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A dog found shot in the head and face with a pellet gun, stuffed in a garbage bag and left to die is recovering from his injuries at an animal clinic in Texas. The bag containing the 3-year-old male mixed breed was discovered tied to a fence in Conroe, Texas, earlier this month. When local residents opened the bag, the dog appeared, took a few steps and fell. Augustyn rushed the dog to an emergency animal clinic, where he was treated for many pellets to the face, eyes, mouth, neck and shoulders. The dog was stabilized, but according to Dr Ron Hendrick, a vet at the Animal Emergency Clinic of Conroe, pellets remain in both eyes and it's unclear whether the dog nicknamed Buck was left blind forever. A Facebook page, Buck Needs Bucks for His Buckshot Injuries, was launched last week by Augustyn. It was created to help pay for the dog's medical bills. The page has attracted nearly 7,000 "likes" and, according to its creator, already more than enough donations to pay for his treatment. "The last 24 hours has been overwhelming for me," Augustyn wrote on the page. "I have gone from not knowing if I would have enough money to pay for Buck's emergency bill to having an unbelievable amount of money to provide the best possible care for Buck's recovery. I have thought long and hard about this today and how I should handle this. The conclusion is that I will open a separate bank account for Buck and all donations will be used for Buck's recovery and necessities." With the help of Facebook, Buck's story quickly sparked international interest. "Buck is now walking," Augustyn says. Police in Montgomery County say they are investigating the incident, and Augustyn says she has been in contact with law enforcement officials about donating a reward for information leading to the arrest of the person who tortured the dog. Sadly, cases like Buck's are not uncommon, particularly in Texas. When Augustyn found the dog, it was _ . A being shot by its owner B tied to a fence near an animal clinic C in a horrible physical state D hiding from its owner inside a bag Answer: C. in a horrible physical state 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 Which of the following fields is NOT mentioned in the passage? A Health B Education C Politics D Wildlife conservation Answer: C. Politics Shi Fang spends more than 4,000 yuan a month shopping, but she rarely goes to the shopping mall."Why need a shopping mall if you have Taobao? I am a Taobaoer," says Shi, 28, a writer in Beijing. A growing number of Chinese Internet users like Shi have discovered the joys of online shopping.The China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) announced in December that more than 87 million Chinese made purchases on the Internet in the first half year, which means one out of four Chinese netizens have online shopping experience. It is estimated that the consumption from online shopping will reach more than 250 billion yuan this year, and 80 percent of this is carried out through Taobao.com, China's fast-growing e-commerce hub set up in 2003. The biggest attraction for Shi Fang is the ly low price for online goods, compared with those in stores in bricks.Her favorite facial cream costs 1,680 yuan for a 30ml bottle in the local shop, but a 10ml sample of the same brand only costs 68 yuan online. The Taobao instant messenger, a communication channel for buyers and sellers, also makes onlrne shopping easier and ensures the overall experience for both parties Shi Fang regards it as a platform to promote trust and keep contact. "You can check the information easily.It is sweet that the owner will remember you once you have regular chat with him or her through the messenger.You may receive some personalized service such as getting more samples or certain discount," said Shi While some may question the security of online purchases, Yang Fei, another Taobaoer, gave a thumb-up for Alipay, the Taobao payment method started by Alibaba Group in 2004 in partnership with leading banks in China.It enabled her to make a lot of purchases online. "It's very safe and convenient.Unless you confirm the arrival and satisfaction about the purchase, the shop owner will not get the money.You can also get the refund if you want to return the purchase," she added. Which of the following is NOT the advantage of shopping online? A Personalized service. B Reasonable price. C Rich experience. D Its convenience. Answer: C. Rich experience. A recent study, while showing a generally positive attitude toward science, also suggests a widespread worry that it may be "running out of control". This idea is dangerous. Science can be a force for evil as well as for good. Its applications can be channeled either way, depending on our decisions. The decisions we make, personally or collectively, will determine the outcomes of science. But here is a real danger. Science is advancing so fast is so strongly influenced by businesses that we are likely to believe whatever decisions we come to will make little difference. And, rather than fighting for the best possible policies, we may step back and do nothing. Some people go even further. They say that despite the moral and legal objections , whatever is scientifically possible will be done ----somewhere, sometime. They believe that science will get out of control in the end. This belief is dangerous too, because it a fuels sense of hopelessness and discourages them from making efforts to build a safer world. In our interconnected world, the lack of agreement in and of the world of science can lead to the failure to control the use of science. Without a common understanding, the challenges of "controlling" science in this century will be really tough. Take human cloning for example. Despite the general agreement among scientists on its possible huge impact on traditional moral values, some countries still go ahead with the research and development of its related techniques. The outcomes are hard to predict. Therefore, discussions on how science is applied should be extended far beyond scientific societies. Only through the united efforts of people with hope, can we be fully safe against the misuse of science and can science best serve mankind in the future. What is the main idea of the passage? A Science and its applications bring us many dangers. B The development of science mostly lies in people's attitudes. C Mankind can largely take control of science with their efforts. D The future of science will be influenced by the dangerous ideas. Answer: B. The development of science mostly lies in people's attitudes. A French woman goes to London to see her son. She knows a little English,but cannot speak it very well. One day she goes to a shop. She wants to buy a hen ( ) for supper. But she cannot remember ( ) the English word for" hen" . Just then the shop waiter asks her, "Can I help you?" " I want the egg's mother" the woman answers. The shop waiter does not understand( )her and says, " Sorry, we have not any bigger eggs." Suddenly )) the woman remembers the word"cock(She says, I want the cock's wife! "This time the shop waiter laughs ( ). Is the woman clever? A Yes, she isn't. B No,he isn't C Yes,she is D No,she is Answer: C. Yes,she is
It's great fun to explore new places--it feels like an adventure, even when you know you're not the first to have been there. But make sure not to get lost or waste time going round in circles. * Do the map reading if you're being driven somewhere. It'll be easier if you keep turning the map so it follows the direction you' re traveling in. Keep looking ahead so that you can give the driver lots of warning before having to make a turn, or you'll have to move to the back seat. * Get a group of friends together and go exploring. You'll need a good map, a compass , a raincoat, a cell phone to call for help in case you get lost, and a bit of spare cash for emergencies . Tell someone where you're going before you set out and let them know what time you expect to be back. The test is in not getting lost, not in seeing how fast you can go, so always stick together, waiting for slower friends to catch up. * See if your school or a club organizes orienteering activities, in which you need a map and a compass to find your way. This can be done as a sport, with teams trying to find the way from A to B (and B to C, etc. ) in the fastest time, or simply as a spare-time activity. Either way, it's not only good fun, but a great way to keep fit. Sitting beside the driver, you should _ . Answer: Morocco is located at the northwest of Africa and is bordered in the north by the strait of Gibraltar and the Mediterranean Sea. The Atlantic Ocean keeps the west and the north of the country more temperate . The country also offers the broadest plains some of which run along the Atlantic Ocean and the highest mountains in North Africa including the Atlas Mountains. Starting with the symbol of Morocco, Marrakech is a beautiful city that has remained unspoiled by the volume of tourists that flock there each year. One of the finest monuments in Morocco is greatly benefited by this amount of tourism. Actually their high volume contributes in a positive way to preserve one of the greatest monuments of Morocco. Fes is the third largest city in Morocco and is the capital of the Fes-Boulemane Region. It is separated into three parts, Fes el Bali more commonly known as the old walled city, now classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Fes-Jdid and the Ville Nouvelle. Fes el Bali is believed to be the largest car-free urban area in the world. Fes is a splendid place to visit to heighten the senses with the colours, smells and sounds. Casablanca is an enormous city which is near the capital of Morocco and a place where any European would feel at home. Casablanca was made famous by the movie and gives the impression of being a romantic place. Unfortunately like many other popular cities around the world, it is crowded, noisy, and polluted, a far cry from the romantic ideal of the film. Because it has the biggest port, Casablanca being the important city of Morocco, has everything that the tourists need. Asilah is a city situated on the Atlantic Ocean and is one of the most stunning old cities of Morocco. The city is set along the cliffs which make it beautifully presented and an ideal place to continue adding to its economy by the fishermen. The economy is also reliant on the trading of cattle, sheep and cereal. If you are having a holiday in Morocco during August then you will be fortunate enough to experience one of Asilah's cultural festivals where you can enjoy the lively music and wonderful paintings. Which of the following is true according to the passage? Answer: When you cut your skin, you bleed . If a person loses a lot of blood, he will become ill and may die. Blood is very important. People have always known that. At one time, some people even drank blood to make them strong! When doctors understand how blood goes around inside the body, they try ways of giving blood to people who need it. They take blood from the healthy people and give it to people who need it. This is called "blood transfusion". The blood goes from the arm of the healthy person into the arm of the sick person. But there are two problems. First, it does not always work. Sometimes people die when they have blood transfusion. Later, doctors find that we do not all have the same kind of blood. There are four groups--O, A, B and AB. We all have blood of one of these groups. They also find that they can give any kind of blood to people of group AB. But they find that they must give A-group blood to A-group people and B-group blood to B-group people. I have O-group blood and the doctor told me that I could give blood to anyone else safely. ks5u There is another problem. To give blood of the right kind, doctors have to find a person of the right blood group. Often they can not find a person in time. If they have a way to keep the blood until someone needs it, they can always have the right kind of blood. At first they find they can keep it in bottles for fifteen to twenty days. They do this by making it very cold. Then they find how to keep it longer. In the end they find a way of keeping blood for a very long time. We call a place where we keep money a "bank". We call a place where we keep blood a "blood bank". One day, when you grow up, you may decide to give blood to a "blood bank". In this way you may stop someone from dying. Or perhaps one day you may become ill. You may need blood. The "blood bank" will give it to you. From the passage, we learn that sometimes people die when they have blood transfusions because they _ Answer: 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 have a good time on Sunday mornings, you can go to _ Answer: I wonder about my Mom sometimes, and all the other black mothers who got up at 6 a. m. to go to the white man's house with sacks over their shoes because it was so wet and cold. I wonder how they made it. They worked very hard for the man. They made his breakfast and they swept his floors and they took care of his babies. They didn' t have too much time for the three of us. I wonder about my Mom, who walked out of a white woman's clean house at midnight and came back to her own where the lights had been out for three months, and the pipes were frozen and the wind came in through the holes in the wall. She'd have to deal with the rats : leave some food out for them so they wouldn't bite the doors or the babies. Oh, they were just like part of the family! I wonder how she felt telling those white kids she took care of to brush their teeth after they ate, to wash their hands after they finished bathing. She could never tell her own kids because there wasn't soap or water back home. I wonder how my Mom felt when we came home from school with a list of vitamins and pills the school nurse said we had to have. Mom would cry all night, and then go out and spend most of the rent money for pills. A week later, the white man would come for his eighteen dollars' rent and Mom would beg him to wait until tomorrow. She had to lie to him that she had lost her wallet or the relief check was coming soon or the white people had some money for her. Tomorrow I'd be hiding in the closet because there was only supposed to be two kids in the flat, and I could hear the rent man shout at my Mom and call her a cheat. And when he finally went away, Mom put the sacks on her shoes and went off to the rich white man's house to dress the rich white kids so that their mother could take them to a special baby doctor. Why did the writer hide in a closet when the landowner came for rent? Answer:
It was not a good day today. Everything went wrong. First, I slept late and Mom shouted at me to wake up. When I went to the kitchen for breakfast, there was no cereal. I decided to have some toast instead, but I burned it. I had to eat it anyway because there was no more bread. There was no juice, either. I just had a glass of water. When I was almost at the bus stop, I realized that I had forgotten my wallet, so I had to go back home and get it. Of course, I missed the bus and had to wait for the next bus. I was late for school and the teacher told me to stay in the classroom at lunchtime to catch up on the schoolwork I had missed. After lunch, it was the time to give the teacher our homework. I reached into my bag to get it but it wasn't there. I had left it at home. I was in trouble again. When I got home, I went straight to my room to catch up on my homework. Mom cooked fish for dinner. She knows I don't like fish, but she thinks it is good for her son. It was a horrible day. I hope tomorrow will be better. When you "burn" something, you _ . Answer: cook it too long For new countries joining the European Union, and older ones getting used to their dark red passports, becoming "Europeans" is a bit like marrying into a large, eccentric family. Europeans have a lot in common but it is their differences, not their similarities, that attract the attention of sociologists and market researchers, and are more interesting. * 35% of Germans live alone, but only 9% of Spaniards. Perhaps this explains why Spaniards lead Europe in the habit of going out for a drink. * The British attend more adult evening classes than anyone else in Europe, and the Belgians least. So it can't just be the dark evenings. There are no figures on how many Britons go for a drink afterwards. If there were, they might be up at the top with Spain! * The British think black cats are lucky. Every other European country regards them unlucky. * The Dutch and Germans are the greatest caravaners , but the Germans like bigger beds in their caravans. * The French are the most athletic Europeans. Next come the Dutch. But the Belgians, just over the border, play fewest sports. * The Germans spend twice as much on heating as the Spaniards. Well, of course they do, it's colder. * Dutch husbands do the household shopping a lot more often than Italians or Spaniards. * The French are the champion public transport commuters of Europe. If you hate commuting, go and live in the Netherlands, where journeys to work are shorter than anywhere else. * The amount of direct eye-contact between strangers is three times greater among Spaniards than it is among the British or Swedes. Sharing a lift is torture for both the British and the Swedish. * No European countries really agree with any other about how to make good coffee. All of them are different. There are exceptions to all these rules. Deal with them in the spirit of my 8-year-old daughter. "If you don't understand each other's language, you just laugh a lot, and eat, and point at things." We can know from the passage that _ . Answer: sociologists are most interested in the idea of the European Union How hard we have all prayed to grow up quickly, and looked forward to the happy days of being a grown-up and enjoying the many interests that a youth should have. At last, you have grown up. At least you are no longer a child. They call you "young lady". You then enjoy the pleasure of being a young lady. You are proud of being a grown-up teenager. People welcome you-this young lady-heartily. You are glad that your prayer has been answered. But there is always something that troubles you a lot. You say; "Papa and Mama, give me some money please. My pocket money is all gone already." "No", they say, "your age is a dangerous age. If you have too much money to spend, it won't do you any good." Then you have to stay at home because you dare not go out with an empty pocket. Another time you tell your grandma, "Grandma, see, I am a grown-up now." "Good, now, you can sit here and knit this for me while I go and have a rest." To show that you are no more a child, you have to sit there the whole afternoon doing the work, which only a grown-up can do. After an hour, you find it hard to do, and give the knitting basket back to your grandma. Your grandma criticizes your work. You hear what she says, "Such a big girl can't do such easy work." You wish then you were a child again. But the fact is, you are growing up, and you can't help it. That's the way it goes! The passage is told about _ problems. Answer: a teenage girl's Spending more than two hours a night doing homework leads to better results in English,math and science, according to a major study (by Pam Sammons, England) which has tracked the progress of3,000 children over the past 15 years. Spending any time doing homework showed advantages, but the influence was greater for the students who put in two to three hours a night, according to the study published by the Department for Education in England. The scientists who did the research say their study empbasizes what students actually do rather than how much work the school has set. Pam Sammons, a professor of education at Oxford University, said that time spent on homework showed the influence of the school-if children were expected to do homework and if they enjoy their subjects. "That's one of the reasons Indian and Chinese children do better.They put more time in it." he added. It's also reported that students who enjoyed school got better results. "Schools could make sure children had a better experience by improving the school environment, making school work interesting and making children feel supported by teachers." Sammons said. It is suggested that children aged 5 t0 7 should be set one-hour homework a week, half an hour a night for 7 t0 11-year-olds. Secondary schools were encouraged to set up two hours a night for 14 t0 16-year-olds. "Head teachers should make their own homework policy ," the government says. Where can we probably read this passage? Answer: In a magazine. Dolphins are not fish, but warm-blooded animals. They live in groups, and speak to each other in their own language. In this, they are like other animals, such as bees and birds. But dolphins are very different from almost all land animals. Their brain is nearly the same size as our own, and they live a long time--at least twenty or thirty years. Like some animals, dolphins use sound to help them find their way around. They also make these sounds to talk to each other and to help them find food. We now know they do not use their ears to receive these sounds, but the lower part of the mouth, called the jaw. Strangely, dolphins seem to like man, and for thousands of years there have been stories about the dolphin and its friendship with people. There is a story about sailors in the 19th century. In a dangerous part of the sea off the coast of New Zealand, they learnt to look for a dolphin called Jack. From 1871 to 1903, Jack met every boat in the area and showed it the way. Then in 1903 a passenger on a boat called The Penguin shot and wounded Jack. He recovered and for nine years more continued to guide all ships through the area-except for The Penguin. Today, some people continue to kill dolphins, but many countries of the world now protect them and in these places it is against the law to kill them. Which of the following does the dolphin use to help it find its way around? Answer: Its mouth.
Question: 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. What can we infer from this text? A. Checkout counters will disappear from supermarkets in future. B. Buyers can use Scan It to go around the supermarket by themselves. C. High-tech shopping carts will be widely used in malls and supermarkets. D. The new technologies are only dreams that are impossible to come true. Answer: C Question: William wants to borrow a book from the library. He comes to the library with his classmates. They can't see any assistant in it, but only some robots standing there. He says to the robot, "Hey, give me a book on music." But the robot doesn't move. Then another student tells William, " You must say 'Excuse me' and 'please' first when you want some help." William does so and the robot brings the book. But William can't get the book from the robot's hands. He thinks for a moment, then he says a word to the robot. The robot gives him the book. John gets the book and goes home happily. Who works in the library? A. Assistants B. Policemen C. Robots D. Teachers Answer: C Question: Men can be beautiful too,right? China is going to host the 18th World University Student Beauty Contest in Guangzhou this December.This year for the first time the contest will include a male section.Students from over 130 countries will compete for Mr and Miss Beauty.The contest is one of the most respected beauty contests in the world.It was copied by the United Nations University (an international university belonging to the United Nations) in 1986. Stick to studying Li Yining,an economics professor at Peking University,said that he would not encourage students to try their luck in the stock market ."They should stress study," Li said in his speech at Beijing Foreign Studies University.When asked,the professor said he expected house prices in Beijing to continue to rise.Li thinks the government should provide more affordable houses for lowlevel income people. Campus cinema Students at over 100 universities will have a digital cinema on campus after the National Day holiday.The 21st Century Digital Film on Campus Project was _ at the end of September.The ticket will cost 3-8 yuan,rather than 30-40 yuan at cinemas in town.Students often download movies online or watch DVDs.Now they can enjoy original films in the digital cinema.The digital cinema will show a variety of films besides Hollywood blockbusters . Getting practical All 12,000 graduates from vocational school in Shanxi Province have landed a job,according to the provincial government.In the past five years, it is estimated that over 95 percent of the professional school graduates have found jobs.However,the number for university graduates is 70 percent.Some employers said that they prefer professional school graduates who learned something more practical in school and expected lower salaries than university students. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage? A. More than 130 countries will take part in the 18th World University Student Beauty Contest. B. The ticket for a digital film on campus will cost 38 yuan. C. In the past five years,over 95 percent of the university graduates have found jobs in Shanxi Province. D. Over 100 universities will take part in the 21st Century Digital Film on Campus Project. Answer: C Question: A nail can attach to metals after it receives A. water B. electricity C. light D. heat Answer: B Question: Published in 1896 and one of the most memorable horror stories ever written, Dracula, by Irish writer Bram Stoker,is the story of a vampire ,someone who lives on human blood. Stoker wrote the book after reading stories about Central European vampires and set his novel in Transylvania. Even today,there are readers of the book who believe that Transylvania is a mythical country,a figment of Stoker's imagination. Nothing could be further from the truth. Transylvania is part of modern-day Central European country Romania,and the country does indeed have a history of mythological vampires. However,Romanians are always puzzled by the description of the novel's central character, Count Dracula,a tall,elegant aristocrat with impeccable manners who also happens to speak very good English. This is a world away from the images of vampires that they have grown up with. Romanian vampires are half-human creatures who live solitary lives in the forests,not aristocrats living in castles with well-stocked libraries. So where did Stoke get the image for his Dracula? The answer becomes clearer when one learns of his relationship with a man called Henry Irving,the greatest British stage actor of his time. Stoker was working as a civil servant in his home city of Dublin when he first met Irving. Bored with his tedious life and work, Stoker took every opportunity to visit the theatre and for a while was the drama critic for the Dublin Evening Mail. One of the reviews he wrote was of a performance of Shakespeare's play Hamlet,with Irving in the lead role. Irving was so pleased with Stoker's review of his performance that he asked to meet him. Stoker couldn't believe his luck when one night,he was invited to a dinner party where Irving was the guest of honour. Irving entertained the assembled dinner guests with some renditions of famous poems and speeches from Shakespeare. Stoker was already writing the first chapters of Dracula and began to base the central character on Irving,in the vain hope that if it ever became a stage play, Irving would play the central character. Sadly,Irving never did,but the two men became close friends,and in 1878 Stoker left the civil service and became Irving's manager in London. Bram Stoker set his novel in Transylvania because _ . A. it is in modern-day Romania B. Transylvania is a mythical country C. he wanted to tell a true story D. he had read stories about vampires from the area Answer: D
Junelle Lynch knocked on more than 200 doors in the Gayln Manor neighborhood of Brunswick in recent weeks. Her aim is to collect hundreds of pounds of food for the Brunswick Food Bank. "I like helping people a lot,"said Junelle,who celebrated her 11th birthday in June. With the support of her parents Isabella and Robert,Junelle walked along the streets with an orange grocery bag .Isabella always accompanies her daughter. Isabella helps her daughter by car,so Junelle can empty her grocery bag when it becomes heavy. Junelle's friend,Destiny Williams,helped the first night,but he didn't turn up the rest of the time. Neighbor Lynda Mallory donated food to Junelle. Mallory dropped noodles,canned soup,vegetables and fruits into Junelle's bag. After visiting the last house and looking at what she collected,Junelle said she felt good about what she achieved with the help of her neighbors. Working an hour a night three times per week,she has collected more than 400 pounds of canned and boxed food. This isn't the first year she's collected food. Junelle started nearly three years ago when,at 8 years old,she saw a collection box at a grocery store and decided to become involved. In her first year,she collected 80 pounds of food in the mostly undeveloped neighborhood,and 214 pounds the next year. The food helped feed many families. When she isn't helping,Junelle is a straightA student who snowboards,plays the trumpet,sings with the Brunswick Chorus,plays basketball and writes poems. She plans on spending her summer vacation attending a basketball camp. According to the passage,we know Junelle Lynch _ . A always helps her neighbors B is too busy to do well in her study C is worried about her parents' health D has many hobbies in school life Answer: D The curtain on the 2008 US presidential election finally rose last month as John McCain and Barack Obama were formally nominated as candidates of the two major parties. This may be one of the hardest decisions voters have to make between two appealing candidates. The big question for voters, as they face both an economic downturn and international threats, is: who will they elect? A young first-term senator promising change and new ideas, or a longtime senator with strong military experience and a reputation as a maverick ? American voters have never seen a candidate quite like Obama. He has a white mother from theprefix = st1 /USand a black father fromKenyawho left the family when Obama was very young. He spent part of his youth inIndonesia. His supporters say Obama's childhood gives him the advantage to repair the recent damage done toAmerica's image abroad. His opponents focus on his inexperience, noting he hasn't finished his first term in the Senate. However, McCain has a very different life story. He grew up in a Navy family and was a pilot during the Vietnam War in the 1960s. When Obama was in kindergarten in Indonesia, McCain's plane was shot down overVietnamand he became a prisoner of war. McCain could have been released if he _ Americabut he refused and so was held for five years. So in the end, the election may hinge on (...) several factors that are hard to judge: Will Obama's race matter to a significant number of voters? Will working-class whites who tended to support his primary opponent, Hillary Clinton, vote for Obama? And perhaps most important of all, will swing voters be more drawn to Obama's vision or to McCain's experience? Whatever happens, one thing is clear: Whoever walks into the White House on January 20, 2009, will find enormous challenges waiting for him in the Oval Office, both at home and abroad. The challenges that will face the new president are _ . A not mentioned in the text B building a strong party and a friendly image C the problems of immigrants and economy D the problems of economy and international relations Answer: D Undoubtedly there are a few positive characters who are able to "rise above" their environment, who are able to impress the people with whom they come in contact in spite of their clothes. Sometimes we read of some learned woman, who has "made good in her profession," who says that she has not looked in a mirror for years; but such a woman is a rare exception, and one is not safe in gambling with one's chances of success by following her. It is not the positive characters with whom we are concerned, however, for they are few and somehow manage to take care of themselves. The vast majority of the race are not so blessed, and we need to observe but little to realize that with them the reaction of clothes is an important factor. School girls should know that clothes may make a career; happiness and leadership in all the years of high school and college life may be affected by the story a Freshman's clothes tell. Many a girl with a keen mind, who has a natural disregard for clothes, perhaps, or who has not been trained in the appreciation of beauty in clothes, has lost her opportunities for leadership and self-expression which by right her brain power should have given her. One of the mental capacities which we all exercise and yet exercise most unconsciously is that of passing judgment on the people we meet. In a majority of cases the judgment is superficial and inaccurate; but the estimate is made. Some people may not get their final judgment till they hear one talk and will judge one by the tone of voice and by what is said as the true index; but the vast majority will form an opinion based largely, if not entirely, on appearance. One tells the world daily of one's ideals, ambitions or good breeding through dress; and it is told so plainly that "he who runs may read" and, perhaps, he who reads may run. The author thinks it is _ for most of us to judge the people we meet by what they wear. A natural B foolish C surprising D necessary Answer: A The day after Seller completed the sale of his house and moved out, one of the slates flew off the roof during a windstorm. The slate struck Pedestrian, who was on the public sidewalk. Pedestrian was seriously injured. The roof is old and has lost several slates in ordinary windstorms on other occasions. If Pedestrian sues Seller to recover damages for his injuries, will Pedestrian prevail? A Yes, because the roof was defective when Seller sold the house. B Yes, if Seller should have been aware of the condition of the roof and should have realized that it was dangerous to persons outside the premises. C No, because Seller was neither the owner nor the occupier of the house when Pedestrian was injured. D No, if Pedestrian knew that in the past slates had blown off the roof during windstorms. Answer: B Almost everyone has seen someone speed read.They appear to skim the text and still have read and absorbed the content.The people who have studied speed reading techniques will still read at different speeds;however they will undoubtedly beat those without experience. The best and most efficient way to learn to read fast is to join in classes,where speed reading skills will be explained clearly. The advantage of courses is that students will be shown several different strategies showing them to choose the ones they find easiest to understand the material they are reading. Students should try to learn all the strategies presented during their courses as, once these are mastered,they will see a dramatic improvement in their reading rate,after which they can choose their preferred style. Students will see the benefits of speed reading as soon as the techniques are applied to their main field of study. A traditional education builds habits in reading which a good speed reading course will push aside,replacing with new techniques. A comprehensive course will also advise students how to become more efficient readers;hopefully this will also encourage the desire for self improvement as well as the desire to read. Lecturers in speed reading will usually take the time to teach students the importance of preparing the environment they work in before they read a single work remember reading at speed is all about increasing the speed of comprehension not just the speed of reading! The satisfaction of reading faster and with better comprehension skills cannot be ignored;the techniques of speed reading increase the enjoyment of reading.Speed reading is a skill to be encouraged in each and every generation of new readers. What is the best way that readers can improve their speed reading according to the writer's opinion? A To practice reading at different speeds. B To read fast without complete understanding. C To attend classes that teach speed reading. D To experience satisfaction by reading. Answer: C
Car Talk When I got the driving license last summer, Mom and I took our first trip around an empty parking lot. Then I found that my mother was not the best teacher for me. It wasn't that she shouted, or told me that I was doing poorly. As you can imagine, my mother's "helpful instructions" only managed to make me more nervous. Since I could no longer practice with her, the job was placed in the hands of my father. The idea of learning from Dad was not one that thrilled me. I loved him dearly, but I just did not see Dad as someone I could be comfortable learning from. He almost never talked. We shared a typical father-daughter relationship. He'd ask how school was, and I'd say it was fine. Unfortunately, that was the most of our conversations. Spending hours alone with someone who might as well have been a stranger really scared me. As we got into the car that first time, I was not surprised at what happened. Dad and I drove around, saying almost nothing, aside from a few instructions on how to turn. As my lessons went on, however, things began to change. Dad would turn the radio up so I could fully appreciate his favorite Stones music. And he actually began talking. I was soon hearing about past failed dates, "basic body" gym class, and other tales from his past, including some of his first meeting with Mom. Dad' s sudden chattiness was shocking until I thought about why he was telling me so much in the car. In all the years that I had wondered why my father never spoke that much, I had never stopped to consider that it was because I had never bothered to listen. Homework, friends, and even TV had all called me away from him, and, consequently, I never thought my quiet father had anything to say. Since I began driving with him, my driving skill has greatly increased. More important, though, is that my knowledge of who my father is has also increased. Just living with him wasn't enough--it took driving with him for me to get to know someone who was a mystery. With her story "Car Talk", the author indicates that _ . family members need real communication Each year millions of babies are born too soon and too small. Premature or preterm births are defined as births at less than thirty-seven weeks. Prematurity is the leading cause of death in newborn babies. More than one-fourth of the four million newborns who die each year around the world were born too early. Preterm babies that survive can suffer a lifetime of serious health conditions. The examples include cerebral palsy, blindness, hearing problems and learning disabilities. Families and communities face emotional, physical and financial costs. Christopher Howson is the vice president for global programs at the March of Dimes, a nonprofit group. His group and the World Health Organization recently published a report called "The Global and Regional Toll of Preterm Birth." CHRISTOPHER HOWSON: "Frankly the crisis of preterm birth is under-recognized, undercounted, undervalued and under-funded. I mean, this report shows that thirteen million babies are born every year preterm, and that over a million of those babies die as a result of being born too early." And these are just estimates; the true numbers could be even higher. More than eighty-five percent of preterm births happen in Africa and Asia. Africa has the highest rate, with about four million cases each year. Chris Howson says many of the causes of preterm births are related to poverty and weak health-care systems. CHRISTOPHER HOWSON: "For example, the poor overall health and nutritional status of women. A high burden of infectious diseases. Lack of provision of family planning - allowing a woman to decide when to start and end having children and how to space her children. And also the lack of good prenatal care programs that might identify problems early on in pregnancy." Preterm births are a problem not just in the developing world. The combined rate in the United States and Canada is the second highest in the world. Preterm birth rates in the United States have increased thirty-six percent in the last twenty-five years. This has been largely the result of two reasons. One is an increase in pregnancies among women over age thirty-five. The other is an increase in the use of reproductive therapies. Which of the following is a true statement according to the passage? The increase in pregnancies among women over age thirty-five and the increase in the use of reproductive therapies result in the increase of preterm birth rates. The 2016 Rio Olympic Games have come to an end. Without doubt, many Chinese sports fans sat in front of the TV and cheered our athletes on, hoping that they would get as many gold medals as possible. But sometimes our desire for gold medals can result in the sadness of failure. When Liu Xiang, China's track hero, pulled out of the Beijing Olympics due to injury, he greatly disappointed many Chinese sports fans. But things are different now. In the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, we saw a healthier and more _ Chinese attitude toward the sportspeople, fully in line with the Olympic spirit. China didn't win any gold medals on the first day. But, instead of criticizing the athletes who failed to finish on top of the podium , the majority of fans were happy with their efforts. "Reacting in the right way when an athlete misses out on gold shows the maturity of a person, and is also a challenge for a country to face up to in the process of development," commented CRI. Swimmer Fu Yuanhui won fans' hearts, even if she only won a bronze medal in the 100m backstroke final. Her fans on her Sina Weibo micro blog have increased 100,000 to over 6 million. Many sports fans appreciated her straightforward character and attitude toward competition. "The warm support from Internet users shows that public attitude toward competitive sport and the Olympics have gotten to a higher level," said an article in the People's Daily. What does the author mainly want to tell us in this passage? Learning how to face up to challenge. Can you make animals work for us? Some scientists think that one day we can teach animals to do a lot of things for people. In a film shown on TV, you may see elephants, monkeys, tigers or some other animals are always given a little food to eat after they have done something. Scientists say that people can teach many different animals to do some of the easy work if they know they will get something to eat. We all know elephants can carry large logs ,and dogs can look after houses. And we even teach animals to work in factories. In America, for example, people have used to help make cars and scientists think that those large monkeys may drive trains one day. Now people are trying to get them to do the same thing that man does. If we teach animals carefully, _ . some animals can do the same things as man does. When you're having a hard time with your homework or when you're preparing for your term paper, these student-focused websites can help you with just about anything you need. The key to getting the most out of these online resources is to know how they can best be used to your advantage. Facebook Although Facebook can be one of your biggest time-wasters and distractions when you are supposed to getting work done, it can also be one of your most valuable resources. Most of your classmates will probably have a Facebook account, so anyone you need to connect with about a class you missed or about a problem is usually just a few clicks away. SparkNotes With a free library of history, philosophy study guides and summaries, SparkNotes has covered just about any reading-related tasks you have to finish. Just search for the book, play, or short summary of the material you are supposed to read. Amazon.com Do you finish every term with many expensive textbooks you will never open again? Instead of letting the money spent go to waste, get back some of your cash by selling your books on Amazon. RateMyProfessors.com Choosing new classes can sometimes be like trying to pick out your clothes in the dark, a total guessing game. Which teacher gives out the hardest problem? How much homework will that history professor give you every week? At RateMyProfessors.com, students all over the country rate their professors on quality, helpfulness, and how hard their classes are. Wikipedia While Wikipedia isn't aimed specially at students, it is difficult to think of another website that does more to reduce the pain of paper writing and researching. Wikipedia gives you a quick way to find sources and get the details of almost any topic you need research - all without walking to the library. While you are taking great pains to write a research report, _ can most probably be a help. Wikipedia
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There is no better way to get all the information and the experience and no better way to find out in Mexicois right for you. "Mexicois the next destination of the Baby Boomer generation. And ' Focus onMexico' is the best way to get there. Whether it's real estate(buying or renting), immigration advice, health care, legal matters - or just about anything else, the friendly Focus on Mexico group can provide these services with expert advice and at a ridiculously low cost. Canadians and Americans couldn't hope for better." From Paul Jackson, Associate Editor, CalgarySun. Seller Information Contact: Marie Telephone: 376 - 766 - 3987 Dwyer - Bullock APDO 1179 Chapala, Jalisco E- mail: marie @ focusonmexico. com 45900 Mexico Web Site:http://focusonmexico.com The advertisement uses words from Paul Jackson to_. sell Focus on Mexico Program A company that makes fences started using a new material instead of wood. The new material will last longer than wood. What is the most likely benefit of the new material? The new material can save money on replacements. When Elizabeth Kenny was a little girl, she fell off a horse and hurt her arm. Mrs. Kenny took her to a doctor in Toowoomba, Queensland. In the doctor's, Elizabeth saw many bottles of medicine standing in a row. Since then, she wanted to be a nurse. As soon as she was old enough, Elizabeth was trained in a hospital. After working for some time, she made a surprising discovery. Among her patients were some children who had lost the use of their legs because of polio ( ) . Kenny tried putting hot cloth on their legs and washing them in a special way. The results were great. The children were able to use their legs again. Most doctors would not believe that children could get well in such a simple way. Gradually, however, she became famous. From 1993 on people from many parts of the world brought their children to Australia to receive treatment by this wonderful nurse. She was invited to America where her methods were used in many hospitals. Money was collected to build Kenny foundations which were for polio patients. Kenny died in 1952, but she will long be remembered for her fight against polio. What was Kenny's surprising discovery? Among the children some of them suffered from polio. Japanese students work very hard but many are unhappy. They feel heavy pressures from their parents. Most students are always told by their parents to study harder and better so that they can have a wonderful life in the future. Though this may be a good idea for those very bright students, it can have terrible results for many students who are not gifted enough. Many of them have tried very hard at school but have failed in the exams and have their parents lose hope. Such students felt that they are hated by everyone else they meet and they don't want to go to school any longer. They become dropouts. It is surprising that though most Japanese parents are worried about their children, they do not help them in any way. Many parents feel that they are not able to help their children and that it is the teachers' work to help their children. To make matters worse, a lot of parents serif their children to those schools opening in the evenings and on weekends -- they only help the students to pass the exams and never teach them any real sense of the world. Many Japanese schools usually have rules about everything from the students' hair to their clothes and things in their school bags. Child psychologists now think that such strict rules are harmful to the feelings of the students. Almost 40% of the students said that no one had taught them how to get on with others, how to tell right from wrong and how to show love and care for others, even for their parents. According to the passage, it's necessary to teach students _ . All above The Pathfinder When we found him, he was a sorry sight. His clothes were torn, his hands bleeding. Before we reached him, we saw him fall. He lay a moment. Then he pulled himself to his feet, walked unsteadily a few yards through the woods and fell again. After we got him out, we went back to find the gun that he had thrown down. His tracks showed that for two days he had circled in the forest, within 200 yards of the road. His senses were so dulled by fear and tiredness that he did not hear the cars going by or see the lights at night. We found him just in time. This man, like others before him, had simply been frightened when he knew he was lost. What had been a near disaster might have turned out as only a pleasant walk, had he made a few preparations before he stepped from the highway or off a known path. Whatever sense of direction that a man may have, it's still largely a question of observation. A skilled woodsman always keeps an eye on his surroundings. He notes that the shape of a mountain, the direction water flows through a swamp, and the way a tree leans across a path. With these in mind, he may be turned around many times, but he is seldom lost. There are exceptions, of course, and once in a while a man does come across some strange problem that puts him into the "lost" situation. A rainstorm or sudden blizzard may catch him without a compass in his pocket. Darkness may find him in a rough area, where travel is dangerous without a light. When this happens, the normal first reaction is the fear of being laughed at as a result of his poor knowledge in the woods. He may also be concerned about the inconvenience that he will cause his friends when he doesn't show up. This false pride may lead him to keep on the move in a false effort to find his way against all difficulties. The person who thinks ahead is seldom in great danger. He'll be safe if he observes carefully, thinks ahead, and remains calm. The author tells the story of the lost man as an example of people who _ . are frightened when they think they are lost
Question: The Aztec population was divided into four main classes.Nobles were the highest and most powerful class.They included the emperor and his extended family, as well as governors in charge of local areas, and members of the government.The nobles owned most of the land.Commoners made up most of the population.They ran small family farms or did ordinary jobs in the towns and cities.Serfs worked on the land owned by the nobles.They were given food and shelter, but weren't paid.Slaves were either prisoners of war or criminals who could be bought and sold. Many Aztec people lived in rural villages, working the land.However, many more lived in large towns and cities.Tenochtitian, the Aztec capital and home to the emperor, became one of the largest cities in the world.Its construction began in 1325 AD, and it's believed that by 1500 AD more than 200,000 people lived there. As with all Aztec towns and cities, there was a central area for temples and other special places in Tenochtitian.People could gather there to worship the Aztec gods. There were _ main classes in the Aztec. A. 2 B. 3 C. 4 D. 5 Answer: C Question: Word Power Author(s): Kaplan $13.95 You'll never be at a loss for words again. Energize your vocabulary with must-know everyday words that are the essentials of a good vocabulary, engaging lessons to help you use words in text, hot words often found on tests, tips to help you figure out new words, roots, and more. Grades: 8 & up Ages: 13 & up Word Smart Junior Author(s): Russell Stauffer $ 17.95 Now this is the way to add new words to your vocabulary! Word Smart Junior will make you laugh so much. You'll be amazed that you've just learned more than 120 fascinating and very useful words! Parents, teachers, and friends will marvel at your eloquence ! Grades: 3-5 Ages: 8-10 Grammar Smart Junior Author(s): Marcia Reynolds $ 16.85 Do you quake when your teacher says, "Now it's time for grammar"? Do your verbs agree with your subjects? Fear no more! A big Hollywood producer and a famous movie star will help you learn all those nasty elements of grammar. You'll be amazed at how quickly you learn, and how much fun it can be. You'll finally know your grammar backwards and forwards, and you'll never have to worry about it again. Grades: 7-9 Ages: 12-14 Grammar Smart: An Audio Guide to Perfect Usage Author(s): Julian Fleisher $ 12.68 The words you use say a lot about you ... but the way you put them together says even more. Your grammar makes an immediate and lasting impression on your teachers, and even your friends. So don't make the mistake of thinking that grammar is too complicated. We've created Grammar Smart to help you write and speak with clarity and confidence. Grades: 6-8 Ages: 11-13 By saying "You'll finally know your grammar backwards and forwards", the writer means " _ ". A. You will know the history of grammar B. You will be clearly familiar with grammar C. You will know the make-up of grammar D. You will learn about the future of grammar Answer: B Question: Scratchy throats, stuffy noses and body aches all spell misery, but being able to tell if the cause is a cold or flu may make a difference in how long the misery lasts. The American Lung Association (ALA) has issued new guidelines on combating colds and the flu , and one of the keys is being able to quickly tell the two apart. That's because the prescription drugs available for the flu need to be taken soon after the illness sets in. As for colds, the sooner a person starts taking over-the-counter remedy, the sooner relief will come. The common cold and the flu are both caused by viruses. More than 200 viruses can cause cold symptoms, while the flu is caused by three viruses - flu A, B and C. There is no cure for either illness , but the flu can be prevented by the flu vaccine, which is, for most people, the best way to fight the flu, according to the ALA. But if the flu does strike, quick action can help. Although the flu and common cold have many similarities , there are some obvious signs to look for. Cold symptoms such as stuffy nose, runny nose and scratchy throat typically develop gradually, and adults and teens often do not get a fever. On the other hand, fever is one of the characteristic features of the flu for all ages. And in general, flu symptoms including fever and chills, sore throat and body aches come on suddenly and are more severe than cold symptoms. The ALA notes that it may be particularly difficult to tell when infants and preschool age children have the flu. It advises parents to call the doctor if their small children have flu-like symptoms. Both cold and flu symptoms can be eased with over-the-counter medications as well. However, children and teens with a cold or flu should not take aspirin for pain relief because of the risk of Reye syndrome ,a rare but serious condition of the liver and central nervous system. There is, of course, no vaccine for the common cold. But frequent hand washing and avoiding close contact with people who have colds can reduce the likelihood of catching one. According to the author, knowing the cause of the misery will help _ . A. shorten the duration of the illness B. the patient buy medicine over the counter C. the patient obtain cheaper prescription drugs D. prevent people from catching colds and the flu Answer: A Question: Who knows why kids do anything? When it comes to cyberbullying , they are often motivated by anger or frustration . Sometimes they do it for entertainment or because they are bored and have too much time on their hands and too many tech toys available to them. Many do it for laughs or to get a reaction. Some do it by accident, without thinking before they do something. The power-hungry do it to make others suffer. And some think they are righting wrong and standing up for others. Because their motives differ, the solutions and responses to each type of cyberbullying incident has to differ, too. There is no "one size fits all" when cyberbullying is concerned. However, education can help considerably in preventing and dealing with the consequences of cyberbullying. If we can help kids understand how much bullying hurts, and how in many cases words can hurt, fewer may cooperate with the cyberbullies. They will think twice before forwarding a hurtful e-mail, or visiting a cyberbullying "vote for the fat girl" site, or allowing others to take videos or cell phone pictures of personal moments. And, in addition to not lending their efforts to continue the cyberbullying, we also need to teach our children not to stand silently by while others are being hurt. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said that in the end we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends. Kids will feel more comfortable to break the silence if given an anonymous method of reporting cyberbullying web-sites. School administration, community groups and even school policing staff can receive these anonymous tips and take action quickly. If our children do not allow the cyberbullies to use them to embarrass or hurt others and realize that silence, when others are being hurt, is not acceptable, cyberbullying will quickly stop. It's a tall task, but a noble goal. And in the end, our children will be safer online and offline. We will have helped create a generation of good cybercitizens, controlling the technology instead of being controlled by it. Which of the following is NOT an action of cyber-bullying? A. Standing up for others. B. Forwarding a hurtful e-mail. C. Voting for the fat girl on a website. D. Saying cruel words to upset others. Answer: A Question: Renaissance is a French word. It means "rebirth". It's a strange name for a period of history. What was exactly " reborn" during the Renaissance? To answer this question, we need to look back at the time of the Roman Empire. At this time Roman artists, scientists and writers influenced by Greek ideas were the world's most advanced. They had become skilled observers of the natural world around them, and had become experts in studying animals, plants, the human body or the stars and planets. They wrote down their ideas about what they saw, and based their theories about the world on their observations. During the fourth and fifth centuries the Roman Empire slowly broke down. Many of the Romans' art and sculptures were destroyed and some manuscripts were lost as well. But most importantly, some of the ancient attitudes were lost. A questioning approach to the world was replaced by an unquestioning one. Why did this happen? One reason was to do with the influence of the Christian Church. Through the thousand years following the fall of the Roman Empire, the Church controlled many aspects of life including education and learning. The Church ran all the universities and thought that the aim of a university should be to teach old ideas more clearly, not to introduce new ones. The scholars in the universities were expected to study God and heaven from the Bible and ancient books, rather than the world around them. Take medicine for example. The main textbook for doctors had been written by a Greek doctor called Galen more than a thousand years earlier. But when Roger Bacon, a thirteenth-century priest , said that a new approach to medicine was needed --- doctors should do their own original research instead of reading writers from the past such as Galen-the Church put him in prison. By the time of the fourteenth century, however, some parts of the Christian Church were becoming less strict about their ideas and there was a new state of mind among artists, doctors and scientist. People wanted to find out more about the world by studying it. This attitude of investigation had been common in classical scholars, and it was 'reborn' during the Renaissance. We know from the text that scientists at the time of the Roman Empire believed in _ . A. their companions' observations B. what they saw with their own eyes C. what they learned from the Greeks D. the most advanced theories at that time Answer: B
Question: Decomposer is a kind of role in our A. environment B. play C. home D. army Answer: A Question: I always wanted to run a business of some sort,and finally I got such a good chance to do so at the beginning of the summer term.The business project is called Young Enterprise,where we set up a small company called "Limitless" and sold the products to the school and public.I was appointed deputy director and financial director of the company,in which my role was to manage the financial activities. I have learnt so much from this experience,for I could put what I have learnt into practice in real life and learn to work with different people,which improved my skills in management and communication. In this school we students can organise our own activities if we want to,and the school is usually highly supportive:so this term I have organised an Engineering Society in school,which arranges regular visits to local industries.So far,the society which has only 10 members has proved to be really "popular".Well,it is always the quality,not the quantity,that matters,isn't it? I have had many opportunities to challenge myself since I got to the school,and I do think it is all of these challenges that make me more and more mature.Perhaps one of the most important lessons I have learned in this school is to have the initiative to look for any possible challenges. What is the writer's duty in the small company called "Limitless"? A. To be in charge of the finance of the business. B. To put what he has learned into practice. C. To work with people from different backgrounds. D. To find out how the consumers bought their products. Answer: A Question: Here are three girls. They are talking about their favorite clothes and colors. "I like skirts very much. I have many skirts in my wardrobe . Red is my favorite color. I have a red skirt, and it's my favorite skirt. My mother buys it for me. It's$168," Grace says. "My mom often buys new skirts for me. All my skirts are nice. I have skirts in all colors. My favorite one is a yellow skirt. It's nice. And yellow is my favorite color," Emily says. "I don't like skirts. T-shirts and shorts are my favorite. Black and white are my favorite colors. People often say I look like a boy." Kelly says. ,. What is Emily's favorite skirt? A. A red one. B. A yellow one. C. A black one. D. A blue one Answer: B Question: Dear Amy, I couldn't read your two e-mails until today because my computer was broken. I'm so sorry to hear about your problem, but I'm glad you're feeling better and are recovering . I'm surprised that in China someone's liver matched yours! This is really a moving story--a stranger donated part of his liver to _ he doesn't even know! You're right. We shouldn't care too much about our weight. I'm happy you stopped taking medicine to lose weight. From your photo I can see you are now looking very well in the hospital. To keep slim is important, especially for an actress, but nothing is more important than health. Your doctor's advice is really very good--exercise for at least half an hour every day and eat lots of fruit and vegetables. It's not only in your country. It's the same here with us Chinese--many people are always taking medicine to lose weight. That is often dangerous. But in fact, some of them are not overweight at all. I hope these people can learn something from your story. Hope you will leave hospital as soon as possible. Love xxx The doctor advised Amy to _ . A. care too much about her weight B. keep slim C. donate part of her liver D. exercise every day and eat healthy food Answer: D Question: From early times, man has been interested in art. People have often worked together to collect and save the world's art treasures. Fine art treasures from many countries are kept in an art museum called the Louvre in Paris, France. The works of art have been collected by the people of France over many centuries. It is the biggest art museum in the world. The Louvre has not always been a museum. The first building was a fort. In 1190, it was the king's castle with high walls and a round tower, which had a river around it to keep out the enemies. Over the years, the number of buildings around the castle grew. By 1350, the castle no longer needed a fort. The Louvre became a palace home for French kings and queens. During times of peace, new treasures were brought in. During the days of war, many treasures were stolen, and the buildings were damaged. When Francis I became king of France in 1515, he brought in many artists from other countries. One of the artists was Lenardo da Vinci from Italy. Da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" is the best known painting in the museum today. In 1793, the Louvre became a public museum. It is a place where art treasures are kept for everyone to enjoy. Every year millions of people from all over the world come to the Louvre to see the masterpieces. Why is it good for the works of art to be kept in public museums? A. Works of art will not be stolen. B. Works of art will not be damaged. C. Artists can study the works of art. D. Everyone has a chance to enjoy the works of art. Answer: D
The next day I sat down,with almost a hundred other candidates,for the intelligence test.I must have done all right because after about half an hour's wait I was sent into another room for a psychological test.This time there were only about fifty candidates.The interviewer sat at a desk.Candidates were signaled forward to occupy the seat opposite him when the previous occupant had been dismissed,after a greater or shorter time.Obviously the long interviews were the more successful ones.Some of the interviews were as short as five minutes.Mine was the only one that lasted a minute and a half. I can remember the questions now:"Why did you leave your last job?""Why did you leave your job before that?""And the one before that?"I can't recall my answers,except that they were short at first and grew progressively shorter.His closing statement,I thought,evealed a lack of sensitivity which helped to explain why as a psychologist,he had risen no higher than the underground railway."You've failed the psychological test and we are unable to offer you a position." Failing to get that job was my low point.Or so I thought,believing that the work was easy.Actually,such jobs--being a postman is another one I still desire--demand exactly the sort of elementary yet responsible awareness that the habitual dreamer is least qualified to give.But I was still far short of full self-understanding.I was also short of cash. The length of his interview meant that _ . Answer: There are many types of reports.A report is simply an account of something that has happened.The commonest are news reports.We get them in newspapers,over radio and on television.Sometimes cinemas also show us newsreels. The main purpose of a newspaper is to provide news.If you examine a newspaper closely,you will find that there are all types of news:accidents,floods,fires,wars,fashions ,sports,books,etc.The news covers everything that happens to people and their surroundings.Sometimes there are news items which are very amusing. A news report is usually very short,except when it is about something very important,but it contains a lot of information.It is also written in short paragraphs.The first paragraph is in fact a summary of the news item.It gives all the necessary information,what,when,where,how and why.The other paragraphs give full details of the subject.There may also be interviews with people.The words actually spoken by them are within inverted commas . Often there are photographs to go with the news to make it more interesting. Newspapers sell well mainly because _ . Answer: Today, I'm going to talk about the invention of the camera and photography. The camera is often thought to be a modern invention. But as early as 1727, a German physicist discovered that light darkened silver salt, a chemical compound. Using as a camera, a big box with a small hole to let the light in, he made temporary images on the salt. Silver salt is still the base of film today. Then a French scientist made the first permanent picture by using a special piece of metal sensitized(...)with silver salt. A photograph he made in 1826 still exists. The painter Daguerre improved on the process by placing common salt, the kind we eat, on the metal. This was in 1839, the official date of the beginning of photography. But the problem was the printing of the photographs. And it was not until other scientists developed the kind of paper we now use that good printing was possible and photography became truly common. In the 1860s, Mathew Brady was able to take his famous pictures of the American Civil War, thus making portrait poses very popular. In the 20thcentury, George Eastmen of theprefix = st1 /United Statessimplified film-developing film, and Dr. Edwin Land invented the so-called instant camera with self-developing film. If we say that the photography came into existence in 1839, it follows that it has taken more than one hundred years for the camera to reach the present condition of technical refinement . According to the writer, why is Mathew Brady remembered today? Answer: Australian Flag Designs by Readers of the Sun-Herald We received dozens of responses after inviting readers to send in their designs for a new flag. The designs we received include: James Anthony, Drummoyne James reduces the Union Jack down in size and changes its shape to become a reminder of the British tradition rather than canceling it altogether. At the same time he suggests enlarging the stars of the Southern Cross. His design attempts to use the best of both worlds in a newly designed flag. As he says, "the British part of the Australian Flag is too big and the Australian bits are too small. When you make the stars bigger the Australian flag can look impressive." Joe Bollen, Turranmurra Joe's flag has the main elements of a risen sun, white horizon , red earth at the base and the Southern Cross. He intends to make the risen sun a special Australian symbol on the flag. He believes it represents life. The Southern Cross shows that we live in the Southern Hemisphere. Maria Ieraci, Sydney Maria deleted the Union Jack but otherwise kept the flag as is with the Southern Cross and Federation Star. She says, 'There is only one correct way to change the Australian flag" and that is "to drop the Union Jack ---- when Australia becomes a Republic", which she hopes will be before 2010. Ron Bennett, Sydney Ron recommends using the Aboriginal colors but replacing their image of the sun with the map of Australia. He says, "Australia is unique being an island continent with an instantly recognizable outline at that" and "this will leave no doubt as to which country the flag belongs." Which of the four designs can remind you of the past of the country? Answer: Spring will soon be upon us and a new term is here. All over' the world spring is the season of.new life: flowers bloom, baby animals are born, and the weather becomes warmer.During this time of year, people usually walk around with a spring in their steps and a feeling of fresh beginnings.However, for a fresh beginning it takes more than the bright color1s and fresh air of spring.We need to look at ourselves, set new goals, and decide how to improve ourselves. In England people usually do this on the first day of the year. We look at the past year and think about what we' d like to change or improve in our lives, and we call this a New Year' s resolution.These can be anything from improving one' s health through exercise or cutting out bad habits, to studying harder for better grades or trying to find a good work/life balance. Luckily, we don' t have to wait for the beginning of a new year to try and become better people.We can do this whenever we like.The milestone of a new term is just a good place to start. Sometimes it' s difficult to take the first step in achieving newly set goals, but an old saying is "to begin is to be half-way there." I agree with this because taking on a new task or changing habits can seem _ at first, but once we begin, they get easier.For example, spending less time on QQ or playing video games and more time studying or communicating face-to-face can be difficult habits to change at first.But once we settle into the new routine and start to see the results, it' s difficult not to wonder why we didn't do it sooner. The trick with deciding on a resolution for a new term is not to set unrealistic targets. If we do this, it's easy to lose motivation because the end goal seems so far away. Try to make many small targets you want to reach on the way to your ultimate goal.This way, you can see your progress easily. A New Year's resolution is _ . Answer:
Giving bad news is a difficult ball game. To help you get through an already difficult situation, try these tips when you have to tell someone bad news. Think about your audience. People respond differently to bad news. Think about who you're talking to and how best to pass on unpleasant information to that person. Consider the news. Are you the best person to give this news? If not, then you should consider letting others do it. Remember, however, that if you're talking to someone about your relationship, there is no other choice. It is something you yourself have to face. Look for an appropriate moment to break the news. You don't tell the bride her grandfather died right before she walks down the passage. Wait until the time is right and you are at a private place where you won't be interrupted. Find a chair. No one should be standing when receiving bad news. Go straightforward. Give bad news the same way you take off a bandage: QUICKLY. Say that you have bad news and then tell it. Don't leave the receiver twisting in the wind. Let it sink in. Many people mentally shut down when hearing bad news. There's no reason to keep talking if someone can't hear you any more. Be ready for anything. Your audience may do nothing or may instead scream and throw things when you give unwelcome news. You just never know. If things get out of hand, you may need to temporarily excuse yourself or seek the help of friends or s. Offer your help. Let people know you are there for them. If you're breaking up with someone, however, you should consider skipping this step, because the last thing she'll want is your help. If your friend loses control of himself after hearing the bad news, you'd better _ . A. quit and ask others for help B. scream and throw things C. stay there and do nothing D. stay in and keep talking Answer: A. quit and ask others for help BEIJING--Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has visited the "left-behind" children whose parents are working in cities before Children's Day. During a visit to northwest China's Shanxi Province, Wen visited the home of Yang Saike, a primary school boy in a village of Xingping City. Yang, whose parents were working in Fujian, thousands of kilometers away, was cared for by his grandparents. His parents fail to go home even once a year. Wen talked with many children and asked them many questions about their schooling and life. "You are so pretty," Wen said to Liu Mengqi, a seven-year-old girl living with her grandmother. Liu's parents were also working in the city. "Have you been to school yet?" Wen asked two other girls. "We are going to the pre-school class," said one. "Mom and dad at home?" Wen asked. The children shook their heads. "Children cannot see their parents very often, which is a new problem in the country-side. We should give them more care and love," said the premier. The premier asked local governments to do something to protect and care for such children at home and freeing their parents in cities from worries about their children. Wen Jiabao asks local governments _ . A. to do more for "left-behind" children and their parents B. to let the parents see their children only once a year C. to stop the local people from going to work in cities D. to build more schools for the "left-behind" children Answer: A. to do more for "left-behind" children and their parents I'm a boy. My name is Zhao Ming. I am in No. 34 Middle School. I am in Class 1. My English teacher is Mr Wang. My Chinese teacher is Miss Wu. They are good teachers. I love them. I have a good friend. His name is Tom. He is an English boy. Zhao Ming is in _ Middle School. A. No. 43 B. No. 23 C. No. 31 D. No. 34 Answer: D. No. 34 The 51st Golden Horse Awards Ceremony was held in Taipei, Southeast China's Taiwan, on Nov. 22, 2014. Actor Chen Jianbin walked away with the best new director, the best actor and best supporting actor awards . Actress Chen Shiang-chyi was awarded the best lead actress and actress Wan Qian won the best supporting actress. Lou Ye-directed film Blind Massage won best feature film, best new performer, best adapted screenplay, best cinematography, best sound effects and best editing. The annual Golden Horse Awards are one of the most important film honors in the Chinese-speaking world. It was founded in 1962 and held annually in Taiwan. _ won the best supporting actress, A. Chen jianbin B. Chen Shiang-chyi C. Lou Ye D. Wan Qian Answer: D. Wan Qian When we think of leadership, we often think of strength and power. But what are these really, and how do they operate? Leadership today is not about forcing others to do things. If this is even possible, it is short-term, and tends to backfire. If you order someone to do something against their will, they may do it because they feel they must, but the anger they feel will do more harm in the long-term, They will also experience fear. Fear causes the thinking brain to shut down, making the person unable to function at his or her best. If they associate you with this emotion of fear. They will become less functional around you, and you will have succeeded in not only shooting yourself in the foot, but possibly making a very good employee or partner unable to perform effectively. Fear has no place in leadership. The way we influence people in a lasting way is by our own character, and our understanding and use of emotion. We can order someone to do something, which may be part of the work day; or we can employ them at the emotional level, so they became fully devoted to the projects and provide some of their own motivation . Today's work place is all about relationships. Anyone works harder in a positive environment in which they are recognized and valued as a human being as well as a worker. Everyone produces just a bit more for someone they like. Leaders understand the way things work. They know the pay check is not the single most motivating factor in the work life of most people. The true strength of leadership is an inner strength that comes from the confidence of emotional intelligence--knowing your own emotions, and how to handle them, and those of others. Developing your emotional intelligence is the single best thing you can do if you want to develop your relationships with people around you, which is the key to the leadership skills. Good leadership is mainly seen in a leader's ability to _ . A. provide a good working environment B. help raise employee's living standards C. give employees specific instructions D. deal wisely with employees' emotions Answer: D. deal wisely with employees' emotions
I still clearly remember that day. I was on the side of the road for close to four hours with my big Jeep. I put signs in the windows that said, "NEED A JACK ". Right as I was about to give up, a truck stopped and a man got off. He sized up the situation and went back to take a jack. After about two hours, we finished the job with sweats. We were both dirty. His wife produced a large water jug for us to wash our hands in. I tried to put $20 in the man's hand, but he wouldn't take it, so instead I went up and gave it to his wife as quietly as I could. I thanked them up one side and down the other. I asked the little girl, their daughter, where they lived, thinking maybe I'd send them a gift. She said they lived in Mexico. They were in Oregon now so Mommy and Daddy could pick cherries for the next few weeks. After that, they were going to pick peaches, and then go back home. After I said my goodbyes and started walking back to the Jeep, the girl called out and asked if I'd had lunch. When I told her no, she ran up and handed me a tamale . I thanked them again and walked back to my car. When I opened the tamale, what did I find inside? My $20 bill! I ran to the van and the guy rolled down his window. He saw the $20 in my hand, started shaking his head smiling, and with what looked like great concentration said in English: "Today you, tomorrow me." Then he rolled up his window and drove away, with his daughter waving to me from the back. This family, working on a seasonal basis where time is money, took a couple of hours to help a stranger while others passed by quietly. Since then I've helped many people like the Mexican family. I didn't accept money. But every time I was able to help, I felt as if I was putting something in the bank. Why did the author give the money quietly to the man's wife? Answer: Because the man had refused to accept it. "It's the best...uhh...What? You don't want it?...,"the inexpertienced young man uttered,his hope dashed. "Again,you disappointed me,Andrew.When are you going to learn? You have to be sure and confident. And think how best to make him part with his money. Apply yourself, Son. All your college education will not help if you don't put your mind to selling. Think on your feet. Use psychology," Andrew spoke with diffidence overwhelmed by his father's criticism. "You've been in this shop for six months and you haven't succeeded in selling a single computer. I tell you what. I'll give you one more chance. I'll give you another three more weeks. If you still can't make one sale, I'll call in your elder brother to replace you. He will also take over the shop when I retire. There. I'll just give you one last chance to prove yourself," said Mr. Whitely, his patience wearing thin. Andrew's heart missed a beat. This time he would have to do it. Do or Die! A sense of urgency gripped him. Somehow he must prove himself to his father. It was now the end of the day and the shop was being closed. The assistant employed by his father, called Mike, chuckled and put his arms round poor Andrew to comfort him," Sort it out yourself. It's gotta come from yourself." he said. The shop was located in a bustling shopping center. Andrew left the shop and walked round the complex aimlessly and by chance entered a large bookstore. He glanced at the books and was about to leave when his eyes caught some interesting titles:' How to increase your confidence,'' The art of communication,''How to sell well'amongst others. The next minute he was out of the store with the shopping bag bugling with books. In his apartment (for he loves separately from his parents and little sister),he settled himself in his easy chair and devoured the contents of the books, one by one. His keen intelligence enabled him to focus the details that matter and pick out the ideas and techniques expounded.In a week his image underwent a transformation. Gone was the stubble that used to give him an untidy image likened to a heroin addict.He was also smartly dressed now. Instead of his usual slurred speech and incoherence ,he spoke with clarity, purpose and forcefulness.He was more convincing and persuasive. Above all, confidence flowed from his being and he seemed to have learned a few tricks of the selling trade. He worked hard at his sales pitch and one day he succeeded in selling a computer. His first sale. He had finally achieved the quota of one sale within the given time frame of three weeks. The job, the shop, was his. He had to thank Mike for it. And now he had to go beyond his first successs and score, consistently and persistently. Nevertheless he had proved himself at last and the future looked bright and promising. We learn from the story that Andrew _ . Answer: has tried in vain to get his job done in six months Jeremy was born with a twisted body, and terminal illness slowly killing him throughout his young life. Still, his parents had tried to give him as normal a life as possible and had sent him to St. Theresa's Elementary School. At the age of 12, Jeremy was only in second grade, seemingly unable to learn. His teacher, Doris Miller, often became angry with him. He would often disturb the class by squirming in his seat, drooling and making grunting noises. Doris had 18 other youngsters to teach and she didn't want to waste time on Jeremy. Spring came, and the children talked excitedly about the coming of Easter. Doris told them of the story of Jesus, and stressed the idea of new life springing forth, she gave each of them a large plastic egg. "Now," she said to them, "I want you to take this home and bring it back tomorrow with something inside that shows new life. Do you understand?" "Yes, Miss Miller!" All the children responded except Jeremy. He just listened, his eyes never left her face. He did not even make his usual noises. The next morning, the children came to school and placed their eggs in a large basket on Doris' desk. After they completed their Math lesson, it was time to open the eggs. In the first egg, Doris found a flower. "Oh yes, a flower is certainly a sign of new life," she said. The next egg had a plastic beautiful butterfly in it. Then Doris opened the fourth egg. It was empty! Surely it must be Jeremy's she thought, and he did not understand the instructions. She put that egg down so she wouldn't embarrass him. Suddenly Jeremy spoke up and said "Aren't you going to talk about my egg?" Doris replied, "But Jeremy - your egg is empty!" He looked into her eyes and said softly, "Yes, but Jesus' tomb was empty too!" Doris asked him, "Do you know why the tomb was empty?" "Oh yes!" Jeremy exclaimed. "Jesus was killed and put there. Then His Father raised Him up!" After class the children excitedly ran out, but Doris cried. The cold inside her melted completely away. Three months later, Jeremy died. Those who paid their respects at the funeral were surprised to see 19 eggs on top of Jeremy's casket, all of them empty. What's the best title of the passage?[:Zxxk.Com] Answer: Jeremy's empty egg Sometimes ideas do not appear when you are concentrating your attention and mysteriously appear when you are not. Modern science recognizes this as a result of incubating the problem in your subconscious , yet can't account for why it occurs. When you quit thinking about a subject and decide to forget it, your subconscious mind doesn't quit working. Your thoughts keep making associations(,). This is why you've experienced suddenly remembering names, getting solutions to problems you've forgotten about, and ideas out of the blue when you are relaxing and not thinking about any particular thing. You may try solving a problem with your subconscious mind by writing a letter to it. Now let go of the problem. Don't work on it. Forget it. Do something else. This is the incubation stage when much of what goes on occurs outside your focused awareness, in your unconsciousness. Open the letter in two days. The answer might magically pop into your mind. An advertising agency was under pressure to come up with a marketing campaign. Bert, the creative director, wrote the following letter which he addressed to his subconscious mind. Secret Expert, I need to come up with a new marketing program to introduce a new season of television shows. I'm interested in some kind of campaign that will capture the audience's attention more than one time. Is there something people need that we can advertise on? What kind of products, foods and services should we investigate? I need your idea about a fresh approach to advertising. Thanks, Bert Bert mailed the letter to himself and when he read what he had written, he got his brainstorm, which was to advertise on "eggs". Somehow an association between "foods", "need" and "fresh approach" inspired the thought of using "fresh eggs to advertise." He arranged to put the ad for the television shows on eggs -- some thirty million. The consumers look at a single egg at least a few times, when they buy the eggs at the store, when they transfer(,,) them to the refrigerator, and when they crack them open. It's unlike any other ad medium in the world, because you're looking at it while you are using it. During the incubation stage, your focused awareness _ . Answer: doesn't work "When your mother scolds you, you can look elsewhere and think about other things. Just ignore her words. But remember: such a tough attitude cannot be used often." These words are from a series of cartoons which outline skills for children to fight against their mothers. The images have created heated debate among Chinese netizens. Regarded as "a book for children aged 6 to 12 who are always scolded by their parents", the cartoons, drawn by two 10yearold Beijing girls, list over 20 skills which children can use to deal with their mothers' anger such as crying, pretending to be ashamed, fleeing into the toilet and pleasing her afterwards. Each skill is described with vivid pictures and humorous notes. The creativity of the young girls has amazed netizens, the Yangtse Evening Post reported on Thursday. According to one of the girls' mothers, her daughter once received a poor mark in an exam, and the mother blamed her and compared her performance with another classmate. The daughter's feelings led to her creating the cartoons. The girl's father, who first posted the pictures on his Sohu Microblog on Monday, said he hopes parents pay close attention to the pictures, allow children to feel free to develop their own characteristics and try not to criticize them so often. The father said the cartoons aren't finished yet; his daughter will continue with them when she has time. "The cartoons, although an individual case, reflect a modern phenomenon and some of the problems within Chinese family education," said Yu Qinfang, an expert on family education. According to a survey of 104 children and their parents, Yu discovered that as many as 51.9 percent of primary school students hate being urged to do things by their mothers. "Not giving children enough time and hurrying them to do things seems to be a very tiny detail within family life, but it is potentially a huge problem which can easily be ignored by parents. A mother's blame may lead to negative feelings within her child's heart," Yu said. "Parents should learn to blame less and be more patient." We can conclude from the text that _ . Answer: how to blame children needs parents' wisdom
Question: American schools begin in September after the long summer holidays. There are two terms in a school year; the first term is from September to January, and the second is from February to June. Most American children go to public schools. High school students study only four or five subjects at a time. They usually go to the same classes every day, and they have an assignment for every class. After class they have many activities. After high school, many students go to college. They can go to a small one or a large one. They usually have to pay a lot of money for college education . But there are scholarships for good students, and many college students work part time in order to get money for their education. Many college students work part time because _ . A. they have many activities B. they have a lot of free time C. they like doing things D. they have to pay a lot of money for their education Answer: D Question: Sixteen years ago I learned this lesson. And I learned it in the back of a New York City taxi cab. Here's what happened. I got in a taxi, and we took off for Grand Central Station. We were driving in the right lane when all of a sudden, a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver used his brakes , the tires made a loud noise, and at the very last moment our car stopped just one inch from the back of the other car. I couldn't believe it. But then I couldn't believe what happened next. The driver of the other car, the guy who almost caused a big accident, turned his head around and he started yelling bad words at us. I couldn't believe it! And this is when my taxi driver told me what I now call: "The Law of the Garbage Truck ." He said: But then here's what really blew me away. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. So, I said: "Why did you just do that? This guy could have killed us! "Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they look for a place to dump it. And if you let them, they'll dump it on you."So one day when someone wants to dump on you, don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Believe me. You'll be happier." So I started thinking, how often do I let Garbage Trucks run right over me? And how often do I take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the street? It was then that I said: "I don't want their garbage and I'm not going to spread it anymore." I began to see Garbage Trucks. I see the load people are carrying. I see them coming to dump it. And like my taxi driver, I don't take it personally. I just smile, wave, wish them well, and I move on. When the author saw his taxi driver smile and wave at the driver of the black car, he _ . A. was deeply impressed B. got very angry C. felt quite disappointed D. complimented him on his good manners Answer: A Question: It's such a shame to lose a free throw. Playing in the court has pressure from the opponent, time, your teammates, the audience, and yourself. You have to shoot the ball despite all the pressures around. But with a free throw, you have the ball, no one will try to get it from you, and you have all the time to shoot the ball. But why is it that many players, even good shooters, miss most of their free throws? Maybe they need more practice or maybe they need to apply more ways to improve their free throw. Improve your player or your free throwing skills by following the tips below: Make it personal. The truth is, there is no rule on how one should handle and throw the ball in a free throw. What matters is that the player should shoot the ball from the free throw line no matter how he does it. So when trying to improve your free throw shooting, better stick to what works the best for you. Do not copy other people's techniques. Make it your own and leave those techniques as theirs. Formulate a repetitive way of shooting the ball. A free throw should be personalized. But it should also be repetitive. You should be able to repeat your free throw techniques whether you are in your court or in another court, whether you are energized or tired. You can't say you have a personal free throw technique if you can't repeat it over and over again. Shoot at the same position and distance for every free throw. Basketball courts may be located in different places or maybe marked with different paint colors. But all of these courts maintain the same distance from the _ to the free throw line. Familiarize your perfect position when making your free throws. That should help you do your perfect throw. Which of the following might serve as the best title of the above passage? A. How to play basketball successfully in the court. B. How to improve your basketball throw skills. C. How to gain more points in throwing. D. How to improve your basketball free throwing. Answer: D Question: Interviews can be quite frightening but our tips can help you. Don't worry--relax! Remember these things and you'll be fine. Be on time. Find out exactly where the interview is and how to get there. Remember that buses and trains can often be late so allow plenty of time. It's better to be early than late. Be prepared. Think about what the interviewer will ask you. He or she will probably ask about your qualifications and your experience but they'll also ask you why you want the job. Think of some possible questions and prepare your answers before you go. Wear comfortable clothes. If you wear something new it will make you feel uncomfortable. It's best to wear something smart but something you like and feel happy in. Make eye contact . In the interview, don't sit looking at your feet. Make sure you sit up and look the interviewer in the eye. This makes you look honest and more confident . Ask a question. It's a good idea to ask questions at the interview. Ask about the company or the job. Prepare some questions before the interview. It makes you look more interested if you do this. According to this passage, the interviewer will probably ask you about _ . A. your family members B. your health condition C. your demand of payment D. your working experience Answer: D Question: Joe, 75, lived very happily and had a beautiful family. He had four grandchildren, and they all visited him during their holidays. But while he was working, he lost his favorite watch. Before they came to visit, Joe was preparing his home for the kids: cleaning the house and buying their favorite foods. The watch was a gift from his deceased wife when their first child was born, Joe loved the watch very much. He was very upset . When his grandchildren came, they promised him they would find the watch. One granddaughter asked: "Grandpa, do you remember when you saw the watch last before it went missing?" Joe answered: "I guess when I was cleaning the barn ! " The children looked for more than two hours but could not find it. One grandson went to search the barn again, and he asked the others not to follow him and to keep silent . He was there for about 15 minutes and then rushed to his grandfather. He found the watch! Joe was surprised and asked how he was able to find it. The little boy said: ;'I sat there without making a noise, and the barn was so silent. After a few minutes, I heard the 'tick, tick' sound and found the watch." Joe hugged him and thanked the little boy. This shows the power of silence. If we stay calm, we are better able to find a solution ! From the passage we learn that " _ ". A. Love keeps us busy all the time. B. Helping those in need makes one feel good. C. Believe in yourself and you can succeed. D. Silence sometimes is more powerful than using your voice. Answer: D
Have you ever read Alice's Adventures in Wonderland? It was written by Lewis Carroll. He was an English writer, poet, scientist, photographer, and priest. His real name was Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, and Lewis Carroll was his pen name. He was born in 1832 and died in 1898. He is most famous for writing two children's fantasy books about a young girl called Alice. They were titled Alice's Adventures in Wonderland(1865) and through the looking-Glass(1872). He also wrote two famous poems called "The Hunting of the Snark" and "The Jabberwocky". What is important about these poems is that he made up many new words to use in them. He was an expert at "word play" and used words in many different ways. Some of these ways were quite new. And this has influenced members of the literary elite who are well educated about English. Many people still study his work and his life today. Although they seem to have been written for children, Lewis Carroll's books and poems have been enjoyed by people of all ages. If you have not read Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, which is also referred to by the short title Alice in Wonderland, you should read it soon. No matter how old you are, you will find it exciting and enjoyable. How many poems did Lewis Carroll write? A. One. B. Two. C. Three. D. Four. Answer: B Phys ed (physical education) is making a comeback as a part of the school core curriculum ,but with a difference. While group sports are still part of the curriculum, the new way is to teach skills that are useful beyond gym class. Instead of learning how to climb a rope, children are taught to lift weights, balance their diets and build physical endurance . In this way,kids are given the tools and skills and experiences so they can lead a physically active life for the rest of their life. Considering that 15 percent of American children aged 6 to 18 are overweight, supporters say more money and thought must be put into phys ed curriculum. In many cases, that may mean not just replacing the old gym-class model with fitness programs but also starting up phys ed programs because school boards often "put P.E. on the chopping block , cutting it entirely or decreasing its teachers or the days it is offered," says Alicia Moag-Stahlberg, the executive director of Action for Health Kids. The difference in phys ed programs is partly due to the lack of a national standard. "Physical education needs to be part of the core curriculum," she added. The wisdom of the new approach has some scientific support. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin have showed how effective the fit-for-life model of gym class can be. They observed how 50 overweight children lost more weight when they cycled and skied cross-country than when they played sports. The researchers also found that teaching sports like football resulted in less overall movement, partly because some reluctant students were able to sit on the bench. Another problem with simply teaching group sports in gym class is that only a small percentage of students continue playing them after graduating from high school. The new method teaches skills that translate to adulthood. How many problems are mentioned in the passage with simply teaching group sports? A. Two B. Three C. Four D. One Answer: A When I left home for college, I sought to escape the limited world of farmers, small towns, and country life. I long for the excitement of the city, for the fast pace that rural life lacked, for adventure beyond the horizon. I dreamed of exploring the city, living within a new culture and landscape, and becoming part of the pulse of an urban jungle. Yet some of my best times were driving home, leaving the city behind and slipping back into the valley. As city life disappeared and traffic thinned, I could see the faces of the other drivers relax. Then, around a bend in the highway, the grassland of the valley would come into being, offering a view of gentle rolling hills. The land seemed permanent. I felt as if I had stepped back in time. I took comfort in the stability of the valley. Driving through small farm communities, I imagined the founding families still rooted in their grand homes, generations working the same lands, neighbors remaining neighbors for generations. I allowed familiar farmhouse landmarks to guide me. Close to home, I often turned off the main highway and took a different, getting familiar farms again and testing my memory. Friends lived in those houses. I had eaten meals and spent time there; I had worked on some of these farms, lending a hand during a peak harvest, helping a family friend for a day or two. The houses and lands looked the same, and I could picture the gentle faces and hear familiar voices as if little had been changed. As I eased into our driveway I'd return to old ways, becoming a son once again, a child on the family farm. My feelings were honest and real. How I longed for a land where life stood still and my memories could be relived. When I left the farm for college, I could only return as visitor to the valley, a traveler looking for home. Now the farm is once again my true home. I live in that farmhouse and work the permanent lands. My world may seem unchanged to casual observers, but they are wrong. I know this: if there's a constant on these farms, it's the constant of change. The good observer will recognize the differences. A farmer replants an orchard with a new variety of peaches. Irrigation is added to block of old grapes, so I imagine the vineyard has a new owner. Occasionally the changes are clearly evident, like a FOR SALE sign. But I need to read the small print in order to make sure that a bank has taken possession of the farm. Most of the changes contain two stories. One is the physical change of the farm, the other involves the people on that land, the human story behind the change. I've been back on the farm for a decade and still haven't heard all the stories behind the changes around me. But once I add my stories to the landscape, I can call this place my home, a home that continues to evolve and changes as I add more and more of my stories. A poet returns to the valley and says, "Little has changed in the valley, and how closed-minded you all are!" He comments about the lack of interest in sports, social and environmental issues in the poverty and inequality of our life. He was born and raised here, so he might have the right to criticize and lecture us. Yet he speaks for many who think they know the valley. How differently would others think of us if they knew the stories of a grape harvest in a wet year or a peach without a home? Which of the following most likely indicates that there is a sad human story behind a physical change on the farm? A. A new variety of peach is being planted. B. A piece of land is being sold by a bank. C. Irrigation is being added to a grape operation. D. A farm is being sold to a large corporation. Answer: B Maria was a teacher at a small school in Arizona. Maria had worked in the past at schools in California, Texas, and Vermont, but had to leave these schools because the school in Arizona was perfect for her dream job. When she moved to Arizona she found a small little one bedroom house that fit her perfectly. The house was on the top floor of another building, owned by another teacher. In her house was a bed, dresser, table and telephone. Nothing else came with the house. So Maria wanted to go shopping with her new teacher friend. So they went down to the mall to buy things for her new house. First she wanted to look for some chairs to go with her table. Then she wanted to find a TV for her living room and a TV for her bedroom. Last she wanted to find a big comfy couch for her living room. When she got to the couch store she had a few different choices. She could buy the biggest couch they had but would go over her limit, it was black. She could buy the middle couch right at her limit, which was brown. Or she could buy the smallest couch well under her limit, but was not a very good color, red. Maria went with the middle couch knowing she would not like the color of the smaller one even if it was least expensive. Maria then had to choose if she wanted them to deliver her couch or if she would pick it up. Knowing she had only a small car she went with the deliver choice. She also had to choose if she wanted them to set up the couch for her or for her to set it up herself. She went with them setting it up since they would be there to deliver it anyway. Maria loved her new house and job. What state does Maria teach in and why? A. Arizona, they pay more. B. Arizona, it is her dream job C. Texas, Dream job. D. Vermont, dream job. Answer: B Christian Eijkman, a Dutch doctor, left the Netherlands for the island of Java. Many people on the island had a disease called beri-beri. He was going there to try and find a _ . At first, Eijkman thought some kind of germ caused beri-beri. He raised some chickens. He didn't eat them, but made experiments on them. The local people were quite surprised at that. One day he noticed that his chickens became sick when they were fed the food most Javanese ate -- refined white rice . When he fed them with unrefined rice, also known as brown rice, they recovered. Eijkman realized that he had made an important discovery -- that some things in food could prevent disease. These things were named vitamins . The Javanese were not getting enough vitamins because they had actually removed the part that contains vitamins. Later, other diseases were also found to be caused by the lack of vitamins in a person's food. Today many people know the importance of vitamins and they make sure they have enough vitamins from the food they eat. If they don't, they can also take vitamin pills. We can learn from the passage that _ . A. beri-beri was caused by chickens B. Christian Eijkman's experiment was successful C. the Javanese didn't like vitamins D. the Javanese's disease was caused by a kind of germ Answer: B
For years, there has been a bias against science among clinical psychologists . In a two-year analysis to be published in November inPerspectives on Psychological Science, psychologists led by Timothy B. Baker of the University of Wisconsin charge that many clinical psychologists fail to "provide the treatments for which there is the strongest evidence of effectiveness" and "give more weight to their personal experiences than to science." As a result, patients have no guarantee that their "treatment will be informed by ... science." Walter Mischel of Columbia University is even crueler in his judgment. "The disconnect between what clinical psychologists do and what science has discovered is an extreme embarrassment," he told me, and "there is a widening gap between clinical practice and science." The "widening" reflects the great progress that psychological research has made in identifying the most effective treatments. Thanks to strict clinical trials, we now know that teaching patients to think about their thoughts in new, healthier ways and to act on those new ways of thinking are effective against depression, panic disorder and other problems, with multiple trials showing that these treatments -- the tools of psychology -- bring more lasting benefits than drugs. You wouldn't know this if you sought help from a typical clinical psychologist. Although many treatments are effective, relatively few psychologists learn or practice them. Why in the world not? For one thing, says Baker, clinical psychologists are "very doubtful about the role of science" and "lack solid science training". Also, one third of patients get better no matter what treatment (if any) they have, "and psychologists remember these successes, believing, wrongly, that they are the result of the treatment." When faced with evidence that treatments they offer are not supported by science, clinical psychologists argue that they know better than some study what works. A 2008 study of 591 psychologists in private practice found that they rely more on their own and colleagues' experience than on science when deciding how to treat a patient. If they keep on this path as insurance companies demand evidence-based medicine, warns Mischel, psychology will "discredit itself." The widening gap between clinical practice and science is due to _ . A. the cruel judgment by Walter Mischel B. the fact that most patients get better after being treated C. the great progress that has been made in psychological research D. the fact that patients prefer to take drugs rather than have other treatments Answer: C. the great progress that has been made in psychological research Oyster What is an Oyster card? Oyster is the easiest way to pay for journeys on the bus, Tube, tram, Docklands Light Railway (DLR), London Overground and National Rail journeys in London. You can store your travel cards, Bus&Tram Pass, season tickets and credit to pay for journeys as you go. Where to get an Oyster card? There are a number of ways for you to get an Oyster card: * At over 3,900 Oyster Ticket stops * At Tube and London Overground station ticket offices * At some National Rail stations * At London Travel information Centres * Online at tfl. gov. uk/oyster How to use an Oyster card? To pay the correct fare on the Tube, DLR, London Overground and National Rail services, you must always touch in on the yellow Oyster card reader at the start of your journey, and touch out at the end. If you don't, a maximum cash Oyster fare will be changed. When using the bus or tram, you must only touch in at the start, but not at the end of your journey. What happens if I don't visit London very often? Don't worry. Any pay as you go credit on your card will not expire , so you can keep it for your next visit or lend it to a friend. Fares Traveling by Tube from Central London (Zone l)to Heathrow (Zone 6) Adult Oyster single fare PS 4. 20 Monday to Friday 06:30 - 09:30 and 16:00 -19:00 PS 2. 70 at all other times including public holidays Adult single cash fare PS 5.00 For further information, visit tfl.gov. uk /fares. Haperson with an Oyster card takes the 7 o'clock Tube from Central London to Heathrow for a week (no public holiday in between),he should pay _ . A. PS 18.90 B. PS 29.40 C. PS21.90 D. PS26.40 Answer: D. PS26.40 The story of Voytek the bear in the Iranian mountains, where his mother was killed by hunters when he was only eight weeks old, is very interesting. A young Iranian boy saved the young cub, putting him into his backpack. When a group of Polish soldiers drove up, the boy gave them the cub in exchange for some beef, a chocolate bar, and a few coins. The cub was near death, and the soldiers didn't think he would survive the night but they slowly nursed him back to health, feeding him out of a bottle filled with milk. During the months that followed, the cub grew larger and stronger. He learned to march in formation with the soldiers. One of his favorite hobbies was wrestling with his Polish friends --- occasionally, he even let them win. "He was just like a dog --- nobody was scared of him," a soldier, Augustyn Karolewski, told The Scotsman. Though Voytek loved to play, the Polish troops soon realized they could put him to work, too. Who could be better at loading heavy ammunition into their trucks than a bear? During the Battle of Monte Cassino, Voytek helped out his fellow men by loading shells into truck beds for hours and hours without stopping, paving the way for a victory. After the war ended, Voytek lived the rest of his life at the Edinburgh Zoo, where he was very famous. He died in 1963, and ever since, his remarkable story has gradually been forgotten. But that may be about to change --- a Scottish woman, Alieen Orr, is campaigning for a monument to this military hero. Orr first heard the legend of Voytek from her grandfather. "I thought he had made it up, to be quite honest," she told The Scotsman. "The story is totally amazing and it would be good if we could have a memorial in Scotland to celebrate the bear's life." What is the passage mainly about? A. The interesting story of a bear. B. The rescue of a small bear. C. The Battle of Monte Cassino. D. A monument to a hero. Answer: A. The interesting story of a bear. The ocean water near the equator absorbs more heat throughout the year than ocean water near the North Pole. Which of the following best explains this difference? A. The equator is closer to the Sun. B. The equator has higher sea levels. C. The equator receives more direct sunlight. D. The equator rotates more quickly on Earth's axis. Answer: C. The equator receives more direct sunlight. Whether the eyes are "the windows of the soul" is debatable;that they are intensely important in interpersonal communication is a fact.During the first two months of a baby's life,the stimulus that produces a smile is a pair of eyes.The eyes need not be real:a mask with two dots will produce a smile.Significantly,a real human face with eyes covered will not motivate a smile,nor will the sight of only one eye when the face is presented in profile .This attraction to eyes as opposed to the nose or mouth continues as the baby matures.In one study,when American four--year--olds were asked to draw people,75 percent of them drew people with mouths,but 99 percent of them drew people with eyes. In Japan.however,where babies are carried on their mother's back,they do not acquire as much attachment to eyes as they do in other cultures.As a result,Japanese adults make little use of the face either to encode (...) or decode meaning.In fact,Argyle reveals that the "proper place to focus one's gaze during a conversation in Japan is on the neck of one's conversation partner." The role of eye contact in a conversational exchange between two Americans is well defined:speakers make contact with the eyes of their listener for about one second,then dance away as they talk;in a few moments they re-establish eye contact with the listener or reassure themselves that their audience is still attentive,then shift their gaze away once more.Listeners,meanwhile,keep their eyes on the face of the speaker,allowing themselves to glance away only briefly.It is important that they be looking at the speaker at the precise moment when the speaker reestablishes eye contact:if they are not looking,the speaker assumes that they are disinterested and either will pause until eye contact is resumed or will stop the conversation.Just how critical this eye contacting is to the maintenance of conversational flow becomes clear when two speakers are wearing dark glasses:there may be a sort of traffic jam of words caused by interruption,false starts,and unpredictable pauses. The author is convinced that the eyes are _ . A. of extreme importance in expressing feelings and exchanging ideas B. something through which one can see a person's inner world C. of considerable significance in making conversations interesting D. something the value of which is largely a matter of long debate Answer: A. of extreme importance in expressing feelings and exchanging ideas
Welcome to the Ambassador Hotel. To make your stay as enjoyable as possible, we hope you can make full use of our facilities . Dining Room Breakfast is served in the dining room from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. The room staff will bring a breakfast tray to your room at any time after 7 a.m. Please fill out a card and hang it outside your door when you go to bed. Lunch: 12:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Dinner: 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Room Service This operates 24 hours a day; phone the Reception Desk, and your message will be passed on to the room staff. Telephones To make a phone call, dial 0 for Reception and ask to be connected. We apologize for delays in putting calls through when the staffs are very busy. There are also public telephone boxes near the Reception Desk. Early calls should be booked with Reception. Laundry We have a laundry in the hotel, and will wash, iron and return your clothes within 24 hours. Ask the room staff to collect them. Bar The hotel bar is open from 12 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. What should you do when you come back to the hotel to make an important call and see a lot of people around the Reception Desk? Answer: Go to the public telephone boxes. How can we reduce the risk? There are four general approaches to dealing with volcanic dangers. We can try to keep the danger from occurring-often an impossible task. We can try to change its path or reduce its impact on existing development. We can take steps to protect future development. We can also do our best to have disaster response plans in place before they are needed. Removing the Threat Clearly, there is no way to stop an eruption. We can, however, attempt to reduce the eruption's effects by strengthening structures, for example, building protective works such as walls to make lava flow away from developed areas. Such efforts can be and have been successful, but are of limited use in a large-scale eruption. Planning for the Future Protecting future development from volcanic dangers is a simple task. Before building houses, we should judge the risk. If the risk seems too great, a safer location should be found. This type of planning is very effective, but all too often, people are drawn to the lush ,rolling land of a quiet volcano. Disaster Preparedness When a volcano comes to life, a few weeks may not be enough time to avoid a tragedy. Planning is the key to saving lives. Well before the warning signs occur, people must be educated about volcanic dangers. Escape plans must be in place. Communication between scientists, officials, the media, and the general public should be practiced. Emergency measures must be thought out and agreed upon. If you doubt the importance of these efforts, take another look at past volcanic tragedies, such as the eruption of Nevado del Ruiz. Communication failures left the town of Armero unprepared for escape. When a deadly mudflow came down the slope , 21,000 people--90 percent of the town's people--died. The passage is intended for _ . Answer: the general public Children like to imagine they are someone else in a game. As a parent you might never guess how it can benefit your child. It helps your child: Develop Social Skills As children play pretend games,they explore relationships between family members,friends and coworkers and learn more about how people interact.Playing doctors,they imagine how physicians care for their patients.Imaginative play helps develop empathy with others.If children can imagine how it feels to be left out of a game or to lose a pet,they are better able to help those in need.They become more willing to play fair,to share,and to cooperate. Build Selfconfidence Young children have very little control over their lives.Imagining oneself as a builder of skyscrapers or a super hero defending the planet is inspiring to children.It helps them develop confidence in their abilities and their potential. Promote Intellectual Growth Using imagination is the beginning of abstract thought.Children who can see a king's castle in a mound of sand or a delicious dinner in a mud pie are learning to think symbolically.This skill is important in school where a child will have to learn that numbers symbolize groups of objects,letters symbolize sounds,and so on. Practice Language Skills Kids who pretend with their friends do a lot of talking.This helps increase their vocabulary,improve sentence structure and develop communication skills. Get Rid of Fears Pretending can help children get rid of their fears and worries.When children roleplay the big,bad monster under the bed,they gain a sense of control over him and he doesn't seem quite so big or so bad. Why can imagination build children's selfconfidence? Answer: It makes them feel as if they were much more powerful than they really are. "Just ate chicken feet for lunch. " These were the words I wrote on my blog yesterday. By the next day there were hundreds of comments from my friends. They ranged from "OH MY GOD! That is so disgusting! " to "What were they like?" to "Why can't you eat sandwiches like everyone else?" To Chinese people, chicken feet are a normal snack. To my friends in Britain, the thought of eating a chicken's foot is----well, weird . As weird, in fact, as eating a bullfrog, scorpion , snake, or turtle. But if there are two things I love more than anything else in life, they are: trying new things and food. I arrived in Beijing five months ago. Since then, I've searched for the "weirdest" foods so I can try them, then treat my friends to some "virtual eating" on my blog. One weekend, I went to Wangfujing, Beijing's "snack street". The trip gave me tons of blog material. "I chose a stick with three live, wriggling scorpions on it," I wrote. "And it was pretty good. The scorpion was warm and crispy. The legs did have a tendency to get stuck between one's teeth, however. What's more, I am sure scorpion number two stung me with its tail in revenge ." Next came snake: "A bit like a cross between fish and chicken, with a slightly rubbery texture and meaty taste." Some people were actually angry when I ate turtle soup----especially when I posted pictures showing the poor little guy's head staring sadly up at us from the bowl. "I am never speaking to you again," wrote one (former) friend. Still, I will continue my culinary quest. Next on my list is starfish, though I feel I should have some vegetables too----algae, maybe. So what am I eating, tonight, you may ask. Pizza. Well, a girl's gotta have a break sometimes. What is the writer's friends' attitude toward her trying "weird" foods? Answer: They are surprised and even angry. If you are not any kind of a longtime A-list New Yorker celebrity like Woody Allen,chances are that you have never experienced,and will never experience-a meal in a legendary Italian-American restaurant called Rao's. Rao's,the East Harlem restaurant with a history of more than l00 years,is simply the toughest restaurant to get a reservation in the US, if not the world.Michelin three-star restaurants like elBulli in Spain,often ranked the world's top restaurant,would sell out the second phone lines opened.But in the case of Rao's,the phone lines never open. There are about a dozen tables in the tiny restaurant, and each is spoken for, semi-permanently, as regulars have had their reservations for years, and when they can't use them,they often gift them to friends. The place is so small that the owners rarely have the flexibility to do favors even for people they know. Since it is always busy,there has never been a need for publicity.The last remarkable national review of the restaurant came from The New York Times more than 35 years ago.It was already tough to get a table at Rao's but reservations have been non-existent ever sincce the magic review. According to a critic who is "very, very lucky to have dined at Rao's a few times,"the experience rivals the tasty food.There are no menus at Rao's, and one of the owners will pull up a chair and run through the massive list of options, allowing people to have diner by mixing and matching nearly any ingredient with any classical Italian style of cooking. The place doesn't take credit cards, isn't open on weekends or for 1unch, and "at some point during your meal the one-room restaurant will almost unavoidably break out in song." It is truly one of a kind,"the critic wrote. Which of the following about Rao's is true? Answer: It's hard fo dine in Rao's partly because it has a limited number of tables.
Tony is reading an advertisement in a magazine. It is about different evening classes or weekend classes. The Learning Centre, Garden City We have evening and weekend courses on ... test preparation friends and meeting people jobs and making money cooking and language learning Some of this month's courses: 1. Get good grades! Do you forget information and do poorly on tests? In this course, learn to... * remember more (95 percent of what you read). * think quickly and read fast (400 words per minute!). * do well on tests and get high scores. 2. Find true love...today! Are you single and shy? Is it hard for you to talk to people? In this course, learn to... talk to people; start a conversation with a man or woman. be more friendly and outgoing. * understand a person's body language. 3. You are on TV! Many actors get their start in television. You can too! In this course, learn to... * act in TV ads. * use your voice on the radio. * get TV and radio jobs. 4. Cook delicious and healthy food! Are you interested in cooking? Do you want to keep healthy? In this course, learn to... * keep a balanced diet. * cook delicious traditional Chinese food. * make western-style food. This course is also online al www. dffh. net. cn. After taking course 3, you can learn how to _ . Answer: Fed up with constantly having to recharge or replace batteries in your ever-expanding electronic devices? The solution may be just a few steps away. "Energy harvesting" promises to power countless consumer devices, often with nothing more than your body's movement or heat. Dozens of companies around the world already offer such products, but many experts believe the market for the technology could explode due to electronic devices being developed for the Internet of Things. "It's huge," said Graham Martin, CEO of the EnOcean Alliance, a San Ramon-based group of businesses that promotes wireless energy-harvesting technologies. With the Internet of Things expected to combine billions of devices, "if they are all battery-powered, we'll have a problem because there's not enough lithium in the world," he added. "So a lot of them will have to use energy harvesting." Among the most basic forms of the technology is body power. When certain materials are squeezed or stretched, the movement of their atoms creates an electrical charge. Automatic watches have employed the concept for decades, for example, by winding themselves when their user moves their arm. Now, the concept is being considered for a number of other devices. In a contest seeking visionary ideas for wearable technologies, Intel awarded $5,000 for a concept to change the temperature difference between a person's body and a special piece of clothing they'd wear into electricity for mobile devices. Using sound to power devices is another energy-harvesting variation. Stanford University engineers are testing smart microchips that create electricity from ultrasound to power implantable devices that can analyze a person's nervous system or treat their diseases. A textile research association in Spain is proposing to obtain electricity from radio waves that flow around everyone to power sensors sewn into clothes, which can monitor a person's heartbeat or other vital signs. Research firm IDTechEx has estimated that annual global sales of energy-harvesting products could hit $2.6 billion by 2024, while WinterGreen Research predicts sales of $4.2 billion by 2019. Obtaining stable energy from devices can be complex, however. For one thing, the motion that generates the electricity has to be constant to be useful. Moreover, the amount of power the devices produce depends on the person using them, according to a Columbia University study. It determined that taller people on average provide about 20 percent more power than shorter ones when walking, running or cycling. It's also unclear how eagerly consumers might welcome energy-harvesting products. While such devices are expected to cost less than battery-powered alternatives when compared over many years, experts say, people may continue buying ones with batteries merely because those would be cheaper in the short term. Which of the following might be the best title for the passage? Answer: Now QQ coins are popular among Chinese teenagers. People use real money to buy Web money. Then they buy clothes for their online characters or services for their online pets with it. And these fancy things will cost QQ fans more in the future. The government will put a tax of 3% on online sales. For example, if QQ users pay 100 yuan for 110 QQ coins, they will have to spend 103 yuan in the future. The extra three yuan is tax. Beijing was the first city to carry out the policy. Online games have to pay the tax, too. A number of players make money by spending a lot of time on the games to gain powers , and then selling them. Experts said that online trade grow fast. There is more than 10 billion yuan of real money in online trade a year in China. However, the government's new move has become a hot topic among Internet users around the country. In a survey by sina.com more than 70% of about 3,000 surveyed were against it. They said that the tax is too much. But supporters said the government's better management of the Internet would help it become healthier. They believe the new move would help stop online identity theft . The Chinese government will put a tax of _ on online sales. Answer: He's an old cobbler with a shop in the Marais, a historic area in Paris. When I took him my shoes, he at first told me, "I haven't time. Take them to the other fellow on the main street. He'll fix them for you right away." But I had my eyes on his shop for a long time. Just looking at his bench loaded with tools and pieces of leather, I knew he was a skilled craftsman . "No." I replied, "The other fellow can't do it well." "The other fellow" was one of those shopkeepers who fix shoes and make keys -- without knowing much about mending shoes or making keys. They work carelessly, and when they have finished sewing back a sandal strap , you might as well just throw away the pair. My man saw I wouldn't give in, and he smiled. He wiped hands on his blue apron , looked at my shoes, had me write my name on one shoe with a piece of chalk and said, "Come back in a week." I was about to leave when he took a pair of soft leather boots off a shelf. "See what I can do?" he said with pride. "Only three of us in Paris can do this kind of work." When I got back out into the street, the world seemed brand-new to me. He was something out of an ancient legend, this old craftsman with his way of speaking familiarly, his very strange dusty felt hat, his funny accent and his pride in his craft. These are times when nothing is important but the bottom line, when you can do things any old way as long as it "pays", when, in short, people look on work as a path to ever-increasing consumption rather than a way to realize their abilities. In such a period it is a rare comfort to find a cobbler who gets his greatest satisfaction from pride in a job well done. Which of the following is true about the old cobbler? Answer: We walked in so quietly that the nurse at the desk didn't even lift her eyes from the book. Mum pointed at a big chair by the door and I knew she wanted me to sit down. Then, Mum took off her hat and coat and gave them to me to hold. She walked quietly to the small room by the lift and took out a wet mop . She pushed the mop past the desk and as the nurse looked up, Mum nodded and said, "Very dirty floors." "Yes, I'm glad they've finally decided to clean them," the nurse answered. She looked at Mum strangely and said, "But aren't you working late?" Mum just pushed harder, each swipe of the mop taking her farther and farther down the hall. I watched until she was out of sight and the nurse had turned back to writing in the big book. After a long time Mum came back. Her eyes were shining. She quickly put the mop back and took my hand. As we turned to go out of the door, Mum bowed politely to the nurse and said, "Thank you." Outside, Mum told me "Grandma is fine. No fever ." "You saw her, Mum?" "Of course. I told her about the hospital rules, and she will not expect us until tomorrow. Dad will stop worrying as well. It's a fine hospital. But such floors! A mop is not good. You need a brush." Which of the following words best describes Mum? _ . Answer:
The children's Theater was actually an old mill building with cement walls, twisting passages and big staircases. One afternoon, my eight-year-old sister Brittany and I were with the drama group rehearsing A Little Princess, a children's play. "Good luck!" I whispered as Brittany adjusted her boarding school costume. "Take your places for act one, please. Everyone, places for act one!" called the director. The lights went out and the rehearsal began. Halfway through the first act, Brittany finished her part and went backstage. She grabbed her script from the table and read along with the rehearsal that was still going on in front of the curtain. A small group of fellow actors joined her, and started practicing lines. Suddenly, something wet exploded on the back of Brittany's head! Turning around, she saw a tall girl with a beverage bottle in her hand. Sticky blue liquid slid down Brittany's face. The older girl laughed . Brittany glanced at her, expecting someone else to speak up and defend her. However, they all screamed with laughter and pointed mocking fingers at Brittany, who ran out of the make-up room in dismay. Ten minutes later, Brittany met me backstage. "A big girl just sprayed me with this stuff and laughed at me," she said, trying to wipe the liquid out of her curly hair. "All the other girls laughed, too." I didn't even know the girl's name, and she was bullying my sister ! When we got home, we looked at the cast list and found that the girl's name was Jessica. Our mom e-mailed the director, who said she would talk to Jessica and arrange time for an apology right before the next rehearsal. Nobody really expected a heartfelt apology from Jessica but Brittany was prepared to forgive her. Before the next rehearsal, the director met Brittany at the door and announced that we had a problem on our hands. "Jessica swears that she was never even near you yesterday," she said. But Brittany knew the truth. As she glanced across the room full of young actors, she glimpsed Jessica sitting in a metal folding chair. For a split second, their eyes met. Jessica quickly turned away to stare in the opposite direction. For weeks afterwards, no matter how hard Brittany tried to talk to her, Jessica refused to look her way. It was very difficult for Brittany to work with Jessica during every rehearsal , for three hours each week. But finally, we were ready to perform. There would be three performances over the course of the next weekend. Brittany and I were glad that the ordeal was almost over. After the first show, Brittany and I each got a beautiful bouquet from our church's pastor and his wife. Jessica didn't get a single flower. The second night, we received flowers from our grandparents. Again, Jessica received nothing. On the way home, Brittany spoke up. "Mommy", she said quietly from the back seat of the car, "I've been thinking, and I decided to buy some flowers for Jessica," Mom smiled in surprise and replied, "That would be very nice." Before the last performance, Brittany met Jessica on the way to the theater. She handed the older girl a big bunch of yellow roses, bought with her own savings. "Great job with the show last night, Jessica. These are for you." Jessica was astonished. "For me?" she said. "These flowers are for me? Are you sure?" "Yes I want you to have them!" Brittany skipped towards the dressing room, leaving Jessica staring at her with a confused look on her face and a bouquet of beautiful flowers in her arms. That night, Jessica finally received some flowers from her dad. She pulled out a spring of carnations and smiled shyly as she gave them to Brittany. Maybe Jessica will never apologize to Brittany. Maybe she won't ever even admit her mistake. But she is just beginning to realize what wonderful things a person's love does in people like Brittany. What did Jessica do to Brittany ? A. She laughed at Brittany's performance B. She played a trick on Brittany. C. She pointed fingers at Brittany angrily D. She forbade Brittany to use the make-up room . Answer: B. She played a trick on Brittany. If we are driving a car or crossing a street, we will stop when the traffic lights turn red. Why do we use red rather than other colors? As we know, scattering happens when light goes through the air. For the same media, if the wavelength is long, the scattering will be short. If the wavelength is short, then the scattering will be long. Of all light we can see red has the longest wavelength, so the scattering is the weakest. That means the red light travels far. In fact, it travels farther on rainy days. Using the red light can help drivers in farther areas see the lights. It helps drivers slow down or stop in time. If drivers don't see the red light until they are close, they may not be able to stop the car in time. An accident may happen. Red can also excite people. We can act more quickly when we see the color red. In a word, red light helps drivers stop in time and help prevent accidents. Red can make people act more quickly because _ . A. red can make people happier B. the scattering of red is very short C. the scattering of red is very long D. red can make people more excited Answer: D. red can make people more excited Some boys like wearing the same kinds of clothes as girls, and some of them have long hair. So sometimes it's hard to tell whether they are boys or girls. Today is Sunday. I have a walk with my grandmother in the park. My grandmother is 80 years old and she can't see well. After some time, my grandmother is tired , so she sits down on a chair. There is another person sitting on the chair, too. "Hello," my grandmother says to the person with long hair next to her. "Can you see the girl with long hair under the big tree?""The girl?" says the person, "No, he's my brother Mike." "Oh, sorry. I don't know you are his sister." Says my grandmother. "No, I'm not his sister, I'm his brother!" On Sunday, the writer _ . A. goes shopping B. goes swimming C. takes a walk D. play sports Answer: C. takes a walk Several days ago, while I got online, my cousin's QQ head popped out . We hadn't seen each other for a few months, so I decided to start a talk with her. My cousin is studying in a college of our city. Her hobby is surfing the Internet. Every time I am on the computer, she is always online, listening to music or decorating her "personal space". I like visiting her space. It's creative and modern. I can't design such a colorful web page as hers. When I read the sentences she sent to me, I noticed that the Chinese characters had been changed, but I could still guess their meanings. I took a strong interest in this type of new characters. Further watching made me realize that they added some common Chinese radicals to the original characters, making them more vivid , a little like Japanese. My cousin said this gives new life to the Chinese language and culture. It is true that the Internet has _ our language, but I still can't accept this new change. Some Chinese characters have meanings in the shapes; one shouldn't superficially change them by adding an additional radical. So I advised my cousin to change her new idea and use standard characters to communicate. And she willingly accepted my advice. We can learn from this passage that _ . A. the writer is a teacher in a college B. the writer can design a creative webpage C. the Chinese characters have been changed into Japanese D. the writer thinks people shouldn't change our languages. Answer: D. the writer thinks people shouldn't change our languages. Hong Kong Harbour Cruise By Night Enjoy your wonderful dinner on the ferry and see the fantastic city lights. Time: 7:00 pm~10:00 pm daily Price: With dinner Without dinner Adult: HK$300 HK$120 Child under 12: HK$ 210 HK$ 84 Start/ Stop: Kowloon Public Pier (Near Star Ferry Pier) Ticket Office:Star Company (123 Canton Road) If Mr. and Mrs. Brown want to have dinner on the ferry, how much will they pay? A. HK$300. B. HK$600 C. HK$420 D. HK$520 Answer: B. HK$600
An annoying problem for humans, who like to boast about all the distant planets and moons we have explored, is that we've never taken a good look right under our noses. The inside of the earth is relatively close, but how can we get there? The deepest oil well enters a mere six miles into the crust (the center of the earth is about 4,000 miles deeper). Russian scientists dug the deepest hole in Siberia, but bottomed out at about 7.5 miles below the surface. The Mohole project, a U.S. plan in the 1950s, called for drilling a hole 25 miles down to the boundary between the hard rocks of the crust and the soft mantle . Sadly the project involved government supporting. It gets harder and harder to drill deep into the earth because rocks get softer and softer. Hard but easily broken at the surface, rocks become plastic at depth, and the pressure caused by the weight of the overlaying crust --- about 52,800 pounds per square inch at a depth of ten miles, makes further drilling impossible. What little we know about the inside of the earth (like the fact that there's a crust, a mantle, and a core) comes from indirect evidence, such as the analysis of earthquakes. So maybe it's time for a thorough new method to explore the earth's inside. Scientist David Stevenson says we should forget about drilling holes. Instead, we should open a crack . Stevenson suggests digging a crack about a half mile long, a yard wide, and a half mile deep (not with a shovel) but with an explosion on the scale of a nuclear bomb. Next, he'd pour a few hundred thousand tons of molten iron into the crack, along with a robot. The iron, thicker than the surrounding crust, would move downward at about 16 feet per second, carrying the robot with it and opening the crack deeper and deeper. The iron mass would drop for about a week and 2,000 miles to the outer edge of the earth core, the robot sending out data to the surface. Stevenson compares his idea to space exploration. "We're going somewhere we haven't been before,"he says. "In all possibility, there will be surprises." This idea can probably be put in the drawer marked with Isn't Going To Happen. The robot would have to survive temperatures that would melt pretty much anything. But Stevenson's idea may inspire a new look at an old problem. Great things can come from what seems like impossible ideas. Which of the following is TRUE about David Stevenson's idea? Answer: It is an inspiring but not practical idea now. Which action most likely causes large rocks to become smaller pieces of rock? Answer: weathering by wind and water Mr. and Mrs. Brown were going abroad for their holiday. They had a lovely dog called Blackie, but they could not take it abroad with them, so they had to look for a good place to leave it while they were away, and at last they found a place which looked after dogs very well while their owners were away. They left Blackie there just before they started for their holiday. At the end of their holiday, they came back to Sydney very late at night, and as they thought that the place where Blackie was staying might be closed at that late hour, they decided to wait until the next morning. So the next morning Mr. Brown got into his car and drove off happily to meet Blackie. When he got home with the dog, he said to his wife, "Do you know, dear, I don't think Blackie enjoyed his stay at that place very much. He barked(,) all the way home in the car as if he wanted to tell me something." Mrs. Brown looked at the dog carefully and then answered, "You are quite right, dear. He was certainly trying to tell you something. But he wasn't trying to tell you that he hadn't enjoyed his stay at that place. He was only trying to tell you that you were bringing the wrong dog home." The best title for this passage is _ . Answer: Is the Dog Blackie At first sight the planet Mars does not appear very welcoming to any kind of life. It has very little oxygen and water, the temperature at night is below 50 degrees and winds of 100 miles (161 kilometers)per hour cause severe dust storms. However, the surface of the planet seems to show that water flowed across it at some time in the past, and it is believed that there would be enough ice at the poles to cover the planet with water if it melted. Although there is no life on the Mars now, some scientists think there may have been some form of life a long time ago. At that time, the planet had active volcanoes ; the atmosphere was thicker and warmer; and there was water. In fact, in some ways the Mars may have been similar to the Earth, where life exists. Some people believe that the Mars could support life in the future if the right conditions were produced. The first step would be to warm the planet using certain gases which trap the Sun's heat in the planet's atmosphere. With warmth, water and carbon dioxide , simple plants could begin to grow. These plants could slowly make the Mars fit to live on. It is judged that the whole process might take between 100, 000 and 200, 000 years. In the meantime, people could begin to live on the planet in a special closed environment. They would provide a lot of useful information about conditions on Mars and the problems connected with living there. The most suitable title for the passage is _ . Answer: The Possibility of Life on Mars There are new findings that not enough sleep may cause people to gain weight. Researchers say a lack of sleep can produce hormonal changes that increase feelings of hunger. In one study, researchers in the United States examined information on more than 1000 people. The people had taken part in a long-term study of sleep disorders. Some people slept less than five hours a night. They had 15 percent higher blood levels of a hormone called ghrelin than people who slept eight hours. And they had 15 percent less of the hormone leptin. Experts say ghrelin helps make people feel hungry; leptin makes you feel full. The scientists say these hormonal changes may be a cause of obesity in Western societies. They note the combination that sleep limitation is common and food is widely available. The results were not affected by how much people exercised. People who are awake longer have more time to burn energy. But the researchers say loss of sleep may increase hunger especially for high-calorie foods, so people gain weight. It seems that, for survival, the body may be designed to store more fat during times with less sleep. Researchers from Stanford University in California and the University of Wisconsin did the study. They found that the best amount of sleep for weight control is 7.7 hours a night.The Public Library of Science published the findings in its journal Medicine . Internet users can read the full study, free of charge, at plos. org. When you sleep 7.7 hours a night, you will _ . Answer: have your ghretin and leptin levels properly balanced
Look carefully at the back of a California state quarter.A man with a walking stick is pictured there.A bird called a California condor is flying overhead. Who is this man,and why is he so important that he is featured on the back of a coin? The man on this quarter is John Muir.Even as a child, Muir loved watching nature. As a young man,he spent much of his life exploring the beauty of the wilderness.He walked more than a thousand miles across the country,through fields and woods.John Muir liked writing about the places he visited,describing their beauty. Muir also wrote about problems.In order to create more farmland for sheep and cattle, rnany trees were being cut down.This made Muir unhappy and worried,because he knew that trees were important to forests and to the animals that lived in them.Muir believed that nature should be conserved instead of being changed by human beings.He wrote articles in magazines and newspapers to spread the word about conserving forests.Soon,others began to listen. Muir wrote letters to important people,such as President Theodore Roosevelt.The president admired Muir's love for nature.When Roosevelt came to visit Muir in California. Muir convinced the president to go camping with him for three nights under the trees so they could talk about conservation.Later,President Roosevelt set aside 148 million acres of land for national forests and established five national parks.National parks are large areas of land that are protected from development. This means that people cannot build homes or businesses there. One of these parks is Yosemite National Park,the area that is featured on the back of the California quarter. Though it has been almost one hundred years since John Muir died,people continue his work today.His work as a conservationist helped us to see the beauty of our natural world.John Muir made us understand the importance of protecting our earth and our resources---then,now,and for the future. Why is John Muir featured on the back of a California state quarter? Because he helped people understand the importance of protecting the natural world. If a bright thing in the sky that is something other than our Sun does something in just under a month, it is likely luna cycling Humanity uses a little less than half the water available worldwide. Yet occurrences of shortages and droughts are causing famine and distress in some areas, and industrial and agricultural by-products are polluting water supplies. Since the world's population is expected to double in the next 50 years, many experts think we are on the edge of a widespread water crisis. But that doesn't have to be the outcome. Water shortages do not have to trouble the world---if we start valuing water more than we did in the past. Just as we began to appreciate petroleum more after the 1970s oil crises, today we must start looking at water from a fresh economic perspective. We can no longer afford to consider water a virtually free resource of which we can use as much as we like in any way we want. Instead, for all uses except the domestic demand of the poor, governments should price water to reflect its actual value. This means charging a fee for the water itself as well as for the supply costs. Governments should also protect this resource by providing water in more economically and environmentally sound ways. For example, often the cheapest way to provide irrigation water in the dry tropics is through small-scale projects, such as gathering rainfall in depressions and pumping it to nearby cropland. No matter what steps governments take to provide water more efficiently, they must change their institutional and legal approaches to water use. Rather than spread control among hundreds or even thousands of local, regional, and national agencies that watch various aspects of water use, countries should set up central authorities to coordinate water policy. According to the author, the water price should _ . go with its real value UK Attention, Harry Potter fans: The sixth novel in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter stories, , will go on sale in the United States, Canada, Britain and Australia on July 16, 2005 Italy According to a recent study, there are now more dogs and cats in Italian homes than children. There are at least 14.5 million dogs cats in Italian homes compared with 8.7 million children under the age of 15.Italy has one of the lowest birth rates in Europe. A psychologist said that pets were loved by many young Italians who could not have or did not want to have children. In Italy, spending on pets has increased by 20 percent in the past five years. US The start of a new years is time when many Americans like to think about ways to make improvements for the future. But this year, instead of the usually New Year's resolution to lose weight, quit smoking or exercise more, the US Department of Homeland Security is urging Americans to create a family emergency plan for any terror attack. France & Iraq The two French journalists who had been held hostage in Iraq for 124 days were freed last week. Christian Chesnot, 37 and Georges Malbunot, 41, were kidnapped along with their Iraqi driver on Aug, 20 in Iraq. French Prime Minister, Jean-Pierre Raffarin, said that the French government had not paid ransom for their release. The content order of the passage is _ business, society, life, politics Based on new analysis, we are rapidly approaching major climate change and the effects on society and the environment could be quite severe. Geographers predict that within the next eighty years, current world climate zones could shift and some could completely disappear. Polar regions will get colder while tropical regions will get even hotter, forcing animals to migrate north. Climate changes like these could lead to the spread of diseases. Tropical storms and hurricanes will not only increase but may also become more intense. If the changes come too quickly, animal and plant species may not be able to adapt fast enough and could disappear. According to Science Daily, a new study predicts that by the year 2100, many of today's familiar climates will be replaced by climates unknown in today's world. It is urgent that we reduce the risks of these far-reaching consequences for the whole world. The planet itself has been showing signs of change. In 2004, a serious tsunami created by a major earthquake killed thousands in Sumatra and in 2008, thousands died in China because of another severe earthquake. Egypt was hit in 2009 with a major earthquake and Haiti was _ in 2010 by yet another massive earthquake. Within just the last few months, new reports from around the world have been coming in and most agree that our climate situation is much worse than previously thought. At this point, it doesn't matter what is causing it, but rather, what can be done about it. What's more, our world is getting more and more unstable every year. There is war and threat of war everywhere. Natural disasters are becoming more frequent and serious. However, other planets are experiencing global warming as well as our own and some scientists believe there may be some connection between this. No one knows anything for sure at this point because there is simply not enough data. What can be inferred from the Passage? The earth is not the only planet that is experiencing climate change.
The functions of a plant's roots are to support the plant and Answer: Canada is a very large country.It is bigger than China.China is the third largest country in the world.Canada is the second largest.It has an area of nearly 10 million sq. km. Canada has a very long coastline.To the west is the Pacific Ocean.To the east is the Atlantic Ocean.The Arctic Ocean is in the north.There are very many islands off the Pacific coast and off the Arctic coast.The biggest one in the west is Vancouver Island.In the east there is New Foundland,and in the Arctic Ocean the biggest islands are Baffin Island and Victoria Island.(Greenland is not part of Canada.It is a part of Denmark,a country in northern Europe.) Canada has a long border with the U.S.A.in the south.In the northwest Canada borders on the American"State of Alaska".Canada is a northern country.The Arctic Circle is (Latitude 16degN) passes through the northern part.In the south,half of the border with the U.S.A. follows line of latitude 49degN. There are many islands in Canada,and Vancouver Island is _ . Answer: While every dog owner knows their dogs can read their moods perfectly, scientists have always been a piffle doubtful.Now thanks to some researchers at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna, Austria; we finally have some convincing evidence. For their study, biologist Corson Miller and his team exposes eleven selected dogs to digital images of women that were either angry or happy.Half the dogs were rewired for touching the screen when shove a happy face, while the other half gilt their treat for selecting those that appeared angry. Interestingly, the dogs were not provided with the entire face.Some dogs were show Ti only upper halves while the others observed lower halves.That's because the scientists believe humans show their eruptions on their equities face. After some training ill.e how to recognize small differences like the wrinkles between the eyes or the changes in their shape that accompany the happy or angry expressions, the dogs were mostly able to identify the correct expression not only on a familiar face but on a strange face, the researchers concluded the dogs were smart-enough to read human emotions. They also found those being trained to read angry expressions took a longer time to learn.They guess it may be because dogs find angry faces disgusting, causing them to withdraw quickly.However, once the smart dogs realized they were getting rewired, the trepidation seem end to disappear.In fact, the dogs had such a good time playing the computer "game" That scientists had a hard time keeping them away from the touch screens after the study was completed. The researchers also noticed only dogs with a male owner had a harder time understanding the expressions correctly.Since the touches careen models were all females, this confirmed what has been observed in previous studies-dogs are more efficient at reading facial expressions of people that are the serene gender as their owner. How might the results change if the dogs with female owners are shown pictures of male faces? Answer: The average temperature around the world is rising. People living in the US Midwest might find this fact hard to believe, though. Two new studies show that in America's heartland, summers are now cooler and wetter than they were in years past. The scientists suggest that the change in the Midwest climate may have happened because of farming. The first study was led by David Changnon, a climatologist at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. A climatologist studies the climate of an area, which includes measuring rainfall, temperature and wind. Climatologists want to know how these factors have changed in the past, and how they'll change in the future. Changnon and his team studied temperature records from Chicago and 13 other sites in the Midwest. "These two changes--lower temperatures and more rainfall--may be connected by humidity," Changnon says. Humidity is the measure of how much moisture is in the air. Humid air, which contains a lot of moisture, takes longer to heat up than dry air. So where did the extra _ in the air come from? Changnon points to farms in the region. As plants grow, they pull moisture from the ground and release it into the air. And among plants, soybean and corn plants release a lot of moisture. Midwestern farms now plant more soybeans and corn than in the past, with 97 percent of farmland today planted with these two crops. He also notes that the plants are planted closer together now than they used to be, so there are more plants per acre than in the past. The second study was led by famous scientists from the US. The researchers studied a vast area of the United States that stretches from South DaKota to Oklahoma and the Texas panhandle. They found that in 1930, farmers in that region irrigated only about 1.8 million acres of farmland, an amount roughly half the size of Connecticut. In 1980, however, farmers irrigated nearly 15 million acres--more land than Vermont and New Hampshire combined. From this article, we know that _ . Answer: Students who say they never or hardly ever used dictionaries may speak English well but usually write poorly, because they make many mistakes. The students who use dictionaries most do not learn especially well either. The ones who look up every new word do not read fast. Therefore they do not have time to read much. Those who use small two-language dictionaries have the worst problems. Their dictionaries often give only one or two words as translations of English. But one English word often has many translations in a foreign language and one foreign word has many translations in English. The most successful students are those who use large college edition dictionaries with about 100,000 words but do not use them too often. When they are reading, these students first try to get the general idea and understand new words from the context. Then they reread and use the dictionary to look up only key words that they still do not understand. They use dictionaries more for writing. If they are not sure how to spell a word, they always use a dictionary. Also, if they think a noun might have an unusual plural form, they check this in a dictionary. This passage mainly tells us . Answer:
Every heard the old saying, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away"? It is true! Apples have a lot of nutritional value! A medium sized apple has only 80 calories . What a great snack choice! Not only is an apple low in calories, they contain absolutely no fat. Thus, eating apples as snacks, as opposed to chips or cakes, will help reduce the risk of cancer. On top of reducing the risk of cancer, the low sodium amounts in apples also help reduce high blood pressure and heart disease. They are cholesterol free. They are also rich in vitamin A, which helps strengthen vision along with bone and tooth development. Now that we know the nutritional facts, let's take a look at some of the fun facts--That's right! Apples can be fun, as well as healthy! If an apple is fresh, it will float on water. Twenty-five percent of an apple is air, thus allowing it to float. Can you imagine bobbing for apples that sink? And, did you know that an apple is covered with a natural layer of wax ? That's what the peeling is. It protects the apple's high water content, keeping the apple fresh. Apples are a very important part of a healthy diet, but keep in mind they can be fun. And always remember, if an apple sinks in water, pick another one to bob for! Why do apples stay fresh for a long time? Computers can injure you. Most other injuries happen suddenly. For example, if you fall off a bike and break your arms, it happens very quickly. But computer injuries slowly. You probably know how to ride a bike safely. Now learn to use a computer safely. Your eyes Too much light can injure your eyes, so never sit too close to a computer screen. Your eyes should be at least 50 centimeters from the screen. Remember to look away from it sometimes. This gives your eyes a rest. When you use a computer, the window should be on your left or your right. If it is behind you, the light will reflect on the screen. If the window is in front of you, the sun and the screen will both shine into your eyes. Your hands and wrists Hand and wrist injuries can happen because the hands and wrists are moved in the same way hundreds of times. If you use a keyboard for a long time, follow these three rules: 1) Rest your wrists on something. 2) Keep your elbows at the same height as the keyboard. 3) Stop something and exercise your hands, wrists and fingers in a different way. Your back Some people sit for many hours in front of a computer. If you sit in the wrong way, you can injure your back or your neck. So you should sit with your back straight. The top part of the screen should all be in front of your eyes. Your forearms, wrists, hands and the upper part of your legs should all be parallel to the floor. If you are sitting for a long time, get up every 30 minutes and exercise your arms, legs and necks. Enjoy your computer, but use it safely. Hand and wrist injuries are caused when you _ . On June 11th, 2013, China sent up her tenth spaceship Shenzhou X into space successfully. And three astronauts went together with it. They were Nie Haisheng, Zhang Xiaoguang and Wang Yaping. Here is some information about the three astronauts. Nie Haisheng was born in September, 1964. He is from Xiangyang, Hubei. After graduating from high school, he joined the PLA Air Force, and became a fighter pilot. In 1998, he was chosen for the astronaut program. He carried out Shenzhou VI with Fei Junlong in 2005. In 2013, he flew into space for his second time with Shenzhou X. He is the commander of this mission. Zhang Xiaoguang is from Jinzhou, Liaoning Province. He was born in May, 1966. Zhang joined the army in June 1985. In January 1998, Zhang was trained as one of China's first batch of astronauts. Before he was trained as an astronaut, Zhang was a senior pilot. It's reported that Zhang Xiaoguang is very humor and likes playing jokes very much. After Liu Yang, Wang Yaping is the second woman astronaut in China. She was born in 1980 in Yantai, Shangdong. Wang Yaping joined the PLA in 1997. In 2010, Wang became a member of the second batch of Chinese astronauts and was chosen to the crew of the Shenzhou X space mission in April, 2013. Wang is China's first astronaut to give lectures to middle and elementary school students while in space. How long has Wang Yaping been an astronaut by 2013? It was the last day of the final exam in a college. On the steps of building, a group of engineering students were waiting for the last exam. On their faces was confidence . They knew the exam would be easy. The professor (a teacher at a college) had said they could bring any books or notes during the test. Right after they came into the classroom. The professor handed out the papers. There were only five questions on it. Three hours passed. Then the professor began to collect the papers. The students no longer looked confident. On their faces was nervous expression . The professor watched the worried faces before him, and then asked, "How many of you have finished all five questions?" No hand was raised. "How many of you have answered four?" Still no hands. "Three? Two?" The students moved restlessly in their seats. "One, then? Certainly somebody has finished one." But the class kept silent. The professor said, "That is exactly what I expected. I just want to make you know clearly that even though you have completed four years of engineering. There are still many things about the subject you don't know. These questions you could not answer are common in everyday practice." Then, smiling, he added, "You will all pass this course, your education has just begun." The years have _ the name of this professor, but not the lesson he taught. . What's the best title for the article? The Ring of Fire covers 4,000 km around the edge of the Pacific Ocean.It includes the countries of Japan,Indonesia and the Philippines.More earthquakes and volcanoes occur in this area than anywhere else in the world.The name Ring of Fire refers to areas below the earth's surface.These areas move suddenly and often cause earthquakes and create volcanoes. Many areas of Asia,such as the Philippines,Japan,and Indonesia, sometime experience earthquakes and volcanoes.There are occasionally landslides ,mudslides,and tidal waves as a result.Fortunately, these natural disasters do not happen very often. Southern China is about 600 km away from the Ring of Fire.Sometimes, people in this region feel earthquakes too.The worst earthquake felt in southern China was in 1918 in Shantou.It measured 7.3 on the Richter scale.Any earthquake of 6 or more on the Richter scale is very dangerous to people. People in Hong Kong sometimes experience the effects of earthquakes and volcanoes.In September 1994,for example,the strongest earthquake to hit Hong Kong for 76 years shook buildings and scared thousands of residents.Frightened workers and families ran out of their offices and homes.The earthquake measured 6.5 on the Richter seal. It is difficult to predict when an earthquake will occur In countries within the Ring of Fire, buildings must be very strong because the effects of earthquakes on buildings are terrible. In June 1991, Mt Pinatubo in the Philippines erupted.Many people were killed and the area surrounding the volcano was badly damaged.Hot ash and liquid rock from the volcano forced people to leave the area.They only returned many months later.The ash spread over a large area.Even people in the Guangdong region of southern China saw ash in the air. Many Asian countries_.
Question: Most laws in the United States and Canada are similar to laws in other countries. For example, it is against the law everywhere to murder a person, and it is illegal to steal money. Everyone knows these laws, but foreign students or tourists in a new country may not know some of the local laws. For instance, a legal action in Peru may be against the law in Korea, and an illegal activity in an Asian city may be perfectly legal in a European city. On the other hand, laws may be the same in various countries but vary in different cities or states of the same nation. In many cities in the United States, for instance, it is not legal to " _ " This law may seem strange to visitors. Sometimes they cross a street, and a police officer gives them a ticket. Then they need to pay a fine of $10 to $25. They soon learn to cross a street only in a crosswalk or at a corner. It's against the law to cross in the middle of the street. Most people know that states in the United States have different laws about the legal drinking age; this age varies, but in most states no one under twenty-one can buy alcohol, even beer or wine. Also, in most U.S. cities, it is illegal to drink alcohol in public. Of course, liquor is legal in restaurants and bars, but it's against the law to drink a can of beer, for instance, on a public street. Some people put the can in a paper bag and drink; nobody can see the beer, but it still isn't legal. In addition, it is illegal to have an open liquor bottle inside a car. Which of the following is legal in the United States? A. Selling a can of beer to teenagers. B. Having a bottle of wine in a Chinese restaurant. C. Having an open bottle of beer inside a car. D. Drinking a can of beer in a street without being seen. Answer: B. Having a bottle of wine in a Chinese restaurant. Question: One day, a farmer was walking along a road with his son Thomas. The father said, "Look! There's a horseshoe, pick it up and put it in your bag." Thomas said, "It isn't worth the trouble." His father said nothing but he picked it up himself. When they got to a nearby town, they had a rest. There the farmer sold the horseshoe and with the few pennies he bought some cherries . The father and the son continued their way. The sun was well up in the sky, and there wasn't a house or even a tree where they could have a rest. Thomas felt too thirsty to walk on. At this time, his father dropped a cherry on the ground and Thomas picked it up quickly and ate it. After a while, his father dropped another cherry and once again, his son lost no time in picking it up and putting it in his mouth. And so they went on. The old farmer dropped the cherries and the son picked them up. When Thomas had eaten up all the cherries, his father said to him, "My dear son, if you had bent down early to pick up that horseshoe, it would not have been necessary for you to bend so many times for the cherries. Always remember the lesson that he who does not worry about the little things will find that he cannot do the great things." The farmer bought _ with the money after he sold the horseshoe. A. some bread B. some water C. some cherries D. some pennies Answer: C. some cherries Question: Sarah Outland's weeklong "staycation" gave her a chance to explore her new surroundings after moving to Chicago. A day after moving to the Windy City last year, Outland started a new job and never got a chance to explore her new surroundings. After nine months as a resident, she finally took a week off work to visit famous landmarks, museums and shopping centers that were right under her nose. If you glance through a newspaper or listen to a news broadcast recently, you may hear or spot a strange word, "staycation". Staycation is a new word the American press is employing to describe a vacation very close to your home, or simply staying at home during your vacation. It is a combination of words "stay"and "vacation". According to many news reports, these staycations are achieving great popularity among American families this year. When asked about the reason for their expected staycation, respondents stated "gas prices are too high" (61 percent), "travel in general is too expensive (44 percent). The high price of gas for cars and airplanes has made it very expensive for Americans to travel compared to past years. When you combine this with the weak American dollar, it all adds up to people deciding to stay close to home during their traditional summer vacations. For aggressive young Americans who are trying to balance family and work, a staycation can be a great concept. They want to enjoy their homes and the attractions in their area without the stress of packing or making reservation. They won't be paying high fuel prices either directly, at the pump, or indirectly, in airfare, other than the gas required to drive around town. Absolutely, it's friendlier on the environment when locals take trips to attractions in their own area, and not everyone is game for a vacation that involves staying on a hotel compound. Few people live close enough to a real destination to make this worth their while. Staycations are popular with American people mainly due to _ . A. high traveling expenses B. stress of packing C. relatively low income D. lack of real destinations. Answer: A. high traveling expenses Question: Baseball is one of the favorite sports in the U.S.A. Children play baseball in sports field or in parks. At summer picnics, there is often an informal baseball game. Boys and girls, the young and the old, take turns to beat. Each team has 9 players. The baseball season goes from April to September. During this time, baseball matches are on TV and members of the important baseball teams become America's heroes. At the end of season, the two top teams play against each other. Many baseball fans go along to watch the game. Millions of others listen to the radio and watch television. People seem to talk only about the result and the players. American football is perhaps the most popular sport in the U.S.A. The football season begins when the baseball season ends. More people are interested in football than baseball when there is an important game. Thousands of people sit beside the radio or in front of the television set to hear or watch the result. There will be _ players in a baseball game match. A. 9 B. 18 C. 10 D. 16 Answer: B. 18 Question: 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. When Konrad Fischer picked up the bottle from the sea, _ . A. he thought it would bring him good luck B. he noticed the postcard inside immediately C. he decided to uncover the secret of the bottle D. he wanted to throw it back into the sea at first Answer: D. he wanted to throw it back into the sea at first
Question: Different colours can affect us in many different ways, according to Verity Allen. In her new series ' Colour me Healthy', Verity looks at the ways that colours can influence how hard we work and the choices we make. They can even change our emotions and influence how healthy we are. "Have you ever noticed how people always use the same colours for the same things ?" says Verity. " Our toothpaste is always white or blue or maybe red. It's never green. For some reason we consider green products as being a bit unacceptable. It's the same for businesses. We respect a company writing its name in blue or black, but we don't respect one that uses pink or orange. People designing new products can use these ideas to influence what we buy." During the four-part series, Verity studies eight different colours, two colours in each programme. She meets people who work in all aspects of the colour industry, from people designing food packets , to people naming the colours of lipsticks . Some of the people she meets clearly have very little scientific knowledge to support their ideas, such as the American " Colour Doctor" who believes that serious diseases can be treated by the use of coloured lights. However, she also interviews real scientists who are studying the effects of green and red lights on mice, with some surprising results. In a word, it's an interesting show, and anyone who watches it will probably find out something new. But because Verity goes out of her way to be polite to everyone she meets on the series, it's up to the viewers to make their own decisions about how much they should believe. According to Verity, a knowledge of colour can help you to _ . A. choose the best products B. change people's lifestyle C. get new ideas D. sell products Answer: D Question: Some flowers are unable to get enough sunlight because trees hover over them and do what to it A. sing to it B. nothing C. sell it D. intercept it Answer: D Question: The World Health Organization warns that millions of people are dying every year from indoor air pollution. The WHO finds that poor cooking, heating and lighting technologies are killing millions of people each year. Indoor air pollution results from the use of dangerous fuels and cook-stoves in the home. To help fight the problem, the WHO announced, new guidelines aimed at reducing household pollutants. WHO officials say nearly three billion people are unable to use clean fuels and technologies for cooking? heating and lighting. And they say more than seven million people die from exposure to indoor or outdoor air pollution each year. Of that number, the WHO says about 4. 3 million people die from household air pollution given off by simple coal cook-stoves. Most of the deaths are in developing countries. Carlos Dora is Coordinator in the WHO's Department of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health. He says people should not use unprocessed coal and kerosene fuel indoors. He says opening a window or door to let out the harmful air will not improve the situation. It will only pollute the outdoors. WHO officials say indoor pollution leads to early deaths from stroke, heart and lung disease, childhood pneumonia and lung cancer. Women and girls are the main victims. The United Nations found that more than 95 percent of households in sub-Saharan Africa depend on solid fuels for cooking. It says huge populations in India, China and Latin American countries, such as Guatemala and Peru, are also at risk. Nigel Bruce is a professor of Public Health at the University of Liverpool. He says researchers are developing good cook-stoves and other equipment to burn fuels in a more efficient way. WHO experts note some new, safe and low-cost technologies that could help are already available. In India, you can buy an induction stove for about $ 8.00. And in Africa a you can buy a solar lamp for less than $ 1. 00. What has been done to reduce indoor air pollution? A. The WHO provided selfless assistance for the poor. B. People are forbidden to use coal-stoves inside. C. The WHO issues official advice to cut down pollution, D. People are taught how to correctly use their stoves. Answer: C Question: Ben Olsen had great careers as professional players. His story tells a lot about the past, present and future of professional soccer in America. Ben Olsen was an important part of D.C. United's early success. He was the top new player, or rookie of the year, in 1998. His young professional career reached a high point the next season. D.C. United won the M.L.S. Cup, the league championship , on the strength of a Most Valuable Player performance by Olsen. He scored one of two goals for his team in the win against the Los Angeles Galaxy. Ben Olsen looks back on his score in that championship as his most memorable. "I'd lost a lot of championships before that year, so that was a special game." said Ben Olsen. Like many top American soccer players, Olsen played overseas. He joined the club Nottingham Forest in Britain. He says different leagues have different styles of play. "Some teams are very fast and athletic. Some teams are a little bit more low pressure on the ball and more skillful players. England has always been known to be a fast and physical league." Olsen was also a part of the United States World Cup team of 2006. He says playing for his country was something he will never forget. Ben Olsen has had five operations for severe ankle injuries. Still, he had one of his best years in 2007. He scored seven goals including a "hat trick"-- three in one game. Ben Olsen celebrates his third goal in one game against the New York Red Bull in June of 2007 He was recognized for his outstanding play with an M.L.S. Best Eleven award. He accepted the award in a wheelchair after a minor operation became major ankle surgery . Ben Olsen retired after the 2009 season. Today he is an assistant coach with D.C. United. When did Ben Olsen begin to win championship? A. In 1998 B. In 2007 C. In 1999 D. In 2006 Answer: C Question: Dr Wiseman started "the laugh lab" project in September 2001. It is the largest study of humour. Participants are invited to log on to the laugh lab website, give a few personal details, tell their favourite jokes and judge the jokes told by other people. The project will last for a year, and the organizers hope to finally discover the world's funniest joke. But there is also a serious purpose. The researches want to know what people from different nations and cultures find funny. And they want to find out the differences between the male and female sense of humour. The idea is that if we want to understand each other, we have to find out what makes us laugh. This is a subject that has long attracted psychologists and philosophers. Most of the time, people are not completely honest. We do things that society expects us to and say things that help us get what we want. But laughing cannot be controlled. When we laugh, we tell the truth about ourselves. By December 2001 over 10, 000 jokes had been submitted. This gave the scientists enough evidence to make early conclusions. It seems that men and women do have different senses of humour, for instance. "Our findings show the major differences in the ways in which males and females use humour, " said Dr. Wiseman. "Males use humour to appear superior to others, while women are more skilled in languages and prefer word play. " Researchers also found that there really is such a thing as a national sense of humour. The British enjoy what is usually called "toilet humour". But the French like their jokes short and sharp: "You're a high priced lawyer. Will you answer two questions for $500?" "Yes. What's the second question?" The Germans are famous for not having a sense of humour. But the survey found that German participants were more likely to find submitted jokes funny than any other nationality. Perhaps that proves the point. Is this joke funny? I don't know, but let's say yes, just to be safe. Dr Wiseman and his workmates also submitted jokes created by computer. But none of those who took part in the survey found any of them amusing. Perhaps this is relief. Computers already seem like they can do everything. At least they should leave the funny stuff to us. We can infer from the passage that _ . A. most of the people all over the world are completely honest B. psychologists and philosophers take interest in the "laugh lab" project C. ordinary people are not interested in "the laugh lab" project at all D. people tell the truth about themselves only when they laugh Answer: B
The difference between skills and talents is that talents are innate and skills are A. extrinsic B. Earth C. armadillos D. planets Answer: A When I was in college, a man named Henry worked as a custodian in our student union building. White-haired, with a Pennsylvania Dutch accent, Henry could usually be seen in a baseball cap, a T-shirt and a pair of jeans. He was the custodian, and he was the most respected and most well-known person in the building. Everyone loved Henry, and it was because of all the implicit ways he expressed his love for everyone around him. Henry didn't have to say, "I love you." He lived his love. Henry was always excited when he met someone new, and he wanted to know everything about them. He felt it was important to do things for people he valued. And Henry seemed to value everyone he met. He brought in articles or cartoons for certain people, went out of his way to introduce people to each other, kept dozens of names and birthdays in his wallet so he could send cards, and helped students keep in touch with graduates who had written to him. He even assisted students who didn't have enough money to buy their books. Henry taught me --- and many others he supported --- how to live life to the fullest. Not by skydiving or exploring some foreign countries, but by appreciating where you are in life and valuing those around you. The funny thing is that despite all he did and taught us, Henry truly believed that he was the lucky one --- that he was the one who was gaining so much by getting to know us. But all of us who remember Henry know that we were the ones who were truly blessed. We will never forget the man who taught us that best way to say "I love you" often has little to do with the words. According to the passage, working as a custodian in a college, Henry _ . A. made international travels to live a full life B. was a role model of how to be a caring person C. was busy organizing former students' reunions D. gathered plenty information about the needy students Answer: B At the heart of the debate over illegal immigration lies one key question: are immigrants good or bad for the economy? The American public overwhelmingly thinks they're bad. Yet the agreement among most economists is that immigration, both legal and illegal, provides a small net boost to the economy. Immigrants provide cheap labor, lower the prices of everything from farm produce to new homes, and leave consumers with a little more money in their pockets. So why is there such a discrepancy between the perception of immigrants' impact on the economy and the reality? There are a number of familiar theories. Some argue that people are anxious and feel threatened by an inflow of new workers. Others highlight the stress that undocumented immigrants place on public services, like schools, hospitals, and jails. Still others emphasize the role of race, arguing that foreigners add to the nation's fears and insecurities. There's some truth to all these explanations, but they aren't quite sufficient. To get a better understanding of what's going on, consider the way immigration's impact is felt. Though its overall effect may be positive, its costs and benefits are distributed unevenly. David Card, an economist at UC Berkeley, notes that the ones who profit most directly from immigrants' low-cost labor are businesses and employers --meatpacking plants in Nebraska, for instance, these producers' savings probably translate into lower prices at the grocery store, but how many consumers make that mental connection at the checkout counter? As for the drawbacks of illegal immigration, these, too, are concentrated. Native low-skilled workers suffer most from the competition of foreign labor. According to a study by George Borjas, a Harvard economist, immigration has reduced the wages of American high-school dropouts by 9%. Among high-skilled, better-educated employees, however, opposition was strongest in states with both high numbers of immigrants and relatively generous social services. What worried them most, in other words, was the financial burden of immigration. That conclusion was reinforced by another finding: that their opposition appeared to soften when that financial burden decreased, as occurred with welfare reform in the 1990s, which curbed immigrants' access to certain benefits. The irony is that for all the overexcited debate, the net effect of immigration is minimal. Even for those most acutely affected -- say, low-skilled workers, or California residents -- the impact isn't all that dramatic. "The unpleasant voices have tended to dominate our perceptions," says Daniel Tichenor, a professor at the University of Oregon. "But when all those factors are put together and the economists calculate the numbers, it ends up being a net positive, but a small one." Too bad most people don't realize it. What is the irony about the debate over immigration? A. Even economists can't reach an agreement about its impact. B. Those who are opposed to it turn out to benefit most from it. C. People are making too big a fuss about something of small impact. D. There is no essential difference between seemingly opposite opinions. Answer: C Beautifully cut grass, elegant white clothes, cheering fans and exciting matches make Wimbledon, in London, the home of tennis. Last Monday, the famous British tournament opened at the All England Lawn Tennis Club. It is the third Grand Slam tournament of the tennis season. Wimbledon comes after the Australian Open and the French Open, and is followed by the US Open. As the oldest tennis tournament in the world, Wimbledon is famous for its special rules and traditions. The players' clothing, including their shoes, must be entirely white. In 2002, the Russian player Anna Kournikova was forced to change from her black shorts into another pair on court. Between 1988 and 1990, US legend Andre Agassi refused to play because of the all-white rule. The UK's unpredictable summer weather is part of the tournament. If it begins to rain, players and fans have to wait patiently for it to stop. Then, they cheer when the covers come off the grass courts. Many British fans do not think the courts should have a roof, because they want to keep tradition. Wimbledon is not just famous for great tennis matches. Fans like to eat strawberries and cream while watching. Every year 27,000 kilos of strawberries and 7,000 liters of cream are eaten. Many British people are very proud of the tournament, but disappointment is another Wimbledon tradition for loyal fans of British players. Wimbledon has not been won by a British woman since 1977, and not by a British man since 1938. Which of the following is TRUE about Andre Agassi? A. He never attended the Wimbledon Tournament. B. He was forced to change clothes on court. C. He doesn't like the all-white rule. D. He is a famous Russian player. Answer: C The biggest hamburger restaurant chain in the world is McDonald's. It started in 1955 with just one restaurant, but now has more than 20000 worldwide. There are more than 12000 McDonald's restaurants only in the US. You can find them in 100 countries on six continents. There isn't a McDonald's in Antarctica, but I don't suppose they eat hamburgers at the South Pole. When you eat at a McDonald's restaurant you are joining the 35 million people who eat and drink at McDonald's every day, and there are more than one million people who work there. McDonald's has sold 100 billion hamburgers since it opened, and it sells more than 6.8 million pounds of French Fries every day. How do you like your hamburger restaurant? There are old McDonald's ---- part of one restaurant in England is 600 years old. There are elegant McDonald's ---- there is one on the Champs Elysees in Paris. There are cool McDonald's ---- there is one in Hollywood. There are McDonald's restaurants on ships and trains, in hospitals and zoos, in airports and in colleges. Clearly many people like the speed, hygiene and cheapness of fast food restaurants. However, not everyone likes fast food. Some people question the nutritional value of the food; some people think the fast food causes too much waste and pollution. So the fast food business gives us _ , as well as convenient, affordable meals. How many people does each McDonald's employees serve on average every day? _ A. About 35 billion B. About 100 billion C. About 35 million D. About 600 million Answer: C
Your name made you do it, though unconsciously, suggests new research that finds your name can negatively make you achieve less. Psychologists at Yale and the University of California, San Diego studying the unconscious influence of names say a preference for our own names and initials -- the "name-letter effect" -- can have some negative consequences. Students whose names begin with C or D get lower grades than those whose names begin with A or B; major league baseball players whose first or last names began with K (the strikeout-signifying letter) are significantly more likely tostrike out. Assistant professors Leif Nelson of UCSD and Joseph Simmons of Yale have conducted five studies over five years using information from thousands of individuals. "The conscious process is baseball players want to get a hit and students want to get A's," Nelson says. "So if you get a change in performance consistent with the name-letter effect, it clearly shows there must be some unconscious desire operating in the other direction." The researchers' work supports a series of studies published since 2002 that have found the "name-letter effect" causes people to make life choices based on names that resemble their own. Those studies by Brett Pelham, an associate professor at SUNY University, have found that people aredisproportionately likely to live in states or cities resembling their names, have careers that resemble their names and even marry those whose surnames begin with the same letter as their own. The _ , Pelham says, is that he has believed the name-letter effect would apply only to positive outcomes. Nelson and Simmons, he says, are "showing it applies more so to negative things than positive things." The researchers say the effect is definitely more than coincidence but is small nevertheless. "I know plenty of Chrises and Davids who have done very well in school," Simmons says. Who may serve as an example to show the "name-letter effect"? Answer: A newly-wed couple on a four-month honeymoon were hit by six natural disasters, including the Australian floods, Christchurch earthquake and Japanese tsunami. Stefan and Erika Svanstrom left Stockholm, Sweden, on December 6 and were immediately stranded in Munich, Germany, due to one of Europe's worst snowstorms. Travelling with their baby daughter, they flew on to Cairns in Australia which was then struck by one of the most tremendous tonadoes in the nation's history. From there, the couple, in their 20s, were forced to shelter for 24 hours on the cement floor of a shopping centre with 2,500 others. "Trees were being knocked over and big branches were scattered across the streets," Mr Svanstrom told Sweden's Express newspaper. _ They then headed south to Brisbane but the city was experiencing massive flooding, so they crossed the country to Perth where they narrowly escaped raging bush fires. The couple then flew to Christchurch, New Zealand, arriving just after a massive magnitude 6.3 earthquake destroyed the city on February 22. Mrs. Svanstrom said, "When we got there the whole town was a war zone." "We could not visit the city since it was completely blocked off, so instead we travelled around before going to Japan." But days after the Svanstroms arrived, Tokyo was rocked by Japan's largest earthquake since records began. "The trembling was horrible and we saw roof tiles fly off the buildings," Mr. Svantrom said. "It was like the buildings were swaying back and forth." The family returned to Stockholm on March 29,2011 after a much calmer visit to their last destination China. But Mr. Svanstrom, who also survived the destructive Boxing Day tsunami that hit southeast Asia in 2004, said the marriage was still going strong. He added, "I know marriages have to endure some trials, but I think we have been through most of them." "We've certainly experienced more than our fair share of catastrophes, but the most important thing is that we're together and happy." Mrs. Svantrom added: " To say we were unlucky with the weather doesn't really cover it! It's so absurd that now we can only laugh." By saying "We escaped by the skin of our teeth.", Mr. Svanstrom meant that _ Answer: Where do you keep ice? In die freezer, of course. That's what scientists might have thought when they were looking for a safe place to store ice from mountain glaciers from around the world. They've decided to store ice in Antarctica because global warming is causing some of the glaciers in places like the Alps to melt. Jerome Chappellaz of the French National Centre for Scientific Research is involved in creating an ice vault there. He says: "We are probably the only scientific community whose sample is in danger of disappearing from the face of the planet. If you work on rocks or on tree rings, the raw material is still here and will be for many centuries." And why do scientists need to study ice from the Alps, for example? Ice formed on the top of a mountain is made of snow accumulated over thousands of years. Trapped air bubbles contain samples of the atmosphere that existed when that ice was formed. Ice is a record of climate By examining ice. we know carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is higher now than in the last three million years. Researchers use this kind of data to build computer models and try to predict what might happen in the future. The ice vault will be housed in a snow cave at the Concordia Research Station, which is operated by scientists from France and Italy. The ice samples will be sealed in bags and placed 10 meters below the surface. at a constant temperature of -50*C. This will put the scientists' minds at rest. Losing the ice samples would be a disaster, and nobody wants to see a mine of scientific knowledge lost forever in a giant pool. What makes Antarctica a safe place to store ice? Answer: No matter in China or in Canada among my friends, they all talk about the hot TV program "Where are we going, Dad?" at present. They all like the family education between fathers and children. They like to talk about the funny kids best. Of all the kids, I like Shitou best. Shitou is a boy from Beijing. He is brave and clever. He likes to make some New Year's plans with his father's help. He makes some New Year's plans for himself. He wants to start an exercise program, so he is going to take more exercise and eat less fast food. Making a soccer team is one of his dreams because he likes playing soccer with his friends. He also plans to improve his English. He is going to chat in English online with Kimi, the son of Lin Zhiying . Kimi is really good at _ Shitou also decides to take up a hobby. Can you guess what the hobby is ? It is to learn the shadow play ! He is so interested in it that he thinks it's really cool to play it. His father says that this plan may be too difficult to keep. However, Shitou promises to make it come true. Shitou is a brave and clever boy who likes _ Answer: After finishing my teaching for a school year, I thought that I should go back to Montreal, Quebec, my hometown for a visit. My main goal was to relax in preparation for the challenges of my retirement in the coming year. Through my stay in Montreal, I met lots of Chinese who are struggling to succeed and then lead a better life in Canada. Some travelled thousands of miles to get knowledge. When I spoke with some of them about the major barrier they had to face after they arrived in Canada, they all talked about the two official languages of Canada. But I was impressed by their ability to express their ideas while switching between English and French. Almost all of those people said they often felt homesick. They miss their families and friends. Though Montreal has lots of Chinese restaurants, they long for a home-cooked meal. I met some tourists who were trying to realize their childhood dreams of experiencing the life in a developed country. When I asked them if Montreal had lived up to their expectations, they hesitated. They said that reality never agrees with fantasies. However, they were glad to have the opportunity to visit Montreal and didn't regret taking the trip. Not all the Chinese people I met were happy. I once met a young lady who met with a gentleman through the Internet. However, to her disappointment, he disappeared after he promised to marry her in Montreal. I was served by another Chinese person who could not handle the challenges of studying in an English environment and ended up working in a restaurant with minimum pay. Exploring different parts of the world, without any doubt, is an enriching experience. However, one should be realistic when it comes to leaving his hometown to set up a new life in a foreign country. One should take the time to examine the advantages and the shortcomings of the venture before they decide to chase an uncertain dream of achieving success or leading a better life. What is the best title for the passage? Answer:
People are different. So are friends. Some friends are patient and helpful while some friends are cheerful and caring. The following are some kinds of friends. You can read it and find out what kinds of friends you have. This will help you to improve your relationships with them and help you to find new friends. Animal Friends Many people keep animals as pets at home. It is right to say that animals are wonderful creatures . They can be with you whenever you need them. Some people say they will feel lonely without their pets. Dogs are considered as people's best friends. Internet Friends The Internet has become a very important part of our lives. It is not only helpful for people to work, but also a good way to make friends. Internet friendship has become more and more popular recently. More and more people begin to make online friends. Online friends are those who know each other through the Internet. They can talk about everything with each other online. Making Internet friends is similar to making pen pals. Pen Friends Pen friends, also known as pen pals, are quite popular with people who like writing. Pen friendship is mainly developed by writing to each other. It was a popular way of making friends in different parts of the world before the Internet came into being. Mostly, pen friends aim to share different cultures with each other. According to the passage, the Internet is a good way for people to _ . make friends What is it termed when a squirrel is inanimate death San Francisco's Chinatown is the biggest and oldest in the country. It's the third most visited tourist destination in the city. It's also the city's most densely populated neighbor- hood. So why are. businesses in Chinatown struggling? In this week's paper, I outline some of the reasons for why Chinatown's crowded streets and busy shops might be declining. Underneath the surface, Chinatown is falling. And the city, local organizations and businesses are trying to figure out what they can do to turn things around. While numbers of people visit Chinatown, they don't stay long and they don't spend a lot of money. And beyond annual festivals,1ike Chinese New Years, this month's Moon Festival and last month's Sunday Streets - which drew about 15,000 t0 20.000 people - the neighborhood has a hard time attracting locals. Can you remember the last. time you went to Chinatown ?If you can't, You're not alone. Locals told me that Chinatown doesn't have much to offer them - that the stores are all the same. There are some good eating joints, people said, but they don't know how to find them. Some people even told me that they sometimes go to extreme measures to avoid the neighborhood altogether. But when asked if the-v would like to see Chinatown gone, the answer was always a strong no. Locals are hopeful that things will get better and traffic will increase when the Central Subway is complete. But chat's not for another five years. at least. And if' new shops or restaurants don't make their way into Chinatown. the same problem of attracting locals will exist. Not that Chinatown's going to die. The dragon still has some fire in its belly. And many people are rooting for positive change. The question is, how does Chinatown change without losing the very importance of what makes it unique? What is the author's attitude towards Chinatown? Hopeful. V _ , an artist of tremendous energy and prodigious output. He killed himself when he was only 37, but he left behind him more than 2,000 paintings and drawings, which established his reputation in a way he would never have considered possible. Van Gogh was born on March 30, 1853 at Groot Zundert Province of Noord Nrabant in Dutch. He was the son of a clergyman. His first artist impressions were formed as a boy, from his uncle who was an art dealer. The motivation bore early fruit and from the age of 12 the young Vincent was drawing. The interest led to an apprenticeship in an art dealer's firm, Groupil's, in the Hague. When he was only 20, he was transferred to the firm's London office. In London Van Gogh faced his first major crisis, when he was rejected in love. After that, he turned to religion, expressed disapproval with art-dealing and neglected his work. Groupil transferred him from London to Paris but, when his work was still unsatisfactory, dismissed him in 1876. The young Van Gogh made religion a consuming interest and during the next few years travelled in Britain, Belgium and Holland, trying to establish himself as a preacher, but without success. In 1880, at the age of 27, he found himself drawn back to art. He had a job as an assistant evangelist in the mining village of Borinage in Belgium but realized an artist drive which was to motivate him unceasingly until his death 10 years later. Late in 1881, he moved to the Hague and established a relationship with a woman, Christine Hoornik, with whom he lived for a time. He broke with her in 1883, however, and never again established a significant intimate relationship with a woman. In 1886 Van Gogh left Holland forever and travelled via Antwerp to Paris, and to major changes in artistic style. Van Gogh's work became more youthful in Paris. He lived with his brother, Theo, who managed the modern department of an art dealer's. A new, more animated, painting style emerged and the impressionist tendencies of earlier work weakened somewhat. Van Gogh developed a taste for personalized brushwork and brilliant, unmixed color1s. Among his most prominent experiments with color1 were a series of some 30 flower paintings, a fascination which stayed with him until his death. What is the author's attitude towards Van Gogh? Favorable Recently more students are choosing to study abroad as they think it is worthwhile. However, some people think it is not a good idea. There are a number of disadvantages in studying abroad. The following paragraphs will explain why students have these views and the advantages of studying abroad will be discussed. Students studying abroad may suffer from racial discrimination . As they left their home country, they will become part of a minority group in the new country. The majority group may have a sense of superiority and try to bully them. It is common that Americans or the British discriminate against people from other countries since many of them think that white people are better than others. In addition, the students may lose their own cultures. Since they have moved to a new place, all the thing there - people, lifestyle and the living environment---would be different from those in their own country. As they will have close contact with the local people and culture, they will be influenced by the new culture even without realizing it. It is ironic that a Chinese person speaks better English than Chinese and forgets about Chinese culture after studying abroad for a few years. On the other hand, studying abroad will widen the view of students. Although they may give up their own culture, they can really learn from others. As students of the modern world , they should not limit their scope to their home country, but get exposed to the world. Studying abroad can help them expand their horizon and learn many things in the host country, as they will meet and make friends with people from all over the world. So, studying abroad is good for them. Furthermore, students will learn how to be mature and independent. Students, when in their home country, usually rely on their parents. Statistics show that Chinese students usually rely heavily on their parents; they will leave problems alone and ask their parents to solve them. If they are studying abroad, on many occasions they have to learn how to cope with difficulties they meet. As a result, studying abroad benefits them. Moreover, the education system of the foreign country may be better than the home country's education system. The home country's education system is very limited. Many teachers just spoon-feed their students. They will ask the students to recite a lot of things and then ask them to write them down. This choice of subjects in school, especially in secondary school, is very narrow; the students cannot choose what they want most. But in some schools in Britain and America, students can choose from a wider range of subjects at school. For example, media studies and corporate communications are courses of study in some schools of those two countries. If students choose to study abroad, they may have the opportunity to learn more things under a better education system. All in all, studying abroad will change and influence a student in many aspects. Although it is uncertain if the effects will be positive or negative, I believe students should seize the opportunity to study abroad because they will meet many new things and have new experiences in the new country. If they are clever enough, I think they can find a balance between learning about the new culture and holding onto their own one. Which of the following can best serve as a title for this passage? Should students leave their own country and study abroad?
Long queues at cinemas buying hot tickets for blockbusters will become rare as Beijing residents will be able to order film tickets via cell phone networks in a month. Film ticket circulation service on cell phone, also called the "Green channel of film tickets ordering", is aiming at lowing the cost of ticket circulation and easing the ticket distribution pressure on such popular film-watching days as summer and winter vacations or Valentine's Day. "People log onto the net through cell phones, then choose cinema seats, _ , browse information for new films and read cinema introductions," said Guan Zheng, the publicity chief of Xingmei Digital Media Company Ltd., the service provider. "Film fans can enjoy various discount prices if they order tickets via cell phones," Guan said. Meanwhile, the cell phone ticket circulation platform provides subscribers general mobile phone services like jokes, videos, flashes, phone ring downloads and games. The service is about to be put into trial at the Beijing-based Xingmei International Cinema for a month before being putting into use at other cinema chains both in and outside Beijing, as the service is going to be improved through gradual expansion, said Guan. China's film industry that is being restored has seen more and more enthusiastic moviegoers. Up to the end of 2009, China has had more than 5,000 specialized cinemas, among which there are 2,243 modern cinemas with 3, 668 silver screens and 56 cinema chains. Currently, many people buy film tickets on the Internet or by phoning the cinema's ticket office or simply queuing at the cinema gate. More people want to buy tickets on popular days like May Day holiday, National Day holiday or Valentine's Day. Yet the inefficient ticket circulation system contributes the most to the failure. What can we learn from the passage? Answer: New Movies You Need to Know Ahout This Month Sherpa Type; Documentary Release Date: Friday, December 18, 2015 Duration: 96 mins "Unforgettable"..."unbelievably absorbing".With praise like that, this doc looks like acan't-miss. Director Jennifer Peedom travelled to Nepal in 2014 to film the climbing season fromthe point of view of the local peopleSherpas. During the climbing, a disaster struck killing 16 Sunset Song Type: Drama Release Date: Friday, December 4, 2015 Duration; 135 mins The classic 1932 Srnttish romantic novel is adapted into a beautiful film by Director Terence Davies. In only her second film role, London supermodel Agyness Deyn proves her talent foracting as the daughter of a farming family who must live on all by herself when both her parentsare killed. When Harry Met Sally Type: Comedy Release Date: Friday, December 11,2015 Duration; 95 mins The perfectand we do mean perfectromantic comedy returns. _ The script, written by the much missed writer and director Nora Ephron, who died in 2012, is a joy. Snoopy and Charlie Brown:The Peanuts Movie Type: _ Release Date: Monday, December 21, 2015 Duration: 93 mins The most loveable character of them all, Charlie Brown, is back on the big screen with astory written by Craig Schulz. His father Charles Schulz created the famous cartoon characterSnoopy in the 1950s. We really look forward to this hit, but is the 3D really necessary? Please click here for more information. (A) Where is the text probably taken from? Answer: Cannes will rock to the sound of a cancan dance this year when Moulin Rougeby the Australian director Baz Luhrmann opens the French film festival in May. The musical stars Nicole Kidman as a singer, and John Leguizamo as the artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. It will be competing for the Palme d'Or, the festival's top prize. The festival runs to May 21. The American actor Tommy Lee Jones, 54, has married his longtime girlfriend, Dawn Maria Laurel, 36, in a private wedding in prefix = st1 /San Antonio. "It wash' t a big to-do, ' said Fred Biery, a U. S. District Judge who performed the service. He refused to discuss things further. "These are very private people," he said. Loretta Lynn is being treated for a very bed cold in Tennesseeand will miss several appearances. The country singer, 65, was admitted to a hospital near her home in Hurricane Mills. "She is in good condition, but the doctors are watching her closely," a spokeswoman said. The French-Algerian singer Enrico Macias was named a United Nations peace messenger. Enrico joins eight other people who act as goodwill envoys for the United Nations, among them are the writer Elie Wiesel and the basketball player Magic Johnson. We can learn from the text that Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec is _ Answer: When she moved the covering cloth to look upon his tiny face, she was shocked. The doctor turned quickly and looked out the tall hospital window. The baby had been born without ears. Time proved that the baby's hearing was perfect. 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 full of heart- breaks for his imperfect appearance. He grew up, handsome for his misfortune and popular with his fellow students. He might have been class monitor,but for that. He developed a gift, a talent for literature and music. 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 brilliant success, and a new person turned up. His talents blossomed into genius, and his school and college became a series of success. Later he married and entered the diplomatic service. One day ,he urged his father, "Who gave so much for me?I must know! I could never do enough for him." "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--- one of the darkest days that a son must endure. He stood with his father over his mother's casket . Slowly, tenderly, the father reached out a hand and raised the thick, reddish-brown hair to show that the mother had no outer ears. "Mother said she was glad she never let her hair be cut, " he whispered gently, "and nobody ever thought Mother less beautiful, did they?" Real beauty lies not in the physical appearance,but in the heart. Real treasure lies not in what can be seen,but in what cannot be seen. Real love lies not in what is done and known, but in what is done and not known. Why did the boy's mother never have her hair cut? Answer: Which of the following uses electrical energy? Answer:
What could a poem writer and a movie director share? More than you think! Langston Hughes began writing poems in high school and soon became one of America's greatest writers. Most of his writing is about his experiences as an African American. He wrote poems about people who worked hard through life but still found things to be happy about. He wrote plays and books about justice for all people, and he wrote kids' books, too. The Sweet and Sour Animal Book is a book of his animal poems. Pictures and photos were used in the book. "Hold fast to dreams" is a line in a famous Hughes poem. That's exactly what he did throughout his life. When Steven Spielberg was in middle school, he wanted to make a film. He had an idea for a movie, but no money. He started a tree-planting business and made his film with the money he earned. Spielberg never stopped making films, even after many film schools refused him. Today he is one of the most popular and important filmmakers in the world. His movies are about people who are adventurous , brave, kind. His characters often fight for what is good. Some of his films are about his Jewish background, such as Schindler's List. Spielberg once said, "I don't dream that much at night because I dream for a living." In different ways, both Hughes and Spielberg have encouraged people of all ages to reach for their dreams. What did Langston Hughes do in his whole life? Have you ever heard of Jinjiang Hotel? It is on our busiest street. It's the best place to live in if you travel here. The hotel is only 0.5 kilometer from the biggest supermarket and the subway. It has three kinds of rooms for different people to use. The first kind is standard room, that is two beds with a bathroom. It offers you the air conditioner, the television and the telephone. Second is the single room, that has only one bed. Though it has only one bed, you can enjoy yourself, for the bed is really comfortable and the environment is really good. The last one we call commercial room. That is served for businessmen. The commercial room has the best quality. It also provides 24-hour hot water. You can have free tea in the afternoon. Imagine how nice as you drink tea as talking about your business with your partners. If you want to eat something, please just call 123, the food will arrive in ten minutes. One great thing is that it is very safe here because we have a few strong guards working day and night, so I'm sure you will have a great time living here. Which of the following is TRUE? When discussing about friends, I desire those who will share my happiness, who possess wings of their own and who will fly with me. I seek friends whose qualities illuminate me and train me up for love. It is for these people that I reserve the glowing hours, too good not to share. When I was in the eighth grade, I had a friend. We were shy and "too serious" about our studies when it was becoming fashionable with our classmates to learn acceptable social behaviors. We said little at school, but she would come to my house and we would sit down with pencils and paper, and one of us would say:" Let's start with a train whistle today." We would sit quietly together and write separate poems or stories that grew out of a train whistle. Then we would read them aloud. At the end of that school year, we, too, were changing into social creatures and the stories and poems stopped. When I lived for a time in London, I had a friend. He was in despair and I was in despair. But our friendship was based on the idea in each of us that we would be sorry later if we did not explore this great city because we had felt bad at the time. We met every Sunday for five weeks and found many excellent things. We walked until our despairs disappeared and then we parted . We gave London to each other. For almost four years I have had a remarkable friend whose imagination illuminates mine. We write long letters in which we often discover our strangest selves. Each of us appears, sometimes in a funny way, in the other's dreams. She and I agree that, at certain times, we seem to be parts of the same mind. In my most interesting moments, I often think: "Yes, I must tell...." We have never met. It is such comforting companions I wish to keep. One bright hour with their kind is worth more to me than the lifetime services of a psychologist , who will only fill up the healing silence necessary to those darkest moments in which I would rather be my own best friend. In the eighth grade, what the author did before developing proper social behavior was to _ . I was a dance teacher when I first began working with people who have disabilities. I had thirty students. These were teens and adults up to the age of 40. We learned new steps together. We laughed together and we shared a love of music and fellowship. I had one pupil, Dan, who didn't appear to get much out of the class. I never had eye contact with him. When I left the class to travel down the stairs to reach the main floor of the building, he moved worriedly as a blind person might do in unfamiliar condition. One day his parents met me shopping downtown and told me that they were so grateful that I was teaching the class. They said that my class was the high point of their son's week. Were they just being polite? A week later, a snowstorm held me up and I was later than usual pulling into the school parking lot. Ahead of me by one row of cars, and over to one side, was my student, Dan and his worker. I could see his face as he moved toward the building. He was excited. I watched Dan run toward the building in anticipation of his weekly treat, my class. I cried as it hit me that though I could not see in class all that Dan got from the class, it surely meant a lot to him. Dan did indeed love the class. He was getting enjoyment out of it. Today when I teach courses at the College to students, I remind them that children can stand on the sidelines and seem to be uninterested and yet they can be learning at the same pace as those who are in the middle of the activity. When I teach this, I think, yes and this is true for those with disabilities too! Teach with the wonderful enthusiasm and you are bound to reach your students. Do your job with a love for others and you will be successful no matter what your job involves. The writer has learned from Dan that _ . A kind of little cars may take the place of today's big ones many years later. If everyone drives such cars in the future, there will be less pollution in the air. There will also be more space for parking in cities, and the streets will be less crowded. The little cars of the future will cost less. Driving will be safer, too, since these little cars can go only 65 kilometers an hour. The cars of the future will be fine for going around a city, but they will not be useful for a long way. Little cars will go 450 kilometers before they need to stop for more gasoline . If big cars are still used with the small ones, two kinds of roads will be needed in the future. Some roads will be needed for the big, faster cars and other roads will be needed for the small, slower ones. ,. The usual size of cars today is _ .
Like all big cities, Paris has a traffic problem: lots of cars, lots of traffic jams and lots of pollution from exhaust fumes . So the city began a scheme to improve the situation. Under the Velib scheme('Velib' comes from velo liberte, or 'bicycle freedom') , people can take a bicycle, use it for as long as they want, and then leave it at the same or another bicycle station. The first half-hour on the bike is free, but if you don't return it after 30 minutes, you have to pay. But it's only [?]1 a day or [?]29 a year! The bicycles are heavy (25 kg), and they are all grey and have baskets. There are about 20,000 of them in the city, and around 1,450 bicycle stations. So there are a lot more Velib stations than the 298 subway stations! Paris is not the first city to have a scheme like this. But not everybody thinks it's a great idea. One Parisian said, "These bicycles are only for short journeys. If people want to travel across the city, they won't use a bicycle -- they'll still use their cars." A city spokesman said, "The bicycle scheme won't solve all our traffic problems, of course. But it might help reduce air pollution. Traffic, together with factory fumes, is a big problem. There aren't any simple answers to traffic problems and pollution in cities. But unless we do something now, there will be more traffic jams and temperatures will continue to rise, so the problems in our environment will get worse. The bikes might help people to lead a healthier life, too." What's the city spokesman's attitude towards the bicycle scheme? Answer: Positive. There was a time when the owners of shops and businesses in Chicago had to pay large sums of money to gangsters in return for "protection". If the money was not paid immediately, the gangsters would quickly put a man out of business by destroying his shop. Getting "protection money" is not a modern means. As long ago as the fourteenth century, an Englishman, Sir John Hawkwood, made the remarkable discovery that people would rather pay large sums of money than have their life work destroyed by gangsters. Then Sir John Hawkwood arrived in Italy with a group of soldiers and settled near Florence. He soon made a name for himself and came to be known to the Italians as Giovanni Acuto. Whenever the Italian city-states were at war with each other, Hawkwood used to hire his soldiers to those who were willing to pay the high price he demanded. In times of peace, when business was bad, Hawkwood and his men would march into a city-state and, after burning down a few farms, would offer to go away if protection money was paid to them. Hawkwood made large sums of money with this method. In spite of this, the Italians regarded him as a sort of hero .When he died at eighty, the Florentines gave him a state funeral and had his picture painted, which was in memory of "this bravest man". The Italians regarded Hawkwood as a sort of hero _ . Answer: because they couldn't help admiring his bravery and boldness Conor Grennan was unwilling to be a volunteer . The 29-year-old American was not sure if he had the skills or a strong feeling for it. However, he went to work at an orphanage in Nepal. His first thought was to make people impressed. "I thought that if I volunteered just once. I could retell the story over and over," Grennan said in a Huffington Post article. However, his three-month stay it the orphanage turned into in unusual experience. It was 2004 and Grennan had given up his job to begin a year-long around-the-world trip, His first three months were spent in Nepal. When he arrived in the village, he knew nothing about the children or the local culture. When he opened the gate of the Little Princes Children's Home, he was faced by the excited children. The young American ended up caring for 18 children. He later discovered that they were trafficked children. So he walked through the mountains with great difficulty to find the kids' families, "I started walking with photos of the kids." he told the Reuters reporter. "I would show up in villages and show photographs around. I went with 24 photos, and I found 24 families." At the same time, he put his heart into Nepalese culture. Grennan said, "Volunteering is the single best way to see how the rest of the world lives." He also encouraged others to do what he had done. He believes that volunteering needs only making decisions to show up. Grennan's fight against child-trafficking has changed him. His book, Little Prince, came out last week. Which is the best title for the passage? Answer: Volunteer changes a lot Sam was an English student. He always stayed at home for his holidays. But last winter he thought, "I have never left the country. All my friends have been to Spain. They like it very much. So this year I'm going there for my holiday." First he went to Madrid and stayed in a small hotel for a few days. One morning he went out for a walk. In his country people drive on the left, but in Spain they drive on the right. Sam forgot about this, and while he came to a busy street, a bike knocked him down. Sam lay on the ground for a few seconds and then he sat up and said, "Where am I?" An old man was selling maps at the side of the street. He quickly came to Sam and said, "Maps of the city, sir?" When Sam sat up and said, "Where am I?" the old man thought _ Answer: he lost his way Sri Lanka is known as the "Pearl of the Indian Ocean", and it is easy to see why. This little country never fails to please visitors. ArriveThe national airline is Sri Lankan Airlines, which flies from Colombo to London and a couple of other European cities. The country's main airport is Colombo Bandaranaike, located 29km north of the capital city.Why now? The best time to visit Sri Lanka's southern beaches is from November to April. So by going early in the season, you'll get the best weather. Also in November, Deepavali, known as"Diwali" or the "Festival of Lights", is Sri Lanka's main religious festival, Celebrated throughout the country. See There is plenty to see in Sri Lanka. The ancient capital cities of Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura are worth seeing, and so are many outstanding ruins. Other mustsees are the rock fortress ( ) of Sigiriya, towering over the jungle as far as the eye can see, and Dambulla's cave temple, the country's largest and best preserved. Both are UNESCO World Heritage Sites . Kandy is a picture-like town, which was the last stronghold of the Kandyan Kings. Today it is a cultural relic centre where age-old customs, arts, and crafts remain. Do Sri Lanka owns about 1,600km of beautiful palm-shaded beaches as well as warm, pure seas and colourful coral reefs. You can explore the underwater world, and surfing and di ving are available too. Away from the shore, wildlife is a big draw for Sri Lanka, and Yala National Park is one of the best places in the world to see wild animals including leopards and elephants.Taste Sri Lanka is celebrated for its excellent food, with a particular emphasis on fresh fruit and vegetables on menus everywhere. Fish and seafood are a big part of the local diet.Did you know?Sri Lanka is known for its tea, but it is also the world's largest producer and exporter of cinnamon . By going early in the season, you are likely to _ . Answer: experience a festival celebrated all over the country
My daughter Alisa was born blind in her right eye and was bullied pretty severely in school. So I quitted my job as a babysitter and then schooled my daughter heart and soul at home. A year ago a boy of 14 befriended my daughter on Facebook after reading something Alisa wrote about bullying. Today he messaged her and asked if she would like six tickets to a Colorado Rockies baseball game. They have never met in person but she said, "Sure! That would be great." Then I received a call from his mother explaining why her son had chosen my daughter. She said he thought my daughter deserved them because of all the good she does in the community. Her son, she explained, had experienced a similar situation and was also home schooled. What she said is true. Now my daughter Alisa continues to teach groups of girls in trouble in our community how to look within themselves for the positive and how to be their own person. Everything taken into consideration, we decided to meet the mother and the boy at a local bike shop. After meeting, the boy approached my car and my daughter gave him a hug and thanked him for his generosity. She told him that she had never been to a baseball game and that she was going to take her entire family, including myself, her dad, little sister, her cousin and an aunt who has brain cancer. We all thanked one another, got in our car, and went our way. As we drove home my daughter opened the envelope. Inside it were the tickets and $100 each to buy hot dogs, pay for parking and not have any worries but a great time. My daughter has always been the giver and now she and our family are the receivers and I can not tell you how incredibly honored we feel to be on the other end. What an incredible young man to have such a kind idea. What did the author once do according to the passage? A. She was a ticket seller. B. She was a school teacher. C. She was a babysitter. D. She was a social worker. Answer: C Women should not drink any alcohol during pregnancy. A report released by NICE says. It says if they must drink, they should not do so in the first three months and should limit to one or two ounces once or twice a week afterwards. It replaces previous guidance of saying small daily amounts were fine. NICE decided to tighten its guidance partly because of the concern that people are now drinking more than in the past. Previous draft guidance suggested women should drink an ounce of alcohol a day once they were past the first three months of pregnancy. The Department of Health in England changed its guidance last year, calling for no drinking while pregnant or while trying to get pregnant. Drinking heavily in pregnancy can cause fetal alcohol syndrome , which can leave children with features like small heads, widely spaced eyes and behavior or learning problems. The experts said there was no evidence that several ounces once or twice a week would do any harm to the baby but could not categorically rule out any risk. National Childbirth Trust agreed women should limit their drinking during pregnancy. "Pregnant women who have had a few drinks often worry a great deal about whether they have harmed their baby. In general, it is believed that if a light infrequent drinker, in good health, drinks to the point of drunkenness on one occasion, the risk to her baby is small." NICE also made a number of other recommendations for the care of women in the UK who were pregnant or planning to get pregnant. It said vitamin D and folic acid supplements should be offered by health staff to help avoid conditions such as rickets and spina bifida . Officials also called for local health officials to ensure equal support plans where mothers encourage new parents to breastfeed are set up. NICE also called for improvements in the care of pregnant women with diabetes. About 20;000 pregnancies each year are affected by diabetes and, therefore, carry, higher risk of miscarriage and still birth. The guidance said women should get access to advice and support, in particular to achieve good blood sugar control before they get pregnant. National Childbirth Trust found that _ . A. a pregnant woman drinking alcohol infrequently has little risk to her baby B. pregnant women who drink a little occasionally are always afraid of the effects C. there is no evidence that a pregnant woman drinking alcohol might harm her baby D. getting drunk once won't harm the baby Answer: B New York University (NYU) is one of the best universities in the United States and it has just opened a school in Shanghai in partnership with East China Normal University(ECNU). The arrival of the American university on China mainland is an example of what is being called the "globalization" of education and it is hoped that this trend will influence the quality of education in all of China's universities by raising the standard of teaching. NYU Shanghai's class of 2017(students will graduate in 2017) is made up of 295 students from China, America and other countries. The students will study liberal arts courses for two years before choosing a major and when they graduate, they will receive a degree from NYU and a degree from ECNU. All the classes will be taught in English, using the teaching methods in American universities. Students will be pushed to take risks in the classroom, pushed to speak up and pushed to say things that are not completely correct, which can make them understand that it's OK for them to make mistakes in class. This style of learning will be challenging for many Chinese students, because they will be mixed with the foreign students both in the classroom and in the dormitory. Living and studying with foreigners day to day will provide Chinese students with a cultural as well as academic education and it's hoped that this cross-cultural experience will benefit them when they seek jobs in the competitive global market. China's interest in partnering with foreign universities comes at a time when western universities are trying to expand. They realize that information, technology and business are now borderless; they also realize education should be borderless too. This trend will have a deep effect on bringing the world closer together and the students at NYU Shanghai should be excited to be on the leading edge of this trend. How should the students perform in the classroom? A. They must express themselves correctly. B. They should try to be active in the class. C. They will learn something dangerous. D. They have to correct their mistakes. Answer: B There is much discussion today about whether economic growth is desirable ,At an earlier period our desire for material wealth may have been justified .Now , however ,this desire for more than we need is causing serious problems .Even though we have good intentions ,we may be producing too much ,too fast . w.w.w.k.s.5.u.c.o.m Those who criticize economic growth argue that we must slow down .They believe that society is approaching certain limits on growth ,These include the fixed supply of natural resources ,the possible negative effects of industry on the natural environment ,and the continuing increase in the world's population ,As society reaches these limits ,economic growth can no longer continue ,and the quality of life will decrease . People who want more economic growth ,on the other hand ,argue that even at the present growth rate there are still many poor people in the world ,These _ of economic growth believe that only more growth can create the capital needed to improve the quality of life in the world ,Furthermore ,they argue that only continued growth can provide the financial resources required to protect our natural surroundings from industrialization . This debate over the desirability of continued economic growth is of vital importance to business and industry ,If those who argue against economic growth are correct ,the problem they mention cannot be ignored ,To find a solution ,economists and the business community must pay attention to these problems and continue discussing them with one another . According to those who argue against economic growth we must slow down for the following reasons EXCEPT that _ A. our natural surroundings are in danger of being destroyed by industry B. the fixed supply of natural resources marks a point beyond which economic growth cannot continue C. the world population is ever increasing D. more efforts should be made to improve the quality of our material life Answer: D Tom, a 15-year-old boy, couldn't hear anything after the whole night computer games and MP3 listening. He was excited and yelled after the MP3. When he walked out of his room the next morning, he could hear nothing about his mother's words. His mother sent him to the doctor at once. It was moderate hearing loss . Do you have an MP3 player? Do you use it to listen to your favorite music? A survey shows that lots of young people enjoy listening to their MP3 players. And they always listen to them at high volumes . There are about 100 million people listening to MP3 players in Europe every day. Most of them are young people. Scientists have found that if people listen to MP3 players at a very high volume for more than five hours a week, they could lose their hearing in five years. High-volume music can keep people excited, so young people would like to keep their players high. It's too bad for the ears. So the MP3 listeners should keep the player within safe volume levels, no higher than 60~70 of full capacity . If people near you can hear your MP3, that means you are keeping your MP3 at a very high volume, turn it down, please! What is the best title of this passage? A. a Deaf Boy B. an MP3 Player C. the Harm of High Volume D. a Survey Answer: C
More and more birds are flying to settle at Qinghai Lake, one of the highest inland lakes in China, thanks to the protection efforts of local governments. Covering an area of over 4,000 square kilometers, Qinghai Lake is also the country's biggest salt-water lake. Located in Northwest China's Qinghai Province, the lake is famous for the two islands at its northwest point--Cormorant Island and Egg Island. The two islands have plenty of floating grass and various schools of fish, offering rich food sources for birds. The islands have become a paradise for different kinds of groups of birds and have been called 'Bird Islands'. Each March and April, when ice and snow covering the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau starts to melt, over 20 kinds of birds fly to the Bird Islands to lay eggs. During the months, flocks of birds cover the whole sky over the islands and birds eggs can be found everywhere. Visitors can hear the singing of birds from miles away. These have become a world famous symbol of the lake. To protect this paradise for birds and support calls for ecological protection, China set up the Qinghai Lake Natural Protection Zone at the end of 1997. Meanwhile, the State has pointed out the Bird Islands and Spring Bay of the Qinghai Lake as central protection zones. Inspection officials and management employees often patrol the lake, improving local residents' knowledge of related laws and spreading knowledge about animal protection to visitors. They are making great efforts to call on people to love and protect the birds. At the same time, they have built special fences around the island area, to prevent wolves, foxes and other carnivorous animals, as well as illegal hunters from breaking up the birds' nest-building, egg-laying and breeding. As a result, more and more birds are coming to the islands for sheltering and breeding. Why are more and more birds coming to the biggest salt-water lake in the Great Northwest? Answer: Because environments there are getting more and more agreeable for them to live in. There are forty-seven different kinds of kangaroos . The smallest kangaroos are about a quarter of a meter long; the biggest are taller than a man. Kangaroos have very long strong back legs. These are used for jumping. They also have long strong tails used for resting on. Kangaroos' front legs are much shorter, and are almost like arms. Kangaroos' heads are quite small, but their ears are quite large. Mother kangaroos have a pocket at the front. They have one baby each year. When it is born, the baby kangaroo is straight into its mother's pocket. The baby kangaroos stay there for six months. The biggest kangaroos stand more than 2 meters tall, and their legs are so strong that they can jump more than 9 meters. They are very fast, and can travel at more than 50 kilometers an hour. They are very strong, but only eat fruit, leaves and grass. How many different kinds of kangaroos are there? Answer: 47. In Britain, it's bottoms up from the week before Christmas till the last firework explodes in the sky announcing the new year. The last Friday before Christmas, popularly known as 'Mad Friday', is one of the busiest periods for the country's pubs and clubs. But it's not just the bars that get busy. Ambulances and A&E departments around Britain get packed out too. Head injuries, cuts, falls...it's easy to end up hurting yourself or others when self-control disappear and your head is spinning due to alcoho1 revelers have been warned by the health authorities about the dangers of deadly drinking but drinking crazily seems to be part of the festivities for some. The charity Alcohol Concern is running a campaign of restriction by encouraging people to have a dry January. Jackie Ballard, the charity's Chief Executive, believes the campaign has been successful in recent years. She says, "More than two-thirds of people even six months later are drinking at reduced levels having had a month off drink. But also a study has shown the impact it has on people's health reducing their blood pressure and blood sugar levels." The study by the University of Sussex followed up nearly 900 participants in Alcohol Concern's Dry January campaign and found out that 72%of them had kept harmful drinking sessions down and 4%were still not drinking. Moderation seems to be the key to everything. The official recommendation for women is not to regularly drink more than 2 to 3 units of alcohol a day. The limit for men is 3 to 4 units of alcohol -- no more than a pint of 5.2%ABV lager, beer or cider. The last Friday before Christmas is called 'Mad Friday' because _ . Answer: people go out and drink a lot There was a huge battle between the warriors of Greece and the people of Troy. Prince Paris from Troy had stolen away the Greek queen; Helen. The Greek warriors set sail for Troy to fight for their queen. The battle outside Troy lasted for ten years. The men were fed up and wanted to return to their homes. Athene, goddess of war gave Ulysses the idea for a plan to end the war. They built a big wooden horse which they put in the middle of their encampment . Next they pretended to give up their camp. In reality many soldiers hid inside the wooden horse. Once they thought the camp had been abandoned the Trojans went out to check. They needed to know if the war was really over. They walked through the abandoned encampment and eventually found the wooden horse. They could not decide what it was. Some wanted to take it into the city, others thought that it was a gift to Zeus and feared touching or moving it in case they upset Zeus. Some Trojans decided to take it back into the city. They called a large group of troops, attached ropes and pulled it into the city. A huge celebration started. The city was free from war for the first time in nine years. Everybody feasted, drank and danced until eventually the merriment was over and they all went to sleep. This was the moment that the wooden horse opened a big flap hidden underneath. Out crept Ulysses and all of his men. They killed the sleeping troops, rescued Queen Helen, met up with the rest of their army and set sail for home. The story of the return journey is told in The Odyssey, a collection of poems piecing together the bits of the story from the many different places where the story took place. Which of the following statements is WRONG according to the passage? Answer: It was Ulysses that thought up the idea for a plan to end the war One afternoon Peter and Jim went out for a bicycle ride. When they passed a place they saw a large area of grass and bushes on fire and a strong wind was blowing the flames towards a village. The firemen had already arrived and were trying to put out the fire. The boys left their bicycles and ran towards the village to see if they could help to fight the fire. On the way they met two firemen. "Quick, you boys," said one of the firemen. "Come and help us to pull a pump to the stream. We can't beat out the fire. The wind is too strong. The pump is our only hope." The two boys ran further until they came to a heavy pump. They helped to pull it to a stream not far from the village. Soon the pump was working well so the boys went to watch the fire. It had already reached the edge of the village. The boys saw that two houses were on fire, and the flames were attacking a third building. Suddenly there was a shout from one of the villagers. "Keep away!" a voice shouted. "There's paint stored in that building." The boys and villagers moved away quickly. With a loud explosion , the whole building burst into flames, sending clouds of thick black smoke into the sky. At this time Peter and Jim began to think that the whole village would be burnt to the ground. The firemen had left the burning buildings and were pouring water onto the neighboring houses, trying to stop the fire from spreading. Then the wind died down. A second pump was brought up to help, and the fire was gradually put out. "It's soon finished," Peter said to his friend. "We must go or we shall get home late." "Yes, come on," agreed Jim, and with a last look at the ruins, they walked back to their bicycles. According to the text, _ . Answer: two pumps were used to put out the fire
Question: Experts believe that storms and severe weather in North America and Asia have disrupted bird flight paths across the world and swept huge numbers of bird species towards the British Isles. Birds flying to the other side of the Atlantic or to the Pacific to lay their eggs have been trapped in Britain and Ireland, adding their numbers to native species, and causing great excitement in the bird-watching community. Local birdwatchers have already observed a total of 442 species in the British Isles this year. The highest number ever seen in one year is 445, in 2008. "We only need four more to break our record," said Lee Evans, who runs the British Birding Association. "With three months to go I'm sure we'll do it." Last month an extremely rare Siberian Rubythroat bird was seen in Scotland, sending hundreds of birdwatchers north in the hope of catching a glimpse of this colourful Asian beauty. Another very uncommon bird, the bufflehead duck was cited in Cornwell and caused similar excitement. "I couldn't believe it," said Evans. "The poor thing was completely _ . It must have been blown to England by the storms while trying to fly from Canada to the southern United States for the winter. That's 3000 miles!" Evans said that global warming over the past decade was playing a key role in transforming bird movements across the world. In addition, melting Arctic sea ice may also be opening up bird flight paths over the North Pole, making it easier for birds from the Pacific -- such as the slaty-backed gull and tufted puffin, both of which appeared in London earlier this year -- to reach Britain. Bird-watching is becoming an increasingly popular hobby among all age groups, added Evans. "A fifth of our members are under 18. This is a round-the-year hobby that you can enjoy from the kitchen window or from a car. More and more people are bird-watching, and as a result more and more unexpected species are being spotted in the British Isles." What is the passage mainly about? A. The results of global warming. B. Changes in the British bird population. C. Increasing environmental pollution. D. Worsening British weather. Answer: B. Changes in the British bird population. Question: Every foreign student who has been accepted to study in this country must have a legal document called a visa from the prefix = st1 /United Statesgovernment. A visa permits a foreign citizen to travel to theUnited Statesand request permission to enter the country. The rules for getting a visa can be found on the State Department Web site. The address is unitedstatesvisas. gov. Unitedstatesvisas is all one word. Another State Department Web site for students from other countries is educationusa. gov. If you are requesting a visa for the first time, you may have to appear at the American Embassy in your country to talk to an official. Each student should communicate with the Embassy to find out if such an interview is needed and when it can take place. It is important to apply for the visa early. State Department officials say national security is the most important issue in deciding if a person will be permitted to enter the United States. Officials must find out if a student is on any list of people with possible links to terrorists. Embassies can not issue a visa more than ninety days before the start of the educational program in the United States. If you are a student studying in theUnited Statesfor the first time, you will not be permitted to enter the country more than thirty days before the start of your classes. Foreign students accepted at an American school will receive a document called a Certificate of Eligibility. The State Department says each student must enter the country using the certificate provided by the school he or she will be attending. It is a violation of the law to enter the country on one school's certificate but attend another school. You are permitted to stay in the United Stateson a student visa for the length of your period of study. That means you can stay as long as you are a full-time student. Your college or university will provide the government with reports about your education as long as you continue to study there. We will have more information about that next week. The passage _ . A. seems to suggest that it is rather difficult to study in the USA B. does not contain all the information needed on how to get to the USto study C. tells us your American school can drive you out of the country D. shows with a student visa, one can enter any USschool Answer: B. does not contain all the information needed on how to get to the USto study Question: The big red American car was much too wide for an English country road. When Jack saw it running towards him, he stopped his own car at the side of the road to make room for it to pass. The American car went slowly past, so close that he could see the driver's face clearly. "Where have I seen that face before?" he though. "Wait a minute! I remember now. It was in the newspaper!" He took all the newspapers from his bag and turned quickly to the middle page. There was a picture of the face in it. Yes, it had a large mouth and small eyes, and his eyes were behind dark glasses. "Wanted by the police," read by Jack. "The city Bank will give a lot of money to anyone who helps the police to catch this man." "Call the police at once," he said to himself. But a few minutes later, he was sad. "This man was caught this morning," answered the police. Who caught the man with large mouth and small eyes? A. The American. B. The police. C. Jack. D. the driver. Answer: B. The police. Question: The federal government is about to make a huge investment in high school. As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Congress has put aside more than $100 billion, including a competitive "Race to the Top" fund that encourages innovation in public schools. But the real revolution, hidden in the Race to the Top guidelines released by the Department of Education last month, is that high school has a new mission. No longer is it enough just for senior graduate students, or even prepare them for college. Schools must now show how they increase both college enrollment and the number of students who complete at least a year of college. In other words, high schools must now focus on grade 13. Some states, school districts and nonprofit educational organizations have begun to gather data about how freshmen get along in college after graduation, but they haven't made fast progress. Florida has one of the best systems, but even it can't explain a high school graduate who enrolls in college in another state. The nation is asking principals to deliver students who can succeed in college, without ensuring they know whether what they're doing is working. The Department of Education has begun to solve this problem by instructing states on how to keep good records of its graduates' progress in college. This gives high schools the two pieces of information they most need: their college enrollment rate and "college proficiency" rate (the speed with which graduates complete a year of college-level coursework). Race to the Top has finally established a realistic purpose for high school in the 21st century. If principals can now get the support they need to fulfill that purpose, high schools can once again be top producers of American potential . Why does the Congress set up the "Race to the Top" fund? A. Because the Congress wants to keep it in case of emergency. B. Because the Congress wants to use it to support the poor students. C. Because the Congress wants to encourage the students to create something. D. Because the Congress wants to keep it for election. Answer: C. Because the Congress wants to encourage the students to create something. Question: Sam was driving. It was late, it was dark, it was raining, and he was out of cookies. His squirrel was asleep in the passenger seat, as was his hamster, in the back seat. He had gone down to the beach for the day, but it had started raining, so he had started driving back. But he had gotten lost. Now, he thought he was on the right way back. His headlights were not very strong. He could only see a few feet in front of him, except when the lightning hit. When the thunder came after, his squirrel, Joey, and his hamster, Broey, turned over in their sleep. Suddenly, lightning and thunder hit at the same time. There was a bright light and a crunching sound. A tree fell in front of the car! Sam hit the brakes. The car slowed down and stopped, and he got out. Sam walked up to the tree. He tried pushing it. It was too heavy. What would he do? He heard the car door open and shut behind him. It was Joey! And Broey! Together, the three of them pushed. Joey and Broey were small, but strong. And together, they moved the tree. They got back in the car. Sam was wet, and turned on the heater. He was tired, but he knew he would get home now - thanks to his animal friends. Why did Sam leave the beach? A. Because a tree fell B. Because it got dark C. Because it had started raining D. Because his pets wanted to leave Answer: C. Because it had started raining
Recently, China UnionPay did an experiment in a subway station in Beijing--Are you willing to offer a hand to a stranger who needs help? The leading role of the experiment was an old man. With a small bag in one hand and a large case in the other, the old man appeared in a cold winter morning in the bustling subway station. He was so old that he couldn't carry the heavy case up the stairs. Standing in front of the steps, he looked helpless. Something good happened finally. At 9 o'clock, a kind man showed up, he offered to carry the case for the old man and walked up the stairs with him, at 9:25, another man helped ... Within six hours,the old man walked up the stairs for 25 times,among which he was helped for 23 times. What's more,two ladies tried to help the old man--one in the front and the other in the back. They carried the case up the stairs for him. The most noteworthy thing was that another old man tried to help too. When these kind people were asked why they helped the stranger,they all said " It's just the right thing to do," "I always help people as long as I can" ,or "it's not a big thing, and I just want to help". We often see negative news about fake falling and blackmailing or scheming and cunning. But this experiment brought sheer warmth into our heart. What message does the experiment express? A. What warms us most is that helping others is grateful in our society. B. What people gain is that they will be rewarded for helping others in China. C. What strikes us is that China UnionPay really did a successful experiment. D. What impresses us is that most people help others really by nature. Answer: D Many of us are used to hearing stories of people being pickpocketed in busy places. But most of us are aware of the dangers, so we are safe - at least, we think we are. According to a BBC report, a growing number of thieves are trying to "hack our mind's weaknesses" to get their hands on our possessions. "In fact, the key requirement for a successful pickpocket isn't having quick fingers," said the report. By using psychology, some pickpockets are taking advantage of the loopholes in our brains. Our lack of ability to multitask is one of the most important loopholes used by pickpockets, the report explains. While this can often be a good trait , allowing us to focus on the most important details in our surroundings, "a good trickster can use it against you, " said neuroscientist Auzana Martinez-Conde. "It's all about directing people's attention toward something else," said James Brown, who studies the tricks of pickpocketing. Confidence, the power of suggestion, and certain hand movements such as moving your hands in an arc are all said to be things that fool us. Groups of pickpockets use a common trick designed to create a scene and confuse victims. The first gang member, a "blocker", walks in front of the victim and suddenly bumps into them. A second member of the gang then bumps into both of them from behind and stages an argument with the "blocker". In the confusion, both men steal what they can and pass it to a third thief who quickly runs off with the stolen goods. Some thieves go even further to exploit our psychology by hanging out near signs reading "beware of pickpockets". Since this is one of the last places people expect to be robbed, many check where their valuables are, giving away their location to thieves. But according to Brown, as long as we don't daydream in public, we shouldn't be worried. "A street thief will avoid like the plague " people who are demonstrating a very open awareness of their environment," he said. Why do some thieves hang out near signs saying things like "beware of pickpocketers"? A. They think it is more thrilling to steal in those areas. B. Normally there are no police officers around. C. They don't know common people's psychology. D. They have a better chance of locating people's valuables there. Answer: D When punctuation began, it was mainly to help people read out loud. Until a few hundred years ago, not many people were taught to read, so there was a lot more reading out loud by the few people who could. To help those reading out loud in the old days, sign known as "points" were added to pages of writing. Punctuation comes from the Latin word punctus, meaning "point". These points told readers when to pause or take a breath, and what to emphasize . In Europe from the early centuries AD, these points were widely used although not everybody used the same points for the same thing. When printing was invented, printers had to be made more clearly about what to put where, so that everyone was doing the same thing. Since that point, all sorts of punctuation rules have been discovered and invented. Speech marks "..." Speech marks or quotation marks are used to show that someone is speaking. The sort we have in English today began to be widely used during the 18th century. Before that readers simply understood from the way a sentence was written that someone was speaking although sometimes spoken words were underlined. Comma , colon: period(full stop). All three of these sorts of punctuation marks were given their Greek names by Aristophanes, a librarian who lived in Byzantium in the 2nd century BC. They were marks on the page, each with a message to the reader. Comma meant a short pause. Colon meant a medium sized pause. Period meant a long pause. Exclamation mark! In the early days of punctuation, if you saw this sign, you were supposed to pause. Some people think the exclamation mark began as what the Greek word IO looked like if it was turned 90 degrees. This word means "Oh, gosh!" With the I on the top and the O under it, the sign as we know it today was developed. Question mark? In the middle age, a squiggle above a full stop was sometimes used to show the sentence was a question and that a person's voice should go up at the end. By the 17th century it had turned into what we call a question mark. The shape may have come from the letter Q short for that Latin quaestio, meaning "question". Writers make choices about punctuation because they think differently about sentences and words. It's part of the personality of their writing. Some writers hate punctuation, but others love punctuation. So whether you love or hate punctuation, the best advice may be to just enjoy it, play with it, think about it and use it. It belongs to the language and it belongs to you. What's the problem about punctuation today? A. People have completely different ideas about it. B. Not many people are taught to use it correctly. C. It has different meanings to different people. D. Sometimes spoken words must be underlined. Answer: A People taking the stairs instead of lifts at work can expect to live longer, according to a Swiss study . Regularly walking from floor to floor in an office building decreased death risk by 15 percent, said Dr. Philippe Meyer, the main author of the study, which was done at the University Hospital of Geneva. Stopping the use of lifts led to better fitness, less body fat, thinner waistlines and a drop in blood pressure, the study found. "Using the stairs improves fitness, body shape, blood pressure" Meyer said to the fitness website Swissinfo . "The challenge remains to increase the people's awareness," he said. For the study, 77 employees who don't enjoy sports and exercise from prefix = st1 /GenevaUniversitywere asked to take only the stairs over a three-month period, Swissinfo reported. Results showed an increase in a _ in waist , weight, fat , blood pressure and cholesterol . "This suggests that stair climbing can have major public health effects." Meyer said. Professor Adam Timmis, at The London NHS Trust, said: "It's a small study but valuable because it provides a practical way for busy working people to increase their exercise. Although the amount of exercise appears small, the benefits were clear in improving physical fitness and reducing body fat and blood pressure. " We can see from the passage that _ A. Swissinfo is a name of a Swiss university B. Meyer is from the London NHS Trust C. Some people from GenevaUniversitytook part in the study D. Professor Timmis is from a Swiss university Answer: C Recent research has claimed that an excess of positive ions in the air can have an ill effect on people's physical or psychological health. What are positive ions? Well, the air is full of ions, electrically charged particles, and generally there is a rough balance between the positive and the negative charged. But sometimes this balance becomes disturbed and a larger proportion of positive ions are found. This happens naturally before thunderstorm, earthquakes when winds are blowing in certain countries. Or it can be caused by a build-up of static electricity indoors from carpets or clothing, or from TV sets, duplicators or computer display screens. When a large number of positive ions are present in the air many people experience unpleasant effects such as headaches, fatigue , excessive anger, and some particularly sensitive people feel sick or even suffer mental disturbance. Animals are also affected, particularly before earthquakes, snakes have been observed to come out, rats to flee from their burrows, dogs howl and cats jump about unaccountably. This has led the US Geographical Survey to fund a network of volunteers to watch animals in an effort to foresee such disasters before they hit vulnerable areas such as California. Conversely, when large numbers of negative ions are present, then people have a feeling of well-being. Natural conditions that produce these large amounts are near the sea, close to waterfalls or fountains, or in any place where water is sprayed, or forms a spray. This probably accounts for the beneficial effect of a holiday by the sea, or in the mountains with streams or waterfalls. To increase the supply of negative ions indoors, some scientists recommend the use of ionisers. They claim that ionisers not only clean and refresh the air but also improve the health of people sensitive to excess positive ions. Of course, there are the detractors, other scientists, who dismiss such claims and are skeptical about negative/positive ion research. Therefore people can only make up their own minds by observing the effects on themselves, or on others, of a negative rich or poor environment. After all it is debatable whether depending on seismic readings to anticipate earthquakes is more effective than watching the cat. What is the author's attitude towards the use of ionisers? A. Neutral. B. Opposed. C. Supportive. D. Ambiguous. Answer: A
India is an ancient civilization with rich cultural heritage , and its cultural heritage has something to do with all major religions of the world. Here we take a look at some of the top heritage destinations in India. Sun Temple, Konark As the name suggests this temple is all about the power of the sun God. A huge chariot drawn by seven horses and twelve pairs of wheels reflect the importance which ancient people placed on the power of the sun. The pictures of animals and humans give this place a special look. Churches Goa Goa is the only Indian state which was under the Portuguese , so the scene in Goa is dotted with Portuguese style churches. Some of the famous churches include the church of Saint Catherine, church of Saint Augustine and church of saint Francis of Assisi. These churches exhibit beautiful paintings and flower designs which make them a must visit. Ajanta and Ellora Caves These caves contain well designed paintings which are widely regarded as the most outstanding works of Buddhist religious art. Taj Mahal, Agra Built on the bank of the Yamuna River, it is an excellent building. The writing and paintings on the outside structure provide the finest examples of the outstanding style of buildings. Sanchi Sanchi is a UNESCO world heritage site with numerous Buddhist temples dating back to the seventh and eighth centuries. On your visit to India, be sure to visit some of these heritage destinations. An Indian journey is not wonderful without experiencing the beauty of these heritage destinations. What can we learn from the passage? Answer: Indian cultural heritage is related to religions. An experienced teacher is offering private lessons in English. Please email me at the address below and tell me: Your age Reasons for learning English Your level of English Areas that you need to focus on - grammar, listening, speaking, reading, writing, etc. Mrs. Daniels( daniels _ m@mail.com) From: Li _ Hua@gmail.com To: daniels _ m@mail.com CC...: Subject: English Lessons Dear Mrs. Daniels, I recently saw your advertisement on the university website offering private English lessons. I'm very interested in your private lessons and would like some more information. I am a student at Aston College here in Hong Kong studying English, so my language level is already quite good. However, I feel that I need to improve my listening and speaking skills. This is because I'm planning to study at London University in England next year and I think your lessons will help me to live and study abroad. Could you send me some more information about the lessons offered, such as where and when they will be held and how much they cost? Also, I would like to know whether you teach students in groups or one-on-one. I would be glad to supply any further information you might need. Regards, Li Hua What can we learn about Li Hua from his email? Answer: He is a student in Hong Kong An Invisible Smile Mr. Dawson was an old grouch, and everyone in town knew it. Kids knew not to go into his yard to pick a delicious apple. Old Dawson, they said, would come after you with his gun. One Friday, 12-year-old Janet was going to stay all night with her friend Amy. They had to walk by Dawson's house on the way to Amy's house, but as they got close, Janet saw him sitting on his front porch and suggested they cross over to the other side of the street. Like most of the children, Janet was scared of the old man. Amy said not to worry. Mr. Dawson wouldn't hurt anyone. Still, Janet was growing more nervous with each step closer to the old man's house. When they got close enough, Dawson looked up with his usual frown , but when he saw it was Amy, a broad smile changed his entire face as he said, "Hello Miss Amy. I see you've got a little friend with you today." Amy smiled back and told him Janet was staying overnight and they were going to listen to music and play games. Mr. Dawson said that sounded fun, and offered them each a fresh picked apple off his tree. They gladly accepted. Mr. Dawson had the best apples in the whole town. When they left, Janet asked Amy, "Everyone says he's the meanest man in town. How come he was so nice to us?" Amy explained that when she first started walking past his house he wasn't very friendly and she was afraid of him, but she pretended he was wearing an invisible smile and so she always smiled back at him. It took a while, but one day he half-smiled back at her. After some more time, he started smiling real smiles and then started talking to her. Just a "hello" at first, then more. She said he always offers her an apple now, and is always very kind. "An invisible smile?" questioned Janet. "Yes," answered Amy, "my grandma told me that if I pretended I wasn't afraid and pretended he was smiling an invisible smile at me and I smiled back at him, sooner or later he would really smile. Grandma says smiles are _ If we remember what Amy's grandma said, that everyone wears an invisible smile, we too will find that We're always on the go trying to accomplish so much, aren't we? It's so easy to get caught up in everyday life that we forget how simple it can be to bring cheer to ourselves and others. Giving a smile away takes so little effort and time, let's make sure that we're not the one that others have to pretend to be wearing an invisible smile. Kids were scared of Mr. Dawson because _ . Answer: he was always very cold I am Jerry. My family is in New York. We have got a big house. There are three bedrooms . One is for my parents. One is for my sister Betty. One is for my brother Tony and me. I haven't got any grandparents, aunts or uncles in my family. My father is forty-three years old. He is a hotel manager. My mother is forty. She is a secretary in a factory. Betty is sixteen years old. Tony is nine years old and I'm twelve years old. We are students. I love my family. Jerry's family is in _ . Answer: New York Have you ever heard of Weifang, Shangdong Province? What is it known for? There is an international kite festival every April in Weifang that is a modern city with many traditions. People from all over the world compete in the kite flying. There are also competitions for the best kites. The kites in the competition are all made by hand. Most people have flown a kite. It makes people happy. It's easy to make it. It's made of bamboo and paper. But not so many people know that kites were first made in China thousands of years ago. The ancient Chinese made and flew kites even before they could write. A long time ago, the Chinese made kites to use in wars. They would fly these war kites in the dark. The kites were fixed and they made strange sounds in wind. Men who were at war against them would hear these sounds and run away. They thought those strange sounds were made by gods in the sky. The ancient Chinese also flew kites to bring good luck and to make their crops grow rich and tall. Sometimes they tied long strings and hooks to their kites. Then they would fly the kites over water, letting the hooks hang down to catch fish. The Chinese use sticks, string and paper for their kites. Some of these kites look like animals or trees and others look like houses. In ancient China kites could be used for _ . Answer: catching fish
A recent study suggests that teens' relationship with parents, friends and teachers may have a lot to do with why they don't get a good night's sleep. David Maume, a sociologist and sleep researcher, analyzed federal health data, which interviewed 974 teenagers when they were 12, and then again at 15. He found that family dynamics have much to do with how well kids sleep. Teens, who had warm relations with their parents and felt like they could talk to them or their parents were supportive of them, tended to sleep better. However, families that were going through a divorce or a remarriage tended to affect teens' sleep. And problems at school also affected teens' sleep. Feeling safe at school and having good relations with teachers tended to promote better sleep. As did good relationships with friends. Kids who took part in sports or other positive social activities or shared similar academic goals with their friends were also more likely to get a good night's sleep. These add up to what makes lots of sense: a general feeling of well-being helps teens sleep. If we're happy and contented, we're much more likely to sleep better than if we're sad and anxious. Now, of course, teens can hardly resist being drawn to their computers and social networking. Maume also found that when parents were strict not only about bedtime, but also about limiting technology, kids slept better. It's a finding that seems obvious, but parents really do matter when it comes to health habits of their teenagers. Clearly, teenagers aren't getting 9 to 10 hours a night, which puts them at risk for all the consequences of lack of sleep, including poor academic performance, colds and stress. What is the passage mainly about? Teens' sleep is linked to their relationship with people around them. Death is natural, but do you have any idea of the process of dying? Modern scientists divide the process of dying into two phases --- clinical or temporary death and biological death. Clinical death occurs when the vital organs, such as the heart or lungs, have ceased to function, but have not suffered permanent damage. The organism can still be revived . Biological death occurs when changes in the organism lead to the "breaking up" of vital cells and tissues. Death is then unchangeable and final. Scientists have been seeking a way to prolong the period of clinical death so that the organism can remain alive before biological death occurs. The best method developed so far involves cooling of the organism, combined with narcotic sleep. By slowing down the body's metabolism , cooling delays the processes leading to biological death. To illustrate how this works, scientists performed an experiment on a six-year-old female monkey called Keta. The scientist put Keta to sleep with a narcotic. Then they surrounded her body with ice-bags and began checking her body temperature. When it had dropped to 28 degrees the scientists began draining blood from an artery. The monkey's blood pressure decreased and an hour later both the heart and breathing stopped: clinical death set in. For twenty minutes Keta remained in this state. Her temperature dropped to 22 degrees. At this point the scientists pumped blood into an artery in the direction of the heart and started artificial breathing. After two minutes Keta's heart became active once more. After fifteen minutes, spontaneous breathing began, and after four hours Keta opened her eyes and lifted her head. After six hours, when the scientists tried to give her a penicillin injection, Keta seized the syringe and ran with it around the room. Her behavior differed little from that of a healthy animal. Scientists try to make the time of clinical death longer in order to delay the coming of biological death. How many seasons occur in the span of three years twelve A sunburn is most likely to happen after hiking in a desert Our school is very big. There are sixty classes in our school. There are about fifty students in a class. There is a television in a classroom, but there isn't a computer. There are 52 desks in my classroom. In my class there are 26 boys and 25 girls. Our library is big, too. There are many books in it. The gym is behind it, and the science labs are next to the library. Behind the gym is our dining hall. We have lunch in it. _ is in front of the gym. The library
A global positioning system(GPS)service is aiding the elderly in the Panlong district of Kunming,capital of Southwest China's Yunnan province. The telecommunications service provider,with the support o,f the local govemment,started the GPS tracking service in January to help the elderly,especially those with Alzheimer's disease,a condition that slowly destroys memory. Huang Haiying,an employee with a local telecommunications company,told China Daily that with the GPS devices ,the people who look after the elderly can quickly find their positions either online or by ca l l ing the service center in case ot emergencles. The system is also connected to the police,hospitals,fire services and community service centers to ensure that the elderly get quick and proper help,Huang said. Experts said that this service could improve the quality of life for thousands of elderly people with Alzheimer's,their families and those who look after them. Hundreds of people have already been helped by the service this year,Huang said. Huang said that the system has about 1 0,000 subscribers and she expects that number to grow 1 0 times over the next three years.A user pays 25 yuan($4)each month for the service.A family with an income below the local poverty line can get a 10 yuan subsidy evcry month from the government. The local government has spent more than 2 million yuan to subsidize the service to date. Rao Yuehui,director of the Panlong civil affairs department,said that about 90,000 people,or 15.4 percent of the district'S population,are more than.60 years old. He Xiangqun,an official with the Yunnan provincial civil affairs department,said that this means that the population meets international standards classifying it, as an aging society as defined by the United Nations. Which of the descriptions of the users of the GPS service is TRUE9. Answer: Some of them have only to pay 15 yuan each month. Chinese media and Internet users on Monday condemned lack of morals in society after a toddler was struck twice -by two different vans-and left bleeding on the road as more than a dozen bystanders did nothing to help the seriously injured girl. The incident, captured by a surveillance camera and broadcast by Southern Television Guangdong (TVS),showed the two-year-old girl was knocked down and run over by a white van on a narrow market street on the afternoon of Oct.13,in Foshan City of Guangdong Province. The driver fled the scene of the accident,leaving the girl to bleed on the sidewalk.Over the next six minutes,more than a dozen people walked by the girl,yet not one individual did anything to help her.The girl was then hit a second time by another van before an elderly trash collector came to her aid and brought the attention of the girl's mother,according to the video and eyewitnesses. Doctors said that the girl,who was put on life support after being hospitalized,remains in a deep coma.The girl's parents,who are migrants living in the city,are now with her. Police said the drivers of both vehicles have been arrested.However,the apathy of the bystanders shown in the video has shocked the public,as Internet forums have seethed with anger, and people are questioning the morality of society. High moral standards were once triumphed as national pride in China where individuals known for selflessly helping others were adored by the public. But in recent years,the perception of a decline of morals has become a hot topic as profit and materialism are perceived to be affecting society's values. On Sept.2 an 88-year-old man in central China collapsed,his face striking the pavement.Yet,no one came to his aid,and he ended up choking to death on the blood from his nose. Some have linked the absence of good Samaritans to a previous case in which a man trying to help an elderly woman who fell was accused of harming her. A strong chorus of opinion on the Internet says laws should exempt Samaritans from liability ,yet laws themselves cannot solve society's morality dilemma. Cao Lin,a China Youth Daily commentator,said in a signed article published on Monday that the worry of liability should not be an excuse for not helping,and this case exposes the decline of humanity in Chinese society. According to Cao Lin,what is the fundamental reason for not helping the girl? Answer: The decline of humanity in society. This dictionary tells you about English words and how to use them in reading, writing and speaking English. It not only gives the meaning of words, it can also help you with spelling, word building, grammar and pronunciation. To use your dictionary correctly, you need to understand how the dictionary works. At the front of the book, you will find some exercises to help you make the most use of your dictionary. If you look up the word "colour", you will find two spellings for this word. "Colour" is used in British English, while "color" is used in American English. When such a thing happens, the dictionary shows it with the word "BrE" for British English and "AmE" for American English. The dictionary also helps you pronounce words correctly. It uses a special alphabet to show pronunciation. If you turn to the inside back face, you will see all the phonetic letters with some words to show you how they are pronounced. Just have a look at this page when you're not sure how to say a word. The most important reason for using a dictionary is to find out the meaning of a word--its _ . In this dictionary, the definitions have been written using only 2000 words. This means that the definitions of even the most difficult words are simply explained and easy to understand. According to the passage, "neighbor" is used in _ English. Answer: American We would probably all be amazed if we watched a videotape of ourselves performing basically unconscious acts as we go about the business of the day. These unconscious acts consist of all the little personal habits that we don't even think about, but definitely should. These are some of the things that present an image of who we are to others, and if we are careless in performing them, this image may well be other than we would like it to be. Parents who insist that their children practice good manners and habits at home are doing them a great service, for these habits then become lifelong and the natural way they do things. It proves true that their unconscious actions will reflect a well-mannered person. People who, for example, eat with both arms on the table at home will likely do so when out. Those who are lazy and slow in private will certainly be so in public. Children who are permitted to be disrespectful to their parents will follow suit with other adults, and will, most likely, become adults who are disrespectful of others. This is an area where the saying "practice makes perfect" may be applied. There is an article about the actress, Audrey Hepburn, known for her beautiful carriage and posture. According to her biographer, her grandmother tied her neck to the back of her chair, at table, so that she would not drop down suddenly over her food, but rather would learn to put only small amounts of food on her spoon or fork and bring them to her mouth. This is a rather extreme "at home" method for the development of erect posture, but it does illustrate the effectiveness of practicing good habits so that, when in public, they are instinctive. Which of the following expresses the main idea of the passage? Answer: We should always be aware of our manners. This summer Frank and his friends went to Boy Scout camp for two weeks. At camp they had lots of fun activities like swimming, wood carving, and telling ghost stories. At camp there weren't any restaurants or grocery stores, so for food they would have to make their own meals. One thing they could do is make peanut butter sandwiches, which every scout was given at the start of camp. But pretty soon everyone was sick of peanut butter sandwiches and wanted to eat something else instead. Some boys went out into the forest and picked out berries and roots that were safe to eat. Some boys even took out the boat and went fishing. They came back with a big fish that they cleaned and cooked themselves. At first, Frank's mom was very worried about letting Frank go to camp. She was worried that he could get lost in the woods and be eaten by a bear. She was worried that he might get into a fight with the other boys. She was even worried that he wouldn't shower or take a bath for the whole two weeks. But Frank's scout masters explained to Frank's mom that the camp leaders were very serious about taking care of the campers and that everything would be perfectly safe for Frank. Frank promised to call home at least every two days. So in the end Frank's mom let Frank go to camp. Which of the following was a camp activity. Answer: Telling ghost stories.
Wake Up,Sleep Gene 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 crawl back into bed and sleep. 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 affects 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 number 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.That's the time when truck drivers and other night-shift workers say they have the most trouble concentrating. After the first round of experiments,participants were finally allowed to sleep.People in the group that performed well on the tests took about 18 minutes to nod off. People with the long period 3 genes,by contrast,fell asleep in just 8 minutes.They also spent more time in dip sleep.That suggests that people with the long form of the gene need more and deeper sleep to keep their brains working at top form. I think I must have the long form of period 3.What about you? Why did the writer suppose he or she had a long form of period 3? A Because the writer could remain energetic without enough sleep. B Because the writer could do things correctly at dawn. C Because the writer needed more sleep to keep energetic D Because the writer recovered quickly after sleep. Answer: C. Because the writer needed more sleep to keep energetic It's cool, it's hot, and everyone is doing it. People talk about _ often,and friends tell other friends how good they look. Sound like a fashion? It's actually trend : "blog". What's a blog? A blog is a personal online diary. The word "blogger" means a person who writes diaries online. Many bloggers are teens who've been logging onto sites to talk about anything in their lives. Many of today's teenagers are not afraid to openly discuss everything in their lives. Teens complain about parents and homework. They share diaries, post songs from the latest bands and show pictures of theirs. They write their own poems , say something about their girlfriends or boyfriends and complain to each other or offer support. But mostly they just write down what they do every day. However, many parents are afraid of these young bloggers. Parents see the kids talking about how they got drunk last weekend and how they don't like studying. They are using language that is surprising to their parents. Besides hearing from their friends, teen bloggers also get messages from strangers. Most of the time, it's older men asking to meet teenage girls. "These strange men are dangerous for my kids. They sometimes teach my kids bad words," said Cara Cabral, a mother of two. Many teens and young adults know it's not safe to use blogs on the Internet. They know they are putting information about themselves in a place they can be seen by anyone. But teens are unlikely to give up these new communication tools that have become a way of life for many of them. Are you a blogger? What do you think of the blog? According to this passage, teen bloggers mostly _ . A complain about parents and homework B share diaries and show pictures of theirs C offer support to each other D write down what they do every day Answer: D. write down what they do every day Genetically modified plants with new characteristics have been produced through genetic engineering methods. What impacts have resulted from the use of genetically modified plants? A decreases in farm production B decreases in corn, soybean, cottonseed, and canola oils C increases in time required to plant, grow, and harvest crops D increases in resistance to herbicides, insects, and viral diseases Answer: D. increases in resistance to herbicides, insects, and viral diseases From Japan to Indonesia, a certain kind of pop culture is very hot. But it doesn't come from Hollywood--it's Hallyu , the wave of Korean pop culture that has washed over Asia. It has influenced everything from music to television. And thanks to the Internet and social media, it's now spreading worldwide. South Korea produces all types of entertainment, the most popular being music, soap operas and films. What makes Hallyu so hot in Asia? One reason is that its products are of high quality and much cheaper than western products. Another reason is that eastern cultures are similar to each other, although there are language differences. Korean pop music, or "K-pop", ranks the first everywhere. Fans love the songs and the attractive stars. Companies like SM Entertainment, JYP Entertainment and YG Entertainment help many K-pop stars, such as Super Junior, Big Bang and Rain, to succeed. They are not only popular in Asia but also enjoy popularity in the West. In 2011, Big Bang's mini-album Tonight reached the top 10 on U.S. Tunes Top Pop Albums. When SM Entertainment took their 2010 world tour to Los Angeles, only 30 percent of the 15,000 fans were Korean. Half of the audience wasn't even Asian! One important reason for the success of Hallyu is simply the Internet. A little more than 10 years ago, Korean soap operas, movies and music reached the outside world quite slowly. They began in Korea, and then gradually spread outward, appearing in its neighboring countries where local TV and radio companies would play them. Now they are played around the world online at the same time. YouTube is another major way to get Korean entertainment to fans everywhere. It is an inexpensive and _ way for artists to introduce their work to a larger audience. In 2010 the YouTube channels for the top three Korean entertainment groups together had nearly 800 million views from 225 different countries. Hallyu is very hot in Asia partly because _ . A languages in Asia are similar to each other B the culture is the most fashionable in the world C South Korea's products are the cheapest in Asia D the quality of South Korea's products is high Answer: D. the quality of South Korea's products is high I was in a strange city I didn't know at all, and what's more, I could not speak a word of the language. On my second day I got on the first bus that passed, rode on it for several stops, then got off and walked on. The first two hours passed pleasantly enough, then I decided to turn back to my hotel for lunch. After walking about for some time, I decided I had better ask the way. The trouble was that the only word I knew of the language was the name of the street in which I lived, and even that I pronounced badly. I stopped to ask a newspaper-seller. He handed me a paper. I shook my head and repeated the name of the street and he put the paper into my hands. I had to give him some money and went on my way. The next person I asked was a policeman. He listened to me carefully, nodded and gently took me by the arm. There was a strange look in his eyes as he pointed left and right and left again. I nodded politely and began walking in the direction he pointed.About an hour passed and I noticed that the houses were getting fewer and fewer and green fields were appearing on either side of me. I had come all the way into the countryside. The only thing left for me to do was find the nearest railway station. In your opinion, what was the writer's real trouble? A He didn't know the city at all. B He couldn't speak the language. C He went too far in the wrong bus. D He followed the policeman's direction. Answer: B. He couldn't speak the language.
When most people turn 21, they spend too much time partying and having fun. But when Adele turned 21, she did something completely different. After going through a tough breakup , the British singer turned her pain into glory and recorded one of the most moving albums of the year. The album,21, which was _ in January, has already hit the charts in 14 countries, according to the Billboard magazine. It also noted that Adele made history as the first artist since the Beatles to have two top five singles and two top five albums in the charts at the same time (Adele's first album,19, was released in 2008. Each album is named for her age when she wrote it). Now, after touring around the world for almost a year, the DVD of her live concert, released on November 29, is Adele's latest work. Having topped the pre-order list ofAmazon. comfor over a month already, this one seems set to stay on top for a while. Born in north London, Adele sang her way up honestly: In 2006, she was signed by England's XL Recordings on the strength of a three-song demo a friend of hers had posted on MySpace;within two years she had won the BRIT Awards 'Critics' Choice prize and been tipped by the BBC as the "Sound of 2008". In 2009 she got the best new artist Grammy Award, and went on a world tour in support of the album19with a sold-out show in Los Angeles. According to Adele herself, much of the inspiration of her music comes from one single breakup. That's probably what has made the singer's success-that emotional certitude , according to Dickins. "The key to great singers is believing every single word they sing, " he said. "And I think you believe every word that comes out of Adele's mouth. You can feel her life force through her voice. " In Adele's opinion, where does her inspiration of music mainly come from? Answer: One single breakup. Mr Baker worked in a big factory. He was busy all the time and had little time to rest. One summer, he decided to go to the sea to spend his holidays. One afternoon, it was very hot. Mr Baker came into a restaurant, sat at a table and wanted to drink. Just then, an old man came up to him and said, "How do you do, sir?" "How do you do?" Mr Baker asked the old man to sit next to him. "Have you been here before?" "No, I haven't." "You look lonely, don't you?" said the old man. "Let's have a bet, shall we?" It interested Mr Baker, "But what shall we bet on?" "I can bite my left eyeball," said the old man, "I can bet you five dollars." Mr Baker didn't believe and passed $5 on the table. The old man took out his glass eyeball, put it into his mouth and bite it. Mr Baker had to give his money. "It doesn't matter young man," the old man said. "I'll give you a chance to win the money back. I can also bite my right eye. I'll bet you $10." "I'm sure he's able to see. And I must win his money," he thought. So he took out ten dollars from his wallet. But he was very surprised, the old man took out his false teeth and bit his right eye with it. Then he put the money into his pocket and went away quickly. As _ , he bet the old man ten dollars. Answer: Mr Baker didn't think him blind in both eyes My destination is the River Walk, one of the most popular places in all of Texas. In the first half of 20 century, to control flooding, the city fathers began redirecting the San Antonio River. They built a network of canals that pass through the downtown area. At nearly every street corner, stairs lead down to walkways on both sides of the canals. The River Walk is linked with cafes, bars, shops --- and, of course, plenty of bridges. You can easily cross over to the other side without having to return to the street. It's a constant party along the River Walk, with music and festivals throughout the year. The Mud Festival, for example, takes place each January, when the city empties this section of the river to clean it out. That's when the Mud King and Mud Queen are crowned. No visit to Texas would be complete without seeing a --- another aspect of this part of the country that is completely foreign to someone from New England. The announcer walks on stage and gets the crowd excited with talk about the courageous cowboys who'll be performing. While he's talking, a band plays sad songs about love gone wrong. Suddenly the announcer calls for silence. He takes off his tall hat and asks us to join him in prayer. We pray for the cowboys who are, we are told, risking their lives to entertain us, as well as for the bulls and other animals taking part in the shows. We pray for the tourists who are visiting. The rodeo gets going and the fun begins. Our prayers for the cowboys and animals are answered, and nobody gets hurt. But as we walk over to the cowboy dance hall after the show to enjoy a Texas-size barbecue, it's clear that not enough prayers were said for the bulls' less athletic relatives --- the ones not chosen for rodeo work. They'll be our meal. It seems that moving too slowly has its disadvantages, too. Which of the following words can NOT be used to describe the writer's mood? Answer: anxious Sex prejudices are based on and justified by the ideology that biology is destiny. According to this ideology, basic biological and psychological differences exist between the sexes. These differences require each sex to play a separate role in social life. Women are the weaker sex both physically and emotionally. Thus, they are naturally suited, much more so than men, to the performance of domestic duties. A woman's place, under normal circumstances, is within the protective environment of the home. Nature has determined that women play caretaker roles, such as wife and mother and homemaker. On the other hand, men are best suited to go out into the competitive world of work and politics, where serious responsibilities must be taken on. Men are to be the providers; women and children are "dependents". The ideology also holds that women who wish to work outside the household should naturally fill these jobs that are in line with the special capabilities of their sex. It is appropriate for women, not men, to be employed as nurses, social workers, elementary school teachers, house-hold helpers, clerks and secretaries. These positions are simply an extension of women's domestic role. Informal distinctions between "women's work" and "men's work" in the labor force, according to the ideology, are simply a functional reflection of the basic differences between the sexes. Finally, the ideology suggests that nature has worked her will in another significant way. For the human species to survive over time, its members must regularly reproduce. Thus, women must, whether at home or in the labor force, make the most of their physical appearances. So goes the ideology. It is, of course, not true that basic biological and psychological differences between the sexes require each to play sex-defined roles in social life. There is enough evidence that sex roles vary from society to society, and _ But to the degree people actually believe that biology is destiny and that nature intended for men and women to make different contributions to society, sex-defined roles will be seen as totally acceptable. According to the biology-is-destiny ideology, women _ . Answer: are suited more to domestic jobs than men If you want to become a fluent English speaker you should take some advice: There are four skills in learning English. They are reading, listening, speaking, and writing. The most important thing you must remember is that if you want to improve your speaking and writing skills you should first master the skills of reading and listening. Read as much as you can. But your reading must be active. It means that you must think about the meaning of the sentence, the meanings of the unfamiliar words, etc. There is no need for you to pay much attention to grammars or try to understand all the unfamiliar words you _ , but the fact that you see them for the first time and recognize them whenever you see them, for example in other passages or books, is enough. It would be better to prepare yourself a notebook so you can write down the important words or sentences in it. As for listening, there are two choices: besides reading, you can listen every day for about 30 minutes. You can only pay attention to your reading and become skillful at your reading, then you can catch up on your listening. Since you have lots of inputs in your mind, you can easily guess what the speaker is going to say. This never means that you should not practice listening. For listening you can listen to cartoons or some movies that are specially made for children. Their languages are easy. Or if you are good at listening you can listen to VOA or BBC programs every day. Again the thing to remember is being active in listening and preferably taking some notes. If you follow these pieces of advice, your speaking and writing will improve automatically, and you can be sure that with a little effort they will become perfect. According to the author, which should you improve first among the four skills? Answer: Reading and listening.
We know more about the surface of the planet Mars than we know about what is at the bottom of Earth's oceans. Until recently, scientists had mapped only about 20 percent of the sea floor. But our knowledge of the deep seas is changing because of information from satellites. Scientists have produced a new map that provides a detailed picture of the oceans. The map is expected to help oceanographers, industry and governments. The new map is twice as detailed as the map made 20 years ago. David Sandwell is a geophysics professor at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California. He and other scientists worked on the mapping project. He says they turned to space to look deeper into the ocean. He spoke to VOA on SKYPE. "The way we're doing that is to use a satellite altimeter , a radar to map the topography of the ocean surface. Now that seems sort of strange that you'd map the topography of the ocean surface when you really want to get at the sea floor. But, the ocean surface topography has these bumps and dips due to gravitational effects that mimic what's on the sea floor." The scientists collected and studied information from two satellites. Some of the data came from the European Space Agency's Cryo-2 satellite. It was placed in Earth's orbit to watch sea ice. The other satellite is the American space agency's Jason-1. It is studying the surface of the oceans. Scientists combined the satellite data with images gathered by sonar equipment on ships. Sonar works by sending sound waves through the water. When the sound waves hit an object, its presence is confirmed. "That enables us to look at smaller-scale features and also features that are buried by sediments in the ocean basins." The new map shows the sea floor as it has never been seen before. It shows thousands of underwater mountains and places where continents pulled apart. It shows where earthquakes were active many years ago. They all are buried deep underneath the ocean floor. In one place, three mountain ridges join at the same area. Huge tectonic plates can be seen clearly there. What's the best title of the passage? Scientists Create New Maps of Ocean Floor New York,London,Paris and other big cities are exciting places to live in. There are many interesting things to see and to go to. You can go to different kinds of museums,plays and films. You can also buy things from all over the world. But there are some problems in big cities too. It is expensive to live there and there are too many people in some places of big cities. Every year many people move to the cities to find jobs,to study at good schools. But sometimes these people can't find work or a good place 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 moving to a big city,they should think about the problem of living there. From the article we can see it is hard to keep the cities _ . safe and clean When looking for diet plans to gain muscle there are some great tips that can help you to ensure that you are eating to help you build the muscle that you want. Your diet is just as important as exercise when you attach importance to your diet, it can help you to reach your goal much faster. You will find that you will eat lean meat almost daily. If you eat meat each day this can help you to keep your figure. The trick with beef is to find lean cuts and this is something that can provide you with protein. Fish and turkey will also be included in the diet. Chicken has some rules and you should always eat skinless and avoid frying. Fiber is something that is not talked much about when looking for a muscle building diet, but this is basis part of the muscle building diet. Fiber has many benefits and will aid in digestion and help you to feel full. Oatmeal is a great source of fiber, but you should avoid the premade oatmeal. Fruit and vegetables contain a lot of fiber and this can also aid in weight loss if this is a problem you are working on. If you want to complete your workout more effectively, you need to make sure that you are drinking adequate amount of water each day. Your body is made up of water and you need to replenish this water source each day in order to be in the best shape. If you are completing a very intense workout, you will need to make sure that you are drinking even more water to stay hydrated . When protein is a great way for busy individuals to get the protein they need on the go. You will use soy and tofu for sources of protein if you do not eat meat and this can be a wonderful alternative. There are diet plans to gain muscle for every category. You can make minor adjustments to your diet that can have some great benefits. When you eat chicken, you should always _ . not eat chicken with skin and the fried Our listener question this week comes from Abdullahi Farah, who wants to know about the life and work of Doctor Benjamin Carson. Doctor Carson is an internationally recognized doctor at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. He has been the director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at the hospital for twenty-five years. At the age of thirty-three, he became one of the youngest doctors in the United States to hold that position. And he was the first African-American to have that position at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Ben Carson is known for his work as a brain surgeon for children. For example, in nineteen eighty-seven, he led a team of seventy doctors and nurses in an operation to separate two babies joined at the head. Earlier attempts by other on other babies had failed. Doctor Carson successfully performed the operation. Both babies were able to survive independently. Doctor Carson has written four books. His first book, "Gifted Hands," tells the story of his life. Benjamin Carson was born in nineteen fifty-one in Detroit, Michigan. As a boy, Ben was not a good student. In fact, he was the worst in his class. When his mother learned of his failing grades she asked her sons to read two library books every week. She limited the amount of time they watched television. And she told them to respect every person. Ben Carson soon became the top student in his class. He went on to study at Yale University, one of the best universities in the country, and later to medical school at the University of Michigan. Doctor Carson has received many awards and honors. Last year he received the nation's highest civilian honor. Former President George W. Bush presented Benjamin Carson with the Presidential Medal of Freedom at a ceremony at the White House. What's the aim to write the passage? To introduce Benjamin Carson's life and work Most people are writing blogs . Others are reading them. The word " blog" is a short way of saying Web log almost like QQ Zone . Many popular Web sites now offer free, easy ways to create personal Web pages and fill them with writings and pictures. Blogs offer people a place to show their writings and feelings over the Internet. They can also be helpful to connect people with others. A blog has both good and bad points, of course. People choose to write what they think in blogs, for they know that their friends will read what they write. If you are feeling sad one day and write your feelings in your blog, your friends may quickly write back to _ you or offer their help. Blogs help people keep good friendship and let them know what their friends are doing. But the problem is that anyone can read what you write in your blog. If you are not satisfied with a friend during school, and you write something bad about him in your blog, your friend read the blog and get angry. So we have to be careful of what we write. In many ways, a blog and a diary are almost the same. So what makes a blog different from a diary? The biggest difference is that a blog is more public than a diary. Why do you have to be careful of what you write? Because anyone can read your blog.
Question: Harry is eight years old. He goes to school near his home. He always goes there and comes home on foot. One day he came home from school late. His mother saw him and asked him, "Why were you late, Harry?" "My teacher was very angry and asked you to go to her office tomorrow." "To her office? Why?" his mother asked. "Because she asked a question in the class." said Harry. "Nobody could answer it, but I could. " "You are so clever, my son. " his mother said with a smile." What is her question?". Her question is "Who put the tomato on my chair and made my trousers dirty?" said Harry. The teacher asked Harry's mother to school because _ A. Harry is eight B. Harry goes to school an foot C. Harry's home is near D. Harry made her angry Answer: D Question: Do you like football? If so, you can read the following passage and find that it is interesting. In almost every big university in the United States, football is a favorite sport. American football is different. Players sometimes kick the ball, but they also throw the ball and run with it. They try to take it to the other end of the field. They have four chances to move the ball ten yards . They can carry it or they can throw it. If they move the ball ten yards, they can try to move it another ten yards. If they move it to the end of the field, they receive six points. It is difficult to move the ball. Eleven men on the other team try to stop the man with the ball. If he does not move the ball ten yards, his team kicks the ball the other team. Each university wants its own team to win. Many thousands of people come to watch. They all shout for their favorite team. Young men and women come on the field to help the people shout more. They dance and jump while they shout. Each team plays ten or eleven games each season. The season begins in September and ends in November. If a team is very good, it may play another game after the season ends. The best teams play again on January 1, the first day of the New Year. Many people go to see these games and many others watch them on TV. Why is it difficult to move the ball? Because _ . A. ten yards is a long way B. many men on the other team try not to let the ball come near C. the playing field is very large D. eleven men have to catch the ball one by one Answer: B Question: Look at this. It's a pencil case. It's orange. It's my pencil case. What's in it? Look, this is a pen. It's black. This is a pencil. It's red. And this is a pencil, too. It's yellow. This is an eraser. It's blue and white. My pencil case is big and nice. I like it. ,. _ is blue and white. A. The pencil case B. The it C. The pen D. The eraser Answer: D Question: A student poured water into a plastic tray. The student then put the tray into the freezer. What property of the water changed as the water froze? A. The water became a gas. B. The mass of water increased. C. The water took a definite shape. D. The flavor of the water changed. Answer: C Question: Proudly reading my words, I glanced around the room, only to find my classmates with big smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes. Confused, I glanced toward my stone-faced teacher. Having no choice, I slowly raised the report I had worked on, hoping to hide myself. "What could be causing everyone to act this way?" Quickly, I flashed back to the day Miss Lancelot gave me the task. This was the first real task I received in my new school. It seemed simple: go on the Internet and find information about a man named George Washington. Since my idea of history came from an ancient teacher in my home country, I had never heard of that name before. As I searched for the name of this fellow, it became obvious that there were two people with the same name who looked completely different! One invented hundreds of uses for peanuts, while the other led army across America. I stared at the screen, wondering which one my teacher meant. I called my grandfather for a golden piece of advice: flip a coin. Heads--the commander, and tails--the peanuts guy. Ah! Tails, my report would be about the great man who invented peanut butter, George Washington Carver.Weeks later, standing before this unfriendly mass, I was totally lost. Oh well, I lowered the paper and sat down at my desk, burning to find out what I had done wrong. As a classmate began his report, it all became clear, "My report is on George Washington, the man who started the American Revolution." The whole world became quiet! How could I know that she meant that George Washington? Obviously, my grade was terrible. Heartbroken but fearless, I decided to turn this around. I talked to Miss Lancelot, but she insisted: No re-dos; no new grade. I felt that the punishment was not justified, and I believed I deserved a second chance. At last, I worked very hard for the rest of the school year. Ten months later, that chance came as I found myself sitting in the headmaster's office with my grandfather, now having a completely different conversation. I smiled and flashed back to the embarrassing moment at the beginning of the year as the headmaster informed me of my chance to skip the sixth grade. Justice is sweet! Why was the author confused about the task? A. He was unfamiliar with American history. B. He followed the advice and flipped a coin. C. He forgot his teacher's instruction. D. He didn't know why the teacher gave such a task. Answer: A
For those who make journeys across the world, the speed of travel today has turned the countries into a series of villages.Distances between them appear no greater to a modern traveler than those which once faced men as they walked from village to village. Jet planes fly people from one end of the earth to the other, allowing them a freedom of movement undreamt of a hundred years ago. Yet some people wonder if the revolution in travel has gone too far. A price has been paid, they say, for the conquest of time and distance. _ . The boat offers leisure and time enough to appreciate the ever-changing sights and sounds of a journey. A journey by train also has a special charm about it. Lakes and forests and wild, open plains sweeping past your carriage window create a grand view in which time and distance mean nothing. On board a plane, however, there is just the blank blue of the sky filling the narrow window of the airplane. The soft lighting, in-flight films and gentle music make up the only world you know, and the hours progress slowly. Then there is the time spent being "processed" at a modern airport. People are conveyed like robots along walkways; baggage is weighed, tickets produced, examined and produced yet again before the passengers move to another waiting area. Journeys by rail and sea take longer, yes, but the hours devoted to being "processed" at departure and arrival in airports are luckily absent. No wonder, then, that the modern high-speed trains are winning back passengers from the airlines. Man, however, is now a world traveler and cannot turn his back on the airplane. The working lives of too many people depend upon it; whole new industries have been built around its design and operation. The holiday maker, too, with limited time to spend, patiently endures the busy airports and limited space of the flight to gain those extra hours and even days, relaxing in the sun. speed controls people's lives; time saved, in work or play, is the important thing--or so we are told. Perhaps those first horsemen, riding free across the wild, open plains, were enjoying a better world than the one we know today. They could travel at will, and the clock was not their master. What is the main idea of the passage? A. Air travel benefits people and industries. B. Train Travel has some advantages over air travel. C. Great changes have taken place in modern travel. D. The high speed of air travel is gained at a cost. Answer: D. The high speed of air travel is gained at a cost. Aava Whistler Hotel Star Ratings: Location: Whistler Rooms:192 Stay at the Aava Whistler Hotel (formerly Coast Whistler Hotel) and experience a great vacation. The Aava Whistler Hotel is within minutes from over a hundred shopping malls and restaurants. It also has a great number of recreational facilities,including swimming,diving and even skiing. Hotel services include 24-hour reception,laundry and room service. Guests can stay in cozy rooms equipped with air-conditioning, bathroom and television. From CN Y=496 per night. Best Western Cairn Croft Hotel Star Ratings: Location: East Lundy's Lane Room:l66 Relax and unwind at the Best Western Cairn Hotel. This resort-style hotel is located just minutes from the airport. At the Best Western Cairn Croft, guests can enjoy a large number of recreational facilities,including children's activities, sightseeing and a swimming pool. Business travelers can also take advantage of spacious meeting and banqueting facilities for hosting corporate events. All rooms come with basic amenities . From CNY=439 per night. Clarion Hotel&Suites Downtown Montreal Star Ratings: Location:Montreal Rooms:266 Conveniently located just 20 minutes from the airport, the Clarion Hotel&Suite Downtown Montreal is a moderately-priced three-star hotel that provides services to both business and leisure travelers. The Clarion has spacious meeting facilities and modern business centers for business travelers. It also has a sauna and whirlpool where guest can relax. All rooms come with basic amenities, including cable TV and a kitchenette. From CNY=553 per night. Delta Bow Valley Hotel Star Ratings: Location:Calgary Rooms:398 The Delta Bow Valley Hotel is located a couple of blocks north of Olympic Plaza, east of James Short Park, and north-east of the Petro-Canada Centre. Apart from business and recreational services such as a business centre,fitness centre and restaurant, all rooms in the Delta come with a mini bar and in-house movies. From CNY=l,227 per night. If you want to check in to a hotel at three o'clock in the morning you can stay at A. Aava Whistler Hotel B. Best Western Cairn Croft Hotel C. Clarion Hotel&Suites Downtown Montreal D. Delta Bow Valley Hotel Answer: A. Aava Whistler Hotel SHE dresses in saggy pants and is crazy about the pop star, Rain. Bin Xue is in love with South Korean culture. The 19-year-old from Sichuan Province feels a strong connection with the neighbouring country. "The two nations have a long history of friendship and there are many similarities between them," she said. "But Koreans are iron-willed, and we could learn this quality from them." Bin is not the only Chinese deeply affected by Korean culture. A recent survey shows that most Chinese teenagers think highly of their eastern neighbour. However, Koreans do not view the Chinese in the same good light. In a recent survey, only 5.5 per cent of Korean teens thought the Chinese people friendly. The survey among high school students in China, Japan, South Korea and the United States, was conducted in 156 high schools. More than 7,000 teenagers were questioned on success, family, their self-identity , as well as their opinions about the world at large. Results showed that most Korean teens gave a low score to the Chinese for patriotism , responsibility and honesty. In their eyes, Chinese people are not hard-working and don't obey the rules. "The result is surprising, but it does reflect a real information gap between teenagers in the two countries," said Lei Li, a psychology professor from the Capital Normal University. Experts say that Chinese students' positive feelings about South Korea were a result of the booming popularity of Korean pop music. Korean movies and TV series have flooded China. And 73 per cent of the Chinese respondents said they watched Korean TV serials and cartoons. On the other hand, Lei added, Korean teenagers don't have much access to China. The survey found that only 6.7 per cent of Korean students have ever read Chinese books or news magazines or watch Chinese TV programmes.1 Professor Lei thinks that Chinese teens should give themselves a better basis for appreciating the cultures of their neighbours. It's not enough to simply enjoy their music, TV and fashion sense. "The survey shows that Chinese teens should make friends with their foreign peers . They shouldn't judge other countries by their media alone," said Lei. Luo Xi'er, 17, from Hunan Province, hopes Chinese people can improve their image. "In my opinion, it is the bad behaviour of Chinese tourists which has destroyed our image abroad," she said. The girl has read several online articles in which Koreans put Chinese tourists' bad manners under the spotlight. "I would like to go to South Korea some day and show them that most Chinese are good-mannered." According to professor Lei, _ . A. Chinese teens should not enjoy the pop music of South Korea B. Chinese teens should help Korean peers learn more about China C. we should prevent Korean movies and TV series from flooding in China D. we should have a better understanding of Korean peers Answer: B. Chinese teens should help Korean peers learn more about China Make the most of college Dear Daughter, As we drove off from Columbia, I wanted to write a letter to you to tell you all that is on my mind. First, I want to tell you how proud we are. Getting into Columbia is a real testament of what a great well-rounded student you are. You should be as proud of yourself as we are. Your college years will be the most important of your life. It is in college that you will discover what learning is about. This will be the period where you go from teacher-taught to master-inspired, after which you must become self-learner. So do take each subject seriously, and even if what you learn isn't critical for your life, the learning skills you acquire will be something you will cherish forever. Follow your passion in college. Take courses you think you will enjoy. Don't be trapped by what others think or say, but make up your own mind. Most importantly, make friends and be happy. College friends are often the best in life. Pick a few friends and become really close to them - pick the ones who are genuine to you. Don't worry about their hobbies, grades, looks or even personalities. Start planning early - what would you like to do? Where would you like to live? What would you like to learn? I think your plan to study fashion is good, and you should decide where you want to be, and get onto the right courses. Whether it is summer-planning, or coursework planning, or picking a major, or managing your time, you should take control of your life. I will always be there for you, but the time has come for you to be in the driver's seat - this is your life, and you need to be in control. Being in control feels great. Try it, and you'll love it! College is the four years where you have: l The greatest amount of free time l the first chance to be independent l the most flexibility to change l the lowest risk for making mistakes So please treasure your college years - make the best of your free time, become an independent thinker in control of your destiny, be to experiment, learn and grow through your successes and challenges. May your years at Columbia be the happiest of your life, and may you blossom into just what you dream to be. Love, Dad (&Mom) What does the author advise his daughter to do in college? _ A. Plan everything. B. Party with friends in her free time. C. Ignore what others think or say. D. Treasure and make the best of her college years. Answer: D. Treasure and make the best of her college years. "My dream has come true.I have always wanted to be a Grand Slam champion." These are the words of the Chinese tennis player Li Na after she became the first Asian woman to win the Australian Open final on Jan.25th.2014. "People were saying I'm getting old.So this is a great success for such an old woman." the 32-year-old girl joked. Miss Li has a tattoo . She has dyed her hair many different color1s.And, at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, she told her fans to "shut up" when they got too noisy in their support. Li Na was born in Wuhan.She started to play tennis at the age of 6.She once recalled: "As a child. I suffered a lot because every day I had to wake up early to practice.After school I had to practice more.I didn't have time to play." Luckily, the strong girl didn't give up. thus making history for Chinese tennis time after time.Now the new champion is already thinking about winning another Grand Slam title."When you have one title, surely you will think about another," she says. not hiding her ambition. "Chinese people are so lacking in confidence on the tennis court.If there is a person like me who can prove we Chinese can do it, the other young players in China will feel the same." she said. We can learn from the passage that _ . A. Li Na is always impatient with her fans B. Li Na is an old girl C. Li Na is a fashionable girl D. Li Na is a girl without ambition Answer: C. Li Na is a fashionable girl
I'm Tom. My best friends are John and Ann. We do many things together. John lives near my house and we are in the same class. He's fifteen years old and he's tall and slim. He has blond hair and blue eyes. He's polite and very clever. He's very good at math and he sometimes helps me with my homework. He usually wears jeans and a T-shirt. We also play basketball at a nearby park together and sometimes we play video games at my house after school. Our friend Ann isn't in our school. She's short and slim with straight brown hair and brown eyes. She's a little bit shy. We all have kung fu lesson every Tuesday and Friday afternoon. Ann is really good at kung fu. We call her the "kung fu kid". She sometimes plays basketball with us, too. She often wears a dress, a T-shirt and a baseball cap. The three of us have great fun together. What do the three children do together? Answer: Play basketball The crust, the mantle, and the core are structures of Earth. Which description is a feature of Earth's mantle? Answer: has properties of both liquids and solids It would be very exciting to be a reporter on a newspaper. As soon as a reporter's boss gives him a story to write, the reporter is on the job. He keeps his mind on what he is going to do. He does not begin writing the story until he knows what he should find out. He must know why he should write the story. At times a reporter must search hard to find all of the facts he needs for a story. The facts may not be right under his nose. To find the facts, he has to recognize important details. While gathering information for a story, he asks himself questions:Should I use this information? Is this an important fact? A reporter writes the story as fast as he can, so it can go right away into the newspaper. The story also needs a headline, which tells very quickly what the news story is about and is printed bigger and blacker than the rest of the news story. Every big newspaper has many reporters,because many stories are needed in the newspaper. Would you like to be one? A reporter writes the story as fast as possible because _ . Answer: he wants it to go into the newspaper quickly Do you enjoy reading? Do you read newspapers or magazines? Chances are, if you do any of these activities, your pre-school child is on his way to becoming a reader. The process of learning to read is complex, and one of the most important things to know is that parents can help their children learn to read. As children have conversations with adults, they hear both new and familiar words and their vocabulary grows. There are many opportunities for adults and children to talk together, such as when riding in the car or in a bus, doing housework like fixing dinner, or bathing and getting ready for bed. A major part of conversation is listening. When children talk, adults listen and respond. Then children listen and respond, and so the flow of conversation happens. Have you watched you pre-school child pretend to read to his younger sisters or brothers? Have you read his favorite story over and over? These experiences tell children that reading is fun. And when things are fun and they are repeated, your child will see letters. He begins to connect them to familiar words, especially the letters that make up his name. A natural next step for him to take is to write the letters. When children see parents make a grocery list, they want to use a pencil and paper to make their own list. To encourage these beginning writing activities, have pencils, markers, crayons and scrap paper within your children's reach. The more children get connected with talking, listening, reading and writing, the easier it is for them to become active readers. While you as a parent have a big influence on these early behaviors, it is important to remember that opportunities for literacy experiences happen when you and your child share in the basic routines of everyday life. When do children want to learn to write? Answer: When they can connect letters with familiar words. Hot yoga is not terribly different from regular yoga. You will do the same poses and will need a yoga mat. However, the catch is that the temperature will be at least 100 degrees Fahrenheit and sometimes higher. The heat is what makes this type of yoga not for everyone. Regardless of your overall health, talk to your doctor before taking a hot yoga class and let your doctor know that you plan to take one. I personally cannot do hot yoga due to a condition that is greatly worsened by temperature extremes, so I am an example of someone who cannot do this form of exercise. I do regular yoga just fine, but the temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit would be severely uncomfortable and possibly dangerous. The climate is said to help with muscle flexibility and you will sweat like there is no tomorrow-- which is believed to force out more toxins .It is important to keep in mind that even if you are in good health, the high temperatures can take some getting used to. You may want to start with a shorter class and work your way up. You will be sweating greatly in hot yoga temperatures. Drink plenty of water before, during and after your class. It is also important to pay attention to your body. If you are feeling very tired, it is time to sit down and get some water. You should also remove yourself from the hot environment, but not into a very cold environment. For example, just go into a hallway--a place that is at a normal temperature and start to drink some water. Things like heat stroke are possible with this type of yoga. These issues are most often seen in those over 60 years of age, but younger people with chronic health problems are also at risk. Anyone can fall victim to heat stroke. Children are also especially vulnerable to heat stroke, so leave the kids at home while you attend your yoga class. If during class you ever start to feel bad or weak, immediately stop and tell your instructor so that he or she can get you help. Do not try to finish the class. Hot yoga is different from regular yoga in _ . Answer: its temperature
Susan was very happy to get some money from her grandmother. She spent all morning at her grandmother's house doing chores for her. Grandmother was getting older, and sometimes she needed help with small things around the house. The first thing that Susan did was clean the big window in her house. It was afternoon and the sun was shining, but it was hard to tell because the window was so dirty! Susan used water and soap to clean the window. It was very clean when she was finished. Next, she swept the front porch. She put all of the dirt and leaves into a big bin in the front yard. That was a lot of work. Susan was going back in the house for lunch when she saw that the light in the hall was out. She asked her grandmother to show her where the light bulbs were at so that she could change it. Since she was so short she had to get a stool to stand on. Her grandmother stood by to make sure she didn't fall. This was her last job of the day. After all of her hard work her grandmother made her a ham sandwich with no cheese. Susan did not like cheese. Then her grandmother gave her five dollars for helping. This was a whole dollar more than she got the last time! What job did Susan complete last? Answer: Molly and her friend Jessica liked to play hide and go seek in the woods. They would almost always play in the woods behind Molly's house. They liked to play there because of the giant trees, which were more fun to play in at nighttime. One evening, after a big meal of chicken and potatoes at Molly's house the girls went outside to play hide and go seek. They almost turned back because they thought they saw a wolf. Luckily, it ended up being a shadow from an old boot. Jessica counted to fifty to give Molly time to hide. In the middle of counting, Jessica heard a sound! Jessica opened up her eyes to see Molly had found a puppy! The puppy had a bell on its collar, so the girls knew it must belong to someone. They carried the puppy back to Molly's house instead of playing hide and go seek. As soon as they got to Molly's front door, Molly's neighbor saw them and screamed with joy. The puppy ran over to Molly's neighbor and licked her face. The neighbor thanked the two girls by giving them each a folded five dollar bill. The girls were very excited that they helped save the day! Where did the girls play hide and go seek? Answer: People were hanging out of their apartment windows screaming down at me,"Just give up,you fool! You'll never make it with that little bike."I kept telling them repeatedly,"All I have is this three-wheeled tricycle."I kept tipping to the side,but I kept my balance and ignored the people who were making fun of me. Then at one point a man left his home and ran out into the middle of the street. "This bike will take forever at the speed you're going!" He continued screaming words of discouragement right in my face. I replied,"I must push forward;I must get to the finish line! " I held on as tightly as possible and rode straight ahead with great determination. I had unshakable faith that I would make it! I also knew it did not matter how long it would take,because I knew it was worth it. At that point,the dream came to an abrupt end I got up and remembered the dream very clearly. I also remembered that the night before I was feeling discouraged -- but now I felt happy and peaceful, and my spirit felt alive with hope. I think we've all been given small tricycles as adults,and we struggle to balance our lives down the dark,narrow streets of mortality . I now consider the tricycle to be my three wheels of hope. The dream has given me courage and hope that I will finish the race inch by inch. I know I must never give up,but press forward always. What state was the writer in before having the dream? Answer: We often use the words growth and development as if they meant essentially the same thing. But this may not always be the case. One can easily imagine instances in which a country has achieved higher levels of income (growth) with little or no benefit coming to most of its citizens (development). In the past, most development policies were aimed increasing the growth rate of income per capita. Many still are, based on the theory that benefits of economic growth will come to all members of society. If this theory is correct, growth should promote development. By the early 1970s, however, the relationship between growth and development was being questioned. A major study by the World Bank in 1974 concluded that it is now clear that more than a decade of rapid growth in underdeveloped countries has been of little benefit to a third of their population. The World Bank study indicated that increases in GNP per capita did not promise important improvements in such development indicators as nutrition, health, and education. Although GNP per capita did indeed rise, its benefits come down to only a small part of the population. This realization gave rise to a call for new development policies. These new policies favored agriculture over industry, called for domestic redistribution of income and wealth, and encouraged programs to satisfy such basic needs as food and shelter. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the international macroeconomic crises of high oil prices, worldwide recession, and third world debt forced attention away from programs designed to get rid of poverty. However, the lesson remains: economic growth does not promise economic development. Efforts may be required to change growing output capacity into economic benefits that reach most of a nation's people. As to the relationship between growth and development, what can we infer from the passage? Answer: Once upon a time there was a monster . He was very ugly and had no friends. No one wanted to talk to him. Even other monsters thought he was ugly. He lived alone and was very unhappy because he was so lonely. "I wish I had a friend." He said to himself every day, "One friend would be enough. Someone to talk to." He wrote a letter to a magazine. The magazine gave people advice. "Dear Editor," he wrote, "I am a ugly monster. How can I find a friend?" "Dear monster," the Editor replied, "Advertise for a friend in this magazine." The monster wrote an advertisement. "Monster wants a friend, male or female. I have two heads, four arms, six legs and three tails. I have one blue eye, one green eye and one brown eye. Smoke comes out of my nose. But I am really a kind monster and will be a good friend to someone. If you would like to meet me, please stand outside Blake's Store at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 7th. Write to Mr. A, Box 45, everybody's Magazine." A few days later he went to the magazine. "Do you have any letters for Box 45?" he asked. The clerk looked in Box 45. "Yes, there is one." She said, and gave it to him. The monster opened the letter, and read, "Dear Monster, I think a person's character is more important than his appearance. I will wait outside Blake's Store on Friday. Please carry a flower so that I will recognize you. Yours sincerely, Miss Alice Thwaite." What was strange about Miss Thwaite's letter? Answer:
Ann leased commercial property to Brenda for a period of 10 years. The lease contained the following provision: "No subleasing or assignment will be permitted unless with the written consent of the lessor." One year later, Brenda assigned all interest in the lease to Carolyn, who assumed and agreed to perform the lessee's obligations under the terms of the lease. Ann learned of the assignment and wrote to Brenda that she had no objection to the assignment to Carolyn and agreed to accept rent from Carolyn instead of Brenda Thereafter, Carolyn paid rent to Ann for a period of five years. Carolyn then defaulted and went into bankruptcy. In an appropriate action, Ann sued Brenda for rent due. If Ann loses, it will be because there was Answer: a novation. The other day I heard a few local musicians talking: "I hate all the terrible pianos in this town. I hate that rubbish they play on the radio. They can't even understand a bit of music." "I'm never playing in that club again. Too many drunks and nobody listens to us." But, one younger musician said, "There are a few clubs that book my band a few nights a month, and I'm trying to find other places to play. I'm also looking to book a few summer festivals this year." I've heard that you are the average of the five people whom you spend the most time with, or to put it another way, you are who your friends are. Attitudes are important. Whether they're positive or negative, they're rubbing off on you. If you're around people who complain about lack of work and about other musicians, or blame others, and you play the role of victim , chances are you will start to as well. So it's time to take a look at the people you call "friends". This is an easy exercise: Make a list of the people who you hang out with, and simply stop spending time with the negative people on your list. Set a new standard for yourself and don't become friends with people who fall below that standard. Keep successful people around you and your own chances for success will be much better. Ask them how they do it. Ask if they will help you get the work you're looking for, or maybe give you some advice to help you on your career path. Which of the following would be the best title for this passage? Answer: You are who your friends are During my early twenties, to make my parents stop feeling angry, and simply to escape, I decided to live in my birthplace for a period of time, something I'd sworn I would never do. My parents were thrilled. They prayed that I'd come back triumphantly with a picture-perfect bridegroom. That was the furthest thing from my mind as I packed my faded jeans, tank tops, boots, and a photo of my freckle-faced then-boyfriend who was of Scottish descent. The moment I landed in Seoul, I was aware of how much I felt like a misfit. All my life I had tried to blend into the dominant culture and couldn't. And finally, when I was in a place where everyone looked like me, I still stood out. I took it for granted that I'd feel a sense of freedom. I thought I'd blend into the landscape. This was not the case. People stared at me with curious eyes. I became conscious of my American-girl swaggering body movements and inappropriate dress. Collecting my courage, I traveled to the demilitarized zone on my own. I touched the high barbed-wire fence that stretched across the belly of the peninsula , dividing Korea in half. I visited thousand-year-old temples and magnificent palace gates that had survived modernization and centuries of battle. I met with distant cousins who welcomed me with outstretched arms into their homes and related heroic tales about my mother and Halmoni (Grandmother) during the war. How Halmoni had led her young children out of north to the United Nation-backed south. How my mother, at the age of thirteen, saved the life of her baby sister. I listened with such an overwhelming thirst that when I returned to the States a year and a half later, I began to ask my parents and Halmoni (who had immigrated to the States some time after we did) all about the past. The past was no longer a time gone by, a dead weight. I now saw that it held ancient treasures. And the more I dug and discovered, the more I felt myself being steered toward a future I had never imagined for myself. I began to write. I didn't even know I could write. My family helped me knit stories into a book using Halmoni's voice. As her powerful words moved through me I was able to reflect and meditate on the ridiculous life I had fashioned for myself. I could feel my sense of self rising. This sparked a newfound awareness and excitement. I became a spokeswoman on Korean culture, traveling to various college campuses across the country. "Be proud. Embrace your heritage." I said to young Korean American students wearing extra-large, trendy sportswear. But the whole time I was lecturing, I had very little understanding of what that self-concept meant. I was merely talking the talk. I hadn't yet fully embraced my own identity. Which statement most closely parallels the author's conclusion about knowledge of the past? Answer: It can help individuals attain deeper self-concept. On April 24th, another natural disaster-the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, happened. Millions of dollars have been used to help stop the spill and to clean up the animals, beaches, and land spoiled by the oil. Unfortunately, when many of these chemicals are used, more damage is caused to the environment, especially to lives in the sea. But governments seem to accept the _ of transporting mil-lions of tons of oil by ship every day so that we can fill up our cars and drive around and cause even more environmental damage. Interestingly, the biggest companies in the world produce cars, and the next biggest supply the gasoline to make them run. Of all of today's environmental disasters, an oil spill may actually be one of the least serious. Although oil is poisonous, it is a natural material. In the end, it breaks down naturally. In 1967 the tanker Torrey Canyon sank off the Scilly Isles near the coast of England and spilled 120,000 tons of oil into the ocean. If you go there today, you will find it hard to see any sign that it ever happened. However, we should be thinking more about reducing our dependency on oil. Governments should be encouraging research into new technologies, such as cars run by solar power, electricity, hydro-gen, and so on. Much of this research, in the past, was stopped by the oil, gas, and coal. If the world's millions of cars were 10% more efficient ,we would need many fewer tankers crossing the oceans each year. If this happened, the risks of oil spills would be reduced, and the air we breathe would be cleaner and fresher, too. What is the passage mainly talking about? Answer: Oil spills pollution. A major earthquake rocked Haiti at 4:53 pm local time on Jan.12, 2010, killing possibly thousands of people but no official figure has been released so far. The quake, which struck about 15km (10 miles) south-west of the capital, Port-au-Prince, was quickly followed by two strong aftershocks. In the space of a minute, numerous buildings fell down. A five-story U.N. building was also brought down by the 7.3 magnitude quake, the most powerful to hit Haiti in more than 200 years according to the U.S. Geological Survey. As night fell, the whole city is in total darkness. You can see thousands of people sitting in the streets with nowhere to go. There are people running, crying, screaming. Describing the earthquake as a "catastrophe", Haiti's president said the cost of the damage could run into billions. Haiti became the first independent Caribbean state in the early 19th century. Haiti's location, history and attracting climate once made it a tourist hot place. However, decades of poverty, environmental pollution and violence have left it as the poorest nation in the Americas. It has suffered a lot, including four hurricanes and storms in 2008 that killed hundreds. Which statement about Haiti is NOT true? Answer: Haiti is a country where such strong quacks often take place.
Claude Monet was born on November 14, 1840, in Paris, but he spent most of his childhood in Le Havre, a city of southern France. By the time he was fifteen Monet had become popular as a caricaturist . Through an exhibition of his drawings at a local frame shop in 1858, Monet met the French landscape painter Eugene Louis Boudin, who introduced Monet to outdoor painting, an activity that soon became his life's work. By 1859 Monet had committed himself to a career as an artist and began to spend as much time in Pairs as possible. During the 1860s he met Edouard Manet. With other ambitious French painters, they formed the impressionist school. Working outside, Monet painted simple landscapes and he began to have some success. As his style developed, however, Monet broke one traditional artistic convention after another. His experiments with bright color1 became more and more daring, and he seemed to cut himself off from the possibility of a successful career as a conventional painter supported by the art establishment. In 1874 Monet and his colleagues decided to organize their own exhibition. They called themselves independents, but the press soon labeled them impressionists because one of Monet's paintings had borne the title Impression: Sunrise. Then the name stuck. By the mid-1880s , Monet , generally regarded as the leader of the impressionist school, had achieved significant recognition and financial security. In 1890 he was able to purchase some property in the village of Giverny, not far from Paris, and there be began to construct a water garden--a water lily pond with a Japanese bridge. Beginning in 1906, paintings of the pond and the water lilies occupied his mind for the rest of his life. His famous series Water Lilies, painted between 1990 and 1926, Clearly shows the artist's strong interest in color1 and produces a remarkable visual effect. Despite failing eyesight, Monet continued to paint almost up to the time of his death, on December 5,1926, at Giverny. Which of the following is TRUE about impressionists? Answer: They got the name partly because of a painting of Monet's. The sea horse is a magical animal, which has puzzled people for thousands of years. In ancient Rome sea horses were believed to be the babies of Neptune's horses. And Neptune was the god of the ocean. Now we know they are not horses at all -- they are a kind of fish. They still seem as magical as ever, especially to divers who have watched them horsing around in the sea. But today, sea horse populations face an uncertain future. Fishermen are catching too many of them, and their undersea habitats are being destroyed. At least 20 million sea horses are taken from the ocean each year. More than 95% are used for traditional medicines in Asian countries. The sea horses are usually dried and then made into powder which is used to treat such problems as asthma , throat infections, skin diseases and cuts. How well the medicines work is unclear. Sea horses are also bought and sold in large numbers as pets. Sea horse expert Amanda Vincent warns against buying pet sea horses. "A lot of people treat them as if they're goldfish," she says. But sea horses require very special care and live food. Most captive sea horses _ diseases and die. Sea horse experts are trying to teach fishermen to become sea horse farmers. Instead of pulling nets of sea horses from the ocean, fishermen could learn to raise them in specially designed saltwater "farms". That way, fishermen would have sea horses to sell, but ocean populations would not be hurt. Vincent and her team have only discovered the 35 different species of sea horses, and they still have plenty of sea horse secrets left to unlock. That is why, Vincent told TFK, protecting future sea horse populations is especially important: "I promise your readers that by the time they grow up to be marine biologists, we'll still have a lot to learn." Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage? Answer: People in Asian countries hunt sea horses for food. During the school year many parents take on the role of driver as they drive their children from one lesson to another .Understandably so. Many of us want our children to have a little taste of everything, from organized sports to music, dance and more. But we can overdo it, leaving our children feeling a little burnt out, and according to parent educator Diane Loisie ,it's their school work which suffers the most. "After school, if they're busy in a number of sporting events, besides they need to do their homework, then the time they'll feel sleepy is in the classroom. Your child needs free time. So if you're filling up that after school time, then it's during the day that they're going to be taking a break." Professor Claire McDermott agrees that there's a lot to be gained from sometimes putting those scheduled lessons and activities away. "Relaxing time is important for children. It's time just to do the things they want to do. A child can go up to their room, or they can play around. It doesn't look like productive time; parents certainly wouldn't be saying 'Wow, are they ever learning things now?' But this relaxing time gives both the body and the brain just a wonderful chance to relax after a day. It helps a child prepare for sleep, but it also helps to understand the learning that's gone on that day." It's hard to prevent signing our kids up for some activities and lessons. After all, many of us want our children to have a head start in life and the chance to join in great activities in the arts or sports is a part of that. However, Loisie feels that in the long run most children feel better with just a few key activities because it gives them an opportunity to master them. "When we get our children in too many activities because we want our children to experience everything, then what we're doing is setting them up not to be good at one thing or gaining a skill." So choose your children's activities wisely. It may be one of the best things you've ever done for your kids... and for the family drivers! What is the biggest disadvantage for children to attend too many lessons after school? Answer: They cannot easily focus on learning during the day. The Exterminating Angel Director: Luis Bunuel Country/Date : Mexico/1962 (black and white) Introduction : A party is organized in a high class society house. Many people are drinking and eating. It's getting late, but nobody is leaving. Even though the door is open, people seem to be locked in the house. They can't leave either the day or on the following days. So a rescue began. The Net Director: Irwin Winkler Country/Date: U.S.A./1995 Introduction: Angela Bennettt is a computer programmer who has devoted her life to computers and the Internet. She spends hours and hours in front of the screen. She does everything over the Internet, and she has some close friends in a chat room, though she has never talked to her neighbors. Kung Fu Panda Director : Mark Osborne & John Stevenson Country/Date : U.S.A./2008 Introduction: The leading character is a panda whose name is Po. He is lazy first but he has a great dream----to be a kung fu master. To make his dream come true, he goes to a faraway temple to learn kung fu from a master. However, one of his brothers, Tai Long wants to become the kung fu master, killing many of his brothers even the master. So Po fights against Tai Long and defeats him, The film is good especially for kids. Life is Beautiful Director: Roberto Benigni Country/Date : Italy/1998 Introduction: In 1939, during World WarII in Italy, Guido, a hopeful man, the main character fell in love with Dora, and they got married. Five years later, their lives changed. Guido and Joshua were taken by the Nazis to a concentration camp and Dora also went there with her husband and son. At that place, Guido tried his best to save his son's life in a special way. Which film is especially fit for kids? Answer: Kung Fu Panda. If a chemical reaction such as photosynthesis begins with 6 atoms of carbon [C], how many atoms of carbon [C] should be in the products? Answer: 6 atoms of carbon [C]
(C)The earth is not only, but also thirsty for water. This may seem strange to you. because nearly 70% of the earth's surface is covered with water. But about 97% of that is sea water, or salt water. Man can only use the other 3%--the fresh water from rivers, lakes, and other sources. And we can't even use all of that, because some of it is in the form of icebergs and glaciers . Even worse, some of it has been polluted. However, as things stand today, the fresh water is still enough for us. But our need for water is becoming larger and larger quickly--almost day by day. We should take steps to do with this problem now and in this way we can get away from a serious world-wide water shortage later on. We all have to learn how to stop wasting our _ water, one of the first step is to develop ways of reusing it. Today in most large cities, water is used only once and then sent out into a sewer system , from there it returns to sea or runs into underground places. But even if every large city reused its water, we still would not have enough. All we'd have to do to make use of sea water in the world is to remove the salt. The best but the most difficult way to solve the water problem of the world is to _ Answer: remove the salt from the sea water As we become richer and richer, we are producing more and more rubbish. The Asian Development Bank(ADB) says that our largest cities produce 760 000 tons of solid waste every day. It predicts that there will be an increase--to 1.8 million tons--by 2025. It seems too much to deal with. "The growing waste is simply trying to cover our cities," says Michael Lindfield, a specialist of ADB in Manila. _ The World Bank says some governments are spending as much as half of their budgets dealing with rubbish. And even so, it is common that half of all the waste goes uncollected. Much of the added difficulty is packaging from consumer products and the products themselves--all of which need years, even centuries to decompose . Lindfield believes that four of every five products we buy are thrown away after a single use. It all makes the work to deal with solid waste much more expensive. The rubbish is more than just an environmental problem--it also influences national economies by disturbing the world market, discouraging tourism and slowing down industrial development. Lots of rubbish also influences the look of our cities. As he walks to work from his home in Bangkok every day, Chatchat Mutita, a 36-year-old advertising specialist, must pass a lot of ugly, smelly rubbish that isn't collected until late at night. He says things get worse when it rains because some yellow water will stream from the rubbish to the sidewalk. Modern technology can make the problems of open dumps less serious. But Chettiyappan Visvanathan, a professor at the Asian Institute of Technology in Pathumthal, Thailand, believes that there are no engineered facilities in nine of every ten dumps all over the country. Some countries depend on most solid waste to produce energy, but there's a growing problem of air pollution. Burning is far more dangerous than open dumps. The ADB says the growing rubbish must be dealt with by the "3Rs" --reducing the waste, reusing things that are being thrown away and recycling materials. Which of the following is true, according to the passage? Answer: There are both hope and difficulty in our future. If you want to teach your children how to say sorry, you must be good at saying it yourself, especially to your own children. But how you say it can be quite tricky. If you say to your children "I'm sorry I got angry with you, but ..." what follows that "but" can render the apology ineffective: "I had a bad day" or "your noise was giving me a headache " leaves the person who has been injured feeling that he should be apologizing for his bad behavior in expecting an apology. Another method by which people appear to apologize without actually doing so is to say "I'm sorry you're upset"; this suggests that you are somehow at fault for allowing yourself to get upset by what the other person has done. Then there is the general, all covering apology, which avoids the necessity of identifying a specific act that was particularly hurtful or insulting, and which the person who is apologizing should promise never to do again. Saying "I'm useless as a parent" does not commit a person to any specific improvement. These pseudo-apologies are used by people who believe saying sorry shows weakness. Parents who wish to teach their children to apologize should see it as a sign of strength, and therefore not resort to these pseudo-apologies. But even when presented with examples of genuine contrition, children still need help to become aware of the complexities of saying sorry. A three-year-old might need help in understanding that other children feel pain just as he does, and that hitting a playmate over the head with a heavy toy requires an apology. A six-year-old might need reminding that spoiling other children's expectations can require an apology. A 12-year-old might need to be shown that raiding the biscuit tin without asking permission is acceptable, but that borrowing a parent's clothes without permission is not. According to the author, saying "I'm sorry you're upset" most probably means " _ ". Answer: I'm aware you're upset, but I'm not to blame Survivors searched for loved ones on Monday in emergency centers across the northeast coast of Japan, with thousands of people still missing after an earthquake and tsunami that probably killed more than 10,000 people. "I'm looking for my parents and my elder brother," Yuko Abe, weeping, said at an emergency center in a nearly flattened town of 24, 500 people. "I also cannot tell my s who live away that I am safe, as mobile phones and telephones are not working." Many people spent another freezing night huddling in blankets around heaters in shelters along the coast, a scene of devastation after the earthquake sent a 10-meter wave surging through towns and cities in the Miyagi region, including its main coastal city of Sendai. About 2,000 bodies were found on the shores of Miyagi. The nation struggled with the worst disaster since World War II. Almost two million households were without power in the freezing north. There were about 1.4 million people without running water. Emiko Ohta, 52, wearing a mask and plastic gloves, searched through the remnants of her home in the port town of Kuji. The house had been reduced to a pile of dirt-covered rubble . "I came to see if there's anything usable. All my kimonos are destroyed, but there are maybe some items of emotional value here. I did find a bit of jewellery. Just a little," she said. Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan said food, water and other necessities such as blankets were being delivered by vehicles but because of damage to roads, authorities were considering air and sea transport. A few employees at a factory in Kuji that manufactured shipping parts showed up for work on Monday, even though it had been reduced to rubble. One young worker said he came because it was a workday. Factory Chief Teruo Nakano said everyone who worked there was safe and they were awaiting instructions from their leaders. He planned to send workers home. We can infer from the passage that _ . Answer: disaster-struck areas are accessible by ship and air Many critics worry about violence on television, most out of fear that it stimulates viewers to violent or aggressive acts. Our research, however, indicates that the consequences of experiencing TV's symbolic world of violence may be much more far-reaching. We have found that people who watch a lot of TV see the real world as more dangerous and frightening than those who watch very little. Heavy viewers are less trustful of their fellow citizens, and more fearful of the real world. Since most TV "action-adventure" dramas occur in urban settings, the fear they inspire may contribute to the current flee of the middle class from our cities. The fear may also bring increasing demands for police protection, and election of law-and-order politicians. While none of us is completely dependent upon television for our view of the world, neither have many of us had the opportunity to observe the reality of police stations, courtrooms, corporate board rooms, or hospital operating rooms. Although critics complain about the fixed characters and plots of TV dramas, many viewers look on them as representative of the real world. Anyone who questions that statement should read the 250,000 letters, most containing requests for medical advice, sent by viewers to "Marcus Welby, M.D." --a popular TV drama series about a doctor-- during the first five years of his practice on TV. Violence on television leads viewers to regard the real world as more dangerous than it really is, which must also influence the way people behave. When asked, "Can most people be trusted?" the heavy viewers were 35 percent more likely to choose "Can't be too careful." Victims, like criminals, must learn their proper roles, and televised violence may perform the teaching function all too well. Instead of worrying only about whether television violence causes individual displays of aggression in the real world, we should also be concerned about social reality. Passive acceptance of violence in the face of injustice may result from far greater social concern than occasional displays of individual aggression. We have found that violence on prime-time network TV cultivates overstated assumptions about the threat of danger in the real world. Fear is a universal emotion, and easy to exploit. The overstated sense of risk and insecurity may lead to increasing demands for protection and to increasing pressure for the use of force by established authority. Instead of threatening the social order, television may have become our chief instrument of social control. We can infer from the passage that _ . Answer: people can learn to protect themselves from dangers by watching TV
What is it: Work & Travel USA Who are qualified: Fulltime college students, above 18 years old About the program: Application for the 2009 Work & Travel USA program has just started. It's an 8~16 weeks' summer program for college students to work and travel in the U.S.. Employers include Boeing, Hilton Hotel and 7Eleven. For next summer, about 3,500 positions are open to Chinese students. Applicants must pass a language test and sometimes an interview, and pay a registration fee to join the program. (Source: www. Cultureexchange. org) _ What is it: Shanghai Volkswagen jobs Who are qualified: College students graduating in 2009 About it: Shanghai VW offers over 300 positions from engineering to marketing to college students graduating in 2009. Applicants should have an excellent academic record, CET6 or the same level language certificate in German, and good computer skills. Campus talks will take place in Shanghai, Changchun, Harbin, Wuhan, Changsha, Nanjing, Beijing and Xi'an from October. (source: campus chinahr. com/2009/pages/csvw) _ What is it: Oak Pacific Interactive (OPI) internships Who are qualified: College juniors and firstyear postgraduate students About it: OPI is now offering internship positions for test engineer, development engineer and assistant to the director of corporate culture. For engineering positions, candidates should major in computer science or a related field, have communication ability and be familiar with various development languages. For assistant to the director positions, candidates should be adept in document writing, activities organizing and office software. (source: campus. xiaonei. com) These advertisements are most probably advertisements _ . Answer: on the Internet intended for college students to read Unemployment in the United States is still high at 6.7 percent. But for job seekers,especially those with college educations,researchers say finding a job can be as easy as logging on to a computer.It used to be that looking for a job meant hurrying around,knocking on doors and turning to ads.But that's changing,thanks to the Internet.A new report says,for college graduates,looking for a job is getting easier.More than 80 percent of the jobs are available online. At the height of the depression ,when U.S.unemployment peaked at 10 percent,just a little more than two million jobs were being posted each month.But as the recovery takes hold,the job picture looks increasingly bright. That's great news for Hamilton.Only once has he ever applied in person for a job at a shopping mall. He said,"I think my generation--the idea of going door to door, out knocking and saying,hey are you hiring? --like that--doesn't exist anymore...those days are gone, Just go online.'' Kim Dancy recently graduated with a master's degree in Public Policy.She found her dream job as an education policy researcher.But she says finding the perfect job online takes a lot of perseverance.He said,"It can be really frustrating and it takes a long time,but if you applied for enough positions and really do your homework you will get somewhere. The report's findings suggest careers in Science,Technology,Engineering and Math provide the greatest opportunities,with salaries that range between $30 to $45 an hour.But for maximum income and satisfaction,workers must be prepared to move and change jobs at least every five years. How can you get a high salary according to the text? Answer: By switching jobs regularly. Dear Sir or Madam. Last Thursday. I traveled on the 8:00 a.m. train from Glasgow to London King's Cross and I was quite angry with the service of your company. The train didn't come on time and it was forty minutes late when it left Glasgow. A man at the station said sorry to us, but he didn't give us any reasons for the delay . We then had further delays on the way and had to wait another thirty minutes. As a result, I missed my plane from London to Frankfurt and had to wait for several hours. What's more, the service on the train was also very poor. The trip took more than five hours. Unluckily. we could buy nothing but some soft drinks on the train. Worst of all, something was wrong with the air conditioning and it got hotter and hotter in the train. Before we reached King's Cross, the temperature was over 40degC. Because of your poor service. I feel you should pay me compensation . I am looking forward to hearing from you. Yours faithfully, David Roberson How long did David stay on the train? Answer: Over 5 hours. "Eat local." It's one way to reduce human effect on the planet.Eating local means to try to buy and consume foods that are grown in places close to home.However, most of the food sold at supermarkets is not locally grown or produced.Trucks and planes deliver these foods from hundreds or thousands of miles away.During the transportation, greenhouse gases are produced, causing global warming.So the shorter the distance your foods must travel, the less the harm is done to the environment. But how do you get local food if you live in a large city, hundreds of miles away from farms?Environmental health scientist Dickson Despommier and his students came up with the idea of a "vertical farm". A vertical farm is a glass-walled structure that could be built as tall as a skyscraper.Since the garden is built upwards, rather than outwards, it requires much less space than an ordinary farm.The world is quickly running out of room for ordinary farming.Vertical farms could be a key to this situation.Despommier imagines a 30-story building with a greenhouse on every floor.The walls of the building would be clear, to allow crops to get as much sunlight as possible.Depending on a city's water resources, Despommier thinks hydroponic farming is another method for the vertical farm which needs no soil to grow plants. Despommier says the hydroponic greenhouses would use a system that would use a city's waste water and fill it with nutrition to make the crops grow.If this method works, it would provide food to a city and save millions of tons of water. The idea of a vertical farm has attracted the attention of government officials around the world.Scott Stringer, a government official from New York City, thinks the city is suitable for the vertical farming."Obviously we don't have much land left for us," Stringer said, "But the sky is the limit in Manhattan." Despommier admits that there is still a lot of work to do to make vertical farms a reality."But I think vertical farming is an idea that can work in a big way." he says. Why are people advised to eat local? Answer: Because it is environmentally friendly. Every day we are adding more and more vacation ideas, destinations, tours, and articles. As you explore our website,you will find there is an ever-growing collection of things that will help make your vacation easier and more affordable. We change our featured destinations very frequently so be sure to keep coming back to see what new ideas we have for your family vacation.We feature a different state,park, and city destination on the front page of the website.These change frequently, so be sure to sign up for our newsletter so you can be sure to keep up with all the new information. Another great feature we are offering is Guest Articles.These may come from a travel professional,author, parent or child about their travel ideas or offers.These informative articles are great to read and are perfect for discovering valuable tips and tricks for the travel less stressful.Plus,in many articles you will discover some hidden gems that you probably miss if you did not know about them. One of the best things about our website is our ability to get you discounted Tours and Attraction Passes to the places you want to go most.This is a fantastic way to plan ahead and have your tours and passes paid for and pick them up before you leave your home.Now that is a helpful way to go.These programs can save you over 50%of what you could expect to pay when you arrive.And,we are adding new tours and programs every week.Be sure to check it out. You can be sure we are working hard for you so that you can relax on your vacation. Let us do all the leg work for you so you can simply enjoy your family vacation! What can we learn from Guest Articles? Answer: Tips and tricks for a comfortable trip.
David was a successful young man who worked in a large company in a big city in America. His favorite hobby was fishing. But it was several years since he had last gone fishing. He was too busy to get a chance to practice. Then one summer he decided to go on vacation to a village where there were a lot of streams . "I ought to be able to have some good fishing there," he said to himself confidently and made good preparations for fishing. The next morning after he arrived there, he walked to the nearest stream with his fishing rod . To his surprise, he saw an old man standing beside the water, doing nothing. So he asked him whether it was a private stream. The old man answered that it was not a private stream and everyone could fish there, so David said to him, " Well, then it won't be fined if I catch some fish here, will it?" "Oh, no," answered the old man. "It won't be, but it will be a miracle ." What did David expect when he decided to go on vacation? A. He wanted to visit some beautiful villages. B. He planned to go swimming in some streams. C. He decided to meet some old friends. D. He wanted to enjoy fishing there. Answer: D. He wanted to enjoy fishing there. Before I started school, people felt that I was not going to be successful. At the age of four I started speech lessons because basically I could not speak well enough for anyone to understand me. The story goes downhill from here. The first grade was a struggle. I not only had difficulty speaking, but also felt nervous about the fact that I was expected to learn to read and I just couldn't do it. The second grade was not much better. I still struggled with the inability to read. It was in the third grade that the school district built a new school close to my home. I remember going there with my parents and helping to get the school ready so that we could move to the new one. However, things were still not much better as far as my schooling was concerned and did not get better for the next two years. It was in the fifth grade. Mrs. Wakefield was my teacher, and if ever there was a teacher that deserved a gold star, it was her. She did not make me feel defeated. On the contrary, she did her best to let me know that I could be whatever I wanted to be. And that is just what I did. For the past 22 years, I have been a fifth grade teacher. Because of Mrs. Wakefield's influence on my life, I am now encouraging students who have had difficulties in their lives to believe that they can overcome any difficulty and become someone. I have won numerous awards up to now, such as Teacher of the Year. I owe it all to one fifth grade teacher who believed in me and challenged me to be all that I could be. The writer _ when he was in the third grade. A. did better in reading B. began speech lessons C. went to a new school D. received a high award Answer: C. went to a new school In Britain, people usually begin their talks with weather. For example, they will say"It's a fine day, isn't it?""Do you think it will rain?" Many people believe that they are able to tell what the weather will be like. But they never agree with each other. One man may say, "How cloudy it is now! It's going to rain." Another man will say, "No, it's going to be fine later." People always hope the weather they want. For example, when a farmer needs water, he looks for something to tell him it's going to rain. When a man wants to travel, he is sure the weather will be fine quickly. Now almost everyone listens to the weather report. It doesn't always tell us the weather we want, it only tells us what the weather will be like. But sometimes it makes mistakes . ,. The passage mainly tells us something about _ . A. sports B. music C. weather D. Culture Answer: C. weather To discover whether bees can see colors, the following experiment is set up. A table is put in a garden and on the table is a piece of blue cardboard with a drop of syrup on it. After a short time, bees come to the syrup. The bees then fly to their hive and give the syrup to other bees in the hive. Then they return to the feeding-place which they have discovered. After a while, the blue cardboard with the syrup on it is taken away. Instead of this card, a blue card is now put on the left side of the first feeding-place and a red card to its right. These new card have no syrup on them. Thus, the blue card is on the left, the red card on the right, and there is nothing where the first blue feeding-card used to be. Very soon bees arrive again, and fly straight to the blue card. None to the red card. To do the experiment, altogether how many cards do you need to prepare? A. Two, one blue and one red. B. Three, two blue and one red. C. Three, one blue and two red. D. Four, two blue and two red. Answer: B. Three, two blue and one red. With tourism developing fast, you'd expect greater understanding between the nations of the world. Not a bit of it! Superb systems of communication by air, sea and land make it possible for us to visit each other's countries at a reasonable cost. What was once the "grand tour", reserved for only the very rich, is now within everybody's grasp so that modern travelers enjoy a level of comfort. But what's the sense of this mass exchange of populations if the nations of the world keep ignoring each other? Many tourist organizations deliberately set out to protect their travelers from too much contact with the local population. The modern tourist leads a sheltered life, such as living at international hotels, eating food and sipping drink there. However, he stares at the natives from a distance. Guided tours to places of interest are carefully planned. The tourist is allowed to see only what the organizers want him to see and no more, and language also holds them back. So he is only too happy to be protected in this way. The sad thing about this situation is that it leads to the continuance of national stereotypes. That is, we don't see the people of other nations as they really are, but as we have been brought up to believe they are. So when you set out on your travels, the only characteristics you notice are those which confirm your previous knowledge. You leave with the highly unoriginal and inaccurate impression that, say, "Latin peoples shout a lot". You only have to make foreign friends to understand how absurd and harmful national stereotypes are. But how can you make foreign friends when the tourist trade does its best to prevent you? Which of the following can best describe the "grand tour" now? A. At a reasonable cost. B. It is still reserved for the very rich. C. Travelers enjoy the first-class comforts. D. It is accessible to everyone.44478344447834 Answer: D. It is accessible to everyone.44478344447834
Free Wi-Fi has become very important to us: many stores and shopping malls offer it, restaurants use it to attract customers, and for libraries and coffee shops it is a must-have service. Even when people are traveling, they scan for free Wi-Fi. When selecting or rating a hotel, six in ten travelers believe that unlimited Wi-Fi is the most important factor. "Today, people will never forget to pack their smart phones, tablets and laptops into the suitcase," said the Daily Mail. "We rely on free Wi-Fi heavily when traveling--especially when it comes to checking social media, checking out travel tips, and accessing websites." However, despite the opportunities that free Wi-Fi gives us, "our over-reliance on technology has come at a price, with travelers feeling unable to escape social media", said Lonely Planet, the world's largest travel guide brand. Anita Isalska, Lonely Planet editor and tech addict, was forced to unplug when in an isolated camp in Greenland recently. "Adjusting to this slower pace, I began to realize that: social media had changed into a habit," she wrote. "I had believed I was capturing moments, but in reality my busy fingers were preventing me enjoying travel's deepest pleasures. How fully can you appreciate a huge glacier or wild flowers when your brain is selecting the right photo filter or the perfect six seconds to take photos" In September, Lonely Planet released 10 predictions for the future of global travel. One of them was that true escapes will be highly valued in future, so remote hotels will start to make their lack of the Internet into an appealing feature. Would you like to have an unplugged holiday According to the passage, people nowadays tend to do the following EXCEPT_. Answer: This year, Face book, the social media website announced that it would cooperate with several news organizations -- including The New York Times, The Guardian, and the BBC -- to place news stories directly into users' personal Face book webpage. Stories published using Face book Instant will load more quickly and keep the style of the original publisher, who will keep all the advertising income the stories earn -- at least for now. The deal shows how important social media has become to news organizations, and is a clear sign of how the world of news is changing -- and has been for a while. Many thought of it as the death of the newspaper, when Google News began in 2002. It had no human editor. Instead Google used, and still uses, a secret computer program that selects and displays news stories according to the reader's personal interests, More recently, Associated Press and Yahoo have been publishing computer-written articles. Both use special software to automatically produce stories about company financial results and sports reports -- areas where the quality of writing is felt to be of secondary importance to the accuracy of the data. I think we should be concerned about such developments. One concern is that Facebook, Google and other social media websites see journalism as a sideline , a way of putting people in front of advertisements. _ isn't their primary function -- so if it stops making them lots of money, they're likely to stop doing it. There's another concern that computer-written articles are not actually journalism at all, because what a human news team produces is actually quite complex. A well-written news story puts information in context, offers a voice to each side of an argument and brings the public new knowledge. Although economics and speed of delivery mean readers will probably choose a computer-written story over a carefully shaped article -- at least for daily news -- I don't think the computers will be writing any in-depth articles for a while yet. Computer-written news reports have so far focused on sports and finance because _ . Answer: From the outer of New York to the heart of Singapore, nature is everywhere you're not looking in some of Earth's most crowded big cities. Outdoor adventure is often just a few stops on the train - or a short drive- away from the annoying crowds. Here are a few favorites to get you going: Mount Hollywood Trail, Los Angeles It's not a skyscraper or a Ferris wheel, and there's no expensive restaurant up top. But if you want an absolutely unforgettable, no-admission-charged, 360-degree view of the entire Los Angeles region , it's yours. All you have to do is walk a little. One of the preferred exercise routes, the Mount Hollywood Trail, is easily accessed from the parking lot of the famous Griffith Observatory; you see what you get at the end of this steep 1.5-mile trail, which winds its way through the Griffith Park wilds up to the mountain's 1,640-foot peak. Bronx River, New York It may not be on your Top 10 list of things to do when you finally get to the Big Apple, but exploring the almost-secret river that flows through one of New York's most mysterious boroughs is an unforgettable experience. The Bronx River Alliance, a non-profit group that has worked tirelessly to bring the much-abused river back to life , operates cycling and canoeing trips along the river, from the rugged Hunts Point section down near the harbor on up through the borough. Southern Islands, Singapore Believe it or not, tightly packed Singapore does have plenty of open space left . There are actual trails right in the middle of everything, if you know where to look . But to really get away from it all, the Southern Islands, a small group of little green dots just off the city-state's southern shoreline, are just the thing. Lee Valley, London This East London river valley changed last summer, when anyone near a television got an eyeful of Olympic Park, built directly in the middle of the valley. Inside the park, beautifully landscaped sections quickly became a favorite relaxation spot for games goers. At present, you'll find miles of walking paths worth exploring. Start at the Waltham Cross train and follow the signposted walking route southbound, guiding you past important historic industrial areas, through interesting city neighborhoods, past the western side of Olympic Park and on to the Thames. We know from the passage _ . Answer: Which of the following is believed to be one cause of global warming? Answer: Billie Holiday was one of the greatest jazz singers in America. Her life was just a mixture of success and tragedy. Her singing expressed her experiences and feelings. Billie Holiday was born Eleanora Fagan in 1915 in Baltimore, Maryland. Her parents were Sadie Fagan and Clarence Holiday. They were young when their daughter was born. Their marriage failed because Clarence Holiday was often out. He traveled as a musician with some of the earliest jazz bands and inspired his daughter. Sadie Fagan cleaned people's houses to make a living. But she could not support her family with the money she earned. So she moved to New York City where the pay was higher. She left her daughter in Baltimore with one of her distant relatives. The young girl Eleanora Fagan changed her name to Billie, because she liked a movie star, Billie Dove. The talented Billie Holiday loved singing. She sang and listened to music whenever she could. In one place near her home there was a machine that played records. The building was a theater where many famous singers also performed their newly-made songs for free. Billie cleaned floors and did other jobs for the theater so that she could listen to the records. It was there that young Billie first heard the records of some famous black American blues artists of the 1920s. she heard Bessie Smith sing the blues. And she heard Louis Armstrong play the horn. Both musicians had a great influence on her. Billie Holiday once said, "I do not think I'm singing. I feel like I am playing a horn. _ I hate straight singing. I have to change a tune to my own way of doing it. That is all I know." From the passage, we can learn that _ . Answer:
New York Times--A gunman killed eight people at a mall in Omaha this afternoon and then killed himself, setting off panic among holiday shoppers, the police said. "The person who we believe to be the shooter has died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds," Sgt. Teresa Negron of the Omaha Police Department said at televised news. "We have been able to clear the mall," she said. "We don't believe we have any other shooters." The police said that at least five other people had been injured in the shootings. She did not give the shooter's identity. "We are still conducting the investigation," Sergeant Negron said, adding that the city's mayor, who was out of town, was on his way back to Omaha. She said the police received a 911 call from someone inside the Westroads Mall on the west side of Omaha, and shots could be heard in the background. The first police officers arrived at the mall six minutes after the first call, she said, but by then the shootings were over. It is reported that the gunman left a suicide note that was found at his home by s. A law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity said the note indicated that the gunman wanted to "go out in style". The shootings broke the usually banal routine of holiday shopping. The gunman was said by some witnesses to have fired about 20 shots into a crowd. Some customers and workers ran screaming from the mall, while others dived into dressing rooms to hide from the shooter. Shoppers and store workers were trapped inside the mall, which has roughly 135 stores. Others streamed out of mall exits with their hands raised. The president was in Omaha this morning to deliver a speech, but he had left the city by the time the shootings took place. We can infer from the passage that _ . Answer: an important holiday is coming soon Silver nitrate on hardened silicon will force light to Answer: refract I finished my last evening shift of the week and could hardly wait to get home. I took off my nursing shoes, relaxed and then said goodnight to the rest of the girls and headed out of the door. It was so cold and I could see the ice crystals in the air. As I approached my car, I saw one of my coworkers standing by the bus stop. I thought it would only take a couple of extra minutes to give her a ride home, and besides, it was too cold to be standing outside on the coldest night in January. We chatted as I drove and before we knew it, we arrived at her house. As she headed up the steps to her door she turned around. "Do you know how to get to your house from here?" "How hard can it be? I'll just backtrack the way I came." I started driving. Nothing looked familiar, but at first that didn't bother me since I'd never been to this neighborhood before. I kept driving, and soon I sensed that something was wrong. I recognized nothing, not the neighborhoods, not even the street names. My husband would be worried about me. I looked down at my watch. It was now 2:30. I'd left work at 11:30 pm. I stopped my car. I thought I'd better take stock of my situation. My gas gauge was slowly going down. In total defeat I put my head down on the steering wheel and asked for help. I lifted my head. I saw a shadow down the road in front of me. It was a car. What was a car doing in the middle of nowhere at 2:30 in the morning? Hesitantly, I got out of my car and knocked on the window of the other car. An elderly man slowly rolled his window down. I said, "I'm lost and don't know how to get back into town." In silence, he started driving. I drove behind him. Finally I recognized a familiar street. As I turned to head home, I lost sight of my guiding angel. When I pulled into my driveway the warning light for my gas tank turned on. Why did the writer stop her car? Answer: To consider and judge the situation. A man went to see a doctor."Open your mouth,"the doctor said.Then the man opened his mouth and the doctor looked in quickly. "It's clear what's wrong with you.You need more exercise,"the doctor said. "But,doctor,"the man said,"I don't think..." "Don't tell me what you think,"the doctor said."I am the doctor,not you.I know what you need.I see hundreds of people like you.None of them get any exercise.They sit in offices all day and in front of the television in the evening.What you need is to walk quickly for at least 20 minutes a day." "Doctor,you don't understand,"the man said."I..." "I don't want to hear any excuses,"the doctor said."You must find time for exercise.If you don't,you will get fat and have health problems when you are older." "But I walk every day,"the man said. "Oh,yes,and I know what kind of walking that is.You walk a few feet to the train station from your house,a few more feet from the station to your office,and a few more feet from your office to a restaurant for lunch and back.That's not real walking.I'm talking about walking in the park for twenty minutes every day." "Will you listen to me,doctor?"the man shouted,getting angry with this doctor who thought he knew everything."I'm a postman,"the man went on,"and I walk for seven hours every day." . Why did the doctor not listen to the man? Answer: He thought he knew the man's problem. A horse in a field under the summer sun was glistening wet even though it hadn't rained. Answer: sweat glands released liquid to cool off the horse
The H1Nl virus has been spreading world-wide,it is important for us to know how to control it.Please pay attention to the following points: 1.Don't touch your face.Above all,keep your hands away from your eyes,mouth and nose,all of which serve pathways for the viruses to enter your body. 2.Wash your hands.If you have to touch your face,wash your hands,getting under the fingernails for 20 to 30 seconds with hot soap and water before.Soaps with surfactants can deal with flu viruses. 3.Cover your nose and mouth.When someone sneezes or coughs,liquid drops with flu viruses as far as three feet through the air and land on your nose and mouth,so it's best to keep at least an arm's length distance when talking to someone who shows signs of infection .In order to protect others,cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze,and clean your hands afterward.Viruses can live for hours,or even longer when on the skin or other surfaces such as keyboards. 4.Consider buying a mask in case you need it in the future.Some research suggests that masks reduce the risk of getting the flu viruses by as much as 80%.But it also suggests that if you don't wash hands,the mask doesn't work well.So wash your hands and use the mask,especially wearing face masks in crowded places is also useful. ,. How does the viruses enter your body easily? A Get though your mouth. B Get though your nose. C Get though your eyes. D All of the above. Answer: D FDA proposed the most sweeping food safety rules in decades, requiring farmers and food companies to be more cautious in the wake of deadly outbreaks in peanuts, cantaloupe ,and leafy greens. The long-overdue regulations are aimed at reducing the estimated 3,000 deaths a year from foodbome illness. Just since last summer, outbreaks of listeria in cheese and salmonella in peanut butter, cantaloupe and mangoes have been linked to more than 400 illnesses and as many as seven deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The actual number of those sickened is likely much higher. The FDA's proposed rules would require farmers to take new precautions against contamination ,to include making sure workers5 hands are washed, irrigation water is clean, and that animals stay out of fields. Food manufacturers will have to submit food safety plans to the government to show _ are keeping their operations clean. Many responsible food companies and farmers are already following the steps that the FDA would now require them to take. But officials say the requirements could have saved lives and prevented illnesses in some of the large-scale outbreaks that have hit the country in recent years. In a 2011 outbreak of listeria in cantaloupe that claimed 33 lives ,for example, FDA inspectors found pools of dirty water on the floor and old, dirty processing equipment at the Colorado farm where the cantaloupes were grown. In a peanut butter outbreak this year linked to 42 salmonella illnesses ,inspectors found samples of salmonella throughout a New Mexico peanut processing plant and multiple obvious safety problems ,such as birds flying over uncovered trucks of peanuts and employees not washing their hands. Under the new rules, companies would have to lay out plans for preventing those sorts of problems and how they would correct them. "The rules go very directly to preventing the types of outbreaks we have seen/,said Michael Taylor, FDA's deputy commissioner for foods. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? A The new regulations should have come into practice earlier. B The 2011 outbreak of listeria is the most serious ever. C Farmers and food companies are strongly against the new rules. D Colorado and New Mexico are worst hit by food pollution. Answer: A In a room at Texas Children Cancer Center in Houston, eight-year-old Simran Jatar lay in bed with a drip above her to fight her bone cancer. Over her bald head, she wore a pink hat that matched her clothes. But the third grader's cheery dressing didn't mask her pain and weary eyes. Then a visitor showed up. "Do you want to write a song?" asked Anita Kruse, 49, rolling a cart equipped with an electronic keyboard, a microphone and speakers. Simran stared. "Have you ever written a poem?" Anita Kruse continued. "Well, yes," Simran said. Within minutes, Simran was reading her poem into the microphone. "Some bird soaring through the sky," she said softly. "Imagination in its head..." Anita Kruse added piano music, a few warbling (, ) birds, and finally the girl's voice. Thirty minutes later, she presented Simran with a CD of her first recorded song. That was the beginning of Anita Kruse's project, Purple Songs Can Fly, one that has helped more than 125 young patients write and record songs. As a composer and pianist who had performed at the hospital, Kruse said that the idea of how she could help "came in one flash". The effect on the kids has been great. One teenage girl, curling in pain in her wheelchair, stood unaided to dance to a hip-hop song she had written. A 12-year-old boy with Hodgkin's disease who rarely spoke surprised his doctors with a song he calledI Can Make It. "My time with the kids is heartbreaking because of the severity of their illnesses," says Anita Kruse. "But they also make you happy, when the children are smiling, excited to share their CD with their families." Simran is now an active sixth grader and cancer-free. From time to time, she and her mother listen to her song,Always Remembering, and they always remember the "really sweet and nice and loving" lady who gave them a shining moment in the dark hour. What does the case of a 12-year-old boy suggest? A Most children are naturally fond of music. B He was brave enough to put up performance. C The project has positive effect on young patients. D Singing is the best way to treat some illnesses. Answer: C Larry was on another of his underwater expeditions but this time, it was different. He decided to take his daughter along with him. She was only ten years old. This would be her first trip with her father on what he had always been famous for. Larry first began diving when he was his daughter's age. Similarly, his father had taken him along on one of his expeditions. Since then, he had never looked back. Larry started out by renting diving suits from the small diving shop just along the shore. He had hated them. They were either too big or too small. Then, there was the instructor. He gave him a short lesson before allowing him into the water with his father. He had made an exception. Larry would never have been able to go down without at least five hours of theory and another similar number of hours on practical lessons with a guide. Children his age were not even allowed to dive. After the first expedition, Larry's later diving adventures only got better and better. There was never a dull moment. In his black and blue suit and with an oxygen tank fastened on his back, Larry dived from boats into the middle of the ocean. Dangerous areas did not prevent him from continuing his search. Sometimes, he was limited to a cage underwater but that did not bother him. At least, he was still able to take photographs of the underwater creatures. Larry's first expedition without his father was in the Cayman Islands. There were numerous diving spots in the area and Larry was determined to visit all of them. Fortunately for him, a man offered to take him around the different Spots for free. _ The diving spots afforded such a wide array of fish and sea creatures that Larry saw more than thirty varieties of creatures. Larry looked at his daughter. She looked as excited as he had been when he was her age. He hoped she would be able to continue the family tradition. Already, she looked like she was much braver than had been then. This was the key to a successful underwater expedition. What did Larry expect his daughter to do? A Become a successful diver. B Make a good diving guide. C Take a lot of photo underwater. D Have longer hours of training. Answer: A FREE $ 10 Gift Card with ANY Purchase at CVS September 4, 2013 by Michelle New Plink members are invited to join and make any purchase at CVS to get a $10 gift card from your choice at places like Amazon.com, Target, Walmart, Kohls, Starbucks and more! Just sign up with Plink, then make your purchase. You'll receive 1,000 points in your Plink account --- enough to redeem for a $10 gift card! * New Plink members only, one sign-up bonus per person. Plink Member must link a credit or debit card and make a purchase at CVS by Sunday, 9/15 11:59 EST. Purchase is necessary (after the member links a credit/ debit card to their Plink account) to qualify for the bonus 1,000 Plink Points by Sunday, 9/15 11:59 EST. Bonus 1,000 Plink Points will be awarded within 7 business days of the transaction posting date. CVS purchases that occur on 9/16 or later will not qualify the bonus. I happen to love Plink because they make it easy to earn without doing anything extra! What is the first step to get the gift card? A Link a credit or debit card. B Make a purchase at CVS. C Open a bank account. D Sign up with Plink. Answer: D
The other day, I noticed a message on a friend's page. It made me very sad. She says she is the one who reaches out to people, but rarely do they reach out to her. So, after communicating with her for a while, I began to challenge my friends. "Contact someone right now. Send messages or call someone who you haven't spoken to for a while, or who you only talk to when they message or call you. Let someone who may feel alone in the world right this moment know that they are not alone. That is my challenge to you. Please do it , and let me know once you have. Either by calling me back, or by sending me a message. Be the change that you want to see in the world. " The response was great. 28people liked my post, another 10 posted that they did, and I got about a dozen messages telling me that they did. And there was one very special message: "I just want you to know what has happened. That day, I sent a message to a friend who I hadn't heard from for a while. She and I talked for a whole day back and forth on messages and then on the phone. She said she was so incredibly sad. Nobody has spoken with her in two weeks. By the tone of her voice, and by the conversations we were having, I think she was about to take her own life . After our conversation, she has agreed to talk to someone. Your message of kindness has saved her. I can't wait to tell you how thankful I am for people like you in the world, who care when nobody else will. I am proud to call myself your friend. Thank you! " I didn't quite know what to say after reading the message. I was wondering how best to use it for greater good. I decided that sharing what we have done is the most powerful way. I know that I am a cheerleader when it comes to making the world a better place with kindness, because if I help someone, it makes me feel better. I do it because I need to feel better. What do we know about the special message? A Someone was saved by her friend. B People were too busy to talk with others. C The girl was sad because no one liked her. D The author helped her friend by calling her. Answer: A When do you become an adult, a grown-up? At eighteen? Twenty-one? Thirty? Adulthood may seem a long way to you, but the fact is that you are in the process of becoming an adult right now. The changes are so gradual)( that you may not notice them ,but you can be sure that they're happening. When you were a child, a parent or an older relative probably bought your clothes and helped you clean up your room. Now you are likely to have a clothes allowance, to care for your bedroom, and to share other cleaning chores. You may once have had trouble getting your homework finished on time. By now, you may have learned to pace yourself. You know how much time you need. Do you remember begging your parents to stop for ice cream, or take an after-school job when you want money for a new clock radio? Of course, you don't always budget your time and your money perfectly. Your room doesn't always pass inspection. And you are often less than even tempered when something upsetting happens. But you're learning. As you get older, you have more privileges and more responsibilities. You may baby-sit for younger brothers and sisters, help cook dinner, and do odd jobs to contribute to the family income. You may get to stay up to watch a late movie on television, sit in on adult conversations, take subways and buses alone, or go on camping trips with your friends. Eventually, you will have a job and an apartment of your own. You'll become a voter and perhaps a husband or wife, maybe even a parent. But doing things adults do does not necessarily mean you will be wiser, braver, or more self-assured. It takes time to acquire knowledge and build self-confidence. Adults need to test themselves in the world, just as you do as a teenager. Being an adult is a continual process of growth. The best title for this passage may be _ . A Becoming An Adult B It Is No Good Becoming An Adult C Becoming A Voter D Adulthood Is always A Long Way To You Answer: A One fine afternoon I was walking along Fifth Avenue when I remembered that it was necessary to buy a pair of socks. I turned into the first sock shop that caught my eye, and a boy clerk who could not have been more than 17 years old came forward. "What can I do for you, sir?" "I wish to buy a pair of socks." His eyes glowed. "Did you know that you had come into the best place in the world to buy socks?" I had not been aware of that. "Come with me," said the boy happily. He began to haul down from the shelves box after box. "Hold on, boy, I am going to buy only one pair!" "I know that," said he, "but I want you to see how beautiful these are. Aren't they wonderful?" There was on his face an expression of joy, as if he were showing to me the mysteries of his religion. "My friend," said I, "if this is not just the enthusiasm that comes from novelty , if you can keep up this day after day, in ten years you will own every sock in the United States." In many shops the customer has to wait for someone to serve him. And when finally some clerk does notice you, you are made to feel as if you were disturbing him. He displays no interest either in you or in the goods he is paid to sell. Yet possibly that very clerk who is now so cold began his career with enthusiasm. As time goes by, the enthusiasm is gradually gone; his only pleasures were found outside of working hours. He became a mechanical , not inspired, salesman. I have observed such change in the lives of so many people in so many occupations that I have come to the conclusion that the fastest road to failure is to do things mechanically. The writer was impressed by _ . A the boy's young age B the way the boy served him C the beautiful socks in the shop D the boy's selling skills Answer: B About l,500 years ago the Japanese imported many aspects of Chinese culture :the writing system, political institutions, and perhaps the most important, Buddhism. Buddhist priests were expected to eat only vegetables, and tofu, made from the soybean, was a very important food in their diet.When Buddhism was introduced from China, tofu was also brought to Japan. Tofu developed in different ways in China and Japan.While the Chinese often changed the taste of tofu by mixing it with strongly - flavored vegetables or meat, the Japanese preferred to eat it using only a simple sauce. Even now, traditional Japanese cooking preserves the original delicacy of tofu, though the way it is served may change from season to season. In summer, for example, it is simply served cold, while in winter it is often eaten as part of a hot dish. The soybean was introduced to the West in the 18th century, but little interest was taken in it. Only scientists recognized its high food value.During the Second World War, when meat was in short supply, the US government encouraged the American people to eat soybean products.However, they never became very popular and, after the war, interest in them dropped off as the supply of meat became plentiful again. In recent years, people in the West have become increasingly aware of the dangers of eating too much animal fat, and as a result, they have turned more and more to soybean products. This is mainly because the soybean provides almost the same food value as meat, and in addition it is a lot more healthful. Much of the margarine ,salad oil and cooking oil in daily use is now produced from soybean oil.Tofu, a representative soybean product and originally one of the main foods in the diet of Chinese priests, is considered to be one of the healthiest foods available to man. How are Japanese tofu dishes different from Chinese tofu dishes? A They are preserved in the original taste. B They are served the same way throughout the year, C They have a better taste than Chinese tofu dishes. D They have a greater variety than Chinese tofu dishes. Answer: A Which factor most accurately describes the statement "Survival of the fittest" in relation to natural selection? A the mutation rate B the ability of offspring to reproduce C the amount of food an organism obtains D the ability to withstand environmental extremes Answer: B
Last week, my granddaughter started primary school. And I wished her every success. But part of me didn't. I really wanted her to fail in some ways because I believe that failure can be good for us to grow up. Success is that you can do something that you already know you can do, or doing something correctly the first time. First -time success is usually a luck. First-time failure, in fact, is supposed to be the natural order of things. Failure is how we learn. I make my living by writing articles for a daily newspaper. Each week I thought that the article that I write would be the worst. I try my best every day. A successful article usually means that I am discussing the subjects I know well, writing in the way I am used to or saying the same things as anyone else but in an excellent way. My younger daughter is a trapeze artist.she spent three years putting together a show, and she did it successfully for years. There was no reason for her to change it but she did anyway. She was afraid to be bored. She met failure when she tried some new ways in her show. But she did his only in order to feed her soul. My granddaughter is a perfectionist. She will feel her failures, and I will want to _ her. But I will also, I hope, remind her of what she learned, and how she can do better next time. I hope I can tell her, though, that it's not the end of the world. With luck, it is the beginning. why id the writher want his granddaughter to fail? A. success is boring though it can bring us something good B. she would learn more form failure C. it's impossible to do everything successfully D. he wanted her to be strong enough to face failure Answer: B. she would learn more form failure Look at the clothes line in the twins' bedroom. There are some clothes on it. You can see a green blouse, a yellow skirt and a pair of trousers. The trousers on the clothes line are black. They are not new but clean. Are they Lily's clothes? No, they are Lucy's. Lily's clothes are on a clothes tree near the window. Her trousers are brown. Her blouse is white and her skirt is blue. There is a new hat on the clothes tree, but it's not Lily's, it's Lucy's. Lucy's jacket s are on her bed. There are no clothes on Lily's bed. Are there any clothes on Lily's bed? A. Yes, there is a hat on it. B. Yes, there is a jacketon it. C. No, there aren't.. D. Sorry, I don't know. Answer: C. No, there aren't.. Last year I travelled to Paris by plane. I was very excited because I knew I would meet a lot of interesting people and see some amazing things there. On the night before I left, I was so excited that I couldn't sleep at all. When I sat on the plane the next day, I felt very tired. I wanted to have a good sleep during the 9-hour flight. Unluckily, there was a baby sitting next to me. It cried and screamed during the whole trip. How could I fall asleep with all of that noise? When I arrived in Paris at last, it was already 8 o'clock in the evening. I felt even more tired. After getting off the plane, I went to my hotel at once. I paid no attention to the beautiful evening scenery of Paris. I just wanted to have a good rest in my room. When I lay down on the comfortable bed, I fell asleep very quickly. A sudden noise woke me up at midnight. I didn't know what happened, so I turned on the light. What did I see? You wouldn't believe it! I saw two mice playing on the floor! What a terrible trip! How did the writer travel to Paris? A. By train. B. By plane. C. By boat. D. By car. Answer: B. By plane. 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 incident of three-year-old son is described to prove that _ A. working from home has some drawbacks B. working from home is a pleasant experience C. Barack Obama has better working conditions than the author D. it's unfortunate for the author to have a naughty boy Answer: A. working from home has some drawbacks I got into the teaching profession by choice. I was then in 9th grade, when my mathematics teacher asked me to take a class for a few students to whom the subject seemed difficult. And believe me, I enjoyed the teaching. I never knew teaching would be so interesting. I loved my freshmen and was delighted to teach my so-called students who came up with lots of good questions. After my post graduation, I worked as a software developer with a public sector in Bangalore for a few years. But I realized that no job could provide me the satisfaction that I experienced while teaching and training. In fact, I feel it was a timely realization for me to choose the teaching profession. I applied to a few colleges, and finally I was chosen as a "Lecturer", and I had to lecture graduate and post-graduate students in a college. On the first day, I was nervous thinking that I had to teach the senior classes. But now I can say that taking lectures was one of the best experiences of my life. I was a Computer Science and Information Technology Lecturer, but I tried to help my students with subjects that were not within my domain . It was a new feeling to me every morning before going to the classes. I used to feel energized and excited thinking that the class would be lit up with bright faces to greet me, "Good morning, Madam". To me each day was a new beginning, with new feelings, new experiences and new queries . I loved to explore their young minds, read their inquisitive faces when a particular topic seemed tough. It was very challenging to motivate them to take part in the classroom, think critically, question and also respect others' point of view. Though few things never seemed easy, it was very exciting to assure them that they really can. That is the reason, I love to teach. Which of the following statements is TURE? A. The author looked down upon being a teacher at first. B. The author taught knowledge about various subjects. C. The author found teaching was easier than any jobs. D. The author encouraged students to take part in outdoor activities. Answer: B. The author taught knowledge about various subjects.
There are several reasons for hair loss in women. However, in most cases, treatment is quite effective. Female hair loss patterns in women are not as easily recognizable as they are in men. A woman may experience it temporarily due to pregnancy or illness, although they may experience it for other reasons. Hair loss can be due to a variety of factors, including a genetic tendency (which is not genetically linked to just one parent--both parents contribute to the tendency to lose hair). Women who are experiencing hair problems seem to have more limited choices than men. There are some female hair loss treatments that are available such as the Tricomin System which is a topical treatment that is nutrition based. Shen Min for Women is another natural treatment that contains herbs that are said to stimulate hair growth and even restore hair that is graying to its natural color1. The majority of the popular, prove hair loss treatments are only intended for men and are not suitable for women. True, a woman's hair issue is different from a man's. The biological makeup is different and the needs are different. Women have different needs and their bodies react in different ways to environmental changes, physical illness and even the treatments that are available. There are many natural treatments such as vitamin and mineral supplements that are said to stimulate hair growth, but, for the most part, these claims are currently unproven. One of the first and most important factors to effectively treating is to get a diagnosis from a doctor. Talk to your doctor about any symptoms that you may be experiencing in addition to the thinning hair. Stress, weight loss or gain, illness and depression, all of these can be contributing factors. The natural treatments _ . include vitamin and mineral supplements. A student is investigating changes in the states of matter. The student fills a graduated cylinder with 50 milliliters of packed snow. The graduated cylinder has a mass of 50 grams when empty and 95 grams when filled with the snow. The packed snow changes to liquid water when the snow is put in a warm room. Which statement best describes this process? Heating causes the snow to melt. I couldn't believe today had come! It was finally my birthday and that meant I could start working at the nearby pet store. First off, let me say that my name is Lilly, and as I'm sure you know, today's my birthday! Working at the pet shop has been my dream ever since I was a little girl, so actually getting to work with and help take care of the kitties, puppies, lizards and all sorts of animals is the coolest thing to happen to me. Some people dream of being a doctor, or a nurse, or even a teacher, but I've always wanted to work with pets. I'll say, like many people, I do have fears and that fear is snakes so I won't get to take care of them! \tabI arrived at the pet store around nine in the morning and was greeted by the friendly woman that owned it who I talked with over the phone. Her hair was covering her name tag so I couldn't tell if her name was Martha, Margaret, or Mary, but it turns out she told me it was Margie so none of them were right. Margie helped me become friendly with all the animals, and I had so much fun the whole day. I fed them, gave them water, and even got to play with them! Margie didn't think I was ready to clean up after them yet so she said that could be done another day. It was everything I ever hoped and I can't wait for tomorrow! What has Lilly always wanted to do? Work with pets. When 18th-century scientists first came across Australia's platypus , they thought it was a trick. It is not surprising that the platypus made people confused. This funny-looking animal has feet and is a kind of warm-blooded mammal. While other mammals usually keep their blood at around 37 degrees, the platypus has a lower body temperature of 32 degrees. As to its appearance, the platypus'mouth is not really like ducks'at all; its mouth actually looks a bit soft. The platypus closes its eyes when swimming. It uses its mouth to pick up outside information made by the creatures underwater. Strangest of all, the platypus is a mammal that can lay eggs. And there is only one other kind of mammal that can lay eggs, the echidna of Australia. Both the platy-pus and the echidna lay soft-shelled eggs, and both feed their young with their own milk that comes out of their skin. These animals also walk in a way that is similar to crocodiles , with legs on the sides of their bodies rather than under them. Though pretty, in a special way, the platypus is actually one of the few mammals that are poisonous. A male platypus has knife-like bones on its back legs which have enough poison to kill a dog. The platypus has the honor of being one of the oldest mammals in the world. Until the early 20th century, it was hunted for its fur, but the situation has changed. Although the platypus is easily affected by pollution, it is not under any immediate threat. What can we learn about the platypus according to the text? It has a lower body temperature than other mammals. What image does the word "Britain" conjure up in your mind? Big Ben,the frequently changing weather, fish and chips... But have you ever wondered what British people think means "Britain"? English playwright William Shakespeare and pop group The Beatles are the icons which inspire a sense of national pride in British people, according to a recent survey. More than 2,000 people were asked what aspect of Britain made them feel most proud. Shakespeare topped the list, followed by the National Trust, a charity which protects places of historical or environmental interest. These beat the British currency, the pound, and the BBC. Surprisingly, the royal family only made it to seventh on the list. "The royal family, while popular, does not inspire widespread pride," said a spokesman for Demos, the think tank which carried out the research. "However, it is certainly the case that -- through their unique capacity to hold and lead national events -- the royal family has a central role to play in developing pride." Terence Blacker, a reporter for The Independent, believes the study shows the nature of new patriotism . "It turns out that modern British patriotism is not really about nationhood at all," he wrote. According to the poll, the most impressive symbols of national pride concerned private conduct and character. Volunteering topped the list, followed by politeness and patience. The royal family does not top the list because _ . the royal family does not influence the public as much as it used to.
Nearly all the tourists who come to southeast France make a tour to Monaco , too. Lying near the French-Italian border, Monaco is not part of France, but a separate principality , though it is surrounded by its greatest neighbour. Monaco became a principality in the 16th century after being owned by a family member of a certain Italian king. The French and Italians, however, soon came to "protect" it one after another, until 1861, when it became its own master again. Facing the blue Mediterranean , Monaco is mainly made up of two cities, Monaco, where the palace of the prince stands, and Monte Carlo , which is a wonderful place for tourists. Every year, around half a million people from all parts of the world come to Monaco, nearly 25 times as much as its population. Believe it or not, Monaco has no soldiers or policemen of its own. Law and order is kept by French police, and French stands for it in its foreign affairs, even the money used in Monaco is franc, too. Which of the following is TRUE? The MIT Museum is located near the north shore of the Charles River Basin in Cambridge, MA, a few blocks from the central part of the MIT campus. The MIT Museum is accessible via public transportation, and is within three miles of two major interstate highways. The Museum is approximately a 30 minute walk from downtown Boston or from Harvard Square. BY SUBWAY Take the Red Line to either Central Square Station or Kendall Square/MIT Station. From Central Square: Walk down Mass. Ave. toward Boston and the main MIT campus. The Museum is on the left at the corner of Front St. From Kendall/MIT Station at the east end of campus: Walk down Main St., away from Boston, to Windsor St., turn left, take the second right onto Front St., and continue to the museum entrance. BY BUS The Dudley/Harvard Square bus travels along Massachusetts Ave. between Boston and Harvard Square. The MIT Museum is across the street from Novartis and a gas station. From Harvard Square, get off at either Sidney St. or Albany St. From Boston, get off at Front St. BY CAR For directions from your doorstep to MIT, Google offers excellent mapping services including directions from anywhere in the U.S. and Canada. Recorded Directions to the Museum: (415) 561-0399 Besides, you can go the Museum via Commuter Rail. You can easily connect to the MBTA Red Line from South Station, or take the green line to the red line from North Station and get off at Central or Kendall Square. What should you do if you want to get Recorded Directions to the Museum? In the frozen continent of Antarctica scientists fear an alien invasion -- not from outer space, but carried in people's pockets and bags. Seeds and plants accidentally brought to Antarctica by tourists and scientists may introduce alien plant species which could threaten the survival of native plants in the finely balanced ecosystem. "The people that were carrying the most had lots and lots of seeds. They really were real threats," said Dana Bergstrom, from the Australian Antarctic Division. "When we take things in through hitchhiking then we get species which are competitive. The plants and animals there are not necessarily competitive, so we'd start losing various precious biodiversity on the (Antarctic) continent", Bergstrom told Reuters. Amongst the alien species discovered were the Iceland Poppy, and Annual Winter Grass -- all from cold climates and capable of growing in Antarctica. The Antarctic Peninsula, where most tourists travel, is now considered a "hot spot" on the frozen continent and the warmer the climate, the easier for seeds to grow. "The peninsula is warming at some of the greatest rates on the planet," said Bergstrom. The study, the first continent-wide assessment of invasive species in Antarctica, surveyed about 1,000 passengers during 2007-2008, the first year of the International Polar Year, an international effort to research the polar areas. Bergstrom said the one alien seed that had gained a foothold is Annual Winter Grass. It is a strong weed in the sub-Antarctic and is on the Antarctic island of King George. It has also made its way to the tail part of the Antarctic continent. What is the purpose of writing the passage? One morning, a blind boy sat beside a building with a hat by his feet.He held a sign which said, "I am blind.Please help me." There were only a few coins in the hat.A man was walking by.He took out a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat.He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words on it.He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by could the new words. Soon the hat began to fill up.A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy.That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were.The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, "Are you the one who changed my sign in the morning? What did you write?" The man said, "I only wrote the truth.I said what you said, but in a different way." What he had written was, "Today is a beautiful day, but I can' t see it." Do you think the first sign and the second sign were saying the same thing? Of course both signs told people the boy was blind.But the first sign simply told people to help by putting some money in the hat.The second sign told people that they were able to enjoy the beautiful day, but the boy could not enjoy it because he was blind. The first sign simply said the boy was blind, while the second sig told people they were so lucky that they were not blind. There are at least two lessons we can learn from this simple story. The first is:Treasure what you have.Someone else has less.Try your best to help those who need your help. The second is:Be creative.Think differently.There is always a better way. According to the article, which of the following is TRUE? I was doing my last-minute Christmas shopping in a toy store, looking at fashion dolls. A nicely-dressed little girl with her father was excitedly looking through the same dolls as well. As she was looking, a boy wandered in and sorted through some of the video games. He was dressed neatly, but in clothes that were obviously rather worn. He, too, had money in his hand, but it seemed to be no more than five dollars or so at the most. He was with his father as well, but each time he picked one of the video games and looked at his father, his father shook his head. The little girl had apparently chosen her doll, a beautifully-dressed glamorous creation that would have been the envy of every little girl on the block. However, she stopped to watch the little boy and his father. Then, the little girl put her carefully-chosen doll back on the shelf, and ran over to the video games. She excitedly picked up one that was lying on top of the other toys and raced towards the reception desk after speaking with her father. I picked up my purchases and waited in line behind them. Then, much to the little girl's obvious delight, the little boy and his father stood behind me. After the video game was paid for and bagged, the little girl handed it back to the cashier and whispered _ in her ear. The cashier smiled and put the package under the counter. I paid for my purchases and was rearranging things in my purse when the little boy came up to the cashier. The cashier rang up his purchases and then said, "Congratulations, you have been selected to win a prize!" With that, she handed the little boy the video game, and he could only stare in disbelief. It was, he said, exactly what he had wanted! The little girl and her father were standing at the door-way during all of this, and I saw the biggest, prettiest smile on that little girl's face that I have ever seen in my life. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A lake with two buckets of ice water poured into it each day will likely A. shrink B. dehydrate C. swell D. drain Answer: C Jay, an American, wanted to write a book about famous churches around the world. Firstly, Jay bought a plane ticket and took a trip to Columbus, Ohio, USA, thinking that he would start by working his way across the USA from East to West. On his first day he was inside a church taking photos when he noticed a golden telephone on the wall with a sign that read "$10,000 per call". Jay was _ so he asked a priest what the telephone was used for. The priest told him that it was a direct line to heaven and that for $10,000 you could talk to God. Jay thanked the priest and went along his way. Next stop was in Des Moines, and there at a very large church, he saw the same looking golden telephone with the same sign under it. A nearby nun told him that it was a direct line to heaven and that for $10,000 he could talk to God. Jay decided to travel to Australia to see if they had a similar phone. He arrived at Western Australia, and again, in the church he entered, there was the same looking golden telephone, but this time the sign under it read "40 cents per call." Somewhat surprised, Jay asked the priest about the sign. 'Father Brian, I travelled all over the world and I saw this same golden telephone in many churches. I know it is a direct line to Heaven, but in all of them price was $10,000 per call. Why is it so cheap here?' Father Brian smiled and answered, 'My son, you're in Australia now - this is Heaven, so it's only a local call.' How many churches did Jay go to in the passage? A. Three B. Four C. Five D. Six Answer: A Searching the Internet may help middle-aged and older adults keep their memories sharp,US researchers said. Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles ,studied people doing web searches by recording their brain activity. "What we saw was people who had Internet experience used more of their brain during the search,"Dr.Gary Small, a UCLA expert on aging, said,"This suggests that just searching on the Internet may train the brain and that it may keep it active and healthy." "This is the first time anyone has simulated an Internet search task while scanning the brain,"Small said. His team studied 24 normal volunteers between the ages of 55 and 76. Half were experienced at searching the Internet and the other half had no web experience. However, the two groups were similar in age, gender and education. Both groups were asked to do Internet searches and book reading tasks while their brain activity was monitored. "We found that in the book reading task, the visual cortex-- the part of the brain that controls reading and language -- was activated,"Small said,"In doing the Internet search task, there was much greater activity, but only in the Internet-savvy group." He said it appears that people who are familiar with the Internet can engage in much deeper level of brain activity. Activities that keep the brain engaged can preserve brain health and thinking ability. Small thinks learning to do Internet searches may be one of those activities. The two volunteer groups were _ . A. similar in education B. of the same age C. good at the computer D. book lovers Answer: A To calculate distance divided by time you would need a A. multi-meter B. speedometer C. Geiger counter D. seismograph Answer: B Children's Storybooks and Tales: This site is dedicated to Children's Story Books and how to tell Children's Stories. If you enjoy a child's story or have kids of your own then please browse this site to find some great stories and how to read them. The Cat in the Hat---Dr. Seuss In the first book featuring the character (The Cat in the Hat, 1957), the Cat brings chaos to a household of two young children on one rainy day while their mother is out. Bringing with him two creatures appropriately named Thing One and Thing Two, the Cat performs all sorts of tricks to amuse the children, with mixed results. The Cat's tricks are vainly opposed by the family pet, who is a conscious goldfish. The children (Sally and her older brother) finally prove good ones, capturing the Things and bringing the Cat under control. He cleans up the house on his way out, disappearing seconds before the mother comes back. The Famous Fire---Enid Blyton The Famous Fire is Enid Blyton's most popular and celebrated series of children's books. The sequence began life in 1942, when the first book, Fire on a Treasure Island was published and it has won great praise from both fans and critics. The series has gone on to become amongst the best-loved stories ever to have been written for children. Tom and Pippo in the Garden---Helen Oxenbury In 1988 Helen Oxenbury created a series of books featuring Tom, a naughty young boy, and his beloved stuffed monkey, Pippo. Ms. Oxenbury remarked that Tom was very much like her son "when he was a little boy". Like Tom, her son would often blame his misdeeds on his trusted buddy, the friendly family dog. The BFG---Roald Dahl The story is about an orphan girl named Sophie. One night when Sophie cannot sleep during the "witching hour" and sees a giant blowing something into bedroom windows down the street. The giant sees her, and although she tries to hide in the bed, he reaches through the window and carries her away to his home. It can be inferred from the The Cat in the Hat that _ . A. the goldfish likes to keep company with the cat B. all tricks performed by the cat are not amusing C. Sally has to clean up the house before her mother comes back D. the cat finally takes control of the Things Answer: B
Question: 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. Christopher's Smile was set up to _ . A. tell people some knowledge about children's cancers B. have fun for the students in LVS Ascot Junior School C. help the local government do more things for students D. raise money for more research into children's cancers Answer: D. raise money for more research into children's cancers Question: A man punished his 5-year-old daughter for wasting some expensive gold wrapping paper. Money was little and he became more upset when the child used the gold paper to decorate a box and put it under a Christmas tree. However, the little girl brought the gift box to her father the next morning and said, " This is for you, daddy." The father was embarrassed by his earlier anger, but he got angry again when he found the box empty. He spoke to her in a serious manner, "Don't you know young lady, when you give someone a present, there's supposed to be something inside the package?" The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and said, "Oh Daddy, it is not empty.I blew kisses into it until it was full." The father was moved. He fell on his knees and put his arms around his little girl and he begged her to forgive his unnecessary anger. An accident took the life of the child away only a short time later and it is told that the father kept the gold box by his bed for all the years of his life. Whenever he was discouraged or faced difficult problems, he would open the box and take out an imaginary kiss and remember the child who had put it there. How did the man feel when he found the box empty on Christmas Day? A. Pleased B. Embarrassed C. Angry D. Excited Answer: C. Angry Question: One Sunday a few of us decided to take advantage of the first sunny day we'd have for ages to take a trip down to the coast to visit the penguins again. Last time I went down there was a couple of months ago and it was a dull cold day. Sunday couldn't have been more different -- clear skies and sunshine made it feel like summer, although it was still -25degC. Six of us drove to the coast. It was the first time we'd been off the base on our own without our field assistant, so it had a slightly different feeling -- more like a few friends going to the seaside than an Antarctic field trip! When we reached Windy Creek, we luckily caught sight of quite a few small flying seabirds, which are seldom seen there. Once on the sea ice we found that some of the more curious penguins had wandered over from the main group to come and check us out. We'd been told that then they were nursing their chicks and they would be more careful and nervous than last time, We walked across to the main group which were stretched for a couple of miles along the coast. We sat down for some sandwiches and soon found ourselves surrounded by many curious observers. Without any attackers on land, they were very brave and came within a meter of us to pose for photos. Before heading back, we spent a few hours on the sea ice watching the penguins and their chicks, which had grown dramatically since our last visit. It was such a nice day. The six people did the following during the trip EXCEPT _ . A. feed the penguins B. take pictures of the penguins C. enjoy watching flying seabirds D. watch the young penguins Answer: A. feed the penguins Question: This week,prefix = st1 /Londonwill be full of celebrations to welcome the Year of the Rat. Every year, London's Chinatown holds a great event to celebrate Chinese New Year, the largest event outside of Asia. This year in theUK, there seems to be a huge amount of interest in Chinese culture. For the third year running, the "ChinainLondon" season is being held. This extended event will run from February to April, ending in the Olympic torch relay, when the Olympic flame will pass throughLondonon its way to the start of the Beijing Games. The "ChinainLondon" season will _ a huge number of events, ranging from art exhibitions to modern dance, film festivals to tea tastings, musical concerts to children's half-term activities. In addition, another Chinese culture festival, "China Now" is launching at Chinese New Year. This is a nationwide season of events leading up to the Beijing Olympics. As well as cultural events, this programme includes an education programme for schools to develop relationships withChina, and a Football Exchange, where the UK Football Association will be coaching children inChinaand offering a lucky few the chance to visitBritainon a football tour. The main Chinese New Year celebration will be held on Sunday 10th February, and is expected to attract around 300,000 visitors. It will showcase both traditional and contemporary Chinese arts, bringing together British-born and Chinese performers. The most important thing of the day is the grand parade through the streets of London, led by a traditional dragon dance, followed by musicians, acrobats, artists and children. There will be a large stage and screen in Trafalgar Square featuring martial arts, music and dance. It wouldn't be Chinese New Year without fireworks and firecrackers, soLeicester Squarewill see displays on the hour all afternoon. Nearby theatres and arts centres will also be holding special New Year events, such as variety shows. Happy New Year to you, we hope you enjoy your celebrations as much as we will enjoy them inLondon. We can learn from the passage that_. A. a great number of the children in Chinawill have the chance to visitBritainon a football tour B. there won't be fireworks or firecrackers during the celebrations in London C. London's Chinatown holds an event to celebrate the Chinese new Year every year D. the main Chinese New Year celebration will be held on Saturday 10th February Answer: C. London's Chinatown holds an event to celebrate the Chinese new Year every year Question: 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." Which of the following is NOT mentioned as the similarity between Mo Yan and Shen Congwen? A. Writing themes B. Sense of humor C. Life experiences D. Approaches in writing Answer: B. Sense of humor
Question: Sue and Linda usually go to school by car. They drive past a cinema, a supermarket and a food shop. The food shop is next to the supermarket. Jack and Michael usually go to school by bus. They go past a bank and a post office. The bank is next to the post office. Mary usually goes to work by bike. She rides a bike past a police office, a library and a swimming pool. Where does Sue drive past? A. A cinema. B. A post office. C. A park. D. KFC Answer: A Question: Every people uses its own special word to show its ideas and feelings. Some of these expressions are commonly used for many years. Others are popular for just a short time. One such American expression is "Where's the beef?" It is used when something is not as good as it is said to be. In the early 1980s "Where's the beef?" was one of the most popular expressions in the United States. It seemed as if everyone using it at the time. Beef, of course, is the meat from a cow, and food is more popular in America than a hamburger made from beef. In the 1960s a businessman named Ray began building small restaurants that sold hamburgers at a low price. Ray called this "McDonald's". Ray became one of the richest businessmen at last in America. Other business people watched his success. Some of them opened their own hamburger restaurants. One company called "Wendy's" said its hamburgers were bigger than those sold by McDonald's or anyone else. The Wendy's Company began to use the expression "Where's the beef?" to make people know that Wendy's hamburgers were the biggest. The Wendy's television advertisement showed three old women eating hamburgers. The bread that covered the meat was very big, but inside there was only a bit of meat. One of the women said she would not eat a hamburger with such a little piece of beef. "Where's the beef?" she shouted in a funny way. The advertisement for Wendy's hamburger restaurants was a success. As we said, it seemed everyone began using the expression "Where's the beef?" Wendy's made the expression known to everybody _ . A. by a television advertisement B. with many old women eating hamburgers C. while selling bread with a bit of meat in it D. at the McDonald's restaurant Answer: A Question: When she was twelve, Maria made her first important decision about the course of her life. She decided that she wanted to continue her education. Most girls from middle-class families chose to stay home after primary school, though some attended private Catholic "'finishing" schools. There they learned a little about music, art, needlework, and how to make polite conversation. This was not the sort of education that interested Maria or her mother. By this time, she had begun to take her studies more seriously. She read constantly and brought her books everywhere. One time she even brought her math book to the theater and tried to study in the dark. Maria knew that she wanted to go on learning in a serious way. That meant attending the public high school, something that very few girls did. In Italy at the time, there were two types of high schools: the "classical" schools and the "technical" schools. In the classical schools, the students followed a very traditional program of studies, with courses in Latin and Greek language and literature, and Italian literature and history. The few girls who continued studying after primary school usually chose these schools. Maria, however, wanted to attend a technical school. The technical schools were more modern than the classical schools and they offered courses in modern languages, mathematics, science, and accounting. Most people including Maria's father believed that girls would never be able to understand these subjects. Furthermore, they did not think it was proper for girls to study them. Maria did not care if it was proper or not. Math and science were the subjects that interested her most. But before she could sign up for the technical school, she had to win her father's approval. She finally did, with her mother's help, though for many years after, there was tension in the family. Maria's father continued to oppose her plans, while her mother helped her. In 1883, at age thirteen, Maria entered the "Regia Scuola Tecnica Michelangelo Buonarroti" in Rome. Her experience at this school is difficult for us to imagine. Though the courses included modern subjects, the teaching methods were very traditional. Learning consisted of memorizing long lists of facts and repeating them back to the teacher. Students were not supposed to ask questions or think for themselves in any way. Teachers were very demanding, discipline in the classroom was strict, and punishment was severe for those who failed to achieve or were disobedient. Maria's father probably _ . A. had very modern views about women B. had very traditional views about women C. had no opinion about women D. thought women could not learn Latin Answer: B Question: Every minute,someone is setting up an Internet company somewhere, in the worlD. Each one is searching for the one great idea that could make his web company click in a big way.And they are trying all kinds of tricks to attract people towards their websites.While some websites offer sounds,cartoons and amazing photos on screen to make their sites almost a movie-like experience for the viewers,others provide free downloads and competitions. A company in California,US,has decided to offer online smells to people who visit its website. That is,if a pizza image comes on screen,your nose will catch the smell of bread and cheese!All you need to do is to connect a device called"iSmell"with your computer.This smart little device contains some chemicals that can create different kinds of smells. The company has invented software that changes the chemical composition of different smells into digital signals .An onscreen image,which is programmed with the proper digital signal,will start the"iSmell" device.The device will use the software to change' the digital signal again and let go of the correct smell.This device reads the digital smell code from the website and creates the proper smell from its store of chemicals.This smell is then made to blow softly in the direction of the user with the support of a small fan. In order to let go of the correct smell,the company has created a"Scent Registry",which contains a digital index of thousands of smells.The company plans to allow website developers to integrate the proper smells in digital code to their games and images.The company is also hoping that Hollywood filmmakers will use the smell technology in their movies.Imagine audiences getting the smell of rocket fuel as a spacecraft takes off on the cinema screen!Of course,filmmakers will have to be careful not to shoot in dirty neighborhoods,which have a lot of rubbish lying arounD. Internet companies try their best to search for great ideas to _ . A. join in the Internet fever B. offer movie-like experience C. provide free downloads and contests D. attract people to their websites Answer: D Question: The average global temperature has increased by almost 0.5 centigrade degree over the past century; scientists expect it to rise by an extra 1~3 degree over the next 100 years. Warmer weather makes glaciers melt, adding more water to the ocean. The warmer temperature also make water expand, so it takes up more space, causing the sea level to rise. The sea level has risen about 10~25 cm in the last 100 years. The main cause of global warming is human pollution. Through burning coal, oil and gas, people have been increasing the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, such as CO2. This adds to the power of the greenhouse effect, making the planet even warmer. Many scientists believe that, if the warming is not stopped, there will be huge climate changes. The sea level could rise to one metre this century. Should this come true, millions of homes will be swallowed up by the sea and the world will be flooded with "climate refugees" looking for somewhere to live? Which of the following is true? A. warmer weather-glaciers melt-water expand-pollution B. pollution-warmer weather-glaciers melt-water expand C. pollution-water expand-warmer weather-glaciers melt D. glaciers melt-pollution-water expand-warmer weather Answer: B
One day, a little monkey and a little fox went out to play. They saw an apple tree on the other side of the river. There were many big and red apples on it. But there was no bridge over the river. The monkey thought hard and had an idea. They pulled down a tree and put it over the river as a bridge. The monkey said, "My old friend, you go there first." But after the fox went to the other side, he kicked the tree into the river and ran to the apple tree. "How can I get 'there without the tree?" cried the monkey. The fox laughed and said, "You just stand there and watch me eating the apples." The monkey was very angry. Suddenly it began to rain. The water level in the river rose and the tree flew away with the water. "You can eat all the apples. But you can't come back," shouted the monkey. The fox stopped eating and looked at the monkey sadly. ,. The story tells us that _ . A. the fox was strong B. the monkey should go first C. the fox was cleverer than the monkey D. one shouldn' t care only about himself Answer: D. one shouldn' t care only about himself Shenzhou X and three astronauts were sent up from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, Gansu province, into a clear blue sky on Tuesday, bringing the nation one step closer to building its own space station in 2020. Two men, mission commander Nie Haisheng and Zhang Xiaoguang, and China's second female astronaut, Wang Yaping, are expected to stay in space for 15 days. They will teach young people about science and do two _ , between Shenzhou X and the unmanned Tiangong-1 space module, a technically difficult procedure that brings two spaceship together in high-speed orbit . The trip is our country's fifth manned space mission, 10 years after the country's first astronaut, Yang Liwei, went into space in 2003. How long will they stay in space? A. About a week B. About two weeks C. About a month D. About two months Answer: B. About two weeks It's every child's dream:you find yourself in a sweet shop without owners and can finally eat as many candies as you like. Tokyo's all-you-can-eat"cheap candy"bars make that childhood dreams come true,giving Japanese under stress a chance to relive the good old days when their biggest problem was deciding between fizzy sticks and sour plums . The "cheap candy" bar in Tokyo's fashion Ebisu neighborhood is decorated like an old corner shop with dark wooden walls lined with glass jars full of Japanese childhood favorite food.Faded posters and a black-and-white TV bring back that special 1960s nostalgic feeling. "This is good old Japan,something I haven't even seen myself because we've passed that period,"said 24-year-old Natsuko Kohashi,a consultant, as she sat with a glass of beer and a basket of sugary candies."People dream about this peaceful time,20 years after the war, when things were kind of slow but people had hope,"she said."The economy started to recover and everyone got richer." Tokyo has many places which satisfy the needs of depressed office workers who have a desire for the years before the financial bubble of the 1980s,when stock markets and property prices went up quickly and then collapsed,leaving Japan in a depression for most of the next decade. There are cafes where waitresses dressed as maids play childish games with customers,and theme parks that recreate school cafeterias and 1960s living rooms. At another table at Ebisu's bar, a lively group of men and women in their 20s,some wearing suits,picked at a selection of sweets."I used to eat sweets as a child,"one of the men said."Now we are under great stress.When we were children,there was no stress,so we're comforting each other." How did Tokyo people feel in the 1960s? A. Challenging B. Doubtful C. Terrible D. Hopeful Answer: D. Hopeful 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." What protected Jens Kristensen from being injured by falling bricks? A. The bookshelf. B. The desk. C. The door. D. The pocket. Answer: A. The bookshelf. My grandmother seems to be wrong when she says that good manners will never go out of style. Several days ago, I tried entering a lift with one of my arms fixed in a bandage while carrying a computer bag in the other. Not being fast enough, I was passed by two young people who managed to get into the lift before me. The lift door closed only after I entered. Having already pressed their wanted floor button, the young people waited impatiently for me to press the button for where I was going. If they had decided to help, we could have moved much faster. But they had not. So I did my best and pressed the button with my arm. The two young people looked very angry with me. I was losing heart. The memory of this incident has stayed with me because it followed shortly after my building's watchman refused to help me carry a heavy box full of books. His answer was that he could not carry the books a few meters because it was not his job. However, I remembered myself helping people for so many years carrying boxes, shopping bags, or pushing wheelchairs upon the request of a stranger in need or when my conscience called on me. "Oh, this young generation, they have no manners, "my grandmother would say. The idea of good manners refers to the considering of other people's feelings. We need more and more people to have good manners. Good manners should be-come part of our lives. How did the two young people feel when the author pressed the button? A. Excited. B. Angry. C. Sad. D. Confident. Answer: B. Angry.
When someone gives you advice, listen without judgment, try to find value in what you're hearing, and say: "Thank you". This wise advice is easy to understand yet hard to practice. I'll give you an example from my life when I totally _ in terms of practicing what I teach. In my work I travel constantly. I always put off going to the airport until the last second. My wife, Lyda, was sitting next to me in the front seat. I was racing along and not paying much attention. Lyda cried out: "Look out! There is a red light up ahead. " Being a trained behavioral science professional--who teaches others the value of encouraging advice--I naturally screamed at her: "I know there is a red light up ahead! Don't you think I can see?" When we arrived at the airport, Lyda didn't speak to me. I wondered why she seemed mad at me. During the flight to prefix = st1 /New York, I did a cost-benefit analysis. I asked myself: "What was the cost of just listening when Lyda called out the warning? Zero." I then reasoned: "What was the potential benefit? What could have been saved?" Several potential benefits came to mind, including her life, my life, and the lives of other people. I landed in New Yorkfeeling ashamed of myself. I immediately called Lyda and told her my cost-benefit story. I convinced her: "The next time you help me with my driving, I am just going to say, 'Thank you.'" A few months passed, and I had long forgotten the incident. Again, I was racing off to the airport, when Lyda cried out: "Look out for the red light!" I was embarrassed, and then shouted: "Thank you!" I'm a long way from perfect, but I'm getting better. My suggestion is that you get in the habit of asking the important people in your life how you can do things better. And be ready for an answer. Some people may tell you things like "Look out for the red light." When this happens, remember that there is possibly some potential benefit. Then just say: "Thank you." The purpose of the passage is to advise people to_. treasure others' suggestions The Chinese New Year is the most important festival for the Chinese people. It usually comes in January or February. It takes about 15 days to prepare for it. On the eve of the festival, people close the shops and stay at home. They all get together for a big dinner. They stay up late and enjoy dumplings at midnight for good luck. In the morning, people dress in their best clothes, and usually the old stay at home, the young go out to pay a New Year Call . It is an important time for the young. The young people bow to the old people. The Chinese call this "Ke Tou". This means "touching the ground with the forehead ". Then the young people give their best wishes to the old people. The old people give children gifts or lucky money. They are very polite and do not use bad words on the Spring Festival Day. It,s the most important day of the year. On the Spring Festival Day, what do people usually say to each other when they meet? Happy the Spring Festival. Generations of Americans have been brought up to believe that a good breakfast is essential to one's life. Eating breakfast at the start of the day, we have been told, and told again, is as necessary as putting gasoline in the family car before starting a trip. But for many people, the thought of food as the first thing in the morning is never a pleasure. So in spite of all the efforts, they still take no breakfast. Between 1977 and 1983, the latest year for which figures could be obtained, the number of people who didn't have breakfast increased by 33%--from 8.8 million to 11.7 million--according to the Chicago-based Market Research Corporation of America. For those who dislike eating breakfast, however, there is some good news. Several studies in the last few years have shown that, for grown-ups especially, there may be nothing wrong with omitting breakfast. "Going without breakfast does not affect work," said Arnold E. Bender, former professor of nutrition at Queen Elizabeth College in London, "nor does giving people breakfast improve work." Scientific evidence linking breakfast to better health or better work is surprisingly inadequate, and most of the recent work involves children, not grown-ups. "The literature," says one researcher, Dr Earnest Polite at the University of Texas, "is poor." The main idea of the passage is that _ . breakfast is not as important as we thought before Sally came to China last year. She is now living in Beijing and works in a computer company. She has been in the company for six months. The company is in the north of the city, and her flat is in the south. But Sally has never been late for work. Sally is very popular in the company. She is kind to everybody and gets on well with her workmates. They often visit each other after work and talk about almost everything. However, Sally has made a decision to leave the company. She is going to find a job as a tour guide. "If I work as a tour guide, I'll be able to meet more people and learn more about China," she told her friends. Last Friday Sally had a talk with the manager of a travel agency. He seemed pleased with her Chinese. At the end of the talk, the manager said, "I'll call you up in a week and tell you the result." Now Sally is waiting for the answer. Almost _ in the company knows Sally. everybody Our Community One Tuesday evening in the beginning of the fall 1996 semester at Shippensburg University, sirens sounded. These sirens were not in celebration; they were a cry to the university that something was wrong. A house, only one block away, was on fire. Nine of the university's students lived there. From the minute the word got out that help was needed, it seemed like everyone showed up. The victims of the fire were offered endless invitations for housing for the night. The very next day, everyone got into gear to do their part in helping them. Flyers were posted with items that were immediately needed, just to get these students through this next couple of days. Boxes for donations and money jars were placed in every residence hall . As a residence director, I went before the students in my hall to ask them to do what they could. I knew that college students don't have much, but I asked them to do their best: "Every little bit will help." I really didn't think they could do much. I was proved wrong. At the hall council meeting the night after the fire, my residents decided to have a wing competition, where each wing of the building would team up to see who could bring in the most donations. I announced that the wing who won would receive a free pizza party. Thursday evening we announced over the PA system that we were beginning the wing competition. Within minutes, the place exploded. The single large box that I had placed in the lobby was overflowing. We quickly grabbed more boxes, and we watched as they, too, filled to the brim(;). Members of the resident assistant staff and I began to count the items. I was astonished by what I saw, and I was inspired by these kids. When we came to the final tally , the winners turned to me and announced that they would like to donate their winnings as well. They wanted the victims of the fire to have their pizza party. Tears welled up in my eyes. I had watched these students jump to action, work tirelessly and donate all that they could. And then, as if that were not enough, they handed over their reward. I was touched and so very proud of them. The writer mainly wanted to _ by the story. sing praise of the college students helping the victims selflessly
Two more people have died in China from a new strain of bird flu, raising the death toll from the virus to 13, state media reported Sunday. The official Xinhua News Agency said the two deaths were reported in Shanghai and that three new cases were also confirmed in the financial hub. A total of 11 new cases were reported Sunday - including two in a central province that previously had been unaffected. In all, 60 cases of the virus, known as H7N9, have been reported in China. The two cases reported Sunday in central Henan province, which is next to Beijing, followed an announcement Saturday that a 7-year-old girl had become the first person in the capital to be infected with the virus. All previous reported cases were in Shanghai and other eastern areas of China. A World Health Organization official said Sunday that it wasn't surprising that the virus had spread to Beijing. Michael O'Leary, head of WHO's office in China, said it's not the case that everyone confirmed to be infected with H7N9 was "clustered in one small area with the same source of exposure." "So we've been expecting new cases to occur. ... Furthermore, we still expect that there will be other cases," he said. Four new cases were reported Sunday in eastern Zhejiang province and two more in Jiangsu. Health officials believe the virus, which was first spotted in humans last month, is spreading through direct contact with infected fowl. O'Leary said "the good news" was that there was still no evidence that humans had passed on the virus to other humans. "As far as we know, all the cases are individually infected in a sporadic and not connected way," he said, adding that the source of infection was still being investigated. The girl from Beijing, whose parents are in the live poultry trade, was admitted to a hospital Thursday with symptoms of fever, sore throat, coughing and headache, the Beijing Health Bureau said. O'Leary said early treatment can be effective, as demonstrated by the girl, who was in stable condition. In the only other reported cases outside of eastern China, health officials in Henan province said tests on two men Thursday had later revealed they had the virus. They said a 34-year-old restaurant chef who had displayed flu symptoms for about a week was in critical condition in a hospital, while a 65-year-old farmer who was in frequent contact with poultry was in stable condition after receiving treatment. They said 19 people who had been in close contact with the two men did not show any flu symptoms. China has been more open in its response to the new virus than it was a decade ago with an outbreak of SARS, when authorities were highly criticized for not releasing information. This article is most probably a _ . A. newspaper ad B. book review C. news report D. science fiction story Answer: C "Last week was Road Safety Week at Jason's school. All the students had to take part in a talk on road safety which was given by a police officer. The following is what the police officer said. " "Most traffic accidents shouldn't happen. They happen because people are careless. A frequent cause of traffic accidents is speed. Some people drive too quickly. This means that if they have to stop suddenly, they cannot stop quickly enough to avoid hitting other vehicles or people. You need to remember this when you are crossing the street or walking along the sidewalk. " "It's not only drivers who cause accidents, however. People on foot-pedestrians, and bicycle riders often cause accidents, too. Pedestrians sometimes walk out into the street without looking. You should always look on both sides before stepping into the street. " "Do any of you ride a bike? Bicycle riders can cause accidents by changing directions suddenly or without warning other road users. Before you turn left, for example, you should check behind you to make sure there aren't any cars, trucks or buses coming. You should show with your left hand to tell that you want to turn left. You should not turn until the street is clear. " "The rules of the road are very simple. If we learn them and obey them, we should not have accidents any more. " How can bicycle riders cause accidents? A. By crossing the road without warning other road users. B. By turning suddenly or without warning other road users. C. By making sure there aren't any cars coming. D. By showing suddenly or without warning other road users. Answer: B Why should scientists wear goggles during experiments? A. to block out bright sunlight B. to magnify small objects C. to protect their eyes D. to see in the dark Answer: C The Teens & Self-Image survey organized by USA WEEKEND attracted an unprecedented 272,400. The majority of teens say they feel good about themselves, but many express misgivings about who they are, especially about their appearance. The results show that looks are key. Only 4 in 10 respondents consider themselves attractive. Half the girls want to lose weight. It is found that problems typically associated with girls are now becoming more visible in boys. Teen respondents believe good looks matter when it comes to personal achievement, specifically making friends, winning the respect of others, and succeeding in life. Teens find lots of imperfections. Almost 85 percent cite ways they'd like to improve. After losing weight and toning up , the top three are their grades, doing better in sports, and having a better relationship with their parents. Only 15 percent like themselves "the way I am." Faith is central in many students' everyday lives. When asked about the most important influence in their lives, survey respondents picked religion second only to their parents. Depression is common. More than half say they occasionally are "really depressed"; 1 in 5 often feel despondent . And 1 in 3 have friends who have talked about or actually tried to commit suicide--the third leading cause of death among 15 to 24-year-olds. Last year, about 2,000 teens committed suicide, and the rate of adolescent suicide has greatly increased in the past 10 years, studies show. Teens show a healthy self-respect. Asked to choose from a list of qualities, 8 in 10 say they are kind, 3 in 4 say they are honest, and 7 in 10 say they have a good sense of humor. Slightly more than 6 in 10 say they are smart, self-confident or creative. Least admired of a dozen qualities they were asked to rank: being popular, rich or tough. Which of the following is TRUE according to the survey? A. Almost all teens are satisfied with themselves. B. What teenagers would like to improve most is their grades. C. The results show only 15% students are satisfied with themselves. D. American teenagers admire being popular, rich or tough very much. Answer: C Pop stars today enjoy what once only belonged to the royalty. Wherever they go, people turn out in their thousands to greet them. The crowds go wild trying to catch a brief glimpse of their smiling, color1fully dressed idols. The stars are transported in their chauffeur driven Rolls Royces, private helicopters or executive airplanes. They are surrounded by a permanent entourage of managers, press agents and bodyguards. Photographs of them appear regularly in the press and all their comings and goings are reported, for, like royalty, pop stars are news. If they enjoy many of the privileges of royalty, they certainly share many of the inconveniences as well. It is dangerous for them to make unscheduled appearances in public. They must be constantly shielded from the adoring crowds who idolize them. They are no longer private individuals, but public property. The financial rewards they receive for this sacrifice cannot be calculated, for their rates of pay are great. And why not? Society has always rewarded its top entertainers lavishly. The great days of Hollywood have become legendary: famous stars enjoyed fame, wealth and adulation on an all time scale. By today's standards, the excesses of Hollywood do not seem quite so spectacular. A single gramophone record nowadays may earn much more in royalties than the films of the past ever did. The competition for the title "Top of the Pops" is fierce, but the rewards are truly huge. It is only right that the stars should be paid in this way. Don't the top men in industry earn enormous salaries for the service they perform to their companies and their countries? Pop stars earn vast sums in foreign currency -- often more than large industrial companies -- and the taxman can only be grateful for their massive annual contributions to the exchequer . So who would envy them their rewards? It's all very well for people in boring jobs to complain about the successes and rewards of others. People who make envious remarks should remember that the most famous stars represent only the tip of the iceberg. For every famous star, there are hundreds of others struggling to earn a living. A man working in a steady job and looking forward to a pension at the end of it has no right to expect very high rewards. He has chosen security and peace of mind, so there will always be a limit to what he can earn. But a man who attempts to become a star is taking enormous risks. He knows at the outset that only a handful of competitors ever get to the very top. He knows that years of concentrated effort may be rewarded with complete failure. But he knows, too, that the rewards for success are very high indeed: they are the payback for the huge risks involved and once he makes it, he will certainly earn them. That's the essence of private enterprise. The author holds a(n) _ attitude towards the high income of pop stars. A. critical B. optimistic C. approving D. indifferent Answer: C
When Iain Douglas-Hamilton first started studying elephants in Africa,he had to invent ways of tracking the big animals. Over the course of 40 years in the field, the zoologist learned how to fly airplanes and use some high-tech means to follow their movements. He also learned how to get out of the way fast. "I learned how to climb trees very quickly," says Dr. Douglas-Hamilton, winner of the 2010 Indianapolis Prize. As co-founder of Save the Elephants, he has also learned to be an activist, author, and politician. When Douglas-Hamilton left Tanzania, in East Africa, in 1970 to study at Oxford University in Britain, he left behind "an elephants' paradise ."But when he returned in 1972, the country's national parks looked more like a war zone. Douglas-Hamilton often found more dead elephants than living ones. Dr. Douglas-Hamilton now lives in Kenya with his wife, Oria, who co-founded Save the Elephants. Together they have written two books, "Battle for the Elephants" and " Among the Elephants". During the height of the ivory poaching ,Douglas-Hamilton flew in small planes, helping bring back elephants in Uganda from the edge of extinction. He's been repeatedly shot at and has survived plane crashes, floods and diseases. He fought for years for a worldwide ban on ivory sales, which finally took effect in 1989. Douglas-Hamilton pioneered the scientific study of elephant social behavior. Among his discoveries: Elephants have a society controlled by female elephants and travel in families. In 2009, he worked to save a rare group of desert elephants in Mali from the worst dry weather in Mali's history. There have been other successes, particularly in East and Southern Africa. Douglas--Hamilton has proposed the idea of a mobile national park, where the protected land would follow elephants as they travel. No country has yet accepted it. Even after decades of research, Douglas-Hamilton still enjoys the company of elephants. "I love to sit with them and be with them, "he says. "I have the greatest joy just to be with elephants at peace." Douglas-Hamilton did the following to protect elephants EXCEPT _ . Answer: This month inTravelersCorner there are three teenagers' experiences in year-abroad programmes. Mariko Okada - Tokyo My year abroad in the United States was a fantastic experience. I'm not a shy person, and I was very comfortable speaking to everyone. So I got lots of speaking practice. I also learned many English songs and lots of interesting things about American culture. When I got home, my friends all said that I had improved so much! I hope to go back again in the future. Carla Fonseca - Rio de Janeiro I spent last year studying English in London. I'm from a small town, and London is a very big city. Sometimes I felt it was too big. There were so many people to talk to, but I always felt bad about my English. I missed my family, and I really missed my two cats. My roommate was always using our telephone, so I hardly had the chance for a nice long talk with my parents. I think it was a good experience for me, but I'm glad to be home! Alvin Chen - Hong Kong Studying in New Zealand was a fun experience for me, but it was also lots of hard work! I had English classes six hours a day, five days a week----with lots of homework. I also kept a diary of my experience. I like to write, and I wrote two or three pages in my diary every day. On Saturdays, my homestay family took me to lots of interesting places and showed me so many wonderful things about the culture. I'm really glad I went. What can we learn about Carla? Answer: Mr. White sold kinds of machines to farmers, which he thought was not really a very exciting job, but he had always been interested in traveling on business. He had a big car, and usually enjoyed driving it long distances, but he was also quite satisfied to go by train sometimes, especially when the weather was bad. He was a little frightened of driving in the rain or snow, and it was less tiring to sit comfortably in a train and look out of the windows without being worried about how to get to the next place. One of Mr. White's problems was often where to stay when he reached some small places in the country. He did not expect timely and wonderful food, but he found it annoying when he was given a cold room, and when there was no hot water after a long and tiring journey. Later one winter evening, Mr. White arrived at a small railway station. The journey by train that day had not been at all interesting, and Mr. White was cold and tired and hungry. He was looking forward to a simple but satisfying meal by a brightly burning fire, and then a hot bath and a comfortable bed. While he was walking to the taxi stand, he said to a local man who was also walking there, "As this is my first visit to this part of the country and I was in too much of a hurry to find out the hotels before I left home, I would very much like to know how many hotels you have here." The local man answered," We have two." "And which of the two would you advise me to go to?" Mr. White asked then. The local man scratched his head for a moment and then answered,"Well, it's like this, whichever one you go to, you'll be sorry you don't go to the other." After he got to his destination , Mr. White most expected to _ . Answer: Maggiano is an award-winning teacher in the Social Studies Department at West Springfield High School in Virginia.He has taught in public and private schools for 25 years.In a piece on his blog called "The Classroom Post," he calls for more males to enter the profession . Men Teach, a non-profit organization that encourages men to enter teaching, reports that in 2008, 18.8% of all elementary and middle school teachers were men.At the high school level during the same year, men comprised 44% of the work force. Why are there so few men in teaching? Men Teach says low pay and lack of prestige , as well as a perception in our culture that teaching is for women.As a result, there is no organized effort across the country to attract men into the teaching profession. A study in 2008 by the National Education Association showed that the number of male teachers hit a record 40-year low.Males comprised 24.5 percent of public schoolteachers.States with high percentages: Kansas (33.6 percent), Oregon (31.6 percent), Alaska (30.9 percent) and Indiana (30.5percent).States with the lowest percentage : Arkansas (16.2 percent), Virginia (17.4 percent), Mississippi (17.5 percent), Louisiana (18 percent), South Carolina (18.5 percent) and Georgia (19.7 percent). There is no definitive research that male students--or female students, for that matter-- learn better from a particular sex. But as Maggiano put it, "Kids today, both boys and girls, must have the same opportunity to learn from outstanding, devoted men that I did.However, I have heard little discussion about this problem coming from our national leaders. According to the text , we can infer that _ . Answer: Have you seen Avatar(<<>> )? It's a popular 3D movie, and you may have to wear 3D glasses to see it. The 3D glasses make the images from the movie look as if they were coming straight towards you. More and more 3D movies are coming to theaters. Some say that 3D TV sets will come into our homes in the near future. 3D technology can make TV and movies are more exciting. However, people with eye problems may get headaches if they spend too much time watching 3D movies. Why? When we look at an object , each eye sees it at a different angle . Our eyes send the two images to our brain , and the brain puts them together. 3D technology uses two film projectors . One projects a left-eye-image and the other projects a right-eye-image. 3D glasses allow us to see a different image in each eye. So, when we are watching a 3D movie, our brain can't put together the images sent to our eyes. The brain needs to work harder at "reading" the images. That makes it easier for people with eye problems to get dizzy or have headaches. A famous eye doctor said if your eyes can't focus on the same object at once, you will have trouble watching 3D movies. . The 3D glasses can make the images from the movie _ . Answer:
Do you know there are two kinds of football games? One is American football , and the other is soccer .In China many young men like playing soccer. It is very popular. But the Chinese don't call it soccer. They call it football. There are eleven players in each team. And the ball is round. Only the goalkeeper can touch the ball with his hands. The other players can't touch the ball with their hands. In America, soccer is not very popular. They like playing American football. It is very different. The ball is not round. It is like a big egg. There are also eleven players in each team. All the players can touch the ball with both feet and hands. How many players are there in a soccer team? Answer: Eleven You are enjoying the beautiful scenery in a quiet place, but suddenly the peace and quiet is interrupted by the noisy sound of a cellphone ! Cellphones are everywhere, and some people don't know what the limits of cellphone use are. For me, it's just a matter of education, good manners, and common sense. If I go to a beautiful place, it is because I want to enjoy nature. I can do it, but without bothering other people. Nowadays, that's the biggest problem. People disturb other people, first with the ringing of their cellphones and then with their conversations because they usually speak very loudly. Not everybody in a public place should have to listen to private conversations . Even more annoying, you hear just one part of the conversation. People need to learn how to use cellphones correctly. If there is an emergency ,cellphones are acceptable, but remember that just a few years ago few people had cellphones and the whole society survived! But again, not everybody wants to listen to other people's private conversations. It's like smoking. _ . Our society has to learn to respect other people. Sometimes when you are talking to someone, that person interrupts the conversation because of a cellphone call, without saying "I'm sorry." That is bad manners. They don't know how to respect other people. It's just common sense! But our society is sometimes so "common senseless!" So, we have to write some rules to prohibit cellphone use in some places. By saying "People don't want to be bothered by smokers" (Para. 5), the author really means _ . Answer: people don't want to be bothered by cellphone talkers Dorothea Shaw is 71 years old and nearly blind, and she chose to live alone far away from people. She lives in Belize -- a county the size of Wales with a population only that of Swansea. Her home is at Gales Point, a tiny village which can be reached only by sea or air; after a 10-mile walk into the hills one finally reaches a piece of land and two small houses so hidden in the thick over-grown forest that only a handful of people know Dorothea is there. She lives happily and totally alone - growing her vegetables, looking after her trees and dogs, cats and chickens. Once a month or so an old friend passes by with her food supplies and letters-usually including a letter from her sister in Scunthorpe and some bits of clothing from friends in Canada. Sometimes a local man will come and cut wood for her and a group of British soldiers will come across her and be greeted with the offer of a cup of coffee. At night she lies in her tiny sleeping room with the dogs on the floor, the cats on the table near the typewriter and one of the hens settled down in a corner of the bookshelf, and listens for hours to any Spanish, English, German or French broadcasts she can find on her radio. Sometimes she gets lonely but most of the time the animals and the radio are company enough. But recently the very things that she had tried to get free from so well have begun to catch up with her. The peace of the forest has been destroyed by the noise of earth-moving machines not many miles away. What she once only heard of distantly on the radio is now on her doorstep. Things began to change three years ago. The new main north-south road in Belize was cut through the forest only four or five miles away. "Now more people know I'm here." She says. "I feel more and more uneasy each day." Dorothea doesn't get lonely since she has _ with her. Answer: some animals "Regardless of social class, race and age, men say they hate to shop," says Zukin, City University of New York sociology professor."Yet when you ask them deeper questions, it turns out that they like to shop.Men generally like to shop for books, music and hardware.But if you ask them about the shopping they do for books or music, they'll say, " Well, that's not shopping.That's research." In other words, what men and women call "buying things" and how they approach that task are different. Women will wander through several 1,000-square-meter stores in search of the perfect party dress.Men will wander through 100 Internet sites in search of the perfect digital camcorder .Women see shopping as a social event.Men see it as a special task or a game to be won. "Men are frequently shopping to win," says Ann, a marketing professor at Loyola University of Chicago."They want to get the best deal.They want to get the best one, the latest one and if they do that it makes them happy." When women shop, they're doing it in a way that they want everybody to be very happy," says Ann."They're kind of shopping for love." " Teenage girls learn to shop from their moms and older sisters, but they also learn to shop by examining articles in magazines like Seventeen," City University Zukin says. "And although men's magazines such as GQandEsquire have long had shopping articles, it's TV that has the eye of young male shoppers," say Ann and Zukin. "Television shows are used by young men in the same way Seventeenmagazine orLuckyis used by girls," says Zukin, "to help make clothing and toiletry choices." "Of course, there are men who love to shop and are proud of it," Loyola's Ann says.And that is important no matter whether you buy a car or a frying pan.All men love to buy but don't want to get cheated. Ann adds, "There actually are men who are interested, for example, in cooking or shopping or chinaware or things around the home-----they become kind of girl _ .Women like it." Compared to women, men usually treat shopping _ . Answer: seriously National parks are large of areas of public land . They give a safe home for local plants and animal . They help keep the air and water clean . They also give us the best trips . Today ,there are nearly 7,000 national parks around the world . Forbes has listed 12 of the most beautiful ones in the world that will surprise you with their amazing landscape ,geographic wonders and colorful plants and animals . The Grand Canyon National Park of the US is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World . It is best known for its size and depth . It is 446 kilometers long ,up to 29 kilometers wide ,and 1. 6 kilometers deep . The _ of the canyon makes people think big . Every year ,about 5million people visit here . Taking a tour in the South Rim offers vistors the park's full views,while the North Rim shows beautiful wild flowers . If you love animals ,you'll like the Serrengeti Natinoal Park in Tanzania . The "Big Five "live here . They are the lion . African elephant ,African leopard ,black rhinoce and African buffalo . The name "Big Five "came from the five animals that were the hardest to catch . Now they are what people most want to see in the wild . If you visit the park ,you should never miss the migration of over 1. 5million wildebeests and 250,000 zebras every year. This is the most famous site of the park . If the writer continues the article ,he would most likely write about _ . Answer: more national parks in the world
Question: Having good social relationships -- friends, marriage or children -- may be every bit as important to a healthy life as quitting smoking, losing weight or taking certain medicines. U. S. researchers reported on Tuesday. People with strong social relationships were SO percent less likely to die early than people without such support, the team at Brigham Young University in Utah found. They suggest that the government look at ways to help people keep social relationships as a way of keeping the population healthy. "A lack of social relationships was equal to smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day," psychologist Julianne Holt-Lunstad, who led the study, said in a telephone interview. Her team conducted a study that examined social relationships and their effects on health. They looked at 148 studies that covered more than 308,000 people, published in the Public Library of Science journal PLoS Medicine at www.plosmedicine.org. Having low levels of social relationships was equal to being an alcoholic, was more harmful than not exercising and was twice as harmful as obesity. Social relationships had a bigger effect on early death than getting an injection to prevent pneumonia ,than taking drugs for high blood pressure and far more important than living in air pollution, they found. "I certainly don't want to _ these other risk factors because of course they are very important," Holt-Lunstad said. We need to start taking social relationships just as seriously. " But Holt-Lundstad said there was some evidence that assigning caretakers does not help improve people's health. "Naturally occurring relationships may be different than the support received from someone who is hired for that purpose." she said. According to the text, having poor social relationships is as harmful as _ . A. being fat B. staying up C. not doing sports D. drinking alcohol Answer: D Question: A programmer and an engineer are sitting next to each other on a long flight from Los Angeles to New York.The programmer leans over to the engineer and asks if he would like to play a fun game.The engineer just wants to take a nap, so he politely declines and rolls over to the window to catch a few winks. The programmer persists and explains that the game is really easy and has a lot of fun.He explains, "I ask you a question, and if you don't know the answer, you pay me $5.Then you ask me a question, and if I don't know the answer, I'll pay you $5." Again, the engineer politely refuses and tries to get to sleep. The programmer, now somewhat anxious, says, "OK, if you don't know the answer you pay me $5, and if I don't know the answer, I'll pay you $50!" This catches the engineer's attention, and he sees no end to this torment unless he plays, so he agrees to the game. The programmer asks the first question."What's the distance from the earth to the moon?'' The engineer doesn't say a word, but reaches into his wallet, pulls out a five dollar bill and hands it to the programmer.Now, it's the engineer's turn.He asks the programmer, "What goes up a hill with three legs, and comes down on four?" The programmer looks up at him with a puzzled look.He takes out his laptop computer and searches all of his references.After about an hour, he wakes the engineer and hands him $50.The engineer politely takes the $50 and turns away to try to get back to sleep.The programmer, more than a little angry, shakes the engineer and asks, "Well, so what's the answer?" Without a word, the engineer reaches into his wallet, hands the programmer $5, and turns away and goes back to sleep. What's the best title for the passage? A. A Boring Conversation B. A Fun Game C. A Trick During The Flight D. A Question Without Answer Answer: B Question: If you were asked what your body is made of, probably you would say that it is made of flesh and bones and covered with skin. You also know something about the blood which flows through it, and that there is a very important part which we call the brain. But the flesh and the bones make up the largest part of the body, and there is a good deal to be learned about them. You know the general appearance of both flesh and bone from the parts of animals which you see in the butcher's shop. Bone is hard, and of a white color; indeed, it looks more like a piece of wood or stone than a part of a living animal. But bone is a real part of the living body, and it grows and is nourished just as the body is. If a man breaks the bone of his arm or his leg, it is firmly bound up, to prevent the broken parts from moving out of the proper places, and in time then bone grows together again and becomes quite strong. The bones are fastened together by various kinds of joints . They form the framework of the body, and give it strength to retain its proper shape. This framework is called the skeleton . Some animals, such as worms and slugs, have no skeleton; and others, such as shellfish, have a kind of hard covering or skeleton outside. The most important part of the skeleton is the backbone. It is so important that naturalists divide all animals into two classes,--- those which have a backbone and those which have none. All the higher animals, including man, have a backbone, or vertebral column as it is called. They are therefore called vertebrate animals. The others are called invertebrate animals. Why should the bones bound up firmly if they were broken? A. To make the bones strong B. To protect our arms and legs C. To fasten the joints. D. To prevent the broken parts from moving out of the proper places. Answer: D Question: What is art? According to one definition, it is the creation of something that appeals to our sense of beauty. This definition may include painting, drawing, sculpture, and architecture, or performing arts such as music and drama. Cultural and historical influences, as well as one's own consciousness of what is aesthetically( )pleasing, play a role in what one believes to be art. To some people, art is the description of an object--- a painting or sculpture of a person, for example. For others, art may be a blank canvas, or a piece of chalk. In order to talk about the different artistic styles that have existed over time, art historians have classified these styles into different periods and organized them in chronological order. The works of art produced within each period mirror the culture and events of that time. The earliest forms of art, from the prehistoric era , include simple cave paintings and figures made from stone. There were followed by the sculptures and carvings of Ancient Civilizations era. Styles of the later Classical era (800 B.C. to 200 A.D.), reflect the culture of the time--- one that favored simplicity and balance. The period of the Middle Ages followed, and was succeeded by a revival of classical styles in the Renaissance era, beginning around 1400. Well-known artists of this time include Michelangelo and da Vinci. One hundred years of Baroque style, and then fifty years of Rococo followed the 200-year Renaissance. The start of the nineteenth century saw the rise of the Premodern era, followed by the Modern era, a period that lasted until 1945. This was followed by Postmodern era that characterizes the present day. In addition to differences in artistic styles between eras, there are also differences within each era. The Postmodern era, for example, has featured innovative artistic styles such as Pop Art ( which includes work by Andy Warhol), Minimalism, and Conceptualism. Since the 1960s, Conceptualism has grown in popularity. This style focuses more on the idea or 'concept' of art using realistic objects, rather than on art that is created using traditional materials such as paint, canvas, stone, or clay. Whereas Warhol used a can of beans as the basis for a painting, for example, a conceptual artist might say that the can itself is a work of art. Conceptualism has become an increasingly controversial art style, particularly as result of numerous conceptual artists winning the Turner Prize. This PS20,000 award is presented annually to a British artist under the age of fifty, in recognition of an outstanding work. Sponsored by the Tate Gallery of Britain, it is recognized as one of Europe's most prestigious awards for visual arts. Its aim is to promote discussion about contemporary British art. In 2002, pop music icon Madonna presented the Turner Prize to conceptual artist Martin Creed. ...... According to the passage, art historians have classified these styles into _ periods. A. 7 B. 8 C. 10 D. 12 Answer: C Question: Potential energy changes to kinetic energy when using a A. computer B. light bulb C. television D. bicycle Answer: D
New York City plans to put a ban on the sale of large sodas and other sugary drinks at restaurants, movie theaters and street carts, in an effort to fight rising obesity. The ban would affect almost all the popular sugary drinks found in fast-food restaurants and even sports centers, from energy drinks to pre-sweetened iced teas. The sale of any cup or bottle of sweetened drink larger than 16 ounces would be forbidden under the first-in-the- nation plan. The measure would not apply to diet sodas, fruit juices, zero-calorie Vitamin Waters, dairy-based drinks like milkshakes , or alcoholic drinks; it would not expand to drinks sold in grocery stores or convenience stores. Stefan Friedman, spokesman for the New York City Beverage Association, criticized the city's plan, saying it turns focus away from the hard work that needs to be done on this front. Kelly Brownell, director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University, said he believes the ban would be effective. "It is not right to put all the blame for obesity on sugar drinks, but they are strongly connected with this rise in obesity over the last 30 years." Dr. Farley, the health commissioner, said the city had seen higher obesity rates in neighborhoods where soda consumption was more common. City officials said they believe it will finally prove popular and push governments around the U.S. to follow similar rules. Mr. Bloomberg has introduced a series of rules in his term of office, including bans on smoking in restaurants and parks, a ban on trans fat in restaurant food and a requirement for health inspection grades to be posted in restaurant windows. Because of the measures, the mayor was laughed at as Nanny Bloomberg, by those who view the bans as threats to personal freedom. But many of the measures adopted in New York have become models for other cities, including bans on smoking and trans fat, as well as the use of graphic advertising to fight smoking and soda consumption, and the demand that restaurants post calories contents next to prices. What's the best title for the passage? A Sugar drinks are related to rise in obesity. B Obesity is a big problem in New York City. C It's unfair to put all the blame on sugar drinks. D New York plans to ban sale of big sizes of sugary drinks. Answer: D Today there are 6.4 billion people on the earth. By the year 2050 there may be 12.5 billion . There are a lot of people to feed. We need more and more food. One way to produce more food is growing stronger plants. For thousands of years, farmers have made plants better. Every season, they pick the best plants for the next season. It works very slowly. Since 1983, scientists have been able to change plants more quickly by changing their genetic material. Foods from plants grown in this way are called genetically modified foods, or GM foods By changing the genetic material of a plant, it is possible to make new plants. They make plants which are strong against plant diseases. They can also help in our diseases; a kind of rice is being prepared , for example , which stops people becoming blind. Rich countries produce GM foods because they are easy to grow and bring in more money. Poor countries are interested in them because they help produce more food. GM plants are not natural. No one knows how good or bad they are,. Making GM foods is only one way of feeding people in 2050. There are strong feelings against them, because they are unnatural. They may feed people , then hurt them or their children later. But both rich and poor countries are interested in their use, and they are not going to go away. In 2050, we may think differently about them. GM foods _ . A are a quick way to produce food B grow in the wild C are safe D are grown only in rich countries Answer: A Endless playing of songs like All I Want For Christmas in shops during the festive season doesn't just drive us mad--the songs also make us more careless with our money, research has warned. While repeated performance of Jingle Bells may seem like an innocent attempt to raise customers' spirits during the nightmare of Christmas shopping, the songs also have a more delicate impact.[:ZXXK] "Background music, or 'muzak', can be used by marketers to impose cultures--such as the commercialization of Christmas--onto consumers and influence their behaviour, "experts said. Dr. Alan Bradshaw of Royal Holloway, University of London, said, "Festive jingles are force-fed to Christmas shoppers in a bid to change their mood, influence their sense of time and what sort of products they buy. In other words, this is an attempt to control your shopping habits in a way that you might hardly be aware of." "Often we are told that we have the freedom to choose where we want to shop, but during Christmas the use of music in this way is so common that our freedom to choose disappears." Dr. Bradshaw and Prof Morris Holbrook of Columbia University examined the phenomenon and found that retailers often "dumb down" the music played in shops to relax customers, meaning it is easier to control their behaviour. It is thought that slowing down the rhythm of music in shops can trick customers into thinking less time has passed, and therefore spend more time examining the shelves, for example. Some providers of background music have been known to promote their services by claiming they can boost profits by controlling the behaviour of customers. "A common trick is to take a popular current song and record an instrumental version which can be slowed down or sped up at different time of the day to influence behaviour in different ways," Dr Bradshaw said. Background music is often classed as "Muzak" in honor of the Seattle-based company which began producing its soft-sounding melodies in the 1930s. What kind of music is now often adapted to influence customers in shops? A Classical music. B Popular modern songs. C Folk songs. D Jazz music. Answer: B It was the summer of 1965. DeLuca, then 17, visited Peter Buck, a family friend. Buck asked DeLuca about his plans for the future. "I'm going to college, but I need a way to pay for it," DeLuca recalls saying. "Buck said, 'You should open a sandwich shop.'" That afternoon, they agreed to be partners. And they set a goal: to open 32 stores in ten years. After doing some research, buck wrote a check for $1000. DeLuca rented a storefront in Connecticut, and when they couldn't cover their start-up costs, Buck kicked in another $1000. But business didn't go smoothly as they expected. DeLuca says, "After six months, we were doing poorly, but we didn't know how badly, because we didn't have any financial controls." All he and Buck knew was that their sales were lower than their costs. DeLuca was managing the store and going to the University of Bridgeport at the same time. Buck was working at his day job as a nuclear physicist in New York. They'd meet Monday evenings and brainstorm ideas for keeping the business running. "We convinced ourselves to open a second store. We figured we could tell the public, 'We are so successful, we are opening a second store.'" And they did--in the spring of 1966. Still, it was a lot of learning by trial and error. But the partners' learn-as-you-go approach turned out to be their greatest strength. Every Friday, DeLuca would drive around and hand-deliver the checks to pay their suppliers. "It probably took me two and a half hours and it wasn't necessary, but as a result, the suppliers got to know me very well, and the personal relationships established really helped out," DeLuca says. And having a goal was also important. "There are so many problems that can get you down. You just have to keep working toward your goal," DeLuca adds. DeLuca ended up founding Subway Sandwich, the multimillion-dollar restaurant chain. What contribute most to their success according to the author? A Learning by trial and error. B Making friends with suppliers. C Finding a good partner. D Opening chain stores. Answer: A When a magazine for high school students asked its readers what life would be like in twenty years, they said: Machines would be run by solar power. Buildings would rotate so they could follow the sun to take maximum advantage of its light and heat. Walls would "give light" and "change color with the push of a button." Food would be replaced by pills. School would be taught by electrical impulse while we sleep. Cars would have radar . Does this sound like the year 2000? Actually, this article was written in 1958 and the question was, "what will life be like in 1978? The future is much too important to simply guess about, the way the high school students did, so experts are regularly asked to predict accuately. By carefully studying the present, skilled businessmen, scientists, and politicians are supposedly able to figure out in advance what will happen. But can they? One expert on Cities wrote: Cities of the future would not be crowded, but would have space for farms and fields. People would travel to work in "airbuses", large all-weather helicopters carrying up to 200 passengers. When a person left the airbus station he could drive a coin-operated car equipped with radar. The radar equipment of cars would make traffic accidents "almost unheard of". Does that sound familiar? If the expert had been accurate it would, because he was writing in 1957. His subject was "The city of 1982". If the professionals sometimes sound like high school students, it's probably because future study is still a new field. But economic forecasting, or predicting what the economy will do, has been around for a long time. It should be accuate, and generally it is. But there have been some big mistakes in the field, too. In early 1929, most forecasters saw an excellent future for the stock market. In October of that year, the stock market had its worst losses ever, ruining thousands of investors who had put their faith in financial foreseers. One forecaster knew that predictions about the future would always be subject to significant error. In 1957, H.J. Rand of the Rad corporation was asked about the year 2000, "Only one thing is certain," he answered. "Children born today will have reached the age of 43." How many examples does the author offer to describe the future life? A Three B Four C Five D Six Answer: B
That cold January night, I was growing sick of my life in San Francisco. There I was, walking home at one in the morning after a tiring practice at the theatre. With opening night only a week ago, I was still learning my lines. I was having trouble dealing with my part-time job at the bank and my acting at night at the same time. As I walked, I thought seriously about giving up both acting and San Francisco. City life had become too much for me. As I walked down empty streets under tall buildings, I felt very small and cold. I began running, both to keep warm and to keep away from any possible robbers . Very few people were still out except a few sad-looking homeless people under blankets. About a block from my apartment , I heard a sound behind me. I turned quickly, half expecting to see someone with a knife or a gun. The street was empty. All I saw was a shining streetlight. Still, the noise had made me nervous, so I started to run faster. Not until I reached my apartment building and unlocked the door did I realize what the noise had been. It had been my wallet falling to the sidewalk. Suddenly I wasn't cold or tired anymore. I ran out of the door and back to where I'd heard the noise. Although I searched the sidewalk anxiously for fifteen minutes, my wallet was nowhere to be found. Just as I was about to give up the search, I heard the garbage truck pull up to the sidewalk next to me. When a voice called from the inside, " Alisa Camacho?" I thought I was dreaming. How could this man know my name? the door opened, and out jumped a small red-haired man with an amused look in his eye. "Is this what you're looking for?" he asked, holding up a small square shape. It was nearly 3 A.M. by the time I got into bed. I wouldn't get much sleep that night, but I had gotten my wallet back. I also had gotten back some enjoyment of city life. I realized that the city couldn't be a bad place as long as people were wiling to help each other. From the text, we can infer that the writer _ . Answer: I have tried many ways to be ill. I don't wear a sweater when I should, and two days ago I walked in the rain without my shoes. But so far nothing has happened. Debbie once told me about a boy in her class who liked being away from school. He would rub the end of the thermometer until it went up to 39degC. Then he'd put it in his mouth and his mother would think he was really ill. This morning I tried doing that but it never went above 35degC and I rubbed it for ten minutes. So I held the thermometer next to the light on my desk and it went up to 40degC. I thought I'd put it in my mouth and walk downstairs like that. Then my mother would take it out and she would be worried when she saw that I was rather ill. The only trouble was I didn't know the thermometer would be so hot. As soon as I put it into my mouth, it burnt my tongue! I spit the thermometer out. It fell on the floor but it didn't break. I will have to think of a better way to get my mother and father back together. The writer tries to be ill because _ . Answer: He has climbed a high mountain, raced the 24-hour motorcycle track in France and even, walked from Tokyo to Kyoto, a distance of 500 km. Now Evolta, Panasonic's 7-inch Humanoid Robot is getting ready for his biggest challenge -- the Ironman Triathlon Championship in Hawaii. To compete in this exhausting contest, the green & white robot which is small enough to fit on a human palm, will have to swim 2.4 miles in the rough ocean, bike 112 miles across the hot Hawaiian desert and, run a full marathon distance of 26.2 miles in the painfully hot weather. Given that he is so tiny and powered by rechargeable batteries of Panasonic, he will be allowed some freedom in the way he competes. For one, he will be starting the race on October 23rd, 2011, three weeks following the real event and, while human competitors have at most 17 hours to complete the triathlon, Evolta will be given 7 days, during which his only "breaks" will be to recharge his batteries. The biggest difference however, will be that unlike a single human body doing all three races, there will be three different "Evolta" robot bodies competing -- each built for the specific race. Evolta the swimmer will be equipped with special arms to swim forward. Evolta the biker, will be on a little two-wheeler with training wheels, while Evolta the runner, will be fixed on what looks like a wheel. In spite of all these advantages, the robot's creator Tomotaka Takahashi believes that the race will be a huge challenge -- not only will Evolta have to battle the wind and sun, but also, small road obstacles that humans just step over. The water will be even worse thanks to the strong waves, tides and ocean winds. But if he does complete it, Evolta will add another feather in his cap and just prove the already well-known fact that Panasonic's rechargeable Evolta batteries are indeed the "world's longest-lasting batteries"! When competing in the triathlon, Evolta _ . Answer: On Sunday, our family went for a picnic. Mom, dad, Alice, Sissy (our dog), and I got in the van and drove to the park. Alice and I played fetch with Sissy. Dad fired up the grill and made some hamburgers. Mom made some salad. Mom asked me to spread the picnic cloth. Sissy wanted to help me too. Once the burgers were ready, we sat down to eat. They were delicious, I ate two! Alice only ate one hamburger. I didn't like the salad because I don't like carrots. Mom says they're good for me. Sissy doesn't like carrots either. After lunch, I played with dad and Alice played with mom and Sissy. Dad and I were flying a kite. Alice and mom played with flowers. Then we packed up the van and went home. I fell asleep on the way home. Sunday was a lot of fun. I want to do it again! What is the dog's name? Answer: Delia was a young pianist. Her husband, Joe, was a young artist. Each of them was taking lessons: Joe with a famous art teacher, and Delia with a great pianist from Germany. Their teachers were the very best, so lessons were expensive, more than they could really afford, but...when you love your art, nothing is too much. But soon the money began to run out, and they couldn't afford the lessons any more. Then one day Delia came back home and told Joe that she had met a man whose daughter, Sally, wanted to learn the piano, and he was going to pay her $ 50 an hour. "Delia," Joe said, "I'll be much happier if you keep up your lessons," Delia said it didn't matter. "When I've had some money, I'll continue." But Joe also decided to stop his lessons, to draw pictures and sell them. A few days later, Joe came home and proudly took $ 200 from his pocket. "I met a man from Vermont," he said, "who bought one of my pictures. And he wants to buy more!" _ .They didn't have to worry any more about money. Then, one day, Joe came home and saw that Delia's hand was wrapped in a bandage . He asked her what had happened. "Oh," said Delia. "My student, Sally, asked me to make some coffee for her. I dropped the coffee and burned my hand. Sally went straight to the drugstore and got this bandage for me. " "Delia, what have you been doing the last two weeks?" Joe asked. She tried not to tell him, but the tears came. "Oh Joe, I couldn't get any students, so I worked as a waitress in a restaurant. Today, I burned my hand with hot water. So I can't work any more. But we'll still have money from the man in Vermont, won't we?" Joe looked at her. "There's no man in Vermont, " he said. "I've been working in a drugstore, and today someone came in to buy bandages for a woman who's burned her hand. So when I saw you, well, I guessed." They both laughed. [A story by O. Henry--adapted ] Both of them laughed in the end because _ . Answer:
Barditch High School decided to an All-School Reunion. Over 450 people came to the event. There were tours of the old school building and a picnic at Confederate Park. Several former teachers were on hand to tell stories about the old days. Ms. Mabel Yates, the English teacher for fifty years, was wheeled to the Park. Some eyes rolled and there were a few low groans when Ms.Yates was about to speak. Many started looking at their watches and coming up with excuses to be anywhere instead of preparing to listen to a lecture from an old woman who had few kind words for her students and made them work harder than all the other teachers combined. Then Ms. Yates started to speak: "I can't tell you how pleased I am to be here. I haven't seen many of you since your graduation, but I have followed your careers and enjoyed your victories as well as crying for your tragedies. I have a large collection of newspaper photographs of my students. Although I haven't appeared in person, I have attended your college graduations, weddings and even the birth your children, in my imagination." Ms. Yates paused and started crying a bit. Then she continued: "It was my belief that if I pushed you as hard as I could, some of you would succeed to please me and others would succeed to annoy me. Regardless of our motives, I can see that you have all been successful in you chosen path." "There is no greater comfort for an educator than to see the end result of his or her years of work. You have all been a great source of pleasure and pride for me and I want you to know I love you all from the bottom of my heart." There was a silence over the crowd for a few seconds and then someone started clapping. Tee clapping turned into cheering, then into a deafening roar . Lawyers, truck drivers, bankers and models were rubbing their eyes or crying openly with no shame all because of the words from a long forgotten English teacher from their hometown. What activity was organized for the school reunion? Would you like to go to Beijing, our capital? It's far away from Guangdong. It's 2313 kilometers from Beijing to Guangdong. The city of Kunming is 2216 kilometers away from Guangdong. It's always very warm there. But it's very hot in summer in Wuhan. It's 1084 kilometers from Guangdong to Wuhan. Changsha is near Guangdong. It's 726 kilometers from Changsha to Guangdong. Do you know which city is the biggest in China? It's Shanghai. It's 1811 kilometers from Guangdong to Shanghai. If you travel by air, you'll find it very interesting and fast enough to fly from Guangdong to Beijing. It only takes you about four hours and you'll get there easily, safely and unhurriedly .But traveling by train is quite different. You have to stay on the train for over thirty hours to arrive in Beijing. More and more people like to travel by air. You can see why, can't you? Which one is WRONG? It is Sunday today. Ann is shopping with her mother. She wants her mother to buy a new sweater for her. In a clothing shop, she finds an orange one. She tries it on. It's too small. She wants a bigger one, but the bigger ones are not orange. Ann doesn't like other colours. Her mother asks, "Shall we go to another shop to have a look?" So they go out of the shop and go into another one. The second shop is bigger than the first, and in it there are many kinds of sweaters of different sizes and colours. Ann tries on an orange one. It's too big. She tries a smaller one. It's OK. "How much is it?" Ann's mother asks the woman who sells clothes. Then they find it too dear, and they don't have so much money with them. "Would you like a cheaper one?" the woman asks. "No, we shall take this one. My daughter likes it. We shall come back to buy it tomorrow," Ann's mother answers. It is Sunday. Ann and her mother _ . Babies love chocolate and sometimes they also eat the paper around it. My cat enjoys a meal of goods, thick paper and letters, for example. She doesn't like newspapers very much. Of course, the best paper comes from wood. Wood comes from trees, and trees are plants. Vegetables and fruit are plants too, and we eat a lot of them. So can we also eat wood and paper? Scientists say, "All food comes in some way from plants." Well, is that true? Animals eat grass and grow fat. Then we eat their meat. Little fish eat little sea plants; then bigger fish swim along and eat them. Chickens eat bits of grass and give us meat. Think for a minute. What food does not come from plants in some way? Scientists can do wonderful things with plants. They can make food just like meat and cheese. And they can make it without the help of animals. Now they have begun to say, "We make our paper from wood. We can also make food from wood. The next thing is not very difficult." What is the next thing? Perhaps it is food from paper. Scientists say, "We can turn paper into food. It will be good, cheap food too; cheaper than meat or fish or eggs." So please keep your old books and letters. Don't feed them to your cat. One day, soon they will be on your plate. _ . By saying "There is nothing like a good story for breakfast", what does the writer mean? Scientists claim that the area around the Grand Canyon was once covered by an ocean. What evidence would support their claim?
Question: Mr Smith likes to be exact . One day when he is walking in the street ,a woman comes and asks him, "Excuse me, where's the nearest bookshop?" "The nearest bookshop? You have to cross a bridge and then turn to the right. When you see a post office, turn left. You can see a shop between a bank and a school on your right." "Is it far?" "No, it is not far. You can go there on foot." "Is the bridge long?" "Yes, it's about thirty metres." The woman thanks him and goes towards(, ) the bridge. Suddenly she hears someone running after her."Stop!" Mr Smith shouts."I'm sorry. I just remember the bridge is forty metres long. If you go thirty metres and then turn to the right as I told you, you will fall into the river." What is Mr Smith doing when a woman comes to ask him the way? A. He is walking in the street. B. He is walking along the bridge. C. He is talking to his friend. D. He is doing some shopping. Answer: A Question: Imagine that someone in your neighborhood broke the law, and the judge put the whole neighborhood under suspicion. How fair will that be? Well, it happens every day to high schoolers. Just because some students have stolen things in shops, all of us are treated like _ Even though I'd never steal, store employees looked at me like I'm some kind of hardened criminal mastermind. For example, during one lunch period, my friend Denny and I went to the Grab "n" Go on Tuesday. We arrived to find a line of students waiting outside. A new sign in the window told the story:" NO MORE THAN TWO STUDENTS AT A TIME." After 15 minutes, we finally got in. But the store manger laid the evil eye on us. I asked him about the new sign, and he said, "You kids are lifting too much stuff." You kids? Too much stuff? Not only were we considered to be shoplifters, but brilliant, greedy shoplifters. The Grab "n" Go isn't an isolated case. Earlier this year, a department store worker told me to leave my backpack at the front of the store. When I asked who was going to keep an eye on my stuff, she said, "Don't worry. It isn't going anywhere." In other words, I had to risk losing my stuff so that the store wouldn't have to risk losing theirs. "Don't worry," I replied, "I don't need to shop here." The most annoying thing, though, is the way employees watch my friends and me. It's almost strange and frightening. Once, at a drug store, I went down an aisle and found a guy standing on a box, stocking the shelves. He was watching my hands, which were empty. He got down off his box and rushed off, as if he was going to get the store manger. How crazy is that? You know, _ . I work at the CD Crib, and every day I see adults commit a terrible crime. They put on a set of headphones and sort of dance to the music. Talk about bad! Tomorrow, I'm going to put a sign in the window: " NO MORE THAN TWO ADULTS LISTNENING TO MUSIC AT A TIME." By saying "this kind of prejudice can go both ways", the writer intends to _ . A. put up a notice to prevent adults from committing a crime. B. encourage adults to listen to CDs before they buy them. C. stop adults from talking bad things when in CD stores. D. accuse adults in the same way as they did towards the boys Answer: D Question: Part-Time Trainer -- Hong Kong (Financial Markets) Objectives and responsibilities: Teach public and/or in-house training programs, based on Kaplan training materials Work 1 or 2 mornings/afternoons on weekends or a few evenings on weekdays Flexibility to work in our centre Requirements: Provide legal advice to banks or financial institutions Possess solid knowledge in finance and risk management Years of experience as a banker, lawyer, business advisor or analyst Strong communication skills Email your cover letter and resume to seiling.ng@kaplan.com Lecturer Requirements: Holder of accountancy qualification Deliver accounting material in clear and straight-forward manner Understand students learning needs Keen on teaching & able to work flexible hours Full time Universities or Institutions teaching experience is a must. Send your application letter with full resume stating present and expected salary to: Human Resources Manager, Kaplan Hong Kong via email hr@kaplan.com.hk. Part-time helper Duties: To add Chinese to videos by using a software, training will be provided Requirements: University Graduate Proficient in English & Chinese Able to read & understand simplified Chinese Proficient in MS office and Chinese Word Processing (simplified or traditional Chinese) Being immediately available is a must. Send your application letter with full resume stating present and expected salary to: Human Resources Manager, Kaplan Hong Kong via email hr@kaplan.com.hk If a man meets all the requirements but can't go to the new job at once, which job is NOT suitable? A. Part-Time Trainer B. Lecturer C. Part-time helper D. All the three jobs Answer: C Question: Every year, billions of kilograms of fresh produce are wasted in the United States. Meanwhile, millions of poor Americans go hungry, without access to healthy and affordable meals. Evan Lutz, CEO and founder of Hungry Harvest, was inspired to act after seeing extreme poverty in areas of Baltimore. Maryland. He wants to reduce the so-called food desert in that area. His work is to make sure to food goes to waste and no person is ever hungry in America. And he combines that goal with a love for business. Hungry Harvest is a business which collects and sells fruits and vegetables that most food companies will throw away. Everything doesn't grow the same way on a farm. But all that is too big or too small gets thrown out. That is why everything in a grocery store looks similar. Hungry Harvest will box those imperfect ones and deliver them to customers once a week. For every purchase, Hungry Harvest delivers healthy food to people in need. Hungry Harvest has recovered 300,000 pounds of produce to date and provided 100,000 pounds to those in need. Lutz established Hungry Harvest in 2014. Its success depends on team work. Every week on Monday or Tuesday they will decide what will go into the next week's box by calling up packing houses and wholesalers to see what they will normally throw away that week. They then place the order. The last step is to send goods to customers. In January 2016, Lutz appeared on the American business competition television show "Shark Tank" and got even more than he expected: $100,000. Lutz is using the money to expand. Actually, more than six billion pounds are wasted each year due to "ugly" surface. Hungry Harvest is on the way to saving more food from going to waste and feeding hungry families. Which of the following words can be used to describe Evan Lutz? A. strong-willed and smart B. kind-hearted and creative C. warm-hearted and strict D. open-minded and humorous Answer: B Question: Most American families are smaller than the families in other countries.Most American families have one or two parents and one or two children each. Children in the US will leave their parents' home when they grow up.They usually live far from their parents because they want to find good jobs.They often write to their parents or telephone them.And they often go to visit their parents on holiday. Parents usually let their children choose their own jobs.Americans think it is important for young people to decide on their lives by themselves. Parents ask children to do some work around their house.And in many families, parents pay their children for doing some housework so that hey learn how to make money for their own use. When children grow up, they leave their parents' home to _ . A. get married B. be free C. find good jobs D. study Answer: C
Once I complained to my husband that he wasn't helping enough with our daughter, and I gave him a long list of the parenting chores I was shouldering on my own. "But you like doing all that stuff," he said. I thought about that while reading a new study about the responsibilities of parenting. Researchers asked 191 college professors, both men and women, who had children 2 or younger, the pleasure they experienced from childcare. On 16 out of 25 childcare tasks--like taking a child to the doctor or buying clothes for a child--women reported statistically higher levels of enjoyment than men. The only parenting issue that gave women less pleasure than it gave men was having to manage who does what for the child. On the whole, women's scores were 10 percent higher than men's. Women are also far more likely to take advantage of family-leave benefits to care for children. In the study, all the universities offered paid family leave, and 69 percent of the women took it, while only 12 percent of the men did. In Sweden, where family leave for both parents is particularly generous, men use about 20 percent of the 480-day benefit. Women use nearly all of it. It's difficult to know how cultural and economic pressures or biological functions influence parenting. Plenty of men change diapers , and studies show that mothers and fathers alike spend more time with children than they used to. Men have more than doubled the time they spend on childcare since 1985. Yet women still spend twice as much time with the kids as men, says the University of Maryland sociologist John Robinson. Notably in the study, the parenting activity that gave men the most pleasure (and women, too) was playing and talking with their kids. But when men were asked to rate how often they actually did those things, their scores were about 10 and 40 percent lower than women's. In the end, perhaps the issue is not that mothers are doing too many childcare tasks--my husband was right when he said I liked being a mother--but that men, for all their progress as fathers, are still missing out. What is the author's attitude towards men's performance on childcare? A. Approving. B. Dissatisfied. C. Appreciative. D. Objective. Answer: B As rain begins to fall from the clouds, it is very pure. However, as it falls through the air it dissolves some of the gases in the air. It also collects bits of dust and microbes that are floating in the air. When the rain reaches the ground it begins to pick up more dust and dirt. Many kinds of mineral substances dissolve in the water. Sand and mud cannot dissolve in water. Since water is so important to us, it is very important that the water we use should be clean. Otherwise, we might get some of the diseases that are carried by water. Many microbes are harmful. They are so small that we cannot see them. These microbes must be removed or killed before the water is suitable for drinking. For example, microbes of diseases like cholera live well in water. If the water supply is not clean, people who drink this water may get these diseases. Thus, to provide people with clean water, the government purifies the water. Purification is a long process and includes three stages: storing, purifying and distributing . The first stage is storing. Man-made lakes are used for this purpose. Water from the rains, other lakes, streams and rivers is collected in the lakes. This water is usually dirty and muddy. In the second stage, water from the man-made lakes is filtered in a special pond. Stones, sand and other unwanted tiny things are caught in it. After that, tiny microbes are still present in the water. These microbes are removed by "airing" the water and by adding a chemical substance called chlorine to the water. This kills all the microbes in the water. After this, the water can be safely used for drinking. The third stage is the distribution of the purified water to homes, hospitals, offices, factories and other places. This is done through a network of pipes of various sizes. These pipes must be made of a suitable material. What is the purpose of adding chlorine to the water? A. to air the water B. to catch tiny things C. to kill tiny microbes D. to remove harmful gases Answer: C Bolivia has a population of three and a half million. About one tenth of the total population are white; one-fourth are mixed Indians and white; and more than half are full-blooded Indians. The government and the industries are under the control of the white people. The Indians today live in much the same way as their ancestors. Most of them are farmers. Many work in the mines, for mining is the most important industry on Bolivia's. Of all the mining products, tin is the most important, which makes up three-fourths of all Bolivia's exports. The eastern slopes of the Andes, since there are very few roads there, are fertile but not highly developed. The two primary means of transportation are river boats and porters. East of the hill region is the great plains where tropical plants are grown. A serious problem for Bolivia is the transport of food from the warm regions, where it is grown, to the mountainous regions, where most of the people live. Bolivia gained its independence from Spain about a hundred years ago. It has been slow in developing, but its rich resources promise a better future in it. Bolivia has been slow in developing , but it has hope for a better future because of its _ . A. mining products B. rich resources Ks5u C. independence from Spain D. two primary means of transportation Answer: B My aunt Edith was a widow of 50,working as a secretary,when doctors discovered she had got what was then thought to be a very serious heart illness. Aunt Edith didn't accept defeat easily. She began studying medical reports in library and found an article in a magazine about a well-known heart doctor,Dr.Michael Debakey,of Houston,Texas. He had saved the life of someone with the same illness. The article said Dr Debakey's fees were very high;Aunt Edith couldn't possibly pay them. But could he tell her of someone whose fee she could pay? So Aunt Edith wrote to him. She simply listed her reasons for wanting to live:her three children,who would be on their own in three or four years and among them a little girl who always dreamed of traveling and seeing the world. There wasn't a word of self-pity-only warmth and humor and the joy of living. She mailed the letter,not really expecting an answer. A few days later,my doorbell rang. Aunt Edith didn't wait to come in;she stood in the hall and read aloud: Your beautiful letter moved me very deeply. If you can come to Houston,there will be no charge for either the hospital or the operation. Signed:Michael Debakey That was seven years ago. Since then,Aunt Edith has been around the world. Her three children are happily married. For her age,she is one of the youngest,most alive people I know. After reading Dr.Debakey's letter,Aunt Edith felt _ . A. discouraged B. frightened C. disappointed D. encouraged Answer: D Apply for a Library Card Any person who lives, works, attends school or pays property taxes in New York State is eligible to receive a New York Public Library card free of charge. Adult and teen users may either apply online or in person at any New York Public Library location. Applications for children ages 11 and under must be completed in person, and require the signature of a parent. When you apply for a card online, you will receive a 7-digit temporary barcode . This allows you to set a secret code. After you receive your permanent barcode, which is required to borrow materials, search Library databases, or reserve a computer, you must renew your card. Renew or Validate Your Card All adult, teen and child library cards for cardholders must be renewed every three years. New library card applicants who applied for a card online must renew their card before full cardholder privileges can be extended. Cardholders can visit any New York Public Library location to present the required forms of identification in order to renew or validate their card. Cardholders may also email copies of the required forms of identification to patronaccounts@nypl.org. Alternatively, this information may be faxed to 212.621.0278. Forget Your Secret Code? If you forget your secret code, you can provide the library with a valid email address, and click on the link ---"Forgot Your secret code?" A link with instructions on changing your secret code will be sent to the email address on your account, giving you a brief period of time to update your information. You must select a 4 digit numeric secret code, with no repeating or obvious numbers (e.g. 1234 or 2222). If you have not provided us with a valid email address, you may visit a library location to reset your secret code. Replace a Lost or Stolen Card Cardholders are responsible for all items on a card, all use made of the card and all charges made against it until it is reported lost or stolen. If your card is lost or stolen, inform the library immediately. Call 917.ASK.NYPL (917.275.6975), email Ask NYPL, or visit to your nearest library to report the card lost. Who can't apply for a New York Public Library card for free? A. Those who work in New York. B. Those who travel in New York. C. Those who live in New York. D. Those who go there for further study. Answer: B
What will you do if you get 5 million ? Some people give some different answers. Sally: I want to do business . If I am rich, I will do a lot of things for my family. For me nothing is more important than my family. I will buy a new house for them and travel around the world. Joe: If I have 5 million, I will use the money to do everything I like. At first, I will use 2 million to open my own shop. And I will use another 2 million to buy some new houses. In the future, the houses which I buy will become more expensive,and I will sell them to other people. Finally, I will use 1 million to buy some presents for my family and my best friend. Anna: If I have 5 million, I will put 3 million in the bank and spend 2 million. I will visit Paris, London and New York. I will eat delicious food, play games, and build a building with a swimming pool. Jack: I will buy an island if I have 5 million. Then I will be the king of the island nad I will invite my friends to my island. What will Joe do with the last 1 million if he gets 5 million? He will buy some presents for his family and his best friend Let's face the facts. On most occasions, some things may seem impossible, but in every impossibility, there is possibility. Impossible situations don't last forever. While it might be impossible for one, it could still be possible for another. In a word, everything is possible. Someone once said, "Success belongs to those who can look at challenges offered by the world as an inspiration." So your challenges are golden opportunities for success. How can there be wonders if there are no difficulties? You need challenges to show your ability and success comes from the problems you face. Those who refuse to give in come out smiling. Robert X. Perez once said, "The seeds of success spring from failure's ashes; failure is not defeat and it just directs you in the right direction. To fail is to understand what you should not do. Remember it and don't give up until your goal is achieved." What should you do when you face difficulties? Jasbeen says, "Yeah, life is difficult, but you shouldn't give up. You should have a positive and calm attitude towards all your difficulties and make the best of them. You may learn something new. You can accept failure and develop mental toughness. Mental toughness is to see the long-term pains rather than be put off by short-term pains. Once you have this toughness, you have an advantage of winning." The only thing in life you ever really regret is the chances you didn't take. You will only regret when you are faced with the consequences of not taking chances and seizing the moment. Take every chance you can! Everything you've done in life may be good or bad, but no matter what you may do, you must try your best. You must do something meaningful and do it right now. Which of the following is true according to the author? We should try to make the most of every chance. My name is Michael. This is my neighborhood. There is a big supermarket near my house. The things there are cheap, so many people like shopping there. Across from the supermarket is a school. It's my school. There is a library next to my school. I like reading books there. I am Nick. My neighborhood is busy. There are a lot of stores and restaurants in my neighborhood. My house is on a street corner . There is a post office near it. And next to the post office is a pay phone. *My name is Amy. In my neighborhood, there is a big park. Lots of people go there to have fun. I like to play there, too. There is a restaurant across from the park. A bank is next to the restaurant. And some clothes stores are near the bank. ,. Why do many people like shopping in the supermarket? Because the things there are cheap. To many web-building spiders, most of whom are nearly blind, the web is their essential window on the world: their means of communicating, capturing prey, meeting mates and protecting themselves. A web-building spider without its web is like a men cast away on an island of solid rock,totally out of touch and destined to starve to death. So important is the web to an orb-web spider's survival that the animal will continue to construct new webs daily even if it is being starved. For 16 days the starving spider builds completely normal webs. Then, as the animal gets _ , it constructs a wider-meshed (, )web using fewer strands . Such webs would only trap larger prey, which is more economical from the perspective of a starving spider. The spider stores energy by recycling web protein. It simply eats its own web each evening and reuses it to produce new silk. In studies with radioactivity, labeled materials, it was found that 95 percent of web protein reappears in the next day web. Most of the energy needed for web-building is used in walking over the strands as they are laid down. Scientists are impressed by the adaptability of the spider's highly preprogrammed brain, which is larger for its size than the brain of any other invertebrate . If web-building is interrupted, or if some of the existing strands are destroyed, the spider simply goes back to see where the web is left off and then finishes building a normal web. One spider will finish building the incomplete web of another. According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE? Web-building spiders will probably die without their webs. Where would a sand dune be out of the ordinary? Kansas
Essay is optional and no penalties for wrong answers. These changes will take place in SAT college exam. The changes include the use of some words more commonly used in school and on the job instead of the words such as "prevaricator" and "sagacious". College Board officials said the change is needed to make the exam better representative of what students study in high school and the skills they need to succeed in college and afterward. The new exam will be rolled out in 2016, so this year's ninth graders will be the first to take it, in their junior year. The new SAT will continue to test reading, writing and math skills, with an emphasis on analysis. Scoring will return to a 1,600-point scale last used in 2004, with a separate score for the optional essay. For the first time, students will have the option of taking the test on computers. They also said many students who are terrified they will be tested on lots of SAT words currently can ask for help: practicing with flashcards. They know flashcards are not the best way to build real word knowledge that lasts, but when the SAT rolls around they become the royal road. Students stop reading and start flipping. The essay will be changed in other ways, too. It will measure students' ability to analyze and explain how an author builds an argument and it will also be up to colleges whether the essay will be required. Each exam will include a passage drawn from "founding documents": such as the Declaration of Independence or from discussions they've inspired. Instead of testing a wide range of math concepts, the new exam will focus on a few areas, like algebra, thought to be most needed for college and life afterward. A calculator will be allowed only on certain math questions, instead of on the entire math portion . Jim Rawlins, the director of admissions at the University of Oregon, said the changes will potentially help the students but it will take a few years to know its influence, after the students go on to college. He said some colleges are still dealing with questions about the changes made in 2005, such as how to consider the essay portion. The criticism of the SAT is that students from wealthier families do better on the exam because they can afford expensive test preparation classes. The SAT was taken last year by 1.7 million students. It has historically been more popular on the coasts, while the other main standardized college entrance exam, the ACT, dominated the central U.S. The ACT took over the SAT in total use in 2012, partly because it is taken by almost every junior in 13 states as part of those states' testing scheme . ACT president Jon Erickson said when hearing of the SAT changes, his reaction was that they could've been talking about the ACT now. "I didn't hear anything new and different, so I was a little left wanting, at least at the end of this first announcement," Erickson said . Bob Schaeffer, education director at the National Center for Fair & Open Testing, or FairTest, said it is laudable that the SAT will provide free test preparation, but it is unlikely to make a dent in the market for such preparation. He also said the new test is unlikely to be better than the current one. His organization has a database with institutions that don't require ACT or SAT scores to make admissions decisions. SAT exams will be less required in 2016 with the purpose of _ . A getting more students interested in the entrance exam B making it easier for students to be admitted into colleges C offering chances for the students to be tested on every subject D testing the students better on the knowledge and skills they've learnt Answer: D The day is like any other day in his life. Tom walks past the shop at the street corner. He stops to look at the front row of shoes, and he feels happy to see that pair of shoes he wants very much is still there. But he feels sorry for himself. He really wants to have them for his birthday. He sadly walks away and thinks how to tell his mother about it. He knows she will give him anything he likes if she can. He also knows very well that she has little money. He decides not to go home so quickly, because he looks worried and his mother will see it. So he goes to the park and sits on the grass. Then he sees a boy in a wheel chair. He notices that the boy moves the wheel chair with his hands. Tom looks at him carefully and is surprised to see the boy has no feet. He looks at his own feet. "It's much better to be without shoes than without feet," he thinks. He smiles and he is happier. The pair of shoes he likes is _ . A too expensive B quite cheap C not there D still there Answer: D "Selfie" joins ranks of dictionary words. In 2002, an Australian man went to his friend's 21st birthday party. He got drunk, _ on some steps and cut his lip. He took a picture of his injuries and shared it with his friends on an online forum. "And sorry about the focus," he wrote, "it was a selfie." That was the first recorded use of the word "selfie", according to linguistic experts at Oxford Dictionaries. On Nov 19, Oxford Dictionaries declared "selfie" Word of the Year for 2013, in honor of the term having taken over the world thanks to millions of smart phone self-portraits and the resulting shares on social media. So what does the choice of the word say about our culture? Mary Elizabeth Williams, writing in Salon magazine, says the word reminds us that contemporary culture is defined by our narcissism .Megan Jackson from a local newspaper points out a selfie may only focus on appearance. Selfies invite judgment based on appearance alone. What kind of cultural influence does this have on women? Erin Gloria Ryan on Jezebel says selfies teach young woman to obsess over their appearance and judge themselves on the basis of beauty rather than accomplishments. "They're a reflection of the warped way we teach girls to see themselves as decorative," said Ryan. In Slate magazine, Rachel Simmons has the opposite view. She argues that selfies are an example of young women promoting themselves and taking control of their own self-presentation. Think of each one, she says, as "a tiny pulse of girl pride --a shout-out to the self". The text is mainly concerned with _ . A the introduction of the word "selfie" B the choice of the word "selfie" C the history of the word "selfie" D the characteristics of the word "selfie" Answer: A Jack is a twelve-year-old boy. One day, he was playing football. The ball went into the street and Jack ran for it. Unfortunately, a car hit him. Jack's parents took him to the hospital at once. Jack woke up after a month. When he woke up, he asked, "Who am I? Who are you? Why am I here?" He even didn't know his parents. The doctor said, "Jack's head was badly hurt. Maybe he can remember all the things he has lost one day. Maybe he will forget them forever." Every day Jack's parents told Jack something about himself, his friends and so on. But Jack still couldn't think of anything. One day, when his father talked about his dog, Tidy, Jack seemed to think of something. Then Jack's father had an idea. He took Jack back home. Jack and Tidy played together happily. After a year, with the help of Tidy, Jack's memory came back. Who helped Jack remember the things? A His father. B The doctor. C His mother. D His dog. Answer: D Years ago, I went to a special English class because it was the only school subject that I wasn't good at. I got excellent marks because of my fine memory . I could read and translate any text that I heard once but I couldn't make my own sentences. My face usually turned red when my teacher wanted me to answer questions in English. A few months later, I had to pass an exam. I couldn't _ the novel with my own words, so I decided to learn the book by heart. I told my teacher 10 pages of the book. When the teacher understood what was happening, she stopped me and said, "Gagik, you have a fine memory, but it's much easier to speak English." That day on my way home, I met a foreigner. He couldn't find the way to his hotel. To my surprise, I spoke to him in English and helped him find his hotel. I found speaking English was not so difficult if I didn't think too much about making mistakes. I thought that was the secret of learning to speak English. How happy I was! Why did the writer go to the English class? A He liked English very much. B He thought English was important. C He had no other school subjects. D He wanted to become good at English. Answer: D
I have two kids, a boy and a girl. I don't worry about my girl; I'm sure she'll be well trained in mixed martial arts. I worry about my son. I'm pretty sure he's going to be feminine . Sorry to say that, but let's face it. No dad wants his son to go feminine. At the rate we're moving in a couple of years you won't be able to tell the difference between boys and girls. Sound extreme? Think about this. In every movie where advanced time-traveling beings come to our planet, there's one constant: You can't tell the male aliens from the female aliens! But that's the future. Kids today are soft and fat. People ask why. Is it junk food? No. Junk food has been around for fifty years. Is it video games? No. Video games have been around for thirty years. None of the kids playing them back in the day were terribly obese. We're all scratching our heads trying to figure out what we've introduced to society to ruin our kids. But it's not anything we've added that has ruined our kids. It's stuff we've gotten rid of. Take the gym rope for example. Remember that thing that stretched from the floor to the ceiling in your gym class that you could never climb? Most of the kids couldn't make it to the top. But that wasn't the point; the point was you had to try while some middle-aged guy who couldn't make it up a flight of stairs shouted at you. We should have put our son on that rope, and given him a head start. But we didn't want to shame the boy, so we took it down. Taking down the rope would be a good idea if there were no ropes in life. But they're everywhere. You just can't see them. They're in every goal unrealized and expectation not met. The point everyone missed about the rope is you weren't supposed to make it to the top. It was there to create a fire that burned in the oversize belly of every kid. What causes kids today to be soft and fat? Things removed from society. Kate Hashimoto was picking up a few groceries at the Upper West Side Food Emporium when she ran into a friend. "Hey Kate, do you like wraps? Here's a chicken wrap,'' her pal said. "But be careful, it's kind of wet." They weren't in the food store. They were in front of the store, digging through three overflowing trash bins. Hashimoto Dumpster-dives for all her food, doesn't use toilet paper or do laundry, and hasn't bought makeups in 10 years. She doesn't have to live this way -- she's an employed CPA . "I've always been money-saving, but it was when I was fired that I became extreme," Hashimoto explained."No job is guaranteed, so I live as if I could be fired at any time." Manhattan, she said, is a gold mine for dumpster divers."Consumers in wealthy areas expect their products to be perfect, so _ stores throw out a lot of items that are still good."New York can be the most expensive place to live, but it can also be the least expensive if you know how to work the system." Hashimoto let the reporter of a newspaper spend a day with her learning how to work the system. She lives in Harlem, where she bought a studio in 2010 and paid it off in nine months, but walks down to the Upper West Side three times a week for good, free food. Her other money-saving methods include using soap to wash herself after using the toilet, taking surveys online to earn gift cards, participating in medical trials, testing products for free samples, cutting her own hair, washing her clothes while she showers, and running to work to avoid using subway. "I was very angry about the latest round of subway fare rises," she said. Hashimoto does have her limits. Her furniture is a collection of found free gifts-- but she won't take an old mattress for fear of bedbugs, and sleeps instead on used yoga mats. And she won't stay in a relationship with a boyfriend for free meals."I've been in a relationship where I stayed because I was getting free gifts, but I got out of it," she says. "It's better to be single and dumpster-diving than to be with someone you can't stand." The author mentions Kate's friend at the beginning to _ . show they have the same lifestyle Americans think that travel is good for you. Some even think it can help to solve one of the country ' s worst problems ~: crime . Crime worries a lot of people. Every year, the number of crimes is up and up. And many criminals are young. They often come from sad homes, with only one parent or no parents at all. There are many young criminals in prison,but prison doesn ' t change them. Six or seven in ten will go back to crime when they come out of prison. One man ,Bob Burton, thought of a new idea. In the old days, young men had to live a difficult life on the road. They learned to be strong and brave, and to help their friends to be strong and brave, and to help their friends in time of danger. This helped them grow into men. So Bob Burton started "Vision Quest. " He takes young criminals on a long ,long journey with horses and wagons , 3,000 miles through seven states. They are on the road for more than a year. The young people in Vision Quest all have bad problems. Most of them have already spent time in prison. This is their last chance. It's hard work on the road. The day starts before the sun comes up. The boys and girls have to feed the horses. Some of them have never loved anyone before but they love their horses. That love can help them to live a new life. Not all the young people on Vision Quest will leave crime behind them. Three or four in ten will one day be in prison again. Bob Burton is right. Travel can be good for you. Even today, Americans still say, " Go west, young men. " _ On " Vision Quest" . young people often help their friends in time of danger adding salt to a solid decreases what? the energy needed to harden When you walk into a room on the 17th floor of Copenhagen's Bella Sky Hotel, you'll be greeted by soft roses and other fresh flowers, fruits, fashion magazines, and a bathroom with beauty products. This is Europe's first hotel floor dedicated entirely to women--and according to the hotel's CEO Arne Bang Mikkelsen, it is designed by women, for women. "Women's hotel preferences are very different from men's with key priorities being to feel safe and comfortable. When men come into a hotel room, the first thing they do is check the view, turn on the TV, plug in their computer, and check out the fridge. Women, on the other hand, go straight to the bathroom. Does it smell nice? Is it clean? Does it have a nice bathtub and shower?" Unlike other hotels, it seemed like someone actually thought about what women wanted. To get it right, the hotel asked a number of women what they wanted, and added to their list of things like cleanliness, a nice bathroom, high-powered hairdryers, steam irons, cosmetic mirrors, healthy choices on the room service menus, and full-body mirrors. It seems that they are helped by the boom in female business travelers. Global numbers are hard to get, but a research report shows women account for about half of all business travelers in the US in 2010, up from approximately 25% in 1991. Places like the Naumi Hotel in Singapore, the Premier Hotel in New York, the London Dukes Hotel and the Georgian Court Hotel in Vancouver seem to be realizing the possibility in catering for women. At the London Dukes Hotel, the manager says bookings for their "Duchess Rooms",which are standard rooms with fresh flowers, fruit, and styling things, have increased 25% over the past year. The example of the London Dukes Hotel is used to show _ . guests like to experience different hotels
When I was at university,I studied very hard.But a lot of my friends did very little work.Some did just enough to pass exams.Others didn't do quite enough.Fred Baines was one of them.He spent more time drinking in the Students' Union than working in the library. Once at the end of the term,we had to take an important test in chemistry.The test had a hundred questions. In my room the night before the test,Fred was watching TV.Fred usually worried a lot the night before a test.But on that night he looked perfectly calm.Then he told me of his plan."It's very simple.There are a hundred questions and I have to get fifty correct to pass the test.I'll take a coin into the examination room.I haven't studied a chemistry book for months,so I'll just toss the coin.That way,I'm sure I'll get half the questions right." The next day,Fred came happily into the exam room.As he sat tossing a coin for half an hour he marked down his answers.Then he left,half an hour before the rest of us. The next day,he saw the chemistry professor in the corridor."Oh,good,"he said,"Have you got the result of the test?"The professor looked at him and smiled,"Ah,it's you,Baines.Just a minute."Then he reached into his pocket and took out a coin.He threw it into the air,caught it in his hand and looked at it. "I'm terribly sorry,Baines,"he said,"You failed!" The professor tossed the coin to tell Baines that _ . Answer: his way for the exam would never work Life on land probably began about 430 million years ago, though it has existed in the water for perhaps as much as 3,000 million years. When we think of the first thing on land, we probably think of strange animals coming out of the oceans, but in fact no animals could have been living if plants had not been on land first. Plants had to be on land before animals arrived. They supplied the first land animals with the surrounding and food necessity, since they, the plants, are the only form of life that is able to get and store energy. The first plants to exist out of the water were probably certain kinds of algae which were followed by other plants that grew close to the ground and needed water in which to reproduce. Once the move to land had been made, however, evolution took place quickly. By the end of 100 million years, plants had developed their roots ,and some had got tree -like forms since height was very important in gaining sunlight. About 300 million years ago, much of the world was covered with forests of huge trees. In most ways they were like modern trees. They had roots, leaves, wood, but mostly they had not developed seeds. According to the passage, _ appeared earlier than _ . Answer: algae; wheat USA Today Subscription Options: 2 months (43 issues)$50. 00 6 months (130 issues)$152. 00 1 year (260 issues)$275. 00 Shipping is always free. Giving a gift? Add the magazine to your cart, and on the next page check the box marked "this will be a gift". You can also find this option if you enter "edit your shopping cart". Enter your gift receiver's address during the checkout process. After placing your order, look for the "Send Magazine Gift Notification" on the order confirmation page, or go directly to the Magazine Subscription Manager. In Magazine Subscription Manager, you'll see gift notification options to the right of each magazine you've bought. You can schedule a gift email or print a gift note. Product Description USA Today" provides you with daily information of the top News, Money, Sports and Life news across the country and around the world with fair and honest reports, powerful pictures, and a quick, simple format. The Nation's NO.1 newspaper keeps you knowing a thing or two with news influencing your life. Privacy &Security In order to complete the deal, we will share the name, billing and shipping address and other order information about your purchase with the publisher or magazine seller. Your name and address will also be shared with a circulation-auditing organization. We may share your email with the publisher, but you can know how it will be used in Subscription Manager. We will not share your credit card information. What type of writing is the text? Answer: An introduction. Yesterday I went to our local grocery store. I often go to their deli counter, and I understand that it can get a little confused for the workers. So normally none of them ever take the time to smile or seem overly friendly. But yesterday it was completely different. I was pleasantly surprised to be greeted with a very welcoming smile by the young man behind the counter. He never sighed heavily or slumped back and forth like he didn't want to be there. He was all by himself and quite a long line. But not once did he act concerned about it. He just did his job efficiently and acted very kind the entire time. I was so impressed that I approached the manager. I explained to her that I often visit the deli counter and I have never been greeted with such kindness. She agreed with me that he was a wonderful person and she thanked me for sharing my feelings with her. As I was walking away,I could hear her approaching the young man with,"I just got a wonderful compliment(praise) about you." I couldn't hear everything she was saying,but I knew that she did thank him. I couldn't help but smile! Later I had to pass by the deli counter to get onions. There was no one there,except the diligent young man. He didn't say anything,he just smiled at me. I realized that I hadn't done a huge deed that day,but that small deed made a small difference to someone.I love seeing people smile. I just received my smile cards and I wish I had one with me that day. _ It's amazing how good I felt after that. So,friends,the next time you are in a grocery store,retail store,restaurant,or anywhere that someone is working hard,letting them know in some way can mean so much. I hope you get a smile out of it like I did! The writer approached the manager to _ . Answer: praise the young man When Christina Brouder was five years old, a drunk driver ran over her as she and her father were crossing the street in front of their home.Hurt badly, the young girl was forced to spend a long time in a full-body cast to recover from her injuries.Mostly, she traveled between the hospital and her home.Once out of the cast, Brouder sat in a wheelchair for almost a year. In spite of the horrible accident, Christina was grateful for her recovery.She was so grateful, in fact, that she and her four talented siblings ( three sisters and a brother) started a music group, Gilbride.The group performed at local hospitals and nursing homes, performing for the patients.Among them, the children could sing, dance and play about 20 different musical instruments.At their first show in 1988, held at Montefiore Hospital, the kids were 2,3,6,8 and 9 years old.That year alone, the group made over a hundred appearances. From the local public entertainment places, the group expanded to charity performances.They also entertained people at Disney World, Radio City Music Hall, and even the White House. Christina balanced her happy and successful musical career with academics.First graduating from New York City's High School of Music and Art,and then from Fordham.In 2000,as t he youngest graduate from Fordham,1 8year--old Christina and her siblings went on tour for a year.Not pleased with the applause she received from the audience, she entered Pace University Law School.On May 19,Christina Brouder realized part of her dream when at only 22,she received Health Law Certificate . What happened to Christina when she was five years old? Answer: She was seriously injured in a traffic accident.
BEIJING--Alarmed by the overreaching ambitions of many Chinese provinces to grow at all costs, China's top economic chief is calling on officials to calm down and spare a thought for the environment. Zhang Ping, who heads China's National Development and Reform Commission, the central economic planning agency, said only five or six of China's 30 provinces are targeting annual economic growth of 8 percent or 9 percent. The remaining provinces are aiming for growth rates of more than 10 percent this year, with some wanting to double economic output in the coming five years. "China has a planned energy supply of about 4 billion cubic tons of coal equivalent for the next five years, and this is not enough to meet demands for economic growth to double," he was quoted as saying on the news portal Sina.Com. Beijing is increasingly concerned with the ambitions of Chinese provinces across the country to chase high growth despite the central government's urgent request for a more moderate and sustainable pace of expansion. Years of rapid economic growth has China's environment, with Beijing trying to remove some of the damage now.It has an annual growth target of 7 percent for the next five years, well down from last year's 10 percent. Zhang said Beijing has asked local governments to take into account the supply of "energy, environment, water and land" to set more reasonable growth targets. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage? A. Many Chinese provinces are alarmed by Beijing. B. Zhang Ping is an expert and economic chief from www. Sina.Com. C. The supply of the coal in China is not sufficient for the next five years. D. Few Chinese provinces are aiming for economic growth rates of less than 10%. Answer: D. Few Chinese provinces are aiming for economic growth rates of less than 10%. Thanksgiving time came and all the relatives were gathered around the long table, or seated behind TV trays.The television was on and some folks were watching it while talking with one another.Something on television got their attention and one of the adults said, "Listen at it!" Someone else replied."Well, if that don't beat all." Simple phrases were spoken by folks whose language was simple and brief.They had several idioms that were just as colorful phrases and words that brightened the room and warmed the conversation.In school we were taught to speak differently.The way our relatives spoke was discouraged.Sometimes our parents would say things we weren't taught in school.They'd often correct themselves, as if getting rid of a mistake.Of course we learned some of their phrases and used them.They were comfortable words to pronounce, familiar. Our father's side of the family was from Arkansas and Oklahoma and they spoke with the accents native to their birth states.Their voices musical and often high , it was easy to pick up that effect in our own speech and at school my brother and I were often teased for the way we spoke.Our mother's side of the family came from Illinois and they had a tendency to talk fast.They had an accent, too, and my brother and I added that to our own speech, confusing the kids at school all the more.Our father's side of the family loved to laugh and have a good time.Our mother's side of the family was more serious about how they took life in; their joys more silently experienced and enjoyed.It was a rich picture of culture and it gave my brother and me a colorful view in life. Thanksgiving holiday was always an easy comfortable going day.It was the first real holiday of the season when everyone came together in one place, and a good time was spent happily together by all. What's the writer's attitude towards dialects? A. He liked them very much. B. They should be used everywhere. C. They should be taught in school. D. They were not accepted by others. Answer: A. He liked them very much. I felt encouraged by his words and began to swim more calmly.But my clothes stuck to me like a heavy weight.I could hardly stay above the surface. Counsel saw this."Shall I cut them?"he asked. With a knife he cut my clothes from top to bottom and took them of quickly while I swam for both of us. Then I did the same for Counsel,and we continued to swim near each other. But we were in serious trouble.The crew might not have noticed our disappearance. And if they had,they could not return because the rudder had broken.Counsel thought of all this,and calmly made his plans.We decided to wait for the ship as long as possible,because we had no other hope of safety.I suggested that we save our strength so that both of us would not be tired out at the same time.This was how we did it:While one of us lay on his back,quite _ ,with arms crossed and legs stretched out ,the other would swim and push him along.We changed every ten minutes or so.In this way we could swim for hours,perhaps till daylight.The crash of the ship and the whale had appeared at about eleven o'clock.We had about eight hours to swim before daylight.This seemed possible,if the sea remained calm. What happened to the man who told the story? A. He and his companion got into the water to test their strength. B. He jumped into the water to save the broken rudder. C. He was knocked into the water by his enemy. D. He was thrown into the sea when the ship struck a whale. Answer: D. He was thrown into the sea when the ship struck a whale. My name is Bill. I have a friend called Mike. Today is Mike's birthday. I'm at his birthday party. There are a lot of friends in his house. Some stand beside the table and enjoy the snacks and drinks. There is some food on the table. I like the chocolate and the fruit very much. Mike sits on the sofa and chats with some friends there. He wears a yellow T-shirt and a pair of blue jeans. He looks so cool today. Wow! The cake is really big. There are some candles on it. Mike's friends begin to sing 'Happy Birthday' to Mike. Mike is very happy. He blows out the candles and cuts the cake. Everyone has a good time at the party. How does Mike feel today? A. polite B. sad C. happy D. Helpful Answer: C. happy Dear Dr Jackson, My parents are never happy with me. They are always criticizing my clothes, my hair and the music I listen to. They hate my friends' looks and they keep complaining when I go with them. I'm not allowed to stay out as late as my friends do, so I can't have any fun, My parents only seem to care about my school marks. Although I love them, sometimes I feel we live in different worlds. If they love me, can't they understand me? How can I make them understand me? Dear Angel, Your problem is common to both teenagers and parents. Don't worry, bacause all this is natural.You see, your parents have grown up at a different time and they have different experiences. So, they think some things are strange, but you find the same things ordinary. For example, the music you like may sound like noise to them. Your parents love you, so they feel they must protect you from whatever they find strange.On the other hand, you don't want to be different from other teenagers, so you feel that your parents restrict you. I think you should talk about this problem with your parents. Try to explain to them what you want and make them know they can believe you. Sooner or later. they'll find you are a responsible person and they will give you more freedom . Which of the following is TRUE? A. According to Dr Jackson, Angel's problem isn't usual. B. Angel's father likes the music that Angel likes. C. Angel should show her parents that she is a responsible person. D. Angel doesn't love her parents at all. Answer: C. Angel should show her parents that she is a responsible person.
Where might you find some animals being held outside of nature? artificial habitats in captivity Please excuse me if I'm a little quiet today. Mark is leaving, and I'm kind of sad. You probably don't know Mark, but you might know someone like him. He has been the heart and soul of the office for years. He has never been interested in getting praise for the wonderful work he does. He just does his job - very well. We're pleased that he is moving on to new, better things. But this doesn't make it any easier to say goodbye. Life has a way of throwing curve balls at us. Just when we start to get comfortable with a person, a place or a situation, something comes along to change things. A nice neighbor moves away. Someone in the family graduates. A child finds new love through marriage. Our ability to deal with change and disruption decides to a great degree, our peace, happiness and satisfaction in life. But how do we do that? Chris the California surfer, once told me that the answer to life's problems can be summed up in four words: "Go with the flow." "It's like surfing," Chris explained. "You can't organize the ocean. Waves just happen. You ride them where they take you, then you paddle back out there and catch the next one. You're always hoping for the perfect wave where you can get it. But mostly you just take them the way they come." I think Chris was saying that life is a series of events -- both good and bad. There will always be things over which you have no control. The truly successful person expects the unexpected and is prepared to make adjustments . Don't stop trying to make all your dreams come true. But when things come up that aren't exactly in your plan, work around them -- and then move on. We're going to miss Mark. But rather than dwell on the sadness of our parting , we'll focus on our hopes for a brighter future -- for him, and for us. We'll go out and do everything that we can to make that future happen. Why does the author quote Chris' words? Because Chris' words show the author's point. pollution is when humans pollute the environment with gross stuff On Wednesday evening in New York, Apple broke the news that Steve Jobs had died. Since then, praise and respect have poured over the world like rain. He changed industries, redefined business models, fused technology and art. People are comparing him to Thomas Edison, Walt Disney and Leonardo da Vinci, and saying it will be a very long time before the world sees the likes of Steve Jobs again. After all, there are other brilliant marketers, designers and business people. Many of them have studied Steve Jobs, tried to absorb his methods and his philosophy. Surely they can recreate some of his success. But nobody ever does, even when they copy his moves down. So how did he become a visionary who changed every business he touched? Actually, he has given us clues all along. The story of Steve Jobs boils down to this: Don't go with the flow. If Mr. Jobs saw something that could be made better, smarter or more beautiful, nothing else mattered. Apple has attained its current astonishing levels of influence and success because it is sensitive. It is incredibly focused. It has had amazingly few failures. And that is because Mr. Jobs didn't buy into focus groups, groupthink or decision by a committee. At its core ,Apple existed to carry out his vision. He focused on every button and every corner .He lost sleep over the cardboard of the packaging and the color1 of the power cord. He wanted to sell a smart phone that had no keyboard, when physical keys were what had made BlackBerry the most popular smart phone at the time. Eventually, of course, most people realized that he was just doing that Steve Jobs thing again: being ahead of his time. Mr. Jobs is gone. Everyone who knew him feels that sorrow. But the ripple of that loss will widen in the days, weeks and years to come: to the people in the industries he changed. The writer tends to think that _ . Steve Jobs combined technology with art Many people would interpret "The American dream" as "living like an American"--a two-story house with a white picket fence; a family with two cars; and two children. However, the economic situation is now affecting the American way of life for 4.4 million people living in the US, according to new census data. "It's going to have a long-term impact and to say it's going to end is optimistic, " says Cheryl Russell, former editor-in- chief of American Demographics magazine. "I'm more pessimistic that this is the new normal." So what is the new normal? Marrying later. The average age of the first marriage has increased to 28.7 for men and 26.7 for women, up from 27.5 and 25.9 respectively in 2006. At the same time, fewer people are getting married. If the marriage rate had stayed the same as in 2006, there would have been about 4 million more married people in 2010. Fewer babies. There were 200,000 fewer births among women aged 20 to 34 in 2010 compared with two years before. This was despite the fact that the number of women of childbearing age had gone up by more than 1 million. "The recession is the likely cause ," says Kenneth Johnson, demographer at the University of New Hampshire's Carsey Institue, "Economic fertility " because women delay ...in uncertain times. Breaking up is harder. The number of divorces has been falling for 25 years as people wait longer or choose to live together before they get married. There were about 65,000 fewer divorces in 2010 than in 2008, a 7 percent decrease. Crowd living. Unemployment is forcing more people to live together. The number of households where people lived with "other s" climbed from 6.7 percent in 2006 to 7.2 percent in 2010. Going public. Private school enrollment decreased from 13.6 percent in 2006 to 12.8 percent in 2010. Fewer cars. The percentage of households without a car rose to 9.1 percent against 8.8 percent in 2006. The percent-age of households with two or more cars fell from 58 percent to 57.1 percent. *Driving solo. When people are not working, they don't carpool. The proportion of people aged 16 to 64 in employment dropped greatly in all but one of the 50 largest metropolitan areas. That has helped push the share of people driving to work alone from 76 percent in 2006 to 76.6 percent in 2010. Ride-sharing is down a full percentage point, to 9.7 percent. What is the article mainly about? Changes to the American lifestyle.
Question: Homer lived on the second floor of a small convenience store/gas station that he owned. One night he refused to sell Augie a sixpack of beer after hours, saying he could not violate the state laws. Augie became enraged and deliberately drove his car into one of the gasoline pumps, severing it from its base. There was an ensuing explosion causing a ball of fire to go from the underground gasoline tank into the building. As a result, the building burned to the ground and Homer was killed. In a common-law jurisdiction, if Augie is charged with murder and arson, he should be A. convicted of both offenses. B. convicted of involuntary manslaughter and acquitted of arson. C. convicted of arson and involuntary manslaughter. D. acquitted of both offenses. Answer: A. convicted of both offenses. Question: A woman was collecting money for a church charity. The money she collected was going to be given to poor children who had no parents to take care of them. She went from apartment to apartment and from house to house. She knocked on doors and asked for money. She always said the same thing. "Good morning, I'm collecting for a church charity. Please give generously. We need $5,000." Then she held out a collecting box. Most people put a few coins in the box. An artist lived in one of the apartments. He opened the door. "Good morning." she said. "I'm collecting for a church charity. Please give generously. We need $5,000." The artist thought for a moment, then he said, "I'm sorry, but I don't have any money. However, I'll give you a painting. It's worth $ 400." The woman thanked the artist and took the painting away. A week later she called on him again. "I'm sorry to trouble you again," she said, "but we still need more money. I need another $ 100. Can you help?" "Of course," the artist said. "I'll increase the value of my painting to $ 500." What did most people give her? A. A lot of money. B. A few dollars. C. Paintings. D. Very little money. Answer: D. Very little money. Question: Who do you think breaks the law in our society? If you believe that only tough guys commit crimes, you may have to think again. Unlike in the movies, we can't divide the world into bad guys and model citizens. _ In the same way that diseases range from the common cold to fatal forms of cancer, crimes vary in degree. For example, smoking in an elevator will inconvenience people, but much less than threatening them with a gun. In addition to breaking the law themselves, people tolerate various levels of crime. Why can we tolerate some crimes? It may be that, by seeing others do something, we accept it more easily. For instance, most people will find it easier to speed on a highway when everybody else is driving over the speed limit. When people celebrate a sports championship, if they see someone breaking store windows, they might start breaking windows themselves or even steal from the store. So the people around us influence how much law-breaking we can tolerate. We must also wonder whether seeing violence on television or reading about it in the newspapers every day makes us tolerate crime more than we should. We become used to seeing blood on the news on television, or in full color in newspapers and magazines. Because we see thousands of dead people on TV, maybe we just try to ignore the situation behind the violence. If so many citizens tolerate violence and crime, or even commit crimes themselves, it may simply be because of the human mind. Our minds may not care about specific laws. Instead, our minds may have a system of values that usually prevents us from hurting other people to improve our own lives. Yet, when it comes to respecting the rights of a mass of anonymous individuals, we might not be so responsible. While most people would not steal a wallet containing $50, they may not mind cheating on taxes, because cheating on taxes does not hurt any one person. It hurts society, but "society" remains an abstract idea that is not as real as a neighbor or a friend's friend. When we realize that so many people have misunderstandings of law-breaking, it is not surprising that so many people tolerate crimes, or even break laws, including me. But how could we improve the level of honesty in our society? Would strict laws help make our society better? Probably not. Honesty will have to come from social pressure: in the family, at school, on the job, each and every one of us can encourage honesty by showing which behavior is unacceptable. And teaching respect should become everyone's responsibility. People tolerate violence and crime because _ . A. their behavior is the same as that of most other people B. they pay no attention to the truth behind the crimes C. most unlawful acts are not harmful to the individual D. they hold mistaken beliefs about law-breaking Answer: D. they hold mistaken beliefs about law-breaking Question: Water at 20°C in an uncovered pan is evaporating very slowly. What could be done to the water to make it evaporate more quickly? A. Cover it. B. Heat it. C. Place it in the dark. D. Put salt in it. Answer: B. Heat it. Question: Happy birthday The China National Opera (CNO) will give a concert to celebrate its 50th birthday. Different generations of CNO vocalists, like Li Guangxi, Yao Hong and Ma Mei, will present the concert which will feature both songs from famous Chinese operas like The White-haired GM and The Hundred Bride, as well as, arias of such western opera classics as Madame Butterfly, La Traviata and Rigoletto. Time/date: 7:30 pm, September 7, 8 Location: Tianqiao Theatre Tel: 65514787, 83156170 Tickets: 60-500 yuan (US $ 7.2-60.2) Folk music A concert will be held to feature some recently-composed traditional Chinese music works. The concert, given by the Folk Orchestra of the China Opera and Ballet Theatre, will include such pieces as Memory of childhood, Memorial Ceremony for God and Wine Song. Time/date: 7:30 pm, September 13 Location: Concert hall at the National Library of China Tel: 6848-5462, 6841-9220 Tickets:30-200 yuan(US $ 3.6-24.1) Moon Music A concert of traditional Chinese music will be given on the eve of the Moon Festival which falls on September 21st this year. The concert will feature a number of famous pieces centred on the theme of the moon, such as Moonlight, Spring Night on a Moonlit River and Lofty Mountain and Flowing river. A number of popular traditional Chinese music performers, like Zhou Yaokun and Fan Weiqing, will play solos as well as cooperate with the folk music orchestra . Time/date: 7:30 pm, September 21st Location: Grand theatre of the Cultural Palace of Nationalities Tel: 6606-8888, 6606-9999 Tickets: 40-220 yuan(US $ 4.8-27) Which statement is right according to the passage? A. Li Guangxi, Yao Hong and Ma Mei stand for the same generation of CNO vocalists. B. Rigoletto is a famous piece on the theme of the moon. C. Lofty Mountain and Flowing River is a traditional Chinese music. D. Zhou Yaokun will play solos and Fan Weiqing will cooperate with the folk music orchestra. Answer: C. Lofty Mountain and Flowing River is a traditional Chinese music.
A dog a newborn baby abandoned by its 14-year-old mother in a field in rural Argentina until the boy was rescued, a doctor said on August 22 (Friday). A resident of a rural area outside La Plata called police late Wednesday night to say that he had heard the baby crying in a field behind his house. The man went outside and found the infant lying beside the dog and its six newborn puppies, Daniel Salcedo, chief of police of the Province of Buenos Aires, told CNN. The temperature was a chilly 37 degrees, Salcedo said. The dog had apparently carried the baby some 50 meters from where his mother had abandoned him to where the puppies were huddled, police said. "She took it like a puppy and rescued it," Salcedo said. "The doctors told us if she hadn't done this, he would have died." "The dog is a hero to us." Dr. Egidio Melia, director of the Melchor Romero Hospital in La Plata, told CNN that police showed up at the hospital at 11:30 pm Wednesday with the baby who doctors say was only a few hours old. Though the infant had superficial scratches and bruises and was bleeding from his mouth, he was in good shape, Melia said. The next morning, the child's mother was driven by a neighbor to the hospital and told authorities the 8-pound, 13-ounce infant is hers, Melia said. The teenager was immediately give psychological treatment and was hospitalized, he said. She has said little about the incident. The child has been transferred to a children's hospital in La Plata, 37 miles from Buenos Aires. According to the passage , which statement is true? Answer: But for the mother do Once upon a time there was a monster( ). He was very ugly ( ), and had no friends. No one wanted to talk to him. Even other monsters thought he was ugly. He lived alone and was very unhappy because he was so lonely. "I wish I had a friend." he said to himself every day. "One friend would be enough. Someone to talk to." "Dear Editor( )." he wrote. " I am an ugly monster. How can I find a friend?" "Dear Monster." the Editor replied. " Advertise( )for a friend in this magazine." The monster wrote an advertisement. "Monster wants a friend, male or female. I have two heads, four arms, six legs and three tails. I have one blue eye, one green eye and one brown eye. Smoke comes out of my noses. But I am really a kind monster and will be a good friend to someone. If you would like to meet me, please stand outside Blake's Store at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 22nd. Write to me at Box 45. Everybody's Magazine." A few days later he went to the magazine. "Do you have any letters for Box 45?" he asked. The Editor looked in Box45. "Yes, there is one." she said, and gave it to him. The monster opened the letter, and read, "Dear Monster, I think a person's character ( ) is more important than his appearance( ). I will wait outside Blake's Store on Friday. Please carry a flower so that I will recognize you. Yours sincerely, Alice Green. " What did the monster advertise for? Answer: A friend Every Friday we have a fire alarm test at nine o'clock sharp, and even though the sound is very noisy, I am so happy because when I heard that it reminded me today is Friday and tomorrow is weekend, it is the last working day of the week and I have two days off, it's so excited!Sometimes we have a fire drill, when you hear the fire alarm, everybody have to run out through the fire exit. One Monday at nine o'clock, the alarm was sounded and I was working behind the fish house and didn't hear it. The department manager and staff were looking for me thoroughly, finally they found me and asked me to stop my job and follow them went out. "I am busy, No problem! You leave, I work." I said. "No, this is the law, everybody has to leave." The manager said. I understood that if I insisted not to leave, they must carry me out. I went out with them together finally, no choice. One afternoon, when I was working outside, the fire alarm cropped up sounding wildly, nobody knew what's happening, some were standing and looking around, some were asking questions, some were running, I knew this wasn't a test or drill, must be a real one. At that moment, one lady called me from a distance:"Jinglebell: leave your job, go out quickly."I joined the crowded flow of customers and staff going out. I asked somebody what's happened? And they told me this is a real one as there was some smoke on the shop floor.Finally I found out, actually there was no problem, that it was an electrician who used the equipment for the carpet and made a little smoke. After that I asked somebody how to deal with the customer's food in the restaurant in that case, because they went out to leave because of the fire, but hadn't finished their food. They told me that the customers who had bought food or drinks there could get a new one. I don't understand, if in China, under that situation, everybody must carry a bucket or some other water containers to the fire spot, to fight the flames. I agree with the English emphasis the human right, but maybe a very small problem could become a big problem while everybody had withdrawn from the shop, because the fire fighters could not come at once. I was just thinking. What's the author's attitude to the human right? Answer: Approval Researchers at San Diego Zoo have been studying what has been described as the "secret language" of elephants. They have been monitoring communications between animals that cannot be heard by human ears. The elephant's call will be familiar to most people, but the animals also give out growls . Their growls, however, are only partly audible ; two-thirds of the call is at frequencies that are too low to be picked up by our hearing. To learn more about the inaudible part of the growl, the team attached (......) a microphone sensitive to these low frequencies and a GPS tracking system to eight of the zoo's female elephants. The researchers could then relate the noises the animals were making to what they were doing. Matt Anderson, who led the project, told BBC News, "We're excited to learn how they interact and contact with one another." The team has already learned that pregnant females use this low frequency communication to announce to the rest of their long gestation of over two years, in the last 12 days we see the low part of the growl, which we can't hear. This we believe is to announce to the rest of the herd that the baby is upcoming," said Dr Anderson. The researchers believe that this also warns the elephants to look out for coming danger. "You may think that a baby calf of about 300 pounds would not be as open to predation as other species," he says. "But packs of hyenas are a big threat in the wild." Female elephants are only in season for around four days every four years and these calls can be heard by males more than two miles away. What is the passage mainly about? Answer: The "secret language" between elephants. The Raytown Branch of Mid-Continent Public Library is offering the following activities for the month of March. The library is located at 6131 Raytown Road. All activities are free, but registration is required. Tax Help for Seniors 10 a.m. Mondays and Wednesdays. AARP Tax-Aide representatives will be at the Library to assist seniors with medium to low incomes with tax questions and free tax return preparation. Time listed indicates starting time. Teen Games 2 p.m. March 2. Challenge yourself, challenge your friends. Movie Classics For adults, 2 p.m. March 4. Join us for an afternoon of nostalgia as we watch classic films. Call to see what's showing. KC Zoomobile Africa, for ages 5 and older, 11 a.m. March 5. Join the Kansas City Zoo for an African adventure. We will share African culture as well as show you an animal or two. Come with us to learn something new about Africa. Kids at the Library For ages 6 and older, 11 a.m. March 12. Discover, create, and play. Explore big ideas in a new way. Chess Free Play For ages 6 and older, 1 p.m. March 12. Play chess, learn the basics, brush up on your chess skills, challenge other players at Free Chess Play at the library. The Raytown Branch, in cooperation with the Raytown High School Chess Team coaches, will be hosting chess on the second Saturday of the month from 1 to 3 p.m. Chess boards and chess pieces will be provided. Eggstravaganza Noon March 26. Join us for story time with Mayor Mike McDonough, as we take part in Raytown's Easter festivities. After the stories, the Easter Bunny will escort the children across the street for an Easter egg hunt. Which activity is more likely to develop imagination and creativity? Answer: Kids at the Library.
Most people have heard the sound of bees among flowers. Bees live almost everywhere in the world except in the Arctic areas. Many kinds of agriculture depend on these small, social insects. Without bees, fruit and nut growers as well as many other farmers would not have a crop. There are more than 20,000 kinds of bees. But only honey bees make enough honey for people to use. Honeybees are highly-organized social insects. They work together in a group, called a colony . Each colony lives in a hive . It contains one queen bee -- she lays all the eggs from which the members of the colony come. Each colony has only a few hundred males, called drones. The majority of all bees in a colony are workers, which are all females. Bees even have a special stomach, called a honey stomach, which is used to store sweet fluid that the bees gather from flowers. Bees also have long hairs on their body and legs. These hairs capture pollen as bees go from flower to flower. Some of the pollen is taken back to the hive. Some, however, is passed to the next flower. This is how many plants are fertilized. Pollen is the reproductive material of plants. Many important agricultural crops depend on bees for fertilization. Inside their hives, bees store sweet liquid from flowers and pollen as well. They may even gather sweet liquid from some other kinds of insects. These kinds of sweet liquid are also stored in the hive. Bees make honey through a process. They add liquid from their own mouths to sweet liquid into simple sugar. As the honey is stored, it dries. It becomes thicker and darker. Although bees are often thought of as honey makers, they provide a surprising number of products. Also, their greatest economic value is in fertilizing crops-not in making honey. Honeybees are social insects because _ . A they work in groups B there is queen bee in every colony C they live in a hive D each of them does the same job Answer: A. they work in groups If you look at the night sky, you'll often see stars moving very quickly. In fact, they move much more quickly than they should according to their size and the laws of physics. Scientists do not completely understand why the speed of these stars is so high. But many believe the reason is that much of the universe is made of something called "dark matter". Groups of stars called galaxies, such as the Milky Way, might even be made up of 90 percent dark matter. How much something weighs depends on where it is. The same object weighs only half as much on Mars as it does on Earth and almost three times as much on Jupiter. So scientists prefer to talk about the mass of something rather than how much it weighs, because mass does not change. They can work out the mass of galaxies by measuring the distance between them and the speed they move at. Recently, Jorge Penarrubia, a senior academic at Edinburgh University, UK, and his team discovered something interesting: The mass of the Milky Way is only half as much as the mass of another nearby galaxy, Andromeda. This seems strange, and dark matter may explain why. Finding out more about dark matter could help us understand how the universe began, but this is not easy. Lots of scientists with different types of expert knowledge are working on the problem. We can't see dark matter, it's very difficult to measure and we can't find out its mass. Unlike stars, dark matter doesn't produce or reflect light. But we can make a good guess that it is there because of the way things move and the way light bends. Experts now think dark matter may be very different from the matter that we find on Earth. There may also be five times as much dark matter in the universe as ordinary matter. Dark matter is difficult to investigate because _ . A it travels at a very fast speed B we can't see where it is or measure its mass C it's hard to measure the light it produces and reflects D it is much bigger than ordinary matter in size Answer: B. we can't see where it is or measure its mass For a commuter rushito catch a train, a minute can mean the difference between dinner with the family and foods in the microwave. What most passengers don't realize is that their minute is already there. Every commuter train that departs from New York Cityabout 900 a d leaves a minute later than scheduled. If the timetable says 8:14, the train will actually leave at 8:15.In other words, if you think you have only a minute to get that trainwell, relax. You have two. The courtesy minute , in place for decades and published only in private timetables for employees, is meant for those who need the extra time to get off the platform and onto the train. "If everyone knows they get an extra minute, they're going to waste time doing unimportant things," explained Marjorie Anders, a spokeswoman for the Metro-North Railroad. Told of this article, Ms. Anders laughed. "Don't blow our cover!"she said. Entirely hidden from the riding public, the secret minute is an odd departure from the railroad culture of down-to-the-second accuracy. The railroad industry helped invent the concept* of standard time, and time zones were established in the United States in the 1880s, 35 years before they were written into law. And most commuters know their train by the accurate minute it departs. The trains quickly make up the minute:at all other stops, the public timetable is carried out. The courtesy minute does not exist at commuter railroads in Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, or San Francisco. But in New York, the secret minute dates back decades. "That's been done forever, from my knowledge," said Jack Swanberg, 70, an unofficial historian of Metro-North. "I was the trainmaster starting in 1970 and I'm sure it's been the case since 1870 for all I know." What can we conclude from the passage? A The courtesy minute exists in many cities in the US. B The train will reach the destination one minute late. C .Most railroad staff in New York know the courtesy minute. D In American rail system, train's departure time is accurate to the minute. Answer: C. .Most railroad staff in New York know the courtesy minute. How much empathy do you feel towards other people? If you saw someone fall off their bike in traffic,would you stop and help--or just walk away? Many people would give in to coldness,go about their business and just do nothing.So it was a big surprise when about 100 bystanders got together recently to move a bus in east London to help a cyclist trapped under it.A video of the incident went viral on social media. According to Zoheb,a driver who stopped his car to take part in the rescue,about five people gathered to move the bus.He says:"There was no chance we could do it,it was more an invitation for other people to help,really." The initiative paid off.Diners from nearby restaurants joined in.There wasn't much coordination but it didn't take long to develop a collective understanding of what the objective was. Spontaneous cooperation among strangers doesn't happen often.People in a crowd are not sure what to do--they don't have a plan.It's one of the reasons bystanders often do nothing,according to Dr Mark Levine,professor of social psychology at Exeter University in Britain."The presence of others can prevent you from helping",he says. The key to positive group behaviour,Levine explains,"is building a sense of shared identity".Action has to be decided quickly,Levine says."The longer you leave it,the harder it is to make a decision.If you don't immediately act then you kind of think'Well,actually I probably couldn't have done anything anyway'." But the people who took the initiative like Zoheb might make a difference.The cyclist ended up in hospital and the images of the collective effort might inspire others to more acts of unity. Which of the following best describes the driver Zoheb according to the text? A Generous. B Kind-hearted. C Optimistic. D Easy-going. Answer: B. Kind-hearted. Introductory Chemistry was taught at Duke University for many years by professor Bonk. One year, two guys took the class and did pretty well on all the quizzes and mid-terms. They each had a solid A. These two friends were so confident in going into the final that the weekend before finals week, despite the Chemistry final being on Monday, they decided to go to the University of Virginia to party with some friends. They had a great time there. However, with their hangovers and tiredness, they overslept all day Sunday and didn't make it back to Duke until early Monday morning. Rather than taking the final then, they found professor Bonk after the final and explained to him how they missed the final. They told him they went up to the University of Virginia for the weekend and had planned to come back in time to study, but they had a flat tire on the way back and didn't have a spare. So they were late getting back to campus. Bonk thought this over and agreed that they could take the final the following day. The two guys, happy and relieved, studied that night and went in the next day at the time that Bonk had told them. He placed them in separate rooms and handed each of them a test booklet. He told them to begin. They looked at the first problem which was something simple about solution . It was worth 5 points. "Cool," they thought, "this is going to be an easy final". They then turned the page. They were unprepared, however, for what they saw on it. The question contained only two words: (95 points) Which tire? After the final, they _ . A may apology to professor Bonk B must have the same scores C wouldn't be confident in their Chemistry D would feel happy and relieved Answer: A. may apology to professor Bonk
Chase, as seller, and Scott, as buyer, enter into a written contract for the sale and purchase of land that is complete in all respects except that no reference is made to the quality of title to be conveyed. Which of the following will result? Chase will be required to convey a marketable title. What will the weather be like? Some people say they can know the weather from animals. Some people look at seabirds. When they see seabirds fly high out to sea, they say it will be a nice day. When the weather is bad, the seabirds will stay on the shore . They don't like to fly and they sit in trees when rain is on the way. Other people look at different animals on a farm. Chickens make a big noise and run here and there when rain is on the way. Frogs can tell the weather, too. When rain is coming, they stay in water and make a lot of noise. But on a nice day they are quiet and will jump out of water. Chickens _ when rain is on the way. run here and there You are a new manager at the American branch of your German firm in Chicago.With a few minutes to spare between meetings,you go to get a quick cup of coffee. "Hey,David,how are you?"one of the senior partners at the firm asks you. "Good,thank you,Dr.Greer,"you reply.You've really been wanting to make a connection with the senior leadership at the firm,and this seems like a great opportunity.But as you start to think of something to say,your American colleague breaks in to steal your spotlight. "So Arnold",your colleague says to your boss,in such a casual manner that it makes your German soul cringe ,"So what's your Super bowl prediction? I mean,you're a Niners fan,right?" The conversation moves on,and you walk silently back to your desk with your coffee.You know how important small talk is in the U.S.,and you feel jealous of people you're your colleague who can do it well. There's nothing small about the role that small talk plays in American professional culture.People from other countries are often surprised at how important small talk is in the U.S.and how naturally and comfortably people seem to do it--with peers,men,women,and even with superiors.You can be the most technically skilled worker in the world,but your ability to progress in your job in the United States is highly dependent on your ability to build and maintain positive relationships with people at work.And guess what skill is critical for building and maintaining these relationships? Small talk. What can you do if you are from another culture and want to learn to use small talk in the U.S.to build relationships and establish trust? Work hard to hone your own version of American-style small talk.Watch how others do it.You don't have to mimic what they do;in fact,that would likely _ because people would see you as inauthentic.But if you can develop your own personal version,that can go a long way toward making you feel comfortable and competence. The author introduces the topic of the passage by _ . describing an interesting scene When a storm is coming, most people leave the area as quickly as possible and head for safety. But there are a few people who will get into their cars and go straight for the center of the storm. These people are willing to risk being killed by floods or 100-kilometer-an-hour winds for the excitement of watching the storm close up. "Storm chasing " is becoming an increasing popular hobby, especially in the Midwest of the United States, where there are frequent storms between March and July. A storm chaser begins the day by checking the Internet for the latest weather report, and then drives up to 1000 kilometers to where the storm will be and waits for it to develop. Although anyone can do it, storm chasing is extremely dangerous. The power of a big storm can throw a cow into the air or destroy a whole house in seconds. Storm chasers are also often hurt in accidents caused by driving in a heavy rain. If you are a beginner, it is much safer to join a group for storm-chasing vacations during the storm season. Even then, storm chasing is not all adventure and excitement. "Storm chasing is 95% driving," says Daniel Lynch, who spends most of his summer storm-chasing. "Sometimes you can sit around for hours waiting for something to happen, and all you get is blue sky and a few light showers." However, for storm chasers, it is all worth it. "When you get close to a storm, it is the most exciting sight you will ever see in your life," says Jasper Morley. "Every storm is an example of the power of nature. It is the greatest show on earth." For storm chasing, the first thing storm chasers do is to _ . collect information about a coming storm Two children stood outside the door with old coats. "Any old papers, Lady?" asked one of them. I was busy. I wanted to say no, but I saw that their shoes were broken and wet. "Come in and I'll make you a cup of hot tea." They came in, saying nothing. Their shoes left snow on the floor. I gave them tea and bread to protect them against the cold outside. Then I went back to the kitchen and started my housework again. The silence in the front room surprised me. I looked in. The girl held the empty cup in her hands, looking at it. The boy asked me in a low voice, "Lady, are you rich?" Am I rich? Oh, no! I looked at my old things in my room. The girl put her cup back in its saucer carefully. "Your cups match your saucers." They left then, holding their papers against the wind. They hadn't said thank you. They didn't need to. They had done more than that. The blue cups and saucers were simple. But they said that they matched. The potatoes and meat before me, a roof over our hands, my husband with a job--these things matched, too. I moved the chairs back from the fire and cleaned the living room. The prints of their small shoes were still wet on my floor. I let them be. I wanted them there to remind me how rich I was. The writer let the two children in _ . to serve them tea and food
Question: In the north of Scotland there is a lake called Loch Ness. It is the biggest lake in Britain. It is over thirty kilometres long and in places nearly 300 meters deep. It is cold and dark and not many people went there until after 1930. Then a road was made around the lake. Holiday makers began to use the road, and this was when the stories began. Someone said that he had seen a monster in the lake. He said it was twelve meters long. It had a long neck and a small head. Then someone else said he had seen it. Others said the same thing and in 1933 a London doctor took a photo. It looked like a monster with a long neck and a thick body but the photo was not dear. The newspapers printed the picture and called it the Loch Ness monster, or "Nessie". Then the argument began. Some people, however, were certain there was something living in the lake. Others said there was nothing there. In 1961, a lot of people joined together to make a real effort to see and photograph the monster if there was one! Several times people thought they saw something but after ten years there was still no real proof. Later underwater television cameras were used, but no one found any real proof. However, they did find something interesting: a huge underwater cave. It was big enough to be home of a monster, but of course, this was not a proof. In 1975, however, some American scientists formed a search group. They used an underwater camera. It took pictures every seventy seconds. Some of the pictures seemed to show a red-brown creature. Its body was about four meters long and had a very ugly head on the end of a four meter neck. Many people then began to believe in the monster. But even today we can not be certain. A search group formed by some American scientists. A. found the monster itself B. found a huge cave under water C. believed that there wasn't any monster at all D. took some pictures which seemed to show a monster Answer: D. took some pictures which seemed to show a monster Question: BEIJING -Starting today,all indoor public places and many outdoor public places in Beijing are required to be 100-percent smoke-free, including primary and middle schools,seating areas of sports stadiums and hospitals that treat women or children. Those who break the law will face fines of up to 200 yuan( $32),and owners of the establishment will be fined up to 10,000 yuan. The Beijing government is training several thousand inspectors to be responsible for inspecting and issuing fines,and thousands of community volunteers will also come to help. But it would he difficult to carry out the law in some areas where smoking is common,such as nightclubs "Relying on punishment to control smoking is not enough. We hope that more cookers are willing to quit not because of strict rules, but because of their awareness of the harm caused by smoking"said Wang Benjin, deputy director of the Beijing Health Inspection Bureau. China has more than 300 million smokers,and more than I million people die each year due to smoking-related diseases. Beijing is home to about 4. 2 million smokers, accounting for 23. 4 percent of people. _ smoke an average of 14.6 cigarettes per day, according to a survey conducted by the Beijing Center for Disease Control last year. Just ahead of the regulation taking effect,Beijing MTR Corporation put up tobacco control posters on all trains on Subway Line 4 as part of the smoke-free campaign by the WHO "Beijing was honored with the World No Tohacco Day Award for its leadership in adopting a tough new tobacco control law. The award is a wonderful gift to people of Beijing and a wonderful gift to children of Beijing on International Children's Day-the gift of air free from secondhand smoke,"said Shin Young-soo, regional director for the WHO. If a person smokes in a nightclub, the owner and the person will face fines of up to _ A. 200 yuan B. 10, 000 yuan C. $32 D. 10, 200 yuan Answer: D. 10, 200 yuan Question: British Newspapers In Britain there are 11 national daily newspapers and most people read one of them every day. There are two kinds of newspapers. One is large in size and has many detailed articles about national and international events. These newspapers are called the serious papers or the quality papers. The other kind, called the tabloids , is smaller in size. They has more pictures and shorter articles, often about less important events or about the private lives of wellknown people. Although some people disapprove of the tabloids , more people buy them than buy the serious newspapers. The Sun, for example, which is a tabloid,is the biggest-selling newspaper in Britain. The tabloids are sometimes called the gutter press And in 1997, some photograph reporters of the tabloids were said to be involved in the tragic death of Princess Diana in France and they were criticized as gossip reporters by the public. Most national newspapers in Britain express a political opinion and people choose the newspaper that they read according to their own political beliefs. Most of the newspapers are right-wing, which means they support the Conservative Party . These are The Daily Telegraph ( serious newspaper ) , The Daily Express,Daily Mail, Daily Star, The Sun and Today ( all tabloids) . Of the other serious newspapers, The Times,the oldest newspaper in Britain,did not formerly have one strong political view but it is now more right-wing. The Independent does not support any political party, and neither does The Financial Times, which concentrates on business and financial news. The Daily Mirror^ a tabloid) is the voice of the Labour Party. In Britain, most national papers give their voices for _ . A. the Labor Party B. the Conservative Party C. neither of the two parties D. both parties Answer: B. the Conservative Party Question: Many people consider their pets members of the family and are very sad when they die, but what if you could clone your dog, cat or bird? A scientist in New Orleans, who has proved his ability to clone other animals, is now offering the possibility to pet owners here in Wisconsin. Scientists have not been able to clone dogs, cats or other pets, but if and when the time comes, several companies will be ready and able to do the job. The question is: Are you ready to clone your pet? Brett Reggio is betting on it.He is working on his Ph. D at Louisian State University. He's successfully cloned a goat five times and wants to try the process on family pets. So he started a business called Lazaron. "What Lazaron provides is the first step in the cloning process. "He said."It's for curing and storing the fiberglass cells that will be used for cloning." "Your first reaction is yeah! I think I'd like that." said Donna Schacht, a pet owner. "I don't believe you can ever replace a special love," pet owner Paulette Callattion said. Most pet owners will tell you freezing your pet's DNA in hopes of one day cloning it is a personal decision. Scientists say that cloning your own pet doesn't mean that the offspring will have the same intelligence, temperament or other qualities that your pet has. Some people seem not interested in cloning pets because _ . A. they think it would be too expensive B. they don't think scientists will one day be able to clone their pets C. they think the cloned pet would not be the one they once had D. they don't want to give any love to the cloned pet Answer: C. they think the cloned pet would not be the one they once had Question: Do youwanttoimprovetheway youstudy? Do you feel nervous before a test? Many students say that a lack of concentration is their biggest problem. It seriously affects their ability tostudy, sodotheir test results.If so, use these tips tohelpyou. Study Techniques You should always study in the same place. You shouldn't sit in a position that you use for another purpose. For example, when you sit on a sofa to study, your brain will think it is time to relax. Don't watch TV while youare studying. Experts warn that your concentration may be reduced by 50 percent if youattempttostudyin thisway. Always try tohave a white wall in front ofyou, so there is nothingtodistract(make less concentrated) you. Your eyes will become tired if youtrytoread a text which is on a flat surface. Position your book at an angle of 30 degrees. Don't try to complete too much in one study period. Finish one thing before beginning another.If you need a break, get up and walk around for a few minutes. Test-taking skills All your hard work will be for nothing if youare too nervoustotake your test. Getting plenty of rest is very important. This means donotstudyall night before your test! It is a better ideatohave a long-termstudyplan. Try tomake a timetable for yourstudywhich lasts for a few months. Exercise is a great waytoreduce pressure. Doing some form of exercise every day will also improveyour concentration. Eat healthy food too. When youarrive intheexamination room, find your seat and sit down. Breathe slowly and deeply. Check thetime ontheclock duringthetest, but not too often. Above all, take no notice of everyone else and give thetest paper your undivided attention. Which of the following is not included in the lips? A. Reference books. B. Healthy food. C. Proper timetable. D. Enough rest. Answer: A. Reference books.
Overeating Answer: causes the number on the scale to go up Normally a student must attend a certain number of courses in order to graduate, and each course that he attends gives him a credit, which he may count towards a degree. In many American universities the total work for a degree consists of thirty-six courses, each lasting for a term. A typical course consists of three classes per week for fifteen weeks; while attending a university a student will probably attend two terms a year. It is possible to spread a period of work for the degree over a longer period. It is also possible for a student to move between one university and another during his degree course, though this in fact is not done as a regular practice. For every course that he follows a student is given a grade, which is recorded and available for the student to show employers. All this imposes a constant pressure and strain of study, but in spite of this some students still find time for great activities in student affairs. Elections to positions in the student union arouse great interests. Students who are qualified usually perform the effective work of the student union. With the big numbers of students, the operation of the system does involve a certain number of activities. A student who has held one of these positions in the union is much respected and it willbe of benefitto him. According to the writer, a grade is provided _ . Answer: as a record showed to the employers in job-interview. In the kitchen of my mother's houses there has always been a wooden stand with a small notepad and a hole for a pencil. I'm looking for paper on which to note down the name of a book I am recommending to my mother. Over forty years since my earliest memories of the kitchen pad and pencil, five houses later, the current paper and pencil look the same as they always did. Surely it can't be the same pencil? The pad is more modern, but the wooden stand is definitely the original one. "I'm just amazed you still have the same stand for holding the pad and pencil after all these years." I say to her, walking back into the living-room with a sheet of paper and the pencil. "You still use a pencil. Can't you afford a pen?" My mother replies a little sharply. "It works perfectly well. I've always kept the stand in the kitchen. I never knew when I might want to note down an idea, and I was always in the kitchen in those days." Immediately I can picture her, hair wild, blue housecoat covered in flour, a wooden spoon in one hand, the pencil in the other, her mouth moving silently. My mother smiles and says, "One day I was cooking and watching baby Pauline, and I had a brilliant thought, but the stand was empty. One of the children must have taken the paper. So I just picked up the breadboard and wrote it all down on the back. It turned out to be a real breakthrough for solving the mathematical problem I was working on." This story--which happened before I was born--reminds me how extraordinary my mother was, and is, as a gifted mathematician. I feel embarrassed that I complain about not having enough child-free time to work. Later, when my mother is in the bathroom, I go into her kitchen and turn over the breadboards. Sure enough, on the back of the smallest one, are some penciled marks I recognize as mathematics. Those symbols have travelled unaffected through fifty years, rooted in the soil of a cheap wooden breadboard, invisible exhibits at every meal. Why has the author's mother always kept the notepad and pencil in the kitchen? Answer: To write down a flash of inspiration. Many parents try hard to protect their kids from TV and Internet advertising. But how can you protect a child from a large fast-food ad painted on her school locker ? Or a toy ad on the side of his school bus? As school budgets get smaller, a growing number of schools in the US are selling, advertising space on lockers and buses and in gyms or cafeterias. It is an easy way for schools to make money. And ads may provide relief for parents exhausted by making cash donations to support schools. While parents can always turn off the televisions or the computers, they can't keep advertising out of schools. This isn't the first time the issue has come up. For example, a news program for teens has been criticized for including ads in its 12-minute classroom broadcasts. And parents' groups successfully fought a plan by a company called Bus Radio to put music and ads into school buses. But now things are different. Just last month, Los Angeles approved a plan to allow companies to advertise in the district's schools. Officials say the plan could provide as much as $18 million for the schools. In St. Francis, Minn., schools recently agreed to cover 10% to 15% of their lockers with ads. Time says. Edward Saxton, a teacher in the school, says, "So far, parents are accepting this as a way to bring in needed money. The money pays for programs like arts, sports and music. Parents don't like to see programs getting cut. Neither do I. Besides, schools are thinking about the effects on kids all the time." However, Susan Linn, an educational expert, says, "Kids have already seen enough ads on TV, in magazines and the products they use daily. School is no place for advertisements at all." Readers, what about you? Would you rather help run yet another school fundraiser, or expose your child to ads on lockers and buses? Is keeping ads out of schools worth raising taxes, or increasing your own cash support for school through donations? Schools allow ads into schools to _ . Answer: solve their financial problems Here's an unusual story: a diamond ring was recently found in an egg. The magician , Liu Qian, discovered it, in front of an audience of millions at CCTV's Spring Festival Gala. Liu's magic tricks have made the centuries old art of magic fashionable once again, and made him the hottest magician in China. As a _ young magician from Taiwan, Liu is popular worldwide for his magic shows. Countries he has performed in include the United States, Japan, South Korea and the UK. Witnessing something impossible happen right before your eyes is the root of people's love for magic. Liu is known for his interaction with his audiences. He has a unique understanding of showmanship . "It is actually thinking, rather than one's manipulation skills, that is more important to achieving a successful magic show. We think carefully about how to design the shows creatively, to make them appear more intriguing ,"Liu said. Liu Qian's success dates back to his childhood. Born in 1976 in Taiwan, he found himself attracted to a magic toy in a shop when he was seven years old. At the age of 12, he won Taiwan's Youth Magic Contest, which was judged by the great American magician, David Copperfield. Yet, Liu never planned on becoming a professional magician. He studied Japanese literature at university and only hoped to be an amateur magician in his spare time. However, his failure to find a decent job after graduation pushed him towards magic as a career. To refine his performing skills, he has performed on streets, roads and fields, for pedestrians , policemen and farmers. "Street shows are the biggest challenge for us magicians. We have to deal with unexpected situations and tough crowds," Liu said. The passage is mainly about _ . Answer: how Liu Qian became China's hottest magician
Last weekend, our family went to have Christmas dinner in a restaurant. We were the only family with a baby in the restaurant. Suddenly, my baby Erik became excited when we were enjoying our meal. I looked around and saw an old man with old clothes and dirty old shoes. His hair was unwashed. He was smiling at my Erik. "He might hurt my Erik," I thought. Everyone in the restaurant looked at us and the old man. Then we decided to leave. The old man sat between the door and us. As I walked closer to the man, I turned my back. Suddenly, Erik leaned over my arms, reaching with both arms in a baby's pick-me-up position . Before I could stop him, Erik had escaped from my arms to the man's. Soon the very old smelly man and my young baby developed a kind of friendship. Erik put his little hand on the man's face, and I saw the old man closed his eyes and tears running down his face. His aged hands held my baby so gently . A moment later, the old man opened his eyes, passed me my baby and said, "Thank you, Madam. You've given me the best Christmas gift." I cried, with my face burning hot. A child saw a soul , but a mother saw only a kind of clothes. Why did the old man thank the writer? A. Because the writer bought food for him B. Because the writer said Merry Christmas to him C. Because staying with the baby made him feel happy D. Because the writer asked him to play with her baby Answer: C. Because staying with the baby made him feel happy Riding on an exercise bike at home may keep you in physical shape, but it can get pretty boring after a while. Aaron Puzey had been on his exercise bike for half an hour a day for years when he decided to look for a way to make it a bit more fun. With virtual reality technology widely available nowadays, all be needed to do was find a way of applying it to his needs. So he set out to build an app for the Samsung Galaxy Gear VR headset which would allow him to hook it up to Google Street view and make it seem like he's cycling through different real-life locations. Building the app to download the 3D data from Street View and make it viewable in the VR headset was the toughest part of his project. Other than that, all he needed to do was tape a Bluetooth monitor to his exercise bike. Although the quality of the images sometimes leaves a lot to be desired,leaving complex scenes like trees looking like a mess,Aaron has been having a lot of fun on his journey. Aaron's project is obviously no substitute (> for real outdoor cycling as it Lacks things like the wind blowing in your face or the pain of battling an uphill climb, bul it has given him a goal, as well as the chance to take in the beauty of places he might have otherwise never seen. It definitely beats staring at a wall or at the TV for 30 minutes, anyway. Obviously, Aaron's setup theoretically allows him to ride a bike anywhere around the world. He says he ba6 always wanted to see Japan, so once his ride comes to an end, he plans to start another one across the Land of the Rising Sun. What might be the best title for the text? A. Cycling Across the World at Home B. The Lazy Man and His Crazy Idea C. A New Way of Cycling Without Effort D. A Substitute for Real Outdoor Cycling Answer: A. Cycling Across the World at Home Amphibians such as frogs start their lives in eggs in A. the pond out front B. in a camp fire C. in the turn of the air D. dark under belly of grass Answer: A. the pond out front 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. Which of the following is true according to the passage? A. There will be more and more normal bloggers. B. Only bloggers express their feelings through the Internet. C. All people in the world are listening to the bloggers' voice. D. Media bloggers didn't have the advantage of knowing how to communicate well. Answer: A. There will be more and more normal bloggers. Here's an unusual story: a diamond ring was recently found in an egg. The magician , Liu Qian, discovered it, in front of an audience of millions at CCTV's Spring Festival Gala. Liu's magic tricks have made the centuries old art of magic fashionable once again, and made him the hottest magician in China. As a _ young magician from Taiwan, Liu is popular worldwide for his magic shows. Countries he has performed in include the United States, Japan, South Korea and the UK. Witnessing something impossible happen right before your eyes is the root of people's love for magic. Liu is known for his interaction with his audiences. He has a unique understanding of showmanship . "It is actually thinking, rather than one's manipulation skills, that is more important to achieving a successful magic show. We think carefully about how to design the shows creatively, to make them appear more intriguing ,"Liu said. Liu Qian's success dates back to his childhood. Born in 1976 in Taiwan, he found himself attracted to a magic toy in a shop when he was seven years old. At the age of 12, he won Taiwan's Youth Magic Contest, which was judged by the great American magician, David Copperfield. Yet, Liu never planned on becoming a professional magician. He studied Japanese literature at university and only hoped to be an amateur magician in his spare time. However, his failure to find a decent job after graduation pushed him towards magic as a career. To refine his performing skills, he has performed on streets, roads and fields, for pedestrians , policemen and farmers. "Street shows are the biggest challenge for us magicians. We have to deal with unexpected situations and tough crowds," Liu said. Why do people love to watch magic? A. Because Liu Qian is known for his interaction with his audiences. B. Because people love watching magicians make the impossible happen. C. Because people want to know the secret of the magic. D. Because people are curious about everything. Answer: B. Because people love watching magicians make the impossible happen.
Question: Join in the holiday fun at the Powerhouse this month linked to our new exhibition, Evolution & Revolution: Chinese dress1700s to now. DON'T FORGET our other special event, the Club Med Circus School which is part of the Circus !150years of circus in Australia exhibition experience! Chinese Folk Dancing: Colorful Chinese dance and musical performances by The Chinese Folk Dancing School of Sydney. Dances include: the Golden stick dance and the Chinese drum dance. A feature will be the Qin dynasty Emperor's count dance .Also included is a show of face painting for Beijing opera performances. Sunday 29 June and Wednesday 2 July in the Turbine Hall, at 11.30 am & 1.30 pm. Australian Chinese Children's Arts Theatre: W ell-known children's play experts from Shanghai lead this dynamic youth group. Performances include Chinese fairy tales and plays. Thursday 3 to Sunday 6 July in the Turbine Hall, at 11.30 am & 1.30 pm. Chinese Youth League: A traditional performing arts group featuring performance highlights such as the Red scarf and Spring flower dances ,and a musician playing Er Hu. Sunday 6 to Tuesday 8 July in the Turbine Hall,11.30 am to 1.30 pm. Kids Activity: Make a Paper Horse :Young children make a paper horse cut-out.(The horse is a frequent theme in Chinese painting, including a kind of advancement.)Suitable for ages 8~12 years. Saturday 28 June to Tuesday 8 July in the Turbine Hall,12.00 pm to 1.00 pm. *Club Med Circus School: Learn circus skills, including the trapeze, trampolining and magic.Note only for children over 5.There are 40 places available in each 1 hour session and these must be booked at the front desk,level 4,on the day. Tuesday 1 to Saturday 5 Julyat 11.30 am & 1.00 pm. Enjoy unlimited free visits and many other benefits by becoming a Family member of the Powerhouse.Our family memberships cover two adults and all children under the age of 16 years at the one address. Members receive Powerline,our monthly magazine,discounts in the shops and the restaurants,as well as free admission to the Museum.All this for as little as $50.00 a year!Call(02)9217 0600 for more details. To learn the magic tricks,you can go to _ . A. Kids Activity B. Chinese Youth League C. Club Med Circus School D. Children's Arts Theatre Answer: C Question: Some scientists have suggested that it might in some cases be ethically acceptable to clone existing people. One possibility is generating replacement for a dying . All such possibilities, however, raise the concern that the clone would be treated as less than a complete individual, because he or she would likely suffer from limitations and expectations based on the family's knowledge of the genetic "twin." Those expectations might be false, because human personality is only partly determined by genes. The clone of an extrovert could have a quite different way of behavior. Clones of athletes, movie stars, or scientists might well choose different careers because of chance events in early life. Some people have also put forward the belief that couples in which one member is infertile might choose to make a copy of one or the other partner. But society ought to be concerned that a couple might not treat naturally a child who is a copy of just one of them. Because other methods are available for the treatment of all known types of infertility, the traditional choice seems more appropriate. None of the suggested uses of cloning for making copies of existing people is ethically acceptable to my way of thinking, because they are not in the interests of the resulting child. It should go without saying that I am strongly opposed to allowing cloned human embryos to develop so that they can be tissue donors. In spite of this, it seems clear that cloning from cultured cells will offer important medical opportunities. Predictions about new technologies are often wrong: societal attitudes change; unexpected developments occur. Time will tell. But biomedical researchers looking into the potential of cloning now have plenty to do. In the author's view, which of the following uses of cloning is reasonable? A. To replace a lost . B. To help childless couples to have a baby. C. To develop tissue donors. D. To culture cells for medical purpose. Answer: D Question: We all enjoy the colors of autumn leaves. Did you ever wonder how and why a fall leaf changes color? Where do the yellows and oranges come from? To answer those questions, we first have to understand what leaves are and what they do. Leaves are nature's food factories. Plants take water from the ground through their roots. They take a gas called carbon dioxide from the air. Plants use sunlight to turn water and carbon dioxide into glucose, which is a kind of sugar. Plants use glucose as food for energy and as a building block for growing. The way plants turn water and carbon dioxide into sugar is called photosynthesis, which means " putting together with light. " A chemical called chlorophyll helps make photosynthesis happen. Chlorophyll is what gives plants their green color. As summer ends and autumn comes, the days get shorter and shorter. This is how the trees "know" to begin getting ready for winter. During winter, there is not enough light or water for photosynthesis. The trees will rest, and live off the food they stored during summer. They begin to shut down their food-making factories. The green chlorophyll disappears from the leaves. As the bright green fades away, we begin to see yellow and orange colors. Small a-mounts of these colors have been in the leaves all along. Covered up by the green chlorophyll, we just can't see them in summer. The bright reds and purples we see in leaves are made mostly in the fall. In some trees, like maples, glucose is trapped in the leaves after photosynthesis stops. Sunlight and the cool nights of autumn cause the leaves turn this glucose into a red color. The brown color of trees like oaks is made from wastes left in the leaves. It is the combination of all these things that make the beautiful colors we enjoy in the fall. Photosynthesis is a way that _ . A. plants change water and carbon dioxide into sugar B. plants turn water and carbon dioxide into sugar with the help of sunlight C. plants use glucose as food for energy and growing D. chlorophyll is a great help Answer: B Question: What location that had a disaster in 2017 was caused by heavy rains? A. San Francisco B. Houston C. Mexico City D. Tokyo Answer: B Question: Katherine Com male is an 11-year-old girl from Pennsylvania. At the age of five she began raising money to buy nets for children in Africa to help stop the spread of malaria . When she was five, Katherine learnt about malaria in Africa. She learnt that every 30 seconds a child died from this disease. She, also learnt that people wouldn't get that disease if they had enough bed nets. "I was really sad to learn that a child died every half a minute because of malaria." Says Katherine, "I wanted to send nets right away, so that's what I did." Five-year-old Katherine made presentations at churches and schools. She told students and others how important bed nets were for Africans. After people heard the presentations, many of them donated money. Katherine sent the money to NBN. NBN is an organization that sends bed nets to Africa. Besides,every holiday Katherine makes something called " net gift certificate" with the help of her friends and brothers. On each l0-dollar certificate there is a message. It explains that a bed net would be sent to Africa. When more certificate orders come, Katherine gets help from students in her school. Katherine has helped to raise $200,000 for NBN. "It makes me proud to help African children. I won't stop working until everyone in Africa has a bed net." says Katherine. It can be inferred from the passage that _ . A. Katherine's work is very helpful and meaningful B. thespread of malaria in Africa will be more serious C. everychild in Africa gets a net with Katherine's help D. Katherinehas received much money from NBN Answer: A
Question: Gregor Mendel cross-pollinated red and white snapdragon flowers. What information indicates that incomplete dominance was achieved? A. The offspring had heterozygous alleles. B. The offspring had a recessive allele. C. The offspring were pink. D. The offspring were red. Answer: C Question: An ape has a larger brain than any animal except man, though it is much smaller than a man's brain. Apes all belong to the hot countries of the world--tropical Africa and South--east Asia. The gorilla is the largest of the apes. He is as tall as six feet when standing upright. Many people think that gorillas are very fierce. They are often described as standing upright like a man, beating their fists and roaring. In their home, in the forests of Central Africa, however, they are not at all like this, They are peaceful animals and never use their great strength unless attacked. Even then, they retreat if they can. Gorillas have black faces and long, black, hairy coats. They feed during the day on plants and fruit. At night the old male often sleeps on the ground at the foot of a tree, while the others each make a sleeping platform in the tree bending the leafy branches. Besides this, gorillas climb trees very seldom. All gorillas live on _ . A. vegetables B. leaves and grass C. plants and fruit D. rice Answer: C Question: Fish contains lost of omega-3 fatty acids.These fatty acids have been shown to help prevent heart disease,lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of strokes.Researchers suggest that these benefits of eating fish far outweigh the risks of getting sick from contaminated fish. Ongoing studies find that omega-3 fatty acids work magic on the brain too.Pregnant? Go out and eat fish! One study tracked a group of expectant women who ate more than 340 grams of fish per week.It turns out they gave birth to children who,years later,scored really high on IQ tests. How can you add fish to your diet? One way to begin is by replacing meat with fish in one meal a week.Instead of frying,which retains more fat,try boiling your fish in an oven or grilling it outdoors.And don't be afraid to spice up your fish.Garlic,herbs other spices can add wonderful flavors to fish. For lighter meals,keep a few cans of tuna or other fish on hand at all times.They're great for making tasty sandwiches or fish burgers.If you get hungry in the middle of the morning or afternoon,try tuna on crackers.It's hard to find a better snack.And parents,be sure to introduce fish to your children.It's important for them to get used to eating it at a young age. What does the writer discuss in this passage? A. Chemicals in popular drinks B. The best way to lose weight C. Famous fast food restaurants D. Reasons for having seafood Answer: D Question: Reading can provide lots of fun for children and teens during summer vacation. Children who read during the summer are better prepared for school when they return to classes in the fall. Public libraries throughout Wisconsin will host summer events to encourage children and young adults to include reading in their summer fun. All Star Readers The Milwaukee Public Library will host its 2007 Summer Reading Club for kids from 3 to 18. Signing up starts on June 1 at all Milwaukee public libraries and bookmobile sites. Children aged 6 to 12 are invited to become "All Star Readers" at the Milwaukee library when they sign up for the Summer Reading Club. Children can score a point by reading 10 books or 1,000 pages. When they reach the reading goal, they will win a bag full of prizes. Sparkey Spots the Ball Children up to 5 years old can join the read-to-me club, "Sparkey Spots the Ball". They will receive their own reading folders to record the books read to them by parents, brothers and sisters or relatives. Once they have listened to 20 books, they will win a baseball and a coupon for McDonald's ice cream. *X-treme Read Teens between the age of 13 and 18 can join in their own reading program called "X-treme Read". Teens can read to win movie passes, CDs and more. The library also plans extreme bike races by C4BMX at four libraries in June and July. Check with your local library or Milwaukee Journal Sentinel for the exact dates, times, and places of the demonstrations . In which club will they win a baseball and a coupon for McDonald's ice cream.? A. 2007 Summer Reading Club B. Sparkey Spots the Ball C. X-treme Read D. All Star Readers Answer: B Question: Gone are the days when being a celebrity meant reaching the top of the social ladder. With the Internet, people now no longer need to be actors, sports stars or politicians to be famous. You may still remember the time when Furong Jiejie, or Fengjie, appeared online. All of a sudden they were the talk of the town because of their crazy clothes and abnormal values. But when the word wanghong, or "Internet celebrity", was named one of Yaowen Jiaozi magazine's "popular cyber words" in 2015, its meaning had changed. Those who are popular in the world of wanghong are largely famous for their heavily Photoshopped selfies and the special lifestyles they advertise on social media. The same thing is happening overseas as well. There are many women addicted to posting photos. This has led to the rise of "Instagram Husbands", men who are willing-or most likely forced-to take photos of their wives or girlfriends for their Instagram accounts. But what wanghong offer their fans is much more than many pretty pictures. "There is a longing for the effortless of life," commented China Youth Daily. Though their lifestyle may seem "effortless", some wanghong take great pains to run their Taobao stores, communicate with their fans and think of ways to keep their viewership , for example. Zhang Dayi, a famous wanghong with over 4 million followers on Sina Weibo, revealed some of her secrets for attracting fans. "Usually people look up to celebrities at a 45-degree angle. But I reduced that angle to 15 degrees, because no one likes to strain their necks too much," she said. Her social media strategies include being very kind to fans. "As soon as you let down your guard, people will start to approach," she said. How do men get the name "Instagram Husbands"? A. They take and share photos to attract fans on the net. B. They open Instagram accounts for their girlfriends. C. They show off their photography skills on the internet. D. Their duty is to take pictures of their wives or girlfriends. Answer: D
British researchers found that men are almost as likely as women to want children, and they feel more lonely, depressed, angry and sad than women if they don't have them. Childless women were more likely to mention personal wish and biological urge as major influences, compared to men. Men were more likely to mention cultural, societal and family pressures than women. Robin Hadley, of Keele University, found that 59 percent of men and 63 percent of women said they wanted children. Of the men who wanted children, half had experienced loneliness because they did not have any children, compared with 27 percent of women. Thirty-eight percent of men had experienced depression because they did not have any children, compared with only 27 percent of women. One in four men had experienced anger because they did not have any children, compared with 18 percent of women, while 56 percent of men had experienced sadness because they did not have any children, compared with 43 percent of women. However, no men had experienced guilt because they did not have any children although 16 percent of women had. Mr Hadley said, "My work shows that there was a similar level of wish for parenthood among childless men and women in the survey, and that men had higher levels of anger, depression, sadness, jealousy and loneliness than women. This challenges the common idea that women are much more likely to want to have children than men, and that they always experience all kinds of bad emotions more deeply than men if they don't have children." He carried out his survey of 27 men and 81 women who were not parents using an online questionnaire among people aged 20 to 66, with an average age of 41. If a woman wants to have a child, she may say_. A she should have a baby according to the cultural requirement B she needs to have a child because of the family pressure C she has to give birth to a child to avoid social prejudice D she is ready to have a baby because of her age and body Answer: D What do you usually do after school? Playing football? Watching TV? Let's see how kids in foreign countries spend their free time? Mess around with Dress-up Do your parents have any old clothes? See if you can get an old box and start collecting hats, shoes and clothes now! Then, when your friends come over after school,you can play dress-up. See if you can make yourself into a doctor, or a cowboy, or even a spaceman! If you are really clever, you could even put on a show for your family! Let your imagination run wild! Start a Club Want to learn new things after school? Want to make new friends who aren't in your class? You can get both of them in clubs. In other countries' schools,there are usually all kinds of clubs for kids to join. There is a French club,a student government, a theatre,a choir and a photography club. Take a photography club as an example. One may learn all the skills about taking photos. For example,you will learn how to choose a camera,how to use the light and how to develop pictures. One can also make a lot of friends in clubs. It's always good to enjoy your free time with friends, isn't it? In a photography club, kids can learn _ . A how to use cameras B how to collect cameras C how to repair cameras D how to make a lot of friends Answer: A LONDON (Reuters Life!) ---- Forget about talking your children into considering life as a doctor or a teacher and start training them for the talent show. A survey of British parents showed the aspirations of their children are greatly different from what they dreamed about when considering who they wanted to be when they grew up. Although astronaut still remains fairly high on the list of careers kids dream about these days, others like doctor and teacher have been taken the place of by the desire to win good name and money as a sporting hero, pop star or actor. The parents of children aged 5 to 11 said the choice of lawyer had dropped by only one place on a top 10 list to sixth, while teacher had dropped to ninth from top in the last 25 or more years. The survey for British TV channel "Watch" found a great difference between the genders of today's young people when compared with their parents' dreams 25 years or more ago. Playing professional football, being an astronaut and joining the firefighting service topped the boys' choices, while girls are more likely to be dreaming of taking to the stage as a pop star or actress or joining the medical profession. When asked what they would like their children to do for a living, today's parents still like the academic professions , with law and medicine scoring highly, while being a boss came third. Parents also praised job happiness above wealth when it comes to their hopes for their children. Nearly 70 percent of the parents surveyed thought that they failed to follow their dreams when it came to their career, with 37 percent thinking it was caused by a lack of aspiration and not having the necessary conditions. What can be learnt from the passage? A Parents' hope for their children's career did not change too much. B Parents pay much attention to the income of their children. C Less than half of the parents who were surveyed didn't follow their dreams. D Most parents didn't have the necessary conditions to realize their dreams. Answer: A At a weightlifting competition, two competitors lifted the same weight to the same height. The second competitor accomplished the lift 2 seconds faster than the first competitor. This demonstrated that the second competitor had more A energy than the first. B inertia than the first. C power than the first. D work than the first. Answer: C At science conventions, scientists present their research, and members of the audience can discuss or ask questions about the research. The main value of these science conventions is that they allow scientists to A see new places. B find money for projects. C practice public speaking. D exchange their ideas. Answer: D
It is sometimes said that strange flying objects have been seen high up in the sky. People call these strange objects Unidentified Flying Objects(UFOs). These UFOs caused a lot of interest. Some of the reports about them are difficult to believe. Some have been explained in scientific ways. Others have never been explained. Here is an account of UFOs from a report. Dennis Burdens, who wrote an article, tells us that he once saw a UFO himself. He was having dinner one night with a friend near Tripoli, Libya, and after dinner the two men walked across a yard to his room to look at some papers. Burdens noticed that the moon looked strange that night. "It wasn't the moon," was the reply. They watched the light and saw that it was moving. It seemed to be an object rather like a big plate. In some ways it looked like smoke with a light on it, but it wasn't smoke because it didn't change its shape. It was moving in a regular way. That is to say, it didn't go suddenly faster or more slowly, and it didn't go higher or lower. So the two men decided that there must be men in it. After that, Burdens said that he felt eyes looking at him. He was being watched in the darkness. When it was nearer, they noticed that the bottom parts were brighter than the top. The bottom was yellow and the top red. Then the object suddenly turned away and left Libya, moving very fast. On a later day Burdens talked to other people about it, and he found some who had seen it. They all described it in the same way. Could they all be mistaken? UFOs are _ . It is a very nice Sunday morning. Ann and her mother are on a big bus. There are many people on it. Some are from America. Some are from England and Japan. They are all friends. They are going to the Great Wall. There are two Chinese on the bus, too. They are a young man and a young woman. They can speak English. The young man is the driver of the bus. The woman is talking about the Great Wall. The others are all listening to her. They all like the Great Wall. The people on the bus are talking in _ . After seven years of preparation, England _ the 2012Summer Olympic Games on Friday. NBC estimates that 4 billion viewers tuned in from around the world to watch teh opening ceremonies in London England. Oscar-winning flimmaker Danny Boyle directed the opening ceremonies. The show cost $42 million and required 15,000 volunteers. An Exciting Opening Boyle's ceremonies took audiences through a history of England. The performmance began in the English countryside, continued with the building of factories and cities and ended up in the modern age, with performers texting and using cellphones. Next, the athletes, coaches and officials from the 205 nations competing made their way into the stadium during the Parade of Nations. The ceremonies ended with the lighting of the Olympic flame and Paul McCartney, former member of the famous rock band The Bealtes, singing the song "Hey Jude". Super Surprises The opening weekend of competition took some unexpected turns. American swimmer Ryan Lochte surprised the world when he beat teammate Michael Phelps to win a gold medal in teh 400-meter individual medley . It was the first time Phelps did not win a medal in an Olympic race since 2000, when Phelps was 15. " I had a chance to put myself in a good spot, and I didn't do it," Phelps said after the race. "It's pretty upsetting, but the biggest thing now is to try to get back and move forward." Even more surprising was China's 16-year-old Ye Shiwen"s unbelievable performance in the women's 400-metre individual medley. Ye set the first swimming world record this year, even swimming faster than men's gold medalist. Lochte, during the final 50meters of the race! Though many expected to see American gymnast Jordyn Wieber take home gold in the women's all gymnastics final, Wieber did not qualify for the event. Only two gymnasts from each country can qualify, and Wieber was beaten by teammates Gabby Douglas and Aly Raisman. With the Games just getting under way, there are likely many more surprises. What else will surprise fans around the world? You'll have to watch to find out! What did the opening ceremonies mainly show us? One in five American families will move every year. Moving is one of the most stress-producing events a family has to go through. Experts say it can be harder for children. How do you help your child adjust to the changes? The Ricardos moved from their old house to a new home. Same family, same dog-but it was harder for 9-year-old Elena. She hated the room, the house and everything. She hated leaving her friends the most. " I was so emotional. I mean, saying goodbye to all my friends.....my very close friends, who was my neighbor, made me so sad," says Elena. For some children, the emotional stress of moving is not much more different from the emotions when someone has died. "There's that sense that, 'I've lost my friends, my friends, my base, my school, my teachers-everything I knew that made me feel safe is all gone now. I have to start over," says Dr. Tim Jordan. Starting over is exactly Dr. Tim Jordan's advice. Make new friends, enter the new school and enter the new neighborhood. And here are some other pieces of advice. * Explain clearly to the children why the move is necessary. * Familiarize the children as much as possible with the new area with maps, photographs or the daily newspaper. * After the move, got the children to join in activities in the place. * Help the children keep in touch with friends from the neighborhood before through telephone, letters, e-mail, and personal visits. What can we know from the passage? Albert Einstein died long ago. However, a group of researchers have created a robot which looks like the great scientist. The robotic Einstein is very special because the researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) have taught their realistic robot to smile, frown and make other complex facial expressions. Scientists believe that babies learn to control their bodies through movements, including learning to speak. "We use the same idea to work out the problem of how a robot could learn to make realistic facial expressions," said Javier Movellan, director of UCSD's machine Feeling Lab. ks5u The San Diego researchers directed the Einstein robot's head to turn in all directions. The robot could see its expressions in a mirror and then use the software to provide data for machine-learning to match facial expressions to the movements of its small motors. Once the robot learned the relationship between facial expressions and the muscle movements, it learned to make facial expressions. Its head has about 30 facial feelings, and each is moved by a tiny motor connected to ht e skin by s sting. Although we've never met Albert Einstein, we have a feeling that the new robot isn't exactly a fair representation of now of the best minds of the 20th century. The figure does not have the grace of the great man, but it can recognize human expressions and react to them in the right way. In fact, if you smile at it, it will smile right back to you. "As far as we know, no other research group has used a robot to make realistic facial expressions," said computer scientist Tingfan Wu, a computer science PhD student who worked on a more exact facial expression robot. How does the robotic Einstein make the muscle movements?.
One day an old man went for a walk in a park in Washington and when he was tired, he sat down on a chair by a swimming pool. A young person was standing on the other side of the pool. "Oh!" the old man said to the person sitting next to him. "Do you see the person with the loose clothes and long hair? Is it a boy or a girl?" "A girl," said his neighbor. "She is my daughter." "Oh!" the old man said quickly. "Please forgive me. I didn't know that you were her mother." "I'm not," said the person. "I'm her father." The old man thought his neighbor was _ . Answer: a woman At a campsite one night we all gather round a fire to roast marshmallows; this is an example of Answer: maillard reaction Hi! I'm a Chinese girl. My name is Liu Wei. My English name is Sally. I'm twelve. I'm in Class 8, Grade 1. My English teacher is Mr. Lee. He is from New York. He is a good teacher. I don't know how old he is. My good friend is Jane. She is from Canada. She is in Class 8, Grade 1, too. She is eleven. Who's Linda? She is Jane's sister. Her name is Linda. She is six. What grade are Liu Wei and Jane in? Answer: They are in Class 8, Grade 1. I travel a lot in my work, and what I dislike about my job is eating alone. It always makes me feel lonely to see others laughing and talking. So, room service for several nights was a better choice for me. After having room service three nights at a hotel in Houston, however, I needed to get out of my room. Although the restaurant opened at 6:30, I arrived at 6:25. The waiter at the front desk made a comment about my "being there really early". I explained my dislike of eating alone in restaurants. He then seated me at a lovely table and asked me whether I would mind if he sat down with me for a while. I was glad! He sat and talked with me about his career goals and the difficulty of being at work on nights, weekends and holidays. He said he hadn't enough time to be with his family. After 15 minutes, he saw some customers at the front desk and excused himself. I noticed that before he went to the front desk, he stopped in the kitchen for a moment. Then another waiter came out of the kitchen and had a wonderful chat with me. Before I left that night, some other waiters, even the cook, had come out of the kitchen and sat with me! When I asked for my bill about one hour later, all the people who had sat down with me came over in a big group to my table, and presented me with a red rose. And I cried! What had begun as a lonely night ended as a beautiful experience. The author asked for room service because _ . Answer: seeing people laughing and talking made him feel bad As you are students of English, it's very possible that you'll be interested in England. That's where the language was first spoken. But England is often called by other names. This often confuses people and I wonder if you know what these names mean. So, now I would like to tell you about this matter of names. I believe that you have heard people use the names--England, Britain or Great Britain. Let's see what each of these names means. If you look at a map of Europe, you'll see a group of islands--one larger island off the northwest coast, one smaller and many tiny ones. These make up what is called the British Isles. The largest island of the British Isles is Britain. It is also called Great Britain. The smaller island is Ireland. Britain is divided into three parts: Scotland, Wales and England. But sometimes the word "England" is used instead of "Britain". Why so? In ancient times, what is Britain now used to be three different countries. People in these different countries spoke different languages. Over many years the three countries became one. England is the largest and richest of the three and it has the most people. So the English people take it for granted that their own name stands for the whole island. There's another thing that confuses people: sometimes you may hear people say "the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland". That is the official name of the country. Northern Ireland is only one sixth of the island of Ireland. The rest of the island is an independent state, called the Republic of Ireland. So we have the names of "England", "Britain", "Great Britain", and "the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland". Now do you know what each of them means? According to the passage, which of the following statements is true? Answer: Sometimes England is used instead of Britain.
Bedazzling with their bright colors and eye-catching displays, fireworks light up our night skies during the holidays. However, these crowd-pleasers can have some damaging side effects. Once a firework is set off, it only takes a couple of seconds before smoke, dust and harmful chemicals are let out into the atmosphere. The loud booming noises are caused by gunpowder. While the sounds may excite some people, they can be frightening to domestic and wild animals--as well as some humans. The pretty colors you see are a result of more chemicals. Barium, added to make green, is known for its poisonous and radioactive qualities. Blue comes from copper compounds. Cadmium, lithium and lead--all found in fireworks--have been linked to diseases, such as allergies and skin rashes in both humans and animals. Acid rain has been linked to gases given off by fireworks, which sometimes go beyond the toxin limits of the United States Clean Air Act. Once all those chemicals come back down to the ground, they can cause problems too. Debris from the fireworks falls to the ground, where animals can burn their paws or noses on piping hot pieces. Humans also are at risk of stepping on or picking up something sharp or hot. Meanwhile, debris that finds its way into waterways can damage animal habitats and water supply sources. Instead of setting off fireworks, try to come up with some new ways for fun. Here are some ideas to get you started: * Sky lanterns--a tradition that originated long ago in the most-populated Asian country. * Party crackers--a favorite in the United Kingdom--give you noise and surprises without the mess of fireworks. You can make your own or buy eco-friendly crackers. * Want noise excitement with less volume? Consider a fireworks sound recording beforehand or break out the party horns and blow up a storm! All the italicized words are probably _ . Answer: chemical elements In some countries,open campus is widely accepted. For example, French students have a two-hour lunch break from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. During their lunch break, they can eat at home or at a restaurant. But students in the Philippines have a tougher schedule. They have only two 15-minute breaks and an hour for lunch. What Schedule would be best for American schools? Having breaks between classes is great, but having breaks off campus is even better. There are several advantages to open campus, including simple conveniences such as being able to eat different meals during lunchtime, rather than having the cafeteria dishes, as well as having the chance to take a break at home. However, there are more reasons I disagree with allowing high school students the right to have an open campus. Sure, it's great being able to escape school during the day for a while, but soon enough that may easily become the rest of the day. If open campus is allowed, it is very possible that such freedom will make it all too easy for students to skip their afternoon classes. Of course, there will be students responsible enough to come back to school. But unexpected problems such as heavy traffic, city bus delays or cars breaking down may prevent them from returning to school. It benefits the students to stay in school during lunch hours to avoid transportation issues. Depending on how close the school is to restaurants and students' homes, open campus could be a great idea. Unfortunately, though, most public schools in America are not located close enough to restaurants or students' homes, thus causing the negative results to outweigh the positives in the end. The text mainly discusses whether high schools should _ . Answer: have open campus for lunch A woman was having some trouble with her heart, so she went to see a doctor. He was a new doctor, and did not know her, so he first asked some questions about her, and one of them was, "How old are you?" "Well," she said, "I don't remember, doctor, but I will try to think." She thought for a moment and said, "Yes, I remember now, doctor! When I married , I was eighteen years old, and my husband was thirty. Now my husband is sixty, I know, and that is twice thirty. So I am twice eighteen. I think I am thirty-six,is it right?" How old is the woman, do you know? Answer: She's forty-eight. By November 30, 2015, the comedy Goodbye, Mr. Loser had got more than 1,400 million yuan in ticket sales. It was amazing that a film with common actors who had their first shows in the film got such great success. What's more, the actors were all stage performers and they improved their acting skills by making this film. The comedy tells about a common middle-aged man who has no job but problems. He seems to be a loser in life and never gets any success. He causes many jokes and is laughed at a lot. And because of his bad luck, he feels upset most of the time. Later, a sudden accident changes his life and he starts to realize how important the family to him. Goodbye, Mr. Loser was the first movie made by Happy Mahua Pictures. The film came out on September 30, 2015. Because of its great success, the film company became famous overnight. During the seven-day holiday for National Day in 2015, the ticket sales were just behind the most popular film being shown at the same time-Lost in Hong Kong. At last the middle-aged man understands the importance of _ . Answer: the family What is "Dads Make a Difference"? A service-learning opportunity for teens that deals with fatherhood, parenting, and so on. Older teens, grades 10--12, teach younger teens, grades 6--9, about the importance of fathers in children's lives, the legal and financial responsibilities of parenting. Teen teacher training goals & objectives The goal of the teen teacher training is to better understand the complex problems surrounding legal fatherhood in our society. By discussing what makes healthy families, explaining the meaning of paternity , and examining the risks people take in their lives, teens will develop the skills needed to make informed decisions in their own relationships and, finally, teach this information to others. What's in it for me? An opportunity to: Learn life skills like communication, decision making, and problem solving. Get the chance to use knowledge in meaningful and effective ways. Develop leadership, planning, teamwork, time management, and organizational skills to help you in every aspect of your life. Forming lasting relationships with adult mentors . Comments from teen teachers " 'Dads Make a Difference' made me realize how permanent and expensive parenthood is." "Speaking in form of groups and directing people in activities, I feel, is a valuable skill to have that I will use throughout my life." "I wish I would have gone through this program when I was in Junior High. I know it would have helped me to really think about the future and to make good decisions." " 'Dads Make a Difference' has helped me to know the effects of my actions before I take them and I know what risks not to take to protect my future." According to the passage, who will benefit most from "Dads Make a Difference"? Answer: teens and societies
Mr Black goes into his usual teashop one morning, and sits in one of the seats at the counter . Many other people also come in, but none of them stays long. About fifteen minutes later, a young man and a young woman come in. There are only two empty seats at the counter, one on Mr Black's left, and the other on his right. The woman sits on one seat, and the young man sits on the other, but Mr Black immediately asks to change seats with the young man so that he and the young woman can be together. "Oh, that isn't necessary," the young man says, but Mr Black insists . When the young man and the young woman are side by side, he says to her, "Well, this old man is very kind. He wants us to sit together. May I introduce myself? My name is John. What's your name?" Mr Black sits _ of the teashop one morning. A. in the middle B. in the centre C. at the counter D. in the front Answer: C Television is a central part of many people's lives. There are very few places in the world where one cannot find a television set. Some sporting events, such as the Olympic Games or the football World Cup, can attract audiences of many millions. But is television a good or bad influence on young people in the modern world? Thomas Murray, president of the British Parents Against Television Society, believes that it has not improved young people's lives. "Television damages family life," he argues. "At mealtime, families no longer talk to each other. In the evenings, youngsters do not spend good quality time with family members. Instead, they watch television." Murray says that this lack of communication leads to social problems. Murray also believes that the content of television programmes provides young people with poor role models. "There is so much violence on TV--guns, kung fu fighting, and so on. Young people think that all problems should be solved by aggression." It is not just young people's mental health that worries Murray. "Teenagers don't get enough exercise because they spend so many hours watching television. They also develop back problems from sitting down for so long, and _ from the effort of watching." Murray would like to see changes to television habits. "Programmes should be educational. Their contents should be nonviolent and healthy. There should be no programmes after ten o'clock in the evening. Parents should teach their children to enjoy their spare time by playing sports or games. And certainly, the television should be switched off during mealtime. Susan Taylor is a television producer. She believes that television is a good influence on young people. "Television brings the outside world to youngsters. It even brought us pictures from the moon! And look what happens after the Olympic Games or the World Cup matches have been shown on TV. People start to take more exercise. Also, there are a lot of programmes about healthy eating and keeping fit." However, Taylor agrees with Murray's point of view concerning parents. "Of course parents have a role to play in educating their kids. They should turn the TV off during mealtime and they should talk with their children as often as possible." What leads to social problems in Murray's opinion? A. The lack of communication. B. Young people watching too much TV. C. So much violence on TV. D. Not enough exercise. Answer: A After helping Barack Obama sweep to victory in the US election, the president-elects motto of "change" was Friday declared character of the year by a monk at one of Japan's most respected temples. Using a calligraphy brush to write the single character on a wooden platform as tourists looked on, Seihan Mori, chief monk at Kiyomizu temple in the ancient capital of Kyoto, declared "change" to be Japan's character of the year. The event was hosted by a Kyoto-based group that promotes the use of "kanji," the Chinese characters used in the Japanese language. The public sent in 111,200 nominations for the kanji of the year. Of those, a majority 5.42 percent approved of "change," followed by "gold," suggesting the Beijing Olympics, and "fall" to show the global market decre.ase. "I think it is an expression of the Japanese peoples wishes to see political, economic and societal changes, as they were impressed by Mr. Obama's message of change," Mori said. He added that climate change also drew people attention to the significance of "change". The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation(JKATF) has been conducting a poll on the year's kanii each year since 1995. Last year's top choice was 'Nise' (fake). The aim of the event is to _ . A. popularize standard Chinese B. promote the use of "kanji" C. practice Chinese handwriting D. strengthen the relationship between China and Japan Answer: B During 1976 a series of arsons, one of which damaged the Humongous Store, occurred in the City of Swelter. In early 1977 Swelter's City Council adopted this resolution: The City will pay $10,000 for the arrest and conviction of anyone guilty of any of the 1976 arsons committed here. The foregoing was telecast by the city's sole television station once daily for one week. Subsequently, Humongous, by a written memorandum to Gimlet, a private detective, proposed to pay Gimlet $200 "for each day's work you actually perform in investigating our fire." Thereafter, in August 1977, the Swelter City Council by resolution repealed its reward offer and caused this resolution to be broadcast once daily for a week over two local radio stations, the local television station having meanwhile ceased operations. In September 1977, a Humongous employee voluntarily confessed to Gimlet to having committed all of the 1976 arsons. Humongous's president thereupon paid Gimlet at the proposed daily rate for his investigation and suggested that Gimlet also claim the city's reward, of which Gimlet had been previously unaware. Gimlet immediately made the claim. In December 1977, as a result of Gimlet's investigation, the Humongous employee was convicted of burning the store. The city, which has no immunity to suit, has since refused to pay Gimlet anything, although he swears that he never heard of the city's repealer before claiming its reward"Which of the following best characterizes the relationship between Humongous and Gimlet? A. A unilateral offer of employment by Humongous which became irrevocable for a reasonable number of days after Gimlet commenced his investigation of the store's arson. B. An employment for compensation subject to a condition precedent that Gimlet succeed in his investigation. C. A series of daily bilateral contracts, Humongous exchanging an express promise to pay the daily rate for Gimlet's implied promise to pursue his investigation with reasonable diligence. D. A series of daily unilateral contracts, Humongous exchanging an express promise to pay the daily rate for Gimlet's daily activity of investigating the store's arson Answer: D WASHINGTON, March 14 (Xinhua) --U.S. President Barack Obama confirmed on Saturday at the White House that China can have confidence in the American economy. "Not just the Chinese government, but every investor can have absolute confidence in the _ of investments in the United States," Obama said. "There is a reason why even in the midst of this economic downfall you have seen actual increases in investment flows here in the U. S.,"he said. Obama also noted the U. S. will push for stricter regulation of the financial industry "front and center" at the upcoming Group of 20Summit in London ,ending an argument between the Europe and the United States over whether more focus should be placed on financial regulatory reform. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said earlier Friady he is "a little bit worried "about the safety of Chineseassets in the United States ,urging the U. S. government to ensure the security of those assets. China has invested its hugeforeign exchangereserves in low-risk but low-yield assets ,such as U. S.government bonds ,to play it safe . According to the U.S. Treasury, China held 681.9 billion U.S. dollars worth of U.S. government bonds as of November. "China is indeed the largest creditor of the United States, which is the world' s biggest economy .We are extremely interested in developments in the U. S. economy."said Wen, adding that he is expecting the effect of the measures taken by the U.S.government to counter the global financial crisis. Asked to react to Wen' s concern, Lawrence Summers, director of the U.S. National Economic Council, noted on Friday that the U.S. will be soundsteward of the money it invests. "This is a commitment that the president has made very clear--we need to be sound stewards of the money we invest."said Summers in a speech at the Brookings Institution, a leading think tank in the united states. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said earlier Friday he is "a little bit worried", because _ . A. he doesn't have confidence in America' s economy at all B. China lent a huge fund to the United States C. he is concerned about the security of China's assets in the U. S. D. the U.S. refused to ensure the security of China's assets Answer: C
Question: Members of the public can visit the White House now. Requests must be made through one's Member of Congress . These self-guided tours are allowed from 7:30 am to 11:00 am Tuesday through Thursday, 7:30 am to 1:00 pm Saturdays (except for holidays). Requests can be made up to six months in advance and no less than 21 days in advance. All White House tours are free. If you wish to visit the White House and are a citizen of a foreign country, please call your embassy for help in making a tour request. All visitors 18 years of age or older will be asked to present a valid photo ID. All foreign visitors must present their passport. All other forms of foreign identification will not be accepted. All visitors should call the 24-hour Visitors Office information line at 202-456-7041 to decide if any last minute changes have been made in the tour schedule . ks5u Forbidden Items Cameras or video recorders Handbags, book bags, backpacks or purses Food, drinks, or cigarettes Any pointed objects *Guns, or knives of any size The U.S. Secret Service has the right to forbid any other personal items. Umbrellas, car keys, and cell phones (including those with cameras) are permitted. However, guests will not be allowed to use cell phones inside the White House. Restrooms/ Public telephones The nearest restrooms and public telephones to the White House are in the Ellipse Visitor Pavilion (the park area south of the White House). Restrooms or public telephones are not available at the White House. The Disabled Please contact your Member of Congress if you cannot hear or see clearly and need help during your White House tour. Guide animals are allowed in the White House. We can learn from the passage that in the White House people can _ . A. have a tour guide B. bring guide animals if necessary C. use the restrooms there D. make calls using their own cell phones Answer: B. bring guide animals if necessary Question: I live in Hollywood. You may think people in such an attractive, fun-filled place are happier than others. If so, you have some mistaken ideas about the nature of happiness. Many intelligent people still equate happiness with fun. The truth is that fun and happiness have little or nothing in common. Fun is what we experience during an act. Happiness is what we experience after an act. It is a deeper, more long-lasting emotion. Going to an amusement park or ball game, watching a movie or television, are fun activities that help us relax, temporarily forget our problems and maybe even laugh. But they do not bring happiness, because their positive effects end when the fun ends. I have often thought that if Hollywood stars have a role to play, it is to teach us that happiness has nothing to do with fun. These rich, beautiful individuals have constant access to exciting parties, fancy cars, expensive homes, everything that spells "happiness". But in memoir after memoir, celebrities reveal the unhappiness hidden beneath all their fun: depression, alcoholism, drug addiction, broken marriages, troubled children, and long-time loneliness. The way people hold on to the belief that a fun-filled, pain-free life equates happiness actually decreases their chances of ever attaining real happiness. If fun and pleasure are equated with happiness, then pain must be equated with unhappiness. But, in fact, the opposite is true: More times than not, things that lead to happiness involve some pain. As a result, many people avoid the very efforts that are the source of true happiness. They fear the pain inevitably brought by such things as marriage, raising children, professional achievement, religious commitment, charitable work and self-improvement. In the author's opinion, those Hollywood stars _ . A. possess happiness because they are rich and famous B. experience almost all kinds of happy things C. tell us happiness isn't equal to fun using their own stories D. have to suffer a lot before they become successful Answer: C. tell us happiness isn't equal to fun using their own stories Question: Three-dimensional printers are fast becoming everyday devices in the United States. Three-D printers are used to make everything from automobile parts to bone replacements for human patients. American research scientists are now working on creating replacements for living tissue. Researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina have been working on creating and manufacturing living tissue since 2003.This process is called biofabrication . It requires special printing equipment and a special kind of ink. Traditional printers require ink to produce an image or design on a piece of paper. For their three-D printer, the South Carolina researchers prepare complex nutritious solutions they call bio-inks. Bio-inks are made of proteins and glucose , which normally provides energy for most cells of the body. The researchers also add living cells taken from the animal that will receive the new, printed tissue. The bio-inks are then added to a device that researchers call the Palmetto bio-printer. Sarah Grace Dennis is one of the researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina. She says new technology, like the Palmetto bio-printer, is a great help to the biofabrication process. The bio-inks are placed in three dispensers , containers, inside the printer. Lasers control both the position of the printing surface and the places where the bio-ink is released. Michael Yost is a leader of the research team. He says the printing process is fully automated-- machine-operated. He says that the Palmetto bio-printer makes it possible to create complex tissue types. The researchers say bio-printing is still experimental. But they hope in a few years they may be able to print tissue to replace damaged human organs. But there are still some problems which need to be solved. Some scientists worry about how to get blood to the replacement tissue. The flow of blood is important to keep the printed tissue alive. Michael Yost hopes that more people will believe in the benefits of biofabrication. "Tissue biofabrication is a reality, and it is a reality now, and if you come here and you get to see it. You will get to see it. You can't touch it, but you will see it and think this is real. And this is really human." What can we know about the bio-inks? A. They are the necessities of bio-printing. B. They only contain proteins and glucose. C. They can be placed in the traditional printers. D. They are available in our local drugstores. Answer: A. They are the necessities of bio-printing. Question: Sandpiper Lounge area with colour TV/DVD and log fire --one welcome basket of logs on arrival. Fully fitted kitchen/dining area with cooker, microwave, dishwasher etc. Newly fitted shower unit with electric shower and WC. Four bedrooms with one twin bedded room and one bunk bedded room. There is a beautiful wooden divider between the kitchen and lounge. There are no steps in the cottage, which makes it suitable for anyone who has a little difficulty walking or managing stairs. Smugglers Cove Cottage Large ground floor cottage, attractive lounge with log fire, colour TV/ DVD and lovely views of the castle and lake. Four bedrooms and two twin bedded rooms plus double bed. Separate fitted kitchen with cooker, microwave, dishwasher and fridge etc.and big dining area.Basket of logs provided on arrival.Bathroom with electric shower and separate WC.Separate entrance passage with own yard and barbecue. Smugglers Cove is perfect for larger families and groups or couples wishing to enjoy themselves! Driftwood Ground floor cottage.Lounge area with colour TV/DVD, with dining area complete with fully fitted kitchen, cooker, dishwasher, microwave, etc.Bathroom with electric MIRA shower and WC.Four bedrooms and one twin bedded room.People(and luggage)can be offloaded at the door itself.Pretty bay window overlooking garden with own yard and barbecue. Tidesreach Cottage One double bedroom and one bunk bedded room. Tidesreach is a bright and airy, first floor cottage apartment fit for couples or small families Tidesreach is a comfortable, well-equipped holiday cottage apartment with woodland views towards Watennouth castle and over the courtyard. Tidesreach Cottage is dog friendly.Well behaved pets are welcome. If you enjoy barbecue, you can choose to stay at _ . A. Smugglers Cove Cottage or Driftwood B. Sandpiper or Smugglers Cove Cottage C. Driftwood or Tidesreach Cottage D. Tidesreach Cottage or Sandpiper Answer: A. Smugglers Cove Cottage or Driftwood Question: His name was Fleming, and he was a poor Scottish farmer. One day, while trying to make a living for his family, he heard a cry for help coming from a nearby bog. He dropped his tools and ran to the bog. There, tapped to his waist in black mud, was a terrified boy, screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the boy from what could have been a slow and terrifying death. The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman' s surroundings. An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved. "I want to repay you," said the nobleman. "You saved my son' s life." "No, I can' t accept payment for what I did," the Scottish farmer replied, waving off the offer. At that moment, the farmer' s own son came to the door of the family hovel . "Is that your son?" the nobleman asked. "Yes, "the farmer replied proudly. "I' ll make you a deal. Let me take him and give him a good education. If the boy is anything like his father, he' ll grow to a man you can be proud of." And that he did. In time, Farmer Fleming' s son graduated from St. Mary' s Hospita l Medical School in London, and went on to become known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of penicillin. Years afterward, the nobleman' s son was stricken with pneumonia . What saved him? Penicillin. The name of the nobleman? Lord Randolph Churchill. His son' s name? Sir Winston Churchill. Someone once said, "What goes around, comes around." Why did the nobleman come to the poor farmer' s house? A. Because they were close s. B. Because they were good friends. C. Because the nobleman knew the farmer had a promising son. D. Because he wanted to thank the great farmer for saving his child. Answer: D. Because he wanted to thank the great farmer for saving his child.
I am off on a trip on my own. Yes ! Alone! I can't wait to get going to Europe to see some cities I really want to visit. It is great because I can choose what I want to do in each city. I am going to travel by train on the Eurorail. The train trip was fast and the views of the countryside were amazing. Now 1 am in Salzburg, Austria. The quiet hills of Austria are a great place to relax. The movie The Sound of Music was filmed around this area. Mozart, the famous musician, was from here. I listened to some of his classical music. The train ride to Amsterdam was a long one. It gave me time to write some postcards to send back home. Amsterdam is a fun city, full of friendly locals and many tourists. I spent the whole day visiting the art museums here. The museum about the famous Dutch artist Van Gogh is filled with history and beautiful art. I took a boat ride and saw local people in traditional dress. I even got to taste some delicious Dutch cheese. Copenhagen, Denmark, is one of the safest places in the world. I spent a busy and nice day at the Tivoli Amusement Park. It is a huge park which even has concerts and dance shows. Hans Christian Anderson, a famous writer of children's books, was born in this city. I found a lovely bookshop and bought two of his fairy tale books, The Little Mermaid and The Ugly Duckling. My travels alone are done! What an adventure this trip has been! I love it. Which of the following words best describes the writer's feeling about the travel? Answer: Excited. Baby girls make their way to dolls as soon as they can crawl,while boys will head for the toy cars,a study has shown.The findings,the first to show consistent differences in very young babies,suggest there is a biological basis to their preferences. Psychologists Dr Brenda Todd from City University London carried out an experiment involving 90babies aged nine months to 36months.They were allowed to choose from seven toys.Some were boys'toys-a car,a digger,a ball and a blue teddy.The rest were girls'toys:a pink teddy,a doll and a cooking set.They were placed a meter away from the toys,and could pick whichever toy they liked.Their choice and the amount of time they spent playing with each toy were recorded. Of the youngest children (nine to 14months),girls spent much longer playing with the doll than boys,and boys spent much more time with the car and ball than the girls did.Among the two-and three-year-olds,girls spent 50percent of the time playing with the doll while only two boys briefly touched it.The boys spent almost 90percent of their time playing with cars,which the girls barely touched.There was no link between the parents'view on which toys were more appropriate for boys or girls,and the children's choice. Dr Brenda Todd said:"Children of this age are already exposed to much socialization.Boys may be given'toys that go'while girls get toys they can care for,which may help shape their preference.But these findings agree with the former idea that children show natural interests in particular kinds of toys.There could be a biological basis for their choices.Males through evolution have been adapted to prefer moving objects,probably through hunting instincts ,while girls prefer warmer color1s such as pink,the color1 of a newborn baby." Both baby boys and baby girls like to play with according to the study. Answer: a teddy A spirit of adventure, curiosity about different cultures and the desire for a challenge can be found in young people everywhere. More and more students inprefix = st1 /Chinaare backpacking around the country. According to the China Youth Travel Service, Hainan, Dalian, Zhangjiajie andQingdaowere among the most popular spots for young Chinese backpackers last year. Backpacking allows the traveler a greater sense of independence. "I can no longer put up with the instructions of a tourist guide," said Huang Ye, a 19-year-old college student inBeijing. "They are always driving you to places that you do not want to go to and trying to make you buy local souvenirs." Huang likes to travel as a backpacker. She prefers an independent trip that she took with two friends to Jiuzhaigou inSichuanProvince. There, they chose some scenic spots to visit and avoided the masses of tourists. Backpackers see the difficulties of such travel as a challenge. Living on bread and water for days on end, wearing the same clothes over and over again and carrying a heavy bag on their backs while climbing a mountain are all character-building experiences. But perhaps the greatest challenge that a backpacker faces is not a physical one, but mental. They may face loneliness if they travel alone. Chen Xuewei, 21, suffered when he took off aroundChinalast year."I felt very lonely at the beginning of my journey. A walkman didn't make me feel better, but rather heightened the sense of loneliness I felt. I even called up my friends to tell them that I wanted to give up and go back toBeijing," he recalled. But he kept going. He started to make friends and appreciate the local customs. He took lots of photos to record his trip and now he is glad he stuck it out. Backpackers generally find themselves to be mature after their experiences. "Their travel logs track their development as people." "When I feel _ , I read my travel log again," said Tang Weifeng, a postgraduate atPekingUniversity. "By reading it, I get a sense that I am better off now than I was when I wrote those words by the light of a torch in a hot tent." What is the story mainly about? Answer: The increasing popularity of backpacking amongChinese students and its reasons. Are you interested in country music?I like it very much !It will take me away for a while after I am tired .The guitars and songs will take me to mountains and fields. Country music usually talks of everyday life and feelings.It's the spirit of America ,easy to understand ,slow and simple. Country music developed in the Southern United States.It was the folk music of American countryside.Many of songs tell about the lives of farmers .They talk about love,crops or death. The life of the countryside can be hard,so the words in country music are often sad.At first,people played the music only at family parties.But it became more popular later. In the 1920s,people played country songs on the radio,and they made them into records. When people in the countryside moved to towns and cities to look for work,they took their music with them.Country music continued to change and became popular across America. John Denver was one of America's most famous country singers in the 1970s.His song "Take Me home,Country Roads"is well-known and people still play it today. Why did Country music become popular in America? Answer: Because farmers moved to cities with their music and it continued to change. In the United States , most children begin attending school when they are five years old . Public education is free and most children go to schools near their homes . Schools in these early years is fun . The children learn to read and write . But they also play games and go on trips . There is no reason at such an early age for him to hit the books. The situation changes as children become older. The subjects become more difficult .Students must learn about world history , algebra , and the life sciences. Tests become more common . Pressure is growing to hit the books, study hard , and advance. However , most serious students only really begin hitting the books for long hours when they reach high school. High school students who hope to continue their education at a college or university must take a special national test called the S-A-T .The test has two parts .The first part tests the student's ability with numbers and mathematical skills .The second part tests the student's ability in the English language. The S-A-T test is very important .A high school student who gets a high score on the two parts of the test has a good chance to enter a top American college .For this reason, many students hit the books for months to prepare for the S-A-T. Form this passage ,we can clearly know "hitting the books" means _ Answer: reading books with great effort
Dogs can know the meaning of a human perspective, say researchers. Dogs are more capable of understanding situations from a human's point of view than has previously been recognized, according to researchers. They found dogs were four times more likely to steal food they had been forbidden, when lights were turned off so humans in the room could not see. This suggested the dogs were able to alter their behavior when they knew their owners' perspective had changed. The study, published in Animal Cognition, conducted tests on eighty-four dogs. The experiments had been trying to find whether dogs could make their behavior suitable to react to the changed circumstances of their human owners. It wanted to see if dogs had a "flexible understanding" that could show they understood the viewpoint of a human. It found that when the lights were turned off, dogs in a room with their human owners were much more likely to disobey and steal forbidden food. The study says it is "unlikely that the dogs simply forgot that the human was in the room" when there was no light. Instead it seems as though the dogs were able to differentiate between when the human was unable or able to see them. Juliane Kaminski carried out the research into how dogs are influenced by human circumstances. Dr Juliane Kaminski, from the University of Portsmouth's psychology department, said the study was "incredible because it implies dogs understand the human can't see them, meaning they might understand the human perspective". Previous studies have suggested that although humans might think that they can recognize different expressions on their dogs' faces, this is often inaccurate and a projection of human emotions. "Humans constantly attribute certain qualities and emotions to other living things. We know that our own dog is clever or sensitive, but that's us thinking, not them," said Dr Kaminski. "These results suggest humans might be right, where dogs are concerned, but we still can't be completely sure if the results mean dogs have a truly flexible understanding of the mind and others' minds. It has always been assumed only humans had this ability. According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE? A The researchers made the test on dogs in eighty-four countries. B Dogs always obey and don't steal forbidden food. C Dogs may adapt their behavior in response to the changed circumstances. D The research is carried out to find out how dogs are influenced by light. Answer: C A few years ago it was popular to speak of a generation gap, a disagreement between young people and their elders.Parents said that children did not show them proper respect and obedience , while children complained that their parents did not understand them at all.What had gone wrong? Why had the generation gap suddenly appeared? Actually the generation gap has been _ for a long time.Many people argue that a gap is built into the fabric of our society. One important cause of the generation gap is the chance that young people have to choose their own ways of life.In more traditional societies, when children grow up, they are expected to live in the same area as their parents, to marry people that their parents know and agree to, and to continue the family occupation .In our society, young people often travel great distances for their education, move out of the family home at an early age, marry or live with people whom their parents have never met, and choose occupations different from those of their parents. In our easily changing society, parents often expect their children to do better than they did: to find better jobs, to make more money, and to do all the things that they were unable to do.Often, however, the strong desire that parents have for their children are another cause of the disagreement between them.Often, they discover that they have very little in common with each other. Finally, the speed at which changes take place in our society is another cause of the gap between the generations.In a traditional culture, elderly people are valued for their wisdom, but in our society the knowledge of a lifetime may become out of date overnight.The young and the old seem to live in two very different worlds, separated by different skills and abilities. No doubt, the generation gap will continue to be a feature of American life for some time to come.Its causes are rooted in the freedom and changes of our society, and in the rapid speed at which society changes. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage? A Parents should be strict with their children. B The younger generation should value the older generation for their wisdom. C The generation gap is partly caused by the older generation. D The generation gap does not exist in American society. Answer: C In the 60's people watched on TV while for the first time people walked on A a high rooftop in a major city B a satellite without much air in our solar system C the edge of a cliff in the mountains D a beach in Brazil Answer: B Why is 2004 a special year? Because it is a Leap Year . What's so special about that? Well, we have a Leap Year every four years. And it has 366 days, not the usual 365. In a Leap Year, we have 29 days in February, while in a usual year we have only 28 days. Why do we have a Leap Year? We have a Leap Year so we can keep the calendar in step with the seasons. The calendar is a kind of clock for the year. But how long is a year? A calendar year is 365 days. But a true year is 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 46 seconds long. That's the time it takes the earth to go around the sun. So every four years we have one more day, and we put it at the end of February, the shortest month of a year. Then we have a Leap Year. Which is the shortest month of the year? A February B March C May D June Answer: A Swan Lake Ballet When: Aug. 27, 2010 19:15 Where: Shanghai Grand Theatre Ticket: 80/180/280/380 RMB pre-sale (before Aug. 28) Description: Swan Lakeis ballet at its best. There are only two Swan Lake performances this month so get your tickets fast!Swan Laketells the tale of princess who's turned into a swan, and a prince who falls in love with her and struggles to save her from the spell in order to be with her. In the Mood for Love Ballet When: Aug. 31, 2010 19:15 Where: Shanghai Grand Theatre Ticket:80/180/280/380 RMB Description: A truly Chinese ballet, In the Mood for Loveis set in 1930's Shanghai and tells a story of two neighbors who fall in love . There will be some drama between these two characters which will be expressed and transferred to the audience through dance. The costumes are impressive and beautifully represent women's fashion back in the day. 2010 Jazz Festival Shanghai When: Aug. 29, 2010 12:00--23:00 Where: Pudong Century Park Tickets: 150RMB 1 day ticket / 200 RMB 2 day ticket Description: Shanghai turns into a city of jazz this October. Music fans will be able to enjoy a selection of jazz, blues, funk and reggae on the grass of Century Park and the festival includes 129 bands from 32 different countries and performances by three popular rock stars. Full Moon Beach Party When: Aug. 28, 2010 21:30 Where: Sanjiagang Beach Resort Ticket: 180RMB /150 RMB pre-sale (before Aug. 22) Description: Full Moon Beach Party is coming straight to the shores of Shanghai. If you are interested in the fashionable clothes of Chinese women before liberation, you can go to watch them on _ . A Aug. 27 B Aug. 28 C Aug. 29 D Aug. 31 Answer: D
In today's world of cell phones, mini laptops and MP5 players, most people have at least one time-telling tool with them. Since these devices are so common, is time running out for the 500-year-old watch? According to some consumers, yes. New Jersey teenager Charlie Wollman says a watch is "an extra piece of equipment with no necessary function". Many young adults agree and use their cell phones to tell time. It is said that fewer young people wear watches today than five years ago. As a result, some people claim that the watch industry is at a crossroads. However, watchmakers optimistically say that watches _ popularity when consumers reach their 20s and 30s. By then, they are willing to spend money on a quality watch that doesn't just keep good time. Fifty years ago, watchmakers boasted about their products' accuracy. But in recent years, the watch industry has transformed itself into an accessory business. And for many today, the image a watch communicates has become more important than the time it tells. "Complications" --- features that go beyond simple timekeeping--- are an important part of a watch's image. Today's watches offer lots of features that meet almost any personality. These features include compasses, lunar calendars, USB drives, and even devices that measure the effectiveness of golf swings ! Creativity is also a key element in today's watches. For example, Japanese watchmaker Tokyoflash makes watches that don't even look like watches. The company's popular Shinshoku model uses different color lights to tell the time. It looks more like a fashionable bracelet than a watch. Whether a watch communicates fashion sense, creative flair or a love of sports, consumers want their timepieces to stand out. Nowadays, everyone has the same kind of gadget in their bags, so people want to make a statement with what's on their wrists. Will this interest in wrist fashion last? Only time will tell! What might be the most suitable title for the passage? Watches tell more than time Bethany Meilani Hamilton was born on February 8, 1990 Kauai, Hawaii, where she grew up with two older brothers. Hamilton's parents were both surfers and they started teaching Bethany how to surf at a young age, and she learned quickly with the support of her brothers. By age 8, Bethany was winning first place in surfing contests for her age group. Hamilton began competing more seriously at the age of nine, winning several more competitions in her age group. On October 31, 2003, while surfing with friends near Tunnels Beach, a 14-foot tiger shark attacked her. Bethany said, "My arm was hanging in the water, and it just came and bit me. It kind of pulled me back and forth. But I just held onto my board and then the shark let go." The shark tore off Bethany's left arm just below her shoulder. Hamilton's friends rushed her to the hospital. Bethany made it through several surgeries without infection , and miraculously survived even though she had lost almost 60% of her blood. The doctor said that her athletic training helped her to survive the attack and blood loss. While she was healing, Bethany thought for a while that she might not surf again. She was concerned that it would be much harder to stand up on the board using only one hand and that her balance would be completely off. But with hard work and determination she returned to surfing. She says, "It's hard for me to describe the joy I felt after I stood up and rode a wave in for the first time after the attack. I was greatly thankful and happy inside. The tiny bit of doubt that would sometimes tell me 'you'll never surf again' was gone in one wave !" As for fear of another shark attack, Bethany says that sometimes her heart pounds when she sees a shadow under the water. But she believes that faith provides hope and a future for those who feel down and defeated in their lives. Bethany's popularity and hope for the future led her to partner with World Vision to create "Surfing for Children in Crisis". Bethany hopes that her involvement in the campaign will help provide disabled children from around the world with care, support, and hope. Who taught Bethany surfing when she was very young? Her parents. A public high school in the rural town of Boonsboro,Maryland,offers a special program recently. Top students in the ninth and tenth grades can attend single-sex classes for math,science,English and social studies. The aim is to help teenagers keep their mind on their work by keeping males and females apart. Rebecca Brown chooses the students for what Boonsboro High School calls the Academy. "What we really want to do is take that top group of kids and take them to the very highest level they can achieve here,so that they're prepared for college," she said. They need high marks and test scores and strong teacher recommendations. They also need to be involved in activities. Michael Bair has been at Boonsboro High School for twenty years and directs the Academy. His ninth-grade English class for boys centers on books that he believes boys find interesting. "The novels they're reading now,are very manly novels. They're novels that deal with the arrogance of man and the pride of man." One of those books,for example,is "The Call of the Wild" by Jack London. This classic story tells of a dog stolen from his home and sold to work as a sled dog in Canada's Klondike Gold Rush. On this day,the students are working in small groups. Vincent and Logan explain why they're drawing pictures that relate to the story. Vincent said,"The main character,Buck,gets abducted , and they send him off to the Yukon in a train. So I'm drawing part of the story where he's in the train. It gets you to _ the setting of the story and gets you to think more about what's going on in the story,the important events of the story."" Instead of just doing work sheets about it,this is a lot more fun," Logan added happily. Morgan Van Fleet likes being in the Academy. She says boys and girls act differently when they are together in a classroom. "To me,it almost seems like it's hindering your chances at developing yourself because you're more focused on 'Oh,I wish they'd shut up. Oh,what do they think of me?' instead of focusing on what's the homework or what's going on in this class,what's the lesson." What is the purpose of the text? To introduce. The booking notes of the play The Age of Innocence: Price:$10 BOOKING There are four easy ways to book seats for performance: --in person The Box Office is open from Monday to Saturday,10 a.m.--8 p.m. --by telephone Ring 01324976 to reserve your tickets or to pay by credit card(Visa, MasterCard and Amex accepted) --by post Simply complete the booking form and return it to Global Theatre Box Office. --on line Complete the on-line booking form at www. Satan-fiedtheatre.com DISCOUNTS: Saver: $ 2 off any seat booked any time in advance for performances from Monday to Thursday. Savers are available for children up to 16 years old, over 60s and full-time students. Supersaver: half-price seats are available for people with disabilities and one companion. It is advisable to book in advance. There is a maximum of eight wheelchair spaces available and one wheelchair space will be held until an hour before the show. Standby: best available seats are on sale for $ 6 from one hour before the performance for people eligible (suitable) for Saver and Supersaver discounts and thirty minutes before for all other customers. Group Bookings: there is a ten percent discount for parties of twelve or more. School: school parties of ten or more can book $6 standby tickets in advance and will get every tenth ticket free. Please note: we are unable to exchange tickets or refund money unless a performance is canceled due to unforeseen circumstances. From the passage we can know all the following information except that _ . a school party of 15 students should pay $90 for the standby tickets During communication, "words" express only 7% of meanings between people. About 23% of meanings are from the "tone of voice" and 70% of meanings come from "body language". So next time you want someone's attention--try body language instead. Everyone does it, and most interestingly--most do it unconsciously. You may wonder: "Does that mean I have to study psychology to succeed in reading body language?" The answer is "no" because most people are already body language readers. It's a skill developed since we're babies--think of how most babies can recognize facial expressions and get attention without saying anything. That is, you needn't spend most of your time practicing some of your body language cues ! However, you should know that the context is king. It suggests that, depending on the context of the situation, people will hide body language cues. So sometimes cues can be tricky: a woman who locks her arms may think you are boring--or she may just feel cold. You must learn to read into the context as well as the cues. Sometimes people care more about their body language cues. For example, poker players will consciously hide more of their body language cues. The first place to start when reading a person's body language is the face. The easiest way to hide your feelings is to cover your face. This is why it's sometimes hard to tell if an Islamic girl likes you. If the eyes are the windows of the mind, the eyebrows are the windows of the eyes. So, notice how a person's eyebrows will generally rise when they meet someone, see something they like or are surprised at. Eyes generally smile along with the mouth when someone is happy, so everyone knows "^ . ^". What does the saying "the context is king" suggest? The context helps when reading body language.
When it comes to making a good career in the business world, being honest and getting along well with colleagues gives a person a solid competitive advantage, claims a new research. Dr.Jon Bohlmann has found that project managers can expect better performance by far from the members of their team if treating them with honesty, kindness, and respect. According to another study , the Gross-functional product development teams, can achieve a great quality and better cost benefits from socializing and interacting with individuals who work for their suppliers. The first, Dr. Bohlmann's study analyzed cross-functional product development teams, which combine together engineers, researchers and business personnel. The point to involve people with various backgrounds was to show that there was a focus on finance, marketing, and also on a design and functionality, right from the start of the product-development process. In addition to all this, this diversity also helped to make communication more effective in order to ensure that all members of the team were socializing and cooperating, and not just working at cross-purposes. As a result, it indicated that "interactional fairness awareness" indeed had an effect on a "cross-functional communication." In other words, all the team members who thought that they had been treated well and respected, showed a great increase in their commitment to the success of the project they had been working on in cooperation with other team members, and, in particular, when they realized their project manager or supervisor to be a kind, nice and honest guy. According to Dr. Bohlmann, the increase in such commitment is very essential and important because it could improve performance that would result in the achievement of team goals. And if Bohlmann's study comes to the conclusion that nice and honest guys are the first to finish, the second research by Dr. Rob Handfleld shows us that cooperating and socializing well with others can give a team, and even a company an edge, when it comes to product development. What effect can the commitment mentioned by Dr. Bohlmann have on our work? Answer: Helping us perform better. Body language has always been a hot topic of interesting dinner conversations. It is perhaps one of the most powerful forms of human expression or human communication! Body language is a very important part of communication which can constitute 50% or more of what we are communicating to other persons. If you wish to communicate effectively, besides the words, you can use your body to say what you mean. Body language can be used to discover all sorts of things such as, knowing when someone is attracted to you, finding truth or lies, showing confidence, winning respect in any situation, and you can use body language to make people less nervous, make friends quickly, persuade and influence. So what is body language? Body language is a term used to describe the method of communication using body movements or gestures instead of, or besides, spoken language or other communication. Body language also includes many movements that most people are not aware of, such as winking and slight movements of the eyebrows and other facial expressions. Body language is one of the easiest ways for you to tell what's really going on in a conversation with another person. The body language that you observe from other people will tell you whether or not those people are telling you the truth, or whether there is something more that's not being said. Watch, look and observe. Sometimes you can tell more by a person's body language than the words he speaks. We are advised to observe the body language of other people to_. Answer: understand the hidden meaning Water freezing is an example of a Answer: liquid changing to a solid Willam Shakespeare was a writer of plays and poems. Some of his most famous plays are Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth .He wrote thirty-seven plays in all. They are still popular today. He was born in 1564 in England. At school he liked watching plays. He decided to be an actor when he finished school at the age of fourteen. In 1582, he married a farmer's daughter. She was eight years older than he was. Their first child was a daughter .Later they had twins. In1585, Shakespeare left his hometown, Stratford-upon-Avon. His wife and children stayed behind .No one knows why he left or what he did between 1585 and 1592. At twenty-eight he moved to London and joined a theatre company which opened the Globe Theatre in 1599. He became an actor, and he also wrote plays. He usually acted in his own plays .He earned almost no money from his writing. But he made a lot of money from acting. With the money he bought a large house in his hometown. At the age of forty-nine, Shakespeare retired and went to live in Stratford-upon-Avon. He died at the age of fifty-two. He left his money to his family. He left his genius to the world. You still see his plays in English and in many other languages. He is one of the most famous writers in the world.. Shakespeare wrote many famous plays except _ . Answer: Man and Superman In sports the sexes are separate. Women and men do not run or swim in the same races. Women are less strong than men. _ . Women are called the weaker sex, or ,if men want to please them, "the fair sex". But boys and girls are taught together at schools and universities .There are women who are famous Prime Ministers, scientists and writers. And women live longer than men. A European woman can expect to live until the age of 74, a man only until he is 68. Are women's bodies really weaker? The fastest men can run a mile under 4 minutes. The best women need 4.5 minutes .Women's times are always slower than men's ,but some facts are a surprise. Some of the fastest women swimmers today are teenager girls. One of them swam 400 meters in 4 minutes 21.2 seconds when she was only 16. The first "Tarzan" in films was an Olympic swimmer ,Johnny Weissmuller. His fastest 400 meters was 4 minutes 59.1 seconds, which is 37.9 seconds slower than a girl 50 years later ! This does not mean that women are catching men up .Conditions are very different now ,and sport is much more serious .It is so serious that some women athletes are given hormone injections. At the Olympics a doctor has to check whether the women athletes are really women or not. It seems sad that sport has such problems. Life can be very complicated when there are two separate sexes! What problems does sport have? Answer: Some women athletes are given hormone injections.
Either out of confusion or discomfort we sometimes express our feelings in an unclear way. One key to making your feelings clear is to realize that you most often can shorten them in a few words: hurt, glad, confused, excited, angry, and so on. In the same way, with a little thought you can probably describe very briefly any reasons you have for feeling a certain way. In addition to avoiding too long expressions, a second way to prevent confusion is to avoid _ your feelings by saying "I'm a little unhappy" or "I'm pretty excited". Of course, not all feelings are strong ones. We do feel degrees of sadness and joy, for example, but some communicators have a tendency to downplay almost every feeling. Do you? A third danger to avoid is expressing feelings in an indirect or coded manner. This happened most often when the sender is uncomfortable about showing his or her feeling in question. Some codes are verbal ones, as when the sender hints more or less subtly at the message. For example, an indirect way to say "I'm feeling lonely" might be "I guess there isn't much happening this weekend, so if you're not busy, why don't you drop by?" Such a message is so indirect that chances are small that your real feeling will be recognized. For this reason, people who send coded messages stand less of a chance of having their feeling understood and their need met. Finally, you can express yourself clearly by making sure that both you and your partner understand that your feeling is centered in a specific set of environments rather than being indicative of the whole relationship. Instead of saying "I hate you", say "I hate you when you don't keep your promises"'. Rather than "I'm bored with you", say "I'm bored when you talk about your money." The writer points out that if we express our feelings in a coded manner _ Answer: Who says Americans worship the almighty dollar? It's not true. Having enough free time is more important to most Americans than being rich, according to a new survey. Only 13 percent of more than 2,400 people questioned in the telephone survey ranked being wealthy as most important to them, while 67 percent ranked free time as their top priority , higher than having a successful career, getting married, and having children. "Everyone wants free time to do the things they want to do, young, middle-aged or old," said Richard Morin, of the Pew Social ~ Demographic Trends Project, which conducted the survey. "So our desire to play unites us." The survey also showed that people who were educated in university valued career success over wealth, so did middle-aged people. Not surprisingly, those who didn't have money, ranked wealth very highly. This included minorities, first generation Americans and less educated people. The survey also revealed that a disproportionate number of people under the age of 30 and retired people in the group made $ 20,000 or less a year. But the emphasis on wealth lessens with age, with younger people putting value on it but hardly any seniors. "It just diminishes with time as the reality sets in that you would never be rich," Morin said. "But also, as for old people the reality sets in that you don't have to be rich to lead a very comfortable and fulfilling life. " While wealth was not at the top of people's list of priorities, 43 percent still said it was somewhat important. According to the survey, what did middle-aged people regard as more important? Answer: When I was young, I had an old neighbor named Dr. Gibbs. He didn't look like any doctor I'd ever known. He never shouted at us for playing in his yard. I remembered him as a neighbor who was nicer than anyone else in the neighborhood. When Dr. Gibbs was happy, he was planting trees. And his life's goal was to make it a forest. Dr. Gibbs had some interesting theories about planting. He talked about trees that weren't watered would grow deep roots in search of water. So he never watered his trees. He planted anoak and, instead of watering it every morning, he beat it with the rolled-up newspaper. I asked him why he did that, and he said it was to get the tree's attention. Dr. Gibbs died a couple of years. Every now and again, I walk by his house and look at the trees that he planted twenty-five years ago. They're very strong now. I planted a couple of trees a few years later. I watered them regularly and took good care of them. Whenever a cold wind blows, they shake their leaves and branches. The funny thing about those trees of Dr. Gibbs was that difficulty seemed to help them in ways comfort and ease never could. What does the writer mainly want to tell us? Answer: TODAY, Friday , November12 JAZZ with the Mike Thomas Jazz Band at the Derby Arms .Upper Richmond Road West ,Sheen. DISCO Satin Sounds Disco .Free at the Lord Napier ,Mort lake High St ,from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m .Tel:682--1158. SATURDAY, November 13 JAZZ Lysis at the Bull's Head ,Barnes Admission 60p. MUSICAL HALL at the Star and Garter ,Lower Richmond Road ,Putney ,provided by the Aba Daba Music Hall company .Good food and entertainment fair price .Tel :789--6749. FAMILY night out ?Join the sing-along at the Black Horse .Sheen Road, Richmond . JAZZ the John Bennett Big Band at the Bull's Head ,Barnes ,Admission 80p. THE DERBY ARMS, Upper Richmond Road West ,give you Joe on the electric accordion .Tel:789--4536 SUNDAY, November 14 DISCO Satin Sounds Disco ,free at the Lord Napier ,Mort Lake High Street ,from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m . FOLK MUSIC at the Derby Arms .The Short Stuff and residents the Norman Chop Trio .Non-remembers 70p.Tel:688--4626. HEAVY MUSIC with Tony Simon at Bull ,Upper Richmond Road West ,East Sheen . THE DERBY ARMS ,Upper Richmond Road West ,give you Joe on the electric accordion . You want to enjoy the electric accordion on Saturday .Which telephone number do you have to ring to find out what time it starts? Answer: Bowing is a very important custom in Japan. Unlike people in many other countries, they greet each other by bowing instead of shaking hands. It is impolite not to return a bow to whoever bows to you. Bowing has many functions in one. It expresses the feeling of respect, thanks, regret, and so on. You can bow when you say, "thank you", "sorry", "hello", "goodbye", "congratulations", "excuse me", "good morning", and more. Bowing seems simple, but there are different ways of bowing. Bowing techniques vary from a small nod of the head to a long, 90-degree bow. It depends on the social position or age of the person you bow to. If your opposite is of higher social position or older than yourself, you are supposed to bow deeper and longer than him or her. It is polite to bow from your waist. Men usually keep their hands at their sides, and women usually put their hands together on their legs with their fingers touching. If it is not a very formal situation, you can bow by nodding. The most common bow is a bow of about 15 degrees. You might feel strange doing it, but try to bow in Japan. You will be considered very polite! How people greet in many countries? Answer:
In a decade spring occurs One day, a farmer was walking along a road with his son Thomas. The father said, "Look! There's a horseshoe, pick it up and put it in your bag." Thomas said, "It isn't worth the trouble." His father said nothing but he picked it up himself. When they got to a nearby town, they had a rest. There the farmer sold the horseshoe and with the few pennies he bought some cherries . The father and the son continued their way. The sun was well up in the sky, and there wasn't a house or even a tree where they could have a rest. Thomas felt too thirsty to walk on. At this time, his father dropped a cherry on the ground and Thomas picked it up quickly and ate it. After a while, his father dropped another cherry and once again, his son lost no time in picking it up and putting it in his mouth. And so they went on. The old farmer dropped the cherries and the son picked them up. When Thomas had eaten up all the cherries, his father said to him, "My dear son, if you had bent down early to pick up that horseshoe, it would not have been necessary for you to bend so many times for the cherries. Always remember the lesson that he who does not worry about the little things will find that he cannot do the great things." Who picked up the horseshoe at last? Inprefix = st1 /Kansas City,Missouri, a computer helps fire fighters. The computer, which works very fast, has information about all the 350,000 street addresses in the city. Within two or three seconds after a call is received, the computer provides necessary information for the fire fighters. The information is then sent to them by radio from the computer centre in the City Hall. The exact place of the burning building and its size, type and any other details are clear to them. TheKansas Citycomputer system also has a medical record of each of the city's 900 fire fighters. This kind of information is especially useful when a fire fighter is injured. With the information, doctors at hospital can treat the injured fire fighters more quickly and easily. The fire fighters themselves greatly appreciate the computer's help. They know about possible danger ahead of them and can prepare for it. Many times the computer information helps to save lives and property . Sometimes the lives are those of fire fighters themselves. Mike Horan, a fire fighter captain, says, "I feel as if the computer is watching over me to help me if I get hurt." Which of the following is the best title of the text? I am a tall boy. I can play basketball and soccer very well. Today is Sunday. I don't go to school. I watch a soccer match on TV. It's a good match. Beckham is my idol .He plays well in the match. In the afternoon, I play soccer with my good friends Jim,Ben, Peter, Gary and Kevin. Sarah is in the park, too. She is my good friend. She watches us play. We are hungry at 4:00, but we are happy. I _ at home in the morning. People hold different views on what or how much homework should be. It is partly due to the fact that people can't seem to agree on the purpose of homework. Some teachers think that homework is necessary to reinforce what is learned in school. And so they ask their students to memorize what was discussed in class through homework. Some teachers think the point of homework is to cover material that the class didn't have time to get to, so their homework is to let students learn additional things. Other teachers like homework simply because they want students to form work habits and still others believe homework is necessary because it's the best way for parents to learn what their children do in school. However, many parents seem to have different ideas. Elisa Cohen, who has twins at Lafayette Elementary School, doesn't like the fact that third-grade students in DC elementary schools are asked to write about 25 book summaries a year. She said, "They do the same thing over and over without really getting into alternate ways of thinking about books, reading and writing." Some education reformers , such as Howard Gardner, a Harvard University professor well-known for his theory on multiple intelligence, think that Cohen is on the right track. But it's often hard to persuade overworked teachers to give much thought to homework tasks. According to the experts' opinions, _ .
I've spent over a year in India, and in those 365 plus days, I've learned a lot about getting around Indian cities. My biggest lessons have been learned through being cheated, particularly by taxi and rickshaw drivers, but that doesn't mean those are bad ways to travel, as long as you know what you're doing. Below are the best ways to get around the city of Delhi, India, and tips for how to keep from being the victim of scams . Taking taxis is a great way to get around the city of Delhi and chances are, if you arrive in Delhi by plane, as soon as you make it through customs, you'll be swarmed by Indian taxi drivers. At the Delhi airport, be sure to arrange for a taxi to your hotel at one of the two Delhi Traffic Police Taxi Booths. One is inside the airport, and one is outside. The key is to make sure to go to a booth run by the police, rather than by independent taxi drivers. Rickshaws are one of my favorite ways to get around Indian cities, partly because it's how the locals often travel. Auto-rickshaws are more common, but bicycle rickshaws are still used in Old Delhi. If you do have a chance to take a bicycle rickshaw, you should do it at least once for a unique experience that should only set you back about 15 rupees. Auto-rickshaw rates around Delhi range between 30 and 80 rupees, depending on distance. If you really want to travel around Delhi like the locals, take a public bus. Indian buses become very crowded and most do not have air conditioning. They are, however, very cheap. A bus trip won't set you back any more than 15 rupees, as long as you stay within the city limits. Since Indian buses get so crowded, try to board the bus at the start of the route so you can get a seat. The train is a great way to get around within the city of Delhi. Fares are reasonable, between six and 22 rupees. All departure announcements are in both Hindi and English, and tokens can be purchased for between six and 22 rupees. Which may be the topic that follows? Answer: This is a tale of two friends --- one is blind, the other has no arms. On their own, the two are "disabled". But together, they are a powerful team that has changed part of their village in North China's Hebei Province into a rich, green forest. Meet 53-year-old Jia Haixia and Jia Wenqi! Their story began in 2000, when Haixia, who was already blind in his right eye, lost his left one after an illness. Wenqi lost his arms in an accident when he was just three. Neither could find a job, so the two decided to team up. They rented some poor land and began to plant trees. In return, the local officials paid them a small fee. Haixia and Wenqi never imagined that they would end up creating an environmental paradise. Their forest now has over 10,000 trees, hundreds of birds and many other wild animals. In addition, it saves the village from river flooding during the rainy season. When the friends work together, they focus on their strengths not their disabilities. Their day begins at 7 a.m. when the sightless Haixia carries Wenqi across the river to get to their worksite. Since they cannot afford to buy young trees to plant, the two use branches from existing trees. Haixia climbs to the tree-top and with Wenqi's direction, selects the perfect branch. He then digs a hole and carefully plants it. Finally Wenqi waters the area. Though hard-working, the men don't make much money. But as Wenqi puts it, " _ ." Neither Haixia nor Wenqi cares about money. Together, they already have everything they need --- a perfect pair of eyes, two strong hands, and the best friendship in the world! What can we learn from this story? Answer: A car is traveling on a highway at a constant velocity. Which statement best describes the forces acting on the car? Answer: More than 700 years ago, Scotland was fighting with England. The King of England wanted to control Scotland. He had a strong army so it was difficult for the Scots to fight. They lost many times. King Robert of Scotland had to run from the English army. One rainy day, King Robert lay in a cave . He thought that he was not good enough to be a king. He was so worried that he didn't even see a spider near him. He looked up when he saw the spider climbing. It was trying to climb up to its web at the top of the cave but it fell down. "How sad!" thought King Robert. "The spider is like me. It's not strong enough." He watched while the spider tried again. It fell down a second time. "Be careful little spider, or you might die," he said. "Life is so hard. You'll never get back to your web." But the spider tried again and again. King Robert watched while it slowly climbed back to its web. After an hour, the spider got to the web. "You are such a great spider," he said. "If you can keep trying, I can too. I must carry on fighting. I won't let the English win." Then his army grew strong and they stopped the English army successfully. What can we learn from the story? Answer: The first Europeans came to America in 1492 with Christopher Columbus. Since that time people have come to America from all over the world, from Europe, Africa, and Asia, and they have brought their music with them. This mixing of people and music has created American music. Music is a very important part of our lives. Music is for dancing, drinking, eating, loving, and thinking. Some songs remind us of our childhood or youth. Others remind of the people they love. Many important occasions, like weddings and funerals have special music. Every nation has a national song like the American "The StarSpangled Banner". In the US high schools and colleges have school songs too. Music is a part of the history of America. It expresses the problems and feelings of its people. As the years pass, the music grows and changes. Modern science has also changed music. Inventions like records, radios, movies, electric instruments, tape recorders, and videos have changed the way we play and listen to music. They have helped to make music an important form of international communication. American music, from the earliest folk songs to modern "pop", is known around the world. Music is one of America's most important exports. It brings the people of the world together. Even when people cannot understand the same language, they can share the same music. Many people learn and practise English by singing song. Understanding American music can help you understand American people, their history and culture. So, as the song says, "put a dime (10 cents)in the juke box , baby. Let's listen to the music!" From the text we know that _ . Answer:
Question: Judy had very bad luck yesterday. In the morning, she came to school late, because her alarm clock didn't _ . Usually she goes to school at 7:20 am. But yesterday, it was already 8:00 am when she got up. The teacher was angry and asked her to stay in the classroom after school. At 5:00 pm, it was time for students to go home. But Judy couldn't. She stayed until 5:30 pm. When she just went out of the classroom, it began to rain. She didn't have an umbrella. On her way home, she fell off her bicycle. When she got home, she was wet all through. Judy was a(n) _ . A. teacher B. student C. doctor D. actor Answer: B Question: People who drink alcohol earn more at their jobs than non-drinkers, according to a US study that highlighted "social capital " gained from drinking. The study concluded that drinkers earn 10-14 percent more than _ and that men who drink socially bring home an additional seven percent in pay. "Social drinking builds social capital," said Edward String ham, an economics 'professor, "Social drinkers are outgoing, building relationships, and keeping in contacts, which results in bigger paychecks." The researchers said the most likely explanation is that drinkers have a wider range of social contacts that help provide better job and business opportunities. "Drinkers may be able to socialize more with clients and co-workers, giving drinkers ;an advantage in important relationships.Drinking may also provide individuals with opportunities to learn people, business, and social skills." They also said these conclusions provide arguments against policies aimed at controlling alcohol use in university and public places. "Not only do anti-alcohol policies reduce drinkers' fun, but they may also decrease earnings," the study said, "One of the consequences of alcohol restrictions is that they push drinking into private behavior.By preventing people from drinking in public, anti-alcohol policies ignores one of the most important aspects of drinking: increased social capital." The researchers found some differences in the economic effects of drinking among men and women.They concluded that men who drink earn 10 percent more than non-drinkers and women drinkers earn 14 percent more than non-drinkers. However, unlike men, who get a 7 percent income increase from drinking in bars, women drinkers who visit bars frequently do not show higher earnings than those who do not visit bars. What can we infer from the result of the study? A. To build social capital, you have no choice but to drink. B. Drinking is a good and common way to increase social capital C. Drinkers build wider social contacts. D. Drinkers may be provided more opportunities. Answer: B Question: Test owned Blackacre, a vacant one-acre tract of land in State. Five years ago, he executed a deed conveying Blackacre to "Church for the purpose of erecting a church building thereon." Three years ago, Test died leaving Sonny as his sole heir at law. His duly probated will left "all my Estate, both real and personal, to my friend Fanny." Church never constructed a church building on Blackacre and last month Church, for a valid consideration, conveyed Blackacre to Developer. Developer brought an appropriate action to quiet title against Sonny, Fanny, and Church, and joined the appropriate state official. Such official asserted that a charitable trust was created which has not terminated. In such action, the court should find that title is now in A. Developer. B. Sonny. C. Fanny. D. the state official. Answer: A Question: "I'm here to give you the letter, Sir." Anna Pavlova said. "Thank you," replied the headmaster. She walked over to his desk. Looking up, he found her quite nervous, "Oh, little Pavlova , you aren't a new students , are you ? " he asked . Anna held her head high, which still made her look far younger than her fifteen years. "I've been at this ballet school for almost five years," she said proudly. The headmaster liked the way she talked. A pair of red ballet shoes set all alone on the table caught her eye. "That is Taglioni's shoes, I'm very sorry that there's nobody who can wear it today. Her feet were small and perfect," he said. Toglioni ! The greatest dancer of all the time! The name sent an unusual feeling through her. He looked at her shining eyes, and then he asked, "How would you like to try it on?" As in a dream, she pulled on the red shoes. "Why? They fit perfectly! " He said happily. " Little Pavlova , I've seen your dance . You are very good. " And she had won Toglioni's shoes. She, little Anna Pavloa , was going to be a great dancer . She had known this in her heart since she was a little girl, dancing as soon as she could walk, always dancing. Dancing was Anna's life. One day, she would show the beauty of ballet to all the world. And this was the dream for which she worked so hard and lived her life. After graduation from the ballet school, she soon became the best dancer in Russia. But her greatest contribution to ballet came later, when she began to dance outside of Russia. Her great dancing took her all over the world and produced a love of ballet everywhere she went. Anna became a successful ballet dancer because . A. She not only had got perfect feet but also worked hard B. Taglioni's shoes sent an unusual feeling through her C. She graduated from the ballet school D. She was a dancer by birth Answer: A Question: On the wall in my mother's bedroom there was a photo, which showed a soldier with a gun. Below the photo was the word "Speaking". "Who's that soldier called Speaking?" I asked one day. "He was Harold." She said. "He was my only brother. When the Second World War began, Harold was eighteen. I was twelve then, and my sisters were ten and nine". "Harold liked to play with us, and we often quarreled. When we quarreled, we said:We're not speaking to you. But before long we were all happy again, and then we said: I'm speaking now. Are you speaking to me?" "When the war broke out, Harold joined the army. A month later, he came to see us. He brought the gun to show us. Then he went miles away to the war. We didn't see him for three years, three long, empty years. We didn't often hear from him. But one day in May there was a loud bang on the front door..." "I ran to open it. It was Harold! He was an old Harold, a thinner Harold. He looked at me with his two green eyes and smiled. That smile was just the same as before, then he said one word: 'speaking'". "I didn't...I couldn't...answer. I just fell into his arms and he dropped his gun. He stayed with us for a month. We played all our old games again. Then he went back to the war, and never came back again. So I wrote the word on the photo." How old was the storyteller when Harold came back for the last time? A. Thirty-five B. Eighteen. C. Fifteen. D. Twenty-one. Answer: C
Without mutual respect, any relationship will be an unhappy one . People who respect each other: a) value each other's opinions, b) listen to each other, and c) disagree without screams or insults . And remember, your parents have lived longer than you--don't discount their experience and knowledge. Your parents want to know what's going on in your life. If you don't tell them they won't know when you need their help or whether they can trust you. Tell them what you're doing, share your thoughts and feelings with them, and ask for their advice for your problems (you don't have to follow it). Communication builds closeness. Trust is your key to freedom. The way to build trust is through honesty and responsibility. Honesty means you don't lie. Responsibility means that you are reliable and make good choices to use good judgment. When your parents trust you, it's a lot easier for them to say "Yes." These guidelines work both ways. If sometimes, your parents break any of these guidelines, talk to them about it. Pick a time when you are both calm and feeling good towards each other (never when you are angry). Then, explain to them what they did, how it makes you feel, and what you'd like them to do instead. Unfortunately, these guidelines don't always work. Since we can only control what we do, and not what our parents do, sometimes we just cannot change a bad relationship. If this is the case, try to use these guidelines to at least improve things a little, and talk with a trusted adult who may be able to help you. The main purpose of the passage is to discuss _ . A. how to show your parents what's going on in your life B. how to respect your parents in your daily life C. how to have great relationship with your parents D. how to talk with a trusted adult who may be able to help you Answer: C. how to have great relationship with your parents In Google's vision of the future, people will be able to translate documents instantly into the world's main languages with machine logic, not expert linguists, leading the way. Google's approach, called statistical machine translation, differs from past efforts in which it does without language experts who program grammatical rules and dictionaries into computers. Instead, they feed documents humans have already translated into two languages and then rely on computers to decide patterns for future translations. Though the quality is not perfect, it is an improvement on previous efforts at machine translation, said Franz Och, 35, a German who heads Google's translation effort at its Mountain View headquarters south of San Francisco. "Some people who have been in machine translations for a long time see our Arabic-English output, and then they say, that's amazing; that's a breakthrough ." Said Och. "And then other people who have never seen what machine translation was read through the sentence and they say, the first mistake here in Line Five-it doesn't seem to work because there is a mistake there." But for some tasks, a mostly correct translation may be good enough. Speaking over lunch this week in a Google cafeteria famed for offering free, healthy food, Och showed a translation of an Arabic Web news site into easily digestible English. Two Google workers speaking Russian at a nearby table said, however, that a translation of a news site from English into their native tongue was understandable but a bit awkward. Och, who speaks German, English and some Italian, feeds hundreds of millions of words from parallel texts such as Arabic and English into the computer, using United Nations and European Union documents as key sources. Languages without considerable translated texts, such as some African languages, face greater obstacles. "The more data we feed into the system, the better it gets." said Och, who moved to the United States from Germany in 2002. The program applies statistical analysis, an approach he hopes will avoid diplomatic embarrassing mistakes in diplomatic situations, such as when Russian leader Putin's translator annoyed then German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder by calling him the German "Fuhrer ("leader" in English)," which is forbidden in that context because of its association with Adolf Hitler. "I would hope that the language model would say, well, Schroeder is...very rare but Bundeskanzler Gerhard Schroeder is probably 100 times more frequent than Fuhrer and then it would make the right decision." Och said. Why are there more troubles in translations relating to African languages? A. Most of the translated materials are not properly translated. B. The computer programmers know little of African languages. C. It's hard to find enough African translation documents. D. The UN and EU failed to provide translated African documents. Answer: C. It's hard to find enough African translation documents. Planning your to-do list for the coming year? To help you out, we've collected our favorite must-see events across Canada. Ready, go! Red or white? Every spring wine growers get together to celebrate the beginning of another grape-growing season at the Okanagan Spring Wine Festival. The best time to visit the Okanagan is usually from May 1 to 10. The festival allows visitors to taste the best wines in Canada together with unique dishes representing the latest developments in local cuisine. The jazz festival Montreal's downtown comes alive every summer during the International Jazz Festival. The Festival International de Jazz de Montreal is an annual jazz festival held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Montreal Jazz Fest held the 2004 Guinness World Record as the world's largest jazz festival. This year the event is scheduled to run from June 29 to July 9. Stages replace cars along busy streets. With a host of free outdoor shows, you'll be snapping your fingers to anything from Dixieland to blues, African beats to modern trip-hop, and everything in between. Are you ready? Just head east to the Newfoundland Targa Rally, which runs from September 9 to 16 this year. The 2,200-kilometre race dashes across the eastern and central parts of the province, and is the largest race of its kind in North America. On these sections you race against the clock rather than other competitors. This is a great chance to test your car's limits and your skills. Hello spring! In 1945, thousands of tulip bulbs gifts from Holland, were planted on Ottawa's Parliament Hill, Canada. These gifts were a thank-you to Canadian soldiers who helped set Holland free in World WarII. Since then, the capital has become home to the Canadian Tulip Festival. From May 4 to 22, Ottawa and Gatineau (a city of southwest Quebec) will be covered with beautiful flowers. Besides three million tulips, visitors can also attend concerts, featuring some of Canada's brightest musical stars. Holland is mentioned in the passage to show . A. the cruelty of World WarII B. the wisdom of Canadian soldiers C. the origin of the Canadian Tulip Festival D. the popularity of the Canadian Tulip Festival Answer: C. the origin of the Canadian Tulip Festival Every year on my birthday, from the time I turned 12, a white gardenia was delivered to my house. No card came with it. Calls to the flower-shop were not helpful at all. After a while I stopped trying to discover the sender's name and just delighted in the beautiful white flower in soft pink paper. But I never stopped imagining who the giver might be. Some of my happiest moments were spent daydreaming about the sender. My mother encouraged these imaginings. She'd ask me if there was someone for whom I had done special kindness. Perhaps it was the old man across the street whose mail I'd delivered during the winter. As a girl, though, I had more fun imagining that it might be a boy I had run into. One month before my graduation, my father died. I felt so sad that I became completely uninterested in my upcoming graduation dance, and I didn't care if I had a new dress or not. But my mother, in her own sadness, would not let me miss any of those things. She wanted her children to feel loved and lovable. In truth, my mother wanted her children to see themselves much like the gardenia-lovely, strong and perfect with perhaps a bit of mystery .My mother died ten days after I was married. I was 22. That was the year the gardenia stopped coming. Who was the sender of the flower? A. A boy the writer had run into. B. One of the writer's neighbors. C. One of the writer's classmates. D. The writer's mother. Answer: D. The writer's mother. What does the word iceberg make you think of ? Do you think of a large block of ice in a cold northern ocean? Or do you think of something that ships can crash into? While these are both correct, in truth there's far more to icebergs than meets the eye. According to scientists, only the largest blocks of ice count as icebergs. They must rise at least 5 meters above the water and be 15 meters wide at the water line. But only about 10 percent of an iceberg can be seen. The rest lie beneath the water. Icebergs begin froming when layers of snow fall year after year without melting. The snow is pressed together into large blocks of ice called glaciers. When chunks of ice break off these glaciers, icebergs are born. In Greenland alone, about 40,000 icebergs are formed each year. Since they began as snow, icebergs are made of fresh water, not salty ocean water. Tidy bubbles of air inside the ice give them their white color1. While most icebergs are white, some are blue because they have melted and frozen again. This action allows the air bubbles to escape. Other icebergs have brown, black or yellow parts because of dirt mixed with the ice. Algae can also get trapped in the underwater parts of an iceberg. If the iceberg turns over, all or part of it is green! Icebergs can be flat, cube-shaped, round like a turtle shell or U-shaped. Some even look like mountains. The large underwater parts of icebergs are hard for ships to avoid. They have destroyed and sunk many ships, including the Titanic. As a result, the International Ice Patrol now monitors icebergs in areas with heavy ship traffic. But there's yet another side to icebergs. Many microscopic animals live inside icebergs and in the water around them. These creatures feed on minerals that the icebergs store and release as they melt. Scientists are still studying all the ways icebergs affect sea life. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage? A. Icebergs can help some sea creatures survive. B. Icebergs have many different kinds of shapes. C. In scientists' opinion, not all large blocks of ice are icebergs. D. Icebergs are dangerous, but iceberg accidents can be predicted . Answer: D. Icebergs are dangerous, but iceberg accidents can be predicted .

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