Split (1)

train · 20k rows

text stringlengths 1.53k 16.3k
In spite of ill health and a physical incapacity that threatened her career, Carson McCullers completed a novel in the summer of 1961 that made the best-seller list before its official publication; date by virtue of prepublication sales. In an interview at her home, the noted novelist looked back on some of her problems of recent years and spoke without emotion of her latest book, Clock without Hands, her first in fifteen years, "For many years I had been thinking of the novel and finally wrote it this passed year. ""The tall, frail novelist, forty-three years old in 1961, suffered a series of strokes in her twenties that left her partially incapacitated, and she also admitted that a mental block kept her away from writing for many years after the strokes. Mrs McCullers once wrote that "writing is a wandering, dreaming occupation. " But beyond the admission that she works" very hard" at her writing, she is shy about discussing her work. She is remote from literary fashions, and she has never learned to intellectualize her art, but she reads her critics and takes them seriously. Clock Without Hands depicts Mrs McCullers' native South and the slow passing of the old way of life through the lives of a dying pharmacist , a white judge and former congressman, his rebellious grandson, and two Negroes. Among her earlier noted works are Member of the Wedding, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, and Ballad of Sad Cafe. Mrs McCullers did not write for many years because _ . A strokes left her partially incapacitated B she had a mental block C she had no ideas D both A and B Answer: B The British Museum first opened in the 18th Century largely based on the collections of the scientist Sir Hans Sloane. The current neoclassical building was founded nearly a century later and is quadrangular with four wings and a great classical appearance. Inside is a courtyard, the Great Court, covered with a special modern addition--a spiraling glass and steel roof which was designed by Norman Foster and completed in 2000. The courtyard surrounds the round Reading Room with a copper domed ceiling the same size as the dome of St Peter's in Rome. The museum, one of the oldest in the world, is Britain's largest museum, and widely considered to be one of the world's greatest museums of human history and culture. The permanent collection is made up of over 8 million objects spanning the history of the world's cultures from the stone tools of early man to twentieth-century prints. The collection includes controversial items including the Elgin Marbles from the Parthenon in Greece, Egyptian mummies and the Rosetta Stone. The expansion of the museum over the years has resulted in the creation of several branch institutions including the Natural History Museum in South Kensington. The British Library previously occupied the Reading Room but in 1997 moved to a new site next to St Pancras Station on Euston Road. There are frequent special exhibitions of international significance. Opening Times: The museum is open daily from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm. On Fridays it stays open until 8:30 pm. Entry to the museum is free, although a charge may be made for entry to temporary exhibitions. Address: Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG. Nearest Underground Station: Tottenham Court Road (5-minute walk), Russell Square (6-minute walk) and Holborn (7-minute walk).Website: http://www. britishmuseum. org/. When the British Museum opened originally, it mainly included _ . A the Rosetta Stone B the Elgin Marbles C Hans Sloane's collections D Egyptian mummies Answer: C City buses are white and blue. Please board at the front door and pay the fare as you get on. The fare per ride is $1.50 for adults and $1.00 for senior citizens. The fare may be paid by cash, bus pass or multiple passes. Please pay the exact amount directly into the slot at the top of the fare box. Remember that bills are not accepted and drivers cannot make change for riders. When you wish to get off the bus, please notify the driver in advance by pressing one of the buttons provided throughout the bus for this purpose. The bus may pass bus stops without stopping if no one is getting off or waiting to get on. There are five subway lines in the city. The fare is set at five rates from $2.00 to $3.50 according to the number of predetermined "price zones" traveled. To purchase the appropriate ticket, please check the fare on the boards installed above the ticket-selling machines in each subway station. Pass through the automated ticket gates by inserting the ticket into the slot. When getting off the subway at a station beyond the validity of the ticket, pay the additional fare at a fare-adjustment machine. What is the lowest cost of a subway ride for an adult? A $1.00. B $1.50 . C $2.00. D $3.50. Answer: C U.S. Bottled Water Sales Are Booming Again Despite Opposition Despite organized anti-bottled-water campaigns across the country and a noisy debate about bottled water's environmental impact, Americans are buying more bottled water than ever. Why do so many people seem to think they should have any input on what other American's 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 excessive fast food, you pay higher insurance premiums. If many people frequently buy bottled water, your trash bills go up and landfills fill up quickly.www.zxxk.com It's about personal responsibility, which really should be a cornerstone of libertarianism. -- 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 few bucks? What would you say when someone do the same to you? -- Norman619 Defend selfish pricks all you like; I'm just glad there are still people who still believe personal responsibility is a good and decent 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 balance? Hope we can find better ways. -- Skipweis What can we know about bottled water in America? A Americans are consuming more bottled water than tap. B US bottled water sales have increased for the first time. C Activists in several regions have been fighting against it. D Some people worry about its bad effect on the environment. Answer: D One evening Charlie was on his way home from the railway station. When he turned round a corner, he heard footsteps behind him and he thought someone was coming near. He began to walk fast. The footsteps came fast, too. He slowed down. The footsteps also slowed down. Now he was sure that someone must be going after him. He tried to hide. Still the steps followed him. He didn't know how to save himself, so he jumped over some tall grass and hid himself in a cemetery . He threw himself down on one of tombs . The man behind came near. Charlie could hear the man jump over the grass. Thoughts of thieves and robbers filled his mind. Charlie stood up and faced the man. "What do you want? Why are you coming after me?" He asked. "I say," the stranger asked, "do you always go home like this, or are you taking some special exercise tonight? I want to go to Mr. Green's and don't know the way. The station master told me to follow you as you live next door. Excuse me for asking, but is there much farther to go before we get there?" That day Charlie was _ . A leaving the station for a cemetery B walking slowly along the street C on his way to Mr. Green's house D on his way back home Answer: D
You'd best bring water if you go to Answer: Miss Wang is a young teacher of English in a middle school in Chongqing. She loves teaching very much. One day when she was giving an English lesson, she found Mr. Li, the headmaster, sitting at the back of the classroom. After class, Mr. Li told her that he came to her class to find out how much English and Chinese she was using in class. The result was about half English and half Chinese. She was using Chinese when she gave instructions and explained some grammar rules to her students. Mr. Li suggested that she should use English as much as she could in class. So Miss Wang made the following plans: Join an English club and practice speaking English. Learn more English teaching expressions by heart. Have a five-minute talk with students in English before class. She used body language to make herself understood if students could not follow. One year later, she found she could speak English _ in class. ,. Miss Wang _ . Answer: Once Dr. Mellinkoff invited me to join him at the hospital to discuss interesting cases with his students . The case at hand was a Guatemalan man , aged 34 , who had a fever and many other medical problems . His condition was not improving , and there was not much hope he would live . Dr. Mellinkoff asked to see the patient . He introduced himself in Spanish and , in a very gentle voice , asked how he felt . The patient smiled and said everything was all right . Then the doctor asked if he was able to eat . The patient said that he had no desire to eat . " Are you getting food you like ? " The patient said nothing . " Do you get the kind of food you have at home ? " The answer was no . The doctor put his hand on the man's shoulder and his voice was very soft . " If , you had food that you liked , would you eat it ? " " Yes , yes . " the patient said . The change in the patient's appearance couldn't have been more obvious . Nothing was said , but it was easy to tell that a message had been sent and had also been received . Later , the doctor asked why the Guatemalan man wasn't getting food he could eat . One of the students said , " We all know how difficult it is to get the kitchen to make special meals . " " Suppose , " the doctor replied , " you felt a certain medicine was ly necessary but that our hospital didn't carry it , would you accept defeat or would you insist the hospital meet your request ? " " I would probably insist , " the student said . " Very well , " the doctor said . " You might want to try the same method in the kitchen . It won't be easy , but I can help you . Meanwhile , let's get some food inside this man as fast as possible , and stay with it . Or he'll be killed by hunger . By the way , there must be someone among you who can speak Spanish . If we want to make real progress , we need to be able to talk with him . " Three weeks later , Dr. Mellinkoff told me that the Guatemalan man had left the hospital under his own power . It takes more than medicine to help sick people ; you also have to talk to them and make them comfortable . The patient had no desire to eat because _ . Answer: I decided to go back to school in the fall of 2010 for not being happy with my current job and financial status. I got my Associate in May 2002 in commercial art. After graduation, I had trouble getting a job in that field. For years, I was going from one job to another, and I was not satisfied with unstableness . I decided to go back to school to study either international business or psychology . I weighed the _ of both professions and psychology won. I like helping my friends and family. When they are faced with hard situations in their life, I'd like to give them sound advice and be honest with them. Also, I was interested in the "mind". I searched for online schools because my work schedule would not allow me to study in a classroom. I was nervous about taking online classes because I had heard mixed stories from my friends who were taking online classes. I decided to do it anyway to experience something different. I wanted to find an online school that was affordable and believable. While I was doing the online search, I discovered Walden University, which is specially for working adults who want to have a bachelor's degree or higher. The process of getting accepted was easy, i.e. writing an essay on why I wanted to attend their school, sending my previous credits , etc. I am currently enrolled in the bachelor's program for psychology, and I am paying for college via financial-aid loans . This experience has been interesting and yet upsetting as sometimes it was difficult to balance work, school and home life. I have learned a lot about psychology and myself. For example, I like writing about current events, relationships and traveling. I thought my English composition was ordinary, but after taking a few classes at Walden University, I have improved my English composition and it has made me feel confident enough to start writing professionally. Now I am a freelancer and I am only three classes away from getting my bachelor's degree in psychology. It is one of the best decisions I have made in my life. Why was the author nervous about taking online classes? Answer: During Nelson Mandela's 19 years in the prison on Robben Island, one particular commanding officer, Badenhorst, was the cruelest of them all: "A few days before Badenhorst's leaving the prison, I was called to the main office. General Steyn was visiting the island and wanted to know if we had any complaints. Badenhorst was there as I went through a list of demands. When I had finished, Badenhorst spoke to me directly. He told me he would be leaving the island and added: 'I just want to wish you people good luck'. I do not know if I looked dumbfounded , but I was amazed. He spoke these words like a human being and showed a side of himself we had never seen before. I thanked him for his good wishes and wished him good luck too. I thought about this moment for a long time afterwards. Badenhorst had perhaps been the most cold-blooded and cruelest commanding officer we had had on Robben Island. But that day in the office, he had showed that there was another side to his nature, a side that had been hidden but still existed. It was obvious that all men, even the most seemingly cold-blooded, have a heart of kindness and that, if their hearts are touched, they are able to change. Actually, Badenhorst was not evil; his inhumanity had been encouraged by an inhuman system. He behaved cruelly because he was rewarded for cruel behavior." How did Mandela feel at what Badenhorst said? Answer:
A busy public square in the Chinese city of Nanjing is home to an unusual experiment. For almost two months, the country's first "honesty bookshop" has occupied a sidewalk on HanZhong Road in the city's Gulou District. With no cashier or other staff, the store relies on trust for payment. Making money isn't the company's main goal and they don't punish those who take books without paying. "If they can really finish the books, it doesn't matter if they took the books for free," Zhu Yu, the marketing director of the company says. "In fact, we are really happy to witness so many people taking books from the honesty bookshop." After browsing the four wooden bookshelves, customers must drop their money in a locked box. Prices are set at 30% of the usual cover price. Zhu hopes that his sidewalk store, which sells, on average, 60 books a day, will make more people interested in reading. Like elsewhere, e-books are affecting sales of traditional books, and traditional books and many independent booksellers are struggling. Zhu got permission from the city government to use the sidewalk and says he's determined to make it a long-term project. He says the store is open every day, except when it rains, and it's locked up each night. In September last year, the company laid out 1,000 books and reading lamps on the ground and encouraged people "to go on a date" with a book. "Independent bookshops represent the well-being of the city." Zhu told CNN in 2013, "when a city is losing its bookshops, it's actually losing something in its soul." If the success of the Honesty Bookstore is any guide, Nanjing's soul is in pretty good shape. What is one of the purposes of opening the bookstore? Answer: To encourage people to read. A new study gives us the warning that about thirty percent of the world's people may not have enough water by the year 2025. A private American organization called Population Action International did the new study. It says more than three-hundred-thirty-five-million people lack enough water now. The people live in twenty-eight countries. Most of the countries are in Africa or the Middle East. P-A-I researcher Robert Engelman says by the year 2025, about three-thousand-million people may lack water. At least 18 more countries are expected to have severe water problems. The demand for water keeps increasing. Yet the amount of water on Earth stays the same. Mr. Engelman says the population in countries that lack water is growing faster than in other parts of the world. He says population growth in these countries will continue to increase. The report says lack of water in the future may result in several problems. It may increase health problems. Lack of water often means drinking waters not safe. Mr. Engelman says there are problems all over the world because of diseases, such as cholera, which are carried in water. Lack of water may also result in more international conflict. Countries may have to compete for water in the future. Some countries now get sixty percent of their fresh water from other countries. This is true of Egypt, the Netherlands, Cambodia, Syria, Sudan, and Iraq. And the report says lack of water would affect the ability of developing to improve their economies. This is because new industries often need a large amount of water when they are beginning. The Population Action International study gives several solutions to the water problem. One way, it says, is to find ways to use water for more than one purpose. Another way is to teach people to be careful not to waste water. A third way is to use less water of agriculture. The report also says long-term solutions to the water problem must include controls on population growth. It says countries cannot provide clean water unless they slow population growth by limiting the number of children people have. All the following are true except _ . Answer: Egypt now has enough fresh water People all over the world write to Big Ben. They even send birthday presents. Big Ben is not a person. It's a clock. Big Ben is the great clock hanging up in a tower of the parliament building. The people of London like to see Big Ben's four friendly faces. They like to hear the bell striking on the hour. Bong! Bong! Bong! Big Ben's story started in 1834. In that year the old parliament building was burned down. Its clock tower fell to the ground. There had to be a new building and a new clock. Plans were made. They called for a "King of Clock, the biggest and the best in the world". So the clock had to be big. And it had to keep very good time. In two years the big clock was made. Five more years went by before the clock tower was last finished. Then the four bells for the chimes were brought into the tower. And at last the big hour bell was put in place. It rang out for the first time on July 11, 1859. This great bell had to have a name. A meeting of parliament was called to pick one. "This clock is the king of clocks," one man said. "Let's call the bell the Queen of Bells." "Then why not Victoria?" said another (Victoria was the British queen at that time). The talk about names went on and on. Then Benjamin Hall got up to speak. He was a big man. By this time they were all tired. Someone shouted, "Why not call it Big Ben and be done with it?" Everybody laughed, and the meeting was over. But it was called Big Ben from then on. Not just the bell but the whole clock. Big Ben is the name of a _ . Answer: clock A professor began his class by holding up a glass with some water in it. He held it up for all to see and asked the students, " How much do you think this glass weighs?" "50 grams ! " "100 grams ! " "125 grams ! " the students answered. "I really don't know unless I weigh it , " said the professor, " but , my question is : What would happen if I held it up like this for a few minutes?" " Nothing , " the students said. "OK, what would happen if I held it up like this for an hour?" the professor asked. "Your arm would begin to ache, " said one of the students. "You are right, now what would happen if I held it up for a day?" "Your arm could go numb , and you might have to go to hospital, " another student said. "Very good ! But during all this, did the weight of the glass change?" asked the professor. "NO" "Then what made the arm ache and the muscle( ) stress?" The students were puzzled. " Put the glass down" said one of the students. "Exactly ! " said the professor. " Life's problems are something like this. Hold them for minutes in your head and they seem OK. Think of them for a long time and they begin to ache. Hold them even longer and they begin to trouble you. You will not be able to do anything. It's important to think of the problems in your life, but even more important to ' put them down' at the end of every day before you go to sleep. That way, you are not stressed; you wake up every day fresh and strong and can handle any issue, any challenge that comes your way ! " ,. Why did the professor hold the glass? Answer: Because he wanted to explain something about life. Officials in the Midwestern U. S. town of Joplin, Missouri, say the death from Sundays' big tornado reaches 116 and that search efforts continue for possible survivors trapped in rubble . Search and rescue teams are conducting their third sweep through the nearly 10 kilometer - long and one - kilometer wide area of destruction left by the tornado. They are working as quickly as possible while weather conditions remain relatively stable. More storms are forecast for the area. Joplin Fire Chief Mitch Randles said there are areas with large piles of rubble that might hold survivors. "We are still finding individuals. We did rescue seven individuals from underneath rubble yesterday and, of course, we are also finding dead folks as well." Said more folks and that is why we are doing these searches. We want to make every opportunity that we can to find everybody that is in the rubble and that has survived to this point." Randles said the current sweep involves a slower pace that previous searches and that he plans a fourth search, possibly on Wednesday, using specially trained dogs. "We are searching every structure that has been damaged or destroyed in a more in-depth manner, "he said." I have dogs and dog handlers coming from all over the country do help us in that effort." Joplin City Manager Mark Rohr said the Red Cross and other volunteer organizations are helping people who were left homeless by the tornado and that the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, is on hand to help. "Joplin is a great city. We have suffered a great loss, "said Rohr." We will recover and we will recover strongly and we have a lot of help and a lot of volunteers to make that easier." The tornado that struck Joplin was classified by the Natioonal Weather Service as an F - 4, with winds of more than 300 kilometers per hour. It lasted only 20 minutes, but it killed more that 100 people, injured more than 400 others, and destroyed or heavily damaged some 2,000 homes, businesses, churches and a hospital. Authorities have registered more than 1,700 calls about missing people and they hope to _ most of those cases soon, as victims are identified and survivors come forth and reunite with loved ones. This was the worst tornado to strike the United States in 60 years. It was the latest in a wave of violent storms that have swept Midwestern and southern states in recent weeks, leaving more than 300 people dead an causing more than $2 billion dollars in damage. What kind of disaster of this article is talking about? Answer: tornado
Tom:Good evening, Mum. Mum:Good evening, Tom. Tom:Do we eat chicken for dinner, Mum? Mum:No, we eat fish and carrots, dear. Tom:Mum, I don't like carrots. I like chicken. Mum:But we need more vegetables, not only meat . It's not healthy to eat chicken every day. Tom:OK. But dad likes chicken, too. Mum:Well, let's eat chicken and tomatoes tomorrow . Tom:That sounds great! What will they eat tomorrow? Answer: It seems that some people go out of their way to get into trouble.That's more or less what happened the night that Nashville Police officer Floyd Hyde was on duty. "I was on the way to a personal-injury accident in West Nashville.As I got onto Highway 40,blue lights and sirens going.I fell in behind a gold Pontiac Firebird that suddenly seemed to take off quickly down the highway.The driver somehow panicked at the sight of me.He was going more than a hundred miles an hour and began passing cars on the shoulder." But Hyde couldn't go after him.Taking care of injured people is always more important than worrying about speeders,so the officer had to stay on his way to the accident.But he did try to keep the Firebird in sight as he drove,hoping another nearby unit would be able to step in and stop the speeding car.As it turned out,keeping the Firebird in sight was not that difficult.Every turn the Pontiac made was the very turn the officer needed to get to the accident scene. Hyde followed the Pontiac all the way to his destination .At that point he found another unit had already arrived at the accident scene.His help wasn't needed.Now he was free to try to stop the driver of the Firebird,who by this time had developed something new to panic about. "Just about that time," Hyde said,"I saw fire coming out from under that car,with blue smoke and oil going everywhere.He'd blown his engine.Now he had to stop." "After I arrested him.I asked him why he was running.He told me he didn't have a driver's license ." That accident cost the driver of the Firebird plenty---a thousand dollars for the new engine---not to mention the charges for driving without a license,attempting to run away,and dangerous driving. The driver of the Firebird suddenly speeded down the highway because_. Answer: Expressions about water are almost as common as water itself. But many of the expressions using water have unpleasant meanings. The expression "to be in hot water" is one of them. It is a very old expression. "Hot water" was used 500 years ago to mean being in trouble. One story says it got that meaning from the custom of throwing extremely hot water down on enemies attacking a castle. That no longer happens. But we still get in "hot water".When we are in "hot water", we are in trouble. It can be any kind of trouble--serious or not so serious. A person who breaks a law can be in hot water with the police. A young boy can be in hot water with his mother. if he walks in the house with dirty shoes. Being in "deep water" is almost the same as being in hot water. When you are in deep water, you are in a difficult position. Imagine a person who cannot swim being thrown in water over his head. You are in deep water when you are facing a problem that you do not have the ability to solve. The problem is too deep. You can be in deep water, for example, if you invest in stocks without knowing anything about the stock market. "To keep your head above water" is a colorful expression that means staying out of debt. A company seeks to keep its head above water during economic hard times. A man who loses his job tries to keep his head above water until he finds a new job. "Water over the dam" is another expression about a past event. It is something that is finished. It cannot be changed. The expression comes from the idea that water that has flowed over a dam cannot be brought back again. What can you infer from the passage? Answer: The World's Largest Insect .This giant insect can be used as a toy. A child ties one end of a string to a stick and the other end around the "neck" of an insect. Holding the stick, the child lets the insect go. With a loud whirring sound, the insect takes off, pulling the string in a large curve over the child's head. The child laughs as the stick jumps around. The child is African, and the toy is the African Goliath beetle, the largest insect in the world. The Goliath is a true insect because it has six legs and a body that is divided into three parts. Like all beetles, it has two pairs of wings. The front pair are thick and stiff and protect the back pair, which are soft. It is these soft back wings that make the beetle fly forward. They also cause the loud whirring sound the beetle makes when it flies. To steer, the beetle twists and turns its legs the same way you steer a bike by turning its front wheel. African children often use the Goliath beetle as a toy. Although it is over 15 centimeters long, it is quite harmless. The African Goliath beetle is _ . Answer: What do the common cold, the flu, and AIDS have in common? They are all diseases caused by viruses, tiny microorganisms that can pass from person to person. It is no wonder that when most people think about viruses, finding ways to _ them is what is on people's minds. Not everyone runs from the tiny disease carriers, though. In Cambridge, Massachusetts, scientists have discovered that some viruses can be helpful in an unusual way. They are putting viruses to work, teaching them of the world's smallest rechargeable batteries. Viruses and batteries may seem like an unusual pair, but they are not so strange for engineer Angela Belcher, who first came up with idea. At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, she and her team bring together different areas of science in new ways. In the case of the virus-built batteries, the scientists combine what they know about biology, technology and production techniques. Belcher's team includes Paula Hammond, who helps put together the tiny batteries, and Yet-Ming Chiang, an expert on how to store energy in the form of a battery. Many batteries are already pretty small. However, every year, new electronic devices like personal music players or cellphones get smaller than the year before. As these devices become smaller, ordinary batteries won't be small enough to fit inside. The ideal battery will store a lot more energy in a smaller package than ordinary batteries. Right now, Belcher's model battery, a metallic disk completely built by viruses, looks like a regular watch battery. But inside, its parts are very small--- so tiny that you can only see them with a powerful microscope. How small are these battery parts? To get some idea of the size, pluck one hair from your head. Place your hair on a piece of white paper and try to see how wide your hair is--- pretty thin, right? Although the width of each person's hair is a bit different, you could probably fit about 10 of these virus--- built battery parts, side by side, across one hair. These microbatteries may change the way we look at viruses. According to the passage, virus-built batteries _ . Answer:
Two sculptures of life-size lions, each weighing about 5 tons in ancient times, have been discovered in what is now Turkey. The discovery of the massive lions, along with other pieces such as a large stone basin about 7 feet in diameter, left the archaeologists with a mystery ----what were they intended for? A search of the surrounding area revealed no evidence of a Hittite settlement dating back to the time of the statues. Also, the steep size of the sculptures meant that the sculptors likely did not intend to move them very far. Summers assumes that, rather than being meant for a palace or a great city, the lions were being created for a monument to mark something else- water "I think it's highly likely that that monument was going to be associated with one of the very abundant springs that are quite close," he said in the interview, "There are good parallels for association of Hittite sculptural traditions with water sources" Indeed one well-known monument site, known as Eflatun Pnar, holds a sacred pool that "is fed by a spring beneath the pool itself," write Yiit Erbil and Alice Mouton in an article that was published in the most recent edition of the Journal of Near Eastern Studies. The two researchers were writing about water religions in ancient Anatolia (Turkey). "According to the Hittite cuneiform texts, water was seen as an effective purifying element," Erbil and Mouton write, "used in the form of cleaning or even full baths during ritual performances, its cleaning power is self-evident." To the Hittites the natural world, springs included, was a place of great religious importance, one worthy of monuments with giant lions. "These things (water sources) were sacred, just as their mountains were sacred," Summers said. According to Summers' assumption, why were the lions carved ? Answer: They were created as a monument to mark water. Venice is a great place in the world. People call it "City of Water" because it is built on the water just like some stone buildings floating on the water. There are more than 350 bridges in the city. It's in the southeast of Italy. You can hardly hear the sound of cars in the city. All transportation is by boat or on foot. And the most popular vehicle is gondola . You can see the beautiful sights and at the same time hear Italian operas on it. It's also a city of art and music. It played a very important role in the Renaissance . There are a lot of buildings there. Venice is a special and unique place in the world, so a lot of people come to visit it every year. It's better to visit the city in July, August, or September. And the people who come here will never forget this beautiful place. Where is Venice? Answer: In Italy. The West is full of fast food and large amounts of food which contribute to many women's being fat. While many are fat, thin women are admired and seen as healthier. This has led to a culture of gym-going, strange dieting methods and, frequently, eating disorders. In the East, women tend to be smaller and many women take pills to keep their slim figures as they get older. However, you're mistaken if you think thinness is the beauty standard all over the world. The BBC reports that in Mauritania, Africa, the opposite is true. In Mauritania, mothers force their daughters to eat a lot of food so that they get as fat as possible. The fatter they are, the more likely they are to marry well. Fat is also considered healthy, because in a country where HIV/AIDS is a very real problem, thin people are often sick and dying. However, "healthy" fat women are suffering from some problems of their own and many are dying in their 40s of weight-related diseases. The Mauritanian government is trying to warn its people of the dangers of being overweight but it's not easy to change cultural views. Many women worry that if they lose weight, their husbands will leave them for fatter, more attractive women. It seems that while education about the dangers of being too thin and too fat is very important, what the world really needs is to become less pre-occupied with the size, shape and weight of women's bodies. The promotion of healthy practices is easy but changing cultural beauty standards takes more time, imagination and effort. What examples does the writer give of unhealthy weight-loss methods in the East and West? Answer: Gym-going, strange dieting methods, eating disorders and taking pills. Actually we have known a lot of examples and meaningful words to support the fact that we should try our best to ease the bad impression of others. Just like the old saying goes, we should give a better assumption to the one than we think he was. But many of us always fail to do this. Take the situation of my class for example. Right at the beginning of the first semester when we were freshmen we all showed great favor to each other. And when there was an activity that needed some people to join, we would be willing to attend whether it was interesting or not. And we were really like brothers and sisters, and our class was just like a family, a warm family. But now, I feel tired of those meaningless activities not only because of the boring activities themselves but also the cool response of our classmates. I think the reasons why the passion of most classmates is so low may be as follows: To start with, many of us take part in more than one organization, which will certainly make us tired. Also, in the study fields, many of us may find that our courses are sometimes difficult to understand or comprehend, especially the specialized subjects. Moreover, "history" teaches us that if one does not study hard, it is possible to fail in the exams. So it is a big and good excuse to say that "I do really want to attend, but I have a lot of homework to do, so..." Last but not least, some people believe that some of our leaders should not be regarded as a leader, maybe I should say we, as leaders, lost the reputation, support and trust of yours. At least I am the warm-hearted one, although I cannot promise you that your advice will be adopted surely, at least I will spare no effort to "give" you the right to be heard, and to serve you. Be active to show your talents and abilities and to create a better image of our class. Most important of all, work painstakingly for a better condition that we should have reached. The writer hopes that all the members of the class will _ . Answer: work together to make a better class A geologist found fossils of horse bones in different rock layers of a canyon. The fossils in the lower levels show shorter bones than those in the upper-level fossils. Which conclusion is based on the geologist's observations? Answer: Horse's became larger over time.
News 1 Yuan Longping, the father of hybrid rice, won the World Food Prize on Monday. Yuan developed the world's first popular and widely known hybrid rice. Hybrid rice plants can make more rice than regular ones. News 2 Have you ever got angry at books that are full of mistakes? Don't worry, things will get better soon. Last week, China started checking textbooks, dictionaries and children's books all over the country. The government said the results of the check would come out at the end of June. News 3 People will see a new "star" in the sky soon. China plants to send a satellite into space by December 2006.It will stay in space for one year. It will go around the moon and take pictures. It must be very expensive, right? That's for sure; 1.4 billion yuan! News 4 Have you ever thought of being able to fly around the world in a few hours? One day, maybe you can. Last Saturday, the American X-43A airplane made its first flight. It reached a speed of 8,000 kilometers per hour. This makes it the fastest plane in the world.X-43A is only three to four meters long, but it's very heavy. It weighs 1,270 kilograms. Which of the following statements about the new star is NOT true? A. It will go around the moon. B. It will stay in space for two years. C. It costs a lot. D. It will go into space by December 2006. Answer: B Little Lopsy fluttered into our home and our hearts one Saturday morning this summer. My husband went out to do something, and when he opened the door there was a great flutter on the ground and something came into the living room. It was clear that whatever it was was hurt. I was in a bit of a shock and didn't know what to do next. Fortunately it calmed down and tried to hide itself in a corner. I realized it was a sparrow chick . There are a few sparrow nests under the roof of our apartment, and this little fellow must have fallen out and hurt itself. It was also very young, and obviously far from ready to leave the safety of the nest. I ran to the place and found a box. Having read somewhere that one shouldn't touch a baby bird with one's hands, I picked the chick up with a hand towel and put it in the box. I placed the box outside the front door in the hope that the parents would try to feed it. They never came near it and I brought it inside. I placed the box on a table and it slept for about twenty hours. We later learned that it is quite normal for a hurt bird to sleep so much after undergoing such a hurt experience. When it finally woke up we carefully examined it for wounds, but fortunately there wasn't any. It had hurt its right wing and leg, which meant it must have landed on its right side when it fell out of the nest. We named it Lopsy. After doing some research we felt there was a chance that it might survive, but we weren't sure that it would ever be able to fly. A hurt bird doesn't stand much of a chance of survival and could fall easy pray to cats, other animals. Was it fair to allow it to live if it meant keeping it in a cage its whole life? It was a hard decision, but we decided to give it a go. We started off by dripping drops of water into its mouth. It was very thirsty and drank quite a bit. Next we fed it with bread soaked in water. Our household routine soon revolved around Lopsy who needed to be fed about every three hours during the day. Fortunately we live on campus and my husband could come home during his breaks to feed our new baby. Soon Lopsy was growing nicely. The bigger it got, the more vocal it became. There was no doubt as to who was ruling the house. We remained concerned because its leg did not heal, and its wing seemed quite useless. I took it outside for exercise every day. I also hoped it would get used to the sights and sounds of nature. In the beginning all it was interested in was staying as close to me as possible. Anyway, it got stronger and started running on the grass, and one day Lopsy found a fence it liked. It got to the point where I would leave it outside under its fence for about two hours at a time while I kept an eye on developments from our kitchen window. Soon Lopsy figured out how to get from one branch to another.[: ] It also got to the point where it could flutter down from my hand to the ground, and I let it do this over and over again to exercise its wings. Then came the day that it actually flew into the fence. We were overjoyed when this happened. Finally it got to the point where I left it outside in its fence all day and night, but I would still go outside to feed it. Lopsy remained vocal and would jumped over for its food as soon as I came into view. I left some bread on the wall next to its fence, but it would have none of it. The little fellow was totally spoilt and wanted to be spoon fed, but I saw him eating quite happily as soon as I left his line of vision. Some of the bigger species of birds were a bit aggressive towards Lopsy, and I continued to keep a close eye on it. Not long after this we saw Lopsy flying without a problem. It still jumped to the side, but that didn't seem to stop it in any way. Other birds seemed quite curious about Lopsy. At first it chased them away if they came too close to its fence, but Lopsy soon seemed to realize that they were of its own kind and it stopped doing so. Then, one day, our fellow left the nest. We never saw it again, but I know Little Lopsy is now leading a happy life. This experience has taught me much. What is the best title for the passage? A. Kindness B. Little Lopsy C. Loving birds D. Living well with nature Answer: B Shenzhen is a city in South China.It is not very big, but it has attracted people of the whole country and the whole world as well. Just about twenty years ago, it was only a small fishing village.There were not many people there. Most of them lived on fishing.Things have greatly changed since the 1980s.It became the first special economic zone in China. Because of the opening policy , economic changes between China and the outside world have increased greatly.People can come and go easily between Shenzhen and Hong Kong.Both foreigners and Chinese have built a lot of factories, companies and tourists' attractions there.People all over the country have come to find jobs.Many of them have settled down in this new booming city. Shenzhen is developing so fast that it has become a well-known metropolis in China. Shenzhen lies _ China. A. in south of B. to south of C. in north of D. on south of Answer: A Perhaps Joe Cheng has become popular with thousands of fans and has been chased by girls and middles students. But do you know his resume ? Yes. Joe Cheng, who plays the most popular boy in high school in the popular Taiwanese drama "It Started with a Kiss." Although thousands of girls have fallen in love with him for his cute smile and strong body, Cheng, 27, doesn't want to rest on his good looks. He made the move from modeling to acting six years ago, and now he is trying another career-this time, to be a singer. Cheng worked on his first album, "Joe Cheng's Day", for a year. It came out on September 7. Apart from recording his CD, Cheng has been practicing dance moves for his music video. Given his height, 188cm, this was not an easy job. "I had bad dreams about dancing," he said. Cheng's life has had many ups and downs. His parents divorced when he was in primary school and he has lived with his father ever since. After dropping out of high school, he took on all kinds of jobs before being spotted by a scout for a modeling agency. Cheng said his key to life is "keeping a positive _ and making the most out of life." Cheng admitted that he got bad grades when he was in high school. But he was still very popular at school. "Being very active in the students union, I was elected president. I liked to organize parties and field trips, so many teachers and students knew me," he said. Cheng once dreamed of becoming a cartoonist, and he regrets that he never did it. Now he hopes his teenage fans can learn from his life. "When you are in school, just focus on studies," Cheng said. "Every young heart is eager to explore the world outside. But take your time. Finish your studies first." Which of the following can be the best title for this text? A. Finish Your Study First. B. Life Is Full of Ups and Downs. C. He Has It All, but Still Has Regrets. D. The Key to Success. Answer: C In the gym of Croxteth Community School, Liverpool, 50 boys have completed a course on boxing that is seen as a pilot for its return to state schools. The Schools Amateur Boxing Association (SABA) has developed the Kid Gloves scheme ( ),a -non-contact version of the sport where outside coaches teach a range of basic skills. Chris Andrews, assistant secretary of the SABA, said the scheme was regarded as a way of changing the decline in boxing in state schools which began 25 years ago. Safety fears and the poor image of professional boxing had accelerated the sport's decline. Concern was worsened by incidents such as the death of the professional boxer Bradley Stone. But the Croxteth example was winning more supporters. Mr. Andrews said the idea was particularly well received in the north-east of England. "The interest shown so far has been enormous," he said. "I believe that boxing will come back into schools. A video has been produced to promote boxing in schools, and a bid has been made for a Sports Council grant ." He said, "I think there is a genuine recognition that there are aspects to boxing, if it is controlled and properly run, that really are very beneficial for children. This scheme takes away the dangers. I hope boxing can be promoted throughout the country in a more coordinated way." Such an idea horrifies such groups as the British Medical Association (BMA) and the British Safety Council, both critics of the idea. Dr Jeffrey Cundy, the joint author of a BMA report on boxing, accepted that the scheme in Liverpool was non-contact, but he was still opposed. He said, "We feel that children should still not be introduced to boxing, because they will then be encouraged to take up an activity which is uniquely dangerous when actual contact takes place." He added, "There is a whole range of sports which will teach the discipline that comes from boxing without the dangers. We see this reintroduction in schools as an unhealthy development." At the 800-pupil Croxteth school, Steve Stewart, head of PE, said boxing had helped to improve self-confidence, self-discipline, self-awareness and self-respect in those taking part. Everybody could get involved and, because all were starting from scratch, the improvements could be quickly seen. Certificates were presented to the pupils at the end of the course by Paul Hodgkinson, a local boxer who is a former world champion. Next year, the course will be repeated and if possible girls will be allowed to take part following requests from them. Gerry Thompson and Tony Curry, both 12,have enjoyed the boxing sessions and say they will both join a local boxing club. "I thought it was brilliant," said Gerry. "I would rather be a professional boxer than a footballer. It's more enjoyable*" What's the present situation of the Croxteth school boxing course? A. It's declining due to the safety worries. B. Girls can be admitted as long as they're willing to. C. It's becoming increasingly popular among the children. D. Some pupils have been trained to be world champions. Answer: C
Education is required and free for every child in the United States. Most children start school by the age of six. They attend eight years of elementary school and four years of high school (or secondary school ).The money for free public schools comes from taxes, and each state is responsible for its own educational system .State legislatures set the educational requirements but leave the management of the schools in the hands of the local communities .Most states require their children to go to school until a certain age. This age varies from 16 to 18 years according to the laws of the individual state. The Federal government contributes funds to the states for additional schools and schools services. After graduation from high school, a student can start his higher education in two -year college, a four-year college, a university or a specialized professional school----either public or private. Most colleges admit students on the basis of their high-school records. The cost of a college education is expensive in private universities, but it is much less in those supported by states and cities. Many students receive scholarships from the schools, the government, or private foundations and organizations. More than 50 percent of the college students work to help pay their college expenses. Only 2 percent of the population of the country cannot read and write. What is the educational system in the United States based on ? Answer: Alice Brown lives in New York with her mum and dad and two brothers,Tony and Peter.It is Alice's fourteen birthday next week.The family has got two dogs,a cat and four rabbits.Alice likes cats and rabbits but her brothers like dogs.Alice's dad works in a hotel.He's a hotel manager.Her mum teaches English at a middle school. Alice and her brothers study at the same school,but they are in different grades.She's in Grade Seven, Her brother Tony is in Glade Ten and Peter is in Glade Six.They live in a house near the school.They walk to school together every day. Alice is interested in computers. At home she plays computer games in her free time. When she leaves school,she also wants to work with computers. Who does Alice live with? Answer: 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 grandpa wears a _ coat. Answer: To Make Everybody Happy Peter's uncle lives in the country. Once in summer, Peter goes to stay with him for a few weeks. Whenever they go for a walk or for a drive in the car and pass somebody, his uncle waves to the passer-by. Peter is surprised and says, "Uncle Georage, you seem to know everybody here. Where did you meet them all?" "I don't know all these people." answers his uncle. "Then why do you wave to them?" "Well, Peter ," says his uncle "When I wave to someone who knows me, he is pleased. He goes on his journey with a happier heart. But when I wave to someone who doesn't know me , he is surprised and says to himself, ' Who is that man? Why did he wave to me?' So he has something to think about during the rest of his journey, and that makes his journey seem shorter.So.I.make.everybody.happy. When they pass somebody at any time, _ . Answer: A mother's ad calling for her son to come home for Chinese New Year ran on the front page of the Chinese Melbourne Daily newspaper on January 14. It placed a full page ad, saying "Dear Peng, I've called you many times but you don't pick up, maybe you will see this. Dad and mom won't ever force you to get married anymore, come home for Chinese New Year! From your mom who loves you." The ad, which appeared on the front page of the Chinese Melbourne Daily on Tuesday, would cost $2,796.80 Australian dollars ($2465). The newspaper serves the city's Chinese community. The mother, who lives in Guangzhou had placed the ad after losing contact with her son. Every year around this time, many Chinese prepare to head home for China's most important festival. But many of the younger generation are afraid of facing family confrontations about their love life. On the online Chinese forum Tianya. cn, a single man asked for advice on facing his family. "It's almost that time of the year. How should I explain to my family and relatives that I am single?" a user in Guangzhou "1979xiaozhu" posted. Many of the replies were telling him not to go home instead. User "qianlidaiwanwoduxing" wrote: "Going home means they will either arrange blind dates for you or you get scolded." "This year my mom gave me an ultimatum. One, bring 50,000 yuan; second, bring a wife home. If I don't have both then she said I don't need to come home. What a tragedy!" said user "fghjkh84". Those girls who can't handle the pressure of parents can rent a boyfriend for the day through China's online shopping giant, Taobao.com. Rental boyfriends come with services such as meeting the parents, shopping and watching movies. Why did the mother place the ad in the Chinese Melbourne Daily? Answer:
Mrs. Brown's old grandfather lived with her and her husband. Every morning he went for a walk in the park and came home at half past twelve for his lunch . But one morning a police car stopped outside Mrs. Brown's house at twelve o'clock, and two policemen helped Mrs. Brown to get out . One of them said to Mrs. Brown . " The poor old man lost his way in the park and phoned to us for help , so we sent a car to bring him home . " Mrs. Brown was very surprised , but she thanked the policemen and they left . " But , grandfather , "she then said " you have been to that park nearly every day for twenty years . How did you lose your way there ?" The old man smiled , closed one eye and said , " I didn't quite lose my way , I just got tired and I didn't want to walk home !" ,. The old man went to the park for a walk _ . Mother's Day is a holiday for mothers. People celebrate it in the United States, England,India and some other countries. Little by little, people in many other countries also celebrate it. Mother's Day is on the 2nd Sunday in May. On that day, many people give presents of love to their mothers. If their mothers are alive ,they often wear a pink or red rose or carnation .If their mothers are dead ,they wear a white one. The celebration of the first American Mother's Day was held in Philadelphia on May 10, 1908. Soon the holiday became popular all over the country and around the world. In China, people do the same on the day for mothers. And in some cities, people sometimes ask a song to be broadcast for his or her mother only. The first Mother's Day was celebrated more than _ years ago . My name is Becky Smith. I'm eleven years old. I have one brother. His name's Jason and he's fourteen. I don't have any sister. We live with grandma in a small house in Chesterfield, in the north of England. My friends and I often go to the cinema on Saturday. Do you like games? I like football. My favourite team is Manchester Unite . I sometimes play football with my brother. I have seven pets: two birds and five goldfish. I want a dog and a cat, but my parents don't like them. Do you want to be my penfriend? Please write to me soon. There are _ people in Becky's family. Would you eat a ready meal from the fridge rather than cook by yourself? Have you been doing Internet shopping rather than going to the stores? What can't you be bothered to do? A study into how lazy British people are has found more than half of the adults are so idle that they'd catch the lift rather than climb two flights of stairs. Just over 2,000 people were quizzed by independent researchers at Nuffield Health, Britain's largest health center. The results were extremely surprising. About one in six people questioned said if their remote control was broken, they would continue watching the same channel rather than get up. More than one third of those questioned said they would not run to catch a bus. Worryingly, of the 654 respondents with children, 64% said they were often too tired to play with them. This led the report to conclude that it's no wonder that one in six children in the UK are classified as obese (very fat) before they start school. Dr Sarah Dauncey, medical director of Nuffield Health, said, "People need to get fitter, not just for their own sake, but for the sake of their families, friends and evidently (;) their pets too." "If we don't start to take control of this problem, a whole generation will become too unfit to perform even the most fundamental tasks." And Scotland's largest city, Glasgow, was shamed as the most idle city in the UK, with 75% questioned admitting they do not get enough exercise, followed closely by Birmingham and Southampton, both with 67%. The results bring serious challenges for the National Health Service, where obesity-related illnesses such as heart disease and cancer have been on a steady increase for the past 40 years and are costing billions of pounds every year. How many people questioned don't play with their children? Why are we addicted to upgrades? According to Donald Norman, American author of the book The Design of Everyday Things, "planned obsolescence" is the trick behind the upgrading culture of today's consumer electronics industry. The New York Times cited Norman last month, saying that electronics manufactures strategically release new upgrades periodically, both for hardware and software, so that customers on every level feel the need to buy the newest version. "This is an old-time trick- they're not inventing anything new," he said. Thomas Wensma, a Dutch designer, despises the "planned obsolescence" of companies, as recently reported by UK-based The Guardian. Wensma said this is a wasteful system through which companies - many of them producing personal electronics - release shoddy products simply because "they know that, in six months or a year, they'll put out a new one". But the new psychology of consumers is part of this system, as Wensma said to the newspaper: "We now want something new, something pretty, the next shiny thing." _ "It's to the damage of the consumer and the environment," as the New York Times quoted Norman. "But perhaps to the betterment of the stockholder." In its most recent fiscal year, Apple's profit margin was more than 21 percent, reported the Los Angeles Times. At Hewlett-Packard, the world's biggest PC manufacturer, it was only 7 percent. "Steven Jobs pushed the principle of 'planned obsolescence' to new heights," the newspaper commented on the company's profits and marketing strategy. "Apple's annual upgrades of its products generate sales of millions of units as owners of one year's MacBook or iPhone line up to buy the newest version, even when the changes are incremental." Peer pressure As to Li Jijia, the need for upgrading his smart phone comes mainly from friends and classmates. When the majority of friends are switching to the latest devices, he worries about feeling left out. "Some apps and games require better hardware to run," said Li. "If you don't join in, you lose part of the connection to your friends." Thomas Wensma's attitude to the "planned obsolescence" is _ .
Question: Which event would most likely cause a rapid extinction of organisms? A. a large asteroid impact B. regional drought C. new glacier formation D. a decrease in the growth of weeds Answer: A. a large asteroid impact Question: It was in the Victorian Era that the novel became the leading form of literature in English. Most writers were more concerned to meet the tastes of the middle class. The best known works of the period included the works of Charles Dickens and the Bronte sisters and others. Charles Dickens came on the literary scene in the 1830s. Dickens wrote vividly about London life and the struggles of the poor. Most of his works were written in a very humorous style, which was popular with readers of all classes. The Bronte sisters were English writers of the 1840s and 1850s. They began to write from early childhood. In 1846 they published the first book at their own expense as poets; however, their book attracted little attention, selling only two copies. Then the sisters turned to writing novels, each producing a novel in the following year. An interest in rural matters and the changing social and economic situation of the countryside may be seen in the novels of Thomas Hardy and a number of others. Literature for children developed as a single style. Some works became well-known, such as those of Lewis Carroll and Edward Lear. Adventure novels were written for adults but are now generally grouped in the list for children. Helen Beatrix Potter was an English author at the end of the Victorian Era, best known for her children's books, which featured (......) animal characters. In her thirties, Potter published the highly successful children's book The Tale of Peter Rabbit in 1902. This text is mainly about _ . A. literature in the Victorian Era B. writing styles in the Victorian Era C. famous works in the Victorian Era D. the importance of literature in the Victorian Era Answer: A. literature in the Victorian Era Question: "We leave at dawn and head out overland by jeep towards Base One. We will get as far as we can before proceeding on foot," Mark explained. The others sat and listened. Sarah, particularly, as a "casualty of events", wouldn't have known what to say or suggest even if she'd been asked. But Harry had a lot to say. "We'll never make it," he protested . "We'll still be crossing the desert when they catch up with us. They'll know where we're heading for and they seem to know every move we make or are going to make." Mark said nothing, but spread his hands out as if to say "Well, what do we do then?" "We wouldn't be in this mess now," Harry went on, almost ignoring Mark's gesture, "if we hadn't stopped to rescue Sarah."( He glanced at her briefly.) "But since we did, we must get on--but not across the desert. There is the sand, and deep ravines which are almost invisible until you're right on them and then the heat. You have to be used to going out there, and none of us is. This is no 'morning at leisure' on some pleasant holiday, you know! If we went north instead and made for the river,..." He broke off and looked around at the others, feeling somehow that his argument was pointless. No one said anything. "Good," said Mark, look around with authority, and returned to checking their stores. A beautiful sunrise was about to burst over the horizon as the jeep headed out towards Base One. What can be inferred from the passage? A. The group accepted Harry's plan. B. Mark was the leaders in the action. C. They wanted to see the sunrise. D. They had no other choice but to wait. Answer: B. Mark was the leaders in the action. Question: Have you ever wondered why birds sing? Maybe you thought that they were just happy. After all, you probably sing or whistle when you are happy. Some scientists believe that birds do sing some of the time just because they are happy. However, they sing most of the time for a very different reason. Their singing is actually a warning to other birds to stay out of their territory. Do you know what a 'territory' is? A territory is an area that an animal, usually the male, claims as its own. Only he and his family are welcome there. No other families of the same species are welcome. Your yard and house are your territory where only your family and friends are welcome. If a stranger enter your territory and threaten you, you may shout. Probably this is enough to frighten him away. If so, you have actually scared the stranger away without having to fight him. A bird does the same thing. But he expects an outsider almost any time, especially at nesting season. So he is screaming all the time, whether he can see an outsider or not. This screaming is what we call a bird's song, and it is usually enough to keep an outsider away. Birds sing loudest in the spring when they are trying to attract a mate and warn others not to enter the territory of theirs. You can see that birds have a language of their own. Most of it has something to do with attracting mates and setting up territories. How does the writer explain bird's singing? A. By comparing birds with human beings. B. By reporting experiment results. C. By describing birds' daily life. D. By telling a bird's story. Answer: A. By comparing birds with human beings. Question: When you have good friends you really feel special and want to share in the spirit of friendship. You try to do pleasing and exciting things for each other. You could go on a friendship holiday, which would be very joyous. There are many places that you can go for a friendship holiday. First, let us look at some of the things that you will enjoy when you go on holiday with your friends. You will get a chance to relax and forget your _ life. You can relax and forget about dealing with lots of different things every day. Also, such a holiday is an opportunity to have fun with your friends as you explore different places. Moreover, there is no better way to get a true friendship; you have to spend time with people so that you can fully understand each other. I cannot insist enough on the importance of looking for enough time to share, and you can do this through a friendship holiday. You will have to look for a place that you all enjoy and feel comfortable in. Taking a friendship holiday does not have to be expensive. You can look for a good place where you can spend the weekend. The idea is to go away for some time so that you can be alone together. Besides knowing which place to go to, you need to know the activities that you are going to take part in while you are on holiday. If you are using a travel agency, let it guide you to some of the things that you will really like. Go for the activities that you will enjoy. It is pretty exciting how you can enjoy yourself with friends. You won't want to go back home. When you go on a friendship holiday, _ . A. you must go to a travel agency before you go B. you needn't plan the activities that you will take part in C. you have to spend a lot of money with your friend D. you must find a place that you all enjoy and feel comfortable in Answer: D. you must find a place that you all enjoy and feel comfortable in
This is a room in Kate's house. There is a big bed, a table, a computer and some chairs in it. There's a glass and some books on the table. There is a picture on the wall. Kate is in the room. She is looking at the picture. Her father and mother are in the school. They work hard. Is there only one room in Kate's house? A Yes, there is. B There is a bed. C There is a computer. D I don't know. Answer: D. I don't know. John liked to wear his hair very long. Some of his friends thought it looked like a girl's hair, but they never made jokes about it, because John was a big strong man and he didn't think jokes about his hair funny. John always went to the barber's twice a month to have his hair cut and washed, and one day the barber said to him. "Now why don't you let me cut most of this hair off and make your head tidy? Nobody will recognize you if I do that. I'm sure." John said nothing for a few seconds and then he said, "perhaps you are right, but I am sure that nobody will recognize you, either, if you do that to my hair." A barber is a _ . A man who looks after the babies B man who makes clothes for people C person who cut men's hair D shop where one's hair can be washed and cut Answer: C. person who cut men's hair Every reader of this passage must spend the whole of his waking life looking at things. Looking, like breathing, is natural; we do it without noticing it. Looking is passive--but seeing is active. Once you start seeing things you really begin to wake up. People who see things which others have only looked at, and draw conclusions from what they see, can add to man's knowledge and help progress. Someone recently discovered a place where metal had been worked continuously longer than any where else in prefix = st1 /England. He "saw" a wall in theForestofDean. Thousands of people must have looked at it without really seeing it, but this man noticed that among the usual stones of that place were bits and pieces of a different color1; they also felt different to the hand. A closer sight showed that these pieces had been left behind in the fires of ancient people who had melted rocks to get metals. Looking around, he found more and more information, until the history of what men had done at that place over tens of centuries was known. The man found a place where _ . A men are starting to work metal B men built walls of metal C men had melted metals tens of centuries before D men first learned to make fire with stones Answer: C. men had melted metals tens of centuries before There is no denying that over the years college education has been accepted without the slightest doubt. All high school graduates should go, says conventional wisdom and statistical evidence, because college will help them earn more, become "better" citizens and be more responsible than those who don't go. But college can never work its magic for everyone. Now with half our high school graduates attending college, those unfit for the pattern are getting more. College graduates are selling shoes and driving taxis; college students interfere with each other's experiments and write false letters of recommendation in the fierce competition for admission into graduate schools. Others find no stimulation in their studies, and consequently have to drop out, which is often encouraged by college administrators. Some observers say the fault lies with young people themselves --- they are spoiled and expecting too much. But that's a condemnation of the students as a whole, and doesn't explain all campus unhappiness. Others blame our society. Both are partly right. We have been told that young people have to go to college because our economy can't absorb an army of untrained eighteen-year-olds. But disappointed graduates are learning that it can no longer absorb an army of trained twenty-two-year-olds, either. Some campus watchers suggest that college may not be the best, the proper or the only place for every young person after finishing high school. It seems that through the rosy glow of our own college experiences, we may have been looking at those surveys and statistics upside down. Perhaps college does not make people intelligent, ambitious, happy, or quick to learn things--maybe _ . Intelligent, ambitious, happy, quick-learning people are merely those who are attracted to college in the first place. And perhaps all those successful college graduates would have been successful even without college education. This is heresy to those who have been brought up to believe that if a little schooling is good, more has to be much better. But contrary evidence is beginning to pile up. What is the main purpose of this passage? A To inform young people college education is no longer important now. B To prove college education doesn't make young people more intelligent. C Toargueagainsttheideathatcollegeisthefirst choiceforallyoungsters. D To tell young people that there's something wrong with college education. Answer: C. Toargueagainsttheideathatcollegeisthefirst choiceforallyoungsters. Opened in 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was the first longspan bridge to carry motor traffic, and it quickly became the model for the great suspension bridges of the following century. Spanning New York's East River, it provided the first traffic artery between Manhattan Island and Brooklyn. Before that, the only transportation was by ferries, which were slow and could be dangerous in winter. The construction of a bridge over the EastRiver had been discussed since the early 19th century, but the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861 _ all consideration of the project. When the war ended in 1865, the bridge became an important issue once more. In 1867, the New York State passed an act setting up the New York Bridge Company for the purpose of constructing a bridge between Manhattan Island and Brooklyn. John Augustus Roebling was chosen to design the bridge. Born in Germany in 1806, he held aggressive views as a student and was listed by the German police as a dangerous figure. He emigrated to America in 1830 to escape political discrimination. Roebling proposed a bridge with a span of 1,500 feet (465 m), with two towers in the East River serving as the main piers. The bridge that was actually built is longer--1,597 feet (486 m), the longest suspension bridge at that time. According to the passage, which of the following correctly describes John Augustus Roebling? A He participated in the Civil War and was seriously wounded. B He was the first person to propose the construction of the bridge. C He was chosen to design the bridge because of his aggressive views. D He moved to America because he was discriminated against in his home country. Answer: D. He moved to America because he was discriminated against in his home country.
Jockeys are the smallest athletes. They are rarely over five feet six, or 120 pounds. The lighter the weight on the horse, the faster it can go. Riding fast horses on the track is tough on the small jockeys. The jockey doesn't"sit"on the horse. He leans forward on his legs. The strain is on his thighs and calf muscles. As jockeys age, their legs"go"first. Jockeys also need arm strength. It's a strain holding a 1000-pound racehorse. On muddy days, jockeys get a pounding of mud. The mud comes flying off the hooves of the horses in front. "It feels like someone is punching you all over,"says one rider. And a jockey can be hurt. A jockey can have a leg jammed between two horses. Or it can get caught between horse and the rail. The worst accidents are from falls. A horse may fall on his rider. Or horses behind may trample if he hits the track. In one year about 240 riders are hurt badly. That's one out of six jockeys. But the jockeys are well-paid. A jockey keeps about ten percent of the money his horses win. Jacinto Vasquez, a five-foot-three comer, has ridden horses to $7,000,000 in wins in the last eight years, which means he does almost $100,000 a year. Why do some jockeys do better than others? "It isn't the way a boy sits on a horse or uses the reins or the whip,"says Conn McCreary. McCreary was a top jockey of the 1950's. He rode two Kentucky Derby winners. "Most jockeys do this the same. It's the 'feel' he has for the horses." "When you come right down to it, it just seems that horses run better for some riders," McCreary says. "A real good jockey doesn't lose with the best horse. And sometimes he'll win with the second or third best." Many Latin-American riders, like Jacinto, seem to have the _ . "Maybe it's because we grew up with horses,"says Jacinto. "Maybe it's because we like to ride. There was a strike at Aqueduct last year. We, Jorge Velasquez, and Angel Cordero (two other top Latin riders) went to a park. We rented horses, and rode around the bridle path !" When a jockey is riding a fast horse, he doesn't _ . A really sit on the horse B lean forward on his legs C use much arm strength D get any mud on wet track Answer: A. really sit on the horse It was Monday. Mrs. Smith's dog was hungry , but there was not any meat in the house. Considering that there was no better way. Mrs. Smith took a piece of paper, and wrote the following words on it:"Give my dog half a pound of meat."Then she gave the paper to her dog and said gently:"Take this to the butcher(* person whose job is selling meat)and he's going to give you your lunch today." Holding the piece of paper in its mouth, the dog ran to the butcher's. It gave the paper to the butcher. The butcher read it carefully, recognized that it was really the lady's handwriting and soon did it as he was asked to. The dog was very happy, and ate the meat up at once. At noon, the dog came to the shop again. It gave the butcher a piece of paper again. After reading it, he gave it half a pound of meat once more. The next day, the dog came again exactly at noon. And as usual, it brought a piece of paper in the mouth. This time, the butcher did not take a look at paper, and gave the dog its meat, for he had regarded the dog as one of his customers. But, the dog came again at four o'clock. And the same thing happened once again. To the butcher's more surprise, it came for the third time at six o'clock, and brought with it a third piece of paper. The butcher felt a bit puzzled . He said to himeself,"This is a small dog. Why does Mrs. Smith give it so much meat to eat today?" Looking at the piece of paper, he found that there were not any words on it! The butcher did not give any meat to the dog _ . A before he felt sure that the words were really written by Mrs. Smith B when he found that the words on the paper were not clear C because he had sold out all the meat in his shop D until he was paid enough by Mrs. Smith Answer: A. before he felt sure that the words were really written by Mrs. Smith Two traveling angels stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family. The family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the guest room. Instead the angels were given a space in the cold basement. As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it. When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied, "Things aren't always what they seem. " The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor, but very hospitable farmer and his wife. After sharing what little food they had, the couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night's rest. When the sun came up the next morning, the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow, whose milk had been their only income, lay dead in the field. The younger angel was very angry and asked the older angel, "How could this happen? Why did you not watch out for the cow? The first man had everything, yet you watched over his house," she accused. "The second family had little but was willing to share everything, and you did not help. " "Things aren't always what they seem," the older angel replied. "When we stayed in the basement, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall. Since the owner was so greedy and unwilling to share his good fortune, I asked God if I could seal the wall so he couldn't find it. Then last night as we slept in the farmer's bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I ask God if the angel could take the cow instead. Things aren't always what they seem. " The youngest angel was very angry because _ . A the old angel killed the farmer's cow B the old angel treated the two families differently C the wealthy man gave them a bad place to live D the angel of death took the cow away Answer: B. the old angel treated the two families differently Surviving Hurricane Sandy Natalie Doan,14, has always felt lucky to live in Rockaway, New York. Living just a few blocks from the beach, Natalie can see the ocean and hear the wave from her house. "It's the ocean that makes Rockaway so special," she says. On October 29, 2012, that ocean turned fierce. That night, Hurricane Sandy attacked the East Coast, and Rockaway was hit especially hard. Fortunately, Natalie's family escaped to Brooklyn shortly before the city's bridge closed. When they returned to Rockaway the next day, they found their neighborhood in ruins. Many of Natalie's friends had lost their homes and were living far away. All around her, people were suffering, especially the elderly. Natalie's school was so damaged that she had to temporarily attend a school in Brooklyn. In the following few days, the men and women helping Rockaway recover inspired Natalie. Volunteers came with carloads of donated clothing and toys. Neighbors devoted their spare time to helping others rebuild. Teenagers climbed dozens of flights of stairs to deliver water and food to elderly people trapped in powerless high-rise buildings. "My mom tells me that I can't control what happens to me," Natalie says. "but I can always choose how I deal with it." Natalie's choice was to help. She created a website page matching survivors in need with donors who wanted to help. Natalie posted introduction about a boy named Patrick, who lost his baseball card collecting when his house burned down. Within days, Patrick's collection was replaced. In the coming months, her website page helped lots of kids: Christopher, who received a new basketball; Charlie, who got a new keyboard. Natalie also worked with other organizations to bring much-need supplies to Rockaway. Her efforts made her a famous person. Last April, she was invited to the White House and honored as a Hurricane Sandy Champion of Change. Today, the scars of destruction are still seen in Rockaway, but hope is in the air. The streets are clear, and many homes have been rebuilt. "I can't imagine living anywhere but Rockaway," Natalie declares. "My neighborhood will be back, even stronger than before." How did Natalie help the survivors? A She gave her toys to the kids B She took care of younger children C She called on the White House to help D She built an information sharing platform Answer: D. She built an information sharing platform Mr. Jones is in Beijing. He's a teacher. And Mrs. Jones is an English teacher. They have a boy and a girl. They are Paul and Michael. Paul is five and Michael is only three months . Paul loves his sister very much. One day, Mrs. Jones' sister, Jane, comes to her family. She sees Michael for the first time . The boy shows his sister to Jane."Look at my sister," says Paul. "She's nice." "You're right, Paul," Jane says. "But what's her name?" "I don't know. She can't speak." Jane is Paul's _ . A mother B sister C teacher D aunt Answer: D. aunt
Sally came to China last year. She is now living in Beijing and works in a computer company. She has been in the company for six months. The company is in the north of the city, and her flat is in the south. But Sally has never been late for work. Sally is very popular in the company. She is kind to everybody and gets on well with her workmates. They often visit each other after work and talk about almost everything. However, Sally has made a decision to leave the company. She is going to find a job as a tour guide. "If I work as a tour guide, I'll be able to meet more people and learn more about China," she told her friends. Last Friday Sally had a talk with the manager of a travel agency. He seemed pleased with her Chinese. At the end of the talk, the manager said, "I'll call you up in a week and tell you the result." Now Sally is waiting for the answer. Sally's _ is good, so the manager will probably give her a chance. Welcome to Ontario Parks, a new body set up to manage Ontario's most treasured special places, the parks in our area. We are entering a very exciting year for Ontario Parks. Last season we asked some 15,000 visitors in 45 parks how we could improve our programs and services. We also looked at the thousands of comment cards we received. As a result, new comfort stations have been added, the number of campsites has been increased, and we've made other facility improvements. In addition, we'll be providing more educational programs. This year, for example, more than 40 parks will offer special day and evening activities to excite your curiosity about nature and history. Through the Internet, you'll be happy to know that you can now explore all 270 parks on line. Let your family plan your park vacation, study a map of canoe routes, listen to the call of a loon or find up-to-date information about programs, services and facilities. So come and discover what Ontario Parks has to offer. Our parks are places to go with families and friends, for relaxation and fun, or simply to get away from it all. They are places where we can enrich our souls and "recharge our internal batteries". They provide chances to explore nature, see wildlife, swim, canoe, camp, hike, picnic, ride a bike... You'll enjoy some of the best outdoor experiences available anywhere in the world. We urge you to make 2013 the year that you come out and have an Ontario Parks experience! The facility improvements of Ontario Parks include _ . Scientists have found what look like caves on Mars , and say they could be protecting life from the planet's terrible environment. The first caves discovered beyond the Earth appear as seven mysterious black dots on the pictures sent back by NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter. Each as large as a football field, they may be openings into natural caves below the Martian surface. "If there is life on Mars, there is a good chance you'd find it in caves," said Jut Wynne, one of the researchers who noticed the features while working on a US Geological Survey Mars Cave Detection Program. Jonathan Clarke, a geologist with the Mars Society of Australia, yesterday described the discovery as exciting. One photo taken at night by an infrared imager showed one hole to be unusually warm, suggesting hot air trapped during the day is flowing out. "I said: 'Wow, that's a cave'" Dr. Clarke said excitedly. "People have been looking for these for a long time; now we have found them." He agreed such caves would be perfect places to hunt for life escaping from the bitterly cold, radiation-soaked , dry surface. "Tiny drops of water could collect inside," he said. "If there are gases coming out, they could provide energy for a whole range of bacteria. A cave is also a protection from radiation; the surface of Mars is exposed to high levels of space radiation." The caves probably formed when tube-shaped lave flows spread across the planet long ago. The outside of the tubes cooled, forming solid walls, while something hotter inside allowed the remaining have to flow out, forming caves. Necessary conditions for life on Mars mentioned in the passage may include_. Mr. Read has a large farm near a hill. He and his wife are busy all the day. They're often tired but they have a lot of expensive things and they live a happy life. One day their sows had twenty baby pigs. Mrs. Read had to look after them at home. And at that time she had much housework to do. Several weeks later she let the baby pigs come out of the pigsty and look for some food themselves. Her seven-year-old son John came back from school. He was ready to help his mother. The woman was happy and told him to count them and see if they were all there. The boy threw his schoolbag on the table and ran out. About half an hour later the supper was ready, but the boy didn't come back. The woman had to go to see what was wrong with her son. and she saw her son running after a baby pig. "What are you running after it for?" she asked. "Are they all right?" "I counted nineteen, mummy, " said the boy. "But only the fellow is running about so fast that I can't count it all ! " John found _ so he was ready to help her. Dear editor, Several days ago, I heard that a dear friend of mine had killed herself. I was deep in sorrow by the sudden news. I can't keep calm any longer. I'm always thinking about life and death. Life is so precious. If we can slip into death in an impulsive moment, what use in all our efforts and hopes? Our families, our ambitions, everything is flung into total darkness. And death allows no time for regret. Nevertheless, the suicide rate increases year by year, particularly of young people. Reasons may vary from person to person, yet I think they share something in common. First, today's young people are morally weak. They hunger for success but can not face failure; they are eager to be understood but afraid of opening their hearts to others. They live in a wide world, from east to west, ancient to present, but their hearts beat in a narrow desert, closed tight, unable to communicate. Each becomes an isolated fortress , lonely, and weak. My friend is a good example of that. As a young teacher, she was devoted to her work but was disappointed with her students' occasional failures. She fell in love with a colleague but he deserted her. With no close friends, disappointed at work and in love, death seemed to her the only remaining choice and she took it. Another reason for the weakness of today's youth, in my opinion, comes from society's pressures. The young are forced to try too hard to succeed. On the other hand, society refuses to accept that children sometimes do fail. But failure is more important because it can teach the young how to win next time. What can we do to save the desperate young? The passage suggests those people_would be most likely to take suicide.
Are we getting more stupid? According to Gerald Crabtree, a scientist at Stanford University in the US, we are. You may not want to hear this, but Crabtree believes that human intelligence reached its peak more than 2,000 years ago and ever since then has been going downhill. "If an average Greek from 1,000 BC were transported to modern times, he or she would be one of the brightest among us," Crabtree told The Guardian. At the heart of Crabtree's thinking is a simple idea. In the past, intelligence was critical for survival when our ancestors had to avoid dangerous animals and hunt for food. The difference of being smart or stupid is often life or death. However, after the spread of agriculture, when our ancestors began to live in dense farming communities, the need to keep their intelligence in peak condition gradually reduced. This is not hard to understand. Most of the time, pressure is what keeps us going - you need the pressure from your teachers to finish your homework; the pressure of looking pretty prompts you to lose weight when summer comes. And the same is also true of our intelligence - if we think less, we become less smart. These mutations are harmful to our intelligence and they were all developed in the past 3,000 years. The other evidence that Crabtree holds is in our genes. He found that among the 2,000 to 5,000 genes that we have that determine human intelligence , there are two or more mutations in each of us. However, Crabtree's theory has been criticized by some who say that early humans may have better hunting and surviving abilities, but people today have developed a more diverse intelligence. For example, spearing a tiger doesn't necessarily require more brainpower than playing chess or writing a poem. Moreover, the power of modern education means a lot more people have the opportunity to learn nowadays. "You wouldn't get Stephen Hawking 2,000 years ago. He just wouldn't exist," Thomas Hills of the University of Warwick, UK, told Live Science. "But now we have people of his intellectual capacity doing things and making insights that we would never have achieved in our environment of evolutionary adaptation." Some argue that Crabtree's theory is false because they think _ . Answer: Friday, December 30, 2011has been cut for the tiny South Pacific island nation, Samoa as it moved its time zone 24 hours ahead to catch up with Asia, New Zealand and Australia.On New Year's Eve, Samoa will Slave jumped to the west of the international dateline, which runs through the Pacific Ocean and broadly follows the 180 degree line of longitude . Its Prime Minister said it would make it easier for Samoa to trade with their key partners."No longer shall we have people ringing us up on Monday from New Zealand and Australia thinking it is Monday when we are closing our eyes and praying at churches.And in the same way, on our Fridays when we ring up and already our contacts are holidaying on their Saturdays," he told Radio New Zealand on Friday. To help win public support, the government declared employers must still pay workers for the missing Friday, although banks will not be allowed to charge interest for the lost day. Countries are free to choose whether the dateline passes to the east or west, and Samoa's decision means all new maps will need to change.But some tourism operators are worried Samoa will lose business by losing its position as the last place on earth to see the sunset each day, although it is now one of the first places to see in each new day. Samoa, a country of about 180,000 people, used to be in the same time zone as New Zealand and Australia, but went back a day in 1892, celebrating July 4 twice and _ itself with the United States.The date change is not the first major change in Samoa in recent years.In 2009, the country switched to driving on the left hand side of the road from the right hand side, in line with New Zealand and Australia. What's the text mainly about? Answer: One evening, a young man at a certain college who was known to be something of a poet read one of his poems to a small group of his friends in a room.The poem was greatly admired.But afterwards, one of them, who was called Crick, said, "I was very interested in Hand's poem, but it was stolen from a book." His words were reported to Hand, who was very angry and required an apology."Well," said Crick, "I don't often take back what I said, but this time I admit I was mistaken.When I got to my room, I looked in the book which I thought the poem was stolen from, and I saw it was still here!" From the story, we know that Crick _ . Answer: The kids in this village wear dirty, ragged clothes. They sleep beside cows and sheep in huts made of sticks and mud. They have no school. Yet they all can chant the English alphabet, and some can make words. The key to their success: 20 tablet computers dropped off in their Ethiopian village in February by a U.S. group called One Laptop Per Child. The goal is to find out whether kids using today's new technology can teach themselves to read in places where no schools or teachers exist. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers analyzing the project data say they're already amazed. "What I think has already happened is that the kids have already learned more than they would have in one year of kindergarten," said Matt Keller, who runs the Ethiopia program. The fastest learner--and the first to turn on one of the tablets--is 8-year-old Kelbesa Negusse. The device's camera was disabled to save memory, yet within weeks Kelbesa had figured out its workings and made the camera work. He called himself a lion, a marker of accomplishment in Ethiopia. With his tablet, Kelbasa rearranged the letters HSROE into one of the many English animal names he knows. Then he spelled words on his own. "Seven months ago he didn't know any English. That's unbelievable," said Keller. The project aims to get kids to a stage called "deep reading," where they can read to learn. It won't be in Amharic, Ethiopia's first language, but in English, which is widely seen as the ticket to higher paying jobs. What is the aim of the project? Answer: Have you ever watched the big parade on Tian'anmen Square on October 1? Some students performed in the big parade. In order to get ready for it, this summer, many Beijing middle school students had a different kind of vacation. Instead of hanging out with friends or traveling, they trained hard for the 60th birthday of China this year. Students trained from 7:30 am to around 10:00 am or from 4 pm to 6:30 pm, because it was very hot this summer. They wore white hats, T-shirts and blue trousers. The hats and T-shirts were printed with a red logo, the number "60". The first week of training was PE. Students practiced standing and squatting. Then they moved on to practice the group show. When we watched the parade on TV we saw them making colorful pictures. What did the students think of their unusual summer? "Sometimes we find it a bit tiring." said Lu Wenqi, 13. "But most of us think it's a great _ to take part in such an important show." Li Hui, 15, thought the same as Lu. She said her classmates were hardly late for training. "It's a wonderful chance for us," said Li. "When my parents were in college, they also took part in a national day parade. Now it's my turn!" The students performed a group show for the 60th birthday of China on _ . Answer:
The pen is more powerful than the sword. There have been many writers who use their pens to write things that were wrong. Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe was one of them. She was born in the U. S. A. in 1811. One of her books not only made her famous but has been described as one that excited the world, and was helpful in causing a civil war and freeing the enslaved race. The civil war was the American Civil War of 1861, in which the Northern States fought the Southern States and finally won. This book that shook the world was called Uncle Tom's Cabin. There was a time when every English-speaking man, woman, and child had read this novel that did so much to stop slavery. Not many people read it today, but it is still very interesting, if only to show how a warm-hearted writer can arouse people's sympathies. The author herself had neither been to the Southern States nor seen a slave. The Southern Americans were very angry at the book, which they said did not at all represent the true state of affairs, but the Northern Americans were widely excited over it, and were so inspired by it that they were ready to go to war to set the slaves free. How old was Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe when her world famous book was published? Answer: Twenty years ago, when I was only fifteen, I had to leave school to work in a second-hand car shop to support my family. My work was to fix holes in leather, cigarette burns in seats, and repair windshields . Every day I worked hard. And I was always optimistic, positive and kind, and tried my best to be angry with anybody. One day while I was repairing the windshield of an old car, Cindy, the shop owner, who was always very rude to me and other workers, came and said it was broken by me. She asked me to pay for it. I have always been an honest person and I felt very embarrassed. And what is worse she blamed me in front of all the other workers. Just at that time, one of my colleagues came and said the windshield was broken because of a falling branch of a tree standing in the yard. However, instead of being angry at being looked upon as someone that was not honest or had no integrity , I went to a flower shop and bought some red roses and had them put in a nice basket that afternoon. I picked out a card and stated that I was sorry for the misunderstanding and that I did not ever have the intention of making her angry. And then I sent them to Cindy. The next morning, I walked into Cindy's office like I did every day with my list of used cars that needed some attention before they were sold and said hello to her with my usual happy and sincere attitude. She gave me a big smile and said, "Thank you for your flowers." Cindy began to change from that day, perhaps because of this small act of kindness. She was always very kind, and would always have a big smile when we walked into her office. I guess people can change with a little bit of kindness! What can we learn from the passage? Answer: India first, college can wait! It was an opportunity 19-year-old Jodi Sagorin felt she couldn't pass up. The California student had received an admission letter to New York University, but she wanted to follow a calling to volunteer in India. When she got an offer to do just that, she decided there would be no better time to do it. "It matches everything I'm interested in," she said. "It's just one of those things; it was meant to be." Last month, Sagorin packed up her belongings and headed over to Uttar Pradesh as an intern for Drishtee, an organization that works for the economic and social development for the needy in India. During her stay in India -- for up to seven months -- Sagorin will help with programs involving micro-finance, entrepreneurship , healthcare and women's empowerment. Since her younger days, Sagorin had read inspiring stories of change makers throughout the world and decided she wanted to get involved somehow. She decided volunteering would be the path she'd take and NYU could wait. She wanted to make a difference even when others said it wouldn't be possible. When Sagorin broke the news about deciding to put off college, her parents felt pride, nervousness, fear and excitement. "We're really proud of her of wanting to do this," said Mike Sagorin, her father. "We're a little concerned about a 19-year-old girl going out there by herself and hope she'll be safe." Sagorin and her family researched everything they could about the organization and bought more than a dozen books about the country. Before her trip to India, Sagorin raised $3,500 to pay for her travel and living expenses, along with some to donate to the people she would work with in India. She has promised to send various levels of gifts -- from a personal postcard to a personalized video touring the Taj Mahal -- to those who _ money towards her trip. (Visit Sagorin's blog at ifyouneverdid. com for more information.) Sagorin chose to go to India instead of New York University because _ . Answer: A young girl is calling a neighbor a superhero because of what he did when she was trapped beneath a car. Nick Harris said he didn't know where he found the strength, but somehow he managed to lift a car off the 6yearold girl last week,earning himself the title of superman. "I just think it' s a Christmas miracle,"Harris said. Harris said he has tried time and again to recreate the surprising show of strength because instinct sent him running to the 6yearold' s aid. "I just ran over there,saw the tire on her,and lifted the car up to get her out from underneath the car,"Harris said. "I don't know how I did it. I've tried three or four times since then." Harris was dropping off his daughter at Eugene Field Elementary Friday morning when he saw a car back out of a driveway,pinning the girl under its tire. That girl turned out to be his daughter's best friend. "I was expecting her to have bad injuries,"Harris said. "I've had broken toes, because a car just backed over my foot. And here this whole car was on top of her. I wasn't expecting it to turn out as wonderful as it did." The first grader was flown to Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City by an air ambulance ,but didn't have to stay long. "They all call me superman now,"Harris said. "I'm just a dad. I'm just a dad that was in the right place at the right time. And I was finally able to help and I did something good." Harris tried many times to repeat his action in order to _ . Answer: Look at the students in the photo. The boy in green shoes is Martin. He is from England. He`s fourteen years old. His hair is yellow. He likes yellow very much. The boy in a blue shirt is his brother , Tom. He is thirteen. They look the same. The girl in a yellow dress is Lisa. She is their friend. She is from America. She is tall and she has long brown hair. She likes yellow, too. Who like(s) yellow? Answer:
Cat has bright future By day he is just a normal cat but when the lights go out, he glows in the dark. Scientists have genetically modified a cat as part of an experiment that could lead to treatments for diseases. Named Mr. Green Genes, he looks like a sixmonthold cat but, under ultraviolet light, his eyes, gums and tongue glow green. That is the result of a genetic experiment at the Audubon Center for Research of Endangered Species in New Orleans, US. Mr. Green Genes is the first fluorescent cat in the US and probably the world, said Betsy Dresser, the center's director. The researchers made him so they could learn whether a gene could be introduced harmlessly into a cat's genetic sequence. If so, it would be the first step in a process that could lead to the development of ways to treat diseases via gene therapy. The gene, which was added to Mr. Green Genes'DNA, has no effect on his health, Ms Dresser said. Cats are ideal for this project because their genetic makeup is similar to that of humans, said Dr Martha Gomez, a scientist at the center. To show that the gene went where it was supposed to go, the researchers settled on one that would glow. The gene"is just a marker", said Leslie Lyons, an assistant professor at the University of California, Davis. Lyons is familiar with the center's work. "The glowing part is the fun part,"she said. Glowing creatures made international news earlier this month when the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to three scientists who had discovered the gene through their work with jellyfish . From the passage we can see that _ . Answer: Why does the leaf of a plant look green? Answer: The owner of Newacre executed and delivered to a power company a right-of-way deed for the building and maintenance of an overhead power line across Newacre. The deed was properly recorded. Newacre then passed through several intermediate conveyances until it was conveyed to Sloan about 10 years after the date of the right-of-way deed. All the intermediate deeds were properly recorded, but none of them mentioned the right-of-way. Sloan entered into a written contract to sell Newacre to Jones. By the terms of the contract, Sloan promised to furnish an abstract of title to Jones. Sloan contracted directly with Abstract Company to prepare and deliver an abstract to Jones, and Abstract Company did so. The abstract omitted the right-of-way deed. Jones delivered the abstract to his attorney and asked the attorney for an opinion as to title. The attorney signed and delivered to Jones a letter stating that, from the attorney's examination of the abstract, it was his "opinion that Sloan had a free and unencumbered marketable title to Newacre." Sloan conveyed Newacre to Jones by a deed which included covenants of general warranty and against encumbrances. Jones paid the full purchase price. After Jones had been in possession of Newacre for 90 more than a year, he learned about the right-of-way deed. Sloan, Jones, Abstract Company, and Jones's attorney were all without actual knowledge of the existence of the right-of-way at the time of the conveyance from Sloan to Jones."If Jones sues Sloan because of the presence of the right-of-way, the most likely result will be a decision for Answer: It is often said that man has become the enemy of our planet. This is no exaggeration , for reports show that man's greed has done much to destroy the earth. Man, in his greedy desire for financial growth, has polluted the air, land and water, and has robbed our valuable natural resources. Man's industrial plants pour out poisonous waste that pollutes the sea and puts life in the sea under the threat of dying out; at the same time, they release alarming amounts of carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and other pollutants. Small wonder that the air now is much warmer and more impure than ever before. Of course, this is not just because of man's greed--it is man's pressing need as well. For instance, in developing countries, huge financial foreign debts have forced governments to approve the cutting of forests for agriculture or ranching. As a result, forests are cut down just to meet man's immediate needs. Perhaps unknowingly,man has changed the make-up of the earth's atmosphere. Scientific studies have shown that CFCs used in refrigerators and industrial cleaners are fast destroying the ozone layer--a protective layer in the atmosphere that protects us against the harmful effects of the sun's ultraviolet rays. In fact, documented reports have shown a terrible fact that there are "holes" in the ozone layer over the Antarctic. And they appear to be expanding. Faced with these environmental problems, world leaders have shown deep concern. The UN Environmental Programme (UNEP) has arranged international agreements like the Vienna convention of 1985 and the Montreal Protocol of 1989 to preserve the ozone layer by controlling the production, use and trade of destructive chemicals. There may be some doubt as to how effectual these agreements may be, given that some countries still maintain an "I-don't-care" attitude. Their attitude is probably due to their failure to grasp the importance of the problem. Then, there is no doubt that environmental education on an international scale is greatly needed, so that all countries, great and small--the "haves" and the "have nots"--may realize their responsibilities for our planet. In the meantime, the UNEP seems to have taken steps in the right direction, and it is hoped that in the not so distant future, all nations of the world will join hands in saving mother earth. Which of the following is a reason for the cutting and burning of forests? Answer: At a time when Ogawa held Lot 1 in the Fairoaks subdivision in fee simple, Vine executed a warranty deed that recited that Vine conveyed Lot 1, Fairoaks, to Purvis. The deed was promptly and duly recorded. After the recording of the deed from Vine to Purvis, Ogawa conveyed Lot 1 to Vine by a warranty deed that was promptly and duly recorded. Later, Vine conveyed the property to Rand by warranty deed and the deed was promptly and duly recorded. Rand paid the fair market value of Lot 1 and had no knowledge of any claim of Purvis. In an appropriate action, Rand and Purvis contest title to Lot 1. In this action, judgment should be for Answer:
When going through major life changes, like changing careers, I would change the people with whom I spent the most time. We've all gone through periods when the people in our lives have changed--graduation, moving to a new city, getting a new job, joining a new club, etc. I don't think I need to convince you just how much influence other people can have over your identity. If you've ever experienced a major switch in your people environment, then you know that you change as well. Most people don't make these choices consciously, though. You might consciously decide to spend more time with a certain friend, or you may ask someone out on a date to begin a new relationship. But few people choose their existing friendships deliberately. _ . People are always dropping into and out of each other's lives. Associations grow into friendships, and friendships fade into associations. You don't get rid of anyone. The truth is that in order to make room for new people and new experiences, you may need to loosen up some of your existing connections. What about loyalty? Shouldn't you always be loyal to your friends? Once you have a close friend, even if his influence on you is slightly harmful, shouldn't you stick by him? Loyalty to a friend sometimes means having to let go. It means being loyal to his highest and best self as well. If someone is destroying his health by smoking, for example, you aren't showing loyalty by smoking right along with him. True loyalty sometimes requires that you break damaging connections, get yourself back on solid ground, and then decide what you can really do to help your friend. It can take a lot of courage to tell someone, "I'm sorry, but I can't have you in my life anymore." But even though this might seem like a selfish act at times, it's often the best thing for the other person, too. If a relationship is holding you back in some way, understand that it's also hurting the other person. For example, if you work for a violent boss, your acceptance of that situation is considered to be silent approval, encouraging your boss to continue to behave violently. What is the author's opinion on the loyalty to friends? A. Never betray your close friends whatever happens. B. Correct their mistakes while you guard their goodness. C. Stick by your friends even though they do harm to you. D. Break up with your friends immediately if they smoke. Answer: B Jerry Green went to spend a year at the South Pole Station as the only doctor in 1998 when she 47. While working at the station that March. she discovered that there was a hard lump in her stomach. She knew it was cancer, but she wasn't able to go to a doctor for help. She couldn't leave the station for the next seven until the snow thawed. Dr. Green didn't wait for the death. But decided to fight against the cancer. She tried to about the lump to a hospital in the United States. The doctors said it was cancer. Without the proper wouldn't live for long. Soon a USA airplane came to provide her with some help. She started her own treatments after getting instructions from American doctors. She finally spent the long winter there before she returned home that October .Since then, she had become a incubus in support of cancer charities. She also wrote a best-selling book called Ice Bound. Sadly, Dr. Green's cancer finally returned. She died on June 23.2009. Which of the following statements is NOT true? A. Dr. Green decided to give up the treatments. B. She sent the information about the lump to a hospital in the United Stales. C. She wrote a book called Ice Bound. D. Dr Green died of cancer. Answer: A As we all know, people couldn't live without water. Some parts of our bodies are made of water. We depend on clean water to live every day. However, we human beings are polluting water seriously. In some areas of China, people are still in great need of clean water. Dirty water is one of the world's biggest healthy problems. It's harmful to our health. When water from the rain and melting snow runs through roads, it picks up some dangerous chemicals and other things along the way. Many of the rivers are short of protections, so they are easy to be polluted by factories or animals' waste. World Water Day has grown to become one of the important dates since 1993. In 2013, World Water Day shares the topic of Water Cooperation. If everyone tries their best to save and protect the clean water, our living conditions will be much better. ,. Many of the rivers are easy to be polluted by _ . A. schools B. factories or animals' waste C. fish D. human beings' waste Answer: B Mark Rothko, one of the greatest painters of the twentieth century, was born in Daugavpils, Latvia in 1903. His family immigrated to the United States in 1913, after a 12-day voyage. Mark moved to New York in the autumn of 1923 and found employment in the garment trade and settled down on the Upper West Side. It was while he was visiting someone at the Art Students League that he saw students painting a model. According to him, this was the start of his life as an artist. He was twenty years old and had taken some art lessons at school, so his initial experience was far from an immediate calling. In 1936, Mark Rothko began writing a book, which he never completed, about the similarities in the children's art and the work of modern painters. The work of modernists, which was influenced by primitive art, could, according to him, be compared to that of children in that "Child art transforms itself into primitivism, which is only the child producing a copy of himself." In this same work, he said that "The fact that one usually begins with drawing is already academic. We start with colour." It was not long before his multiform developed into the style he is remembered for. In 1949 Rothko exhibited these new works at the Betty Parsons Gallery. For reviewer Harold Rosenberg, the paintings were unique and primitive. Rothko had, after painting his first multiform, separated himself from the world in East Hampton on Long Island, only inviting a very few people, including Rosenberg, to view the new paintings. The discovery of his works' specialty came at a period of great sorrow: his mother Kate died in October 1948. As part of this new uniformity of artistic vision, his paintings no longer had individual titles. From this point on they were simply untitled, numbered or dated. However, to assist in distinguishing one work from another, traders would sometimes add the primary colours to the name. Additionally, for the next few years, Rothko painted in oil only on large vertical tents. This was done to surround the viewer, or, in his words, to make the viewer feel enveloped within the picture. Why does the author mention Rothko's uncompleted book? A. To prove Rothko's concentration on painting. B. To show Rothko's research on the modern art. C. To suggest Rothko's unique personal painting style. D. To explain the inspiration of Rothko's painting style. Answer: C Beijing ---- A recent Chinese blockbuster "A World Without Thieves" is based on the experiences of a young migrant worker carrying 60,000 yuan on a train packed with thieves.But while the image of a warm-hearted but somewhat naive migrant worker may have made film fans chuckle, it's a sure bet that most of China's migrant workers are yet to step into a cinema to admire it. "Forty yuan a ticket? I can't afford it," said Shen Jie, a migrant worker at a construction site in Dongzhimen, east Beijing. Shen found it hard to remember when he last watched a film, or what it was about."It must be 10 years ago," he said. Though they are the builders of the nation's theaters and cinemas, a limited cultural life is common among China's 120 million migrant workers. Shen arrived from East China's Zhejiang Province in1991.Life was better then; money seemed to come more easily."Now, as more and more workers are rushing to the capital, it's too hard to earn money, and none of us dare think about watching films," he said. For many like Shen, the dream is earning enough to pay for their children's education so they can find jobs in the cities and say goodbye to the hardships of rural life forever.This drives them to work hard and save as much as possible. With a monthly salary of less than 500 yuan, Shen has to send money home to his little son and silver-haired parents. In Shen's small dormitory, which he shares with seven other co-workers, there is a well-thumbed copy of a magazine published in 1998. A recent survey by local media revealed that 80 percent of migrant workers spent their spare time sleeping and chatting because of exhaust and a lack of income.The same survey found that 47 percent of migrant workers have to work for more than 10 hours a day.Around 40 percent do not even possess a book, and nearly 60 percent say they are dissatisfied with their cultural life. Like many of Shen's co-workers, reading newspapers and hanging out in Beijing's streets provide evening entertainment. From China Daily The main idea of this passage is that migrant workers _ . A. lack cultural experiences B. are not very well-paid in Beijing C. are looked down upon by city people D. need the government's attention Answer: A
Museum of London At the Museum of London you can experience and discover the hidden treasures in our city's history. From talks, walks and tours to evening classes, there's always something happening at museums. The museum is here for you all year round so you can relax in our cafes, find a gift in our shop or just enjoy the sights. National Army Museum The museum is available to wheelchair users. And baby changing units are available in the male and female toilets. The museum cafe offers freshly-made tea and coffee and seasonal food. The National Army Museum Shop offers different kinds of goods which can be ordered by telephone or mail order, and an online shop has opened. Opening hours: 10: 00 a. m.-5:30 p. m. Garden Museum The Garden Museum explores and celebrates British gardens and gardening through its collection. A planned program of talks, children's activities and plant shows runs throughout the year. The shop offers a lot of perfect presents for those who love gardens and the garden cafe serves delicious freshly-made food. The museum also welcomes volunteer gardeners. Musical Museum The Musical Museum contains many collections of musical instruments. The museum is open to the public from Tuesday to Sunday. We are planning many special performances to which you are all invited. If you would like to have a party or use our facilities ,then please call us for further details. The museum shop provides a number of presents for musical instrument lovers. For further details please visit the website at www. visit-hounslow. com. What's special about the Garden Museum? Answer: Our environment is being polluted faster. Man's present efforts cannot prevent it .Time is bringing us more people, and more people will bring us more industry, more cars, larger cities and the growing use of man-made materials. What can explain and solve this problem ?The fact is that pollution is caused by man ----by his desire for a modern way of life. We make "industrialization "our main aim. So we seem to be ready to give up everything: clear air, pure water, good food, our health and the future of our children. Large numbers of people are moving from the countryside into the cities, looking forward to the modern life. But as our world has developed so fast in the last twenty years, pollution has become a serious problem. Isn't it time for us to stop to ask ourselves where we are going-----and why? It makes one think of the story about the airline pilot who was heard over the loudspeaker, "I've some good news and some bad news. The good news is that we're flying at 530 miles per hour. The bad news is that we're lost and don't know where we're going." The sad fact is that this becomes a true story when we talk about our modern society. What does the writer really want to say in this passage? Answer: Mr. and Mrs. Long had one daughter. Her name was Lena. She was eighteen years old. Lena lived with her parents and worked in an office. She had some friends, but she didn't like any of the boys very much. One day she met a very nice man. He was young. His name was Watts and he worked in a post office. They became friends and he came to Lena's parents house twice. Last week Lena said to her father, "I'm going to marry Watts, Daddy. He was here yesterday." "Oh, yes." her father answered. "He's a nice boy, but has he got much money?" "Oh, no, both of you are the same," the daughter answered angrily. I met Watts on the first day of June and the next day he asked me, "Has your father got much money?" Lena had a few friends before she came to know Watts, but she _ . Answer: Mr. Green is quiet and doesn't like talking with people. He likes reading newspapers and playing computer games. He never exercises. Sometimes he watches soccer or basketball games on TV. He likes milk very much and drinks it three times a day. Mrs. Green is a bank clerk .It's a busy but boring job. She works with people and money every day. So she is always tired after work. She likes to take a good rest and goes to bed early after dinner. Usually she goes to bed at 8:30 in the evening and gets up at 6:30 in the morning. Mr. Green is very happy with that. But Mrs. Green isn't, because Mr. Green always talks in her sleep. One morning, Mr. Green sat at table and had breakfast. Mrs. Green asked him,"Why do you always talk in your sleep?"Mr. Green said,"Because I have few chances to talk in the daytime " The next morning after their children all went to school, Mrs. Green asked Mr. Green angrily,"Why did you scold me in your sleep last night?""Because I'm afraid to do it when I'm awake ." Mr.Green _ drinks milk. Answer: I like to go to the park that is next to the hotel. The park is very big and has lots of ladders and slides. My favorite thing to do at the park is to swim in the lake. The lake is small but there are a lot of red fish that live in it. There are also some turtles and worms at the bottom of the lake. Sometimes the fish swim by my leg and make me laugh and feel happy. One time I stepped on a stick and cut my foot. That cut hurt and made me sad. The next time I went in the lake I was scared that I would get another cut. Another thing I like to do at the park is to feed the animals. There are lots of pigs, squirrels and raccoon living in the park. Sometimes I feed them bread and crackers. Their favorite thing to eat is ham. After I am done at the park I go to the store to buy some ice cream. Sometimes I see my friend Christopher and he eats his ice cream with me. Christopher also likes feeding the animals. His favorite animal at the park is the squirrel. How do the fish make me feel? Answer:
We know the westerners like to plan for their time carefully in order to do all the things that are important to them. So if your American or English friend asks you to dinner, he usually invites you a week ahead. But if you really have no time and can't go to the dinner, you can ring him to say sorry. The dinner is usually served at home, sometimes at a restaurant. You should get there on time, and don't forget to put on your fine clothes. It is also a good idea to take some little presents to your friend, such as flowers, chocolates and so on. When you are at dinner, you should also observe some other customs. Here I'll give you some dos and don'ts about them in the following: 1) Don't leave bones on the table or the floor. (You should put them on your plate with fingers.) 2) Don't use your bowl to drink soup, but use your spoon to help you instead. 3) Don't talk with much food in your mouth. 4) Don't ask others to have more wine. (This is quite different from that in China.) 5) After dinner, use your napkin to clean your mouth and hands. 6) Make sure small pieces of food are not left on your face. Then after dinner, you can stay there a little time. And your friend will be pleased if you leave in half an hour or so. Next day, you had better ring him up to thank him for the good dinner. If your American or English friend wants to invite you to dinner, he will invite you _ Answer: When I was a girl of 10, I joined the school cross-country team and practiced twice a week, on the 1,8-km course I'd never really run before and I thought the course would be easy. It was a real shock I ran out of breathe within the first few minutes. I never realized how tiring running could be but I didn't t think about give up. Over time,I did get a little bit faster. However, I was really slow. In races, I would finish close to last. I'd always have to stop more than once, especially in the longer races, which were 2. 5 to 2. 8 km. After every race, I'd go home and cry. But 1 still didn't stop running, holding onto that picture of crossing the finishingline and finally doing well. Then one of my friends joined the team, too. She could run easily and even came in the 18thin a big race! I felt so slow and my confidence was lower than ever. I became so nervous when I thought of the races that I wanted to give up badly. Still. I refund to. Finally. 1 realized that the reason I was to nervous was that I was always worried that I wasn't ready for them. So a few weeks before the next 2. 8-km race. I practiced running almost 3 km every day. which helped me improve my pace . When the time came for the big race, all that practicing really _ . I stopped only once and my pace was so much better. I realized that I'd finally gotten happiness with running. But the funny thing was. It didn't come from doing better, Instead, it came from the fact that I hid tried harder and never given up. Before she took the 1.8-km course, the writer _ . Answer: London, the capital of England, is political, economic and commercial centre. It stands on the Thames, extending for nearly thirty miles from north to south and for nearly thirty miles from east to west. London is divided into many administrative units. Greater London, the largest unit, cover 1,605 square miles. The heart of this unit is the City of London. It is surrounded by a ring of 12 boroughs called Inner London or Central London, covering 303 square miles, and itself, is again surrounded by a greater ring of 20 boroughs called Outer London with an area of 1,279 square miles. Thus, Greater London is made up of the City and 32 boroughs. According to the article, London _ . Answer: We are not born doubting ourselves.We learn to do it.In fact,we are usually taught to doubt ourselves.We can learn some ways that allow us to become more accepting of ourselves.Following are two behaviors that might explain the reasons why you can't move towards greater self-acceptance. One thing that might cause you not to accept yourself is over--generalizing about something you've done that you don't like.For example,if you fail a test you might generalize and say,"I'm really a stupid person.''When you do this you are making a statement about all of you all of the time and not just about this one situation at this time.Instead,you might decide that your grade on this test in this subject at this time was indeed poor,and then go on to decide what you want to do about your poor grade,if anything.Getting stuck in over--generalizing discourages you from taking steps that might allow you to do better on the next exam and to build an expectation of future failure. Having standards that are impossibly high is a second way you can not accept yourself.It may not come as a surprise to you that most of us are more demanding of ourselves than we are of others.We don't know why we can tolerate the fact that other people fail, that they aren't always kind,that they've done things they aren't proud of,but we have difficulty accepting those on ourselves.The need to be perfect is another way to set yourself up for failure and strengthen the feeling that you are not acceptable.We all make mistakes.Accepting less than perfection simply means recognizing the limitations natural in being born a human being.Learn to value who you are rather than who you could become.Wouldn't it be overpowering if we always had to do what we imagine we could do? Nobody has the time and energy to do all of that.We must make choices about what we will seek and do them the best we can under the conditions,which aren't always ideal.by the way. From the passage we can learn that _ . Answer: Lao Yang was born in a small town. He liked reading when he studied at school. He thought the writers were respected and could get a lot of money. He wrote a lot of stories and posted them to the editorial departments but didn't receive any answers. Now he works in a factory. He's busy at work. When he's free, he always reads something. He always remembers he hoped to be a writer when he was young. One day, Xiao Ping, his ten-year-old daughter, came back. She looked worried and didn't eat anything. She said Miss GAO, her Chinese teacher, told them to write a solicit article "My Father" that evening. But she did not know what to write. "That's easy," said Lao Yang. "Let me help you." Then he sat down to write the solicit article at once. He easily finished it on time. He was sure Miss GAO would like it. But one afternoon he asked his daughter if the article had been chosen to post to the editorial department. "My teacher said your article digressed from the subject," said the girl. "I don't think so," Lao Yang shouted angrily. "I described just my father!" Lao Yang hoped _ . Answer:
There was one thing that I found rather strange on my first day as housekeeper at Monk'S House.The floors in the house were very thin.The bathroom was right above the kitchen,and when Mrs.Woolf was having her bath before breakfast,I could hear her talking to herself.on and on she went,talk,talk,and talk,asking questions and giving herself the answers.I thought there must be two or three people there with her.When Mr.Woolf saw that I looked surprised,he told me that Mrs.Woolf always said out loud the sentences that she had written during the night.She needed to know if they sounded fight and the bath was a good place for trying them out* I was not allowed to make coffee at Monk'S House--Mr.and Mrs.Woolf were very particular about coffee and always made it themselves--so Mr.Woolf came into the kitchen at eight o'clock every morning to make it.When we carried the breakfast to Mrs.Woolf's room,I noticed that she had always been working during the night.There were pencil and paper beside her bed so that when she woke up,she could work,and sometimes it seemed as though she had had very little sleep. Mrs.Woolf's bedroom was outside the house in the garden.I used to think how inconvenient it must be to have to go out in the rain to go to bed.Her bedroom had been connected to the back of the house:the door faced the garden and a window at the side opened out on to a field.Because the writing-room was small,Mr.Woolf had built a large one for her at the end of the garden against the church wall. I can always remember her coming to the house each day from the writing-room when I rang the bell for lunch at One O'clock.She used to come in,smoking one of her favourite cigarettes,which were bought by Mr.Woolf for her in London.She was tall and thin and very pretty.She had large eyes and a wide mouth.She wore long skirts-usually blue or brown-in the fashion of the day ,and silk jackets of the same colour Mrs.Woolf wore clothes that suited for her well.I ironed them for her and did any sewing that was necessary-She was not able to sew ,although sometimes she liked to try.There was one thing in the kitchen that Mrs.Woolf was very good at doing:she could make beautiful bread. Mr.Woolf seemed to be that _ . Answer: he did what he could for her Dear Sir, I am writing to express my concern about the plans to build a motorway near our village. Haldersham is one of the loveliest villages in England. It is peaceful and quiet, and it is situated in a very attractive valley. There are also several beautiful countryside walks in the surroundings, with a view of many rare trees and plants. Most of the people who live in Haldersham have moved here from other places, often from London and other big cities. They have bought houses here to live in a place far away from the noise and the stress of the big city. They paid a lot of money for their houses, but they knew they would get a high quality of life for it. If the planned motorway is built, life in Haldersham will change greatly. There will be a lot of noise around us, and nobody will want to go on the walks. House prices will certainly go down, because nobody will want to buy houses in a place close to a motorway. Haldersham will become an ugly place. I don't think any of the people living in this beautiful village want that, and we all believe exposure to noise pollution can have a direct influence on our health. So, let's all tell the politicians who support the motorway plans what we think about them! Yours faithfully, Hilary Riley What's the purpose of the letter? Answer: To express disapproval about the motorway. Everyone knows how a fishing calendar works: it tells you when you have the best chance of catching the most fish. This year, though, Kelson Poepoe, a conservationist on Hawaii's prefix = st1 /MolokaiIsland, helped publish an unusual version on this model. Poepoe and his colleagues decided to print a calendar telling people when not to fish. Many of the Homestead's residents still follow an existence lifestyle, gathering roughly one-third of their food by fishing in nearby Mo'omomi Bay. But, even though overfishing has exhausted fish populations throughout Hawaii, Mo'omomi Bay's fishery is booming, with a higher fish density than nearly anywhere else in the main islands. The new calendar is based on the ancient fishing practices that have helped keep those populations strong. Hawaiians have long known that carefully tended resources will renew themselves. To make this process easier, fishermen traditionally worked hard to understand and adapt to fish behavior. For example, they closely monitored where and when key species gathered to reproduce, and they prevented fishing during those times. By contrast, most of today's fishermen see spawning periods as a chance to get large numbers of fish, which can cause population break down. While these traditional methods have largely died out, they are still practiced by Poepoe and his fellow men at Mo'omomi Bay. "We have a rule of conduct that basically says, take only what you can eat fresh, don't stock your fridge, and don't take the fish when they spawn," Poepoe said. In 1993, Poepoe helped found the conservation group Hui Malama Mo'omomi to teach _ to new generations, and publishing the calendar is a key part of this move. It follows the lunar cycle, declaring when certain species are not available or "taboo." It also includes helpful hints about fish lifecycles, detailing exactly where in the bay certain kinds of fish like to gather, how to tell males from females, and which fishing methods are least likely to harm fish populations long-term. So far, these methods have helped keep Mo'omomi Bay's fish number totals far higher than elsewhere in the surrounding islands. With hopes of copying this success, a number of local groups are interested in creating similar calendars for other coastal areas. But that's a difficult project, partly because fish habits are highly local, meaning that the information in the calendar applies mainly to Mo'omomi Bay. Still, these groups believe the basic methods are transferable. To use a similar new calendar for other coastal areas, people have to _ . Answer: understand and adapt to fish behavior there Some people learn a second language easily. Other people have trouble learning a new language. How can you help yourself learn a new language,such as English? There are several ways to make learning English a little easier and more interesting. The first step is to feel confident about learning English. If you believe that you can learn,you will learn. Be patient. You do not have to understand everything all at once. It is natural to make mistakes when you learn something new. We can learn from our mistakes. The second step is to practice your English. For example,write a journal every day. You will get used to writing in English,and you will feel comfortable expressing your ideas in English. After several weeks,you will see that your writing is improving. Besides,you must speak English every day. You can practice with your classmates outside class. You will all make mistakes,but gradually you will become comfortable communicating in English. The third step is to keep a record of your language learning. You can write this in your journal. After each class,think about what you did. Did you answer a question correctly? Did you understand something the teacher explained? Perhaps the lesson was difficult,but you tried to understand it. Write these achievements in your journal. You must be positive about learning English and believe that you can do it. It is important to practice every day and make a record of your achievements. You will enjoy learning English,and you will have more confidence in yourself. What is the main idea of this passage? Answer: There are ways to help you learn a second language more easily. In many British schools, the pupils usually wear their school uniforms to school on weekdays.However, recently the students at LVS Ascot Junior School in England wore something quite different.What they wore was what people wear when they go to bed--pyjamas .They did this not only for fun, but for a local charity called Christopher's Smile. Christopher's Smile was set up in 2008 by Karen & Kevin Capel whose only son Christopher died of cancer at a young age.They hope their charity will help pay for more research into children's cancers.Since then, the charity has raised a lot of money and gotten more and more volunteers.Every year, thousands of people take part in different activities such as charity walk or run to show their support for Christopher's Smile. The students of Grade 6 at LVS Ascot Junior School also wanted to do something for the sick children.They organized the event "Pyjamas Day" to support Christopher's Smile."We wanted to raise money for our charity in a way that the whole school could join in it, so each pupil paid PS1 to wear his or her pyjamas to school on Pyjamas Day," said the young organizers.Both the students and their teachers took part in the event with great interest.Together they not only raised some money, but also had a good time. Which of the following is TRUE? Answer: It has been six years since Christopher's Smile was set up.
Jim suffered heart problems. In conversation he expressed little joy and it seemed that his life was drawing to a close. When his heart problems led to operation, Jim went through it successfully, and a full recovery was expected. Within days, however, his heart was not beating properly. Jim was rushed back to operation, but nothing was found to explain the cause of his illness. He died on the operating table on the day before his 48th birthday. Dr. Bruce Smoller, a psychologist , had had many conversations with him, and the more he learned, the stranger he realized Jim's case was. When Jim was a child, his father, a teacher, suffered a heart attack and stayed home to recover. One morning Jim asked his father to look over his homework, promising to come home from school at noon to pick it up. His father agreed, but when Jim returned his father had died. Jim's father was 48. "I think all his life Jim believed he killed his father," Dr. Smoller says. "He felt that if he had not asked him to look at his homework, his father would have lived. Jim had been troubled by the idea. The operation was the trial he had expected for forty years. " Smoller believes that Jim willed himself not to live to the age of 48. Jim's case shows the powerful role that attitude plays in physical health, and that childhood experiences produce far-reaching effect on the health of grown-ups. Although most cases are less direct than Jim's, studies show that childhood events, besides genes, may well cause such midlife diseases as cancer, heart disease and mental illness. Jim was sent back to operation because _ . Answer: Vitamin E can be found naturally in different foods including milk, eggs, green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds and whole-grain foods. The body's daily requirement of vitamin E can also be met by vitamin E pills. There are several health benefits of vitamin E for our body. Vitamin E is important in protecting the cells of the skin from strong sunlight, pollution, drugs and so on. Vitamin E behaves like a regulator . It has the ability to regulate vitamin A in the body, which is an important vitamin for healthy skin. Vitamin E oil for skin is good for making skin recover from various damages caused to the skin, because of burn, etc. What's more, regular use of vitamin E oil helps in the prevention of skin cancer. How does vitamin E benefit the heart? A large number of studies have proved that vitamin E reduces the risk of heart diseases. Another has also shown that regular intake of vitamin E lowers the rate of death because of heart diseases. In addition, it has been proved that vitamin E oil benefits hair. It's suggested that you massage your skin on the head regularly with vitamin E oil for hair. Vitamin E also helps prevent signs of becoming old such as graying of hair and hair loss. Now, you may want to start taking vitamin E. However it's advised to consult your health care doctor about the amount that you take at one time, so that you can gain enough benefits from vitamin E. What advice should we follow when taking vitamin E? Answer: Report Card London Woodland School Name: Alan Class: 5 Grade: 8 Grade teacher: Mr Jim Green English: Good work this term. He has a good memory and is good at speaking. A Maths: Good. But sometimes he is careless. B History: He knows a lot about British history, but little about other countries. B Geography: He is a clever student but sometimes doesn't do his best. C Home Economics: Good. He likes it best. He can do things for himself. A Alan is studying in _ . Answer: The year is 2094. It has been announced that a comet is heading towards the Earth . Most of it will miss our planet, but two pieces will probably hit the southern half of the Earth. On 17 July , a piece four kilometers wide enters the Earth's atmosphere with a massive explosion . About half of the piece is destroyed, but the remaining part hits the South Atlantic at 200 times the speed of sound. The sea boils and a huge hole is made in the sea bed. Huge waves are created and spread outwards from the hole. The wall of water, a kilometer high, rushes towards southern Africa at 800 kilometers an hour. Cities on the African coast are totally destroyed and millions of people are drowned. Before the waves reach South America, the second piece of the comet lands in Argentina. Earthquakes and volcanoes are set off in the Andes Mountains. The shock waves move north into California and all around the Pacific Ocean. The cities of Los Angeles, San Francisco and Tokyo are completely destroyed by earthquakes. Millions of people in the southern half of the earth are already dead, but the north won't escape for long. Because of the explosions, the sun is hidden by clouds of dust, temperatures around the world fall to almost zero .Crops are ruined. The sun won't be seen again for many years. Wars break out as countries fight for food. A year later, no more than 10 million people remain alive. Could it really happen? In fact, it has already happened more than once in the history of the Earth. The dinosaurs were on the Earth for over 160 million years. Then 65 million years ago they suddenly disappeared. Many scientists believe that the Earth was hit by a piece of object in space. The dinosaurs couldn't live through the cold climate that followed and they died out. Will we meet the same and? When the first piece hits the South Atlantic, it causes _ . Answer: Coincidences happen all the time to ordinary people, but the following events are perhaps some of the strangest of them all. 1. In the 19thcentury, the famous writer, Edgar Allan Poe, wrote a book called The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket. It was about four survivors of a shipwreck who were in an open boat for many days before three of them decided to kill and eat the cabin boy whose name was Richard Parker. Some years later, in 1884, the boat Mignonette sank, and only four survivors were left in an open boat for many days. Finally the three older members killed and ate the cabin boy. The name of the cabin boy was Richard Parker. 2. In Monza, Italy, King Umberto I went to a small restaurant for dinner. When the owner took King Umberto I's order, the King noticed that he and the restaurant owner were doubles, in face and in build. Both men began discussing the resemblance between each other and found many more similarities. Both men were born in the same place, on the same day, of the same year (March 14, 1844, Turin, Italy). On the day that the King married Queen Margherita, the restaurant owner had married a lady named Margherita. The restaurant owner opened his restaurant on the same day that King Umberto I was crowned King of Italy. On July 29, 1900, King Umberto I was informed that the restaurant owner had died that day in a shooting accident, and as he expressed his regret, someone in the crowd killed him! 3. Mark Twain was a popular American author who wrote famous books such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Mark Twain was born on the day of the appearance of Halley's Comet in 1835, and died on the day of its next appearance in 1910. He himself predicted this in 1909, when he said: "I came in with Halley's Comet in1835. It is coming again next year, and I expect to go out with it." What's the best title for the text? _ . Answer:
Have you ever tried to understand something new on your own but found it a bit too difficult in books or on the Internet? Don't be worriedyou can get help at Khan Academy . Khan Academy is an online learning website created in 2007 by Salman Khan, an American teacher. In order to provide "a free world-class education to anyone anywhere",Khan offers more than 4,200 free micro lectures atkhanacademy.org. The classes cover fields like mathematics, biology, chemistry and finance. They usually last for just 10 to 15 minutes. Unlike traditional classes, Khan mainly offers courses for students below college level. The classes can also help those who are planning to take the SAT, an exam often required for students who wish to enter a college or university in the US. So how can you start your learning journey at Khan Academy? First of all,enter the website with a personal e-mail account .Your personal homepage at Khan Academy is designed to help you learn math. You can take a pre-test first to see your level. The academy then suggests exercises at the right level for you. It also allows you to watch videos and improve yourself until you reach level 5the highest level. If you are interested in other subjects, click "LEARN" to see all topics on offer. Try "Art History",for example. This will take you to all the things in that area like text articles, videos and questions. You can also put key words into the search box to see related topics. Don't worry if you find it difficult to follow the courses in English. The courses have been translated into other languages, such as Chinese. Hundreds of Khan's courses in Chinese can be found on Netease (www. 163. com),which offers translations of courses from Harvard, Yafe, Oxford,Cambridge and other top universities. Which is the best title for this passage? A Online Learning B Salman Khan C College Education D Language Courses Answer: A. Online Learning BEIJING, March, 17th --The Japanese automaker Toyota will _ some 4,400 units of FJ Cruiser cars in China over seat belt flaws, China's consumer quality watchdog said Saturday. The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) said on its website that Toyota China will recall these imported cars produced between December 2007 and March 2013. Toyota is busy working on the solution to the flaw and will release improvement methods before April 15, according to the administration. This marks Toyota's second recalling this year after the auto giant announced in January that it would recall 22,869 units of Lexus IS cars in China due to wiper arm problem. China's private auto ownership reached 93.09 million units by the end of 2012, up 18.3 percent compared with the year before. Along with the fast expanding auto market, Chinese drivers grow more concerned about the quality of their cars. Also on Saturday, the AQSIQ said in a statement on its website that its research has basically confirmed the German automaker Volkswagen's direct shift gearbox (DSG) transmission has defects which may cause engine power failures and urged Volkswagen to recall defective cars after China Central Television (CCTV) exposed Volkswagen's gearbox defect on Friday. To better protect the interests of Chinese consumers, the AQSIQ announced late last year that it would formulate a guideline to regulate a recall system for faulty cars. What is the purpose of regulating a recall system for faulty cars? A To limit the sales of imported cars in China. B For a better development of national automobile industry of China. C In order to show the authority and power of AQSIQ. D For a better protection of rights and interests of Chinese consumers. Answer: D. For a better protection of rights and interests of Chinese consumers. There is a big tree in front of my house. A black bird lives in the tree. Every day I take some food to the tree. The bird sees me and comes down. The food is in my hand. The bird comes to my hand and eats it. After that it goes back to the tree. I give some food to the bird every day. And so the bird knows me. I like the bird and the bird likes me. We are good friends. How often does the writer feed the bird? A Once a week. B Twice a week. C Three times a day. D Every day. Answer: D. Every day. A large, solid spherical body in the solar system is classified as a moon. Which characteristic of the body gives it this classification? A It rotates on its axis. B It lacks liquid water. C It orbits a nearby planet. D It reflects light from a star. Answer: C. It orbits a nearby planet. The British royal family is about to be slimmed down. The queen plans to reduce the number of real royals, as was recently announced. However, there seems little sign of the monarchy disappearing completely. Up till the 17th century, the British king or queen was believed to rule by "divine right", which was the idea that God chose the king or queen to rule and that he or she was therefore above the law. However, this idea ended with the English Revolution, in which King Charles I was imprisoned and then killed in 1649. So what role does the British royal family have today? Well, the Queen has important formal duties: as Head of State, the Queen represents the UK on visits abroad and invites other world leaders to visit the UK. As Head of the Armed Forces, only the Queen can declare when the UK is at war or when war is over. The Queen also has constitutional duties: She has to sign many government and Commonwealth documents every day. In addition, the royal family spends a great deal of its time traveling up and down the country in support of different charity projects. But the public in Britain do not believe there should be a royal family. Sometimes, the press and media criticize the royal family as well. One criticism is that British people should not have to pay for the royal family through their taxes. Today, the royal family works hard to be relevant in the modern world. The queen's speech on TV is less formal every Christmas, and is now available as a podcast . In 2005, after graduation from university, Prince William spent time teaching English in Uruguay, the sort of work many young British people do at some time in their lives. Prince William is mentioned in the passage to show that _ . A he is popular in the UK B many young British people do voluntary work C he has tried to win young people's admiration D the royal family is trying to change their image Answer: D. the royal family is trying to change their image
The survey by The Harvard Crimson was emailed to incoming first-year undergraduates; 1,600 students responded. Results showed that at least a tenth of the students polled admitted to having cheated on an exam before staring at the university, while almost half admitted to cheating on their homework. Athletes were apparently the most prone to cheating. 20 percent of students who played a university sport admitted to cheating on an exam compared to 9 percent of students who did not. The survey also revealed that men were not only more likely to cheat but were also more likely to admit to it. The results, compared to a previous survey done on the class of 2013, suggested that cheating may be becoming more commonplace. Of the outgoing seniors only 7 percent admitted to cheating on an exam and another 7 percent said they had been dishonest on a take-home test. 32 percent of the seniors said they had cheated on homework during their undergraduate years. The survey come in the wake of a cheating scandal at the university which saw 120 students investigated for sharing answers on an exam in 2022. One recent graduate stated:" Cheating was commonplace when I was at Harvard, especially with students in their first year or two. I would say as many as 60 percent of students took notes into some exams. No one really cared and the faculty, will some of them at least, seemed to recognize and yet ignore the problem. " In an email to NBC news, Jeff Neal, a Harvard representative, explained that a committee, made up of faculty, staff and students had been established to tackle cheating, which "is a national problem in American education". Of the following university students, who is most likely to cheat? A Tom, an athletic freshman B Lucy, a second-year student C Jack, a second-year student D Rose, a first-year student Answer: A Health experts have long known that vitamin D is important for healthy bones and teeth. It may also help to protect the body against diseases such as diabetes and cancer. And now, researchers say vitamin D might help fight brain diseases called dementia . Dementia is a brain disease that damages thinking and memory processes, which scientists call "cognitive abilities." Dementia is difficult to treat. Taking care of someone who has dementia is extremely _ . And the disease is very frightening to sufferers. Chris Roberts suffers from dementia. He says the worst part of living with this disease was getting lost while driving. "The worst thing that I found was getting lost in the car, not just forgetting where I was going-- I wouldn't know where I was." More than 47 million people around the world suffer from dementia. The World Health Organization reports that 60 percent of them live in low- and middle-income countries. We get vitamin D from some foods like nuts, lentils and fatty fish. We also get vitamin D from the sun. But that is not dependable. In some parts of the world, there is not enough sunlight to provide enough vitamin D. Also, sunblock prevents the vitamin from entering the body. To add to the problem, the skin's ability to process vitamin D weakens as a person ages. Researchers at Rutgers University in New Jersey are exploring the relationship between vitamin D and dementia. The team recently measured vitamin D levels and cognitive ability in older people. Nutritional sciences professor Joshua Miller led the team. He said cognitive abilities differed among the study subjects. He said tests showed that about 60 percent of the group was low in vitamin D. Which of the following is true about vitamin D? A Vitamin D can decrease people's risk of heart diseases. B Vitamin D helps the body fight against cancer. C Vitamin D is mainly obtained from the sun. D The need for Vitamin D decreases as people age. Answer: B Kate sees a full moon. About how much time will go by before the next full moon? A one week B two weeks C one month D one year Answer: C When we talk about intelligence, we do not mean the ability to get good scores in certain kinds of tests or even the ability to do well in school. By intelligence we mean a way of living and behaving, especially in a new or anxious situation. If we want to test intelligence, we need to find out how a person acts instead of how much he knows what to do. For example, when in a new situation, an intelligent person thinks about the situation, not about himself or what might happen to him. He tries to find out all he can, and then he acts immediately and tries to do something about it. He probably isn't sure how it will all work out, but at least he tries. And, if he can't make things work out right, he doesn't feel ashamed that he fails; he just tries to learn from his mistakes. An intelligent person, even if he is very young, has a special outlook on life, special feeling about life, and knows how he fits into it. If you look at children, you'll see great difference between what we call "bright" children and "not bright" children. They are actually two different kinds of people, not just the same kind with different amounts of intelligence. For example, the bright child really wants to find out more about life --- he tries to get in touch with everything around him. But the unintelligent child keeps more to himself and his own dream-world; he seems to have a wall between him and life in general. In the author's opinion the biggest difference between "bright" children and "not bright" children lies in _ . A the amount of intelligence B the different situations they face C the different attitudes to life D the background of life Answer: C In Sonoma County, California, growers are planting grapevines in a new way. As they plant the vines, they add a package of water called DRiWATER. This method of planting grapevines along with the water supply saves time and work. It gives the plant enough water to keep growing. The workers can go on to other chores. DRiWATER is a package of jelled water. It melts slowly, watering the plant for two or three months. DRiWATER is a 100% natural, non-poisonous product used for the long-term watering of plants. It was invented by a well-known food chemist who recognized the potential of a filler product he was using to thicken peanut butter. He tested and applied his theory that water could be released over time as naturally occurring microbes in the soil fed on the filler and released the water into the soil. The inventor, Harold Jensen, tried for a long time to get the right recipe. He and his family worked nights and weekends testing different formulas. Jensen finally found the right formula and patented it. What are the ingredients in DRiWATER? It is made up of 97.85% water, 2% vegetable gum, and 0.15% aluminum sulfate. When the DRiWATER is planted in the soil, the water is released as bacteria eat the jell. Buchanan Vineyard Services has bought ten thousand packages of DRiWATER. They will plant the jelled water with their new grapevines. What about countries like Egypt that have large deserts? Maybe DRiWATER will help grow trees in the desert. Two million trees have been planted near a town in the Sahara Desert. Two quarts were planted with each tree. The tree must live on the water for months until its roots touch ground water. Harold Jensen hopes to see forests spring up in the deserts. This is the reason that he invented DRiWATER. Seedlings, DRiWATER, and desert may be the perfect fit. How did Harold Jensen invent DRiWATER? A He got the right recipe from the growers. B He succeeded by planting trees himself. C He found the right recipe in a short time. D He made it with the help of his family. Answer: D
Paul and Jason were brothers who lived and worked on neighbouring farms.For 35 years they farmed side by side,sharing machinery and goods as needed,without a single problem. However,one autumn,things changed.It began with a tiny disagreement about a horse,which grew into a major difference.The difference led to angry words,followed by weeks of silence between the two brothers. One morning there was a knock on Paul's door.He opened it and saw a builder holding his toolbox."I'm looking for a few days'work,"the builder said."Are there any jobs here I could help with?" "Yes,"answered Paul,extremely pleased to see the builder."I do have a job for you.Look at that farm across the creek .That's my brother's farm.That creek used to be a grass field,but last week my brother dug a path from the fiver and made the creek.But I'll _ .See that pile of wood?1 want you to build me a fence,two metres tall,so 1 won't need to see him anymore." The builder said thoughtfully."I think I understand the situation and I'll be able to do a job that pleases you." Paul had business in town that day and left the builder to his work.When he returned,the builder had just finished his job.Paul was shocked.Instead of a fence there was a bridge,stretching from one side of the creek to the other. As Paul stood on the bridge,staring in amazement,his younger brother Jason,came across,and took Paul's hand."You are a good man to have built this bridge after a11 I've done,"said Jason. Then,Paul,with tears in his eyes,said to the builder who was packing his bag to go,"Thank you so much. Please stay.I have much more for you to do." "I'd love to."the builder said quietly,"but,I have many more bridges to build." Why did the builder build the bridge? A. He needed a way to get across the river. B. There was not enough wood for the fence. C. He misunderstood Paul's instructions. D. He wanted to bring the brothers together. Answer: D. He wanted to bring the brothers together. Dexter is being tried for the homicide of a girl whose strangled body was found beside a remote logging road with her hands taped together. After Dexter has offered evidence of alibi, the state calls Wilma to testify that Dexter had taped her hands and tried to strangle her in the same location two days before the homicide but that she escaped. The evidence is A. admissible as tending to show that Dexter is the killer. B. admissible as tending to show Dexter's violent nature. C. inadmissible, because it is improper character evidence. D. inadmissible, because it is unfairly prejudicial Answer: A. admissible as tending to show that Dexter is the killer. It's slimbudget time in Las Vegas Las Vegas? It's where halfprice flights are wide open and where reservations are easily booked on a moment's notice. Tourism is down, so rooms are plentiful, as well as inexpensive. Getting there: The best way to get there from McCarran Airport is to exit the baggage claim through Door 11 and check in at any number of shuttle booths. Shuttle vans that run between the airport and the Las Vegas Strip cost $6 for a oneway trip. Leaving Las Vegas:Many Vegas vacationers are eager to get there and slow to leave. So take the "redeye" back home. Most redeye flights leave around midnight, leaving you with an extra night of gaming, and fun without added expense of a higher hotel charge. You can sleep the whole way home. Romantic getaway: Las Vegas is no longer all about gaming. The artwork at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art is certainly comparable to that at the Louvre. Speaking of Paris, take a trip up the Eiffel Tower at ParisLas Vegas. The Eiffel Tower Experience costs just $10($7 for kids) and is unquestionably worth the price of admission. For an intimate evening, don't hesitate to book reservations at the Eiffel Tower Restaurant. Get an impressive nighttime view of the Fountains at Bellagio by asking for seating alongside the floortoceiling windows. This is truly a oneofakind finedining experience. Details:www.parislasvegas.com. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes:Casinos can appear very close together, but actually may not be. Know the tram systems that run up and down the Strip. Most tram lines are free. Shows:Purchase show tickets at one of the many "Half Priced Show" booths on the Strip. You can experience a unique show each night of your stay. Need a look at what's playing when you'll be there? Visit www.booklasvegasshows.com. Buffets:In Vegas you can take anything to the next level--including eating. Seven casinos on the Strip have teamed up to bring you an amazing deal:seven buffets--breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner--all for just $44.99 within a 24hour period. Details:www.harrahs.com/total/lasvegas/buffetofbuffets. If you want to know more about food in Las Vegas, you should _ . A. visit www.parislasvegas.com B. visit www.booklasvegasshows.com C. visit www.harrahs.com/total/lasvegas/buffetofbuffets D. visit www.newyorknewyork.com/attractions/ therollercoaster.aspx Answer: C. visit www.harrahs.com/total/lasvegas/buffetofbuffets You may think that sailing is a difficult sport, but it is really not hard to learn it. You do not need to be strong. But you need to be quick. And you need to understand a few basic rules about the wind. First, you must ask yourself, "Where is the wind coming from? Is it coming from ahead or behind or from the side?" You must think about this all the time on the boat. The wind direction tells you what to do with the sail. Let's start with the wind blowing from the behind. This means the wind and the boat are going in the same direction. Then you must always keep the sail outside the boat. It should be at a 90deg angle to the boat. Then it will catch the wind best. If the wind is blowing from the side, it is blowing across the boat. In this case, you must keep the sail half way outside the boat. It should be at a 45deg angle to the boat. _ needs to be out far enough to catch the wind, but it shouldn't flap . It shouldn't look like on a flagpole. If it is flapping, it is probably out too far, and the boat will slow down. Sailing into the wind is not possible. If you try, the sail will flap and the boat will stop. You may want to go in that direction. It is possible, but you can't go in a straight line. You must go first in one direction and then in another. This is called tacking. When you are tacking, you must always keep the sail inside the boat. What do you have to do when sailing against the wind? A. Move in a straight line. B. Allow the sail to flap. C. Lower the sail. D. Tack the boat. Answer: D. Tack the boat. Studying abroad will shape you in various ways. You will learn things you never would have if you had stayed home. When you are young and unattached, you should travel. Besides, you just might save a large sum of money. College is expensive in the United States. It's cheap or free in other countries even for foreigners, so why not get out of here and come back smarter? More and more American students are currently studying at German colleges. That number has increased 20% over the last three years. Living costs are about $7,000 a year, which is even lower than in other European countries. Germany encourages international students. They create a multicultural landscape that benefits German students as well. According to a new report, Germany is home to six of the world's 100 best universities. These schools offer around 900 degrees completely in English and many German students speak the language. You could be part of Finland's excellent education system. The Finns charge no tuition and offer a number of courses purely in English. They would be happy for you to add flavor to their school scene. Cost of living there is high. Be prepared for frosty winters that far north, but you will get that sweet midnight sun in the summer. Many other European nations offer cheap or free college for foreign students, but if South America is more your thing, try Brazil. Most of the education will take place in Portuguese, so if that is in your plan you can study near beautiful beaches and jungles. The University of Sao Paulo and State University of Campinas are both highly ranked internationally. Your money will go a long way there, too. Many of the lessons you will learn will be outside the classroom. Living on the economy in a foreign country will keep you on your toes. You will learn new customs, how to bargain, stay safe, budget and become more flexible with people. There is no better way to learn a language than by immersing yourself in it. At first, it will be the toughest thing you have ever done. Eventually, it will become second nature. Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE according to the passage? A. Foreign students are welcomed in Finland. B. Studying abroad wisely can reduce your expense. C. Students can learn English well only by learning abroad. D. Cost of living in Finland is high because of its special climate. Answer: B. Studying abroad wisely can reduce your expense.
Question: The best family vacations are the ones where everyone is entertained and everyone gets along Not sure how to do that,especially if traveling with kids is involved? A travel agent is your answer. A travel agent can recommend the best destinations,resorts and cruises for family-friendly vacations.For vacations with kids,simply share the interests of your children as well as what the adults going on the vacation enjoy doing, and your travel egent can put together the ideal trip for your family,with activities and kids' clubs for the children and entertainment for the adults. Travel agents can even arrange trustworthy childeare,so you can have a kids-free evening on your vacation. Travel agents can also help plan memorable pleasure trips during your vacation.They can advise on the best water parks and get you front-of-the line tickets, or they can give tips on what time to visit certain natural wonders for the best views and fewer crowds. They can also recommend which restaurants are the most family-friendly and take care of the reservations for you. Vacations for kids can be stressful enough (packing,keeping everyone entertained on the plane ride,finding kid--friendly foods, etc)without having the added worry of "what if something goes wrong?''A travel agent will take over if any accident occurs on your trip and will spend time calling companies and researching options until your problem is solved-whether that means you need to re-book a flight or find a trustworthy doctor for your child who has suddenly come down with an illness. Finally, a travel agent will make it easier to bond with your family by recommending the perfect vacation for your family's interests and needs. By taking the planning stress and trip organization off you and giving it to a travel agent, you'll be able to simply enjoy spending time with your family. What can we learn from the text? A. It's easy to meet everyone's needs when traveling. B. Kids don't like to travel with their parents. C. Travel agents prefer to arrange a vacation with kids. D. Traveling with kids is a little bit stressful for a family. Answer: D Question: Our school has a big library. We often go there. Today is Sunday. Lily and I are in the library. In the library there are some signs on the wall. The signs mean different things. We know them. Don't shout in the reading room. Don't drink or eat here. Don't litter in the library. I see a man smoking in the reading room. I go to him and say, "Sir, you can't smoke here. Look at the sign. It says 'No smoking'.You can smoke in the smoking room." The man says sorry. Where are Lily and I? A. In the park. B. At the cinema. C. In a shop. D. In the library. Answer: D Question: Each team has three players and a coach . The basketball players are running and jumping in the hot sun. Music is all around. In just twelve minutes, the game is over. But a new one starts right away. How exciting! This is street-ball. It's much like basketball. But it's faster. People play it outside and it's interesting. Usually, children play street-ball on an open court. They use only half of the court. What they need is a basketball goal . Children love lots of things about the game. "It's very nice to be outside in the sun. And the music is great", said Jane, fourteen, a girl in Beijing. Some say street-ball was from Europe , others say it came from America. But now, boys and girls in many countries like to play it. Street-ball is a game for all. How many players are there in each street-ball team? A. 1 B. 2 C. 3 D. 4 Answer: C Question: Older fathers have uglier children, researchers have claimed after linking age to genetic mutations . The finding comes weeks after leading scientists reported children born to men over the age of 45 run a higher risk of having autism and mental disorders. With age, sperm -producing cells do not copy a man's DNA as effectively, leading to genetic mutations. Martin Fielder, an anthropologist at Vienna University, told the Sunday Times: 'Every 16 years the mutation rate doubles. Other researchers found 25 mutations per sperm in a 20-year-old, but at age 40 it is 65 mutations. By 56, it doubles again. The effect is very visible - someone born to a father of 22 is already 5-10 per cent more attractive than those with a 40-year-old father and the difference grows with the age gap. In contrast, women pass on a maximum of 15 mutations to their baby, regardless of age, according to the study published in the journal Nature. Surveying a group of six men and six women, researchers showed them each 4,018 photographs of 18-20-year-old men and 4,416 of women the same age, and asked to assess their attractiveness. Those with older fathers were consistently considered less attractive. However, the children of older men, though less attractive, are likely to outlive their peers with younger fathers, it is claimed. Professor Lee Smith, a geneticist at Edinburgh University, told the Sunday Times other research found such children have longer telomeres - the caps on the end of chromosomes --- which are associated with longer life. But the mounting research connecting parents' age with autism is cause for concern, experts warn. Autism is an umbrella term for a range of developmental disorders that have a lifelong effect on someone's ability to interact socially and communicate openly. In the UK, around one in 100 adults is thought to be affected by autism, mostly men, caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Researchers said men should be advised about the potential problems in order to help their personal decision-making when it came to having fathering children at older ages. They warned that advancing paternal age faced a risk of 'numerous public health and societal problems'. Among well-known older dads are Simon Cowell, 54, whose son was born earlier this month, and comedian Frank Skinner whose first child was born in 2012 when he was 55. The whole passage is developed mainly by means of _ . A. showing examples B. making arguments C. presenting theories D. providing data and facts Answer: D Question: At East China University of Science and Technology, students who finish their food in the dining hall can get a coupon when they return their tray . They can exchange coupons for small gifts, such as books, magazines, mobile phone covers and hand warmers. "It's been a big surprise," said Liang Zhaoyun, 19, a student in the university of Shanghai. "It makes us try our best to finish the food!" But some food in the dining hall is so poorly prepared that students are _ to finish it all. Some schools have paid some attention to it. "The dishes in our canteen are all right, generally speaking. We've tried our best to make it tasty. But of course it's difficult to make all the students love it." said Wang. Other universities also pay attention to the size of food. At Nanjing University, rice is divided into three different-sized bowls that students can choose from. "I like to try different dishes at each meal. So I had to throw away a lot of food because the bowls were too big. But now the dining hall offers small sizes. It's great because I can try different dishes at half price and don't waste so much food," said Fan Peng, a student from Nanjing University. But what if you really can't finish all your food? Some universities also provide a take-away service. If you can't finish all your food, you can get a box to take the leftovers home. Even if you feed the cat, it's not wasted. So you see, if we call on students not to waste food, schools should also improve the service and meal quality. How can the students at East China University of Science and Technology get a coupon? A. They eat up all the food and wash the tray. B. They return the tray in the dining hall. C. They finish all the food and return the tray. D. They wash the tray and return it. Answer: C
Bit by bit, the sand dust that fills the sky is dying down. The blue sky and the burning sun once again hang over the desert. He is on the road, driving his beat-up yellow cab. The sides of the road are littered with damaged vehicles. Masses of smoke in the distance tell him that a war is being dragged on throughout his country. It's a fine day despite the choking heat. Not a breath of wind is blowing. A group of vehicles are traveling towards him, carrying many passengers. The scene reminds him of the market days in this country when crowds of trucks transport folks to the markets; the only difference is, this time, they are not trucks, but tanks, carrying foreigners, guns in hand. He stares at them. They stare back. So they pass by one another. "The damned war!" he whispers bitterly. Two days ago, a bomb fell on the market in front of his house, destroying nearly everything in sight. He survived by luck. He decided then and there that he would give up this cab business. This will be his final run. After this, he will leave this place together with his wife and children. "Shala and my children, we'll soon meet each other again, after I'm done here." He turns his head to take a glance at a photo of his wife and children. The glass on the frame is broken, but their smiles in the picture do not fail to provide him with the only comfort that he has. Shortly he arrives at a checkpoint. Tanks sit by the side of the road, the sight of which sends a marked coldness through his backbone. A bunch of soldiers armed to the teeth stand by. A foreign soldier signals him to stop. He calms himself down and pulls over. During the past few days, nearly no civilian vehicles come out of the capital city, his car being the only one on roads. A few foreign soldiers come up to him, one, two, three, four, five. The leader bends over to have a look at the old car, then at him. "Where do you come from and where are you going?" With a smile on his face, he answers with a broken speech in the tongue that the soldier can understand, "Sir, I come from the capital. I'm leaving that place because it is a very dangerous place to be, with the war and everything." While talking, he hands a cigarette over to the soldier, then lights it up for him. "When will the war end?" he asks. "It won't take long. We'll soon give all of you in the capital the true freedom." The soldier breathes a deep mouthful. He seems to have spotted the photo in the car, "The cigarette is not bad at all. Are those your wife and kids? I have two of my own, roughly the same age." "Oh, yes, they are mine and they are constantly on my mind. They left the city a bit earlier, and I'm on my way to be reunited with them. Perhaps I'm never coming back. Driving a cab around during war times is too dangerous. I'm giving up the business." He looks at the soldier, still smiling. "After we overthrow your dictator , you won't have that to worry about. You can come back and pick up your life again." The soldier is leaning on the door of the car. It is perhaps the first time in many days that he has seen a happy face among the local people. It cheers him up. "Maybe, but I have to go to see my family. If you would pay us a visit, my wife will prepare a good meal for all of you. _ " "Can't make it. We're on duty. Give our regards to your wife and kids." The soldier is a bit excited, thinking maybe quite some locals have open arms for them after all. "Oh, yes, I almost forgot. The south is battle-infected. Where is your family?" Still smiling, he picks up the broken picture frame, presses a kiss on the photo, then turns around, staring into the eyes of that soldier, not quite himself from excitement, and the other foreign soldiers holding guns. Words drop out of his lips slowly but firmly: "Paradise." Perhaps the last thing he sees is the confused, fearful, twisted expression on the face of that soldier, and the cigarette end dropping from his fingers. Then he pushes the button. What is this passage mainly about? Answer: A doctor was teaching some medical students at a famous hospital. A patient was brought in, and the doctor asked one of his students, "What's wrong with this man?" "I don't know, sir," the student answered. "I need to examine him." "There's no need to examine him," said the doctor. "You should know without asking questions. He has hurt his right knee. Didn't you notice the way he walked? He hurt it by burning it in the fire. You see his trousers leg is burnt away at the knee. This is Monday morning. Yesterday was fine, but on Saturday the roads were wet and muddy. The man's trousers are dirty all over. The man fell down on Saturday night." The doctor then turned to the man, "You had your pay on Saturday and went to a public house and drank too much. You got muddy and wet on the way home. Because you had drunk too much, you fell on the fire and burnt your knee. Is that right? "Yes, sir," said the man. The medical students were having a lesson _ . Answer: As the semester ended, students had a chance to _ . They got to grade me anonymously , assessing the ability of my thinking, my organizational skills and the depth of my knowledge. Such evaluations keep me alert to what works and what doesn't. Students reflect my performance back to me, and I'm glad to learn what they think of my teaching so that I might try to improve. This system reflects many aspects of my work. There is, of course, nothing wrong with it. But this system assumes that what students need is the same as what they want. Reading my evaluations every semester has taught me otherwise. Actually many students' expectations for their courses have already changed, reflecting, in part, the business model many universities are following: classes are considered services, and parents are eager to get their money's worth from their children's education. Students feel pressure from their parents to get practical use from their courses. This could make sense for an engineering course, but in my field, creative writing, which rarely trains up excellent 21-year-old writers, it is more difficult to provide the results that the career-minded students desire. Then I tried some teaching techniques to change the criticism of those unhappy students to the opposite and improve my student evaluations. My record would accurately reflect a smart, attentive, encouraging teacher. However, I would admit that they loved me simply because I agreed writing should be easy. I know other teachers have done the same thing: teach your heart out to the teachable but be sure to please the unteachable; keep your ratings high, like a politician trying to improve his poll results. I believe in the struggle. But I still can't help wincing when I read, "The instructor is mean." "Marcus is not committed to my work." "This class sucks." The business model has taught me that customers are always right. And maybe a few more dissatisfied customers would mean a better learning experience. What is the author's attitude towards being graded by his students? Answer: Which of the following has the greatest effect on the ability of soil to hold water? Answer: Throughout the history of the arts, the nature of creativity has remained constant to artists. No matter what objects they select, artists are to bring forth new forces and forms that cause change-to find _ where no one has ever seen or experienced it before. Landscape is another unchanging element of art. It can be found from ancient times through the 17th-century Dutch painters to the 19th-century romanticists and impressionists. In the 1970s, Alfred Leslie, one of the new American realists, continued this practice. Leslie sought out the same place where Thomas Cole, a romanticist, had produced paintings of the same scene a century and a half before. Unlike Cole who insists on a feeling of loneliness and the idea of finding peace in nature, Leslie paints what he actually sees. In his paintings, there is no particular change in emotion, and he includes ordinary things like the highway in the background. He also takes advantage of the latest developments of color photography to help both the eye and the memory when he improves his painting back in his workroom. Besides, all art begs the age-old question: What is real? Each generation of artists has shown their understanding of reality in one form or another. The impressionists saw reality in brief emotional effects, the realists in everyday subjects and in forest scenes, and the Cro-Magnon cave people in their naturalistic drawings of the animals in the ancient forests. To sum up, understanding reality is a necessary struggle for artists of all periods. Over thousands of years the function of the arts has remained relatively constant. Past or present, Eastern or Western, the arts are a basic part of our immediate experience. Many and different are the faces of art, and together they express the basic need and hope of human beings. Which of the following is the main topic of the passage? Answer:
Pieter Bruegel was a famous artist who lived in Europe five hundred years ago. He is well known for a painting calledChildren's Games. People like this painting because it is full of fun. It shows how children in Pieter's time enjoyed themselves in different ways. In all, there are about eighty games being played in the painting. Children's Gamesshows a busy street scene in a town long ago. The street is a wide and open space. There are no cars, so there is plenty of room to play. There are about two hundred children in the painting. Some play in groups and others play alone. They seem to be enjoying their freedom in the fresh air and their games. Some of the games are still played today. The games in the painting do not require children to spend money on extra materials . Instead, they use simple everyday objects like hats and sticks. A game might need a rope, some chalk, a hoop, a spinning top, or even a barrel. Some games are played without any toys at all. For example, one scene in the painting shows children turning somersaults inside the fence. Even though Pieter Bruegel lived a long time ago, children today can learn an important lesson from what he painted. The painting shows us how little we need in order to enjoy ourselves. All children really need is one another. It's not the toys or games that are found in the stores that create fun. Using our imagination can do this for us. The painting shows about _ games. Answer: 80 A creature that sometimes attaches to sharks is Answer: a ray-finned fish EVERY few hundred years, a sleeping giant in southern Italy awakens with a bang, spewing volcanic ash across the countryside. The volcano, called Mount Vesuvius, formed 25,000 years ago. During its most explosive eruptions, the volcano could blanket nearby cities with hot ash, sometimes also burying them with deadly flows of mud and rocks. One famous eruption occurred nearly 2,000 years ago, in the year AD 79. It lasted 18 hours and destroyed the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, killing thousands of people as they tried to escape. Scientists and city officials had supposed that Naples, one of Italy's most populous cities, was far enough away that it would be safe from the volcano's _ . New evidence suggests that this might not be the case. Researchers recently discovered 4000-year-old layers of ash and mud under present-day Naples. Just outside the city, they also uncovered abandoned villages, as well as human and animal skeletons. Most surprising of all, the researchers say, was the discovery of thousands of footprints from the same time period, pressed into layers of wet ash that had rained from the sky. The footprints show that thousands of people were fleeing to the northwest, away from the volcano, as it erupted. Mount Vesuvius hasn't had a major eruption since 1631, but it's still very active. The discovery of the ancient ash layers, skeletons, and footprints is a warning that modern Naples, a city of 3 million people, isn't safe from the volcano, scientists say. So, when the volcano begins to rumble again, Naples should have an emergency evacuation plan ready - just in case. What can we conclude from the passage? Answer: Mount Vesuvius is a potential danger to Naples. All right! Enough cookies,cola, and chips! It seems that junk food is all that the children want to eat these days.Television controls their tastes.The kids see well-known personalities eating potato chips, candy and other processed food, and they want to be like their heroes.How do they do it?They eat the same food. I wish there were more characters like old Popeye , the sailor, who ate spinach and not French fries. Now I don't expect my children to eat healthy food because I like brown rice, beans, and fresh vegetables. I'm glad to cook traditional meals of meat and potatoes for them. I really can't be too upset with the kids because most adults aren't careful about what they eat. The other night, my wife and I went to a party where there was plenty to drink but very little for us to eat. They served hot dogs and hamburgers. I can't eat hot dogs, with all those preservatives , and hamburgers are filled with chemicals so that they look better. Besides the meat, they had sugar-filled cookies and cake, and of course, chips. I don't want the world to change because of me, but I think people should realize that there are alternatives to eating meat. They always tell me that I probably don't get my essential proteins. I feel better than ever and I'm sure that it's because I'm a vegetarian . I would really like to see more television advertisements which show the benefits of good, healthy, natural food. According to the passage, it seems that _ . Answer: the children like nothing better than junk food: cookies and chips Dogs have an understanding of fair play and become angry if they feel that another dog is getting a better deal, a new study has found. The study looked at how dogs react when a companion is rewarded for the same trick in an unequal way. Friederike Range, a researcher at the University of Vienna in Austria, and her colleagues did a series of experiments with dogs who knew how to respond to the command "give the paw ". The dogs were normally happy to repeatedly give the paw, whether they got a reward or not. But that changed if they saw that another dog was being rewarded with a piece of food, while they received nothing. "We found that the dogs hesitated significantly longer when obeying the command to give the paw," the researchers write. The unrewarded dogs eventually stopped cooperating. Scientists have long known that humans pay close attention to inequity. But researchers always assumed that animals didn't share the trait. "The argument was that this is a uniquely human phenomenon," says Frans de Waal, a professor of psychology at Emory University in Atlanta. That changed in 2003 when he and a colleague did a study on monkeys. The monkeys had to hand a small rock to researchers to get a piece of cucumber in return. They were happy to do this. But if they saw that another monkey was getting a more delicious reward, a grape, for doing the same job, they would throw away the food and rock, and at some point just stopped performing. In that experiment, the monkeys considered the fairness of two different types of payment. But when Range and her colleagues did a similar study with their trained dogs, testing to see if dogs would become upset if they only got dark bread when other dogs received sausage, they found that as long as the dogs got some kind of food payment, even if it wasn't the most delicious kind, the animals would play along. Some monkeys in the research become angry because they found another monkey _ . Answer: was given more delicious food.
Dear Friend, The recent success of children's books has made the general public aware that there's a huge market out there. And there's a growing need for new writers trained to create the $3 billion worth of children's books bought each year ... plus stories and articles needed by over 650 publishers of magazines for children and teenagers. Who are these needed writers? They're ordinary folks like you and me. But am I good enough? I was once where you might be now. My thoughts of writing had been pushed down by self-doubt, and I didn't know where to turn for help. Then, I accepted a free offer from the Institute to test my writing aptitude ,and it turned out to be the inspiration I needed. The promise that paid off The Institute made the same promise to me that they will make to you, if you show basic writing ability: You will complete at least one manuscript suitable to hand in to a publisher by the time you finish our course. I really didn't expect any publication before I finished the course, but that happened. I sold three stories. And I soon discovered that was not unusual at the Institute. Since graduation, I have authored 34 nationally published children's books and over 300 stories and articles. Free test and brochure We offer a free aptitude test and will send you a copy of our brochure describing our recognized home-study courses on the basis of one-on-one training. Realize your writing dream today. There's nothing sadder than a dream delayed until it fades forever. Sincerely, Kristi Kristi Holl, Instructor Institute of Children's Literature When finishing the course, you are promised to _ . A. be a successful publisher B. become a confident editor C. get one story or article published D. finish one work for publication Answer: C. get one story or article published Researchers have found more evidence that suggests a relationship between race and rates of lung cancer among smokers. A new study shows that black people and Native Hawaiians are more likely to develop lung cancer from smoking. It compared their risk to whites, Japanese, Americans and Latinos. The study, however, found almost no racial or ethnic differences among the heaviest smokers. These were people who smoked more than thirty cigarettes each day. Other comparisons have shown that blacks are more likely than whites to get lung cancer from smoking. But the scientists say few studies have compared the risks among Native Hawaiians, Asians and Latinos. Researchers at the University of Southern California and the University of Hawaii did the new study. The New England Journal of Medicine published the findings. The eight-year study involved more than 180,000 people. They provided details about their tobacco use and their diet as well as other information. They included current and former smokers and people who never smoked. Almost 2,000 people in the study developed lung cancer. Researchers say genetics might help explain the racial and ethnic differences. There could be differences in how people's bodies react to smoke. But environmental influences, including the way people smoke, could also make a difference. African-Americans and Latinos in the study reported smoking the fewest cigarettes per day. Whites were the heaviest smokers. But the scientists note that blacks have been reported to breathe cigarette smoke more deeply than white smokers. This could fill their lungs with more of the chemicals in tobacco that cause cancer. Many researchers disagree not only about the effect of race on the risk of disease, but even about the meaning of race. Yet scientists know that some diseases affect different groups differently. And some drug companies have begun to develop racially targeted medicines. Last June, the United State Food and Drug Administration approved a drug designed to treat heart failure in black patients. The name is BiDil. The agency called it "a step toward the promise of personalized medicine". From the passage, researchers agree that it is _ that may probably determine blackpeople's risk of lung cancer. A. the bigger amount of smoking than the white B. the living style or habit of the blacks to form C. the depth of cigarette smoke into their lungs D. the physical strength to react to cigarette smoke Answer: C. the depth of cigarette smoke into their lungs After years of study, I have known there are only two types of people in this world:those who get to the airport early and those who arrive as the plane is about to take off. If there were any justice in this world, the early-airport people would be rewarded for doing the right thing and the late-airport people would be punished. But the early-airport people get ulcers , heart attacks and bite their fingernails to the bone. The late-airport people are hardly aware that they are flying. A guy of that kind once said, "Don't hurry. If you miss your flight, it's because God didn't want you to go."This is clearly a guy who is never going to get an ulcer. Early-airport people suffer another"name". They are called exactly what they are--wimps . I know. I am an early-airport person for years. My luggage will get on the plane first, which makes it the last luggage they take off the plane after landing. Another strange thing:No matter how early I showed up, I was always told that someone had called two or three years ahead of me and asked for the best seat. I figured it was a trick. I figured there was someone in America who called every airline every day and said, "Is that wimp Simon flying somewhere today? If he is, give me his seat. " After a lifetime arguing with my wife over whether I really have to pack 24 hours in advance and set the alarm clock four hours ahead, I have learned another fact about early-airport people and late-airport people: They always marry each other. It could be inferred that the writer's wife is _ . A. an early-airport woman B. a late-airport woman C. a hot-tempered woman D. a sensitive woman Answer: B. a late-airport woman Students Begin to Smoke at a Younger Age SHANGHAI---- Almost one in four students aged between 12 and 14 have tried smoking, according to the results of a survey from the CATC . " Quite a number of boy students in my class smoke outside the school yard during lunch break," said Li Xiaolan, an English teacher from a high school in Shanghai. The survey also found that 39 percent of students took their first cigarette from their classmates. " It was quite common to smoke with my classmates at school,"said Zhou Guangrong,a 22- year-old university student from Guiyang, Guizhou province,who started smoking at the age of 12. Most of the student smokers buy cigarettes themselves." My middle and high schools were surrounded by cigarette shops when I was a student," said Liu Minghui who used to smoke two cigarettes per day in primary school and two packs per week in middle and high school. " We're keen to show that more teenagers are starting smoking much younger than before,and that we need to minimize the number of young smokers," said Duan Jiali, an officer in CATC. He added that teachers and parents should set a good example for teenagers by not smoking in front of them at school or at home, which is the best way of stopping teenagers from smoking. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage? A. More teenagers are starting smoking much older than before. B. Most of student smokers buy cigarettes themselves. C. Some students smoke in toilets or in corners of the playground after lunch. D. Teachers and parents shouldn't smoke. Answer: A. More teenagers are starting smoking much older than before. Most people like buying things by touching them on a store shelf. Many people begin to feel some goods as theirs when they touch them. They have "mine, mine, mine" feeling as little as 30 seconds after touching an object . In a study, some people were shown a cheap coffee cup, and were allowed to hold it for 10 seconds or 30 seconds. They were then allowed to buy it in either a closed or an open place. The people knew the real price of the cup before they began to buy. If people hold the cup for a longer time, he will pay more for it. In fact, people hold the cup for 30 seconds pay more than the others. "The amazing part of this study is that people can become almost attached to something like a cup." said James Wolf,"By touching the cup and holding it in their hands, they begin to feel the cup is theirs. Once they begin to feel it as theirs, they are willing to keep it." Many businessmen use this way to sell their things. For example, car sellers send the buyers out on test drives and pet shop owners encourage people to play with the dogs in the window. When you are testing out new cars, you are going to buy it at once. But you can do better if you get ready for it. The main idea of this passage is _ . A. more and more people don't care about the goods they want to buy B. many people are willing to pay for the goods which they would like to hold C. how do the businessmen sell their cars D. people often buy something they don't like Answer: B. many people are willing to pay for the goods which they would like to hold
Question: Service Foods makes it easier for cooks to reduce mealtime complains. Service Foods is so confident that they can reduce complaints, in fact, that the company is offering a series of mealtime complaint-reduction tips. According to a representative of Service Foods, complaints can occur when busy cooks serve substandard, low quality meats. As products sit in packaging in the meat case at the store, the meat can age out too much. The natural flavor disappears, and it can be replaced with an undesirable strange flavor. According to Service Foods, complaints from children are common when you serve substandard meats. Kids may not have the words to describe why they don't like the meats, but they're certainly willing to express their displeasure. By serving meats from Service Foods, complaints can be reduced. Service Foods meats are all natural and organic, meaning the meats have-no chemicals or water or colorings that could change the taste. And the meats are flash-frozen right after cutting, so they won't taste strange to your children. If you're facing different types of complaints, Service Foods may still be able to help you. Some families have mealtime boredom. The same meals, served in the same way, week after week, can be incredibly boring and hard 'to look forward to. When it comes to these complaints, Service Foods has the answer right on the web. Just go to http: //www. servicefoods.com and you'll find a long list of recipes to try. Some of these recipes are made in demonstration format, so you can watch the video and get step-by-step instructions on how to prepare the meals. By following these recipes from Service Foods, complaints relating to boredom can certainly be reduced. While Service Foods knows complaints at mealtime can never be totally _ , as picky kids will always be picky kids with concerns, the company is doing everything possible to deal with the problem and get cooks the help they need. From the passage we can learn that Service Foods can do the following EXCEPT _ . A. cook food for picky kids B. teach how to prepare meals C. provide natural and organic meat D. help reduce complaints about foods Answer: A Question: Company designed and built a processing plant for the manufacture of an explosive chemical. Engineer was retained by Company to design a filter system for the processing plant. She prepared an application for a permit to build the plant's filter system and submitted it to the state's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). As required by DEP regulations, Engineer submitted a blueprint to the DEP with the application for permit. The blueprint showed the entire facility and was signed and sealed by her as a licensed professional engineer. After the project was completed, a portion of the processing plant exploded, injuring Plaintiff. During discovery in an action by Plaintiff against Engineer, it was established that the explosion was caused by a design defect in the processing plant that was unrelated to the filter system designed by Engineer. In that action, will Plaintiff prevail? A. Yes, if Engineer signed, sealed, and submitted a blueprint that showed the design defect. B. Yes, because all of the plant's designers are jointly and severally liable for the defect. C. No, because Engineer owed no duty to Plaintiff to prevent the particular risk of harm. D. No, if Engineer was an independent contractor. Answer: C Question: Here is some information about several famous local bakeries in Indiana, the US. They serve as a social gathering place for locals. Maple Lane Bakery At 8260 S. State Rd. Claypool, IN. (574) 566-2917, it offers a variety of cooked pies, cookies, and bread. With 20 years' experience Maple Lane Bakery has specialized in the making of pies. The menu includes peach pie $7.19, berry pie $ 7.70, apple pie $7.19 and banana pie $6.99. Feel free to place an order at least 24 hours in advance. Betty's cakes & Candy Shop At 816 E. Winona Avenue Warsaw, IN. (574) 269-1231, it specializes in cakes and offers cookies and candies. The chocolate cookies are sold at $ 8.99 a dozen. Betty's cakes & Candy Shop, started half a century ago, specializes in wedding cakes and birthday cakes. Buying a cake from Betty's will not disappoint you as they are always excellent. Crepes' Quality Bakery At 217S. Cavin Street Ligonier, IN.(260) 894-3024, this third generation bakery is located downtown Ligonier. It offers cookies and cupcakes, and specializes in rolls and bread. If you plan to buy cookies for the office or work area, you had better get there early as the building workers arrive just before 5:00 am waiting for the doors to open. Olympia Candy Kitchen At 136N. Main Street Goshen, IN. (574) 533-5040, it has been welcoming visitors for almost a century in its unchanged location in downtown Goshen, Indiana. Its tradition began in 1912 when Greek Nicholas began making his own chocolates. Today this family-owned operation offers all kinds of candies and boxed candies. If you need an order, you should call ahead of time to see if they can meet your request. Which of the following bakeries has the shortest history? A. Olympia Candy Kitchen B. Crepes' Quality Bakery C. Maple Lane Bakery D. Betty's cakes & Candy Shop Answer: C Question: New York is a very large city with 8 million people. How do so many people move about the city on their way to work and school? So, we should know something about its transportation. In New York you can travel about the city by subway, bus, taxi and car. The subway runs on the railroad lines under the city. It crosses the city at different points and goes all parts of the city. Traveling by subway is the fastest way to get around the city. The second way to travel around the city is by public bus. It's a slower way to travel. This is because the bus moves in road traffic which is often heavy. You can also travel around the city by taxi. This is the most expensive way, but the taxi will take you to the very place you wish to go to. If traffic is heavy, the taxi will be slow. During the mornings and afternoons, this is the "rush hour". This is the time when the traffic is very heavy with people going to and from work. The last way to get around New York is using your own car. However , it's not easy for you to drive, especially when you are driving in the "rush hour". If there is an accident on the road, you will have to wait for a long time. The best time to travel around the city is from 9am to 4 pm. This is the time after the morning "rush hour" and before the evening "rush hour". Traffic will be less crowded because most people are already at school or at work. The most expensive way to travel in New York is by _ . A. subway B. taxi C. bus D. car Answer: B Question: Our surroundings are being polluted faster than nature and man's present efforts cannot prevent it. Time is bringing us more people, and more people will bring us more industry, more cars, larger cities, and the growing use of man-made materials. What can explain and solve this problem? The fact is that pollution is caused by man--by his desire for a modern way of life. We make "increasing industrialization" our chief aim. So we are often ready to offer everything: clean air, pure water, good food, our health and the future of our children. There is a constant flow of people from the countryside into the cities, eager for the benefits of our modern society. But as our technological achievements have grown in the last twenty years, pollution has become a serious problem. Isn't it time we stopped to ask ourselves where we are going--and why? It makes one think of the story about the airline pilot who told his passengers over the loudspeaker, "I've some good news and some bad news. The good news is that we're making rapid progress at 530 miles per hour. The bad news is that we're lost and don't know where we're going." The sad fact is that this becomes a true story when spoken of our modern society. Man cannot prevent the world from being polluted mainly because _ . A. the population of the world is decreasing fast B. people use too many man-made materials C. we have more and more industry D. we are producing more cars, trucks and buses Answer: C
Every day I check my e-mail. Most of the time I am simply doing finger exercises, another form of piano practice without the beautiful tones. Sometimes, however, I receive a gift, reminding me of the gifts in my life. The following passage is one of those gifts. Peter Jones is a 92-year-old, small but proud man. Every morning he is fully dressed by eight o'clock, with his hair fashionably combed and his face shaved perfectly, even though he is actually blind. He would move to a nursing home today because his wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary. After many hours of waiting patiently in the entrance hall of the nursing home, he smiled sweetly when told his room was ready. As he moved his walker skillfully to the elevator, the nurse provided a visual description of his tiny room, "I love it," he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy. "Mr. Jones, you haven't seen the room; just wait." Said the nurse. "That doesn't have anything to do with it," he replied. "Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged... it's how I arrange my mind. I have already decided to love it. It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice: I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do. Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I'll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I've stored away. May each of our days continue to be a gift. What do we know about Mr. Jones? Answer: He is blind but very neat. The Internet will overtake radio in 2008 and become the world's fourth-largest advertising medium, a year earlier than forecast. Global spending on Internet advertising increased from 18.7 billion U.S. dollars in 2005 to 24.9 billion dollars last year, according to Zenith Optimedia, the media-buying agency. The Middle East and Asia are driving a boom in global advertising spending. Zenith predicted _ of 7.7% in spending in Asia in the run-up to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. In the Middle East and Eastern Europe, advertising spending is growing faster than in North America and Western Europe, which are "maturing rapidly" as advertising markets, Zenith said. Advertising spending in the Middle East increased by 22.4% between 2005 and 2006, compared with growth of 5.2% in America and 4 per cent in Western Europe. Zenith attributed the huge percentage share in the Middle East to the growth in local economies and high oil prices. In addition to the Olympics, the U.S. presidential election and the European football championship in Austria and Switzerland next year will be the biggest contributors to overall growth during the next two years. However, Zenith noted, the market should brace itself for a fall in revenues after those big events end. What will happen to online advertising after all those big events end? Answer: It will witness a somewhat decrease. Understanding one's own history is important for young people's learning and development. Students are often asked to write a story about their own family's history or about a special person in their family. But too rarely do students focus on the history of their own community or their own people, in a way that helps them to understand why they find themselves in a particular situation. When people understand their own history, they are able to _ the influence of the social structures that sometimes limit the possibilities in their lives. Taking this approach opens the door for young people to be managers of their own learning and development as they understand why they find themselves where they are. , Many people I have been talking to about this issue agree that not only schools but also public bodies and families have failed to educate young people about their own history. And I know from my own experience how difficult it was for my father to talk about his family's experience in 1944.This may be a reflection of the sadness that people feel about that history and not wanting to make it a burden on their young people. But in today's situation, those I spoke with now clearly see that as a mistake. If our society is ever to find a way to properly deal with the influence of our own history, including what has happened to our Native American, African-American and Latino friends, our schools must step up to help young people understand their own stories. Families and related social bodies must do the same. The passage mainly encourages us to _ . Answer: learn our own history Study-abroad programs are a great way to learn about different cultures. Sometimes students don't have the money to join in these programs. That is why scholarships for study-abroad programs are starting to become popular. Study-abroad programs can often be quite expensive. Finding scholarships is not that difficult. Usually, you can just visit the study-abroad office at your educational institution or even the financial services office. They will have a large directory of available scholarships. If your school does not have these offices, you can just quickly have a look on the Internet and find a wide variety of scholarships you might qualify for. The credentials you need to be considered for a scholarship vary greatly. But, to be a candidate for any scholarship, you generally need to have good grades, be an outstanding person, and be able to take full advantage of the opportunities presented to you. You will be able to show why you are a good candidate through the application process. The application process for each scholarship varies, which usually includes submitting an academic record, an essay, and sometimes an interview. Usually, you will have to submit your academic records. The administrators of the scholarship will know that you take your academic studies seriously. Next you usually need to write an essay. This could be on a wide variety of subjects, but they usually focus on something related to 'why you should get this scholarship' to determine how much you want the scholarship and how good of a candidate you would be. After this, the final few applicants may be asked in for an interview to learn about you and why you would be a good recipient of the scholarship. If you satisfy all these requirements, there is a good chance you will get a scholarship. If you don't have enough money, don't give up but use plenty of scholarship opportunities for you! In which part of a newspaper would you most probably read this passage? Answer: Education "The really big concern over the last decade," according to Dr. David Whitehead, "is the relative loss of opportunities for children to engage in child-led play." That's true. One of the exhausting aspects of modern parenting is that everything, even doing nothing, has to be purposeful. Now that "parenting" has become a verb -- a state of doing, rather than simply being -- it can fed unnatural to leave your children to their own devices. Yet it creates spaces in which good things can happen. The psychology lecturer is responding to a survey showing that 80 percent of parents of small children feel under pressure to fill their days with "structured" activities. This, says Dr. Whitehead, is a mistake. Leaving your children to play on their own or with their peers enables them to develop "self-regulation abilities", which in turn leads to better academic achievement. One afternoon last autumn, sitting on a bench doing no parenting at all, I suddenly felt I was getting the hang of it. That afternoon, my sister and I took our children to the park. We had lots to talk about, so we sat down on a bench and drove the children away. After briefly complaining, the cousins wandered off and started jumping into puddles . They jumped and jumped, and then one of them kicked some muddy water at the others. My sister and I, deep in conversation, didn't notice this. So my nephew became more adventurous. He scooped up a handful of mud and threw it on my son's head. My son caught his breath happily, wiped the mud out of his eyes, and threw one back. My nephew, who has a talent for naming things, puffed out his tiny chest and roared: "Let's play Muddikins!" The rules of Muddikins are simple. You run around throwing mud at each other until everyone is so thickly coated that you can no longer be sure which child is whose. Nothing is learnt from it; nobody is improved. It is pure fun, of the sort that can only happen when parents drop the reins . They did it. " Whoa, that's so cool," said one. "I wish my mum was like you." What does the author think of the behavior of the children in the puddles? Answer: Worthwhile.
What is the density of a 64-g iron cube that displaces 8 mL of water? A. 512 g/mL B. 32 g/mL C. 8 g/mL D. 4 g/mL Answer: C Dear Textual Healing, I would be very interested in your recommendations for any books to help me through a difficult time of my life. At 57, I am feeling a bit lost. I have a wonderful, loving husband and bright, caring teenage daughter but I am lonely and have lost my spark for life. I have always taken care of everyone and managed a career, but, after the death of my father this summer, my difficulties as a child in a terribly abnormal family have come back to me regularly. I have become unfocused and often alone while my husband is away frequently on business and my daughter busy with school and friends. I am seeking the help of a therapist and taking care of myself but I would love to read something to help me "get my groove back" and reengage with life. PC Dear PC, From the letter you've given us about your life, it's no wonder you're feeling a little lost. But before prescribing titles to help you get your groove back, I'd recommend taking a journey into Rebecca Solnit's non-fiction book,A Field Guide to Getting Lost, which is packed with the wisdom of everyone from Pat Barker to Thoreau and Keats. The word lost is rooted in the Old Norse "los", meaning the disbanding of an army. "This origin suggests soldiers falling out of formation to go home, ceasing fighting with the wide world. I worry now that many people never disband their armies, never go beyond what they know," Solnit writes. So instead of fearing that lost feeling, try seeing its potential for discovery. Explorers, remember, are always lost simply because they're forever someplace new. "Leave the door open for the unknown, the door into the dark," Solnit advises. "That's where the most important things come from, where you yourself came from, and where you will go." For something that asks a little less of the reader while still giving plenty in return, try a dose (--) of Anne Tyler, the beloved creator of numerous heroes whose serious conditions will move anyone who finds themselves in a midlife difficult situation. One such character is 53-year-old Rebecca Davitch, the heroine ofBack When We Were Grownups. Like you, she's combined marriage and motherhood with a career but suddenly finds herself feeling lonely in her own home. Could it be, she wonders, that she's "turned into the wrong person"? Don't be fooled by the way this novel ambles along -- as Rebecca revisits youthful ambitions and the college boyfriend she abandoned, it asks some heart-rending questions before arriving at a place of graceful, joyous acceptance. Along similar lines, I'm also going to recommendThe Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fryby Rachel Joyce. Its hero is 65 when he learns that a former colleague sick. On his way to post her a note,he decides instead to visit her -- on foot, from his home in deepest Devon to England's northernmost town, more than 600 miles away. You don't manage that without focus! It's a journey to a holy place that will take him 87 days to complete, during which he considers his childhood, marriage and relationship with his son, and becomes an accidental media sensation . By the time he reaches his destination, you'll feel anything but tired. Finally, Ruth Ozeki's novelA Tale for the Time Beingwill charm the missing spark back into your life. Combining the diary of a sad Tokyo teenager with the story of the middle-aged novelist who finds it, washed ashore on a remote island off the coast of British Columbia, it's a beautiful illustration of how our lives touch -- and are touched by -- others in ways we mightn't even be aware of. This "Man Booker Prize" finalist has plenty to teach about Zen Buddhism, and unless you happen to live in one of its settings, it provides a bracing change of scene, too. One other suggestion: books, as we all know, make great companions but that doesn't mean they can't be enjoyed in the company of others. If you find yourself home alone, why not slip one into your back pack and head out to a favourite cafe. By mentioning the origin of the word "lost", Textual Healing implies that _ . A. PC should extend her knowledge by reading more B. PC should stop struggling with anyone around her C. PC had better try to avoid going someplace new D. PC oughtn't to be trapped in her present situation Answer: D Yamilette Colon was close to leaving a school. "I'm not even going to lie to you, and I was bad, '' said Colon, who admitted she had a gift for attracting trouble. Three years later, though, Colon, now 18, is a school honor student on track for a May diploma, spurred in part by a sense of self-pride, but also, she says, by the economic disaster that has closed plants, deprived of jobs and dimmed the future for many young people in this depressed county. "It's a huge factor," Colon said, "What it comes down to is, the longer you stay in school, the more education you will get, and the more money you will make." That's a big shift in attitude in a community where 24 percent of adults older than 25 have not a high school education, where only 66 percent of students graduate from high school in four years, and where generations of kids dropped out because it was always easy to find a suitable job. But across the country, education leaders say they're seeing what may be one bright spot in the discouraging downturn: more students choose to stay in or return to school. "I'm hearing kids clinging to their education as the economy gets worse,'' said Clyde Riley, principal at the Tipton Street Center alternative school, where Colon is one of 240 students in a district that serves some 13,500. Here and elsewhere, long waiting lists for adult education and GED (General Education Development) classes, enrollments at community colleges and, perhaps, a surge in returns by high school dropouts and a decline in those who leave in the first place, may all point to a renewed focus on education, experts say. "If there's anything good coming out of this recession, it's to make educational lemonade out of these lemons." said Bob Wise, who now heads a national policy group. According to the text, Colon was a girl _ . A. who dropped out of school at 15 years old B. who often made trouble at school C. who was driven out of school because of lying D. who was honored for fighting bravely Answer: B A book review tells not only what a book is about, but also how successful it is at what it is trying to do. Professors often assign book reviews as practice in careful analytical reading. As a reviewer, you bring together the two parts of accurate, analytical reading and strong, personal response when you indicate what the book is about and what it might mean to a reader. In other words, reviewers answer not only the WHAT but the SO WHAT question about a book. Thus, in writing a review, you combine the skills of describing what is on the page,analyzing how the book tried to achieve its purpose, and expressing your own reactions. Most book reviews start with a heading that includes all the basic information about the book, like: Title. Author. Place of publication, publisher, date of publication. Number of pages. The review usually begins with an introduction that lets your readers know what the review will say. The first paragraph usually includes the author and title again, so your readers don't have to look up to find this information. You should also include a very brief description of the contents of the book, the purpose or audience for the book, and your reaction and evaluation. Then you move into a section of background information that helps place the book in context and discusses how to judge the book. Next, you should give a summary of the main points, quoting and explaining key phrases from the author. Finally, you get to the heart of your review -- your evaluation of the book. In this section, you might discuss some of the following issues: How well the book has achieved its goal. What possibilities are suggested by the book. What the book has left out. How the book compares with others on the subject. *What personal experiences you've had related to the subject. It is important to use labels to carefully distinguish your views from the author's, so that you don't confuse your readers. Then, like other essays, you can end with a direct comment on the book, and tie together issues raised in the review in a conclusion. There is, of course, no set form, but a general rule is that the first one-half to two-thirds of the review should summarize the author's main ideas and at least one-third should evaluate the book. According to the text, personal response of a book reviewer refers to _ . A. accurate and analytical reading B. the reviewer's understanding about the background of the book C. the reviewer's indication of what the book is about and what it means to a reader D. skills of describing what is on the page Answer: C Tommy cut his finger. His body needed energy to help heal the cut. Where did the energy come from to heal the cut? A. from the bandage he put on the cut B. from the antiseptic cream he put on the cut C. from the food he ate D. from the water he drank Answer: C
Life in the future will be different from life today.Between then and now many changes will happen.But what will the changes be? The population is growing fast.There will be many people in the world and most of them will live longer than people live now. Computers will be much smaller and more useful,and there will be at least one in every home.And computer studies will be one of the important subjects in schools then.People will work fewer hours than they do now and they will have more free time for sports,watching TV and traveling.Traveling will be much cheaper and easier.And many more people will go to other countries for holidays. There will be changes in our food,too.More land will be used for building new towns and houses for all the people.Then there will be less room for cows and sheep,so meat will be more expensive.Maybe no one will eat it every day.Instead,they will eat more fruits and vegetables.Maybe people will be healthier.Work in the future will be different,too.Robots will do dangerous and hard work.Because of this,many people will not have enough work to do.This will be a problem. In the future there will be _ . much more people Jill was a normal student. However, she was barely passing her classes this year. Her finals were coming up in a few weeks and Jill was very nervous about her Math test. She was never very good at Math. Her brother always teased her because he was great at Math, History, and Science, but she preferred Art. To raise her grades, Jill spent the week before finals studying every day in the school library. On the last day before the test, Jill walked in and was ready to work hard like she had every day that week. Except this time she looked over and saw her best friend, Michelle, walking up to her. Michelle greeted Jill and told her that she wants to help her study for the Math test. The two girls spend the rest of the afternoon looking over their class notes. By the end of the day, Jill finally felt ready. She left and walked back to her house. That night Jill made sure to get lots of sleep. She awoke early and had a filling breakfast before making her way to school. Her teacher, Mr. Matthews, handed out the Math tests and she began to work. She felt like she did a really good job, but she was scared, too. Jill had to wait until tomorrow to see how she did. The next day she hurried back to class. Jill walked in and grabbed her test from the stack of papers. She let out a yell. Jill had failed. She turned to her friend Michelle and started to cry. She was so upset. What did Jill not do to be ready for the test? Made a cheat sheet with the test answers. Once there was a young woman who didn't like her job. Everyday when she came home from work, she told her husband how terrible her day had been, how tiring the work and how unreasonable her boss. "Leave that job," her husband told her. "Oh, I will," she said. "But not yet. I have too many friends there for me to leave." And so she remained unhappy at work until the years became decades and her children had children. "Leave that job," her grandchildren told her. "Oh, I will," she said. "But not yet. There are only seven more years until I reach thirty years of service and can retire. So I can't just yet." I know this woman. And her story reminds me of an old dog half asleep on the porch of a general store, moaning and groaning in the sun. "Why is your dog acting that way?" a customer asked the store owner. "Oh," answered the man. "He's lying on a nail." "Well, why doesn't he move?" "Because it's not hurting him bad enough." That's true for people, too. We convince ourselves the pain is not bad enough to leave the workplace we know. But we're wrong. _ work pain is continuing. Some work pain damages our self-esteem, kills our passion or destroys our dreams. Wilbur Wright once commented, "We could hardly wait to get up in the morning. I know that exhilarating feeling of being so passionate about something I was working on that I couldn't wait to get back to work. And people who are winning at working know that kind of passion, too." They get excited about work. They offer their unique gifts and talents eagerly. And when things don't change as they sometimes will, they refuse to let environment hijack their self-esteem, passion or dreams. People who are getting along well with their work _ . are likely to change with the situation Making friends in the first few weeks of school is easy. Many students can find a friend in little time. They can be amazed at how close they can get to someone whose interests are completely different, and how comfortable they feel about expressing their mutual fondness. Unusual bonds are one of the great pleasures of school life, and can lead to enriching relationships based on mutual respect. Mostly, though, by a couple of weeks into term, they are really embarrassing. And shaking off friends can be a lot harder than making them. School is all about being busy and trying new things, so you needn't feel too bad about ditching( ......) old friends in favor of new people and experiences. So long as you do it kindly. The pace of school life can be a great excuse for turning down another invitation for a party. You can even claim to be studying---you're at school, and you're supposed to work hard. Another kind way of getting rid of an unwanted friend is to go on inviting them out, but to events where lots of other people will demand your time. Or you could suggest activities that you think they'd enjoy, but which you won't actually be able to make yourself. Then you could say "I'm really busy at the moment. I'll give you a call when I've finished this assignment". But wait. Hasn't someone just said that to you? How do you manage to stay such company that you're not the one being ditched? For a start, concentrate on how interesting the other person is. Remember the things going on in their lives and text or ring to check how they got on with those things. Do sympathize if things have gone badly, and congratulate them if things have gone well. Have a weekly time and place where you meet friends, so that you can invite new friends to drop in. There, the more cheerful you appear, the more popular you are likely to be. We can base an unusual friendship on _ . mutual respect The knowledge society will be a highly competitive one, for organizations and individuals alike. Information technology, although only one of many new features of the next society, is already having one hugely important effect: it is allowing knowledge to spread near-instantly , and making it accessible to everyone. Given the ease and speed at which information travels, every institution in the knowledge society--not only businesses, but also schools, universities, hospitals and increasingly government agencies too--has to be globally competitive, even though most organizations will continue to be local in their activities and in their markets. This is because the Internet will keep customers everywhere informed on what is available anywhere in the world, and at what price. This new knowledge economy will rely heavily on knowledge workers. At present, this term is widely used to describe people with considerable theoretical knowledge and learning :doctors, lawyers, teachers, accountants chemical engineers. But the most striking growth will be in "knowledge technologists": computer technicians, software designers, analysts in clinical labs, manufacturing technologists, paralegals. These people are as much manual workers and they are knowledge workers; in fact, they usually spend far more time working with their hands than with their brains, but their manual work is based on a substantial amount of theoretical knowledge which can be acquired only through formal education ,not through an apprenticeship . They are not, as a rule, much better paid than traditional skilled workers, but they see themselves as "professionals", just as unskilled manual workers in manufacturing were the _ social and political force in the 21thcentury, knowledge technologists are likely to become the dominant social--and perhaps also political--force over the next decades. The quick spread of knowledge in the next society _ . is based on information technology
I have many friends, and they have different favorite subjects. John's favorite subject is computer because he thinks computer can help him a lot with his study. He is a computer fan. He likes playing computer games very much, and he is good at playing it. Jack likes art best because he likes drawing pictures a lot. Mary likes Chinese because her father is Chinese. Her father teaches her Chinese at home. She loves China very much, and she wants to know more about China. Bob thinks Maths is very interesting, so he likes Maths best. David likes P. E. because he likes doing sports. He is good at playing basketball and soccer. _ father is Chinese. Answer: Mary's There are a lot of social networking sites these days. In order to make relationships between people strong, sites like Facebook, Twitter and QQ have become a daily "must visit" site. In fact, many people spend all day in front of the computer or are busy with their phones only to spend time on these sites. Social networking sites provide facilities that enable people to communicate with their friends without spending time meeting them in person. In addition, they can play games. But what is quite surprising is that these sites not only give you pleasure, but can also increase risks of diseases in your body. Despite their primary purpose, these sites make people more isolated . "Sending a message through sites can cause side effects that are very big in the body's biological changes," said Dr Aric Sigman, a psychologist, according to DailyMail. Increased isolation may alter the workings of immune response to the feelings of anger and others. People become angry easily. In the journal, Dr. Sigman says that it can increase the risk of cancer, strokes, heart attacks and dementia . Researchers found that the amount of time people used to meet face to face had decreased greatly since the increased use of the electronic media in 1987. To save time, people prefer to meet virtually rather than face to face; Education today even uses an online system that allows school-aged children not to come out of their rooms. Parents spend less time with their children, like the cases in England. The habit of having dinner together decreases, while the number of people who choose to work online at home increases. "The electronic media may also reduce the ability of children and adults in social interaction, as long as they are isolated. Social networking sites should help us improve the quality of life, but what happens is the opposite, they are not a tool to improve, but a tool to replace," said Dr Sigman. Social networking sites are harmful to users because _ . Answer: more isolation is caused by less direct communication Mozart was born on January 27, 1756 and died on December 5 , 1791. When he was three, he often had lessons with his elder sister. His father took him through many different countries, where he played music for lots of people. But some people didn't believe a little boy could write such beautiful music. They asked him to stay in a room all by himself for a week and somebody watched the room all the time . In a week , he finished a new piece of music . After that, people believed that he could write beautiful music. Mozart died when he was still a young man. During his short life he studied music and taught music and played music and wrote music. Even by working so hard, he couldn't make much money . Often he had to borrow money from his friends. But his music made him happy and for more than two hundred years his music has made other people happy, too. When he was _ , Mozart took music lessons with his sisters. Answer: three When you want to go shopping, decide how much money you can spend on new clothes.Think about the kind of clothes you really need.Then look for those clothes you really need.Then look for those clothes on sale. There are labels inside all new clothes.The labels tell you how to take care of your clothes.The label for a shirt may tell you to wash it in warm water.A sweater label may tell you to wash in cold water.The label on a coat may say "dry clean only", for washing may ruin this coat.If you do as the directions on the label, you can keep your clothes looking their best for a long time. Many clothes today must be dry cleaned.Dry cleaning is expensive.When buying new clothes, check to see if they will need to be dry cleaned.You will save money if you buy clothes that can be washed. You can save money if you buy clothes that are well made. Well-made clothes last longer.They look good even after they have been washed many times.Clothes that cost more money are not necessarily better made.They do not always fit better.Sometimes less expensive clothes look and fit better than more expensive clothes. The labels inside the clothes tell you _ . Answer: how to keep them looking their best One night in February 1962, John H. Glenn. Jr., flew over Australia. The man in the Mercury capsule was alone, but friendly voices reached him by radio. On the dark land 100 miles below, he saw a sprinkling of light. They marked the city of Perth, where people had turned on their lights as a greeting to him. In Friendship7, Glenn radioed, " The lights show up very well. Thank for everybody for turning them on." His capsule raced on to the east. During his three orbits(......) of the earth, Glenn could always reach one of eighteen tracking stations. Some of them were on ship at sea. Others were in the United States. Many of the stations had been built with the help of other countries. These countries allowed Americans to bring in radio equipment and set it up. Without the help of such lands as Nigeria , Zanzibar(,), and Mexico, there would have been breaks in the worldwide radio network. John H. Glenn. Jr., was the first America to orbit the earth. For his flight, the tracking network covered 60,000 route miles. Five hundred men worked in the stations along the route. Since his flight, the network has grown. Today, it covers more than 100,000 route miles and has about one hundred stations. One-third of these stations are outside of the United States. Why did people in Perth turn on the lights? Answer: They wanted to greet Glenn.
When I was a foreign teacher in China,every day I taught English to my students and they taught me about China.One day the topic mined to saying "I love you".I was shocked to learn that not one of my students had said this to their mothers,nor had their mothers said it to them."Does your mom love you?" "Of course,"they answered. "How do you know?" was my logical question.They responded that their moms cooked and Always told them what they were doing wrong to show their earning.I was strummed. So mom's cooking and criticizing read our as "I love you"."Then how do you say 'I love you to her?" They agreed that getting good grades, followed by good jobs would be how they showed their love. I come from a culture where most people are expressive enough,so I repeated these queries in clauses over time.Gradually,I began to get different responses.Some of them had exchanged those sentiments with their moms. One of my favorite stories of change came from a girl.When she came home from university,her mother met her at the door and hugged her.This had never happened before,but her mom said,"Now that you have gone I have more time to myself.I noticed that in some places mothers and children hug each other and I decided it was a good idea and that I would begin hugging you." In my family we all say "I love you" a lot.While it is true that we often say the words without having great depth of feelings at that moment,it is almost like a blessing we give each other. Those three little words carry a world of meaning,even when said as a greeting, but most especially if they are the lax words we say to or hear from those we love. The foreign teacher _ . A. comes from America B. is a young woman C. is expressive enough D. knows much about China Answer: C. is expressive enough When Juliet was a child, she often went to the city park and played with her friends. On a sunny morning, when Juliet came to the park with her mum, she looked around and felt very unhappy. "What's the matter, dear?" asked her mum. Juliet replied, "Mum, there's so much trash on the ground." Juliet's mum looked around. There was paper, boxes and glass bottles everywhere. "What can we do?" asked Juliet. "I'm sure you will think of something," said her mum. As soon as Juliet and her mum went home, Juliet painted a picture of the park and wrote a sign in large black letters at the top of the picture. The sign read "PLEASE KEEP OUR PARK CLEAN". Later, she took plenty of bags and went back to the park with her mum. Juliet put up her picture on a big trash can . "Will you help me pick up the trash, Mum?" Juliet said as she handed her mum a bag. "I sure will," replied her mum. The children at the park ran over to see what was going on. Juliet handed them each a bag. "Let's clean this place up," said Juliet. Then they began to pick up the trash, talking and laughing. Soon all the bags were full. "We need to come back another day. There's still some trash on the ground, but the park looks much better," said Juliet. Her mum said, "So it does. _ " Which of the following is TRUE about the children? A. They laughed at Juliet. B. They had an awful and tiring day. C. They bought some bags from Juliet. D. They joined Juliet in picking up the trash. Answer: D. They joined Juliet in picking up the trash. Health is important for us.But how can we keep healthy?First,you should eat vegetables and fruit four or five times a week.Then you should eat some tofu products every day because they are good for people,both the young and the old.Milk is also necessary, _ for women.So you should have milk twice a day.It can help you to be healthy.Next,doing morning exercises is better.You can do morning exercises or evening exercises.After dinner,you should take a walk. You should eat _ four or five times a week. A. fish and fruit B. vegetables and mutton C. tofu D. vegetables and fruit Answer: D. vegetables and fruit Corn can sometimes A. be grown in arctic environments B. be used as kindling C. fuel a steam locomotive D. fuel an economy car Answer: D. fuel an economy car There are many kinds of cars in the world. My grandmother thinks that is because cars are like their drivers. She says, "Rich people have expensive cars, big people have large cars, and old people have old cars," But I don't agree with her. My neighbor, Mrs. Hill, is 82 years old. She drives only on Tuesday, and she drives only to the bank. She never drives more than 30 kilometers an hour. Do you think Mrs. Hill has a very old and small car? No! Her car is new. It is very large and it can go 200 kilometers an hour! My friend Mike is an artist. He draws beautiful pictures with a lot of colors. But his car is black! Mrs. Bates has a very old car. It often has engine trouble. Does she have that kind of car because she is very poor? No, she has four factories and two million dollars in the bank. My aunt Mary has a car. Every Sunday, she drives to the country with her husband, her three children , her mother and their dog. Now you read about my friends and their cars. Do you agree with my grandmother? Mrs. Hill's car is _ . A. fast and new B. fast but old C. slow and old D. fast and small Answer: A. fast and new
A blog can be a very effective way of spreading the words about yourself,and your other writing.It can _ your knowledge,and create an ongoing relationship with your readers.A good blog is more than just a marketing tool;it's also an expression of your personality. An obvious starting point is to post samples of your work that not only show off your skills and writing ability but also leave people wanting more.Post elections from the most exciting parts of your stories but end them just as the action reaches its peak.If you write nonfiction ,show people what they can achieve,and give them a few steps to get them started. Give tips,information and advice about the subjects you cover.For example,something about struggling with difficulty and many other issues like this.Your writing tips can also be included,as well as interesting,strange or funny things you discovered during your research.Whenever you contact an expert,ask if he or she has any interesting stories you could use.You may also give background information about your stories and locations Give details of coming posts on your blog,so people can watch out for you,or come and meet you.Personal news will help people feel better connected to you.Include photos of objects and locations in your writing,famous people you meet,the views from your window, and your favorite things--with a note about where they come from and what they mean to you.Look out for things that will help your readers get to know you better,know the subject better,or anything else you think they might find useful,inspiring or entertaining. If you only occasionally post things on your blog,people have a tendency to forget you.As a writer you shouldn't ever run out of interesting materials to fill your blog with----and your readers will love you for it. Personal news on your blog _ . Answer: can make people easily get in touch with you Women, as all research suggests, are far more critical of their appearance than men. Most of them are likely to feel dissatisfied with their reflection in the mirror. It is quite possible that men looking in the mirror are either pleased with what they see or indifferent. Research shows that men generally have a much more positive body-image than women---if anything, they may tend to over-estimate their attractiveness. Some men looking in the mirror may literally not see the flaws in their appearance. Why are women so much more self-critical than men? Because women are judged more on their appearance than men, and standards of female beauty are considerably higher and more inflexible. Women are continually bombarded with images of the "ideal" face. And constant exposure to idealized images of female beauty on TV, magazines and billboards makes exceptional good looks seem normal and anything short of perfection seem abnormal and ugly. It has been estimated that young women now see more images of outstandingly beautiful women in one day than our mothers saw throughout their entire adolescence. Also, most women trying to achieve the impossible standards of female beauty have in fact become progressively more unrealistic during the last century. In 1917, the physically perfect woman was about 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighed nearly 10 stone. Even 25 years ago, top models and beauty queens weighed only 8% less than the average women, now they weigh 23% less. The current media ideal for women is achievable by less than 5% of the female population---and that's just in terms of weight and size. If you want the ideal shape, face etc., it's probably more like 1%. Which statement is true about men? Answer: It is likely that men will consider themselves more attractive than they really are. Spending two or three hours playing outdoors each day can reduce the chance of becoming short-sighted, a research shows. It challenges the belief that short-sightedness is caused by computer use, watching TV or reading in weak light. The Australian government researchers believe that the sunlight is good for people's eyes. They compared the vision and habits of 100 seven-year-old children in Singapore and Australia. In all, 30% of the Singaporean children were short-sighted--this rate was ten times higher than Australian children. Both groups spend a similar amount of time reading, watching television and playing computer games. However the Singaporean children spent an average of only half an hour a day outdoors--90 minutes less than the Australian children. Professor Ian Morgan, from the Australian Research Council's vision Centre, said, "Humans are naturally long-sighted, but when people begin to go to school and spend little or no time outdoors, the number of short-sighted people gets larger. We're also seeing more and more short-sighted children in cities all around the world and the main reason may be that city children spend less time outdoors. Daylight can be hundreds of times brighter than indoor light. But why does playing outside prevent us from becoming short-sighted? Scientists believe that natural light has a special chemical which stops the eyeball from growing out of shape and prevents people from becoming short-sighted. So be outdoors. It doesn't matter if that time is spent having a picnic or having sports. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? Answer: There will be fewer risks of getting short-sighted if people spend two or three hours a day playing outside. A source of heat might be Answer: rubbing noses In English everything is the other way round. On Sundays, on the Continent even the poorest person puts on his best suit, tries to look respectable, and at the same time the life of the country becomes gay and cheerful; in England even the richest lord or motor-manufacturer dresses in some peculiar rags, does not shave, and the country becomes dull and sad. On the Continent there is one subject which should be avoided---the weather; in England, if you do not repeat the sentence "Lovely day, isn't it?" at least two hundred times a day, you are considered a bit dull. On the Continent people use a fork as though a fork were a shovel; in England they turn it upside down and push everything---including peas---on top it. On a Continental bus approaching a request stop, the conductor rings the bell if he wants his bus to go on without stopping; in England you ring the bell if you want the bus to stop; On the Continent people have good food; in England people have good table. On the continent almost every nation whether little or great has openly declared at one time or another that it is superior to all other nations; the English fight heroic wars to combat these dangerous ideas without ever mentioning which is really the most superior race in the world. Continental people are sensitive and touchy; The English take everything with a sense of humor---they are only offended if you tell them that they have no sense of humor. On the Continent the population consists of a small percentage of criminals, a small percentage of honest people and the rest are a vague transition between the two; in England you find a small percentage of criminals and the rest are honest people. On the other hand, people on the Continent either tell you the truth or lie; in England they hardly ever lie, but they would not dream of telling you the truth. Many continentals think life is a game; the English think cricket is a game. Which of the following can be the best title of this passage? _ . Answer: An Interesting Comparison --- The English and The Continentals.
The attachment of methyl radicals to genes helps regulate which property? A. information genes store B. mode of gene inheritance C. gene expression D. gene coding system Answer: D. gene coding system My Favourite Sweater by Bonnie Highsmith Taylor My favourite sweater grew too small. I love that sweater best of all. My grandma made it when I was three. She made that sweater just for me. I picked the yarn , a special blue. The color of bluebells, wet with dew When I was three I was very small But now I'm five and much too tall I have a new jacket now that's green So I gave my sweater to our cat Queen. Queen just had _ out in the shed My favourite sweater is now their bed. Who is the writer of the poem? A. The grandma B. Miss Taylor C. Mrs Taylor D. Queen Answer: B. Miss Taylor It is hard to predict how science is going to turn out , and if it is really good science, it is impossible to predict. If the things to be found are actually new, they must be unknown in advance You cannot make choices on this matter. You either have science or you don't and if you have it you have to accept the surprising and disturbing pieces of information, along with the neat and useful bits. The only solid piece of scientific truth about which I feel totally confident is that we don't know enough about nature. Indeed, I regard this as the major discovery of the past hundred years of biology. It is, in its way, a clear piece of news. It would have amazed the brightest minds of the 18th century to be told by any of us how little we know and how strange seems the way ahead . In earlier times, they either pretended to understand how things worked or simply made up stones to give answers. Now that we have begun exploring seriously, we are catching sight of how huge the questions are, and how far from being answered. Because of this, we are sorry. It is not so bad being ignorant if you are totally ignorant; the hard thing is knowing in some detail the reality of ignorance, the worst spots and here and there the not-so-bad spots, but no true light at the end of the tunnel nor even any tunnels that can yet be trusted. But we are making a beginning, and there ought to he some satisfaction. There are probably no questions we can think up that can't he answered, sooner or later. Within our limits, we should be able to work our way through to all our answers, if we keep at it long enough, arid pay attention. The writer believes that sooner or later _ . A. man can't deal with all the problems he can find because of the limits of human knowledge B. man can find solutions to whatever questions concerning nature he can think up. C. questions concerning nature are outside the field of scientific research D. man can think up all the questions and answer them all Answer: B. man can find solutions to whatever questions concerning nature he can think up. What object would be most attracted to a magnet? A. A feather B. A brush C. A pillow D. A zipper Answer: D. A zipper The computer is a useful machine. It is the most important invention in many years. The oldest kind of computer is the abacus , used in China centuries ago, but the first large, modern computer was built in 1946. A computer then could do maths problems quite fast. Today computers are used in many ways and can do many kinds of work. In a few years the computer may touch the life of everyone, even people in faraway villages. In the last few years, there have been great changes in computers. They are getting smaller and smaller, and computing faster and faster, Many scientists agree that computers can now do many things, but they cannot do everything. Who knows what the computers of tomorrow will be like? Will computers bring good things or bad things to people? The scientists of today will have to decide how to use the computers of tomorrow. The first large, modern computer was built about _ years ago. A. a few B. forty C. sixty D. eighty Answer: C. sixty
A few weeks ago, a friend of Smile Groups gifted me PS100 to do good deeds with. Since then I have used the money in the U.K. and the U.S and have helped some strangers, generally raising a lot of smiles. They have warmed my heart, but none so much as the gift I was able to give just an hour ago. I was in a shop looking at the second-hand books. It just so happened that the bookshelves were next to the toy section. After a few minutes I became aware of a group of women standing behind me. They were poorly dressed and spoke in what sounded like an eastern European language. As the little girl, about three years old, came over to the toy section, immediately her attention was caught by a toy. She spoke to her mother and in halting English her mother asked the shop assistant how much it cost. PS3 was the answer. The mum looked down at her child, perhaps calculating what she still had to buy and how much money she would have left. Then she simply shook her head. The child didn't react badly as some children might. Being told no was obviously not a new experience for her. But she couldn't keep the disappointment from her face. I had the total of four pounds in my pocket, two PS2 coins. A moment later, I tapped the mother on the shoulder, and pointed to the coins which I had left and said, "Buy her a dolly, too." I didn't hang about to see the end result. _ . I made my way out of the shop and into the sunshine. The money my friend gave me was an investment in the happiness of the world. Was there any better way, I wondered, to get so much happiness with so little money than to buy a toy for a little girl? When helping strangers with the money, the author _ . A. felt very proud B. was greeted with smiles C. received many gifts D. bought some gifts for them Answer: B. was greeted with smiles If you go to Finland, you'll be surprised to find how "foolish" the Finnish people are. Take the taxi drivers for example. Taxis in Finland are mostly high class Benz with a fare of two US dollars a kilometer. You can go anywhere in one, tell the driver to drop you at any place, say that you have some business to attend to, and then get off without paying your fare. And the driver would not show the least sign of worry. The dining rooms in all big hotels not only serve their guests, but also outside diners. Hotel guests have their meals free, so their good faith is to wave their registration card to the waiter. With such a loose check, you can easily use any old registration card to take a couple of friends and dine free of charge. With so many loopholes in everyday life, surely Finland must be a heaven to those who love to take "pretty advantages". But the strange things is, all the taxi-passengers would always come back to pay their fare after they have attended to their business; not a single outsider has ever been found in the free hotel dining rooms. As the Finns always act on good faith and always show an attitude of "which is which" and "what is what" in everything they do, so to live in such a society has turned everyone into a real "gentleman". In a society of such high moral practice, what need is there for people to take precautions against others? Why wouldn't the driver show the least sign of worry? Because _ . A. he is sure that the passengers always act on good faith B. he is afraid to make the passengers angry and unhappy C. he thinks the passengers may be too poor to pay him D. he is sure that the passengers are really in trouble Answer: A. he is sure that the passengers always act on good faith Many people may not believe it, but this is what is happening: polar bears are dying out! They are dying because they are losing a great deal of habitat due to human incursion and global warming. They are dying because of starvation as well. With the sea ice they depend on for survival shrinking, it is becoming increasingly difficult for them to find food. An ecosystem is highly dependent on all of its parts, and removing even a single species can result in serious consequences. Polar bears are at the top of the predators where they live. They play an important part in the ecosystem. They feed on seals, fish and deer. Several other animals depend on the kill of polar bears. The failure to save polar bears might result in loss of these predators. In addition, all large predators perform a very important function in their habitat: helping to control the populations of other species. When an animal group loses its natural predators, its population will rise rapidly, having a direct result in population decrease of other groups. A huge boom in population of Arctic seals would have a direct effect on the prey of seals, and could reduce numbers of certain types of fish. This could also have a direct effect on humans, who might have to compete with Arctic seals for food supplies from fish. Lack of polar bears could eventually affect human food supply. Human beings shall save polar bears to ensure the food supply. There is no doubt that we should save polar bears. However, there is still another question: can they be saved? This is a matter that scientists debate because of rapid degradation of the polar bear' environment in recent years due to warming temperatures. It is estimated that if the bears cannot adapt to changing climates, they might die out before the end of the 21stcentury, with about 50% of the animals disappearing by 2050. So time is running out! There are some things that may help slow down global warming and help delay extinction of polar bears. These include finding new energy sources that don't give off greenhouse gases and not making any more incursions into polar bear's territory. Which is NOT the threat to the survival of polar bears according to the passage? A. Human's killing. B. Global warming. C. Habitat loss. D. Lack of food. Answer: A. Human's killing. Alibaba started taking the lead in China, simply enough, by connecting big Chinese manufacturers with big buyers across the world. Its business-to-business site, Alibaba.com allowed business to buy almost everything. Alibaba's advantage wasn't hard to identify: size. Alibaba is just big, even by Chinese standards. Its marketplaces attract 231 million active buyers, 8 million sellers, 11.3 billion orders a year--and _ It encourages people to use its markets--not charging small sellers a percentage of the sale. If you want a quick look into the influence of Alibaba on daily Chinese life, take my experience. I moved to Beijing almost a year ago and quickly got tired of visiting small stores across the crowded, polluted city of 20 million people in search of new electronics, bathroom furnishings, and anything else my wife wanted. "You're looking for what exactly? Why not try _ ? " my Chinese teacher asked me one day. With that, my wonderful new relationship with Alibaba began. Alibaba's original business-to-business model now is secondary to consumer buying. Chinese retail buying makes up 80% of Alibaba's profit, and leading that group is Taobao, with 800 million items for sale and the most unbelievable selection of things you'll ever find. TMall.com is Alibaba's other big site, where you can find brand name goods from Nike and Unilever near the lowest prices. What I have a hard time explaining to friends and family back in the U.S. is how China has gone beyond traditional shopping--big-box retailers especially --in favor of online purchases on Taobao and a few other sites. In smaller towns than Beijing, where big retailers have not yet traveled, shopping online is shopping, and shopping is Taobao. I have a list of some of my recent purchases on Taobao for a sense of how extensive the marketplace is. Almost everything arrived a day or two after ordering with free shipping. I'm not even a big buyer, because I need friends to help me search the Chinese-language site. When I was searching my purchase history on my Chinese teacher's iPad, which helps me buy goods, I looked through with great difficulty about 10 of her purchases for every one of mine. Alibaba's advantage mainly lies in _ . A. its big size B. its business-to-business service C. its not charging small sellers D. its low price Answer: A. its big size One day, an old man went(go)for a walk in a park in Washington, and when he was(is) tired, he sat(sit) down on a bench . A young person was standing on the other side of the pond . "My goodness" the old man said(say)to the person sitting next to him on the bench."Do you see the person with loose pants "and long hair? Is it a boy or a girl?" "A girl," said the person sitting next to the old man. "She's my daughter." "Oh!" the old man said quickly, "please excuse me. I didn't know that you are her mother." "I'm not her mother," said the person."I'm her father!" The person sitting next to the old man was _ . A. the young person's father B. the young person's mother C. the old man's brother D. the old man's sister Answer: A. the young person's father
Playing with toy blocks may lead to improved language development in young children, a new study reported. Early childhood is an important period in the development of young minds. The newborn brain grows three times in size between birth and age 2. Scientists have said that certain activities during this important period may promote healthy development while others may hold it back, and development of memory and language may especially be helped by imaginative play. After six months, language scores among half of the 175 children aged 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 who were sent plastic blocks were 15 percent higher than a matched group that did not receive the free blocks, according to the study by researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle. Parents were given ideas about how to help their children play with the blocks, then were told to keep diaries of their children's activities over four days. Finally, all the parents filled out questionnaires that judged their children's vocabulary, grammar, and other language abilities. Study author Dimitri Christakis said unstructured play with blocks motivated children's thinking, memory and physical skills at a time when a child's brain is growing rapidly. "They are the foundation of thought and language," he wrote of the skills learned from building blocks. "Older children begin to make up stories for these objects ." Such play may also take the place of less helpful activities such as watching TV, he said, adding parents ought to have doubts about some toy-makers' words. "An increasing number of media-based products are making ungrounded claims that they can make children smarter, more literate, and more musical," Christakis said. The aim of the passage is probably to _ . Answer: Greg Heffely is 11 years old. He is a student. In his class, some students get to school on foot.. Some get to school by bus. He lives far from school. He always gets to school by car. He is clever and naughty He always has a lot of ideas .He likes writing diaries. In his diary, he often writes many interesting stories about his life. He also draws pictures in his diary. He has a lot of problems in school. And he makes a lot of trouble ,too. He runs away from a school basketball game. He often plays tricks on others. But he always makes a fool of himself. He is not good at making friends. But he wants to be the most popular in his school. He also has some problems at home. Sometimes he pulls the cat's tail and knock at others' door then run away. Greg is not a good model. We shouldn't do things like Greg. But US children like reading his diaries. Do you want to read about him ? Go and read the book, Diary of a Wimpy Kid(<<>> ). It is very popular in the US. The writer of the passage asks us _ . Answer: Former President Jimmy Carter believes U.S central intelligence agency is spying on him -- so much so, he gives up email to avoid government spies. "You know, I have felt that my own communications are probably monitored," Carter told NBC's Andrea Mitchell in an interview broadcast Sunday. "And when I want to communicate with a foreign leader privately, I type or write a letter myself, put it in the post office and mail it. "I believe if I send an email, it will be monitored," Carter continued. The 89-year-old said the National Security Agency and others have abused the argument that gathering intelligence is important to homeland security. "That has been extremely liberalized and, I think, abused by our own intelligence agencies," Carter said. The 39th president, however, stopped short of criticizing No. 44 over the handling of the N.S.A. scandal , the crisis in Ukraine or anything else. "I don't have any criticism of him," Carter said of Obama. He was asked if the president ever asks him for advice. "Unfortunately, the answer is no," Carter said. "President Obama doesn't. But previous presidents have called on me and the Carter Center to take action." Why not Obama? "That's a hard question for me to answer, you know, with complete directness," he said. "I think the problem was that in dealing with the issue of peace between Israel and Egypt, the Carter Center took a very strong and public position of equal treatment between the Palestinians and the Israelis. And I think this was a sensitive area in which the president didn't want to be involved." In Carter's judgment, who is monitoring him secretly? Answer: The iMOVE database is a foreign-language information platform for persons interested in job opportunities offered by German companies. The information can be obtained in seven languages: German, English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Russian and Arabic. All programs in the area of professional training are carried out by German training providers. All these programs have a clear content to meet your special needs. Programs which take place in Germany are carried out in English. Many of the German training providers have stated their training activities towards the international market. Therefore, they also offer courses abroad. These courses are taught in English or the language of the target country. Providers will be glad to supply you with additional information on these courses. You can contact the provider directly to find out more about a program and the training provider. To guarantee high standards in the database, iMOVE has developed quality standards for training providers and their services. All of the training facilities in the iMOVE database have to follow these quality criteria . All training providers who publish their international training programs in the iMOVE database have recognized general terms and conditions. Which of the following measures has iMove taken to guarantee its high standards? Answer: Twenty courses provided by 18 top Chinese universities went online on Wednesday, China's latest attempt to disseminate teaching resources within the nation and promote Chinese culture globally. These courses cover 20 subjects or lectures given by speakers and professors from several universities, including Zhejiang University, Nankai University and Wuhan University.Most of the courses will focus on traditional Chinese culture, according to the Ministry of Education. They are available through the websites of NetEase and China Network Television, as well as icourse.edu.cn, for free. Some of the courses will be translated into English and promoted across the rest of the world, according to NetEase Company, an international body promoting open content among the world's universities. The company has set up a translation team and "will kick off the translation work when we finish the negotiation on intellectual rights with universities", said Zhu Xirui, a senior manager for NetEase Company. "We want to promote Chinese culture to overseas netizens through the program," he said. Ding Xiuhong, another manager of NetEase Company, said they had invested more than 15 million yuan($2.37 million)in the program. "Although we haven't made a profit from 'the program, it will at least help increase our website's page views," Ding said. "I'd like to watch the Chinese elite classes, such as Chinese literature and poetry, as well as economy," said Jeremy Scaramuzzi, a teacher at Tsinghua International School. He said he was also interested in Chinese classes on political science since that is the subject he majored in in the United States. It can be inferred from the passage that _ . Answer:
A survey suggests that people who have dropped out from high school just earn an average of $9,000 less per year than graduates. Now a new study removes a common belief why they quit. It's much more basic than flunking out . Society tends to think of high school dropouts as kids who just can't cut it. They are lazy, and perhaps not too bright. So researchers were surprised when they asked more than 450 kids who quit school about why they left. "The vast majority actually had passing grades and they were confident that they could have graduated from high school." John Bridgeland, the executive researcher said. About one million teens leave school each year. Only about half of African-American and Hispanic students will receive a diploma , and actually all dropouts come to regret their decision. So, if failing grades don't explain why these kids quit, what does? Again, John Bridgeland: "The most dependable finding was that they were bored." "They found classes uninteresting; they weren't inspired or motivated. They didn't see any direct connection between what they were learning in the classroom to their own lives, or to their career aspirations." The study found that most teens who do drop out wait until they turn sixteen, which happens to be the age at which most states allow students to quit. In the U.S., only one state, New Mexico, has a law requiring teenagers to stay in high school until they graduate. Only four states: California, Tennessee, Texas and Utah, plus the District of Columbia, require school attendance until age 18, no exceptions. Jeffrey Grin, another researcher, says raising the compulsory attendance age may be one way to keep more kids in school. "As these dropouts look back, they realize they've made a mistake. And anything that sort of gives these people an extra push to stick it out and see it through to the end, is probably helpful measure." New Hampshire may be the next state to raise its school attendance age to 18. But critics say that forcing the students unwilling to continue their studies to stay in school misses the point--the need for reform. It's been called for to reinvent high school education to make it more challenging and relevant, and to ensure that kids who do stick it out receive a diploma that actually means something. According to researchers' study, most high school students drop out of school because _ . Answer: Shakespeare's life can be divided into three periods: the first 20 years in Stratford, which includes his schooling,early marriage, and fatherhood;the next 25 years as an actor and playwright in London; and the last five in retirement back in Stratford where he enjoyed the wealth gained from his theatrical successes. The years linking the first two periods are marked by a lack of information about Shakespeare, and are often referred to as the "dark years". Shakespeare probably left school at 15, and took some sorts of jobs, especially since this was the period of his father's financial difficulty. A great number of references in his plays suggest that William may have in fact worked for his father, thus gaining specialized knowledge. At some point during the "dark years", Shakespeare began his career with a London theatrical company -- perhaps in 1589 -- for he was already an actor and playwright in 1592. Shakespeare apparently wrote and acted for Pembroke's Men, as well as a lot of others, in particular Strange's Men, which later became the Chamberlain's Men. When, in 1592, the theaters were closed for about two years, due to a terrible disease. Shakespeare turned to writing book-length poetry. Most _ were Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece, both of which have been translated into many languages and even been included in students' textbooks. During this same period, Shakespeare was writing his sonnets , which are more likely signs of the time's fashion rather than actual love poems detailing any particular relationship. He returned to play writing when theater reopened in 1594, and published no more poetry. His sonnets were published without his permission in 1609, shortly before his retirement. His final play was Henry VIII, two years before his death in 1616. Why did Shakespeare take some sorts of jobs at the age of 15 and didn't go on studying? Answer: Gateway Academy Pre-Sessional Courses Our pre-sessional courses are ideal for students who have a conditional place at a British university, but who need to achieve a certain level of English in order to be accepted. The course aims to provide students with the English language and study skills that they need in order to be successful at university or another academic establishment. It is important to note that completion of the course does not guarantee students' entrance into a university. It is necessary for students to show during the course that they have understood the information and skills that they have been taught, and can apply them to their work. Pre-sessional students at Gateway Academy will benefit from: * Small class sizes (no more than 10 students per class) * Twenty three hours of tuition per week * Individual support and tutorials * Regular guest lecturers * The use of the Academy's study and recreational facilities, including the Language Library, the computer suite, and the academy's sports facilities. * A varied social programme including evening entertainments and weekend excursions to popular tourist attractions and cities such as Stonehenge, Oxford and Stratford-on-Avon. The course offers an all-around approach to learning, and covers reading, writing, speaking and listening skills. During the course, students will receive instruction on important techniques such as summary-writing, analysing essay titles, organising writing, note-taking in lectures, giving seminars and making presentations. Students will gain experience in working both individually and in groups. As part of the course, all students will work towards a 5000-word project in their own field of study. Students will receive guidance from their tutors on how best to conduct research and write it up effectively. Students will also work towards a presentation on the same subject. There is no final examination. The attendance, successful completion of assignments and participation in class will be taken into account. Students will be given a full report on their progress at the end of the course. Students need to be aware that the course involves a great deal of coursework, which will require students to manage their time effectively. From the passage we can learn that _ . Answer: It was early morning. Peter Corbett helped Mark Wellman out of his wheelchair and onto the ground. They stood before El Captain, a huge rock almost 1.2 kilometers high. Mark had long dreamed to climb El Captain when he was a child. At the age of twentyone, he had fallen while climbing mountain, losing his legs. But he never lost his love for life. Mark knew he couldn't finish the climb alone, but his friend Peter would be there to lend a helping hand. They thought it would take seven days to reach the top. Now Peter climbed about 30 meters up and hit a piton into the rock. Fastening one end of a 50meter rope to the piton, he let the other end of the rope fall down. Mark caught the rope and fastened it to his belt. He next reached above his head and fastened a T-bar to the rope. Mark took a deep breath, pushed the Tbar up almost as far as his arms could reach, and began the first pullup. High above, Peter let out a cheer, "You're on your way." For the first four days the two men progressed upward without accident. But on the fifth day, a very strong wind began to blow, making it hard for Mark to hold on to his rope. But Mark kept on pushing up the T-bar and pulling himself up. It took them one day more than they had expected. But as the two heads appeared the group of people waiting on the top went wild with joy. Mark Wellman showed that if you set your heart and mind on something, no wall is too high, no dream impossible. Which of the following is true of Mark Wellman? Answer: How many of us have heard that question, "Where was GOD when the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were attacked?" Well, I know where my GOD was the morning of September 11, 2001, and He was very busy! He was trying to discourage anyone from taking these flights. Those four flights together held over 1000 passengers and there were only 266 aboard. He was on 4 commercial flights giving frightened passengers the ability to stay calm. Not one of the family members who were called by a loved one on one of the hijacked planes said that passengers were screaming in the background. On one of the flights he was giving strength to passengers to try to overtake the hijackers. He was busy trying to create obstacles for employees at the World Trade Center. After all, only around 20,000 were at the towers when the first jet hit. Since the buildings held over 50,000 workers, this was a _ in itself. How many of the people who were employed at the World Trade Center told the media that they were late for work or they had traffic delays. He was holding up 2-110 story buildings so that 2/3 of the workers could get out. I was so amazed that the top of the towers didn't fall when the jets crashed. And when they did fall, GOD made them fall inward, as many more lives would have been lost. So when anyone asks, "Where was your GOD on September 11," you can say "everywhere"! And yes, although this is without a doubt the worst thing I have seen in my life, I see God's miracles in every bit of it. I can't imagine going through such a difficult time and not believing in GOD - life would be hopeless. So shines a good deed in a weary world! In what way the author tried to prove his point in the passage? Answer:
Question: What is often brackish in an estuary? A. water wheels B. fish C. air D. h2o Answer: D. h2o Question: I may not be the wisest person on this planet.but I will tell you a little secret to happiness:Help other,,and live life.It is that simple.Just help a friend study for a test,or volunteer at a nursing home .I learned this after a long,hard search. I was feeling really down because my long4ime friend had died.Then I started a six-week volunteering at a nursing home all day every Saturday.My routine was to serve the meal and clean up.After that,I would wait for the head nurse to tell me what to do. One day I was told to go to Room 117 to make sure the patient was all right.In the room I found a boy of eight sitting in his bed watching a movie.I was shocked to see a child in this seemingly forgotten nursing home for the old.He was so small and weak that you had to look closely to find him.He motioned for me to sit down.I grabbed his medical chart from which later I found out he had a terminal illness. We started to talk,and I found out that his family rarely visited,and all he did ever7 day was watch TV.I wanted to cry for him,and for my lost friend.As we talked,he had a smile on his face,and I asked him why. "The entire two hours I've been here you've never lost that smile.With this horrible disease,how do you still manage to stay happy?" He thought for a moment,and then said that too many people are dead even before they die. They walk around feeling that God has cursed them and that they have nothing to live for. The boy said that he would not be like that.He wakes every morning thankful to see another sunrise.He keeps his window open so that he can smell the flowers and feel the heat of the sun.He also said that he has hope. "Too many people haven't seen much of that around here," he said," Life is full of hope and we need to live life before it is gone." I don't know what happened to him.I assume he passed away,but his lesson lives on.I now wake up and live each day to the fullest.The key to life is not money or fame,but the lessons we learn from it. What would be the best title for the passage? A. A Lesson in Hope B. The Life of a Sick Boy C. A Voluntary Job D. The Meaning of Life Answer: A. A Lesson in Hope Question: Which item is designed to change electrical energy into heat energy? A. Alarm clock B. Hand dryer C. Fan D. Telephone Answer: B. Hand dryer Question: A trip with your family and friends to Disney World can be one of the best vacations of your life. When you decide to travel to this destination, you can be sure in the knowledge that you are going to have a great time. Many travelers may be worried about the exorbitant amount of money that one has to pay for a comfortable and fun trip to Disney World. We all want to give our family and children the best time since it may only be a once in a lifetime vacation. However it would not be wise to end up in debt over a week-long stay in Disney World. A few handy tips and a little planning can make a lot of difference and can reduce some of your financial worries. You need to start planning for a vacation to Disney World well in advance. The first step is deciding what time of year you wish to visit it. The peak seasons of the year will be costly for the accommodations whether you are staying within or outside the theme park. Staying outside the resort is a choice that may save you a large amount of money if you plan to stay for a week or two. Also, there are plenty of budget hotels outside Disney World that offer cheap and pleasant accommodations with shuttle services. Another money saving tip is to buy food ahead of time. If you have most of your meals at your hotel or at cheaper restaurants, it will save you a lot of money. You can try not to buy food in and around Disney World. Carrying food and beverages and enough cold water would help you reduce the cost, too. How can you save money if you visit Disney World according to the passage? A. By going there in the peak seasons. B. By staying outside the resort for a week or two. C. By buying food ahead of time in Disney World. D. By carrying enough food and drinks. Answer: D. By carrying enough food and drinks. Question: My dad runs the Blue Street Zoo. Everyone calls him the Zoo King. That means Mom is the Zoo Queen. And that means that I'm the Zoo Prince! Being a prince is very special. I spend every morning walking around to see the zoo. It's better than any animal book. I say hello to the lions. I say woof at all of the wolves. I make faces to the penguins. Once I even gave a morning kiss to a bear! My favorite animal is the piggy. I named him Samson. He likes to eat mustard, so I toss some mustard jars into his cage every morning. I don't know why that piggy likes mustard so much. Sometimes I walk around with the Zoo King and Zoo Queen. Then we say hello to the animals together! I really like those days. Everybody who works at the Zoo says hello to us when we walk by. At lunchtime, we all go to the Zoo restaurant and eat pork chops. I hope Samson doesn't get mad about that! What's the name of the Zoo? A. Mustard Zoo B. Blue Street Zoo C. Zoo King D. Samson Zoo Answer: B. Blue Street Zoo
The World Health Organization(WHO)planned to study the relationship between the eating habits of the people and the disease.Two doctors were chosen to make the study. They flew to Africa south of the Sahara and during the next two months visited ten countries.They found that serious diseases of poor eating, often mistaken for other diseases, existed in all parts of Africa.The diseases were similar and could therefore all be named kwashiorkor .The diseased children are usually from one to four years old.As the illness progresses, the child's stomach becomes swollen by liquid collecting in the body.The skin changes colour and may break out in open sores.The hair changes colour and starts to fall out.The patient loses all interest in his surroundings and even in food, and becomes so weak that he wants to lie down all the time.Stomach liquids are no longer produced. The doctors reasoned that kwashiorkor was found in the young children of this age in many parts of Africa because of lack of milk or meat.Their mothers gave them foods full of starches instead of greatly needed proteins.They found that the addition of milk to the food of children suffering from kwashiorkor saved many lives. From the passage we learn that kwashiorkor is a disease caused by _ . A. poor living conditions B. lack of proteins in food C. much stomach liquids D. lack of food Answer: B After a windstorm, Niko called the electric company to report that he had no electricity. His phone call is an example of which of the following elements of a universal systems model? A. designing a process B. generating output C. giving feedback D. setting a goal Answer: C Friction increases as what increases on a surface? A. smooth B. shiny C. rutted D. clean Answer: C A Hard-working Student This story is about a young student. She worked very hard at her lessons. She was too busy to have a rest. At last, she became ill, and couldn't go to sleep. Every night, when she went to bed, she closed her eyes and tried to sleep. But the more she tried, the more she stayed _ . After a while she went to see a doctor, "I just can't go to sleep at night. What should I do?" "I have a suggestion ," said the doctor, "Try counting numbers. By the time you reach one thousand, you will be asleep. I'm sure of it." The next day the student returned to the doctor's office. "Well," said the doctor, "How are you today? Did you try my suggestion?" The student still looked tired. "Yes," she said, "I tried counting one, two, three...up to one thousand. But when I reached five hundred and sixty-nine, I began to feel sleepy. I had to get up and drink some coffee so that I could go on counting up to one thousand. But then I still couldn't fall asleep." ,. What did the doctor ask the young student to do while she was lying in bed? A. To take some medicine. B. To count numbers while she was lying in bed. C. To count numbers before she went to bed. D. To read some books on the bed. Answer: B Boiler rooms are often dirty and steamy,but this one is clean and cool.Fox Point is a very new 47unit living building in South Bronx,one of the city's poorest areas.Twothirds of the people living there are formerly homeless people,whose rent is paid by the government.The rest are lowincome families.The boiler room has special equipment,which produces energy for electricity and heat.It reuses heat that would otherwise be lost to the air,reducing carbon emissions while also cutting costs. Fox Point is operated by Palladia,a group that specializes in providing housing and services to needy people.Palladia received support from Enterprise Community Partners (ECP),which helps build affordable housing by providing support to housing developers. ECP has created national standards for healthy,environmentally clever and affordable homes which are called the Green Communities Standards.These standards include water keeping,energy saving and the use of environmentally friendly building materials.Meeting the standards increases housing construction costs by 2%,which is rapidly paid back by lower running costs.Even the positioning of a window to get most daylight can help save energy. Michael Bloomberg,New York's mayor,plans to create 165,000 affordable housing units for 500,000 New Yorkers.Almost 80% of New York City's greenhouse gas emissions come from buildings,and 40% of those are caused by housing.So he recently announced that the city's Department of Housing and Preservation and Development (DHPD),whose duty is to develop and keep the city's supply of affordable housing,will require all its new projects to follow ECP's green standards. Similar measures have been taken by other cities,such as Cleveland and Denver,but New York's DHPD is the largest city developer of affordable housing in the country.(2010*,B) What is the main purpose of this text? A. To call on people to pay more attention to housing problems. B. To prove that some standards are needed for affordable housing. C. To ask society to help homeless people and lowincome families. D. To introduce healthy,environmentally clever and affordable housing. Answer: D
Atmospheric greenhouse gases help heat the atmosphere by absorbing infrared radiation released by Earth. Being the boss might mean more money and challenging work but it can also cause damage to physical and mental well-being, according to a Canadian study. For years studies have shown people in lower-status jobs generally have higher rates of heart disease and other illnesses and die earlier than those in higher-status positions while job authority has shown no relationship with workers' health. But University of Toronto researchers, using data from 1,800 US workers, found the health of people in higher positions is affected by work as they are more likely to report conflicts with co-workers and say work disturbs their home life. However, the positive aspects of having a power position at work, such as higher status, more pay and greater independence, seemed to cancel out the negative aspects when it came to people's physical and psychological health. These latest findings, reported in the journal Social Science & Medicine, suggest that the advantages and disadvantages of authority positions basically cancel each other out, giving the general impression that job authority has no health effects. For the study, the researchers surveyed participants about various aspects of their work, life and well-being. Job authority was judged based on whether a person managed other employees and had power over hiring, firing and pay. Physical health complaints included problems like headaches, body aches, heartburn and tiredness. Psychological complaints included sleep problems, difficulty concentrating and feelings of sadness, worry and anxiety. "This isn't to suggest that having authority is 'bad' -- in fact, we show it has benefits ... but it is important to identify the negative sides and deal with them." researcher Scott Schieman said. Schieman said conflicts with co-workers or involvement of work into home life may destroy physical and mental well-being by creating stress. "These are key stressors that can tax individuals' ability to function effectively," Schieman said. Most people don't see that bosses have health effects because _ . the advantages and disadvantages of their status work against each other When an oak leaf falls to the ground, it is because of air mass interaction Their thumbs sure must be sore. Two central prefix = st1 /Pennsylvaniafriends spent most of March in a text - messaging record attempt, exchanging a thumbs-flying total of 217,000. For one of the two, that meant an inches-thick itemized bill for $ 26,000. Nick Andes, 29, and Doug Klinger, 30, were relying on their unlimited text messaging plans to get them through the escapade , so Andes didn't expect such a big bill. " It came in a box that cost $ 27.55 to send to me." he said. He said he "panicked" and called T-Mobile, which said it would investigate the charges. The two Lancaster-area residents have been practically non-stop texters for about a decade since they attended Berks Technical Institute together. That led Andes to searching for the largest monthly text message total he could find posted online: 182,000 sent in 2005 by Deepak Sharma in India. Andes and Klinger were able to set up their phones to send multiple messages. During a February test run they found they could send 6,000 or 7,000 messages on some days, prompting the March messaging marathon. " Most were either short phrases or one word, 'LOL' or 'Hello', things like that , with tons and tons of repeats," said Andes, reached by phone. Andes sent more than 140,000 messages, and Klinger sent more than 70,000 to end the month with a total of just over 217,000, he said. A spokesman for Guinness World Records didn't immediately return messages asking whether it would be certified as a record. April came as a relief to Andes' wife , Julie, who had found his phone tied up with texting when she tried to call him on lunch breaks. " She was tired of it the first few days into it, "Andes said. We can infer from the passage that They sent much fewer messages later. When Babbage was working atprefix = st1 /Cambridge, a new idea occurred to him. He wanted to construct a calculating machine to work out the solutions to maths problems not only with correctness but also with a speed beyond the power of any human mind. His machine could solve problems involving long rows of figures in one continuous operation . In 1822 Babbage exhibited his invention and won a prize from the government. After that, he immediately started to work on a larger machine designed to solve more difficult problems. Although he received some money left by his father, the money was not enough to support his design. He wrote to the government about his plan and was givenPS2500 to start with, a sum worth much more in those days than it is now. Babbage continued his work inLondonfor four years. Then his health broke down, and he had to take a long holiday abroad. When he returned toLondonin 1828, he was at the end of his resources. Many bills remained unpaid. His chief assistant and co-workers quarreled with him and left with many expensive tools. For one year no work was done. During this period, Babbage, whose mind was always active, suddenly thought of a completely new idea for the machine. He rushed to meet the government officials to explain his new idea. But this time, they were unwilling to help him. For eight years, they refused to say whether they wanted the machine or not, and their final answer was "No." From 1828 to 1839, Babbage held the position of professor atCambridgevery successfully. But his greatest work was the unfinished calculating machine which stood covered in dust in his house. It was the beginning of the modern computer. The machine Babbage designed would solve difficult maths problems _ . in one operation without any mistakes
In a recent class I was asked "What is a short story?" My first answer was that it was something that could be read in one sitting and brought an illumination to the reader, sudden and golden like sunlight cracking(, ) through a heavy cloud. I went on to say that in my opinion a "real" short story was closer to poetry than to a novel. Here are some definitions of the short story. My favorite is Benet's: "something that can be read in an hour and remembered for a lifetime". One writer said, "The theme of a novel won't fit into the framework of a short story; It's like trying to squeeze a large painting done on a wall into the frame of a miniature . And as in a miniature painting, the details need to be sharp. " The short story is an example of one aspect of human nature. Often a character _ some event, something that offers him or her change. This is why it's said that short stories usually "say something ", often a small something, but sometimes delivered with such accuracy that the effect is strongly felt, even a life-moment for some readers, something similar to a religious experience or to witnessing a never-to-be-repeated scene in nature. Ok, let's form a definition here: A short story is an account, rarely over 10, 000 words or below 500 words-more commonly 1, 500 to 5, 000 words-a single-sitting read, but with enough time and weight to move the reader. It is narrow and focused to produce an effect through the story, most commonly through events affecting some change in an individual. Writer Isabelle Allende once wrote: "Novels are, for me, adding up details, just work, work, work, then you're done. Short stories are more difficult-they have to be perfect, complete in themselves. " What's the difference between novels and short stories? A. Novels are too long for us to read. B. Short stories are too short for us to read. C. Short stories have more details than novels. D. Short stories are more perfect and difficult than novels. Answer: D. Short stories are more perfect and difficult than novels. Fruit salad is a delicious dessert and you can make it in less than ten minutes. What's more, you can enjoy it without becoming fatter. Fruit salad can also be a great dish at a party, or the wonderful snacks during any time of a day. If you want to know how to make fruit salad, just follow the steps. Things you need 1 cup of strawberries 1 cup of cherries 1/2 red apple 1/2 peach 1 pear 2 spoons of juice Steps 1. choose your fruits 2. wash all of your fruits 3. cut the strawberries, cherries, red apple, peach, and pear into small pieces 4. put 2 spoons of juice in a bowl 5. put all the fruits in the bowl 6. serve and eat There are _ steps before you eat fruit salad. A. one B. three C. five D. four Answer: C. five Three Yale University professors agreed in a discussion that the automobile was what one of them called "Public Health Enemy No. 1 in this century". Besides polluting the air and overcrowding the cities, cars are involved in more than half the disastrous accidents, and they contribute to heart disease "because we won't walk anywhere any more," said Richard Weeinaman, professor of medicine and public health. Speaking of many of those man-made dangers of the automobile, Arthur W. Galson, professor of biology, said it was possible to make a kerosene-burning turbine car that would "lessensmog by a very large factor". But he expressed doubt whether Americans were willing to give up moving about the countryside at 90 miles per hour in a large vehicle. "America seems wedded to the motor car--every family has to have at least two, and one has to be a convertible with 300 horsepower," professor Galson continued. "Is this the way of life that we choose because we treasure these values?" For professor Sears, part of the blame lies with "a society that regards profit as a supreme value, under the illusion that anything that's technically possible is, therefore, morally justified". Professor Sears also called the country's dependence on its modern automobiles "terrible economics" because of the large horsepower used simply "moving one individual to work". But he admitted that Americans have painted themselves into a corner by allowing the national economy to become so dependent on the automobile industry. "The solution," Dr Weeinerman said, "is not finding a less dangerous fuel but a different system of inner city transportation. Because of the increasing use of cars, public transportation has been allowed to wither and grow worse, so that if you can't walk to where you want to go, you have to have a car in most cities," he declared. This, in turn, Dr Weeinerman contended, is responsible for the "arteriosclerosis " of public roads, for the pollution of the inner city and for the middle-class movement to the suburbs. According to Dr Weeinerman, the best solution is _ . A. to look for a fuel alternative B. to improve public transportation C. to walk to where people want to go D. to control the production of the automobile Answer: B. to improve public transportation Students and Technology in the Classroom I love my blackberry -- it's my little connection to the larger world that can go anywhere with me. I also love my laptop computer,as it holds all of my writing and thoughts. Despite this love of technology, I know that there are times when I need to move away from these devices and truly communicate with others. On occasion, I teach a course called History Matters for a group of higher education managers. My goals for the class include a full discussion of historical themes and ideas. Because I want students to thoroughly study the material and exchange their ideas with each other in the classroom, I have a rule -- no laptop, iPads, phones ,etc .When students were told my rule in advance of the class, some of them were not happy. Most students assume that my reasons for this rule include unpleasant experiences in the past with students misusing technology. There's a bit of truth to that. Some students assume that I am anti-technology. There's no truth in that at all. I love technology and try to keep up with it so I can relate to my students. The real reason why I ask students to leave technology at the door is that I think there are very few places in which we can have deep conversions and truly _ complex ideas. Interruptions by technology often break concentration and allow for too much dependence on outside information for ideas. I want students to dig deep within themselves for inspiration and ideas. I want them to push each other to think differently and make connections between the course the material and the class discussion. I've been teaching my history class in this way for many years and the evaluations reflect student satisfaction with the environment that I create. Students realize that with deep conversation and challenge, they learn at a level that helps them keep the course material beyond the classroom. I'm not saying that I won't ever change my mind about technology use in my history class, but until I hear a really good reason for the change, I'm sticking to my plan. A few hours of technology-free dialogue is just too sweet to give up. Some of the students in the history class were unhappy with _ . A. the course material B. others' misuse of technology C. discussion topics D. the author's class regulations Answer: D. the author's class regulations Below is a selection about some Guinness World Records. Top 6 Unusual Guinness World Records Fastest 100 m running on all fours The 2008 Guinness World Records Day was, according to CWR, their biggest day of record-breaking ever, with more than 290,000 people taking part in record attempts in 15 different countries. Kenichi Ito's record attempt was part of this special day. He is just another example of Japanese with "super powers". His "super power" is to run with great speed on all fours. Kenichi Ito ran 100 m on all fours in 18.58 seconds. The Japanese set this record at Setagaya Kuritsu Sogo Undojyo, Tokyo, in 2008. Most people inside a soap bubble The Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana, California celebrated this year the 15th anniversary of the Bubble Festival. A bubble's math principles and science were presented and demonstrated at the three-week-long exhibition. The intriguing Bubble Show was also part of the program. Fan Yang and Deni Yang impressed the audience with their awesome skills for bubble making. The Yang family cooperated with the Discovery Science Center to set a new Guinness World Record for most people inside a soap bubble and they succeeded. The family that has been working with soap bubbles for 27 years created a huge soap bubble and got 118 people inside it. The record was set on April 4, 2011 Longest ears on a dog A bloodhound from Illinois has the longest ears ever measured a dog. The right ear is 13.75 inches long and the left one 13.5 inches. The dog named Tigger earned this title in 2004 and is owned by Christina and Bryan Flessner. Mr. Jeffries is the previous record holder of this title. Each of his ears measured approximately 11.5 inches long. His grandfather used to hold this amazing world record, but when he died Mr.Jeffries took over. Most living generations Did you ever wonder what is the Guinness World Record for most living generations in one family? Seven is the answer. The ultimate authority on record-breaking mentions on the website that the youngest great-great- great-great grandparent of this family was Augusta Bung "aged 109 years 97 days, followed by her daughter aged 89, her granddaughter aged 70, her great grand-daughter aged 52, her great-great grand-daughter aged 33 and her great-great-great granddaughter aged 15 on the birth of her great-great-great-great grandson on January 21, 1989". Most T shirts worn at once Believe it or not, there is a record also for this category. Krunoslav Budiseli set a new world record on May 22,2010 for wearing 245 T-shirts at the same time. The man from Croatia was officially recognized as the new record er by Guinness World Records after he managed to put on 245 different T-shirts in 1ess than two hours.The T-shirts weighted 68 kg and Budiseli said he began struggling around T-shirt No. 120. He dethroned the Swedish Guinness record holder who wore 238 T-shirts. Heaviest pumpkin Guinness World Records confirmed on October 9, 2010 that a gigantic pumpkin grown in Wisconcin was officially the world's heaviest. It weighed 1,810 pounds 8 ounces and was unveiled by Chris Stevens at the Stillwater Harvest Festival in Minnesota. Stevens' pumpkin was 85 pounds Javier than the record, another huge pumpkin grown in Ohio. The proud farmer said his secret is a precise of rain, cow mature, good soil, sea grass and fish emulsion. Some of the world's heaviest pumpkins, including the record holder, were on public display at the Bronx Botanical Gardens in New York for a dozen days. According to the given information. which Guinness World Record was most recently set? A. The record for "Most people inside a soup bubble". B. The record for "Most living generations". C. The record for "Most T-shirts worn at once". D. The record for "Heaviest pumpkin". Answer: A. The record for "Most people inside a soup bubble".
Last night I drove a long way (about 500 km) to return home. It was late and I was driving fast because I wanted to get home as soon as possible. So several times when I was driving behind a slow-moving truck on a narrow road, I wanted to shout at the driver ahead. Then I came to a crossroad with a traffic light. As I drove near, it turned red. I stopped my car at once. I looked left,right and behind. I found no cars or persons -- I was alone on the road. The person who would come to the crossroad was at least a mile away in any direction. Certainly going through the light would cause no danger. I could pass the traffic light. But strangely enough, I just stopped there, waiting for several minutes until the light went green. I asked myself why I refused to run the light. Surely it was unnecessary for me to be afraid of danger or being fined , because there were no cars or police around at all. But I remained waiting until the light changed. When I finally got home, it was near midnight. My wife had fallen asleep. The question of why I stopped for that light came back to me again, because I stopped another two times for the red lights as "special" as the first one. I stopped, not because of the law, but because it was a good habit I had developed. In fact, we were used to doing something right just because we have made obeying the rules a good habit. We do it just because we should do it. I thought if another man met with the same thing, he would make the same choice. I believed so. And I could be trusted by others. I believed that everyone would and could control himself/herself well. It was amazing that we trusted each other to do the right things, wasn't it? Who made the author stopped at the crossroad? Answer: I once thought that outer beauty is the only factor to become a great person.When I was young,I read many kinds of books,most of which described characters who are handsome or beautiful. So I think that being beautiful is the only way to become a success. As I grew up,the story of my best friend made me realize that outer beauty was not so important to make a person successful.She as so beautiful a girl that every classmate liked to chat with her,but she was very arrogant.In her opinion,she could get all she wanted because of her beauty, but all of her friends left her one by one! Only then did she come to know the importance of the beauty in a person's heart,which changed her attitude and she made friends again. Turning on TV,we can see many advertisements,most of which seem to give us a feeling that,physical attractiveness is the most important thing.T _ .It is surprising that more and more people,especially girls and women, try it like the first man-made beauty in China, Hao Lulu.It is a common sense that attractive people can easily find work.Most good looking guys,usually get higher scores in the job interviews. But, what is real beauty? I want to say that is inner beauty because those who have beauty in their soul are really beautiful persons. As is known, the beauty judged with eyes is temporary,so we should concentrate on inner beauty. And if we make the efforts to make our minds beautiful,we'll live a happier life. What do we know from the passage? Answer: On Jan 23, 2012, I was aboard a ship on the Yangtze River, listening to the sound of fireworks and eating plate after plate of dumplings. On Sunday Feb 10, 2013, I was preparing to celebrate Chinese New Year again - in London's Chinatown. It was raining. It was cold. But ever since I left Beijing in August, I had promised myself I would celebrate Chinese New Year - if only to help with my Beijing "homesickness". Central London was dressed up for the occasion. There was a stage for a big fireworks display for the evening. Even so, it wasn't like my real Beijing chunjie. Even buying a baozi didn't cheer me up. It cost about 10 times as much as the real thing does in Beijing and got stuck to its rain-ruined paper bag. Cold, wet and depressed, I ran into a shop for shelter. Suddenly, there it was. Between the packets of dried meat and fish, the bags of rice and the smell of dried noodles in this little Chinese supermarket, I had found home. An hour later, I hurried into my house with bags of frozen jiaozi, packets of sauce and a large bottle of vinegar. I boiled water, tore open the packets, grabbed my chopsticks and settled down to a feast. This, I thought, is a Happy Chinese New Year. I even watched the fireworks on TV. After all, why face the British weather when I can bring China home in one bite? What is the best title of the passage? Answer: A four-year study of 200 college students found that those who drink heavily and started drinking at an early age demonstrate poor decision-making skills, just like long-term, chronic alcoholics. Researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia believe early onset binge drinking negatively affects psychological development. The researches examined college students between the ages of 18 and 22. After three years, they tested them using the Iowa Gambling Test, which measures the tendency to make immediate (disadvantageous) or long-term (advantageous) choices. Based on the students' reported drinking habits, they were grouped into four categories: low binge drinkers, moderate binge drinkers, increasing binge drinkers and stable or high binge drinkers. "Students in the stable or high alcohol use category, who had longer histories of binge drinking, made riskier and less advantageous choices, which reflect problems associated with planning for the future," the researchers reported. The study also found that only students who started binge drinking when they were younger showed impairment on the task. "There is reason to think that heavy binge drinking during adolescence, when the brain is still rapidly developing, may have some negative legacy on psychological development," said Kenneth J. Sher of MU's Midwest Alcoholism Research Center in a news release. "The interesting thing is that if we were to just look at binge drinkers and how impaired they are in the decision-making process as juniors, we'd really be obscuring the important issue, which is how long they've been binge drinkers and / or how early they started." Early onset binge drinking negatively affects psychological development because _ . Answer: Why does the rate of heart attacks increase during the World Cup football finals? How can we help an overweight patient to lose weight? They're just some of the topics covered in a new book by University of Sussex academics, which is helping student doctors to consider the importance of psychology in medical practice. Psychology for Medicineis the first textbook of its kind, providing medical trainees and new doctors with all the relevant psychological knowledge they need. Previously, students had to refer to many different books for the relevant psychology. The book, by Sussex psychologists Dr. Sussex Ayers and Dr. Richard de Visser, has been well received by fellow academics and medical doctors and was finished with the help of the students and staff of the Brighton and Sussex Medical School. The studentsproofread the chapters, provided ideas for the content and even modeled for the photographs. The book provides a solid grounding in psychological study relevant to medicine, along with practical tips and advice for practice. One student, Simon Hall, drew cartoons for the book. The study psychology is important for doctors for a number of reasons. Psychological and physical symptoms are highly related. Up to a third of patients will have psychological disorders, while physical causes are usually only found in around 15 per cent of people's symptoms. In treatment, a lot of the effect drugs can be due to patients believing they will recover rather than the drug itself. Dr. Ayers says, "The important thing about this book is that it's applied science --- it shows why psychology is important to medicine and how we should use it. The book's presentation is really important. It's not just lots of theory, but full of tips and advice so that students can take what they learn in the classroom and apply it to real-life situations." According to the text, the bookPsychology for Medicine _ . Answer:
My father had always been an alert observer of human character. Within seconds of meeting someone, he could sum up their strengths and weaknesses. It was always a challenge to see if any of my boyfriends could pass Dad's test. None did. Dad was always right -- they didn't pass my test either. After Dad died, I wondered how I'd figure it out on my own. That's when Jack arrived on the scene. He was different from any other guy I'd dated. He could sit for hours on the piano bench with my mother, discussing some composers. My brother Rick loudly announced that Jack wasn't a turkey like the other guys I'd brought home. Jack passed my family's test. But what about Dad's? Then came my mother's birthday. The day he was supposed to drive, I got a call. "Don't worry," he said, "but I've been in an accident. I'm fine, but I need you to pick me up." When I got there, we rushed to a flower shop for something for Mom. "How about gardenias?" Jack said, pointing at a beautiful white corsage . The florist put the corsage in a box. The entire ride, Jack was unusually quiet. "Are you all right?" I asked. "I've been doing a lot of thinking," he said. "I might be moving." Moving? Then he added, "Moving in with you." I nearly put the car on the sidewalk. "What?" I asked. "I think we should get married," he said. He told me he'd planned his proposal in a fancy restaurant, but after the accident, he decided to do it right away. "Yes," I whispered. We both sat dumbfounded , tears running down our cheeks. I'd never known such a tender moment. If only Dad were here to give his final approval. "Oh, let's just go inside." Jack laughed. My mother opened the door. "Happy Birthday!" we shouted. Jack handed the box to her. She opened it up. Suddenly, her eyes were filled with tears. "Mom, what's wrong?" I asked. "I'm sorry," she said, wiping her eyes. "This is only the second gardenia corsage I've ever received. I was given one years ago, long before you kids were born." "From who?" I asked. "Your father," Mom said. "He gave me one right before we were engaged." My eyes locked on Jack's as I blinked away tears. Dad's test? I knew Jack had passed. According to the text, we know the writer's father was _ . A. interested in observing things around B. good at judging one's character C. strict with her boyfriend D. fond of challenges Answer: B Mr. Harris used to work in Dover, but then he changed his work, and he and his wife moved to another town. They did not have many friends there, but they soon met a lot of interesting people, and after a few weeks, they often went to dinner or to parties at other people's houses. Then Mrs. Harris said to her husband, "We've been to a lot of other people's houses, and now we must invite them to our house, mustn't we?" "Yes, certainly," answered her husband, "A big party will be the easiest thing, won't it? Then we can start to invite people to dinner in small numbers next month." So Mrs. Harris said, "Yes, I'll invite all our friends here to a big party on 5th December." "How many will that be?" Mr. Harris asked. "Don't invite too many." Mrs. Harris was beginning to write the invitations when her husband saw that she was writing, "Party. 6.30 to 8.30 p.m." "That isn't very nice, is it?" he said. "You're telling our guests that they must go at 8.30." So Mrs. Harris just wrote "Party. 6.30 p.m." A lot of guests came, and they all had a good time, so they did not go home at 8.30. In fact they were still there at mid-night when the door bell rang and a policeman arrived. He said, "You must stop making a noise, because someone has complained." Mr. Harris said he did not want to quarrel with the policeman, so everyone went home. They were sorry to have to go. When Mr. and Mrs. Harris were alone again, she said to him. "That was a surprise, wasn't it? Who complained about the noise?" "I did," Mr Harris answered in a tired voice. Why did Mr. Harris telephone the policeman about the noise? A. Because someone rang his door bell many times at mid-night. B. He did not want his friends to stay late that night. C. His friends had a good time that night and also feel tired. D. Because he hated the noise. Answer: B Air in the atmosphere is heated unevenly by the sun, causing A. wind patterns. B. cloud formation. C. volcanic activity. D. water condensation. Answer: A The loneliest chimp in the world just got the best surprise--a hug from a new friend.Ponso has been by himself for nearly three years,finding himself alone after his wife and children died on the island where they were abandoned by a medical testing company many years ago. For years a nearby villager named Germain has been Ponso's only company,visiting him so often to bring bananas and bread--the chimp's only source of food on the tiny island.It was clear how much Ponso missed companionship when he was recently visited by Chimpanzee Conservation Centre Director Estelle Raballand.The chimp immediately embraced Estelle Raballand in a huge hug and laughed as she reached out for him,with his smile from ear to ear. For those who know Ponso's backstory,his immediate ease and trust in humans might be surprising.Ponso was one of 20 chimps,all between the ages of 7 to 11 years old,relocated to an island off the Ivory Coast after being used for testing by the New York Blood Centre.After the tests were completed in 2005,the lab reportedly transferred the chimps to a string of islands,occasionally dropping off food and water because there was none in the chimps' new homes. Disease and hunger soon left only Ponso,his mate and their two children standing.But at the end of 2013 they died within days of each other and Ponso was now completely alone. A group called SOS PONSO is trying to raise money for the poor lonely chimp,already achieving its goal of $20,000--all of which will be used for Ponso's care. What do we know about the chimp Ponso? A. He was deserted by his family. B. He found many sources of food. C. He came to the island for a test. D. He suffers from loneliness greatly. Answer: D My passion started decades ago as a kid on a flight to India. I was attracted by how such a large airplane was able to glide smoothly above the clouds. I made it a goal to become a pilot. I am now a pilot for American airlines. Though being a pilot consumes my life,it is a job worth doing. My job is slightly different compared to that of a typical pilot. Most pilots have their routes they fly. They then familiarize(...)themselves with the routes. However, in my case,I participate in any job where a pilot is immediately required. It is true that some days I might have a workday from nine in the morning to five in the afternoon. In fact,some days,I might even begin my work at three in the morning when I am needed to fly. Sometimes, as for the typical day,I do not have one. Having been on the job for over two decades,I have learned some important life lessons. As I greet passengers boarding the airplane,I realize I,along with other airline pilots, have enhanced the lives of those who we are serving. In fact, there is one particular experience that I will never forget. A family was walking in from the gate, explaining that their beloved one was ill and had to be taken to a big hospital in another city immediately. It was at this point that I realized just how important my job was. Therefore, my life as an airline pilot is definitely not for everyone. However,my job is something I enjoy thoroughly and will continue to do till I am old enough. As a pilot, I have been able to experience so many different types of situations in different places throughout the world. For anyone interested in piloting, I would recommend going for it. The author realized how important his job was because he _ . A. could serve everyone as he does his daily work B. could make his guests' life more convenient C. could take the ill patient to hospital in short time D. had been to many advanced countries in the world Answer: B
A mother's ad calling for her son to come home for Chinese New Year ran on the front page of the Chinese Melbourne Daily newspaper on January 14. It placed a full page ad, saying "Dear Peng, I've called you many times but you don't pick up, maybe you will see this. Dad and mom won't ever force you to get married anymore, come home for Chinese New Year! From your mom who loves you." The ad, which appeared on the front page of the Chinese Melbourne Daily on Tuesday, would cost $2,796.80 Australian dollars ($2465). The newspaper serves the city's Chinese community. The mother, who lives in Guangzhou had placed the ad after losing contact with her son. Every year around this time, many Chinese prepare to head home for China's most important festival. But many of the younger generation are afraid of facing family confrontations about their love life. On the online Chinese forum Tianya. cn, a single man asked for advice on facing his family. "It's almost that time of the year. How should I explain to my family and relatives that I am single?" a user in Guangzhou "1979xiaozhu" posted. Many of the replies were telling him not to go home instead. User "qianlidaiwanwoduxing" wrote: "Going home means they will either arrange blind dates for you or you get scolded." "This year my mom gave me an ultimatum. One, bring 50,000 yuan; second, bring a wife home. If I don't have both then she said I don't need to come home. What a tragedy!" said user "fghjkh84". Those girls who can't handle the pressure of parents can rent a boyfriend for the day through China's online shopping giant, Taobao.com. Rental boyfriends come with services such as meeting the parents, shopping and watching movies. From the passage we can infer _ . Answer: As a young man, Paul Beier hiked in the mountains of California. Since then, he has decided to choose his career as a wildlife protector. He went to school to learn more first of all. After he earned his doctor's degree, he eagerly signed up for a job studying cougars , which once lived throughout the United States, but now live mainly in the Rocky Mountains and westward. They need not only a lot of land to survive but also plenty of food and places to raise their young. But many wild areas have been divided by freeways and taken over by towns. The small wilderness areas of the Santa Ana Mountains in Southern California didn't have much room for them. And yet a few still lived there. How did they do it? Many big animals are disappearing. Those that survive are being trapped in shrinking patches of habitat. A patch may not have enough space or food for a cougar to survive. Scientists wondered if cougars could move from one patch to another. If so, maybe humans could preserve wildlife corridors to connect the patches, providing enough room for the animals. But no one had shown that animals use wildlife corridors in real life. To see if cougars had found corridors through local suburbs and freeways, Paul and his research team studied 32 cougars for five years. They used a drug to make each cat sleep, buckled a radio collar around its neck, and let it go. Every day, Paul used an electrical device that sends and receives radio signals to find cougars, listening for radio beeps from their collars. Once or twice a week, he trailed one of the cougars all night. He traced their travels on a map. Sure enough, some of them had discovered paths from one small park land to the next. One cougar became famous for his travels. He was named M6:"M"for Male, and"6"because he was the sixth one collared in the study. M6's corner of the Santa Ana Mountains wasn't large enough for him. Chino Hills State Park was not far away, but the trip was not safe. After dark, M6 used a paved vehicle underground passage to cross undera busy eight-lane freeway. He slipped by a riding stable, and then picked his way through a golf course and across two sets of busy railroad tracks. Finally, he arrived in the sheltered canyons of 12,000-acre Chino Hills State Park. There, the cougar found deer to hunt. During a year and a half, the scientists recorded M6 making this journey 22 times! Then Paul learned of plans to build houses, gas stations, and a mall that would block M6's path. Paul once said,"The loss of this corridor would guarantee the extinction of the cougar from the Chino Hills and endanger the entire population of lions in the Santa Ana Mountains."A local citizens' group called Hills for Everyone raised money to buy the land and add it to the state park. When the group visited the state capital and showed the map that Paul had made of M6's journeys, the lawmakers saw how important the corridor was. The lawmakers had the passage preserved, with the pavement removed and with native bushes near the openings. While traffic roared above, M6 and other cougars could move safely between the state park and the mountains. Other animals such as deer, foxes, and bobcats could also use the corridor. Paul's research showed that wildlife corridors can save animals. Since his study in the Santa Ana Mountains, scientists around the world have begun restoring and protecting wildlife corridors. The purpose of the study done by Paul and his team was to . Answer: Annie Oakley was born in 1860 in Darke County, Ohio. Her family was very poor. She decided to help her family even when she was very young, so she learned to use a gun, and began hunting animals for food. She could shoot them without losing the important parts of the meat. Soon her shooting ability became well known. When she was sixteen, she was invited to a competition with a famous marksman , Frank Butler. Annie surprised everyone by winning the competition. Later that year she and Frank married. In 1882, Annie Oakley and Frank Butler started putting on shows together. Frank Butler was the star of the show and she was his assistant. The famous Native American leader, Sitting Bull, thought so highly of her shooting ability that he called her "Little Sure Shot". Later Annie Oakley became the star of the show and Frank Butler was her assistant. Posters for the show called her the "Champion Markswoman". During World War One, Annie Oakley wanted to train a group of women volunteers for the army, but the United States did not accept it. She gave American soldiers shooting lessons, and traveled across the country visiting many training camps. She gave shooting performances and raised money to support the American soldiers. Annie Oakley died on November 3, 1926. Eighteen days later, Frank Butler died too. According to the passage, Annie Oakley _ . Answer: After successfully serving their terms for 4 years, military service men and women are given the choice to stay in the military or return to civilian life. For some, having to readjust to civilian life is one of the most challenging assignments our returning soldiers and marines will ever to undertake. While people may think readjusting should be simple, they must take into consideration all physical and mental stress our servicemen went through. Post-traumatic Stress Disorder , or PTSD, is a mental disorder that can occur following the experience or witnessing of life-threatening events such as military combat . Most survivors of trauma return to normal given a little time. In the military, the marines are given a two-week course on how to return to civilian life. Unfortunately, some will have stress reactions that do not go away on their own, or may even get worse over time. These individual may develop PTSD. People who suffer from PTSD have difficulty sleeping because they are often reliving the experience through nightmares and flashbacks, and feel deserted or often stand off, and these symptoms can be severe enough and last long enough to significantly damage the person's daily life. Fullerton College, like most colleges, has its own Veteran's Office. Ray Bustos has been running the office for 3 years. Bustos acts as a liaison for the school and the veteran students. He makes sure the veterans returning to school get the right benefits. There are various types of financial aid for soldiers and marines. He strongly encourages the use of the Veteran Affairs website. The website is very informative and extremely helpful for veterans as well as for friends and relatives of veterans who want to learn more. Which of the following can be the best title for the passage? Answer: It's flu season. What are you doing about it? David Oreck, Founder My Oreck Air Purifier captures and destroys viruses, bacteria and germs. 2005 ORECK HOLDINGS,LLC. All Rights Reserved. All word marks, logos, product configurations and registered trademarks are owned and used under the authority of Oreck Holdings, LLC. For the very young and the very old and virtually everyone in between, the flu is nothing to sneeze at. So here's what you can do. Check with your doctor to see if a flu shot is right for you. Wash your hands frequently. Maintain a healthy diet and regimen of exercise. And because you're spending most of your time indoors, it makes sense that the air in your home is as fresh, clean and pure as it can be. My Oreck XL(tm) Professional Air Purifier captures and destroys viruses, bacteria and germs. It removes mold spores, pollen, pet dander, household odors and other airborne particulates as small as 0.1 microns. (The flu virus measures 0.3 microns.) The Oreck Professional Air Purifier uses the same advanced technology as the prefix = st1 /U.S.submarine fleet where mariners are submerged for up to six months at a time. Because the permanent electronic filter never needs replacing, you can rinse it off as often as you like and it's as good as new. My Oreck Professional Air Purifier will literally pay for itself in what you pay for costly HEPA replacement filters that other manufacturers require. Besides HEPA filters don't destroy germs. They can only capture and hold them. So this flu season, take the Oreck Challenge and try my Oreck Professional Air Purifier risk-free for three full months. Then decide. CALL NOW AND RECEIVE A $100 GIFT-FREE. Just for trying an Oreck Air Purifier risk-free for 90 days, we'll send you our $100 Oreck Cord-Free Electric Broom ly free. It's a floor vac and a hand vac in one. If you don't feel the difference simply send the Air Purifier back--but keep the Electric Broom--there's no obligation. The shipping is free. Call 1-800-522-5961 ext. CR589 or visit www. oreck. com/decairNothing gets by an Oreck. What's the author's purpose of writing this article? Answer:
Question: You cannot go without a pencil when writing or drawing something. You have probably noticed letters H and B printed on your pencils.What,for example,do HB,2H or 3H mean? Those are letters showing the hardness of the lead or graphite in a pencil.H refers to hard lead.The bigger the Arabic number before the letter H,the harder the lead,and the lighter will be the colour. The hardest pencil has 6H on it.Such pencils are often used in making engineering drawings.People seldom write with them.B stands for soft lead.The bigger the number before the letter B,the softer the lead,and the darker will be the colour, the softest being the 6B pencil.Such pencils are favoured by artists. The HB pencil has a lead core that is neither too soft nor too hard.Its colour is medium in its blackness.It is most suitable for ordinary writing and drawing. The number that goes before the letter H shows _ . A. the model of the pencil B. the factory where the pencil is made C. how hard the pencil is D. how long the pencil lasts Answer: C Question: "Fish stories" are stories of the greatest fish that a fisherman has almost caught, but for some reason, the fish always get away. Usually, these stories do not have much truth to them. One of the biggest fish stories in history was about a whale. In 1891, a ship hunting for whales in the South Atlantic Ocean found a very large whale. While the hunters were trying to kill the whale, it sank two small boats. One man drowned, and another man, James Bartley, was lost in the ocean. However, after the hunters finally killed the whale, they cut open the whale's stomach and found Mr Bartley inside. He was not dead! Several weeks later, Mr Bartley seemed to have gotten over his terrible experience. The only thing he could remember was that while he was inside the whale, it was very hot. The liquid from the whale's stomach had turned all of his skin snow white. Mr Bartley had to live with the effect from the whale for the rest of his life. Today, many people have heard about the strange experience of Mr Bartley and do not buy it. Not one real fact has been found to prove that the events ever took place described by the sailors. No scientist or newspaper reporter was ever able to talk to Mr Bartley, and all of the stories told in magazines about Mr Bartley's experience were explained by other sailors on the boat. Mr Bartley was probably not even a real person at all. In 1928, after the captain of the whaling ship had died, one man asked the captain's wife about Mr Bartley's story. The wife said that no man who had sailed on her husband's ship was ever swallowed by a whale. However, this has not stopped James Bartley's story from being repeated, and many people today still believe that it is true. Who may have talked to Mr Bartley? A. A scientist. B. The captain's wife. C. The sailors on the ship. D. A newspaper reporter. Answer: C Question: Book 1: Iggy peck, Architect ----By Andrea Beaty 32 pages, US $ 15.95 This book is the classic oddball story about a kid whose head teacher does not recognize his great talent ( he makes buildings out of anything at hand, including table cloths, fruit and chalk) until it saves her life. Book 2: The Chicken--Chasing Queen of Lamar County ----By Janice N. Harrington 40 pages, US $ 16.00 Our character here loves to run after chickens, particularly Miss Hen, who's very fat. But, as all farming folk know, this is not a good way to produce happy, productive chickens. What will make her change her ways? The author is a professional storyteller and this book is full of fun, and has great illustrations . Book 3: Diary of a Fly ----By Doreen Cronin 40 pages, US $ 15.99 This is the diary of a fly. A fly who, when she's not landing on your head or swimming in your soup, is trying to escape her 327 brothers and sisters who are driving her crazy. Even though she's little--just like her best friends, Worm and Spider--she wants to be a superhero. This is the story of a little fly who's not afraid to dream really big. Book 4:Cherry and Olive ----By Benjamin Lacombe 32 pages, US $ 16.95 Children's books can quickly take little readers into new worlds, such as the big city, 1930s Georgia, or outer space. This book takes us on a little trip to some European capitals. Cherry is fat and likes books, and she has few friends until she meets a stray Shar--Pei puppy . She names it Olive. Through it she finds confidence and friendship. But what will happen when its owner returns? Which of the following can best describe the fly in Book 3? A. Lazy and proud. B. Stupid and funny. C. Brave and courageous. D. Loyal and honest. Answer: C Question: My father has a great sports collection .he love sports very much. And he loves all balls. he likes playing basketball and volleyball. And he likes playing baseball and tennis. he also likes watching ball games. how many balls does he have? He has 15 basketballs,12 baseballs ,10 tennis bats.8 volleyballs and 14 baseball bats. and many other balls. He has _ tennis bats. A. 15 B. 12 C. 10 D. 8 Answer: C Question: Maurice Sendak's children's book,Where the Wild Things Are,published in 1963,has become very successful throughout the years and was made into a movie earlier this year. The book's main character is a boy named Max who gets into trouble with his mother and is sent to bed without any supper.Before long,Max's room magically becomes a forest,and he sails away to a land where monsters live.Max isn't scared,though,and becomes king of the wild things,but after a while,he begins feeling homesick.Max sails back home and his supper is still hot when he arrives in his bedroom. Many teachers and professors like this story and use it to help children develop creativity and imagination. Melina Davis,an education professor,said she likes how the book contains a couple of pages that have only pictures on them. "This allows children to shape the story themselves," she said. The book contains a few of larger words that some parents worry may confuse children,but experts say those words help improve children's reading skills and challenge them. Davis said the book is well written which helps kids get involved in the story. "The book talks about what all children go through,like 'I was naughty but my mommy still loves me'" Davis said. The book also encourages children to face their fears."I think it's really good to show that Max is friends with the monsters," Davis said."Kids can find out monsters aren't always the thing under the bed that's going to scare them.I think this is good because it shows that the children can go to scary places but still have a positive experience." Since the book has been successful throughout the years,a movie was recently made and many people are excited to see it.Davis said she thinks the movie will be wonderful but it might be a little scary for younger children."You don't want bad dreams over a book that's extremely wonderful'" Davis said. What does Davis think of the movie? A. She thinks children of all ages will love it. B. She encourages children to see it to fight against their fear. C. She worries that it might be too frightening for some children. D. She believes it will be a better choice for children than the book. Answer: C
My son wanted to give a party for my birthday. We discussed the invitations and the cost of the party. However, we had very different ideas about whom and how many people to invite. He thought that the people we knew had badly disappointed me by not keeping in touch with me since the death of my wife. But my idea of a relationship among people was to be friendly to everyone. He said, "Come on, Dad, where have all these so-called friendly, good people been since Mum passed away? They visited us in the past because Mum made good food." I replied, "I am sorry to hear that. Is this the reason why you do not want to invite those people? It's no wonder that you are unhappy. Can you live alone? Are you teaching your children to do the same in the future?" I asked myself where I had gone in his upbringing. My wife had often blamed me for not paying enough attention to communication with other people when I was raising our son. I realized at this moment that she was quite right. Hours later, my son phoned me to say that he accepted his wife's advice and agreed to have a party with some of my friends. In the end, we had a great time. And he didn't "hate" those friends any more. "Happy Birthday, Dad! Sorry that I have kept you away from your friends. I love you." On hearing what he said, I was full of happiness and excitement. I was proud that he could change his mind. About the party, the author and his son had very different views on _ . whom and how many people to invite A son and his father were walking on the mountains. Suddenly, his son falls, hurts himself and screams: "AAAhhhhhhhhhh!!!" To his surprise, he hears the voice repeating, somewhere in the mountains: "AAAhhhhhhhhhh!!!" Curious, he shouts: : "Who are you?" He receives the answer:" "Who are you?" And then he screams to the mountain: "I admire you!" The voice answers: "I admire you!" Angered at the response, he screams: "Coward (one without courage)!" He receives the answer: "Coward!" He looks to his father and asks: "What's going on?" The father smiles and says: "My son, pay attention." Again the man screams at the top of his voice: "You are a champion!" The voice answers: "You are a champion!" The boy is surprised, but does not understand. Then the father explains: "People call this ECHO , but really this is LIFE. It gives you back everything you say or do. Our life is simply a reflection of our actions. If you want more love in the world, create more love in your heart. If you want more competence in your team, improve your competence." This relationship applies to everything, in all aspects of life; life will give you back everything you have given to it." Which of the following sayings is in keeping with the father's teachings? Do well and have well. Many families take their children on vacation. They will usually travel for a few days or weeks during school breaks. But Julie and Tim Rivenbark planned a longer vacation with their two children--the Rivenbark family is on a one-year trip around the world. They plan to visit 30 countries in all. Right now, the four travellers are about halfway through their trip. Ms. Rivenbark says they are trying to see as much of the world as they can. She says "we have been through Europe, southern Africa, now we are kind of working our way through Asia. So we have been to a bunch of big cities, like Dubai, Johannesburg, Rome and Bangkok." The family has also spent time floating in kayaks(long narrow boats) in Italy, flying in hot air balloons in Myanmar, hiking to the Everest Base Camp in Nepal and going on a journey to see or hunt animals in South Africa. Mr. Rivenbark says the family has also ridden on ostrich birds, elephants, and camels. But, he says, one of the most interesting experiences of the trip has been meeting new people. "People have been extremely friendly, very welcoming and love our kids--interacting with them and their reaction to see our kids enjoying themselves in their country." Eleven-year old Tyler says he has enjoyed learning about the people they have met. "I learned in Africa that people have very different lifestyles compared to Americans." His sister, 9-year-old Kara, discovered that she liked Thai food. Ms. Rivenbark says that the extended trip teaches the children a lot more than short visits would have. "I think that the longer we travel, the more impact it has on how they see the world. I can see them changing more than they can see themselves." It took the family a year to prepare for the trip. They had to sell their house and cars. Ms. Rivenbark quit her job and her husband is using unpaid leave. They carry small bags filled with lightweight clothing and whatever else they need. Ms. Rivenbark says she enjoys being able to carry everything she needs on her back. She says she does not miss the things she has back home. "What has become more important is making these memories as a family and taking those with us instead." Tyler and Kara each have iPads so they can communicate with teachers to stay current with their schoolwork. Tyler is also creating a 365-day video blog. The Rivenbarks will continue to head east for the next six months. They plan to visit Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, China and Australia. To follow their adventures, visit their website: earthtrekkers.com. We can infer from the passage that _ . The kids are finishing their current study with the help of the Internet Candy disintegrates in a pool Dear Tommy, I'm writing to you on your third birthday. I want to tell you something about your grandma's time. I was born sixty-eight years ago in a small village. Transportation used to be a big problem. When we travelled from village to village, we used to walk or ride horses. Shopping was not an easy job, either. There were no supermarkets in the neighborhood. We used to grow most of our own food: rice and vegetables. We kept things cool in a special underground room. The biggest difference is that you have electricity. We didn't have electricity until very late in our small village. We didn't have any televisions of course. We used to perform our local music and enjoy it very much. Life used to be very hard, but I was not upset. I would like you to know about the old days and be happy about what you have. Remember , feeling good about life is the key to happiness. Love Your grandma This letter is written by _ . grandmother to a grandson
Question: Self-control can make you happier not only in the long-run, but also in the moment. The research showed that self-control isn't about giving up desires, but more about managing conflicting goals. Since most people consider highly self-controlled ones as being more task-centered, the scientists decided to find out the connection between self-control and people's happiness to determine if being self-disciplined leaves people feel less joyful. Through a set of tests-including one that assessed 414 middle-aged participants on self-control and another that randomly interviewed volunteers on their smart phones about their mood and any desires they might be experiencing, researchers found a strong connection between higher levels of self-control and satisfaction. The smart phone experiment also showed how self-control may improve mood. Those who showed the greatest self-control reported more good moods and fewer bad ones. But this didn't appear to be linked to being more able to resist temptation --it was because they exposed themselves to fewer situations that might inspire desires in the first place. They were doing a number of things that bring them happiness and avoiding problematic desires and conflicts. That became clear in the study's last experiment, which looked into how self-control affects the way people handle goals that conflict with one another. In particular, the researchers were interested in how self-disciplined and less-disciplined people differed when it came to choosing among "virtues" and "vices" like the pleasure of eating sugar cookie vs. the pain of gaining weight. Participants were asked to list three important goal conflicts they experienced regularly and were also questioned on how they managed to balance the goals. The highly self-controlled showed an obvious difference from those with less discipline over their lives. They tended to avoid creating situations in which their goals would conflict, and reported fewer instances of having to choose between short-term pleasure and long-term pain. As a result, they experienced fewer negative emotions. And self-control doesn't always mean _ : it may mean saving now to get big payoff later. For dieters, it means making choices to avoid entering a bakery since you are more likely to buy a cupcake. Granted, self-control isn't the best way to instant satisfaction, but it may bring something even better: long-term contentment. Different from the less-controlled ones, the highly self-controlled people _ . A. rarely prefer pleasures B. often create conflicting goals C. like to put up with pain D. stay away from negative emotions Answer: D Question: "My dream has come 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, 2011. "People were saying I'm getting old. So this is a great success for such an old woman," the 29-year-old girl joked. Miss Li has a tattoo . She has _ 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 Na was born in Wuhan, she 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 strong 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. "When you have one title, surely 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 Chinese can do it, the other young players in China will feel the same," she said. ,. When she began to play tennis, Li Na was _ . A. happy B. sad C. excited D. bored Answer: C Question: Four-bedroom house for sale This house is on a quiet street only a few meters from the beach. It has a wonderful view of the sea and would suit a family or an investor . There are many international cafes and restaurants nearby, and it is only a short walk to the stores. It's near the bus stops. The house has two floors. On the first floor there is a modern kitchen, a large sitting room, a dining room, and a bathroom. On the second floor you will find four bedrooms. There are also two bathrooms. There is also a swimming pool and a beautiful garden around the house. Please telephone Jim Watson at 014-735-8383.One -bedroom apartment for sale This apartment is on the top floor of a six-floor building and has a wonderful view of the city. There is a big park near the building. It is near the centre of the city. It will be a good home for a young couple . The apartment is freshly painted. A modern kitchen and a tidy bathroom make it very comfortable. The owners need money, so they are eager to sell it. Call Julie Kelly at 014-735-8484 for more information If you want to see the house, how could you see inside of it? A. Call Jim and he will show you. B. Ask people living there to show you. C. Go there. The door is open. D. You can only see pictures. Answer: A Question: In the past two years, his wife, Merlie, and their seven children have said "goodbye" to him four times, most recently last month. Each time it has been unnecessary. Mr. Smart had a hip replacement in February at the Burnie hospital but was rushed back two months later with internal bleeding. "The doctors couldn't stop the bleeding," Mrs. Smart said. Medical staff told Mrs. Smart to contact her family, which includes children in Western Australia. "It took two days for them to get here. We had to hope he _ ." he did. "The doctors were there 24 hours a day and they stopped the bleeding. They brought him back," Mrs. Smart said. "I certainly believe in miracles because I've seen one happen, but it wouldn't have happened if the doctors didn't do what they did." It was the second time Mrs. Smart thought she was losing her husband of 54 years. Two years ago, Mr. Smart was admitted to the Launceston General Hospital after a heart attack and a few days later with intense pain caused by a hemorrhage . Again, the family was called to say goodbye---twice. "I was given a 50-50 chance of coming out of it, " Mr. Smart said. Going through the ordeal (,) then was trying on the family, who had prepared themselves for the worst. But to face the same situation only two years later was hard. The Smarts said the support they received at the Burnie hospital helped them through. And it seems the experience has also left an impression at the hospital. Mrs. Smart said when she rang recently and mentioned her husband's name, the reply was "ah the miracle man". What would be the best title for the passage? A. The Miracle Man. B. The Kind Doctors and Nurses. C. A Devoted Wife. D. A Great Family. Answer: A Question: Hi! Let me tell you something about my beautiful house. There is a small garden in front of it. There are many beautiful flowers in the garden. Behind my house there is a big tree. Some birds always sing in it early in the morning. Near the tree, you can see a _ . Our new car is in it now. My house is a two-storey building. On the first floor, there is a large living room, a dining room, a kitchen and a bathroom. I like watching TV in the living room. On the second floor, there is a small study and two bedrooms. I love to play computer games in my study. It's a nice house. I like it a lot. There is _ on the first floor. A. a bedroom B. a garage C. a bathroom D. a study Answer: C
It's that time of year when people need to lock their cars. Is it because there are many criminals stealing cars? Not indeed. Rather, it's because of good-hearted neighbors who want to share their harvest. Sharon recently had a good year for tomatoes. She and her family had eaten and canned so many that they'd begun to feel their skin turn slightly red. That's when she decided it was time to share her blessings. Eventually she found a neighbor willing to have the tomatoes."Feel free to take whatever you want,"Sharon told her. Later that day, Sharon found that her garden had indeed been harvested. She thought it a good way to help someone and the food didn't go to waste. A few days later, the neighbor knocked at the door, holding a loaf of bread:"I want to thank you for all of the tomatoes, and I have to admit that I took a few other things and hoped you wouldn't mind."Sharon couldn't think of anything in her garden that had been worth harvesting and said so."But you did,"the neighbor said."You had some of the prettiest zucchini." Sharon was confused. She hadn't even planted any zucchini. But her neighbor insisted that there were bright green zucchini. Sharon's curiosity got the better of her and she had to go to see where the zucchini had grown. When the neighbor pointed at the long green vegetables, Sharon smiled."Well, actually, those are cucumbers that we never harvested, because they got too big, soft and bitter." The neighbor looked at Sharon, shock written all over her face. She hesitated a few times, and then smiling, held out the bread, part of a batch she had shared all over the neighborhood,"I brought you a loaf of cucumber bread. I hope you like it." What might happen if a car were left unlocked in Sharon's neighborhood at harvest time? Answer: I was saved from sin when I was going on thirteen. But not really saved. It happened like this. There was a big revival at my Auntie Reed's church. Then just before the revival ended, they held a special meeting for children, "to bring the young lambs to the fold ". My aunt spoke of it for days ahead. That night I was accompanied to the front row and placed on the mourners' bench with all the other young sinners, who had not yet been brought to Jesus. My aunt told me that when you were saved you saw a light, and something happened to you inside! And Jesus came into your life! And God was with you from then on! She said you could see and hear and feel Jesus in your soul. I believed her. So I sat there calmly in the hot, crowded church, waiting for Jesus to come to me. I wanted to see him, but nothing happened to me. Nothing! I wanted something to happen to me, but nothing happened. Now it was really getting late. So I decided that maybe to save further trouble, I'd better lie and say that Jesus had come, and get up and be saved. So I get up. The whole room broke into a sea of shouting and my aunt threw her arms around me. The minister took me by the hand and led me to the platform. That night I cried. I cried, in bed alone, and couldn't stop. My aunt woke up and told my uncle I was crying because the Holy Ghost had come into my life, and because I had seen Jesus. But I was really crying because I couldn't bear to tell her that I had lied, that I had deceived everyone in the church, that I hadn't seen Jesus, and that now I didn't believe there was a Jesus any more, since he didn't come to help me. What does the passage mainly tell us? Answer: A report by the Consumer Electronics Association says electronics are among the most popular gifts being bought this holiday season. Jim Barry is a spokesman for the Consumer Electronics Association. He says the CEA study found that electronics represent three of the top five things on its "holiday gift wish list" this year. JIM BARRY: "Notebook computers are at the top, followed by iPads and then e-readers. IPad is a touch-screen tablet computer and that's really the big player in that category." The computer company Apple began selling its small, touch-screen computers in April. People use the touch-screen computers to surf the Web, write e-mails, watch movies and read books. Since the iPad's release earlier this year, several other companies have come out with their own tablet computers just in time for Christmas. A report from the e-Marketer research group predicts that worldwide, tablet sales will reach more than eighty-one million in two thousand twelve. Still, Jim Barry says these devices are facing tough competition this year from another Christmas favorite. JIM BARRY: "Another hot category right behind that are the e-readers. So you can read on an iPad or a touch-screen tablet, but the e-book readers are less expensive. The Kindle is the market leader there, from Amazon. But you also have the Nook from Barnes and Noble and the e-reader from Sony. And you have more and more of those e-readers coming into the market as well." The Consumer Electronics Association report found that iPod music players are also in high demand this holiday season. But not all of the things on the holiday gift wish list involved electronics. Clothes, cars and motorcycles also made the list. So did family togetherness and good health. And the one thing that people wanted most? JIM BARRY: "At the top of the list was peace and happiness." That is also our wish for you this holiday season. The best title of the passage is _ . Answer: Walk along The Mall towards the royal residence to see one of London'S best known views.If you time it right and arrive at 11:30,you'll be able to see the changing of the guard.During August and September,the Palace's State rooms are open to the public.These rooms are used by the Royal Family on ceremonial occasions and are lavishly furnished with some of the finest English and French furniture you cann't see anvwhere in the world.While at the Palace you can also visit The Queen'S Gallery and enjoy some of the finest paintings and works of art from the Royal Collection.If you havetime.St.James'S Park,which runs'alongside The Mall,is worth a visit if only for the Delicans on the lake.The birds have been a constant feature of the park since the late 17thcenturv.Behind the Palace is the Royal Mews,with houses--the Queen'S working stables .Here visitors can see the State Carriages and Coaches,as well as their horses. Address:Buckingham Palace Road,SWl A Telephone:020--7766--7300/7301 Open: Changing of the Guard:11:30,daily until the end of June and every other day in the rest of the year. Buckingham Palace:every day,31 July--26 September,09:30--16:30. The Queen'S Gallery:every day,09:30--17:30. Cost: Buckingham Palace:Adult 12.50;ConcessionsPS10.50;Under 17PS6.50. The Queen's Gallery:Adult~7.50;ConcessionsPS6.00;Under 17PS4.00. According to the author,St.James's Park is worth a visit because Answer: Does your local town have a nickname? If so, what does it say about the area and the people who live there? Many cities are recognized across the world by their unofficial names. New York is the Big Apple, London is the Big Smoke, and Los Angeles is famously called La La Land. Now, as part of English Language Day on Wednesd ay, two British organizations, the English Project and Ordnance Survey, are launching an interactive project which aims to identify the nicknames which people use in their daily lives for the places which they like or dislike. "The name that people create for a place forms a connection with feelings," explains Winchester University's Professor Bill Lucas, a patron of the English Project. "So Basingstoke becomes Amazingstoke; Swindon is known as Swindump and Padstow, hometown of chef Rick Stein, is nicknamed Padstein." Basingstoke is a town in central England. The local nickname, Amazingstoke, shows the love that locals seem to have for the area. Swindon, on the other hand, is sometimes called Swindump, showing that some people think it's a dump ( ). Stanford Le Hope in Essex is called Stanford No Hope by locals. And Padstow in Cornwall is so closely connected with the local famous person Rick Stein that it's become known as Padstein. Since launching the online survey last week, the creators have already received 3,000 alternative titles for places and landmarks. As well as creating what promises to be a fascinating resource of nicknames, there is a practical side to the project. "With the huge variety of place nicknames that exist, we could never hope to collect them all ourselves," says Glen Hart, Ordnance Survey's head of research. "But the information from the project could prove vital. Organizations like the emergency services rely on our information when responding to 999 calls, so by having the most complete set of nicknames we could help the emergency services quickly locate the right place, and maybe even save lives." According to the passage, people's response to the project is _ . Answer:
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 frighten her child. 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 mother asked 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." What was the weather like before school was over? A. It was rainy. B. It was fine. C. It was just windy. D. It was cloudy. Answer: D. It was cloudy. One day a lonely girl found two weak birds while she was walking in the woods . She took them home and put them in a small cage. She fed them with love and the birds grew strong. Every morning they greeted her with a beautiful song. The girl loved them very much and wanted their singing to last forever. One day the girl left the cage's door open. The larger and stronger of the two birds flew out of the cage. The girl watched worriedly as it circled high above her. She was afraid that it would fly away and she would never see it again. So when it flew close, she grasped at it wildly. She was very happy that she held it tightly within her hand! Suddenly, she felt something had happened to the bird. She opened her hand and was surprised to find the bird was dead. Her love for the bird killed it. She noticed the other bird jumping in the cage. She could feel that it wanted to be free. It hoped to fly into the clear, blue sky. She lifted it from the cage and flew it into the air. The bird circled once, twice, three times... When the bird was flying happily in the sky, she was so glad. Just then the bird flew closer and sat softly on her shoulder. It sang the sweetest song she had ever heard. The girl felt that the other bird _ when it was jumping in the cage. A. wanted to see what happened B. wanted to be free C. wanted to sing a beautiful song again D. wanted to eat something Answer: B. wanted to be free A gentle breeze blew through Jennifer's hair. The golden red sun was setting. She was on the beach, looking up at the fiery ball. She was amazed by its color1, deep red in the middle, softly fading into yellow. She could hear nothing but the waves and the seagulls flying up above in the sky. The atmosphere relaxed her. After all she had been through, this was what she needed. "It's getting late," she thought, "I must go home. My parents will be wondering where I am." She wondered how her parents would react, when she got home after the three days she was missing. She kept on walking, directing herself where she spent every summer holiday. The road was deserted. She walked slowly and silently. Just in a few hundred meters she would have been safe in her house. It was really getting dark now. The sun had set a few minutes before and it was getting cold, too. She wished she had her favorite sweater on-- it kept her really warm. She imagined having it with her. This thoughtdisappeared when she finally saw her front door. It seemed different. Nobody had taken care of the outside garden for a few days. She was shocked: her father was usually so strict about keeping everything clean and tidy, and now... It all seemed deserted. She couldn't understand what was going on. She entered the house. First, she went into the kitchen where she saw a note written by her father. It said, " Ellen, there is some coffee ready. I went looking." Ellen was her mother but -- where was she? On the right side of the hallway was her parents' room. She went in. Then she saw her. Her mother, lying on the bed, was sleeping. Her face looked so tired, as if she hadn't slept for days. She was really pale. Jennifer would have wanted to wake her up but she looked too tired. So Jennifer just fell asleep beside her. When Jennifer woke up, something was different... she wasn't in her mother's room and she wasn't wearing the old clothes she ran away in. She was in her _ bed in her pajamas . It felt so good being back home. Suddenly she heard a voice, "Are you feeling better now, ? You know you got us very, very scared." Her father didn't take care of the garden because _ . A. he was busy looking for her B. he had to look after his wife C. he was not strict in his job D. he no longer enjoyed working there Answer: A. he was busy looking for her A person wants to turn on an MP3 player, so they complete a circuit by A. pressing a button B. singing to it C. making a face D. crossing their fingers Answer: A. pressing a button The size and shape of your ears show your character more than any other parts of the face. Other parts of the face change shape as we get older, but ears do not change their shape. They only change in size. Reading people's character from their ears is an old science. In very old times people thought that a person with big ears had a good and generous character. They thought that a person with pale, small ears was dangerous. They also thought that the shape of the ear showed if a person was musical. Today, too many people believe that the size and the shape of the ear help you know if a person is musical. Ears are all different, and each characteristic has a meaning. Next time when you look at a person, see if his ears are large, medium-size or small. Look at the lobes (the lowest part of the ear). Do they stick to the face? Ears that are always red mean a person may easily get angry, or he / she just has high blood pressure . Ears that are always cold and pale mean a person has a nervous character. And a big inside hole of the ear means a person is musical. Which may be the best title of the article? A. Looking at a person in the right way B. Ears and characters C. The change of ears D. Ears and colours Answer: B. Ears and characters
Monarch butterflies from eastern Canada make the most amazing journey in the insect world. Each year, this butterfly travels about 3000miles to its winter home in central Mexico . How can it fly so far? And why does it make this long and dangerous trip? Scientists still don't have an answer. For many years, people in Mexico wondered where the orange-and-black butterflies came from every winter. Then, in 1937, a scientist started to follow and study the butterflies. For the next 20 years, he discovered that one butterfly started its journey in Canada. Four months later, it arrived in Mexico. The length of the butterflies find their way back to the same place? Another amazing thing is that the butterflies always return to the same area in central Mexico. How do the butterflies find their way back to the same place? This is an interesting question because only every fourth generation makes the trip south. In other words, the butterfly that travels to Mexico this year is the great-great-grandchild of the butterfly that traveled there last year. Each year, four generations of a Monarch butterfly family are born. Each generation of the family has a very different life. The first generation is born in the south in late April. It slowly moves north, reproduces , and then dies. On the trip north,two more generations are born, reproduce, and die. Each of these generations of butterflies is born. This generation has a much longer life. It lives for about eight months. This generation of butterflies makes the amazing journey back to the winter home of its great-great-grandparents. The butterflies spend the winter there, and in the spring they reproduce and then die. Their offspring will be the first generation of the next circle of life. Today, people are still studying the Monarch butterfly. But they are not clear about everything. Which statement is true according to the text? Answer: Some generations die on the way north to Canada. Playing is a serious business for children. In fact, it's what they do best! Ask them why they do it, and kids will probably say, "Because it's fun!" But it's much more than that. It's also good for them. Studies show that from birth babies begin learning through playing. They use their five senses to get to know their new world. Touching allows them to discover how different things feel. Brightly color1ed toys and clothing help develop a baby's sense of sight. When small children choose which toy to play with, they begin developing their abilities in deciding something. Children love toys that allow them to use their imagination. Sometimes an empty box is more fun than a high-tech toy. That's because a box can become anything a child imagines it to be. Crayons, paints and Ply-Doha are also good because they allow children to create. Traditional building blocks teach important pre-math skills like problem-solving. Playing doesn't become any less important once children start school. _ ? . Kids learn how to share, take turns and play by the rules. Why is playing a serious business for children? Answer: Because children can get much more from playing. Doctors, psychologists , economists and other experts have recently got together to find out what makes us happy and have come to surprising results. One of the main topics is how to measure happiness. Although some experts say that there are many ways to measure happiness, like recording a person's feelings, satisfaction in life or being healthy, others say that you can't really measure happiness, but you can see it. Money is really important in most people's lives. Once people have enough money to support their living, they pay more attention to other meaningful things. In many cases, friends and a close family are more important. Some people also need meaningful and creative work to find happiness. Studies find that there is a connection between happiness and health. Most of the time, people who are happier have better health. They work better and they are not as stressed as others. Besides, happier people may be able to live longer and enjoy their happiness. Studies also show that those who laugh a lot and those who are in good moods are also happier. Is there a way of achieving happiness? Some experts say that if people express their thanks, they can become happier. Joining pleasant conversations can also bring more satisfaction and happiness. Not surprisingly, people feel that a good relationship is important in being happy. Happiness is also _ . The results show that if you happen to have a member of your family or a friend near you who is happy, you'll happy, too. What can we learn from the passage? Answer: Happiness influences our health. Young Mister Smith had an idea for his employer. It was an idea for saving money for the company by increasing prices. At the same time, Smith suggested that the company sell goods of less value. If his employer liked the idea, Smith might be given more pay. Perhaps he might even get a better job with the company. Business had been very slow. So Mister Smith's employer thought a few minutes about the idea. But then she shook her head. "I am sorry, Smith," his employer said. "It just will not wash." Now, the meaning of these English words should be, "It will not get clean." Yet, Smith's idea did not have anything to do with making something clean. So why did his employer say, "It will not wash?" Most word experts agree that "it will not wash" means it will not work. In the nineteenth century in England, the expression came to mean an unde-pendable statement. It was used mainly to describe an idea. But sometimes it was used about a person. Happily for the young employee Smith, his employer wanted him to do well in the company. So the employer "talked turkey" to him. She said, "Your idea would be unfair to our buyers. Think of another way to save money." A century ago, to talk turkey meant to talk pleasantly. Turkeys in the barnyard were thought to be speaking pleasantly to one another. In recent years, the saying has come to mean an attempt to teach something important. Mister Smith thought of a better idea after his employer talked turkey to him. He was given an increase in pay. So if your idea "will not wash," try "talking turkey" to yourself and come up with a better idea. By saying "It just will not wash", the employer actually means " _ ". Answer: your advice won't bring good results Steven is six years old. He gets some money from his mother every week. He buys a lot of things from the shops, but he doesn't really need them, and he puts them everywhere. One day his mother gives him a notebook and says, "Now, Steven, when you buy things, write their names down in the notebook, and also write down how much they are. Then you can look at it again when your money is all gone , and you don't waste so much money next time." After a week, Steven says to his mother, "Do you know, Mum, before I spend any money now, I really stop and think!" His mother is very happy and thinks, "Well, my son knows the value of money now." But then she hears him say, "Mum, before I buy something, I always ask myself, 'Can I spell that word and put it down in my notebook?' " Why is Steven's mother happy? Answer: She thinks that her son doesn't waste money now.
Nowadays,people in China are increasingly interested in celebrating foreign festivals,especially those western festivals. A survey conducted recently by sina.com showed that among the 18,222 people surveyed 63.90%said celebrating Christmas is just another way of recreation,nothing serious while 17.85%surveyed considered the festival as a fashion act.showing they were not "out".These two parts clearly indicate the general opinion of the young.10.45%people involved said the celebration of a religious western festival with so much enthusiasm is ly ridiculous pursuit of foreign goodness.Only 7.80%of people define Christmas as a kind of festival colonization The arising of celebrating foreign festivals clearly has something to do, with the advancement of China's economy.In my point of view.Christmas and other festivals celebrated in China have difference from the origin.They have lost their religious background and turned into a big occasion to have fun and enjoy life.Shop owners' pockets are filled,the public's hunger for happiness is filled,and that is enough.Foreign festivals in China are more like carnivals giving people pleasure and enjoyment. The crisis of traditional Chinese festivals that are losing their attraction may be linked to the culture tradition and background of the festivals.Most Chinese festival culture is related more or less to real life "The country is based on its people while the people are relied on their food". But the western culture shows much of romance.Some festivals have their religious background while others have much to do with culture and people.At this point,food seems to be too plain.Flowers and chocolates are more welcomed. Foreign festivals in China today are celebrated for fun.They give people opportunities to relax mad celebrate,to show appreciation and gratefulness.The acceptance of foreign festivals generally depends on the openness of the public,the familiarity with the western culture,and most importantly,on people's economic status. Which of the following may NOT be the reason why so many people accept foreign festivals? There were four brothers that lived together in a small house on the east side of town. The brothers' names were Bob, Billy, Bryan and Baker. Each brother was one year in age. The oldest brother Bob was nine, the second eight, the third seven and the youngest was only six. Each boy also had something that they were good at that no one else could do. Baker, the youngest boy was good at magic tricks. Bob was the basketball star, Billy was great at football and Bryan was good at baseball. Each boy liked to watch the others show off their skills. One afternoon Baker put on a magic show. For this trick he would need three things. First, he needed four cups each a different color. The cups colors were green, yellow, blue, and white. He would need one white ball and two helpers which the parents happily volunteered for. He started by showing his brothers the inside of each cup as well as the normal white ball. He then placed the white ball inside the white cups and moved them around really fast. Next his parents covered the four cups with a magic blanket. Baker said some magic words and then his helpers removed the blanket. To his brothers amazement there were only the three colored cups left. Each brother got to look under a cup. After flipping up each cup they saw that there was no white ball. Just a single green ball inside the green cup! How did you do that they yelled! A magician never gives up his secrets. Which cup was the ball in at the end of the trick? Televisions were among the most talked about items at the 2013 International Consumer Electronics Show last week in Las Vegas, Nevada. Some employed the most advanced technology ever. Some of the TVs used a new technology called Organic Light Emitting Diodes, or OLED. They were thinner, lighter, offered better color1 and were brighter than traditional LEDs. Smart TVs this year were smarter. Many offered technology that let users have a more personalized experience. One such TV from the electronics company TCL uses sensors and voice recognition to determine who is watching. It then offers programming based on the specific user. Another TV from Panasonic offers a similar personalized user experience. In addition to television technology, size also played a major part in CES 2013. Televisions varied in size from big to bigger, with at least two companies -- Samsung and HiSense -- exhibiting TVs measuring 110 inches. The yearly Consumer Electronics Show is the biggest technology trade show in North America and one of the biggest in the world. Gary Shapiro is president and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association, the group that organizes CES. He gave one of the keynote speeches on opening day. "Now you know that CES is more than a trade show. It's a gathering of the brightest minds and the top leaders from many industries and those seeking a glimpse into the future." That glimpse into the future included a look at digital health and fitness devices, which were also big at CES 2013. There were devices that track your activity and others that measure blood pressure, heart rate and weight. There was even a fork that tells you when you are eating too fast. Cars, smart-phones, tablet computers and PCs also made news. And a 27-inch table computer drew quite a bit of attention. CEA President Gary Shapiro says there was much to see but not nearly enough time to see it all. "You cannot see the show in the four days that you have. We have over 3200 different industries showing over 20,000 new products. It's ly incredible." From the text, we can know that the TV from Panasonic _ . You want to have fun and adventure and so you decide to travel somewhere to do it. Sounds like a simple enough thing. And basically it is. But what is adventure? That is the key here and the answer can be different for different people. For those who love sports, adventure travel can have a whole different meaning than for those who like history. The physical travel types that you can find include such adventure travel as white water rafting , kayaking or climbing and hiking to some mountains somewhere. To the hiker, backpacking across Ireland might be their adventure. For this type of person, adventure travel almost always includes something physical. Often the goal is to push their body's limits and test their individual endurance . For those who less want to climb mountains, adventure travel might mean traveling to Nepal and taking in the local festivals. Wine tasting in Italy is also vacation adventure for the more relaxed traveler who enjoys peace and comfort. Anything that is opposite to the normal scope of the traveler's lifestyle defines adventure. Adventure travel is not necessarily a one-size-fits-all type of vacation. Adventure depends on the person's physical limits, how much money the person has and what the person enjoys doing. Going _ the normal is adventurous for many. If your life is quite busy, then sitting on a beach in the moonlight with your family might be adventure for you. The point is not what you do but that you have a good time and that it is an adventure for YOU -- not for the person next to you. Do not sit home this year when vacation time rolls around. Go beyond your normal routine and try something new. If you usually spend your vacation sun-bathing on a beach, try hiking, instead, through the mountains. Look around you, think beyond your comfort zone and head out on an adventure vacation. For a quiet traveler, he is most likely to choose _ . I have a big family. In my family,there are 6 people--my father,my mother,my two sisters,my brother and me. My mother is Linda. My father is Mike. And our family name is Hand. My sisters are Gina and Sonia. They like baseball very much. My brother,David,is a lovely boy. He likes computer games. My name is Bob. I my family. How manypeople are there in the family?
The pickle jar , as I can remember, sat beside the dresser in my parents' bedroom. When ready for bed, Dad would toss any coins in his pockets into the jar. As they dropped, they landed with a merry jingle. Whenever the jar was full, Dad would roll up the coins. Every time he slid the box of rolled coins across the counter at the bank toward the cashier, he would smile proudly and say,"All for my son's college." We would always celebrate each deposit by stopping for an ice cream cone. Dad would show me the coins in his change, saying "When we get home, we'll start filling the jar again." He always let me drop the first coins into the empty jar. "You might have to get to college on loose change," he said. "But you'll get there." As years passed, I went to college, got married and took a job. Once, while visiting my parents, I noticed the jar was gone. It had served its purpose. My dad was a man of few words and never lectured me on the values of determination, perseverance or faith. The jar had taught me those far better than the most flowery of words could have done. Soon, my daughter Jessica was born. We spent Christmas that year with my parents. After dinner, Mom and Dad sat next to each other, taking turns holding their first grandchild. When Jessica began crying, my wife Susan took her from Dad's arms to put her in my parents' room. Susan came back, tears in her eyes and led me into the room. "Look," she said softly. To my amazement, there, next to the dresser, stood the old pickle jar, as if never removed, the bottom already covered with coins. I walked over to it, dug down into my pocket, and pulled out several coins. Choked by emotion, I dropped them into the jar. Dad had slipped quietly into the room when I looked up. Our eyes locked, but neither of us spoke, because we knew nothing had to be said. Which words best describe the author's father? Answer: Quiet but loving. Look at the picture. What can you see? In the picture there is a big table with a lot of things on it. There are three bottles of orange juice, two glasses of milk, some bread, cakes and so on. look, there is a cat under the table. It's Kate's cat. Its name is Mimi. I think it like them very much. No, Mimi. You can't have them. All the things on the table are not for you. They are for Jim and Kate. They have them for lunch. POLLY is a bird. Now it's on the window. It's eating a banana. Where is the cat? It's _ . Answer: under the table Keeping a busy social life among lots of friends may keep people thinner than spending hours doing some exercises, according to scientists. They say that socialising and meeting with friends help increase levels of brown fat in the body which burns calories to produce heat. Living in an exciting social environment was found to reduce fat in mice's belly by half over four weeks, even if they ate more. US researchers say that social excitement aids weight loss by turning white fat into brown. White fat stores calories and makes us fatter, while brown burns energy to produce heat. Turning white fat into brown is extremely difficult,normally requiring long- term stay in cold conditions or exciting part of the body's nervous system. However, scientists from Ohio State University now think that having a busy social life is an even more effective way of changing white fat into brown. The team came up with their theory by studying the effects of various living environments on mice. Those, who lived alongside a greater number of mice, had more space and toys to excite themselves and then lost far more weight over the course of the study than their "couch potato" fellows. Study author, Dr Matthew During, whose team's findings appear in the journal Cell Metabolism, said, "I'm still amazed at the degree of fat loss that occurs." Explaining how new technology had threatened face-to-face socialising, he added, "It's not just a sedentary( )lifestyle and high calorie foods, but an increasing lack of social activities." Co-author Dr Lei Cao said,"Loneliness is a potential factor for cancer and death; it's equal to cigarette smoking to a certain extent. Social activities are very vital.,, What's the main idea of the text? Answer: Socialising contributes to people's losing weight. Two years ago I fell off the steps of a bus while climbing down and twisted my ankle. What followed was the usual way that is common in the US. A few hours later I was treated and discharged. What was uncommon was that I received extra care while going to ER(emergency room) and while I was in the hospital. People were kind to me, men and women alike. They wheeled me into a private room instead of making me wait in the crowded waiting room. Someone came and asked me if the temperature is OK. When I said I was cold, he brought me a blanket and some magazines, in case I got bored. The nurses stopped by, making pleasant chats with me. People always came to ask me if I was in too much pain and if I needed anything... There were other people who were brought in while I was waiting. Patients groaning in pain were given the care they needed and then ignored. My injury was not the priority, so while I was not pushed to the front of the line, my several hours' stay in the hospital was made as pleasant as possible. Why would people do that? They gave others care, while I got kindness. Like any other good looking, healthy, independent person, man or woman,it looks as if the world isnicer to rich people, and the world is nicer to attractive people. I'm not in the dating world. It's not about free drinks and gifts. It's about people being nice. I'm grateful for any positive behavior because I know this is temporary. Eventually I will join the groups of the elderly, the weak and the seemingly unattractive. One thing I refuse to do is to make excuses for being attractive. I know it's temporary. I know it's the luck of the draw and I know that I'm just one of the many. Does it matter to my husband, my mother and my kids what I look like? No. And I wouldn't have it any other way. What caused the author into deep thought? Answer: Other patients in the hospital didn't get the same kindness as her. The value-packed, all-inclusive sight-seeing package that combines the best of Sydney's harbour, city, bay and beach highlights. A SydneyPass gives you unlimited and flexible travel on the Explorer Buses: the 'red' Sydney Explorer shows you around our exciting city sights while the 'blue' Bondi Explorer visits Sydney Harbour bays and famous beaches. Take to the water on one of three magnificent daily harbour cruises . You can also travel free on regular Sydney Buses, Sydney Ferries or CityRail services (limited area), so you can go to every corner of this beautiful city. Imagine browsing at Darling Harbour, sampling the famous seafood at Watsons Bay or enjoying the city lights on an evening ferry cruise. The possibilities and plans are endless with a SydneyPass. Wherever you decide to go, remember that bookings are not required on any of our services so tickets are treated on a first in, first seated basis. SydneyPasses are available for 3, 5 0r 7 days for use over a 7 calendar day period. With a 3 or 5 day pass you choose on which days out of the 7 you want to use it. All SydneyPasses include a free Airport Express inward trip before starting your 3, 5 0r 7 days, and the return trip is valid for 2 months from the first day your ticket was used. SydneyPass Fares Adult Child* Family** 3 day ticket $90 $45 $225 5 day ticket $120 $60 $300 7 day ticket $140 $70 $350 A child is defined as anyone from the ages of 4 years to under 16 years. Children under 4 years travel free. *A family is defined as 2 adults and any number of children from 4 to under 16 years of age from the same family. With a SydneyPass, a traveller can _ . Answer: save fares from and to the airport
The word "day" has two meanings. When we talk about the number of days in a year, we are using "day" to mean 24 hours. But when we talk about day and night, we are using "day" to mean the time between sunrise and sunset. Since the earth looks like a ball, the sun can shine on only half of it at a time. Always one half of the earth is having day and the other half night. A place is moved from day into night and from night into day over and over by the spinning of the earth. At the equator day and night are sometimes the same length. They are each twelve hours long. The sun rises at 6 in the morning and sets at 6 in the evening. For six months the North Pole is tilted toward the sun. In those months the Northern Hemisphere gets more hours of sunlight than the Southern Hemisphere. Days are longer than nights. South of the equator nights are longer than days. For the other six months the North Pole is tilted away from the sun. Then the Southern Hemisphere gets more sunlight. Days are longer than night. North of the equator nights are longer than days. Winter is the season of long nights. Summer is the season of long days. When the North Pole is tilted toward the sun, the Northern Hemisphere gets _ sunlight. Answer: more "I don't speak English"-these are the first words I learned when I came to America. Soon I was able to pronounce the four words clearly, and said them whenever an American tried to talk to me. This answer was very effective at ending our conversation and saving me from another uncomfortable situation, or I would have to communicate in a language that I was not familiar with. Before coming to the States, I thought I knew English pretty well. But the truth is that the grammar and vocabulary-based English that is taught in schools overseas is not the English people speak in America. But fear not! Once you are in America, you can immediately begin to bridge the gap between the learned English that you already know, and the spoken English that is all around you. To do this, first of all, it is important not to fear when you realize that you may not be as prepared for daily communication as you thought. For me, as soon as I stopped worrying about my accent and started speaking, I made rapid progress. Often the people didn't notice my mistakes because they were so glad to finally be able to communicate with me. Another good idea is to listen carefully and pay attention to the way in which ideas are expressed. For example, if you are working hard and you want to stop working and rest for a little while, you can either say "I would like to stop working and rest for a while" or "I want to take a quick break from work." The first sentence, I quickly learned, sounds dry and too formal for any kind of communication, while the second is an idiom that is widely used in American English conversation. Finally, use what you already know---the vocabulary, the grammar and the spelling. Try to use these into the spoken language for more impressive and accurate speaking results. At first the writer preferred to use the sentence "I don't speak English" to _ Answer: avoid getting upset in communicating with others A good reader becomes sooner or later a good book buyer.The sooner,the better. The reading done in a book drawn from a library can not be so pleasant at the moment nor so permanently useful as the reading done in our own copy. A book which is worth reading is likely to be read more than once,and at each reading some idea or some statement makes such an impression that we wish to refer to it again. Some readers underline the page as they read,but I find that a page which I have underlined can not give me so many fresh impressions as one which has no marks on it.My habit is to make my own index of a book as I read.I put down the number of the page and a word or two to identify the thought or the fact which I get from it.On a second or third reading I am likely to double or triple the size of this index.This is my substitute for underlining.Most of the books in my library are so indexed that I can find quickly the passage which from time to time I wish to look up. To use a book in this way,organizing it for continued usefulness year after year, we must,of course,do our reading in a copy which belongs to us.The books I buy are chiefly those of less expensive editions. As I have grown older and the number of books on my shelves has increased,I appre- ciate editions which do not take much room.By careful and continuous selection I keep my librarv down to ten thousand books.This would be,of course,too large a number for any but a professional scholar or writer.But my advice to a book lover is to weed but his library at least once every two years,giving away the books which are not likely to be read again. And never never buy a book which you will not immediately read.A library bought only for looks is not literature,but indoor decoration. What is the disadvantage of underlining according to the author? Answer: Underlined books cannot give the reader enough fresh impressions. George Stephenson was born in 1781 in a poor family. He had to start work when he was only eight.When George was fourteen, he became his father's helper.He spent a lot of time learning about engines .And on holidays he often made one engine to pieces and studied each piece carefully.Soon he became a very good worker though he could not read or write.He began to learn English letters when he was seventeen years old.Every day after he did twelve hours of hard work, he walked a long way to have lessons from a young school teacher. On his eighteenth birthday,he wrote his own name for the first time in his life.George invented many things in his life.The train was the greatest one among them.Today when we take trains from one place to another,we'll think of this great man---George Stephenson. In which year did George Stephenson start to help his father? _ . Answer: In 1795 Winter is dangerous for drivers because it's so difficult to know what is going to happen and accidents take place easily. Bad weather can be waiting to meet you. Ice might be hiding under the snow, waiting to send you off the road. The car coming towards you might suddenly move across the road. Here are two rules for driving safely on icy roads: Rule Number One is to drive smoothly. Irregular movements can make a car very difficult to manage. So each time you either turn the wheel, touch the brake or increase your speed, you must be as gentle and slow as possible. Just imagine you are driving with a full cup of hot coffee on the seat next to you. You should drive carefully enough in order that you wouldn't get the coffee out of the cup. Rule Number Two is to pay attention to what might happen. The more ice there is, the farther you have to look down the road. Test how long it takes to stop by gently braking. Remember that you may be driving more quickly than you think. Generally speaking, allow double your normal stopping distance when the road is wet, three times this distance on snow, and even more on ice. Try to stay in control of your car at all times, or you will get into trouble. Rule Number One mainly tells us _ . Answer: to drive smoothly on icy roads
Question: Key West, Florida is a wonderful place to spend a vacation. It is a truly charming and fun city for the whole family. And of course you will get the good weather of Florida, with which you have plenty of time to enjoy the outdoor activities. Key West is the most southern city in the continental USA. That is why their sunsets are so amazing. The sun is brighter there at sunset than anywhere else. It's so beautiful that everyone gathers every evening at Mallory Dock to watch it. And there you will see jugglers and musicians entertaining in the streets. The houses surrounded by trees and flowers are lovely in Key West, and many are restored and absolutely charming. There are too many hotels, inns, guest houses and restaurants to talk about. They all look great and their prices change according to seasons, and you can find something to suit every pocketbook and every taste. At the seaport you will see various boats. It's very interesting. The city is rich in history and was home to Ernest Hemingway. Harry Truman chose it for his winter White House. There are so many public transportation--taxis, tour trains, trolleys, bikes--and you can even walk if you choose. There are beautiful coral reefs. The deep reefs are farther off shore and are best visited with an experienced guide. However, there are shallow reefs close in where snorkelers can explore to their heart's content. At Key West Marine Park you can do some good snorkeling. In Key West you can go diving, fishing and do all sorts of water sports. The problem with Key West is that no one ever wants to leave. Be sure to take your camera with you because you will want to snap everything you see. And whatever you do, be sure to take in the sunset because it is nothing like anything you have ever seen. What would be the best title for the text? A. Key West, Florida: A great vacation city B. Key West, Florida: A charming and fun city C. Key West, Florida: A beautiful sunset D. Key West, Florida: A most southern city Answer: A. Key West, Florida: A great vacation city Question: Soon, you' re going to have to move out!" cried my neighbor upon seeing the largest tomato plant known to mankind, or at least known in my neighborhood. One tiny 9-inch plant, bought for $1. 25 in the spring, has already taken over much of my rose bed, covering much of other plants, and is well on its way to the front door. Roses require a good deal of care, and if it weren't for the pleasure they give, it wouldn' t be worth the work. As it is, I have a garden full of sweet-smelling roses for most of the year. Bushes must be pruned in early spring, leaving ugly woody branches until the new growth appears a few weeks later. It was the space available in the garden that led me into planting just one little tomato plant. A big mistake. Soil conditions made just perfect for roses turn out to be even more perfect for tomatoes. The daily watering coupled with full sun and regular fertilizing have turned the little plant into a tall bush. The cage I placed around it as the plant grew has long disappeared under the thick leaves. Now the task I face in harvesting the fruit is twofold. First, I have to find the red ones among the leaves, which means I almost have to stand on my head, and once found I have to reach down and under, pick the tomatoes and withdraw my full fist without dropping the prize so dearly won. I found two full-blown white roses completely hidden as I picked tomatoes in June. But they were weak and the leaves already yellow for lack of light. Here I am faced with a painful small decision: To tear up a wonderful and productive tomato plant that offers up between ten and twenty ripe sweet tomatoes each day or say goodbye to several expensive and treasured roses. Like Scarlett in Gone With the Wind, I' ll think about that tomorrow. What are the requirements for the healthy growth of rose? A. Frequent pruning and fertilizing. B. A lot of care and the right soil. C. Tomato plants grown alongside. D. Cages placed around the roots. Answer: B. A lot of care and the right soil. Question: While waiting to pick up a friend at the airport in Portland, Oregon, I had an experience which occurred merely two feet away from me. Trying to locate my friend among the passengers coming through the jet way, I noticed a man walking toward me carrying two light bags. He stopped right next to me to greet his family. First he kissed his three children one by one and said, "It's nice to see you. I missed you so much!" Then he hugged his wife, "I've saved the best for last!" giving her the longest, most passionate kiss I ever remember seeing. They stared at each other's eyes, smiling 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. Full of admiration, I asked, "Wow! How long have you two been married?" "Being together for 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. "Two whole days!" "Two days?" I was astonished. By the intensity of the greeting, I had assumed he'd been gone for at least several weeks --- if not months. I knew _ so I turned away my eyes and said quietly, "I hope my marriage is still that passionate after so long!" The man suddenly stopped smiling and looked me straight in the eye. With forcefulness he told me something that left me a different person. "Don't hope, friend...decide!" Then he smiled again, shook my hand and said, "God bless!" With that, he and his family turned and walked away together. I was still watching that 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 hesitation, and with a curious sense of certainty, I replied, "My future!" The best title of the passage may be _ . A. Long Loving Hugs B. My Future C. Don't Hope. Decide D. Love Is Everywhere Answer: C. Don't Hope. Decide Question: Mr. and Mrs. Green had different ideas about where to go last weekend. Mrs Green wanted to go to Florida to see her sister, but Mr Green didn't like to go there. He wanted to go to Maine . "Florida is too hot in summer," Mr Green said to Mrs Green. "Maine is quite cold," said Mrs Green, "I like swimming, but the water in Maine is usually not warm enough." "Florida is too far," said Mr Green, "We don't have enouh time to drive there. It'll take us more than two days." Just then, the telephone rang. Mr Green answered the phone. It was his mother. "Is that Jim speaking? Please cme quickly. I need help. I'm calling from the hospital in Boston." She said. They stopped the discussion , and they left for Boston at once. Where did they go in the end? A. Boston B. Maine. C. Florida. D. London Answer: A. Boston Question: A long time ago there lived a poor slave whose name was Aesop. His face was white, but very homely. When Aesop was about twenty nine years old ,his master lost a great deal of money and was determined to sell his slaves. To do this, he had to take them to a large city where there was a slave market. The city was far away, and the slaves must walk the whole distance. A number of bundles were made up for them to carry. Some of these bundles contained the things they would need on the road. "Choose your bundles, boys," said the master. "There is one for each of you." Aesop at once chose the largest one. The other slaves laughed and said he was foolish. But he threw it upon his shoulders and seemed well satisfied. The next day, the laugh was the other way. For the bundle which he had chosen had contained the food for the whole party. "Aesop is a wise fellow," said his master. "The man who buys him must pay a high price." A very rich man, whose name was Xanthus, wanted a servant. As the slaves stood before him he asked each one to tell what kind of work he could do. All were eager to be bought by Xanthus because they knew he would be a kind master. So each one boosted of his skill in doing some sort of labor. One was a fine gardener; another could take care of horses; a third was a good cook; a fourth could manage a household. "And what can you do, Aesop?" asked Xanthus. "Nothing," he answered. "Nothing? How is that?" "Because, since these other slaves do everything, there is nothing left for me to perform," said Aesop. This answer pleased the rich man so well that he bought Aesop at once, and took him to his home on the island of Samos. In Samos the little slave soon became known for his wisdom and courage. He often amused his master and his master's friends by telling funny stories. His master was so much pleased with him that he gave him his freedom. Why did the slaves' master want to sell his slaves? A. Because the slaves didn't work at all. B. Because the slaves could be well paid. C. Because the master was badly ill D. Because the master was in need of money Answer: D. Because the master was in need of money
A lot of teachers hate doodlers during classes."Pay attention!"Teachers will often warn doodling students,sure that they must be daydreaming. However, according to a recent study, doodling while listening to a boring lecture helps concentrate the attention: Andrade,a psychology professor in England asked participants to listen to a boring lecture. Half the participants were told to color in squares and circles freely on a piece of paper while listening to the lecture.The other half weren't given a task.After it was over, the participants were asked to retell the lecture. Those given the doodling task(color in squares and circles)remembered 29 percent more information than the non-doodlers.Andrade said. "If someone is doing a boring task,like listening to a dull conversation,they may start daydream,"said Professor Andrade. "Daydreaming distracts them from the task,resulting in poorer performance.A simple task,like doodling,can stop them from daydreaming without affecting their performance at the task,"he said. So the next time you're doodling during a class,and you hear"pay attention",you can tell the teacher with confidence that you've been paying attention to every word. Teachers hate doodlers because they thought _ . A. doodlers are not good at study B. doodlers are doing no task C. doodlers pay no attention in class D. doodlers are not polite to them Answer: C. doodlers pay no attention in class Two hunters rented a small plane to fly them to a forest. They told the pilot to come back and pick them up in about two weeks. By the end of the two weeks, they had hunted a lot of animals and they wanted to put all of them onto the plane. But the pilot said, "This plane can only take one lamb. You'll have to leave the others behind." Then one hunter said, "But last year, another pilot with the same plane let us take two lambs and some other animals onto the plane." So the new pilot thought about it. Finally he said, "OK, since you did it last year, I think this year we can do it again." Then they put all the animals they had hunted onto the plane, and the plane took off. Five minutes later, it crashed. The three men looked around, and one hunter asked the other one, "Where do you think we are now?" The other hunter looked around and said, "I think we're about one mile away from the place where the plane crashed last year." This year, what happened to the plane at last? A. It crashed. B. It didn't work. C. It landed on an island. D. It only flew one mile. Answer: A. It crashed. Camilla Chomp was a strange little girl. She liked to spend her time alone eating chocolate. Her parents were worried, so they took all the chocolate away. Camilla left her house to look for some chocolate. She found a small house full of bottles. Among the bottles, a blue bottle caught Camilla's eyes. It was full of chocolate. In the bottle there was also a card with the words "Change tears into chocolate." Camilla was very excited. She ran out of the house with the bottle to look for someone crying. First, she met a little boy crying hard and collected his tears. The tears were quickly changed into chocolate. While Camilla was collecting the tears, she comforted the boy. Finally, the boy stopped crying and they had a good time together. Later, Camilla met a woman and an old man crying. The woman had broken some bowls. And the old man's dog had just died. Camilla collected their tears and made them happy again. Soon, Camilla knew that making people happy was much more important than finding chocolate. So she stopped collecting tears and began to help sad people. As a result, she had many friends and had a happy life. The old man was crying because _ . A. he had broken some bottles B. He couldn't find his way home. C. he couldn't find his daughter D. his dog had just died Answer: D. his dog had just died While only about 200 astronauts have had the excitement of looking down at Earth and commanding systems on the International Space Station, actually thousands of everyday middleschool students have experienced by Middle School Students, or EarthKAM, a camera system. EarthKAM is an educational activity and outreach investigation that also results in remote Earth sensing and observation. Using the Internet, the students control a special digital camera fixed aboard the space station, enabling them to photograph the Earth's coastlines, mountain ranges and other geographic items of interest from the unique advantage point of space. While EarthKAM offers a powerful way for students to investigate Earth from the unique perspective of space, it is also inspiring the next generation of flight controllers for space programs--involving university students to control and operate the camera system and related activities from the ground. In the interview, Brion Au, one of the investigation developers at NASA's Johnson Space Centre, said,"EarthKAM is a payload by students, for students. They are in charge. This system provides a viewpoint that the astronauts have...it's just aweinspiring!"So far, students have captured more than 40,000 photos of the Earth from the space station as it orbited the Earth once every 90 minutes, traveling at 17,500 miles an hour. The team at EarthKAM posts these photographs online for the public and participating classrooms around the world to view. Au explains that this education investigation is inspiring students to explore the world by examining Earth, while promoting social studies, art, geography, science, technology, and math, among other important lessons involving research and teamwork. EarthKAM was started by Dr. Sally Ride, originally flying on the shuttles. The camera is located in the window Observational Research Facility, also known as the WORF, one of many the station's research facilities. Who are responsible for EarthKAM? A. The astronauts. B. The students. C. The investigation developers. D. The teachers. Answer: B. The students. Banks view online banking as a powerful "value-added" tool to attract and keep new customers while helping to _ costly paper handling or teller interactions in an increasingly competitive banking environment . Today , most large national banks , many local banks and credit unions offer some form of online banking , variously known as PC banking , home banking , electronic banking or Internet banking . Online banks are sometimes referred to as "brick-to-click" banks , both to tell them from "brick-to-mortar" banks that haven't yet offered online banking , as well as from "virtual" banks that have no physical branches or tellers whatsoever . The challenge for the banking industry has been to design this new service channel in such a way that its customers will readily learn to use and trust it . Most of the large banks can now offer fully safe ,fully functional online banking for free or for a small cost . As more banks succeed online and more customers use their sites , fully functional online banking will likely become as commonplace as automated teller machines (ATM). Online banking has a lot of advantages . Unlike your corner bank , online banking sites never close; they're at hand 24 hours a day , seven days a week , and they're a mouse click away . If you're out of state or even out of the country when a money problem appears , you can log on instantly to your online bank and take care of business . Online bank sites generally carry out and confirm deals at or quicker than ATM processing speeds . Many online banking sites now offer fashionable tools to help you manage all of your valuable items more effectively . What is the challenge for the banking industry according to the text ? A. To make online banking attractive . B. To open new services all over the world . C. To offer online banking for free . D. To take care of business 24 hours a day . Answer: A. To make online banking attractive .
The poverty line is the minimum income that people need for an acceptable standard of living. People with incomes below the poverty line are considered poor. Economists study the causes of poverty in order to find solutions to the problem. As the general standard of living in the country rises, the poverty line does, too. Therefore, even with today's ly high standard of living, about 10 percent of the people in the United States are below the poverty line. However, if these people had stable jobs, they could have an acceptable standard of living. Economists suggest several reasons why poor people do not have jobs. For one thing, more than half of the poor people in the United States are not qualified to work. Over 40 percent of the poor people are children. By law, children less than 16 years old cannot work in many industries. A large number of poor people are old. Many companies do not hire people over 65 years old the normal retirement age. Some poor adults do not look for jobs for a variety of personal reasons: they are sick, they do not have any motivation, they have family problems, or they do not believe that they can find a job. Other poor people look for a job but cannot find one. Many poor adults never went to high school. Therefore, when they look for jobs, they have few skills that they can offer. At the present time, the government thinks it can reduce poverty in the country in the following ways. First, if the national economy grows, businesses and industries hire more workers. Some of the poor who are qualified to look for jobs may find employment. Then they will no longer be below the poverty line. Second, if society invests in the poor, the poor will become more productive. If the government spends money on social programs, education, and training for poor people, the poor will have the skills to offer. Then it is more likely that they can find jobs. Finally, if the government distributes society's income differently, it raises some poor people above the poverty line. The government collects taxes from the non-poor and gives money to the poor. These payments to the poor are called welfare. Since 1975 over 18 million people in the United States have received welfare per year. Some economists are looking for better solutions to the poverty problem. However, at the present time, many people depend on welfare for a minimally acceptable standard of living. Which of the following is NOT true? Answer: What happens when five Chinese teachers take over a British classroom full of teenagers? The experimental program was designed to test how 50 students ages 13 and 14 at the Bohunt School in Hampshire would deal with a completely Chinese teaching method. With long school days and tough rules, it's considered to be "strict" to Westerners. It took the BBC six months to choose suitable Chinese teachers. They had to be English, math, science or social science teachers with more than five years teaching experience in China. They also had to be able to teach in English. Though language was not a problem for the Chinese teachers, they weren't used to the difference between Chinese and British students. Li Aiyun from the Nanjing Foreign Language School told British media that when she handed out homework sheets, she expected the students to _ on their homework. "But when I walked in the classroom, some students were chatting, some students were eating, somebody was even putting make-up on her face. I had to control myself, or I would be crazy. About half of them tried their best to follow me. And the other half ? Who knows what they were doing?" she said. While Rosie Lunskey, 15, told BBC interviewers that she found it difficult to get used to the Chinese teachers. "Acting like robots was the right way to go. I'm used to speaking my mind in class, giving ideas, often working in groups to develop my skills and improve my knowledge. But a lot of the time in the experiment, the only thing I felt I was learning was how to copy notes really fast and listen to the teacher, "she complained. They didn't choose _ teachers. Answer: BEIJING - China's railway rates for freight and passenger transport will continue to be set by the government, announced a senior official with the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China's top economic planner, on Friday. Cao Changqing, head of the NDRC's department of price, said that the country will continue to implement government-set or government-guided prices for the railway sector after the China Railway Corporation (CRC), a State-owned company that takes over the commercial functions of the former Ministry of Railways (MOR), went into business on March 17. Cao said the railway sector, constituting China's main public transport facilities, is a key basic industry. Its pricing scheme is concerned with both the sector's normal operation and development, as well as the daily traveling and vital interests of the general public. The state will be very cautious in making any price adjustment in the railway sector, taking into account various factors including operation, construction, public acceptance and coordinated development with other modes of transport, according to the NDRC official. Under Chinese law and regulations, hearings will be held before adjustments in the basic passenger train ticket fare, Cao said. In China's latest railway reform, endorsed at the just-concluded annual session of the country's top legislature, the former MOR was dismantled into two parts, with the newly created CRC carrying out business functions and a state railways administration fulfilling administrative functions. What does Cao mean according to the passage? Answer: To Chinese immigrants, in the mid-1800s, California was "The Land of the Golden Mountain." In their homeland they had heard the words, "There's gold in California." They sailed 7,000miles to join the gold rush and strike it rich. Between 1849 and 1882, more than 30,000 Chinese came to California. Most were men. They had been farmers in China. They came here to be miners and laborers. They ended up doing many other jobs, too. Like many other immigrants, they did not plan to stay in America. They came because of their ties to their homeland and their families. They planned to return to China with their fortunes and help their families. Only a few Chinese gold miners struck it rich. Most picked over the areas that had been mined already. But still, white miners _ the Chinese. Slowly, they drove the "yellow peril" from the mining camps. By the end of the 1850s, many Chinese returned home. Those who stayed found other jobs. Few women had come west in the gold rush. The Chinese saw a good business opportunity. They began doing the jobs women would have done. Many became house servants. Many more opened laundries. The Chinese opened restaurants. Chop suey and show mein are popular Chinese-American dishes. The Chinese probably created these dishes to serve to the white miners. Other Chinese became fishermen, farmers, and even cigar makers. Which should be the title of the passage? Answer: Michael Jordan was born on February17,1963,in Brooklyn ,New York . Jordan is the fourth of the five children in his family .His family moved to North Carolina when he was just a baby .As a young boy , his favourite sport was baseball ,but soon he found that he could play basketball as well .At the age of 17, he began to show people just how talented ( )he really was .Throughout his basketball career ( ) , Michael Jordan has won many scoring titles ( ) .many boys and girls look up to Michael Jordan as their hero .Do you know he was a hero ,too , when he was growing up ? He looks up to his older brother ,Larry , Michael Jordan , a basketball superstar , is not just a star on the basketball court .He also works hard to raise money for many children's charities( ) . He encourages children to develop their talents by practice , practice and practice ! Michael Jordan comes from _ . Answer:
Question: A year ago, I paid no attention to English idioms, though my teacher stressed the importance again and again. But soon, the importance of English idioms was shown in an amusing experience. One day, I happened to meet an Englishman on the road, and soon we began to talk. As I was talking about how I was studying English, the foreigner seemed to be astonished. Gently shaking his head and shrugging his shoulders, he said, "You don't say!" "You don't say!" I was puzzled. I thought, perhaps this is not a proper topic. "Well, I'd better change the topic." So I said to him, "Well, shall we talk about the Great Wall? By the way, have you ever been there?" "Certainly, everyone back home will laugh at me if I leave China without seeing it. It was wonderful." He was deep in thought when I began to talk like a tourist guide. "The Great Wall is one of the wonders in the world. We are very proud of it". Soon I was interrupted again by his words:"You don't say!" I couldn't help asking, "Why do you ask me not to talk about it?" "Well, I didn't request you to do so," he answered, greatly surprised. I said, "Didn't you say 'you don't say'?" Hearing this, the Englishman laughed to tears. He began to explain, "'You don't say' actually means 'really?' It is an expression of surprise. Perhaps you don't pay attention to English idioms." Only then did I know I had made a fool of myself. Since then I have been more careful with idiomatic expressions. Always remember: what the English teachers say is always right to us students. After the Englishman explained the idiom, _ . A. I felt very silly B. the Englishman became a real fool C. I thought he had made me a fool D. I became more careful in everything Answer: A Question: Bob is a young child who eats potatoes. He normally wakes up around 7 in the morning. He has a dog named Gob. Gob is a very smart dog. Bob also owns a farm. He grows potatoes on it. One day he went out with his dog to go check on the farm. There they found a wild duck, a cat, and a pumpkin. Gob started to chase the duck. The duck flew away. Gob started to get hungry. Gob then ate the pumpkin. Bob got mad at Gob for eating the pumpkin. Bob then threw Gob into the house. Bob then grabbed a bucket. He started to collect as many potatoes as he could find. Bob loved potatoes. He collected around 600 potatoes! Bob started to run out of room for all the potatoes he found. He then started to eat as many as he could. In 1 hour he ate 100 potatoes! He got so full he took a nap. When he awoke he found the cat eating all the potatoes! The cat ate 200 potatoes before Bob awoke. However, Bob was too full and fat to move. The cat laughed and wanted to eat the potatoes again. Just then, Gob comes running out to chase the cat away! The cat was too fat to run away. It had eaten too many potatoes! Gob grabbed the cat with his teeth and tossed the cat down a well. Gob became a hero for saving the potatoes! Bob now lets Gob eat whatever he wants, including pumpkins! Gob is a very happy dog now! Why could the cat not run away? A. It ate the pumpkin. B. It was stuck in a well. C. it ate too many potatoes. D. It was lazy. Answer: C Question: Holidays Holiday News Vacations now and in the school holidays at a country hotel in Devon. This comfortable, friendly home-from-home lies near the beautiful quiet countryside, but just a drive away from the sea. The food is simple but good. Children and pets are welcome. Reduced prices for low season. The Snowdonia Centre The Snowdonia Centre for young mountain climbers has a mountain climbing Lesson. The beginners' costs are 57 for a week, including food and rooms. Equipment is included except walking shoes, which can be hired at a low cost. You must be in good health and prepared to go through a period of body exercises. This could be the beginning of a lifetime of mountain climbing adventure. The World Sea Trip of a Lifetime Our World Sea Trip of 2008 will be unlike any holiday you have ever been on before. Instead of one hotel after another, with all its packing and unpacking, waiting and travelling, you just go to bed in one country and wake up in another. On board the ship, you will be well taken care of. Every meal will be first-class and every cabin like your home. During the trip, you can rest on desk ,enjoy yourself in the games rooms and in the evening dance to our musical team and watch our wonderful play. You will visit all the places most people only dream about--from Acapulco and Hawaii to Tokyo and Hong Kong. For a few thousand, all you've ever hoped for can be yours. What can you do if you like to go on holidays with pets? A. Choose the holiday in Devon. B. Go to the Snowdonia Centre. C. Join the World Sea Trip of 2008. D. Visit Acapulco and Hawaii. Answer: A Question: How to deal with waste has been a problem since humans started producing it. As more and more people choose to live close together in cities, the waste-disposal problem becomes increasingly difficult. During the eighteenth century, it was usual for several neighboring towns to get together to select a faraway spot as a dump site. Residents or trash haulers would transport household rubbish, rotted wood, and old possessions to the site. Periodically some of the trash was burned and the rest was buried. The unpleasant sights and smells caused no problem because nobody lived close by. Factories, mills, and other industrial sites also had waste to be disposed of. Those located on rivers often just dumped the unwanted remains into the water. Others built huge burners with chimneys to deal with the problem. Several facts make these choices unacceptable to modern society. The first problem is space. Dumps, which are now called landfills, are most needed in heavily populated areas. Such areas rarely have empty land suitable for this purpose. Property is either too expensive or too close to residential neighborhoods. Long-distance trash hauling has been a common practice, but once farm areas are refusing to accept rubbish from elsewhere, cheap land within trucking distance of major city areas is almost nonexistent. Awareness of pollution dangers has led to more strict rules of waste disposal. Pollution of rivers, ground water, land and air is a price people can no longer pay to get rid of waste. The amount of waste, however, continues to grow. Recycling efforts have become commonplace, and many towns require their people to take part. Even the most efficient recycling programs, however, can hope to deal with only about 50 per cent of a city's reusable waste. The main purpose of writing this article is to_. A. tell people a better way to get rid of the waste. B. warn people of the pollution dangers we are facing. C. call on people to take part in recycling programs. D. draw people's attention to waste management. Answer: D Question: Elderly adults who regularly drink green tea may stay more active and independent than their peers over time,according to a Japanese study that covered thousands of people. Green tea contains antioxidant chemicals that may help _ the cell damage that can lead to disease.Researchers have been studying green tea's effect on everything from cholesterol to the risk of certain cancers,with mixed results so far. For the new Japanese study,researchers decided to examine the question of whether green tea drinkers have a lower risk of frailty and disability as they grow older. Tomata and his colleagues followed nearly 14,000 adults aged 65 or older for three years. They found those who drank the most green tea were the least likely to develop "functional disability",or problems with daily activities or basic needs,such as dressing or bathing. Specifically,almost 13 percent of adults who drank less than a cup of green tea per day became functionally disabled,compared with just over 7 percent of people who drank at least five cups fl day. The study did not prove that green tea alone kept people active as they grew older. Green-tea lovers generally had healthier diets,including more fish,vegetables and fruit,as well as more education.lower smoking rates,fewer heart attacks and strokes,and greater mental sharpness. They also tended to be more socially active and have more friends and family to rely on. Although it's not clear how green tea might offer a buffer against disability,Tomata's team did note that one recent study found green tea extracts seem to increase leg muscle strength in older women. While green tea and its extracts are considered safe in small amounts,they do contain caffeine and small amounts of vitamin K,which means it could block drugs that prevent blood thickened. Which of the following can summarize the passage best? A. Green tea makes you less active. B. Green tea makes you less disabled. C. Green tea makes you more friendly. D. Green tea makes you more educated. Answer: B
This busy and popular hotel requires a Junior Chef. You will need to be energetic, enthusiastic with a minimum of five years' kitchen experience. You must assist the head and senior chefs in the creation of new dishes. Annual salaries range from 20,000 to 25,000 pounds. Please send or e-mail your CV to the Personnel Administrator Hydo Hotel, Mount Road Eastbourne BN207HZ eclaine.ward@hydrohotel.com. We are looking for a kitchen assistant willing to learn the day-to-day jobs in a professional kitchen environment. You must have a passion for cooking and basic understanding of spoken English. You will mainly be working for a well-known company and learn valuable cheffing skills. The salary will be based on experience but could start from 12,500 pounds to 14,000 pounds annually plus tips. Please forward your CV and a letter of recommendation. 01428644460 Kitchen Manager. Spirit Pub Company is looking for the best individuals to lead our kitchen teams through some very exciting new developments. As an experienced Kitchen Manager, you will play an important role in engaging the chef team by great leaderships to deliver excellent standards and guest satisfaction. We can offer a starting salary of up to 27,000 pounds plus a bonus worth an extra 2,000 pounds per year for the right candidates. If you have what it takes to join our company, please provide your CV with your application. 07044338313 Food Service Assistant, South East Food Service Assistant required. Salary starts from 15,000 pound to 20,000 pounds annually. We are seeking a General Assistant for a Care Home East Sussex. Assisting the Cook and kitchen team in the food preparation of freshly prepared meals, washing up and cleaning of all kitchen areas. Previous experience would be an advantage. 07044338228 You are required to provide your CV to get the jobs EXCEPT _ . A junior chef B kitchen assistant C food service assistant D kitchen manager Answer: C. food service assistant Every day 25 million U.S. children ride school buses. The safety record for these buses is much better than for passenger cars; but nevertheless, about 10 children are killed each year riding on large school buses, and nearly four times that number are killed outside buses in the loading zones. By and large, however, the nation's school children are transported to and from school safely. Even though the number of school bus accidents is not large, the safety of children is always of intense public concern. While everyone wants to see children transported safely, people are divided about what needs to be done-particularly whether seat belts should be compulsory. People in favor of seat belts on school buses-many of them parents and medical organizations-argue that seat belts are necessary not only to reduce fatality and injury, but also to teach children lessons about the importance of using them routinely in any moving vehicle. A side benefit, they point out, is that seat belts help keep children in their seats, away from the bus driver. People who object to seat belt installation suggest that children are already well protected by the school buses that follow the Nation Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) safety requirements set in 1977. They also believe that many children won't wear seat belts anyway, and that may damage the belts or use them as weapons to hurt other children. A new research council report on school bus safety suggest that there are alternate safety devices and procedures that may be more effective and less expensive. For example, the study committee suggested that raising seat backs four inches may have the same safety effectiveness as seat belts. The report sponsored by the Department of transportation at the request of Congress, reviews seat belts extensively while taking a broader look at safety in and around school buses. According to the passage, the "school bus" is _ . A the bus offered by the school and different from the public bus B the bus that has no difference from the public bus C the bus that is driven by the students D the bus that is not safe Answer: A. the bus offered by the school and different from the public bus Do you know that a fast reader can get the ideas better than a slow reader can? Of course, you save time by reading fast, but this is not the main reason for fast reading. The main reason is that you understand better what you are reading when you read fast. As your eyes move along the line of point, they make fixations or pauses . It is important that you see several words at a fixation. It is also important that your eyes leave a group. The numbers of letters or words that you see at a fixation are called your eye span . Pay more attention to improving your rate of reading. With practice you can learn to read faster than you usually read. The way in which you read always depends on what you are reading and for what purpose. You should know the different ways of reading so that you can apply whatever method is necessary. Here are four ways of reading: (1) Skimming is an important kind of reading. This method can be used when you wish to review something that you have forgotten. You can skim to get the main points. (2) Rapid first reading and then rereading certain parts carefully is important. You may use this type of reading to study a science lesson or a history lesson. (3) You need to do careful reading and rereading sometimes. This type of reading is necessary for making an intensive study of your school subjects, solving math problems or reading directions. (4) Rapid reading is used when reading stories for enjoyment. You may also do rapid reading when reviewing materials that you already know well. Careful reading is an important kind of reading _ . A when you review a lesson that you already know well B when you read the directions before using a camera which is expensive C when you read a story of enjoyment D when you wish to find a lost place that you have read Answer: B. when you read the directions before using a camera which is expensive You should eat well, get lots of exercise if you want to be a healthy kid. If you're healthy, you can study well and can do all the things you want to do, like running around with your friends. If you're a kid who wants to be healthy, here are some rules for you. Eat different kinds of foods If you eat different kinds of foods, you can get the nutrients your body needs. Eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Drink milk often Water is the best drink when you're thirsty. But kids need calcium to grow, and there is enough calcium in the milk. If you are younger than 9 years old, drink 2 cups of milk a day. Children who are over nine years old should drink 3 cups of milk per day. Limit screen time The more time you spend on the sitting-down activities, like basketball, bike riding, swimming and so on. Try to spend no more than 2 hours a day on the screen. Be active For a kid, you should know which activity you like best. Not everyone loves baseball or soccer. Ask your parents to help you do your favorite activities regularly. Find ways to be active every day. If you eat well and get lots of exercise, _ . A you'll be unhealthy B you'll be lazy C you can have lots of friends D you can study and play well Answer: D. you can study and play well Australian cities can keep their native wildlife -- but only if they can kick their habit of urban sprawl . That's the finding of a new study by leading Australian environmental researchers Jessica Sushinsky, Professor Hugh Possingham and Dr Richard Fuller of The University of Queensland. "While urban development usually reduces the number of birds in a city, building more compact cities and avoiding urban sprawl can slow these reductions greatly," says lead author Jessica Sushinsky. "Compact housing development leaves birds' homes untouched, leading to fewer losses of birds." The researchers surveyed native and wild birds in Brisbane's urban areas, including living and industrial areas, public parks and gardens, major roadways and airports. They then used statistical modeling to find out what will happen to the birds as the city grows. The first setting was compact growth -- where multiple homes are built on land that previously had only one house. The second setting was sprawling growth -- a familiar pattern where homes are built here and there beyond the city's current boundaries. The team's forecasts showed that a much greater diversity of species was lost over 20 years in the sprawling setting compared to the more compact setting. "Urban sprawl resulted in the disappearance of many urban-sensitive birds -- birds that only live in areas where there is native vegetation , such as parklands and woodlands," Ms Sushinsky says. "On the other hand, we found the city with the compact development attracted more birds because it kept more of its parks and green areas." Now the Queensland Government has adopted the more compact urban growth strategy, which, Dr Richard Fuller says, is good news for Australia's native birds. These birds are environmental specialists -- they need a particular environment to do well. "While compact development means smaller backyards, it can also make our entire cities more biodiverse," according to Dr Fuller. "The study shows that we should hold on to our green spaces instead of clearing them for sprawling development." This is the first time science has modeled the effects of different urban growth strategies on birds, the researchers say. "Statistical models like these are important because they help us to understand the ecological consequences of a particular decision," says Dr Fuller. Dr Richard Fuller thinks the Queensland Government's action _ . A is really brave B is worth praising C has an uncertain future D should be performed nationwide Answer: B. is worth praising
When two bumper cars collide, some of the kinetic energy of the cars is transformed. Which form of energy is most likely formed as a result of this collision? Answer: Dear Alice, I heard from you three days ago. I'm all right. Good news! We moved to a new flat yesterday! There are more rooms here than in our old one. You know, I shared a room with my sister in the old flat. But now I have my own bedroom! It is small but it's my favorite room! I can be alone in it. I can read books, draw pictures, listen to my radio and play CDs. I can also play games on my computer and send e-mails to my friends. I also love the new bigger kitchen. I love helping my mother with our meals. Mom cooks well. She always teaches me how to make different kinds of dishes. She lived in China when she was young, so she can cook Chinese food. It's delicious. Write to me soon and tell me about your home. Please get on the Internet so that we can chat with each other. All good wishes! Lily is very happy mainly because _ . Answer: Materials combine chemically or physically. Which materials form a new substance when chemically combined? Answer: My 16-year-old son, Anton, had gone to the local swimming hole. Most of the kids who swim there are fit and strong teens, and there are plenty of rocks for them to use as safe harbors, so I had no fears for his well-being. Still, the firefighter's first words, "You need to come up here to the Stillwater River," made me catch my breath. When I got to the river, I saw Anton sitting quietly on a low platform of the fire engine, with a towel wrapped about his shoulders. I hurried over to him. "You OK?" I asked. "Yeah," was all he said. But my eyes begged for an explanation. I didn't get it from my son. The story was this: A couple in their 20s, unfamiliar with the Stillwater, had gotten caught in the current and began screaming for help. Without hesitation Anton and his friend dived into the water, swam out to the drowning woman, and brought her safely to shore. In an age in which the world "hero" is broadcast with abandon and seemingly applied to anyone, I realized the real thing in my son and his friend--the disregarding of personal safety for the sake of another human being. I know that teens are headstrong and self-centered, but this didn't lower the gravity of the event and the desire to do good. Along the way home I tried to get some more information from him, but the only words were, "What's for supper?" I thought twice about the tragedy that might have been. Questions flew across my mind like a flight of swallows: Would I have risked my life to save a drowning person? Or would I have chosen to dial 911? Would I have told the story over and over to anyone who'd listen? The next morning, when Anton got up, I half expected him to tell me the story from his point of view, now that he had some distance from the event. But all he did was to toast a pie, pull himself together, and head for the door to begin the new day. We can infer from the passage that _ . Answer: Good stewards of the environment would Answer:
Older people who have low expectations for a satisfying future may be more likely to live longer, healthier lives than those who see brighter days ahead, according to new research "Our findings showed that being overly optimistic in predicting a better future was associated with a greater risk of disability and death within the following decade," said Frieder R. Lang, the leading researcher of the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany." Pessimism about the future may encourage people to live more carefully, taking health and safety measures." Lang and colleagues examined data collected from 1993 to 2003 for the national German Socio-Economic Panel, an annual survey on approximately 40,000 people from 18 to 96 years old. The researchers divided the data according to age groups: 18 to 39 years old, 40 to 64 years old and 65 years old and above. Through mostly in-person interviews, the participants were asked to rate how satisfied they were with their lives and how satisfied they thought they would be in five years. Five years after the first interview, 43 percent of the oldest group had underestimated their future life satisfaction, 25 percent had predicted accurately and 32 percent had overestimated , according to the study. The researchers calculated that each increase in overestimating future life satisfaction was related to a 9.5 -percent increase in reporting disabilities and a 10- percent increase in risk of death. Because a darker outlook on the future is often more realistic, older adults' predictions of their future satisfaction may be more accurate, according to the study. In contrast, the youngest group had the sunniest outlook. "We argue, though, that the analysis may depend on age and available resources. These findings shed new light on how our perspectives can either help us take action or prevent us from taking action that can help improve our chances of a long, healthy life," Lang said. What can we learn from the passage? Answer: * Share Flats: Happy Valley big flat, 1 room ready for use immediately. Quiet and convenient, fully furnished, park view. $6,800 including bills with maid. Female nonsmoker. No pet. Sara 25720836 or 10077809. * Moving Sale: 2 armchairs, red/brown at $400 each; coffee table, black, wood, $800; oil painting, big, $900; Tianjin carpet, green 3x7, $600; double bed, $500; mirror, big, square, $500; fridge, big, double-door, $1000; old pictures, $140 up, each; plants, big and small. Tel: Weekend, 25216011/Weekday, 25245867. * Part-time Laboratory Assistant Wanted: Required by busy electronics company to help with development of computer. Should have an electronics degree and some practical experience of working in an electronics laboratory. Hours 9:30a.m.-1:0p.m. Mon.-Fri. Fourteen days paid leave. Salary Y=6598-10230 dependent on experience. Letter of application to: Mrs. G Chan, NOVA ELECTRONICS, 45 Gordon Rd, Hung Hom Kowloon. The one who put on the first ad probably wants to _ . Answer: Which outcome is most likely if a person consumes more Calories than needed for daily activities? Answer: There are many idioms in English. An idiom is a phrase that we can't understand from the meaning of each word. The following are some of them. As the crow flies When a bird flies from place to place, it takes the most direct route. But when people drive, they have to follow roads and often go farther. When people give a distance "as the crow flies", they mean the shortest distance between the two points, not the distance you would have to travel by following roads. As Dan and his mum drove along the river, they could see the beach on the opposite side. Dan asked "How far is it to the beach?" "It's only about a quarter of a mile as the crow flies" his mother said. Blow hot and cold In one of Aesop's Fables, a man blows on his fingers to warm them up and then blows on his soup to cool it down. In both cases, the man is opening his mouth, but what comes out is different. If a person says one thing and later says the opposite, we say that the person is blowing hot and cold. "Is Felicia going to try out for the soccer team this year?" Stacy asked. "I don't know," Tricia replied." Last week she was saying yes, but this week she's saying no. She's really blowing hot and cold." Break the ice Nowadays people use the phrase to refer to ending an awkward silence by beginning a conversation. It was the first day of summer camp. The four girls began to make their beds in silence. None of the girls knew each other, and no one knew what to say. Finally, one of them broke the ice by saying" Hey, where's everybody from?" Bury the hatchet In native American culture, when two nations agreed to end their war, they buried the hatchet. So to bury the hatchet is to make peace with someone else. Colin could not excuse his sister for breaking his tennis racket. Finally, his sister said, "Colin, can't we bury the hatchet?" It can be inferred that Colin's sister hoped that Colin would _ . Answer: Linda Evans was my best friend -like the sister I never had ,We did everything to-- gether :piano lessons ,movies, swimming , horseback riding. When I was 13, my family moved away , Linda and I kept in touch through letters ,and we saw each other on special times - like my wedding and Linda's. Soon we were busy with childern and moving to new homes, and we wrote less often , One day a card that I sent came back , stamped "Address Unknown", I had no idea about how to find Linda. Over the years, I missed Linda very much, I wanted to share happiness of my children and then grandchildren , And I needed to share my sadness when my brother and then moth-er died, There was an empty place in my heart that only a friend like Linda could fill. One day, I was reading a newspaper when I noticed a photo of a young woman who looked very much like Linda and whose last name was Wagman --Linda's married name."There must be thousands of Wagmans."I thought, but I still wrote to her. She called as soon as she got my letter, "Mrs , Tobin!"she said excitedly, "Linda Ev-ans Wagman is my mother." Minutes later I heard a voice that I recognized at once, even after 40 years ,We laughed and cried and caught up on each other's lives, Now the empty place in my heart is filled, And there's one thing that Linda and I know for sure; We won't lose each other again! They didn't often write to each other because they _ . Answer:
After two weeks, Ling Qinghao finally sent a message to his wife in their hometown in Anhui, and told her her he was safe. Ling, 44, was a Chinese construction worker who went to Libya. The recent problems in Libya have left the country in disorder. Several Chinese were injured last month. Ling was one of the thousands of Chinese evacuees from Libya. The evacuee's first stop was Greece. They are staying there in a five-star hotel that the Chinese government paid for. According to the Foreign Ministry, by March 2, China has evacuated a total of 35,860 Chinese from Libya. Among them, 20745 have already returned to China. To evacuate means to quickly move people away from a disaster or disorder. An evacuation tests how a nation would deal with an emergency . From getting flight tickets to dealing with customs services , many parts of the government and companies have to work together. To protect the safety of overseas Chinese, China took action quickly. Since February 24, the nation has sent out airplanes and ships to evacuate its people from Libya.They even sent a navy ship to help. This is the first time that China has sent the army in an evacuation. "We have done a great job in no more than 10 days. This shows China's ability to protect its people overseas in emergencies," Vice Foreign Minister Song Tao said. What is this article mainly about? A It's mainly about Ling and his life in Libya. B It's mainly about the Ling family. C About Chinese living in Libya return to the motherland.. D It's mainly about the recent situation in Libya. Answer: C 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 draws the people's attention in the programs? A How the children behave in the new environments. B Where the children are from. C What the kids' family background is like . D How old the children are. Answer: A Mr. Li worked in a post office in Weihai. Last month he retired. His son works in America. Five years ago Mrs. Li went to America to look after their grandson. So Mr. Li decided to see them. Mr. Li was afraid of taking the plane so he decided to go to America by ship. On the first morning on the ship, Mr. Li met an American. The man said to him, "Good morning!" Mr. Li thought the man told him his name. So he said to him, "Li Haitao." On the second morning, Mr. Li met his son's friend on the ship. He told him about the American. After hearing that, his son's friend laughed and said, "He said hello to you in the morning." On the third morning when Mr. Li met the American again, he said, "Good morning!" And the American said to him, "Li Haitao, sir." On the second morning, Mr. Li met _ on the ship. A his old friend B his son C a friend of his son's D an American Answer: C Lisa is ten years old. She is disabled because she has brain damage. She could not do even the simplest thing until a year ago. She could not comb her hair or feed herself. Her parents loved her. And they treated her like a baby. Mr. Ching has a daughter and a son. They are both grown. They live far from their father. Mr. Cling felt lonely. He decided to become a foster grandfather to a handicapped child. And that was how he met Lisa. Foster grandparents are grandparents who are not related by birth but foster parents love the children they care for. They also help the handicapped children in special ways. They help to dress and feed the children. They read to them and tell them stories. They also help with handicapped children's therapy. Therapy is the treatment of a disease or disorder. It helps the children overcome their handicaps. Mr. Cling became a foster grandparent to Lisa when she was nine years old. At first, Lisa was shy. She was afraid because Mr. Cling was a stranger. But he came to see her every day, gradually she began to trust him. At last, Lisa let Mr. Cling do things for her. Cling speaks for most foster grandparents when he say, "We all benefit. The handicapped children benefit because we help them live more useful lives. And we benefit because we know the children need us and love us. For any person, there is no greater happiness than that." The best title for this passage is _ . A Lisa, A Handicapped Girl B Why Did He Do That? C Foster Grandparents D The Greatest Happiness! Answer: D Earthquakes happen without warning .They can happen any time of a day,at any point during the year.But don't worry because most are so weak that they cannot be felt. Only a few big ones hurt people. However,it's important to know what to do when an earthquake is happening. Do NOT go outside.You could get injured from falling glass or parts of buildings.If you are outside,stay away from buildings and power lines . Stay under a desk,table,or other strong furniture .Hold on to it.Or stay in a corner of the building.Cover your face and head with your arms and cover your mouth with a towel or clothing.Stay inside until shaking stops and it is safe to go outside. Keep away from windows,pictures or advertisements on the wall or the building,and anything else that could fall and hurt you.Most people get injured by falling things during an earthquake,not by the shaking itself. Also keep away from a fire.You could fall down and burn yourself on the fire. If you are driving when an earthquake happens,stop the car if it's safe.Stay inside your car until the earthquake stops,and don't drive near bridges. Try not to stop by power lines or trees.These could fall and hurt you. It isn't safe for you to _ while the earthquake is happening. A run out of the building B stay in a corner of the building C cover your head with your arms D cover your mouth with a towel Answer: A
In 1992, when Xi Jinping worked in Fuzhou, he came across a newspaper report about "My Guling," written by a Chinese student studying in the United States. The report described an American couple who tried in vain to revisit a southern Chinese town called Guling, where the husband, Milton Gardner, had spent 10 years of his childhood before moving back to the United States in 1911. Gardner, who later became a professor of physics at the University of California, had been longing to revisit Guling since 1979 when the diplomatic ties between China and the US were set up. But he had never made the trip due to his failing health. According to the newspaper, Gardner kept uttering "Kuling, Kuling" in the final hours of his life. After he passed away, his wife Elizabeth Gardner decided to carry out the dying wish of her husband and since then made several trips to China in an attempt to find the small town that her husband had so much affection about. Her efforts ended in vain as she had few clues about the exact spot of the town. But a Chinese student lodging at the Gardners' recognized the small town as Guling near Fuzhou City from postmarks on some old mails of late Mr. Gardner. The student wrote an article about Gardners' story and sent it to the People's Daily, one of the major newspapers in China. "After I read the story, I immediately contacted Mrs. Gardner through the departments concerned and invited her to visit Guling," Xi told the media. Thanks to Xi's arrangement, Mrs. Gardner finally arrived at Guling in August 1992. She met there with nine childhood friends of her husband, all of whom were over 90 years old at that time. It was a happy occasion for Mrs. Gardner, who was later awarded the honorary citizenship of Fuzhou City, Xi recalled. "She said that she would value this bond of friendship between her husband and the people of China, because after seeing for herself the beautiful Guling and the warmth and goodwill of the Chinese people, she now understood why her husband had been so deeply attached to China." "I believe there are many such touching stories between our two peoples," said Xi. What can we infer from the passage? A. Mr. and Mrs. Gardner were brought up in a southern Chinese town. B. The name of the town changed shortly after Milton Gardner left. C. Guling might have originally been pronounced as Kuling in English. D. Mrs. Gardner knew exactly where the small town lay in south China. Answer: C. Guling might have originally been pronounced as Kuling in English. When I was born, my parents immediately noticed something wrong. My feet were deformed , pointing inward and curling under. I wore casts and foot braces in my first two years to correct the problem. Yet I learned to balance and walk in casts. Soon after the last set of casts came off,Mom enrolled me in dance classes as therapy for my feet. I, however,quickly decided to try something else. Not far from my house was an ice rink in the mall. There,local skaters would perform ice shows. I wanted to try skating. I started taking group skating lessons. Performing on ice came naturally. For me,skating has never been about beating others. It's been about being my personal best. I progressed through various levels rapidly and gave my first ice performance at age seven. Soon I started winning local and regional competitions. That's because being on the ice has always been the one place I can truly express my emotions. _ I began seriously training when I was nine years old. After graduating from girls' high school,I moved to Canada. Saying goodbye to my family and friends made me homesick,but I knew deep down that I had to leave and train full-time to give my dreams a chance at reality. I went to compete in the Olympic Games in 1992.I was the first of the final six skaters on the ice. My long performance started well,but I slipped while landing one of my easiest triple jumps,and my hand touched the ice. I didn't want to make two mistakes in a row,so next I did a jump with just two spins to play it safe. As I neared the end,I had one more jump. I landed it perfectly. When medals were awarded,I found myself on the top step,the gold hanging around my neck and America's national anthem playing. Words can't describe the overwhelming mixture of emotions I felt. What do we learn about the author's performance in the 1992 Olympic Games? A. She completed it without any mistake. B. She made one mistake on the final landing. C. She did it quite well except for one mistake. D. She made more than one mistake. Answer: C. She did it quite well except for one mistake. As a youngster, there was nothing I liked better than Sunday afternoons at my grandfather's farm in western Pennsylvania. Surrounded by miles of winding stone walls, the house and field provided endless hours of fun for a city kid like me. I was used to tidy living rooms that seemed to whisper, "Not to be touched!" I can still remember one afternoon when I was eight years old. Since my first visit to the farm, I had wanted more than anything to be allowed to climb the stone walls surrounding the houses. My parents would never _ . The walls were old; some stones were missing, others loose and falling. Still, my idea to climb across those walls grew so strong that finally, one spring afternoon, I had all my courage to enter the living room, where the adults had gathered after Sunday dinner. "I, uh-I want to climb the stone walls," I said. Everyone looked up. "Can I climb the stone walls? "Immediately voices of disagreement went up from the women in the room. "Heavens, no!" You'll hurt yourself!" I wasn't too disappointed; the response was just as I'd expected. But before I could leave the room, I was stopped by my grandfather's loud voice. "Now hold on just a minute," I heard him say. "Let the boy climb the stone walls. He has to learn to do things for himself." "Go," he said to me, "and come and see me when you get back." For the next two and a half hours I climbed those old walls -and had the time of my life. Later I met with my grandfather to tell him about my adventures. I'll never forget what he said. "Fred," he said, smiling, "You made this day a special day just by being yourself. Always remember, there's only one person in this whole world like you, and I like you exactly as you are." Many years have passed since then, and today I host the television program Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, seen by millions of children throughout America. There have been changes over the years, but one thing remains the same: my message to children at the end of almost every visit. "There's only one person in this whole world like you," the kids can count on hearing me say, "and people can like you exactly as you are." We can learn from the passage that the writer was _ . A. adventurous B. funny C. smart D. talkative Answer: A. adventurous Everybody is familiar with Christmas music; its played everywhere. Whether it's the music from a grocery store or random songs on the radio, holiday music remains to flood in the air from the day after Thanksgiving to the beginning of December. Christmas music gets extremely over- played through the Holiday season. "'I think the common seasonal Christmas music is annoying because it keeps being played over and over."said junior Devin McFarland. The Christmas music still played today is what she heard in her childhood. Some famous Christmas songs have never been changed. The original music is played so much that in some cases people dream about or even sing Christmas music in their sleep. She wishes that there was a wider variety of songs. She likes the newer Christmas songs that bands either re- make or write themselves. "They have a fresher sound to Christmas songs, and they add their own characteristics to them so that they are more like their own songs. " McFarland explained. Christmas is known as a happy and homecoming festival, so the holiday season is meant to be spent happily with your family. It is recognized that the music media wants to get the point across and add to the festival atmosphere. But isn't the music being pushed to the public too much? Most grocery stores play the music non-stop ,Christmas song after Christmas song, disgusting the customers who don't like that kind of music. You can walk through stores and attempt turning off the music, but sometimes it's impossible to do so. On the other hand, almost everyone has witnessed random persons walking along happily and either singing or whistling to the tune of the song that's played throughout the store. What is the passage mainly about? _ . A. People love to listen to original Christmas music B. Everybody has been tired of Christmas songs and music C. Christmas music can bring more happiness to the public D. Christmas music is calling for changes and updating Answer: D. Christmas music is calling for changes and updating In some countries,open campus is widely accepted. For example, French students have a two-hour lunch break from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. During their lunch break, they can eat at home or at a restaurant. But students in the Philippines have a tougher schedule. They have only two 15-minute breaks and an hour for lunch. What Schedule would be best for American schools? Having breaks between classes is great, but having breaks off campus is even better. There are several advantages to open campus, including simple conveniences such as being able to eat different meals during lunchtime, rather than having the cafeteria dishes, as well as having the chance to take a break at home. However, there are more reasons I disagree with allowing high school students the right to have an open campus. Sure, it's great being able to escape school during the day for a while, but soon enough that may easily become the rest of the day. If open campus is allowed, it is very possible that such freedom will make it all too easy for students to skip their afternoon classes. Of course, there will be students responsible enough to come back to school. But unexpected problems such as heavy traffic, city bus delays or cars breaking down may prevent them from returning to school. It benefits the students to stay in school during lunch hours to avoid transportation issues. Depending on how close the school is to restaurants and students' homes, open campus could be a great idea. Unfortunately, though, most public schools in America are not located close enough to restaurants or students' homes, thus causing the negative results to outweigh the positives in the end. Compared with French students, students in the Philippines _ . A. have a poor diet B. get better grades C. have less freedom D. prefer eating on campus Answer: C. have less freedom
What can build something over millions of years? Answer: A couple of weeks ago, a few friends and I had an opportunity to attend a dear friend's wedding in New York. After the wedding and reception, rather accidentally four of us gathered in a hotel room and began to explore the deeper meaning of life and death. What does it mean to live truly? If we are all getting closer to death, is all the material accumulation worth it? It is not exactly the type of conversations one has at a wedding. While the answers varied from person to person, I was left with more questions than answers and a feeling of gratefulness to be surrounded by friends who were asking the "right" questions. As the clock kept ticking past 3 a.m., one of the roommates suggested we watch a short film titled "Last Days of Zach Sobiech". The film is about a teenager's journey through the last days of his incurable illness. The film brought up a lot of mixed emotions but one quote that stood out for me was Zach's simple explanation of happiness, " What makes one happy is seeing someone else smile because you put it there." By 4 a.m. , there was this energy in the room that had to be shared! With a few packages of post-it notes, we hit the halls of the hotel. We decided to leave short inspirational words on guests' doors, so when they opened their doors few hours later a smile would turn up. We ended up sticking post-it notes on all the doors until we ran out of them. The note on the door of the newly-weds properly said, "Where there is love, there is life." What can we learn from the author and his friends' action? Answer: Alexis, 17, sat quietly in the passenger seat of her dad's car.She let her eyes lazily scan the landscape for wildlife.Then a deer came into view about 200 yards in front of them."Dad, there's a deer there!" Alexis said.It was a male deer with sharp antlers on each side of its head. As the car moved closer, Alexis saw that the deer's head was bent toward the ground.Then she heard a scream and saw an arm fly up near the deer's head.Alexis realized the deer was attacking a woman.Sue, a 44-year-old mother, had been out for her morning run.The deer followed her and edged closer."I knew I was in trouble," Sue says.She went to pick up a stick for self-defense, and the deer charged.It lifted her with its antlers and threw her into the air.Sue could feel blood flew down her leg.Within seconds, the deer had pushed her off the road. When Alexis and her father pulled up, the deer was throwing Sue like a doll.Alexis looked into the woman's terrified eyes, and before her father had even stopped the car, the teenager jumped quickly out of the car and ran toward the deer."I was kicking it to get its attention," she says.Then her father, who had followed his daughter, pushed the deer away from the women. Alexis helped Sue into the car, and then applied a piece of cloth to Sue's injured leg."We're going to get you to a hospital," Alexis said.Then she heard her father shout loudly.He had been knocked to the ground.Alexis took hold of a hammer from the car and ran to where her father lay on his back.She beat the deer's head and neck, but the blows didn't scare it away."I was losing faith," she says."A couple more strikes, Alexis," said her father."You can do it." Turning the hammer around, Alexis closed her eyes and beat the deer's neck with all her strength.When she opened her eyes, the deer was running away.Alexis got in the driver's seat and sped toward the nearest hospital. After Sue was treated, she tearfully thanked her rescuers."You expect a teenage girl to get on the phone and call for help," she says, "not to beat up a deer." What was Sue doing when she was attacked by the deer? Answer: In an automobile collision case brought by Poe against Davies, Poe introduced evidence that Ellis made an excited utterance that Davies ran the red light. Davies called Witt to testify that later Ellis, a bystander, now deceased, told Witt that Davies went through a yellow light. Witt's testimony should be Answer: In the past, going to a piano teacher was the most popular way to learn how to play the piano. You could get one-to-one teaching and have the opportunity to learn as much as the teacher knew. If you didn't have private lessons, you could still learn the piano, but you would have to teach yourself. This was easy for some, but very difficult for most. However, with technology developing today, there is at last another way that you can take piano lessons. You can take an online course. An online course is much cheaper than a private lesson. _ . You can take a whole online course in piano for just a fraction of the money that you would spend on weeks of private lessons. Also, private lessons are usually only one hour per week. So you would have to wait for your next lesson to continue your learning. However, online piano courses are quite different. With an online piano course, you can work at your own pace. You can also take as many lessons per week as you want, or go back and listen to your last lesson if you have forgotten anything. Most adults who want to learn how to play the piano enjoy being able to go back and listen to the lessons again. Of course if you need someone to sit beside you and offer you immediate feedback as you are playing, you might not get that from an online piano course. However, the lessons online can be viewed at any time, or as often as you'd like, which means that you can get your own type of feedback from an online piano course. How did the writer make his points clear? Answer:
Have you ever seen a movie called " The Choir Boys"(<<>> )?The French movie tells the story of a group of naughty boys who learn music from a dedicated teacher. In Shanghai, there is also a group of children learning music. But their story is a bit different. The musical group, "Shepherds' Kids" , was founded by the Shanghai Jiuqian Volunteer Center. There are about 40 students in this group. Their parents are migrants working in Shanghai. " The music courses are free," said Zhang Yichao, founder of the group. "We just want to make the children's lives more colorful." The kids learn singing, dancing and musical instruments. Their teachers are volunteers from high schools. Learning music is not an easy job, especially for these migrant workers' children. "I never know the musical stave before," said Hua Delong, 13. "Sometimes it was really hard to study." Tang Yue is a volunteer teacher at the center. She is a student from Shanghai Ping'he Bilingual High School. "These kids face difficulties bravely," said Tang. "Sometimes they have to help their parents do housework and have little time to practice, but I never hear them complain." Their hard work has paid off . Today many people know the group. They have even performed as a choir for foreign pop stars. Li Luo, 14, told " Teens" how appreciative she was of the group. "I had little fun before. I seldom watched TV. Study seemed the most interesting thing in my life. "Shepherds' Kids has given me a new life." The story is an introduction of _ . Answer: a musical group "The Shepherds' Kids" Of all the websites, one that has attracted attention recently is myspace.com. Most of this attention has come from the media and tells every reason why the website should be shut down. The danger of internet predators is indeed a tough reality, but shutting down the site is not the answer. If myspace.com were shut down, another site would quickly take its place. Therefore, the right way is to teach teens how to use the site safely and educate them about who may be predators and how to avoid them. The key to staying safe on the Internet is to make sure that your profile is secure. The simplest way is to change the privacy setting on your profile to "private", which protects your information so that only the people on your friend list can view it. Although this is effective, it is not perfect. Predators can find ways to view your profile if they really want to, whether through hacking in or figuring out their way onto your friend list. Thus, you should never post too much personal information. Some people actually post their home and school addresses, date of birth, and other personal information, often letting predators know exactly where they will be and when. The safest information is your first name and province. Anything more is basically inviting a predator into your life. Another big problem is photos. I suggest completely skipping photos and never posting a photo of a friend online without asking permission. Most importantly, never, under any circumstances, agree to a real-life meeting with anyone you meet online. No matter how well you think you know this person, there are no guarantees that they have told the truth. But you could feel free to chat with people you meet on the site, but just remember that not everyone is who they say they are. Hopefully, the next time you edit your profile, you'll be more informed about the dangers of Internet predators and take the steps to defend yourself. Lastly, do not send money to anyone you meet online. A common _ among Internet criminals is to request to pay for "expensive Internet charges" or "unreasonable Internet cafe fees". While it is indeed true that many countries in Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa and South America do not yet have Internet service readily available in all cities and towns, a sincere friend from one of these countries will be more than happy to pay their own Internet charges. Never, under any circumstances, should you send money to a stranger from another country(or within your own country for that matter) who claims monetary assistance is required to continue their contact with you. What could be the best title of this passage? Answer: Web Safety for Teens. Dear Mr. Wolfson, The purpose of this letter is to inform you of one of our citizens who I believe should receive some special recognition for dedicated community service. The person I recommend is Elizabeth Samuelson. I believe you know her in your position as volunteer coordinator . I have known Elizabeth for more than 20 years as both a friend and a neighbor. During that time I have seen her work tirelessly on scores of community projects and committees. As far as I know, she has never received any kind of recognition from the community for her work. I believe she should be given some sort of special recognition. Just last year alone, she worked on at least six different community projects including the Park Renewal Project and the Heritage Homes FundRaising Banquet. In addition, she is a weekly driver for the MealsonWheels program and she visits patients in the care unit on a regular basis. Whenever a project or committee needs her, she will put herself into the work wholeheartedly. I'm sure that if you check with a few of your staff members who have been there over the years, they will confirm Elizabeth's community service record and probably be able to add many examples to the few I have given here. By the way, Elizabeth has no idea that I am writing this. She is a humble person, and if she were aware of it, she would not allow me to send it. I thought about writing such a letter about her a number of times in the past but just never took action. Then last week, I noticed in the paper that you sponsor an annual dinner at which dozens of awards are given out to people with much less community service than Elizabeth. In fact, I checked with her and she has never even been invited to that annual event! I urge you to correct that omission now and take action to see that Elizabeth is properly recognized for her many years of silent but outstanding service to this community. Sincerely, Linda Sullivan From the letter we know that Linda _ Elizabeth much. Answer: respects Halloween is the one night of the year where being scared is supposed to be good fun. However, amid all the harmless activities like trick-or-treating, sometimes genuinely frightening and disturbing things can happen. October 31 has been the date of some horrific murders and unexplained disappearances, which are far more terrifying than any ghosts, goblins, or witches. Because they happened to take place on Halloween, the following mysteries have an extra aura of creepiness to them, and they remain unsolved to this day. 1 Hyun Jong was a 21-year-old South Korean student attending Pennsylvania State University. In 2001, after leaving the Halloween party in a club, she was dropped off at her apartment by her friends at 4:00 AM. This was the last anyone ever saw of her. A search was conducted of her apartment. There was no sign of any struggle, but many of her belongings were there, indicating that she had gone inside after being dropped off. But what happened to her afterward? Although some evidence indicated her death, her body has never been found. 2 On Halloween night in 1977, the parents of 19-month-old Nima Louise Carter placed their child inside her crib. The next morning, Nima's parents were shocked to discover that she was missing. Since the windows were locked, it's theorized that someone must have been hiding in the closet and took the child out of the house while her parents were asleep. The police took it as child abduction. A month later, a group of kids were playing in an abandoned house four blocks away. When they opened up the house's refrigerator, they received a horrifying shock when the body of an infant came tumbling out. The child was identified as Nima Louise Carter, who died of suffocation . 3 Chris Jenkins was a 21-year-old student who visited a bar on Halloween night in 2002. After leaving the bar around midnight, Chris disappeared without a trace. He remained a missing person for four months until his body was discovered in the Mississippi River. Since Chris was still wearing his Halloween costume, all indications were that he died shortly after he disappeared. Since his cause of death was determined to be drowning, authorities initially believed it was an accident or suicide. His parents refused to believe _ and appealed for a more careful investigation. Finally, in 2006, the death was reclassified as a murder case. 4 Sometime during the early morning Halloween hours of 1981, a Manhattan couple named Ronald Sisman and Elizabeth Platzman were murdered in their apartment. The couple was severely beaten before being shot in the head, execution-style, and the apartment was in a complete mess. Sisman was rumored to be involved in drugs, so authorities initially believed that to be the motive for the killings. However, the case took a turn when a prisoner claimed that one of his fellow inmates had somehow predicted the crime weeks before it actually happened. The police then questioned the inmate, yet no insightful information was brought out. Whose body was found inside a fridge? Answer: Nima Louise Carter Popular music in America is what every student likes. Students carry small radios with earphones and listen to music before class, after class, and at lunch. Students with cars buy large speakers and play the music loudly as they drive on the street. Adult drivers listen to music on the car radio as they drive to work. They also listen to the news about sports, the weather, and the life of American people. Most of the radio programmers are music. Pop or popular music singers make much money. They make a CD or a tape which radio stations use in many places. Once the popular singer is heard all over the country, young people buy his or her tape. Some of the money from these tapes goes to the singer. Wherever the singer goes, all the young people want to meet him or her. Now the singer has become a national star. There are other kinds of music that are important to Americans. One is called folk music. It tells stories about the common life of Americans. Another is western or country music. This was started by cowboys who would sing at night to the cows they were watching. Today, any music about country life and the 1ove between a country boy and his girl is called western or country music. ,. When do the adult drivers always listen to music ? Answer: when they drive to work.
I find some of the ways in which Chinese parents show love for their children rather surprising. Obviously there are some pretty big differences between our behaviors and theirs in this respect. Most Chinese children seem to get whatever they want, from ice creams, sweets and toys to endless attention from the adults around them. Is this a sort of spoiling or love? I wonder. Most westerners would think it is a sort of spoiling rather than love. We think love means educating your children and bringing them up to lead an independent life. That includes learning to accept the fact that he can't get everything he wants. As an adult, he will not always get the quite expensive car he hunts for; she will not always manage to acquire the beautiful dress she longs for. So we try to teach our children early to cope with the disappointment of not getting what they want. I find too much such kind of love for the children can actually spoil them. To my surprise, it seems that the life of a Chinese child is rather hard. Without doubt, the child is the very center of a whole circle of adults, but on the other hand he or she is also expected to start studying according to adults' wishes. Many children of my son's age take piano lessons, painting classes and even English lessons. It looks as if Chinese adults think that just playing without learning anything is a waste of time. So in this respect our children appear spoiled, just because they are allowed to play. But without this sort of play how can western children develop such free and rich imaginations? In fact the connection between this imagination and the creativity is so important in the children's future life. The best title of the passage could be _ . Answer: What is the real love for children Take Action for a Better World: Volunteers Needed Six months' preparation in Denmark: Africa studies, team work combined with social work risk group teenagers. Six months' community work in Malawi in people to people projects: Child Aid, HIV/AIDS Fights and Teacher Training. Qualifications:18 years, hard-working and social engagement. Please contact us by email:takeaction@betterworld.com Part-time Work with Exchange Students YOUTH International is a non-profit high school foreign exchange student organization. We welcome teenagers from over 80 countries worldwide and provide host families. The Community Representative is a part-time position designed for people with a strong desire to do something rewarding in the community and earn some extra money. Applicants best suited for this work should enjoy teenagers, have a strong interest in cross-cultural communication, and feel comfortable networking. Full training and support will be provided through branch offices throughout the U.S Positions available in most states. If interested, please email staff@youth.org or call 888-123-9872. International Summer Job Hi, I'm an ESL student in China. I'm 20, quiet and polite, and I speak reasonable English. I am looking for a summer job in an English-speaking country. I can teach Chinese or do house and garden work, and cook Chinese dishes. Can anybody offer me a Job? I don't need to earn much, just enough in 2 months (July-August) to pay for my return ticket to China. My goal is to improve my English and see a bit more of the world. My email is : ram3462@hotmail.com Call for Native Speakers of English I am looking for native speakers of English to join in an experiment. This experiment is carried out over the Internet. You don't need any specific knowledge other than understanding and speaking English at a native level. The first task will take you around 15 minutes. After this task, you can decide whether you want to continue the experiment. The tasks involve reading texts and designing questions and answers. If you are willing to help me , then please email me : club3864@hotmail.com Where will Jack, a volunteer, receive the training before he is sent to work in Malawi? Answer: In a preparation program in Denmark If you happen to find "On the Road" at a gas station or "Who Moved My Cheese?" in your grocery store, it might not be and accident. You could be the unwitting beneficiary of a "bookcrosser"---- a person who on purpose leaves books in public places hoping they'll be found by strangers. The idea o leaving a book for someone else to find and enjoy is not new ---- some people have been leaving just-finished books in airports and on buses since the dawn of the hurry-up-and-wait. Creating a system for book-leavers to find out what happened to those books adds a new way to the practice. Bokcrossing.com, the website that encourages books to be "released into the wild", has more than 18,000 members since its start last year, and averages 112 new participants daily. Its members have scattered more than 42,000 novels, self-help books, memoirs, technical manuals and biographies in 45 countries, leaving them in public restrooms, movie theatres, coffee studios or anywhere that they can imagine. The result: a worldwide living library. Peri Doslu, a California yoga instructor, has dropped three--- one on top of a telephone booth, one on a rock wall at remote Mono Lake in the eastern Sierra Nevada, and another in one of the studios where she teaches. "I'm always looking for paces to pass on books," said Doslu. "To think my book's going to go off and have this future, and I might even get to know a little bit about it down the road." Bookcrossers are the people who _ . Answer: release books in public places on purpose Directions:Read the following three passages.Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements.For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D.Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read. Death is a serious theme worthy of great poets.For example, John Keats's 'When I Have Fears That I May Cease to Be' and John Donne's 'Death, Be Not Proud' both discuss death in reflective ways.However, the imagery in these poems shows that while Keats believes that death can only destroy, Donne believes that death can be overcome. Keats is afraid of death, because to him death means the loss of those things that make his life worth living: 'On the shore/ of the wide world I stand alone, and think/ Till Love and Fame to nothingness do sink.' Earlier in the poem, Keats says that he hopes this 'Love' will be a 'high romance' with a 'fair creature.' He also says that he hopes the 'Fame' he seeks will be the result of the 'high piled books' produced by his 'crowded brain.' In other words, Keats's fear is that death is a 'nothingness' that will arrive before he can finish his life's work or find his true love. Donne has a different attitude toward death, and so the imagery in his poem is different, too.To Donne, death should 'be not proud,' because it is not 'mighty and dreadful.' Unlike Keats, Donne sees death as weak and merely a 'slave to Fate, chance, kings, and desperate men.' He also says that death is like 'rest and sleep'.Donne believes that we will all wake from the sleep of death to everlasting life, just as we wake from our normal sleep to our everyday lives.In fact, Donne believes that it is death itself that will die: 'One short sleep past, we wake forever,/ And Death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.' Keats and Donne both know that death is a prat of life, and both poets use powerful imagery to talk about that difficult theme.The differences in this imagery show two very different attitudes toward the subject, one of which is much more positive than the other.Which poet to believe is up to the reader to decide. Not surprisingly, the readers' own experiences may play a part in the way they respond to these poets' approaches.Like the two poets and their beliefs, contemporary readers also may be divided on the subject.This may explain why Keats's and Donne's poetry remains fascinating years after their won deaths. Contemporary readers may view the two poets' serious subject differently because _ . Answer: their own life experiences affect the understandings of the poems He wasn't sick. He wasn't old. And he wasn't losing. He had a very good final season and won his last game in 2008. And then he walked away. Lloyd Carr was 62. That's a few years earlier than retirement age in America and many years earlier than some college football coaches say goodbye. How was Carr, who coached University of Michigan, able to leave so easily? " It can be _ ," Carr admits. "The Saturday afternoons and the crowds. And when you win, there's nothing like it." But the job needs hard work. The pressure to win. The endless training. The hours are so long that sleeping at the office is a normal thing. I reported Carr's career at Michigan from 1995 to 2007. I saw him run onto the field before 100,000 cheering fans, saw him enjoy a share of a national championship with a 12-0 season. And when I visited him recently in retirement, the difference was noticeable. He seems much calmer, relaxed, more at peace. He says, "As much fun as it is, there's a period when you have other things to deal with." Carr knew he wanted to travel, see the world, read more, do other work. He is now connected with a children's hospital, does some speaking, plays golf, and enjoys relaxing with his wife, Laurie, and their many grandchildren. Several of today's big-name coaches are all about Carr's retirement age. Nick Saban turns 59 this month. Jim Tressel is 57. Frank Beamer is already 63. None of them seems to be slowing down. So when, I ask Carr, is the right moment to leave such a great job? He thinks. Finally, he says, "When you love it and can still walk away from it. That's the right moment." Lloyd Carr stopped working as a coach because he _ . Answer: had other things to experience
When Debbie Parkhurst choked on a piece of apple at her Maryland home, her dog jumped in, landing hard on her chest and forcing the piece of apple to pop out of her throat. Debbie Parkhurst's husband, Kevin, was at his job at a Wilmington, Del., chemical firm when she took a midday break from jewelry and bit into an apple. When the Keesling family of Indiana were about to be overcome by carbon monoxide(CO), their cat clawed at wife Cathy's hair until she woke up and called for help. For their timely acts, Toby, a golden 2 1/2-year-old dog, and Winnie, a gray-eyed American shorthair, were named Dog and Cat of the Year by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Neither Parkhurst nor Keesling could explain their pets' timely heroics,though Parkhurst suggested it might have been guided by God intervention . "That's what our veterinarian said,"she said. "He wasn't making a joke; he's very spiritual, and now I have to agree with him." But both pets were themselves rescued in baby, Toby as a 4-week-old baby thrown into a garbage bin to die, and Winnie as a week-old orphan hiding under a barn, so helpless that Keesling's husband, Eric, had to feed her milk. As the Keeslings recalled it, a gas-driven pump spread carbon monoxide through the house. By the time Winnie moved into rescue spot, the couple's 14-year-old son, Michael, was already unconscious. "Winnie jumped on the bed and was clawing at me, with a kind of angry noise," Cathy Keesling said. "When I woke up I felt like a T-bar had hit me across the head." State police and officers responding to her 911 call said the family was only minutes from death, judging by the amount of poisonous gas in the house. Why did Winnie try to wake Cathy Keesling up? Answer: Friendships can be difficult -- because often people aren't as honest and open as they should be. Sometimes, people finally get hurt. Most problems with friendships come up because people are just too selfish to care about the things that their friends need. They care about their own needs much more, which makes it hard for friendships to work. However, being selfish is part of human nature. A person is put together in order to take care of themselves and their own needs, not necessarily those needs of other people. Even though being selfish is something that all humans are born with, it is something that everyone should be against. The best thing to remember when you are a friend to anyone is that you need to treat your friends the same way that you'd like to be treated . This is wonderful advice for a friendship, because it is really the only way to make sure that you are giving your friends everything you would want to be given in a friendship. Whenever you have a question about how you should treat a friend, it is easy to find an answer simply by asking yourself what you would like your friend to do for you, if he or she was in your shoes. Even if you're always thinking about how you'd like to be treated, and your friends are too, there are problems that come up from time to time in each friendship, and it is important to understand how to deal with these problems so that you can build stronger and healthier friendships. Problems like friends getting boyfriends or girlfriends and not spending enough time with their friends, or even friends finding new friends and leaving old friends behind are problems that will probably come up with one or more of your friendships. It is important to know how to deal with these friend problems so that you can keep your friends and make new ones. No one wants to have a broken friendship. What's the purpose of understanding how to deal with friendship problems? Answer: Music is really powerful. Without music, movies would lose some of their attraction. No one disagree with the powerful effect music has on individuals. Whether this effect is positive or negative, however, often depends on the type of music listened to. And researches have shown that certain types of music own the ability to relieve one's anxiety, improve brain development in children, uplift one's memory and help patients to recover...just to name a few. It should come as no surprise then, that researchers from the Tufts University have found that background music has the ability to directly affect one's eating habits as well. They counted the bites of food individuals took at meals while listening to different types of music. The diners "ate at an average rate of 3.9 bites per minute", with about a third of the diners requesting more food after clearing their plates. On the other hand, with "spirited tunes, "the diners "sped up to an average of 5.1 bites per minute! "Not surprising however, when "calming flute instrumental" were played, the eating speed of the diners slowed "to 3.2 bites per minute--and the bites became smaller". They didn't request second helpings and praised that the food tasted better. Studies have clearly stated that one safe way of losing weight includes eating slowly. Since it takes about 20 minutes for your stomach to tell the brain that it's full, eating slowly will help you to eat to satisfaction--without overdoing it. With this important piece of information then, it leads one to believe that with the use of calming background instrumental music, one can slow their food digestion, "retraining" both the stomach and the brain to take in less food which could lead to weight lost. Is there any truth to this theory? One will never know unless they try it themselves. Even if it doesn't work for you, at least you'll achieve a bit of relaxing and pleasant environment during your meal periods. A great meal with great music--who could ask for anything more? The research reported from the Tufts University showed that _ . Answer: An independent college claimed to have become the first school in England to make Chinese a compulsory subject for its pupils. Richard Cairns, the headmaster of Brighton College, said the move aims to recognize the importance of China as the world's fastest growing economy. Chinese will become one of the core subjects at the 1,200-pupil college from September. At present the school has only a "handful" of native Chinese students, but it hopes to attract more in the future. Mr Cairns, who made the announcement in his first week as head of the high-achieving college, said, "One of my key tasks is to make sure that the pupils at Brighton College are equipped for the realities of the 21st century, and one of those realities is that China has the fastest growing economy in the world. "China has replaced Britain as the world's fourth-largest economy. We in Britain need to face up to this challenge, see it for the trading opportunity that it is, and ensure that our nation's children are well-placed to thrive in this new global reality. "A better understanding of the language and culture of China will be hugely important to the advantage of the children of Brighton College." Mr Cairns said he hoped the Chinese children already at the college would help and encourage their fellow pupils to learn their language. In order to lead the way, Mr Cairns, a historian from Oxford, plans to take part in the first Chinese class as a pupil. "I have agreed to join the first Chinese class as a pupil. I think it is the best way for me to show the pupils here how important I regard this new addition to our core subjects." The college makes its students learn Chinese mainly because _ . Answer: red hornets can sting you multiple times with their Answer:
Question: WHAT is your favorite drink ? A bottle of cola ? If so , be careful ! Soft drinks are not all that healthy. They are bad for your teeth and make you fat . How about energy drink ?Sporty kids like them very much .This kind of drink has caffeine in it .It makes children active in sports . But don't drink too much .Or you will not sleep well ,maybe you'll find it hard to concentrate in class .Energy drinks also have acid .This is bad for your teeth . So what can you drink ? Don't worry ,here are some cool and healthy drinks .Let's take a look . Water Water ? That's right . It is the best and bealthiest drink . Water has no sugar or calories .It won't give you bad teeth or make you fat. How much water should you drink every day ? US research group Mayo Clinic suggest at least eight glasses of water a day (240 ml water a glass) Juice If you don't like fresh fruits and vegetables , 100 percent of juice can be goood .But don't drink too much , no more than 240 ml every day is good for you.Remember : If you open a bottle of fresh juice , please drink it in one go ,or it will go bad . Milk Milk helps you build a healthy body.Milk is rich in protein , vitamin D and calcium .They are all good for children's bones and teeth. How much water should we drink every day ? A. No more than 240 ml B. 240 ml C. about 800 ml D. More than 1,600 ml Answer: D Question: Visiting London can be an expensive trip, so establishing a budget and finding bargains when you arrive will help you get around London on the cheap. The following steps can help you find cheaper alternatives for transport for your London trip. l Familiarize yourself with the city's boroughs and specifically the area where you will be staying. You can use a street map, or an online map search engine, to establish where in the city you will be staying and the distance you are from the major tourist attractions you want to visit. l Find a local provider of Transport for London tickets or travel cards, since your first bargain purchase will be an Oyster Card. Traveling around London with an Oyster Card will give you access to the cheapest option of transportation methods and the Oyster Card is accepted citywide on buses, boats and the London Underground, known by the locals as "the tube". l Seek out your nearest Tube Station. The Tube is the cheapest and most reliable form of transportation and runs from around 6 a.m. until around 1 a.m. ..., depending on the line or the station. There are 287 tube stations in London that accept the Oyster Card, with a high concentration in central London. If you are staying anywhere in central London, there will be a tube station less than 10 minutes away. The Transport for London website offers a tube station search facility to find the nearest subway station to any location in the city. When you find a tube station, you can easily locate the closest bus stop by using the comparison bus-tube maps at the station's entrance. l Follow the Transport for London Tube Guide to your destinations and always plan ahead. Making a plan for transport will save you unnecessary expenses, wasted trips on the tube and doubling back on your journey . What's the author's purpose in writing the passage? A. To introduce the public transport system in London. B. To show readers how to use the Oyster Card. C. To prove the subway in London is easy to use. D. To offer tips for saving transport costs in London. Answer: D Question: Hello! I'm Sally Hand. I'm an English girl. I'm in EEC Middle School. Here's a picture of my room. A bed, a desk and a chair are in it. They are green. A computer is on the desk. Next to the computer is my telephone. It's red. My phone number is 523-6851. I always call my cousin in the evening. He is in China. Can you see a ring? It's on the desk, too. What's that under the chair? It's my dog. It's Kelly. Kelly is always under the chair. Can you see a tape player on the bed? It's mine. Some tapes are on the bed, too. What's the girl's first name? A. Hand. B. Sally. C. Sally Hand. D. Hand Sally. Answer: B Question: Mrs Smith's husband went off on a business trip to Australia. He wanted to catch the 3:30 plane to Darwin. She was very surprised when he telephoned her at 5 o'clock and said that he was still at the airport. "What happened?" asked Mrs Smith. "Well," said Mr Smith, "everything was going fine. I got my ticket, checked my luggage and waited in line at the gate. I walked across the runway to the airplane and I saw my friend Jack Scott. Jack was an airplane engineer. I shouted to him and a policeman caught me." "Why did he catch you?" "I don't know," said Mr Smith," All I said was 'Hi, Jack! '" The word "hijack" means "to take control of a plane by force". Why was Mr Smith caught by the policeman? A. Because he didn't keep silence at the airport. B. Because he greeted an airport engineer named Jack. C. Because the pronunciation of "Hi, Jack" has another frightful meaning. D. Because the policeman didn't know English. Answer: C Question: April Fool's Day , was a day of laughing and jokes. This day is kept in many countries, not only in Britain and the USA. This is a day to play jokes and make people laugh. Nobody knows when was the beginning of this custom. Some people connect it with the end of winter and the return of spring which make people merry and ready to play jokes. In Scotland young people were sent for hen's teeth or bird's milk and everybody laughed when they could find such things. In the USA and Britain some people could place a sign on a person's back with the words "push me!" Children often tell a grown-up that his sock is torn or he has something black on his face, and then shout "April Fool!" There is also the old purse trick. A purse is left lying in the street, but when someone wants to take it, it is quickly pulled back by a string which the hidden joker holds in his hand. Or the purse may be filled with stones. Sometimes invitations are sent to people, asking them to come and visit somebody, but when they come they see that nobody expects them. Some people like to telephone to the zoo on the day and ask for Mr. Fish, Miss Fox or Mrs. Cat. All these jokes are very old but still they make people laugh. _ knows when the custom of April Fool's Day started. A. One B. Anyone C. Nobody D. Someone Answer: C
When Mary Moore began her high school in 1951, her mother told her, "Be sure and take a typing course so when this show business thing doesn't work out, you'll have something to rely on." Mary responded in typical teenage fashion. From that moment on, "the very last thing I ever thought about doing was taking a typing course," she recalls. The show business thing worked out, of course. In her career, Mary won many awards. Only recently, when she began to write Growing Up Again, did she regret ignoring her mom," I don't know how to use a computer," she admits. Unlike her 1995 autobiography, After All, her second book is less about life as an award-winning actress and more about living with diabetes . All the money from the book is intended for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), an organization she serves as international chairman. "I felt there was a need for a book like this," she says." I didn't want to lecture, but I wanted other diabetics to know that things get better when we're self-controlled and do our part in managing the disease." But she hasn't always practiced what she teaches. In her book, she describes that awful day, almost 40 years ago, when she received two pieces of life-changing news. First, she had lost the baby she was carrying, and second, tests showed that she had diabetes. In a childlike act, she left the hospital and treated herself to a box of doughnuts . Years would pass before she realized she had to grow up ---again---and take control of her diabetes, not let it control her. Only then did she kick her three-pack-a-day cigarette habit, overcome her addiction to alcohol, and begin to follow a balanced diet. Although her disease has affected her eyesight and forced her to the sidelines of the dance floor, she refuses to fall into self-pity. "Everybody on earth can ask, 'why me?' about something or other," she insists. "It doesn't do any good. No one is immune to heartache, pain, and disappointments. Sometimes we can make things better by helping others. I've come to realize the importance of that as I've grown up this second time. I want to speak out and be as helpful as I can be." When Mary received the life-changing news, she _ . Answer: As a teenager, Simon Weston wasn't particularly good at his studies, but he was a good football player. He could also be naughty sometimes so his mother decided Simon should join the army when he was sixteen to teach him some discipline . She was right; Simon really enjoyed army life and became a well-respected member. However, Simon's life was changed forever in 1982. Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands, which belong to Britain, and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher declared war . Simon was on board a ship taking troops to the Falklands when it was attacked and set on fire. In an act of great heroism, Simon tried to save one of his friends from being burnt alive. Sadly, he failed and was seriously burnt himself. At the age of 21, Simon's life seemed over. Simon had 70 operations to rebuild his face and body. He was so badly burnt that his mother walked past him in the hospital without recognizing her son. Simon struggled to call out, "Mum, it's me, Simon." Hearing his voice, his mother broke down in tears. Many thought Simon would die, but to everyone's astonishment, he survived. Although he experienced terrible pain, Simon never gave up hope. After months of treatment, Simon slowly started to recover and, although he would be terribly scarred for the rest of his life, he was able to leave hospital. This was when _ . The physical pain slowly disappeared; however, the emotional pain became worse. Simon started to gout but was wounded by the stares of people who looked at him like he was some kind of freak . He felt like saying, "I wasn't born like this you know. I was injured defending my country." It took great courage for Simon to continue to go out. Eventually, Simon became involved in charity work and met his wife Lucy with whom he has three children. Life has never been the same for Simon but his Bravery is an example to us all. Simon's mother wanted him to join the army because _ . Answer: When I was a baby, I entertained you and made you laugh.Whenever I was "bad", you'd shake your finger at me and ask, "How could you?"--but then you'd give up, and roll me over for a belly scratch and I believed that life could not be any more perfect. My housetraining was a long process, because you were terribly busy, but we worked on that together. We went for long walks, runs in the park and car rides. We stopped for ice cream. I took long naps in the sun waiting for you to come home at the end of the day. Gradually, you began spending more time at work and on your career, and more time searching for a human mate.Eventually, you fell in love.She, now your wife, is not a dog person, but I still welcomed her into our home.I was happy because you were happy.Then the human babies came along and I shared your excitement, I was fascinated by their pinkness, how they smelled, and I wanted to mother them too. Your wife was afraid I would bite them.But nevertheless, as they began to grow, I became their friend.Now, you have a new job in another city and you and they will be moving to an apartment that does not allow pets.You've made the right decision for your "family", but there was a time when I was your only family. I was excited about the car ride until we arrived at the dog pound.It smelled of dogs and cats, of fear, of hopelessness.You filled out the paperwork and said, "I know you will find a good home for her".They shrugged and gave you a pained look.The children were in tears as they waved me goodbye.And "How could you?" were the only three words that swept over my mind. Is it better to live with hope or without hope? At first, whenever anyone passed my pen , I rushed to the front, hoping it was you, that you had changed your mind and that this was all a bad dream. My beloved master, I will think of you and wait for you forever.I hope you receive more faithfulness from your family than you showed to me. What is the theme of the story? Answer: C Last year my summer holiday was spoiled by my bringing along a modern convenience that was too convenient for my own good: the iPad.Instead of looking at nature, I checked my e-mail.Instead of paddling a small boat, I followed my Twitter feed .Instead of reading great novels, I stuck to reading four newspapers each morning.I was behaving as if I were still in the office.My body was on vacation, but my head wasn't. So this year I made up my mind to try something different: withdrawal from the Internet.I knew it wouldn't be easy, since I'm bad at self-control.But I was determined.I started by giving the iPad to my wife. The cellphone signal at our house was worse than in the past, making my attempts at cheating an experience in frustration .I was trapped, forced to go through with my plan.Largely breaking away from e-mail, Twitter and my favorite newspaper websites, I had few ways to connect to the world except for the radio--and how much radio can one listen to, really? I had to do what I had planned to do all along: read books. This experience has had a happy ending.With determination and the strong support of my wife, I won in my vacation struggle against the Internet, realizing finally that it was I, not the iPad, that was the problem.I knew I had won when we passed a Starbucks and my wife asked if I wanted to stop to use the Wi-Fi."I don't need it," I said. However, as we return to post-vacation life, a harder test begins: Can I continue when I'm back at work? There are times when the need to know what's being said right now is great.I have no intention of giving up my convenience completely.But I hope to resist the temptation to check my e-mail every five minutes, which leads to checking my Twitter feed and a website or two. I think a vacation is supposed to help you rest your brain to become more productive.Here I hope this one worked. What is the author's opinion of a great vacation in the passage? Answer: Nowadays, the younger generations are often complained about the selfishness and lack of respect by the older generations. It is undeniable that some young people do need to be educated on mutual respect and concern for others, especially senior members of society. But we older people should have some understanding about the young, too. Today's society is rather different from what it was when we were young. The social, financial and psychological pressure today's young people have to face is much higher than what we did back in the 1950s through the 1990s. They are in the early stage of their career. They have to find proper jobs to support themselves and work hard to rise. They have to live in smaller houses, because they are unable to afford the rising housing prices. Considering these facts, we may find it understandable why young people sometimes appear aloof and disrespectful. I don't mean that we should put up with it without reminding them of the need to mend their ways. What I mean is that we should be more patient, understanding and tolerant toward them. For instance, when we get up on a bus or a subway train, we should not complain about not being offered a seat. A young person does not offer a senior citizen his/her seat probably because he/she has to travel a long way to work or because the carriage is too crowded for one to move at all. In fact, young people do offer their seats to the seniors. I seldom take a bus or a subway train, but more than a quarter of the times I have done so, I was offered a seat. That is fair enough, considering that I do not look so old. But on occasions, I have seen old people not showing any sign of gratitude when offered a seat. China has become an aging society since the end of the last century. According to a recent survey, people older than 60 accounted for 11.4 percent of the nation's population. And the percentage is expected to rise because of the one-child family planning policy our country has practiced for more than three decades. In other words, the younger generations will have to shoulder a heavier burden in looking after the parents and grandparents. Theoretically, there will come a day when one couple may have to support four parents and eight grandparents. What a burden it would be! All this require that we should show more concern and understanding to our younger generations. What can be the best title for the text? Answer:
Martha's Vineyard has long been considered a favorite quiet of the Northeast. The vineyard is rich in history, breathtaking beaches, and beautiful scenery. It is well known for its unique lighthouses - you'll enjoy the variety and the history of each lighthouse, among the most photographed structures on the Vineyard. When the former First Family, the Clintons, chose to vacation on the island several years ago, it became a more popular tourist attraction. Martha's Vineyard got its name from its discoverer, Bartholomew Gosnold, who gave it the name of his wife Martha and was in memory of the thick growth of wild trees on the land. The island of Martha's Vineyard lies south of Cape Cod off the southeastern coast of Massachusetts,United States. It is nearly 20 miles long and runs from 2 to 10 miles in width. There are wide,hard beaches on the southern side. The north is hilly, but in the south and eastern parts there are wide areas of open land covered with wild flowers. The island was discovered early in the 17th century. The Indians were quiet and friendly, and the new-comers fished for a living, making a lot of money from whaling . With the decline of whaling and sailing ships. Martha's Vineyard was almost forgotten until about 60 years ago when people began to buy the old houses of the whaling captains and the small building of the fishermen near the beaches. Now people go there year after year for their summer holidays. What is Martha's Vineyard famous for? Lighthouses. Children and teenagers who spend lots of time in front of screens---especially TVs---are easier to get more weight as they grow, according to a new study. The findings agree with the research suggesting all that inactive sitting and always watching advertisements may lead to poor eating habits. Researchers used results from a long-term study of children who took part in the surveys every two years. Children were between ages 9 and 16 when the study started. Out of 4,300 girls in the study, 17 percent were overweight or obese . Twenty-four percent of the 3,500 boys were also above a healthy weight. The surveys included questions about their height and weight as well as how much time they spent watching TV and DVDs and playing computer and video games. From one survey to the next, each one-hour increase in children's daily TV watching was in connection with an increase of about 0.1 points on a body mass index (BMI) , which measures weight in connection with height. There's an increase of about half a pound in weight per extra hour of TV. "The weight of the evidence is so strong that television watching is connected with unhealthy changes in weight among youth," says Jennifer Falbe, who led the study while at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. "It's important for parents to know that all the obesity-causing screens really should be limited in their children's lives." Falbe says. "When children watch TV, there are many food advertisements on TV that might lead them to eat a cookie or drink a soft drink." What's more, she says, "they can get into a hibernating state on the sofa, even if children are sitting down while playing a computer game." According to Falbe , what should parents do to stop children getting fat? Limiting the time of children watching TV. It's Really a Miracle Mr. Brown works in New York and he brought his family to China last summer. They visited many places of interest and had a good time here. Before they left for New York, the Browns climbed the Great Wall. It was the greatest project over two thousand years ago. They took a lot of photos there and then they had a picnic under a big tree. Suddenly it began to rain and they hurried to the car. And when they returned to the hotel, they couldn't find the bag in which their expensive camera was. They were all sorry for it. They could buy another camera but had no time to go to the Great Wall again. They could not miss the plane! That evening they didn't have supper. Mr. Brown hoped to make them happy, so he said, "Well, let me tell you a story. An old man lived in a sixty-floor building. One day he fell down from it when he was cleaning the window. But he didn't hurt himself." "It was a miracle!" called out his children, "Why?" "Because he lived on the first floor!" They all began to laugh while two policemen with a bag came in. They said a Chinese boy found it under a big tree and he asked them to find out who lost it. "It's really a miracle!" the Browns said happily. Who found the bag? A Chinese boy. Yesterday my old neighbor knocked on my door angrily. Obviously, my cat, Rocco, had left a turd in his perfect flower beds. Fortunately, I wasn't home when this happened, so he angrily complained to my friend and neighbor Kate about this. She was kind enough to listen to him and to go down into the garden with him to have a look. She even took a picture. When I got home later, Kate had left a message on my answering machine about the incident. Hearing it was about my cat again, my stomach turned. Several weeks before, he'd gotten so upset that he threatened to put rat traps on the ground, hoping that would frighten me into keeping my cat indoors. So, I was a little _ this time. But I couldn't help but laugh when Kate told me the whole story. I understood what gardening meant to him. Since my old neighbor retired ten years ago, he had spent all of his time on his garden. So when I saw him in the garden later on, I went to talk to him. To my surprise, it turned out quite nice. I was really surprised to find that I had the grace not to respond to his bad words. Instead, I engaged him in a conversation on the beautiful flowers he'd planted, the color combinations and the care he took to create such a sense of order. I tried to convey my understanding and appreciation without complimenting or talking down to him. I was really amazed by how that turned out. We hadn't had a conversation like that for over a year! The story happened _ . between neighbors Inside cells, special molecules carry messages from the membrane to the nucleus. Which body system uses a similar process? endocrine system
China has been drinking tea since the time of Shennong, 5,000 years ago. Britain's relationship with tea is much shorter, but tea enjoys the pride as the UK's national drink. According to the UK Tea Council, British people drink an average of three cups a day or a national total of 165 million cups every day. With figures like these, it is no surprise that time spent taking tea affects the working day in Britain. A recent survey found that 24 minutes a day are lost to making, buying and drinking tea and coffee. That is, PS400 a year is lost in working hours per employee, or 190 days over a lifetime. So, should employers be worried about this lost working time, or does the tea break make up in other ways? One argument is that caffeine improves mental state: a drink of tea or coffee can make you active and focus on work. Professor Rogers of the University of Bristol disagrees. After years of studying caffeine he sees nothing can prove that. "Workers would perform equally well if not drinking it at all," he says. "But if they're often drinking it and then go without, they'll feel tired and won't work well." Psychologist Cooper instead emphasizes the role tea breaks play in office life, and in building social relationships. "We need to make people more active and see other people. The tea break is one way of doing this," says Cooper. And Professor Rogers also points out the comfort effect of a hot drink: "We warm our hands on them on a cold day; they're comforting and play a big role in our everyday life. Whatever the caffeine's doing, I'd say these 24 minutes aren't wasted." What is the passage mainly about? A Tea Breaks cannot make people more active at work. B British people drink more tea than people in other countries. C Tea break plays an important role in people's life in Britain. D A lot of time has been wasted drinking tea in the working day. Answer: C. Tea break plays an important role in people's life in Britain. Felix, a little mouse, looked outside through the window of a farmhouse. Still nobody came. Maybe today, he thought hopefully. It was only a few days before Christmas and he was watching for a miracle . This farmhouse had been empty too long. It needed a family. Felix's stomach made a noise. He realized that he had eaten nothing since yesterday. He took a bag from his home, and went next door to Farmer Mike's. Farmer Mike's house had been a great place for Felix until the farmer married a wife who had a cat. Felix felt scared when he thought of it. He looked around _ as he moved quietly into the room and was quite nervous when he filled his bag with rice. He was turning to leave when suddenly he felt something unusual. The cat? Without thinking he started to run and luckily escaped the cat's paws . The next afternoon Felix heard some good news: a new family would move into the farmhouse soon. Felix was happy and hoped that the family would come before Christmas. Before long, a car came up to the house, with sandwiches, cheese and chocolate. Felix's Christmas miracle did arrive! The house came alive the next few days. Felix enjoyed every hour of them. However, the day before Christmas when he was drinking hot chocolate with a big smile, he heard about the gift that the children of the family might get for Christmas. What? A cat? The smile froze on his face; his mouth fell wide open. After a long moment, he at last found his voice: "Hey! Whose Christmas miracle is this?" Which of the following sayings can express the main idea of the story? A Love me, love my dog. B Where there is a will, there is a way. C Life is one trouble after another. D It is better to be poor than to be dishonest. Answer: C. Life is one trouble after another. Why is the ozone content of the stratosphere important to living organisms? A Ozone absorbs infrared radiation from the Sun. B Ozone absorbs ultraviolet radiation from the Sun. C Ozone is necessary to create oxygen for living things. D Ozone in the atmosphere prevents radiation of heat from Earth. Answer: B. Ozone absorbs ultraviolet radiation from the Sun. Lots of kids hate school, a new study found. Usually this kind of feeling doesn't last long. School is a fact of life and getting a good education can help you build the kind of future life you want. So let's talk about school and what to do when you don't like it. The first step is to find out why. You might not like school because you don't have enough friends, or maybe you don't get along with your teachers. Sometimes it's a big problem with your classes and school work. You may be getting further and further behind, and it may seem like you'll never catch up. When you know why you don't like school, you can start taking steps to make things better. It's a good idea to talk to someone about your problems with school. Your mom, dad, or teachers will be able to help you. Another good idea is to write down your feelings about school in a notebook. It's a great way to let out emotion . Remember, you don't have to share what you've written with others. And here are some ways to give you the best first day of school. The night before school starts, you can do something quiet and peaceful to calm yourself down, like reading a book with your parents, taking a walk or taking a photo of your smiling face. By doing these, you will have a nice day at school. The night before the first day of school, what can students do? A Listen to some music and relax. B Finish all of the homework. C Try to make new friends. D Do some exciting sports. Answer: A. Listen to some music and relax. How could I turn down an opportunity for a weeklong cruise on a luxury motorsailer in the Andaman Sea? Without a second thought, I packed my bags and jumped on a plane to Singapore, and the following day I found myself looking out the airplane window at the beautiful waters surrounding the island of Langkawi off the coast of Malaysia. The last time I was in Langkawi was in 2001, when it was relatively quiet. Langkawi has come a long way since then; there are 4, 5, and even 6-star hotels, as well as spas, golfing, horseback riding and even a cable car taking visitors to the highest point on the island. At the Langkawi International Airport I met my shipmates and we were driven to Pantai Tengah with a quick pit stop for sunblock and duty-free goodies. Many other shopping opportunities abound since Langkawi was designated as a duty-free zone in 1987 to entice tourists to the island. A luxurious yacht tender picked us up. Phillipe, the first mate, maneuvered the tender between sailboats and as we went around a small island there she was, S/V Blue Gold. This majestic 10-passenger sailboat--all 165 feet of her--had been built in Italy and recently underwent a full retrofit. Once aboard, the crew welcomed us with refreshments and big smiles. Before we got too comfortable and settled into the plush comforts of the boat, Alain, the captain, took us on a tour of Blue Gold's impressive accommodations. The master suite had a king-size bed, with a lounge area and "his & hers" wardrobes. The VIP cabin had a queen-size bed, also with a lounge area. Both had ensuite bathrooms. The first evening aboard was the perfect start to our voyage--a small cocktail party followed by a light meal of seared tuna salad. It was exactly what our jet-lagged bodies craved, and we all slept very well aboard what would become our new home for the next 7 days. In the morning after breakfast, we sailed to Pulau Ta Ngah (also spelled "Pulau Tengah"; pulau means island in Malay). In the 1970s the site had been a Vietnamese refugee transit camp. Not long after the end of the war, the camp was shut down and the island was gazetted as a marine park by the Malaysian government. Officially "uninhabited," it does boast a golf course, but we were unable to determine if it was still in operation. The most intriguing event on the island occurs in July when the giant leatherback turtles lay their eggs on a beach on Ta Ngah. The article is probably part of _ . A a news report B a travel story C an advertisement D an operating manual Answer: B. a travel story
Now I would 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 or three pens in case they run out of ink. Unlike the midterm exam, this test will not include multiple-choice questions, it will contain entirely of essays . You will have to answer three of the five essay questions. The exam will be comprehensive , which means you will have to go over all of the subject matters we learnt in class this term. I would suggest you review your midterm exam as well as textbooks and your class notes. The research project will count as 20% and the midterm exam 30%. I will be in my office almost all day next Tuesday. If you run into any problems, please drop in. Good luck to you and I will see you on Tuesday. When was this talk most likely given? Answer: On the last day of class. Harvard student Julie Zauzmer turned 20 on January 22, and her birthday couldn't have been better: She got to working the overnight shift at the Harvard Square Homeless Shelter. That might seem an extraordinary act of selflessness for someone turning 20. But there's increasing evidence that commitment to community service is becoming much more ordinary to today's young adults. "Young adults are doing more volunteer service than in any point in history,'' said Scott Seider, an assistant professor of education at Boston University who studies the civic development of young adults. At Harvard, the Winthrop Street Homeless Shelter is one of 86 social service programs associated with the Phillips Brooks House Association, which is a student-run nonprofit organization. Students can work with deaf children, bring pets to nursing homes, and prepare Chinese students to become US citizens, and so on. Volunteerism develops well outside of colleges, too. Applications to AmeriCorps have risen to a very high level, jumping from 91,399 in 2008 to 258,829 in 2010. City Year, which puts young people in high-poverty schools as tutors and mentors for at-risk students, has had a 140 percent increase in applications since its 2007-2008 service year. Citizen Schools, which uses volunteers to work with students in middle schools, has had a 28 percent jump in applicants between 2008 and 2009. "Most of my friends know it's their duty to give back before they settle down,'' said Samantha Wolf, a 23-year-old Boston University graduate serving with City Year in a Mattapan school. City Year corps member Antonio Gutierrez, 22, graduated last year from Union College in Schenectady, N.Y., and is applying for admission to law schools, but this year he is tutoring and mentoring students at the Blackstone Elementary School in the South End. "I grew up in similar circumstances,'' said Gutierrez, who said he was a weak student until enrichment programs changed his academic trajectory . Raised by a single mother in low-income housing across the street from City Year's South End Headquarters, he used to watch the red-jacketed corps members come and go, and decided to become one someday. What would be the best title for the text? Answer: College students learn to give back It is men's nature to live together in families and tribes , and cities and nations, and therefore men have learned to prize those qualities in each other which make social life the happiest and best. Of these qualities one of the most important is sympathy-fellow-feeling. If a man had no fellow-feeling, we should call him "inhuman"; he would be no true man. We think so much of this quality that we call a kind man "human"-that is, man-like in his conduct, first to other men, and afterwards to all living things. If you are cruel to animals, you are not likely to be kind or thoughtfull to men; and if you are thoughtful towards men, you are not likely to be cruel and thoughtful towards animals. This is why the wise man of old wrote, "The merciful man is merciful to his beast." What a pleasure it is also to be loved by our pets or domestic animals; and to feel that we are caring for them and are deserving of their love; or to watch the ways of wild creatures, and gradually to make friends with them! Treating animals kindly does not mean that we must never inflict any pain on them. We ourselves are trained by pains as well as by pleasures; so too, punishment is sometimes needed to train our dogs and horses to obey us. We endure pains at the hands of the surgeon, to cure some wound or to heal some disease; so too, animals must submit to being doctored. We send out our bravest men to face wounds, sickness and death, for the good of the nation; so too, we let our horses share the risk of battle. For similar reasons, we cannot hesitate to destroy dangerous creatures like wolves and show senseless ferocity . It is no excuse to say that these animals deserve to be treated cruelly on account of their own cruelty. They are not really cruel, for they tear and kill not from love of unkindness, but because they must do so in order to live. What do you think is the title of the passage? Answer: Kindness to animals. Over the years I've been teaching my grandchildren about a simple but powerful concept--the ant philosophy. I think everybody should study ants. They have an amazing four-part philosophy, and here is the first part: Ants never quit. If they're headed somewhere and you try to stop them, they'll look for another way. They'll climb over, or around. They keep looking for another way to get where they're supposed to go. What a great philosophy. Second, ants think summer all winter. That's an important perspective. You can't be so childish as to think summer will last forever. So ants are gathering their winter food in the middle of summer. The third part of the ant philosophy is that ants think winter all summer. That is so significant. During the winter ants remind themselves, "This won't last long; we'll soon be out of here." And on the first warm day, the ants are out. If it turns cold again, they'll dive back down, but then they come out on the first warm day. They can't wait to get out. And here's the last part of the ant philosophy. How much will an ant gather during the summer to prepare for the winter? All he possibly can. What an incredible philosophy, the "all-you-possibly-can" philosophy. Wow, what a great lecture to attend--the ant seminar! Which of the following might be the best title for the text? Answer: The Ant Philosophy It is a bright morning in the Ethiopian countryside. Yohannes walks beside a pair of donkeys that are pulling a two-wheeled cart. They arrive at the agricultural town of Awassa where Yohannes opens the sides of the cart to display, not the usual vegetables or tools, but children's books. This is the Donkey Mobile Library, the first of its kind in Ethiopia and one of only a few in the world. Yohannes was born in Ethiopia, North Africa, but trained to be a librarian in the USA and returned to Ethiopia years ago. The cart is full of picture books donated by American libraries, teachers and school children. Yohannes arranges small painted benches in the shade of the trees, and suddenly Ethiopian children come shouting and racing down every road and path. It's mobile library day! They circle the bookshelves with great excitement. Until the Donkey Mobile Library began its regular two-monthly visits, many of these children had never seen a book. "Without books, education is very dull, like food without salt. You can survive but you can't really come alive," says Yohannes. "The ability to read is the basis for greater productivity, better health and longer life. Even though the children lack material goods, with books they can imagine a world of possibilities." Yohannes first worked in the children's section of the main library in America. Surrounded by books he had never seen before, he realized how joyful and imaginative children's literature is. He says, "I always thought of Ethiopia. But how could I bring children's books to my home country when it had almost no libraries to keep the books in?" He contacted Jane Kurtz, a writer born in America but brought up in Ethiopia, and together they created the Donkey Mobile Library. The children say that the Library has given them ideas about what they might do in the future. A child called Dareje wants to be a scientist and find a cure for life-threatening diseases. An eleven year-old girl, Fikerte, wants to do research about the moon and discover new facts about outer space. Tamrat, aged 10, comes every time. "What brings you back here time and time again?" the librarian asks him. "The stories," Tamrat replies instantly. We can conclude from the passage that _ . Answer: donkey carts in Awassa usually carry vegetables and tools
2008 will be remembered by us Chinese people as a year of sadness and happiness. May of the year sadly saw the Great Sichuan Earthquake, the worst earthquake in China over 30 years. It killed around 70,000 people. Tens of thousands were injured or went missing. However, to our delight, China also hosted its first Olympic games that summer in Beijing. It was a very successful games with a great opening ceremony. 43 new world records and 132 new Olympic records were made. And China came out first with 51 gold medals. About 70,000 people _ in the earthquake. A. were killed B. were injured C. went missing D. went hungry Answer: A. were killed Australia's koalas could die out within 30 years unless immediate action is taken to stop the losing in population, according to researchers. They say development, climate change and bushfires have all combined to reduce the number of wild koalas sharply. The Australian Koala Foundation said a recent survey showed the population could have dropped by more than half in the past six years. The number of koalas was once estimated to be more than 100,000, but now is as few as 43,000. The foundation collected field data from 1,800 sites and 80,000 trees to calculate the numbers. In one area in northern Queensland estimated to have 20,000 koalas a decade ago, a team of eight people could not find a single animal in four days of searching. The foundation said besides problems caused by cutting down forests, hotter and drier conditions because of global warming had reduced the nutritional value of their main food, eucalyptus leaves, leading to poor nutrition for them. Koalas, which live in the forests in Australia's east and south, are very picky about what types of the leaves they eat. Foundation chief Deborah Tabart said: "The koalas are missing everywhere we look. It's really no tree, no me. If you keep cutting down trees you don't have any koalas."She is hoping the new figures will persuade the government's Threatened Species Steering Committee (TSSC) to list the koala as threatened. But committee chairman Bob Beeton said a decision was not likely recently and the koala's status as one of the country's favorite animals would not be a factor. "There's a number of species which are attractive and people have special feelings towards them. We don't consider that," Mr Beeton said. Global warming is an important cause of koalas' reduction because _ . A. koalas can hardly stand the hot weather B. the leaves koalas eat are losing nutritional value C. koalas cannot get enough water to drink D. the leaves koalas eat cannot grow in hotter and drier weather Answer: B. the leaves koalas eat are losing nutritional value Perfect Presents David is going to American to stay with his penfriend, Chris.David wants to take some presents with him. Chris lives in New York with his parents and his two sisters.We both love sports, especially (,)football and basketball. My mum thinks it is a good idea to take presents for all the family.So here I am on a shopping trip with my mum. I know what I want for Chris.I am buying him a football shirt.He is a big Chelsea fan .It's expensive but it's the perfect present.Mum has good ideas about what to buy for Chris's parents.She suggests some typical English foods like tea and marmalade .We find a great shop.It has just what we want.Mum also buys them a photo of London. That just leaves Chris's sisters.We go to a toy shop and I see some beautiful teddy bears.They are all in different colours and say "Greetings from London." They are perfect.Now I'm ready for my holiday. There are _ people in Chris's family? A. three B. four C. five D. six Answer: C. five Little James likes sports, so he is tall and strong in his middle school. He likes playing soccer very much, he thinks it's interesting. His grandma lives in a village . One day, she comes to school and sees him. Grandma doesn't find the boy in the classroom, so she goes to look for him in the school. She finds James and some boys play with only one ball. Grandma says to him:"Don't play with them, I can buy a ball for you." James' grandma finds him _ . A. in the school B. in the village C. at home D. in the classroom Answer: A. in the school "I stepped out and was _ ," local journalist Bahram Baloch told the BBC. "I could see this gray, dome-shaped body in the distance, like a giant whale swimming near the surface. Hundreds of people had gathered to watch it in disbelief." This island has become a global curiosity. How was it formed in just a few minutes? As you might already know, many islands in the sea are formed by volcanoes. There are numerous volcanoes under the sea. As the hot lava erupts and cools down, it piles up and forms the shape of a mountain. When the mountain "grows" to higher than the sea level, the part that's above the water is what we call an "island". This is how the island was formed after the Pakistan earthquake, except that instead of a regular volcano, it was a "mud volcano" that brought about this island. Lava is not the only thing that's locked under the Earth's crust -- there is also gas. When an earthquake happens and breaks part of the crust, the gas is released at an extremely high speed, pushing mud up to the surface, according to National Geographic. But only earthquakes that are extremely powerful can cause mud volcanoes to push up enough mud to produce islands -- and this 7.7-magnitude earthquake in Pakistan was strong enough. The island is about 20 meters high, up to about 90 meters wide and 30 meters long, nearly the size of a soccer field. In fact, mud volcano islands aren't new. This is the fourth island of this kind in the region since 1945. But those islands usually didn't last long. "It will probably be gone within a couple of months," said Bill Barnhart, a researcher with the US Geological Survey. After all, "it's just a big pile of mud that was on the seafloor that got pushed up". What is the article mainly about? A. The disastrous effects of coastal earthquakes. B. The difference between mud volcanoes and regular volcanoes. C. How islands are formed by mud volcanoes. D. The great natural wonders of Pakistan. Answer: C. How islands are formed by mud volcanoes.
Pacing and Pausing Sara tried to befriend her old friend Steve's new wife, but Betty never seemed to have anything to say. While Sara felt Betty didn't hold up her end of the conversation, Betty complained to Steve that Sara never gave her a chance to talk. The problem had to do with expectations about pacing and pausing. Conversation is a turn-taking game. When our habits are similar, there's no problem. But if our habits are different, you may start to talk before I'm finished or fail to take your turn when I'm finished. That's what was happening with Betty and Sara. It may not be coincidental that Betty, who expected relatively longer pauses between turns, is British, and Sara, who expected relatively shorter pauses, is American. Betty often felt interrupted by Sara. But Betty herself became an interrupter and found herself doing most of the talking when she met a visitor from Finland. And Sara had a hard time cutting in on some speakers from Latin America or Israel. The general phenomenon, then, is that the small conversation techniques, like pacing and pausing, lead people to draw conclusions not about conversational style but about personality and abilities. These habitual differences are often the basis for dangerous stereotyping . And these social phenomena can have very personal consequences. For example, a woman from the southwestern part of the US went to live in an eastern city to take up a job in personnel. When the Personnel Department got together for meetings, she kept searching for the right time to break in -- and never found it. Although back home she was considered outgoing and confident, in Washington she was viewed as shy and retiring. When she was evaluated at the end of the year, she was told to take a training course because of her inability to speak up. That's why slight differences in conversational style -- tiny little things like microseconds of pause -- can have a great effect on one's life. The result in this cause was a judgment of psychological problems -- even in the mind of the woman herself, who really wondered what was wrong with her and registered for _ training. According to the passage, who are likely to expect the shortest pauses between turns? Answer: Israelis. Every four years athletes from the world take part in the Olympic Games. Both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games are held every four years. The Winter Olympic Games are usually held two years before the Summer Olympic Games. The ancient Olympic Games began around the year 776 BC in Greece. Many of the sports were the same as they are now. Some of the games in which the young men competed were: running, jumping, and wrestling. Women were not allowed to take part in the games. After about the year 393 AD the Olympic Games stopped. For centuries there were no Olympic Games. But they were not forgotten. The first Olympic Games in modern times happened in 1896. They were held in Greece--the country in which the Games were born. in the Games there were 311 competitors from 13 countries. After that more and more countries joined in the Games. In 2000, over 10,000 athletes from 227 countries went to Sydney; Australia, for the 27th Olympic Games! There are 300 different events in the Games. Horse riding, hammer throw and shooting are some of the more unusual events. According to the passage, which Olympic Games will be held in 2012. Answer: 30th Have you ever wondered? 1. Why do airplanes take longer to fly west than east? It can take five hours to go west-east from New York (NY) to London but seven hours to travel east-west from London to NY. The reason for the difference is an atmospheric phenomenon known as the jet stream. The jet stream is a very high altitude wind which always blows from the west to the east across the Atlantic. The planes moving at a constant air speed thus go faster in the west-east direction when they are moving with the wind than in the opposite direction. 2. What would happen if the gravity on Earth was suddenly turned off? Supposing we could magically turn off gravity. Would buildings and other structures float away? What happened would depend on how strongly the things were attached to the Earth. The Earth is moving at quite a speed, moving at over a thousand miles per hour. If you turn something around your head on a string , it goes around in a circle until you let go of the string. Then it flies off in a straight line. 'Switching off' gravity would be like letting go of the string. Things not attached to the Earth would fly off in a straight line. People in buildings would suddenly _ upwards at a great speed until they hit the ceiling. Most things outside would fly off into space. It can be inferred that without gravity _ . Answer: trees and buildings would not so easily fly off Mona Lisa, the mysterious woman in Leonardo da Vinci's 16th century masterpiece, had just given birth to her second son when she sat for the painting, a French art expert said on Tuesday. The discovery was made by a team of Canadian scientists who used special infrared and three-dimensional technology to study the paint layers on the work, which now sits in the Louvre museum in Paris. Bruno Mottin of the French Museums' Center for Research and Restoration said that on very close examination of the painting it became clear that the Mona Lisa's dress was covered in a thin transparent gauze veil. "This type of gauze dress was typical of the kind worn in early 16th century Italy by women who were pregnant or who had just given birth. This is something that had never been seen up to now because the painting was always judged to be dark and difficult to examine," he told a news conference. "We can now say that this painting by Leonardo da Vinci was painted in memory of the birth of the second son of Mona Lisa, which helps us to date it more precisely to around 1503."The young woman with the ambiguous half smile has been identified as Lisa Gherardini, wife of Florentine merchant Francesco de Giocondo. She had five children. "People always wrote that Mona Lisa had allowed her hair to hang freely over her shoulders. This greatly surprised historians because letting your hair hang freely during the Renaissance was typical of young girls and women of poor virtue ," he said. The team had hoped to discover more details about Leonardo's painting techniques, which the artist used to create a hazy effect. But scientist John Taylor said the team had been disappointed by the lack of brush stroke detail on the painting. What is probably the best title for the test? Answer: Mona Lisa was a New Mother There is a place where Christmas lives all year long. It is called Bronner's Christmas Wonderland in Frankenmuth, Michigan. The family-owned business calls itself the world's largest Christmas store. The late Wally Bronner started the business in 1945. Wayne Bronner, Wally's son, is president and CEO of what is now a multi-million dollar corporation. He learned the business from an early age. Some of his best memories are traveling to other countries with his father to find new products for the store. Bronner's sells more than 50,000 holiday products from 70 nations. Half of the products cost less than ten dollars. Wayne Bronner says the demand for small objects to hang on Christmas trees has expanded over the years. People spend more time, effort and money into decorating their homes with these ornaments, lights and religious scenes. Bronner's is famous for its nativity scenes which show the birth of Jesus Christ. Michigan has the nation's highest unemployment rate. Bronner's has been affected by the recession, too. But not in reduced sales. Wayne Bronner said: "Even though people are spending less, we're having more people visit here. And as a result we've actually had a sales increase." Bronner's success is also linked to community cooperation and investment. Frankenmuth is a town of 5,000 people in eastern Michigan's farm country. The town was settled by Bavarian Germans in the 1800s. It has kept its traditions alive in buildings and restaurants. Bavarian cultural themes and Bronner's huge store bring 3,000,000 visitors a year. The town is the most popular place for tourists in the state. Bronner's business is aimed at a single day of the year. But that is not too different from other businesses. "About half of our business is done in the last quarter of the year, in the last three months. And actually when you compare that with most retailers, that follows the same pattern." Wayne Bronner says the family's long-term planning and willingness to reinvest profits has developed the company into what it is today. Still, it does not hurt to build a business on a holiday which is celebrated worldwide. Currently, about only two percent of sales are overseas. But Wayne Bronner sees room for growth, especially through the Internet. Bronner's Christmas Wonderland is probably _ . Answer: a private business
Question: Mark Twain left school when he was twelve. He had little school education but had to live. He made millions of dollars by writing whose real name was Samuel Langhorne Clemens, but he is better known all over the world as Mark Twain, his penname. Mark Twain was born in 1835 and he was not a healthy baby. In fact, he was not expected to live through the first winter. But with his mother's tender care, he managed to survive. As a boy, he caused much trouble for his parents. After his father's death in 1847, Mark Twain began to work for a printer, who only provided him with food and clothing. Then, he worked as a printer, a river-boat pilot and later joined the army. But shortly after that he became a miner. During this period, he started to write short stories. Afterwards he became a full-time writer. In 1870, Mark Twain got married. In the years that followed he wrote many books including Tom Sawyer in 1876, and Huckleberry Finn in 1884, which made him famous, and brought him a great fortune. Unfortunately, Mark Twain got into debts in bad investments and he had to write large numbers of stories to pay these debts. In 1904, his wife died and then three of their children passed away. At the age of 70, his hair was completely white. He bought many white suits and neckties. He wore nothing but white from head to foot until his death on April 21, 1910.(260 words) Which of the following would be the best title? A. Mark Twain's life B. Mark Twain's works C. Mark Twain's death D. Mark Twain's success Answer: A Question: There was once a spider that lived in a cornfield . She liked this home and planned to stay there for the rest of her life. One day, the spider caught a little bug in her web. Just as the spider was about to eat him, the bug said: "If you let me go, I will tell you something important that can save your life." The spider thought for a little while and listened. "You'd better get out of this cornfield," the little bug said. "The harvest is coming!" "I think you are just telling me a story," the spider said with a smile. "Oh no, it is true," the little bug said. "All the stalks will be knocked down, and the corn will be gathered up. You will be killed by the giant machines if you stay here." "I don't believe you," the spider said as she ate the little bug for lunch. A few days later, the spider was laughing about the story the little bug had told her. She thought to herself: "A harvest! What a silly idea. I have lived here all of my life, and nothing has ever disturbed me." The next day was a beautiful sunny day. The sky above was clear, and there was no wind at all. That afternoon, as the spider was about to take a nap , she noticed some thick dusty clouds moving towards her. She could hear the noise of a great engine , and she said to herself: "I wonder what that could be?" The spider didn't believe the little bug because _ . A. she had got other news B. she thought the little bug was her enemy C. the little bug told a lie D. nothing had happened before Answer: D Question: Milan, the second largest city of Italy, has won an undesirable world record. Of the 54 big cities studied by the World Health Organization and the United Nations, Milan is considered to have the worst air pollution. According to these two10-year studies, the level of air pollution in Milan is twice as high as the levels in Paris and Beijing and three times those in Tokyo and London, and four times that in New York. The reason for Milan's bad pollution, to some experts, is that the city lies in a valley that holds back the poisonous gases. Though Milan has taken some measures to lower the level of pollution, the situation is still worrying. People joke to each other, "If you are traveling to Milan, be sure to bring your gas mask." In order to reduce the use of private cars, in 1979, the government in Milan began an interesting experiment: passengers in the city buses did not have to pay for their tickets. Which of the following statements is NOT mentioned in the text? A. Milan's air is considered to be worst polluted in Europe. B. Experts think that the air in Milan is badly polluted. C. The reason for the air pollution in Milan. D. Measures have been taken by Milan to reduce the air pollution. Answer: A Question: On April 14th at 7:49 am, the town of Jyekundo in Kham, was struck by a 6.9 magnitude earthquake. My family and I were in our 3rd floor apartment building when the earthquake hit. There was a smaller earthquake (around 4.7) that happened around 4 am and neither my wife nor I could get back to sleep. When the big earthquake hit, my wife was using her computer while our younger son Norbu (18 months old) was playing in the living room. Tsering, our older son who is 3 years old, was still asleep in the back bedroom of the 3 bedroom apartment we were living in. Norbu flew across the room when the earthquake hit. My wife was also thrown to the ground. Everything in our apartment began to be tossed around, breaking when it hit the walls or floor. I ran to the back bedroom and grabbed Tsering as my wife grabbed Norbu off the floor. Together, we ran to the door. I stopped long enough to grab my shoes, coat and a bit of money. I opened the door and one of our neighbors helped us carry Tsering down to the ground floor. I was the only one of my family who managed to get shoes. After the earthquake, we were able to see that this was a major earthquake. We began to hear people crying for help, badly injured people crawling to the road and people weeping for loved ones who had died. What was Tsering doing when the big earthquake hit? A. He was using the computer. B. He was playing in the living room. C. He was sleeping in the back bedroom. D. He was crying for help. Answer: C Question: One hot night last August, I tried everything I could think of -- toys, songs etc. to make him fall into sleep, but he just couldn't do it. Since I believed that a long night was waiting for me ahead, I had no choice but to bring a TV into his room to kill off the hours until dawn. I was surprised that the moment I turned on the TV the baby became quiet right away and fixed his little eyes brightly on the screen. Not willing to waste an opportunity for sleep, I then tiptoed out of the room, leaving him to watch the boring TV programs. I heard no more of the baby's crying that night and the next morning when I went into his room, I found him still watching TV by himself. I found there was a metaphor in my baby's behavior for the new generation. When I gave my boy some books to go over, he only spit upon them; when I read to him, he did not feel comfortable. And so it is in the schools with my students. I find that our students don't read and they look down upon reading and make light of those of us who teach it. All they want to do is watch TV. After this experience with the baby, however, I have drawn a conclusion: "Let them watch it!" If television is that much more attractive to children than books, why should we fight against it? Let them watch what they want! The baby seemed to be _ at the sight of the TV set. A. excited B. surprised C. bored D. pleased Answer: A
Neighbors play an important role in our lives. Their lifestyle, friends, and social habits can have a strong influence on our lives. So it's a good idea to get along well with neighbors and build a better relationship that will last for many years to come. But how should you get along with your neighbors? When you hear of a special need you can meet, do it, such as sitting with a sick child while your neighbor goes to work or taking an elderly parent to a doctor's appointment when their car won't start. If you hear that someone close by is ill, has an accident, or is out of work, give him or her a hot meal or a fresh dessert. Your kindness will add a special feeling during a difficult time. If your neighbor is cutting down a tree or building a doghouse, offer helping hands to him or her. There is no better way to build relationships. Besides, you never know when the favor might be returned. Exchange holiday cards, gifts or traditions. Invite your neighbors over for a cup of coffee or lunch. A backyard barbecue can be a great way to share food and fun. If they've watched your kids grow up or been concerned about your family events, they may want to share these special events. Plan a party. Invite all your neighbors to your party. Planning and carrying out the activity helps everyone to know and understand each other. Your neighbors are like your family in many ways since you have to live with them, or near them for a long time. Appreciate their strong points and ignore weak points, and everyone will get along well. What does the passage mainly talk about? A. Tips on how to form a healthy lifestyle. B. The best way to form good habits. C. The importance of being helpful. D. Tips on how to get along with your neighbors. Answer: D I dropped out of Reed College after the first 6 months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another l8 months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out? It started before I was born. My biological mother was a young, unmarried college graduate student, and she decided to, put me up for adoption. She felt very strongly that I should be adopted by college graduates, so everything was all set for me to be adopted at birth by a lawyer and his wife. Except that when I popped out they decided at the last minute that they really wanted a girl. So my parents, who were on a waiting list, got a call in the middle of the night asking: "We have an unexpected baby boy; do you want him?" They said: "Of course. " My biological mother later found out that my mother had never graduated from college and that my father had never graduated from high school. She refused to sign the final adoption papers, She only gave in a few months later when my parents promised that would someday go to college. And 17 years later I did go to college. But I artlessly chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and ail of my working class parents' savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I couldn't see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was spending all of the money my parents had saved their entire life. So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn't interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked interesting. It wasn't all romantic. I didn't have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends' rooms, I returned coke bottles for the $ 5 deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the 7 miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on. Why did the author think dropping out was a good decision? A. He could transfer to Stanford. B. He could follow his passion. C. He didn't have to attend classes any more. D. He could spend more time in Hare Krishna temple. Answer: B One of China's most popular folk arts is paper cutting . Archaeological finds trace the tradition back to the 6thcentury; it is supposed that the beginnings of paper cutting were even a few centuries earlier. Paper cuttings are used for religious purposes, for decoration and as patterns . Today, paper cuttings are mainly used as decoration. They _ walls, windows, doors, columns mirrors, lamps and lanterns in homes. They are also used for decoration on presents, and are given as presents themselves. They are of special importance at festivals. At the Spring Festival for example, entrances are decorated with paper cuttings which are supposed to bring good luck. Paper cuttings are not produced by machine, but by hand. There are two kinds of paper cuttings; scissor cuttings and knife cuttings. Scissor cuttings are fashioned with scissors. Several pieces of paper--- up to eight pieces---are fastened together. The motif is then cut with sharp, pointed scissors. Knife cuttings are fashioned by putting several layers of paper on a relatively soft foundation consisting of a mixture of tallow and ashes. Following a pattern, the artist cuts the motif into the paper with a sharp knife which he usually holds vertically . The advantage of knife cuttings is that considerably more paper cuttings can be made in one operation than scissor cuttings. In the countryside, paper cuttings are usually made only by women and girls. This used to be one of the skills that every girl was to master and that were often used to judge brides . Professional paper cutting artists are, on the other hand, almost always men who have guaranteed incomes and work together in workshops. Paper cuttings can be used for _ . A. decoration B. decoration on presents C. presents D. all of the above Answer: D "Eat your breakfast. It's the most important meal of the day!" Why are parents always saying that? Well, a person is like a car. After a long night of sleeping, there is no fuel in your fuel tank . Breakfast is like the fuel. It makes you work or walk on the road. What should you eat? Any breakfast is better than no breakfast, but try not to have hamburgers or dessert all the time. They don't have the necessary nutrients . And if you have a hamburger for breakfast, you won't feel full for long. Try to eat all kinds of foods like grains, fruit, vegetables and drink some milk. Oh, try to eat more apples because an apple a day can help to keep the doctor away. This passage tells us that parents always say _ A. sleeping is very important B. breakfast is the most important meal of the day C. getting well with our friends is very important D. exercise can help us study better Answer: B My name is Jane. I am from Shanghai, China. I want to have a pen pal in London. London is a big city. I am thirteen years old and my birthday is February 22nd. I like to listen to music and read books after school. My favourite subject in school is art. It's fun and interesting. I don't like math. It's too _ . How old is she? A. 13 B. 12 C. 22 D. 14 Answer: A
As a music teacher for twenty-seven years, I have always known that music touches the soul. It can break through all kinds of barriers to reach students in a very special way. It can be the means for each child to find their light. A few years ago, I was blessed with the opportunity to teach pre-school students one afternoon a week. One of my most memorable students was Vanessa. She was five years old, had difficulty walking, and could not speak. We mostly sat on the floor for our music lessons and Vanessa liked to sit on my lap. One of her favorite songs was John the Rabbit. It was a call and response song where I sang the call and the students clapped two times while singing the repeating phrase, "Oh, yes!" Vanessa liked to put her hands together with mine and clap with me. We performed that song during every class, Vanessa and I clapping together. She never said or sang a word. One day late in the school year, when the song was finished, Vanessa turned around, looked me in the eye, clapped her tiny hands two times and said the words "Oh, yes!" I opened my mouth and could not speak. Through music, we had made a connection. Several years later, I came across Vanessa on the street in town. I stopped my car and waved to say hello. She waved back with a big smile on her face and then clapped her hands two times, mimicking the song we had performed in our music class. This precious little girl, through her connection with music, left an impression on me that will last forever. Every child has the ability to learn and grow. It is up to us educators to discover the way to reach each and every one of our students. We all must find each child's light. When Vanessa spoke the words "Oh, yes!", the author felt _ . A Surprised B Happy C Frightened D Satisfied Answer: A In saltwater, a squid's method of locomotion results in water being A pushed in front of it B sung about by Jethro Tull C displaced in the Great Lakes D displaced directly behind it Answer: D One hot night last July, when our new baby wouldn't or couldn't sleep, I tried everything I could think of : a warm bottle, songs gentle rocking. Nothing would settle him down. Guessing that I would have a long night ahead of me, I brought a portable TV into his room, figuring that watching the late movie was as good a way as any to kill off the hours till dawn. To my surprise, as soon as the TV lit up, the baby quieted right now, his little eyes focused brightly on the tube. Not to waste an opportunity for sleep, I then walked out of the room, leaving him to watch the actors celebrate John Bellushi's forty-fifth birthday. My wife and I heard no more of the baby that night, and the next morning when I went into his room, I found him still watching TV himself. I found in my baby's a metaphor for the new generation. My wife and I had given him some books to examine, but he merely spit upon them. When we read to him, he did not feel comfortable. And so it is in the schools. We find that our students don't read , that they look down upon reading and scold those of us who teach it. All they want to do is watching TV. After this experience with the baby, however, I have reached a conclusion: "Let them watch it!" If television is that much more attractive to children than books, why should we fight it? Let them watch it all they want! To the couple's surprise the boy _ after they brought a TV set into his room. A soon fell asleep B cried all that night C became quiet and silent D slept quite well that night Answer: C One day while shopping in a small town in southern California, it was my misfortune to be approached by a clerk whose personality conflicted with mine. He seemed most unfriendly and not at all concerned about my intended purchase. I bought nothing, and marched angrily out of the store. My _ toward that clerk increased with each step. On the outside, standing by the road, was a dark-skinned young man in his early twenties. His expressive brown eyes met and held mine, and in the next instant a beautiful, dazzling smile covered his face. I gave way immediately. The magnetic power of that smile dissolved all bitterness within me, and I found the muscles in my own face happily responding. "Beautiful day, isn't it?" I remarked in passing. Then, I turned back. "I really owe you a debt of gratitude," I said softly. His smile deepened, but he made no attempt to answer. A Mexican woman and two men were standing nearby. The woman stepped forward and eyed me inquiringly. "Sir, but he doesn't speak English," she volunteered. "You want I should tell him something?" At that moment I felt transformed. The young man's smile had made a big person of me. "Yes," my reply was enthusiastic and sincere, "tell him I said 'Thank you!' " "Thank you?" The woman seeded slightly puzzled. I gave her arm a friendly pat as I turned to leave. "Just tell him that," I insisted. "He will understand; I am sure!" Oh, what a smile can do! Although I have never seen that young man, I shall never forget the lesson he taught me that morning. From that day on, I became smile-conscious, and I practice the art diligently, anywhere and everywhere, with everybody. The passage tell us that we should _ . A help people in trouble B smile at others C practice smiling every day D be generous to strangers Answer: B Lots of people get money from ATMs. If you don't know how to use an ATM, read the instructions carefully. Put your card into the machine. Look at the screen. Input your _ into the machine. Input how much money you want on the screen of the machine. Then press "OK". Get the money from the machine. If you want, you can also get a receipt . Take back your card. Remember these rules: Don't write your password on your card. Don't let other people see your password. If you lose your card, tell the bank at once. After reading the passage, we can know _ . A how to make money B how to own the bank card C how to use an ATM D when to use an ATM. Answer: C
The Chinese Antarctica expedition returned to Shanghai on March 20 following a month living on the ice. It was the first time Chinese scientists had visited the Amery Ice Shelf--the longest ice shelf in the world. The team collected ice samples and data on temperatures, which are necessary for research on global warming. So far, about 27 countries have visited Antarctica for scientific research. Although the living conditions are very hard, many scientists have to stay there for long periods of time. So, how do they manage their lives on the ice? Well, during the summer, the temperature in Antarctica reaches about-20degC. It falls to about-60degCin winter. So, even if there are 24 hours of sunshine, scientists must keep wearing all the correct clothes to protect them from the cold. These clothes include jeans, running shoes, jackets, long underwears, boots and woolen socks. Although highly technical clothing provides much protection against the extreme cold, scientists often need to go outside when there is an icy wind blowing and the temperature is-30degC. Natural protection such as facial hair can also help. "That's why many researchers wear a beard. It really does keep you warm,"says German explorer Arved Fuchs. Usually, the polar researchers have good meals. Some even have feasts on holidays like Christmas and New Year's Day. Vegetables are always welcome and usually finished the quickest. Life on the ice means living with other researchers in tight living space. Most people sleep in dorm style rooms. More remote field camps use separate tents. So, at least some researchers don't have to _ annoying snorers . But what do they do for fun in their spare time? There are actually a lot of things they can do. They watch movies, read tons of books, listen to music, have saunas ,paint and ski. Some female researchers might even do some knitting. It is important for a polar researcher to be in good physical condition. They can be required to climb to heights of more than 3, 000 meters. And the Antarctic atmosphere has less oxygen than that of any other continent. The best title of the passage is _ . Answer: In today's world, so many people like traveling around the world. Traveling abroad can be expensive, but there are some ways of visiting Britain cheaply. So we hope we can give you some good ideas. If you don't go there in the busy months--July and August, your visit may be cheaper. There will be fewer visitors. The weather in Britain can be pleasant from April to the end of September. Of course you can go there in winter, but it is often dark by 4 pm. Many places, such as large houses and castles are closed in winter. However, if you are interested in museums, art galleries or theaters, winter may be the good time to visit. If you are a student, it is a good idea to apply for an International Student Identify Card. With the card, you can save a lot of money. You can get the card from your local student travel office, and you can also call (44)08708 413224 to get it. To get the card, you need to show that you are a student, get a passport photo, and pay for a little money. If you want to visit _ , it is not the good time to visit Britain in winter. Answer: Last night's meteor shower left many people in the community dissatisfied and demanding answers. According to Gabe Rothschild, Emerald Valley's mayor, people gathered in the suburbs of the city, carrying heavy telescopes, expecting to watch the brightly burning meteors passing through the sky. What they found instead was a sky so brightened by the city's lights that it darkened the light of the meteors passing overhead. "My family was so frustrated," admitted town resident Duane Cosby, "We wanted to make this an unforgettable family outing, but it turned out to be a huge disappointment." Astronomers--scientists who study stars and planets--have been complaining about this problem for decades. They say that light pollution prevents them from seeing objects in the sky that they could see quite easily in the past. They call on people and the government to take measures to fight against it. There is yet a population besides professional and amateur star observers that suffers even more from light pollution. This population consists of birds, bats, frogs, snakes, etc. For example, outdoor lighting severely affects migrating birds. According to the International Dark-Sky Association, "100 million birds a year throughout North America die in crashes with lighted buildings and towers." Countless more animal casualties result from the use of artificial lighting. Clearly, people enjoy the benefits of lighting their evenings. But some scientists think it can be harmful for humans, too. They worry that exposure to light while sleeping can increase a person's chances of getting cancer. Emerald Valley is only one community that is becoming aware of the negative effects of light pollution. For years, Flagstaff, Arizona, has enforced lighting regulations in its city in order to assist astronomers at the Lowell Observatory. Similar efforts have been made worldwide, and a movement is underway to remind us to turn off lights when we are not using them, so that other creatures can share the night. What do the astronomers complain about? Answer: Scientists say they now have proof to support the old-fashioned advice that it's best to sleep on a problem. They say sleep strengthens the memory and helps the brain organize the masses of information we receive each day. Lead researcher Bob Stickgold at the Harvard Medical School said, "Sleep helps us draw rules from our experiences. It's like knowing the difference between dogs and cats even if it's hard to explain." The US research team studied how well students remembered connections between words and symbols , reports New Scientist. They compared how the students performed if they had had a sleep between seeing the words and having the test, and if they had not slept. They found that people were better able to remember lists of related words after a night's sleep than after the same time spent awake during the day. They also found it easier to remember themes that the words had in common. But they forgot around one in four more themes if they had been awake. Prof. John Groeger, of Surrey University's Sleep Research Centre, said, "People have been trying for years to find out what the purpose of sleep is, as we know that only certain parts of it have a restorative value. " "We form and store huge numbers of experiences in the head every day, and sleep seems to be the way the brain deals with it all." In the study by the US research team, students were asked to _ . Answer: The Internet will overtake radio in 2008 and become the world's fourth-largest advertising medium, a year earlier than forecast. Global spending on Internet advertising increased from 18.7 billion U.S. dollars in 2005 to 24.9 billion dollars last year, according to Zenith Optimedia, the media-buying agency. The Middle East and Asia are driving a boom in global advertising spending. Zenith predicted _ of 7.7% in spending in Asia in the run-up to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. In the Middle East and Eastern Europe, advertising spending is growing faster than in North America and Western Europe, which are "maturing rapidly" as advertising markets, Zenith said. Advertising spending in the Middle East increased by 22.4% between 2005 and 2006, compared with growth of 5.2% in America and 4 per cent in Western Europe. Zenith attributed the huge percentage share in the Middle East to the growth in local economies and high oil prices. In addition to the Olympics, the U.S. presidential election and the European football championship in Austria and Switzerland next year will be the biggest contributors to overall growth during the next two years. However, Zenith noted, the market should brace itself for a fall in revenues after those big events end. Advertising spending in the Middle East increased greatly because of _ . Answer:
Question: In the course of working my ways through school , I took many jobs I would rather forget . But none of these jobs was as dreadful as my job in an apple plant. The work was hard ; the pay was poor ; and, most of all , the working conditions were terrible. First of all , the job made huge demands on my strength . For ten hours a night , I took boxes that rolled down a metal track and piled them onto a truck . Each box contained twelve heavy bottles of apple juice. I once figured out that I was lifting an average of twelve tons of apple juice every night . I would not have minded the difficulty of the work so much if the pay had not been so poor. I was paid the lowest wage of that time -- two dollars an hour. Because of the low pay , I felt eager to get as much as possible . I usually worked twelve hours a night but did not take home more than $ 100 a week. But even more than the low pay, what made me unhappy was the working conditions. During work I was limited to two ten-minute breaks and an unpaid half hour for lunch. Most of my time was spent outside loading trucks with those heavy boxes in near-zero-degree temperatures. The steel floors of the trucks were like ice, which made my feet feel like stone. And after the production line shut down at night and most people left, I had to spend two hours alone cleaning the floor. I stayed on the job for five months , all the while hating the difficulty of the work, the poor money , and the conditions under which I worked . By the time I left , I was determined never to go back there again. The following facts describe the terrible working conditions of the plant EXCEPT _ . A. loading boxes in the freezing cold B. having limited time for breaks C. working and studying at the same time D. getting no pay for lunch time Answer: C Question: For many young people sport is a popular part of school life. Being in one of the school teams and playing in matches is very important. If someone is in a team it means a lot of extra practice and often spending a Saturday or Sunday away from home, as many matches are played then. In can also involve travelling to other towns to play against other school teams and then staying on after the match for a meal or a drink. Sometimes parents, friends or the other students will travel with the team to support their own side. When a school team wins a match it is the whole school. It means the whole school feels proud, not only the players. It also means a school becomes famous for being good at certain sports and students from that school may end up playing for national and international teams, so that the school has some really famous names. The story mainly tells us _ . A. something about school B. something about a school team C. something about sports D. the relationship of sports and school Answer: B Question: Like many people ,I have no clear idea about heroes . A t some point , we all wonder if we need a hero and what a hero really is. Although there are a lot of differences in cultures, heroes around the world generally share a number of characteristics which give us courage and make us want to learn from them. A hero does something worth talking about, A hero has a special story to tell and people think highly of it. But a hero is not just person with great fame . A hero has power larger than himself . Some people want to live like a hero. And they have to experience life with new and further meaning .A sure test for would- be heroes is what or whom they serve. What do they want to live and die for? If their answer suggests they serve only own fames, they may be famous persons but not heroes. A hero has a _ from the mountain top .He has the power to move people . He creates new possibility. Without Gandhi, India might still be part of Britain, Without Martin Luther King .Jr, Americans might take different parks , and shop in different stores of the different colors of their skins. There might be changes in society without a hero, but the speed of the change would be rather slow . Thanks to heroes in history ,they make the society develop so rapidly. I f you want to live like a hero , you should _ \| A. experience a new and meaningful life B. listen to something worth talking about C. serve your own fame and try to be famous D. know where and how you want to live and die Answer: A Question: I am an American student. My name is Vicky King. I have a big family. I have two brothers. They and I are in the same school. My grandma and grandpa live with us. They are my father's parents. My father is from England, but my mother's hometown is at the foot of the Great Wall of China. My brothers and I were all born in New York. Because my father works in a school in New York. He teaches English. People often ask us, "What do you like eating?" It is not easy to answer this question! Well, let me tell you. My grandpa has been to India, so he likes Indian food. My father likes hot dogs, potato chips and hamburgers. My mother likes rice, noodles and dumplings. She often does very nice Chinese food for us. So my brothers and I like Chinese food a lot but English food a little. We don't like Indian food at all. This is a family of _ A. three B. five C. six D. seven Answer: D Question: To protect you and your fellow passengers, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is required by law to inspect all checked baggage. As part of this process, some bags are opened and inspected. Your bag was among those selected for inspection. During the inspection, your bag and its contents may have been searched for items forbidden by law such as fireworks, fuels, gunpowder, etc. At the completion of the inspection, the contents were returned to your bag, which was resealed with a "special" lock. If the TSA screener was unable to open your bag for inspection because it was locked, the screener may have been forced to break the locks on your bag. TSA sincerely regrets having to do this, and has taken care to reseal your bag upon completion of inspection. However, TSA is not _ for damage to your locks resulting from necessary precaution. For packing tips and other suggestions that may assist you during your next trip, visit: www.tsatraveltips.us. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation .If you have questions, comment,or concerns , please feel free to contact the Transportation Security Administration Consumer Response Centre: Phone: toll-free at (866)289-9673 Email:telltsa@tas.dot.gov Section 110(b)of the Aviation and Transportation Security Act of 2001,49 USC&44901(c)-(e) The leaflet is trying to _ . A. introduce one of the security acts B. persuade people to contact TSA C. warn against the damage of locking the baggage D. inform people of baggage inspection Answer: D
soil is formed by Answer: animals stepping on dead leaves and crushing it into bits Book 1Elixirwritten by Eric Walters Twelve-year-old Roth becomes a friend of Dr. Banting and his assistant, Mr. Best, who are doing research on a cure for diabetes . She finds herself torn between her sympathy for the animals being experimented on and her friendship with Banting and Best. Book 2George Washington Carver written by Elizabeth Macleod Meet the "Peanut Specialist", George Washington Carver, the inventor and professor who made over 325 products out of peanuts. Through his agricultural research, he also greatly improved the lives of countless black farmers in the southern United States. See also Macleod's Albert Einstein: A Life of Genius. Book 3The Inuit Thought of It: Amazing Arctic Innovations written by Alootook Ipellie & David MacDonald Explore more than 40 ideas necessary to Inuit survival. From ideas familiar to us today to inventive concepts that shaped their lives, celebrate the creativity of a remarkably intelligent people. Also see other books: The Chinese Thought of It by Tingxing Ye and A Native American Thought of It by Rocky Landon and David MacDonald. Book 4 Made in Canada: 101 Amazing Achievements written by Bev Spencer What things do we use daily that have a Canadian connection? Here are 101 common things that were invented in Canada or by a Canadian, including the Blackberry, alkaline batteries and the Blue Box recycling program. Book 5Newton and the Time Machinewritten by Michael McGowan Ten-year-old boy Newton has invented a time machine to see dinosaurs up close. But it disappears on a test run with his two huge friends, King Herbert and Queen Certrude, can he save them before time runs out? Which of the following best describes Roth's feeling in Book 1? Answer: Painful. Teachers' Day is coming soon. Miss Wang is talking to her students and her students are listening to her. "Good morning, boys and girls!"says Miss Wang,"Teachers' Day is on September l0th. I hear some students are going to buy some presents for your teachers. You want to show your love for your teachers. That is very good, of course. But teachers don't like to get presents from students. So please don't buy any! I think on Teachers' Day, a card from you all is enough . And the best present for our teachers is your good work. " Where does Miss Wang work? Answer: In a school. Marry me! During the "Idol" finale, season 5 singer Ace Young proposed live to season 3 runner up Diana DeGarrno. She was genuinely surprised in one sense but the two have bonded closely since they met on Broadway during a production of"Hair." The first true"ldol' couple (though others have dated) have already set a wedding date on June l of 2013, Ten years and still relevant. Season one winner Kelly Clarkson has survived a decade in the brutal music business with her dignity intact and enough chart-topping songs to generate a greatest hits album at the tender age of 30. Her career is as strong as ever. She sang the "Star Spangled Banner" at the Super Bowl. Her song "Stronger" was a No. I hit. She was a mentor on an ABC summer series"Duets." She became engaged to Reba McEntire's stepson in November. All in all, life is good for Clarkson and we as"Idol" fans couldn't be more proud. Keep calm and Carrie on! Season four victor Carrie Underwood has now sold more albums than any other "Idol" with about 14 million to date. Her current album "Blown Away" has generated two top two hits in 2012: "Good Girl" and the title track. That makes 15 consecutive top 2 hits on the Billboard country chart over seven years dating back to "Jesus, Take the Wheel." She hosted the CMAs for a fifth year with Brad Paisley. Last month, she landed a role as lead in a remake of"The Sound of Music." She toured to sold-out crowds again, hitting Gwinnett Arena earlier this month, where she thankecl "Idol" for getting her to where she's at, something, she certainly no longer needs to do but still does. Class act, that lady. Who was the Idol winner of ten years ago? Answer: Kelly Clarkson Exercise is an important part of a healthy life. It reduces your risk of heart attack and is a good way to control body weight. It is also something you can do with other people, which can be great fun. So, it is important to find time to exercise and be healthier. As well as making time to exercises, another way is to build it into the natural rhythm of your day. * Go for a walk on your lunch break. Try to find at least three different ways and change them throughout the week. It might even be possible to find a place to walk inside, for those bad weather days. * Talk to your employers about improving health at work. Encourage your workers to cycle to and from work. You might also be able to encourage them to set up a gymnasium. Sell the idea by pointing out that doing so will improve productivity , and make workers happy. * If you are a student. Go for walks with friends to talk about your studies. Spend some time in the learning resource centre reading about sport, exercise and health. The more you know, the more choices you will have about how to be physically active. Most colleges have sport and exercise programs that students can take part in. Find out which activities are being held, and try those you think you might enjoy. We can learn from the passage that _ . Answer: combining exercise with daily work can save time to keep healthy
My husband and I were once in Nepal to see sunrise over the Himalayas. One morning we awoke to total darkness at 5 o'clock.As we rushed through a town with cameras in hand,I noticed the calm,gentle way the Nepalese people greeted the morning.One man boiled a huge pot of milk tea,and other villagers gathered around his fire,cupping their hands around small glasses of the steaming sweet mixture.It was fascinating,but not to be left behind,we joined the stream of tourists moving quickly up to the lookout point. The top was crowded when we arrived,but after 10 minutes of cold waiting,the assembled group gave up."The cloud cover is too heavy,"one said.Then one by one they rushed down the hill to the next item on their sightseeing list.I was disappointed as well,but suddenly I noticed a small Nepalese boy absently playing with a stick and shooting quick glances at the clouds.He must know something we don't,I thought.I decided to wait with him. The boy and I didn't have to wait long.Moments later,a tiny stream of golden light burned through one thick cloud,then another.Rose-colored fog warmed the backs of the clouds,and suddenly the morning sun stole a glance around the side of the mountain,mile above where I'd expected it to be. Nothing I'd seen before prepared me for the moment the clouds withdrew with bowed heads,and the magnificent Himalayas were revealed before,around,and above me.I sat in astonishment,not breathing,not daring to look away,certain that God had placed me here at the backdoor of Earth to show me what Heaven really looks like.I certainly got the message.Never again will I rush a sunrise.I now know Nature will supply her fruits to me only when I am truly ready to receive them. The author decided to wait with the Nepalese boy because _ . Answer: If you see a group of kids hitting and abusing an animal, would you stop them? Would you at least call the police? Again people would walk away. Some people do not believe that animal abuse is a big issue. Every day animals are abused in their homes or on the streets. It seems as if politicians do nothing to stop this issue. Everyone is worried about education and global warming. What about animals? We should not ignore them just because they cannot talk to us. Animals, like us humans, have rights. Every living being has the right to warm shelter and good food, but most importantly, they have the right to be wanted and loved. They have the right to be a special, much loved member of their own family. There are many organizations that deal with abused animals or animals that have no home like ASPCA, PETA, the Humane Society and many more. There are organizations that deal with this issue, but that does not mean that we still shouldn't help. The biggest saying that bothers me is, "I am only one person. I can't make a difference." If everyone thought like that, we wouldn't have the organizations and loving people who help the world every day. By helping one animal, you are making a difference. There are many things you can do right now to help animals around your neighborhood. You can volunteer at your local animal shelter, raise money for animal shelters, inform your community about animal abuse or you can write to your representatives and tell them that animal abuse needs to be taken seriously. As you walk down the street, try to help any animals you see walking around. You can easily buy a cheap box of dry cat or dog food to feed the animals. If we do not help our animals now, we may never have animals again. Always remember that with every step you take, you help save an animal's life and isn't that worth fighting for? We can learn from the text that ASPCA _ . Answer: Many places in the world need more fresh water . Every country is trying to find ways to turn salt water into fresh. Why aren't there many factories like the Symi factory? In some places, the sun isn't hot enough, or it doesn't shine every day. In these places other ways to heating sea water can be used. These ways cost more money, but they work faster than the sun. By boiling sea water with high heat,a lot of fresh water can be made quickly. But heating is not the only way to get fresh water from salt water. Other ways are tried. One way is freezing . The fresh part of salt water freezes first. To get fresh water, the pieces of ice are taken out. Which way is best? The one that gives the most water for the least money. It may be a different way for each place. Symi's way seems very good for small, hot places. It doesn't make very much water at a time. But the factory is easy to build and cost little. From the passage we know that fresh water . Answer: A team of surveyors takes measurements of ground altitude at horizontal intervals of 1 meter over a 400 square meter area. These measurements can best be used to produce which representation of the area? Answer: As a child, visiting the zoo was more a punishment than a treat. I didn't find the chimps' tea parties funny, nor the bird shows entertaining. Feeding time for seals was less painful, but their performances still seemed like they belonged more in a circus. And I hated circuses, especially the animal acts -- men teasing lions, girls balancing on elephants and monkeys playing football. I knew that every trick a circus animal did was unnatural, achieved through strict training and quite possibly cruelty. Happily, during my lifetime public attitudes and the law have changed. Circuses using wild animals are now almost extinct, and zoos have definitely evolved. When my children were young, I occasionally took them to our local zoo. The elephants were in tiny cages and the gorillas looked bored as they sat peeling bananas and staring at teasing visitors. Each cage had a sign which listed the animal's name and where it came from. But, back then, there was little information included about the environmental challenges they faced. As a result, environmentalists and animal lovers often oppose zoos. "Animals belong in the wild," is a common -- and understandable -- complaint. But what do the animals themselves prefer? Generally speaking, zoo animals have a longer life. But -- you may protest -- they are not free. What? Free to be hunted and killed, free to die of hunger or thirst? Maybe sitting in a cage eating bananas isn't so bad. Not that such conditions are acceptable in modern zoos, due to the work of BIAZA, the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums. These days every zoo requires BIAZA's approval to operate, and the association sets the standards, observes conditions in zoos and develops animal-research programmes, both in the UK and abroad. BIAZA also organises the animal exchanges between zoos all over the world. Consequently, today, most zoo animals are born and raised in zoos, live in large, comfortable enclosures and are cared for by well-trained, knowledgeable and caring zoo employees. Of course it's no substitute for living in the wild but unfortunately this isn't always possible. Meanwhile, why not visit your local zoo and decide for yourself? The passage is mainly about _ . Answer:
Question: American black bears appear in a variety of colors despite their name. In the eastern part of their range , most of these bears have shiny black fur, but in the west they grow brown, red or even yellow coats. To the north, the black bear is actually gray or white. Even in the same litter , both brown and black furred bears may be born. Black bears are the smallest of all American bears, ranging in length from 5 to 6 feet, weighing from 300 to 500 pounds. Their eyes and ears are small and their eyesight and hearing are not as good as their sense of smell. Like all bears, the black bear is shy, clumsy and rarely dangerous. However, if cornered, the black bear can become a fearful enemy. Black bears feed on leaves, roots, fruit, insects, fish and even larger animals. One of the most interesting characteristics of bears, including the black bear, is their winter sleep. Unlike many other animals, bears do not actually hibernate . Although the bear does not eat during the winter months, its temperature remains almost normal, and it breathes regularly four or five times per minute. Most black bears live alone, except during the mating season . A litter of one to four cubs is born in January or February and they remain with their mother until they are fully grown or about one and a half years old. Black bears can live as long as thirty years in the wild, and even longer in game preserves set aside for them. What do we know about the fur color of American black bears?[] A. Most of them have black fur. B. Their fur color depends on their living range. C. They change their fur color throughout their life. D. They are always of the same fur color as their brothers. Answer: B Question: An example of an instinct is A. laughing at something funny. B. dogs doing tricks when told. C. doing your homework at the same time each day. D. salmon returning to their birthplace to lay their eggs. Answer: D Question: According to scientists' research, the month in which babies are born could affect them in some ways. Babies born in spring get sick easily. Children born under Aquarius may be less clever than those born in other seasons. They may also have shorter lives than those born in autumn Scientists believe many of the differences can be explained by the mother's exposure to sunlight in pregnancy . Sunlight helps lead to the production of Vitamin D in the body. The lack of this in the first months of life may have a bad effect on mental and physical health. Vitamin D, called the "sunshine vitamin", is known to help regulate thousands of genes during development, according to a study of more than two million people. So Vitamin D has a good effect on health This study showed that people born from April to June had slightly shorter lives than those born in October, November or December. Similar studies in the USA showed that people born in autumn lived about 160 days longer than those born in spring. Professor Russell Foster, an Oxford University neuroscientist on seasonal biology, said the conclusions were surprising and interesting. He added, "These are small effects but they are very, very clear. I am not giving voice to star signs and they are just for fun. But it is true that we are affected by our season of birth." Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? A. People born in spring may not be in good health. B. Children born under Aquarius are cleverer than those born under Libra. C. Professor Russell Foster is interested in star signs and believes in them D. People born in May will live longer than those born in October. Answer: A Question: On April 14th at 7:49 am, the town of Jyekundo in Kham, was struck by a 6.9 magnitude earthquake. My family and I were in our 3rd floor apartment building when the earthquake hit. There was a smaller earthquake (around 4.7) that happened around 4 am and neither my wife nor I could get back to sleep. When the big earthquake hit, my wife was using her computer while our younger son Norbu (18 months old) was playing in the living room. Tsering, our older son who is 3 years old, was still asleep in the back bedroom of the 3 bedroom apartment we were living in. Norbu flew across the room when the earthquake hit. My wife was also thrown to the ground. Everything in our apartment began to be tossed around, breaking when it hit the walls or floor. I ran to the back bedroom and grabbed Tsering as my wife grabbed Norbu off the floor. Together, we ran to the door. I stopped long enough to grab my shoes, coat and a bit of money. I opened the door and one of our neighbors helped us carry Tsering down to the ground floor. I was the only one of my family who managed to get shoes. After the earthquake, we were able to see that this was a major earthquake. We began to hear people crying for help, badly injured people crawling to the road and people weeping for loved ones who had died. When did the smaller earthquake happen? A. At 7:49 am. B. At 6:09 am. C. At 3:00 am. D. At 4:00 am. Answer: D Question: One afternoon Mrs. Green says to her husband, "Jack, there is a meeting of our women's at Mrs. Brown's house at supper time today, and I want to go to it. I will leave you some fish for supper. Is that all right?" "Oh, yes," her husband answers, "That's all right. What are you going to leave for my supper? " "This tin of fish," Mrs. Green says, "And there are some cold potatoes and some peas here, too." Then Mrs. Green goes to her meeting. All the women have supper at Mrs. Brown's house and at nine Mrs. Green comes back home. "Is your fish nice, Jack?" she asks. "Yes, but my feet are _ ," he answers. "Why are they hurt?" Mrs. Green asks. "Well, on the tin it says---OPEN THE TIN AND STAND IN HOT WATER FOR FIVE MINUTES." What does Mr. Green have for supper that night? A. A tin of fish, cold potatoes and peas. B. A tin of fish, tomatoes and peas. C. Some fish and fruit. D. Some vegetables. Answer: B
There are various reasons why cancers appear to be on the increase. For one thing, though their sufferers are to be found in all age groups, cancers are particularly likely to attack persons in their middle and advanced years. Naturally, since people live longer these years, there are more cancer sufferers than before. Again, with better methods of diagnosis , doctors can more easily recognize cancerous growths that would formerly have passed unnoticed or that would have been wrongly diagnosed. It is also believed that certain habits and conditions of modern living, including heavy smoking and the pollution of the air, may leave people living in more cancer-causing conditions than before. We all look forward to the day when a simple medical test can find cancer while it is still small. Researchers around the world are working on _ . Most of their work deals with the examination of the blood. Researchers in Boston have found something in the blood of cancer patients that does not appear in healthy persons. The test showed which persons had cancer and which did not. It was correct more than 90 percent of the time. The researchers believe the test may be able to show cancer very clearly in its development. Cancers discovered early usually can be treated successfully. The test examines very small bits of fat in the blood called lipids . Cancers seem to change lipids although doctors do not know why. The test showed differences between the lipids of the persons with cancer and the lipids of those without cancer. The researchers say the new test could be a step to develop a simple way to check patients for cancer before the disease shows on an X-ray. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage? A Cancers have much to do with something in patients' blood. B People living in better conditions are most likely to be attacked by cancer. C X-raying is the best way to determine whether a person has cancer or not. D Cancers have nothing to do with a person's habits and living conditions. Answer: A. Cancers have much to do with something in patients' blood. French surgeons have performed what they said on Wednesday was the world's first partial face transplant--- giving a new nose, chin and lips to a woman attacked by a dog. Specialists from two French hospitals carried out the operation on a 38-year-old woman on Sunday in the northern city of Amiens by taking the face from a brain-dead woman, who had hanged herself just hours before the operation. Her family agreed on the operation. "The patient is in an excellent state and the transplant looks normal," the hospitals said in a brief statement after waiting three days to announce the pioneering surgery. The woman had been left without a nose and lips after the dog attacked her last May, and was unable to talk or chew properly. Such injuries are "extremely difficult, if not impossible" to repair using normal surgical techniques, the statement said. The statement did not say what the woman would look like when she had fully recovered, but medical experts said she was unlikely to _ the woman who had been the source of her new face. The operation was led by Jean-Michel Dubernard, a specialist from a hospital in Lyon who has also carried out hand transplants, Skin transplants have long been used to treat burns and other injuries, but operations around the mouth and nose have been considered very difficult because of the area's high sensitivity to foreign tissue. Teams in France, the United States and Britain had been developing techniques to make face transplants a reality There was a short-term risk for the patient if blood vessels became blocked, a medium-term danger of her body rejecting the new skin and a long-term possibility that the drugs used could cause cancers. Experts say that although such medical advances should be celebrated, the transplant had thrown up moral and ethical issues. Little is known about the psychological effect of the transplant. What can we learn about the operation? A The woman had used the dead woman' s whole face. B There has arisen a debate about the operation. C The woman will suffer from psychological damage soon. D Such transplants have been performed by doctors. Answer: B. There has arisen a debate about the operation. XUE Bai, a 21-year-old university student, hopes to volunteer for Beijing's 2008 Olympics. "I want to do something for the Olympics. It is also a kind of learning for me," said the fourth-year student at Beijing Foreign Studies University. Now it is time for Xue to act on her plan. The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the 2008 Olympiad will start to recruit volunteers on August 28. The Olympics will need around 70,000 volunteers and the Paralympic Games will need another 30,000. University students like Xue will make up the majority of the volunteers. But the Olympics also need other volunteers - ordinary citizens and foreigners, for example. Students in Beijing should apply through their universities. Other volunteers may apply online or submit a written application. The online application system and a hotline will be open next Monday. For applicants outside Beijing, the application process begins in December. There is plenty of work for volunteers to do. For example, there will be chances to help publicize the games over the next two years. During the games themselves, volunteers will clean, serve food, marshal or offer language help. The Sydney Olympics in 2000 was the first that placed special emphasis on the role of volunteers. It used more than 45,000 volunteers in different roles. In the 2004 Athens Olympics, around 45,000 volunteers were used. More than 70,000 volunteers will be needed for the Olympic games and Paralympic Games in 2012, the London Olympic Organizing Committee has said. The passage mainly tells us _ . A the history of volunteers in Olympics. B hat volunteers will do in the 2008 Olympics. C who can apply to be volunteers for Beijing Olympics. D volunteers for the 2008 Olympics are wanted. Answer: D. volunteers for the 2008 Olympics are wanted. Students often meet with questions as follows: bullied by someone, worried about a weak subject, puzzled by family problems or concerned about pets at home. All the questions above may make you not concentrated on your study. Who can you turn to if you are such an unlucky student? A great person to share your thoughts and feelings with is your school counsellor . _ . They know how to listen and can help kids with life's challenges . Counsellors have special training in how to help kids solve problems, make decisions, and stand up for themselves. That doesn't mean your counsellor will wave a magic wand and the problem will go away. But it does mean he or she will help you cope with it. Coping is an important word to know. Sometimes, kids and grown-ups have difficult problems. Coping means that someone is trying to handle these problems and make things better. Your school counsellor is available for you and wants to make your school experience the best it can be. The counsellor's job is to take your problem seriously and help you find a solution. The counsellor also wants to help you learn as much as you can in class, be a contributing member of the school community, and be a positive influence on your environment. What does the writer think of the school counsellors? A They can solve any questions you meet with. B They can help students get their life or study improved. C They are as important as teachers in schools. D They may punish those who have bullied you. Answer: B. They can help students get their life or study improved. Which of these tectonic plate boundaries is most likely to form a volcano? A a continental plate colliding with a continental plate B an oceanic plate sliding past a continental plate C a continental plate sliding past a continental plate D an oceanic plate colliding into a continental plate Answer: D. an oceanic plate colliding into a continental plate
Question: (Warsaw)? . Long long ago,there was a young man.His name was Wars.He lived in a little house near the River Vistula.He went there fishing every day for a living. One day he saw a beautiful girl in the river.The girl's name was Sawa.From then on,the young man and the beautiful girl met every day.They fell in love with each other.When Wars asked Sawa to marry him.Sawa was very sad.She told him that she was mermaid and she couldn't marry man.But she said she would give him something when they met again. The next day,Wars went to the river and met Sawa. Sawa was waiting for him with a sword in her right hand and a shield in her left hand.She told Wars that they wouldn't meet again.She gave the sword and the shield to him.She said he would be successful with the sword and the shield and become a great hero.Then she went away. Wars missed Sawa very much.He always remembered his first love.What the mermaid had told him came true.Wars became a great hero.He got the land by the River Vistula.There he set up a city. He called it Warsaw. Sawa told Wars _ A. they would marry later B. they would leave together C. he would become a hero D. he would get much money Answer: C Question: I fell in love with England because it was quaint --all those little houses, looking terribly old-fashioned but nice, like dolls' houses. I loved the countryside and the pubs, and I loved London. I've slightly changed my mind after seventeen years because I think it's an ugly town now. Things have changed. For everybody, England meant gentlemen, fair play, and good manners. The fair play is going, unfortunately, and so are the gentlemanly attitudes and good manners--people shut doors heavily in your face and politeness is disappearing. I regret that there are so few comfortable meeting places. You're forced to live indoors. In Paris I go out much more, to restaurants and nightclubs. To meet friends here it usually has to be in a pub, and it can be difficult to go there alone as a woman. The cafes are not terribly nice. As a woman, I feel unsafe here. I spend a bomb on taxis because I will not take public transport after 10 p. m. I used to use _ , but now I'm afraid. The idea of family seems to be more or less non-existent in England. My family is well united and that's typically French. In Middlesex I had a neighbour who is 82 now. His family only lived two miles away, but I took him to France for Christmas once because he was always alone. The writer doesn't like London because she _ . A. is not used to the life there now B. has lived there for seventeen years C. prefers to live in an old-fashioned house D. has to be polite to everyone she meets there Answer: A Question: Chilean rescued miner Edison Pena ran the New York City Marathon on November 7th , less than a month after he was rescued from a collapsed mine that trapped him and the other 32 miners for 69 days. Pena ran 10 km daily through the mine's tunnels to beat the anxiety, wearing cut-down boots until rescuers sent him a pair of sports shoes through a narrow hole that served as the miners' "lifeline" to the surface. "When I ran in the darkness, I was running for life," Pena told a news conference in New York. "I was running to show that I wasn't just waiting around. I also wanted God to see that I really wanted to live." The miners were discovered alive on August 22---17 days after the mine collapsed, but it took many more days for rescuers to dig a hole big enough to bring them out. The New York Road Runners, which organizes the marathon, had invited Edison Pena to the event after hearing his story. They thought he could ride in the lead vehicle or hold the finish line tape, but Pena said last week he did not want to watch, he wanted to run. "I was very eager to take on this big challenge," he said. "I wanted to show the world I could run." He hoped to run the 26.2-mile race in about six hours. "I have a knee injury, but I am eager to cross the finish line," he said. An Elvis Presley fan who asked rescuers to send the singer's music down into the mine, Pena broke into song at the news conference with the Presley hit Return to Sender. On the morning of November 7th, Pena, known as "the runner" by fellow miners trapped with him, set out to cover the course along with thousands of other runners and completed the race in five hours and 40 minutes. When trapped underground, Pena ran a long way every day to _ . A. find a way to get out B. dig a lifeline to the ground C. keep himself from coldness D. get rid of his uneasy feelings Answer: D Question: Peking Opera (Beijing Opera), is one of the oldest forms of dramas in the world. The roles in it were Sheng, Dan, Jing, Mo, Chou, Wuhang, and Longtao during its early age. But with the change of Peking Opera, there are four main roles in it today: Sheng, Dan, Jing and Chou. Sheng----Men Roles Sheng are the men roles in Peking Opera, which can be divided into Laosheng, Wusheng, Xiaosheng and Wawasheng. Laosheng are middle-aged or older men who are honest. Hongsheng,a type of Laosheng, have a red face. There are only two roles famous as Hongsheng. One is Guan Gong and the other is Zhao Kuangyin. Wusheng are young generals who are good at martial arts . Xiaosheng are clean-shaven and handsome. Wawasheng are children's parts. Dan----women Roles Dan are women roles that can be divided into different types----Laodan, Qingyi, Huadan, Wudan and Caidan. Laodan play old and clever women. Qingyi are the main women roles. Huashan, a type of Qingyi, was created by Mei Lanfang, who played an important role in shaping Peking Opera. Huadan are lively and unmarried women roles. Wudan characters are women, good at martial arts. Caidan are clowns in funny plays. Jing----Painted Face Men Roles A Jing role is an important man character with striking looks and high social position. The main types of Jing are Tongchui, good at singing and usually a general; Jiazi, good at acting with less singing; and Wujing, a martial arts and acrobatics role. Chou----Comedy Roles Chou are comedy roles in Peking Opera. There are Wenchou who speak, act and sing, and Wuchou who both speak and fight. What makes this type of role special is a small patch of white chalk around the nose. One of the famous roles is the Monkey King, who has a special position in the hearts of all who are interested in Chinese opera. The passage is mainly about _ . A. the roles in Peking Opera B. the changes of dramas C. the forms of dramas D. the positions of dramas Answer: A Question: The spinal cord contains A. electrically excitable cells B. nerve gas C. biological impulses D. hair follicles Answer: A
What's your favorite cartoon? It may be difficult for you to decide. But for pianist Lang Lang, Tom and Jerry is the best one. When Lang was two years old, he saw Tom play the piano. This was his first time to enjoy western music and this experience encouraged him to learn to play the piano. His talent at the keyboard has taken him from Shenyang to the world. Lang became a good piano student at three. Ever since, the boy has been doing better and better. In 1997, the 15-year-old boy studied at a famous American music college. Lang's performances are energetic. He is well-known for making facial expressions and moving around while playing the piano. The road to success has never been easy. Lang's father stopped his job to look after him, while his mother stayed in Shenyang to make money. But Lang thinks himself lucky and believes he should give something back. He has helped the children in poor areas a lot. How old was Langlang when he became a student of a famous American music college? When Paul was a boy growing up in Utah, he happened to live near a copper smelter ,and the chemicals that poured out had made a wasteland out of what used to be a beautiful forest. One day a young visitor looked at this wasteland and called it an awful area. Paul knocked him down. From then on, something happened inside him. Years later Paul was back in the area, and he went to the smelter office. He asked if they had any plans or if they would let him try to bring the trees back. The answer from that big industry was "No". Paul then went to college to study the science of plants. Unfortunately, his teachers said there weren't any birds or squirrels to spread the seeds. It would be a waste of his life to try to do it. Everyone knew that, he was told. Even if he was knowledgeable as he had expected, he wouldn't get his idea accepted. Paul later got married and had some kids. But his dream would not die. And then one night he did what he could with what he had. As Samuel Johnson wrote, "It is common to overlook what is near by keeping the eye fixed on something remote. Attainable good is often ignored by minds busied in wide ranges." Under the cover of darkness, he went secretly into the wasteland and started planting. And every week, he made his secret journey into the wasteland and planted trees and grass. For fifteen years he did this against _ . Slowly rabbits appeared. Later, as there was legal pressure to clean up the environment, the company actually hired Paul to do what he was already doing. Now the place is fourteen thousand acres of trees and grass and bushes, and Paul has received almost every environmental award Utah has. It took him until his hair turned white, but he managed to keep that impossible vow he made to himself as a child. The company hired Paul to plant trees and grass because _ . Most people call it "body language" -- the clues to the meaning that we get from gesture, facial expressions, posture -- everything that isn't spoken.Experts call it "nonverbal communication," but it means the same thing: a second source of human communication that is often more reliable to understanding what is really going on than the words themselves. Understanding body language is important to success, whether in the business world or in our personal lives.However, most of our ideas about body language are wrong, according to modern communication research. There is a belief that people with shifty eyes are probably lying.As Paul Ekman says, "When we asked people how they could tell if someone was lying, too much blinking and shifty eyes were the winners.But sometimes people act like that because they are shy.Liars pretend to be calm in order not to be caught. Ekman goes on to argue against such a wrong belief.Although this kind of body language is probably an expression of nervousness, it is not always because the person is lying.Shyness can, for example, make people shift their eyes.To understand what someone's behavior means, you have to watch them carefully. There is also a belief that when meeting someone, the more eye contact , the better.As a result people would like to make initial contact in formal situations, like a job interview, by staring fixedly at the other human.Yet Ekman points out that most of us are comfortable with eye contact lasting a few seconds, but any eye contact that is longer than that can make us nervous. In short, you must carefully consider the speaker and the speaking environment.Experts suggest that unless you know about someone's basic communication style, you will have little hope in understanding their true feelings through body language.In other words, body language carries important but not always true messages. It can be inferred from the passage that _ . Guitar Lessons for Guitar Players Playing the same things over and over again when you pick up the guitar? Teaching yourself for years but you hit a wall? Don't know what to do next? Whether you're a total beginner, or an old guitar player, we'll get you working on something you can benefit from. I'm a professional teacher, over 30 students at my studio in downtown Berkeley and several music schools in San Francisco, Alameda, and Mountain View. No matter what style you're into, I guarantee there are songs by your favorite bands that you could learn. Call at 510-333-9091 or e-mail at blueschoo147@gmail.comDance Classes for Students 2.5 Through Adults Motion Dance Center in Martinez is now accepting registration for all fall dance classes. There are classes offered in Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Hip-Hop, Contemporary and Cheerleading. Classes run like the school year Sept. through June. Prices are very reasonable at only $45 a month. That's for a one-hour class once a week for a month. This studio is known for their younger child program. We are always looking for talented instructors too. If you want more information call Deena at 925-229-5678 Qi Gong with Angie Qi Gong is the perfect activity for anyone, at any age. It combines gentle movement and meditation , breathing regulation and relaxation. The exercises are designed to reduce stress and anxiety and improve blood and energy circulation throughout the body, therefore increasing immune function, improving energy levels and sleep. Thousands of Qi Gong lovers around the world have experienced the extraordinary benefits of this gentle, ancient Chinese exercise form and are healthier and happier for it. Join us to experience the benefits for yourself! WHEN: Tuesdays from noon -- l p.m. WHERE: Halanda Studio 1062 Lincoln Avenue, San Jose, CA 95125 COST: $12 per class drop-in or $45 for a pre-paid set of 4 classes CONTACT: Angie at angie@lokahiacupuncture.com, 408-887-6000 Who will probably contact 510-333-9091? The best way of learning a language is using it. The best way of learning English is talking in English as much as possible. Sometimes you'll get your words mixed up and people will not understand you. Sometimes people will say things too quickly and you can't understand them. But if you keep your sense of humor , you can always have a good laugh at your mistakes you make. Don't be unhappy if people seem to be laughing at your mistakes. It's better for people to laugh at your mistakes than to be angry with you, because they don't understand what you are saying. The most important things for learning English is: "Don't be afraid of making mistakes because everyone makes mistakes ." The writer thinks that the best way for you to learn a language is _ .
Question: Every human being,no matter what he is doing,gives off body heat.The usual problem is how to get rid of it.But the designers of the Johnstown campus of the University of Pittsburgh set themselves the opposite problem-how to collect body heat.They have designed a collection system which uses not only body heat,but the heat given off by such objects as light bulbs and refrigerators as welt.The system works so well that no fuel is needed to make the campus' six buildings comfortable. Some parts of most modern buildings--theaters and offices as well as classrooms-are more than sufficiently heated by people and lights and sometimes must be air conditioned even in winter.The technique of saving heat and redistributing it is called "heat recovery".A few modem buildings recover heat,but the University's system is the first to recover heat from buildings and reuse it in others. Along the way, Pitt has learned a great deal about some of its producers.The harder a student studies the more heat his body gives off.Male students send out more heat than female students and the larger a student,the more heat he produces.It is tempting to conclude that _ for the Johnstown campus would be a hard-working overweight male genius . The words "the hottest prospect" refer to _ . A. the person who suffers most from heat B. the person who produces most heat C. the person who uses most heat D. the person who takes in heat Answer: B. the person who produces most heat Question: On 23rd December, 2013, Michael Schumacher -- the famous Formula-One race car driver -- received serious brain injuries after hitting his head on a rock while downhill skiing with his son. The accident happened during a family holiday in the French Alps. Although he was wearing a helmet, which broke apart on impact, the F1 celebrity was moving at speeds of up to 62 mph and skiing outside the off-piste safety demarcations . Doctors reported that he would have died on impact if he hadn't been wearing a helmet. He has been in a coma since arriving at a nearby hospital where he was airlifted to from the site of the accident. Michael Schumacher grew up in frugal conditions and started what would become his remarkable professional career when his working class father -- a bricklayer -- built him a _ from where he started participating in competitions. He started his adult career racing for Formula Ford in 1988 and later raced for Formula One Ford, Ferrari, and Mercedes AMG. He holds numerous F1 world records including most race victories, fastest laps, and most races won in a single season. According to the Formula One website, he is "statistically the greatest driver the sport has ever seen". Also notable are his contributions to charity, during the peak of his career he has given away more than 50 million Euros to a variety of charity organizations, most to help children around the world. Millions of Europeans and other fans around the world are holding their breath and waiting for information about his hopeful recovery. We wish him and his family the best. Michael Schumacher is in a coma after _ . A. crashing in an airlift accident B. a Formula One Ford car crash C. a skiing accident during his holiday D. a bump onto a rock in a skiing race Answer: C. a skiing accident during his holiday Question: How to have fun in Chicago without spending a lot of money? Sightseeing The Art Institute of Chicago has a fine collection of photos and paintings. The ticket is $10.00, but go on Tuesdays and you'll get in free. The Sears Tower is the world's third tallest building. By going to the 103rd floor, you can get a view of the whole city. All for only $8.50. Free show There are free concerts in Grant Park in summer. They are held Wednesday through Saturday nights at 7:30 P.M.. Attend the taping of a TV show for free. The Oprah Winfrey Show and the Jenny Jones Show both offer tourists free tickets. For the Oprah Winfrey Show, you'll have to book tickets at least a month before. Places to stay You can get a hotel for $100 to $300 a day. However, you can get a room in the dormitory at Roosevelt University for $215 for a whole week! But you have to stay for 28 days to get this great rate . You have to spend at least _ in all to stay in a dormitory room at Roosevelt University at a good rate. A. $860 B. $300 C. $215 D. $ l00 Answer: A. $860 Question: When Jeanne Calment entered the world in 1875, telephones and automobiles still lay in the future. Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso were not yet born. The Eiffel Tower was 14 years from being built. As a teenager, she met Vincent Van Gogh, near her home in Arles, in the south of France. He was "very ugly, ungracious , impolite, sick--I forgive him, they called him loco ", she recalled. When she died last week at age 122, she was the world's eldest person. (There are others who claimed to the title, but only Calment had the official documents to prove her age.) Each February 21, her birthday, she would share the secrets of long life. Some years it was "a sense of humour", others it was "keeping busy". "God must have forgotten me," she once explained. The truth probably was that she had good genes: her mother reportedly lived to be 86 and her father 94. Her life had its sadness: she outlived her husband, her only daughter and her grandson. According to a friend, she was _ . "If you can't do anything about it," she reportedly said, "don't worry about it." In her last years she was nearly blind and deaf, but her health remained good. She ate a few bars of chocolate each week and continued smoking until a few years ago, when she could no longer light her own cigarettes. She never lost her sense of humour. On her 110thbirthday, she commented, "I've only ever had one wrinkle, and I'm sitting on it. "Her longevity made her famous; her spirit made her eternal . Why does the author mention Albert Einstein, Pablo Picasso and the Eiffel Tower? A. To show that Calment had seen famous people and things. B. To emphasize that Calment was born a long time ago. C. To indicate that Calment is just as famous. D. To admire the knowledge that Calment had. Answer: B. To emphasize that Calment was born a long time ago. Question: A good way to pass an examination is to work hard every day in the year. You may fail in an examination if you are lazy for most of the year and then work hard only a few days before the examination. If you are taking an English examination, do not only learn rules of grammar. Try to read stories in English and speak English whenever you can. A few days before the examination you should start going to bed early. Do not stay up late at night studying and learning things. Before you start the examination, read the question paper over carefully. Try to understand the exact meaning of each question before you pick up your pen to write. When you have at last finished your examination, read your answers over. Correct the mistakes if there are any and make sure that you have not _ anything _ . You should _ in order not to fail in the examination. A. work hard every day B. work hard a few days before the examination C. be lazy every day D. take an examination every day Answer: A. work hard every day
Allyson Ahlstrom, 19, of Santa Rosa, California hits Las Vegas, Nevada with her mobile boutique and non-profit organization, Threads for Teens. Allyson is on a summer tour of 14 cities across the United States. Threads for Teens on Tour will outfit some 1000 girls in need, each in a brand-new outfit. At each stop deserving girls will receive brand-new clothing. In addition to serving girls, the Threads for Teens mobile boutique invites community members to come along and learn more about the organization. In 2010, at the age of 14, Allyson decided that she would try to make a difference by making new, fashionable clothing available to poor girls. Her project has earned more than $100,000 in monetary contributions and over $150,000 in clothing donations. In addition, through a partnership with The Hunt (thehunt.com) anyone can help to raise up to $15,000 for Threads for Teens by solving hunts on their websites, for free! Allyson has just completed her freshman year at the University of Pennsylvania. Her full-service clothing boutique in Santa Rosa has allowed over 600 girls in need to each pick out two brand-new outfits for free over the past four years and Threads for Teens on Tour 2013 gave clothing to 1,000 additional girls. Her Threads for Teens non-profit has also provided 130 girls with backpack filled with school supplies, and has given out over 100 party dresses. In May 2013 at a ceremony in Washington, D. C., actor Kevin Spacey and Olympic gold medalist Allyson Felix praised Allyson Ahlstrom as one of the 10 top teen volunteers in America. "I want to make Threads for Teens available to as many girls as possible. That's one of the reasons for the road trip," says Allyson. "More than that, I'm hoping to inspire others to volunteer and contribute in their own way. Anyone can make a difference!" Which of the following can best describe Allyson? A. Intelligent, generous and serious. B. Inspiring, considerate and kind-hearted. C. Loving, friendly and fashionable. D. Modest, rich and strict. Answer: B No one should be forced to wear a uniform under any circumstance. Uniforms are controlling the human spirit and totally unnecessary in a democratic society. Uniforms tell the world that the person who wears one has no value as an individual but only lives to function as a part of the whole. The individual in a uniform loses all self-worth. There are those who say that wearing a uniform gives a person a sense of identification with a larger, more important concept. What could be more important than the individual himself? If an organization is so weak that it must rely on cloth and buttons to inspire its members, that organization has no right to continue its existence. Others say that the practice of making persons wear uniforms, say in school, gets rid of all envy and competition in a matter of dress, such that a poor person who cannot afford good-quality clothing is not to be looked down upon by a wealthy person who wears expensive clothing. Those persons ignore the concepts as freedom of choice, motivation, and individuality. If all persons were to wear the same clothing, why would anyone struggle to be better? It is only a short step from forcing everyone to drive the same car, have the same type of food. When this happens, all motivation to improve one's life is removed. Why would parents bother to work hard so that their children could have a better life than they had when they know that their children are going to be forced to have exactly the same life as they had? Uniforms also hurt the economy . Right now, billions of dollars are spent on the fashion industry yearly. Thousands of people are employed in designing, creating, and marketing different types of clothing. If everyone were forced to wear uniforms, artistic personnel would be unnecessary. Salesmen would be extra as well. Why bother to sell the only items that are available? The wearing of uniforms would destroy the fashion industry which in turn would have a wave effect on such industries as advertising and sales promotion. Without advertising, newspapers, magazines, and television would not be able to remain in business. Our entire information and entertainment industries would collapse. Why does the author discuss forcing everyone to buy the same car or eat the same food? A. To show that freedom of choice is absolute in modern society. B. To suggest what would happen if uniforms became compulsory. C. To predict the way the society will be in the next few generations. D. To show that the government has too much control over people's lives. Answer: B If you go to Finland, you'll be surprised to find how "foolish" the Finnish people are. Take the taxi drivers for example. Taxis in Finland are mostly high class Benz with a fare of two US dollars a kilometer. You can go anywhere in one, tell the driver to drop you at any place, say that you have some business to attend to, and then get off without paying your fare. And the driver would not show the least sign of worry. The dining rooms in all big hotels not only serve their guests, but also outside diners. Hotel guests have their meals free, so their good faith is to wave their registration card to the waiter. With such a loose check, you can easily use any old registration card to take a couple of friends and dine free of charge. With so many loopholes in everyday life, surely Finland must be a heaven to those who love to take "pretty advantages". But the strange things is, all the taxi-passengers would always come back to pay their fare after they have attended to their business; not a single outsider has ever been found in the free hotel dining rooms. As the Finns always act on good faith and always show an attitude of "which is which" and "what is what" in everything they do, so to live in such a society has turned everyone into a real "gentleman". In a society of such high moral practice, what need is there for people to take precautions against others? What's FALSE according to the passage? A. No one takes advantages although there are many loopholes. B. All the taxi-passengers come back to pay their fare after they have attended to their business. C. Not a single outsider has ever been found in the free hotel dining rooms. D. Finland is heaven for immoral people because they can always take advantages freely. Answer: D I hid the long black bag in the garage two days ago. Tonight, in the dark, I would finally take it away. If everything went OK, it would be done by morning. But I had to be sure no one, not even my wife, saw me. It was more difficult to get away from the party than I expected. I said that the children were tired and needed to get to bed. It was partly true. But the main reason for leaving was that I wanted to complete my plan. First I had to get the kids to sleep. That was never easy at any time and tonight it was even more difficult. The eldest one wanted to know why we left the party early. I told him 10:30 pm was not early. As usual, I read them a bed time story, but I had to stop myself reading too quickly or _ would learn my secret. Silence finally came, and feeling like a thief in the night, I went out of the house and into the garage. Taking one end, I pulled the bag out from its hiding place and took it into the garden. I was worried that my neighbours might see me and call the police. It was already eleven o'clock. By the light of the moon I started working, trying to make as little noise as possible. And that was not easy with a saw and a hammer . After much hard work, I finally completed my work. I looked down at my watch. It was exactly 4:00 am. Then I went inside to have a shower and get a few hours of sleep. It wouldn't be long now before the kids would rush into my room and wake me up to tell me about the new tree-house Father Christmas brought them this year. How would the children feel when they saw the man's work? A. Interested. B. Excited. C. Tired. D. Angry. Answer: B Sometimes just when we need the power of miracles to change our beliefs, they materialize in the places we'd least expect. They can come to us as a drastic alteration in our physical reality or as a simple synchronicity in our lives. Sometimes they're big and can't be missed Other times they're so subtle that if we aren't aware, we may miss them altogether. They can come from the lips of a stranger we suddenly and mysteriously encounter at just the right instant. If we listen carefully, we'll always hear the right words,at the right time, to dazzle us into a realization of something that we may have failed to notice only moments before. On a cold January afternoon in 1989,I was hiking up the trail that leads to the top of Egypt's Mt. Horeb. I'd spent the day at St. Catherine's Monastery and wanted to get to the peak by sunset to see the valley below. As I was winding up the narrow path,I'd occasionally see other hikers who were coming down from a day on the mountain. While they would generally pass with simply a nod or a greeting in another language,there was one man that day who did neither. I saw him coming from the last switchback on the trail that led to the backside of the mountain. As he got closer,I could see that he was dressed differently from the other hikers I'd seen. Rather than the high-tech fabrics and styles that had been the norm,this man was wearing traditional Egyptian clothing. He wore a tattered, rust-colored galabia and obviously old and thick-soled sandals that were covered in dust. What made his appearance so odd,though,was that the man didn't even appear to be Egyptian! He was a small-framed Asian man, had very little hair,and was wearing round,wire-rimmed glasses. As we neared one another,I was the first to speak."Hello,"I said,stopping on the trail for a moment to catch my breath. Not a sound came from the man as he walked closer. I thought that maybe he hadn't heard me or the wind had carried my voice away from him in another direction. Suddenly he stopped directly in front of me on the high side of the trail, looked up from the ground, and spoke a single sentence to me in English,"Sometimes you don't know what you have lost until you've lost it."As I took in what I had just heard,he simply stepped around me and continued his descent down the trail. That moment in my life was a small miracle. The reason is less about what the man said and more about the timing and the context. The year was 1989,and the Cold War was drawing to a close. What the man on the trail couldn't have known is that it was during my Egyptian pilgrimage, and specifically during my hike to the top of Moses's mountain,that I'd set the time aside to make decisions that would affect my career in the defense industry,my friends,my family,and,ultimately,my life. I had to ask myself what the chances were of an Asian man dressed in an Egyptian galabia coming down from the top of this historic mountain just when I was walking up,stopping before me,and offering his wisdom,seemingly from out of nowhere. My answer to _ was easy: the odds were slim to none! In an encounter that lasted less than two minutes on a mountain halfway around the world from my home, a total stranger had brought clarity, and the hint of a warning, regarding the huge changes that I would make within a matter of days. In my way of thinking,that's a miracle. I suspect that we all experience small miracles in our lives every day. Sometimes we have the wisdom and the courage to recognize them for what they are. In the moments when we don't,that's okay as well. It seems that our miracles have a way of coming back to us again and again. And each time they do,they become a little less _ ,until we can't possibly miss the message that they bring to our lives! The key is that they're everywhere and occur every day for different reasons, in response to the different needs that we may have in the moment. Our job may be less about questioning the extraordinary things that happen in our daily lives and more about accepting the gifts they bring. The author viewed the encounter with the Asian man as a miracle in his life in that _ . A. the Asian man's appearance had a deciding effect on his future life B. his words were in perfect response to the need he had at that moment C. what the Asian man said was abundant in the philosophy of life D. the Asian man impressed on him the worth of what he had possessed Answer: B
In which example could a thermometer be used to show that heat energy is being transferred? A. A piano is played by striking the keys. B. A shovel is used to move dirt from one place to another. C. A ball is thrown into the air. D. A stove is used to boil water in a pan. Answer: D. A stove is used to boil water in a pan. Can you smell two things at once? This experiment comes from the research of two scientists from Rice University. Denise Chen and Wen Zhou have been experimenting with the science of smell, and have made some very interesting discoveries. To explore that, you will need two things with strong, characteristic smells and, of course, your nose. The idea is to smell a different smell with each nostril . Hold one smell very close to your right nostril, and the other smell very close to your left nostril. Then breathe in and pay close attention to what you smell. What you should find is that one smell will be very strong. After another sniff or two, the first smell will go away, and you will smell the other smell. Keep sniffing, and the first smell will come back. Instead of smelling the two smells evenly mixed, they will work in turns, one after the other. Why? Chen and Zhou found that your sense of smell acts much like your sense of sight. Hold a book in front of your nose, so that your left eye sees things on the left side of the book, and your right eye sees things on the right side of the book. You will find that your sight works in turns, first on the left side of the book and then on the right side. Notice that you can't focus your left eye on one object while focusing your right eye on another object. Your brain jumps back and forth , paying attention to one and then the other. The same thing happens with your nostrils. If they are smelling different smells, your brain pays attention to one and then the other. Denise Chen and Wen Zhou discovered that _ . A. our brain focuses on one thing at a time B. our two nostrils act differently towards the same smell C. our nose prefers to smell stronger smells D. our sense of smell is connected with our sense of sight Answer: A. our brain focuses on one thing at a time Cola and mentos combined will A. expand quickly B. evaporate C. freeze D. disappear Answer: A. expand quickly Smog has affected Beijing for at least a week and the Great Hall of the People, where lawmakers will meet next week for the country's parliamentary session , is hardly visible. Much of north and central China, or one-seventh of the country, was covered in it over the weekend. Responses have included reduced industrial activities, a ban on fireworks and barbecues, raised pollution alerts and reduced vehicles travelling on the roads. Citizens are advised to stay indoors while schools have either stopped classes or suspended outdoor activities. And Chinese officials, after a long period of prioritizing economic development over environmental protection, are now likely to see their future career shaped by how effectively they handle the serious pollution. "Even as a foreigner, I know the pollution has a lot to do with too much focus on economic indicators in evaluating Chinese officials," said Florian Kessler, an executive director with German law firm WZR Consulting. The German executive speaks fluent Chinese, loves Beijing food and is a big fan of Beijing Guo'an Football Club, but after staying in the city for eight years, he now wants to leave. "Since I smoke, I'm okay with the pollution, but I can't let my kid breathe in the polluted air. That's why I'm leaving," Kessler explained. He also said that German companies operating in Beijing, such as BMW, Benz and Volkswagen, have all had a hard time finding staff willing to work here. China has repeated in the past that we would not follow the old path of industrialized nations to develop first and deal with pollution afterward. But the smog is an awkward reminder that our country is already on that path. Whether we can change route depends on the choice Chinese officials make between environment and growth in the years ahead. Which statement below is NOT TRUE according to the passage? A. Smog has affected much of north and central China over the weekend. B. Due to smog, schools must stop classes. C. Chinese officials didn't pay enough attention to the environment protection. D. Like many other nations, China has to deal with pollution, too. Answer: B. Due to smog, schools must stop classes. Wang Lin's Diary Oct.8th,Sunday October 1st is our National Day.It was Sunday.In the morning,our teacher took us to the park.Oh,many people were there.We could see flags and flowers everywhere.We saw people dancing in the park everywhere.We had a good time. This morning I did some cleaning.Then I went to school.In the class,our teacher told us a very interesting story.It was about a French scientist Ampere.Once he was walking in the street when he began to work on a problem on a"blackboard"with a piece of chalk.But it was not a blackboard.It was the back of a carriage .Ampere didn't notice it at all.How hard he worked at his problem! In the evening,it became cloudy.It's going to rain tomorrow,I think. Wang Lin wrote his diary on _ . A. October 1st B. October 4th C. October 7th D. October 8th Answer: D. October 8th
The nuclear leak at the Fukushima power plant in Japan, which followed the deadly earthquake two weeks ago, has caused an unexpected reaction in China. A sudden panic buying of salt occurred in many areas of our country about a week after the disaster. Salt in these districts was almost bought up overnight. Some sellers wanted to make a fortune by raising the price. The panic buying was caused by two major rumors on the Internet: First, iodized salt can protect against radiation. Second, there might be a fall in sea-salt production following the nuclear pollution of the ocean. Such fears are not new. The same kind of panic happened with vinegar during the SARS outbreak and garlic in the time of the influenza period. How can rumors like this spread in such a large country as China? Chen Fang, a reporter with the China Youth Daily said that many Internet users say there is a "crisis of trust" in today's China. "Experts don't have enough credibility and people don't trust all government announcements, either." Chen said. However, Chen added that the rumors should not be exaggerated . Many salt-buyers didn't care; others simply failed to understand what experts and governments were talking about. They just did as their neighbors and friends did. It was a case of the blind following the blind - that was the real reason behind the big increase in the demand for salt. On March 20, the Ministry of Commerce said: "The panic buying of salt has stopped and the market is back to normal." He also said China has enough salt to satisfy demand. Now everything is back to normal, many want to return the salt they bought. But in the view of the Xinhua Daily Telegraph, "It is true that these people paid extra money to buy the salt, but they created the crisis in the first place and caused the price to rise." The newspaper continued: "So there is no reason why they should get the money back." Perhaps consumers should keep the salt to remind themselves that often rumors are without foundation. What is the best title of the passage? Answer: Want to have dinner with First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House? Enter the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge! Are you good at preparing healthy meals? Would you like to dine with First Lady Michelle Obama? If you answered yes to both questions, then you should consider entering the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge. The contest invites kids ages 8 to 12 from across the country to come up with lunch recipes that are both nutritious and delicious. More than 50 winners, including one from each state, will be brought to Washington, D.C., to attend a Kids' State Dinner at the White House. What will be served? The winning recipes, of course! The First Lady teamed up with the recipe website Epicurious to create the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge. The goal is to develop a collection of healthy recipes for kids, by kids. Winning recipes will be available online. "We all want to make sure that our kids are eating nutritious, delicious food at every meal," said First Lady Michelle Obama. With parents and kids all across the country getting creative in the kitchen, I know we'll find healthy meals that every family will enjoy." A group of expert judges, including assistant White House Chef Sam Kass, will choose the winning recipes. The judges will _ lunches that are healthy, tasty and affordable. A winning lunch meal should have items from each of the food groups, including fruit, vegetables, whole grains, protein and some other low-fat foods. You could choose to combine them into one recipe or to create a meal that includes a main dish and side dishes. For more tips on preparing healthy meals, visit choosemyplate.gov. To send in your original lunch recipe, go to recipechallenge.epicurious.com. The deadline is June 17, so get cooking! What's the best title for the text? Answer: Two children stood outside the door with old coats. "Any old papers, Lady?" asked one of them. I was busy. I wanted to say no, but I saw that their shoes were broken and wet. "Come in and I'll make you a cup of hot tea." They came in, saying nothing. Their shoes left snow on the floor. I gave them tea and bread to protect them against the cold outside. Then I went back to the kitchen and started my housework again. The silence in the front room surprised me. I looked in. The girl held the empty cup in her hands, looking at it. The boy asked me in a low voice, "Lady, are you rich?" Am I rich? Oh, no! I looked at my old things in my room. The girl put her cup back in its saucer carefully. "Your cups match your saucers." They left then, holding their papers against the wind. They hadn't said thank you. They didn't need to. They had done more than that. The blue cups and saucers were simple. But they said that they matched. The potatoes and meat before me, a roof over our hands, my husband with a job--these things matched, too. I moved the chairs back from the fire and cleaned the living room. The prints of their small shoes were still wet on my floor. I let them be. I wanted them there to remind me how rich I was. We can learn from the passage that _ . Answer: Along the seashore ,the tall coconut trees waved in he wind. The sand was white in the bright sun, and the ocean was dark blue. The houses in the town near the shore, were painted white. The boats had been pulled up on the shore. Usually they would all be in the water with hard-working fishermen. But today was a holiday, and everyone was preparing for the celebration that was going to take place that evening. In the distance, men could be seen climbing the coconut trees. They were singing as they worked. There were monkeys in the trees, too. The monkeys were jumping up and down and screaming angrily.The climbers just laughed at the monkeys and continued to pick the fruits. What is this passage about? Answer: 1.Your NAME, YEAR of birth, HOME ADDRESS/CITY/STATE/PHONE NUMBER, SCHOOL NAME (and English teacher) and EMAIL ADDRESS, so we can email you if you've published. For photos, place the information on the back of each envelope: PLEASE DON'T FOLD. 2.This statement MUST BE WRITTEN on each work: "I promise the above work is completely original." and sign your name. SEND IT ALL SUMMER! By mail--Teen Ink, Box 30 Newton, MA 02461 On the web--TeenInk.com / Submissions By email--Submissions@TeenInk.com THE FINE PRINT 1. Type print carefully in ink. Keep a copy. 2. Writing may be edited; we reserve the right to publish it without your permission. 3. If due to the personal nature of a piece you don't want your name published,we will respect your request, but you MUST include your name and address for our records. 4. Include a self-addressed envelope, and we'll send a coupon for any Pepsi product and an announcement to let you know we've got your work. 5. If published, you will receive a copy of Teen Ink, and a wooden pen. 6. All works submitted will not be returned and all copyrights belong to Teen Ink. We keep the rights to publish all such works in any forms. All material in Teen Ink is copyrighted to protect us and prevent others from republishing your work. We can conclude from the passage that Teen Ink is a _ . Answer:
A Paul Zindel's death on March 27,2003 ended the brilliant life of a famous writer. Not only did Paul Zindel win a Pulitzer Prize as well as an Obie Prize for his 1970 play The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds, but he was one of the earliest writers in the field of contemporary literature for young adults . The Pigman, published in 1968. is still one of the most well-known and widely-taught novels in the genre, the American Library Association has named it one of the 100 Best of the Best books for Young Adults published between 1967 and 1992, and Zindel's autobiography. The Pigman and Me, was among the 100 Best of the Best Books published for teenagers during the last part of the twentieth century. Six of Zindel's books, in fact, have been voted the Best Books for Young Adults, and most of his recent horror books--such as The Doom Stone and Rats--have been chosen as Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers. Clearly, he was a writer who knew how to interest contemporary children. Recognizing that, the American Library Association in 2002 honored Paul Zindel with the Margaret A. Edwards Prize for his lifetime achievements , and later that same year he was presented with the ALAN Prize for his contributions to Young Adult Literature. With his passing, young readers, teachers, and librarians have lost a great friend. Which of Paul Zindel's books was the most popular with young adults in the20th century? Answer: An object's hardness, taste, and texture are examples of Answer: During my elementary school years,I used to compare my mom with my best friend Tiffany's mom. Tiffany's mom always gave her lots of money to buy the most fashionable clothes and favorite food. Her morn allowed her to do anything she liked. I really admired Tiffany. My mom didn't give me much pocket money and she always told me that I should behave my self. 1 was annoyed with her. Whenever I didn't get what 1 wanted,1 would complain to my mom,Tiffany's mom would give her that!1 wish she were my mom. "Every time,my mom would calmly say "Poor Tiffany". I couldn't understand her. "She shouldn't be feeling sorry for Tiffany!"I thought. "She should be feeling sorry for me. " One day,I couldn't help saying to Morn,"Poor Tiffany?Lucky Tiffany! She gets everything she wants! Why do you feel sorry for her?"I burst into tears. My mom sat down next to me and said softly , "Yes,I do feel sorry for her. I have been teaching you a lesson that she will never be taught. " I looked up at her. "What are you talking about?" Mom said with care,"One day she will really want something. Maybe she'11 find out that she can't have it. Her mother won't always be around to give her money,and what's more,money can't buy everything. " She continued,"I have taught you valuable lessons by not giving you everything you want. You'11 know how to look for bargains and save money,but she won't. You'11 under stand that you need to work hard to get the things that you want but she won't. When Tiffany is a grown woman,she'11 wake up one day and she will be wishing that she had a mom like the one you've got. Life lessons are more important than modern clothes and delicious food. '' It took some time,but I eventually understood my mom's words. Now I am a happy and successful woman. During the author's elementary school years,she_. Answer: Even a small reduction in salt in the diet can be a big help to the heart. A new study used a computer model to predict how just three grams less a day would affect heart disease in the United States. The result: thirteen percent fewer heart attacks. Eight percent fewer strokes. Four percent fewer deaths. Eleven percent fewer new cases of heart disease. And two hundred forty billion dollars in health care savings. Researchers found it could prevent one hundred thousand heart attacks and ninety-two thousand deaths every year. The study is in the New England Journal of Medicine. Kirsten, at the University of California, was the lead author. She says people would not even notice a difference in taste with three grams, or one-half teaspoon, less salt per day. The team also included researchers at Stanford and Columbia University. Each gram of salt contains four hundred milligrams of sodium, which is how foods may list their salt content. The government says the average American man eats ten grams of salt a day. The American Heart Association advises no more than three grams for healthy people. It says salt in the American diet has increased fifty percent since the nineteen seventies, while blood pressures have also risen. Less salt can mean a lower blood pressure. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is leading an effort called the National Salt Reduction Initiative. The idea is to put pressure on food companies and restaurants. Mayor Bloomberg has already succeeded in other areas, like requiring fast food places in the city to list calorie information. Now a study by the Seattle Children's Research Institute shows how that idea can influence what parents order for their children. Ninety-nine parents of three to six year olds took part. Half had McDonald's menus clearly showing how many calories were in each food. The other half got menus without the calorie information. All the following are related to the salt in diet except _ . Answer: Clay Wanner began to gather a group of architects in Las Vegas a few years ago,to ask them what it would take to design a public school that used 50 percent less energy, cost much less to build and obviously improved student learning. "I think half of them fell off their chairs, " Wanner says. Wanner manages school facilities for Clark County, Nevada,a district roughly the size of Massachusetts. By 2018,143,000 additional students will enter the already crowded public education system. Wanner needs 73 new schools to house them. Four architecture teams have nearly finished designing primary school prototypes ;they plan to construct their schools starting in 2009. The district will then assess how well the schools perform, and three winners will copy those designs in 50 to 70 new buildings. Green schools are appearing all over, but in Clark County,which stands out for its vastness, such aggressive targets are difficult because design requirements like more natural light for students go against the realities of a desert climate. "One of the biggest challenges is getting the right site orientation ," Mark McGinty, a director at SH Architecture, says. His firm recently completed a high school in Las Vegas. "You have the same building, same set of windows, but if its orientation is incorrect and it faces the sun, it will be really expensive to cool." Surprisingly, the man who is responsible for one of the most progressive green-design competitions has doubts about ideas of eco-friendly buildings. "I don't believe in the new green religion," Wanner says."Some of the building technologies that you get are impractical. I'm interested in those that work. "But he wouldn't mind if some green features inspire students. He says he hopes to set up green energy systems that allow them to learn about the process of harvesting wind and solar power. "You never know what's going to start the interest of a child to study math and science,"he says. What makes it difficult to build green schools in Clark County? Answer:
Fucheng Garden Villas is situated along the North 4th Ring Road,just 2 kilometres east away from the Asian Games Village with easy traffic connection.It is 5 kilometres from the Beijing Lufthansa Centre. Fucheng Garden Villas occupies an area of 34.7 hectares,over 80% of which is covered by trees and green,just like a garden in the city. All the 108 villas were designed by American Company IDI,in American style,luxurious besides comfortable. All materials of the construction and decoration as well as equipment are famous American products. From June 25 to July 31,1997,preferential prices for sale and rent are offered.You can move into Fucheng Garden Villas on signing an agreement. Bank will provide a 50% mortgage for 5 years. Overseas sales License: NO.124. Developer: Beijing Hongda Read Estate Co.Ltd. 60 East,North 4th Ring Road,Chaoyang District,Beijing. Tel:(8610)64967050 64967049 Fax:(8610)64933575 According to the advertisement,which of the following statements is NOT true? A From June 25 to July 31,1997,you can buy or rent the Fucheng Garden Villas at a low price. B You can't move into Fucheng Garden Villas before signing agreement. C If you haven't got enough money at the moment,you can't buy the Villas. D Not only equipment but also all materials of the construction and the decoration are made in America. Answer: C The National Gallery Description: The National Gallery is the British national art museum built on the north side of Trafalgar Square in London.It houses a diverse collection of more than 2,300 examples of European art ranging from 13thcentury religious paintings to more modern ones by Renoir and Van Gogh.The older collections of the gallery are reached through the main entrance while the more modern works in the East Wing are most easily reached from Trafalgar Square by a ground floor entrance Layout: The modern Sainsbury Wing on the western side of the building houses 13thto 15thcentury paintings,and artists include Duccio,Uccello,Van Eyck,Lippi,Mantegna,Botticelli and Memling. The main West Wing houses 16thcentury paintings,and artists include Leonardo da Vinci,Cranach,Michelangelo,Raphael,Bruegel,Bronzino,Titian and Veronese. The North Wing houses 17thcentury paintings,and artists include Caravaggio,Rubens,Poussin,Van Dyck,Velaazquez,Claude and Vermeer. The East Wing houses 18thto early 20thcentury paintings,and artists include Canaletto,Goya,Turner,Constable,Renoir and Van Gogh. Opening Hours: The Gallery is open every day from 10am to 6pm (Fridays 10am to 9pm) and is free,but charges apply to some special exhibitions. Getting There: Nearest underground stations:Charing Cross (2minute walk),Leicester Square (3minute walk),Embankment (7minute walk),and Piccadilly Circus (8minute walk). In which century's collection can you see religious paintings? A The 13th. B The 17th. C The 18th. D The 20th. Answer: A I am sitting on a beach on this hot summer day and watching two children,a boy and a girl,playing in the sand.They are working hard at building a sandcastle .Just when they are successful, a big wave comes along and puts it down. I think the children may cry because all their hard work turns to nothing, but they surprise me. They run up away from the water, hand in hand, and sit down to build another one. They really teach me a lesson. We can't always be successful.Being sad is doing no good.What we need to do is to start again, hand in hand with our friends. What's the weather like? A It's sunny but cold. B It's windy and cool. C It's sunny and hot. D It's windy but warm. Answer: C Sports can help us a lot. Taking exercise can make us strong. In collectivesports like basketball,volleyball or football,wewill learn the importance of cooperation. And sports can also help us relax after work or study. However,as the saying goes,"There are two sides of everything. "Sometimes we may hurt other players or ourselves if we are not careful enough when participatingin sports activities. What's more,too much or hard practice can be bad for our health. Sports can make us healthy both physically and psychologically. It is also a good way for people to know each other and can improve friendship between people. So long as we are careful enough,sports can do us nothing but good. _ can make us strong. A Taking exercise B Singing C Sleeping D Making friends Answer: A I was in line waiting to pay. In line there were two people before me. A little boy was buying some rather strange clothes. He chatted with anyone who was interested in the clothes and soon we learnt that he was going to a kindergarten party. He had done a great job of putting together interesting costumes. I noticed that the little boy was paying mostly with change . It seemed that he had robbed his pig bank to do this shopping. However, the cashier told him he was short after counting all the money. The boy thought for a moment and said, "Please keep the shirt and I will come back with more money. " It was clear that he had already used all the money he had and he was $ 8.00 short. The lady in front of me said, "Well, I could pay half of that. "I told the boy that I could pay the other half. We dug into our handbags. However, both of us only had ten-dollar bills and we needed the cashier to get the change for us. Other shoppers began digging into their pockets to find some change. It was amazing and touching as all these strangers seemed to react with the same mind. All wanted to be of help. Within minutes the cashier said, "I have too much money." The cashier didn't need our ten-dollar bills. Then the lady in front of me, who had been the first to offer help, said, "Wait! I didn't even get a chance to give anything!" I smiled at her and said, "You did your share, because it was your idea and you started all this. " The little boy smiled and thanked us. We wished him the best and he left. I was left with a good feeling. I had seen the love and goodness of others all around me. The woman in front of me smiled and said, "It sure feels good to give, doesn't it?" I smiled back and said, "Yes !" Why did the writer and the woman both feel glad? A Because the boy had saved some money. B Because they both didn't need to give anything. C Because the cashier didn't look down on the boy. D Because all the shoppers around were willing to help the boy. Answer: D
It was a very different school from those in China. You're not met by imposing doors and concrete walls, and the buildings were inviting. On the front of the main building was inscribed "Lee Elementary School, 1904." Wow! I knew it was an old school. Surrounding the main building were five trailers . One of them was my classroom, 5T. The "T" stood for Mrs. Toalson, my 5th grade teacher. Mrs Toalson showed me to my seat. A girl sitting at my table greeted me. Her name was Regina, and she was a blonde girl from Ukraine. Her eyes were like diamonds, and we had met at a party two days before. During my first morning, we had math class, PE and science. We didn't even have a break! I wondered why? Mrs Toalson said to us: "Guys, line up for the bathroom break please!" All the kids stood up and went outside. I didn't know what "bathroom break" meant. Was it break time? Lunch time? I was confused. Nevertheless, we followed Mrs. Toalson to the main building. We sat in the hallway across from the bathroom. In Chinese, "bathroom" means the WC, and a "break" means having a rest! Gosh, I thought that was weird and why did we have to go to the bathroom together? "Mary and Regina, you may go." When we heard Mrs. Toalson, we went into the bathroom. The bathroom was clean, and it smelled like perfume. I asked Regina what if someone wanted to go to the bathroom during class time. She told me that there was a special pass called a "bathroom pass." All you had to do was raise your hand with the pass to let Mrs. Toalson know you need to go to the bathroom. Then you would be permitted to go. At 3:30pm, school ended for the day. Students put their textbooks in their cabinets and lined up in front of the change room, where they collected their backpacks and coats. As they walked out of the door, each student said "Good bye" and gave Mrs. Toalson a high five. "Did you have a good day today?" Mrs. Toalson asked me as she hugged me goodbye. "Sure!" I nodded. In the author's new school, if a student wants to go to WC during the lesson, what does he or she have to do? Answer: To raise his/her hand with "bathroom pass" and ask his/her teacher's permission. Freda Bright says, "Only in opera do people die of love." It's true. You really can't love somebody to death. I've known people to die from no love, but I've never known anyone to be loved to death. We just can't love one another enough. A hear-warming story tells of a woman who finally decided to ask her boss for a raise in salary. All day she felt nervous and late in the afternoon she summoned the courage to approach her employer. To her delight, the boss agreed to the raise. The woman arrived home that evening to a beautiful table set with their best dishes. Candles were softly glowing. Her husband had come home early and prepared a festival meal. She wondered if someone from the office had tipped him off, or --- did he just somehow know that she would not get turned down? She found him in the kitchen and told him the good news. They embraced and kissed, then sat down to the wonderful meal. Next to her plate the woman found a beautifully lettered note. It read: "Congratulations, darling! I knew you'd get the raise! These things will tell you how much I love you." Someone has said that the measure of love for his wife is love without measure. What this man feels for his wife is total acceptance and love, whether she succeeds or fails. His love celebrates her victories and soothes her wounds. He stands with her, no matter what life throws in their direction. Upon receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, Mother Teresa said, "What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family. And love your friends. Love them without measure." That the husband prepared her a second letter about her raise suggests that _ . Answer: he loves his family members truly, whether they are in good conditions or not It's summer movie time again. Check out our list of four films. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Release Date: November 4 Story: It's the summer before Harry Potter's third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. A dangerous murderer, Sirius Black, has escaped from the Wizards' Prison. And he was ordered to kill Harry Potter. Around the World in 80 Days Release Date: November 16 Story: This version of the classic novel set in 1872 focuses on Passepartout ( Hong Kong actor Jackie Chan), a Chinese thief who seeks refuge with a strange London adventurer, Phileas Fogg. Passepartout uses his martial art skills to defend Fogg from danger as he travels around the world in 80 days. Spider-Man 2 Release Date: November 30 Story: Peter Parker is still coming to accept his dual identity as the crime superhero Spider-Man. He wants to reveal his secret identity to Mary Jane, meanwhile, his Aunt May is in trouble. This is Dr Otto Octavius who has appeared to bring her a lot of troubles. King Arthur Release Date: November 7 Story: King Arthur is presented as a clever ruler who manages to unite all the knights in Britain. Under the guidance of Merlin and the beautiful, brave Guinevere, Arthur will struggle to realize his dreams. In Spider-Man 2, Aunt May's trouble is caused by _ . Answer: Dr Otto Octavius As you are soon on your way to Eastern Europe, here are a few tips on what you should pack. In general, pack lightly, with only the most basic clothes. People dress casually in Eastern Europe, so you don't need to bring along your smartest clothing. Batteries: If your camera, flash, or other appliances run on batteries, bring enough supply along. Certain types of batteries don't exist in Eastern Europe, and those that do often don't last very long. Cash: We have found it good to have supply of small-unit U.S. bills($1and $5) to use in hard-currency stores, to buy international train tickets, etc. The hard-currency stores never seem to have the right _ . Electric Current Adapter : If you bring any appliances, remember that the electricity in Eastern Europe uses 220 volts A.C., not the standard 110 volts of North America. A 110 volts appliance will soon burn out when attached to an unchanged 220-volt plug. Language Tools: One of Europe's biggest challenges is communicating with the local people since their languages are so different from our own. To help overcome difficulties, you might buy phrasebooks before you go -- you won't find them once you are in Eastern Europe. Money Belt: A money belt is especially helpful when you have many documents to carry around ( as you always do in Eastern Europe). The best one we find is made by Eagle Greek Travel Gear, 143 Cedros Ave. (P. O. box 651), Solona Beach, CA 92075 (tel. 619/755 - 9399, or toll free 800/874 - 9925) outside California. Traveler's _ : These are necessary. Bring your traveler's checks in small to medium unit ($10, $20, or $50) to change a little bit at a time, so as not to be left with a lot of local money. To be on the safe side, be sure to copy down the check numbers in two places, just in case something happens to the checks. What's the writer's purpose of writing this passage? Answer: To give you some advice on what you should pack when you're in Eastern Europe. You have a special card which operates the electronic lock on your room door and a key for the main door of the door of the hotel. These are your responsibility and should never be lent to anyone, including your fellow classmates. If you lose them you will be charged PS20 per replacement. Do not leave your room unlocked even for short periods. Unfortunately, theft from student hotels is very common and insurance companies will not pay for stolen goods unless you can prove that your room was broken into by force. _ There are rarely any rooms available for visitors, except at the end of the summer term. Stan Jenkins, the hotel manager, will be able to tell you and can handle the booking. A small charge is made. Stan also keeps a list of local guesthouses, with some information about what they're like, price, etc. You are also allowed to use empty beds for up to three nights, with the owner's permission (for example, if the person who shares your room is away for the weekend ), but you must inform Stan before your guest arrives, so that he has an exact record of who's in the building of a fire breaks out. Students are not allowed to charge each other for this. _ There is a kitchen on each floor where light meals, drinks, etc. maybe prepared. Each has a large fridge and a food cupboard. All food should be stored, clearly marked with the owner's name, in one of these two places. Bedrooms are too warm for food to be stored, and the cleaners have instructions to remove any food found in them. After using the kitchen, please be sure you do all your washing up immediately and leave it tidy. If you use it late in the evening, please also take care that you do so quietly in order to avoid disturbing people in nearby bedrooms. If a friend visits you for the weekend, he or she can _ . Answer: stay at a local guesthouse
The King received news one day that a group outlaws were committing some wrong and cruel acts on a distant border of the kingdom. The news angered the King. He quickly gathered his army and started off for the distant border, leaving his kingdom unguarded and without a ruler. On their long march, the King and his army made camp for the night wherever they could. One rainy day they stopped in a forest, seeking shelter under the trees. They unsaddled their horses and steamed some peas, which they fed to their steeds in long narrow containers. A monkey in a tree nearby saw the horses being fed, and he came racing down, filled both paws with peas, then climbed quickly up to a branch and settled down to eat. But as he opened one paw, a single pea fell to the ground. Without hesitation, the monkey jumped from his branch to hunt for the lost pea, and in doing so,he dropped all the other peas in his paws. The King observed this foolish monkey and was greatly amused. He timed to his minister and asked: "Friend, what do you think of this monkey who would give up so much to _ so little?" "That is the way of the foolish," replied the minister, "they will give up much that is certain for a little that is uncertain." Then he added, "And we, Great King, are we not like the monkey in the trees. To gain so little we neglect so much exactly like the monkey with its pea." The King understood the blame and realized how very foolish he had been himself to leave his kingdom unguarded. He gave out orders to his men, and he and his army returned at once to their country. What did the King do after he knew a group of bad guys were doing something illegal? A. He asked the minister for advice. B. He led his army to defeat them. C. He found some monkeys to feed. D. He looked for shelters in the forest. Answer: B. He led his army to defeat them. Two years ago, Wendy Hasnip, 47, experienced a brain injury that left her speechless for two weeks. When she finally recovered, she found herself talking with what seemed to be a French accent: "I phoned a friend the other day, and she spent the first ten minutes laughing," Hasnip said at the time. "While I have nothing against the French." Hasnip suffered from foreign accent syndrome , a rare condition in which people find themselves speaking their own language Like someone from a foreign country. The condition usually occurs in people who have experienced a head injury or a stroke a sudden loss of consciousness, sensation, or movement caused by a blocked or broken blood vessel in the brain. The condition was first identified during the Second World War in a Norwegian woman whose head was injured during an attack by the German military. The woman recovered but was left with a German-sounding accent, to the horror of fellow villagers who avoided her after that. Researchers have discovered that the combined effect of the damage to several parts of the brain makes victims lengthen certain syllables, mispronounce sounds, and change,the normal pitch of their voice. Those changes in speech add up to what sounds like a foreign accent. Another researcher, a phonetician ,says victims of the syndrome don't acquire a true foreign accent. Their strangely changed speech only resembles the foreign: accent with which it has a few sounds in common. When an English woman named Annie recently developed foreign accent syndrome after a stroke, she spoke with what seemed to be a Scottish accent. However, Annie's Scottish coworkers said she didn't sound at all like a Scot. Writing this passage, the writer's main purpose is to _ . A. introduce foreign accent syndrome and some related information B. warn people not to be at the risk of experiencing a stroke C. make it clear that foreign accent syndrome can be cured D. tell a story of an injured woman dining the Second World War Answer: A. introduce foreign accent syndrome and some related information Britain Today Food British people like good food,and more than half of them go to a restaurant every month. Fast food is also very popular-- 30% of all adults have a hamburger every three months, but46% have fish and chips! Sports British people don't do a lot of sports. Only 17% of people go swimming every week,about 9% go cycling and 8% play golf--and only 6% of people play football( but 32% go to watch it ). Cinema and TV Films are very popular in Britain,and about 60% of people between 15 and 24 go to the cinema every month. At home, men watch TV for about three hours every day -- two quarters more than women. Holidays British people love going on holiday,and have 56 million holidays every year. Most of these holidays aren't in the UK--27% are in Spain,10% are in the USA,and 9% are in France. Maybe this is because the weather in Britain isn't very good! , How long do British women spend watching TV every day? A. Three hours. B. Three hours and a half C. Two hours D. Two hours and a half Answer: D. Two hours and a half Click and shop Do you always go shopping at the supermarket or often forget to buy something? If you do forget something,we believe you never want to go back for it.But with Webshop,our new Internet shopping service,you won't have to.Also avoid standing so long to pay for what you get.Start shopping online now! Eat what you like Do you usually want to avoid eating any spicy food? Do you always regret drinking t oo much fizzy drinks? Well,now it's time for you to hold a chance to change the things.You'd better try taking our Gasgo and begin to feel the difference! 24 hours to success Do you regret not working harder at school? Do you want to improve your languages? With Polyglot's system ,you can learn to speak any language in 24 hours! Try following our system and see how different it is from the rest.Why not make an early start in a class today? You're never too old to surf Do you want to surf the Internet but think you're too old to start learning new skills? If so,why not take a course at Compu Wiz? We promise to make you master a computer whatever your age.Don't forget to call us before July 1st at 2819 0818,and receive a 50% lower price on lessons. According to the passage,one can _ . A. take a surfing course at Webshop in a class B. possibly learn to speak English in 24 hours C. try taking Gasgo food or drinks when he is old D. do shopping online without paying for his things Answer: B. possibly learn to speak English in 24 hours What tool is used to determine the mass of an object? A. Balance B. Meter stick C. Thermometer D. Graduated cylinder Answer: A. Balance
Question: When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it were your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself, "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choice in life. About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that was incurable, and that I would live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is my doctors' code for preparing yourself to die. I lived with that diagnosis all day. I was completely in despair. Later that evening, I had another examination and my wife told me that tumor turned to be curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I' m fine now. This was the closest I've been to facing death. To tell the truth, no one wants to die. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. It clears out the old to make room for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Your time is so limited that you shouldn't waste it repeating someone else's life. Don' t be trapped by dogma -- which is living with the results of other people' s thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most importantly, have the courage to follow your heart. It somehow already knows what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary. Ks5u In the author's opinion, we should _ . A. follow others' advice B. take no notice of diseases C. take exercise and keep healthy D. have the courage to follow our heart Answer: D Question: Bicycle Safety Operation Always ride your bike in a safe, controlled manner on campus. Obey rules and regulations. Watch out for walkers and other bicyclists, and always use your lights in dark conditions. Theft Prevention Always securely lock your bicycle to a bicycle rack ---even if you are only away for a minute. Register your bike with the University Department of Public Safety. It's fast, easy, and free. Registration permanently records your serial number, which is useful in the possible recovery of the bike stolen. Equipment Brakes Make sure that they are in good working order and adjusted properly. Helmet A necessity, make sure your helmet meets current safety standards and fit properly. Lights Always have a front headlight---visible at least 500 feet in front of the bike. A taillight is a good idea. Rules of the Road Riding on Campus As a bicycle rider, you have a responsibility to ride only on streets and posted bicycle paths. Riding on sidewalks or other walkways can lead to a fine. The speed limit for bicycles on campus is 15mph, unless otherwise posted. Always give the right of ways to walkers. If you are involved in an accident, you are required to offer appropriate aid, call the Department of Public Safety and remain at the scene until the officer lets you go. Bicycle Parking Only park in areas reserved for bikes. Trees, handrails, hallways, and sign posts are not for bicycle parking, and parking in such posts can result in a fine. If Things Go Wrong If you break the rules, you will be fined. Besides violating rules while riding bicycles on campus, you could be fined for: No bicycle registration-----------------------------------------------------$25 Bicycle parking banned---------------------------------------------------$30 Blocking path with bicycle ----------------------------------------------$40 Violation of bicycle equipment requirement -------------------------$35 When you ride a bicycle on the campus, _ . A. ride on posted bicycle paths and sidewalks B. cycle at a speed of over 15 mph C. put the walkers' right of way first D. call the police before leaving in a case of accident Answer: C Question: Seasons of the year highly impact what? A. Moods B. Environment C. Behavior D. Consumption Answer: B Question: He was driving home one evening when he saw an old lady standing by the road. He could tell she needed help. So he stopped his car in front of her car and got out. He smiled at her, but she was worried. Was he going to hurt her? He looked poor and hungry. He said: "I'm here to help you ma'am. Why don't you wait in the car? By the way ,my name is Joe." She had a flat tire . Joe crawled under the car and soon he was able to change the tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt. She said that she couldn't thank him enough for his help. Joe just smiled as he closed her trunk . She asked him how much she owed him. But Joe wasn't thinking about the money. This was helping someone in need. He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she should lend a hand. He waited until she had driven off and felt good as he headed for home. A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went in to get a bite to eat. The waitress brought a clean towel for her to wipe her wet hair. The waitress was nearly eight months pregnant .It was tiring for her to move about. But she did it all with a sweet smile on her face. The lady was moved by the wonderful service the waitress was giving. After the lady had finished her meal, and the waitress had gone to get her change from a Y=100 bill, the lady slipped out the door. At her table, the waitress found something written on a napkin. There were tears in her eyes when she read what the lady had written. It said: "You don't owe me a thing. I know life is hard for you right now. Someone once helped me out, the way I'm helping you. If you really want to pay me back, don't let the chain of love end with you." The old lady was moved by the waitress because_. A. she was nearly eight months pregnant B. it was tiring for her to move about C. there was a sweet smile on her face D. she offered him a wonderful service Answer: D Question: Ram-raiders armed with hammers smashed their way into an exclusive jewellery store in central Sydney. The thieves used a white four-wheel drive (4WD) to smash through the back window of the Mondial Neuman store in the historic Queen Victoria Building just before 9 a.m. on January 19. Detective Sergeant Paul Dunstan said three or four people were believed to have been in the 4WD. He said two or three people armed with what were thought to be hammers entered the shop through the smashed window, which fronts York St, before taking jewellery and driving away in a red Audi car. It's too early to say how much was taken, police said, but luckily, none of the store's workers was injured in the attack. A woman was working next door to the jewellery store. She saw the drama unfold and called the police. "I was just going to go upstairs when I saw the car stop," she said, "It mounted the kerb and at first Ijust thought it was a bad driver. Then I saw a person who was masked jump out of the back seat and move a cafe table out of the way.The truck just rammed into the window." She said the man then went back to the car and got a bag out of the back seat before going into the store. "I was shaking. I was scared they would see me. I heard screaming from the next door," she said, "you know, this is the second time in several months the store has been robbed." A police spokesman said detectives were still talking to witnesses and the owners of the store. From the passage we learn the robbers _ . A. used hammers to fight the police B. used a red car to get into the jewellery store C. robbed the same shop for the second time in a year D. went into the store through the broken window Answer: D
Question: An organ pipe produces a musical note same number of nitrogen gas molecules. with a wavelength of 2.72 m. What is the frequency of this note if the speed of sound is 348 m/s? A. 85.7 Hz B. 128 Hz C. 260 Hz D. 466 Hz Answer: B Question: The sun is a huge, hot, bright star. It is important because without it there would be no life on Earth. The sun gives us light and heat. All living things need light and heat from the sun to live. Plants need light and heat to grow. They use the light from the sun to make food. We cannot make our own food, but plants can. All the food we eat comes from plants in a food chain which starts with the sun. For example, Animals need sunlight, too. Just like us, their food comes from a food chain which begins with the sun and the plants. sun- leaf- caterpillar -bird sun- seaweed -small fish- whale Sunlight means we can see during the day. If there was no sun, it would be dark all the time. Even when the sky is cloudy, the sunlight is very strong and it shines through the clouds. Why can we still see during the day when the sky is cloudy? A. Because we can see all day and all night. B. Because the sun can't give us light all day long. C. Because the sunlight can shine through the clouds. D. Because we can't see at night. Answer: D Question: Peter was a boy of 14. His parents went to gambling day and night. Nobody cared about him. He always failed in his exams. So his teachers didn't like him, and nor did his classmates play with him. Peter often slept in class because his heart was not in school. He almost gave himself up. One day, Miss Jerry, a new teacher, came to Peter's class. She was a smiling, beautiful woman. Peter was in love! For the first time in his young life, he couldn't take his eyes off his teachers; yet, still he failed. It was Miss Jerry's class. She was asking a question. "I'd like the smartest boy to answer my question." Then she said loudly, "Peter, please!" Peter was surprised. And he stood up without a word. "Just try it! I believe you can!" After school, Miss Jerry had a long talk with Peter. She told him that she cared about him and believed in him. Peter thought a lot that evening. From then on he arrived at school on time every day. Miss Jerry helped him with his homework in the afternoon. She even cooked delicious food for him. She told Peter, "Nothing is impossible if you put your heart in it." Later, Miss Jerry gave another exam. Peter did it with all his heart. He was very excited to find that he had passed the exam. Now Peter discovered that not only could he learn well, but he could do it well. A change took place in Peter's heart. Miss Jerry changed Peter by _ . A. doing homework for him B. encouraging and helping him C. giving Peter another exam D. cooking delicious food for him Answer: B Question: Let's face it.No one drinks diet soda for the taste.People drink diet soda in the hope that it will help them lose weight or at least keep them from gaining it.Yet it seems to have exactly the opposite effect, according to a new study. Researchers from the University of Texas said those who drank two or more diet sodas a day had waist size increases that were six times greater than those who didn't drink diet soda."What we saw was that the more diet sodas a person drank, the more weight they were likely to gain," said Sharon Fowler. The study was based on data from 474 participants in a large, ongoing research project, where the participants were followed for nearly l0 years. While the findings are surprising, they also offer some explanations. Nutrition expert, Melanie Rogers, who works with overweight patients in New York, has found that when patients are switched from regular to diet soda, they don't lose weight at all."We weren't seeing weight loss necessarily, and that was confusing to us," said Rogers. So why would diet soda cause weight gain? No one knows for sure yet, but it could be that people think they can eat more if they drink diet soda, and so over-compensate for the missing calories. A related study found some sweeteners raised blood sugar levels in some mice."Data from this and other potential studies suggest that the promotion of diet sodas and artificial sweeteners may be risky," said Helen P.Hazuda, professor at the University of Texas's school of medicine." _ may be free of calories, but not of consequences." People drink diet soda to _ . A. enjoy its taste B. achieve weight loss C. stay in fashion D. gain more energy Answer: B Question: Sagrada Familia ( 2,056,448 visits/year) Opening hours: 09:00-18:00 (October-March) 09:00-20:00 (April-September). Admission: $11, or $10 with the Barcelona Card. Disabled access: Yes. The temple has been under construction since 1882 and they've still got another 30 to 80 years to go before it will be finished. The project's vast scale and its special design have made it one of Barcelona's top tourist attractions for many years. La Pedrera (1,133,220 visits/year) Opening hours: 09:00-18:30 (November-February) 09:00-20:00 (March-October) Admission: $9.50. Save 20% with the Barcelona Card. Disabled access: No. This building used to be called Casa Mila, but nowadays it's more commonly known as La Pedrera. It was made of bricks and had colorful tiles . Barcelona FC Museum (1,032,763 visits/year) Opening hours: 6th April-4th October: (Monday to Saturday) 10:00-20:00; the rest of the year: 10:00 to 18:30. Admission: $8.50 for entry to museum and an extra $17 for a guided tour. Disabled access: Yes. It is now generally considered as the best football museum in the world. You can see so many trophies , pictures and statues of great football players. I'm not a football fan but I still enjoyed walking round this museum. Miro Museum (518,869 visits/year) Opening hours: Check website for details as they vary depending on the time of the year. Admission: $8. Save 20% with the Barcelona Card. Disabled access: Yes. This museum has a wide range of Miro's works dating back as far as 1914. This artwork collection includes not only his paintings but also a good selection of sculptures. If you visit the Barcelona FC Museum with a tour guide, you should pay _ . A. $8.5 B. $25.5 C. $17 D. $25 Answer: B
The US recession has opened up the biggest gap between male and female unemployment rates since records began in 1948, as men bear the blow of the economy's decline. Men have lost almost 80% of the 5.1 million jobs since the recession started, pushing the male unemployment rate to 8.8%. The female jobless rate has hit 7%. This is a dramatic change of the trend over the past few years, where the rates of male and female unemployment barely differed, at about 5%. It also means that women could soon overtake men as the majority of the prefix = st1 /USlabour force. Men have been badly hurt because they dominate those industries that have been affected: 9 in every 10 construction workers are male, as are 7 in every 10 manufacturing workers. These two sectors alone have lost almost 2.5 million jobs. Women, in contrast, tend to hold more stable jobs and make up 75% of the most unaffected sectors of all: education and healthcare. "It protects them a little bit and softens the blow," said Francine Blau, a labour market economist at CornellUniversity. "I think we are going to see this pattern until the recovery." The widening gap between male and female joblessness means many US families are totally reliant on the income the woman brings in. Since women earn on average 20% less than men, that is putting extra stress on many households. What does Francine Blau really mean by his words? A. Most households in the USdepend entirely on the female income. B. The female superiority in certain sectors may continue for the moment. C. Men won't dominate industries like building and manufacturing as they once did. D. Little difference existed between the rates of male and female joblessness in the past. Answer: B Every year, millions of Americans see their personal information leak into the wrong hands. Maybe there's spyware on the their computer, or a service they use suffered a security reach, leaving customers at the risk of exposure. Or perhaps their password is easy to guess. Don't fear: You can easily set up proper defenses. Here's how. * Clean Your Computer and Smartphone Before you put new security measures into place, make sure your devices are as spotless as possible. This means installing a good antivirus program and taking the time to clear out any spy -- or malware that may have already infected your system. These days, it's also worth it to make sure your phone is safe from viruses. Iphones are less likely to be targeted by spyware, but Android users should download the Lookout app to scan their devices and ensure everything is as it should be. * Secure Your WiFi. It's fairly easy for potential criminals to gain access to your information if they're able to share your connection -- that's why you want to be careful when using public WiFi. Even though you put security measures into place a couple of years ago, it's a good idea to refresh your settings. * Use passwords What you've heard is true: Passwords should use a variety of special characters, numerals, letters, and cases when possible. * Check the shopping security Take care when shopping online. Always check the security symbols when using an online site for shopping. If the lock icon encryption is not there, do not give out credit details. Also, check that the site is legal -- never go to a site from a random email and start shopping online. Keep a separate credit card just for online shopping. This will make it easier to cancel if something bad does happen and your other credit card for "in real life" can still be used uninfluenced. Don't store information on any store's website. It may be convenient but it's also a possible loss to you if the site is hacked. To put new security measures into place, we need to _ . A. clear out everything in the system B. make a random selection of network C. get rid of potential spyware D. refresh the infected system Answer: C Jascha Richter once sang "don't need too much talking without saying anything" to reveal his lonely feeling in a crowd. Dad always told me never to ever reveal my true opinions towards other people if such opinions are negative. He said this is the "Chu Shi Zhe Xue", the philosophy of dealing with social network. It seems that everybody here just follows this philosophy very, very well. Friends. I would say that if I were given true friendship I would definitely treasure it with my greatest care. If I really regard someone as my close friend, I would never leave her alone whenever she's in need, either financially or mentally. And I always believe, as long as I treat people with whole-hearted honesty, I would have some rewards--at least, just ONE true friend of the same gender . Sometimes I just miss my friends in China. Perhaps when we became friends, we were still young, too young to have been polluted by any dirt in the society. But here, it is simply different. It seems that all of us have learnt how to SURVIVE in a foreign land and such an experience actually makes us learn how to extract the most benefits from the surroundings in order to survive. All are friends around me. I've looked through all the dark sides of their personalities and yet I have to pretend that I know nothing. THEY ARE GOOD. THEY ARE GOOD. AND WE ARE FRIENDS. And then I can make myself comfortable enough to talk to people I hate the most. And of course, they don't say any words truly from their hearts. Neither do I. But, sometimes I just feel unwilling to talk to these people. Sometimes, I just want to be alone, quietly, without being forced to listen to their gossip or other useless words. "Standing on a mountain high Looking at the moon through a clear blue sky I should go and see some friends But they don't really comprehend" Jascha Richter expresses my feelings also. 69. Which of the following statements about the writer is TRUE? A. She is now living abroad but doesn't enjoy the life there. B. She absolutely believes in her father's philosophy. C. She shows a positive attitude towards her relationship with others. D. She thinks highly of her friends by repeating "They are good". Answer: A New research finds a link between poverty and poor decision making. The findings may explain why poor people sometimes make bad choices that continue their hardship. Earlier studies have found the poor less likely to escape poverty. But there has been little research on why the poor make decisions that make their lives harder. Until recently, it was economists who studied poverty, not psychologists. Eldar Shafir, a psychologist in Princeton University says now scientists from both fields work together. Mr. Shafir and his team did two experiments. One took place at a shopping center in New Jersey. Another was carried out among sugar cane farmers in rural India. The New Jersey experiment involved individuals with low paying jobs and others belonged to the middle class. All the volunteers were asked what they would do if their cars needed repairs. The volunteers were given two imaginary situations. In the first, the car repairs cost $ 150. In the second, $ 1,500. "And what we found is that the poor and the rich performed equally well on almost all the tests. " Not so when the researchers raised the repair costs to $ 1,500. "Now the poor performed significantly worse. " The poorer lost about 13 IQ points on average. This is about the loss experienced when a person has not slept for one night. The scientists then wondered if the same person reacted differently when he was rich and when he was poor. The Indian sugar cane farmers earn most of their money once a year, when the harvest comes in. But the money often does not last through the year. "So they find themselves basically rich after the harvest when the income comes in and poor just before the harvest. The researchers gave them tests similar to the ones taken by the people in New Jersey. They tested the Indian farmers before the harvest and after. And the results were much the same as with the mall shoppers. "They performed much more slowly and with many more mistakes when they were poorer than when they were richer. " Mr. Shafir says the results support 50 years of research that shows all humans have limited mental power to deal with things in life. "And so the insight here is that, having not enough of something in a way makes it harder to make good decisions for everything else. " What could be the best title for the passage?_( ) A. Once poor, always poor? B. Why are poor people poorer? C. Poverty weakens brain power. D. Different experiments, different findings. Answer: C One day, little Mike's mother went to the river to do some washing.Before she left, she said to him: "Mike,while I am away, stay near the door and watch it all the time! "She said this because she was afraid of the thieves. Mike sat down beside the door.After an hour,one of his uncles came.He asked Mike, "Where is your mother? " "She has gone to the river to do some washing."Mike answered.""Well."said his uncle, "now it is a quarter to two.Three hours later we are going to visit your family.Go and tell her about it,for I'm too busy, I have to hurry..." After his uncle had gone away,Mike began to think , "Mother had asked me to watch the door all the time and my uncle told me to go and tell my mother. What shall I do?"he thought and thought. Finally he pulled down the door, put it on his back and went to the river with it. . What should Mike do? _ . A. He should lock the door before he went to the river. B. He should ask his uncle to tell his mother. C. He should go to the river with the door open. D. He should watch the door all the time. Answer: A
Baymax, a new Disney character, has made everyone like him and want to hug him. The big robot is from the Disney movie--- Big hero 6. He lives with a fourteen-year-old smart boy called Hiro Hamada. Baymax has helped Hiro get through hard times after Hiro's elder brother died in an accident. Soon Hiro finds that some bad people are behind his brother's death and want to take the city. To stop it , he uses his high-tech gadgets and turns Baymax and his four other friends into super heroes. The movie has received very good feedback . In February, the movie won the best animation feature of the 87thOscar Awards. Baymax has become popular thanks to his big soft body and his comforting voice. People say his love can be found on the screen. Mothers in Japan have started to make Baymax-sharped white rice balls for children. In China, fans warmly call him "the big white". The friendship between Baymax and Hiro makes many people cry in the cinema. As a nursing robot, Baymax is never designed to be a super hero. He dares to love you without expecting anything for himself. I think we all love him because of his love. Why is Baymax popular? Answer: Will you want me to read a whole book in English? Yes. Believe it or not, that may be easier than you think. Not all classics are so difficult or complicated. So you're not limited to the simplified versions. And the easier books are not all for children. In the original versions ,books may send you to the dictionary. And you might not understand everything you read. But reading one from cover to cover will give you a real sense of accomplishment. The key is to find the right books. Let's take a look at these. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (C.S. Lewis) Stepping into an old wardrobe, four English schoolchildren find themselves in the magical world of Narnia. On this delightful land, they find friends among the many talking creatures. The children soon discover, however, that Narnia is ruled by the White Witch. Edmund, one of the children, falls under her power. Who can free Narnia? Only Aslan, the great and noble lion. He alone knows the Deeper Magic. But the children themselves must help fight the battle against the White Witch and those who serve her. The Old Man and the Sea (Ernest Hemingway) Santiago, an old Cuban fisherman, hasn't caught any fish in more than 80 days. Sailing far out from land, the old man hooks an enormous fish. That begins an agonizing three-day battle. First he struggles against the great fish. Then he must fight off the sharks that circle the little boat and threaten to eat his fish. Exhausted and bleeding, the old man arrives back at shore. But his fish, his beautiful fish . . . Hemingway won the Nobel Prize for this superb story of strength and courage, of victory and regret. A Wrinkle in Time (Madeleine Lingle) Meg's father, a U.S. government scientist, has been missing for many months. He had been experimenting with time travel when he mysteriously disappeared. Now Meg, her little brother Charles Wallace and her friend Calvin will try to rescue him. But first they must _ the forces of evil they encounter on their journey through time and space. Can they find Meg's father before it's too late? This novel is more than just a science-fiction adventure. It's an exploration of the nature of our universe. The Pearl (John Steinbeck) One day Kino, a poor Mexican pearl diver, finds a magnificent pearl. With it he dreams of buying a better life, new clothes and schooling for his son. Instead, it brings only evil. His wife pleads with him to get rid of it. "No," says Kino. "I will have my chance. I am a man." But when he kills a man who is trying to steal the pearl, Kino and his wife must run for their lives. This tale of dreams, justice and the power of greed is told simply and beautifully. A Wrinkle in Time is different from other books mentioned in the passage in that _ . Answer: when fuel efficiency increases, gasoline use in cars will Answer: Today, there are many chances for those who wish to continue their education. However, nearly all require some break in one's career in order to attend school full time. Part-time education, that is, attending school at night or for one weekend a month, tends to drag the process out over time and puts the completion of a degree program out of reach of many people. Additionally, such programs require a fixed time commitment which can also impact negatively on one's career and family time. Of the many approaches to teaching and learning, however, perhaps the most flexible is that called distance learning. Distance learning is an educational method which allows the students the flexibility to study at his or her own pace to achieve the academic goals which are so necessary in today's world. The time required to study may be set aside at the student's convenience. Additionally, the student may enroll in distance learning courses from actually any place in the world, while continuing to pursue their chosen career. Individual assistance may be available via regular airmail, telephone, fax machine, teleconferencing and over the Internet. Good distance learning programs are characterized by the inclusion of a subject evaluation tool with every subject, so a student doesn't need to travel away from home to take a test. Another characteristic of a good distance learning program is the equivalence of the distance learning course with the same subject materials as those students taking the course on the home campus. The resultant diploma or degree should also be the same whether distance learning or on-campus study is employed. The individuality of the professor/student relationship is another characteristic of a good distance learning program. In the final analysis, a good distance learning program has a place not only for the individual student but also the company or business that wants to work in partnership with their employees for the educational benefit, professional development, and business growth of the organization. Supporting distance learning programs for their employees gives the business the advantage of retaining career-minded people while contributing to their personal and professional growth through education. Good distance learning program have the following characteristics EXCEPT _ . Answer: Have you ever had a troubling problem that has left you wondering where to turn for help? Eve Hobsbawm is a life adviser.She offers advice to people struggling with all kinds of problems, from relationship difficulties to what to cook for dinner. She does this through a website inviting people to email her with their problems.There ' s nothing unusual about that, except for the fact that Eve is only eight years old. This junior trouble-shooter, who also goes by the name 'Miss Evie Mouse' , lives in London with her parents.Not only is Miss Mouse willing to lend an ear to her clients, she will also offer them a helping hand, for a fee of course.She charges between 10p for advice on little, everyday worries and PS for more complicated problems.Her areas of expert knowledge, if not of experience, are problems about love, life and work-life balance. A problem shared is a problem halved, but Eve can' t always help.A note on the site states that she can't answer questions like "Does space ever end?" and she won't solve schoolwork-related problems, especially not maths. She explained to the Guardian newspaper that she was inspired to set up the company by her father who runs a tech start-up.Eve said, "As soon as I saw his business and understood the kinds of things businesses do, I thought that' s what I' m going to do." But since setting up her company in December she has been so overwhelmed with messages that she has had to take a step back."There has been a lot of sudden interest in my site, which is nice," she says, " but I need to do my homework too, so I won' t be solving any more problems for a bit." Eve Hobsbawm is an unusual adviser because she _ . Answer:
Newly made proteins are modified in which organelle? A. ribosome B. endoplasmic reticulum C. mitochondrion D. nuclear envelop Answer: B One key physical process in beach formation is wave action. Sand is deposited on beaches as waves break onto the shoreline and the energy from the wave scatters. Which type of energy is most used by wave action to modify the shape of the beaches? A. thermal B. potential C. chemical D. mechanical Answer: D Irina,now 46,never imagined she'd one day make a living as a balloon artist.The daughter of an engineer and a teacher,she won top academic awards in high school,went on to medical school and became an emergency room physician in a small city. "I loved the science of medicine," she says today,"but being a doctor was very hard.I saw things people don't normally see--women giving birth in the street,people getting drunk and killing someone." Medications were scarce,making it very difficult to treat those in need.When Irina was 33,a girlfriend showed her a magazine photo of an American named Wes Patterson.They began exchanging letters,and married that December.Irina took a public relations job.Then,a few years ago,she watched a man at a party twist a skinny balloon into the shape of a dog. _ Irina soon purchased a tiny pump and a supply of balloons and began practicing on the sidewalks.Observers challenged her to create all kinds of figures.Now,Irina says,"There's nothing I can't make." Many years ago,Irina's husband developed a serious disease which now keeps him homebound."But he is a very wonderful man," Irina says.Thanks to her new career,she is able to support them both,performing about five events weekly and earning as much as $2,000 per appearance. "Irina's a wonder," says Marlene Berg,chief development officer for the Florida Heart Research Institute."She turned the evening into magic." "My whole life has become magic," Irina says,"and it's all come from a balloon." All the following words below can be used to describe Irina except _ . A. Proud B. Hardworking C. Honest D. Clever Answer: C The computers changed our lives in the 1980s, the Internet changed our lives in the 1990s, and the robots will change our lives in the new century. Do you think there will be robots in people's homes? It's not a dream that every home will have a robot. Now, robots are not only able to help people do the housework, they can also help the doctors do the difficult operations, play chess with people, play the piano and so on. A new cooking robot is used in Beijing. It can cook all the dishes on the menu, you only need to wait two to four minutes, in the future, the robot will be a nurse, a security guard, or a partner in your life. Experts believe robots will be used everywhere from the industrial( ) robots to service robots. In the future, robots will become part of the family, and provide else service for people. We all look forward to the new robot age. According to the passage, we know that a new cooking robot is being used in _ . A. the future B. Beijing C. many countries D. many families Answer: B As far back as 700 B. C, man has talked about children being cared for by wolves. Romulus and Remus, the legendary twin founders of Rome, were said to have been cared for by wolves. It is believed that when a she-wolf loses her litter, she tries to get human child to take its place. This seemingly foolish and unreasonable idea did not become believable until the late nineteenth century when a French doctor actually found a ten-year-old boy having nothing on wandering in the woods. He didn't walk upright, could not speak understandably, nor could he relate to people. He only growled and stared at them. Finally the doctor won the boy's confidence and began to work with him. After many long years of devoted and patient teaching, the doctor was able to get the boy to clothe and feed himself, recognize and say a number of words, as well as write letters and form words. In this passage, the word "relate to" most nearly means _ . A. tell B. understand C. listen to D. write to Answer: B
The best family vacations are the ones where everyone is entertained and everyone gets along Not sure how to do that,especially if traveling with kids is involved? A travel agent is your answer. A travel agent can recommend the best destinations,resorts and cruises for family-friendly vacations.For vacations with kids,simply share the interests of your children as well as what the adults going on the vacation enjoy doing, and your travel egent can put together the ideal trip for your family,with activities and kids' clubs for the children and entertainment for the adults. Travel agents can even arrange trustworthy childeare,so you can have a kids-free evening on your vacation. Travel agents can also help plan memorable pleasure trips during your vacation.They can advise on the best water parks and get you front-of-the line tickets, or they can give tips on what time to visit certain natural wonders for the best views and fewer crowds. They can also recommend which restaurants are the most family-friendly and take care of the reservations for you. Vacations for kids can be stressful enough (packing,keeping everyone entertained on the plane ride,finding kid--friendly foods, etc)without having the added worry of "what if something goes wrong?''A travel agent will take over if any accident occurs on your trip and will spend time calling companies and researching options until your problem is solved-whether that means you need to re-book a flight or find a trustworthy doctor for your child who has suddenly come down with an illness. Finally, a travel agent will make it easier to bond with your family by recommending the perfect vacation for your family's interests and needs. By taking the planning stress and trip organization off you and giving it to a travel agent, you'll be able to simply enjoy spending time with your family. What might be the best title of the text? Answer: "The Heart of the Matter," the newly-released report by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAAS), deserves praise for attaching the importance of the humanities and social sciences to the prosperity and security of liberal democracy in America. Regrettably, however, the report's failure to address the true nature of the crisis facing liberal education may cause more harm than good. In 2010, leading congressional Democrats and Republicans sent letters to the AAAS asking that it identify actions that could be taken by federal states and local governments, universities, foundations, educators, individual benefactors and others to maintain national excellence in humanities and social scientific scholarship and education. In response, the AAAS formed the Committee on the Humanities and Social Sciences. Among the Committee's 51 members are top-university presidents, scholars, lawyers, judges, and business executives, as well as distinguished figures from diplomacy, filmmaking, music and journalism. The goals identified in the report are generally admirable. Because the government supports full literacy of citizens, the report stresses the study of history and government, particularly American history and American government; and encourages the use of new digital technologies. To encourage innovation and competition, the report calls for increased investment in research, the introduction of a series of curricula that improve students' ability to solve problems and communicate effectively in the 21st century, increased funding for teachers and the encouragement of scholars to bring their learning into practice on the great challenges of the day. The report also advocates greater study of foreign languages, international affairs and the expansion of study abroad programs. Unfortunately, despite 2 years in the making, "The Heart of the Matter" never gets to the heart of the matter: the illiberal nature of liberal education at our leading colleges and universities. The committee ignores that for several decades America's colleges and universities have produced graduates who don't know the content and character of liberal education and are thus deprived of its benefits. Sadly, the spirit of inquiry once at home on campus has been replaced by the use of the humanities and social sciences as vehicles for publicizing "progressive". Today, professors routinely treat the progressive interpretation of history and progressive public policy as the proper subject of study while portraying conservative or classical liberal ideas--such as free markets and self-reliance--as falling outside the boundaries of routine, and sometimes legal intellectual investigation. The AAAS displays great enthusiasm for liberal education. Yet its report may well hold back reform by obscuring the depth and breadth of the challenge that Congress asked it to clarify. Which of the following would be the best title for the text? Answer: I would recommend uVolunteer Programs in Costa Rica to anyone. Everyone can learn something and enjoy their time here if they have the ability to adapt to different circumstances and a sense of adventure. I came to San Ramon---the capital of Costa Rica, hardly knowing any Spanish, so the first thing I did there was to take Spanish courses at Spanish Language School for a week. My family stay was also of great help to my language study, but that experience with the classes gave me _ on the language, which has been extremely valuable. Once in San Ramon, I was fortunate enough to experience several projects with amazing people. I taught Adult English Night Classes, helped at an elementary school, and also went to the Community Center in Bajo. The adult classes are just so awesome because it can be really engaging, social, and fun while being educational. We all learned a lot from each other and became pretty close. The Sabana School was a nice elementary school right by the dorm. The kids were so incredibly nice, even giving me lots of hugs and small gifts. I came at a time when there were many holiday celebrations so there were some scheduling challenges, resulting in me being there to assist English classes a couple of hours in the morning. I decided to go to Bajo in the afternoons. I, like all of the other volunteers, absolutely loved it. This is a place where I felt I was really helping in a more significant way. The kids started to open up more to me the more I was there playing with the kids and helping with the educational programs. The staff and kids are just incredible. Aside from work, we decided on some weekend trips. By the end of my stay I had experienced hot volcanic springs in La Fortuna, snorkeling and hiking with incredible wildlife in Puerto Viejo, caving in Nicaragua, and kayaking and night fishing (we ate the fish too) in Playa Hermosa. I also enjoyed dancing, eating, and watching performances during the San Ramon festivals. The author participated in several volunteer projects in San Ramon EXCEPT _ . Answer: "Mom, can I bake some bread?" We were 15, my best friend, Hanna, and I, determined to try our hands at creating some beautiful bread. "It's not worth the trouble," my mother said. "It takes lots of time and makes a big mess. Our bakery bread is delicious without all that effort." Begging was useless. Mom's "no" meant "No!" But several weeks later, opportunity knocked: My parents were going out for the evening. I immediately invited Hanna to be my partner in bread-baking crime. We studied the recipe. That was easy. "Mix oil into flour then beat in four of the eggs, one at a time, with remaining sugar and salt." We were not good at breaking eggs. I tried to learn from my mother. "Gradually add eight cups of flour. When dough holds together, squeeze it." We took turns working like that. "Is the dough 'holding together'?" we asked each other. I remembered my neighbor's instructions: "If it's too sticky, add some flour; if too dry, add water." We added water. Then more flour. Then more water. By then, the mass of our dough had grown very much. "Place dough on floured surface and squeeze till smooth," the recipe instructed. We took turns burying our hands in the damp dough, pinching, squeezing, and feeling it leak between fingers. "Clean and oil bowl, then return dough to bowl. Cover and let dough rise in warm place for 1 hour." This was good news --- we'd have a break. On dirtied kitchen chairs, we dreamed about our beautiful bread. "See?" we would tell my mom. "Isn't it worth the work?" Hanna and I couldn't help glancing at the rising process every few minutes. But nothing was happening. "Maybe something will happen in the hot oven," I said. Unfortunately, when we removed the loaves from the oven, they were like hard stones. Mom was right; it takes time and effort. It sometimes makes a mess. But still it feels good, somehow, to be part of that long, ongoing chain of bread bakers. Since that night, both Hanna and I have learned to do it right. To the writer, what her mother said was _ . Answer: My mother fought cancer for almost a decade and died at 56. She held out long enough to meet the first of her grandchildren and to hold him in her arms. But my other children will never have the chance to know her and experience how loving and gracious she was. We often speak of "Mommy's mommy," and I find myself trying to explain the illness that took her away from us. They have asked if the same could happen to me. I have always told them not to worry, but the truth is that I carry a "faulty" gene, BRCA1, which sharply increases my risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer. My doctors estimated that I had an 87 percent risk of breast cancer and a 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer, although the risk is different in the case of each woman. Once I knew that this was my reality, I decided to be proactive and to minimize the risk as much as I could. I started with the breasts, as my risk of breast cancer is higher than my risk of ovarian cancer, and the surgery is more complex. On April 27, I finished the three months of medical procedures. During that time I have been able to keep this private and to carry on with my work. But I am writing about it now because I hope that other women can benefit from my experience. Cancer is still a word that strikes fear into people's hearts, producing a deep sense of powerlessness. But today it is possible to find the way out through a blood test whether you are highly susceptible to breast and ovarian cancer, and then take action. My own process began on February 2. The operation took eight hours. Then I woke up with tubes in my breasts. It did feel like a scene out of a science-fiction film. But days after surgery I can be back to a normal life. There have been many advances in this procedure in the last few years, and the results can be beautiful. I wanted to write this to tell other women that the decision to have a surgery operation was not easy. But it is one I am very happy that I made. My chances of developing breast cancer have dropped from 87 percent to under 5 percent. I can tell my children that they don't need to fear they will lose me. It is a comfort that they see nothing that makes them scared. They can see my small scars and that's it. Everything else is just Mommy, the same as she always was. And they know that I love them and I will do anything to be with them as long as I can. On a personal note, I do not feel any less of a woman. For any woman reading this, I hope it helps you to know you have options. I want to encourage every woman, especially if you have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, to seek out the information and medical experts who can help you through this aspect of your life, and to make your own informed choices. I acknowledge that there are many wonderful holistic doctors working on alternatives to surgery. My own regimen will be posted in due course on the Web site of the Pink Lotus Breast Center. I hope that this will be helpful to other women. I choose not to keep my story private because there are many women who do not know that they might be living under the shadow of cancer. It is my hope that they, too, will be able to get gene tested, and that if they have a high risk they, too, will know that they can take measures. Life comes with many challenges. The ones that should not scare us are the ones we can take on and take control of. The writer shares her private story in order to _ . Answer:
What does it mean to cry over a book? "I'm a reader who did not weep," Ruth Graham, a well-known critic, wrote. "Does this make me heartless? Or does it make me a grown-up?" Tears have played a surprisingly important part in the history of the novel. Readers have always asked about the role that emotion plays in reading: What does it mean to be deeply moved by a book? Which books are worthy objects of our feelings? In different times, people answered those questions in different ways. In the early eighteenth century, when the novel was still a new form, crying was a sign of readers' virtue. "Sentimental" novels, full of touching scenes, gave readers an occasion to exercise their "finer feelings." Your tear proved that you were likely to feel the suffering of others. At that time, sentimental novels were hugely popular, but also easy to attack. Tears, after all, had no necessary connection to actual virtue, and they could be not true As the critic John Mullan points out, by the end of the eighteenth century, the word "sentimental" had acquired a new meaning -- "addicted to low emotion" -- bringing it closer to the meaning that it has for us today. In the nineteenth century, the meaning of tears evolved in two different directions. Some writers sought to waken "higher" feelings in their readers: Victorian sentimentalists wrote touching scenes in an effort to inspire social and political reform. However, the "sensation" novel, a different type of Victorian best-seller, showed that tears could be enjoyable in themselves. Sensation novels were the leaders of the modern thriller and mystery. Heavy on secrets, and madness, they were known for creating physical "sensations" in their readers -- trembling, a fast beating heart, and tears. But these were tears without moral purpose or effect. Today's debate about crying while reading looks back on all of this history. The debate, in fact, is about why books matter to us, and what reading is "for." Talking about what makes us cry is a way of talking about ourselves. From the passage we can know that "sensation" novels _ . Answer: tended to amuse the readers migration is when animals travel from the northern most state to Texas during what segment of time? Answer: winter A group of graduates, successful in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. Before offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and a variety of cups--porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking and cheap, some exquisite and expensive--telling them to help themselves to the coffee. When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each other's cups. Now consider this: Life is the coffee; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of life we live. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided for us." God brews the coffee, not the cups. Enjoy your coffee! "The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything. "[Z Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God. Why did the professor offer his students coffee with varieties of cups? Answer: To tell his students the right attitude to life. You feel happiest when you create a healthy balance between giving and receiving. If you give and give without making time to fill your own needs, then it's likely you will burn out, or feel upset .When you take and take without giving anything back ,you never feel fulfilled, so you are always searching for ways to fill the _ in your life. The way to create a healthy balance between giving and receiving is to know and then live by your values .I break values up into two groups which I call being and having values. Your being values are the character traits of the ideal person you would like to be. I suggest to my clients that they choose three being values that they are willing to make a commitment to live by. An example of some being values are: kind, loving, generous, inspirational, peaceful, wise and even powerful. By acting on these values you give to others through your actions and you inspire others by being a positive role model. Mastering being these character traits becomes your life purpose. Your having values are the feelings you need to create in order to be happy. These could be companionship, achievement, support, being valued or financial security. This is what you receive. You take responsibility for filling your own needs by taking steps to create these feelings and conditions in your life. When you make a commitment to live by your being values, it becomes easier to make conscious choices rather than reactionary ones. If your usual pattern is to talk about your problems, you could choose to think and act like a calm person. A calm person might go for a walk, meditate, or set a time limit before responding. If your usual pattern is to worry, you could choose to act like a responsible or wise person. In other words, you would act like the person you choose to be--this is the key to personal power. When you choose to act on your values, you not only feel good about yourself, you reinforce your chosen beliefs. Over time acting in this way changes how you see the world, and in turn the way other people think of you. The main purpose of this passage is to _ . Answer: inform the readers how to be truly happy What usually happens to animals when humans need new to grow more corn? Answer: animals forced out

Subsets and Splits

No community queries yet

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