Split (1)

train · 20k rows

text stringlengths 1.53k 16.3k
Countless people long to make a difference this holiday season, yet they don't realize that opportunities to make a difference are everywhere .Here are some ideas to get you started. Organize a blank drive It is cold outside, but imagine how thousands of homeless people may feel without a home of their own, or even a blanket to keep them from the cold. Organize a blank drive for your local homeless, and ask around for donations! Practice random acts of kindness I'll never forget the time when I went to pay for my Dr. Pepper, but the sever resisted, saying my bill was paid by an anonymous guest. It's this random act of kindness that restores my faith in humanity. Bless someone by paying for their drink at Starbucks, or praising them! If you live somewhere where it snows, shovel your neighbour's snow out of their driveway for them! Whether it is as simple as praise or as complex as paying the bill, you'll never know how far your impact will reach. Say thank you Just a simple thank-you can _ , especially if they feel like their work is never noticed. Cultivate a smile on their face by being sincere and grateful for all that they do. Use your talents to help the community The best way to show your appreciation for people is by using the talents and skills you have to bless others. For me, I love to coordinate events and write , and so my way of reaching out to the community is through writing articles and creating awareness about problems we face today. If you can bake, make some delicious cookies for people to enjoy! If you can knit, put your talents to use by making clothes for children in foster care. Any talent can be used to help the community in meaningful ways. Wish you a happy, healthy and helpful holiday season. Which of the following can be the best title for the passage? A. Help Others in Need B. Make the Best of Talent C. Enjoy Your Holiday Season D. Make a Difference in Your Holiday Season Answer: D We all have our own ways of sharing our life experiences with others. Photographers use cameras, artists use brushes, musicians use songs and writers use stories. Spencer Johnson's story Who Moved My Cheese? shows changes exist in our life. Life changes and so we do. We must change ourselves to face the changing environment, or we will fail. Just look at the cycle of the seasons. Trees bud in spring and in summer their leaves turn green. In autumn, their leaves start to fall onto the ground. When winter comes, there are no leaves on trees. Next spring the cycle begins again. Since we know there are cycles in nature, we can prepare for them. We know it is colder in winter and hotter in summer, so we can dress properly. Since we accept the cycles of nature, we should also accept the changes in our life. We can prepare ourselves for changes by becoming more flexible . We can regard the changes in our life as chances. As we keep changing ourselves, we can keep up with the changes in our life. If you fail a test,what should you think according to the passage? A. I have no chance to pass the test. B. Exams are hard for me. C. I have bad luck. D. It's good for me because I know there are more to learn. Answer: D James knew the decision was not going to be an easy one to make as he sat on the hill near the small town that he lived in. There was no one he could turn to for advice. His only sister lived away and he hardly ever saw her and when his sister came over, they always ended up in an argument. It had been a hot day and James's clothes seemed to stick to his body. He had felt terrible for weeks and he was just tired of feeling sick. He had started vomiting after he would eat anything and he knew that something would have to be done. After going to the doctor, he was told to come back in a few days. The next three days had gone by slowly and it was time for his visit to the doctor. He had been shown into the doctor's office and James knew it was bad news. The end result was he had stomach cancer. James sat on the hill looking down at the town and wonder what he would do. Taking out his phone, he dialed his sister's number and told her the bad news. She started to cry and said, "If anything happens to you, I will be alone in this world." Marie, his sister said, "You are moving up here and you will live with me until you get back on your feet, so go home, pack up and I will be there to get you in two days." He smiled and said, " _ sounds wonderful, but I still haven't decided if I am going to have the surgery or not?" Hearing this, she softly whispered, "Of course you are having the surgery. I will pick you up in two days. I love you." James knew the final word was still up to him and he would think about it because this was a decision that wouldn't come easy to him. From the very beginning, we know that James _ . A. used to sit on the hill when in trouble B. lived alone and seldom met others C. didn't get along well with Marie D. never made a decision by himself Answer: C If you walk along the streets, you will find children as young as seven years old walking to school or taking the public bus on their own. If you ride on the public bus with a baby or young child, you will find at least three people standing up to give up their seats for you. And as a booming town with a young population, Xiamen has a lot to offer young families with kids. There are lots of places of interest for you to enjoy. The following are some of them. * A walking adventure at Gulangyu Islet: There you can have a round-the-island trip by fast boat and the Xiamen Underwater World has a dolphin and sea lion performance and an enjoyment of around 400 types of underwater life from around the world. Opening hours: 08:00-18:00 See the map! Price: 70RMB(adults) 50RMB (children above 1.4m) * Wild rides at Guanyinshan Water Park: The park has a wave pool, which creates seven types of wave effects. It also has a hair-raising water ride that speeds down ... Opening hours: 11:00-20:00 See the map! Price: 120RMB per person 60RMB visitors aged above 60 and below 1.4m .... * Xiamen Firefly Park: Last of all, young nature lovers will enjoy the wonder of watching more than 100,000 fireflies light the dark night at the firefly park. Children will also learn the roles fireflies play in protecting the ecology by controlling the populations of pests. Opening hours: 19:30-21:30 See the map! Price: Free for children up to 16 years old The passage is written mainly to _ . A. introduce Xiamen B. give visitors some suggestions C. tell people how to travel D. persuade people to visit Xiamen Answer: D For the first time, researchers have discovered that some plants can kill insects in order to get additional nutrients. New research shows that they catch and kill small insects with their own sticky hairs near the roots and then absorb nutrients through their roots when the insects are killed and fall to the ground. Professor Mark Chase, of Kew and Queen Mary, University of London, said: "The cultivated tomatoes and potatoes still have the hairs. Tomatoes in particular are covered with these sticky hairs. They do trap small insects on a regular basis. They do kill insects." The number of these carnivorous plants is thought to have came up to 50 percent and many of them have until now been wrongly regarded as among the most harmless plants. Among them are species of petunia , some special tobacco plants and cabbages, some varieties of potatoes and tomatoes, etc. Researchers at Royal Botanical Gardens Kew, which carried out the study, now believe there are hundreds more killer plants than previously realized. It is thought that the technique was developed in the wild to get necessary nutrients in poor quality soil - and even various plants grown in your vegetable garden still have the ability. The researchers, publishing their finding in the Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, said: "We may be surrounded by many more murderous plants than we think." "We are accustomed to thinking of plants as being immobile and harmless, and there is something deeply frightening about the thought of meat-eating plants," they added. Tomatoes and potatoes kill insects to _ . A. get more sticky hairs B. make themselves grow better C. make their roots stronger D. avoid falling down to the ground Answer: B
Question: I was the typical"I can't"child-whatever my mother told or asked me to do was immediately followed by my cry,"I can't."As a result,very few tasks or goals that I set out to achieve were ever completed. One evening,my mother called me into the family room."I want you to read this article,"Mother began."It's about Marlo Thomas.She tells how a simple poem that she was forced to learn by her father changed her lifeShe went from saying'I can't'to'I can'According to this article,she was able to reorganize her life and her career by learning the principles in the poem." I took the small magazine from Mother and looked down at the pages.There was Marlo-my idol. Beside her photo was the poem my mother had spoken of,a simple poem entitled,"I Can"."I want you to memorize that poem,"Mother said firmly."Mama," _ ."I can't learn that poem.It's too long." "It's not too long and you can learn it.1 want you to know it perfectly by this time tomorrow,"said my mother. Unwillingly,I went back to my bedroom with the magazine.With a heavy heart,I threw myself into the bed and began my task. "Can't is a word that is the enemy to ambition,"I began.I repeated the line.I repeated it again and again."An enemy ambush to shatter your will..."I continued the process until I proudly recited the poem the following evening. It has now become my principle.Marlo 1 homas did not know me,but her story forever changed my life. Saying "I can" helped me to get through the worst moments of my life: Saying "I can" encouraged me to complete things I would have otherwise seen as out of my reach. A simple poem learned at seven is a poem that will support me to seventy-seven,maybe even longer. One evening my mother asked me to _ , A. read an article B. meet Marlo C. write a poem D. take photos Answer: A Question: Snowy means a large amount of what? A. roads B. rivers C. ice particles D. winds Answer: C Question: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and other big cities are great places to live in. There are many interesting things to see and do. You can go to different kinds of museums, see all kinds of plays and films. You can also buy things from all over the world. But there are serious problems in big cities, too. It's expensive to live there, and there are too many people in some places of big cities. Every student can study at good schools and receive good medical care . But sometimes these people can't find work or good places to live in. Also it is hard to keep the cities safe and clean. Some people enjoy living in big cities, others do not. Before they move to a big city, they should think about the problems living there. In big cities people can _ . A. go to different kinds of museums B. see all kinds of plays and films C. buy things from all over the world D. A, B and C Answer: D Question: Almost every family buys as least one copy of a newspaper every day. Some people subscribe to as many as two or three different newspapers. But why do people read newspapers? Five hundred years ago,news of important happenings--battles lost and won,kings or rulers overthrown or killed--took months and even years to travel from one country to another. The news passed by word of mouth and was never accurate. Today we can read in our newspapers of important events that occur in far away countries on the same day they happen. Apart from supplying news from all over the world,newspapers give us a lot of other useful information. There are weather reports, radio, television and film guides, book reviews, stories, and of course, advertisements. The bigger ones are put in by large companies to bring attention to their products. They pay the newspapers thousands of dollars for the advertising space, but it is worth the money, for news of their products goes into almost every home in the country. For those who produce newspapers, advertisements are also very important. Money earned from advertisements makes it possible for them to sell their newspapers at a low price and still make a profit. The author seems to agree that money spent on advertisements is _ A. wasted B. not much C. well spent D. of no use to anyone Answer: C Question: The Kingdome in Seattle was destroyed on March 26, 2000. It was taken down to make room for a new stadium. The blast from the falling building caused the earth to shake as if an earthquake had happened Scientists placed more than 200 earthquake recorders in the earth to measure the movement. They found which parts of the city shook the most. This information helped them know which parts of the city would be damaged in a real earthquake at an early time. A real earthquake happened on February 28, 2001 in Seattle. The Nisqually earthquake was 6.8 on the Richter scale(6.8). It damaged the same parts of Seattle that scientists had predicted from the pulling down of the Kingdome. It was a plate quake. It started deep in the earth, 37 miles below the surface on the Juan de Fuca Plate. Sometimes, huge plates under the earth cause earthquakes when the plates move against each other suddenly. Scientists have learned that deep earthquakes have very few aftershocks . The Nisqually earthquake had only 4 ones. Another earthquake in California that was close to the surface had over 120 aftershocks. Scientists do not know why the deep earthquakes have fewer aftershocks. Scientists plan to blast in the ground near Seattle with the purpose of testing the plate. The shockwaves from the blast will jump off the plate and give them an idea of where the plate is and how it is moving. This will give them more information in case another real earthquake hits the area. What do scientists hope to learn from the blast above the Juan de Fuca Plate? A. They hope to learn where the plate is and how it is moving. B. They want to destroy the Kingdome. C. They want to know which places are likely to have the most damage. D. They hope to find out how many plates there are in the ground there. Answer: A
Most gift-giving shows nothing more than the spirit of love and friendship.But it is possible to form some associations between the kinds of things bought and the people who buy them. Clothing The clothes you wear tell something about your personality.They tell the world not only how you want to be seen but how you see yourself as well. When someone gives you something to wear that corresponds to your self-image,they're saying,"I agree with you.I like you the way you are."Such a gift should be taken as a form of compliment.On the other hand,a gift of clothing that does not match your personality could be an insult to your character . Expensive gifts Naturally, some gifts like jewelry will be more expensive than others.But some people give higher priced gifts than necessary for the situation.Someone who gives an expensive gift often feels that he should receive more praise than if he had given a less expensive gift.Therefore he is giving himself a gift,too status. Homemade gifts Making something by hand has become the exception in many countries today--so much so that giving a homemade gift is sometimes considered extraordinary.If you receive a homemade gift,you're lucky.It may no.t be made perfectly, but it will show a certain quality of love.No matter what the results of the homemade gift look like,remember it's the thought that counts. Books People who gives books as gifts either like reading or would like everyone to think they do.A good way to know this is to find out whether or not the giver bought the book according to how large it is.If you happen to receive a large heavy book, its giver may be much more interested in the way things appear than in the way they actually are. Anyhow, giving a book can be a way of sharing a feeling or a newly learned meaning.The giver is probably trying to say to you what the books aid to him. Expensive gifts may represent Jim was looking up at the sky when he saw it. He saw a bright light. It got brighter and brighter. But after a few seconds, it started getting less bright. It took him a second to know for sure, but he knew he had seen a shooting star! This wasn't the first time that Jim had seen something strange in the sky. It was last year, when he was driving home from work at night. He saw another light in the sky that night, but it wasn't anything like this one. The one he saw last year didn't get brighter. The one he saw last year didn't get less bright. The one he saw last year was round, and Jim was sure that it was a space ship. When Jim saw the shooting star tonight, he was even more sure of what he saw last year. Some people said that the space ship was really a shooting star. But now that he had seen a real shooting star, he knew for sure that this one was different. Jim wondered what planet the space ship had come from. What did Jim see last year? Students are investigating which type of fruit attracts the most fruit flies. Equally sized pieces of ripe apple, peach, and banana are placed in separate containers. The containers allow fruit flies to enter, but the fruit flies are unable to escape. The containers are placed outside on a picnic table for two days. The most reliable method for collecting data is to count the number of fruit flies My daughter Allie is leaving for college in a week. Her room is piled with shopping bags filled with blankets, towels, jeans, sweaters. She won't talk about going. I say, "I'm going to miss you," and she gives me one of her looks and leaves the room. Another time I say, in a voice so friendly it surprises even me: "Do you think you'll take your posters and pictures with you, or will you get new ones at college?" She answers, her voice filled with annoyance, "How should I know?" My daughter is off with friends most of the time. Yesterday was the last day she'd have until Christmas with her friend Katharine, whom she's known since kindergarten. Soon, it will be her last day with Sarah, Claire, Heather... and then it will be her last day with me. My friend Karen told me, "The August before I left for college, I screamed at my mother the whole month. Be prepared." I stand in the kitchen, watching Allie make a glass of iced tea. Her face, once so open and trusting, is closed to me. I struggle to think of something to say to her, something meaningful and warm. I want her to know I'm excited about the college she has chosen, that I know the adventure of her life is just starting and that I am proud of her. But the look on her face is so mad that I think she might hit me if I open my mouth. One night -- after a long period of silence between us -- I asked what I might have done or said to make her angry with me. She sighed and said, "Mom, you haven't done anything. It's fine." It is fine -- just distant. Somehow in the past we had always found some way to connect. When Allie was a baby, I would go to the day-care center after work. I'd find a quiet spot and she would nurse -- our eyes locked together, reconnecting with each other. In middle school, when other mothers were already regretting the distant relationship they felt with their adolescent daughters, I hit upon a solution: rescue measures. I would show up occasionally at school, sign her out of class and take her somewhere -- out to lunch, to the movies, once for a long walk on the beach. It may sound irresponsible, but it kept us close when other mothers and daughters were quarrelling. We talked about everything on those outings -- outings we kept secret from family and friends. When she started high school, I'd get up with her in the morning to make her a sandwich for lunch, and we'd silently drink a cup of tea together before the 6:40 bus came. A couple of times during her senior year I went into her room at night, the light off, but before she went to sleep. I'd sit on the edge of her bed, and she'd tell me about problems: a teacher who lowered her grade because she was too shy to talk in class, a boy who teased her, a friend who had started smoking. Her voice, coming out of the darkness, was young and questioning. A few days later I'd hear her on the phone, repeating some of the things I had said, things she had adopted for her own. But now we are having two kinds of partings. I want to say good-bye in a romantic way. For example, we can go to lunch and lean across the table and say how much we will miss each other. I want smiles through tears, bittersweet moments of memory and the chance to offer some last bits of wisdom. But as she prepares to depart, Allie has hidden her feelings. When I reach to touch her arm, she pulls away. She turns down every invitation I extend. She lies on her bed, reading Emily Dickinson until I say I have always loved Emily Dickinson, and then she closes the book. Some say the tighter your bond with your child, the greater her need to break away, to establish her own identity in the world. The more it will hurt, they say. A friend of mine who went through a difficult time with her daughter but now has become close to her again, tells me, "Your daughter will be back to you." ks5u "I don't know," I say. I sometimes feel so angry that I want to go over and shake Allie. I want to say, "Talk to me -- or you're grounded!" I feel myself wanting to say that most horrible of all mother phrases: "Think of everything I've done for you." Late one night, as I'm getting ready for bed she comes to the bathroom door and watches me brush my teeth. For a moment, I think I must be brushing my teeth in a way she doesn't approve of. But then she says, "I want to read you something." It's a brochure from her college. "These are tips for parents." I watch her face as she reads the advice aloud: " 'Don't ask your child if she is homesick,' it says. 'She might feel bad the first few weeks, but don't let it worry you. This is a natural time of transition. Write her letters and call her a lot. Send a package of candies...' " Her voice breaks, and she comes over to me and buries her head in my shoulder. I stroke her hair, lightly, afraid she'll run if I say a word. We stand there together for long moments, swaying. Reconnecting. I know it will be hard again. It's likely there will be a fight about something. But I am grateful to be standing in here at midnight, both of us tired and sad, toothpaste spread on my chin, holding tight to--while also letting go of--my daughter who is trying to say good-bye. How did the author deal with the possible distance with Allie when Allie was in middle school? June 6this National Eye Care Day. It is a good chance for us to improve our eye health. What are common eye problems we have today? How can we protect our eyes? Read on to find out the answer. Eyes are important in our everyday life. We use them to read books, see colors and view the wonders of the world. But sometimes, we use them too much and it hurts them. In the past, nearsightedness was a common eye problem among children. This is mostly because of their bad eye habits, such as watching TV too long and reading books in bed. However, today's technology is changing the way we live. Children spend more time working and playing in front of computers, smartphones and iPads. US children spend more than 42 hours a week in front of electronic screens , US' ABC news reported. This has caused a new problem for our eyes: digital eyestrain . People with digital eyestrain may get headaches, dry and red eyes, eye pain, watering and other eye problems. But don't worry. The following tips can help you protect your eyes. Try them out. Screen advice: 1. When you are watching electronic screens, keep them at least 30 cm from your eyes. Try not to use your smartphone in direct sunlight. 2. Blink more often when you are looking at the screen. This can help to stop dry eyes. 3. Remember to take a 20-20-20 break: every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break and look at something 20 feet (about 6 meters) away. 4. Spend less time in front of screens. One to two hours a day is OK for your eyes. As people _ , digital eyestrain has become a new eye problem.
Many people think that the BBC news programs are better than those on other channels because the BBC is not a commercial company. It pays for its programs from the television license money which everyone must pay if they have a television. The BBC, which is often known as "Auntie", is the biggest news collecting operation in the world. It has the world's largest network of foreign correspondents (;). Ten percent of the BBC's annual budget is spent on news collecting, reporting and presenting. More than 1,700 people work for the BBC news service. The BBC produces more than 214 hours of news and current affairs programs for radio and television each week. Each television news program costs about PS78,000 per hour and each radio news program costs approximately PS4,800 per hour. In the UK, about 19 million people -- almost 35% of the total population, watch the BBC television news progams every day. Developments in technology are improving news collection and presentation every year. The BBC now uses special cameras in the TV news studios to film the news presenters, and captions-- the words and sentences at the bottom of the screen, are now produced automatically by computer. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage? Answer: The BBC has the largest network of foreign correspondents in the world Winter Travel Adventures "Let it snow, let it snow!" You have found your home for all adventures, icy, snowy and white! Discover breathtaking sights while cross-country skiing and snow mobiling, or uncover new lands for skiing, and find the _ to snowboard. Informative links below will get you on your way to a winter wonderland journey. Seniors Head South for Winter A feature article on the annual migration of Winter Texans and Snow Birds heading to warmer places for the winter. Resources for Texas, Florida, Southern U.S and international destinations are included. Skiing and Snowboarding adventures You either love it or hate it, strapping a pair of boards to your feet and thrusting yourself down a snow-covered mountain at a speed of 60 miles per hour. If downhill running is your adventure game, connect with the best resources for adventures, vacations, ski trips and destinations. Cross-country Skiing Adventures All ages can find pleasure and exercise on a good pair of cross-country skis. Discover the winter back-country on your next adventure. Connect with adventure opportunities, outfitters, equipment sources, destinations and more. Snowmobile Adventures Take to the snow-covered backcountry and discover white adventures where only snowmobiles can take you. You can find information from a resource center about adventure tours, group tours, clubs, equipment, destinations, best trails and more. Snowshoe Adventures Foot power proves to be the ultimate dependable transportation, and that applies to winter trekking through the backcountry. A good pair of snowshoes can get you to places when nothing else can. If you wish to spend your winter abroad, which group would you join? Answer: Seniors Head South For Winter Once upon a time, there was a poor fisherman in a village near the sea .He always dreamed of having a lot of money. One day ,he heard that a big ship with a lot of gold _ in the nearby water.Because of this , for a long time he often went to the sea and hoped to find the gold . One day, he was sitting on his boat daydreaming, he suddenly felt something heavy pulling on his fishing rod .He thought that good luck had come to him , and he pulled hard at it . "Wow! A big, gold chain !" He said happily when he saw the thing He then began to pull at the gold chain to try to get it all into the boat, but there seemed to be no end to it. When he got the more gold chain , the more water came into his boat . But, the fisherman did not know it .He began to dream of a big house , a big piece of land , buying horses and cows...... He kept pulling in the chain though the boat kept sinking. At last ,the boat went under the sea and the fisherman died What can we learn from the story ? Answer: We shouldn't take too much Warner Brothers is an American company that produces movies and television shows. It started as a small family business operated by four brothers -- Harry, Albert, Sam and Jack Warner. In nineteen-oh-three, the brothers began their business by traveling throughout Ohio and Pennsylvania showing movies using a projector . By nineteen-oh-seven, they opened a movie theater in New Castle, Pennsylvania. Within ten years, the Warner brothers started producing movies, and moved that part of the business to California. In nineteen eighteen, their first complete picture was called "My Four Years in Germany." The film was based on a book by the United States' ambassador to the court of Kaiser Wilhelm. In nineteen twenty-five, they began to work to include the technology for sound in their movies. Two years later, Warner Brothers Pictures released the first major movie with sound, or "talking picture." It was called "The Jazz Singer" and it was a huge success. In the nineteen thirties, the company made several films that were highly praised, including "Little Caesar," "The Public Enemy", "The Gold Diggers" and "Forty-Second Street." The Warner Brothers' success continued in the nineteen forties with movies like "The Maltese Falcon," and "Casablanca." Movies during this time starred popular actors like Ingrid Bergman, Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney, Gary Cooper and Bette Davis. The company continues to produce popular movies today. By the nineteen seventies, the Warner Brothers studios had also become well set up in television. In nineteen ninety, Warner Communications combined with Time Incorporated to form Time Warner Incorporated. In two thousand one, the company combined with America Online. The company now includes film production, cable television networks, music and publishing. This year, the company announced a deal with the CBS Corporation to form a new television broadcast network. The CW began broadcasting this month. According to the text, at the beginning of their business the four brothers _ . Answer: were projectionists Gone with the Wind is a novel written by Margaret Mitchell, first published in 1936. It was popular with American readers from the onset and was the top American fiction bestseller in the year it was published and in 1937 on the row. As of 2014, a Harris poll found it to be the second favorite book of American readers, just behind the Bible. More than 30 million copies have been printed worldwide. The sales of Margaret Mitchell's novel in the summer of 1936, at the virtually unprecedented price of three dollars, reached about one million by the end of December. Because it was released in the era of the Great Depression and Mitchell worried the high $3.00 price would ruin its chance for success. Actually the book was a bestseller by the time reviews began to appear in national magazines. Herschel Brickell, a critic for the New York Evening Post, praised Mitchell for the way she "tosses out the window all the thousands of technical tricks our novelists have been playing with for the past twenty years." One criticism by literary scholar Patricia Yaeger, leveled at Gone with the Wind, is for its portrayal of African Americans in the 19th century South. Former field hands during the early days of Reconstruction are described behaving "as creatures of small intelligence might naturally be expected to do. Like monkeys or small children turned loose among treasured objects whose value is beyond their comprehension, they ran wild~either from wrong pleasure in destruction or simply because of their ignorance." In Gone with the Wind Mitchell is blind to racial oppression and 'the inseparability of race and gender" that defines the southern belle character of Scarlett, according to Patricia Yaeger. Yet there are complexities in the way that Mitchell dealt with racial issues. Scarlett was asked by a Yankee woman for advice on who to appoint as a nurse for her children; Scarlett suggested a "darky", much to the disgust of the Yankee woman who was seeking an Irish maid, a "Bridget". African Americans and Irish Americans are treated "in precisely the same way" in Gone with the Wind, writes David O'Connell in his 1996 book, The Irish Roots of Margaret Mitchells Gone with the Wind. Ethnic slurs on the Irish and Irish stereotypes spread in every part of the novel, O'Connell claims, and Scarlett is not an exception to the insults. And apparently in the novel, the Irish American O'Haras were slaveholders whereas African Americans were held as slaves. Speaking on the subject of whether Gone with the Wind should be taught in schools, James Loewen, author of Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong, says the novel should be taught in schools. Students should be told that Gone with the Wind presents the wrong view of slavery, Loewen states. Besides, the main complaint was that the racial slur "nigger" appears repeatedly in the novel. In the same complaint were several other books: The Nigger of the 'Narcissus', Uncle Tom's Cabin, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Another criticism of the novel is that it promotes plantation values. Mitchell biographer Marianne Walker, author of Margaret Mitchell & John Marsh: The Love Story Behind Gone with the Wind, is of the opinion that those who believe Gone with the Wind promotes plantation values have not read the book. Walker states it is the popular 1939 film that "promotes a false notion of the Old South". She goes on to add that Mitchell had no involvement in the production of the film. Perhaps the most enduring legacy of Gone with the Wind is that people worldwide would incorrectly think it was the true story of the Old South and how it was changed by the American Civil War and Reconstruction. The film version of the novel "amplified this effect". Scholars of the period have written in recent years about the negative effects the novel has had on race relations. Among the four persons, who doesn't give positive comments on Gone with the Wind? Answer: Patricia Yaeger.
A Divine Plan At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learningdisabled children, the father of one student delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by those who attended. He began with a question. "Everything God does is done with perfection. Yet, my son, Shay, cannot learn and understand things as other children do. Where is God's plan reflected in my son?" The audience was stilled by the question. The father continued,"I believe that when God brings a child like Shay into the world, an opportunity to realize the Divine Plan presents itself. And it comes in the way people treat that child." Then he told the following story: Shay and I walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked,"Do you think they will let me play?" I knew that most boys would not want him on their team. Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball. So I approached one of the boys on the field and asked if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance from his teammates. Getting none, he took matters into his own hands and said, "We are losing by six runs . The game is in the eighth inning . He can be on our team and we will try to put him up to bat in the ninth inning." In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. At the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the outfield. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again. They had the potential to win. Would the team actually let Shay bat at this _ and give away their chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. At last, understanding what the boy's intentions had been, the boys from both teams helped Shay win the game for the team and Shay was cheered as the hero. "That day," said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face,"the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of the Divine Plan into this world." Why did the father think most of the boys wouldn't let Shay join them? Because they knew Shay was anything but good at playing baseball. People who eat at home most of the time have better nutrition than those who go out to eat , a recent study shows. Cornell University professors Lana Hall and Karen Bunch interviewed(,) 3900 people in the survey. "People who eat less than 30 percent of their food away from home eat the most nutritiously," they said. "In general, Americans don't have nutrient, except for iron and calcium," they reported. They have the opposite problem----over--consumption , especially of fat. The food at many fast food restaurants is often low in vitamins. "People who eat more than 30 percent of total calories away from home eat foods that are generally low in nutrients per calorie," the professors said. More calories and enough nutrient intake are required to achieve. One of the major health risks is eating too much fat. The professor found than fat consumption became greater as income went up. It also went up in houses where the female worked. This is probably because these people eat more highly processed foods. The passage is about _ . Dining out Lowers Nutrient Intake How to make friends with people from a different culture? The rules are as follows: RULE 1: Appreciate the Person. Most Americans like to be recognized as individuals as someone special with unique characteristics and personalities. Therefore, never say, " You're from America so I want to be your friend." Also don't imply that the reason why you approached them is because you wanted someone to practice your English with. That turns people off. Instead try saying," You seem like a real nice and interesting person and I would like to get to know you better." This way, they are much more inclined to be friendly because you see them as a three dimensional person and appreciate them for who they are in the inside. And by doing so, you not only learn about America and practice your English, but also gain a real friend in the process. RULE 2:Quit Calling Us Foreigners. Please refrain from calling a foreigner a foreigner especially in his face. The word makes people feel like an outsider, and even unwelcome, suggesting separation and insurmountable differences, widening an already existing gap in the situation. When Americans travel, they rarely say, "I'm foreign to your place." They tend to say, "I'm new in town. I'm new here." The reason is because new and unfamiliar things can become old and familiar. But can foreign things become native? Aha? You catch my drift. RULE 3: Just Do It. Some students like to be told about American culture but are less interested in spending the time and the effort to actually experience it. As Americans always say, "Get your hands dirty." Until you have first hand and hands on experience, you'll never really know anything. Right? So whenever you have the opportunity to participate in American culture, don't just sit there and watch. Get up and get involved! RULE 4: Find that Common Language. Now I must stress the importance of finding a common language. By that I don't mean English, Chinese, German, French, etc. I mean finding something you have in common with another person on a spiritual and philosophical level: likes, dislikes, worldviews, ways of thinking, and attitudes toward life. And to start, you must first enhance your knowledge of the particular culture from which your potential new friend comes from. According to the passage, which of the following is friendly? You've got a great personality. The following diaries were written by an Australian boy named Tony. He was on holiday with his family in South Asia. Tony thought of the way to _ . help the boy find his father Qi Baishi (1863~1957) is one of the best-known contemporary Chinese artists. His life shows he achieved success by combining talent with hard work. He was born in a peasant family. At 11 he was sent to learn carpentry . Through his work he got to know some local scholars. One of them, Hu Shenyuan, offered to teach his painting and poetry. During this period he earned his living by painting portraits and selling his works. Gradually he developed a reputation as an artist as well as a carpenter. In those years he devoted himself to poetry, calligraphy , and seal-carving. Although he admitted he was a versatile artist, his own criteria of his successes placed poetry first, seal-carving second, calligraphy third, and painting last. From 1902 to 1916, Qi toured the country five times, and he left his footmarks in many cities, such as Beijing and Hongkong. The trips broadened his vision and changed his style. In 1917 he settled down in Beijing, where he met many artists and scholars, and made friends with Chen Shizeng. Chen advised him not to _ early masters and to form his own style. Through long years of practice, Qi Baishi evolved a distinctive personal style. The subjects of his painting were wide and various, and the flowers, birds, fish, prawns , and insects he painted are most admired by his public. To improve his technique of painting prawns, he raised some at home and frequently observed their movements. He wrote in his diary about how he had changed his method of painting prawns: "At first my prawns owned a reasonable similarity, then they became even more realistic, and finally light and dark color1s became properly contrasted. These are the three changes." Qi Baishi was able to portray the same object in either the xieyior thegongbistyle. When he painted a dragonfly in a detailed manner, he even drew the veins in its wings. When he adopted a , free style, he used only a few dry, expressive strokes to form it. What is fascinating about his work is that in some pictures both methods are used. Which of the following is Qi's fascination about his works? He could use the xieyiand thegongbistyles in a painting.
Families should not waste their money on organic food,the government has warned.They should instead spend their money on whatever they can afford,even if it means eating frozen vegetables.The government now faces calls to endPS20 million of subsidies to organic farming. A recent study in the British Journal of Nutrition found organic crops have up to 60 percent more antioxidants than non-organic crops.But critics claim there is still no evidence that organic food is a healthier option.Amid growing concern that too few people are eating enough fruit and vegetables,the government is at pains to stress that families should not waste their money on organic food.Just 30 percent of people meet the recommendation to eat five or more portions of fruit and vegetables a day. Government frontbencher Baroness Jolly said,"Organic products provide a useful extension of consumer choice,but it is worth emphasizing that,nutritionally,they are no better and no worse than conventional products.The only benefit of organic farming was enjoyed by birds,insects,mammals and plants.""It is up to the consumers to decide how they spend their money on their fruit and vegetables.There are many reasons why an individual might wish to choose organic products but nutritional benefit should not be one of them,"she added. Chief Executive Helen Browning said,"We know that people choose organic food because they believe it is better for them,also well as for wildlife,animal welfare and the environment,and this research backs up what people think about organic food." According to Baroness Jolly, _ . A organic products are better that common food B organic products can't provide better nutrition C people should be urged to buy organic products D organic foods are good for environment protection Answer: B. organic products can't provide better nutrition When I was walking down the street one day, I found a small bag on the ground. I picked it up and opened it to see if I could find out the owner's name.There was nothing inside it except some dollars and an old photo--- a picture of a woman and a young girl about twelve years old. I put the photo back and took the bag to the police station.Before I left, the policeman wrote down my name and address.He thought the owner might want to thank me. That evening I went to have dinner with my aunt and uncle.They had also asked a young woman to have dinner with us.Her face was familiar, but I couldn't remember where I had seen her.During our talk, the young woman happened to say that she had lost her bag that afternoon.At once I remembered where I had seen her.She was the young girl in the photo, though she was now much older.She was very surprised, of course, when I told her about the bag. After dinner we went to the police station and she got back her bag.The policeman said to me, "It's a wonderful thing.You not only found the bag, but also the owner of the bag." In the bag there was _ . A nothing B a new photo and some money C an old picture and some money D some dollars and a piece of paper Answer: C. an old picture and some money The Mona Lisa, one of the world's most famous paintings, has been recreated with 3,604 cups of coffee--and 564 pints of milk. The different colors were created by adding no, little or lots of milk to each cup of black coffee. The recreated Mona Lisa measured 20 feet long and 13 feet wide. It took a team of eight people three hours to complete the work. It was created for The Rocks Aroma Festival in Sydney, Australia, and seen by 130,000 people who attended the one-day coffee-lovers event. Elaine Kelly, one of the organizers from the Sydney Harbor Foreshore Authority, was delighted with the result. She said, "Each coffee cup was filled with varying amounts of milk to create the different shades of the painting. We wanted to create an element of surprise and a sense of fun in the way we communicated with the public." "Once we had the idea of creating an image out of coffee cups we searched for something iconic to reproduce .And after some time we chose the most iconic painting in history. The Mona Lisa has been reproduced so many times in so many different mediums but, as far as we know, never out of coffee," Kelly continued. "Besides, the idea is practical." "It was fantastic. It really looked like the famous painting--the Mona Lisa. It was wonderful," said one visitor. After much planning it was great to see it coming together so well and the 130,000 people who attended the event certainly enjoyed it and were deeply attracted by it," said Kelly. The event organizers chose to recreate the Mona Lisa for the following reasons EXCEPT that _ . A the Mona Lisa is a very iconic painting in history B the Mona Lisa has never been reproduced out of coffee C the idea can be actually carried out D it is very easy to do so Answer: D. it is very easy to do so He found the boy's father in the hall waiting worriedly. On seeing him, the father cried out, "Why did you take all this time to come? Don't you know that my son is in danger? Don't you have any sense of duty?" The doctor smiled and said, "I am sorry. I wasn't in the hospital and I came as fast as I could after receiving the call and now, I wish you'd calm down so that I can do my work." "Calm down?! What if your son was in this room right now? Would you calm down? If your own son dies while waiting for a doctor, then what will you do?" said the father angrily.The doctor smiled again and replied, "We will do our best and you should also pray for your son's healthy life." The surgery took some hours after which the doctor went out happy, "Thank goodness!Your son is saved!" And without waiting for the father's reply he carried on his way running by saying, "If you have any questions, ask the nurse." "Couldn't he wait some minutes so that I can ask about my son's state?" shouted the father when seeing the nurse minutes after the doctor left. The nurse answered, tears coming down her face. "His son died yesterday in a road accident. He was at the burial when we called him for your son's surgery. And now that he saved your son's life, he left running to finish his son's burial." ,. Who told the truth to the father in the end? A The doctor. B The nurse. C His son. D A patient. Answer: B. The nurse. A weather map is an important tool for geographers. A succession of three or four maps presents a continuous picture of weather changes. Weather forecasters are able to determine the speed of air masses and fronts to determine whether an individual pressure area is deepening or becoming shallow and whether a front is increasing or decreasing in intensity. They are also able to determine whether an air mass is retaining its original characteristics or taking on those of the surface over which it is moving. Thus, a most significant function of the map is to reveal a synoptic picture of conditions in the atmosphere at a given time. All students of geography should be able to interpret a weather map accurately. Weather maps contain an enormous amount of information about weather conditions existing at the time of observation over a large geographical area. They reveal in a few minutes what otherwise would take hours to describe. The United States Weather Bureau issues information about approaching storms, floods, frosts, droughts, and all climatic conditions in general. Twice a month it issues a 30-day "outlook" which is a rough guide to weather conditions likely to occur over broad areas of the United States. These 30-day outlooks are based upon an analysis of the upper air levels which often set the stage for the development of air masses, fronts, and storms. Considerable effort is being exerted today to achieve more accurate weather predictions. With the use of electronic instruments and earth satellites, enormous gains have taken place recently in identifying and tracking storms over regions which have but few meteorological stations . Extensive experiments are also in progress for weather modification studies. But the limitations of modification have prevented meteorological results except in the seeding of super-cooled, upslope mountainous winds which have produced additional orographic precipitation on the windward side of mountain ranges. Nevertheless, they have provided a clearer understanding of the fundamentals of weather elements. A thirty-day forecast is determined by examining _ . A daily weather maps B upper air levels C satellite reports D changing fronts Answer: B. upper air levels
It all started a year before when my daughter Suzanne and I were shopping in Sydney. In the window of a sports shop I noticed a photo of a group of young people climbing the rock along a canyon . "That's what I'm going to do next year," I said. Suzanne laughed. "Sure, Mom! Don't forget you're 65 years old. " I didn't feel l was that age! I joined a club and trained weekly. Each day I felt my physical energy increase and, along with it, my confidence. Then Suzanne pointed out, "It's good, but how can you clear away the fear of height?" "I've got it worked out, " I replied bravely. "We're going to the indoor climbing center. " While I was going up the high wall, I was afraid to look down as if a terrible animal was after me. Some time later, as I reached the ground, I sat down heavily on the floor. Later that night, as I lay in bed, I encouraged myself, "You've climbed the wall! You'll certainly make it! " We set off with our packages to the Grand Canyon. When we reached it, I found the canyon was a huge black hole--far deeper than I had imagined. As the guide clipped me onto the rope, _ . Time lost all meaning as I pushed my body forward. Only the strong rope kept me from losing hope. I began to think it would never end when everyone had stopped. "This is as far as we go, and we can climb out after a few steps, " the guide said finally. Two and a half hours later, we returned to the car park at last. I began to shake, one hard step after another. Getting onto the bus, I fell into the seat I had left so confidently a lifetime before. Then, while I was in the seat catching my breath, a feeling of happiness spread through me. I had done it, at the age of 66. ,. What did the writer find when she reached the Grand Canyon? A She found it was very easy to climb the canyon. B She found she began to shake, one hard step after another. C She found the canyon was far deeper than she had imagined. D She found that a terrible animal was after her and she was afraid. Answer: C Children are children after all, and most of them speak their mind. When they are just toddlers , they are all lovely and lively. And it's so interesting to watch them speak like a grown-up. But as they grow, these same kids seem annoying and ill-mannered if they try to be a grown-up. Conflicts go between parents and children. It's hard to tell who are right and who are wrong. A child of 7-8 always finds some reasons to have a conflict with it's parents. Whether it is about some toy, studies, a party or a company, there is always a difference between them. And it becomes worse when they answer you back. Scientists tell us that children should be treated with care. Yes, sure they should respect their elders. We are partly responsible for this. At an early age we encourage children to behave like adults, just because we find it funny. The kids on the other hand consider this same behavior as normal and get used to it. And when it is not funny for us any more, we expect them to stop it, but by then it is already too late. Only when they reach a certain maturity will the children realize that answering back and being rude are not acceptable . Until then, most of the time their behavior is difficult to change, unless by force . And use of force is against the every good idea, as it weakens the child's confidence. So it is one thing to bring a child into this world but quite another to make them into well mannered citizens. The best way is to be a good example ourselves, as our children are the mirrors of us adults. Which of the following is true? A Children often copy what their parents do. B Children can not change their behavior. C Children's behavior develops in their own way. D Children's behavior is not acceptable. Answer: A Last summer, as part of my high school graduation project, I volunteered at Saunders House nursing home. I choose this experience because it was something that I had never done before and I wanted to lend a helping hand. At first it was challenging because I was extremely shy. My goal in volunteering was to bring a smile to the residents by doing different activities from word games to playing chess. I feel as if I had finished that goal. At the nursing home, I did a lot of different activities with the residents ranging from Jeopardy to Wheel of Fortune. One of my favorites was a word game where I would write a ten -letter word on the board and the residents would try to come up with as many smaller words as possible. I could tell that it was one of their favorite games because they always seemed to be so enthusiastic when they played. I also transported residents to and from their rooms when they needed help; and whenever it was a nice day out, I would take them outside to get some fresh air and relax. On Saturday mornings, I would deliver the newspaper to the residents and on Sundays, I helped with morning church services. The most unforgettable part of this experience was when I had one-on-one conversations with the residents. It was incredible how many great stories they had to tell. Their stories were so interesting and the experience was unforgettable for me. Why did the author volunteer at the nursing home? A Because people there helped her. B Because she never went there before. C Because she wanted to offer help. D Because the old people there shared stories with her Answer: C An inherited characteristic from my dad is A the cat B a building C moles D the bike Answer: C When talking with young Swedish students, Mo Yan showed respect for Chinese authors that he learned writing from, particularly Shen Congwen, who was twice nominated for the Nobel Prize. "Lu Xun, Lao She, Mao Dun and Shen Congwen, they are more qualified for the Nobel Prize than me," he said,. Among the writers he learned from, he said he especially felt close to Shen Congwen, as they have similar life experiences. Both of them left school early and did not get formal education. Shen quit after high school and Mo only finished the fifth grade. They both joined the army after school. " We both learned from the book of life," said Mo. The themes of their writing are also similar. Both writers have their hometown as the theme and root of their writings. Shen'works are mostly about his hometown, Xiangxi, and most of Mo's stories are set in his hometown, Gaomi, in Shandong Province. Mo said he also learned from Shen how to deal with characters in a fiction. Unlike most Chinese writers, Shen has a humanistic touch towards all of his characters. Said Mo, "In his works, there are no particularly bad person or good person. Even gangsters and thieves have their humane side," he said. "I try to use the same approach in my writing. It shows the ability of a novelist when he treats all the characters as humans," he said. Mo said he also learned Lu Xun's depth and Lao She's humor. "They are all my teachers, and I am the student," he said. "I feel ashamed from my heart that teachers did not get the prize, but the student got it." According to Mo Yan, Shen Congwen was special in the way _ . A he described bad persons B he created characters C he made sentences D he told stories Answer: B
You put a great deal of effort into reaching the college of your choice. It's time to get started. But what's next? Beginning college can be an exciting but awkward time. Follow these tips to adjust to your new life rapidly and make the most of your college experience. * To save time and money, use the college's bus system. Taking the bus to school is quick, easy and free in most college towns. You won't have to locate or afford a place to park either. It's also a good way to be environmentally aware. * Save pennies on books by waiting until class starts. You might not even need all of the recommended books. New textbooks cost an arm and a leg. Try buying used textbooks -- it's a surefire way to save money and serves the purpose as well. * Do never look at college life as an endless series of parties and social activities. But there is a whole lot more to college if you're serious about graduating. Having a good college experience is all about balancing work and fun. * Be aware that your living environment can largely affect your academic success. If the dorm doesn't suit you, consider living at home with your family or renting your own apartment. The best location for your studies isn't always your dorm. Find a quiet area, like the library, to do your work. Alternatively, buy some headphones that block out noise. * Be mindful of your diet. Make healthy food choices and watch what you eat. Avoid foods that are processed or high in sugar. The "freshman 15" is real. Many college students gain at least 15 pounds during their freshmen year. * While electives can be helpful when figuring out your major, you shouldn't entirely rely on them. Clubs and other organizations exist around. Get involved. Make sure, though, that you still have time to study. _ can hurt your grades. Which of the following ideas can be financially wise? Du Kun,a Chinese boy is called"the youngest writer in the world."He has written three books till now.Du Kun was born in Jiangsu in 1994.When he was 7 months old.his parents started working in over 30 different cities,such as xi'an and Shenzhen.This kind of life gave him things to think and write about.When he was 9 months old,he could speak and at the age of one,he could say five to six hundred words.At three,he could look up words in the dictionary.At four,his father taught him how to learn by himself.His parents like reading very much.So does he.At the age of 5,he began writing fairy tales.At the age of 6.he wrote a novel about his life in different cities with his parents.His fairy tales are all from his life.One day,he found many mice in the house.They not only ate their food but also hurt his mother's hand.So he thought,"If we give mice the stomach of cows,they will eat grass and they will be helpful to people."This was his first fairy tales Change Stomach for Mice.Now he studies well in a middle school. He has written his third book.The novel called Eyes of Children.He says," _ ,I just wrote several books." Thanks to his _ ,Du Kun could write his books. Many people think that the ideas about right and wrong are only personal ideas. Bennett wrote The Book of Virtue in which he suggested that great moral stories can build character. The success of Bennett's book shows that many Americans still believe in moral values, just like honesty, courage, loyalty and many others. For Americans, one basic moral value is honesty. The story about George Washington and the cherry tree teaches this value clearly. Little George cut down his father's favourite cherry tree. When his father asked him about it, George said, "I did it." Instead of punishment, his father spoke highly of him. Sometimes American honesty--being open and direct--can make people angry. But Americans still believe that "honesty is the best virtue". Another virtue is perseverance . A story tells of a little train climbing a hill. The hill is too high to get over it. But the train just kept pulling, all the while saying, "I think I can, I think I can." At last, the train was over the top because he did not give up. Compassion may be the queen of American virtues. The story of "The Good Samaritan" from the Bible describes a man with compassion. On his way home, he found a poor traveler lying on the road. The kind man, instead of just passing by, stopped to help this person in need. Compassion can even turn into a good cycle. In 1992, people in Iowa sent plenty of water to help Floridians hit by storms. The next summer, during the Midwest flood, Florida returned. Millions of Americans are quietly passing along the kindness shown to them. In no way can this book cover all the moral values honored (...) by Americans. But moral virtues are priceless, and they are the base of American culture and any culture. The passage implies that _ . Scientists will put some robot fish into the sea near Spain this year. These robot fish will help people find out the pollution in the water. If the robot fish are able to finish their work successfully, the team of scientists hopes the fish will be used in rivers, lakes and seas around the world. The robot fish are about 1.5 meters long. There is a detector in their bodies. It can find the pollution in the water, and then the robot fish will eat part of it. They can "swim" for eight hours in the sea freely and send back information to people on the beach. After their energy runs down, they will go back to the beach by themselves. There are five robot fish altogether. Each costs about 29,000 dollars. They are part of a three-year project between engineering company BMT Group and Essex University in southeastern England. ,. (2,10) Which of the following is TRUE? Weekend Miracles Weekend Miracles give children aged 9 and older in the Children's Center the opportunity to visit a host family who partners the child to find the child a permanent family. The host family arranges activities that the child will enjoy and introduces the child to their circle of friends--in order to develop a lasting connection with someone. Organization: Kidsave International Location: the United States Duration: 2 days to 6 weeks Web Designer Needed We need the skills of a Web designer to help us redesign our website. The project will be fun and fulfilling, and give much needed visibility to our grass-roots projects that are serving children and mothers in every corner of the world. Organization: Children's Fund Location: the United States Duration: 3 weeks to 2 months Living Miracles Doctors and dentists are needed as volunteers at Shechen Medical Clinic in Nepal for two months or longer. In Tibet, we need doctors for only 1-2 months. Dentists can come for one month or longer. Please understand that modern conveniences are not available here. Organization: Dilgo Khyentse Fellowship Location: Nepal Duration: 21 days to 6 years Teaching English to Children in India The Salus Foundation, Inc. needs help from volunteers, teachers, college students or recent college graduates trained in ESL, or who are willing to be trained in ESL to teach English to the students at the Sulaxim School. Organization: The Salus Foundation, Inc. Location: India Duration: 6 weeks to 9 months Chimpanzee Sanctuary in Cameroon In Defense of Animals in Africa needs help from highly motivated, mature volunteers who care about the conservation of great apes and are willing to live in an isolated, challenging, French-speaking environment for six months to benefit our future generation. Organization: In Defense of Animals in Africa Location: Cameroon Duration: 6 months The purpose of Weekend Miracles is mainly to help children _ .
For medical students, real experience begins not in a classroom but at a teaching hospital. These doctors in training are guided. But sometimes accidents happen and the students get injured. For example, they might stick themselves with a needle while treating patients. Such needle sticks are common. But a recent study found that medical students often fail to report them. Failing to report an injury like this can be dangerous if a patient, or a medical worker, has an infectious disease. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, did the study, which involved a survey answered by almost 700 surgeons in training in the United States. Almost 60% said they had suffered needle stick injuries when they were in medical school. Many said they were stuck more than once. Yet nearly half of those whose most recent incident happened in school did not report it to a health office. If they had, they would have been tested to see if they needed treatment to prevent an infection like HIV or hepatitis. Most known cases of HIV or hepatitis are reported, but other possible infections often are not. Martin Makary, the lead author of the study, says medical students who are stuck put themselves and others in danger from infectious diseases. Doctor Makary said, "A needle that goes through the skin needs to be as sharp as possible." Doctors in training may have to do hundreds of stitches in some cases to close the skin after an operation. Doctor Makary said, "I support using _ tip needles which are considered safer. This needle is still sharp enough to go through body tissue, but it does have a blunt tip, so that if it accidentally goes into my finger, it's much less likely to hurt me." How common are needle sticks among health care workers? An estimated 600,000 to 800,000 of these and similar injuries are reported each year in the United States. But Doctor Makary says the real number may be much higher. The study advises doctors to protect their hands by wearing two sets of gloves. It also urges hospitals to establish a special telephone number for medical workers and students to call if they are injured. The idea is for hospitals to send a clear message that there is no reason not to report this kind of accident. What do we know from the passage? Two suggestions are given to protect medical workers and students. A mystery surrounds my grandmother's collection of salt cellars . No one in the family seems to know when she started collecting them, or exactly how many she had. My grandmother died just over two years ago. At 91, she had spent 30 years without her right leg, which was removed due to cancer the year I was born. She was a poet, an artist, a food lover and a salt cellar collector. The funny thing about the salts, as she called them -- I never once heard her say salt cellar -- was that although everybody knew they were her hobby and everyone was always searching for them at yard sales or in stores, nobody seemed to know what they meant to her and they just wanted to make her happy. Grandma kept her salts in a dark wooden corner display case in the living room. Since her death the case has remained exactly as she left it. Grandpa tries his best to preserve his memories of her just as they are. Now I am collecting, too. Collecting memories about my grandmother's hobby, a way she spent her time. And as I hold one of them in my hand, I picture her holding it in her hand on the day she got it. She is smiling. My mother and her two sisters all have small collections, but my mother admits that she was more interested in finding salts to send to Grandma. Grandma once wrote a poem titled "When April Comes". The poem contains the line, "When April comes and I am not around, remember me when daffodils are found." Now, Grandpa is working on a poem with the line, "April came and you were not around". But she was, somehow. She was there in the memories left behind by her possessions. In writing the text, the author expressed_. her love for her grandma Though joke-lovers in many countries joyfully fool friends on April Fool's Day, no one knows exactly when or why, or even where, this tradition began. Practical joking seems to have coincided with the coming of Spring since the time of Ancient Romans and Celts, Some trace April Fool's Day back to Roman mythology , particularly the story of Ceres ,Goddess of the harvest, and her daughter, Proserpina. Pluto, God of the Dead, cheated Proserpina and took her to live with him in the underworld, The girl called out to her mother, but Ceres could only hear the echo of her daughter's voice. Such 'fool's errands ' became a popular practical joke in Europe in later centuries. The most widespread theory of the origin of April Fool's day the switch from the old Julian to the Gregorian calendar in the late 16thcentury. Under the Julian calendar, it was celebrated during the week between March 25 and April 1, but under the Gregorian calendar, it was moved to January1. Those who weren't informed of the change, or stubbornly kept to the old tradition, were often laughed at and had jokes played on them or around the old New Year. In France, this took the form of practical joker sticking fish on the backs of those who celebrated the old custom, earning the victims of the joke the name Poisson d' April, or April Fish. In Scotland, the butts of April Fool's jokes were known as April "Gowks", another name for a cuckoo bird. In more recent times, radio stations, TV programs and Web sites have set up gullible readers and listeners. One of the most famous jokes was a 1957 BBC program of the annual spaghetti harvest in Switzerland. Were so fooled they wanted to find out how to get a spaghetti bush of their own. Many listeners So while you're surfing the web or watching TV today, be aware of what you see and read, or you should end up an April Fool ! Which of the following has nothing to do with April Fool's Day? The origin of spaghetti For several years, Americans have enjoyed teleshopping -- watching TV and buying things by phone. Now teleshopping is starting in Europe. In a number of European countries, people can turn on their TVs and shop for clothes, jewelry, food, toys and many other things. Teleshopping is becoming popular in Sweden, for example. The biggest Swedish company sells different kinds of things on TV in 15 European countries, and in one year it made$100 million. In France there are two teleshopping channels, and the French spend about$20 million a year to buy things through those channels. In Germany, until last year teleshopping was only possible on one channel for 1 hour every day. Then the government allowed more teleshopping. Other channels can open for telebusiness, including the largest American teleshopping company and a 24-hour teleshopping company. German businesses are hoping this new teleshopping will help them sell more things. Some people like teleshopping because it allows them to do their shopping without leaving their homes. With all the problems of traffic in the cities, this is an important reason. But at the same time, other Europeans do not like this new way of shopping. They call teleshopping "junk on the air". Many Europeans usually worry about the quality of the things for sale on TV. Good quality is important to them, and they believe they cannot be sure about the quality of the things on TV. The need for high quality means that European teleshopping companies will have to be different from the American companies. They will have to be more careful about the quality of the things they sell. They will also have to work harder to sell things that the buyers cannot touch or see in person. Teleshopping is _ in Europe. growing How can something that represents nothing in particular be so eye-catching to look at? If you have once said, "That is easy to paint... Who would pay that significant amount of money for something that doesn't even relate to anything?", then chances are that you do not appreciate what Abstract Art really is. When looking at Abstract Art, you are seeing the most freely formed type of artwork an artist can create. _ 1 _ . You would think that when looking at art that is non-representational, it would be less interesting to view as you do not know what the artist is truly trying to depict in his or her artwork. _ 2 _ . This type of art is meant to grab your attention and pull an emotional response right from within you. Once you see that part of the painting...the part that keeps you drawn in and your mind thinking, it is then when you know you are analyzing something special...something called Abstract Art. _ 3 _ . So what grabs your attention when seeing this particular piece of art? Well let's think...what gets your attention in any circumstance? Why is a stop sign bright red? That's right...Abstract Art, in most circumstances, is filled with color1s of all sorts that are meant to turn heads. These characteristics, along with others such as the paintings texture and other elements, are what make this form of art one of the most popular styles collected today. The creativity involved with these pieces of art brings upon a new imagination that some viewers didn't know existed within them. This art is from the heart and soul, instead of what you see is what you get. With that being said, you can now see that Abstract Art is more than just a thoughtless mess put on a canvas. _ 4 _ . While viewing the work of a very talented artist, Osnat Tzadok, I came across a quote of hers that states "Every time I pass near a blank canvas I feel something explode inside of me. It is not something I can explain or pass on to someone else...but it is, always, a beginning of a new creation". This quote of Osnat's perfectly portrays what we, the viewers, should feel when viewing an artist's abstract creation. Just as an artist gets this "explosion" that Osnat speaks of, we receive the same feeling when looking at their piece if we truly appreciate Abstract Art. The beauty of non-representational art is that we can create the story within the painting. We can ask ourselves, "Why do these color1s interact with each other?" or "What does this symbolize?".... and with those questions our imagination brings about answers. Which of the following can best describe the writer's attitudes towards Abstract Art? Objective
Ann is a 13-year-old girl. She doesn't like popular music. One of her friends asks her, "What do you think of Wang Lihong and his popular music?" "Who is Wang Lihong? I don't know him." Ann says, "I like classical music." Her friend looks at her surprisingly and says, "Classical music is for old people. We can't stand it. We like cool things." Ann doesn't know why her friend says that. When she goes home, she talks to her father. "Dad, am I strange?" "I don't think so. Why do you ask that?" "Because my friends can't stand classical music, but I like it." "Never mind , Ann. You don't need to do what other people do. Everyone has different _ . Some of them are popular, but others are not." What does Ann think of Wang Lihong? A He is cool. B He is popular. C She likes him. D She doesn't know him. Answer: D. She doesn't know him. Peer pressure is all about being forced into a certain way of living,dressing, talking,socializing and even thinking--simply because that is how everyone else you know behaves,dresses,talks,socializes and thinks. Young people can be often insensitive in their dealings with each other.And they are very quick to notice differences of habit,dress and social behavior.As a result,you might have to buy the latest fashions in clothes and other things.Because everyone else does the same,regardless of cost or comfort.You might end up reading what they read,watching the same television programs and movies that others watch and using the same language that they use.Because,otherwise,you feel left out of all the conversation.You might end up staying out late at night or eating out all the time,simply because that is what the others do,regardless of whether you can afford to or not. The best way to deal with peer pressure is to select your friends very carefully.Preferably, your friends should be in a mixed group of people.That keeps everyone rooted and more tolerant of differences. The second is to gather your courage and to tell people to mind their own business,if and when they begin to interfere with your life.Sure,a few people may be offended .But they will also learn to be less offensive themselves,in future. And most importanfly, you have to remember that you are an individual and a unique one.And your decisions to eat,drink,dress,talk,go out,read or think are your own.If others don't share these interests or habits, too bad.Let your peers and friends catch up with you.If they can't find new friends. The main purpose of this passage is_. A to tell young people how to get along with their friends B to tell young people how to catch up wim fashion C to tell young people how to live an independent life D to tell young people how to deal with peer pressure Answer: D. to tell young people how to deal with peer pressure The pilot knew that there was nothing he could do to keep the plane long in the air. So he rushed back to where his passengers sat and explained the dangerous situation. In the end he said, "I'm a married man with two small children. I'm sorry to tell you that there are only three parachutes in the plane." And with that he took up one and jumped out. One of the passengers reacted quickly. "I'm a great statesman !" he said. "I've a very bright brain and the world can't do without me!" And with that he jumped out too. The other two passengers, an old man and a young soldier, were quiet for a moment. "Son," the man said, "I'm old and have lived a full life. I'm ready to meet my God." "You'll have to give up that," the young man said, smiling. "The world's smartest man just jumped out with my backpack." What can we say about the statesman? A Clever but unlucky. B Stupid but lucky. C Selfless. D A great man. Answer: A. Clever but unlucky. You will go to college some day and college is one of the most exciting stages of one's life.If you wish to make the most of your campus experience and become a better person after those four years,then first you ought to make friends.Close friends contribute to your selfgrowth for they provide you with moral support that is so important to survive the stressful college life.Friends can lend a helping hand when necessary like collecting your homework when you're too sick to leave your dorm,and help you develop the right attitude by pointing out to you your weaknesses. Being home most of your life and then suddenly finding yourself on your own in a large campus without your parents to hold your hand can be annoying.However,rather than thinking about your missing home too much,why not see this new stage in your life as an opportunity for selfgrowth and develop the right attitude that will prepare you for the rigors of postgraduation life,particularly when you join the workforce? Specialinterest clubs or organizations are great for selfgrowth.Here,not only do you get the opportunity to meet with likeminded people,you can also discover more things about your field of interest.Club meetings usually include lively discussions,so go there with the right attitude.You should try to build a good name in the organization by being respectful,active and considerate to others. You might not like all of your professors,but they are there to provide knowledge you need to be successful in your chosen field.Thus,show up for each class with the right attitude and determination to learn.Whether you get along well with your professors or not has a huge effect on your selfgrowth as it is a measure of how well you can respect authority and obey requirements. Actively participating in a class debate or lecture contributes to your selfgrowth as it helps you build confidence in speaking up and improves your communication skills.It also helps you develop the right attitude by exercising diplomacy when you choose your words carefully especially when discussing a very politically sensitive issue and exercising patience when dealing with classmates who shoot down your ideas. The purpose of the text is to _ . A introduce how to show yourself in college B tell college students how to socialize with others C give college students some advice on selfgrowth D explain the importance of fouryear college life Answer: C. give college students some advice on selfgrowth A woman was at the cinema, and she was enjoying the film very much. But there was a man in the next seat, and he began looking on the floor under him. The woman was angry and whispered, "What are you doing there? What are you looking for?" "A piece of hard chocolate ,"the man whispered to her, "I dropped it on the floor." "A piece of chocolate?" the woman said angrily, "It's dirty now! Take this and be quiet, please! I'm listening to the film!" She gave the man a big piece of chocolate."But," the man said, "my teeth are in the piece on the floor!" In fact the man was busy looking for his _ . A glasses B teeth C ticket D Wallet Answer: B. teeth
A few months before I was born, my Dad met a stranger who was new to our small town. From the beginning, Dad was fascinated with this enchanting newcomer and soon invited him to live with our family. The stranger was quickly accepted and was around to welcome me into the world a few months later. As I grew up, I never questioned his place in my family. In my young mind, he had a special position. My parents were complementary instructors:Mom taught me the words, and Dad taught me to obey them. But the stranger... He was our storyteller. He would keep us _ for hours on end with adventures, mysteries and comedies . If I wanted to know anything about politics,history or science,he always knew the answers about the past, understood the present and even seemed able to predict the future! He made me laugh, and he made me cry. The stranger never stopped talking, but Dad didn't seem to mind. I now know that my early concepts about relationship were influenced strongly by the stranger. Time after time, he opposed the values of my parents, yet he was seldom blamed...and NEVER asked to leave. More than fifty years have passed since the stranger moved in with our family. He has blended right in but is not nearly as fascinating as he was at first. Still, if you were to walk into my parent's room today, you would still find him sitting over in his corner, waiting for someone to listen to him talk and watch him draw his pictures. His name? We just call him..."TV". He has a younger sister now. We call her "Computer". When the stranger came to live with our family, he was _ . A ignored by the children B driven away for no reason C abandoned because it was too noisy D accepted by every family member Answer: D. accepted by every family member Small discoveries in Indonesia are causing a stir in the science world. Researchers have unearthed tiny bones that they believe belong to an entire new human species. If that's true, it will change how we think about our ancestors. Clues that the little people may have lived long ago were first revealed last year in the scientific journal Nature. Scientists said that they had found the bones of a three-foot-tall female on the island of Flores, in Indonesia. When they looked more closely, they saw that the nearly complete skeleton belonged to a full-grown adult. Researchers named her Hobbit, after the tiny heroes of the Lord of the Rings books. Now the team is saying it has unearthed even more pieces of the puzzle, including a jawbone and parts of arms, legs and hands from several individuals, as well as stone tools. They reported their find in Nature this month. "The new evidence makes it very clear that these people are a new species, distinct from modern humans," Peter Brown, a scientist on the team, said. They named these ancient humans Homo floresiensis. Brown says that these little people lived as recently as 12,000 years ago. If Homo floresiensis was a different species from modern humans, that would make our family tree bigger than we knew. It means, says Brown, that "until recently, a shared the planet with us." Many scientists think a new species is unlikely. Some argue that the bones must have belonged to modern humans whose small size was the result of a genetic problem. Daniel E. Lieberman, a scientist at Harvard University, thinks that the debate over the discovery is healthy. He believes that the questions and arguments raised by critics will help us learn more about these unusual skeletons. "Disagreement is an important part of the scientific process," Lieberman said. "As far as I'm concerned, the story's only just begun." Researchers name the skeleton Hobbit because _ . A it is a figure described in the Lord of the Rings B it resembles the tiny heroes in a set of books C it proves to be a full-grown adult D it belongs to an ancient human species Answer: B. it resembles the tiny heroes in a set of books Which characteristic helps a fox find food? A sense of smell B thick fur C long tail D pointed teeth Answer: A. sense of smell A recent survey shows the number of online game users in China reached 40 million last year. That's over a 20 percent increase from the year before. At 22:00 p.m. in a Beijing Internet cafe, many people inside,especially the young, playing online games. An industry report says that over 90% of online game users are under 30. An online game player said, "Online games help me handle life pressures. The scenarios don't come up in real life, so I can be famous and get whatever I want when playing. Players say this is their way of communicating with each other,even in different places. Though many players admit that online games are time consuming and cost much money, the number of users is increasing. It's estimated that by 2012, there will be 80 million online game players in China. Driven by profit, developers are constantly working on new games. Last year, more than 250 new games entered the market. But figures show that games with a native cultural background are preferred, even by foreigners. "During our research on new games, we found we can promote Chinese culture with the game itself." said an online game developer. Criticism about online games is beefing up with more and more young people spending too much time playing games filled with violence, gambling and superstition. Kou Xiaowei from Gen. Admin. of Press & Publication said, "We are putting forward stricter monitoring measures. If bad content is found, it will be deleted." With the help of government guidelines, developers are producing better quality online games suitable for young people. Games that are not violent or offensive, but ones from which a player can learn, such as general knowledge of quiz games. Officials say they will spend five years on purifying the online games. Their goal is to produce games that entertain and at the same time, provide useful knowledge. What can be inferred from the passage? A Most of young people fail to live comfortably.. B Young people tend to live a life with leisure. C All of online games lack cultural background. D No games with bad contents will be used. Answer: A. Most of young people fail to live comfortably.. When I was quite young, my father had one of the first telephones in our neighborhood. I remember well the polished old case fastened to the wall. The shiny receiver hung on the side of the box. I was too little to reach the telephone, but used to listen with great interest when my mother used to talk to it. Then I discovered that somewhere inside the wonderful device lived an amazing person-- her name was Information Please and there was nothing she did not know. Information Please could supply anybody's number. My first personal experience with Information Please came one day while my mother was visiting a neighbor. I accidentally hit my finger with a hammer. The pain was terrible, but there didn't seem to be any reason in crying because there was no one home to give sympathy. I walked around the house sucking my hurting finger, finally arriving at the stairway--the telephone! Climbing up I unhooked the receiver and held it to my ear. "Information Please," I said. A click or two and a small clear voice spoke into my ear, "Information." "I hurt my finger..." I cried. The tears came readily enough now that I had an audience. "Isn't your mother home?" came the question. "Nobody's home but me." I sobbed. "Are you bleeding?" "No," I replied. "I hit my finger with the hammer and it hurts." "Can you open your icebox?" she asked. I said I could. "Then chip off a little piece of ice and hold it to your finger." After that I called Information Please for everything. I asked her for help with my geography and she told me where Philadelphia was. And there was the time that Petey, our pet canary died. I called Information Please and told her the sad story. She listened, and then said the usual things grown-ups say to comfort a child. But I was Why is it that birds should sing so beautifully and bring joy to all families, only to end up as a heap of feathers, feet up on the bottom of a cage? She must have sensed my deep concern, for she said quietly, "Paul, always remember that there are other worlds to sing in." Somehow I felt better. Another day I was on the telephone. "Information Please." "Information," said the now familiar voice. "How do you spell fix?" I asked. All this took place in a small town in the Pacific Northwest. Then when I was 9 years old, we moved to Boston. I missed my friend very much. Information Please belonged to that old wooden box in former home, and I somehow never thought of trying the tall, shiny new phone that sat on the hall table. Yet as I grew into my teens, the memories of those childhood conversations never really left me; often in moments of doubt and sadness I would recall the sense of security I had then. I appreciated now how patient, understanding, and kind she was to have spent her time on a little boy. A few years later, on my way west to college, my plane put down in Seattle. I had about half an hour or so between planes, and I spent 15 minutes or so on the phone with my sister, who lived there now. Then without thinking what I was doing, I dialed my hometown operator and said, "Information Please." Unexpectedly, I heard again the small, clear voice I knew so well, "Information." I hadn't planned this but I heard myself saying, "Could you tell me please how to spell fix?" There was a long pause. Then came the soft spoken answer, "I guess that your finger must have healed by now." I laughed, "So it's really still you," I said. "I wonder if you have any idea how much you meant to me during that time." "I wonder," she said, "if you know how much your calls meant to me. I never had any children, and I used to look forward to your calls." I told her how often I had thought of her over the years and I asked if I could call her again when I came back to visit my sister. "Please do; just ask of Sally." Just three months later I was back in Seattle.... A different voice answered Information and I asked for Sally. "Are you a friend?" "Yes, a very old friend." "Then I'm sorry to have to tell you. Sally has been working part-time the last few years because she was sick. She passed away five weeks ago." But before I could hang up she said, "Wait a minute. Did you say your name was Paul?" "Yes!" "Well, Sally left a message for you. She wrote it down. Here it is. I'll read it. " " I thanked her and hung up. I did know what Sally meant. According to the text, Information Please is actually _ . A a robot B the author's mother C a telephone operator D the telephone itself Answer: C. a telephone operator
Question: Mr. Smith is telling two funny stories of his police work. Story A I remember catching a "thief" in a clothes shop once. It was strange. The man was hiding a yellow sweater inside his coat. I thought he had stolen it, so I caught him. We found later that his wife gave him the sweater for his birthday, but he hated it. He just wanted to return it to the shop for money, but he didn't want his wife to see him! We soon let him go. Story B Another day, a man called Bob went into a bank on Sixth Street. He wrote on the back of an envelope, "Give me the money! Or I'll kill you." and gave it to the bank clerk. She gave him $100,000 and the man ran away. Then we received a phone call from the bank clerk. She told us to go to the man's house in Candy Town and get him. We caught him as soon as he got out of the elevator. He couldn't believe that we found him so quickly. We told him that the front of the envelope he used his name and address on it! What does Mr. Smith do? A. A bank clerk. B. A policeman. C. A thief. D. A teacher Answer: B Question: One day an old woman was traveling alone in the mountains. Suddenly she saw something shining in the stream. When she came close, she found it was a precious stone. She put the stone into her bag and went on with her trip. The next day the old woman met a young man, who was also a traveler in the mountains. The young man looked very hungry, so the old woman opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveler saw the precious stone and asked carefully, "The stone is beautiful. Would you like to give it to me?" "Sure. Why not?" the woman said, and handed the stone to him. The young man left happily with the stone. He knew it was worth enough to give him _ for a lifetime. But a few days later he came back to return the stone to the woman. "I've been thinking," he said. "I know how valuable the stone is, but I give it back and hope that you can give me something even more precious. Give me what you have within your bag." The woman opened her bag. It was almost empty. She looked at the young man and smiled, "I have nothing special in my bag, but I do have something precious -- the joy of giving!" The young man felt ashamed and left silently. How did the young man find the precious stone? A. He found it in his food. B. He dug it out in a valley. C. He saw it in the woman's bag. D. He noticed it shining in the stream. Answer: C Question: Did you see snow in your hometown last winter? Did you feel it was warmer than before? "There have been 21 warm winters in China since 1986," said scientists. They also said that in the past 100 years, as the global temperatures went up by 0.74 degC , the temperature in North China has climbed 1.4 degC in only 50 years. China needs to take quick action to cut carbon dioxide emission because it's the main reason for global warming. The good news is that China has seen the importance of going green. China set the goal of cutting energy use by 20% and pollution emission by 10% in the 11th Five-Year Plan. Can you slow down global warming? Sure! You and your family can take steps to cut the amount of carbon dioxide that is sent out into the air. Here are some pieces of advice to help you save the earth.. Wear used clothes. Wearing your brother's, sister's or dad's old T-shirt means you save the energy. Change your light bulbs . Use energy-saving light bulbs. And don't forget to turn off the lights when you leave a room and turn off your television and computer when they are not in use! Ride the bus. Taking a bus saves a lot of oil every year. Say no to plastic bags. The next time your parents go to the market, ask them to use baskets Open a window. Don't use the air conditioner, and let some fresh air in. When you have to use the conditioner, set the temperature higher in the summer and lower in the winter to save energy. Make small changes in your daily life. Don't use paper cups, bags and boxes. It's time for all of us to do something to save the earth. Which of the following is true? A. It's a pity to wear your dad's old T-shirts. B. Using air conditioners may be a waste of energy. C. Taking a bus wastes a lot of oil every year. D. Using paper bags saves energy a lot. Answer: B Question: Some dances gain more popularity than others because they can be performed to different kinds of music and the steps change accordingly. One such dance is waltz . There is a basic form for waltz, which you can see in this drawing of a dancing couple. The man places one arm around the woman's waist and she places her opposite hand on his shoulder. Then, they stretch their other arms out from their bodies and clasp hand. If someone tries to teach you a formal kind of dancing, chances are your teacher will start with the waltz. Have you ever tried to dance like this? There are lots of different kinds of waltz, all performed to different types of waltz music. The music might be fast or slow but what they all have is a regular one-two-three, one-two-three rhythm. The traditional form is the old-school waltz in which dancers turn all the time with a hopping , springy step. This waltz has a slow, smooth, gliding step. There's also the Mexican waltz, which moves much faster. Listen to this Mexican waltz music and you can imagine how fast the dancers had to move. Formal dancing has even become a profession, with people entering competitions. Have you ever seen a formal dance competition? Today, ballroom dancing is almost considered a competitive sport; professionals perform different dances, each with strict rules. Everything from where the dancers place their hands to how they move is judged. In the glide waltz, dancers are judged by how smoothly they move. " I can dance with a glass of water on my head," is a well known sentence used by skilled dancers in the old days. In the past, some people learned how to dance by reading books, while others studied with a teacher called the "dancing master." How do people learn to dance today? Why do the dancers move fast in the Mexican waltz? A. To keep up with the music. B. To show how well they perform. C. To catch up with the other dancers. D. to show the difference of the dance. Answer: A Question: Human wants seem endless, When a starving man gets a meal, he begins to think about an overcoat; when a manager gets a new sports car, he dreams of country clubs and pleasure boats dance into view. The many wants of mankind might be regarded as making up several levels. When there is money enough to satisfy one level of wants, another level appears. The first and most basic level of wants is food. Once this want is satisfied, a second level of wants appears: clothing and some sort of shelter. By the end of World War II these wants were satisfied for a great majority of Americans. Then a third level appeared. It included such items as cars and new houses. By 1957 or 1958 this third level of wants was fairly well satisfied. Then in the late 1950s a fourth level of wants appeared: the "life-enriching" level. While the other levels mean physical satisfaction--the feeding, comfort, safety and transportation of the human body--this level means mental needs for recognition, achievement and happiness, It includes a variety of goods and services many of which could be called "luxury" items. Among them are vacation trips, the best medical care and entertainment. Also included here are fancy foods and the latest styles in clothing. On the fourth level, a greater percentage of consumers spending goes to services, while on the first three levels more is spent on goods. Will consumers raise their sights to a fifth level of wants as their income increases, or will they continue to demand luxuries and personal services on the fourth level? A fifth level probably would be wants that can be achieved by community action. Consumers may be spending more on taxes and crime. After filling our stomachs, our garages, and our minds, we now may seek to ensure the health and safety to enjoy more fully the good things on the first three levels. Which is the main want of man on the fourth level? A. The more goods, the better B. The more mental satisfaction, the better C. The more "luxury" items, the better D. The more earning, the better Answer: B
There was a lovely vegetable patch . A large tree grew there. Both the patch and the tree gave the place a wonderful look, and they were the pride of the gardener. But no one know that the vegetables and the tree couldn't stand each other. The vegetables hated the tree's shadow , because it left them only just enough light to live. The tree, on the other hand, hated the vegetables because they drank nearly all the water, leaving him just enough to live. Their problem became so serious that the vegetables decided to use up all the water in the ground so that the tree would die. The tree answered back by not protecting the vegetables from the hot sun, so they began to dry up. Soon the vegetables were really weak, and the tree was drying up. The gardener wondered why and stopped watering them. When he did that, both the tree and the vegetables found that it was better to help each other. They learned how to live _ with those around them. So they decided to work together, using both the shade and the water to grow well. After seeing how well they were doing, the gardener gave the best care to the vegetable patch, watering and fertilizing it better than any other patch for miles around. Why didn't the vegetables and the tree get on well with each other? A. Because the vegetables wanted more light. B. Because the tree drank almost all the water. C. Because the vegetables weren't the pride of the gardener. D. Because the vegetables didn't look as wonderful as tree. Answer: A Robert is nine years old and Joanna is seven. They live at Mount Ebenezer. Their father has a big property. In Australia they call a farm a property. Robert and Joana like school very much. At school they can talk to their friends, but Robert and Joanna can not see their friends. They live 100,perhaps 300,miles away and like Robert and Joanna, they all go to school by radio. Mount Ebenezer is in the centre of Australia. Not many people in "The Centre", there are no schools with desks and blackboards and no teachers in "The Centre". School is a room at home with a two-way radio. When all students answer, lessons begin. Think of your teacher 300 miles away! A "property" in Australia is a _ . A. house B. school C. farm D. radio Answer: C Starting the day on an egg could keep your blood pressure under control, research suggests. Scientists have shown that eggs produce proteins with a function similar to that of powerful blood pressure-lowering drugs. The research, from the University of Alberta in Canada, showed that when eggs come in contact with stomach enzymes they produce a protein that acts in the same way as _ , but more work is needed to show the effects outside a lab and in the human body. Earlier this month, British researchers declared that, contrary to popular beliefs, it is healthy to go to work on an egg.They concluded that the type of cholesterol found in eggs has little effect on increasing heart disease risks. Researcher Professor Bruce Griffin, from the University of Surrey, said: "The wrong beliefs linking egg eating to high blood cholesterol and heart disease must be corrected.The amount of fat in our diet has an effect on blood cholesterol that is several times greater than the ly small amounts of cholesterol found in eggs.The UK public do not need to be limiting the number of eggs they eat.They can be encouraged to include them in a healthy diet as they are one of nature's most nutritious foods." The British Heart Foundation dropped its three-egg-a-week limit in 2005.However, almost half of Britons believe the limit still applies. We can infer from the text that _ . A. drugs to lower blood pressure will be replaced by eating eggs B. stomach enzymes mixed with eggs can cure heart diseases C. most Britons agree the three-egg-a-week limit should be dropped D. about 50% of Britons think eating an egg a day is bad for their health Answer: D Music Club Music lessons(guitar, violin, piano and drums) Time: 8:30 am-9:30 am every Sunday Price: Only $20 each Address: 25 Jiefang Road Tel: 420-258-1200 National Park Riding horses Boating Time: 11:00am-7:00pm every day Price: adults $15, children (ages 3-7) $ 8 Address: 95 the Fifth Avenue Tel: 208-683-3400 Art Museum 200 famous pictures More than 300 works Opening hours:8:00am-6:00pm on weekdays Price: adults $10Children $5.50 Address: 120 Xinjin Street, Thermopolis Town Tel: 307-864-2997 If you and your parents visit National Park, how much should you pay? A. $ 15 B. $ 30 C. $38 D. $45 Answer: D Do you like traveling? How can you make your trip more interesting? Here's some advice. Read! Before we leave, we should find some information about the place you want to go to, such as its geography, its history and its famous people. And we should read them carefully. So, we can really understand that place during our trip even though we don't have much time. Take photos! Most of us take a camera when we travel, If you want to take some photos, remember to choose the most special sights, Don't choose the sight we can see in other places. For example,Beidaihe, Qingdao and Zhuhai are _ cities. Don't only take photos of the sea. You should take photos of something special, too. Taste! Don't buy the food that you like most because you can buy it in your own city or town. You 'd better taste something special in that place. Food in some places is very delicious. And from food, you can find its food culture. So why not taste it? Maybe you have just one chance to taste it in your life. Write! When you visit a place, you should take a pen and a notebook, so you can write down what you see and what you think during the trip. Later, when you read it, you'll feel that you can find the pleasure during the trip. ,. Before we travel to a place, we should _ . A. learn something about it B. decide which hotel to live in C. phone the restaurant for the tables D. choose which bus to take Answer: A
A telescope , called Gaia, is being designed by astronomers in Europe, and it couldn't be more different from Pan-STARRS, which is another telescope being designed. While Pan-STARRS will be looking for asteroids and comets headed for Earth, Gaia will be looking at our entire galaxy . Gaia is designed to draw a map of the Milky Way, our home galaxy. Just as a map of your town gives you a picture of where things are located, Gaia's map of the galaxy will tell astronomers where the stars are. Over five years, Gaia will observe about a billion stars and other objects in our galaxy. Each object will be observed about 70 times. Gaia will be sent into space connected to a rocket. It contains two telescopes, each focused at a different angle . These two telescopes act like Gaia's "eyes". The reason why humans can see things in 3D is that we have two eyes focused on the same object, at slightly different angles. By using two telescopes like eyes, Gaia can produce the first 3D map of the positions of the stars it views. Gaia, which is to be sent into space in 2011, will be a powerful telescope. If you were to use it on Earth, for example, you could stand 600 miles away from your best friends and still get a clear picture of their hair. Gaia is one of more than a dozen telescopes being designed by scientists right now. The next generation of telescopes will reveal new parts of our universe that will seem surprising. The universe, with all its planets, stars and other strange objects, is a puzzle with pieces that we can see by using powerful telescopes. The map to be drawn by Gaia _ . A. can show every building on Earth B. can show you where your town is C. will just show the stars around Earth D. will show where the stars are in our home galaxy Answer: D Taylor and Scott, an unmarried couple, purchased a condominium as tenants in common and lived in the condominium for three years. Subsequently, they made a verbal agreement that, on the death of either of them, the survivor would own the entire condominium, and, as a result, they decided they did not need wills. Two years later, Taylor and Scott were involved in the same automobile accident. Taylor was killed immediately. Scott died one week later. Both died intestate. Taylor's sole heir is his brother, Mark. Scott's sole heir is her mother, Martha. Mark claimed one-half of the condominium, and Martha claimed all of it. The jurisdiction has no applicable statute except for the Statute of Frauds; nor does it recognize common law marriages. In an appropriate action by Martha claiming the entire ownership of the condominium, the court will find that A. Martha owns the entire interest because Taylor and Scott did not make wills in reliance upon their oral agreement. B. Martha owns the entire interest because she is entitled to reformation of the deed to reflect the verbal agreement. C. Mark and Martha each own an undivided one-half interest because Taylor and Scott each died as the result of the same accident. D. Mark and Martha each own an undivided one-half interest because the Statute of Frauds applies Answer: D Many of us have heard stories about teachers who can "see" into a student's future. Even if a student is not performing well, they can predict success. We are convinced that this ability, this gift, is evidence that they were "called to teach" . If the gift of sight is evidence, how greater must be the gift of touch. I have a story. I grew up in the fifties in a poor African American neighborhood in Stockton, California, that had neither sidewalks nor an elementary school. Each day, always in groups at our parents' insistence, my friends and I would leave home early enough to walk eight blocks to school and be in our seats when the bell rang. For four blocks, we walked on dusty roads. By the fifth block, we walked on sidewalks that led to lovely homes and to Fair Oaks Elementary School. It was at Fair Oaks, in a sixth grade English class, that I met Ms. Victoria Hunter, a teacher who had a huge influence on my life. During reading periods, she would walk around the room, stop at our desks, stand over us for a second or two, and then touch us. Without saying anything to us (nothing could break the silence of reading periods), she would place two fingers lightly on our throats and hold them there for seconds. I learned many years later when I was a student at Stanford University that teachers touch the throat of students to check for sub-vocalization , which slows down the reading speed. I did not know at the time why Ms. Hunter was touching our throats, but I was a serious and respectful student and so, during silent reading period, I did what Ms. Hunter told us to do. I kept my eyes on the material I was reading and waited for her to place her fingers lightly on my throat. One day, out of curiosity, I raised my head from my book -- though not high -- so that I could see Ms. Hunter, a white woman from Canada, moving up and down the rows, stopping at the desks of my classmates. I wanted to see how they reacted when she touched their throats. She walked past them. I was confused. Did she pass them by because they were model students? What did we, the students who were touched, not do right? I sat up straighter in my chair, thinking that my way of sitting might be the problem. I was confused. Several days later, I watched again, this time raising my head a little higher. Nothing changed. Ms. Hunter touched the same students. Always, she touched me. She touched me with her hands. She also touched me with her belief in my ability to achieve. She motivated me by demanding the best from me and by letting teachers I would meet in junior high school know that I should be challenged, that I would be serious about my work. I am convinced that she touched me because she could "see" me in the future. That was true of all of us at Fair Oaks who sat still and silent as Ms. Hunter placed her fingers lightly on our throats. We left Fair Oaks as "best students," entered John Marshall Junior High School, finished at the top of our high school class, and went on to earn graduate degrees in various subjects. Ms. Hunter saw us achieving and she touched us to make certain that we would. I was not surprised that she came to my graduation ceremony at Edison High School in Stockton or that she talked to me about finishing college and earning a Ph. D. She expected that of me. She gave me a beautifully wrapped box. Inside was a gift, the beauty of which multiplies even as it touches me: _ . According to the writer, what is a special ability many good teachers possess? A. The ability to make all students behave well. B. The ability to treat different students in the same way. C. The ability to discover a student's potential to succeed. D. The ability to predict the near future of a poor student. Answer: C I have lived and worked in Slovakia for about three years. And I have talked to many people who had been working overseas for quite a long time. Here are some of the things that I have found helpful to anyone preparing to live or work abroad. Hopefully these tips will help. Research: Knowing about the geography and history of the place will help a lot. You don't have to be an expert but just know the basics. If you're going to be living there it is worth the effort. Find someone you trust at home: Find a friend or you really trust at home to handle things that you might have to deal with when you're abroad. My parents were great at helping me with many things. They have been great at helping me to move to Slovakia and come back to the United States. Live simply: Learning to live on a small amount of money is a skill. It takes time. Living abroad can be expensive, so being able to live simply will help with costs. The other thing is that having lots of things to carry around is annoying. Try to experience the culture: Be open-minded and try your best to really experience the culture. Learn the language, hang out with the natives and try to have fun. You may not like everything but making an effort will help you make new friends and make life more enjoyable. Learning the language can be a challenge but most local people will see it as a sign of respect if you try, not only that it is just a cool way to impress your friends when they come to visit. By going out with the natives, we can _ . A. make more friends B. impress our friends C. learn the native language easily D. gain the respect of the local people Answer: A Telephone: 22706030 Address: 9020 Bridgeport Road Open: Mon. --- Fri. 7:00a.m. - 2:30 p.m. and 5:00p.m. - 9:00p.m. Sat 7:00a.m. - 11:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. - 9:00p.m. Sun 11:00a.m. - 2:00p.m. and 5:00p.m. - 9:00p.m. NEW YORK MESEUM Telephone: 77364431 Address: Vanieer Park, 1100 Chesnut St. New York American's largest museum specializing(...) in American history and art of our native people Open: Mon. --- Fri. 9:00a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (Monday free) Sat 9:00a.m. - 1:00 p.m. LANSDOWNE PARK SHOPPING CENTRE Telephone: 33562367 Address: 5300 No. 3 Road Open: Mon. Tues & Sat 9:30a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Wed Thurs & Fri 9:30a.m. - 9:30p.m. Sun 11:00a.m. -- 5:00p.m. SKYLINE HOTEL Telephone: 22785161 Address: 3031 No. 3 Road (at Sea Island Way) The Hanger Den --- Wed to Sun Dinner from 5:30 p.m. Coffee Shop --- Mon to Fri 6:00 a.m.; Sat, Sun 6:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. If you want to go out for lunch on Sunday you can call up the number _ A. 22785161 or 22706030 B. 22706030 or 77364431 C. 77364431 or 22785161 D. 33562367 or 22785161 Answer: A
MANCHESTER, England -- Here's some good news that vegetarians can really sink their teeth into: Researchers in UMA Group have developed genetically engineered fruit trees that produce real meat! Fruit from the new Meat Trees, developed by British scientists using the gene technology, is closely like ordinary grape-fruit. But when you cut the fruit open, inside is fresh beef! "Our trees may sound like something out of a science fiction movie, but it's really true," declares Dr. Vincent, director of the UMA Group, which created the amazing trees. "Vegetarians have been complaining for years that in spite of their firm belief against eating meat, they still desire the taste of meat once in a while. Now they can have their cake and eat it too." Although it's taken 12 years to develop the trees, the idea is simple. "We take the genes from cattle and put them into the cells of grape-fruit trees," Dr. Vincent says. "When the seeds grow into trees, they produce meat instead of ordinary fruit. You get the taste -- even the smell." Those who've tried the meat agree it tastes like the real thing. "I was a bit unwilling to believe at first when I sank my teeth into a hamburger after they told me it grew on a tree," says Londoner Mark, who took part in a taste-test. "But it was juicy and delicious - nothing leafy about it at all." Meat Tree products could be on the market in Great Britain by the end of next year. Some vegetarians insist they should never eat meat -- even if it grew on a tree. Others love the idea. "My mouth is watering already," says a devoted vegetarian of 20 years. By writing this passage, the author wants to _ . A. show readers a new achievement in gene technology B. encourage people to eat fruit from Meat Trees C. explain how meat is produced on trees D. tell vegetarians good news about Meat Trees Answer: A In the 1500s, South American fishermen said that the sea became warmer every few years. They gave this special event a Spanish name 'El Nino', meaning 'the baby'. It is called 'the baby' because it arrives around Christmas. El Nino is a huge area of warm water in the middle of cold water in the Pacific Ocean. It happens every two to seven years. It moves around the ocean and becomes bigger and smaller at different times. This warm water affects the weather. It is always raining over El Nino. El Nino contains a lot of energy. Scientists think this energy is formed when wind comes from the northern half of the world. The winds blow across warm sea water in the south. When the strong wind hits the warm water, violent weather happens. Scientists think that El Nino existed for many thousands of years. El Nino affects every person in the world because it affects the entire world's weather. It can bring the rain that farmers need. It can bring storms that destroy homes. It can mean that fishermen cannot catch fish, and it can bring floods. There is nothing we can do about El Nino. It is an event of nature. We can help the world's weather by trying to stop the greenhouse effect and air pollution. The most important job for scientists is to learn how to predict when El Nino is going to bring dangerous weather. Then, people can try to prepare for storms, floods and droughts. New technology like satellite pictures and temperature measuring equipment can help. Still, it is very hard to say when or where El Nino will cause damage. It happens _ . A. every year B. every month C. every seven years D. every two to seven years Answer: D Little Peter is a boy of nine. He began to go to school when he was six, and now he is in Grade Three. He lives not far from the school, but he is often late for class. He likes watching TV in the evening and goes to bed late, so he can't get up on time in the morning. This term, Mrs. Black, Peter's aunt, teaches music in Peter's school. She is strict with Peter and often tells the boy to obey the school rules and come to school on time. Yesterday morning, Peter got up late. When he hurried to school, it was a quarter past eight. His aunt was waiting for him at the school gate. "You are ten minutes late for the first class, Peter," Mrs. Black said angrily. "Why are you often late for class?" "Every time, when I get to the street corner , I always see a guidepost . It says SCHOOL--GO SLOWLY!" Mrs. Black is a _ . A. worker B. teacher C. mother D. policewoman Answer: B Before the elevator was invented in the late 1800s,buildings were much smaller and lower,as people did not want to walk up and down stairs all day.With the invention of the elevator came high-rise buildings and _ . Some people find elevators make them a little uncomfortable because there are many people all standing close in a small room.It is best just to relax and enjoy the ride. When the elevator doors open,stand aside and let everyone out before you try to get in.Even if you are in a hurry,it's impolite to push someone so that you can get into an elevator. Don't stare at people or stand too close.Try to keep your eyes looking ahead or you could make others feel nervous or uncomfortable. If you have to move past people to get out of the elevator,say"Excuse me,please"or"I'm sorry"rather than just push them out of the way.Others will think you're welcome if you show some politeness. If you are standing close to the buttons ,ask others what floors they are going to and press the buttons for them.This is considered to be polite. In case of emergency ,follow the instructions written inside the elevator and try to keep others calm. Before the elevator was invented,buildings were _ . A. big enough B. tall enough C. low and small D. huge but low Answer: C We are often asked to make a speech in life. Most of us are afraid of it and don't do a good job. Here are some simple steps to make your speech a successful one. First of all, find out everything you can about your subject and at the same time find out as much as you can about your audience. Who are they? What do they know about your subject? Put yourself in their shoes as you prepare your speech. Then try to arrange your material so that your speech is clear and easy to follow. Use as many examples as possible. Never forget your audience. Don't talk over their heads or talk down to them. When you are giving your speech, speak slowly and clearly, look at your audience and for a few seconds from time to time to give your audience chances to think over what you've said. Just remember: be prepared, know your subject and your audience, say what you have to say and be yourself so that your ideas will bring you and your audience together. Which title best gives the main idea of the passage? A. How to Remember the Audience B. How to Pick out the Topic for a Speech C. How to Prepare the Material for a Speech D. How to Improve Your Speech Answer: D
Question: It seems that Great Wall is the place to rock. There will be two parties held on the Great Wall this month. Great Wall I The latest Great Wall party is sponsored by the Club and electrobeat and held at Jinshanling. Local DJ Mark ,as well as guest Slab from Australia ,Usami and Bobby from Hong Kong will spin the sounds. All drinks are priced at 20 yuan($2.4). Tickets:200 yuan($24), including bus ride there and back plus entrance fee to the Great Wall. T/D: 8 p.m. to 2 a. m., Sept.20. Pre-sale tickets are available at: Public Space: 6416-0759 Neo Lounge: 6416-1077 Location: Buses leave at 5 p.m. on Saturday ,Sep. 20 from Neo Lounge, 99 Xinfuncun Zhonglu, Sanlitun, Chaoyan District. For more info: www. elektrobeat.com Great Wall II The other party at the end of this month at Jinshanling will be kick-started with live performances by Askar, Brain Failure, Longkuan, Supermarket, Mr.Zhou, Beijing Talking and the Yi band. Dance till dawn to the groovy sounds of DJs Ben ,Mickey Zhang ,Will, Cheese, Gao Hu and Huang Weiwei. T/D: 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. ,Sept. 27. Tickets: 350 yuan($42)or 300 yuan($36) for groups of 10 or more, 500 yuan ($60) at the door and VIP tickets 800 yuan($72), transportation included.. Location: Buses depart from the north gate of Workers, Stadium at noon, 2 p.m., 4 p.m., Sept. 27. For more info: contact Li Zhenhua at lzh@msgp.org or call 133-2119-1731. Which is true according to the text? A. You have to pay extra money for entering the Great Wall with a ticket. B. You have to use a computer to get the details about Great Wall Rock. C. You have to pay extra money for bus ride with a ticket. D. It is at least 4 hours, ride from Neo Lounge to Jinshanling. Answer: B Question: Old age may not sound exciting.But recent findings offer good news for older pepole and for people worried about getting older. Researches found that people become happier and experience less worry after they reach the age of fifty.In fact,they say by the age of eighty--five,people are happier with their life than they were when they were eighteen years old. The findings came from a survey of more than 340,000 adults in the United States.The Gallup Organization questioned them by telephone in 2008.At that time,the people were between the ages of eighteen and eighty--five.The searches asked questions about emotions like happiness,sadness and worry.They also asked about mental or emotional stress. Arthur Stone in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at Stony Brook University in New York led the study.His team found that levels of stress were highest among adults between the ages of twenty--two and twenty--five.The findings showed that stress levels dropped sharply after people reached their fifties.Happiness was highest among the youngest adults and those in their early seventies.The people least likely to report feeling negative emotions were those in their seventies and eighties. The study also showed that men and women had similar emotional patterns as they grew older.Hower,women at all ages reported more sadness,stress and worry than men.Researchers say they do not know why happiness increases as people get older.One theory is that,as people grow older,they grow more thankful for what they have and have better control of their emotion .They also spend less time thinking about bad experiences. The researchers also considered possible influences like having young children,being unemployed or being single.But they found that influences like these did not affect the levels of happiness and well--being related to age. How did the researchers find older people happier? A. They did a series of experiments. B. They made a written survey about the old people. C. They interviewed people of different ages face to face. D. They telephoned people between the ages of 18 and 85. Answer: D Question: Spiderman is one of the most famous comic book heroes of all time.He was created by Stan Lee in 1963 and was first introduced to the world in the pages of Marvel comic books. Spiderman's story is the story of Peter Parker,a child who lost his parents and lives with his aunt and uncle.Peter is a shy,quiet boy wearing glasses and has few friends.One day,on a high school class trip to a science lab,he gets bitten by a special spider.Soon Peter realizes he has amazing powers:he is as strong and quick as a spider and also has a type of sixth sense.He no longer needs his glasses and he can use his super power to fly through the city streets! Remembering something his Uncle Ben has told him,that"with great power,there must also come great responsibility ,"Peter decides to use his powers to fight enemies who do cruel things to people.And so,Spiderman is born. Life is not easy for Peter even though he is a superhero.He is in love with Mary Jane but cannot tell her about his amazing powers.Besides,his best friend Harry hates Spiderman! Peter is also short of money and time.He has to sell photos of Spiderman(himself!)to a newspaper and he keeps losing his other jobs because he's so busy saving people! Yet he has to fight different kinds of cruel enemies. What happened to Peter Parker after he was bitten by the spider? A. He could not see with his eyes. B. He became a spider. C. He developed spider-like powers. D. He was sick. Answer: C Question: China in the 21st century is making great progress in space technology. In 2003, the country sent up the manned spacecraft Shenzhou-V. Four years later, Chang'e-I went into orbit around the moon. In 2008 a Chinese man did the country's first spacewalk. These achievements would have been unthinkable without the contribution of Qian Xuesen, a key scientist on space programs and rocketry of the People's Republic of China. This pioneering scientist passed away in Beijing on October 31 in 2009 at the age of 98. Once called "the father of our space industry", Qian began working on China's missile and space technology in 1956, when China had little technology. When asked by General Chen Geng whether the Chinese could develop their own missiles, Qian said Chinese could do anything that foreigners could. His research helped lead to the explosion of China's first atomic bomb in1964, as well as to its first man-made satellite in 1970 and its first manned spacecraft in 2003. Qian was born in Shanghai. He graduated from Shanghai Jiaotong University in 1934.Then he studied in the US at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and later at the California Institute of Technology. During World WarII, Qian's research contributed to the development of rocket technology that the US military began using in the 1940s. He was once prevented from leaving the country because it was decided that he knew too much about certain military matters. It was not until in 1955 that Qian returned to China with the help of the late premier Zhou Enlai. "I plan to do my best to help the Chinese build a nation where they can live with dignity and happiness, " Qian told reporters before sailing for China in 1955. The great scientist devoted all his life to keeping the promise. . Which statement about Qian is TRUE? A. He was born in China and brought up in America. B. He went to America for further study after graduation from university. C. He returned to his hometown right after finishing his education. D. He had worked on missiles in the US military before coming back to China. Answer: B Question: Digestion is when an organism takes in nutrients from what? A. sustenance B. food chart C. wind D. gales Answer: A
Question: You are unable to naturally make yourself taller because height is determined by A. parents B. Cookies C. Space D. Eggshells Answer: A Question: In the very early 1800's, a young boy about 14 years old named John lived in a orphanage in Old England along with several other children. Orphan meant unwanted and unloved. Christmas was the one day of the year when the children didn't work and received a gift, an orange. Usually they tried to taste and keep it for so long that it often went bad before they ever peeled it to enjoy the sweet juice. Many thoughts were expressed as Christmas time drew near. The children would say, "I will keep mine the longest." John usually slept with his next to his pillow. This year John was overjoyed by the Christmas season. He was becoming a man and stronger and soon he would be old enough to leave. He would save his orange until his birthday in July. Christmas day finally came. The children were so excited as they entered the big dinning hall. Immediately the master shouted, "John, leave the hall and there will be no orange for you this year." John's heart broke violently wide open. He turned and went quickly back to the cold room. Then he heard the door open and each of the children entered. Little Elizabeth with her hair falling over her shoulders, a smile on her face, and tears in her eyes held out a piece of rag to John. "Here John," she said, "this is for you." As he lifted back the edges of the rag he saw a big juicy orange all peeled and quartered and then he realized what they had done. John never forgot the sharing, love and personal sacrifice his friends had shown him that Christmas day. In memory of that day every year he would send oranges all over the world to children everywhere. What can be inferred from the text? A. John had expected he wouldn't get the gift this year. B. John knew why he didn't get the gift this year. C. John felt ashamed for not getting the special gift. D. The story teaches us to learn to share with others. Answer: D Question: Are you a working professional with a continuing need for a stockpile of suits? Regardless of what specific wardrobe needs you have or where you like to shop,you really can avoid paying top dollars for clothing.These tips can help you experience the excitement of beating the system. Figure out precisely when to hunt for bargains. Your favorite stores will have several big sales throughout the course of the year.With a simple plan, you can time things so you shop only during the best, sales.If you don't feel like reading the ads in your local newspaper, call the stores directly and ask for details. Be a wise Internet shopper. Visit the Web sites of your favorite stores and clothing lists and look for online-only, sales.It's not at all uncommon to notice dresses or suits that used to cost $100 in final clearance sections for $19.99 or even $9.99.You can try clothes on at your nearest retail store first to make sure they fit and then buy them online for less. Really go thrift . Shopping at thrift stores takes patience and time,so you shouldn't go when you're in a big hurry.Many thrift stores offer regular weekly deals that provide true shopping thrills for you.For example,all clothes labeled stickers of a certain color1 may cost 99 cents on a certain day of the week.Call up the thrift stores in your area and ask about special sales. Don't give up clothes you have too easily. Many ignored items in your closet could enjoy a new life with a little bit of TLC.Coats call be relined ,shoes can be resoled and small imperfections can be repaired. If you want to make a saving, which of the following should you NOT do? A. Be patient when shopping. B. Visit thrift stores regularly. C. Buy things quickly. D. Call up the thrift stores for details. Answer: C Question: A woman went into a shop one evening to buy a new blouse. A strange man followed her into the shop and stood about while she was at the counter. Suddenly she screamed and the man turned and ran out of the shop, right into the arms of a passing policeman. Then he was caught by the policeman because he was a wanted robber. "Mrs Jones, if you hadn't screamed, I would certainly have been robbed," said the shopkeeper, "I didn't know it," answered Mrs Jones. "I screamed when you told me how expensive the blouse was." The woman was _ . A. a policewoman B. Mrs Jones C. a robber D. the shopkeeper Answer: B 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 this necessary security precaution. For packing tips and other suggestions that may assist you during your next trip, visit: We appreciate your understanding and cooperation. If you have questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to contact the Transportation Security Administration Consumer Response Center: Phone: toll-free at (866) 289-9673 Email: *Section 110(b)of the Aviation and Transportation Security Act of 2001, 49, U. S. C.SS44901(c)-(e) What is the meaning of "liable" as it is used in the text? A. responsible B. permitted by law C. suitable D. prepared Answer: A
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 lived _ Answer: with his granddaughter and her husband Read the description of the experiment below to answer the question. One hundred pea seeds were put in petri dishes and covered with wet paper towels. The petri dishes were then put inside black plastic bags. Half of them were placed in an incubator set to 10°C. The remaining half were placed in an incubator set to 30°C. This experiment was most likely designed to study the effect of which variable on the germination of pea seeds? Answer: temperature If you know something is bad for you, why can't you just stop? About 70% of smokers say they would like to stop. Drug and alcohol abusers struggle to give up the bad habits that hurt their bodies and destroy families and friendships. And many of us have unhealthy weight that we could lose if only we would eat right and exercise more. So why don't we do it? Some scientists have been searching for answers. They've studied what happens in our brains as habits form. They've found answers to why bad habits, once formed, are so difficult to kick. And they're developing ways to help us make the changes we'd like to make. Habits are a normal part of life, and are often helpful. " We wake up every morning, shower, comb our hair or brush our teeth without being aware of it," Volkow says. We can drive along familiar routes without really thinking about the directions. "When behaviors become automatic , it gives us an advantage, because the brain does not have to perform the action on purpose." Volkow says. This frees up our brains to focus on different things. One way to kick bad habits is to focus on your unhealthy habits. Then try your best to stop them. For example, habits can be linked in our minds to certain places and activities. You could develop a plan, say, to avoid walking down the hall where there's a candy machine. Try to avoid going places where you've usually smoked. Stay away from friends and situations linked to problem drinking or drug use. Another helpful way is to replace unhealthy habits with new, healthy ones. "It doesn't work for everyone," Volkow says. "But certain groups of patients who have a history of taking a drug can do something else like running and it helps them stay away from drugs." If you want to kick bad habits you'd better _ . Answer: focus on them on purpose Mary likes English very much. She works hard. She reads English every morning. She likes speaking English. She often listens to the radio. She watches TV only on Saturday evening. Does she like dancing? No, she doesn't. But she likes drawing and singing. Her parents like her very much. And all the teachers and her friends like her, too. In the morning Mary _ . Answer: reads English 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 If you choose to work as a kitchen assistant, you must _ . Answer: be able to help prepare food.
The Ice Hotel Are you going into skiing? Is winter your favorite time of year? If you like snow and ice, maybe you should stay at Ice Hotel in Quebec, Canada. But, you can only check in at this hotel during the winter. Why ? Because this hotel is built every December. It has 32 rooms and 80 people can stay there each night. The hotel even has a movie theatre, art gallery, and church. Of course, all of these parts of the hotel are made of ice. In fact, all the furniture, art, lights, and even plates and drinking glasses are made out of ice. Because this hotel is so unusual, it is becoming very popular. People from all over the world come to the Ice Hotel to look at the fantastic ice art, drink and eat from designed ice dishes and experience the unique atmosphere . Some couples have even got married in the hotel's ice church. But all these guests keep their winter coats on! Because of all the ice, the temperature inside the hotel is always between - 2oC and - 5oC. Surprisingly, sleeping is not a problem in the freezing cold hotel rooms. Every guest gets a special cold-weather sleeping bag and some fur blankets. These keep the room cozy and warm until morning. Why is sleeping NOT a problem in the hotel? A. the rooms are warm B. the temperature is -2oC C. the sleeping bags are warm D. the furniture is warm Answer: C In a Police Mess , an officer wanted to get some fresh vegetables. He was so pleased with his mushrooms that he decided to share them. When their breakfast arrived the next day, each officer found some mushrooms on his plate. "Try the dog with a piece first." Suggested one cautious officer who was afraid that the " mushrooms" might be poisonous. The dog seemed to enjoy its mushrooms, and the officers then began to eat their meal, saying that the mushrooms tasted wonderful. An hour later, however, there was great confusion when the gardener rushed in to announce that the dog was dead. Immediately, the officers jumped into their cars and rushed to the nearest hospital. Stomach pumps were used and the officers had a very unpleasant time getting rid of the remains of the mushrooms. When they returned to the mess, they sat down and started to discuss the symptoms of the mushroom poisoning. The gardener was called in to give a full account of the way the poor dog had died. " Did it suffer much before death?" asked one of the officer, feeling very pleased that he had escaped a painful death himself. The gardener looked rather surprised , " No, " he said in a puzzled tone. " It was killed when a car ran over it." , . Which of the following is TRUE? A. The officers weren't satisfied with the mushrooms B. The officers were happy to hear the mews that the dog was dead. C. The officers' stomachs were washed in the hospital D. The officers were sent to the hospital at once. Answer: C A Healthy Habits Survey shows that only about one third of American seniors have correct habits. Here are some findings and expert advice. 1.How many times did you brush your teeth yesterday? Finding:A full 33% of seniors brush their teeth only once a day. Step:Remove the 300 types of bacteria in your mouth each morning with a battery-operated toothbrush. Brush gently for 2 minutes, at least twice a day. 2.How many times did you wash your hands or bathe yesterday? Finding:Seniors, on average, bathe fewer than 3 days a week. And nearly 30%wash their hands only 4 times a day-half of the number doctors recommend. Step:We touch our faces around 3,000 times a day-often inviting germs to enter our mouth, nose, and eyes.Use toilet paper to avoid touching the door handle. And, most important, wash your hands often with hot running water and soap for 20 seconds. 3. How often do you think about fighting germs? Finding:Seniors are not fighting germs as well as they should. Step:Be aware of germs. Do you know it is not your toilet but your kitchen sponge that can carry more germs than anything else? To kill these germs, keep your sponge in the microwave for 10 seconds. The text probably comes from _ . A. a guide book B. an official document C. a book review D. a popular magazine Answer: D We must do what we can to protect the plants because plants are very important for living things. Life could not go on if there were no plants. This is because plants can make food from air, water and sunlight. Animals and man cannot make food from air, water and sunlight. Animals get their food by eating plants and other animals. Therefore animals and man need plants in order to live. This is why we find that there are so many plants around us. If you look carefully at the plants around you, you will find that there are two kinds of plants: flowering plants and non-flowering plants. Flowering plants can make seeds. The seeds are _ by the fruits. Some fruits have one seed, some have two, three or four, and some have many seeds. But a few fruits have no seeds at all. An example of a fruit without seeds is the banana fruit. Most non-flowering plants do not grow from seeds. They grow from spores . Spores are very small. Some spores are so small and light that they can float in the air. We may say that spores are quite the same as seeds. When these spores are all on wet and shady places, they usually grow into new plants. What can we infer from the passage? A. Of all living things animals are most important B. Spores are seeds C. All fruits of flowering plants have seeds D. Without plants, man will die out Answer: D There are some vegetables in the garden and a big tree near the vegetables. They don't like each other, because vegetables drink much water, and the tree can't have enough water to live. He is very angry about that. So he wants to teach vegetables a lesson . On a very hot day, the big tree doesn't share its shadow with vegetables. It makes vegetables very hot. But there is not enough water to drink. So they soon become very dry. At that time, the gardener comes to see these vegetables. He is very sad, because all the vegetables are dry. Then he starts to build a new one. The vegetables and the big tree can't drink water any more. The big tree feels very sad, because he uses a wrong way to teach the lesson. Why do the vegetables and the tree dislike each other? A. Because the tree is too tall. B. Because the vegetables are too big. C. Because they don't share water with each other. D. Because they like to play a trick on each other. Answer: C
Question: World Expo 2010 Shanghai China is to be staged in Shanghai from May 1 to October 31, 2010. If you plan to visit the Shanghai Expo this summer, China Pavilion is a must - see area for you. China Pavilion, which is called Oriental Crown, is located at the center of the Expo site. Standing 63 meters tall, the China Pavilion takes the shape of an emperor's crown, with the upper layers larger than the lower ones. Covering 160,000 square meters in floor space, the pavilion is made up of a national hall and a regional( ) hall. Buildings on the China Pavilion began on Dec. 18, 2007. The design of the China Pavilion was picked from a total of 344 designs put forward by Chinese from around the world. The pavilion has both traditional and modern features, which helps develop the theme of the 2010 Expo; "Better City, Better Life. For example, it is red in appearance, which covers the traditional Chinese culture, and it is green indoors, with the use of energy - saving techniques. The Shanghai World Expo is expected to attract 70 million visitors from across the globe. It is estimated that 400,000 people will visit the Expo and its 140 pavilions every day during the period, but the China Pavilion is only able to receive about one tenth of the total. How to hold so many people in the pavilion remains a tough task. Luckily, the China Pavilion is built as a permanent landmark. During the Expo, the main structure( ) will be used for an exhibition based on the theme of " Chinese wisdom in urban development" by explaining the values of harmony( ), nature and spirit. The three - story pavilion has three sections. The top floor's "Footprint of the East" will show some of the changes in Chinese cities. There, you can see a film which shows how Chinese cities have changed, especially in the past 30 years. According to Lu Chuan, director of the film, the scenery is like something from Lord of the Rings. On the second floor, "Journey of Wisdom" will explain China's four great inventions. And the ground's " Blossoming" City will display scenes from cities of the future. We can infer( )that _ . A. Some foreign friends took part in the designs of the China Pavilion B. You can continue to visit the Japanese Pavilion after the Expo is over C. China Pavilion will be pulled down after the World Expo 2010 is over D. China Pavilion will continue to be open to visitors after the Expo is over Answer: D Question: It was reported today that in China, 56% of people who write blogs do so as a personal diary and 83% use their blogs for sending messages to friends. It was also found that there is a strong East- West difference. In places like the US, blogs that offer information on news attract more readers but in China, blogs are more likely to be about sharing personal feelings. It seems that bloggers can be divided into three types: IT bloggers, bloggers who record their ordinary feelings and media bloggers. When blogging first started, the IT people had the technological advantage and they took the chance to put their thoughts on the web. Some of these IT people now have had over a million people read their blogs. The next wave of bloggers did not have any training as writers or in IT and wrote about normal daily life. Media bloggers, however, are trained writers, such as journalists and editors. When the many media bloggers , the everyday bloggers lost most of their readers. Media bloggers have the advantage of knowing how to communicate well through the written words. However, the normal bloggers are still out there and increasing in number. It seems that blogging is the new way to express your feelings. People feel like the world is listening to, or rather reading, their problems, even if they are not. _ wrote more blogs at the very beginning . A. IT bloggers B. Media bloggers C. Normal bloggers D. US bloggers Answer: A Question: Real gift at Christmas IT was Christmas Eve, 1881. I was 15 years old and feeling like the world was over for me. I didn't have enough money to buy myself the gift that I had wanted that year. Dad came back in and there was ice in his beard. "You've been by widow Smith's house recently?" he asked. Widow Smith lived two miles down the road. Her husband died a year ago and left her with three children. "I rode by just today," Dad continued. "Little Jack was out looking for wood . They must be out of wood, Tom." We filled our sled high with wood. Then we went to the store and Dad bought some food, and a smaller pair of shoes. I tried to think through what Dad was doing. I knew we didn't have much money, so why was Dad buying _ so many things? We got to the Smith's house and went in. "We brought you a few things, madam," Dad said, and put down the bag of food on the table. Then Dad handed widow Smith the pair of shoes. She bit her lower lip to keep it from trembling , and then tears filled her eyes and started running down her cheeks. My throat seemed to be filled with something, and there were tears in my eyes, too. Just then my dream gift seemed very unimportant. Dad had given me the look on widow Smith's face and the smiles of her three children. He had given me the best Christmas of my life. The father decided to help the Smiths because _ . A. he learned from widow Smith about her trouble B. he saw the little child looking for wood out in the cold C. he realized widow Smith had to raise three children D. he saw their neighbors were not nice or helpful Answer: A Question: East Bus --- maybe the best choice on your visit to the famous places of interest in Beijing. Sit back, relax and see all there is to see, with no need to worry about driving, finding a parking place or leaving your car with no one to watch it. We have lots of buses taking you to visit Tian'anmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven Park, the Olympic Center and the Great Wall. The whole tour will take you three days. Chinese & English speaking guides. Booking by phone four days in advance . Tour price: Y=580.00 per person (half price for children under 1.2m tall ), including the ticket price, breakfast and lunch. For more information, please phone Yong'an Tourism Company at 010-23368688/23368689. Add: 356 Chaoyang Road, Beijing. Open 7 days a week. 8:00-16:00. ,. _ on an East Bus can speak two languages. A. The guide B. The driver C. The visitors D. The children Answer: A Question: What body covering does the animal that clucks have? A. Skin B. Feathers C. Scales D. Fur Answer: B
Question: 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. The writer was nervous about the race because she _ . A. had to stop to drink water B. was worried she wasn't ready C. run slower than anyone else D. could find no coach to help her Answer: B. was worried she wasn't ready Question: A scientist wanting to document a change in a river's flow pattern should observe a river over a period of A. days. B. weeks. C. months. D. years. Answer: D. years. Question: A policeman was questioning 3 blondes who were training to become detectives. To test their skills in recognizing a suspect, he shows the first blonde a picture for5 seconds and then hides it. "This is your suspect, how would you recognize him?" The first blonde answers, "That's easy, we'll catch him fast because he only has one eye!" The policeman says, "Well...uh...that's because the picture shows his profile." Slightly confused by this ridiculous response, he flashes the picture for 5 seconds at the second blonde and asks her, "This is your suspect, how would you recognize him?" The second blonde giggles, flips her hair and says, "Ha! He'd be too easy to catch because he only has one ear!" The policeman angrily responds, "What's the matter with you two? Of course only one eye and one ear are SHOWING because it's a picture of his profile!! Is that the best answer you can come up with?" Extremely frustrated at this point, he shows the picture to the third blonde and in a very testy voice asks "This is your suspect, how would you recognize him?" He quickly adds, "Think hard before giving me a stupid answer." The blonde looks at the picture intently for a moment and says, "Hmmmm...the suspect wears contact lenses." The policeman is surprised and speechless because he really doesn't know himself if the suspect wears contacts or not. "Well, that's an interesting answer...wait here for a few minutes while I check his file and I'll get back to you on that." He leaves the room and goes to his .office, checks the suspect's file in his computer, and comes back with a beaming smile on his face. "Wow! I can't believe it...it's TRUE! The suspect does in fact wear contact lenses. Good work! How were you able to make such an acute observation?" "That's easy," the blonde replied. "He can't wear regular glasses because he only has one eye and one ear." Why did the policeman show a picture to the three blondes? A. To inquire about their relationship with the suspect. B. To test their potential of being detectives. C. To train them as qualified police officers. D. To show the skills in recognizing a suspect. Answer: B. To test their potential of being detectives. Question: People in different places eat different things. In South China people like to eat rice. Sometimes they eat it twice or three times a day. They usually eat it with fish, meat and vegetables. It tastes very delicious. Japanese like to eat rice, too. They also eat a lot of fish. Sometimes they eat raw fish.It sounds strange but smells very fresh. In western countries like Britain, Australia and the USA, the most important food is bread or potatoes. People usually make their bread at home. And they cook potatoes in different ways. In England the most popular food is fish and chips. Sometimes people eat this food at home, in their workplace, in the park or even on the street. People call it "takeaway" food. In China today,there are also much"takeaway"food,and most children like to eat them. Which sentence is RIGHT? A. People in China and America eat the same food. B. Australians never make bread at their home. C. Fish is very popular in Japan and England. D. People in different places eat same things Answer: C. Fish is very popular in Japan and England. Question: Environmental organizations have asked businesses to take action to reduce waste. Which of the following changes could a business make in order to become more "environmentally friendly"? A. Purchase only recycled paper and paper products. B. When making photocopies, print on only one side of the paper. C. Purchase wood products manufactured only in other countries. D. When packing boxes, use Styrofoam™ filler instead of old newspapers. Answer: A. Purchase only recycled paper and paper products.
We each have a memory . That's why we can still remember things after a long time. Some people have very good memories and they can easily learn many things by heart, but some people can only remember things when they say or do them again and again. Many of the great men of the world have got surprising memories. A good memory is a great help in learning a language. Everybody learns his mother language when he is a small child. He hears the sounds, remembers them and then he learns to speak. Some children are living with their parents in foreign countries. They can learn two languages as easily as one because they hear, remember and speak two languages every day. In school it is not so easy to learn a foreign language because the pupils have so little time for it, and they are busy with other subjects, too. But your memory will become better and better when you do more and more exercises. ,. In school the pupils can't learn a foreign language well because _ . Answer: This is a time of year when we think about giving and receiving presents. Can you find a little extra to give? On this page we suggest a few organizations you might like to help. Littleton Children's Home We DON'T want your money, but children's toys, books and clothes IN GOOD CONDITION would be very welcome. Also, we are looking for friendly families who would take our children into their homes for a few hours or days as guests. You have so much-will you share it? Phone Sister Thomas on 55671 Children's Hospice We look after a small number of very sick children. This important work needs skill and love. We cannot continue without gifts or money to pay for more nursing staff. We also need storybooks and toys suitable for quiet games. Please contact the Secretary, Little Children's Hospice, Newby Road. Street Food In the winter weather, it's no fun being homeless. It's even worse if you're hungry. We give hot food to at least fifty people every night. It's hard work, but necessary. Can you come and help? If not, can you offer a little money? We use a very old kitchen, and we need some new saucepans . Money for new ones would be most welcome indeed. Contact Street Food, c/o Mary's House, Elming Way. Littleton Phone 27713 Littleton Youth Club Have you got an unwanted chair? - a record-player? - a pot of paint ? Because we can use them! We want to get to work on our meeting room! Please phone 66231 and we'll be happy to collect anything you can give us. Thank you! The Night Shelter We offer a warm bed for the night to anyone who has nowhere to go. We rent the former Commercial Hotel on Green Street. Although it is not expensive, we never seem to have quite enough money. Can you let us have a few pounds? Any amount, however small, will be such a help. Send it to us at 15, Green St, Littleton. Please make check payable to Night Shelter. If you like children and you could offer a happy family to a homeless child, you may contact _ . Answer: O. Henry was a pen name used by an American writer of short stories. His real name was William Sydney Porter. He was born in North Carolina in 1862. As a young boy he lived an exciting life. He did not go to school for very long, but he managed to teach himself everything he needed to know. When he was about 20 years old, O. Henry went to Texas, where he tried different jobs. He first worked on a newspaper, and then had a job in a bank, when some money went missing from the bank O. Henry was believed to have stolen it. Because of that, he was sent to prison. During the three years in prison, he learned to write short stories. After he got out of prison, he went to New York and continued writing. He wrote mostly about New York and the life of the poor there. People liked his stories, because simple as the tales were, they would finish with a sudden change at the end, to the reader's surprise. Where did O. Henry get most material for his short stories? Answer: 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. _ " Why was Juliet sad? Answer: Scientists have recently discovered that mothers tend to hold their baby on the left.Of 255 right-handed mothers,83% held the baby on the left.And out of 32 left-handed women,78%held the baby on the left As a control( ),women were watched coming from supermarkets carrying baby-sized bags;the bags were held with no side preference. Then,dental patients were given a large rubber ball to hold during treatment.The majority held the ball to their left side,even when it was interrupted with the dentist's activities. This suggested that in times of stress objects are held against the left side. At that point,something clearly contrary was observed.A large number of mothers who brought their premature babies to a clinic were seen to hold their babies against their right side. So,115 mothers who had been separated from their babies for 24 hours after birth were observed for holding response.The experimenters presented the baby directly to midline of the mother's body, and noted how she held the baby.53% placed the baby on the left and 47% on the right.And it was also noted that the mothers of the group who had held their baby on the left had already had a baby from which they had not been separated after birth. Left-handed holding enables the baby to hear the heartbeat.In order to discover whether hearing the heart has a beneficial effect on the baby,the sound of a human heart-beat was played to 102 babies in a New York nursery for 4 days.A control group of babies was not exposed to heart-beats.The babies in the heart-beat group gained more weight and cried far less than the babies in the control group. In one experiment,102 babies spent four day. Answer:
China in the 21st century is making great progress in space technology. In 2003, the country sent up the manned spacecraft Shenzhou-V. Four years later, Chang'e-I went into orbit around the moon. In 2008 a Chinese man did the country's first spacewalk. These achievements would have been unthinkable without the contribution of Qian Xuesen, a key scientist on space programs and rocketry of the People's Republic of China. This pioneering scientist passed away in Beijing on October 31 in 2009 at the age of 98. Once called "the father of our space industry", Qian began working on China's missile and space technology in 1956, when China had little technology. When asked by General Chen Geng whether the Chinese could develop their own missiles, Qian said Chinese could do anything that foreigners could. His research helped lead to the explosion of China's first atomic bomb in1964, as well as to its first man-made satellite in 1970 and its first manned spacecraft in 2003. Qian was born in Shanghai. He graduated from Shanghai Jiaotong University in 1934.Then he studied in the US at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and later at the California Institute of Technology. During World WarII, Qian's research contributed to the development of rocket technology that the US military began using in the 1940s. He was once prevented from leaving the country because it was decided that he knew too much about certain military matters. It was not until in 1955 that Qian returned to China with the help of the late premier Zhou Enlai. "I plan to do my best to help the Chinese build a nation where they can live with dignity and happiness, " Qian told reporters before sailing for China in 1955. The great scientist devoted all his life to keeping the promise. From the article, we can conclude that _ . Answer: it was not easy to get Qian back from the US Middle school students have far too much homework. They usually have to sit up three or four hours every night doing their homework. Now one school in my hometown has made a rule of limiting homework. The homework is limited to an hour a day and the students have no homework on the weekend. I think this is an excellent idea that will allow students to live better and healthier lives. Less homework will give students more time to enjoy other pastimes .I have many books which I received as gifts from my parents and friends. They have been kept there on my shelf for several years! Because of homework, I will have not read a single one of them. With less homework, students will be freer to develop their interests in art, music and other hobbies. More time free from homework will get our physical health better. Many students like sports, but they have little time to play football, basketball, volleyball and so on. They hardly have time to have a trip or take part in any social activities. They must spend so much time solving math problems and doing grammar exercises. Besides, staying up late to finish their homework leaves many students exhausted in the morning. Not getting enough sleep is not only unpleasant; it also makes students more likely to get colds and other illnesses. According to the passage, what makes students more likely to get colds? Answer: Not getting enough sleep. Many people think that the ideas about right and wrong are only personal ideas. Bennett wrote The Book of Virtue in which he suggested that great moral stories can build character. The success of Bennett's book shows that many Americans still believe in moral values, just like honesty, courage, loyalty and many others. For Americans, one basic moral value is honesty. The story about George Washington and the cherry tree teaches this value clearly. Little George cut down his father's favourite cherry tree. When his father asked him about it, George said, "I did it." Instead of punishment, his father spoke highly of him. Sometimes American honesty--being open and direct--can make people angry. But Americans still believe that "honesty is the best virtue". Another virtue is perseverance . A story tells of a little train climbing a hill. The hill is too high to get over it. But the train just kept pulling, all the while saying, "I think I can, I think I can." At last, the train was over the top because he did not give up. Compassion may be the queen of American virtues. The story of "The Good Samaritan" from the Bible describes a man with compassion. On his way home, he found a poor traveler lying on the road. The kind man, instead of just passing by, stopped to help this person in need. Compassion can even turn into a good cycle. In 1992, people in Iowa sent plenty of water to help Floridians hit by storms. The next summer, during the Midwest flood, Florida returned. Millions of Americans are quietly passing along the kindness shown to them. In no way can this book cover all the moral values honored (...) by Americans. But moral virtues are priceless, and they are the base of American culture and any culture. The tale about the turtle and the rabbit that had a race can be an example to describe _ . Answer: perseverance The old man walked slowly into the restaurant. With head tilted, and shoulders bent forward he leaned on his trusty stick with each unhurried step. His torn cloth jacket, patched trousers, worn out shoes, and warm personality made him stand out from the usual Saturday morning breakfast crowd. He stopped, turned with his whole body, and winked at a little girl seated by the door. She flashed a big smile right back at him. A young waitress named Mary watched him walk toward a table by the window. She ran over to him, and said, "Here, Sir. Let me give you a hand with that chair." She pulled the chair away from the table. Steadying him with one arm, she helped him move in front of the chair, and get comfortably seated. Then she moved the table up close to him, and leaned his stick against the table where he could reach it. In a soft, clear voice he said, "Thank you, Miss. And bless you for your kind gestures." "You're welcome, Sir." She replied. "And my name is Mary. I'll be back in a moment, and if you need anything at all in the mean time, just wave at me!" After he had finished a hearty meal, Mary brought him the change from his ticket. He left it on the table. She helped him and walked with him to the front door. Holding the door open for him, she said, "Come back and see us, Sir!" He turned and nodded a thank-you. "You are very kind." he said softly, smiling. When Mary went to clean his table, she almost fainted. Under his plate she found a business card, and a note scribbled on a napkin. Under the napkin was a one-hundred-dollar bill. The note on the napkin read, "Dear Mary, I respect you very much, and you respect yourself too. It shows by the way you treat others. You have found the secret of happiness. Your kind gestures will shine through those who meet you." The man she had waited on was the owner of the restaurant where she worked. This was the first time that she, or any of his employees had ever seen him in person. What do we know about Mary and the old man? Answer: Mary had never seen her boss face to face before. Google Glass, a wearable computer, will not go on sale for many months. But the resistance is already under way. The glasses-like device, which allows users to access the Internet, take photos and shoot videos, has been banned by a bar in Seattle, because according to the bar' owner, the bar was "kind of a private place." Besides, large parts of Las Vegas will not welcome wearers. Google Glass is a pair of glasses with a tiny computer attached to the right earpiece and has the ability to capture any chance encounter and broadcast it to millions. As personal technology becomes increasingly invisible, it is causing questions of whether it will rob people of privacy. As Google sees it, Glass is a revolutionary new way to quickly and effortlessly connect people with information. Google stresses that Glass is a work in its early stage, with test versions now being released to 2,000 developers. The company hopes they'll be seen as normal and become accepted in the same way smart phones are. The wearer has to speak or touch the device to activate it, and must look directly at someone to take a photograph or video of them. "We are thinking very carefully about how we design Glass because new technology always raises new issues," said Courtney Hohne, a Google spokeswoman. Critics view Glass as an unfriendly new technology that could rob people of what few privacy they have left. They think Google is downplaying the privacy and security risks. According to Google, it's obvious when someone is taking pictures or recording a video on Glass. Developers, however, are pushing the limits. One created a small sensation in tech circles with a program that eliminated the need for gestures or voice commands. To snap a picture, all the user needed to do was wink . Imagine a surveillance device that you could wear on your body all day without anyone being the wiser. Out on the street, in the subway, at a bar or cafe, people would never know whether the stranger next to them is secretly recording their every move. It is really a privacy disaster. According to Google Company, which of the following statements about Google Glass is NOT true? Answer: People can take photos without eyeing the objects.
In 2004, three young men went to a dinner party in San Francisco. Afterward ,they wanted to share a video from the party with their friends. They wanted to send it over the Internet. But at the time, the process of sharing videos that way was difficult. Using e-mail did not work and the friends complained that there, was no website to help them. So they created their own. They called their website YouTube. It made sharing videos easy, so the website soon became very popular. People watched 2.500 million videos in the first six months! Today, more than 70,000 new videos go up on YouTube each day. People watch more than 1,000 million videos a day. Many last no more than 10 minutes. These videos show all kinds of things, from sleeping cats to earthquakes. Most of the filmmakers are not professionals. They are just everyday people making videos, and they use the website in many interesting ways. First many people use YouTube to entertain others. One example is Judson Laipply. He made a funny dance video and put it on YouTube in 2006. People watched the video more than 10 million times in the first two weeks. Now people stop Judson on the street to ask, "Are you the dance guy on Youtube?" Some people have invited him to dance at their parties. A few women even asked to marry him. Judson wants to make more dance videos, and people look forward to seeing them. Other people use YouTube to advertise a business. David Taub does this. He is a guitar teacher and he sells videos of guitar lessons on his own website. He wanted to increase his business, so he put short videos with free lessons on YouTube. People enjoyed watching the lessons on YouTube, and afterward, many decided to go to David's own website. Now David sells hundreds of guitar lesson videos each week. People also use YouTube to help others. Ryan Fitzgerald is one example. Ryan is friendly young man who knows that some people are lonely and have no one to talk to. One day, he made a video of himself for YouTube. In the video, he gave his phone number and invited people to call him. In less than a week, he had more than 5,000 calls and messages from all over the world. These days, he is very busy talking on the phone. He helps people when he can, but mostly, he just listens, like a friend. Finally, some filmmakers use YouTube in a more serious way. They want to inform people about important events happening in the world. For example, they show clips of videos from countries at war, or they show people in need of help after a storm. Sometimes TV news shows do not give enough information about these events. Thanks to YouTube filmmakers, people can go to their computers and learn more. For many people, YouTube is more than just another website to visit. It is a way to communicate with others. More and more people are using it every day, and they will probably find even more ways to use it. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage? A. Most of new videos made by professionals go up on YouTube every day. B. People use the website YouTube to entertain others, help others, or inform others. C. YouTube gives people a place to put videos so they can share or enjoy different shows. D. For many people, YouTube is not only just a website to visit but also a way to communicate with others. Answer: A Steven Spielberg was not a scholar, and his classmates teased him. Rather than read, the kid really preferred running around with an 8mm camera, shooting homemade movies, which he showed to friends for a small fee. In his first year of high school, he dropped out. But when his parents persuaded him to return, he was mistakenly placed in a learningdisabled class, which lasted one month. Only when the family moved to another town did he land up in a more suitable high school, where he eventually graduated. After being denied entrance into a traditional filmmaking school, Steven Spielherg enrolled in English at California State University at Long Beach. Then in 1965, he recalls, in one of those serendipitous moments, his life took a complete turn. Visiting Universal Studios, he met Chuck Silvers, an executive in the editorial department. Silvers liked the kid who made 8mm films and invited him back sometime to visit. He appeared the next day. Spielberg, dressed in a dark suit, carrying his father's briefcase with nothing inside but a sandwich and candy bars walked confidently up to the guard at the gate of Universal and gave him a casual wave. The guard waved back. He was in. "For the entire summer," Spielberg remembers, "I dressed in my suit and hung out with the directors and writers, including Silvers, who knew the kid wasn't a studio employee, but winked at him. I even found an office that wasn't being used, and became a squatter . I bought some plastic tiles and put my name in the building directory: Steven Spielberg, Room 23C." It paid off for everyone. Ten years later, the 28yearold Spielberg directed Jaws, which took in $470 million, then the biggest grossing movie of all time. Dozens of films and awards have followed because Steven Spielberg knew what his teachers didn't--talent is in the eyes of the filmmaker. What can we learn from the story? A. Always follow our dream and we can make it. B. We need someone to help us realize our dreams. C. Anyone can become a film director if he wants to. D. We should grasp the opportunity that comes our way. Answer: A A year ago August, Dave Fuss lost his job driving a truck for a small company in west Michigan.His wife,Gerrie,was still working in the local school cafeteria,but work for Dave was scarce,and the price of everything was rising.The Fusses were at risk of joining the millions of Americans who have lost their homes in recent years.Then Dave and Gerrie received a timely gift-$7,000,a legacy from their neighbors Ish and Arlene Hatch,who died in an accident."It really made a difference when we were going under financially.''says Dave. But the Fusses weren't the only folks in Alto and the neighboring town of Lowell to receive unexpected legacy from the Hatches.Dozens of other families were touched by the Hatches'generosity.In some cases,it was a few thousand dollars;in other, it was more than $100,000. It surprised nearly everyone that the Hatches had so much money, more than $ 3 milliorr-they were an elderly couple who lived in an old house on what was left of the family farm. Children of the Great Depression,Ish and Arlene were known for their habit of saving. They thrived on comparison shopping and would routinely go from store to store,checking prices before making a new purchase. Through the years,the Hatches paid for local children to attend summer camp when their Darents couldn't afford it."Ish and Arlene never asked if you needed anything,"says their friend Sand Van Weelden,"They could see things they could do to make you happier, and they would do them. Even more extraordinary was that the Hatches had their farmland distributed.It was the Hatches' wish that their legacy-a legacy of kindness as much as one of dollars and cents----should enrich the whole community and last for generations to come. Neighbors helping neighbors----hat was Ish and Arlene Hatch's story. What can we learn from the text? A. The community of Alto was poor. B. The summer camp was attractive to the parents. C. Sandy Van Weelden got a legacy form the Hatches. D. The Hatches would like the neighbors to follow their example. Answer: A We all know that theme parks are places to have fun and amuse ourselves, but among so many exciting rides there are also some dangers, Make sure you know what the safety standards are for all the attractions at the park. If you do that , you will be safe and have fun. Drink water. Believe it or not , dehydration-- when your body doesn't have enough water--is the commonest cause of injuries at theme parks. Drinking water while you are at the park is not enough.You must make sure that you drink enough water before your visit. Use your "common sense". There are lots of people around , so make sure where your friends or family are .Also ,if you are walking and want to stop , make sure nobody is walking behind you. First step aside,then look behind and if you aren't in anybody's way,then stop.It might sound exaggerated ,but crashes between people can cause accidents. Follow the instructions. The majority of theme parks have instructions for each ride. Some rides only allow people of a certain height. So make sure you are not too tall or too short before boarding any ride. Also, people with certain diseases or conditions are advised not to go on some rides. Do remember : If you are told not to go on a ride, then DON'T. Do not ride with a bad atomach or if you've just eaten. Rides can make you ill because of their violent changes of direction and your lunch may end up on someone else's head: surely not a very pleasant experience. Have fun, relax, and be a little brave! Some rides might look scary but theme parks are very safe places. What is the leading reason for injuries at theme parks? A. Snow B. Dehydration C. Fire D. Crashes Answer: B One day Mr Brown sees a young woman with several children in the street. He is very surprised because all the children are wearing the same clothes. White caps, blue coats and yellow trousers. "Are all these children yours?" he asks the woman. "Yes, they are," she answers. "Do you always dress them in the same clothes? " asks Mr Brown. "Yes," answers the mother. "When we have four children, we dress them in the same clothes because we don't want to lose any of them. It is easy to see our children among other children because they are all wearing the same clothes. And now we have ten, we dress them like this because we don't want to take other children home by mistake . When there are other children among ours, it is easy to see them because their clothes are different." What kinds of clothes are the children wearing when Mr Brown sees them? A. White caps, blue coats and yellow trousers. B. Blue caps, yellow coats and white trousers. C. Yellow caps, white coats and blue trousers. D. White caps, yellow coats and blue trousers. Answer: A
One day, a brave jackal came to the river to drink some water. He saw a lion looking weak and tired, and asked, "What is the matter, King of the Jungle?" The lion told the jackal his story. The jackal felt sorry for the lion. He pulled and pulled at the lion's tail until the lion became free. The lion was very happy and said, "Thank you so much for helping me. I thought I would die! You are my friend for life! I would like you to come and live with me. From now on, I will hunt and share my food with you." The jackal moved in with the lion's family and had a wonderful time. Soon, the lion had children of his own and so did the jackal. The lioness was not happy about the friendship. She complained to her children. Her children complained to the jackal's children; the jackal's children complained to their mother and their mother complained to the jackal. The jackal was upset and told the lion, "You told me to live with you. If you don't like it any more, you should have said so yourself." The lion was shocked and said, "This is not true. I've never complained about you. I still want you to continue staying with me." The jackal said, "We understand each other. But our families don't. Perhaps it is better for us to live apart, but continue meeting each other when we are free. We can even hunt together!" The two families parted, but the lion and the jackal met often and remained friends for the rest of their lives. From the above paragraphs, we can conclude that in order to keep our good friendship, we have to give something up or give in in some particular cases. However, we can never give up or destroy our families. What do you think of it? What was the jackal's advice for the two families' problem? Answer: If, for some reason, you had 2,010 empty plastic bottles, what would you do? You'd probably sell them cheaply, right? But Xia Yu collected 2,010bottles and built a boat with them, As you read this, Xia is, in fact, on a river somewhere in Anhuai, slowly going towards his destination: the Expo Garden in Shanghai.2,010 plastic bottles was to celebrate Expo 2010 Shanghai.On the opening day of the Expo, Xia, together with five friends, went on a 1,500 - km journey from Xiangtan to the Expo Garden, in spite of the doubt whether they'll make it.After all, the boat they are on can hardly be called a boat.It cost only 2,000 yuan to build in a month. What's keeping Xia going is a major cause behind the trip."We are examining water pollution through our journey and trying to promote a low - carbon lifestyle.Before we started, no one believed we could sail the boat to the Dongting Lake.But we made it." But as they expected, the journey has not always been smooth.Of the six from Xiangtan, four gave up.As of the press time , only Xia and his friend Huang Ying were on the boat.Huang suffered from a disease when they reached Jiujiang, Jiangxi province, Xia said, "There are so many things that can stop up from making it to Shanghai, like the weather, health, and sometimes swift rive water." "The boat was produced in a factory according to our design, and perhaps it's not in a very good condition.But," Xia said, "we are wearing life jackets"."Some boats passing by offered help." What is more of a reward for Xia and Huang is that the Yangtze Rive truned out much cleaner than they had expected.Although Xia and Huang are uncertain about the journedy ahead, they are "quite happy" with what they have already achieved."After all, it's not the destination that counts.It's always the course that matters the most." Which of the following is NOT the purpose of the journey? Answer: A simple machine like a screw will need Answer: Glynis I piled on the pounds and I couldn't lose them. Then I joined a slimming club. My target weight was 140 pounds and I lost 30 pounds in six months. I felt great and people kept saying how good I looked. But Christmas came and I started to slip back into my old eating habits. I told myself I'd lose the weight at slimming classes in the next year, but it didn't happen. Instead of losing the pounds, I put them on. I'd lost will power and tried to believe the saying that fish and chips didn't make any difference but the scales don't lie. Roz To be honest, I never weigh myself any more. I've leant to be happy with myself. It seemed to me that I would feel sorry about every spoonful of tasty food that passed my lips. My idea is simple. You shouldn't think too much about food and dieting. Instead, you should get on with life and stop dreaming of a super-thin body. This is obviously the size I'm meant to be and, most of all I'm happy with it. Lesley I was very happy about winning Young Slimmer of the Year. I'd look in the mirror, unable to believe this slim lady was me! That might have been my problem-perhaps from then on I didn't pay any attention to myself. Winning a national competition makes everything worse, though because you feel the eyes of the world are fixed upon you. I feel a complete failure because I've put on weight again. Ros Before moving in with my husband Gavin, I'd always been about 110 pounds, but the pleasant environment went straight to my waist and I put on 15 pounds in a year. Every so often I try to go on a diet. I always do well in the first few days, then end up having the children's leftovers or eating chocolate happily-my weakness. I'd like to be slim. I decided to take more exercise when my kids are older. What are the four women talking about? Answer: There is a girl. Her name is Chen Rong. She's a student in Grade Four at Jiajiao Primary School in Chongqing. Teachers and students all like her, because this eleven-year-old girl studies very well and she is very diligent . Every day she is the first one to come to the classroom and clean the classroom. At home Chen Rong is a filial girl. There's something wrong with her mother's eyes so Chen Rong cooks for her parents every morning. There's something with her father's left hand . After school Chen Rong works in the _ with him. She hasn't got time to play. She says she is her father's left hand and her mother's eyes. Chen Rong is in _ . Answer:
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?' " Who gives Steven money every week? A. His father. B. His mother. C. His teacher. D. His parents. Answer: B When I was growing up, 16 was always a magical age, a symbol of maturity, responsibility and of course more independence and freedom. I sat through the hours of Driver's Ed classes eager to get out on the road. I couldn't wait to get my driver's license. But it's a different story for today's teens. In January, the U.S. Department Transportation released 2012 data that showed only 30.7 percent of U.S. teens got their license at age 16, Twenty years before, that number was almost 45 percent. There are numbers of reasons for the fall - off. The growing responsibilities like paying for insurance and high gas prices discourage teens from getting behind the wheel. Plus, many teens today are so busy with homework, endless hours of activities and part-time jobs, that finding the time for Driver's Ed classes may be more difficult that ever. In addition, many states have raised the driving age, or restricted when teens can drive and who they can have in the car. Parents may also be making their own personal restrictions until they feel their teens are responsible enough to drive safely. Driving is part of the American culture, but it's not the central focus like it was 25 years ago. They have so many other things to do now. One of the more interesting factors delaying teens driving might be the change of their social life. Today, teens need to look no further than Face book or other social networking sites to connect with their friends. There is simply less need, maybe less desire, to be able to grab the keys and go. Michelle Wei got her license as a senior in high school because her digital social life made it easy no to drive. "If I couldn't get a ride to see my friend who lives a town over," the 19-year-old said, "I could talk on IM or Skype." Research has shown that these online relationships can lead to higher quality friendships, so it isn't necessarily a bad thing. However, it's important to find a balance. If old face-to-face friendships are good, why not drive to find them? Michelle's Wei's example is used to explain _ . A. why American teens are crazy about digital social life B. what social networking websites are bringing to American teens C. to what degree the Internet is affecting the American car culture D. what the Internet does to help teens to get a driving license Answer: C According to some predictions, human beings will die out in 2012. Nearly all people think it's impossible, but there are some more earthquakes in recent years. Animals can predict the weather or other natural events. It may sound strange, but farmers living in the countryside think so. For hundreds of years , they have observed animals. "Animals ' behavior can be connected to future weather conditions or events." They say. For example, if cows lie down, a rainstorm is coming. There are many traditional stories connecting animals and natural events. Many people think that these stories don't have scientific evidence( ) at all. Scientists, however, are beginning to take another look at some of these ideas. A Japanese earthquake researcher named Kiyoshi Shimamura noticed an increase in dog bites a short time before earthquake hit. Then he did research on twelve public health centers in Kobe, Japan. These health centers treated people after the 1995 earthquake . He got some interesting information about the month before the big earthquake: treatment for animals' bites had increased . In fact, aggressive behavior in dogs, such as biting and barking loudly , jumped 60 percent. There are also other changes in animals' behavior before the earthquake. For example, fish began swimming together in large groups , but only in the middle of the water and not near the edges. Birds flew away from their nests for many days, leaving their eggs unprotected . These animals' behavior suggests that animals may be able to predict natural events better than people. What would cows behave before a rainstorm? A. Running B. Biting C. Lying down D. Sleeping Answer: C A small man goes to the cinema. He buys a ticket and goes in. But after two or three minutes he comes out. He buys a second ticket and goes in again. After a few minutes he comes out again and buys a third ticket. Two or three minutes after that he comes out a third time and asks for another ticket. But the girl says to him, "Why are you buying all these? Are you meeting friends in the cinema all the time?" "No, I'm not doing that." the small man says, "But a big woman always stops me at the door and tears( ) my tickets up." No, I'm not doing that. Means _ . A. He isn't seeing a film B. He isn't meeting his friend C. He wants to buy the tickets for the big woman D. the big woman doesn't let him in Answer: B We moved to a new area when our son was in Grade Five. Before we moved, we took him to spend half a day at his new school. There he saw his new classmates and teachers. He enjoyed the visit. During the almost 150-kilometre drive home, he told us that he had told some of the students the dace when we would move there. And he had also invited them to visit us. The moving day, a Saturday, was a busy day. We arrived at our new house at noon. About an hour later, kids began to come and soon one of them invited our son to his house to play for the afternoon. By the time he returned, he knew where most of the kids lived and the histories of their families. On Monday morning, the doorbell rang just before the time he would leave for school. Then it rang again and again. By the time he was ready, we had eight young boys waiting to walk to school with him on his first day. They all live near us. I asked them if their parents had sent them. The answers surprised and pleased me, "No, we just came so that he would have someone to walk with." and "It is the right thing to do." The friendships were formed from that day. We have lived here for nearly six years and the same group of kids still play together, go to parties on weekends together, and surfing the Internet together. I am still thinking how welcoming and kind those kids are. And how lucky my son is to have them as friends. Which of the following is true? A. The family moved to the new house on Saturday afternoon. B. The kids visited the house before the family arrived. C. The son knew the kids well before he got there. D. The son was invited to play in a kid's house later that afternoon. Answer: D
Which object is the best conductor of electricity? Answer: metal fork For thousands of years,we have looked for ways to measure time. Early humans found that the regular movements of the sun,the earth,the moon,and the stars made good ways to measure time. The rising and setting of the sun were used to distinguish day from night. But,eventually,people needed to tell time more accurately,or exactly. So,by using the sun's position in the sky,they divided the day into dawn,morning,midday and evening. Then it was noted that the sun cast a changing shadow as it moved across the sky. Time could be told more accurately by setting up a stick and marking the positions of the sun's shadow. It was the ancient Greeks who divided each position of this "sundial " into hours. But the sun doesn't always shine. So,for the past 6,000 years,many other ways of keeping time have been tried. Slowburning candles were divided into hours,and the hourglass was invented. When all the sand in the top of an hourglass has shifted to the bottom,an hour has passed. Later,the pendulum ,with its regular backandforth movement of weights,was used to move the hands on a clock. Pendulums are still used in grandfather clocks. Today,even more accurate clocks are in use,such as batteryoperated quartz clocks ,digital clocks,and clocks run by electrical tuning forks and tiny atoms. These atomic clocks are the most accurate clocks ever invented. The exact time can be kept to within 1 second a century. A sundial works by _ . Answer: marking a shadow cast by the moving sun "It hurts me more than you," and "This is for your own good." These are the statements my mother used to make years ago when I had to learn Latin, clean my room, stay home and do homework That was before we entered the permissive period in education in which we decided it was all right not to push our children to achieve their best in school. The schools and the educators made it easy to us. They thought that it was all right to be parents who take a let-alone policy. We stopped making our children do homework. We gave them calculators, turned on the television, left the teaching to the teachers and went on vacation. Now teachers, faced with children who have been developing at their own pace for the past 15 years, are realizing we've made a terrible mistake. One such teacher is Sharon Klompus who says of her students - "so passive" - and wonders what happened. Nothing was demanded of them, she believes. "Television," says Klompus, "contributes to children's passivity. We're not training kids to work any more. We're talking about a generation of kids who've never been hurt or hungry. They have learned somebody will always do it for them. Instead of saying 'go look it up', you tell them the answer. It takes greater energy to say no to a kid." Yes, it does. It takes energy and it takes work. It's time for parents to end their vacation and come back to work. It's time to take the car away, to turn the TV off, to tell them it hurts you more than them but it's for their own good. It's time to start telling them "no" again. By "permissive period in education" the author means a time Answer: when children are allowed to do what they wish to People have always been wondering about what our future will look like. Go on reading this text, and you will know what will happen in the next fifty years. How can we know what the future will look like? To be able to understand the future, you must know the past. What has taken us to where we are today and what has changed along the way? The world has changed a lot in the last 150 years, but we humans are driven by the same basic needs as we were 150 years ago. Will this change in the next 150 years? No. What inventions have really made a difference in the last 150 years? In the past years, the inventions that have affected most people around the world for everyday living are the telephone, electricity, radio, television, computer, the car and the ability to communicate through the Internet. Then we of course have a lot of inventions that have made life easier, like new medicine, faster transports etc. In general, human beings have been working hard in the last 150 years to make the inventions so that they will be able to get control of the time and the world. Since there is still much to do in this area, this will be the focus at least for the next 150 years. Why do we need to predict the future? Predicting the future is important for two reasons first we need to start to think about what kind of future we would like for ourselves and to pass on to the next generation, and then we need to know what decisions we need to make today that will give the best result in the future. What will humans do in order to keep the world under control? Answer: To focus on making more inventions. Working on a team is a good thing. But it can bring you some troubles. If people on your team are not good at communicating, you may often feel terrible. To create a successful team, good communication is the most necessary part for both team members and the leader. The following are some helpful suggestions. Don't criticize other people. When someone on your team does something wrong, don't criticize him. You can help him to find out reasons and then help him to solve the problem. Criticizing your team members too often may make them keep away from you. As a result, you may feel lonely. Think about other people's ideas carefully. When someone tells you about his ideas, you should think about them carefully, no matter how silly they may seem. This shows you are interested in his ideas and makes him feel good. Listen to other people actively. When someone is speaking to you, you need to listen to him actively. If you're unclear about something, you should ask him about it. By doing this you can clear up any confusion before moving on. Share your ideas with other people. When you have a new idea, talk about it with your team members. This helps to improve the idea. Besides this, it also helps to improve your relationships between you and your team members. For team members and the leader, _ is the most necessary part to create a successful team. Answer: communicating well
Wonderful places can he visited at a low price. You call visit the following places with hotel rates and services that are down the average. SOUTH AFRICA Nelson Mandela's hotel rate is 8 percent down compared to the previous years. You can enjoy safari or just hang out with the free-walking penguins on Boulders Beach, Cape Town. Let's take the case of Kruger National Park. The entrance fee is 20 USD(14.51 EUR). In the Park, you will discover wild animals of Africa such as buffalo, weaver, elephant shrew, leopard tortoise, ant lion, and rhino beetle. They are gathered in one place just to make visitor's pleasures. And this is mostly the case in all sites and attractions in South Africa. In Johannesburg holiday makers are free to pay a visit at the Nelson Mandela Museum. VENIC (favorite destination and yet low-cost) Although Venice is known as one of the most beautiful cities in the world, hotel rates and services are low-cost compared to other destinations. With Venetian atmosphere, you can buy commodities of world-famous brands easily. One night 3-Stars hotel only costs around 14 Euros or 19. 3 USD ill minimum ATLANTIC CANADA Seafood and a rich history await holidaymakers at affordable prices. Special deals and discounts can be seen in almost all hotels in Atlantic Canada. With 48.24 USD (35 Euros), you can spend one night in Country Hearth Inn Atlantic City. Of course, with more than that, all attractions, services and commodities are available. You can also buy a ticket at 10 OUSD to enter the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic and its wharves . What do these places of interest - have in common? A. They can provide unique animals to visitors. B. They are all places with a rich history and seafood. C. Visitors can enjoy water sports of all kinds. D. They are all interesting places with low hotel rates. Answer: D In the early days of the Internet, the idea that it represented an entirely new and separate field distinct from the real world was seized upon by both supporters and critics of the new technology.Supporters liked the idea that the virtual world was a placeless datasphere, liberated from constraints and restrictions of the real world, and an opportunity for a fresh start.For instance, John Perry Barlow, an internet activist, issued the "Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace" in February 1996.He thundered, "Governments of the industrial world, I come from cyberspace, the new home of mind.Cyberspace does not lie within your borders.We are creating a world that all may enter without privilege or prejudice accorded by race, economic power, military force, or station of birth. Where Mr.Barlow found the separation between the real and virtual worlds exciting, however, critics regarded it as a cause for concern.They worried that people were spending too much time online, communicating with people they had never even met in person in chat rooms, virtual game worlds and, more recently, on social - networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook.A study carried out by the Stanford Institute for the Quantitative Study of Society in 2000, for example, found that heavy internet users spent less time talking to friends and family, and warned that the Internet could be "the ultimate isolating( ) technology". Both groups were wrong, of course.The Internet has not turned out to be a thing apart.Unpleasant aspects of the real world, such as taxes, crime and cheating are now characteristics of the virtual world, too.C'amers who make real money selling swords, gold and other things in virtual game worlds may now find that the tax man wants to know about it.Designers of virtual objects in Second Life, an online virtual world, are seeking to real -world lawsuits in order to protect their intellectual property. At the same time, however, some of the most exciting uses of the Internet rely on combining it with the real world.Social networking allows people to stay in touch with their friends online, and plan social activities in the real world.The distinction between online and offline chatters does not matter any more. All these approaches treat the Internet as an extension or an attachment to the physical world, not a separate space.Rather than seeing the real and virtual fields as distinct and conflicting, in short, it makes sense to see them as complementary and connected. From the passage we can conclude that the author _ . A. believes the real and virtual worlds rely on each other B. argues that real and virtual worlds are not consistent C. agrees with both supporters and critics of the Internet D. opposes the combination of the Internet and the physical world Answer: A For good health, be sure to eat fruits and vegetables, exercise regularly and lie as seldom as possible. A researcher is hoping this advice will someday take hold, based on results of a "science of honesty" study she completed. Half of 110 participants were told to stop telling major or minor ("white") lies for 10 weeks, while the other half (the control group) was given no special instructions about lying. The 110 people ranged from ages 18 to 71 and came from both sexes and all income levels. All came to a laboratory each week to complete health and relationship questionnaires and to take a test showing the number of major and minor lies they had told that week. When those in the no-lie group told three fewer white lies than in other weeks, they complained less of headaches, tenseness, anxiety and other problems than those in the control group. In addition, they reported that their close personal relationships had improved and their social interactions had gone more smoothly. "The link was that clear," said study author Anita Kelly, a professor of psychology at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana. "Lying less was clearly associated with better health for those people." Previous research indicates that Americans average 11 lies per week, from the little white lies to save face or falsely praise others to major lies about serious matters. Kelly said her study differs from former studies because it didn't focus on how to detect a liar, but on the potential health consequences of telling lies. "People might recognize the more harmful effect lying can have on relationships, but probably don't recognize the extent to which it can cause a lot of stress," said Dr. Bryan Bruno at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. At the end of the study, some participants had created smart ways to avoid lying. Kelly noted that some realized they could simply tell the truth about their daily achievements rather than exaggerate , while others responded to a troubling question with another question to take the person's attention away. They also stopped making false excuses for running late or failing to finish tasks. "People usually think white lies are acceptable. In fact, white lies are trouble, not just major lies," Kelly said. "As long as you like, you can find effective ways to avoid lying in many cases. It depends on you." "But the goal doesn't have to be the absolute absence of lies ... the goal would be a reduction in lies," she added. The "science of honesty" study by Anita Kelly focused on _ . A. the effect lifestyles have on health. B. the link between lying and health. C. how to improve relationships D. how to discover a liar. Answer: B The Opening ofThe Book Nook Saturday, October 4 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. You will not want to miss the opening of your new neighborhood bookstore! Located at 2289 Main Street, the Book Nook is within walking distance of schools and many homes and businesses. Come and check out the Book Nook on Saturday! Activities will include: * Live music by local musicians * One Book-of-the-Month Club membership giveaway Wide Selection The Book Nook has three floors with books of all kinds -- any kind you could want. If we do not have the book you are looking for, we can specially order it for you. You will have it in your hands within two days! Reading Nooks We are proud of our children's reading area on the first floor, as well as our teenagers' nook on the second floor. Come for the activities and stay a while! Settle in one of these inviting reading areas; take a seat with a good book and a free cup of hot chocolate. You will discover the perfect way to spend a few hours. Book Events The Book Nook will be featuring (...) monthly book signings by different authors, giving you a chance to meet and speak with well-known writers. Do not miss the experience of hearing these authors read aloud from their own books! The Book-of-the-Month Club Our Book-of-the-Month Club will feature 12 books each year. As a member, you will be able to select one new book each month. The membership fee is only $10.00 per month. That is a great price for 12 books each year! So please join us on Saturday and learn about all that the Book Nook has to offer. You can come anytime between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. -- our activities last all day long! As a member of the Book-of-the-Month Club, you _ . A. can buy any books in the Book Nook at a low price B. may borrow as many as 12 books every week C. need to pay 120 dollars every year D. should be over the age of 12 Answer: C Brrriiinnng. The alarm clock announces the start of another busy weekday in the morning. You jump out of bed, rush into the shower, into your clothes and out the door with hardly a moment to think. A stressful journey to work gets your blood pressure climbing. Once at the office, you glance through the newspaper with depressing stories or reports of disasters. In that sort of mood, who can get down to work, particularly some creative, original problem-solving work? The way most of us spend our mornings is exactly opposite to the conditions that promote flexible, open-minded thinking. Imaginative ideas are most likely to come to us when we're unfocused. If you are one of those energetic morning people, your most inventive time comes in the early evening when you are relaxed. Sleepy people's lack of focus leads to an increase in creative problem solving. By not giving yourself time to tune into your wandering mind, you're missing out on the surprising solutions it may offer. The trip you take to work doesn't help, either. The stress slows down the speed with which signals travel between neurons , making inspirations less likely to occur. And while we all should read a lot about what's going on in the world, it would not make you feel good for sure, so put that news website or newspaper aside until after the day's work is done. So what would our mornings look like if we wanted to start them with a full capacity for creative problem solving? We'd set the alarm a few minutes early and lie awake in bed, following our thoughts where they lead. We'd stand a little longer under the warm water of the shower, stopping thinking about tasks in favor of a few more minutes of relaxation. We'd take some deep breaths on our way to work, instead of complaining about heavy traffic. And once in the office--after we get a cup of coffee--we'd click on links not to the news of the day but to the funniest videos the web has to offer. According to the author, we are more creative when we are _ . A. focused B. relaxed C. awake D. busy Answer: B
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.,, We can conclude from the text that _ . Answer: surfing the Internet may influence people's face-to-face communication Which example describes a behavioral adaptation? Answer: A bird builds its nest in the ash near a volcano. Kiss crisis, hug horrors and the UK's handshake headaches Greeting someone, saying goodbye - these situations fill me with unease. You have a second to make a dangerous decision. One peck ? Two pecks? Three? No kisses at all? Why, I think, as I crash into the other person's face, why can't it be as simple as a handshake? A survey by the soap company Radox in May showed one in five Brits now feels a handshake is "too formal", according to the Daily Mail. Some 42 percent said they never shook hands when greeting friends. For one third of people the alternative was a hug, for 16 percent a kiss on the cheek. British people are known to be reserved - unfriendly, some would say. Handshakes used to work for us because we didn't have to get too close. But the super-British handshake is no longer fashionable. We want to be more like our easygoing Mediterranean neighbors who greet each other with kisses and hugs. The trouble is, we still find it a bit awkward. What does a married man do when greeting a married female friend, for example? How should someone younger greet someone older? Guys don't tend to kiss one another; my male friends in Britain go for the "manly hug", taking each other stiffly in one arm and giving a few thumps on the back with words like "Take it easy, yeah?". The biggest questions, if you do decide to kiss, are how many times and which cheek first. Unlike the French, who comfortably deliver three, our cheek-pecks usually end in embarrassed giggling : "Oh, gosh, sorry, I didn't mean to kiss you on the lips, I never know where to aim for first!" But then it's never been easy for us poor, uncomfortable Brits. Even the handshake had its problems: don't shake too hard, but don't hold the other person's hand too limply either, and definitely don't go in with sweaty hands. Maybe it's better to leave it at a smile and a nod. Which does the author think might be the safest form of greeting for a British person? Answer: A smile and a nod. A few minutes ago , walking back from lunch , I started to cross the street when I heard the sound of a coin dropping . It wasn't much but , as I turned , my eyes caught the heads of several other people turning too . A woman had dropped what appeared to be a dime . The tinkling sound of a coin dropping on sidewalk is an attention-getter . It can be nothing more than a penny . Whatever the coin is , no one ignores the sound of it . It got me thinking about sounds again . We are surrounded by so many sounds that attract the most attention . People in prefix = st1 /New York Cityseldom turn to look when a fire engine, a police car or an ambulance comes screaming along the street . When I'm in New York, I'm a New Yorker . I don't turn either . Like the natives . I hardly hear a siren there . At home in my little town in Connecticut, it's different . The distant loud noise of a police car , an emergency vehicle or a fire siren brings me to my feet if I'm seated and brings me to the window if I'm in bed . It's the quietest sounds that have most effect on us , not the loudest . In the middle of the night , I can hear a dripping tap a hundred yards away through three closed doors . I've been hearing little creaking noises and sounds which my imagination turns into footsteps in the middle of the night for twenty-five years in our house . How come I never hear those sounds in the daytime ? I'm quite clear in my mind what the good sounds are and what the bad sounds are . I've turned against whistling , for instance . I used to think of it as the mark of a happy worker but lately I've been connecting the whistler with a nervous person making noises . The tapping , tapping ,tapping of my typewriter as the keys hit the paper is a lovely sound to me . I often like the sound of what I write better than the looks of it . The sound of a coin dropping makes people_. Answer: pay attention to it I'm Leo. I'm 13 and I'm in Class Six. I have three good friends. They are Lily, Gina, and Ben. Lily and Gina are in Class Seven. Ben is in Class Six, too. We're all in Grade Seven. We like sports. My favorite sport is ping-pong. It is interesting. I have three ping-pong balls and four ping-pong bats. Lily and Gina are sisters. They don't like ping-pong. They think it is boring. Their favorite sport is tennis. They have five tennis balls and they play tennis with their parents and two brothers. Ben's favorite sport is soccer. He has two soccer balls and he plays soccer very well. Lily and Gina play tennis with their _ . Answer: Family
The Sewol ferry was carrying 476 people, most of whom were students from a high school near Seoul, when it sank off South Korea's southern coast on April 16. Only 174 survived, including 22 of the 29 crew members. The sinking left more than 260 people dead with about 40 others still missing. On Tuesday, one ordinary diver died at a hospital, government spokesman Ko Myung-seok said. He is the first death among divers organized following the ferry's sinking, according to the coast guard. The 53-year-old diver was pulled to the surface by his teammates after losing communication about five minutes after he began underwater searches, Ko said. It was his first search attempt, Ko added. Despite his death, divers are continuing their searches for the remaining missing people. Ko said that divers had searched all those 64 areas at least once and plan to visit them again to look for more victims. Darkness, floating rubbish, bodies, and cabins on board have made the search difficult, and divers entered the last three unopened areas on Monday night, Ko said. Investigators have made their first arrests of people who were not on board the Sewol when it sank. The three people arrested on Friday and Sunday are accused of failure to handle of cargo on the ferry well. In all, 19 people have been arrested in the investigation , 15 of whom were crew members accused of abandoning passengers. A leader was arrested on suspicion of malpractice related to company finances. Improper stowage and overloading of cargo is suspected as a possible reason why the ferry sank. The ferry was carrying about 3,608 tons of cargo, more than three times what it could safely carry. A ferry loaded too heavily could lose its balance making even a small turn. The sinking has caused a national sadness. On Sunday 1.1 million people paid respects at 131 memorial sites around the nation, according to a governmental funeral support committee set up for the ferry victims. Monday was a holiday for Children's Day, but various events were canceled or put off because of the ferry's sinking. Tuesday was also a national holiday in South Korea for Buddha's Birthday, and more people are expected to visit those mourning stations. We learn from the passage that the number of survivors except the crew members is _ . A. 145 B. 152 C. 174 D. 260 Answer: B. 152 Mary's mother waited for her in the car. Mary knew that she would be late if she didn't hurry , but she didn't care. It is her birthday today. Ten minutes later, Mary opened the car door. Her mother said, "Don't forget to go home with Cindy today." Mary felt a little disappointed . She really hoped to have a party today, but her mother had to work late tonight. She promised Mary that they could have a party next week. "I won't forget," replied Mary. When she arrived at school, she got out of the car and said goodbye to her mother. It seemed that her mother didn't care. Mary walked into the school. She hoped her friends would remember that she turned eight today. "Hi, Mary. Happy birthday," said Julie. Mary smiled and asked, "Julie, can you come to my party next week?" Julie said, "I am sorry Mary, but I can't." During the day, things didn't go much better. All of her friends said they could not go to her party next week. At the end of the school day, Mary felt very sad. Evening came and Cindy's mother drove Mary home. When Mary opened the door, the house was dark. Her mother didn't even get home yet! She felt very sad. "Surprise!" All the lights in Mary's house came on. Her mother and all of her friends were there! There were many gifts in the living room. Then, she ran into the kitchen. Her mother prepared her favorite meal and a big chocolate cake. "Thank you, Mom!" Mary said, happily. Mary felt _ after school finished. A. sad B. happy C. surprised D. relaxed Answer: A. sad Name:Off the Beaten Path Cover price:$30.00 Our price:$19.80 The best-selling Reader's Digest travel book has 40% new content including over 200 new sites, over 200 new full-color photographs, and all-new, up-to-date maps. It focuses on more than 1, 000 of the United States' most overlooked must-see destinations. Name:Container Gardens by Number Cover price:$ 15.95 Our price:$9.49 A unique book contains 50 easy-to-follow container designs. Each design provides a simple numbered planting plan that shows exactly how to create each display, with an instruction of the finished planter and in-depth plant information. The plans are easy to follow and for any type of living space or garden. Name:Best Weekend Projects Cover price:$ 17.95 Our price:$13.96 Choose from 80 unique ideas to create an extraordinary living space. The projects are practical, as well as attractive, and will improve your home and yard and can be made in a weekend. These 80 well-designed projects are presented in a clear, easy-to-follow style that addresses readers in an accessible, user-friendly tone. Name:l80l Home Remedies Cover price:$ 40.00 Our price:$ 29.96 Plenty of health complaints can be handled at home. Each and every remedy will be tested by a doctor to make sure it is safe and sound. Dozens of conditions are covered, from headaches, sunburn, bad breath, and blisters(;)to allergies, and hiccups . What's the purpose of the passage? A. To advise readers to buy their books. B. To advise readers to read more in spare time. C. To share the pleasure of reading with readers. D. To share his opinion about the books with readers. Answer: A. To advise readers to buy their books. A traveler once visited a city where everyone wore blue. Puzzled, he went to a dyer and said, " Please dye the handkerchief red." "I don't know how to dye red." "Then dye it green." "I can't dye it green. There are forty master dyers in this city, and every one of us can dye only blue." "I can dye all color1s," said the traveler, "Hire me and I'll teach you my art." "We never allow a stranger to enter our craft ", said the dyer. The traveler made the same offer to the other master dyers, but none would hire him. So he began his own dye shop. Folks soon crowded around asking, "What are all these beautiful color1s called?" He answered, "This is red and that is yellow," and so on. Everyone began bringing him cloth to dye. When the master dyers saw this, they quickly apologized for their past insults , begging him to hire them and teach them his art. To the traveler, the strangest thing about the city was that _ . A. it was a nice and old city B. there were forty master dyers C. everyone wore the same color1 D. the dyers didn't use machines Answer: C. everyone wore the same color1 Parents should stop blaming themselves because there's not a lot they can do about it. I mean the teenager problem. Whatever you do or however you choose to deal with it, at certain times a wonderful, reasonable and helpful child will turn into a terrible animal. I've seen friends deal with _ in all kinds of different ways. One strict mother insisted that her son, right from a child, should stand up whenever anyone entered the room, open doors and shake hands like a gentleman. I saw him last week when I called round. Sprawling himself on the sofa in full length, he made no attempt to turn off the loud TV he was watching as I walked in, and his greeting was no more than a quick glance at me. His mother was ashamed. "I don't know what to do with him these days," she said. "He's forgotten all the manners we taught him." He hasn't forgotten them. He's just decided that he's not going to use them. She confessed that she would like to come up behind him and throw him down from the sofa onto the floor. Another good friend of mine let her two daughters climb all over the furniture, reach across the table, stare at me and say, "I don't like your dress; it's ugly." One of the daughters has recently been driven out of school. The other has left home. "Where did we go wrong?" her parents are now very sad. Probably nowhere much. At least, no more than the rest of that unfortunate race, parents. From the second example we can infer that the parents of the two daughters _ . A. pay no attention to them B. feel helpless to do much about them C. have come to hate them D. are too busy to look after them Answer: B. feel helpless to do much about them
Question: Once again, I had run away and really did not know why. I walked out of the gate to go to school and then kept walking, and walking, and walking. I was 11years old. It was almost dark; I was tired, cold, and all alone. I had not eaten all day and was afraid to turn myself over the police. I knew I would receive another beating once I returned to the Children's Home Society. There was nothing for me to do, except keep on walking. As darkness fell, I entered the darkened area in a city park sat down on a wooden bench hoping to avoid the police cars. It was cold and I began to tremble uncontrollably. All was quiet except for the passing cars in the distance. "Well, hello young man." A voice came from behind me. I jumped, almost falling off the park bench. My heart was beating ninety miles per hour. I gasped and I could hardly catch my breath. I looked up and saw a woman standing behind me in the shadows. "You look cold and hungry," she said. She took off her scarf, wrapped it around my shoulders and asked me to follow her. We walked about twenty feet, and then stopped under one of the park streetlights. She held out her hand and said, "Here, you take this letter." Seeing nothing in her hand., I stood still. "Reach out and take the letter from my hand," she insisted. Slowly I reached out, acting as though I was taking something from her hand. "Now hold the paper tightly and take it to any store owner," she instructed. I closed my thumb and finger as though I were grasping the letter and began walking toward Five Points. Several blocks down the road, I came to a store with a woman sitting behind a counter. I opened the door, walked in, and stopped directly in front of her. Very slowly I held out my hand toward her. I watched her face to see if she might think I was crazy or something. She reached out and as her hand touched mine, I opened my tightly closed fingers and stood there waiting. She pulled back, smiled, and looked down at her hands. She immediately turned and walked to the back of the store. After a while, the woman returned holding a paper plate. "Here is something for you to eat." She smiled and signaled to me to eat. Within two or three minutes, I downed the entire plate of food and several Coca Colas. Before I left, she held out her hand and asked me to take the letter. Again seeing nothing, I held out my hand and closed my thumb and finger as though I were taking something from her. Tightly grasping nothing more than air, I walked out into the street and headed back to the park. The old woman was still there. "It is really magic. Can I have the letter so I can be magic too?" I asked her. She reached out, took my hand, and opened my tightly closed fingers. Whatever was being held between my fingers, she took and placed into her apron pocket. "Would you help someone if they were hungry?" she asked me. "Yes Ma'am." "Would you help someone if they were hurt, cold or scared?" "Yes Ma'am. I would be their friend." "You are a very lucky little boy. You will never need the magic letter," she responded. Why does the store owner offer the boy a good dinner? A. Because she had great sympathy for him. B. Because she knew the boy and his parents. C. Because he was a kind boy who deserved it. D. Because the woman in the park had paid for it. Answer: A. Because she had great sympathy for him. Question: From hitting the mall with your girl friends on a Saturday afternoon, to holiday spending on gifts that go under the tree, shopping could be called one of America's favorite pastimes. For most people, it means some new clothes for work or a small trinket for a friend. For others, however, shopping is much more than an enjoyable pastime, and in some cases, it is a real and destructive addiction that can turn into a financial disaster. Compulsive shopping and spending are defined as inappropriate, excessive, and out of control. Like other addictions, it basically has something to do with impulsiveness and lack of control over one's impulses. In America, shopping is embedded in our culture; so often, the impulsiveness comes out as excessive shopping. Sometimes this is referred to as "shopholism". Shopping addiction can damage a person's life, family, and finances. "No one knows what causes addictive behaviors, like shopping, alcoholism, drug abuse, and gambling", says a professor of applied health science. Some of the new evidence suggests that some people, maybe 10%-15%, may have a genetic predisposition to an addictive behavior, coupled with an environment in which the particular behavior is triggered, but no one really knows why." Individuals will get some kind of high from an addictive behavior like shopping. What are the telltale signs that shopping has crossed the line and become and addiction? What should a concerned family member or friend look out for when they think shopping has become a problem? The behaviors can signal a serious problem: Shopping or spending money as a result of feeling angry, depressed, anxious, or lonely Having arguments with others about one's shopping habits Feeling lost without credit cards -- actually going into withdrawal without them Buying items on credit, rather than with cash Describing a rush or a feeling of euphoria with spending Feeling guilty, ashamed, or embarrassed after a spending spree Thinking obsessively about money Spending a lot time juggling accounts or bills to accommodate spending "If someone identifies four or more of any of these behaviors, there may be a problem", experts say. Treating a shopping addiction requires a multifaceted approach. There are no standard treatments for shopping addiction. Medications have been used, but with mixed results. Therapists also focus on cognitive-behavioral treatment programs. There is no quick and easy answer that will immediately cure a shopping addiction, and while treatment is a necessary part of solving the problem, so is behavior change on the part of the addict. Some basic changes in behavior that will have a big impact on breaking a shopping addiction are recommended: Admit that you are a compulsive spender, which is half the battle. Get rid of checkbooks and credit cards, which fuel the problem. Don't shop by yourself because most compulsive shoppers shop alone and if you are with someone you are much less likely to append more. Find other meaningful ways to spend time. And keep in mind that while behavior change is clearly important to recovery, so is reaching out for professional help.(509) The best title of this article is _ A. Should We Shop or Not? B. Shopping Behaviors, Good or Bad? C. Shopping Spree, or an Addiction? D. The Dangers of Shopholism. Answer: C. Shopping Spree, or an Addiction? Question: Many people love going on a trip by plane , but an airport is usually far from the city . You have to arrive there and wait for hours for the plane to take off and it is often late . You can't open the window .You can't choose the food .Planes are fast ,but it takes hours to get out of the airport and into the city . I like travelling by train .I think trains are safe . Train stations are usually in cities . when you are late for a train , you can catch another one . You can walk around in the train and open the windows . You can see many interesing things on your way . I know it takes a little more time . I also like cars . You can start your trip when you want to . and you don't need to get to a station . You can carry many things with you too . But sometimes there are many cars on the road . If you want to take many things with you , you would like to take _ A. a bus B. a train C. a plane D. a car Answer: D. a car Question: What did the arrival of the Internet and 24 hours news mean for British newspapers? At first, this looked like the end of printed newspapers. The national newspapers were worried that they would lose all the readers, so most of them decided to create an online version . But they still had a problem. How to make money? There was simply too much news and too much information freely available "out there". But was it accurate ( )? Whose opinions should we trust? A survey for a "good newspaper", and most of those said.they believe more of what they read in paid-for newspapers. Here was something newspapers understood--here was what they could offer: news plus comment and opinion. And the Internet now offered new opportunities. A newspaper was just that: news printed on paper. But the Internet now offered newspapers different places to print, and in different media. Many newspapers now have podcasts and video too. This may explain why the readership of newspaper online in the UK is very different from people who read printed newspapers. The most popular newspaper in the UK is The Sun, The "mid-market" audience mainly reads The Daily Mail. Online, it's a different story. The most popular is The Mail. And the next popular site is TheGuardian. In fact many of these browsers are not from the UK. The Mail and Guardian are among the most read newspapers in the USA. The Guardian, may become the largest English language paper on the web; a website with a newspaper attached! What does the text mainly discuss? A. What newspapers are mainly about. B. How the Internet affects newspapers. C. People's different opinions on high technology. D. Differences between newspapers and the Internet. Answer: B. How the Internet affects newspapers. Question: What former planet is yet to clear its orbit? A. planet Venus B. the earth C. Former seventh planet D. planet Mars Answer: C. Former seventh planet
It's not uncommon in America for a person to belong to some kind of volunteer group. Donating one's time and services is very much a part of the American way of life. Most charitable activities are organized by churches and groups around the nation and even encouraged by the government. The helping hand is extended to the poor, the homeless and the disabled. Some people work to teach youngsters how to read. Others open up soup kitchens to feed the homeless. Volunteers also take care of the disabled by making reading tapes for the blind and working in orphanages to help children without parents. High school students are often encouraged to become volunteers and many school club activities center around volunteer services. Students may work with disabled children during a summer program, or participate in a club activity which helps to bring meal to senior citizens who are shut-ins. With their sense of idealism students are often eager to donate their spare time. They see such activities as a way of becoming involved in the community and the adult-world. Social action for them becomes as important as their academic studies. In a like manner, throughout the year,fund raising drives are also conducted by schools and community groups to raise money for a worthy cause. They may respond to a recent earthquake in a foreign country, a flood somewhere within their own, or another natural disaster which has left people destitute and homeless. They may organize drives to collect food, clothing and medicines to serve an immediate need. Today even the Halloween custom of 'trick or treat'has become an occasion to collect money for a charitable cause. The motive to help those less fortunate comes from the poor origins of the American nation. Those immigrants who were poor and downtrodden became dependent on the kindness of their neighbors to make a new life for themselves. American volunteers work throughout the world in less developed countries. They volunteer by serving as a champion of goodwill both at home and abroad, which no doubt enriches both his life and those whom he serves. Which of the following charitable activities is NOT mentioned in the passage? A. Some people open up soup kitchens to feed homeless people. B. Some students bring meals to old people who can't go out easily. C. Some people collect money to help a foreign country with a recent earthquake. D. Some students donate books to children in mountainous areas. Answer: D. Some students donate books to children in mountainous areas. Almost every day, we discuss the topic of health, especially for kids. But what is health? "Health" means eating well, getting enough exercise, and having a healthy weight. Let's read the following rules. They can help you stay healthy. 1 Eat _ foods, especially fruit and vegetables. We all know that eating fruit and vegetables can help us stay healthy, but many of us only eat our favorite foods. Remember that we can only get the nutrition we need by eating different kinds of food, especially fruit and vegetables. 2 Drink water and milk most often. Everyone knows that water is important. Besides that, kids need plenty of calcium to grow strong bones, and milk has a lot of it. Every day, you should drink at least three cups of milk (1300 milligrams of calcium), when you are 9 years old or older. You should also try to have less sugary drinks, like soda and coca. They include a lot of sugar. Sugar just includes calories, not important nutrition. 3 Listen to your body. When you are eating, notice how your body feels. When your stomach feels comfortably full, stop eating. Eating too much makes you feel uncomfortable. If you do it too often, it can make you unhealthy and fat. 4 Limit screen time. What's screen time? It's the amount of time you spend watching TV, movies, and playing computer games. The more time you spend on these sitting-down activities, the less time you spend playing sports, like basketball, and doing other activities like bike riding and swimming. Try to spend no more than 2 hours a day on screen time. As kids, we should drink at least _ to grow strong bones. A. three cups of milk B. four cups of milk C. two cups of milk D. one cup of milk Answer: A. three cups of milk Someday a stranger will read your e-mail without your permission or scan the website you've visited or perhaps someone will casually glance through your credit card purchases or cell phone bills to find out your shopping calling habits In fact, it's likely that some of these things have already happened to you. Who would watch you without your permission? It might be a spouse, a girlfriend, a marketing company, a boss, a cop or a criminal. Whoever it is, they will see you in a way you never intended to be seen. Psychologists tell us boundaries are healthy, that it's important to reveal yourself partly to friends, family and lovers at appropriate times. But few boundaries remain. The digital bread crumbs you leave everywhere make it easy for strangers to know who you are, where you are and what you like. In some cases, a simple Google search can reveal what you think. Like it or not, increasingly we live in a world where you simply cannot keep a secret. The key question is: Does that matter? For many Americans, the answer apparently is "no". When opinion polls ask Americans about privacy, most say they are concerned about losing it. 60 percent of respondents say they feel their privacy is "slipping away, and that bothers me". But people say one thing and do another. Only a small number of Americans change any behavior in an effort to preserve their privacy. Few people turn down a discount at tollbooths to avoid using the EZ-Pass system that can track automobile movements. Privacy economist Acquisti has run a series of tests that reveal people will give up personal information like social security numbers just to get their hands on a 50-cents-off coupon. But privacy does matter-at least sometimes. It's like health: when you have it, you don't notice it. Only when it's gone do you wish you'd done more to protect it. What would be the best title for the passage? A. Value your health. B. Treasure your privacy. C. Boundaries are important between friends. D. The information age has its own shortcomings. Answer: B. Treasure your privacy. Garden Route, South Africa Take in this fresh sea air in this beautiful coastal setting as you cruise the famous Garden Route in the Western Cape in South Africa. A wild life break is a must, as is enjoying great meal stops along the route. There are wild life reserves throughout the Garden Route National Park you can swing into and spend a sleepy morning in a car looking for giraffes and lions. And just over your shoulder in the big blue there are whales to be watched (if the season is right). Top tip: Add a trip to the Eastern Cape to your Garden Route trip. It is much less known than the Western Cape and full of landscapes. The gas station is occasionally seen. Great Ocean Road, Australia Sweep along this dramatic coastal road in Australia with views of the Sourthern Ocean from Geelong to Portland, in Victoria, and you won't regret it. Anyone who has driven it just can't stop talking about it, and with good reason. There're loads to see and plenty of great stops. There's whale-watching here too, and other natural life. And to top it all, there'll be plenty of good old Aussie kindness and welcome when you pull in for lunch or a coffee stop. Top tip: Rent an open-top car so you can really drink in that sea air. Stelvio Pass, Italy If you like snake-like paths and mountain passes, you'll love this. Stelvio in Italy. The mountain slopes stretch away on either side of the road, with snow-topped peaks within sight. There's a great view down the pass. And from the top, it's just a short sweep away from the Swiss border, so if you are gripped by mountain road driving, you can drive from here down to Swiss ski resort Davos. Stelvio has 48 hairpins on the north side and 12 on the decent to Bormio, so this route is not recommended for new drivers, or those with a fear of heights. This decent is is often featured in the Giro d'Italia, the Italian version of the Tour de France, so you may have glimpsed it on the television. Top tip: Take some Swiss Francs as well as some Euros, so you can make the trip a cross-border experience. What's the best title for the travel advertisement? _ A. Drive to South Africa, Man! B. Drive Travel for Whale Watching! C. A Travel to Three Continent! D. Exciting Drive Travel in the Wild! Answer: D. Exciting Drive Travel in the Wild! The tea gardens in Sri Lanka are actually large estates . The best tea usually comes from plants grown on high grounds, the cool hilltops with rows and rows of tea plants. The plants are about one metre apart. The plant is often pruned so that it remains only 60 to 90 centimetres high. _ is important because it encourages the growth of tender hoots, or young leaves. It is from these shoots that the best in got. Practically all the tea pickers are women. The estates like to employ women pickers because they are more careful. Their thin fingers can easily remove the twin leaves and new shoots from the plant, which are the parts used for processing tea. The pickers carry large baskets into which they throw their pickings. A skilled worker can harvest between 9 to 14 kilogrammes of tea leaves a day. Usually new shoots can be picked from the plants about every ten or fifteen days. Processing tea shoots into the familiar dry tea leaves requires great care and skill. There are various methods of processing depending on the type of tea required. For black tea, the young green leaves are first spread out on shelves to dry. This process removes much of its water and the leaves become soft. After this, the leaves are passed through heavy rollers. This operation will press the leaves for juices which give the tea both its colour and taste. Then the leaves are spread out on floors and left to ferment under wet conditions. Fermentation develops the rich taste of black tea. The fermented leaves are then dried with a hotair blower until they become rolledup black leaves. The final step is to sort and grade them before the black tea is ready for sale to countries all over the world. One of the reasons why women are employed to do the picking is that _ . A. they work harder than men do in picking B. they can throw their picking more easily into the baskets C. their fingers fit them better for the job D. they can move easily find the twin leaves Answer: C. their fingers fit them better for the job
Many college students have given up taking class notes by hand. Instead, they type on computers. But scientists say that method is less helpful. If you need to remember something, write it. Writing notes by hand is much better for long-term memory of idea. So, turn off your computer if you want to remember something. Students who type notes on a keyboard often write down what the teacher says word-for-word. They may write without really thinking about what they are writing. These electronic notes contained more words. But scientists say it leads to " _ ." Transcription means to write down something exactly as you hear it. However, students taking notes by writing them, need to first process the information they hear. Then they record just the main parts. They use fewer words. This is because people usually write slower than they type. This kind of process leads to a deeper understanding. The scientists did a research. In the research, students listened to a teacher and then took a test. Some took notes by typing on a computer. The others took notes by writing them down. Both groups performed about the same in remembering facts. But students who typed their notes did much worse on conceptual questions. These questions required them to understand an idea. Also, scientists found that those who wrote their notes remembered conceptual information better a week later. Scientists believe that the students who took notes by writing them had a deeper understanding of ideas. Scientists know that students probably will still use their computers in class. But they suggest to take notes by hand on screens. They say this might be a good way between different schools. According to the research, college students usually use few words to take notes by hand in class because they _ . Answer: A woman saw three old men sitting in her front yard. She said, "I don't think I know you, but you must be very hungry. Please come in and find something to eat." "We do not go into a house together." they replied. "Why is that?" she asked. One of the old men answered, "His name is Wealth, this is Success, and I am Love." Then he said, "Now go in and discuss with your family which one of us you want in your house." Then the woman went in and told her family what was said. She said, "Let's invite Wealth. Let him come in and bring us nice things. We have been so poor." His husband disagreed, "My dear, why don't we invite Success? Don't you want me to be a successful man?" Then the daughter asked, "Would it be better to invite Love? Our life will then be filled with love!" "Let's take our daughter's advice," said the father and mother. So the woman went out and asked, "Which one of you is Love? Please come in and be our guest." Love got up and started walking toward the house. The other two also got up and followed him. Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Success, "I only invited Love. Why are you coming along?" The two old men answered, "If you had invited Wealth or Success, Two of us would have stayed out, but since you have invited Love, wherever he goes, we go with him. Where there is love, there is wealth and Success." The woman wanted to invite the three men to her house because _ . Answer: The PS109 Nest Protect Smoke Alarm promises Internet alerts and an end to the low battery chirp . Besides, it uses a voice to tell you where the fire is. The alarm is the first UK product from Nest, which is run by iPod-inventor Tony Fadell. The company claims the device's batteries will last for up to seven years. The device will offer a spoken warning before it sounds a major alarm. Also it will use text messages and apps on your phones to alert users to low-level risks. The present smoke alarms constantly alert users to non-existent threats, which will make many users annoyed and finally remove their batteries altogether. "We've all experienced the smoke alarm going off while we're cooking. Sometimes, we need to search for the source of that non-stop low-battery chirp at midnight," said Fadell. "Therefore, every time a smoke alarm cries wolf, we trust it a little less, and then -- in a moment of frustration -- we take the batteries out to stop the beep . And that leaves us and our families at risk." If the Protect smoke alarms are used, they can be set up in up to ten zones, so that the clear warnings tell users where the risk has been detected. "Safety shouldn't be annoying," said Matt Rogers, Nest founder and vice president of engineering. "It was unacceptable to us that one in eight houses in the UK has a non-functioning smoke alarm. These products are required by law and are supposed to keep us safe, yet people hate them. We wanted to change that." For what purpose did Nest create the Protect Smoke Alarm? Answer: It does not matter who wins. We are told that from day one. Usually, that statement is followed by some remark about being a loser. If we do not care who wins, then why do we compete? Fun, experience, the chance to meet new people --- these are the reasons we try to outdo each other. People will compete over anything. Every Christmas, my neighbors and I have a little Christmas light competition. It is heaven for the electric company, but I think we give Will Rogers Airport a scare. It is bright enough to land a plane in our front yards. I admit that last year my neighbors won, but only because they bought every strand of lights Wal-Mart had before I could get there. Personal competitions are great, but we get a little carried away. I cannot stand to see coaches shout at kids playing sports. Who cares if someone messes up and the other team advances? I'm tired of people competing just to win. It happens not only in sports, but in music competitions, too. People auditioning for chair placement in certain bands can get really unfriendly. This year I did not audition for a certain band, but I went to auditions anyway. This was the first time I actually had the opportunity to comprehend the whole picture. Other times I've been the person who was nervous and anxious. This time, I sat back and observed everyone else. I came to the realization that the people who aren't so good are terrified of the good people, and the good people are scared stiff that the bad people have taken lessons and can now show them up. Unless a person is on the outside looking in, I don't think anyone realizes _ . Maybe competing is human nature, but we shouldn't let it influence our judgment. Being disrespectful to opponents , letting competition become our life, and becoming so involved that we close ourselves off from friends and family is not the meaning of competition. A little competition is healthy, so it shouldn't hurt anyone. If it does, someone somewhere needs to back off, find the good thing hidden inside, and try it again. Winning isn't everything, and losing isn't the end of the world. Which of the following opinions does the author probably accept? Answer: If you want to protect yourself,please remember the following ways of information. These ways will make you safe. Don't use earphones when you are running in the school yard or in the street. You will keep yourself from the outside world and can easily get into trouble. If a stranger is following you, please don't go home directly .You may be safer in the street than you are in your home or in a lift. If necessary, please go and get help from others. When you take a bus, don't sit alone. You should sit behind the driver or with friends. Don't sleep. Your school bag should be carried towards(,)the front of your body. Don't put it on your back. Don't play with matches or candles , because it may cause fire. If it causes fire, please call 119. We should carry our school bags _ on the bus. Answer:
My parents lived through the Great Depression of the 1930s and I heard stories from both of them about how their lives changed because of it. The same was true of my in-laws whose lives were also affected negatively. For example, my husband's grandfather owned a factory. Owing to the stock market crash, he lost the factory and went back to work in the very factory he'd once owned. He could no longer afford to send my father-in-law to college. My father-in-law worked full time as a pipe fitter and went to school part-time to earn his degree, which took seven years. Somehow, my husband and I never dreamed that we would live through anything similar. However, as they say, history often repeats itself. In 1929, the stock market crashed in the month of October. The same thing happened in 2008. My husband, who had invested all our money in the market, was in a state of shock. Each day the news was more terrible. "We've lost more than half of our wealth," he told me. I just stared at him. "How can that be?" "I thought we had good, solid investments, but it seems I was wrong." "Well, we do have pensions ," I said. "Hopefully, they won't be affected. Since we have never lived a high lifestyle to begin with, I don't think we have to worry." "I did hope to leave our children and grandchildren a generous inheritance ," my husband said. He shook his head in disbelief. "We'll still be able to give gifts. Love is the most important gift anyway." Our children are grown and we always try to be generous to them and our grandchildren. "It just won't be the same." "The world is always changing," I said. "You never know what will happen. The main thing is not to get discouraged. As long as we have our health and can afford the necessities of life, there's no reason to be upset. When you have your health, you can always earn more money." I hugged my husband and he kissed me in return. "I guess you're right," he agreed. "We love each other. We have our health and enough money to live on comfortably. That's all that matters." We had to move out of our house into an apartment. Since few people could afford a house in those hard days, we decided to offer it for considerably less than it would normally be worth. Even so, several buyers changed their mind days before closing. But finally, our home was sold. As we shook hands with the new owners, I told them how fortunate they were. "Not only are you getting a bargain in the price, but this house has good luck. We bought the house from a family who lived in it for nine years. They were a happy family, a husband, wife and five children. It was a cheerful house and we had a good feeling about it. We raised our children here as well." "That's good to hear," the young woman said with a smile. "We have two young children ourselves. And I believe in luck too." We nodded our heads in agreement, understanding each other. "You'll live only six houses from the best primary school in the town and your children won't even have to cross a street," I said. "Our children used to come home each day and have lunch with me." "We like the woods in the back," the young man told us. "We're going to plant a large garden in the backyard." They seemed so young and happy and full of plans. My husband and I had to smile. At least some good was coming out of the economic difficulty. We no longer needed a house. It was good to know that another young family would now be living in what had been a happy, loving home for us. Also, the house needed work that we no longer had the energy to perform. These may be tough times economically, but as for me, I intend to look forward, not back. As Shakespeare said in Macbeth, "what's done is done and cannot be undone." It's the present and future that matter. We can learn from our mistakes and make our lives better. In the author's opinion what matters in life is _ . Answer: health and love Many a young person tells me he wants to be a writer. I always encourage such people,but I also explain that there's a big difference between "being a writer" and writing.In most cases these people are dreaming of wealth and fame, not the long hours alone at a typewriter. "You've got to want to write, "I say to them, "not want to be a writer". The reality is that writing is a lonely, private and poor-paying affair. For every writer kissed by fortune there are thousands more whose longing is never rewarded. When I left a 20-year career in the U.S. Coat Guard to become a freelance writer, I had no hope at all.What I did have was a friend who found me a room in a New York apartment building.It didn't even matter that it was cold and had no bathroom.I immediately bought a used typewriter and felt like a real writer. After a year or so.However, I still hadn't gotten a break and began to doubt myself.It was so hard to sell a story that I hardly made enough to eat.But I knew I wanted to write,l had dreamed about it for years.I wasn't going to be one _ I would keep putting my dream to the test--even though it meant living with uncertainty and fear of failure.This is the _ of hope,and anyone with a dream must learn to live there. shadow land in the last sentence means _ . Answer: the state of uncertainty before one's final goal is reached My mind seems always to return to the day when I met Carl. The city bus stopped at a corner to pick up the daily commuters (someone who travels regularly to and from work), a group in which I was included. Boarding the bus, I looked for a place to sit. At last, I found a place near the back. The man in the seat next to the one I was going for was an older man in a grey suit, well-worn dress shoes, and a black hat like I always pictured reporters wearing, but without the little press card. Seated, I began to read the book I had been carrying, which was Jack Kerouac's On the Road. The man in the seat next to me introduced himself by asking if I had read any other book like the one I was holding. When I told him I had, he seemed to become interested, and so did I. He introduced himself as Carl and asked if I liked jazz, and I told him that I didn't really listen to it, and that I liked rock and roll. Waiting for Carl to tell me that I should listen to real music, I was shocked when he just smiled and nodded. He said, "You remind me of myself when I was your age. I remember how my parents hated jazz and how they couldn't see how I could listen to that awful noise. I bet your parents say the same thing, don't they?" Now it was my turn to smile, amused with how right he was. As the bus carried us from one side of the city to the other, Carl and I talked about a lot of different things. The more we talked, the more amazed I became at how much the two of us really had in common, despite the age difference. I haven't seen him since we parted, but the thought of our connection that day rarely leaves my mind. Carl really made me think about how much we can learn from each other if we just break through the blocks between us we've got. I mean, I would have never thought before that day that I could have anything in common with someone so much older than I. But Carl taught me that no matter what we are, we are all just people, and that we should make an extra effort to try and get to know our neighbors and people we see every day, regardless of age, race, religion, sex, or anything else. If we all take the time to attempt to understand each other, I think that the world would be a much better place that we could share together, as humans. It can be inferred from the passage that _ . Answer: the author was not satisfied with human relationships in the world 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 make people happier according to the passage? Answer: Being thankful. A Nepalese teenager had made a PS 23 solar panel ( ) using human hair. Milan Karki, who is 18 years old and lives in a village, used human hair to replace silicon, which is a common but expensive part of solar panels. By using hair as a replacement, Karki says that solar panels can be produced for around PS 23. Karki got the idea from a Stephen Hawking book, which explained how to create energy from hair. The device that Karki has showed can produce 18w of energy -- plenty to _ a mobile phone. "Half a kilo of hair can be bought for only 16p in Nepal and last a few months; but a pack of batteries would cost 50p and last a few nights," according to The Daily Mail. The solar panel is easy to service as the hair is easy to replace. Karki has now sent out several devices to other places near his home for testing. He said, "First I wanted to provide energy for my home, then my village. Now I am thinking for the whole world." What does the word _ mean in Chinese? Answer: ......
Pieter has a reasonable excuse for his lost wedding ring: a crocodile ate it, along with part of his left arm. " It took my wedding ring. I think it ate the ring up. " He told a newspaper by telephone from his hospital as he recalled his struggle with a man-eating animal. " I took my horse for an evening swim in one of the farm dams. There are lots of crocodiles and hippos in the area and they move around all the time,from dam to dam and into the river and out again. I was on the lookout for hippos and didn't see any. It slipped my mind that there might be crocodiles," he said. He was standing in the water about 5 metres away from the shore when he felt a biting jolt in his left hip. He thought it was a hippo but quickly realized it was a crocodile. " I started to fight immediately. I hit the crocodile with my left arm and then it went for ray left forearm. It pulled me under the water for a few seconds. I realized if I didn't stand up my wife would never find me again. What I didn't realize at the time was that the crocodile let me go because it had taken part of my left arm off,'' said Pieter. With his right arm,Pieter then grabbed the rope of his horse, which took him to safety. He walked 200 metres to his house and his wife took him to the nearest hospital. " I'm lucky I didn't lose too much blood. The biggest problem with a crocodile bite is that it can be septic .Crocodiles never brush their teeth," said Pieter. Pieter came across a crocodile when he _ A. was looking for hippos B. was swimming in the dam C. was looking out for danger D. was struggling in the water Answer: C When I opened my e-mail the other day,a pretty woman named Rachel appeared on my computer screen.She greeted me by name and started talking with great enthusiasm.Every now and then she stopped to smile at me or blow a kiss.She was reading to me an e-mail from my brother,and a lot of it was about his getting the phone company to give him a highspeed Internet connection.It was pretty cool. Rachel was there thanks to a new technology called Facemail.Facemail lets you send an email that gets ready to the receiver by an attractive male or female form or by a clown .The software,which is free,can be downloaded at www.Facemail.com. Facemail faces are lifelike,and they simulate emotions based on emotions that you put in your text.For example,type in X,and Rachel will blow a kiss. LifeFX,the company that develops the Facemail,is sure there are broad business uses.The reason ebusiness is not popular,the company says,is that buying over the Internet lacks the human touch.But what if you went to the Nike website and Michael Jordan greeted you by name,waited for you and personally closed the sale?And it is talking with Whirlpool about using the technology in a computer screen on a fridge.Then if Mom can't be home when the kids get back from school,she can leave a note with voice and image telling them what there is to eat. Facemail could get hot fast.Personally,I'm a fan.But Facemail should be used with care.The clown looks lively and funny at first.But if you select the clown,put a few rude words in an email and add some angry emotions,you've got a Psychomail . The main advantage of Facemail is that _ . A. you can hire a beautiful woman to read the e-mail to you B. you can see the person who sends you the e-mail C. you can send an e-mail free of charge D. e-mail can be attractive in a more lovely way Answer: D On May 18,1969,NASA astronauts Thomas Stafford,John Young,and Eugene Cernan boarded the Apollo 10 lunar module --the fourth manned mission in the US Apollo Space program and only the second after Apollo 8 to circle the moon.Its mission was to circle the moon and thoroughly test the components and procedures to pave the way for the first lunar landing. The mission went perfectly without incident--at least that's what every one believed. However, that view has changed since February 22, after NASA released a digital recording of strange music heard by the space travelers.Then as they were re-entering the zone where they could communicate with ground control.One of the astronauts asked if they should report it.In response, Stafford expressed his doubts if anyone would even believe them.But they needn't have worried. When NASA experts listened to the recordings,they thought the strange sounds were radio interference. Michael Collins--the Apollo 11 pilot--said that the only reason why he was not shocked upon hearing them was that he had been forewarned by NASA officials.Collins also said that the music stopped as soon as the lunar module landed on the moon. So why did it take NASA over 40 years to release the digital recording of the awful music only after it was featured in a recent television series NASA's Unexplained Files? The US Space Agency says they have not been hiding them.In the press release that accompanies the release of the recording,NASA officials state,"The Apollo 10 audio clips were uploaded in 2012, but the mission's sound recordings have been available at the National Archives for anyone that wanted to hear them since the early 1970s." Eugene Cernan, Apollo 10's pilot who heard the sounds first,also released a statement saying,"I don't remember that incident excited me enough to take it seriously.It was probably just radio interference.Had we thought it was something other than that,we would have briefed everyone after the flight. We never gave it another thought." While most people are ready to accept this logical explanation,there are some that believe otherwise. They guess the music proves the presence of aliens. Among them is Apollo 15 astronaut Al Worden,who thinks the sounds came from a source in outer space.In the episode of NASA's Unexplained Files, which discusses the origin of the strange music,the astronaut says, "Logic tells me that if there was something recorded on there,then there was something there." Apollo 10's mission was to _ . A. take the astronauts to the moon B. detect alien music in outer space C. prepare for the landing on the moon D. move around and observe the moon Answer: C Consumers will be digging deeper into their pockets to buy flowers, gift cards and choco lates on Valentine's Day with average spending expected to rise eight percent over last year to nearly $200. And along with their expanding wallets,4 million Americans are expected to propose marriage or receive a proposal on Feb 14. "We've seen a consistent trend of consumers saying they will spend more,from holiday shopping to 2012 travel plans,and spending plans for Feb 14 are no exception,"said Sonali Chakravorti,vice president at American Express. In its latest spending and savings tracker,American Express questioned 2,000 adults across the United States to gauge(,)how much and on what consumers will be spending their money on Cupid's big day. Nearly half of people said they intend to celebrate at a favori te restaurant, seven percent more than last year.Flowers are still the most popular gift for a Valentine,followed hy gift cards,jewelry and electronics. Among couples getting betrothed ,30 percent said they wou]d propose during a weekend getaway or vacation.To seal the deal,48 percent of people think an engagement ring costing between $1,000 to $5,000 would be appropriatc but 22 percent said up to $2,000 for jewelry would be more realistic,while five percent thought nothing of spending$10,000 or more on a ring. Although nearly 40 percent of women think whoever asked for the date should pay for it,14 Dercent said the bill should be split,but most unmarried men said they would cover the cost of the date. Finances can be a delieate subject,so half of people don't talk about money until they have been together six months and 20 percent of married coupies did not refer to the subject until after they have tied the knot. After marriage money matters can be a cause of disagreements,although the poll showed arguments over household budgets,spending on the children and everyday purchases have declined since last year. The passage mainly tells us that _ . A. many people intend to celebrate Valentine's Day in a way they like B. people are expected to spend 8%more money on Valentine's Day than last year C. arguments over family spending have declined since last year D. people have different opinions about spending on Valentine's Day Answer: B It was the small hours of the morning when we reached London Airport. I had cabled London from Amsterdam, and there was a hired car to meet, but there was one more unfortunate happening before I reached my flat. In all my travels I have never, but for that once, been required by the British customs to open a single bag or to do more than state that I carried no goods liable to duty. It was, of course, my fault; the extreme tiredness and nervous tension of the journey had destroyed my diplomacy. I was, for whichever reason, so tired that I could hardly stand, and to the question, "have you read this?" I replied with extreme foolishness, "yes, hundreds of times." "And you have nothing to declare?" "Nothing." "How long have you been out of this country?" "About three months." "And during that time you have acquired nothing?" "Nothing but what is on the list I have given you." He seemed momentarily at a loss, but then he attacked. The attack, when it came, was utterly unexpected. "Where did you get that watch?" I could have kicked myself. Two days before, when playing water games with a friend in the bath, I had forgotten to take off my ROLEX OYSTER, and it had, not unnaturally, stopped. I had gone into the market and bought, for twelve shillings and six pence, an ugly time piece that made a strange noise. It had stopped twice, without any reason, during the journey. I explained, but I had already lost face. I produced my own watch from a pocket, and added that I should be grateful if he would confiscate the replacement. "It is not a question of confiscation," he said, "there is a fine for failing to declare dutiable goods. And now may I please examine that Rolex?" It took another quarter of an hour to persuade him that the Rolex was not contraband . Just when I let out a sigh of relief, he began to search my luggage! What can we conclude from the questions asked by the customs officer? A. He was just doing his duty by asking the passenger some usual questions. B. He must have noticed the writer's ugly watch. C. He wanted to embarrass the writer. D. He must have noticed the writer's tiredness. Answer: B
I'll be a photographer. I'm going to bring bits of Australia back home with me. I told myself this before, yet I feel so doubtful on this plane that's flying me thousands of miles away. I was so confident yesterday .But today I don't belong to this plane where men sit with briefcases reading newspapers. They're all adults. I've never been out of the US. And now ,I'm traveling into Australia alone, a world I know nothing about. A part of me recognizes it as home. I remember little about my mother, but I remember she had an Australian accent and golden hair. She wan fun and she would often take us to New Jersey beaches, where we would spend the whole day taking walks along the shore. My mom told me that in Australia, Christmas was always spent on the beach with friends and family, and everyone wore Santa hat with their bathing suits. It never got cold and bitter there. My mom was different and I was proud of her. I don't know how she met my father. but after they met several years, they got married and moved into an apartment in New Jersey. Then I was born and we were a perfect family of three who went out to dinner and watched movies in the dark and loved each other. I know things have been hard on my father since my Mom died years ago. It's hard for me, too, and I have to experience the wonderful place my mom grew up in and loved. My mom talked about Australia so much and now I have to see this place. This is an adventure. What can we learn from the passage? A The author writes this passage to honor his mother. B The author decides to learn taking photos in Australia. C The author had a good time when his mother was still alive. D The author didn't like to live with his father after his mother died. Answer: C. The author had a good time when his mother was still alive. There are four hats. They are red, yellow, green and white. They are Mike's, Bill's, Tom's and John's. Tom's hat is not yellow, green or red. John's hat is not green. And Mike's hat is not yellow or green. What color are their hats? ,. _ hat is green. A Mike's B Bill's C Tom's D John's Answer: B. Bill's Are you interested in country music? I like it very much !It will take me away for a while after I am tired . The guitars and songs will take me to mountains and fields. Country music usually talks of everyday life and feelings. It's the spirit of America ,easy to understand ,slow and simple. Country music developed in the Southern United States. It was the folk music of American countryside. Many of songs tell about the lives of famers . They talk about love, crops or death. The life of the countryside can be hard, so the words in country music are often sad. At first, people played the music only at family parties. But it became more popular later. In the 1920s,people played country songs on the radio, and they made them into records. When people in the countryside moved to towns and cities to look for work, they took their music with them. Country music continued to change and became popular across America. John Denver was one of America's most famous country singers in the 1970s. His song "Take Me Home, Country Roads" is well-known and people still play it today. ,,. ( ,2,10) People bagan to make country song records _ . A in the 1920s B in 1920 C in the 1970s D in 1970s Answer: A. in the 1920s Jenny was a 13 year old girl with blond hair and blue eyes. She had gotten out of her last day of school and was free for the summer. Two of her friends were going to the nearby beach to do some swimming and enjoy the sun. Jenny went with them and when they got there the beach was very full and there were people everywhere. They changed into their bathing suits and went to the water. The water was very cold. They chose not swim and walked to the sand. Then they laid down on some towels and enjoyed the sun. After several hours Jenny and her friends fell asleep. They woke up and the sun was beginning to set. When Jenny sat up she found that it was painful to touch her skin. When she looked down she saw that she had a very bad sunburn. Her friends were also very badly sunburned so they went home. Jenny's mother gave her a cream to put on the sunburn. Afterwards she felt a lot better and went to sleep. What was the name of the girl with blond hair and blue eyes? A Jenny B Helga C Sarah D Suzy Answer: A. Jenny When I was growing up, I had an old neighbor named Doctor Gibbs. He didn't look like any doctor I'd ever known. He never yelled at us for playing in his yard, but was always very kind. When Doctor Gibbs wasn't saving lives, he was planting trees. He had some interesting theories about planting trees. He believed in the principle: "No pain, no gain". He hardly watered his new trees, an attitude which flew in the face of conventional wisdom. Once I asked why and he told me that watering plants spoiled them because it made them grow weaker. He said you had to make things tough for the trees so that only the strongest could survive. He talked about how watering trees made them develop shallow roots and how, if they were not watered, trees would grow deep roots in search of water. So, instead of watering his trees every morning, he'd beat them with a rolled-up newspaper. I asked him why he did that, and he said it was to get the tree's attention. Doctor Gibbs died a couple of years after I left home. Every now and then, I walked by his house and looked at the trees that I'd watched him plant some 25 years ago. They were tall and strong. I planted a couple of trees myself a few years ago. Two years of attending these trees meant they grew up weak. Whenever a cold wind blew, their branches trembled. _ seemed to benefit Doctor Gibb's trees in ways comfort and ease never could. Every night before I go to bed, I check on my two sons. I often pray that their lives will be easy. But lately I've been thinking that it's time to change my prayer. I know my children are going to encounter hardship. There's always a cold wind blowing somewhere. What we need to do is to pray for deep roots, so when the rains fall and the winds blow, we won't be torn apart. With the trees planted, Doctor Gibbs often _ . A kept watering them every morning B talked to them to get their attention C paid little attention to them D beat them to make them grow deep roots Answer: C. paid little attention to them
On the first evening, the three of us were tired after walking for about eight hours. We soon fell asleep. In the morning, I was surprised to find the bag of food had been open. "Bears," said Joe, "we should hang the food in a tree tonight." Later that day we stopped in a beautiful field by a river. We put up the tent and fell asleep. During the night the bears came again. This time they took the food from the tree. "Bears can climb trees. They can smell food from a long way away," said Ben. "We must keep the camp clean. Bears must think our rubbish is food," I said. "And we should make lots of noise, too. If they know where we are, they may not come any closer," said Joe. "But if you see a bear," said Ben, "you mustn't make any sudden moves or make a sound, and you mustn't run either. No one can run faster in the forest than a bear. And remember we don't have a gun to keep us safe." That night, we went to sleep ... or we tried to. The next day, while the others were resting, I went for a walk in the forest. Suddenly, I saw a baby bear playing with some sticks and stones. He looked so soft and friendly, and I thought, "If I reach out, I can just touch him." There was a loud noise behind me. I didn't dare to move, not even turn my head. There was another loud noise. The baby bear looked up, and ran towards me. I turned pale and he ran past me into the woods. I couldn't turn round until a few minutes later. Then I saw the baby bear and his huge mother walking away. I ran back to my friends. I have never run so fast. For the next 10 days, every time there was sudden noise, my blood went cold. Who moved the food bag on the first night? Millions of people will be able to track each and every move by friends and family through their mobile phones,thanks to a new feature launched by Google yesterday. The new system named "Latitude" uses a map to show exactly where a loved one is at any time, sometimes discovering their location to a few meters.Worried parents will be able to check up on where their children have got to after school, friends can meet for a quick drink if they see they are nearby and wives will be able to see if their husbands really are working late at the office. The feature was made available immediately on millions of mobile phones that can access the web,such as the BlackBerry.Within weeks Google hopes to launch a new one that wilt also work on computers as well. "Once you've shared your location,you can hide it from all of your friends at once,or you can turn off Google Latitude completely at any time." said a Google spokesman."You can adjust your privacy settings in Latitude so that you share as much or as little about your location as you want,with whom you want." Google said that the company had tested the product with thousands of people to make sure that it was safe for the customers,but experts were not so sure.Simon Davies,director of Privacy International,said Latitude would open up a "privacy minefield ". "It's about the little white lies.You might be avoiding going to work, and now your boss might be able to see that you're at Twickenham instead of at home."said Ian Angell, an information expert at the London School of Economics."You've already got mobile phone technology where husbands and wives track each other in secret.Now Google is so widely used that it will only worsen the situation." According to Google,the new system "Latitude" can _ . Raised in a fatherless home,my father was extremely tightfisted towards us children. His attitude didn't soften as I grew into adulthood and went to college. I had to ride the bus whenever I came home. Though the bus stopped about two miles from home,Dad never met me,even in severe weather. If I _ he'd say in his loudest father-voice,"That's what your legs are for!" The walk didn't bother me as much as the fear of walking alone along the highway and country roads. I also felt less than valued that my father didn't seem concerned about my safety. But that feeling was canceled one spring evening. It had been a particularly difficult week at college after long hours in labs. I longed for home. When the bus reached the stop,I stepped off and dragged my suitcase to begin the long journey home. A row of hedge edged the driveway that climbed the hill to our house. Once I had turned off the highway to start the last lap of my journey,I always had a sense of relief to see the hedge because it meant that I was almost home. On that particular evening,the hedge had just come into view when I saw something gray moving along the top of the hedge,moving toward the house. Upon closer observation,I realized it was the top of my father's head. Then I knew,each time I'd come home,he had stood behind the hedge,watching,until he knew I had arrived safely. I swallowed hard against the tears. He did care,after all. On later visits,that spot of gray became my watchtower. I could hardly wait until I was close enough to watch for its secret movement above the greenery. Upon reaching home,I would find my father sitting innocently in his chair. "So! My son,it's you!" he'd say,his face lengthening into pretended surprise. I replied,"Yes,Dad,it's me. I'm home." The author's father watched behind the hedge because _ . FOR many young people, having to attend school with a parent would be their worst nightmare. However, Senior 1 student Li Qinmei is happy taking her father with her as long as she can go to classes. He is disabled and unable to take care of himself. The 16-year-old country girl in Zhucheng, Shandong Province has experienced one disaster after another in her short life. Li lost her mother at three. Four years later, her father became paralyzed after a tractor accident. At 12, her misfortune returned with the death of her grandma. Since then she has been forced to shoulder all the responsibility for her broken family. Li learnt to cook and managed to live a life with an allowance of only 24 yuan per month. The most difficult thing she had to deal with was helping her father bathe, dress and use the toilet as he could hardly move. "I felt embarrassed, and so did my dad. It was really hard at the beginning," she recalled. During most of her junior school years, Li went to classes only once a month as her father was seriously ill at the time. "I taught myself at home and asked teachers for help on my school days," she explained. Li's hard work paid off this fall. She was admitted by Zhucheng No 1 High School, a local key school, based on her good performance in the entrance exams. The school offered Li and her father a room on campus to live in so she could look after him during breaks. Once in a while, Li felt sad when she saw her classmates going shopping or _ with friends. "I envy them sometimes because they have both mum and dad to look after them. However, I soon feel relieved as I still have my dad with me," she said. Li admitted that the difficulties in life had taught her to be strong. "I believe I will go on and continue my studies at a good university," she said, in a confident tone. Her teacher Mr. Wang has the same belief. Li made great progress in the recent monthly exams. "She works hard and is always eager to excel . It's not easy for her never to be late for school, but she has managed to make it work," Wang said. Li Qinmei has to shoulder the family because _ . Advertisement Share Flat. Happy Valley big flat, 1 room ready for use immediately, quiet and convenient, fully furnished, park view. $6800 including bills with maid. Female non-smoker. 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 each. Tel: weekend, 2521-6011; weekday, 2524-5867. 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 9:30 a.m.~1:00p.m., Mon.~Fri. Fourteen days, paid leave. Salary 6598~10230dependent on experience. Letter of application to: Mrs. G. Chan, NOVA ELECTRONICS, 45 Gordon RD, Hung Hom Knowloon. Once you get a part-time job in NOVA ELECTRONICS, _ .
We may be very pleased with the rapid progress we have made in every field of study. But the way to test a student's knowledge and ability still remains as poor as it was. We have almost done nothing to improve our examination system. It is well known that the examination system we are now using may be a good way of testing a student's memory, but it can tell you nothing about a student's ability. It does no good to students and teachers. As soon as a child begins school, he enters a world of examination that will decide his future of job. In fact a good examination system should train a student to think for himself. But it now does nothing about that. So students are encouraged to member what is taught. It does not enable them to gain more and note knowledge. The students who come out first in the examination often may not be the best in their studies. Besides, the examinations often force teachers to train students what to do with the coming examination from time to time. There must be some simpler and better way to test a student' s ability besides knowledge. And that is what we should do at once. In order to make students gain high marks in the coming examination, teachers have to _ . A. teach their students to study freely B. develop their students' ability C. fill their students' heads with much information D. teach their students how to study Answer: C NEW YORK (AP) -- In a report, the Pew Internet and American Life Project said 47 percent of U.S. adult Internet users have looked for information about themselves through Google or another search engine. That is more than twice the 22 percent of users who did in 2002, but Pew senior research specialist Mary Madden was surprised that the growth wasn't higher than it had been expected. "Yes it's doubled, but it's still the case that there's a big chunk of Internet users who have never done this simple act of connecting their names with search engines," she said. "Certainly more and more people have become aware of this, but I don't know it's necessarily kept pace with the amount of content we post about ourselves or what others post about us." About 60 percent of Internet users said they aren't worried about the extent of information about themselves online, although they are increasingly concerned over how that data can be used. Americans under 50 and those with more education and income were more likely to self-Google---in some cases because their jobs demand a certain online persona . Meanwhile, Pew found that 53 percent of adult Internet users admit to looking up information about someone else, famous people not included. Often, it's to find someone they've lost touch with. But looking up information about friends, relatives, colleagues and neighbors also was common. Although men and women equally searched for online information about themselves, women were slightly more likely to look up information about someone they are dating. In many cases, the search is not harmful, done to find someone's contact information. But a third of those who have conducted searches on others have looked for public records, such as bankruptcies and divorce proceedings. A similar number have searched for someone else's photo. Pew also found that teens were more likely than adults to limit the range of people who can see their information at an online hangout like Facebook or News Corp.'s MySpace, contrary to conventional wisdom. "Teens are more comfortable with the applications in some ways, (but) I also think they have their parents and teachers telling them to be very careful about what they post and who they share it with," Madden said. According to the report some people haven't looked for information about themselves because _ . A. they are not rich enough to get a computer B. they are not well educated C. they don't know they can look for their own information on the Internet D. they think it unnecessary to look for their own information on the Internet Answer: C Reform the gaokao The college entrance examination is one of the most important tests in our lives. Now, the big exam has got a big change. the government announced a reform plan on Sept 4, 2014. According to the plan, there are only three required tests that everyone to take - Chinese, maths and foreign language. Each subject is marked out of 150. Students can take foreign language tests twice. Students also have to learn six other subject - physics, chemistry, biology, geography, politics and history. They will have a final test after finishing their studies in each subject. They can choose three to hand in when applying for universities. Nowadays, liberal arts and science have different tests. For example, in some places, liberal arts students get easier math questions. Under the new system, everyone will have same tests. The reform will begin trials from this year in some cities. Current Senior 1 students in Shanghai and Zhejiang don't have to choose between studying liberal arts and science. Liu Yunsong, and English teacher at Beijing 101 Middle School, believes the reform is good news for junior students, especially for the English tests. "Two opportunities help the students show their real level better. As a result, we will pa y more attention to helping students be interested in the language instead of just teaching them the skills of dealing with tests. We will give them more chances to use the language, such as reading English." Which of the following is TRUE according to the reform plan? A. Everyone has to take five tests. B. Students can take all of the tests twice. C. Students choose their best English scores. D. Only Chinese and math are marked out of 150. Answer: C Acting on an anonymous telephone call, police went to Desmond's apartment, knocked on the door, and demanded to search the apartment for narcotics. When Desmond refused, the police forced the door open and placed him under arrest. As they were removing him from the apartment, Desmond offered to give the officers "valuable information" in exchange for his release. Before he could say anything else, Desmond was given Miranda warnings by the police. Thereafter he told the police that he had stored some heroin in his friend's apartment and that he and his friend had been going to sell it. The heroin was recovered, and Desmond was prosecuted for conspiracy to sell narcotics and for possession of narcotics. At his trial, Desmond moved to suppress his statements. Which of the following is Desmond's best argument in support of the motion to suppress? A. Desmond is entitled to know the identity of his accuser, and the state cannot supply this information. B. The police should have given Desmond Miranda warnings prior to entry into the apartment, and the warnings were ineffectual once Desmond offered to give the police information. C. Desmond was intimidated by the forced entry into the apartment, and since the statements were involuntary and coerced, their use against him would violate due process of law. D. The statements were fruits of an unlawful arrest, and though the Miranda warnings may have been sufficient to protect Desmond's right against selfincrimination, they were not sufficient to purge the taint of the illegal arrest Answer: D When Steve Maxwell graduated from college, he had an engineering degree and a high tech job -- but he couldn't balance his checkbook. "I took one finance class in college but dropped it to go on a ski trip," says the 45-year-old father of three, who lives in Windsor, Colorado. "I actually had to go to my bank and ask them to teach me how to read my statement." One of the biggest obstacles to making money is not understanding it: Thousands of us avoid investing because we just don't get it. But to make money, you must be financially literate. "It bothered me that I didn't understand this stuff," says Steve, "so I read books and magazines about money management and investing, and I asked every financial whiz I knew to explain things to me." He and his wife started applying the lessons: They made a point to _ . They never bought on impulse, always negotiated better deals (on their cars,cable bills, furniture) and stayed in their home long after they went for an expensive vacation. They also put 20 percent of their annual salary into investments. Within ten years, they were millionaires, and people were coming to Steve for advice. "Someone would say, 'I need to refinance my house -- what should I do? 'A lot of times, I wouldn't know the answer, but I'd go to find it and learn something in the process," he says. In 2003, Steve quit his job to become part owner of a company that holds personal finance seminars for employees of corporations like Wal Mart. He also started going to real estate investment seminars, and it's paid off: He now owns $ 30 million worth of investment properties, including apartment complexes, a shopping mall and a quarry. "I was an engineer who never thought this life was possible, but all it truly takes is a little self education," says Steve. "You can do anything once you understand the basics." It can be inferred from the passage that _ . A. self education is very important to one's life B. everyone should learn how to invest in their life C. Steve Maxwell was quite interested in finance classes in college D. Steve became rich because he saved every penny he had earned Answer: A
Wilderness activity week, Finland Set off on a really wild adventure to Finland, where night is a distant memory during the endless days of summer. From your cottage, set high in the hills above Koli National Park, you can explore a perfect wilderness, and pull over at a lakeside beach whenever you like a dip . Horseriding in the Tarn France Learn to ride, or perfect your horse-riding skills at Les Juliannes in the Tarn Valley. Activities include everything from show-jumping to hacking through the rolling hills and medieval villages. Between sessions, you can relax by the pool, cycle along the country lanes or roam the grounds. Guests stay at a rural 17th-century farmhouse. Learn to sail in Greece Sunvil Sailing has live-aboard learn-to-sail breaks off the island of Lefkas that are designed for both the complete novice as well as those with a degree of sailing. If you want to learn to sail in Greece, you can log on to _ to find more information. Answer: www. sunvil. co. uk James Cooke, of Islip,N.Y.,can't recognize other people. "I see eyes, nose, cheekbones, but no face," he said. "I've even passed by my son and daughter without recognizing them." He is not the only one. Those with prosopagnosia, also known as face blindness, can see perfectly well, but their brains are unable to piece together the information needed to understand that a collection of features represents an individual's face. The condition is a neurological mystery, but new research has shed light on this strange disease. Some scientists had believed that faces and voices, the two main ways people recognize one another, were processed separately by the brain. Indeed, a condition parallel to prosopagnosia, called _ , similarly leaves a person unable to distinguish a familiar voice from an unfamiliar one. But by testing for these two conditions at the same time, researchers at the Max Planck Institute recently found evidence that face and voice recognition may be linked in a unique person-recognition system. The scientists observed the brain activity of 19 healthy volunteers as they were led through tasks that tested their ability to recognize both faces and voices. The researchers found that regions of the brain, associated with facial recognition, are directly linked to regions responsible for voice recognition. This research helps explain why a person with prosopagnosia may still have difficulty determining who a person is even after he has begun to speak. The challenge for scientists is to find out where this system breaks down. Are these connections in the brain missing entirely, or are people unable to recognize faces and voices simply unable to use these links in some way? It is unclear how many people have these conditions. Many don't even realize they have problems with facial or voice recognition. While some develop these difficulties after a brain injury, others develop it in childhood. Which of the following is true of prosopagnosia? Answer: There has been no cure for it. When asked about happiness, we usually think of something extraordinary, an absolute delight, which seems to get rarer the older we get. For kids, happiness has a magical quality. Their delight at winning a race or getting a new bike is unreserved . In the teenage years the concept of happiness changes. Suddenly it's conditional on such things as excitement, love and popularity. I can still recall the excitement of being invited to dance with the most attractive boy at the school party. In adulthood the things that bring deep joy--love, marriage, birth--also bring responsibility and the risk of loss.For adults, happiness is complicated . My definition of happiness is "the capacity for enjoyment".The more we can enjoy what we have, the happier we are.It's easy to overlook the pleasure we get from the company of friends, the freedom to live where we please, and even good health. I experienced my little moments of pleasure yesterday. First I was overjoyed when I shut the last lunch-box and had the house to myself. Then I spent an uninterrupted morning writing, which I love. When the kids and my husband came home, I enjoyed their noise after the quiet of the day. Psychologists tell us that to be happy we need a mix of enjoyable leisure time and satisfying work.I don't think that my grandmother, who raised 14 children, had much of either. She did have a network of close friends and family, and maybe this is what satisfied her. We, however, with so many choices and such pressure to succeed in every area, have turned happiness into one more thing we've got to have. We're so self-conscious about our "right" to it that it's making us miserable. So we chase it and equal it with wealth and success, without noticing that the people who have those things aren't necessarily happier. Happiness isn't about what happens to us--it's about how we see what happens to us. It's the skillful way of finding a positive for every negative. It's not wishing for what we don't have, but enjoying what we do possess. People who equal happiness with wealth and success _ . Answer: stress their right to happiness too much Four Efficient Ways to Improve Your Speech 1. Use More Facial Expression One psychologist feels that our facial expression is responsible more than anything else for the impression others have of us. In fact, more than 50 percent of another's impression, he believes, is influenced by the look on your face. Naturally a smile in which the eyes participate is extremely communicative. An unfriendly look often brings the same thing in return. People tend to mirror your expression, so try to show how you feel about a topic or an idea or the audience through your facial expression. 2. Rid Your Inner Fear It's natural to have some tension or nervousness when you appear before an audience. The way to handle it is to put it to work for you, get into action, as Shakespeare observed, action cures fear. There are only a few known ways to control fear. The first is to admit it, do the thing you fear and it will be the death of fear itself. Another simple aid at the last minute before you begin, is to take a few deep breaths, this will help get the butterflies in formation and also keep your voice under control. In fact, if you're thoroughly prepared, just taking a few deep breaths before you're introduced will give you added confidence and balance. Other known ways to control nervousness and fear are to give yourself an encouraging talk or take some physical exercise. 3. Polish Your Voice Our voice is the main instrument we possess for communicating with people, we're all sound sensitive. So invest in a tape recorder, practise your speech by speaking it into the microphone then listen to it. You can even have others join in the evaluation of your strong points and your weaknesses or faults as well. Remember that Demosthenes and Winston Churchill both used pebbles in their mouths while practising their speaking. Simply reading out loud can also help you improve your voice and develop a personal style. 4. Strengthen Your Memory Psychologists tell us that most individuals don't use above ten percent of their natural capacity for memory, that's comparable to trying to run a car on one cylinder . Why do most people use so little of their power of memory? Because they don't practise the fundamentals of remembering. First and most important, it's necessary to have a burning desire to remember, it's difficult to recall anything without wanting to do so. Step number two is concentration. Henry Ward Beecher once observed, one hour of intense concentration can accomplish more than years of dreaming. The next principle is repetition, we learned many things in school by rote by repetition, when you hear a name for the first time repeat it, spell it, write it down, review it, you'll soon know it by heart. Which of the ways to rid yourself of your inner fear is NOT included in the passage? Answer: keep your voice under control Five years ago ,David Smith wore an expensive suit to work every day. "I was a clothes addict ," he joked . "I used to carry a fresh suit to work with me so I could change if my clothes got wrinkled." Today David wears casual clothes--khaki pants and a sports shirt--to the office. He hardly even wears a necktie. "I'm working harder than ever," David says, "and I need to feel fortable." More and more panies are allowing their office workers to wear casual clothes to work. In the United States, the change from formal to casual office wear has been gradual. In the early 1990s, many panies allowed their employees to wear casual clothes on Friday (but only on Friday). This became known as "dress-down Friday" or "casual Friday" . "What started out as an extra one-day-a-week benefit for employees has really bee an everyday thing." Said business consultant Maisly Jones. Why have so many panies started allowing their employees to wear casual clothes? One reason is that it's easier for a pany to attract new employees if it has a casual dress code . "A lot of young people don't want to dress up for work," says the owner of a software pany, "so it's hard to hire people if you have a conservative dress code." Another reason is that people seem happier and more productive when they are wearing fortable clothes. In a study conducted by Levi Strauss and pany ,85% of employers said that they believe that casual dress improves employee morale. Only 4% of employers said that casual dress code has a negative impact on productivity .Supporters of casual office wear also argue that a casual dress code helps them save money . "Suits are expensive ,if you have to wear one every day," one person said. "For the same amount of money ,you can buy a lot more casual clothes." David wears casual clothes now ,because_. Answer: they make him feel at ease when he is working
Prison Break is a huge hit thanks to its handsome star,Wentworth Miller. His actor, Michael Scofield, is the engine that drives the show. Michael Scofield is one of the most interesting personalities on television today. But what about the man behind the character? Miller,35,is a hard guy to figure out. He does not come from a normal background and has never lived his life in a typical way. Milier didn't take a direct path to fame and fortune. He graduated from Princeton University in 1995,not with a degree in theatre or film, but in English. He didn't even act when he was in college. His only performance experience was in his university's singing group. Yet, at graduation Miller still decided to make the move to prefix = st1 /Hollywood. Miller has always been different. Although he is American, he was born in Britainwhen his father was studying there. His family background is also a special mix of cultures. "My father is black and my mother is white. That means I have always been caught in the middle. I could be either one, which can make you feel out of place," Miller says. Following his unusual path,Miller did not start trying out for films and TV shows when he first got to Hollywood. Instead, he worked as a lowly production assistant. Not what you would expect from a Princeton graduate. However, _ . In 2002,Miller played a role in the drama Dinotopia. He starred as a thoughtful and shy man. Producers remembered his performance when they were castingPrison Breaktwo years later. With a golden globe nomination and another season of Prison Breakon his resume ,Miller seems ready to take over all of Hollywood. The author thinks "Miller is a hard guy to figure out" because_. Answer: While most travelers aim to stay out of the hospital while on vacation, a growing number of medical tourists-people who combine treatment with travel - are crossing international borders for the purpose of getting medical services, which can range from a hip replacement to a tummy tuck. Widespread air travel, increasing healthcare costs in developed countries, long waiting lists and an ageing world population have all contributed to a global increase in medical tourism in the past decade. And Asia takes the lead in terms of world market share. More than 89% of medical tourists travelled to Thailand, India or Singapore in 2010, with Bangkok and Singapore leading the pack. But the cost of hotel rooms and treatment are both far more expensive in Singapore than in the Thai capital, making Bangkok the most popular place for medical tourism in the world. Even after the serious floods of 2011, 19 million tourists visited Thailand in 2011, a 20% jump from 2010, with about 500,000 tourists travelling specifically for medical treatment. Given Thailand's reputation for outstanding service, it is not hard to see why Bangkok has quickly become the medical tourism centre of Asia. The Tourism Authority of Thailand(TAT), which began medical tourism in 2004, has a detailed medical tourism website that lists many of the most popular treatments available, including dental work, dermatology and cosmetic surgery, as well as listing reputed hospitals, making it easy for potential visitors to decide on a procedure. TAT has also recently partnered with Krungthai Bank, the national bank of Thailand, to offer tourists a card called the Miracle Thailand Card, which offers some medical and life insurance coverage in case of an accident. "The hospitals in Bangkok are some of the highest quality in the world,meeting US standards,"said Steven Lash, CEO of a US-based medical travel company that sends tourists to Bangkok as well as to seven other countries, including Turkey and Mexico. "All of the tourists we have sent to these hospitals have given us excellent feedback on their procedures and their experiences at the hospitals." Steven Lash thinks Bangkok's hospitals _ . Answer: When a formula unit of magnesium sulfide, MgS, is separated into magnesium and sulfur particles, the particles are called Answer: Not only women wear skirts. Men can wear them, too. In Scotland , men wear a kilt - a kind of skirt. The kilt is their national dress. The kilt has checks and different colors, like red or blue. Each family in Scotland has its own colors. How did the Scotsmen start to wear kilts. There is a story about it. Rawlinson had some workers from Scotland in his office and he thought their clothing _ their work. So he cut their clothes into a shorter skirt. Today, they usually only wear them at weddings or big dinners. Only a few men wear a kilt every day. Scotsmen also wear kilts in big parties. The policemen still have skills as the dress uniforms, but they don't wear them to catch the thieves. A kilt is _ . Answer: It takes less than six seconds to leave a first impression. It is said that we ought not judge a book by its cover, but come on, isn't it the color, the design, the layout, and the title that draw us to pick up a book we've never heard of before? Notice what your assumptions are about a person when you are first introduced to her or him. Something that most of us don't take notice of is how we stand or walk. Let's say you are going for a job interview. Within seconds you have already said a lot about yourself by the way you walk. The majority of us walk around everyday without paying any attention to what we are saying even though we are not uttering a word. There is a lot that can be said about body language from the clothes you wear to the gestures you make. I took notice of this topic recently as I recalled something about changing my posture to improve my level of confidence. I was about to venture on a new project, which would take me out of my comfort zone. My gremlins were having a field day with me uttering all kinds of reasons why I couldn't do a good job with this new opportunity. I tucked in my tummy , put my shoulders back , held my head high , and took a walk. Soon thereafter, I felt so much better. I approached the project with new possibility. Wow, what a difference ! Try it ! The ability to capture your audience when you walk into a room is sure to start you off on the right foot when going on an interview. Non-verbal signals have five times the impact of verbal signals. So you can count on losing your audience when you walk in with head down dragging your feet regardless how much you try to change it. What is mainly talked about in the passage? Answer:
Question: Which pair of elements has the most similar properties? A. Li and B B. I and Ca C. K and He D. N and P Answer: D Question: There was a bookseller .He did not like to pay for anything.One day a big box of books fell on his foot. "Go to the doctor," said his wife,"and show that foot to him." "No,"he said,"I'll wait until the doctor comes to our shop next time.Then I'll ask him about my foot.If I go to see him,I will have to pay." The next day the doctor came to the shop to buy some books.The bookseller told the doctor about his bad foot.The doctor looked at it and promised to help.He took out a piece of paper and wrote something on it."Buy this medicine and put it on the foot before you go to bed every night,"he said. "Thank you,"said the bookseller,"And now,sir,here are your books." "How much?" asked the doctor. "Two pounds."" Oh,good,"said the doctor."I won't have to pay you anything today." "Why?" asked the bookseller. "I look over your foot.I will not pay two pounds for that.If people come to my house,l ask them to pay only one pound for a small thing like that.But when I go to their house,I usually charge two pounds.And I came here today,didn't I? Bye--bye!" The bookseller asked the doctor to pay _ . A. nothing B. two pounds C. only one pound D. three pounds Answer: B Question: What is the most likely cause of split rocks on a mountain slope? A. pine tree roots B. true enlightenment C. sea urchins D. heavy metal music Answer: A Question: Isn't it cool to surf in summer? You catch a wave and enjoy the ride. Surfing is not only our favorite sport, though. A group of penguins enjoy the sport as much as we do. And they show their excitement and skills in the new animated film --Surf`s Up, which came out on June 6, in the US. Cody loves the sport. Cody's idol is Big Z, a great penguin surfing king. Cody doesn't like his brother and his mother who are not supportive. He really wants to get away. Cody believes that winning a surfing competition will bring him admiration and respect. When Mikey Abromowitz, a talent scout , comes to Antarctica to look for talented penguins for a surfing competition, Cody's really excited, but during his show there are no waves and he _ . But he knows he can't give up. He runs after Mikey's whale and begs until Mikey agrees to take him. There Cody meets Lani, the island's beautiful lifeguard, as well as his main rival , the surfing champion Evans. The cocky Evans shows no respect for Big Z, which makes Cody angry. For this, he challenges Evans to a surfing match, only to suffer a terrible defeat. Lani takes Cody to the island doctor. As they spend time together, Cody realizes that this doctor is really Big Z himself. When he learns this, Cody begs him to train him and make him a better surfer. Cody begins to find his own way. Cody improves his skills with the help of Big Z and discovers that a true winner isn't always the one who comes in first. Which of the following statements about Big Z is NOT true? A. He is a great penguin surfing king. B. He doesn't help Cody with surfing although Cody begs him. C. He works as a doctor after he leaves surfing. D. He is loved by the teenage penguin Cody. Answer: B Question: Mrs Green's telephone number was three-four-six-three, and the number of the cinema near her house was three-four-six-four, so people often made a mistake and telephoned her when they wanted the cinema. One evening the telephone rang and Mrs Green answered it. A tired man said, "At what time does your last film begin?" "I'm sorry", she said Mrs Green, "but you have the wrong number. T his is not the cinema." "Oh, it began twenty minutes ago," said the man." That's too bad. Goodbye." People often made a mistake and telephone her when they wanted _ A. the cinema B. the shop C. the factory D. the visit Answer: A
Question: All across California, honeybees are flying away from their hives and dying. Empty hives are causing a lot of worry about some important food crops. Bees give us a lot more than delicious honey. They are pollinators --they enable plants to produce the fruits and nuts we enjoy by carrying pollen from one plant or flower to the next. The wind pollinates oats, corn, and wheat, but many other plants (like apple and cherry trees and melon vines) depend on insects, bats, and birds. In the U.S., millions and millions of bees kept by human beekeepers fly around doing a lot of this important work for food crops. "Bees are worth protecting because their work adds so much to our diet," says Dr. Jeff Pettis of the Bee Research Laboratory. California's almond crop alone depends on about half the bees in the country. But now the almond crop and many others could be in trouble with so many bees dying. Researchers at government and university labs all over the country are trying to figure out why so many bees are dying. However, bees are hard to study. Most die away from the hive, so researchers don't have dead bodies to examine. And when researchers return to a hive after two weeks, about half the bees they studied on their first visit will be dead, replaced by new ones in the natural life cycle of bees. "It isn't like studying a large animal like a cow that doesn't move around much and is easy to find out in the cow field," says Pettis. Researchers have some ideas about what could be affecting bee health. They could be sick from poisons widely used to kill insects, or they might not be getting enough good food to stay strong. Also, tiny insects called mites feed on bees. "A virus or bacteria could also be doing the killing." explains Pettis. Bees are hard to study because _ . A. they move around too much B. new bees soon replace all the bees studied by researchers C. they are too tiny D. they never return to hives Answer: A. they move around too much Question: I have been a student at Bentley College in Waltham for some time now, so I have a lot of experience and know how things work at Bentley. As a freshman at Bentley College you will be living in the Tree Dorms, Slade Hall or Miller Hall. I would highly suggest that you choose to live in the Tree Dorms because this is where most fresh-men are going to be living. There will be a lot of activities going on in the building and you will meet lots of people. Slade Hall is next to the parking lot and not far from the Tree Dorms, so that would be your second choice. As Miller Hall is small and far away, it would be my last choice for freshmen housing. If Bentley offers you the chance to live with second or third year students you'd better refuse their offer and live with freshmen. Living with your classmates will make the transition into college life a lot easier. As a freshman your classes should be easy. After freshman year your classes will become a lot more difficult, so I advise that you get down to business early in the first year. There are two very easy things you can do to increase your knowledge as a freshman. The first is to just go to class and the second is to always do your homework. I also highly advise that you do it on your own and try to stay disciplined. It is too easy to put your homework away and then get really behind and not be able to learn everything before a mid-term or final exam. Where is Slade Hall? A. Near Miller Hall. B. Far from Tree Dorms. C. Beside the car park. D. Near the classrooms. Answer: C. Beside the car park. Question: How do scientists know that some mountains were once at the bottom of an ocean? A. Freshwater rivers flow to the ocean. B. Saltwater fish are found in some mountain streams. C. Dinosaur bones have been discovered in the mountains. D. Marine fossils have been found on the peaks of some mountains. Answer: D. Marine fossils have been found on the peaks of some mountains. Question: Last spring, I was fortunate to be chosen to join in an exchange study program. The moment I arrived in Paris, I was greeted by a nice French couple who would become my host parents. The bit of French I had taken in high school began coming out of my mouth; speaking the language would only become more natural over the course of the term. At the airport, we all got into the couple's car and began the journey to their townhouse. We talked the whole way, getting to know one another. Every day afterwards, I would eat breakfast with the two of them, and then we'd all go our separate ways for the day. In the evening, my host mother would make delicious dinners for the three of us. My experience was exciting until I received some shocking news from my program coordinator : There had been a death in my host parents' family and they would have to go away for several weeks to deal with all the business that arises from the death. That afternoon, I had to move out of one family's house and into another. The coordinator told me I'd have a roommate and asked whether I would mind sharing a bedroom with an English speaker. To avoid speaking my native language, I asked not to be placed with an English-speaking roommate. When I got to my new room, I introduced myself to my new roommate Paolo, a Brazilian , the same age as I, whom I was surprised to find playing one of my favorite CDs on his computer! In just a few hours, we knew we'd be good friends for the rest of theterm. I left France with many stories, so when people ask me what my favorite part of the trip was, they always hear about my Brazilian friend Paolo and the weekdays in class, weeknights on the town, and weekends exploring France we enjoyed together. I would recommend an exchange program to anyone who wants to experience foreign cultures and gain meaningful friendships. What do we learn about the author? A. He was good at French before arriving in Paris. B. He studied in France for a term. C. He got to his host family by taxi. D. He worked very hard in France on weekends. Answer: B. He studied in France for a term. Question: There was a strange father, John Blake, from Michigan, who named his children after a computer software term. He told the local newspaper the US traditional way of adding "Junior" or "II" after a boy's name was too common. So, when his son was born last week, he decided on the name John Blake 2.0, as if he were a software programmer. Mr. Blake admitted that it took months to persuade his wife, Jamie, to accept the idea. Mrs. Blake said she asked several friends whether they could accept this name or not. "All the men," she said, "felt the name was cool." However,her women friends did not think so. "I think the women end up like it,"she said. Mr. Blake told the local newspaper he got the idea from a film called The Legend of 1900,in which an abandoned baby is given the name 1900 to remember the year of its birth. "I thought that if they can do it , why can't we?" he said. After little John version 2.0 was born, Mr. Blake even sent a celebratory e-mail to the family and friends, which was designed to look as if he and his wife had created a new software. "I wrote things like there are a lot of new features from Version 1.0 with additional features from Jamie," he said. And he has already planned for his son's future. "If he has a child, he could name it 3.0," he said. From the passage we know that "John Blake 2.0" _ . A. is also the name of a computer B. shows the traditional way of American baby naming C. has the same meaning as "John Blake Junior" D. tells something about the hope the father places on his baby Answer: C. has the same meaning as "John Blake Junior"
Tyrone put two stones in a plastic bottle of water and shook it. After he stopped shaking the bottle, he observed that small pieces of the stones were floating in the water. What is the best prediction he can make based on this observation? If shaking the bottle causes pieces of stones to break off, A then using cold water will break off more pieces. B then using hot water will make the stones change colors. C then shaking for a longer amount of time will break off more pieces. D then shaking for a shorter amount of time will make the rocks change colors. Answer: C. then shaking for a longer amount of time will break off more pieces. Alice: Good afternoon, Helen! Helen: Good afternoon, Alice! How are you? Alice: I'm fine, thanks. How are you? Helen: I'm OK. Alice: Helen, what' s this in English? Helen: It's a cup. And it's my cup. Alice: Oh, it' s red. I like the color. Is that a pencil? Helen: No, it' s a pen and it' s brown. Alice: Is it your pen? Helen: No, it s Bill's. My pen is green. The _ is Bill's. A pen B cup C ruler D key Answer: A. pen We have designed all our bank cards to make your life easier. How to use your NatWest Servicecard . As a Switch card, it lets you pay for all sorts of goods and services, wherever you see the Switch logo. The money comes straight out of your account, so you can spend as much as you like as long as you have enough money ( or an agreed overdraft to cover it. It is also a cheque guarantee for up to the amount shown on the card. And it gives you free access to your money from over 31,000 cash machines across the UK. How to use your NatWest Cashcard You can use your Cashcard as a Solo card to pay for goods and services wherever you see the Solo logo. It can also give you access to your account and your cash from over 31,000 cash machines nationwide. You can spend or withdraw what you have in your account, or as much as your agreed overdraft limit. Using your cards abroad You can also use your Servicecard and Cashcard when you're abroad. You can withdraw cash at cash machines and pay for goods and services wherever you see the Cirrus or Maestro logo displayed. We take a commission charge of 2.25% of each cash withdrawal you make. . We also apply a foreign-exchange transaction fee of 2.65%. How to use your Nat West Credit Card With your credit card you can do the following: * Pay for goods and services and enjoy up to 56 days interest-free credit. * Pay in over 24 million shops worldwide that display the Mastercard or Visa logos. * Collect one AIR MILE for everyPS20 of spending that appears on your statement . (This does not include foreign currency or traveller's cheques bought,interest and other charges.) If you withdrawPS200 from a cash machine abroad, you will be charged _ . A PS4.90 B PS4.5 C PS5.25 D PS5.3 Answer: A. PS4.90 Which color shirt will reflect the most light on a hot, sunny day? A black B blue C red D white Answer: D. white As you can see,water works hard in your body every day.That's why it's important to give your body the water it needs to carry out all its different jobs.On a regular day,your body loses 2 to 3 quarts of water--enough to fill a 2liter soda bottle.You probably guess that water is lost when you sweat--especially on a hot day. But your body also loses water in an almost invisible way--evaporation .Water escapes from your body through your skin and in your breath.How?Your breath contains droplets of water that are usually too tiny to see.They become visible for a quick second in the cold when you can "see your breath".But water evaporates this way all year round.Your skin also contains water,which escapes in tiny droplets that go into the air.The water in your skin evaporates into the air,but fortunately,your body can replace the water it loses so your skin doesn't dry out. Eating and drinking is one way to replace the water your body loses.Most foods have a lot of water in them,especially fruits and vegetables.Grapes,watermelons,oranges,and cantaloupes are delicious and full of water. But you can't _ food alone to get that water back,and that's why it's also a good idea to drink water every day.You might have heard someone say that people need to drink 6 to 8 cups (1.4 to 1.9 liters) of water each day.Depending on how much water you're getting from foods and other liquids,6 to 8 cups might not be necessary.If you eat a lot of fruits and vegetables,or you like to eat soup every day,you'll get some of the water your body needs. Your body has to give enough water to your skin in order to _ . A keep the water in your skin clean B stop your skin from drying out C stop the water from losing D keep your skin clean all the time Answer: B. stop your skin from drying out
A healthy amount of sunshine may be the secret to staying young. British scientists have discovered. Vitamin D is produced naturally by the skin in response to(...) sunlight and may help to slow the ageing process and protect against heart disease, according to the study. Researchers from King's College London studied 2,160 women aged between 18 and 79, looking at their telomeres--- a biological marker of ageing found in DNA. As people get older, their telomeres get shorter and they become more susceptible to certain illnesses. But the study found women with high levels of vitamin D had comparatively longer telomeres--- a sign of being biologically younger and healthier. The study suggests vitamin D may help to slow down the ageing process of DNA, and therefore the ageing process as a whole. Lead researcher Dr Brent Richards said, "These results are exciting because they show for the first time that people who have higher levels of vitamin D may age more slowly than people with lower levels of vitamin D." This could help to explain how vitamin D has a protective effect on many ageing related diseases, such as heart disease and cancer." Professor Tim Spector, a co-author of the report, added, "Although it might sound absurd , it's possible that the same sunshine which may increase our risk of skin cancer may also have a healthy effect on the general ageing process." Vitamin D made by the action of sunlight on the skin accounts for 90 percent of the body's supply, but lower levels can also be got through food such as fish, eggs and breakfast cereals . Other studies have suggested the vitamin plays a key role in protecting against cancer and heart disease. What is the best title of the passage? A. Secret of Staying Young B. Vitamin D Helps Slow Ageing C. Sunlight and Vitamin D D. Sunlight and Health Answer: B What do hawks eat? A. lizard droppings B. bearded dragons C. cows D. grass Answer: B Our village carpenter , John Hill, came one day and made a dining table for my wife. He made it just the right size to fill the space between the two windows. When I got home that evening, John was drinking a cup of tea and writing out his bill for the job. My wife said to me quietly, "It's his ninth cup of tea today." But she said in a loud voice, "It is a beautiful table, dear, isn't it?" "I will decide about that when I see the bill, " I read: One dining table, 10 November, 1989. Cost of wood: $17.00 Paint: $1.50 Work: 8 hours ($1 an hour) $8.00 Total: $36.50 When I was looking at the bill, John said, "It's been a fine day, hasn't it? Quite sunny." "Yes," I said, "I'm glad it is only the 10thof November." "Me, too," said John. "You wait. It'll be a lot colder by the end of the month." "Yes, colder.... And more expensive! Dining tables will be $20 more expensive on November 30th, won't they, John?" John looked hard at me for half a minute. Was there a little smile in his two blue eyes? I gave his bill back to him. "If it isn't too much trouble, John," I said, "Please add it up again and you can forget the date." I paid him $26.50and he was happy to get it. From the story we know that _ A. John made a mistake in the bill. B. John tried to fool the writer in order to get more money for his work C. John had written out the bill before the writer got home. D. John still wanted to get $36.50 for his work in the end. Answer: B A few years ago I was shopping with a friend and his 12-year-old daughter in downtown San Francisco.A street musician,whom my friend happened to know from his own musician day,was playing the saxophone on a street corner.His name was Clifford,and he had attracted a large crowd with his performance.After he finished,my friend introduced him to me and his daughter.Clifford asked her if she played any instrument.When she replied that she was taking trumpet lessons and played in her junior high school band,he said,"That's fine,little lady.Learn your instrument well and you can play anything."Somehow these simple yet wise words struck me as suitable not only for a trumpet player but also for a reader.If you learn to read well,you can read anything you want--not just newspapers and magazines,but more difficult material like philosophy,film criticism,military history--whatever interests you as your confidence grows.You would not be limited in any way.If you have the vocabulary -or at least a good dictionary near at hand--you can pick up a book,concentrate on it, and make sense of the writer's words. In the United States,reading instruction often ends at elementary school,so students sometimes have difficulty as they progress through school.They must take their assignments,armed only with their elementary,school reading skills.The result,too often,is frustration and loss of confidence.And the assigned reading in your college courses will be even greater than they were in high school.Developing Reading Skills is designed to accomplish several tasks:to show you the skills that will enable you to read with greater comprehension,to help you deal with reading assignment with confidence,and to teach you to become an active reader. It can be inferred from the story that _ . A. Clifford was good at playing the saxophone B. the writer's friend was once a street musician C. the 12-year-old girl played the trumpet very poorly D. Clifford was a good music teacher Answer: A Health experts have discovered that adding low-calorie vegetable soup to the start of a meal can actually help to lose weight. Because you feel full sooner, you eat less of your main course. The soup regime was tested by researchers at Pennsylvania State University, led by Dr Barbara Rolls. They found that when people ate a first course of soup before lunch they reduced their total calorie intake by 20 per cent, compared with those who did not begin the meal with soup. But those who _ creamy soups should be careful.Researchers stressed the soup must be low-calorie and based on stock , not cream. All of the soups tested in the study were made from identical ingredients - chicken stock , broccoli , potato, cauliflower and carrots. They were mixed together to create four different textures and thickness from separate stock and vegetables through to pureed soup. Scientists thought that thick soups with chunks of vegetables which required chewing might be more filling, but to their surprise they found all forms had the same effect. The findings were presented to the Experimental Biology conference in Washington, DC, and the research was part-funded by the National Institutes of Health. What is the best title of this passage? A. Vegetable Soup Helps to Lose Weight. B. A Scientific Research is Carrying out. C. A Research Done at Pennsylvania State University D. Findings Carried out to the Experimental Biology. Answer: A
Question: Once there was a baby eagle living in a nest on a cliff .The baby eagle loved his nest.It was warm, soft and comfortable.And even better, he had all the food and love that his mother could give.Whenever the baby eagle was hungry, his mother would always come just in time with the delicious food he liked. He was growing happily day after day.But suddenly his world eagle changed.His mother stopped coming to the nest, he was full of sadness and fear.He thought he would die soon.He cried, but nobody heard him. Two days later mother appeared with some nice food.The baby eagle was wild with joy.But his mother put the food at the top of the mountain and then looked down at her baby. The baby eagle cried out, "Mum, why did you do this to me? I'm hungry.Don't you know I will die if I have nothing to eat?" "Here is the Last meal I give you.Come and get it by yourself." his mother said.Then she flew down and pushed the baby eagle out of the nest. The baby eagle fell down, faster and faster.He looked up at his mum." Why do you abandon me?" He looked down at the earth.The ground was much closer.Then something strange happened.The air caught behind his arms and he began to fly! He wasn't moving to the ground any more.Instead, his eyes were pointed up at the sun. You are flying! You can make it!" His mother smiled. We can infer from the story that _ A. The baby eagle lost his mother B. The baby eagle fell down and died C. The baby eagle was still angry with his mother. D. The baby eagle could get food himself. Answer: D. The baby eagle could get food himself. Question: It was the Greek shopkeeper who taught me about the power of being kind. In 2008, I left Spain to study alone in London. My parents had to bring up my three younger sisters and two younger brothers, so I found three part-time jobs to pay for my studies. I worked early mornings and late nights, so I was tired, really tired, all the time. Unluckily, I got a cold and had a very high fever. Because I was new in London, I had no friends. Besides, I was too shy to talk with others and ask others for help. After sleeping on the bed for two days, I went out to get some food. Usually, I went to the supermarket, but this time I went into the Greek shop, a small corner shop, because it was closer. I picked up some food and gave it to the shopkeeper, who asked me, 'You look terrible, my boy! You are not feeling well, right?' I said YES in a low voice. She pointed at the salami and bread I was buying and offered, 'I can make you a sandwich, so you don't have to do it yourself.' I nodded without saying a word. So, she made the sandwich and asked me to wait a moment. She went into the back room and came again with a bowl of hot soup. 'It will warm you up,' she said with a friendly smile. What really warmed me up was not the soup. It was her smile that told me she cared me. Her kindness made me think of my mother. I was quite shy, but from that day on, I did not let shyness stop me from talking with and being kind to others. Now I work in a children's hospital in Africa. I love my work and people around me. I always bring my smile and kindness to them. What did the shopkeeper not do for the writer? A. She made the sandwich. B. She cooked a bowl of hot soup. C. She made some bread. D. She sold him some salami. Answer: C. She made some bread. Question: Japanese high school students either walk or ride bicycles if the distance is not too great. In other cases, students must take public buses and trains. After junior high school, students attend schools based on their high school entrance examination scores. So some students travel a great distance to attend the school. At School The school day begins at 8:30. Then students assemble in their homeroom classes for the day's studies. Each homeroom has an average of 40-45 students. Students stay in their homeroom classrooms for most of the school day. Only for physical education, laboratory classes, or other subjects requiring special facilities do students move to different parts of the school. Between classes and at lunchtime, classrooms can be noisy, lively places. Some schools may have a cafeteria , but most do not. In most schools, students bring a box lunch from home, prepared by the mother in the early morning hours. Japanese students spend 240 days a year at school, 60 days more than American students. Students in high schools take three years' each of the following subjects mathematics, social studies, Japanese, science, and English. Other subjects include physical education, music, art, and moral studies. All the students in one grade level study the same subjects. Given the number of required subjects, electives are few. Afterschool Activities Club activities take place after school every day. Students can join only one club, and they _ change clubs from year to year, so the clubs are relatively stable. Clubs are made up of sports clubs (baseball, soccer, judo, kendo, etc.) and culture clubs(English, broadcasting, science, etc.). New students usually are encouraged to select a club shortly after the school year begins in April. Clubs meet for two hours after school each day and many clubs continue to meet during school vacations. From the passage we know that _ . A. there are less than 40 students in each class in Japanese high schools B. students must stay in homeroom classrooms for physical education C. there are few subjects for students to choose except the required ones D. there will not be any club activities during school vacations Answer: C. there are few subjects for students to choose except the required ones Question: Name:Off the Beaten Path Cover price:$30.00 Our price:$19.80 The best-selling Reader's Digest travel book has 40% new content including over 200 new sites, over 200 new full-color photographs, and all-new, up-to-date maps. It focuses on more than 1, 000 of the United States' most overlooked must-see destinations. Name:Container Gardens by Number Cover price:$ 15.95 Our price:$9.49 A unique book contains 50 easy-to-follow container designs. Each design provides a simple numbered planting plan that shows exactly how to create each display, with an instruction of the finished planter and in-depth plant information. The plans are easy to follow and for any type of living space or garden. Name:Best Weekend Projects Cover price:$ 17.95 Our price:$13.96 Choose from 80 unique ideas to create an extraordinary living space. The projects are practical, as well as attractive, and will improve your home and yard and can be made in a weekend. These 80 well-designed projects are presented in a clear, easy-to-follow style that addresses readers in an accessible, user-friendly tone. Name:l80l Home Remedies Cover price:$ 40.00 Our price:$ 29.96 Plenty of health complaints can be handled at home. Each and every remedy will be tested by a doctor to make sure it is safe and sound. Dozens of conditions are covered, from headaches, sunburn, bad breath, and blisters(;)to allergies, and hiccups . How much money could you save if you want to buy a travel book? A. $10. 20. B. $6.46. C. $13.96. D. $19.80. Answer: A. $10. 20. Question: At 4:53 pm. on January 12, United Nations aid worker Jens Kristensen was at his desk reading documents on the third floor of the Christopher Hotel, which served as UN headquarters in PortauPrince, when he felt a tremor . Four seconds later, the earthquake hit. "In a split second, I considered whether to run for the door or hide under my desk," says Kristensen, 48. "The door was closed, and I thought that maybe it was too far and I would be caught under falling debris , so I hid under the table." A bookshelf topped onto his desk, protecting him from being crushed by rubble and trapping him in a tiny pocket. "I was confined as if in a small coffin," he says. It was so dark, and it didn't matter if his eyes were open or closed. He used the light from his mobile phone to see around him. He found, among other items, a jar of instant coffee. "I had no food or water, only the coffee to suck on if I needed it." At about 6:30 am. on January 17, an oil leak silenced the building's generators, and Kristensen was able to hear muffled voices above where he was buried. "I thought, I was too tired to bang and shout. But then I realized, I had to take every chance. This could be one." So he called out. Six hours later, Kristensen saw his rescuers' faces. "It was so amazing. I felt I had received a second birthday," he recalls. Dehydration and pains but with only a bruise and a scratch, Kristensen took three days to recover. The UN lost more than 90 people in Haiti. But Kristensen says that the outpouring of love helps heal the pain: "The genuine happiness of people toward me here has been wonderful. You feel part of a larger family." When the earthquake struck, Jens Kristensen decided to _ . A. read documents in the office B. stay under the desk C. run out of the room quickly D. catch the falling debris Answer: B. stay under the desk
Question: A researcher is viewing a cell that has cell walls. To best narrow down the taxonomic group from which the cell belongs, which question should a researcher ask? A. What is the composition of the cell walls? B. Is a cell membrane also present? C. Can any substances pass through the cell walls? D. Do the cell walls help the cell to survive? Answer: A Question: Any mistake, which is made in the printing of a stamp, raises its value to stamp collectors. A mistake on a two-penny stamp has made it worth a million and a half times its face value. Do you think it possible? However, it is true. The mistake was made more than 100 years ago in Mauritius, a small island in the Indian Ocean, which was a British colony at that time. In 1847, an order for stamps was sent to London. Thus prefix = st1 /Mauritiusbecame the fourth country in the world which had the stamps made in other countries. Before the order was filled ,that is, the stamps arrived from England, a big dance party was planned by the commander-in-chief of all the armed forces on the island. The party would be held in his house and letters of invitation would be sent to all the important people in Mauritius. So stamps were badly needed to post the letters. Therefore, an islander, who was a good printer, was told to copy the pattern of the stamps. He carelessly put the words "Post Office" instead of "Post Paid", two words seen on the stamps at that time, on several hundred that he printed. Today, there are only 26 of these misprinted stamps left: fourteen One-penny Reds and twelve Two-penny Blues. Because of so few Two-penny Blues and because of their age, collectors have paid as much as $16,800 for each of them. Mauritiusis _ . A. still the colony of Britain B. an Indian island C. the name of a country in the Indian Ocean D. the name of the commander-in-chief Answer: C Question: The North Star is A. A person B. A dog C. A cat D. many intergalactic beings Answer: D Question: Generic Name: ASPIRIN Pronunciation: ['aesp@rin] Why it is prescribed : 1. Aspirin relieves mild to moderate pain. 2. It reduces fever, redness, and swelling. 3. It prevents blood from clotting . When it is to be taken: 1. Aspirin is often taken without a prescription. 2. Follow the instructions on the label and package. 3. If your doctor prescribes aspirin for you, you will receive specific instructions for how often you should take it. 4. Keep in touch with your doctor. How it should be taken: 1. Aspirin comes in the form of suppositories , capsules, and regular, coated, extended-release, and chewable tablets. 2. Regular, coated, and extended-release aspirin tablets and capsules should be swallowed with a full glass of water or milk after meals to avoid stomach upset. 3. Chewable aspirin tablets may be chewed, crushed, dissolved in a liquid, or swallowed whole; a full glass of water, milk, or fruit juice should be drunk immediately after taking these tablets. Special Instruction: 1. Children should not take aspirin for fevers associated with flu or chickenpox because such use has been linked with a serious illness known as Reye's syndrome. 2. Adults should not take aspirin for pain for more than 10 days (five days for children) without consulting a doctor. 3. Aspirin should not be taken by adults or children for high fever, fever lasting longer than three days without a doctor's supervision . 4. Do not give more than five doses to a child in a 24-hour period unless directed to do so by a doctor. 5. If you miss a dose, take the missed dose as soon as you remember it and _ the prescribed schedule. Side Effects: 1. Although side effects from aspirin are not common, they can occur. 2. Nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, indigestion and heartburn are common. Take aspirin after meals, with a full glass of water or milk. If these effects continue, contact your doctor. 3. Ringing in the ears, bloody or black stools , difficulty breathing, dizziness, mental confusion and sleepiness are rare. Stop taking the drug and contact your doctor. Other Precautions: 1. If you are pregnant or breast-feeding women, inform your doctor before taking aspirin. 2. Do not take aspirin if you are within three months of delivery. 3. Do not take aspirin if you are allergic to it. 4. If you have diabetes , regular use of eight or more regular strength aspirin tablets a day may affect test result. 5. If you are taking large doses of aspirin on a long-term basis, avoid having alcoholic drinks because alcohol can increase stomach problems. 6. To prevent an overdose of aspirin, read the labels before taking other pain relievers and cold products to be sure that they do not contain aspirin. Storage Conditions: 1. Store aspirin in a cool place or in a refrigerator. 2. Throw away aspirin that smells strongly of vinegar. 3. Keep this aspirin out of the reach of children. Where can we probably come across such a text? A. In a research paper. B. In the package of a medicine C. In a medical textbook. D. In a scientific and technological magazine Answer: B Question: Edmund Halley was an English scientist who lived over 200years ago. He studied the observations of comets which other scientists had made. The orbit of one particular comet was a very difficult mathematical problem. He could not figure it out. Neither could other scientists who dealt with such problems. However, Halley had a friend named Isaac Newton. Who was a brilliant mathematician. Newton thought he had already which he had done it. He told Halley that the orbit of a comet had the shape of an ellipse. Now Halley set to work. He figured out the orbits of some of the comets that had been observed by scientist. He made a surprising discovery. The comets that had appeared in the years 1531, 1607 and 1682 all had the same orbit. Yet their appearances had been 75 to 76 years apart. This seemed very strange to Halley. Three different comets followed the same orbit. The more Halley thought about it, the more he thought that there had not been three different comets, as people thought. He decided that they had simply seen the same comet three times. The comet had gone away and had come back again. It was an astonishing idea! Halley felt certain enough to make a prediction of what would happen in the future. He decided that this comet would appear in the year 1758. There were 53 years to go before Halley's prediction could be tested. In 1758 the comet appeared in the sky. Halley did not see it, for he had died some years before. Ever since then that comet been called Halley's comet, in his honor. Halley made his discovery _ . A. by doing experiments B. by means of his own careful observation C. by using the work of other scientists D. by chance Answer: C
Question: Another Way of Thinking "Failure" In one way of thinking, failure is part of life. In another way, failure may be a way towards success. The "spider-story" is often told. Robert Bruce, the leader of the Scots in the 13th century, was hiding in a cave from the English. He watched a spider spinning a web. The spider tried to reach across a rough place in the rock. He tried six times to span the gap. On the seventh time he made it and went on to spin his web. Bruce is said to have taken heart and to have gone to defeat the English. Edison, the inventor of the light bulb , made hundreds of models that failed before he found the right way to make one. Once he was asked why he kept on trying to make a new type of battery when he had failed so often, he replied, "Failure? I have no failure. Now I know 50 000 ways it won't work." So what? First, always think about your failure. What caused it? Were conditions right? Were you in top form yourself? What can you change so things will go right next time? Second, is the goal you're trying to reach the right one? Try to do some thinking about what your real goals may be. Think about this question: "If I do succeed in this, where will it get me?" This may help you prevent failure in things you shouldn't be doing anyway. The third thing to bear in mind about failure is that it's a part of life. Learn to live with yourself, even though you maybe have failed. Robert Bruce is put in the passage to show that _ . A. failure must come before success B. we should face failure directly and overcome difficulties C. nature will help us if we let it D. people who fail have plenty of companies Answer: B. we should face failure directly and overcome difficulties Question: Which is sillier: denying we ever went to the moon or trying to convince the true non-believers? Once upon a time--July 20, 1969, to be specific - two men got out of their little spaceship and wandered around on the moon for a while. Ten more men walked on the moon over the next three and a half years. The end. Unfortunately, not quite. A fair number of Americans think that this whole business of moon landings really is a fairy tale. They believe that the landings were a big hoax staged in the Mojave Desert, to convince everyone that U.S. technology was the "best" in the whole wide world. Which is the harder thing to do: Send men to the moon or make believe we did? The fact is that the physics behind sending people to the moon is simple. You can do it with computers whose entire memory capacities can now fit on chips the size of postage stamps and that cost about as much as, well, a postage stamp. I know you can because we did. However, last fall NASA considered spending $15,000 on a public-relations campaign to convince the unimpressed that Americans had in fact gone to the moon. That idea was mostly a reaction to a Fox television program, first aired in February 2001, that claimed to expose the hoax. The show's creator is a publicity hound who has lived up to the name in more ways than one by hounding Buzz Aldrin, the second man on the moon. Mr. X (as I will call him, thereby denying him the joyous sight of his name in print) recently followed Buzz Aldrin around and called him "a thief, liar and coward" until the 72-year-old astronaut finally lost it and hit the 37-year-old Mr. X in the face. Anyway, NASA's publicity campaign began to slow down. The nonbelievers took the campaign as NASA's effort to hide something while the believers said that $15,000 to convince people that the world was round -- I mean, that we had gone to the moon -- was simply a waste of money. (Actually, the $15,000 was supposed to pay for an article by James E. Oberg, an astronomy writer who, with Aldrin, has contributed to Scientific American.) If NASA's not paying Oberg, perhaps it could put the money to good use by hiring two big guys to drag Neil Armstrong out of the house. Armstrong is an extremely private man, but he is also the first man on the moon, so maybe he has a duty to be a bit more outspoken about the experience. Or NASA could just buy Aldrin a commemorate plaque for his recent touch on the face of Mr. X. The believers think that NASA's publicity campaign is _ . A. proof to hide the truth B. stupid and unnecessary C. needed to convince the non-believers D. important to develop space technology Answer: B. stupid and unnecessary Question: Which would be a learned trait? A. skin color B. nose shape C. hair color D. favorite cookie variety Answer: D. favorite cookie variety Question: Here are some introductions to four strong women in the world. Park Geun-hye, President of South Korea On Wednesday, South Koreans chose the daughter of South Korea's Cold War strongman Park Chung-hee as the country's next President. Park, the 60-year-old leader of the conservative Saenuri Party, defeated 59-year-old liberal challenger Moon Jae-in by about 3.5%. She will be the first female president of South Korea. Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel is the Chancellor of Germany and party leader of the Christian Democratic Union(CDU). Merkel is the first woman to have become Chancellor of Germany. Angela Merkel has been described as "the de facto leader of the European Union" and her cautious response to the euro crisis is backed by most Germans and her party. Hillary Clinton, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She has put into place institutional changes seeking to make the most of departmental effectiveness and giving women worldwide power and status, and has set records for most-traveled secretary in office. Hillary Clinton is believed to be preparing to step down from her position as Secretary of State, causing widespread rumors about her possibly making her own run for the White House in 2016. Aung San Suu Kyi, Chairperson of Burmese National League for Democracy Aung San Suu Kyi is a Burmese opposition politician. As a pro-democracy leader, she remained under house arrest in Burma for almost 15 years from 20 July 1989 following her fight for democracy until she gained her freedom on 13 November 2010. Like the South African leader Nelson Mandela, Aung San Suu Kyi has become an international symbol of peaceful resistance in the face of oppression . The Nobel Peace Prize 1991 was awarded to Aung San Suu Kyi "for her non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights". She finally delivered her Nobel Lecture on 16 June, 2012, in the Oslo City Hall, Norway. We can learn from the passage that_. A. Park Chung-hee defeated Moon Jae-in by about 3.5% B. Merkel is the first person to have become Chancellor of Germany C. Hillary Clinton travelled most among all Secretaries of State in USA D. Aung San Suu Kyi remained under house arrest from 1989 to 2012 Answer: C. Hillary Clinton travelled most among all Secretaries of State in USA Question: He lived his whole life as a poor man. His art and talent were recognized by almost no one. He suffered from a mental illness that led him to cut off part of his left ear in 1888 and to shoot himself two years later. But after his death, he achieved world fame. Today, Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh is recognized as one of the leading artists of all time. Now, 150 years after his birth on March 30, 1853, Zundert, the town of his birth, has made 2003 "The van Gogh Year"in his honor. And the van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, home to the biggest collection of his masterpieces, is marking the anniversary with exhibitions throughout the year. The museum draws around 1.3 million visitors every year. Some people enjoy the art and then learn about his life. Others are first interested in his life, which then helps them understand his art. Van Gogh was the son of a pastor . He left school when he was just 15. By the age of 27, he had already tried many jobs including an art gallery salesman and a French teacher. Finally in 1880, he decided to begin his studies in art. Van Gogh is famed for his ability to put his own emotions into his paintings and show his feelings about a scene. His style is marked by short, broad brush strokes ."Instead of trying to reproduce exactly what I have before my eyes, I use color more freely, in order to express myself more forcibly," he wrote in a letter to his brother in 1888. Van Gogh sold only one painting during his short life. He relied heavily on the support from his brother, an art dealer who lived in Paris. But now his works are sold for millions of dollars. His portrait of Dr. Gacher sold for $89.5 million in 1990. It is the highest price ever paid for a painting. "I think his paintings are powerful and the brilliant colors in them are attractive to people," said a Van Gogh's fan. We can infer from the passage that _ . A. his powerful art came from his poor life B. his fellow townsmen regret treating him unfairly C. all his paintings were drawn in the last 10 years of his life D. most of his paintings are kept in the museum of his hometown Answer: C. all his paintings were drawn in the last 10 years of his life
Mr. and Mrs. Jones never go out in the evening, but last Saturday Mrs. Jones said to her husband , "There is a good film at the cinema tonight. Shall we go and see it?" Mr. Jones was quite happy about it. So they went, and both of them enjoyed the film very much. When they came out of the cinema, it was 11 o'clock. They got into their car and began driving home. It was quite dark. Mrs. Jones said," Look, a woman is running along the road very fast and a man is running after her. Can you see them?" Mr. Jones said, "Yes, I can." He drove the car slowly near the woman and said to her, "Can I help you?" "No, thanks," said the woman, but she did not stop running. "My husband and I always run home after the cinema. Because whoever gets home late are going to do the dishes." Why did the man and the woman run? Because _ . neither the wife nor the husband wanted to wash the dishes The companies below offer student accommodation all around London, no matter what university you are attending. And they limit the complications that other rental companies can have (such as paying for heat and hot water, paying your rent yearly and so on). CRM Students has 12 different properties to choose from in London with various size choices depending on your budget and requirements. Prices start from PS 140 per week. International Students House is unique because they offer twin, triple and quad rooms, which means they are cheaper per week than others. Of course, you will be sharing your bedroom with up to three other people. Prices start from PS 78.4 per week. Prodigy Living has several properties in London (most of which have just been decorated) and offers en-suite rooms in flats and one-bedroom flats. Prices start from PS 209 per week. Scape Living has properties in Greenwich, Surrey and Shoreditch, with the latter two being new apartments as of 2015, which means they will be in pretty good condition. Prices start from PS 185 per week. Unite Students offers student accommodation in various areas of London, from en-suite rooms to two-bedroom flats, with lots of sharing choices available. Prices start from PS169 per week. These student housing associations are the best I found on the Internet for cheap student accommodation in London; however, I am aware that new ones are appearing every day. For a full list of associations like these (but most are more expensive than those listed above), I recommend checking out UCL's alternative accommodation page. Note: Most rooms require a small deposit , which is typically the same value as your weekly rental price ( for example, PS 200 per week =PS 200 deposit before you move in). How much will you pay if you want to rent a new apartment? At least PS 185 per week. If your mother wants to tell you something , she uses words . Birds can not talk as we do . But some birds can make sounds to warn their young of danger . They have their own ways to make the young birds do certain thing . The jackdaw is a kind of blackbirds that lives in Europe . Jackdaws live together in flocks. Yong jackdaws do not know their enemies . When an older jackdaw sees a dog , it makes a loud tattling sound. The young birds know this sound means an enemy is nearby. The sounds warns them to know their enemy . If a young jackdaw is in a dangerous place, a jackdaw parent flies over him from behind .The parent bird flies low over the young birds back, the parents' tail feathers move quickly from side to side, It is trying to say , " Follow me ." At the same time , the parent calls out , " Key-aw ,Key-aw ." The parent means , " Fly home with me ." The young bird then follows the older one home . Young jackdaws do not have to learn what certain sounds mean. They know the meaning of these sounds from the time they hatch (,). When an old jackdaw sees a dog , it _ . makes a loud sound I'm a teacher. But there are days, like today, when I wonder why. The results of an English quiz taken by my fifth-graders were depressing. Despite my best efforts, the world of pronouns remains a mystery to them. How I wish there were a way to make the study of our language as exciting as a computer game, so the glazed looks would not appear in their eyes at the mention of the word "grammar." I remember my husband's words: "Why don't you quit? You'd probably make more money by doing something else, and you wouldn't have papers to grade every night." Tonight I have a stack of papers to grade, which I promised my students I would return tomorrow. But a friend, whom I haven't seen in a year, is visiting from Belgium, and I told her I would keep this evening free. Sitting in traffic behind a distant stoplight, it's hard not to replay the day. A voice reports the body of a local youngster, missing for weeks, has been identified. This missing child has had a deep effect on my students. They wondered, "If it happened to her, could it happen to me?" My children had found the answer themselves. They got out their pencils, markers and made cards. Cards were written with words of compassion and love for a mother and father they didn't know. Cards were filled with red hearts, golden crosses, flowers and angels. Their cards, intended to comfort others, comforted the children themselves by leading them past the anxiety, back into the world of security that should be theirs. And then I remember why I'm still teaching. It's the children. They're more important than a lifetime filled with quiet evenings and more valuable than a pocket filled with money. My classroom, a child-filled world of discovery, of kindness and of caring is the real world. It's time to call my friend. I have promises to keep. She'll understand. After all, she's a teacher. What is the most important according to the writer? The kind and caring children. A beaker containing 50 milliliters of ice is placed on a windowsill. After several hours, the ice melts. What property of the ice did not change when it melted? the mass
You will spend hours at the gym training your body, but do you ever think about training your brain? Here are four ways to keep your brain mentally active and healthy. Play games Your brain is a muscle just like the ones in the rest of your body. If you don't use it, you will lose it. For example, doing a crossword puzzle once a day is a good way to give the brain the exercise it needs. This kind of puzzle is good at training different areas of the brain. But remember that when doing this puzzle, you should gradually increase the complexity ; otherwise, it will become repetitive and stop being mentally challenging. Talk aloud Although it might sound strange to you, talking aloud is a great way to _ your memory. A good exercise to try is counting to 99 in threes as fast as you can. Be a team leader If you find you can do your work very easily, you should find a new task. It is important that your job should be mentally challenging. Complex jobs are often more challenging and make the brain work a little harder. Learn a language A study found that, compared with those who could speak only one language, the people who could speak two languages had a slower rate of cognitive decrease. Learning a new language is very challenging and it makes sure that different areas of the brain have their lights on. We should gradually increase the complexity when doing crossword puzzles because _ . Answer: we should make our brain face different challenges The hardworking businessman Jones used to work all day in his shop and so hard-working was he that at times he would make the sparks fly from his hammer. The son of Mr. Smith, a rich neighbor, used to come to see him every day and for hours and hours he would enjoy himself watching how the man worked. " Young man, why don't you try your hand to learn to make shoe tacks , even if it is only to pass the time ? " said Jones. " Who knows, one day, it may be of use to you ." The lazy boy began to see what he could do. But after a little practice he found that he was becoming very skilled and soon he was making some of the finest tacks. Old Mr. Smith died and the son because of the war lost all his goods. He had to leave home and was forced to live in another country. It so happened that in this village there were many shoemakers who were spending a lot of money buying tacks for their shoes and even at times when they paid high prices they were not always able to get what they wanted, because in that part of the country there was a high demand for soldiers' shoes. Our young Mr. Smith, who was finding it difficult to earn his daily bread, remembered that once upon a time he had learned the art of making tacks and had the sudden idea of making a bargain with the shoemakers. He told them that he would make the tacks if they would help to get him settled in the workshop. The shoemakers were only too glad of the offer. And after a while, Mr. Smith found that he was soon making the finest tacks in the village. " How funny it seems, " he used to say, " even making tacks can make money. My trade is more useful to me than all my former riches." Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage ? Answer: The young man earned his living by his skills learnt when he was young. Wolves travel in groups, and they perform almost all the other activities of their lives in the company of fellow wolves. This is one of the most important facts that modern science have learned about wolves and one of the things that most clearly explain their way of life. The pack is usually a family group. It is made up of animals related to each other by blood. The centre of a pack is a pair of wolves----an adult male and female that have produced young. The other members of the pack are their offspring : young wolves ranging in age from pups to two- and three-year-olds. Most packs have 6 or 7 members, although some may include as many as 15 wolves. Relationships among creatures that live close together in groups are often very complex, and this is true of the ties that connect the members of a wolf pack. Scientific studies of captive wolves and wolf packs in the wild have shown that many complex rules of behavior seem to govern the way that the animals relate to each other. When wolf pups are born into a pack, one of the most important things they must learn is the "language" of the group, the method by which pack members keep in touch with each other, sharing information and communicating their feelings. Scientists have discovered that wolves have a very complex system of communication. The most famous wolf sound is, of course, the howl, and it is a very important part of wolf language. When people think about howling, they usually imagine a sad, lonely sound made by a wolf sitting all alone on a hilltop in the moonlight. However, this picture in most human beings' mind is not completely true. Wolves howl at any time, not just at night, and they often howl together, not alone. Group or chorus howling is another means by which the members of a wolf reaffirm their ties with each other and their closeness as a group. One wolf----often the male leader----will point its nose at the sky, open its mouth, and start to howl. Immediately the other members of the pack rush to stand beside him, shoulder to shoulder, and join their voices to his. Each wolf howls on its own note so that a big chorus of slightly different sounds is produced. Chorus howling often takes place before a wolf pack goes out to hunt. At the end of a successful hunt, the pack may also celebrate with a group howl. While wolves are on the track of prey ,they are usually silent. There are occasions when a wolf will howl by itself. This may happen when an animal is separated from the pack. Pack members seem to recognize each other's voices and will keep responding to the howl of their wandering relative until the group is reunited. Because howling is a sound that carries over a considerable distance, it is very useful in communications among separated members of a pack. Howling is also used when members of different packs have to get in touch with each other to pass on information about their locations and their purposes. To what human activity could wolves' "chorus howling" best be compared? Answer: A sports team cheering before a game A modern theory of the origin of the universe proposes that the first atoms formed were primarily atoms of which element? Answer: hydrogen Hello and welcome! My name is Shelley Ann Vernon and I am glad that you want to find out more about teaching English through games. Right here you will find ways to get great results in the classroom for children aged 4 to 12; ways that from my experience will bring more success and joy into the lives of the children you teach. You'll learn how to make your serious classes fun, how to ensure everyone gets better grades, how to help inspire the brighter kids while taking care of the slower ones, and how to associate fun with learning by teaching vocabulary and grammar through language games. Earn even more appreciation, love and respect from your students and their parents for your teaching. The games presented here work for ESL (English as a Second Language) pupils aged 4 to 12. These games are most suitable for beginners to general level students. Achieve results 2 X as fast. Don't take my word for it; read evidence from teachers and parents: She found it valuable right away!Although I only bought your book on Monday, and today is Wednesday, I want you to know how valuable I have found it to be. I have used a couple of the games in school already and the children loved them.Most importantly, they were learning and reviewing English at the same time. Can I admit that I also enjoyed my lessons more? Gila Goldberg, Jerusalem The games help with learning difficulties! My daughter Aurore has learning difficulties and since coming to your classes she has gained confidence and has improved in all subjects at school. Mrs. J. Brown, Canterbury, Kent, UK Click here to order now with our secure server. Remember, if you are not satisfied, just let us know and we will refund you in full. You still get to keep the essential bonus material, yours for FREE, and that's a rare time saving gain, plus a value of 25 dollars. The passage is most probably taken from a _ . Answer: website
Music died here last spring, or rather, it was killed by members of the school committee who ignored the importance of music and drama as part of the high-school curriculum. The committee decided that teaching students how to take a standardized test is more important than a curriculum in which students can explore their interests in the arts as well as academics. Because the school system is running out of funding, it needs to make sure that students pass the mastery test or even more money will be lost. If students fail the state standardized test, it is not the fault of drama and music classes-- they are failing because the " academic" classes are not sufficient. It is painful to think of how many students will be discouraged from singing, acting, and playing instruments because school programs are no longer offered. Many families cannot afford private music lessons, and many potential musicians and artists may not find their calling if they are not exposed to it in school. The fact that the school committee thinks the arts are not worth the investment will certainly make some students believe the arts are not worth their time or support and the cycle will continue. Teaching for a test does not shape students into complete, well rounded people. It blocks the natural sense to create and express feelings through art-- there is more to life than the analytical thinking that math and English provide. What happens after a test? Sure, a student might graduate, but they will have limited knowledge -- certainly not a good preparation for the real world. We can learn that music and art can _ . A. make students round-shaped people in future B. provide students with analytical thinking C. motivate students in creativity and expression D. prevent students graduating from high school Answer: C Regarded as one of the English language's most gifted poets, John Keats wrote poetry that concentrated on imagery, human nature, and philosophy. Although Keats didn't receive much formal literary education, his own studies and passion brought him much success. Additionally, his own life situation influenced his poetry greatly. Growing up as a young boy in London in a lower middle-class family, the young John didn't attend a private school, but went to a public one. His teachers and his family's friends regarded him as an optimistic boy who favored playing and fighting much more than minding his studies. After his father's death in the early 1800s, followed by his mother's passing due to tuberculosis , he began viewing life differently. He wanted to escape the world and did so by reading anything he could get his hands on. At around the age of 16, the teenage John Keats began studying under a surgeon so that he too might become a doctor. However, his literary appetite had taken too much of his fancy, especially with his addiction to the poetry of Ehmund Spenser. He was able to have his first full poem published in the Examiner in 1816, entitled O Solitude! If I Must With Thee Dwell. Within two months in 1817, Keats had written an entire volume of poetry, but was sharply criticized by a magazine. However, the negative response didn't stop his pursuit of rhythm . John Keats' next work was Endymion, which was published in May 1818. The story involves a shepherd who falls in love with the moon goddess and leads him on an adventure of one boy's hope to overcome the limitations of being human. Following Engymion, however, he tried something more narrative-based and wrote Isabella. During this time, John Keats began seeing his limitations in poetry due to his own limit in life experiences. He would have to have the "knowledge" associated with his poems. His next work was Hyperion that would attempt to combine all that he learned. However, a bout with tuberculosis while visiting Italy would keep him from his work and eventually take his life in 1821. What can we infer from the passage? A. Keats' family must have been very poor when he was young. B. Edmund Spenser was the greatest poet in Keats' time. C. It is likely that Keats rewrote his poem Isabella. D. The poem Hyperion wasn't completed by Keats. Answer: D According to some predictions, human beings will die out in 2012. Nearly all people think it's impossible, but there are some more earthquakes in recent years. Animals can predict the weather or other natural events. It may sound strange, but farmers living in the countryside think so. For hundreds of years , they have observed animals. "Animals ' behavior can be connected to future weather conditions or events." They say. For example, if cows lie down, a rainstorm is coming. There are many traditional stories connecting animals and natural events. Many people think that these stories don't have scientific evidence( ) at all. Scientists, however, are beginning to take another look at some of these ideas. A Japanese earthquake researcher named Kiyoshi Shimamura noticed an increase in dog bites a short time before earthquake hit. Then he did research on twelve public health centers in Kobe, Japan. These health centers treated people after the 1995 earthquake . He got some interesting information about the month before the big earthquake: treatment for animals' bites had increased . In fact, aggressive behavior in dogs, such as biting and barking loudly , jumped 60 percent. There are also other changes in animals' behavior before the earthquake. For example, fish began swimming together in large groups , but only in the middle of the water and not near the edges. Birds flew away from their nests for many days, leaving their eggs unprotected . These animals' behavior suggests that animals may be able to predict natural events better than people. What do dogs begin to do just before an earthquake? A. They leave their homes. B. They hurt people. C. They lie down in grass. D. They stay together in large groups. Answer: B Ashley woke up bright and early on Friday morning during summer. Her birthday was only a day away, and her parents had promised her a trip to the fair as her present the next day! She thought it was going to be quite a treat. She skipped down the stairs to see her mom making a chocolate cake on the stove. "You run along outside to go play with your friends," her mom told her, "I can get everything ready for your special lunch on my own." When Ashley made it outside, she found her friend Katherine playing in the dirt. When Ashley came closer, she saw that in the dirt were a bunch of insects. Katherine loved finding and collecting different ones for her insect collection. Ashley thought it was kind of gross personally, but she sat down next her anyways. "Happy birthday, Ashley," Katherine yelled when she saw her best friend. "Thank you," Ashley answered, "Do you want to go up to the playground until it's time for lunchtime? Mom says you're invited to come by the way." Katherine nodded, and the two spent a fun morning playing on the playground. Once lunchtime came, the two walked back to Ashley's house. She could picture how many of her favorite foods her mom had most likely made, and she could almost taste the spaghetti on her tongue. Lunch was ready when they arrived, and it was delicious! The chocolate cake her mom made was an extra special treat. She couldn't wait to go to the fair tomorrow! Which food could Ashley imagine eating? A. insects B. dirt C. spaghetti D. chocolate cake Answer: C Which absorbs more sunlight? A. palm frond B. a mirror C. maple syrup D. Wednesday Answer: A
A listener from Brazil recently wrote to us asking for some advice. He's planning a trip to the United States, and wanted to know about the best places to travel in America. Today, we tell about the most popular places to visit in the country, and hear about what makes them so appealing. Each of the 50 states in America has interesting things to offer visitors, but some are more popular than others. Washington, D.C. is famous for its historical places, like the White House and the Lincoln Memorial. Visitors to Los Angeles, California can see the Hollywood Walk of Fame or shop the stores on Rodeo Drive where they may see a star or two. The Grand Canyon in Arizona appeals to hikers, climbers and nature lovers, as does Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Trip Advisor is a website where people can write reviews about their travel experiences. There are also ratings for hotels, restaurants, and places people have visited around the world. Every year, Trip Advisor makes a list of the top 25 cities to visit in the United States. The results are based on the opinions of visitors to the website. America's major cities are still the most popular destinations for visitors. This is probably because of the good quality of services they provide tourists. "They do a great job of giving travelers what they want when they're on vacation. I think they kind of cater to every type of traveler need. So whether you're traveling alone, you're traveling for business, you're traveling with your family - whatever it is, those destinations are really tuned in to delivering amazing experiences and just a lot of different opportunities when you're there." said Brooke Ferencsik, a tourist from Germany. Which of the following can be the best title for the passage? A Welcome to Trip Advisor B America's Major Tourist Attractions C The Power of the Internet D It's Tourists Who Decide Where to Go Answer: B Boys at the top of the pecking order either by birth or because their older brothers died score higher on IQ tests than their younger brothers. Norwegian researchers now report that it's a matter of what they call social rank in the family that gives the first born the highest scores or, if the first born had died young, the next oldest. Kristensen and Bjerkedal studied the IQ test results of 241,310 Norwegian men drafted into the armed forces between 1967 and 1976. All were aged 18 or 19 at the time. The average IQ of first-born men was 103.2, they found second-born men averaged 101.2, but second-born men whose older brother died young scored 102.9. And for third-borns, the average was 100.0. But if both older brothers died young,the third-born score rose to 102.6. The findings provide "evidence that the relation between birth order and IQ score is dependent on the social rank in the family and not birth order as such." they concluded. _ since at least 1874,when Sir Francis Galton reported that men in noticeable positions tended to be firstborns more often than would have been statistically expected. Since then, several studies have reported higher intelligence scores for firstborns, while other analyses have questioned those findings and the methods of those reports. "These two researchers prove that how study participants were raised, not how they were born, is what actually influences their IQs," said Sulloway, an American professor, who was not part of the research team. "The elder child pulls ahead," he said, "perhaps as a result of learning gained through the process of tutoring younger brothers and sisters". "The older child benefits by having to organize and express its thoughts to tutor youngsters", he said, "while the later born children may have no one to tutor." According to Norwegain researchers' finding, which of the following is linked to boys' IQ? A Birth order B Position in the family C Parents' social rank D Educational experience Answer: B Sport is very popular in England. In other words lots of English people like the idea of sport. A lot watch sport on TV. But the number who take part in sport is quite small. On the whole English people prefer to be fat rather than thin. The most popular sport in England is football. Football is played on Saturday afternoon in most towns and the supporters of a certain team will travel from one end of the country to the other to see their team play. There are four divisions of the football league.Not surprisingly the best teams are in the first division. But the best supporters are often in the fourth division. You have to be a good supporter to watch the fourth division football! Many other sports are also played in England, such as golf, in which you try to knock a ball into a hole; basketball, in which you try to got a ball through a net ; tennis, in which you try to hit a ball so that your opponent can not hit it. As you see, if the ball had not been invented, there would have been no sport. Actually , that is not quite true. Athletics isn't played with a ball; nor horseracing . Perhaps that is why they are not so popular as football! Why do many English people not take part in sport? A They are too busy. B They like watching sport on TV. C They would like to be fat. D They prefer to be thin. Answer: C OUR children grew up on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. The right jelly makes them very happy, and homemade is the only choice. I wasn't the jelly maker in this family. My mother-in-law was. She didn't provide a wide range of flavors , either. It was either grape or blackberry. And since we liked both flavors, we usually picked whatever jar was at the front of the pantry . It was always there. Jelly making was just a way of life for her. She always did it, following the same habits ---from picking the fruit to setting the finished jelly on the homemade shelves. This past December, my mother-in-law passed away. Among the things in the house to be divided up were the remaining canned goods. Each of us chose from the many jars of tomato juice, green beans and jelly. The other day I reached in there to get jelly for a quick sandwich, and there it was. Sitting all alone on the far side of the shelf was a small jar of grape jelly. Written on the lid with a black marker was "GR" for grape and the year the jelly had been made. As I picked up the jar, I suddenly realized something that I had failed to see earlier. This was the last jar we would ever have from my mother-in-law's patient, loving hands. Our children had never known a day without their grandmother's jelly. It seems like such a small thing, but it was a great treasure. Holding that last jar in my hand, my heart traveled back to meeting my mother-in-law for the first time. I saw her crying on our wedding day, and later, kissing and loving our children. I saw her walking in the woods or riding the wagon . I saw her surrounded by loving children at her funeral. I put the jelly back on the shelf. No longer was it just a jar of jelly. I guess I believed that as long as it was there, my mother-in-law would always live on. With the story, the author want to tell us that _ . A Love from your family often hides in small things B Homemade food is always simple but delicious C We should always give the best things to our kids D It's never too late to show love for our families Answer: B You don't need to get in a time-traveling machine to see how technology will reshape our lives, such as the way we shop.Several new technologies that are to change your buying habits already exist.Let's see what's in store for your future shopping. Try it on, virtually .Want to shop online for a new pair of eyeglasses? You don't need to guess which pair looks best on you. Go and see the eBay Fashion iPhone app to try a pair of eyewear you're checking out on a picture of your face.But what if you want to buy something bigger? Thanks to Microsoft Kinect's motion tracking camera, you can cover clothes on your screen body.You can even choose the background of your virtual fitting room to enrich your shopping experience. Get a perfect, custom fit.Everyone's body is shaped differently.To get a perfect fit, you sometimes have to get your clothes changed.But by using 3D scanning technology, all the clothes you buy will fit your body perfectly.Some companies scan your body using High-tech to get the most accurate measurements, so they can make special clothes just for you. High-tech shopping carts and checkout counters.High-tech shopping carts could, in time, be a common sight in malls and supermarkets.Microsoft Kinect-enabled carts are currently under test.The cart can follow you along the aisles , controlled merely by your movement and your voice.In China, a supermarket chain introduced tablet-equipped carts that guide shoppers around the stores' aisles. In the United States, several supermarkets use a device called Scan It that gives buyers the freedom to scan purchases on their own while they shop.While it's great not having to line up at a checkout counter, we wouldn't mind it if the store used Toshiba's new Object Recognition Scanner.The machine identifies a product as soon as it's placed in front of a camera just by its shape and color, even if it has no bar code. The Object Recognition Scanner can identify a product more quickly by _ . A the customer's voice B its shape and color C the customer's movement D the bar code on it Answer: B
When you are ill, you should go to see a doctor. After the doctor looks you over, he will give you a note to take to the _ for some medicine. Chemists are usually good at reading doctors' notes. But sometimes doctors write too badly and even the chemist can not read them. One day a woman wrote to a doctor to invite him to have dinner with her family . The doctor wrote an answer, but he wrote too badly and the woman could not read it. She asked her husband, "I don't know whether he is going come or not. I don't want to call and say that I don't understand him. " Her husband thought for a few minutes and then he had a good idea. "Take it to the chemist," he said , "He will be able to read it for us." "That's a good idea." said the woman. She went to the chemist's shop and gave the doctor's note to him. The chemist looked at it for a long time. "Could you wait a moment, Miss?" he said . Then he went to the back of the shop. After a few minutes he came back, carrying a large bottle. He gave the bottle to the woman. "Take a teaspoon every day." said the chemist to the woman. The woman couldn't understand the "note". Because _ . A the woman never went to school B the doctor wrote badly C the doctor didn't like to go D the woman didn't know much about medicine Answer: B. the doctor wrote badly To American visitors, Iceland is a very interesting country, partly because it is different in so many ways from what he or she is used to seeing at home. There are quite a few things that are not done, or that do not exist on the island - quite a few "No's". There is no pollution, for instance. No dogs are permitted in Reykjavik, the capital. There is no television on Thursdays or during the entire month of July, and only three hours of black-and-white TV the rest of the time. There is no hard liquor on Wednesdays and no beer at any time. There are no handguns; only one jail of thirty-five cells in the entire land - an admirable figure, even for a small country of 313,376 people. There is no army, air force or navy. There is no tipping for anything. There are no large stores open on Saturdays or Sundays. Since Iceland is situated just under the Arctic Circle, there is no darkness in summer and do daylight in winter. But thanks to Gulf Stream, the climate is rather mild, with temperatures ranging from 34 degrees Fahrenheit to 52 degrees in July. The rules on television, liquor, and guns are the result of governmental decision. But the absence of pollution is due in great part to the fact that Iceland gets its power from the enormous geyser and the thousands of hot springs that come out of the ground. They provide all the energy needed by the country. In fact, Iceland uses only 3 percent of all its available power. Iceland has been described as a democratic independent country where more fish are caught and more books published per person than anywhere else in the world. The Icelanders have always felt a particular love for literature. They composed their first works in the ninth and tenth centuries AD. These works were poems and tales about the kings, heroes, and heroines of Iceland and Norway. At first the stories were memorized and passed from generation to generation. The Icelanders have never stopped writing ever since. "Rather shoeless than bookless," they proudly say. American visitors enjoy visiting Iceland probably because _ . A no dogs are permitted in the capital B the police do not carry handguns C it is very different from America D the climate is rather mild. Answer: C. it is very different from America Failure is probably the most exhausting experience a person ever has. There is nothing more tiring than not succeeding. We experience this tiredness in two ways: as start-up fatigue and performance fatigue. In the former case, we keep putting off a task because it has either too boring or too difficult. And the longer we delay it, the more tired we feel. Such start-up fatigue is very real, even if not actually physical, not something in our muscles and bones. The solution is obvious though perhaps not easy to apply: always handle the most difficult job first. Years ago, I was asked to write 102 essays on the great ideas of some famous authors. Applying my own rule, I determined to write them in alphabetical , never letting myself leave out a tough idea. And I always started the day's work with the difficult task of essay-writing. Experience proved that the rule works. Performance fatigue is more difficult to handle. Though willing to get started, we cannot seem to do the job right. Its difficulties appear so great that, however hard we work, we fail again and again. In such a situation, I work as hard as I can-then let the unconscious take over. When planning Encyclopaedia Britannica (<<>> ), I had to create a table of contents based on the topics of its articles. Nothing like this had ever been done before, and day after dat I kept coming up with solutions, but none of them worked. My fatigue became almost unbearable. One day, mentally exhausted, I wrote down all the reasons why this problem could not be solved. I tried to convince myself that the trouble was with the problem itself, not with me. Relived, I sat back in an easy chair and fell asleep. An hour later, I woke up suddenly with the solution clearly in mind. In the weeks that followed, the solution which had come up in my unconscious mind provided correct at every step. Though I worked as hard as before, I felt no fatigue. Success was now as exciting as failure had been depressing. Human beings, I believe must try to succeed. Success, then, means never feeling tired. On what occasion does a person probably suffer from performance fatigue? A Before starting a difficult task. B When all the solutions fail. C If the job is rather boring. D After finding a way out. Answer: B. When all the solutions fail. What is made when sugar is dissolved in water? A a colloid B a solution C a suspension D an evaporation Answer: B. a solution Water evaporates and falls back to Earth as rain or snow. What is the primary energy source that drives this cycle? A The wind B The Sun C Air pressure D Ocean currents Answer: B. The Sun
Each year, up to six young inventors, grade K-12, in America can receive the nation's most excellent young inventors' honor, "The Thomas Edison Innovation Award ," for their invention ideas. They can receive the following honors: * Thomas Edison Innovation Award, "The Tommy", a handmade trophy * US$1,000--US$ 5,000 in prize money * All-expenses-paid trip for the inventor and one parent to the ceremony. * Chances in the future to connect with universities and industries to further the inventors' ideas * A place in history! The inventors' names and ideas can be preserved at the National Museum of Education The information above is about _ . A an invention award B a famous inventor C a famous museum D a great musician Answer: A. an invention award On December 8, 1980, John Lennon -an English musician who rose to fame as one of the founding members of Liverpool pop band The Beatles - was shot dead outside his New York apartment. In the 1960s and 70s, Lennon was one of the most iconic men on the planet. Some 30 years ago on from his death, he is still respected by many people in the West. The Beatles, formed in 1960 in Liverpool, were one of the most commercial successful acts on the history of pop music, with, according to some estimates, global record sales over 1.1 billion. The band conveyed the progressive ideals in which many young people of the time believed. In the 1960s and 70s, widespread tension developed in both British and American society, regarding issues such as women's rights and the Vietnam War. Lennon in particular became known for his message of peace and for his opposition to the war in Vietnam. This led to an attempt by former US president Richard Nixon to drive him away from the US. Lennon's second-wife Yoko Ono was also politically active. Lennon was also hugely admired for his musical abilities. Along with fellow-Beatle Paul, Lennon and McCartney were the Beatle's song-writing team. After Lennon was shot by crazy fan Mark Chapman,one of his most iconic songs, Imagine, became a humanist anthem . Lennon's legacy survived his death and continued till this day. In 2008, he was ranked the fifth greater singer of all time in US-based Rolling Stone magazine. Former possessions of Lennon or furnishings from his homes continue to be sold for vast sums. In an auction to be held next week in London, lines written by Lennon on the back of a demand for an outstanding bill are expected to sell for PS350,000(3.7 million yuan). In August, a bathroom from his last home in Britain, was auctioned for PS9,500. And in 2009, a British film describing his early years before the Beatles began, was one of the most successful films of the years in the UK. But do Lennon and his music continue to resonate with the young people of today? Lennon was forced to leave the US as a result of _ . A the tension between Britain and America B his wife's political activity C his struggle for women's rights D his opposition to the war in Vietnam Answer: D. his opposition to the war in Vietnam Two girls living next door to each other-a seemingly plain scene that has two very different life .stories behind it. Chi Zhen, an 18-year-old student in Seville, Spain, used his camera to tell the story of two lives, which went widespread online. Comments on the photos indicate that they have inspired many, to believe that the future is in their own hands. Chi has seen many youths living life without a goal, wasting their time and blaming bad luck for it. Feeling regret for them, he took a series of photos of his friends Veronica and Anna Maria, both freshmen at the University of Seville in Spain. They live completely different life styles and are getting opposite results. Chi hopes the photos will inspire those who have let go of their own fate . In the photos, Anna Maria, a Spanish girl, can be seen watching a TV programme . She spends most of her time in front of her laptop. She rarely goes out, because she thinks she's not attractive and doesn't know what to say in social situations. "'I'm not as lucky as Veronica," she often says. But she doesn't know that while she's wasting time watching TV, -Veronica, the "lucky" girl next door,has taught herself four foreign languages and traveled to many places. She goes to the library frequently and her extensive knowledge and experience allow her to take part in any conversation and become the center of attention. Chi thinks that Anna Maria resembles many of his Chinese .friends who study abroad. They are trapped to their little circles, never trying to change their fate./'They say 'maybe I'll do it in my next life', but they are in their 20s, their best time. How can they give up hope and accept this as their life?" Chi says. The influence of the photos has gone far beyond what Chi expected. One user commented on his photos on Renren.com, saying, "A wall separates two worlds, and the life we have depends on what we do." Another is determined to make a change right away. "I'm turning off my laptop and not watching TV anymore," he wrote. What would be the best title of the text? A A lucky dog in social circles B Comments on the photos C A photo separates two worlds . D Tales of two opposite lives Answer: D. Tales of two opposite lives Dragons are not real animals, but look like a combination of many animals such as snakes, fish and deer. They have two horns and a long moustache . With fantastic powers, they fly in the sky or swim in the sea. They can make rain, too. The Chinese dragon is a symbol of strength and good luck. The emperors of ancient China loved dragons. Their clothes were covered with pictures of dragons. We are proud to call ourselves the "descendants of the dragon". In Chinese, "excellent" people are often called "dragon". A number of Chinese sayings and idioms talk about dragons, for example, " _ ," which means he or she will be successful. It is said that people born in the Year of the Dragon have certain characteristics. They are creative, confident, brave and quick-tempered. There are some famous "dragons" who have done excellent things, for example, Deng Xiaoping, the famous businessman, Li Jiacheng and the movie star Zhao Wei. They are all successful. There are also some traditional festivals about dragons in China, such as Dragon Head Raising Day and the Dragon Boat Festival. We have different kinds of activities to celebrate them. These two festivals come every year, but the Year of the Dragon comes every twelve years. The dragon is very important in Chinese culture. As the "descendants of the dragon", it is necessary for us to know the views on dragons in our culture. It can help us understand why our parents always want us to be "dragons". The year 2024 is the Year of the Dragon. Good luck to you! What does the Chinese dragon symbolize ? A A combination of many animals B Chinese sayings and idioms C Traditional festivals D Strength and good luck Answer: D. Strength and good luck Sandra Bullock turned 51 last month. But because she looks exactly the same as she did inMiss Congeniality, a movie filmed back in the 20thcentury, everyone calls her "ageless." Bullock is just one of a number of stars in their 40s and 50s who've had birthdays recently but have not gotten older, unlike the rest of us in their age group. Take Halle Berry. One website put a photo of her 20 years ago next to one of the newly 49-year-old Berry and dared us to choose which was which. "This Is What 49 Looks Like," it said. Seriously, if that's what 49 looks like, I must be 71. However, even a generation ago, famous faces evolved. Look at a picture of Grace Kelly at age 52 in the early 1980s. She looks like a beautiful middle-aged woman. Today she'd look old for her age. The goal now is to prevent aging while you are still young, using all the magical nonsurgical options medicine has to offer. Eventually these techniques will become less expensive, and ordinary people my daughter's age will have them. Already anti-aging is starting to be considered maintenance, like coloring your hair. My friends and I find ourselves openly debating techniques that we used to make fun of. Does fat-freezing work? How much time do you have to spend in the gym to keep the body of a 35-year-old after 50? It's all so exhausting. But members of the next generation have it tougher. They'll have to ask themselves whether they want to spend their youth trying not to get old. I've already seen "Sexy at 70" headlines. Will everyone be expected to go to their graves looking hot? I also have to wonder what else we are slowing along with age. How do you move on if you're working so hard to stay the same? And besides, if you've known the ache of watching a daughter pack up for college, you know you can't stop the clock. Where do the author's concerns about anti-aging techniques lie? A They expose people to danger. B They make people feel stressful C They are too expensive for ordinary. D They encourage comparisons among people. Answer: B. They make people feel stressful
Thirty years ago, Lake Ponkapog in Hartwell, New Jersey, was full of life. Many birds and animals lived beside the water, which was full of fish. Now there are few birds, animals, and fish. The lake water is polluted. It is in a colour of dirty brown, and it is filled with strange plants. How did this happen? First, we must think about how water gets into Lake Ponkapog. When it rains, water comes into the lake from all around. In the past, there were forests all round Lake Ponkapog, so the rainwater was clean. Now there are many homes around the lake. People often use the chemicals in their gardens. They use other chemicals inside their houses for cleaning and killing insects. There are also many businesses. Businesses use chemicals in their machines of shops. Other chemicals fall onto the ground from cars or trucks. When it rains, the rainwater picks up all the chemicals from home and businesses and then carries them into the lake . They pollute the water and kill the animals. Boats on the lake are also a problem. Lake Ponkapog is a popular place for motorboats . But oil and gas from boats often get into the lake. So more bad chemicals go into the water this way. People in Hartwell are worried . They love their lake and want to save it. Will it be possible? A clean lake must have clean rainwater going into it. Clean rainwater is possible only if people are more careful about chemicals at home and at other chemicals on the ground. And they mustn't use motorboats any more on the lake. All these may change people's lives. Only then can Lake Ponkapog be a beautiful, clean lake again. To save Lake Ponkapog, people need to _ . Answer: I have this old clock that belonged to my mom. My dad gave it to me years ago after mom passed away. I have mixed feelings about having the clock. I love it because it was my mom's, but it also holds some bad memories. You see, it chimes. It counts out the hour and rings once on the half hour. Or at least it used to. Now you never know what number it will ring. When my mother was at home dying from cancer, she asked for the clock to be unplugged. Hearing the hours count down really angered and frightened her. Mom passed away. I decided I wanted to get the clock fixed so I could remember the good hours we had with her. I took it to a local clock shop the other day. "I know this has no particular value as a clock, but it was my mom's and I need to get it fixed," I said to the shop owner. I went on to describe the problem. "We get a lot of these in," he told me. "Here's what I do. We remove the clock works and replace it with a battery-operated movement that chimes electronically," he told me. "You can't fix this?" "No, we don't have the time nor the parts." I thanked him and went home. I called a few other places and was told the same thing. "How incredibly sad," I told the last one disappointedly. How incredibly sad that we have become a society that replaces craftsmanship with convenience and easy fixes. We copy the original instead of creating something new. We duplicate ; we don't originate . Sadly, the same goes for our attitude to life itself. Each of us is an original, one of a kind. But we find it so much easier to copy another style than to develop our own. We are wannabes rather than hey-world-look-at-mes. We fail to see the real value in who we are, so we spend our lives trying to be someone else. The author intends to _ . Answer: In April 2014,the world's oldest known message in a bottle was discovered floating in the Baltic Sea. It had spent 101 years lost in the ocean!The message was finally sent to the author's granddaughter. A German fisherman named Konrad Fischer found the brown bottle near Kiel,Germany. He said he nearly threw the bottle back into the water after pulling it out of a fishing net. Then he noticed something inside. The bottle in good condition contained a Danish postcard with two German stamps,dated May 17,1913. Although dampness had made most of the writing illegible ,the readable part of the message asked whoever found it to return it to an address in Berlin. It even contained two stamps to pay for postage. From the address,researchers found that the postcard was written by a man named Richard Platz,who was 20 years old when he wrote the message. While he was hiking on the Baltic coast with a nature appreciation group,he threw the bottle into the sea. Then the researchers began a search for any living relatives of his. Sure enough,they were able to find his 62-year-old granddaughter,Angela Erdmann,who still lives in Berlin. "It was almost unbelievable,"Erdmann said upon being presented with her grandfather's bottle and message."That was a pretty moving moment. Tears rolled down my face." Erdmann never knew her grandfather,who died in 1946,but says that the discovery of the bottle has made her want to learn more about him. The bottle remained on display at the International Maritime Museum in Hamburg until May 1.After that,the researchers examined the postcard and tried to figure out the meaning of the rest of the message. Previously,the oldest message found in a bottle spent nearly 98 years at sea and was discovered in April 2012,according to Guinness World Records. Why did Richard Platz throw the bottle with the message into the sea? Answer: Today is November 8th. It's Gina's birthday. She is twelve. Jim , Kate and Bill are her friends. They want to buy some presents for Gina. They go to the shop near the school. There are a lot of things in the shop. They buy a big cake , two boxes of color pencils , a pencil-box and some nice exercise books. They want to buy two dolls for Gina. But all the dolls are too dear . They buy _ for Gina. Answer: 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. ,. From the passage we know that _ . Answer:
An artist in Oakland, California is using his skills to help the homeless. Greg Kloehn builds very small shelters that make life on the streets more comfortable. The structures offer the homeless some safety and protection from bad weather. Each little house also has wheels on the bottom so it can go wherever its owner goes. Greg Kloehn has given away at least 20 tiny houses to the homeless on the street. On a recent day, Mr. Kloehn stops to visit his homeless friends. One of them is Oscar Young. The two men hug when they see each other. Inside his little shelter Mr. Young gets relief from cold nights on the streets. Mr. Kloehn also visits Sweet-Pea, another friend who also lives in one of the little homes the artist built. She says it keeps her safe and protects her belongings. In the mornings, Mr. Kloehn searches the streets for building materials. He gathers what he can and takes it to his studio. There, he puts the houses together. Empty coffee bags become roof material. A washing machine door and refrigerator part become windows. Nails, screws and the sticky glue hold all the pieces together. The artist also attaches a small electrical device to the house. The device is powered by the sun. Some of the people living on the streets once had normal houses of their own. But some of the people say they have learned to live with less and they are thankful to that man. Mr. Kloehn says his work is not a social project. He says he is just someone using his skills to help his homeless neighbors. We can learn from the passage that _ . Answer: Are you looking for a fun vacation spot? Do you like to sleep in a hotel, go shopping, and eat fancy meals? If so, Mona Island might Not be the place for you! That's because Mona Island has no hotels, no museums, no shops, and no restaurants. None at all! But if you like nature , Mona Island is an amazing place to take a vacation. Some of the animals living there are not found anywhere else in the world. There are beautiful beaches and caves to explore. The sea around the island has colorful fish. There are many things that make Mona Island an unusual place. Mona Island is very small, On a map it looks like a tiny green lima bean floating in the big blue ocean. the only way to get there is by taking a long boat ride from the island of Puerto Rico. The government of Puerto Rico takes care of the island and has made it a natural reserve. That means the island's animals and plants are protected from being harmed by people. Mona Island is different from most places because people are not allowed to live there. Only a few park rangers are able to stay. The park ranger's job is to keep Mona Island safe and beautiful. They insist that rules be followed. One rule is that only 100 people at a time can visit the island. That way, the park rangers can make sure the land and animals remain safe. B. Who can live on Mona Island? Answer: When I play a violin the strings and create sound through Answer: London is the capital of Britain. It is located in the southeast plain of England. The Thames River goes through this city. The British have lived there for about 3,000 years. The Roman Empire intruded into Britannia Island in 54 BC. The Romans built the first wooden bridge over the Thames River. London is a world-famous cultural city. There are many famous cultural sites. It is one of the world's great tourist destinations. About eight million people visit London every year. The largest museum is the British Museum, which was built in the 18th century. There are many ancient cultural relics of Britain and of other countries in the museum. The London Tower stands on the southeast of Tower Mountain. It was once a palace, and it is now an exhibition center. Westminster Hall is located on the west bank of the Thames River and was built in 750 AD. It is the largest Gothic building of the world and was a palace in the past, too. The Clock Tower, which is about 97 meters high, is located northeast of the parliament. The famous "Big Ben" weighs about 21 tons and its big pendulum is about 305 kilograms. Hyde Park is one of the great parks in the world and it is in the west district of London. There is a free forum there and some people give speeches there every week. They can say almost anything, but they can't attack the Queen or support violent revolution. This passage is most probably taken from a website about _ . Answer: A little boy went to a telephone booth at the cash counter of a store and made a phone call. The store owner looked at him and listened to the conversation. Boy: "Lady, can you give me the job of cutting your lawn ?" Woman (at the other end of the phone line): "No, thank you. I already have someone to cut my lawn." Boy: "Lady, I will cut your lawn for half the price the person who cuts your lawn now." Woman: "I'm very satisfied with the person who cuts my lawn." Boy (with more perseverance ) : "Lady, I'll even sweep the floor and the stairs of your house for free."[:Zxxk.Com] Woman: "No, thank you." With a smile on his face, the little boy hung up the phone. The store owner, who was listening to all this, walked over to the boy. Store owner: "Son... I like your attitude . I like that positive spirit and would like to offer you a job." Boy: "No, thanks." Store owner: "But you were really asking for one." Boy: "No, Sir. I was just checking my performance at the job I already have. I am the one who is working for that lady I was talking to." The boy said to the lady that he would even sweep her floor and stairs for free because _ . Answer:
CAIRO, Egypt (Reuters) April 24, 2006--Three explosions shook the Egyptian Sinai _ of Dahab on Monday, killing 23 people and wounding dozens of others, rescue and security officials said. Witnesses said smokebillowed1up from the town's tourist bazaar, and residents said they saw body parts anddebris2on the street after an explosion at a restaurant. People in the small beach and diving resort, which is popular with backpackers, described scenes ofcarnage3andchaos4. A cafe worker who was about 200 meters (yards) from the scene said: "We saw many dead people. People were screaming. People were being taken to hospital. Egyptians went to give blood. There were body parts. There's police everywhere." "There are ambulances and cars taking people to hospital," said another resident, who also did not want to be named. The explosions took place at the Nelson Restaurant, the Aladdin Cafeteria and the Ghazala Supermarket, the Interior Ministry said. The explosions took place in quick succession at about 7.15 p.m. (1715 GMT). "There is smoke coming from the area and there are people running everywhere," said one witness, who heard the blasts. An official with the local ambulance service said many of the dead appeared to be foreigners. Israeli divers often stay in the resort but with the Passover holiday over it is unlikely many were there. The Israeli ambassador in Cairo and Israeli authorities said they did not know of any Israelicasualties5. One visitor said police were stopping cars and buses leaving the resort and had imposed restrictions on movements in and out of backpacker camps in the area. It was the third set of three explosions on the eastern coast of the Sinai peninsula since October 2004, when a group attacked the Hilton hotel in the border resort of Taba and two other resorts on the northeast coast, killing 34 people. Notes: 1 billow v. 2 debris n. 3 carnage n. , 4 chaos n. 5 casualty n. How many places did the explosions take place in? Three Among the many things that Brisbane , Australia, does really well, the care for kids is the best one. Here is a list of places that will be suitable for your kids. Swimming pools Simple way for happiness: mix kids with water. Of course, this is a choice for the hot summer months. Parks Free outdoor fun: it's suitable for kids of all ages. It's a place for parents to let kids run wild. The Children's Art Centre The Children's Art Centre has been very popular. Kids' favorite here is some exhibitions specially designed for children. But we must pay some money. South Bank Parklands South Bank Parklands has everything you need to keep kids amused. Take them for a swim at the man-made beach. On weekends, go through the arts market or go to a cheap movie. South Bank Parklands often gives free performances too. Roma Street Parkland Close to bus transport, this parkland is easily accessible . It's ideal for kids of all ages. Younger kids can take a trip on the Jelly Bean Express, a 1.3 km trackless train ride around the parkland. Free entry and open every day. Who will be interested in the text most? Children and parents. A person wants to use raw materials to make things. Considering the want to create with raw materials, the person makes books out of trees If you're not a fan of KFC's famous Double Down hot dog, don't worry! KFC in the UK is developing a new treat: an edible coffee cup. The product is still in the trial stage and not yet available for purchase, but according to a KFC news report, the treat is made from a unique biscuit, wrapped in sugar paper, and lined with a layer of heat-resistant white chocolate, which helps keep the coffee hot. As you drink the coffee in the cup, the white chocolate lining will begin to melt slowly, and the biscuit begins to soften. But it doesn't end there --- the cups are not only edible, they also have a pleasant smell. KFC partnered with The Robin Collective, an experimental food company, to make the cups with coconut sun cream, freshly cut grass and wild flowers scents. According to the news report, that's because the scents arouse the positive memories we associate with warm weather, sunshine and summer holidays. Sounds ... delicious? A manager at KFC said, "We have been experimenting with the edible packaging in limited quantities to see if it could be a popular product in the market. We believe if our customers occasionally like to have their cake and eat it, why wouldn't they want to have their cup and eat it instead! " The edible cups will only be available in the UK when it comes out. According to a spokesperson for KFC, there are at present no plans to bring it to the U.S. yet. Which statement is NOT true according to the passage? Customers all over the world can soon try the edible cup. The teacher stood before his class of 30 students and was going to hand out the final exam papers. "I know how hard you have all worked to get ready for this test. " he said. "And because I know you are all able to understand these questions. I am ready to offer a B to anyone who would prefer not to take the test. '' A number of students jumped up to thank the teacher and left the classroom. The teacher looked at the rest students and said. "Does anyone else want to get a B? This is your last chance. "Two more students decided to go. Seven students stayed. The teacher then handed out the papers. There were only three sentences on the paper: Congratulations! You have received an A in this class. Keep believing in yourself. I never had a teacher who gave a test like that. but I think that it is a test that any teacher could and should give. Students who do not have confidence in what they have learned are B students at most. The same is true for students in real life. The A students are those who believe in what they are doing because they have learned from both successes and failures. They have learned life's lessons. whether from school education or from events in their lives,and have become better people. Scientists say that by the age of eight,80% of what we believe about ourselves has already been formed. You are a big kid now and you realize that you have some limits . However,there is nothing you can't do or leant to be. Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person to reach the top of Mount Qomolangma said,"We do not _ the mountain, but ourselves. " The teacher gave the rest students an A because _ . they believed themselves in what they had learned
"Can I see my baby?" the happy new mother asked. When the bundle was in her arms and she moved the fold of cloth to look upon his tiny face, she gasped. The doctor turned quickly and looked out of the tall hospital window. The baby had been born without ears. Time proved that the baby' s hearing was perfect. It was only his appearance that was imperfect. When he rushed home from school one day and threw himself into his mother's arms, she sighed , knowing that his life was to be unfortunate. He cried to his mum "A boy, a big boy... called me a freak ." He grew up, handsome. A favorite with his fellow students, he might have been class president, but for that. He developed a gift, a talent for literature and music. "But you might communicate with other young people," his mother blamed him, but felt a kindness in her heart. Two years went by. One day, his father said to the son, "You' re going to the hospital, son. Mother and I have someone who will donate the ears you need. But it' s a secret." The operation was a great success, and a new person appeared. Later he married and became a lawyer. One day, he asked his father, "Who gave me the ears? Who gave me so much? I could never do enough for him or her." "I do not believe you could," said the father, "but the agreement was that you are not to know... not yet." The years kept their secret, but the day did come. He stood with his father over his mother' s casket. Slowly, tenderly, the father stretched forth a hand and raised the thick, reddish brown hair to show the mother had no outer ears. "Mother said she was glad she never let her hair be cut," his father whispered gently, "and nobody ever thought Mother less beautiful, did they?" From the passage we know the followings are True except _ Answer: Street art is very popular around the world. You can find it on buildings, street signs and trash cans from Tokyo to Paris, from Moscow to Cape Town. Street art has become a global culture and even art museums are collecting the works of street artists. People have different opinions about street art. Some think it is bad, but others think it is a very beautiful new culture. Street art began in New York in the 1960s. This style of drawing and writing became know as graffiti. Graffiti art showed that young people wanted to rebel against the rules. They traveled around cities to make paintings that everyone could see. One well-known New York street artist is Swoon. She cuts paper pictures of people and puts them on walls. Swoon didn't start as street artist. She studied art but, later, got bored with the works she saw in museums. Then she fell in love with graffiti. The people in New York enjoy Swoon's style. Some museums have already bought some of her works. Street artists do their work for some reasons. A number of them choose street art because it is closer to the everyday life. Nowadays the Internet has a big influence on street art. Artists can show their pictures to people around the world. Many people in the city, however, say that seeing a picture on the Internet is never as good as seeing it live . In the 1960s in New York, young people _ . Answer: Why is it important to have a large sample size in an investigation? Answer: Today I took Frank to have a training class . We got there earlier than most of the other dogs and _ . Mr. Brown helped us teach our dogs some skills . When the dog did it, he said, "Good dog!" He was a serious man but he laughed a lot with dogs. He said Frank was smarter than other dogs. Next to Frank was also a smart dog. His name was Sam. His short legs made him look funny, but he could run faster than many of the bigger dogs. His owner was a quiet girl and looked a little shy. So I said hello to her first. I hoped she could be my friend. At the end of the class, Mr. Brown told me that Frank did the best this class and he would give him a ball. What did Mr. Brown do during the class? Answer: Zhao Wenxuan,a film star from Taiwan,has been fond of seeing films since his childhood. He would sometimes go to the cinema for the same film four or five times. He also enjoys literature and art. Before he took the film acting as his career,he had worked in an airline in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan Province. His change of job to acting was quite by chance. One day,he came across in the paper an advertisement for a leading actor to appear in the film named "Wedding Feast." Full of excitement,he answered the job ad by telephoning the director of the film -- Mr. Li An. It was this telephone call that had changed all his life. At last the director decided him to be the very person for the role. That he could be chosen owed much to his good command of English,natural manners and low pay for his work in the film. The film "Wedding Feast" proved to be a hit. It won the German Golden Bear Award and entered the competition for one of the Oscar Academy Awards. Also, it was the first Taiwan film that was permitted to be shown in the U. S. Thanks to the film,Zhao Wenxuan became popular in Taiwan, Hong Kong and southeast Asia. In 1994,Mr. Zhao acted as a leading role in the Hong Kong film,"Red Rose and White Rose",in which many film stars like Ms Chen Chong from U. S. and Ms Ye Yuqing from the local area participated. This film was named for 10 prizes of the Taiwan Golden Horse Prize and at last it was awarded five prizes for the best play,actress and music. Zhao has regarded the film as one of his favorite films since he stepped into the acting circle. Since 1993,Mr. Zhao has taken part in the shootings of 13 films, most of which are thought highly of. Mr. Zhao said the that Taiwan should think to cooperate much with the mainland in the film producing industry and it would benefit each other. In recent years he often came to the mainland for film shooting. He has just completed his performance in the film "Love Affairs" directed by Mr. LiXin,a director from Shanghai Film Studio. Why could Zhao Wenxuan play the leading role in the movie "Wedding Feast"? Answer:
We've talked about snails and their slow move. But much of the time snails don't move at all. They are in their shells --sleeping. Hot sun will dry out a snail's body. So at the least sign of hot sun, a snail draws its body into his shell. A snail will die in a heavy rain. So when it rains, a snail does the same thing, too. A snail can sleep for as long as it needs to. It spends all the winter months in its shell, asleep. In the spring the snail wakes up. Its body, about three inches long, comes out from the shell. When hungry, the snail looks for food. Its eyes, at the end of the top feelers, are very weak. But its sense of smell is very strong. It helps the snail to find food and the new greens. A snail's mouth is no bigger than the point of a pin. Yet it has 256,000 teeth! The teeth are very small, and you can't see them. If you put a snail in a hard paper box, it will eat its way out! And if a snail wears out its teeth, it will grow new ones. A snail goes to sleep when _ . it rains heavily Seth A. DeShane, 14, pronounced dead late Thursday at the family home, which was destroyed in the fire. "He really saved his aunt," said the Rev. Kris Dietzen, pastor at Cambridge Lutheran church. "He woke his aunt up and told her the Christmas tree was on fire." "He got her out of the house. She thought he (Seth) was behind her, but he went back inside." Dietzen said that when Seth's aunt realized the boy had gone back inside, she tried to get back in herself, but by then the smoke was so thick and the fire so intense, she had to leave the house. "She ran to a neighbor's farm, and they proceeded to call 911," Dietzen said. The fire is being blamed on malfunctioning lights on the Christmas tree on the first floor, Chief Edward Bole of the Cambridge Fire Department, said. The front half of the two - story home was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived. What caused the fire? The lights on the Christmas tree. Children don't come with an instruction manual ,but now their grades in school do! Finally,parents can stop worrying about what their child's next school year will bring and get a glimpse of what's coming. Education.com,an easy-to-use,one-stop online destination with over 4,000 articles,that helps parents and educators take an ever more active role in their children's education,unveiled Grade Specific Cheat Sheets for grades pre-school through grade 5.From academic expectations,developmental milestones,and typical social issues,to fun learning activities that literally bring it all home,parents can now find it all in one place. "As the school year approaches,parents struggle to find time to adequately prepare themselves and their children for what's ahead," said Ron Fortune,CEO of Education.com."Every grade is different.Whether it's helping parents understand what their third grader should be reading or how they should be talking to their teen about peer pressure,our goal is to provide parents with a grade and developmental stage-specific user manual that helps parents find authoritative information as quickly as possible." The start of a new grade means many new questions.Now,a parent with a child about to embark on a new school year can go to Education.com's new Grade Specific Cheat Sheets and find age-specific information and content including what their child should be learning in math,reading,writing,and science,as well as physical and language milestones.Parents can find over forty articles per grade,on everything from peer relationships to self-esteem,how gender affects development,to ideas for using goldfish crackers for math practice or making a homemade fossil. Education.com's new Grade Specific Cheat Sheets provide parents with articles and content from trusted sources such as teachers,child psychologists,parents,and guidance counselors. The goals of Education.com are the following except _ . providing children with some cheating skills Phoenix , Arizona, the USA was shaken by a big sandstorm recently. It was a huge dust storm that struck Phoenix a little after 7:00 pm local time. Arizona has sandstorms particularly during the monsoon( )season which usually starts from mid-June until the end of September. However, this was so far the biggest. The cloud of dust turned day into night. Some trees were downed, gardens were destroyed and it knocked out power for thousands of local people along the area, but luckily no death happened. A number of the people's pools became dirty with dust. People who lived in Phoenix for more than 40 years said that this was the first time they had experienced this huge dust storm. It could greatly influence people's health. The big dust cloud started in Tucson traveling north across the desert. The huge storm ran up to 60 miles per hour. It was more than 100 miles wide and a mile high. Besides Phoenix and near cities ,the storm also reached Yuma area in southwestern and far western Arizona. It reduced the visibility ( ) in these areas, putting off the flights at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. The storm only takes place in Arizona, the Sahara Desert and areas of the Middle East, because of the dry environment and large amounts of sand. Because of the serious shortage of rain, a wall of there's a large possibility that the water is polluted because of the storm. What does the passage mainly talk about? .Phoenix , Arizona in the US experienced a huge sandstorm. We all have our own ways of sharing our life experiences with others. Photographers use cameras, artists use brushes, musicians use songs and writers use stories. Spencer Johnson's story Who Moved My Cheese? shows changes exist in our life. Life changes and so we do. We must change ourselves to face the changing environment, or we will fail. Just look at the cycle of the seasons. Trees bud in spring and in summer their leaves turn green. In autumn, their leaves start to fall onto the ground. When winter comes, there are no leaves on trees. Next spring the cycle begins again. Since we know there are cycles in nature, we can prepare for them. We know it is colder in winter and hotter in summer, so we can dress properly. Since we accept the cycles of nature, we should also accept the changes in our life. We can prepare ourselves for changes by becoming more flexible . We can regard the changes in our life as chances. As we keep changing ourselves, we can keep up with the changes in our life. What's the main idea of this passage? We should change ourselves when life changes.
Adding math talk to story time at home is a winning factor for children's math achievement, according to a new research from the University of Chicago. The study from psychologists Sian Beilock and Susan Levine shows a marked increase in math achievement among children whose families used Bedtime Math, an iPad app that delivers engaging math story problems for parents and children to solve together. Even children who used the app with their parents as little as once a week saw gains in math achievement by the end of the school year. The app's effect was especially strong for children whose parents tend to be anxious or uncomfortable with math. Previous research from this group has demonstrated the importance of adults' attitudes about math for children's math success. For example, a recent study found that math-anxious parents who help their children with math homework actually weaken their children's math achievement. The new findings demonstrate that structured, positive interactions around math at home can cut the link between parents' uneasiness about math and children's low math achievement. "Many Americans experience high levels of anxiety when they have to solve a math problem, with a majority of adults feeling at least some worries about math," said Beilock, professor in Psychology and author of Choke, a book about stress and performance. "These math-anxious parents are probably less likely to talk about math at home, which affects how competent their children are in math. Bedtime Math encourages a dialogue between parents and kids about math, and offers a way to engage in high-quality math interactions in a low-effort, high-impact way." Study participants included 587 first-grade students and their parents. Families were given an iPad installed with a version of the Bedtime Math app, with which parents and their children read stories and answer questions involving math, including topics like counting, shapes and problem-solving. A control group received a reading app that had similar stories without the math content and questions related to reading comprehension instead. Children's math achievement was assessed at the beginning and end of the school year. Parents completed a questionnaire about their nervousness with math. The more times parents and children in the math group used the app, the higher children's achievement on a math assessment at the end of the school year. Indeed, children who frequently used the math app with their parents outperformed similar students in the reading group by almost three months in math achievement at year's end. We can infer from the passage that _ . A children using the app for three months can see gains in math achievement B children whose parents are uneasy about math outperform other students C it is the math problems related to the stories that make the great difference D the frequency of using the app has nothing to do with children's achievement Answer: C. it is the math problems related to the stories that make the great difference Introduction to Piano No matter what you do in life, it's always important to start with the basics. Taught by experienced musician Dennis Dykstra, this class will give beginning piano learners an introduction to the keyboard, keys, scales, chords, melodies, and note reading. This class is combined with adult class. Brinton ( Beg. , Ages 8-17 )...# 487919 Sat. , Apr. 13---Jun 1, 10:30 AM---12 PM $56 Residents / $112 Non-residents Guitar Lesson Learn basic chords, notes, and different strumming techniques. Strum your way to fun. Bring your own guitar. Classes are combined with youth guitar classes. Brinton ( Beg./ Int. , Ages 12-17 ) ...# 37623 Sat. , Apr. 13 --- Jun.1, 2 PM --- 3:30 PM $110 Residents / $220 Non-residents Hip Hop Culture & Modern Dance Hip hop is a dance form that has origins in New York's folk culture and has become popularized by the entertainment industry. The steps _ from tap, jazz & belly dance. The class will consist of clean hip hop music techniques, steps and a routine. Hamilton( Ages 6-12 )...# 38475 Tue. , Apr, 16---Jun 4, 7 PM --- 8 PM $18 Residents / $36 Non-residents Science of Magic and Fantastic Fliers This super science sampler introduces participants to two hot topics: magic and flight! In science of magic, participants learn the science behind illusions, mind reading and perform a magic escape! Amaze and amuse friends. In fantastic fliers, participants will fly through flight and aerodynamics ( ) basics. Discover the four forces that affect flight. Make and test various plane designs to see these forces in action! Not suitable for free or reduced fees. Jueau ( Ages 4-12 )... #370956 Mon. , Feb. 4, 5:30 PM --- 7:30 PM $80 Residents / $160 Non-residents If you want to learn how to play the guitar, you have to go at _ . A 10:30 AM---12 PM B 5:30 PM --- 7:30 PM C 2 PM --- 3:30 PM D 7 PM --- 8 PM Answer: C. 2 PM --- 3:30 PM I had worked long and hard on this project. Knowing it was finally completed gave me great satisfaction. "Perfect!"I said "Now, all I have to do is to keep the dogs off it."I went about setting . Up barriers using old fence, deck chairs, planters, and anything I could find so as to avoid footprints both on the oil paint and our carpet . It worked perfectly . Just before returning to the house and to a much needed shower, I took one last look at this fine work of art. "What is that?"I said. "Where did that come from ?" Clearly marked and evenly spaced across the entire area, the tiny marks ran in straight lines. .I carefully stepped to our flower garden. It was there I found several of the small markings. Now, almost frozen in place by this shocking discovery, I remained in position so as to prevent further damage to my work.. Just then, off to my left, it appeared. A chipmunk . He was as surprised as I was . We stood there face to face looking at each other, wondering who would make the first move . The warm , humid air was now getting the best of me . Sweat now ran freely over my head, and in poor timing into my eyes . I reached up to rub them and when I opened my eyes he was gone . My only satisfaction was in thinking that when he returned home he tracked oily footprints into his own home . And , hoping he was married , his wife would not let him live it down for the rest of his life . I stood up, shook my head, laughing about it and walking into my house. Yes, I tracked oil on the carpet. I am married. My wife will not let me live it down for the rest of my life . What was the project the author completed in the passage ? A Painting B A carpet C A fence D A flower garden Answer: A. Painting Dear Jenny, I'm very busy on Friday. At 8: 00 I have math. It is not fun. The teacher says it is useful, but I think it is difficult. Then at 9: 00 I have science. It is difficult but interesting. At 10: 00 I have history. After that I have P. E. at 11: 00. It's easy and fun. Lunch is from 12: 00 to 1: 00, and after that we have Chinese. It is my favourite subject. Our Chinese teacher, Mr. Wang, is great fun. My classes finish at 1: 50, but after that I have an art lesson for two hours. It is really relaxing! How about you? When are your classes? What is your favourite subject? Your friend, Yu Mei What does Yu Mei think of math? A It's not fun. B It's useful. C It's interesting. D It's relaxing. Answer: A. It's not fun. A 13-year-old Shenzhen girl has written a novel about life in junior high school, and the book is expected to hit the city's bookshelves in June, the Shenzhen Economic Dailyreported on Thursday. "A Fresh Summer Day," a 180,000-character novel which Zhao Yue completed writing in three months, is in fact Zhao's second published book. Her first book, "A Better Present," is a collection of the articles she wrote when she was still a primary school student. Zhao is a Junior One student of a middle school in Longgang District. She started writing the novel after her first book was published. "I was very much motivated to write a new book when I saw many of my schoolmates reading my first book," said Zhao. She added that she wrote most of the novel at night, sometimes until the early hours of the morning. "I attended school as usual during the three months of writing. I felt all right every day even though I slept for only four hours a day," said the girl. "A Fresh Summer Day" is about puppy love between two junior high school students, which is becoming very common among young children, the paper said. AShenzhen Economic Daily reporter who read the draft of Zhao's story said the plot develops smoothly and naturally, while the descriptions of the characters' feelings are true. Zhao said the story was based on interviews she carried with some of her fellow students, "I myself don't have such a story to tell yet." Zhao has loved writing since early childhood. The first book written by Zhao Yue is _ . A popular B instructive C boring D moving Answer: A. popular
Top student Lin Yijian had a problem recently . The 14-year-old boy from Xiamen used to get marks of over 110 points (out of 120 possible points)on his math tests . But during last semester's final exams , his math score was only 90 points . It was a shock . "I didn't know what happened , "said Lin , who kept feeling nervous and frustrated about math during the following month. . Like Lin , many of us have setbacks in life . What would you do to deal with these setbacks ? Would you just let them be and give up ? Lin chose to face his problem . His parents and teacher also gave him help . After some hard work he now gets marks between 100 and110 points on his math tests . Although he still isn't at his original level , Lin doesn't panic anymore . "Don't be scared by setbacks ,"he said . "You will beat it . " Chen Xingzhu in Shenzhen also has a story to tell . The 15-year-old girl is not good at doing sit-ups ,which is necessary for the coming high school PE entrance exam . One has to do at least 35 sit-ups in a minute to pass the test . Most of Chen's classmates can do 40 . However , Chen could only do 20 . Feeling worried , Chen decided to do something . She did sit-ups for half an hour every day after school . Now , after a month , she can do 30 sit-ups a minute . "I finally found what made me slow through continuous practice and then improved little by little , "said Chen . "I believe next month I will be able to do 40 !" What problems does Chen Xingzhu have according to the passage ? Mr.Jenkins liked all kinds of delicious foods.As an important officer,he was often asked to dinner.The shopkeepers tried their best to fawn on him.They knew it was good for their business.Now the officer got fatter and fatter.He could hardly go upstairs at home and had to sleep downstairs. He often felt tired if he walked or did some housework. He was worried about it and had to go to see a doctor."Stop eating much fat and sugar,Mr Jenkins,"said the doctor .Or it will be worse for your health! It was difficult for the officer to do it. He wouldn't do as the doctor said. Of course. He found something was wrong with his heart a few months later. Now he thought the doctor was right.And he had to be in hospital."You must lose weight ,sir," said the doctor."unless you want to die soon!""Could you tell me a way to lose weight,please?""You must do an exercise first.""Which exercise?""To move your head from side to side when you're invited to dinner!" Which of the following is true according to the passage? There are many ways for us to reduce waste. For example, we can reuse paper and plastic bags. We can also recycle newspapers, glass, and cans to make new things. Here are some useful ways to reduce waste. * Write on both sides of paper. Many people write on only one side of their paper. Why not stop wasting the other side? Some students only use half the pages of their notebooks before getting new ones. Try to use up all the paper. People often give cards on birthdays or festivals. How about trying to send e-cards instead? * Don't throw away your old batteries. Maybe you do not know that old batteries make the Earth dirty. This is because they have poisonous parts. So, don't throw away batteries. Keep them together. Try to use rechargeable batteries for your games and CD players. * Donate all your unwanted clothes. There are many poor families in China. You may ask your mother to collect your unwanted clothes. Then you can pass them on to those poor children who do not have clothes to wear. You will feel happy that you are helping someone else. Also, you can ask if your friends or relatives want them before throwing them away. What should we do about batteries? When you use our university libraries there are different learning spaces available so you can decide what is best for your purpose. Social learning area We recognize that you can learn from your friends so we have provided social study areas in all our libraries. Here you can discuss your work with your friends without worrying about disturbing others as a reasonable level of noise is accepted, though we do ask that you're considerate of other students and staff. Group study rooms There are bookable group study rooms of various sizes in the libraries. These rooms are well equipped so that you can easily work in groups or practice presentations. Bookings are available to groups of 3 or more students Bookings can be made in hourly blocks up to a maximum of 2 hours per group per day Bookings can be made for the current week and the following week Contact the library Help Desk to book a room. Bookings are restricted to student use only. Silent study spaces We know that on occasion you may prefer to study on your own. To help you achieve this we have individual quiet or silent study areas. In order to preserve the quiet study environment and to avoid disturbing other students, discussion about your course work or exams, or using mobile phones isn't permitted anywhere in these areas. Food, drink and phones Cold snacks and drinks can be consumed in most areas of the libraries though we ask that you help keep the learning environment clean and pleasant for everyone by clearing rubbish into the bins provided. Mobile phones can be used in the social learning areas and group study rooms but not in the silent study spaces or the hallways or stairs that lead to those areas. We ask that you switch your phone to silent mode when you come in the library. What can we know about bookings of group study rooms in the library? John is an American boy. His family is in China now. John likes chocolates very much. But his mother doesn't give him any. She thinks they are not good for him. But John has a very nice grandfather. The old man loves him very much, and sometimes he buys John some chocolates. Then his mother lets John eat them. She wants to make the old man happy. One Sunday evening John says in his room, "Please, God . Make them give me a big box of chocolates tomorrow. It's my eighth birthday. " His mother says,"God can't hear you, my boy. " "I know, but my grandfather is in the next room. He can hear. " What day is John's birthday?
Americans won't live without cars! Each year there is an increasing number of cars on roads and streets, as millions of new cars are produced. One out of every six Americans work at putting together the parts of cars, driving trucks, building roads or filling cars with gas. Most Americans find it hard to think what life would be without a car. However, some have realized the serious problem of air pollution by cars. The polluted air is poisonous and dangerous to health. One way to get rid of the polluted air is to design a new car that does not pollute. That's what several large car factories are trying to do. But to build the new car is easier said than done. Progress in this field has been slow. Another way is to take place of the car engine by something else. Engineers are now working on some new cars. Many makers believe that it will take years to develop a practical model that pleases man. To prevent the world from being polluted by cars, we'll have to make some changes in the way many of us live. Americans, for example, have to cut down the number of their cars they are encouraged to travel and go to work by bike. Riding a bike is thought to help keep the air clean. But this change does not come easily, a large number of workers may find themselves with no jobs if a car factory closes down. And the problem of air pollution would become less important than that of unemployment. If the number of cars is cut down, the most serious problem in American workers is _ . A to keep the air clean B to have no work to do C to get a better life D to go to work by bike Answer: B. to have no work to do Recently I paid a visit to Harvard University, where there are top class scientists and professors and the best academic system in the world. I was pretty shocked when I first stepped onto the campus. Well, it's not even really a campus. It's more like a district in a small town. Harvard's main buildings are from the 18thcentury. They look very old and simple. You might even say they're a little shabby. They don't fit the modern idea of university at all. The buildings are surrounded by grass and trees, so I felt as if I had walked into a medieval castle. But when I looked across the street, busy shops and in-fashion students made me feel like I was in the 21stcentury again. It creates a strong contrast and brings a special atmosphere to the school. Our tour guide Gary took us around and told us, "You see this grass field in the center of the school? Here is where they host their graduation ceremony. They just set up tents and benches and have a very simple ceremony. Unbelievable! Who would think the most talented students just graduate on the lawn?" I saw some students put a blanket on the grass and lie down to read a book. When I listened to the soft sound of pages turning, along with the chirping of the birds, I felt very calm. There was no competitive feeling at all. Harvard has the world's first computer in its science center and there are hundreds of high-end computers too. Its religion and the literature departments are also among the best. It is the perfect mix of tradition and new technology. It makes Harvard a very attractive place to study in. I hope one day I'll attend my dream school---Harvard. Which word can be used to describe the Harvard campus? A Modern B Competitive C Peaceful D Splendid Answer: C. Peaceful It is estimated that some seven hundred million people, about half the world's adult population, are unable to read or write, and there are probably two hundred and fifty million more whose level is so slight that it is hardly called literacy . Recently the attack on illiteracy had been stepped up. A world plan has been drawn up by a committee of UNESCO experts in Paris, as part of the United Nations Development Decade ,and an international conference of the subject has also been held. UNESCO stresses that functional literacy is the aim. People must learn the basic skills of responsible citizenship, the ability of reading notices, newspapers, timetables, letters, price-lists to keep simple records and accounts, to select the importance of the information gathered, and to fill in the forms. The major areas of illiteracy are in Asia, Africa, and Central and South America. In Africa there are at least one hundred million illiterate people, which is eighty to eighty-five percent of the total population. In Europe the figure is about twenty-four million; most of them are in Sothern Europe, with Spain, Italy, Portugal, Yugoslavia heading the list (the United Kingdom has about seven hundred thousand). UNESGO is eager for each country in the world, poor or rich, to wipe out illiteracy. According to the passage, which of the following countries has the most illiterate people? A England B France C Sweden D Spain Answer: D. Spain Babysitter Wanted I am seeking a babysitter for my 6-month-old son. A few hours on Saturdays and Sundays to help me and then other times as needed. He or she should be over 18, responsible, loving, warm, and have some experience in caring for babies. This position also suits a college student with experience looking for a part-time job. The pay is $10 an hour. If this sounds like a good job to you, please reply to rebecharv@aol.comor call 800-4964. Office Manager Wanted Our company is looking for a full-time experienced manager to run the business. Strong skills in organisation and business management are required for this position. The office manager will be responsible for keeping financial records, so he or she should be familiar with computers. Please reply to jim@californiaaquatics.comor call 800-6978 to apply. Waiter/ Waitress Wanted A restaurant is looking for an experienced waiter / waitress. Knowledge of wines and experience in dining are necessary. Must work well under pressure and understand the basics of fine dining and customer service. If you're interested, please contact us at job-tkupe-1329358152@craigslist.orgto apply. This is a part-time job. Office Cleaner Wanted Looking for a Part-time job? A position in the Mississauga area needs an office cleaner! Part-time 4 hours a day from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm. Duties include: Cleaning the washrooms Cleaning the furniture Sweeping the floors Other general cleaning Some experience is necessary. Pay:$15 per hour Replyto:job-p3b7u-1365632206@craigslist.orgor call 800-8197. What can we learn from the passage? A The office cleaner has to work three hours each day. B One can apply for a waiter or waitress by telephone. C A babysitter earns $5 more than an office cleaner per hour. D Experience is necessary for all these four jobs. Answer: D. Experience is necessary for all these four jobs. What is your favorite colour? Do you like yellow, orange, red? If you do, you must be an optimist , a leader or an active person who enjoys life, people and excitement. Do you prefer grey and blue? Then you are probably quiet, shy and you would rather follow than lead. If you love green, you are strong-minded and determined . You wish to succeed and want other people to see you are successful. At least this is what psychologists tell us, and they should know, because they have been seriously studying the meaning of colour preference , and the effect that colours have on human beings .They tell us that we don't choose our favorite colour as we grow up. If you happen to love brown, you did so as soon as you opened your eyes, or at least as soon as you could see clearly. A yellow room makes us feel more cheerful and comfortable than a dark green one, and a red dress brings warmth and cheer to the saddest winter day. On the other hand, black is depressing . Light and bright colours make people not only happier but also more active. It is a fact that factory workers work better, harder, and have fewer accidents when their machines are painted orange rather than black or dark grey . Remember, then, that if you feel low, you can always brighten your day or your life with a new shirt or a few colourful things. Remember also that you will know your friends and your enemies better when you find out what colours they like and dislike. And don't forget that anyone can guess a lot about your character when you choose a piece of handkerchief or a lampshade . I'm feeling black. means " _ ". A I am feeling well. B I am very happy. C I am excited. D I am depressed Answer: D. I am depressed
One day a young princess named Amelia was looking out of the window of her castle. Amelia loved to sing, but was tired of singing only the songs her mother, Queen Anne, allowed her to sing. Princess Amelia thought it might be fun to write her own songs instead. So, on Saturday Princess Amelia went to the garden with a pen and paper. She thought and thought, but couldn't come up with any words for a song. What could she write about? Daisy, her cow? Her frog, Pete? Nothing came to mind. She sat there all day. And the next day too. Amelia was tired and hungry. But she wanted to stay until she had a song. Finally, on Monday, Queen Anne came looking for Amelia and forced her to return to her room. She gave Amelia a large book of songs to sing. Amelia was happy. What does Amelia love to do? If a cow is offered a choice, it will turn down I was late on my first day of high school. My next class, Spanish, scared me. As the second bell rang in the hallway, I ran to the door of the classroom. At the door, a hand reached out and shook mine firmly. I looked up. A man smiled and introduced himself as Profe, which means teacher or professor in Spanish. Right away, his warm smile and welcoming words eased my fears. I enjoyed his classes a great deal because I learned more than just Spanish. I admit I only speak a little Spanish. But I try to live out the life lessons I learned from Profe every day. "Everyone is worth your time. " Profe stood outside his classroom door every day before and after class. During lunch, his room was always filled with students. He would stay after school to listen to and chat with students. He taught me that every person is special. "Don't fear the difficulties." One time, I ran into his class crying. My friends had _ me, and I wasn't even sure why they always left me alone. Profe told me, "Linda, life gives you ashes . But learning its lessons will turn those ashes to jewels. The hard stuff will help you become a better person." I learned to look at my troubles differently because I know I'll grow in difficult times. A year ago. I visited my old high school hoping to see Profe. But he had retired. My high school helped me contact him. Now we stay in touch through e-mail. The author William Arthur Ward wrote: "The ordinary teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher shows. The great teacher inspires. " Thank you, Profe, for inspiring me. What does the author do now according to the passage? Working from home is more and more popular as a means of escaping the ninetofive office life. Why do you work under the eye of your boss when you can work in front of the TV in your slippers?Armed with all the necessary things--telephone, computer, email and fax,many workers believe they can work as effectively as their colleagues in the office. Being able to work wherever you like:from a busy city to a village, and not having to stand the daily things, make working from home an attractive choice. If you wish,you can even work on a river boat. So what will become of the office tomorrow?It is possible that many could go into computer space creating a new wave of virtual offices. To minimize office in innercity areas, companies will have a work force made up of a network of home workers linked by an advanced communication and information system. A central processing computer would be controlled by the manager who sends out work schedules and oversees the activity of each employee. A video screen would be created,as the need for email or telephone becomes greater. Seeing the mood and expressions of work colleagues, managers would have the ability to view several employees at once on their screen. Employees would be encouraged to feed any information that may be useful to fellow workers into the computer to make the company work more effectively. As the company's lifeblood, the computer would contain a record of all conversations and communication for future reference and hold secret information such as accounts in password protected areas. From the passage we can learn that _ . Students are learning about the natural resources in Maryland. One group of students researches information about renewable natural resources in the state. The other group researches information about nonrenewable natural resources in the state. The resources the students investigate include plants, animals, soil, minerals, water, coal, and oil. Aluminum is a nonrenewable natural resource. Which of these methods of aluminum disposal is best for the environment?
There will be more rattlesnakes if a rattlesnake has Answer: if a habitat is destroyed then that habitat Answer: Dear Ms. Wang, I am writing to inform you of some arrangements about my composition course and Latin course next year. I've decided to re-establish the 5-paragraph essay as the goal for the composition course. I interviewed some of my former students and they all agreed that being able to write critically and continuouslywas important to them. So next academic year, Term 1 will be like always: sentences to paragraphing. And Term 2 will work toward the 5-paragraph essay. The final 3 weeks of Term 2 will be reserved tointroduce writing for TOEFL and CEE. By that time, if the students have done their job correctly, then they should be able to write quite well. As for the Latin course, I will post notices around campus next week so that the students will understand what's on offer before I actually introduce the course. A number of students already emailed me about the course. I am sure you don't understand what a big deal our opening this program at our school is. People around the world are interested in what we plan to do. There are many rewards available to the students who succeed in the course. Please share what I have said with the administration. I want them to understand the importance of this course. The reason I have contacted these colleagues (actually Oxford contacted me) isthatI have confidence in our students and in myself. I know that when those professors meet our students and hear them speaking and reading Latin, they are going to be amazed. It will open all sorts of doors for students that they never even thought of knocking on. Well, that's it for now. I'll see you soon. Yours, Edward Johnson According to the letter, what will Edward teach about writing in Term 1? Answer: 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. Britons stranded at sea or in flooded homes could find a real-life prince riding to their rescue. Prince William announced on Monday that he is to train to be a full-time pilot with the Royal Air Force's Search and Rescue Force (SARF). William, who is currently a Lieutenant in the Army's Household Cavalry Regiment , will transfer to the RAF and begin an 18-month training course in January 2009. If successful, he will become a fully operational Search and Rescue pilot in 2010, flying Sea King helicopters at one of the six SARF units based in Britain. "The time I spent with the RAF earlier this year made me realize how much I love flying," the prince, who spent two weeks with a SARF team while on work experience in 2005, said in a statement. "Joining Search and Rescue is a perfect opportunity for me to serve in the Forces operationally, while contributing to a vital part of the country's Emergency Services." It means he will follow a similar career to that of his uncle, Prince Andrew, who was a Sea King helicopter pilot during the 1982 Falklands war. The Search and Rescue teams' main duty is to recover RAF personnel but in peacetime they mainly respond to civilian emergencies, dealing with more than 1,000 calls a year. The units deal with incidents ranging from helping those trapped by sudden major floods to rescuing people lost while out walking on hills. William, who has spent the last year on secondment to the various branches of the military to prepare for his future role as head of the armed forces, received his RAF wings following a four-month stint with the service earlier this year. However, his time with the RAF was clouded when the Defense Ministry was forced to fend off criticism for allowing the prince to fly military helicopters to a bachelor party for his cousin and to the family home of his girlfriend Kate Middleton. Prince William wanted to be a full-time pilot because _ . Answer: Despite the burning heat, the summer holidays are drawing to a close. After a period of pleasant relaxation, spending time with friends and family, our thoughts now turn towards the new school term. This can be an exciting time, filled with new opportunities, ambitions and challenges. Such new challenges can be frightening as we face unfamiliar situations, people and places. Many of you will be facing a new term in a higher grade. This may well mean a greater workload and more exam pressure. Maybe you are starting a new school and are worried about how to make new friends. Whichever new situation you face, there is no shame in admitting you are worried or concerned. The fact that you are older and are facing more challenges does not mean that you have to deal with your problems alone. No matter how old we are, all of us need help sometimes, and admitting to weakness can be one of our greatest strengths. How else can we get the help we need to face our problems with confidence? Also, this can be a good way to connect with new people in a similar situation. On the first day of a new term or at a new school, everyone will be nervous and uncertain. Admitting to _ makes us seem much more human. After all, would you really want to be friends with someone who believes that they know everything and claims to never be afraid? Whatever your new situation is at the beginning of this new term, relax, and remember that every student you come across is just as nervous as you are. Share what you believe to be your weaknesses and see just how strong you really are. The best title for this passage may be _ . Answer:
Today our life and work rarely feel light or pleasant. Instead, the whole experience of being alive begins to melt into huge responsibility. It becomes the standard greeting everywhere: I am so busy. We say this to one another with no small degree of pride. The busier we are, the more important we seem to ourselves and, we imagine, to others. To be unavailable to our friends and family, to be unable to find time for the sunset, to speed through our responsibilities without time for a single mindful breath -- this has become the model of a successful life. Because we do not rest, we lose our way. We lose the nourishment that gives us help. We miss the quiet that gives us wisdom. Poisoned by the belief that good things come only through tireless effort, we never truly rest. This is not the world we dreamed of when we were young. How did we get so terribly rushed in a world filled with work and responsibility, yet somehow lack of joy and delight? We have forgotten the Sabbath . Sabbath is the time to enjoy and celebrate what is beautiful and good -- time to light candles, sing songs, tell stories, bless our children and loved ones, give thanks, share meals, nap and walk. It is time to be nourished and refreshed as we let our work, our chores and our important projects lie fallow, trusting that there are larger forces at work taking care of the world when we are at rest. Sabbath is more than the absence of work. Many of us, in our desperate drive to be successful and care for our many responsibilities, feel terribly guilty when we take time to rest. But the Sabbath has proven its wisdom over the ages. Many of us still recall when, not long ago, shops and offices were closed on Sundays. Those quiet Sunday afternoons remained in our cultural memory. Nowadays, when we greet people by saying, "I am so busy", we feel _ . Answer: proud The Barcelonabased architects of the Galactic Suite Space Resort say it will cost $4.4 million for a threenight stay at the hotel. This price also includes an eightweek training course on an island. During their stay, guests would see the sunrise 15 times a day and travel around the world every 80 minutes. Galactic Suite Ltd's CEO Xavier Claramunt says the project will put his company in a leading position of a new industry with a huge future ahead of it, and forecasts space travel will become common in the future. "It's very normal to think that your children, possibly within 15 years, could spend a weekend in space" he told Reuters Television. A promising space tourism industry is beginning to take shape with construction in progress in New Mexico of Spaceport America, the world's first facility built specifically for passengers. British industrialist Richard Branson's space tours firm, Virgin Galactic, will use the facility to send tourists to space at a cost of $200,000 a ride. Galactic Suite Ltd, set up in 2007, hopes to start its project with a single pod in orbit 280 miles above the earth. "It will take a day and a half to reach the pod, and the passengers will join it for three days," Claramunt said. More than 200 people have expressed an interest in traveling to the space hotel and at least 43 people have already reserved it. The numbers are similar for Virgin Galactic with 300 people already paid or signed up for the trip, but unlike Branson, Galactic Suite says they will use Russian rockets to transport their guests into space from a spaceport to be built on an island in the Caribbean. But critics have questioned the project, saying the length of time that will be used is unreasonable and also where the money is coming from to support the project. Which of the following is one of the critics' concerns about this project? Answer: It may lack support in money. Glasgow Fireworks 25th July 2012 Location: Glasgow Green Tickets: This event is free, and no ticket is required Events:Celebrate Bonfire Night , with Glasgow's famous and splendid musical fireworks show. The night is not just about fireworks though; there will be pre-show music and fun with Clyde 1's Romeo and Knoxy, amusements and food and drink booths. Enough to make sure that everyone is entertained! The timetable: 5:30 pm amusements (ends 9:30pm) 6:30 pm Pre-show music and fun with Clyde 1's Romeo and Knoxy 7:30 pm Fireworks show begins Notice: * Entry is free, and it is usually very busy. Make sure you get there early for a good view (unless you're 7 feet tall). * You should enter Glasgow Green from the west end of the park. There is no other public entry. * If you're driving, please be concerned about road closing time. All roads to Glasgow Green will be closed to vehicles between 5:30 pm and 9:00 pm. * Join our mailing list to stay up to date with all the latest information on www. Glasgow Green. com. Should it be put off or called off, we will keep you informed as soon as possible! For Your Safety * Do not bring fireworks, sparklers, alcohol or pets to the Glasgow Green Fireworks. * Follow the directions of staff and police. * Dress properly - We live in Glasgow and there is always a good chance we will get rubbish weather! How does the organizer keep you informed of the latest information? Answer: By E-mail. Here is the school day in an English school. Morning The students have an English lesson and a Maths lesson.The first lesson begins at 9:00 a.m.The children have a break from 10:00 a.m.to 10:20 a.m.They usually eat snacks or play games in the playground.After the break, they have the second lesson.It lasts for an hour and fifteen minutes.They usually take a test during the first fifteen minutes. Lunchtime Lunchtime is from 12 at noon to 1:10 p.m.Most children bring their own lunch from home.Some children have lunch in the school canteen.After lunch, they play games in the playground. Afternoon The students do some reading.Then they have one or two lessons.They study Art, History and Science, etc.School is over at 3:15 p.m.Then they go home. What do the children do after lunch? Answer: Play games. Some people do not like anything to be out of place; they are never late for work; they return their books to the library on time; they remember people's birthdays; and they pay their bills as soon as they arrive. Mr. Dodds is such a person . Mr. Dodds works in a bank, and lives on his own. The only family he has is in the next town :his sister lives there with her husband, and her son, Mark, Mr. Dodds does not see his sister, or her family, from one year to the next, but he sends them Christmas cards, and he has not forgotten one of Mark's seventeen birthdays. Last week Mr. Dodds had quite a surprise. He drove home from the bank at the usual time, driving neither too slowly nor too fast. He parked his car where he always parked it, out of the way of other cars, and he went inside to make his evening meal. Straight away, there was a knock at the door. Mr Dodds opened the door to find a policeman standing on the door-step . "What have I done wrong ?" Mr. Dodds asked himself . "Have I driven on the wrong side of the road? Has there been some trouble at the bank? Have I forgotten to pay an important bill?" "Hello, Uncle ," said the policeman," My name is Mark." There was a knock at the door when Mr. Dodds was _ . Answer: ready to make his evening meal
Paul is my pen friend.He is from Landon,England.He speaks good English.He is now in Shanghai with his parents,because they work in Shanghai.Paul can speak a little Chinese! There are five people in his family,his parents,his two sisters and he.His sisters aren't in China.They are in England now. He likes singing and dancing very much.His favorite subject is music.He likes going to the movies on weekends:He thinks it is fun.I think he is a nice boy. Paul is Sam's _ . Answer: pen friend You might recycle plastic by creating Answer: beanies Switching telephone providers used to be the only way homeowners could save money on telephone bills. Now thanks to new technology, comsumers have another choice-making phone calls over the internet. And this can be completely free if you call another person with an internet phone set-up. The technology is called voice over internet protocol , or VoIP. In 2005, consumer demand for VoIP dramatically grew. In the US, where popularity has grown faster than here in the UK, 8.4 million are predicted to subscribe this year. For the past couple years, VoIP pioneers such as Skype have accounted for the majority of internet phone subscribers. VoIP is attractive to consumers because it's cheaper than traditional phone services. With the basic equipment of PC, microphone and headset, and VoIP software and broadband internet for optimum voice quality, consumers can save a fortune chatting for free to other internet phone owners and save money calling regular landlines . But, as the saying goes, . Many of these services suffer from uncontinuous lapses in quality. While some users may tolerate echoes or a dropped call, improved quality is needed to attract more customers. Computing has examined the benefits of using a PC as a telephone with VoIP in how easy they were to set up, how effective they were and the range of their features. Skype(www. skype.com) came top for its bother-free approach, easy set-up and exceptional voice clarity. Sipgate (www. sipgate. co. uk), MSN(www. messenger. msn. co. uk) and Yahoo! Messenger (uk. messenger. yahoo. com) provide an audio "wizard" that improves sound levels. Google Talk (www. google. com/ talk) was less helpful and Babble. net (www. babble. net) was let down by its poor help files. Yahoo! Messenger provides some of the best features, including the option of landline calls, webcam chats, instant messaging, voice-mail and conference calls. Which one of the following if you call others? Answer: VolP,voice over internet protocol How important can a fifteen-year-old boy's work be? Well, Louis Braille's work changed the world. Born in a small town near Paris in 1809, shortly after his third birthday Louis blinded himself in one eye while playing with a sharp pointed tool in his father's workshop. He soon lost the sight in his other eye when the infection spread. He wanted to go to school, but in his small town there was no school for him. At that time, blind people did not get any school education. Braille went to Paris to study, but there were few books for the blind. Louis knew that books were the key to learning. He struggled with ideas for three years. Finally, at fifteen, he invented an alphabet made with raised dots . Blind people could "read" by feeling the patterns of the dots. Being able to read Braille allows blind children to learn together with the sighted at school, and go on to get jobs. It allows people who lose their eyesight to continue to read, learn and get information. From the passage we know in Braille's day, _ Answer: there were few books for the blind In many parts of the world, cars play an important role in daily life and many societies would not exist without them. So the idea that in 20 years' time, no one will own cars may be hard to believe. But this is the prediction made by a team of transport researchers who are taken seriously, not only by government but also by car manufacturers. The Human Science and Advanced Technology Institute at Loughborough in the UK is part of an international research program. The team there believes that by 2020 all cars will be computerized. That will mean much saving, no accidents and better use of roads. The super-intelligent car in the future will drive itself. And it will not be owned by one individual. Instead, we will have a choice of cars and change them as frequently as we change our clothing. According to Dr. David Davis, who leads the research team, these predictions are based on the rising cost of the car culture, which had blocked up our cities, polluted our air, and caused more deaths than both world wars put together. Davis says, cars will be fitted with some intelligent devices to regulate the distance between one car and another. The car will automatically speed up, or slow down, to match the speed of the car in front. computers are much safer drivers than people, so cars in a road train will be able to drive much closer together than cars driven by people. By 2016, Dr. David Davis believes, car technology will give motorists a clear view of the road, whatever the weather conditions, by projecting an image of the road ahead on to the car's windscreen. And by 2020, cars will travel in line, linked to each other electronically. Cars will be connected by an electronic tow bar to the car in front to form "road-trains". "The front vehicle in such a train burns the normal amount."says Davis. "but all the others in the train would burn about ten percent of the normal amount, and so produce about ten percent of the pollution." Davis believes that the present car culture will change because _ . Answer: it causes more and more agonies to human society
Regularly staying late at the office significantly increases the risk of having a stroke or heart attack, researchers have found, working just an hour extra each day pushes up stroke risk by 10 per cent, according to a huge review of working patterns. And people who work an extra three hours a day--or 55 hours a week--are 33 per cent more likely to have a stroke, the scientists found. The research, published in the Lancet medical journal, is based on health records of more than 500, 000 people across Europe, the US and Australia. Scientists led by University College London warned that people who work longer hours tend to do less exercise, sit at a computer for hours at a time and drink more than people with a better work-life balance. Repeated stress may also be to blame for greater health problems, the scientists think. They looked at the combined result of 17 previous studies, in which 529, 000 people were tracked over an average of seven years. Experts stressed that the study had only found a link between hours worked and heart problems---it had not proved what had actually caused each death. But they warned people to take note of the findings. Dr Tim Chico, consultant cardiologist at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, said "For many people, reducing their working hours would be difficult or impossible, and this study does not show that it would reduce the risk of stroke." Most of us could reduce the amount of time we spend sitting down, increase our physical activity and improve our diet while working and this might be more important the more time we spend at work. Which areas are involved in the research? A. The US, Australia and Russia. B. Japan, Britain and China. C. China, Russia and Japan. D. Europe, the US and Australia. Answer: D. Europe, the US and Australia. Do you have any skiing equipment you no longer need? A ski school in the far north of India could put it to good use. In March we published a photo story about the extraordinary Zsnskar region in northern India,which is cut off from the outside world for more than seven months of the year,and only accessible via a frozen river.We also included information about the limited use of skiing in the region and the recent creation of the Zanskar Ski School: "Despite the difficulties of travelling through the region when the snow comes,skiing hasn't traditionally been used as a means of transport by the locals,largely because trees don't grow here, so there is little in the way of raw materials from which to make skis.In 1995, a group of British scientists in the region noticed the lack of skis and one of them returned to set up the Zanskar Ski School in Padam.The school provides lessons for a small fee and rents skis to the local people. Among the benefits that the school hopes to bring are improved education--children often find it difficult to get to school through the deep snow--and the possibility of offering ski tours to tourists in the future.So far,more than 300 local people have received training,and local doctors and policemen regularly borrow skis." But what we weren't able to include in the article is that the ski school is always on the look out for old skiing equipment--particularly of a size suitable for children--and, I thought. Now the European ski season is drawing to a close,there might be a few of you out there who have some old equipment you'd like to see go to a good home.If that's the ease you can get in touch with the school via their website www.zanskarski school.org. What's the purpose in writing the text? A. To raise money to develop this area B. To attract more tourists to the area C. To appeal to more locals to attend the school D. To ask people to give away their skis to the school Answer: D. To ask people to give away their skis to the school The cost of raising a child from birth to age 18 is about $ 160,140! That doesn't even touch college tuition. For those with kids, this figure might lead them thinking how much they could have banked. For others, that number might confirmthe decision to remain childless. But $ 160,140 isn't so bad if you break it down. It translates into $ 8 ,896. 66 a year, $ 741. 38 a month, or $171. 08 a week. That's a mere $24. 44 a day! Just over a dollar an hour. Still, you might think the best financial advice says don't have children if you ever want to be "rich". It is not. What do you get for your $ 160,140? * Naming rights. * Giggles under the covers every night. * More love than your heart can hold. * Kisses and hugs. * Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies. * A hand to hold usually covered with jam. * A partner for blowing bubbles, flying kites, and building sandeastles. For $ 160,140, you never have to grow up! You get to finger-paint, carve pumpkins, play hide-and-seek, and never stop believing in Santa Claus. You have an excuse to keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh, watching cartoons , going to Disney movies, and wishing on stars. For $ 160,140, you get to be a hero just for taking the training wheels off the bike, and coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless. You get a front row seat to history; to witness the first step, first word, first date, and first time behind the wheel. You get to be immortal You get another branch added to your family tree. You get an education in nursing, criminal justice and communications that no college can match. In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there with God. You have all the power to correct a mistake, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a party, and love them without limits, so one day they will, like you, love without counting the cost. ...... Which of the following is NOT true after you have a child? A. You enjoy the right to name your children. B. You still need to learn. C. You never seem to get old. D. You get admiration as a parent. Answer: C. You never seem to get old. Ben Jones was walking home from school one day when he saw a black cat. It was walking across the srteet in front of him.Ben stopped, turned around, and walked down a different srteet to go home. Why did he do that? "It's unlucky when a black cat crossed the street in front of you," says Ben, "I did not want to walk down that street!" Many people think that some things bring bad luck or good luck. For example, some people think that 13 is an unlucky number. They never invite 13 people to a party. "I never walk under a ladder ," says Ben. "And I never open an umbrella inside the house. They both bring bad luck." And what brings good luck? "We have a horseshoe over the front door of our house for good luck," says Ben."And when I find a peney on the ground, I always pick it up. That brings me good luck all day!" Which of the following things can bring people good luck? A. Opening an umbrella inside the house. B. Walking under a ladder. C. Picking up a penny on the ground. D. Seeing a cat. Answer: C. Picking up a penny on the ground. The idea about the phoenix goes back to Ancient Egypt, where we find the phoenix described as a handsome, eagle-like bird, with part-golden, part-red plumage, that spent most of its life in the Arabian deserts. It was rarely seen and according to one version of the story, only appeared in Egypt once every five hundred years, when it flew to Heliopolis, "city of the sun", and deliberately burnt itself to ashes by settling on the altar flame there! However, it seems it did not really die because from those same ashes a young, fully formed phoenix was born and flew away, apparently back to Arabia. It is pretty obvious that no one has ever seen or will see a living phoenix. The interesting thing is that we can find certain clues which may explain one aspect of the Egyptians' idea. It may sound unbelievable, but some birds are apparently quite charmed by flames and small fires, especially members of the crow family. One zoologist actually proved this by setting fire to some straw near to a tame rook, a large black bird like a crow. Far from becoming nervous and backing away, the bird deliberately stood over the flames, with raised and vibrating wings. It didn't get burnt, but the image it presented by its strange behavior was almost exactly like that shown in illustrations of the mythical phoenix! Why birds should occasionally behave in this strange way is not clear. One idea is that they carefully use the heat of the flames to relieve the annoyance caused by their feather mites which all birds have. Whatever the reason, it is quite possible that the Ancient Egyptians saw birds behaving in this way, from time to time, and used it as the basis of their phoenix myth, adding fanciful details which closely linked it to their worship of the sun and their belief in _ . Nowadays, the phoenix is much less important to us than it was to the Egyptians. But the logo of modern fire insurance companies, which employ the phoenix as one of their symbols, refers that in one sense the idea of it remains. What does the phoenix probably mean in the logo of a fire insurance company? A. Our company can protect you from being harmed by fire. B. If your property is destroyed by fire, we will help you build it up again. C. Our company will always be energetic and wealthy. D. If needed, we will save you at the risk of losing lives. Answer: B. If your property is destroyed by fire, we will help you build it up again.
A scientist observes an unusual activity while studying bacterial cells. Using scientific inquiry to investigate the activity will enable the scientist to Answer: evaluate different explanations of the behavior. Long ago, Bluebird's feathers were the colour of dust. She did not like her ugly colour. She was attracted by the colour of the lake near her home. It was as blue as the sky after a storm. Bluebird wanted to be the colour of that beautiful lake very much. Flapping her wings one morning, Bluebird flew from her tree to the blue lake. Then she bathed in the water three times. After each bath, she sang, "Blue water. Still water. I went in. I am blue." Bluebird repeated this every morning. On the third day, she came out of the lake with beautiful blue feathers. Now Coyote was a trickster --and hungry too. He stayed behind Bluebird's tree for a long time every day and watched her go to the lake. He pretended to be interested in everything she did. He wanted Bluebird for lunch, but he was afraid of the blue water. On the third morning, Coyote saw Bluebird come out of the lake with beautiful blue feathers. Impressed, he sat next to Bluebird's tree and waited for her. When she returned, he asked, "How did you get blue feathers? I want to be blue like the mountains too." Bluebird didn't believe Coyote, but she taught him how to bathe three times each morning and how to sing her song. Coyote did what she said, and after three days of bathing in the lake, his white fur turned deep blue. Convinced that blue fur was even more beautiful than blue feathers, Coyote forgot all about being hungry. He ran as fast as he could to the top of the hill. Standing on his back legs, he raised his front legs off the ground and howled. But Coyote slipped and rolled down the hill. He couldn't stop himself, and the dust and dirt covered his new blue fur. He rolled and rolled until he hit into Bluebird's tree heavily. No matter how much he tried, foolish Coyote could not shake the dust from his fur. And so the fur of all coyotes had the dull colour of dust to this very day. How many times did Bluebird bathe every morning before she had beautiful blue feathers? Answer: Three times. A 1. 6-meter tall robot may soon become the best friend for lonely elderly people,as Chinese scientists are making the final sprint toward its market launch ,said a senior researcher on the robot project on Saturday. "We are working on testing the exact functions and ways to reduce the cost in preparations for an expected market launch of the robot in two to three years,"said Li Ruifeng,a member of the project. He said the team hoped to reduce the cost so that the robot can be priced at 30,000 to 50,000 yuan,which is expected to be an affordable price for most of China's better-off families. The robot has been developed with the functions of fetching food,medicine,sounding alarms in case of water or gas leakage,sending texts or video images via wireless communications,and even singing a song or playing chess to entertain its masters. Li said that the robot,developed independently in China, has technology at the same level as those in western labs. China set about the research of the robot in 2007,when it was listed as a national key project. It is _ by government funding . China has the world's largest elderly population with 159 million people over 60,accounting for 12 percent of its total population. According to a survey by the Ministry of Civil Affairs,more than 10 million caregivers and nurses are needed to attend the elderly population,as most of Chinese elderly prefer to live their retired lives at home. Which of the following is true according to the passage? Answer: Robot caregivers will appear in the market in 2 or 3 years. In my mind, there is a moving story about a skinny young boy who loved football with all his heart. Practice after practice, he eagerly gave everything he had. But being half the size of the other boys,he got ly nowhere. Despite his hard training at all the games, this hopeful athlete sat on the bench and hardly ever played. This teenager lived alone with his father, and the relationship between the two of them was very special. Even though the son was always on the bench, his father was always in the stands cheering. He never missed a game. This young man was still the smallest of the class when he entered high school. But his father continued to encourage him. The young man loved football and was determined to try his best at every practice, and perhaps he'd get to play when he became a senior. All through high school he never missed a practice nor a game but remained a benchwarmer. Besides, his faithful father was always in the stands, always with words of encouragement for him. When the young man went to college, he decided to try out for the football team as a"walk-on". Everyone firmly believed that he could never make the cut, but he did. The news that he had survived the cut thrilled him so much that he rushed to the nearest phone and called his father. His father shared his excitement and was sent season tickets for all the college games. This persistent young athlete never missed practice during his four years at college, butactually he never got the real chance to play in a game. It was at the end of his senior football season that the coach met him with a telegram. The young man read the telegram and he became totally silent. Swallowing hard, he mumbled to the coach,"My father died this morning. Is it all right if I miss practice today?"The coach put his arm gently around his shoulder and said,"Take the rest of the week off, son. And don't even plan to come back to the game on Saturday." Saturday arrived, and the game was not going well. In the third quarter, when the team was ten points behind, a silent young man quietly slipped into the empty locker room and put on his football gear. As he ran onto the sidelines , the coach and his players were surprised to see their faithful teammate back so soon."Coach, please let me play. I've just got to play today,"said the young man. The coach pretended not to hear him. There was no way he wanted his worst player in this close play-off game. But the young man insisted, and finally feeling sorry for the kid, the coach gave in."All right,"he said."You can go in."Before long, the coach, the players and everyone in the stands could not believe their eyes. This little unknown, who had never played before, was doing everything right. The opposing team could not stop him. He ran, passed, blocked, and tackled like a star. His team began to succeed. The score was soon tied. In the closing seconds of the game, this kid got a pass and ran all the way for the winning touchdown. Finally, after the stands had emptied, the coach noticed that this young man was sitting quietly in the corner all alone. The coach came to him and said,"Kid, you were unbelievably fantastic! Tell me what got into you? How did you do it?" He looked at the coach, tears in his eyes, and said,"Well, you knew my dad died, but did you know that my dad was blind?"The young man swallowed hard and forced a smile,"Dad came to all my games, but today was the first time he could see me play, and I wanted to show him I could make it!" What's the writer's attitude toward the young boy in this passage? Answer: Appreciative. As the saying goes, "Change is not always for the better". Take social interaction, for example! We now live in an era in which many teenagers spend hours locked away in their bedrooms shooting virtual soldiers and hitting zombies over the head with digital baseball bats, while others sit home alone, chatting with friends, not in person, but through social networks. Teachers, politicians and parents have genuine reasons to argue that young people like this are in danger of losing the ability to connect with one another, to develop genuine relationships and to separate the fictional world of the Xbox or the Play Station from the real world. Others worry about the increasing breakdown of the family unit within the UK and link that to the increase of youth crime and antisocial behavior, or the problems that some young people have with drugs or alcohol. These issues are particularly common in areas of poverty and, in the light of the economic crisis, are unlikely to improve. Indeed, the gap between rich and poor in the UK could well increase, as unemployment figures rise and the cost of higher education increases. But being a teenager in the 21st century is not all doom and gloom, Young people in the UK today can enjoy living in a far more multicultural, integrated society in which opportunities are more equal and which is increasingly environmentally aware. They benefit from better child protection policies, a wider range of educational activities and clearer guidance on leading healthy lifestyles. And as they grow up, this generation will benefit from huge technological inventions which will have an impact on almost every aspect of their lives, from entertainment to transport. They will see medical advances which could put an end to diseases like malaria and rid the world of AIDS. They will live longer, work smarter and they will even have a greater understanding of nature and the universe. In the passage, parents fear that _ . Answer: their children might be lost in their digital world
Question: The earth is the only planet that scientists are certain has life .What does the earth have that the other planets don't ? For one thing , the earth has just the right temperature . As _ from the sun , the earth seems to be just the right distance away . The planets that are closer to the sun are so hot that their surfaces bake in the sun . The farthest planets are cold balls . When the earth developed-- which scientists believe may have happened about billions of years ago , many gases covered the earth . The gases caused the earth to be hot . But something wonderful happened . The temperature was just right for thick clouds to form . It rained very hard for a very long time . This gave the earth its oceans . Water made it possible for plants to grow . The plants created oxygen in the atmosphere . Oxygen is the gas that humans and animals breathe . Only one other planet in the solar system seems to be something like the earth . That planet is Mars . Mars is smaller than the earth , and it is quite a bit cooler . But it is not too cold for humans . On some days , the temperatures are as cold as a winter day in the northern United States . If you wore a special spacesuit , you could walk around on Mars . You would have to bring your own air to breathe , though . The air on Mars is too thin to breathe . Mars has the largest volcano in the solar system . It is sixteen miles high . The highest volcano on the earth is five miles high . The most unexpected sight on Mars is dried-up river beds . Scientists believe that Mars was once much wetter that it is now . Does this mean there could have been living things on Mars ? Scientists are not sure , but there has been no sign so far . It is the _ on the earth that makes life possible . A. temperature B. water C. oxygen D. temperature , water and oxygen Answer: D. temperature , water and oxygen Question: One day at the end of the class, a wise teacher told each of her students to bring a plastic bag and a bag of potatoes to school. The next day she told her students, "From today on, for every person you don't like in your lives, you can choose a potato, write the person's name and the date on it and then put it in the plastic bag." Day after day, some of the students' bags were very heavy. They were then told to carry this bag with them everywhere they went for a week. They would put it inside their quilts at night, on the seats when sitting in a car or on a bus, and next to their desks at school. The days carrying the bag around with them made students get to know what a weight they were carrying in their minds. They had to pay attention to it all the time so that they wouldn't forget it. As time passed by, the potatoes went bad and smelt nasty . They all tried to get rid of them. Too often we think of tolerance as a gift to other people, and clearly it is for ourselves! If we choose to keep our sadness and hatred in our hearts, we will have to carry them around all our lives. Do you think you have got anything from the wise teacher and what she asked her students to do? What did the teacher ask her students to write on the potatoes? A. The names of the persons they didn't like and the date. B. The names of the persons they liked and the date C. Their own names and the date. D. The names of their family members and the date Answer: A. The names of the persons they didn't like and the date. Question: It was blazing hot, just like most July days. I stepped into a tiny ice-cream shop to cool off with a chocolate ice-cream. It was an old woman bent over a table near the door. Her back was so badly twisted that her face nearly touched the tabletop. I sat down facing her a couple of tables away. "Poor woman," I thought, "What does she get out of life? Why God let people live so long past their _ ?" As I thought, another aged lady entered the shop and sat down with her. Soon the two of them were talking about childhood days. They talked of how little the shop had changed in 70 years... In minutes, the two of them were trembling with laughter. I looked again at the first woman, then in the mirror on a nearby wall, catching a picture of myself. I was wearing a dirty shirt. She was well dressed in white, her hands sparking with gold rings. I was sad. She was laughing, smiling. I was putting the pieces of my life together. She had millions of wonderful memories to recall. I sat alone. She was sharing the day with a good friend. I was secretly worried about getting old. She was old, but it wasn't hurting her. As I left the shop, I thought of my foolish question about God letting people live past their prime. Why, that woman was more alive, more sensitive to life than I was. Age has not bent her spirit. Which of the following is the conclusion the writer made about the old lady? A. She was more alive and sensitive to life than the writer. B. She considered the young man pitiable. C. She was to be pitied for her old age. D. People should not be allowed to live when they are too old. Answer: A. She was more alive and sensitive to life than the writer. Question: Everyone in the apartment complex I lived in knew who Ugly was. Ugly was the resident tomcat. Ugly loved three things in this world: fighting, eating garbage, and, shall we say, love. The combination of these things combined with a life spent outside had their effect on Ugly. To start with, he had only one eye and where the other should have been was a gaping hole. He was also missing his ear on the same side, his left foot appeared to have been badly broken at one time, and had healed at an unnatural angle, making him look like he was always turning the corner. His tail has long ago been lost, leaving only the smallest stub, which he would constantly jerk and twitch. Ugly would have been a dark grey tabby, striped-type, except for the sores covering his head, neck, even his shoulders with thick, yellowing scabs. Every time someone saw Ugly there was the same reaction. "That's one UGLY cat!!" All the children were warned not to touch him, the adults threw rocks at him, hosed him down, squirted him when he tried to come in their home or shut his paws in the door when he would not leave. Ugly always had the same reaction. If you turned the hose on him, he would stand there, getting soaked until you gave up and quit. If you threw things at him, he would curl his lanky body around feet in forgiveness. Whenever he spied children, he would come running, meowing frantically and bump his head against their hand begging for their love. If you ever picked him up, he would immediately begin suckling on your shirt, earring whatever he could find. One day Ugly shared his love with the neighbor's huskies. They did not respond kindly, and Ugly was badly attacked. From my apartment I could hear his scream and I tried to rush to his aid. By the time I got to where he was laying, it was obvious Ugly's sad life was almost at an end. Ugly lay in a wet circle, his back legs and lower back twisted grossly out of shape, a gaping tear in the white strip of fur that ran down his front. As I picked him up and tried to carry him home, I could hear him wheezing and gasping, and could feel him struggling. It must be hurting him terribly, I thought. Then I felt a familiar tugging, sucking sensation on my ear. Ugly, in so much pain, suffering and obviously dying, was trying to suckle my ear. I pulled him closer to me, and he bumped the palm of my hand with his head, then he turned his one golden eye towards me, and I could hear the distinct sound of purring. Even in the greatest pain, that ugly battled-scarred cat was asking only for a little affection, perhaps some compassion. At that moment I thought Ugly was the most beautiful, loving creature I had ever seen. Never once did he try to bite or scratch me, or even try to get away from me, or struggle in any way. Ugly just looked up at me completely trusting in me to relieve his pain. Ugly died in my arms before I could get inside, but I sat and held him for a long time afterward thinking about how one scarred, deformed little stray could so alter my opinion about what it means to have true pureness of spirit, to love so totally and truly. Ugly taught me more about giving and compassion than a thousand book lecture or talk show specials ever could, and for that I will always be thankful. He had been scarred on the outside, but I was scarred on the inside, and it was time for me to move on and learn to love truly and deeply. To give my total to those I cared for. Many people want to be richer, more successful, well liked, beautiful, but for me, I will always try to be Ugly. What did the tomcat do when coming to death? A. He shared his love with the writer B. He struggled to stand up C. He shouted at the writer D. He begged the writer to save him. Answer: A. He shared his love with the writer Question: Fortunately, I've been able to avoid the traffic jam brought by presidential visits because ! don't have to commute anywhere. Barack Obama visited Los Angeles recently which paralyzed large sections of a city and you could almost hear the collective pain of unhappy commuters. I am among the l0 percent of people in the US that regularly work from home. You could include Obama among them, although I suspect his working area in the White House is better-equipped than my small space on to the back of the garage. He also probably doesn't have a problem with three little kids interrupting his phone calls or bursting into his office at inappropriate moments. Every day there they are, knocking on my window and peering inside, as if looking at an animal in a zoo. Once, a telephone interview I was doing with the former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was interrupted by my older son, then three years old, and completely naked "Ahaaar!" he shouted to my face. "What was that?" said Schwarzenegger. I stammered something about the joys of children and silently managed to shoo the boy out of the room without putting down the phone. I shouldn't complain. I no longer have to stand having someone's armpit being pressed into my face on a crowded train and home status means ! should be a more productive worker although working from home could also lead to "avoiding duties from home". I would argue that a bigger problem is going nuts: Staring at the same walls every day and not going anywhere can do strange things to a person. I realized I had to get out of the house at least once a day to avoid turning into an unshaven and unshoweredrecluse who was still in his pyjamas at dinner time. I would work for an hour or so in a local coffee shop but, like most routine, this became boring because I would constantly see the same faces: Screenwriters poring over screenplays, elderly women heading to the yoga studio next door and hordes of overweight middle-aged male cycling by. And yet here I am several years later, still working from home consciously and, I'm happy to report, not sitting at my desk in my pyjamas. Not since last Tuesday, anyway. The whole passage suggests that _ A. the author has to work from home B. any routine definitely means boredom C. the author is a humorous person D. working from home contributes to avoiding duties Answer: C. the author is a humorous person
I was at a dance club when I was nineteen. One day my new friend walked with me to my car. It was a very cold night. As we were walking to my car, a man walked up to us. Behind him was a woman pushing _ with a child inside who was about 2 years old. The child had only a jacket on and it wasn'tzipped . The man began to tell us he wanted to borrow some money for the night and that he had a job but no place to live and was waiting for his first paycheck. He confirmed he could get our mailing address and mail the money back to us. The guy I was with reached into his pocket to give this man a $20 bill. As the man was extending his hand out to take the money, I put my hand on my new friend's hand and said, "Can I talk to you for a minute?" I told him some people earned money by begging and that they always cheated those with soft hearts. And if they were truly worried about their child being out in the cold, they would have at least zipped his jacket. My friend looked at me with disapproval and said, "Michael, I know there are some people out there that take advantage of others. I also know some people out there that are one paycheck away from being homeless. If I gave $20 to 10 people and only one of them really needed it and used it for the right thing, it was worth it." I am now thirty-seven years old and have never forgotten what he said to me. I don't even remember his name now. But I do remember that this experience changed my perspective . Why did the author think the man was telling a lie? Liu Qian, a magician from Taiwan, cast his spell over an audience of thousands on the CCTV Spring Festival Show. Die-hard fans are still trying to work out the secrets behind many of the tricks he performed. But Liu, 32, when asked, laughed off the idea that there might be an "answer" to his magic. "The most fascinating things about magic is the puzzling process. People enjoy how magicians make the impossible come true," said Liu. Few people today believe in the possibility of real magic. They also often fail to consider magicians' devotion to their art. It can take a magician years' of practice to perfect a trick before he performs it on stage. Part of Liu's star appeal is his astonishing skill. However, when he began in the industry, he was embarrassingly clumsy. "I could practice thousands of times for one single act. It wasn't much fun," he said. No magician's supernatural powers on stage extend to their life off stage. Liu says his life was no easier or funnier because he was a magician. He developed an interest in magic at a young age, but didn't consider making a living out of it until he graduated from university. He had studied Japanese language and found himself unable to find a job. "My parents never considered being a magician as a proper job. To begin with, I had little confidence I would be doing this in the long term," he said. Yet Liu felt a powerful calling to become a magician. "For many people, magic somehow means a miracle, which is something we all secretly wish for no matter how hard-bitten or cynical we become," he said. Liu may be right. A popular modern dream is of the fairy godmother, who waves her magic wand and makes our dreams come true. But according to Liu, we all have the power to create magic in our lives. As Liu puts it: it's not the magic that makes it work;it's the way we work that makes it magic. Which of the following is true according to the passage? Once I spoke at a high school. After the speech, I was asked to see a special student. An illness had kept the boy home, but he had expressed an interest in meeting me, and it would mean a great deal to him. I agreed. He was Matthew. When he was born, the doctor told his parents that he would not live to see five, then they were told he would not make it to ten. Now he was thirteen. He wanted to meet me because I was a gold-medal weight lifter, and I knew about overcoming obstacles and going for my dreams. I spent over an hour talking to Matthew. Never once did he complain. He spoke about winning and succeeding and going for his dreams. Obviously, he knew what he was talking about. He just talked about his hopes for the future, and how one day he wanted to lift weight with me. When we finished talking, I went to my briefcase and pulled out the first gold medal I won and put it around his neck. I told him he was more of a winner and knew more about success and overcoming obstacles than I ever would. He looked at it for a moment, then took it off and handed it back to me. He said, "You are a champion. You earned that medal. Someday when I get to the Olympics and win my own medal, I will show it to you." Last summer I got the news that Matthew had passed away and a letter Matthew had written me a few days before: Dear Rick, My mom said I should send you a thank-you letter for the picture you sent me. The doctors tell me that I don't have long to live any more. But I still smile as much as I can. I told you some day I was going to the Olympics and win a gold medal. But I know now I'll never make it. But I know I'm a champion, and God knows that too. When I get to Heaven, God will give me my medal and when you get there, I will show it to you. Thank you for loving me. Your friend, Matthew Which of the statements is TRUE? Over a long period of time, some flowering plants have become dependent on honey bees to fertilize their seeds. In recent years, a form of mite has infected and killed the honey bees in many areas of the country. Since this has happened, the once bee-dependent plants with the best chance of surviving are those that I was the youngest of five boys and also had four sisters who had to pull together and take care of each other. Dad wasn't around, so I never knew him well. He killed himself when I was three years old, leaving mom with the job of raising nine kids. She was a very hard worker, and in order to make ends meet, she hardly ever rested. With my mom as my example, I learned that hard work is the best way to get what you want. Even as a little boy, I knew I was going to be successful. Regardless of what I chose, I wanted to make my brothers, sisters and mom proud of me--not only by being successful in what I chose to do, but also as a person who could be looked up to for the right reasons. Surprising as it might seem, basketball wasn't in my plans. One day, my mom cut a rim off an old water barrel and then held it up for me to throw an old rubber ball through. By junior high, I started playing basketball on a team. I loved to compete. For me, it paid off. I always put the effort in, every day. I am grateful for the life I've enjoyed as a basketball star. Basketball is not life. It can be exciting. But the most important thing about basketball is that it gives me a way to do good things for others as I move through this journey called life. Why did the author's father kill himself?
Question: BEIJING - President Xi Jinping's visit to Russia has enhanced bilateral strategic mutual trust and support, and expanded practical cooperation between the two countries, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told media on Sunday. Wang made the remarks while introducing to reporters travelling with the Chinese official delegation the fruits of Xi's first foreign trip as China's new head of state, which had taken him to Russia, Tanzania, South Africa, and the Republic of the Congo. In Russia, Xi and the Russian president Putin had spent eight hours together in meetings and exchanges that could be characterized as frank, practical and congenial, Wang said, adding the two leaders reached important _ on strategic coordination and set the direction and outlined key sectors for future cooperation. The two countries have made it clear that they will support each other in promoting their respective development and national renewal, safeguarding core interests, and independently choosing their own development paths and social and political systems, the foreign minister said. The two sides agreed that they will closely coordinate in international and regional affairs, uphold the principles of the UN Charter, and jointly promote democracy in international relations, he said. China and Russia, during the visit, also promoted their practical cooperation. During the visit,32 cooperation agreements signed by the two sides are dubbed(...,...)as the "contracts of the century" because they are enormous in value and cover a long period of time, he said. "The energy cooperation covers such areas as petroleum, natural gas, nuclear power, electricity, coal and new sources of energy, and runs through the industry both of its up and down streams," he added. What is the best title of the passage? A. Xi Jinping's visit to Russian is a great success. B. Xi Jingping visited four countries during Mar.22-30 C. Russia is the biggest friend of China. D. China and Russia signed 32 "contracts of the century". Answer: A. Xi Jinping's visit to Russian is a great success. Question: Today there are many fires than in the past. Over 100,000 wildfires burn each year in America. Russia has 20,000 to 35,000 wildfires every year. Australia has on average 60,000 each year. These fires destroy huge areas of forests and burn hundreds of homes. Many experts believe there are several reasons for this sudden increase in fires. The first reason is climate change. Recent weather has been warmer and drier. This leads to dangerous fire conditions. When lightening strikes ,dry grass easily catches fire. Hot winds add to the problem. The wind spreads a fire quickly. In 2010, Russia had the hottest and driest summer in a century. In just one month, 500 fires destroyed over 2,000 homes. Some people lost their lives. Traditional fire-fighting practices are another reason for the increase in fires. In America, firefighters used to quickly put out every fire. They didn't allow the grass and trees to burn. As a result, today many forests have thicker vegetation .Thicker vegetation means more fuel for fires. Also, without fires from time to time, forests become overcrowded and unhealthy. Some trees are dead. The dead wood then easily catches fire. So surprisingly, America has many more fires today partly because of its past fire-fighting practices. Scientists now understand that a fire can be a natural part of a healthy forest. As a result, countries like Australia allow more fires to burn naturally. Sometimes, fire fighters even start fires to get rid of dead wood. Of course, they carefully control the fires. The fire thins out old trees. This allows sunlight to reach the ground. As a result, fires help new trees to grow. Therefore, if a fire is not a serious threat to people, firefighters may let it burn naturally. What happens because of the traditional fire-fighting practices in the USA? A. There are fewer wildfires. B. Trees and grass become thicker. C. The weather becomes warmer and drier. D. Sunlight reaches the ground to help forests. Answer: B. Trees and grass become thicker. Question: Lily is a healthy girl. She likes to eat vegetables and fruits every day. She has eggs, milk, bananas and bread for breakfast. For lunch, she likes sandwiches, carrots and apples. And she eats chicken, tomatoes, broccoli and fruit salad for supper. Sometimes she has ice cream or apple pies for dessert. She has a good friend, Henry. He is very fat, because he likes to eat much junk food, such as ice cream, chocolate, French fries, coke, popcorn and so on. He gets much fat from the unhealthy food. Henry is _ . A. healthy B. unhealthy C. thin D. tall Answer: B. unhealthy Question: Become a professional dog trainer, dog walker or pet sitter with our expert education adn lifetime business support. Top Dog Trainers School will teach you everything you need to know about running your new business. A diploma from Top Dog Trainers School will take you into an enjoyable careet with animals. * We help you create a profitable and successful business from the bottom up with little overhead costs. * We have 10 years lf animal care experience. * We run a Dog Training business making over$150,00per year. * You will leam how to rank your website at the top of search engines. * Hands-on experience with animals and customer relations. * We guide you through business insurance,taxes,licenses,and more. Dog Trainers Course In this 2 week course you will be taught how to run a profitable and enjoyable dog training business. You will have hands on experience training and caring for at least 12 dogs ofall sorts ranging in size from a toy poodle to an Anatolian Shepherd. You will leam about all available training techniques and equipment so you can provide personalized training for four customers. We will train you how to run classes and private in-home lessons. How to run a safe and secure kennel including advance animal health care. Dog Walkers and Pet Sitters Course In this 1 week course you will have experience caring for over a dozen dogs,parrots,chickens, ducks,cats,and horses. We will teach you the secrets of successful dog walkers with hours of dog ,parrots,chickens,ducks,cats,and horses. We will teach you the secrets of successful dog walkers with hours of walking experience. We will teach you how to wash dogs and horses. We will teach you how to properly care for cats and birds. Through the courses you will learn _ . A. the secrets of how to train the horses B. how to take care of some pets and birds C. how to search for business chanses on the internet D. how to keep your customers'houses clean and healthy Answer: B. how to take care of some pets and birds Question: Chinese New Year is next week in January this year. Do you need great furniture for your room? Come and buy things at our great sale at Helen's Furniture Store. Look! Here are some nice tape players in white, blue and red for mothers. We sell them for only $20. For students, we have desks and chairs for $25 a set. You can buy big tables for $50 and small tables for $40. What color do you like? Sofas in all colors are only $100 each. One interesting thing: You can buy great vegetables here, too. The vegetables are from Yunnan and Taiwan. Come to our store. You will like it. You can't buy _ at the great sale. A. vegetables B. sofas C. tape players D. fruit Answer: D. fruit
Are extraverts really better leaders? Can an introvert be a good leader? Research has shown a consistent positive relationship between extraversion and leadership. In groups of strangers,such as a jury , extraversion predicts who will be selected foreperson of the jury. It's actually likely to be the person who talks the most,and that person is probably an extravert. So, extraverts are more likely to be chosen for leadership positions (what we call leader "emergence"). There is also a positive relationship (although a weaker one) between extraversion and leader effectiveness, particularly evaluated effectiveness of leaders. So it appears that extraverts have _ an _ edge, _ but does this mean that introverts can't be good leaders? Of course not ! Many successful leaders are introverted, for example Abraham Lincoln, Gandhi, and in business, Bill Gates and Warren Buffett. One of the best company presidents that I've known was easily the most introverted person among his executive team, but he was very successful and his colleagues admired his "quiet reserve and confidence". So what is the critical factor that both extraverts and introverts need to emerge as a leader and to be effective? Our research has suggested that the key element is good interpersonal, or social, skills. In one study,we looked at the relationship of extraversion to leadership emergence and effectiveness and found that the advantage that extraverts had disappeared when we put social skills into the equation . In other words,only extraverts who possessed social skills were effective leaders. Good interpersonal skills are critical whether the leader is an extravert or an introvert. In addition,we know that we are more likely to choose leaders who look like their prototypes of leaders--they speak well, interact well with others, and just look "leader-like". Extraverts just naturally look more like a prototypical leader, particularly political leaders, than do introverts. Think of the U.S. presidential campaign where presidential hopefuls were evaluated for how much each looked like he or she could be the Commander-in-Chief. The key to leadership success then is to develop the people skills needed to look like a leader, but to also develop the good leader-follower relationships that are necessary for success. If you possess these skills,introversion and extraversion don't matter very much. Why does the author mention the U.S. presidential election campaign? Answer: To indicate the importance of developing people skills. I will never forget what my old headmaster told me. Normally when you are only 15years of age you do not remember most of the things that are preached by your teachers. But, this particular story is one such lesson that I will never forget. Every time I drift off course, I get reminded of this story. It was a normal Monday morning at an assembly, and he was addressing the students on important things in life and about committing ourselves to what is important to us. This is how the story went: An old man lived in a certain part of London, and he would wake up every morning and go to the subway. He would get the train right to Central London, and then sit at the street corner and beg. He would do this every single day of his life. He sat at the same street corner and begged for almost 20 years. His house was filthy, and a stench came out of the house and it smelled horribly. The neighbours could not stand the smell anymore, so they summoned the police officers to clear the place. The officers knocked down the door and cleaned the house. There were small bags of money all over the house that he had collected over the years. The police counted the money, and they soon realized that the old man was a millionaire. They waited outside his house in anticipation to share the good news with him. When he arrived home that evening, he was met by one of the officers who told him that there was no need for him to beg any more as he was a rich man now, a millionaire. He said nothing at all: he went into his house and locked the door. The next morning he woke up as usual, went to the subway, got into the train, and sat at the street corner and continued to beg. Obviously, this old man had no great plans, dreams or anything significant for his life. We learn nothing from this story other than staying focused on the things we enjoy doing, commitment(,). We should remain true to our course, although it may mean committing ourselves to things that people around us would normally disapprove. Just keep it in mind that commitment attracts wealth. What can we learn from the passage? Answer: Commitment attracts wealth. Whether it's a carol service or an evening of karaoke in the pub, many people will enjoy a good old singsong this Christmas. Singing aloud will not just lift the spirits---it's good for your physical health as well. Filling the lungs with air, increasing the heart rate and getting blood pumping round the body faster can all help our physical health. For the past few years Heart Research UK has been Funding a Christmas campaign aimed at getting people singing, simply for the benefit it can bring. The organizer of the campaign says singing is a safe, simple and social activity that everyone can enjoy. "Singing is linked to long life, stress reduction, and general health protection. It also brings a great amount of happiness. It is impossible to sing well with a long face because it affects your pitch ." Professor Graham Welch, who leads the International Music Education Research Centre at the University of London, has spent more than 30 years studying the effects of singing. He says that singing is a form of exercise. It means we're also having a strong aerobic activity when we're singing, which results in increasing the feeling of pleasure while decreasing that of stress. "And communal singing--like in a singing group, a church service or even a singsong in the pub--helps improve our sense of self-respect. It increases our sense of satisfaction with ourselves, a greater sense of feeling included. " Helen Astrid, a singing teacher, also sees the great effects that singing brings. "It lifts us up on a spiritual level, it helps our self-respect, and it's great for all ages from small kids to grannies--you can have a good sing and _ ." But she warns people not to have too many beers or glasses of wine, though a glass may help them gather courage before taking to the stage during the holidays. Heart Research UK holds a campaign to _ . Answer: get people to sing and improve their health People in the western state of California who are in the United States illegally can now request a driver's license. The law went into effect on January l. California is not the first American state with such a law, but it has the largest number of illegal immigrants. More than a million people began to request licenses shortly after the new state law went into effect. Among them was Christian Alvarado. Mr. Alvarado entered the United States from El Salvador eight years ago without permission from the U.S. government. Some call such people "illegal immigrants." Others call them "undocumented immigrants " Mr. Alvarado thinks is so exciting, for be has been waiting for the license for a long time. But some are worried that their personal information will be used to find them and deport them. Armando Botello is a spokesman for the California Department of Motor Vehicles, or DMV. He says people should not be afraid, for such information will not be shared. The new licenses are the same as licenses given to citizens except that they have the words "Federal Limits Apply". That means the license cannot be used to travel on an airplane or enter a federal building. Ana Garcia, working at the Central American Resource Center, says some illegal immigrants fear those words will be used to abuse them. Civil rights groups say the police and others Dan Schnur , a political scientist at the University of Southern California, said that the main argument against the new law is that it rewards illegal behavior. But Professor Schnur argued that young, white Americans generally support immigration reform, including giving driver's licenses to illegal immigrants "It's simply because they grew up a much more multicultural society than their parents or their grandparents did:" Professor Schnur says he believes the changes in beliefs about illegal immigrants that have taken place in California will spread throughout the United States. What is the difference of the new licenses compared to those given to citizens'? Answer: They can't be used to travel on an airplane or enter a federal building. One of the easiest ways to keep fit is to do jogging. Jogging is the name for a very gentle running. It is just a little faster than walking. Start slow jog 20 meters, then walk 20 meters. Little by little, if you are not feeling very tired, you may do more jogging and less walking. Finally, jog the whole way. It will be easy for you to start jogging for 15 minutes twice a week, slowly, increase this to 20-30minutes everyday. The longer you join in jogging, the more you enjoy it and the healthier you will become. Some people like jogging alone, and others enjoy doing it with friends. Jogging in groups makes more people keener , because you just can not stay in bed while there is a group of friends waiting outside. If you want to start jogging, prepare a pair of comfortable shoes and determined mind. One good point of jogging in groups is _ . Answer: you are not likely to give it up halfway
Some American parents might think their children need better education to compete with China and other countries' children. But how much do the parents themselves need to change? A new book Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother written by Amy Chua has caused a debate about cultural differences in parenting. Ms. Chua is a professor at the Yale Law School in New Haven, Connecticut, and a mother of two daughters. She was raised in America by immigrant Chinese parents. In her book, Ms. Chua wrote about how she demanded excellence from her daughters. For example, she threatened to burn her daughter's dolls unless she played a piece of music perfectly. She would scold her daughters if they failed to meet her expectations. Ms. Chua had a clear list of what her daughters, Sophia and Louisa, were not permitted to do: "Attend a sleepover, have a play date, watch TV or play computer games, be in a school play, get any grade less than an A." Many people criticize Amy Chua, saying her parenting methods were cruel and violent. She even admits that her husband, who is not Chinese, sometimes objected to her parenting style. But she says that is the way her parents raised her and her three sisters. Ms. Chua says she eased some of the pressure after her younger daughter _ and shouted "I hate my life! I hate you!" But she also says American parents often have low expectations of their children's abilities. Amy Chua thinks one of the biggest differences between Western and Chinese parents is that Chinese parents take on strength rather than fragility." Stacy DeBroff, who has written four books on parenting, says: "Parents should rethink, what does it mean to be a successful parent and what does it mean to be a successful child?" She says Amy Chua's parenting style is not limited to Chinese families. It represents a traditional way of parenting among immigrants seeking a better future for their children. But she also sees a risk. When children have no time to be social or to follow their own interests, they might not develop other skills that they need to succeed in life. Stacey DeBroff advises parents to develop their own style of parenting and not just repeat the way they were raised. What is Stacy DeBroff's warning to immigrant parents? Answer: This is my school. There are many trees and flowers in it. The teaching building is big and tall. There is a big playground in our school..It is very nice to have it . After 4:30 in the afternoon, many students come to the playground to play football and some students play table tennis in the table tennis room. There are 1,200 students in 30 classes in our school. The students all like to study. The teachers in our school are very good. They help the students to study and sometimes play with them .All the students like them, too. It's very nice for this school to have _ . Answer: The roots of what we call"volunteerism"reach back many generations, to a time when neighbors and townspeople would come together to build and run their communities' most important organizations--everything from schools and governments to fire-fighting and self-defense. Besides organizations,however, this early volunteerism brought community elements more tightly together, allowing neighbors to get to know one another, to achieve something important and,more often than not to have fun. _ Today,volunteerism continues to thrive.Why? Because volunteerism gets people out of their homes,and brings them together with others who share their interests and concerns.It gives people a chance to directly improve the communalities in which they live.And it's still fun. As an important part of social life,volunteer service is gaining more attention and support in the whole world.Volunteers make considerable contributors to social and economic development of the world in the fields such as humanitarian assistance ,social welfare ,education,environmental protection,health and etc.In 1985,the United Nations General Assembly announced the December 5th of each year as the International Volunteers'Day--the day for volunteers all over the world.On this day,many countries in the world organize various activities to celebrate International Volunteers' Day and encourage volunteerism and voluntary service. In recent years,volunteer service in China is also developing very fast With the coming of the Olympic Games to Beijing,more and more citizens are willing to be volunteers and various voluntary organizations are set up.Olympic volunteers won't just watch history unfold on their television screens--they'll have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to share the excitement. and make history themselves. We can infer from the passage that_. Answer: South Asia heatwave kills nearly 100 DHAKA - A heat wave sweeping India, Bangladesh and Nepal has killed nearly 100 people over the past two weeks, officials said on June 3, 2005. A third of the people died in northern Bangladesh, mostly women and children from dehydration , heat stroke and diarrhoea . "We are getting reports of several deaths due to heat wave and related diseases almost every day," an official said, as temperatures touched 43degC . The weather office in Dhaka said the hot weather will persist for another week until the monsoon rains which are normally due by the middle of June. Severe heat conditions in the southern Indian have killed at least 55 people, officials in the two states said. While temperatures have fallen from a high of 45degC in Andhra Pradesh to around 40degC, giving a respite to people, they are still on the rise in Orissa with Talcher town registering 48.5deg C, a weather official said. At least five people have died in prefix = st1 /Nepalfrom extreme heat, the government said. Which place is the hottest in the early June, 2005? Answer: Mapping Your World Different forms of maps are appearing.They allow independent travelers to get local knowledge of places they are visiting, from the official to the unusual.Meanwhile, hi-tech developments are creating new ways for us to map the world.Here are two of our favorites: Green Maps Green Maps allows people to share with the world their knowledge of environmentally friendly places and attractions in the local areas.Users add information with a set of icons , making it easy to read any map, whatever the nationalities of those who produce it.At present there are over five hundred map projects being developed in 54 countries.Green Maps' advertised idea is "think global, map local".It is a wonderful way of gaining all sorts of information of a place, ranging from community gardens to good places of birdwatching. Green Maps is not specifically intended for travelers.Not all of its maps are online, so it may be necessary for some users to communicate with the producers through the Green Maps website. Maps Mashups Many people use online maps developed by Google, but not many know about the mashups of them.Working in a similar way to Green Maps, Map Mashups allows people to add icons of their own to existing maps to express a certain topic.The mashups is so called because it combines all the knowledge you could ever need.It ranges from the extremely useful, such as where all the World Heritage Sites are, to the most bizarre ,such as where America's drunkest cities are.With the mashups added to the basic Google Maps, a multi-layered map can be created. Map Mashups is named with the word "mashups" because _ Answer:
Cities with high levels of homeownership--in the range of 75%, like Detroit and St. Lous -had on average considerably lower levels of economic activity and much lower wages and incomes. Far too many people in financial problems are trapped in homes they can't sell, unable to move on to new centers of opportunity. The cities and regions with the lowest levels of homeownership--in the range of 55% to 60% like Los Angeles and New York--had healthier economies and higher incomes. They also had higher levels of happiness and well-being. I was shocked to read these interesting points that Richard Florida made in his recent article. Let me try to understand. The people in Detroit and St. Louis are less happy than the people in New York, and Los Angeles. And, the reason is because of home ownership rates? First, to compare them to New York City (the economic capital of the world), Los Angeles (the entertainment capital of the world) seems unfair. Most people in almost any other city in the world might be less happy! Next, let's try a different way of determining whether renters are happier than homeowners. Why don't we ask them? Fannie Mae's National Housing Survey 2010 reported: 75% of current renters believe owning a home makes more sense. 67% plan to buy a home at some point in the future. When they asked current renters for the major reason to buy a house, these were their answers (they could pick several answers): 78% said it was a good place to raise children. 75% said because they would feel safe. 70% said because you have control your own space. If you believe renters are happier, you would also have to believe the majority enjoy living in a less safe environment, which wouldn't be a good place to raise children and would be a place where they have less control of their space. ks5u In his article, Richard Florida tried to express that _ . A. people in Los Angeles are happier than those in St. Louis B. Renting a house is better than owning a house C. Detroit's economy is healthier than New York's economy D. New York and Los Angeles are happiest cities Answer: B. Renting a house is better than owning a house BIG DAY: New Canadian citizen Pemelika Fiaui poses with his son Tyler, 4, outside of The Playhouse on Tuesday. The ceremony marked the end of a five-year journey for Pemelika Fiaui of Western Samoa. Fiaui, a 6'4", 240-pound member of local rugby team Black Spruce, said the day was emotional. "I was really happy to get my citizenship today; it was a long process," he said. "I couldn't have done this without the support of my wife, my in-laws and my two kids, who have been so supportive of me." Fiaui, a firefighter by trade, arrived in New Brunswick in 2003 and found work with the parks and trails department with the City of Fredericton. He became involved with the local rugby scene, and for the past three years is back in his chosen field as a relief firefighter with the Fredericton Fire Department. "I've met so many great people since I've been in Fredericton, and this is a very special day for me and my family. I'm happy to be a Canadian, but I'm also glad that I still hold dual citizenship in Western Samoa as well." The citizenship ceremony was overseen by a number of dignitaries , including Lt.-Gov. Hermenegilde, Chiasson, MP Andy Scott, Mayor Brad Woodside and John Barrett, director of operations for Citizenship and Immigration Canada. Chiasson joked by welcoming the new Canadians "to the country that invented ice skates, maple syrup and the case of beer with the built-in handle." The day was also special for Jean-Jacques Tshimenga, his wife Sarah, and their three children, formerly of the Democratic Republic of Congo. "Canada Day is the day to celebrate the independence and freedom that we have in this country," he said. Which of the following might be the best title? A. Big day for Fiaui--a new Canadian B. The story of Fiaui, a firefighter C. Canada Day--the day to celebrate independence and freedom D. A five-year journey of Fiaui Answer: A. Big day for Fiaui--a new Canadian Hi, I'm Judy. I'm a middle school student . In my class, there are thirty-eight students. How do they go to school every day? Seventeen of them take buses because they live far from the school. Six students walk. They think walking is good exercise. Fifteen students ride their bikes to school because they like riding bikes very much and their homes are not far from the school. No one goes to school by car. How do I go to school? Ha, I'm one of the fifteen. There are _ students in Judy's class. A. 29 B. 30 C. 38 D. 45 Answer: C. 38 Every country has its own way of cooking. American people have their way of cooking, don't they? Most people in the United States like fast food, but if you think that American people don't like cooking, you are wrong. It's true that most Americans eat fast food for their breakfast and lunch, but they also think cooking is interesting. Parents see the importance of teaching their children how to cook, and most Americans say that home cooked meals are the best. Americans have their own way of cooking. For example, baking is the most popular way of cooking in America. Most American families have ovens. American cooks pay attention to the balance of food. In planning a big meal, they try to cook meat, a few vegetables, some bread and often some sweet food. They also like to make the meal look beautiful. There are many kinds of food of different colors, so the meal is healthy and looks beautiful, too. How does an American cook balance different kinds of food? A. He cooks a lot of meat. B. He cooks meat, vegetables, bread and sweet food for a big meal. C. He makes the food delicious. D. He cooks a lot of vegetable. Answer: B. He cooks meat, vegetables, bread and sweet food for a big meal. When summertime came Jack the Pirate made up his mind it was time to get his hair cut. He told all his friends that it was because he wanted a new look. But the truth was the Sun was too hot for Jack the Pirate. His long hair only made it worse. So he left his home by Whipple Creek and went into town to visit the Edward the Barber at his barbershop. It was fun getting his hair cut, and when it was done Jack the Terrier felt fresh and cool. "Your friends won't even know it's you, Jack!" said Edward the Barber as Jack the Pirate headed out the door. On the way back home, he took a short cut through the forest, and he met three people who were his friends. First he met Ichabod the Chief of Police, who was doing an important case. Jack said "Hello, Ichabod!" but Ichabod ignored him. The second person he met was Willy the Candy Man, who was delivering delicious treats. Jack said "Howdy, Willy!" but Willy didn't say anything back. The third person Jack met was Dean the Librarian, who was looking for a book he had lost. Jack said "Hey, Dean!" but Dean didn't stop looking for his book. "That's odd," thought Jack to himself, as he arrived home. "Why did all of my friends ignore me today?" Then he looked in the mirror and saw why. He looked like a totally different person. His friends must not have even known it was him! Why didn't Jack's friends say hello to him? A. His haircut made him look like a different person. B. He was in the forest. C. He left his home by Whipple Creek. D. Dean the Librarian lost his book. Answer: A. His haircut made him look like a different person.
Astronomers have captured the first direct image of a planet being born. Adam Kraus, of the University of Hawaii's Institute for Astronomy, said the planet is being formed out of dust and gas circling a 2-million-yea-old star about 450 light years from Earth. The planet itself, based on scientific models of how planets form, is believed to have started taking shape about 50,000 to 100,000 years ago. Called LkCa 15b, it's the youngest planet ever observed. The previous record holder was about five times older. Kraus and his colleague, Michael Ireland from Macquarie University and the Australian Astronomical Observatory, used Keck telescopes on Mauna Kea(a volcano on the island of Hawaii, US) to find the planet. Kraus presented the discovery Wednesday at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. Observing planets while they're forming can help scientists answer questions like weather planets form early in the life of a star or later, and whether they form relatively close to stars or father away. Planets can change orbits after forming, so it's difficult to answer such questions by studying older planets. "These very basic questions of when and where are best answered when you can actually see the planet forming, as the process is happening right now," Kraus said. Scientists hadn't been able to see such young planets before because the stars they're circling around outshine them. Kraus and Ireland used two techniques to overcome this problem.[:++] One method, which is also used by other astronomers, was to change the shape of the telescope mirrors to remove light distortion created by the Earth's atmosphere. The other method they used, which was unique, was to put masks with several holes over most of the telescope mirrors. The combination of these techniques allowed the astronomers to obtain high-quality images that let them see the planet next to the bright star. The star LkCa 15--the planet is named after its star--was the team's second target. They immediately knew they were seeing something new, so they plan to gather more data on the star. Which of the following would be the best title for the text? A. Youngest planet seen as it's forming. B. Planet 450 light years away discovered. C. World's first direct image of a planet taken. D. New technique helps discover young planets. Answer: A You are busy with your job but want to make new friends? You miss your old friends and try to find them? Then try a new website --- Facebook. Mark Zuckerberg,a Harvard student,created Facebook only about eight years ago. At first,it was only for Harvard students. Soon it became popular on the Internet. Now over 25 million people around the world use it to keep in touch with their friends. People like Facebook because it makes them feel comfortable. On Facebook,they share joys or sorrows by posting pictures and videos. What's more,they leave messages and give online presents to their friends. Now Facebook,like eBay,is a place to sell things. The best part about Facebook is to help find old friends. For people,the only thing to do is to sign their real names. Then it takes a short time to sign their old friends. So have fun with Facebook if you love to be with friends,old or new. Facebook was created _ . A. twenty years ago B. thirty years ago C. by Mark Zuckerberg and his classmates D. by a Harvard student named Mark Zuckerberg Answer: D Long long ago in England, there lived a man named Robin Hood. Robin Hood lived with other men in a forest, Sherwood Forest. Robin Hood was a thief -- a different kind of thief. He stole from the rich and gave what he stole to the poor. Poor people didn't need to worry about going into Sherwood Forest. Robin Hood often gave them money. Everyone in England knew about Robin Hood. The king was angry! He didn't want a thief to be a hero. He sent his men to Sherwood Forest to catch Robin Hood. But they weren't able to catch him. The king wanted to meet Robin Hood and knew what kind of person he was. One day, he dressed himself up as a poor man, and then he went to Sherwood Forest to see Robin Hood. After the king talked to Robin Hood, he liked him very much. He said, "I like you very much, but I have to tell you the _ .". He told Robin Hood who he really was. Robin Hood was not angry. He laughed and laughed. The king invited Robin Hood to come and live in the castle. The castle was 20 miles away. Robin had to walk south, cross a river, turn left and then turn left to get there. Long long ago in England, Robin Hood. lived with other men _ A. in a forest, B. at a hotel C. in the castle D. by a river Answer: A Some of these creatures with fluffy butts live in grassy areas A. snakes B. doe C. scorpions D. turtles Answer: B Should you stay at home to look after your child,or return to work? Maybe you don't have the option.Combining work and motherhood is an issue faced by increasing numbers of women every day. New research for the Institute for Economic and Social Research could solve this quandary once and for all.In short,it concludes that going back to work after the birth of a child can have a negative impact on the child's development--unless you have lots of money. "Growing up in a family in which the mother chooses to work appears to have some adverse consequences for children's welfare," the research says.However,it adds that extra money brought in by both parents can reduce the negative effect.The negative effect is also less apparent in children of bettereducated mothers. The research by John Ermisch and Marco Francesconi is especially downbeat about welfare to work programmes,and especially,the prospects for the children of some single parents. "It is hard to see anything but gloomy prospects for the children of single parents (who are generally poor)," the researchers said.This is because in a common family where both parents work,extra money brought in by the mother's working would compensate for less time spent with the children. In contrast,the researchers said the effects of paternal employment were far more modest,but this did not mean that fathers had no role in shaping their children's welfare.Money brought in by the father would be a major resource for helping children develop. The research says,however,that before parents get too carried away by worrying about working,there are more important issues facing a child's development.Parents' personalities and emotional stability,parenting practices,and the friends and networks that children experience while growing up will be much bigger factors than whether their mothers work. The extra money brought in by both parents _ . A. plays different roles in shaping a child's welfare B. can reduce the negative effect on a child C. has negative effect on a child's development D. may damage the life of children Answer: B
Question: Bill, Frank and Dave were three brothers. Every year they sent their mother expensive gifts on her birthday,. They liked to show her how rich they were. The eldest brother. Bill, had a lot of money and he wanted his mother to have the most expensive gifts, but he didn't know what to buy. So he put an ad in the newspaper. "Wanted-the greatest gift for my mother." About a week before his mother's birthday a man came to his office. He brought a big bird. "This bird." the man said, "can speak ten languages and sing some pop songs." "Really? I'd like to listen to it," Bill said. The man made the bird talk in French and tell a joke in Japanese. Then the bird sang a beautiful song. Bill was very happy and paid nine thousand dollars for the bird. The next day Bill sent the bird to his mother with a birthday card. The day after his mother's birthday he called his mother. "Well, mother" he asked, "What do you think of the bird?" "Oh, it's very delicious, dear." said his mother. What did Bill send to his mother for her birthday? A. A bird with a card B. Some money C. A joke D. A song Answer: A. A bird with a card Question: Soon computers and other machines will be able to remember you by looking at your eyes! The program works because everyone's eyes are different. So in the future you won't have to remember a number when you want to use a machine or take money out of a bank. You'll just have to look at the machine and it will be able to tell who you are. The eye-recognition program is already being tested in shops and banks in the USA, Britain and France. Soon, this technology will change all other ways of finding out who people are. However, scientists are working on other systems. Machines will soon be able to know you from the shape of your face or hands or even your smell! We already have machines that can tell who you are from your voice or the mark made by your fingers. Eye-recognition is better than other kinds because your eyes don't change as you get older, or get dirty like hands or fingers. And even twins have different eyes, so the program can be up to 94% correct, depending on how good the technology is. Some programs may only be right 51% of the time. In Britain, it was found that 91% of people who had tried it said that they liked the idea of eye-recognition. In the future your computer will be looking at you in the eye. So smile! How does the eye-recognition program work? A. You type a number. B. You look at the machine. C. The machine listens to your voice. D. You need to walk with the machine. Answer: B. You look at the machine. Question: Although most people know there are Seven Wonders in the Ancient world, only few people can name them. This is because most of them are no longer there except the pyramids. However, there is a growing list of wonders of the world today. About nine years ago, UNESCO's World Cultural and Nature Heritage List had 411 places and 136 countries were responsible to protect them, and the list keeps on growing. Usually it is the task of a group of 21 experts to decide which places go on the list. The experts are chosen to work for six years. Their work is to examine and discuss the suggestions from different countries. They also manage the World Heritage Fund which can offer help to countries for protection work. Over the past centuries a lot of cultural or historic places have been destroyed by man or nature. Protecting our natural and cultural heritage is a long and difficult task. Earthquakes, floods, pollution, wars, or even tourism are some of the dangers that harm the heritage. When a historic place is in great danger, it is put on the World Heritage in Danger List and necessary things will be done to protect it. Places which are on the danger list include Historic Bridges of Indiana, St. Elizabeth's Hospital, Rosenwald School in Southern U.S., etc. .The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World include _ . A. Golden Gate Bridge B. Sydney Opera House C. the Great Wall D. the pyramids Answer: D. the pyramids Question: World War II lasted from 1939 to 1945. Life changed for everybody, including women and children because of the war. Millions of people lost their lives during the war. The Diary of a Young Girl was a record of that time. The book was written by a girl named Anne Frank. Anne Frank was born in Germany in June 1929. Because the German Nazi hated the Jews and warned to kill them, her family had to move to another country. In July 1942, they went into hiding in a secret place in her father's office. During that difficult time, Anne kept writing diaries until she and her family were discovered by the Nazis in August 1944. They were caught and sent to a Nazi camp. The next year, her mother died. In the same year, she and her elder sister died of illness, before the war ended. After the war, her father collected her diaries and the book The Diary of a Young Girl came out in 1947. It has been put into over 30 languages since then. The book has been read by people all over the world. In her diary, Anne wrote down her thoughts, her feelings, her hopes and her dreams for the future, "I want the diary to be my friend, and I'm going to call this friend Kitty." "I can't spend all day complaining because it's impossible to have any fun! ... Every day, I feel the beauty of nature and the goodness of the people around me. With all that, why should 1 be sad?" The Diary of a Young Girl has also become a symbol of the greatness of the human spirit. It is called one of the wisest and most moving records on war. According to the passage, "Kitty" is _ . A. her diary B. her elder sister C. her mother D. her hiding place Answer: A. her diary Question: Efforts to reduce the damage from the huge oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico are under way . How can you help ?A number of organizations are recruiting volunteers. The Deep Water Horizon response team is looking for help in identifying shoreline and animals affected . Oiled wildlife should not be captured but instead reported at 1-866-557-1401. To report areas with oil ashore or to leave contact information to volunteers in the affected areas , call 1-866-448-5816. The National Wildlife Federation is looking for volunteers and support to help spot distressed or oiled wildlife , and to assist in the cleanup and restoration efforts along the coast of Louisiana. You can text the word "NWF" to 20222. That'ss donate $10 to the National Wildlife Federation through your phone bill. United Way has launched the Gulf Recovery Fund . which is providing emergency assistance and long-term recovery support for the communities affected by this oil spill . Those who need help or want to volunteer can dial 2-1-1.You can donate to this fund by going to liveunited . org/gulfrecovery.or text the word "United" to 50555 to donate $10 from your mobile phone. The First Response Team of America is working with the National Guard in Southern Louisiana to build dams to hold back the oil from the fragile coastal habitats . Their founder , Tad Agoglia --who was named a CNN Hero in 2008--has made their work on the oil . spill their top Priority until the disaster is contained.They are looking for volunteers . Call 941-388-3010. AmenCares is providing medical care and supplies to oilspill victims along the Gulf , and is funding and assisting mental health assessments and counseling needs for the immediate and long-term health and mental health issues affecting children as a result of this disaster . Mental health experts are in great demand . The Children's Health Fund can be reached at 1-800-535-7418. .If you text the word . "NWF"to 20222 with your cellphone , you will _ . A. donate$10 to the Nationas Wildlife Federation B. get a free gift C. donate$10 to United Way D. have a chance of winning a trip to France Answer: A. donate$10 to the Nationas Wildlife Federation
Question: My friend got married. His mother carried two bags of cotton from the countryside by bus and train to his city. After arriving at the city, there was still a long way to his house without any bus passing by the house. His mother walked to his home breathlessly for 40 minutes without taking a taxi in order to save money. My friend felt bitter as well as funny at his mother's deeds. He pointed to the cashmere and silk quilts and said, "So long as you have money, you can buy anything in the supermarket. There is no need for you to carry so much cotton here in such a long way." But his mother insisted and said, "The cotton of this year is light and warmth-keeping. Have a try and you will know!" Maybe every parent is the same, caring for their children with stubborn love without caring about whether they know or like it. This early spring, I went to visit my grandmother. We had dry beans stew , eggplant salad bar, sauce radish for our dinner, all of which were dried by my grandmother last autumn and tasted wonderful. I loved the dishes to my heart's content and could not help praising them again and again. After a few days, my grandmother, who seldom visited us, came to my home and unpacked her bag, smilingly taking out bags of dried eggplants, dried beans and dried vegetable. She told me that I left so hastily last time that she forgot to give me some of these foods, so she took this chance to bring me what I liked. I was speechless at that time. Due to my casual complimentary her food, my grandmother, a nearly 70-year-old lady, by taking three buses from the west of the city to the east, came to my home with the food I liked. But she was bus-sick in life and even seldom went strolling in the street. My pretty girlfriend had a failed marriage in the past. After divorce, her parents shed the deepest protection and care to her by helping her attend to the child and offering financial aids. Her parents' love made her pull herself together and forgot the man who had hurt her before. Nonetheless, her father, an honest and upright old man, after hearing his ex-son-in-law got promoted in his company, felt terrifically irritated and went to his company to question his boss why a philandering man with corrupt conducts could get promoted. The whole office fell into a mess immediately and many staff just watched on the sidelines. Some people even whispered lightly, "It is a new era now and the relationship between men and women is very open. No one would care about that anymore!" The old man stood silently in the office with his hands shivering and eyes tearing. That night, my girlfriend cried heavily in front of me. I asked her whether it was her father's stupid deeds that made her feel _ But she said that she felt guilty for her dad and that though the rest of the whole world betrayed her, her old father would still back her up and help her get the justice she deserved, just as when she was young and the neighboring boy grabbed her ball, her father would get it back for her. However, this changed world was no longer the stage for her old father and his deeds became funnily obsolete. No one managed to see the real and ever-lasting love to his daughter behind his seemingly rude behaviors. Now we have grown up so much so that we could support our family and have our own children. But in our parents' heart, they are still worried that we do not have sufficient quilts and dried vegetables. They would not feel troubled to bring all these to us regardless of long tough journey. They even would not like us to suffer a bit and try all means to protect us without caring about whether what they do is awkward and stupid or not. Who in the world would love us so deeply and relentlessly without asking for any repay? Only our parents! After the author's girlfriend's former husband got promoted, her father _ . A. congratulated him B. made his daughter marry him again C. had a quarrel with him D. argued with his boss Answer: D Question: Oak tree seeds are planted and a sidewalk is paved right next to that spot, until eventually, the tree is tall and the roots must extend past the sidewalk, which means A. roots may fall apart B. roots may begin to die C. parts may break the concrete D. roots may be split Answer: C Question: In the hit film The bucket List, Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman meet in hospital in California after they have been diagnosed with cancer. Between them they cook up a "bucket list" ------ a to-do list of all they want to do before they _ . The movie makes you wonder what would be on your bucket list. So let's pack up some and see what it would cost to go out and have a little fun. THE PYRAMIDS, GIZA, EGYPT On to the pyramids, surely on anyone's bucket list. Exotik Tours can take you there on a variety of trips, including their popular Egypt Express which includes three nights in Cairo and a three-night Nile Cruise . From $1,384, including four-and five-star accommodation, 12 meals and a ton of sightseeing. _ 416-646-3347 TAJ MAHAL, AGRA, INDIA One of the world's most fascinating images, India's Taj Mahal makes even Nicholson and Freeman look calm. Toronto's Goway Travel has many suggestions for India, including a three-day independent visit to Agra. Stay at the attractive Oberoi AmarVilas overlooking the Taj. Include two breakfasts, touring and airport transfer from $1,420. _ 416-322-1034 THE GREAT WALL, CHINA If the Great Wall of China is on your bucket list, check into Tour East Holiday's four-day Amazing Beijing Tour for $580 per person, four-star accommodation, sightseeing including the Forbidden City and the Great Wall, breakfasts and two lunches, transportation and guide. _ 416-929-0888 THE HIMALAYAS, NEPAL And on to the Himalayas. Talk about something truly majestic . See the top of the world on GAP Adventures' Everest Adventure tour, a 15-day exploration including Everest Base Camp, teahouse lodge stays, and walking through Sherpa villages. Incredibly affordable at just $665 plus local payment of $250. GAP Adventures warns that this is a physically demanding trip. _ 416-260-0999 Which of the following websites may offer you more information about Agra? A. _ B. _ C. _ D. www.toureastholidays.com Answer: C Question: By today's standards, my mobile phone is pretty rubbish. It's a Nokia 1616. If that doesn't mean much to you ( it's not the kind of phone you see advertised on television) ,all you need to know is that it's a small, not very heavy device with which you can send and receive telephone calls and text messages. It also has a very handy torch on the top for when you can't find your keys, or when you drop something on the floor in the cinema. Apart from that, my phone doesn't do much. Well, it has an alarm, and it probably has a calculator and things like that, but it's nothing compared to a smartphone. Why would I want one of those? I have often been told that the big advantage of having a smartphone is that " you can do everything with them!" But when was the last time you saw someone doing "everything" with a smartphone? Okay, so they may have an endless list of functions, but generally they are used for checking social networking sites, playing games, and receiving and replying to emails. I'm happy just doing all of those things at home on my laptop. As far as I can tell, the best thing about having a smartphone is that you can be connected to the internet all the time. Don't get me wrong, I love the internet, but I just don't see the point of constantly being online. I can't remember the last time I received a Facebook update which was so urgent that I had to read it as soon as it appeared, and I can't imagine ever having a job which was so important that I would need to read work-related emails immediately. I would think that if someone needed me urgently, they would just ring me rather than send an email. And my trusty Nokia can manage that. One of the most peculiar effects of the smartphone is, in my opinion, the newly-found addiction to maps and navigation systems. Is there anything more boring than knowing exactly where you are all of the time? How do you get to know an area if you don't get lost there a few times? And if you are dependent on online maps, what happens to those great places you find just by chance? You can't exactly find out from google maps the journey from "here" to "that hidden cafe with the tasty-looking cakes", or to "that pond next to the church which looks really pretty in the evening sun. " It is, of course, true that we all occasionally need to be pointed in the right direction, but I find that there are often real life humans you can ask. There are many benefits of having a very basic mobile phone, like the face that it cost me about twenty pounds, and that I don't have to worry too much about it being stolen. But the main benefit has to be the fact that it provides me with the world's greatest excuse for my bad habits. Whether it's turning up late to events, or getting lost on a trip, or missing buses or trains, or forgetting about an appointment at work. I'm pretty sure I'm covered with the following explanation "I'm really sorry, but I don't have a smartphone." According to the passage, if you use navigation systems, you may _ . A. miss some really wonderful places B. find a boring trip actually exciting C. be persuaded to eat in a certain cafe D. be misled to a totally wrong place Answer: A Question: You may know May Day, but do you know Lei Day? Like May Day, Lei Day is also celebrated on May 1st. People wear leis on this day. A lei is a big circle usually made of flowers . On Lei Day, people give leis to each other. Where do you know this holiday is celebrated? Hawaii, of course! People give leis on birthdays, weddings and as a way to say "I love you". In 1928, a writer, Don Blanding, wrote an article saying that this tradition should become a holiday. Another writer, Grace Tower Warren, thought of the idea of celebrating this day on May 1st and said, "May Day is Lei Day."On this day in 1928, people wore leis and celebrated with music, dancing and a lei-making competition. The next year, Lei Day became a public holiday. Today, people still celebrate Lei Day in Hawaii. We hope they all have a happy May Day and a happy Lei Day! What do people give each other on Lei Day? A. Clothes. B. Books. C. Leis. D. Cakes. Answer: C
Question: Dear Jenny, How are you? Thanks for your last letter. I like English and Maths, too. I think they're interesting and useful . Our school is over at 3:40 p. m. every day and I can get home at 4 o'clock, but I don't go home at once . On Monday afternoon, I have a violin lesson from 4:00 to 5:00. I like sports, and I'm in the school basketball team with our P. E. teacher on Tuesday afternoon. On Wednesday afternoon, I go shopping with my parents. We buy a lot of food and fruits, and I like eating them very much. On Thursday, I often watch TV at home after school. I like Sports World very much On Saturday we don't have classes. I often sing in an art school. I like singing and I can sing better now. I usually go to the park or have a rest at home on Sunday. I'm busy every day, but I'm very happy because I have fun in my life. Yours, Alice Alice likes _ . A. Chinese and Maths B. English and Chinese C. English and Maths D. English and Biology Answer: C Question: Dear Guys, I'd like to talk to you about the shame you subjected me to last night. Let me first refresh your memory: You, a group of fit, young men, were playing soccer on the field across from my apartment building. I, a better-than-average looking young woman, was walking along the sidewalk with my groceries. That's when your ball came flying over the fence and landed in front of me. One of you approached and asked politely if I would throw the ball back to you. Fighting the urge to drop my bags and run screaming down the street, I reluctantly agreed. Before I continue, let me explain something that I didn't have a chance to mention last night: I hate sports. More specifically, I hate sports involving balls. This results from my lack of natural ability when it comes to throwing, catching and hitting. I'm bad at aiming too. So you can understand why I'd be nervous at what I'm sure seemed to you like a laughably simple request. However, wanting to appear agreeable, I put my bags down, picked up the ball and, eyes half-shut, and threw it as hard as I could. It hit the middle of the fence and bounced back to me. Trying to act casually, I said something about being out of practice, and then picked up the ball again. If you'll remember, at your command, I agreed to try throwing underhand. While outwardly I was smiling, in my head, I was praying, oh God, oh please oh please oh please. I threw the ball upward with all my strength, terrified by what happened next. The ball hit slightly higher up on the fence and bounced back to me. This is the point where I start to take issue with you. Wouldn't it have been a better use of your time, and mine, if you had just walked around the fence and took the ball then? I was clearly struggling; my smiles were more and more forced. And yet, you all just stood there, motionless. Seeing that you weren't going to let me out of the trouble, I became desperate. Memories of middle school softball came flooding back. I tried hard to throw the ball but it only went about eight feet, then I decided to pick it up and dash with ball in hand towards the baseline, while annoyed thirteen-year-old boys screamed at me that I was ruining their lives. Children are cruel. Being a big girl now, I pushed those memories aside and picked up the soccer ball for the third time. I forced a good-natured laugh while crying inside as you patiently shouted words of support over the fence at me. "Throw it granny-style!" one of you said. "Just back up a little and give it all you've got!" another offered. And, most embarrassing of all, "You can do it!" I know you thought you were being encouraging, but it only served to deepen the shame. Anyway, I accepted your ball-throwing advice, backed up, rocked back and forth a little, took a deep breath and let it fly. It hit the edge of the fence and bounced back to me. I surprised myself--and I'm sure you as well--by letting out a cry, "DAMN IT!!!" I then willed myself to have a heart attack and pass out in front of you just so I'd be put out of my misery. Alas, the heart attack didn't happen, and you continued to look at me expectantly, like you were content to do this all night. I had become a sort of exhibition for you. I could feel your collective thoughts drifting through the chain-link: "Can she really not do it? But I mean, really?" Unfortunately for you, I wasn't really game to continue your experiment. Three failed attempts at a simple task in front of a group of people in a two-minute period were just enough blows for me for one night. I picked up the ball one last time, approached the fence and grumbled, "Please just come get the damn ball." And you did. And thanks to you, I decided at that very moment to never throw anything ever again, except disrespectful glances at people who play sports. Sincerely, Jen Cordery What's the writer's purpose in writing this open letter? A. To express her regret over what she did the day before. B. To announce that she would never play all games again. C. To joke on her inability to throw the ball over the fence. D. To criticize the young men for their cruelty to her dignity. Answer: C Question: Back those photos up The images were striking. Homes on the East Coast were washed away by Superstorm Sandy. People were in tears, picking up faded photographs, among their only remaining possessions. If that doesn't move you to get serious about safekeeping your lifetime of memories, what will? The digital age offers tools never imaginable before--including one-click access to a lifetime of family photos. Here is a brochure on how to back up your photos and save them online, where they can live forever and be accessible in good times and bad. Scanning The first step for those old photos is to scan them and save them to a digital format. Most printers come with scanners these days, so that's an easy but extremely time-consuming step. Storing the photos With your scans in place, import the photos into your computer, and back them up. You could make multiple copies of the disks and spread them to loved ones. Or you could choose external hard drives or USB thumb drive, and add your photo and video collection from your computer. Online backup If you need lots of space, look at a pure online backup service, Caronite. Caronite backs up 300 million files daily. Once you sign up, it starts to pick up everything you have on your hard drive. But photo collection on your computer's main hard drive charges for $59 a year. Cloud Storage For folks who don't need automatic backup, but instead want to take a more active approach, Dropbox, Google Drive and Microsoft's SkyDrive let you store files online by yourself, share and instantly access them. All offer free options--2GB of free storage for Dropbox, 5GB for Google and 7GB for SkyDrive. But if you want more, you need to pay. Bottom Line The hard drive or flash drive is the cheapest and easiest. But drives can fail. Online services are more expensive, but more secure. With more of us switching back and forth between our computers, such services are the best way to get access to our data from wherever we are. What's the passage mainly about ? A. tell real stories about storage services B. introduce some of the storage services C. describe the functions of storage services D. argue about the advantage of storage services Answer: B Question: Sophia Wu, 25, is a young Chinese woman who does business with her family in Santiago, Chile . On February 27, she experienced a night that she will never forget. "I was asleep and was woken up by powerful shaking at around 3:30 in the morning. My whole room was moving and I couldn't stand still. I wanted to run downstairs and go outside, but suddenly the wall got broken and the lights in the room went out. The room became so shaky that I couldn't move at all." That night an 8.8-magnitude earthquake hit Chile. Buildings and bridges fell down. Electricity and water services shut down. The Chilean Red Cross reported that about 500,000 homes were destroyed and more than 800 people died. The earthquake has been the fifth strongest since 1900. More than 90 aftershocks followed the earthquake. A tsunami was set off in the Pacific Ocean by the earthquake. Scientists say that there are about 500,000 earthquakes in the world each year. Of these, only 20% are felt, and 100 of them cause damage. So far, scientists haven't found a way to predict earthquakes. But you can learn to protect yourself during an earthquake. The most important thing to remember is to drop, cover and hold on. So remember to drop to the floor, get under something for cover and hold onto something strong during the shaking. ,. (10) From the passage, we know that about of the earthquakes cause damage every year. A. 20% B. 10% C. 1% D. 0.02% Answer: D Question: Few laws are so effective that you can see results just days after they take effect. But in the nine days since the federal cigarette tax more than doubled----to $1.01 per pack---smokers have jammed telephone 'quit lines' across the country seeking to kick the habit. This is not a surprise to public health advocates. They've studied the effect of state tax increases for years, finding that smokers, especially teens, are price sensitive. Nor is it a shock to the industry, which fiercely fights every tax increase. The only wonder is that so many states insist on closing their ears to the message. Tobacco taxes improve public health, they raise money and most particularly, they _ people from taking up the habit as teens, which is when nearly all smokers are addicted. Yet the rate of taxation varies widely. In Manhattan, for instance, which has the highest tax in the nation, a pack of Marlboro Light Kings cost $10.06 at one drugstore Wednesday. In Charleston, S.C., where the 7-cent-a-pack tax is the lowest in the nation, the price was $4.78. The influence is obvious. In New York, high school smoking hit a new low in the latest surveys----13.8%, far below the national average. By comparison, 26 % of high school students smoke in Kentucky, Other low-tax states have similarly depressing teen-smoking records. Hal Rogers, Representative from Kentucky, like those who are against high tobacco taxes, argues that the burden of the tax falls on low-income Americans "who choose to smoke." That's true. But there is more reason in keeping future generations of low-income workers from getting hooked in the first place. As for today's adults, if the new tax drives them to quit, they will have more to spend on their families, cut their risk of cancer and heart disease and feel better. What does the author think is a surprise? A. Teen smokers are price sensitive. B. Some states still keep the tobacco tax low. C. Tobacco taxes improve public health. D. Tobacco industry fiercely fights the tax rise. Answer: B
I have been in England three months now. I hope you don't think I've forgotten you. There have been so many places to see and so many things to do that I've not had much time for writing letters. I shall soon be starting my studies at King's College.So far I've been learning about England and British ways of living.I won't tell you about London.There are lots of books you can read and lots of pictures you can look at about this famous city.I'm sure you'll be more interested to know what I think about life here. I find some of the customs interesting.People here do not shake hands as much as we do in the mainland of Europe. During the first few weeks I was often surprised because people did not put out their hands when I met them.Men raise their hats to women but not to each other. The writer did not write the letter earlier because _ . A. she had forgotten her friend B. she was lonely and sad in this strange land C. she was too busy to write D. she was too busy with her courses at King's College Answer: C. she was too busy to write There is a saying in French--"Si vieillesse pouvait, si jeunesse savait"--which means roughly "if age had the ability, if youth had the knowledge." I was reminded of this saying the other day when I saw an interview with a distinguished Asian neurosurgeon , now retired, about the impact of computer technology on modern surgery. He was referring to the difficulty people of his age had in using the new techniques, but also to the fact that younger surgeons, who are more comfortable with the technology, lack some of the wisdom of experience. It struck me that this problem is not just confined to specialized fields such as medicine, but is widespread in modern life. There are many areas where the rapid growth of technology has widened the generation gap. Young people are at ease with modern technology and propose all sorts of ways for using and developing it. But they often lack the experience needed to see further into the future to the possible dangers that a particular development may cause. Older people see all sorts of difficulties and dangers, but are sometimes ignored, or even accused of being against progress, if they point out potential problems. Equally, they may see potential uses, but not have the technical skills to put them into practice themselves or the trust in the younger generation to do so. Enthusiasm and inexperience come into conflict with caution and arrogance, usually with unsatisfactory results for both sides. What is needed is the development of a partnership, based on mutual respect, which can deliver real progress by combining enthusiasm and caution in a constructive way, rather than in conflict with each other. The old need to give the younger generation the time, the resources and, above all, the authority to develop new ideas and use their skills. In exchange, the young need to turn more actively to the older generation to seek their advice and exploit their greater experience of the world in foreseeing and overcoming potential problems. The passage is mainly about _ . A. the impact of computer technology on modern surgery B. an interview with a distinguished Asian neurosurgeon C. new generation gap between the old and the young D. a conflict between knowledge and experience Answer: C. new generation gap between the old and the young John and Bobby joined the same company together just after they completed their university studies the same year. Both of them worked very hard. Several years later, however, the boss promoted Bobby to manager but John was still a worker. John could not take it, and gave his resignation to the boss. He complained that the boss did not think much of those who were hard -working, but promoted only those who flattered him. The boss knew that John had worked very hard for the years. He thought a moment and said, "Thank you for what you said, but I hope you will do one more thing for our company before you leave" John agreed. The boss asked him to go and find anyone selling watermelons in the market. John went and returned soon. He said he had found a man selling watermelons. The boss asked how much they cost every kilogram. John shook his head and went back to the seller to ask and returned to tell the boss $1.2 every kilogram. The boss told John to wait a second, and he called Bobby to come to his office. He asked Bobby to go and find anyone selling watermelons in the market. Bobby went and returned, saying, "Boss, only one person is selling watermelons. $1.2 every kilogram, and $10 for 10 kilograms. The seller has 340 melons. On the table there are 58 melons, and each weighs about 2 kilograms. They were brought from the South two days ago. They are of good quality." Hearing what Bobby said, John realized the difference between himself and Bobby. He decided to stay and learn from Bobby. The boss gave John a task because _ . A. he wanted John to do more for his company B. he wanted John to learn more about himself C. he wanted to punish John for what he said D. he wanted to prove what John said was right Answer: B. he wanted John to learn more about himself Lawyers Abel and Baker are the members of the law partnership of Abel and Baker in a small town that has only one other lawyer in it. Abel and Baker do a substantial amount of personal injury work. Client was severely and permanently injured in an automobile collision when struck by an automobile driven by Motorist. Client employed the Abel and Baker firm to represent her in obtaining damages for her injuries. At the time Client employed Abel and Baker, the statute of limitations had six weeks to run on her claim. The complaint was prepared but not filed. Abel and Baker each thought that the other would file the complaint. The statute of limitations ran on Client's claim against Motorist. Client has filed suit against Abel and Baker for negligence. That case is on trial with a jury in a court of general jurisdiction.""In order to establish a breach of standard of care owed to her by Abel and Baker, Client A. must have a legal expert from the same locality testify that defendants' conduct was a breach. B. must have a legal expert from the same state testify that defendants' conduct was a breach. C. can rely on the application of the jurors' common knowledge as to whether there was a breach. D. can rely on the judge, as an expert in the law, to advise the jury whether there was a breac Answer: C. can rely on the application of the jurors' common knowledge as to whether there was a breach. In the world, soccer (or football) is the most popular sport. This is because many countries have wonderful teams for the World Cup. The World Cup is held every four years. To remember the 2002 FIFA World Cup, children from different countries and more than 60 children from different Japanese schools came together and spent three weeks drawing a big picture called"Dream World Cup"in Japan. The children drew animals, flowers and people playing soccer under bright blue sky. They wished each football team good luck by drawing the flags of all countries that would take part in the World Cup in Japan and South Korea. The picture was put up in a park near a playground in Yokohama. Are you a football fan? The World Cup makes more and more people interested in football. Teenagers like playing and watching football. Many of them love some football stars so much that they get pictures of their favorite players such as, Figo, Oven and Pauleta. And they put the pictures up on the walls of their rooms. That is the way to show their love for the World Cup. ,. In "Dream World Cup", the children drew the flags of some countries _ . A. to show their love for their own countries B. to tell the people their stories C. to show their good wishes for the football teams D. to show their new ideas about football Answer: A. to show their love for their own countries
Zebras cannot clap. However, one weekend a magic clown wiggled his nose and said a few magical words and a zebra could clap. This zebra lived in a zoo with many other zebras. This zebra's name was John, John the Zebra. John was so excited that he could clap. He tried to clap as much as he could. He had trouble understanding when and what to clap. He would clap at things that were sad and things that were happy. He clapped when he was excited and when he was scared. He even clapped that he could clap. After a couple of weeks, his friend Sam was getting annoyed with John. He said "John, I know you like clapping but I am beginning to be annoyed by your clapping." John said he was sorry, but that Sam did not understand how special it was to be the first Zebra that could clap. A few more weeks went by and the same Magical clown came by John's zoo. He looked at John, who was clapping his heart out, and wiggled his nose and said some different magical words. Suddenly, John could not clap any more. And that month was first and only time a zebra could clap. How long could John clap? A. A Month B. A week C. a day D. a weekend Answer: A Asia is home to more than half of the world's population and three of the four most crowded countries are in Asia. China, India, and Indonesia alone have more than 2.5 billion people. Until recently, most Asian nations fell behind the western countries in many fields. Government reform , however, has led to important progress in each of these Asian countries. Across the area, education systems have been improved and economies have been growing. Most Asian countries now have a system of compulsory education. Many countries have recently allowed private universities to be built, which was not allowed before. There are more chances for students to go to university now. However, in Asia, there are still not enough chances for students to get higher education and many people prefer to go abroad for further study. As a result, India, China, South Korea, Japan and other Asian countries send thousands of students to study in the United States and Europe each year. Part of the people in Asian countries can speak English, and English has become the most important language for business across the area. The percentage is the largest in Japan, Singapore, the Philippines, SriLanka and South Korea. Many people in China, India and Malaysia can also speak English. Some countries have made English part of the primary and secondary education program. In some countries, children begin to study English even at the age of 4 or 5. Most Asian countries _ the western countries in many fields. A. are better than B. are more powerful than C. get greater progress than. D. are not as good as Answer: D Bad behavior is something that most people don't want to tolerate. However, we have had to tolerate it more and more with each passing year. There seems to be no concern for other people's feelings; nor do we seem to care about other people's property. We live in an age where saying what is on our minds has priority over any harm that it might do. There are ways to deal with bad behavior in modern times, though. Too many of us let bad behavior go because we don't want to rock the boat. This is the time that you should rock the boat and rock it hard. Let people know that you expect it to change. That is the key to dealing with bad behavior. If it continues, take the proper action for the situation you are in. If you have developed the habit of bad behavior, take a hard look at it and then change it. You can't expect others to behave well if you aren't willing to look at your own bad behavior and change it. If you don't have control over anything in a situation, just walk away from it and move on to something that you do have control over. You needn't feel ashamed of that. Besides, you must stand firm in what you believe. You can't control what other people do, but you can control what you do about it. You can't go wrong if you stand firm in what you believe. Understanding your responsibility is also important. Don't try to take on the responsibility for other people's behavior. Take care of what you have to and do it in the way you know it should be done. The rest will take care of itself. Bad behavior is on the rise with more and more people behaving badly without having to pay any consequences. Worry about how you behave rather than how others behave. Pretty soon, it just may catch on. When dealing with people's bad behavior, you are advised to _ . A. fight it bravely whenever it happens B. ignore it if it is beyond your control C. let it go to avoid trouble D. make people feel ashamed of their bad behavior Answer: B prefix = st1 /Gland, Switzerland - Rivers on every continent are drying out, threatening severe water shortages, according to a new WWF report. The report, World's Top Rivers at Risk, released ahead of World Water Day (22 March), lists the top ten rivers that are fast dying as a result of climate change, pollution and dams. "All the rivers in the report symbolize the current freshwater crisis, which we have been signalling for years," says WWF Global Freshwater Programme Director Jamie Pittock. "Poor planning and inadequate protection of natural areas mean we can no longer assume that water will flow forever. Like the climate change crisis, which now has the attention of business and government, we want leaders to take notice of the emergency facing freshwater now not later." Five of the ten rivers listed in the report are in Asia alone. They are the Yangtze, Mekong, Salween, Ganges and Indus. Europe's Danube, the America'sLa Plataand Rio Grande/Rio Bravo, Africa's Nile-Lake Victoria andAustralia's Murray-Darling also make the list. Dams along the Danube River -- one of the longest flowing rivers in Europe -- have already destroyed 80 per cent of the river basin's wetlands and floodplains. Even without warmer temperatures threatening to melt Himalayan glaciers, the IndusRiverfaces scarcity due to over-extraction for agriculture. Fish populations, the main source of protein and overall life support systems for hundreds of thousands of communities worldwide, are also being threatened. The report calls on governments to better protect river flows and water allocations in order to safeguard habitats and people's livelihoods. "Conservation of rivers and wetlands must be seen as part and parcel of national security, health and economic success," Pittock adds. "Emphasis must be given to exploring ways of using water for crops and products that do not use more water than necessary." In addition, cooperative agreements for managing shared resources, such as the UN Watercourses Convention, must be ratified and given the resources to make them work, says WWF. "The freshwater crisis is bigger than the ten rivers listed in this report but it mirrors the extent to which unabated development is _ nature's ability to meet our growing demands," says Pittock. "We must change our mindset now or pay the price in the not so distant future."(373) We can easily learn from the passage that _ . A. the fresh water crisis will be out of control soon B. Asia is facing the most severe challenge of water shortage C. to better protect river flows and water allocations is the only solution D. fish populations are of vital importance to national economic success Answer: B We all know that good study habits are essential to success. We probably can reduce the academic dishonesty by promoting good study habits among students. Letting the students know how important good study habits are when they come to school. Still, even procrastination can be overcome by proper study habits, and improving study habits is the key to better studying. Good study habits are a great tool to have in the toolbox of life. Many of the tips for success for online students are the same as those for students in a classroom. Consider asking the school's student union to take on a study tips project. Following a few simple study tips can help students effectively learn new concepts and theories. A good way to stay organized is to use folders so that your child can keep his / her assignments. Once children reach the grades where homework and tests are part of the curriculum, there are many things parents can do to encourage good study habits. An effective way is to study before and while they do their homework. Being organized and having homework routines are the most important things in helping your child develop good habits for life. Learning, however, is a process which settles into certain steps. Students with learning problems, however, may still have generally inefficient and ineffective study habits and skills. Becoming aware of your child's learning style will help you understand why they sometimes get frustrated with common study methods. Effective study habits are a very important part of the learning process. Good study habits are all about keeping to a daily routine and giving all subjects equal treatment. If your child's study habits are weak, take a "study skills" course or have someone show him/her good study habits. The problem is that those high-school study habits are hard to shake. Hard work and good study habits are two characters to be nurtured . Motivation and study habits are obviously very important as well. What can the school's student union do for students? A. Organize teaches to help students learn effectively. B. Work out a few simple study tips for them to follow. C. Ask them to use folders to keep their assignments. D. Offer help before and while they do their homework. Answer: B
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- A group of black parents and civil rights activists presented a petition Thursday calling for officials to drop charges against a 16-year-old South Carolina high school student who was videotaped being dragged from her desk and thrown to the floor by a police officer in her classroom. The group said it was unfair and unacceptable that the student and her 18-year-old classmate at Spring Valley High School who taped the incident were the only people charged that day when authorities already knew Richland County Deputy Ben Fields had tossed the girl from her desk to the ground. They also said their petition had hundreds of thousands of names from around the country asking prosecutor Dan Johnson to drop the "disturbing schools" charges against the teens. The students in the case are black; Fields is white. Johnson issued a statement Wednesday saying he won't do anything with the case until the FBI finishes its investigation into Fields, who was fired after the video became public. "I do not simply decide cases based upon feelings, public opinion or sentiment, nor do I decide them based on political pressure," Johnson said in the statement. Disturbing schools is punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 or 90 days in jail. The students' lawyer did not respond to telephone messages. The video spread quickly across the country, prompting questions about when police officers should get involved with classroom discipline. Fields was called to the classroom after the student refused to stop using her cellphone, and then she would not leave the classroom for a teacher or administrator. In the days after the incident, the teacher turned her class over to a substitute and the administrator was placed on leave. Richland two officials didn't respond to an email asking about their current status. The students were allowed back in school. Organizers of the protest said they plan to be at South Carolina's Statehouse next year, calling for legislators to change the law that allows police officers to arrest students for misbehaving at schools. Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott blamed that law for escalating the situation. "Let's find a way where we don't saddle students with arrest records," said EfiaNwangaza from the Malcom X Center for Self Determination. "Let's get ahead of the schoolhouse-to-jailhouse train in South Carolina." According to the passage, people are now concerned about the following except _ . A. whether the incident reflects a racial issue B. when police officers should get involved with classroom discipline C. whether students can play cellphones in class D. whether the law that allows police officers to arrest students for misbehaving at schools should be changed Answer: C 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. What do we learn about the author's mother? A. She was strict and taught the author to be independent. B. She cared for other people's children more than her own. C. She thought that life lessons were as important as money. D. She was so poor that she couldn't give the author much money. Answer: A Many students are under great pressure this term. There is some advice on studying and preparing for exams. Sciences Ask students what is the most difficult course, and most of them will give you the same answer: mathematics. This is also true for Dai Shuang, a 14-year-old student at No.1 Middle School. He says, "It's so difficult that I get a headache whenever I think about the math exam." According to Dai, studying this course is not easy. He usually studies math by himself and spends most of his free time reading math books and doing exercises. _ Qin Xia, a math teacher, offers some advice. "Most students fear mathematics because they think the class is too difficult or boring." he says, "These students don't listen carefully in classes or even sleep." In Qin's opinion, they can try to take notes. And they'd better ask teachers for help. It's difficult for students to teach themselves math, which will waste a lot of time. Besides, doing a lot of exercises is also important. Arts Zhu Tianjiao, a 13-year-old student at Megan Middle School, is very nervous because she doesn't know how to improve her English. _ Xia Bingcong, a top student at Tsinghua University shares some of her learning experiences. According to Xia, memorizing, listening and reading are important in language learning. "Studying on a daily basis is the best choice." Xia says. According to Qin Xia, _ is Not a good way to learn math. A. asking teachers for help B. taking notes in classes C. doing lots of exercises D. studying alone Answer: D Six Chinese surveillance ships have entered waters near islands claimed by both China and Japan. China said the ships were carrying out "law enforcement" to demonstrate its jurisdiction over the islands, known as Diaoyu in China and Senkaku in Japan. At least two of the vessels left after the Japanese coast guard issued a warning, Japanese officials say. The move came after Japan sealed a deal to buy three of the islands from their private Japanese owner. Japan controls the uninhabited but resource-rich East China Sea islands, which are also claimed by Taiwan. The Japanese Coast Guard said the first two Chinese boats entered Japan's territorial waters at 06:18 local time (21:18 GMT Thursday), followed by another fleet of four other ships just after 07:00. The first two ships then left the area. A third ship left later on Friday morning, one report said. No force was used, Japanese officials added. "Our patrol vessels are currently telling them to leave our country's territorial waters," the coastguard said in a statement. The Chinese foreign ministry confirmed that its ships were there. "These law enforcement and patrol activities are aimed to demonstrate China's jurisdiction over the Diaoyu Islands and its affiliated islets and ensure the country's maritime interests," a statement said. The US has called for ''cooler heads to prevail'' as tension intensifies between China and Japan over the islands, which lie south of Okinawa and north of Taiwan. US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is due to visit both Japan and China from this weekend as part of a tour of the region that also includes New Zealand. The dispute has seriously marred diplomatic relations between China and Japan and threatens to damage the strong trading relationship, says the BBC's John Sudworth in Beijing. The row has also generated strong nationalist sentiment on both sides that observers say now makes it very difficult to be seen to be backing down, says our correspondent. The Japanese government says it is buying the islands to promote their stable and peaceful management. Its move followed a bid by right-wing Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara to buy the islands using public donations - an action that would likely have further provoked China. China, on the other hand, says the islands have historically been its territory and fishing grounds. Meanwhile Japan's newly-appointed ambassador to China, Shinichi Nishimiya, remains in hospital in Tokyo after he was found unconscious near his home in Tokyo on Thursday. No details have been given on his condition. He was appointed on Tuesday to replace Uichiro Niwa, who has been criticised for his handling of one of the worse diplomatic rows between Japan and China in recent years. This news report is most likely to be selected from the _ newspaper. A. British B. Chinese C. Japanese D. American Answer: A Why is protein an important part of a healthy diet? A. It is needed to change glucose to energy. B. It is needed to store nutrients. C. It is needed to repair tissue. D. It is needed to produce water. Answer: C
Waves are beautiful to look at,but they can destroy ships at sea,as well as houses and buildings near the shore.What causes waves? Most waves are caused by winds blowing over the surface of the water.The sun heats the earth,causing the air to rise and the winds to blow.The winds blow across the sea,pushing little waves into bigger and bigger ones. The size of a wave depends on how strong the wind is,how long it blows,and how large the body of water is.In a small bay big waves will never build up,but at sea the wind can build up giant,powerful waves. A rule says that the height of a wave (in meters)will usually be no more than one-tenth of the wind's speed(in kilometers).In other words,when the wind is blowing at 120 kilometers per hour,most waves will be about twelve meters of course,and some waves may combine to form giant waves that are much higher.In 1933 the United States Navy reported the largest measured wave in history.It rose in the Pacific Ocean to a height of thirty-four meters. When the wind is blowing at 80 kilometers per hour,the height of most waves will be _ . Dadi Computer Company LiuYing Manager 45Nantou,Shenzhen 518000 Tel:0755-6561382 E-mail:ly@hot mail.com Fax:0755-6660388 Chaoyang Foreign Language School Chen Lijun Music Teacher 65 Xigang,Dalian 116000 Tel:0411-4313861 E-mail:Chenlj@shoul.com Fax:0411-4312789 Dongfang Children's hospital Zhang Jing Doctor 23 Taiping Road,Qingdao,Shandong 266000 E-mail:zhing@yahoo.com Fax:0532-4313861 New Century Bus Company SongWei Baiwanzhuang,Beijing,China 100037 Tel:010-88488970 13501368855(mobile) BP:63987120-30926 I want to buy a computer, I can call the company at _ . When you go to St. Petersburg, the number of attractions can seem large. If you are short of time, or just want to make sure to _ , these are the top must-see sights in St.Petersburg. The Hermitage Museum The Hermitage Museum is one of the most important sights to see for any visitor to St.Petersburg.There are lots of different paintings by the old masters in the Hermitage.Prepare to come face-to-face with classic Western artists. Kizhi Island Kizhi Island is an open-air museum of wooden architecture from the Karelia Region of Russia.These impressive structures are made entirely without nails - the wood fits together with joints and grooves . Peterhof Peterhof is as beautiful as it is fun.You'll be charged for admission, but go to Petethof when the fountains are working--during the day in the summer.They are shut off in winter evenings. The Church of Our Savior on the Spilt Blood Love it or hate it, the Church of Our Savior on the Spilt Blood in St.Petersburg is an enthralling must-see sight.The beautiful look may make y our eyes brighten, and the painting inside the church will make you say "Wow!" *The Bronze Horseman Statue The so-called Bronze Horseman is a part of Russian culture and a symbol of St.Petersburg.Made famous by Alexander Pushkin, this statue of Peter the Great sitting on his horse can truly show Peter the Great's influence on the Russian idea of greatness. If you are interested in paintings, you'd better go to _ . It was very difficult to find jobs in the northeast of England, and when John lost his job, he found it was impossible for him to get a new one.He had soon spent all his money, so he decided to go down to the south of the country.He was told that the things there were better, and that it was easier to find work.The best way to get there was by train.He went to the railway station and got into a train for the south. He was the only passenger in his compartment when another man came in.He was carrying a gun and said to John, "Your money or your life!" "I haven't got a penny," John answereD. "Then why are you shaking so much?" the man with a gun asked angrily. "Because I thought you were the ticket-collector and I haven't even got a ticket," answered John. It wasn't very _ to find jobs in the northeast of England. Many years ago in a small village, an old man was hired to clear the spring up on the mountain. He patrolled the spring every day, and swept away all the leaves and other things that would dirty the fresh flow of water. Soon, beautiful swans came to the clear spring, and the village became a popular attraction for visitors. Years passed. One evening the town leaders held a meeting. As they looked at the salary list, one of them said, "Why do we keep this old man on year after year? I don't think we need him or his work." Later, the old man was asked to leave. For several weeks, nothing changed. By early autumn, the leaves began to fall off the trees, and the spring was covered with leaves. A few days later, the water was much darker. Only a few months after the old man left, all the swans left, as did the tourists. Disease reached deeply into the village. Quickly, the leaders held a special meeting. Realizing their mistake, they rehired the old man. Then within a few weeks, the spring began to clear up. Soon new life returned to the village. So, my friends, do you see? No matter how small your work or your life seems to be, never _ it. Anything we can do will make a difference. With this story, the writer wants to tell us that _ .
Andy the lion lived in Africa. He was a happy lion, and he liked to lay in the sun all day. One day when Andy got hungry, he thought about strawberries. He had never had a strawberry before. "Oh," he thought, "strawberries must be very tasty." He thought about how red they were, and how sweet they must taste. "I have to have a strawberry," said Andy. So Andy went to talk to his friends, to find out if they had any strawberries. He walked to a big field where he saw his friend Billy the Bison. Andy asked Billy if he had any strawberries. "No, I don't," said Billy, "All I have is a banana." Andy was sad, because he really wanted a strawberry, but he wouldn't stop there. Andy walked to the river to find his friend Charlie, the duck. It was a long way to walk, but Andy really wanted a strawberry. When he finally got there, he asked, "Do you have any strawberries?" "No," said Charlie, "I only have is an apple." This made Andy really sad, but he wouldn't stop there. Andy knew that he only knew one other friend who might have a strawberry, and that was David the Elephant. So he walked and walked and walked until he was finally at his friend David's house. Andy was tired, but wouldn't give up. Andy asked, "Do you have any strawberries?" David said, "Yes! Help yourself." Andy was excited, and finally tasted his first strawberry. Andy thought it was tasty. How many friends did he ask for strawberries? Answer: 3 Facebook means never having to say goodbye. The social media website has earned a reputation for reconnecting old friends. Last week, a guy whom I hadn't seen since my bachelor party five years ago sent me a friend request. I accepted and waited for "Easy E" to send me a greeting of some kind. He had sought me out, after all. I learned from his profile that he was in a relationship and had a son. However, I'm pretty sure we won't ever write wall-to-wall, let alone e-mail each other. But he'll remain a friend of online until one of us makes a point of removing the other from his official list. My pool of friends consists of family members, college buddies, co-workers from past and present, and friends of friends. There are 35 in all. If I spent some time uploading old e-mail addresses, I'm confident that I could increase my friend count actually. A person could make a mission out of reconnecting with childhood friends, former classmates, distant cousins, and those one would like to get to know better. And some people can even handle hundreds of on-screen relationships, keeping up with the daily happenings of their small army of companions. After all, there are worse fates than having too many friends. Thanks to e-mail, the inability to schedule face-to-face meetings no longer means a friendship must come to a close. But even with e-mail, people will lose touch if one or both parties stop writing back. That's normal. People move from school to school, job to job, city to city. You never have to feel guilty for breaking away. Every day, the masterminds of Web 2.0 find new ways of making human communication easier. _ . Some things shouldn't be simplified. When it comes to friendship, there can be no shortcuts. Which of the following statements is NOT true? Answer: The author communicates with all the 35 friends by e-mails. Over three million people will do their Christmas shopping entirely online this year without once visiting an actual shop, a poll has found. Overcrowding and long queues in shops are forcing people away from the high street as the hassle of Christmas shopping becomes too much. The number of people turning their backs on the high street is almost one million higher than it was last year, according to the poll by YouGov. Last Christmas 2.4 million shoppers did not do any of their shopping in actual shops. The figure this year is predicted to be around 3.4 million, equal to around 7 percent of the adult population. Over a third of people said that the main turn-off about shopping on the high street is 0ver-crow-ding. Meanwhile almost a quarter said that long queues at the cheek-out are the worst thing about it. Of the 2.065 people pored, even those who are stir taking to the shops plan to spend less time in them this Christmas. Around 31 percent of shoppers who plan to spend at least some time on the high street will spend less than half of their shopping time in actual shops, using the rest of the time to shop remotely via the internet. This compares to 28 percent of people last year. Meanwhile the proportion of people spending over half of their shopping time in high street shops has dropped from 41 percent last year to 39 percent this year. Just 2 percent of people said that they are looking forward to dealing wi.th store staff this festival season. Guy Boxall, senior product marketing manager at Casio Business Solutions Division, which commissioned the research from YouGov, said that despite the fall in people visiting the high street,humans are "social creatures" who actually like spending time together. "Although the high street is facing a big challenge Christmas, retailers should see this research as a challenge to improve the in-store shopping experience, rather than the nail in the coffin. We are social creatures, and the desire to spend time with each other, particularly at Christmas, is never going to go away," said Mr. Boxall. According to the poll, in this year's Christmas _ Answer: about 39% of shoppers will do more than half of their shopping in actual shops 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. Who set up Christopher's Smile? Answer: Christopher's parents. This is a plan that Jim has made on Thanksgiving 00:00--00:30 Get up and go to store to buy fruit,vegetables and food by car . 1:20--4:30 Start doing a big turkey for ten people.It is interesting 2:00--2:30 Do broccoli salad and dessert,Kids really love them . 2:30--3:00 Put fifty strawberries in the turkey .They are nice! 3:00--3:30 Put some vegetables in the turkey.Kids don't like vegetables ,so just a little. 3:45--4:10 Call my father ,mother,grandparents and cousins to come and join us . 4:15 Play the Thanksgiving music,it's relaxting. 4:30--5:30 Eat a great Thanksgiving dinner. 5:30--6:30 Play family games. They are exciting. 6:30--9:00 Go out and watch the Thanksgiving movies .They are fun . 10 :00 Go to bed. On Thanksgiving Day Jim can't _ Answer: get lots of presents
It was a cold and wet night. Over the radio came the message to deal with an accident in one of the side streets of the city. The scene of the accident wasn't far away and we arrived after 10 minutes. Two cars had crashed. Two women were lying on the street and one driver was still in the car. The driver was quite drunk and kept shouting to us. He didn't get badly hurt. A young woman died at once when the two cars crashed. I was holding the other woman and tried to stop the bleeding, but at last I had to watch her die in my arms. Three months later, I saw the driver in court and found him to be a normal person. He was sorry for his actions. In the end, he was put into the prison for several years. A man isn't a man if he drinks 10 beers in an hour. A man is a man when he knows his limit and takes responsibility . When he can stay away from wine, he can drive more safely. At last, the driver _ . Tom had a pet. Tom loved his pet and would always laugh at the funny thing he did when facing his chin. The pet was a dog. Tom would blow in the dog's ear in order to make him mad. One day Tom wanted to give the dog a treat but he wouldn't eat it. Tom got very upset and confused and said, "I think my dog is going to die." So Tom threw his dog a party in the sand to make his dog happy and have a great life. At the party they only listened to hit songs. Tom let his dog eat anything he wanted, even a dingdong. Tom invited the dog's favorite friend, his nana. He took his dog and the dog's nana and went for a drive on the road. At the end of the party Tom let his dog chew his favorite pencil. The dog was not dying, but he was happy he got to have the best party ever. Why did Tom think his dog was going to die? PullCo sued Davidson, its former vice president, for return of $230,000 that had been embezzled during the previous two years. Called by PullCo as an adverse witness, Davidson testified that his annual salary had been $75,000, and he denied the embezzlement. PullCo calls banker Witt to show that, during the two-year period, Davidson had deposited $250,000 in his bank account. Witt's testimony is For nutrients to be absorbed from food it needs to When young people get their first real jobs, they face a lot of new, confusing situations. They may find that everything is different from the way things were at school. It is also possible that they will feel uncomfortable and insecure in both professional and social situations. Eventually , they realize that university classes can't be the only preparation for all of the different situations that arise in the working world. Perhaps the best way to learn how to behave in the working world is to identify a worker you admire and observe his behavior. In doing so, you will be able to see what it is that you admire in this person. For example, you'll observe how he acts in a crisis. Perhaps even more important, you'll be able see what is his approach to day-to-day situations. While you are observing your colleague, you should be asking yourself whether his behavior is like yours and how you can learn from his responses to a variety of situations. By watching and learning from a model, you'll probably begin to identify and adopt good working habits. The best way to learn how to behave in the working world is _ .
The material that makes up iron nails is known as what on the table of elements? Answer: Fe Grandpa was a carpenter . One day he was making some boxes for the clothes his church was sending to an orphanage in Egypt. On his way home, he reached into his shirt pocket to find his glasses, but they were gone. He drove back to the church, but his search turned out to be fruitless. Suddenly, he realized what happened. The glasses had slipped out of his pocket and fallen into one of the boxes, which he had nailed shut. His new glasses were heading for Africa! Grandpa had six children and he had paid twenty dollars for the glasses that morning. "It's not fair," he told God as he drove home. "I've been very faithful in giving my time and money to YOUR work." Several months later, the director of the orphanage was on holiday in the United States. He wanted to visit all the churches that helped him in Egypt, so he came to speak on Sunday night at my grandfather's small church in Chicago. "But most of all," he said, "I must thank you for the glasses you sent last year. You see, I had just broken my glasses. Then your boxes arrived. To my surprise, I found a pair of glasses in it and it fit me very well!" The people listened, happy for the amazing glasses, but thought that the man must have confused their church with another. There were no glasses on their list of items to be sent overseas. Sitting quietly in the back, with tears in his eyes, Grandpa realized that God had played a big trick on him. The people except the author's grandpa in the church _ . Answer: thought the director had made a mistake When tea and coffee were first introduced to Europe in the 18th century, people had different ideas about their use.Some said that tea and coffee were harmful to humans and they could cause people to die. In Sweden , King Gustaf III decided to find out whether or not this was true.It happened that there were two brothers in prison at that time.They were twins and were almost alike in every way.They had both been sentenced to death .The King decided to let them live if one of the men agreed to drink several cups of tea each day and the other several cups of coffee. Both brothers lived many years without problems of any kind.At last,the brother who had drunk tea every day died at the age of 83,the other died a few years later. Because of the experiment , tea and coffee got accepted and became popular as drink in Sweden, and it is one of the many countries of the world where much tea and coffee is drunk today. . Today the Swedish drink _ . Answer: much tea and coffee Warwick New York Hotel This hotel offers you stylish rooms in a quiet neighborhood, just a short walk from some of New York's business streets. It's small. Family-owned hotel with 16 rooms. They provide not only comfortable rooms but also warm smiles and friendly greetings. The Westpark Inn The Westpark has 90 rooms and is close to Manhattan tourist centers. The hotel's rooms have been recently painted. On the Internet many travelers say it is below the usual standard and should be avoided. If you want to save money, you may have a try. The Affinia Hotel The Affinia is a good choice for experienced business travelers, families and international visitors. The 80 guest rooms are stylish and modern with good furniture. Guests who need more space might like the hotel's rooms. All the rooms have a kitchen. The 60 Thompson The 60 Thompson, with 100 beautiful guest rooms, is a stylish hotel in the heart of SoHo. Good use of dark wood and full-wall leather headboards give the hotel warmth. Guests can enjoy fine food in the hotel's Kittichhai restaurant and cocktails at Thom's Bar. The difference between Warwick New York Hotel and others is that _ . Answer: it's a family-owned hotel When the weather is beautiful, it can be hard to resist spending time outdoors. Fortunately, the Garden State has plenty of outdoor spaces to offer. These public parks all have unique qualities that make them stand out among the rest. Boundary Creek Natural Resource Area Boundary Creek is a 34 acre park designed for quiet nature study. Families can use the grassy open space, complete with picnic tables near the parking lot for picnics. A special feature is the observation boardwalks for people of all heights to watch the animals without being noticed. Challenge Grove Park Challenge Park is not a challenge for children with special needs. Both playgrounds at the park are wheelchair accessible and the newest playground, Build Jake's Place, was built specifically for children of all abilities. The 17-acre park also includes a basketball court. ball park and covered picnic area with bathrooms. There is a paved path throughout the park. Laurel Acres Probably the most popular park due to how full the parking lot always seems to be is Laurel Acres. Fortunately, the park is big enough that the parking is only thing that ever seems full. For children, there are three playgrounds to choose from, one of which is for smaller children. The huge hill is great for rolling or sledding down. Children also enjoy watching[the ducks and geese in and around the pond. The park includes a picnic area with covered pavilion( ). What is special about Boundary Creek Natural Resource Area? Answer: It offers a good place for animal watching.
As the first woman Chancellor in German's history, Angela Merkel topped magazine's list of "The World's 100 Most Powerful Women" in 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009.She has even been compared to Margaret Thatcher and many people called her "Iron Lady". Merkel was born in Hamburg, West Germany, on July 17, 1954.Six weeks after she was born, her family moved to Templin. As a small child, Merkel quickly learned to speak but took longer to walk. "I was a stupid person when it came to moving?" Merkel said. "A normal person could do something naturally, but I had to think about it in my mind and practice." As a teenager, she was the top student and graduated from high school with perfect marks. In 1973, Merkel went to the University of Leipzig, where she studied physics. At 32, she got her doctor's degree in physics. She _ _ in 1989.In her first big political job as Minister for the Environment in 1994, her scientific background and strong will proved very useful. In 2005 she became Germany's Chancellor. She has been reelected to a second term as German Chancellor on September 27, 2009. Through her political career, Merkel's persistence and patience helped her a lot. "She's bright and openminded," said Hubert Markl. "She is the person who wants to know exactly what is going on, and how never giving up will influence our society and future." We can infer from the passage that Angela Merkel _ . Answer: is a powerful woman with a strong will and determination Yuanxiao, Chinese Lantern Festival The Lantern Festival is celebrated on the 15th of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar. The festival ends the New Year's celebration. It is a fun festival. People carry lanterns and go into the streets at night to watch lion or dragon dances, play games and light firecrackers. Yuanxiao, a sweet dumpling made of rice flour, is the traditional food eaten during the festival. In Chinese, the festival is named after this food, which is said to represent family unity and happiness because it is sticky, round and sweet. The Dai WaterSplashing Festival The Dai minority in Yunnan celebrate the WaterSplashing Festival in the middle of April. The festival celebrates the Dai Lunar New Year and lasts for three days. There are dragon races and fireworks displays on the first day and a fair on the second day. At the fair, young lovers throw love pouches to each other. The third day is the actual watersplashing day, people splash water on each other to wash away illnesses and bad luck and bring good luck for the coming year. Losar Losar is a Tibetan word for New Year."Lo" means "year" and "sar" means "new". As the most popular festival among Tibetans, it is celebrated from the first day in the first month to the fifteenth day based on the traditional Tibetan calendar. On the last day of the year, people clean their houses and prepare for the festival. On the first day of the New Year, Tibetan women usually wake up early at about 5 o'clock, and prepare for a special kind of barley wine for the family which have tsamba, brown sugar, and milk dregs. The whole family have to drink the wine in their beds and then continue to sleep, while the housewives sit in front of their windows, waiting for the sunrise. As soon as they see the sun rays in the east, they go to the well for the first bucket of water in the New Year. It is said that water in the well is the freshest and sweetest at this time and the family who get the lucky water earliest will be the most fortunate. The passage is mainly about _ . Answer: several festivals in China Getting close to active or erupting volcanoes can be dangerous. But for Michael Rampino, it's all in a day's work. Rampino is a volcanologist, a scientist who studies volcanoes and how they affect our planet. Rampino has been close to red-hot lava flows in Hawaii and explosive volcanoes in Indonesia. He knows when to get close to an active volcano and when to back away. Rampino wasn't always a volcanologist. He worked for NASA for seven years. He studied rocks until he began to research climate change and the effects that volcanoes have on climate. He became interested in the subject. "Once I started working with volcanoes," Rampino said, "I was _ ." Rampino is a professor at New York University. As part of his job, he travels to areas where volcanoes have been active. "Active" means they have erupted within the past few centuries and probably will erupt again. Rampino studies the deposits of ash and other materials from the eruptions. The ash may hold clues to what happened to the Earth in the distant past. It may also help scientists predict what could happen to Earth's climate in the future. Rampino doesn't work alone. He works with a team of scientists who use computers to stimulate the effects volcanoes have on Earth's atmosphere. Being a volcanologist may be hard work, but it's also fun. "It's cool traveling the world studying volcanoes," Rampino says. When he talks to students about his work, he tells them that his goal is "to understand the events that have shaped Earth's history." To Rampino, being close to active volcanoes is _ . Answer: adventurous but meaningful Shree Bose is one of the most impressive kids graduating from Fort Worth Country Day High School this year. Bose has a large circle of friends, and there's one who you may have heard of: President Obama. He has twice publicly recognized her achievements in cancer research and spoken with her in the Oval Office. If that isn't enough, Bose recently gave a TED Talk about her work with the cancer drug Cisplatin, which also won her first prize at the Google Science Fair and recognition as one of Glamour magazine's Young Amazing Women of the Year. After watching her grandfather struggle with liver cancer, Bose was determined to help out in any way she could. As a high school student though, her scientific choices were limited. She reached out to various hospitals and research centers, but doctors turned down her requests because they felt she was too inexperienced medically. Only the North Texas Science Health Center respected her determination and chose to guide her. The results were amazing. Bose chose to study a protein and its reaction with the cancer drug Cisplatin. She noticed that when she prevented this protein from growing, Cisplatin was allowed to begin destroying cancer cells once again. "My project not only contributes to the understanding of the relationship between the protein and Cisplatin, but also suggests a newer, more effective treatment for patients who resist Cisplatin," Bose said. Bose's achievements aren't limited to the lab, though. She was also captain of her swim team and editor-in-chief of her school paper. Bose is currently getting practical experience at the National Institute of Health and she'll be attending Harvard in the fall. She plans to study molecular biology and go to medical school. Eventually, she would like to be a doctor. The passage is mainly about _ . Answer: a girl who did research on cancer treatment A team of US psychologists have found that talking to another person for ten minutes a day helps with memory. "Socializing is just as effective as more traditional kinds of mental exercise in memory and intellectual performance," Oscar Ybarra, a psychologist at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research, said in a statement. In one investigation, they analyzed data on 3610 people, aged 24 to 96. They found that the higher their level of social interaction , the better their cognitive functioning. Social interaction includes getting together or having phone chats with relatives, freinds and neighbors. In another experiment, the researchers conducted lab tests on 76 college students, aged 18 to 21, to evaluate how social interactions and intellectual exercises affected the results of memory and mental performance tests. The students were divided into three groups: the social interaction group had a discussion of a social issue for 10 minutes before taking the tests; the intellectual activities group completed three tasks (including a reading comprehension exercise and a crossword puzzle) before the tests; and a control group watched a 10-minute clip of the Seinfeld television show. "We found that short-term social interaction lasting for just 10 minutes improved participants' intellectual performance as much as engaging in so-called 'intellectual' activities for the same amount of time," Ybarra said. The study was expected to be published in the February issue of the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. What's the main idea of the passage? Answer: Social interaction makes you smart
The world's biggest Internet search engine, Google, has proven once again to be King of the Web. Users can download "Google Wi-Fi" software and then enjoy free Wi-Fi service available in some US cities since last Tuesday. Wi-Fi is short for "Wireless Fidelity" . It allows laptop computers and personal digital assistants to the Internet at high speed by radio signal. A person with a Wi-Fi enabled computer can connect to the Internet when near one of the network's access points. The place covered by one or several access points is called a hotspot. Google has already set up two "hotspots" in the US city of San Francisco which provide a free Wi-Fi service. The Wi-Fi technology even allows users to enjoy a free Internet phone service. Some scientists argue that Wi-Fi may replace mobile phone networks. Wi-Fi is still limited to a few cities, where there are "hotspots". But its capability of sending information has already done better than that of the mobile phone network, even that of 3G(Third Generation Telecommunication Technology). Some scientists have started to call Wi-Fi 4G. In addition to a high speed Internet connection, Wi-Fi has other advantages compared to mobile phones. Wi-Fi is global. The same Wi-Fi system works in different countries around the world. Different from using cell phones, you don't need to change computers to use Internet phones when you go to other places and most importantly, many Internet phones cost you nothing at all. Which of the following is the best title? A. Google Launches Free Wi-Fi Service B. Free Call Service C. Third Generation Telecommunication Technology D. Google, King of the Web Answer: A After we meet people it is up to us to make them our friends. Let us stop a moment and consider what really makes a friend. The major qualities like faithfulness, devotion, friendly company, flash through our minds. But it is the large number of very small particular qualities that make up one's whole character, such as cheerfulness, friendliness, and punctuality . After all, " to make a friend, be a friend" is not such a big and difficult order. There are particular favorable qualities, which attract others to us, and some elements which do have an effect on people in fundamental psychology or not. If you are in the presence of a shy person, talking and asking casual questions may _ . Think of what would be most acceptable to the other person, for you to talk, or to listen. Either way the goal is to make yourself pleasant. Always remember to listen, but listen intelligently. To have anyone " hang on our words" is the most unnoticeably clever way in the world to please somebody. For a few extremely happy seconds we are the center of attraction, but when it is our turn to be audience, let us remember how we felt as the actor, and let's be genuinely interested in what the other fellow is saying. Other people will like us, if we like them. If you want friends, keep your mind and heart open to friendship. Be alive to the other person's world. According to the passage, an important way in making friends is to _ . A. attract them B. be attracted C. listen attentively D. talk widely Answer: C Farmers could grow more rice and shaky Internet communications could work better someday, thanks to prize-winning discoveries by teenage scientists showed at a national science fair on Monday. High school scientists from across the United States showed off work in genetics, molecular biology, mathematics and other fields that judges said rose to the professional level. "It just blows me away. They're all just unimaginable," said Joel Spencer, aprefix = st1 /New YorkUniversityprofessor who served as judge at the Sidemen's Westinghouse Competition in Math, Science and Technology. Research done by finalists in the nationwide competition could lead to faster Internet speeds, more effective antibacterial drugs and better energy conservation. One team researched black holes in outer space, while another examined more than 700 fossils to better understand why dinosaurs died out. Juliet Girard and Roshan Prabhu won $ 100,000 scholarship for their work proving genes that help some kinds of wild rice flower earlier than others. Drawing on a database that described the genetic makeup of rice, the two students, fromJersey City,New Jersey, identified two genetic sections that directed wild rice to blossom an average of 10 days earlier than the ordinary short-grain rice that feeds much of the world. Their discovery could allow genetic engineers to develop a new strain that would take less time to reach maturity, allowing farmers to produce more and extending the growing region into colder climates. Steven Byrnes of Lexington,Massachusetts, took the top individual prize for his theory describing outcomes in a two-player game called Chomp. What does the writer mainly want to tell us? A. Farmers can grow more rice and shaky Internet communications can work better B. How far advanced science and technology has gone C. High school students can make great contributions to the world in many fields. D. How some of the discoveries get regularly published Answer: C In 2006, the UK government started to allow universities in England and Wales to charge British students tuition fees. More than 80 percent of students in England and Wales now take out a student loan in order to go to university. They use the loan to pay for tuition fees, books and living expenses. Although the interest on student loans is quite low, it begins as soon as the student receives the loan. The average student in England and Wales now graduates from university with debts of around PS12,000. Students of medicine usually have debts of more than PS20,000. That is a lot of money. It means graduates cannot afford to buy a house for many years. They even struggle to pay rent on a flat, because they have to start paying back the student loan after graduating. If you start to earn over PS15,000 a year, the government takes repayments directly from your monthly salary. Is it any surprise, therefore, that the average British person does not leave their parents' home until they are 30 years old? You might think that a British person with a degree will find it easy to get a well-paid job. However, most people in white-collar jobs seem to have a degree these days, so there is a lot of competition. Also, British companies tend to value work experience over a piece of paper. Like everyone else, graduates usually have to start at the bottom and work their way up. That can be very frustrating for them, since they are often over-qualified for the work they are doing. While at university, they have dreams of getting an exciting, challenging job. Therefore, life after university ends up being quite disappointing for a lot of graduates. All of the above is beginning to make British people question whether a university degree is really worth the money. We can infer from the passage _ A. The average British person didn't leave their parents' home until they are 35 years old B. Having a degree doesn't get aBritish person a good job C. Students are graduating without larger and larger debts. D. things are easier for students from other countries coming to study in the UK without money Answer: B Books which give instructions on how to do things are very popular in the United States today. Thousands of these "How to" books are available; in fact, there are about four thousand books with titles that begin with the words "How to". One book may tell you how to earn more money, another may tell you how to save or spend it, and another may explain how to give your money away. Many "How to" books give advice on careers . They tell you how to choose a career and how to succeed at it. If you fail, however, you can buy a book called "How to Turn Failure into Success". If you would like to become very rich, you can buy the book "How to Make a Million". If you never make any money at all, you may need a book called "How to Live on Nothing?" One of the most popular types of books is one that helps you with personal problems. If you want to have a better love of life, you can read "How to Succeed at Love Every Minute of Your Life?". If you are tired of books on happiness, you may prefer a book called "How to Make Yourself miserable?". Many of these books help people use their time better. Some people want books which will give them useful information about sports, hobbies, and travel. Other people use their free time to make repairs and improvements on their homes. They prefer books which give step by step instruction on how to repair things like plumbing and electrical wiring, or on how to redecorate or enlarge a house. Why have "How to" books become so popular? Probably because life has become so complex. Today people have far more free time to use, more choices to make, and more problems to solve. "How to" books help people deal with modem life. How to books are welcomed in the United States today because _ . A. these books are cheap B. Americans love the writers of these books C. the readers can get them without paying anything D. these books can help the Americans deal with their problems in modern life Answer: D
Most of the news in the newspapers is bad but sometimes there is a story with good news. This is one of those stories. Millions of people around the world suffer from AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and other serious diseases. There are medicines to treat these diseases but for people in poor countries, these medicines are too expensive to buy. When a pharmaceutical company produces a new medicine, they receive a special license called a _ This license means that the new medicine or drug is protected for a period of 20 years. The company that produced the drug can fix the price of the drug and no other company is allowed to produce the same drug or a copy of the drug for 20 years. At the moment, these patents operate all over the world, both in rich countries and in poor countries. The drugs companies say that they need patents so that they can get the money to pay for research to find new drugs and medicines. In rich countries people usually have enough money to pay for these drugs but in poor countries people can't afford to buy them and cannot treat diseases like AIDS and malaria. Last month, however, a group of experts published a report which says that patents are very bad for poor countries. The report says that drug companies do not want to find new medicines for diseases of poor people in poor countries. It says that poor countries should be allowed to buy cheap drugs without patents from other countries. The authors of the report were lawyers, scientists and a senior director from the drug company Pfizer. Of course, the pharmaceuticals industry doesn't agree with the report, "We need patents so that we can develop new medicines to fight disease both in the developed and developing world," said a spokesman. But the report is the first sign that there might be a change in the patent system. This change could save millions of lives in the world's poorest countries. This really is good news. Why are medicines expensive for people in poor countries? Answer: They are protected by patents. Mr. Clark was a very busy man. He always worked hard. He often forgot his family's birthdays.Yesterday afternoon, he remembered it was Mrs. Clark, his wife's birthday. He loved his wife. He wanted to give her a gift. On his way home from his hospital he bought some nice flowers in a shop. When Mr. Clark got home, he gave his wife the flowers and said," Happy birthday to you, dear! It's September 28thtoday. I remembered your birthday this year." Mrs. Clark laughed and said ," My birthday was the day before yesterday. But thank you all the same. Better later than never!" Mrs. Clark's birthday was on _ . Answer: September 26th Today, innovations to make our lives more eco-friendly can be found everywhere. There are energy-efficient automobiles, eco-friendly light bulbs, and clothes made by fashion designers using sustainable environmental practices. Industries around the world have also begun to take a serious look at how their operations affect the local and global environment. The university of Colorado has been named one of the top green colleges and universities in the United States. This university was one of the first to start a student-led recycling program in the 1970s and today supplies students with reusable shopping bags to use both on and off campus. The entire University of Colorado also uses low flow water fixtures and has reduced water usage by 40 percent since 2002. When it comes to going green, Warren Wilson College has been recognized in many places. The Sierra Club and The Princeton Review have named the college as one of America's greenest colleges and universities, while the school has also received the Outstanding College Recycling Award from the Carolina Recycling Association, as well as awards from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education(AASHE). For a small college, Warren Wilson has made enormous efforts to be an eco-friendly campus since its beginning, and today owns a campus farm, a seeding program, and an extensive recycling program. Warren Wilson was also the first College to have an LEED platinum certified residence hall, and its building services department is also 100 percent GreenSeal certified. According to College Stats, Warren Wilson College is one of the first institutions in the United States to be almost completely self-sufficient while also engaging students to incorporate sustainability into all academic programs. Going green efforts at Oberlin College have not gone unnoticed. Oberlin College spends 22 percent of its food budget on buying food from local farmers, with most of the food raised or harvested with organic and sustainable practices. Oberlin has also stopped selling bottled water on campus and offers discounts to students who use their own storage containers when purchasing beverages and food items. Among Oberlin's other eco-friendly accomplishments is a green graduation ceremony, which includes programs printed on 100 percent recycled paper. What do we know about the University of Colorado? Answer: It uses special systems to save water. Do you know the Chinese saying "He who doesn't reach the Great Wall is not a true man"? Mr. White knows it. Next month he is going to Beijing with his wife. They are going to visit the Great Wall. They are staying in Beijing for about a week. They have a lot of Chinese friends there, so they are visiting them. Then they're flying to West Lake in Hangzhou. They are going boating there and staying there for about three days. Mr. White knows that the Yellow Mountain is very famous in China. So they're going to Anhui to go hiking in the great mountain. After two days in Anhui they'll have to go back to Sydney. "I'm taking lots of photos in China. When I get back to Sydney, I am going to show the photos to my friends. I want my friends to know more about China." said Mr. White. From the passage we can learn that _ . Answer: Mr. White has many friends in Beijing Dr Frank Mayfield was touring Tewksbury Institute when he met all elderly floor maid .Having known that the elderly woman had worked there for many years,he asked her to tell him about the history of this place. "I don't think I can tell you anything.but I could show you something."She took his hand and led him down to the basement under the oldest section of the building."That's where they used to keep Annie." "Who was Annie?" "Annie was a young girl who was brought in here because nobody could do anything with her.She'd bite and scream and throw her food at people.The doctors and nurses couldn't even examine her.I was only a few years younger than her myself and I used to think.I surely would hate to be locked up like that.I wanted to help her,but I didn't have any idea what I could do.So I just baked her some brownies one night after work.The next day I brought them in.I walked carefully to her cage and I got out of there just as fast as I could because I was afraid she might throw them at me.But she didn't.She actually took the brownies and ate them.After that,she was just a little bit nicer to me when I was around.And sometimes I'd talk to her.Once,I even got her laughing.One of the nurses noticed this and she told the doctor.They asked me if l'd help them with Annie.I said I would if I could.I went into the cage first and explained and calmed her down and held her hand,which is how they discovered that Annie was almost blind." ... When Helen Keller received the Nobel Prize,she was asked who had the greatest impact on her life and she said, "Annie Sullivan." But Annie said,"No Helen.The woman who had the greatest influence on both our lives was a floor maid at the Tewksbury Institute." What could probably happen after the doctors found Annie was almost blind? Answer: Annie was set free and received treatment.
Jamey really wanted a pet dog, so he went to ask his parents. "Mom, Dad, can I we get a dog?" Jamey's mom and dad thought about this, and then answered him. "Having a pet can be a lot of work, Jamey. When you own a dog, you have to feed him, and take him for walks, and clean up after him. You even have to do those things when you would rather be playing or watching TV. If you promise to help take care of him, we'll get a dog." Jamey was very happy to hear this! The next weekend, his mom and dad took him to a big building where puppies and kittens without homes were kept. It was very noisy inside! Jamey looked at a big yellow dog first. "This dog is pretty big, Jamey," his father said. "He might need a bigger yard to run around in than we have." Jamey thought that Dad was right about that. The next dog Jamey looked at was a very small white dog. It barked over and over again as Jamey and his mother looked at it. "This dog is very noisy Jamey. He might need a lot of attention from you. Do you think you want to give this puppy that much attention?" Jamey wasn't sure he could give the little white dog all the time it needed to be happy. Finally Jamey looked at a third dog, a brown dog that was bigger than the white dog, but smaller than the yellow one. The dog came over to Jamey right away and seemed to love to be petted and fussed over. "Do you like the brown dog?" asked Jamey's dad. "Yes!" said Jamey. "Can we get him?" "Will you feed him and walk him every afternoon when you get home from school?" asked Jamey's mom. "I promise," said Jamey. "In that case, I guess we have a dog!" This made Jamey very happy. Why did Jamey not choose the yellow dog? A. The yellow dog was very noisy. B. He didn't want to feed the yellow dog. C. The yellow dog was too big. D. He didn't want to walk the yellow dog. Answer: C Many years ago, when I was working as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Lisa. The poor little girl had a very serious disease and was dying. The doctor had done his best but no medicine really worked. The only chance to save her seemed to be a blood transfusion from her five-year-old brother. The little boy had the same disease before and had developed the antibodies to fight the illness. The doctor talked to the little boy about what they planned to do, and asked him if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for a moment. He took a deep breath and said, "Yes, I'll do it if it can save Lisa." As the transfusion was going on, the little boy lay quietly in bed next to his sister. He looked at her and smiled all the time. When everything was done and the colour returned to his sister's face, his smile disappeared and he looked a little afraid. He looked up at the doctor and asked, " Will I start to die now?" He was too young to understand the doctor. He thought he would have to give all his blood to his sister, but he agreed. What happened to the 1ittle girl named Lisa at last? A. She died of a very serious disease. B. She got better with the antibodies from her brother. C. She lost her little brother. D. The transfusion failed and her illness got worse. Answer: B "How are you asleep? It's six in the morning!" "Hello Dad," I said. My dad thought waking me up early for father-son time was a treat. I wished we could hang out at night instead. He sat in the chair at the foot of my bed with an enormously cheesy grin on his face, with a big shopping bag on his lap. "What's in the bag, Dad?" "I bought you some presents! You're a growing young man, and it is only right that you pick a sport." Dad dug through the bag, and pulled out a football and a baseball. "Any of these look good?" "Dad, you know all I want in life is to join the circus! Why can't you let me be myself?" Dad leaned in closer to me, a serious look on his face. "Son, when I was eight I wanted to join the circus too. But when I got to high school, everybody made fun of me. They told me I was dumb for not playing sports and dumb for practicing juggling all day. They told me that nobody would marry me if I didn't give up my circus dreams." "Then how did you find Mom?" "By giving up my dreams of circus juggling and playing football instead! Come on, you'll like it." I slowly pulled myself out of bed and grabbed the football from Dad's hand. I wanted to make him happy. But I wish he could've been happy with a dream where you didn't get hit with things. What did the dad want to do before high school? A. play soccer B. play football C. watch movies D. juggle in the circus Answer: D THE first night in Yosemite had been awful. I hadn't been able to sleep and I was stuck in a too small tent with my wife and two kids. "Things haven't worked out," I said to myself. But, like so many other things I complain before my morning coffee, this one was ridiculously off-key. Things weren't bad; they were good. A hundred yards(91 meters) away was Summit Lake, with its wonderful early morning mists shimmering off the water. A couple of miles to the southwest was the base of the Lassen Peak Trail. The base was 8,000 feet (2,400 meters) above sea level, huge snow banks dotting the place even in mid August. It was beautiful. We fired up the camp stove, got out our cold boxes from the heavy metal locker ,fired up some bacon, cut open some bread, and boiled up a cup of coffee. Half an hour later, my 6-year-old daughter and I were in the parking lot of the Lassen Peak Trail, getting ready to hike. We wouldn't make it all the way-- young legs get pretty tired on a steep mountain path, but it didn't matter. We would see great views spread out below us, the volcanic ash that layered on the earth turning the melting snow a mysterious pink as the sun struck it. Later, on the hike, I felt stupid about my morning complaints. Everything had been worthwhile. It gave me enormous satisfaction to see my daughter so excited about the view from the mountain. Yes, camping is uncomfortable. But there's also something wonderful about being so close to nature. Just as importantly, there's something about getting young children out of their increasingly technology-filled comfort zones and forcing them to encounter the non-cyber world around them. We lose something when we spend all our time cocooned inside a carefully constructed modernity, when read about daily affronts to the environment, yet don't fully realize what is at risk, removed as we are from nature. It's a good thing to reconnect every so often with the Great Outdoors. By Sasha Abramsky Which of the following is TRUEaccording to the article? A. The author seldom complains in the early morning. B. The author walked all the way to the Lassen Peak Trail. C. The view from the mountain impressed the author's daughter. D. The author hiked to the top of the mountain to get a better view. Answer: C A type of animal that can shed is a A. frog B. monkey C. chicken D. salmon Answer: B
If a pork chop is underdone, the likelihood of illness spreading to consumers of it is Answer: extreme The train was already half an hour late. I had to arrive in Vienna at 7:15 in time to catch the 7:20 train to Paris, but there was no hope of that now. I told my problem to the conductor . He advised me to get off two stops before Vienna Station and take a taxi. When the time came, he even helped with my bag. He wished me good luck as I jumped off. A few minutes later I was racing towards the center of the city in a taxi. It was almost 7:25 when we stopped outside the station. I paid the driver quickly, picked up my bag and hurried inside. "Paris train?" was all I had time to say to the official I saw. You can see how I felt when he pointed to a train that was just moving out of the station. The writer couldn't arrive in Paris in time because _ . Answer: the train was late Have you ever heard of the group Westlife? Maybe you have, but I'm sure many of you don't know very much about it. Westlife is an Irish boy band group, which was made up of 6 boys in the beginning and called IOU. The group quickly became popular with young people thanks to their song Swear It Again, which was at the top of the UK charts in April 1999. Chinese fans got their first chance to see Westlife on March 6th, 2006 in Beijing. Although the four-member group has been singing pop for seven years, the young boys have all since grown up and their songs are still very popular. When they performed in Beijing, Westlife released their new album Face to Face in China. Face to Face has been at the top of the British charts for a long time. The album's most popular song You Raise Me Up mixes traditional Irish music with pop music. Although hip-hop is quite popular among the young, Westlife has no plans to change. They said, "Hip-hop is for the young, but pop can be enjoyed by moms who are busy cooking meals and raising the kids. What style of music does Westlife make? Answer: Pop music A few years ago, in one experiment in behavioural psychology, Stanley Milgram of Yale University tested 40 subjects for their willingness to obey instructions given by a "leader" in a situation in which the subjects might feel a personal dislike of the actions they were called upon to perform. Specifically, Milgram told each volunteer "teacher-subject" that the experiment was in the noble cause of education, and was designed to test whether or not punishing pupils for their mistakes would have a positive effect on the pupils' ability to learn. The teacher-subjects were placed before a panel of thirty switches with labels ranging from "15 volts of electricity (slight shock)" to "450 volts (danger -- severe shock)" in steps of 15 volts each. The teacher-subject was told that whenever the pupil gave the wrong answer to a question, a shock was to be administered. The supposed "pupil" was in reality an actor hired by Milgram to pretend to receive the shocks by giving out cries and screams. Milgram told the teacher-subject to ignore the reactions of the pupil, and to administer whatever level of shock was called for. As the experiment unfolded, the "pupil" would deliberately give the wrong answers to questions, thereby bringing on various electrical punishments, even up to the danger level of 300 volts and beyond. Many of the teacher-subjects _ administering the higher levels of punishment, and turned to Milgram. In these situations, Milgram calmly explained that the teacher-subject was to carry on with the experiment and that it was important for the sake of the experiment that the procedure be followed through to the end. What Milgram was trying to discover was the number of teacher-subjects who would be willing to administer the highest levels of shock, even in the face of strong personal and moral revulsion against the rules and conditions of the experiment. Before carrying out the experiment, Milgram explained his idea to a group of 39 psychiatrists and asked them to predict the average percentage of people who would be willing to administer the highest shock level of 450 volts. The overwhelming consensus was that basically all the teacher-subjects would refuse to obey the experimenter. The psychiatrists felt that "most subjects would not go beyond 150 volts" and only a small percentage of about one in 1,000 would give the highest shock of 450 volts. What were the actual results? Well, over 60 per cent of the teacher-subjects continued to obey Milgram up to the 450-volt limit! In repetitions of the experiment in other countries, the percentage was even higher, reaching 85 per cent in one country. How can we possibly account for this result? One might firstly argue that there must be some sort of built-in animal aggression instinct that was activated by the experiment. A modem sociobiologist might even go so far as to claim that this aggressive instinct was of survival value to our ancestors in their struggle against the hardships of life on the plains and in the caves, finally finding its way into our genetic make-up. Another explanation is to see the teacher-subjects' actions as a result of the social context in which the experiment was carried out. As Milgram himself pointed out, "Most subjects in the experiment see their behaviour in a larger context that is good and useful to society -- the pursuit of scientific troth. The psychological laboratory has a strong claim to legitimacy and gains trust and confidence in those who perform there. An action such as shocking a victim, which in isolation appears evil, acquires a completely different meaning when placed in this setting". Here we have two different explanations. The problem for us is to sort out which of these two polar explanations is more reasonable. This is the problem of modern sociobiology -- to discover how hard-wired genetic programming decides the interaction of animals and humans with their environment, that is, their behaviour. Put another way, sociobiology is concerned with explaining the biological basis of all behaviour. Why did Milgram do the experiment? Answer: To explore the biological basis of social behavior. Two people sit down to play Go . One of the players is an old man. He is now 89 years old. He has spent all of his life playing this game. The other person is a young woman. She has been playing Go for only three years. Before this, the woman was an expert at playing computer games. Now she plays Go the same way she played computer games---by becoming a machine herself. They will play many games, until they know who the winner is. The woman shows no feelings but thinking about all the possible ways of placing her next stone. The old man, on the other hand, looks at the movements of her hands and of her face. This has always helped him to win. He wins the first three games. She wins the next game, and the man is surprised. He has never lost to a woman. The old man worries about the way the young woman is playing the game. He can't read her face, he does not understand her way of playing. "The way I think about the game", says the woman, "is that it is steps for getting what I want." Again, the old man is surprised. For him, the game is a way of life itself, and not a model of life. "There is no more beauty any longer. Everything is science and rules. Everything is about winning. Nothing is about playing," he says. They cannot agree with each other, but it is not necessary. "Change is a necessary part of life", thinks the man. "Playing is as important as winning", thinks the woman. They start to play their final game. . Before the woman plays Go, she was Answer: a computer game player
(This selection was originally published in 1992. Pluto is no longer classified as a planet.) Pluto is in many ways the strangest of the planets. It is small and has a large moon(called Charon). Its orbit is unusual, which may cause it to have seasons in the sense that when it is close to the sun, the liquid methane on its surface boils to form a kind of atmospheric haze . When the planet moves farther away from the sun, it starts to snow solid methane. Pluto is not dark. Despite its great distance from the sun, the surface of Pluto is probably as bright as a moonlit night on Earth. The reason is all that methane, which is as white as newly fallen snow. The discovery of Pluto was more accident than design. The American astronomer Percival Lowell had predicted the existence of a ninth planet(he called it Planet X)based on what he took to be irregularities in the orbit of Neptune. Today astronomers argue that these "irregularities" weren't real, but the result of instrumental error. Nevertheless, Lowell produced predictions about where Planet X ought to be(although, to be honest, the predictions changed occasionally when he redid the calculations).In any case, in 1930 Clyde Tombaugh, doing a systemic sky survey that would have found the planet no matter where it was, discovered the planet we now call Pluto. By coincidence, its position was pretty close to where Lowell's last prediction said it should be. Was it just luck? We'll never know. What contributes to the brightness of Pluto? Answer: It is Mother's Day. John is busy with his work during the day. When he passes by a flower shop in the evening, he thinks, 'I'll send Mum some roses .' While John is looking at the flowers, a young man comes inside. 'How many roses can I buy for only five dollars , madam?' he asks. The shopkeeper tells him that a dozen of roses is forty dollars. Maybe he can buy some carnations . They are much cheaper. 'No, I only want to have red roses,' he says. 'My mum was badly ill and I didn't spend much time with her. Now I want to give her something special, it must be roses because rose is her favorite.' After hearing it, John says he can help him pay for the rest of the money. The shopkeeper is moved and says, 'Well, lovely young men, thirty dollars a dozen, only for you.' Taking the roses, the young man almost jumps into the air and runs out of the shop. Then John pays for his dozen of roses and tells the shopkeeper to send them to his mother. As he walks out, he feels nice. Suddenly he sees the young man crossing the street and going into a park. But soon John knows it is not a park but a cemetery . Crying, the young man carefully puts down the roses, 'Mum, oh, Mum, why didn't I tell you how much I loved you? God, please help me find my mum and tell her I love her.' Seeing this, John turns and quickly walks to the shop. He will take the flowers home himself. The shopkeeper asks the young man to buy carnations because _ . Answer: A Guide to the University Food The TWU Cafeteria is open 7am to 8pm.It serves snacks , drinks, ice cream bars and meals.You can pay with cash or your ID cards.You can add meal money to your ID cards at the Front Desk.Even if you do not buy your food in the cafeteria, you can use the tables to eat your lunch, to have meetings and to study. If you are on campus in the evening or late at night, you can buy snacks, fast food, and drinks in the Lower Cafe located in the bottom level of the Gouglas Centre.This area is often used for entertainment such as concerts, games or TV watching. Relaxation The Globe, located in the bottom level of McMillan Hall, is available for relaxing, studying, cooking, and eating.Monthly activities are held here for all international students.Hours are 10 am to 10 pm, closed on Sundays. Health Located on the top floor of Douglas Hall, the Wellness Centre is committed to physical, emotional and social health.A doctor and nurse is available if you have health questions or need immediate medical help or personal advice.The cost of this is included in your medical insurance.Hours are Monday to Friday, 9am to noon and 1;00 to 4;30pm. Academic Support All students have access to the Writing Centre on the upper floor of Douglas Hall.Here, qualified volunteers will work with you on written work, grammar, vocabulary, and other academic skills.You can sign up for an appointment on the sign-up sheet outside the door two 30 -minute appointments per week maximum.This service is free. Transportation The TWU Express is a shuttle service.The shuttle transports students between campus and the shopping center, leaving from the Mattson Centre.Operation hours are between 8am and 3pm.Saturdays only.Round trip fare is $1. The Guide tells us that the Wellness Centre _ . Answer: One day an Australian farmer,Joe,saw a bright light in the sky. The light came nearer and nearer and suddenly Joe realized that it was a spaceship. The spaceship landed in a field nearby. The door of the spaceship opened and two strange beings climbed out. They seemed to be half man and half bird. Joe was afraid of them. He tried to run away. But the spacemen walked towards him,picked him up and carried him into the spaceship.They put wires from a machine onto his head and they they began to speak to him in English. They asked him questions about earth."We' re from Venus ,"they said,"But it is getting very hot there. A lot of our people are dying and we have not much time left. We are trying to find a new home." After some time they freed Joe and at last the spaceship took off and disappeared. Joe told his friends about the spacemen,but no one believed his story. "You wi ll believe me one day,"Joe told them."The spacemen will come back again." ,. Why did the aliens come to the earth? Answer: Shakespeare once called the English countryside "the precious stone set in the silver sea"- and he is not the last to sing high praises of its beauty and historical charm . The countryside is particularly beautiful during the summer, especially in August and September. As one travels the countryside, you'll find more of its treasures: so many plants and animals, romantic castles , secret gardens, and villages so unchanged in the last decades that they seem to have been caught under a fairy' s spell. Must-sees include Derbyshire, called "the heart of England" and home to the National Park. The great peaks were the muse of the Bronte sisters (and if you love the book Jane Eyre, you can visit North Lees hall, where the real Eyre family once lived). History lovers will enjoy a visit to Lincoln city (its most famous son is Lord Alfred Tennyson). It is also known for its cathedral , the charming tea shops, a small castle. One would never guess its violent past--built by Romans, it was once a center for arrow making. Harry Potter fans shouldn't miss a visit to Alnwick, which is better recognized as the "Hogswarth" in the movies. Let's not leave out the Wessex region, where one can see one of England's greatest mysteries, Stone Henge. You can also go to the City of Bath, which has been famous for its medicines springs since the Roman times. Other popular tractions include Salisbury Cathedral, and landscaped gardens of Stourhead, and the cobbled streets of Shaftesbury. This is also home to Oxford, one of the world's most famous universities. Art lovers will also like a visit to East Anglia, whose landscapes inspired the painter Constable (he was born in Dedham village). This is also home of the University City of Cambridge, and the famous architectural attraction, King's College Chapel. Be sure to visit the aircraft museum of Duxford. According to the text, Lincoln city _ . Answer:
My friend has a big police dog named Kim. Police dogs are often very smart. Every Sunday afternoon my friend takes Kim for a long walk in the park. Kim likes walking very much. One Sunday afternoon a man visited my friend. He talked to my friend a long time. They talked and talked. Soon it was time for my friend to take Kim for his walk, but the man still stayed. Kim became very worried about his walk in the park. He walked around the living-room sometimes and at last sat down in front of the man and looked at him. But the man went on talking. After thirty minutes, Kim couldn't stand it. He went out of the room and came back a few minutes later. He sat down in front of the man again but this time he held the man's hat in his mouth. Which of the following sentences is true ? A. The man knew Kim wanted to go out for a walk. B. Kim doesn't like walking with my friend. C. The man thought Kim was dangerous. D. Kim sat down in front of the man because he asked him to leave. Answer: D A year ago, I paid no attention to English idioms, though my teacher emphasized the importance again and again. But soon, the importance of English idioms was shown in an _ 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, shrugging his shoulders, saying , "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 magnificent." 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 order "You don't say!"I couldn't help asking, "Why do you ask me not to talk about is?" "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 into 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 When the writer first heard "You don't say!" he thought _ . A. the Englishman was not interested in his English studies B. The Englishman was only interested in the Great Wall C. He has talked too much D. He had to stop talking at once Answer: A Imagine shopping for clothes online and being able to run your hand across the screen of your computer or smartphone to feel the materials. That kind of simulation technology could be available within the next five years. "We're talking about reinventing how computers interact with humans," said Bernie Meyerson, IBM Vice President. Extending our sense of touch is one of the innovations IBM believes will change the world in the next five years, according to the company's annual "Five in Five" list. Smart machines will also be able to listen to the environment and highlight (;)the sounds we care about most. For instance, an advanced speech recognition system will tell new parents why their baby is crying. This kind of thing is not possible today, but with an advanced enough system, it's actually possible. In the near future, personal computers will be able to do more than recognize images and visual data. Their built-in cameras will be able to analyze features such as colors, and understand the meaning of visual media, such as knowing how to sort family photos. Smart machines will also be able to smell. If you sneeze on your computer or cellphone, tiny sensors in the machine will be able to analyze thousands of molecules in your breath. "It can give you an alarm and says, 'Hey, you are probably sick, go to see your doctor immediately,'" Meyerson says. Mark Maloo is a computer science professor from Georgetown University. He hopes the advances will encourage more students to study science, technology, engineering and math, preparing them to play a role in future innovations. He believes there's little doubt that advances in computer technology over the next five years will make what now seems like science fiction a part of our everyday lives. In the future, if you buy clothes online, you may _ . A. feel the materials of the clothes by touching the screen B. ask your computer to give you some advice C. ask your computer to make the decision for you D. save a lot of money by using a smartphone Answer: A Are there fastest ways to lose weight? Yes, there are! This is no magic trick or miracle. It just needs sensible actions. Drink water No, you don't have to fill up like a tub, but ensure that you drink 8 to 10 glasses of water every day. Don't substitute for juice. With adequate water intake your body will be able to metabolize fat more effectively. And if you have a glass of water 10-15 minutes before your meal, you will feel full once you start eating. Another fun fact, did you know that you can lose 62 calories by drinking ice cold water? Eat 5 times a day Start with breakfast. The more you eat for breakfast, the less food you will want to eat at night. Please don't skip this meal as you'll end up swallowing everything in sight for the rest of the day. You don't need to gobble up 5 large meals. Eat sensibly so your body doesn't crave for food. Use weights Needless to say, exercise is crucial to weight loss. You can't expect to sit on the sofa all day, sip water and lose weight. Join a good gym that lets you work with _ It will help you build muscle and your metabolism rate will increase. You'll soon see the fat come off and in its place muscle will develop. Smaller bowls It's better to substitute the huge bowls you usually use for small ones - when food starts to fall off, you'll know it's enough. Try to get these new bowls in dark colors. Dark blue will be your best choice since it is the number one color that fights off the appetite. Avoid red/orange/yellow colors in your dining area - they are the ones making your appetite go sky high. Read between lines Food and drink products are all out to get you. They scream "Buy me! Buy me!" They could be "fat free" but they could still have a lot of calories. You need to analyze the nutrition label on the cover. Find out what's good for you and what isn't. Knowing in advance can help you stay away from products that are calorie-enriched. Don't punish yourself Go easy on yourself at least one day in a week. If you begin to dislike your diet then there's something wrong. Find a diet that suits your body type and your lifestyle. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true? A. If you are on a diet, you should always keep to your diet. B. Use smaller bowls can help you eat less food. C. Skipping breakfast is not a wise way to lose weight. D. Reading the nutrition label on drink and food products is helpful. Answer: A A German taxi-driver, Franz Bussman, recently found his brother who was thought to have been killed twenty years ago. While on a walking tour with his wife, he stopped to talk to a workman. After they had gone on, Mrs. Bussman said that the workman was closely like her husband and even suggested that he might be his brother. Franz laughed at the idea, pointing out that his brother had been killed in action during the war. Though Mrs. Busman knew this story quite well, she thought there was a chance in a million that she might be right. A few days later, she sent a boy to the workman to ask him if his name was Hans Bussman. Needless to say, the man's name was Hans Bussman. And he really was Franz's long-lost brother. When the brothers were reunited, Hans explained how it was that he was still alive. After having been wondered towards the end of the war, he had been sent to hospital and was separated from his unit . The hospital had been bombed and Hans had made his way back into Western Germany on foot. Meanwhile, his unit was lost and all records of him had been destroyed. Hans returned to his home, but the house had been bombed up. Guessing that his family had all been killed during an air-raid , Hans settled down in a village fifty miles away where he had remained ever since. Which of the following can be used as the best title of the passage? A. Living Not Far B. Coming Back to Life C. A Chance in a Million D. Back after the War Answer: C
Luo Gaoqi hopes to join the increasing number of Chinese students in the United States because he wants the experience of studying in a foreign land as it will help his future job at home. "I want to try Western education because people there think differently," said the 21-year-old who is in his final year of undergraduate studies. "I also hope to meet friends from different cultures. The social connections may help in the future." The latest report from the US-based institute of International Education said China, for the first time, has become the top country of origin for international students in the United States. For Yang Fan, a journalism student, said studying in the United States is a way to escape the competition for places in China's top universities. "Due to limited education resources, only about 60 percent of high school graduates in China enter college, and a much lower rate enters the top-level ones. "A foreign degree will definitely help when I seek a job in China," Yang said. Both Yang's and Luo's parents are supportive of them studying abroad. Neither of them is thinking of settling down in the United States after graduation. "It is not realistic to do so. As a journalism student, there would be no advantage for me to work in the United States," Yang said. "But in China, with a US degree and good English, I may stand out against other students who have only studied in China." China still needs to improve its environment for scientists and high-level talents, said Xiao Mingzheng, director of the Center for Human Resource Development and Management Research of Peking University, adding that, in particular, the country needs to improve its policies relating to research environments. In June, the Chinese government published a plan concerning talent development for the next 10 years. In it, it has improved policies and increased budgets to attract talented students back home. From the passage, we can infer that _ . A. scientists and high-level talents need a better environment in China B. the students abroad are unwilling to go back to China C. China doesn't need those people to come back to our country at all D. we all need to go abroad to study and then serve our own country Answer: A. scientists and high-level talents need a better environment in China Mobile phone technology is developing rapidly. What will the future mobile be able to do and what will it look like? Take a look at the following mobile phones, and you'll find that some amazing phones are now coming our way. Packet The packet has five touch screens with different usages . When folded, the Packet is in a simple square shape. You can see the time and any messages you've received. Once you open it, the five screens will _ . Cob alto It has taken only two years for touch screen mobile phones to be used worldwide. Why not the 3D phones then? With an almost all-glass design, the Cobalto phone can make Google Maps even more useful, as shown here. Human-body Phone We often save photos of someone we love. When we miss them, we can see the photos. And now, Japanese scientists' human-body phone is more than just photos. With a human body shape, it's coated with a material just like human skin. When you're holding the phone, it feels as if you're holding someone you miss. Paper Phone How many times have you wanted to smash your phone when talking to annoying people? With the Paper Phone, you'll soon be able to do it. As the world's first flexible mobile phone, it can be bent freely while you're making calls, reading e-books and playing music. When we miss someone very much, we can save photos of him or her with _ . A. the Packet B. the Cobalto C. the Human-body Phone D. the Paper Phone Answer: C. the Human-body Phone Marco Polo:The Boy Who Traveled The Medieval World Author: Nick McCarty Pages: 64 ISBN: 0792258932 Divided into four chapters, "A Boy in Venice", "Setting Out", "The Long Journey", and "Working for Kublai Khan", Marco Polo examines the fascinating life of the merchant and traveler. Marco was a teenager by the time his father and uncle returned home. Both men were full of tales from their travels through China,including a story about meeting the great Kublai Kahn, the ruler of the Mongols. Rabbit's Gift Author: George Shannon Illustrator: Laura Dronzek Pages: 32 ISBN: 0152060731 Rabbit's Gift is a modern retelling of the "giving" fable. Through the eyes of the adorable forest creatures the reader sees that while he is not responsible for the happiness of others, his actions can deeply impact those he comes in contact with. A Little Peace Author: Barbara Kerley Pages: 32 ISBN: 1426300867 A Little Peace is a book with an important message. The spare, refreshing text winds its way around and through full-color1 photographs. Each vividly captures the universal emotions and peaceful pursuits of everyday people around the world: a young girl in Kenya smiling into a mirror; a group of waving school children in Bali. Near the end of the book a double-page spread offers pictures along with an explanation of where it was taken. How One Small Loan Made a Big Difference Author: Katie Smith Milway Illustrator: Eugenie Fernandes Pages: 32 ISBN: 9781554530281 The families in Kojo's village come up with an idea. Each family contributes a small amount of savings so that one family at a time can borrow the money to buy "something important". Kojo's mother uses the loan to buy a cart with which to carry firewood to the marketplace as well as rent out to those who need to transport items. What is the book A Little Peace about? A. It is about description of forest creatures. B. It is about how to send important messages. C. It is about people's life around the world. D. It is about children's life in Kenya and Bali. Answer: C. It is about people's life around the world. Recently the busiest person on the Internet is absolutely Yuanfang, a fictional figure from the Chinese TV series "Detective Di Renjie". In the TV series, Li was often asked by Di, "How do you see it, Yuanfang?" Then, the dialogues between them help advance the plot. Now, the casual pet phrase is used as many as 2.5 million times by netizens in a single day, according to statistics. In fact, it is not the first popular sentence pattern on the Internet. Many other types of popular network words include those evolved from "the slogans of Vancl " and actor's lines of "The Legend of Concubine Zhen Huan". The explosive spread of the sentence "How do you see it, Yuanfang?" again proved the vast power of the network spread. The appearance of a buzzword on the Internet may be coincidental, but the spread of numerous buzzwords has started a social and cultural phenomenon. It is more noticeable that the spread is not _ but by chance. Usually, everyone has known about it, except the one concerned. The appearance of buzzwords is resulting from the agreement of netizens. If something is new and interesting enough, it will cause public attention. The rise of these buzzwords also benefits from their strong "adhesive force". After analyzing these buzzwords, we find that they have a common character, namely "novel in structure but empty in content". Therefore, any concrete contents can be added in these buzzwords, creating fantastic results. Taking the "Yuanfang-style" as an example, its popularity displayed a social mentality of questioning. Although it seems a little funny to ask "Yuanfang", a fictional character, and some people even find it boring. This way of asking a question reveals a valuable quality-listening. The Internet provides a space for everyone to express their views, but it also causes controversies. What's your opinion, Yuanfang? What can we infer from the last passage? A. People benefited from the Internet on which they can learn a lot about real society. B. People learned about some controversies from the Internet and decided to deal with them. C. People provided a space through which they can display their own criminal mentality. D. People found out a place where they can question and express their different views. Answer: D. People found out a place where they can question and express their different views. The news that China bans time-travel TV dramas and movies got a lot of attention on the Internet. Yet, time travel in China is a bit different from time travel in common sense. It is anything but science fiction and always goes backwards in time. There is minimum imagination involved--no ever-ending circles that mess up present and future, no advanced technology, no new social orders or new human forms from the twenty--whatever century, everything is a known historical fact when you travel through in China. It is not even called time travel; rather the Chinese people refer to it as time crossover. Time crossover has been an extremely popular theme for online novels for years (in fact, it is an indispensable part of China's online culture), and didn't get picked up by TV and the big screen until recent two years. Most of time-travel dramas and movies are adapted from popular online novels and like in other cases adaptations are never better than the original books. The main plot of time-travel novels or TV dramas can be very well summarized in one sentence: from nobody to somebody. Time travel in China is more about escaping from the reality than about realizing wild dreams. In China, there is no need of time machine either. People travel backwards in time via the possession of antiques presence at historical places of interest encounter of life-threatening accidents or simple a look into the mirror. Some time-travel novels even start with ''I wanted togo back to history so much that one morning when I opened my eyes I was back.'' Technology is not relevant at all. Though China is not short of histories to go back to, people have their own preferences and it is pretty much a gender thing.If the main character is male then he usually goes back to special times in history when he is able to help build up or tear up a dynasty. A typical example is A Step Into the Past , the first time-travel TV drama in China, which tells the story of how a SWAT member helps to unite China and build up Qin Dynasty. On the other hand, female characters primarily go back to Qing Dynasty partly because Qing Dynasty has the most number of princes to fall in love with. YongZheng Emperor is the favorite. As can be seen in Startling by Each Step , a Qing time crossover classic, a girl goes back to Qing Dynasty and falls in love with YongZheng Emperor and his brothers. It can be inferred from the passage that _ . A. China now has banned any forms of productions about time travel B. the main character always follows a set pattern in the time-travel TV dramas in China C. adapted from online novels, time-travel TV and movie productions enjoy more praise D. all the time-travel productions are about heroes and their success Answer: B. the main character always follows a set pattern in the time-travel TV dramas in China
Some people can stay up all night and still get work done the next day. I'm not one of them. After a night without enough sleep, I feel bad-tempered. I have trouble remembering things. And all I want to do is go to bed. How do you feel after you've stayed up late to finish schoolwork or the day after an overnight party? Scientists now say that your answers to these questions may depend on your genes. New research suggests that a gene called "period 3" influences how well you function without sleep. The "period 3" gene comes in two forms: short and long. Everyone has two copies of the gene. So, you may have two longs, two shorts, or one of each. Your particular combination depends on what your parents passed on to you. Scientists from the University of Surrey in England studied 24 people who had either two short or two long copies of "period 3". Study participants had to stay awake for 40 hours straight. Then, they took tests that measured how quickly they pushed a button when numbers flashed on a screen and how well they could remember lists of numbers. Results showed that the people with the short form of "period 3" performed much better on these tests than the people with the long form did. In both groups, people performed worst in the early morning. After the first round of experiments, participants were finally allowed to sleep. People in the group that performed well on the tests (those with the short form of "period 3") took about 18 minutes to nod off. While people with the long "period 3" gene fell asleep in just 8 minutes. They also spent more time on deep sleep. That suggests that people with the long form of the gene need more and deeper sleep to keep their brains working in top form. I think I must have the long form of "period 3". What about you? The purpose of this passage might be _ Answer: to tell the result of a research on sleepy gene. At heart, parents always wish the best for their children, and they work hard for that. Nowadays, we see parents deciding the schools for their little ones before the baby is even born. Once kids start going to school, some parents want to have a time-to-time update of their kid's activities. They want to come to the classroom every day, keep an eye on whom they talk to, know the friends they keep, start telling them how to do their job, and keep talking or giving a feedback to them about everything under the sun. Besides, they send their kids for extra hobby classes, as they want their children to do best in every field. When it comes to the education, super mom and dad have all the plans made for their children, and I am sure that they have come up with the best. So, try to fight for the dreams that your parents have set for you. However, in some cases, it may happen that the kids have some different dreams. Parents sometimes don't even consider the choices of their kids and may force them to do what they wanted to do in life. It's good to plan the future for the children, but leave at least some decisions to them. So what should the children do? First, hear out all the plans that your parents have made for you. If you have some different ideas, then sit down and talk to your family about it. Be patient and respect their decisions, but put your plan forth, and make them understand what you want to do and why. Many times, you are not aware of the difficulties that you may have to face while _ your dreams. Ask your parents for suggestions, which will make them feel good and involved. That way, they may support you if you are going on the right path. With respect to educational plans, the author advises _ . Answer: parents to respect their children's choices Tour A--Bath & Stonehenge including entrance fees to the ancient Roman bathrooms and Stonehenge--PS37until 26 March and PS39 thereafter. Visit the city with over 2,000 years of history and Bath Abbey, the Royal Crescent and the Costume Museum. Stonehenge is one of the world's most famous prehistoric monuments dating back over 5,000 years. Tour B--Oxford & Stratford including entrance fees to the University St Mary's Church Tower and Anne Hathaway's housePS32 until 12 March and PS36 thereafter. Oxford: Includes a guided tour of England's oldest university city and colleges. Look over the "city of dreaming spires "form St Mary's Church Tower. Stratford: Includes a guided tour exploring much of the Shakespeare wonder. Tour C--Windsor Castle & Hampton Court including entrance fees to Hampton Court Palace--PS34 until 11 March and PS37 thereafter. Includes a guided tour of Windsor and Hampton Court, HenryVIII's favourite palace. Free time to visit Windsor Castle(entrance fees not included). With 500 years of history, Hampton Court was once the home of four Kings and one Queen. Now this former royal palace is open to the public as a major tourist attraction. Visit the palace and its various historic gardens, which include the famous maze where it is easy to get lost! Tour D--Cambridge including entrance fees to the Tower of Saint Mary the Great--PS33 until 18 March and PS37 thereafter. Includes a guided tour of Cambridge, the famous university town, and the gardens of the 18th century.[ Which tour will you choose if you want to see England's oldest university city? Answer: Tour B There are 365 days in a year. We sleep 8 hours a day, so we have 122 days for sleeping. Then our work time has 243 days left. But there are 52 weekends in a year. Each weekend is two days. We lose another 104 days a year for work. It takes us about one hour to have breakfast and supper. This comes to 15 days over a year. But we can't work all that time-we need a holiday. Let's say we have three weeks' holiday. We don't work all day. Four free hours each evening takes up 61 days. We have to remember that we get 2 days' holiday at Easter, 3 at Christmas and 1 at the New Year. There are also 4 Bank holidays. Take those 10 days away and we have 32 days for work. But then we have one and a half hours' lunch every day, and half an hour's coffee break. That comes to 30 days a year. This means that we have only a few days left for work every year! According to the passage, we know that we don't have _ time to work every year. Answer: too much Earthquake in Japan.Donald Trump is accused of planting story about actress's height after she rejected him. Mexico arrests ex-police chief in case of 43 missing students. Do you really need to know all these things? Three years ago, I began an experiment. I stopped reading all newspapers and magazines. Televisions and radios were rejected. I deleted the news apps from my iPhone. I didn't touch a single free newspaper and deliberately looked the other way when someone tried to offer me any such reading material. The first weeks were hard. Very hard! I was constantly afraid of missing something. But after a while, I had a new understanding. The result after three years: clearer thoughts, more valuable ideas, better decisions, and much more time. And the best thing? I haven't missed anything important. A dozen reasons exist to _ . Here are the top three: First, our brain reacts differently to different types of information. Shocking, people-based, fast-changing details all appeal to us. News producers capitalize on this. The result: Everything complex, abstract, and profound must be systematically singled out, even though such stories are much more relevant to our lives and to our understanding of the world. As a result, we walk around with a misrepresented mental map of the risks and threats we actually face. Second, news is irrelevant. In the past year, you have probably consumed about ten thousand pieces of news. Be very honest: Name one of them, just one that helped you make a better decision--for your life, your career, or your business--compared with not having this piece of news. No one I have asked has been able to name more than two useful news stories--out of ten thousand. News organizations claim that their information gives you a competitive advantage. Too many fall for this. If news really helped people advance, journalists would be at the top of the income pyramid. Third, news is a waste of time. An average human being spends half a day each week reading about current affairs. This is a huge loss of productivity. Take the 2008 terror attack in Mumbai. Let's say a billion people viewed the minute-by-minute updates and listened to the chatter of a few "experts" and "commentators." Thus our conservative calculation: One billion people multiplied by an hour's distraction equals one billion hours of work stoppage. News wasted around two thousand lives--ten times more than the attack. I would predict that turning your back on news will benefit you as much as removing any of the other ninety-eight errors we have covered in the pages of this book. Read long background articles and books. Nothing beats books for understanding the world. How did the author feel at the beginning of his experiment? Answer: He was in constant fear.
Have you ever wanted to stop eating something sweet but you just couldn't ?Is the first thing you do wehn you get home from schol to look in the biscuit tin ?Can you eat a huge bar of chocolate all by yourself ?Can you say "no"to sweets at parties ?If you can't ,thenn there is a reason ...perhapos you are a sugar addict !Does that sound funny ?Well ,doctors say that people who eat sweets regularly can easily becoame addicted to sugar .What's more ,most sugar addicts don't even realize that they are addicted !Sugar addiction is serious becauase it can really _ your health .doctors say that we should eat food which is healthy such as fresh fruits and vegetables,and that we shouldn't eat a lot of sugar ,fat or fast food .But sugar addicts can't follow this advice .They know they must stop eating sweet food,bu htey can't . So what can you do if you think you are ddced o he taste of sugar?Well here is some advice : Eat some fresh fruits when you really want something sweet to eat . Cut down son sweet foo lowly .Don't try to stp eating it at once You have to tell your parents ,If they know ,they will help you. What's the main idea of the passsage? Something about sugar addiction and how to give it up. How does the tilt of Earth's axis and its rotation affect the weather? The tilt allows certain latitudes of Earth to be heated at a greater rate while Earth rotates. How do Remora get their food? scavenge Mr. Gao lives in a town. When he was twenty-five, his son was born. He calls him Gao Ling. The little boy is clever. He and his wife love him very much. It's September 1st today. A new school year begins. Gao Ling is happy and wears his most beautiful clothes. He's going to school with his new bag. "Let me take you to school, dear." said Mrs. Gao. "Thank you, Mummy," said the boy. "The school is not far from here.I can go there myself." At school a teacher met the little boy and asked, "What's your name, my little friend?" "Gao Ling, sir." answered the boy. "How old are you?" "Six, sir." "What's your father's name?" "Gao Daling, sir." "How old is he?" "He is six, too, sir." "Oh," the teacher said in surprise. "Is he as old as you?" Yes, sir," said the boy. "He became a father only on the day when I was born." Gao Ling didn't let his mother take him to school because _ . the school is near and he could take care of himself Marco Polo was from Venice, Italy. In 1271, at age 17, Marco went on a trip with his father and uncle to China. Today people often travel to different places around the world. But it was very hard for people from Europe to visit China then. After three and a half years, the Polos reached China on 1275. While he was there, Marco Polo worked for Kublai Khan, the emperor of China. He was able to learn and experience many things that were new to Europeans. In his diary, he wrote, "Kublai Khan's palace is the greatest I've ever seen. The streets of the new capital. Daidu, are so straight and so wide." Paper money also took him by surprise, since it was not yet in use in the West at that time. Homes were heated with "black stones... which burn like wood." These stones were coal, and most of the Europeans knew little about it then. After 17 years in China, Marco and his family finally returned to Venice in 1292. After he returned home, Marco completed a book about his trip, full of facts about his wonderful experiences in China. How was Marco Polo's three-and-a-half-year journey to China? Difficult.
Real-life Friends Most people know the saying: A man's best friend is his dog; and that Diamonds are a girl's best friend. However, dogs can't offer advice or make you a cup of tea when you need one; and precious stones are cold comfort when you need a hug, and a shoulder to cry on. What are Friends? There are many ways to describe a friend. Friends are the family you can choose for yourself. Friends are a much better medication than medication is, and people who spend time with friends are happier with their lives as they are less lonely. A good friend will put you to bed when you're lost consciousness. Ensure you're not laid on your back, and remember to remove your shoes. You should be able to tell a true friend anything without being judged by them. How do Friendships Begin? This is an easy question. Find someone else who has similar interests with you. You now have another person to talk to about your shared interest but remember they like to talk too, so be prepared to shut up and listen once in a while. Hopefully they will have other friends and will introduce you to them, thereby expanding your circle. Friendships which begin due to location, for example, next-door neighbors or school classmates, rarely survive transitions such as moving to other neighborhoods, schools, colleges, jobs, immigration, and so forth. Attend a school reunion and you'll wonder what on earth you ever had in common with these people other than your age, although it is possible to have a friendship with someone you met at school. Mutually maintain it, and eventually become godparent or "uncle" to each others' children. How Friendships are Maintained To have a friend you must also be a friend and be prepared to be there for them should they need you. Failure in this respect would label you and you would most probably be abandoned. Boundaries Like every other relationship you have in your life, there are boundaries you shouldn't cross with your friends. One of those is money: Don't lend to your friend and don't ask for a loan yourself. Friends are unpaid counselors ,but phoning them at 2 am because you're awake and would like a chat is not a good idea. Neither is phoning them at 10 am if you know they're a shift-worker. Friends are people who need some space and quiet time. Generally, it all boils down to mutual respect and understanding. It's not a good plan to interrupt your friend while they're on a date/on holiday/attending an orchestral recital/at a funeral. Trust Trust is the most vital element in any relationship. If you're not trustworthy then you probably don't deserve friends, so try to remember that you promised to see that dull film with them or applaud them at their first attempt at a karaoke or an Open Mic night. If you have promised to look after their clothes while they go for a bet, then make sure you do. You might like to carry enough cash to help them out too, as you never know when that situation might be reversed. Don't lie to your friend: if they know you well they'll know you're lying or will at least be suspicious. If you find out something that you know will hurt your friend, be tactful . Do they need to know? Would they appreciate knowing? Can you tell their mum so she can break the news? Cowardly, yes, but mums usually have a much better way with words. Remember, if you do decide to tell them and it's painful, they will probably need some time alone, after lashing out at the closest thing--you. In that case, play the waiting game. Then don't beat them up about it afterwards. A Friend for Life Strong friendships can last a lifetime with care and consideration. The benefits are multi-folds; you've got someone to share birthday cake with, and especially for single people, a pub meal or a trip to the cinema is no fun alone, is it? Plus it's always nice to know there's someone there for you, as you're there for them, through the bad times as well as the good. Altogether now: Oh I get by with a little help from my friends. Mm, I get high with a little help from my friends. The author brings in the topic by _ . Some people have very good memory and they can easily remember quite long texts. There are other people who can only remember things when they have said them again and again. The famous English writer Charles Dickens said that he could walk down any long street in London and then tell you the name of every shop he had passed. Many great men of the world have a wonderful memory. A good memory is greatly helpful in learning a language. Everybody learns his own language by remembering what he hears when he is a small child, and some children, like the boys and girls who live abroad with their parents, seem to learn two languages almost as easily as one. In school it is not so easy to learn a second language because the students have so little time for it, and they are very busy with other subjects too. A man's mind is like a camera, but it takes photos not only of what we see but also of what we feel, hear, smell and taste. When we take a real photo with a camera, Some people have very good memory and they can easily remember quite long texts.In the same way, there is much work to be done before we can keep a picture forever in our minds. Memory is a diary, and we all carry it about us. We keep things we have experienced in this diary. Which of the following is true? One day, I had a bad toothache. I couldn't eat anything. So I went to see the dentist. " What's wrong with your teeth? " asked the dentist. " I have a toothache. " I told him. " Let me see your teeth ...... Um, there's a hole in one of the teeth. Do you eat a lot of sweet food? " The dentist asked me. " Yes, I do. I often eat ice cream, biscuits, chocolate and I often drink cola and milk with sugar, " I told him. " All these are bad for your teeth. You must eat less sweet food and brush your teeth at least twice every day. Now let me fill your bad tooth. " The doctor looked over the writer's teeth and found _ . There is a park near my home. People like to go to this park after work. Some of them go to the park every day. Look! That is Mr. King. He is sitting on a chair and watching the children. Some children are playing a game. Some boys are playing soccer. Lucy and Lily are standing under a tree. They are talking. There is a small river in the park. We can see some boats on the water. Some children are sitting in the boats with their fathers and mothers. Listen! A girl is singing. This is really a nice park. I come here after school every day. _ are playing soccer in the park. If you are a wealthy resident of India, madly in love and planning your big fat wedding--or being pressured into arranged marriage--Thailand wants you to exchange vows in Bangkok, Phuket or elsewhere in this "wedding Paradise ". This wedding business starts from overseas with the Indians. Thai embassies in India give quick services for the visas. Not only the couples, you can bring anyone, say, your own cook. So, feel free to invite hundreds of your friends and relatives. Why would Indians want to spend so much on weddings in Thailand? Because they have similarities in religion. When Indian weddings want to have some religious prayer for the couples, Thailand can do that. But the more obvious appeal are Thailand's fancy hotels, tropical islands, and delicious Thai food, allowing newlyweds to include a honeymoon in Thailand after they say "I do" while their guests also celebrate on a holiday here. But on the other hand, love does have a price. Kasu Rajagopal arranged for his daughter to have a wedding in Phuket. They arranged entertainment to begin three days before the wedding, because guests' arrival time varied. Yachts were chartered to take guests to small islands, while a DJ, flown in from Bangalore, India, was booked to help them dance in the evening. Kasu also arranged priests for the Hindu wedding, and cooks to prepare Indian food. The approximate costs are around half a million U. S. dollars, including the airfares, hotel accommodation, food, transportation, the yachts on hire and the wedding ceremony expenses, for 225 to 250 guests. Thailand wants to make itself a wedding paradise for all couples, not just from India, but from around the world. Last year, there were around 500 to 600 couples from China, and the numbers are slowly coming up. Westerners also arrive to get married, but in much smaller numbers. It can be predicted that _ .
Last summer, Mark became a middle school student. He took an English test in the first month. Mark was a good student and he worked hard. He finished the questions easily until he read the last one: "Everyone sees our school's cleaner every day. What's her first name?" Of course, this question is a little special. Mark saw the woman some times. She was tall and her hair was dark. But Mark didn't talk with her and didn't know her first name. The test was over. Then one student asked the teacher, "Is the last question very important in this test?" "Yes," said the teacher. "In our life, we meet many hard-working people. They are important. You should care about them. You should smile at them or say 'hello' to them." Mark never forgot that question. He also learned that woman's first name. It was Kathy. What does the sentence "You should smile at them or say 'hello' to them." mean? A. . B. . C. . D. . Answer: D Nowadays, there's a lot of debate about single sex education since it has begun to regain its popularity recently. According to long term studies of children from around the world, students achieve more and learn better in single sex schools. An Australian study of 270,000 students found that both boys and girls performed much higher on standardized tests when they attended separate schools. During an experiment in Virginia in 1995, 100 eighth graders were separated just for math and science courses. Almost immediately, the girls began to achieve more, become more confident and take part more often in class activities. In 2001, a British study concluded that nearly every girl regardless of her ability or socio-economic status performed better in single sex classrooms than co-ed ones. The study of 2,954 high schools and 979 primary schools showed that while boys at the lowest levels in study improved the most in single sex schools, single sex education was particularly beneficial to girls. Every one of the top 50 private elementary schools and top 20 private high schools in Britain are single sex schools. Girls became more confident in themselves as students and earned higher scores on their College Board and Advanced Placement examinations. A quarter of the female members of the US Congress and one-third of all female members of Fortune 100 boards graduated from all-women's colleges. While the statistics are not as dramatic for boys, however, boys tend to soften their competitive edge and become more cooperative in a single sex setting. They can just be boys and not worry about what the girls might think. Single sex education has a pleasant way of encouraging children to be fearless, to be curious, to be enthusiastic --- in short, to just be themselves. Children are subjected to pressures from every quarter to become adults before they are ready to do so. They grow up too quickly. Why not let them be children for a few more years? Single sex education with its gentler, more controlled social atmosphere is just the right answer for many children. With the experiment in Virginia in 1995, the writer wants to show that _ . A. single sex education has become popular in recent years B. the effect of single sex education on girls is immediate C. students at separate schools are better prepared for standardized tests D. both boy and girl students achieve more and learn better in single sex schools Answer: B Li Lei, Beijing I found the summer vacation was not so interesting as I imagined . It was very hot, so I had to spend most of the time staying at home, watching TV, listening to the radio and playing with my dog. Sometimes, I went to visit my relatives . Gina, New York I went to the countryside with my family and stayed there for about two weeks. The air there was nice and clean. Every day, we fed the chickens, milked the cows, played with the dogs and went fishing. We enjoyed ourselves very much. We wished to go there again. Alice, London My summer vacation was great. I went to Switzerland with my friends and stayed there for a week. It wasn't very hot there. We went to a climb the Alps . We felt very tired but excited. We also saw some beautiful lakes, went boating and took many photos. What can we learn from the passage? A. Li Lei didn't enjoy his vacation. B. It was not very hot in the countryside. C. Gina went boating during her vacation. D. Alice went fishing on her vacation. Answer: A The world is changing so fast that English, perhaps the most worldly of languages, is struggling to keep up. Learners in the future are likely to be much younger. Young children are often said to be better at language learning than older learners but they also have special challenges. Young children don't usually have the kind of instrumental motivation and determination for learning English that older learners often have. English lessons must therefore be fun and rewarding. The reasons why people learn English are also changing. Globalization is bringing together more people than ever who speak different languages and who are turning to English as the means of communication. The English learners of the future may be less worried about sounding exactly like a native speaker and more concerned about how to use English effectively in cross-cultural communication. We may be hearing more non-native speakers in dialogues and a wider range of the "New Englishes" now used around the world. Technology will allow English to come to you, rather than you having to go to a special place to learn English. Learning English has always involved both pain and pleasure, private effort and social activity. Traditional learning provided take-it or leave-it mixes of these as well as of content but in future learners will be able to choose a plan which suits their cultural and psychological dispositions , or their particular needs at that moment. They, rather than their teachers, will decide how, what and when they will learn. Above all, learning English is about communication and an important benefit of learning English is being able to exchange views and make friends with people all over the world. Despite the growing independence of learners, trusted institutions and brand names will remain important. What can we learn about the future English language? A. British English will be more popular. B. American English will be more popular. C. Most people will speak standard English. D. Many different kinds of Englishes will appear. Answer: D Maybe you know floods, droughts, earthquakes, sandstorms and so on. But have you ever heard of typhoons? Typhoons are some of the worst storms, usually around the Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea. Most happen in July, August and September. How does a typhoon happen? When lots of sea water gets hot in the summer sun, it evaporates into the air. This makes the air hotter. _ It fills the space that is left. After the air gets warmer, it starts to move quickly, making wind. The wind goes in circles, and it keeps moving higher in the sky. The warmer the air gets, the quicker the wind moves. And when the wind moves faster than 30 meters a second, a typhoon begins. A typhoon has two parts. One is called the "eye". In the eye, the wind does not move so fast. The other part is the wall of clouds around the eye. This is where the strongest wind and hardest rains are. Typhoons are very dangerous. In 2004, Typhoon Yunna killed 164 people in Zhejiang, and 24 people were missing. In May 2006, Typhoon Pearl hit Guangdong and Fujian, and thousands of houses were damaged. What to do when a typhoon hits: Stay inside, close all the windows and stay away from them. Try to bring all of your things inside. Strong winds could even blow away your bikes! Listen to the radio or TV for important information. If you're told to go to a safer place, do so right away. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? A. The warmer the air gets, the slower the wind moves. B. This year Typhoon Peal killed 164 people in Zhejiang. C. The strongest winds and hardest rains are in the eye of typhoon. D. A typhoon will happen when the wind goes faster than 30 meters a second. Answer: D
An alien creature is found on earth. Researchers discover that it will eat worms, insects and small rodents, but shuns bananas, leaves and cucumbers. Which of these could be true? A the creature is a carnivore B the creature is a vegan C the creature is something other than an omnivore D the creature loves to eat cucumbers Answer: A. the creature is a carnivore Amy Chua, a professor of law in Yale, nicknamed as Tiger Mother, has started a debate over Chinese-style parenting. Amy sets "10 Rules" for her two daughters. For instance, they've to get As in all subjects and play the piano or violin and practice hours every day. There has been wide criticism across the US. "It's kind of extreme," said Jeffrey Seinfeld, a professor at New York University. "Children need parents who can guide them, not force them..." Lawrence Solomon, a famous journalist for Canada's Globe and Mail, has quoted statistics to show the failure of Chinese parenting. He writes that only 10 Chinese scientists outside the Chinese mainland have won the Nobel Prize in the past century. In contrast, American scientists have won more than 300 Nobel prizes, and Jews , who take up only 1% of the world's population, have got at least 180 (or almost one-fourth) of the prizes. However, Amy's strict rules help her daughters shine in their studies. The elder sister is known for her piano presentation at the Carnegie Hall, and the younger boasts an excellent academic record. Besides, US statistics show that Chinese-Americans take up only 5% of the US population but 20% of the students in Ivy League schools . Likewise, Chinese-Canadians take up more than one-third of the students in Canada's two most famous universities, Toronto University and the University of British Columbia. Influenced by Confucius' teachings, students from Korea and Japan are also excelling in academic fields. Therefore, the Nobel Prize should not be taken as the _ of a country's education. No culture or tradition, whether Eastern or Western, is better or worse. The same applies to Eastern and Western education systems. Both sides should stop using their concepts and criteria to judge the other. They should learn the good aspects of each other's systems and clear the misunderstandings. It can be inferred from the passage that _ . A there're about 720 Nobel Prizes in the 20th century B Jeffrey Seinfeld agrees children need pushing to succeed C Amy Chua's parenting style is widely accepted across America D Western concepts should be adopted to judge all education systems Answer: A. there're about 720 Nobel Prizes in the 20th century In Jewish history, King Solomon is considered to be the wisest man who ever lived. There are many stories about the wisdom of King Solomon. Here's one. One day two women came before the King. They carried with them a little baby, which was set down on the floor, at the foot of Solomon's throne. One of the women said "Five days ago I gave birth to a child. This woman and I live in the same house, and three days later she also gave birth, but that same night her child died, and at midnight she arose and, while I was sleeping, took my son away from me, and laid her dead child in its place. When I awoke in the morning I thought at first that my son was dead, until I realized that it was not my child." "No," interrupted the second woman, "she is lying, my lord, she is lying! The living child is mine and the dead is hers!" "No," cried the first woman, wildly. "No, the dead child is yours, and the living child is mine." King Solomon raised his hand for silence. "One of you says 'my child lives and yours is dead ', and the other says 'your child is dead and my child lives': there is a simple way to resolve the matter. Bring me a sword." A sword was brought, and the crowd waited to see what the King would do. "Very well," he said, "cut the child in half, and give them each half." The first woman turned pale. She said in a trembling voice. "Give her the child. I beg you, do not kill it." But the other woman's face remained hard. "Let it be neither mine nor yours," she said, "divide it as the King has ordered." Then Solomon arose, and pointed to the first woman. "The child belongs to her," he said. "Give her the child, and do not kill it. She is its mother." Word of this judgment spread throughout Israel, and people marveled at the wisdom of the King. The lesson of this story is rather simple. It is easy to tell the people who really care: they are willing to give up their half in order to keep the whole alive. In short, sometimes insisting on getting your fair share is still a losing strategy. A sword was brought to the king to_. A cut the baby into halves B to kill the mother who lied C tell who really cared about the baby D kill all of them Answer: C. tell who really cared about the baby Characters: Evan, Mrs. Bordoni, Mr. Cortez, Rita. Marco. Tom Setting: An elementary school Mrs. Bordoni: (Stands at the school gate) Good morning! You need to go straight to your classrooms, children. (A shy boy walks up, with a red face.) What is your name? Evan: (Looking at the ground) My name is Evan. Mrs. Bordoni: Welcome to Northside. I'm the principal , Mrs. Bordoni. Evan: (Looks surprised) Oh! Good morning. Mrs. Bordoni: I know you are new to our school, but you will like it here. I will take you to your classroom. Evan: I didn't want to move... and leave my friends. Mrs. Bordoni: You will have friends here. You'll see. Mrs. Bordoni: Here's your room, 106. Mr. Cortez: Welcome to our class! I'm Mr. Cortez. Evan: (The class looks at him. He speaks softly.) Hello. Mr. Cortez: We are talking about a story we just read. Who can tell Evan what it was about? Rita: This family moves to a new state. Their story is both funny and sad. Evan: (Cheering up) Did they like the new place? Marco: Not at first. But they made lots of new friends. Mr. Cortez: What happened to make them change their minds? Tom: The girl from next door said she needed help. When they got to her house, a sign said, "Welcome". Marco: It was a surprise party for them. The whole family was laughing. Mr. Cortez: The neighbors made the family feel welcome. Mrs. Bordoni: (Stands in the doorway) Evan, it's time for lunch. (They enter the lunchroom. A sign says, "Welcome Evan".) It is hard to change schools and leave old friends. Now, we are your friends. Evan: (Smiles) I can't believe you did this for me. How does Evan feel at the beginning of the play? A He is happy because he makes some new friends. B He is afraid because he can't find the new school. C He is angry because the others don't talk to him. D He is nervous because it is his first day in a new school. Answer: D. He is nervous because it is his first day in a new school. "Bad luck always comes in three" and last Saturday seemed to prove it. After trouble with the car, the television, we spent the evening waiting for the next trouble. Shortly after dinner we both smelled smoke. My wife, who was often careless when cooking, ran to the kitchen but returned looking puzzled. I rushed up the stairs to see smoke coming from under our bedroom door. I went to the bathroom and tied a wet cloth over my face. Then I returned to the bedroom, opened the door andcrawled in--there would be less smoke at floor level. With one hand reaching out in front of me I advanced carefully feeling for the switch to turn off the electric blanket. At that moment I heard the bell of a coming fire engine. Thank goodness my wife had not been wasting her time. The passage wants to express that _ . A an unlucky person will have trouble one after another B an unlucky person will only have trouble three times C "THREE" is an unlucky number D "THREE" always comes with a bad luck. Answer: A. an unlucky person will have trouble one after another
A farmer had a cow. He took very good care of this cow and one day when it was ill, he was very worried. He telephoned the vet. "What's the problem?" The vet asked him when he arrived. "My cow's ill" the farmer said. "I don't know what the matter with her is. She's lying down and won't eat. She's making a strange noise." The vet looked over the cow. "She's certainly ill," he said, "and she needs to take some very strong medicine." He took a bottle out of his box, put two pills into his hand and said, "Give her these. The pills should make her better" How should I give them to her?" the farmer asked. The vet gave him a tube and said, "Put this tube in her mouth, then put the pills in the tube and blow. That will make it." The next day The farmer sat outside his house and looked more worried. "How's your cow?" the vet asked." No change," the farmer said, "and I am feeling very strange myself. I did what you said, I put the tube in the cow's mouth and then put two pills down it." And?" the vet asked." The cow blew first, and blew the pills to my mouth." the farmer said. ,. Which of the following is true? Answer: When sodium hydroxide reacts with a copper nitrate solution, the reaction vessel needs to be kept on ice to slow down the reaction. What best describes this reaction? Answer: 30 N. Carroll Street on Madison's Capitol Square Discover Wisconsin's history and culture on four floors of exhibits. Open for public programs. Admission is free. Open Tuesday through Saturday, 9:00 am -- 4:00 pm. (608) 264-6555 www.wisconsinhistory.org/museum _ 612 Seventh Ave., New Glarus The Swiss Historical Village offers a beautiful look at pioneer life in America's heartland. 14 buildings in the village give a full picture of everyday life in the nineteenth-century Midwest. Tue.--Fri., May 1st -October 31st , 10:00 am--4:00 pm. Admission is $20. (608) 527-2317 www.swisshistoricalvillage.com _ 6858 Paoli Rd., Paoli, WI One of the largest collections of fine arts in Wisconsin. Over 5000 sp. ft. of exhibition space in a historic creamery. While visiting enjoy a wonderfully prepared lunch at our cafe overlooking the Sugar River. Just minutes from Madison! Gallery open Tue. -Sun., 10:00 am--5:00 pm. Cafe open Wed. -Sat., 11:00 am -3:00 pm. Sun. brunch with wine, 10:00--3:00 pm. (608) 845-6600 www.artisangal.com _ 239 Whitney St., Columbus World-class exhibit -2000 quality souvenirs marking Chicago's 1893 World Columbian Exhibition. Tour buses are always welcome. Open daily, 8:15 am - 4:00 pm. (920) 623-1992 www.columbusantiquemall.com Which of the following is on Capitol Square? Answer: On a lot of occasions, you have to make some public speaking. However, public speaking fills most people with dread. Humiliation is the greatest fear; self-exposure and failing to appeal to the audience come a close second. Women hate it most, since girls are pressurized from an early age to be concerned with appearance of all kinds. Most people have plenty of insecurities, and this seems like a situation that will bring them out. If you were under pressure to be perfect, you are terrified of failing in the most public of ways. While extroverts will feel less fear before the ordeal , it does not mean they will necessarily do it better. Some very shy people manage to shine. When I met the British Comedian Julian, he was shy and cautious, yet his TV performances are perfect. In fact, personality is not the best predictor of who does it well. Regardless of what you are like in real life, the key seems to be to act yourself. Actual acting, as in performing the scripted lines of a character other than yourself, does not do the job. While politicians may limit damage by having carefully rehearsed, written scripts to speak from, there is always a hidden awareness among the audience that the words might not be true. Likewise, the incredibly perfect speeches of many American academics are far from natural. You may end up buying their book on the way out, but soon afterwards, it is much like fast food, and you get a nameless sense that you've been cheated. Although, as Earl Spencer proved at his sister Princess Diana's funeral, it is possible both to prepare every word and to act naturally. A script rarely works and it is used to help most speakers. But, being yourself doesn't work either. If you spoke as if you were in your own kitchen, it would be too authentic, too unaware of the need to communicate with an audience. I remember going to see British psychiatrist R.D. Laing speak in public. He behaved like a seriously odd person, talking off the top of his head. Although he was talking about madness and he wrote on mental illness, he seemed to be exhibiting rather than explaining it. The best psychological place from which to speak is an unselfconscious self-consciousness, providing the illusion of being natural. Studies suggest that this state of "flow", as psychologists call it, is very satisfying. Women hate public speaking most mainly because of _ . Answer: Honeybees Honeybees can do three kinds of jobs. It is one of the most unusual insects in the world. Bees are special because they divide up their honeybee work. Each bee has a certain job to do. The busiest bee is the worker. Workers build the nest, called a hive. Inside the hive, workers make a honeycomb from wax . They store honey there for food. Workers are always cleaning and fixing the hive. They even stand at the opening and fan their wings to cool the hive. Worker bees will attack anything--even people--to keep their hive safe. Another kind of bee is the drone . Drones are male bees, and their job is to fly with the queen bee and mate with her. After the queen mates, the worker bees drive the drones away. The drones then starve to death. The third kind of bee is the queen. Each hive needs only one queen, and her job is laying eggs. She can lay as many as 2, 000 eggs a day. The drone is driven away when its job is finished, because _ . Answer:
The rising sea waters caused by global warming have inspired a Russian architect to design a hotel that could be built on water as well as land.The eco-friendly "Ark" could be constructed in just a few months anywhere in the world, the designer says. It's called "The Ark",but looks more like a ship sitting upside down on the water.A new design by Russian architect A1exander Remizov challenges the tradition of land-based hotel and would provide a shelter in the future--should the world face a modern-day flood as described in the Bible. The building of the hotel could be fast and simple."Prefabricated section could be put together in three to four months," Remizov said. The versatile structure could be constructed in most corners of the earth, even in earthquake-prone areas.Constructing "The Ark"--which would include 14 000 square meters of living space---would cost roughly the same as building an energy-efficient house. The self-supporting structure would be built around a central post, connecting wind generators and heat pumps on its roof with the basement,where solar,wind,and thermal energy could be stored and turned into electricity. Remizov has designed the building without glass,choosing instead the lasting and self-cleaning foil that could defend itself against rough weather conditions.That foil would be fastened to metals,which would also collect rainwater.The building would also feature an indoor jungle, creating its microclimate. Which of the following might be the shortest time to make the parts of "The Ark"? A. 14 months. B. 3 months. C. 4 months. D. 7 months. Answer: B. 3 months. The mantle is A. anger B. magic C. passion D. solid bulk Answer: D. solid bulk How many historic churches, pubs or buildings are there in your city? Are there worth preserving? Or are they just a waste of space? There are arguments for and against spending money on historic buildings. Dangerous staircases. Uneven floors. A lack of IT infrastructure. The problem with many old buildings is that they're... old - and extremely expensive to modernize. Take the case of the Combination Room in Cambridge University. It was built in 1347 and was initially used for lectures. Later, it became the Regent House - the university's parliament. It's of enormous historical value and cultural interest. However, it doesn't meet accessibility standards for disabled people. As a result, a lift needs to be installed, but not everyone is happy about this. "Noting will persuade me that this lift would not in its effect, be a substantial alteration to the most precious room in the university. It would destroy the symmetry of that beautiful room," said one user. In general, modern buildings don't have this type of problem. They can be built according to the latest environment standards, with draught proofing and insulation to help reduce carbon emission and save energy. They can also be made wheelchair accessible, and they can be designed to ensure maximum comfort and space. Anyone who's been to a modern cinema, theatre or concert hall recently may understand the difference between the new buildings and older ones, which tend to have smaller seats, less space and poorer acoustics. Very often, there's money to be made by knocking down old building... especially if they're in city centers. So, the biggest threat to many historic buildings comes from developers. One of Croydon's oldest pubs, The Rose and Crown, is a perfect example of this. A property development company has recently been granted permission to convert the 18th century building into flats, much to the disappointment of many local residents. "The bar is full of unique features and perfect examples of a traditional London pub. It really would be truly tragic for this Grade II listed building to be turned into soulless flats," said a spokesperson for English heritage. So, are these buildings really worth preserving? "Traditional buildings such as churches, town halls, schools and hospitals give England its character," the spokesman added. " _ "[(<<>> 20116 "Building Bash")] What would be the best title of the passage? [ ] A. How to modernize old buildings B. Combination Room, the treasure of Cambridge University C. The threat to the old buildings D. Old buildings, to preserve or not Answer: D. Old buildings, to preserve or not Books, which give instructions on how to do things, are very popular in the USA today. A lot of books like these begin with titles that start with the words "how to". Many "how to" books give advice on careers. They tell you how to choose a career and how to succeed in it. If you would like to become very rich, you can buy a book How to Make a Million. If you never make any money, you need a book called How to Live on Nothing. One of the most popular kinds of books is one that helps you with personal problems. If you are unhappy with your life, you can read How to love Every Minute of Your life. If you are tired of books on happiness, you may prefer a book called How to Make Yourself Sad.. Many of these books help people use their free time better. Some people want books which will give them useful information about sports, hobbies and travels. Other people use their free time to make repairs and improvements in their homes. They like books which give step-by-step instructions on how to repair things like electrical writing, or how to decorate a house or make it larger. Why have "how to" books become so popular ? Maybe because life has become so popular. Maybe because life has become so complex. Today people have far more free time to use , more choices to make, and more problems to solve. "How to" books help people deal with modern life. ,. Which of the following is not mentioned in this passage ? A. How to Drive Car B. How to Repair Electrical Writing C. How to Make Your House Larger D. How to Make Your Room Look More Beautiful Answer: A. How to Drive Car A shop worker nicknamed Little Fatty told of his shock at becoming a Susan Boyle-like Internet star after a perfect Whitney Houston performance on a TV talent show. Lin Yuqun, 24, won over the judges and the audience of the Million Star show with perfect performances of Whitney Houston's I will Always Love You , and has got 480,000 hits on video sharing website You Tube. "I am shocked that I can draw so much attention. I'm really moved and happy that people like my performance of Whitney's song," said Lin, who works part-time at a musical instrument shop. "I've loved singing since I was a little boy and I feel like I am living my dream now. I hope I can pursue a career in singing," he told reporters. Reporters called him "China's Susan Boyle", describing him as "plain-looking and short", but Lin, who has the nickname "Little Fatty", told reporters the comparison made him proud. "I am honoured to be compared to Susan Boyle. I am inspired and encouraged by her because she proved that even a person who's seen as an underdog and who has ordinary looks can shine on the stage," Lin said. Since his performance was posted on Youtube late last week, he has been the subject of heated conversation in on-line chat rooms on American Yahoo! and other foreign websites. " _ " a viewer wrote on YouTube. Scottish single Susan Boyle got recognized around the world after she was discovered last year on the British's Got Talent television show with her performance of I Dreamed a Dream from Les Miserables, which was the best-selling debut in British chart history and also topped the US charts. On a website, you may read the article in the column of _ . A. education. B. fashion C. science D. Art Answer: D. Art
Are you a bit bored with your nine-to-five routine? Have a look at our exciting range of holidays and decide what type of adventure you'd like. Activity holidays Our activity holidays are for everyone who loves danger. We have a huge of water, snow and desert holidays. We'll take you scuba diving in the Red Sea of kayaking and white water rafting in Canada. If you prefer snow, you can try skiing or snowboarding in the Alps or even igloo-building( ).For those who like warm weather, we also have sand boarding(the desert version of skateboarding) or camel safaris. Polar expeditions Take a cruise to the Antarctic or the Arctic; explore a land of white nature beauty or wonderful wildlife. Our experts will explain everything about the two poles as you watch penguins or whales in the Antarctic and polar bears in the Arctic. There's no greater adventure than traveling to the two ends of the earth. Culture journeys Our culture journeys will help you discover the secrets of distant places such as India, Thailand or Egypt. Explore their history by visiting temples, palaces and ancient ruins. You can also get to know how people live in the modem world by exploring markets, eating exotic foods and meeting local people. Hiking tours We have hiking holidays to famous places, such as Machu Picchu or the Everest Base Camp Trek,as well as some nearer to home, for example in the highlands of Scotland. You don't need to be too sporty, just fairly fit. You'll have a great time enjoying nature with a group of new friends. Some of the holidays need camping, but we'll transport the tents for you! Wildlife holidays We organize small group tours to get closer to nature in Africa, Asia or South Africa. Go on safari in Africa and watch lions and giraffes. Meet the famous turtles of Galapagos Islands. Look for tigers in India, or take an elephant safari in Sri Lanka. We use local guides and stay in a range of accommodation, from tents to tree houses. Tom prefers to choose a culture holiday, and he may. A. visit many historical sites B. see lions and tigers C. eat at local people's home D. live in a tree house Answer: A Most people think of racing when they see greyhounds and believe they need lots of exercise. They can actually be quite lazy! Greyhounds are good at fast races but not long-distance running. They do need regular exercise but they like to run for a short burst and then get back on the bed or a comfortable seat. Another misunderstanding is that greyhounds must be aggressive because they are big in size. In fact greyhounds love people and are gentle with children. Greyhounds can live for 12 - 14 years but usually only race for two or three years, and after that they make great pets. They don't need a lot of space, don't make a lot of noise, and don't eat a lot for their size. Normally, greyhounds can be as tall as 90 cm. There is, however, a small-sized greyhound, which stands only 33 cm. Greyhounds come in a variety of colors. Grey and yellowish-brown are the most common. Others include black, white, blue, red and brown or a mix of these. Greyhounds have smooth body coats, low body fat and are very healthy. Because they're slim they don't have the leg problems like other dogs the same height . But they do feel the cold, especially since they would much rather be at home in bed than walking around outside. It can be inferred that greyhounds _ . A. love big doghouses B. like staying in bed all day C. make the best guard dogs D. need some exercise outdoors Answer: D People born in winter are more likely to suffer mental health disorders, according to a recent study carried out by researchers at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee. Researchers raised baby mice from birth to weaning in either "summer" light cycles of 16 hours of light and 8 hours of dark or "winter" cycles of 8 hours of light and 16 hours of dark. A third group experienced 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark a day. Then half the winter mice stayed in a winter cycle, while half switched to a summer schedule. The summer mice were similarly _ . The mice raised in equal periods of light and dark were split into three groups, one of which stayed on the 12hour schedule, one of which joined the winter group, and one of which joined the summer group. After 28 days, it turns out the summerborn mice behaved the same whether they stayed on the summer cycle or switched to winter. But among the winterborn mice, those stayed in winter kept their previous schedule, while those that switched to summer stayed active for an extra hour and a half, which indicates that mice born and weaned in a winter light cycle showed dramatic disruptions in their biological clocks. The finding is the first of its kind in mammals, and it could explain why people born in winter are at higher risk for mental health disorders including bipolar depression, schizophrenia and seasonal affective disorder. "We know that the biological clock regulates mood in humans,"said study researcher McMahon. "If the mechanism similar to the one that we found in mice operates in humans, then it could not only have an effect on a number of behavioral disorders, but also have a more general effect on personality." Who is the appropriate reader of the passage? A. A jobhunter. B. A student in the university. C. A newlymarried couple. D. An experienced dentist. Answer: C Astronomers have captured the first direct image of a planet being born. Adam Kraus, of the University of Hawaii's Institute for Astronomy, said the planet is being formed out of dust and gas circling a 2-million-yea-old star about 450 light years from Earth. The planet itself, based on scientific models of how planets form, is believed to have started taking shape about 50,000 to 100,000 years ago. Called LkCa 15b, it's the youngest planet ever observed. The previous record holder was about five times older. Kraus and his colleague, Michael Ireland from Macquarie University and the Australian Astronomical Observatory, used Keck telescopes on Mauna Kea(a volcano on the island of Hawaii, US) to find the planet. Kraus presented the discovery Wednesday at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. Observing planets while they're forming can help scientists answer questions like weather planets form early in the life of a star or later, and whether they form relatively close to stars or father away. Planets can change orbits after forming, so it's difficult to answer such questions by studying older planets. "These very basic questions of when and where are best answered when you can actually see the planet forming, as the process is happening right now," Kraus said. Scientists hadn't been able to see such young planets before because the stars they're circling around outshine them. Kraus and Ireland used two techniques to overcome this problem.[:++] One method, which is also used by other astronomers, was to change the shape of the telescope mirrors to remove light distortion created by the Earth's atmosphere. The other method they used, which was unique, was to put masks with several holes over most of the telescope mirrors. The combination of these techniques allowed the astronomers to obtain high-quality images that let them see the planet next to the bright star. The star LkCa 15--the planet is named after its star--was the team's second target. They immediately knew they were seeing something new, so they plan to gather more data on the star. According to the text, Kraus and Ireland _ . A. have been working in the same university B. observed the planet on a volcano in Hawaii C. used two new methods in the observation D. cut holes in the mirrors when observing Answer: B The computer is a perfect tool for all those categories , but... You just never really had the time to take a basic computer class,and the books about how to actually use a computer are heavy reading and it seems like computers and computer manufactures have a language all of their own, so the books really don't help you much, anyway. This is a web site for YOU Here is your chance to get the basic knowledge you need, so you can enjoy the time you spend in front of your computer, and you can learn at your own pace. This web site is a guide for new computer users. Here you will find step by step descriptions of the most commonly used programs and functions of your computer. You can look through the links on the left and find what you need to know right now and come back later and get some more information. This is NOT a web site for computer experts and it's not written by an expert, either, so don't worry, you will find that everything here is written in a language for YOU! The list of computer terms will have the explanations to the words you will need to gain the desired knowledge for everyday use. As you get acquainted with the basic functions you will also have a better picture of what your computer can actually do for you in your daily life. After all a computer is a TOOL, and here is your chance to 1earn how to use it! As I said. It's important to learn at your own pace, so add this site to your favorites. It is _ to read a book about computer. A. very easy B. quite difficult C. quite tired D. more interesting Answer: B

Subsets and Splits

No community queries yet

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