop with a big strong black umbrella in his hand. Mr. Green says to him, "Do you think we are going to have rain today?" "No," says the old man,"I don't think so." "Then are you carrying the umbrella to keep the sun off you?" "No, the sun is not very hot in spring." Mr. Green looks at the big umbrella again, then the man says, "I am an old man, and my legs are not very strong. So I really need a walking stick . When I carry a walking stick, people will say, "Look at that poor man. " And I don't like that. When I carry an umbrella in fine weather, people only say,"Look at that foolish man. " What do people think of the old man when he carries an umbrella in fine weather? Answer: He is very foolish. Over the past two weeks, public feedback was sought on new safety standards for school buses.In the wake of the accidents coming one after another, experts from MIIT drew up a new safety technique document of school buses in December, based on US and EU standards. School bus makers and industry watchers doubt the possibility of these new standards, saying that hiking costs would make school buses unaffordable in rural China.The US-modeled standards also mean that most smaller bus makers will be kept out from the market. These views, however, have aroused anger among netizens who are questioning "why can't we enjoy US standards when it comes to human lives?" Similar debates keep taking place.China falls behind the US on various standards--air quality measurement, mine safety, milk safety and so on.The idea is highly attractive that China presses on with adapting advanced US standards and improves all unsatisfying aspects of social life.However, this is far more complex than drawing up documents on paper. Some standards today were unimaginable just a few years ago.But public demand for using better standards from developed countries is on the rise.The government has to learn from them and keep pushing for higher standards.Adopting PM 2.5 in air quality monitoring follows _ . On the other hand, it is not always good to copy Western standards.Take the US-style big school buses.Their size makes it tough for them to go on the narrow roads of rural China.Similarly in cities, if school buses carry a "stop" sign like their US counterparts and enjoy right of way, how many would then complain about the disturbing traffic? China should try its best to develop its own standards.It should have its own schedule to steadily reach higher standards.Over the past decades, the nation has developed many a standard We need to have more confidence, rather than simply copying foreign standards. The author develops the passage by _ . Answer: presenting different opinions Millions of people die of hunger in Southern Africa every year, but when prefix = st1 /Zambiawas offered thousands of tons of free maize by theUS, the government politely said no. "We don't know whether the food is safe," said Zambia's Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister Dipak Patel. His worries are shared by countries around the world that are _ aboutAmerica's genetically modified (GM) crops. Just last week, EU member nations were discussing whether or not to import GM sweet corn from theUS. Ever since people started farming, they have tried to crossbreed plants to make them stronger or better tasting. At one time, only related plants could be crossed with each other. But when GM techniques were developed in the 1970s, scientists were able to put a single gene from a living creature into an unrelated creature. This means they can make crops more productive and resistant to disease by adding genes from other species. They can also create food with special characteristics, such as "golden rice", which is enriched with vitamin A. But many people believe GM foods are a health risk. "If left to me, I would certainly not eat GM foods," said Scottish scientist Arpad Pusztai. "We are putting new things into food which haven't been eaten before. The effects on the immune system are not easy to predict." At the moment, the official argument is that GM foods "are not likely to present risks for human health". But there are still many questions to be answered as the foods are produced in different ways. Some experts believe the genetic material added to plants can transfer to humans and give damage to our bodies. Further harm could be caused by the genes from GM plants crossbreeding with naturally produced crops. What's the author's attitude? Answer: Neutral.
NEW YORK---One in five U.S. workers regularly attends after-work drinks with coworkers, where the most common mishaps range from badmouthing another worker to drinking too much, according to a study released on Tuesday. Most workers attend so-called happy hours to bond with colleagues, although 15 percent go to hear the latest office gossip and 13 percent go because they feel necessary, said the survey conducted for CareerBuilder. com, an online job site. As to what happens when the after-work drinks flow, 16 percent reported bad-mouthing a colleague, 10 percent shared a secret about a colleague and 8 percent said they drank too much and acted unprofessionally. Five percent said they had shared a secret about the company, and 4 percent confessed to singing karaoke. While 21 percent of those who attended said happy hours were good for networking, 85 percent said attending had not helped them get closer to someone higher up or get a better position. An equal number of men and women said they attended happy hours with co-workers, with younger workers aged 25 to 34 most likely and workers over 55 least likely to attend. Overall, 21 percent of workers attend happy hours with co-workers and of those nearly a quarter go at least once a month. The survey was conducted online by Harris Interactive on behalf of CareerBuilder. Com among 6,987 full-time employees between February 11 and March 13. Harris Interactive said the results had a sampling error of plus or minus 1.2 percentage points. _ of workers who attend after-work drinks speak ill of a colleague. Answer: My name is Andrew.There are three people in my family--my father,my mother and I. My father is a bank clerk.And he works in a bank.He thinks it's a boring job.He wants to be a policeman.My mother is a teacher.She teaches Chinese.She thinks her job is very interesting.She works hard and often comes back home very late.In her free time,she likes writing stories for a magazine.I'm a student.I want to be a musician when I grow up. Why does Andrew's mother often come back home late? Answer: This is a picture of the twin brothers Li Lei and Li Ping's bedroom. It's not big, but it's very bright. It's a nice room. In the bedroom, we can see two beds, two chairs, two desks, a table and a cat. The two beds look the same. On the wall, there are some pictures of their family. Li Lei's green coat is on his bed, but his blue shoes are under his chair. Their books and pencil-boxes are on their desks. We can see some flowers and a clock on Li Ping's desk. Li Lei's schoolbag is behind his chair, but Li Ping's is on his chair. Where is their white cat? Oh, it's under Li Lei's bed. We can see some flowers and a clock on _ desk. Answer: A farmer wants to know if adding fertilizer to his field will make his crops healthier. Which activity should the farmer do first? Answer: Life in Britain today Food British people like good food, and more than half of them go to a restaurant every month. Fast food is also very popular---30% of all adults have a burger every three months, but 46% have fish and chips! Sports British people don't do a lot of sport. Only 17% of people go swimming every week. 9% go cycling and 8% play golf. Only 6% people play football (but 32% go to watch it). Cinema and TV Films are very popular in Britain, and about 60% of people between 15 and 24 go to the cinema every month. At home, men watch TV for about three hours every day--half an hour more than women. Holidays British people love going on holidays. Most of these holidays aren't in the UK---27% are in Spain, 10% are in the U.S, and 9% are in France. Maybe this is because the weather in Britain is terrible! . 17% of British people _ every week. Answer:
When it comes to the choice of books,I always manage to find a hidden jewel or two,which led to my journey to Earthsea. Ursula K. Le Guin has her own voice in fantasy literature-that's something I had to admit as soon as I passed the first page.She doesn't imitate anybody-she is herself. I followed Ged's adventures and his gradual transformation from a wild and proud kid into a wise,powerful wizard. A Wizard of Earthsea begins in Ged's own village where he,a kid of 7,learns his first magic from his aunt. Five years later he starts to learn from Ogion the Wizard. But Ogion teaches him patience-not magic-so Ged leaves him and sails to the island of Roke to learn the art in a real School of Magic. There the boy is so proud that he plays with forbidden spells -he frees into this world a terrible shadow horn the land of the dead,leading to the death of Nemmerle,the head of the school. Now Ged must try to overcome this shadow before it controls him. Finally,Ged guesses its secret and saves the world-and himself-from a terrible danger. He knows now the patience is indeed the greatest of arts,and names Ogion his only true master. Ursula K. Le Guin makes every word sing-her language is more poetic than poetry and more musical than some music.She draws the reader's attention without effort. She's made me want to try my own hand at fantasy-and I might one day. What can we learn about the author? Answer: A Festival for the Dead is held once a year in Japan. This festival is a cheerful occasion, for on this day, the dead are said to return to their homes and they are welcomed by the living. As they are expected to be hungry after their long journey, food is laid out for them. Speciallymade lanterns are hung outside each house to help the dead to find their way. All night long, people dance and sing. In the early morning, the food that had been laid out for the dead is thrown into a river or into the sea as it is considered unlucky for anyone living to eat it. In towns that are near the sea, the tiny lanterns which had been hung in the streets the night before, are placed into the water when the festival is over. Thousands of lanterns slowly drift out to sea guiding the dead on their return journey to the other world. This is a moving spectacle(,), for crowds of people stand on the shore watching the lanterns drifting away until they can be seen no more. The festival is a cheerful one,because _ . Answer: We often use an Internet search engine to find a website that will provide information. For example, if we want to learn something about the Pepsi Cola Company, its website provides information about the history of the company. We can also find articles in newspapers and magazines. We confirm information with second and third sources to make sure the information is correct. Sometimes we also use an encyclopedia --- a set of books containing information on almost any subject. Encyclopedias are written by experts and have been a trust --- worthy source of information for years. Now there is also a free online encyclopedia called Wikipedia, which is written by people around the world. Anyone can edit or add to an article, but this has caused problems. Last year, a former editor of the paper USA Today discovered wrong information about him on Wikipedia. Someone had written an article that falsely linked him to a political assassination . This wrong information was quickly corrected. According to a recent study by the publication Nature, Wikipedia has more mistakes, compared with Britannica --- a well-known printed encyclopedia. It found an average of four mistakes in a Wikipedia article, and three in an article of Britannica's. But Wikipedia supporters note that they are able to correct information when they find a mistake while written publications are not able to do this. Wikipedia started in 2001. The word "wiki" comes from "wiki wiki", which means "quickly" in the Hawaiian language. It is said that it is the largest single source of information in history. It is also one of the fastest growing sites on the Internet. It offers more than three million articles in more than two hundred languages. Each month, it records more than two billion page visits. Jimmy Wales, who helped start Wikipedia, says that its purpose is to provide everyone with a free encyclopedia written in their native language. You can find information on nearly every subject on Wikipedia. However, some experts warn people not to believe everything they read online, no matter where they read it. Compared with Britannica, Wikipedia _ . Answer: FROM 1964 to 1978, Dazhai, with a population of 500, was the most famous village in China. Millions of Chinese came to the Shanxi village to visit its terraced fields and "splendid" irrigation systems. It was not until 1978 when Guo Fenglian, head of the village, paid a visit to the US that China's model village found how far it had fallen behind those in developed countries. "I was astonished at their modern equipment in harvesting, which could even separate big tomatoes with small ones," said Guo. "American farmers' life quality also impressed me a lot. Every day they had two cups of milk, which is something we don't have even in our wildest dreams." "We have to learn their advanced technology and administration for our own development," said then first Deputy Prime Minister Deng Xiaoping who was planning China's reform and opening up policy then. "Through opening our doors, we would not only take advantage of foreign funds , but also create job opportunities and cultivate talents." In 1978 Japanese electricity giant Panasonic came to China as the first foreign business to invest here and its success attracted other world brands into exploring the Chinese market. So far China has for 15 years taken in the world's second biggest foreign investment, following the US, to help set the country in a fast growth. However, China's 30-year road of reform was not always smooth. Doubts on the reform began to rise at the end of the 1980s as many people worried the country would turn to capitalism . "The criterion for our judgment is whether it helps develop socialist productive forces, whether it helps increase the overall national strength of a socialist country, and whether it brings about better living standards," said Deng. "China's reform and opening up is a unique success story. It has brought benefit to both China and the world," said William Keller, chief manager of a Swiss pharmaceutical company. Guo Fenglian was _ at the sight of the modern equipment in harvesting when she visited the US in 1978. Answer: Having one of those days--or weeks--when everything seems to annoy you? Even if you do nothing about it, your bad mood will probably go away after some time. But with a little effort, you can forget it much faster, often within a day or two. Walk it off Exercise is the most popular bad-mood buster. A person who's in a bad mood has low energy and high tension. Taking a fast ten-minute walk, or taking some quick exercise can do wonders towards changing that bad mood. Tune it out Listening to your favorite music for a while can also make tensions go away quickly, because music starts associations with past positive experiences we've had. Give yourself a pep talk Stop and listen to what's on your mind. Bad moods are often started by too many negative thoughts. Write them all down on paper, including the pessimistic messages you've been giving yourself and then give optimistic answers.("I still don't have a job." Vs" I have two interviews next week.") Reduce your stress Relaxation techniques are wonderful mood-lifters. There include de3ep breathing, stretching and visualizing, all of which sound complicated but aren't. One easy way to visualize, close your eyes and picture a favorite place, such as the beach. Another simple way to unhappiness is to make a to-do list. One reason for being in a bad mood is feeling you have no options. By taking control over certain areas, you realize you're not helpless. You can make changes in your mood and life. Avoid things that won't improve your mood TV may not help much: you need to increase your energy level and stimulate your mind-something that the TV show "Neighbors" won't do. And before you reach for that piece of cake and coffee, think about how mood and food are linked. Sugar and caffeine contribute to depressed moods. The better choice? Research shows that carbohydrates, such as potatoes and pasta , produce a calming effect on people who have a desire for them. What can we infer from the passage? Answer:
You have probably heard of the Mozart effect. It's the idea that if children or even babies listen to music composed by Mozart, they will become more intelligent. A quick Internet search exposes plenty of products to assist you in the task. Whatever your age there are CDs and books to help you taste the power of Mozart's music, but when it comes to scientific evidence that it can make you more clever, the picture is more mixed. The phrase "the Mozart effect" was made up in 1991, but it was a study described two years later in the journal Nature that sparked real media and public interest about the idea that listening to classical music somehow improves the brain. It is one of those ideas that sound reasonable. Mozart was undoubtedly a genius himself; his music is complex and there is a hope that if we listen to enough of it, we'll become more intelligent. _ , with thousands of parents playing Mozart to their children, and in 1998 Zell Miller, the Governor of the state of Georgia in the US, even asked for money to be set aside in the state budget so that every newborn baby could be sent a CD of classical music. It was not just babies and children who were exposed to Mozart's music on purpose, even an Italian farmer proudly explained that the cows were played Mozart three times a day to help them to produce better milk. I'll leave the debate on the effect on milk yield to farmers, but what about the evidence that listening to Mozart makes people more intelligent? More research was carried out but an analysis of sixteen different studies confirmed that listening to music does lead to a temporary improvement in the ability to handle shapes mentally, but the benefits are short-lived and it doesn't make us more intelligent. Why did many people believe in the idea of Mozart Effect? A Because a study described it in the journal Nature. B Because Mozart himself was a genius. C Because Mozart's music is enjoyable. D Because Mozart's music makes people relaxed. Answer: B. Because Mozart himself was a genius. The famous director of a big and expensive movie planned to film a beautiful sunset over the ocean, so that the audiences could see his hero and heroine in front of it at the end of the film as they said goodbye to each other for ever. He sent his camera crew out one evening to film the sunset for him. The next morning he said to the men, "Have you provided me with that sunset?" "No, sir," the men answered. The director was angry. "Why not?" he asked. "Well, sir," one of the men answered, "we're on the east coast here, and the sun sets in the west. We can get you a sunrise over the sea, if necessary, but not a sunset." "But I want a sunset!" the director shouted. "Go to the airport, take the next flight to the west coast, and get one." But then a young secretary had an idea. "Why don't you photograph a sunrise," she suggested, "and then play it backwards? Then it'll look like a sunset." "That's a very good idea!" the director said. Then he turned to the camera crew and said, "Tomorrow morning I want you to get me a beautiful sunrise over the sea." The camera crew went out early the next morning and filmed a bright sunrise over the beach in the middle of a beautiful bay. Then at nine o'clock they took it to the director. "Here it is, sir," they said, and gave it to him. He was very pleased. They all went into the studio. "All right," the director explained, "now our hero and heroine are going to say goodbye. Run the film backwards so that we can see the 'sunset' behind them." The "sunset" began, but after a quarter of a minute, the director suddenly put his face in his hands and shouted to the camera crew to stop. The birds in the film were flying backwards, and the waves on the sea were going away from the beach. After the "sunset" began, the director suddenly put his face in his hands _ . A because he was moved to tears B as he saw everything in the film moving backwards C as the sunrise did not look as beautiful as he had imagined D because he was disappointed with the performance of the hero and heroine Answer: B. as he saw everything in the film moving backwards New York City plans to put a ban on the sale of large sodas and other sugary drinks at restaurants, movie theaters and street carts, in an effort to fight rising obesity. The ban would affect almost all the popular sugary drinks found in fast-food restaurants and even sports centers, from energy drinks to pre-sweetened iced teas. The sale of any cup or bottle of sweetened drink larger than 16 ounces would be forbidden under the first-in-the- nation plan. The measure would not apply to diet sodas, fruit juices, zero-calorie Vitamin Waters, dairy-based drinks like milkshakes , or alcoholic drinks; it would not expand to drinks sold in grocery stores or convenience stores. Stefan Friedman, spokesman for the New York City Beverage Association, criticized the city's plan, saying it turns focus away from the hard work that needs to be done on this front. Kelly Brownell, director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University, said he believes the ban would be effective. "It is not right to put all the blame for obesity on sugar drinks, but they are strongly connected with this rise in obesity over the last 30 years." Dr. Farley, the health commissioner, said the city had seen higher obesity rates in neighborhoods where soda consumption was more common. City officials said they believe it will finally prove popular and push governments around the U.S. to follow similar rules. Mr. Bloomberg has introduced a series of rules in his term of office, including bans on smoking in restaurants and parks, a ban on trans fat in restaurant food and a requirement for health inspection grades to be posted in restaurant windows. Because of the measures, the mayor was laughed at as Nanny Bloomberg, by those who view the bans as threats to personal freedom. But many of the measures adopted in New York have become models for other cities, including bans on smoking and trans fat, as well as the use of graphic advertising to fight smoking and soda consumption, and the demand that restaurants post calories contents next to prices. According to the ban, _ . A the sales of diet sodas are forbidden in movie theatres B sugary drinks are allowed to be sold in grocery stores C large-sized drinks can't be sold in convenience stores D fruit juices and milkshakes are not allowed on sale. Answer: B. sugary drinks are allowed to be sold in grocery stores One beautiful day, there was a watermelon. This watermelon was sitting on a bench. The bench was on the grass. The grass was in the park. It was a beautiful place. But Watermelon had a problem. It was bored. All of its friends were busy! "I'm so bored!" cried Watermelon. "Come talk to me!" answered a voice from the park. "But who are you? Where are you?" asked the watermelon. "I am a rock. I am behind you." Watermelon turned around. Off in the distance, it saw the rock. "But Rock, you are so far away! Can you come closer?" "No, I can't. I am a rock. I am big and flat and heavy. I am not round like you. I can't roll to join my friends. I can't play with everyone like you can. My shape is no good. No good at all. But I want to play! I want to talk!" "That is a very sad story, Rock. But what can I do?" "Can you roll?" "Well, yes, yes I can." "Then roll over here!" And so Watermelon did. They talked for a long time. They sang songs. They played games. It was so much fun that Watermelon did not see the weather was changing. Suddenly a strong wind blew, and it pushed Watermelon away. "Help! Help! I am rolling away, help!" "Quick, Watermelon! Get behind me!" Rock was afraid for his new friend. Watermelon rolled behind Rock, and there it was protected by Rock from the dangerous wind. "You saved me! Thank you" "No problem!" "You may be big and flat and heavy. And maybe you can't roll around like me. But I am very happy because of that! I am safe because you are what you are!" What pushed Watermelon away? A The bench B the wind C Rock D Watermelon's friends Answer: B. the wind Animal moms are great moms. You might be surprised at some of these moms. Octopuses The mother octopus lays about 50,000 eggs. For about 300 days, she stays with the eggs, cleans them and protects them. She does not leave to feed. However, this animal mom dies as soon as the eggs are hatched . Crocodiles A crocodile mother puts a lot of time and effort into raising her babies. She starts by building a nest , which she guards for over two months! When the eggs are ready to hatch, the young crocs call out to their mother, who digs them out and helps them hatch. She then carries them in her mouth down to the water, where she will guard them for several more weeks or months until they learn to hunt on their own. Bats Bats become moms by hanging head up in a cave, giving birth. Catching the youngster before it can fall to the ground below, she puts it in a pouch . Bat moms may carry babies with them when feeding for the first few days. As the little bats get bigger and heavier, moms help them hang on the wall of their caves and return often to feed them. It continues for about three weeks, until the babies are grown up and able to fly on their own. Koalas The animal mom gives birth after a pregnancy of only 35 days. The hairless baby climbs into its mother's pouch and lives there for another five months. When the little koala is between five and eight months old, it leaves the pouch for short periods of time but returns for safety. Once it is too big to return to the pouch, it will climb onto its mother's back and ride there until it is about 12 months old. A crocodile mother usually carries her baby to the water _ . A in her mouth B on her back C in her pouch D by her tail Answer: A. in her mouth
The British aren't having as many children as they used to. One reason is that people are having children much older than before, meaning they have fewer years in which they can have them. After years at university, they need a few years of work experience before they can get the job they want. They might then get married, but it's incredibly expensive to buy a house in the UK. The above explains why young British people now don't move out of their parents' home until they are around 30 years old on average. It is not until they are 30 that they can afford their own home. Increasingly, it is not until that age that they can afford to get married and start a new life in a new home. It's only after this age that many young people start thinking about having a child. So a British person manages to get a job, get a home and get married. Why isn't he or she then having at least two children on average? The main reason is that it is quite expensive to bring up a child in the UK. Why is it expensive? Well, these days, both parents need to work just to pay for their home and living expenses. Because both parents are at work, that means they then need to pay someone to look after their child during the day. Paying for this childcare is nearly always expensive. The recent financial crisis is making things even harder for families, since unemployment is rising and even fewer people can afford to have children. With so much pressure on families, is it any surprise that the divorce rate is so high? So what is Britain doing to try and save the British family? The government is trying to make it cheaper to have children. For example, there have been increases in money families can claim from the state each month. Also, there are increasing government _ for nursery schools, so that parents do not need to pay so much for child care. The government is also trying to reduce the number of hours British parents have to work to earn enough money to pay their bills. If parents didn't have to work so many hours, they'd have more time to spend with their children and wouldn't need to spend so much on childcare. On average, a Briton works 49 hours a week, which is the most in Europe. The state is now considering introducing laws to encourage companies to improve their employees' work-life balance. Let's hope they're not too late to save the British family. Otherwise, the British will always be too tired, and won't have enough time and money, to have children. To make it cheaper to have children, the British government is _ . Answer: Remember, from the moment they are born, our children have the ability to know when they are hungry - and they cry to let us know too! Of course, they also cry to let us know they are wet, hurt, or bored, but we soon learn to tell the difference and try to meet each need somehow. When we begin to feed them solid foods, they let us know when they have had enough by turning away from the spoon - or refusing the food back at us! Why is it that once children are old enough to sit at the table their parents are often heard bargaining with them or threatening them to finish all their dinner? When we make our children eat up the plate that we filled, we don't pay attention to their born ability to know how much, and what, their bodies need. Instead, we should allow them to use their own hunger feelings to determine how much they need, while we provide a balance of nutritious and "fun" foods. When we teach them about moderation and set a great example by living an active, healthy lifestyle, they will be less likely to develop weight problems later in life. Think of your slim friend who eats whatever she wants -but will refuse ice cream if she has had enough to eat! "Eat all your dinner if you want dessert" translates to "you must overeat so I will reward you by letting you overeat some more!" By using sweets as a reward for good behavior, kids begin to believe sweets are really special and they may want them even more. Instead, by making dessert just another (small) part of an enjoyable meal, kids learn to "save room for dessert" instead of becoming a member of the "clean plate club." Eat all your dinner if you want dessert just mean _ . Answer: California sea lions are the fastest of all the sea lions, reaching speeds of up to 40 kilometers an hour when swimming. Males are much larger than females, measuring 2 to 2.5 meters and weighing 200 to 453 kilograms. Females only measure 1.5 to 2 meters and weigh 50 to 113 kilograms. They can also move fairly well while on land. California sea lions can be found living along the Pacific coast of North America. They prefer to live in waters near rocky and sandy shores. On land, they often gather in large groups as many as 1,000 of them. While at sea, they travel in much smaller groups of around 10 or more. They communicate with one another through a series of sounds. Their diet consists of a wide variety of fish and other sea animals. They are able to hold their breath for up to 10 minutes by slowing down their heart rate, allowing them to hunt for their prey for a longer period of time. They have been known to continuously hunt for up to 30 hours at a time, with their eyesight and hearing playing an important part in finding their food. Being so large, they do not have that many natural predators that they need to be on the lookout for. Eleven months after getting pregnant, the female will give birth to one baby on land. If the baby can survive long enough, they can live to be 20 to 25 years old. California sea lions are not listed as an endangered species. This is largely because of laws such as the US Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972. Hopefully such acts will continue to show results. What is the main reason why California sea lions aren't endangered? Answer: What is involved in creating genetically modified bacteria? Answer: If a person is selling beads every day and then zero people choose to buy more beads, the seller will Answer:
This is my first day at our new school. In the morning, I help my new teacher Mr Hu put some new English textbooks into a big box. And then I carry it to the classroom. The box is very heavy. I walk very slowly with the big heavy box in my arms. A boy runs very fast to me. He can't stop. Oh, dear! My box drops on the floor and there are books everywhere on the floor. "I'm very sorry," the boy says again and again. He helps me to pick up all the books. He then helps me to carry the books to our classroom. Who is he? He is my classmate. His name is Jim. He comes to China with his father. He is from England. My box drops on the floor because _ . Answer: Language has a powerful influence over people and their behaviour. This is especially true in the fields of advertising. Visual content and design in advertising have a very great impact on the consumers,but it is language that helps people to identify a product and keep it in mind. The choice of language to show specific messages with the intention of influencing people is of vital importance. The English language is known for its extensive vocabulary. While many other languages have only one or two words to carry a particular meaning,English may have five or six. Moreover,the meanings of these five or six words may differ very slightly and in a very subtle way. It is important to understand the connotation of a word. "Armchair",for example,suggests comfort,whereas "chair" causes no particular feelings. Different people sometimes interpret language in different ways. Both the mass media,when reporting news items,and marketing and advertising personnel have to consider the emotive power of the words they use. First,they make a decision about what to communicate and what to withhold .One way in which advertisers adapt language to their own use is to take compound words and use them as adjectives. Examples of these compounds are:top-quality,economysize,chocolateflavoured,featherlight and longerlasting. These compounds have become part of the English language. The language of advertising always emphasizes why one product stands out in comparison with the others. Don't expect advertising language to be always correct in the normal sense. For example,comparatives are often used when no real comparison is made. An advertisement for a detergent may say "It gets clothes whiter",but whiter than what? What would be the best title for the passage? Answer: A skunk produces a bad what? Answer: The impression you make at the beginning of an interview is very important. Employers often decide to hire someone in the first three minutes of the interview. They judge you by your appearance, attitude and manners. A friendly smile when you walk into the room is important. A smile shows a confident and positive attitude. When you introduce yourself, make eye contact with the interviewer. Some interviewers offer a handshake. Others don't. Try to be as natural as possible. But pay attention to your body language. The way you sit, walk, gesture, use your voice and show feelings on your face is all part of your body language. It makes the interviewer know how you feel about yourself and the situation you are in. Are you feeling positively about yourself? Your abilities? Your interest in the job? Speak clearly and loudly enough. Show interest and enthusiasm in your voice. When you speak, look at the interviewer. Also, don't say negative things about yourself, or former employer. Listen to questions carefully. If you don't understand a question, ask the interviewer to repeat or explain politely. Almost everyone is nervous in a job interview. Interviewers know that. They don't expect you to be totally calm and relaxed. But they expect you to try to control your nervousness. They expect you to show confidence in your ability to do the job. At the end of the interview, thank the interviewer for her or his time. It's a good idea to send a short thank-you letter right after the interview, or deliver it by hand. Phone the company if you have not heard anything after one week. Ask if they have made a decision about the job. Good luck! Which of the following can be the best title for the passage? Answer: A widow's wish to hear her late husband's voice again has pushed London's Subway system to restore a 40-year-old recording of the subway's famous " Mind the gap" announcement. The underground, or the tube, first opened in 1863, tracked down the voice recording by Oswald Lawrence after his widow, Margaret McCollum, told them what it meant to her. McCollum, 65, said she used to frequently visit Embankment tube station or plan her journeys around the stop to listen to Lawrence's voice, even before his death. She was _ in November when she noticed it had been replaced by a different voice. "Lawrence was a drama school graduate when he auditioned for a tour company. For six years after his death, I'd stay on the platform--just sit and listen to it again," she added. When Margaret approached the tube, she was told it had a new broadcast system and it couldn't use the old recording anymore. Nigel Holness, director of London Underground, said its staff has been so moved by McCollum's story that they dug up the recording and gave the widow a copy of the announcement on a CD for her to keep. "Tube staff is also working to restore Lawrence's announcement at the station," he added. "It is celebrating its 150thanniversary this year. The tube's 'Mind the gap' messages, voiced by various actors, have accompanied countless London commuter journeys since the 1960s. Train drivers and staff made the warnings themselves before that." "I'm very pleased that people are interested in Oswald's old recording," Margaret said. "He was a great London transport user all his life .He would be amused, touched, and delighted to know he's back where he belonged." The best title for the passage is _ . Answer:
Where would animals and plants be most affected by a flood? A low areas B high areas C warm areas D cold areas Answer: A The New York Public Library, in the heart of the city at 42nd Street and 5th Avenue, may have to close its doors. The library is one of New York's most beautiful and valuable buildings. Even though it is in the busiest part of the city, it has grass and trees around it, and benches for people to sit on. Even more unusual in crowded New York, its rooms are very large. The roof of the Main Reading Room is 51 feet high. Here, a reader can sit and work in comfort. The library has over thirty million books and paintings. It owns one of the first copies of a Shakespeare's play, a Bible printed in the 15th century, and a letter written by Columbus in which he tells of finding the new world. Every New Yorker can visit the library and use its riches -- free. But the cost of running the library has risen sharply in recent years, and the library has not enough money to continue its work. In the past, it was open every day. Now it is closed on Saturdays and Sundays and every evening to save money. The library is trying to raise more money to meet its increasing cost. Well-known writers and artists are trying to help. So are the universities, whose students use the library, and the government of New York City. But the problem remains serious. Yet a way must be found to save the library because, as one writer said,"The Public Library is the most important building in New York City -- it contains all our knowledge." Which of the following is TRUE? A The library has grass and trees in it. B New Yorkers don't have to pay to use the library. C Famous writers don't have to pay to use the library. D The main reading room of the library is 15 feet high. Answer: B You may not pay much attention to your daily elevator ride. Many of us use a lift several times during the day without really thinking about it. But Lee Gray, PhD of the University of North Carolina, US, has made it his business to examine this overlooked form of public transport. He is known as the "Elevator Guy". "The lift becomes this interesting social space where etiquette is sort of odd ," Gray told the BBC. "Elevators are socially very interesting but often very awkward places." We walk in and usually turn around to face the door. If someone else comes in, we may have to move. And here, according to Gray, lift users unthinkingly go through a set pattern of movements. He told the BBC what he had observed. He explained that when you are the only one inside a lift, you can do whatever you want - it's your own little box. If there are two of you, you go into different corners, standing diagonally across from each other to create distance. When a third person enters, you will unconsciously form a triangle . And when there is a fourth person it becomes a square, with someone in every corner. A fifth person is probably going to have to stand in the middle. New entrants to the lift will need to _ the situation when the doors slide open and then act according to their decisions. Once in, for most people the rule is simple - look down, or look at your phone. Why are we so awkward in lifts? "You don't have enough space," Professor Babette Renneberg, a clinical psychologist at the Free University of Berlin, told the BBC. "Usually when we meet other people, we have about an arm's length of distance between us. And that's not possible in most elevators." In such a small, enclosed space it becomes very important to act in a way that cannot be understood as threatening or odd. "The easiest way to do this is to avoid eye contact ," she said. According to the article, people feel awkward in lifts because of _ . A the lack of space B someone's odd behaviors C their unfamiliarity with one another D their eye contact with one another Answer: A Traffic jam and cities, it seems, go hand in hand. Everyone complains about being stuck in traffic; but, like the weather, no one seems to do anything about it. In particular, traffic engineers, transportation planners, and public officials responsible for transportation systems in large cities are frequently criticized for failing to solve traffic jam. But is traffic jam a sign of failure? Long queues at restaurants or theater box offices are seen as signs of success. Should transportation systems be viewed any differently? I think we should recognize that traffic jam is an unpreventable by-product of successful cities, and view the "traffic problem" in a different light. Cities exist because they promote social interactions and economic transactions.Traffic jam occurs where there are lots of people but limited spaces. Culturally and economically successful cities have the worst traffic problems, while _ cities don't have much traffic. New York and Los Angeles are America's most crowded cities. But if you want access to major brokerage houses , you will find them easier to reach in crowded New York than in any other large cities. And if your firm needs access to post-production film editors or satellite-guidance engineers, you will reach them more quickly through the crowded freeways of LA than through less crowded roads elsewhere. Despite traffic jam, a larger number and wider variety of social interactions and economic transactions can be made perfect in large, crowded cities than elsewhere. Seen in this sight, traffic jam is an unfortunate consequence of prosperity, not a cause of economic decline and urban decay. So while we can consider traffic jam as increasing costs on the areas of big cities, the costs of inaccessibility in uncrowded places are almost certainly greater. There is no doubt that traffic jam brings the terrible economic and environmental damage in places like Bangkok, Jakarta, and Lagos. But mobility is far higher and traffic jam levels are far lower here in the US, even in our most crowded cities. That's why, for now, we don't see people and capital streaming out of San Francisco and Chicago, heading for cities like California, and Illinois. By saying "decaying" (in Para. 4), the writer probably means _ . A declining B developing C rich and successful D strong and healthy Answer: A The expression "keeping up with the Joneses" was first used in 1913 by a young American Arthur Momand. He told this story about himself: he began earning $125 a week at the age of 23. That was a lot of money in those days. Young Momand was very proud of his riches. He got married and moved with his wife to Long Island, outside New York City. But just moving there was not enough. For when Momand and his wife saw that their neighbors belonged to a country club they too joined a club. And when he saw that rich people were expected to ride horses, Momand went horseback riding every day. Momand and his wife also hired a servant and gave grand parties for their new neighbors. It was like a race, but one could never finish this race because one was always trying to keep up. Momand and his wife could not do that. The race ended for them when they could no longer pay for their new way of life. They moved back to an inexpensive New York City apartment. Momand later said that his experience had been a cruel awakening for him. However, he was able to see the funny side of it. He looked around him and noticed that many people do things just to keep up with their neighbors. He decided that this would make good stories for many papers across the country. He called it "Keeping up with the Joneses", because "Jones" is a very common American name. "Keeping up with the Joneses" came to mean keeping up with the people around you. Momand's stories appeared in different newspapers for over 28 years. People never seem to tire of keeping up with the Joneses. That is one reason why they read the "right" books, go to the "right" universities and eat in the "right" restaurants. But no matter what one does, Mr. Jones always seems to be ahead. The writer of this passage means to tell us _ . A what Arthur Momand did to keep up with his neighbors B how the expression "keep up with the Joneses" came into being C what we should do to keep up with our neighbors D how we can live differently from others Answer: B
A clique(,) is a group of friends who hang out together and act in similar ways. Cliques are common feature of the teen years. Members of a clique usually have certain things in common. For example, they might all be good students. Membership in a clique is limited. Not everyone who wants to belong can join. Cliques can have a positive or negative influence. Because most teens have a strong need to belong, they want to feel that they fit into a group. Cliques can help them meet this need. Sometimes teens feel unsure of themselves, and they use a clique to gain approval of what they wear or how they act. Cliques can become harmful, however, if they pressure members to behave the same way as the group that may damage their health. Cliques may discourage members from making their own decisions, giving their own opinions, or having other friends who aren't accepted by the clique. Cliques may even pressure members to act in ways that go against their own values and beliefs, such as lying to parents or teachers. Cliques can also hurt people outside the group. For example, members might make fun of a teen who isn't in the clique. If you find yourself under this type of pressure from a clique, here are some actions you can take to improve your situation. * Suggest other activities. Offer ideas that don't involve hurting others or putting anyone at risk. * Find new friends. If staying in the clique is becoming a negative experience, you will be better off with new friends. Why do teens want to be a member of a clique? A Because it is popular with teens. B Because it meets teens' need of belonging. C Because it is where teens can be themselves. D Because it provides an opportunity for them to be away from their parents. Answer: B. Because it meets teens' need of belonging. American society is not nap -friendly. In fact, says David Dinges, a sleep specialist at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, "There's even a prohibition against admitting we need sleep". Nobody wants to be caught napping or found asleep at work. To quote a proverb: "Some sleep five hours, nature requires seven, laziness nine and wickedness eleven." Wrong. The way not to fall asleep at work is to take naps when you need them. "We have to totally change our attitude toward napping," says Dr. William Dement of Stanford University, the godfather of sleep research. Last year a national commission led by Dement identified an " _ " which one member said was as important as the national debt. The commission was concerned about the dangers of sleepiness: people causing industrial accidents or falling asleep while driving. This may be why we have a new sleep policy in the White House. According to recent reports, President Clinton is trying to take a ha1f-hour snooze every afternoon. About 60 percent of American adults nap when given the opportunity. We seem to have "a mid afternoon quiet phase," also called "a secondary sleep gate." Sleeping 15 minutes to two hours in the early afternoon can reduce stress and make us refreshed. Clearly, we were born to nap. We Superstars of Snooze don't nap to replace lost shut-eye or to prepare for a night shift.Rather, we "snack" on sleep, whenever, wherever and at whatever time we feel like it. I myself have napped in buses, cars, planes and on boats; on floors and beds; and in libraries, offices and museums. The purpose of this article is to _ . A warn us of the wickedness of napping B explain the danger of sleepiness C discuss the side effects of napping D convince the reader of the necessity of napping Answer: D. convince the reader of the necessity of napping Parents can be very important teachers in our lives. However, they are not always the best teachers. Parents may be too close to their children emotionally . Sometimes they can only see their children through the eyes of a protector. For example, a teacher might see a trip to a big city as a valuable experience. However, it might seem too dangerous to a parent. Another problem is that parents may expect their children's interests to be similar to their own. If they love science, they may try to force their child to love science too. But what if (......) their child's true love is art, or writing, or car repair? Parents usually want to _ their values to their children. But should children always believe what their parents do? When children are young, they believe that their parents are always right. But when they get older, they will have different ways of thinking. The most important thing to realize is that we all have many teachers in our lives. Our parents teach us, our teachers teach us, and our friends teach us. Books and newspapers and televisions also teach us. All of them are valuable. What is the best title of the passage? A Never grow up! B Believe your parents forever. C Are parents always the best teachers? D How many teachers can we have in our lives? Answer: C. Are parents always the best teachers? An Apple employee is in trouble after the prototype of its top-secret iPhone5 was left in a bar. The as yet unreleased prototype was supposedly "misplaced" at Cava22 in San Francisco. Apple's security team was called in after reports that it had been sold over the internet for PS120. However, technology website Cnet.co.uk reports that the San Francisco Police Department said Apple had not reported the item as lost. Cava22 owner Jose Valle has said that neither the SFPD nor Apple have contacted him, although he does remember getting calls about a lost iPhone last month. It follows a very similar incident in April 2010 when a then-unreleased iPhone4 was left in a beer garden of a German bar in California by an Apple engineer. The lost iPhone4 was also sold over the internet to the technology blog, which paid PS3,000. The incident led to Apple strengthening its already stiff security, for it seems difficult to believe that a virtually identical incident would happen for the second time in two years. It is _ that the iPhone prototypes have been lost in the recent years. A the first time B the second time C the third time D the fourth time Answer: B. the second time Nowadays, millions of lonely singles are now going online instead. The World Wide Web is quickly becoming the world's most popular matchmaker . Singles are flocking to the Internet mainly because their busy lifestyles leave them little time to look for a _ . Using dating sites is quick and convenient. Many singles say the regular dating scene has just led them from one bad experience to another and are ready to try something else. Dating sites also make it easy to avoid someone you are not interested in. In the real world, however, ignoring someone you don't like can be difficult. Despite all the advantages, online dating also presents its own set of problems. People aren't always those who they declare to be in their online description. Safety is another concern. You are just likely to find a criminal online as you are Mr. or Miss Right. Online dating experts recommend following a few safety tips: Guard your personal information. Never give out your personal information online. This includes your last name, phone number, home address and place of work. Watch for red flags. Do any of the people you are chatting with make disrespectful comments? Do they try to control you? Do they give false information about themselves? If so, forget them! Meet in a safe place. When meeting someone in person, choose a public location with other people around. Following these tips and you might be able to find the person of your dreams. Which of the following is NOT a suitable place for meeting someone you get to know through the Internet for the first time? A At his / her house. B At the museum. C At McDonald's. D At the bookstore. Answer: A. At his / her house.
Question: Why are you study habits different from those of your friends? Why do you seem to learn faster in some classes while more slowly in others? One reason you may not know is that people have different types. Scientists say there are three different learning types: Visual ,Auditory ,and Kinesthetic . Visual learners learn best by seeing. If you seem to easily remember information from pictures, graphs ,and videos, you are probably a visual learner. You're not good at copying down what the teacher says in class. Never mind. You can draw graphs or pictures instead, if you find that works better for you. Auditory learners learn best by hearing. If you seem to easily remember things by hearing them, then you are probably an auditory learner. You must listen carefully while the teacher is speaking because it's the easiest way for you to learn . Sometimes you may find that taking notes tops you from listening carefully. After class, you can write down what you remember or borrow your friend's notes to copy. Kinesthetic learners learn best by doing. If you seem to learn best by working with your hands, you are probably a kinesthetic learner. Taking notes by writing can make you pay close attention to information as you receive it. Of course, you can learn best by making full use of labs or other class activities. Hope you learn better by knowing what your personal learning type is. Jude can remember the words of a song quickly by listening to it once or twice. She might be a /an _ according to the passage. A. auditory learner B. visual learner C. strange leaner D. usual learner Answer: A Question: In a moment of personal crisis, how much help can you expect from a New York taxi driver? I began studying this question and answers are interesting. One morning, I got into three different taxis and announced,"Well,it's my first day back in New York in seven years.I've been in prison."Not a single driver replied,so I tried again."Yeah,I shot a man in Reno."I explained, hoping the driver would ask me why, but nobody asked.The only response came from a Ghanaian driver,"Reno? That is in Nevada?" Taxi drivers were uniform sympathetic when I said I'd just been fired."This is America,"a Haitian driver said."One door is closed.Another is open."He argued against my plan to burn down my boss' s house.A Pakistani driver even turned down a chance to profit from my loss of hope;he refused to take me to the middle of the George Washington Bridge--a $20 trip."Why do you want to go there? Go home and relax.Don't worry.Take a new job." One very hot weekday in July, while wearing a red ski mask and holding a stuffed pillowcase with the word "BANK" on it, I tried calling a taxi five times outside different banks.The driver picked me up every time.My ride with a Haitian driver was typical of the superb assistance I received. "Let's go across the park," I said."I just robbed the bank there.I got $25,000." "$25,000?" he asked. "Yeah,you think it was wrong to take it?" "No, man.I work 8 hours and I don't make almost $70.If I can do that,I will do it too." As we approached 86th and Lexington, I pointed to the Chemical Bank. "Hey,there is another bank,"I said,"Could you wait here a minute while I go inside?" "No,I can't wait.Pay me now." His unwillingness may have had something to do with money--taxi drivers think the rate for waiting time is too low--but I think he wanted me to learn that even a bank robber can't expect unconditional support. In the author's opinion, the driver's unwillingness to wait outside the Chemical Bank indicates _ . A. the driver thought it wrong to support a taxi rider unconditionally B. the driver was frightened and wanted to leave him as soon as possible C. the driver did not want to help a suspect to escape from a bank robbery D. the driver thought that the rate for waiting time was too low Answer: A Question: All around the world, people drink tea. But tea does not mean the same thing to everyone. In different countries people have very different ideas about drinking tea. In China, for example, tea is always served when people get together. The Chinese drink it at any time of the day at homes or in teahouses. They prefer their tea plain, with nothing else in it. Tea is also important in Japan. The Japanese have a special way of serving tea called a tea ceremony . It is very old and full of meaning. Everything must be done in a special way in the ceremony. There is even a special room for it in Japanese homes. Another tea-drinking country is England. In England, the late afternoon is "teatime". Almost everyone has a cup of tea then. The English usually make tea in a teapot and drink it with milk and sugar. They also eat cakes, cookies and little sandwiches at teatime. In the United States people drink tea mostly for breakfast or after meals. Americans usually use tea bags to make their tea. Tea bags are faster and easier than making tea in teapots. In summer, many Americans drink cold tea -- "iced tea". Sometimes they drink iced tea from cans, like soda. ,. The English like to _ . A. drink their tea plain B. eat cakes and cookies with their tea C. have tea with dinner D. drink their tea in a special room Answer: B Question: A person cuts down their neighbor's tree without permission. The neighbor who lost the tree is upset, and sues for the cost of the tree, which depends on the age of the tree at the time of cutting. The tree age is determined by A. size of branches B. number of leaves C. color of roots D. number of circles Answer: D Question: To the Editor, Re Why a Fallen Angel Is a Centerfold (Sunday Review, Nov. 6): I first met Lindsay Lohan in 1997 when she was 11 and I was the casting director of the film The Parent Trap. I was struck by her talent, fresh charm and innocence the moment I caught sight of her. She was, and remains, a gifted actress and a good human being. It is not for me to judge Ms Lohan's choices, or whether fame has been less than kind to her, but I have been greatly saddened by the way the media have chosen, with all gloves off and seemingly going with what could please them, to record her efforts and failures. She is a sentient human being, not a thing, not a product, not anything else to be sold. Charles McGrath makes several attractive points in his news analysis about the public demand which is impossible to satisfy, in a 24/7 news cycle forever changed by the Internet, to gossip about, and give nearly complete access to, celebrity or famous persons' lives. Perhaps people do feel better knowing that wealth and fame do not lead to a perfect life for everyone. Perhaps we admire famous people only to reject them without any pity or mercy when their behavior disappoints us. I find it ironic that Ms Lohan's decision to pose for Playboy for a monetary reward is considered to be morally questionable, while journalists and photographers gain profit by writing about and capturing images of her and other famous people. Perhaps when reporting on and reading about famous people who have lost their way, we will remember that those people are also very human people who, like us, make mistakes, endure misfortune and have a chance--in spite of media coverage--to begin a completely new life tomorrow. ILENE STARGER Brooklyn What can we infer from the passage? A. Why a Fallen Angel Is a Centerfold was not received well by the public. B. Charles McGrath believes wealth and fame can't give a perfect life to anyone. C. Many people as well as the media show much mercy to Lindsay Lohan. D. Charles McGrath is the author of Why a Fallen Angel Is a Centerfold. Answer: D
"Yes, I'll be ready at nine in the morning. Goodbye, dear, and thanks again." It had not been an easy telephone call for Mrs. Robson to make. Her daughter had been very kind, of course, and had immediately agreed to pick her up and drive her to the station, but Mrs. Robson hated to admit that she needed help. Since her husband had died ten years before, she had prided herself on her independence. She had continued to live in their little house, alone. On the evening, however, she was standing at her living room window, staring out at the SOLD notice in the small front garden. Her feelings were mixed. Of course, she was sad at the thought of leaving the house, as it was full of so many memories. But at the same time she was looking forward to spending her last years near the sea, back in the little seaside town where she had been born. With the money from the sale of the house, she had bought a little flat there. She turned from the living room window, and looked round at the walls. There was a small fish tank, with two goldfish in it. When asked why, here husband used to say, "It's nice to have something alive in the room." Since he had passed away, she had always kept some goldfish, had always had "something alive in the room". The next morning, as her train was pulling out of the station, Mrs. Robson called to her daughter, "Kate, you won't forget to collect the goldfish, will you? The children will love them. It's ..." "I know," Kate interrupted gently. "It's nice to have something alive in the room." Mrs. Robson was going to _ . move to her hometown Last weekend marked one of the nicest days so far this spring. It was warm with a tiny wind, the sun streamed through lightweight sweaters to warm the skin; the male choir was warming up, and the students were moving around the lawn behind the huge crowd of six-thousand-plus observers. With all of the parents, sisters, brothers, grandparents, aunts and uncles, the state university was a center of activity. My nephew was going to receive his bachelor's degree. Who would have guessed that four years would go by so quickly? As the crowd of freshly polished candidates wandered, joked, hugged and chatted behind the bleachers , I heard several cell phones ring. There were several casual conversations going on with the accompanying giggles of the not-quite-mature students, but then one conversation in particular caught my attention: "Yes, Grandma, I'm really graduating. I can't believe it, either! I never thought I'd be here today, you know? Really! Like, I know it! Yes, it's a very special day. Oh, what did the doctor say? He did? I know, Gran... I know you wanted to come... It's okay... No, really, please don't cry...It's a very happy day, you know? "Hold on, we're lining up okay, all set... yes, the center aisle ... the grass is awesome! Smells really good, too... Oh wow, they've got like a million balloons they're going to release! Yes, Kelly's here... Okay, I'll give her your love... here we go! Gran, I'm graduating! "Love you, too, Gran. I'm so glad you could be here with me!" And somehow, my initial dislike at the use of cell phones and the casual conservations during such a serious occasion left me. For these little representatives of modern technology had joined a young woman and her fond Gran to share a very special moment in time. What impressed the author greatly? The love between granddaughter and grandma. Which is an example of a chemical reaction? The burning of wood I stepped into my hotel room to a pleasant surprise. Lots of room surrounded an inviting king-size bed, with armchairs nearby resting against sliding glass doors that opened onto a private yard. A small dining table sat next to a kitchen with a refrigerator and coffee machine. "Wow," I thought to myself. "Nice place." I love hotels. I love to enter a clean room, hang my clothes and gaze out the window, walk out in the morning and when I return, someone else will have made the bed. I like in-room dining and the way they greet you so professionally. "Nice to have you with us again, Mr. Goldsborough." Very cool. The problem is that unless Alison travels with me, I never sleep well in hotels. I miss my family, even though Linus and Camille, at ages 4 and almost 2, find a way to interrupt even the best night's sleep at home. I'm deeply troubled by the number of parents who wake up too late with the realization: "My children grew up too fast. In the busy career and corporate rat race , I missed their childhood." What they fail to say but too often think causes me even more pain: "...and I barely even know them." A hundred years from now, no one will remember the size of your bank account, the car you drove or the size of your house. The world might differ greatly however, based on your impact in the life of a small child. If you pay attention to your significant others, make the choice to put them first. Think of one specific action that you can take, and take it. Then think of another one and take that, too. Challenge yourself to find new ways to express your appreciation and love on a daily basis. It will pay off ten-fold at home. According to the author, what is the most important for us is that _ . we should do what we can to benefit our family Science can't explain the power of pets,but many studies have shown that the company of pets can help lower blood pressure and raise chances of recovering from a heart attack,reduce loneliness and spread all-round good cheer. Any owner will tell you how much joy a pet brings.For some.an animal provides more comfort than a husband/wife.A 2002 study by Karen Allen of the State University of New York measured stress 1evels and blood pressure in people-half of them pet owners-while they performed 5 minutes of mental arithmetic or held a hand in ice water.Subjects completed the tasks alone,with a husband/wife,a close friend or with a pet.People with pets did it best.Those tested with their animal friends had smaller change in blood pressure and returned most quickly to baseline heart rates.With pets in the room,people also made fewer math mistakes than when doing in front of other companions.It seems people feel more relaxed around pets,says Allen,who thinks it may be because pets don't judge. A study reported last fall suggests that having a pet dog not only raises your spirits but may also have an effect on your eating habits.Researchers at Northwestern Memorial Hospital spent a year studying 36 fat people and their equally fat dogs on diet-and-exercise programs;a separate group of 56 people without pets were put on a diet program.On average,people lost about 11 pounds,or 5% of their body weight.Their dogs did even better,losing an average of 12 pounds,more than 15%of their body weight.Dog owners didn't lose any more weight than those without dogs but,say researchers,got more exercise overall-mostly with their dogs--and found it worth doing. According to Allen,why did the people do better with pets around when facing stressful tasks? They are less nervous.
Should universities focus on training workers for the next decade or curing diseases for the next century? A group of governors, educators, and CEOs weighed in on the best way universities can prepare for the future. They debated how the U.S. can take the responsibility for research while still preparing students for real jobs. Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin said that the first thing she thinks about as governor is educating Oklahoma students and strengthening the workforce. So she's carrying out a program called "America Works: Education and Training for Tomorrow's Jobs" that aims to "reorganize our education system with the current needs of our employers". The state governor added that this new educational approach doesn't just benefit students and companies, but also improves the state economy. "We've been able to attract new companies to our state because of what we're doing with our universities, because our students are a pipeline for the workforce," she said. "General Electric Company (one of the world's biggest companies) is coming to Oklahoma." Other group members were more focused on the long-term goals of a research university. Amy Gutmann pointed out that "basic research is the foundation for everything else that happens at a university. And if we don't do it, nobody else will." "And if nobody does that research, we'll pay the price in health care bills," argued Vagelos, who is a former CEO of Merck & Co., Inc, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. "The jobs of universities are basic research, which is what is needed for attacks on disease," he said. "There has been a reduction in coronary heart disease by 60% in the last forty years because of this research, and that reduces health care costs." James Hunt, former North Carolina governor, argued for a happy medium. Effective communication, he said, would help the public see that the research conducted at universities actually serves a practical purpose. Eli Broad, founder of the Broad Foundations, agreed. "We have to show the public what research has achieved," he said. "We have to show how it actually goes from basic research to something they can understand." What is Gutmann's attitude toward Fallin's program? Answer: In modem society there is a great deal of argument about competition.Some value it highly,believing that it is responsible for social progress and prosperity.Others say that competition is bad, that it sets one person against another and that it leads to unfriendly relationship between people. I have taught many children who held the belief that their self-worth relied on how well they performed at tennis and other skills.For them,playing well and winning are often life-and-death affair. In their single-minded pursuit of success,the development of many other human qualities is sadly forgotten. However,while some seem to be lost in the desire to succeed,others take an opposite attitude.In a culture which values only the winner and pays no attention to the ordinary players,they strongly blame competition.Among _ are youngsters who have suffered under competitive pressures from their parents or society.Teaching these young people,I often observe in them a desire to fail.They seem to seek failure by not trying to win or achieve success .By not trying,they always have an excuse:"I may have lost,but it doesn't matter because I really didn't try.'' What is not usually admitted by themselves is the belief that if they had really tried and lost,that would mean a lot.Such a loss would be a measure of their worth. Clearly,this belief is the same as that of the true competitors who try to prove themselves.Both are based on the mistaken belief that one's self-respect relies on how well one performs in comparison with others.Both are afraid of not being valued.Only as this basic and often troublesome fear begins to dissolve can we discover a new meaning in competition. What does this passage mainly talk about? Answer: I started to learn English when I was in elementary school. Together with my two friends, I had English classes with a private teacher. I lacked motivation and I learned very little. This stage was insignificant and could just as well have not happened at all. I began to learn English in earnest when I went to high school. I was in the same class with Michael, but in different groups. I was in a group for students who were to learn English from scratch, and he was in a group for those who had already known some English. Very soon, my teacher noticed that my English was improving rapidly and he told me to join the group for the advanced learners. This was the worst thing that could have happened to me. My new teacher, who was Irish, didn't speak Polish so I couldn't understand her and I never knew what I was supposed to do. I was completely at a loss. My English didn't improve at all. As a result, at the end of that year I was sent back to the group for beginners. My stay with the advanced group made me realize what kind of learning strategies I should use in the future. I discovered that I cannot pick up a new language directly from foreigners. I started to learn hard again. I translated into Polish all new words that appeared in my course-book. Before a test I would memorize dozens of words with their Polish equivalents . However, later I would never revise those words so I would soon forget most of them. I knew that I should improve my learning techniques and I decided to ask for help those who had the best results in our class, that is Michael. That wasn't easy because in the second grade, they seemed to look down on girls. So after a few attempts to approach them I decided to give up. For two years I learned English using the method described above. My English was improving but I was still forgetting new words. Finally, in the fourth grade I got closer to Michael, who started to show me how to learn English more efficiently, which was a breakthrough in the whole process of my learning English. Michael encouraged me to read books in English with monolingual dictionaries. Several months later, I began to write e-mail messages in English. I have been using these techniques for four years, and in my opinion, I have achieved pretty good results. What did the author learn from her study in the advanced group? Answer: Parmott sued Dexter in an automobile collision case. At trial, Parmott wishes to show by extrinsic evidence that Wade, Dexter's primary witness, is Dexter's partner in a gambling operation. This evidence is Answer: My cousin Jenny made some new term resolutions last month. First she wants to keep healthy. So she is going to exercise more and eat a lot of healthier food. She isn't going to eat junk food. She is going to make a volleyball team because she likes it and she's also good at playing it. And she also wants to improve her English. She is going to read English every morning. The third, she is going to read more books because she thinks she can learn a lot from books. So she's going to go to the school library quite often. When she grows up, she is going to be a doctor for children. She wants to help sick children. She's going to study medicine at a university when she finishes high school. She is going to work hard. She loves children and she thinks looking after children will be wonderful. What job may Jenny choose in the future? Answer:
Snowflakes seem like white stars falling from the sky. But they don't always look white. Sometimes they appear to have other color1s. Some are red, yellow, or black. There have been snowflakes of almost every shape. Think how it would seem to have these coming all around you. Wouldn't they look pretty? Black snow came down in France one year. Another year gray snow fell in Japan. It was found that such snow was mixed with ashes. This made it seem dark. Red snow has come down in other countries. When this happened, it was mixed with red dust. That is why it looked different. Most snow looks like white, but it is really the color1 of ice. It is ice that comes from snow clouds. Each snowflake begins with a small drop of water. More water forms around this drop. The way the water freeze gives the snowflake its shape. No two snowflakes are of ever just the same size or shape. All start out flat and have six sides. Some snowflakes are broken when they hit the ground, others melt as they fall. When the air is cold and dry, the falling snowflakes are small and hard. If the air is wet and warm, the snowflakes are big and soft. Would you be surprised to see snowflakes as big as your head falling from the sky? It happened once in our country. It could occur again. Which of the following statements is true? Answer: Color snowflakes look so because they are mixed with dust of different color1s. One evening,June Griffith was on her way to pick up her son.Almost immediately,she realized that she had gone the wrong way.She'd driven onto railroad tracks and the underside of her car was caught. As Griffith tried to remove the car,its headlights attracted the attention of a passerby,Jordan Ricks,a college student.He ran over. Ricks,22,tried to appear calm as he instructed Gdmth to remove the car.Both of them could now see the wheel between the rails and the uneven track bed.Ricks put his hands under the front fender and gave it a push.It didn't move. He pushed it again with all his strength,Still,no movement. From about 50 feet away,a group of students from the nearby university watched the scene.Ricks signaled to them,and five of the guys came over. He directed them to different sides of the car,and they all put their hands under the flame. "One,two,three" Ricks yelled.They all pushed. "One,two,three!" he yelled again.The car didn't move. At that moment,they felt the ground begin to shake.Then four dings signaled an on coming train,apd the railroad gates dropped down.In the distance,an unclear line of light appeared,followed by the loud noise of a horn . The guys started yelling,"Get out of the car!Get out of the car!"But Griffith felt _ . When Griffith glanced in the mirror,she saw the train lights approaching.But she worried that the Arthritis in her feet would prevent her from escaping in time and that her car would bedamaged.One of the students,Tommy Stackhouse,20,saw her shocked face and knew he had to act.He reached for the car door and forced it open. The train was just a few hundred feet away.In the last few seconds,Stackhouse grasped Griffith's arm and pulled her from the car.His friend,Frank DiPietrapaul,18,grasped her other arm,and the pair pulled Griffith aside. They watched as the train,crashed into the car,cutting it into half its original size and sending metal pieces flying.Griffith sat crying as the police arrived and sorted through the ruins--and wrote her a ticket for no attention to driving.Eventually,the students went home. A few days later,a reporter asked the young men and Griffith to reunite at a local coffee shop.There a tearful Griffith hugged her rescuers."These boys are heroes,"she would later tell anyone who would listen."They saved my life." Ricks feels only grateful for the outcone."It was one of those moments," he says,"when we could have been gone together.It makes you think how precious life is." What happened to June Griffith one evening? Answer: Her car was stuck in the train tracks. Despite being tall, Michelle Obama is much smaller than she appears on television. And she seemed a little short by her surroundings in the great hall of Christchurch College as she spoke quietly without a microphone because of a technical mistake. Her audience were 40 young girls from a London state school where 50 languages are spoken. "I remember how well-meaning but misguided people questioned whether someone with my background could succeed at an elite university," she said. "When I was accepted, I had all kinds of worries and doubts. I wouldn't be as well prepared as students from privileged families and I wouldn't fit in. But you are just as capable and have just as much to offer as anyone else." This was Mrs. Obama's only solo outing during the state visit and part two of an unusual relationship which she has struck up with Anderson College in Islington. Two years ago on her first visit to the UK she visited the school. Yesterday she returned to meet the pupils but this time at Christchurch College where they were taking part in an open day run to improve Oxford's still poor record on diversifying student intake. Mrs. Obama was asked why she married her husband, what it was like being First Lady and when there would be a female President in the White House. Her message--which she repeated time and again--was work hard, have self-belief, and don't be afraid to fail. _ Afterwards there were hugs for everyone and a photo with her. And watching the group of multicultural young Britons surround her among the splendor of the college building one thought stood out. Had Mrs. Obama been born in Britain, she would almost certainly not have made it to Oxford as she did to Harvard. But now--thanks in part to her--some of these children just might. According to the passage, Michelle Obama _ . Answer: came from a family without good background When he was still a child, Iwatake's father was lost at sea off Hawaii. With no food, his family was forced to move to Japan, where Iwatake joined the army during the war. He lost a brother when the bomb fell on Hiroshima. But over all the time one thing has remained unchanged. His parents bought a Christmas tree in 1937, and his family brings it out every Christmas since then, even when doing so meat risking arrest. "This tree was a shining light, because it was a symbol of unity in my family," Iwatake said as he and his wife put the final touches on the tree, which is about 3 - foot - tall. They took it out once again this year, "We have put this tree up every year for 70 years." Though he considers himself Buddhist, Iwatake was raised in a Christian tradition. He still keeps a photo of the tiny wooden church in Mauri where he and his five brothers went to church services and Sunday school. Christmas was always a special time. His father worked at a store, and Iwatake remembers the day he came home with a tree. It was nothing all that special, just metal - and - plastic, the kind of decoration that can easily be placed on a table, or in a corner somewhere. He got a string of lights, too, the kind with the big bulbs . Soon after, his father died in a fishing accident. His body was never found. Iwatake's mother had s in Japan, and took Iwatake's younger brothers there. Iwatake stayed behind to graduate from high school. In 1941, six months before Pearl Harbor , he moved to Japan as well. "Things were bad," he said. "There were war clouds hanging everywhere." What can we infer from the passage? Answer: Iwatake stayed in Hawaii alone for some time. A supermarket checkout operator was praised for striking a blow for modern manners and a return to the age of politeness after refusing to serve a shopper who was talking on her mobile phone. The supermarket manager was forced to apologize to the customer who complained she was told her goods would not be scanned unless she hung up her phone. Jo Clark, 46, said, "I don't know what she was playing at. I couldn't believe how rude she was. When did she have the right to give me a lecture on checkout manners? I won't be shopping there again!" But users of social media sites and Internet forums were very angry that store gave in and the public appeared to be supporting the angry checkout worker. "Perhaps this is a turning point for mobile phone users everywhere. When chatting, keep your eyes on people around you. That includes people trying to serve you, other road users and especially people behind you in the stairs," said a typical post. "It's time checkout staff fought back against these people constantly chatting on their phones. They can drive anyone crazy. It's rude and annoying. I often want to grab someone's phone and throw it as far as I can, even though I am not a checkout girl, just a passer-by," said another. Siobhan Freegard, founder of parenting site www. Netmums.com said, "While this checkout operator doesn't have the authority to order customers to switch off their phones, you can see clearly how frustrated and angry she felt. No matter how busy you are, life is nicer when you and those around you have good manners." The passage is mainly about _ . Answer: whether we should talk on our phones while being served
My favourite sport is basketball because it is very exciting.I like basketball because the NBA stars play very well.Basketball is very cheap and it is a good sport for our health.We can grow taller if we play basketball often.Also it keeps me fit.I play basketball three times a week.Most often I play it in my school.I often play it with my friends or I may play it myself.I feel very happy when I play basketball at school with my classmates.Sometimes I play basketball in the playground near my home.Basketball is very easy to play.If you play basketball very well, you can form a basketball team to take part in the competition.If you win the basketball competition, you will have the prize.You may become a famous basketball star. How many times do I play basketball every week? three. Philip Pullman spent a great deal of his childhood traveling abroad because both his father and stepfather were pilots in the Royal Air Force . As a child, he went on several long ocean voyages, and he lived in Africa and in Australia. "Before I was 11 I had been to eight different schools." "In Australia, I made a great discovery. TV hadn't reached Australia yet, but everyone listened to the radio. I remember listening to gangster serials , and cowboy serials, and best of all--Superman! When I first saw a superman comic , it changed my life. I'd been reading books for a long time, but I'd never known comics before. Soon afterwards, I discovered Batman, too, whom I loved even more." Pullman started writing his first novel the day after he had finished his final exams at Oxford University. "I discovered after about an hour that it was much harder than I'd expected. It still is! I found that the amount I could write comfortably every day was about three pages, so that's what I've done ever since." Before he became a full-time writer, Pullman had been teaching for many years. "What I enjoyed most during that time was telling stories over and over, until I knew them as well as I knew my own life." He had always loved telling stories--as a schoolboy he had entertained his friends by reading stories to them, or by making up his own. One day he got a letter that had arrived at his door even though the writer of the letter didn't know his address. The envelope just said, "Philip Pullman, The Storyteller, Oxford." What can we learn about Pullman? He traveled a lot when he was a young child. It has been two years since I published my first article on Yahoo!Contributor Network.I was very excited when I saw that what I had written was published on the Internet. I recognized that the content sites such as Associated Content can provide a fertile ground for learning how to become a writer.I was thrifty --I could see that this was an open door for systematically learning some basic writing skills without paying college tuition for classes,all to be finished at my own speed and without leaving the comfort of my own home. During these past few years I gained enough experience and understanding of using Associated Content to try writing.I found writing for that site was not my cup of tea.However,my experience there was positive as I was rewarded with even more learning opportunities just by giving it a try.Through Associated Content I was introduced to the world of bolgs .I decided to learn how to set up a blog myself.Now I'm interested in blogs and continue to work as a writer. Writing for the content site Yahoo!Contributor Network gives me a chance of trying creative writing--news,reviews and numerous lifestyle issues.And all of these topics are my own choices.Then there is an opportunity to meet other writers.Yahoo!Contributor Network has a wonderful in-house messaging system that allows its writers to communicate easily with one another.Not all your tries are satisfactory and easy when you write for a content site,but the benefits are many if you try it. My teacher once said,"If you don't quit,you will win."I have no desire to quit writing as I really enjoy it.My thanks go out to Associated content and yahoo!Contributor Network for all my progress in writing!And to my fellow writers--thank you so much for your support and friendship.May we continue in our efforts of inspiration for many years to come! What is the benefit that Yahoo!Contributor Network offers? You can easily communicate with other writers. He was an old man who fished alone in a small boat on the sea and he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish. In the first forty days a boy had been with him. But after forty days without a fish, the boy's parents had told him that the old man was now salao, which is the worst form of unlucky, and the boy had gone with another boat which caught three good fish the first week. It made the boy sad to see the old man come in each day with his boat empty. The sail looked like the flag of failure forever. The old man was thin with deep wrinkles in the back of his neck. His face was terribly brown because of the strong sunlight on the sea every day and his hands had the deep scars from dealing with heavy fish on the lines. But none of these scars were fresh. Everything about him was old except his eyes and _ were the same color as the sea and were cheerful. "Santiago," the boy said to him as they climbed the bank from the sea. "I could go with you again. We've made some money." The old man had taught the boy to fish and the boy loved him. "No," the old man said. "You're with a lucky boat. Stay with them." "But remember how you went eighty-seven days without fish and then we caught big ones every day for three weeks." "I remember," the old man said. "It was papa who made me leave. I am a boy and I must follow him." "I know," the old man said. "It is quite normal." "He hasn't much faith ." "No," the old man said. "But we have. Haven't we?" "Yes," the boy said. "Can I offer you a beer on the Terrace?" "Why not?" the old man said "Between fishermen." From the story we can know that _ . the old man was always full of hope 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. The writer failed to find Rose in the mid of 1960's, because _ ? the surroundings there had changed a lot.
Sue is an English girl. She is twelve years old today. She has a birthday party now. Her friends Amy, Lily and Kate come to her home. Sue: Sit down and have a cup of tea. Her friends: Thank you. Happy birthday, Sue! Amy: Here is a cake for you. I'm sorry it's too small. The shop doesn't sell the big ones and Lily likes it very much. Lily: Here is a card for you. Happy birthday to you, Sue! Kate: Sue, this hat is my gift for you. Do you like it? Sue: Thank you very much. I like all of your gifts for me. Let's sing and eat the cake. A little dog on TV: Happy birthday! Do I smell birthday cake? "Ha! Ha! Ha!" They jump with joy and begin the birthday party. Sue is blowing out the candles on the birthday cake. And all her friends are singing, "Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday..." They feel very _ at the party. Answer: 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. If you want to keep the pet as long as possible, you'd better choose _ . Answer: Alsten Chase has written a book about Yellowstone National Park. He is worried about the damage the fires can do to the park. He is also concerned about the park rules. These rules say that nature should decide what happens to the park. Alsten also writes that the elk herd has grown too big. The elks walk on the riverbanks. They eat the new grass and roots of baby trees. The beavers need the trees to build dams. The dams raise the water levels. Higher water levels put more water into the soil. Moist soil helps plants grow faster. The plants offer homes and food to other animals. Chase thinks that the park rules would work only in a park with natural settings. He believes that Yellowstone has had an artificial setting for a long time. The native people left. The wolves were taken away and other animals were removed.The areas of land were fenced off and other animals added.He thinks the park rules that let herds grow too big and the fires burn are hurting the nature of the park. The park manager thinks the rules are good and that the park will be fine. Chase thinks the way the people run the park should be changed. After the book by Alsten Chase is published, the park will probably _ . Answer: Matter in the gas phase has Answer: Martin's Clothes Store Come and buy your clothes at Martin's Clothes Store! We have pants, shorts, hats and more at very good prices! Come and have a look! Clothes Price black pants blue pants green pants $20 $18 $22 shorts ( all colours) $10 hats (all colours) $14 socks (all colours) $5 red skirts blue skirts white skirts $12 $14 $11 white T-shirts green T-shirts $7 $8 red sweaters yellow sweaters $30 $28 Cindy has nineteen dollars. She can buy _ with the money. Answer:
I'm Jack. I'm a middle school student. I have lessons from Monday to Friday. At weekends, I usually get up very late. I wash my face, brush my teeth and then go out to do morning exercises. I eat my breakfast at about nine o'clock. After that, I often go to the park with my parents. The park is a little far from our home, so we go there by bus. It often takes us about twenty minutes to get there by bus. The park is very beautiful. There are always lots of people in the park. There are men and women, old and young. Parents must take good care of their children. There is a large lake in the middle of the park. I often go swimming there. Sometimes, I fly kites. We always have a good time there. Where does Jack often go at weekends? If you know exactly what you want, the best way to get a job is to get specialized training. A recent survey shows that companies like graduates in such fields as business and health care who can go to work immediately with very little on-the-job training. That's especially true of booming fields that are challenging for workers. At Cornell's School of Hotel Administration, for example, bachelor's degree graduates get an average of four or five job offers with salaries ranging from the high teens to the low 20s and plenty of chances for rapid advancement. Large companies, especially, like a background of formal education coupled with work experience. But in the long run, too much specialization doesn't pay off. Business, which has been flooded with MBAs, no longer considers the degree an automatic stamp of approval. The MBA may open doors and command a higher salary initially, but . As further evidence of companies gradually losing faith in specialized degrees, Michigan State's Scheetz mentions a pattern in hiring practices. Although companies tend to take on specialists as new hires, they often seek out generalists for middle and upper-level management. "They want someone who isn't constrained by details to look at the big picture," says Scheetz. This sounds like a formal statement that you approve of the liberal-arts graduates. Time and again labor-market analysts mention a need for talents that liberal-arts majors are assumed to have: writing and communication skills, organizational skills, open-mindedness and adaptability, and the ability to analyze and solve problems. David Birch, manager of the Boston Red Sox, claims he does not hire anybody with an MBA or an engineering degree, "I hire only liberal-arts people because they have a less-than-canned way of doing things," says Birch. For a liberal-arts degree, students focus on some basic courses that include literature, history, mathematics, economics, science, human behavior--plus a computer course or two. With these useful and important courses, you can feel free to specialize, "A liberal-arts degree coupled with an MBA or some other technical training is a very good combination in the marketplace," says Scheetz. According to Scheetz's statement ( Para. 3), companies prefer people who _ . Here's a movie-a sharp, sugar-rush of fun that's guaranteed to entertain the entire family. With some terrific computer-generated effects, a great cast and a fun-packed storyline, Robots is the best animated film since The Incredibles. Yep, it really is that good. Set in a world populated by robots, Ewan McGregor plays Rodney Copperbottom, a young robot who leaves his small-town home to pursue his dream of becoming an inventor. But after arriving in Robot City, his hopes of getting a job at Bigweld Industries are destroyed when he learns the firm has been taken over by the evil Ratchet (Greg Kinnear). Egged on by his controlling mum, Madame Gasket (Jim Broadbent), Ratchet plans to reduce half on Robot City's citizens to scrap metal by refusing to sell the spare Pans they need to survive. Instead, he wants to make a fortune selling expensive upgrades that few can afford. As he says, "Why be you when you can be new?" Aided by a few misfit robots known as the Rustles-including Robin Williams as the cowardly Fender ("I'm made of a metal called Afraidium")-Rodney must track down the firm's founder, Bigweld (Mel Brooks), and convince him to save the city from Ratchet's plans. The first thing that'll strike you about the movie is the thought that's gone into creating Robot City. It's a wondrous world full of mechanical marvels including wind-up cars and walking streetlamps. Also terrific are the special effects. This might be animated movie but at times you'll catch yourself thinking it's really a live-action film. Of course, there have been plenty of animated movies that looked the part but were let down by a weak storyline(see Shark Tale, for example). But Robots grips right from the start thanks to a heart-warming and thoroughly engaging plot that never bores. My only complaints are with Williams who, as usual, has a one-in-10 success rate with his jokes. Also a letdown is a romantic subplot between Rodney and a shapely robot called Cappy (Halle Berry) that doesn't go anywhere. Complains aside, this is a mechanical marvel that'll have you bolted firmly to your seat. BEST QUOTE :Fender:"Even though you had a discouraging day, just remember there's another one coming tomorrow. BEST BIT:Check out those amazing images. WORST BIT:Robin Williams' character does an unfunny Britney Spears dance routine. IF YOU LIKED...Ice Age, The Incredibles, Toy Story...YOU'LL LIKE THIS. What is Shark Tale an example of? "Particulate Matter 2.5(PM2.5 for short)"is now ,it seems, officially an enemy of the people.The harmful,tiny pieces of matter,up to 2.5 microns in diameter, are too small to be seen by the naked eye.So they can be easily breathed into the lungs of people and do harm to people's health.With the issue of pollution so heatedly discussed,some people are wondering what possible solutions might be on the way. _ might very well be a renewed effort to kick-start the electric car industry.Some reports suggest that the use of bakery cars should be expanded from the present five cities to 20 more. But so far no country in the world has succeeded in making the dream of emission.free driving a reality.Despite the lofty ideal,the electric car has so far been a disappointment, accounting for only a fraction of l%of global car sales.And the same is true in China.There is an existing target to put five million on the road by 2020 but the Chinese consumer is so far very much unconvinced. BYD Auto Company in the southern city of Shenzhen is just one electric vehicle maker hoping that the time is now ripe for the government to step up its efforts.BYD is making electric cars but as yet not selling in great numbers.Electric cars are not cheap.It would still leave more than$40,000 to be paid before you could drive away in a BYD e6.And buyers have worries other than price. "I think that when you talk to a regular Joe about electric vehicles he is excited, but when you ask Mr. Joe to buy one,he's nervous,"said Isbrand Ho from BYD's Auto Export Trade Division."We call that 'range anxiety'.How far will my vehicle go?" The answer for an e6 is well in excess of 300 kms(190 miles)on one charge.That is the sort of number that might just start looking attractive to less price-sensitive customers but China still doesn't have anything like enough charging stations to make the car a practical choice. Last year, BYD sold only l,700 electric cars in China.Isbrand Ho tells me that at that volume the car is naturally expensive,due to the economy of scale.What they need, he says, is for production to get above a certain threshold(,),and then costs will come down. BYD Auto Company thinks that _ Do you know the open-air art gallery in London's Blackall Street? Probably -not. Not many Londoners know it either, but Henri does and he is willing to show it to you. Henri used to sleep in parks until he met a charity that helps homeless people get back on their feet by becoming tour guides. Rather than show traditional London sights, "Unseen Tours" t _ Henri has been teaching tourists about the history and architecture of Shoreditch, where he slept on public benches for three years. When he felt separated from the society, contact with the volunteer network "The Sock Mob" gave Henri hope. "Not everyone just looked down on me," he said. The tours aren't the only actions trying to help those who have suffered a misfortune to stand tall again. An innovative college for homeless people in London, the first of its kind in the country, is attracting hundreds of students. The Recovery College, set up by St Mungo's charity, is providing courses designed to improve technical skills and life skills. According to Andy Williams, who helps to organize the college, the most popular courses have proved to be about raising self-confidence and developing self-pride. Steve, now in his 50s, told a reporter how much of a difference it makes to "have a bit of confidence". He had difficulty learning to read and had to leave school when he was 12. Because Steve's problem was not recognized at the time, he was "seen to be unable to read or write", and suffered with depression and alcohol addiction. He says the status of "student" is itself important for people who are used to being treated as outcasts Some charities aim not only to help the homeless become independent but also to make them popular. The Homeless World Cup started ten years ago. Today the tournament draws teams from 48 countries made up of players-men and women-who are, or have been, living in the streets. It gives them a chance to become football heroes. At the age of 12, Steve _ .
We have dreams almost every night. Do you ever notice the colors of your dreams? Do you dream in black and white or do you dream in yellow, red and green? New research suggests that the type of television you watched as a child has a great effect on the color of your dreams. While almost all people under 25 dream in color, thousands of people over 55, all of whom were brought up with black and white TV sets, often dream in monochrome . "It suggests there could be a critical period in our childhood when watching films has a big impact on the way dreams are formed", said Eva Murzyn, a psychology student at Dundee University in Britain who carried out the study. Research from 1915 through the 1950s suggested that the vast majority of dreams are in black and white. But the tide turned in the sixties, and later results suggested that up to 83 percent of dreams contain some color. Since this period also marked the transition between black-and-white film and TV and Technicolor ,an obvious explanation was that the media had been painting people's dreams. However, there weren't any firm conclusions. But now Miss Murzyn believes she has proven the link. She made a survey of more than 60 people, half of whom were over 55 and half of whom were under 25. She asked the volunteers to answer a questionnaire on the color of their dreams and their childhood exposure to film and TV. She then analyzed her own data. Only 4.4 percent of the under-25s' dreams were black and white. The over-55s who had had access to color TV and film during their childhood also reported a very low proportion of just 7.3 percent. But the over-55s who only had access to black-and -white media reported dreaming in black and white about a quarter of the time. Even though they would have spent only a few hours a day watching TV or films, their attention and emotion would have been heightened during this time, leaving a deeper imprint on their mind, Miss Murzyn told the New Scientist. "The crucial time is between three and ten when we all begin to have the ability to dream", she said. In which magazine can you find the article? The reaction that releases energy for use by the cell occurs in which site? In China, parents often tell their kids not to waste food. However, it's reported that a lot of food is wasted in restaurants every day. Many people say when they eat out, they usually order a lot of dishes and they can't eat them up. One person in Chengdu, Sichuan Province says he takes away the _ . "Usually we'll have some leftovers after meals, because when I invite friends to eat out, I don't know how much they can eat, so I order lots of dishes to make sure everybody has enough food." While another person in Fuzhou, Fujian Province says she never packs what is left on the dining table. "What I usually experience during eating out is a big meal. I seldom take away the leftovers because we often have other activities after the meals, and it's not convenient to take the leftovers. And when no one suggests taking away leftovers, I won't do so." Some people say they only take away leftovers when they eat out with family, but not if they eat with friends or colleagues . Food waste means washing money as well as wasting precious resources . When food is thrown away, it becomes rubbish and can be harmful to the environment. We should realize how important it is to save food. It's wise to order proper food for our meals. If there're leftovers, it's better to take home. To save food, we should start with ourselves and start from now. _ food is wasted in the restaurants of our country every day. Recently I spoke to some of my students about what they wanted to do after they graduated, and what kind of job prospects they thought they had. Given that I teach students who are training to be doctors, I was surprised to find that most thought that they would not be able to get the jobs they wanted without "outside help". "What kind of help is that?" I asked, expecting them to tell me that they would need a relative or family friend to help them out. "Surgery ", one replied. I was pretty alarmed by that response. It seems that the graduates of today are increasingly willing to go under the knife to get ahead of others when it comes to getting a job. One girl told me that she was considering surgery to increase her height. "They break your legs, put in special extending screws, and slowly expand the gap between the two ends of the bone as it regrows, you can get at least 5cm taller!" At that point, I was shocked. I am short, I can't deny that, but I don't think I would put myself through months of agony just to be a few centimeters taller. I don't even bother to wear shoes with thick soles, as I'm not trying to hide the fact that I am just not tall! It seems to me that there is a trend toward wanting "perfection", and that is an ideal that just does not exist in reality. No one is born perfect, yet magazines, TV shows and movies present images of thin, tall, beautiful people as being the norm. Advertisements for slimming aids, beauty treatments and cosmetic surgery clinics fill the pages of newspapers, further creating an idea that "perfection" is a requirement, and that it must be purchased, no matter what the cost. In my opinion, skills, rather than appearance, should determine how successful a person is in his chosen career. We can know from the passage that the author works as _ . A cup of hot tea next to a glass of iced tea will make which become colder?
Question: Diana Jacobs thought her family had a workable plan to pay for college for her 21-year-old twin sons: a combination of savings, income, scholarships, and a modest amount of borrowing. Then her husband lost his job, and the plan fell apart. "I have two kids in college, and I want to say 'come home', but at the same time I want to provide them with a good education." says Jacobs. The Jacobs family did work out a solution. They asked and received more aid from the schools, and each son increased his borrowing to the maximum amount through the federal loan program. They will each graduate with $20,000 of debt, but at least they will be able to finish school. With unemployment rising, financial aid administrators expect to hear more families like the Jacobs. More students are applying for aid, and more families expect to need student loans. College administrators are concerned that they will not have enough aid money to go around. At the same time, tuition continues to rise. A report from the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education found that college tuition and fees increased 439% from 1982 to 2007, while average family income rose just 147%. Student borrowing has more than doubled in the last decade. "If we go on this way for another 25 years, we won't have an affordable system of higher education," says Patrick M. Callan, president of the center. "The middle class families have been financing it through debt. They will send kids to college whatever it takes, even if that means a huge amount of debt." Financial aid administrators have been having a hard time as many companies decide that student loans are not profitable enough and have stopped making them. The good news, however, is that federal loans account for about three quarters of student borrowing, and the government says that money will flow uninterrupted. Financial aid administrators believe that _ . A. more families will face the same problem as the Jacobs B. the government will receive more letters of complaint C. college tuition fees will double soon D. America's unemployment will fall Answer: A. more families will face the same problem as the Jacobs Question: Skinner Creek ESL Guest Ranch offers a unique outdoor adventure camp for inter- national students. Students who come to Skinner Creek have the opportunity to learn English in an environment entirely different from a regular school setting. English classes are designed to meet the academic and spoken levels of each student. All English classes will be taught by instructors qualified in Teaching English as a Second Language. All levels of English are available. After class, students can enjoy many outdoor activities in a controlled safe environment. Experienced managers and camp teachers will prepare each activity to the level appropriate for each student. Students' safety is a priority for the staff of Skinner Creek ESL Guest Ranch. Students are monitored at all times and supervisors are in the cabins with the students at night. An emergency clinic is nearby and accessible 24 hours. English Classes: Class hours are from Monday to Friday, 9:00 a. m.-- 2:00 p.m. with a one-hour break for lunch. Students are challenged in reading, writing, grammar, vocabulary building and conversational English. Vocabulary is specific to related outdoor activities in some classes. Fun after-class outdoor and evening activities: Great after-class activities on site include: horseback riding lesson, hiking, base ball, volleyball, badminton, mountain hiking, bonfires and much more. Time to watch videos and TV and play games. Experience Canadian family life. Weekends: Special all-day and overnight weekend activities include: camping, days at the lake (fishing, swimming, boating), church and more. Travel Information: Students will be picked up in cars at Vancouver airport and dropped off again for their individual flights. Transportation to and from the ranch will be provided as well as overnight stays in Vancouver. Please contact the ranch directly for prices: skinnercreek@telus, net. Skinner Creek ESL Guest Ranch is in _ . A. Canada B. America C. England D. Australia Answer: A. Canada Question: Two children stood outside the door with old coats. "Any old papers, Lady?" asked one of them. I was busy. I wanted to say no, but I saw that their shoes were broken and wet. "Come in and I'll make you a cup of hot tea." They came in, saying nothing. Their shoes left snow on the floor. I gave them tea and bread to protect them against the cold outside. Then I went back to the kitchen and started my housework again. The silence in the front room surprised me. I looked in. The girl held the empty cup in her hands, looking at it. The boy asked me in a low voice, "Lady, are you rich?" Am I rich? Oh, no! I looked at my old things in my room. The girl put her cup back in its saucer carefully. "Your cups match your saucers." They left then, holding their papers against the wind. They hadn't said thank you. They didn't need to. They had done more than that. The blue cups and saucers were simple. But they said that they matched. The potatoes and meat before me, a roof over our hands, my husband with a job--these things matched, too. I moved the chairs back from the fire and cleaned the living room. The prints of their small shoes were still wet on my floor. I let them be. I wanted them there to remind me how rich I was. What's the best title of the passage? A. Any Old Papers? B. Matching Cups and Saucers C. Are You Rich? D. Two Poor Children Answer: C. Are You Rich? Question: How Women Were Freed From Their Homes As late as 1800, a woman's only place was in her home. Women in business were unheard of. No respectable woman would dream of entering what was strictly a "man's world". Even if she would, what could she do? Men were sure that no woman could do a job well outside her home. This was a widely-accepted idea. When the famous Bronte sisters began writing books in 1846, they had to resort to using men's names as aliases. Teaching was the first profession opened to women, soon after 1800. But even that was not easy for women to take because most high schools and colleges were open only to men. Oberlin College in Ohio was the first college in America to take in women. Nursing was regarded as a respectable profession for women only after Florence Nightingale won high credit for her nursing career and became famous. Miss Nightingale opened the first training school for nursing in 1860 in England. The invention of typewriters in 1867 helped to bring women out of their homes to join the business world. Because women are careful and have nimble fingers, businessmen found that they were well suited to this kind of work. By 1890, tens of thousands of women were working in schools, hospitals, shops, offices, and factories both in England and the States. Some even managed to become doctors or lawyers. The idea of women working in business and other circles was accepted. Oberlin College was the first college in America _ . A. where teaching was a profession only open to women B. where girls could get advanced education C. to train women to be teachers and nurses D. to accept women only as professors and students Answer: B. where girls could get advanced education Question: Each year, about 10,000 to 100,000 animal species die off. They join the countless species that have gone extinct over the course of Earth's history - and extinction means forever. At least it used to. Scientists are now closing in on the ability to bring back extinct species. No, this doesn't mean the plot of Jurassic Park is going to become a reality. Researchers need DNA to bring back a species. DNA is the chemical that carries the structure for a living thing. Dinosaurs have been gone too long for any of their DNA to remain in fossils. But there's a very real chance that we will be able to bring back more recently extinct species. This could even include Ice Age animals like the woolly mammoth. In 2003, a team of Spanish and French scientists re-created the Pyrenean ibex, which had gone extinct three years earlier. The new animal didn't survive long, but scientific advances should improve the success rate. In January, Australian scientists announced that they were on their way to bringing back the gastric brooding frog. That we can bring species back doesn't mean that we should. There may be benefits to reviving a species. But there's no way to know how it will turn out. For example, would a passenger pigeon fit into its old habitat? Or might it crowd out existing species? Environmentalists worry that our ability to bring species back might cut down support for the hard work of traditional conservation. Why worry about preserving a wildlife habitat or fighting poachers if we know we can just make up for our mistakes? But those extinctions are our mistakes to correct, which may give us an obligation to do so. As businessman and environmentalist Stewart Brand recently said, "Humans have made a huge hole in nature. We have the ability now to repair some of that damage." We would do well to remember the lesson of Jurassic Park: Proceed with caution. What is the probable attitude of Stewart Brand toward bringing extinct species back to life? A. Supportive. B. Indifferent. C. Disapproving. D. Worried. Answer: A. Supportive.
British actor and comedian Rik Mayall died at 56 in London . As one of the leading lights of Britain's comedy scene in the 1980s , he is best known for starring roles in hit TV series Blackadder , The Young Ones , The New Statesman and Bottom . His agent, Kate Benson told CNN Mayall died suddenly ; she did not know the cause of his death. Mayall first found widespread fame in student sitcom "The Young Ones," which ran for two years on the BBC, and was later shown on MTV in the United States. The series focused on the lives of four roommates at "Scumbag College." Writer and comedian Ben Elton told the Press Association Mayall had " changed his life " by asking him to work on The Young Ones . " He always made me cry with laughter , now he's just made me cry . " In the 1990s, Mayall played a role in Bottom , a series about two unemployed flat mates who spend most of their time attacking each other violently with anything that comes to hand . Mayall also branched out into movies , taking the lead role in 1991's Drop Dead Fred , in which he played the imaginary friend of Phoebe Cates , returning years later to cause trouble in the now grown-up Cates' life . Mayall survived a bike accident in 1998; he was unconscious for five days after the crash, on his farm in Devon, southwest England, and developed epilepsy as a result of the severe head injury he suffered in the accident . In an interview several years later, he joked that he "beat Jesus" by coming back from the hell . He said the accident left him more aware of being alive. House star Hugh Laurie, who worked with Mayall on Blackadder, took to Twitter to recount a story about his co-star: "A young girl, stricken with terminal cancer, once asked Rik Mayall for an autograph. He wrote: 'Young Ones are never afraid.'" In which section of CNN NEWS can we possibly find the passage ? Entertainment Honeybees Honeybees can do three kinds of jobs. It is one of the most unusual insects in the world. Bees are special because they divide up their honeybee work. Each bee has a certain job to do. The busiest bee is the worker. Workers build the nest, called a hive. Inside the hive, workers make a honeycomb from wax . They store honey there for food. Workers are always cleaning and fixing the hive. They even stand at the opening and fan their wings to cool the hive. Worker bees will attack anything--even people--to keep their hive safe. Another kind of bee is the drone . Drones are male bees, and their job is to fly with the queen bee and mate with her. After the queen mates, the worker bees drive the drones away. The drones then starve to death. The third kind of bee is the queen. Each hive needs only one queen, and her job is laying eggs. She can lay as many as 2, 000 eggs a day. According to the story, bees _ . will attack anything or anyone to protect the hive, if necessary Alan took an early interest in gardening---first on his grandfather's Yorkshire allotment in Ilkley, and then in his parents' back garden. Small polythene greenhouses appeared in the back garden, and cacti were bought from church markets. Alan left school at fifteen with one `O' level in Art and took a job as an apprentice gardener in Ilkley Parks Department nursery, studying for his City and Guilds in Horticulture in the evening. He went on to horticultural college at Oaklands in Hertfordshire where he studied for one year full-time, being awarded the National Certificate in Horticultural. This was followed by three years at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, resulting in the award of the Kew Diploma. After two years as supervisor of staff training at Kew, Alan entered journalism where he became first a gardening books editor, and then Deputy Editor of Amateur Gardening magazine. He appeared regularly on BBC Radio and Television in programs such as Nationwide , Breakfast Time, Open Air, Pebble Mill, Songs of Praise, Titchmarsh's Travels, and the Chelsea Flower Show. He presented the 100th edition of The Word for Channel 4, and hosted the quiz show Ask the Family. Gardeners' World and the hugely popular Ground Force, second only to Easterners in the BBC1 ratings, are broadcast as far as Australia, New Zealand and North America. After leaving both programs, Alan worked on two other series for the BBC to be transmitted in 2003 and 2004, one of them a landmark series on the natural history of Britain. Alan writes for the Daily Express, Sunday Express, Radio Times and BBC Gardeners' World magazine, and has more than thirty gardening books to his credit. His four novels, as well as a book about his own life, have been best sellers. Alan, 53, gardens organically, and lives with his wife, two daughters and a medley of animals. Though the author doesn't tell us directly, we can conclude that _ . Alan had had four years of training in Horticulture before being a journalist China's largest search engine Baidu has said it will make its latest artificial intelligence (AI) technology accessible to developers and businesses as part of the company's latest move into AI, big data and cloud computing. AI solution "Tianzhi" was launched at a cloud-computing summit held in Beijing Wednesday. It includes services in three fields: sensing technology, such as image and voice processing, machine learning, and deep learning, an advanced form of machine learning, said Zhang Yaqin, CEO of the Nasdaq-listed company, at the summit. Developers can access facial or voice recognition, algorithms for data analysis and projections, and deep learning applications, Zhang said, adding that the technology could help users innovate in their sectors. "With more devices connected to the cloud, enterprises will use cloud computing and AI more frequently," said Wu Hequan, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, " _ " The company also revealed a plan to invest 10 billion yuan (1.45 billion U.S. dollars) in cloud computing in the next five years and establish an innovation center, which will serve 10 million enterprises. Tianzhi includes services in the following fields EXCEPT _ . voice processing Nowadays many young people want to make money by making video games. Creating a good game often needs a lot of game developers. The graphic designers, the programmers, writing and music are all important to the final product. With the development of the Internet, _ games become more and more popular. In the past, if people wanted to play games together, they had to be in the same place. But now people in different cities, countries or even living on opposite sides of the world can play computer games together. Some people think video games are good. Playing games makes them very happy. Others think video games are bad. Some children spend a lot of time playing games, so they have little time to do sports. Playing games may cause the overexposure to violence. If you want to create a good video game, what is important? all of the above
Question: In 2012, I had just recovered from a serious illness when I received an invitation to a writer's conference in Orlando, Florida. My family and friends persuaded me that a holiday might be just what the doctor ordered, so off I went. Arriving in the Sunshine State was not easy, but I managed to catch a taxi to the hotel. The next morning, I caught another taxi to do some shopping. Later I went to a cafe to buy some lunch, but having my sandwich and drink in my hands, I saw that all the tables were occupied . Then I heard a friendly voice saying, "You can share my table." I thankfully sat down with the smiling elderly lady and we shared a happy lunch together. As the meal drew to a close she asked how long I would be in Orlando. I had already told her that I hadn't hired a car, and hadn't realized how costly taking taxis would be. After a while she said, "My dear, don't use any more taxis. It would be my pleasure to drive you wherever you wish." I told her that I couldn't put her to that trouble, but she insisted. She took details of where I was staying and the next morning she drove me to Disney World. She took me through the park's gates and spent some time with me before leaving me to explore alone. At the end of the day, she returned to take me back to my hotel. The next few days, she drove me around Orlando's tourist areas. I offered her money but she refused to take any. When we had lunch on my last day, I thanked her for her kindness. I'll never forget that wonderful lady who filled my holiday in Florida with wonderful memories. What's the best title for the text? A. Making a big difference B. My trip to Disney World C. Difficulty in a foreign land D. My holiday hero Answer: D Question: Dogs have long been regarded as a loyal friend of humans. They are not only a good companion to their owners, but also a security guard in some way. However, in fact, dogs do more things than just that. Recently, a British middle school has invited a dog to the classroom. Why? For fun? For security? Or for experiments? Flossie, a ten-month-old poodle, says "No" to all the above guesses. He is there to help increase students' reading confidence. It is a little hard to believe, but it's real. Vice-headmaster Sue Frost is responsible for training and taking care of the dog. She said, "Flossie has a great _ on students.They are willing to read for him. This is really a good way for students to learn more new words and make new progress." Flossie is quite popular among students. Jacob Wicks, an 11-year-old schoolboy, entered the school last November. He said, "I think Flossie is a lovely dog. He always listens to me quietly when I am reading. There is no need for me to worry about negative comments if I don't read well." Another student named Jordan Leatherhead said that he liked reading Guinness world Records for Flossie, and that Flossie like listening to him because there are many records about dogs and other animals in the book. Wow! This is really an interesting teaching method. Why not have a try if you have a pet dog at home? ,. What does the passage mainly talk about? A. Dogs are loyal friends for humans. B. Dogs are good companion to their owners. C. Dogs are helpful for making reading interesting and effective. D. Dogs are useful for people to make experiments. Answer: C Question: Having learned much about the War of Resistance against Japan, Mao Jingxin didn't like the Japanese when she was a child. "I thought they were cruel and rude," said the 18-year-old girl from Hebei Province. But she began to change her mind after she met some Japanese teenagers in a history museum six years ago. These fashionable high school students looked seriously at the history displays and talked to Mao in a friendly way. "I found that they are not bad as I thought," she said. Like Mao, many Chinese teenagers' are caught up in this confusion. A survey by 21st Century Teens shows about 51 per cent of Chinese teenagers say they dislike Japan. But most of them still want to have a Japanese friend. Also, Japan lies third on their list of Asian countries that they want to visit, following Singapore and South Korea. Teens did a survey just before the 60th anniversary of the victory day of the War of Resistance against Japan, which fell on September 3. The survey aimed to encourage understanding and communication between young Chinese and Japanese. Teens also wanted to understand Chinese teenagers' attitudes towards Japan, and how much they actually know about the country. As Teens found, more than 60 per cent of Chinese teenagers learn about Japan through the media or books. Only 16 per cent have ever met a Japanese person. "Most of my friends hate Japan for what it did to China during World War II. But people should not live in hatred. I think the best way to figure it out is to have contact with the Japanese people myself," Zhang Yuyuan, a Senior 2 girl, told us in the survey. "Japan has done wrong to Asian countries including China and it has caused pain to everyone," said Hikaru, a 17-year-old girl in Kawasaki . Having visited China four times and learned much, she understands the importance of communication between the two peoples. She plans to join in an exchange programme with Chinese youth. "Welcome to Japan, my Chinese friends!" She says it with a smile. Most teenagers hate Japanese because _ . A. the Japanese were cruel during the war B. the Japanese they meet are cruel C. the Japanese don't want to communicate with Chinese people D. they look too fashionable Answer: A Question: You either have it, or you don't-- a sense of direction, that is. But why is it that some people could find their way across the Sahara without a map, while others can lose themselves in the next street? Scientists say we're all born with a sense of direction, but it is not properly understood how it works. One theory is that people with a good sense of direction have simply worked harder at developing it. Research being carried out at Liverpool University supports this idea and suggests that if we don't use it, we'll lose it. "Children as young as seven have the ability to find their way around," says Jim Martland, Research director of the project. "However, if they are not allowed out alone or are taken everywhere by car, they never develop the skills." Jim Martland also emphasizes that young people should be taught certain skills to improve their sense of direction. He makes the following suggestions: If you are using a map, turn it so it relates to the way you are facing. If you leave your bike in a strange place, put it near something like a big stone or a tree--something easy to recognize. Note landmarks on the route as you go away from your bike. When you return, go back along the same route. Simplify the way for finding your direction by using lines such as streets in a town, streams, or walls in the countryside to guide you. Count your steps so that you know how far you have gone and note any landmarks such as tower blocks or hills which can help to find out where you are. Now you will never get lost again! What is TRUE of 7-year-old children according to the passage? A. They never have a sense of direction without maps. B. They should never be allowed out alone if they lack a sense of direction. C. They have a sense of direction and can find their way around. D. They can develop a good sense of direction if they are driven around in a car. Answer: B Question: On Monday, Sept.25, hundreds of people gathered outside the Library of Congress, in Washington D.C., to celebrate public libraries. For more than 100 years, libraries have played an important role in keeping America informed and educated. But how are these book-filled buildings changing with the times? You may be surprised to find out. Benjamin Franklin famously founded America's first lending library in 1731 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. And the public library system developed greatly in the late 1800's. Businessman Andrew Carnegie donated millions of dollars to help build free public libraries across the country. Between 1886 and 1919, Carnegie's donations helped build 1,679 new libraries! Carnegie believed in the opportunities that libraries could offer Americans young and old. He knew that the more libraries there were, the more people would have access to books, lectures, news and more. "There are now more public libraries in the United States than McDonald's restaurants," said Clara Hayden, of Baltimore's Enoch Pratt Free Library. Chances are that there is a public library in or near your community . After all, the United States is home to 9,225 public libraries. Today, libraries continue to develop and grow. Seven out of ten libraries offer free Internet access. This opens any doors for community members who cannot go online at home, including the opportunity to apply for jobs online. Libraries are also teaching kids about the fun of reading. One new program called Read! Play! ----- combines reading with playtime. As kids listen to a book being read aloud, they use Legos to build images from the story. "Today's libraries are always looking for creative programming to bring people into the library," Lego's Michael McNally said. Benjamin Franklin once said, "The doors of wisdom are never shut." As long as the doors of public libraries are open, his statement is most certainly true! We can learn from Franklin's statement that _ . A. libraries should be free all the time B. people can learn any time they want to C. kids can gain much knowledge by reading D. the doors of libraries can be shut regularly Answer: B
When fresh water and salt water meet in an estuary, the salt water typically flows underneath the fresh water because the salt water is denser. What effect does this most likely have on the nutrients concentrated in the fresh water? Answer: Organic matter in soil can be increased by Answer: The direction of our lives is determined by the choices we make every day. They accumulate and lead to our final destination. Success in life is not a gift that just falls on people like a ripe pawpaw! It is a choice you have to make. The life you are going to live tomorrow is just a direct product of your choice today. It is pointless to waste our time today and hope for a successful tomorrow. Everything that happens in your life depends on what you are doing today. Your future begins with a choice. Here are some tips that help you create a life of fulfillment and prosperity in the future. Choose to be positive. A positive mental attitude will put you miles ahead of your peers . Never say never. Your attitude determines your altitude. It is more valuable than skills. Choose a positive attitude and things will start to work for you. Choose to always treat others right. We come across all sorts of people, many of whom will treat us poorly. We can choose to treat them right, no matter how they treat us. When they lie, we will tell the truth. When they cheat, we will play by the rules. We may get the short end of the stick sometimes, but in the long run we will win. Choose to sow more than you reap. There are many takers in this world, but our lives will be better as we become givers. Give away your time, your money and your love and you will most likely get it back sooner or later! Choose to break bad habit. Take the big ones first. Make every effort to break them. Forget about the others, as you will get to them later. Stop smoking, get out of debt and lose your extra weight. Exercise the power to choose! Choose to get home for dinner more often. The family is the most important group of people you will ever belong to. Make a decision today to develop your relationship with your family. This one choice you will never regret. You have a chance today to change your life forever. Make the right choices . If you are a giver, which of the following would you do ? Answer: Packaging is an important form of advertising.A package can sometimes _ someone to buy a product.For example, a small child might ask for a breakfast food that comes in a box with a picture of a TV character.The child is more interested in the picture than in breakfast food.Pictures for children to color or cut out, games printed on a package, or a small gift inside a box also motivate many children to buy products or to ask their parents to buy for them. Some packages suggest that a buyer will get something for nothing.Food products sold in reusable containers are examples of this.Although a similar product in a plain container might cost less, people often prefer to buy the product in a reusable glass or dish, because they believe the container is free.However, the cost of the container is added to the cost of the product.The size of a package also motivates a buyer.Maybe the package had "Economy Size" or "Family Size" printed on it.This suggests that the larger size has the most product for the least money.But that is not always true.To find it out, a buyer has to know how the product is sold and the price of the basic unit. The information on the package should provide some answers.But the important thing for any buyer to remember is that a package is often an advertisement.The words and pictures do not tell the whole story.Only the product inside can do that. From the passage we know the buyer pays more attention to _ . Answer: Two of the saddest words in the English language are "if only". I live my life with the goal of never having to say those words, because they convey regret, lost opportunities, mistakes, and disappointment. My father is famous in our family for saying, "Take the extra minute to do it right." I always try to live by the "extra minute" rule. When my children were young and likely to cause accidents, I always thought about what I could do to avoid an "if only" moment, whether it was something minor like moving a cup full of hot coffee away from the edge of a counter, or something that required a little more work such as taping padding onto the sharp corners of a glass coffee table. I don't only avoid those "if only" moments when it comes to safety. It's equally important to avoid "if only" in our personal relationships. We all know people who lost a loved one and regretted that they had _ an opportunity to say "I love you" or "I forgive you." When my father announced he was going to the eye doctor across from my office on Good Friday, I told him that it was a holiday for my company and I wouldn't be here. But then I thought about the fact that he's 84 years old and I realized that I shouldn't give up an opportunity to see him. I called him and told him I had decided to go to work on my day off after all. I know there will still be occasions when I have to say "if only" about something, but my life is definitely better because of my policy of doing everything possible to avoid that eventuality. And even though it takes an extra minute to do something right, or it occasionally takes an hour or two in my busy schedule to make a personal connection, I know that I'm doing the right thing. I'm buying myself peace of mind and that's the best kind of insurance for my emotional well-being. The author decided to go to her office on Good Friday to _ . Answer:
Classes resumed Thursday for the students of a school in Newtown, Conn, where a gunman last month killed 20 children and 6 adults in the second-largest school shooting in U.S. history. With their school still being treated as a crime scene, more than 400 students of Sandy Hook Primary School attended classes in neighbouring Monroe. Returning students, teachers and administrators were met by a large police presence outside their new school. Several officers guarded the entrance and checked IDs of parents dropping off children. Law-enforcement officers guarding the new school called it "the safest school in America." Students found the same chairs and desks, when possible. Their classroom walls were painted the same colours and hung with the same pictures. Other details, such as the location of bookshelves and cubby holes, were replicated as much as possible. The school district said parents who wanted to be close to their children were welcome to visit and stay in classrooms or an auditorium. Newtown superintendent Janet Robinson said officials would do their best to make the students feel at ease. "We will be doing a normal day." She said. A lot of things in the new school were replicated as much as possible except _ . A chairs and desks B classroom walls C the location of the fans and air conditioners D the location of bookshelves and cubby holes Answer: C More and more people think it necessary to study in an English-speaking country and it didn't take long at all for me to decide to come and study in UK. Having been in the school for 2 months, I'm getting used to school life, and I am starting to make the most of my time in here. School starts at 9 o'clock every morning, and every Monday, Wednesday and Friday we have long days, in which we have 9 lessons and school finishes at 4 o'clock. Every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturdays we have short days, in which we have only 6 lessons and finish at 1 o'clock. After lessons, we have two hours of activity time, when you can choose from a wide range of activities, including all the major sports, such as rugby and football, and also the minor sports such as basketball and tennis. As a boarder( ),the quality of food is something I consider very important, and Merchiston has not _ . The school kitchens are run by a professional food company, and the quality of food is very excellent and also they take the healthy diet very seriously: I remember once I was once asked to take more salad for my meal by a member of the kitchen staff for I didn't have enough vegetables. This brings another point of being a boarder: you need to learn how to look after yourself and be responsible for yourself. One of the huge advantages of being a boarder is that we can have breakfast in the school, which means we don't have to pull ourselves out of bed as early as the day pupils! The passage mainly tells us about _ . A the author's school life in the UK as a boarder. B the author's opinion of the school life in the UK. C the differences in school life between China and UK. D the boarder life in a Britain middle school. Answer: A When we are unfamiliar with something,we may feel nervous and fearful.The assistance of others is a good way to help us pull through. I write for a big newspaper, and I wanted to write a story about parachute jumping.To make it a realistic as well as exciting story,I decided that I first had to make a jump myself. Unfortunately,I am not good at any sports of any kind,let alone parachute jumping. My friend Mr. Smith was willing to give me a hand.He took me to a ground school.The first day's training included several hours of instruction but not my first drop from an airplane For this,I had to wait until the following morning. The next morning,after a hurried,anxious breakfast,I was taken to the airfield.There,two heavy parachutes were put on my back,and an orange helmet was pushed down onto my head.Then I was asked to make my way to a small plane which had just stopped slowly on the runway. Once on board,the plane was soon climbing.I began to feel nervous.As we reached one thousand metres,Harry,my teacher, hooked a line from my parachute to a steel ring inside the plane.The line was to pull my parachute open after I jumped. "Get ready, Henry,"Harry said.I moved carefully to the door.I wanted to cry,"No,no,no!"But no word came. "Jump!"Harry called loudly."Jump!" To my surprise,kicking like a frog I did jump.Away from the plane,and down,down I fell,arms stretched.It worked! The air seemed to hold me up.All at once I was very happy. Then I felt a quick pull.My big parachute had opened! It was the best surprise I ever had. I looked down.There were rivers,trees,fields and houses.I heard the soft sound of the air This was fun ! The writer made a parachute jump himself_. A to learn more about parachute jumping B to make his story realistic and exciting C to reduce pressure from his busy work D to prove to others his skill and courage Answer: B Reading is a great way to improve your English. You'll learn new words, revise previously-taught structures and absorb thousands of useful expressions and phrases... without any effort. By reading, you are receiving valuable language input. And this is how you learn! Remember, language learning is a combination of input + practice. As you're reading, you're taking in language naturally, and you're seeing how it all fits together. This is _ to your learning. The great thing about reading is that learning takes place subconsciously. There are no exercises to do, no grammar rules to learn, no tasks to complete... it's all natural. The language flows in through your eyes, and gets recorded in your brain. What could be easier? The key to effective reading is to read things that you want to read. There are millions of books, magazines and websites out there. You couldn't possibly read them all. So, the important thing is to find things that you like reading. Then, you'll be motivated to read. And then the reading won't be difficult. It'll be easy! And then you'll learn. It's simple. Remember: read what you want to read. What you like reading. What motivates and inspires you. But where can you start? Well, you could read a book that you've already read in your own language. Simply find a translated version of a book that you have read and enjoyed. This will make processing the content in the target language much easier as you'll already know what the book is about! You could also read the news. This is great as you can read the news in your own language first, then in English. You'll see that it won't be too difficult as you'll be familiar with the topics and stories. Magazines are also great. Find one that covers a topic you're interested in: business, clothing, guns, horses, houses, housekeeping, stocks and shares, sports, computers, electronics, designing, cooking... you name it, they'll have it. If not, look for information on the internet. There are also websites for every topic under the sun! Why not join a forum? They're a great source of English input as the language is often written in a simple, spoken style. Go to Google Groups, which has discussion groups based on common interests. Just type in the topic that interests you and join the chat. Finally, how you read is also important. The best thing is to read without using a dictionary. Let the words flow over you. Just skip the parts you don't understand. If you make your reading feel too much like work, it'll stop being fun. Of course, you could make a note of any new words and phrases that you like or see repeated frequently, but try not to break your concentration too much. Also, set yourself mini-objectives. For example, if you're reading a novel, read 20 pages a day. Very soon, you'll have been exposed to thousands of useful phrases and words. Have fun reading! You'll learn so much! The key to effective reading is _ . A to read millions of books B not to learn grammar rules C to be motivated to read D to read easy things Answer: C More and more people like bicycling and it is no surprise. It's fun, healthy and good for the environment. Maybe that's why there are 1.4 billion bicycles and only 400 million cars on roads worldwide today. Bikes can take you almost anywhere, and there is no oil cost! If you get on a bicycle and ride it, you may discover something new all around you. Stopping and getting off a bike is easier than stopping and getting out of your cars. You can bike to work and benefit from the enjoyable exercise without polluting the environment. You don't even have to ride all the way. Folding bikes work well for people who ride the train. Just fold the bike and take it with you. You can do the same on an airplane. A folding bike can be packed in a suitcase. You can also take a common bike with you when you fly. But be sure to look for information by getting on airline websites. Not all airlines are bicycle-friendly to travelers. Here are some of Health Benefits of Bicycling: 2 Bicycling helps to prevent heart diseases. 2 Bicycling helps to control your weight. A 15-minute bike ride to and from work three times a week burns off five kilos of fat in a year. 2 Bicycling can improve your mood. Exercise like bicycling has been shown to make people feel better, more relaxed and self-confident. 2 Bicycling is healthier than driving. If you travel with a folding bike, you can fold it and _ . A put it at the station B go on airline websites C feel more self-confident D take it onto a train with you Answer: D
Question: If you are invited to a party by the Austrians and the suggested dress is "informal " (usually marked in the lower left-hand coner of the invitation) , it may mean dark suit and a white shirt for men and cocktail dress( ) for women. Or again, may mean something considerably less formal. "Formal" means a black tie and evening dress for men and a floor-length dress for women. If a man is in doubt about what to wear, he may come slightly overdressed and then take his coat and tie off when he sees that others are wearing sports shirts. National dress is always acceptable. The general idea of this passage is _ . A. men and women should be dressed differently B. national dress is always useful C. what to wear if a person is invited to an Austrian party D. men and women should dress themselves beautifully Answer: C Question: Let Children Roam Free Everyone agrees that playing outside keeps children thinner. The loss of opportunities for outdoor play is one of the main causes of childhood obesity. What is more remarkable is the growing evidence that children's mental health and emotional well-being are enhanced by contact with the outdoors, and that the restorative effect appears to be strongest in natural settings. Researchers are convinced of the depth of the connection between children's well-being and the environment, claiming that contact with nature may be as important to children as good nutrition and adequate sleep. But now children seem to get less touch with outdoor activities. The root causes of the dramatic loss of children's freedom lie in changes to the very fabric of their lives over the last 30 years or so. The growth in road traffic, alongside poor town planning and shifts in the make-up and daily rhythms of families and communities, have left children with fewer outdoor places to go. These changes coincided with the "culture of fear": a generalized anxiety about all imaginary kinds of threats, even though children are statistically safer from harm now than at any point in human history. These physical, economic and social changes and fears have been made use of by manufactures and advertisers, whose products and messages both reinforce the logic of keeping children virtual prisoners, and force us to compensate them in the only way our cash-rich, time-poor society seems to know: by spending money on them. Government must bear some of the blame for keeping children prisoners indoor, through their promotion of planning policies that favour cars over communities and profit over people. The real planning crimes lie in housing companies occupying attractive parks and green spaces, and in town plans that force families to depend largely on their cars. There is no doubt that traffic danger, unlike stranger danger, is a real threat to children and a constant worry for parents. Around 100 child pedestrians are killed every year, a figure that puts the UK near the bottom of Europe's child road safety league. It is no surprise that figures show a steady fall in children walking or cycling over the last twenty years, to the extent that while over 90% of children own a bicycle, just 2% cycle to school. Also, 30% of children aged eight to ten never play outside without an adult watching over them. In a single generation, the "home habitat" of a typical eight-year-old----the area in which children are able to travel on their own- has shrunk to one-ninth of its former size. Health experts have even created a new word, "obesogenic", to describe those aspects of our lives that make us fat, and top of the list is the design of streets, towns and cities. Manufacturers and advertisers are _ . A. taking advantage of people B. promoting active lifestyles C. pushing safety products D. making economic changes Answer: A Question: This is No. 2 Middle School. My friend, Wei Hua is in the school. She is fifteen. She is in Class Three, Grade Two. Wei Hua has two good friends. They are Kate and Lily. Kate is from England. She is fifteen, too. But She is in No. 3 Middle School. She is in Class One, Grade Two. Lily is an American girl. She is fifteen, too. She is in No. 2 Middle School, too. She is in Class Two, Grade Two. Lily's Chinese teacher is Miss Yang. Lily likes Chinese very much. She can speak Chinese very well. Kate is in _ Middle School. A. No.3 B. No.1 C. No. 2 D. No. 4 Answer: A Question: What's Keeping You up at Night? Which film would you like to see on the spookiest day of the year? Well, it's that time of the year again; witches, ghosts, wizards and skeletons are supposed to come out in full force. Yes, Halloween --31st October, the spookiest day of the year is almost here. There are so many things we can do to enjoy this supernatural day--sweets, fancy dress and of course watching scary films. It's the perfect time for family and friends to watch horror films on the TV in the dark and maybe they are so frightened that they may try to find safety behind a sofa! There are thousands of such films to choose from that it's hard for us to make choices. One of the most famous is 1970's release Carrie which may meet your needs perfectly. It's a tale of a girl being bullied at school by young women who live to regret it. If you want to see films showing violence, blood and killing, then The Night of the Ling Dead and Evil Dead will provide more horrorable sights than one person can possibly manage. For Hitchcock fans out there, Halloween is the perfect time to watch two of his best-known movies from the 1960's, Psycho and The Birds. Both have aged unbelievably well and still can keep the viewers on the edge of their seats with their very frightening effects. However, not everyone wants to be frightened on Halloween night. Monsters Inc. is an animation film, set in a land where monsters exist and the strange characters are sure to bring a smile to the kids in the family. Meanwhile, if you want to stay up all night, film series such as The Saw, Nightmare on prefix = st1 /Elm Streetand maybe Harry Potter are sure to keep you seated in the box for hours. So turn off the lights, sit back and enjoy the movies that you have chosen, whether it is unpleasant or spooky. But remember, don't have nightmares! On Halloween, _ . A. witches, ghosts, wizards and skeletons will come back to life. B. you have many choices about which horror films to see. C. you'd better sit behind a sofa. D. it's not a time for you to have nightmares. Answer: B Question: Friends are important to the children. Research shows that children who have no friends can suffer from difficulties later in life. Friendship provides children with more than just fun. In making friends, children learn how to get in touch with the others and solve problems. Having friends even does good to children's study for they can help each other during the class. If the parents care about their children whether they made many friends,what matters is that the child is comfortable and happy with his friends. Parents need to understand the steps children take in building friendships. First of all, be a friend to your child. Good friendships start at home. Children begin to develop the necessary ability to go out and meet others through getting with their parents. Greet the child warmly and let him know you are glad to see him. Children learn a lot from how their parents stay with them and other people. Teach children how to solve conflicts . Being able to work out conflicts is an important skill in getting along with others. If parents know the children have a conflict, let them work it out on their own. Only step in if it is really necessary, for example, an argument is getting physical. Give children chances to practice staying together. Have children play games that require team work and group problem solving skills. For example, races are fun and provide plenty of practice in teamwork. "In what ways didn't you work well together? What might you do differently next time?" For these ideas, see books such as Games Book by Terry Orlick, Energizers by Carol Apacki, and Team-Building Activities for Every Group by Alanna Jones. Encourage children to show thanks to the others. The parents can encourage children to do this by setting the example for them. When the children disagree with each other, the parents should _ . A. let them fight with each other until they find who is the winner B. do nothing to the children and believe in their abilities C. let them work it out by themselves and help if necessary D. talk with them and try to find good ways to stay together Answer: C
The World Health Organization estimates that more than 4 million people die each year from the effects of smoking tobacco . That number is increasing. WHO officials expect 150 million people to die from tobacco use in the next twenty years. Seven in ten of those deaths will be in developing countries. These numbers are frightening. Yet people around the world continue to smoke. It is not easy to stop smoking. However, doctors say you will live longer if you do stop smoking. You will feel better and look better. You will also protect the health of family members who breathe in your smoke. The American Cancer Society says there is not just one right way to stop smoking. It says that one method or a unit of methods may be successful. These include attending self-help programs or following directions in a book. The group says any way to stop smoking that is legal, moral and effective is worth trying. This could include taking long walks or spending time in areas where smoking is not allowed. Also, you could eat a small piece of fruit instead of having a cigarette. The American Cancer Society says the sooner smokers stop smoking, the more they reduce their chances of getting cancer and other diseases. It says blood pressure returns to normal twenty minutes after a smoker smoking the last cigarette. Carbon monoxide (CO) gas levels in the blood return to normal after eight hours. In a day, the chances of a heart attack decrease. In a year, the risk of heart disease is half that of a smoker. We can infer from the passage that _ . Answer: Linda and Betty were both twenty years old. They studied in the same medical college. In June, after a school year was over, they decided to take a vacation in the country. They went to several towns and villages, and visited some places of interest, saw and heard a lot of interesting things. They enjoyed themselves very much. One afternoon, they were going to stay overnight in a small town. It was too hot to go further and they wished they could find a river and swim in the cool water. They were driving the car slowly while they were looking around. Suddenly Linda saw a lake not far away. They drove there fast and stopped the car by the lake. They looked around and found a man was sitting on a stone and fishing there. When they took their clothes and were going to jump into the water, the man came up to them and shouted," Sorry, Madams' swimming is not allowed in the lake!" "Why didn't you tell us about it before we took off our clothes?" Betty said angrily. "But it isn't to take off clothes by the lake," said the man. The man didn't want them _ . Answer: Idioms are phrases and sentences that do not mean exactly what they say. Even if you know the meaning of each word you see or hear, you may not understand the idiom because you don't understand the culture behind it. For example, if an American boy asks his mother what's for dinner tomorrow, she may say "I'll play it by ear", that means she doesn't have plans for dinner and she will decide later. "Play by ear" used to mean playing music using the sheet music, but now people often use it when they're not talking about music. There're many idioms in English. If you learn to use them, your English will be more vivid and colorful. English idioms are more common in spoken English. They can be difficult to remember sometimes. Next time when you hear somebody saying to you, "Give me a hand", you don't necessarily stretch out your hand to him/her, but you do need to be helpful. And when the situation is out of hand, you usually can do very little to manage all that. What about a green hand? It's not about the color of your hand! You're a green hand when you are very new at your work and don't have much experience. If you and your partner always work together hand in glove, you two definitely work together very well. Can you guess the meanings of some common English idioms to do with parts of your body? If a mother says "I'll play it by ear" to talk about the dinner, she means _ . Answer: To understand how Americans think about things, it is necessary to understand "the point". Americans mention it often: "Let's get right to the point." They will say, "My point is..." "What's the point of all this?" The "point" is the idea or piece of information that Americans suppose is, or should be, at the center of people's thinking, writings, and spoken comments. Speakers and writers are supposed to "make their points clear", meaning that they are supposed to say or write clearly the idea or piece of information they wish to express. People from many other cultures have different ideas about the point. Africans traditionally tell stories that express the thoughts they have in mind, rather than stating the point clearly. Japanese traditionally speak indirectly, leaving the listener to figure out what the point is. Thus, while an American might say to a friend, "I don't think that coat goes very well with the rest of your _ ," a Japanese might say, "Maybe another coat would look even better than the one you have on." Americans value a person who "gets right to the point". Japanese are likely to consider such a person insensitive if not rude. The Chinese and Japanese languages are characterized by vagueness and ambiguity. The precision and directness Americans associate with "the point" cannot be achieved, at least not with any grace, in Chinese and Japanese. Speakers of those languages thus have to learn a new way of reasoning and expressing their ideas if they are going to communicate satisfactorily with Americans. According to the passage, Americans expect speakers and writers to _ . Answer: Zhou Yan, a Junior 3 student, wishes he never got a mobile phone. Last week, he went to see a doctor because his arms and fingers were injured. The doctor told him that he had had "mobile phone disease ". A growing number of teenagers are getting "mobile phone disease" because more and more are using mobile phones. Zhou got his mobile phone five months ago. He sent messages to his friends with it all the time, even when going to bed. Zhou started to do badly in exams because he spent too much time playing with his mobile phone. His mom got very angry with him, but he didn't stop playing with the mobile phone until his arms got injured. Yang Ling, a doctor, says that if someone uses his mobile phone too much, like Zhou Yan, he might get "mobile phone disease". If teenagers find their arms or fingers hurt , they should go to see a doctor as soon as possible. Yang says teenagers should try to use their mobile phones less, especially at school. Zhou Yan didn't do well in exams because _ . Answer:
The story happened during the Second World War. An old man lived in a small town of Germany. He had three sons and they all worked in the same factory where he had worked. After the war had begun, his sons were all made to join the army one after another and they all died in the fights. The old man was very sad. He didn't have enough food and was often hungry. And nobody helped him and he didn't know how to go on living. It was a very cold winter night. The old man couldn't go to sleep. He had been hungry for two days and it was so cold in his room that ice could be seen. He had to get up and began to run in the room until he lay down on the floor. The next morning he had to beg from door to door. He had been to a lot of cities and knew a lot. Once he came to a village, but the villagers were all poor and couldn't give him anything. He was too hungry to go to another village. He thought hard and found a way. He came to a police station and called out, "Hitler is a foolish pig!" Out came an old policeman at once. He took the old man into a room, gave him some bread and a cup of tea. Then he said, "Don't say so in our village, sir!" "I'm sorry, sir," said the old man. "I don't know it's Hitler's hometown." "No, no, sir," the policeman said in a hurry. "It's pigs' hometown!" What would probably be the best title for this passage? Answer: It's Pigs' Hometown One evening last summer, when I asked my 17-year-old son, Ray, for help with dinner, his response surprised me, "What's a colander ?" he asked. I could only blame myself. Nobody's hands went in the sauce except my own. But that night, as I explained with a touch of panic that a colander is the thing with holes in it, I wondered what else I hadn't prepared Ray for. As parents, while we focus on our child's confidence and character, we perhaps don't always consider that we are also raising someone's future roommate, boyfriend, husband, or father. I wanted to know that I'd raised a boy who would never ask the woman in his life, "What's for dinner?" So I came up with a plan: I would offer Ray a private home economics course. I was delighted to find that he didn't say no. For two hours, three days a week, Ray was all mine. One day, as his tomato sauce reduced on the stove, he washed and seasoned a chicken for roasting. Then he rolled out the piecrust and filled it with apples, all while listening to my explanation on the importance of preheating an oven. I knew that he would rather have been shooting hoops I the driveway than learning to mend socks with his mother -- he tried to beg off sewing lessons, even though I insisted that one day, someone would find the sight of him fixing his own shirt very attractive -- but it couldn't be denied that he was learning, and _ . "I appreciate more what you do as a mom," he told me one day. Ray now understands the finer points of cooking, and more important, he realizes there's nothing masculine about being helpless. Not only can he make his own dinner, he can make it for his family, too. That's what I call a man. What would be the best title for the text? Answer: Present for my future daughter-in-law. Josh was going on an adventure. He was going to float down the river with his friends, Dennis and Connor. They had been building a boat out of wood Connor's father had given them for the last week. The boys wanted to paint the boat because the brown wood did not look very good. Josh wanted green, Dennis liked purple and Connor said it would look good if it was red. They had to call their friend, Tonya, to help choose. Tonya thought the same as Josh on the color so that is what they painted the boat. To thank Tonya for helping them choose the color, the boys invited her to come with them. All four of them carried the boat through the vegetable garden in the back yard. They were very careful not to step on any of the carrots, potatoes or green beans. Josh's mother had packed some food for them to eat as they floated down the river. Everything was in a big basket. There were peanut butter sandwiches, potato chips and cupcakes with strawberry frosting. Each person had a job on the boat. Josh was the captain. Dennis made sure the snacks did not get wet. Tonya watched for rocks ahead. Connor had to steer the boat. What job did Connor have on the boat? Answer: Steering. Robert Owen was born in Wales in 1771. At the age of ten he went to work. His employer had a large private library so Owen was able to educate himself. He read a lot in his spare time and at nineteen he was given the job of superintendent at a Manchester cotton mill. He was so successful there that he persuaded his employer to buy the New Lanark mill in Scotland. When he arrived at New Lanark it was a dirty little town with a population of 2,000 people. Nobody paid any attention to the workers' houses or their children's education. The conditions in the factories were very bad. There was a lot of crime and the men spent most of their wages on alcoholic drinks. Owen improved the houses. He encouraged people to be clean and save money. He opened a shop and sold the workers cheap, well-made goods to help them. He limited the sale of alcoholic drinks. Above all, he fixed his mind on the children's education. In 1816 he opened the first free primary school in Britain. People came from all over the country to visit Owen's factory. They saw that the workers were healthier and more efficient than in other towns. Their children were better fed and better educated. Owen tried the same experiment in the United States. He bought some land there in 1825, but the community was too far away. He could not keep it under control and lost most of his money. Owen never stopped fighting for his idea. Above all he believed that people are not born good or bad. He was a practical man and his ideas were practical. "If you give people good working conditions", he thought, "they will work well and, the most important thing of all, if you give them the chance to learn, they will be better people." For Owen, his greatest achievement in New Lanark was _ . Answer: providing the children with a good education 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 . What s this family like ? Answer: Big
Where would a polar bear be happiest? Early in the 16thcentury men were trying to reach Asia by travelling west from Europe. In order to find Asia they had to find a way past South Africa. The man who finally found the way from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific was Ferdinand Magellan. Magellan sailed from Seville in August 1519 with five ships and about 280 men. Fourteen months later, after spending the severe winter on the coast of Patagonia, he discovered the channel which is now called Magellan Straits. In November 1520, after many months of dangers from rocks and storms, the three remaining ships entered the ocean on the other side of South America. They then continued, hoping to reach Asia. But they didn't see any land until they reached the islands off the coast of Asia. Before they arrived at these islands, later known as Philippines, men were dying of starvation. While they were in the Philippines., Magellan was killed in battle. The remaining officers then had to get back to Spain. They decided to sail around Africa. After many difficulties, one ship with eighteen men sailed into Seville after leaving. They were all that remained of Magellan's expedition . Magellan Straits were discovered by Magellan _ . Does this ever happen to you? Someone introduces you to a friend, you hear his or her name, and then two minutes later, you forget it. Or you go to the same restaurant every day and the owner always says "Hello" to you but you can never remember her name. If this happens, you are _ -- actually most people have the problem remembering names. Here are some ways that can help people remember names. * Repeat the person's name loud at least three times while you talk together. For example, instead of saying "Nice to meet you." say "Nice to meet you, Jack." Instead of saying "Where do you live?" you can say "Where do you live, Jack?" Introduce the person by name to someone else right away. Write the name down as soon as possible. There are other ways which may seem a little strange. However, try them. * Think of a story using the person's name. For example, think to yourself, "Jack has a nice jacket." Imagine Jack in a nice jacket. * Think of a rhyme for the person's name. For example, think to yourself, "Jack would look nice in black." Imagine Jack wearing black clothes. All these ways have one thing in common. You must pay attention to the people you meet. You can't just meet someone, nod your head, say hello, and walk away. Remembering names takes work and practice. Which of the following may seem unusual to help remember a name? Here is an interview with a painter. Read and choose the best. Reporter:Mr Shum, you were one of Taiwan's most outstanding youths last year. Why was that? Mr Shum:Well, I can tell you that there are two reasons.First, I am a painter. Second, and more important reason is I am handicapped . I have no arms and only one leg. Reporter:Well, how do you paint then if you've got no arms? Do you use your foot? Mr Shum:Hah! For some handicapped people, it's true and they are able to use their feet.No,I use my mouth. I put my paintbrush or my crayons or pencils or whatever I am using in my mouth. I hold it _ in my teeth and paint or draw like that. It was a little strange for me at first, but it quickly became very easy. Reporter:I know you feel that you are first a painter and only secondly that you are a disablbed person, but can we talk first about your handicap? Mr Shum:Well,in fact I think of myself firstly as a person, secondly as a painter and thirdly as someone with a physical handicap. Can I say that I am not happy with the word "handicapped"? I am a popular painter because my paintings are good, not because they were painted by a handicapped person. "handicapped"means you can't do anything. It is difficult for me to do some things like getting dressed. Reporter: Were you born with your handicap? Mr Shum:No. An accident happened to me when I was 15 years old.After that I became depressed and even tried to end my life, but my mother was always there for me. Mr Shum thinks himself first as _ . As he looks up at the Jade Dragon Mountain, Zhang Jinpeng basks in the sunshine on the roof-top of his youth hostel in Lijiang, a popular tourist destination in Yunnan province in Southwest China. He is content and excited at the same time, since the hostel, which he named after his best-seller A Decade of Backpacking, opened earlier this month. Published in 2010, Zhang's book was considered a milestone in Chinese travel writing. It sold more than 600,000 copies and triggered a wave of travel books by other Chinese writers who were born in the late 1970s and 1980s. Different from travel guides and traditional Chinese travel literature that mainly depict landscapes and scenery, these books by young travelers tell stories of their personal growth through traveling. In A Decade of Backpacking, Zhang recounts his travels around the world since 2001, after he graduated from Nan Kai University in Tianjin and decided to see the world. "At the time my book came out, there were few books that catered to young people's longing while traveling." Zhang's book ignited a Chinese craze for travel writing. Featuring different themes, travel writing became a popular genre. But most of the books have one thing in common: The travelers are mostly young people. The Late Gap Year (2009), written by Sun Dongchun, tells the story of a young man who gave up a white-collar job and started a three-month trip for a volunteer program in Southeast Asia. The trip turned into a year-long travel. What's more, he even found his Miss Right and got married by the end of the story. We Always Travel Hand in Hand, published in 2012, was written by a young couple. Their travel romance, complete with beautiful pictures, first went viral on a Chinese micro-blog. Song Zhenshao, counselor at the psychological counseling center of Beijing Normal University, says: "To step out of ordinary life is a deep desire associated with freedom in people's hearts, and the hustle and bustle of city life intensifies the desire." But as more similar travelogues hit the bookshelves, the average sales for new travel books have dropped. "The market for travel writing has become saturated ," says Li Shen, editor of several travel books at the Beijing-based China Civic Press. "We have been very cautious in accepting manuscripts from new travel writers. We don't publish them unless they have a very unique perspective or unusual experiences." Zhang Jinpeng, too, has been changing the direction in his writing. After A Decade of Backpacking, he published Why We Travel in 2012. His next book will be titled Don't Forget the Road Back Home. From the passage, we can infer that _ .
Question: Rachael lives in Wisconsin and has lived there all her life. She is just an average girl; at first when you are around her, she seems to be very shy. If you get to know her, she'll start to open up but always keep things to herself. Sports are something that keeps her going, a way to release stress. Usually, you will see Rachael out with friends or just sitting down reading a good book. She takes pride in the fact that she can read a whole book in one day, and that she still doesn't consider herself a bookworm. Some people call Rachael strange because of things she does. She's learned to _ what other people think because she just doesn't care any more. She likes to surround herself with people like her so it makes he feel like she is the less strange one in most situations. Rachael wants to be two completely different people in her life. A communication journalist for one, she has always wanted to be that person. The second possible career would be lawyer. It's a huge goal, and one day you'll see her doing something she loves. Influenced by her parents, Rachael enjoys listening to all kinds of music. Rarely, if ever, do you see her without some sort of music. Every morning you can see Rachael in her bathroom getting ready for school with her player at maximum volume .Her parents always get mad at her about that, but she can't hear them anyway over the music. They don't know that she uses their surround sound stereo when they aren't at home! The passage mentions the following about Rachael EXCEPTher _ . A. hobby B. personality C. ideal jobs D. appearance Answer: D. appearance Question: A recent survey of 2000 parents in Britain showed that they are often afraid of science questions asked by their curious children only because they have no idea what the answer is. Here is a list of some simple questions that you can ask your parents to see if they know the answers. Q: Why is the sky blue? A: You probably know white sunlight is made up of seven colors. While it moves in a straight line when going through space, it starts to divide as it hits "raised area" in the atmosphere. The ones with longest wavelengths pass through easily. The blue , however , can be taken in by the gas molecules because it has a shorter wavelength , which in turn scatters it in different directions. That's why when you look up at the sky, it appears to be blue. Q:Why does the moon sometimes appear during the daytime? A: The simple answer to that is because just like any other object it is being lit by the sun. As long as it is around 45 degrees or even 90 degrees off the sun, it will receive light and be able to be seen. The only time it is not able to be seen during its 28-day orbit around the earth is when it is right between the earth and the sun. That's because its back , which is not lit by the sun, is facing us. Q: Where do birds/ honeybees go in winter? A: While the bird part is quite easy, since a lot of them get together and travel, the honeybee part is likely to puzzle your parents. It turns out that these busy insects stop being that active when the temperature drops below 50degF. Instead ,they get together in the lower central area of the hive and form a ball around their queen. This helps keep both warm enough to survive the cold winter months. The sky looks blue mainly because the color blue in the sunlight _ . A. has the longest wavelength among all the colors B. cannot be taken in by the gas molecules C. doesn't hit "raised area" in the atmosphere D. cannot pass through space successfully Answer: D. cannot pass through space successfully Question: BRITAIN is a popular tourist place. But tours of the country have pros and cons. Good news Free museums: No charge for outstanding collections of art and antiquities . Pop music: Britain is the only country to rival (......)the US on this score. Black cabs: London taxi drivers know where they are going even if there are never enough of them at weekends or night. Choice of food: Visitors can find everything from Ethiopian to Swedish restaurants. Fashion: Not only do fashion junkies love deeply and respect highly brand names such as Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen; street styles are justly loved, too. Bad news Poor service: "It's part of the image of the place. People can dine out on the rudeness they have experienced," says Professor Tony Seaton of Luton University's International Tourism Research Center. Poor public transport: Trains and buses are promised to defeat the keenest tourists, although the over-crowded London tube is inexplicably popular. Lack of language: Speaking slowly and clearly may not get many foreign visitors very far, even in the tourist traps. Rain: Still in the number one complaint. No air-conditioning: So that even splendidly hot summer become as unbearable as the downpours. Overpriced hotels: The only European country with a higher rate of tax on hotel rooms is Denmark. Licensing hours: Alcohol is in short supply after 11 p.m. even in 24-hour cities. What do tourists complain most? A. Poor service. B. Poor public transport. C. Rain. D. Overpriced hotels. Answer: C. Rain. Question: Which of the following is found farthest from the center of an atom? A. nucleus B. proton C. neutron D. electron Answer: D. electron Question: The Age of Unreason Charles Handy In his book The Age of Unreason Professor Handy describes the dramatic changes that are taking place in our lives today and warns that we must adapt to these changes if we want to survive in the future. Handy believes that in the future less than 50% of the workforce will be employed full-time by an organization. These full-time employees will be the qualified professionals, technicians, and managers who are essential to an organization. Their working lives will be a lot more demanding than today, but in return they will be well-paid and they will retire earlier. The rest of the workforce will be self-employed or will work part-time, providing organizations with the products and services they require on a contract basis. Handy forecasts a big increase in the number of working mothers in the future and believes there will be a large number of unemployed. Handy gives us plenty of figures to worry about. He estimates that by the year 2040, one person in five will retire, and one in ten will be over seventy-five years old. There will be one retiree to every three people of working age, and even more than that in countries such as Germany and Switzerland, where the proportion will be as much as one to two. Retirees will remain healthy and active for longer than they do today and many will live to be a hundred years old, a fact which leads Handy to suggest that the term retirement will no longer be appropriate. He suggests the third age is a more appropriate description, since it will be as important a part of our lives as the first age of learning and the second age of working are for us today. According to Professor Handy, the future workforce will _ . A. adapt to the changes in retirement easily B. be mainly self-employed C. have fewer full-time workers than today D. work on a contract basis Answer: C. have fewer full-time workers than today
It's Sunday morning. My parents, my uncle, my sisters and I are all at home. What is my father doing? He is reading a newspaper. My mother is watering the flowers in the small garden. There are some beautiful flowers in it. Some are red, and the others are yellow. My uncle is my mother's brother. He's a waiter. He is watching TV now. He is a basketball fan . And he is good at playing basketball. Now he is watching NBA on TV. Where are my sisters? Cindy is over there. She is listening to the radio . She likes popular music very much. Nancy is in her room. She has a computer. Now she is surfing the Internet . She's writing an e-mail to her friend. What am I doing? I'm doing my homework. " Which is not true ? Brazil is a federation that consists of twenty-six states and one federal district. The biggest majority of Brazil's population belongs to the Christian religion and almost all of them are Catholics. This is something Brazil inherited being Portugal's colony . Historically, the country was a colony claimed by people from Portugal and this made Portuguese the official language. The Portuguese reached Brazil in 1500 and until that moment it was inhabited by semi-nomadic people. The Portuguese changed Brazil into a country of slaves until 1800, when Maria I of Portugal came to live in Brazil. The Queen did not stay long in Brazil, but during the 20 years of royal presence a lot of changes occurred: commercial ports to United Kingdom were opened; Brazil stopped being isolated from other countries. So at the moment of getting the independence on the 7th of September, 1822, Brazil already had the potential to develop. The Brazilian Empire, Pedro I, abolished slavery in 1888 in the face of Princess Isabel. A lot of European people started coming to Brazil and the industry of the country started working. In the 19th and the 20th century as it has been said above foreign people immigrated to Brazil and basically 5 million European and Japanese people became the residents of Brazil. The beginning of the 20th century was especially marked by the immigration of a lot of Asian people: Japanese, Korean and Chinese immigrants. As a matter of fact Japanese people do not immigrate a lot, and the fact that the Brazilian-Japanese people are the largest Japanese minority in the world does astonish greatly. The majority of the cultural inherits of Brazil are actually Portuguese, due to the fact that Brazil was Portugal's colony for a very long time. The southern states mainly consist of European population and the north and the northeast consist of a mixed population including Africans, Amerindians and Europeans. Most of this population is Roman Catholic. No other country in the world has the same amount of Catholics. The modern tendency of Brazil is the growing number of people calling themselves Protestants. Around 7.4% of the population don't believe any god. Some Brazilians, especially in the northern states are mixed Africans who prefer following the traditional African religions. Only 1.8% of the population chose Buddhism, Islam or Judaism. Though Brazil always tried to maintain democracy, it was failed several times by the dictatorship of Getulo Vargas. This fact could not affect the political situation in the country. It can be inferred that Brazil is a country with _ . It was a cold night in Washington, D.C. and I was heading back to the hotel when a beggar walked up to me. He asked if I would give him some money so he could get something to eat. After a short hesitation, I shook my head and kept walking. With helplessness, he said, "I really am homeless and I really am hungry! You can come with me and watch me eat!" But still, I kept on walking. The incident bothered me for the rest of the week. In fact, I had money in my pocket and it wouldn't have killed me to hand over a dollar or two even if he had been lying. On a freezing cold night, I wondered what would happen to a hungry man. Flying back to my hometown, Anchorage, I couldn't help thinking of him. I tried to find excuses for my failure to help. After all, government agencies, churches and charities were there to feed him. Besides, you're not supposed to give money to beggars. But I just couldn't forget the incident and began to think I must do something. At that time, I was writing a garden column for the local Daily News. Suddenly, I came up with an idea. Why not try to get all my readers to plant one row in their gardens donated to Bean's? Bean's Cafe, the soup kitchen which has volunteered to feed hundreds of hungry people every day for many years. The idea began to _ . I began to receive more e-mails and calls from kind people. They tried their best to show their concerns about the hungry. Food was sent by different warm-hearted people and even those who only grew flowers sent their flowers. They are food for the spirit, which comforted me a lot. Next year, the Garden Writers Association of America held their annual conference in Anchorage and after learning of Anchorage's program, Plant a Row for Bean's became Plant a Row for the Hungry. You can imagine how happy I was then. According to the passage, the reason why the author refused to give some money to the beggar probably is that _ . TOKYO-- At first glance, Japanese cellphones are young people's favorites, with elegant design and quick access to the Internet. However, despite years of competition in overseas markets, Japan's cellphone makers have little presence beyond the country's shores. The only Japanese cellphone maker with any meaningful global share is Sony Ericsson, and that company is a London-based joint venture between a Japanese electronics maker and a Swedish telecommunications firm. And Sony Ericsson has been hit by big losses. Its market share was just 6.3 percent in the first quarter of 2009, behind Nokia of Finland, Samsung Electronics and LG of South Korea, and Motorola of Illinois. This year, Mr Natsuno, who developed a popular wireless Internet service called i-Mode, invited some of the best minds in the field to debate how Japanese cellphones could go global. "The most amazing thing about Japan is that even the average person out there will have a very advanced phone, "said Mr Natsuno. Japan has 100 million users of advanced third-generation smart phones, twice the number of the United States, a much larger market. Many Japanese rely on their phones, not a PC, for Internet access. Indeed, Japanese cellphone makers thought they had positioned themselves to dominate the age of digital data. But they were a little too clever. In the 1990s, they set a standard for the second-generation network that was refused everywhere else. Then Japan quickly adopted a third-generation standard in 2001. However, it made Japanese phones too advanced for most markets. Several Japanese companies are now considering a push into overseas markets, including NEC. Panasonic, Sharp, Toshiba and Fujitsu are said to be planning similar moves. "Japanese cellphone makers need to either look overseas, or exit the business", said Kenshi Tazaki, a managing vice president at the consulting firm Gartner Japan. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage? If you have a little child, who hates sitting in a car seat, then the FreedomRide is the answer to your problem. Would you want to be stuck in an unchangeable position every time you're in the car? No. You wouldn't. When an adult sits in a car for any length of time, we stretch, we change the position, we move our legs again and again. We do this without thinking. But kids in a traditional car seat can't do this. They are stuck in one position, and they can't move. We move because the circulation of blood needs to be recovered in our legs as we sit in the same position for any longer. In a traditional car seat, the child can't move to reduce the pain, so it puts them in anger. The FreedomRide lets them have a little freedom, and still be safe. The 5-Point Harness gives them additional safety over a traditional child car seat. I am the Webmaster for islandbreeze.com, and when JoeySafe asked us to redo their website, I was attracted by this system. That is because I have two small children, both girls, aged 3 and 4 and we obviously use car seats. I lived in Southern California, and every couple of months, my wife, the girls and I, go to see grandma who lives in Nevada. It's a 5-hour drive, so the FreedomRide works well. Our trips are so much better now, especially since there is more room in the car without the car seats. The FreedomRide really did make it easier to go on trips. The only thing you need when you use the JoeySafe instead of your old child car seat is a pillow. Besides, my kids want to take a pillow anyway! As a dad, I feel safe driving with the kids in the FreedomRide. I am a very safety-oriented person. The FreedomRide is likely to be designed for _ .
Today, bicycles are elegantly simple machines that are common around the world. Many people ride bicycles for recreation, whereas others use them as a means of transportation. The first bicycle was invented in Germany in 1818. Because it was made of wood, it wasn't very strong nor did it have pedals .Riders moved it by pushing their feet against the ground. In 1839, Kirkpatrick Macmillan, a Scottish blacksmith, invented a much better bicycle. Macmillan's machine had iron-covered wheels to keep them from getting worn down. He also used foot-operated levers, similar to pedals, so his bicycle could be ridden at a quick pace. It didn't look much like the modem bicycle, though, because its back wheel was substantially larger than its front wheel. Although Macmillan's bicycles could be ridden easily, they were never produced in large numbers. In 1861, Frenchman Pierre Michaux and his brother Ernest invented a bicycle with an improved pedal mechanism. They called their bicycle a velocipede,but most people called it a "bone shaker" because of the effect of the wood and iron frame. Despite the impolite nickname, the velocipede was a hit. After a few years, the Michaux family was making hundreds of the machines annually, mostly for fun-seeking young people. Ten years later, James Starley , an English inventor, made several innovations that revolutionized bicycle design. He made the front wheel many times larger than the back wheel, put a gear on the pedals to make the bicycle more efficient,and lightened the wheels by using wire spokes. Although this bicycle was much lighter and less tiring to ride, it was still clumsy, extremely top-heavy,and ridden mostly for entertainment. It wasn't until 1874 that the first truly modern bicycle appeared on the scene. Invented by another Englishman, H. J. Lawson, the safety bicycle would look familiar to today's cyclists. The safety bicycle had equal-sized wheels, which made it easier to ride. Lawson also attached a chain to the pedals to drive the back wheel. By 1893,the safety bicycle had been further improved with air-filled rubber tires, a diamond-shaped frame, and easy braking. With the improvements provided by Lawson;bicycles became extremely popular and useful for transportation. Today, they are built, used, and enjoyed all over the world. This passage was most likely written in order to _ . Answer: tell readers about the early history of the bicycle Psychologists have known that what's going on inside our head affects our senses. For example, poorer children think coins are larger than they are, and hungry people think pictures of food are brighter. Professor Remi Radel wanted to investigate(look into) how this happens -- whether it's right away, as the brain receives signals from the eyes, or a little later, as the brain's higher-level thinking processes get involved. Radel chose 42 students and each student was told to arrive at the lab at noon after three or four hours of not eating on the day of the test. Then they were told there was a delay. Some were told to come back in 10 minutes; others were given an hour to get lunch. So half the students were hungry when they did the experiment and the other half had just eaten. For the experiment, the participant looked at a computer screen. One by one, 80 words flashed on the screen. A quarter of the words were food-related. After each word, the person was asked how bright the word was and asked to choose which of two words they'd seen -- a food-related word like gateau (cake) or a neutral word like bateau (boat). Hungry people saw the food-related words as brighter and were better at identifying food-related words. Because the word appeared too quickly for them to be reliably seen, this means that the difference is in perception , Radel says--it's not because of some kind of processing happening in the brain after you've already figured out what you're looking at. "This is something great to me, that humans can really realize what they need or what they hope for, to know that our brain can really arrange for our motives and needs," Radel says. "There is something inside us that selects information in the world to make life easier." What does the new study find? Answer: Actually our brain can arrange for our motives and needs. In today's world, almost everyone knows that air pollution and water pollution are harmful to people's health. However, not all people know that noise is also a kind of pollution, and this is harmful to people's health, too. People who work and live under noisy conditions usually 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 persons, for these young people like to listen to pop music and pop music is a kind of noise. Besides, noise produced by jet planes or machines will make people ill or even drive them mad. It is said a continuous noise of over 85 decibels can cause deafness. Now the government in many countries have made laws to control noise and make it less than 85 decibels. In China, the government is trying to solve not only air and water pollution problems but also noise problems. The text is mainly about _ . Answer: noise pollution He was an old man who fished alone in a small boat on the sea and he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish. In the first forty days a boy had been with him. But after forty days without a fish, the boy's parents had told him that the old man was now salao, which is the worst form of unlucky, and the boy had gone with another boat which caught three good fish the first week. It made the boy sad to see the old man come in each day with his boat empty. The sail looked like the flag of failure forever. The old man was thin with deep wrinkles in the back of his neck. His face was terribly brown because of the strong sunlight on the sea every day and his hands had the deep scars from dealing with heavy fish on the lines. But none of these scars were fresh. Everything about him was old except his eyes and _ were the same color as the sea and were cheerful. "Santiago," the boy said to him as they climbed the bank from the sea. "I could go with you again. We've made some money." The old man had taught the boy to fish and the boy loved him. "No," the old man said. "You're with a lucky boat. Stay with them." "But remember how you went eighty-seven days without fish and then we caught big ones every day for three weeks." "I remember," the old man said. "It was papa who made me leave. I am a boy and I must follow him." "I know," the old man said. "It is quite normal." "He hasn't much faith ." "No," the old man said. "But we have. Haven't we?" "Yes," the boy said. "Can I offer you a beer on the Terrace?" "Why not?" the old man said "Between fishermen." The old man refused the boy to go fishing with him again because _ . Answer: he could really understand his parents My own experiment with culture shock came to a fruitless end when I returned with homesick from a year's study in Italy. I had never heard of culture shock. All I knew was that I was unhappy and wanted to go home. That was twenty years ago, and since then culture shock has become a real field of study. It is now understood that any normal person, finding him or herself for an extended time in a new culture, is in for trouble. The process of "culture shock" is now recognized as so predictable that its four stages have been noticeable. The first is the honeymoon stage, familiar to those of us who love to travel, but never stay in one place long enough to find out what follows. In this stage, the new country and its people seem delightful. Everything is better than home. Everything is so different and charming. _ Now the people start to look shallow, selfish and stupid. The different ways of doing things don't seem interesting any more. You start to feel tired all the time. Culture shock has set in. You feel at sea. The emotional response to culture shock in stage two can be extreme. Confusion, depression and anxiety, and resentment can all enter to varying degrees. You may become physically ill. Little things seem terribly annoying. The happier resolution is to move on to stage three. Adjusting. Rather than itemizing what's "wrong" with Americans, you remind yourself that "right" and "wrong" are not meaningful terms in cultural matters. Instead, you try to understand what motivates Americans, perhaps realizing that many of the things you don't like are related to the things you do like. As time goes on, you should be moving into stage four. Acceptance. At this point, you simply don't think any more about the specialties of Americans. You accept them as individuals. You have started to feel at home; you know how to do things. You have not rejected your old culture; but the American ways have settled upon you. You feel optimistic about your future here. You have truly arrived. Why do people not suffer from culture shock when they first arrive in a foreign country? Answer: They don't stay in one place long enough.
He Made It! One Sunday, Gavin, a teenager, went skiing at Sugarloaf Mountain in Maine. In the early afternoon, when he was planning to go home, a fierce snowstorm swept into the area. Unable to see far, he accidentally turned off the path. Before he knew it, Gavin was lost, all alone! He didn't have food, water, a phone, or other supplies. He was getting colder by the minute. Gavin had no idea where he was. He tried not to panic. He thought about all of the survival shows he had watched on TV. It was time to put the tips he had learned to use. He decided to stop skiing. There was a better chance of someone finding him if he stayed put. The first thing he did was to find shelter from the freezing wind and snow. If he didn't, his body temperature would get very low, which could quickly kill him. Using his skis, Gavin built a snow cave. He gathered a huge mass of snow and dug out a hole in the middle. Then he piled branches on top of himself, like a blanket, to stay as warm as he could. By that evening, Gavin was really hungry. He ate snow and drank water from a nearby stream so that his body wouldn't lose too much water. Not knowing how much longer he could last, Gavin did the only thing he could -- he huddled in his cave and slept. The next day, Gavin went out to look for help, but he couldn't find anyone. He followed his tracks and returned to the snow cave, because without shelter, he could die that night. On Tuesday, Gavin went out again to find help. He had walked for about a mile when a volunteer searcher found him. After two days stuck in the snow, Gavin was saved. Gavin might not have survived this snowstorm had it not been for TV. He had often watched Grylls' survival show Man vs. Wild. That's where he learned the tips that saved his life. In each episode of Man vs. Wild, Grylls is abandoned in a wild area and has to find his way out. When Grylls heard about Gavin's amazing deeds, he was super impressed that Gavin had made it since he knew better than anyone how hard Gavin had to work to stay alive. How did Gavin keep himself warm? Answer: He built a snow cave. Australia is the smallest continent in the world. It is a little smaller than China. It is on the Southern Hemisphere of the earth. Australia is big, but its population is small. The population of Australia is nearly as large as that of Shanghai. Enough laws have been made to fight against pollution. The cities in Australia have little air or water pollution. The sky is blue and the water is clean. You can clearly see fish in the rivers. Plants grow very well. Last month we visited Perth, the biggest city in Western Australia, and went to a wild flower _ . There we saw large numbers of wild flowers on show, most of which we had never seen before. We had a wonderful time. Perth is famous for its beautiful wild flowers. Every year in spring Perth has wild flower exhibitions. After visiting Perth, we spent a day in the countryside. We sat down and had a rest near a path at the foot of a hill. It was quiet and we enjoyed ourselves very much. When we heard bells ringing at the top of the hill, we looked up, but what we saw made us pick up all our things and run back to our car as quickly as we could. There were about three hundred sheep coming towards us along the path. Australia is famous for its sheep and kangaroos . After a short drive from any town, you will find yourself among the white sheep. Sheep, sheep, everywhere you can see sheep. Which of the following statements is not true according to the passage? Answer: Perth is the biggest city in Australia. Everyone knows that the Frenchmen are romantic, the Italians are fashionable and the Germans are serious. Are these just stereotypes or is there really such a thing as national character? And if there is, can it affect how a nation succeed or fail? At least one group of people is certain that it can. A recent survey of the top 500 entrepreneurs in the UK found that 70% felt that their efforts were not appreciated by the British public. Britain is hostile to success, they said. It has a culture of jealousy. As a result, the survey said, entrepreneurs were "unloved, unwanted and misunderstood." Jealousy is sometimes known as the "green - eyed monster" and the UK is its home. Scientists at Warwich University in the UK recently tested this idea. They gathered a group of people together and gave each an imaginary amount of money. Some were given a little, others a great deal. Those given a little were given the chance to destroy the large amount of money given to others - but at the cost of losing their own. Two thirds of the people tested agreed to do this. This seems to prove that the entrepreneurs were right to complain. But there is also conflicting evidence. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development recently reported that the UK is now the world's fourth largest economy. That is not bad for people who are supposed to hate success. People in the UK also work longer hours than anyone else in Europe. So the British people are not lazy, either. "It is not really success that the British dislike," says Carey Cooper, a professor of management at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology. "It's people using their success in a way that seems proud or unfair or which separates them from their roots." Perhaps it is the entrepreneurs who are the problem. They set out to do things in their way. They work long hours. By their own efforts they become millionaires. But instead of being happy they complain that nobody loves them. It hardly seems worth following their example. If they were more friendly, people would like them more. And more people want to be like them. What does the result of the Warwich University's test show. Answer: Most people would rather fail than see others succeed. Phillip Island Penguins The Little Penguin has called prefix = st1 /PhillipIslandhome for untold generations. Get to Phillip Island inplenty of time to watch a summer sunset at Summerland Beach-the stage is attractively set to see the Little Penguin leave water and step onto land. Leave Melbourne at 5:30 pm. for a direct journey to PhillipIsland See the Gippsland area-Guinness Book of Records place for the world's longest earthworm Journey along the coastal highway around the Bay with French Island and Churchill Island in the distance Cross the bridge at San Remo to enter Phillip Island-natural home for Little Penguins and many animals *Take your place in special viewing stands to watch the daily evening performance of the wild Little penguins Ultimate Penguins (+U) Join a group of up to 15. This guided tour goes to an attractive, quiet beach to see Little Pen-guins. You can see penguins at night by wearing a special pair of glasses. Adult $ 60.00 Child $ 30.00 Viewing Platform Penguin Plus (+V) More personalized wildlife viewing limited to 130 people providing closer viewing of the penguin arrival than the main viewing stands. Adult $ 25.00 Child $ 12.50 Penguin Skybox (+S) Join a group of only 5 in the comfort of a special, higher-up viewing tower. Gain an excellent overview of SummerlandBeach. Adult 16 yrs + $ 50.00 We can learn from the text that Little Penguins _ . Answer: have been on PhillipIslandfor years Look at this. What's this in English? Ah, it's a photo. Who's that in the photo? It's Li Yan. Li Yan is my good friend. She is a nice girl. Who's that? The boy in black? It's Jim. He is an English boy. He is very cool. He is my friend, too. We are all in the same class. I like Jim and Li Yan. ,,. --What's this? -- It's _ . Answer: a photo
American middle school students don't seem to care that they're worse at maths than their counterparts in China's Hong Kong and Finland. "I don't need it," my student says, "I'm going to be a basketball star." Or a car mechanic, or a singer. Middle school students' maths skills were tested by the International Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. The United States ranked 28th out of 41 countries tested. After all, when was the last time you used algebra ? But maths isn't just about training Americans to become scientists. It has its own value. It helps you see patterns and develops your logic skills, and it teaches you to concentrate and to separate truth from falsehood. Maths helps you make wise financial decisions, so you can avoid false claims from advertisers, politicians and others. It helps you determine risk. For example, after an airplane crash, studies show that people are more likely to drive than to take a plane in spite of the fact that they are much more likely to be killed or injured while driving. Planes are not like criminals who repeat the same crime over and over. One plane is not more likely to crash just because another plane recently did. In fact, the most dangerous time to drive is probably right after a plane crash because so many people are on the road. It is not possible to really understand science and the scientific method without understanding maths. A rainbow is even more beautiful and amazing when we understand it. The precision of maths helps us think in a very special way. How do we bring the learning of maths back to life? I don't have the big answer. I try my best to help pupils find answers to some maths problems. When I can get one to say, "Wow, that's great," I feel the joy of a small victory. Some American students don't care about their poor maths results because _ . A maths is useless to most people B they have no interest in maths C they think maths has nothing to do with their future D they don't do well in maths Answer: C. they think maths has nothing to do with their future Last Sunday I saw the worst storm in years. It came suddenly and went on for more than three hours. After lunch, I went into my room to have a rest. The air was hot, and all was quiet.The strong wind started blowing into my room. Pieces of paper on my desk flew high into the air and some flew out of the open window. As I ran out to catch them, big drops of rain began to fall. When I came back into the house, it was raining harder and harder. I tried very hard to close the window. Then I heard a loud crashing sound from the back of the house. I ran out of my room to find out what it was--- a big tree had fallen down and broke the top of the back room. The top of the back room was broken because of _ . A the hot air B the crashing sound C the rain D the falling tree Answer: D. the falling tree In Singapore,many middle school students spend a lot of their time on their studies. Good education is often regarded as a ticket to success in their future. So,many of these students try their best to get good grades in their examinations.They have a lot of homework every day and exams are a big headache.Sometimes,some of them are even made to go to remedial classes after schoo1. Schools run programs outside school hours.The students can take part in sports and games,music and dance,hiking and rock-climbing ,etc.They are also very active in community service . In their spare time,most students like to listen to pop music.And Hollywood blockbusters ,Hong Kong and Singapore movies are very popular among them.They understand IT very well.Some of them also spend their free time surfing the Internet,e-mailing their friends,playing computer and video games. They sometimes go to cafes,fast-food restaurants,shopping centers and big bookstores. So,it looks like life as a middle school student in Singapore is not easy but it is rich and colorful. Many students want to get good education to be _ in the future. A popular B successful C comfortable D generous Answer: B. successful I teach geography at UNLV three times per week. Last Monday, at the beginning of class, I cheerfully asked my students how their weekend had been. One young man said that his weekend had not been so good. He had his wisdom teeth removed. The young man then asked me why I always seemed to be so cheerful. "I choose to be cheerful." I said. Then I told them a story. In addition to teaching here at UNLV, I also teach out at the community college in Henderson, 17 miles down the freeway from where I live. One day I drove those 17 miles to Henderson. I exited the freeway and turned onto College Drive. I only had to drive another quarter mile down the road to the college. But just then my car died and wouldn't start again. So I left my car there and marched down the road to the college. As soon as I got there I called AAA and arranged for a tow truck to meet me at my car after class. The secretary in the office asked me what had happened. "This is my lucky day." I replied, smiling. "Your car breaks down and today is your lucky day?" She was puzzled. "What do you mean?" "My car could have broken down anywhere along the freeway but it didn't." I replied, "Instead, it broke down in the perfect place: off the freeway, within walking distance from here. I'm still able to teach my class, and I've been able to arrange for the tow truck to meet me after class." The secretary's eyes opened wide, and then she smiled. I smiled back and headed for class. So ended my story. I scanned the sixty faces in my class at UNLV. Despite the early hour, no one seemed to be asleep. Somehow, my story had touched them. Or maybe _ In fact, it had all started with a student's observation that I was cheerful. An Indian wise man once said, "Who you are speaks louder to me than anything you can say." I suppose it must be so. What can be concluded from the passage? A Easier said than done. B You are what you choose. C Behind bad luck comes good luck. D A good beginning makes a good ending. Answer: B. You are what you choose. Jimmy loved watching television. He would wake up and watch Cartoons on Cartoon Network. His favorite cartoon was Scooby Doo. After his mom picked him up at the bus stop, he would go home and watch the Flintstones. One day, his mom told him he was not allowed to watch cartoons after school. He was very sad. She told him he had to go outside to play. He walked into the backyard. Fido was running around. He started to chase him. He picked up a ball and threw it. Fido ran after it and brought it back. Jimmy laughed. He chased after Fido and scratched his back. Maybe being outside wasn't so bad after all! He played with Fido for another hour until his mom called him inside. It was dinner time. Dinner was fried chicken and mashed potatoes-his favorite. He was happy his mom made him go outside. He would go outside every day after school now! What is the name of Jimmy's dog? A Scooby Doo B Fido C Jimmy D Flintstone Answer: B. Fido
How many divisions of particular weather patterns and hours of daylight is a year divided into? 4 A recent study suggests that teens' relationship with parents, friends and teachers may have a lot to do with why they don't get a good night's sleep. David Maume, a sociologist and sleep researcher, analyzed federal health data, which interviewed 974 teenagers when they were 12, and then again at 15. He found that family dynamics have much to do with how well kids sleep. Teens, who had warm relations with their parents and felt like they could talk to them or their parents were supportive of them, tended to sleep better. However, families that were going through a divorce or a remarriage tended to affect teens' sleep. And problems at school also affected teens' sleep. Feeling safe at school and having good relations with teachers tended to promote better sleep. As did good relationships with friends. Kids who took part in sports or other positive social activities or shared similar academic goals with their friends were also more likely to get a good night's sleep. These add up to what makes lots of sense: a general feeling of well-being helps teens sleep. If we're happy and contented, we're much more likely to sleep better than if we're sad and anxious. Now, of course, teens can hardly resist being drawn to their computers and social networking. Maume also found that when parents were strict not only about bedtime, but also about limiting technology, kids slept better. It's a finding that seems obvious, but parents really do matter when it comes to health habits of their teenagers. Clearly, teenagers aren't getting 9 to 10 hours a night, which puts them at risk for all the consequences of lack of sleep, including poor academic performance, colds and stress. Parents are supposed to _ when their kids are growing up. limit teens' using new technology LONDON--Life for Cathy Hagner and her three children is set to permanent fast-forward. Their full school day and her job as a lawyer's assistant are busy enough. But Hagner also has to take the two boys to soccer or hockey or basketball while dropping off her daughter at piano lessons or Girl Scout Club. Often, the exhausted family doesn't get home until 7 pm. There is just time for a quick supper before homework. In today's world, middle-class American and British parents treat their children as if they are competitors racing for some finishing line. Parents take their children from activity to activity in order to make their future bright. It seems that raising a genius has become a more important goal than raising a happy and well-balanced child. "Doctors across the country are reporting a growing number of children suffering from stomachaches and headaches due to exhaustion and stress," says child expert William Doherty of the University of Minnesota. Teachers are dealing with exhausted kids in the classroom. It's a very serious problem. Many children attend after-school clubs by necessity. But competitive pressures also create an explosion of activities. They include sports, language, music and math classes for children as young as four. "There is a new parenting trend under way which says that you have to tap all your child's potential at a young age; otherwise you will let him down," says Terry Alter, a Cambridge-based child and adolescent psychiatrist "It isn't entirely new: there have always been pushy parents. But what was previously seen as strange behaviour is now well accepted." British parents, as the writer described in this passage, _ . give their children little time to develop freely Iron is used to make items that fasten roofing to roofs When we talk about instant messaging tool, which will be the first one jump into your mind? If your answer is QQ or MSN, I must say you're a bit old fashioned. Today, Wechat is becoming the most popular text and voice messaging tool all over the world. It has had 700 million registered users all over the world up to now. It has a Chinese name Weixin, it is necessary for the young people in China to have the communication tool. Actually, it is also a new product from Tencent ,so we can call it QQ's little brother. You can log in to Wechat with your Facebook account or _ with your phone number, and then add your friends' number in your contact list , by which you can chat with your family of friends in a brand new way by using your phone no matter when and where you are. It's just like using a walkie talkie (two way radio).But you don't need to worry about other things, such as basic fees. It won't cost you extra money to make conversations. You can also only need three steps to finish calling others through Wechat. It is free for ten minutes. If you want to make a phone call again, you need to pay for it through a credit card. Someone thinks the sound in the phone is not clear. There is some noise in it. It is not safe for the user. So you should pay attention to your personal information and not share it to others. Make a phone call through Wechat, _ . it may be not safe for the user
The praying mantis is well camouflaged in its natural habitat. What is a benefit of this adaptation? Answer: It reduces the risk of being eaten by a predator. Robots industry is developing so rapidly that there is no denying that we may one day find ourselves surrounded by robots. The humanoid (human like) robots with two legs such as Honda Motor Co. Ltd's ASIMO would likely have an easier time climbing up stairs inside homes than a robot that moves on wheels, developers say. But it will be some time before such devices make their way into people's homes. "They may look smart, but they are still quite stupid," Shimoyama said. "I don't think they will ever be as smart as humans." While safety is an obvious concern, robots also need to be sensitive to people's needs. Researchers at Fujitsu Frontech Ltd and Fujitsu Laboratories responsible for developing "Enon", a guide and patrol robot designed for use in shopping malls and corporate facilities , are working on this. Enon, which has a humanoid upper body but no legs, is equipped with a touch screen on its chest and space in its stomach to carry loads weighting up to 10 kg. In guide mode, it will check a newcomer and approach the person with a nod and a greeting: "Are you a visitor? Hello." Visitors requiring directions can point to icons displayed on Enon's chest screen. If the restroom icon is pressed, the screen will display a map that shows the way. The robot will then face and point in the direction of the restroom, although it won't actually walk the visitor there. Enon is now in use at four locations in Japan, including a shopping mall near Tokyo. The main goal is to make it more helpful for the elderly. "People who work in the transportation sector often ask whether we can build a robot that will find elderly people who look lost in train stations, and ask them if they are all right," said Toshihido Marita, director of Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd's autonomous system laboratory. "Actually that is hard to do, very hard," he said. According to Shimoyama, robots _ . Answer: can never compete with humans in intelligence What does the word"youth" mean to you? Many define it as a precious time in their life when they are young ,when fun ,passion,and imagination seem limitless.But for most high school students,youth is a time of determination and willpower for achieving their goals. This is vividly shown in Mark of Youth,a movie that opened on Feb 5.Mark of Uouth tells the story of four Senior 3 students in a top high school in the days leading up to the national cooege entrance examination. Each character represents a differet type of student,ranging from the most mischievous to the most motvated .Like most teenagers ,they enjoy carefree moments and like to talk about their schoolmates.But the rension of the approaching exam,probably their first life-changing event,is common-they must memorize seemingly endless English words and Chinese poems,work through piles of aractice test papers,and improve their scores despite the increasing pressure. But life exists beyond campus.That the college entrance examination is coming up doesn't mean they can escape family changes,such as when one character's parents get divorced or another's father is arrested.Can these four young people handle their problems and eventually make it to their ideal universities despite their on -and -off campus stress? The story is set in Hubei Huanggang Middle School,known for its students'outstanding performances on the big exam.The four students are played by the actors who played in the reality shows Happy Boys and Happy Girls.HongKong actor Alex Fong plays their teacher. Students may look more fashionable in Mark of Youth than in real life,but it is the story about the final year of high school that many viewers relate to. "The film is very inspiring,"said Senior 2 student Yao Lingqian,16,from Leshan Foreign Language School in Sichuan proveince."A total commitment to hard work ,though it ca be lonely and no fun at all,will leave precious marks on my youth." And for Senior 3 student Gao Jing ,the film has given her optiomism."The characters taught me that what you score is not the only important thing.The way you approach the exam matters the most,"said the 17-year-old from Zhenping County No 1 High School in Nanyang,Henan province. "The film really reflects senior 3students'life."Zhang Ping ,a teacher from a senior high school in Qingdao,commented. Which of the following is true about the film? Answer: The characters I the film have to face the pressure from both study and their families. Lisa: My best teacher is my geography teacher in 10th grade. Why? Because we did school projects! Back then I wrote about India and never forgot what I had learned. He brought the culture to life by letting me become part of it. He also listened to us and was always ready with a kind word. David: My best teacher is my high school social studies and history teacher, Thomas Ladenburg. He respected us, though we were just teenagers. His class was never boring because he often asked us to discuss in class. He used his own materials which made the class very interesting. Henry: My best ever teacher is my biology teacher in high school. I really liked her class. She explained everything very clearly. She also checked our notebooks to make sure we had written down what she said. Now, many years later, I can still remember a large part of the things she taught! Susan: The best teacher I have ever had is my 10th grade social studies teacher. She was always in a good mood and kept us laughing. She was really young, so she acted like us teenagers, which made learning fun. If we needed to talk to an adult about a problem, we would always come to her because we knew she could help us. Tom: My favourite teacher is Mr. Yelle. He taught us math, science and music. He spoke to us "at eye level", and was very patient and kind. We did great projects for the science fairs. Forty years later, I still remember his lessons very well. By the way, though he was called Mr Yelle, he didn't yell . We learn that when she was in 10th grade, Lisa _ . Answer: liked doing school projects in the geography class Everybody has a home. People have homes. Animals have homes. People live in many different kinds of houses. Animals have different kinds of homes, too. Some animals live in holes under the ground . The woodchuck lives under the ground .His home has two doors. If any animal comes into one door, the woodchuck goes out through the other. Some animals live in holes in trees. Some squirrels build nests high in trees. Most of the birds live in nests in trees. But hawks build their nests high in the mountains . How many doors are there in the woodchuck's house? Answer: Two
Which material is primarily a mixture of weathered rock and organic matter? A minerals B soil C ocean water D seashells Answer: B. soil 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 and measure 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 dashed 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 added,"Probably the best one is to take the barometer to the administrator and say 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 in Physics in 1922. We can learn from the passage that _ . A instructors can teach students how to think B arbiters can help students to get high scores C students should be given more freedom in thinking D teachers should make students use physical formulas Answer: C. students should be given more freedom in thinking You may have heard of the famous saying,"East or West,home is the best."What does the word"home"mean to you? How do you say the word in French? In Chinese? In your language? Although people usually know what the word means,it sometimes has no exact translation.It's not surprising,because the idea of home is different from country to country,and from person to person.A home is more than a roof and four walls.It's the cooking,eating,talking,playing and sleeping that go on inside.And at home you usually feel safe and relaxed. Homes look different in different countries.They also have different things inside.For example,in cold northern Europe,there's a fire in the living room or kitchen and all the chairs face it.In the south,where the sun shines a lot and it's more important to keep the heat out,there are small windows and cool stone floors. We asked some people about their homes. How often do people move house in your country? "In my country many people don't stay in one place for a very long time.They often move every ten years or so." --Chery,Boston,USA. What are features of homes in your country? "In Britain,even in town,there's always a garden.We have separate bedrooms and living rooms.But we don't often have balconies .The weather isn't warm enough!" --Pat.Exeter,England Why is it important to keep the heat out of the houses in southern Europe? A Because they want to breathe fresh air outside. B Because there's a fire in the living room. C Because they wear heavy clothes all day long. D Because the sun there shines a lot. Answer: D. Because the sun there shines a lot. For grown-ups,an afternoon snooze is often easier said than done.But many of us have probably experienced just how simple it can be to catch some sleep in a gently rocking hammock .By examining brain waves in sleeping adults,researchers reported in the June 21issue of Current Biology,a Cell Press publication,that they now have evidence to explain why that is. "It is a common belief that rocking causes sleep:we fall asleep in a rocking chair soon and,since ancient times,we cradle our babies to sleep,"said Sophie Schwartz of the University of Geneva."Yet,how this works had remained a mystery.The goal of our study was made up of two parts:to test whether rocking does indeed improve sleep,and to understand how this might work at the brain level." Schwartz,Michel Muhlethaler,and their colleagues Laurence Bayer and Irina Constantinescu asked twelve adult volunteers to nap on a custom-made bed or"experimental hammock"that could either remain still or rock gently.All participants were good sleepers who didn't typically nap and did not suffer from excessive sleepiness during the day.Each participant took two 45-minute afternoon naps,one with the bed still and one with the bed in motion,while their brain activity was monitored. "We observed a faster transition to sleep in each and every subject in the swinging condition,"Muhlethaler said."Surprisingly,we also observed a dramatic boosting of certain types of sleep-related brain waves." More specifically,rocking increased the length of stage N2sleep,a form of non-rapid eye movement sleep that normally occupies about half of a good night's sleep.The rocking bed also had a lasting effect on brain activity,increasing slow brain waves and bursts of activity known as sleep spindles . Schwartz and Muhlethaler say the next step is to find out whether rocking can improve longer periods of sleep and to find out whether it may be useful for the treatment of sleep disorders,such as insomnia . What can we learn from Sophie Schwartz's words? A Her team aimed to answer two questions. B The study is going to benefit babies a lot. C The study had been kept secret before finished. D People used to believe rocking was bad for sleep. Answer: A. Her team aimed to answer two questions. Have you ever been in a meeting while someone was making a speech and realized suddenly that your mind was a million miles away? You probably felt sorry and decided to pay attention and never have daydreaming again. Most of us have been told from earliest school days that daydreaming is a waste of time. I don't think so. L. Giambra, a psychologist, says, "Daydreaming isn't a waste of time. _ , daydreaming is quite necessary. Without it, the mind couldn't do all the thinking that it has to do during a normal day. You can't possibly do all your thinking with a conscious mind. Instead, your unconscious mind is working out problems all the time. Daydreaming may be one way that the unconscious and conscious states of mind have silent conversations ." Early psychologists paid no attention to the importance of daydreams or even thought they were harmful . At one time people thought that some psychological illness caused daydreaming. They did not have a better understanding of daydreams until the late 1980s. Eric Klinges, a professor, is the writer of the book Daydreaming. Klinges says, "We know now that daydreaming is one of the main ways that we organize our lives, learn from our experiences, and plan for our futures. Daydreams really are a window on the things that we are afraid and the things we long for in life." Daydreams are usually very simple and direct, quite unlike sleep dreams. Sleep dreams may be hard to understand. It's easier to get a deep understanding of your life by paying close attention to your daydreams than by trying to examine your sleep dreams carefully. Daydreams help you know the difficult situations in your life and found out a possible way of dealing with them. Daydreams cannot be predicted: they move off in unexpected directions which may be creative and full of useful ideas. For many famous artists and scientists, daydreams were and are a main source of creative energy. The writer quoted L. Giambra and Eric Klinges to _ . A list out two opposite ideas B point out the wrong ideas of early experts C support his own ideas D report the latest research on daydreaming Answer: C. support his own ideas

Subsets and Splits

No community queries yet

The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.