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I am one of seven children. My three sisters and I grew up in a small bedroom with two sets of beds. We shared a closet, a dresser, and just about everything else. I had friends who were only children. I looked longingly at their perfect dolls and toys placed carefully on their perfect shelves in their perfect little girl bedrooms. They had bathrooms to themselves. _ . Our bedroom always had stuff hanging about. There just wasn't room to store the paraphernalia of four girls who had definite ideas about how they wanted their space to be. All of us girls shared a bathroom with our three brothers. From a very young age, I really thought I was hard up. Looking back, I had to admit my "only children" friends had nice things. They had designer beds and beautiful bedrooms, but I always had someone to play with and talk to. Even if everyone else hated me, one of my sisters would not and that was all I needed. My sisters and I made up games and went around the neighborhood begging for old dresses so we could put on plays in our garage. Our house was the centre of activity for the whole neighborhood. We had dance shows and baseball games in the street. In short, we had everything we ever needed because we had each other. I have come to realize that there are so many reasons that sisters make a difference to your life and I can give you a few here: They get you. Your sisters have grown up with you so they know the entire back story of your situation and everything leading to it. They may not agree with you all the time but they never wonder why you do what you do or say what you say. They have suffered with you through awful times. I know that when one of my sisters is unhappy, I am unhappy too. When some non-family member tries to hurt you, the claws of them will come out! They have cheered you on. Sisters do get jealous at times but, even so, they are happy that you are doing well. They _ at your new bonus as long as you take them out for drinks and fattening appetizers! They are on the same diet as you. We are women in a world where thinness is equated with beauty. No matter how unjust this is, we are always on a diet. There is nothing like a sister calling and complaining about how she wants an ice cream and can't ever have one again. They are aging at the same rate as you. As we get older, we change, and however miserable this can be, it is heartening to know that someone shares your misery. They know what you are going through because they are going through it too. The last and best thing about sisters is that they stick with you. We can have our upsets and misunderstandings but we always come back to each other. I know many people reading this may have had upsets with their sisters. All I can say is that communication fixes everything. If you miss your sister, tell her so. If you have a BFF(Best Friend Forever) that has stuck with you through thick and thin , adopt her as your sister and keep her close to you. From the passage, we can learn that the author _ . Answer: has given some advice to those who had upsets with their sisters You never forget your first whale. The impact it makes upon you is huge and life is never quite the same again. My first whale was a 40ft grey, off the coast of California in 1979, and I've been a whale addict ever since. Now I have to go whale watching regularly just to survive normal daily life. I may be crazy but I am certainly not alone. The world is filled with whale watchers: since its beginnings in the mid-fifties, whale watching has grown dramatically and now more than 13 million people join organized whale watching trips every year. As a faithful whale watcher, all your holidays center on whales. The only books you read are ones about whales; you wear whale T-shirts, and every time you meet your friends you talk about whales. So what is it about these larger-than-life animals that makes them so special? Their enormous size is one possible explanation: imagine sitting in a small boat next to a blue whale almost as long as a Boeing 737.The fact that we know so little about them is another possibility: modern technology has taken us to the moon and beyond, yet we are only just beginning to understand these extraordinary forms of intelligent life on our own planet. Planning and patience are just two essential requirements for successful whale watching. Planning is needed because there are certain whale hot spots--where you have the best chance of seeing them--and because the larger species tend to be on their way from feeding areas to breeding grounds, so rarely do they stay in one place for more than a few months at a time. Patience is necessary because, even under the best conditions, whales can be tricky to find. However, most commercial whale watching trips have a surprisingly high success rate because they tend to concentrate on well-known whale populations at peak seasons. What can be the best title of the passage? Answer: Tips on Whale Watching It was late on a snowing night. Doctor Van was driving fast to the hospital to do an operation on a badly hurt person. Minutes later he came to a red traffic light and had to stop to wait. A man suddenly opened the door of the car and got in. "Drive on, " shouted the man, "Just do what I've told you to. " The man was strong and tall while Doctor Van was not. "But I'm a doctor, " Van tried to tell him what he was going to do. "I'm on my way to the hospital to save..." "Stop talking and drive faster, as fast as you can!" the man stopped Van and Van had to do so. Only a few minutes had passed when the man made Van stop his car again and drove him off, and he himself drove away very quickly. Van stood in the snow for a moment and then walked around to look for a taxi. Another half an hour had passed when Van got out of the taxi and ran into the hospital. But it was too late and nothing could be done. The man who had taken Van's car was standing by the person all the time. He was so sad! Only then did Van know that the man was the father of that badly hurt person! Which of the following can be the best title for this passage? Answer: Too Worried to Be Helpful. Residence Inn Milford Within 15 minutes from historic Yale University and New Haven, the Residence Inn Milford offers great amenities and first-class service for business or leisure travel. Our all-suites hotel near New Haven is 1 hour from Bradley International Airport and 10 minutes from a Metro North train station that can get you to NYC in under an hour and a half. At our Milford, CT hotel, enjoy spacious studio, suites that are 50 percent larger than traditional hotel rooms. Our suites offer hot breakfast buffet and a nightly social hour (Monday - Wednesday) , on-site exercise room and outdoor swimming pool. Price $ 119 per night Pet Policy Pets allowed Check in time 300 pm Marriott Detroit Southfield Newly renovated , the Marriott Detroit Southfield Hotel is one of Detroit's most desirable hotel destinations. With excellent public areas, enhanced meeting spaces and carefully redesigned guest rooms, the Marriott Detroit Southfield Hotel caters to the needs of business, leisure and group guests travelling to the Detroit area. This suburban Detroit hotel has a prime location that allows for easy access to the Detroit Zoo, Henry Ford Museum, Comerica Park, Ford Field and many of the other local activities in the area. It is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Price $ 75 per night Check in time 400 pm Comfort Suites Kodak 100 percent smoke free and pet free hotel conveniently located at the main gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains off Interstate 40 at exit 407, close to all the fun and excitement in Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, and Knoxville, including Dollywood, Dixie Stampede, Smokies Park, Sevierville Events Center, Tanger Outlet Mall, Uinversity of Tennessee and more. Guests enjoy waking up in our well-appointed guest suites featuring contemporary furnishings and LCD flat screen televisions, starting their day with our free breakfast, and relaxing in our indoor pool and exercise room. Price $55 per night Check in time 300 pm The Swinton Hotel Located in the very heart of the centre of London, the Swinton Hotel is one of the leading Kings Cross hotels offering free breakfast. It is a friendly and relaxed hotel. With a reputation as one of the top cheap hotels in London and a location which allows easy access to all tourist attractions, shopping areas and transport connections, you have come to the right place if you are looking for brilliant Kings Cross Hotels. Whatever reason you are looking for cheap hotels in London and whether you are visiting on business, as a tourist or to enjoy the vast varieties of entertainment and nightlife, we will be more than happy to provide you with a safe and comfortable environment. The Swinton Hotel is situated in an ideal location for those travelling to or from London by rail. Being located within walking distance of many popular tourist attractions, you are unlikely to find many cheap hotels in London situated in a better location. Price $45 per night Check in time 3 00 pm What can we know about Marriott Detroit Southfield? Answer: It is quite close to local attractions. Have you ever heard that we humans use only ten percent of our brains? This opinion holds a certain appeal because if it were true, then we could instantly become ten times more intelligent just by firing up that sleepy majority of the brain! The idea that we use only a small part of the brain dates back to animal experiments in the 19th century. When scientists stimulated a specific part of the brain, the animal moved its leg or tail. If a tiny part of the brain could do something so great, what was the use of the rest of the brain? Some scientists assumed that large parts of the brain were simply useless. Then, in the early 20th century, scientists observed that stimulating certain parts of the brain had no physical effects. They named these seemingly useless parts of the brain the "silent cortex." Today we know that in humans, much of the "silent cortex" is actually devoted to complex activities like language, learning, and imagining. Brain scans have shown that different parts of the brain become much more active as we shift our attention and focus, but even as we sleep, many areas of the brain are extremely active. Would you be smarter if your entire brain constantly worked to maximum capacity ? Interestingly enough, the opposite is probably true. The less brain activity you need to perform a given task, the more the brain as a whole is able to do. If you need less brain activity to perform a task, _ . Answer: you will be more productive
By Road Around the World Nickname: Walker Email: ragwani@hotmail.com When to travel: May 2011-Aug 2011 Who am I: I am 55. From my childhood, have this dream to go around the world by hitch hiking. However this is now changed and I want to go by road. My travel plans: Going throughout the world and study various people, culture, habits. Who am I looking for: A female companion, and she must have similar interest as me. Just for fun Nickname: Stream Email: qrutta@yahoo.co.uk When to travel: Jan 2011-Dec 2011 Who am I: Young slim girl, looking to see Asia with anyone who wants to travel. My travel plans: I most prefer a white man in his late30's to have fun with me as he travels either on business or leisure trips Whom am I looking for: Someone who is honest, friendly; good sense of humor, adventurous. 22yr old Australian looking for travel companion Nickname: Angela Email: alyssia _ europe@hotmail.com When to travel: March 2011 Who am I: a lovely girl, with fun, honest, caring. My travel plans: I will be traveling to Europe cities, then the world! Who am I looking for: An extremely fun and entertaining male/female, middle-aged, someone that I can enjoy every travel moment with. Fun and maybe more Nickname: Sunnygirl Email: sunnygirl2008@yahoo.com When to travel: Jun2011-Aug2011 Who am I: Slender African girl in her late 20's. Quite charming, loving, pretty,fun to be with. My travel plans: Nothing in mind for sure, just looking to come with you. Whom am I looking for: Looking for a white male between 40-50 years, someone who is full of energy and lively. What way would Walker like to choose for his travel this time? An object converts electrical energy into sound on a Smoking bans in public places are linked with falls in childhood asthma attacks and preterm births , according to the biggest analysis of the influence of public smoking bans on child health. The finding should remove fears that such laws could have the opposite effect because they may lead people to smoke more at home. Several countries, such as Japan and Australia, have tightened laws on smoking in public places over the last few years. Meanwhile, some countries, such as the Netherlands and Germany, still allow smoking in pubs and restaurants. Only about half of US states have comprehensive bans, and there are few restrictions in poorer nations. Opponents often claim that bans could result in people smoking more at home, which would be worse for their children's health. Asthma is one of the main concerns as second-hand smoke harms children's airways in several ways. Researchers led by Jasper Been at Maastricht University Medical Centre reviewed as many as 11 studies that examined how hospital admissions for childhood asthma and preterm births changed after smoking bans came in. The studies involved more than 2.5 million births, and nearly 250,000 hospital admissions for asthma. The result shows that both asthma admissions and preterm birth rates fell by about 10 percent within a year after smoking restrictions were carried out. The effect on preterm births could also have been caused by pregnant women being more likely to quit or cut down following a public ban, says Been. But Been also says the studies could not completely prove that smoking bans directly caused these changes. However, as a matter of fact, because the analysis included several smoking bans introduced in different countries in different years, and most saw health improvements. Such findings are useful for countries and states where there is ongoing debate about how strict smoking bans should be, especially as hospital care for premature babies is so expensive. This might be one of the most important things to know in order to strengthen legislation . Other studies have shown that rates of heart attack and stroke also tend to fall after smoking bans are introduced. Which is NOT the proper effect of the result of research by Jasper Been? Not all memories are sweet. Some people spend all their lives trying to forget bad experiences. Violence and traffic accidents can leave people with terrible physical and emotional scars. Often they relive these experiences in nightmares. Now American researchers think they are close to developing a pill, which will help people forget bad memories. The pill is designed to be taken immediately after a frightening experience. They hope it might reduce, or possibly erase , the effect of painful memories. In November, experts tested a drug on people in the US and France. The drug stops the body releasing chemicals that fix memories in the brain. So far the research has suggested that only the emotional effects of memories may be reduced, not that the memories are erased. The research has caused a great deal of argument. Some think is a bad idea, while others support it. Supporters say it could lead to pills that prevent or treat soldiers' troubling memories after war. They say that there are many people who suffer from terrible memories."Some memories can ruin people's lives. They come back to you when you don't want to have them in a daydream or nightmare. They usually come with very painful emotions,"said Roger Pitman, a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School."This could relieve a lot of that suffering." But those who are against the research say that changing memories is very dangerous because memories give us our identity . They also help us all avoid the mistakes of the past. "All of us can think of bad events in our lives that were horrible at the time but make us who we are. I'm not sure we'd want to wipe those memories out," said Rebecca Dresser, a medical ethicist . Some people fear that although the drug would first be used in only very serious cases, it would become more and more common. "People always have the ability to misuse science,"said Joseph LeDoux, a New York University memory researcher. "All we want to do is help people have better control of memories." What's the main idea of the text? An earthquake is literally an earth-shattering experience! There you are enjoying an afternoon nap, having a cup of coffee in the morning, or even sleeping on a cold winter night when -- WHAM! -- the entire crockery shelf _ , and all the plates and cups break into pieces. A painting on the wall nearly knocks you down as it falls. What should one do in an earthquake? The prime-time news gives no warning, nor is there a time of year, like the monsoon season, when an earthquake always occurs. Unlike a tornado or hurricane, there is no known way of predicting an earthquake. Though about 500, 000 earthquakes occur each year, only 100 of them cause damage! However, an earthquake can strike any time of the day or night, so it needs to be prepared for when you have the misfortune of being caught in the middle of one. If you're indoors, stay indoors, unless you're on the ground floor, where you can easily run outside. The best thing to do if you're indoors is to hide under a strong piece of furniture like a bed or desk. Do not head for the stairway if you're living on an upper storey, because stairways can collapse. If you're driving, get out of traffic and stop on a wide and open road. Do not stop on a bridge, or in another case, under one. Stay inside your car until the shaking stops. Before you restart driving, look out for fissures , breaks in the road, and bumps or cracks. Inside your home, be careful not to turn on the gas until you' re sure the cylinder is safe, and there is no leak. Avoid using your telephone unless there's an emergency. You could be occupying lines that are needed by other people. Lastly, if you're not trapped or seriously hurt, do not expect fire fighters, army or police to help you. They may be busy rescuing people in greater need than you! What does the passage mainly tell us about?
School children are using mobile phone applications to do their homework, which seem to beincreasing during summer vacations. But instead of blaming students for their behavior, we should say noto too much homework. This is important because by using mobile phone applications to do theirhomework, students don't add much to their knowledge, says an article in Guangzhou-based YangchengEvening News. Excerpts : Using mobile phone applications to do homework is no different from copying from someone else'swork. This is the opinion of a vast majority of teachers. Students who seek cell phone apps help to do theirhomework will pay dearly during major exams when they cannot seek the help of such applications, theteachers say. The heavy load of homework Chinese students are burdened with, said to be the heaviest in the world,has led to the popularity of these applications. Senior high school students in China rarely go to bed before 11 pm. A report in Shanghai published in2013 showed that students in the city on average spend 28.2 hours in class every week, the 9th highestamong 65 countries and regions surveyed. Also, they spend an average of 13.8 hours a week doinghomework, most in the world. There is no association between the amount of homework one does and the amount of knowledge onegathers. In fact, a research by Australian experts shows that the result is exactly the opposite: the morehours students spend doing homework, the less effective they will be in gaining knowledge. The United States is one of the countries where students do little homework, but that has not damagedthe country's academic status in the world. So, it's time Chinese schools understood this fact and freed students of the unnecessary burden ofhomework. The cause of the students' using mobile phone applications to do their homework is _ . A the heavy burden of homework B the advance of modern technology C the pressure of the students' parents D the influence of other countries Answer: A. the heavy burden of homework It's not so surprising that US First Lady Michelle Obama has called Modern Family her favorite TV series. September saw the fun, heartwarming sitcom take home the Best Comedy Series award at the 2013 Emmys. This is the fourth year in a row that the series has won that title. The show features three families who move in and out of each other's lives. The first one is a typical American family: the working dad Phil, stay-at-home mom Claire and their three children. The second family is made up of Jay, his young Hispanic wife and her son Manny. Jay, 65, is the father of Claire. He is 30 years older than his wife and everyone mistakes the two for being father and daughter. The third family is made up of a gay couple, Mitchell and Cameron, and their adopted daughter Lily. Mitchell is Jay's son. On Sept 25, the show started its fifth season, in which Claire makes a big change - she returns to work. The other big storylines include Jay's stepson Manny starting high school and Mitchell and Cameron looking for a primary school for Lily. Will things go right for the three families? Modern Family has no spies, aliens or vampires ; it's just about ordinary people. So what has made it such a hit? According to the Los Angeles Times, its "presentation of contemporary US society" contributes to its success. The show presents what a typical "nuclear family" is like in the US: two parents, a big house and two or three children. When there's a fight between their kids, Phil wants to be the "cool dad" while traditional mom Claire lives by the saying "an eye for an eye". She always forces Phil to punish the troublemaker. The show also touches upon developments in interracial relations in the US by focusing on Hispanic communities. This makes sense, as "by 2040, America will no longer be a majority-white country, with the fastest growth rate among Hispanics..." BBC pointed out. In addition, according to BBC, 40 percent of Americans say they have a gay friend or relative. By including Mitchell and Cameron, Modern Family reflects the changing status of gay people in the US. "The US is a melting pot ... so the family has come to reflect that diversity." commented The Hartman Group, a US research firm. What's new in Modern Family's fifth season? A Lily is entering kindergarten. B Jay's grandson Manny starts high school. C Phil loses his job. D Claire goes back to work. Answer: D. Claire goes back to work. One day a poor student walked in a town. He didn't have anything to eat for several days and he was very hungry. But when he saw a man selling steamed bread ( ), he let out a scream ( ) and fell ( ) to the ground. When the man asked the student what was the matter, the student answered, "I don't like steamed bread. Whenever Isee them , I feel ill and can't eat ." The man then wanted to play a joke on the student. He put ten steamed bread in a room and then put the student in it. After a short time, the man opened the door of the room. H e was surprised to find that the student ate all the steamed bread. The student explained, "For some strange reason, I suddenly find that I like steamed bread." The man was angry that the student had fooled ( ) him. He asked what other things he did not like to eat. "Oh, I like everything," answered the student. "But at the moment I don't like to drink two cups of good strong tea!" The student _ . A wanted some tea. B didn't like tea. C didn't want any tea. D didn't like to drink tea in cups. Answer: A. wanted some tea. It was already dark when an old man came to a small town. He found an inn and wanted to stay there for the night. After he had gone to his room, the owner said to his wife, "Look at his bag, dear. I'm sure there are lots of valuable things in it. I want to steal it when he is asleep." "No, no," said the woman. "He must look for his bag tomorrow morning. Then he'll take you before the judge." They thought and at last the woman had an idea. "We have forgetful grass," said the woman, "Why not put some into his food? If he has the food, he will forget to take his bag away." "How clever you are!" said the owner, "Don't forget it when you prepare supper for him." The old man had the food with the forgetful grass and went to bed. The next morning, when the owner got up, he found the door was open and the old man had left with his bag. He woke his wife up and said angrily, "What a fool! Your forgetful grass isn't useful at all." "No, no," said the woman. "I don't think so. He must forget something." "Oh, I've remembered!" The owner cried out suddenly, "He forgot..." The owner and his wife wanted to _ . A get the man's bag B steal the man's money C make the man pay them more D hide the man's bag Answer: A. get the man's bag From hitting the mall with your girl friends on a Saturday afternoon, to holiday spending on gifts that go under the tree, shopping could be called one of America's favorite pastimes. For most people, it means some new clothes for work or a small trinket for a friend. For others, however, shopping is much more than an enjoyable pastime, and in some cases, it is a real and destructive addiction that can turn into a financial disaster. Compulsive shopping and spending are defined as inappropriate, excessive, and out of control. Like other addictions, it basically has something to do with impulsiveness and lack of control over one's impulses. In America, shopping is embedded in our culture; so often, the impulsiveness comes out as excessive shopping. Sometimes this is referred to as "shopholism". Shopping addiction can damage a person's life, family, and finances. "No one knows what causes addictive behaviors, like shopping, alcoholism, drug abuse, and gambling", says a professor of applied health science. Some of the new evidence suggests that some people, maybe 10%-15%, may have a genetic predisposition to an addictive behavior, coupled with an environment in which the particular behavior is triggered, but no one really knows why." Individuals will get some kind of high from an addictive behavior like shopping. What are the telltale signs that shopping has crossed the line and become and addiction? What should a concerned family member or friend look out for when they think shopping has become a problem? The behaviors can signal a serious problem: Shopping or spending money as a result of feeling angry, depressed, anxious, or lonely Having arguments with others about one's shopping habits Feeling lost without credit cards -- actually going into withdrawal without them Buying items on credit, rather than with cash Describing a rush or a feeling of euphoria with spending Feeling guilty, ashamed, or embarrassed after a spending spree Thinking obsessively about money Spending a lot time juggling accounts or bills to accommodate spending "If someone identifies four or more of any of these behaviors, there may be a problem", experts say. Treating a shopping addiction requires a multifaceted approach. There are no standard treatments for shopping addiction. Medications have been used, but with mixed results. Therapists also focus on cognitive-behavioral treatment programs. There is no quick and easy answer that will immediately cure a shopping addiction, and while treatment is a necessary part of solving the problem, so is behavior change on the part of the addict. Some basic changes in behavior that will have a big impact on breaking a shopping addiction are recommended: Admit that you are a compulsive spender, which is half the battle. Get rid of checkbooks and credit cards, which fuel the problem. Don't shop by yourself because most compulsive shoppers shop alone and if you are with someone you are much less likely to append more. Find other meaningful ways to spend time. And keep in mind that while behavior change is clearly important to recovery, so is reaching out for professional help.(509) The most important way to get rid of the addiction is _ . A use credit card instead of checkbooks B change one's behavior as well as seek professional advice C find somebody else to shopfor you D go to a doctor for a standard treatment Answer: B. change one's behavior as well as seek professional advice
Scientists from the University of East Anglia have identified four new man-made gases that are contributing to the damage to the ozone layer. Two of the gases are accumulating at a rate that is causing concern among researchers. Worries over the growing ozone hole have seen the production of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) gases restricted since the mid 1980s. But the precise origin of these new, similar substances remains a mystery. Lying in the atmosphere, the ozone layer plays a critical role in blocking harmful UV rays, which cause cancers in humans and reproductive problems in animals. Scientists from the British Antarctic Survey were the first to discover a huge "hole" in the ozone over Antarctica in 1985. The evidence quickly pointed to CFC gases, which were invented in the 1920s, and were widely used in refrigeration. Extraordinarily, global action was rapidly agreed to deal with CFCs and the Montreal Protocol to limit these substances came into being in 1987. A total global ban on production came into force in 2010. Now, the newly discovered four new gases can destroy ozone and are getting into the atmosphere from as yet unidentified sources. Three of the gases are CFCs and one is a hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC), which can also damage ozone. The research has shown that four gases were not around in the atmosphere at all until the 1960s, which suggests they are man-made. The scientists discovered the gases by analyzing polar snow pack. Air from this snow is a natural archive of what was in the atmosphere up t0 100 years ago. The researchers also looked at modern air samples, collected at remote Cape Grim in Tasmania. They estimate that about 74,000 tonnes of these gases have been released into the atmosphere. Two of the gases are accumulating at significant rates. However, they don't know where the new gases are being released from and this should be investigated. Possible sources include chemicals for insecticide production and solvents for cleaning electronic components. The three CFCs are being destroyed very slowly in the atmosphere - so even if emissions were to stop immediately, they will still be around for many decades to come. Of the four species identified, CFC-113a seems the most worrying as there is a very small but growing emission source somewhere, maybe from agricultural insecticides. We should find it and take it out of production. What do we know about the newly discovered gases? A. Some are surely produced by the development of agriculture. B. The CFCs will have a long impact once they are released. C. They gather together in the atmosphere at a medium speed. D. Their amounts are not large enough to cause damage to us. Answer: B. The CFCs will have a long impact once they are released. Plants that live in the rainforest have adapted in amazing ways to several very difficult conditions. This means that the plant has changed something in its "body" or "habits" to make it easier to survive in difficult conditions. There are several conditions they have had to adapted to. First, the soil of the forest floor is shallow. Also, the soil of the rainforest is not very rich, or easy to grow in. Next is the problem of very heavy rain which continues over a large part of the year. Finally, many plants of the rainforest are food for animals that live there. The biggest problem that rainforest plants have to adapt to is the lack of sunlight in the rainforest's lower levels. Plants have adapted to this problem in several ways. Many plants have very large leaves. The large leaf is helpful because it has a bigger surface area. The bigger surface area a leaf has, the more sunlight it can absorb. The canopy trees adapt by growing to be 100 feet tall so that their leaves can grab all available sunlight. Other plants called lianas have adapted by rooting themselves in the soil of the forest floor and growing up the trees until they reach the canopy layer. Still other plants, such as epiphytes, have adapted by growing directly on the trees' trunks and branches in the canopy and understory layers of the rainforest. An adaptation to the large amounts of rainfall that many rainforest plants have is called "drip tips". Their leaves are tapered to a sharp point at the end. This allows water to run off the leaf quickly. There are many other adaptations that rainforest plants have made to their environment. These will be discussed in detail, as we investigate the plants of the rainforest! What can be inferred about rainforest plants? A. They have to face dangers not only from animals but also from each other. B. Too little sunlight and too much water are the biggest problems they face. C. All of their adaptations have been investigated in detail. D. Different kinds of plants have different ways to absorb sunlight. Answer: D. Different kinds of plants have different ways to absorb sunlight. Once many years ago, I pulled a family out of a burning car somewhere in Wyoming. Last week I received a telephone call from a woman who could not stop crying as she told me that one of my stories had saved her son from committing suicide. In closing she called me a hero. That got me thinking about what a hero is. Was I a hero because I pulled a family from a burning car? If so, how could I be a hero just because I wrote a story that saved someone's life? Today I decided to look up the word "hero" in the dictionary to see exactly what it meant. It read "a person who does. something brave". As I read on, it also said "a person who is good and noble ". That statement impressed me more than the part about being brave. So I thought about something very important. Say I was walking into the local Wal-Mart Store and I happened to open, and hold the door for someone as a _ . As they passed me by, I say, "How are you today?" Most of the time that would be no big deal, but this time let's say it was for someone who was deeply depressed and near the end of the rope. That may have very well been the only kindness or courtesy shown to them in a very long time. Having been near "the end of my rope", after my marriage of twenty years ended, I was in such a condition. I was within hours trying to get enough courage to end the pain and misery. When I returned home, someone had sent me a card in the mail which told me how much they would appreciate me as a friend. That wonderful card probably saved my life. That person, without even knowing it, saved a life and became a hero. Gee, who would have ever thought that anyone can become a hero, and possibly save a life just by being kind and courteous to others? The best part of all is that becoming a hero is free to all who wish to wear such an honor. According to this passage, which of the following can be considered as the behavior of a hero? A. Holding a door open for someone. B. Sending someone a wonderful card. C. Keeping writing stories for children. D. Being kind to someone who has a hard time. Answer: D. Being kind to someone who has a hard time. The radioactive isotope content of a rock can be used to identify which property of the rock? A. the total mass of the rock B. the rate at which the rock formed C. the types of fossils that the rock contains D. the amount of time passed since the rock formed Answer: D. the amount of time passed since the rock formed LONDON(Reuters)--Organic fruit, delivered right to the doorstep. That is what Gabriel Gold prefers, and he is willing to pay for it. If this is not possible, the 26-year-old computer technician will spend the extra money at the supermarket to buy organic food. "Organic produce is always better,"Gold said."The food is free of pesticides ,and you are generally supporting family farms instead of large farms. And at most times it is locally grown and seasonal, so it is more tasty."Gold is one of a growing number of shoppers accepting the _ , and supermarkets across Britain are counting on more like him as they grow their organic food business. But how many shoppers really know what they are getting, and why are they willing to pay a higher price for organic produce? Market research shows that Gold and others who buy organic food can generally give clear reasons for their preferences but their knowledge of organic food is far from complete. For example, small amount of pesticides can be used on organic products. And about three quarters of organic food in prefix = st1 /Britainis not local but imported to meet growing demand."The demand for organic food is increasing by about one third every year, so it is a very fast-growing market,"said Sue Flock, a specialist in this line of business More and more people in Britain are buying organic food because_. A. they are getting richer B. they can get the food anywhere C. they consider the food free of pollution D. they like home-grown fruit Answer: C. they consider the food free of pollution
Canadian scientists have found that the more emotional or mental challenges a person faces in a day, the less determined they become to work out physically. However, the findings should not stop us from keeping fit. Experts believe that willpower is like a muscle, and needs to be exercised to help one avoid the temptation spending a night on the couch instead. Kathleen Martin-Ginis, a professor of kinesiology-the science of movement--who led the study, says everyone has a limited amount of willpower, and that it will be reduced by stress. Miss Martin-Ginis, of Canada's McMaster University, explains," Cognitive tasks, as well as tasks such as regulating one's emotions, can reduce one's capacity to force oneself to exercise. " Her team of scientists performed a so-called "Stroop" test on volunteers to reach their conclusions. The experiment involved showing participants words associated with color1s but printed in different color1s-for example, the word "blue" written in red ink Participants were divided into two groups. One group was asked to name the color1 of the ink, instead to say the printed word, while the other wasn't Martin-Girus says, "After we used this cognitive task to use up their self-regulatory capacity, the participants didn't exercise as hard as those who had not performed the task " The more people concentrated on the cognitive task, the more likely they were to skip exercise sessions over the next eight week You only have so much willpower. However, there are ways to strengthen willpower. The study found the listening to music before going to the gym can help, as well as making a commitment to work out with friends. It also concluded that willpower can be stretched by constant cake, or forcing oneself to study an extra hour each night Martin- Ginis adds," There are strategies people can use to help revitalize themselves after they've used up their self-regulation Willpower is like a muscle: it needs to be used to stay strong. " All the following are ways to strengthen one's willpower EXCEPT _ Answer: "Humans should not try to avoid stress any more than they would _ food, love or exercise," said Dr. Hans Selye, the first physician to document the effects of stress on the body. While here's on question that continuous stress is harmful, several studies suggest that challenging situations in which you're able to rise to the occasion can be good for you. In a study of 158 hospital nurses, those who faced considerable work demands but deal with the challenge were more likely to say they were in good health than those who felt they couldn't get the job done. Stress that you can manage also promote immune function. In a study at the Academic Center for Dentistry inprefix = st1 /Amsterdam, researchers put volunteers through two stressful experiences. In the first, a timed task that required memorizing a list followed by a short test, subjects believed they had control over the outcome. In the second, they weren't in control. They had to sit through a bloody video on surgical procedures. Those who did the memory test had an increase levels of immunoglobulin A, an antibody that's the body's first line of defense against germs. However, the video-watchers experienced a fall in the antibody. Stress encourage body to produce certain stress hormones . In short bursts these hormones have a positive effect, including improved memory function. "They can help nerve cells handle information and put it into storage," says Dr. Bruce McEwen of Rockefeller University inNew York. But in the long run these hormones can have a harmful effect on the body and brain. "Continuous stress is not good for you," says Richard Morimoto, a researcher at Northwestern University in Illinoisstudying the effects of stress on one's life, "It's the occasional burst of stress or brief experience of stress that could be protective. " The passage is mainly about _ . Answer: Adrian's "Amazing Race" started early when his parents realized that he, as a baby, couldn't hear a thing, not even loud noises. In a special school for the hearing-impaired, he learned sign language and got to mix with other disabled children. However, the sight of all the disabled children communicating with one another upset his mother. She wanted him to lead a normal life. So after speaking to an advisor, she sent him to private classes where he learned to read lips and pronounce words. Later on, Adrian's parents decided to send him to a regular school. But the headmaster tried to prevent them from doing so, saying regular school couldn't take care of a special needs students. His parents were determined to take the risk and push him hard to go through his work everyday because they wanted to prove that, given the opportunity, he could do anything. Adrian made the grade and got accepted. It was a big challenge. The pace was faster so he had to sit at the front of the class and really pay attention to the teacher, which wasn't always easy. But he stuck to it and did a lot of extra work after school. The efforts made by Adrian and his parents paid off. Adrian graduated with good grades and got into a top high school. He also achieved a lot in life outside school. He developed a love for the outdoors and went to Nepal to climb mountains. He even entered the World Yacht Race 05/06--- being the first hearing-impaired Asian to do so. But none of these achievements would have been possible without one of the most important lessons from his mother." "If you believe in yourself and work hard, you can achieve great results." she often said. How did Adrian communicate with other children in the special school? Answer: Playing music at a certain frequency may Answer: 150 Years of Cool Look in the bedrooms of young people around the world. You will probably find a pair of blue jeans in each room. Jeans are very popular all over the world. Jeans give you the feeling of comfort, youth and energy. They have long been liked by every person. Levi Strauss is an American company. It first made blue jeans. The company was founded in 1853 by 24-year-old Levi Strauss. Twenty years later, he made the first blue jeans in the world. The jeans were used as working trousers for the cowboys of the American West. During the Second World War, American soldiers brought blue jeans to Europe and Asia. People there began to wear jeans. Little by little, they become cool. People from different countries like different styles of jeans. Americans like to wear simple and single-colored jeans, but many Chinese like to wear jeans with lots of different colors. Jeans now can be seen everywhere: However, in many places, it's not always good to wear jeans. No matter how good they may look, or what color they are, it's often not right to wear jeans in formal places. But, when you are out, relaxing and having fun, jeans are the best choice. Levi Strauss made the first blue jeans _ . Answer:
Airtight plastic bags can help farmers protect their harvests without the use of harmful chemicals. These bags are designed to keep air out of crops in storage. Using them is a simple way to fight insects and keep crops fresh. Ten countries in West and Central Africa are involved in a project to improve the storage of cowpeas, also known as black-eyed peas. Farmers can lose much of the harvest to insects called bruchids , which grow from egg to adult in a few weeks and then lay forty to sixty eggs. They can destroy the whole harvest within months. Farmers can sell their crops immediately. But selling at harvest time means more competition and lower prices.Or they can use pesticides to kill the bugs. But a crop scientist Dieudonne Baributsa says, "They end up misusing or overusing the pesticide. In Nigeria, they have reported a lot of cases of death. They usually call cowpeas 'killer beans' in Nigeria." Mr. Baributsa is a researcher at Purdue University in Indiana, America. The project is called PICS---Purdue Improved Cowpea Storage. He says the storage bags are thick enough that any insects already in the cowpeas willdie from a lack of oxygen. The lack of air will also help prevent the growth of bacteria that can ruin the harvest. The bags cost about two dollars each. Mr. Baributsa says that is not much, especially if it means farmers can wait long enough to get a better price for their crops. The bags are produced locally. Donors currently support the project, but the groups involved are working to build a lasting market for the bags because donation for the project will not lastforever. A company based in the United States called GrainPro makes another kind of airtight bags. These are called SuperGrainbags. Phil Villers, the company's president, says storing a harvest safely not only helps farmers earn more money, but also reduces the amount of the harvest loss to insects, spoilage and mishandling. "What does not get wasted and eaten means it is possible to feed a hungry world," said Phil Villers. It can be inferred that bruchids _ . Answer: The coyote , that clever animal of wide-open spaces, has come to the nation's capital. In fact, coyotes have spread to every corner of the United States, changing their behaviors to fit new environments and causing researchers to deal with a troublesome new kind of creature: the city coyote. The coyote originally lived in the middle of the continent. One of its most obvious characters is its smartness, which has made the animal a notorious pest. Hunters trapped, shot and poisoned more than a million coyotes in the 1900s. It's still one of America's most hunted animals. Yet the coyote has survived. How has the coyote shown this extraordinary ability? "I guess if you wanted to use one word, it'd be ' _ '," says Eric Gese, an expert at Utah State University. Coyotes can live alone, in pairs, or in large packs like wolves; hunt at night or during the day; occupy a small region or an area up to 40 square miles; and live on all sorts of food, from lizards and shoes, to ants and melons. Unbelievably people helped coyotes increase when they killed most of the wolves in the United States. The spreading of coyotes into city areas, though, is recent. They travel at night, crossing sidewalks and bridges, running along roads and ducking into culverts and underpasses. No one knows why coyotes are moving into cities, but experts explain that cleverer, more human-tolerant coyotes are teaching urban survival skills to new generations. Occasionally, coyotes might attack human beings. There have been about 160 attacks on people in recent years. Therefore, people have been consistently told not to feed coyotes or leave pet food unsecured. That, plus a large trapping program in the neighborhood, has cut down on the coyote population. The aim of the passage is to _ . Answer: People need to relax and enjoy themse1ves.One way they can have a good time is to watch a baseball game or another sports event.Even thousands of years ago,groups of people gathered to watch skilled athletes . Over 2000 years ago in Greece,certain days in the year were festival days.These were holidays when people stopped work and enjoyed themselves.They liked to watch athletes take part in races and other games of skill. The most important festival was held every four years at the town of Olympia.It was held in honor of the Greek god Zeus(Zus).For five days,athletes from all parts of the Greek world took part in the Olympic Games.At the Olympic Games,people could watch them box,run,jump and so on.There was a relay race between two teams of men in which a lighted torch was passed from runner to runner.The Olympic Games were thought to be so important that cities which were at war with one another had to stop fighting.People were allowed to travel to the games safely.Thousands of people came to Olympia from cities in Greece and from her colonies in Africa,Asia and Italy.They met as friends to cheer their favorite athletes and to enjoy themselves. What did people do at the games? Answer: Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft and one of the richest people in the world, is now making efforts to reinvent the toilet. Gates has donated a big part of his wealth to charity. Now his charitable organization, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is looking for future toilets that can improve the living conditions of millions of people. The flush toilet we use today was invented in 1775. While it works well in getting rid of our waste, it also uses a lot of water and needs a costly sewage system . Besides, it's not necessarily practical for the developing world. In some developing countries, lack of toilets leads to poor hygiene ,and _ could kill people. According to the World Health Organization, 1.5 million children under the age of five die each year because of hygiene problems. Last year, the Gates Foundation gave money to eight universities around the world and asked them to start inventing the toilet of tomorrow: a toilet that uses little or no water is cheap and easy to fix, and is safe and hygienic. At the " Reinvent the Toilet Fair " competition recently held in Seattle, twenty-eight designs were displayed. The winners, from the California Institute of Technology , were awarded a $ 100,000 prize by the Gates Foundation. "We couldn't be happier with the response that we've gotten," Bill Gates said at the event. Many of the new designs would not only greatly improve hygiene in the developing world, but also help change the dependence on traditional flush toilets in developed nations, he said. Which would be the best title for the passage? Answer: Darling Kelli, I'm so sorry I will not get to see you grow up as I so want to. Please don't blame people or the world for this. A lot of life is simply luck and mine is running out. I wish I had the words to make you feel better. I wish you didn't have to see me in pain as you often do now. I wish so many things were different but they are not. But while your old dad is still around, I thought I'd try to give you some life advice in one go. I hope it gives you some comfort. I hope cancer never returns so that your life is long, fulfilled and happy. Everyone will say it's of great importance to work hard at school. I hope you'll always do your best. I did well at school but did it do me much good in life? Not really. Schoolwork is important, but make sure you have fun too. You and your mom will argue at times, especially when you're a teenager. Please remember she loves you and wants the best for you. Give Mommy a hug when she is feeling sad. When you're a teenager you might think your friends are right and your mom is wrong. But she has to make hard decisions for you. Treat her well. You'll have boyfriends when you're older, so here's some advice. It's very hard to describe how it feels to really be in love. You might remember seeing your mom and I laughing together and cuddling on the sofa, and once the love hearts and flowers fade that's what real love looks like. Have fun finding it. Most important of all: Your laugh takes over your whole body. I hope you never lose that. There is no point in asking you not to be sad when I go. I know you will be, princess. And I wish I could be there to hug you until you smile again. And finally, thank you for being you, Kelli. Enjoy your life. Don't rush through it. All my love, always, goes to you, princess. The best title for the passage can be _ . Answer:
The London Eye is a giant 135---meter tall Ferris wheel situated on the banks of the River Thames in the British capital. Since 20 January 2011, it has been officially known as the EDF Energy London Eye following a three---year deal with the company. It is the tallest Ferris wheel in Europe, and the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom, visited by over 3.5 million people every year. The London Eye is located at the western end of Jubilee Gardens, on the South Bank of the River Thames In the London Borough of Lambeth in England, between Westminster Bridge( which has longer history than the famous Severn Bridge to the west of London) and Hungerford Bridge. When erected in 1999, it was the tallest Ferris wheel in the world, until surpassed first by the 160 m Star of Nanchang in 2006, and the 165m Singapore Flyer in 2008. A breathtaking feat of design and engineering, passengers in the London Eye's capsules can see up to 40 kilometers in all directions. The London Eye is the vision of David Marks and Julia Barfield, a husband and wife architect team. The wheel design was used as a metaphor for the end of the 20thcentury, and time turning into the new millennium . Back in 2000, the London Eye was known as the Millennium wheel. In 2009, a 4D Film Experience was added as a free extra to enjoy before your ride on the Eye. Once you get high enough and start coming down the other side, you will see people reach for their cameras. Here's where the good stuff is right at your fingertips(or seems so). Parliament and Big Ben are beneath you, as are so many other historical things . If you are interested in other attractions in London, you can refer to the homepage. What cannot be seen from the London Eye ? At 10 years old, Flynn Mc Garry became sick of the meals his mother cooked for him. So the Los Angeles native took matters into his own hands and started making his own dinners. One of his specialties? Trout with braised leeks . Now 13, the young chef is being praised as a "food prodigy ". He will spend his summer apprenticing with some of the best chefs at LA's famous restaurants, MSNBC Nightly New reports. Mc Garry began making a name for himself in the culinary world when John Sedlar, owner of the trendy Playa Restaurant, let Mc Garry take over the kitchen for a special nine-course meal. The meal sold out almost instantly. "Flynn is a very unusual young man, and he's very, very passionate," owner John Sedlar told MSNBC. By usual teenage boy standards, it's true. So strong is his passion for cooking that the young man has turned his bedroom into an experimental kitchen laboratory. Instead of video game consoles, baseball trophies and movie posters, Mc Garry's room is lined with mixers, pots and pans, cutting boards and a stainless steel worktable. It's where Mc Garry cooks his monthly pop-up dinners, which are served from his family's dining room, a monthly supper club he calls Eureka. Mc Garry is deft and confident in the kitchen, with skills he's been practicing since he was a child. What started out as a means of self-preservation from his mom's unsatisfactory cooking has turned into a passion that the teen hopes to develop into a career. "My goal? Michelin three stars, a restaurant in the top 50 list," he told MSNBC. "Hopefully the top five." Meanwhile, Mc Garry's 13-year-old resume is already richer and more impressive than most cooks many times his age. Mc Garry isn't the only talented young prodigy to surprise experts in his field in recent years. At just 17 years old, physicist Taylor Wilson is already teaching graduate-level courses in physics and has built a functioning nuclear reactor. Where does this text probably come from? On Saturdays, most people are busy shopping. Some of them go to the shops, and some go to the supermarkets. But in American, most shoppers enjoy shopping in the shopping malls. A mall is a group of many shops. There you can buy clothes, furniture, and everything you need. Shopping malls provide parking for your cars. Usually, the mall is under one roof so the shoppers do not get cold or wet from rain, wind, or snow. After shopping, you may get tired. You can walk into the sitting-room for a short rest. If you go into the dinning rooms in the malls, you can have a good meal. Now more and more Americans like to go shopping there. People don't have to worry about rain or wind, because the mall is _ . Dear Disney, Last weekend, the four members of my family spent an enjoyable holiday at the Magic Kingdom - Disneyland. And one event made our visit seem truly magical. We got to the front of the line at Space Mountain, only to find out that our little daughter Gloria couldn't take her ice-cream on the ride. We were so excited that we all forgot ice-cream was not allowed on the ride. Gloria broke into tears and we all had no idea what to do. Then Murphy, one of the staff members, came over. She bent down and told Gloria that she would hold the ice-cream for her and give it to her when she finished the ride. Gloria said, "Promise?" Then she gave Murphy her ice-cream, and she completely enjoyed the ride. Sure enough, as we walked out the exit, there was Gloria's new friend with "her" ice-cream. Now you and I both know what happened, because we know that an ice-cream won't last twenty minutes on a summer afternoon in Florida. Murphy knew what time we would get off the ride. she went to the nearest shop and bought a brand-new ice-cream thirty seconds before we walked out the exit. Gloria said, "Thank you," but I'm sure she thought it was the same ice-cream. We know that _ tried hard to make our visit special. Thanks so much for going above and beyond! Your fan, Carmen Rivera In order to keep the promise, Murphy _ . If you remember taking class notes in longhand , there's a good chance you also remember more about a variety of topics than today's students do. A study investigated whether taking notes by hand helps you learn better than taking notes on a laptop. It was no contest. Study authors and psychologists Pam A. Mueller of Princeton University and Daniel M. Oppenheimer of the University of California- Los Angeles conducted three separate experiments involving a total of 327 students. All students got the same lectures, but some used laptops, and others took notes by hand. When it came to learning the concepts, the handwriters won. When it came to retrieving facts, the groups were comparable, except when given time to go home and look at their notes, at which point the handwriters did better. "Even when allowed to reviewnotes after a week's delay, participants who had taken notes with laptops performed worse on tests of both factual content and conceptual understanding," the study states. Learning suffered not because of "multitasking" or the distraction available to students using Wi-Fi- enabled laptops. In the lab, scientists allowed no extraneous activity. Students who paid attention and took deep notes on their laptop still didn't learn as well--in fact, the study suggests the thoroughness of their notes contributes to the problem. Laptop users tend to record long, _ quotes, which they type mindlessly. Handwriters are more selective. They "wrote significantly fewer words than those who typed," according to the study. By processing and selecting the more important information, they studied more efficiently, said researchers. Here's what's a bit frightening: When the laptop students were instructed to cut down or eliminate the verbatim note taking, they couldn't. The study adds to a ton of evidence that for learning, writing is better and that the hand has a "unique relationship with the brain when it comes to composing thoughts and ideas." Of course, the chance of persuading students to put away their laptops is probably zero. Many of them can't write longhand, a forgotten subject in many American schools, itself a source of controversy. So are we stuck with traditional classrooms and learning techniques if we want the brightest pupils? Perhaps not: Another possibility, some have suggested, is apps that permit handwriting on tablets, a compromise that students might accept. What can be inferred from the passage?
One day a rich boy bought a magic mirror . When he got home, he looked in the mirror. His face looked sad. He tried to smile and make funny faces, his face looked still sad. Then he did many happy things, but his face always looked sad. "Oh, what a terrible mirror! It doesn't work! " he said angrily. The next day on his way to buy some chocolate, he saw a little girl crying sadly. The rich boy went up to her and asked what happened. The little girl said she couldn't find her parents. "Don't worry. I'll help you," the rich boy said. So they went to look for them together. Finally they found her parents. They were so thankful for his help. After the rich boy arrived home, he looked in the mirror as usual. To his surprise, his face looked very happy. The boy understood the magic of the mirror. The mirror could show the true feelings of its owner. This was true--the rich boy helped that little girl, so he felt really happy. , . What did the rich boy saw crying sadly on his way to buy some chocolate? Answer: Mr. Smith works in an office. He's very busy and has no time to have a good rest . Every evening , when he comes back from his office , he's always tired and wants to go to bed early . But his wife, Mrs Smith, often has a lot of interesting things to tell him after dinner . She doesn't stop talking before she goes to sleep . One day the man felt terrible and couldn't go to work . He decided to go to see a doctor . And Mrs. Smith went to the hospital with him . Before her husband asked the doctor what was wrong with him , the woman told the doctor all and the doctor understood why . He wrote out a prescription . And when Mrs. Smith brought the medicine to the doctor , the doctor said to her , " The bottle of medicine is for your husband and the sleeping pills are for you . " " For me ? " the woman said in surprise " I'm fine . I don't need any medicine ! " " I don't think so , madam " , said the doctor . " They are sleeping pills . Your husband will soon be all right if you take them . " Which of the following is right about Mr. Smith ? Answer: In the dining room of my grandfather's house stood a massive grandfather clock. Meals in that dining room were a time for four generations to become one. The table was always spread with food containing love as the main ingredient . And that grandfather clock stood like an old family friend, watching over the laughter that was a part of our lives. As a child, the old clock fascinated me. I watched and listened to it during meals. Even more wonderful to me was my grandfather's ritual. He wound that clock with a special key carefully each day. That key was magic to me. It kept our family's magnificent clock ticking and chiming. I remember watching as my grandfather took the key from his pocket and opened the hidden door in the clock. He inserted the key and wound -- not too much, nor too little. He never let that clock wind down and stop. He showed us grandchildren how to open the door and let us each take turns winding the key. I remember the first time I did it I was so excited to be part of this family ritual. After my grandfather died, it was days after the funeral before I remembered the clock! "Mama! The clock! We've let it wind down." The tears flowed freely when I entered the dining room. The clock stood there quiet. It even seemed smaller without my grandfather's special touch. Some time later, my grandmother gave me the clock and the key. The old house was quiet. No laughter over the dinner table, no ticking or chiming of the clock -- all was still. I took the key in my shaking hand and opened the clock door. All of a sudden, I was a child again, watching my grandfather with his silver-white hair and blue eyes. He was there, winking at me, at the secret of the clock's magic, at the key that held so much power. I stood, lost in the moment for a long time. Then slowly and carefully I inserted the key and wound the clock. I sprang to life. Tick -- Tock, tick -- tock, life and chimes were breathed into the dining room, into the house and into my heart. In the movement of the hands of the clock, my grandfather lived again. The best title for the passage can be _ . Answer: In a contract suit by Perez against Drake, each of the following is an accepted method of authenticating Drake's signature on a document offered by Perez EXCEPT: Answer: Forty years ago, Finland was a small country with ordinary public schools. Today, Finland is still small but no one calls Finland's public schools ordinary anymore. In 2000, the Finns surprised the world when their 15yearolds scored at the top of a closelywatched international exam called the PISA, the Program for International Student Assessment. Finland has stayed near the top ever since, while the US scores around the middle. Pasi Sahlberg, an official of Finland's Ministry of Education and Culture, is in Seattle this week to share the story of Finland's success, and what states like Washington can learn from it. Sahlberg's message, although he is too polite to put it so directly: Stop testing so much. Trust teachers more. Give less homework. Shorten the school day. On Tuesday, in a room filled with teachers, principals, professors, schoolboard members and policy makers, Sahlberg joked about the Finns' reputation for being a quiet, humble people. When Finland hit the top of the PISA, he said, the biggest disbelievers were Finns. More seriously, he said, Finland never set out to create the world's top school system. Instead, he said, the country decided in the 1970s that it wanted to ensure that a student's success didn't depend on family background. To achieve that goal, Finland relied on cooperation among teachers and schools, rather than on competition. Rather than judges teachers and schools based on test scores, he said, Finland puts trust in its teachers and principals. Teachers develop the curriculum in Finland, and design their own tests. There are no national tests, except one at the end of high school. That's just the start. Along with a shorter school day, Finnish students don't even start school until they are 7 years old. Many primary schools have a policy against giving homework. But Finland, he said, succeeded in part by adapting ideas from the US and other countries. And those countries, he said, can learn from Finland, too. People first learned Finland's success in education from _ . Answer:
Many a online shopper stayed up until 2 am on Sunday, looking through the Internet to buy products being sold at half price before they could _ (be bought)by other shoppers. Tens of millions of the Internet users were crazy to take advantage of the halfprice promotion, started by the ecommerce giant Alibaba Group on Sunday, Nov. 11, which is known as Singles' Day in China, and is the Chinese answer to Cyber Monday in the United States. By 7 pm on Sunday, 14.1 billion yuan's worth of sales was made on tmall. com and taobao. com. That could make Singles' Day the biggest ecommerce sales day on record. The research company comScore said US online retailers saw $ 1.25 billion of sales during last year's Cyber Monday, the day after Thanksgiving weekend and the busiest day for online retailers as US shoppers start to prepare for Christmas. Singles' Day originated with university students, and was later adopted by ecommerce companies as a promotional opportunity. Ecommerce companies, including Jingdong Mall and Amazon China, also took part in the promotion." In the past, people only shopped online occasionally, but now, online shopping is a lifestyle accepted by many," said Zhang Yong, Tmall president. Alibaba began to hold Singles' Day promotions in 2009, and last year, its sales totaled 5.2 billion yuan."I don't know whether we would lose money, but I don't think we could earn much on this day by selling goods at half price," said Hao Hongfeng, chairman of Beijing Jiuxian ECommerce, a liquor retailer in Beijing who took part in the event. He said it is a good opportunity for online retailers to get their names known. Why were the online retailers so active in the promotion? Answer: To make their names known to more people. Each nation has many good people who help to take care of others. For example, some high school and college students in the United States often spend many hours as volunteers in hospitals, orphanages or homes for the old. They read books to the people in these places, or they just visit them and play games with them or listen to their problems. Other volunteers go and work in the homes of people who are sick or old. They paint, clean up, or repair their houses, do their shopping or mow their lawns . For boys who no longer have fathers there is an organization called Big Brothers. College students and other men take these boys to baseball games or on fishing trips and help them to get to know things that boys usually learn from their fathers. Each city has a number of clubs where boys and girls can go to play games or learn crafts . Some of these clubs show movies or organize short trips to the mountains, beaches, museums or other places of interest. Most of these clubs use a lot of high school and college students as volunteers because they are young enough to remember the problems of younger boys and girls. Volunteers believe that some of the happiest people in the world are those who help to bring happiness to others. , Where can you often find volunteers in the United States? Answer: In a hospital. My mother is taking a tour of the new house via Skype. I leaned the laptop so she can see where she's going,pleased that our Internet connection in Zimbabwe is holding. "This is the living room," I say. Then I tell mydaughter,s;Show Grandma the bed for the mummy and the daddy. " From a continent away, Grandma gave herapproval. Mum had a dollhouse,too. My grandmother,a single mother, did not have enough money to buy my mother areal dollhouse. So Mum made do,laboring over her square cookie tin for years. She stuck patterns on the bright walls : tin cans of jam and bags of flour to make sure the dolls' store was overflowing. My mother passed her love of life in miniature( ) on to me very early. At age 5,1 made chests of drawers for my dollhouse bedroom from matchboxes glued together. Unlike my mother,l was given some ready-made doll furniture and accessories. My mother encouraged me,always responding to my calI,"Come to see what I've made Lrur IIly clollhuuse ! " I spent hours writing a book with the unoriginal but certainly accurate title " How To Make Dolls' House Furniture". The book was lost in a household move. But the satisfying feeling of filling up blank pages with my own ideas stayed with me,pushing me into a career centered on words. My daughter turned 3 recently, and last month I put a strong empty cardboard box,about the size of a tea tray ,in Cassia's bedroom. I searched the shops for dollhouse furniture. But an afternoon's searching yielded only a pink plastic toilet and sink. It doesn't matter,l told myself. I showed Cassia how to make plates for her table from coloured buttons. Fascinated, she collected black stones. What my mother gave me was much more than a fascination with tiny things :It was the ability to view things from a new perspective , to put oneself in another person's shoes , and to solve problems with whatever is at hand. What did the writer learn from her mother? Answer: To solve problems from a different view. Being considered a leader in our society is indeed of high praise.Leadership means power, commands respect and, most important, encourages achievement.Unlike vitamin C, leadership skills can't be easily swallowed down.They must be carefully cultivated. Different from popular belief, most good leaders are made, not born.They learn their skills in their everyday lives.But which do they develop? How do they (and how can you) get others to follow? Always give credit.Many leaders note that the most efficient way to get a good performance from others is to treat them like heroes.Giving public credit to someone who has earned it is the best leadership technique in the world.It is also an act of generosity that's never forgotten. Giving credit is more effective than even the most constructive criticism , which often hurts rather than helps.Kenneth Blanchard, the author of The One-Minute Manager, agrees. "Catch people doing something right!" he says.Then tell everyone about it. Take informed risks." The best leaders know that taking a risk is not a thoughtless exercise," says management adviser Marilyn Machlowitz."Sky divers don't go up in an airplane without checking the parachutes beforehand." Because the idea of risk also carries with it the possibility of failure, many of us usually wait for others to take charge.But if you want to be a leader, you must learn to fail - and not die a thousand deaths.Pick yourself up and start all over again. Encourage enthusiasm ."When people understand the importance of work, they lend their mental strengths," says Lee Ducat.But when they get excited about the work, all their energy gets poured into the job.That's a great force! Is this the best way to create excitement? Be enthusiastic your-self - You will be followed by everyone. To be a good leader, you should _ . Answer: think twice before taking risks Gina is an English girl. She has a brother. His name is Mike. They are good students. Their father and mother are English teachers, and they work very long hours every day. So the family usually go to the park on Saturday or Sunday. Today is Saturday. It's a nice day. They want to go there with their dog. They leave home at 8:30 a.m. and go to the park by car. They get there at 9:10 a.m. Gina and Mike start to play tennis. Their parents are under a tree. Their father reads a book and their mother listens to music. The dog plays on the grass. At 12:00 they have lunch in KFC in the park. In the afternoon they go boating. And they get home at 4:00 p.m. they are very tired, but very happy. In the park, Gina and Mike _ . Answer: play tennis
Life in the future is different from now. There are not any paper money in the future. People use their _ when they go shopping. There are not so many stores. At weekends, people needn't go out. They usually do some shopping at home on the Internet. Children don't get up early to go to school. They have lessons at home on the Internet, too. Teachers teach their students and give them homework on the Internet. Children give the homework to their teachers on the Internet, too. People don't need to do much work. There are more robots . Robots do hard work for people. Parents don't cook or wash clothes. A cooking robot cooks breakfast. In fact, robots do all the housework for us. There are more holidays. Parents spend much time with their children. They spend a lot of time travelling around the world. I think life in the future is very interesting. Do you think so? How does the writer like the life in the future? He thinks it is _ . Answer: interesting The heat was intense as we moved down the long corridor. Not only was it a difficult blaze, but the July heat made things even worse as we struggled to get the best of the flames. As we finally made the turn into the apartment where the fire had started, the words of the young mother outside screamed in my brain, 'Please help! My baby is in there!' We moved into the bedroom and I started looking in the usual spots where a child might seek refuge: under the bed, in the corners. As I groped my way through the thick smoke, I suddenly fell forward, tripping over something on the floor. It was the child. Ripping off my mask to give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, I grabbed the child and raced for the stairs. When we reached the waiting Rescue Squad members, I collapsed in a heap in the gutter. The ambulance sped off into the night, its siren wailing. Later that evening, we received word that the child had died in the hospital's emergency room. Another small life lost in the city. Why do little children such as that one have to pay the price for the neglect of others? During my career as a fire fighter, I have seen this happen many times. You would think that we would become hard and callous, but we don't. We mourn each person who dies. What bothers me is that many senseless tragedies could have been prevented. An overwhelming number of deaths in fires can be prevented by just one thing - a smoke detector. It is estimated that fewer than 50 percent of all dwellings in the United States are protected by smoke detectors. Why are so many people ignorant about the need for smoke detectors? Smoke detectors save lives. They are easy to install. Their cost is reasonable, and they offer immediate protection. People must persuade their communities to provide fire education for everyone. The money spent on fire education reaps a reward that cannot be measured. If you do not think so, then consider your reactions if the child I carried out of that flaming apartment had been a member of your own family. You would probably then be willing to do anything at all to undo that tragedy. The author blames the lack of smoke detectors in households on the reason that _ . Answer: people are ignorant about the need for smoke detectors. In most cases, drivers lose their driving licenses because they drink and drive. I have always promised myself that I will never drive if I have drunk alcohol . Still, half a year ago, I made a terrible mistake and drove after having drunk two beers at my friend's while watching a football match. I then drove my car to take another friend to his place. I thought there would be no problem because it was night and there would be no policemen on my way. But to my surprise, a policeman stopped me. I was not allowed to drive for three months and I also had to pay a fine. I told my parents nothing at the beginning, but then I had to invent a lie because I did not have the courage to tell them that I had driven after drinking and _ was the real reason why my driving license was taken away. Those three months seemed to pass very slowly for me because I was used to driving almost daily and I really needed my car quite often. I had to take a taxi and it cost me a lot of money. Then there were times when I had to ask a friend to take me to some place or another, especially if I wanted to go out of town. It was indeed a punishment for me not to have my driving license and I promised myself not to repeat this mistake again. Apart from this, being drunk while driving represents a real danger not only for the driver, but also for people in the car and for people on the street or in other cars. Therefore, I advise people to avoid drinking alcohol before driving. What did the author feel after having his driving license taken away? Answer: Regretful. Animals are our friends. We can find different kinds of animals on Earth. Some animals are living in big forests. And some animals are living with man. Animals are very important to man. For example, people can train the elephants to do some heavy work. And they can also train the dogs to look after the house. A police dog is clever. It can help people in danger. And it can also help the policeman to catch the thieves or murderers. The children like dogs very much. Everyone knows sheep and pigs very well. Man eats their meat almost every day. People can make coasts and shoes with their skins. From cows, we can get milk. It's good for our health. And horses can take us to other places. In some places, horses and camels are instead of car and buses. It's clear that man can't live comfortably without these animals. _ can be used to look after the house. Answer: Only sheep and pigs Tips for Cycle Trips Cycling has many advantages as a form of travel, as it is the fastest way to travel by human Power, and slow enough to allow the type of local involvement that is impossible with powered travel.Cycle travel is a cheap form of transportation. Distance On level terrain ,without a headwind, a cyclist of average fitness on a touring bike can comfortably cover 60-120km a day.Distances of up to 250km a day are possible, but anything much beyond 120km will require considerable physical tension and not allow many stops to enjoy the places you visit.For many,80-100km a day will be the most suitable distance to aim for, as it will give a sense of achievement and also leave plenty of time for meals and activities. Geography The gradient of the trip will reduce your range.A basic rule is that for every 100 metres of altitude you climb, you should add an extra 15 minutes to your journey time.In hilly or mountainous areas, the easiest routes for cycling are downstream along major rivers, as overall they will be downhill.A long, roundabout route along a river will usually be easier than a short, direct route over a hill or mountain pass.However, it is worth bearing in mind that the most scenic routes often come from hilly terrain. Eat Food choice depends largely on where you are, so see the respective sections for more information about foods. As you will be working hard, it's important to get enough energy in your food. On long trips away from major towns-there may be little quality food available, so be prepared to live on candy bars, prepared meat products and the like if the need arises. Sleep While you can take a tent with you, many hotels and especially campsites can accommodate cyclists. However, there are also some hotels that may be less used to accommodating cyclists.If you are exploring an unfamiliar word, asking about the accommodation spares you the search for a new place to stay after a long exhausting day of travel. We can probably read this passage in _ . Answer: a travel magazine
Question: While parents, particularly mothers, have always been attached to their infants . societal conditions frequently made this attachment difficult to maintain . First of all, the high infant death rate in the premodern times meant that such attachments often ended in hopelessness. Perhaps to prevent the sadness that infant death caused, a number of societal practices developed which worked against early attachment of mother and child. One of these premodern attachment discouraging practices was to leave infants unnamed until they had survived into the second year. Another practice that discouraged maternal attachment was tightly wrapping infants. Wrapping effectively prevented the close physical interactions like stroking and kissing that are so much a part of modern mothers' and fathers' affection for their infants. A third practice which had the same distancing effect was wet-nursing. Breast-feeding was not popular among the well-to-do in the early modern times; infants were often fed by wet nurses hired for the purpose. In some places, such as nineteenth-century prefix = st1 /France, city infants were sent to wet nurses in the country. Often a wet nurse would feed her own child first, leaving little milk for the city infant-who, in many cases, died. In Rouen, the death rate for children sent to a wet nurse was 35 percent Babies were unnamed until they were two so that _ . A. an old social custom could be kept up B. maternal attachment could be maintained C. they could have better chances to survive D. their parents would not be too sad if they died Answer: D Question: I'm a boy. My name is Zhao Ming. I am in No. 34 Middle School. I am in Class 1. My English teacher is Mr Wang. My Chinese teacher is Miss Wu. They are good teachers. I love them. I have a good friend. His name is Tom. He is an English boy. Zhao Ming is a _ . A. girl B. boy C. friend D. teacher Answer: B Question: The people who built Stonehenge in Southern England thousands of years ago had wild parties, eating barbecued pigs and breaking pottery. This is according to recent work by archaeologists--history experts who investigate how human beings lived in the past. Archaeologists digging near Stonehenge last year discovered the remains of a large prehistoric village where they think the builders of the mysterious stone circle used to live. The village is about 4,600 years old, the same age as Stonehenge and as old as the Pyramids in Egypt. It is less than two miles from the famous ancient landmark and lies inside a massive man-made circular dirt wall, or "henge", known as the Durrington Walls. Remains found at the site included jewellry, stone arrowheads, tools made of deer antlers, wooden spears and huge amounts of animal bones and broken pottery. "These finds suggest Stone Age people went to the village at special times of the year to feast and party", says Mike Parker-Pearson from Sheffield University in England. He said many of the pig bones they found had been thrown away half-eaten. He also said the partygoers appeared to have shot some of the farm pigs with arrows, possibly as a kind of sport before barbecuing them. An ancient road which led from the village to the River Avon was also found. Here, the experts think, people came after their parties to throw dead s in the water so the bodies would be washed downstream to Stonehenge. Parker-Pearson believes Stonehenge was like a cemetery where ancient Britons buried the dead and remembered their ancestors. The theory is that Stonehenge is a kind of spirit home to the ancestors. The recent discovery of the village within the Durrington Walls shows that Stonehenge didn't stand alone but was part of a much bigger religious site, according to Parker-Pearson.People still come to worship and celebrate at Stonehenge today. They meet there when the sun sets on the shortest day of winter and when it rises on the longest day of summer. But the days of barbecuing whole pigs there and throwing family members into the river are a thing of the past. At present, it has been attracting a great number of visitors all around the world. Here is a comment from a visitor. "I am speaking to a friend on Facebook who is heartbroken that she went there with utter love and respect for the site and that the whole Summer Solstice event was full of drunk party goers and those that had gone in a respectful, loving way were made to sit on the outside, so as not to be disturbed by the revellers." What was Stonehenge according to the text? A. A village where hundreds of people once lived. B. A place that regularly hosted large parties. C. A church where local villagers would get married. D. A site where dead people were placed or remembered. Answer: D Question: WHEN there are some strangers in front of us, which of them will we trust? According to a new study in the online PloS One (<<*>> ), people make their decisions to trust others largely based on their faces. Your appearance can do a lot for you, especially if you are in the financial industry. The more trustworthy you look, the more likely people will buy what you're selling. Researchers from Britain's University of Warwick Business School, University College London, and Dartmouth College, US, did a number of experiments. The research team used computer software to make 40 faces, from the least to the most trustworthy-looking. The study said that the difference between a trustworthy face and one that isn't as trustworthy comes from features that look slightly angry or slightly happy, even when the face is at rest. However, a slightly happy face is more likely to be trusted. Researchers gave participants some money and asked them which face they trusted to invest the money for them. Then researchers gave some good and bad information about the people with these faces, and asked the participants again whom they trusted. The results showed that even if they got different information, the participants didn't change their choices. They were still more likely to invest their money with the more trustworthy-looking faces. Chris Olivola, one of the study's authors, said in the University of Warwick's press release: "It seems we are still willing to go with our own instincts about whether we think someone looks like we can trust them. The temptation to judge strangers by their faces is hard to resist." According to the study, which of the following faces is most likely to be trusted? A. A sad face. B. A smiling face. C. A crying face. D. An angry face. Answer: B Question: Dear Sir, I am writing to you about my stay at your hotel. My wife and I arrived on Saturday, 15thMay and stayed for a week. Though we were treated well and found the service excellent, we think there are one or two matters we should bring your attention. 1. We had hoped for a nice holiday from our busy work lives, and your advertisement said "comfortable and quiet". We want to have a chance to enjoy ourselves. However, we were always waken up by the noise every morning. Is it really necessary for the workers to start their repair work so early? 2. We had hoped to swim in your "wonderful pool". To our disappointment , we found that it was closed for the whole time of our stay. I hope you do not mind my writing to you about these things, but I would be happy if you could give me some explanation. As I said at the start, it is a pity, and your service is so good in other fields. I hope to hear from you soon. Yours sincerely Mr Hector Bradley , . What did Mr Bradley think about the swimming pool? A. He felt disappointed because the swimming pool was closed for the whole time of their stay. B. He felt disappointed because the swimming poop was too small. C. He felt pleased with it because he had a good time there. D. He found it really wonderful, just like what was said in the advertisement. Answer: A
There is a park near my home. People like to go to this park after work. Some of them go to the park every day. Look! That is Mr. King. He is sitting on a chair and watching the children. Some children are playing a game. Some boys are playing soccer. Lucy and Lily are standing under a tree. They are talking. There is a small river in the park. We can see some boats on the water. Some children are sitting in the boats with their fathers and mothers. Listen! A girl is singing. This is really a nice park. I come here after school every day. _ like to go to the park. A Children B Fathers and mothers. C Lucy and Lily D People Answer: D Around 200 million years ago, the earth was 18 degrees warmer than it is now. That might be a bit hot for humans, but it was just right for the giant dinosaurs that wandered about the earth during the Mesozoic era. A new study found that planteating dinosaurs may have contributed to the warming of the earthby releasing significant amounts of methane . The study, published in science journal Current Biology, focused on sauropods, longnecked herbivores that munched on the top of trees. They were the largest of the dinosaurs; food broke down in their stomachs for long periods of time. The researchers estimate that a sauropoda released 2,675 liters of methane per day--adding up to a large amount of the greenhouse gas being pumped from dinosaur's gut into the atmosphere. Plant eaters naturally release methane as part of their digestive process. The larger the animal, the more methane it produces. Methane, a greenhouse gas, traps heat and remains in the atmosphere for approximately 915 years, which warms the atmosphere. Today, some animals, such as cattle, goats and sheep, produce large amounts of methane as a byproduct to their food digestion. Methane is also released from human--influenced sources such as landfill, agricultural activities, coal mining and other industrial practices--which all contribute to today's climate change, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The researchers estimate that earth's sauropods would have produced about 520 million tons of methane per year--similar to the total amount of methane produced today by natural and manmade sources. However, the researchers warn that their numbers are estimates based on multiple assumptions about the digestive systems and populations of dinosaurs. The author of the study David Wilkinson says the emission of methane from dinosaurs would have been just one of the causes of warm climate during the Mesozoic era. Other causes include gases produced from volcanoes, swamps, shallow seas and so on. Still, Wilkinson says," The amount of methane from dinosaurs is large enough to have a measurable effect." David Wilkinson seems to believe that _ . A methane had little effects on the earth B many other factors contributed to warm climate C other causes for warm climate were worth considering D dinosaurs were mainly to blame for global warming Answer: B The looseness of soil increases the amount of what in it? A bugs B dirt C water D air Answer: D If your dog looks pleased to see you - it is probably because it loves the particular way you smell. The odour of a familiar human apparently lingers like perfume in the animal's brain - where it triggers an instinctive emotional response, research published yesterday reveals. Our scent acts on a part of the canine brain associated with reward and the strongest reactions are produced by humans that pets know best, say scientists in America. Gregory Berns, of Emory University in Atlanta, said: 'While we might expect that dogs should be highly tuned to the smell of other dogs, it seems that the "reward response" is reserved for their humans. 'When humans smell the perfume or cologne of someone they love, they may have an immediate, emotional reaction that's not necessarily cognitive. 'Our experiment may be showing the same process in dogs. But since dogs are so much more olfactory than humans, their responses would likely be even more powerful than the ones we might have. 'It's one thing when you come home and your dog sees you and jumps on you and licks you and knows that good things are about to happen. 'In our experiment, however, the scent donors were not physically present. Why do animals avoid pylons? Because they emit terrifying flashes of light that are INVISIBLE to humans. Dolphins use sponges to protect their sensitive noses while foraging for food on the sea floor 'That means the canine brain responses were being triggered by something distant in space and time. It shows that dogs' brains have these mental representations of us that persist when we're not there.' The university's experiment - the first of its type - involved 12 dogs of various breeds who underwent brain scans while five different scents were placed in front of them. The scent samples came from the subject itself, a dog the subject had never met, a dog that lived in the subject's household, a human the dog had never met, and a human that lived in the subject's household. The familiar human scent samples were taken from someone else from the house other than the handlers during the experiment, so that none of the scent donors were physically present. The results showed that all five scents elicited a similar response in parts of the dogs' brains involved in detecting smells. Responses were significantly stronger for the scents of familiar humans, followed by that of familiar dogs. The findings, which were published in the journal Behavioural Processes, showed that dogs reacted strongest to the scent of a familiar human even when they were not there. Pets trained as help or therapy dogs showed greater brain activity than the other dogs in the test. Researchers say the findings could improve the way animals who assist wounded veterans or disabled people are selected. According to the passage, a dog will be most interested in _ . A familiar dogs B a human the dog had never met C a dog the dog had never met D familiar humans Answer: D To be successful in any aspect of life, you need to know when to use the carrot or the stick. Here are a few tips to help you decide whether it's better to use the carrot or the stick. With the kids The carrot When it comes to raising a kid, the carrot or the stick dilemma is quicklydisappearing as too many parents take the carrot approach to the extreme. In child raising, the carrot should never be materialistic things. If you want to ask for good behavior with a reward, it should be with something that can't be bought, say, trust. The stick Nowadays, no one likes to use the stick any more, or in my father's case, the belt. I'm not overlooking child abuse, if you ever want to call it that, but I am encouraging parents to toughen up a bit. You don't want your kid to test your limits only to find out he can get away with it. If you want to raise a kid, raise the hand and let him know it comes down on the second offense. At the office The carrot People need encouragement and motivation to perform well. However, the carrot only really works well with employees who have already proved themselves. Ifyou've got someone who can't show up at the office before noon, the promise of a raise isn't going to do much. On the contrary, if there's a guy with a good work moral, he'll thrive (grow stronger) when you add a promotion to the picture. The stick When considering the carrot or the stick in the office, remember that, overall, the stick is the more practical method in the office. A wise man, who just happened to be an Italian, once said "It's best to be both loved and feared." It's nice to have everyone love you, but running a business isn't like running a family. You need to have the stick constantly raised. With the wife The carrot When it comes to marriage, always use the carrot. I've had a lovely marriage for many years, and I've always stuck to the carrot approach. Sometimes you catch more flies with honey, and sometimes it's the crack of a whip that gets the horse moving. Try not to use too many sticks at home; the carrot is much more fun. In kids raising, the author prefers _ . A the carrot approach B the stick approach C both the carrot approach and the stick approach D neither the carrot approach nor the stick approach Answer: B
Question: China introduced its so-called one-child policy in the late 1970s. It's been believed to help control China's population growth . It's also been against for forcing parents to make difficult personal choices , or in some cases face huge fines . The policy said that in big cities or towns, parents could only have one child, although there were some exceptions , for example, the famous director Zhang Yimou, who was ordered to pay the heavy fines for his three children. The new rule says that if either parent is an only child, then they are able to have two children of their own. One reason for the change is economics . In China, many people care for their elderly relatives, so a single child could not afford to look after his parents and grandparents. This new policy could help with that. Another reason, China says it wants to improve human rights . Which may be the best title of the article? _ . A. The one-child policy B. The population policy C. The human rights D. China's population growth Answer: B. The population policy Question: Millions of youngsters across Europe could suffer permanent hearing loss after five years if they listen to MP3 players at too high a volume for more than five hours a week, EU scientists warned. The scientists' study, requested by the European Commission, attacked the concept of "leisure noise," saying children and teenagers should be protected from increasingly high sound levels---with loud mobile phones also coming in for criticism . "There has been increasing concern about exposure from the new generation of personal music players which can reproduce sounds at very high volumes without loss of quality," the Commission, the EU's executive arm, said in a statement. "Risk for hearing damage depends on sound level and exposure time," it said. More and more young people _ the great threat that leisure noise posed to hearing, it said. Commission experts said that between 50 and 100 million people listen to portable music players on a daily basis. If they listened for only five hours a week at more than 89 decibels , they would already be beyond EU limits for noise allowed in the workplace, they said. But if they listened for longer periods, they risked permanent hearing loss after five years. The scientists calculated the number of people in that risk category at between five and 10 percent of listeners, meaning up to 10 million people in the European Union. Sales of personal music players have soared in EU countries in recent years, particularly of MP3 players. "I am worried that so many young people ... who are frequent users of personal music players and mobile phones at high acoustic levels, may be unknowingly damaging their hearing ," she said in the statement. From the passage we know that _ . A. besides the high sound levels, scientists also criticized loud mobile phones. B. if one listened for 5 hours more a week at 100 decibels, he would risk permanent hearing loss. C. it is only the level of the sound that can do damage to hearing. D. the scientists said there were 5-10 percent of MP3 listeners risking hearing loss around the world. Answer: D. the scientists said there were 5-10 percent of MP3 listeners risking hearing loss around the world. Question: Most people like bikes. Perhaps you ride a bike to school. Riding a bike can be great of fun.Do you know how to ride a bike safely? Careful boys and girls learn to ride their bikes well before they go out on the road.How can you tell whether you are a good _ If you can ride a bike in a straight line,you can ride well .If you can't ,you should practice riding a in a safe place. To be safe on a bike, you need to use both hands and both feet. Keep your feet on the pedals and your hands on the handle bars. You know that your bike is only for one person. It's not safe to carry anyone with you. Keep yourself safe when you ride on a bike.Watch where you are going all times. Before you learn to ride your bike well, you can't _ . A. go to school B. ride on the bike C. practise riding D. carry your things Answer: B. ride on the bike Question: Hello! I am Tommy. This is my classroom . 33 desks and 32 chairs are in it. These are my desk and chair. They are yellow. What's on the desk? It's my backpack. It's green. What's on the chair? It's my jacket. It's blue. What's under the desk? It's a white school ID card. Is it my school ID card? No, it's David's. His name is on it. Is it a hat under the chair? Yes, it is. It's my new hat. It's black. My mother buys it for me. ,. Tommy's _ is blue. A. backpack B. jacket C. school ID card D. hat Answer: B. jacket Question: Body language is quiet, secret and most powerful language of all. It speaks louder than words. According to specialists, our bodies send out more messages than we realize. In fact, non-verbal communication takes up about fifty percent of what we usually mean. And body language is especially important, when we try to communicate across cultures. Indeed, what is called body language is so much a part of us that it's actually often unnoticed. And misunderstandings happen as a result of it. For example, different cultures treat the distance between people differently. Northern Europeans usually do not like having bodily contact ,even with friends. And certainly not with strangers. People from the Latin American countries, on the other hand, touch each other quite a lot. So it's possible that in conversation it may look like a Latino is following a Norwegian all over the room. The Latino, trying to express friendship, will keep moving closer. The Norwegian, very probably seeing _ as rude behavior, will keep backing away, which the Latino will in return regarded as coldness. Obviously, a great deal is going on when people talk. And only a part of it is in the words themselves. And when parties are from different cultures, there's a strong possibility of misunderstanding. But whatever the situation is, the best advice is to obey the golden rule: Treat others as you would like to be treated. If a foreign friend gives a hug to you, you should _ . A. shake hands with him B. give him a hug C. refuse him D. kiss him Answer: B. give him a hug
Bird Talk includes everything you need to know to help keep your bird healthy and active.Get important information on bird healthcare and nutrition,step-by-step training and caging tips. Readers also enjoy color1ful photos,entertaining stories,and a centerfold poster in each monthly issue. Issues per year:12 Our price:$ 13.99 Cover price:$ 47.88 Art on Paper is a bimonthly art magazine devoted to works on paper. Offering a balanced range of media and historical periods. Art on Paper presents current information about exhibitions and the marketplace. Each issue contains news and announcements,reviews of current and recent museum and gallery exhibitions,as well as limited-edition prints. Issues per year:6 Our price:$ 45.00 Cover price:$ 80.00 Disney Adventuresis for children aged 7 to 14 who are eager to learn.This wacky and. exciting magazine focuses on fun and action-packed adventure covering the world of entertainment, comics, Sports, technology, and weird science. Issues per year:10 Our price:$ 14.95 Cover price:$ 29.90 Mother Earth News is a country lifestyle publication dedicated to helping readers with the how-to information of home building and home improvement.Topics include building, gardening,homesteading, do-it-yourself,kitchen and so on. Issues per year:6 Our price:$ 18.00 Cover price:$ 23.70 Which of the following is true about Bird Talk? A. .It is published once a month. B. It is for children under 14 C. It can teach a bird how to talk. D. It focuses on outdoor recreation Answer: A One day a lady saw a mouse running across her kitchen floor. She was very afraid of mouse, so she ran out of the house, got into a bus and went to the shops. There she bought a mousetrap. The shopkeeper said to her, "Put some cheese in it and you will soon catch that mouse." The lady went home with her mousetrap, but when she looked in her cupboard, she could not find any cheese in it. She did not want to go back to the shop, because it was very late, so she cut a picture of some cheese out of a magazine and put that in the trap. Surprisingly, the picture of the cheese was quite successful! When the lady came down to the kitchen the next morning she found a picture of a mouse in the trap beside the picture of the cheese It is probably true that_. A. a mouse put a picture of itself beside that of the cheese B. a mouse was cheated by the lady C. the shops closed early D. someone else played a joke on the lady Answer: D "Oh, my God! Did I really just send that text?" Most people have said something that they wish they could take back. And if they had paused to think about it first, they probably would have acted differently. Pausing doesn't pay off just when you speak. Scientific studies have shown that making a habit of pausing before you do something can actually have a big impact on how your life turns out. In making decisions we rely on two areas of the brain. One area creates and processes emotions; the other governs logical thought. The type of decision, how we feel about it, and how prepared we are to handle it help determine which brain area has the most influence. But our age also plays an important role. Thinking through the consequences of one's actions is actually harder for teens because the area controlling logical thought is not fully developed until around age 25. This is why teens often feel an intense emotional drive to act impulsively--it's how their brains are structured! Though this tendency to act without considering the outcomes can lead to problematic situations, impulsivity during the developmental years evolves because it makes teens more open to new experiences and ideas. This openness helps teens become independent adults. The key to making impulsivity work for you--instead of against you--is to train your brain by practicing pausing. This doesn't mean you stop taking risks or being open to new experiences. But you won't know if the risk is worth it until you think it through. Deciding to take a risk based on logic shows self-control, not impulsivity. What are different ways to pause? You might take a deep breath, count to 10, or ask, "Is this worth it?" Different strategies work for different people. Whatever works for you, keep doing it! By practicing pausing, you can actually change your brain. This means that over time, pausing, instead of immediately reacting, becomes your "natural" response. And with this change, people are on their way to enjoying the life rewards that come with high levels of self-control--even if they weren't natural--born pausers! What is the best title for the passage _ ? A. Discover the Brain Function B. Crying Over the Spilt Milk C. Push the Pause Button D. Impulsivity Works Answer: C Thanksgiving Day Almost every culture in the world has held celebrations of thanks for a plentiful harvest. The American Thanksgiving holiday began as a festival of thanksgiving in the early days of the American colonies almost four hundred years ago. In 1620, a boat filled with more than one hundred people sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to settle in the New World. Their first winter in the New World was difficult. They had arrived too late to grow any crops, and without fresh food, half the _ died from disease. The following spring Indians taught then how to grow corn, a new food for the colonists. They showed them other crops to grow in the unfamiliar soil and how to hunt and fish. In the autumn of 1621, many crops of corn, beans and pumpkins were harvested. The colonists and much to be thankful for, so a festival was planned. They invited the local Indian chief and 90 Indians. The Indians brought deer to roast with the turkeys and other wild game offered by the colonists. To this first Thanksgiving, the Indians had even brought popcorn. In following years, many of the original colonists celebrated the autumn harvest with a festival of thanks. Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday of November, a different date every year. The Thanksgiving is a time for tradition and sharing. Even if they live far away, family members gather for a reunion at the house of an older relative. All give thanks together for the good things that they have. The first colony had a difficult winter because _ . A. they didn't have clothes B. they couldn't speak the language C. they had no books D. they had arrived too late to grow any crops Answer: D A dog who chewed off his owner's infected toe while he was passed-out drunk has been called a lifesaver. Jerry Douthett had been out drinking when his dog Kiko bit off a large part if his big toe. His wife, Rosee, rushed him to hospital where tests showed the 48-year-old musician had dangerous high blood-sugar levels. Doctors told him his toe would have had to be cut off anyway. Mr Douthett said he had refused to get medical advice despite his toe being swollen for months. "I was hiding it from people, Rosee included," he said. "It smelled , and I look back now and realize every time we'd visit someone with a dog, their dog would smell all over my foot." The night before Mr Douthett had agreed to see a doctor, he passed out at home after going out drinking. He said, "I woke up and the dog was lying along side by foot. I said, 'Ah, there's blood everywhere.' I ran to the bathroom and started to scream." However, he believes Kiko could sense the disease coming from his big toe. "He's a hero," Mr Douthett said. "It wasn't an aggressive attack. He just ate the infection. He saved my life. He ate it. I mean, he must have eaten it, because we couldn't find it anywhere else in the house. I look down. There's blood all over, and my toe is gone." Before the operation, Mr Douthett asked a nurse, "Is there any chance I can get whatever's left of my toe, so I can give it to Kiko as a treat?" Kiko is still with the family but is under observation by authorities. .Mr Douthett didn't want to get medical treatment because _ . A. he didn't know about his disease at all B. he was unwilling to let others know about his disease C. doctors had no good ways to treat his bad toe D. his wife advised him not to do that Answer: B
My family lives very happily on a farm near a small town. My father always learns some information about weather through the TV, the Internet and newspapers. One evening, he asked us to meet at the table after dinner. "I have some bad news," he said. "The weather reports on the television warned that we would face a typhoon tomorrow." At 6.30 a.m. the next day, the winds started and the rain was falling heavily. There were new warnings that the sea level could go up as much as 5 meters. The winds were terribly strong and tree branches were flying everywhere. Trees were falling down and the rain kept coming down. Just after 10:30, the wind stopped suddenly-it was strangely calm and the sun was shining. Then the winds came howling again, but this time more rain fell. There were more flying things and the storm came in. Everything within 1 km of the coast was flooded-there was fish in the streets. Now the winds were dying down, but the rain was still falling. After another two hours, the wind came to a stop at last. My home was in a mess and my mum burnt her arm when the hot water from the stove hit her skin. We were all frightened, but we were all safe, including the cat. How long did the typhoon last? John Doe, the owner of a milk container manufacturing firm, sought to focus public attention on the milk packaging law of the State of Clinton in order to have it repealed. On a weekday at 12 noon, he delivered an excited, animated, and loud harangue on the steps of the State Capitol in front of the main entryway. An audience of 200 onlookers, who gathered on the steps, heckled him and laughed as he delivered his tirade. Doe repeatedly stated, gesturing expressively and making faces, that "the g ddamned milk packaging law is stupid," and that "I will strangle every one of those g ddamned legislators I can get hold of because this law they created proves they are all too dumb to live." After about 15 minutes, Doe stopped speaking, and the amused crowd dispersed. There are three relevant statutes of the State of Clinton. The first statute prohibits "all speech making, picketing, and public gatherings of every sort on the Capitol steps in front of the main entryway during the hours of 7:45 a.m. 8:15 a.m., 11:45 a.m. 12:15 p.m., 12:45 p.m. 1:15 p.m., and 4:45 p.m. 5:15 p.m. on Capitol working days.""If Doe is prosecuted under the "Capitol steps" statute and defends on constitutional grounds, which of the following best describes the proper burden of proof? To "sacrifice" means to give up something for the sake of something else. We decided to sacrifice our luxurious city life to move to a seaside village with our children aged 9 and 3. In the city, we had a beautiful home and plenty of money but little real security because crime was on the increase every day. We never knew if we would all make it home safely each night. We were very happy in the new town but life was very difficult economically. Our income was very much dependent on tourism and the jobs at other times are few. Although many of the long-standing residents live well, it is a very competitive environment for newcomers. Reading the newspapers from the big cities assured us that we had made the right choice. There is so much violence and crime there! However, it was not always easy to explain .to the children why they could no longer have what they used to have, especially when our "rich" friends came from the city to visit. One day, one of our "rich" friends came to visit us. His son preferred riding in the back of our _ truck to his father's modern car. Our little daughter called me and said, "Mom, please help me explain to James why he is wrong. He said, 'today, if you don't have money you are nothing.' I know that is not true. If you do have money you share it with your friends and if they don't have money, you share it with them. That is what makes us all rich." This made me realize that the sacrifice was well worth it. Our kids have a solid set of values and they know that our most precious gifts are our good friends and a wonderful environment. Why did the family move away from the city? The UN Environment Programme says that rising temperatures could mean the end for some migrating animals. Migrating or mobile animals move through several environments as they travel away from the cold of winter to warmer areas. Birds may fly from one part of the world to another, perhaps stopping at feeding grounds on the way. Whales and turtles cover vast areas of ocean. The report says that changes in any one of the places which these animals use can cause serious harm. "Obviously these animals have developed their travelling patterns over thousands of years. But climate change is almost certain to be extreme over the next 25 to 50 years and it is extremely unlikely that these animals can change their habits fast enough," said the report author Dr Robert Hepworth. Hardest hit by rising temperatures are turtles. Scientists have found that at higher temperatures, turtles produce far more female eggs than male ones. In parts of Malaysia, turtle birthing sites are producing only females, the report says. It also provides evidence that some turtles are more likely to develop cancer as the waters get warmer. With birds, the main problem is climate-related damage to important areas at either end of the travels or at resting places along the way. About one-fifth of migrating birds are now in danger because of climate-related changes including rising sea levels, land loss and more violent storms, the report concludes. Other animals picked out as particularly in danger include: * the North Atlantic Right Whale, whose main food (tiny shrimp) is disturbed by the change in ocean flows and * the White-Nose Dolphin, which is out-competed by other kinds of dolphins in warmer waters. The report is not all bad news. Even with major climatic changes, protecting the environment can still help mobile animals to recover. "We need governments to start taking action at the national and international lever. "The clock is running." said Dr Hepworth. And some animals are already adapting, with the report mentioning whales that are changing their feeding behaviour, finding new feeding grounds and new foods to eat. What is the main topic of the text? Benjamin Franklin is remembered as an inventor, author, statesman, and signer of the Declaration of Independence. But all great people were kids once and got into naughty. In writing about his life, Franklin recalled a youthful event that he later regretted. Franklin was born in Boston in 1706. His father, whom Ben admired and respected, was a soapmaker and candlemaker with a large family. At the age of ten, Ben was taken out of school and put to work in the shop. Ben described his duties as "cutting wick for the candles, filling the dipping mold .But of course he preferred playing outdoors with his friends. One such plot is told here in his own words. "There was a saltwetland that bounded part of the millpond, on the edge of which, at high water, we used to stand to fish for minnows . By much abuse, we had made it a only quagmire . My proposal was to build a wharf there fit for us to stand upon, and I showed my comrades a large pile of stones, which were intended for a new house near the wetland, and which would very well suit our purpose. Accordingly, in the evening, when the workmen were gone, I gathered a number of my playfellows, and working with them diligently like so many ants, sometimes two or three to a stone, we brought them all away and built our little wharf. The next morning the workmen were surprised at missing the stones, which were found in our wharf. Inquiry was made after the removers;we were discovered and complained of;several of us were corrected by our fathers;and, though I pleaded the usefulness of the work, mine convinced me that nothing was useful which was not honest." What did Franklin like the best during his childhood?
Question: Founded two years ago, All Green Electronics Recycling is a full-service electronics recycler and collector. It offers pick-up services as well as hundreds of convenient drop-off locations, nationwide. Currently, it collects more than two million pounds of electronics per month. All Green Electronics Recycling announces its new national headquarters' grand opening on January 13, 2011 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. ---- a Green Carpet Event ---- followed by a free, three-day electronics recycling event aimed at giving back to the local community in Orange County. Both are open to the public and are located at: 15561 Del Amo Ave. in Tustin. "We are particularly excited about the promising new job opportunities available for California residents," says Arman Sadeghi, CEO, All Green Electronics Recycling. All Green is growing at jaw-dropping rates. While many companies continue to cut back and lay off valuable employees, All Green has hired a new person every 4.1 days since its incorporation and is predicted to hire another 100 employees in the next six months. In addition to new jobs, many local non-profits and schools will also benefit. All Green is creating community partnerships and setting up collection events while donating a percentage of the proceeds from the recycled electronics. Rather than allowing old televisions or computers to end up at the dump, All Green provides the public with a way of recycling their old working or non-working electronics safely and responsibly for free. In fact, those with at least 10 computers, monitors and televisions can go to:http://www.allgreenrecycling.com to schedule a free pick up in many areas. Unlike many of its competitors, the company sorts and separates all e-waste within their warehouse and does not ship anything overseas for processing. It also ensures that any electronics placed in its care will never find its way into a landfill. All Green already has a recycling facility in Sacramento and is set to expand its New York operations within 60 days. For more information: to check out the Electronics Recycling Carbon Footprint Calculator; or to locate a facility in your area, visit: www.allgreenrecycling.com. What can we know from the passage? A. All Green won't fire any employees in the coming six months. B. It is hard to remain employed in many companies. C. Valuable employees won't be fired in many companies. D. The residents benefit from All Green, but schools suffer. Answer: B. It is hard to remain employed in many companies. Question: Gwendolyn Brooks wrote hundreds of poems during her lifetime. She was known around the world for using poetry to increase understanding of black culture in America. During the 1940's and the 1950's, Gwendolyn Brooks used her poems to describe conditions among the poor,racial inequality and drug use in the black community. She also wrote poems about the struggles of black women. But her skill was more than her ability to write about struggling black people. She combined traditional European poetry styles with the African American experience. Gwendolyn Brooks once said that she wrote about what she saw and heard in the street. She said she found most of her materials through looking out of the window of her second-floor apartment in Chicago, Illinois. In her early poetry, Gwendolyn Brooks wrote about the South Side of Chicago, where many black people live. In her poems, the South Side is called Bronzeville. It was "A Street in Bronzeville" that gained the attention of literary experts in 1945. Critics praised her poetic skills and her powerful descriptions about the black experience during the time. The Bronzeville poems were her first published collection. In 1950, Gwendolyn Brooks became the first African American to win the Pulitzer Prize for Literature. She won the prize for her second book of poems called "Annie Allen". "Annie Allen" is a collection of poetry about a Bronzeville girl as a daughter, a wife and a mother. She experiences loneliness, loss, death andpoverty . Gwendolyn Brooks said that winning the prize changed her life. Her next work was a novel written in 1953 called "Maud Martha". "Maud Martha" attracted little attention when it was first published. But now it is considered an important work by some critics. Its main ideas about the difficult lives of many women are popular among female writers today. We can infer that the book "Annie Allen" mainly deals with _ . A. family life B. inequality C. adventure D. failure Answer: A. family life Question: Imagine having an idea, drawing it on paper, bringing it to a store and seeing it turned into a physical object.This is now possible with the help of 3D printers.Such machines were once used just by universities and big companies.But now, stores with 3D printing services are appearing around the United States. Bryan Jaycox and his wife opened The Build Shop LLC in Los Angeles two years ago.The store is filled with tools like a laser cutter, an industrial sewing machine and 3D printers.Bryan Jaycox requires $ 15 an hour to print an object.He also charges a fee depending on the size of the object and up to $ 50 an hour for design and labor services. The Jaycoxs also offer 3D printing classes for anyone who is interested.One of the students in a recent class was Ki Chong Tran.He plans to open a 3D printing business in Cambodia."The demand has been amazing.It's been much more than I would have imagined," said Ki Chong Tran. "I think 3D printing is going to be huge. It's going to make a huge impact on society as a whole," he added. Mr Jaycox predicts that within five years, 3D printing technology could become more consumer friendly. But Ki Chong Tran says even current technology can make a difference in a developing country like Cambodia."With 3D printing you can give them tools, and you put it in their hands so they are responsible more for their own development. They learn skills beyond just learning English and becoming a tour guide or something like that or working at a bank.You can actually create things that give value to the world," said Ki Chong Tran. He says it's not just Cambodia but anywhere where there is a 3D printer, it can turn a good idea into reality. In Mr Jaycox's opinion, within five years 3D printing will _ . A. make it easier to do business B. be accessible to all consumers C. change the way of social contact D. bring about more profits to the sellers Answer: B. be accessible to all consumers Question: The Red Sea is parting again, but this time no one can help. Satellite pictures show that the Arabian plate and the African plate are moving away from each other, stretching the Earth's crust and widening the southern end of the Red Sea. Last September, series of earthquakes started splitting the planet's surface in Ethiopia. Over a period of three weeks, the sides on the rift separated by 26 feet. "We think that the crust is melted slowly at depths greater than 10 kilometers, where it is hotter, forming molten rock," said Tim J Wright. "This molten rock rises through the crust because it is less dense than the surrounding rock." The molten rock collects at depths of 3 to 5 kilometers. Wright explained, "Slowly, the pressure has been building up until last September when it finally cracked, breaking the crust." The entry of molten rock into the gap between continents, rather than the cracking of the crust, is responsible for separation of continent drifts. For the past 30 million years Africa and Arabia have been going through the continental rifting process, the same one that made the Red Sea part again. "The ground is continually moving---much more rapidly now than before," Wright said. "On average, the two sides move apart at about 2 centimeters per year." This latest split, added to the long-term rifting process could eventually create a huge new sea. Although such processes could take millions of years to occur, this event has given scientists an opportunity to examine the break in real time. The passage is mainly about _ . A. the earthquakes in Ethiopia B. the forming of the Red Sea C. the cause why the Red Sea is parting again D. the history of the Red Sea Answer: C. the cause why the Red Sea is parting again Question: Our clothes are a powerful tool that can make us feel better about ourselves. One way in which this works is by wearing different color1s of clothes. Normally when we are sad, we will wear dark color1ed clothes. Oppositely, when we are happy, we often choose to wear brightly color1ed clothes. The reason for this is that our choice of color1 mirrors is how we are feeling. Those who don't believe in the idea are often heard saying, "if only this truly worked". Well in reply to those people, there has been a lot of research into what happens to someone's feelings when they are asked to wear just one color1 of clothes. It has been proven that if we wear particular color1s of clothes they can change our feelings. Suppose we are feeling sad, if we wear black we may begin to feel worse. However, if we wear green, red or yellow, we may begin to feel better. Each color1 is said to have its own healing power. So remember, if you are not feeling your best, you can always try out some different color1ed clothes. If one color1 has no effect on your feelings, maybe another will. In the article, one way to change our mind is by_. A. wearing different styles of clothes B. changing hair-style C. wearing different color1s of clothes D. Playing games Answer: C. wearing different color1s of clothes
In a touching story, a family was shocked to find that a stranger had secretly paid for more than half of their Christmas gifts. When Ayers went to make a payment toward the $283 balance for her family's Christmas gifts at Walmart, her money was refused. According to a Walmart employee, a woman had paid a part of Ayers' bill after seeing her shopping in the store. The unknown woman also left Ayers a touching note, which left the mother of two in tears. Ayers, whose sons are 11 and 3, says the stranger's great generosity came at the perfect time for her family. Before the anonymous payment was made, Ayers had worried she would not be able to get her kids' toys in time for Christmas. Ayers is still looking for the woman who helped pay for their Christmas gifts for her kids. She took a picture of her receipt with the headline: This stranger paid 4 gifts for us. I wish I could thank her for helping give our kids a Merry Christmas! For thousands of families like Ayers', feeling this financial pressure around Christmastime is nothing new. These families who still have a roof over their heads and food on their tables often slip through the cracks -- they can afford all the necessities, but the "extras" are harder to come by. Considering that Americans are estimated to spend $882 on Christmas gifts this year, it makes sense that a family with a few financial problems would have a hard time filling the stockings for their kids. Realizing how common this Christmas problem really is makes Ayers' story even more special. These random acts of kindness around the holidays, often from nameless strangers, can determine what a family's Christmas looks like. Christmas may not be all about the material stuff, but for families, and especially for kids, it's the little things that can make the biggest difference. Why is Ayers still looking for the nameless woman? A To say thanks to her. B To pay her money back. C To praise her online. D To make friends with her. Answer: A What do you have the most time to paint a nature scene outside? A Spring B Summer C Fall D Winter Answer: B Dog, Cat and Fox are friends. One day, Dog and Cat see some apples. They don't want to tell others. At this time, they meet Fox. They ask him not to tell others. But Fox tells other animals. The animals eat up all the apples. Dog and Cat are not happy. The next day, Dog and Cat find some food again. But Fox tells it to other animals again. Dog and Cat decide to teach Fox a lesson. They say to Fox, "We have some fish." Fox tells it to other animals, but they don't find the fish. They beat Fox. What do Dog and Cat find the next day? A Apples. B Cakes. C Food. D Fish. Answer: C Alexander von Humboldt was born in 1769 in Berlin, Germany. As a young boy, he wanted to learn about the world. Humboldt followed his dream. In 1799, he traveled with a friend to Central and South America. On their trip, Humboldt and his friend saw and did many things. They sailed down the Amazon River. They watched dolphins play in the ocean. They explored the rain forest and climbed mountains and volcanoes. They were able to make the first maps of the northern part of South America. Humboldt set a world record for mountain climbing. He also made a discovery. During his climb, Humboldt became very sick. He found out that the higher he climbed, the less oxygen there was in the air. This made it more difficult to breathe. Later, this became known as mountain sickness. Science was another part of Humboldt's interests. He wanted to write about all of the new things he saw. He described the new plants, animals, and rocks which had never been seen by scientists before. Humboldt also studied the way of life of the local people. He learned how the native people along the Amazon River used plants in their daily lives. For example, they used a strong poison from a vine to make poisoned arrows. The natives used these arrows for hunting their food. The Amazon Indians also used a native plant to treat malaria , a serious illness. The plant grew wild, but after it was dug up, it was never replanted. Humboldt warned the natives that the plant was in danger of dying out. He looked for ways to preserve the plant and to make it grow strong. Although Humboldt took many risks during his trip, he lived to be 90 years old. In his lifetime, he made many discoveries and shared them with the world. As a tribute to Humboldt, there are rivers and mountains named after him. We can infer that Humboldt was probably a (n) _ . A explorer B inventor C doctor D writer Answer: A Burn rate is the speed at which a startup business consumes money. My rate was $ 75,000 a month. Four months after my company was set up, I had only a quarter of the starting capital left in the bank. Looking for guidance, I went to talk to my friend, Arthur Walworth about my new venture. "Times of great change always bring out the risk-takers," he said. "And they leave winners and losers. My grandfather invested a lot of money in a project of Thomas Edison's that ended up in failure. " I was lost in thought at the notion (an idea or belief about something) of a Thomas Edison project ending in failure. Damn. It could happen to anybody! I must continue. At that time CD-ROM sales had bombed, so investors were fleeing from the field. I didn't turn away from mine entirely, but instead linked it to the Internet. My plan was to offer consumers descriptions of home-design products by using a special software and let them modify the designs. Then we can enable them to get online professional and constructional help to have their houses built, decorated and furnished according to their own choice. To realize my plan I needed investors, so I continued to meet regularly with venture capitalists. One said I had a great idea. But I needed to test it. Get the money somewhere. To get this money from a venture capitalist is going to cost my wife and my children! He turned down my request. Wife? Children? I hardly remembered them. I was working nonstop --- struggling to turn the key in the lock, to find the right way ahead. The pressure was terrible. It was just at this time that my parents and sisters stepped up. Two hundred thousand dollars. A lot of money to them, invested in this crazy son and brother without a moment's hesitation. Dad and Mom had driven out from Chicago and seen the passion in my little office and the trouble at home. With their help my company survived and has been prospering ever since. The author's company was engaged in _ A furniture design and production B online home-design service C traditional home designing D home decoration business Answer: B
If you're training for a marathon, a proper plan for water intake is important. Of course, there's the risk of dehydration . But athletes now know they can also get into trouble by drinking too much. Too much water intake can lower levels of sodium in the blood. The death of a 28-year-old woman following the Boston Marathon caught the attention of many runners and led to new research. Experts advise long distance runners to replace the liquids they sweat out. Their goal is to try to keep someone from not getting dehydrated by more than 2 percent of their body weight. One technique for deciding how much water you need is to get the exact numbers. Runners have to weigh themselves before and after a run to determine how much water they've lost. If their weight drops by more than 2 percent, they have not drunk enough water. Hyponatremia occurs when runners drink so much water that blood salt levels drop off. A study published last year tested 488 runners who completed the Boston Marathon and found 13 percent of them had dangerously low blood salt levels. The first sign that runners may notice is slightly swelling in the hands. They can't get their rings off, and then they might feel sick. They may not remember where they are. In fact, most runners get enough salt to get back to normal levels by eating just one meal after a run. Contrary to the old advice that runners should drink as much as they can to prevent dehydration, the new research has shown that the body is a remarkable machine that actually tells you via thirst when you need water. Why do runners have to weigh themselves before and after a run? A They can improve their performance in a run. B They can learn how much salt there is in the blood. C They can know the quantity of water they've lost during a run. D They can decide what kind of water they should take during a run. Answer: C. They can know the quantity of water they've lost during a run. Grandma Moses is among the most famous twentieth-century painters of the United States,yet she did not start painting until she was in her late seventies.As she once said to herself:" I would never sit back in a rocking chair,waiting for someone to help me." No one could have had a more productive old age. She was born Anna Mary Robertson on a farm in New York State,one of five boys and five girls.At twelve she left home and was in domestic service until,at twenty-seven,she married Thomas Moses,the hired hand of one of her employers.They farmed most of their lives,first in Virginia and then in New York State,at Eagle Bridge.She had ten children,of whom five survived;her husband died in 1927. Grandma Moses painted a little as a child and made embroidery pictures as a hobby,but only changed to oils in old age because her hands had become too stiff to sew and she wanted to keep busy and pass the time.Her pictures were first sold at the local drugstore and at a market and were soon noticed by a businessman who bought everything she painted.Three of the pictures exhibited in the Museum of Modern Art,and in 1940 she had her first exhibition in New York.Between the 1930's and her death,she produced some 2,000 pictures:detailed and lively _ of the country life she had known for so long,with a wonderful sense of color and form."I think really hard till I think of something really pretty,and then I paint it" she said. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage? A Grandma Moses:Her Life and Pictures. B The Children of Grandma Moses. C Grandma Moses:Her Best Exhibition. D Grandma Moses and Other Older Artists. Answer: A. Grandma Moses:Her Life and Pictures. According to a new survey, students' safety has become a big problem. Now in some cities of China, many schools start a new lesson: self -- protection. Students like this lesson because there are no exams or boring classes. And they can leam how to save lives and know how to stop danger before it happens. Lin Li, a teacher from Yantai, gives young students some advice on how to deal with danger If you are in a traffic accident If a car hits you, you should remember the car number. If you get badly hurt, you should call l20. If it is a bicycle, try to call your parents before you let the rider go. This is because you don't know how seriously you are hurt. If it is raining hard and there is lightning Don't stay in high places or turn on the TV. Don't use the phones. Keep away from trees. When there is a fire Get away as fast as you can. Put wet things on your body and try to find an exit. Don't take the lift. If someone is drowning If you can't swim, don't get into water. Cry out for help. If you are robbed Keep calm. If you can not cry for help or run away, give the robber your money. Try remember what the robber looks like and tell the police. Remember that danger is never as far away as you think. Protect yourself at all times ! If it is raining hard and there is lightning, you can't do these things except _ . A using the phones B Turing on the TV C studying in high places D staying away from trees Answer: D. staying away from trees Which of these does not illustrate substances reacting to form new substances? A H_{2}O(l) -> H_{2}O(g) B 2H_{2} + O_{2} -> 2H_{2}O C 2Na + Cl_{2} -> 2NaCl D 6CO_{2} + 6H_{2}O -> C_{6}H_{12}O_{6} + 6O_{2} Answer: A. H_{2}O(l) -> H_{2}O(g) The Five Rules for Keeping Fit Hi,there! I'm Crystal Collins and I'm very happy to share some time with you.So,you want to keep fit,huh? Well,you surely came to the right place.Together we can keep fit and healthy and succeed in doing that.It's easy.Everybody can do it,you hear? Just remember the five golden rules. Number one:Always wear comfortable clothes when you are exercising.You need to feel comfortable and relaxed . Number two:You should always do some warming--up exercise first,to get your body ready for the real thing. Number three:Never try to do too much exercise too soon.Take it nice and easy now,you hear ?There's no rush about this. Number four:Don't forget to relax for about five minutes when you've finished your exercise.You need to rest a little bit after you've been exercising. 1 And here is the golden rule number five.Stop at once if you feel any pain in your neck,head or any part of your body. Crystal Collins may most probably be _ . A an artist B a teacher C a policewoman D a scientist Answer: B. a teacher
A taxi hit a truck. A policeman spoke to the taxi driver and to the truck driver. He also spoke to Tom. He was a witness . This is what they said. TRUCK DRIVER: I was driving from the airport to Newton. A car crossed the road, so I slowed down. I did not stop. A taxi hit the back of my truck. Nobody was badly hurt but both cars were damaged. TAXI DRIVER: I was driving behind a truck a few kilometers from Newton. The truck stopped suddenly. The driver did not give me a warning. I was driving very slowly. I could not pass the truck because there were two cars coming near from Newton. My taxi hit the truck, and some glass cut my left hand. TOM: I was watching the traffic about a kilometer from the airport. A truck was going to Newton. It was not going very quickly. There was a taxi about two hundred meters behind the truck. It was going fast. When the truck slowed down, the taxi hit it. The taxi driver was not looking at the truck. He was looking out of the window at something. My friend saw the accident, too. Tom's friend spoke to the policeman and agreed with Tom. The truck was going _ . A to Newton B to the police station C to the airport D home Answer: A The father's role in the family is important. One researcher says babies who are cared for by their fathers have greater cognitive development at one year of age than babies not cared for by their fathers. Another researcher reports that by spending time with their pre-school children, fathers can help to develop children's language ability. Researchers also point out that for school-age children, fathers are one bridge with the outside world. Fathers who value education have children who do better in school than those children whose fathers don't value education. What's more, fathers who spend quality time with their children may give their children happy memories which may last a lifetime. While each father is a _ person who educates children in his own style, good fathers have something in common. Good fathers attend their children's school activities. They also involve the children in their lives and the adult world by taking them to see the workplace, or by taking them when the car needs to be repaired, etc. Good fathers expect a great deal from their children, but also accept and support the unique individuals that their children are becoming. Good fathers prefer explanations and reasoning to force. Good fathers know their time with children is really an investment in them. Being an involved father is good for children and good for fathers. Both children and fathers have the chance for growth and development. Today's lifestyles are changing. More and more fathers are keeping a balance between their personal life, work, and family time. The passage is mainly about _ . A how to be a qualified father B the growth and development of both fathers and children C the father's role in the growth and development of children D the change of the father's role in modern society Answer: C rocks often contain large amounts of A chocolate B shoes C hard shiny alloy D rubber Answer: C People say teenagers are no good.They make too much noise in.shops; they drive wildly up and down the streets.And at times,some of these things are true.But there are also hard moments in the life of a teenager. A teenager is neither a lovely child,nor a respectable grown up person.The members of her family consider a teenager a source of trouble.She feels that she has grown up.But she is told that she is just a child and she knows nothing.She sees her elders doing what they like. When she wants to do what she likes,the elders tell her that she should do only what she is told to do. To be a teenager means to be everybody's servant and nobody's master.Elders in the family and in the neighborhood order a teenager to run errands for them.(...) If he refuses to carry out the orders of his eiders,he is scolded.He may even be punished.He is criticized for all that he says and does.If he behaves like a child,he is told that he is grown up and that he should not be childish,If he behaves like a grown up mall,he is told that he is disrespectful. A teenager becomes a lonely creature in the family.Children enjoy all the love of the elders in the family.The teenager gets no love and no respect.So she often runs away from home and finds some joy in the company of the girls of her age. _ .There are too many rules and regulations for us to obey.It hasn't yet occurred to us to run a zigzag pattern.Although we teenagers have miserable time with our family members and elders,we have a very good time with our friends and in schools and colleges.So we teenagers spend most of our good time and have fun with our friends and classmates rather than with parents. Who understand teenagers best according to the passage? A Their teachers. B Their friends. C Their neighbors. D Their parents Answer: B Mattel Inc.is recalling 4.4 million Polly Pocket toys with magnets after some of them caused serious injuries to children who swallowed magnets that fell off.Tiny magnets inside the toys may fall off without being noticed by parents and babysitters.The magnets can be swallowed or placed in children' s noses or ears.When more than one magnet is swallowed, the magnets can attract each other and cause intestine perforations which can be deadly. The Consumer Product Safety Commission received 170 reports of the magnets coming out of these recalled toys.There were three reports of serious injuries to children who swallowed more than one magnet.All three suffered intestine perforations that required operations.A 2-year-old child stayed in hospital for 7 days and a 7-year-old child was hospitalized for 12 days. The recalled Polly Pocket toys contain plastic dolls and accessories that have small magnets.The magnets measure one-eighth inch in diameter and are fixed in the hands and feet of the dolls, and even in the plastic clothing, hairpieces and other accessories to help the pieces stay on the dolls or the dolls' houses. The model number is printed on the bottom of the largest pieces on the toys.Contact Mattel if you cannot find a model number on your product to determine if it is part of the recall.Polly Pocket magnetic toys currently sold in stores are not included in this recall.The model numbers included in the recall are: B2632, B3158, B7118, G8605, H1537 and H3211.The toys were on sales in department stores and toy stores from May 2006 through September 2009. Consumers should immediately take these recalled toys away from children and contact Mattel for the return of the toys.For more information contact Mattel at 888 597-6597 anytime or visit the company' s website. How does the writer show the danger of the problem toys? A By giving the experts' comments. B By presenting some serious cases. C By describing the operation scenes. D By offering the company' s apologies Answer: B
Being safe in your everyday life needs knowledge . If you remember the following information, your life will be much safer. l Always notice the environment around you. You shouldn't walk alone outside. Make sure where the public phones are. If anything dangerous happens, you can find them easily. l Your bag should be carried towards the front of your body instead of putting it on your back. When a bus is full of people, it is easy enough for a thief to take away the things in the bag on your back. l If you are followed by someone you don't know, cross the street and go to the other way, let the person understand that you know he or she is after you. Next, don't go home at once. You are safer in the street than you are alone in your home or in a lift . l If you have to take a bus to a place far away, try to get to the stop a few minutes earlier before the bus leaves. This stops other people from studying you. On the bus, don't sit alone. Sit behind the driver or with other people. Don't sleep. What can you learn from the text? How to be safe in your everyday life. About one million years ago, the Ice Age began. The Ice Age was a long period of time in which four great glaciers pushed southward to cover almost all the upper half of North America, and then melted away. Each glacier was a thick sheet of ice and snow that spread out from a center near what is now Hudson Bay in Canada. The winters were long, and the cool summers were too short to melt much of the ice and snow. The ever-growing sheet built up to a thickness of two miles at its center. As all glaciers do, these great glaciers slid. They pushed down giant trees in their paths and scraped the earth bare of soil. Many animals moved farther south to escape. Others stayed and were destroyed. When winters of little snow came, the summer cut into the edges of the ice sheets. As the glaciers melted, rocks soil and other things that had mixed with the ice and snow were left. New hills, lakes and rivers were formed. The last of the great glaciers began its melting about 11, 000 years ago. Its melting formed the Great Lakes. These lakes today are little changed from their early sizes and shapes. The largest of the North American river systems was also influenced by the glaciers. This is the Mississippi-Missouri-Ohio system. These rivers were miles wide at first. Through the years they settled into _ present channels. The Ice Age lasted almost _ . 1,000,000 years Bissel is a small village of the West Sahara. It lies next to a l.5-square-kilometer oasis , from where three days and nights are generally required to go out of the desert. However, before Ken Levin discovered it in 1926, none of the Bissel villagers had ever walked out of the desert. Reportedly, they were not unwilling to leave this barren land. Many had previously tried but failed, always somehow finding themselves back at the oasis after several days of trying to walk out. When interviewed by Ken Levin, an expert at the British Royal College of Sciences, the villagers explained that no matter which direction they walked it always brought them back to the village.Why couldn't the Bissel villagers walk out of the desert? Levin was very puzzled. He had, by himself, managed to walk north from the village and reach the nearest town in three and a half days. He decided to carry out an experiment to solve the mystery. He and a Bissel villager called Argutel, would walk out of the desert together. They prepared enough water for a half-a-month journey and two camels. But this time Ken Levin didn't bring his compass. Levin would follow Argutel. Ten days later, they had walked for about 500 miles but were still in the desert. On the 11th morning, an oasis came into their view. They were back at Bissel. Levin now understood why the Bissel people couldn't escape the desert. They had no knowledge of the North Star, which had for centuries provided sailors and other travelers with a point of direction. In the desert, if a person goes forward relying only on their senses, they will not be able to travel in a straight line. Rather they will travel in a very large circle and eventually track back to where they began. Levin explained to Argutel the function of the North Star and said, "As long as you rest in the daytime and walk towards the brightest star at night, you would be able to walk out of the desert." Argutel did as he was told. Three days later, he came to the edge of the desert. Now in the West Sahara, Bissel has become a bright pearl, where tens of thousands of tourists come every year. Argutel's bronze statue stands in the center of the town. On its base are the words: _ . It can be inferred from the passage that _ . tourism in Bissel has been greatly developed and improved Just outside the northern Italian town of Bra, there rises a church tower with a clock that is a half hour slow. Though not far from the industrial city of Turin, Bra smells of roses, and leisure is the law. It is both the home of an international movement that promotes slow food and one of Italian cities that have joined the slow cities. In Bra, population 27,866, the town fathers have declared that all small food shops be closed every Thursday and Sunday. They forbid cars in the town square. All fruits and vegetables served in local schools must be organic . And as the movement goes well, the slow concept gradually spreads across Europe. The argument for a Slow Europe is not only that it is good, but also that it can work. The Slow City Movement, which started in 1999, has improved local economies by promoting local goods and tourism. Young Italians are moving from larger cities to Bra, where unemployment is only 5 percent, about half the nationwide rate. Slow food and wine festivals draw thousands of tourists every year. Shops are doing well, many with sales rising at a rate of 15% per year. "This is our answer to the world." says Paolo Samrnini, the founder of Slow Cities. France is in favor of slow economics. Most outsiders have long been doubtful of the French model: short hours and long vacations. Yet the French are more productive than those in the United States and Britain, and have been for years. The mystery of French productivity has risen an Europewide debate about the advantages of working more slowly. It can be inferred from the passage that _ . British workers work longer hours than the French A few degrees can make a big difference when it comes to food storage.Foods can go bad if they get too warm.But for many of the world's poor, finding a good way to keep food cool is difficult.Refrigerators are costly and they need electricity. Yet spoiled food not only creates health risks but also economic losses.Farmers lose money when they have to throw away products that they cannot sell quickly. But in nineteen ninety-five a teacher in northern Nigeria named Mohammed Bah Abba found a solution.He developed the "Pot-in-Pot Preservation/Cooling System." It uses two round containers made of clay.A smaller pot is placed inside a larger one.The space between the two pots is filled with wet sand.The inner pot can be filled with fruit, vegetables or drinks.A wet cloth covers the whole cooling system. Food stored in the smaller pot is kept from spoiling through a simple evaporation process.Water in the sand between the two pots evaporates through the surface of the larger pot, where drier outside air is moving.The evaporation process creates a drop in temperature of several degrees.This cools the inner pot and helps keep food safe from harmful bacteria.Some foods can be kept fresh this way for several weeks. People throughout Nigeria began using the invention.And it became popular with farmers in other African countries.Mohammed Bah Abba personally financed the first 5,000 pot-in-pot systems for his own community and five villages nearby. In 2000, the Rolex Watch Company of Switzerland honored him with the Rolex Award for Enterprise.This award recognizes people trying to develop projects aimed at improving human knowledge and well-being.A committee considers projects in science and medicine, technology, exploration and discovery, the environment and cultural history.Winners receive financial assistance to help develop and extend their projects.The award is given every two years.The most recent one was given last year. What could be the best title of the passage? A Cool Way to Keep Food from Spoiling
In the dining room of my grandfather's house stood a massive grandfather clock. Meals in that dining room were a time for four generations to become one. The table was always spread with food containing love as the main ingredient . And that grandfather clock stood like an old family friend, watching over the laughter that was a part of our lives. As a child, the old clock fascinated me. I watched and listened to it during meals. Even more wonderful to me was my grandfather's ritual. He wound that clock with a special key carefully each day. That key was magic to me. It kept our family's magnificent clock ticking and chiming. I remember watching as my grandfather took the key from his pocket and opened the hidden door in the clock. He inserted the key and wound -- not too much, nor too little. He never let that clock wind down and stop. He showed us grandchildren how to open the door and let us each take turns winding the key. I remember the first time I did it I was so excited to be part of this family ritual. After my grandfather died, it was days after the funeral before I remembered the clock! "Mama! The clock! We've let it wind down." The tears flowed freely when I entered the dining room. The clock stood there quiet. It even seemed smaller without my grandfather's special touch. Some time later, my grandmother gave me the clock and the key. The old house was quiet. No laughter over the dinner table, no ticking or chiming of the clock -- all was still. I took the key in my shaking hand and opened the clock door. All of a sudden, I was a child again, watching my grandfather with his silver-white hair and blue eyes. He was there, winking at me, at the secret of the clock's magic, at the key that held so much power. I stood, lost in the moment for a long time. Then slowly and carefully I inserted the key and wound the clock. I sprang to life. Tick -- Tock, tick -- tock, life and chimes were breathed into the dining room, into the house and into my heart. In the movement of the hands of the clock, my grandfather lived again. The tears flowed freely when the writer entered the dining room because _ . Answer: the writer missed Grandfather On April 8th, 2013, the world felt sorry because of the death of former British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, who died at the age of 87. Besides being the country's longest leader (1979-1990) in the 20th century, she was the first woman to lead Britain. She worked hard and did well in her work, so she was called "Iron Lady". Whatever you think of Margaret Thatcher, the thing everyone does agree on is that she was a woman with great decisions. When she took over Britain in 1979, she led a country that was in economic trouble. She faced a lot of problems because of the poor economic position. In order to make the country become strong again, Ms. Thatcher had to make some hard and special decisions like raising interest rates and even taxes at a time when most British people were living a hard life. In this way she led Britain to run out of economic troubles. Early in her second term, just as things were looking a little better, she faced another problem -- a strike by the British Miners Union. Once again, the Iron Lady stood her ground to stop the longest strike in the country's history. In 1982, Argentina said that they had owned the Falkland Islands since the 19th century. Britain, however, considered the islands to be one of their overseas dependent territories . Margaret Thatcher tried to talk about the problem with Argentines. But Argentines didn't agree with her ideas, so Ms. Thatcher did what any strong leader would do -- send in the British Army. It took 74 days, and on 14th June 1982, the Argentine army finally failed and Britain controlled the Falkland Islands again. When Ms. Thatcher resigned in 1990, she left behind a country that was very strong. Unluckily, during the last few years of her life, something was wrong with her mind. She hardly remembered anything that was happening around her and even what she had done during her wonderful lifetime. What was the matter with Ms. Thatcher after she resigned? Answer: She almost couldn't remember anything. SAVE THE FROGS! Art Contest Time The 2016 SAVE THE FROGS! Art Contest will run from April 1st through October 1st , 2016. Best of luck! Introduction The SAVE THE GROGS! Art Contest invites you to create your coolest frog artwork. The contest will call on people to pay more attention to the amphibian extinction problem by getting people interested and to take part in it, and the artworks will be used on T-shirts, coffee cups, hats, cards and books to both publicize our cause and raise money for SAVE THE FROGS! amphibian protection efforts. Between 2009 and 2015 we received more than 12 thousand pieces of frog artworks from 70 countries. We look forward to receiving your creation! Who can enter? Anybody! It is free to enter the contest, though we suggest all artworks include a few dollars to assist our frog-saving efforts! Prizes The 1st Prize Winner will: (1) Receive $100. (2)Receive a one-year SAVE THE FROGS! membership. The 2nd and 3rd Place Artists will: Each receives a one-year SAVE THE FROGS! Membership. Contest Rules (1)The submitted artwork must be your original creation! (2)Your artwork should not be larger than 8.5"x11"(22cmX28cm)in size. (3)You may submit up to three artworks (4)All artworks must refer to SAVE THE FROGS! by including either the phrase "SAVE THE FROGS!" or "savethefrogs.com", or both. Please note that both "SAVE THE FROGS!" and "savethefrogs.com" are PLURAL, meaning the letter. "S" must appear at the end of the word "FROGS". Submissions If your artwork was digitally created, you should email your artwork to art @ savethefrogs.com If your artwork is on paper or any other non-digital type, then mail your artwork to : SAVE THE FORGS! Art Contest P. O. Box 78758 Los Angeles, CA 90016 USA What should be noticed to take part in the contest? Answer: Do not copy others' ideas or creations. Are you looking for something fun? Would you like to help other people in your free time? Then join us and be a volunteer . We have volunteer jobs for people of all ages. Anyone, between the age of 12 and 80, can become a volunteer. You can help people in many ways. Nursing homes need volunteers to take care of old people. Hospitals need volunteers to look after children while their parents see a doctor. Animal lovers can help take care of those dogs and cats without homes. There is something that out volunteers want to tell you. "As a volunteer, I don't want to get anything. Seeing the children's happy faces, I am happy, too." said Carlos, an old woman of 62. " I often played computer games in my free time before. Now I help middle-aged people learn how to use computers." said another volunteer at the age of 18. If everyone gives a hand, we'll have a better world to live in. Interested? Call us on 1-800-555-5756 or visit our website: www.active.com. _ need volunteers. Answer: All the above Chuck was thirteen when he came home from the hospital. He came home not because he was getting better but because he wanted to be with people he knew and loved when he died. I came by the house to visit him and his family several times a week during his treatment. On most of my visits, Chuck was very weak. But the last time I saw him alive, he was awake. "I have got something for you." He pulled out a piece of crumpled paper from under his pillow. "I want you to give this to my mom and dad after I die. You'll know when it's right, I guess, won't you?" "What is it?" I asked. "It's a list of all the fun we had, and all the happy time when we laughed." I almost gasped in great surprise. "Like what?" I asked quietly, trying to regain my calmness. "Like the time when Mom, Dad, Chrissie, Linda and me were dressed up as fruits and Dad was driving us to a costume party. Dad was a bunch of grapes and I was an apple, and the others were different things like bananas and pears." And a policewoman _ for speeding. When the policewoman came up to the car, she looked and started laughing so hard that she could hardly stand up. And we all started laughing and she said, "Where are you all heading -- a salad bar?" Dad said he was sorry to be speeding, but his kids were getting so ripe that they were starting to draw flies. And she laughed till she had to take off her dark glasses and wiped tears from her eyes." Chuck laughed and so did I. The list was full of laughing and fun. What a wonderful gift, I thought. Why did the policewoman laugh when she looked into the car? Answer: Because the children were dressed in a funny way.
While waiting to pick up a friend at an airport in Portland, Oregon, I had one of those lifechanging experiences that you hear other people talk about--the kind that happens to you unexpectedly. To me, this happened and was only two feet away from me. Locating my friend among the passengers, I noticed a man coming toward me carrying two light bags. He stopped right next to me to greet his family. First he walked to his youngest son (maybe 6 years old) as he laid down his bags. They gave each other a long, loving hug. As they separated enough to look in each other's face, I heard the father say,"It's so good to see you, son. I missed you so much!" His son smiled somewhat shyly, and replied softly,"Me, too, Dad!" Then the man stood up, gazed into the eyes of his oldest son (maybe 9 or 10) and while cupping his son's face in his hands said, "You're already quite a young man. I love you very much, Zach!" They too hugged a most loving, tender hug. While this was happening, a baby girl (perhaps one or oneandahalfyear old) was squirming excitedly in her mother's arms, never once taking her little eyes off the wonderful sight of her returning father. The man said,"Hi, baby girl!" as he gently took the child from her mother. He quickly kissed her face all over and then held her close to his chest while rocking her from side to side. The little girl instantly relaxed and simply laid her head on his shoulder, motionless in pure contentment. After several moments, he handed his daughter to his oldest son and declared,"I've saved the best for last!" and went to give his wife the longest, most passionate kiss I ever remember seeing. He gazed into her eyes for several seconds and then silently mouthed, "I love you so much!" They stared into each other's eyes, beaming big smiles at one another, while holding both hands. For an instant they reminded me of newlyweds, but I knew by the age of their kids that they couldn't possibly be. I puzzled about it for a moment then realized how totally attentive I was in the wonderful display of unconditional love not more than an arm's length away from me. I suddenly felt uncomfortable, as if I was invading something sacred, but was amazed to hear my own voice nervously ask,"Wow! How long have you two been married?" "Been together fourteen years total, married twelve of those." he replied, without breaking his gaze from his lovely wife's face. "Well then, how long have you been away?" I asked. The man finally turned and looked at me, still beaming his joyous smile. "Two whole days!" Two days? I was stunned. I had assumed he'd been gone for at least several weeks--if not months. I know my expression betrayed me. "I hope my marriage is still that passionate after twelve years!" The man suddenly stopped smiling. He looked me straight in the eye, and with forcefulness that burned right into my soul, he told me something that left me a different person, "Don't hope, friend... decide!" Then he flashed me his wonderful smile again, shook my hand and said,"God bless!" With that, he and his family turned and walked away together. I was still watching that exceptional man and his special family walk just out of sight when my friend came up to me and asked, "What are you looking at?" Without hesitating, and with a curious sense of certainty, I replied,"My future!" Why does the writer think his airport experience is lifechanging? Answer: "I love the music-player function of 3G cellphones, " Xiaomei, a Chinese senior high school girl living in Japan, said happily. "Recently, I logged on to a website and downloaded some new Japanese songs with lyrics onto my 3G cellphone, "the girl said. "You know, it's amazing! Just like with KTV, _ 's voice can be switched-off leaving just the background music and lyrics. When no one is around, I practise singing songs like crazy. " Xiaomei's 3G cellphone almost made her a super star among her classmates. 3G was first introduced into Japan in 2001. After a slow start, it's now widely used there. High school students top the list of user groups, according to a major service provider in Japan. After years of effort, China is finally catching up. In January, China issued a 3G license to three operators--China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom. In 2009, the operators announced plans to expand the use of 3G cellphones. What is 3G? 3G wireless networks give users faster Internet connections. The Internet connection speed of 3G can be up to 15 to 20 times faster. This allows music and games to be downloaded more easily. E-mail can also be accessed faster. It has made watching movies and video-conferencing possible on a mobile phone. How do I use 3G? First, you must have a 3G cellphone. This year, products made by different cellphone companies will gradually appear in the marketplace. China Mobile and China Telecom users can continue using their old phone number and SIM card. China Unicom, however, has not yet decided on this matter. How much does it cost? The three operators have said that 3G fees will be similar, or slightly lower than today's 2G cellphones. According to a 3G student package, calls within the China Mobile network will cost 0.13 yuan per minute, while the fees go up to 0.23yuan per minute for calls between China Mobile and other networks. According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE? Answer: Which is an example of a single-celled organism? Answer: The huge thirst for jobs in the civil service has made the national civil servant exam one of China's most competitive tests. The first exam was held in 1995, and since then more and more people have signed up for it, with applications reaching a peak over the last two years. The latest online survey, carried out by China Youth Daily and www.qq.com, found that more than 73 percent of young people want to work as civil servants. Of the 17,330 respondents, about 83 percent said they were attracted by the job's stability, guaranteed health care and pension . Meanwhile, 55 percent said it could bring "practical profits". Nearly 1 million people applied to take the exam last year, yet only just over 10,000 were finally employed. This year the competition continued. The exact number of applicants is not known, with the final day for applications today. But the flood of applicants has already broken the exam's website once. China Youth Daily reported that the site was forced to close for _ due to unusually high traffic on the night of October 16, which has never happened in the past. In a typical year several hundred applicants will apply for many of the jobs listed. For example, the five job vacancies provided by the secretariat of the Central Committee of the CPC have attracted more than 3,880 applicants this year. Positions as civil servants are attractive, not only because of the stable income and good health care, but also because of the low risks compared with the power and resources the positions enjoy. Among the total 6 million public servants, around 20,000 were dismissed between 1996 and 2007. How many people on average will compete for one post provided by the secretariat of the Central Committee of the CPC this year? Answer: Cowboy or spaceman? A dilemma for a children's party, perhaps. But also a question for economists, argued Kenneth Boulding, a British economist, in an essay published in 1966. We have run our economies, he warned, like cowboys on the open grassland: taking and using the world's resources, confident that more lies over the horizon. But the Earth is less a grassland than a spaceship--a closed system, alone in space, carrying limited supplies. We need, said Boulding, an economics that takes seriously the idea of environmental limits. In the half century since his essay, a new movement has responded to his challenge. "Ecological economists", as they call themselves, want to revolutionise its aims and assumptions. What do they say--and will their ideas achieve lift-off? To its advocators, ecological economics is neither ecology nor economics, but a mix of both. Their starting point is to recognise that the human economy is part of the natural world. Our environment, they note, is both a source of resources and a sink for wastes. But it is ignored in conventional textbooks, where neat diagrams trace the flows between firms, households and the government as though nature did not exist. That is a mistake, say ecological economists. There are two ways our economies can grow, ecological economists point out: through technological change, or through more intensive use of resources. Only the former, they say, is worth having. They are suspicious of GDP, a crude measure which does not take account of resource exhaustion, unpaid work, and countless other factors. In its place they advocate moreholistic approaches, such as the Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI), a composite index that includes things like the cost of pollution, deforestation and car accidents. While GDP has kept growing, global GPI per person peaked in 1978: by destroying our environment we are making ourselves poorer, not richer. The solution, says Herman Daly, a former World Bank economist and eco-guru, is a "steady-state" economy, where the use of materials and energy is held constant. Mainstream economists are unimpressed. The GPI, they point out, is a subjective measure. And talk of limits to growth has had a bad press since the days of Thomas Malthus, a gloomy 18th century cleric who predicted, wrongly, that overpopulation would lead to famine. Human beings find solutions to some of the most annoying problems. But ecological economists warn against self-satisfaction. In 2009 a paper in Nature, a scientific journal, argued that human activity is already overstepping safe planetary boundaries on issues such as biodiversity and climate change. That suggests that ecological economists are at least asking some important questions, even if their answers turn out to be wrong. Kenneth Boulding and the content of his essay at the beginning of this passage are meant to . Answer:
Question: A British shopper, Emma Mumford, who was named "the Coupon Queen" has spent just PS350 on a luxury Christmas for her and her family--but got PS2,500 worth of food, drink and presents thanks to coupons and offers. Ms Mumford is a so-called "extreme couponer" and spends hours hunting out the best deals and bargains. She has been preparing for this Christmas since the end of the last one. Ms Mumford made the huge savings by checking price comparison websites and as a result collected more presents than she needed for Christmas. After sorting out gifts for all of her family, she has even been able to donate PS1,000 worth of presents to her local hospital. "It has been so nice to have Christmas sorted and not having to worry about _ . I wanted to get high quality presents for my family and show that you can do it without spending a fortune. There is a misconception that everyone who does couponing only gets value products but through my careful shopping I have managed to purchase designer perfumes , a high-end coffee machine." she explained. She said "What started as a hobby to help me save money has turned into my life and I am able to run a business helping people save money. I know what it feels like to struggle as my ex-partner had a lot of debt which I took on for him. We were in a poor situation where every penny counted. That's what really inspired me." She has now turned her bargain-hunting addiction into a business where she searches for the best deals and offers tips to the general public through video blogging and her Facebook Page. "I try and show people that it is just a little bit of work in the beginning but it will eventually pay off. One of the best things to do is just to be a bit forward thinking and save throughout the year." Which of the following can best describe Emma? A. Ambitious and creative. B. Sensitive and determined. C. Brave and lucky. D. Careful and caring. Answer: D. Careful and caring. Question: We have met the enemy, and he is ours. We bought him at a pet shop. When monkey-pox, a disease usually found in the African rain forest, suddenly turns up in children in the American Midwest, it's hard not to wonder if the disease that comes from foreign animals is homing in on human beings. "Most of the infections we think of as human infections started in other animals, " says Stephen Morse, director of the Center for Public Health Preparedness at Columbia University. It's not just that we're going to where the animals are, we're also bringing them closer to us. Popular foreign pets have brought a whole new disease to this country. A strange illness killed Isaksen's pets, and she now thinks that keeping foreign pets is a bad idea. "I don't think it's fair to have them as pets when we have such a limited knowledge of them," says Isaksen. "Laws allowing these animals to be brought in from deep forest areas without stricter control need changing," says Peter Schantz. Monkey-pox may be Researchers believe infected animals may infect their owners. We know very little about these new diseases. A new bug may be kind at first. But some strains may become harmful. Monkey-pox doesn't look a major infectious disease. But it is not impossible to pass the disease from person to person. What does the phrase "the wake-up call " in Paragraph 3 most probably mean? A. a new disease B. a clear warning C. a dangerous call D. a morning call Answer: B. a clear warning Question: When several people look at the same person, it is not unusual for each of them to see different things; when you are alone observing one behavior or a person at two different times, you may see different things. The followings are but some of the factors that lead to these varying perceptions(,): (1) Each person's perceptions of others are formed by his or her own cultural conditioning, education, and personal experiences. (2) Sometimes perceptions differ because of what we choose to observe and how we deal with what've observed. It is not necessarily true that person perception is based on observations of a particular person. Your observations may be totally controlled by what others have told you about this person; or you may focus primarily on the situation or role relationship. Most people do not use the same standard to measure their parents, their friends, and strangers. (3) Sometimes we see only what we want to see or don't see what may be obvious to others because of our own needs, desires, or temporary emotional states. This is a process known as selective perception. Selective perception is obviously more difficult when contradictory information is particularly obvious, but it can be done. We can ignore the _ ----"He's basically a good boy so what I saw was not shoplifting ." We can reduce the importance of the contradictory information ----"All kids get into mischief . Taking a book from a bookstore isn't such a big deal." We can change the meaning of the contradictory information--- "It wasn't shoplifting because he was going to pay for it later."... The first factor given by the author that affects our perception is _ . A. our hearing and visual abilities B. cultural background and personal experiences C. the experience one learns from others D. critical measures taken by other people Answer: B. cultural background and personal experiences Question: Michelle, a famous lady, has found that more than 25% students are too fat in her country. It is a very serious problem. So she starts a health program to deal with it. The health program is to reduce the amount of fat students today and in the future. The program will get families, schools, newspapers, magazines and TVs to join together and deal with the students' obesity so that students will be at a healthier weight. The program includes: Food stores should sell healthier foods. Schools should serve healthier meals with less fat and should also offer gym classes. The lady is trying to fight the students' obesity all over the country because it can cause illnesses and higher health cost. She wants the students to eat right, exercise more and control their weight. She also wants the students to understand it is important to have less sweet food, and drink water, milk and fresh juices, but not to choose cokes. At the same time she has also set a good example by planting a vegetable garden. She hopes that the garden will encourage more people to plant one, too. The health program is really helpful to the students today and in the future. As she says, we cannot always build the future for youth, but we can build our youth for the future. What's the main idea of the passage? A. The lady introduces healthy drinks. B. The lady cares about food cost. C. The lady fights obesity in students. D. The lady feel worried about the height. Answer: C. The lady fights obesity in students. Question: The American humorist,Will Rogers,used to say,"All I kown is what I read in the newspapers".This was an exaggeration for humorous purposes,but it is true that newspapers are an important source of information.Many people begin their day by reading the paper.In this way they learn what is going on in the world.Sometimes,however,they don't have time to read the news carefully and must be satisfied with a quick look at the front page;at other times they may be in such a hurry that they have time only to glance at the headlines. There are newspapers to satisfy every reader.In the big cities there are many types of papers,with several different editions every day. In small towns there are fewer newspapers and perhaps only one edition each day.In some areas the paper is printed weekly. Most newspapers have several sections,especially on Sundays when the edition is larger than usual.There are,in addition to the front page with the most important news,the sports section,the society page,the comics,the amusement section,a business page,and the editorials. Another type of publication which helps keep the population informed is the magazine. Some magazines are published weekly,others are put out monthly.There are news magazines,literary magazines,and magazines for such special interests as photography,sports,art,and music,Some are primarily for men,others for women,and there is a selection of children's magazines,too. In the United States, there are publications for every taste and interest. The function of a newspaper is _ . A. to help people to begin their day by reading it B. to satisfy every reader C. to get people well informed of all kinds of news D. to provide its readers with many sections Answer: C. to get people well informed of all kinds of news
amphibians hatch from With little rain, ancient Egyptians relied mostly on the Nile River to water their crops, so they could only grow certain kinds of food. They mainly grew wheat and barley . The Egyptians made the wheat into bread, soup and porridge, and they also added hops to make the barley into beer. In fact, some people think that the Egyptians would not have begun growing grain if they hadn't liked beer so much. Many Egyptian models of beer jars have been found, which the Egyptians put into graves of dead people so that they would have beer in the next world. The Egyptians also ate meat. They went to a butcher shop and bought meat there, just as people do today. But because it rarely rains in Egypt, they could have the meat outside in the yard of the store instead of inside. Click on the left and you will see a model of a butcher shop, which was also found in somebody's grave. Can you see the different cuts of meat all laid out? There is a whole leg of mutton at the very bottom. However, Egyptians thought pigs carried infectious disease. They ate beef, mutton, duck and goose. For dessert, the Egyptians had a great interest in dates. Here is a picture of some real Egyptian dates which were put into people's graves for them to eat in the next world, and which were kept in the dry climate for three thousand years until archaeologists dug them up. Archaeologists have also found seeds which show that the Egyptians grew watermelon and other kinds of melon. In some people's opinions, the ancient Egyptians started to grow grain because _ . In the morning Mr Smith comes into the garden at the back of his house. He sees much snow in the garden. Mr Smith wants to take his car out, so he asks a man to clean the road from his garage , to the gate. He says to the man, "Don't throw any snow on that side. It'll damage(, ) the flowers in the street, or policeman will come." Then he goes out. When he comes back, his road is clean. There is no snow on the flowers, on the wall or in the street. But when he opens the garage he sees the garage is full of snow, the snow from the road, and his car is under the snow! He tells a man to clean the road, because he _ . We use both words and gestures to express our feelings, but the problem is that these words and gestures can be understood in different ways. It is true that a smile means the same thing in any language. So does laughter or crying. There are also a number of striking similarities in the way different animals show the same feelings. Dogs, tigers and humans, for example, often show their teeth when they are angry. This is probably because they are born with those behavior patterns. Fear is another emotion that is shown in much the same way all over the world. In Chinese and in English literature, a phrase like "he went pale and begin to tremble" suggests that the man is either very afraid or he has just got a very big shock. However, "he opened his eyes wide" is used to suggest anger in Chinese whereas in English it means surprise. In Chinese "surprise" can be described in a phrase like 'they stretched out their tongues!' Sticking out your tongue in English is an insulting gesture or expresses strong dislike. Even in the same culture, people differ in ability to understand and express feelings. Experiments in America have shown that women are usually better than men at recognizing fear, anger, love and happiness on people's faces. Other studies show that older people usually find it easier to recognize or understand body language than younger people do. People's facial expressions may be misunderstood because _ . I was born in New York, but I grew up in San Francisco. I began to live in London 25 years ago. If I am asked now where I want to live forever, I would say London. But I will always be American. San Francisco, like London, has many parks. Every day my sisters and I were taken to play in the parks as children. I didn't go to school. I only had three hours of formal education when I was five. I was sent to school in the morning but came home at noon on the first day. I said I didn't enjoy it and hadn't learned anything. My parents thought that school was unsuitable for me. They agreed with me, so I never went back to school. Then my mother taught me and my two sisters at home, in the way of an English lady who had good education. We learned languages and reading more than sciences and maths. Sometimes she taught us herself, but we also had other teachers. They asked us to take lessons every day. About once a week we walked to Golden Gate Park. While we were walking, my mother taught me to read music. One day I noticed a little toy train in the window of a shop and I remember now how I'd like to have it. I couldn't say "r" when I was small. My mother said if I could say an "r" well, I would have the toy train. I practiced and practiced. Then one morning I woke everybody up with my "r"s. I got the toy train. I usually get the things I want in life -- but I work hard for them. The writer didn't go to school in America because _ .
Question: Do you still remember your favorite poem from high school or some other important periods in your life?Why is it that decades later it still stands out in your mind?Probably the main reason is that some aspect of that poem resonates with you. In the same way, you too as a school leader can touch the hearts of your teachers and students. Poetry allows us to experience strong spiritual connections to things around us and to the past. The power that poetry has displayed over time and across cultures actually satisfies _ of the human heart and soul. As one of the oldest art forms, poetry has successfully connected various parts of humanity from one generation to another. Referring to poetry, Hillyer makes a simple yet meaningful statement, "With this key mankind unlocked his heart." School leaders can find and make use of the value of poetry for themselves, their students and their teachers. Beyond the simple use of poetry, techniques of poetry such as repetitions can be used to take advantage of the power of language to transform communication, create meaning and a culture of care and attention. Since schools are mainly about people and relationships, school leaders, like poets, are required to inspire and encourage the human heart. The use of poetry--or even of some techniques of poetry--in school leadership not only helps to improve communication, but also serves to meet the human need for inspiration. The use of poetry or techniques of poetry in school leadership is in fact to make use of _ . A. the power of language B. the power of school leaders C. people's preference for poetry D. people's desire for communication Answer: A. the power of language Question: Some people believe that a Robin Hood is at work, others that a wealthy person simply wants to distribute his or her fortune before dying. But the donator who started sending envelopes with cash to deserving causes,accompanied by an article from the local paper, has made a northern German city believe in fairytales The first envelope was sent to a victim support group. It contained EUR10,000 with a cutting from the Braunschtveiger Zeitung about how the group supported a woman who was robbed of her handbag; similar plain white anonymous envelopes, each containing EUR10,000, then arrived at a kindergarten and a church. The envelopes keep coming, and so far at least EUR190,000 has been distributed. Last month, one of them was sent to the newspaper's own office. It came after a story it published about Tom, a 14-year-old boy who was severely disabled in a swimming accident. The receptionist at the Braunschweiger Zeitung opened an anonymous white envelope to find 20 notes of EUR500 inside , with a copy of the article. The name of the family was underlined. "I was driving when I heard the news," Claudia Neumann, the boy's mother, told DerSpiegel magazine. "I had to park on the side of the road; I was speechless. " The money will be used to make the entrance to their house wheelchair-accessible .and for a course of treatment that their insurance company refused to pay for. "For someone to act so selflessly, for this to happen in such a society in which everyone thinks of himself, was astonishing," Mrs. Neumann said. Her family wonder whether the donator is a Robin Hood character, taking from banks to give to the needy. Henning Noske, the editor of the Braunschweiger Zeitung, said: "Maybe it is an old person who is about to die. We just do not know. " However, he has told his reporters not to look for the city's hero, for fear that discovery may stop the donations. The Braunschweiger Zeitung is the name of _ . A. a church B. a bank C. a newspaper D. a magazine Answer: C. a newspaper Question: IMAGINE if, to collect your salary each month, you had to walk to the nearest town, perhaps tens of miles away, to gather in a school or a football court or a church. There, you and your colleagues wait for a man to arrive from the capital, perhaps a thousand miles away, with a suitcase of cash. Few countries are as corrupt as Congo . Mobutu Sese Seko, a former strongman, used state funds to _ a Concorde to take him on shopping trips to Paris. By the time of his overthrow in 1997, graft was endemic. Government employees were not paid but rather expected to use their positions to make a living. Among the most prized government jobs was that of accountant: the people responsible for transporting bags of cash to the provinces to hand out to employees. In 2012, however, the Congolese government started helping civil servants to open bank accounts. Around three-quarters of them--some 670,000 people--now have one. In the process, the government has weeded out tens of thousands of ghost employees, since the embezzlers who invented them could not open accounts in their names without a matching ID. Yet in a vast country with fewer roads than Luxembourg, hardly anyone lives anywhere near a bank branch. So Congolese banks must now do the work the government accountants used to: shipping money to the remote area. Cash has to be transported to branches in regional capitals, and thence to account-holders on the backs of motorbikes, in canoes or by foot. Bank staff with suitcases of cash make easy targets, just as they did in the west of America in the 19th century. Though they usually travel with armed policemen, there have been at least ten armed robberies of bank employees since January. At the moment banks are little more than money-transfer companies, and not very sophisticated ones at that. The transfers tend to go only one way--out of Kinshasa--so cannot be netted against each other; instead cash almost always has to be moved physically. Therefore, most Congolese bankers hope that the new system will promote the growth of a proper banking system. Which of the following can be the best title of the article? A. Unavoidable robberies B. Frequent corruption C. Cash on the way D. Best banking system Answer: C. Cash on the way Question: With online courses, anyone can gain knowledge in any field of interest for free. All you need is a computer, laptop or Smartphone, internet connection and a self-made schedule. You can even get a certificate on completing the course. Udemy Its goal is to promote the world of education by enabling anyone to learn online. It seeks to dramatically change education by inviting millions of experts worldwide to teach and share what they know. Whether you want to learn excel, business, academics, the arts, health, music or technology, there is a comprehensive course for you. See more at https://udemy.com iTunes U If you're a student who uses Apple devices, you will be happy to know that you have access to iTunes U, which gives you access to different educational courses from all leading universities for free! Did you dream of studying at MIT, Oxford, Yale, or Cambridge? This is your chance to learn various subjects from the best colleges and universities in the world. Learn more at https://iTunesU.com Skillfeed If you are looking to learning a new skill, or improving on your skills in Photoshop, or HTML, it offers unlimited access to high-quality video courses from a worldwide community of instructors. You have a month's free trial, after which you will pay a monthly fee to gain unlimited access to all courses. See more at https://skillfeed.com Academic Earth It has linked to over 750 online courses and 8,500 individual online lectures, giving students of all ages access to college courses they may otherwise never experience. Whether learning existing coursework, or learning for the sake of learning, anyone has the freedom to learn at their own pace from world-famous experts, without being charged more. Learn more at http://academicearth.com UC Berkeley It offers courses in bioengineering, Japanese, legal studies and public health. Since they are recordings of actual lectures, they lack lecture notes and extra materials. However, each course has audio recordings of lectures via iTunes or video recordings of lectures via YouTube. Learn more at https://ucberkeley.com Learners who choose Skillfeed need to _ . A. equip themselves with the ability to use the computer B. pay some fee if they want to continue after a month C. have some knowledge of the design of website D. learn to upload their own high-quality video Answer: B. pay some fee if they want to continue after a month Question: James shook his money box again. Nothing! He carefully counted the coins that lay on the bed. $24. 17 was all that he had. The bicycle he wanted was at least $90! How was he going to get the end of the money? He knew that his friends all had bicycles. It was hard to hang around with people when you were the only one without wheels. He thought about what he could do. It was no use asking his parents, for he knew they had no money to save. There was only one way to get money, and that was to earn it. He would have to find a job. But who would hire him and what could he do? He decided to ask Mr. Clay for advice, who usually had opinions on most things. "Well, you can start right here," said Mr. Clay. "My windows need cleaning and my car needs washing. " That was the beginning of James' part-time job. For three months he worked every day after finishing his homework. He was amazed by the different kinds of jobs that people found for him to do. He took dogs and babies for walks, cleared out cupboards, and mended books. He lost count of the number of cars he washed and windows he cleaned, but the money increased and he knew that he would soon have enough for the bicycle he was eager to have. The day finally came when James counted his money and found $94. 32. He wasted no time and went down to the shop to pick up the bicycle he wanted. He rode proudly home, looking forward to showing his new bicycle to his friends. It had been hard working for the money, but James knew that he valued his bicycle far more since he had bought it with his own money. James in the passage was probably _ . A. a cleaner B. a worker C. a student D. a teacher Answer: C. a student
Mount Huangshan is probably one of the most famous mountains in China. It has been listed as a World Natural and Cultural Heritage Site. It lies in the south of Anhui Province. It is about 1,200 square kilometers. Every year, thousands of Chinese and foreigners pay a visit there. While you are climbing the mountain, you can enjoy the sea of clouds, wondrous pines and unique rocks around you. Early morning when the sun rise, the sky looks very beautiful. It's really a nice place to visit. Each of the four seasons on Mt.Huangshan has their different beauty. It is said that you won't want to visit any other mountain after the Five Famous Mountains, and you won't wish to see even the Five Famous Mountains after returning from Mt.Huangshan. This saying may give you some ideas of the beauty and _ of Mt.Huangshan. Together with the Yellow River, the Yangtze River and the Great Wall, Mt.Huangshan has become one of the great symbols of China. Which one is NOT true in the following sentences? Answer: We've all heard the quote, 'Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.' My husband and son died within two years of each other. From my personal experience, I believe that if we aren't careful, grief can become a rather self-involved process in which we can become so focused on our own suffering that we miss the opportunity to connect with, and possibly bring comfort to, someone else who may be going through a similar experience. Six months after my husband died, I was sinking in the quicksand of grief. I could not pull myself out of the misery. In that moment, I actually believed that my life was more difficult than anyone else around me. Life handed me a perfectly wrapped lesson that opened my eyes to the fact that through my suffering I had allowed myself to become blinded by my self-pity. The lesson presented itself in a health crisis. I had complications from a surgical procedure and ended up being hospitalized for four days. I was in an extreme amount of pain during this time. Between the physical pain and the emotional pain of grief, I was an mess. I should also tell you that I am a Registered Nurse. As a nurse, it is hard to be on the receiving end of medicine as the patient. The first three nights that I was in the hospital, the same nurse took care of me. She was young, maybe in her mid to late 20s, and she hardly interacted with me at all the first two nights, other than to give my medications as scheduled. She obviously had no idea how much emotional pain I was in. How hard is it to ask your patient how she's feeling? I wrote her off as a bad nurse who had little sympathy, and remained absorbed in my own emotional and physical pain. The third night the young nurse was a little more talkative. She asked me how I was feeling (finally!). I told her that I was struggling with depression and grief because my husband had died in an airplane accident. She looked at me and told me that her husband had died too, just two months earlier. I was stunned. Speechless. Shocked. Never, in any of the possibilities that my mind entertained of why this nurse was so unfriendly to me, did I even consider that she might be in the same pain I was. Not only was she grieving as I was, but she was having to take care of me, instead of caring for herself and her family. We went on to talk and share our stories about our late husbands and children. I like to think that we helped each other a bit that night. We had much more in common than I would have believed. We were both widowed single moms with young children, and nurses. But, that was where the similarities ended. Her husband had no insurance policy. She had very little family support. She was working paycheck to paycheck to support her boys. I was humbled. I realized how much I had to be grateful for. And, frankly, I never saw life the same way after this experience. This experience was a life-changing event for me. I had always prided myself on being a sympathetic person, but I realize now that I had not really understood what being sympathetic meant. To truly be sympathetic, you must be able to see beyond your own pain to be witness to the pain. I never looked at another person in the same way after this experience. I thank death for very few things. The gift of sympathy for my fellow man, and understanding that we all suffer in ways that aren't always visible, are presents from death that I will always be grateful for. Always take the time to be kind even when you're suffering with your own pain. And don't assume that someone else has it easier than you. You never know the battles someone else is fighting. Which of the following can best serve as the title of the passage? Answer: Mr. Hunt was living in a village and he wanted to go to an office one day. He got into his car and drove to the city. He went there without any trouble and stopped in front of the door. He locked his car and started to go into the office, but then he turned around and went back to his car. "I've left my keys in it!" he said to himself. Then he called his wife and said, "Excuse me, but I've locked my keys in my car, please bring your keys to me." Mrs. Hunt got into their second car and drove thirty kilometers to her husband. But while Mr. Hunt was waiting, he walked around his car and tried the other door. It was not locked. He locked it quickly before his wife arrived. ,. It was _ for Mr. Hunt to drive to the office. Answer: It was a quiet village in which there was a military camp . It was far from the towns and cities and there were some high mountains around. Of course it was a good place for training the new soldiers. But it was difficult for the young men to go outside. Mr. White, an officer of forty, was strict with them and he hardly let them leave the camp. Once Mr. White was ill in bed. He couldn't work and a young officer, Mr. Hunt began to train the new soldiers instead of him. He knew the young men well and let nine soldiers go to the nearest town to have a holiday. But night fell and none came back to the camp. He was worried about it and stood at the gate. It was five to twelve when Mr. Hunt decided to go to the town and see what was happening to the young men. He started the car quickly and set off. At that moment the nine soldiers came back. It seemed they drank wine. Of course they found the officer was angry. "I'm sorry, sir,"said the first soldier."I left the town on time. But something was wrong with my bus on my way here. I had to buy a horse and made it run fast. Bad luck! It died and I had to run back." And the other seven soldiers said they were late for the same reasons. It was the last soldier's turn. He said, "I'm sorry, sir. I got on a bus on time, but..." Having heard this, the officer became even angrier and stopped him at once. He called out, "If you say something was wrong with your bus, I'll punish you at once!" "No, no, sir," said the young man. "My bus was all right, but the horse died!" Which answer do you think is true? Answer: On the bus, on the subway, every head is lowered to a cell phone, iPad, or other digital device. But does this mean more and more people are getting into reading the digital way? According to the National Reading Survey, before the 17thWorld Reading Day on April 23, only 1.2 percent of Chinese people said they read a lot. But 38.6 percent said they read on digital devices like cell phone and e-books. This is a 17.7 percent increase from 2010. Many experts are talking about a trend toward fragmented reading --reading many short messages or items on a digital device like a cell phone instead of one long text in a book. Zhao jianmin, a professor at Shanghai University, said fragmented reading was part of modern life. "The fast _ of life leaves many people no time to sit and read a whole book," he said. "So making use of fragmented time to read is sure to be a trend" Fragmented reading has its advantages. People can enjoy large amounts of information, knowledge and entertainment in a short time. Digital reading is faster than traditional deep reading. However, some experts fear the trend of digital reading will lead people to read in a simple way. Xu Guosheng, at a Chinese Academy of Press and Publication, says fragmented reading makes it harder for people to think more about what they read. He also warned fragmented reading could make people lazy about remembering facts because they know they can always just search for answers online. "Fragmented reading is sometimes good, but don't let it take all your time," suggested Tian Zhilng, an editor. He said it was important to read quality books in a deeper way, and we should read for knowledge, for practical use and for pleasure. He suggested people choose easy books first, then move onto more difficult ones. What is the main idea of the article? Answer:
The Blacks are English . Now they are in Beijing . This is their first visit to China. They are going to stay in China for three weeks . They want to learn some Chinese ,too. He likes driving in Beijing very much .Mrs Blacks is a teacher .She often visits a middle school in Beijing ,and she likes to speak with students. They take a lot of photos in China .When they are back to English ,They're going to show the photos to their friends. They want the English People to know more about China. The Blacks are staying in _ now. Beijing Volunteering abroad is great. Not only do you travel to an exotic country, you also meet like-minded people, and at the end of it all you have something to put on your CV to impress employers with. But did you ever stop to think about how great it is for the people on the receiving end? In this context, Daniela Papi has a point---foreigners rushing heroically to volunteer in a country they've never heard of are unlikely to make a difference. But turning volunteering camps into classrooms, as Papi seems to advocate in her article, risks throwing the baby out with the bath water by putting people off of volunteering. Rather, learning should be a natural part of the experience, and the key to creating such an environment is positioning everyone as equals. In order for _ to happen, volunteers need competent leaders who create an environment of equality: When, a few years ago, I joined a group of international volunteers to help a small farming community in the Swiss Alps, we were all quite ignorant about the local conditions. But thanks to our group leader, it was both a helpful project for the locals and a fun and eye-opening experience for us.Before we had even traveled (at our own expense) to the mountaintop village, our group leader had spent time with the villagers preparing the project to make sure it would be of benefit to them. She arranged for us to help in different areas, ensuring that we always worked alongside locals rather than for them. It was never "us" and "them", but always "we", like a big family. As a result, conversation flowed and we learned a great deal just by casually talking to the locals as we worked.At the end, we left with a deep appreciation for the labor of love that goes into producing the food we eat every dayan appreciation we could treasure ourselves and share with our peers. Volunteering isn't about saving someone's life, or even about changing it. It's about touching a different world and reminding ourselves that there is much, much more to life than the daily routines we take for granted.With that knowledge, maybe, just maybe, we can go on to really change the world. By Lukas Thibaut Which best describes the author's attitude toward international volunteering? Objective. A well-known manufacturer of weighing machines produced a new model. The machine had a computer inside it, and this computer could do wonderful things: it could weigh people very accurately; it could tell them their weight in their own language; and it could tell them what they should eat to reduce their weight. The manufacturer decided to try out his machine before he sold it to the shops. He looked around for a good place to put it and finally decided on an airport. There were always people at an airport from many different countries. The first person to use the machine was an Italian woman. She stood on the machine, put a coin in and waited to hear her weight. The machine took only a second or two to weigh her, decide on her nationality and the language she spoke, and figure out what kind of food she should eat. "Good morning, madam," it said in perfect Italian. "Your weight is 72 kilos, three more than it should be for a woman of your height, age and nationality. This is because you have been eating too much spaghetti. I suggest you eat more fruit and vegetables. Please have a nice day". The second person to use the machine was a Chinese girl. She stood on the machine, put a coin in and waited to hear her weight. "Good morning, Miss," the machine said in perfect Chinese. "Your weight is 38 kilos, exactly the correct weight for your height, age and nationality. Continue to eat what you are eating. Please have a nice day." The third person to use the machine was a huge Australian woman. She walked up to the machine and looked at it for a long time. At last she found the courage to stand on the machine and put a coin in. The machine spoke immediately. "Good morning. Will one of you ladies please get off?" What could the computer do? Weigh and talk to people. Hello, everyone! Today I want to introduce my best friend to you. Her name is Rose. Rose is an outgoing girl. She is not tall. She is very thin. She has a round face and two big eyes. Her hair is short. She often wears a pink dress, because pink is her favourite colour. She always has a smiling face. Everyone likes her very much. So she has many friends. Rose is a clever girl. She's our monitor. She works hard at school every day. She is good at English and Maths. She always does her best to help others with their study. She likes asking teachers questions. Her homework is always clean and tidy. Her handwriting is very beautiful. She is a top student in our class. Rose is a versatile girl. She can play the piano. She can draw pictures well. She can play table tennis. She can swim. She can do many things very well. Rose has a pet. It is a small dog. Its name is Xiao Xiong. They are good friends. I like it, too. Do you like my best friend, Rose? Can you tell me about your best friend? What animal does Rose keep as a pet? A dog. A young boy arrives at a barber shop and the barber _ to his customer, "This is the most foolish kid in the world. Watch while I prove it to you." The barber puts a dollar bill in one hand and two cents in the other, then calls the boy over and asks,"Which do you want,son?"The boy takes the cents and leaves. "What did I tell you?"says the barber."That kid never learns!" Later,when the customer leaves, he sees the same young boy coming out of the ice cream store."Hey, son! May I ask you a question ? Why did you take the cents instead of the dollar bill?" The boy licks his ice cream and answers,"Because the day I take the dollar, the game is over!" The young boy always takes two cents,because he _ . doesn't want to stop this game
Stubbornness(,) can push a business to hold on but can also kill your business if it keeps stopping you. Because I'm stubborn. I chased my dream of creating a pet-food company that sells what it claims to sell and not some unidentifiable substance in a dressed-up bag. Originally we packed our foods in transparent bags, which became our guiding philosophy. To start the company in 2003, I visited every pet-food store in Manhattan and some outside the city. By 2006 Stella&Chewy's was sold in 250 stores, mostly in New York City. In 2007 I moved the company to Wisconsin, with our earnings reaching almost $500,000 that year.But getting my product into stores was just the beginning. We were competing against much bigger pet-food companies whose monthly marketing budgets were more than our yearly sales. So we invested in advertisements and a website and even stood on sidewalks giving our samples. With more customers came more feedback , much of which I ignored, I was also receiving complaints about ice crystals on the food, which form when the air temperature changes during transport. For this reason, most frozen foods are packaged in opaque bags or boxes. Studies have proved that ice crystals have little effect on either the quality or the taste of the food. So I ignored the complaints. After all, we were better than our competitors that wouldn't even show their products. We didn't hide anything. In 2007 our sales kept growing, but not as fast as those of our competitors. We were told that new consumers were choosing products packaged in opaque bags. When I visited the stores and forced myself to consider my products objectively, I had to degree: The ice crystals reduced the look I wanted. The food looked as if a snowstorm had hit the inside of the bag. We switched to opaque bags and tried to make ice crystals smaller. Customers responded: In 2009 Stella$Chewy's was sold in 2,500 stores across the country. Why did the author have people stand on sidewalks giving out samples? The atmosphere is made of 78% what? Plant cells can't perform photosynthesis Health experts are calling for action to expand cancer care and control in the developing world. A medical research paper says cancer was once thought of as a problem mostly in the developed world. But now cancer is a leading cause of death and disability in poor countries as well. Experts from Harvard University and other organizations urge the international community to fight cancer aggressively, saying it should be fought in the way HIV/AIDS has been fought in Africa. Cancer kills more than 7.5 million people a year worldwide. Almost two-thirds are in low-income and middle-income countries. They discover cancer dills more people in developing countries than AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined. But the world spends only 5% of its cancer resources in those countries. Felicia Knaul from Harvard Medical School was one of the authors of the paper. She was in Mexico when she was found to have breast cancer. She received treatment there and her experience showed her the sharp difference between the rich and the poor in treating breast cancer. Felicia Knaul says, "And we are seeing how this is attacking young women. It's the number two cause of death in Mexico for women thirty to fifty-four. All over the developing world, it's the number one cancer-related death among young women. I think we have to again say that there is much more we could do about it than we are doing about it." Professor Knalul met community health workers during her work in developing countries. They were an important part of efforts to reduce deaths from the cancer. They were able to persuade people to get tested to prevent the illness. The experts say cancer care does not have to be costly. For example, patients can be treated with lower-cost drugs. Who plays an important part in preventing the cancer in developing countries? Who "entertained us, challenged us and changed our world"? Absolutely, Jeremy Lin, an Asian-American NBA rising star, is one of those people. TIME Magazine named him one of 2012's Most Influential People in the World. Lin, 23, is not just a good basketball player, but also a graduate of Harvard University, one of the best universities in the world. "Lin has broken the idea that one can't be a world-class player on the court and an excellent student off the court at the same time." US Education Secretary Arne Duncan wrote in the TIME article about Lin. At 191cm, Lin isn't especially strong, compared with other point guards in the league. What makes Lin special from other players is his hard work and never-give-up spirit. "I know how the league works. I may not get an opportunity , but I'm just going to put it all into this and see what happens." Lin once said. He kept arriving early, leaving late, practicing hard and learning from other experienced players. Finally, when his opportunity came, he started to shine. "He earned it." Duncan said. "He lives the right way, and he plays the right way. He works hard and stays modest. He sets a good example for young people today. " Why did Lin start to shine when his opportunity came?
US track star Marion Jones owned a trophy case filled with medals. She had worldwide fame. She held the high honor of being the first female track and field athlete to win five medals at an Olympics -- the 2000 Sydney Games. But last Friday, the 31-year-old track star tearfully confessed that she had lied to fans, sports official and US federal agents about taking steroids. The five Olympic medals in her trophy case? Gone. Meaningless. The worldwide fame? Exchanged for infamy. The honor of being the first female track and field athlete to win five medals at an Olympics? Forgotten, wiped off the record books. "It is with a great amount of shame that I stand before you and tell you that I have betrayed your trust." Jones confessed. She'd posed for pictures with fans. She'd attended parties and talked about her accomplishments. But for years she'd slept --- or tried to sleep -- knowing that much of what she had done was built on a lie. Now, finally, she'd decided to tell the truth. "If she had trusted her own natural gifts and allied them to self-sacrifice and hard work, I sincerely believe that she could have been an honest champion at the Sydney Games." IAAF President Lamine Diack said over the weekend. "Instead, Mario Jones will be remembered as one of the biggest frauds in sporting history." Sadly, she won't be the last. There are still others lurking behind their trophies. They too appear to have everything. They're superstars, the envy of every young person who has played a sport. But for how long? And at what cost? Every time they look at their trophies and medals they remember that the awards really belong to someone else. The writer values _ most in this passage. A. Marion Jones' deciding to tell the truth B. the honesty and hard work in sports competition C. trophies, medals and champions D. the spirit of Olympic Games Answer: B Amy is an American student in Des Moines, Iowa. She is nine years old and she is in Grade Four this year. Now she and her friends are pen pals of the students in India. In their letters, Amy learns that life of Indian children is difficult. And they don't have money to buy desks for school. She is surprised and wants to help them. She and her friends collect $711. A charity group helps them buy 75 desks. "We have many good things in our country," said Amy. "We should help others." She also hopes to raise money to build a well for them. Then the students can get clean water from it. It may be a good gift for the Indian children. Where are Amy's pen pals from? A. America B. India. C. England. D. China. Answer: B When you watch 3D movies or TV,you have to wear a special pair of glasses.The 3D glasses make the images from the screen look like they are there in the room with you. Three-dimensional,or 3D,means having three dimensions : width,height and depth.3D technology is based on the way the human brain and eyes work.Because the _ of a person's eyes are about 6.5era apart ,when we look at something,each eye sees it from a different angle .Our eyes send the two images to our brain,and the brain puts them together.The small difference between the image from the right eye and the image from the left eye allows us to see depth. When we view pictures and television in two dimensions,each eye gets the same information.That is because the image has no real depth,and there is only one of viewing it.So the goal of 3D technology is to get a different image into each of the viewer.It uses two film projectors.One projects a left eye image and the other projects a right image.The 3D glasses allow us to see a different image in each eye. While watching 3D films,we feel that we are in the same environment as the things we're watching.However,it also has its disadvantages.The 3D glasses work by controlling the amount of light that reaches the eyes.It makes the screen look darker.What's more,people with eye problems may get headaches if they spend too much time watching 3D movies,because their brains need to work harder to "read" the images. Which of the following is TRUE? A. 3D glasses make the screen look brighter. B. People with eye problems can't see 3D films. C. A 3D film needs making by two film projectors. D. 3D glasses held people get the same image in each eye. Answer: C It takes Te'Anne Collins more than an hour to get to school by bus. But for her, it is worth it. Te'Anne is one of many talented students who will attend an interview for a musical theatre program at Wexford Collegiate School for the Arts. "She is someone with unbelievable talent, " says her music teacher, Ann Merriam . "Te'Anne works two jobs, so she can support her studies and living expense." Te'Anne has come a long way since she first came to Wexford collegiate in 9thgrade. She was new to the school and started going out with the wrong crowd. Her negative lifestyle and attitude caused her scores to decline steadily. It was Ann Merriam who pulled her aside. "She told me that she didn't even know who I was and that she often heard bad things about me, " says Te'Anne. "When I think about it now, I deserved it." Now in Grade 12, Te'Anne has fought her way to the front of the stage and has earned her place as an important member of Wexford Gleeks -- a club that Ann Merriam has been running for over 20 years. Ann Merriam is the founder of the famous musical theatre program, which has been attracting audiences for years. A bit of a maverick ,she quietly started the program in the 80's on a shoestring budget, despite an important leader's disagreement at the beginning. Wexford Gleeks is now one of the top competitors at the 2013 Show Choir Canada competition. Te'Anne's story began to spread and soon telephone calls came flooding in the school board from kids' parents, because they knew Ann Merriam never gave up on any student. Which of the following statements is TRUE? A. Te'Anne often heard of Ann Merriam in Grade 9. B. Ann Merriam has managed Wexford Collegiate for 20 years. C. Ann Merriam regretted founding the musical theatre program. D. Te'Anne stepped on the stage of Wexford Gleeks in Grade 12. Answer: D Woodland High School is an international sch ool. We have students from all around the world. As an international student you can get first-class facilities with trained teachers to help. For further information: inf@woodland.uk Subjects We offer a wide choice of subjects for international students, which includes: Arts, IT, French, English, Spanish and other languages. Communication Studies, Social Sciences, etc. For further information: sub@woodland.uk Tuition Fees Tuition fees are different from subject to subject, from PS5,000 to PS6,000 a year. For further information: tui@woodland.uk Accommodation You can have a room in a 4-bedroom flat, which will cost about PS100 a month with other regular living costs of about PS150 a month for one person. For further information: acc@woodland.uk Health The Student Health Service provides excellent medical services for students. The Medical Centre is open five days a week, including student holidays with four doctors and nurses to meet your me dical needs. For further information: heal@woodland.uk Sports The Centre is a great place to have sports activities. Trained exercise teachers can help you work out a training plan and keep you active. The sports hall has volleyball, b asketball and indoor football counts and a swimming pool as well. There are also a large number of sports clubs at Woodland High School. For further information: sport@woodland.uk _ can help you work out a training plan. A. The Art teacher B. The trained exercise teachers C. Social Sciences D. Communication Studies Answer: B
The researchers, led by Hwang Woo-suk, insist they cloned an Afghan hound, only to help investigate human disease, including the possibility of cloning stem cells for treatment purposes. But others immediately renewed calls for a global ban on human reproductive cloning before the technology moves any farther. "Successful cloning of an increasing number of species confirms the general impression that it would be possible to clone any species of mammals, including humans," said Ian Wilmut, a reproductive biologist at the University of Edinburgh who produced the first cloned mammal, Dolly the sheep, from an adult cell nearly a decade ago. Researchers have since cloned cats, goats, cows, mice, pigs, rabbits, horses, deer, mules and gaur, a large wild ox of Southeast Asia. So far, efforts to clone a monkey or another primate with the same techniques have failed. Uncertainties about the health and life span of cloned animals continue to exsist; Dolly died at a young age in 2003 after developing cancer and arthritis. Wilmut and others _ Hwang's achievement, reported Wednesday in the journal Nature. But they said politicians and scientists must face the larger issue -- how to go on with the research without crossing the moral boundary of copying human life in the lab. "The ability to use the technology is hopeful," said Robert Schenken, president of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. "However, the paper also points out that in dogs as in most species, cloning for reproductive purposes is unsafe." The cloned puppy was the lone success from more than 100 dogs implanted with more than 1,000 cloned embryos. In a news conference in Seoul, the cloning team also condemned the reproductive cloning of humans as "unsafe and inefficient." Human reproductive cloning already is banned in South Korea. Other nations, including the United States, are divided on whether to ban just human cloning or cloning of all kinds, including the production of stem cells. An Afghan hound is a kind of _ . Answer: dog Italians were reminded to slow down and relax on World Slow Day, an annual event celebrating life's simple pleasures. "Let's take this day to stop and think about all the things we miss while we're rushing through our lives," said Bruno Contigiani, the President of the Art of Living Slowly Association. Contigiani, 62, a one-time high-powered manager, is now an ambassador for the slow life movement around the world. He started the first World Slow Day in 2007 to encourage the values of living and working at a more natural pace, and to make people rethink their daily lifestyle. Contigiani's association suggests "14 commandments " for living better, such as waking up five minutes earlier to enjoy breakfast without rushing. Others include walking whenever possible, and reading in the evenings instead of watching television. This year, Contigiani left Italy where the event has spread around the country for Shanghai, one of the fastest moving cities in the world. The slow-living supporter said he wandered around the busiest streets of the commercial center for an entire afternoon, inviting people to "slow down". "Among the '14 commandments', the one about waking up five minutes earlier was the most popular by far, " Contigiani said. Back in Italy, the now well-known event hosts a lot of activities, such as reminding people to stop and smell the roses. In central Milan you would probably be fined if you walk too fast. In parks and public spaces, free yoga and Tai Chi lessons are important parts of the events. Italian farmers' union noted that Italians spent less and less time preparing meals, a habit connected to rising levels of obesity . Therefore, the group said World Slow Day was a good opportunity to remind Italians to take extra time at meals in particular. World Slow Day is by now an international event. A total of 90 "Slow Cities" in 11 countries inspired by the "live well" philosophy are supporting the day. In which section of a newspaper is the text probably put? Answer: Culture. Americans love peanut butter. The average child will eat 1,500 peanut butter before he or she graduates high school. But there is a controversy over a new peanut butter. It is called STEEM Peanut Butter. This peanut butter adds a new ingredient: caffeine . Coffee is a popular morning drink because it has caffeine and gives people energy in the morning. Even small amounts of caffeine can be dangerous to children. United States Senator Charles Schumer says."Peanut butter, one of the snacks most closely connected with children, might have to be stored in the medicine cupboard rather than in the kitchen cupboard. This will shock the Food and Drug Administration." Schumer wants the U.S. FDA to investigate. He observed that earlier the FDA prevented plans for a caffeinated chewing gum. STEEM, the manufacturer, said, "We are selling the caffeinated peanut butter all over the world. The product provides caffeine in an easily digestible way. Caffeinated foods have been sold in U.S. stores for well over a decade and are in no way a new idea. Customers tell us they want to eat the caffeinated peanut butter so they don't have to drink as much coffee or energy drinks. The peanut butter is not intended for children." "Peanut butter has been a favorite of children for generations," Schumer continued: "Parents across the country have to worry about a scene in which their child might unknowingly bite into a peanut butter that contains more caffeine than two cups of coffee." The American Academy of Pediatrics says caffeine in small amounts can help the physical performance of adults. But the academy urges parents not to allow children to take even small amounts of caffeine owing to caffeine's possible negative effects on a child's heart and brain development. Charles Schumer suggests that the new peanut butter should be _ . Answer: out of children's reach Christine and Elena grew up in the same suburb of Sydney and first met at kindergarten. They took to each other immediately and became inseparable friends throughout their school lives. Elena's parents had moved from Greece to Australia, and her grandparents still lived on the small Greek island of Santorini, When she was 16, Elena visited her grandparents for the first time. On returning to Australia, she talked endlessly about her grandmother's next-door neighbor, Mara. When Christine expressed puzzlement at Elena's obsession with people next door, Elena admitted that Maria had a handsome son called Nicos. She showed Christine a photo of him, standing next to his prize possession, a motorbike. Elena and Nicos exchanged emails for a while, but suddenly Nicos stopped writing. While not heartbroken, Elena was nevertheless hurt. A year later, when Christine announced that she was going to visit Greece, Elena begged her to visit Santorini and say hello to Maria and Nicos. Christine agreed to do so. When she flew into Athens on an unseasonably cold day in September, she quickly realized that she hadn't brought enough warm clothes. Walking through the streets of the Greek capital, she happened to see a nice coat in a shop window and went in to ask about the price. The coat was too expensive, but as Christine was about to leave the shop, the woman asked her where she was from. When Christine answered Australia, the woman agreed to reduce the price because she knew a nice girl from Australia called Elena. Christine then noticed a photo of a young man standing next to a motorbike. Her eyes opened wide with astonishment. It was Nicos! Indeed the young man was Nicos, and the woman in the shop was Maria. She had come to Athens from Santorini to look after the shop for a friend. Sadly, the story has a tragic ending. Nicos had been killed in a motorcycle accident. "I wanted to tell Elena," said Maria. "But I didn't know how. Now that I have met you, I know that it's time to tell her." Elena went to Greece in order to visit_. Answer: her grandparents The engineer Camillo Olivetti was 40 years old when he started the company in 1908. At his factory in Ivera, he designed and produced the first Italian typewriter. Today the company's head office is still in Ivrea, near Turin, but the company is much larger than it was in those days and there are offices all around the world. By 1930 there was a staff of 700 and the company turned out 13,000 machines a year. Some went to customers in Italy, but Olivetti exported more typewriters to other countries. Camilllo's son, Adriano, started working for the company in 1924 and later he became the boss. He introduecd a standard speed for the production line and he employed technology and design specialists. The company developed new and better typewriters and the calculators .In 1959 it produced the ELLA computer system. This was the first mainframe computer designed and traded in Italy. After Adriano died in 1960, the company had a period of financial problems. Other companies, especially the Janpanese, made faster progress in electronic technology than the Italian company. In 1978, Carlo de Benedetti became the new boss. Olivetti increased its marking and service networks and made agreements with other companies to design and produce more advanced office equipment. Soon it became one, of the world's leading companies in information technology and communications. There are now five independent companies in the Olivetti group --- one for personal computers,one for other office equipment, one for systerms and services, and two for telecommunications. From the text we learn that _ . Answer: by 1930 Olivetti produced 13,000 typewriters a year
Students these days often have a lot of worries. Sometimes they have problems with their schoolwork, and sometimes with their friends. _ Some people think the worst thing is to do nothing. Laura Mills, a teenager from Washington, agrees. "Problems and worries are normal in life," says Laura. "But I think talking to someone helps a lot. If we don't talk to someone, we'll certainly feel worse." Laura once lost her purse, and worried for days. She was afraid to tell her parents shout it. She even walked three miles to school each day because she didn't have any money. She just kept thinking. "If I tell my parents, they'll be angry!" But in the end, she talked to her parents and they were really understanding. Her dad said he sometimes made careless mistakes himself. They got her a new purse and asked her to be more careful. "I will always remember to share my problems in the future!" Laura says. Robert Hunt advises students about common problems. He feels the same way as Laura. "It is best not to avoid our problems. We should always try to solve them." He thinks that you can first find someone to talk to. This person doesn't need to be an expert like himself. Students often forget that their parents have more experience than them, and are always there to help them. In English, we say that sharing a problem is like cutting it in half. So you're halfway to solving a problem if you talk to someone about it! What is the main idea of this passage? A. Few children are careful with their money. B. Parents are more experienced than children C. Talking to someone helps to solve problems. D. Students often have a lot of worries at school Answer: C Clyde, a small-clawed otter, was moved from Auckland Zoo to Wellington Zoo two months ago. The zookeepers hoped he and the other otter Bonnie might start a family together. But only two days after he arrived, Clyde went missing. He had dug his way under one of the walls and was nowhere to be seen. The zookeepers set up cages inside the zoo, with plates of Clyde's favorite fish in them, hoping to catch him. Two days went by and still there was no sign of Clyde. At last a couple saw Clyde at their house --- a whole kilometer away in Newtown. Clyde was hiding in an out-of-reach hole outside their laundry. The zookeepers arrived and set up some more traps to try to catch him. But Clyde is a pretty smart otter. Twice he managed to get the fish out of a trap without being caught. Five days after he'd escaped, Clyde's days on the run came to an end when he was finally caught in one of the traps. It was no good putting Clyde back in his old home---he'd only dig his way out again. So he and Bonnie were put into the zoo hospital. There was no chance of their escaping from there. Meanwhile, the zookeepers were working hard to make Clyde's old home safer. They put an iron barrier underground to stop him digging their way out. Then Bonnie and Clyde went home again. But a month after his first escape, Clyde was out again. Once more the zookeepers came hurrying to catch Clyde. They found him by following the bubbles he made in the river nearby. Nobody knew how Clyde had escaped. But this time he was only out for an hour. So---back he went to the hospital again. Poor Clyde. It seemed that he wasn't happy at Wellington Zoo, even though he and Bonnie were getting on well together. The keepers didn't like seeing him unhappy, so they planned to look for a home for him somewhere else. What do we know about Clyde? A. He often gets ill. B. He is good at digging. C. He likes hiding in a hole. D. He escaped to meet Bonnie. Answer: B Many songs, poems, and books have been written on love's strong effect on people. The state of being in love has even been compared to being sick or mad. A study by Professor Semir Zeki of University College London has found that love does affect people's brains by making them feel great. Zeki studied young men and women who had recently fallen in love. He found that, when they were looking at photos of their loved ones, there was heightened activity in four areas of their brains. These areas deal with emotions, and one of them, in particular, is known to respond to drugs that cause feelings of great joy and excitement. Interestingly, the study also found a lack of activity in two other areas of the brain when the volunteers looked at their lovers' photographs. One of these areas is linked to feelings of sadness, while the other is often active in people suffering from depression. It seems love really can be _ . The state of being in love, according to some scientists, may actually be good for your health. Although scientists know that being in love can make a person feel great, the exact influence of love on a person's health is harder to determine. However, scientists say that people do need love in order to live healthy lives. According to Dr. Thomas Lewis, people need to be in relationships because that is how we are designed. He says the brain can only maintain the overall stability of a person's immune system, bodily rhythms, and heart if it receives input from outside the body in the form of emotional connections with others. Professor Antonio Damasio has a similar view. He says that love enriches a person's imagination and creativity, and makes a person's body work better. He also believes that love can even improve the body's ability to fight against disease. Damasio's wise words of advice are " Choose love and you will live longer." Which of the following statements is not true? A. Some scientists have the idea that love does good to people. B. It is possible for scientists to decide how much influence love can give people. C. People are born to be in need of getting on touch with each other. D. A person's health depends on partly on emotional connections with others. Answer: B Writer and teacher Yin Jianli's stories and thoughts about bringing up her daughter Yuanyuan have been a constant source of inspiration for parents over the past 16 years. Her book, A Good Mother Exceeds Good Teachers, published by Writers Publishing House, has been a bestseller on Dangdang and Amazon's online platforms for the past three years. The book helped Yin make the Chinese Writers' Rich List, with 4. 48 million yuan($710,000). Experts say Yin's book provides practical guidance, which makes it popular among parents. "When the majority of books are either full of bragging about the authors' children or outlining big theories that have no foundation in practice, I write books that are practical and easy to follow," Yin writes. "For example, there was an occasion when Yuanyuan forgot to do her elementary school homework. In such a situation many Chinese parents show their anger and scold their kids,"says Yin, who made an agreement with her husband they would not overly criticize or push their daughter. Instead, Yin encouraged the daughter to make up the homework, which meant staying up until midnight. As a result, she learned to arrange her time better and did not have a harmful reaction to doing homework. Yin's principle of "no parental interference ,and "giving children the opportunity to learn from their mistakes" is described in a number of real-life examples. Readers say Yin's books improve their children's performance at school, and encourage them to develop good personalities and habits. They believe her books are not only about being good parents but also about growing as parents and individuals. "When I'm reading books,I keep thinking about what a better personality I would have if my parents had adopted the methods Yin suggests when I was a kid,"one reader comments in a review on Yin's online blog. The book"A Good Mother Exceeds Good Teachers" has been so popular because _ . A. it covers many inspiring thoughts about bringing up children B. it outlines big theories from home and abroad C. it provides practical guidance for parents D. it sells at a great discount Answer: C Three Chinese astronauts on June 24 successfully completed a manual docking between the Shenzhou-9 spacecraft and the orbiting Tiangong-1 lab module, _ in China's history of space exploration. It means China has completely grasped space rendezvous and docking technologies and the country is fully capable of transporting humans and cargo to an orbiter in space, which is essential for building a space station in 2020. Astronaut Liu Wang, assisted by his teammates Jing Haipeng and Liu Yang, controlled the Shenzhou-9 spacecraft to dock with the Tiangong-1 space lab module at 12:48 p.m., which were reconnected about seven minutes later. About one and a half hours before the docking, Shenzhou-9 parted from Tiangong-1 to a berth point 400 meters away from the module. To leave room for adjustments, engineers set up four berth points for the spaceship on the same orbit 5 km, 400 meters, 140 meters and 30 meters away from the orbiting lab. "The manual docking was beautifully conducted. The manual docking was completed in only 7 minutes, 3 minutes faster than the automatic docking." said Liu Weibo, who is responsible for China's astronaut system. Liu explained to Xinhua the three factors behind today's manual docking success. Firstly, Liu Wang has grasped the sophisticated manual docking technologies very well and his psychological status has been sound. Secondly, the three astronauts were in close cooperation. Thirdly, the domestically-made docking system was reliable, he said. The astronauts, 343 km away from Earth, were also greeted by Chinese oceanauts from the Mariana Trench, 7,020 meters beneath the Pacific Ocean, where they just broke the country's dive record in a manned submersible on Sunday morning. "We hope the manual docking is a great success and wish for brilliant achievements in China's manned space and manned deep-sea dive causes," read the message sent by the three oceanauts aboard the manned submersible Jiaolong. Wu Ping, spokeswoman for China's manned space program, said Sunday the manual space docking was "a complete success." She told a press conference in Beijing that the three Chinese astronauts had already re-entered the space lab module to continue their scientific experiments. The manual docking is a significant step for China's manned space program that celebrated its 20th anniversary this year, as China has fully grasped space travel, space walk and space rendezvous and docking technologies that are essential to building a space station. China is the third country, after the United States and Russia, to acquire technologies and skills necessary for space rendezvous and docking and be able to supply manpower and material to an orbiting module via different docking methods. Which of the following is not right according to the passage? A. China is completely able to transport humans and cargo to an orbiter in space. B. The manual docking was completed in almost the same minutes as the automatic docking. C. Engineers set up four berth points for the spaceship in order to leave room for adjustments. D. The astronauts received greetings from Chinese oceanauts from beneath the Pacific Ocean. Answer: B
Sometimes people come into your life and they were meant to be there, to serve some sort of purpose, teach you a lesson, or to help you figure out who you are or who you want to become. You never know who these people may be-----a roommate, a neighbor, a professor, a friend, a lover or even a complete stranger------but when you lock eyes with them, you know at the very moment they will affect your life in some profound way. Sometimes things happen to you that may seem horrible, painful, and unfair at first, but in reflection , you find that without overcoming those obstacles , you would have never realized your potential, strength, willpower, or heart. Every thing happens for a reason. Nothing happens by chance or by means of good or bad luck. Illness, injury, lost moments of true greatness, and pure stupidity all occur to test the limits of your soul. Without these small tests, whatever they may be, life would be like a smoothly paved straight flat road to nowhere. It would be safe and comfortable, but dull and utterly pointless. The people you meet who affect your life, and the success and downfalls you experience, help to create who you are and who you want to become. Even the bad experience can be learned from. In fact, they are sometimes the most important ones. If someone loves you, give love back to them in whatever way you can, not only because they love you, but because in a way, they are teaching you to love and how to open your heart and eyes to things. If someone hurts you, betrays you, or breaks your heart, forgive them, for they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious to whom you open your heart. _ . Appreciate every moment and take from those moments everything that you possibly can for you may never be able to experience it again. Talk to people that you have never talked to before, and listen to what they say. Let yourself fall in love, break free and set your sights high. Hold your head up because you have every right to. Tell yourself you are a great individual and believe in yourself, for if you don't believe in yourself, it will be hard for others to believe in you. The author may agree that _ . with tests in life, we shape our personalities Years ago a farmer owned land along the Atlantic. He constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were not willing to work on farms along the Atlantic because they worried about the terrible storms that destroy buildings and crops. The farmer received a steady stream of refusals at the interview for a farmhand Finally, a short, thin man approached the farmer. "Are you a good farmhand?" the farmer asked him. "Well, I can sleep when the wind blows. " answered the little man. Although puzzled by this answer ,the farmer, desperate for help, hired him. The little man worked well around the farm ,busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man's work. Then one night the wind howled loudly from offshore. Jumping out of bed,the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand's sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled, " Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they are blown away! " The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, "No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows. " Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot ,Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his amazement,he discovered that all of the hay had been covered. The cows were in the bam,the chickens were in the coops,and the doors were barred The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down, Nothing could be blown away. The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, so he also returned to his bed to sleep while the wind was still blowing. What did the man mean by saying "I can sleep when the wind blows. " ? He would get everything done before the wind blew. Where was I? The room was dark and quiet. My head hurt really badly. I shouted, "Help! Help! Can anybody help me?" After a while somebody came in. The room was so dark that I couldn't see his face clearly. The man turned on the light and said with a sharp voice, "Ah! Sweetie, do you still remember who I am?" I was shocked. Oh, my God! I cried, "You are Michael Zey, the man I charged with murder! Why are you here? You should be in prison!" "You never thought about the result of charging a gang leader, did you? Because of you, I was in prison for 15 years. You ruined my life!" His voice was very cold. My face was pale with fear. He was here to take revenge ! "Please, let me go! Don't hurt me! Please!" I asked him. "Dr. Calment, you are smart enough to know it is impossible. Now, I give you two choices. One is shooting your head. It is the quickest way. The other is cremation . Your husband and you will be together forever. It's quite romantic. Don't you think?" He spoke angrily. "What? My husband? He is innocent!" I shouted at him. Suddenly, he took hold of my head and said, "You will pay for what you have done to me." He took out a gun from his bag. "Help! Help! Can anybody help me?" What might have happened to the writer before the man came in? She had been beaten terribly. Parents and kids today dress alike, listen to the same music, and are friends. Is this a good thing? Sometimes, when Mr. Ballmer and his 16-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, listen to rock music together and talk about interests they both enjoy, such as pop culture, he remembers his more distant relationship with his parents when he was a teenager. "I would never have said to my mom, 'Hey, the new Weezer album is really great. How do you like it?'" says Ballmer. "There was just a complete gap in taste." Music was not the only _ . From clothing and hairstyles to activities and expectations, earlier generations of parents and children often appeared to move in separate orbits. Today, the generation gap has not disappeared, but it is getting narrow in many families. Conversations on subjects such as sex and drugs would not have taken place a generation ago. Now they are comfortable and common. And parent--child activities, from shopping to sports, involve a feeling of trust and friendship that can continue into adulthood. No wonder greeting cards today carry the message, "To my mother, my best friend." But family experts warn that the new equality can also result in less respect for parents. "There's still a lot of strictness and authority on the part of parents out there, but there is a change happening," says Kerrie, a psychology professor at Lebanon Valley College. "In the middle of that change, there is a lot of confusion among parents." Family researchers offer a variety of reasons for these evolving roles and attitudes. They see the 1960s as a turning point. Great cultural changes led to more open communication and a more democratic process that encourages everyone to have a say. "My parents were on the 'before' side of that change, but today's parents, the 40-year-olds, were on the 'after' side," explains Mr. Ballmer. "It's not something easily done by parents these days, because life is more difficult to understand or deal with, but sharing interests does make it more fun to be a parent now." Which of the following shows that the generation gap is disappearing? Parents share more interests with their children. Jim was a farmer. He lived in a village far away from the town. One day he was very ill , and everyone thought he would die . But his family wouldn't give up. They decided to sent for a doctor in town . The doctor arrived the village two days later and looked over the man. The doctor wanted a pen and some paper , But there was no pen or paper in the village , because nobody could read or write . The doctor looked around and picked up a piece of burnt wood. Using the wood, he wrote the name of the medicine on the door of the house." Get the medicine for him right away, " he said, "and he will soon get well.' family and friends did not know what to do . They could not read the writing . Then the village baker had an idea . He took off the door of the house and took the door to the nearest town . He bought the medicine, and Jim was saved. After that Jim would not let anyone wash the magic words off the door . When the doctor got to the village, he _ . looked over Jim carefully
French lessons in France Whatever your level is, choosing to take French lessons in France is the best way to learn French. Place yourself in the local culture and practice your newly found skills in your free time. You will be taught by native French speakers who have a love for teaching and use excellent teaching techniques. Lessons are interesting and you will speak French on the first day both inside and outside the classroom. Learners * Suitable for all levels from beginners to advanced * Over 18 years old Class Schedule * Classes start on Mondays and run throughout the summer. * Please arrive at the school by 8:15 am on your first day for a short level test. It will help to place you in the right class. * Classes run from Monday to Friday each week. * Classes start at 8:45 am each day depending on your level. * You will have 3 classes per day lasting 55 minutes each. * You will have a short break between classes. Free Time and Tours * The school offers a lot of cultural activities throughout the week. These activities can include cooking lessons, wine and cheese tasting, visits to Paris, cycling, movies and much more. * You will have plenty of free time toexplore the local area and practice your newly found language skills or just relax on this learning holiday with a difference. Other Information * You should bring a small dictionary, pens and paper with you. Get more from your holiday, have fun, meet new people and take home a new language skill that will stay with you forever. We can learn from the text that the course _ . Answer: offers cooking classes as well Attractions in Wisconsin _ 30 N. Carroll Street on Madison's Capital Square Discover Wisconsin's history and culture on four floors of exhibits. Open for public program. Admission is free. Open Tuesday through Saturday, 9:00am---4:00pm. ( 608 ) 264-6555 www.wisconsinhistory.org/museum _ 612 Seventh Ave., New Glares The Swiss Historical Village offers a delightful look at pioneer life in America's heartland.14 buildings in the village give a full picture of every day life in the nineteenth-century Midwest. Tue.---Fri., May 1st---October 31st, 10:00am---4:00pm. Admission is $20 ( 608 ) 527-2317 www.swisshistoricalvillage.com _ 6858 Paoli Rd., Paoli WI One of the largest collections of fine arts and crafts in Wisconsin. Over 5000 sq. ft. of exhibition space in a historical creamery. While visiting enjoy a wonderful prepared lunch at our cafe` overlooking the Sugar River. Just minutes from Madison! Gallery open Tue.--Sun.,10:00am--5:00 pm Cafe` open Wed.--Sat, 11:00 am--3:00 pm Sun. brunch with wine, 10:00---3:00 pm ( 608 ) 845-6600 www.artisangal.com _ 239 Whitney St., Columbus World-class exhibit ---2000 quality souvenirs marking Chicago's 1893 World Columbus Exhibition. Tour buses are always welcome. Open daily, 8:15 am--4:00 pm ( 608 ) 623-1992 www.columbusantiquemall.com Where can visitors have lunch? Answer: At Artisan Gallery & Creamery Cafe` The Cat in the Hat takes place on a cold, wet day with two kids awaiting their mother's return. Instead of their mother, a strange cat enters the house. He begins balancing a fish bowl on the tip of his umbrella while balancing himself on a beach ball! The two kids and their pet fish worry and worry. But readers around the world laughed and laughed over the Cat and the Hat. Theodore Seuss Geisel, known to fans as Dr. Seuss, wrote the book. It was first published in 1957. Geisel liked to have fun and make people laugh, but he had a serious reason for writing the book. In 1954, a Life magazine article argued that kids couldn't read because the books used to teach them how to read were too boring. John Hersey, the Pulitzer-prize winning author of the article, suggested Geisel write a story that "first graders wouldn't be able to put down". To write the book, Geisel had to have a good knowledge of a beginning reader's word list. Geisel says that he came up with the title by looking for the first two words on the list that rhymed . And so The Cat in the Hat was born! But it wasn't an easy book to write. It took Geisel one and a half years to complete. To celebrate The Cat in the Hat's birthday, Random House, the book's publisher, created Project 236. The number 236 represents the number of words Geisel used to write the book. As a part of Project 236, there will be a nationwide read-aloud of The Cat in the Hat at 2:36 on March 2, Dr. Seuss's birthday. Why did Random House create Project 236? Answer: In honour of the birth of The Cat in the Hat. Among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the oldest one is the Great Pyramid of Giza. There are three large pyramids at Giza, outside the modern capital of Egypt, Cairo. The largest and most famous one is called the Great Pyramid. The workers built it as a tomb for the Pharaoh Khufu . It took more than twenty years to build the Great Pyramid. When it was built, the pyramid was about 146.5 metres high. Over the years it has lost about eight metres off its top. The pyramid is made of large stone blocks -- 2,300,000 of them! Each of these blocks weighs over 2,000 kilograms. The ancient Egyptians did not have any modern machines. How did they build the pyramid? The pyramid shows that the ancient people were _ and had great skills. People once thought that the Egyptians made slaves do all the work on the Great Pyramid. But in fact, they used farmers. From the passage we can learn that _ . Answer: the Great Pyramid was built as a tomb for the Pharaoh Khufu Herbie Ricketts,52,lives in Thornton Heath,south London,and works as an electrician.He has been a listening volunteer with the Samaritans for 16 years. Each caller is as individual as their circumstances and I didn't realize so many people take their own lives until I became a Samaritan. _ I'll always remember my first day on duty.The caller, stressed and depressed,told me he was suicidal .He'd been too frightened to talk to the people around him,which is common.People are told they've got nothing to be upset about.Or, if they are already classified as having mental health issues,so they tell no one.How do you make sense of your feelings if you can't tell someone? Just allowing people to say what they honestly feel helps them find a different perspective.I couldn't offer him practical advice but I could support him emotionally.I helped him come to terms with his situation and make sense of some of the terrible emotions he was experiencing.Offering anonymity and being nonjudgmental allows people easily hurt to explore their thoughts without fear or worry.I left him in an emotionally safe place,ensuring he knew 1 wasn't rejecting or abandoning him.I let him know we were still there if he needed us,explaining that it might not be me on the other end of the phone but another Samaritan who could also support. Suicidal people will ring with issues like drug use or loneliness.If you look at it from the perspective of, "How can I solve this? "you can become,like them,at a loss.Every cell in your body wants to offer solutions,but as a Samaritan I'm not there to sort their problems out.I listen and will support them when they can't see any further than tomorrow.When the phone goes silent,we stay with that caller as long as we possibly can,which could be two or three hours. The shifts are up to four hours long.When it doesn't go so well,I offload to my colleague,so I don't carry home a heavy heart.Being a Samaritan has greatly improved my life.I'm calmer and become a supportive listener, which has also improved my relationships.But being a wonderful Samaritan doesn't make you a wonderful parent or wonderful partner--I wish it did. Samaritans usually help callers by _ . Answer: offering them emotional support
From good reading we can get pleasure, companionship, experience, and instruction. A good book may absorb our attention so completely that for the time being we forget our surroundings and even our identity. Reading good books is one of the greatest pleasures in life. It increases our contentment when we are cheerful, and lessens our troubles when we are sad. Whatever may be our main purpose in reading, our contact with good books should never fail to give us enjoyment and satisfaction. With a good book in our hands we need never be lonely. Whether the characters in it are taken from real life or are purely imaginary, they may become our companions and friends. In the pages of books we can walk with the wise and the good of all lands and all times. The people we meet in books may delight us either because they resemble human friends whom we hold dear or because they present unfamiliar types whom we are glad to welcome as new acquaintances . Our human friends sometimes may bore us, but the friends we make in books need never weary us with their company. By turning the page we can dismiss them without any fear of hurting their feelings. While human friends desert us, good books are always ready to give us friendship, sympathy, and encouragement. Of all the gifts from reading books, the most valuable one is experience. Few of us can travel far from home or have a wide range of experiences, but all of us can lead varied lives through the pages of books. Whether we wish to escape from the seemingly dull realities of daily routines or whether we long to visit some far-off place, a book will help us when nothing else can. To travel by book we need no bank account to pay our way; no airship or ocean liner or stream-lined train to transport us; no passport to enter the land of our heart's desire. Through books we may get the thrill of _ adventure without danger. We can climb high mountains, brave the perils of an Antarctic winter, or cross the scorching sands of the desert, all without hardship. In books we may visit the studios of Hollywood; we may mix with the merry crowds of the Paris boulevards; we may join the picturesque peasants in an Alpine village or the kindly natives on a South Sea island. Indeed, through books _ . The possibilities of our literary experiences are almost unlimited. The beauties of nature, the enjoyment of music, the treasures of art, the triumphs of architecture, the marvels of engineering, are all open to the wonder and enjoyment of those who read. What makes people like their acquaintances in books even more? They will never ever abandon us. Elizabeth Blackwell was born in England in 1821, and moved to New York City when she was ten years old. One day she decided that she wanted to become a doctor. That was nearly impossible for a woman in the middle of the nineteenth century. After writing many letters asking for admission to medical schools, she was finally accepted by a doctor in Philadelphia. She was so determined that she taught school and gave music lessons to get money for the cost of schooling. In 1849, after graduation from medical school, she decided to further her education in Paris. She wanted to be a surgeon , but a serious eye problem forced her to give up the idea. Upon returning to the United States, she found it difficult to start her own practice because she was a woman. By 1857 Elizabeth and her sister, also a doctor, along with another woman doctor, managed to open a new hospital, the first for women and children. Besides being the first woman physician and founding her own hospital , she also set up the first medical school for women. How many years passed between her graduation from medical school and the opening of her hospital? Eight years Do you have back pain or difficulty with your eyesight? If you do, you are likely to have a problem of posture, which can be solved if you ask a help from a doctor promptly. The conference on posture held in Rome this year has brought out the fact that an Italian out of four have posture problems. Back pain is certainly the typical disease deriving from a wrong posture, which can also cause other problems: sight problems, for example, which affect above all children. You might think that women are most affected by these problems, as they are more used to following the trends of fashion, which imposes the use of heavy bags, flat pumps or high-heeled shoes, but the latest conference of the Italian Society of Orthopedics and Traumatology has brought out the fact that men also have bad behavior. About two millions Italian men suffer from backache. Besides wrong shoes and the habits of keeping the wallet in the back pocket for a long time, hi-tech products can cause some serious problems: laptops, iPads, smartphones...all these electronic products together can weigh up to 5 kilos, while the maximum weigh to carry on shoulders should be 3 kilos. The handiness of modern netbooks can have negative consequences, as you can use them when you are lying down. However, it would be better to use them while seated, keeping your back straight and your shoulders relaxed. If you do not disregard the problem and you intervene in it in time, you can start having a right posture, perhaps doing posture correction exercises and more sport. A global posture re-education , a healthier lifestyle and a series of little devices might solve your back problems. The author writes this text mainly to tell us_. wrong posture is the cause of many problems. Now,I'll tell you something about the Internet.The Internet is a network of computers.It became popular in the 1990s.Now,we live in the Internet Age.The Internet is very useful.You can get information,do some shopping or talk with people all over the world.You can do all these things in your own room. You can set up your own space on the Internet.We call it a homepage.It's open to anyone in the world.Write your message on your homepage.Soon,you can get answers by email from people around the world. The Internet is also useful when a flood or an earthquake happens somewhere in the world.We can learn about the needs of the people there and send them food and medicine more quickly than before. In the world of the Internet,everyone is equal.Famous writers,artists,and scientists--they are all your friends.A lucky person can even find a message from the president of a country. Some people lose themselves in the world of the Internet.That's really bad.Remember that the world of the Internet is not a real world.Facetoface communication with family,friends,and neighbours is very important.Don't forget that the Internet is only a tool for communication and information. Many people say that the Internet has some problems,but most people agree the Internet still has a wonderful future.For the first time in history,anyone can exchange messages and information immediately with other people. The Internet became popular _ . in the 1990s Catherine Destivelle is a rock star. She loves rock, but she can't sing or play the guitar! She is a rock climber and a big star in France and Italy. She is the most famous woman climber in the world because she often climbs without ropes. She climbs in many countries but most often in the French Alps near Chamonix, where she lives. She started climbing near her home in Paris when she was five. Then, at fourteen, she joined the French Alpine Club to learn more, but immediately she climbed better and more quickly than the older members of the club. She won her first competition in Italy in 1995. Three years ago she found a new route up the Dru Mountain near Chamonix. The climb took eleven days and for four days the snow was so heavy that she could not move. Last year other climbers tried to follow the new Destivelle Route, but they failed. They are going to try again this year. People always ask her about her climbing. She says, "I climb because I'm in love with mountains. I like touching the rock and reading the face of the rock. I like it a lot. I felt at home on the side of a mountain. I prepare well before I go, so I'm never worried." Catherine chooses new mountains from books--like buying from a shopping catalogue! "I see a nice mountain and I go to climb it!" Her next mountain is in Pakistan. She is going there next month. "It's much bigger than the Dru, so it's going to take longer to climb. An American climber, Jeff Lowe, is coming with me to help." We can infer from the passage people often ask her " _ ". Why do you like climbing?
One of the first things that Jim discovered while living with the Greens was that there were different television channels in Britain, the BBC broadcasts on two channels: BBC1 and BBC2. There is a mixture of serious and light programmes on BBC1; there are mainly serious programmes on BBC2. ITV is an independent channel which carries advertisements . There are no advertisements on the BBC, so everyone must pay some money to the BBC each year. There are both serious and light programmes on ITV. Because of the different channels, it is not surprising that you often see each member in Mg. Green's house wants to choose his or her own favorite channel. This is the sort of thing you hear: "There's sports programme on ITV." "What's that, children?" "We were wondering if we could watch the sports programme on ITV." "But I was wondering whether to watch the other programme on BBC1." And so on. The children like ITV; mother prefers BBC1; father prefers BBC2. Jim hasn't made up his mind. How many persons are mentioned in the passage? Answer: At least five. Mrs. Amatuli was my teacher in the fourth grade. One day at lunch time, I was getting ready to eat my same old tuna fish sandwich and suddenly Mrs. Amatuli asked me if she could buy my sandwich from me. She explained that I could use the money to buy a hot lunch from the cafeteria. I was thrilled. I never bought my lunch at the cafeteria. It was too expensive for my family, and we always carried our lunch and brought the bah back home to use again the next day. My sandwiches were either bologna or tuna fish. It rarely varied beyond that. You can understand my delight when I had the opportunity to buy a hot lunch. When we finished lunch that day, Mrs. Amatuli took me aside and said she wanted to explain why she had bought my sandwich. Oh, I couldn't wait to get home and tell my Mama that form now on I wanted tuna fish on Fridays. After my Mama understood why, she gladly fixed tuna fish for me on Friday. She even fixed it on brown bread because she knew Mrs. Amatuli liked brown bread. From then on every Friday I cold get in line with the rest of the kids for a hot lunch. I didn't care how many of the ids complained about cafeteria food--it tasted _ to me! I realize now that Mrs. Amatuli could have fixed herself a tuna sandwich of Friday. But she bought my sandwich because she saw a little girll who was thrilled over the simple act of having a hot lunch. I will never forget her for her compassion and generosity. Which of the following can best describe Mrs. Amatuli? Answer: Kind. Advertising actually has a dual function:to sell,as well as to inform.If you stop to think of it,advertisements(ads)provide information of almost everything in our household and immediate environment,from shampoo to fuel for cars.An obvious purpose is to inform consumers of new products and services as well as to remind them of established ones.Performance,price,value for money,quality and reliability are some of the main features mentioned in ads. Yet there is another important side of advertising that should not be forgotten:choice.A number of ads for different brands of the same product,e.g.toothpaste,shampoo or washing powder allow the consumer to choose.Choice is an important part of buying. In this busy day and age,there is little time for _ .To determine which product is the best to buy,and at the most competitive price,consumers these days rely on advertising in its various forms.This saves time and energy and makes shopping easier. Few can deny that ads benefit the consumer since they encourage healthy competition.When companies compete for the consumer's dollar,this is good for the purchaser of the product or service.Advertising tends to increase competition since it informs consumers of what is available.One company's offer will be either matched or bettered by another company in its advertising. It was unheard of ten years ago to buy products directly using a personal computer,but it has become a matter of course for some people to browse the Internet,surfuntil they find an e commerce site and then select the product.Marketing products has been almost turned upside down by new ways of selling and buying.More than at any time in history,the choice of goods is unlimited.The whole world is a customer's marketplace.For busy people like you and me,advertisements actually do us a favor. Healthy competition benefits consumers because------------------. Answer: it gives them many chances to choose their products Parts of Africa are covered by a dark cloud. But this is no rain cloud. It is a living cloud made of billions of locusts and they are eating everything in their path. And now in order to fight against this disaster, a radio station in Senegal, West Africa, is offering listeners 5 kilograms of rice if they can catch and kill 50 kilograms of locusts. "We think this idea will get more people to take part in the fight against the locusts," said Abdoulaye Ba, from Sud-Fm, a radio station in one of Senegal's worst affected area. This is West Africa's biggest locust disaster in 15 years. Now it is moving east and it leads to the loss of crops. When they move, they have babies, so their number is getting bigger. and will soon threaten Sudan in the northeast of Africa. Some say it may reach Asia. Experts say many people in the areas will go hungry because of this disaster. What's worse, governments in the areas don't have enough things to fight the locusts. Although leaders of 12 countries have agreed on a plan, it is not enough. 'We are now treating 6,000 hectares per day with pesticide , but we need to treat 20,000 hectares per day in order to have any hope of controlling this disaster,' said Mohamed Abdallahi Ould Babah, leader of locust control in Mauritania. What does"dark cloud"mean in the first paragraph, the writer of the article _ . Answer: both A and B When you are in trouble,whom will you tell the problems to and ask for help? Someone has made a survey in a middle school.500 students were asked to choose one answer among friends or classmates,parents,head teacher and teachers.Here is the result.Please read the chart and try to get some information. According to the fact that only 9%of the students wanted to communicate with their head teacher or teachers,what is the best suggestion? Answer: The teachers should pay more attention to the students' feelings.
Whether it is Mozart or Miley, your choice of music could determine whether you will perform well at your job. A new study suggests that listening to music in the office improves the speed and accuracy of tasks such as data entry, proofreading and problem solving. In an officebased experiment, 88 per cent of participants were found to produce their most accurate work when listening to music. The study also found that 81 per cent completed their work fastest when music was played. And it matters what type of music you listen to. For instance, if you're doing your tax returns, then classical music is the most effective as it improves maths skills. Listening to Jessie J or Justin Bieber could also improve your speed, with 58 per cent of participants completing data entry tasks faster while listening to pop songs. During proofreading, dance music, such as David Guetta, had the biggest positive impact with participants increasing their speed by 20 per cent compared to tests undertaken with no music at all. Dance music also had a positive effect on spellchecking with a 75 per cent pass rate compared to 68 per cent when no music was played at all. The research, undertaken by Brightonbased Mindlab International, suggests that silent offices may be the least productive. The Music Works experiment revealed a positive correlation between music and productivity. Overall, it showed that when listening to music, nine out of ten people performed better, said Dr David Lewis, chairman of Mindlab International. The result of the experiment showed that when music was played, _ . 90% of people worked better Thunder was coming when Reginald Eppes woke up at five in the morning. He checked the weather forecast. A violent storm was coming ,but it sounded like his small town wouldn't be hit too hard. But Eppes, a firefighter, had clearly known the power of these huge storms from experiences. "Do you know where the flashlights are?" he asked his wife. Danielle. Just then, thunder was all-around them. The moment he turned the flashlight on. The house lights went off. A second later, the kitchen windows were broken. Eppes and Danielle ran to their boys who were still sleeping in their bedroom. "Get up, get up, R.J.! " Eppes shouted, waving his flashlight. The sleepy boy moved to the edge of the bed. Eppes held out his arms and ordered his son to jump. He was too late. The roof was torn down. R.J. was buried ,under the pieces. "I've lost him," Eppes thought. Quickly, he hurried to Joel to shield him. Glass, wood, and plaster ( ) hit them. Then something huge, heavy-maybe the washing machine-knocked into him. He hurt his arms, but he still held the flashlight in one hand. After a long period, the wind began to die down. Eppes found himself standing in the ruins of his home. Darkness lay all about him. Then he thought he saw a shape moving straight toward him. It was R.J., guided home by the light of his father's flashlight. At the hospital later, R.J. described what had happened to him. "I rushed out when the wall started moving I was scared. My mom and dad were gone. Pieces of glass hit my back, and something hit my neck really hard. " R.J. had been raised up into the air by the wind and dropped back to the ground. Amazingly, R.J. was not hurt badly. Of all his family, Eppes was hurt most seriously. We can learn from the passage that EDDes had experienced such violent storms before Don Ritchie, a famous Australian man. For nearly 50 years, he successfully stopped 160 people from killing themselves at a cliff called 'the Gap' - with just a kind word and a smile. Ritchie had served in the Royal Australian Navy during World War II. In 1964, he moved into a house on Old South Head Road. He began saving strangers soon after. Ritchie was a real gentleman who purposely chose to live right across the street from 'the Gap', just because he wanted to continue saving lives. He would wake up every morning and look out of the window for anyone standing too close to the edge of the cliff. If he saw someone and thought they might jump, he would simply walk over with a smile and say, "Is there something I could do to help you?" That sounds very simple, but it worked - Ritchie tried to have a talk with these people and ended up inviting them back to his house for tea or breakfast. In 2006, Ritchie was given the Medal of the Order of Australia for all his saving lives. In 2010, he and his wife were named Woollahra Council's citizens of the year and in 2011, he was given the Local Hero Award for Australia by the National Australia Day Council. In a situation where most would turn a blind eye, Don has taken action. With such simple actions Don has saved a number of lives. Don's story touched the hearts of all Australians and challenged us to rethink what it means to be a good neighbor. Why did he choose to live right across the street from 'the Gap'? Because he wanted to continue saving lives. Too many people want others to be their friends, but they don't give friendship back. That is why some friendships don't last very long. To have a friend, you must learn to treat your friend the way you want your friend to treat you. Learning to be a good friend means learning three rules: be honest; be generous;be understanding. Honesty means being honest. It is where a good friendship starts. Friends must be able to trust one another. If you don't tell the truth, people usually find out. If a friend finds out that you haven't been honest, you may lose your friend's trust. Good friends always count on one another to speak and act honestly. Generosity means sharing and sharing makes a friendship grow. You don't have to give your friend your lunch money or your clothes, or enjoy your hobbies and interests together. Naturally you will want to share your ideas and feelings. These can be very valuable to a friend. They tell your friend what is important to you. By sharing them, you help your friend know you better. Sooner or later everyone needs understanding and help with a problem. Something may go wrong at school. Talking about the problem can make it easier to solve . Turning to a friend can be a first step in solving the problem. So to be a friend, you must listen and understand. You must try to put yourself in your friend's place, so you can understand the problem better. No two friendships are ever exactly alike . But all true friendships have three things in common . If you plan to keep your friendships, you must practice honesty,Generosity and understanding. Which of the following is NOT true in the passage? A friend who gives you his lunch money is a true friend. Expo 2010 Shanghai China Duration: May 1 to Oct 31, 2010 Welcome to the World Expo 2010 Shanghai China. In order to ensure a safe and orderly visit, the organizer of Expo 2010 has formulated these rules. Operation Time The operation time of the Expo Site shall be 9:00~24:00. The opening hours of the pavilions shall be 9:30 ~ 22:30. Visitors shall enter the Expo Site before 21:00 and leave before 24:00 on the day of admission. Those with evening admission tickets may enter the Expo Site between 17:00 and 21:00. Orderly Entry Visitors shall go through ticket check and security check before entering the Expo Site. Those who refuse to cooperate may be denied entry. Children eligible for free admission and other visitors with walking difficulties may only enter the Expo Site when accompanied by adults. Codes of Conduct Visitors are required to observe public order within the Expo Site, and shall queue up to enter the pavilions or event venues . In the Expo Site, visitors are prohibited from: (1) damaging any buildings, facilities or exhibits. (2) climbing over any buildings or fences (3) conducting any exhibitions or promotional or fundraising activities without permission. Special Management Measures In case of bad weather, too many visitors and technical problems, the organizer may restrict the entry of visitors into the Expo Site, pavilions or event venues. _ Visitors Service Centers are available in the Expo Site, providing visitors with such services as inquiries, rental, lost and found, first aid, mother-baby service, and assistance for lost persons. The centers also accept and process visitors' complaints. Free rental of wheelchairs are available for the disabled. According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE? The 2010 Shanghai World Expo is expected to last about half a year.
An important question about eating out is who pays for the meal. If a friend of yours asks you to have lunch with him, you may say something like this, " I'm afraid it'll have to be somewhere cheap, as I have little money." The other person may say, "OK, I'll meet you at McDonald' s." This means that the two agree to go Dutch, that is, each person pays for himself. He may also say, "Oh, no, I want to take you to lunch at Smith's." or " I want you to try the Chinese dumplings there. They are great." This means the person wants to pay for both of you. If you feel friendly towards the person, you can go with him and you needn't pay for the meal. You may just say, " Thank you. That would be very nice." American custom about who pays for dates is much the same as in other parts of the world. In the old days, American women wanted men to pay for all the meals. But, today, a university girl or a woman in business world will usually pay for her own. If you have little money, _ . A. you'll not pay for your meal B. you'll borrow some from others C. you'll have a cheap meal D. you will not eat anything Answer: C Bob was flying a toy plane in his yard. He was having a great time! Bob had a dog and a cat that were also playing in the yard. He was also singing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." Bob flew his toy plane too high. It landed on the roof of his house. Bob asked his dad to get it. Bob's dad said he had to borrow a ladder from next door. Bob's dad took a walk next door. On the way, Bob's dad waited for a duck to cross the road. Finally, Bob's dad went next door and asked his neighbor, Frank, for a ladder. Frank gave the ladder to Bob's dad. Frank also gave Bob's dad a toy car, a toy train, a toy boat, and a coloring book that Bob could play with in case he couldn't get the plane. Bob's dad walked back to the house. Bob's dad climbed the ladder and took the plane from the roof. Bob laughed and flew the plane again. Afterward, they wanted to go to the beach. Bob wanted to bring his bicycle. Bob's dad wanted to bring a towel and beach ball. They made a big sand castle. They saw a seagull walking on the sand. It was getting late, so they went home and turned on the TV for a little bit. They then went to bed, looking forward to another day of fun tomorrow! What animal did Bob's dad have to wait for when he walked next door? A. Seagull B. Cat C. Dog D. Duck Answer: D The film starts out as a normal day at a typical American high school. Friends chat in the dining room and boys play football. But there's big surprise when the movie ends with two students going crazy in the school shouting and killing people. This is Elephant. It stars real school kids. American director Gus Van Sant had no ready-made lines. The student actors made up their own dialogue, with Van Sant asking them to base their characters on their own lives. Although it may not sound very high quality, the film won the Palme d'Or for Best Film and the award for Best Director at the Cannes film festival. The film is based on the shootings at a high school in the US, where two boys killed 13 people and then themselves in 1999. The title of the movie refers to the old expression about a problem that's as hard to ignore as an elephant in the house. The film takes a close look at a few hours in the lives of the victims and the killers. It shows how high school is a different experience for everyone - - fun and friendly, or hard and lonely. In many ways, the two boys, who carry out the shooting, act like ordinary kids. They joke around with one boy's mother as she serves them cakes and play the piano. But there're hints of the anger they feel inside. One of the boys is bullied at school. The other plays violent video games. But Van Sant isn't blaming their killings on either bullying or violent games. In fact, the film doesn't offer any reason for why school violence happens. "I didn't want to explain anything. It's up to the audience to draw its own conclusions," said the 51-year-old director . The lines of the film were _ . A. created by student actors B. given by the director C. carefully designed by professional people D. thought out by the director during the acting Answer: A In a nation with a one-child policy, it's understandable for parents to worry over whether they are petting their children. Are the children as truly weak as expected? The concern has been brought into a hit reality TV series -- Hunan TV's Dad! Where Are We Going? and Zhejiang TV's First Time In Life. In both, children as young as three have become new public figures . In the show First Time In Life,children chosen from ordinary families are given small tasks to finish by themselves;the ongoing Dad show centers on five fathers and their children who are forced to live a simple life in poor villages, far outside their comfortable city life. Though they have different family backgrounds, how they behave in the new environments has drawn the attention of the public. In Dad! Where Are We Going?, the five-year-old daughter of former Olympic diving champion Tian Liang cries and hides behind her father when they arrive at a rural village. In First Time In Life, a young girl in Tianjin cries after being asked by her father to go out alone to buy eggs and a pancake. In the eyes of some people, these kids always depend on others, and the reason is that their parents give them too much love. But television viewers and parents were encouraged when the crying Tianjin girl finally returned holding the pancake, and Tian's daughter finally began to take care of her younger friends and learned to ask for help from people she didn't know. The father of the Tianjin girl felt " _ " and said. "She used to be well taken care of by her mother or grandmother. Now she has the courage to do it all by herself. " The shows have led many parents to change how they raise their children. Shanghai mother Liang Jing said she would try to "give some training" to her shy son, asking him to tidy up his toys. Lin Yi, a parenting expert in Beijing, said giving kids a chance to do things for themselves helps to raise their sense of success, which carries benefits all through their lives. " What is Tian Liang's daughter expected to do in the show? A. Go out to buy something alone. B. Live in a poor village with her father. C. Make friends with strange people. D. Hide in a safe place out of danger. Answer: A Places lacking warmth have few what A. biological entities B. biological weapons C. cold entities D. astronomical entities Answer: A
We have a strange obsession with the concept of perfection. Driven by our culture, we struggle for an unattainable ideal. If I had the perfect parents, perfect grades, perfect ..., then I would be happy. We seek what we can't have without remembering that we don't actually need to be perfect. Imperfection allows us to be humankind. Parents, teachers and other high-achieving peers will have us believe that we must be perfect if we wish to remain competitive. However, what job or school requires you to develop a cure for some of cancer by the age of 18? Although those grades will be admirable achievements, are they worth losing sleep? We feel that we need the perfect grades to get into the perfect college that will provide us with the education necessary for getting the perfect job. Making use of our thirst for perfection, the whole college and career industries have grown up making money by helping us reach our goals. In fact, you need to focus more on your passions. Don't worry about anything secondary to your passions. You won't become an expert in anything if you spend your time trying to succeed in everything you do. You'll only become an expert when you devote your time to that one project that truly brings you joy. As members of this society, we have a responsibility to be excellent in what we do, not perfect. Although perfection can be a goal, it should not be the only goal. We only have 24 hours in a day and seven days in a week. Thus, we need to prioritize what we what to do and cut out the activities we cannot do. With everything, though, make sure you are doing enough. Pursuing your passions is not an enough reason to completely give up on everything else. Try as hard as you can and let your future worry about itself. Worry about your task at hand and you will be successful in achieving your dreams. Most of all, remember that you are going to be okay. What might be the best title of the passage? A How to be perfect B Being enough is enough C Finding your own passions D Giving up your secondary goals Answer: B When I was 11, I had an enemy, a girl who liked to point out my shortcomings . Week by week her list grew: I was very thin, I wasn't a good student, I talked too much, I was too proud, and so on. I tried to hear all this as long as I could. In the end, I became so angry that I ran to my father with tears in my eyes. He listened to me quietly, then he asked. "Are the things she says true or not? Janet, didn't you ever wonder what you're really like? Well, you now have that girl's opinion. Go and make a list of everything she said and mark the points that are true. Pay no attention to the other things she said." I did as he told me. To my great surprise, I discovered that about half the things were true. Some of them I couldn't change (like being very thin), but a good number I could--and suddenly I wanted to change. For the first time I go to fairly clear picture of myself. I brought the list back to Dad. He refused to take it." That's just for you," he said. "You know better than anyone else the truth about yourself. But you have to learn to listen, not just close your ears in anger and feeling hurt. When something said about you is true, you'll find it will be of help to you. Our world is full of people who think they know your duty. Don't shut your ears. Listen to them all, but hear the truth and do what you know is the right thing to do." Daddy's advice has returned to me at many important moments. In my life, I'veneverhadabetterpieceofadvice. What does "Week by week her list grew" mean? A Week by week, my shortcomings grew more serious. B She had made a list of my shortcomings and she kept on adding new ones to it so that it was growing longer and longer. C I was having more and more shortcomings as time went on. D Week by week she discovered more shortcomings of mine and pointed them out to me. Answer: D Li Ming is a runner, he runs for the spring sports on the playground every day.Our school is holding the sports meeting today.Li Ming is in the 1500 Meters'Race.At first he runs very fast,but then he falls on the ground.His left leg is hurt.It is a long way from the end of the race.What will he do? People are looking at him.Li Ming gets up a nd walks the rest of the way.Li Ming doesn't win the race,but he wins a prize for walking. Does Li Ming get to the end of the race? A Yes,he does. B No,he doesn't C No,he does D Yes,he doesn't Answer: A The Boston Opera House In Person * The Boston Opera House Box Office is open Monday - Friday from 10 am - pm. We provide a direct and customer-friendly service that allows our customers to choose their seats and purchase their tickets at face value without service charges or delivery fees. The savings and confidence associated with an in-person purchase at our box office can make the trip very worthwhile. While you're in the neighborhood, check out our dining and parking choices when you attend your favorite shows. * The Boston Ballet Box Office operates year-round at their 19 Clarendon Street headquarters in Boston's South End. Boston Ballet sells tickets at the Boston Opera House box office during Boston Ballet performance weeks. Online * Tickets for all Broadway in Boston shows and other concerts and cultural presentations are sold online at www.ticketmaster.com. * Tickets for all Boston Ballet performances are sold online at www.bostoneballet.org. By Phone * Tickets for all Broadway in Boston shows and other concerts and cultural presentations can be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at 1. 800. 982. 2787. * Tickets for all Boston Ballet performances can be purchased by calling 617. 695. 6955. Refund Policy No refunds or exchanges. The Boston Opera House Policies * Some shows may not be appropriate for children of all ages. Please enquire at 617. 259. 3400. * Regardless of age, everyone must have a ticket. No "babies in arms" will be allowed. * Parents may be asked to remove restless children from the auditorium . The parent and child will be able to wait in a comfortable lounge while the rest of the family enjoys the show. We appreciate your cooperation. Tips for Theatergoers: * Leave yourself enough time for traffic. * Check the date and time of the performance on tickets purchased. * If you arrive late to your performance you may have to wait to be seated at appropriate breaks in the performance. Please arrive on time, no less than 15 minutes before curtain. If you are attending a show at the Opera House, _ . A You can take your infant with you. B you don't have to buy a ticket for your child C you are allowed to enter the auditorium immediately even if you are late D you are advised to arrive 15 minutes before the performance begins Answer: D Before the law sits a gatekeeper.To this gatekeeper comes a man from the country who asks to gain entry into the law.But the gatekeeper says that he cannot grant him entry at the moment.The man thinks about it and then asks if he will be allowed to come in sometime later on."It is possible," says the gatekeeper,"but not now." 1The gate to the law stands open,as always,and the gatekeeper walks to the side,so the man bends over in order to see through the gate into the inside.When the gatekeeper notices that,he laughs and says: _ The man from the country has not expected such difficulties: the law should always be accessible for everyone,he thinks,but as he now looks more closely at the gatekeeper in his fur coat,at his large pointed nose and his long,thin,black Tartar's beard,he decides that it would be better to wait until he gets permission to go inside.The gatekeeper gives him a stool and allows him to sit down at the side in front of the gate.There he sits for days and years.He makes many attempts to be let in,and he wears the gatekeeper out with his requests.The gatekeeper often interrogates him briefly,questioning him about his homeland and many other things,but they are indifferent questions,the kind great men put,and at the end he always tells him once more that he cannot let him inside yet.The man,who has equipped himself with many things for his journey,spends everything,no matter how valuable,to win over the gatekeeper.The latter takes it all but,as he does so,says,"I am taking this only so that you do not think you have failed to do anything." 2 During the many years the man observes the gatekeeper almost continuously.He forgets the other gatekeepers,and this first one seems to him the only barrier for entry into the law.He curses the unlucky circumstance,in the first years thoughtlessly and out loud; later,as he grows old,he only mumbles to himself.He becomes childish and,since in the long years studying the gatekeeper he has also come to know the fleas in his fur collar,he even asks the fleas to help him persuade the gatekeeper.Finally his eyesight grows weak,and he does not know whether things are really darker around him or whether his eyes are merely deceiving him.But he recognizes now in the darkness a ray of light which breaks out of the gateway to the law.Now he no longer has much time to live. Before his death he gathers in his head all his experiences of the entire time up into one question which he has not yet put to the gatekeeper.He waves to him,since he can no longer lift up his stiffening body.The gatekeeper has to bend way down to him,for the great difference has changed things considerably to the disadvantage of the man.3 "You are insatiable ." "Everyone strives after the law," says the man,"so how is it that in these many years no one except me has requested entry?" The gatekeeper sees that the man is already dying and,in order to reach his diminishing sense of hearing,he shouts at him,"Here no one else can gain entry,since this entrance was assigned only to you.I'm going now to close it." 4 Why is the man from the country eager to have access to the law continuously? A Because he is anxious to explore the nature of law. B Because no one can gain entry into the law except him. C Because the gatekeeper promises him entry into the law. D Because he knows how to take advantage of the gatekeeper. Answer: A
Question: Over time, the custom of kissing developed as a way for adults to express their love and affection for one another. The roots of this form of affection can be traced back to primitive times, when mothers fondled their children, much as mothers do today. Much later, in the sixth century, society apparently accepted the custom of kissing between adults as an expression of their affection. Not surprisingly, France first accepted kissing in courtship . There, figure dancing was popular, and each dance was sealed with a kiss. The custom of kissing swept from France through Europe to Russia, where Russian nobility loved to imitate the French. Eventually, the kiss was incorporated into marriage ceremonies, and today lip locks couples into sweet matrimony. The custom of kissing today, as well as in ancient times, serves to pay _ to another. Early Romans kissed each other on the mouth or on the eyes to greet one another in a manner they thought to be dignified. One Roman emperor even ranked a person's importance by the body part he was allowed to kiss. He allowed important nobles to kiss his lips, less important ones to kiss his hands, and the least important ones to kiss his feet. In Russia, the highest sign of recognition from the Crown meant a kiss from the Tsar himself. Today, natives of many African tribes pay homage to their Chief by kissing the ground over which he has walked. It can be learned from the passage that _ . A. kissing is a widely accepted way to show love and affection B. kissing used to be a proper way to show love on the wedding ceremony C. kissing is a widely accepted way of greeting in the world D. kissing from the Tsar is only sign of being accepted from the Crown Answer: A. kissing is a widely accepted way to show love and affection Question: Make the most of college 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. First, 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. You should be as proud of yourself as we are. Your college years will be the most important of your life. It is in college that you will discover what learning 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 learning skills you acquire will be something you will cherish forever. Follow your passion in college. Take courses you think you will enjoy. Don't be trapped by what others think or say, but make up your own mind. Most importantly, make friends and be happy. College friends are often the best in life. Pick a few friends and become really close to them - pick the ones who are genuine to you. Don't worry about their hobbies, grades, looks or even personalities. Start planning early - what would you like to do? Where would you like to live? What would you like to learn? I think your plan to study fashion is good, and you should decide where you want to be, and get onto the right courses. Whether it is summer-planning, or coursework planning, or picking a major, or managing your time, you should take control of your life. I will always be there for you, but the time has come for you to be in the driver's seat - this is your life, and you need to be in control. Being in control feels great. Try it, and you'll love it! College is the four years where you have: l The greatest amount of free time l the first chance to be independent l the most flexibility to change l the lowest risk for making mistakes So please treasure your college years - make the best of your free time, become an independent thinker in control of your destiny, be to experiment, learn and grow through your successes and challenges. May your years at Columbia be the happiest of your life, and may you blossom into just what you dream to be. Love, Dad (&Mom) From the text, we can conclude the father _ . A. is worried about his daughter B. is strict with his daughter C. is optimistic about his daughter's future D. is sad that his daughter is leaving home Answer: C. is optimistic about his daughter's future Question: Is there something that you've always wanted to try but just never had the time?Well,make plans to try it now since you are on summer vacation.Not all vacations call for taking a tour bus to take photos of famous landmarks.Some vacations allow you plenty of opportunities to learn. The most difficult aspect of a learning vacation may be choosing one because the possibilities are endless.If you enjoy cooking,various companies can take you to Italy,France,Spain,Mexico or even Peru.Once there,you can learn to prepare the local cuisine .Trips are often planned to fit in with local food festivals or special events. The term"learning vacation"often brings language to mind.The best way to learn a language is in an environment where it' s spoken.Study Spanish,French or English.Or attempt a more unusual language like Polish,Estonian or Thai.You'll be able to learn about the country and absorb the culture at the same time. If you are fond of sports,you can polish your skills or learn new ones.Golf and tennis schools welcome players of all levels.If you want a bigger thrill,you can learn to surf,go climbing or race cars.It' s even possible to learn the art and techniques of bull fighting while on vacation! You can also discover our inner artist.Many places offer painting classes in different mediums.The scenic locations of the schools offer plenty of subjects that provide inspiration for practice. If you prefer capturing the world on film,take a photography vacation.Travel with a small group to photograph beautiful animals or scenery .You can also practise your technique on people or at historical sights. Once you decide on a vacation,choose a company carefully.Request names of recent customers you can contact,and then ask them for an evaluation.The more you know before you go,the better prepared you'll be.Then go out and learn something! The purpose of writing the text is to _ . A. advertise some popular summer programmes B. encourage readers to have a good time relaxing C. offer some tips on how to enjoy a learning vacation D. attract more readers to spend summer time learning Answer: C. offer some tips on how to enjoy a learning vacation Question: In nature, you may see many insects and animals of different colors. Have you ever wondered why? Locusts are super delicious food for birds,but it is not always an easy job for birds to catch them.It is neither because locusts are good jumpers or runners nor because they are smarter than their enemies. The reason is that the colors of locusts change with the colors of crops . When crops are young,locusts look green. But when autumn comes, locusts change to the yellow and brown color as crops do. Brown bears,tigers and other animals move quietly through forests. They can't be seen easily by their enemies. This is because they have colors similar to the trees. For the same reason, polar bears that live on a land of snow and ice are white. Butterflies and bees living among the flowers are colorful like flowers. Soil insects are mostly dark-colored and they live under the soil in a dark and wet environment. However, insects with colors different from plants can easily be found and eaten by others. So in order to _ they have to hide themselves in the daytime and appear only at night. Have you ever noticed some even stranger acts? The ink fish in the sea can send out some very black ink when it faces danger. As the ink spreads over , its enemies will find themselves suddenly in a dark world. At the same time the ink fish immediately swims away. That is how it keeps itself safe though it is not strong at all. According to the passage, most soil insects _ A. do not have bright colors B. change their colors with the soil C. do not live in a dark and wet environment D. Eat colorful insects like butterflies and bees Answer: A. do not have bright colors Question: Six years ago, a Miami woman walking through the hall of an office building casually noticed two men standing together. Several minutes after her leaving, the men murdered a person working in the building. Police investigators determined that the woman was the only witness who had seen the two suspects, and could possibly describe them. In an interview with police, her memory of the men proved disappointingly unclear. Several days later, psychologist Ronald P. Fisher was brought in to get a more complete description from the woman. Fisher's interview produced a breakthrough--the woman reported a clear picture of one of the suspects. She then recalled several details about his appearances. This information gave police important leads that enabled them to arrest the suspects and close the case. Police investigators found the help from Fisher because of his rich knowledge in conducting the so-called cognitive interview, a kind of memory-rebuilding process. In its original form, the cognitive interview focuses on guiding witnesses through four general recalling techniques: thinking about physical surroundings and personal feelings that existed at the time of past events, reporting everything that comes to mind about those events no matter how broken or unconnected, retelling events in kinds of time orders, beginning to end, end to beginning, forward or backward, and accepting different views while recalling events. Usually, an interviewer begins the cognitive approach by encouraging the witness to take an active role in recalling information rather than giving answers only to someone else's questions. The witness first describes what happened in his or her own words, with no interviewer interruptions. The interviewer then goes further with specific techniques, such as having the witness tell the details of what happened from different aspects. Experiments with police detectives trained in this demanding interview method find that they get nearly 50% more information from witnesses than before training, while error rates remain about the same. Police trained in the cognitive interview method can _ . A. get more information from the witness than before B. decrease the error rate C. solve the cases more quickly D. use the method more skillfully than the psychologists Answer: A. get more information from the witness than before
Upon entering college, Yang Yi was uncertain about a lot of things. However, the 19-year-old international economics and trade student was certain about one thing: She wanted to participate in animal welfare efforts. "I'm .always a nature and animal lover," she said. She joined the environmental protection association at her school. Now being president of a group of 25, she leads its efforts to help stray cats and dogs by raising money to buy them food and collecting old clothes to make them homes. However, sometimes the association raises doubts. Some students have questioned whether helping stray animals breaks the laws of nature. "We tried to resolve the controversy," Yang said. "For wild animals, the best way to protect them is to preserve their environment and their natural habitat, and to let them live their own way. However, for animals that depend heavily on humans, such as dogs and cats, the proper way to treat them is to respect them and take care of them." Besides, if not accommodated properly, stray animals can bring threats to public health, as they are the main cause of rabies in cities. "Now, many young people in China have agreed upon the need to strike a balance between humans and nature. The only problem is how," said Yang. Yang and her fellow volunteers are cautious about what they do to help. For instance, sometimes people feed stray cats human food such as chocolate. But Yang and her friends point that such food can be dangerous to stray cats. Yang also cooperates with Non-Governmental Organizations to spread animal protection knowledge. One of their recent exhibits was about animals in the entertainment industry. "We are still figuring out the best way to protect animals, but simple deeds such as saying no to animal performances can prevent wildlife from being captured and tamed. Step by step, we'll eventually reach our goal," she said. Why did Yang Yi join the environmental protection association? Answer: She wanted to protect nature and animals. How many times do you have to fail at something in order to succeed? Did you know that Thomas Edison failed 10,000 times while trying to invent the light bulb? He certainly had a "learn and do" attitude! He was able to turn each failed experiment into a successful way to invent the light bulb. So what can we learn from this? You can adopt the "fail forward" strategy too. In reality, none of us are failures. It's true that we will experience times of defeat, problems, and disasters, but remember, each one of us is meant to succeed in life. However, we must choose our fate. Henry David Thoreau said, "Men are born to succeed, not to fail." We can never be forced into having a happy and successful life. Whether or not you experience success or failure is completely controlled by what you think and do. You are the only one who can choose the thoughts that will keep you from achieving the abundant life and joy that you are meant to have. No matter how difficult things may seem, say to yourself, "I choose to be a happy and successful person." Why do some people get what they want and others fail? I believe that getting what you desire in life takes planning, and it doesn't just happen by luck. So how do we plan for success? It has been proven that successful people do things more differently than unsuccessful people. They recognize the patterns of success and follow them; one of those patterns is planning. They plan what they think and do, which sets them apart. They know exactly what they desire, have an intelligent plan for getting it, and then work their plan. They know what success will cost them in terms of time, energy, and results, and they devote the right resources toward making their plans happen. The writer refers to Thomas Edison to _ . Answer: put forward the topic of the text Mother Knows Best? Once while being prepared for a television interview, I was chatting with the host about stay-at-home fathers. I made the point that one reason we're seeing more stay-at-home dads may be that it's no longer a given (a known fact) that a man makes more money than his wife. Many families now take earning power into account when deciding which parent will stay home. At that point, one of the male crew members commented, almost to himself but loud enough for my benefits, "It should be the better parent who stays at home". A lot of guys say things like that. I was a stay-at-home father for eight years, so what he said made me excited. It implied that our family's choice could only have been correct if I was a "better" parent than my wife. I think men shoot themselves in the foot with this kind of thinking. I suppose an argument could have been made that when I began staying home my wife was the "better" parent: she had spent more time with our son, could read him better and calm him more quickly. And given a choice, he'd have picked her over me. But as she was the more employable one, my wife went out to work and I looked after our son. Know what? I caught up. Because of the increased time I spent with him, I soon knew him well, understood what he needed and could look after him more or less as my wife could. Actually, the experience helped me unlock one of the world's great secrets: Women are good at looking after the children because they do it. It's not because of any born female gift or a mother's instinct-which I think is mostly learned anyway. It's because they put in the time and attention required to become good at the job. Women obviously get a biological head start from giving birth and nursing, but over the long term experience is more important. When I got the experience myself, I was good, too. As good? I don't know. Who cares? Children are not made of glass. Other people are capable of looking after them besides Mom. Women are better than men at taking care of children because _ . Answer: they spend more time doing it It was Mary's birthday.Her uncle wrote a letter and told her he would like to send her some chickens.She was very happy because she liked eggs and chicken."I can keep the chickens for their eggs or eat them,"she thought. When the chickens arrived the next day, they were all in a box.Mary took the box off the truck and began to carry it into her garden,but the box of chickens was so heavy that she dropped it.The chickens all ran out.They ran here and there.Mary spent hours in trying to find them. A few hours later her uncle came.He asked."Did the chickens arrive safely?" "Yes,but I dropped the box.The chickens ran everywhere.It took me the whole morning to look for them,"Mary said. "Did you find them all?" asked her uncle."I hope so,"Mary answered,"But l only caught eleven of them" "That's very interesting.I only sent you six."her uncle laughed. Why did Mary drop the box? Answer: Because the box was too heavy. Sam Allred suffers from a rare and incurable kidney disease. One day, when his sister was playing a song repeatedly, Sam sang along. His sister thought it was funny so she recorded it and posted the video online. The video -- and Sam -- became a hit. Only 8 years old at the time, he couldn't have expected the response. "(The television show) The Doctors called and wanted me on their show so they paid for me to go to California," says Sam, now 13, "and we got to stay in a hotel where all the movie stars stayed." During that visit to California, Angie Allred, Sam's mother, had an idea about Sam writing a children's book. Together, she and Sam wrote Opening Hearts, which tells Sam's experience of living with a chronic illness. "I wrote the book to teach people to be kinder to people," Sam says. Moreover, Sam wanted to send pillows to sick children staying in hospitals around the country to make their stay more comfortable, an idea that came from a time when he was in the hospital. "A few kind boys came in with pillows and they gave me one and it meant a lot to me that someone cared about kids in the hospital," says Sam. Angie thought of starting a nonprofit organization to provide a way for people to contribute money to realize Sam's ideas. She named the nonprofit Kindness for Kids. Since then, Sam has taken pillows to children staying at Providence Hospital in Anchorage. Sam's father, Scott Allred, owns a small business that contracts shipping services with FedEx Ground. He asked the company for help. "FedEx Ground learned about Sam's pillow project," says Erin Truxal, manager of public relations for FedEx Ground. "We thought, 'What a perfect way for us to get involved.'" The company provided shipping services for Sam to ship about 5,000 pillows to hospitals. Sam wants to send more pillows to all of the children's hospitals in every state. His goal is simple: "Kids in the hospital as happy as they were before they got sick," he says. Which of the following can best describe Sam Allred? Answer: Optimistic and warm-hearted.
A decrease in air temperature from 60°F to 35°F would most likely cause a person to shiver Found: A black pen is in the library. Is it yours? I am Lucy. E-mail me at lucy556@hotmail.com. Lost: I am Anna. I lost my computer game. It is blue. My telephone number is 471-4295. Call me! Thanks! Lisa, Is this your dictionary? Your name is on it. I found it in Classroom 6A. Tom Found: I found a ring. It is nice. Please e-mail me at frank996@gmail.com. Frank What color is Anna's computer game? Blue. A fierce earthquake struck HaitionJanuary 12, 2010, causing a crowded hospital to fall down and countless houses and buildings were destroyed. The earthquake, the worst in the region in more than 200 years, with a magnitude estimated at 7.0, struck just before 5 p.m. about 10 miles southwest of Port-au-Prince, leaving the region nearly in ruins. As night fell in Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital, fires burned near the shoreline downtown, but otherwise the city fell into darkness. The electricity was out, telephones were not working and relief workers struggled to make their way through blocked streets. In this earthquake, it was not possible for officials to determine how many people had been killed and injured. It was reported that the headquarters of the United Nations mission was seriously damaged and many employees were missing. Part of the national palace had fallen to the ground. A hospital was totally ruined in Petionville, which is home to many diplomats and wealthy Haitians. A New York reporter said that a wall at the front of the Hotel Oloffson had fallen, killing a passer-by. A number of nearby buildings was badly damaged, trapping people. People were screaming, calling for help from every corner. Haiti sits on a large fault between the much larger North American plate to the north and the Caribbean plate to the south. The earthquake on Tuesday happened when what appears to be part of the southern fault zone broke. With many poor people living in tin-roof shacks and with many of the buildings in Port-au-Prince and elsewhere in the country of questionable quality, it was expected that the quake caused major damage to buildings and great loss of life. What was the damage of the earthquake? Some of the national palace had fallen to the ground. Many homes have cameras to protect them from danger. The cameras can tell the owners if someone has entered. But the cameras do not know whether the person is a family member, a friend, a postman or a criminal . But a new camera made by a French company can recognize faces. It can tell parents at work that their children have returned from school, or that the mail has been sent to their home. It can also tell them if a stranger has entered their home. When family members enter a home, the smart camera "recognizes" them and sends information to the owner's phone. The owner can choose to see the video then or later. But if an unknown person enters a home, the camera will send a warning sound on the owner's phone. This is what happened recently to a smart home camera owner named Damien. He lives in Paris. "On a Friday I was at work, having a big monthly meeting when my phone moved. At first I told myself 'Oh, it must be a wrong warn,' but my phone was telling me there was a face that the camera did not recognize. Something was happening in my house!" "I saw a person I did not know with his shoes on, which is not allowed in my apartment . I watched it on the video. I felt quite surprised. I hurried back home as fast as possible and called the police on the way. Thanks to the smart camera, the criminal was caught soon," said Damien. The new smart camera is different from the ones in many homes because it can _ . recognize faces Women teachers are holding back boy students by blaming them for typically male behavior, according to a new study. Women teachers are always saying that boys are "silly" in class. They refuse to "sit nicely like girls" and are more likely to be addicted to "schoolboy tricks".Women teachers may also keep low expectations of boys' academic achievement and encourage girls to work harder by letting them think they are cleverer than boys. The study suggests that under-performance among boys in most national exams could be linked to lower expectations of their women teachers. The researchers did their research mainly on women teachers, since nearly 90 percent of primary school teachers are female. According to the research, women teachers said they often found boys' play in the classroom or in the playground, such as playing with toy guns. The researcher also found that boys were often punished and urged to follow a more feminine style of play instead of being taught how to play responsibly with their favorite toys by their women teachers. Bonny Hartley, the study's lead author, said, "By seven or eight years old, children of both boys and girls believe that boys are less focused, less able, and less successful than girls -- and think that adults admit this idea. There are signs that these expectations have the potential to become self-fulfilling in influencing children's achievement. Boys are really held back by their women teachers." What is the women teachers' attitude towards the boys? They are always thinking that boys are silly in class.
"Mister D'Arcy is not a policeman. He is, however, very wise. He knew the police would search his apartment. He also knew how police think. So, he did not hide the letter where he knew they would look for it. "Do you remember how Germont laughed when I said the mystery was difficult for him to solve because it was so simple?" Dupin filled his pipe with tobacco and lit it. "Well, the more I thought about it, the more I realized the police could not find the letter because D'Arcy had not hidden it at all. "So I went to visit D'Arcy in his apartment. I took a pair of dark green eyeglasses with me. I explained to him that I was having trouble with my eyes and needed to wear the dark glasses at all times. He believed me. The glasses permitted me to look around the apartment while I seemed only to be talking to him. "I paid special attention to a large desk where there were a lot of papers and books. However, I saw nothing suspicious there. After a few minutes, however, I noticed a small shelf over the fireplace. A few postcards and a letter were lying on the shelf. The letter looked very old and dirty. "As soon as I saw this letter, I decided it must be the one I was looking for. It must be, even though it was completely different from the one Germont had described. "This letter had a large green stamp on it. The address was written in small letters in blue ink. I memorized every detail of the letter while I talked to D'Arcy. Then when he was not looking, I dropped one of my gloves on the floor under my chair. "The next morning, I stopped at his apartment to look for my glove. While we were talking, we heard people shouting in the street. D'Arcy went to the window and looked out. Quickly, I stepped to the shelf and put the letter in my pocket. Then I replaced it with a letter that looked exactly like it, which I had made it the night before. "The trouble in the street was caused by a man who had almost been run over by a horse and carriage. He was not hurt. And soon the crowd of people went away. When it was over, D'Arcy came away from the window. I said goodbye and left. "The man who almost had an accident was one of my servants . I had paid him to create the incident." Dupin stopped talking to light his pipe. I did not understand. "But, Dupin," I said, "why did you go to the trouble of replacing the letter? Why not just take it and leave?" Dupin smiled. "D'Arcy is a dangerous man," he said. "And he has many loyal servants. If I had taken the letter, I might never have left his apartment alive." What is Dupin probably? Answer: A detective. What do people drink in Western countries? They drink coffee, of course. Tea is the drink of us Chinese. Think again. In the West, tea is seeing to be cool again. In Western countries like the UK, coffee used to be the fashionable drink. Jenny Northam, a 28-year-old English woman, remembers that ten years ago tea was unfashionable. "At that time young people didn't like tea. We thought drinking tea was uncool and old-fashioned. Tea was _ something we only drank when visiting grandparents." Several years ago US _ Madonna, who lived in Britain, published a children's book _ called The English Roses. She launched the book with a tea party. Since Madonna is the "Queen of Cool", she took a big part in making tea fashionable. The British tradition of afternoon tea was fashionable again. In Britain, hotels accept bookings for afternoon tea weeks in advance. The trend had also taken off in the US. In New York and Los Angeles, more and more cafes are serving tea. The tea craze is not only down to Madonna, of course. People drink tea because they connect it with the idea of living life at a slower pace. People drink coffee and tea at different times. Coffee is seen as the drink of people in a hurry; tea of those who like to spend their time. ,. Ten years ago, tea was _ . Answer: old-fashioned Once a boy went to a palace to ask a wise man what the secret of happiness is. After talking with the boy, the wise man asked the boy to look around the palace and return in two hours. "And , I want to ask you to do something,"said the wise man ."As you look around, carry this spoon with you without making the oil spill ." The boy began walking up and down the stairs of the palace, and he kept his eyes on the spoon all the time. After two hours, he returned. "Well," asked the wise man, "what did you see in my palace?" The boy said that he had seen nothing. "Then go back and enjoy my wonderful world," said the wise man. The boy picked up the spoon and began to look around the palace again. This time, he saw many beautiful things in the palace. When he returned, the wise man asked, "but where are the drops of oil I give you?" The boy saw that the oil was gone. "There is only one piece of advice I can give you," said the wise man. "The secret of happiness is to see all wonders of the world and never to forget the drops of oil on the spoon." ,A, B, C, D,, . According to the passage, we can know _ . Answer: the wise man told the boy what was the happiness, but not directly CALCUTTA, India Mar 24, 2006 (AP) -- One of the world's oldest creatures, a giant tortoise believed to have been about 250 years old, has died in the Calcutta zoo where it spent more than half its long life. Addwaita, which means "the one and only" in the local Bengali language, was one of four Aldabra tortoises brought to India by British sailors in the 18th century. Zoo officials say he was a gift for Lord Robert Clive of the East India Company, who was instrumental in establishing British colonial rule in India, before he returned to England in 1767. Long after the other three tortoises died, Addwaita continued to thrive , living in Clive's garden before being moved to the zoo in 1875. "According to records in the zoo, the age of the giant tortoise, Addwaita, who died on Wednesday, would be about 250 years," said zoo director Subir Chowdhury. That would have made him much older than the world's oldest documented living animal: Harriet, a 176-year-old Galapagos tortoise who lives at the Australia Zoo north of Brisbane, according to the zoo's Web site. She was taken from the island of Isla Santa Cruz by Charles Darwin in the 19th century. Aldabra tortoises come from the Aldabra atoll in the Seychelle islands in the Indian Ocean, and often live to more than 100 years of age. Males can weigh up to 550 pounds. Addwaita, the zoo's biggest attraction, had been unwell for the last few days, said local Forest Minister Jogesh Burman. "We were keeping a watch on him. When the zoo keepers went to his enclosure on Wednesday they found him dead," Burman said. In the last few days before Addwaita died, he _ . Answer: had been found not better than before For most kids, height isn't something they can change, so what do you do if you don't like how tall or short you are? It might be girls feeling too tall and boys feeling too short but some really tall boys might not like all that height and some shorter girls might get tired of all the jokes or of feeling like they're staying little while their friends are growing up. If you are still worried about your height, talk to your parents and your doctor. Most kids don't have a growth problem that needs help from a doctor, but it's always OK to ask if you're concerned. So for most kids, it seems like there's not much to do but wait to see how it all turns out. But you can do something right now: eat healthy and take care of yourself. If you get the nutrition , sleep, and exercise you need, you're likely to reach your maximum height. In other words, you'll grow as tall as you were meant to grow. And even though you may hear people say it, taking extra vitamins or supplements that you can buy in a store won't help you get taller. Just stick to a healthy diet if you want to be the tallest you can be! Kids who wish they weren't so tall should still eat healthy and take care of themselves, of course. Eating less won't make you end up any shorter unless you really starved yourself and made yourself sick. As they get older, most kids learn to feel comfortable with their height, whether they turn out tall, short, or somewhere in between. Who does this text written for? Answer: Kids.
What are some of the risks of using fertilizer? Answer: Damaging the planet "TODAY is a dream comes true. I have always wanted to be a Grand Slam champion." These are the words of Chinese tennis player Li Na after she became the first Asian woman to win a Grand Slam final in the French Open on June 4. "People were saying I'm getting old. So this is a great success for such an old woman," the 29-year-old joked. This is the way that Li usually fights doubts- by being humorous and sharp. "China's number one sister" is never a pushover . She has a tattoo . She has dyed her hair many different colors. And, at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, she told her fans to "shut up" when they got too noisy in their support. Li started to play tennis at the age of 6. She once recalled: "As a child, I felt sad because every day I had to wake up early to practice. After school I had to practice more. I didn't have time to play." Luckily, the tough girl didn't give up, thus making history for Chinese tennis time after time. Now the new champion is already thinking about winning another Grand Slam title. Her next stop is Wimbledon - the European grass court championship that starts later this month. "When you have one title, naturally you will think about another," she says, not hiding her ambition. "Chinese people are so lacking in confidence on the tennis court. If there is a person like me who can prove we can do it, the other young players in China will feel the same," she said. Li Na is _ . Answer: a tennis player A ground-based system that uses much stronger signals than GPS can find your location in cities and indoors. It is a new positioning system that could compete with GPS to make sure you never lose your directions again. Instead of satellites, Locata uses ground-based equipment to send a radio signal over a localized area that is a million times stronger on arrival than GPS. It can work indoors as well as outdoors, and the makers claim that the receivers can be shrunk to fit inside a regular cell phone. Even the US armies, which invented GPS technology, signed a file last month agreeing to a test of Locata at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. "This is one of the most important technology developments for the future of the positioning industry," says Nunzio Gambale, CEO and co-founder of the firm Locata, based in Griffith, Australia. As for the Locata's correctness, Christopher Morin of the US Air Force tested it recently at White Sands, and it worked to within 18cm along any axis . Morin said it should be possible to get the _ down to 5cm. The tests were performed in an open desert where GPS also worked beautifully, but its signal was weak--like a car headlight from 20,000 kilometers away--and easily cut off by solid objects . Locata's signal was far stronger, though not guaranteed to work in a complex urban environment, said David, speaker of the UK' s General Lighthouse Authorities. Locata's technology will face competition in the race to transform indoor navigation. But it could shine in specific areas, Gambale said. Robots with Locata could easily navigate inside buildings without the complex optical systems they need at the moment. And the process that handles correct location data could not only guide you around a mall, railway station or airport, but also take you to the exact shelf in a shop for the product you want. It would be small and cheap enough for smart phones and it should be available within five years--a similar path to the one GPS took on its way towards the world, he said. What can we know from the passage? Answer: Locata will enter our lives through the cell phone, just like GPS. One evening in February 2007, a student named Paula Ceely brought her car to a stop on a remote road in Wales. She got out to open a metal gate that blocked her path. That's when she heard the whistle sounded by the driver of a train. Her Renault Clio was parked across a railway line. Seconds later, she watched the train drag her car almost a kilometre down the railway tracks. Ceely's near miss made the news because she blamed it on her GPS . She had never driven the route before. It was dark and raining heavily. Ceely was relying on her GPS, but it made no mention of the crossing. "I put my complete trust in the device and it led me right into the path of a speeding train." she told the BBC. Who is to blame here? Rick Stevenson, who tells Ceely's story in his book When Machines Fail Us, points the finger at the limitations of technology. We put our faith in digital devices, he says, but our digital helpers are too often not up to the job. They are filled with small problems. And it's not just GPS devices: Stevenson takes us on a tour of digital disasters involving everything from mobile phones to wireless keyboards. The problem with his argument in the book is that it's not clear why he only focuses on digital technology, while there may be a number of other possible causes. A map-maker might have left the crossing off a paper map. Maybe we should blame Ceely for not paying attention. Perhaps the railway authorities are at fault for poor signalling system. Or maybe someone has studied the relative dangers and worked out that there really is something specific wrong with the GPS equipment. But Stevenson doesn't say. It's a problem that runs through the book. In a section on cars, Stevenson gives an account of the advanced techniques that criminals use to defeat computer-based locking systems for cars. He offers two independent sets of figures on car theft; both show a small rise in some parts of the country. He says that once again not all new locks have proved reliable. Perhaps, but maybe it's also due to the shortage of policemen on the streets. Or changing social circumstances. Or some combination of these factors. The game between humans and their smart devices is amusing and complex. It is shaped by economics and psychology and the cultures we live in. Somewhere in the mix of those forces there may be a way for a wiser use of technology. If there is such a way, it should involve more than just an awareness of the shortcomings of our machines. After all, we have lived with them for thousands of years. They have probably been fooling us for just as long. What did Paula Ceely think was the cause of her accident? Answer: Her GPS device didn't tell her about the crossing. In 2009, the Taiwu Elementary School Folk Singers were invited to perform in Belgium, France, Germany, and Luxemburg. In 2011, they were voted as one of the world's top five performance groups by audiences of Japan Broadcasting Corporation's Amazing Voice program. Thinking back the group's first tour in Europe, Camake Valaule, a physical education teacher and the founder of the Taiwu Elementary School Folk Singers, admitted that he felt very nervous. He was worried that the audience would fall asleep since most of the 75-minute performance was a cappella, that is, singing without instrumental sound. Surprisingly, the audience listened with full focus and high spirits. Camake said, "They told me afterward that through our performance, they had a vision of our country, our village, without having to visit it. This experience greatly increased our confidence." According to Camake Valaule, singing traditional ballads has helped students and their parents to re-understand their culture. "It used to be that the only ones who could sing these songs were tribal elders aged between 50 and 60. Now with the children performing the pieces, parents are beginning to ask, 'Why do we not know how to sing these ballads?' Many times nowadays, it is the children who teach the songs to their parents, putting back _ ." Winning international fame, however, was neither the original intention nor the main reason why Camake founded the group in 2006. The most important thing was to make children understand why they sing these songs and to preserve and pass on their culture. Referring to the relocation of Taiwu Elementary School and Taiwu Village following Typhoon Morakot in August 2009, Camake said, "We could not take the forest or our houses in the mountains with us; but we were able to bring our culture along. As long as the children are willing to sing, I will always be there for them, singing with them and leading them to experience the meaning of the ballads." Which of the following is true about Taiwu Elementary School Folk Singers? Answer: The group was founded by a PE teacher.
Beijing is the capital of China. It is also one of the birthplaces of the Chinese civilization and one of the six ancient capital cities in China. It is the second biggest city with an area of 17,020 square kilometers. Beijing is changing every day and it is becoming more and more beautiful. Now there are a lot of new buildings, modern shopping malls and large markets. In the past, Beijing was very clean and quiet and most people went to work or school by bike. Things have changed a lot. Now people can take the bus, the underground or the taxi to go to work or school. It is fast and convenient. The changes in Beijing have brought many advantages but they have also caused some problems: air pollution, noise pollution, sandstorms and lots of traffic. How many ancient capital cities are there in China? Answer: six Michael froze as he heard the voice on the radio saying that a man had been murdered by a bullet that had come from the sky. Thinking that the shot they had fired possibly was the shot that killed Mr. Ward, he immediately drove off. For the next two months, Michael and Joe hid the secret that the bullet had actually shot Mr. Ward. During this time, Jenna Ward started to realize life without her father. While Jenna mourned the death of her father, a strange boy started to appear at the front steps of the church. After many nights of watching this boy, she finally recognized that it was Michael who was sitting on the steps every night. After months of finding out where the shot came, the police arrived at Michael's house. His dad mentioned the gun that Michael had received from his grandpa at his birthday party. Michael told the police that Joe had borrowed the gun. Upon this, Joe said that the gun had been stolen out of his car along with his CD player. After the police were gone, Michael met Joe and told Joe the gun was under the wood pile in his backyard. One day , Michael came home to find the police searching his backyard with metal detectors .When the Sergeant went into the woods behind the house , he came out with a bullet that Joe and he had shot off on his birthday .The bullet matched the one that they had recovered from Mr Ward , but without the gun , the police could not place Michael as the killer. With the pressure increasing .Michael finally broke down and realized he had to give up .On a Saturday morning , he went to Jenna's house to confess to her and her mother and then turned himself in . Why did Michael sit on the steps of the church every night? Answer: He was probably feeling upset and guilty. If you don't use a dictionary. What should you do instead? The first thing you can do is trying to guess what the word means. Often the surrounding context gives a very clear idea of the meaning of the word. Even if you can't work out the meaning exactly, you may be able to get a vague idea, enough to enable you to continue reading. Sometimes It is impossible to guess the meaning of a word from the context and then you will have to decide whether the word is important enough to make it worthwhile stopping and looking it up in a dictionary or whether you can just pass it by. Many times in your reading, you will come across words which you don't know, but which do not prevent you from understanding all the main points of the text. You can made your dictionary use much more efficient if you only look up the words which are necessary to understand the text. and this means that you must develop the skill to decide whether the words are worth looking up. In our reading some words we don't know _ . Answer: don't prevent us from understanding the main points of the text Sayings are quite common in spoken English. We don't normally put them in a composition or a letter. Sometimes it is helpful if you know what common proverbs mean. Here are a few examples. " Once bitten, twice shy." If a dog bites me, I shall be twice as careful in future when I see it. This proverb is also used to apply to many things and not only to dogs. For example, if you have been cheated at a shop, you will not go to the same shop again. "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush." If I am a hunter, trying to catch birds, it is better to catch one than to see two birds in a bush but not able to catch them. Thus this means that what you have already got is better than the chance of being able to get something bigger in future. " Don't be a dog in a manger " means " Don't be selfish." In a stable ,the manger is the place where the horse's food is put. Sometimes a dog will sleep in the manger and bark when a horse comes to get its food. The dog doesn't want to eat the horse's food in the manger but it will not let the horse eat it. " He who pays the piper calls the tune ." A piper is a musician. The man who pays a musician can say what tunes the man will play. Thus this means that if a man provides the money for a plan, he can say how it will be carried out. "To pour oil on troubled waters" is to try to calm things down. Oil is lighter than water. If a ship is in trouble at sea, another ship may come to help it. The second ship can send small boats to rescue people. However, it may first pour oil on the sea to make the sea less rough. Mr Brown had quite a good job in Hong Kong but he thought that if he went to Singapore, he might get a much better job with more money and a larger house. His wife didn't want him to leave his job in Hong Kong and she reminded him that _ . Answer: a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush Which causes the GREATEST change in a grassy field over time? Answer: Amount of yearly rainfall
Shopping is not as simple as you may think! Much has to be done for the producers before putting the products on the shelf. Color, for example, changes a lot according to what the producers are trying to sell. Health foods are packed in greens, yellows or browns because we think of these as healthy colors. When some kind of medicine was brought out recently, researchers found that the color of the package caused the shoppers to lose interest because they made the product look ineffective . At last, it came on the market in dark blue and white--blue because we think of it as safe, and white as calm. The size of a package can also attract a shopper, although quite often a bottle doesn't hold as much as it seems to. It is said that the better-known companies spend about 40 percent of the cost of the product itself on packaging! The most successful producers know that it's not enough to have a good product. The head of Pears Soap, who for 25 years has used pretty little girls to sell their goods, came to the conclusion: "Any fool can make soap, but it takes a talent to sell it." The passage is mainly about _ on shopping. A. advantages of products B. the importance of packaging C. choices of products D. the cost of packaging Answer: D. the cost of packaging Liverpool city council want to clear the city of fat pigeons . They say that people are feeding the birds, which makes them fat. The pigeons get bigger because they normally eat seeds and insects for their main food, not high-fat junk food they are eating in the city centre. The council want people to know that everyone who feeds the pigeons makes the streets crowded with these birds. They hope to encourage the birds to move away from the city centre and into parks and open spaces. Ten robotic birds have been brought into the city centre to scare the pigeons away and visitors are asked not to give the pigeons any food. The mechanical birds--known as 'robops'--will sit on the roofs of buildings. They can be moved around to different places. They look like a peregrine falcon, which is a bird that kills pigeons. They even make noises and flap their wings to scare the pigeons. They hope that the pigeons will go away before the city becomes the European Capital of Culture in two years. Liverpool city council want to clear the city of fat pigeons because _ . A. the pigeons are eating junk food B. the pigeons might get killed C. the pigeons make the city center crowded D. the pigeons sit on the roofs of buildings Answer: C. the pigeons make the city center crowded Fashion isn't very environmentally-friendly because it makes people buy things they don't need, just because they're new. We want to take care of the environment, we don't want to pollute the air and we don't want to waste energy and resources. But we also want to be fashionable. How can we buy fashionable clothes and protect the environment? Old styles are fashionable again, so one way is to buy second-hand clothes -- recycled clothes. Another way is to buy' fair trade clothes. These clothes are either recycled or made in a ' way that protects the environment. They also protect the people who make the clothes. Surprisingly, white cotton is one of the least environmentally-friendly crops of all. To protect the cotton, the growers use chemicals that pollute water, make farm workers ill and kill wildlife. New materials, such as hemp and bamboo, grow quickly and are more environmentally-friendly. These materials are very soft, and look fantastic. The best materials are coloured using natural dyes, made from plants. Environmentally-friendly clothes are practical but until now they were often dull. Now fashion-designers are working with these materials and the clothes are beautiful as well. So now we can buy fashionable clothes that are also environmentally-friendly. Which of the following is more environmentally-friendly? A. Materials soft and looking fantastic. B. Any materials coloured using natural dyes. C. Hemp and bamboo. D. White cotton. Answer: B. Any materials coloured using natural dyes. Sarah lives in the country, and she loves playing in the river near her house. But her father gets a job in a big city, and he moves there with his family. Their new house has a garden, but the garden is very small. Sarah isn't happy. "Is there a river near here?" she asks her mother on the first morning. Her mother answers, "No, there isn't, but there is a nice park near here and there is a pool in it. We are going there this afternoon." Sarah is happy now. After lunch, Sarah and her mother go to the park. Sarah wants to walk near the pool, but there is a sign before it. Her mother reads it to her, "Warning : This pool is dangerous. 367 people fell into it." Sarah looks into the pool carefully , and she says, "But I can't see them." There is _ near Sarah's new house. A. a river B. a garden C. a zoo D. a park Answer: D. a park One thing that all human cells have in common is that they A. control the brain. B. make food. C. move blood. D. take in energy. Answer: D. take in energy.
A deer would prefer to eat A Metal B Cucumbers C Pigs D Chalk Answer: B 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! Rachael likes to be with people like her because _ . A she only wants to make friends with the people like her B many people think she is strange and don't like to be with her C she knows there are many other people who are also strange D it makes her feel like she is not so strange as people think Answer: D Kontractor agreed to build a power plant for a public utility. Subbo agreed with Kontractor to lay the foundation for $200,000. Subbo supplied goods and services worth $150,000, for which Kontractor made progress payments aggregating $100,000 as required by the subcontract. Subbo then breached by refusing unjustifiably to perform further. Kontractor reasonably spent $120,000 to have the work completed by another subcontractor. Subbo sues Kontractor for the reasonable value of benefits conferred, and Kontractor counterclaims for breach of contract. Which of the following should be the court's decision? A Subbo recovers $50,000, the benefit conferred on Kontractor for which Subbo has not been paid. B Subbo recovers $30,000, the benefit Subbo conferred on Kontractor minus the $20,000 in damages incurred by Kontractor. C Kontractor recovers $20,000, the excess over the contract price that was paid by Kontractor for the performance it had bargained to receive from Subbo. D Neither party recovers anything, because Subbo committed a material, unexcused breach and Kontractor received a $50,000 benefit from Subbo for which Subbo has not been paid. Answer: C Sudha Chandran, a classical dancer from India, had to have her right leg cut after a car accident.She was also cut off on her bright career road. However, she didn't stop struggling. In the painful three months that followed, Sudha met a doctor who had an operation on her leg. So strongly she wanted to go back to dancing after she had been fitted with a man-made leg. Sudha knew that she believed in herself and could realize her dream,so she began her brave journey back to the world of dancing -- learning to balance, bend, stretch,walk, and turn. After every public recital , she might ask her dad about her performance. "You stillhave a long way to go" was the answer she used to get in return. In January 1984, Sudha gained popularity again by giving a public recital in Bombay. She performed in such a great manner that it moved everyone to tears and this performance pushed her to the number one position again. That evening when she asked her dad the same question, he didn't say anything. He just touched her feet as a praise. Sudha's comeback was so touching that a film producer decided to make the story into a film,which has moved more and more people. When someone asked Sudha how she had managed to dance again, she said quite simply, "YOU DON'T NEED FEET TO DANCE." Nothing is impossible in this world. If you have the will to win,you can achieve anything. What does the story tell us? A Practice makes perfect. B He who smiles last smiles best. C Failure is the mother of success. D Where there is a will, there is a way. Answer: D Cameron thought of himself as merely organized. He certainly did not consider that he took great pains over anything, he did just enough to get it right. Exactly right, of course, for as he was fond of telling his staff, "if it's not exactly right, it's wrong". Occasionally a worker might be sad on hearing these words, because it meant another hour or so of going over the same bit of work, correcting the mistakes which Cameron had patiently pointed out. And doing the corrections exactly right of course. Strangely enough, his department had the reputation for performing the highest quality work in the company, and it was seen, and not only by those who worked in the department, as a sort of elite unit. Those programmes that had to work first time, straight out of the box, Cameron's men got those. "It's mission critical--give it to Cameron" was almost a catch-phrase with his team. It helped that Cameron was not merely particular about things. He wanted things done just so, not because of a personal taste, but because he had discovered through patient experimentation that this was the best way for it to be done. In Cameron's dictionary, "Take as long as you want" meant that you could work on your task not just in office hours, but that evening, and late into the early hours of the following morning if you so desired. But the project had to be in by its completion date, and yes, done exactly right. Or you did it again. But he would always be regarded, and not least by himself, as someone who had failed to meet requirements, one of those _ . You had to face it, if you were not working for Cameron, you were second best. So when word got out that Cameron had messed up, big time, the news was greeted with a mixture of sympathy, and entire relief that this perfection too was human. Cameron was a _ . A software programmer B a chief scientist C quality controller D head of department Answer: D
While children are dogs---loyal and affectionate --teenagers are cats. It's so easy to be a dog owner. You feed it, train it, and boss it around. It puts its head on your knee and gazes at you as if you were a Rembrandt painting. It bounds indoors with enthusiasm when you call it. Then around age 13, your adoring little puppy turns into a big old cat. When you tell it to come inside, it looks amazed, as if wondering who died and made you emperor. Instead of dogging your doorsteps, it disappears. You won't see it again until it gets hungry--then it pauses on its sprint through the kitchen long enough to turn its nose up at whatever you're serving. when you reach out to ruffle its head, in that old affectionate gesture, it twists away from you, then gives you a blank stare, as if trying to remember where it has seen you before. You, not realizing that the dog is now a cat, think something must be desperately wrong with it. It seems so antisocial, so distant, sort of depressed. It won't go on family outings. Since you are the one who raised it, taught it to fetch and stay and sit on command, you assume that you did something wrong. Flooded with guilt and fear, you redouble your efforts to make your pet behave. Only now you're dealing with a cat, so everything that worked before now produces the opposite of the desired result. Call it, and it runs away. Tell it to sit, and it jumps on the counter. The more you go toward it, wringing your hands, the more it moves away. Put a dish of food near the door, and let it come to you. But remember that a cat needs your help and your affection too. Sit still, and it will come, seeking that warm, comforting lap it has not entirely forgotten. Be there to open the door for it. One day your grown-up child will walk into the kitchen, give you a big kiss and say, "You've been on your feet all day. Let me get those dishes for you. " Then you'll realize your cat is a dog again. When you call a dog, how will it probably react to you? A. excitedly B. indifferently C. angrily D. calmly Answer: A Annie was helping her little brother Max pick flowers from the garden. They wanted to put the flowers in a jar to put on the kitchen table. Mother's Day was the next day and their mother loved fresh flowers. After they picked flowers and put them in a jar, Max asked Annie if they could have a snack. Annie took Max into the kitchen and got out an apple to slice up. They sat down at the table looking at the flowers and ate their apple slices. There was a window in the kitchen that let in sunlight. "Hey!" Max said, pointing at one of the roses in the jar. "There's something moving on that rose." Annie looked more closely at the flowers. "It's a ladybug," she said. "We need to take it back outside." Suddenly the ladybug began flying around the kitchen. Max jumped up and ran around trying to catch it. At last he clapped his hands around it. "Careful!" said Annie. Max walked outside and let the ladybug go. Why were Max and Annie picking flowers? A. Because their mother likes flowers B. So that they could have a snack C. To catch ladybugs D. There was nothing else to do Answer: A You still don't know what to do this summer? Well, here's your chance to win a one-week language course in Kent, England! Free4Fun and ETC (English Travel Connections)are giving away two trips to Rochester. This historic city is less than an hour's drive from London and close to the sea resort of Heine Bay. It is also the home of one of England's most famous writers, Charles Dickens. The town of Rochester is in Southeast England. Charles Dickens often wrote about it in his books. His home, Gad's Hill, is there, too. A popular attraction is Rochester Castle, a large Norman fortress . It was built in the 11th century and rebuilt during the 14th century. Other attractions are Rochester Cathedral, which was built during the 13th century, and Dickens Centre. It has got its name in honour of Dickens himself. The trip to England includes: * travel by train( via the Eurotunnel)to and from any railway station in Germany * room and full board with a guest family for one week * language course in small groups * two trips to London * large choice of sports and entertainment * German-speaking advisors available 24 hours a day Interested? All you have to do is to answer the following question: When was Charles Dickens born? So, take the chance and send your answer by May 1 to: Free4Fun "Rochester" Free4Fun,24 Elphinstone Road, Hastings ,2FQ6VJ fax :089/85-763-103 e-mail :free4fun@ netlight, com The two winners will be contacted directly before May 5. They will also be announced in the June issue of Free4Fun. Good luck! For further information contact. phone: (03212) 144-43 fax: (03212) 144-42 e-mail :info@ etc. com What activities can you participate in during the trip? A. Enjoying sports and entertainment. B. Learning the German language. C. Traveling by train with a guest' family. D. Working as a language advisor. Answer: A This Christmas, maybe different from previous years, a strong desire drives me to make my own Christmas gifts. Honestly speaking, I've promised myself this more than once. As a crafter , I've frequently thought I am supposed to turn it into action. However, this year I really plan to stick to it. It's partly because I run short of money. More importantly, I've recently returned from an inspiring trip around Britain, collecting some information about crafting for BBC's Newsnight. Actually I planned the trip couples of months ago. The idea of traveling the country -- making things as I went, meeting artists and craftspeople -- sounded perfect to spend the summer. I'd pack a tent and a sewing machine and I'd set off. But by the time I determined my plans and hit the road, leaves made a sighing sound under foot. It seemed crazy to camp with winter on the way; Luckily, Newsnight viewers offered me accommodations in return for help with a craft task. My tasks ranged from sewing worn-out clothes to making trousers. Textile students in Harpenden offered to pay for my petrol in return for a talk about hats. In Derby, Amy needed help to change an old pair of curtains. I was really struck by people's increasing enthusiasm for making things. When I asked some people if they could sew, only a few raised their hands. But when I asked who wanted to learn, nearly everyone responded positively, hoping to learn something practical. Craft is definitely popular at the moment. But besides fashion, we're learning to appreciate effort and quality again. Perhaps once people rediscover the pleasure to be gained from making something unique, it may stick. Sue is director of quilts at the V&A, where next spring she'll be putting on the museum's first major quilting exhibition. Sue believes the return to crafting is related to how we rethink ourselves. "People, especially women, are beginning to think about the way they live their lives. It's 40 years since the first women's liberation conference was held in Oxford. Since then we've been in the workplace, and we've had the opportunity of choice. Now we're carefully choosing to go back into the home." Whether you agree with that or not, there's something about Christmas that brings out the artistic flavor in everyone. Whether it's baking bread or pies or decorating the halls or rooms, we're all prepared to have a try at any time. So if you fancy having a different and joyful party or holiday and making a few presents, try these really simple ideas, each inspired by my recent journey there. They make small and interesting gifts, and take no longer than 30 minutes each. Enjoy Christmas songs and settle down with a cup of hot cocoa, and the cold is gone. You'll save yourself a small quantity of money and spread a little bit of love, too! Why did the author promise to make herself a Christmas gift this year? A. She wanted to enjoy a different Christmas. B. She wanted to make more money. C. She was inspired by her trip for a BBC TV program. D. She hoped to present herself with a surprise. Answer: C DEAR AMY: Last year I got a full-time job as a baby-sitter for a wonderful family with two amazing kids. They have come to treat me as one of their own. But my boyfriend and I are attempting to save much more money for the life we want to build, including marriage, a house and kids. Much as I love my "babies," I'm looking forward to beginning a challenging career in a big company. Should I tell the family that I am looking for a new job? I don't want to find one that requires me to begin work immediately, leaving them without child care, but I also don't want them to assume that I'm leaving right away. Up-in-the-Air Au Pair DEAR AU PAIR: Whatever your arrangement, it is reasonable for them to expect you to be honest and _ They see that you are making changes in your life, and surely they will also understand your desire to advance in a career. Tell them frankly and they should be happy to employ you as long as you are available. Amy DEAR AMY: I am a freshman in a high school. Last summer my best friend was diagnosed with skin cancer. It isn't very serious, but she seems to be becoming more and more depressed. How can I help her be happy again? Best Friend DEAR FRIEND: Your best role is to prop up and encourage your friend when she seems down, and to be supportive and kind to her. You're doing a great job with that, and your friend is lucky to have you in her life. Amy In which column of a newspaper can we probably find the passage? A. Jobs B. culture C. Life D. Entertainment Answer: C
From: jovangagic56@memail. com To: kmallory@LN.org Subject: Hi! Dear Mr. Mallory, I am writing to tell you my deep disappointment for my experience at Lingua Nova English summer school in the first two weeks of July. I had been thoroughly looking forward to learning English and learning about culture in the UK, but I am afraid that my time at your summer school failed to live up to my expectations. Your brochure states that the student accommodation is situated "in the heart of Edinburgh". This is misleading as my accommodation was, in fact, situated a good fifty minutes bus ride from the city center in what I can only describe as a less than picturesque part of the suburbs. In addition, the activity programme did not reflect the fact that we were located in one of Europe's most interesting and historical cities: one evening activity consisted of a walk to a nearby park, another was a trip to a narrow street which was not usually used by cars. Finally, on our one trip into the city center our "guide" readily admitted that she was not from Edinburgh, and had in fact never visited the city before. I had been eagerly expecting a guided tour of Scotland's treasures. In fact, I was left in the city center with no map and told to "check things out" while your employee went shopping in Princes Street. This was a long awaited trip and cost me over two years' hard work and saving. Although I do have positive memories of my trip (my English teachers were knowledgeable and inspiring), the accommodation and activity programme were wholly unsatisfactory. I would like to get my money back for the accommodation and would really appreciate a reply within the next two weeks. Yours sincerely, Jovan Gagic According to Jovan, the guide _ . A. organized cultural activities B. failed to perform duties C. had a good knowledge of the city D. received punishment for bad behavior Answer: B. failed to perform duties Imagine one day, the water taps in your house stop running. You have to buy water from shops. And still there isn't enough for everyone. Your mother has to save the family's shower water to do other things. Would you be able to stand that kind of life? Probably not. But _ 's what kids in Yemen are experiencing. Experts said Yemen is going to be the first country in the world to run out of water. According to a report, the capital, Sanaa, will run out of drinking water as early as 2025. Because of the shortage, the government often cuts the water supply. Hannan, an 18-year-old from Lahej, told the Times: "In a good week we'll have a water supply all week. But then the following week there will be water only for a day or two." Hannan said only rich people have enough water to use. They can buy water from the shops or from the water truck. Private companies own the trucks. They travel around the city every day to sell water - at very high prices. "A lot of people can't afford it," she said. The average person in Yemen uses 100 to 200 cubic meters of water per year. That is far below the international water poverty line of 1,000 cubic meters. The government is thinking of making use of seawater. But it will cost a lot and it may not happen soon enough to help the people of Yemen. We can infer from the text that _ . A. Sanaa will run out of water in 10 years B. Hannan is a teenager from a rich family C. the capital of Yemen is developing fast D. private companies make a lot of money Answer: D. private companies make a lot of money 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 of Robot City's citizens to scrap metal by refusing to sell the spare parts 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 an 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? A. A great cast. B. A poor plot. C. Special effects. D. Clumsy animation. Answer: B. A poor plot. Broken rubber bands and flat tires requiring replacement could soon be a thing of the past. French researchers have developed a new kind of rubber that can repair itself when broken.The new rubber is made from widely available materials including vegetable oil and a common industrial chemical.All the materials are considered safe to the environment and can be easily reused. The best part is that the new rubber can be repaired and used again and again without losing its strength or ability or stretch.When cut, the rubber can be made new again, simply by pressing the two broken ends back together. The product can be repaired at room temperature, around twenty degrees Centigrade;other self-healing materials require higher temperatures for repair. Traditionally, rubber substances are made from huge molecules connected by strong chemical links, or bonds.The new rubber is made of smaller molecules.The molecules are linked together using hydrogen bonds.When connected in this way, the molecules act like one long molecule, forming what is called supramolecular networks .When the rubber is cut, the molecules attempt to connect with whatever molecule is near them.When pressed together, the molecules are able to repair themselves at the molecular level, making the repaired rubber like new. However, time is an important element in the process.If the broken ends are not brought together quickly, a repair is not possible.This is because molecules will form bonds with molecules on their own side.The inventors say the surfaces of the rubber can be repaired within a week of being separated. The rubber is the creation of scientists at the Industrial Physics and Chemistry Higher Education Institution in Paris.The organization is part of France's National Center for Scientific Research.The new material is described in greater detail in the research publication Nature. If we want to know more about the technology of this kind of new rubber, where can we get the information? A. In the researchers' diary. B. In a guide book. C. In a research magazine. D. In a newspaper. Answer: C. In a research magazine. A little girl walked to and from school every day.Though it was not fine and clouds appeared in the sky that morning, the little girl made her daily trip to school as usual. When school was over, winds became stronger and it began to rain. The mother of the little girl felt worried that her daughter would be afraid when she walked home from school and that lightning might make her child scared. Following the bright light of lightning, the mother quickly got into her car and drove to her child's school. As the mother drove along the road, she saw her little girl walking alone in the rain. To her great surprise, she found that when a lightning came, her daughter stopped, looked up and smiled. Another lightning came and then another followed. With each lightning, the little girl stopped, looked up and smiled. Inside the car, the motherasked her daughter, "What were you doing? Why did you look up and smile when the lightning came ?" The little girl answered with a smile, "Mum, you know, God was looking at me. Each time I felt a little afraid walking in the rain.God would take a picture of me. I knew he was playing a game with me''. According to the article, we can know that the little girl was _ . A. shy B. brave C. nervous D. afraid Answer: B. brave
A friend asks me "Why don't Chinese go Dutch?" So I want to regard this question as the topic and write an article.As everyone knows,westerners will go Dutch while having a meal in the restaurant.But Chinese don't go Dutch.Chinese will pay the bill and check out generously.Westerners don't often entertain guests;but Chinese often invite friends to dinner.A lot of westerners feel puzzled to this question. Why does there exist such a difference? First of all,food systems between China and West are different.Chinese put into practice Gather Dining System;westerners put into practice Individual Dining System.Everybody can share the delicious food of all over the table when eating Chinese food.Please note it is sharing,but westerners just eat the food in one's own plate.If you eat beef and he eats chicken,it is impossible that you taste the flavor of his chicken.The result of the Individual Dining System is that you can only eat the food in your plate. So to eat Chinese food is happier than to eat Western-style food.And I want to ask you a question.Do you like the free thing? I think nobody doesn't like the free thing.Ok! Suppose I invite you to eat the delicious Chinese food,then I pay the bill.This is equivalent to that you have enjoyed a delicious Chinese food free.So you will be very glad.It will strengthen the relation between us in the happy atmosphere. Secondly,westerners eat for the health;Chinese eat for the friendship.Westerners advocate individualism and independence is strong.So westerners express that respect for each other's independence through the way go Dutch.Chinese like making friends and solidarity.Chinese value the interpersonal relationships and the friendship very much. Third,it is only simple "Have a meal!" for westerners to entertain guests.Unlike the purpose and the _ that Chinese entertain guests,in Americans' idea,"Have a meal" definition is to add fuel to the body for keeping health and normal life activity.That is to say,there is not any additional value.In the Chinese idea,"Have a meal" not only is a kind of life enjoyment,but also is the means to promote friendship between the friends.After enjoying the sumptuous delicious food,you are glad,and I am glad too.The friendship between the friends has been strengthened in this kind of atmosphere. What does "go Dutch" mean? A They will pay for the meal separately. B Either part will pay for the meal. C They will go to Dutch for a meal. D They can enjoy a meal free of charge. Answer: A Scientists have produced new evidence suggesting eating lots of red and processed meat damages health. They found big meat eaters had a raised risk of death from all causes over a 10-year period. In contrast, a higher intake of white meat was associated with a slightly reduced risk of death over the same period. The US study, based on more than 500,000 people, found those whose diet contained the highest proportion of red or processed meat had a higher overall risk of death, and specifically a higher risk of cancer and heart disease than those who ate the least. People eating the most meat were eating about 160g of red or processed meat per day-- approximately a 6oz steak. Those who ate the least were only getting about 25g per day-- approximately a small piece of bacon. Just the opposite, those who ate the highest proportion of white meat had a lower risk of overall death, and a lower risk of fatal cancer or heart disease than those who ate the lowest proportion. Meat is a major source of saturated fat, which has been associated with breast and colorectal cancer. In addition, lower meat intake has been linked to a reduction in risk factors for heart disease, including lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. The latest study adds to a growing body of research linking high red and processed meat consumption to an increased risk of ill health. Ed Yong, of the charity Cancer Research UK, said, "Evidence from large studies tells us that cutting down on processed food, such as bacon or burgers, can reduce the risk of dying from cancer and other diseases." Dr Barry Popkin of the University of North Carolina stressed there were health benefits from eating some red meat. But he added: "The need is for a major reduction in total meat intake, an even larger reduction in processed meat and other highly processed and salted animal source food products and a reduction in total saturated fat." Dr Mark Wahlqvist, a nutrition expert from Australia, said eating small amounts of red meat--around 30g a day--provided a good source of key nutrients. He said, "Fresh, lean red meat of these amounts is likely to be of more benefit than harm." What does the passage mainly talk about? A Too much red meat consumption contributes to ill health. B A well-balanced diet accounts for a healthy life. C A higher intake of white meat brings benefits. D Red meat contains saturated fat. Answer: A If you think English means endless new words, difficult grammar and sometimes strange pronunciation, you are wrong. Haven't you noticed that you have become smarter since you started to learn a language? According to a new study by a British university, learning a second language can lead to an increase in your brain power. Researchers found that learning other languages changes _ . This is the area of the brain which processes information. It is similar to the way that exercise builds muscles. The study also found the earlier people learn a second language, the greater the effect is. A team led by Dr. Andrea Mechelli, from University College London(UCL), took a group of Britons who only spoke English. They were compared with a group of"early bilinguals ", who had learnt a second language before the age of five, as well as a number of later learners. Scans showed that grey matter density in the brain was greater in bilinguals than in people without a second language. But the longer a person waited before mastering a new language, the smaller the difference was. "Our findings suggest that the structure of the brain is changed by the experience of learning a second language,"said the scientists. It means that the change itself increases the ability to learn. Professor Dylan Vaughan Jones of the University of Wales, has researched the link between bilingualism and maths skills. "Having two languages gives you two windows on the world and makes the brain more flexible,"he said,"You are actually going beyond language and have a better understanding of different ideas." The findings were matched in a study of native Italian speakers who had learned English as a second language between the ages of 2 and 34. Reading, writing and comprehension were all tested. The results showed that the earlier they started to learn, the better."Studying a language means you get an entrance to another world,"explained the scientists. We can learn from the passage that _ . A the researchers from UCL did another study in Italy B a similar study was done on native Italian speakers who learn English as a second language C the research done on the Italians showed a totally different result D it will be easier for one to travel around the world by learning a second language Answer: B Food serves as a form of communication in two fundamental ways. Sharing bread or other foods is a common human tradition that can promote unity and trust. Food can also have a specific meaning, and play a significant role in a family or culture's celebrations or traditions. The foods we eat--and when and how we eat them--are often unique to a particular culture or may even differ between rural and urban areas within one country. Sharing bread, whether during a special occasion or at the family dinner table, is a common symbol of togetherness. Many cultures also celebrate birthdays and marriages with cakes that are cut and shared among the guests. Early forms of cake were simply a kind of bread, so this tradition hits its roots in the custom of sharing bread. Food also plays an important role in many New Year celebrations. In the southern United States, pieces of corn bread represent blocks of gold for prosperity in the New Year. In Greece, people share a special cake called vasilopita. A coin is put into the cake, which signifies success in the New Year for the person who receives it. Many cultures have ceremonies to celebrate the birth of a child, and food can play a significant role. In China, when a baby is one month old, families name and welcome their child in a celebration that includes giving red-colored eggs to guests. In many cultures, round foods such as grapes, bread, and moon cakes are eaten at welcome celebrations to represent family unity. Nutrition is necessary for life, so it is not surprising that food is such an important part of different cultures around the world. The author explains the role of food in celebrations by _ . A using examples B making comparisons C analyzing causes D describing processes Answer: A At age 61, identical twins Jeanne and Susan no longer look exactly alike. Susan smoked for many years and is an admitted sun worshipper, whose habits Jeanne does not share. A new study of twins suggests you can blame those coarse wrinkles, brown or pink spots on too much time in the sun, smoking, and being overweight. Because twins share genes, but may have different exposures to environmental factors, studying twins allows an "opportunity to control for genetic susceptibility ," Dr. Elma D. Baron, at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio, and his colleagues explain in the latest issue of Archives of Dermatology. Their analysis of environmental skin-damaging factors in 65 pairs of twins hints that skin aging is related more to environment and lifestyle than genetic factors. But when it comes to skin cancer, the researchers say their findings support previous reports that both environment and genes affect skin cancer risk. Baron's team examined facial skin of 130 twins, 18 to 77 years old, who lived mostly in the northem Midwest and Eastern regions of the US, who were attending the Twins Days Festival in Ohio in August 2002. At this time, each of the twins also separately reported how their skin burned or tanned without sunscreen, their weight, and their history of skin cancer, smoking, and alcohol drinking. The study group consisted of 52 fraternal and 10 identical twin pairs, plus 3 pairs who were unsure of their twin status. From these data, the researchers noted strong ties, outside of twin status, between smoking, older age, and being overweight, and having facial skin with evidence of environmental damage. By contrast, sunscreen use and drinking alcohol appeared related to less skin damage. Baron and his colleagues say the current findings, which highlight ties between facial aging and potentially avoidable environmental factors--such as smoking, being overweight, and unprotected overexposure to the sun's damaging rays--may help motivate people to minimize these risky behaviors. The passage is mainly concerned with _ . A skin cancer and environment B identical twins research C aging skin and environmental factors D genes and lifestyles Answer: C
Question: Time Temp Glasses Are you a person who wants to know the time and temperature during the day? You might like Temp Glasses. These special glasses show the time above your right eye and the temperature your left eye. It is surely easier than wearing a wristwatch, and you never have to guess the Tature. Alarm Fork Do you eat too quickly? Do you eat too much? How can the Alarm Fork help you? Aren't you is ? Well, this special fork has two lights: one green and one red. When the green is on, it's OK to eat a piece of food. The fork "knows" when you eat a piece, and soon the red goes on. Wait for the green light before you eat another piece. Smell This Sow do you know if your breath smells nice, or if it smells bad? It's difficult It) know, because it's very hard to smell the air that comes out of your own mouth. Smell This is useful for this ion. Smell This covers your nose and your mouth. Docs your breath smell nice, or do you need a piece of gum ? Banana Suitcase Has this ever happened to you? You put a banana in your bag lunch in the morning, and when pen the bag at noon, the banana looks like someone drove a car over it. If you put your banana Banana Suitcase, this will never happen. It keeps a banana safe, delicious, and looking like a m! Who might use the Banana Suitcase? A. A person who eats bananas only at home. B. Someone who needs to throw away a banana. C. A person who has little interest in eating bananas. D. Someone who loves bananas and brings lunch to school every day. Answer: D Question: Do you dream of being a reporter? Are you a good English writer who loves the news? We're looking for 100 students from around the world. They will join the BBC Kid Reporter team for the 2015-2016 school year. In the past, BBC Kid Reporters have: Interviewed leaders and other people. Written news stories for BBC For Kids. Talked about their work on television.[ Next year our team will continue to report local news stories for BBC For Kids magazine and bbcforkids.com. How to Enter Visitwww.bbcforkids.comand fill in the entry form . Be sure to read the rules and share them with your parents, who must sign your form. Entries must be done by June 19, 2015. You must be OVER 13 years of age. Good luck! What will you do first of all to enter the BBC Kid Reporter team? A. Visit the website and fill in the entry form. B. Read the rules and share them with your parents. C. Ask your parents to sign your entry form. D. Do your entry on June 19, 2015. Answer: A Question: Some futurologists have assumed that the vast upsurge of women in the workforce may mean a rejection of marriage. Many women, according to this hypothesis, would rather work than marry. The converse of this concern is that becoming a multi-paycheck household could encourage marriage. In the past, only the earnings and financial prospects of the man counted in the marriage decision. Now, however, the earning ability of a woman can make her more attractive as a marriage partner. Data show that economic downturns tend to put off marriage because the parties cannot afford to establish a family or are concerned about rainy days ahead. As the economy comes to life, the number of marriages also rises. The increase in divorce rates follows to the increase in women working outside the home. Yet, it may be wrong to jump to any simple cause-and-effect conclusions. The impact of a wife's work on divorce is no less cloudy than its impact on marriage decisions. The realization that she can be a good provider may increase the chances that a working wife will choose divorce over an unsatisfactory marriage. But the reverse is equally plausible . Tensions grounded in financial problems often play a key role in ending a marriage. By raising a family's standard of living, a working wife may strengthen her family's financial and emotional stability. Psychological factors also should be considered. For example, a wife blocked from a career outside the home may feel caged in the house. She may view her only choice as seeking a divorce. On the other hand, if she can find fulfillment through work outside the home, work and marriage can go together to create a stronger and more stable union. Also, a major part of women's inequality in marriage has been due to the fact that, in most cases, men have remained the main breadwinners. A working wife may rob a husband of being the master of the house. Depending upon how the couple reacts to these new conditions, it could create a stronger equal partnership or it could create new insecurities. If women find fulfillment through work outside the home, _ . A. they are more likely to dominate their marriage partners B. their husbands are expected to do more housework C. their marriage ties can be strengthened D. they tend to put their career before marriage Answer: C Question: Toddler Teacher About the Job November 16, 2011 TITLE: Toddler Teacher LOCATION: Sinton & Falfurrias, TX . REQUIREMENTS: Must have an Associate's or Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Development. Must have a valid driver's license and a safe driving record. Bilingual (English/Spanish) ability is preferred. Three years of prior employment experience in a pre-school program is required. Computer skills, including the use of word processing software, are preferred. Must be able to pass a pr -employment physical, a criminal background check and fingerprint clearance. Since the toddlers are very young,, the teachers should be very patient and help them. GENERAL DUTIES: Responsible for the day-to-day supervision and operation of the assigned classroom. Application Deadline: Open Until Filled Apply At: Community Action Corporation of South Texas P. O. Drawer 1820 Alice, Texas 78332 Teacher About the Job Location: Falfurrias & Hebbronville, TX Requirements: An Associate or Baccalaureate degree in early childhood or a related field and three years of teaching experience in a licensed public school setting at a grade level no higher than elementary school. If employed with an Associate degree, must obtain a Baccalaureate degree within four years of employment. Bilingual ability (Spanish/English) is preferred. Good communication skills, in written and oral forms, are necessary. General Duties: Children here are older than toddlers. Their ages are from 4 t0 5. So the teacher will provide activities that support the growth and development of each child in the assigned classroom. Application Deadline: Open Until Filled Send Application to: Community Action Corporation of South Texas P. O- Drawer 1820 Smith, Texas 78333 If one wants to apply for the Toddler Teacher, he / she _ . A. must sing and dance well B. must be able to use word processing software C. must have a safe driving record D. must look very young Answer: C Question: Anne and Joseph are talking about an interesting question. Why do some people change their names? There can be many reasons. Hanna changed her name to Anne because she thought it would be easier for people to remember. On the other hand, Joseph is thinking about changing his name to an unusual name because he wants to be different. People have a lot of reasons for changing their names. Film stars, singers, sportsmen and some other famous people often change their names because they want names that are not ordinary, or that have special sound. They chose the "new name" for themselves instead of the name their parents gave them when they were born. Some people have another reason for changing their names. They have moved to a new country and want to use a name that is usual there. For example, Li Kaiming changed his name to Ken Lee when he moved to the United States. He uses the name Ken at his job and at school. But with his family and Chinese friends, he uses Li Kaiming. For some people, using different names makes life easier in their new country. In many countries, a woman changes her family name to her husband's after she gets married. But today, many women are keeping their own family name and not using their husband's. Sometimes, women use their own name in some situations and their husband's in other situations. And some use both their own name and their husband's. Which of the following statement is TRUE? A. Women have to change their names when they get married. B. Women can't use their husband's name without permission. C. If a singer becomes famous, he or she has to change his or her name. D. Some people changed their names in order to get much more attentions. Answer: D
Friendship is one of the basic bonds between human beings. While the characteristics of friendship might vary from one country to another, people from all cultures not only enjoy friends but need them. Many studies have shown that teenagers who have no friends often suffer from psychological disorders. It has been shown that teenagers, perhaps more than any other age group, need companionship and a sense of belonging. The negative consequences of loneliness have also been observed among the elderly. The death of a spouse often leaves a widow or a widower totally bereft . If, however, they are surrounded by friends and relatives and if they are able to articulate their feelings, they are more likely to recover from their grief. "No man is an island." In other words, we are all parts of society. We all need the love, admiration, respect and moral support of other people. If we are fortunate, our friends will provide us with all of these necessary aspects of life. As most people observe, there are many levels of friendship. The degree or intensity of friendship varies depending on the personality of the individuals involved and the context of the relationships. Extroverts enjoy being surrounded by many people whereas introverts are perhaps content with fewer but more intense friendships. Everyone is not equally open with all their friends. The degree of intimacy is determined by many factors. Close friends can be formed at any stage in one's life but they are usually very rare. Not very many people have more than a few really close friends. Irrespective of the level of intimacy, all friendships are based on reciprocity , honesty and a certain amount of love and affection. The degree of intimacy of friendship mainly depends on _ . Answer: Do you remember when your grandma told you the story of Snow White? Ah, the happy days of childhood! But did you know that Snow White comes from Germany? It's just one story from the 209 in Grimm's Fairy Tales (<<>> ). The Grimm brothers started to collect fairy tales in 1806. Their first book came out in 1812. Why are German fairy tales so interesting? Maybe it's because they come from a great place famous for its stories - the Black Forest. The Black Forest is in southwest Germany. It's the largest forest in the country - and one of the most beautiful. It's famous for its trees and lovely views, There are valleys and waterfalls there. It's a good place to start a story. Don't forget to bring something back if you visit. People there are good at making clocks, musical instruments and watches. From the story, we cannot guess that the Black Forest is very _ . Answer: I often walk dogs at an animal shelter near our house. When they see me, they look so happy, because they know they will get to go outside, play with me and get lots of love from me. -----Mandy, 12 Every weekend, I go to an animal shelter to help. They have adoption events at pet stores. I help out by talking to people about animals, feeding animals and making sure the cages are clean. It makes me feel great when a cat or dog gets a new home. ----Lucas, 11 Sometimes I do things for my neighbors and ask them to give me some money or clothes. Then I can give these to the unlucky people. ----Linda, 10 I love volunteering! Last week, I cleaned up the houses for people who couldn't do it themselves. I also made gifts for many women on Mother's Day. And I'll help the older people cook dinner next week. I love the feeling I get when the people smile and I know I made a difference in their life. ----Megan, 13 I volunteer at an after-school reading program. I help young children to learn how to read. My favorite part of it is seeing a little child feels excited when he or she learns a new word. ----Victoria, 12 Victoria is a volunteer to help _ . Answer: My friend Kathy and I were going to Colorado Springs for holiday. The only problem was, I didn't have any luggage to pack my belongings in. My friend Debbie offered to lend me a suitcase that belonged to her father, who had passed away long ago. "I don't know if you'll want to use it," she said so gently, "it's very old, worn out, and such an ugly yellow color1." I was so touched by her offer to lend something that belonged to her father, but I was also concerned about the possibility of it being damaged or lost. She insisted that I take it. So with the suitcase safely in hand, I boarded the train with Kathy. We spent two days and one night on the train, sleeping in our seats. As we slept, we were awakened at times, by the noises of the train pulling in and out of the stations. The next morning we eagerly awaited the announcement: Next stop, Colorado Springs. But suddenly, there came another announcement over the loud speaker. "During one of the overnight stops, many pieces of luggage were mistakenly removed from the train and left at the wrong location." Kathy and I just looked at each other, as I felt the disappointment swell. Could my worst fear be coming true, was Debbie's suitcase lost? Just then two train conductors passed our seats. One of them jokingly said to the other, "Did you ever see such an old, ugly, brighter yellow, piece of luggage in all of your life?" Before the other conductor could answer, I screamed, "YES, MY SUITCASE MADE IT!" The two conductors stopped in their tracks! and, very red in the face, couldn't seem to apologize enough for having insulted my suitcase. When I returned it, I couldn't wait to get the suitcase back into Debbie's safe hands. She asked, "Did everything go well on the trip?" Somehow, I just couldn't resist telling her what had happened. She laughed heartily. When I recall the golden suitcase, I'm reminded, that like the suitcase, we can see ourselves as too old, useless, worn out, and of little value. Or, we can take a closer look and realize that we are one of God's most valued creations -- unique, and holding inside our most valuable possessions -- that of love, faith, hope, and wisdom. After borrowing the suitcase, the author was worried about _ . Answer: Maybe you've heard of many musical bands, but have you heard of Little Big Town, a country musical group? There are four members in this band, Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, Jimi Westbrook and Phillip Sweet. They had a hard time when they began their band at first, but they didn't give up. Now it becomes very popular. "We take care of each other and we take care of the music," Karen Fairchild once said after one of their shows. As a fan of this band, I once had a chance to hang out with the members of Little Big Town. We talked about their hard beginning. At that time, they even didn't have their own stage. Fairchild also told me how the four of them were together when they were in trouble. Not only did they stand together on stage but also in their daily life. For example, they were right there when Phillip Sweet was caring for his daughter for the first time. They encouraged Kimberly Schlapman when they found her husband _ . At that time Kimberly was very sad to lose her husband. "When we have lived such a hard life together, it bonds us tightly," Phillip Sweet said. "We find true happiness is the joy of doing what we do for a living. We love the hard beginning. We also love the wonderful future." From the passage we know that _ . Answer:
Question: Travel is exciting and summer is a busy period for holiday travel. Many people will travel great distances in airplanes, cars or other vehicles. Experts say people should know about other health problems that can strike when traveling by air. One of these is a condition called hypoxia . It results from a lack of oxygen to the brain. Experts say the body begins losing oxygen minutes after an airplane leaves the ground. The air pressure in a plane during flight is lower than at sea level. This makes it more difficult for the body to effectively use the same amount of oxygen as it would on the ground. Fewer oxygen molecules cross the tissues in the lungs and reach the bloodstream. The result is a five to twenty percent drop in the amount of oxygen in the blood. This reduces the amount of oxygen that reaches the organs of the body. One effect of this lack of oxygen to the brain is a headache. When this happens, the heart attempts to _ by beating harder and faster. This can make the traveler feel tired. These signs of hypoxia are not dangerous in a healthy person. But a drop in oxygen level can cause a health emergency in people with heart or lung problems. They might lose consciousness or even suffer a heart attack. Experts say that smoking cigarettes and drinking alcoholic liquids also reduce the body's ability to use oxygen. So they suggest that people not drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes either before or during a flight. They also say persons with heart or lung problems should seek advice from their doctors before flying. Why should passengers not smoke or drink before flying? A. They weaken the body's ability to use oxygen. B. Smoking may pollute the air inside the airplane. C. Drinking alcohol may raise one's blood pressure. D. Drinking is forbidden at the airport. Answer: A Question: Harry, 13, wrote to us to say that even though he's older, he finds himself jealous of his brother Jonathan because he's a better skateboarder. Harry hates that he and Jonathan argue constantly about stupid things, like who gets to hold the TV remote or use the computer. Maybe Emily's situation will sound familiar to you. Her older sister, who's almost 14, gets a lot of clothes, while Emily, 10, only gets one set a year! She feels that her sister gets anything she wants because she's "almost a woman." Guess what ... they fight all the time, too. Every situation is different, but these kinds of problems are generally called "sibling rivalry . " When we're feeling jealous of a sibling, we're angry at him or her for doing or having something that we don't, and we're upset with ourselves for not being able to do or have that thing. The easiest way to express our anger is to fight with that sibling ... and it usually makes things worse. There is one really helpful way to beat the jealousy monster. Instead of focusing on what you don't have or who you aren't, focus on what you do have or who you are. Everybody has different goals, interests, skills and talents. You may be jealous that your sister is a star of swimming ... but maybe you're a great drummer. Instead of wishing you were good at sports, you can start a cool band with your friends! Life is not a head-to-head competition, and nobody's keeping score. If it seems like your siblings are keeping score, don't let it continue; let them know how you feel. You might also consider talking to an adult about how you can feel better about yourself. Maybe it means finding a great new hobby, or trying a different sport. Most importantly, remember that keeping feelings of jealousy to yourself is not going to make them go away. Talk about these emotions as soon as you feel them, so they don't get stuck inside you. This passage is mainly about _ . A. how to deal with sibling rivalry B. how to play favorites in your family C. what problems sibling rivalry causes D. what causes sibling rivalry Answer: A Question: Dear Betty, My roommate's family wants me to celebrate Thanksgiving Day with them in their home. I accepted the invitation, and I'm excited about going, but I'm a little nervous about it, too. The social customs in my country are different from those here, so I'm a little worried about making mistakes. Should I bring a gift, such as candy or flowers? Should I arrive on time or a little late? At the dinner table, how can I know which fork or knife to use? How can I let the family know that I'm thankful for their kindness? Yours, Knowing Nothing Dear Knowing Nothing, It's a good idea to bring a gift when you go to a dinner party. Flowers are always welcome, or you can bring a bottle of wine if you know the family drink it. You should arrive on time or five to ten minutes late. Don't get there early. If you are going to be more than fifteen minutes late, you should call and tell them. Try to relax at the dinner table. If you don't know how to use the right fork, knife or spoon, just watch the other guests, and follow them. If you still have no idea of what to do, don't be shy about asking the person next to you; it's better to ask them than to be silently uncomfortable and nervous. If you like the food, say so. Of course, you'll thank the host and hostess for the meal and for their kindness. It's also a good idea to send a card to thank them the day after. Yours, Betty Knowing Nothing wrote a letter to Betty to _ . A. tell Betty some good news B. ask for some advice C. answer some questions D. invite her to dinner Answer: B Question: If we were asked exactly what we were doing a year ago,we should probably have to say that we could not remember. But if we had kept a book and had written in it an account of what we did each day,we should be able to give an answer to the question. It is the same in history .Many things have been forgotten because we do not have any written account of them .Sometimes men did keep a record of the most important happenings in their country,but often it was destroyed by fire or in a war.Sometimes there was never any written record at all because the people of that time and place did not know how to write.For example,we know a good deal about the people who lived in China 4,000 years ago, because they could write and leave written records for those who lived after them.But we know almost nothing about the people who lived even 200 years ago in central Africa, because they had not learned to write. Sometimes, of course,even if the people cannot write,they may know something of the past.They have heard about it from older people,and often songs and dances and stories have been made about the most important happenings,and these have been sung and acted and told for many generations, for most people are proud to tell what their fathers did in the past.This we may call "remembered history".Some of it has now been written down. It is not so exact or so valuable to us as written history is,because words are much more easily changed when used again and again in speech than when copied in writing.But where there are no written records,such spoken stories are often very helpful. The passage suggests that we could have learned much more about our past than we do now if the ancient people had _ A. kept a written record of every past event B. not burnt their written records in wars C. told exact stories of the most important happenings D. made more songs and dances Answer: A Question: A back injury led Briton Rose Oliver to t'ai chi, which led her to her husband and then took both of them to China. But three years after moving to Shanghai to pursue their dream, Oliver's husband died, leaving her alone to follow their shared passion for t'ai chi. Twenty years ago, Oliver's back injury ruined her childhood dream of becoming a ballet dancer. But the injury did lead her to t'ai chi, a martial art typically practiced in slow motion. Her initial hope was to improve her health. She later married her instructor, Rey Nelson, and founded a school with him, teaching the martial art to more than 10, 000 students over eight years. The 49-year-old recalls the injury that left her bedridden for six months when she was 21 years old and with constant pain for decades. "I was active and could not bear resting in bed," she recalls."But the soft tissue injuries were hard to heal. I thought I had to find some way to recover my health." Oliver saw a poster for a t'ai chi class and decided to try the"mysterious exotic sport". She was struck by the beautiful movements and the"nice, patient instructor -- Nelson". The couple later opened a t'ai chi school in the United Kingdom that attracted thousands of people. But they found themselves in a bottleneck. "It was not enough for us to improve ourselves when we just learned from t'ai chi masters for two or four weeks a year,"she says. So the couple moved to Shanghai. They taught English in universities and happily learned t'ai chi under various masters. After years of practice, Oliver found her occasional backaches had disappeared. In 2003, her husband's death brought her much pain. She thought of giving up, but considering the career in which her husband took pride, she stuck to it. She says her t'ai chi"family"-- the masters and students -- also provided a great support network. Her then tutor was Dong Bing and Dong died in 2009 at the age of 88. She speaks of their first meeting:"I had been told that his skill was of a very high level and for some reason I had a mental image of a powerful, big man. But my fellow pointed to a small, thin old gentleman, sitting on the ground. "I felt amazed as I realized that this was the master himself, and then a sudden feeling of pleasure hit me. Of course this was exactly the kind of person who would be a t'ai chi master -- the last person you could imagine. "I learned attentively from him. He did not only teach me physically t'ai chi but also the philosophy of how to be a better person, how to keep going when you felt you were tired. "His idea is that one should not pursue wealth and fame but endeavor to be happy and share one's knowledge and wisdom with others." Following the master, Oliver learned to live a simple life -- one perhaps more traditional than many Chinese. She does t'ai chi in the morning and makes kung fu tea for guests. Ink-wash bamboo paintings hang on her apartment walls. Oliver spends her time outside t'ai chi teaching English and attending cultural exchange events. She founded the Double Dragon Alliance in 2005. The organization enables Chinese kung fu masters to teach martial arts to Westerners and organizes seminars and events for them to experience Chinese massage , acupuncture , traditional medicine, calligraphy and tea ceremonies. Because of her contribution to cultural exchange, Oliver was given the Shanghai Magnolia Award on Sept 30, 2013. The award, named after Shanghai's city flower, is given to foreigners who have made significant contributions to the city. Oliver was given the Shanghai Magnolia Award because of . A. her contributions to cultural exchange B. her excellent teaching in the university C. her high level of t'ai chi as a foreigner D. her bravery and courage to fight the disease Answer: A
UK education is all about giving you inspiration to develop your knowledge and skills, freedom to be creative, and support to help you achieve your best. On a UK course you will benefit from excellent teaching and facilities. In order to accept students, UK education centres must meet strict quality standards set by the UK government and education bodies. With such a good reputation for research and education, universities and colleges in the UK attract some of the world's leading academics and professionals. You will be encouraged to express your own ideas and think for yourself. The attention to quality is reflected in the UK's excellent results: Four of the top six universities in the world are in the UK. The UK is a world-leading research nation. 54% of the research conducted by UK universities and colleges is classed as either "world-leading" or "internationally excellent". At the most recent inspection, 97% of further education colleges were judged satisfactory or better, for their overall effectiveness. In the recent BIS Tracking International Graduate Outcomes survey, more than 88% of international higher education graduates said they were satisfied with their UK learning experience. Likewise, in the Higher Education Academy Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey of UK postgraduate students, 93% rated the quality of teaching positively. For English language students, you'll find the UK has long been at the forefront of language teaching, and pioneered many of the techniques now used around the world. The emphasis is on learning the language through fun and participation: Instead of just listening to your teacher, your classes will involve games, problem-solving and discussions. You might also listen to songs, watch television or read magazines to practise your comprehension skills. The UK's boarding schools also offer excellent teaching, facilities and support. At UK independent schools (most boarding schools are independent), a teacher has just 9.4 pupils on average, so teachers have more time to give you individual support. This is reflected in the results: 91% of students from UK independent schools go on to higher education. What's the purpose of the author to write this passage? A. To introduce the education in the UK. B. To make their students love the UK. C. To attract foreign students. D. To show his pride in the UK. Answer: C Do you forget to turn off the lights and heaters when you go out of a room? In 2040 it will not matter. They will turn themselves off--and on again when you return. You will choose the temperature for each room, the lighting and the humidity. A sensor will find the presence of a human (and, with luck, ignore the dog!) and turn the systems on, and when the humans leave it will turn them off again. The sensors will work through the central home computer, and they will do much more than just turn the fires and lights on and off for you. They will find faulty electrical appliances, plugs or switches, separate them so that they cannot harm anyone, and then warn you that they need repair. They will detect fire and if you are out of the house, the computer will call the fire brigade. It will not be too difficult because the locks on the outside doors will be electronic. You will open them using your personal card--the one you use for shopping--maybe using a number known only to you. It will be impossible to lose the key, and a housebreaker will have to tamper with the lock or with a window. It is not very difficult to make such tampering send a signal to the computer. The computer will be more than a fireman-policeman-servant. It will be an entertainer, and most of your entertainment will come right into your home. It does now, of course, but by 2040 "entertainment" will mean much more. For one thing, you will be able to take part actively, rather than just watching. Which of the following statements is NOT true? _ A. The sensor is multi-functional. B. Without a computer, the sensor cannot do much. C. The sensor will detect fire and make an emergency call. D. You can be taken for a housebreaker if you tamper with the lock or with a window. Answer: C Dear Mrs.Denner, Over the past five months, your husband has been causing quite a commotion in our store. Our complaints against Mr.Denner are listed below: July 2:Set all the alarm clocks in house-wares to go off at 5-minute intervals . July 7: Made a trail of tomato juice on the floor leading to the women's restroom. August 4: Took a bag of _ from the candy shelf and handed out to the passing children to eat. September 14:Moved a "CAUTION--WET FLOOR" sign to a carpeted area. September 15: Set up a tent in the camping department and told other shoppers he'd invite them in if they would bring pillows and blankets from the bedding department. September 23:When a clerk asked if they could help him ,he began crying and screamed,"Why can't you people just leave me alone?" October 4: Looked right into the security camera and used it as a mirror while he picked his nose. November 10: While handling guns in the hunting department, he asked the clerk where the antidepressants were. December 3:Darted around the store while loudly humming the "Mission Impossible" theme. December 6:In the auto department, he practiced his "Madonna look" by using different sizes of funnels. December 18:Hid in a clothing rack and when people looked through, yelled "PICK ME!PICK ME!" December 21:When an announcement came over the loud speaker, he assumed a fatal position and screamed "OH NO!IT'S THOSE VOICES AGAIN!" December 23:Went into a fitting room , shut the door, waited a while, and then yelled very loudly,"Hey! There's no toilet paper in here!" Our video surveillance cameras recorded all these. Never once did our reminding and warning work and therefore we are forced to ban him from the store. Regards, Wal-Mart How did the market get to know about Mr.Denner's strange behavior? A. From other shoppers. B. Through the cameras of the market. C. From the shop assistants. D. By talking with Mr.Denner. Answer: B There was once a lonely girl who longed so much for love. One day while she was walking in the woods she found two starving songbirds. She took them home and put them in a small cage, caring them with love. Luckily, the birds grew strong little by little. Every morning they greeted her with a wonderful song. The girl felt great love for the birds. One day the girl left the door to the cage open accidentally. The larger and stronger of the two birds flew from the cage. The girl was so frightened that he would fly away. So as he flew close, she grasped him wildly. Her heart felt glad at her success in capturing him. Suddenly, she felt the bird go weak, so she opened her hand and stared in horror at the dead bird. It was her desperate love that had killed him. She noticed the other bird moving back and forth on the edge of the cage. She could feel his strong desire--needing to fly into the clear, blue sky. Unwillingly, she lifted him from the cage and threw him softly into the air. The lucky bird circled once, twice, three times. The girl watched delightedly at the bird. Her heart was no longer concerned with her loss. What she wanted to see was that the bird could fly happily. Suddenly the bird flew closer and landed softly on her shoulder. It sang the sweetest tune that she had ever heard. Remember, the fastest way to lose love is to hold on it too tight; the best way to keep love is to give it wings! Why did the girl grasp the stronger bird wildly? A. Because the girl disliked the bird any longer B. Because the bird wanted to fly alone. C. Because the girl loved the bird deeply. D. Because the bird intended to find some food. Answer: C A survey has shown that what you do on a plane can be determined by which nationality is listed on your passport. According to the results of an international passenger survey, Australians are the biggest drinkers on board with 36 percent choosing to down the hatch, compared to 35 percent of Americans and 33 percent of Brits. The Airline Passenger Experience Association(APEX) spoke to around 1,500 people, aged 18 and older, who have travelled by plane at least once during the last three months and were living in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, China, Singapore, Australia and Brazil. The results found Chinese travelers are most likely to nod off once the seat-belt sign switches off. They are also the first to take out their credit card for some in-flight shopping and the biggest fans of gaming. Americans on the other hand like to use their time in the air more productively---- when not drinking---- choosing to work while flying at 35,000 feet. Meanwhile, Brits and Germans are the best at making chat with random strangers----spending 50 percent more time than any other nationality. Comparatively, Brazilians conduct their conversations online via email, messaging apps or social media. Despite plane food having a bad reputation, seven out of ten interviewees said they were happy to eat up on the selection of in-flight snacks and meals. In-flight magazines were also popular with four out of five passengers. The international flyers did however express their desire for better in-flight entertainment. "The industry has greatly improved the comfort, entertainment and onboard service, and passengers are accepting those improvements" said Russell Lemieux, APEX executive director. "At the same time, passengers are demanding more from their air travel experiences which will drive more improvements touching all aspects of the journey. " he added. What can you probably see in the flight according to the passage? A. Brazilians choose to drink. B. Americans do in-flight shopping. C. Germans chat to kill the time. D. The Chinese switch off the seat-belt sign. Answer: C
"You know, these cups bring to mind a tea quote I heard." Mary's aunt said. She poured tea. There were four of them and there were four totally different cups on the table. They took their tea cups. "What quote?" Mary asked. "Well, maybe I should rather say it is a story," aunt said, "I heard that there was a wise teacher who took all his students for tea. They were surprised that all the cups on the table were different. Each of them took a cup and started drinking their tea, each looking at the cups of others. The teacher let them do that for a while and then said,' Do you notice your behavior? You are all looking at each other's tea cup and I can see some of you with the broken ones are even envious of the finer cups of others. Is this not so?' " The students agreed, amused by their own behavior. "You may have wondered why you all had different cups, but I put them here on purpose. You see they represent life itself. Life is like that tea and the cups are like the physical circumstances of your life. You all got the same thing in your cups -- tea. And yet you can not truly enjoy it in your envy of another's cup. It's just the same with life. You forget to enjoy your own life when you concentrate on envying the circumstances of someone else's life. So now, close your eyes, and taste your own tea. Really taste it. And tell me -- did it matter from which cup it came from?" Aunt finished telling her short tea story and they all sat in silence for a while, tasting their tea. A sleepy fly buzzed past, a bird sang in the tree. And it really did not matter one bit from which tea cup they drank. In the passage the teacher's message to the students was that _ . Answer: At first all films were in black and white, but in 1932 the first color film was made. It proved as unpopular as making films had done in the late 1920's. It was not until 1938 that a full length color film was made, and the success of this film made producers everywhere change from black and white to color. This first full-length color film was translated into ten different languages and made Hollywood the main center( )of film industry In the early days of the cinema, other countries had also film industries. Very good films were made in Sweden, Britain, Russia and France. However, because Holleywood had so much money to spend, it kept its position as the world's most important film center. Film actors went to America because they knew they could get a lot of money for every film they made. In 1918 Charlie Chaplin (*)received $5 each day. However, life was not always easy for the film actors. Newspapermen followed them everywhere, and after Charlie Chapine married for the fourth time he became so unpopular with the American public that he had to leave the country and live in Europe. .. Life was sometimes difficult for actors because _ Answer: Dear Jenny, I am in Beijing, China now, but my parents are in the USA. I live with my brother Peter. Beijing is big and great. There are many beautiful places and much delicious food here. I like Beijing very much. Peter and I are in the same grade, but we are in different classes. We live far from the school and it takes us a long time to go to school. We have to get up at 6:20 in the morning, and then at 6:30 we ride bikes to the bus stop. It takes us about 20 minutes. At about 7:00, we take the bus to school. We get to school at about 7:30. We have four classes in the morning and two in the afternoon. I think Chinese is too difficult, but Peter thinks it is easy. He can speak Chinese very well and he often helps me with it. How is everything going with you in the USA? Write to me soon. Love, Kate ,. Which of the followings is TRUE? Answer: The Japanese government has launched a campaign encouraging people to go to bed and get up extra early in order to reduce household carbon dioxide emissions . The Morning Challenge campaign, launched by the Environment Ministry, is based on the belief that changing late night electricity for an extra hour of morning sunlight could greatly cut the nation's _ . A typical family can reduce its carbon dioxide footprint by 85kg a year if everyone goes to bed and gets up one hour earlier, according to the campaign. The amount of carbon dioxide emissions that might be saved from going to bed an hour earlier equals 20% of annual emissions from household lights. "Many Japanese people waste electrical power at night-time, for example, by watching TV until very late," a ministry spokesperson told The Daily Telegraph. "But going to bed early and getting up early can avoid wasting electrical power which causes carbon dioxide emissions. If people change their lifestyle, we can save energy and reduce emissions." The campaign also suggests that people take advantage of an extra hour of morning sunlight by improving their lifestyle in general by running, doing yoga and eating a nutritious breakfast. It is the latest initiative fighting climate change by the Japanese Environment Ministry, which is faced with the challenge of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 25% from the level of 1990 within the next decade. It was the same government department that launched the Cool Biz campaign five years ago, which encourages workers to wear short-sleeved shirts and offices not to turn air conditioner lower than 28 degrees Celsius during summer. By 2020, the Japanese hope to reduce carbon dioxide emission from the level of 1990 by _ . Answer: A Hong Kong Disneyland park admission ticket is your passport to a full day of magical adventures. Learn the ways to buy your tickets now. Three types of 1-day ticket are available: Ticket Type Price General Admission Ticket (aged 12--64) HK $ 499 Child Ticket (aged 3----11) HK $ 355 Senior Ticket (aged 65 or above) HK $ 100 Free admission for Child aged under 3. Book Online Now Purchase tickets conveniently through our website, then pick up your tickets starting from 1 hour after you have purchased online. Purchase Tickets Directly at Hong Kong Disneyland Ticket Express You can purchase tickets at the Hong Kong Disneyland Ticket Express, conveniently located at the MTR Hong Kong Station. Open from 9:00 am ---- 8:00 pm on Mondays to Fridays and from 9:00 am ---- 5:00 pm on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays. Purchase 2 Park Tickets at one of the following locations and receive a FREE limited-edition Disney gift: Avenue of Stars Kiosks You can purchase tickets at Avenue of Stars Kiosks in Tsim Sha Tsui. Open daily from 9:00 am ----10:30 pm. Asia World-Expo Box Office You can purchase tickets at Asia World-Expo Box Office. Open Mondays to Fridays from 10:00 am ---- 6:00 pm. Reserve Tickets for Hotel Guest As a hotel Guest of Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel or Disney's Hollywood Hotel, Park tickets are reserved for your purchase at front desk. Open daily from 9:00 am ---- 8:00 pm. Buy at Hong Kong Disneyland Main Entrance Guests can purchase tickets on the day of their visit at the Main Entrance Ticket Booths or Guest Relations Windows. Open daily from 30 minutes before Park opening until Park closes. For a young couple with a 2-year-old kid spending a day in the park, they have to pay at least _ . Answer:
Everybody knows that words can carry messages. People communicate with words. Books, magazines, TV,radio and films all help us to know what is going on in the world and what people are thinking about. Do you think you can communicate without words? A smile on your face shows you are happy or friendly. Tears in your eyes tell others that you are sad. When you put up your hand in class, the teacher knows that you want to say something or ask a question. You shake your head, and people know you are saying "No". You nod and people know you are saying "Yes". Other things can also carry messages. For example, a sign at the bus stop helps you to know which bus to take. A sign on the wall of your school helps you to find the library. Signs on doors tell you where to go in or out. Have you ever noticed there are a lot of signs around you and you receive messages from them all the time? People can communicate in many ways without words. For example, an artist can use his drawings to tell about beautiful mountains, seas and many other things. Which of the following is NOT a way for communication without words? A. A cry for help B. A smile on your face C. Making a face D. Nodding your head Answer: A English songs have been very popular for people around the world for many decades. Songs from Elvis Presley to Ricky Martin, from the Beatles to Eminem and from Natalie Cole to Britney Spears have all been enjoyed by people around the world, even for people who don't speak English, and even for people who speak zero English. From my experience, some people listen to English songs for 20-30 years but still don't achieve any good English skills. Some people choose English songs to be their main learning method, but most of them fail. Listening to English songs does not help you to speak English fluently. It does help you gain some vocabulary, but most of these words are unusual ones that you don't use in everyday life. You won't learn the sentence "It is a difficult project. We really need to meet the deadline." in any English songs. All you will hear are love, passion, affection, hate and blue, for the feeling, not the color1. People like using English songs to practice English skills because it's easy and enjoyable. They think that sitting in the car listening to English songs day after day will improve their English skills. It actually will not. You will definitely not improve your listening skills because normal people don't speak with a tune. People don't talk like Eminem's songs. You can't get yourself familiar with English pronunciation or accent just from listening to English songs. The words that they pronounce in the songs are not the words that you will hear in your everyday life. They can even confuse you more about how English is pronounced. I would fully encourage you to watch English movies and listen to radio news or other normal talks, but not music. Of course, you can consume it for fun but not with the aim of improving your English skills. Having good English skills is not that easy. Remember you should work hard to improve your English step by step.ks5u It can be inferred from the passage that the writer may be _ . A. an experienced English learner B. a well-known pop singer C. a Chinese music fan D. an American teacher Answer: A Every ten years there is a national census to count the number of people. The Census Office asks every household to answer questions on a census form. The census counts... * the number of people in each area * the numbers of men and women and whether they are single, married, widowed or divorced * how many children there are, how many teenagers, people in their twenties, thirties, forties... retired people and so on The census counts people by... * the kind of housing they live in * the country in which they were born * the kind of job they do and how they travel to work Some uses of the census: Housing: to work out present and future needs we must know how people are housed now, and the sizes and ages of their families. Hospitals, schools and other local services: the size of annual grants made by the Government to these services depends largely on the numbers and needs of people in the area. Many of the figures come from the census. Planning: the census shows how many people have moved from one area to another and how the local workforce is changing. This information is used when factories, offices, shops, public transport and places for leisure are being planned. In strict confidence The census is taken in order to provide figures about the nation as a whole; it does not give information about any named person, family or household. Names and addresses are needed to take the census accurately, but they are not fed into the computer. After the census, the forms are locked away and will not be released to anyone outside the Census Office for 100 years. The answers you give on your census form will be treated in strict confidence. NO one outside the Census Office will see your completed form. Everyone working on the census is sworn to secrecy and can be charged if he or she improperly reveals information. The census shows the changes that have taken place regarding _ . A. the size of hospitals in the area B. the types of public transport in the area C. the number of people who work in the area D. the use of power in the area Answer: C Interactive Home-security Systems Tarik Celebi, who lives in San Francisco suburb, takes his home-security system with him to work, to dinner, just about anywhere.By his cell phone, he "arms" his home-security alarm from his car before he leaves for work.During his workday, he gets e-mail alerts every time his front door opens, even though he's miles away.If the door opens at an unusual time -say midday when no one should be coming or going - he can order a 30-second video clip from the camera that watches the door.If it's just his mother-in-law getting a package delivery, no worries. Celebi is one of the first users of the latest interactive home-security systems.In addition to sounding alarms when the house is broken into and notifying homeowners or police, as traditional systems do, the interactive systems give users new ways to remotely control their systems and their home environment.Different from traditional home-security alarms, which homeowners typically have to press buttons on a keypad to turn on before they leave their homes, the interactive systems enable consumers to arm and disarm systems from smart phones, iPads and PCs, no matter where they are. Most traditional systems are set up to sound an alarm if doors or windows are opened. The interactive systems give homeowners more options.For example, users can elect when they want to be notified.They might want an e-mail or a text every time a door is opened, or only during the hours of 3 to 4 p.m., when kids come home from school.Like Celebi, they can add cameras and get video clips when doors open.That could be helpful in making sure kids aren't bringing friends home when they're not supposed to. Nationwide, about 20% of homes have.traditional home-security systems.About half stop using them because they tire of the trouble.Being able to arm systems even while dashing to the subway or while at work will increase their usage of the new interactive systems.Although the new functions add costs to home security, the interactive-systems are believed to push home-security systems' usage rates closer to 30%, which would be a big movement for an industry that's been largely stuck at 20% for the past decade."We all know it's going to get bigger, though we don't know how long it's going to take," Eric Taylor, an officer from San Francisco Security Department says. What's the advantage of the interactive systems over the traditional ones? A. They are cheaper. B. They are easier to set up. C. They can give quicker reaction. D. They have more ways to inform the users. Answer: D Last week my youngest son and I visited my father at his new home in Tucson, Arizona. He moved there a few years ago, and I was eager to see his new place and meet his friends. My earliest memories of my father are a tall, handsome, successful man devoted to his work and his family, but uncomfortable with his children. He seemed to expect too much of me. He seemed unhappy with me unless I got straight A's and unhappy with my boyfriends if their fathers were not as "successful" as he was. Whenever I went out with him on weekends, I used to feel very nervous. On the first day of my visit, we went out with one of my father's friends for lunch at an outdoor cafe. We talked along that afternoon, did some shopping, ate on the street table, and laughed over my son's funny facial expressions. Gone was my father's critical air and strict rules. After my visit to Tucson , My father seemed to be so friendly and gentle. What had held him back before? The next day dad pulled out his childhood pictures and told me quite a few stories about his own childhood. Although our times together became easier over the years, I never felt closer to him at that moment. After so many years, I'm at last seeing another side of my father. And in doing so, I'm delighted with _ . My dad, in his new home in Arizona, is back to me from where he was. When the writer went out with her father on weekends, she would feel very _ . A. nervous B. sorry C. tired D. safe Answer: A
Question: Hundreds of years ago, Native-American tribes lived in Mexico. The Aztecs built beautiful cities. They had a calendar and a written language. However, the Spanish destroyed the Aztecs in l521. For the next 300 years, Spain ruled over Mexico. That's why Mexicans speak Spanish. Every September l6 the Mexican people hold a celebration in Mexico City, their country's capital. It is their Independence Day. On that date in 1821 they told Spain they would no longer be ruled. Breaking free from Spain caused a war. When it was over, the Mexicans had their own government. They made their own laws. Today America and Mexico are friends, but it wasn't always that way. President James Polk wanted America to reach from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. He tried to buy what is now the American southwest from Mexico. Mexico would not sell. So from l846 to 1848 Mexico and America fought a war to ascertain where their borders would be. When the war ended, Mexico had lost a lot of land. Now the Rio Grande River forms the border between the two nations. America is on the north side of the river. Mexico is on the south side. Mexico has mountains and a hot, dry climate. Crops can grow on only a small part of the land. Still, Mexicans grow much of the coffee, oranges, and sugar used in the US. Mexicans have influenced building styles in southwestern US and added words such as patio and canton to American English. Americans also enjoy eating many Mexican foods like burritos, tacos, tortillas, and tamales. The passage says that President Polk wanted _ . A. the US to expand its borders to the Pacific Ocean B. Mexico to change its Independence Day to July 4th C. Mexico to become one of the states of the Union D. Americans to adopt the Mexican language Answer: A Question: Innes worked as a secretary in an office in a building occupied partly by her employer and partly by Glass, a retail store. The two areas were separated by walls and were in no way connected, except that the air conditioning unit served both areas and there was a common return-air duct. Glass began remodeling, and its employees did the work, which included affixing a plastic surfacing material to counters. To fasten the plastic to the counters, the employees purchased glue, with the brand name Stick, that was manufactured by Steel, packaged in a sealed container by Steel, and retailed by Paint Company. In the course of the remodeling job, one of Glass' employees turned on the air conditioning and caused fumes from the glue to travel from Glass through the air conditioning unit and into Innes' office. The employees did not know that there was common ductwork for the air conditioners. Innes was permanently blinded by the fumes from the glue. The label on the container of glue read, "DANGER. Do not smoke near this product. Extremely flammable. Contains butanone, toluol, and hexane. Use with adequate ventilation. Keep out of the reach of children." The three chemicals listed on the label are very toxic and harmful to human eyes. Steel had received no reports of eye injuries during the 10 years that the product had been manufactured and sold."If Innes asserts a claim against Paint Company, the most likely result is that she will A. recover if she can recover against Steel. B. recover, because Innes was an invitee of a tenant in the building. C. not recover unless Paint Company was negligent. D. not recover, because the glue came in a sealed package Answer: A Question: Sterling silver is a combination of silver and copper. Which of the following is also a combination of two or more metals? A. aluminum. B. lead. C. gold. D. brass. Answer: D Question: Happy Farm is an online game. It is very popular among people in China. The game offers you a piece of empty land and some seeds at first. You are like the farmer. If your land is small, you can spend some money to make it big. And you must harvest your things on the farm on time, or some other farmers will steal your fruits, vegetables, milk, eggs and so on. Of course, you can steal theirs. If you want to make money, you must sell your things out. Some Chinese websites have offered this game to its users. So far, it is said that about 16 million Chinese people are playing this game. Some people were so crazy that they even get up in the midnight to harvest their crops and steal others'. Happy Farm brings happiness to people. It is really a fascinating game. But it also brings many problems. It is reported that a baby died in a hospital just because the doctor didn't give him timely treatment. Do you know what the doctor was doing? He was playing Happy Farm! There are many stories like this. What does the writer think of this game? A. It is not interesting at all. B. People shouldn't be crazy about it. C. People must get up early to steal crops. D. People may play it when they are at work. Answer: B Question: Each Sunday, people can hear the music of the Mission Dolores Basilica in San Francisco. The Spanish missionaries built the church in 1791. It was the start of a special kind of neighborhood: the Mission District. The area is a place with a long and varied history. One community member says that it's important for people to understand the many levels of history in the neighborhood. He feels that _ is a big part of understanding what it means to be a real San Franciscan. One of the most interesting parts of the district is its people. Over the years, immigrants have come to the area from Ireland, Germany, and Italy. But the most recent immigrants are mainly from Latin America. It's easy to see the style that these recent additions give to the neighborhood. You can see it in the art on the walls, taste it in the food, and hear it in the music! Juan Pedro Gaffney, the director of the Spanish Choir of San Francisco, says that the people there share the pain and the happiness of their friends and family members and that music has always been a basic part of cultural identity in the district. He feels that the music of the district is colorful and lively. But it isn't just its music that's colorful and lively. Its art is full of life as well. The local art community stays close to the area's culture and tradition. A local arts organization often leads people on walks through the district. They visit streets like Balmy Alley, which is famous for its murals . Even though the meanings behind the murals are always changing, they are still very powerful. One artist explains that they are fighting for fairness in the community and to help the environment through murals. Apparently, they're something the community likes. Many of these artists feel that the district is a successful neighborhood where new immigrants are welcome. "People see that they're not so different from each other," says one artist. "There are a lot of things that bind the immigrants through culture and tradition." What would be the best title for the passage? A. The Mission Dolores Basilica B. A Special Type of Neighborhood C. Music of the Mission District D. The Spanish Choir of San Francisco Answer: B
A man went to buy a piece of meat. As he didn't know how to cook meat, he asked the butcher to tell him the way of cooking it. The butcher told him how to cook it, "But I can't remember your words," the man said. "Will you please write them down for me?" The butcher was kind enough to write them down for him. The man went home happily with the meat in his hand and the note in his pocket . A dog followed him on the way. It jumped at him, took the meat away and ran off. The man stood there, not knowing what to do. Then he laughed and said, "never mind. You don't know how to eat it. The note is still in my pocket." In order to remember what the butcher said, he asked the butcher _ . to teach him again An animal can use what to help find a partner beautiful vibrant tail plumage Batteries are included, but the charger's not. The Nokia E-Cu concept phone doesn't need to plug in, it charges from any heat source. Designer Patrick Hyland says it can even work off the warmth of your pocket. The first time "it would take approximately seven hours to reach full charge, then after that it's continuously charging by keeping the phone in areas between 86 degrees and 104 degrees Fahrenheit." That's one hot pocket.? He's put a thermogenerator inside the phone that transforms heat into electric potential energy. To better conduct the heat to that little power plant in your pocket, the E-Cu (E for energy, Cu for copper) is coated by copper backing with heat sinks like those normally used to keep electronics from overheating. Nokia doesn't have current plans to build the phone, so for now it remains a concept. But Hyland says he's open to anyone who wants to cooperate. For Americans this technology would certainly be convenient. It would also save a bit on energy bills and waste. "Annually, unwanted phone chargers produce 51,000 tons of waste in addition to the greenhouse gases created by the production of the electricity needed to charge them," Hyland says. So a charger-free phone is also a green phone. Though adapting our plug in habits would help a group of people, most cell phone related energy use comes from leaving your charger plugged in all day unnecessarily. The real potential for charger-free cell phone technology is what it could enable places where plugging in isn't an option, like rural areas in the developing world. Cell phones are spreading faster than power lines and bringing with them countless opportunities, aid and health advances. A phone like the E-Cu, if it ever comes to be, would enable all manner of expanded aid and development by phone projects. Let's hope Patrick finds a partner. What is the best title of the text? Charging Your Phone from Pockets Some people like to get up early, but some do not. In fact, it is really good for us to get up early every day. Maybe those who don't like getting up early will not believe this, but it is true. Scientists made a survey in about one thousand people, and then they found that early rising people had less disease than late rising people, and early rising people also look healthier than late rising people, and so on. So we may know early rising is helpful in more than one way. First, it helps to keep us healthy. We all need fresh air. But air is never so fresh as early in the morning. Besides, it is useful to do morning exercises. Secondly, early rising helps us in our studies. In the morning we learn more quickly and find it easier to understand what we learn. Thirdly, early rising can give us a plan of our work for the day. We cannot work well without a good plan. Fourthly; early rising gives us enough time to get ready for our work, such as to wash our hands and faces and eat our breakfast. Late risers may find it difficult to form the habit of early rising. They have to make an effort to do so. As the English proverb says, "Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise. " Air is the freshest _ according to the passage. in the morning NASA has opened the door to the next generation of space discovery by announcing great plans for a base for humans to live on the surface of the moon forever. The project to build a base on the moon will begin soon after 2020, with astronauts living there within four years. The project comes after several excellent scientists and environmentalists asked humans to look beyond Earth to ensure the survival of the species . Eventually, the moon will be a base for humans to explore the solar system and one day land on Mars. NASA began planning for the first moon landing since 1972 when George Bush, the US president, announced his new plan for space exploration four years ago. NASA has already talked about the design of the Orion spacecraft that will replace the old space shuttle fleet in 2010. The plan for the moon base, however, is the first detailed explanation of how NASA intends to prepare for the first manned exploration of deep space and a possible Mars mission within 30 years. Scientists also believe that the south pole on the moon contain rich natural gases such as the rare helium-3 that could be used as fuel for the generation of nuclear power. Besides, teams of astronauts living there for six months at a time would mine for hydrogen and oxygen to make water and possibly rocket fuel. The passage mainly talks about _ . the USA's new plan for space exploration
We have all experienced days when everything goes wrong.A day may begin well enough,but suddenly everything seems to get out of control.It seems as if a single unimportant event may cause a number of things to happen.Let us suppose that you are preparing a meal and keeping an eye on the baby at the same time.The telephone rings and this means your troubles are beginning.While you are on the phone,the baby pulls the table-cloth off the table,destroying your half-prepared meal.You hang up hurriedly and attend to your baby.Meanwhile,the meal gets burnt.As if this were not enough to bring you to tears,your husband arrives,unexpectedly bringing three guests to dinner. Things can go wrong on a number of people on the road. During the rush hour one evening two cars hit each other and both drivers began to argue.The woman driver behind the two cars happened to be a learner.She suddenly got into a panic and stopped her car.This made the driver following her stop suddenly.His wife was sitting beside him holding a large cake.As she was thrown forward,the cake went right through the window and landed on the road.Seeing a cake flying through the air,a truck-driver had to stop his truck all of a sudden.The truck was carrying empty beer bottles and hundreds of them slid off the back of the truck on the road.This led to yet another angry argument.Meanwhile,the traffic piled up behind.It took the police nearly an hour to get the traffic on the move again.In the meanwhile,the truck-driver had to sweep up hundreds of broken bottles.Only two dogs were enjoying themselves from the accident,for they were happily having what was left of the cake.It was just one of those days! In the writer's opinion_. A. accidents may happen anytime B. troubles always come in groups C. a small matter may cause great trouble D. anyone may have trouble any day Answer: B. troubles always come in groups China's second manned space flight will be done by two astronauts over five days in 2005. "Shenzhou-VI will be sent into space sometime in 2005," said Zuo Saichun, a spokesperson of the China Aerospace Science and Technology (CAST). "The spacecraft will make new breakthroughs in China's manned space technology." Unlike Shenzhou-V, a little more than a year ago (in October, 2003), the next flight will see two astronauts fly in space for five days. Their capsule is designed to be capable of orbiting for a whole week, the spokesperson said. "For the first time, astronauts will enter and live in the orbital module of the spacecraft to do scientific experiments," said a statement from CAST. CAST did not say what those experiments will be. In Shenzhou-VI, scientists have changed the spacecraft's configuration to reduce its weight, and tried to improve the performance of on-board equipment. They have also worked to make sure of the energy supply of the spacecraft and further improve its safety. So far, scientists have worked out ways to solve problems on environmental control and life support. Shenzhou-VI will be sent into orbit atop a Long March 2F rocket. Meanwhile, a model of the Chang'e-1 satellite is expected to be sent to orbit the moon in two years. The satellite, part of the three-stage programme, would be followed by the landing of an unmanned vehicle on the moon in the second stage by 2010 and collecting samples of lunar soil by 2020 in the final stage, according to Sun Laiyan, director of the China National Space Administration. According to the passage, the following problems should be solved before Shenzhou-VI is sent into space EXCEPT _ . A. environmental control B. energy supply C. life support D. lunar soil collecting Answer: D. lunar soil collecting Tiny transmitters fixed on the backs of the blue-green bees have allowed scientists to follow the insects as they fly for miles in search of rare flowers. Working in Panama, scientists caught 17 bees of the common species and fixed a 300 milligram radio light onto the back of each. The signals they sent out were used to follow their movements in and around the forest where they lived. Professor Martin, from Princeton University, US, and the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in Germany, said, "By following the radio signals, we discovered that male bees spent most of their time in small centre areas, but could take off and visit areas farther away. One male even crossed over the shipping lanes in the Panama Canal, flying at least 5km, and returned a few days later." Researchers have struggled to follow the movements of bees before, following bees marked with paint or using radar which doesn't work well in forests. "Carrying the transmitter could reduce the distance that the bees travel, but even if the flight distances we record are the shortest distances that these bees can fly, they are impressive, long-distance movements," said Dr. Roland Kays, from New York State Museum, a co-author of the research published today in the on-line journal. "This result helps to explain how these bees' pollination can be so rare." Pollination by bees and other insects is the key to the diversity and continued growth of flowers and trees in some forests. The new study is the first to use radio transmitters to follow bees in a forest. Similar research may now be carried in temperate forests, where bees also play a vital role. Researchers follow the movements of bees mainly to _ A. learn how far they can fly at most B. discover how they affect the plants C. correct some wrong ideas about bees D. get to know where they enjoy living Answer: B. discover how they affect the plants Here are some of the fastest animals in the animal world. Let me tell you that a man can run 20 to 25 miles an hour. Heavy people can not run very fast. But some heavy animals can.Black rhinos are more than 3,500 pounds. They can run almost 30 miles an hour. Cheetahs are the fastest land animal over short distances .They can run over 70 miles an hour. But they get tired quickly and usually stop after a few minutes.Pronghorn antelopes are the fastest animals over long distances. They can run 35 miles an hour for many miles. Their top speed is more than 50 miles an hour.Ostriches can't fly, but they can run faster than other birds. They can run 43 miles an hour for a short distance. And can keep up a speed of more than 30 miles an hour over long distances. The top speed of pronghorn antelopes may be over _ miles an hour. A. 20 B. 30 C. 35 D. 50 Answer: D. 50 a learned characteristic is a A. a baby having the same color eyes as parent B. toddler banging with a stick while parent hammers C. a child covered with freckles D. infant diagnosed with sickle cell anemia Answer: B. toddler banging with a stick while parent hammers
For as long as humans have lived on the earth, they have made use of various forms of communication. Generally, this expression of thoughts and feelings has been in the form of oral speech. When there is a spoken language problem, communication can be carried out through sign language, in which gestures stand for letters, words, and ideas. Tourists and people unable to hear or speak have often had to turn to this form of expression. When gestures describe words or ideas, they can often be used internationally. When used for spelling words however, where each gesture stands for a single letter, people must share the same written language. Body language sends ideas or thoughts by certain actions, either meaningfully or not. A wink can be a way of showing that the person is only joking. A nod means agreement, while shaking the head indicates disagreement. Other forms of language can be found in Braille (a reading system of raised dots read with the fingertips used by the blind), signal flags, Morse code, and smoke signals. Road maps and picture signs also guide and warn people. While language is the most common form of communication, other systems and techniques also express human thoughts and feelings. Which of the following ways can not be used as a form of communication? "Clean your plate!" and "Be a member of the clean-plate club!" Just about every kid in the US heard this from a parent or grandparent. Often, it's accompanied by an appeal: "Just think about those starving orphans in Africa." Sure, we should be grateful for every bite of food. Unfortunately, many people in the US take too many bites. Instead of "cleaning the plate', perhaps we should save some food for tomorrow. According to news reports, US restaurants are partly to blame for the growing bellies(,). A waiter puts a plate of food in front of each customer, with two to four times the amount recommended by the government, according to a USA Today story. Americans traditionally associate (......) quantity with value and most restaurants try to give them that. They prefer to have customers complain about too much food rather than too little. Barbara Rolls, a nutrition professor at Pennsylvania State University, told USA Today that restaurant portion(,) sizes began (or grew) in the 1970s, the same time that the American waistline began to expand . Health experts have tried to get many restaurants to serve smaller portions. Now, apparently, some customers are calling for this too. The restaurant industry trade magazine QSR reported last month that 57 percent of more than 4,000 people surveyed believe restaurants serve portions that are too large; 23 percent had no opinion; 20 percent disagreed. But a closer look at the survey indicates that many Americans who can't afford fine dining still prefer large portions. Seventy percent of those earning at least $150,000 per year prefer smaller portions; but only 45 percent of those earning less than $25,000 want smaller. It's not that working-class Americans don't want to eat healthily. It's just that, "after long hours at low-paying jobs, getting less on their plate hardly seems like a good deal. They live from paycheck, happy to save a little money for next year's Christmas presents." Which of the following is NOT true of working-class Americans? Here are a lot of different cakes-fruit cakes,chocolate cakes,etc.Sometimes we buy them in a shop.Sometimes we make them ourselves. We like cakes.We like Christmas cakes a lot.My mother often makes cakes for us at Christmas.And I often help her to make them.To make a Christmas cake,we need these things: Half a kilo of flour ; 3 cups of milk; 4 eggs and some fruit,etc. Now we can make a cake with those things. What do we need to make a cake? After a whiteout you need to 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. Pace's research into showers shows that _ .
Consult the page adapted from an English dictionary and do Questions 53-56. Important words to learn: E Essential I Improver A Advanced shoot [Su:t] ^verb (shot, shot) WEAPON-1 E to fire a bullet or an arrow, or to hit, injure or kill a person or animal by firing a bullet or arrow at them: If he's not armed, don't shoot. [?]The kids were shooting arrows at a target.[?]She was shot three times in the head.[?]He has a license to shoot pheasants on the farmer's land. [?]A policeman was shot dead in the city centre last night. [?] The troops were told to shoot to kill. SPORT-2 A to try to score points for yourself or your team, in sports involving a ball, by kicking, hitting or throwing the ball towards the goal: He shot from the middle of the field and still managed to score. MOVE QUICKLY-3 A to move in a particular direction very quickly and directly: She shot past me several meters before the finishing line. [?] He shot out of the office a minute ago - I think he was late for a meeting.[?]They were just shooting off to town so we didn't stop to speak. shooter ['Su:t@] noun[C]He's thought to be the best shooter in the league. ^idioms have shot your bolt UK INFORMAL to have already achieved all that you have the power, ability or strength to do and to be unable to do more: He started off the game well but seemed to have shot his bolt by half-time. * shoot yourself in the foot to do something without intending to which spoils a situation for yourself * shoot your mouth off INFORMAL to talk too much in a loud and uncontrolled way: It's just like Richard to go shooting his mouth off about other people's affairs. * shoot for the moon US to ask for the best or the most you could hope for: You might as well shoot for the moon and ask for a promotion as well as a raise. * shoot questions at sb to ask someone a lot of questions very quickly, one after the other: He shot questions at me so quickly that I didn't even have time to answer. * shoot the breeze US INFORMAL to talk with someone or a group of people about things which are not important: We sat out on the porch, just shooting the breeze. ^ phrasal verbs shoot sth down to destroy an aircraft or make an aircraft, bird, etc. fall to the ground by shooting at it: He was killed during the war when his plane was shot down. shoot sb down to shoot and usually kill someone, showing no sympathy: I saw Tom shoot him down like a dog in the street. shoot for/at sth US to try to do something: It's worth taking chances when you're shooting at a chance of fame and wealth. shoot out If opposing groups or people armed with guns shoot it out, they shoot at each other until one of the groups or people is dead or defeated. shoot through AUSTRALIAN INFORMAL to leave a place very quickly, especially in order to avoid having to do something shoot up INCREASE-INFORMAL to grow in size, or increase in number or level, very quickly: David has really shot up since I saw him last. [?]Prices shot up by 25%. ^ noun PLANT-1[C]the first part of a plant to appear above the ground as it develops from a seed, or any new growth on an already existing plant: Two weeks after we'd planted the seeds, little green shoots started to appear. [?]FIGURATIVE The first green shoots (="hopeful" signs) of economic recovery have started to appear. FILM-2[C USUALLY SINGULAR] when photographer take a series of photographs, usually of the same person or people in the same place: We did a fashion shoot on the beach, with the girls modeling swimwear. WEAPON-3[C]an occasion on which a group of people go to an area of the countryside to shoot animals shooting ['Su:tiNG] noun 1 A [U]when bullets are shot from guns or other weapons: We heard some shooting in the night. 2 A [C]when someone is injured or killed by a bullet shot from a gun: There have been a number of shootings in the capital this week. 3[U]the sport of shooting animals or birds: pleasant/grouse shooting [?] He goes shooting most weekends. What does the phrase "green shoots" mean in "You will be bound to see that the green shoots of your English level start to grow."? There once lived a rich businessman who had a lazy son. The businessman wanted his son to realize the value of labour and said: "Today, I want you to go out and earn something, failing which you won't have your meals tonight." He went crying straight to his mother. Her heart melted at her son's eyes. She gave him a gold coin. When the father asked his son what he had earned, the son presented him the gold coin. The father asked him to throw it into a well. The next day, he asked his son to earn something. This time he went crying to his sister who gave him a coin. When he showed it to his father he again asked him to throw it in a well. Then the father asked him to earn more money. This time since there was no one to help him, the son was forced to go to the market. One shopkeeper told him he would pay him two coins if he carried his trunk to his house. He did so and sweated plenty. As he returned home he was asked to do the same. The son almost cried out. He could not imagine throwing his hard-earned money like this. He cried, "My entire body is aching. You are asking me to throw the money into the well." At this moment, the businessman told him one feels the pain only when the fruits of hard labour are wasted. On the earlier two occasions he was helped and therefore had no pain in throwing the coins into the well. The son had now realized the value of hard work. He promised never to be lazy and to safely keep the father's wealth. The father handed over the keys of his shop to the son and promised to guide him through the rest of the life. According to the passage, the father wanted his son to realize _ . Relax. He is the same little boy you loved yesterday. I smiled trying to hold back the tears. "No, he isn't. Yesterday I dreamed he would be an astronaut. Today I am hoping he will learn to talk." It was like some sort of cosmic joke. I could still recall the day that determined my fate. It was October in Ottawa and the summer breezes had given way to the autumn rainfall of leaves. The snow would begin soon. The crispness of coming frost was in the air. My casually mentioning Wyatt's behavior to Dr. Martin aroused his worries. He started asking me questions about Wyatt's activities speech pattern and emotions. I still see clearly in my mind the cleanness of the room and all its belongings when the doctor turned to me and said, "He almost sounds autistic ." I couldn't face that picture in my mind. I had to run to get away from this all too painful place that was reminding me of what was to be my child's life-being strange. I could not remember how many times I told myself, "This is normal. He is a little boy who is not talking yet," when my asking questions met with his blank-eyed response in a restaurant; how many times I would tell myself, "He loves to play on his own for hours at a time and he never gets into trouble," when Wyatt was playing games that no one else could imagine, let alone join in while other boys in the park were playing together or in small groups played around a sand pail or toy truck. My life was changing direction. So was Wyatt's. I started to hide Wyatt from my friends and neighbor especially from a good friend. It was too painful to let others know about my boy acting strange. It was a Thursday afternoon and I found one half of a great pair of kitchen scissors was missing. They were unbelievably sharp and could be taken apart so they could be washed or the blades sharpened. I knew Wyatt had taken the missing blade. "Wyatt," I began as patiently as I could, "Do you see this?" I held up the blade. "Do you know what this is?" Wyatt put a bunch of Fruit Loops in his mouth. No response. "Wyatt!" I forced eye contact with him. "Where are the other scissors? See these." I showed him the half pair. He smiled big. Ate Fruit Loops. Turned the TV on and off. Still no response. I didn't know what to do. It was really hard. "Wyatt," I tried once more, "Mommy wants these scissors. Can you go get them for Mommy? It will make Mommy so happy if you bring me the scissors." "Watch Spongebob." Wyatt asked as he slid down from his kitchen stool and ran off, leaving me shaking my head and wondering in exactly which way this situation was going to end badly. Five minutes later, I turned my head to see Wyatt coming downstairs, his favorite doll in one hand, the missing half pair of kitchen scissors in the other. I immediately ran over and took it from him. "Wyatt!" I hugged him. "Thank you for bringing me the scissors! Good job! You did it! These scissors need to stay in the kitchen. These are Mommy's scissors!" Wyatt laughed, looked at me straight in the eye and said, "Mommy so happy!" I came close to tears. A realization dawned on me that he was the best gift I had ever gotten even though he was not as normal as other children. And why did I hide him from others as if he were some dark and terrible secret. No! He was my pride. It was a long, hard battle to get him to this point, expressing his wants and needs without turning to violence in embarrassment. With love and patience I have found the beautiful, happy boy who would teach me more about life. And that is the solution. According to the passage, which of the following indicates that Wyatt is not normal? Most American families are smaller than those in other countries. Usually there are one or two parents and one or two children in each American family. Children in the USA will leave their parents when they grow up. They want to find better jobs, so they usually live far away from their parents. They often write to their parents or call them. And they go to visit their parents during their holidays. Parents will ask their children to do some work around their house. In many families children will get money for doing some housework so that they can learn to make money for their own. Parents usually let their children choose their own jobs. Americans think that for young people it is important to decide on their lives by themselves. From the passage we can know that children in America _ My younger sister Sandy was born on May 30 in Hum t County California. She grew up there in her early years and together we moved to Southern California, and then my parents moved back to Hum t County and this was where Sandy finished primary school and high school. She took her art classes at College of the Redwoods and she became an artist, along with our mother Bea East. I lived with her. She painted paintings of the Pacific Ocean and the forest. Their paintings were hung in the art galleries and in the banks and they were sold to people as far as Los Angeles. We called our business Wood Creations. We would go out to the forest and cut down the trees to make wood planters out of them. They were very creative and very beautiful with the plants growing out of them. Our business lasted for two years, and I moved away to Santa Rosa and time moved on very fast. Sandy came to live with us in Santa Rosa and together we were going to school to become grocery clerks. She soon moved back to the country and she married and had two children, first Johnny and then Cheri, who was born from another marriage and they moved to Queen City, Missouri. Last year, I was able to go and visit with Sandy, when I first heard that she had cancer. My oldest sister and came to be with Sandy. Also my sister Judi and her two daughters came to be with us. We all rented a room in Kirksville, Missouri at the Days Inn. We all prayed together, and the time we spent together was priceless. This is the precious memories that I keep in my heart. Sandy is now unconscious. She will no longer be in all the pain and she will be in heaven watching over us. God bless you Sandy, rest in the arms of, Jesus. Where did Sandy finish her primary school?
The French word renaissance means rebirth. It was first used in 1855 by the historian Jules Michelet in his History of France,then adopted by historians of culture,by art historians,and eventually by music historians,all of whom applied it to European culture during the 150 years spanning 1450-1600.The concept of rebirth was appropriate to this period of European history because of the renewed interest in ancient Greek and Roman culture that began in Italy and then spread throughout Europe. Scholars and artists of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries wanted to restore the learning and ideals of the classical civilizations of Greece and Rome. To these scholars this meant a return to human--as opposed to spiritual values. Fulfillment in life--as opposed to concern about an afterlife--became a desirable goal,and expressing the entire range of human emotions and enjoying the pleasures of the senses were no longer frowned on. Artists and writers _ turned to secular as well as religious subject matter and sought to make their works understandable and appealing. These changes in outlook deeply affected the musical culture of the Renaissance period--how people thought about music as well as the way music was composed,experienced,discussed,and circulated. They could see the architectural monuments,sculptures ,plays,and poems that were being rediscovered,but they could not actually hear ancient music--although they could read the writings of classical philosophers,poets,essayists,and music theorists that were becoming available in translation. They learned about the power of ancient music to move the listener and wondered why modern music did not have the same effect. For example,the influential religious leader Bernardino Cirillo expressed disappointment with the learned music of his time. He urged musicians to follow the example of the sculptors,painters,architects,and scholars who had rediscovered ancient art and literature. The musical Renaissance in Europe was more a general cultural movement and state of mind than a specific set of musical techniques. Furthermore,music changed so rapidly during this century and a half--though at different rates in different countries--that we cannot define a single Renaissance style. What is the passage mainly about? Answer: Personality is, to large extent, inherent --A-type parents usually bring about A-type offspring. But the environment must also have a profound effect, since if competition is important to the parents, it is likely to become a major factor lives of their children. One place where children _ A characteristics is school, which is, by its very nature, a highly competitive institution. Too many schools adopt the "win at all costs" moral standard and measure their success by sporting achievements. The current passion for making children compete against their classmates or against the clock produces a two-layer system, in which competitive A types seem in some way better than their B-type fellows. Being too keen to win can have dangerous consequences: remember that Pheidippides, the first marathon runner, dropped dead seconds after saying,"Rejoice, we conquer!". By far the worst form of competition in school is the disproportionate emphasis on examinations. It is a rare school that allows pupils to concentrate on those things they do well. The merits of competition by examination are somewhat questionable, but competition in the certain knowledge of failure is positively harmful. Obviously, it is neither practical nor desirable that all A youngsters change into Bs. The world needs types, and schools have an important duty to try to fit a child's personality to his possible future employment. It is top management. According to the author, what factors contribute to the building of personality? Answer: There are few families in the United States that do not have either a radio or television set. Both of them have become a necessary part of our daily life, keeping us filled with the news of the day, teaching us in many fields of interest, and making us happy with singing, dancing and acting. Marconl, the Italian inventor, who gave us the radio, probably didn't know how much his great invention would have done for the world in the years to come. Radio had, perhaps done as much as any other communication tool. Things of the world can be reported to people everywhere a few seconds after they happen. Travelers in or out of-the-way places, ships at sea even astronauts round the earth are able to keep in touch with each other by radio. Television is another important invention. It lets us see as well as hear the actor. Since its appearance, TV has done a great deal in the daily life of people everywhere. Many programs are now televised in color. Perhaps the most modern invention is "Telstar", a "star" moving round the earth. It makes it possible for the people all over the world to be closer than ever before. Now a family in Chicago can watch on TV a motor-car race in Italy, a table tennis competition in Beijing or a volleyball match in Japan as these events are actually happening! The passage tells us that _ in the U.S.A. have no radio or television set. Answer: U.S.President Barack Obama said on Friday he can make the case for a second term, and voters will come to see him as the candidate best prepared to serve as president by next year's elections, according to an interview he gave to the U.S. media. In an interview he gave the Associated Press, Obama admitted that the state of the economy could be his biggest obstacle to win reelection . "I think the economy's going to continue to improve, and I think I'm going to be able to make an effective case that... I am the person who is best prepared to finish the job so that we are on track to succeed in the 21st century." Obama said in the video interview conducted in Chicago, where he attended money-raising events the previous night. "I think I can make that case, and I think that, in the debates that take place over the next 18 months, the American people will feel that I deserve a second term," he said. He made the reelection announcement on April 4. According to a survey on Friday, Only 41 percent of people support him, lower than his competitor. Someone said the figure was influenced by economic dissatisfaction. Which of the following would be the best title for this article? Answer: Once my friend Peterson bought a pack of chicken, the brand of which was very famous at that time. But when he got home he found that the chicken had gone bad. He took the chicken back to the shop and he was paid twice of the price. We may say now he should have been satisfied but my friend would not like to stop. He decided to write a letter to Frank, president of the company, who was also the founder of the chicken brand. About a week later he received a letter written by the president himself. In the letter he apologized to my friend for it whole -heartedly .There was also a card in the envelope ,with which my friend could get another pack of chicken in any of the shops. In the end my friend was asked to answer some questions. 1. When and where did you buy the chicken? 2. What was the real problem of the chicken? 3. What did the shop ass istant say when you took the chicken back to the shop? 4. W hat do you think is the reason for the chicken to go bad? 5. What do you suggest we should do to get away from such problems? Two days later, my friend also received a telephone call from the president's office, asking whether he had received the letter as well as the card and then some other questions. Since then, my friend has always bought chicken of this brand whenever he wants to. What is the author's friend's attitude towards the chicken brand? Answer:
In the early part of the twentieth century, racism was widespread in the United States. Many African Americans were not given equal opportunities in education or employment. Marian Anderson (1897-1993) was an African American woman who gained fame as a concert singer in this climate of racism. She was born in Philadelphia and sang in church choirs during her childhood. When she applied for admission to a local music school in 1917, she was turned down because she was black. Unable to attend music school, she began her career as a singer for church gatherings. In 1929, she went to Europe to study voice and spent several years performing there. Her voice was widely praised throughout Europe. Then she returned to the US in 1935 and became a top concert singer after performing at Town Hall in New York City. Racism again affected Anderson in 1939. When it was arranged for her to sing at Constitution Hall in Washington, DC, the Daughters of the American Revolution opposed it because of her color. She sang instead at the Lincoln Memorial for over 75 000 people. In 1955, Anderson became the first black soloist to sing win the Metropolitan Opera of New York City. The famous conductor Toscanini praised her voice as "heard only once in a hundred years". She was a US delegate to the United Nations in 1958 and won the UN peace prize in 1977. Anderson eventually triumphed over racism. Toscanini thought that Marian Anderson_. Answer: had a very rare voice Americans have developed an olive oil habit. Out to dinner recently, I saw a man dipping his white bread in olive oil and then pouring it all over his salad, saying, "Wow, this is so good for me!" But is olive oil the healthiest fat? No, it's not. You might ask, doesn't it lower cholesterol ? Well, only when you substitute olive oil in equivalent amounts for butter or oils that are higher in saturated fat. Olive oil doesn't lower cholesterol; it just doesn't raise it as much. You may be better off with canola oil. The 1999 Lyon Diet Heart Study found that a Mediterranean diet significantly reduced heart attacks and premature deaths. Many people attributed this to eating a lot of olive oil. But it was increased consumption of canola oil that accounted for these improvements. Also, study participants ate more whole-grain bread, vegetables, fish and fruit, and less meat. Butter and cream were replaced with man-made butter made from canola oil, which has more healthy omega-3 fatty acids than olive oil does. Another study found that olive oil reduced blood flow by 31%. Canola oil and fish oil don't. (You want to increase blood flow to all body parts.) I like the taste of olive oil, and I use it sometimes. It's a healthier fat than many others, but it's not nearly as healthy as canola oil -- or fish oil and flaxseed oil, for that matter, which also have lots of omega-3s. And a tablespoon of any oil has 126 calories. Think about that before you pour it on. According to the author, olive oil _ . Answer: isn't as health as most people think There is a zoo named Zhongshan in our city. There are many animals. Some animals are very friendly. But some other animals are not. Tigers, lions and some snakes are dangerous . That's why they must be in cages . But I don't think it's good for animals to be in cages. They need to be free. The animals in cages cannot be happy. Tigers usually live in forests and mountains . They are strong and can run very fast . They run after and eat small animals like rabbits and deer , but now they are in small cages. They have nothing to do every day. So they walk around in the cages, and they want to come out. When they are tired, they sleep. I am kind of sorry for them. Where do tigers usually live? Answer: In forests and mountains Top Four Ways to Build a Wonderful Life 1. Live Below Your Means There will always be temptation to give up the future for immediate pleasure. We all want to buy that new piece of technology, treat ourselves to an expensive night on the town, or take out a loan for the flashy car we can't afford. It might feel great at the time but unwise spending hurts a lot later on. Enjoy life's simple pleasures and save as much as you can. Expensive things don't create lasting happiness and security. Careful spending will bring you greater leisure and enjoyment in the long run. 2. Put Your Money to Work Saving is great, but to make the most of your money you need to put it to work. Good investments can be the difference between retiring in your 40's or in your 60's. A post today at The Simple Dollar really got me thinking. According to Trent's estimates, if a person in their early 20's invests 20% of their income in an S&P index fund, the interest they earn will equal their current salary when they reach their early 40's. They could retire without a drop in income! Wise investing is the surest path to financial independence and it's something everyone can work on. It's definitely an area I'll be devoting more attention to in my personal life. 3. Educate Yourself To be happy we need continuous growth. The best way to grow is life-long education. This doesn't mean you need to pursue a doctorate or spend 2 hours reading every day. Self-education can be anything that takes you out of your comfort zone. The important part is keeping an open mind and searching for fresh ideas and perspectives. Education builds over time. It might feel like the bits of wisdom you acquire don't mean much, but over the years they add up to form a wiser, kinder, more interesting person. 4. Develop Lasting Personal Relationships Suppose you had everything you wanted. Would you be happy without anyone to share it with? The personal relationships we develop with friends and family members are the greatest source of happiness in our lives. Don't forget about them. Taking the time to cultivate and enjoy personal relationships is essential to long-term happiness. Without the people you care about you'll probably be miserable, no matter how successful you become. The author of the passage may agree that the key to self-education is _ . Answer: being open to new ideas and views Alexis was _ and tired. With rage in her voice she shouted, "Pull me up!I give up, I hate this. This is stupid!" It was at that moment when Jason, the adviser on the trip, looked at me and said, "Ed, I'm going to go down and talk with her." I then shouted down to Alexis, "Hold on! You can do this. We know you can!" Jason grasped another rope, put his climbing harness on and began to repel down the cliff. Within moments Jason was beside Alexis. She had her cheek directly against the face of the rock with her feet barely resting on a small piece of the cliff that jetted outward. Jason said to Alexis, "I know that you have been on this cliff now for what seems like a long time. Your feet and fingers are cramping up and your forearms feel as though they are on fire. But , Alexis, you are strong, look how far up you are already. You have taken one of the more difficult paths up the cliff. Look Alexis, look at the path you have taken." At that moment, Alexis moved her cheek away from the rock face and looked down. The bright white chalk she used on her hands to give her a better hold, showed the path where her tired hands had moved her upward on the cliff. Jason was right. Alexis had taken the hardest way up the cliff. Jason then looked straight into Alexis' eyes and in a calm voice he said, "You are not alone out here, there are people who care about you, who want to help you and see you succeed. We are going to do this together. Are you ready?" Slowly she shook her head yes and took a deep breath. Jason went down the cliff because _ . Answer: Alexis didn't believe in herself
My father and I started our morning by moving quickly into the local store. I waited in the line a the Starbucks counter while he shopped around to pick up a few things. As I was starting there I become aware of an elderly women, with untidy hair,wearing layers upon layers of old clothing, hunchbacked behind me in line. She had a few things for washing and seemed to want the Starbucks cashier to ring up since that queue was shorter than the queues in the store. At some point I became aware of her edging closer behind me -- closer than I was comfortable with! I instinctively placed a hand over my purse and drew it close to me. My fear and imagination raced creating wild stories about this homeless woman who might try to steal from me. Then it was my turn to order. As the cashier rang Ypsilanti my total, I discovered I was 67 cents short. I called my father but he was hard of hearing. He asked me to repeat what I said but he still couldn't make me out. At that point, a long, grey arm, with holes in its sleeves, reached over from behind me. She laid 67 cents out on the counter, saying, "Here, we all need some help sometimes. " I was _ Here was a woman who clearly had very little to give and was i n great need herself. I had judged her wrongly and she had offered to reach out to help me! What an amazing gift and lesson this woman gave me about judging others! Thank you, God! From the passage, we can learn that the elderly women _ . A probably lived a poor life B tried to steal money from the writer C always followed close behind the writer D often went to the store to buy a few things. Answer: A Car accidents happen everywhere every day and are the main cause of injury in the United States. In order to control the increasing accidents, many states have passed tough laws. Also, car manufacturers have been trying to make safer cars to save lives. However, as there are more and more cars and drivers on the road, these safety measure are not enough to stop the increasing car accidents. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that a car accident happens every 10 seconds in the United States. Car accidents may be caused by different reasons. Some accidents are caused by driver's tiredness and illness or drunk driving. Some may be caused by speeding or running a red light. When this happens, by the time the driver realizes what has happened, it is usually too late. As for ages, young drivers usually have enough experience while _ drivers of react slowly. Mechanical defects such as a broken brake are another cause of car accidents. Poor road and weather conditions can also be a cause. Talking about different causes of car accidents can help us know what precautions to take beforehand. We should tell our friends or family members not to drive in poor health or after drinking wine. We should tell teenager drivers to be careful with road and weather conditions and let elderly friends understand their driving limitation . Besides, we should have our car checked regularly . The most important thing for us to remember, however, is that we should always follow the traffic rules. In order to avoid accidents caused by mechanical defects, we should _ . A not run a red light. B drive the car when we are in good health C not drive when we are too old. D have our cars examined regularly. Answer: D NOT all memories are sweet. Some people spendall their lives trying to forget bad experiences. Violence and traffic accidents can leave people with terrible physical and emotional scars. Often they relive these experiences in nightmares. Now American researchers think they are close to developing a pill, which will help people forget bad memories. The pill is designed to be taken immediately after a frightening experience. They hope it might reduce, or possibly erase the effect of painful memories. In November, experts tested a drug on people in the prefix = st1 /USandFrance. The drug stops the body releasing chemicals that fix memories in the brain. So far the research has suggested that only the emotional effects of memories may be reduced, not that the memories are erased. The research has caused a great deal of argument. Some think it is a bad idea, while others support it. Supporters say it could lead to pills that prevent or treat soldiers' troubling memories after war. They say that there are many people who suffer from terrible memories. "Some memories can ruin people's lives. They come back to you when you don't want to have them in a daydream or nightmare. They usually come with very painful emotions," said Roger Pitman, a professor of psychiatryat Harvard Medical School. : "This could relieve a lot of that suffering." But those who are against the research say that changing memories is very dangerous because memories give us our identity . They also help us all avoid the mistakes of the past. "All of us can think of bad events in our lives that were horrible at the time but make us who we are. I'm not sure we want to wipe those memories out," said Rebecca Dresser, a medical ethicist The drug tested on people can_. A cause the brain to fix memories B stop people remembering bad experiences C prevent body producing certain chemicals D wipe out t he emotional effects of memories Answer: C A beautiful and very successful actress was the star for a new musical show. Her home was in the countryside, but she did not want to go back there every night, so she bought an expensive house in the centre of the city, got some beautiful furniture and got a man to paint the rooms in new colours. It was very difficult to get tickets for her show, because everybody wanted to see it. So she decided to give the painter two of the best seats. She hoped that this would make him work better for her. He took the tickets without saying anything, and she heard no more about them until the end of the month, when she got the painter's bill . At the bottom of it were these words: " Four hours watching Miss Hall sing and dance : 3 pounds," with this note: " After 5 p.m. I get 15 shillings an hour instead of 10 shillings." . In order to make the painter work better for her, the actress _ . A gave him two tickets for her show B sang and danced for him for hours C paid him 3 pounds D decided to pay him 15 shillings an hour Answer: A 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. By saying "But with cooking, as with any other skill, good results don't happen by accident", the author means _ . A good cooking doesn't come easily; it needs a lot of practice B just like any other skill, cooking may bring good results C cooking comes from one's gift, not through practice D cooking can lead to accidents Answer: A
Question: A son can inherit traits A. only from his father B. only from his mother C. from both his father and his mother D. from either his father or his mother, but not from both Answer: C. from both his father and his mother Question: Do you dream of being a reporter or an editor? Are you a good writer who loves the news? If so, then you may have what it takes to be a winner in the TFK Kid Reporter Talent Search. We're looking for 12 students from around the nation to be members of the TFK Kid Reporter Team for the 2008-2009 school year. Next year's team will continue the tradition of reporting local and regional news stories for TIME FOR KIDS magazine and TIME FOR KIDS online. Professional journalists from TIME magazine and TIME FOR KIDS will select this exclusive team. In the past, TFK kid Reporters have Interviewed national leaders, celebrities and other newsmakers. Written news stories, reviews and opinion pieces for TIME FOR KIDS. Appeared on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, Today and The Tonight Show with another famous kid Jay Leno to talk about their work. How to Enter Get the official rules at time for . Entries must be postmarked by Dec. 20, 2008. Good luck! Winners of the talent search will be able to do all the following EXECPT _ . A. write reports on celebrities and other newsmakers B. become a professional journalist for TIME magazine C. write down their opinions for TIME FOR KIDS D. share their working experiences with other kids on famous media Answer: B. become a professional journalist for TIME magazine Question: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the eleventh largest nation in Europe. England, Wales and Scotland make up the island of Great Britain, which takes up most of the Britain Isles. Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are mountainous. The highest mountain is Ben Nevis in Scotland. Plains and valleys cover much of England. The British climate is mild. About 58 million people live in the United Kingdom. Few other countries are so crowded. Four out of five people live in cities such as Belfast, Glasgow, and London. London is the capital. Great Britain grows half of the food it needs. Its industries help to pay for the food that is bought from abroad. The United Kingdom manufactures a wide range of goods. Service industries, such as tourism, that provide services rather than producing goods, are increasing. Traditional industries, such as coal mining, are declining. According to the passage, which of the statements is true? A. Great Britain grows all of the food it needs. B. The United Kingdom manufactures a narrow range of goods. C. The speed of tourism in UK is increasing faster than producing goods. D. The coal mining is also increasing fast. Answer: C. The speed of tourism in UK is increasing faster than producing goods. Question: Jack London is a famous American writer. His most widely known book is the Call of the Wild, the story of the adventure of a large dog in the frozen north. Jack London was born on January 12, 1876, in San Francisco, California. His family was very poor, and Jack had to leave school to make money. He worked hard at many different jobs. Later, Jack returned to school, but he didn't stay. He wrote, "Life and pocket book were both too short." In 1897, he went to Alaska to find gold. Instead, he found ideas there for his book stories. He returned home and started to write. His writings were successful, and he became rich and famous in his twenties. Jack London was not a happy man, however. In poor health, he took his own life in 1916. He was then only 40 years old. Jack London went to Alaska to _ . A. find ideas for his books B. find gold C. write his books and stories D. find jobs Answer: B. find gold Question: Which tool should a student use to compare the masses of two small rocks? A. balance B. hand lens C. ruler D. measuring cup Answer: A. balance
Is reading better than watching TV? I believe it is. Is reading better than playing video games? I'm not so sure if it is. If learning is important to you, but not necessary so,and if pleasure is what you want,these activities can be pleasant in their own way. Reading might be better than many activities if you want to educate yourself and improve your chances of succeeding in your work. If you're serious about creating the habit of reading,what's important is finding a time you can read every day--often that's early morning or late at night,or both. For others, it might be during their lunch break. You only need to read for 10 to 20 minutes a day to form the habit. Then, you need to find a place that's comfortable. Make sure it has good lighting, the temperature is nice and you're in a good chair. Or you can find some place that you can relax in without falling asleep, although there's nothing wrong with sleep. Next,be sure to shut off the TV,Internet,cell phone,radio, or other music. Let reading be a quiet time. Mark an "x" on your calendar every day you read, and try to keep your unbroken "x"es going as long as possible. A habit is much easier to form if it's something you enjoy, not something you are made to do. So make the time, you spend reading a joy. I've been a lifelong reader, so the pleasure of a good book is one of my favorite things in the world. I love to lose myself in the world of a book. If you want to create a habit of reading, the first thing to do is to _ . A ask the writer for some advice B find a comfortable place C make a proper time plan D mark an "x" on the new calendar Answer: C. make a proper time plan When I was about eight years old, I decided that I wanted to be a famous film star when I grew up. Well, I'm not a famous film star, but I do work for a film studio, and I do meet famous actors every day. I'm a Foley artist--I make the sounds that are added to films after they have been filmed. Why does this need to be done? Well, if actors are filming a fight scene, you can't expect them to really hit each other or break each other's bones, so Foley artists have to find suitable sound. If you come into my studio and find me throwing wet towels at the wall and breaking carrots in half, don't worry. I'm just recording a fight scene. When my kids were little, they loved our Christmas films because we always needed to record the sound of children walking on snow. It doesn't often snow in California, so I had to create the sound in the studio. I used to cover part of studio floor with salt crystals and pour thick flour over the top. Then I brought my kids and their friends to the studio so that I could record them walking in the "snow". After the recording, they never wanted to leave; they stayed and played, they got "snow" in their shoes, on their clothes, even in their hair! These days studios use computers to create such common sounds as footsteps on snow. Some Foley artists see computers as a threat but I welcome the new technology. A lot of "everyday" sounds used to take a whole day to create, so there was a lot of pressure to get everything done on time. With computers, there's a lot less stress and I can devote more of my time to creating unusual sound effects. As long as people keep coming up with new ideas for films, studios will need Foley artists to come up with the sounds for them. The writer's job is to _ . A copy actors' voices B arrange fight scenes C help actors who are hurt D record sounds for films Answer: D. record sounds for films Mr. Green is a famous writer now. But he said he was not a good student when he was young. He was often late for school and didn't like doing his homework. Sometimes he slept in class while the teacher was teaching. He didn't understand much, but he always thought he understood everything. One day the teacher asked the students a question, "When John was ten years old, his brother was twenty. John is fifteen now and how old is his brother?" Mr. Green answered, "That's easy. His brother is twice as old as John, so he is now thirty." Another time, the teacher in a science class asked, "When it thunders , why do we always see the light before we hear the sound?" "But, Miss White," said Mr. Green quickly, "can't you see our eyes are in front of our ears?" The third time, the teacher in a biology class asked, "Why can fish swim in the water?" "But, Miss White," said Mr. Green quickly, "don't you know fish can't walk on land?" Why can fish swim in the water? Mr. Green's answer was _ . A fish can't swim on land B fish can't walk on land C fish has no legs or hands D fish can't walk in the water Answer: B. fish can't walk on land Scientists are closely concerned with the structure of buildings and with the quality of building materials. The World health Organization (WHO) observes that the introduction of air conditioning and energy conservation measures have been accompanied by growing problems of indoor air quality. Some pollutants arise from insulation products, some from moving cars, and others from modern housing materials. As many Europeans spend up to 90% of their lives in buildings, the health effects of the indoor climate are very important. Some construction materials, including fiberboard, insulation foams and certain glues for man-made wood floor boards, for example, give out organic products such as formaldehyde . Heat and humidity increase the release of formaldehyde and the gas seriously harms the eyes. Paint, lacquer, etc. can also release dangerous gas into indoor air. Construction materials can cause serious damage, especially when they contain asbestos . Asbestos is naturally present in rock formations worldwide. It belongs to a family of mineral substances made up of solid, non-combustible fiber. These properties make asbestos a highly sought-after construction material. As early as 1931, however, public health officers in the prefix = st1 /United Kingdomrevealed the connection between breathing in asbestos dust and such diseases as lung cancer. The land on which a building is sited may also contribute to pollution. Some kinds of granite or similar rocks contain traces of radium. As it breaks down, this naturally radioactive element produces some kind of radioactive gas that goes through tiny cracks in walls, floors and building materials, and makes its way into the building and the rooms. The better the homes are insulated, the more is the dangerous gas in indoor air. The main effect of this dangerous gas on health is to increase the risk of lung cancer. Why are Europeans particularly concerned with building materials? A Lots of building materials there are radioactive. B They stay home up to 90% of their lives. C They have a high rate of lung cancer. D They spend most of their time indoors. Answer: D. They spend most of their time indoors. Despite organized anti-bottled-water campaigns across the country and a noisy debate about bottled water's environmental effect, Americans are buying more bottled water than ever. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Why do so many people seem to think they should have any input on what other Americans choose to buy or do? If they want to buy bottled water, let them. If they want to eat fast food, let them. If they want to smoke pot, let them. ----Barackalypse People just get tired of paying for others' bad behavior. If many people eat too much fast food, you pay higher insurance bill. If many people frequently buy bottled water, your trash bills go up and landfills fill up quickly. It's about personal responsibility, which really should be a basis of our society. ----Bdbr So? This is the price you pay to live in a free society. You want to control the life of another just so you can save a little money? What would you say when someone do the same to you? ----Norman619 I'm just glad there are still people who still believe personal responsibility is a good thing. We make your life cheaper and less bothersome. ----Yoyo What a waste of money. It's fine when you're on the road and you need a cold drink, but people who buy cases of bottled water for home are completely crazy. ----Agmlauncher I wish we all can find a way to improve things and benefit from this. The environment needs a lot of help but businesses will always work on what people would need and demand. Is this part of the trade-off? Hope we can find better ways. ----Skipweis Who would agree with Barackalypse on this matter? A Bdbr B Norman619 C Yoyo D Agmlauncher Answer: B. Norman619
I have a dog . It's a girl dog. She is two years old. Her ears and eyes are big. But she has a small nose and a small mouth. Her hair is long. She has four long legs, too. Does she have mum and dad? Yes! They come from Cuba. What's her name? Can you guess? Her name is Juzi, because she is orange. Wow, she is my toy dog. My dog has _ . Answer: You may know your mother, but how well do you really know Mothers' Day? Cards, flowers, sales, TV specials, and a day off for someone who really deserves it -- those are what probably come to mind for many people when they think of Mothers' Day. But there's more to the story. The earliest Mothers' Day celebrations were held during spring in ancient Greece. The celebrations honored Rhea, the mother of the gods. During the 1600's, England celebrated a day called Mothering Sunday. On this day even servants were given the day off to spend with their families. A mothering cake was even served with the family meal. In the US, Mothers' Day began in 1872 when Julia Ward Howe, who wrote the words to the famous song The Battle Hymn of the Republic, suggested it as a day devoted to peace. But it didn't really become popular until 1907 when Anna Jarvis started a campaign to honor mothers. She believed that mothers could help people get over the pain they experienced during the Civil War. The US isn't alone in devoting a day to mothers. Many other countries including Denmark, Finland, Italy, Turkey, Australia, Japan, and Belgium also honor their mothers in May. Other countries honor their mothers at different times of the year. Learning more about Mothers' Day and celebrating Mothers' Day are important, but probably not as important as understanding what your own mother, or grandmother, or aunt has really done for you. And that will certainly be appreciated more than one day in year. We can learn from the passage that _ . Answer: Tiny pips may be found inside of this food that is a breakfast treat. Answer: Greece is one of the most beautiful countries of the world. Millions of tourists visit this place every year. In Greece the bus is the most convenient and preferred means of travelling. There are intercity buses operated by KTEL that interconnect various cities of Greece, and there are international buses operated by OSE that connect Greece to other European cities. Every tourist must visit Greece at least once in life. This country is really a vacation heaven. It is the perfect blend of history and art with adventure and romance. You can dive into deep blue waters, climb up the mountains or enjoy ancient architecture and history. Buses in Greece are cheap and very comfortable. All bus stations display schedules of buses on every route. Conductors and drivers are very polite and helpful. Travelers never face any trouble locating and boarding buses to their destinations. Tourists can always ask the conductor to inform them about their stop, so that they can get down at the right stop. Everyone here is more than happy to help tourists. Athens, the capital of Greece, has three bus terminals. Buses to different part of Greece leave from different terminals. Air-conditioned express buses also operated between major cities. They are faster and more comfortable than other buses. Tourists can choose guided Greece bus tour. These tours are the perfect way of exploring this great country. Buses in Greece are also a great way of saving _ on the journey. The long-distance bus system is very cheap. Buses save a lot of money to cover long distances, cheaper than taxis or cars. They are also the best means of interacting with local people. You can sit next to a native Greece and get some information about the place. While taking long-distance buses, you can _ . Answer: When we look at the moon through a telescope , we can see lines and circles . People used to think that this was the moon's face and that there was a man in the moon! This is not true. There is no man in the moon. What do we know about the moon? First of all, the moon is much smaller than the earth. Days and nights on the moon are very long. One day on the moon is as long as two weeks on the earth. One night is also as long as two weeks on the earth. In the daytime the moon is very hot and at night is very cold. Which of the following is true? Answer:
Question: This weekly four-day physical activity schedule will get your kids excited about being active. Tuesday When the kids get home from school, don't let them go straight to the TV and get settled in. Encourage them to get moving and get off the couch by giving them a pedometer . Pedometers are the most fun when parents also use one because that turns stepping, walking and running into a game to see who can get the most steps. Thursday The kids have done a great job so far this week, but now they long for a little more TV time. Instead of turning on cartoons, let them watch fitness movies made just for kids. These movies encourage watchers to get up and dance along to kid-friendly music. Saturday Get the whole family out of the house together and over to a park. Bring lots of sports equipment, pack a healthy picnic and have a family competitive sports day. Kids and adults get into groups and play against each other in tennis, basketball or soccer. After everyone has played hard for a couple of hours, stop for a picnic and then if your family isn't too tired, go back and play some more. Sunday Every child loves to play video games and there is no better time to allow kids to play them than on Sunday when no homework is due. But don't let them play a game that forces them to sit down for hours. Dance games with a floor mat to help kids follow the dance moves are popular to kids. Parents are advised to use a pedometer together with their kids because _ . A. they can give their kids some advice about walking B. it can prevent them from watching TV too much C. their kids will not use it if they don't D. this will allow them and their kids to have a fun competition Answer: D Question: Do you know why different animals or pests have their special colors? Colors in them seem to be mainly used to protect themselves. Some birds like eating locusts , but birds cannot easily catch them. Why? It is because locusts change their colors with the change of the colors of crops. When crops are green, locusts look green. But as the harvest time comes, locusts change into the same brown color as crops have. Some other pests whose colors are different form plants are easily found and eaten by others. So they have to hide themselves for lives and appear only at night. If you study the animals' life, you'll find the main use of colors is to protect themselves. Bears, lions and other animals move quietly through forests. They cannot be easily seen by hunters because their colors are much like the trees. Colors are useful not only on the land, but also in the sea. A kind of fish in the sea can give out a kind of black liquid when the fish face danger. The liquid spreads over quickly, so they cannot be found by their enemies and can quickly swim away. That is why they live safely though they are not strong at all. Bears and lions can keep safe because _ . A. their colors are much like the trees B. they move quickly C. they are very strong D. they live in forests Answer: A Question: My name is Jack.Here are four of my favorite photos.Let me tell you something about them. In the first photo, I'm running.I like sports and I want to be a running star. I like spring and winter best.So I have two photos of them.Look at the second photo.I am flying kites with my friends in the park. There are all kinds of kites there.We are very happy.In the third photo,I'm playing snow fight with my friends.And some friends are making snowmen.We are playing happily. In the last photo.I'm doing my homework. Who's that girl? Oh.she is my sister and she is helping me with my homework.My sister is good at her subjects.In the evening,we usually do our homework and watch TV. ,. Jack wants to be _ . A. a reporter B. a snowman C. a worker D. a running star Answer: D Question: Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa and one of the largest free-standing mountains in the world, and some say, the most beautiful place on the earth! The mountain towers 15,000 feet above the plains. Mount Kilimanjaro is in Tanzania and it covers an area of 60 miles long and 40 miles wide. Kilimanjaro is an extinct volcano , with 3 peaks. Kibo is the highest one in the center. Because of Kilimanjaro's great height, the mountain influences its own weather. Winds incoming from the Indian Ocean are stopped upward by the mountain and drop their moisture as rain and snow. People have planted coffee, corn, and other crops on the lower slopes . Mount Kilimanjaro now attracts many thousands of walkers each year. Because of a temperature rise in recent years, the beautiful snow cap of Kilimanjaro is retreating fast. A research said that the white snow on the mountain might be gone in 15 years. What a pity! _ influences the mountain's own weather. A. Rain and snow B. Its great height C. Crops D. The moisture Answer: B Question: On a Sunday morning, I was driving down a road and saw something I couldn't believe. A little girl, less than two, was pushing her stroller across the road. It was Sunday morning and traffic was not heavy. I stopped my car at once and ran toward her. This little girl knew enough to run from a stranger. I tried to catch her in order that I could get her out of the road. Suddenly her father came running down a hill across the road from where I had parked my car. He ran right to her and caught her up, saying "bad girl" to her. I picked up the stroller and gave it to him. The father grabbed the stroller and walked toward where he came from without a word. I went back and sat in my car for a few minutes with my son. My hands were shaking and tears were about to run out of my eyes. "Do you feel cold, Mom?" asked my son. I just shook my head. After this happened, I thought about how thankful I am. Even though the father didn't say thank you, I feel that I did something good. Doing something for someone else is pleasing, even when it's only a matter of being in the right place at the right time. I didn't really "save" her, but I feel like it was important that I happened to be there. It is sad that I was the only one who stopped. It really made me a little disappointed that no one else stopped to help. When the author saw the little girl, _ . A. the girl had lost her way B. she was driving to work in a hurry C. the girl feared to go across the road D. there weren't many cars on the road Answer: D
When you get in your car, you reach for it. When you're at work, you take a break to have a moment alone with it. When you get into a lift, you play with it. Cigarette? Cup of coffee? No, it's the third most addictive thing in modem life, the cell phone. And experts say it is becoming more difficult for many people to _ their longing to hug it more tightly than most of their personal relationships. The costs are becoming more and more evident, and I don't mean just the monthly bill. Dr. Chris Knippers, a counselor at the Betty ford Center in Southern California, reports that the overuse of cell phones has become a social problem not much different from other harmful addictions: a barrier to one-on-one personal contact, and an escape from reality. Sounds extreme, but we' ve all witnessed the evidence: The person at a restaurant who talks on the phone through an entire meal, ignoring his kids around the table; the woman who talks on the phone in the car, ignoring her husband; the teen who texts messages all the way home from school, avoiding contact with kids all around him. Jim Williams, an industrial sociologist based in Massachusetts, notes that cell - phone addiction is part of a set of symptoms in a widening gulf of personal separation. He points to a study by Duke University researchers that found one-quarter of Americans say they have no one to discuss their most important personal business with. Despite the growing use of phones, e - mail and instant messaging, in other words, Williams says studies show that we don't have as many friends as our parents. " Just as more information has led to less wisdom, more acquaintances via the Internet and cell phones have produced fewer friends," he says. If the cell phone has truly had these effects, it's because it has become very widespread. Consider that in 1987, there were only l million cell phones in use. Today, something like 300 million Americans carry them. They far outnumber wired phones in the United States. Cell phone addiction has caused the following effects EXCEPT _ . Answer: a serious illness You've flown halfway around the world; you've sniffed out this place that nobody in Falongland or Thailand seems to have ever heard of; so what on earth is there to do here? You consider this question as you sink into an old wooden beach chair that holds you above the sand. It was a long journey from Bangkok to Huaplee. By the time you found the bus station and got yourself sorted out, it took almost as long as the flight from Falongland. Huaplee is located just south of Hua Hin, about two hundred kilometres from Bangkok, down the west side of the Gulf of Thailand. Not many tourists find this place,and the ones that do wonder if finding it has been their purpose all along. There's an apparent laziness that surrounds you here. It's what this place offers, and it,s free of charge. The small waves that tap the shoreline seem to slow everything down. You settle into your beach chair in preparation for a long rest. You sit there and watch the sea. It's early afternoon, so the cook comes out and asks what you'd like to eat this evening. Before long he's rushed off to the market to buy the ingredients for whatever it was that you ordered---every meal fresh and to order. No menu here. There is no poolside noise here but just that wonderfully warm, clear blue sea. There9s no street noise. The only sounds are the murmurs of nature.For now you just count your blessings ,listing them in the sand with your toe * You don't have to worry about being late for work. You don't have to do anything. The beach to your right stretches off to the horizon ,slowly narrowing to nothingness only to re-emerge again on your left, now steadily widening until it covers the chair beneath you. Sand to your left and sand to your right; it's unbroken, endless. No start, no end, just sand, sun,and peace. Step off it, and you re-enter the world of traffic, stress, work,and hurry. Normally you,re the type who can,t sit still for more than ten minutes, but you're on Huaplee Lazy Beach now and, in the right frame of mind, it stretches all the way around theworld. "How could it take me so long to find it?" you wonder. What is special about the food service at Huaplee Beach? Answer: No menu. My name is Lucy. I come from America. I am now in China. I study in Hangzhou Shulan Middle School. There are many clubs in our school. They are an English club, an art club, a music club, a ball game club, a swimming club, a chess club and a computer club. There is a "Show Yourselves !" Festival in our school every year. On that day, students from different clubs show their talents in different ways. They can sing English songs, draw and paint beautiful pictures. They can play the guitar, the violin, the piano, and the trumpets. They can also play chess and show us their swimming skills. They like the festival very much. I join the art club, and I paint the ads for them . Giving help makes me happy. _ makes Lucy happy. Answer: Painting for the Festival Last month when I was taking part in a US college interview, I was asked, " what makes you special ? " In fact I had answered questions likes this many times since I decided to go to college in the US .college paid special attention to different achievement . For example, a person who is very good at math can go to a famous college but also can be a good football player . This experience made me think again that I must try to find where my own interests might lead me . To be honest, it was not easy . However, I never felt sorry to choose this way because it helped me understand myself . If I took the College Entrance Examination,as we call it gaokao in China, it could never possibly do . When I entered high school, I took gaokao seriously because it seemed to me a great way to show how good at my lessons . However,as I grew older, I realized gaokao did make me work hard at my lessons, but the pressure also pushed many other activities out of my life, like guitar--playing . Although I had no time for it, I will still get to it in the future . No doubt, gaokao provides a way of choosing those who are successful in their studies . But it is really important for all of us to rethink what " talent " really is today . This is because we now live in a world in which all of our other human qualities ( )are needed for success, not just the high grade . Ken Robinson once said, " the society depends on different kinds of talents . " However, gaokao pays too attention to a person's grades but little to his other qualities. And it is these qualities that makes life colorful and fun . As high school students, we can not change the present situation of eduction, but we are always free to think outside of the box . Although good school grade is still useful, I hope one day we will see our education also welcomes the amazing possibilities in different people . When at high school, the writer _ . Answer: had no time to play the guitar . When you are in England, you must be more careful in the street because the traffic drives on the left. Before you cross the street, you must look to the right first and then left. In the morning and in the evening, when people go to or come from work, the streets are very busy. Traffic is the most dangerous then. When you go by bus in England, you have to be careful, too. Always remember the traffic moves on the left. So you must be more careful, have a look first or you will go wrong. In many English cities, there are big buses with two floors. You can sit on the second floor. From there you can see the city very well. In the morning and in the evening the streets become busy because _ . Answer: both A and B
Question: Do you know Tai Ping Clothes Store? It's a great store. I like it very much. There are lots of things at a very good price in the store. They have sweaters in all colors for 50 yuan . They have bags for sports and school. They sell them for only 4 yuan. They have black T-shirts for only 20 yuan. They have long white socks for just 2 yuan. A red skirt is only 35 yuan. If you want to buy two, You will spend only 65 yuan. You buy many things, and then you will get lots of _ for free . And that's all. You can go to the store and see for yourself. John buys a blue sweater and a black T-shirt, so he will spend _ . A. 85 yuan B. 70 yuan C. 105 yuan D. 120 yuan Answer: B Question: What is an idiom? An idiom is a group of words which, when used together, has a different meaning from the one which the individual words have. For example, "---How do you know that Sid and Nancy have separated ?" "---I heard it on the grapevine ". Of course, the second speaker does not mean he heard the news about John by putting his ear to a grapevine! He is conveying the idea visually of information spreading around a widespread network, similar to a grapevine. We use idioms to express something that other words do not express as clearly or as cleverly. We often use an image or symbol to describe something as clearly as possible and thus make our point as effectively as possible. For example, "in a nutshell" suggests the idea of having all the information contained within very few words. Idioms tend to be informal and are best used in spoken rather than written English. One of the best ways to learn an idiom is by looking at the context in which it is used. This can be done by concentrating on the rest of the sentence and try to guess the meaning. Many idioms are not that difficult to understand when considered in their context. For example: We are going to have a surprise party for Tom tomorrow. It's a secret so please don't let the cat out of the bag. 'Let the cat out of the bag' is an idiom. Imagine you don't know what this idiom means; by looking at the words preceding, it should be easy to guess that the speaker does not want you to tell Tom about the surprise party. Therefore, 'let the cat out of the bag' must mean something like' reveal a secret' or 'tell a secret'. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage? A. Other words can express something as vividly as idioms. B. Written English with spoken English does not use idioms at all. C. There are plant, food, animal idioms used to express something. D. Contexts play not a bit important part in guessing the meaning of idioms. Answer: C Question: Migrants to the UK are to be quizzed about their English skills before being able to claim income-related benefits, the government has announced. In a move to "protect the integrity of the benefits system", people will also be asked what efforts they have made to find work before coming to Britain. Work and Pensions Secretary Duncan Smith said people should not be able to "take advantage" of British benefits. Job centres in England, Scotland and Wales will use the "more mighty" test. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said the test would ensure "only migrants who have a legal right to be in Britain and plan to contribute to this country can make a claim for benefits". "For the first time, migrants will be quizzed about what efforts they have made to find work before coming to the UK and whether their English language skills will be a barrier to them finding employment," the DWP said in a statement. Income-related benefits include council tax benefit, housing benefit, income-based jobseeker's allowance and pension credit. Mr. Duncan Smith said British people were "rightly concerned" that migrants should contribute to the economy and should not be "drawn here by the attractiveness of our benefits system". "It is vitally important that we have strict rules in place to protect the integrity of our benefits system," he said. He said the new test would help create a fair system which provided for "genuine" workers and jobseekers but "does not allow people to come to our country and take advantage". To claim the benefits, migrants will have to pass a "habitual residence test" including more than 100 extra questions compared to now. This will be overseen by an "intelligent IT system" which will ensure questions are "tailored to each individual _ ". Migrants will be allowed to claim benefits if they can prove they are legally allowed to be in Britain and are "habitually resident" of the country. As part of this they might be questioned about what measures they have taken to "establish" themselves in Britain and what ties they still have abroad. "They will also have to provide more evidence that they are doing everything they can to find a job," the DWP said. What does the passage mainly want to inform us? A. All migrants can claim benefits from the UK. B. Income-related benefits can be a great help to migrants. C. All migrants come to the UK only to claim benefits. D. Migrants are to pass a test to get the benefits from the UK. Answer: D Question: In the face of tragedy,you must of course let yourself feel: Cry without holding back, shake with fear, yell out in anger, accept and follow your feelings. This is part of the wise approach to tragedy: The Upward Path --the feeling of emotions, the acceptance of them, and the coupling of the emotional mind with wisdom. Along this path, you'll take the experience --no matter how sad or upsetting --as a learning event, just as a11 other points on your journey will prove to be. While tragic, you must recognize this is still a chance for all involved to grow. You should let both sadness and joy, fear and courage, dark and light fill your world, and learn to find your steady, calm center in the midst of the opposing forces. This is the Upward Path. Use the event as a chance to gain balance and discover wisdom --the wisdom of love and of letting go, of non-attachment and non-resistance, and using this experience to eventually help others in need of guidance. Being able to relate to others who have also experienced tragedy and inspire in them hope -- of recovery, and of moving forward --is perhaps the greatest gift you can receive from tragedy. Turn the negative into positive, the pain into connection. After you've taken appropriate time to be sad, to feel your own pain, you should make it your work,your goal, your purpose to connect with others who need help. Show them how you've experienced feelings, achieved balance,and gained wisdom that you would never have otherwise had the chance to learn. FEEL, but do not FEED on tragedy. Rather, let it inspire you to go beyond the person who you were before. With demise comes renewal, so let this loss be also your rebirth. No matter how hopeless it seems, no matter how difficult this becomes, you have the power to transform yourself into someone greater than you ever knew you could be. According to the author,the greatest gift one gets from tragedy is being able to _ . A. seek solutions from others B. forgive others and move on C. stay calm and resist change D. understand and help others Answer: D Question: When I was young, I wished for a good car and a big house. That was my idea of success. I took all the advanced classes and tried to do well in the exams with my mind set on going to a key school. I just knew that I would somehow become famous and be able to afford the car and the dream house. All the way through junior years, my mind was planning this beautiful future. Then in the eleventh grade, many losses changed my mind. First, one of my friends died at 16. Soon after, my great-grandmother passed away, followed by my beloved fourth-grade teacher. These events left me not knowing what to do or where to go . Death had never touched me so closely. After a long period of emptiness, it finally struck me: Life is not promised and neither is future success. Though I was attempting to achieve material success, I was not enjoying my daily life. I realized that finding inner peace, purpose and happiness will stick with me forever and that is real success. Enjoying life's precious quirks ( ) makes an ordinary person more successful than a wealthy person who isn't content and takes everything for granted. The summer before senior years, my attitude changed greatly. Instead of memorizing facts, I began learning skills. Instead of focusing on the future, I focused on today and the many blessings and successes that came with it. I still get excellent grades, but now I devote weeks to studying instead of struggling for exams, and I think about the future with a deeper sense of meaning. For me, being successful means truly living life each day. According to the author which of the following is the real success for a person? A. Being famous. B. Truly living life each day. C. Good car and big house. D. Material achievements. Answer: B
The Florida Bog Frog (Lithobates okaloosae) inhabits shallow stream overflows in three counties in Florida. With such a small geographic habitat, any change in the frog's environment could cause drastic changes in the population. Which would most likely affect the frog population if acid rain changed the pH of the water? A. Prey insects would become inedible. B. Tadpoles would be unable to survive. C. Breeding sites would become unavailable. D. Predators would choose another food source. Answer: B. Tadpoles would be unable to survive. Wang Yan, a 15-year-old Chinese girl, likes eating snacks very much. She prefers cream biscuits, McDonald's food, KFC chicken. As a result, she has become overweight. Today in China, there are many children like Wang Yan. Health experts say that children should have healthy eating habits. First, they must eat regular meals and begin with a healthy breakfast. Second, they should have different kinds of foods, such as fruit, vegetables, grain, eggs, milk and meat. Third, children shouldn't eat too much junk food. It's delicious, but eating it often is bad for their health. If children do as the experts say, they won't become overweight. They will be healthier. Students won't become tired at school, and they will have enough energy to study hard. What will be the result if we do as the experts say? We will be _ . A. overweight. B. healthier. C. tired at school D. confident. Answer: B. healthier. Good morning! I am an English boy. My name is Frank Smith. My telephone number is 451-3175.My pen is blue, and my ruler is white. The girl is Grace Brown. Grace is a nice girl. Her telephone number is 535-9861. Her pen is black, and her ruler is red. Grace and I both like numbers. Numbers are interesting. What color is Grace's pen? A. Blue. B. Black. C. White. D. Red. Answer: B. Black. Food labels are such a mess that the government is redesigning them, as the ingredient lists are usually too confusing. As a result, a shopper could spend hours in a grocery store watching, calculating, and comparing, and still could not get it right. ShopWell is trying to help by allowing consumers to scan food labels and receive understandable and personalized information. Here's how it works. Register for ShopWell, and enter your age and gender. Add your goals (General health? Or are you trying to lose weight?). Then, note what you want in your diet, such as protein or iron, and what you want to avoid(added sugar, say). Add your allergies and things you cannot accept, and start scanning. Then ShopWell will come up with a clearly personal result: green for a food that is good for you; yellow for foods you can enjoy a little; and red for foods you should avoid. The results are easily understandable and is clean because it's not mixed with ads. Instead, ShopWell makes money by selling data to supermarkets. Its database contains 350,000 products, the app has been downloaded 1.3 million times, and the company claims a scan every two seconds "in stores such as Walmart, Whole Foods and 7-Eleven," in the words of marketing manager James Allgood. One of the first items I scanned was So Delicious Coconut Milk Creamer, which I buy because I'm lactose intolerant. It turns out it's only a little suitable for me -- because of its 1 gram per serving of added sugar. I'm not sure I'll give it up. But Ididask the app to watch for added sugar, and it's doing its job. One _ to ShopWell is that the scanner often doesn't work for items from Costco or Trader Joe's. Meanwhile, Some user reviews say that it doesn't cover enough allergies. Why do consumers hesitate long when deciding which food to purchase in a shop? A. Because there are usually an extremely wide variety of food in the shop. B. Because food labels in the shop are in such a mess that they need redesigning. C. Because consumers desire to scan food labels for understandable information. D. Because consumers can hardly make sense of the information on the food labels. Answer: D. Because consumers can hardly make sense of the information on the food labels. When you start to drive away from your house, the longer you drive, your house will eventually look A. dead B. bigger C. smaller D. icier Answer: C. smaller
On the night of July 6, 1943, a plane took off from an Air Force base in England to stop 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 very high rate of speed. Thinking they might be a new German weapon, he swung the plane around and headed directly for the lights, but 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 War II both in England and Far East. What were they? No one knows for sure, but there is an interesting theory to explain them. According to this theory, the orange lights are space animals---animals specially adapted to life in the upper atmosphere just as some living things 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 in sight from the earth. They feed partly on the air and partly on energy from the sunlight. Being almost pure energy themselves, their body shine at night. During the day, however, they are invisible. Before World War II, continues the theory, there was little radiated energy on the earth's surface. Then came the development of rockets, nuclear power stations and something like that. The space animals are attracted to these kinds of energy of food. At night when there is no energy from the sunlight, they come down into the lower levels in search of a meal. They may even float into the range of human eyesight. This explains the fact that they have been sighted many times from the earth since 1943. The theory says that during the daytime the space animals _ . Is It Worth Buying Organic Food? Organic food, grown without artificial chemicals, is increasingly popular nowadays. Consumers have been willing to pay up to twice as much for goods with organic labels . However, if you think paying a little more for organic food gets you a more nutritious and safer product, you might want to save your money. A study led by researchers at Stanford University says that organic products aren't necessarily more nutritious, and they're no less likely to suffer from disease-causing bacteria, either. The latest results, published in the Annuals of Internal Medicine, suggest that buyers may be wasting their money. "We did not find strong evidence that organic food is more nutritious or healthier," says Dr. Crystal Smith-Spangler from Stanford. "So consumers shouldn't assume that one type of food has a lower risk or is safer." For their new study, Smith-Spangler and her colleagues conducted a review of two categories of research, including 17 studies that compared health outcomes between consumers of organic against traditional food products, and 223 studies that analyzed the nutritional content of the foods, including key vitamins, minerals and fats. While the researchers found little difference in nutritional content, they did find that organic fruit and vegetables were 20% less likely to have chemicals remaining on the surfaces. Neither organic nor traditional foods showed levels of chemicals high enough to go beyond food safety standards. And both organic and traditional meats, such as chicken and pork, were equally likely to be harmed by bacteria at very low rates. The researchers did find that organic milk and chicken contained higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, a healthy fat also found in fish that can reduce the risk of heart disease. However, these nutritional differences were too small, and the researchers were unwilling to make much of them until further studies confirm the trends. Organic food is produced with fewer chemicals and more natural-growing practices, but that doesn't always translate into a more nutritious or healthier product. The U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) states that "whether you buy organic or not, finding the freshest foods available may have the biggest effect on taste." Fresh food is at least as good as anything marketed as organic. Which of the following is relatively healthier according to the passage? Mary was waiting for the airplane to take off. She was happy to get a seat by herself. Just then, an air hostess came up to her and asked. "Would you mind changing your seat? A man would like to sit with his wife." The only available seat was next to a girl with her arms broken, a black-and-blue face, and a sad expression . "I don't want to sit there," Mary thought at once. But then a soft voice inside spoke, "She needs help." Finally, Mary moved to that seat. The girl was named Emily. She had been in a car accident and now was on her way for treatment. When the snacks and juice arrived, Mary realized that Emily could not feed herself. Mary thought about offering to feed her but she hesitated , as it seemed too impolite to offer such a help to a stranger. But then Mary realized that Emily's need was more important. Mary offered to help her eat. Although Emily was uncomfortable to accept, _ . They became closer and closer in a short time. By the end of the five-hour trip, Mary's heart had warmed, and the time was really better spent than if she had just sat by herself. Mary was very glad that she sat next to Emily and fed her. Love sometimes goes beyond human boundaries and removes the fears that keep people away. When we reach our hands to help another, we get to live in a larger and more pleasant world. Which of the following is Not True? When someone steps on your toe by accident, you will hurt plenty.But it hurts even more, if you think the person does the same thing on purpose.Earlier studies have found that the feeling of pain can change with how it is experienced.That is why giving people sugar pills and saying they are medicine can make them feel better. This study examined whether self-reported pain is indeed higher when the events producing the pain are understood as intentionally caused by another person.For the study, the researchers told 40 volunteers that they were going to do a series of tasks, including color matching, number counting and discomfort assessment.This last task involved their receiving a brief electric shock to the wrist.They were told that a partner, sitting in another room, would choose which task they would do, and a computer screen helped them to know their partner's choice. In some cases, the volunteers were told their partner had chosen the pain tolerance test.In others, they were told the computers would select the pain tolerance test regardless of their partner's choice.When volunteers thought that their partners were making the shocks on them on purpose, the feeling made the pain worse.As a matter of fact, _ were the same. This study provides evidence that the experience of pain changes depending upon how they think when people have been harmed.Specifically, the meaning of a harm -- whether it was intended -- influences the amount of pain it causes.So, although a broken toe may hurt, an intentionally broken toe should hurt more. What can we infer from the text? Sam Allred suffers from a rare and incurable kidney disease. One day, when his sister was playing a song repeatedly, Sam sang along. His sister thought it was funny so she recorded it and posted the video online. The video -- and Sam -- became a hit. Only 8 years old at the time, he couldn't have expected the response. "(The television show) The Doctors called and wanted me on their show so they paid for me to go to California," says Sam, now 13, "and we got to stay in a hotel where all the movie stars stayed." During that visit to California, Angie Allred, Sam's mother, had an idea about Sam writing a children's book. Together, she and Sam wrote Opening Hearts, which tells Sam's experience of living with a chronic illness. "I wrote the book to teach people to be kinder to people," Sam says. Moreover, Sam wanted to send pillows to sick children staying in hospitals around the country to make their stay more comfortable, an idea that came from a time when he was in the hospital. "A few kind boys came in with pillows and they gave me one and it meant a lot to me that someone cared about kids in the hospital," says Sam. Angie thought of starting a nonprofit organization to provide a way for people to contribute money to realize Sam's ideas. She named the nonprofit Kindness for Kids. Since then, Sam has taken pillows to children staying at Providence Hospital in Anchorage. Sam's father, Scott Allred, owns a small business that contracts shipping services with FedEx Ground. He asked the company for help. "FedEx Ground learned about Sam's pillow project," says Erin Truxal, manager of public relations for FedEx Ground. "We thought, 'What a perfect way for us to get involved.'" The company provided shipping services for Sam to ship about 5,000 pillows to hospitals. Sam wants to send more pillows to all of the children's hospitals in every state. His goal is simple: "Kids in the hospital as happy as they were before they got sick," he says. Opening Hearts is a book that _ .
Question: Our voice gives away a lot of information about ourselves. It can tell us our gender and age. And now, scientists say that it can also tell us our height. Scientists at Washington University, Indiana University and University of California found that listeners could accurately tell the height of speakers, just by their voices. And the key to this mystery is a sound known as the subglottal resonance . It _ with height and helps us build a mental picture of a person. "The best way to think about subglottal resonances is to imagine blowing into a glass bottle with water. The less water in the bottle, the lower sound," said John Morton, a scientist at Washington University. And it's the same for humans. The frequency of the subglottal resonance depends on the height. The taller we are, the deeper the resonance frequency is. In order to find out whether people could identify the resonance, scientists did experiments. A number of same-sex pairs of different heights were told to read the same sentence aloud. It was played back to listeners who had to choose which one of the pairs was taller. Then, other listeners had to rank the speakers from the shortest to the tallest. The listeners were able to identify the tall people 62.17% of time, much higher than a lucky guess. Why not try the experiment yourself? Find out if your tall friends have deeper voices. The scientists in some American universities found that people's voices _ . A. change more quickly as they get older B. can tell the height of the speaker C. sound different when they have water in their mouth D. can tell the speaker's gender, age and weight Answer: B. can tell the height of the speaker Question: A few degrees can make a big difference when it comes to food storage. Foods can go bad if they get too warm. But for many of the world's poor, finding a good way to keep food cool is difficult. Refrigerators are costly and they need electricity. Yet spoiled food not only creates health risks but also economic losses. Farmers lose money when they have to throw away products that they can not sell quickly. But in 1995, a teacher in northernprefix = st1 /Nigerianamed Mohammed Bath Abba found a solution. He developed the "Pot-in-Pot Preservation/Cooling System". It uses two round containers made of clay. A smaller pot is placed inside a larger one. The space between the two pots is filled with wet sand. The inner pot can be filled with fruit, vegetables or drinks. A piece of wet cloth covers the whole cooling system. Food stored in the smaller pot is kept from spoiling through a simple evaporation process. Water in the sand between the two pots evaporates through the surface of the larger pot, where drier outside air is moving. The evaporation process creates a drop in temperature of several degrees. This cools the inner pot and helps keep food safe from harmful bacteria. Some foods can be kept fresh this way for several weeks. People throughoutNigeriabegan using the invention. And it became popular with farmers in other African countries. Mohammed Bah Abba personally financed the first five thousand pot-in-pot systems for his own community and five villages nearby. In 2000, the Rolex Watch Company ofSwitzerlandhonored him with the Rolex Award forEnterprise. This award recognizes people trying to develop projects aimed at improving human knowledge and well-being. A committee considers projects in science and medicine, technology, exploration and discovery, the environment and cultural history. Winners receive financial assistance to help develop and extend their projects. The award is given every two years. The next one will be given in 2008. From the text we can infer this article was probably written in _ . A. 1995 B. 2000 C. 2004 D. 2007 Answer: D. 2007 Question: Whitney Houston, who died on February 11, 2012 in Beverly Hills, California, is being remembered across the globe as a trailblazer . Among all of Houston's outstanding achievements, including a total of more than 400 career a wards , her most significant achievement was her record-setting string of seven Number One singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart . It broke the previous record of six set by The Bee Gees and The Beatles. The string began on October 26 , 1985 with her Grammy-winning hit "Saving All My Love For You," and ended on April 23, 1988 with her R&B ballad "Where Do Broken Hearts Go." It was the fourth single from her album"Whitney"to go to Number One, also a record for a female artist. She sold more than 170 million albums worldwide and co-produced and recorded songs for one of the best-selling soundtracks of all time,The Bodyguard. Whitney Houston was born the daughter of famed gospel singer Cissy Houston in Newak , New Jersey. Dionne Warwick was her cousin and Aretha Franklin her godmother. She began as a gospel singer and pianist in her mother's church and sometimes performed alongside her in nightclubs. At age 15 , Whitney sang backup on Chaka Khan's "I'm Every Woman," a tune she later performed on The Bodyguard soundtrack. Whitney signed with Arista in 1983 and released her self-titied debut album two years later. The New York Times called her first effort, "an impressive, musically conservative showcase for an exceptional vocal talent ." She continued to achieve similar praise for subsequent albums, while her fast-growing fan base put her into the world-class entertainer. In 1998, she released her most musically-diverse album to date, "My Love Is Your Love." The title track became her third best-selling single ever. The past 10 years were filled with highs and lows. While Whitney's contract at Arista Records was renewed for $100 million, album sales began to slide. Her 14-year marriage to singer Bobby Brown ended in 2007 , she canceled concerts and interviews , and accusation arose of drug abuse. Her final album "I Look To you," sold more than two million copies and reached the Number One spot in 2009. What's Whitney Houston's most outstanding achievements? A. Selling more than 170 million albums worldwide. B. Her 400 career awards. C. Her vocal talent. D. Her record-setting string of seven Number One singles. Answer: D. Her record-setting string of seven Number One singles. Question: Can you believe everything that you read? It seems as if every day, some new articles come out about a new discovery about this or that. For example, water is bad for you, or good for you. The answer depends on which scientific study has just come out. People cannot decide which food items are healthy, how pyramids were constructed, and why dinosaurs disappeared. When we look for answers we sometimes can believe persuasive researches and scientists. But how trustworthy are they really? Here are two examples of scientific hoaxes . As far back as 1726, Johann Beringer was fooled by his fellow scientists into thinking he had made an amazing discovery. The fossils of spiders, lizards, and even birds with the name of God written on them in Hebrew were unlike anything that had been found before. He wrote several papers on them and was famous for those only to have it revealed that they were planted by jealous colleagues to ruin his reputation. When an early human being was discovered in 1912, scientists at this time were wild with excitement over the meaning it had for the theory of evolution. There were hundreds of papers about this Piltdown man over the next fifty years until it was finally discovered to be a complex hoax. The skull of a man had been mixed with the jawbone of an orangutan to make the ape man. The next time you read the exciting new findings of a study of the best scientist, do not automatically assume that it is true. Even qualified people can get it wrong. While we certainly should not ignore scientific research, we do need to take it _ . Just because it is accepted as the truth today does not mean it will still be trustworthy tomorrow. The excited scientists thought that this Piltdown man _ . A. was in fact a complex hoax B. was a great scientific invention C. contributed to the theory of evolution D. had the skull like that of an ape Answer: C. contributed to the theory of evolution Question: I consider Lily to be my best friend because she is always very good to me. She's always with me in times of difficulties and she is always there waiting for me. When I have problems and feel empty and upset, she's always by my side to comfort me. We've been together for two years. I met her during our college days. She was my classmate, but I can tell that we were not so close at that time, maybe because we had our own friends and maybe our attention was always on them, so I didn't even notice her. Yet there were times that she was with me during my lunch break. That is why we slowly became close. We had our lunch together in the boarding house but sometimes not, probably because we had our own friends. And when we took our break, we bought our favorite food together, but not that often since we didn't have enough money. Furthermore, we were together in the student union, which was nice for me to know her better. I can say that she is really a nice friend. She is the kind of person that is very approachable in times of emptiness. She is a friend whom I can call every time I need help. Definitely, I am so glad that I have her. Currently, we are working together as freelance writers online. We both work as contractors in oDesk. We are very happy with working together, and we are looking forward to earning some money so that we can go on vacation together. Friendships may not last. Friendships can lose importance and die gradually. However, I believe she will be a lifelong friend of mine. The author mainly wants to tell us _ . A. their close and valuable friendship B. the education they have received C. how to work part-time effectively D. how to build good relationships Answer: A. their close and valuable friendship
Question: Now I'd like to talk to you about your final exam. The exam will be held next Thursday, the last day of the exam week. Remember to bring two of three pens in case you run out of ink. And unlike the midterm exam, this test will not include multiple --- choice questions; it will consist entirely of essays . You'll have to answer three of the five essay questions. The exam will be comprehensive , which means you'll be responsible for all of the subject matters we covered in class this term, I would suggest you review your midterm exam as well as textbooks and your class notes. The final exam will count as 50 percent of your grade of the course. The research project will count as 20 percent and the midterm exam 30 percent. I'll be in my office almost all day next Tuesday. If you run into any problems, please drop in. Good luck to you and I'll see you on Tuesday. Why does the teacher call the exam comprehensive? A. It will be easy to understand. B. Students will be tested on all the material discussed in class. C. It will cover topics from a wide variety of subjects. D. Students must complete all parts of it. Answer: B. Students will be tested on all the material discussed in class. Question: Look at this photo of my family. There are six people in my family. This woman is my mother. She is nice and looks so young.She is a policewoman . She works in a police station . She is a hero in my heart . That man in the black coat is my father. He is a scientist . He works in an institute . He is very busy. Look at this lovely boy. It is my little brother. My grandma looks after him. She is a nurse. My grandpa is that man in the brown coat. My father looks like him. He is a teacher. Can you see me? I'm behind my brother. I have a happy family. My grandma works _ . A. in a hospital B. in an institute C. in a police station D. in a school Answer: A. in a hospital Question: Which characteristic is shared by all cells? A. They need energy. B. They reproduce sexually. C. They make their own food. D. They move from place to place. Answer: A. They need energy. Question: Climbing Mount Everest, the world's highest mountain, just became more challenging. The government of Nepal is telling climbers they cannot leave rubbish on the trails . Each climber will have to come down the mountain with at least 18 pounds of garbage. That's the average amount of rubbish a climber leaves behind on Everest. Officials say climbers are responsible for their own rubbish. "We are not asking climbers to pick up rubbish left by someone else," said Maddhu Sudan Burlakoti, who works for the Nepal Tourism Ministry. "We just want them to bring back what they took up." More than 4,000 people have reached the 29,035-foot mountain top in the past 60 years. Leaving rubbish along the way helps climbers keep their bags light so they have energy to reach the top. "The rubbish problem in Mount Everest is not new," Burlakoti says. "When the people started to climb the mountain, they started to leave their garbage there." They have left behind cans, tents, food wrappers, and equipment. Last year, climbers carried down a total of four tons of rubbish. The new rule came into effect in April of 2014. To make sure it is followed, climbers will have to deposit money before the climb. Once they climb back down the mountain, officials will check climbers at a return camp to make sure they have the required 18 pounds of rubbish. If they do, their money will be returned to them. If they do not, climbers will not receive their deposit and they will not be given a permit the next time they want to climb Everest. The goal is to make sure no more litter will be left on Everest, which has earned the nickname the World's Highest Dustbin. "As we offer Mount Everest to all the people of the world they should take responsibility to clean it," Burlakoti says, "After seeing the results from this, we will extend this rule to other mountains also." What can be inferred from what Burlakoti says? A. The rule is being successfully carried out. B. The rule is not effective as expected. C. The effect of the rule remains to be seen. D. The rule will be applied to other mountains. Answer: C. The effect of the rule remains to be seen. Question: This is my school. There are many trees and flowers in it. The teaching building is big and tall. There is a big playground in our school..It is very nice to have it . After 4:30 in the afternoon, many students come to the playground to play football and some students play table tennis in the table tennis room. There are 1,200 students in 30 classes in our school. The students all like to study. The teachers in our school are very good. They help the students to study and sometimes play with them .All the students like them, too. What may teachers not do? A. give the students lessons. B. play football and table tennis with the students. C. don't like some students. D. help students study Answer: C. don't like some students.
Question: Some people say that today, reading is not as important as it was. These days we have photographs, films, radio and television. Why read a description of something when you can look at a photograph? Why read a newspaper when the latest news is brought to us every hour on radio and TV? Photography was certainly a wonderful invention. Photographs can give a very clear idea of places and of people that we have never seen. An encyclopedia , for example, is always better when it has good illustrations. But we also need words to explain the photographs and drawings. A photograph of an elephant may give us a very good idea of what an elephant looks like, but it tells us nothing about the different sorts of elephants there are and where they are found, their exact size and weight, how they can be useful to man and so on. In the same way, a good film has action, movement, color, and maybe music. These are things we do not find on the printed page. But reading a novel has certain advantages over watching even an excellent feature film. Reading a novel requires imagination. Each of us imagines a story differently. Watching news on television can certainly be exciting. But we need newspapers as well. Some important news stories happen when there are no cameras around. More importantly, a newspaper does not just report the news. It explains why something has been happening. It also contains interesting articles on different subjects. Newspapers are an important part of our lives, if we want to understand what is going on in the places we live as well as in other parts of the world. Reading is very important for information and pleasure. We need to be good readers to enjoy a full life as human beings. Reading is a skill and like other skills, it needs practice. The more we read, the better readers we become. And the better readers we become, the more we enjoy reading! The secret is to get the reading habit. Read at least a little every day. Newspapers contain _ . A. more information than television B. less information than television C. more news from other countries D. less information about important events than TV Answer: A Question: Movie World Movie world is the only movie-related theme park in Australia. With one of the best coast and a good handful of movie-related rides, you'll experience a fun-filled adventure with the glamour of Hollywood. Get "behind the scenes" movie information and stunt shows to keep the whole family entertained for the best part of a day. Contact Information: Phone: 07-5573-8485 Address: Pacific Motorway, Oxenford, Queensland 4210 Website: www.movieworld.com.au Sea World With an obvious emphasis on things that live in the water, Sea World has a fantastic range offish, sharks, dolphins, seals, polar bears and other assorted animals in the water. Throw in a bunch of great rides, water slides and roller coasters, Sea World emerges as perhaps the best all-round theme park on the Gold Coast. Contact Information: Phone: 07-5588-2222 Address: Sea World Drive, Main Beach, Queensland 42 Website: www.seaworld.com.au Tropical Fruit World Home of the world's largest variety of tropical fruit, it's free to get in and shop for gourmet varieties of bizarre, and wonderful fruits, or you can pay to check out the plantation safaris , mini train rides, jungle cruises and fruit tasting shows. Admission is about $32 for adults and $15 for kids and free for kids under 5. Contact Information: Phone: 02-6677-7222 Address: Duranbah Road, Duranbah, NSW 2487 Website: www.tropicalfruitworld.com.au Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary Crocodiles, kangaroos, koalas and almost all of the other famous Australian native animals are living in Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. You can look at them, feed and pat some of them or just experience the fantastic 27 hectare bush land setting -- an oasis of wildlife amidst the Gold Coast bustle. Contact Information: Phone: 07-5534-1266 Address: 28 Tomewin Street Currumbin, Queensland 4223 Website: www.currumbin.sanctuary.org.au If you want to watch stunt shows, you can go to _ . A. Movie World B. Sea World C. Tropical Fruit World D. Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary Answer: A Question: A Brooklyn man who was quarreling with his girlfriend yesterday threw a dog off the balcony of her 23rd-story apartment in TriBeCa, killing it, the police said. The man, John Jefferson, 43, of Bedford-Stuyvesant, has been charged with robbery, criminal possession of a weapon and animal cruelty, the police said. He was taken to Bellevue Hospital Center yesterday for psychiatric evaluation , they said. The incident began shortly before 11 a.m., the police said, when Mr. Jefferson went to visit his girlfriend, Eugenia Miller, 41, at her apartment on 80 North Moore Street. She had filed a police report on Friday accusing Mr. Jefferson of stealing from her, but yesterday she allowed him in and they began arguing, the police said. Mr. Jefferson threatened Ms. Miller with a knife, and she called 911, the police said. When officers arrived at her door, she ran into the hallway and Mr. Jefferson stayed in the apartment, they said. Mr. Jefferson began throwing Ms. Miller's things off the balcony, first the television, the air-conditioner and clothes, then her dog, Ribsy, the police and witnesses said. The dog had lived in the neighborhood for more than a decade and was well liked by children. "He was like a person and he would hang out with us guys or go visit kids at the basketball court," said neighbors. John Jefferson was accused of the following except _ . A. his arguing with his girlfriend B. criminal possession of a weapon C. animal cruelty D. robbery Answer: A Question: "Let's go Dutch, shall we?" Jim said after a dinner to his friends in a restaurant. What does Jim mean? Long ago, there was a kind of dinner called Dutch treat . At a Dutch treat, the invited guests were expected to pay for their own share of the food and drink. Now, Dutch treat means when friends go out to have fun, each person pays his or her own share. There are many other expressions related with "Dutch" in American English. However, most of them were first used in England in the 17th century. At that time, the British and the Dutch were war enemies. So when British people talked about something wrong or bad, they would like to use the word "Dutch". A common expression heard a few years ago was in Dutch. A friend may tell you, "You are in Dutch. The teacher is angry with you. Be careful!" When a soldier took Dutch leave, he left the army without permission. Dutch courage was the false courage produced by the effects of drinking wine. There is one expression that did come from the Dutch. That is to talk like a Dutch uncle. The Dutch were known for the strict and serious way they educated their children. If your friend says that he is in Dutch, he most probably means that _ . A. he is happy B. he is lucky C. he is in trouble D. he is on vacation Answer: C Question: At first all films were in black and white, but in 1932 the first color film was made. It proved as unpopular as making films had done in the late 1920's. It was not until 1938 that a full length color film was made, and the success of this film made producers everywhere change from black and white to color. This first full-length color film was translated into ten different languages and made Hollywood the main center( )of film industry In the early days of the cinema, other countries had also film industries. Very good films were made in Sweden, Britain, Russia and France. However, because Holleywood had so much money to spend, it kept its position as the world's most important film center. Film actors went to America because they knew they could get a lot of money for every film they made. In 1918 Charlie Chaplin (*)received $5 each day. However, life was not always easy for the film actors. Newspapermen followed them everywhere, and after Charlie Chapine married for the fourth time he became so unpopular with the American public that he had to leave the country and live in Europe. . Many film actors went to America because _ A. America was the only country that made good films. B. no other countries had film industries C. they could make a lot of money there D. they wanted to become famous actors Answer: C
Are you happy? Do you remember a time when you were happy? Are you seeking happiness today? Many have sought a variety of sources for their feelings of happiness.Some have put their hearts and efforts into their work.Too many have turned to drugs and alcohol.Meanwhile, untold numbers have looked for it in the possession of expensive cars, exotic vacation homes and other popular "toys".Most of their efforts have a root in one common fact: people are looking for a lasting source of happiness. Unfortunately, I believe that happiness escapes from many people because they misunderstand the journey of finding it.I have heard many people say that, "I'll be happy when I get my new promotion." Or "I'll be happy when I lose that extra 20 pounds." It is dangerous because it accepts that happiness is a "response" to having, being or doing something. In life, we all experience stimulus and response.Today, some people think that an expensive car is a stimulus, and happiness is a response; a great paying job is a stimulus, and happiness is a response; a loving relationship is a stimulus, and happiness is a response.This belief leaves us the thinking and feeling: I'll be happy when ... It has been my finding that actually the opposite is true.I believe that happiness is a stimulus and a response is what life brings to those who are truly happy.When we are happy, we tend to have more success in our work.When we are happy, people want to be around us and enjoy loving relationships.When we are happy, we more naturally take better care of our bodies and enjoy good health.Happiness is not a response but a stimulus. Happiness is a conscious choice we make every day of our lives.For unknown reason to me, many choose to be painful, unsuccessful and angry most of the time.Happiness is not something that happens to us after we get something we want--we usually get things we want AFTER we choose to be happy. Which of the following is right according to the author? A If you want to get what you want, you first choose to be happy. B We should try to get more and then we'll be happy. C Most people today are happy. D Work is a necessary part in our daily life Answer: A NASA has opened the door to the next generation of space discovery by announcing great plans for a base for humans to live on the surface of the moon forever. The project to build a base on the moon will begin soon after 2020, with astronauts living there within four years. The project comes after several excellent scientists and environmentalists asked humans to look beyond Earth to ensure the survival of the species . Eventually, the moon will be a base for humans to explore the solar system and one day land on Mars. NASA began planning for the first moon landing since 1972 when George Bush, the US president, announced his new plan for space exploration four years ago. NASA has already talked about the design of the Orion spacecraft that will replace the old space shuttle fleet in 2010. The plan for the moon base, however, is the first detailed explanation of how NASA intends to prepare for the first manned exploration of deep space and a possible Mars mission within 30 years. Scientists also believe that the south pole on the moon contain rich natural gases such as the rare helium-3 that could be used as fuel for the generation of nuclear power. Besides, teams of astronauts living there for six months at a time would mine for hydrogen and oxygen to make water and possibly rocket fuel. The reasons why NASA has begun the plan to explore space include the followings except _ . A to protect Earth B to explore deep space C to finish Mars mission D to show how powerful the USA is Answer: D Elephants are trained, at an early age, not to escape. One leg of a baby elephant is tied with a rope to a wooden post planted in the ground. The rope limits the baby elephant to an area determined by the length of the rope. At first the baby elephant tries to break free from the rope, but the rope is too strong. Soon the elephant learns that he cannot break the rope in any case. This space defined by the rope becomes the elephant's comfort zone. As the elephant grows up it could easily break the rope, but it does not even try because it was conditioned as a baby to think that it still could not break free. As a result, the large elephant remains tied and stays in a small space. This metaphor can be used to describe what happens to human beings as we become trapped in a comfort zone. Just as the elephant's space determines what it can do, our comfort zone determines what we are able to achieve. Fortunately, humans are born with the ability to make conscious choices. The elephant doesn't try to break the rope free while we can easily leave our comfort zone. In order to expand our potential and succeed in life, we must expand our comfort zone into unfamiliar fields. You will never realize what you are truly able to achieve if you remain in your comfort zone. The area where the baby elephant can move around is decided by _ . A the space covered by the elephant B the length of the rope C the elephant's comfort zone D the wooden post planted in the ground Answer: B During the past Spring Festival, many children may have received red packets from their families. But Xing Pu, a 40-year-old economist, is asking the government to give red packets to every Chinese citizen. Xing suggested the government give out 1,000 Yuan to each Chinese since the government income has increased rapidly in recent years. He said his suggestion would allow everyone to directly enjoy the fruits of the country's economic success, help the lower-income groups deal with rising prices and increase consumption around the country. Recent years have seen the government carry out a series of pro-poor and pro-rural policies, including increasing spending on public healthcare and calling off the agricultural tax. But the lower-income group still needs more help while being hit hard by an 11-year high in prices and recent snowstorms. Xing said while making the draft, he has borrowed many ideas from practices in countries like the United States and Singapore. Earlier this year, the governments of the two nations offered cash handouts to their citizens as the result of a surplus in government income. As for in China, "We can even encourage the rich to donate their 1,000 Yuan red packet to the poor," said Xing. Although Xing's suggestion has gained wide support among ordinary Chinese on the Internet, many other economists criticized it as unpractical. Even Xing himself admitted he made the suggestion without any careful calculation. But they agreed with Xing's point that the growing economic pie should be shared among the people. "To better use the increase of money, handing out money is not a solution that holds good for all time. It could be better to improve the public service or cut the price of energy use in daily life," said Qiao Xinsheng, an economic professor. What has the government done to help the lower-income group? A Spending less on public health care. B Increasing the agricultural tax. C Handing out money to every Chinese. D Carrying out pro-poor policies. Answer: D Visiting Jiaixng Zoo Come and see big elephants from Yunnan and tigers from the northeast. The Africa giraffe are waiting for you. Clever monkeys are going to make you laugh. A lot of other animals you have never seen are waiting to meet you. Tickets: Grown-ups : Y=5.00 Children: Y=2.00 Under six: Free Opening time: From Monday to Friday: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm Saturday and Sunday: 8:00 am - 5:30 pm Keep the zoo clean. Do not give food to or go near the animals. Which of the following actions we can do? A Give food to the animals B Throw dirty things C Go close to the animas D Laugh Answer: D
A Guide To use or protect all kinds of facilities in the library, follow the procedures given at the circulation desk. Group Study Rooms(2F) Students and teaching staff can use these rooms for group study. Students are advised to use unlocked rooms(4 rooms for 2 people, 3 rooms for 4 people) available for free. When you use locked rooms(2 rooms for 4 people, 2 rooms for 10 people), you need to go through reservation procedures at the circulation desk. These rooms are available for group discussion. Individual Reading Rooms(1-3F) There are 4 single rooms available for use by teaching staff and visiting scholars. Each room is equipped with a computer together 1 printer and 6 scanners. Reservation of these rooms is available for a period up to seven days on end. Meeting Rooms and Seminar Rooms(1-3F) Only teaching staff and graduate students can apply to use these rooms and reserve them one day in advance. The total number of seats is 40. They are available for workshops and small seminars. Computer Rooms(4F) These rooms are available for classes or seminars and so on. The total number of seats is 88. Only teaching staff can apply to use the computer rooms and reserve them one day in advance. Who can apply to use the computer rooms? Answer: You can see lots of kangaroos in Australia, and not only in zoos but also outside the cities and towns. You can see them everywhere. Kangaroos are very popular in Australia. They have very strong legs, so they are very good at jumping. Their tails are very strong, too, so when they want to have a rest, they rest on their tails. Kangaroos are also good at looking after their babies. Mother kangaroos keep their babies safe in their pockets. Where can we see kangaroos in Australia? Answer: An example of camouflage is when an organism looks like what? Answer: Two men were sitting together in a plane. They were on a long journey. One of the men was a businessman. The other was a farmer. They sat without talking for a while, then the farmer said,"Let's do something to pass the time." "What do you want to do?" the businessman asked. "We can ask each other riddles." The farmer said,"You start.""Let's make the rules first," the businessman said. "That's not fair. You are a businessman with much knowledge. You know more things than I do. I am just a farmer." "That's true." The businessman said. "What do you want we should do?" "If you don't know the answer to a riddle, you pay me $100. And if I don't know the answer, I'll pay you $50." The farmer said. The businessman thought about this, then he said, "OK. That's fair. Who will go first?" "I will," The farmer said. "Here is my riddle. What has three legs when it walks, but only two legs when it flies?" The business man repeated the riddle, "What has three legs when it walks, but only two legs when it flies? Mm, that's a good one. I'm afraid I don't know the answer." He gave the farmer $100, then said, "Tell me the answer. What has three legs when it walks, but only two legs when it flies?""I don't know." The farmer said and gave him $50. The story happened _ . Answer: When was the last time you laughed a lot? Most people are the victim of an uncontrollable fit of laughter at least once in their lives. But when it happens in front of the television cameras, it can become an internet sensation. Do you think there's anything funny about spicy meat? Swiss finance minister Hans-Rudolf Merz seemed to think it was hilarious. Mr. Merz was making a speech in the Swiss parliament on meat imports when he started laughing and couldn't stop. The meat in question is known as "bundnerfleisch"-- a type of air-dried beef product. Herr Merz later admitted that he was amused by the bureaucratic language in which the bill was written. Since then, Mr. Merz has become an internet hit. A video of the incident shows a grey-suited minister giggling away, accompanied by applause from his parliamentary colleagues. So far, the video has been seen by more than 500,000 people on YouYube and other websites. "I don't understand what he's talking about," said one viewer, "but it's just so funny." The recent publicity will be good news for the minister, too. Mr. Merz had been criticized recently for signing away much of Switzerland's banking secrecy, and for failing to do enough to help two Swiss citizens who were detained by Libya. But now, with retirement a few months away, Mr. Merz may leave on a high note. Some even suggest he may have a future career as a comedian. Of course, Mr. Merz isn't the first person to _ on air. BBC Radio 4 newsreader Charlotte Green lost control on the programmeTodaynot so long ago. It all happened after a clip of the oldest known recording of the human voice was played. A studio member remarked that the 1860 recording of a woman singing the French song "Au Clair de la Lune" sounded like a "bee buzzing in a bottle". That seemed to set Ms. Green off as she broke down into a fit of the giggles. Later, the editor of the show, Ceri Thomas, said most listeners who contacted the show had commented on "how much they had enjoyed the moment". He added, "When Charlotte loses it, she really loses it." So, why do we get these fits of laughter? Experts say it's a form of release. Nervous tension often builds up inside us, especially in those who have got high-pressure, stressful jobs. When stressed out, the body constricts blood vessels, elevates the production of potentially damaging stress hormones, and raises blood pressure. Short periods of stress are normal and not dangerous, but over long periods of time stress weakens the immune system and makes heart problems more likely. Under the control ofself-protecting mechanisms of human body, this pressure needs an outlet, usually manifesting itself through tears, anger or laughter-- uncontrollable fits of laughter! So, beware! That uncontrollable laughing fit could strike at any moment. [(<<>> 201102 "Laugh Away")] According to the passage, Charlotte Green lost control on the programme because _ .[ ] Answer:
Question: These days many people are interested in losing weight. It is very popular among people, especially young people. Everybody hopes to become thin quickly. Some people even take medicine. Do you know how to _ weight? Well... diet and exercise are the right answers. Please read and remember the following tips. Tip 1 You should eat only when you are hungry. Don't eat if you don't feel hungry. Tip 2 You should eat only food that is good for your health. Don't eat junk food such as hamburgers and French fries. Tip 3 It is better to prepare your own food instead of eating out. When you eat out, you may eat too much. That can make you become fatter. Tip 4 Don't forget to think about changing your lifestyle. For example, turn off the TV and the computer and take some exercise every day. Remember not to be too strict with yourself. Give yourself some free time to find the best way to control your weight. _ are more interested in losing weight. A. Children B. Young people C. Old people D. Women Answer: B. Young people Question: I got invited to go with some friends to a game at another school. A senior will be driving us, and I think she's a good driver, but it's someone my parents don't know. I want to tell my parents where I'm going, but what if I ask and they say "no"? I'll end up wishing I never mentioned it and just went ahead and did it anyway. If you want more privileges, it's best to build a track record of honesty and trust. Letting a parent know where you're going is always a good idea. You may worry that telling your parents puts you at risk of getting "no" for an answer. But there's a good chance your parents might be OK with you going. If you go but don't tell them, you risk losing something more important -- your parents' trust. Parents who find out their kids did something behind their backs may be less likely to give permission to do things in the future. When trust is broken like this, parents wonder if teens are trying to hide something -- and what they imagine can be far worse than the reality. Before you talk to your parents about the game, think about which approach will help them feel most comfortable with giving you more freedom. Maybe they'd like to meet the person driving or talk to friends who have driven with her in the past. If your parents have questions or hesitate about letting you go, find out what their worries are and then do your best to answer them. What does the writer really want to tell us? A. Which effective approach to use. B. How to deal with strict parents. C. How to win over parents. D. How to get freedom from parents. Answer: C. How to win over parents. Question: Butterflies are common all over the world,but butterflies in hotter countries are usually bigger and more brightly colored than those in coo1er countries,and there are more different kinds. Usually the male butterflies are more brightly colored than the females.The females have bigger and heavier bodies since they carry the eggs.The bright colors of the males help to attract the females,and the duller colors of the females make them less likely to be caught by enemies before they have laid their eggs. Some butterflies have bright pattern colors on the upper surface of their wings t _ show when flying ,but when they rest on a tree or leaves , they close their wings.On the undersides of their wings there are green and brown marks which look like the tree or leaves.They are then difficult to be seen.The best example of this is the Dead Leaf Butterfly.When its wings are c1osed,it looks exactly like a dead leaf.There are even marks that look like the holes in a dead leaf.When the butterfly is run after by a bird,it closes its wings and seems to have disappeared completely. Many butterflies have round marks on their wings that look like eyes.The round marks have a useful function .When the butterflies are resting,their wings are closed,and these marks can't be seen. When a bird sees one,and begins to attack it,the butterfly will open its Wings. The bird thinks that it sees two eyes staring at it,frightened,and flies away. when run after by a bird,the Dead Leaf Butterfly _ . A. is frightened and flies away at once B. opens its eyes and stares at the bird C. closes its wings and seems to have gone D. opens its wings to frighten the bird away Answer: C. closes its wings and seems to have gone Question: Dear Alice You really have two different questions here, so we'll discuss them one at a time. Your problems at school may be a result of a number of things. You don't say much about how these classmates get along with each other. It's possible that all the students are feeling a little cautious in the first term. It's also possible that the others are unkind. If this is not so, you have to find out why you are the class "outsider".In your letter you say you often offer to help others with their work. Is it possible that your classmates don't understand your offers? Could it seem that you were trying to "buy" friends with these offers, Is it possible that you took no notice of your classmates when you had your good friend near you? They may have felt hurt at that time. It may take a time for them to believe in you if so. Try to ask one classmate directly what the problem is. If you hear a negative answer, at least you'll know what to do Yours truly Shelia In the letter Shelia talked about _ possible reasons for Alice's problems. A. four B. Six C. seven D. eight Answer: A. four Question: What is a galaxy? A. a moon that orbits a planet B. a planet that orbits the Sun C. a very large system of stars that is held together by gravity D. a very large system of planets that is held together by the Sun Answer: C. a very large system of stars that is held together by gravity
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 two beds, two chairs and _ pictures in the room. Answer: Getting in touch with nature can help keep people fit, reducing the burden of sickness on the health service, conservation experts say. Natural England is starting a campaign to get people to spend more time outside among the country's wildlife and natural environment. The aim of the campaign is to get people to have more contact with nature by promoting green spaces and encouraging health professionals to incorporate (......) the thought into the advice and care plans that they give to patients. Being close to nature can cut stress and increase physical activity. Dr. William Bird from Natural England said: "Increasing evidence suggests that both physical and mental health are improved through contact with nature. Yet people are having less contact with nature than at any time in the past. This has to change. Children with attention disorders have been shown to improve when they have contact with nature. People recovering from operations have been shown to need fewer painkillers if they look out at green fields." He also said people were more likely to keep up with their regular exercise in natural settings, rather than in a gym or leisure centre. Natural England is working with the BBC and more than 300 partners to promote its campaign, which will be the first of four campaigns to get people more involved in nature. Liz Cleaver, from the BBC, said: "These campaigns now provide the public with the opportunity to get outside and to get actively involved in nature close to where they live. That's great for wildlife --but it's also fantastic for everyone's health and well-being." The campaign has also received support from the government. Dr. Fiona Adshead, England's deputy chief medical officer, said: "I welcome Natural England's commitment to encourage and enable people to make use of the country's outdoor space for physical activity." The purpose of the campaign is to _ . Answer: Winter Sale! Winter is coming. So we are having a big and end-of-autumn sale. Look at the prices! A blouse :$5 A coat:$20 A silk skirt: $28 A pair of trainers :$30 A pair of jeans:$30 Will you come to Reborn Fashion Shop on the 2nd floor of New Century Shopping Mall from Friday to Sunday? Cash Back! Spend twenty dollars in our shop, we will give you five dollars back. Spend 40 dollars, and you will get 10 dollars back. Remember: only at weekends You are welcome to Happy Times Doll Shop on the first floor of New Century Shopping Mall. Closing Down Sale! Come to our shop next Monday. There is a discount on every kind of chocolate. And we will give you a big box of sweets for free if you spend more than 20 dollars in our shop. So come to Sweetheart Chocolate Shop on the first floor of New Century Shopping Mall. How many shops are mentioned in this advertisement ? Answer: Most people think that the capital of the movie world is Hollyhood, in the United States. However, the real movie capital is Mumbai, in India. Mumbai used to be known as Bombay, and so the film industry there is called "Bollywood." Bollywood makes twice as many movies each year as Hollyhood--more than 800 films a year. The movies from Bollywood are very different from Hollywood movies. For one thing, Bollywood movies are much longer than most Hollywood movies. Most Bollywood movies are more than three hours long, and contain singing, dancing, action, adventure, mystery, and romance (but usually no kissing). Because Bollywood films contain so many different features, this style of film is sometimes called a "masala" film. ("Masala" is an Indian word for a mixture of spices.) Another big difference between Bollywood and Hollywood movies is the way movies are made. It takes much longer to make a movie in Hollywood than in Bollywood. In fact, filming may begin on a Bollywood movie before the script even finished. The director and writers can make up the story while the film is being made. Sometimes they will even write the script by hand instead of taking time to type it. Bollywood actors are very popular and some are in such high demand that they may work on several movies at the same time. They may even shoot scenes for several films on the same day using the same costumes and scenery. Since most Bollywood movies follow the same kind of story, shooting scenes for several films at the same time is not a big problem for actors or directors. This also helps keep the cost of Bollywood movies lower than the cost of Hollywood movies. The average Bollywood film, with a budget of only two million U.S. dollars, seems very cheap compared to the average budget of sixty million U.S. dollars for a Hollywood film--thirty times as much! Why are Bollywood films often called "masala" films? Answer: TV is an excellent resource for hearing and listening to English. The pictures help you understand what is being said and TV news is an ideal way to help improve your listening ability because within a short period of time the same news is often repeated. This means that you can watch basically the same news program several times within a day and that every _ program will help you to understand what is being said. These preparatory steps are very important before your listening: * Find out which news report you want to listen to, when and on what channel. CCTV 9 is a good choice because this is China's English channel and has regular news reports. * Just watch the news reports for a few days first, before requiring yourself to understand the stories. Give yourself time to get familiar with the newsreaders and their accents. You should also get an idea of the structure of the entire report as well as the structure of a typical news story. * Watch the news in Chinese first. This will tell you what the main news items are and help prepare you for understanding news reports in English. While listening, you should pay attention to a few things that you may try to do: * You can aim at just getting what a story is about. Give a one-to -tow-sentence description after each story. * Put forward a few questions to yourself about a story, and then seek to answer them from your listening. You can do this by stopping the tape as soon as the headline is read to you. * Your may write a full transcript of a story to practice intensive listening. This may bring to notice listening problems that have skipped your attention when you only concentrate on the content. Even though the listening part is over, some follow-up activities will help you reinforce your learning. You may talk about the news with one or more friends. This provides an opportunity to produce a summary or express your thoughts in a brief article. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage? Answer:
Simon is a student in a middle school. He is very strong. He goes to No.6 Middle School on a bus. He's good at English. But he's often late for his English classes. His father is a doctor. He's big and tall. He works in a big hospital. His mother is a nurse. She's slim and pretty. They are in the same hospital. They all work hard. He loves his father and mother very much. His father and mother both go to work by bike. We can see bikes here and there. And China is a "country of bikes". What is Simon? He is a doctor. Wei Hua had a busy day yesterday. She got up before 7 o'clock in the morning, and quickly washed her hands and face. She got to school early. She had a little rest after lunch, but worked hard in class all day. She played basketball after school, and then she walked home. Wei Hua's pen was broken, so she needed a new one. On her way home she bought a new pen at a shop. When she reached home, she had a short rest and a glass of water. After that she helped her parents. She quickly cooked the supper, and cleaned the house. She watched TV for half an hour after supper. Then she started her homework. She finished it at half past nine. She went to bed before a quarter to ten. She went to bed before _ . 9: 45 Cycling isn't always easy. Busy streets and few bike lanes and parking areas can make it a battle. But not even these difficulties can stop Europeans' love for cycling. According to Reuters, more bicycles have been sold than cars in 26 of the European Union's 28 states this year. In some European countries, people really love bicycles. "People ride to work and take their bikes to the grocery store", Bill Strickland, editor of Bicycling magazine, told the reporter from Reuters. So what has led to cycling's growing popularity in Europe? Cycling is "a safe, clean, healthy, inexpensive way to get around town," the Daily Star concluded. "It not only reduces traffic problems and pollution, but also contributes to public health." Bike-friendly rules have also been made. Dozens of cities have joined a European Union initiative to make bicycles a form of city transport, like cars. Quite a few cities such as Stockholm, London, Florence and Munich now offer special bike lanes. Copenhagen takes it a step further by keeping bicycles and cars separated as much as possible. On these _ , traffic lights are designed to the rhythms of bicycles, not cars. For people living far from city centers, getting to work by bicycle alone may take too much time. That's why many European countries now allow cyclists to bring their bicycles onto subway trains. Europeans are also creative in solving parking problems. Amsterdam has come up with a high-tech solution: you lock your bike to a rack , which then goes underground. When you want your bike back, it is brought back to the surface. Why do people enjoy cycling in Europe? Cycling is a good way to get around town. Wildfire is when what catches fire? timberland Ice-climb in London The huge ice skating area at Somerset House has been drawing crowds each winter for years, but last November an ice wall was added for the first time, bringing even more danger and excitement. Standing more than 26 feet high is along line of pure ice, featuring three climbing faces of varying difficulty using crampons ,ice picks. and ropes. Using it costs about PS40 (020 7854600;www. somersethouseicednk. org. uk). It is open from late November to the end of January. Hang-gliding in Rio De Janeiro According to the hang-gliders of Rio, once you ' ve swooped over the city's streets,gazing at the Sugar Loaf, and the city of Niteroion, the other side of Guanabara Bay, you will understand why birds are peaceful animals. Accept the romantic idea on a 30-minute cycling flight from the 525-meter Pedra Bonita in the Sao Conrado mountain down to the Sao Conrado beach. It costs aroundPS55. Contact Air Adventures (021 98439006;www. rio-hanggliding, com). Sky-walk in Sydney This experience takes having a look at a nice view to the whole other level, as you are suspended more than 850 feet (260m)above street level,controlled to a glass viewing platform of Sydney Tower. It's the city's highest building. After a thorough briefing and being fitted with protective sky suits , sky-walkers make their way along two-purpose-built walkways and platforms, which have transparent floor,while a guide points out landmarks. Night time sky-walks. are also available. It costs PS46. Mountain-boarding in Leeds Riders roll down hills and fly off jumps, doing tricks. A number of special mountain-board parks have been opened around the country (see www. ridethehill. com). But the Leeds body of the Boarding Society practice at least twice a week in the city in locations that include Roundhay Park. Those with their own boards are welcomed to join them. Contact the society at www. scua. info. Alternatively, beginners can get lessons in Halifax at the Another World(014 22 245196; www mountainboarding.co.uk)mountain-board center for PS8 an hour with equipment. The purpose of the above ads is to _ . offer some ways to experience extreme sports
China's economic growth "hard to predict" The worsening global economic situation makes it difficult for China to predict its growth for next year, a senior official said on Friday. "How fast China's economy will grow next year is uncertain," Liu He, deputy director of the Office of the Central Leading Group on Finance and Economy Work, told China Daily. "To a large , the rate will be decided by the external situation," Liu said during a discussion with Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt and other economists in Beijing. "This year, GDP is estimated to grow at 9.4 or 9.5 percent, down from 10.6 percent last year," he said. "However, the impact of the current financial turbulence on our economy is much less than on the rest of the world." Nicholas Stern, a former UK government advisor, also told China Daily it will take at least one or two years for the world to recover from the recession, which is now spreading from the US and the UK to the rest of the world. "We don't know how long the recession will last, but it is unlikely to be short," he said. Liu said China can use the downturn as an opportunity to restructure its economy, which has relied heavily on government investment, foreign trade and low-cost technology over the past years. "When the economy is experiencing fast growth, companies are unwilling to upgrade their technologies," Liu said. "The slowdown gives such firms the opportunity to enhance their competitive edge through better technologies." (From China Daily 2009-01-11) It can be inferred from Liu's words that the impact of the current financial turbulence on China's economy is _ . Answer: the least Over a period of time, many habitats change with respect to the types of plants and animals that live there. This change is known as succession. Succession occurs because plants and animals cause a change in the environment in which they live. The first weeds and grasses that appear on a bare field, for example, change the environment by shielding the soil from direct sunlight. As these plants spread, the ground becomes cooler and more moist than it was originally. Thus, the environment at the ground surface has been changed. The new surface conditions favor the sprouting of shrubs. As shrubs grow, they kill the grasses by preventing light from reaching them and also enhance the soil. Pine seedlings soon take hold and as they grow, they in turn shade out the shrubs. They are not able to shade out oak and hickory seedlings, however, that have found the forest floor suitable. These seedlings grew into large trees that eventually shade out the pines. It can be inferred from the passage that _ . Answer: oak and hickory trees grow taller than pines McDonald's is the world single biggest food provider with annual sales of around $12.4bn. And the company's symbol Ronald McDonald is now (or so the company claims) the word's most recognized person after Santa Claus. The first McDonald's restaurant was opened in San Bernardino, California, in 1948 by brothers Mac and Richard "Dick" McDonald. Mac ran the restaurant side; Dick was the marketing genius. He had already invented the drive-in laundry and had been the first person to use neon lights in advertising. Now he spotted the gap in the post-war, baby-boom market for cheap, family-orientated restaurants with simple menus, standardized food and efficient service. After a slow start, business began to boom. By 1954, the brothers were joined by another entrepreneur, a kitchen equipment salesman called Ray A Kroc who owned the franchise to the Multimixer, milk shake maker used throughout the McDonald's chain. A year later, Kroc had bought the McDonald brothers' chain of 25 franchises for the equivalent of around $70m(PS44m). Dick remained with the company until the Seventies, when he and Kroc fell out over Kroc's claim that the chain was his creation. Today, an almost Stalinist cult of personality surrounds Kroc (who died in 1984) at McDonald's, while the brothers who gave the company its name have all but been written out of its history. But though Kroc did not found McDonald's, he was certainly responsible for the empire-building philosophy which led to its world domination. He ushered in such essential contributions to international cuisine as the Big Mac (1968) and the Egg McMuffin (1973); and helped launch Ronald McDonald ---- "in any language he means fun" ---- on to television in 1963. Every three hours, a new McDonald's franchise opens somewhere in the world; it can be found in more than 100 countries including India (vegetarian-only to avoid offending the non-beef-eating populace) and Israel (non kosher, despite fierce local objection). McDonald's chain embodied the thrusting, can-do spirit of Fifties America with staff mottoes such as "If you've got time to lean, you've go time to clean." Which statement is true according to the passage? Answer: The international cuisine as the Big Mac, a beef hamburger, is provided every chain restaurant in the world. It happened one morning 20 years ago. A British scientist Alec Jeffrey came across DNA fingerprinting: He identified the patterns of genetic material that are unique to almost every individual. His discovery changed everything from the way we do criminal investigations to the way we decide family law. But the professor of genetics at the University of Leicester, UK, is still surprised, and a bit worried, by the power of the technology he released upon the world. The patterns within DNA are unique to each individual, except identical twins, who share the same pattern. The ability to identify these patterns has been used to convict(...) murderers and to clear people who are wrongly accused. It is also used to identify the victims of war and settle disputes over who is the father of a child. Jeffrey said he and his colleagues made the discovery by accident while tracking genetic variations . But, within six months of the discovery, genetic fingerprinting had been used in an immigration case, to prove that an African boy really was his parents' son.*In 1986, it was used for the first time in a British criminal case: It cleared one suspect after being accused of two murders and helped convict another man. DNA testing is now very common. In Britain, a national criminal database established in 1995 now contains 2.5 million DNA samples. The U.S. and Canada are developing similar systems. But there are fears about the stored DNA samples and how they could be used to harm a person's privacy. That includes a person's medical history, racial origin or psychological profile. "There is the long-term risk that people can get into these samples and start getting additional information about a person's paternity or risk of disease," Jeffrey said. DNA testing is not an unfailing proof of identity. Still, it is considered a reasonably reliable system for determining the things it is used for. Jeffrey estimates the probability of two individuals' DNA profiles matching in the most commonly used tests at one in a billion. Where will you most probably find this article? Answer: In a scientific magazine. Want to find Bigfoot? Matt Moneymaker, president of Animal Planet's Finding Bigfoot, says the creatures have been seen in every state but Hawaii. Redwoods State Park, California With its towering redwoods and thick forest, it's hard to beat the atmosphere at this Northern California park.Moneymaker recommends taking a walk along the Smith River on Howland Hill Road."We heard of lots of different sightings and sounds in there,"he says."I've found tracks crossing that road."7074657335. SalmonHuckleberry Wilderness, Oregon You don't have to go far to find Bigfoot.This area 20 miles east of Portland in the Mount Hood National Forest is prime spotting territory.Bigfoot apparently has a sweet tooth and goes ape for huckleberries, which grow in the area.Scores of campers have been scared off by noises and have had rocks thrown at them.5036681700. Valles Caldera National Preserve, New Mexico The high density of deer attracts Bigfoot to this place.The creatures may use the park's mountainous lookouts to watch over deer in spring.Even when there's no wind, dead trees often mysteriously, with their roots above the earth."They let you know that they're there."5056613333. Bird Mountain Wildlife Management Area, Vermont This prominent mountain peak outside the town of Rutland has had its share of activity, including a trailcam picture famous in Bigfoot circles of what appears to be a female one carrying her offspring . Centuries ago,American Indians reported seeing an apelike creature and,more recently, hikers say that they have come upon a Bigfoot.8007568880. Fahnestock State Park, New York There's a long history of Bigfoot in this mountain park a mere 90 minutes from New York City. Moneymaker says investigators have found mysterious markings in the snow.8452257207. Ponca Wilderness Area, Arkansas Moneymaker says he had several good Bigfoot moments on a recent expedition in this area along the Buffalo National River in northern Arkansas.Most of the Bigfoot action centered on the area near Steel Creek Campground.8704392502. Visitors are likely to see Bigfoot in the following places EXCEPT _ . Answer: Hawaii
Why is pink or purple a color for girls and blue or brown for boys? The answer depends largely on cultural values as well as personal experiences. To the Egyptians, green was a color that represented the hope and joy of spring, while for Muslims, it means heaven. Red is a symbol of good luck in many cultures. In China, children are given money in a red envelope to bring good fortune in the New Year. For many nations, blue is a symbol of protection and religious beliefs. Greek people often wear a blue necklace hoping to protect themselves against evils . People's choice of colors is also influenced by their bodies' reactions toward them. Green is said to be the most restful color. It has the ability to reduce pain and relax people both mentally and physically. People who work in green environment have been found to have fewer stomach aches. Red can cause a person's blood pressure to rise and increase people's appetites . Many decorators will include different shades of red in the restaurant. Similarly, many commercial websites will have a red "Buy Now" button because red is a color that easily catches a person's eye. Blue is another calming color. Unlike red, blue can cause people to lose appetite. So if you want to eat less, some suggest that eating from blue plates can help. The next time you are deciding on what to wear or what color to decorate your room, think about the color carefully. Why will many commercial websites have a red "Buy Now" button? A. To relax people physically. B. To increase people's appetites. C. To encourage people to make a purchase. D. To cause a person's blood pressure to rise. Answer: C. To encourage people to make a purchase. I have always really loved receiving my monthly pocket money form my dad. After getting the money I would be very excited and would rush off to my friend's place where after much consideration we would decide what to do with it and where to spend it. Mostly it would go for the ice cream treats(;) or jam sessions with our favorite people around. Girls will manage to find some way of budgeting so the money we save can be used for other purposes. I think that the best way to enjoy your pocket money would be to enjoy those treats that come occasionally. Since just mere pocket money would be not enough, many girls are doing a part time job of some form so that a larger amount of money can be collected. The best use of pocket money is to spend it in such a way that it involves lots of fun with your closest friends. Those treats are no fun if done alone. Company, especially good company can work wonders for providing you the best relaxation that you need. It is also best to spend your pocket money on things that otherwise parents end up refusing. When you use your pocket money to get this sense of achievement you will just feel so crazily happy. I remember the time when a friend and I were just so tired of our everyday _ life that we decided to go out, have some great food and then head out to the beach and have those lovely grape and mango ice-creams. And we did exactly that. That day has just been one of the most refreshing days of my life. I think the true meaning of pocket money is to be able to maximize your fun at a minimal cost! The writer thinks he can get greatest fun from pocket money by _ ,. A. spending it alone B. treating good friends C. travelling for fun D. buying ice creams Answer: B. treating good friends Do you sometimes put off doing your homework on a school night to watch TV?A new study says that middle school students who watch TV or play video games during the week do worse in school. The study also says that watching TV and playing video games on weekends don't affect school performance that much. "They could watch a lot on weekends and it didn't seem to connect with doing worse in school,"said Dr. Iman Sharif of Children's Hospital at Montefiore inprefix = st1 /New York. The study appears in the October issue of Pediatrics. Researchers drew their conclusions after surveying 4,500 students in New Hampshire and Vermont middle schools. To reach their findings,researchers didn't look at grades or test scores. Instead,they asked students to rate their own performance on a scale ranging from "excellent'' to "below". Other studies have found a connection between kids' ability to learn and the amount of TV they watch. One study even found that kids with televisions in their bedrooms scored about eight points lower on math and language arts tests than kids without them. What should fl kid do?The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that kids watch TV no more than two hours and that televisions be kept out of children's rooms. Weekend viewing should be kept to four hours at most each day. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? A. Researchers did the survey by studying the students' test scores. B. Students' learning ability has nothing to do with the amount of TV they watch. C. Children with televisions in their rooms do better at school than those without them. D. Children shouldn't watch TV for more than four hours each day at weekends. Answer: D. Children shouldn't watch TV for more than four hours each day at weekends. College is not just about studying, writing essays and burning the midnight oil in the library. Making friends and enjoying yourself is also necessary for the courses. Parties are social events for students to gather and chat with each other. Drinking and music College parties in the US are always lacking in creativity and full of wine and music. The basic form rarely changes -- drink until you cannot anymore and play loud music at an earthshaking volume. There is plenty of beer involved, and some mixed cocktails. Creativity in dress The creativity comes in how parties are dressed up. Parties often have a specific theme, like a 90s party or a sports party. At a 90s party, guests might show up dressed like oncefamous celebrities. At a sports party, guests might wear their favorite team's uniforms. Held in apartments The party is usually held in the apartment of a particular outgoing friend. Everyone will be invited, which means strangers will wander in and out of the apartment where you can get to know and make some new friends. Ugly sweater party On holidays, parties frequently take on a proper theme. A popular theme around Christmas is the ugly sweater party. The goal is to wear the ugliest sweater you can find, creating an atmosphere of fun. Whatever the occasion is, there will be no shortage of _ . If you are smart enough, you won't have so much as to lose your consciousness. Parties are always better when you can remember them the next day. This passage introduces _ . A. what to wear at the US college parties B. how much to drink at the US college parties C. how to make friends at the US colleges D. parties of the US colleges Answer: D. parties of the US colleges Another common type of reasoning is the search for causes and results.We want to know whether cigarettes really do cause lung cancer, what causes malnutrition, the decay of cities, or the decay of teeth.We are equally interested in effects: what is the effect of sulphur or lead in the atmosphere, of oil spills and raw sewage in rivers and the sea, of staying up late on the night before an examination? Causal reasoning may go from cause to effect or from effect to cause.Either way, we reason from what we know to what we want to find out.Sometimes we reason from an effect to a cause and then on to another effect.Thus, if we reason that because the lights have gone out, the refrigerator won't work, we first relate the effect (lights out) to the cause (power off) and then relate that cause to another effect (refrigerator not working).This kind of reasoning is called, for short, effect to effect.It is quite common to reason through an extensive chain of causal relations.When the lights go out we might reason in the following causal chain: lights out--power off--refrigerator not working--temperature will rise--milk will sour.In other words, we diagnose a succession of effects from the power failure, each becoming the cause of the next. Causes are classified as necessary, sufficient, or contributory.A necessary cause is one which must be present for the effect to occur, as combustion is necessary to drive a gasoline engine.A sufficient cause is one which can produce an effect unaided, though there may be more than one sufficient cause; a dead battery is enough to keep a car from starting, but faulty spark plugs or an empty gas tank will have the same effect.A contributory cause is one which helps to produce an effect but cannot do so by itself, as running through a red light may help cause an accident, though other factors -- pedestrians or other cars at the crossroads -- must also be present. In establishing or refuting a causal relation it is usually necessary to show the process by which the alleged cause produces the effect.Such an explanation is called a causal process. A necessary cause is _ . A. one without which it is impossible for the effect to occur B. one of the causes that can produce the effect C. one that is enough to make the effect occur D. none of them Answer: A. one without which it is impossible for the effect to occur
Question: Believe it or not, you can't escape Disney World. Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Winnie the Pooh look out from T-shirts, school bags and lunch boxes. Cartoons such as "Snow White" and "The Lion King" shape the childhoods of countless kids. While Disney's products might have been your favorites as a child, you may not have realized that Disney has tried to shape your imagination. "The Little Mermaid" (<<>> ) is a good example. The lesson of the original tale was the evils of lust . In the original story, the mermaid lusts after the prince, but the prince does not choose her. In the end, she dies while the sea witch lives. In Disney's film, the lesson is completely lost because the mermaid lives. The prince picks her, and the sea witch dies. Disney completely leaves out the destructive nature of lust. According to US writer Elizabeth Bell, Disney tries to keep its innocence by taking violence, sex, and race struggles out of the movies. However, these are all real-life problems that children must face. While "family-friendly" treatment is the way Disney has dealt with classic fairy tales, its films spread American values. Aladdin and the Lamp (<<>> ) is a well known story. Although the film is set in an Arabian city, its treatment of romance is very much American: young people choose their own mates and recognize the right person right away. Even their parents accept the love when they see their children's happiness. Aladdin and heroine Jasmine have physical contact during their first meeting. The common American advice "be yourself" works. What's more, some critics have pointed out that Disney visually makes fun of Arabian culture in the film. For example, a holy man hurts himself playing with fire, and thieves with scimitars run through the streets. Disney is called the top promoter of Americanization. "It is a danger to our cultural diversity ," said Akio Igarashi, a professor in a Japanese university. What is the purpose of the story? A. To introduce to you some fairy tales that Disney has remade. B. To show you the negative effects Disney can have. C. To tell you about some important American values. D. To promote American values. Answer: B Question: Florence Nightingale was born in 1820. Growing up, she was a quiet and serious girl. She spent a lot of time playing with her dolls. She would pretend that the dolls were sick and she was their nurse. People would bring sick or hurt animals to her to look after. She even managed to mend a dog's broken leg when she was a young girl. She often went with her mother to visit the poor people. They took food and medicine to the sick. It was these visits that gave her the idea of becoming a nurse. Florence really wanted to be a doctor but she couldn't because in those days only men were allowed to become doctors. She decided that she wanted to become a nurse. Her parents were very angry;the daughters of rich people did not work at all and certainly they did not become nurses. But Florence had made up her mind to specialize in nursing. Her chance came in 1854 when Britain went to war with Russia in a place called the Crimea. Florence was asked to take a group of nurses to look after the sick and wounded soldiers. The hospitals were dirty, and there was not enough medicine. There were not enough beds, so some people were just lying on rags in the mud. There was so much sickness that the doctors could not treat all the soldiers. Florence and her team cleaned the hospital rooms and beds. They made sure that the soldiers got enough medicine. The army was unhappy because there were women so close to the fighting. They gave the nurses a lot of trouble. Florence and her team worked hard and got over all the difficulties they had to face. Florence became famous as "The Lady of the Lamp". At night she would go from room to room checking on the patients. There was no electricity so she would carry an oil lamp with her to see where she was going. She often stayed to talk to the patients. After the war, Florence returned to London as a national hero. A great welcome was prepared for her, but she slipped into the country unnoticed. She opened a school to teach nurses how to look after their patients properly. She never really got better from the illness that she had in the Crimea and she died in 1910. Now Florence Nightingale is known as the mother of modem nursing. She had devoted her whole life to patients. It is because of her work that we receive the proper care in hospitals today. Nightingale had the idea of becoming a nurse when _ . A. she mended a dog's broken leg B. she played with her dolls C. she visited the poor people D. she was asked to treat the sick animals Answer: C Question: Outline programme for the State Visit of the President of The People's Republic of China, Mr XiJinping, accompanied by Madame Peng Liyuan, 20 to 23 October 2015. MONDAY 19 OCTOBER The President of The People's Republic of China will arrive privately in the UK on Monday evening, 19th October, at Heathrow Airport. They will be greeted by The Viscount Hood, Lord-in-Waiting. TUESDAY 20TH OCTOBER The Queen will formally welcome the President at the Royal Pavilion on Horse Guards Parade. The President will inspect the Guard of Honour. Following a private lunch at Buckingham Palace, given by The Queen, Her Majesty will invite the President to view an exhibition in the Picture Gallery of items from the Royal Collection relating to China. In the evening The Queen will give a State Banquet at Buckingham Palace for the President. Her Majesty and the President will both make speeches at the start of the banquet. WEDNESDAY 21 OCTOBER President Xi will meet with the Prime Minister, David Cameron, at No.10 Downing Street for a bilateral meeting. They will visit the UK-China Business Summit at Mansion House, which will focus on investment, infrastructure and innovation. Then, the President will visit Huawei Technologies, where he will receive presentations looking at Huawei's 14 years in the UK, its innovation work with UK partners and the latest technology trends. In the evening, the President will attend a banquet at Guildhall given by the Lord Mayor and City of London Corporation. The Lord Mayor and the President will both make speeches at the end of the banquet. THURSDAY 22 OCTOBER The President will formally bid farewell to The Queen at Buckingham Palace in the morning. Afterwards, he will join a Confucius Institute conference. Later he will fly up to Manchester ahead of the final day of the State Visit. FRIDAY 23 OCTOBER In the morning, the President will visit the National Graphene Institute at the University of Manchester. Later he will visit the Manchester City Football Group. The Lord Chamberlain will bid farewell to President Xi. Their Excellencies will depart from Manchester Airport. How many cities will President Xi visit in the UK according to the passage? A. 1. B. 2. C. 3. D. 4. Answer: B Question: Modern science suggests that a healthy lifestyle matters much to how long you can live and how well you live. Here are some tips for you to form a healthy lifestyle. Keep a scientific diet. Keep in mind that sugar can be removed from our diet completely. Over intake of sugar is one of the main reasons for getting fat. Over intake of protein or fat and low intake of fiber can also lead to getting fat. We need only a few grams of protein every day to keep our body in order. Like rain to crops, not the more the better. Be always in a good mood. There is a relation- ship between the mood and health. A good mood keeps you in high spirits. Thanks to the internet, we can enjoy and learn much without going out. Take a look at some online shops and pick up some bargains, enjoy music and movies and chat with some good friends. Just keep happy. Enough sleep. Two studies show the reasons why teens and adults don't have enough sleep. With teens, a major reason is mobile phone use; with adults, it's work. Meanwhile, a third study of young children shows that a lack of sleep in early life may lead to serious problems in future. Everyone needs at least 8-hour sleep to recover from tiredness and the hurt caused by hard work in the daytime. Proper exercise. Do exercise to keep away from fatness. Because of the quick pace of modern life, you don't have time to do exercise every day, but at least three times a week and 45 minutes each time. The main reason why teenagers don't have enough sleep is that they _ . A. use mobile phones too much B. have too much homework C. eat too much sugar every day D. don't have enough exercise Answer: A Question: Item 78431 The Video Camera Pen $129. 95 ; Available for Immediate Shipment; Order by Phone :1-800-321-1484 This is the pen that has a built-in video camera, capturing(,)videos or still images with a click of its button. Ideal for use while secured in a pocket, it can capture up to five hours of video. Its battery provides up to two hours of power before requiring a recharge. Item 78098 The Wristwatch Camcorder $149. 95; Available for 3-day Shipment; Order by Phone :1-800-321-1484 This is the men's watch with an unnoticeable camera located at the two-o'clock position, yet the watch's hands never make it covered. So you'll be always ready to capture a famous person or a pet's ridiculous actions. The camera's rechargeable battery provides up to two hours of use from a four-hour charge. Item 77918 The only 55 Inch Widescreen Personal Movie Theater $ 249. 95 ; Available for Immediate Shipment; Order by Phone:l-800-321-1484 This is the only personal media viewer that provides a private viewing experience just like watching a widescreen 55 inch television from 10 meters away. It connects to a video iPod, iPhone, portable DVD player with two AA batteries providing up to six hours of continuous operation. Item 77281 The Digital Phone Album Watch $ 99. 95 ; Available for Immediate Shipment; Order by Phone :1-800-321-1484 This is the watch that vividly displays 120 of your favorite digital photographs. You can download digital photographs to the watch. The watch can be viewed in the Photo Album mode or digital mode ( time and date view). A six-hour charge provides up to 10 days of use. If you're a movie fan, you probably show strong interest in _ . . A. Item 77918 B. Item 78431 C. Item 77281 D. Item 78098 Answer: A
UFO stands for "unidentified flying object" . Many people reported having seen UFOs in the sky. A lot of countries tried to research them and in 1952 they got the name of UFO. There were several reports published in the 19th century which were related to UFOs. Denison Daily News in its report of 25th January, 1878 wrote that a farmer, Martin, saw a flying object in the sky and it was just like a plate. This was the first time that the word plate had been related to the UFOs. The first reports on UFOs came during World War II. In 1947 pilot Kenneth Arnold said while he was flying near the Mount Rainer he saw a very bright object in the sky. He said that it was like a plate too. The information given by Kenneth got lots of attention from the media and people. Several research organizations gave their reports on the UFOs. They showed direct or indirect physical evidence of the UFOs, and sometimes UFOs'appearance was found on the radar screen. Many people tried to take video tapes or photos of the UFOs as _ Most UFOs are in saucer shape while many UFOs are like a cigarette or a half ball. Many films and TV shows are made about UFOs. There are two famous movies which are created on the theme of UFOs and aliens, War of the Worldand Star Wars. UFOs have created a new field in science which is known as Ufology . Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? Answer: Martin was the first person that described the flying object as a plate. Have fun with Stamp collecting...Join the Collectors Club today!If you enjoy learning all about stamps, then the Royal Mail's Collectors Club is for you.Join the club and discover the fascinating world of stamps.There are over 70,000 members and it is one of the biggest clubs of its kind in the country. Become a member today and you will receive lots of wonderful stamp collecting goodies... A Starter pack... And every two months... Collectors Club magazine Collectors Corner supplement And every year... A new Stamp Calendar *A set of Album Pages Join today! It won't cost you much to experience the fun of stamp collecting. Collectors Club Starter Pack 1.100 used stamps and hinges 2.The Collectors Club Guide to Collecting 3.The latest Collectors Club magazine (packed with news and views about stamps, quizzes and competitions, all in colour) 4.Album pages 5.Badge and stickers 6.Membership card 7.Royal Mail Stamp Calendar. Already Registered? Sign In Here! Learn More View a Flash presentation about our club (3.51MB) Where is this advertisement most probably found? Answer: On a web page. Earth Day is on April 22nd.People say thanks to the Earth and learn ways to keep the Earth safe and clean.But saving the Earth is not just for grow-ups.Kids are also taking an active part in it. The American writer and filmmaker Lynne made a film called Young Voices for the Planet.It lists a lot of stories about different kids who help to keep our environment clean. Team Marine, US A group of students at Santa Monica High School started an organization called Team Marine.They tell people why plastic bags are bad for sea animals and environment.In 2011, they successfully made lawmakers in their city stop people using plastic bags. Felix, 15, Germany In 2007, a 9-year-old boy, Felix, started a club,Plant for the Planet.It encourages children around the world to plant trees in their own countries.Felix helped plant 25 million trees in Germany and 120 million trees worldwide. Alec, 17, US When he was 12, Alec set up Kids VS Global Warming.It teaches kids about weather change and ways to stop the world getting warmer and warmer.Alec travels widely to encourage people to help stop global warming.He has given more than 70 talks across the country. Olivia, 13, US When Olivia was 11, she heard about the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.She painted 500 pictures of birds to raise money for the clean-up.She raised more than $200,000 to protect birds and other wild animals. What is the purpose of setting up the "Earth Day" and who can do something for the Earth? Answer: To keep the earth safe and clean by adults and kids An example of a simple machine requiring mechanical energy in order to function would be Answer: a light that needs a crank to be turned I came across quite a few language problems while on holiday with my family last summer. The most embarrassing was when my Mom apologized to the people we were staying with because her "pants were dirty". They looked at her in amazement, not knowing how to react. You see, Mom had fallen over and gotten mud on her jeans. But in Britain, "pants" means underpants, not trousers as it does back home. Katie -- From America When I asked for the "restroom" in a big department store, people kept directing me to a room with seats where I could sit and "rest". It took me years to get through to someone that I only wanted the toilet! Tom -- From America Last summer we went on a two-week family touring holiday, so Dad hired a car over the Internet. This was an old vehicle and there turned out to be lots of things wrong with it. When he phoned the hire company and tried to explain that the lock on the boot was broken, they thought he was talking about footwear! He had no idea their word for "boot" was "trunk". In the end we went to a _ and just solved the problem. Mary -- From Britain Last summer, I went to stay with a friend on the west coast. Her flat was on the first floor of a high-rise building so I got the lift up. Then I wandered round for ages looking for her flat but couldn't find it. Fed up and tired, I finally had to go out to find a phone box. She explained that her flat was on the first floor, which for me meant the ground floor. David -- From Britain Which of the following words is from British English? Answer: Ground floor
We always use body language in our daily life. When we have a talk with someone, we may use more body language than words. However, the same body language may mean different things in different countries. That's why people sometimes do not understand each other correctly. Pointing to one part of the body can mean differently in different cultures. For example, in the USA people point to their heads when they think someone is clever. However, in Europe it means "He or she is stupid or something is wrong with his or her head" .In China, nodding heads means "Yes" and shaking heads means "No". However, in parts of Greece and Turkey, they mean just the opposite. In England or the USA, when you raise your hand and make a circle with the thumb and the second finger, it means "Everything is OK." However, if you do this in France or Belgium, it means "You're worth zero." In Greece or Turkey, you should not make this gesture, or you are thought to be very rude. The meaning of gestures can also change over time. In the 1960s, the V sign meant "peace". However, during World War II, it meant "victory". In Greece, it is a very insulting sign. Though the meaning of body language is different, there are some expressions having the same meaning throughout the world. The V sign meant _ during World War II. victory Studies show farmland in Africa is often lacking in important nutrients. But researchers say combining different farming methods may help. Since the world food crisis several years ago, researchers have directed more of their attention to small farms. Most farms in areas south of the Sahara Desert are only about one or two hectares. One of the goals is to increase production without necessarily clearing more land to grow additional crops. American researchers say that can happen with greater use of an agricultural system called perennation. It mixes food crops with trees and perennial plants - those that return year after year. Mr. Reganold, who is with Washington State University, says poor soil may have resulted from years of weathering that washed away many nutrients. He says some farmers may have done more harm than good. He estimates that up to two billion dollars worth of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium is lost from African soil each year. The scientist says the word perennation defines three systems that are already used in Africa. The oldest of the three is called evergreen agriculture. This is where farmers plant trees with their crops. John Reganold says farmers in Africa have been doing this for sixty years, but it seems to be growing in popularity. The method is gaining widespread use in countries such as Niger, Burkina Faso, Malawi and Zambia. The trees are planted among maize, millet or sorghum crops. They not only add nitrogen to the soil through their roots, but also through their leaves when they fall off and break down. At other times of the year, the trees can protect plants from strong sunlight. Mr. Reganold was one of three researchers who wrote a report about perennation. It was published in the journal Nature. This report is mostly likely to be a journal of _ . agriculture London's transport services offer you a special experience of the city. Here's a round-up of the transport choices available to you. * London Underground There are 11 colour-coded Underground lines. Services run regularly from around 5:00 to 00:30 (Sunday 07:30 to 23:30). Visit tfl.gov.uk/tube for more information. Tip: Always stand on the right when using the escalators at Tube stations. It can get hot and busy on the Tube during peak travel times, so you may prefer to travel outside these hours. * Buses A cheap and easy way to travel around London. They generally run from 5:00 to 00:30. Night buses operate on many major routes from around midnight to 05:00, and some operate a 24-hour service. It is not possible to pay for your London bus fare in cash. Instead you can pay with a Visitor Oyster card, Oyster card, Travelcard or UK-issued contactless payment card. A single bus journey is PS1.50 with an Oyster card or UK-issued contactless payment card. To help you get home, if you don't have enough credit on your Oyster card, you will be able to make one more bus journey. After this you will need to add the credit on your card before you use it again. If your contactless payment card has been issued outside the UK, please check tfl.gov.uk/contactless before you use your card to travel on our bus services. For more information visit tfl.gov.uk/buses. Tip: Some bus routes are especially good for sightseeing --- try routes 9, 14, 15 and 22. The New Routemaster bus featured in the James Bond film Skyfall and runs on routes 9, 11, 24, 38 and 390. At what time do London Underground services begin to operate on Sundays? 07:30 You are enrolled in a full - time school called "life". Each day in this school you will have the opportunity to learn lessons. You may like the lessons or hate them, but you have designed them as part of your curriculum. Why are you here? What is your purpose? Humans have sought to discover the meaning of life for a very long time. What we and our ancestors have overlooked, however, is that there is no one answer. The meaning of life is different for every individual. Each person has his or her own purpose and distinct path, unique and separate from anyone else's. As you travel your life path, you will be presented with numerous lessons that you will need to learn in order to fulfill that purpose. The lessons you are presented with are specific to you; learning these lessons is the key to discovering and fulfilling the meaning and connection of your own life. As you travel through your lifetime, you may encounter challenging lessons that others don't have to face, while others spend years struggling with challenges that you don't need to deal with. You may never know why you are blessed with a wonderful marriage, while your friends suffer through bitter arguments and painful divorces, just as you cannot be sure why you struggle financially while your peers enjoy abundance. The only thing you can count on for certain is that you will be presented with all the lessons that you specifically need to learn; whether you choose to learn them or not is entirely up to you. The challenge here, therefore, is to align (......) yourself with your own unique path by learning individual lessons. This is one of the most difficult challenges you will be face with in your lifetime, as sometimes your path will be completely different from others'. But, remember, don't compare your path to the people around you and focus on the difference between their lessons and yours. You need to remember that you will only be faced with lessons that you are capable of learning and are specific to your own growth. Our sense of fairness is the expectation of equality - the assumption that all things are equal and justice will always prevail. Life is not, in fact, fair, and you may indeed have a more difficult life path than others around you, deserved or not. Everyone's circumstances are unique, and everyone needs to handle his or her own circumstances differently. If you want to move toward calm, you will be required to move out of the complaining phase of "it's not fair". Focusing on the unfairness of circumstances keeps you comparing yourself with others rather than appreciating your own special uniqueness. You miss out on learning your individual lessons by distracting yourself with feelings of bitterness and anger. Life is called a full - time school, because_. you meet with specific lessons every day If the leaves are removed from an oak tree, that can cause the tree to lose energy
How would a runner measure speed? A breaths taken B water drank C seconds passed D people passed Answer: C The Man was very sad. He knew that the Cat's days were numbered. The doctor had said there wasn't anything more that could be done, and that he should take the Cat home and make him as comfortable as possible. A tear rolled down the Man's cheek and landed on the Cat's forehead, The Cat gave him a slightly annoyed look. "Why do you cry, Man?" the Cat asked. "Because you can't bear the thought of losing me? Because you think you can never replace me?" The Man nodded "yes". "Pick up that piece of string from the floor. There, my 'toy'. The Man reached over and picked up the string. It was about two feet long and the Cat had been able to entertain himself for hours with it. "Now take each end of the string in one hand," the Cat ordered. The Man did so. "The end in your left hand is my birth and the end in your right hand is my death. Now bring the two ends together," the Cat said. The man did so. Then the Cat continued, "You have made a continuous circle. Does any point along the string appear to be different, worse or better than any other part of the string?" The Man inspected the string and then shook his head. "Close your eyes." the Cat said. "Now lick your hand." The Man widened his eyes in surprise. "Just do it," the Cat said. "Lick your hand, think of me in all my familiar places, and think about all the pieces of string." Licking his hand, he discovered what a cat must know, that licking a paw is very calming and allows one to think more clearly. He continued licking and the corners of his mouth turned upward into the first smile he had shown in days. He waited for the Cat to tell him to stop, and when he didn't, he opened his eyes. The Cat's eyes were closed. The Man stroked the warm, brown fur, but the Cat was gone. One day, not long after, there was a new cat on his lap. She was a lovely white cat. It is very different from his earlier beloved Cat and very much the same. According to the text, which of the following is the reason why a cat licks paws? A Licking paws can make a cat remain calm and have a clear mind. B Licking paws will make a cat happy and energetic. C Licking paws will make a cat find out many unknown secrets. D Licking paws can make a cat stay tidy and healthy. Answer: A I was sitting in the room reading when I heard a loud noise. To defend my home from break-in, I picked up my defense weapon--- a broom and went out. There on the roof of my porch , I saw a grey fluffy squirrel. I drove her away with the broom, but the next day I heard her again. I searched squirrels on the net and found because their teeth keep growing, they have to constantly chew on things to shorten their teeth. This was disturbing so I asked my husband to call in some wildlife control people. On Monday morning two men showed up, with guns in their hands. I pointed uneasily to the hole in my porch roof. They held up their guns. Suddenly I saw in my mind the baby nursery inside. I stopped them and confirmed that they wouldn't harm her. They hesitated, but finally put down their guns. Then they brought out a bottle of deodorizer and sprayed it into the squirrel's home. They told me she would not like the smell and would leave. There was no sign of Mrs. Squirrel, so they blocked the hole, took my cheque for $250 and left. Shortly after they left, Mrs. Squirrel returned from her shopping trip. She was mad at being driven out and began feverishly clawing at the porch roof. In order to stop the destruction of my home, I drove her away with the broom again. Each day thereafter, Mrs. Squirrel continued her attack on my possession. I then called the company to report that "SHE'S BAAAAAACK..." The receptionist said that if Mrs. Squirrel had managed to find another way into my porch roof, it would be a new charge. I replied I couldn't continue contributing my husband's hard-earned income to their silly wildlife experts and hang up. I went to the porch and banged on the roof. Mrs. Squirrel came out and glared at me. We negotiated some terms, came to an agreeable arrangement and went back into our respective homes. All is quiet these days, although large quantities of materials have been removed from my garage wall and my daughter claims that some of her doll-house furniture has disappeared. I still hope that Mrs. Squirrel would leave, but I will wait until it is warmer and hopefully until after the birth of the little ones. What did the author think of the squirrel at first? A Troublesome. B Dangerous. C Interesting. D Clever. Answer: A After playing outside on a cold day, Jaime went inside to wash his hands. Although the water was normal temperature, he noticed that it felt warmer than usual. What would explain this phenomenon? A His body had more kinetic energy than the water. B Heat flowed from a cooler substance to a warmer substance. C The water from the faucet had a higher temperature than his skin. D The thermal energy in the room was higher than the thermal energy outside. Answer: C Charlie was spending his summer holidays by the sea. One day he climbed over some rocks. He was looking for some crabs for supper. He took off his shorts and put them on a rock. The afternoon went quickly. Time was flying by. Look! The sea was coming in fast. It was over some of the rocks now. Charlie looked up. "It's getting late. Oh dear! Look at the sea. Where are my shorts now?" he thought. He saw them on a rock. Oh dear! The rock was an island! Now he must swim and got them. Charlie jumped into the sea and started swimming. He reached the rock and put his shorts on his head. Then he started swimming back. Oh no! The sea was too strong for Charlie. It was pulling him away from the beach. "Help!" he called. "I can't get back. " Luckily, a boat was coming by. The people in the boat saw Charlie and heard his call for help. "Are you all right?" asked the woman in the boat. "No! I can't swim back. The sea is too strong. " The woman stopped the boat and she and a girl pulled Charlie into the boat. He threw his shorts into the boat too. Then they turned the boat Bound and took Charlie back to the beach. "That was lucky," said the woman. "Thank you very much," said Charlie. "Be careful next time," said the woman. "The sea is usually very strong near these rocks. " "Next time, I'm going to keep my shorts in my bag," said Charlie. "Better safe than sorry!" Where did the story take place? A In the hills B By the sea C On the river D In the town Answer: B
Seated in a convertible with the top down at 60 miles an hour,Mary looked at the flies that sat on top of Mark's hair.How could they stay there?She wondered. Mary had not seen Mark in years,until the other day when he came into the cafe where she worked.His appearance was different from when he was in high school.Now,he was a bit fat and thick glasses covered his eyes.However,that didn't change Mary's feelings for him at all.He had just bought a brand new red sports car and asked her if she would like to go for a ride and then have dinner with him.Her heart beat with excitement as he opened the door for her.She noticed something very strange as Mark got into the car started to drive away.On the hair was a group of flies just sitting there. Mary stared in amazement.It seemed the faster they drove,the more determined the flies were to stick to his hair. Mary remained silent.She leaned forward and turned the radio on,to try to divert her attention away from the flies,but she couldn't help thinking about them.She looked up at Mark,who was completely devoted to what was going on and continued to sing to the music while driving merrily along. Finally,Mark pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road beside a diner and looked in the mirror and said,"May,I would like to comb my hair before we get something to cat.Could you reach under the seat and give me my hair cream?" Mary reached under the seat and pulled cut a camping backpack,which contained a round jar and started to laugh wildly as she pointed to the label . "That's not hair cream on your hair,Mark!It says it's Fly Trap Glue !" What's the best title for this passage? A A wonderful ride B Unchanged love C A hair trick D A funny mistake Answer: D On March 19, 2013, Malala Yousafzai, a 15-year-old Pakistani student and women's-education activist , returned to the classroom for the first time since being attacked by a member of the Taliban on October 9, 2012. Malala was shot on her way home from school in Mingora, Pakistan. The Taliban said that they did the attack. The group said the attack should be a warning to others. Malala was targeted because she expresses her opinion publicly about girls' rights to education. After a long period of recovery, Malala is starting as a ninth-year student at Edgbaston High School. It is the oldest independent girl's school in Birmingham, England. Though she has no specific plans to return to Pakistan, Malala still speaks out as a voice for change in her country, and everywhere. "I'm excited that today I have realized my dream of going back to school. I want all girls in the world to have this kind of chance," Malala said in a statement . Malala has been an Internet blogger since she was 11 years old. In 2011 she was awarded Pakistan's National Peace Award for her bravery in writing about the difficulties of life and education in the shadow of the Taliban. She has spoken publicly about children's rights and been nominated for an international children's peace prize. We can learn from the passage that Malala _ . A is now attending school in Pakistan B is still under the shadow of the attack C has made a careful plan for her future D cares about the situation in her home country Answer: D A new plan for getting children to and from school is being started by a local government in Eastern England. This could end the worries of many parents fearful for their children's safety on the roads. Until now the local government have only been prepared to provide bus services for children living more than three miles from their school, or sometimes less if special reasons existed.Now it has been decided that if a group of parents ask for help in organizing transport they will be prepared to go ahead, as long as the arrangement will not lose money and children taking part will be attending their nearest school. The new plan is to be tried out this term for children living at Milton who attend Impington School.The children live just within the three-mile limit and the local government have said in the past that they will not agree to provide free transport to the school.But now they have agreed to offer a sum of money for a bus service from Milton to Impington and back, a plan which has the support of the school's headmaster. Between 50 and 60 parents have said they would like their children to take part.Final calculations have still to be carried out, but a government official has said the cost to parents should be less than PS20 a term. They have been able to arrange the service at a low cost because there is already an agreement with the bus company for a bus to take children who live further away to Impington.The same bus would now just make one more journey to pick up the Milton children.The official said they would get in touch with other groups of parents who in the past had asked if transport could be provided for their children, to see if they would like to take part in the new plan. The new bus service will be paid for by _ . A the parents B the local government C the bus company D the local government and the parents Answer: D Most people say "yes" much more readily than "no". A friend is moving house this weekend and would like some help, and you agree. But, what you really wanted was a couple of quiet days relaxing at home. Or a roommate spends the entire weekends playing video games and wants to borrow your homework for "reference". You say "yes". Many people say "yes" to these kinds of requests. They tend not to consider their own interests and feelings, and are often angry with themselves afterwards . Saying "no" requires courage and considerable practice, in fact, according to psychologists. "Everyone wants to be liked," says Gabriele Steinki, a German psychologist. "Saying 'no' risks losing the affection of the person asking the favor or even a job." The result is that many people say "yes" just for keeping the peace. But experts say this is regrettable. Anyone should have the right to say "no". In fact, rejecting a request can even help to strengthen a relationship because it expresses a true feeling. But, for people used to agreeing to every request, changing can be a long and uncomfortable learning process. Most people believe that "If I say 'no', I'll lose the affection of the person. But the affection is important to me." This way of thinking can be replaced by this: "If he only likes me because I always do what suits him , the price of his affection is too high in the long term." Steinki says the key is talking to the other person to find a mutual solution. "One needs to present the situation from one's own point of view, and to suggest how the situation can be dealt with to the advantage of both parties. The other person must have the feeling that his interests are being considered." When the refusal is not accepted, Steinki advises us to give the reasons calmly again until the person gets the message . In the opinion of experts, _ . A people need a lot of practice to say "no" B people should say "yes" to keep the peace C saying "no" means losing a job D people have the right to be liked Answer: A Madame Tussaud's wax Museum, London Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum was first set up in Paris in 1770, moved to London in 1802 and moved to its present address in 1884. The collection of famous people of the past and present is kept up to date. Visitors will see Henry VIII and his six wives, the present Queen and royal family, leading figures of the French Revolution and so on. In 1993 a new part was added to it, the "Spirit of London", a journey through London from medieval times to the present day. Address: Madame Tussaud's Marylebone Road London NWI 5LR United Kingdom Hours: It is open from 9:30 to 17:30 from Monday to Sunday Always closed on Christmas Day (December 25) Cost: Adult: PS25.00. Child 16 & under: PS21.00. Child 4 & under: FREE. Tips: Extra money applies to some peak periods. Group rates apply to 10 or more persons. Combined tickets for Madame Tussaud's and the London Planetariur are available at reduced rate. Opening hours may change throughout the year. Directions: By Tube : Madame Tussaud's is a two-minute walk from Baker Street tube station By Train: Marvlebone Station is within 10 minutes walking distance of Madame Tussaud's By Bus: The following bus numbers travel to Madame Tussaud's: 13, 18, 27, 30, 74, 82, 113, 139 and 274. The text is written to _ . A offer information about visiting a museum B attract more readers to visit London C explain the different routes to a museum D tell readers how to enjoy most in a museum Answer: A
MIT ( Massachusetts Institute of Technology) is a world-class university mainly in math, science and technology, but you may be surprised to learn that MIT sets arts courses. MIT believe in the passion of learning, the value of working and teaching methods. MIT's teaching power is quite strong. There are eight Nobel winners and many other national and international winners in the teacher group of MIT. MIT is proud of these top scholars and thinkers. The ratio of teachers and students in MIT is about 1 to 7.5. About 63 percent of the classes have fewer than 20 students each. Only 4 percent of the classes have more than 100 students each. Most MIT students can learn courses that they like. The students in MIT have many activities when they finish their lessons, for example: Student Life And Culture Student Organizations Music & The Arts @ MIT Athletics Most students in famous universities feel serious pressure both in life and study. In MIT the students have the same pressure which encourages them to have to study hard. But MIT usually gives one year for the new students to adjust to the transition (;). In their first term all the new students are graded by a test. In this test if he or she receives a C or the level better than C, his or her result will be kept forever. If she or he receives a D or an F, no record will be kept. Which courses are well-known in MIT? A math B science C technology D all above. Answer: D. all above. Everyone has his own birthday. People in different countries celebrate their birthdays in different ways. Now here are four people from different countries. They will tell us how they celebrate their birthdays in their countries. Sandy comes from Madrid . She says happily, "My 21st birthday is on Saturday, and I'm going to go out with some friends. To wish me a happy birthday, they are going to pull on my ear 21 times, once for each year. It's an old custom. Some people pull on the ear just once, but my friends are very traditional." Mr. and Mrs. Sato are from Tokyo. Mr. Sato is going to be 60 tomorrow. In Japan, the sixtieth birthday is called Kanreki --it's the beginning of a new life. The color red is for a new life, so we always give something red for a sixtieth birthday. Liu Mei from Beijing feels very excited and tells us, "Tomorrow is my 16th birthday. It's a special birthday, so we're going to have a family party. Maybe I will get some lucky money from my relatives . My mother is going to cook noodles for a long life." Phillip, from Paris, smiles to us, "I'm going to be thirty next week, so I'm going to invite three very good friends out for dinner. In France, when you have a birthday, you often invite people out." How do you usually celebrate your birthday? Kanreki is on everyone's _ in Japan. A 16th birthday B 14th birthday C 30th birthday D 60th birthday Answer: D. 60th birthday Below are reviews for three books and two book series. Each has been read and loved by students across the country. The Outsiders This book, first published in 1967. has become a classic for teens across the nation. It focuses on Ponyboy , who has been labeled all his life as a greaser. The greaser's opposing group is the " socs ". kids who have lots of money and can break any rules without getting in trouble. As the novel develops, S. E. Hinton allows the reader to see exactly how these labels affect teens in both the greaser and the soc group. If you've ever watched the movie The Outsiders, this story may sound familiar, as the movie was based on the book . The Outsiders gives teens a look into life in the 50's and 60's, offering timeless lessons that still apply to today's youth. Out of the Dust Any student interested in the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl should read Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse. Hesse is able to capture the mood and spirit of this era through the use of poetry. The main character of the book, Billie Jo, is growing up in Oklahoma, the heart of the Dust Bowl. Through free verse poetry, Billie Jo narrates her tale of poverty and survival during this difficult time. Out of the Dust is an excellent lesson in history . Due to the short length and writing style, the book is a quick but worthwhile read. By the end of the book, the reader is eager to start the story over again . Hesse is able to pack a lot of emotions and details into her short book , making the story very real and believable. The Giver The Giver depicts a perfect society in which citizens experience no pain, have never felt fear, and life is completely under control. However, as the reader progresses through the story, it's easy to see that this community is far from utopia . Instead, through the experiences felt by the main character Jonas, the reader learns there is a missing from life in this world.. During the Ceremony of the Twelves, each 12--year --old is assigned their life --long career in the community . Jonas is chosen to be the Receiver of Memories, a very special job assigned to one person at a time . When Jonas receives his training . he learns many truths about his community that change how he feels about his life, making him determined to do something to change it . The Giver is a good book for teens who enjoy science fiction and fantasy. The book makes you examine your own life, values, and beliefs, striving to find how you would define the perfect society. Anne of Green Gables This eight-book series depicts the life of Anne Shirley, an orphan that is adopted in Prince Edward Island, Canada . The books are set in the 1800s to the 1900s, the last one taking place during World War I. Anne is a loveable spirit who has many misfortunes and laughable experiences when growing up and going to college. The Anne of Green Gables series is fun to read. creating a strong attachment to the reader and making the last book a bitter -sweet experience. Teenage girls who are looking for a female role model will love Anne Shirley. Harry Potter J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series has sold more copies than any other series in history. The series , which includes seven books in all , fallows a boy wizard named Harry Potter. Harry attends Hogwarts School of Witcheraft and Wizardy. The seven books follow Harry through seven years of wizarding school . During this time , readers experience the wizarding world through Harry's eyes and watch him make friends. Learn magic and fight a wizard. The Harry Potter books are an enchanting read for all ages. No matter who you are. you will find yourself absorbed in the magical world created by J. K. Rowling. According to the passage , _ many be chosen to be an example by teenage girls. A Harry Potter B Anne Shirley C Billie Jo D Jonas Answer: B. Anne Shirley My sister Mary is 12 years old. Her birthday is on November 10th. Every year, on the morning of that day, my parents take us to Zig Zag's Clothes Store. There my mother buys some clothes for Mary. Then we go to Huaxing Bookstore. There I buy some CDs for Mary, and my father buys a book for her. In the afternoon my parents have a birthday party for Mary at home. Mary's friends Bill, Jim and Cindy come to the party. Bill brings some pens for Mary. Jim gives Mary some balls because she likes playing with them. Cindy gives Mary a cake. Mary is very happy. Oh, I'm Mary's brother. My name is Nick. Mary is _ years old. A ten B eleven C twelve D thirteen Answer: C. twelve WASHINGTON -- President Obama and his wife, Michelle, handed out Halloween treats to area children and military families at the White House Sunday evening. Local students between 6 and 14 years old, along with children from military families, were invited to celebrate Halloween on the North Lawn. The president and first lady, along with Mrs.Obama's mother, Marian Robinson, spent about 30 minutes passing out goodie bags.Obama wished each child a happy Halloween as he distributed the treats, pausing occasionally for hugs or to comment on costumes. Later, the military families continued the celebration inside the White House. The first couple joked to assembled reporters about children walking the long driveway in order to work off the snacks."This is the Let's Move method of trick-or-treating ," Obama said, referring to Mrs.Obama's campaign to combat childhood obesity . The goodie bags contained a box of White House M&Ms, a cookie made by pastry chef Bill Yosses, and dried fruit. As they made their way across the lawn, the children meet a vast range of costumed characters ranging from a spooky Frankenstein (,<<>> ) to the Scarecrow from "The Wizard of Oz." Music from a jazz band dressed in pirate gear rang out across the White House grounds. Multicolored pumpkins and gourds lined the driveway -- individually, in gravity-defying stacks and as part of a large mound over 5 feet tall.Pumpkin-headed scarecrows made of cornstalks loomed over the path with menacingly raised arms.Under the White House portico, a mobile resembling bats flying through clouds fluttered around a lantern. Some of the local trick-or-treaters were students at Bancroft Elementary, which helps tend the first lady's White House garden, and Tubman Elementary, which has a relationship with the White House chefs. After trick-or-treating ended, the Obamas stood near the front door, welcoming the military families inside, helping children climb the short flight of steps and thanking parents for their service. From the passage, we know that _ do not necessarily appear when people celebrate Halloween. A Goodie bags B Pumpkins and Gourds C White House M&Ms D Costumed characters Answer: C. White House M&Ms
Question: More than three years after moving from Australia to this remote part of England, we are still learning how things are done here. Not too long after we arrived and unpacked, we were invited for "a drink on Sunday morning" by a retired couple nearby. We got there about noon, to find the living-room crowded -- lots of chat and discussions, and in all a very jolly occasion. Trouble was, there was no food -- no self-respecting Australian would regard a tray of crisps as food. In Sydney, when you are invited for a drink any time after midday on a Sunday, you know you will be fed as well as watered and you plan accordingly. Meaning the hardworked little woman makes no plans to cook lunch because you are eating out. By one-fifteen my stomach was sending up "please explain" to me. Even the crisps had gone. There was nothing we could do except wait, and wonder if the hostess was going to perform some magic and feed us fashionably late. Then, as quickly as if word had spread that there was free beer at the local pub, the room emptied. By one-forty-five there were only a few guests left, so we decided to go home. Tinned soup for lunch that day because the little woman was not really interested in real cooking for us. A few weeks ago we were invited out for "supper" and the hostess suggested 8:15. Ah, we thought greedily, "this is going to be the real thing." We dressed with some care -- I putting on a dark suit -- and arrived on time. My wife looked pretty good, I thought, a little black dress and so on. But when we walked in I had a terrible feeling we had got the night wrong because the hostess was dressed in a daytime kind of way and the husband was in jeans and an open-neck shirt. But no, we were greeted and shown into the sitting-room. After a drink I looked around and saw that this was indeed a superior cottage because it had a (more or less) separate dining-room. But there were no signs of a table-setting. Not again! I thought. Were we meant to eat before we came? I decided that in future my wife and I would always carry a chocolate bar. About 9:28 our hostess went out of the room, saying something about food. Ten minutes later she returned and asked us to follow. We were led out to the kitchen. There on the table were country style plates and a huge bowl of soup, rough bread and all the makings of a simple meal. And that is what it was. In other words we had not read the signals right when we were invited for "supper". If they want you to come to dinner, they say so, and you know that means dark suits and so on. If they mean supper, they say it, and you get fed in the kitchen. When invited out for "supper" a few weeks later, the writer _ . A. expected to be served a proper dinner B. arrived on the wrong evening C. interpreted the invitation correctly this time D. realized there was no dining-room in the cottage Answer: A Question: We provide summer English courses which are the best you can find. You will enjoy coming to Los Angeles to learn about American culture and improve your English at the same time. The courses last for four, six or eight weeks. They start at the beginning of July and August. Our teachers are well-trained and very experienced. They teach English classes for four hours a day. You can choose between small groups of two or three, or larger groups of up to 15. We provide weekly tests to see the progress you' re making with your language skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening. We also provide books and other materials. As well as learning English, we want you to experience life in the USA. You live with an American family, and you take part in American life. You have meals with an American family and do some activities with them, too. For many of our students this is the most interesting part of the course. Many families create friendships with the students which last a long time. Of course, if you prefer, we can arrange hotel accommodation. Of course, there are many things to do in Los Angeles. Every day we have activities which take place after class. You can choose to take trips to Hollywood, Disneyland or the famous beaches around LA. You can also go to various shopping centers, sports centers, movies and concerts. There are also weekend visits organized to San Francisco and other places of interest in California. We try to give our students the best possible experience of English and life in the USA. Just ask our students! They say our summer English courses are fantastic! We hope that you'll enjoy a course with us, too. If you're interested, please fill in our application form where you will also find our list of prices.The course must be paid for one month before it begins. Which of the following is TRUE about the summer English courses? A. The students have to take an entrance test. B. Tests will be provided regularly to see if students have made progress. C. All the teachers are young but very experienced. D. Each class has two or three groups of students. Answer: B Question: The great Zen teacher, Benzei had many pupils. One day, one of them was caught because of stealing things by other students. And they reported him to Benzei, but he took no action against the boy. A few days later, the same boy stole another student's things and was again caught. And again Benzei did nothing. _ made the other students angry, and they wrote a petition to ask the teacher to send away the thief from school. They all threatened to leave if the boy was allowed to stay. The teacher called a meeting of the students. When they had arrived, he said to them, "You are good boys who know what is right and what is wrong. If you leave, you will have no trouble in joining any other school. But what about your brother who does not even know the difference between right and wrong? Who will teach him if I don't? No, I cannot ask him to go even if it means losing all of you. " Tears coursed down the cheeks of the boy who had stolen. From then on, he never stole again and became an honest man. What did the teacher do when the students reported me boy to him? A. He asked the boy's parents to come to school. B. He was angry with the boy. C. He sent away the boy from the school D. He took no action against the boy. Answer: D Question: While their jobs may not be providing them with great excitement, respondents of the Win2000 Salary Survey are saying that they are pretty pleased with their current positions. In fact almost three-quarters of them report a modest to more than average sense of job satisfaction and a little more than ten percent say they are "very satisfied" with their work. So why then does an overwhelming majority of this contented group also report that they are considering changing jobs? The easy and most popular theory says that it's all about the money. IT professionals with highly-prized skills in a very tight job market play salary-stick-em-up by raising their salary demands with each job hop. But this theory calls for a closer look. According to a recent Gartner Group IT market study, enterprises that are experiencing high rates of turnover on average actually offer higher salaries. The Gartner study cites "lack of career development opportunities" as the single most reported reason employees leave companies. Mark Pecoraro, president and CEOof SuccessFactors.com, a workforce management firm, tends to agree: "One of the things we see is the strong desire of these professionals to keep on the cutting edge. These employees are taking control of building their knowledge toolsets and essentially writing their own career tickets." "INDUS Corporation, a Washington, D.C.-based IT firm, is a wonderful place to work," says SearchWin2000 salary survey respondent James Voorhees. Voorhees got his start in IT as an INDUS technical writer. Now, he works as a network administrator, crediting his employer for creating a work environment that let him develop the skills he needed in order to change careers. "An important part of the company culture is an emphasis on employee satisfaction," Voorhees says, pointing to "the company's willingness to let employees try new things ... which has given me several great opportunities to learn and gain experience in networking and software engineering." But INDUS' success relies on a steady series of contract work. Voorhees believes that his status as an IT newbie makes him at risk if these contracts should dry up. As a result he has adopted a mindset that is ready to seize an outside opportunity if it should present itself. The expression "keep on the cutting edge" can be understood as " _ ". A. maintain good relations with other employees B. avoid suffering resulting from lack of money C. stay in the leading position in the field D. seek harmony between body and spirit Answer: C Question: In English nobody under eighteen years old is allowed to drink in a bar . Mr Thompson often went to a bar near his house.But he never took his son, Tom, because he was too young.Then when Tom had his eighteenth birthday, Mr Thompson took him to his usual bar for the first time.They drank for an hour.Tom drank a bit.Then Mr Thompson said to his son, "Now, Tom, I want to teach you a useful lesson.How do you know when you've had enough? Well, I'll tell you.De you see those two lights at the end of the bar? When they seem to become four, you've had enough and should go home." "But, Dad," said Tom, "I can only see one light at the end of the bar." (170) Father wanted to tell his son _ . A. the time to drink B. something about the light C. when to stop drinking D. something about the bar Answer: C
How to Become Cleverer? Once a boy came to ask a fisherman how to become cleverer, because his mother always called him "foolish boy". "That's easy," answered the fisherman. "I know one way to make you become cleverer." "Really?" "Of course. It is said a fish head is good for brain. If you eat one, you'll become cleverer indeed. Pay only three pounds for one fish head." The boy paid him three pounds and the fisherman cut off a fish head and handed it to him. A raw fish head is not good--not even for a hungry boy to eat but the boy ate it up in two gulps. "Do you feel anything?" asked the fisherman. "Not in my head," said the boy. The boy lay on the ground and thought. "One whole fish costs only two pounds. I had paid him three pounds for the fish head. Why couldn't I have the whole fish for soup, a head for brain and one pound left over?" He jumped up and shouted at the fisherman. "You thief! You are fooling me!" The fisherman laughed, saying, "The fish head works now, you see. " _ helped the boy become cleverer. Since the end of World War I (WWI) in 1918,Canadians, and millions of others around the world have paused at the 11thhour of the 11thday of the 11thmonth to honour the sacrifices our soldiers have made in different wars, fighting for the freedoms that we all enjoy today. Known as Remembrance Day, the day originated as a tribute to the soldiers of WWI, a dark period for our young country, which claimed the lives of over 60,000 military personnel and civilians and over 16 million dead worldwide. As there are no more surviving soldiers of WWI,today we rely on the wisdom and words of those soldiers who fought in the wars that followed,and this day now also recognizes their heroic contribution. They tell us to always remember what those brave souls fought for, and all they ask in return is that we never forget. That's why we wear the red poppy ;that's why when we see a soldier in uniform we should stop him or her and say "Thank you" ; that's why we take a pause from our busy lives for two short minutes today to honor that request. Yet this message is fading away, year after year. Take for example the terrible decision to allow parents to excuse students from Remembrance Day ceremonies at school. Not only is this disrespectful, it distances the student from his or her classmates. It is difficult to understand why any Canadian parent would want to remove their child from the time-honored tradition of reading the poem In Flanders Fields, while a wreath of poppies is laid. It is more important than ever to teach school-aged children about our history,no matter how violent it was. Sheltering them from the realities of war is a great disservice. Understanding why conflicts happened, or happen today, can help shape choices and decisions they make as adults. Of course, because we live in a free society, we cannot force an individual to do something. _ is unfortunate, but some parents now have their child "opt-out" of the services. These people should be reminded they are free to make such choices only because of the men and women the rest of us are remembering. The writer believes that _ Yorkshire, England was the setting for two great novels of the 19th century. One of them is Jane Eyre written by Charlotte Bronte. The Bronte family had three girls and a boy. Charlotte was born in 1816, Emily was born in 1818 and Anne in 1820. Their brother Branwell was born in 1817. The children wrote and told stories and walked over the hills. They grew up largely self-educated. Branwell showed a great interest in drawing. The girls took positions as teachers or taught children in their homes. The girls were determined to earn money for Branwell's art education. As children, the girls had all written many stories. Charlotte alone wrote 22 books, each with 60 to 100 pages of small handwriting. Therefore, they turned to writing for income. By 1847, Charlotte had written The Professor; Emily, Wuthering Heights; and Anne, Agnes Grey. After much difficulty, Anne and Emily found a publisher , but there was no interest shown in Charlotte's book. ( It was not published until 1859. ) However, one publisher expressed an interest in seeing more of her work. Jane Eyre was already started, and she hurriedly finished it. It was accepted at once; thus each of the sisters had a book published in 1847. Jane Eyre was immediately successful; _ , however, did not do so well. Emily lived only a short while after the publication of her book, and Anne died in 1849. Charlotte published Shirley in 1849, and Villette in 1853. In 1854 she married Arthur Bell Nicholls. But only a year later, she died of tuberculosis as her sisters had. What do we know about the Bronte sisters from the text? Time out, extra chores and taking away privileges are more useful forms of disciplining naughty children than spanking or hitting, according to a study on Wednesday. About 94 percent of parents use some form of physical punishment to teach their two-year-olds right from wrong, according to research studies. But psychologists say it could lead to later emotional and behavioral problems. Even children who were only spanked some of time are more likely to show signs of sadness or have less confidence. "The key is to be fair and do the same thing each time. Doing something like hitting a child that seems cruel at best doesn't help and can put a child at risk for problems," said Dr Paul Frick, of theprefix = st1 /UniversityofNew Orleansin Louisians. "It is better to use other punishments," he added. The use of physical punishment to teach children has long been debated. In countries such asAustria,Finland,GermanyandSweden, it is illegal to use physical punishment at home or in schools. Frick and his team, who studied the effects of physical punishment on 98 children, said they couldn't find any positive effects. Some children learned more from the hitting than what the parent was trying to teach them. "The key is to have a lot of different forms of punishment depending on the age of the child," said Frick, who reported his findings in the Journal of Applied Child Psychology. He recommended time out for younger children and taking away television and electronic toys for older children. Giving extra chores can also get the message across. Other measures are at least as effective as physical punishment and have less harmful potential consequences. The researchers kept children whom they thought were at risk of later conduct problems out of the test and an equal number of other children who acted as a control group, to study what measures would be most helpful. They questioned the parents and the children about positive and negative parenting behavior including the use of physical punishment. "We got it from both viewpoints," said Frick. He added that children on the receiving end of a hit can learn that when they are upset and angry they hit, rather than understanding their behavior was wrong and that they need to do better. Which of the following punishments is NOT recommended by Frick and his team? How are droughts always different from floods?
Dear David, How are you? I'm fine. I'm in London , at a school of English. I'm in Class Seven. It has eight students. They are from different countries ----Spain, Japan , Argentina, Switzerland and Thailand. Our teacher's name is Henry Briscall. He's very nice. He's a good teacher. I live with an English family, Mr. and Mrs. Brown. They have two sons and a daughter. Thomas is fourteen, Catherine is twelve, and Andrew is seven. They are all very friendly to me, and we are good friends. London is very big and very interesting. The weather is good and the parks are nice! Hyde Park, Green Park and St. James' Park are all in the city center . English food is OK, but the coffee is not good! Are you all right at home in Shanghai? Is everything OK? Write to me. Love, Paul The writer lives _ now. Answer: Mitsuaki recently arrived in the United States to enter university.He wants to do well in his studies and fit the new culture.But Mitsuaki has a problem.It's not his teachers.It's not even his English ability.His problem is that he doesn't have a car.Mitsuaki has already discovered a basic fact of American culture: Driving is a way of life. There are different transportations in America.Many cities have taxis, buses and subways. But most people find it the easiest to drive, even if they do have to deal with heavy traffic. Nowadays busy families often have more than one vehicle.Many people think their car as a status symbol.But no matter what their social status are, people without wheels feel stressed. When Mitsuaki first arrived, he was amazed at how young many American drivers there were.Young people in America often get their driver's license around age 16 by passing a written test and a driving test.Before they can get their license, they have to take a driver education course, For teenagers, being able to drive is important. It's hard to find an American teenager without one. Mitsuaki finally decides that he needs a car. His host family helps him find a good used car to buy. But before he gets his license and starts driving, he has to understand the American style of driving, He also needs to learn some of the basic rules of the road that good drivers follow. Driving to Americans is what flying to birds.It's almost part of their nature.For many Americans, being behind the wheel is like their natural home.But if they don't drive carefully, they can become an endangered animal. Which of the following is true? Answer: 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 tall 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 levels 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 released 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 were put on a diet-and-exercise programs; a separate group of 56 fat 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 then 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. What does the text mainly discuss? Answer: Lina is a Chinese tennis star. She plays tennis well. She plays tennis every day. She has some tennis rackets and tennis balls. She has lots of healthy food. For breakfast, she has eggs and milk. She usually plays tennis for three hours in the moming. Then she has a big lunch-carrots, rice, fish and meat. After that she plays tennis for two hours in the afternoon.For dinner, she has chicken, apples and soup. After dinner, she watches tennis on TV for half hour. She has a busy life. She plays tennis for _ every day. Answer: An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer of his plans to leave the house building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family. He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. The employer was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He did a bad job and used low quality materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career. When the carpenter finished his work, the employer came to inspect the house. The employer handed the front-door key to the carpenter. "This is your house," he said, "my gift to you." What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had built, none too well. So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the best. At important points we do not give the job our best effort. Then with a shock we look at the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we have built. If we had realized it, we would have done it differently. Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think about your house. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or build a wall. Build wisely. It is the only life you will ever build. Even if you live it for only one day more, that day deserves to be lived wonderfully and with dignity. The motto on the wall says, "Life is a do-it-yourself project." Who could say it more clearly? Your life today is the result of your attitudes and choices in the past. Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and choices you make today. Which of the following can best tell the meaning of the story? Answer:
Today's drivers may feel shocked by the high price of petrol when they drive to the gas station. However, the car industry has the technology to solve _ . It's the hybrid car . What is a hybrid car? Any car that uses two or more sources of power is a hybrid car. Most hybrid cars on the road right now are petrol-electric hybrids. The petrol-electric hybrid car is just what it sounds like -- a cross between a petrol-powered car and an electric car. A gas-powered car has a fuel tank , which supplies petrol to the engine. An electric car, on the other hand, has a set of batteries that provides electricity for the car. To be useful to you or me, a car should be able to run at least 300 miles (483 km) before refueling, be capable of being refueled quickly and easily and fast enough to keep up with the other traffic on the road. A petrol car meets these requirements but produces a large amount of pollution. An electric car, however, produces almost no pollution, but can only go 50 to 100 miles (80 to 161 km) between recharging . And the problem has been that the electric car is very slow and inconvenient to recharge. A petrol-electric car combines the advantages of the two power sources into one system that uses both gas power and electric power. Some experts believe that the hybrid car is "the next generation of smart cars". A hybrid car can go up to 50% further than a traditional car can on the same amount of gas! It saves driver's money on gas and cuts air pollution! How many sources of power do most hybrid cars use? A Two. B Three. C Four. D It depends. Answer: A Earthquake safety tips On April 14,2010, a big earthquake hit Yushu,Qinghai.Over,2,000 people died. Many people were hurt. Why are there earthquakes? The surface of the Earth has many pieces. These pieces are always moving. When two pieces move past each other, there is an earthquake. Scientist are working hard to find out more about earthquakes. They try to predict them, but it's very hard. Do you know how to get ready for an earthquake? Do you know what to do during an earthquake? Here are some things you should know. What to do before an earthquake Make sure you have two bottles of water, a packet of biscuits ,a clean towel ,a few band-aids ,a radio and a flashlight at home. What to do during an earthquake If you are inside: Stay where you are. Quickly move under a strong desk, or along a wall. This will protect you from falling things. Don't stand near windows. Turn off the lights. Don't get into a lift during an earthquake. If your are in a lift, get out as quickly as possible. If you are outside: Don't stand near buildings. Things may fall on you. Lie on the ground until the shaking stops. An earthquake hit Yushu _ . A on April 12,2010 B on April 14,2010 C on May 14,2010 D on May 12,2010 Answer: B A stone is weathered into sand in about A a millennia B a week C a day D a fortnight Answer: A Which of these features of Earth's crust are caused by the shifting of tectonic plates? A mid-ocean ridges B desert sand dunes C U-shaped valleys D continental shelves Answer: A The motion of a ball's motion when touching a concrete sidewalk will be countered due to A abrasion B lipids C dairy D thinking Answer: A
The final exam comes with June. When the exam ends , the summer vacation begins. Boys and girls have about two months to relax. The summer vacation is the best part of the year for most children. The weather is usually fine. They can swim, go to summer camp or visit other places with their parents. Of course, the beaches are good places for relaxing. Some children are lucky to live near the sea. They can enjoy the sea anytime . But for the children far from the sea, they go to the beaches for one or two weeks with their parents. Why do children like spending their summer vacations on the beaches? It is because they like the sand , the sun, the cool wind and the sea water. There are lots of new things to see, nice things to eat, and exciting things to do. ,. The summer vacation is about _ . A two weeks B two months C three months D two days Answer: B. two months On the Olympic flag, the rings appear on a white background. The flag reinforces the idea of the Olympic Movement's universality , as it brings together all the countries of the world. Pierre de Coubertin, the father of the modern Olympic Games, explains the meaning of the flag: "The Olympic flag has a white background, with five interlaced rings in the centre: blue, yellow, black, green and red. This design is symbolic; it represents the five continents of the world, united by Olympism, while the six color1s are those that appear on all the national flags of the world at the present time." (1931) Combined in this way, the six color1s of the flag (including the white of the background) represent all nations. It is wrong, therefore, to believe that each of the color1s corresponds to a certain continent! At the Olympic Games, the flag is brought into the stadium during the opening ceremony. Since the 1960 Games in Rome (prefix = st1 /Italy), it has been carried horizontally by a delegation of athletes or other people well known for their positive work in society. After its arrival, the flag is hoisted up the flagpole. It must fly in the stadium during the whole of the Games. When the flag is lowered at the closing ceremony, it signals the end of the Games. The mayor of the host city of the Games passes the Olympic flag to the mayor of the next host city of the Games. In the history, even though Pierre de Coubertin intended the Olympic Games to be an international event from the time of their re-establishment in 1896 in Athens (Greece), it was only at the 1912 Games in Stockholm (Sweden) that, for the first time, the participants came from all five continents. One year later, in 1913, the five rings appeared at the top of a letter written by Pierre de Coubertin. He drew the rings and color1ed them in by hand. He then described this symbol in the Olympic Review of August 1913.It was also Coubertin who had the idea for the Olympic flag. He presented the rings and flag in June 1914 in Parisat the Olympic Congress. The First World War prevented the Games from being celebrated in 1916 in Berlin (Germany) as planned. It was not until 1920 in Antwerp (Belgium) that the flag and its five rings could be seen flying in an Olympic stadium. The universality conveyed by the rings and the flag was a new idea at the beginning of the 20th century. Nationalism was very strong and tension between certain countries was high. It was in this climate, however, that Coubertin proposed a symbol which aimed to encourage world unity. Which of the following agrees with the passage?_. A Pierre de Coubertin contributed a lot to the Olympics B Each of the color1s corresponds to a certain continent C The flag is aimed at promoting the world economy. D When the flag is brought into the stadium, it signals the beginning of the Games Answer: A. Pierre de Coubertin contributed a lot to the Olympics It's a natural phenomenon. The minute you think you want to buy something new, you go online to read reviews about it. Not only is this done with shopping, it's also done for movies to see , restaurants to go to and almost everything that is worth having an opinion on. The concept of writing down a review for all to see is something that has caused the birth of reviews sites. These are sites where people post reviews on other people, services, businesses, products and more. In some cases you have professionals do the review and in some other cases you will have the average person write it up. Review sites have a number of ways in which they can gain _ for themselves in the form of advertising. In some cases, a business can pay his way through to a better listing spot. This does not mean that a positive review will be promoted where it is not warranted . Review sites are largely a public forum and it is not necessary for people to reveal their identity. Since people are anonymous and sign up access is open to all, there are chances that reviews will be planted or will be negatively written simply to discredit a particular product or service. There is a lot of criticism towards these websites since they do nothing to control the kind of entries made or the source of these entries. On the other hand, there are professional review sites. These people are accountable for each of their reviews. Any doubts you have will be addressed personally by the one writing the review. Such sites work on much better principles allowing for a fair opinion. Considering they have a better reputation, they are aware of some the latest products that are released worldwide. This gives you a better chance of finding reviews of the latest product. While a review site will help you narrow down your choice, it by no means should influence your final decision. That is based entirely on the way you see fit. What do we know about the professional reviews sites? A The reviews on the sites are written mainly by professors. B Those who write the reviews on the sites are serious sometimes. C The reviewer addresses your doubt personally for you. D The reviewers on the sites are ready to write to you if you like. Answer: C. The reviewer addresses your doubt personally for you. Most people will rest and relax when they are old. They do not work. And most people are certainly not famous. But Grandma Moses is different She starts a new job at the age of 76. This is her story. She was born in a poor farmer's family in 1860. Her parents named her Anna Mary Robertson. She married Thomas Moses in 1887. He was a farm worker. Now it is 1930. Anna Mary Moses is 70, and is a grandmother. She begins to paint pictures. She does paintings of country life. One day, her daughter takes her paintings to a store in town. Her paintings are put in the window. A man from New York sees the paintings in the window and buys them. And he wants more! The man likes Grandma Moses' paintings. He wants to help her. So he takes her paintings to galleries in New York City. Otto Kallir has a famous gallery there. He likes the paintings by Grandma Moses. Now it is 1940 and Grandma Moses' paintings are in Kallir's gallery. She is 80 years old. Grandma Moses suddenly becomes famous. Everyone wants her paintings. So she paints more and more. She wins many prizes for her paintings. She becomes famous in the United States and Europe . When she is 100 years old, the State of New York makes her birthday "Grandma Moses' Day". After her 100thbirthday, she paints 6 more paintings. She dies at age 101 and a lot of people think she is amazing. Grandma Moses starts to paint pictures _ . A when her daughter asks her to do that B when she gets married C at the age of 70 D in the year 1940 Answer: C. at the age of 70 Almost every child in big cities has the chance to go to school. Nine years' studying helps children to prepare for their future lives. In fact, many students can study for more than nine years. Not all children are so lucky. There is a girl called Xiao Fang. She is eight years old and lives in a small village in Guangxi. When she was younger, she wanted to go to school, but she could not because her family was too poor. The schools were too expensive, so her parents kept her at home. Instead of studying, Xiao Fang worked in the fields with her parents. Then Project Hope heard about Xiao Fang. It agreed to help Xiao Fang to go to school. Her wish came true, and now she is studying in a school. Unluckily, there are many thousands of children who can not go to school. You can help these children. Project Hope also helps to repair school buildings. All this good work costs money. Project Hope needs your help. If you give Project Hope Y=300, we can pay for one child to go to school for a whole year. With more money, Project Hope can build new schools. The money buys good desks, chairs, blackboards and books. To help us is to help Xiao Fang and many other children to have a good start in life. WithY=300, _ . A one child can go to school for nine years B a new school can be built C many children can go to school D a child can go to school for a year Answer: D. a child can go to school for a year
Lamu was a 12-year-old Tibetan girl. She wanted to go to Beijing to watch the 2008 Olympics. Only one month ago, Lamu still thought it would be difficult. In the past Tibet had no railroad . If Lamu took a bus, it would take her a long time to reach Beijing. And a plane ticket would cost lots of money. However, things changed for Lamu. She was able to buy a ticket to the world's highest railroad. The Qinghai-Tibet Railway had been completed! The 1,142-kilometer railroad runs on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau . Lamu could reach Beijing by train in 48 hours! About 550 kilometers of the railroad are constructed on the frozen earth . When the frozen earth warms in summer, it can move the track. But Chinese scientists have built a special structure to solve the problem. The Qinghai-Tibet Railway has been designed with the wild animals in the designers' minds. It also has special underpasses for animals like Tibetan antelopes to go through. "The new railroad greatly helps Tibet's tourism,"said Liu Yueqin, an expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences . As more tourists take trains to Tibet, there are more money for Tibetans. With the money, more kids can go to school. The railroad also makes things less expensive in Tibet. Now one can buy a TV set for about 1,500 yuan. It used to be much higher than that price. When there was no railroad, it had been difficult to send things in and out of Tibet. With the new railroad, shopping can be more convenient and faster. Before the railroad was finished, _ . it was hard for Tibetans to buy and sell things in and out of Tibet Actress and goddess Jessica Alba wishes to help the environment by riding a bicycle. Dressed in a tantalizingly suggestive outfit, she propels herself by using foot levers Some problems are difficult to solve. But there are a lot of number expressions that can help. For example, if we put two and two together, we might come up with the right answer. We know that two heads are better than one. It is always better to work with another person to solve a problem. Some problems have only one solution. You cannot be of two minds over this. But with any luck,we can solve the problem in two shakes of a lamb's tail. In other words,we could have our answers quickly and easily. Sometimes we can kill two birds with one stone. That is, we can complete two goals with only one effort or action. But we must remember that two wrongs don't make a right. If someone does something bad to you, you should not do the same to him. If you are going out with your girlfriend,or boyfriend,but you don't want another friend to go along on your date,you can just say to your friend: two's company, three's a crowd. When I was a young child in school, I had to learn the three R' s. These important skills are reading, writing and arithmetic. These three words do not all start with the letter "R". But they have the sound of "R". My teacher used to give three cheers when I did well in maths. They gave praise and approval for a job well done. Some of my friends were confused and did not understand their school work. They were at sixes and sevens. In fact, they did not care if they finished high school. But they were happy when they completed their studies and graduated from high school. They were in seventh heaven. They were on cloud nine. Nine times out of ten students who do well in school find good jobs. Some work in an office doing the same things every day at nine-to-five jobs. You do not have to dress to the nines, or wear your best clothes, for this kind of work. If you solve a problem without any difficulty, you can also say that you can do it _ . in two shakes of a lamb's tail Xiao Shenyang will present a comedy in mid-May. You'll enjoy Errenzhuan ,a local folk dance from Northeast China. Time: 8 p. m. May 10 Tickets: 280-800 Yuan Venue:Shenzhen Sports Center Booking: 11185 Rubina Ali,the young actress who played Lakita in "Slumdog Millionaire" ,is performing in a musical named "Sleeping Beauty". Time: 7:30 p. m. June 1 Tickets: 280 Yuan Venue:Shenzhen Poly Theater Booking: 86371698 LiuQian, a well-known magician from Taiwan, is performing wonderful magic, tricks. Time:3 p. m. June 20 Tickets:500 Yuan (5% off if you buy on-line) Venue:Shenzhen Children's Palace Booking:89812344 Britain's singing sensation Susan Boyle is coming! You may enjoy her angelic voice in her concert. Time:8 p. m. July 25 Tickets:380-700 Yuan Venue:Shenzhen Grand Theater Booking:82337625 Xiao Shenyang will present _ . a local folk dance Today is fine.The sky is blue.Now it'snine o'clock in the morning.There's a sports meeting in the forest on the big mountain. Look,a horse,a panda and a cat are running.Over there a dog and two tigers are jumping.Two monkeys are climbing the trees.Four birds are flying around and singing. There's some other animals there, too.The elephants are standing.A monkey in sitting on an old elephant.The monkey has a flay in his hand.polly is sitting in the tree.A fox, ababy panda and some small animals are sitting under the tree.They are all watching. There are _ at the sports meeting. a lot of animals
Doctors fighting malaria---one of the deadliest diseases on the planet--- may soon have a new affordable weapon in their smart phones. Researchers have found a way to use the phone's camera to detect the microorganism in the patient's blood that causes the disease. According to the World Health Organization, almost 600,000 people died of malaria in 2013, making this mosquito-borne disease one of the deadliest in the world. The saddest aspect of this calamity is that it affects mostly young children. Early detection of the infection is important for successful treatment. But since the first symptoms resemble ordinary flu, a microbiologist must look at a drop of a patient's blood under a microscope for a proper diagnosis. Scientists in Britain have now developed a smart phone attachment called Xrapid, that turns the phone into a 200-power microscope, while the attached app---based on facial recognition software - quickly detects the parasitic protozoa in the blood smear . Jean Viry-Babel is the CEO of IanXen, the company that developed the app. He says it is cheap and works on the spot. "So we take a high-definition picture of a sample of blood. We separate the red blood cells from the rest---the white blood cells, the platelets ---and we start looking at each of the red blood cells individually," said Viry-Babel. Viry-Babel says the app is affordable, easy to use and provides reliability of up to 98 percent. The only additional equipment required is an ordinary glass lab slide - called a "slate." "There's only one button, which is called "Diagnose". So you put it on the slate and you put it on the dried blood, and you press diagnose and it tells you yes or no," he said. Researchers say the field-testing of the device will begin in January and February in Tanzania, Benin and Indonesia --- while commercial use is scheduled to start by the end of March. They also plan to expand the versatility of the new device---teaching it to recognize other diseases, such as tuberculosis and Lyme Disease. The text is meant to _ . Answer: introduce a new device to detect disease. Every year, World Blood Day is celebrated by blood services worldwide on 14 June, the birthday of Nobel Prize winner Karl Landsteiner, the man who discovered the ABO blood group system. If you have every thought of becoming a blood donor, just register to do it. And you should never worry about the donation. Just under a pint (around 470ml) of blood is taken at one sitting. This amount is no more than 13 percent of your total blood volume, and is quickly replaced by your body. It may come as a surprise, but whole blood is only rarely used. Different blood components are used to treat a range of conditions. None goes to waste. Read blood cells are frequently used to replace heavy blood loss after an accident, surgery or childbirth. White blood cells and antibodies are used to help people fight infections if their immune system doesn't appear to be responding to antibiotics . Plasma ,the straw-coloured fluid which carries the blood cells and contains proteins, are used to treat burned patients. First-time donors should be aged between 17 and 65, weigh at least 50kg and be in good health. If you have donated before, you can start being a donor again up to your 70th birthday. Although most people are able to give blood, some people who pose health risks or are at a higher risk of having come into contact with an infectious disease are no tasked to be donors. Pregnant women or those who have had a baby in the last 9 months should not donate blood. Blood has a very short shelf life. Some blood components can be kept longer than others, for instance red blood cells will keep for 35 days but platelets for only five. Remember, you should wait at least 16 weeks before donating blood again. People should never worry about the donation mainly because _ . Answer: their bodies can produce new blood soon Football is America's most popular sport, and by football I don't mean soccer. American football is a unique sport with its own rules, regulations, and fans. Being a football fan means something different than being a fan in other sports; football fans have their own culture and customs. Since football is a violent, contact sport, its games are played infrequently. Usually fans have to wait an entire week before they can see their favorite team play again. This means that football fans take advantage of the days they can cheer for their teams. One custom that football fans have is called tailgating. Tailgating describes when a big group of people gets together before a game and has a small party. Tailgating usually lasts a few hours and involves lots of good food and beverages. It is most common to grill food at a tailgate, especially hamburgers, hotdogs, sausages, and any other type of meat. It is not unusual to see people drinking lots of beer, throwing footballs around, talking to (or arguing with) other fans, etc. Tailgating happens for other sports too, but it is much more important to football fans. Sports fans in every country have unique and strange ways to celebrate their favorite teams and players. Football in America is no different. What is the best adjective to describe the attitude of tailgating fans? Answer: Relaxed In recent years, advances in medical technology have made it possible for people to live longer than in the past. New medicines and machines are being developed every day to extend life. However, some people, including some doctors, are not in favor of these life extending measures, and they argue that people should have the right to die when they want. They say that the quality of life is as important as life itself and that people should not be forced to go on living when conditions of life have become unbearable . They saw that people should be allowed to die with dignity and to decide when they want to die. Others argue that life under any conditions is better than death and that the duty of doctors is always to extend life as long as possible. And so the battle goes on and on without a definite answer. The best title for this passage is _ . Answer: The Right to Die Do you know the game "Rock, paper or scissors"? Maybe you think it's just a simple game for children. But in fact, some adults use it to make decisions and solve their problems. It is also popular in many countries. There are different stories about the history of the game. But many people believe the game came from Japan, and Japanese have played it for a long time. Later it came to Europe in the middle of the 18th century. In 1842, England founded the Paper Scissors Stone Club and from then on people could get together to play the game for honor . There is even an international club named the World Rock Paper Scissors Club in Toronto. The club makes "Rock, paper or scissors" more and more popular. It holds the world championship every year. Top players from around the world take part in it and the champion can get a lot of money and the honor of all the fans of "Rock, paper or scissors". Who use the game to make decisions and solve problems according to this passage? Answer: Some adults.
Most people want to be happy, but few know how to find happiness. Money and success alone do not bring lasting happiness. Aristotle, a Greek thinker, said, "Happiness depends upon ourselves." In other words, we make our own happiness. Here are a few suggestions to help you be happier. The first secret of happiness is to enjoy the simple things in life. Too often, we spend so much time thinking about the future --for example, getting into college or getting a good job --that we fail to enjoy the present. You should enjoy life's simple pleasures, such as reading a good book, listening to your favorite music, or spending time with close friends. People who have several close friends often live happier and healthier lives. Another secret to living a happy life is to be active, and have hobbies where you forget your problems and time. Many people experience this dancing, or playing a sport, such as swimming. You can forget about your problems, and only think about the activity. Finally, many people find happiness in helping others. Studies show that people feel good when they spend their time helping others. If you want to feel happier, do good things for someone. You can help a friend with his or her studies, go shopping to buy food for an elderly person, or simply help out around the house by washing the dishes. , Which of the following is not mentioned in the passage? The Cuckoo In April, Come he will. In May, Sing all day. In June, Change his tune . In July, Prepare to fly. In August, Go he must! What is the cuckoo? All metabolic functions fall into one of two categories: a breaking down process (catabolic) or a building up process (anabolic). Which is an example of an anabolic process? Our school is very big. There are sixty classes in our school. There are about fifty students in a class. There is a television in a classroom, but there isn't a computer. There are 52 desks in my classroom. In my class there are 26 boys and 25 girls. Our library is big, too. There are many books in it. The gym is behind it, and the science labs are next to the library. Behind the gym is our dining hall. We have lunch in it. There is no _ in my classroom. Sir, In reply to your advertisement in today's China Daily regarding a vacancy in your office, I wish to apply for the position of senior clerk, which you have specified. I feel sure that I can meet your special requirements that the candidate must have a high command of English, for I graduated from the English Language Department of Wuhan University three years ago. In addition to my study of English in the university, I have worked for three years as a secretary in the firm of ABC Trading Co. Ltd. The main reason for changing my employment is to gain more experience with a superior trading company like yours.I believe that my education and experience will prove useful for work in your office. I am enclosing my resume, certificate of graduation and a letter of recommendation from the president of the university.I shall be obliged if you will give me a personal interview at your convenience. Very truly yours, Li Mei The author thinks _ is (are) his advantage(s) to get the employment.
It just may be the world's most costly vacuum cleaner ( ). The price of CleanSpace One is eleven million dollars. But yet, it has a big job to do. Recently, researchers in Switzerland said they planned to build this new cleaning machine. CleanSpace One will not be for use in homes or businesses. It will be shot into space to help remove thousands of pieces of space junk floating around up there. Last year, we reported on the problem of space junk. Over time, many unused spacecraft have hit each other far above the Earth. Big pieces break into thousands of small pieces. Sometimes they fall back into the atmosphere and burn up. But when they do not, it creates big problems. Scientists fear that if something is not done to remove these objects, it may soon become too dangerous to send people and machines into space. There is a large chance that they might hit some of this junk. So that is why the Swiss researchers are developing the new machine. CleanSpace One is not really a vacuum cleaner. It will not be used to take away space junk. But scientists plan to move it close to an old satellite that is no longer being used. Then a claw-like instrument will catch the satellite, and force it back through the atmosphere. There, the satellite will be destroyed by the heat of friction with the air. Researchers say that all they need to do is slow down the speed of some of these unwanted objects. Once they begin to move more slowly, they will fall back to the Earth. There is little chance that they will fall through the atmosphere and harm the people or things below. What's the danger of space junk? Answer: There are many ways for us to reduce waste. For example, we can reuse paper and plastic bags. We can also recycle newspapers, glass, and cans to make new things. Here are some useful ways to reduce waste. * Write on both sides of paper. Many people write on only one side of their paper. Why not stop wasting the other side? Some students only use half the pages of their notebooks before getting new ones. Try to use up all the paper. People often give cards on birthdays or festivals. How about trying to send e-cards instead? * Don't throw away your old batteries. Maybe you do not know that old batteries make the Earth dirty. This is because they have poisonous parts. So, don't throw away batteries. Keep them together. Try to use rechargeable batteries for your games and CD players. * Donate all your unwanted clothes. There are many poor families in China. You may ask your mother to collect your unwanted clothes. Then you can pass them on to those poor children who do not have clothes to wear. You will feel happy that you are helping someone else. Also, you can ask if your friends or relatives want them before throwing them away. What should we do on a friend's birthday? Answer: No one knows why we sleep, but it's certain that we need to. People who are prevented from sleeping begin to suffer obvious effects after a few days--they think less clearly, and they fall asleep during the working hours; some may have hallucinations . There are no rules about sleep. Generally speaking, grown-ups sleep about 7 and a half hours each night and probably more than 60 per cent get between seven and eight hours. But perhaps eight per cent are quite happy with 5 hours or less, and four per cent or so find that they want ten hours or more. If you feel all right, you're probably getting enough sleep. The important thing is not to worry how much other people get--their needs may be different. Exercise doesn't seem to increase the need for sleep--office workers, for example, sleep for about as long as people doing physically active work. Children sleep more than grown-ups--perhaps 14 to 18 hours soon after birth, going down to grown-up levels by early teenage. Sleep patterns also tend to be different in the elderly, who may sleep less at night than they did when younger, find sleep getting more broken, and often make it a rule to sleep during the daytime. According to the passage, some people are unable to think clearly because _ . Answer: Years ago a farmer owned land along the Atlantic. He constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were not willing to work on farms along the Atlantic because they worried about the terrible storms that destroy buildings and crops. The farmer received a steady stream of refusals at the interview for a farmhand Finally, a short, thin man approached the farmer. "Are you a good farmhand?" the farmer asked him. "Well, I can sleep when the wind blows. " answered the little man. Although puzzled by this answer ,the farmer, desperate for help, hired him. The little man worked well around the farm ,busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man's work. Then one night the wind howled loudly from offshore. Jumping out of bed,the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand's sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled, " Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they are blown away! " The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, "No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows. " Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot ,Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his amazement,he discovered that all of the hay had been covered. The cows were in the bam,the chickens were in the coops,and the doors were barred The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down, Nothing could be blown away. The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, so he also returned to his bed to sleep while the wind was still blowing. Which of the following statements about the Little man is TRUE? Answer: Who is most likely to die of old age? Answer:
Check out all the new releases in the next four weeks. Wednesday 16 march Chalet Girl (12A )Watch the Trailer A British comedy about a girl who decides to give up her job at a fried chicken fast food place to try out being a chalet girl in the Alps. Starring Bill Nighy and Ed Westwick. Friday 18 March Submarine (15) A comedy following a teenager who wants to lose his virginity and stop his father from leaving his mother. Directed by Richard Ayoade. Friday 25 March Country Strong (12A) Watch the Trailer Rising country music songwriter (Garrett Hedlund) falls in love with a fallen star (Gwyneth Paltrow), and together they plan his rising and her comeback. A Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventures (3D) (U) A sea turtle who was hatched in 1959 spends the next 50 years travelling the world as it changes through global warming. Friday 1 April Killing Bono (15) Watch the Trailer Two brothers attempt to become global rock stars but can only look on as old school friends U2 become the biggest hand in the world. Passenger Side (D) Two brothers spend the day driving around Los Angeles county looking for the meaning of their lives, or cheap street drugs, depending on whom you believe. Friday 8 April The Silent House A horror movie based on a true story about a small house in a village in Uruguay which holds some dark secrets Rio (3D) Watch the trailer An animated film about a domesticated macaw from Minnesota who sets off on an adventure. If you like seeing the 3D films, you can choose to see _ . A The Silent House and Rio B Submarine and Passenger Side C A Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventures and Rio D Killing Bono and Country Strong Answer: C. A Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventures and Rio Leo is thirteen years old. He has a brother and a sister. He has 10 tennis bats, 8 baseballs, 6 ping-pong balls, 12 soccer balls and 18 volleyballs, but he never plays sports. His brother, Neal likes soccer . He is a member of the city soccer club. He plays soccer every day with his friends. His sister, Nancy likes volleyball, but she doesn't play it. ,,. Nancy _ volleyball. A don't like B like C plays D doesn't play Answer: D. doesn't play The 30 miles of steep roads that snake through the mountains of Logan Canyon in Utah are enough to make most drivers'hands sweat. But Andersen, a 46-year-old father of four, wasn't expecting any trouble on the road last New Year's Eve, when he set off for a ski trip to the Bear River Mountains with nine-year-old daughter Mia, four-old son Baylor, and nine-year-old neighbor Kenya. Andersen had driven through the Canyon hundreds of times over the years. The weather was fine-but the higher they drove, the more slippery the roads became. Rounding a sharp U-turn at mile marker473, Andersen saw a truck that had skated off the road and immediately tapped his brakes. In an instant, the car was sliding at 25 miles per hour toward the shoulder of the highway, then rolling down a steep ten-foot dam toward the extremely cold Logan River. As it hit the water, the car tipped toward the passenger side, hesitated, and then rolled onto its roof and sank into the river. There was no time to tell the kids what to do. The crash had broken a few windows, and within seconds, the upside-down car was filled with water. "It was frightening how fast we were completely underwater,"remembers Andersen, a soft-spoken product development manager."You're thinking, is this how it's all going to end?" Having lost all sense of direction, Andersen began to search the freezing water for the kids. Mia had been right next to him in the front seat; now, in the blackness, he couldn't find her."I thought, if I don't get out, maybe none of us are going to get out." Andersen got out of his seat belt, swam through a broken window, and, deeply and quickly, breathed air at the surface. That's when he saw a group of men, about ten in all, appear at the top of the dam. One after another, they raced down into the water. Helping onto safety all the three children, they began to shout at the father,"Who else is in the car?"Andersen says respectfully," _ ." Which of the following can be the best title of the text? A Stay calm when in trouble B Drive rounding a U-turn C Miracle rescue from an icy river D Mystery of the Bear River Mountains Answer: C. Miracle rescue from an icy river When looking at an eclipse, an important thing to remember is A to take a photograph B to look through a window C to use hands to shield eyes D avert eyes at all costs Answer: D. avert eyes at all costs One Saturday morning, Apple Inc's iPad table computer went on sale in the United States stores across the country. The iPad can be bought in more than 200 U.S. Apple stores from Apple. Many fans even waited overnight outside some Apple stores, hoping to be the first to get one. Dozens of the people were waiting before the door opened at 9:00 a.m. Hiro Kishimoto, a Japanese computer researcher who had a meeting in San Francisco, came as early as 5:00 a.m. He wanted to read books and magazines with the iPad. " It's much more comfortable than a laptop . Because the laptop is too heavy to carry all the time, when you are in the living rooms, maybe the iPad is the best one to use." He said. The iPad models that hit the U.S. Market on Saturday with price starting from 499 dollars, only have Wi Fi link to the Internet. Apple models that have both Wi Fi and 3G will be on sale in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Swizland and the UK in late April. With a 9.7 -inch touch screen like books and magazines, iPad can let users finish many tasks including making the web, watching videos, playing games and reding e-books. Apple is trying to remake the tablet computer. The iPad doesn't support Adobe's Flash software that is used to watch many of the videos on the web. " It is short of a keyboard, a mouse, USB ports and mwlti-tasking." some researchers said. People can buy iPad computers in _ in late April. A Canad, France and Russia B China, Japan and France C Spain, Australia and Germany D Italy, the UK and Greek Answer: C. Spain, Australia and Germany
There is a lot of misunderstanding about studying. Most students have not been taught the principles behind really effective working. Imagine a graph showing the amount a person learns against the number of hours he works in a day. If he doesn't do any work, he learns nothing (point 0). If he does an hour's work he learns a certain amount (point 1). If he does two hours' work he learns about twice as much (point 2). If he does more work he'll learn still more (point 3). However, if he tries to do twenty-three and a half hours' work in a day, he will be so tired that he'll hardly remember anything: what he learns will be very little (point 4). If he did less work he'd learn more (point 5). Now whatever the exact shape of the graph's curve , made by joining these points, it must have a high point. Point "X" is the very maximum anyone can learn in the day. And this represents the optimum , the best, amount of work to do. It is the best possible compromise between adequate time at the books and fatigue . Fatigue is an absolutely real thing; one can't escape it or ignore it. If you try to ignore it and press yourself to work past the optimum, you will only get on this downward slope and achieve less than the best - and then become very tired and lose your power of concentration. The skill in being a student consists of getting one's daily study as near the optimum point as possible. I cannot tell you what the optimum is. It differs with the type of work, it differs from person to person, and even in the same person it varies from week to week. You must try to find your own. Every day you study, bear this principle of the optimum in mind. When you feel yourself getting fatigued, if you find yourself reading the same paragraph over and over again and not taking it in, that's a pretty good sign you've reached your highest point for the day and should stop. Most ordinary students find their optimum at five hours a day. Yours may be a little more or a little less - but if you get in five hours' good work a day, you will be doing well. Now, what are you doing with yourself when you aren't working? Before examinations some students do nothing at all except sit in a chair and worry. Here is another misunderstanding. People often think that the mind works like the body; it does not. If one wanted to save one's physical energy in order to cut the maximum amount of firewood, one would lie flat on a bed and rest when one wasn't chopping. But the mind cannot rest. Even in sleep you dream, even if you forget your dreams. The mind is always turning. It gets its relaxation only by variety. That is what makes the mind rest. When you've finished your optimum number of hours you must stop. You must not then sit around in the chair thinking about the work - that only tires without any learning. You must get out and do something. It doesn't matter what - anything so long as you are actively doing something else but work. The passage tells us that a person's optimum number of working hours _ . A. follows a regular pattern with each individual B. changes regularly from week to week C. can be partly determined by the sort of work he is doing D. should be determined before he gets too tired Answer: C. can be partly determined by the sort of work he is doing I quit the game, WOW, a couple of years ago. My life has improved dramatically. I went from being single to being engaged, I received a second promotion in my career, and life couldn't be hatter. But even then, I still had an urge to play and I thought about it every day. About a month ago, I decided to start playing again. My friends still played and claimed that it's better than before. So I figured I'd give it a shot, and so far I've managed my time well. But the funny thing is that I'm not enjoying it as much as I thought I would. That sense of accomplishment I used to have back then is gone. I figured out why... My enjoyment in the game came from progression. 1 loved accomplishing quests and hitting 60, then beating the basses with 40 other people. Some nights sucked ,when nothing was done. But other nights, when we beat the hell out of a main boss, it felt incredible. I was actually progressing and improving in something. It may not have been real life, but it was there, on my screen, and it was visible for all to see. But now I've actually pursued tangible goals, and realized the sense of accomplishment in WOW is worthless. I don't get excited when the list of epic drops from a boss is sent to me from my friends. I haven't even been interested in getting a flying mount, or PVP gear. I just don't really care about them. I actually don't care about anything that happens in the game, except for some quests. 1 out of every 10 quests you do has an enjoyable story that makes it more interesting. But even so, they are what you can get out of a book, or a good single player game. Even though WOW is enjoyable in some aspects, it's extremely boring in others. Now to me, above all, it's not worth my time to go through it, just to have temporary fun. What's the only part of the game the writer is now interested in? A. A flying mount. B. A main boss. C. Some quests, D. Epic drops. Answer: C. Some quests, A great French writer says that we should help everyone as much as possible because we often need help ourselves. The small even can help the great. Then he tells a simple story. An ant is drinking at a small stream and falls in. She tries to reach the side but makes no progress at all. The poor ant, almost exhausted, is still doing her best when a bird sees her. Moved with pity the bird throws a blade of grass into the water. It supports the ant like a boat, and the ant reaches the bank. When she is having a rest in the grass, she sees a man walking along barefooted and carrying a gun in his hand. He wants to kill the bird nearby. When he raises his gun to fire, the ant bites him in the foot. So he stops to look down and the bird flies away quickly. It is an animal much weaker and smaller than herself that has saved her life. According to the French writer, we often need help from others, so we should _ . A. not help others B. help those who may be helpful to us C. get as much help as we can D. help others as much as possible Answer: D. help others as much as possible Nails in the Fence There once was a little boy who had a bad temper . His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence. The first day he had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually _ . He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into fence. Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper. The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said," You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say thing in anger, they have a scar just like these holes. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won't matter how many times you say 'I am sorry ', the wound is still there. A verbal wound is as bad as physical one." The little boy then understood how powerful his words were. He looked at his father and said " I hope you can forgive me ,father, for the holes I put in you." "of course I can," said the father. When the boy lost his temper, he must _ as his father told him. A. break some plates and glasses B. pull out one nail of the back of the fence C. hammer a nail into the back of the fence D. tell his anger to others. Answer: C. hammer a nail into the back of the fence Mr Smith was in trouble those days. He drove a car for Mr Black, a rich businessman. He worked hard and the shopkeeper liked him. But he couldn't work when he drank too much.And once he almost fell into the river when he drove along the bridge. Mr Black became angry and was going to send him away. He had a big family and was afraid of it and promised he would stop drinking at once. The man told him to wait to be dealt with . One Monday morning Mr Smith came into the office with badly burned ears. "What happened to your ears?" asked Mr Black. "Well", said the man. "I went to watch a football match yesterday while my wife was ironing clothes. She had put the iron near the telephone before she went to cook supper. Our team lost the game and I felt sorry for it. As soon as I went in the sitting-room ,the phone rang and I answered the iron !" "And what happened to the other ear?" "When I put the iron down the table ,the telephone rang again !" _ ,so he almost drove the car into the river. A. Mr Smith was not careful B. Mr Smith drank too much C. Mr Smith forget they were on the bridge D. Mr Smith couldn't work in the morning Answer: B. Mr Smith drank too much
AC/DC have postponed their US tour after singer Brian Johnson was warned by doctors that he was at risk of "total hearing loss". This is unsurprising, given the decades that the Australian band has been pumping out the hard rock decibels . But deafness isn't only a concern for rock musicians. In recent years it has become clear that anyone around music a lot has reason to be equally worried. When exposed to music, risk to hearing arises from a combination of how loud the sound is and how long you're exposed to it. If you visit a nightclub that is thumping out music on the dance floor at 100 dB, then after only 10-15 minutes the exposure is potentially damaging. In a quieter part of the club, but where the music is still loud enough that you have to shout at your friends, then you could be there for a couple of hours before having to worry about your hearing. Of course music frequently exceeds 80-85 dB, but what counts most in assessing the risk to hearing is the average exposure. Exposure to high noise levels often causes temporary deafness - something many people have experienced after going to a nightclub. While hearing usually recovers after a few hours or days, repeated loud exposure leads to permanent hearing damage. Initially, this damage is subtle and unlikely to be noticed by the listener. Problems only becomes significant in middle age when the noise-induced hearing loss combines with the natural loss of hearing due to ageing. Improved technology means that the number of musicians having to give up performing could decrease, but student musicians need to be educated about the dangers of noise-caused hearing loss. The increasing use of headphones will also work against this - for musicians and everyone else. Unless people are careful with the volume level on their portable music players, hearing loss caused by music will increase. (http://theconversation.com/highway-to-hearing-hell-musicians-and-the-danger-of-deafness-55983) People who go to nightclubs frequently tend to _ . Answer: Photo, a freelance photographer, took a picture of Player in front of Shoe Store. Player was a nationally known amateur basketball star who had received much publicity in the press. At the time, the window display in Shoe Store featured "Jumpers," a well-known make of basketball shoes. Photo sold the picture, greatly enlarged, to Shoe Store and told Shoe Store that Photo had Player's approval to do so and that Player had consented to Shoe Store's showing the enlarged picture in the window. Shoe Store made no effort to ascertain whether Player had given his consent to Photo. In fact, Player did not even know that Photo had taken the picture. Shoe Store put the enlarged picture in the window with the display of "Jumpers" shoes. The college that Player attended believed that Player had intentionally endorsed Shoe Store and "Jumpers" shoes, and the college cancelled his athletic scholarship."If Player asserts a claim based on defamation against Shoe Store, will Player prevail? Answer: Most employers say that they wish to employ the right person for the right job. A recent report by Britain's Independent Institute of Manpower Studies, however, disagrees with this. The report states that most employers wish to avoid employing the wrong person. Rather than looking for the right person, they are looking for applicants to turn down. The report also suggests that in Britain and in many other parts of the world the selection methods used to pick out the right person for the job certainly do not match up to those used to judge a piece of new equipment. Employers used three main selection methods: interviewing, checking resume or application forms and examining references. Most of the employers asked in this survey stated that these selection methods were used more for weeding out unsuitable applicants rather than for finding suitable ones. Interviews were considered to be more reliable than either resume checks or references from past employers. Research, however, proves otherwise. Interviewers' decisions are often strongly influenced by their earlier judgment of the written application. Also different employers view facts differently. One may consider applicants who have frequently changed jobs as people with broad and useful experience. Another will see such applicants as unreliable and unlikely to stay for long in the new job. Some employers place great importance on academic qualifications whereas the link between this and success in management is not necessarily strong. Some employers use handwriting as a standard. The report states that there is little evidence to support the value of the letter for judging working ability. References, also, are sometimes unreliable as they are not very important while checks on credit and security records and applicants' political opinions are often the opposite. The report is more favorable towards trainability tests and those which test personality and personal and mental skills. The report concludes by suggesting that interviewing could become more reliable if the questions were arranged in a careful, organized system and focused on the needs of the employing organization. According to the passage, when most employers want to hire workers, _ . Answer: In England, people don't usually talk too much. You can go on a bus, or in a train, and everyone sits looking out of the windows. Often they read. They read books and newspapers. But they don't talk much. When you meet English people, they often talk about one thing, the weather. So when you meet someone in England, you say: "Nice weather for the time of year!" "But it was a little colder yesterday ," someone may say. "But it will be a little warmer later!" You can say. Talk like this and the English people will think, "How friendly you are!" But it' s not good to ask their age , or they will not be happy. English people usually _ . Answer: The Maryland Science Center is more than fun. You can enjoy the First three floors of exciting things, watch the larger-than-life play on the 4th floor, and travel to other worlds, to far away stars, on the 5th floor. Don't just look. You arc expected to feel, to turn, to push. Build your own house and learn why it stands or fails. Use computers to work out plans just as famous scientiats have done. There is always something new to Learn at the Maryland Science Center. Children and group visitors enjoy half price. The excitement of the Maryland Science Center does not end when you leave. Visit the Science Store for gift you'd like to keep. Electronic jewelry, games, books, and more - take part of the Science Center home with you. Important information : Where to call 24 hour general information (410)685 -5225 24 hour STARLINE night sky information (410)539 STAR Group visitor information (410 ) 685 - 2370 Hours The Maryland Science Center open 7 days a week (except Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day). Monday - Friday 10 a.m. - 6 p. m. Saturday and Sunday 10 a. m. -8 p. ra. By calling (410)685 - 2370 we can get information about_. Answer:
The most effective way to show a change happening over time is to display your results using a A. line graph. B. Venn diagram. C. pie chart. D. flow chart. Answer: A In the last fifty years, a lot of people have left Europe and gone to live in Australia. One of them was a Hungarian man. He lived in Australia for quite a long time, and he had a lot of good friends there. He always said to them, "Australia is beautiful, but Hungary is beautiful, too." Then one year he said to his friends, "I'm going to go back to Hungary to visit my home town." All his friends said to him, "We want to go with you, because you often say Hungary is a beautiful country, and we want to visit it." The Hungarian Australian took his friends from Sydney to Rome in a big plane, and then they went from Rome to Budapest in a train as they wanted to see the mountains, and the villages and the towns. They stayed in Budapest nearly a week, and they liked it very much. One day they went to the zoo in Budapest and saw two kangaroos there. These Australians were very happy because kangaroos were from their home town. They said to them, "Come here, old friends! Come and see your Australian brothers!" But the kangaroos did not move. But then the Hungarian Australian spoke to them in Hungarian, "Come here!" he said, and both of the kangaroos ran to him. The other Australians laughed and said, "Look at that. They're Australians, but they only know Hungarian!" Kangaroo is a kind of famous _ in Australia. A. animal B. tree C. language D. plant Answer: A Beans and coal both have stored energy. Where did the energy come from that is stored in beans and coal? A. From the Earth's gravity B. From the Sun's light C. From the heat in the Earth's core D. From the air's carbon dioxide Answer: B If you're finding it tough to land a job, try expanding your job-hunting plan to include the following: Set your target. While you should always keep your options open to changing your mind , you should also be sure to target exactly what you want in a job. A job-hunt with a clear target will surely help you achieve better results than an aimless one. Schedule plenty of interviews. Use every possible method to get interviews-answering ads, using search firms , getting in touch with companies directly , surfing the Web, and networking( ). Even if a job is not perfect for you, every interview can become one of your positive experiences. Follow up Even if someone does not hire you ,write them a thank -you note for the interview. Then, some weeks later, send another brief letter to explain that you still have not found the perfect position and that you will be available to interview again if the original position you applied for--or any other position , for that matter -is open. Do this with every position you interview for, and you may just catch a break! Make it your full-time job You can't find a job by looking sporadically( ) . You have to make time for it. If you're unemployed and looking , devote as much time as you would to a full -time job. If you have a job while you're looking, figure out an organized schedule to maximize your searching time. Network vertically( ) In the search stage of your job hunt , talk to people who are on a level above you in your desired industry. They'll have an accurate and deep understanding that people at your level won't have , and will be in a good position to hire you or recommend you to be hired . Keep your spirits up Looking for a job is one of the toughest things you will ever have to do, keep up your confidence , continue your efforts, and think positively, and eventually you will get a job you want. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? A. It will be of great help for you to seek advice from experienced job hunters B. There can't be too much time for you to hunt for a job if you are out of work C. There is no point having the interview unless a job is perfect for you. D. There is no need for you to write letters to the company that refused you Answer: B Monday, April 17 Dear Gramps, I was so upset last week when somebody stole my Super Racer from the park by your house. I called up the toy company but they said they have only red, blue and green racers. Dad called Cobb's Toy Store today and found out they might have purple ones. Can we go there when I come to visit you next week?You and I were only gone for a few minutes to the shop down the street to get ice-cream and cookies. Maybe the thief was watching us. Mum was surprised when I told her the racer was stolen. She said she used to leave things at the park all the time when she was young. Once she even left her bicycle for two days near the swimming pool. Tell Grandma that I like the food she made last time. Ask Grandma if we can have pancakes with sugar for breakfast when I come this time. I have packed in my towel, comb and soap. Tell her this time I won't forget to pack in my toothbrush. Love Toby From the letter, we know Supper Racer is _ . A. a toy B. an ice-cream C. a bicycle D. a pancake Answer: A

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