text
stringlengths
1.53k
16.3k
The following are some tips for becoming a successful businessman by Michael Bloomberg. They are based on his experience of building a company from the ground up, leading New York City as mayor , and so on. Take Risks Life is too short to spend your time avoiding failure. In 1981, at the age of 39, I lost my job. The next day I took a big risk and began my own company. In 2001, when I was debating whether to run for mayor, most people advised me not to do it. But one person said, "If you can imagine yourself giving a concession speech, then why not go for it?" That was the best advice I received, and I followed it. In order to succeed, you must first be willing to fail-- and you must have the courage to go for it anyway. Make your own luck Luck plays a part in success. The harder you work, the luckier you get. Whatever you choose to do, even if it's not the job of your dreams, always work hard at it. Be the first person at work in the morning and the last to leave at night. Hard work creates chances. Never stop learning The most powerful word in English language is "why". There is nothing so powerful as an open, inquiring mind . Whatever field you choose for starting a business -- be a lifelong student. Give back You are responsible for your success and failure, but you only succeed if you share the reward with others. My first donation was a $ 5 check to my alma mater . And while the checks may be bigger today, they come with the same spirit. You don't have to be wealthy to give back. You can give back by giving your time and talents. In which of the following columns can you find the article? A. Family Life B. Interesting Stories C. Experience Sharing D. Adventures Answer: C. Experience Sharing 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 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. Satanfiedtheatre. 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. ks5u Please note: we are unable to exchange tickets or refund money unless a performance is cancelled due to unforeseen cases. If you want to book a ticket, you CANNOT _ A. use the Internet. B. ring the booking number and pay for the tickets by credit card. C. complete a booking form and post it to the Box Office. D. go to the Box Office on Sundays. Answer: D. go to the Box Office on Sundays. For many years, scientists have known that laughing is good for the health of our minds and bodies. Now we are learning that it's not just laughter. Having fun and playing are also good for us! Researchers have found that play is good for people of all ages. Play actually leads to the growth of more nerve connections in the brain and gives us more brain power. Play is necessary during childhood. As children play, they learn how to make friends and relate to others. They develop their imaginations and become more creative. Kids carry these qualities with them as they grow older. Amy Whitcomb teaches maths at a school in San Francisco. For several years, she has used games to teach maths. In one class, students play a game with small bags of candy to _ how many pieces in the bags are red. When they get the correct answer, they can eat the candy! Amy says, "If it's not fun, they're not going to want to be there. They're not going to want to learn." The spirit of playfulness continues through the teenage years into adulthood . The famous company Google, for example, keeps a lot of toys and games at different places in their offices and encourages people to use them. Their motto is "Work hard. Play hard." They know that people often get their best ideas when they are just "playing around " and let their imaginations go wild. So next time you have to solve a difficult maths problem or can't think of a topic for an article, take a short play break. Do a little dance, or play a quick game. Then come back to it. Maybe you'll be surprised at what your brain can do. Which of the following can be the best title for the passage? A. A maths lesson B. How children grow C. The power of play D. Work hard, play hard Answer: C. The power of play China Daily: As China comes down from a travel rush during the seven-day holiday for National Day, people called for a return of the Labor Day Golden Week holiday as a way to ease the travel peak. By Friday, 79 million passengers were expected to have used the railways up about 8 percent over last year. Waterways had shipped around 2 million, a rise of about 17 percent on last year, www. cntv. cn, the website of China Central Television, said on Saturday. As large numbers of tourists _ scenic spots around China, it caused huge crowds and many complaints. The Forbidden City in Beijing has long been a big draw for travelers. On Tuesday alone, the museum reported, it received more than 180,000 visitors, about six times higher than a regular day. According to China Central Television, restless visitors demanded their money back from the tourism committee, and police were sent to help deal with the problem. The Beijing-HongKong-Macao expressway, the Shanghai-Kunming expressway and the route from Beijing to Kunming saw large increases in traffic on Saturday, according to www. cntv. cn. "As there are only two long holidays in the country and paid leave is not well carried out by employers , people have limited chances for travel", Dai Bin, the director of China Tourism Academy, said in a report by Beijing Times on Saturday. "The travel rush during the 'Golden Week' holidays happens because people do not take long journeys during shorter holidays", said Liu Simin, a researcher with the China Academy of Social Sciences, in a report by Beijing Times on Saturday. Liu said that now the most important task is to ease the pressure from the huge numbers of tourists. When the Labor Day Golden Week holiday came to an end in 2007, a chance to travel was reduced. In 2008, the government shortened the Labor Day Golden Week holiday, usually lasting from May 1 to May 7, to three days and added three other short vacations to the list. The Labor Day Golden Week holiday was shortened to _ . A. one day B. two days C. three days D. four days Answer: C. three days If you had the chance to leave the life you have now, what would you do? Students from Fair-grounds Middle School, New Hampshire, US, chose to lead a special life for a week. They left the city and lived a different life by working on a farm. They handed over their cell phones and lived like any farmer's children. And they enjoyed it! "I didn't know what would happen when we got there," said Tyler Swift, 14, "but there were so many fun things. So much hard work, too. It was a _ ." "Getting up at 6 every morning, the students milked cows, spread hay , and washed hundreds of sticky buckets . The hardest part was cleaning up piles of poop in the animal houses. It smelled bad, but it was lots of fun! None of the students said no to the work. "With the farmers' help, they did the work better and better. And they learned a lot more than just farming work." said Rick Brown, a science teacher at Fair-grounds. "You get to know who can do what and learn to work with different people. The children all showed great team work." said Nick Quadros. Which of the following is NOT true? A. All of the students were willing to do the work. B. The children got some help from the farmses. C. The children learnt just about farming work. D. The children worked well in teams. Answer: C. The children learnt just about farming work.
Scientists think it will be possible to record people's dreams and then interpret them, according to a new report. They claim to have developed a system which allows them to record higher level brain activity. Dr Moran Cerf told the journal Nature: "We would like to read people's dreams." Previously the only way to access people's dreams is for psychologists to ask about them after the event and try to interpret them. Dr Cerf hopes to eventually compare people's memories of their dreams with an electronic visualization of their brain activity. He told the BBC: "There's no clear answer as to why humans dream. And one of the questions we would like to answer is when do we actually create this dream?" The scientist believes his latest research shows that certain neurons or individual brain cells are linked with specific objects or concepts. He found that a particular neuron lit up when a volunteer thought about Marilyn Monroe. If a database was built up identifying various neurons with concepts, objects and people it would allow them to "read the subject's minds", according to Dr Cerf. However, Dr Roderick Oner, a clinical psychologist and dream expert, said that this kind of visualisation would be of limited help when it came to interpreting the "complex dream narrative". In addition to get a detailed picture of individual neurons subjects had to have electrodes implanted deep in the brain using surgery. The Nature researchers used data from patients who had electrodes implanted to monitor and treat them for brain seizures . However, Dr Cerf said he hoped that it would be possible at a later stage to monitor people without invasive surgery. He said it would be "wonderful" to be able to read the minds of _ patients who are unable to communicate. What's the best title for this passage? Answer: Scientists plan to record people's dreams Student Residences Banbury House Tel: 564839 Enjoy mixing with other students in comfortable accommodation ? 10 minutes' walk to the university district and close to all main bus stops. Single and double rooms. All cleaning services offered. Please bring your own bedding. Three Seasons Tel: 445987 We can provide all types of accommodations for all types of single students. Rooms are fully furnished with bedding and there are four bathrooms each floor. Meals provided. 20minutes' walk to the university and city center. First Stop Tel: 223300 Suitable for new students. We provide double rooms. If you wish, we can offer help in finding a suitable person to share a room with. All washing and cleaning services offered at extra charge. Large canteen and three bathrooms on each floor. Sturtin Hotel Tel: 876333 Located in pleasant countryside surroundings. We offer scenic views and old-world attractiveness. Relax after a long day by swimming in the pool or using the exercise gym. Separate study rooms; bar & restaurants available. No children. Downtown Digs Tel: 882312 Do you worry that you'll not have enough money to see the term through? Don't waste it on expensive housing. This is a hostel run by students. No references and no rules. Shared bathroom, dormitory accommodation. 30 minutes' walk to the university and city center. Hilton Hostel Tel: 846241 It is not quite the Hilton Hotel but all rooms are fully provided with meals, bedding and cleaning services included. 5minutes' walk to the university and bus stops to the city downtown. Minimum stay period of six months. Singles only. If you want to live as close as possible to the university, you'd better choose _ . Answer: Hilton Houstel The sun had gone behind a cloud. I was very tired and wanted nothing in the world so much as to be at home. At last I got to the gate of Hide Park. But this was worse than ever; there were buses there--high and terribly red cars, taxis and still more buses in an endless line. Everywhere there were people hurrying past or waiting to get into the buses, while I stood lost in the middle of them. I was ready to cry. In despair, I crossed the street on to an "island", where I found a policeman. I took my last bit of courage in both hands and said, "Please, sir, where is Addison Road?" He began to explain, but when he saw that I couldn't understand he became helpless, too. "Are you French at school?" A few minutes later, he smiled and raised his hand. How wonderful! The traffic stopped. Even the red buses stood still and waited until I had crossed the road. Why did the traffic stop? Because _ . Answer: the policeman was directing the traffic Does Fame Drive You Crazy? Although being famous might sound like a dream come true, today's stars, feeling like zoo animals, face pressures that few of us can imagine.They are at the center of much of the world's attention.Paparazzi camp outside their homes, cameras ready.Tabloids publish thrilling stories about their personal lives.Just imagine not being able to do anything without being photographed or interrupted for a signature! According to pyschologist Christina Villarreal, celebrities--famous people--worry constantly about their public appearance.Eventually, they start to lose track of who they really are, seeing themselves the way their fans imagine them, not as the people they were before everyone knew their names."Over time," Villarreal says, "they feel separated and alone." The phenomenon of tracking celebrities has been around for ages.In the 4th century B.C., painters followed Alexander the Great into battle, hoping to picture his victories for his admirers.When Charles Dickens visited America in the 19th century, his sold-out readings attracted thousands of fans, leading him to complain about his lack of privacy.Tabloids of the 1920s and 1930s ran articles about film-stars in much the same way that modern tabloids and websites do. Being a public figure today, however, is a lot more difficult than it used to be.Superstars cannot move about without worrying about photographers with modern cameras.When they say something silly or do something ridiculous, there is always the Internet to spread the news in minutes and keep their "story" alive forever. If fame is so troublesome, why aren't all celebrities running away from it? The answer is there are still ways to deal with it.Some stars stay calm by surrounding themselves with trusted friends and family or by escaping to remote places away from big cities.They focus not on how famous they are but on what they love to do or whatever made them famous in the first place. Sometimes a few celebrities can get a little justice.Still, even stars who enjoy full justice often complain about how hard their lives are.They are tired of being famous already. It can be learned from the passage that stars today _ . Answer: can no longer have their privacy protected Given that many people's moods are regulated by the chemical action of chocolate, it was probably only a matter of time before somebody made the chocolate shop similar to a drugstore of Chinese medicine.Looking like a setting from the film Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, Singapore's Chocolate Research Facility (CRF) has over 100 varieties of chocolates.Its founder is Chris Lee who grew up at his parents' corner store with one hand almost always in the jar of sweets. If the CRF seems to be a smart idea, that's because Lee is not merely a seasoned salesperson but also head of a marketing department that has business relations with big names such as Levi's and Sony.That idea surely results in the imagination at work when it comes to making different flavored chocolates. The CRF's produce is "green", made within the country and divided into 10 lines, with the Alcohol Series being the most popular.The Exotic Series--with Sichuan pepper, red bean , cheese and other flavors--also does well and is fun to taste.And for _ , who think that they have a better knowledge of chocolate than others, the Connoisseur Series uses cocoa beans from Togo, Cuba, Venezuela, and Ghana, among others. Why is Chris Lee able to develop his idea of the CRF? Answer: He has a lot of marketing experience.
"Did you hear what happened to Adam last Friday?" Lindsey whispers to Tori. With her eyes shining, Tori brags, "You bet I did. Sean told me two days ago." What are Lindsey and Tori talking about? It just happens to be yours truly, Adam Freedman. I can tell you that what they are saying is (a) not nice and (b) not even true. Still, Lindsey and Tori aren't very different from most students here at Linton High School, including me. Many of our conversations are gossip . I have noticed three effects of gossip: it can hurt people, it can give gossipers a strange kind of satisfaction, and it can cause social pressures in a group. An important negative effect of gossip is that it can hurt the person being talked about. Usually, gossip spreads information about a topic--breakups, troubles at home, even dropping out--that a person would rather keep secret. The more embarrassing or shameful the secret is, the juicer the gossip it makes. Probably the worst type of gossip is the absolute lie. People often think of gossipers as harmless, bur cruel lies can cause pain. If we know that gossip can be harmful, then why do so many of us do it? The answer lies in another effect of gossip: the satisfaction it gives us. Sharing the latest rumor can make a person feel important because he or she knows something that others don't. Similarly, hearing the latest rumor can make a person feel like part of the "in group". In other words, gossip is satisfying because it gives people a sense of belonging or even superiority . Gossip can also have a third effect: it strengthens unwritten, unspoken rules about how people should act. Professor David Wilson explains that gossip is important in policing behaviors in a group. Translated into high school terms, this means that if everybody you hang around with is laughing at what John wore or what Jane said, then you can bet that wearing or saying something similar will get you the same kind of negative attention. The do's and don'ts conveyed through gossip will never show up in any student handbook. The effects of gossip vary depending on the situation. The next time you feel the urge to spread the latest news, think about why you want to gossip and what effects your "juicy story" might have. What advice does the author give in the passage? A. Never become a gossiper. B. Stay away from gossipers. C. Don't let gossip turn into lies. D. Think twice before you gossip. Answer: D A chemical property of a mineral is evident if the mineral A. breaks easily when struck with a hammer B. bubbles when acid is placed on it C. is easily scratched by a fingernail D. reflects light from its surface Answer: B New Library Rules 1. Open time: 8:30am.-4:30pm. From Monday to Friday. 2. No talking. 3. No eating any food. 4. No listening to music. 5. No taking photos. 6. No taking books out if you don't ask the people here. 7. Keep the library books for only one week. 8. Give the books back on time. 9. Renew books on time. 10. Pay for the lost books. What can't we do in the library? A. Borrow books. B. Renew books. C. Keep the library book for a week. D. Take books out anytime Answer: D The combined sales of the 100 largest foreign investing companies in the U.S. increased by 40% in the two years between 1987 and 1989, and the number has continued to increase steadily. In 1990, South Africa proved to be the largest financial investor in the U.S., controlling about $19.2 billion in sales. The Netherlands and the U.K. follow as second largest investors--and Germany next. New of the list of the top 100 foreign investors are 12 banking and finance and insurance companies--the largest, the Hong Kong-Shanghai Banking Corp from Hong Kong. The number of Latin American companies engaged in business here is growing steadily, often through third country holding companies. Why are so many firms coming to the U.S.? There are many reasons. One of the greatest attractions, of course, is a market of over 200 million consumers with a high average per capital income. In addition, with the devalued dollar the cost of American labor has declined markedly, relative to many foreign labor costs. Some firms seeking to avoid bureaucratic and/or political pressures at home find the U.S. a politically stable environment in which to work. Many hope they may be able to continue selling to the American market even if the U.S. Government restricts imports further, or if major price changes occur due to currency fluctuations . Many foreigners are attracted by U.S. technology, its modern management methods, its labor saving and mass production techniques. The best title for this passage would probably be _ . A. Foreign Investors in the U.S. B. Why Foreign Investors Like the U.S. C. Foreign Business Is Growing in the U.S. D. The 100 Top Largest Companies in the U.S. Answer: C The story I am going to tell you happened about three years ago when I started to learn how to drive. At first, I was very frightened, and I thought I could never learn how to drive a car. Driving a car frightened me because in my home country women never drive, but in the United States every woman has to know how to drive. My husband paid an to teach me how to drive. After that, my husband practiced with me for a long time. My husband always told me that I had to learn. It was important to me and my family. However, I couldn't get my license right away. I failed my driving test two times. After practicing for a long time, I decided to go for my third driving test. I had failed my first test because I was very nervous. Everybody encouraged me to continue practicing. Three weeks later, I decided to try it again, but I failed again. After that, I was very embarrassed , and I said I couldn't get it, so I stopped practicing for a while. Not knowing how to drive was bad because I couldn't do anything. I had two kids, my husband works, and I have to take care of everything. Driving was so necessary that I decided to try it again. And finally, that time, I passed the test. Now I have my license. I know how to drive, and it has changed my life in some important ways. Now I'm driving to the college, learning English and hoping I will get a good job in the future. Why did the author think that she could never learn how to drive a car? A. Because she was not an American woman. B. Because she was afraid of a car or a bus. C. Because in her own country women never drive. D. Because her husband didn't know how to teach her. Answer: C
Warm water contains less dissolved oxygen than colder water. Which population will be most affected by a long period of hot, dry days? Answer: fish in ponds Biologists believe that love is fundamentally a biological rather than a cultural construct, because the capacity for love is found in all human cultures and similar behavior is found in some other animals. In humans the purpose of all the desire is to focus attention on the raising of offspring. Children demand an unusual amount of parenting, and two parents are better than one. Love is a signal that both partners are committed, and makes it more likely that this commitment will continue as long as necessary for children to reach independence. But what does science have to say about the notion of love at first sight? In recent years the ability to watch the brain in action has offered a wealth of insight into the mechanics of love. Researchers have shown that when a person falls in love, a dozen different part of brain work together to release chemicals that trigger feelings of euphoria, bonding and excitement. It has also been shown that the unconditional love between a mother and a child is associated with activity in different regions of the brain from those associated with pair-bonding love. Passionate love is rooted in the reward circuitry of the brain--the same area that is active when humans feel a rush from cocaine. In fact, the desire, motivations and withdrawals involved in love have a great deal in common with addiction. Its most intense forms tend to be associated with the early stages of a relationship, which then give way to a calmer attachment form of love one feels with a long term partner. What all this means is that one special person can become chemically rewarding to the brain of another. Love at first sight, then, is only possible if the mechanism for generating long-term attachment can be triggered quickly. There are signs that it can be. One line of evidence is that people are able to decide within a second how attractive they find another person. This decision appears to be related to facial attractiveness, although men may favor women with waist-to-hip ratio of 0.7, no matter what their overall weight is. (This ratio may indicate a woman's reproductive health.) Another piece of evidence comes from work by a psychologist at Ben-Gurion University, who found in a survey that a small percentage (11%) of people in long-term relationships said that they began with love at first sight. In other words, in some couples the initial favorable impressions of attractiveness triggered love which sustained a lengthy bond. It is also clear that some couples need to form their bonds over a longer period, and popular culture tells many tales of friends who become lovers. One might also assume that if a person is looking for a partner with _ that cannot be quantified instantly, such as compassion, intellect or a good sense of humor, then it would be hard to form a relationship on the basis of love at first sight. Those more concerned with visual appearances, though, might find this easier. So it appears that love at first sight exists, but is not a very common basis for long-term relationships. When a person falls in love, _ . Answer: he will experience complex feelings brought on by different regions of his brain No one knew how to study when he or she was born. You need to learn to do some things first. Then it will be easy for you to learn and do well in class. Pay Attention in Class Paying attention is good for learning. It can help you know what your teacher says, and it will help you learn more and faster. Take Good Notes Taking good notes can make it easier to study. Be sure to write down all the important things that your teacher says or writes on the blackboard, and then read them after class. Plan Ahead Don't study on Thursday night for Friday's test . Planning ahead can help you get good points. You can plan what to do and how much to do each day. Ask For Help What should you do if you are _ about something? Be sure to ask your teacher for help. You can also ask some other people, like your classmates and your mom or dad.[:Zxxk.Com] These pieces advice can _ . Answer: make it easier for us to learn Peter is a boy. His full name is Peter Brown. He is nine years old. His telephone number is 010-55882226. Peter has an email address. It's peterbrown@hotmail.com. He likes singing and dancing. Jane is Peter's sister. Jane is seven years old. Her QQ number is 735469. Jane's email address is janebrown@hotmail.com. She is good at swimming and playing volleyball. What is Jane good at? Answer: Swimming and playing volleyball Phobos is one of two large objects that orbit the planet Mars. Because Phobos orbits Mars, Phobos should be classified as which type of body? Answer: moon
More students than ever before are taking a gap-year before going to university.It used to be called the "year off" between school and university.The gap-year phenomenon originated with the months left over to Oxbridge applicants between entrance exams in November and the start of the next academic year. This year, 25,310 students who have accepted places in higher education institutions have put off their entry until next year, according to statistics on university entrance provided by University and College Admissions Serbice(UCAS). That is a record 14.7% increase in the number of students taking a gap year. Tony Higgins from UCAS said that the statistics are good news for everyone in higher education. "Students who take a well-planned year out are more likely to be stisfied with, and complete, their chosen course. Students who take a gap year are often more mature and responsible," he said. But not everyone is happy. Owain James, the president of the National Union of Students(NUS), argued that the increase is evidence of student hadship - young people are being forced into earning money before finishing their education. "New students are now aware that they are likely to leave university up to PS15,000 in debt. It is not surprising that more and More students are taking a gap year to earn money to support their study for the degree.NUS statistics show that over 40% of students are forced to work during term time and the figure increases to 90% during vacation periods,"he said. How does Owain James feel about the gap-year phenomenon? Mary got a little white lamb . She tied it to a tree in her field during the day and went to take it home every evening. One evening, she found the lamb gone. Someone had cut the rope and stolen the lamb. When her husband came home, she told him what had happened. Henry at once set out to look for the thief. It was easy to find the thief in the small village. Henry heard that his neighbor Alex got a lamb. He went to the neighbors' house and said angrily, "Return the lamb to me, or I'll call the police." Alex explained that he had bought a lamb, but it was black. Henry looked out of the window. There in the garden was a little black lamb. He felt ashamed. Then he apologized to his neighbour. While they were talking, it began to rain. He stayed in Alex's house until the rain stopped. When he went outside, he was surprised to see the lamb changed. The lamb, which had been black half an hour before, was now almost white. "What colour on earth is the lamb," Henry wondered, "black or white?" To his surprised, he found a _ lamb there instead. Everyone has worries(,). How do you deal with(,) your worries? There is always something you can do to help yourself feel less worried. Sitting there worrying is no fun and it won't solve your problems. Grades(,) at school are often a top worry for children. If you worry most about grades, ask yourself these questions: * Why are grades important? What do grades mean to me? * How do I get ready for class? Do I go over my notes even when there isn't a test? * Do I have a good place to do my homework? * Have I tried different ways of studying? If your worry is about a fight you had with your friend, you might write down all the things you could do----write a note to him or her, invite him or her to watch a basketball game, say sorry to him or her and so on. Once you have a list of things you could do, you can choose one thing that could get your friend back. You can ask for help when you're worried. You can find someone to talk to, such as your parents, friends, and teachers. If you're worried about grades, DON'T ask yourself " _ ". Humans: It's time to abandon the earth or face extinction. This prediction isn't science fiction. It's a glimpse of the future, according to famed British scientist Stephen Hawking. "I see great dangers for the human race," he said in an interview with global forum Big Think. "There have been a number of times in the past when its survival has been a question of touch and go ." Hawking says humans must _ our home planet within the next two centuries and expand into space to survive. "I believe that the long-term future of the human race must be in space," he said. "It will be difficult to avoid disaster on our planet Earth in the next hundred years, let alone the next thousand, or million." He also voiced some concerns about the future of life on the earth. In April, he spoke about his fear of aliens in an interview for the Discovery Channel. "If aliens visit us, the outcome would be much as when Columbus landed in America, which didn't turn out well for the Native Americans," he said. "Such advanced aliens would perhaps become wanderers, looking to conquer and colonize whatever planets they can reach." But Hawking says he is still hopeful for the future of humanity. "I'm an optimist," he told Big Think. "We have made remarkable progress in the last hundred years. But if we want to continue beyond the next hundred years, our future is in space." Getting to another planet will prove a challenge, not to mention colonizing it for humanity. University of Michigan astrophysicist Katherine Freese told Big Think that "the nearest star to Earth is Proxima Centauri which is 4.2 light years away. That means, if you were traveling at the speed of light the whole time, it would take 4.2 years to get there" --- or about 50,000 years using current rocket science. Despite some concerns, Hawking's attitude towards the future of humans is _ . For the first time, scientists have found a planet beyond the solar system that not only is the same size as Earth, but has the same proportions of iron and rock, a key step in an ongoing quest to find potentially habitable sister worlds. The planet, known as Kepler-78b, circles a star that is slightly smaller than the sun located in the constellation Cygnus , about 400 light years away. Kepler-78b was discovered last year with NASA's now-idled Kepler space telescope, which detected potential planets as they circled in front of their parent stars, blocking a bit of light. That measurement not only revealed that Kepler-78b was ly small, with a diameter just 20 percent larger than Earth's, but that it was practically orbiting on the surface of its host star. Scientists do not know how the planets ended up so close to their host stars. While the planet's presumably molten surface and hot temperatures make it ill-suited for life, two independent teams of astronomers jumped at the opportunity to follow up the discovery with ground-based measurements to try to determine the density of Kepler-78b. In two papers in this week's journal Nature, the teams report that not only were they successful, but that they came to the same conclusion: Kepler-78b has roughly the same density as Earth, suggesting that it also is made primarily of rock and iron. Kepler-78b is among a dozen or so recently discovered small planets that orbit very close to their parent stars. Kepler-78b, for example, completes an orbit in just 8.5 hours. Which of the following is right according the passage? _
Home improvements such as using insulation and energy-efficient windows to lower heating and air-conditioning bills can greatly affect quality of life for low-income families. In 2014, researchers at New York's Columbia University interviewed 20 renters and homeowners in a low-income community in New York City before and after helping those people make energy-efficiency upgrades to their homes. The researchers found cold and heat caused not only extreme physical discomfort but health problems as well. Increased heating costs in winter months also used up so much of people's budgets they were forced to reduce their calorie intake. Additionally, poor air quality due to reduced air-conditioner use can increase the risk of illness. People whose homes were upgraded reported greater physical and mental ease, as well as energy savings of around 30 percent, averaging $20-$60 per month. Despite these benefits, a study by University of Chicago economists was critical of the cost-effectiveness of government programs that provide money for energy-efficiency upgrades for low-income households. Around 7,500 households in Michigan were given an average of $5,000 worth of free upgrades as part of a larger energy-efficiency program. The researchers found that the measures reduced the households' energy consumption by about 10-20 percent each month. However, these savings would amount to an average of just $2,400 over the lifetime of the upgrades--in other words, less than half the amount of the initial investment. The study also highlighted another issue regarding energy-efficiency programs. It had long been believed that low-income earners tended not to participate because they were unaware of the programs' existence. In the University of Chicago study, however, an intensive marketing campaign consisting of thousands of telephone calls and home visits raised the Michigan program's participation rate by only a few percentage points. The great expense and effort required for such a tiny effect indicates that it may be time to look for a new approach to improving living conditions among low-income earners. How much money can people who make energy-efficiency upgrades to their homes save? Answer: A guitarist was pleasantly surprised to hear from New York City police that his valuable guitar had been found.It disappeared almost a year ago when he got out of a taxi and forgot to take the guitar with him.Laurence Lennon,44,said he was running late that day.He was talking to his manager on his cellphone when he rushed out of the taxi.He said that he gave the driver $60 and told him to keep the change.He walked through the front doors of the concert hall,still talking on the phone to his manager. Upon discovering his loss,Lennon used his cellphone to call the police.The policewoman asked him for the name of the taxi company,the number of the taxi,and the name of the driver.He said that she must have been joking. She told Lennon that he could apply for a missing item report online. Lennon asked for address. It was www.nypd.gov/toprotectandtoserve/haveaniceday.She told him that finding the guitar might take a couple of years for finding guitars was not as important as finding murderers and marijuana smokers.Then she told him to have a nice day. "This year has been depressing,"said Lennon."I had to put off the recording of two new CDs.I've been using borrowed guitars.And I was losing hope of ever recovering my guitar." Lennon was reunited with his $100,000 guitar yesterday.The guitar had been discovered in the corner of a coffeehouse only two blocks from where Lennon had lost it.Lennon had offered a $10,000 reward for its return.He said he would give the reward to the coffeehouse owner,who had informed the police. Which of the following NOT mentioned in the passage? Answer: So you think you know your dog. But how well does your dog know you? She probably recognizes you when she sees you. But can a dog tell by simply looking at you whether you have a happy or an angry expression on your face? Researchers in Austria have taught pet dogs to know the difference. Dogs are very mindful of sound. When dog owners shout or speak in a strong, unkind voice, dogs often act ashamed and quietly move away from the area. Recently, researchers found that dogs can look at our faces, and tell the difference between a smile and a frown . The animals were able to recognize a look of praise from one of blame. Researchers at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna performed a series of experiments. They taught dogs to recognize facial expressions. They showed the dogs two pictures of either the upper or lower half of a person's face. On one picture, the person looked happy. The other appeared angry. The dogs were then shown images of the eyes or mouths of people they had never seen before. They were also shown the left half of the faces used in training. Corsin Muller led the study. "We were really speaking, do they realize that smiling eyes have the same meaning as a smiling mouth, or angry eyes have the same meaning as an angry mouth? And it turned out that they really did perform very well in these research experiments." Once the dogs learned to recognize which image was happy or angry, they could easily find the same expressions in pictures of any face. Corsin Muller says future studies will try to show whether dogs can learn the meaning of facial expressions--for example, whether a frown shows that someone is angry. In the experiments, researchers found the dogs were slower to link a reward, or prize, with recognition of the angry face. This suggested that dogs had an idea people with angry faces were best avoided. A dog is able to recognize one's _ . Answer: A girl comes back from school. She doesn't look happy. Her grandma asks,"What's wrong, my girl?" "Everything is wrong. The new school is far from home. I don't have any friends at the new school. I can't answer the teachers' questions in class. I don't like the school lunch," the girl answers. Grandma smiles and says, "Don't be sad, my girl. Would you like something to eat?" "Good. What can I have?" the girl becomes happy. "Here, have some cooking oil ." "No, I can't eat that." "What about some raw eggs?" "No. Nobody eats raw eggs." "Would you like some _ then?" "Grandma, I can't eat these things." "Then what about a cake?" "Good. I like that." "Cooking oil, raw eggs and flour are not nice to eat. But when you put them together in the right way and bake them, they will make a wonderful cake. Life is just like baking a cake." Why does the girl look unhappy? Answer: A new age is coming.Call it what you will: the service economy, the information age, the knowledge society.It all translates to a fundamental change in the way we work.Already we're partly there, the percentage of people who earn their living by making things has fallen dramatically in the Western World.Today the majority of jobs in America, Europe and Japan are in the service industry, and the number is on the rise.More women are in the work force than ever before.There are more part-time jobs.More people are self-employed.But the range of the economic transformation can't be measured by numbers alone, because it also is giving rise to important new way of thinking about the nature of work itself.Long-held ideas about jobs and careers, the skills needed to succeed, even the relation between individuals and employers - all these are being challenged. We have only to look behind us to get some sense of what may lie ahead.No one looking ahead 20 years possibly could have foreseen the ways in which a single invention, the chip , would transform our world thanks to its applications in personal computers, digital communications and factory robots.Tomorrow's achievements in biotechnology, artificial intelligence or even some still unimagined technology could produce a similar wave of dramatic changes.But one thing is certain: information and knowledge will become even more valid, and the people who possess it, whether they work in manufacturing or services, will have the advantage and produce the wealth.Computer knowledge will become as basic a requirement as the ability to read and write.The ability to solve problems by applying information instead of performing routine tasks will be valued above all else.If you cast your mind ahead 10 years, information service will be superior.It will be the way you do your job. We may draw a conclusion from the passage that _ . Answer:
Question: BEIJING --- Since Mo Yan won the Nobel Prize in Literature, the public has started to consider the way to improve Chinese literature's global presence. The prize indicates that Chinese contemporary authors and their works are getting the world's attention, which inspires writers and amateurs to continue their work, according to Wang Meng, a famous Chinese writer. But "the prize came a little late," said Xue Yongwu, dean of the College of Liberal Arts, Journalism and Communication with Ocean University of China (OUC). There have been many accomplished writers of modern and contemporary literature in China, including Lu Xun, Ba Jin and Mao Dun, who should have won the prize earlier, he noted. China's splendid ancient literature, which extends thousands of years, has been widely acknowledged across the world. However, the contemporary literature failed to get enough recognition from outside the country due to its short history and complex political influences, he explained. Language has also been a barrier. Only a small proportion of Chinese literature has been translated into foreign languages, mainly English. The quality of some translated editions needs improvement, said Xue. In addition to language skills, translation requires high-level comprehension and explanation of culture and art. It's hard for people without any literature background to produce a translation that fully reserves the aesthetic sense of the original version, according to Ren Dongsheng, professor with the College of Foreign Languages of OUC. The 57-year-old writer is known for his description of Chinese rural life. The settings for his works range from the 1911 revolution, Japan's invasion to Cultural Revolution. Mo combines hallucinatory realism with folk tales, which is more appealing to the taste of Western readers than the styles adopted by many of his peers, such as Yu Hua, Su Tong and Wang Shuo, said Zhang Hongsheng, dean of the Literature Department of the Communication University of China. However, "Nobel Prize is not the unique standard to judge the achievements of a writer. Prizes presented by different organizations adopt various evaluation criteria," said Xu Yan, a literature critic. The quality of a literary work is always judged by the topic, language, structure, the way of story-telling, imagination and some other significant elements. People's tastes vary from different social background and cultural mechanism, she added. Chinese contemporary literature, which appeared in 1949, has seen a trend of diversification since the country adopted the market economy in 1992. "The prize is a positive sign that the West begins to recognize Chinese literature. But it's an acknowledgement of individual efforts, and Chinese literature revival still has a long way to go," said Zhang. Xue called upon Chinese writers to produce quality works with international perspectives. Good literature should reveal social problems and people's concerns while create the beauty of art. "The society should provide favorable environment for the growth of Chinese writers," he stressed. Seeking increasing world attention requires Chinese writers to maintain the national characteristics and uniqueness. "Chinese elements are the last to lose in successful writings," Zhang said. China's book market has witnessed booming sales of Mo's masterpieces over the past days. Zhicheng Classic Bookstore, registered at T-Mall of China's largest online retailer Taobao.com, said 1,500 volumes of Mo's latest novel Frog were sold out in six hours after Mo won the prize. The store has received 1,200 reservation orders by 3:30 pm Friday. The book, about China's family-planning policy, also moved up to 14th from 560th on the list of the most populous book at the Amazon.cn withinin two days. Cao Yuanyong, deputy editor-in-chief of Shanghai Literature and Art Publishing Group, said the company is producing the new edition of a collection of Mo's 16 works, which is expected to refill the empty shelves of many book retailers in a week. In order to make Chinese contemporary literature better acknowledged across the word, what is the most important from the opinions of Zhang Hongsheng? A. International characteristics B. International perspectives C. Chinese elements D. Favorable environment Answer: C. Chinese elements Question: Watching a child struggle to breathe during as asthma attack is frightening for any parent. So it is only natural that most moms and dads will try just about anything, including spending a lot of money -to keep an attack at bay. Trouble is, more than half of parents are trying strategies that simply do not work and wasting hundreds of dollars in the process. According to Dr. Machael Cabana, a pediatrician at the prefix = st1 /UniversityofMichigan's C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, who led the study, one of the most common mistakes was to buy mattress cover to protect against dust mites for a child whose asthma instead was made by plant pollen . Many of those parents then neglected to do what would have helped a lot more; shut the windows to keep pollen out. Another was using a humidifier for a child who was allergic to dust mites; a humidifier tends to be a place where dust mites like to breed. With those allergies, a dehumidifier works better. Worst of all was the number of smokers with asthmatic children who didn't even try to quit or at least limit themselves to smoking outdoors rather than just moving to another room or the garage. Many smoking parents purchased expensive air filters that have what Cabana called " questionable utility. " Part of the problem, Dr. Caban and his colleagues believe, is that parents are bombarded by television ads that encourage them to buy products such as air and carpet fresheners, ionizers and other remedies that are often expensive but medically unnecessary. And doctors may not always take the time, or have the time, to explain to parents what will and won't work in their child's particular case. For example, allergies are usually a problem for older children with asthma, while kids 5 and younger more frequently have trouble with viral repiratory infections. So make sure you understand what the cause of your child's asthma really is. What can help the children who are asthmatic according to the passage? A. Using a humildifier in the room instead of a dehumidfier. B. Using air and carpet fresheners. C. Buying a mattress cover to protect against dust mites. D. Closing the windows to keep pollen out of the house. Answer: D. Closing the windows to keep pollen out of the house. Question: It is often necessary to release a fish, that is, set it free after catching, because it is too small, or you just don't want to take it home to eat. In some cases, releasing fish is a good measure that will help keep fish variety and build their population size. The Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF) encourages fishermen who practice catch-and-release fishing to use a few simple skills when doing so. The advice provided below will help make sure that the fish you release will survive to bite again another day. --When catching a fish, play it quickly and keep the fish in the water as much as possible. Don't' use a net in landing the fish and release it quickly to prevent it from dying. --Hold the fish gently. Do not put your fingers in its eyes. Don't wipe the scales off the fish because it might cause it to develop a disease and reduce its chance of survival. --Remove your hook quickly. If the hook is too deep or hooked in the stomach, cut the line and leave the hook in. The hook left inside will cause no serious problem to the fish. --Take good care of the fish by moving it gently in water . Release the fish when it begins to struggle and is able to swim. --Do not hold fish in a bucket or some other containers and later decide to release it. If you are going to release a fish, do so right away. With a little care and by following the suggestions given above, you can give the released fish a better chance of survival. What is the purpose of the test? A. To show how to enjoy fishing. B. To persuade people to fish less often. C. To encourage people to set fish free. D. To give advice on how to release fish. Answer: D. To give advice on how to release fish. Question: IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature IUCN WORLD CONSERVATION CONGRESS 6-15 September 2012, Jeju, Korea *Forum Addressing the world's most pressing sustainable development challenges, the Forum offers a unique platform for debates, workshops, dialogues, roundtable discussions, training courses, music and exhibitions. Events are organized by the IUCN Secretariat, IUCN Members, Commissions and partners and the host country. The Call for Contributions invites you to propose events to be considered for the Forum, part of Congress which is open to all (from 7 to 11 September 2012). *Simple stepson how to submit a proposal for the Forum 1) Click here: _ : propose an event for the Forum. 2) Go below "Sign in" and create your account. 3) Edit your proposal: Check again all the information you provide and make changes if you want to. Click on Save draft. 4) Invite co-organizers: Get people to join you in organizing the event by inviting them via e-mail. 5) Click on Submit Proposal. Basically, you have the opportunity to teach, host a discussion, give training or just show your work. Workshops (TEACH) *120 minutes session, number of people to be confirmed. *The idea is to promote understanding on a specific issue while engaging participants to share their knowledge and know-how. Knowledge Cafe (DISCUSS) *120 minutes session, suitable for 12 people at the most. *These aim to share collective knowledge (explore areas of common interest) and gain a deeper understanding of a subject and the issues involved. Conservation Campus (TRAIN) *Half day or full day modules , for up to 30 people. *It's an interactive training session where participants develop new skills and knowledge transfer on relevant conservation topics. *This type of event provides more in-depth exploration of topics aimed at building the capacity of participants. Posters (SHOW) *Your posters are meant to "display conservation work and achievements in an easy and direct way. *Owners will have time to present their poster during lunch breaks (approximately 10 minutes). We can learri from the passage that _ A. the Forum will last from 6 to 15 September 2012 B. the host country is the only organizer of the Forum C. areas of common interest will be explored in Workshops D. certain procedures are required for your proposals to be considered Answer: D. certain procedures are required for your proposals to be considered Question: One day, Jack came to Mike's house and said , "Mike, you have so many good books. Can you lend me a book to read?" Mike didn't want to lend a book to his friend, and he said, "Why do you want to take my book home? You can read it here in my house." Jack found that his friend was very selfish, but he said nothing. The next day, Mike came to Jack's house and said, " Jack , you have a good garden-knife, I want to work in my garden tomorrow. Can I use it for two days?" Jack answered, "Why do you want to take my garden knife home? You can work with it in my garden." Did Jack lend the garden knife to Mike? A. Yes, she did . B. No, he didn't. C. Yes, he did. D. No, she didn't. Answer: B. No, he didn't.
A 40 foot wide hole is found in the dessert. It's shaped like a ball had hit it. What could have happened? A. something from space entered the atmosphere B. a lizard built the hole C. the moon's gravity pulled sand out of the hole D. a dust storm filled it in Answer: A. something from space entered the atmosphere Annette Kellerman was born in Australia in 1887.She had polio and could not walk easily.She had to wear metal supports on her legs to stand up on her own.To make her legs stronger,her mother took her for swimming lessons every week.Swimming made her legs so strong that when she was 15 she was able to throw away her supports. Her family was poor so she got work acting as a mermaid.She wore a long tail and fish swam around her.People paid to come and see her. In 1900 Annette swam in the Paris Olympics and won two gold medals. The next year she tried to swim across the Channel.She was the first woman to try to do it though she had to stop after swimming for six hours. In 1915 Annette went to Hollywood and was the star of two films. She had to wear metal supports on her legs to stand up on her own because _ . A. She had polio and couldn't walk easily B. Her family was poor C. Her leg was hurt in an accident D. She couldn't swim Answer: A. She had polio and couldn't walk easily When you buy cooking oil in the supermarket, you may notice that some brands are labeled as "GM (genetically modified)-free". So, what is genetic modification? Are GM foods safe? These questions have been put back into the spotlight recently. On Nov 19, the Food and Drug Administrati0n (FDA) in the US announced that it had approved the AquAdvantage salmon to go on the market, making it the first genetically modified animal to be approved as food anywhere in the world. GM foods are plants or animals that have been given a gene from another plant or animal to make them stronger in some way. The AquAdvantage salmon contains a gene from another type of salmon that makes it grow faster. Although the FDA has said "food from the fish is safe to eat", some believe that scientists can't completely understand the potential health risks of GM foods, simply because they're so new. Others worry that the fish could escape into the wild and cause ecological problems. GM crops have experienced the same controversy, even though GM technology cuts down on the use of pesticides on crops and increases yields. While GM animals are new, GM crops have already appeared on our plates: A total of 28 countries in the world including the US, Brazil and India planted 181.5 million hectares (1.815 million km2) of GM crops in 2014, according to the International Service for tile Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications. In China, we grow GM cotton and papaya and import GM soybeans, corn, rape, cotton and beets from abroad. Due to safety worries, many countries have regulations for producing and selling GM food. In European Union countries, each GM food must be approved before it can be used. This process can take up to 17 months. The origin of all GM foods must also be traceable, and all food with a GM content of more than 0.9 percent must also be labeled, according to EU website europa.eu. The US is less strict about GM foods. According to FDA regulations, companies introducing new GM foods to the market should report them at least 120 days before release. The labeling is voluntary, except that a product cannot be labeled as "GM-free" if genetically modified materials are used. In China, GM foods can only be produced after strict tests by the Ministry of Agriculture say that they are safe. All food that is made from GM crops or contains GM ingredients must be clearly labeled on the wrapper. From-the text, it can be concluded that GM crops _ . A. no longer cause any controversy B. have already been planted in some countries C. are popular because they don't need pesticides D. can increase yields, making them welcome in countries like Japan Answer: B. have already been planted in some countries How many people have I met who have told me about the book they have been planning to write but have never yet found the time? Far too many. This is Life, all right, but we do treat it like a rehearsal and, unhappily, we do miss so many of its best moments. We take jobs to stay alive and provide homes for our families, always making ourselves believe that this style of life is only a temporary state of affairs along the road to what we really want to do. Then, at 60 or 65, we are suddenly given a clock and several grandchildren and we look back and realize that all those years waiting for Real Life to come along were in fact real life. In America they have a saying much laughedat by the English: "Have a nice day." They speak slowly and seriously in their shops, hotels and sandwich bars. I think it is a wonderful phrase, making us remember, in effect, to enjoy the moment: to value this very day. How often do we say to ourselves "I'll take up horse-riding(or golf, or sailing)as soon as I get a greater job." But only to do none of those things when we do get the higher position. When I first became a reporter I knew a man who gave up a very well-paid respectable job at Daily Telegraph to go and work for a small weekly newspaper. At the time I was surprised by his decision: Why was he in this completely abnormal mental state? How could anyone _ Fleet Street in central London for a small area in the countryside? I wanted to know. Now when I am a little older and possibly wiser, I see the sense in it. In Fleet Street the man was under continuous pressure. He lived in all unattractive London suburb and he spent much of his life sitting on Southern Region trains to and back from his work. What is probably the best title for the passage? A. Provide Homes for Our Family B. Take Up Horse-Riding C. Value This Very Day D. Stay Alive Answer: C. Value This Very Day We don't have beds in the space shuttle, but we do have sleeping bags. During the day, when we are working, we leave the bags tied to the wall, out of the way. At bedtime we untie them and take them wherever we've chosen to sleep. On most space shuttle flights everyone sleeps at the same time. No one has to stay awake to watch over the space plane: the shuttle's computers and the enginers at the Control Office do that. If anything goes wrong. The computers ring a warning bell and the engineers call us on the radio. On the space shuttle, sleep-time doesn't mean nighttime. During each ninety-minute flight around the earth, the sun "rises" and shines through our windows for about fifty minutes: then it "sets" as our flight takes us around the dark side of the Earth. To keep the sun out of our eyes, we wear black sleep masks. It is surprisingly easy to get comfortable and fall asleep in space, and we sleep differently. Some sleep upside down, some sideways, some right side up. When it's time to sleep, I take my bag, my sleep mask, and my tape player with earphones and float up to the flight platform. Then I get into the bag, and float into a sitting position just above a seat, right next to a window. Before I pull the mask down over my eyes, I relax for a while, listening to music and watching the Earth go by under me. When I'm in space I don't need as much sleep as I do on Earth Maybe that's because when I am weightless, I don't feel as tired. Or maybe it's because I'm excited to be in space and don't want to waste time sleeping. What do we know about people sleeping in the space shuttle? A. They sleep while listening to music. B. They have difficulty falling asleep. C. They sleep in different positions. D. They go to sleep when it is dark. Answer: C. They sleep in different positions.
If you were to come up with a list of organizations whose failures had done the most damage to the American economy in recent years,you would probably have to start with the Wall Street firms that brought us the financial.From there,you might move on to the automakers in Detroit. But I would suggest that the list should also include a less obvious nominee:public education. At its top level,the American system of higher education may be the best in the world.Yet in terms of its core mission-turning teenagers into educated college graduates--much of the system is failing. The United States does a good job enrolling teenagers in college,but only half of the students who enroll end up with a bachelor's degree. So identifying the causes of the college dropout crisis m the world's largest economy matters enormously, and a new book called Crossing the Finish Line tries to do precisely that.Its authors are economists William Bowen and Michael.McPherson,and a doctoral candidate Matthew Chigoes.The first problem they diagnose is something they call tender-matching. It refers to students who choose not to attend the best college they can get into.They instead go to a less selective one,perhaps one that is closer to home or less expensive.About half of the low--income students with a grade-point average of at least3.5 in high school and an SAT score of at least 1,200 do not attend the best college they could have. "I was really astonished by the degree to which well--qualified students from poor families under-matched," said Mr.Bowen. In fact,well-off students attend the colleges that do the best job of producing graduates.Meanwhile,lower-income students-even when they are better qualified--often go to colleges that excel in producing drop-outs."It's really a waste,"Mr.Bowen said,"and a big problem for the country."As the authors point out, the only way to lift the college graduation rate significantly is to lift it among poor and working--class students. Instead,it appears to have fallen. What can be done? Money is clearly part of the answer. Which of the following would people first think of as a factor responsible for the American financial crisis according to the passage? The Petit Appetit Cookbook List Price: $35.00 Price: $23.10 You save: $11.90(34% off) Product Description: Fresh, healthy meals that give little mouths something to smile about...In the Petit Appetit Cookbook, mother and professional cook Lisa Barnes offers healthy foods to help create delicious menus and bagin a lifetime of proper eating habits for babies and very young children. Everyday Raw Express (Paperback) List Price: $19.99 Price: $13.57 You Save: $6.42(32% off) Product Description: Many people love eating raw food, but often the recipes take hours or even a period of several days to prepare. Everyday Raw Express offers delicious soups and smoothies, pastas and desserts, all prepared in 30 minutes or less. If You Give a Dog a Donut (Hardcover) Reading Level: Ages 4--8 List Price: $16.99 Price: $10.10 You Save: $6.80(40% off) Product Description: If you give a dog a donut, he'll ask for some apple juice to go with it. When you give him the juice, he'll drink it all up. Then, before you can say "Woof!" ...Dog is off on a backyard adventure! Good Night Sun Hello Moon (Board Book) Reading Level: Ages 4--8 List Price: $10.99 Price: $9.34 You Save: $1.65 Book Description: Bedtime is a special time and this beautiful book will be a special part of saying goodnight. As kids turn the page, a little bit of the sun goes away and a little piece of the moon appears. The sweet story about a little bunny who doesn't want to go to bed will help send little ones off to sleep night after night. Where the Wild Things Are (Hardcover) Reading Level: Ages 4--above List Price: $16.95 Price: $11.53 You Save: $5.42 Book Description: Max, a boy who feels misunderstood at home, as he sets out in a small boat, finding new worlds across the sea. He lands on the amazing island of the wild things, a place where being a beast isn't a bad thing. The wild things make Max their king, but he sails back to his own room where he finds his mother and his supper waiting for him. Lily, 5 years old, likes listening to some stories before going to bed, her mother will buy _ . There was a boy in India who was sent by his parents to a boarding school. Before being sent away this boy was the brightest student in his class. He was at the top in every competition. He was a champion. But the boy changed after leaving home and attending the boarding school. His grades started dropping. He hated being in a group. He was lonely all the time. And there were especially dark times when he felt like killing himself. All of this was because he felt worthless and that no one loved him. His parents started worrying about the boy. But even they did not know what was wrong with him. So his dad decided to travel to the boarding school and talk with him. They sat on the bank of the lake near the school. The father started asking him casual questions about his classes, teachers and sports. After some time his dad said, "Do you know son, why I am here today?" The boy answered back, "to check my grades?" "No, no" his dad replied, "I am here to tell you that you are the most important person for me. I want to see you happy. I don't care about grades. I care about you. I care about your happiness. YOU ARE MY LIFE." These words caused the boy's eyes to fill with tears. He hugged his dad. They didn't say anything to each other for a long time. Now the boy had everything he wanted. He knew there was someone on this earth who cared for him deeply. He meant the world to someone. And today this young man is in college at the top of his class and no one has ever seen him sad! Thanks a lot dad. YOU ARE MY LIFE. Why were the boy's eyes filled with tears when he heard what his father said? An Australian man has beaten 75 other contestants from around the world to win a race up the stairs of the world's tallest building, Taipei 101. Paul Crake,30, ran up 91 floors containing 2,046 steps in 10 minutes, 29 seconds. Mr. Crake, who has won a similar race up the Empire State Building five times, won $5,920 in prize money. The women's race was won by Austrian Andrea Mayr, who finished in 12 minutes,38 seconds and also won a $5,920 prize. Austrian Rudolf Reitheiger, who beat Mr. Crake in this year's Empire State Building Race, came second in the men's competition. Mr. Crake and Ms. Mayr missed out on the offer of $30,000 for completing the grueling race in under 10 or 12 minutes respectively. A further 1,001 people took part in a so-called "self-challenging" race up the skyscraper. Taipei 101 is 508 meters tall and was finished in 2003, although Chinese developers have said Shanghai's World Financial Center will be taller when completed in 2007. "Tower-running" races take place up the tallest buildings and structures across the world. The Sears Tower in Chicago, the CN Tower in Toronto and the Azrieli Tower in Tel Aviv have all held recent events. Runners also race up the longest staircase in the world-the service staircase for the Niesenbahn railway near Spiez, Switzerland, which has 11,674 steps. At event for the long--distance stairway runners also takes place in Radebeul, Germany, where competitors run up 397 stairs 100 times to equal the height of Mt everest. What's main idea of this passage? The largest-ever chariot pit of relics with carts and horse bones has been discovered in Henan Province. It may lead to the uncovering of chariot pit groups that could be a key to understanding Chinese civilizations that existed more than 2,000 years ago. Experts said the relics are dated more than 300 years earlier than the famous warriors in Shaanxi Province. What excited the experts were two other projects that located two huge pits with similar features. "It is absolutely a miracle. These relics indicate that there could be a tomb group in this area, which is likely to be important for China's archaeological studies," said Ma Juncai, a leading relic researcher in the province. In ancient China, carts, sheep, spoons and so on were buried to ensure that dead people had a happy afterlife. The number and quality of the sacrifices indicated the social status of the dead. The custom was carried into the Qin Dynasty. Emperor Qinshihuang's tomb, located near Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi Province, is accompanied by thousands of wood or clay figures of warriors and horses. The tomb is probably the most well-known. The discovered pit measures 10.4 meters long, 8.4 meters wide and 5 meters deep. It holds 20 carts in different sizes. The smallest one is 1.05 meters long and 1.3 meters wide. Experts think that 40 horses are likely to be found as well. Careful plans need to be made to deal with the demanding uncovering. "The clay is very weak and a small misstep can destroy the whole project. That's why we need to take every step very carefully to protect these cherished cultural relics," Ma said. Careful plans for the uncovering are needed because _ .
One night I was sitting in my room half-listening as my 15-year-old brother Tommy fought with my 12-year-old brother Kevin. I didn't pay attention when Kevin rushed up the stairs with the hurt on his face. About 20 minutes later, as I was walking upstairs I heard Kevin crying inside the bathroom. I knocked on the door and asked, "Hey Kevin, do you want to talk?" No answer. I tried again, "Why don't you come out of there?" Again, no answer. So, joking around, I grabbed a stack of cards and a pencil and wrote, "If you don't want to talk, we can write notes to each other." An hour later I was still sitting on the floor outside the bathroom with two stacks of cards in front of me. One was blank and one was cards from Kevin on which he had translated all his _ feelings into words for me. As I read one of Kevin's notes, tears came to my eyes. It said, "Nobody in this family cares about me. I'm not the youngest, and I'm not the oldest. Tommy thinks I'm silly and Dad wishes he had the other Kevin as a kid because he's better at basketball. And you're never around to even notice me." Tears came to my eyes as I wrote back to him. "You know Kevin, I really do love you and I'm sorry I don't always show it. I am here for you and you are loved in this family." There was no answer for a while, but then I heard a tearing sound coming from inside the bathroom. Kevin, who had run out of cards wrote on a torn paper cup. "Thanks." I wrote back "For what?" it returned to me with "Loving me" on it. Since then, I try my best to never only half-notice my family members any more. Kevin and I have a closer relationship now. And sometimes when one of us notices that the other is upset, we'll smile and say "Write it on a paper cup." What does the writer want to tell us? A Everyone should show how they love their family members. B It's hard to get on well with family members. C It's important to keep peace in the family. D We should try our best to stop our children from fighting. Answer: A. Everyone should show how they love their family members. A tone is made when a hammer makes contact with A a waterfall B air C an solid object D a log Answer: C. an solid object Silvia Garcia,a black woman.applied for a job at a small company.One question on the application form was"Who else lives at your home address?"Ms.Garcia did not answer this question.She left the space blank. The boss,Jeff Erler, was a very religious man.He had started the company himself and felt that his employees were like his family.Mr Erler interviewed Ms.Garcia personally,He noticed that she had marked"single" on her application and he was surprised that she was not married at her age.When he mentioned this to her, she just laughed and did not answer.He decided that she was a very nice woman.He also needed to hire members of minorities,so he hired her. Ms.Garcia did very well in the company.In a few months she got a rise and was happy with the additional money.However, seven months after Mr.Erler hired her, he overheard a conversation in the dining hall.Two other workers were talking about her and "the guy she's living with." Mr Erler called Ms.Garcia into his office that afternoon.He questioned her about her living situation and she admitted that she was living with her boyfriend.Mr Erler told her that he was very sorry, but he did not want immoral people to work in his company.At first,she could not believe that Mr.Erler was serious.She told him that he had no right to call her immoral because she was living with her boyfriend.She said that as long as she was a good worker, her personal life was her own business and that he could not make judgments about it.However, Mr.Erler fired Ms. Garcia. Ms.Garcia didn't answer the question on the application form because _ . A she didn't have enough time to finish it B she didn't want the boss to know her living situation C she was not allowed to answer it D she had no home address at all Answer: B. she didn't want the boss to know her living situation One day, a raven happened to fly past a lake. Looking at the lake, he saw the most beautiful animal he had ever seen. It was a swan and its feathers were as white as snow. The swan was playing with other birds happily, talking and dancing. And it seemed that the other birds all liked to stay with _ When he looked at his own feathers, they were as black as coal. The raven was very angry with the swan. "How can the swan have such wonderful feathers?" said the raven. What should he do with his feathers? He thought it over and over. Then, the raven decided that he also wanted to have white feathers like the swan's. From that day on, the raven began to live like the swan. He moved his home from the woods to the lake. He also started to eat water plants like the swan. He tried his best to talk and dance with the other birds. The most important was that each day, the raven would wash his feathers, hoping that they would turn white. Even he went to the nearby rivers and ponds to wash his feathers because he thought the water in the lakes was not enough for him to wash them. But no matter how hard he washed his feathers, they remained black. As he ate only water plants, he soon grew thinner and thinner. Not many days later, the raven died. Why did the raven wash his feathers every day? A He thought his feathers would turn white. B He wanted to drive the other birds away C He thought his feathers were dirty. D He wanted to keep his feathers white Answer: A. He thought his feathers would turn white. Whitetail are found in what kind of habitat A the ocean B temperate C arctic D dessert Answer: B. temperate
President Coolidge's statement, "The business of America is business," still points to an important truth today---that business institutions have more prestige in American society than any other kind of organization, including the government. Why do business institutions possess this great prestige? One reason is that Americans view business as being more firmly based on the ideal of competition than other institutions in society. Since competition is seen as the major source of progress and prosperity by most Americans, competitive business institutions are respected. Competition is not only good in itself, it is the means by which other basic American values such as individual freedom, equality of opportunity, and hard work are protected. Competition protects the freedom of the individual by ensuring that there is no monopoly of power. In contrast to one, all-powerful government, many businesses compete against each other for profits. Theoretically, if one business tries to take unfair advantage of its customers, it will lose to competing business which treats its customers more fairly. Where many businesses compete for the customers' dollar, they cannot afford to treat them like inferiors or slaves. A contrast is often made between business, which is competitive, and government, which is a monopoly. Because business is competitive, many Americans believe that it is more supportive of freedom than government, even though government leaders are elected by the people and business leaders are not. Many Americans believe, then, that competition is as important, or even more important, than democracy in preserving freedom. Competition in business is also believed to strengthen the ideal of equality of opportunity. Competition is seen as an open and fair race where success goes to the swiftest person regardless of his or her social class background. Competitive success is commonly seen as the American alternative to social rank based on family background. Business is therefore viewed as an expression of the idea of equality of opportunity rather than the noble idea of inherited privilege. Americans believe that they can realize their personal values only _ . Answer: When her five daughters were young, Helene An always told them that there was strength in unity .To show this, she pick up one chopstick, taking it as one person.Then she easily broke it into two pieces.Next, she tied several chopsticks together, taking them as a family.She showed the girls it was hard to break the tied chopsticks.This lesson about family unity stayed with the daughters as they grew up Helene An and her family own a large restaurant business in California.However, when Helene and her husband Danny left their home in Vietnam in 1975, they didn't have much money.They moved their family to San Francisco.There they joined Danny's mother, Diana, who owned a small Italian sandwich shop.Soon afterwards, Helene and Diana changed the sandwich shop into a small Vietnamese restaurant.The five daughters helped in the restaurant when they were young.However, Helene did not want her daughters to always work in the family business because she thought it was too hard. Eventually the girls all graduated from college and went away to work for themselves, but one by one, the daughters returned to work in the family business.They opened new restaurants in San Francisco and Los Angeles.Even though family members sometimes disagreed with each other, they worked together to make the business successful.Daughter Elisabeth explains, "Our mother taught us that to succeed we must have unity, and to have unity we must have peace.Without the strength of the family, there is no business." With three generations of Ans working together, now the Ans'business makes more than $20 million each year.Although they began with a small restaurant, they had big dreams, and they worked together.Now they are a big success. Helene once used chopsticks to show _ Answer: Hearst Castle is in California, America. A person called William Randolph Hearst built it between 1922 and 1939, at a cost of more than $30 million. Last year, I had a trip to that castle. I spent the whole day looking around. But there was much to see, and a day wasn't enough. Hearst Castle has four houses. The main house, "Casa Grande", is the biggest one. Visitors can live in the other three ones. Many of them are Hollywood film stars, and they often come to the parties there. At Hearst Castle, there are also beautiful gardens and two swimming pools, one inside and a larger one outside. I loved the one outside, the "Neptune Pool". It was a pity that we couldn't go swimming there! The guide told us that Mr. Hearst travelled around Europe with his mother at the age of ten and looked at paintings and castles. He never forgot that tour and wanted his house to look like a castle. When Mr Hearst died in 1951, his family gave Hearst Castle to the people of California. Now it's a museum. _ made Mr. Hearst build this wonderful castle. Answer: To honor the best books for young adults and children, TIME has created this list of classics: Best Young-Adult and Children's Books. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Sherman Alexie's coming-of-age novel shows family and traditions through young Arnold Spirit, torn between his life in an Indian community and his largely white high school. The specifics are sharply drawn, but this novel, with its themes of self-discovery, speaks to young readers everywhere. Harry Potter What more can be said about J. K. Rowling's unique series? How about this: seven years after the final book was published, readers young and old still go crazy at the slightest rumor of a new Potter story. The Book Thief For many young readers, Markus Zusak's novel provides their first in-depth reflection of the Holocaust . Although terror surrounds Liesel, a young German girl, so too does evidence of friendship, love and charity -- recovering lights in the darkness. A Wrinkle in Time Madeleine L'Engle's super-realist adventure has provided generations of children with their first-ever exciting experiences, as Meg travels across the fifth dimension in search of her father. But the science fiction also has a message: Meg learns independence and bravery in the process. Charlotte's Web Readers are still drawn to the simplicity and beauty of spider Charlotte's devotion to her pig friend Wilbur. Though family farms may be less common than they were in 1952, E. B. White's novel remains timeless for its lasting reflection on the power of friendship and of good writing. Holes Louis Sachar's story of a family curse , fancy sports shoes and poisonous lizards moves forward and backward through time, telling of how Stanley Yelnats IV ended up in a prison camp. It's an introduction to a complex story, filled with fun, warmth and a truly memorable criminal. Matilda With apologies to the lovable Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, this may be Roald Dahl's most inspiring book for young people. Poor Matilda feels troubled and ignored by her family -- a sense that many preteens share. They don't share her supernatural powers, but that's the lasting appeal of this escapist fun. The Outsiders Published when author S. E. Hinton was just 18, this coming-of-age novel offers evidence that even the youngest writer can provide valuable wisdom. Her striking look at Ponyboy and gang life in the 1960s has continued to have a powerful effect for decades on readers of all kinds, whether they identify more with the Greasers or the Socs. The Phantom Tollbooth In a humorous, sharp fairy tale that shows language and mathematics through a story of adventure in the Kingdom of Wisdom, Jules Feiffer's unusual drawings do as much as Norton Juster's plain language combined with complex ideas to carry readers through Digitopolis and the Mountains of Ignorance. The Giver Lois Lowry's tale of self-discovery in society has a memorable central character, Jonas, and an unforgettable message -- that pain and harm have an important place in individual lives and in society, and to forget them is to lose what makes us human. It can be learned from the passage that _ . Answer: Discover Artistic Talents across the Country Tank Loft, Chongqing This 12,000-square-meter art center was established on the site of a used military tank warehouse . It is the largest contemporary art base in western China, featuring modern exhibition, galleries, design studios and art bookstores. The art zone is located on the campus of the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute and was created by the school in the early 2000s. Where: No. 108 Huangjueping Center Street, Jiulongpo District, Chongqing Opening hours: 9 am--5 pm (closed Mondays) Redtory, Guangzhou Redtory, established in 2009, is a spacious art district often referred to as Guangzhou's 798. Made up of more than 30 old halls, mostly buildings of red brick, the place was originally built in 1956 as Chinese largest can factory. Some of the rusty machines from the old factory have been kept as art equipment, giving the zone an old charm. Where:No. 128 Yuancun Siheng Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou Opening hours:Mon.-Sun. 10:30 am-9 pm M50, Shanghai M50, also known as 50 Moganshan Road, is the center of Shanghai's contemporary art scene, with more than 100 artists whose studios are open to the public. This district, on the bank of Suzhou Creek, was previously a textile factory until it seized production in 1999. Xue Song, a Shanghai artist, was the first to establish a studio there in 2002. Where: No. 50 Moganshan Road, Pudong District, Shanghai Opening hours: 10 am-5 pm (closed Mondays) 798 Art Zone, Beijing Attracted by ordered designing, convenient traffic and unique style of Bauhaus architecture, art organizations and artists have crowded in the vacant plants and transformed them since 2001, gradually forming a district gathered galleries, art studios, cultural companies, fashion shops etc. As the earliest area where the organizations and artists moved in located in the original area of 798 factory, this place was named as Beijing 798 Art Zone. Where: No. 4 Jiuxianqiao Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing. Opening hours: 10 am-6 pm If you are going to visit an art zone at 7pm, which one can you go to? Answer:
A couple of days ago, as the test results came out, my son and a group of his 13-year-old friends piled into the back seat of my car, ready for the last-day-of-school party at McDonald's. "Jack got a laptop for getting straight A's, and Laurie got a cell-phone," one boy said. "Oh, yeah, and Sarah got an iPad, and she's only in third grade," said another. "And how about Brian? He got $10 for each A." I suddenly became concerned. These payoffs might get parents through grammar school, but what about high school and beyond? What would be left after the electric guitar, the cell-phone, and the DVD player? I saw the road ahead: _ I saw my comfortable lifestyle disappear before my eyes -- no more of those $5 bags of already-peeled organic carrots. No more organic anything! I started to feel surprised and nervous. Would every goal achieved by my two children fetch a reward? A high grade point average? A good class ranking? Would sports achievements be included in this reward system: soccer goals, touchdowns? What about the orchestra? Would first chair pay more than second? I'd be penniless by eighth-grade graduation. "We never paid anything for good grades," said my neighbor across the street, whose son was recently accepted at MIT. "He just did it on his own. Maybe once in a while we went out for pizza, but that's about it." Don't you just hate that? We're all running around looking for the MP3 player with the most updates, and she's spending a few dollars on pizza. She gets motivation; we get negotiation. And what about the primary grades? What do these students get? "When the teacher asked if anyone got rewards for good grades, everyone in my class raised their hands and said they got ice cream cones ," said one third-grader. It can be inferred from the passage that _ . if you pay kids for good grades, they will take it for granted Americans, generally speaking, make an effort to be friendly with their colleagues, neighbours and other people they often run into. This often takes the form of a simple greeting like "How's it going?" or "What's up ?" This is simply a way of saying I see you and I recognize you. Americans also show this friendliness in "small talk". Small talk is a casual conversation that Americans engage in when they meet on the street, in the shop or in the office before a meeting. Usually the topics of such small talk will be something that everyone is familiar with, the weather, sports, traffic, hobbies or what's on television. The topic of the conversation is not as important as the effort make to spend a few minutes with the other person. Small talk shows that you are a considerate person who is interested in others and who is willing to take the time to get to know people. Small talk is used in the business world to create a friendly atmosphere and to put everyone at ease before the serious matters of business are discussed. Often businessmen will spend a few minutes talking about the weather or sports before a meeting. This form of small talk only lasts a few minutes before the American businessman wants to "get down to business." Asians are very skilled at making casual conversation. However, they often find it difficult to make small talk with Americans because they don't know what to say, how to say it and who to say it to. Americans may see Asians who are reluctant to make small talk as unfriendly and cold. Businessmen talk about weather before a meeting _ so that everyone present will feel relaxed Washington: NASA has announced evidence that Jupiter's largest moon, Ganymede, has a saltwater ocean under its icy surface. The ocean seems to have more water than all the water on Earth's surface, according to new Hubble observation. New Hubble observations of Ganymede's magnetic field strongly suggest that the moon, which is the largest in our whole solar system, is home to a subsurface ocean. Scientists estimate the ocean is 95 kilometres thick, which is about 10 times deeper than Earth's oceans. But unlike our salty waters, Ganymede's ocean is buried under 150 kilometres of ice. While scientists have speculated since 1970s about the presence of an ocean on Ganymede------the largest moon in our solar system------ until now the only observational evidence came from a brief flyby by the Galileo spacecraft, which didn't observe the moon long enough to confirm a liquid ocean. This discovery marks an important milestone, highlighting what only Hubble can accomplish. In its 25 years in orbit, Hubble has made many scientific discoveries in our own solar system. A deep ocean under the icy surface of Ganymede opens up further exciting possibilities for life beyond Earth. Scientists have already confirmed the existence of an ocean on Europa, another moon orbiting Jupiter, and NASA has announced plans to send an unmanned mission there searching for the life that might come with liquid water. Hubble is a telescope that orbits Earth, but because of its impressive gravitational analyses it can be used to study the inside of far distant planets. Using these same principles, scientists could theoretically detect oceans on distant planets as well. Which of the following best describes the writer's attitude towards Hubble? Favourable This year's Newsweek list of the top 100 high schools shows that today those with fewer students are rising. Ten years ago, when the first Newsweek Top School List based on college-level test participation was published, only three of the top 100 schools had graduating classes smaller than 100 students. This year there are 22. Fifty years ago, they were the latest thing in educational reform: big, modern high schools outside the cities with thousands of students. Big schools meant economic efficiency, a greater choice of courses, and better football teams. But only years later did we understand that it involved the difficulty of strengthening personal connections between teachers and students. SAT scores began dropping; on average, 30% of students did not complete high school in four years, a figure that rose to 50% in poor city neighborhoods. High schools for a variety of reasons seemed to have made little progress. Size isn't everything, but it does matter, and the past decade has seen a noticeable trend toward smaller schools. This has been partly due to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which has invested $1.8 billion in American high schools, helping to open about 1,000 small schools -- most of them with about 400 kids, each with an average enrollment of only 150 students per grade. About 500 more are on the drawing board. Districts all over the country are taking notice, along with mayors in cities like New York, Chicago and San Diego. And most noticeable of all, there is the phenomenon of large urban and suburban high schools that have split up into smaller units of a few hundred. Hillsdale High School in San Mateo, California, is one of those ranking No.423 -- among the top 2% in the country. In 2003, Hillsdale remade itself into three "houses". 300 students arriving ninth graders are randomly assigned to one of the houses, where they will keep the same four core subject teachers for two years before moving on to another for 11th and 12th grades. Teachers meet with students in groups of 25, five mornings a week, for open-ended discussions of everything from homework problems to bad Saturday-night dates. The advisers also meet with students privately and stay in touch with parents. Along with the new structure came the percentage of freshmen taking biology jumped from 17 to 95."It was rough for some. But by senior year, two-thirds have moved up to physics," says Jeff Gilbert. "Our kids are coming to school in part because they know there are adults here who know them and care for them." But not all schools show advances after downsizing, and it remains to be seen whether smaller schools will be a cure-all solution. Ranking schools is always controversial. Over the years this system has been criticized for its simplicity -- list of top U.S. high schools was made merely according to the proportion of students taking college-level exams. This year a group of 38 superintendents from five states wrote to ask that their schools should be excluded from the calculation. "It is impossible to know which high schools are 'the best' in the nation," their letter read. "Determining whether different schools do or don't offer a high quality of education requires a look at many different measures, including students' overall academic accomplishments, their later performance in college, and taking into consideration the unique needs of their communities." According to Jeff Gilbert, the classes at Hillsdale were set up so that students could _ . tell their teachers what they did on weekends You can't resist that shirt on sale. And those cute red shoes also end up in your shopping bag. Or you buy a new computer that you can't live without. We've all bought things we wanted but really didn't need on impulse. US statistics show that in 2009 a surprising 60 percent of all-store purchases were made without thinking first. And the latest reported statistics for e-purchases say that forty percent are impulsive. So why do we do this? It feels good. This feeling comes from a chemical called dopamine , which is released when we do something we enjoy. How can we resist the temptation to spend? l Window-shop without your wallet. This way, when you see something you want, you can't buy it. If you really need the item, you can go back to the store to buy it. But it's likely you won't. l Pay in cash-don't use credit cards. They can trick you into thinking you're not spending money because the bill doesn't come until later. Using cash will make you think twice before spending. l Research the product first----then buy it. This will keep you from being talked into buying expensive hi-tech items like computers. l Make a shopping list----and stick to it. Buy only what is on the list. l Carry the exciting item around the store for 15 minutes. You will be surprised how that purple shirt loses its appeal after the initial "Wow, isn't that cool?" feeling wears off. It's hard to give up a bad habit. But if you replace it with a healthy habit, you will have more success. Consider going to the library instead of the bookstore. Explore new parks and learn about nature, or join a church or club. Exercise with friends or join a sports team. What's the purpose of the passage? To show people how to avoid buying needless things.
When I was in junior high school, I was really a bad boy. My history teacher--Mr. Oven criticized me a lot because I was naughty in his class. By the end of the first semester, I'd had enough of his words and had decided that I would get my revenge on him. The opportunity arose one morning when Mr. Oven was called to the office for a certain reason. While Mr. Oven left, my company Billy and I grabbed Mr. Oven's lunch bag from under his desk. I opened his sandwich and placed a bug in between the two slices of bread. We put it back and closed it. To keep it in memory, Billy took photos of the whole process. We laughed for weeks over this. _ Billy's mother found the pictures in his room, and demanded that he should tell her where these pictures were from. Billy told his mother the whole story, and Mr. Oven was informed. Not only was I punished from school for two weeks, but also I was kicked off the football and basketball team. Before I could return to school, I had to turn in a 1000-word essay on what I did and why I did that. I really felt embarrassed every time I saw Mr. Oven in the hallway for the rest of the school year. I felt a little regret that Mr. Oven left our school the next year. Which one was NOT true according to the article? A He had to be punished to leave school for two weeks. B He was kicked off the football and basketball team. C He had to eat the sandwich he had made for Mr. Oven. D He had to write a 1000-word essay to acknowledge his mistake. Answer: C. He had to eat the sandwich he had made for Mr. Oven. Music died here last spring, or rather, it was killed by members of the school committee who ignored the importance of music and drama as part of the high-school curriculum. The committee decided that teaching students how to take a standardized test is more important than a curriculum in which students can explore their interests in the arts as well as academics. Because the school system is running out of funding, it needs to make sure that students pass the mastery test or even more money will be lost. If students fail the state standardized test, it is not the fault of drama and music classes-- they are failing because the " academic" classes are not sufficient. It is painful to think of how many students will be discouraged from singing, acting, and playing instruments because school programs are no longer offered. Many families cannot afford private music lessons, and many potential musicians and artists may not find their calling if they are not exposed to it in school. The fact that the school committee thinks the arts are not worth the investment will certainly make some students believe the arts are not worth their time or support and the cycle will continue. Teaching for a test does not shape students into complete, well rounded people. It blocks the natural sense to create and express feelings through art-- there is more to life than the analytical thinking that math and English provide. What happens after a test? Sure, a student might graduate, but they will have limited knowledge -- certainly not a good preparation for the real world. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? A The sufficiency of the classes determines students' performance in the mastery test B students can be musicians and artists only if they can afford private music lessons C The school committee completely influences students' attitude towards the arts D Quite a few students are discouraged from music and art in today's school system. Answer: D. Quite a few students are discouraged from music and art in today's school system. The works of Shakespeare and Wordsworth are "rocketboosters" to the brain and better than the other selfhelp books,researchers will say this week. Scientists,psychologists and the English experts at Liverpool University have found that reading the works of Shakespeare and other classical writers has a beneficial effect on the mind,catches the reader's attention and triggers moments of selfreflection.Using scanners,they monitored the brain activity of volunteers as they read the works by William Shakespeare,William Wordsworth,T.S Eliot and other classical writers. They then "translated" the texts into more "straightforward",modern language and again monitored the readers' brains as they read the words.Scans showed that the more "challenging" articles and poetry set off far more electrical activity in the brain than the modern versions.Scientists were able to study the brain activity as it responded to each word and record how it "lit up" as the readers came across unusual words,surprising phrases or difficult sentence structures.This "lighting up" of the mind lasts longer than the initial electrical spark,shifting the brain to a higher speed,encouraging further reading. The research also found that reading poetry,in particular,increases the activities in the right side of the brain,an area concerned with "autobiographical memory",helping readers to reflect on their own experiences in light of what they have read.The experts said this meant the classics were more useful than selfhelp books. Philip Davis,an English professor who has worked on the study with the university,will tell a conference this week:"Serious literature acts like a rocketbooster to the brain." "The research shows the power of classical literature to shift mental pathways,to create new thoughts,shapes and connections in the young and the old alike." What might be the author's purpose in writing the text? A To introduce some great writers in England. B To present a study on brain activities. C To introduce a research on reading classics. D To show the power of classical literature. Answer: C. To introduce a research on reading classics. The train was already half an hour late. I had to arrive in Vienna at 7:15 in time to catch the 7:20 train to Paris, but there was no hope of that now. I told my problem to the conductor . He advised me to get off two stops before Vienna Station and take a taxi. When the time came, he even helped with my bag. He wished me good luck as I jumped off. A few minutes later I was racing towards the center of the city in a taxi. It was almost 7:25 when we stopped outside the station. I paid the driver quickly, picked up my bag and hurried inside. "Paris train?" was all I had time to say to the official I saw. You can see how I felt when he pointed to a train that was just moving out of the station. Which of the following is TRUE? A The writer was lucky to catch the train. B The driver helped the writer catch the train. C The writer paid the bus driver quickly. D The conductor was very kind to the writer. Answer: D. The conductor was very kind to the writer. A friend and I were standing in line at the grocery store the other day, and I was telling her how lazy my children were.I had come in from work that morning, and like most times, my house was wrecked. "I believe children nowadays are just out for what they can get.They can never help keep our house clean." I said, feeling unhappy. "Do you know how happy you are?" a woman behind us asked."I would love to go home and find my house a mess.I wouldn't mind my floor being dirty.Nor would I mind the dirty clothes being piled high.I wouldn't even mind anyone talking about my dirty home.I would love it.I would love to kick my way through the house just to get to my kids and be able to hug them, kiss them and tell them how much I love them.You see, my two children were killed in an accident. My house stays clean; my clothes stay put up; the dishes are done." "There are no fingerprints on my walls.There are no sounds of arguing, either.So you see, you are very lucky.I would give anything to be going through what you are now! How I'd love to be able to hold my kids, wipe away their tears and share their dreams! I wouldn't care how my house looked.I would be happy just to have them." Now if you come into my house and see a big mess, you can think bad thoughts if you want, but I feel greatly blessed.(268 words) The writer was complaining about her children to her friend because they _ . A would go out without permission B couldn't keep the house clean C made her look dirty and bad D were too lazy to hug or kiss her Answer: B. couldn't keep the house clean
Many job opportunities are offered to those who wish to work. It helps if you know more than one language. There are good jobs for interpreters and typists who know English and another language. There are many good jobs in government. In most cases, you must be a citizen of this country, and you must take a civil service examination. These examinations are open to everyone, regardless of race, religion, or color. For many civil service jobs you need a high school diploma. The person who does not have a high school diploma can get one. There are several ways. You can study high school subjects at home and then take special tests. If you pass the tests, then you get a diploma. Or you can go to night school. There are classes that prepare you to take special tests to earn a diploma. You can attend a night school that grants a high school diploma if you complete certain courses. If you do this, you do not have to take the special tests. Be as well trained as you can. Get as much training as you can. Opportunity knocks at every door. Be sure that when it knocks at your door you are ready. The passage suggests that _ . A. any citizen can try to get a government job B. civil service jobs are offered only to foreigners C. training programs are often poorly organized D. anyone who wishes to work can get a good job Answer: A Put your car keys away and forget about your travel pass --- it's time to do a bit of walking. National Walking Month is organized every May by Living Streets, an organization that campaigns for the rights and the needs of pedestrians, so the organization is previously known as the Pedestrians' Association. The association's aim is to make streets safe, attractive and enjoyable spaces for people to live, work, shop and play. By putting people (rather than vehicles) first, Living Streets wants to create streets and spaces where people feel happier, healthier and more sociable. The annual campaign gives participants a great opportunity to experience the many virtues of walking. These include the physical health benefits of becoming fitter; the environmental advantages of not using vehicles; the delight of local discoveries --- seeing more of your local areas on foot; the enjoyment of walking with other people, whether family, friends or work colleagues and finally the stress relief that comes from walking --- walking can clear your head. Walk to School Week, 18 to 22 May, is part of the month's activities and its aim is to encourage parents to send children to school on foot, rather than take them in the car or let them use public transport. The movement was started in 1995 with only five participating schools and now two decades later, more than one million children take part. Similarly, there is Walk to Work Week, 11 to 15 May, where grown-ups are encouraged to walk. In the morning, getting off the bus a stop early or parking a few streets away is a good way to add more steps to the daily total. And during the working day, after having lunch at the desks or in the canteen, take a walk and get some fresh air. Walk home with your workmates and chat away about everything under the sun but work! What's the purpose of Living Streets? A. To let people keep away from vehicles. B. To build safer walkways for pedestrians. C. To help people enjoy walking in the street and enjoy life. D. To make people aware of environmental pollution. Answer: C Smart job-seekers need to rid themselves of several standard myths about interviewing before they start looking for a job. What follows is a list of some of these untruths and some tips to help you do your best at your next interview. Myth 1: The aim of interviewing is to obtain (means "get") a job offer. Only half true. The real aim of an interview is to obtain the job you want. That often means rejecting job offers you don't want! So before you please an employer, be sure you want the job. Myth 2: Always please the interviewer Not true. Try to please yourself. Of course, don't be hostile--nobody wants to hire someone disagreeable. But there is plainly a muddle ground between being too ingratiating and being hostile. Myth 3: Try to control the interview Nobody "controls" an interview. When someone tries to control us, we resent it. When we try to control others, they resent us. Remember you can't control what an employer thinks of you, just as he can't control what you think of him. So he is ready to give and take when being interviewed; never control the interview. Myth 4: Never interrupt the interviewer Study the style of the effective conversationalists: they interrupt and are interrupted! An exciting conversation always makes us feel free--free to interrupt, to disagree, to agree enthusiastically. Just _ Try being yourself for a change. Employers will either like or dislike you, but at least you'll have made an impression. Leaving an employer indifferent is the worst impression you can make. For job seekers, efforts to control the interview are likely to _ . A. affect the interviewer's opinion of them B. lead to the offer of a job C. enable them to express themselves fully D. help to create a favorable image of themselves Answer: A Trees are useful to man in three important ways: They provide him with wood and other products; they provide him shade;. and they help to prevent droughts and floods. Unfortunately, in many parts of the world, man has not realized that the third of these services is the most important.In his eagerness to make money from trees, he has cut them down in large numbers, only to find that without them he has lost the best friends he had. And besides, he is usually too careless to plant and look after new trees. So the forests slowly disappear. This does not only mean that man will have fewer trees. The results are even more serious: for where there are trees, their roots break up soil allowing the rain to sink in and also bind the soil, thus preventing it from being washed away easily;but where there are no trees, the rain falls on hard ground and flows away, causing floods and carrying away the rich top-soil. When the top-soil is gone, nothing remains but worthless desert. Two thousand years ago,a rich and powerful country cut down its trees to build warships, with which to gain itself an empire .It set up the empire, but, without its trees, its soil became poor and grew weak. When the empire fell to pieces, the home country found itself faced by floods and starvation . The most important service of trees to man is that _ . A. they give them wood and other products B. they give them shade C. they help him prevent droughts and floods D. they help him made money Answer: C A special laboratory at the University of Chicago is busy only at night. It is a dream laboratory where researchers are at work studying dreamers. Their findings have discovered that everyone dreams from three to seven times a night, although in ordinary life a person may remember none or only one of his dreams. While the subjects--usually students--sleep, special machines record their brain waves and eye movements as well as the body movements that signal the end of a dream. Surprisingly, all subjects sleep soundly. Observers report that a person usually fidgets before a dream. Once the dream has started, his body relaxes and his eyes become more active, as if the curtain had gone up on a show. As soon as the machine shows that the dream is over, a buzzer wakens the sleeper. He sits up, records his dream, and goes back to sleep--perhaps to dream some more. Researchers have found that if the dreamer is wakened immediately after his dream, he can usually recall the entire dream. If he is allowed to sleep even five more minutes, his memory of the dream will have disappeared. A person would be most likely to remember the dream that _ . A. was of most interest to him B. occurred immediately after he went to sleep C. occurred just before he woke up D. was the longest one to him Answer: C
By her validly executed will, Sallie devised a certain tract of land to her son, Ben, for his life with remainder to such of Ben's children as should be living at his death, "Provided, however, that no such child of Ben shall mortgage or sell, or attempt to mortgage or sell, his or her interest in the property prior to attaining 25 years of age; and, if any such child of Ben shall violate this provision, then upon such violation his or her interest shall pass to and become the property of the remaining children of Ben then living, share and share alike." Sallie's will included an identical provision for each of her four other children concerning four other tracts of land. The residuary clause of the will gave the residuary estate to Sallie's five children equally. Sallie died and was survived by the five children named in her will and by 11 grandchildren. Several additional grandchildren have since been born. In an action for a declaration of rights, it was claimed that the attempted gifts to Sallie's grandchildren were entirely void and that the interests following the life estates to Sallie's children passed to the children absolutely by the residuary clause. Assuming that the action was properly brought with all necessary parties and with a guardian ad litem appointed to represent the interests of unborn and infant grandchildren, the decision should be that Answer: One of the odd things about some business organizations is that they spend so much money attracting new customers but spend so little keeping them. It just doesn't make sense. However, taking customers for granted is a routine in some business organizations. Loyal customers are an organization's only protection against bankruptcy , and losing them because of neglect or indifference is really wrong. Not only do satisfied customers continue to buy by themselves, but they often encourage others to buy. This is advertising that doesn't cost a penny. Although there are always problems in giving good service to customers, maintaining their business isn't all that difficult. It's a matter of attitude, of believing that everyone who buys from you is entitled to the best treatment you can deliver. Plus giving just a little more than you have to. There are always problems in giving good service to customers. The reason, of course, is that no organization is perfect, and there's many a slip: unreasonable delays in filling orders, shipping the wrong goods, failing to answer letters promptly, and so on. Sometimes these errors or failures can't be helped. For example, if you can't get parts because of material shortages or a transportation strike, customers may be denied the goods they've ordered. No matter who is at fault, customers whom you value highly should generally be given the benefit of the doubt. The old saying that _ . Customers who repeatedly place large orders and pay for them will naturally, get more attention than those who buy infrequently and have to be badgered to pay what they owe. However, you have to make the assumption that all customers are good unless proved otherwise. Which of the following statements might the author agree with? Answer: In which process is nitrogen from the air put into a form that plants can use? Answer: As more women in the United States move up the professional ladder, more are finding it necessary to made business trips alone. If you are married, it is a good idea to encourage your husband and children to learn to cook a few simple meals while you are away. They will be much happier and probably they will enjoy the experience. If you will be eating alone a good deal, choose good restaurants. In the end, they will be much better for your digestion. You may also find it useful to call the restaurant in advance and tell them that you will be eating alone. Finally, and most importantly, prepare your travel needs as a businesswoman; this starts with lightweight luggage which you can easily manage even when fully packed. Take a folding case inside your suitcase; it will come in extremely handy for dirty clothes, as well as for business papers you no longer need on the trip. And make sure you have a briefcase so that you can keep required papers separate. Obviously, experience helps, but you can make things easier on yourself from the first by careful planning, so that right from the start you really can have a good trip! The writer writes the passage probably for _ . Answer: 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 current economic situation is affecting the American way of life for 4.4 million people living in the US, according to a new census data. "It's going to have a long-term impact and to say it's going to end is optimitic," says Cheryl Russell, former editor-in-chief of American Demographics magazine. "We're just in the middle of a big transition." 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. *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 child bearing age had gone up by more than 1 million. *Breaking up is harder. The number of divorces has been falling for 25 years as people wait longer or choose to live together before tying the knot. There were about 65,000 fewer divorces in 2010 than in 2008, a 7 percent decrease. *Crowded living. Unemployment is forcing more people to live together. Ther 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 again to 9.1 percent against 8.8 percent in 2006. The percentage of households with two or more cars fell from 58 percent to 57.1 percent. What might Cheryl Russell agree with according to the article? Answer:
"You'll have to take care of the baby today," a woman told her husband. "I'm not feeling well." "Then you must stay in bed and rest, dear" her husband said. "I'll be pleased to look after our baby." "By the way, shall I do the shopping for you as well?" her husband asked. The woman was very glad and said, "That will help me very much. I'll give you a list of things to buy" She wrote out the list and gave it to him. The man took the baby to the supermarket and put him in the shopping cart. Then he pushed the shopping cart along the rows of things and looked for those that were on his list. At first everything was OK, but then the baby began to cry. Then he started to scream. And scream! And SCREAM! "Keep calm, George," the man said. "Don't get excited. Don't shout, George. _ , George." A woman in the supermarket heard him saying so. She walked up to him. "I think you are wonderful," she said. "You are so patient with your little George." "Madam," the man said, "I'm George. He's Edward." When the baby was crying, the father kept taking to _ for relaxing. A his baby B the woman C himself D George Answer: C Allen and Barker are equal tenants in common of a strip of land 10 feet wide and 100 feet deep which lies between the lots on which their respective homes are situated. Both Allen and Barker need the use of the 10-foot strip as a driveway, and each fears that a new neighbor might seek partition and leave him with an unusable five-foot strip. The best advice about how to solve their problem is A a covenant against partition. B an indenture granting cross easements in the undivided half interest of each. C partition into two separate five-foot-wide strips and an indenture granting cross easements. D a trust to hold the strip in perpetuity Answer: C A soldier who lost both his legs after being blown up in Afghanistan is racing a sports car in his hometown this weekend. Remarkably David Birrell will not only drive the Mazda MX5 but he does without any specially adapted equipment. Davie, 28, has battled back from terrible injuries after a bomb blew up directly below him. He gave himself first aid and fired at Taliban fighters until help arrived. Davie was always interested in motor sport and after spending weeks in hospital was introduced by Help the Heroes to Mission Motorsport, which helps the wounded recover. The charity are organizing a major event, Race of Remembrance, at the Anglesey Circuit near Rhosneigr of North Wales in November, and Davie was at the circuit yesterday for an official launch. He said,"It's my first time racing on Anflesey. This means everything to me. I loved it straight away, and it gives you something to focus on, to try and stay in front of others. I was boxing since the age of eight and my whole life has been one-to-one competition. But now everything has changed." Davie, a corporal in the Black Watch, was in Helmand in April 2010 when his interpreter stood on the bomb. He said,"I was confused and went blank for a couple of seconds. There was dust in the air and I couldn't see. Both legs were still attached but there were massive injuries to my right leg and my left foot was broken."As the Taliban began firing he returned fire and waited for help. He added,"A medical team came over. I was taken back to Camp Bastion by helicopter. I was there for two days before being flown to hospital in Birmingham." He had lost his right leg and the following year had his left leg _ below the knee, ending the Army career. Davie is most likely to come from _ . A Afghanistan. B the UK. C the US. D Taliban. Answer: B The story of "Who Moved My Cheese?"was created by Dr. Spencer Johnson to help him deal with a difficult change in his life. It showed him how to take his changing situation seriously but not take himself so seriously. When his friends noticed how much better life had become for him, and asked why, Dr.Johnson shared his "Cheese" story. Many later said how greatly the story had helped them to keep their sense of humor, to change, and to gain something better, too. Twenty years after the story was created, "Who Moved My Cheese?" was finally published. It soon became a No.1 international best seller, with one million hardcover copies in print within the first sixteen months and over ten million copies within the next two years. Some critics do not understand why so many people find the book so valuable. They say the story is simple enough for a child to understand, and it insults their intelligence. Some even fear it suggests that people should mindlessly accept unnecessary changes forced upon them by others, although that is not in the story. The author said that both the fans and the critics are "right" in their own way. It is not what is in the story of "Who Moved My Cheese?" but how you understand it and apply it to your own situation that gives it value. Hopefully the way you understand the story of "Who Moved My Cheese?" and the way you put it into action in your life will help you find and enjoy the "New Cheese" you deserve . (278words) Some people don't like the book because they think that _ . A it is too simple for adults to read B the author aims to insult them C there are many wrong ideas in it D the author's intelligence is too high Answer: A If you knew you had only three years left to live, how would you use your time? It's a hard question and few of us would even like to think about it. But 18-year-old Huang Ge has to answer this question and he says, "I want to thank the people who have helped me." At the age of one, Huang's mother left the family. Six years later, he was badly ill. He has been using a wheelchair since 9 years old. Doctors said he would only live to be 18. After Huang's story went on TV, hundreds of Chinese sent money to help him. The boy was so moved that he decided to thank everyone of them. But it is not an easy job, because Huang was too sick even to drive a mosquito away from his leg. Huang has to be tied to his wheelchair to stop him from falling out. And the family can only afford a three-wheeled motorcycle . Since 2003, the father and son have traveled 14,000 kilometers to 10 provinces, and thanked more than 30 helpers. "I am moved by the story of this boy. We need the courage to face death, and we should also feel the thankfulness for those who help us," reads an online article on CCTV,com. After hundreds of people sent money to help him, _ . A Huang Ge decided to ask for more B Huang Ge decided to thank everyone who had helped him C Huang Ge's story went on TV D Huang Ge had a happy life with his father at home Answer: B
Football is, I believe, the most popular game in England: one has only to go to the important matches to see _ . Rich and poor, young and old, one can see them all there, shouting for one side or the other. To a stranger, one of the most surprising things about football in England is the great knowledge of the game which even the smallest boy seems to have. He can tell you the names of the players in most of the important teams. He will tell you who he expects will win such a match, and his opinion is usually as good as that of men three or four times his age. Most schools in England take football seriously-much more seriously than nearly all European schools, where lessons are all very important and games are left for the children themselves. In England it is believed that education is not only a matter filling a boy's mind with facts in the classroom: education also means the training of character; and one of the best ways of training character is by means of games, especially team games; where a boy or girl has to learn to work with others for his or her team, instead of working for oneself alone. The school therefore plans games and matches for its students. Football is a good team game. It is good both for the body and the mind. That's why it is every school's game in England. In England, education means _ . A. filling a boy's mind with stories B. more than the teaching of knowledge C. the teaching of knowledge only D. training character by means of football games Answer: B In America,Virginia Beach has all the elements of a classic seaside resort:brilliant beaches,a lively boardwalk,plenty of restaurants and nightspots,and amusement rides sure to appeal to kids.Many believe Virginia Beach is at its best in the off-season,when the town is less crowded but the weather is still mild. Meanwhile,some safety tips should be followed,enjoying the happiness and excitement the beach offers. The number l safety tip concerns ocean safety:pay attention to Flag conditions posted on the lifeguard stands.Lifeguards post a red flag to warn when the ocean water is dangerous.Take them seriously! Tourists from land-locked regions are particularly easily attracted by the magic of the waves.However,a calm ocean can become risky without warning.Make sure you swim near a lifeguard.Swimming without lifeguard protection is almost five times as great as drowning at a beach with lifeguards. Never swim alone.Many drownings involve single swimmers.When you swim with someone else,if one of you has a problem,the other may be able to get help,including signaling for assistance from others. Don't fight the current.The facts show that some 80% of rescues by lifeguards at ocean beaches are caused by currents.These currents are formed by surf and gravity,because once surf pushes water up the slope of a beach,gravity pulls it back.This can create concentrated rivers of water moving offshore.If you are caught in a rip current,don't fight it by trying to swim directly to shore.Instead,swim parallel to shore until you feel the current relax,then swim to shore.Most rip currents are narrow and a short swim parallel to shore will help bring you to safety. The passage mainly tells us _ . A. some safety tips when swimming in the sea B. the happiness and excitement the beach offers C. Virginia Beach has all the elements of a classic seaside resort D. the dangers for tourists from land-locked regions to swim in the sea Answer: C Last Tuesday, after doing all the family shopping in town, I wanted to have a rest before catching the train. So I bought a newspaper and some chocolate and went into a station coffee shop with long tables to sit at. I put my heavy bag down on the floor, put the newspaper and chocolate on the table to keep a place, and went to get a cup of coffee. When I came back with my coffee, there was someone sitting near to me. It was one of those strange-looking young men, with dark glasses, torn clothes, and long hair. But I wasn't surprised at such a young man. What surprised me most was that he had started to eat my chocolate! I was rather uneasy about him, but I didn't want to get into trouble. I just looked down at the front page of the newspaper and took a bit of chocolate. The boy looked at me. Then he took a second piece of my chocolate. I could hardly believe it. Still I didn't say anything. When he took a third one, I felt more angry than uneasy. I thought, "Well, I shall have the last piece." And I got it. The boy gave me a strange look and then stood up. As he left, he shouted out, "This woman is crazy!" Everyone looked at me. That was embarrassing enough. But it was worse when I finished my coffee and ready to leave. It wasn't my chocolate I had eaten a moment before. Mine was just under my newspaper. The woman telling the story went to town to _ . A. catch the train B. buy some chocolate and coffee C. have a rest D. do some shopping for her family Answer: D This year some twenty-three hundred teen-agers (young people aged from 13-19)from all over the world will spend about ten months in U. S. homes. They will attend U. S. schools, meet U. S. teen-agers, and form impressions of the real America. At the same time, about thirteen hundred American teen-agers will go to other countries to learn new languages and gain a new understanding of the rest of the world. Here is a two-way student exchange in action. Fred, nineteen, spent last year in Germany with George's family. In turn, George's son Mike spent a year in Fred's home in America. Fred, a lively young man, knew little German when he arrived, but after two months' study, the language began to come to him. School was completely different from what he had expected --much harder. Students rose respectfully when the teacher entered the room. They took fourteen subjects instead of the six that are usual in the United States. There were almost no outside activities. Family life, too, was different. The father's word was law, and all activities were around the family rather than the individual . Fred found the food too simple at first. Also, he missed having a car. "Back home, you pick up some friends in a car and go out and have a good time. In Germany, you walk, but you soon learn to like it." At the same time, in America, Mike, a friendly German boy, was also forming his idea. "I suppose I should criticize American schools", he says. "It is far too easy by our level. But I have to say that I like it very much. In Germany we do nothing but study. Here we take part in many outside activities. I think that maybe your schools are better in training for citizens . There ought to be some middle ground between the two. " Fred and Mike agreed that _ . A. American food tasted better than German food B. German schools were harder than American schools C. Americans and Germans were both friendly D. There were more cars on the streets in America Answer: B As we all know, millions of people worldwide cook their food over smoky fire every day. It is often difficult to find wood for the fire. People who do not have wood must spend large amounts of money on cooking fuel. However, there is a much easier way to cook food using energy from the sun. Solar cooker, or ovens, have been used for centuries. A Swiss scientist made the first solar oven in seventeen sixty-seven. Today, people are using solar cookers in many countries around the world. People use solar ovens to cook food and to heat drinking water to kill bacteria and other harmful organisms. There are three kinds of solar ovens. The first is a box cooker, It is designed with a special wall that shines or reflects sunlight into the box .Heat gets trapped under a piece of glass or plastic covering the top of the cooker. A box oven is effective for slow cooking of large amounts of food. The second kind of solar oven is a panel cooker. It includes several flat walls or panels that directly reflect the sun's light onto the food. The food is inside a separate container of plastic or glass that traps heat energy. People can build panel cookers quickly and with very few supplies. They do not cost much. In Kenya ,for example ,panel cookers are being manufactured for just two dollars. The third kind of solar oven is a parabolic cooker. It has rounded walls that aim sunlight directly into the bottom of the oven .Food cooks quickly in parabolic ovens .However, these cookers are hard to make. They must be re-aimed often to follow the sun .Parabolic cookers can also cause burns and eye injuries if they are not used correctly. You can make solar ovens from boxes or heavy paper. They will not catch fire. Paper burns at two hundred thirty-two degrees Celsius. A solar cooker never gets that hot. Solar ovens cook food at low temperatures over long periods of time. This permits people to leave food to cook while they do other things. What is the main purpose of the author in writing the passage? A. To advertise the solar ovens. B. To help readers to save cost on fuel. C. To tell the readers how to make solar ovens. D. To give the readers brief introduction of solar ovens. Answer: D
It's so beautiful outside that spending the day in the office would be very boring. So why not take the vacations off? A new survey found that 31%of U.S workers don't always take all of their vacation days. Americans have 12 vacation days on average each year, but they give back an average of 3 vacation days each year. So why don't they use up their vacation days? Some say they would rather get money back for their unused days; some busy workers say they just can't leave their work. Americans have fewer vacation days than workers in any other country surveyed. The French take their vacations seriously. French workers get an average of 39 vacation days, and 40% plan to take at least one there-to-four-week vacation. Workers in Sweden receive an average of 25 vacation days a year, but they can't find time to use them all. More workers there return vacation days than any other country surveyed. British workers have the longest working week in Europe ,with 23 vacation days --the shortest vacation. So they feel overworked.75% say their weekends or vacations are too short and 40% would _ a day's pay for one more vacation day. _ U.S workers don't always take all of their vacation days. A All B Most C Some D Few Answer: D. Few The largest amount of natural illumination will likely occur for a Floridian in A space B june C october D january Answer: B. june Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver, and the other gold. This song expresses a nice rule: increasing friends. Sometimes things actually work out that way. I've met adults who've said, "We've been friends since kindergarten!" A friend who has known you forever is a treasure. But friendships don't always last -- especially for children. When I was growing up, my family moved about every three years. The advantage of this was that I got to see different parts of the world, and it made my family very close. I also learned to be pretty good at making new friends, and, to keep in touch with old friends, I became a great letter writer. But I always admired those kids who stayed in one place and kept their friends for a long time. I didn't learn that children's friendships can disappear even when no one moves until I was much older, with children of my own. Sometimes friendships end in quarrels and hurt feelings. But perhaps the most painful end to a friendship is the one-sided rejection -- one friend turns away, or chooses someone else as a close friend, and the other child is left feeling sad and wondering why this thing happened. The end of a friendship is often sad, but it's not necessarily a bad thing. Often the end of one friendship makes more room for other friendships to grow. What does the children's song really mean? A Friendships don't last forever. B New friends are more important. C Only old friends are important. D Old friends are as important as new ones. Answer: D. Old friends are as important as new ones. Living underground can be used for hiding from what? A food B hunters C dirt D water Answer: B. hunters The popular US drama series "House of Cards", which has already started its second season, features Chinese elements in its storyline. Traditional heroes are no longer sought after anymore. Today, it's unconventional leading figure -like Francis J. Underwood from "House of Cards" who are winning audiences' hearts. The political drama, which airs on the Internet service Netflix, has won the applauses of viewers around the world since its debut on February 1, 2013. And it has caught the attention of real politicians, including US President Barack Obama. Kevin Spacey plays Francis J. Underwood, a cold-blooded Democrat who moves his way up the political ladder by any means necessary. He often uses his under-exposure in media to carry out misdeeds that will later benefit him. The revenge theme plays a heavy role throughout the storyline, Underwood, who had high hopes for an appointment as Secretary of State in the first season, was betrayed by the US President and his former colleagues. He and his wife then conducted a plan of revenge and swore to unseat those who turned their backs against him. Through their plan, Underwood's own hunger for power grew and empowered him to get rid of whoever stood in his Way. The release of the trailer of the second season excited millions of viewers around the world, including US President Barack Obama, who has been a loyal fan since the series debuted. Obama expressed his admiration for Underwood. "This guy's getting a lot of stuff done," he said. Although the President is anxious to watch the story unfold, he'd like to do it at his own pace. After the release of the second season on February 14, 2014, Obama sent words on his Twitter account, "Tomorrow: @HouseOfCards. No spoilers , please." The second season has promised to be darker, with more unexpected turnouts, and is to include more Chinese elements. "Perhaps the team, including myself, has realized that in the next decade, Asia will be an extensively important region, and China will play an active role in its transition and change," says Spacey. The message sent by Obama on his Twitter account proves that he _ . A doesn't wish to be told what to do as a drama fan B adores the drama so much that he wants to watch it in advance C doesn't want to be disturbed while watching the drama D hopes nobody will inform him of the plot of the drama in advance Answer: D. hopes nobody will inform him of the plot of the drama in advance
Question: In-line skating is a fun sport that everyone can enjoy. Follow these safety tips to keep skating safe and fun. Step 1: Gear up! Even before you put on your skates, put on all your safety gear . Step 2: Buckle up! Strap on your skates. Make sure they fit well and are snugly around your ankles. This helps your ankles stay strong and straight. Step 3: Fall down! You probably do not usually try to fall. But it is good to practice falling on skates. Fall forward onto your knee pads. Put out your hands and let your wrist guards hit the ground. See? Are you surprised that it doesn't hurt? Practice falling until it is easy to fall forward and get up again. If you are not afraid to fall, you will try new things. Knowing how to fall will help you be a better skater and find your balance. When you can stay balanced, you won't fall as much. Step 4: Stop! Make sure you can stop on your skates. The quickest and safest is probably the brake stop. The brake is usually on the back of the right skate. The brake stop: Roll forward with your skates pointing the same way. Let your right skate roll a little forward. Bend your knees as if you are sitting down. Then press your right heel down hard. This will make your brake pad drag on the ground until you stop. The T stop: Roll forward with your skates pointing the same way. Then turn your right foot out so the toes are pointing to your right. Drag your right skate. Let the wheels drag on the ground until you come to a stop. Another way to stop is to run or jump onto the grass. Step 5: Roll around! Find a flat, smooth place to practice. Do not skate in streets. Parks and playgrounds are good places to practice. Look for "No skating" signs to make sure you can skate there. In the step right after "Buckle up!" you should practice how to _ . A. skate fast B. brake C. fall safely D. put on gear Answer: C Question: Beldon and Canfield are two seashore towns, not far apart. Both towns have many hotels, and in summer the hotels are full of holiday-makers and other tourists. Last August there was a fire at the Seabreeze Hotel in Beldon. The next day this news appeared on Page Two of the town's newspaper, The Beldon Post. FIRE AT SEABREEZE Late last night firemen hurried to the Seabreeze Hotel and quickly put out a small fire in a bedroom. The hotel manager said that a cigarette started the fire. We say again to all our visitors, "Please don't smoke cigarettes in bed." This was Beldon's first hotel fire for five years. The canfield times gave the news in these words on Page One: ANOTHER BELDON HOTEL CATCHES FIRE Last night Beldon firemen arrived just too late to save clothing, bedclothes and some furniture at the Seabreeze Hotel. An angry holiday-maker said, " An electric lamp probably started the fire. The bedroom lamps are very old at some of these hotels. When I turned the bedside light on, I heard a funny noise from the lamp." We are glad to tell our readers that this sort of adventure does not happen in Canfield. What are the facts, then? It is never easy to find out the exact truth about an accident. There was a fire at the Seabreeze Hotel 1st August: that is one fact. Do we know anything else? Yes, we know that firemen went to the hotel. The Canfield Times used the headline like this in order to make its readers think _ . A. this was the second fire at the Seabreeze Hotel B. hotels in Beldon often catch fire C. hotels in Beldon don't often catch fire D. Beldon was a good place except that hotels there are not quite safe Answer: B Question: Senior First Aid Registration Details: PARASOL EMT Pty Limited (ABN 39 072 488 914) Recognition Period: 01/01/1997 to 30/03/2008 Purpose: The aim of this course is to develop a student's competence and confidence in providing emergency first aid. This includes calling for help, the ability to respond to first aid situations, decision-making, and basic life support functions. This course covers adult and child conditions. _ This course is suitable for anyone requiring a first aid certificate for the workplace, recreational purposes, sporting, or home use. Format : A mixture of theoretical and practical elements , with at least 50% of time spent on practical skills. Requirements: Be at least 14 years of age. Learning Objectives: * Apply Life Support Skills * Apply First Aid Management Skills for Burns * Demonstrate the identification and management of bleeding and wounds. * Describe the recognition and management of internal bleeding * Manage an Emergency (Basic) * Apply First Aid Management for bone and joint injuries * Manage Emergency Situations * Apply First Aid Management skills for bites, stings and poisoning. * Manage an acute illness * Describe the recognition and management of an eye injury * Describe the basic structure and function of the human body. * Apply First Aid Management skills for chest, abdominal and head injuries According to the ads after you finish this course, you will probably do all the following EXCEPT _ . A. you can deal with common animals' bites and stings B. you can do an operation on the chest and head C. you can give first aid when someone hurt his leg badly D. you can tell whether a person is bleeding inside his body Answer: B Question: Most rain forests lie close to the equator ,where the climate is often mild and there are long hours of sunshine.The warmth of the land heats the air above,causing it to rise and tiny drops of water to fall as rain.The rainfall can reach at least 98 inches a year.This wet,warm world with plenty of sunlight is perfect for plants to grow,so the trees grow fast with green leaves all the year round.The trees themselves also have an effect on the climate.They gather water from the soil and pass it out into the air through their leaves.The wet air then forms clouds,which hang over the treetops like smoke.These clouds protect the forest from the daytime heat and night-time cold of nearby deserts,keeping temperatures fit for plant growth. Rain forests slightly farther away from the equator remain just as warm,but they have a dry season of three months or more when little rain falls.Tree leaves fall during this dry season and new leaves grow when the wet season or monsoon begins.Thus these areas are known as the "monsoon forest". Another type of rain forest grows on tropical mountains.It is often called the "cloud forest" because clouds often hang over the trees like fog. The rain forest is the ideal place for the growth of many different trees.Most of them depend on animals to eat their fruits and spread their seeds.When the fruits are eaten,the seeds inside them go undamaged through animals' stomachs and are passed out in their droppings.The seeds lying on the forest floor then grow into new trees. We can learn from the passage that _ . A. tree leaves are green all the time in the monsoon forest B. there is a dry season in the cloud forest on tropical mountains C. clouds help the plants in the rain forest near the deserts to grow D. the formation of climate in the rain forest has little to do with the trees Answer: C Question: A Chinese couple tried to name their baby "@", saying the character best represents their love for the child, according to an official trying to standardize the national language. The unusual name stands out especially in Mandarin, which has no alphabet and instead uses tens of thousands of multistroke characters to represent words. "The whole world uses it to write emails, and translated into Chinese it means 'love him'," the father explained, according to the deputy chief of the State Language Commission Li Yuming. While the @ symbol is familiar to Chinese email users, they often use the English word "at" to sound it out. With a drawnout "t", this sounds something like "ai ta", or "love him", to Mandarin speakers. Li says the name is an extreme example of people's increasingly adventurous approach to Mandarin, as commercialization and the Internet break down conventions . Another couple tried to give their child a name that in English sounds like "King Osrina". Li did not say if officials accepted the "@" name. But earlier this year the government announced a ban on names using Arabic numerals and foreign languages. Sixty million Chinese face the problem that their names use ancient characters so uncommon that computers cannot recognize them _ , said Li, according to a report on the government website. One of them is the former Premier Zhu Rongji, whose name has a rare "rong" character that gives newspaper editors headaches. The former Premier Zhu Rongji is mentioned in the passage because _ . A. people often mispronounce his name B. there is an uncommon character in his name C. he often made newspaper editors annoyed during his term in office D. he once stressed the importance of standardizing Chinese characters Answer: B
Question: "You know, Chihuahuas aren't actual dogs. They're a kind of fox," announced a woman at a party. This woman entirely believed that Chihuahuas are the descendants of the Fennec fox. Many people might believe this: Chihuahuas are similar to foxes in their appearance with long-haired Chihuahuas appearing almost indistinguishable from their wild counterparts . The idea that Chihuahuas are related to foxes isn't uncommon. Even the American Kennel Club, which is usually a highly respected source of information, accepts the belief and the similarity between Chihuahuas and Fennec foxes. Interesting as it is to imagine that Chihuahuas are a breed of the fox, this idea simply can't hold water. Chihuahuas are, in fact, far more closely related to dingoes or wolves than they are to Fennec foxes. Like other dogs, Chihuahuas are able to breed with other members within the same species. The Fennec fox is a member of a different species. Chihuahuas and Fennec foxes are fairly distantly related just like a cat and a tiger are. Their similarities occur only because of a phenomenon known as convergent evolution , in which animals develop similar features to meet similar biological needs. A simple observation of geography further denies the idea that Fennec foxes and Chihuahuas are related. While the Fennec fox was living in the deserts of Africa, the Chihuahua came from Mexico, where it got its common name. Its closest living s are other native Central and South American breeds. Its ancestor, the now nearly-extinct Mexican gray wolf, is also a much closer to the Chihuahua than any other fox. It is common to consider the cute Chihuahua as a little Fennec fox adapted to life, but this theory is not true. Chihuahuas are domestic dogs to the same degree as other dogs. Much as a Chihuahua might look like a fox, it is--and always will be--a dog. This passage is written mainly to _ . A. tell readers some simple knowledge about Chihuahuas B. distinguish Chihuahuas from Fennec foxes with some facts C. use an example to tell readers about convergent evolution D. correct the wrong belief that Chihuahuas are closely related to foxes Answer: D Question: When Lucy and Maria Aylmer tell people they are twins, disbelief is the response. The 18-year-olds from Gloucester, U.K. are two of the five children born to their Caucasian father and "half-Jamaican" mother. While their other siblings (brothers and sisters) have a blend of features from their parents who have different skin colours, Lucy and Maria are unique: Lucy has fair skin and red hair, while Maria has brown skin and dark hair. "No one ever believes we are twins because I am white and Maria is black," Lucy said. "Even when we dress alike, we still don't look like sisters, let alone twins. When we meet friends for the first time they all refuse to believe we are twins and some have even made us produce our birth certificates to prove that we are really twins." Unlike identical twins, fraternal twins are bom from two separate eggs. The BBC reports that for a biracial couple expecting twins, there is about a 1 in 500 chance those twins will have different skin colors. The Aylmers are proud of their uniqueness. "Now we have grown older, even though we still look so different, the bond between us is much stronger," Lucy said. "Now we are proud of the fact that we are each other's twin sister. Maria loves telling people at college that she has a white twin sister -- and I'm very proud of having a black twin sister, too." What can we learn about Maria from the text? A. She comes from Jamaica. B. She was born of biracial parents. C. She bears mainly features other father. D. She shares a birth certificate with her twin sister. Answer: B Question: Are you looking for some new and exciting places to take your kids to? Try some of these places: . Visit art museums. They offer a variety of activities to excite your kids' interest. Many offer workshops for making hand-made pieces, traveling exhibits, book signings by children's favorite writers, and even musical performances and other arts. . Head to a natural history museum. This is where kids can discover the past from dinosaur models to rock collections and pictures of stars in the sky. Also, ask what kind of workshops and educational programs are prepared for kids and any special events that are coming up. . Go to a Youtheater. Look for one in your area offering plays for child and family visitors. Pre-show play shops are conducted by area artists and educators where kids can discover the secret about performing arts. Puppet making and stage make-up are just a couple of the special offerings you might find. Try hands-on science. Visit one of the many hands-on science museums around the country. These science play-lands are great fun for kids and grown-ups alike. They'll keep your child mentally and physically active the whole day through while pushing buttons, experimenting, and building.. When everyone is tired, enjoy a fun family science show, commonly found in these museums. If a child is interested in the universe, he probably will visit A. a Youtheater B. an art museum - C. a natural history museum D. a hands-on science museum Answer: C Question: What happens to metal railroad tracks during the heat of a summer day? A. decrease in weight B. increase in weight C. decrease in length D. increase in length Answer: D Question: Rice plants normally grow well in still water. But most will die if they are completely underwater for more than four days. Now, researchers have identified a gene that helps rice survive longer underwater. They say the discovery will lead to new kinds of rice plants that can survive flooding, and therefore reach their final aim, ensuring more dependable food supplies. Tests are now being done in prefix = st1 /Laos,BangladeshandIndia. The researchers say experimental rice plants with the gene have survived underwater as long as two weeks. When flooding happens, most kinds of rice plants cannot get enough oxygen, carbon dioxide or sunlight. But the scientists say crop loss depends on several conditions. These include soil conditions and plant age. Others include the amount of time the plant is underwater and the amount of fertilizer used on the crop. On a genetic map of rice, the scientists became interested in a group of three genes. They experimented with one of them, a gene known as Sub-One-A. They found that when this gene becomes very active, it improves the ability of rice to survive longer when rice is covered by water. They believe it succeeds because it affects the reaction to hormones . _ control the ability of a flooded plant to survive. Placing the gene into rice plants that are especially good for conditions inIndia, researchers say the genetically engineered plants not only survived but also produced good crops. The researchers are now trying to identify all the genes governed by the Sub-One-A gene. Being able to leave water on rice plants for an additional week might also help farmers prevent the growth of weeds. Less weed growth around their crops would mean less need for herbicide chemicals. Crop loss depends on all the following conditions EXCEPT _ . A. soil conditions and plant age B. the amount of water the plant stands in C. the amount of fertilizer used on the crop D. the amount of time the plant is underwater Answer: B
My granddaughter, Shari, owns The Berry Factory in Sacramento, California, and her mother, Joan, and I were helping with the Valentine's Day rush. We'd dipped hundreds of berries, arranged gift baskets and packaged orders to be shipped around the country. By the end of the day, the two middle-aged women, Joan and I, were exhausted. Shari didn't seem tired. That was typical Shari. Though she was very busy, I'd seen her give away berries to everybody -- parking attendants, mail carriers and hairdressers. "For me?" they would say, bursting into a smile. As a "thank you", Shari took us out for dinner. But there was a 45-minute wait at her favorite restaurant. "No big deal. There's another place just up the road," she said, driving us there. This time we walked right in. When the waitress came to take our drink orders, Shari reached into her handbag, pulling something out. "I want you to have these," she said, handing the waitress a box of chocolate-dipped strawberries. "She will love those berries!" I thought. But the waitress seemed _ . She only let out a "thank you" before grabbing the box and rushing into the kitchen. A few minutes later, the waitress returned with our iced tea. "I apologize," she said. "My best friend and I had promised to send each other something every Valentine's Day. But she passed away last year. I didn't know how I'd get through this day without her. Then you handed me that box.""I'm so sorry to hear that," said Shari. "It's not much, but I hope you can enjoy them.""Oh, I will," the waitress said. "See, every year we always sent each other the same thing; a box of chocolate-dipped strawberries bought from our favourite store, The Berry Factory." Which of the following words can best describe Shari? Answer: Kind-hearted I got your letter and was glad to find that you had not forgotten Jourdon, and that you wanted me to come back and live with you again in Tennessee, promising to do better for me than anybody else can. Although you shot at me twice before I left you, I did not want to hear of your being hurt. It would do me good to go back to the dear old home again and see Allen, Esther, Green, and Lee. Give my love to them all, and tell them I hope we will meet in the better world, if not in this. I want to know particularly what the good chance is you propose to give me. I am doing tolerably well here in Ohio. I get twenty-five dollars a month, with food and clothing; have a comfortable home for Mandy, the folks call her Mrs. Anderson; and the children--Milly, Jane, and Grundy--go to school and are learning well. The teacher says Grundy has a head for a preacher. We are kindly treated. Now, if you will write and say what wages you will give me, I will be better able to decide whether it would be to my advantage to move back again. We have concluded to test your sincerity by asking you to send us our wages for the time we served you. This will make us forget and forgive old scores and rely on your justice and friendship in the future. I served you faithfully for thirty-two years, and Mandy twenty years. At twenty-five dollars a month for me, and two dollars a week for Mandy, our earnings would amount to eleven thousand six hundred and eighty dollars. Add to this the interest for the time our wages have been kept back, and deduct what you paid for our clothing, and three doctor's visits to me, and pulling a tooth for Mandy. If you fail to pay us for faithful labors in the past, we can have little faith in your promises in the future. In answering this letter, please state if there would be any safety for my Milly and Jane, who are now grown up, and both good-looking girls. I would rather stay here and starve--and die, if it should come to that--than have my girls brought to shame by the violence and wickedness of their young Masters. You will also please state if there has been any schools opened for the colored children in your neighborhood. The great desire of my life now is to give my children an education and have them form virtuous habits. Say howdy to George Carter, and thank him for taking the pistol from you when you were shooting at me. The purpose of the writer's asking for his pay back is _ . Answer: to test whether the letter receiver is worthy of trust On the last day before Christmas, I hurried to a store to buy some gifts. While looking in the toys section,. I noticed a small boy of about five years old, pressing a doll against his chest.Keeping on touching the hair of the doll, the boy murmured sadly, "I don't have enough money.What can I do?" I walked towards him and asked him curiously who he wanted to give the doll to. " It is the doll that my sister loved most and wanted so much for this Christmas.She was so sure that Santa Claus would bring it to her." I told him that maybe Santa Claus would bring it to her after all and not to worry.However, he replied sadly, " No, Santa Claus cannot take it to where she is now.I have to give the doll to my mother so that she can give it to her when she goes there." His eyes looked so sad while saying this. " My sister has gone to be with God.Daddy says that Mommy will also join God very soon so I think that she can take the doll with her to give it to my sister." My heart nearly stopped. The boy looked up at me and said, " I told Daddy to tell Mommy not to go yet.I asked him to wait until I come back from the store." Then, he showed me a very nice photo of him where he was laughing.He told me, " I also want Mommy to take this photo with her so that she will not forget me, I love my Mommy and I wish she didn't have to leave me but Daddy says that she has to go and join my little sister." Then he looked at the doll again quietly with sad eyes. I quickly reached my hand into my pocket, saying, "What if we checked again, just in case, to see if you have enough money?" What would happen at the end of the story? Answer: The author would give the boy some money. One day an ant was drinking at a small stream and fell in. She made desperate efforts to reach the side, but made no progress at all. The poor ant almost exhausted was still bravely doing her best when a dove saw her. Moved with pity, the bird threw her a blade of grass, which supported her like a raft, and thus the ant reached the bank again. While she was resting and drying herself in the grass, she heard a man come near. He was walking along barefooted with a gun in his hand. As soon as he saw the dove, he wished to kill it. He would certainly have done so, but the ant bit him in the foot just as he raised his gun to fire. He stopped to see what had bit him, and the dove immediately flew away. It was an animal much weaker and smaller than herself that had saved her life. In writing the story, the writer wants to show _ . Answer: we often need help from others, therefore we should help others as much as we can Somali pirates robbed three Thai fishing ships with 77 sailors on board nearly l, 200 Miles off the Somali coast, the farthest-off-shore attack to date, an officer said Tuesday. Pirates have gone farther south and east in answer to increased patrols by warships off the Somali shore. The robbing of the three ships Sunday was about 600 miles outside the normal operation area for the international force, said a spokesman. The spokesman said the attack so far out at sea was a clear sign that the international patrols against pirates were having a "marked effect on pirate activity in the area". "Once they start attacking that far out, you're not even really talking about the Somali basin or areas of water that have any connection with Somalia," said an officer, Roger Middleton. "Once you're that far out, it's just the Indian Ocean, and it means you're looking at trade going from the Gulf to Asia, from Asia to South Africa. " "This is the farthest robbing to date. They are now operating near the Maldives and India," said another officer. The three ships--the MV Prantalay 11, 12, and l 4--had 77 members on board in total. All of them are Thai, the spokesman said. Before the Sunday robbing, pirates held l l ships and 228 sailors. Pirates have increased attacks over the past year in hopes. of catching more dollar payments. Because of increased patrols and defenses on board ships, the success rate has gone down, though the number of successful attacks has stayed the same year over year. How many sailors were held by the pirates up to the time of the report? Answer: 305.
Question: surging commodity prices could worsen poverty in many poor countries, the International Monetary Fund warned Tuesday. A new IMF study, seeing the effect of soaring oil and food costs, said many poor and developing countries would likely have to change their economic policies in response to soaring commodity prices. "Some countries are at a dangerous point," warned IMF managing director Dominique Strauss-Kahn. "If food prices rise further and oil prices stay the same, some governments will no longer be able to feed their people and at the same time keep stability in their economies," Strauss-Kahn said. The IMF chief called for a "broad cooperative approach" to help handle higher oil and food prices, and said the IMF stood ready to assist countries in need. Strauss-Kahn said the international community would also have to play a role in helping to reduce the effect of commodity price shocks which have caused protests in some countries. European truckers have blockaded major roads to protest fuel prices in recent weeks and food riots have occurred in Cameroon, Bangladesh, and Somalia among other countries in recent months. "Poor countries that are highly dependent on food imports are particularly vulnerable to rising food prices," the IMF report said. Anti-poverty campaigners are concerned that rising commodity costs could roll back advances made through anti-poverty campaigns in recent years, particularly because poorer families tend to spend much more of their household income on food. The IMF report found that poor households are most affected by food price inflation and "warned that the share of undernourished people in developing countries could rise rapidly above the current 40 percent of total population". Energy and food values are still rising and the IMF said its research suggests "the problem is worsening". The Washington-based fund said it is working closely with its member countries to help reduce inflationary pressures taking into account countries' specific needs. The report said that global food markets "need to be kept open" and that "restrictive policies", such as export taxes and bans, should be removed. What's the main idea of the passage? A. IMF takes measures to reduce the effect of commodity price shocks. B. Surging commodity prices cause protests in some countries. C. Rising oil and food prices may worsen poverty in developing countries. D. Global food markets need to be kept open. Answer: C Question: If a person looks at the night sky in February and then again in June, the stars will be A. unchanged B. gone C. unmoved D. differently placed Answer: D Question: _ (from How Do Animals Move?) Many animals scurry up tree trunks to escape enemies or find food. Some live in the treetops. Many of these animals are not only expert climbers, but they also have found interesting ways to get from tree to tree. How Do Animals Adapt?andHow Do Animals Move? are comprehensive explorations of animal adaptations and movement for young readers. Both are part of a 21 book series,The Science of Living Things. InHow Do Animals Adapt?readers learn how animals adapt to survive with respect not only to climate, darkness, food and defenses but also to offspring and people. These adaptations are well explained in double page spreads with examples clearly depicted in photographs and diagrams and developed through their accompanying captions . As the title suggests, movement is the focus ofHow Do Animals Move?Beginning with a description of the explanation of movement, the reader is exposed to the many different ways of animals movement in the air, on land, under ground and in the water. Several unconventional variations (e.g. looping of inchworms, the rectilinear motion of snakes) are included. Once again, the photographs and diagrams plainly support the double page spread discussions of animal movement. The language of both titles is simple enough for young readers without talking down to them. In both books, terminology is featured in . Some of these words are explained in the basic glossary while the majority are explained clearly in the text. Many of these terms provide readers with some fascinating, uncommon words (e.g. brachiation, potassium, skein, and estimate). As do many of Kalman's book, both of these titles have a table of contents, glossary and index which are all enough to introduce young readers to the nature of these tools. Both titles would make excellent additions to any science collection for young readers. What help to understand the articles in the books? A. Photographs and diagrams. B. Contents, glossary and index. C. Terminology and its explanations. D. Animal adaptations and movement. Answer: A Question: Exchanging music over the Internet is fun and easy. Better yet, it's free, which means you don't have to pay for any more expensive music CDs. Several online file-sharing services make it easy for music lovers to exchange their favorite tunes with one another. However, this sharing of music -- a form of music piracy -- is doing harm to the music industry. Industry experts estimate that US$4.3 billion in worldwide sales was lost to music piracy last year. These lost profits could force record companies to stop producing the music of many popular artists. That would hurt both musicians and music fans alike. Music producers are puzzled about how to fight music piracy. Their efforts to fight piracy using the law have had only limited success. The music industry did win a legal victory against Napster, a famous music website. The courts ordered Napster to stop giving away copyrighted music from their site. But a number of other music-sharing networks have sprung up in its place. These new networks are made up of thousands, or even millions, of individuals. Unlike Napster, there's no one company controlling the distribution of music over each network. So it's nearly impossible to stop the illegal activities. Now people in the music industry have decided that " if you can't beat them, join them." They've begun to offer legal alternatives to online music piracy. Major music producers have given companies like Apple Computer permission to sell their music online. Apple's iTune Music Store allows computer users to legally download any song for 99 cents. Will these new measures save the music industry from piracy? That depends on whether music fans are willing to pay 99 cents fro a song that they can download illegally for free. Unfortunately, many people believe music should be free. The music industry, however, hopes to persuade these music fans to change their tune. This text is written to _ . A. discuss music piracy on the Internet B. introduce the popularity of online music C. persuade music fans to give up downloading music D. protect copyrighted music from being downloaded illegally Answer: A Question: Close your eyes and picture the city of Paris.Now imagine the city without its most famous landmark:the Eiffel Tower. The unthinkable almost happened. When French engineer Gustave Eiffel built this tower for the Paris World's Fair of 1889,it was controversial.The iron structure contrasted sharply with the historic stone buildings of Paris.Eiffel's four-legged iron archway was supposed to last only 20 years.That's when Eiffel's permit to operate the building would expire and the city could choose to tear it down. Yet from the beginning.Eiffel had a strategy to save his building.If the Tower was linked to important research,he reasoned,no one would dare to take it down.So he would make it a grand laboratory for science. Scientific research began just one day after the Tower opened to the public on May 6,1889.Eiffel installed a weather station on the Tower's third(and highest)floor.He connected instruments by wire to the French weather bureau in Paris.With these,he measured wind speed and air pressure. In 1903,still worried that his building might be torn down,Eiffel got a clever idea.He asked the French military to conduct its own research on radio communications at the Tower.He even paid the army's costs. French army captain Gustave Ferrie worked from a little wooden house at the base of the Tower's southern pillar.From there,he made radio contact with forts around Paris.Convinced of the importance of radio communications,the army set up a permanent radio station at the Tower.In 1910,the city of Paris renewed the structure's permit for another 70 years. This year marks the iconic structure's 125th birthday.Over the years,research conducted there has brought dramatic and unexpected payoffs.During World War I,for instance,the French army used the Tower as a giant ear to receive radio messages.It even led to the arrest of one of the war's most famous spies. What does the author mean by"The unthinkable almost happened"? A. The Eiffel Tower was almost torn down. B. Gustave Eiffel was more than an engineer. C. It took great efforts to build the Eiffel Tower. D. The Eiffel Tower has served important purposes. Answer: A
Nevada is much drier than regions in California that are at the same latitude. Compared to these regions in California, which feature of Nevada contributes most to this dry climate? Every year, a handful of new words enter the world's collective vocabulary, but only one has the honor of being named Oxford Dictionaries' Word of the Year. And this year's top honor goes to "selfie". The frequency of the word selfie used in the English language has increased by 17,000 per cent since this time last year. This figure is calculated by Oxford Dictionaries using a research program which collects around 150 million English words currently in use from around the web every month. To qualify, a word need not have been invented within the past 12 months but it does need to stand out or become notable at that time. Selfie is defined by Oxford Dictionaries as: "A photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smart phone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website." Oxford Dictionaries said the earliest known usage is an Australian online forum post in 2002. A man posted a picture of injuries to his face when he tripped over some steps. He apologized for the fact that the picture was out of focus, saying that it was not because he was drunk but because it was a selfie. Judy Pearsall, editorial director for Oxford Dictionaries, said: "Using the Oxford Dictionaries language research program, we can see a phenomenal upward trend in the use of selfie in 2013, and this helped to win its selection as Word of the Year." She also added: "Social media sites helped to popularize the term, with selfie appearing on the photo-sharing website Flicker as early as 2004, but usage wasn't widespread until around 2012, when selfie was being used commonly in mainstream media sources." Selfies have taken the world by storm. Everyone from the first family to ordinary people has taken the time to pose for a selfie. Celebrities like Miley Cyrus, Jennifer Lawrence, and Jennifer Aniston have all showed their new haircuts with selfies this year. Selfie was added to the Oxford Dictionaries online in August, but not yet in the Oxford English. The word "selfie" was chosen the Word of the Year by _ . The Toltec---as they were now called ---began to know great abundance and enjoy the generous gifts of the land, as had been foretold by Quetzalcoatl. "He has great powers.He has made us rich.We have not known hunger since he arrived.Where he places his eyes and hands,everything is abundance and beauty." They were happy, they were proud. At that time they all still worked at the jobs Quetzalcoatl assigned to them. Tula grew. People came from far away to admire its growth. Many asked permission to settle down and enjoy its abundance,which was distributed according to the needs of the people. Topiltzin was in charge of distributing the riches,under the orders of Quetzalcoatl, so that no one would want. They were all content because they all had more than they had ever had. Many worked.They were busy all day. Quetzalcoatl had spent six years among the Toltecs. The house for the heart of the people was almost finished and the granaries full when he decided. "There is prosperity and abundance in all the land.Let us extend it beyond the mountains.We shall go to the land of the Chichimecs.It is time to take my mission to them. I shall make them better,I shall make them live together,I shall gather them in towns,I shall teach them to till the land and to build their homes." "Let us leave them in their land as they are now ,"Topiltzin argued,"They are savages ;their life is violent and disorderly.They move freely,like the wind in the mountains and the plains,with nothing to keep them.Leave them where they are.There is much that we must do in our own land. "I do not belong to this land alone.They are all my brothers,I am to give all of them, I shall look for them. I shall take the gods of Tula to them,"Quetzalcoatl said. "Think carefully about what we shall do.You do not know them.They do not understand words. They are like savage animals,like jaguars," Topiltzin insisted. "I shall go,"said Quetzalcoatl."My life must be accomplished.This time you will not accompany me because you do not have the will to go.I shall leave soon with some of my followers." "Do not go with so few people! I shall accompany you with skillful warriors who are used to killing Chichimecs and avoiding their traps." Topiltzin insisted. "I am not going there with violence. I shall go to them as I came here,to take them the gifts of life and the doctrine of sin and redemption ." "You have not spoken of sin and redemption for a long time," Tattle remarked. He had been listening attentively to the dialogue,and was then close to seventeen years of age."You have not come near the Tree you planted in the square in a long time.The Tree has no shoots,it has not grown,it looks sad and lonely." "During this time,Tattle,I have often thought of it.There was confusion in my spirit.Now the Tree orders me to spread good in other lands,to make other brothers happy. It will soon have shoots." Accroding to the passage, the prosperity of Tula _ . Today, we know that the role of vitamins and minerals goes way beyond the prevention of deficiency diseases to actually preventing cancer and heart disease, the most fearsome killers of our time. With this knowledge has come the widespread call for nutritional supplementation -- and a confusing group of vitamin, mineral, and supplements lining the supermarket shelves. Far from contributing to better health, however, nutritional supplements threaten to turn a scientific breakthrough into a nutritional disaster. _ of vitamins and minerals -- especially vitamins A, C, and E-- would have consumers believe that the little vitamin pill in the bottle is all they need for good health. Take your vitamins in the morning, and you're covered. It's okay to eat fast foods for the rest of the day or skip meals to achieve today's fashionably skinny look. But vitamins and minerals are only one part of the nutritional puzzle. A diet rich in fiber and balanced in carbohydrates and protein is essential for good health. You can't get these things from a nutritional supplement. The focus on vitamin and mineral supplements may actually be robbing us of the full nutrition we seek. And no supplement can compare to the quality of nutrition found in natural sources. For example, our bodies turn carotenes from plant foods into vitamin A. Many supplements contain a single carotene, but natural sources are rich in many different carotenes. Many supplements contain a form of vitamin E that is made from chemicals, when natural vitamin E is more readily absorbed and used by the body. And science is still discovering the wealth of nutrients in foods. You'd be hard-pressed to find a supplement as nutritionally comprehensive and powerful as a balanced diet. Even if you could, you'd pay much more than if you got the same nutritional value from natural sources. But perhaps the greatest danger presented by nutritional supplements comes from the very real risks presented by self-medication. Anyone can walk into the market and buy as many different supplements as desired. The reported benefits of high dosages of certain nutrients have led some people to believe that the more the better. Many take several vitamin and mineral supplements without regard to possible consequences. Surprising new research suggests that vitamin C pills may speed up hardening of the arteries, the underlying cause of heart attacks. Researchers said their findings support the recommendations of health organizations, which urge people to avoid high doses of supplements and to get their nutrients from food instead. As appealing as they're made to sound, nutritional supplements are _ . If you're looking for good health, don't look on the supplement shelves of your supermarket. Look in the produce section instead. According to the passage, nutritional supplements _ . Writer: Amy Gillett Price:$24.95Fare :$3.99(Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.) INTRODUCTION .................................9 Lesson 1: Bob's Day at Work...........................11 Lesson 2: Bob Returns Home with Bad News.........17 Lesson 3: Ted's Day at School........................23 Lesson 4: Nicole's Day at School.....................27 Lesson 5: Ted Goes Out for the Evening...............33 REVIEW: Lessons 1-5 .................................37 : The book was written by _ .
Question: Below are Top 10 Scholarly Stars in America in 2011. It's not always about fame and fortune for these celebs - education is a priority in their lives. Find out what scholarly stars have earned degrees and diplomas or are returning to the classroom as you head back to school. No. 10: James Franco James has attended FOUR prestigious universities in his life: UCLA, New York University, Columbia University and Yale University. We hear he's is so serious about school, he missed the Oscar nominations to attend class! No. 9: Natalie Portman Natalie Portman is so Ivy League: she graduated from Harvard University in 2003, thanks to her parents, who she says always made sure she put her studies before her acting. No. 8: Haley Joel Osment When students at NYU heard Haley Joel would be joining them as a freshman in 2006, they chalked the campus' sidewalks with his famous Sixth Sense movie line: "I see dead people." No. 7: Emma Watson Although Emma Watson put her education on hold to wrap up the Harry Potter film series, in July 2011 she announced that she was going back to school at Brown University to complete her degree. No. 6: Dakota and Elle Fanning Celeb sisters Dakota and Elle Fanning are stars on screen and in class. Dakota was her high school's homecoming queen two years in a row while Elle, who still attends middle school, somehow manages to balance her acting career with math tests and gym class. No. 5: Mara Wilson Mara Wilson graduated from NYU in 2009. Mara, who played the adorable Nattie in Mrs. Doubtfire, eventually grew up and headed to New York to attend NYU's Tisch School of the Arts; she graduated in 2009. No. 4: Tyra Banks Tyra Banks is known for being a savvy businesswoman, but even the best could use some formal training. She enrolled in Harvard Business School in 2011 and even went so far as to live in a dorm with her fellow classmates! "We live in dorms," confirmed the TV star. "I have my own room but we share a kitchen, living room and study area. It's mandatory dorms. I freaked out. In the beginning I was like, 'Oh yes, I'm going to Harvard and I'll be at the Four Seasons down the street.' And they were like, 'Girl, you're living in dorms!'" No. 3: Shakira Singer Shakira is resting her hips and giving her brain a workout at UCLA, attending classes on the history of western civilization so she could "learn from the best". No. 2: Steven Spielberg Director Steven skipped getting a formal education to be an unpaid intern at Universal Studios, where he learned his tricks of the _ . But eventually he did go back and earned his film degree in 2002. No. 1: Danica McKellar Danica McKellar is a math whiz. She used to be known for starring as Winnie Cooper in the Wonder Years, but Danica is also a UCLA graduate, math whiz and education advocate who's written three best-selling books encouraging middle-school girls to have confidence and succeed in mathematics. From the above, we can come to the conclusion that _ . A. Spielberg received a formal film education before he turned director B. both sisters Dakota and Elle have not finished middle school education C. Tyra Banks is sharing the same room with her classmates in Harvard D. Shakira and Haley Joel Osment are studying in university separately Answer: B. both sisters Dakota and Elle have not finished middle school education Question: The number of squirrels in a certain ecosystem changes over time. These changes can be represented as a number of connected data points. Which method would a student most likely use to show this information? A. pie chart B. line graph C. pictogram D. data table Answer: B. line graph Question: Michael Fish may soon be replaced as a weather forecaster by the shark . Research by a British biology student suggests that sharks could be used to predict storms. Lauren Smith, 24, is close to completing her study on shark's ability to sense pressure. If her studies prove the theory, scientists may be able to monitor the behavior of sharks to predict bad weather. Miss Smith had previously studied the behavior of lemon sharks in the Bahamas. She then used their close relatives, lesser spotted dogfish, for further research at Aberdeen University. Her work---thought to be the first of its kind to test the pressure theory ---- resulted from the observation that juvenile blacktip sharks off Florida moved into deeper water ahead of a violent storm in 2001. Miss Smith said: "I've always been crazy about traveling and diving and this led me to an interest in sharks." "I was delighted to have been able to research in the area for my degree. I know there's so much more we need to understand ---- but it certainly opens the way to more research." It has been discovered that a shark senses pressure using hair cells in its balance system. At the Bimini Shark Lab in the Bahamas, Miss Smith fixed hi-tech sensors to sharks to record pressure and temperature, while also tracking them using GPS (Global Positioning System) technology. In Aberdeen, she was able to study the effects of tidal and temperature changes on dogfish----none of which were harmed. She also used a special lab which can mimic oceanic pressure changes caused by weather fronts. She is due to complete her study and graduate later this year. She says she will be looking for a job which will give her the chance to enrich her experience of shark research. The passage is most probably taken from _ . A. a short-story collection B. a popular science magazine C. a research paper D. a personal diary Answer: B. a popular science magazine Question: Raising pets is not a new thing in China , but recently it has taken on a new meaning . As a famous Chinese saying goes, pursuit of petty (,) pleasures weakens one's will to make progress . The saying has been so popular that even today many people still consider raising pets as a hobby of the idle . Things have changed much recently and now raising pets has become a popular pastime , resulting in a successful pet care industry . Pet food is sold in almost all supermarkets and many special stores for pet needs have been set up . Animal hospitals provide various medical services for sick dogs and cats , and pet exchange fairs are held regularly . At the China International Pet Show which took place recently in Beijing , more than 100 factories from across the country exhibited their products . Thousands of dealers and pet owners went to the show. "People's swollen pockets make it possible for many to raise pets , a hobby that used to be enjoyed only by the wealthy ," said Wang Wei , who works with the National Kennel Association of China . Wang Yuyan , vice president of the Small Animals Protection Association , agreed , " In many films and novels , having a pet is used as a symbol of wealth . That's not a complete picture . " Wang added that pets are friends in a real sense of the word , not just playthings . " Anyone with a loving nature can raise pets . " Still the high cost of keeping a pet is something many people have to think about . "I like dogs and cats , but I have neither time nor money to raise them , "said Li Jun , in her 40's , a civil servant from Beijing . The cost of raising a dog is high in Beijing , where registration is a must for all dogs and costs 5,000 yuan for each animal . In addition , pet owners must pay for regular injection of vaccines . Most of all , dog food is quite expensive . Unlike his mother , Li Jun's 10-year-old son, Li Qiyu, dreams of the day he will have his own pet . "I hope I can have a dog in my house , " he said . Things have changed much recently , because _ . A. people have all become kind-hearted B. small animals have no places to live in C. people's living conditions are improving D. more and more people are out of work Answer: C. people's living conditions are improving Question: When I was a boy, I was a football fan. I played football with some other boys in the backyard all the time. My mom was worried that I would get ill in the hot summer. One day my brother gave me a new football. I came into the yard and played it excitedly. But suddenly, the ball flew through the window and nearly hit my dad. Dad said nothing. He took my football and cut it in half. I didn't cry because I knew how terrible my mistake was. I didn't expect to get another football. But to my surprise, Dad bought me another one the next month and told me to be more careful. I was really thankful for my father's forgiveness . He showed me that even when I made a mistake, he still loved me and gave me another chance. Parents always give us their unconditional love and forgiveness. We should always give our love and forgiveness to them, too. The writer didn't cry because _ . A. he knew his mistake B. his father cut the football in half C. his father was very happy D. he nearly hit his father Answer: A. he knew his mistake
When many people are worried that there are no more heroes in the modern era two university students who lost their lives to rescue drowning children have shown that heroes still exist . According to the Inner Mongolia Morning Post, the tragedy occurred on the afternoon of December 14, 2002 when three school students skating on a frozen lake in Qingcheng Park in Hohhot fell through the ice into the freezing water. More than 20 university students who happened to be near the spot immediately went to the rescue of the children. Two children were quickly rescued, but the third died. The child's body was not found for three hours. Two of the rescuers, Liu Ye and Hao Longbiao, also died of cold and exhaustion . The body of Hao and who took the lead in jumping into the lake was not found until the next day. A student who was unwilling to tell his name said he and his classmates from the local college were taking photos at the lake. When they heard the children's cries for help, they went to the ice hole hand in hand to rescue the children. But the ice kept breaking, causing most of then to fall into the icy water. Local residents held mourning ceremonies at the lake. Eight of the students were seriously affected by the freezing water and were being kept in hospital for further observation, but their lives were no longer in danger. When the three students fell into water,the university students were _ . A skating on the ice B taking photos at the lake C having a picnic D walking along the lake Answer: B. taking photos at the lake Chopsticks Brothers, China's Internet singing stars, will sing their hit Little Apple at the 2014 American Music Awards. Chopsticks Brothers are known as director Xiao Yang and musician Wang Taili. They played a middle-aged singing group in the film Old Boys: The Way of the Dragon. In the film, they sang Little Apple when they took part in an American music talent show and they succeeded. Now, life is following art. Chopsticks Brothers will really go to America to sing their song. They will join well-known singers including Taylor Swift. "I did not expect the _ in our film to come true in real life," Xiao Yang said during an interview. "It doesn't seem real. This is another story of dreams coming true for 'old boys'," said Wang Taili. This is the first time a Chinese Internet song will be on the international stage. Little Apple has been more and more popular on China's Internet. Its MP3 received 579 million hits. And people have watched the music videos 823 million times on China's Internet. The song has had at least 500 million listeners around the world. China's famous singer and songwriter Liu Huan said he liked Little Apple during an interview. "Everybody's singing and dancing with Little Apple and I think that's a good phenomenon . And I'm glad I can see Taylor Swift and Chinese singers sing on the same stage." How many people have ever listened to the song Little Apple? A 579 million B 823 million. C Less than 500 million D Over 500 million. Answer: D. Over 500 million. Below is some advice on how to prevent cancer: 8 Ways to Avoid Cancer in Your Life 1. Eat Blueberries Aside from being a healthy and delicious snack, blueberries contain pterostilbene, which has important colon cancer-fighting prosperities. But wait, it gets better. Blueberries also offer a large dose of vitamins C (14 milligrams per cup). So at breakfast, try to take in a cup and a half of blueberries in your cereal or yogurt, or mixed with other berries. 2. Drink Pomegranate Juice The deep red juice of the pomegranate contains polyphenols, isoflavones and ellagic acid, which together create a powerful anticancer mixture. Most recently, researchers from the University of Wisconsin at Madison has discovered that 16 ounces of pomegranate juice per day also may inhibit the growth of lung cancer. 3. Relax Feeling stressed or worried? Find ways to relax and you may reduce your chances of developing cancer. Purdue University researchers tracked 1,600 men over 12 years and found that half of those with high levels of worry died during the study period. Only 20 percent of the optimists died before the study were completed, while 34 percent of the extremely anxious men died of some type of cancer. Instead of stressing about the past or future, focus on the present and relax! 4. Take Selenium Selenium is well known for its cancer-fighting properties. In a study of almost 1,000 men, researchers from the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that when men with the lowest initial levels of selenium in their bodies received a daily supplement over a 4 year period, they cut their prostate cancer risk by a remarkable 92 percent. However, it is possible to get too much of a good thing, so monitor your intake of selenium-containing supplements, Brazil nuts, tuna, meats and grains carefully. 5. Eat Sushi Seaweed may not be your idea of a great snack, but it is high in fiber, calcium and iron, and dry, roasted seaweed sheets used in sushi provide the additional benefits of vitamins A and C. Sushi rolls are also high in protein-- a typical spicy tuna roll has only 290 calories but packs 24 grams of protein. So don't skimp on the Sushi! 6. Enjoy the Outdoors Vitamin D causes early death of cancer cells. A study published in the American Journey of Clinical Nutrition reported that women who supplemented their diets with 1,000 international. Units of vitamin D every day had a 60 percent to 77 percent lower incidence of cancer ever a four-year period that did women taking a placebo . Experts recommend supplementing your fun in the sun with 1,100 to 2,000IU of vitamin D each day. 7. Breathe Clean Air There's no question that secondhand smoke kills. A recent American Journal of Public Health study showed that nonsmokers working in smoky places had three times the amount of carcinogen in their urine than nonsmokers working in smoke-free locations. What's worse, their levels of the carcinogen rose 6 percent for every hour worked. Nine states have banned smoking in all workplaces, bars and restaurants. The message is clear: Do whatever you can to avoid the cloud of smoke. 8. Break a Sweat Even a small amount of exercise can offer major cancer-fighting benefits. In a study of 29,110 men published in the International Journal of Cancer, men who exercised just once a week had a percent lower risk of metastasis prostate cancer than men who didn't work out at all. The better the frequency, duration and intensity of the exercise, the bigger the reduction in risk, according to the study. _ will remarkably reduce the risk of men's prostate cancer. A Having a daily supplement of selenium B Drinking a cup of pomegranate juice every day C Breathing fresh air now and then D Taking exercise at least once a week Answer: A. Having a daily supplement of selenium BIG DAY: New Canadian citizen Pemelika Fiaui poses with his son Tyler, 4, outside of The Playhouse on Tuesday. The ceremony marked the end of a five-year journey for Pemelika Fiaui of Western Samoa. Fiaui, a 6'4", 240-pound member of local rugby team Black Spruce, said the day was emotional. "I was really happy to get my citizenship today; it was a long process," he said. "I couldn't have done this without the support of my wife, my in-laws and my two kids, who have been so supportive of me." Fiaui, a firefighter by trade, arrived in New Brunswick in 2003 and found work with the parks and trails department with the City of Fredericton. He became involved with the local rugby scene, and for the past three years is back in his chosen field as a relief firefighter with the Fredericton Fire Department. "I've met so many great people since I've been in Fredericton, and this is a very special day for me and my family. I'm happy to be a Canadian, but I'm also glad that I still hold dual citizenship in Western Samoa as well." The citizenship ceremony was overseen by a number of dignitaries , including Lt.-Gov. Hermenegilde, Chiasson, MP Andy Scott, Mayor Brad Woodside and John Barrett, director of operations for Citizenship and Immigration Canada. Chiasson joked by welcoming the new Canadians "to the country that invented ice skates, maple syrup and the case of beer with the built-in handle." The day was also special for Jean-Jacques Tshimenga, his wife Sarah, and their three children, formerly of the Democratic Republic of Congo. "Canada Day is the day to celebrate the independence and freedom that we have in this country," he said. Most probably, Finaui's son Tyler was born in _ . A Western Samoa B the Democratic Republic of Congo C Canada D Black Spruce Answer: C. Canada One Sunday morning, I decided to buy a computer to use for school. I went to the biggest store in town, which sold all kinds of computers. There were so many computers there that I didn't know how to choose a right one. "Hi! What can I do for you?" A young man greeted me with a sweet smile. He looked like not a salesman but a student like me. I sensed a strange feeling -- as if I had met him before. He began patiently showing me each model. With his help, I decided to buy one computer with enough functions at a very low price. I enjoyed this shopping experience because of his smile. A few months later, something was wrong with my computer. I went back to the store to have it fixed. When I arrived there, what I saw was still his smile. As soon as I told him my problem, he comforted me immediately and tried his best to solve the problem for me. I was quite grateful for his sweet smile and good service. When I went back to school, his smile often appeared in my mind. I don't know whether we'll meet each other again, but his sweet smile will stay there in my memory and deep in my heart. Smiling is the most peaceful language in the daily life. What does the writer mainly want to tell us in the story? A The way to choose a right computer. B The way to use a computer correctly. C The importance of smiling in the daily life. D The importance of computers in the daily life. Answer: C. The importance of smiling in the daily life.
The National Dark-Sky Week (NDSW) is a week during which people all over the United States turn off their lights to enjoy the beauty of the night sky without light pollution. This even was started by Jennifer Barlow of Midlothian, Virginia in 2003, and it is becoming more popular each year. It has been supported by the International Dark-Sky Association, the American Astronomical Society, and the Astronomical League. This even always occurs in April, during the week of the new moon so that the sky can be as dark as possible for the best viewing conditions. "It is my wish that people could see the night sky without other light in the sky as our ancestors saw it hundreds of years ago," explains Barlow. _ The main goal of NDSW is to increase awareness of the harmful effects of light pollution. It is not possible for all of the light pollution in this part of the world to disappear. However, it is possible to make a small difference in the quality of the night sky. Another goal of this even is to promote the use of better lighting systems that direct light toward the ground instead of up into the sky. Jennifer Barlow states, "The night sky is a gift of such beauty that it should not be polluted by wasted light. In this way, our children will not lose touch with the wonder of our universe." What is Jennifer Barlow's wish? Answer: That people could spend time enjoying the beauty of the sky every night. Liu Yun, 13, pretty and smart. She is a good student. But many students try to stay from her because Liu Yun's mum has AIDS and her father has died of AIDS. Luckily, Liu Yun didn't get it. AIDS means fear for most people. Nobody wants to play games with her. Even a teacher who used to like her turns his back on her now. The biggest problem is how other people look at her. She sometimes wants todrop out of schoolbecause she can no longer face others' indifference . It is said if a person has AIDS, it's still safe to eat and play with him. So I think Liu Yun's classmates and teachers are afraid of AIDS because they don't know much about AIDS. And Liu Yun needs their love and understanding. Even a friendly smile means a lot to her. Can we have meals with the people that have AIDS? Answer: Yes, we can. You've probably heard of a lot about the Internet,but what is it? The Internet is a computer network that uses the telephone system to connect together millions of computers around the world. Maybe that isn't very exciting but once you're connected to the Internet,there are lots of different things you can do.You can send electronic messages or emails to your friends (as long as they're on the Internet,too),or you can sort through all kinds of information on something called the World Wide Web. You don't need to know how the Internet works in order to use it,but if you understand the basics,it may help you work out many technical problems you have--and of course you can help your friends with your Net knowledge! You may think that your telephone is just for talking. But as long as you have the equipment, you can use a telephone line to send computer data as well as sounds. If you connect your computer with the telephone system it can receive information from, and send information to other computers (as long as they are connected with the telephone system,too). Because there is not an organization which operates the Internet,no one exactly knows how many people are connected to it. It's thought that there could be 60 million people on the Net,connected up to over 15 million computers! How many people are connected to the Internet according to the statistics? Answer: No one knows. Hemophilia results when a gene fails to produce the protein needed for the blood to clot ,or change from a liquid to a solid .The fault gene is passed from parents to children .People with hemophilia suffer uncontrolled bleeding .This can result in pain , tissue swelling and permanent damage to joints and muscles. One in every ten thousand males has the most common kind of hemophilia .It is extremely rare for females to have it. Patients can be treated with the missing clotting substance .They generally can lead normal lives. Scientists say gene treatment may be a possible way to cure hemophilia in the future .Researchers consider hemophilia the best disease for gene treatment because it is caused by a single fault gene .Also ,only a small increase in the missing clotting substance could provide good results .They tested gene treatment in six patients with severe hemophilia. First ,they removed skin cells from the patients' arms .The researchers grew the cells in the laboratory .They added copies of the needed gene taken from healthy people .Then they created hundreds of millions of genetically changed cells .They placed these cells into the patients' stomachs.After four months ,the amount of blood clotting substance in the blood increased in four of the six patients .Some of the patients reported a decrease in bleeding problems .However ,ten months later ,the clotting substance was no longer in the patients' blood .It is not clear if the implanted cells died or the added genes stopped working. The researchers say the study showed that gene treatment is safe for people with the most common kind of hemophilia .But others expressed concern about the treatment because the effects were only temporary. Which of the following is NOT true about hemophilia? Answer: People with hemophilia don't have any physical damage and can lead normal lives. Scientists have always been interested in the high level of organization in ant societies. American researchers have watched ants build life-saving rafts to keep afloat during floods. They also have documented how ant colonies choose their next queen--the female whose job is to produce eggs rather than seek food for others. New technology is helping to improve researchers' understanding of the insects. But there is still a lot to be learned. Fire ants living in Brazilian forests are perfectly at home in an environment where flooding is common. To save themselves, the insects connect their legs together and create floating rafts. Some ant rafts can be up to 20 centimeters wide. David Hu who is a mechanical engineer with the Georgia Institute of Technology, also known as Georgia Tech, says, "If you have 100 ants, which means 600 legs, 99 percent of those legs will be connected to a neighbor. So they're very, very good at maintaining this network." David Hu and other Georgia Tech researchers want to study ants and the secret of their engineering. They freeze ant rafts and then look at them with the help of computed technology, or CT, images. The pictures show that larger ants serve in central positions to which smaller ants hold. The larger ants form pockets of air that keep the insects afloat. Scientists say small robots or materials that can change shape could be programmed in a similar way, working towards a shared goal. Researchers at North Carolina State University are also studying ants. They examined how Indian jumping ants choose the leader of the colony when they lose their top female or queen. The duty of the queen ants is to . Answer: lay eggs
Eric and Doris King Turner are packing their bags for New Zealand.They're busy deciding what to pack and what to leave behind in Britain and are making plans to make their new home in Nelson.Doris is looking forward to getting the garden into shape and Eric has his heart set on a spot of fly fishing.The difference is that Eric is 102 , Doris is 87.Eric thinks he's Britain's oldest _ . In January next year Eric King Turner and his wife will wave goodbye to their neighbors,and set sail from Southampton on the voyage of a lifetime.The ocean liner Saga Rose will take six weeks to get to Auckland and the couple are expecting a redcarpet welcome from family. Doris was born in New Zealand but gave up her homeland when the couple met and married in the 90s.But New Zealand is close to both their hearts and the attraction of family and friends,and the good fishing helped to persuade them to move. Doris,who has five children and nine grandchildren,supported her husband's application to settle in New Zealand . The paperwork took five months.Says Eric,"We not only had to produce a marriage certificate but we had to produce evidence that we were in a long and firm relationship!" Eric says he was not asked about his age but had to show that he could support himself financially in New Zealand. "I like New Zealand.The way of life is very much the same as it is here but it is not so crowded . " His wife has always been "a little bit homesick" but has never complained.Now the couple are in the middle of the task of sorting out possessions and selling their flat . The best title of the passage may be _ . A. Better Late Than Never B. Eric,102,Leaves Britain With His Wife C. To Leave or Not to Leave . That's the Problem D. Eric and Doris King Turner are Packing Their Bags Answer: B. Eric,102,Leaves Britain With His Wife An experiment was carried out at British school into the performance of new pupils. At the start of the year, the pupils were each given a _ , ranging from "excellent prospect" to "unlikely to do well". These were totally untrue ratings and did not reflect how well the pupils had previously performed. However, these ratings were given to the teachers. At the end of the year, the experimenters compared the pupils' performance with the ratings. Despite their real abilities, there was an astonishingly high connection between performance and ratings. It seems that people perform as well as we expect them to. The Self-fulfilling Effect is also known as the Pygmalion Effect. This comes from an old Greek story. The story was also the basis of George Bernard Shaw's play "Pygmalion", later turned into the musical "My Fair Lady". In Shaw's play, Professor Henry Higgins claims he can turn a Cockney flower girl, Eliza Doolittle into a duchess. But, as Eliza herself points out to Higgins' friend Pickering, it isn't what she learns or does that determines whether she will become a duchess, but how she's treated. The implication of the Pygmalion Effect for leaders and managers is massive. It means that the performance of your team depends less on them than it does on you. The performance you get from people is no more or less than what you expect, which means you must always expect the best. As Goethe said, "Treat a man as he is and he will remain as he is. Treat a man as he can and should be and he will become as he can and should be." What's the passage mainly about? A. A new scientific experiment. B. The Self-fulfilling Effect. C. Shaw's play "Pygmalion". D. An improved teaching method. Answer: B. The Self-fulfilling Effect. Imagine a world in which there were suddenly no emotion -- a world in which human beings could feel no love or happiness, no terror or hate.Try to imagine the consequences of such a transformation.People might not be able to stay alive: knowing neither joy nor pleasure, anxiety nor fear, they would be as likely to repeat acts that hurt them as acts that were beneficial.They could not learn: they could not benefit from experience because this emotionless world would lack rewards and punishments.Society would soon disappear: people would be as likely to harm one another as to provide help and support.Human relationships would not exist: in a world without friends or enemies, there could be no marriage, affection among companions, or bonds among members of groups.Society's economic underpinnings would be destroyed: since earning $10 million would be no more pleasant than earning $10, there would be no incentive to work.In fact, there would be no incentives of any kind, for as we will see, incentives mean a capacity to enjoy them. In such a world, the chances that the human species would survive are next to zero, because emotions are the basic instruments of our survival and adaptation.Emotions structure the world for us in important ways.As individuals, we categorize objects on the basis of our emotions.True, we consider the length, shape, size or texture, but an object's physical aspects are less important than what it has done or can do to us -- hurt us, surprise us, anger us or make us joyful.We also use categorizations colored by emotions in our families, communities, and overall society.Out of our emotional experience with objects and events comes a social feeling of agreement that certain things and actions are "good" and others are "bad", and we apply these categories to every aspect of our social life -- from what foods we eat and what clothes we wear to how we keep promises and which people our group will accept.In fact, society uses our emotional reactions and attitudes, such as loyalty, morality, pride, shame, guilt, fear and greed, in order to maintain itself.It gives high rewards to individuals who perform important tasks such as surgery, makes heroes out of individuals for unusual or dangerous achievements such as flying fighter planes in a war, and uses the legal penal system to make people afraid to engage in antisocial acts. In can be inferred from the passage that the economic foundation of society is dependent on _ . A. the ability to make money B. the capacity to work C. the motivation to work D. our emotional experiences Answer: C. the motivation to work One day Mrs Jones goes shopping alone . When Mr Jones comes home in the evening, she begins to tell him about a beautiful dress. "I see it in a shop this morning," she says, "and..." "And you want to buy it," says Mr Jones, "how much is it?" "Fifteen pounds." Every evening, when Mr Jones comes back from work, his wife goes on talking only about the dress. And at last, after a week, he says, "Oh, buy the dress! Here's the money!" She is very happy. But the next evening, when Mr Jones comes home and asks, "Have you got the famous dress?" She says, "No." Why not?" he says. "Well, it is still in the window of the shop after a week. I think nobody else wants this dress. So I think it is not a good one!" Mr Jones thinks it's the famous dress because _ . A. it is a beautiful dress B. it is in the shop window for a week C. his wife has it D. his wife talks about it again and again Answer: D. his wife talks about it again and again something will attract magnets if that something contains a large amount of what kind of material? A. strong B. water C. liquid D. rare-earth minerals Answer: D. rare-earth minerals
Michelle Obama, Kate Moss and Samantha Cameron are three of the most stylish women on the planet but it seems they have their daughters rather than their style know how to thank for that. New research has shown that women with daughters tend to be more stylish than mothers of sons; a fact partly because of the style advice their daughters offer as they get older. 78 percent of women over the age of 50 say they would be more than happy to let their daughters choose a complete outfit for them. However, just five percent of women say they would turn to their sons for style advice, while 28 percent believe that mothers of boys are less fashionable than women with girls. "Women who don't have daughters become less interested in style as they grow older but having a daughter may keep alive her interest in looking great," comments psychologist Honey Langcaster - James. "And, because of their close relationship, they also have a source of support and encouragement when it comes to their style decisions." More than a quarter of women believe that Mums who have sons are less fashion - conscious than Mums with daughters. The most common reasons for this are that daughters are more critical , offer good advice and inspiration, and add an element of competition to look the best while sons don't seem to care and aren't as strict as daughters. Interestingly, although mothers tend to rely on their daughters' style tips, their confidence isn't reciprocated, with 40 percent of women between the ages of 19 and 34 saying they wouldn't allow their mothers to shop for them as what their mothers would choose for them would not be as good as they expected. And although they might not appreciate the fashion advice, the research, which was conducted by online retailer Gray & Osbourn, showed that daughters do still need their mothers with 71 percent saying they chat to their female parent every day. "Overall, the research shows just how important relationships are between mothers and daughters," added Langcaster - James, "and just how much women appreciate an honest and trustworthy opinion." By saying "their confidence isn't reciprocated", the author means that _ . some women would not like to follow their mother's style advice When you are reading something in English, you may often come across a new word .What's the best way to know it? You need an English-Chinese dictionary .It will tell you a lot about the word , for example , how to read this word ,what it means in Chinese and how to use this word. But there are so many English words in the dictionary and how can you know where the word is? There is a way to look for it. In the dictionary you can first see the words beginning with the letter A, then B,C,D,E...That means, if there are two words , "desk" and "hour", "desk" will be before "hour"; "story" "before" "Sunday", "tomato" before "tomorrow" etc. The English-Chinese dictionary will be your good friend. I hope you will often use it in your English learning. Here are four words, "face", "autumn", "film" and "April". Their right order in the English-Chinese dictionary is _ . April, autumn, face, film Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It is also the most neglect . Common reasons for not eating breakfast include having no time, not feeling hungry, traditional dislike and dieting. Breakfast simply means "break the fast''. Your body spends at least 6 to 12 hours each night in a fasting state. In the morning your body needs energy for the day's work ahead. A good breakfast should provide 1/3 of your total calorie needs for the day. On average, we eat 400 less calories for breakfast than for dinner. If breakfast doesn't appeal to you in the morning, try eating a lighter dinner earlier in the evening or save half of your dinner for breakfast in the morning. If you still aren't hungry in the morning, start with something small like juice or toast or have a nutritious mid-morning snack later when you are hungry. So, you say you are on a diet. Some people fear that eating breakfast will make them hungrier during the day and they will eat more. It is true that eating breakfast is likely to make you feel hungry throughout the day. That is because your body is working correctly. Although you may feel as if you are eating more all day long, in reality you are probably not. Not eating breakfast can also cause you overeat, since a fall in blood sugar often makes you feel very hungry later. To make matters worse, since your body is in a slow state, it will not be able to burn those extra calories very efficiently . If you feed your body healthy snacks and meals throughout the day, you are less likely to become hungry and stuff yourself as soon as you begin to eat. Since breakfast is the first and most important meal of the day, choosing the right food is important. The best breakfast foods are fruits, juice, lean meat and grain products such as bread, rice, noodles and cereals. If you don't want to have breakfast in the morning, according to the writer's suggestion, you should _ . have a little supper If steam chills then the vapor will thicken When my two children were young, we took a trip to Disneyland with their grandma. Although the park is about an hour car ride from our home, we decided to spend the night in a hotel, so we could spend more time in the park. In the evening, the famous Disneyland Parade started. My husband took our daughter and ran to have a look, leaving me with grandma and our son who was in a stroller . Because I am short, and grandma is shorter, we couldn't see them, and didn't know where they were. Grandma decided to find them. I told her not to, because I didn't want to lose her. But she walked off, and was soon lost. I made my way to the exit , because I thought everyone would get there, and they did. Then we waited for the hotel bus ----it never came. So we called them. They told us that there was something wrong with their bus, and that we have to take a taxi. We finally got back to our hotel. Today when I think of Disneyland, I think of that day. Which of the following is not true? They got back to their hotel by bus that day.
Many animals hide to stay alive. They hide in many ways. Some animals hide in leaves; some animals hide in snow. Usually their colors or shapes help protect them. It's hard to see an Arctic bear in snow. Its white fur helps protect it. Chameleons can hide by changing colors. Their skin turns the same color as what is around them. Some chameleons can change colors in five minutes. Many animals try to look bigger than they are to stay alive. Some animals can make other animals think they are very big. If they look very big, animals that are looking for food will run away. Bears can walk on two legs. They look very, very scary. Some animals will run away from them. Many animals try to stay around other animals. This helps them stay alive. Zebras stay close together so that they can help each other look out of danger. Seeing many stripes at once can also confuse animals that want to eat them. Some birds stay in a circle, each toward a different direction. In this way they can also help each other stay alive by looking around for animals that many want to eat one of them. Why do animals try to look bigger than they are ? Answer: They want other animals to run away from them. Men and women have different tastes in food, with men favoring meat and poultry , and women fruits and vegetables, researchers said in what was said to be the most extensive study so far of gender differences in eating habits. More than 14,000 adult men and women, were surveyed from May 2006 to April 2007, for the Foodbome Disease Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet), to determine their eating habits, including high risk foods such as undercooked meat and eggs. "To our knowledge, there have been studies in the literature on gender differences in eating habits, but nothing this extensive," the epidemiologist told the 2008 International Conference on Infectious Diseases in Atlanta, Georgia. Researchers found that men were more likely to eat meat and poultry, especially duck, _ , and ham, and certain shellfish such as shrimp and oysters. Women instead were more likely to eat vegetables, especially carrots and tomatoes, and fruits, especially strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and apples. Women also preferred dry foods, such as almonds and walnuts, and were more likely to consume eggs and yogurt when compared with men. There were also some exceptions to the eating trends of each gender: men were significantly more likely to eat asparagus and brussels sprouts than women, while women were more likely to consume fresh hamburgers as opposed to the frozen kind, which the men preferred. And regarding high risk foods, the researchers found that significantly more men consumed undercooked meat and eggs than women, while more women were more likely to eat alfalfa sprouts. Men's preference for meat explains why men have more cases than women when it comes to high cholesterol , the study said. According to the passage, men tend to eat the following foods EXCEPT _ . Answer: yogurt A world-famous Canadian author, Margaret Atwood, has created the world's first long-distance signing device , the LongPen. After many tiring book-signing tours from city to city, Atwood thought there must be a better way to do them. She hired some technical experts and started her own company in 2004. Together they designed the LongPen. Here's how it works: The author writes a personal message and signature on a computer tablet using a special pen. On the receiving end, in another city, a robotic arm fitted with a regular pen signs the book. The author and fan can talk with each other via webcams and computer screens. Work on the LongPen began in Atwood's basement . At first, they had no idea it would be as hard as it turned out to be. The device went through several versions, including one that actually had smoke coming out of it. The investing finally completed, test runs were made in Ottawa, and the LongPen was officially launched at the 2006 London Book Fair. From here , Atwood conducted two transatlantic book signings of her latest book for fans in Toronto and New York City. The LongPen produces a unique signature each time because it copies the movement of the author in real time. It has several other potential applications. It could increase credit card security and allow people to sign contracts from another province. The video exchange between signer and receiver can be recorded on DVD for proof when legal documents are used. "It's really fun", said the owner of a bookstore, who was present for one of the test runs. "Obviously you can't shake hands with the author, but there are chances for a connection that you don't get from a regular book signing." The response to the invention has not been all favorable. Atwood has received criticism from authors who think she is trying to end book tours. But she said, "It will be possible to go to places that you never got sent to before because the publishers couldn't afford it." How does the LongPen work? Answer: It signs a book while receiving the author's signature. One day, many years ago, when I was working as a psychologist in England, David was brought into my office. His face was pale and he looked at his own feet. David lost his father when he was two years old and lived with his mother and grandfather ever since. But the year before he turned 13, his grandfather died and his mother was killed in a car accident. His teacher told me that he refused to talk to others from then on. How could I help him? David didn't say a word. As he was leaving, I put my hand on his shoulder."Come back next week if you like. "I said. He came and I suggested we play a game of chess. He agreed. After that we played chess every Wednesday afternoon--in complete silence. Usually, he arrived earlier than agreed. It seemed that he liked to be with me. But why didn't he ever look at me? "Perhaps he simply needs someone to share his pain with," I thought. Months later, when I was looking at his head, he suddenly looked up at me. "It's your turn," he said. After that day, David started talking. He finally got friends in school and he even joined a bicycle club. He wrote to me a few times. Now he had re ally started to live his life. Maybe I gave David something. But I learned a lot from him. I learned how time makes it possible to get over what seems to be painful. David showed me how to help people like him. All they need is a shoulder to cry on, a friendly touch and an ear that listens. Which of the following statements is NOT true? Answer: After his father died, David refused to talk to others. The Entropia Universe The Entropia Universe is a virtual world on the Internet, which seems very like our real life.It is set in a distant future and based on a planet called Calypso.Entropia was the brainchild of a group of Swedish computer lovers who decided to see if they could create a three dimensional virtual world that could be placed on the Internet.They did manage after they received the financial backing they needed. The game can be played for free, but nearly all in-game activities require personal resources that you have available to use.Although there are various activities to keep you busy on Calypso, what most people do first is to find themselves a profession, such as hunting the fierce animals on Calypso, mining the precious minerals and making tools.Then they can think about buying their virtual house or paying a visit to a virtual nightclub or doing any of the other activities that make life bearable. Entropia has its very own economy and its own currency, the PED (Project Entropia Dollars).Players move real world money into PED which they then use to pay for their life on Calypso.However, the virtual things inside Entropia do have a real value in the outside world, and careful business deals mean that players can actually make real money there.PED can be changed into dollars any time at a rate of 10PED to 1US$. What's so impressive about The Entropia Universe is the number of players; currently more than 600,000 representing over 220 countries from planet Earth.A number of players insist that it's a good way to make money.However, the reality of Entropia's economic system is that most people end up paying more than they earn and it's not uncommon to find players who are paying up to $200 a month into their PED account.This might not be the most economical way of spending one's free time.However, some people say that for them the fact that they can escape the realities of the earthbound life and become a different person with a completely different life for a few hours every week is worth the use of money, even if they don't get any interest rates on it. According to the author, playing on The Entropia Universe _ . Answer: can be quite expensive
BEIJING -- China's efforts to develop an aircraft carrier program will not change the defensive nature of its defense policy, said a signed commentary published in Friday's PLA Daily newspaper, the voice of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA). After China officially confirmed that it is planning an aircraft carrier program by announcing a refitting project of an imported aircraft carrier for the purposes of scientific research and training, some voices overseas expressed concern that China's possession of an aircraft carrier could upset the regional and global strategic balance. At present, China is only making use of an old aircraft carrier platform for scientific research, experiments and training, and it still will take a long time before the country actually has an operational carrier, said the commentary signed by Peng Guangqian. Even when China has a carrier, it will stick to the defensive nature of its defense policy, the commentary said, adding that China has plenty of reasons and legitimacy to have an aircraft carrier. China is currently the only country without an operational aircraft carrier among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. Other countries, including Spain, Italy, India, Brazil and Thailand also have carriers. This situation does not _ China's international status, the commentary said. Another article said a carrier will help promote Chinese citizens' awareness of maritime affairs, increase the capability to safeguard the country's maritime interests as well as the capability to participate in international maritime joint operations, such as salvage, counterterrorism and piracy crackdowns, it said. Which of the following is TRUE according to the text? Answer: Damini Bansal (14 years old) Freedom is something different in everybody's way of thinking--a student would probably like to raise a revolt against all the obnoxious rules of his or her school and as a grown up one might want to have less responsibilities . Freedom according to me is the power in me to make some of my life's decisions on my own. And this Independence Day will be a lot more different than our first one in 1947 when people actually came to know what it was like to be free, for them it was the dawn of a new day, it was a day when they could do what they felt was right. We have come far from all of this. We now no longer see the Independence Day as a day of very great importance for the students of my class (and most of the children of my age), and the most important value is that it is a holiday. Arihant Jain (12 years old) We can do anything we want like not going to school. Everything should be free. We should not pay money to buy anything. Can go anywhere I want...to the playground when exams are on. Chatting on phone as long as I want. To eat dinner outside everyday. In school being able to play sports and not study. Flying Kites. From what Arihant Jain says, we can infer that . Answer: "Made in China" has Changed Many shoppers in the West still prize labels, boasting a product was made in Italy without knowing that a growing number of Italian products come from factories that are Chineseowned and staffed. The products which were marked "Made in China" gave the buyer an impression of "low pride and low cost, low technology and development". The statement used to be true, but now it has changed. "Made in China" is becoming a leading part in the world market. China's garment industry has been investing in producing technology and training for decades, and its workforce has collectively gotten better at sewing garments. As a result, the quality of Chinesemade clothes is rising fast. It has been home to a highlyskilled, highlyspecialized garment industry, one that supplies even some highend labels and offers the best mix of price, speed, and quality. "If I was to make a basic men's jean, I'd make that in Pakistan," said Edward Hertzman, coowner of the trade publication Sourcing Journal. "If I was going to make a fashionable women's garment, I would move to China because their skill set is better, their hand is better, their finishing is better, and they can handle that type of fashion." Indeed, luxury fashion labels now routinely make things in China. Burberry, Armani, and Prada have all produced things there, because they're still able to get good workmanship at a relatively low price. Even the Japanese brand Visvim, known for its crazy attention to detail, also produces highend, handmade footwear in China. Despite the rising wages and costs of doing business in China, companies have not walked away. "China is viewed by people who make buying decisions as unique and hard to copy elsewhere," says Josh Green, CEO of Panjiva. What is the similarity between Prada and Visvim? Answer: We usually have three meals. We have breakfast, lunch and supper. We often have more time for lunch and supper, and we eat a big lunch or supper. But a good breakfast is very important . It's easy for you to understand it. You don't eat anything for about twelve hours from the last supper. One good breakfast should be rice or bread, an egg and milk. On a cold morning a cup of hot drink is necessary . Get up a little early and you can have enough time to eat breakfast. A good breakfast helps you to study well. It helps you to work well and play happily. You will be fun for a day after you enjoy a good breakfast. What should we drink for breakfast? Answer: These days, when the world seems to be hard to control, walking can make you feel peaceful. It gives you a chance to slow down, to relax and to appreciate yourself and your life in general. It helps you slow down enough to breathe deeply, to calm your thoughts, and to research the natural world filled with wonders. And yes, to love yourself more. Try to spend one day for a long travel on foot--far from the requirements of work and family. First, choose a date and mark it as your "relaxing day". Next, choose a place that you want to visit on foot. If you enjoy being out in nature, head to a wide and open place. Try to choose a place that's no more than 15 minutes from your home. You want to spend your time walking, not driving. Walk at an easy speed so you can walk longer and farther. If you normally walk two miles a day, go for four to six miles. Wear comfortable clothes. If it's warm, wear a hat to protect your face. And don't forget your sunglasses-- not only to protect your eyes but also to give you a sense of privacy while you walk. Before you go out, get up early so you can spend a few minutes relaxing. Relaxing is something few people spend in their spare time, but it leaves you feeling much lighter and less annoyed. Read something relaxing before you leave home, and it'll put you in a different condition of mind. And, of course, eat a healthy breakfast and drink plenty of water. Then pick up your backpack and head out. And enjoy yourself. From the passage, we can know _ . Answer:
Welcome to the National Museum of Mathematics(MoMath).it is in New York City.It is America's first math museum.It's also a fun place for both children and their parents. Open the door ,you will open a new world of numbers,shapes and colours,and you will find math is interesting.You can take part in many games and activities.They help you better understand math." We want to give people fun ways to learn math,"MoMath founder Glen Whitney said."Here you can try riding a tricycle with square wheels .You can hop from one point to another and join lines to get pictures." The museum is at 11 East 26th Street in Manhattan and is open from 1 0:00 a.m.to 5:00 P.m.,seven days a week,364 days a year(It is closed on Thanksgiving Day).MoMath closes early on the first Wednesday of every month,at 2:30 p.m.The ticket prices are$1 5 per adult and$9 per child,student,or the old people. MoMath also has a traveling museum-Math Midway.It runs around the country to schools and community centres .So you still can enjoy the fun of math even you live far from New York City. How much is the ticket for a student? A. $l 5. B. $1 0. C. $9. D. Free. Answer: C. $9. On a freezing-cold February morning in Indiana, Jhaqueil Reagan,18, left home to walk to a job interview--ten miles away, over snow-covered roads. Reagan had been looking for work for months. His mother had died two years earlier, and he was the only caretaker of his younger brother, Cole, 16, and sister, Jazzlyn, seven. He was desperate for a regular salary after cutting lawns and doing other temporaryjobs. Three hours into his hard trip, Reagan had covered only three miles. He paused outside a Cajun restaurant called Papa Roux to ask for directions from owner Art Bouvier, who was clearing ice and snow from the parking lot. "I told him to get on the bus," says Bouvier. "He thanked me and went on his way." Fifteen minutes later, Bouvier pulled up in his car beside Reagan as he walked along. "You've really got to be on the bus," he told Reagan. "I don't have money for the bus," Reagan replied. Bouvier offered him a lift. On the way, he asked the boy about his job search. "I thought, This is the kind of kid I want working for me," says Bouvier. He got the teen's phone number and dropped him off for his interview. Later that day, Bouvier wrote about Reagan on Facebook. "He doesn't know it yet, but he starts on Monday," Bouvier wrote. "It's been a while since I've met someone so young with a work ethic like that!" A few hours later, Bouvier called to offer Reagan a job. Shocked, the teen accepted on the spot. A television reporter _ the story and interviewed the pair on camera that night. Today, Reagan is washing dishes, filling orders, and greeting Papa Roux customers for $8.50 an hour. The publicity has brought in so many new customers that Bouvier plans to open a second restaurant by the end of the year. What's the best title of the passage ? A. A Young Man Who Had an Interview B. A Young Man Who Found a Job C. A Boss Who Offered a Job D. A Boss Who Took a Chance Answer: D. A Boss Who Took a Chance What is the first thing you notice when you walk into a shop? The products displayed at the entrance? Or the soft background music? But have you ever notice the smell? Unless it is bad,the answer is likely to be no.But while a shop's scent may not be outstanding compared with sights and sounds,it is certainly there.And it is providing to be an increasing powerful tool in encouraging people to purchase. A brand store has become famous for its distinctive scent which floats through the fairly dark hall and out to the entrance,via scent machines. A smell may be attractive but it may not just be used for freshening air.One sports goods company once reposed that when it first introduced scent into its stores,customers'intension to purchase increased by 80 percent. When it comes to the best shopping streets in Pairs,scent is just as important to a brand's success as the quality of its window displays and goods on sales.That is mainly because shopping is a very different experience to what it used to be. Some years ago,the focus for brand name shopping was on a few people with sales assistants'disproving attitude and don't-touch-what-you-can't afford displays.Now the rise of electronic commerce(e-commerce)has opened up famous brands to a wider audience.But while e-shops can use sights and sounds,only bricks-and-mortar stores can offer a full experience from the minute customers step through the door to the moment they leave.Another brand store seeks to be much more than a shop,but rather a _ .And scent is just one way to achieve this. Now a famous store uses complex man-made smell to make sure that the soft scent of baby powder floats through the kid department,and coconut scent in the swimsuit section.A department store has even opened a new lab,inviting customers on a journey into the store's windows to smell books,pots and drawers,in search of their perfect scent. According to the passage,what is an increasingly powerful tool in the success of some brand store? A. Friendly assistant. B. Unique scents. C. Soft background music D. attractive window display. Answer: B. Unique scents. Let's be honest:If you like to take lots of vacation,the United States is not the place to work.Besides a handful of national holidays,the typical American worker gets two or three precious weeks off out of a whole year to relax and see the world--much less than what people in many other countries receive.Only 57% of the US workers use up all of the days they're entitled to,compared with 89% of workers in France, a recent research found. So what's going on here?A big reason for the difference is that paid time off is supported by law in many parts of the world.Germany is among more than two dozen industrialized countries--from Australia to Slovenia to Japan--that require employers to offer four weeks or more of paid vacation to their workers,according to a 2009 study by the human resources consulting company Mercer.Finland, Brazil and France are the champions, guaranteeing six weeks of time off. But employers in the United States have no duty under federal law to offer any paid vacation, so about a quarter of all American workers don't have access to _ ,government figures show.That makes the US the only advanced nation in the world that doesn't guarantee its workers annual leave,according to a report titled "NoVacation Nation" by the Center for Economic and Policy Research, a liberal policy group. But the fear of layoffs and the everfaster pace of work mean many Americans don't want to be absent from the office--anxious that they might look like they're not willing to work hard.Or they worry they won't be able to deal with the backlog of work waiting for them after a vacation. Working more makes Americans happier than Europeans, according to a study published recently in the Journal of Happiness Studies.That may be because Americans believe more than Europeans do that hard work is associated with success, wrote Adam OkuliczKozaryn,the study's author and an assistant professor at the University of Texas at Dallas."Americans increase their happiness by working, and Europeans increase their happiness through vacation," he found. What does the study in the Journal of Happiness Studies find? A. Americans get more happiness from work than Europeans. B. Americans believe happiness is the most important thing. C. Europeans believe more hard work leads to success. D. Europeans do not like taking long vacations. Answer: A. Americans get more happiness from work than Europeans. No doubt that you know about Charities. Here it is another chance for you to know more. Difficult times often bring out the best in people. And this was the case for basketball star Yao Ming, who hosted a television show in Shanghai that raised US$300,000 to help researchers find a cure for SARS. Fundraising, or charity, is an act of goodwill towards others. Charities in the West have more flexible ways. Look at a typical day for Ruth, a wealthy woman in the UK, for example. Ruth wakes up in the morning and collects her post. There's a letter addressed to her with a picture of a half-dead, beaten horse. It's from a charity asking Ruth to donate money to save the animals. The door bell rings and there, on Ruth's doorstep, is an old woman asking for money to help the aged. She turns on the television, hears sad music and sees a picture of a wide-eyed child dying of hunger in Africa with an appeal for money to help the child. Ruth then goes shopping for a dress to wear to that evening's large party for the rich and famous. The ticket cost her a small fortune, but she doesn't mind because most of the money is going to a charity that fights AIDS. She feels good about going because she's helping the sick. Within five minutes of walking down the street, Ruth has passed a charity shop. She doesn't stop because she doesn't think she'd find a suitable dress there--it's full of old, secondhand clothes. But, many other people enter and but all sorts of bargains. Edna, a little old lady, looks after the shop. Any profit it has made goes to a cancer charity. Now that she has retired, she has plenty of spare time to offer her services for free. For people like Yao Ming, Ruth and Edna, charity is a virtue that holds the same importance in life as faith and hope. " " said Scottish author Henry Drummond. What's the writer's attitude towards charity _ ? A. The writer thinks it's something only people like Ruth can afford to do B. The writer just wants to inform us of the different ways to practice charity C. The writer thinks it's a virtue and admires the people who practice it D. The writer doesn't make it clear in the story Answer: C. The writer thinks it's a virtue and admires the people who practice it
If you don't like reading books, this is for you. * Have a few laughs . Sit down with a book of jokes, a picture book or a funny story- book first. * Ask around. Ask your friends or your teachers about interesting books. * Find new interests. After reading, you may find an interest in something new. * Go to the library. Don't be shy about asking a librarian a question like, "Do you have any books about soccer?" * See the world . When you want to know or see something, you can open the book about it. Try to read, you can find there is a lot of fun in books. If you want to find something about football in the library, you can _ . Answer: ask the librarian Paris is an ancient city, the center of prefix = st1 /Franceand probably the most cultured city in Europe. For the modern traveler it's very easy to reach the famous city on the river Seine. You can fly there in less time than it takes to travel by train from Beijing toShanghai. Once you reachParisyou are surprised by a city that is the perfect combination of modern life and history. The best time to arrive is the spring. Winter is cold and wet, the summer humid and autumn windy. In the spring the flowers are blossoming, the sun shines and the birds sing. The people ofParisare most pleased with spring in their city. They play in the parks, visit the beautiful monuments and enjoy "joie de vivre" . If you arrive in Parisin the springtime, you will enjoy the life of lazy walks down the boulevards too, sitting in the cafes and visiting the most famous museums in the world. There are many places for you to visit, Notre Dame de Paris, the nearby palace of Versaille, the arch of Triumph and of course the Eiffel Tower. You'll notice that in Paris the people in the cafes all look out at the people on the street. They like to see and be seen. Some monuments are not French, but fromEgypt, orGreece, or maybe Chinese! There are many, many dogs, especially the famous French poodie with his well-tailored looks. This is the city where the French impressionists painted their works, where arts, culture and literature are the main passions of life. Apart of course, from the food! All Frenchmen like to eat and drink wine - they are never happier than when they are having a picnic on the banks of the river Seine in the springtime. Why do you think the writer writes this passage? Answer: To encourage people to make a trip toParis. The 30th Olympics will be held in London soon. More and more people will travel there and watch the games. And it's necessary for the tourists to know the customs there. Here are some tips given by William Hanson, an English manner expert. * Afternoon tea. The traditional view that the British sit down for an afternoon tea is not popular any more. Few people keep the tradition nowadays. * Give tips -- but not in a clear way. The British would like to choose a quiet way of saying "thank you" when they get good service. In fact, many British waiters will not mind if you decide not to tip at all. * Greeting with a kiss. The British aren't like their neighbors in France. They do not greet others with a kiss very often. Many people prefer to shake hands or pat on the back to say " hello" . * Conversation tips. If you are not sure what you are talking about, end a sentence with the word "mate". * Don't talk about money. According to Hanson, British people don't like to talk about money and it is rude to do so. Especially, never ask anyone how much money he or she makes a month. What is the best title for the passage? Answer: Customs in London The average American child spends three to five hours a day watching TV. In 1961, the average child began to watch television at age three; however, today it is nine months. Yet, most parents think that television has bad influence on their children. For example, in the early 1970s, my parents believed that my bad eyesight was the result of sitting too close to the screen, and they therefore made my stay at least six feet from it. Today, most people have no such worry, but many new ridiculous sayings have appeared: *TV makes kids stupid. Many children watch more educational programs when they are pre-schoolers. When they grow up, they can read more books and have much better ideas to solve difficult problems than other children. *TV makes kids violent. The real story is not so simple. Hundreds of studies show that watching violence on TV makes children more aggressive . But a study of over 5,000 children also finds that some positive programs make children kinder. The problem is that kids are increasingly watching shows with violence instead of those suitable for their age. *Sitting around watching TV makes kids overweight. An experiment finds that when children watch less television, they do lose extra weight; however, reducing their television time does not make them more active. The real problem lies in snacking . A widespread habit for kids, and junk-food advertisements. *TV helps kids get to sleep. The opposite is true. The more television children watch, the more likely they are to have irregular sleep and nap patterns. Allowing kids to watch television is part of the problem, not the solution. Why are children spending much time watching TV likely to be fat? Answer: Children like to snack while watching TV. What requires an electrical conductor? Answer: cording
Every year holidays Broughton teams up with Sopraviva Trekking to offer twelve days of unforgettable adventure in a tropical rain forest.Depending on where this year's rain forest adventure is located,you may be going to Borneo, Malaysia,Indonesia,or even to the greatest rain forest of them all,the mighty Amazonian forest. You will fly with your fellow adventurers to one of our special base camps at the edge of the forest,where you will be given five days of survival training,and talks on the local wildlife by trained and experienced experts.You will also go on walks which take you deeper and deeper under the forest canopy until on your final night you camp out in the rain forest itself. Then you transfer by bus into the forest itself.If you go on one of the Asian holidays,you will have to walk the final miles to the camp site itself,to avoid disturbing the local ecology.All of the Sopraviva sites have been carefully built to conform with the latest regulations,and to cause the minimal amount of disturbance to the local wildlife. From the camp,you will go on daily walking tours to experience for yourself the beauty and diversity of the forests,and plants and vegetation that can be found nowhere else on the planet.Remember that these adventure holidays take you deep into the wilderness,and they are not suitable for families with young children or for anyone who is not physically able to meet the demands of this kind of adventure.Also remember that in order to preserve the delicate ecological system that you will be walking through ,no more than two dozen guests can stay at any camp at one time,so if you want to go on one of these very special holidays,you will need to book early! Which of the following people is/are allowed to enter the forest? Answer: Walking tourists I am the captain of a ship in American Marine Police Force. I have been working as a policeman on the sea for eight years. I really love the sea because of its cool winds, the fresh smell and the beautiful scenery , so I joined Marine Police Force to safeguard the sea. Several days ago, I was out on a boat with my friends. We were not on duty but our officer allowed us to use the police sailing boat. It was very relaxing to have a day off on the sea with friends. We went fishing. We were on our way back when I saw a ship with the name PSS Pollu. It was pouring oil into the sea. I was very upset about this, so I managed to call the ship and shouted, "Stop at once and follow us back to the shore!" But PSS Pollu tried to escape. We tried our best to follow her but the ship was too fast for us so we contacted the Police Force and asked for help. Two fast police boats were sent and soon caught up with PSS Pollu. The ship had no choice but to give in. Six policemen searched PSS Pollu and found that it was carrying illegal goods. The men on PSS Pollu were punished. I was rewarded for providing useful information while I was off duty. I felt proud and now I love my job even more. How did the writer feel after catching PSS Pollu? Answer: Happy. Last summer, as part of my high school graduation project, I volunteered at Saunders House nursing home. I choose this experience because it was something that I had never done before and I wanted to lend a helping hand. At first it was challenging because I was extremely shy. My goal in volunteering was to bring a smile to the residents by doing different activities from word games to playing chess. I feel as if I had finished that goal. At the nursing home, I did a lot of different activities with the residents ranging from Jeopardy to Wheel of Fortune. One of my favorites was a word game where I would write a ten -letter word on the board and the residents would try to come up with as many smaller words as possible. I could tell that it was one of their favorite games because they always seemed to be so enthusiastic when they played. I also transported residents to and from their rooms when they needed help; and whenever it was a nice day out, I would take them outside to get some fresh air and relax. On Saturday mornings, I would deliver the newspaper to the residents and on Sundays, I helped with morning church services. The most unforgettable part of this experience was when I had one-on-one conversations with the residents. It was incredible how many great stories they had to tell. Their stories were so interesting and the experience was unforgettable for me. What did the author do for the residents on sunny days? Answer: She took them outside the room. Today I find myself in one of the safest cities in the world, Singapore. But the truth is, even here in Singapore, security cannot be taken for granted. It is a small nation that has no natural resources to speak of, even something as basic as water is constantly threatened to be cut off by Malaysia. Months after the September 11thattacks on US oil, a plot to bomb American soldiers near their military base in Singapore was uncovered by the local authorities. The United Nations has tried for more than half a century to architect peace for the world. But it has clearly failed. The grand horrors of the World Wars may have stopped but only in the forms they had existed before. When the enemy is unseen and there are no front lines, have we in fact created a more peaceful and secure place? Where have we gone wrong? Perhaps it is because the international body has never understood that peace was, is, and will never be something it can manage. Not recognizing this truth, the methods it provides are often short-lived and some even dangerous. Solutions for threatening situations tend to require the countries to carry out economic and political reforms so that they will become idealized democratic society like America or Britain. The UN fails to consider that hundreds of years of evolution gave rise to these strong democracies. So the result is further chaos and corruption, worse for all. Actually, an international organization or a government cannot possess peace to give away, but there are those who do possess it. Those who own peace are us, as individuals who cherish life, not our own but all others'. The act of achieving peace lies in us when we choose to respect social and cultural differences and appreciate that all our lives are fragile. Why hasn't the UN created peace for the world? Answer: Because it has a wrong concept of peace. Hi, everyone! I am Paul Hawking, the trip leader for this weekend' s activity. It's that time of the year again when the days are long and it is nice to sit outside and enjoy some oysters . We plan to head out to the Mission Bay this Sunday for a beach picnic. You can buy fresh oysters at the Mission Bay Oyster Company and you just need to pay $6 to $l0 for each dozen, depending on the size. It' s on Sunday, June 30. We will meet at the Student Center at 9:00 a.m. and all go together. The driving time is one and a half to two hours, and the time of return is still uncertain. Come and join us in what must now be the 4th or 5th such trip for the Outing Club. The oyster farm has a small picnic area with chairs and barbecue grills . Bring some briquettes if you would like to grill. Except for oysters, oysters and oysters, little is available there, so please bring your own food and drinks. And of course, if you have any special oyster recipes , bring them make them and share them! The weather forecast says it's going to be sunny and around 26degC this weekend. My telephone number is 408-896-3228. Please feel free to call me if you have any questions. Remember to finish your homework before we leave for the picnic. If you plan to grill, you must bring _ . Answer: some briquettes
I always experienced guilt when I passed by without giving a coin or two to a beggar. My conscience was pricked again on a tour of Venice in 2010. I had taken refuge from the crowds in a quiet canal-side cafe. Outside the cafe was an old woman kneeling on the ancient cobbled stones, begging. Steady streams of tourists were walking past her. A lone young back-packer stood away from the crowds drinking something, but I noticed he was also observing the woman. A tourist group glanced at the woman and walked on. Another group of tourists arrived and, again, walked past her. The backpacker watched. Then, as I prepared to leave, I stopped at the sight of the backpacker stepping forward and placing some money in the woman's cup. He did this rather ostentatiously , just before the arrival of another tourist group. I watched as the leader of the group stopped and put some money in the cup. Having been shown the way, other tourists followed suit and added more coins to the woman's cup. The young backpacker repeated this process in front of the next tour party going past. Once again, the subtle peer pressure worked on the tourists, who all added coins to the cup. His work done, the young man walked over to the old beggar woman, patted her shoulder and said, "I hope that helps a bit." I don't know if the woman understood his English or realized what had just happened, but I did. I placed some money in the woman's cup and continued my travels, light-hearted after witnessing such an act of caring. The author went to a quiet canal-side cafe to _ . A avoid meeting the beggar B get away from the crowds C take a rest D watch the woman beggar Answer: B Last Friday a storm swept through two villages in the New Territories, destroying fourteen homes. Seven others were so badly damaged that their owners had to leave them, and fifteen others had broken windows or broken roofs. One person was killed, several were badly hurt and taken to the hospital, and a number of other people received light hurt. In total, over two hundred people were homeless. Mr Tan said that the storm began early in the morning and lasted for over an hour. "I was eating with my wife and children when we heard a loud noise," he said. "Several minutes later, our house fell down on top of us. We tried our best to climb out but then I saw that one of my children was missing. I went back inside and found him safe but very frightened." Mrs Woo said that her husband had just left for work when she felt that her house was moving. She ran outside at once with her children. "There was no time to take anything," she said. "A few minutes later, the roof came down." Soldiers helped to take people out of the flooded area and the welfare department brought them food, clothes and shelter. Mrs Woo and her children didn't get hurt because _ . A her husband knew there would be a storm B they were all outside the house when the storm came C she felt the house was moving and went out with her children D the welfare department helped her Answer: C I will never forget that unusual day!I kept hearing a strange noise while I was driving down a mountain in my car,so I stopped on the dirty road to check.There was a little green head looking at me in my backpack."What are you doing there,little frog?''I said to myself.Well,you can imagine my surprise when I heard this frog answering me in the voice of a frog."Madam.I love to travel so much that I just can't control myself when I see a backpack." I just looked at him with my mouth open and didn't know what to say. "Oh, dear Madam,"continued the frog,"I am Mongy.Nice to meet you!" "Nice to meet you,too!You can call me Christa.How is it possible that I can hear you,Mongy?" "You wanted to get to know nature and the living things in the world,and you started paying attention to nature.Most people never pay attention to nature,so they only listen when they are young.But you heard the voices of nature calling you.You went even further than that and you tried to get along well with nature.That's why you can hear me now.'' It was at this moment that my life changed and I suddenly knew what my destiny would be from that day on. The writer looked at the frog with her mouth open because _ . A it was making a strange noise B it looked at her like a human C it answered her in the voice of a frog D it loved to travel Answer: C Lie in bed, by an open window, and listen... "No air conditioning? How can you sleep?" a friend asks, horrified. I tell her my family has decided to shut the air conditioner off and reduce our electric bill. On this first night of our cost-cutting plan, it's only 85 degrees. We're going to suffer, but the three kids complain anyway. They have grown up in 72-degree comfort, protected from the world outside. "It's too hot to sleep," my 13-year-old daughter complains. "I'm about to die from this heat," her brother complains down the hall. "Just try it tonight," I tell them. In truth I'm too tired to turn for long. My face is sweaty, but I lie quietly listening to the cricket choirs outside that remind me of childhood. The neighbor's dog howls. Probably a passing squirrel. It's been years since I took the time to really listen to the night. I think about grandma, who lived to 92 and still helped with my mom's gardening until just a few weeks before she died. And then, I'm back there at her house in the summer heat of my childhood. I move my pillow to the foot of grandma's bed and turn my face toward the open window. I turn the pillow, hunting for the cooler side. Grandma saw me turn over and over. "If you just watch for the breeze ," she said, "you'll cool off and fall asleep." I stare at the filmy white curtain, willing it to move. Lying still, waiting, I suddenly notice the life outside the window. The bug chorus. Neighbors, porch -sitting late, speak in unclear words that calm me. "Mom, did you hear that?" my seven-year-old son cries, "I think it was an owl family." "Probably," I tell him, "just keep listening..." Without the working air conditioner, the house is peaceful, and the natural night noises seem close enough to touch. I hope I'm awake tonight when the first breeze comes in. In the writer's eyes, her children are _ . A free from parents' protection B full of dissatisfaction with life C dependable because of parents' love D lacking in real test of hardships in life Answer: D Music comes in many forms; most countries have a style of their own. The US is well known for jazz , which has gained world-wide popularity. In contrast to classical music, which follows formal European traditions, jazz is natural and free-form. It is full of energy, expressing the moods, interests, and feelings of the people. It has a modern sound that makes people very excited. In the 1920s jazz sounded like America. And So it does today. The origins of this music are as interesting as the music itself. Jazz was produced by American blacks, who were brought to the Southern States as slaves. They were sold to plantation owners and forced to work long hours in the cotton and tobacco fields. This work was hard and life was short. When a Negro died, his friends and relatives formed a group to carry the body to the cemetery. A band often went with them. On the way to the cemetery the band played slow and sad music. But on the way home the mood changed. _ Everybody was happy. Death had removed one of their members, but the living were glad to be alive. The band played happy music, which made everyone want to dance. It was an early form of jazz. Music has always been important in their lives. Coming mainly from West Africa, the black men who were brought to America already possessed a rich musical tradition. This music centered on religious ceremonies in which dancing, singing, clapping and stamping to the beat of a drum were important forms of musical expression. As these people settled in to their fields, they made up work songs. Singing made the hard work go faster. Another musical form that helped to develop jazz was the blues. Blues songs always describe something sad -- an unhappy love affair, a money problem, bad luck. To this day, the expression "feeling blue" means being sad. Why did the band play happy music on the way home from the cemetery? A Because they felt happy for the dead men. B Because they were glad that they themselves were still alive. C Because they would have a big dinner after they returned home. D Because they hated that dead man Answer: B
People are interested in eating raw foods or whole foods partly because eating these types of food reduces the risk of acid accumulation in our body . Raw and whole foods are usually digested more efficiently than cooked and processed foods . When we cook foods , we destroy the natural enzymes that are part of the food in its raw form . These enzymes were intended by nature to help us digest the food . When we consume food without these natural enzymes , our bodies either digest the food improperly or allow too many nutrients to be absorbed into the bloodstream . In both cases , the result is obesity . When too many nutrients are absorbed at once , the body grows fat . Processed foods contain chemical elements , which might confuse the appetite system that tells us when we've had enough to eat ; as a result , people often overeat . Processed foods also upset the digestive cycle . The body will either identify these foods as allergens and then store them safely away from the organs as fat , or the remains of undigested food will become acidic and enter the bloodstream as acid waste , which will stick to the blood vessel walls and block the passage of vital oxygen and nutrients heading for the body's cells . The body's metabolism becomes inactive , and the result is weight gain and obesity . To stop this _ circle in its tracks , people need to consume food and supplements that will balance the acid already accumulated in body . Eating the right types of raw and whole foods can help . It's also important to restore our enzyme balance . We need to identify and avoid the foods that cause acid accumulation and consume the foods that increase enzyme production . If we truly want to change and help our body heal itself , we need to take an active approach . To change and help our body heal itself , we need to _ . Answer: Veteran rock climbers are calling her one of the most promising climbers in the world. She flies up, grasping the rock and heading gracefully for practically non-existent holds. She's only 14. Ashima Shiraishi, the New York-born teen, has shaken up the climbing world. At 1.55 meters and 45 kilograms, Ashima might not look like the groundbreaking athlete. But she could be, though still young, the first female climber whose accomplishments go beyond gender. The evidence: At just 14, Ashima has already made history in the sport. She won the American National Youth Bouldering Championship every year from 2010 to 2014. And last March, the young climber completed the "Open Your Mind Direct" course in Spain. It's a very big deal because the course, with a hold broken off near the top, is widely considered one of the hardest in the world. Only one woman and a small number of men have ever conquered it. She first learned to climb on rocks in Central Park when she was only six. Her father, who works as a dancer, is her coach. At age nine, Ashima went on a bouldering trip to Texas. Falling brought tears to her eyes, but she didn't give up. Now, she finds she "couldn't live without climbing." For the past six years, Ashima has been a climbing legend. Her love for the sport has taken her around the world. There have been articles and photo spreads in newspapers and sports magazines, films, countless online video clips, and an appearance on Time Magazine's list of America's most influential teenagers. "I think people are shocked if I do something they can't do or because I'm still very young and I'm a girl," Ashima says. "In most sports, men lead the way. But with climbing, who knows, maybe women will be leading. Doing something that a guy can't do is pretty special." The passage mainly focuses on _ . Answer: If you or someone near you is in danger, how will you do the first aid? Mr. Zhang, a doctor in Beijing First Aid Center has some useful suggestions. Check the environment. Watch the situation carefully. Is there anything that might do harm to you? Will you or the victim be hurt by fire, harmful smoke, a broken building, electrical wires or other dangerous situations? Do not rush into a place where you could be a victim yourself. If being close to the victim will put your life in danger, search for skilled help at once. Skilled people have received special training and know how to deal with these situations. First aid isn't helpful if you do it but hurt yourself. Call for help. Call the police or some other first-aid services immediately if you believe someone is seriously injured. If you are the only person on the scene, try to restart the patient's breath before calling for help. Do not leave the victim alone. Care for the person. Care for someone who has just gone through serious hardness. Remember to stay calm, encourage him (her) and you should be _ . Let the person know that help is on its way and that everything will be all right. When you find someone in danger, you should _ . Answer: The campaign is over. The celebrations have ended. And the work for US president-elect Barack Obama has begun. The 47-year-old politician rose to the highest post because of his stand against the war in Iraq and his plans to fix a weak economy. But what will the first 47-year-old African-American president do for race relations? Obama's victory appears to have given blacks and other minorities a true national role model. For years, many looked to athletes and musicians for inspiration. As Darius Turner, an African-American high school student in Los Angeles, told the Los Angeles Times, "Kobe doesn't have to be everybody's role model anymore." Recent polls also suggest that Obama's victory has given Americans new optimism about race relations. For example, a USA Today poll found that two-thirds of Americans believe relations between blacks and whites "will finally be worked out". This is the most hopeful response since the question was first asked during the civil rights revolution in 1963. However, it's still too early to tell whether Obama's presidency will begin to solve many of the social problems facing low-income black communities. Although blacks make up only 13 percent of the US population, 55 percent of all prisoners are African-American. Such numbers can be blamed on any number of factors on America's racist past, a failure of government policy and the collapse of the family unit in black communities. It is unlikely that Obama will be able to reverse such trends overnight. However, Bill Bank, an expert of African-American Studies, says that eventually young blacks need to find role models in their own communities. "That's not Martin Luther King, and not Barack Obama," he told the Los Angeles Times. "It's actually the people closest to them. Barack only has so much influence." In the opinion of black British politician Trevor Phillips, Obama's rise will contribute more to multiculturalism than to race relations in the US. "When the G8 meets, the four most important people in the room will be the president of China, the prime minister of India, the prime minister of Japan and Barak Obama," he told London's The Times newspaper. "It will be the first time we've seen that on our television screens. That will be a huge psychological shift for both the white people and the color1ed ones in the world." According to Bill Bank, _ . Answer: Jack drives a school bus.His bus is different from other school buses because it doesn't carry children.Jack's bus takes dogs to school in the morning and brings them home at night.Jack takes the dogs to "The Dog School".There four men teach the dogs to obey and protect their owners.All kinds of dogs go to the school--large dogs,small dogs,young dogs and old dogs Jack says that young dogs are the easiest to teach,but the old ones can learn,too. Do you have a dog? Maybe it would like to go to "The Dog School". Jack teaches the dogs to _ . Answer:
Many science fiction stories tell about explorers arriving in a new world. The explorers then use some kind of high-tech device to test for breathable air or signs of life. But here on Earth, science fiction is becoming reality through a new sampling technology called environmental DNA, or e-DNA for short. Scientists can use it to identify rare or invasive species, study bio-diversity or estimate fish populations with just a little air or water. Ryan Kelly is an ecologist at the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs at the University of Washington in Seattle. He works in a laboratory there with other researchers. They study the genetic material released by living creatures. "Essentially we can take a sample of soil or air -- and in our case -- water, and we can sequence(to arrange the order of genes)the DNA out of it and tell you what is there." Ryan Kelly says he and his research team are studying water samples collected from Puget Sound. He says the cost of gene sequencing has "been reduced greatly in recent years." That makes DNA testing more widely available. Environmental DNA can be used in two ways. One is to identify the creatures that live in a certain place. The other is to confirm the presence or lack of a specific creature. Caren Goldberg heads the new e-DNA lab at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington. She is one of the first biologists in the northwestern United States to take the technology from the testing phase to actually using it. "It is extremely useful for species that are really hard to find. I have spent many hours looking for species that I was pretty sure were there -- looking under rocks, looking in water, doing all kinds of surveys." Caren Goldberg sees e-DNA as a way to get answers more efficiently, safely and with less destruction compared to traditional survey techniques. Until recently, scientists depended on diving deep, netting or using an electric current to temporarily catch fish. "We're absolutely at this point where proof-of-concept has been established. I don't think everyone necessarily is ready for it yet, but I think the majority of people are." This newer way to identify what lives in the environment is becoming popular around the world. Animal experts in Vietnam are using the e-DNA to find the last, wild Yangtze giant softshell turtles. One researcher on the Caribbean island of Trinidad is using the sampling technology to find endangered golden tree-frogs. And in Madagascar, it is being used to identify amphibian diseases. Ms. Goldberg has used e-DNA testing to confirm the local extinction, disappearance, of a leopard frog in the American state of Idaho. She has also been asked to document the spread of the New Zealand mud-snail in the state of Washington. The creature has been found in lakes and other waterways across the state. Now, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management wants Caren Goldberg to look for the Columbia spotted frog in two other western states. The rare amphibian is a candidate for the federal government's threatened species list. Scientists working with the technology say they do not expect robots to replace field biologists anytime soon. But the old-fashioned field work could soon be more targeted. A related research goal is to show how long environmental DNA can last and how far it can travel in different environments. Despites its advantage, we are still not sure of something about E-DNA. That is _ . Answer: the lasting time and the spreading area of E-DNA We have a real crisis in this country in the basic understanding of science. It affects our global competitiveness as a country, our national security, and the effectiveness of our social system. The misunderstanding about science is blinding our eyes. We know that an awful lot of teachers who are teaching science today have not been properly empowered to do so. School frequently isn't testing whether you understand something but whether you're familiar with it. What's Newton's second law? You say F=ma, and you get an A. That does not reflect a deep understanding of Newtonian mechanics. Science education is not just a body of facts; it's a process. To present it with appeal and excitement you need to picture it as a detective story--asking questions, making observations, and collecting evidence. You test and you fail but, you know, failure can lead to discovery. Another challenge we face is that science is often viewed as too hard, for experts only. But I don't actually think it's that difficult. People see science every day. They look outside and see weather and nature. They push a button in their house and the lights go on. Everybody's dealing with science every day. They just don't call it that. And it's important they do. In fact, science is determining the quality and outcomes of their life. Science needs creativity. And one of the best ways to be creative is to think "out of the box". However, we need more courage when we come to practice. Take me for example. Very early in my teens I decided to educate myself. I realized I would never be a very good student because I didn't like teachers judging me by what I thought were arbitrary standards. I decided I'd let the world judge me by whether I could do something of value--solve a problem or build something. That's why I quit school early and risked everything to start a company. I risked everything I had because I had nothing to lose. I'd rather fail at trying to do something really big than succeed at being medium. "When's the right age to think creatively?" you may ask. I'd say in the womb ! Kids don't have anxieties about trying to avoid failure. They are full of imagination and much more willing to fail. Just watch a 3-year-old. They touch everything, and if it hurts they don't touch it again. They learn everything at a breathtaking rate. Start to think out of the box as early as you can, because it's more likely to take you to places that you can't predict, schedule and budget for. Do all that when you can bear the insecurity. What's the tone of the passage? Answer: Encouraging. A horse is kicked out of the barn on a hot summer's day, because the stalls need mucked, and the workers have difficulty cleaning around the horses. So the horse is standing in the field, in direct sunlight, and begins to overheat a bit. In order to stand the heat better, the horse Answer: perspires What does a mirror do to light that causes objects to appear backwards? Answer: reflects Every one of these would be considered a fossil but what? Answer: a cave full of old drawings
In Denmark, parents are allowed to set up a new school if they are dissatisfied with the school in the area where they are living. Although these schools have to follow the national courses, they are allowed a lot of choice in deciding what to teach. Some of these new schools are called "small schools" because usually the number of pupils in them is only sixty, but a school has to have at least twenty-seven pupils. Cooleenbridge School in Ireland, is a small school similar to the ones in Denmark, it was set up by parents who came from Holland, Germany, Czechoslovakia, England and other parts of Ireland. They came because they wanted to live in the countryside and to grow their own food. In June 1986, they decided to start a school. They managed to get an old, disused primary-school building and started with twenty-four children aged from four to twelve. The teachers say, "The important thing in school is doing, not sitting." And so the courses includes yoga , cooking, knitting, kite-making, music, fishing, drama and environmental river studies, as well as reading, writing, maths and science. The writer tells about the Cooleenbridge School in Ireland because _ . A it was set up by parents who are not people of Denmark B it was taken as an example of this kind of "small school" C there were only twenty-four children D the pupils there were aged from 4 to 12 Answer: B. it was taken as an example of this kind of "small school" BERLIN-With the crisis in Japan raising fears about nuclear power, Germany and Switzerland said on Monday that they would reassess the safety of their own reactors. Doris Leuthard, the Swiss energy minister, said Switzerland would put off plans to build nuclear plants. She said no new ones would be permitted until experts had reviewed safety standards. Germany will put off "the recently decided extension of the running time of Cerman nuclear plants," Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters. "This moratorium will run for three months and it will allow for a thorough exanunation of the safety standards of the country's 17 nuclear power plants. The European Union called for a meeting on Tuesday of nuclear safety authorities to assess Europe's preparedness. Germany's foreign minister, Cuido Westerwelle, called for a new risk analysis of the counitry' snuclear plants, particularly regarding their cooling systems. He is the leader of the Free Democratic Party, which strongly supports nuclear power. A previous government,led by the Social Democrats, passed a law in 2001 to close all the country's nuclear plants by 2021. But Mrs. Merkel' s government changed that decision last year to extend the lives of the plants by an average of 12 years. In Switzerland, Doris Leuthard said she had already asked to analyze the exact cause of the problems in Japan and draw up new or tougher safety standards "particularly in terms of seismic( )safety and cooling." In Russia, the Prime Minister said his govemment would "draw conclusions from what's going on in Japan." How will Germany react to Japan's nuclear crisis? A Germany will change the decision made last year. B Germany will close all the country's nuclear plants, C Germany will hold a meeting of nuclear safety authorities. D Germany will delay the extension of nuclear plants running time. Answer: D. Germany will delay the extension of nuclear plants running time. Don't be surprised when strangers talk to you in Canada! You will find that many Canadians will smile at you as they pass in the street, or say something to you like "Hi!" or "How's it going?" Just reply with something similar. In the UK the reply would be "I'm fine", but in Canada they say "I'm good". In company, when someone is offering you a second helping of food or more wine, if you don't want any more, use the same expression-- "I'm good". In this case, it means "No, thank you. I've had enough". Most Canadians don't press you to eat more than you want. In restaurant, your plate will be cleared away almost immediately you have finished eating. When you go into a shop or store, the shop assistant asks you how you are or if they can help you, it is their way of being friendly and making conversation with the customers. Canadians eat early and go home early. When you are invited to a Canadian's home, you may be asked to arrive at 5:30 pm or 6 pm. But guests in Europe don't expect to arrive until 7:30 pm or 8 pm. Remember to take off your shoes and leave them inside the door without being asked. It's not a religious custom, but it's practical. In winter, there can be a lot of snow and dirt on your shoes, once you are in the warm house it melts and falls off, making a mess. Canadians tend to have light colored carpets or hardwood floors. If you're invited for dinner, it will be a full sit- down meal. Meat is usually barbecued in the freezing cold of winter. Do take something with you, like a bottle of wine. Arrive on time and don't stay over 10 pm. What would be the best title for this passage? A Some customs in Canada B Dinner party rules in Canada C Studying in Canada D Doing business in Canada Answer: A. Some customs in Canada Mr. Jones is in Beijing. He's a teacher. And Mrs. Jones is an English teacher. They have a boy and a girl. They are Paul and Michael. Paul is five and Michael is only three months . Paul loves his sister very much. One day, Mrs. Jones' sister, Jane, comes to her family. She sees Michael for the first time . The boy shows his sister to Jane."Look at my sister," says Paul. "She's nice." "You're right, Paul," Jane says. "But what's her name?" "I don't know. She can't speak." Which one is NOT right? A The girl's name is Michael. B Paul knows his sister's name. C Michael can't speak. D Paul loves his sister very much. Answer: B. Paul knows his sister's name. In the 1500s, South American fishermen said that the sea became warmer every few years. They gave this special event a Spanish name 'El Nino', meaning 'the baby'. It is called 'the baby' because it arrives around Christmas. El Nino is a huge area of warm water in the middle of cold water in the Pacific Ocean. It happens every two to seven years. It moves around the ocean and becomes bigger and smaller at different times. This warm water affects the weather. It is always raining over El Nino. El Nino contains a lot of energy. Scientists think this energy is formed when wind comes from the northern half of the world. The winds blow across warm sea water in the south. When the strong wind hits the warm water, violent weather happens. Scientists think that El Nino existed for many thousands of years. El Nino affects every person in the world because it affects the entire world's weather. It can bring the rain that farmers need. It can bring storms that destroy homes. It can mean that fishermen cannot catch fish, and it can bring floods. There is nothing we can do about El Nino. It is an event of nature. We can help the world's weather by trying to stop the greenhouse effect and air pollution. The most important job for scientists is to learn how to predict when El Nino is going to bring dangerous weather. Then, people can try to prepare for storms, floods and droughts. New technology like satellite pictures and temperature measuring equipment can help. Still, it is very hard to say when or where El Nino will cause damage. El Nino is _ . A a storm that hits every two years B a huge area of warm water C a wind from the south D some cold water in the Pacific Ocean Answer: B. a huge area of warm water
Question: We all know that theme parks are places to have fun and amuse ourselves, but among so many exciting rides there are also some dangers, Make sure you know what the safety standards are for all the attractions at the park. If you do that , you will be safe and have fun. Drink water. Believe it or not , dehydration-- when your body doesn't have enough water--is the commonest cause of injuries at theme parks. Drinking water while you are at the park is not enough.You must make sure that you drink enough water before your visit. Use your "common sense". There are lots of people around , so make sure where your friends or family are .Also ,if you are walking and want to stop , make sure nobody is walking behind you. First step aside,then look behind and if you aren't in anybody's way,then stop.It might sound exaggerated ,but crashes between people can cause accidents. Follow the instructions. The majority of theme parks have instructions for each ride. Some rides only allow people of a certain height. So make sure you are not too tall or too short before boarding any ride. Also, people with certain diseases or conditions are advised not to go on some rides. Do remember : If you are told not to go on a ride, then DON'T. Do not ride with a bad atomach or if you've just eaten. Rides can make you ill because of their violent changes of direction and your lunch may end up on someone else's head: surely not a very pleasant experience. Have fun, relax, and be a little brave! Some rides might look scary but theme parks are very safe places. Which of the following will the author accept? A. Children should notplay in theme parks. B. One shouldn't eat anything before riding. C. One must always stay with his friends or family in theme parks. D. One must read the instructions before playing in theme parks. Answer: D. One must read the instructions before playing in theme parks. Question: Two of the saddest words in the English language are "if only". I live my life with the goal of never having to say those words, because they convey regret, lost opportunities, mistakes, and disappointment. My father is famous in our family for saying, "Take the extra minute to do it right." I always try to live by the "extra minute" rule. When my children were young and likely to cause accidents, I always thought about what I could do to avoid an "if only" moment, whether it was something minor like moving a cup full of hot coffee away from the edge of a counter, or something that required a little more work such as taping padding onto the sharp corners of a glass coffee table. I don't only avoid those "if only" moments when it comes to safety. It's equally important to avoid "if only" in our personal relationships. We all know people who lost a loved one and regretted that they had _ an opportunity to say "I love you" or "I forgive you." When my father announced he was going to the eye doctor across from my office on Good Friday, I told him that it was a holiday for my company and I wouldn't be here. But then I thought about the fact that he's 84 years old and I realized that I shouldn't give up an opportunity to see him. I called him and told him I had decided to go to work on my day off after all. I know there will still be occasions when I have to say "if only" about something, but my life is definitely better because of my policy of doing everything possible to avoid that eventuality. And even though it takes an extra minute to do something right, or it occasionally takes an hour or two in my busy schedule to make a personal connection, I know that I'm doing the right thing. I'm buying myself peace of mind and that's the best kind of insurance for my emotional well-being. W hat is the best title for the passage? A. The Emotional Well-being B. The Two Saddest Words C. The Most Useful Rule D. The Peace of Mind Answer: B. The Two Saddest Words Question: Text messaging, or simply "texting", which allows people to send and receive messages on mobile phones, becomes very popular today. The advantages of texting are obvious. Texting helps to save money. If you have a few words to greet your families and friends on their birthdays or on some important festivals, sending messages can be cheaper than phone calling. Texting helps to save time. Even if you want to send a message to 100 people, you can do it one second. Texting helps you to "talk" to someone when he is too busy to answer the phone. Texting can also help you to "talk" to someone secretly if you don't want others to hear what you are talking on the phone. These advantages are so amazing that many people are crazy about it. They hold mobile phones in hands all day long, send dozens of messages each day, and even text while driving or walking. However, texting has its disadvantages. Junk messages may come into your mobile phone box now and then. When your phone box gets too full, you can't receive any more messages. You may therefore miss some important information. What's more, if you don't do texting properly, for example texting while driving or walking, it can be dangerous. It can cause injuries and even death. It was reported that about 6,000 people were killed and half a million were injured for this reason each year. In Fort Lee, a small town in New Jersey, USA, three people died because they walked into traffic while texting in 2011. Two researchers at Stony Brook University, New York found that texters are 60% more probably to have an accident than others. When people are texting, they don't notice other people or things around them. To reduce traffic accidents, all drivers of the UN are now not allowed to text while driving. About 32 countries have passed laws _ the use of mobile phones while driving. Texting is a wonderful way of communication. However, only when we use it properly, can we fully enjoy the fun it brings. How many advantages of texting are mentioned in the passage? A. Two. B. Three. C. Four. D. Five. Answer: C. Four. Question: Mr King was the manager of a hotel. One weekend all the hotels in the city were full because there was a large meeting. On Friday night, three men came into the hotel and asked for rooms. Mr King said there were no rooms ready because of the meeting. The men were unhappy. Mr King wanted to help them. He remembered that Room 418, a very small room, was empty. He asked them if they would share a room. The three men said they would. Mr King said the room would be thirty dollars: ten for each one. Each man gave him the money and then went up to the room. Mr King soon began to feel sorry. "Thirty dollars is a lot to ask as price for that small room. " he thought. He called his assistant over and said, "Here is five dollars. Take it to the men in Room 418. I asked too much for their room." The assistant took the money. While he was on the way there, he started to think, "How can three men divide five dollars? I'll give them each only one dollar and keep the two dollars for myself. The men will be happy to get something back, and Mr King will never know. " So the assistant returned one dollar to each man. Each man had at first paid ten dollars. After the assistant returned them one dollar each, each had paid nine. There were three men, $ 9 x3 = $ 27. The assistant kept $ 2. $ 27 + $ 2 = $ 29. Where is the missing dollar? With the help of the manager, the three men _ . A. went to another hotel B. each got a small room for the night C. stayed together in a small room D. got a small room Mr King kept for himself Answer: C. stayed together in a small room Question: Sonar equipment sends waves into deep water and measures the A. time delay of the reflected waves. B. refraction of the transmitted waves. C. direction of the transmitted waves. D. interference of the transmitted and reflected waves. Answer: A. time delay of the reflected waves.
Question: The health-care economy is filled with unusual and even unique economic relationships. One of the least understood involves the peculiar roles of producer or "provider" and purchaser or "consumer" in the typical doctor-patient relationship. In most sectors of the economy, it is the seller who attempts to attract a potential buyer with various appealing factors of price, quality, and use, and it is the buyer who makes the decision. Such condition, however, is not common in most of the health-care industry. In the health-care industry, the doctor-patient relationship is the mirror image of the ordinary relationship between producer and consumer. Once an individual has chosen to see a physician -- and even then there may be no real choice -- it is the physician who usually makes all significant purchasing decisions: whether the patient should return "next Wednesday", whether X-rays are needed, whether drugs should be prescribed, etc. It is rare that a patient will challenge such professional decisions or raise in advance questions about price, especially when the disease is regarded as serious. This is particularly significant in relation to hospital care. The physician must certify the need for hospitalization, determine what procedures will be performed, and announce when the patient may be discharged. The patient may be consulted about some of the decisions, but in general it is the doctor's judgments that are final. Little wonder then that in the eye of the hospital it is the physician who is the real "consumer". As a consequence, the medical staff represents the "power center" in hospital policy and decision-making, not the administration. Although usually there are in this situation four identifiable participants-- the physician, the hospital, the patient, and the payer (generally an insurance carrier or government)-- the physician makes the essential decisions for all of them. The hospital becomes an extension of the physician; the payer generally meets most of the bills generated by the physician/hospital, and for the most part the patient plays a passive role. We estimate that about 75-80 percent of health-care choices are determined by physicians, not patients. For this reason, the economy directed at patients or the general is relatively ineffective. According to the author, when a doctor tells a patient to "return next Wednesday", the doctor is in fact _ . A. advising the patient to seek a second opinion B. warning the patient that a hospital stay might be necessary C. instructing the patient to buy more medical services D. admitting that the first visit was ineffective Answer: C. instructing the patient to buy more medical services Question: Everyone has an ambition to travel. But those who cannot do so themselves might find it interesting to work in a travel agency, arranging journeys for other people. Brian Lawtey does this, working in a small travel agency in an industrial city. Most of his work is concerned with holiday, both at home and abroad. Every autumn, the agency sends out hundreds of booklets full of attractive, color1ed photographs, describing the holidays that their customers will be able to have the next year. Soon, people begin to come into the office to book their holidays: perhaps a week's skiing in prefix = st1 /Austriain January, perhaps a cruise to the Caribbean in February, perhaps a seaside holiday inSpainin May, or a tour of Africa. Brian often has to advise people on what holidays will be suitable for them, and they always have a lot of questions. Last year, for example, a lady of eighty-two wanted to book for a mountaineering holiday in the Alps, and Brian had great difficulty in persuading her that it would not be suitable. In the end, she decided to go for a Mediterranean cruise instead. Arranging journeys for people who have to travel abroad on business is often very complicated, but Brian enjoys this work. For example, last spring Mr. Perry,a director of chemical firm, went on a business trip, and Brian arranged it all for him. First, Mr. Perry traveled to Londonby trainband stayed overnight in a hotel near the airport, because his plane left early the next morning. He flew to Frankfurt inGermany, where he spent the morning discussing business. Then he went on by train toZurich, where he stayed the night. After a meeting the next morning, he caught a plane for Tokyo, and spent three days there before going toAmerica. He had business in Seattle, Chicago andNew York, and stayed some time in each of those places. From New York, he flew back toLondon,and then got home by train. The next day he telephoned the agency to thank Brian for arranging everything so well for him. When do the customers come into the office to book their holidays? A. Early in the morning. B. Every year. C. In January. D. Shortly after receiving the booklet. Answer: D. Shortly after receiving the booklet. Question: He was struggling to tie his shoes. I was struggling with whether I should help him. I did, and he was grateful. "Thank you," he said. "I'm glad I could help. I just thought it would be easier for me to reach," I said. He was a disabled man, and forced to look down most of the time. His arms and legs were twisted terribly, and he couldn't do what the rest of us would consider easy tasks. He always managed to look up to see how you reacted to his words, however. He had a big smile, making me feel comfortable. I was still on my knees by his wheelchair. " Nice shoes," he said. "Thanks. No one ever complimented me on them before," I said. "No one has the same view of the world as I do," he replied. "Tell me about the world as you see it," I said smiling. "Most people can see if someone is comfortable with them or not in their eyes. I see it in their feet." he said. "If people keep moving their feet, I just let them go, because I know they're impatient with me. I don't want to make people uncomfortable. "What about me? I asked. "I could see your _ And then you came down to my level. I was the one who was nervous." he said. "I don't normally have someone look me in the eye." "They don't know what they're missing," I told him. "My old face is nothing to brag about." he said. "But that smile is so big." Yes, and it's not only a big smile but an attitude. We can infer from the passage that _ . A. the disable man had something wrong with his mind B. not many people went down to the man's level C. the man was good at telling people about the world D. the writer would not give the man more help Answer: B. not many people went down to the man's level Question: Over the years I've been teaching children about a simple but powerful concept -- the ant philosophy .I think everybody should study ants. They have an amazing four-part philosophy, and here is the first part: ants never quit. That's a good philosophy. If they're headed somewhere and you try to stop them; they'll look for another way. They'll climb over, they'll climb under, and they'll climb around. They keep looking for another way. What a neat philosophy, to never quit looking for a way to get where you're supposed to go. Second, ants think winter all summer. That's an important viewpoint. You can't be so naive ( ) as to think summer will last forever. So ants are gathering in their winter food in the middle of summer. An ancient story says, "Don't build your house on the sand in the summer. " Why do we need that advice.'? Because it is important to be realistic. In the summer, you've got to think storm. You've got to think rocks as you enjoy the sand and sun. Think ahead. The third part of the ant philosophy is that ants think summer all winter. That is so important. During the winter, ants remind themselves, "This won't last long ; we'll soon be out of here. " And on the first warm day, the ants are out. If it turns cold again, they'll dive back down, but then they come out on the first warm day. They can't wait to get out. And here's the last part of the ant-philosophy. How much will an ant gather during the summer to prepare for the winter? All he possibly can. What an incredible philosophy, the "all-you-possibly-can" philosophy. Wow, what a great seminar to attend -- the ant seminar. Never give up, look ahead, stay positive and do all you can. Which of the following is the best title for the passage? A. The Concept of Ants B. The Ant Philosophy C. Never Give up D. Do All You Can Answer: B. The Ant Philosophy Question: The first chocolate was eaten by people in Central and South America hundreds of years ago. In those days, people did not really eat chocolate; the cocoa bean was used to make a chocolate drink that the people enjoyed very much. Much later the cocoa bean was brought to Europe and people there also came to love the taste of it. In 1824, John Cadbury opened a small shop in Birmingham. One of the items he sold was cocoa powder to be made into drinks. In 1831, he opened a small factory to make cocoa powder from cocoa beans. John Cadbury believed that alcohol was an important cause of people's being poor, and he wanted to encourage people to drink chocolate instead. A few years later a man called Joseph Fry invented a way to make chocolate bars, and so for the first time people had the chance to eat chocolate instead of only drinking it. At first, chocolate was luxury and only the rich people could buy it. Later, as more and more chocolate bars were produced and sold, they became cheaper. However, at first, only plain chocolate was produced. Milk chocolate came later and this was made by adding milk or milk powder to the chocolate. Cadbury introduced their first milk chocolate bars in 1897. Their most famous chocolate, Cadbury's Milk Bar, was introduced in 1905. It has been a best-seller in Britain and around the world for nearly 100 years. The Cadbury factory is still in Birmingham and the chocolate produced there is eaten all over the world. Every year, thousands of visitors visit the factory to see how chocolate is made. In the beginning, people used to _ . A. drink the chocolate B. eat and drink the chocolate C. eat the chocolate bars D. enjoy the chocolate every day Answer: A. drink the chocolate
Question: In England ,people don't often talk to each other when they travel. If you get on a bus or a train. you can see people sitting and looking out of the window. Other people may read books or newspapers. When you meet English people, they often start a conversation by talking about the weather . So when you meet somebody in England, you can say, "Nice weather for the time of the year!" "But it was a little cold yesterday, "somebody may answer. "But it will get a bit warmer later,"you can say. Talking like this, they will think,"How friendly you are!" English people _ on the bus. A. often talk a lot B. never talk to each other C. read newspapers D. never looking out of the window. Answer: C. read newspapers Question: A young American doctor was sleeping when suddenly his doorbell began to ring. It was already midnight, but what could the doctor do? He had to get up, put on his coat and go downstairs. When he opened the door, he saw a man standing with a hat in his hand. "How do you do?" said the man. "Can you come at once to a place out of town? It's quite far but you have a car and I can show you the way." "Certainly," said the doctor. "I'm quite ready. I can come at once." After a few minutes the car was standing at the front door, the man got into the doctor's car, and they drove off. They drove on for a long time. Then the man said, "Here we are. This is my home. Now I can pay you and you can go back to the town." "I must see the patient. How can I go back without seeing the patient?" "There is no patient," explained the man. "Nobody is ill. I live here, you see, and I must get home from a town, There are no taxis this time of the night, but a doctor often _ , so excuse me. Here is money. Thank you, doctor. Good night." ,. Which of the following statements is NOT true? A. The story happened in the midnight . B. It was so late that there were no taxis for the man to take at that time. C. The doctor was very thankful to get some money. D. The man was cleverer than the doctor. Answer: C. The doctor was very thankful to get some money. Question: Ahead of so-called Singles' Day on the 11th of this month,2013, online sales have already begun peaking. The leading e-business platform, tmall.com, has promoted its fifty-percent-off discount to attract consumers. They are also trying to attract buyers through social media. Vice President of tmall.com Wang Yulei says more than 20 thousand online stores have joined the Double 11 Day sales. But this number has doubled. The final number of how many products going to be on sale has not been known yet. But so far, many more products planned to be put on shelves with discounts. During last year's Singles' Day, tmall.com, together with taobao.com, reached a record of 19.1 billion yuan in sales, which considered a milestone in the e-business history of China. Singles' Day was first started by Chinese college students in the 1990s as the opposite of Valentine's Day, a celebration for people without romantic partners. The timing was based on the date: Nov. 11--or double 11--for singles. Single young people would treat each other to dinner or give gifts to show love to someone and end their single status. But now, the Singles' Day has been promoted as a kind of grand craze just for the shopping season, thanks to thousands of discounted products being promoted online. Taobao.com was the first big e-retail platform which used the double 11 idea to promote sales. Taobao.com reached one million yuan worth of sales on that day in 2009, when they first promoted the Singles' Day idea. In 2010, the sales increased to 936 million yuan. The figure climbed up to 5.3 billion yuan in 2011, putting huge demand on shipping services. The figure doubled in 2012. E-commerce is considered to be replacing the traditional retailing industry, but the reality is both sides are learning from each other. Which of the following is the main idea of the passage? A. Singles' Day promotes online sales. B. Why Singles' Day is so popular. C. How people celebrate Singles' Day. D. What the definition of Singles' Day is. Answer: A. Singles' Day promotes online sales. Question: Through history, children have played with toys and they help to prepare children for adult life. But the toys are changing all the time. As science and technology have changed the way adults live, the toys children play with have changed as well. Developments in science and technology have had a big effect on the toys that children play with. Today trains and mobile phones are popular toys for young children, but there were no toys of this kind before real trains and mobile phones were invented. The materials that toys are made of have also changed. Today lots of toys are made of plastic. Plastic is a modern, man-made material that did not exist in the past. On the other hand, some other toys that you have might not be all that different from the ones children played with 1,000 years ago. Scientists have found some bone dice in Aberdeen. In medieval times dice were used for playing games as much as they are today. A recent survey found that half of all the children aged from 4 to 6 have played video games, a quarter of them regularly. The increasing use of electronic toys troubles Dr Singer, a professor at Yale. "One thing we know is that kids in early years need to be in touch with the real world," he said, "No matter how brilliant they are, they're not going to learn to walk, to move or to talk to others unless their hands or feet have a direct role in such activities." Some toy experts argue that the best toys are the ones that increase a child's creativity and imagination. Traditional toys can be used for different kinds of purposes and be used in group settings, individually , and one-to-one. They are also used differently depending on the child's age and skill level. And these toys made of natural materials are valuable for children because they teach children what the world is made of. From the article, we can know that _ . A. only children like to play with toys B. toys have nothing to do with children's future life C. the development of toys is related to science and technology D. plastic is the best material for making toys Answer: C. the development of toys is related to science and technology Question: On a Friday night, a poor young artist stood at the gate of a New York subway station, playing his violin. Many of passers-by slowed down their paces and put some money into the hat of the young man. The next day, at the same place, he put his hat on the ground gracefully. Different than the day before, he took out a large piece of paper and laid it on the ground and put some stones on it. Then he adjusted the violin and began playing. It seemed more pleasant to listen to. The words read, "Last night, a gentleman named George Sang put an important thing into my hat mistakenly. Please come to claim it soon." Seeing this, people wondered what it could be. After about half an hour, a middle-aged man ran there hurriedly and rushed through the crowd to the violinist and grabbed his shoulders and said, "Yes, it's you. You did come here. I knew that you're an honest man and would certainly come here." "Are you Mr. George Sang"? asked the young violinist. The man nodded. "Did you lose something?" "Lottery. It's lottery." "Is it?" The violinist took out a lottery ticket and asked. George nodded promptly and seized the lottery ticket and kissed it, then he danced with the violinist. The story turned out to be this: George Sang bought a lottery ticket, winning a prize of $500,000. After work, he passed the station and felt the music was so wonderful that he took out 50 dollars and put it in the hat. However, the lottery ticket was also thrown in. The violinist was a student at an Arts College and had planned to attend further study in Vienna. He had booked the ticket and would fly that morning. However when he was cleaning up he found the lottery ticket. Thinking that the owner would return to look for it, he cancelled the flight and came back to where he was given the lottery ticket. When asked why he didn't take the lottery ticket for himself, the violinist said, "Although I don't have much money, I live happily; but if I lose honesty I won't be happy forever." We can infer from the passage that _ . A. The Arts College the young violinist was going to attend is not in New York. B. Many people usually put their money in their hat in the distant past. C. George Sang may give some money to the young violinist as a reward. D. all the people who win lotteries are generous and easy-going. Answer: A. The Arts College the young violinist was going to attend is not in New York.
When my two children were young, we took a trip to Disneyland with their grandma. Although the park is about an hour car ride from our home, we decided to spend the night in a hotel, so we could spend more time in the park. In the evening, the famous Disneyland Parade started. My husband took our daughter and ran to have a look, leaving me with grandma and our son who was in a stroller . Because I am short, and grandma is shorter, we couldn't see them, and didn't know where they were. Grandma decided to find them. I told her not to, because I didn't want to lose her. But she walked off, and was soon lost. I made my way to the exit , because I thought everyone would get there, and they did. Then we waited for the hotel bus ----it never came. So we called them. They told us that there was something wrong with their bus, and that we have to take a taxi. We finally got back to our hotel. Today when I think of Disneyland, I think of that day. _ people in the family went to Disneyland. A. 2 B. 3 C. 4 D. 5 Answer: D. 5 If you're travelling in the following cities, these exciting events may drag you out of the house. CONCERTS Mayday Noah's Ark World Tour Info: Jul 13, Xiamen; Jul 19/20, Shanghai; Aug 3, Shenzhen; Aug 17, Beijing The rock band Mayday is about to bring their attractive tour to an end -- and, as usual, it's going to happen in a grand way. On Aug 17, they will rock the National Stadium, or the Bird's Nest Stadium, and hold their last Noah's Ark concert in China, before heading to Europe in September. Tanya Chua 2013 Concert Tour Info: Aug 10, Shanghai; Aug 31, Beijing In her music career of more than 15 years, the 38-year-old Singaporean singer-songwriter has never been short of popular songs that astonish the heart. Now, for the first time since 2008, when she played a small Christmas concert in Shanghai, Chua is visiting China as part of a concert tour. THEATER What is Success? Director: Edward Lam Performers: Chu Hung-chang, Ethan Wei, Shi Yi-hsiu Info: Aug 9-10, Guangzhou; Aug 16-17, Chongqing; Aug 29-Sept 1, Beijing In Part Three of Edward Lam's Four Great Classics Series, which looks back at Luo Guanzhong's novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, it is sure to give you a surprise. Will it be true? Find out for yourself! To Live Director: Meng Jinghui Performers: Huang Bo, Yuan Quan Info: Jul 30-Aug 4, Beijing; Aug 6-7, Tianjin; Aug 9-11, Hangzhou; Aug 13-18, Shanghai After their world show in September, theater director Meng Jinghui and his team are back for another tour around China. While audiences can renew their memories of Yu Hua's new realism works, film stars Huang Bo and Yuan Quan will also impress audiences with their excellent performance. EXHIBITIONS Andy Warhol: 15 Minutes Eternal Info: Apr 29-Jul 28, Shanghai Launched in 2012 -- the 25th anniversary of the pop artist Andy Warhol's death -- the exhibition brings the largest ever collection of Warhol's work to Asia. It includes more than 300 paintings, photographs, drawings and 3-D art, including his works such as Marilyn Monroe, Mao, Campbell's Soup and Self-Portrait. You may find the above advertisements _ . A. in a newspaper B. in a school magazine C. in a store window D. on a company notice-board Answer: A. in a newspaper Neither television nor radio nor magazines nor books nor any other medium can begin to match newspapers for depth and breadth of coverage . In fact, all these media themselves depend on newspapers to bring them information that they then process and distribute as their own brand of news. Now many newspapers are locked in a struggle for survival. If they lose--which is by no means impossible--we all lose. The great task for editors and publishers is to respond to the competitive challenge caused by online news, and at the same time use their own online news to increase their profits . As yet,they haven't figured out a smooth and sure way to do that. So they cut some more to get profit. The cuts in size that they are making are in some cases risky and in others without considering the results. With every cut, publishers tirelessly argue that readers won't even know the difference. The trouble is that by the time customers do notice that they are getting less for their money,it will be too late--too late to notice the reduction in the number of readers. The other big cuts, of course, are in staff . The victims would be the oldest and most experienced workers because they are the highest paid. While there is plenty of tired _ among them,there is also a lot of talent. When experienced staff leave in large numbers--as they often do now--the newspaper loses great professional memory. But the real loser is the readers, who are suddenly robbed of the insights that only the experienced reporters can bring. As for the future, there is at least one big, bright sign:intelligent young people will continue to flood into journalism in urgent search of jobs, despite its high demands and modest pay. It is stressed by the passage that the most important quality for a journalist is _ . A. patience B. selfishness C. insights D. sensitivity Answer: C. insights Alzheimer's disease affects millions of people around the world. American researchers say the disease will affect more than one hundred million people worldwide by the year twenty fifty. That would be four times the current number. Researchers and doctors have been studying Alzheimer's patients for a century. Yet the cause and the cure for the mental sickness are still unknown. However, some researchers have made important steps towards understanding it. Several early signs of the disease involve memory and thought processes. At first, patients have trouble remembering little things. Later, they have trouble remembering more important things, such as the names of their children. There are also some physical tests that might show who is at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. The tests look for proteins in brain and spinal cord fluid. The proteins appear to be found only in people with the disease. The protein tests correctly identify the presence of the disease in about ninety percent of patients. Now, a much simpler physical test to predict Alzheimer's risk has been developed. Researchers found that trouble with the sense of smell can be one of the first signs of Alzheimer's. Using this information, they developed a test in which people were asked to identify twelve familiar smells. These smells included cinnamon, black pepper, chocolate, paint thinner, and smoke. The study continued for five years. During this period, the same people were asked to take several tests measuring their memory and thought abilities. Fifty percent of those who could not identify at least four of the smells in the first test had trouble with their memory and thinking in the next five years. Another study has shown a possible way to reduce a person's chances of developing Alzheimer's disease in old age. Researchers in Chicago found that people who use their brains more often are less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease. Those who read a newspaper, or play chess or word games are about three times less likely to develop the condition. Researchers say they still do not know what causes Alzheimer's disease. But they say these findings might help prevent the disease in the future. Whats the main idea of the passage? A. Some early signs of the Alzheimer's disease. B. Some physical tests about Alzheimer's disease. C. The research about Alzheimer's disease. D. The patients of Alzheimer's disease. Answer: C. The research about Alzheimer's disease. Electronic books have changed the way many people read for pleasure. Now online textbooks are changing the way some students learn and some teachers teach. More than one hundred seventy-five thousand students attend the public schools in Fairfax County, Virginia, outside Washington. Last year, the school system used digital books in fifteen schools. This school year, middle schools and high schools changed from printed to electronic textbooks in their social studies classes. Luke Rosa is a history teacher at Falls Church High School. His students work on laptop computers at school. He explains the idea to them this way. "I mean, it's just like a regular textbook, except it's got it all online." Peter Noonan, an assistant superintendent of schools, said, "The world's changing. And the online textbooks can change right along with the events that are happening." Digital books also cost less than printed textbooks, he said. A student named Melanie Reuter said, "I don't have to carry a textbook around, so that's nice." But another student said, "I don't like it because the Internet sometimes doesn't work." Students also need access to the Internet when they are not at school. About ten percent of students in Fairfax Country do not have a computer or online access at home. Public libraries in the country have free Internet. There are also after-school computer labs as well as computer clubhouse supported by the country. Middle school student Slieman Hakim is happy about that. He said, "My family only has one computer; my sister and I both do our homework on it. So I come here to do my homework. It's good." Other school systems in the area are also considering online textbooks. What can we learn from the passage? A. The lessons online are completely different from those in paper textbooks. B. Digital textbooks are more beautiful than paper textbooks. C. All students like digital textbooks because they are new. D. Students can do their homework in the computer clubhouses. Answer: D. Students can do their homework in the computer clubhouses.
A light drizzle was falling as my sister Jill and I ran out of the Methodist Church, eager to get home and play with the presents that Santa had left for us and our baby sister, Sharon. Across the street from the church was a Pan American gas station where the Greyhound bus stopped.It was closed for Christmas, but I noticed a family standing outside the locked door, huddled under the narrow overhang in an attempt to keep dry. I wondered briefly why they were there but then forgot about them as I raced to keep up with Jill. Once we got home, there was barely time to enjoy our presents. We had to go off to our grandparents' house for our annual Christmas dinner. As we drove down the highway through town,I noticed that the family were still there, standing outside the closed gas station. My father was driving very slowly down the highway. The closer we got to the turnoff for my grandparents' house, the slower the car went. Suddenly, my father U-turned in the middle of the road and said, ''I can't stand it!" ''What?" asked my mother. ''They've got children. It's Christmas. I can't stand _ ." When my father pulled into the service station, I saw that there were five of them: the parents and three children--two girls and a small boy. My father rolled down his window. "Merry Christmas," he said. "Howdy ,''the man replied. ''You are waiting for the bus?'' my father asked. The man said that they were. They were going to Birmingham, where he had a brother and prospects of a job. "Well, that bus isn't going to come along for several hours, and you're getting wet standing here. Winborn is just a couple miles up the road. They've got a shed with a cover there and some benches". My father said. ''Why don't you all get in the car and I'll run you up there." The man thought about it for a moment, and then he beckoned to his family. They climbed into the car. They had no luggage, only the clothes they were wearing. Once they settled in, my father looked back over his shoulder and asked the children if Santa had found them yet. Three gloomy faces gave him his answer. "Well I didn't think so," my father said, winking at my mother,"because when I saw Santa this morning, he told me that he was having trouble finding all, and he asked me if he could leave your toys at my house. We'll just go to get them before I take you to the bus stop." All at once, the three children's faces lit up, and they began to bounce around in the back seat, laughing and chattering. When we got out of the car at our house, the three children ran through the front door and straight to the toys that were spread out under our Christmas tree. One of the girls spied Jill's doll and immediately hugged it to her breast. I remember that the little boy grabbed Sharon's ball. And the other girl picked up something of mine. All this happened a long time ago, but the memory of it remains clear. That was the Christmas when my sisters and I learned the joy of making others happy. According to the passage, what do we know about the family with three children? A They led a thrifty and simple life. B They were invited to another city. C Their living condition was quite poor. D They had missed a bus to Birmingham. Answer: C. Their living condition was quite poor. Very few people were coming to eat at the White Rose Restaurant, and its owner did not know what to do. The price was reasonable and the food was of good quality, but nobody seemed to want to eat there. Then he did something that changed all that, and in a few weeks his restaurant is always full of men with their lady friends. Whenever a gentleman came in with a lady, a smiling waiter gave each of them a menu , The menu looked exactly the same on the outside, but there was an important difference inside. The menu that the waiter gave to the man supplied the correct price for each dish and each bottle of wine. while the menu that he gave to the lady supplied a much higher price! So when the man calmly ordered dish after dish and wine after wine, the lady thought he was much more generous than he really was. The difference between the two kinds of menu lie in _ . A the color1 B the shape C the price D the food Answer: C. the price The Pacific island nation of Nauru used to be a beautiful place.Now it is an ecological disaster area.Nauru's heartbreaking story could have one good consequence -- other countries might learn from its mistakes. For thousands of years, Polynesian people lived in the remote island of Nauru, far from western civilization.The first European to arrive was John Fearn in 1798.He was the British captain of the Hunter, a whaling ship.He called the island Pleasant Island. However, because it was very remote, Nauru had little communication with Europeans at first.The whaling ships and other traders began to visit, bringing guns and alcohol.These elements destroyed the social balance of the twelve family groups on the island.A ten-year civil war started, which reduced the population from 1,400 to 900. Nauru's real troubles began in 1899 when a British mining company discovered phosphate on the island.In fact, it found that the island of Nauru was nearly all phosphate, which was a very important fertilizer for farming.The company began mining the phosphate. A phosphate mine is not a hole in the ground; it is a strip mine.When a company strip-mines, it removes the top layer of soil.Then it takes away the material it wants.Strip mining totally destroys the land.Gradually, the lovely island of Nauru started to look like the moon. In 1968, Nauru became one of the richest countries in the world.Every year the government received millions and millions of dollars for its phosphate. Unfortunately, the leaders invested the money unwisely and lost millions of dollars.In addition, they used millions more dollars for personal expenses.Soon people realized that they had a terrible problem -- their phosphate was running out.Ninety percent of their island was destroyed and they had nothing.By 2000, Nauru was financially ruined.Experts say that it would take approximately $433,600,000 and more than 20 years to repair the island.This will probably never happen. What might be the author's purpose in writing the text? A To seek help for Nauru's problems. B To tell a heartbreaking story of a war. C To show the importance of money D To give a warning to other countries Answer: D. To give a warning to other countries When a friend calls out "Wait a second, I have a trick to show you," don't you always stop and wait? Tricks are hard to resist. No one is ever too old to enjoy them or too young either. In fact, many of the most successful tricks are really quite simple. They don't require special equipments or hours of practice. For example, you tell a friend "Pick a card", then you surprise him by telling him which card he picked. Here's how it is done. Take a pack of cards and secretly look at the bottom card. Put the cards facedown on a table, and ask your friend to pick a card. Then place the card at the bottom. Has your friend picked the cards by taking part of the cards from the top and putting it at the bottom? Start turning the cards up one at a time. You can pretend to think hard about each card. Look for the bottom card at the beginning which you have remembered. The cards that come after it will be the one your friend picked. Also, a mind-reading trick is fun to do at a party. You leave the room, and while you are gone, a tea cup is placed upside down over a penny, nickel($0. 05), dime($0. 1)or quarter($0. 25). When you come back into the room, you can tell which coin the tea cup is hiding. To do this trick, you only need a helper, or partner. Before hand, you two work out some signals. If he looks up. it's a penny; if he looks right, a nickel. You see, they are all very easy. Why not have a try? The most important thing for a successful trick of cards is to _ . A put the cards facedown on a table B keep your eyes on the card your friend has picked C remember the bottom card D pretend to think hard while turning the cards up Answer: C. remember the bottom card Internet use appears to cause a decline in psychological well-being , according to research at Carnegie Mellon University. Even people who spent just a few hours a week on the Internet experienced more depression and loneliness than those who logged on less frequently, the two-year study showed. And it wasn't that people who were already feeling bad spent more time on the Internet, but that using the Net actually appeared to cause the bad feeling. Researchers are puzzling over the results, which were completely contrary to their expectations. They expected that the net would prove socially healthier than television, since the Net allows users to choose their information and to communicate with others. The fact that Internet use reduces time available for family and friends may account for the drop in well-being, researchers suggested. Faceless, bodiless "virtual" communication may be less psychologically satisfying than actual conversation, and the relationship formed through it may be shallower. Another possibility is that exposure to the wider world via the Net makes users less satisfied with their lives. "But it's important to remember this is not about the technology _ ; it's about how it is used," says psychologist Christine Riley of Intel, one of the study's sponsors. "It really points to the need for considering social effects in terms of how you design applications and services for technology." Internet use may cause a decline in psychological well-being because _ . A people who were already feeling bad spend more time on the Internet B Internet users thought the world was wider than it really was C people were too eager to turn the "virtual" communication into reality D people have less time for actual communication with their family and friends Answer: D. people have less time for actual communication with their family and friends
There once was a pumpkin. The pumpkin was sad. The pumpkin wanted to leave the garden and see the world. But the pumpkin had to stay in the garden because its vine held it there. One day a fox came by. The pumpkin asked the fox to cut the vine so the pumpkin could leave the garden. The fox said it would cut the vine so the pumpkin could leave the garden. When the fox cut the vine the pumpkin could roll around. The pumpkin rolled around until it got out of the garden. First it met a cat. It told the cat it was happy because now it could see the world. The cat gave the pumpkin a piece of cake to eat. The pumpkin could not eat the cake because it had no mouth but it was still very happy to have the cat as a new friend. Why was the pumpkin sad? A. a cake fell on it B. It wanted to see the world but it couldn't C. there was a sharp rock keeping it in the garden D. the fox was teasing it Answer: B. It wanted to see the world but it couldn't When we talked about the upcoming start of school, Seth hadn`t expressed anything but excitement. So when the sunny and promising "big day" arrived, he was ready. He was armed with a cool haircut, wearing his prized shoes, and was ready for the action. Ten minutes before the bus was to arrive, he asked me to take him in my car. I complained about it being at the last minute. I said "no" at first. He begged me again and I finally agreed. In the car , I secretly had a look at him through the rearivew mirror . He looked sad. "What is the matter, honey?" "I am nervous. I don`t know if I will be able to learn everything in the first grade. What if I can`t pay attention in class?" My heart melted. I remembered being nervous on the first day of school and I thought I was the only student who felt that way. I was a nervous kid full of self-doubt. Seth behaved much better than I did. We walked into his school together. He remembered where his new classroom was and recognized his teacher from the ice cream social party they had the day before. He sat down at his desk and chatted with a few of his classmates. He took a few photos of them (with a camera phone because I didn`t allow him to bring the real camera) and then he said in a very serious manner, "Mom, you can go home now. I`ll be OK." And so he was. It can be inferred that in the end Seth felt _ . A. relaxed B. frightened C. serious D. worried Answer: A. relaxed How do you know if your home is an easy aim for thefts ? Around the holidays, many families don' t consider taking proper measures to prevent t heir homes from suffering holiday thefts. With just a few simple steps, you can better make sure of the safety of your home during all of the holiday celebrations. Here are a few tips for making it difficult to tell you are away from home. * Either have a trusted neighbor pick up your mail and newspapers, or tell your mailperson to hold your mail until you return. Nothing says"Hey, we are not home! "like when your postbox is filled with all kinds of mails and you have many different newspapers in your driveway. * Set several different lights in your house on random timers .Don' t leave your outdoor lights on all the time. Instead, put your outside lights on timers to be on during the nights. If an outdoor light remains on for days at a time, it means that nobody is home to turn it off. * If you have pets that you are not taking with you on vacation, leave them with a friend, rather than having someo ne come into your house every day to take care of them. When thefts see a neighbor or friend entering your house every day, they will know you are not home. * Close all your curtains when you leave town. This is effective to deter possible thefts, as no one can see what is in your house. If they don' t know what there is to take, then the risk is even greater for them to break in. * This article just has suggested a few tips to help you keep your house safe while you are on holiday. Nothing can truly protect your home unless you have it monitore d by a professional home security system. What is the main idea of the passage? A. To tell us how to prevent the thefts around the holidays. B. To let the outdoor lights on all the time. C. To tell us many families suffering from the thefts while they are on holiday. D. To tell you to have your neighbor go to your house to take care of your pet. Answer: A. To tell us how to prevent the thefts around the holidays. Memphis is the largest city in the southern State of Tennessee, USA. The Mississippi River flows along the west side of the city. Memphis is the chief centre of business, industry and transportation in Tennessee. Six hundred fifty thousand people live in the city. More than one million people live in the area. Like many other American cities, Memphis has had racial problems. About forty eight percent of the city's population is African American. In 1968, city workers who collected waste went on strike. Most of the workers were black. The famous civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Junior went to Memphis to support the workers. On April 4th, King was murdered in Memphis by James Earl Ray. After Mr King's death, the city worked to improve living conditions for black people. In 1991, voters elected W*E Herenton the city's first black mayor . The same year, Memphis opened the National Civil Rights Museum. It was built next to the place where Martin Luther King was killed. Many people visit the museum to learn about the history of the American civil rights movement. Today, people from across the United States and around the world visit Memphis. Tourism has become a major industry. Memphis is the largest city _ . A. in the USA B. in the south of the USA C. in the southern states D. in Tennessee Answer: D. in Tennessee I grew up in New Hampshire, a small town in South Canada, where in my father's words for the seasons were "Spring, Summer, Fairtime and Winter!" At that time, a week-long fair was held in the town every autumn. Thousands of people from other towns came to sell and buy things. It was the busiest time of the year. When "Fairtime" came, my grandma became the most "useful" and busiest person of the family. Grandma was a kind, well-educated old lady. She was good at cooking. All her relatives liked the food she cooked. During "Fairtime", they would come to live in her house and have meals there. Grandma was always happy to look after them. Year after year, many people moved to big cities. There was no longer "Fairtime". Grandma became very old and was gradually going blind. My parents and I moved to live with Grandma in her house. We did our best to make her day-to-day life as comfortable as possible. I was at high school then. What I often did at home was to help Grandma with the daily newspaper's crossword puzzle. However, she didn't look happy. She often sat in her room for hours, without saying a word. To attract people to move back, the Town Hall decided to reopen the fair. One day, when I came back from school, I saw Grandma wearing her glasses, washing the dishes in the kitchen. With a big smile on her face, she looked a lot much younger. She told me that her two nieces would come. "They said the food I cooked was very delicious and they want to stay in my house again," Grandma said happily. "They will stay here for one week and we can have a big party. That must be the busiest week I've had in years!" I suddenly realized that Grandma didn't want to be looked after. She wanted to be "useful", _ and helpful. What was mentioned to make Grandma happy in the passage? A. My parents moved to live with her. B. The writer did the crossword puzzle with her. C. Her two nieces would come. D. We tried to make her live comfortably. Answer: C. Her two nieces would come.
Question: A Gold Cup for an Orange There is a poor man. He has an orange tree. On the tree, there are many fine oranges. One of them is very, very big. It is as big as a football. Nobody sees so big an orange. The poor man is very happy. He takes it to the king . The King is so pleased that he gives the man a lot of money for it. When a rich man hears of it, he says to himself, "It's only an orange. Why does the king give so much money for it? I'll take my gold cup to the king. He'll give me more money". The next day when the king receives the gold cup, he says to the rich man, "what a beautiful cup! I'll show you something wonderful, please take this great orange away. The orange is _ A. fine and big B. fine and beautiful C. good and fine D. small Answer: C Question: While you're in Shanghai, please come and take a walk round some of our interesting places. Shanghai Museum You must see this beautifully designed museum. It is a wonderful place to study Chinese art and history. There are ancient treasures, fantastic Chinese sculptures, paintings from all ages and many other things for you to enjoy. Pay to enter. Open 9:00 am - 5:00 pm.(9:00 am - 8:00 pm, Saturday) Yu Gardens These famous Ming gardens are often rather crowded. Don't forget to try their delicious snacks. Pay to enter. Open 8:30 am - 5:00 pm. Lu Xun's Museum This is a great place for book-lovers. There are photographs of the famous writer, some of his books written by hand and many letters. A very interesting place for a few hours. Very cheap. Open 9:00 am - 4:00 pm. Shanghai Natural History Museum Everything is about the natural world and science. You can study dinosaurs, hundreds of animals, plants, rocks and more, and see many unusual exhibition. Very cheap. Open 9:00 am -5:00 pm. Shanghai Art Museum An interesting building, once used as a race club and library. Drop in and see the latest exhibition. There are shows by painters from all over the country. The museum also encourages research into art. Pay to enter. Open 9:00 am - 5:00 pm. If someone is interested in silver pots of the Tang Dynasty, he or she can go to _ . A. Shanghai Museum B. Shanghai Art Museum C. Lu Xun's Museum D. Shanghai Natural History Museum Answer: A Question: (Natural News)Many parents have tried to gave their children a head start on education with get-smart videos and enrichment activities as early as infancy, but free play is often sacrificed, so the American Academy of Pediatrics says that the best medicine for busy children is an increase in traditional "playtime". A number of studies suggest that unstructured play can help children become creative, discover their own interests, develop problem-solving abilities, and relate to others socially, according to a report prepared by two academy committees for release Monday at the group's annual meting. On the contrary, a lack of such playtime can create stress for both children and parents, and it can also cause obesity when children spend too much time sitting in front of educational videos. The report notes lack of playtime could even lead to depression in many children. The report thinks the lack of playtime lies in the fact that parents want to have super-smart children and safe places for children to play is decreasing. A balance between free playtime and educational activities should be struck, the report states. "In the current environment, where so many parents feel pressure to be super parents, I believe this message is an important one," said Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg, the report's lead author and a pediatrician at The Children's prefix = st1 /HospitalofPhiladelphia. Noted pediatrician, author, and presenter of cable TV's "What Every Baby Knows," Dr. T. Betty Brazelton agreed. "Children with structured activities" are missing the chance to dream, to make their own world work the way they want it. That to me is a very important part of childhood. It can be inferred from the passage that_. A. children given a lot of unstructured activities can be more creative B. get-smart videos and enrichment can create super children C. there is a competition among parents to be super parents D. child obesity is mainly caused by lack of playtime Answer: A Question: Two girls living next door to each other-a seemingly plain scene that has two very different life .stories behind it. Chi Zhen, an 18-year-old student in Seville, Spain, used his camera to tell the story of two lives, which went widespread online. Comments on the photos indicate that they have inspired many, to believe that the future is in their own hands. Chi has seen many youths living life without a goal, wasting their time and blaming bad luck for it. Feeling regret for them, he took a series of photos of his friends Veronica and Anna Maria, both freshmen at the University of Seville in Spain. They live completely different life styles and are getting opposite results. Chi hopes the photos will inspire those who have let go of their own fate . In the photos, Anna Maria, a Spanish girl, can be seen watching a TV programme . She spends most of her time in front of her laptop. She rarely goes out, because she thinks she's not attractive and doesn't know what to say in social situations. "'I'm not as lucky as Veronica," she often says. But she doesn't know that while she's wasting time watching TV, -Veronica, the "lucky" girl next door,has taught herself four foreign languages and traveled to many places. She goes to the library frequently and her extensive knowledge and experience allow her to take part in any conversation and become the center of attention. Chi thinks that Anna Maria resembles many of his Chinese .friends who study abroad. They are trapped to their little circles, never trying to change their fate./'They say 'maybe I'll do it in my next life', but they are in their 20s, their best time. How can they give up hope and accept this as their life?" Chi says. The influence of the photos has gone far beyond what Chi expected. One user commented on his photos on Renren.com, saying, "A wall separates two worlds, and the life we have depends on what we do." Another is determined to make a change right away. "I'm turning off my laptop and not watching TV anymore," he wrote. Many of Chi's Chinese friends who study abroad _ A. determine to make a change right away B. like to travel to different places of interest C. believe they will do better in next life D. are more willing to live in little circles Answer: D Question: Years ago, I owned the very best dog in the world. I was a child when we got her. She grew up with me, and was always there when I needed her. She died during one of my college vacations. My heart broke then, and I knew that there would never be another dog like her. However, I was wrong. My next dog came into my life when I was married. My husband traveled for a living. and I was often lonely. This dog taught me to be patient. He always stayed at my side until the children were born, and then he became their guardian , too. When he passed away, my heart broke. I was sure I would never love another dog as much as I loved him. I was wrong again. We got the next one when the children were little. When he played with the children, he made them laugh. These days he spends more time with me since the children aren't around so much. He is, of course, the very best dog in the world. I wonder if that's part of the lesson: To teach us that love has a spirit that returns again and again and never really dies. It's amazing. _ And they fit into our families, our lives, and our hearts-- because they always have been and will be the best dogs in the world. According to the story, the writer may agree with the opinion that _ . A. love me, love my dog B. love never really dies C. a dog is necessary to a family D. where there's love, there's a dog Answer: B
Liu Hong is from China. She is a nice girl. Her eyes are big and her mouth is small. She has a big family . Her father is Liu Jie. And her mother's name is Deng Hua. They are very nice. Liu Hong has a sister and brother(,). Her sister is Liu Hui, and her brother is Liu Bin. Liu Hui has long hair and a round face. But Liu Bin has short curly hair and a long face. They are students. , . _ has big eyes. A. Liu Hui B. Liu Bin C. Liu Hong D. Liu Jie Answer: C Andrew Carnegie, once the world's richest person, was born in 1835 to a weaver's family in Scotland. As a child, he was expected to follow his father's profession. But the industrial revolution destroyed the weavers' craft, and the family had to leave for new possibilities in America. In 1848, the Carnegies arrived in Pittsburgh, then the iron-manufacturing center of the country. Young Carnegie took odd jobs at a cotton factory and later worked as a messenger boy in the telegraph office. He was often asked to deliver messages to the city theater, where he would stay to watch plays by great playwrights. He also spent most of his spare time in a small library that a local sponsor made available to working boys. After the Civil War, Carnegie saw great potential in the iron industry. He devoted himself to the replacement of wooden bridges with stronger iron ones and earned a fortune. He further introduced a new technique to change iron into steel. By 1900, Carnegie Steel produced more of the metal than all of Great Britain. However, Carnegie often expressed his uneasiness with the businessman's life. Wishing to spend more time receiving instruction and reading systematically, he once wrote, "To continue much longer overwhelmed by business cares and with most of my thoughts wholly upon the way to make more money in the shortest time, must degrade me beyond hope of permanent recovery." The strong desire for getting knowledge led him to sell his company and retire at 64. Fond of saying that "He, who dies rich, dies disgraced," Carnegie then turned his attention to giving away his fortune. He opposed charity; instead, he used his money to help others help themselves. He established over 2,500 public libraries, and sponsored numerous cultural, educational and scientific institutions. By the time he died in 1919, he had given away 350 million dollars. When did Carnegie begin to show his interest in art and knowledge? A. After he retired from his business. B. When he was a young boy back in Scotland. C. After he earned his fortune from his iron business. D. When he worked as a messenger boy in Pittsburgh. Answer: A Course Details Crazy Creatures (3--5 year olds) Class size: 6--10 students Course summary: "Crazy Creatures" teaches children the English language through songs, arts and craft and games. Every lesson focuses on a famous children's story such as "The Very Hungry Caterpillar". The lesson introduces key vocabulary for the story and the children play games, sing songs, and do arts and craft activities based on the story. Price: RMB 3,500/week, RMB 6,500/2 weeks, RMB 9,000/3weeks, RMB 11,000/4weeks Ancient Civilizations (8--12 year olds) Class size: 6--16 students Course summary: Children will learn about the culture, food, clothes and entertainment of people who lived in ancient civilizations, from Chinese, Greek, and Mayan / Aztec to Ancient Egypt. At the end of every week children will perform a short play wearing clothes they have made themselves. Throughout the course children will learn songs, read stories and write short stories and poems. Price: RMB 4,500/week, RMB 8,000/2 weeks, RMB 11,500/3weeks, RMB 14,000/4weeks Literature Study (12--14 year olds) Class size: 6--10 students Course summary: Children will practice the skills required for the GCSE English Literature exam through analyzing a novel. The novel is "Holes" by Louis Sachar, a best-seller across the world. This course will develop children's writing skills and their ability to answer questions. Price: RMB 4,500/week, RMB 8,000/2 weeks Dates: June 28--July 2, July 5--July 9, July 12--July 16, July 19--July 23, July 26--July 30, August 2--August 6 Time: 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, Monday to Friday Teaching: Classes are taught by experienced native English speaking teachers with a Chinese teaching assistant. Application Dateline : Friday 18 June 2010 Payment Dateline: Payment to be made to Harrow International School Beijing by first day of the course. *Snacks and lunch are provided at no cost *A school nurse will be on site throughout the course. *Free school bus service available What do we learn about "Literature Study"? A. It is suitable for students of all ages B. It uses a novel as its textbook. C. It will develop children's art skills. D. It will be taught by Louis Sachar. Answer: B Will it matter if you don't have your breakfast? There were a test in the US. People of different ages, from 12 to 83, took the test. During the test, these people got all kinds of breakfasts and sometimes they got no breakfast at all. Scientists wanted to see how well they worked after they ate different kinds of breakfasts. The result shows that if a person eats a right breakfast , he or she will work better than if he or she has no breakfast. If a student has fruit, eggs, bread and milk before going to school, he will learn more quickly and listen more carefully in class. The result is different from what some people think. It shows having no breakfast will not help them lose weight. This is because they become so hungry at noon that they eat too much for lunch. In fact, they will gain weight. But they will lose more weight if they _ other meals. Which of the following is not right? A. It's bad for your health to have no breakfast B. Too little for breakfast and too much for lunch may make you fatter C. If you eat much for lunch and supper, you may gain weight D. The more breakfast you have, the more quickly you will learn in class Answer: D Robin's First Flight Robin was a little baby bird who was born only 6 weeks before. Her mother took care of her and her brothers and sister by feeding them bugs and worms. Robin had 2 brothers. She also had one sister. During this time, Robin grew and grew and got stronger and stronger. Her feathers got longer, too. The day had finally come when mother bird told Robin and her brothers and sister that they would be learning to fly for the first time. Chirps of joy were heard from all the baby birds. All except for Robin. She was too afraid to fly out into the world. She wanted to stay in her comfy nest with all of her family for the rest of her life. She also wanted her mother to feed her for the rest of her life. Mother bird told Robin how exciting it was to fly and see all the beautiful flowers and trees and told her she would help her learn like she did when she was a baby bird. She told her that she would meet lots of other bird friends, too. So Robin tried not to be scared, even as she saw both of her brothers and sister fly off the nest and out into the world. They looked so happy. Then it was her turn. She spread her wings, closed her eyes and jumped out of the nest. After a few seconds, she opened her eyes to see that she was actually flying. Oh happy day! It was everything her mother said it would be. The world looked so big and Robin couldn't wait to see it all. How old was the baby bird? A. 4 weeks B. 6 weeks C. 2 weeks D. 1 month Answer: B
The Lego Group had a very low beginning in the workshop of Ole Kirk Christiansen,a carpenter from Denmark.Christiansen began creating wooden toys in 1932.Two years later, he came upon the Lego name by putting together the first two letters of the Danish words Leg and Godt,which mean "play well."The name could be interpreted as "I put together" in Latin;it is also similar to the Greek verb meaning "gather" or "pick up". In 1947,the company enlarged to making plastic toys.At first,the use of plastic for toy production was not highly regarded by salesmen and consumers of the time.Many of the Lego Group's shipments were returned,following poor sales.However, Christiansen's son,Godtfred Kirk Christiansen,saw the great potential in Lego bricks to become a system for creative play-As the junior managing director of the Lego Group,he spent years trying to improve the "locking" ability of the bricks and made the bricks more versatile .In 1958, the modem interlocking brick design was finally developed and patented . Today Lego is sold in more than 1 30 countries.Every minute 33,824 Lego bricks are made,and kids around the world spend 5 billion hours a year playing with Lego.There will be more than 400 million people playing with Lego bricks this year.On average,every person in the world owns 62 Lego bricks,and about seven Lego sets are sold every second. This year Lego fans all over the world are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the tiny building blocks.Though already 50 years old,Lego is still the same product it was in the 1950s. Bricks bought then are still compatible with present bricks and that is probably the reason the toy has never fallen out of favor. When did the Lego brick become as a creative form of toy? Answer: Do you want to know something about the history of weather? Don't look at the sky. Don't look for old weather reports. Looking at tree rings is more important. Correct weather reports date back only one century, but some trees can provide an exact record of the weather even further back. It is natural that a tree would grow best in a climate with plenty of sunlight and rainfall. It is also expected that little sunlight and rainfall would limit the growth of a tree. The change from a favorable to an unfavorable climate can be determined by reading the pattern of rings in a tree trunk. To find the weather of ten years ago, count the rings of a tree trunk from the outside to the inside. If the tenth ring is far from the other rings, then it is certain that plenty of sunny and rainy weather occurred. If the rings are closed together, then the climate was bad for the tree. Studying tree rings is important not only for the history of weather, but also for the history of man. In a region of New Mexico you can find only sand---no trees and no people. However, many centuries ago a large population lived there. They left suddenly. Why? A scientist studied patterns of dead tree rings which had grown there. He decided that the people had to leave because they had cut down all the trees. Trees were necessary to make fires and buildings. So, after the people destroyed the trees, they had to move. In this instance studying tree rings uncovers an exciting fact about the history of man. It is understood that in a favorable climate _ . Answer: I'm John.My father is a factory manager.He comes from America.My mother is a teacher.She's English.She can speak some Chinese.She is an English teacher at schoo1.I'm a student in my mother's schoo1.At school I can play with my Chinese friends.We can play football,basketball and table tennis.My mother can play the piano and tennis.She can also sing well. John's mother can _ . Answer: Six people were traveling in a compartment on a train. Five of them were quiet and well behaved , but the sixth was a rude young man who was causing a lot of trouble to the other passengers. At last this young man got out of the station with his two heavy bags. None of the other passengers helped him, but one of them waited until the rude young man was very far away, and then opened the window to him, " You left something behind in the compartment!" Then he closed the window again. The young man turned around and hurried back with his two bags. He was very tired when he arrived, but he shouted through the window, " What did I leave behind?" As the train began to move again, the passenger who had called him back opened the window and said, " A very bad impression!" The passenger who had called him back wanted Answer: If you can see the magic in a fairytale, you can face the future." --Danielle Steel Who have not read fairytales? We all have had the experience of reveling in the beauty and innocence of fairytales. May it be Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty... fairytale is a word which cannot be new to us. But have you ever traveled ages back to the earliest of times and uncovered the fascinating facts about these stories? Well, if not, then here are some mystical finds I discovered when I undertook this journey. A fairytale or fairy story is a fictional tale that usually features folkloric characters (such as fairies, talking animals). A fairytale often stars transformed princes, princesses, animals, as in "fairytale ending" where the humble but heroic princes defeat the wicked enemies or as in "fairytale romance" where after much ado the beautiful princesses marry their Prince Charming. One distinct feature of fairytales is that, they take place "once upon a time". The history of the fairytale is particularly difficult to trace. The oral tradition of the fairytale came long before the written page. The oldest known fairytales stem from ancient Egypt around 1,300 B.C and now, after traveling through various periods of time, they have grown and matured in various aspects and have become the most popular genre of stories for young children. The most famous authors of fairytales are the Grimm Brothers whose works include Cinderella, Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and many more; The Grimm Brothers collected their tales from farmers and edited them to suit their audience. But whatever may the form be, fairytales are after all fairytales! G. K. Chesterton said, "Fairytales do not tell children the dragons exist; they tell the dragons can be killed." This quote has great weight. Every child believes in fairies, dragons, etc. They do not need fairytales to tell them that. Instead fairytales tell that good always succeed over evil. So fairytales are necessary for young minds. Fairytales are narrated to children when they are young. This is very essential indeed, for if in the beginning of our lives our minds are touched by the beauty, innocence and the morals in these tales, we will be able to trace the optimistic side of happenings. The fairies are like our wildest dreams, which seem unreachable but we can make them plausible . What implies in the passage? Answer:
Angie went to the library with her mother. First she had to turn in the books she was returning at the return desk. They said hello to the man there. He took their books. Then they went into the adult reading room. Angie sat in a brown chair at the table. She made a drawing of her mother. Her mother found a large red book. Then they went to the Mystery section. Angie sat in a blue chair. She drew a picture of her brother. Her mother found the book. It was a green book. Finally it was time to go to the children's room. It was Story Hour. Miss Hudson was there to read to all the children. She read a book about friendship. After the story Angie sat in the red chair and began drawing. They were drawing pictures of friends. Angie drew a picture of her best friend Lilly. Miss Hudson hung the pictures on the wall. Then Angie and her mother picked out 8 books to read at home. They checked the books out and went home. Angie said hello to someone. Who was it? Answer: the man at the return desk When I was younger, bedtime was always my favourite part of the day. Wearing soft pajamas and with Lan, my stuffed monkey, in my arms, I felt no pressure at all. I named Lan after my uncle when I compared Lan's long arms and legs to his. One night I ran up to Uncle Lan at a family party and told him I had named my monkey after him. His eyebrows wrinkled in confusion, then a chuckle escaped his lips. I guess he didn't understand how important it was to me. Even if Uncle Lan didn't think my monkey was special, I certainly did. I dressed him in a white baby nightgown. My mother thought that Lan was the best-dressed stuffed animal in the world. Yes, he was certainly a fashionable creature. The strong cologne I used on him years ago makes him still smell "pretty". For a long time, Lan went everywhere with me. He was my best friend, and I told him everything. But when I turned twelve, I realized I was too old for stuffed animals. I thought people would think I was babyish, so I put him in the cupboard with the rest of my teddy bears and dolls. I begged him to understand why I was doing this, but at the same time I longed to talk to him again. It took me several years to realize that it was OK to miss Lan. I know now that maturity doesn't only mean growing up and taking on more responsibility. It also means holding on to your childhood and acting young sometimes. Lan has been with me since I was six years old. Holding him in my arms connects me to my past and my present as I continue to grow and understand myself. Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the text? Answer: Uncle Lan liked the stuffed monkey as much as the writer. I turned 16 on Friday, but the Driver's License Office in my small hometown was only open on Tuesday, so I had to wait through that extremely long weekend and an endless Monday before going in for my examination. I came to the Driver's License Office half an hour earlier _ , pacing back and forth on the worn porch waiting for the office to open at eight. I reviewed the driver's manual for the hundredth time. I was ready. I knew the manual backward and forward; I had made an "A" in my driver's training course, and I was a genius behind the wheel. Finally, the door opened and a weary-looking man in a brown uniform let me in. "Let me guess. You want to take the driver's test." his voice was not enthusiastic. "Yes!" I answered in excitement. "Ok, fill this out, and if you pass we'll go for a drive." _ . A quick check showed that my paper was perfect. "Let's get in the car." He tossed me a set of keys, and I slid behind the wheel. Everything was going smoothly as we pulled out of the empty parking lot. I signaled a right hand turn, and we were on a deserted street. This was going to be easy. "Turn left and go up Young Blood Hill," he ordered. My hometown is in the mountains, and Young Blood Hill was almost vertical . As I eased up the steep hill and came to a stop at the top, I heard the car's engine die. My heart sank. I would have to start it again without rolling back down the hill. I swallowed hard and turned the key; as I moved my foot from the brake, the car began to roll. I suppose I could have rolled all the way back to the bottom except for one thing. There was something behind me which stopped my roll with a rough shake and crash of glass--a police car. The policeman wrote me a ticket as I looked over the damage, and the man from the Driver's License Office slid behind the wheel. I waited until we had parked before I asked how long a person had to wait before taking the test again. Why didn't the car roll back to the bottom? Answer: It hit a police car. An active oven will make the mercury in a thermometer go Answer: upwards There are seabirds as well as land-birds. The most ordinary seabird is the seagull. It has a white body, a white head and a yellow beak. There is a very, very spot of red at the very end of the beak, underneath. All gulls have very strong wings so that they can fly far out to sea. If a gull flies out too far, so that it is too tired to fly back to the shore , it does not get frightened, for it can sit and rest upon the waves . A seagull's wings do not get wet because all its feathers have a kind of oil over them, so that when the water gets on to the feathers, it just runs off again. Gulls can even sleep upon the waves. Sailors know a lot about seagulls and they never kill them. When the gulls fly a long way out to sea, sailors say that it means fine weather is coming. When the gulls stay near the shore, sailors say they there will be much wind and rain, and perhaps a storm, for the gulls know more about the weather than sailors do. If seagulls stay near the shore, it will be _ . Answer: windy, rainy or stormy
Dear Sara, Can you please help me improve my relationship with my mother? She is in her late 70s, and will probably need me to care for her in the future. I am willing to take on this responsibility but I find seeing her and talking to her stressful because I am so angry ab out what she and my father did to my elder sister. My sister was born "out of wedlock" in the 1950s. My sister's father disappeared and never turned up again. My mother loved my sister a lot even if she was an unwanted baby. But then my mother met and married my father. A few years later I was born. But my father didn't love my sister and my mother failed to protect her. We moved frequently, and my sister was not allowed to come along. She never came on holiday with us; instead she was sent to holiday camps. As she grew up, she started to use drugs and became an alcoholic. My sister is now in her mid-50s, jobless, living on benefits and mixing with a crowd of drunks. She has no partner, no children, no possessions and no company except for her dog. Her health is ruined, though she no longer drinks. I support her financially, but our relationsh ip is rocky as she hates the fact that my father loved me. She has no contact with my mother and is to this day excluded from any family event, including my father's funeral. My mother refuses even to mention my sister. I hate her because I think that if she could manage to apologize to my sister, things might be a little better. But there is ly no chance of this. How will I be able to take care of my mother with this always standing between us? Annie According to the passage, the author's sister _ . A. is in her late 70s now B. is an alcoholic now C. didn't attend the au thor's father's funeral D. Never went to holiday camps when young Answer: C My ten-year-old daughter Emma got home yesterday and spoke of a boy called Jake in her class. Being quite overweight, Jake is the butt of many jokes and is treated very badly by other kids. Jake gives the impression that he's got a nice guy, mostly because he's constantly picked on. For several nights this week Emma came home upset about the fact that Jake gets picked on so much. She also mentioned that Jake had no school supplies as his family could not afford them. He was constantly asking to borrow paper, which just gives kids even more reason to pick on him. One night Emma was extremely upset about this situation. We sat together that evening and discussed it in great detail. I suggested Emma talk to Jake and found out what supplies he needed. The next day Emma talked to Jake and came to realize that Jake had a heart of gold, but rarely was able to show it because he was always on the defensive. Emma asked Jake to make a list of the school supplies he needed. Jake put down 3 ring binders, paper, pens, pencils and a pencil sharpener. Emma told him she would help and he was most thankful. That evening Emma and I went to the store and bought everything for Jake! When we got home, we put all the supplies into a brand new grey backpack--because Jake did not have a backpack either. The next day, I brought the bag to the school principal and asked him to give the bag to Jake discreetly so that he did not have to feel embarrassed. That night Emma got home with smiles on her face. The principal had called Jake to his office and gave him the bag. As Jake walked into the classroom, he looked at Emma and later thanked her very much for all the stuff. He loved it all! Emma said it was so nice to see him take out his new pencil box and start arranging his pencils and pens. He seemed very happy. What is the text mainly about? A. A mother's love. B. An act of kindness. C. Emma's school life. D. Jake's poor situation at school. Answer: B Roll over, sit and fetch aren't commands normally given to a robot, but the smart toy company WowWee has developed a new way of owning a puppy. CHIP (Canine Home Intelligent Pet) is a robotic dog with blue LED eyes and pointy ears and can sit, shake, dance and make all types of dog noises. It also has tracking capabilities to help locate its owner. "The beauty about CHIP is that it has its own thing going on," said Sufer, CTO at WowWee. "It has its own life and own kind of intelligence. Even if you're not around, it's always doing something." CHIP uses wheels to get around and is loaded with sensors that give it a 360-degree view to find its ball. The pup is Bluetooth enabled, which connects to a wristband worn by its owner. The wristband, similar to a watch, displays icons for different commands such as a thumb-up, which allows you to give your pup a digital belly rub. With its owner wearing a smart wristband, it can even follow him around the room. "We worked on CHIP for about five to six months," Davin Sufer, told dailymail.com, "We typically come up with a concept, model and product and get it on shelves within a year." The company plans to start shipping units by next fall, which will allow them to load up the robotic dog with sensors and add many more animated responses per-owner interactivity. The high-tech toy company made its debut in 2004 by releasing the 1.5 foot RoboSapien, which sold millions of units. MiP, which hit shelves last year, is a seven inch tall robot covered in white with black accents. Users can direct it, change its emotions and make it dance to any song on your iPad. It's loud, fast and active. About 15 years ago, a company called ToyQuest developed the first ever electronic robotic dog---Tekno, the Robotic Puppy. The company sold over seven million units in the first season and 40 million more during its original four years of production. Tekno was built with over 160 emotions and instructions, but most importantly offered consumers a quick look into the future. From the passage, we can know _ . A. CHIP can be bought in the store now B. WowWee introduced its first product last year C. Tekno provided the bright future of the robotic puppy D. MiP is the first company to develop the robotic puppy Answer: C The motor vehicle has killed and disabled more people in its brief history than any bomb or weapon ever invented. Much of the blood on the street flows essentially from uncivil behavior of drivers who refuse to respect the legal and moral rights of others. So the massacre on the road may be regarded as a social problem . In fact, the enemies of society on wheels are rather harmless people just ordinary people acting carelessly, you might say. But it is a principle both of law and common morality that carelessness is no excuse when one's actions could bring death or damage to others. A minority of the killers go even beyond carelessness to total negligence . Researchers have pointed out that as many as 80 percent of all automobile accidents can result from the psychological condition of the driver. Emotional upsets can affect drivers' reactions, slow their judgment, and blind them to dangers that might otherwise be clear. The experts warn that it is important for every driver to make a conscious effort to keep one's emotion under control. Yet the irresponsibility that accounts for much of the problem is not only caused by drivers. Street walkers regularly go against traffic rules, they are to blame in most vehicle walker accidents , and many cyclists even believe that they don't obey the basic rules of the road. Significant legal advances have been made towards safer driving in the past few years. Safety standards for vehicle have been raised both at the point of manufacture and through regular road-worthiness inspections . In addition, speed limits have been lowered. Due to these measures, the accident rate has decreased. But the accident experts still worry because there has been little or no improvement in the way drivers behave. The only real and lasting solution, say the experts, is to convince people that driving is a skilled task requiring constant care and concentration. Those who fail to do all these things present a threat to those with whom they share the road. What is the author's main purpose in writing this passage? A. To show that the motor vehicle is a very dangerous invention. B. To promote understanding between careless drivers and street walkers. C. To discuss traffic problems and suggest possible solutions. D. To warn drivers of the importance of safe driving. Answer: D Inside the pleasingly fragrant cafe, So All May Eat(SAME) in downtown Denver ,the spirit of generosity is instantly noticeable :A donation box stands in place of a cash register. Customers here pay only what they can afford, no questions asked. A risky business plan, perhaps, but SAME Cafe has done one unchangeable thing in the Mile High City for six years: Open only at midday, the restaurant provides poor local can instead volunteer as waiters and waitresses, and dishwashers, or took after the buildings and equipment for the cafe. "It's based on trust, and it's working all right" , says co-owner Brad Birky , who started the cafe in 2006. With his wife Libby. Previously volunteering at soup kitchens, the Birkys were dissatisfied with the often unhealthy meals they served there. "We wanted to offer quality food in a restaurant where everyone felt comfortable ,regardless of their circumstances," Birky says. SAME's special lunch menu changes daily and most food materials are natural and grown by local farmers. The cafe now averages 65 to 70 customers (and eight volunteers) a day. And the spirit of generosity behind the project appears to be spreading. In early 2007,one volunteer who had cleared snow for his meals during the long winter said goodbye to the Birkys," He said he was going to New Orleans to help with the hurricane clear up," says Birky. 68.What can we learn about the soup kitchens the Birkys previously worked for? What can we learn about the soup kitchens the Birkys prcviously worked for? A. . They refused to have volunteers. B. They offered low quality food. C. They provided customers with a good environment. D. They closed down because of poor management. Answer: B
My name is Sabrina. I'm 23 years old. I come from London. Now I live in Beijing. I love teaching English. I think it's interesting. I can speak Chinese, too. I have experience in teaching English in China. My e-mail address is sabrina@sina.com. I'm Bill, an 18-year-old student. I live in Nanjing now. I can play the guitar well. I like to be a teacher. I have free time on weekends. Do you want to learn the guitar? Please call me at 15069606503. I'm June Smith. I'm 25. I can swim well. I want to be a swimming teacher. I love kids and I'm good with kids. I can help them learn to swim. If you need a teacher in your club, please e-mail me at june@sina.com. . Bob wants Bill to teach him the guitar. He can learn it on _ . A. Monday B. Wednesday C. Friday D. Sunday Answer: D The Sun appears to move across the sky each day, rising in the east and setting in the west. What causes this apparent motion? A. the rotation of Earth on its axis B. the revolution of the Sun around Earth C. the Earth’s distance from the Sun D. the properties of Earth’s atmosphere Answer: A Big Ben is not the name of a man. It is the name of a big clock in London. London is the capital of England. This clock has four faces. So, no matter where you stand, you can read the time on the face of Big Ben. Each face is the size of a bus. The _ are about four meters long. It is about the size of two people standing on top each other. If you go to London, you may want to visit the Houses of Parliament. In that place you will find Big Ben sits at the top of the clock tower in the Houses of Parliament. You will probably hear it and see it. The big clock makes such a loud noise. "Ding dong, ding dong." It goes, every quarter of an hour. The name of Big Ben comes from a big builder. The clock strikes (;) every _ minutes of an hour. A. ten B. fifteen C. thirty D. forty-five Answer: B The supermarket of the past is racing toward a high tech future. And clever marketers are starting with their youngest customers. Publix Supermarkets in the prefix = st1 /U.S.city of Atlanta,Georgiahave begun testing TV Karts for little kids. Moms can shop in peace while their kids ride along watching their favorite TV shows. Marketers say the TV Karts bring about income by keeping children entertained so parents can shop longer. If the TV screen is not enough to hold a child's attention, parents can drop them off at a play center at Wegman' s supermarket in Virginia. There is adult care so parents can scan the grocery aisles without having to rush. And there are high tech toys for grown - ups, too. This computerized tablet is called the "Shopping Buddy". The small computer keeps a running tab of every item in the shopping cart. Customers can e - mail their grocery list and the device will let them know if any of the items are on sale. It also shows the location of the products. Stop and shop marketing manager Mike Grimes says the device can even take a deli order from customers on the other side of the store and let them know when it's ready for pick up. "The shopping buddy has two primary benefits to shoppers. The first - saving money, extra savings. The other thing it saves is time." If you really want to save time, "Veggie Vision", a computerized scale and camera, identifies various fruits and vegetables and automatically prices them for you. And when it's time to pay, a finger may be all you need. It takes just a few seconds for a machine to identify your unique fingerprint and debit your account. Two thousand stores in the U.S. now have the "Pay by Touch" biometric technology. Customers sign up by providing a bank account number and a fingerprint. Some European stores are testing tiny radio transmitters on their goods. The wireless devices can tell if a product is nearing its expiration date or needs to be restocked. And someday, as an I. B. M. commercial shows us, those transmitters will mean you may not even need your fingerprint to make a purchase. What is the main purpose of using the TV Karts? A. To attract customers. B. To keep kids entertained. C. To advertise products. D. To make more money. Answer: D Where Are We Going, Dad? has become one of China's most popular television shows, since its debut in October, averaging more than 600 million viewers each week. Sponsorship rights for the show's second season were sold for 312 million yuan (about $ 50 million), more than ten times higher than the rights to the first season. What accounts for its popularity? The show features a new generation of Chinese fathers, who, as part of the country's new middle class, have faced more problems with modern child-raising techniques such as taking an active role with their children. Part of the appeal of the show is the chance to throw a glance at the lives of Chinese celebrities and their children. Audiences are interested in watching the failed attempts of celebrity dads making dinner, doing hair, and disciplining children -- tasks often left to mothers in a society still influenced by the saying that "men rule outside and women are inside." "In traditional Chinese culture, fathers are strict and mothers are kind. But on the show, we see fathers who are much gentler on their kids and more involved in their upbringing, " said Li Minyi, an associate professor. "This show raises an important question for modern Chinese society -- what is the role of fathers in today's China?" After each episode goes to air, the Chinese internet explodes with comments on each celebrity's parenting style. Actor Guo Tao tries to communicate with his son, Shitou, but is seen as a more traditional Chinese father, and has been criticised online for being too _ . Zhang Liang, a supermodel, is an audience favorite for treating his son, Tiantian, more like a friend. The show's most famous celebrity, Lin Zhiying, a film star, was originally praised as patient with his son Kimi. But as the season progresses, fans begin to criticise him for raising a spoiled, undisciplined boy. Director Wang Yuelun is at a complete loss when it comes to care of his daughter's hair. Even the People's Daily is pleased with the success of the show. Sponsorship rights for the show's first season were sold for about _ . A. 312 million yuan B. 50 million yuan C. 31 million yuan D. 600 million yuan Answer: C
A woman went into a shop one evening to buy a new blouse. A strange man followed her into the shop and stood about while she was at the counter. Suddenly she screamed and the man turned and ran out of the shop, right into the arms of a passing policeman. Then he was caught by the policeman because he was a wanted robber. "Mrs Jones, if you hadn't screamed, I would certainly have been robbed," said the shopkeeper, "I didn't know it," answered Mrs Jones. "I screamed when you told me how expensive the blouse was." What did the strange man go into the shop for? Answer: He tried to rob the shop. What will happen if more people bike instead of drive cars? Answer: it will be easier to breathe Canada is a very large country .It is the second largest country in the world .By contrast it has a very small population . There are only about 29 million people there . Most Canadians are of British or French _ ,and French is an official language of Canada as well as English .About 45%of the people are of British origin ,that is ,they or their parents or grandparents , etc ,come from British . Nearly 30%are of French origin . Most of the French -Canadians live in province of Quebec . Over the years ,people have come to live in Canada from many countries in the world .They are from many countries in the world .They are from most European countries and also from China, besides other Asian countries . However , Canada was not an empty country when the Europeans began to arrive . Canadian Indians lived along the coast , by the rivers and lakes and in forests . Today , there are only about 350 000 Indians in the whole country , with their own languages . In the far north live the Inuit . There are only 27 000 Canadian-Inuit . Their life is hard in such a difficult climate . Which of the following is true according to this passage ? Answer: There are 30% of the population whose parents or grandparents come from France Some people like modern art, while others say that is rubbish. But a cleaner who works in the Tate Gallery in London isn't able to tell the difference. The woman, whose name isn't known, mistook a work of art by the German painter Gustav Metzger for a bag of rubbish, and threw it out with other bags. The plastic bad, which contained pieces of paper and cardboard, was later recovered outside the gallery, but the artist thought that it was too damaged to be put on show again. 78-year-old Mr Metzger explained that the exhibit, which he said was a copy of a similar work he had created in 1960, was meant to show that all art is temporary and "finite" . Embarrassed officials at the museum said that they had had to call a meeting with cleaners to explain which things should not be touched. They would not say whether Mr Metzger would be paid any compensation for the incident. However, to make absolutely sure the same thing would not happen again, they decided to cover Mr Metzger's work every evening with a colored cloth. In this way the cleaners arriving after the gallery had closed to the general public would realize they should not touch it. This is not the first time that museum cleaners have had trouble distinguishing exhibits from rubbish. In 2001, in another London gallery, a cleaner threw away a work by the well-known British artist Damien Hirst. It was an arrangement of empty beer bottles, coffee cups, and overflowing ashtrays, which were meant to indicate the chaos in the life of an artist. However, cleaners don't always throw things away--sometimes they clean them! This was the case with a dirty asking what the bath was doing in the gallery, the cleaners simply scrubbed it clean. Which of the following is not true? Answer: Mr Metzger would be paid much compensation One night a man came to our house and told me, "There is a family with eight children. They have nothing to eat for days." I took some food and went. When I finally came to the family, I saw the ugly face of those little children by hunger. There was no sorrow or sadness in their faces, just the deep pain of hunger. I gave the rice to the mother. She divided it into two, and went out, carry half the rice with her. When she came back, I asked her, "Where did you go?" She gave me this simple answer, "To my neighbours----they are also hungry." I was not surprised that she gave----because poor people are unselfish . But I was surprised that she knew they were hungry. As a rule, when we are in trouble, we think more about ourselves, and have no time for others. The mother went out to _ . Answer: give some rice to her neighbours
If you and your friends wish to share a secret, you can write it in code, and no one else will be able to read it. Codes are one way of writing in secret. Ciphers are another. In a code each word is written as a secret code word or a code number. In a cipher each letter is changed. Codes and ciphers have played an important role in the history of the world. Julius Caesar, the Roman ruler who defeated almost all the countries in Europe about 2,000 years ago, used a cipher when he sent secret messages to his troops. During the American Revolution, George Washington's spies used a kind of code to send his information about the enemy before his military action. In World War II, the Americans"broke"or figured out Japan's most important navy codes and got enough information to destroy a powerful Japanese fleet. Storekeepers use codes to mark their goods. The codes show how much is paid for the goods or when they are added to the stock. Businessmen use codes to hide plans from their business enemies. Sometimes personal letters or diaries are written in code. Many people enjoy figuring out codes and ciphers simply as a hobby. In the 16th century, codes and ciphers were very popular among scientists. They wrote messages to each other in code so that no one else would learn their secrets. Geronimo Gardano, an Italian astrologer , mathematician, and doctor, invented the trellis cipher. He took two sheets of paper and cut exactly the same holes in each one. Then he sent one sheet, which he called a trellis, to a friend and kept the other for himself. Whenever he wanted to write a message, he put his trellis over a clean sheet of paper and wrote the secret message through the holes. There he removed the trellis and filled the rest of the paper with words that would make sense. When his friend received it, he put his trellis over the writing and read the secret message. Which of the following statements is TRUE? A Ciphers can be broken or figured out more easily than codes. B You could read some words in Geronimo's letter without his trellis. C The first person who ever used a cipher in history was Julius Caesar. D Fondness of using codes was the hobby of the scientists in the 1600s. Answer: B. You could read some words in Geronimo's letter without his trellis. Beijing Opera is my favourite. Bao Zheng always has a black face and Guan Yu has a red face in Beijing Opera. But many people don't know why. I come from America and I have lived in China for six years. I like Beijing Opera very much. I think Beijing Opera is very interesting. I can learn a lot about Chinese history. Now let me tell you the art of Beijing Opera facial paintings . In Beijing Opera facial paintings, different colours and patterns are for different roles. For example, a black face for fair people. A red face is for brave people. A white face is for bad people. Blue and green faces are for heroes . The gold face is for gods. The writer _ . A is a Chinese. B is an American C lives in Canada. D is an actor of Beijing Opera. Answer: B. is an American On November18, 1995, Itzhak Perlman, the world famous violinist, came on stage to give a concert at Lincoln Centre in New York City. If you have ever been to a Perlman concert, you know that getting on stage is not easy for him. He got polio as a child, and has to walk with the aid of two crutches now. That night Perlman walked slowly to his chair. Then he sat down and began to play. But, suddenly, one of the strings on his violin broke. You could hear it break---it broke with a loud noise. People thought to themselves, "He would have to get up to either find another violin or find another string for this one." But he didn't. Instead, he waited a moment, closed his eyes and then signaled the conductor to begin again. The orchestra began, and he played from where he had stopped. He played with such passion and such power. Of course, everyone knows that it is impossible to play a symphonic work with just three strings. But that night Itzhak Perlman refused to know that. You could see him changing and recomposing the piece in his head. When he finished, there was a silence in the room. Then people rose and cheered. We were all on our feet, doing everything we could to show how much we appreciated what he had done. He smiled and then he said in a quiet tone, "You know, sometimes it is the artist's task to find out how much music you can make with what you have left." His words have stayed in my mind ever since I heard them. That is also the way of life. Perhaps our task in this quickly changing world in which we live is to make music, at first with all that we have, and then, when that is no longer possible, to make music with what we have left. Holding a concert is challenging for Perlman because _ . A he is just a world famous violinist B he has never performed on stage before C he is physically disabled as a result of a disease D he has difficulty in moving his body Answer: C. he is physically disabled as a result of a disease Once there was a fish who had lived his whole life in his bowl. He often got bored and wished to see the rest of the world, but because he was a fish, he couldn't leave the water. So one day he made a special fish suit that would allow him to walk on land and breathe air like humans. He knew this would change his life, and make him rich, but first he would have to test it out. He put the suit on and leaped from the bowl that until now had been his whole world. The suit worked! Now he could go where he wanted. First he went to the kitchen of the house. There he saw a parrot eating a cracker. Second he went outside to the yard. He saw squirrels there running around looking for food. Third he went to the barn in the field. He saw a mommy cow. She was teaching her calf how to run. Finally he went to forest where he saw more trees than he had ever seen in his whole life. But after all this he was tired, and made up his mind to go back to his home in the bowl. It was a lot of work trying to see the world. He took off the special suit and splashed back into the water. His suit had passed the test and he was very happy, but he had made up his mind that his bowl was the place for him. Why did the fish return to his bowl? A He wanted to get rich. B He saw squirrels running around looking for food. C He wanted to change his life. D He was tired and it was a lot of work trying to see the world. Answer: D. He was tired and it was a lot of work trying to see the world. Yinxu (Ruins of Yin) is the ruins of the last capital of China's Shang Dynasty (1600 BC - 1046 BC). The capital served 255 years for 12 kings. It shows the golden age of early Chinese culture, crafts and science, a time of great prosperity during the Chinese Bronze Age . Discovered in 1899, Yinxu is one of the oldest and largest archeological sites in China and is one of the historical capitals of China and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It lies in central Henan Province, near the modern city of Anyang, and is open to the public as the Garden Museum of Yinxu. It is famous as the source of oracle bone script , the earliest recorded form of Chinese writing. The oracle bone script has recorded almost everything from dream-explaining to events such as harvests, birth of a child, the weather and the success of military campaigns. Over 3,000 tombs, 2,200 pits, and 200 houses have been dug out at Yinxu. The large number of burial accessories found there shows the high level of the Shang crafts industry. The site includes a main palace and an ancient tomb. Besides, there are a number of large buildings, at least 53 of which have been dug out. Yinxu has seen many years of research, first researched by the Academia Sinica in the late 1920s to the early 1930s and most recently by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. We can infer from the passage that _ . A there are 200 houses in Yinxu B many things are still to be dug out C Anyang is a city of the Shang Dynasty D no research has been carried out on Yinxu Answer: B. many things are still to be dug out
One day Mrs.Jones goes shopping.When her husband comes home in the evening,she begins to tell him about a beautiful cotton dress."I see it in a shop this morning,"she says. "And--and you want to buy it."says her husband,"How much does it cost?" "Forty pounds." "Forty pounds for a cotton dress? That's too much!" But every evening,when Mr.Jones comes back from work,his wife continues to say only about the dress,and at last, after a week,he says"Oh,buy the dress.Here's the money!"She is happy. But the next evening,when Mr.Jones comes home and asks,"Do you buy the famous dress?--'No,"she says. "Why not?"he asks. "Well,"Mrs.Jones says,"it is still in the window of the shop after a week,I think nobody else wants this dress,so I don't want it,either." How long does Mrs.Jones talk about the cotton dress? Answer: A week. My favorite English teacher could draw humor out of the driest material. It wasn't forced on us either. He took Samuel Johnson's dictionary, Addison's essays, and many other literary wonders from the eighteenth century and made them _ , even at eight o'clock in the morning. The thing that amazed me most was that the first time I read these works on my own some of them seemed dead, but the second time, after his explanation, I couldn't believe that I hadn't seen the humor. The stories and poems and plays were suddenly filled with allusions and irony and hilarious moments. I learned more from him than from any other teacher. My least favorite English teacher also made people laugh. Some students found him to be funny. Many others did not. He assigned journals over a six week period, to be written every day. At the end of the six weeks I had a notebook full of bits and pieces about my ideas, short stories, reactions to what we had read, and so on. Our teacher announced that we would be grading each other's journals. Mine was passed to Joe, that class clown, who always behaved in a funny or silly way. He saw it fit to make joke of and said, " This writing isn't fit to line the bottom of a birdcage. " Our teacher laughed at that funny remark. It hurt me so much that the anger from it has driven my writing and teaching ever since. So what makes the difference? Humor is one of the most powerful tools teachers or writers have. It can build up students and classes and make them excited about literature and writing, or it can tear them apart. It is true that humor is either productive or counter-productive and self-defeating. The English teacher the writer disliked most _ . Answer: hurt his students' feelings The National Park Service in the United States will mark its one hundredth anniversary in 2016. As it nears its second century, the Park Service plans to increase its educational programs for students and teachers. The plans include transportation support for one hundred thousand students each year to visit national parks to learn about nature and history. Yellowstone is believed to have been the world's first national park when it was established in 1872. Other students will get a chance to see parks in faraway places through Skype and other online programs. The National Park Service also works with partners to provide education. One of its partners is a nonprofit organization called NatureBridge. NatureBridge is celebrating its fortieth anniversary and says one million young people have taken part in its programs. The organization works with students from kindergarten through twelfth grade and uses national parks as its classrooms. It provides field science programs at Yosemite National Park and four other locations in California and the northwestern state of Washington. Now, NatureBridge is launching an East Coast center with a four-million-dollar grant from Google. The program will begin in April at the Prince William Forest Park in Virginia. Students stay for three to five days in NatureBridge programs. The activities are aimed at developing their science skills. For example, they learn about different soils and study water quality under a microscope. Jason Morris, executive vice president of NatureBridge says when they are not sleeping, eating or in a laboratory, the students spend their time outdoors. Julia Washburn is associate director of education and interpretation for the National Park Service. She says in a time of budget cuts, the agency has to find ways to still meet its goals. And one of the most important services that the Park Service provides every day is nature interpretation. You can probably read this text in the section of_. Answer: Education Among the soldiers of King Philip there was a poor man who had done some good deeds. He had pleased the king in many ways, and so the king believed in him. One day this soldier was on a ship at sea when a great storm came up. The winds drove the ship upon the rocks, and it was broken. The soldier was thrown upon the shore ; and he would have died there if it had not been for the kind care of a farmer who lived nearby. When the soldier was well enough to go home; he thanked the farmer for what he had done, and promised that he would repay him for his kindness. But he did not mean to keep his promise . He did not tell King Philip about the farmer. He only said that there was a fine farm by the seashore, and that he would like very much to have it for his own. "Who owns the farm now?" asked Philip. "Only a useless farmer, who has never done anything for his country," said the soldier. "Very well, then," said Philip "You have served me for a long time, and you shall have your wish. Go and take the farm for yourself." And so the soldier drove the farmer from his house and home. He took the farm for his own. The poor farmer was hurt seriously. He went ly to the king, and told the whole story from beginning to end. King Philip was very angry when he learned that. He sent for the soldier in a great hurry, and when he had come, he had these words burned in his forehead: "The Ungrateful Man". It can be learned form the story that _ . Answer: the king once believed that the soldier deserved the farm Ma Yan is not really a writer, but this 15-year-old girl has written a book that has moved many people around the world. Ma Yan's diary tells us about Ma's life. She lives in a poor village called Zhangjiashu in Tongxin, Ningxia, and she has no money to go to school. However, she is brave and wants to go to school very much. Her mother gave her diary to a reporter, Pierre Haski when he went to Zhangjiashu in 2001. Now, Ma Yan's diary has been published in France, Italy, Germany, Japan and China. Ma Yan is now a Junior Three student at Yuwang Middle School in Tongxin. Before this, she had to drop out of school twice. She had to stop going to school the first time, because her mum told her there was no money for her to go to school. She worked for 21 days and saved 13 yuan. With this money, she went back to school. The second time, her family told her she had to leave school while her two brothers could stay. "I want to study," Ma Yan wrote in her diary. "Why can boys study but girls can't? It would be wonderful if I could stay at school forever." Ma Yan loves school so much because she wants to have a better life. "My parents work hard in the fields but they are still poor. They have no knowledge . Most girls in my village leave school early and get married young. I don't want that kind of life," Ma Yan said. After her story became known, many students sent money to her. She hopes to go to Tsinghua University and become a reporter. "Then, I can find poor kids like me, and help them," she said. Why did Ma Yan leave school for the first time? Answer: Her family didn't have money for her to school.
Anyone who is afraid of failure and afraid to face challenges will never taste success, so said our professor in marketing. I laughed it off at that time, but got frightened when it actually happened in my life. I landed in a small city in the Middle East to set up a firm, a world-class car rental firm. Having decided on the project, I earnestly settled in preparation. With a positive mind, I told myself nothing should stop me now, and was more than keen to make it a success. However, the least expected thing happened. Iraq invaded Kuwait. Tension ran high in the region. Eventually the war broke out, and many people fled the country, leaving my firm in deep trouble. As usual, "things become difficult, and every effort seems to bring disappointment, it can be tempting to lower your expectations or even water down your goals and ambitions."I was no exception. I thought of running away. I remembered the words of Thomas Edison, "Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to succeed when they gave up." I decided to hang on, telling myself, "I am not afraid of challenges and obstacles." I stayed on through months of uncertainty and insecurity. Finances ran low, and banks could not wait to get their dues. To add to all this, the banks even threatened to take all my vehicles. I felt I made a wrong decision to move there. I was now ready to face failure. I was living against all hopes, believing that something good would happen. After 2 months the war ended. My persistence paid off: people started flooding back and the car bookings picked up, five times over. Success comes to the one who dares, even after failure, to think positively and look forward confidently. After all, it is only the experience that makes a man tough. Failure does not mean you will never make it. It means that it will take a little longer. It provides us with a learning experience. The main method the author uses to support his understanding of his professor's viewpoint is _ . Answer: giving examples As the saying goes, "Change is not always for the better". Take social interaction, for example! We now live in an era in which many teenagers spend hours locked away in their bedrooms shooting virtual soldiers and hitting zombies over the head with digital baseball bats, while others sit home alone, chatting with friends, not in person, but through social networks. Teachers, politicians and parents have genuine reasons to argue that young people like this are in danger of losing the ability to connect with one another, to develop genuine relationships and to separate the fictional world of the Xbox or the Play Station from the real world. Others worry about the increasing breakdown of the family unit within the UK and link that to the increase of youth crime and antisocial behavior, or the problems that some young people have with drugs or alcohol. These issues are particularly common in areas of poverty and, in the light of the economic crisis, are unlikely to improve. Indeed, the gap between rich and poor in the UK could well increase, as unemployment figures rise and the cost of higher education increases. But being a teenager in the 21st century is not all doom and gloom, Young people in the UK today can enjoy living in a far more multicultural, integrated society in which opportunities are more equal and which is increasingly environmentally aware. They benefit from better child protection policies, a wider range of educational activities and clearer guidance on leading healthy lifestyles. And as they grow up, this generation will benefit from huge technological inventions which will have an impact on almost every aspect of their lives, from entertainment to transport. They will see medical advances which could put an end to diseases like malaria and rid the world of AIDS. They will live longer, work smarter and they will even have a greater understanding of nature and the universe. According to the passage which of the following statements is true? Answer: The union of a family unit plays an important role in a harmonious society. On a hot day, it can be hard to know what to do to feel good. Playing in water is one way to feel cooler. Taking a cool bath or a shower can feel really good on a hot day. It is also important for us to drink water. If you feel thirsty, you should drink water immediately. On hot days, you can lose about 16 glasses of water in one day, so many doctors advise that you should try to drink at least that much every day. Mixing a little fruit juice into your water is a fun way to help you drink plenty of water. The food we eat also makes a difference in how we feel in the heat. Cold food, such as ice cream and drinks with some ice, can cool down our bodies. However, eating spicy food makes our bodies even warmer. The clothes we wear can help us feel cooler as well. Light-coloured, light-weight clothes feel cooler in the sun than dark, heavy clothing. Loose clothes are more comfortable in the heat than tight ones. Even though it is not healthy to run around during the hottest time of the day, that doesn't mean a hot day is not fun! You can read stories in your room. You can also paint or draw without moving your body too much. These are just some of many cool things to do on a hot day. What kind of clothes can help us feel cooler on a hot day? Answer: Loose clothes. They may make us scared, but somehow we just can't get enough of our favorite monsters.From literature to movies, TV shows to Halloween costumes , we want more of these blood-drinking, walking-dead, scary creatures! Here's a look at a few of them. Mummy : All you'll need is a generous supply of toilet paper of make this instantly recognizable costume.The concept of mummies dates back thousands of years and across many cultures.Mummies are constantly seen in books, movies, and of course, on every Halloween night. Werewolf : The werewolf is known for its superhuman strength and shape-shifting powers.Examples of the werewolf date back to ancient Greek and Roman stories, which were about humans changing into animals and animals changing into humans.With television shows and movies, werewolves are once again having a strong influence on popular culture. Frankenstein: Mary Shelley created the monster in her 1818 novel.Victor Frankenstein, a scientist who is curious about life and death, uses different body parts to create his works.Shocked by his new scientific creation, however, Victor ran away, leaving the creature to leave the laboratory and go out into the human world.Whether in books, movies, or onstage, this monster is still a costume favorite for people of all ages. Zombie : Halloween activities would incomplete without zombies to really give people a fright.The zombie earned its title as one of Halloween's most terrifying creatures after popular films.Zombies still frighten audiences as undead monsters that return to feast on the living. Dracula : This classic vampire has terrified audiences for decades, but first appeared as a character in Irish writer Bram Stoker's 1897 novel.In horror films, Dracula remains the most popular character.He is known for his pale skin, sharp teeth, red lips and son on. What would be the best title for the passage? Answer: Monsters Loved by people Like my friend Warren Buffett, I feel particularly lucky to do something every day that I love to do. He calls it "tap-dancing to work". My job at Microsoft is as challenging as ever, but what makes me "tap-dance to work" is when we show people something new, like a computer that can recognize your handwriting or your speech, or one that can store a lifetime's worth of photos, and they say, "I didn't know you could do that with a PC!" But for all the cool things that a person can do with a PC, there are lots of other ways we can put our creativity and intelligence to work to improve our world. There are still far too many people in the world whose most basic needs go unmet. I believe that my own good fortune brings with it a responsibility to give back to the world. My wife, Melinda, and I have committed to improving health and education in a way that can help as many people as possible. As a father, I believe that the death of a child in Africa is no less poignant or tragic than the death of a child anywhere else. And that it doesn't take much to make an immense difference in these children's lives. I'm still very much an optimist, and I believe that progress on even the world's toughest problems is possible -- and it's happening every day. We're seeing new drugs for deadly diseases, new diagnostic tools, and new attention paid to the health problems in the developing world. I'm excited by the possibilities I see for medicine, for education and, of course, for technology. And I believe that through our natural inventiveness, creativity and willingness to solve tough problems, we're going to make some amazing achievements in all these areas in my lifetime. When a person "tap-dances to work", he _ . Answer: takes delight in doing his job
Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and other big cities are great places to live in. There are many interesting things to see and do. You can go to different kinds of museums, see all kinds of plays and films. You can also buy things from all over the world. But there are serious problems in big cities, too. It's expensive to live there, and there are too many people in some places of big cities. Every student can study at good schools and receive good medical care . But sometimes these people can't find work or good places to live in. Also it is hard to keep the cities safe and clean. Some people enjoy living in big cities, others do not. Before they move to a big city, they should think about the problems living there. In this passage the writer thinks it's right for people _ . A. to move to big cities B. not to move to big cities. C. to move to big cities without thinking. D. to think of the problems before living in big cities. Answer: D Which part of a strawberry plant absorbs most of the water needed by the plant? A. flowers B. fruits C. leaves D. roots Answer: D Having a husband means an extra seven hours of housework each week for women, according to a new study. For men, getting married saves an hour of housework a week. "It's a _ ," said lead researcher Frank Stafford at University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research. "Men usually work more outside the home, while women take on more of the housework." He points out that differences among households exist. But in general, marriage means more housework for women and less for men. "And the situation gets worse for women when they have children." Stafford said. Overall, times are changing in the American home. In 1976, women busied themselves with 26 weekly hours of sweeping-and-dusting work, compared with 17 hours in 2005. Men are taking on more housework, more than doubling their housework hours from six in 1976 to 13 in 2005. Single women in their 20s and 30s did the least housework, about 12 weekly hours, while married women in their 60s and 70s did the most - about 21 hours a week. Men showed a somewhat different pattern, with older men picking up the broom more often than younger men. Single men worked the hardest around the house, more than that of all other age groups of married men. Having children increases housework even further. With more than three, for example, wives took on more of the extra work, clocking about 28 hours a week compared with husbands' 10 hours. How many hours of housework did men do every week in the 1970s? A. About 28 B. About 26 C. About 13 D. About 6 Answer: D If someone wants to see the celestial bodies clearly they would use A. a freshly printed magazine B. a dirty old sneaker C. a paper towel tube D. a lengthened glass tube Answer: D London is a very large city with about 7 million people. How do so many people move on their way to work or school? In London you can travel around the city by subway, bus, taxi or private car. The subway runs under the city. It goes to all parts of the city. Traveling by subway is the fastest way to get around the city. The second way to travel about the city is by bus. It is a slower way to travel. This is because the road traffic is always heavy. You can also travel around the city by taxi. This is very expensive, but the taxi will take you to the every place you wish to go to. If traffic is heavy, the taxi will be slow. During the mornings and afternoons, there is the _ The last way to get around London is using your own car. It is inconvenient if you are driving in the "rush hour". If there is an accident on the road, you will have to wait for a long time. The best time to travel around the city is from 9 am to 4 pm. This is the time after the morning "rush hour" and before the evening "rush hour". Traffic will be less heavy during this time. What's the best title for this passage? A. The cheapest way to travel around London . B. Life in London C. Rush hour in London D. Transport in London Answer: D
Question: After a heavy rain, a mudslide flows into a pond and mud mixes into the water. Which of the following is most likely to happen? A. Fish will have more food. B. Trees will be able to get more light. C. Raccoons will not be able to find food. D. Underwater plants will receive less light. Answer: D Question: Bill has a sister, Amy. Next Friday is Amy's birthday. Bill wants to buy a present for her. However, he doesn't have much money. Now he is in shopping mall. He spends a lot of time choosing a good and cheap present in a toy shop, but he can't find anything. He goes to the next shop. There are some beautiful hair clips in it. Bill likes them very much. He knows Amy wants to have one all the time. He chooses a blue one. It's not expensive. It costs 7 yuan. He goes back home happily. Bill goes to a _ shop first. A. clothes B. flower C. toy D. fruit Answer: C Question: With its budget of $80 million , John Woo as director, and an all-star cast ,Red Cliffis the most expensive and ambitious Asian-financed film ever. Last week I saw the release of the second part, and _ does it shows. But watching the film as a foreigner I felt I was missing out on something. Not knowing my Cao Cao's from my Zhou Yu's, I was not even sure whom I wanted to win. Certainly after the opening scene, in which Cao Cao is seen watching a game of Cuju, an ancient Chinese variation of football, I knew who had my support. After all, any man who enjoys his football is someone after my own heart. But after Cao Cao resorted to some evil strategies against his enemies in the south, I wasn't so sure he was the man I should be rooting for. And there is a lot more toRed Cliff 2than just extravagant battle scenes. The film does not take itself too seriously. Conversations between leaders are littered with one-liners, many of which had the audience in laughter. There is even enough to keep fans of more romantic entertainment happy too. This includes a charming relationship between a southern spy and an innocent northern soldier. The characters' interaction provides some genuinely heart-warming moments in the middle of the battle. Clocking in at around two hours, the film certainly does justice to the history story. When I walked out the cinema, I felt as drained as Cao Cao's soldiers must have 1,800 years ago. The following factors of the film are all mentioned in the passage except _ . A. high budget B. leading roles C. actors and actress D. conversations Answer: C Question: All matter is made up of particles called A. cells B. molecules C. atoms D. compounds Answer: C Question: Mr Green works in an office . Every morning he has breakfast with his wife at 7:30, watches TV, drinks tea and then leaves his home at 8:00 to take a bus to his office. Now he still sits comfortably at the breakfast table and watches his news on TV at 8:05. He doesn't hurry and asks his wife for another cup of tea. "Another cup?"she says in surprise ."Don't you need to go to the office today?""The office?" he says. "I think I'm at the office!" Mr Green forgets that he is _ . A. at home B. at his office C. on the bus D. in his car Answer: A
Daniel comes from Sydney. He is now staying in Beijing with his family. He usually gets up at about 6:30 am and has breakfast at 7:00 am. Then he leaves home at 7:15 am. He gets to school at 7:45 am. His first class begins at 8:00 am. There are four lessons in the morning. Morning classes are over at 11:50 am, and he has lunch 10 minutes later. Afternoon classes begin at 1:30 pm. There are two lessons in the afternoon. They are over at 3:10 pm. Daniel usually stays at school for another hour to play soccer, and then goes home. Where is Daniel living now? Answer: Beijing. In early autumn I applied for admission to college. I wanted to go nowhere but to Cornell University, but my mother fought strongly against it. When she saw me studying a photograph of my father on the sports ground of Cornell, she tore it up. "You can't say it's not a great university, just because Papa went there." "That's not it at all. And it is a top university." She was still holding the pieces in her hand. "But we can't afford to send you to college." "I wouldn't dream of asking you for money. Do you want me to get a job to help support you and Papa? Things aren't that bad, are they?" "No," she said. "I don't expect you to help support us." Father borrowed money form his rich cousins to start a small jewellery shop, His chief customers were his old college friends. To get new customers, my mother had to help. She picked up a long-forgotten membership in the local league of women, so that she could get to know more people. Whether those people would turn into customers was another question. I knew that my Parents had to wait for quite a long time before their small investment could show returns. What's more, they had not wanted enough to be rich and successful ;Otherwise they could not possibly have managed their lives so badly. I was torn between the desire to help them and change their lives, and the determination not to repeat their mistakes. I had a strong belief in my power to go what I wanted. After months of hard study I won a full college scholarship .My father could hardly contain his pride in me, and my mother eventually gave in before my success. The author was not allowed to go to Cornell University mainly because _ Answer: his parents did not have enough money for him Get Your Degree at Home! Have you ever wondered what a degree might be worth to you in your job or career? It means a lot of Americans with an Associate Degree average nearly $10,000 more in yearly earnings than those with just a High School Diploma . 1 Harcourt Learning Direct offers you a way to get a Specialized Associate Degree in 11 of today's growing fields without having to go to college full time. 2 With Harcourt, you can study at home, in your spare time--so you don't have to give up your present job while you train for a better one. Choose from exciting majors like Business Management, Accounting, Dressmaking & Design, Bookkeeping, Photography, Computer Science, Engineering, and more! Your training includes everything you need! Books, lessons, learning aids--even professional quality tools and equipment--everything you need to master your training and move ahead to a new career is included in the low tuition price you pay. Your education is nationally recognized! Nearly 2,000 American companies--including General Electric, IBM, Mobile, General Motors, Ford, and many others have used our training for their employees. If companies like these recognize the value of our training, you can be sure that employers in your area will, too! Earn your degree in as little as two years! Get a career diploma in just six months! The career of your dreams is closer than you think! Even if you have no experience before, you can get valuable job skills in today's hottest fields! Step-by-step lessons make learning easy. Prepare for promotions, pay raises, even start a business of your own! Send today for FREE information about Harcourt at home training! Simply fill in your name and address on the coupon above. Then, write in the name and number of the one program you're most interested in, and mail it today. We'll send you free information about how you can take advantage of the opportunities in the field you've chosen. Act today! Mail coupon today or call the number below! 1-800-372-1589 Call anytime 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. www.harcourt-learning.com E-mail: harcourt@learning.com With Harcourt, people can get a Specialized Associate Degree by _ . Answer: studying in their spare time Every day we are bombarded with images, videos, music and news. In this age of visual and aural hyper-stimulation, the medium of radio is making a phenomenal comeback. "We're at the dawn of a golden age of audio," said US-based podcaster Alex Blumberg in an article in The Sydney Morning Herald. In the last month alone, 15 percent of US adults listened to a radio podcast. These statistics, released by Edison Research, reveal the successful evolution of traditional radio broadcasts to the present day's digital podcast format. The term "podcast," was coined in 2004, but the trend only started gaining mainstream popularity in recent years. Since the leap in consumer demand for smartphones and tablets, podcast subscription rates have only accelerated. The appeal of the podcast partially resides in its multiplatform delivery and on-demand capabilities. You can tune in during those extra minutes of the day when you're walking to the shops, waiting in a queue or riding the subway. Similar to television shows, podcasts are generally free to download and most offer new content every week. Donna Jackson, 22, Sydney university media graduate, listens to podcasts two or three times a week, via iTunes ."I listen while I'm pottering around the house doing something else. It makes completing a boring task a lot more enjoyable..... And it's an easy way of keeping in touch with what's going on in the rest of the world," she said. Unlike television and music, the audio format has the potential to create a deep impression on readers. Blumberg says this comes down to the podcast's ability "to create intimacy and emotional connection." Sydney University undergraduate Hazel Proust, major in social work and arts, agrees. "When you're tuned in, it feels as if the voice of the podcast's narrator is talking directly to you. It's comforting," said Proust. From the passage, we can learn that _ . Answer: Podcast has its origin in the traditional radio broadcasts. All hotels redecorate regularly. However, very few do it as frequently as Sweden's Icehotel. As the name indicates,the hotel that is located in the remote village of Jukkasjarvi, is built entirely from ice and,therefore,has to be rebuilt annually! The 26th version of Icehotel, which welcomed its first visitors on December 11th,features 69 rooms. To make them affordable for everyone, they range from expensive luxury suites to basic accommodations. Among this year's unique suite offerings is the"Elephant in the Room",which features a massive 3-m tall sculpted African elephant overlooking an ice--framed bed. The"Counting Sheep"suite features frozen sheep that may help those who don't sleep well get a good night's rest. Though the atmosphere between the luxury suites and the budget rooms may differ,they are all subject to the bone-chilling-5degCtemperatures. To get a good night's rest guests have to lie inside sleeping bags and keep their gloves and hats on. Though that seems a little uncomfortable,visitors say it is an experience like none other. The hotel also features a beautifully crafted ice church where over 100 couples will get married this year and an Ice Bar that will serve drinks in ice glasses. Though dining options are limited to the hotel's only restaurant,guests will have little to complain about with Michelin--trained chef Alexander Meier. To keep customers entertained,the hotel offers a variety of fun activities like snowshoeing,moose or snowmobile safaris,dog sledding,and even overnight wilderness camping. The 26-year-*old tradition began accidentally in 1989 when locals organized an art exhibition to draw winter visitors to the remote village that lies 200 km north of the Arctic Circle. Among the many tourists was an adventurous group and they announced their intention of spending the night in the place where the exhibition was being held. That's when the idea of building the icy accommodations dawned on the locals. Why is Sweden's Icehotel rebuilt every year? Answer: It is entirely built from ice.
My father woke me up early one summer morning when I was fourteen and announced: "Get up. You're going with me to cut grass." The idea that my father thought I was old enough to help him in his business made me feel proud and excited. From sunup to sundown, my father, my younger brother and I worked in the large yards in a rich part of Atlanta, Georgia. By the end of the day I was tired out, but I felt good. I had put in a hard day's labor and had earned $ 6 One day my father found some leaves I'd missed and pulled me aside. "Clear away these leaves!" he said firmly, "and don't make me have to do it again." The message was clear. Today I value the importance of doing a job right the first time. It will never fail to impress the person you are working for. After two years, my father told me and my brother that he felt we were old enough to do lawns on our own. Every Saturday during our last two years of high school, we set out early in the morning with the same desire and drive we had gained while working under our father. Taking care of lawns was not exciting or high-paying, but that didn't matter. It taught me that any job was a good job and that whatever I was paid was more than I had before. A newspaper reporter once asked me how someone could possibly live on a forty-hour-a-week minimum pay. "My father has never worked just forty hours a week, and neither have I," I replied. "If you're only working forty hours, you probably don't want to do any better than you are doing." In every job I've held from doing lawns to washing dishes, I have learned something that helped me in my next job. If you work hard enough, you can learn from any job you do. Which statement is true according to the passage? Answer: Fifty has never looked better. It's been 50 years since the first James Bond film, Dr. No, premiered in cinemas. As first embodied by Scottish actor Sean Connery, Agent 007 was a fearless, cool-as-ice spy who excelled at sleuthing , fighting and saving the world. Since then, more than 20 films featuring the iconic spy have been released-making it one of the longest-running franchises in the history of cinema. On Nov 9, the 23rd Bond movie, Skyfall, celebrated the legend's 50th birthday. Over the years, audiences have changed. It doesn't matter. Six different actors have acted 007 and it doesn't matter. Even shocking technological and cultural changes can't bend Bond. Why? Is it the action, the sexy women, the cars, the gadgets and the exotic locations? Yes, but the most important reason is still the man himself. Bond can challenge his boss and shoot a bad guy in mere minutes. He is an expert in literature, languages, art and fine wines. He has a sharp tongue besides his wits. In the first film Dr. No, as Connery lit a cigarette, we heard James Bond's voice and saw his cafe for the first time. The simple scene and short phrase have defined the character for half a century. "Next to the Beatles and Stones, James Bond was the greatest British import of the 1960s," David Kamp, a US contributing editor for Vanity Fair, wrote in a recent article about the birth of Bond and its influence on the US. The Bond phenomenon has clearly affected movie culture, pop culture and spy culture. But perhaps the most amazing thing is that 007 has survived in the age of feminism . "Talking of objectifying women, Bond is essential Huge Henfner (founder of Playboy magazine) with a gun," movie critic Xan Brooks told The Guardian. "But women liked Bond, too. He couldn't have run for 50 years with male fans alone." We love Bond for many reasons--after all 50 years, Bond is still breathtaking. thrilling ride into the very heart of an icon like no other. But most of all, we may love him for one reason: "he always gets away with it." one said. What does the movie critic Xan Brooks agree with? Answer: Worst Game Ever? E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a video game that came out for the Atari 2600 game system in 1982. It was based on a very popular film of the same name. Star programmer Howard Warshaw created it with consultation from the film director Steven Spielberg. It was July 27th, 1982. Howard Warshaw was hot off the success of his most recent game, Raiders of the Lost Ark. He received a call from Atari C.E.O, Ray Kassar. Atari had bought the rights to make a video game version of Spilberg's Movie, E.T., which had just been released in June. Kassar told Warshaw that Spielberg had specifically asked for Warshaw to make the game Warshaw was honored, but there was one huge problem. Atari needed the game finished by September 1stin order to start selling it during the Christmas season. It had taken Warshaw six months to create Raiders of the Lost Ark. The game he made prior to that took him seven months. He was expected to create E.T. in around five weeks. Warshaw accepted the challenge anyway and production began. Spielberg wanted Warshaw to create a simple maze game similar to Pac-man, but V had a bigger vision. He wanted players to explore different environments in 3D world. Usually companies like Atari have people test games before releasing them, but they decided to skip testing due to time limitations. The game was a hot holiday item at first. Unfortunately, Atari overestimated how many they would sell. They made 5 million copies and they only sold 1.5 million. Most people who played the game hated it. The graphics were bad. Game play was awkward. Players got stuck in holes that they couldn't escape. Some people who stuck with the game grew to like it, but it wasn't the mainstream success that Atari had hoped it would be. Too many copies of the game sat on store shelves. One employee remembers the game being discounted five times, from $49.95 to less than a dollar. A newspaper in New Mexico reported that between 10 and 20 semitrailer truckloads of Atari products were crushed and buried at landfill in Alamogordo. Atari lost over $100 million on E.T.. The game was so bad that it was said to have affected Atari's reputation. The video game industry soon fell into a deep depression, with a profit $3.2 billion in 1983 to just over $100 million in 1985, almost a 97% drop. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial will long be remembered as one of the worst games ever made, if not one of the causes of the decline of entire video game industry. According to the passage, the failure of the game E.T. may have _ Answer: Here is a true story about a famous man who worked in the White House and a criminal. They once faced the same thing: their mother gave them apples when they were young. The criminal said: one day, my mother brought some apples and asked my brother and me: "Which do you want?" "The reddest and biggest one," my little brother said. My mother stared at him and said to him angrily: "You should learn to give the good things to others; you shouldn't always think of yourself." Seeing this, I suddenly changed my idea and then said to my mother: "Mum, please give me the smaller one and give the bigger one to my little brother." Hearing my words, my mother was very happy. She kissed me on my face and gave the reddest and biggest apple to me as a prize. From then on, I learned to tell lies, fight, steal and rob. In order to get what I wanted, I played hard. As a result, I was sent into prison. The famous man from the White House said: One day, my mother brought some apples. She said to my brother and me: "You all want the reddest and biggest one, right? Well, let's have a competition. Now I divide the grassland in front of the gate into two and I will give one to each of you and you must shear it well. And I will give the reddest and biggest apple to him who does it the most quickly and best." After the competition, I won and I got the biggest apple. In our family, as long as you want to get the best things, you must take part in competition. I think it is fair. No matter what you want, you must pay lots of efforts. It is implied in the passage that _ . Answer: People call the Winter Olympics the White Olympics. At this time, they publish many stamps to mark the great games. The first stamps came out on January 25th, 1932 in the United States for the 3rd White Olympics. From then on , publishing stamps during the White Olympics became a rule. During the 4th Winter Olympics, people published a group of stamps in November 1936. They drew five rings of Olympics. It was the first time that the rings appeared on the stamps of the White Olympics. In the 1950s,the stamps of this kind became more colorful. When the White Olympics came, the host countries as well as non-host countries published stamps to mark those games. China also published four stamps in February 1980 when the Chinese sportsmen began to take part in the White Olympics. In Asia, Japan was the only country to hold the White Olympics. They sold 14,500 million stamps during the Olympics. People drew different kinds of sports on these small stamps, and they enjoyed the wonderful sports and some excellent players. The Winter Olympics is held once _ . Answer:
Question: Hi, I'm Judy. I'm a middle school student . In my class, there are thirty-eight students. How do they go to school every day? Seventeen of them take buses because they live far from the school. Six students walk. They think walking is good exercise. Fifteen students ride their bikes to school because they like riding bikes very much and their homes are not far from the school. No one goes to school by car. How do I go to school? Ha, I'm one of the fifteen. No one gets to school _ . A. by car B. by bike C. on foot D. by bus Answer: A. by car Question: Molly likes animals. She has a cat. She has a dog. She has a bird. She has a hamster. She has a bunny. Her cat's name is Kitty. Her dog's name is Spike. Her bird's name is Polly. Her hamster's name is Barry. Her bunny's name is Snowball. Kitty plays with yarn. Spike plays with a ball. Polly plays in her cage. Barry runs on his wheel. Snowball eats carrots. What is Molly's dog's name? A. Spot B. Spike C. Tom D. Tiger Answer: B. Spike Question: Twelve years ago,a young traveler named Rhett Butler from San Francisco,California, visited the Sabah rainforest on Malaysian Borneo. In one area of the rainforest,he watched a bird flying through the trees. The beautiful sight lett quite an impression on him. But weeks later,back home, Rhett Butler got the news that trees had been cut down in the area hevisi1ed. That experience led Rhett Butler to begin writing a book about rainforests and threats to their existence. But he did not publish the book. Instead, in 1999, he used his research for the book to create a website,Mongabay. com. His purpose was to inform the public about tropical rainforests. But the subject quickly developed. As a former businessman,he became a respected writer of science and environmental stories. The popularity of Mongabay. com attracted advertisers. Small ads on the site pay for its operations. Mongabay. com has grown and led to other sites. For example,there is a site for children which is called Kids. Mongabay. com. Another one,WildMadangascar. o rg, is allabout the island nation that Rhett Butler calls his favorite place. To keep his website going, he travels around the world on several major trips each year. His working tools are a laptop computer,cameras and sometimes diving equipment. He often calls on experts for information. For example,he interviewed Alison Jolly,a top expert on lemurs . He interviewed Rodney Jackson,a biologist who established the Snow Leopard Conservancy. Stories like these have made Mongabay a favorite place on the Internet for researchers, students and teachers. In April, Time, com named it one of the fifteen top climate and environment websites in the world. What's the main idea of the text? A. Rhett Butler and his website. B. Rainforests on Malaysian Borneo. C. How Rhett Butler protected rare animals. D. How Rhett Butler made his website popular. Answer: A. Rhett Butler and his website. Question: Stay-at home careers are the preferred way to earn a living for those who like to set their own hours and be their own boss, mothers of young children, and those who like to avoid office politics. There are plenty of opportunities to earn from home. Even if you earn little first, the quality of life should make up for the loss of income. Take a look at the following choices for home-birds: Online tutoring--You can earn anything from Rs 8,000 to 30,000 a month if you are a qualified teacher with computer and communication skills. The subjects in demand these days are math, English, physics, chemistry and biology. You can either teach part-time (4 hours) or full-time (9 hours). Freelance writers--You have a good writing skills but don't have time to work a nine-to-five job? You can still use your skills and earn a good amount of money. Many companies these days require good writers. One can earn up to Rs 8,000 to 50,000. Online-traders--Earn a lot of money by share trading. Just clear the NCFM (Capital Market) exam and you can start trading. You can bring in Rs 10,000 to 1000,000 per month. Designers--If you have the creative skills and a creative gift, try becoming a designer. Designers are required in different fields. One can earn nearly Rs 8,000 to 20,000 per month. The passage is written mainly to _ . A. sell products to readers B. join the author's company C. give some advice to readers D. get help from readers Answer: C. give some advice to readers Question: There are trains to carry people,trains to carry animals or carry things.There are fast trains and slow ones.Some trains go through hills.In big cities,the streets are usually very busy.So you can find trains under the ground.they carry people quickly in and out of the big cities.Can a train run over the water?Yes,it can.There are many bridges over the rivers.The trains can easily run over the water.But it is not easy to build the bridges.Today's trains have dining rooms for people.You may eat something in them on the way if you are hungry.Trains are useful to men,women and children.Many children have model trains.With the model trains they can build their own rails and enjoy the wonderful world of trains. The trains carry people in and out of the big cities under the ground because _ . A. the streets are very busy B. the cities are big C. the trains have dining rooms D. the cities are too small Answer: A. the streets are very busy
This booklet is designed to help you and your family plan for and survive a major earthquake. By taking action to be prepared, you can lessen the impact of an earthquake on your family. Set aside some emergency supplies, and teach your family what to do at home during and after a disaster. You could be without help for up to 72 hours, so learn to cope for at least that long. Movement of the ground is seldom the actual cause of death or injury. Most casualties result from partial building collapse and falling objects and debris, like toppling chimneys, falling bricks, ceiling plaster, and light fixtures. Many of these conditions are easily preventable. Because earthquakes occur without warning, it's important to take steps now to prepare, so that you know what you can do and how to respond--constructive, protective action is possible. Have on hand for Any Emergency- Ideas for Home, Workplace, and Car. Because you don't know where you will be when an earthquake occurs, prepare disaster supplies. Which can be the best title of this passage? Are You Prepared for the Next Earthquake? Solomon Shereshevski was a man with an amazing memory. He was one of the world's most famous me-monists . Born in Russia in about 1900, he spent much of his life performing memory skills that people found difficult to believe. He could memorize long lists of numbers after reading them through once, and he could then recite them forwards or back-wards. He could also remember the same numbers months later. He could easily remember lists of names, dozens of playing cards or hundreds of cities. Although he had a wonderful memory, he found some normal skills very difficult. For example, he found it difficult to learn to read. He also found it difficult to recognize patterns in words or numbers. When presented with a long list of numbers like this: 1234 4231 5678 8765 6789 9876 he could not see that there was a pattern. If he could see or hear a collection of numbers, he could remember it. However, this did not mean that he could understand what he was looking at. He could remember long complex mathematical formulas, but could not understand what the numbers meant. Solomon suffered from a condition known as Synaesthesia. This meant that all of his senses were connected in a special way. In other words, when he heard a particular word he also experienced a unique taste, or saw a unique color1. Each word that he heard brought a particular description into his mind. Each word for him was unique, because he remembered it as a taste, a smell, a color1 or a sound, or all of them together. He was not a clever man except this ability and people found him rather stupid. He found it difficult to become friends with other people because his mind was so different. In a way, his memory was a curse . He remembered everything, and that made it difficult for him to understand anything. Solomon had very powerful memory, but he . could not work out some simple math problems Minerals are formed by which process? magma cooling Consumer electronics once again topped the list of the most wanted gifts this holiday season. "Seventy-six percent of consumers who plan to buy holiday gifts say that they will spend money or buy at least one technology product; definitely a solid vote of confidence for technology." Steve Koenig is with the Consumer Electronics Association. He says the group's latest research also shows that Americans this year are spending more on technology products. " " From tablet computers to smart phones, American shoppers have been lining up to get the newest and coolest electronic devices on the market. There are more choices today than ever before. "It's kind of hard to make a decision." Tablet computers are one of the best-selling products this year. Brian Tong is Senior Editor of CNET.com. The website reports on tech news and examines the latest electronic products. He says the Apple iPad Mini is one of the most popular tablets. Its starting price is $329. One of Apple's biggest competitors is the Google Nexus 7. It starts at $199. " is more powerful than what's in the iPad Mini, but also it offers you a lot of things like maps that work better than Apple's maps. But Brian Tong says there is one reason why people may like the iPad Mini more than the Nexus 7. "If you just want to read books and surf the Internet, you don't really need to get an iPad Mini, but if you want the largest robust group of apps that's where the iPad and Apple's ecosystem shines the most." Elman Chacon is with the electronics store Best Buy. He says another hot product this season is smart cameras. They connect to the Internet through WiFi. This makes it easy for users to email or upload photographs directly from the camera. "You can literally take a picture and upload it into your Facebook in a matter of seconds. These things are pretty cool because they do a lot of things." Streaming media boxes also connect to the Internet. People are able to watch web content such as movies and YouTube videos on their televisions. Another popular item is wireless speaker systems. The newest ones work with any device that has Bluetooth technology, including smart phones, laptops and tablets. What does "Its hardware" in Paragraph 6 refer to? The hardware of the Google Nexus 7. There is a new park near Andy's home. It's fine today. Andy and his family are in the park now. On their left, there is a cafe. On their right, there is a big lake. There are many flowers and trees around the lake. There's a small hill behind the lake. Near the lake, there are two signs. One says, "Don't swim in the lake!" The other says, "No fishing!" But you can go boating on the lake. There is a beautiful garden in the middle of the park. There are green grass and beautiful flowers in it. There are some small shops between the lake and the garden. The park is so nice. Andy and his family like it very much. The park near Andy's home is _ . new and beautiful
"All I could see was two sets of red eyes below me," said Dave Gatty, an Australian farmer who spent seven days up a tree in remote bush land to escape crocodiles. Gatty, 52, said he was forced to take such drastic action after he accidentally went into a crocodile-infested area of Queensland. He only had two meat sandwiches to keep him going, as crocodiles moved beneath his tree each night until his rescue. Gatty said he decided it was safer to hold out for a rescue team than try to make a run for it. His problems began after he fell off his horse while out in the northern Australia outback. Dazed and bleeding, he climbed back on his horse and hoped it would lead him home. It was only when he regained his senses he realized that he had been taken into crocodile-infested area. "I had to get off the horse and I fell straight into a crocodile nest," he told reporters. "That frightened me. I couldn't go back, it was too far and too dangerous, so I headed to the nearest high ground and stayed there, hoping someone would come and find me before the crocs did." Gatty explained how each night two crocodiles would sit at the bottom of the tree staring at him. Although Gatty's two sandwiches ran out after three days, he was able to get running water during the day and knew rescuers were looking for him as he could see helicopters in the air above his tree. "If I hadn't seen the crocs circling me, and if I hadn't fallen into the croc nest, I would have made a push for it. But I knew the safest thing was for me to sit and wait," he said. A chocolate bar, given to him by rescuers after being moved to safety by using a winch , "was like a gourmet (delicious)meal," he said. The article can be classified as _ . A a news story B a scientific fiction C a personal essay D a literary report Answer: A While she may be best known for her role as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films,Emma Watson would rather be known for something else--her mind. The 18yearold British actress intends to put her acting career on hold to pursue higher studies at a university after she finished filming the final installment,Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Watson,whose parents are both Oxford graduates,recently scored straight A's in her Alevels. She is now on a gap year before starting university. Earlier this month,Watson applied to two of the top universities in the United States--Harvard and Yale. She admitted that Harry Potter series has brought her fame and financial security .She has made more than PS 10 million so far,but now she "has a need to study". "I think the entertainment business is such a temperamental one. One minute you're up there and the next--nothing,"she said. Watson is growing up in front of millions of viewers .She was only nine years old when she started playing the role of Hermione. And the way she figured out how to deal with media attention is "try not to read too much of what is said and try to distance myself a bit from it". Watson has other interests. These include,interestingly,fishing and she has helped raise money for the Wild Trout Trust. From the passage we may infer that _ . A Watson doesn't want to continue her acting B Watson felt very proud of being known as Hermione Granger C Watson hasn't read too much so far D Watson was born in a welleducated family Answer: D Today it is found that school students hardly pay much attention to sports.It is because they have no interest in sports? It may not be the fact.They often say they have other more important things to do. What are these important things? Examination! They have to spend much time on all kinds of examinations and tests at school,so many of them almost become bookworm .In the summer holidays of the last year,they had to put all the time to their study.So books stopped them from enjoying sports. Because of the pressure from their parents and teachers,they have to work harder and spend most of their time on books.As for the students themselves,they want to get good results so that they can go to famous high schools.So it seems necessary to stop their school sports for saving more time to study. In fact,education cannot go without physical exercise,because a quick mind hardly goes along with a weak body.If you don't have a strong body, you can never achieve anything,let alone a great success in your life. According to the passage,students' pressure come from the following except _ . A parents B teachers C themselves D brothers and sisters Answer: D The heart of Mexico is a high, oval valley surrounded by mountains. Once, forests covered the mountainsides, and broad, shining lakes covered nearly all the valley floor. Now, the mountains are bare and scarred with erosion , and much of the valley floor is dry and dusty. Cortez and his Spanish soldiers were the first Europeans to enter this valley. They saw the thriving Aztec city of Tenochtitlan rising from an island in one of the lakes. Surrounding it were green floating gardens. The Spaniards said it was as beautiful as a dream. Then the conquest began. By 1521, when the Spaniards had conquered the fierce Aztecs, the island city was in ruins. Cortez decided to rebuild it after the pattern of European cities. Using the conquered Aztecs as slave laborers, Cortez built the new city, now Mexico City, in just four years. "But a generation had scarcely passed after the conquest before a sad change came over these scenes so beautiful," writes one historian. The broad, shining lakes began to dry up. Modern historians believe that Cortez began the destruction of the valley's lakes when be ordered the city rebuilt. A great deal of charcoal was needed to burn the limestone from which cement and mortar were made. Wood was needed to finish the interiors of the buildings. The mountainside forests were destroyed to provide the charcoal and wood. Once the sloped were bare, rainfall o longer seeped slowly into the earth to feed the springs that filled the valley's lakes. Instead, rainfall poured off the mountainsides the city from floods, later rulers made a cut through the mountains so that the water drained away into another valley. Mexico City, once an island, had become a city of a dry plain. What is the author's purpose of writing this article? A To tell the beauty and ugliness of Mexico City B To introduce the terrible change of Mexico City C To explain how Mexico City changed D To make people aware of the importance of nature balance Answer: D Cleverness is a gift while kindness is a choice. Gifts are easy---they're given after all. Choice can be hard. I got the idea to start Amazon 16 years ago. I came across the fact that the Internet usage was growing at 2300 percent per year. I'd never seen or heard of anything that grew that fast, and the idea of building an online bookstore with millions of titles was very exciting to me, I had just turned 30 years old , and I'd been married for a year, I told my wife MacKenzie that I wanted to quit my job and go to do this crazy thing that probably wouldn't work since most start-ups don't , and I wasn't sure what to expect, MacKenzie told me I should go for it. As a young boy, I'd been a garage inventor, I'd always wanted to be an inventor, and she wanted me to follow my passion. I was working at a financial firm in New York City with a bunch of very smart people, and I had a brilliant boss that I much admired. I went to my boss and told him I wanted to start a company selling books on the Internet. He took me on a long walk in Central Park, listened carefully to me, and finally said, "That sounds like a really good idea, but it would be an even better idea for someone who didn't already have a good job." That logic made some sense to me, and he convinced me to think about it for 48 hours before making a final decision. Seen in that light, it really was a difficult choice, but ultimately, I decided I had to give it a shot. I didn't think I'd regret trying and failing. _ After much consideration, I took the less safe path to follow my passion, and I'm proud of that choice, For all of us, in the end, we are our choice. We can know from the passage that _ . A the boss thought the idea was suitable for the author B the author wanted someone else to try the idea C the author might not regret if he failed the idea D the author might go back to his boss if he failed Answer: C
It is really a happy thing to look back on the days I spent with Jennie. We met in night school. After Jennie and I had completed the required courses, we started teaching in the same school. For a time we were just casual friends, but one day, when I was telling Jennie about my problem son, we discovered we were kindred spirits. "He's a difficult little character," I explained. Jennie looked thoughtful. "Maybe you're only seeing him with your eyes." She was silent for a moment and then added softly, "It is only with the heart that one sees rightly." I stared at her. "You're quoting that! It's from The Little Prince, Saint-Exupery's book for children, one of my favorites. You know it, too?" Jennie nodded. "I love it. I've read it so often. I've practically memorized it." Now, when I think of Jennie, I recall that book because Jennie --more than anyone I know --possessed the gift of seeing with the heart. From that moment of a treasured book shared, our friendship grew steadily. It wasn't that I didn't have an excellent relationship with my husband and son, but my mother had died shortly after my marriage, and I had neither sisters nor daughters. I realize, now, how I needed someone to share those little, seemingly unimportant things that add so much to life --things that must be shared to be fully appreciated. And it was Jennie who helped me with my fourth-grade problem child. One day I was at my wit's end. "What he needs is a good beating!" I exploded. "He's probably had plenty of those," Jennie said. "Maybe he just needs sincere praise for anything he does right, and a hug or two each day." I followed this suggestion, and eventually, because of Jennie, I discovered a lovable little boy. Looking back, I have to admit that she taught me so much. The days I spent with her has become one of my happiest memories. We learn from the text that _ . Answer: the author seldom praised her son in the past She is a cute ,quiet girl. As a daughter, she has no secrets from her mother, who is very pleased with her. But these days she has become not so open as before. She has diary that she keeps under lock and key. Her mother cannot help worrying about her: what if she falls in love, which is too early for her age. After all, she is reaching the "dangerous time". These thoughts have caused trouble in the mother's mind. One weekend the girl came to tell her mother that she was going to the cinema with her schoolmate and would return late. This was the first time her mother agreed, and she couldn't help worrying because her daughter had never been away at night before. The mother waited till nine. She decided to go out to meet her daughter. Just at that time the noise of a car pulling up drew her to the window and---there was her daughter, waving goodbye to a boy. Her heart missed a beat. When the girl came in, the mother was watching TV, just like nothing had happened. "Mum, I'm back." "Yeah." "Sorry to be late. Still sitting up?" "Yes. Oh, that ... Who's that boy? " The daughter fell silent for some time. "Ah. It's my monitor . He gave me a lift on his way home. Mum, I'm going to bed." "All right. Go to sleep early." The next morning when the mother went to the daughter's room to do some cleaning, she found her diary left on the bed. After a few minutes' thinking, she at last opened it to the page of the night before. It reads: Mum, It's love that made you ask, but it would show your understanding of me if you hadn't. Which can be the best title for this story ? Answer: To Ask or Not To Ask Rescue workers found a family in their RV on Tuesday after 17 days in the mountains near the prefix = st1 /Oregoncoast. Peter Stivers, Marlo Hill-Stivers, their two children Sabastyan, 9, and Gabrayell, 8, and Hill-Stivers's mother and stepfather, Elbert and Becky Higginbotham, were in the vehicle. On their way home from a trip to the coast, the family got lost in the mountains at an elevation of about 3,800 feet. What's worse, they were trapped in four feet of snow. "We had fuel and food, but we were running short," said Elbert Higginbotham. "We were rationing ." When the family was reported missing, rescue teams from Oregon and Californiasearched likely routes to the coast. But with no leads and no idea where the family was heading, those conducting the unsuccessful search eventually called it off. In the evenings, Sabastyan and Gabrayell entertained the adults by reading jokes from Reader's Digest aloud. The family members survived mostly on dehydrated food . On Monday, Hill-Stivers and her husband decided to go for help. They packed a tent, wool blankets, tuna fish, honey, and hand-warmers to take into the wilderness with them. The children stayed safe in the RV with their grandparents. The couple were found the following day by a US Bureau of Land Management worker. A rescue team in a helicopter located the rest of the family. The family was driven out of the snowbound area on snow machines. Parents and children were happily reunited. "They enjoyed it," Peter Stivers said of his children's experience. "They didn't know we were in trouble." For the adults, it was quite an ordeal . They had to worry about survival and rescue, and about keeping everyone calm. "I'm so proud of my family," said Elbert Higginbotham. "They stuck together, they didn't lose it." What is the main cause of the family's bad situation? Answer: Their RV couldn't move in the snow. Which of the following has the greatest effect on the speed at which sound travels through a gas? Answer: the proximity of the molecules of the medium Are you a bookworm? Is your head stuck in a book for long? If so,that's a good thing.There are many benefits to reading.Getting into a good novel improves our literacy .But who or what encourages us to pick up a book and start reading? Of course,when we are young,our parents and teachers inspire us by introducing us to characters that we love--or love to hate.And there are the authors--the people who invent and write about these characters.Good writing can really catch our imagination. One modern-day children's author is J.K.Rowling,who's known for her books about the wizard,Harry Potter.Last year she was named as a'literacy hero'for her part in improving people's love of reading.The UK's National Literacy Trust awarded her the title for"turning a generation of children into readers." The Trust also honoured schoolchildren,a librarian and teachers for their effort in trying to get people to read.The actor, Henry Winkler, who has dyslexia ,was also named for the books he has written about a boy with learning difficulties. Reading books is more than an enjoyable pastime;it can also help people in difficult circumstances.The author Pat Winslow worked as a writer in prisons and found reading and discussing stories helped prisoners reflect on their patterns of behaviour.She says"Very often we would have discussions about the moral compass of a character, what was the motivation of somebody, why did they behave that way?" Today I like to read factual books such as biographies,where you get an insight into the lives of important and well-known people.I also enjoy looking at travel books and learning about journeys and new destinations.It's a good substitute if you can't visit in person. But the main benefit of reading is the improvement it brings to our literacy.The more we do it,the better we get and who knows--one day you may become the next Tolstoy,Jackie Collins or even William Shakespeare. Reading and discussing stories with prisoners _ . Answer: instruct them to start to a new life
Forty years ago, Finland was a small, country with mediocre public schools. Today, Finland is still small but no one calls Finland's public schools mediocre any more. In 2000, the Finns surprised the world when their 15-year-olds scored at the top of a closely watched international exam called the PISA. Finland has stayed near the top ever since, while the U.S. scores around the middle. Pasi Sahlberg, an official with Finland's Ministry of Education and Culture, is in Seattle this week to share the story of Finland's success, and what states like Washington can learn from it. Sahlberg's message, although he is too polite to put it so bluntly: Stop testing so much, trust teachers more; give less homework; shorten the school day. On Tuesday, in a room filled with teachers, principals, professors, school-board members and policy makers, Sahlberg joked about the Finns' reputation for being a quiet, humble people. "When Finland hit the top of the PISA," he said, "the biggest disbelievers were Finns." More seriously, Finland never set out to create the world's top school system. Instead, he said, the country decided in the 1970s that it wanted to ensure that a student's success didn't depend on family background. "Finland relied on cooperation among teachers and schools, rather than on competition. Rather than judging teachers and schools based on test scores," he said, "Finland puts trust in its teachers and principals. Teachers develop the curriculum in Finland, and design their own tests. There are no national tests, except one at the end of high school." That's just the start. Along with a shorter school day, Finnish students don't even start school until they are 7 years old. Many primary schools have a policy against giving homework. "But Finland," he said, " succeeded in part by adopting ideas from the U.S. and other countries. And those countries, he said, can learn from Finland, too." What might be the author's purpose of writing the passage? A To introduce a Finnish official. B To compare the education systems of Finland and the US. C To share the story of Finland's success in education. D To ask the US to improve its education. Answer: C Jack went to a barber's shop and had his hair cut, but when he came out, he was not happy with the result . When his friend Bob saw him, he laughed and said, "What has happened to your hair, Jack?" Jack said, "I tried a new barber's shop today, because I wasn't quite satisfied with my old one, but this one seems even worse." Bob agreed . "Yes, I think you're right, Jack. Now I'll tell you what to do when you go into a barber's shop next time: look at all the barber's hair, find out whose hair looks worst, and then go straight to him." "Why shall I go to him?" Jack asked. "But that would be foolish!" "Oh, no, it wouldn't," answered Bob. "Who cut that man's hair? Just think it. He couldn't cut it himself, could he? Another of the barbers cut it. So you know he can't be the worst barber." From the story we know that _ . A it's foolish to have one's hair cut at a barber's shop B barbers cut each other's hair C barbers never have their hair cut D a barber always cuts his hair by himself Answer: B House For Sale Red Rose Garden, Pudong 3-story home, 509 sqm total land area, 428.8 sqm built-in, 312.2 sqm garden. Asking RMB 13 million (USD 1.57 million). MP: 13761973547 Tel: 021-58609228 Fax: 021-58609728 Job Wanted Cherry, 24, a shining girl, good at oral English and Putonghua. Now I am working at an international trade company in Guangzhou. I am kind-hearted, hard-working and healthy, and would like part-time weekend work offering Putonghua lessons to foreign friends. If you are interested, please email me at _ . Beijing Snow World Ski Park Price: 18 yuan (ticket), 50 yuan/hour on weekdays and 70 yuan/hour on weekends, 120 yuan/four hours on weekdays and 190 yuan/four hours on weekends. Tel : 010-69191617 How many square meters is the garden of the house for sale? A 509 sqm. B 428.8 sqm. C 312.2 sqm. D 80.2 sqm. Answer: C Many of us know that fast food is not good for us: it makes us fat and has twice the amount of salt an adult should eat. Moreover, you may not be aware that fast food may have a subliminal effect on behavior, making people impatient even when they are not short of time, according to a new study published in the journal Psychological Science. "The unconscious goal of saving time embedded in fast food may have the unexpected consequence of inducing haste and impatience," the researchers claim. More strikingly, they found that the mere exposure to fast food symbols "reduced people's willingness to save and led them to prefer immediate gain over greater future return". In the study, student volunteers were shown in rapid succession logos from fast-food chains including McDonald's, Burger King, KFC and Subway. Participants preferred time-saving products like three-in-one skincare treatments rather than separate versions after seeing the logos. When asked whether they would accept a small sum of money immediately or a larger amount in a week's time, they again chose an instant reward after being exposed to the brands. "Fast food represents a culture of time efficiency and instant gratification ," said researcher Sanford DeVoe, professor of organizational behavior at Canada's Toronto University. "It is promoting a general sense of haste whether time is a relevant factor in the context or not." The point of the article is to _ . A tell readers that fast food can heighten their awareness of time efficiency B report the findings of new research into fast food C analyze the bad effects fast food can have on physical health D advise readers not to eat fast food Answer: B It's hard to track the blue whale, which has almost been killed off by commercial whaling. Attaching radio devices to it is difficult and visual sightings are too unreliable to give real insight into its behavior. So biologists were delighted early this year when, with the help of the US Navy, they are able to track a particular blue whale for 43 days recording its sounds. This was possible because of the Navy's former top secret system of underwater listening devices across the oceans. Tracking whales is but one example of an exciting new world just opening to civilian scientists after the cold war as the Navy starts to share and partly uncover its global network of underwater listening system built over the decades to track the ships of potential enemies. Earth scientists announced at a news conference recently that they had used the system for closely observing a deep-sea volcanic eruption for the first time and that they planned similar studies. Other scientists have proposed to use the network for tracking ocean currents and measuring changes in the ocean and global temperatures. Different layers of ocean water can act as channels for sounds focusing them in the same way a stethoscope does when it carries faint noises from a patient's chest to a doctor's ear. This focusing is the main reason that even relatively weak sounds in the ocean, especially low-frequency ones, can often travel thousands of miles. The underwater listening system was originally designed _ . A to trace and locate enemy ships B to observe deep sea volcanic eruptions C to study the movement of ocean currents D to replace the global radio communications network Answer: A
Some years ago I was offered a writing assignment that would require three months of travel through Europe. I had been abroad a couple of times,but I could hardly claim to know my way around the continent. Moreover, my knowledge of foreign languages was limited to a little college French. I hesitated. How would I, unable to speak the language, totally unfamiliar with local geography or transportation systems, set up interviews and do research? It seemed impossible, and with considerable regret. I sat down to write a letter begging off. Halfway through, a thought ran through my mind: you can't learn if you don't try. So I accepted the assignment. There were some bad moments. But by the time I had finished the trip I was an experienced traveler. And ever since,I have never hesitated to head for even the most remote of places,without guides or even advanced bookings, confident that somehow I will manage. The point is that the new, the different, is almost scary by definition. But each time you try something, you learn, and as the learning piles up, the world opens to you. I've learned to ski at 40, and flown up the Rhine River in a balloon. And I know I'll go on doing such things. It's not because I'm braver or more daring than others. I'm not. But I'll accept anxiety as another name for challenge and I believe I can accomplish wonders. What's the best title of the text? Answer: Ready to Try and Challenge Which two activities are carried out by all species of living things? Answer: grow and reproduce Conventional wisdom says that hardship can make us old before our time. In fact, a new study suggests that violence not only leaves long-term scars on children's bodies, but also changes their DNA, causing changes that are equal to seven to ten years of premature aging . Scientists measured this by studying the ends of children's chromosomes , called telomeres, says Idan Shalev, lead author of a study published in Molecular Psychiatry. Telomeres are special DNA sequences which prevent the DNA in chromosomes from separating. They get shorter each time a cell divides, until a cell cannot divide any more and dies. Several factors have been found to shorten telomeres, including smoking, radiation and psychological stresses such as being treated badly when young and taking care of a chronically ill person. In this study, researchers examined whether exposure to violence could make children's telomeres shorten faster than normal. They interviewed the mothers of 236 children at ages 5, 7 and 10, asking whether the youngsters had been exposed to domestic violence between the mother and her partner, physical maltreatment by an adult or bullying. Researchers measured the children's telomeres--in cells obtained from the insides of their cheeks--at ages 5 and 10. Telomeres shortened faster in kids exposed to two or more types of violence, says Shalev. Unless that pattern changes, the study suggests, these kids could be expected to develop diseases of aging, such as heart attacks or memory loss, seven to 10 years earlier than their peers. Shalev says there is hope for these kids. His study found that, in rare cases, telomeres can lengthen. Better nutrition, exercise and stress reduction are three things that may be able to lengthen telomeres, he says. The study confirms a smallbutgrowing number of studies suggesting that early childhood hardship imprints itself in our chromosomes, says Charles Nelson, a professor of pediatrics and neuroscience at Harvard Medical School. All of the following things can shorten telomeres EXCEPT _ . Answer: exercising Be careful on April 1st! When your classmates say "Your shoes untied !", it may not be true. And if you find your alarm clock is set back an hour, this may be a joke too. April Fool's Day is a traditional festival. On that day people play harmless jokes on others and then shout, "April Fool!" It's a "for-fun-only" day, so people don't buy gifts or get the day off work or school. April Fool's Day started in France in the 16th century . At that time, New Year's Day was between March 25th and April 1st. When New Year's Day changed to January 1st in the mid-1560s, some people still celebrate it on April 1st. Others played jokes on them and called them "April Fools". Each country celebrates April Fool's Day differently. In France, it is called "April Fish". The Frenchmen fool their friends by sticking paper fish to their friends' backs. When someone finds out this joke, they shout, "April Fish!" In England, it is bad luck to play an April Fool's joke on someone in the afternoon. Americans play small tricks on friends and strangers alike. When was New Year's Day about five hundred years ago in France? Answer: On April 1st. Many experts say that Billy Wilder changed the history of American movies. He is often called the best movie maker Hollywood has ever had. He was known for making movies that offered sharp social comment.Wilder was one of the first directors to do this.Between the middle l930s and the l980s,Billy Wilder made almost fifty movies.During that time he received more than twenty nominations from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.He won six of the Oscar awards.His movies have been seen by people around the world. In l944,Billy Wilder made the film Double Indemnity.Some critics said this movie established him as one of the greatest Hollywood directors.Wilder directed The Lost Weekend in 1945.Ray Milland plays the part of an alcoholic writer in the movie.It shows that alcohol rules his life,yet he does not admit it.He hides alcohol in his home and says he is not drinking. In l950, Wilder made Sunset Boulevard.This movie told of an aging actress in silent movies.She plans to return to movies though facing many problems.In l954,Billy Wilder became an independent producer.The next year,Wilder's first movie as an independent filmmaker was a huge success.It was The Seven Year Ihch.In this movie,a married man wants to cheat on his wife with some of his friends.In l959,Wilder made a funny movie that was very popular.It was Some Like It Hot.It tells about two jazz musicians being chased by criminals.They decide to wear women's clothes and join a band in which all the musicians were women. Wilder died in March,2002.He was ninety--five.A current Hollywood producer said:"Billy Wilder made movies that people will never forget." Which of the following made Wilder among the greatest Hollywood directors? Answer: Double Indemnity.
I was doing a weekend seminar at the Deerhurst Lodge, north of Toronto. On Friday night a tornado swept through a town north of us called Barrie, killing dozens of people and doing millions of dollars worth of damage. Sunday night, as I was coming home, I stopped the car when I got to Barrie. I got out on the side of the highway and looked around. It was a mess. Everywhere I looked there were smashed houses and cars turned upside down. That same night Bob Templeton was driving down the same highway. He stopped to look at the disaster just as I had; only his thoughts were different than my own. Bob was the vice-president of Telemedia Communications, which owns a string of radio stations in Ontario and Quebec. He thought there must be something we could do for these people with the radio stations they had. The following night I was doing another seminar in Toronto. Bob Templeton and Bob Johnson, another vice-president from Telemedia, came in and stood in the back of the room. They shared their conviction that there had to be something they could do for the people in Barrie. After the seminar we went back to Bob's office. He was now committed to the idea of helping the people who had been caught in the tornado. The following Friday he called all the executives at Telemedia into his office. At the top of a flip chart he wrote three 3s. He said to his executives, "How would you like to raise 3 million dollars 3 days from now in just 3 hours and give the money to the people in Barrie?" There was nothing but silence in the room. Finally someone said, "Templeton, you're crazy. There is no way we could do that." Bob said, "Wait a minute. I didn't ask you if we could or even if we should. I just asked you if you'd like to." They all said, "Sure we'd like to." He then drew a large 'T' underneath the 333. On one side he wrote, "Why we can't." On the other side he wrote, "How we can." "I'm going to put a big X on the 'Why we can't' side. We're not going to spend any time on the ideas of why we can't. That's of no value. On the other side we're going to write down every idea that we can come up with on how we can. We're not going to leave the room until we figure it out." There was silence again. Finally, someone said, "We could do a radio show across Canada." Bob said, "That's a great idea," and wrote it down. Before he had it written, someone said, "You can't do a radio show across Canada. We don't have radio stations across Canada." That was a pretty valid objection. They only had stations in Ontario and Quebec. Templeton replied, " _ ." But this was a real strong objection because radio stations are not very compatible . They usually don't work together. They are very cutthroat. They fight each other. To get them to work together would be virtually impossible according to the standard way of thinking. All of a sudden someone said, "We could get Harvey Kirk and Lloyd Robertson, the biggest names in Canadian broadcasting, to anchor the show." (That would be like getting Tom Brokaw and Sam Donaldson to anchor the show. They are anchors on national TV. They are not going to go on radio.) At that point, it was absolutely amazing how fast and furious the creative ideas began to flow. That was on a Friday. The following Tuesday they had a radiothon . They had fifty radio stations all across the country that agreed to broadcast it. It didn't matter who got the credit as long as the people in Barrie got the money. Harvey Kirk and Lloyd Robertson anchored the show and they succeeded in raising three million dollars in three hours within three business days! You see, you can do anything if you put your focus on how to do it rather than on why you can't. Why did Bob Templeton called all the executives at Telemedia into his office the following Friday? Because he wanted _ . Answer: them to help him think of ways to raise money for the people in Barrie Unlike traditional commercials, Public Service Advertisements(PSA)are primarily designed to inform and educate rather than sell a product or service. The goal of a PSA is not to make a big sale, but rather to change public opinion and raise awareness for a problem. Smokey Bear has been a recognized symbol of the protection of America's forests from fire. It is created to educate the public about the dangers of wildfires. Smokey Bear was started in 1944 with the slogan, "Smokey Bear Says--Care will prevent 9 out of 10 forest fires". Smokey Bear's later slogan, "Remember! Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires", was created in 1947 by the Advertising Council in America. In April 2001, the message was changed to "Only You Can Prevent Wildfires". The wildfire prevention campaign with Smokey Bear is one of the longest and most successful campaigns in advertising history. The Advertising Council often was in partnership with other organizations and groups to create various advertising for Smokey Bear since 1944. The Advertising Council teamed with Walt Disney Company to create a series of PSAs. The ads feature(***)characters form the classic film Sleeping Beauty and aim to reach parents and children. The lovely Bambi also appeared in the advertisements. Mickey Mouse is much more popular throughout the country. Those PSAs, which appear on television, on the radio, in the newspaper and on the website continue to remind Americans about the importance of wildfire prevention have helped to reduce the number of acres burned annually by wildfires. According to recent survey, Smokey Bear and his famous words of wisdom "Only You Can Prevent Wildfires" are recalled by 3 out of 4 adults. In addition to the PSA campaign, Smokey Bear has his own U.S. postage stamp and website for more information about wildfire prevention. From the website, you can also learn all about wildfires and how we can protect our forests. Which of the following is true of the Smoky Bear? Answer: It is created to warn Americans of the dangers of wildfires. Hobbs was an orphan . He worked in a factory and every day he got a little money. Hard work changed him thin and weak. He wanted to borrow a lot of money to learn to paint pictures, but he did not think he could pay off the debts.One day the lawyer said to him, "One thousand dollars, and here is the money." As Hobbs took the package of notes, he was very dumbfounded . He didn't know where the money came from and how to spend it. He said to himself, "I could go to find a hotel and live like a rich man for a few days; or I give up my work in the factory and do what I'd like to do: painting pictures I could do that for a few weeks, but what would I do after that? I should have lost my place of the factory and have no money to live on. If it were a little less money, I would buy a new coat, or a radio, or give a dinner to my friends. If it were more, I could give up the work and pay for painting pictures. But it's too much for one and too little for the other." "Here is the reading of your uncle's will ," said the lawyer, "telling what is to be done with this money after his death. I must ask you to remember one point. Your uncle has said you must bring me a paper showing exactly what you did with his money, as soon as you have spent it." "Yes, I see. I'll do that." said the young man. What Hobbs was asked to do was _ . Answer: to tell the lawyer what he did with the money after spending it The Secret World of Disneyland The cat It is not easy to keep the park clean. Every night after the closing time, about 200 cats will come into the park. Because of them, there are few pests in the park. They are nice workers in the park. The light In the 1950s, Walt Disney had an apartment in the park. When the light in the house was on, people would know that the owner of the park was in. Today, the light always stays on in honor of him. The Hidden Mickey At Disneyland, Mickey Mouse logos are everywhere. However, there are hundreds of "Hidden Mickeys" in the park. They are often different to find. No one knows how many "Hidden Mickeys" there are in the park. There are few pests in the park because of _ . Answer: the cats Recently, I took part in the first strategic planning meeting at school. I didn't know what strategic planning meant when I was invited. So I set about trying to find out what it was. Later, I learnt it meant setting short and long term goals . The meeting took place in Ms Gallup's room on Tuesday after school. I really didn't know what to expect. I was very nervous ,but I felt very lucky to have been included. I really wanted to do the best I could. The desks in the room were laid out into two circles so that the upper school and lower school could be divided. There were fifteen students in the room. We were directed to discuss how to _ the school, what we'd like to be taught, and what we thought could be improved upon. I felt this was a very important responsibility as I was representing the fourth grade. So I tried to do the best I could. There were a lot of suggestions on how to improve our school. One student felt that the uniform sweater policy was really important and another student felt that building a paintable field would help improve the school greatly. I suggested that we should have Chinese classes because China is the most highly populated place on Earth with a growing industrial power. We should learn how to communicate with the Chinese . We discussed a lot and sometimes the discussion became heated, but they were interesting. I think it is amazing that the teacher asked the students about their opinions and gave us a voice. It is exciting if they adopt any of our suggestions. What dose the strategic planning mean? Answer: It means setting short and long term goals.
At The Children's Hospital, we're making it all better for our patients and their families all the time. We invite you to see how we' ve grown and discuss opportunities to enhance your nursing career. We offer competitive salaries and benefits, flexible shifts, including 4,6,and 8-hour shifts, education assistance, low patient ratios and a supportive work environment. New graduates are encouraged to attend. *Our main campus is Denver's only Level I peds trauma center with a LevelIIINICU as well as one of the top children's hospitals in the nation. *Our brand new 50,000 square-foot North Campus on Highway 7,just west of l-25 will open this October. *Our new surgery center in Lone Tree is now open. *We will soon be opening the 9th floor of our main facility to serve even more patients. For directions and to view current positions, please visit our website at www.thechildrenshospital.org The Children's Hospital is an equal opportunity employer. *The Children's Hospital has been ranked nationally by US News&World Report every year since its 1993 inception. Nursing Recruitment Event at The Children's Hospital l-225&Colfax Ave Princeton&Yale Conference Rooms Thursday, Sept 4th, 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Please RSVP by calling (720)777-2641 Department Tours: 4:30; 5:30; 6:30 Nurse employers new to The Children's Hospital Answer: could receive education assistance In 1987, while serving as the public affairs officer at Fort Bragg, I would frequently visit the local high schools to speak to the students about the Army. As alieutenant colonel , I found it particularly rewarding to talk with the teenagers about the benefits of military service, if only for a few years of their lives. During one of these visits, I reported to the secretary in the principal's office to let her know that I was here for the third-period class. I was a little surprised when she told me. "The principal would like to see you before you go to the class." As I entered his office, I was greeted by a gentleman who appeared to be in his late thirties, and he welcomed me with a smile and a handshake. "You don't remember me, do you?" he said. I looked closely at the face again and could not recall where we may have met before. "You were my company commander in basic training at Fort Jackson in 1970," the principal said. "Let me help you out," he suggested. "You gave me a three-day pass to go home and see my newborn baby." I immediately remembered the incident! "Yes," I said. "I remember now." It was the only three-day pass I had issued because the soldiers were on their way to Vietnam immediately after they finished training. But I knew if I did not let him go home to see his son and _ , I would regret denying the opportunity he had to be with his family. "Come on, Colonel. I'd like to introduce you to 'the baby'. He's in your third-period class. By letting me go see him, you gave me a reason to stay focused and to come home safe from that war. Thank you , sir." It was the most rewarding class I had ever given, and I had no problem in telling the students about the bonds of friendship and the values that Army life can provide...and that can last a lifetime. Why did the principal want to see the writer? Answer: He intended to express his thanks to the writer. What unit do scientists use to measure the distance between stars? Answer: light-year In the 13th century , the famous Italian traveller, Marco Polo, travelled a long way to China.During his stay in China, he saw many wonderful things. One of the things he discovered was that the Chinese used paper money. In western countries, people did not use paper money until the 15th century. However, people in China began to use paper money in the 7th century . A Chinese man called Cai Lun invented paper almost 2,000 years ago. He made it from wood. He took the wood from trees and made it into paper. He then put these pieces of paper together and made them into a book. Now paper still comes from trees. We use a lot of paper every day. If we keep on wasting so much paper, there will not be any trees left on the earth. If there are no trees, there will be no paper. Every day, people throw away about 2,800 tons of paper in our city. It takes 17 trees to make one ton of paper.This means that we are cutting nearly 48,000 trees every day. Since it takes more than 10 years for a tree to grow, we must start using less paper now. If we don't, we will not have enough time to grow more trees to take the place of those we use for paper. So how can we save paper? We can use both sides of every piece of paper, especially when we are making notes. We can choose drinks in bottles instead of those in paper packets. We can also use cotton handkerchiefs and not paper ones. When we go shopping, we can use fewer paper bags. If the shop assistant gives us a paper bag, we can save it and reuse it later. Everyone can help to save paper. If we all think carefully, we can help protect trees. But we should do it now , before it is too late. About _ tons of paper is thrown away every day in our city. Answer: 2,800 Habits, whether good or bad, are gradually formed. When a person does a certain thing again, he is impelled(,) by some unseen force to do the same thing repeatedly; thus a habit is formed. Once a habit is formed, it is difficult, and sometimes impossible, to get rid of. It is therefore very important that we should pay great attention to the formation of habits. Children often form bad habits, some of which remain with them as long as they live. Older persons also form bad habits as long as they live, and sometimes become ruined by them.. There are other habits which, when formed in early life, are of great help. Many successful men say that much of their success has something to do with certain habits in early life, such as early rising, honesty and thoroughness . Among the habits which children should not form are laziness, lying, stealing and so on. These are all easily formed habits. Unfortunately older persons form habits which ought to have been avoided. We ought to keep from all these old habits, and try to form such habits as will prove good for ourselves and others. Why should we pay much attention to the formation of habits? Answer: It is because it's hard and even not possible to smooth them away
" Dreams may be more important than sleep. We all need to dream." some scientists say. Dreams take up about one quarter of our sleeping time. People have several dreams each night. Dreams are like short films. They are usually in color. Some dreams are like old films. They come up over and over again. That may be the dreamer worrying about something. Dreaming may be a way of trying to find an answer. Some people get new ideas about their work from dreams. They may have been thinking about their work all day. These thoughts can carry over into dreams. Too much dreaming can be harmful. The more we sleep,the longer we dream. The mind is still at work when we dream. That is why we may have a long sleep and still wake up tired. It may be less important to sleep than to _ . Answer: Can you make a telephone call? Of course you can make it in Chinese. But a call in English is quite different from one from one in Chinese. If you want to ask somebody to answer the telephone, you can not say, "Please ask Mr. XX to answer the telephone." Instead ,you must say,"May I speak to Mr. XX?" If you want to ask who is answering the phone, you should say,"Who is that?""Is that Mr. XX ( speaking)?"Instead of "Who are you?" If you want to tell the other one who you are, you should say,"This is XX (speaking)"instead of "I am XX" An English telephone is _ a Chinese one. Answer: If you want to improve your child's results at school, you could do a lot worse than ensuring that they do plenty of exercise. Scientists have already shown that physical activity can make you brainier. But a team in America has used scans to show that an important part of the brain actually grows in children who are fit. These youngsters tend to be more intelligent and have better memories than those who are inactive. Scientists also found that one of the most important parts of their brains was 12 percent larger than those of unfit children. They believe that encouraging children to take exercise from a very young age could help them do better at school later. Researchers from the University of Illinois, in the U.S., studied the brains of 49 children aged nine and ten using a magnetic resonance imaging scan , a technique which provides very detailed pictures of organs and tissues in the body. They also tested the fitness levels of the children by making them run on a treadmill . The scientists found that the hippocampus, a part of the brain responsible for memory and learning, was around 12 percent larger in the fitter children. Professor Art Kramer, who led the study published in the journal Brain Research, said the findings had important implications for encouraging individuals to take part in sport from a young age. "We knew that experience and environmental factors and socioeconomic status all impact brain development," he said. "If you get some terrible genes from your parents, you can't really fix that, and it's not easy to do something about your economic status. But here's something that we can do something about." If you want to improve your children's result in school, _ . Answer: Heather Mills McCartney lives an admirable life, attending celebrity parties, meeting regularly with the rich and famous and doing meaningful work for charity. All who work with her admire and respect her. But Heather's life hasn't always been so easy. When Heather was only 9 years old, her mother abandoned her and her two brothers. At the age of 13, she ran away from home and ended up living on the streets in London. Eventually, however, her exceptional beauty led to a career in modeling. At that time, Heather also began helping with the war relief efforts in former Yugoslavia. Through her modeling and relief work, she soon became famous. But in August 1993, at age 25 her life changed once again. She was crossing the street in London when a motorcycle crashed into her. She was so badly injured that the doctors had to cut off her left leg. After that, she discovered she frequently needed to change her artificial limbs. It was expensive and she felt it was a waste to just throw away the old one. It occurred to her to set up an organization that could deliver used artificial limbs to Yugoslavia and other war-torn countries. It was through her charity work that she met her husband Paul McCartney. Throughout her life, Heather has risen above problems and focused on helping others. Her work with artificial limbs even earned her a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996. Heather's persistence and determination are what impresses anyone who knows her. Heather believes anyone can make a positive difference in the world. Heather began her modeling career _ . Answer: Which would an ecologically minded individual most support? Answer:
Recently, a student used his Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) to film a female teacher scolding and tearing the work of a classmate. The public discussion that the incident caused started on the Internet. However, when it came to the media's attention, it quickly became a major topic in the education circles. The reactions so far suggest that the focus of the debate has been on one question: whom to blame? Teachers who are anxious to defend their professional dignity have tried to put the blame on the students. They mentioned their right to privacy )and for this reason they requested the Ministry of Education (MOE) to prohibit PDAs in schools. On the other hand, some parents and students have taken a different position. They feel that the teacher is also at fault. Caught up in the war of words between both sides, people are no longer interested in the "truth" of the matter which seems now unimportant. It was left to newspapers to discover the central point of the controversial issue, by stressing the problems that are not always easily noticed in our educational system. For those responsible for educating the young, this PDA incident conveys the message that "Times have changed",a reality that must have been felt even more strongly by the female teacher when reflecting on this unpleasant experience. Different times call for different professional approaches in education. The ability to understand the students they are teaching has always been the quality of successful teachers. Despite some factors, the incident shows that the teacher lacks good qualities on her part. Besides, the rules under current system to deal with recalcitrant students need to be improved. Also, it is an example which shows the issue we are familiar with: what to do with new technology? With PDA, the new technology, the interaction between the teacher and students in classroom has been changed. The writer's attitude toward the PDA incident is _ . Answer: Use your American Express Card to enjoy one-day privileges at four ofprefix = st1 /America's greatest museums. Note the participating museums, and their exciting special exhibitions that you will not want to miss, listed below. Boston Isabella StewartGardnerMuseum Chairs February 11-May 8, 2005 Italian furniture expert Fausto Calderai and Indian photographer Dayanita Singh present an exhibition of chairs from the museum's collection and "chair photographs" from around the world presented in a Venetian-style hall housing world-famous masterpieces. For more information: www.gardnermuseum.org New York The NoguchiMuseum Noguchi and Graham December 1, 2004--May 1, 2005 Noguchi's long-term collaboration with dancer Martha Graham is regarded by many as a high pointin the history of both modern dance and art. The exhibition highlights nine of the sets created through this collaboration. For more information: www.noguchi.org Philadelphia Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts In full View: American Painting(1720--2005) January 11--April 10, 2005 Founded in 1805, the Pennsylvania Academy has been home to America's artists for 200 years. The Academy collects and exhibits the works of famous American artists, and is well-known for training fine artists. 2005 at the Academy begins with the largest exhibition of Academy's distinguished American collection in the institution's history. For more information: www.pafa.org Seattle Seattle Museum of Glass Murano: Glass from the Olnick Spanu Collection Through November 7, 2004 This exhibition includes over 200 pieces of beautiful glass from Murano, the island of glassblowers near Venice,Italy. Watch live glass-blowing shows in the How Shop and see other modern glass exhibitions. For more information: www.museumofglass.org We learn from the text that Martha Graham is _ Answer: Charlotte's Web by E.B. White is a children's book. As the story opens,eight-year-old farm girl Fern Arable stops her father from killing a baby pig who is weaker than his brothers and sisters.The little pig,Wilbur,becomes one of the main characters in the story.Later he will be treated as a friend by Charlotte,a wise and loving spider living on the same farm.Wilbur slowly realizes that the farmer will kill him for his meat in a few months ,and Charlotte decides to help him out.She tries many things to keep Wilbur alive.She writes words in her web describing how wonderful Wilbur is and this makes the farm famous. White creates a sort of modern animal fable ,in which animals can speak both with each other and with Fern.Also there are many great characters in this book. The society of animals has many lessons to teach children and adults:friendship,sacrifice ,hope,determination,love,duty,fairness,respect,and many more. Part of this novel's success is the fact that the author makes a heroine out of a spider,a creature that many people probably dislike.Unlike a lovely little pig or other creatures,a spider is a creature greatly different from humans.White's Charlotte is a truly wonderful character.He tells the story of Charlotte and her friends in a special way.This is a book that no one could ever dislike.It has much to offer to children as well as to older teens and adult readers. According to the descripion of the book,Charlotte _ . Answer: If Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) is today one of the best-known and most popular figures of 20th-century Mexican art, it is undoubtedly because of her personality and the originality of a body of works. Her work is, above all, the expression of a life -- a tragic and stormy life, one that challenged all conventions. The mere mention of her name excites enthusiasm and admiration, but her work is rarely exhibited, and has not been shown in France for fifteen years. The selection to go on show at the Musee de l'Orangerie includes major works by the artist, with masterpieces from the Museo Dolores Olmedo. The life and work of Frida Kahlo cannot be separated from those of her companion Diego Rivera (1886-1957). Together they became figures of legend , and both have a place in the pantheon of 20th-century Mexican artists. Famous for his large wall paintings, Rivera's easel paintings, drawings and prints, which form a large part of his artistic production, are less well-known to the public in Europe. The exhibition aims to trace his artistic career from the early Cubist images, revealing his links with the Paris artists whose works are a key element in the Orangerie collections, to the paintings that established him as the founder of the 20th-century school of Mexican art. His travels throughout Europe influenced his vision and his skills without ever distancing him from his roots, thus confirming his place in history as the founder of the nationalist school. The exhibition devoted to the legendary couple Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo presents their works together, as if to confirm the impossibility of their divorce that was in fact finalised but reconsidered after just one year apart. It also gives us a better view of their respective artistic worlds, so different and yet so complementary , through the deep-rooted attachment they shared to their country. Which of the following best describes Frida Kahlo's work? Answer: Vending machines are very popular now. You can find them here and there. People can buy different things from them, like snacks and soft drinks. Now we can even buy train tickets from it in the train station. They also sell newspapers in some busy areas. In some places, you can get a can of beer or Coke from the vending machine, but in some others, you can't. Some vending machines sell cigarettes . They are called "cigarettes machines". With these machines, people can get cigarettes easily. These machines once were popular in the United States. But they are not good for children. So you can't see them now. In many areas in the United States, only some clubs and bars have cigarette machines, because children can never get into these places. How does a vending machine work? If you want to buy a can of Coke, you can find its price on the machine. Put the money into the machine, and push the button of the Coke, then you can get your Coke and change. A vending machine makes our life easy and interesting. What can't we buy from a vending machine according to the passage? Answer:
Question: After students come home from a tiring day at school, they tend to worry a lot about their homework. Whether students are working on English or chemistry homework, they are simply working on the assignment in order to get it done, attempting to memorize the concepts for the time being and do not absorb any of the information afterward. Students are wasting their time on insignificant assignments rather than effectively using that time to achieve other accomplishments. According to www.dailymail.com, many parents are concerned that homework is being assigned rather than being used to integrate what teachers are covering in the classroom. In their eyes, if less homework is assigned, students would have much less stress and could focus more on their passions and hobbies. Homework gets in the way of participating in community service events as well as opportunities for getting a job or being a part of an extra-curricular activity. These responsibilities are important for teenagers to take on because they prepare the teenagers for the "real world." Without the proper exposure to work that is not school related, students will find themselves lost after they graduate. If homework were no longer given, students would have a lot more time to mature in other fields rather than being educated only on academics. In spite of the fact that teachers want students to do better on tests and absorb the material that they are teaching, homework is not accomplishing its purpose. Because school is becoming increasingly more competitive and challenging, homework is becoming a setback rather than extra practice. Its removal would benefit the well being of teenagers as well as encourage them to get out in the "real world" and discover themselves instead of staring at a pile of assignments. The author insists that homework should be _ . A. made simpler and easier B. completely cancelled C. connected with social activities D. switched over to subject competitions Answer: B Question: Machu Picchu is considered to be a truly extraordinary archaeological discovery and is one of South America's largest tourist sites. As many as one thousand visitors visit the ancient Incan ruins daily. What draws vacationers and adventurers to this remote location high in the Andes Mountains of Peru ? A large part of the attraction is the mysteries that surround Machu Picchu. For example, Machu Picchu is considered "the lost city" of the Incas because it was never found by Spanish invaders and was known to only a few local peasants for almost four hundred years. The "city in the clouds", Machu Picchu's lasting beauty comes from the careful blending of its striking architecture with its mountaintop environment. Its greatest skill shows are in the stone structures, which equals that of the ancient Egyptians. The stone blocks were so appropriately cut that they fit together without the need for mud. The largest stones at Machu Picchu weigh as much as fifteen tons! It has been difficult to explain how the huge blocks were transported. The buildings, including many that have survived lots of earthquakes, contain stones which _ so perfectly that a knife cannot be forced between them. When compared to other ancient civilizations, it is difficult to understand how Machu Picchu could have been missed by the Spanish and lost from history for four hundred years. For many of the mysteries of Machu Picchu being unsolved, it is clear why Machu Picchu remains "the most famous ruins in all of South America". From the passage we can learn that _ . A. Machu Picchu has gone through lots of earthquakes B. all of the mysteries of Machu Picchu have been solved C. the city has never been discovered by people outside D. Machu Picchu is the most valuable ruins in history. Answer: A Question: While nature lovers across the world wish all humans to realize the significance of their natural surroundings , many Australians are turning caring for the environment into a way of life. Julie Astonis , an Australian housewife in Brisbane is one such example. Even though autumn is approaching Australia's Brisbane in April, one can still watch colorful blooming flowers in Julie's little garden. As she tells that in her community, "Each of us has a beautiful yard, The whole community, from children to elderly people, takes care of the environment as if they are taking care of their own garden." "Gardening is the most popular club in our community," she says, "A lot of retired people don't just regularly organize gardening lectures, but also personally visit families in the community to provide gardening training , So you can see that flowers continue to bloom in our gardens throughout the year." Talking about her people's sense of care for the environment, Julie says when people in the community take along their dog, they always carry a garbage bag to deal with the dog's waste . "In our community ,you will never experience the embarrassment of stepping on the dirty waste while you are walking on the grass," says Julie with a smile. "Taking care of the dog's waste can also help to develop children's sense of responsibility!" As to protecting water resources , the Australian government has made strict rules for families. Julie says, "We certainly would not use tap water to water the flowers!"She says almost every family in her community has a huge tank used to store rainwater, which is later used as the resource of all outdoor water use . They also connect the water tank with their toilets. What do we know about Julie from this passage? A. She takes pride in her community B. She once stepped on a dog's waste C. She is quite in favor of raising a dog D. She finds it embarrassing to walk on the grass Answer: A Question: Are you taking a summer vacation this year? If you are, have you already started preparing for your trip? Online, there are a large number of preparation tips available for summer travelers. While preparation advice and tips may be of assistance to you, they are often hard to go by. This is because not everyone spends vacations at the same location. No matter what your vacation destination is, you will need to take the climate into consideration. If you are visiting a tropical location, you will need to bring along the appropriate clothing. While you may be expecting warm and sunny weather, it is still advised that you prepare for the worst. Raincoats and an umbrella may be a great addition to your summer clothing. Perhaps, the most popular summer vacation destination is the beach. Each year millions of individuals and families flock to beaches. When vacationing at the beach, it is important that you bring along proper clothing and sunscreen. Many vacationers do not realize the dangers of sunbathing without sunscreen. In addition to sunscreen, you will need to make sure that you have beach towels and plenty of water on hand. For the most part, if you forget to bring along certain supplies you can purchase replacements. Many popular vacation destinations have inflated prices. To prevent unnecessary expenses, you are encouraged to check your luggage before you leave. In addition to the above mentioned preparation tips, you must inform friends and family of where you are going. In case something happens back home, you can easily be reached. According to the passage we can know that _ . A. vacationing at the beach is the first but one B. vacationers on beach are at the risk of sunburn C. you must drink plenty of water before going to beach D. you have to stay outdoors when going camping Answer: B Question: 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. How many ways to the Museum are mentioned? A. One. B. Two. C. Three. D. Four. Answer: D
Laresce was born with a condition called hypermobility which meant her joints were"bend".The condition can use severe joint pain and lead to dislocations . But rather than feel sorry for herself, she used her misfortune to inspire her to become Britain's strongest schoolgirl. Just two years ago,the condition left Laresce in so much pain that she couldn't even take part in sports.But now she has six British and World Champion power lifting records.It's an incredible achievement. Laresce's trainer Tania George said her condition is the secret to her success."She has more flexibility in her back than most people,which gives her the technique of bending her back strongly and safely.Most power lifters would kill to try to bend their backs like Laresce.She has perfected the technique to lift incredibly heavy weights,"Tania said. "I used to suffer a lot of pain from my hypermobility.I remember coming home from school with pains in my knees,joints and hips.It would stop me doing normal things at schoo1.The pain would be so much that some nights I couldn't sleep at all and I just couldn't face going to school like that.And after each dislocation,I had to do six months of physiotherapy to recover,"said Laresce. However, since taking up the sport of power lifting 18 months ago she is now effectively cured."really enjoyed the feeling of power I got and the excitement of people encouraging me to do my very best,"she said. "I've made lots of friends a It's an incredible feeling when everyone's cheering me on.It's the support of other people that makes the difference to winning.Becoming a champion was a big surprise--I just started off for fun and wasn't expecting anything.So to win six titles over just a few months was amazing." What could be the best title for this passage ? Bendy-jointed teen becomes Britain's strongest schoolgirl ONE of Britain's favorite pastimes, gardening is to be celebrated during the Olympics. Last week, the Olympics minister Tessa Jowell announced a public competition to design a typically British garden within London's new Olympic park. Jowell said the idea behind the competition was to show off to the world one of the nation's favorite hobbies. It's likely the government also hopes that the competition will inspire more Brits to take an interest in the Olympics. It's a good plan, as the British love gardens almost as much as they love tea. In many ways gardening defines Brits, perhaps because they are some of the world's keenest gardeners. The garden is seen as a private place in the UK. Most Brits would far rather sit in their garden than visit a park. They see their garden as an extension of their house outdoors, which is why so many Brits are as garden-proud as they are house-proud. There also seems to be something about the nourishing act of gardening that appeals to the nation's gentle temperament . Interestingly, gardening has never been as widely enjoyed as it is today in Britain. Its growing popularity is no doubt due to people's increased awareness of the environment and the success of several popular gardening programs. Historically, Brits are also skilful gardeners. As Jowell noted when she made her announcement, if gardening were an Olympic sport then green-fingered Brits "would win gold, silver and bronze." Of course, the irony of Brits' passion for gardening is that their climate is so wet that there are very few months in the year they can sit outside and enjoy their gardens. In fact, it may be the very valuableness of these few warm months that make gardens so prized and valued by Brits. According to the passage, the competition of gardening _ . will be held during the 2012 London Olympics *Share flats happy valley big flat, 1 room ready for use immediately. quiet and convenient, fully furnished, park view. $6, 800 including bills with maid. female nonsmoker. no pet. sara 25720836 or 10077809. * moving sale 2 armchairs, red/brown at $400 each; coffee table, black, wood, $800; oil painting, big, $900; tianjin carpet, green 3x7, $600; double bed, $500; mirror, big, square, $500; fridge, big, double-door, $1000; old pictures, $140, up, each; plants, big and small. tel: weekend, 2521-6011/weekday, 2524-5867. * part-time laboratory assistant wanted required by busy electronics company to help with development of computer. should have an electronics degree and some practical experience of working in an electronics laboratory. hours 9:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. mon.-fri. fourteen days paid leave. salary Y=6598-Y=10230 dependent on experience. letter of application to: mrs. g chan, nova electronics, 45 gordon rd, hung hom kowloon. The one who put on the first ad probably wants to _ . find another lady to share the cost to rent a flat A fried of mine named Paul received an automobile from his brother as a Christmas present. On Christmas Eve when Paul came out of his office, a naughty street boy was walking around the shiny new car, admiring it. "Is this your car, Mister?" he asked.. Paul nodded, "My brother gave it to me for Christmas." The boy was surprised. "You mean your brother gave it to you and it didn't cost you anything? I wish..." He hesitated . Of course Paul knew what he was going to wish for. He was going to wish he had a brother like that. But what the boy said made Paul think all the way. "I wish ," the boy went on, "that I could be a brother like that." Paul looked at the boy in surprise, adding, "Would you like to take a ride in my automobile?" "Yes, I'd love that." After a short ride, the boy turned and said, "Mister, would you mind driving in front of my house?" Paul smiled, He thought he knew what the boy wanted. But Paul was wrong again. "Will you stop where those two steps are?" the boy asked. He ran up the steps. Then in a while Paul heard him coming back, but he didn't come fast. He was carrying his little crippled brother. He pointed to the car and said, "There it is, Buddy, just like I told you up stairs. His brother gave it to him for Christmas. And some day I'm going to give one just like it and then you can see for yourself all the pretty things in the Christmas windows that I've been trying tell you about. " Paul got out and lifted the boy to the front seat. The shining-eyed older brother climbed in beside him and the three of them began a memorable holiday ride. That Christmas Eve, Paul learned what "It is more blessed to give" means. What would be the best title for text? A brother like that Is carrying a few extra pounds into your senior years healthy? Advice has been mixed. Now, two studies published this month attempt to better define the ideal weight for fitness and longevity for adults over age 60. The main point is that you don't need to worry about being slightly overweight, as long as that extra weight is maintained at a consistent level. However, being very overweight is detrimental to health, and exercising to lose body fat and to gain muscle mass is always beneficial. Determining the ideal weight for older people has been a pursuit, with researchers looking for what weight is not too thin, but not too fat. Studies have suggested that being slightly overweight can be protective. For example, a 2001 study by researchers at Yale University found that moderately overweight senior adults with a body mass index (BMI) of 27 -- two points higher than the BMI of 25 that defines being overweight -- lived longer than seniors who were either thinner or heavier. There's a fine line here, though, because carrying extra pounds is a risk factor for many types of cancer and other diseases. And, according to the researchers behind the two new studies, the general public has misinterpreted the Yale findings to mean that being very overweight is healthy. One new study, published this month in the American Journal of Epidemiology by researchers at The Ohio State University in Columbus, found that seniors who maintained a stable, slightly overweight status survived most probably over the 16 years surveyed. Those seniors who had a so-called healthy weight going into the study (a BMI between 18.5 and 25) and who gained weight, but stayed below BMI 25, had a slight possibility of surviving over the study period. People in the obese group, with a BMI higher than 35 and who continued to gain weight, faced the worst among all the groups in the study. But next-to-last were normal-weight people who lost weight, but this was likely because they became sick, the researchers said. The second study, appearing this month in the journal Obesity, was conducted by researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C., and supports intentional weight loss among senior adults. Whether weight loss is beneficial has been debated because of this concept that being overweight is protective. In short, the researchers found that physical activity and weight loss for overweight and obese adults resulted in lower cardiovascular disease risk and improved mobility. This finding supports previous studies demonstrating that exercise builds muscle and bone strength, improves balance and coordination, prevents falls and enables seniors to enjoy a more active lifestyle, they said. Hui Zheng of Ohio State, the lead author of first study, said that the negative effects of obesity on health are greatest for young people. What can we learn from the two new studies? The second one recommends overweight and obese adults work out and lose weight.
My father was 44 and knew he wasn't going to make it to 45. He wrote me a letter and hoped that something in it would help me for the rest of my life. Since the day I was 12 and first read his letter, some of his words have lived in my heart. One part always stands out. "Right now, you are pretending to be a timekiller . But I know that one day, you will do something great that will set you among the very best." Knowing that my dad believed in me gave me permission to believe in myself. "You will do something great." He didn't know what that would be, and neither did I, but at times in my life when I've felt proud of myself, I remember his words and wish he were here so I could ask, "Is this what you were talking about, Dad? Should I keep going?" A long way from 12 now, I realize he would have been proud when I made any progress. Lately, though, I've come to believe he'd want me to move on to what comes next: to be proud of, and believe in, somebody else. It's time to start writing my own letters to my children. Our children look to us with the same unanswered question we had. Our kids don't hold back because they're afraid to fail. They're only afraid of failing us. They don't worry about being disappointed. Their fear-as mine was until my father's letter-is of being a disappointment. Give your children permission to succeed. They're waiting for you to believe in them. I always knew my parents loved me. But trust me: That belief will be more complete, that love will be more real, and their belief in themselves will be greater if you write the words on their hearts:"Don't worry; you'll do something great." Not having that blessing from their parents may be the only thing holding them back. We learn from the text that the author _ . Answer: The first day of the month of May is known as May Day. It is the time of year when warmer weather begins. People celebrate the coming of summer with customs that are expressions of joy and hope after a long winter. Today, May Day activities have been moved to the May Day holiday on the first Monday of the month. It is a public holiday when families take advantage of the time off to visit some of the UK's many attractions, including parks, zoos, historic buildings, ancient towns and villages and beautiful countryside. May Day celebrations have their origins in the Roman festival of Flora, the goddess of fruit and flowers, which marked the beginning of summer. People would decorate their houses and villages with leaves and flowers they picked at daybreak in the belief that the vegetation spirits would bring good luck. In the very early morning, young girls went into the fields and washed their faces with dew . They believed _ made them very beautiful for the following year. May Day was an important day in the Middle Ages and was a favorite holiday of many English villages. People of the time used to cut down young trees and stick them in the ground in the village to mark the arrival of summer. This is the origin of the maypole . People danced around them in celebration of the end of winter. Maypoles were once common all over England and were kept from one year to the next. The tallest maypole is said to have been put up in London on the Strand in 1661. It stood more than 143 feet high and was cut down in 1717, when it was used by Newton to support a new reflecting telescope invented by Dutch scientist Huygens. The purpose of the text is to _ . Answer: Have you ever noticed that your fingertips are winked when you've just finished swimming or washing dishes? It seems as if your hands have aged 30 years in a second. But is this an accident? Or is it something that nature has built into our bodies? If your finger's wrinkling up had no use at all, " it wouldn't need to." Professor Tom Smulders from Newcastle University, UK, told BBC News. By studying wet fingers closely, Smulders and his partners found that the wrinkles looked a bit like the patterns on the car tire or on the bottom of the running shoes. So they made a guess that wrinkles on fingers might be able to help the hand hold things more tightly. To test _ , researchers asked 20 people to pick up marbles from water with their hands. But before they started, some of the people had to keep their hands in water for half an hour. The researchers found that the people with wrinkled fingers completed the task the task faster than those with dry hands. But when they were asked to move dry marbles, all the people performed equally well, no matter they had the wrinkled fingers or not. Our ancestors might not have played with marbles, but wrinkled fingers could have made it easier for them to climb around in the wet forests and catch fish from rivers, researchers say. Similarly, our toes also get wrinkled in water. This may have developed from our ancestor's need to run on wet ground. But the question is, if wrinkled fingers are so helpful, why don't our hands just stay that way all the time? Researchers explained that wrinkling has its disadvantage: wet fingertips are far less sensitive than smooth ones, reducing our sense of touch. The test shows that _ . Answer: Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival Where: Becket, Massachusetts When: Jun.15---Aug.24 Each summer, this influential dance center presents a number of classes and performances by more than 50 companies from around the world. Highlights in this season include the Dance Theater of Harlem's production of Alvin Ailey's "The Lark Ascending", which opens the festival. Many events are free. Ticketed performances start at $22. Jacobspillow.org. Moab Music Festival Where: Moab, Utah When: Aug.29---Sept.9 This area is better known for mountain biking than for music . But since 1992, it has hosted a private festival that brings classical, jazz, Latin and other types of music to the land. This year there will be 16 concerts, including three "Grotto Concerts", where guests take a 45-minute boat ride down the Colorado River to performances. Events start at $25. Moabmusicfest.org. Cheyenne Frontier Days Where: Cheyenne, Wyoming When: July19---28 There is something for everyone at this 117-year-old festival, from an "Indian village" and Old West museum to country concerts. But the competition is still the main attraction, with cowboys and cowgirls competing for major money in the world's largest outdoor stage. Competition tickets start at $18, and concert tickets at $23. Cfdrodeo.com. The Glimmerglass Festival Where: Cooperstown, New York When: July6---Aug.24 Each summer, opera lovers from around the country (and the world) travel to upstate New York to watch productions that include stars like Nathan Gunn and Ginger Costa-Jackson. This year's performances include Wagner's "The Flying Dutchman" and Verdi's "King for a Day", in honor of the 200th birthdays of both composers. Tickets start at $26. Glimmerglass.org. If you are a big fan of Wagner, you're advised to go to _ . Answer: "Hey, little boy, will you support me when I'm getting old?" Wang Wenshan, 35, asked his newborn baby as he picked him up at home. The Chinese tradition of raising sons to support parents in their old age has been weakened by the rapidly growing economy and improving standard of living. As is the case with more and more developed countries, China faces an aging society. People are living longer and having fewer children. Therefore, many Chinese families are falling into a 4-2-1 family pattern: a couple raises one child and supports four elderly parents. But few realize that a problem is likely to happen ahead. The aging of the population is a trend that now affects a growing number of countries. Not long ago, the Information Office of the State Council, China's cabinet, issued a white paper on measures China is taking to help its elderly population. The paper said China's population entered the aging period at the end of the 20thcentury and the proportion of people aged 60 and above accounted for over 10 percent of the entire population. By the end of 2005, China had nearly 144 million people over 60, accounting for 11 percent of population, according to the white paper. An expanding aged population _ means that many issues must be settled, as the problem concerns every aspect of society. It puts more pressure on each family, causing disturbing economic consequences and serious social problems. It also challenges the labor force supply and the pension system. "I used to think that it's not an issue for me to provide for the aged," said Wang, whose parents and parents-in-law all enjoy pensions and medical insurance. But last year Wang's father suffered a serious illness and afterward Wang began to feel the pressure on his shoulders. After his father recovered, Wang opened bank accounts for each parent and deposited some money into the account every month to prepare for future uncertainties. In addition, he has to save money every month to provide for his son's future education. "I'm now breaking my back working to support my family: saving pensions for the parents, my son's education funds, and living costs." Wang also bought some commercial old-age insurance for himself. "We have to take precautions before it is too late, and many of my colleagues share the same view," he said. Which of the following is not caused by an aging society? Answer:
To the untrained eye it might seem like just a bit of a monkey trick. But when Milly the mandrill (, ) covers her face with her hand she is actually sending a serious message to her fellows: "Leave me alone!" Experts believe the 15-year-old mandrill invented the gesture to warn other monkeys at Colchester Zoo to give her some space. And, surprisingly, the signal has been picked by other members of the group, who use it when they too require _ . Biologist Mark Laidre believes the behavior is evidence of social culture among the mandrills. Importantly, the sign language is unlikely to have been influenced by human activities because mandrills do not copy humans. Mr. Laidre expects further research will uncover other monkeys using cultural gestures -- the ability to communicate with the hands in a meaningful way. "By covering their eyes with their hands, possibly conveyed to others that they wanted to be left alone and this message may have been respected as a 'do not disturb' sign," said Mr. Laidre. While the hand is in place, other monkeys are not likely to approach or touch the monkey. Those who rank lower in the social order also use the technique to avoid attacks from more powerful group members. As the discovery appears to be unique to Colchester Zoo, it suggests it is a local phenomenon that arose naturally in the community of 25 mandrills. Curator Sarah Forsyth said: "We believe Milly made up the signal and over the past five years some of the younger mandrills have picked it up. We're not sure why she started doing it but it could be as simple as 'I can't see them, so they can't see me'. It really does show you how intelligent mandrills are." According to Mark Laidre, _ . A. human activities affect mandrills' sign language B. animals are slow in picking up information C. mandrills' social culture has nothing to do with humans D. mandrills are the largest species of monkey in the world Answer: C Hello! My name is Joy. I'm a girl. I'm eleven. I'm in Class Eight, Grade Seven. This is my friend, Joan. She is twelve. She is in a Middle school. She is in Class Seven, Grade Eight. My English teacher is Miss White, but her English teacher is Miss Green. Look!Who's that? Oh, she's my mum. She's a Chinese teacher. Joan is Joy's _ . A. teacher B. friend C. student D. mom Answer: B I got married in 2008. My husband and I are very emotional and have loads of dreams in life. Now I want to share a hidden part of my life. After one month of my marriage, I started working because I could not sit home. To accomplish our dreams, we are both working hard day and night in spite of belonging to a good family. Life is very strange. When any turn happens, one cannot know. I started working because I was very ambitious. I used to wonder about people who worked to earn their bread but I never knew in my wildest dreams that I would be part of the crowd who work to earn a livelihood. I was blessed with a daughter in November, 2009. She was just three months and 15 days old when I rejoined my job. My husband supported me and my family supported me but I never wanted to work again because I belonged to a family where a mother should give her full attention to her child. Keeping all the values aside that I learnt from my parents, I went back to work and will work till my last breath. I missed my daughter every second. She has started recognizing and throwing expressions for likes and dislikes. I cannot share my feelings with anyone, as I do not want anyone to know that I am broken completely from inside. My husband and my daughter are my greatest strength but I ignore them just to earn money and fulfill my dreams that I have. If one day, my daughter complains to someone about her mom, please tell her that she is my reason for survival and happiness and she is the only one who brings smile to my face. After her daughter's birth, the author thought _ in the beginning. A. she should work harder B. she should continue her career as she used to C. she should stop working and care for her child D. she should become a more ambitious mother Answer: C Have you ever wanted to enjoy the world's wonderful gifts? This earth is a beautiful place. If you look at nature, and see just trees, and grass, do you realize what incredible things you are missing? Go outside. If you want to feel more connected to the earth, the first step is to experience it for yourself. Choose a place that you think that you could thoroughly enjoy. A quiet place set away from civilization is best. One of the key things is that it must be calm and quiet. Any natural setting will do, whether it is a forest or grassland, lake or mountain. Sit down on a rock, some dry leaves, or simply on the ground. Get comfortable with your surroundings, and really take in the sounds and the feel of everything around you. Try not to focus on "the big picture"--stead, notice the little details of things; for example: how many ridges are there on a leaf? Do you see any animals around you? If so, pay attention to kinds of things that happen lower to the ground. Next, close your eyes, and picture in your mind the nature that surrounds you. The point is to sense that you are in a beautiful place. Do something peaceful, such as fishing or meditating in the woods. You will be amazed at how relaxing it is to just sit back and enjoy the natural sounds of the woods and birds. Go on a hike. Walking is great exercise and the pace of it will allow you to see and hear the little things. Don't let time or distance scare you. There are hikes of all lengths and difficulties. Go camping or backpacking. Don't forget to look at the stars, whether you know anything about them yet or not. Often, they will appear brighter and more numerous when you are away from the light and smog of cities. Practice primitive skills while in the woods to share a connection with our ancestors, if you want to go further. See the external links for suggestions. Doing these kinds of things will bring about an appreciation of nature, and make you realize how beautiful it is, and that we too, are creatures of this earth. What are the world's wonderful gifts in the author's eye? A. Trees and grass B. Incredible things from the nature C. The whole world D. Walking, fishing and camping Answer: B Can you imagine traveling to work in a one-man submarine? Scientists believe that someday one-man submarines will be as numerous as automobiles today. One says," One day soon, men will walk on the ocean floor as they do on the street. " Perhaps during your life time, people will travel, work and live under the sea. Ships carrying oil and articles of trade will move beneath the ocean. Passenger ships will be built to travel underwater, where storms cannot delay them or make people seasick. Special underwater ships will be designed for mining, fishing, and exploring unknown areas. For military use, there may be submarines that can fly and then dive underwater to approach the battle area without being seen. First, however, the human problems associated with living in the ocean will need to be studied in detail. Many of these problems are the same as the problems of living in outer space: pressure, lack of oxygen, and weightlessness. Already scientists have begun to study these problems. In 1963 and 1964 scientists and Navy divers lived and worked underwater for several days in two projects which were called Sealab I and Sealab II. The Sealab II experiment kept the scientists and divers 215 feet below the surface for thirty days, studying marine biology, temperature, pressure, currents, and ocean bottom geology. Many puzzling questions remain unanswered, however. Man's warm blood makes it difficult for him to live long in the sea without some kind of warmth. Can our blood be changed to fit new water surroundings? What will happen to our muscles if we live in the water very long? Will they become soft away from our usual land existence? Will bones become weak and our blood pressure change? Scientists are searching for answers. By studying plants and animals deep in the ocean, scientists may find a cure for some of our most serious human diseases. We may learn to use plants to increase our world food supply. Engineers may learn to use the power of the sea by building huge walls to catch the force of the tides. In the passage, the author is talking to us about the problems of _ A. pressure, lack of oxygen, and weightlessness in the sea B. living, working below the ocean C. underwater submarine D. walking on the ocean floor Answer: B
Live Music----Late Night Jazz Enjoy real American jazz from Herbie Davis, the famous trumpet player. He is known to play well in the early hours. So don't want to get much sleep. PLACE: The Jazz Club DATES: 15-23, June PRICE: Y=200-250 TIME: 10 p.m. till late TEL: 4668736 Scottish Dancing Scottish dancing is nice and easy to learn. The wonderful dance from England will be given. PLACE: Jack Stein's DATES: 10-20, May PRICE: Y=180 TIME: 7--10 p.m. TEL: 4021877 Shows -Anhui Museum There are 12,000 pieces on shows here. You can see the whole Chinese history. PLACE: Anhui Museum DATES: 1Mar--30 Jun PRICE: Y=60 (Y=30 for students) TEL: 4888688 TIME: Monday-Friday 9 a.m. -5 p.m. Weekends 9 a.m.--9 p.m. You have 150 yuan, and you can _ . A listen to jazz B watch Scottish dancing C go to Anhui Museum D go to the Jazz Club Answer: C. go to Anhui Museum Decision-thinking is not unlike poker --it often matters not only what you think, but also what others think you think and what you think they think you think.The mental process is similar.Naturally,this card game has often been of considerable interest to people who are,by any standards,good thinkers. The great mathematician John von Neumann was one of the founders of game theory.In particular,he showed that all games fall into two classes:there are what he called games of 'perfect information', games like chess where the players can't hide anything or play tricks:they don't win by chance,but by means of logic and skills.Then there are games of 'imperfect information', 1ike poker,in which it is impossible to know in advance that one course of action is better than another. One mistaken idea about business is that it can be treated as a game of perfect information.Quite the reverse.Business,politics,life itself are games which we must normally play with very imperfect information.Business decisions are often made with many unknown and unknowable factors which would even puzzle best poker players.But few business people find it comfortable to admit that they are taking a chance,and many still prefer to believe that they are playing chess,not poker. In the writer's opinion,when making business decisions one should_. A put perfect information before imperfect information B accept the existence of unknown factors C regard business as a game of chess D mix known and unknown factors Answer: B. accept the existence of unknown factors I was born in Ireland and lived there until I was nineteen years old. I came to New York in 1956. At first, I held several jobs to earn a few dollars. Later, to live a better life, I bought my own taxi car. Till now, I've been in the taxi car business for thirty-five years. I know there is a lot about taxi drivers that is not so good. Because of this, people get the wrong impression that they are bad. In fact, taxi drivers are just like other honest people. You can read in the papers almost every week where a taxi driver turns in money or jewels people leave in their cars. One time in Brooklyn, I found a ring in my car. I remembered helping a lady with a lot of bags that day, so I went back to the store where I had dropped her off. It took me almost two days to look for her in order to return the ring. I didn't get as much as "Thank you." Still, I felt good because I had done what was right. In all my years of driving a taxi car, I have never had any trouble with the public because I always try to be nice to everyone. I try to be honest toward others. I have been trying this for a long time, and the longer I try, the easier it gets. I believe honesty is one of the greatest gifts there is. It's something that makes a man a good guy. This is also my way to live by. The writer is a _ . A taxi driver B teacher C professor D businessman Answer: A. taxi driver The China Daily newspaper group is looking for English-language senior business editors, senior copy editors, copy editors and graphic designers to strengthen its international team. We offer a competitive salary package, accommodation with utilities paid for 90 percent, medical reimbursement, a seven-day paid leave, eleven-day public holidays and a return ticket to the country of residence. Senior Business Editor You must: assist the business editor in setting goals and working on achieving them; be an excellent team person who can generate ideas and think creatively and be able to rewrite totally if needed and mentor junior staff; ideally have been working or have worked in a position of responsibility and understand what leadership entails; have had at least five years' editing experience working on editing the Business Desk and be familiar with industry software. Senior Copy Editor You must: work on shifts in the Business Desk and usually have the last word before the page is sent to print; edit or rewrite copy and give snappy headlines and captions; have had at least two years' editing experience working on editing desks and be familiar with industry software. Copy Editor You must: be good at editing or rewriting copy and writing snappy headlines and captions; be able to work on shifts for different pages, and usually have the last word before the page is sent to print; have two years of editing experience working on copy desks, and be familiar with industry software. Graphic Designer You must: have excellent skills in information graphics; be good at illustrations and freehand drawings; be experienced in newspaper or magazine layouts; have a good sense of typography; have good news judgment; be well versed in Macintosh software, including In Design , Illustrator and Photoshop; be fluent in English. For enquiries or to apply, write to job @ chinadaily.com.net. What is not required about Graphic Designer? A Be well-versed in Photoshop. B Have excellent skills in information graphics. C Having a good sense of typography. D Writing snappy headlines and captions. Answer: D. Writing snappy headlines and captions. Even if he is not the most liked comedian in China today, his popularity certainly has risen the fastest within the last two months. He's "Little Shenyang", who came into national fame overnight after his appearance on CCTV's Spring Festival Gala. With his funny cross-dressing, unique northeastern accent and superb imitative skills, Little Shenyang has obvious talent to support his rise to fame. Hundreds of video clips of his shows have been posted on YouTube and other online video sites, and his performance fees reportedly grew 50-fold in just a few weeks. He has, at the same time, become one of the most controversial of entertainers. Many have doubted his artistic potential, pointing out that his shows were repetitive and lacked creativity, a key to continued comedic success. Others belittle the style of humor, saying it's too crude and appeals only to less-educated people. His defenders were just as up in arms. Many media commentators and bloggers said that his quick rise to star proved the broad appeal of his art form. He became a national champion not because of his "northeastern hick " humor, they argued, but because he represented something new on TV, something with a grassroots feel that appealed to millions of ordinary people. Now, does Little Shenyang really deserve his star status? Some people belittle Little Shenyang's humor because _ . A He represents something with a grassroots feel. B The style of humor lacked creativity. C He speaks with a northeast accent. D He became famous overnight. Answer: B. The style of humor lacked creativity.
JANUARY 15, 2014 KYOTO -- A father froze to death while sheltering his eight years old daughter from severe weekend snowstorms that swept northern Japan. Fujita Makoto, one of at least nine people killed as snowstorms swept across Hokkaido , died as he tried to protect his only child Yumi against winds of up to 113 kilometers per hour in Hokkaido, as temperatures fell sharply to minus 6 degrees centigrade. Makoto's body was uncovered by rescuers looking for the pair after s raised the alarm. Yumi was wearing her father's jacket and was wrapped in his arms. The pair had last been heard from at 4 p. m. on Saturday, after fisherman Makoto picked his daughter up from a school where she was being looked after while he was at work. Makoto called his s to say his truck had become stuck in the driving snow, which was several meters deep in places. He told them he and Yumi would walk the remaining kilometers. The two were found just 300 meters from the truck at 7 a.m. on Sunday. Makoto had his body bent over his daughter, gently holding her in his arms and apparently using his body and a warehouse wall to provide shelter. The small girl was taken to hospital, where she was found to have no serious injuries. Her father was officially pronounced dead by doctors at the same hospital. The newspaper Yomiuri said Yumi's mother had died of illness two years earlier. The paper quoted neighbors as saying Makoto had been an extremely caring father who would often delay the start of his working day to enjoy breakfast with his daughter. His death came as families all over Japan celebrated Girls' Day, a festival in which they gather at home and decorate houses with dolls. "He reserved a cake for his only daughter and was looking forward to celebrating Dolls' Festival together," a neighbor told the Yomiuri. Which of the following might be the best title for the passage? Father dies sheltering daughter from snowstorm Red-clay bricks have a density of approximately 2000 kg/m^3. Air has a density of 1 kg/m^3. Which of the following has the lowest mass? 2 m^3 of bricks Barcodes aren't given much thought by the majority of consumers, but these codes were fairly recently applied in a working fashion in 1970. A small food store owner decided one day that keeping records of the inventory of his stock and the associated prices were an extremely laborious process, and so, in 1948, he contacted The Drexel Institute of Technology in a bid to work towards a solution. Bernard Sliver rose to the challenge and set out to study the problem and began working on a solution involving an automatic way of keeping track of items that had been sold. Sliver and a group of students from the institute realized their answer in the form of ultraviolet light , ink and a scanner. The system worked initially, but possessed some negatives. It was incredibly costly to carry out on a large scale and the system was also unstable. If the invention was to become commonplace in grocery stores, these two problems had to be solved. The patent for the bar code system was filed by Sliver and one of his students, Woodland. The patent was not granted immediately; in fact, it took three years for the patent agency to grant their invention patent for the barcode, occurring on 7thOctober, 1952. Despite the patent being issued, the system was still not welcomed by the majority of store owners. It was not until 1966 that the system began moving its way into more and more grocery stores. This system was soon criticized, as there was no central mechanism for controlling uniformly coded items. In 1970, Logicom developed the Universal Grocery Products Identification code( UGOIC), soon shortened to Universal Identification Number (UPC). It was Marsh's superstore, in Troy, which was the very first store to install this complex barcode reading system, and its popularity has soared ever since, and is obviously now commonplace in all types of stores worldwide. What is the purpose of the text? To provide information about the development of barcodes. Zheng Pengyu: Interest is the best teacher. Classrooms that weren't fixed could give students the chance to explore their interests. At the same time, they would be able to learn on their own because they would have to make their own decisions. All in all, the new system would be a good chance to inspire students' passion for studying. Sun Yao: Despite its benefits, I'm worried about whether the new system would work. Going to different classrooms would take up a big part of our break time and we would have less time to relax after class. Also, not all schools could offer so many diversified classes. Shi Zhenghan: I support students learning in different classes. It would solve the problem of some students thinking the classes are too easy while some think they are too difficult. Teachers could also teach more effectively. What's more, friendships built while in different classes might be a pleasant surprise. Zhou Qingqing: In my opinion, studying in different classrooms might affect students' psychological development. They might find it difficult to develop deep and strong friendships with other students if they had to change classrooms constantly. They would also lose their sense of belonging to a certain class. Hu Qile: I _ the idea. It would help teachers set up special teaching plans for different classes. For students, making choices by themselves could encourage them to be responsible. Changing classrooms could also help relive the boredom of doing the same dull routine every day. Wang Xiaoqian: The new system might help with students' individual development, but I still prefer the current system. Studying in one fixed classroom, students with different academic levels can help each other. Spending your senior middle school years with the same classmates is an unforgettable experience. According to Sun Yao, which of the following sentences is TRUE? All the schools can't afford so many diversified classes. America's greatest technological achievement, the Hoover Dam, now has a companion piece, a bridge held up by the longest arch in the Western Hemisphere . The Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, which opened this month and connects the U.S. states of Arizona and Nevada, crosses the vast chasm 890 feet above the Colorado River that is controlled by the dam. The striking 1,900-foot-long structure will improve traffic in the region and help protect the dam from being destroyed. It is the seventh highest bridge in the world, behind four in China, one in Papua New Guinea and one in the US state of Colorado. "The Hoover Dam is the greatest civil engineering achievement in America's history," said the bridge project manager Dave Zanatell. "Our goal was not to outdo or outshine it. Our goal was to, in a respectful way, do something that would be great for our generation and that would stand besides Hoover Dam in a respectful and quality way that would become a part of Hoover's legacy ." Just as the Hoover Dam was built in the heart of the Great Depression and was seen as an example of the nation's can-do spirit, some hope this project can also provide some _ . The bridge is surprising: at 1,050 feet, its support arch holds up a roadway that lies on 300-foot-long concrete pillars , some of the tallest in the world. It contains 16 million pounds of steel. The idea of the bridge came into being in the 1960s because the top of the Hoover Dam has been a narrow two-lane road that is the fastest route from Arizona to Las Vegas and then the Pacific Northwest and Canada. Access to the dam from each direction is a dangerously winding route, but massive trucks and passenger vehicles shared it for decades. During the day, when thousands of tourists travel to the dam from Las Vegas three times as many accidents as on a normal road will happen. The bridge has a sidewalk on the side facing the dam. The wall on both sides is 54 inches high, so walkers can take photos there. What is one of the purposes of building the bridge? To protect the dam.
The most common disease in the world is the cold. It often starts with a sore throat . You sneeze and your nose runs. You usually have a headache, too. Often you have a cough later. It's not a serious disease, but you can feel quite bad. There isn't a cure for a cold, but you can take some medicine to make you feel better. For example, you can take aspirin to get rid of your headache. It is good to rest. and to drink a lot of water, too. A doctor once told me."With the right medicine. a cold will last for seven days. With no medicine, it will go on for a whole week!" A long time ago, people understood that some plants made them feel better. For example, the juice of lemons makes a sore throat feel better. In modern times, scientists have found out which chemicals are in them. Man, of our medicines today are made from those chemicals. There are some diseases that we can't cure yet. And nobody has found a cure for old age. But because of modern medicines, the average people now live longer than their grandparents. What is the real meaning of the doctor's words? A There is almost no medicine that can cure the cold. B There is some medicine that can cure the cold. C You will feel well after a whole week when you take some medicine. D The cold is a serious disease. Answer: A. There is almost no medicine that can cure the cold. The Oscars ceremony at the 87th Academy Awards took place in Hollywood's 3,300-seat Dolby Theatre in California on Sunday evening(Feb.23, 2015). The night concluded with the biggest award of the evening, Best Picture. After already securing the Best Screenplay and Best Director Award for Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Birdman took flight as the winner of the night. Competing with 7 other contenders including another much-predicted winner "Boyhood", the top prize of the night was finally awarded to the film "Birdman". The director of "Birdman" was also awarded the Best Director Oscar by the Academy. In addition, the film took home two other awards for Best Original Screenplay and Cinematography. Starring Michael Keaton, the dark comedy "Birdman" tells the story of a faded Hollywood star, famous for his roles as the "Birdman superhero", who struggles to win the support and confidence to perform in a different character type in a Broadway show. The Academy's Best Leading Actor award went to Eddie Redmayne, for his performance in the film "the Theory of Everything". It was the actor's first nomination and first win. Meanwhile, the Best Leading Actress award went to Julianne Moore who plays a college professor who learns that she is suffering from early-onset Alzheimer's disease. Patricia Arquette also won her first Oscar for her supporting actress role in the movie "Boyhood", while J.K. Simmons won the Best Supporting Actor in "Whiplash". Best foreign Language film went to "Ida", while "Crisis Hotline" won the award for Best Documentary Short Subject. Which film's content is mentioned in the passage? A the Theory of Everything. B Birdman. C Boyhood. D Whiplash Answer: B. Birdman. " Dining out", or " eating out ",is a phrase people use in Britain when they eat in a restaurant or a pub. Eating out is more popular in Britain today than ever before. However, eating out can be expensive. Restaurants are normally more expensive than pubs, though many pubs serve very good ,simple food. As British people don't dine out every night of the week ,eating in a restaurant is often seen as a special occasion. When going for the first date, or if celebrating an anniversary or a birthday, many people like to go to a restaurant. People often eat in a restaurant before going to the cinema or the theatre. As in all cultures, there are many rules of etiquette surrounding food and eating, and nowhere is this more _ than when eating in a smart restaurant. People are almost always expected to eat with a knife and fork and these should be held in the correct hand and used in the correct way. It is also impolite to have your elbows on the dining table when you are eating. There're many such "unspoken" rules -- they are normally only important when eating in a very elegant and expensive restaurant, and vary slightly from restaurant to restaurant and place to place. A recent nationwide survey showed that there was a divide in manners between the north and south of Britain ---the "worst" manners were in Scotland and the northeast, and the "best" in Wales and the southeast! However, this survey was almost certainly conducted by someone in the southeast, so it may not be entirely fair. Naturally, restaurants vary greatly in quality and price. However, almost all British cities have a vast range of food and cooking styles to choose from as well as traditional British food, from the very cheap to the very expensive -- French, Italian, Indian, Greek, Thai, Japanese and many more. In fact, when asked what their favorite food is, many British people say an Indian curry rather than any other dish! As well as dining in a restaurant ,when people are too tired to cook after work they often get a "takeaway". This means they order from a takeaway or takeout restaurant by phone, then go to collect it and take it home to eat. Many takeout restaurants also deliver to your house. While you can normally find a takeout restaurant for almost any cuisine, the most popular are Italian, Indian and Chinese -- and all you have to do is to open the door, pay and eat! What does the passage mainly talk about? A Restaurant culture in Britain. B Table manners in Britain. C Different restaurants in Britain. D Traditional and foreign foods in Britain. Answer: A. Restaurant culture in Britain. A group of fifteen-year-old students at Sunshine School are holding a charity sale to raise money to help their classmate Lisa. Lisa had cerebral palsy when she was a baby. People who have cerebral palsy have trouble walking. Although Lisa has to use a wheelchair to help her get around, she never gives up. And she is always ready to help others. "Lisa has the chance of standing up, but she needs an operation which will cost lots of money." Lisa's doctor said. "I never thought that I could stand up one day. Actually the news is surprising for me. However, when I see my parents are worried about the cost of the operation, I am sad. I am used to my life. I don't mind if I can't stand up." Lisa said. "Now my classmates and some other kind people are helping me. I am really thankful. If I stood up one day, I could try my best to help more people." "While helping Lisa, we can also learn a lot. We have learned how to cook cookies and how to sell them," Betty, one of Lisa's classmates said. "Now we know making money is not easy, so we won't waste money anymore." Alex, a boy in Lisa's class, told a reporter that they could raise about $100 every day. "We have raised about $2,100 so far. We hope we will raise more money for Lisa's operation." he said. How are Lisa's classmates probably raising money? A By holding a party. B By selling home-made cookies. C By collecting waste paper. D By asking their parents for money. Answer: B. By selling home-made cookies. The writings of Shakespeare are today little read by young people in Britain. His young readership is limited to those who choose to study literature at university. Shakespeare's work, together with most other classics, is seen as remote, and written in a 400-year-old version of English that is about as inviting as toothache. Still, in Britain schools, it is compulsory to study the bard , and when something is made compulsory, usually the result is boredom, resentment or both. This was my experience of the classics at school. But when I reached my late teenage years, I had a change of heart. Like every other young person since the dawn of time, the world confused me. I wanted answers, so I turned to books to find them. I went on to take a PhD in literature and have taught it in Britain and China. I have never regretted it. There is something in literature that people want, even if they don't read books. You see this in the popularity of TV and movie adaptations of great works, the recent film version of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice being _ . These popular adaptations may help increase people's interest in the classics. Reading a simplified Romeo and Juliet may perhaps lead to a reading of Shakespeare's actual play. If that is the case, then I welcome the trend. But do not make the mistake of thinking that it is the same thing. Shakespeare is a poet. His greatness is in his language. Reading someone else's rewriting of his work is like peeling a banana, throwing away the fruit, and eating the skin. Take on the original. It really is worth the effort. Which of the following is true according to the passage? A The language used in classics is no longer in use today. B British students usually find compulsory reading dull. C Only those studying literature read Shakespeare's works. D For British people, Shakespeare's works are no longer classics. Answer: B. British students usually find compulsory reading dull.
Sometimes you'll hear people say that you can't love others until you love yourself. Sometimes you'll hear people say that you can't expect someone else to love you until you love yourself. Either way, you've got to love yourself first and this can be tricky. Sure we all know that we're the apple of our parent's eyes, and that our Grandmas think we're great talents and our Uncle Roberts think that we will go to the Olympics. But sometimes it's a lot harder to think such nice thoughts about ourselves. If you find that believing in yourself is a challenge. It is time you built a positive self-image and learn to love yourself. Self-image is your own mind's picture of yourself. This image includes the way you look, the way you act, the way you talk and the way you think. Interestingly, our self-images are often quite different from the images others hold about us. Unfortunately, most of these images are more negative than they should be. Thus changing the way you think about yourself is the key to changing your self-image and your whole world. The best way to defeat a passive self-image is to step back and decide to stress your successes. That is, make a list of you need to, but write down all of the great things you do every day. Don't allow doubts to occur in it. It very well might be that you are experiencing a negative self-image because you can't move past one flaw or weakness that you see about yourself. Well, roll up your sleeves and make a change of it as your primary task. If you think you're silly because you aren't good at math, find a tutor. If you think you're weak because you can't run a mile, get to the track and practice. If you think you're dull because you think it doesn't mean it's true. The best way to get rid of a negative self-image is to realize that your image is far from objective, and to actively convince yourself of your positive qualities. Changing the way you think and working on those you need to improve will go a long way towards promoting a positive self-image. When you can pat yourself on the back, you'll know you're well on your way. Good luck! You need to build a positive self-image when you _ . A. dare to challenge yourself B. feel it hard to change yourself C. are unconfident about yourself D. have a high opinion of yourself Answer: C When a big exam is coming up, you probably feel anxious about any wasted time and want to begin school as soon as you probably can. But tens of thousands of British high school students will soon be getting up later. They're taking part in a new experiment by Oxford University to see if later classes can improve their exam results. Grades 10 students in the UK have to take the nationwide General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) exams. They have to pass these exams in order to study more advanced courses, and later apply for universities. The Oxford University project means that GCSE students from more than 100 schools across England will start school at 10 am, more than one hour later than the current start time (8:50 am). The project is based on scientific evidence that teenagers are "out of sync " with traditional school hours, the Telegraph reported. And what they need is more sleep in the morning. "We know that something funny happens when you're a teenager, in that you seem to be out of sync with the world," said professor Colin Epsie, who is leading the study. "Your parents think it's because you are lazy and opinionated and everything will be OK if you could get to sleep earlier. But science is telling us that teenagers need to sleep more in the mornings." Everyone follows a natural cycle of sleep and wakefulne ss. Biology has decided that teenagers go to sleep around midnight and don't feel fully awake until 9-10 am, according to scientists. That's two hours later than adults. And their body clocks stay like this until the age of around 21 for males, and 19 for females. "Society provides school for learning, but the brain provides sleep. So we are exploring the possibility that if you delay the schools start time until 10 am, that will improve learning performance," said Epsie. The results could be positive, based on previous studies. An early study at the UK's Monkseaton High School in 2009 found that starting an hour later improved grades in core subjects by 19 percent. The Oxford project is expecting to publish the results in 2018. It's time to wait and see whether scientists will give us an excuse to get up late. We can infer from the article that _ . A. the Oxford University project is targeted at all British high schools B. getting up late is a sign of laziness in the eyes of most British parents C. children and adults have different natural cycles of sleep and wakefulness D. there is still no scientific evidence that supports a late school start time Answer: C At the beginning of the 20th century there was a big farm called Hollywood Ranch. It was near Los Angeles in California. A few years later Hollywood was one of the famous places in the world. From the 1910s to the 1950s Hollywood was the film center of the world. Every family knew the names of its film stars--Charlie Chaplin, Greta Garbo, Ingrid Bergman and hundreds more. The reason why people went to Hollywood to make films was the sun. At first,people made films in New York on the east coast of the United States. But then they heard about Los Angeles where there are 350 days of sun every year. As they made all the films by sunlight,the west coast was a much better place to make films. Also near Hollywood you can find mountains,sea and desert. They did not have to travel far to make any kind of film. When TV became popular, Hollywood started making films for television. Then in the 1970s they discovered people still went to the cinema to see big expensive films. After about thirty years they are still making films in Hollywood and people watch them all over the world. Who was not mentioned as a film star in the passage? A. Charlie Chaplin. B. Marilyn Monroe. C. Ingrid Bergman. D. Greta Garbo. Answer: B "You know, these cups bring to mind a tea quote I heard." Mary's aunt said. She poured tea. There were four of them and there were four totally different cups on the table. They took their tea cups. "What quote?" Mary asked. "Well, maybe I should rather say it is a story," aunt said, "I heard that there was a wise teacher who took all his students for tea. They were surprised that all the cups on the table were different. Each of them took a cup and started drinking their tea, each looking at the cups of others. The teacher let them do that for a while and then said,' Do you notice your behavior? You are all looking at each other's tea cup and I can see some of you with the broken ones are even envious of the finer cups of others. Is this not so?' " The students agreed, amused by their own behavior. "You may have wondered why you all had different cups, but I put them here on purpose. You see they represent life itself. Life is like that tea and the cups are like the physical circumstances of your life. You all got the same thing in your cups -- tea. And yet you can not truly enjoy it in your envy of another's cup. It's just the same with life. You forget to enjoy your own life when you concentrate on envying the circumstances of someone else's life. So now, close your eyes, and taste your own tea. Really taste it. And tell me -- did it matter from which cup it came from?" Aunt finished telling her short tea story and they all sat in silence for a while, tasting their tea. A sleepy fly buzzed past, a bird sang in the tree. And it really did not matter one bit from which tea cup they drank. When the students found they had different tea cups, they _ . A. were satisfied with their own cup B. were angry about the broken cups they had been given C. asked the teacher to get new cups for them D. were curious about the difference between the cups Answer: D Elena jogged with her dad in some empty lots . These out-of-the-way lots were good places to jog. But the lots were full of rocks and rubbish. One day, Elena saw a sign on the lots. It said, "New City Park". Elena was excited. Maybe the park would have a jogging trail ! Elena told her parents about the sign. "I read about the park in the newspaper," said Elena's father. "The city wants volunteers to help clean the area. Then the city will build a soccer field and a playground. But the paper didn't mention a jogging trail." "Well, perhaps if I help clean up the lots, they'll put in a jogging trail," said Elena. On Saturday Elena went to the lots. Many adults were working there. Some were picking up rubbish. Some were moving rocks. Elena looked around. She could carry rubbish, and she could move rocks. So she went to the area every week to do volunteer work. She told everyone she was glad to help build the park. She explained that she hoped the park would have a jogging trail. Then everyone knew her and her jogging trail. Soon the volunteers cleared the lots. The city could start building. The mayor gave a speech. He showed a drawing of the new park. He told them about the soccer field. There would be picnic tables. There would be a playground. The park would even have basketball courts. But there was no sign of a jogging trail. The mayor thanked the volunteers. Then he asked if they had any suggestions. The volunteers said they wanted to build a jogging trail around the park. They told the mayor how helpful Elena had been and how she wanted a jogging trail. The mayor then said, "A jogging trail won't be hard to build. Let's do it!" Everyone clapped and cheered. How did Elena know the city needed volunteers to help clean the lots? A. She read it in the newspaper. B. She learned it from a sign. C. She was told by other volunteers. D. Her father told her about it. Answer: D
A young British sailor was missing at sea yesterday in similar circumstances to the way his father died five years ago. The dinghy ,used to take Richard Smith,21,to his yacht ,was discovered empty, floating in seas off the Caribbean island.An air and sea search was carried out but he has still not been discovered . Richard's mother, Bicknell,said from her home in Hampshire,"It's so much coincidence.Richard always carried a photograph of his father attached to a poem,which included the date of his disappearance." "Now, it's very strange because all they have found is Richard's dinghy.We need to know this time what has happened one way or another.If you know at least you can go through the grieving process ." In November 1996,Mr. Smith's father, Charlie,was sailing in the Tasmen sea between the Australian mainland and the island of Tasmen with his new wife.They lost radio contact with the shore and they, together with their yacht were never seen again,and their disappearance remains a mystery. Richard is described a talented and experienced sailor who has crewed for the champion ocean racer.He had sailed to the. Caribbean in November to crew ocean racing yachts for entertainment.He ended the evening drinking in the Abracbabra bar but left after local police closed it for being too noisy. About 2 am the following day Richard headed back for his dinghy.He started its outboard motor before giving all elderly woman a lift to her yacht after her dinghy had gone missing.It was the last time he was seen. Richard Smith was _ in 2000. Answer: twenty Libraries give kids a quiet and safe place to read and learn. For over 100 years, libraries have played an important role in Americans' education. But how are these book-filled buildings changing with the times? You may be surprised to find out. Benjamin Franklin famously founded America's first lending library in 1731. But the public library system got its biggest development in the American history in the late 1800's. Businessman Andrew Carnegie donated millions of dollars to help build free public libraries across the country. Between 1886 and 1919, Carnegie's donations helped build 1,679 new libraries. Carnegie believed that libraries could offer the chances to Americans, young and old. He knew that the more libraries there were, the more people would have opportunities to read and use books, speeches and news. If you can easily find a public library in your community , you'll get more chances. After all, the United States has 9,225 public libraries. Today, libraries keep growing. Seven tenths of the libraries have free Internet. It provides much more information and opportunities) to ask for jobs online. Libraries are also teaching kids about the fun of reading. The new program Read! Build! Play! adds reading into playtime. As kids listen to a book that is being read aloud, they use Legos to build images from the story happily. Today's libraries are always looking for creative programs to bring people into the library. Benjamin Franklin once said, "The doors of wisdom are never shut." As long as the doors of public libraries are open, what he said is most certainly correct! How many public libraries have free Internet now? Answer: 6458. Hey there, So you're about to spend four years of your life and tens of thousands of dollars of your parents' money, and all you really know about college is that all of your friends are going. Do you ever stop to wonder why you're going? Relax. You're making the right decision. First of all, you'll discover what interests you by taking courses in many subjects. For example, it's hard to decide if you want to be a painter if you've never painted any pictures; once you're in a drawing-room on campus, you'll know one way or the other. College is also a lot of fun--after you graduate, you'll be working every weekday for 50 or so years. And remember that college graduates get about twice the of those who never attended college. Finding the right college can be difficult. Fortunately, is here to help you every step of the way. Researching School. To us, the most important decision you'll make is to choose the school that really fits you best---- not the one that is the most competitive or has the best-equipped rooms. Applying to School. On , you'll find hundreds of actual college applications and links to many more. Raising Your Scores. American College Test is one of the most important parts of the admissions course. It's not the most important, though, and not everyone needs to prepare for the best. But, if you think you can do better, find the right course for better scores. Paying for School. Most families need financial aid for the high cost of college. The problem is that financial aid seems difficult to get and many families get caught up in the price of college. However, if you really do your research, you'll learn that there are many ways to get financial aid and that you can afford to attend any college, no matter the cost. For more information, call 600-3681 or visit J , wherever you go, have a nice trip! Johnson Smith Founder and CEO John Review What does the author advise you to do to pay the high cost of college? Answer: To get to know how to ask for financial aid If you are planning a visit to Chicago, make sure you see the city best before you head back home. Architecture Chicago is home to some of the most fascinating architecture in the country. One of the oldest buildings in the city is the Water Tower, which was built in 1869. It is one of the structures to survive the Chicago Fire in 1871. It is a fascinating builging to see, and is nearby the Water Tower Place, which has great shopping. It's a paradise for the young. Another stop must be the Willes Tower, formerly known as the Sears Tower. Go to the top and walk out on the clear walkway to take a look straight down on the city. If you have the time, be sure to have dinner or a cocktail in the Signature Room on the 95th floor. Not only is the food great, but the views are breathtaking. Boat Tours If architecture is your thing, Wendella Boats offers a great architecture tour of Chicago. You can see some of the beautiful buildings from the Chicago River, which is a side of the buildings you don't usually get to see. There are several other boat tours that are just great, too, and many will even take you from the river out to Lake Michigan where you can see the Chicago skyline at any time of day. These tours are great ways to gain knowledge of this spectacular city, and it's also a funny way to rest your legs between walking tips. Famous Pizza You cannot come to Chicago without trying some famous, deepdish pizza. There are many places to get this delicious, thick pizza, but three stores stand out from the rest. Gino's East, Giordano's, and Lou Malnati's are the best places to get authentic, Chicago-style, deep-dish pizza. Try it with all the toppings or just cheese, but be sure you try it at some point. Many think that much pizza and cheese seems disgusting, but don't knock it till you try it. You might find a new favorite way of eating this Italian classic. Why does the author advise visitors to try pizza in Chicago?. Answer: Because the Chicago-style is really impressive. Infectious diseases are caused by Answer: microorganisms
Spending a lot of time watching TV, playing video games and surfing the Web causes a lot of healthy problems to children such as overweight and smoking, US researchers said yesterday. U.S. experts analyzed 173 studies on how media sources influence the physical health of children and adolescents . The studies, mostly carried out in the prefix = st1 /United States, largely focused on television, but some looked at video games, films, music, computer and Internet use. Three quarters of them found that increased media viewing was connected with poor health. The studies offered strong evidence that children who get more media exposure are more likely to become overweight, start smoking and begin earlier sexual activity than those who spend less time in front of a screen, the researchers said. Studies also showed more media exposure is linked to drug and alcohol use and poorer school performance. "We were pretty surprised by the number of studies that showed these negative health results," said one of the researchers in the report. For decades, experts have worried about the effect on young viewers of the violence and sexual content in some TV programs, movies and video games. Another issue is that kids are spending time sitting on a couch watching TV or playing computer games when they could be running around outside. One study found that children who spend more than eight hours watching TV per week at age 3 are more likely to be overweight at 7. And research showed that many USchildren watch far more. Another study showed TV and other media content can have a deep influence on children's attitudes and beliefs, particularly among teens. A US study published in November showed that adolescents who watched more programs with sexual themes had a higher risk of becoming pregnant or causing a pregnancy. Thirteen of 14 studies that evaluated sexual behavior found a connection between media exposure and earlier sexual behavior, the researchers said. According to the passage, too much media exposure may cause the following EXCEPT _ . progress in school subjects In many countries today,laws protect wildlife.In India the need for such protection was realized centuries ago. About 300 B.C.an Indian writer described forests that were somewhat like national parks today.The killing of game animals was carefully governed.Some animals were fully protected.Within the forest,nobody was allowed to cut trees,burn wood,or trap animals for their furs.Animals that became dangerous to human visitors were trapped or killed outside the park,so that other animals would not become uneasy. The need for wildlife protection is greater now than ever before.About a thousand sorts of animals are in danger of extinction,and the speed at which they are being destroyed has been _ .With mammals ,for example,the speed of extinction is now about one sort every year;from A. D.1 to 1800,the speed was about one sort every fifty years.Everywhere,men are trying to solve the problem of saving wildlife while caring for the world's growing population. This report says that the need for protecting wildlife _ . was understood centuries ago Which element is necessary for the formation of coal? decaying vegetation I Have to See Another Doctor Mr. Clarke lives at the foot of the mountain. He keeps the forest for a rich farmer there. The only road to the forest is just in front of his house. He can easily see the people who want to enter the forest. Sometimes he has to be on duty at night. When he hears some sound, he has to get up to see if someone cuts the trees. One day he bought something in the town. He found a strong dog and bought it. He loves it very much and often gives some meat or bread to it. And when a strange man walks close to his house, it barks loudly. So he can soon know about it and goes out to find out who it is. But last week something was wrong with Mr. Clarke. He didn't feel well and couldn't fall asleep in the evening. He had to go to a hospital in the town. The doctor looked him over and then asked, "Have you got a dog, sir " "Yes, I have got one." "You have got a skin disease ," said the doctor. "I am sure your dog infected it to you. You can't come in touch with it any longer." When he came out of the hospital, he met a friend and told him about it. The man asked, "What are you going to do, to sell your dog or to give it to another man " "Neither," answered Mr. Clarke, "I have decided to see another doctor. It's much easier to find a doctor than to buy a good dog!" Mr. Clarke is afraid, so he bought a dog, because _ . someone may cut the trees Suzanne Clement first met Xavier Dolan when he was 17 -- an "ambitious, intelligent, hyperactive" young director who wanted to make a film called "J'ai tue ma mere" ("I Killed My Mother"). The Quebecois actress never doubted his talents. Now eight years later, she stars in his acclaimed film "Mommy," which has been selected as Canada's foreign-language entry to the Oscars. "I think 'Mommy' is like a continuation of this amazing authenticity that he puts into his work," said Clement in a recent telephone interview. "He's saying something very deep. And he started to say those deep things about his life when he was doing his first movie." The film focuses on a trio of troubled characters: widowed mother Diane (Anne Dorval), her violent son Steve (Antoine-Olivier Pilon), and Kyla, a shy, mysterious neighbour with a terrible stammer who offers to help (Clement). While the dynamic between Diane and Steve is perhaps the most important, Kyla's character is equally _ . The viewer knows she is on leave from her teaching job and she recently stammered, but the reasons are left somewhat vague. She said Dolan contacted her last summer, shortly before "Mommy" began filming, and sought help in fleshing out Kyla's story. "He told me, 'I have this third character and I'd love you to play her, but she's not very, very definite now. If you want to talk about her and give your input, I'd like to build her.'" she recalled. "Mommy" opens in Toronto on Friday before screening in other Canadian cities. It premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May, where audiences gave it a lengthy standing applause before it was awarded with the prestigious Jury Prize. After appearing in Dolan's "J'ai tue ma mere" in 2009, Clement went on to star in his film "Laurence Anyways," for which she won the Cannes Un Certain Regard award for Best Actress in 2012. When the film "Mommy" premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, _ . it turned out a success.
Frankensteinis one of the world's most famous horror stories. It's about a doctor who creates a new man from the body parts of dead people and brings it to life. But the experiment goes wrong and the monster kills the doctor and many others. The story has been read by millions since it was first published and in the last hundred years it has been made into dozens of movies. Many people are surprised to learn its writer was a 19-year-old woman, called Mary Shelley. Mary was born into a rich London family in August 1797. She was educated by her parents and when she was 13 she decided to become a writer. In 1812, she met the famous writer Percy Shelley and they soon got married. Sadly for Mary, their first child died soon after birth in Italy. In her diary, Mary wrote about a dream:"I dreamt that my little baby came to life again---that it had only been cold and that we rubbed it before the fire and it lived." In 1816, Percy Shelley and 19-year-old Mary visited the poet Lord Byron at his home in Switzerland. Because of the bad weather they stayed indoors reading horror stories. On night, Byron asked everyone to write their own story. Mary thought of her dream and wrote the story ofFrankenstein Frankensteinwas published when Mary was 21, and became a huge success. Many people didn't think a 19-year-old woman could write so well and believed her husband was the real writer. Although famous, Shelley's life was full of sadness. Only one of her four children lived and in 1822 her husband died in a swimming accident. Mary was broken-hearted and decided not to marry again. She devoted herself to her child and continued to write until her death in 1851. Where was Mary Shelley when she wrote the story Frankenstein? Answer: I quit the game, WOW, a couple of years ago. My life has improved dramatically. I went from being single to being engaged, I received a second promotion in my career, and life couldn't be hatter. But even then, I still had an urge to play and I thought about it every day. About a month ago, I decided to start playing again. My friends still played and claimed that it's better than before. So I figured I'd give it a shot, and so far I've managed my time well. But the funny thing is that I'm not enjoying it as much as I thought I would. That sense of accomplishment I used to have back then is gone. I figured out why... My enjoyment in the game came from progression. 1 loved accomplishing quests and hitting 60, then beating the basses with 40 other people. Some nights sucked ,when nothing was done. But other nights, when we beat the hell out of a main boss, it felt incredible. I was actually progressing and improving in something. It may not have been real life, but it was there, on my screen, and it was visible for all to see. But now I've actually pursued tangible goals, and realized the sense of accomplishment in WOW is worthless. I don't get excited when the list of epic drops from a boss is sent to me from my friends. I haven't even been interested in getting a flying mount, or PVP gear. I just don't really care about them. I actually don't care about anything that happens in the game, except for some quests. 1 out of every 10 quests you do has an enjoyable story that makes it more interesting. But even so, they are what you can get out of a book, or a good single player game. Even though WOW is enjoyable in some aspects, it's extremely boring in others. Now to me, above all, it's not worth my time to go through it, just to have temporary fun. According to the passage, we can infer that _ Answer: Some people will do just about anything to save money. And I am one of them. Take my family's last vacation. It was my six-year-old son's winter break form school, and we were heading home from Fort Lauderdale after a weeklong trip. The flight was overbooked, and Delta, the airline, offered us $400 per person in credits to give up our seats and leave the next day. I had meeting in New York,So I had to get back . But that didn't mean my husband and my son couldn't stay. I took my nine-month-old and took off for home. The next day my husband and son were offered more credits to take an even later flight. Yes, I encouragedokay, ordered-them to wait it out at the airport, to "earn" more Delta Dollars. Our total take: $1,600. Not bad, huh? Now some people may think I'm a bad mother and not such a great wife either. But as a big-time bargain hunter, I know the value of a dollar. And these days, a good deal is something few of us can afford to pass up. I've made living looking for the best deals and exposing the worst tricks . I have been the consumer reporter of NBC's Today show for over a decade. I have written a couple of books including one titled Tricks of the Trade: A Consumer Survival Guide. And I really do what I believe in. I tell you this because there is no shame in getting your money's worth. I'm also tightfisted when it comes to shoes, clothes for my children, and expensive restaurants. But I wouldn't hesitate to spend on a good haircut. It keeps its longer, and it's the first thing people notice. And I will also spend on a classic piece of furniture. Quality lasts. What does the author want to tell us? Answer: Old-Fashioned Play--For Pay Kids !Come have a ball! Or 60,000 of them! There's a new type of business franchise that is appearing in shopping malls and neighborhoods acrossprefix = st1 /Americaoffering pay-per-use indoor playgrounds ,which feature toys ,games ,supervised fun and a workout that doesn't break the family bank. As public playgrounds grow increasingly worn and dirty, the for-profit centers offer clean, safe supervised activity as well as a variety of challenging exercises to develop youngsters' physical fitness, usually for a fee of around 5$ an hour. "Playgrounds are dirty ,not supervised," says Dick Guggenheimer ,owner of the two-month-old Discovery Zone in Yonkers, N.Y., part of Kansas City-based chain, "We are indoors; we are padded ;parents can feel their child is safe". In order to satisfy the need of two-earner families ,the new franchise stayed open in the evenings ,long after traditional public playgrounds have grown dark and unusable .However these new playgrounds are not meant to be day-care centers .Parents are expected go stay and play with their kids rather than drop them off. But several also provide high-tech baby-sitting services. At some of the Discovery Zones, parents can register their children in special supervised programs, then leave them and slip away for a couple of hours to enjoy a movie or dinner. If there is a problem ,Mom and Dad are called. The most fun of all, though, is getting to do what parents used to do in the days before two-earner families and two-hour commutes; play with their kids. That ,at least ,is old-fashioned, even at per-hour rates. According to the article, which of the following is true to the new playground? Answer: "Can't hold a candle to" is a popular expression.When there wasn't electricity, someone would have a servant light his way by holding a candle.The expression meant that the person who cannot hold a candle to you is not fit even to be your servant.Now,it means such a person cannot compare or compete. Another expression is"hold your tongue."It means to be still and not talk."Hold your tongue"is not something you would tell a friend.But a parent or teacher might use the expression to quiet a noisy child. "Hold out"is an expression one hears often in sports reports and labor news.It means to refuse to play or work.Professional football and baseball players"hold out" if their team refuses to pay them what they think they are worth. The expression"hold up" has several different meanings.One is a robbery.A man with a gun may say,"This is a hold up.Give me your money."Another meaning is to delay.A driver who was held up by heavy traffic might be late for work.Another meaning is for a story to be considered true after an investigation.A story can hold up if it is proved true. "Hold on"is another expression,which means wait or stop.As you leave for school,your brother may say,"Hold on,you forgot your book." It is used to ask a telephone caller to wait and not hang up his telephone. Our final expression is"hold the line."That means to keep a problem or situation from getting worse--to hold steady.For example,the president may say he will"hold the line on taxes."He means there will be no increase in taxes. Which of the following sentences can convey positive meanings? Answer:
To protect the environment, we are on the way. Here are a few things we can do. Unwanted gifts? Give them away! Have you ever received a gift that you didn't like? Did you throw it away? If so, you can have another choice now. Two British companies hopes people will give away their unwanted gifts to them. And they will resell the gifts to raise money for the poor. In this way, the gifts can be refused and have a future life. And people can make a difference to the world. Wear the trousers that reduce pollution! A chemistry scientist and a fashion designer have created a new kind of trousers. The trousers are made of a new material which can help reduce air pollution around us. Scientists have tested the material. The result shows that it isn't harmful to human. This new kind of trousers may appear at the market in two years. Professor Ryan said, "If thousands of people wear the trousers, the air quality will be improved." Plant trees with Felix Felix Finkbeiner, a 14-year-old German boy, is not famous as a child actor but an environment hero. At the age of 9, Felix got the idea that children could do something to protect the environment. So he started a club. Felix soon got support from children all over the world. Some of them have become his good friends. The club has an aim of planting 212 million trees. They have planted over 3.5 million trees all around the world. Felix said, "The answer to controlling global warming is trees--lots of trees!" The companies resell the unwanted gifts _ . A. to make the unwanted gifts useful B. to help people learn to think carefully C. to save money from it D. to make money for themselves. Answer: A Only two countries in the advanced world provide no guarantee for paid leave from work to care for a newborn child.Last spring one of the two,Australia,gave up the bad distinction by setting up paid family leave starting in 2011.I wasn't surprised when this didn't make the news here in the United States--we're now the only wealthy country without such a policy. The United States does have one explicit family policy,the Family and Medical Leave Act,passed in 1993.It entitles workers to as much as 12 weeks' unpaid leave for care of a newborn or dealing with a family medical problem.Despite the modesty of the benefit,the Chamber of Commerce and other business groups fought it bitterly,describing it as "government-run personnel management" and a "dangerous precedent ." In fact,every step of the way,as (usually) Democratic leaders have tried to introduce work-family balance measures into the law,business groups have been strongly opposed. As Yale law professor Anne Alstott argues,justifying parental support depends on defining the family as a social good that,in some sense,society must pay for.Parents are burdened in many ways in their lives: there is "no exit" when it comes to children.Society expects--and needs--parents to provide their children with continuity of care.And society expects--and needs--parents to persist in their roles for 18 years,or longer if needed. What makes it hard to take work-family balance measures in the States? A. The incompetence of the Democrats. B. The opposition from business circles. C. The lack of a precedent in American history. D. The existing Family and Medical Leave Act. Answer: B There is no doubt that most of the readers will be students with little or no experience in reading poetry out loud, especially to such a large group. And we know that a poem will live or die depending on how it is read. The readers, by the way, should not read poems without getting any practice. They should be given their poems a few days in advance so that they have time to practice, maybe in the presence of a teacher. Read the poem slowly. Most young people speak quickly, and a nervous reader will tend to do the same in order to get the reading over with. Reading a poem slowly is the best way to make sure that the poem will be read clearly and understood by its listeners. Learning to read a poem slowly will not always make the poem easier to hear, however. A poem should not be read too slowly, and a good way for a reader to set an easy pace is to pause for a few seconds between the title and the poem's first line. Read in a normal, relaxed tone of voice. It is not necessary to give any of these poems a dramatic reading, as if from a stage. The poems selected are mostly written in a natural style and should be read in that way. Let the words of the poem do the work. Just speak clearly and slowly. Obviously, poems come in lines, but pausing at the end of every line will create a choppy effect and interrupt the flow of the poem. Readers should pause only where there is punctuation , just as you would when reading prose , only more slowly. The passage mainly tells us _ . A. that we must read poems slowly B. where to pause when reading a poem C. how to use tones when reading a poem D. how to read a poem out loud Answer: D There is a quiet and beautiful valley.Po is a lazy panda.He lives there.He is a waiter in a noodle restaurant.One day, a group of snow leopards want to _ the valley.ALL the animals decide to find a kung fu leader To everyone's surprise, Po becomes their leader. Po must learn kung fu to save the valley from powerful foes .Po learns kung fu from his teacher every day.At last the snow leopards are defeated by Po.He saves the valley and all the other animals.Po knows that if he believes in himself, he can do anything well. Kung Fu Panda is a computer-animated comedy.Many famous stars dub the characters.You must know Jackie Chan.He also dubs a character in this film. Who teaches Po kung fu? A. His father B. His teacher C. His brother D. Himself Answer: B Friendship is one of the basic bonds between human beings. While the characteristics of friendship might vary from one country to another, people from all cultures not only enjoy friends but need them. Many studies have shown that teenagers who have no friends often suffer from psychological disorders. It has been shown that teenagers, perhaps more than any other age group, need companionship and a sense of belonging. The negative consequences of loneliness have also been observed among the elderly. The death of a spouse often leaves a widow or a widower totally bereft . If, however, they are surrounded by friends and relatives and if they are able to articulate their feelings, they are more likely to recover from their grief. "No man is an island." In other words, we are all parts of society. We all need the love, admiration, respect and moral support of other people. If we are fortunate, our friends will provide us with all of these necessary aspects of life. As most people observe, there are many levels of friendship. The degree or intensity of friendship varies depending on the personality of the individuals involved and the context of the relationships. Extroverts enjoy being surrounded by many people whereas introverts are perhaps content with fewer but more intense friendships. Everyone is not equally open with all their friends. The degree of intimacy is determined by many factors. Close friends can be formed at any stage in one's life but they are usually very rare. Not very many people have more than a few really close friends. Irrespective of the level of intimacy, all friendships are based on reciprocity , honesty and a certain amount of love and affection. The author thinks that close friends _ . A. can be easily formed when one is young B. cannot be long-lasting C. are not rare for everyone D. are rare for most people Answer: D
LONDON---The International Table Tennies Federation(ITTF) plans to work with Bill Gates, the chairman of Microsoft Corporation, to promote table tennis in the United States, ITTF President Adham Sharara said. The plan was put forward after Gates came to London to watch the game between US teen player Ariel Hsing and Chinese Li Xiaoxia on Sunday, Sharara told Xinhua in an interview. Sharara didn't disclose the details, but said that Gates offered to help after watching Hsing's match, in which the 16-year-old girl nearly pulled off one of the biggest upsets in Olympic table tennis history, pushing No. 2 seed Li to the limit before losing 4-2 in six tight sets. "Gates was surprised to see the young American girl played so well. He asked me what he can do to help promote table tennis in the United States. I think we'll work with him. If the United States becomes very strong in table tennis, it's also good for China," Sharara said. Sharara said the case is a "good example" which shows that ITTF's efforts in promoting the popularity. The ITTF has changed its rules for the London Games, allowing only two players from one nation to enter the singles events. Three players from each National Olympic Committee(NOC) were allowed to enter the singles in previous Games. "The reason we do this is to help more NOCs to join in our game. If we give more chances to the top countries, someone like Hsing will not come to the Olympic Games. They have no chance. But if we give them the chance, we can see what they can do," Sharara said. Sharara said the change increased the pressure on strong teams, like China, Japan, South Korea and Germany. "But they understand now because they saw other NOCs attending. Some countries before had no chance to play in table tennis, but now they are joining in table tennis." Other changes made to the Olympic Games include the color of floor (from red to blue) and new table design. "As far as presentation is concerned, we try to change all the time, especially in the Olympic Games. We hope to give audiences something new, exciting and cool." Table tennis has long been the strengths of Asia, especially China. Since the sport was introduced into the Olympics in 1988, China has taken 20 of 24 gold medals available. Four years ago in Beijing, it claimed six medals in the men's and women's singles. Talking about the development of table tennis, Sharara said, "China has the responsibility to promote the sport. Of course, China has done a lot." Which of the following is ITTF's purpose of making changes to the London Games? I recently ran into a friend I hadn't seen for a long while.Our conversation was lively and full of news from both sides.Before we parted she said,"You'll have to drop in sometime." I immediately sensed that if I simply "dropped in'' I would take my friend by surprise,and I would be discouraged by the image of her standing in her doorway,staring at me,and asking,"Oh,err ...what brings you here?" Whatever happened to the unannounced drop-in visit? When I was growing up in the 1960s, it seemed that people - mostly relatives, but also friends - were always _ . My parents would put coffee on,and my mom would find something in the kitchen to serve along with it.Then the conversation would begin...The neighbor lady,a worrier,was unloading her sadness while my mom quietly listened.The Irish man next door had such an accent that I remember asking what language he spoke.My Polish relatives arrived in packs...But I never heard my parents say anything like "We weren't expecting you'' or "This isn't a good time."Drop-in visitors had a certain right of way and became No.1. What happened to such visits? Actually I know the answer.Times have changed.Everybody gets busy with work.There is no longer a stay-at-home mom keeping a pot of hot coffee or tea ready throughout the day for a surprise guest.Exploding malls and stores are now replacing homes as a central form of entertainment. Just the other day a former student of mine showed up."I'm sorry for the surprise visit."my student began."I just wanted to see if you still lived here.I'll only stay a minute."My response was immediate." No, you won't," I said."Just come in, sit, have coffee, and we'll talk.'' I had nothing in the kitchen but we ordered pizza.And we had a lovely time.I have tried to keep the drop-in tradition alive though it takes some effort. The author thought of his friend's invitation --- "You'll have to drop in sometime"--- as _ . Ted Shreds doesn't like cars.He wants people to stop driving because cars make the air dirty.Ted had an idea.He said,"I'm going to cycle around North America.I want to show everyone that cycling is a fun way to get around.If more people ride bikes,the air will be cleaner." He left his hometown with $160 in his pocket.When he got to San Diego,he met another cyclist.The cyclist invited Ted to speak at a big meeting about the environment.He said,"We'll pay your airfare to Texas and we'll pay you to talk about your cycling trip."Two hours late,Ted was on a plane to the environmental conference and to a _ ! While he was at the conference,he met Deanna,it was love at first sight!They talked for six hours straight. The next day,Ted called Deanna and asked her to finish the trip with him.Deanna said yes,sold everything in her apartment,gave her notice at work,and was on the road with Ted 20 days later! "It was difficult at first,"said Deanna."Ted got up every morning at 6:00 a.m.,but I wanted to sleep until noon."After a few days,they started having fun.As they cycled from Florida to Montreal and then back to Vancouver,every day was an adventure.People paid for their food in restaurants and gave them extra money.Some people gave them $50 or $100.They slept in people's backyards and drank beer with motorcycle gangs. On their way back to Vancouver,they stopped in Edmonton to visit Ted's relatives.During the stopover,they got married.People tied a "Just Married" sign and tin cans to the backs of their bikes.They got married.They now want to write a book about their trip."We want people to know that you can be an environmentalist and still have fun,"Shreds said. The "big surprise" he had at the conference was that _ . Roll over, sit and fetch aren't commands normally given to a robot, but the smart toy company WowWee has developed a new way of owning a puppy. CHIP (Canine Home Intelligent Pet) is a robotic dog with blue LED eyes and pointy ears and can sit, shake, dance and make all types of dog noises. It also has tracking capabilities to help locate its owner. "The beauty about CHIP is that it has its own thing going on," said Sufer, CTO at WowWee. "It has its own life and own kind of intelligence. Even if you're not around, it's always doing something." CHIP uses wheels to get around and is loaded with sensors that give it a 360-degree view to find its ball. The pup is Bluetooth enabled, which connects to a wristband worn by its owner. The wristband, similar to a watch, displays icons for different commands such as a thumb-up, which allows you to give your pup a digital belly rub. With its owner wearing a smart wristband, it can even follow him around the room. "We worked on CHIP for about five to six months," Davin Sufer, told dailymail.com, "We typically come up with a concept, model and product and get it on shelves within a year." The company plans to start shipping units by next fall, which will allow them to load up the robotic dog with sensors and add many more animated responses per-owner interactivity. The high-tech toy company made its debut in 2004 by releasing the 1.5 foot RoboSapien, which sold millions of units. MiP, which hit shelves last year, is a seven inch tall robot covered in white with black accents. Users can direct it, change its emotions and make it dance to any song on your iPad. It's loud, fast and active. About 15 years ago, a company called ToyQuest developed the first ever electronic robotic dog---Tekno, the Robotic Puppy. The company sold over seven million units in the first season and 40 million more during its original four years of production. Tekno was built with over 160 emotions and instructions, but most importantly offered consumers a quick look into the future. According to Sufer, the amazing characteristic of CHIP is that _ . More surprising,perhaps,than the present difficulties of traditional marriage is the fact that marriage itself is alive and thriving.As Skolnick notes,Americans are a marrying people: to Europeans,more of us marry and we marry at a younger age.Moreover, after a drop in the early l950s,the rate of marriage in the United States is now increasing.Even the divorce rate needs to be taken in this pro-marriage context:some 30 percent of divorced individuals remarry. Thus,marriage remains by far the preferred way of life for the vast majority of people in our society. What has changed more than marriage is the nuclear family.Twenty five years ago,the typical American family was made up of a husband,a wife,and two or three children. Now there are many marriages in which couples have decided not to have any children.And there are many marriages where at least some of the children are from the wife's former marriage,or the husband's,or both.Sometimes these children spend all of their time with one parent from the former marriage;sometimes they are shared between the two former spouses . Thus,one can find every type of family arrangement.There are marriages without children;Marriages with children from only the present marriage;Marriages with "full time" children from both the present and former marriages;Marriages with "full time" children from the present marriage and "part time",children from former marriages.There are stepfathers,stepmothers,half brothers, and half sisters.It is not all that unusual for a child to have four parents and eight grandparents! These are great changes from the traditional nuclear family.But even so,even in the midst of all this,there remains one constant:Most Americans spend most of their adult lives married. Which of the following can be presented as the picture of today's American families?
One afternoon, four black youths walked into a restaurant that served "whites" only. They sat down and ordered bread and milk. The white waiter just said "We don't serve blacks". The young men did not move. They were tired to death of segregation and of being kicked around. The manager was called. When he saw the angry look in their eyes, he said that he was sorry, but it was not possible to serve them. The next day, more young black people came, and even more came the day after to the restaurant. Then a gang of white youths came in and attacked them. Most of the blacks were beaten up and were black and blue all over. After that the police rushed in, the several people were put in prison---all of them were black, although they had not done anything wrong---just because they were black. The news spread quickly through the black living areas in the city. A large crowd held a meeting round the restaurant the following day, forcing the restaurant to shut. Young men, black and white, made speeches protesting against segregation and pointing out that black people only wanted to live a life in the same way that whites did. They gave out leaflets and soon the movement spread to other cities. Business became so bad at that particular restaurant that the owners were forced to give and served blacks. Nowadays, all the blacks are served in all restaurants open to the public in America. The four blacks didn't leave the restaurant because _ . Answer: they were against segregation If you are planning to study in the United States, you need to consider several factors. Everyone has different opinions about where is the best place to live in. Also, the best places to live in are not always home to the best schools. Finally, many schools specialize in different areas of study. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, for example, is a great school for computer science and technology-related fields of study. However, if you want to study oceanography , your interests may be better served by attending school in a place that is on a coastline or near the ocean. Now I am sure that you know which schools are considered the best in the country. So I will tell you about which states I believe are the best to live in. California is a nice state. Northern California specifically has very good weather. Los Angeles in southern California is another story, though. Life in LA is full of excitement and fast, and sometimes dangerous. As for me, I enjoyed the time I spent in Massachusetts, Virginia and Maryland and these states have a lot of history and culture. The weather is not as perfect as Northern California, but it is still quite nice. My favorite area of America is the Mid-west. Middle America, I think, is home to the true American sense of values. In addition, there are many good universities there. Also, you need to think about your likes and dislikes and then research the various states. You like sunshine and hate snow? Then you probably won't like the Midwest or even the Northeast. Open space, nature and peace? Then you probably should stay away from America's large cities. Are you interested in government? Then Washington D. C. is the only place for you. Whatever you decide, put some thought into it. The place you live in could be the difference between a great study-abroad experience and a state of great suffering on earth. If you study in Middle America, you can probably _ . Answer: feel the real character of the nation Happiness is for everyone. You don't need to care about those people who have beautiful houses with large gardens and swimming pools or those who have nice cars and a lot of money and so on. Why? Because those who have big houses may often feel lonely and those who have cars may want to walk on the country roads at their free time. In fact, happiness is always around you if you put your heart into it. When you are in trouble at school, your friends will help you; when you study hard at your lessons, your parents are always taking good care of your life and your health; when you get success, your friends will say congratulations to you; when you do something wrong, people around you will help you to correct it. And when you do something good to others, you will feel happy, too. All these are your happiness. If you notice a bit of them, you can see that happiness is always around you. Happiness is not the same as money. It is a feeling of your heart. When you are poor, you can also say you are very happy, because you have something else that can't be bought with money. When you meet with difficulties, you can say loudly you are very happy, because you have more chances to challenge yourself. So you cannot always say you are poor and you have bad luck. As the saying goes, life is like arevolving door. When it closes, it also opens. If you take every chance you get, you can be a happy and lucky person. Which idea is NOT RIGHT according to the passage? Answer: People who have cars would never like to walk in the open air. Good posture certainly shows good health. It also adds to a body's energy and beauty. The body is not handsome when the back is bent and neck thrusts forward. Bad posture suggests the impression that a person is tired,lacking in energy,bored,or weak. Tiredness may sometimes be the cause of bad posture. Most often,however,it is due to careless and poor health habits. Whatever it causes,bad posture affects one physically. The muscles are stretched and pulled into unnatural positions,which can lead to poor base of the body's various systems. Nutrition is the study of how the body takes food and uses it. This science provides information about the kinds of food a person must eat to improve and maintain good health. Such knowledge helps him develop and form people habits to his problems of healthful living. People habits of nutrition can be developed by paying attention to:(1) the variety of food included in the diet;(2) the quality of each kind of food eaten. A diet,or the food regularly eaten,must contain all the necessary factors. Many physicians believe that overweight is one of the greatest dangers to good health. This condition often leads to a shorter life. An overweight person is also easier to suffer disease, and various disorders of the digestive system. A person's weight directly has something to do with the amounts of food he eats. All foods can make a person fat if too much is eaten. In reducing,the safe weight loss is about two pounds a week. The sensible way to lose weight is to decrease the gaining starchy foods,fats and sweets in the diet. According to this passage, which of the following is suggested about the good health habits? Answer: All of the above. Nearly 600,000 Americans lost their jobs this past month, pushing the nation's unemployment rate to 7.6 percent. But not all of those fired workers are sitting at home, reading the job advertisements and waiting for the phone to ring. Thousands of people are returning to school, making public colleges and universities among the few bright places in the disappointing US economy. At a time when many Americans have had their work hours cut or have even lost their jobs, Sherian Huddleston is working overtime. She works at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) where she oversees the enrollment of new students. The university's population grew by 800 students this term --an increase of 4 percent over last spring's enrollment. Huddleston says seeing the enrollment rise in a failing economy is not unexpected. "When people are out of work," she points out, "they will ask 'What else can I do?' or 'What other careers can I follow?' They will often return to school if they have not completed a degree before." Older returning students aren't the only ones increasing the enrollment at MTSU. Huddleston says she's also seeing an increase in student transfers . "Students who went out of state, or even within the state, to more expensive schools are transferring to public schools to make use of the lower cost of going to school here," she explains. Which of the following is TRUE about Sherian Huddleston? Answer: She is working more hours than before because of the worsening economy.
More than 50 people have responded to an advertise for "one of the most relaxing jobs on the market" - a bathtub TESTER. Bathstore is seeking a Bathroom Executive Officer (BEO) to test their range of products. It is sure to give the perfect candidate a stress-free life and possibly some pruned fingers and toes. And 12 month contract role pays a yearly salary of PS6,000, plus bathroom installation worth PS6and products worth PS4,000 to trial. For those expecting an easy life, this job isn't all about splashing around in the suds or playing with a rubber duck. The successful applicant will be responsible for providing written reports and analysis on the overall bathing experience. However, all that boring stuff can be done from the comfort of your own home. That's because Bathstore will regularly install their new baths into the BEO's home "ensuring that this is one job that can be taken lying down". Before you apply, make sure you meet the criteria, which is to be laid back, relaxed and bubbly! Bathstore's chief marketing officer Claire Bayliss said: "We are dedicated to making dream bathrooms easy, from design to installation, and this appointment demonstrates our commitment to deliver quality products and expert advice. "We've already received some great applicants for the BEO position and will be looking to produce a short-list in the upcoming weeks. "We're really looking forward to filling the role and won't rest until we find the right candidate". Other possible best jobs in the world range from a chief funster to a taste master. What is true according to Claire Bayliss? A Before you apply, make sure you meet the criteria . B They have found the right candidate. C Expert will give them advice on how to design the bathtub. D They are committed to delivering products of high quality. Answer: D One day I was waiting in line to check out at Wal-Mart. Like a lot of people who want to get through a checkout line, my thoughts were on speed, nothing more. The line I was standing in wasn't moving as quickly as I wanted, and I glanced toward the cashier. There stood a man in his seventies. Of average build, he wore glasses and a nice smile. I thought, "Well, he's an old guy and it probably takes him a little longer to get the chores done." For the next few minutes I watched him. He greeted every customer before he began scanning the items they were purchasing. Sure, his words were the usual, "How's it going?" But he did something different--he actually listened to people. Then he would respond to what they had said and engage them in brief conversation. I thought it was strange, but I guess I had grown accustomed to people asking me how I was doing simply out of a robotic conversational habit. After a while, you don't give any thought to the question and just mumble something back. I could say, "I just found out I have six months to live,'' and someone would reply, "Have a great day!'' This old cashier had my attention. He seemed genuine about wanting to know how people were feeling. And after giving them the change, the old cashier looked the customers in the eyes. "I sure want to thank you for shopping here today, ''he told them. "You will have a great day. Bye-bye." The looks on the faces of the customers were priceless. There were smiles and some shy grins .All had been touched by his simple gesture in a place they never expected. The author glanced at the cashier because of _ . A the look of the old cashier B the slow speed of the checkout line C the smile on the cashier's face D the long line of customers Answer: B We tried so hard to make things better for our kids but we made them worse. For my naughty boys, I'd know better. I'd really like for them to know about hand-me-down clothes and home-made ice cream and leftover meatloaf. I really would. My cherished boys, I hope you learn humility by surviving failure and that you learn to be honest even when no one is looking. I hope you get a black eye fighting for something you believe in. I hope you have to share a bedroom with your younger brother. And it is all right to draw a line down the middle of the room, but when he wants to crawl under the covers with you because he's scared, I hope you'll let him. And when you want to see a Disney movie and your kid brother wants to tag along, I hope you take him. I hope you have to walk uphill with your friends and that you live in a town where you can do it safely. I hope you learn to dig in the dirt and read books, and when you learn to use computers, you also learn how to add and subtract in your head. May you skin your knee climbing a mountain, burn your hand on the stove and stick your tongue on a frozen flagpole . I hope you get sick when someone blows smoke in your face. I don't care if you try beer once, but I hope you won't like it. I sure hope you make time to sit on a porch with your grandpa or go fishing with your uncle. I hope your father punishes you when you throw a baseball through a neighbor's window, and that your mother hugs you and kisses you when you give her a plaster of pared mold of your hand. These things I wish for you--tough times and disappointment, hard work and happiness. What does the author hope for the boys? A they learn a lesson from a fight with others. B they know how to calculate with computers. C they get on well with family members.. D they burn their hand on the stove and stick their tongue on a frozen flagpole. Answer: C One day Daddy and I went out for a walk. On the way we saw a lot of people. We went up and had a look. Oh dear What did we see There was a donkey in the middle of the road. It would not move. The cars and buses could not get past. Then a policeman came. "Whose donkey is this" he asked. "Its mine" said a farmer "but I cant move it." The policeman and the farmer did their best to move the donkey but it would not move. We laughed but the drivers of cars and buses were worried. "We cant move the donkey" the farmer and the policeman said."What shall we do?""Give him a carrot" my father said. "That's a good idea" said the farmer. Soon he found a carrot and showed it to the donkey. When the donkey saw the carrot it jumped up and walked after the farmer. All the cars and buses could get past at last The donkey was _ . A on the way to work B the strongest animal C in the middle of the load D pleased to see so many cars and buses Answer: A Why Advertise on EASYUNI? Easyuni.com is an online destination for finding your dream university or college. We help people search and compare universities, find information, and connect with the university counselors. Choosing a University or College is Difficult and Time-Consuming! If you are considering studying at a University or College, how do you decide which to choose? Maybe it's your brother who graduated from that University. Maybe it's your uncle. However, most likely you search online or you google, going from one University website to another, reading about the university and taking note of important stuff like application and tuition fees, entry requirements, duration of the course, etc. You attend education fairs and speak to many different university representatives. The bottom line is that it is difficult and time-consuming. We Want to Change That We want to give you an online destination where you can: * search for universities, colleges and courses. * compare them in easy- to- understand format. * shortlist courses for your reference. * connect with university counselors and seek advice. All of these in the comfort of your home, office, or nearby Starbucks. For free. Reach local and international students With more than 1,5million page views a year and growing and huge database of students, you'll get exposed to a large number of daily visitors internationally. Get immediate access to quality leads We'll deliver the leads directly to you while it's still warm and you'll be given access to contact and prospect those leads for the successful into your institution. All leads comes with name, contact details, courses interested and question(s) from student. Inexpensive investment EASYUNI provides marketing service that satisfies the need of online marketing for universities and colleges. With our experience we really know the strategy to reach your potential students. Therefore, advertising on EASYUNI will definitely increase your branding and your ROI as well. More effective ads performance Our promoted Premier Listing customers generate between 10-20 times more leads compared to non-premier listing customers. EASYUNI is the correct internet marketing tool for universities and colleges. The passage shows that EASYUNI.com _ . A decides which university a student should go. B offers varieties of practical information to all. C helps students find appropriate universities. D provides lectures online for students. Answer: C
Birds have long been known to be the disease carries for years, but now they are receiving so much pressure due to Avian Bird Flu. Bird cause health danger to humans and animals in or around their droppings. Bird Buffer Q2, is designed to protect your facility from unwanted troublesome birds naturally, and is especially effective for sparrow control. When birds keep coming back and you've tried everything imaginable, it's time for Bird Buffer Q2. Bird control is now safe, easy, and economical with Bird Buffer. The Bird Buffer is also simple to operate. Just hang it with Bird Buffer cables or set it on the roof. Fill it with the specially-prepared liquid, and turn it on. It is that simple. Bird Buffer Q2 is a permanent, automatic and cost-effective commercial process for indoor and outdoor bird control. Contact Bird Buffer LLC @www. Birdbuffer.com or call 866-557-4274. Bird Buffer Q2 Frequently Asked Questions: a) How does Bird Buffer Q2 work? It is operated by an electrically-controlled sprayer to spread the vapor at 90 mph over larger areas. A time releases the vapor every 2 minutes into the air to keep fresh vapor in the area for birds. When birds fly through the area, the tiny particles of vapor enter the birds breathing system, making the birds fly away. When the birds come back, they once again breathe the particles and fly away. After a few weeks, birds remember their responses and stay away. b) How much water is needed per month? About one gallon a mouth c) How long does it take to get bird control? Usually two weeks is enough to control flocks of birds from the treated area. It takes time for the birds to find a new home and new feeding grounds. All of the following aspects of bird control using Bird Buffer Q2 are mentioned except _ . Answer: Tobacco companies are fighting efforts in the United States and Australia to make their products less appealing. In Washington, a federal judge last week blocked the Food and Drug Administration from requiring new warning labels on cigarette packs. Judge Richard Leon ruled in a case brought by five tobacco companies. The judge temporarily stopped a new federal rule which requires large new warnings starting next September. These include color1 images such as a dead body or diseased lungs. And simple text warnings now appear. Congress called for color1 images showing the dangers of smoking, similar to what Canada does. But the tobacco companies say the new requirements approved in June violate their free speech rights guaranteed by the Constitution. Judge Leon said the FDA could not require the new labels before a lawsuit against the government is decided. Some experts say the process could take years. The judge said he believed the cigarette makers were highly likely to win their case. He said the images should be designed to appeal to emotions, rejecting government arguments that they should be purely factual. He accused the government of trying to use the labels to promote an "obvious anti-smoking agenda?" The head of an anti-smoking group, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, called the decision "wrong on the science and wrong on the law". About one-fifth of American adults smoke. The World Health Organization says tobacco kills nearly six mil-lion people worldwide each year. More than six hundred thousand of them are non-smokers who breathe other people's tobacco smoke. In Australia, tobacco companies want to stop what would be the world's most restrictive laws on cigarette advertising. Cigarettes could be sold only in plain olive-green packages. Only the brand name and health warnings could appear. The Senate passed the bill last week and sent it back to the Lower House to approve minor amendments . The law is to go into effect in December of next year. Tobacco companies Say the legislation violates the Australian constitution. They say it would unjustly reduce the value of their brand names and trademarks. Health Minister Nicola Roxon says the government is ready for a legal fight. In 2013, what will Australian cigarettes probably look like? Answer: Renee had been married for a long, long time. Her favorite part of being married was the weekend, when she was with her two horses. On the weekend, Renee was at the stables from morning until dark. She fed, groomed, and rode her horses. She was an excellent rider. She would ride the horses bareback on Saturday, and then she would saddle them up on Sunday. Renee loved parades. She used to say, "A parade isn't a parade without a horse." Renee loved parades almost as much as she loved her horses. She belonged to an email list of volunteers for parades. She regularly visited the state website list of parades to see if there were any new parades that she didn't know about. All the state parades were organized in her computer. In the parades file, she listed the date, drive time and distance, parade time, contact people, and other details she felt were important. She knew the parade director of every town within a four-hour drive. She never stayed overnight. She always left the parade in time to get her horses back to the stables before "bedtime". She had to feed them before they turned in. Her horses seemed to like parades, too. They knew a few tricks that always impressed the children. Renee was very generous with her time and her horses. But owning horses wasn't cheap. You had to rent the stables, and there were always vet and feed bills. Renee knew how to cope with expenses, though. Her vet always gave her a 10-percent discount for paying cash. She always bought the no-name, generic food for the horses. Her vet had told her it was just as healthful and tasty as the brand name material. She always bought economy gasoline. And on parade days, Renee always packed her own lunch and ate with her horses. How did Renee cope with expenses of owning horses? The following ways were used except that _ . Answer: Qi Haoran, a Junior One student, was quite busy over the past winter vacation - and not just with homework.Qi, together with 10 other classmates made a volunteer group to call on people to join the Clean Your Plate Campaign . The 11 students went to many restaurants and told people the importance of saving food. "Excuse me, do you know that 950 million people around the world still haven't got enough to eat? Could you please not waste food?" They would say this kind of thing hundreds of times every day. The Clean Your Plate Campaign began on the Internet in January.It _ people to reduce food waste. China in these years had serious problems with wasted food.CCTV reported in January that the food Chinese people waste every year is enough to feed 200 million people for a year. Chinese people are well known for being hospitable and generous.Many even feel that they lose face if their guests have eaten all their food. Luckily the campaign has got the support of many.In a restaurant in Xinjiang, the owner gives the guests who have eaten up all that they ordered a sticker.People can enjoy a free meal when they have 10 stickers.More than 750 restaurants in Beijing have begun to offer smaller dishes and encourage their guests to take leftovers home. To reduce food waste is a big task, and it needs time.It's important that everyone does their bit, just like Qi.Did you finish your meals today? What did the 11 students do in the winter vacation? Answer: I spent three months volunteering with Volunteer Bolivia . It wassometimes annoying, scary and difficult, but also life-changing, satisfying and amazing. Because I had studied Spanish for a couple of years before I went out, I had just one week of classes at Volunteer Bolivia. Living with a family also helped my Spanish greatly and l felt immediately like one of their daughters. We were good friends from the beginning of my time there and I was looked after very well. I still had a lot of independence. The Volunteer Bolivia centre, with its cafe bar and cultural talks, was a meeting place for all the volunteers and I met some wonderful people from all over the world who were doing the same as me-giving something of themselves to a country which needs so much. My job was in a caring centre for prisoners' children from the Cochabamba prisons and from the very start I felt welcomed and needed. There I met some inspiring members who put so much of their heart into caring for those children who maybe had no one else to love them. Not only the work itself was very hard but at times it was emotionally demanding, especially sending a group of two-year-olds back into the prison at the end of the day. Despite all this, I learnt a lot through the experience and now I'm more aware of the problems faced daily by many people in South America. The centre has very limited funding c) so they depend heavily on the work of volunteers, and any time people give is very valuable to them. Since returning to Britain I have kept in touch with the people I worked with and I'm trying to support them as much as possible. Volunteering through Volunteer Bolivia has changed my life and is an experience l will never forget. The author's job as a volunteer in Bolivia was to Answer:
Question: The sun is a source of which, first and foremost? A. Light B. Energy C. Heat D. Nutrients) Answer: A. Light Question: With only two weeks to go before Christmas, buying presents is a lug priority for a lot of people. However, this year not so many people are leaving their homes to browse around the shops. These days lots of people do their shopping in the comfort of their own home with the help of the Internet. Online shopping is becoming more and more popular for a number of reasons: prices are often lower online, you don't have to queue up in busy shops and you can buy almost any product imagin- able with just a few clicks of your mouse. Computer trends are often man-dominated but this year women are expected to do more shop-ping on the Internet than men. It seems .that women are now more attracted to the convenience of on-line shopping than they used to be. Average spending online this Christmas by women will rise to $240 compared to the slightly lower average $233 for men, while the average spending per person on the high street is only $197. 70% of lnternet users, male and female, are now buying their Christmas gifts online. In the past a lot of people were unwilling to shop online. Many were worried about the security of entering their card details on the Intemet and the reliability of the Internet but as shopping; online has become more widespread, these worries have begun to disappear. 45% of Internet users still do have security worries but it hasn't slowed the ever-increasing numbers of online shoppers. One victim of the online shopping boom is the UK high street. Christmas trading can represent up to 60% of turnover for some stores. Many companies are concerned that not enough shoppers are coming through their doors in the run-up to Christmas. As a result there are lots of special offers in the shops. Most shops traditionally have sales after Christmas but this year the bargains have come early. Many companies on the UK high street have special offers before Christmas A. to beat online shops B. to attract more customers C. to reward the customers D. to reduce the competitions among them Answer: B. to attract more customers Question: Directions : Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are 4 choices marked A,B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage When top engineers in Germany wanted to build a more energy-efficient car, they headed to the natural history museum to study dolphins and sharks. But it was the boxfish that interested them. "We were surprised when this clumsy-looking fish became our model for designing an aerodynamic car",says Thomas Weber. He is the research and development chief for the car company Daimler. An aerodynamic design reduces wind drag and increases fuel efficiency. The boxfish may look clumsy, but it can start, stop ,back up and zigzag through the water with ease. And it does all this using surprisingly little energy. Daimler's bionic car is modeled on the fish's boxy skeletal system. Like the fish, the car is fast and drives easily. It's efficient too. The science behind nature-inspired inventions is called biomimicry . Biologist Janine Benyus came up with the term. As co-founder of the Biomimicry Guild, she has worked with cereal companies,sneaker designers and others to develop products based on Nature's best ideas. This month ,the Nature's 100 Best List will be revealed at the World Conservation Congress in Barcelona ,Spain. Benyus co-authored the list of nature inspired designs with economist Gunter Pauli. In Zimbabwe ,a country in southern Africa ,engineers designed energy-efficient buildings modeled on termite mounds . The buildings use vents to keep the air flowing and the temperature cool. A company in Atlanta ,US ,developed a self-cleaning paint modeled on the lotus leaf. When the paint dries ,it becomes bumpy ,just like the lotus leaf. Rain drops form on the bumps and roll off ,carrying dirt along with them. Nature has done billions of years of research. Only the best-designed products have survived. Companies owe Mother Nature a debt for all that hard work ,says Benyus. For scientists and inventors, the possibilities for copying nature are limitless. Technology may never be as efficient as nature, or as color1ful. But that doesn 't mean we should stop trying to learn from the world around us. Take a walk outside. Watch a squirrel climb up a tree. Look closely at the veins of a leaf. Hear the birds chirping in the trees. Such small details may help solve big problems in the future. We can infer from the passage EXCEPT _ * A. it is believed that the creation of the airplane might have originated from the bird flying in the sky B. the atmosphere on the earth cannot be transferred into the original idea C. dolphins and sharks may become the source of scientists ,inventions or creations D. if you observe and explore nature ,you may make great discoveries or become great inventors Answer: B. the atmosphere on the earth cannot be transferred into the original idea Question: "Do you like doing things for people?" I asked a friend. "Yes, most of the time," she replied. "Most of the time?" "Well, I love to do things that are unexpected. I like to do little things most people wouldn't think about doing," she said. "But why did you say most of the time?" "Well, sometimes after doing those little things people take advantage of you. I mean, they expect you to do it again. They ask you to do it. That's when I don't like it." It was odd that I had this conversation. This just happened to me. I love to do little things. I will pay for a meal card for the people in the office every time we have a meeting there. Not a big thing. It's a little thing. $5.30 will pay for almost five lunches. Hey, big spender! I also bought a bag of animal crackers for a friend at work. She was having a tough day and not very happy at all. I drove down to the Wal-Mart and picked up a huge bag for under $2.00. Her smile was worth it. But one week she said, "Bob, we ran out of crackers. We love them so much." I didn't want to do it. I smiled and she persisted. I finally admitted, "It's different when I do it because I want to, but now you are trying to make me go to get them. It's not the same." But I bought it for her. Unfortunately, a big fire in my family took away all the possessions we had. I didn't know what to do and how to do it. What happened to me then surprised me most. I once had my bike repaired, but the repairman said "no charge" on hearing my sufferings. A stranger called James Kennedy read some pieces I'd written about our sufferings for Slate, the online magazine, and wanted to give us a new house across the lake from New Orleans. I refused but I felt moved. Another poet at the University of Florida also wanted to let his house to me free of charge while he was on holiday. My mates gave us more money for us to rebuild my home. When you do something kind for others, do you always get rewarded? Yes, but not in the way you might expect. What can we learn from the passage? A. Misfortune of blessing on happiness. B. Never too late to learn. C. Helping others means helping yourself. D. Many hands make the work lighter. Answer: C. Helping others means helping yourself. Question: Mr. Jones and Mr. Brown work in the same office. One day Mr. Jones says to Mr. Brown, "I will have a small party at our house on Monday evening. Would you and your wife like to come?" Mr. Brown says, "Thank you very much. I'd love to, but let me ask my wife first." So Mr. Brown goes to the other room and telephones his wife. Then he comes back and looks very _ . "What's the matter?" asks Mr. Jones. " Is your wife there at home?" "No," answers Mr. Brown. "She isn't there. My son answers the telephone. I say to him, 'Is your mother here, David?' and he answers, 'No, she isn't in the house.' 'Where is she?' I ask. 'She is somewhere outside.' 'What's she doing?' 'She is looking for me.'" Who will have a party at home? A. David. B. Mr. Brown. C. Mr. Jones . D. Mrs. Brown. Answer: C. Mr. Jones .
Question: What's your favorite cartoon? It may be difficult for you to decide. But for pianist Lang Lang, Tom and Jerry is the best one. When Lang was two years old, he saw Tom play the piano. This was his first time to enjoy western music and this experience encouraged him to learn to play the piano. His talent at the keyboard has taken him from Shenyang to the world. Lang became a good piano student at three. Ever since, the boy has been doing better and better. In 1997, the 15-year-old boy studied at a famous American music college. Lang's performances are energetic. He is well-known for making facial expressions and moving around while playing the piano. The road to success has never been easy. Lang's father stopped his job to look after him, while his mother stayed in Shenyang to make money. But Lang thinks himself lucky and believes he should give something back. He has helped the children in poor areas a lot. What made Langlang first enjoy western music? A. When he played the piano at three. B. When he saw Tom play the piano at two. C. When he listened to the western music on the radio. D. When his father taught him to read music. Answer: B. When he saw Tom play the piano at two. Question: Farah was sitting in the kitchen going over the party list with her mother.The exams were over and Farah wanted to invite her friends for a party. "Farah,aren't you going to invite Hafsa?"her mother asked.Hafsa had been her best friend since childhood. "Mother,you know I am now a part of Purple Girls Club and we have some rules about people we can be friends with,"Farah answered. "Really?And what are the rules?"her mother asked. "Well,only very pretty girls can be part of our group.And Hafsa is so...you know...dark." "I cannot believe it,"her mother said angrily. As Farah left the kitchen,her father called her from the living room. Farah went to her father and paled when she saw the exam report in his hands."Farah,what has happened to your grades?You have failed in Mathematics,"her father said. Farah had no answer.The truth was that the activities of Purple Girls Club left her with very little time for studies. "Farah,it says that you can take part in supplementary exams .If your grades don't improve then,I'll cancel your trip to Spain." Farah went to her room and called Gina,the leader of Purple Girls Club, "Gina,can you help me to complete my notes before the exams?" Gina laughed."Exams?Who cares about exams?" One by one,she called her friends in the club but no one seemed to care or wanted to help. Farah knew Hafsa would help her.Farah also knew Hafsa had been hurt by her,but Hafsa said,"If you need any help,just let me know.We can study together till your exams." Next Monday,as two friends entered the school together,Gina called out. "Farah,you know our rules.You cannot be friends with those who do not belong to our club." "Gina,I have a new rule about friendship,"Farah replied. What lesson can we learn from the passage? A. A friend in need is a friend indeed. B. A perfect friend will never be found. C. Be slow in choosing a friend. D. Friendship can be developed easily. Answer: A. A friend in need is a friend indeed. Question: Butterflies will often times have coloring that at look like eyes on their wings for A. to look pretty B. fun C. to see flowers D. protection Answer: D. protection Question: He's out there somewhere, an instant icon in the records of American conflict, the final big-game hunter. But a puzzle, too, his identity would be kept a secret for now, and maybe forever. He is the unknown shooter. The nameless, faceless triggerman who put a bullet in the head of the world's most notorious terrorist, Bin Laden. He's likely between the ages of 26 and 33, says Marcinko, founder of the "SEALs Team 6" that many believe led the attack on Bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan. He'll be old enough to have had time to hurdle the extra training tests required to join the counter-terrorism unit, yet young enough to stand the body-punishing harshness of the job. The shooter's a man, it's safe to say, because there are no women in the SEALs. And there's a good chance he's white, though the SEALs have stepped up efforts to increase the number of minorities in their ranks, Marcinko and Smith say. He was probably a high school or college athlete, Smith says, a physical specimen who combines strength, speed and wisdom. "They call themselves 'tactical athletes,'" says Smith, who works with many future SEALs in his Heroes of Tomorrow training program in Severna Park. "It's getting very scientific." Marcinko puts it in more conventional terms: "He'll be ripped," says the author of the best-selling autobiography "Rogue Warrior.""He's got a lot of upper-body strength. Long arms. Thin waist. Flat stomach." On this point, Greitens departs a bit. "You can't make a lot of physical assumptions," says the author of "The Heart and the Fist: The Education of a Humanitarian, the Making of a Navy SEAL." There are SEALs who are 5 feet 4 and SEALs who are 6 feet 5, Greitens says. In his training group, he adds, there were college football boys who couldn't hack it; those who survived were most often men in good shape, but they also had a willingness to show their concerns in favor of the mission. The shooter's probably not the crew-cut , neatly shaven ideal we've come to expect from American fighting forces. "He's bearded, rough-looking, like a street naughty boy," Marcinko supposes. "You don't want to stick out." Marcinko calls it "modified grooming standards." His hands will be calloused , Smith says, or just rough enough," as Marcinko puts it. And "he's got frag in him somewhere," Marcinko says, using the battlefield shorthand for "fragments" of bullets or explosive devices. This will not have been the shooter's first adventure. Marcinko estimates that he might have made a dozen or more deployments , tours when he was likely to have dealt with quite a number of dangerous situations, getting ready any time for explosive devices or bullets. Which of the following is most likely to be the title of the passage? A. Who shot Bin Laden? B. What do the SEALS do? C. How can boys be SEALS? D. What SEALS are like? Answer: A. Who shot Bin Laden? Question: In the early 1980s, one of our neighbors asked my mom if she would make a few gift baskets for her [:]to give as gifts for the holidays. My mom agreed and news of the unique gift baskets my mum was making spread like wildfire throughout the neighborhood. My mum was busy throughout the holiday season, so she asked a friend to help her. When the orders continued after the holiday season for baby gifts, birthday gifts and more, it occurred to them that maybe this job could be turned into a business and they did it. My mum went into her business because she had a creative idea. She got orders and filled orders. But there was no purpose and no real strategy . In 1991, my mum' s partner got into financial trouble and there was not enough money to support either my mum or her partner. So if you are led by your creativity or enthusiasm, make sure you ask yourself what you want out of your business. If you don't set goals, how will you know what direction to go in? Do you want to create jobs and growth in the economy? Are you looking for a hobby? You can't keep scores if you don' t know what game you are playing. After my mom's partner gave up, she had to abandon her business to support herself. She swore she would run a business again and do it differently the next time. However, there wasn't a "next time" for her. She passed away just after her 51st birthday. She never had someone tell her how important having a goal was. She never had an opportunity to be everything that she could be. There are no right or wrong goals, only the ones that matter to you. Set them so that you can make progress and achieve success, whatever that may mean to you. The author's mum started her own business after she _ . A. got continuous orders with her friend B. cooperated with one of her neighbors C. advertised her products in the neighborhood D. designed unique gift baskets for the holidays Answer: A. got continuous orders with her friend
Question: A man made a nice talking machine .It could weigh people's weight .The man wanted to try the machine before he could make a lot of machines. He put the machine into the waiting room of a station .There were always lots of people in and out . The first one who used the machine was an Indian woman. She stood on the machine, the machine thought for a few seconds to decide which language to speak . "Good morning ,Madam ."it said in Indian . "Your weight is 72 kilograms .That's three kilograms more .If you eat more fruit and vegetables ,you will be soon all right .Please have a nice day ." The second one to use the machine was a Chinese girl .She stood on the machine and waited to hear her weight. " Good morning ,Miss ."the machine said in Chinese ."Your weight is 45 kilograms .It's all right for your age. Keep eating what you eat every day .Please have a nice day." The third one to use the machine was a very fat American woman. She thought for a long time to stand on the machine. The machine spoke quickly in English "Good morning .Will one of you get off?" The machine in this passage could_. A. weigh and talk to people B. tell people what they should eat C. speak all kinds of languages D. make people laugh Answer: A Question: Shopping on the Internet is becoming more and more popular. Why do people use the Internet to shop? Some people say it is more convenient. They don't have to leave their homes to order something; they can shop for anything they want at any time; they can find things for sale that they can't find in the Mores near their homes. Still other people say they can find better prices on the Internet. If you want to buy something on the Internet, you need a credit card. You have to type your credit card number and information on the website and send them to the store over the Internet. You have to be sure that the store will not use your information in the wrong way. You don't want someone to get your credit card number, so be careful with it, because people sometimes steal credit card numbers from stores. TV Internet is also a good place to go window-shopping. Window-shopping is when you look at the things for sale in a store, but don't plan to buy anything. In window-shopping you can see what kinds of things you are able to get and how much they cost. Some stores like Ross Stores have a website for information about their Mores, but not for shopping. Some stores have a website for information about their stores, and you can shop on line there, such as Office Depot, Payless Shoe Source and Safeway. Some stores like Amazone.com are only for on line shopping Why should we be careful with our credit card number? A. Because it will be changed. B. Because the store will not use your information. C. Because we can not use your credit card when shopping. D. Because people sometimes steal credit card numbers. Answer: D Question: Artificial flowers are used for scientific as well as for decorative purposes. They are made from a variety of materials, such as wax and glass, so skillfully that they can scarcely be distinguished from natural flowers. In making such models, painstaking and artistry are called for, as well as thorough knowledge of plant structure. The collection of glass flowers in the Botanical Museum of Harvard University is the most famous in North America and is widely known throughout the scientific world. In all, there are several thousand models in colored glass, the work of two artist-naturalists, Leopold Blaschka and his son Rudolph. The intention was to have the collection represent at least one member of each flower family native to the United States. Although it was never completed. It contains more than seven hundred species representing 164 families of flowering plants, a group of fruits showing the effect of fungus diseases, and thousands of flower parts and magnified details. Every detail of these is accurately reproduced in color and structure. The models are kept in locked cases as they are too valuable and fragile for classroom use. Which of the following is the best title for the passage? A. An Extensive Collection of Glass Flowers B. The Lives of Leopold and Rudolph C. Flowers Native to the United States D. Material Used for Artificial Flowers Answer: A Question: BEIJING - The country's top health officials state that an international charity's decisions not to give millions of dollars to Chinese organizations that fight AIDS and other diseases will not bring about the end of those organizations. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria announced on Monday that it will withhold $95 million from the $270 million in grants it had planned to give China. That decision came as the result of months of discussion between the charity and Chinese officials. On the mainland, a large number of programs meant to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS have received money from the Global Fund. Many observers now fear that the announced cut will undermine those organizations' work. Chen Zhu, the minister of health, said officials have found a way to limit the harm. "In the coming five years, the Chinese government will constantly increase its financial support of social organizations, particularly those that work to control and prevent HIV/AIDS." Chen said while addressing the 6th Experience Exchange Conference of International Cooperation Program on HIV/AIDS in China on Monday. In a recent survey of more than 200 organizations taking part in the fight against HIV/AIDS on the mainland, nearly 80 percent of them said they had received grants from the Global Fund. About 83 percent of them said they will find it difficult to continue operating without financial support from abroad, it said. Official statistics showed the Global Fund has given China $548 million in grants since 2003. Xia Jing, leader of a Beijing-based grassroots organization dedicated to controlling AIDS, said: "We were like children fostered by foreign milk. As foreign money began to be withdrawn from China, we were faced with serious financial hardships." Han Mengjie, executive director of Global Fund China Programs, said the Chinese government has fully recognized the important role social organizations play in controlling diseases. "The work done and efforts made by such organizations must be sustained for a long time to supplement the government's intervention work,"he said, "We have to face the truth that international money for AIDS control will gradually leave China and to prepare ourselves to deal with that." What implication can we get from the passage? A. Many people are not optimistic about the control of AIDS. B. Chinese government will take an active part in AIDS control. C. International charity are treating China unfairly. D. Most organization related with AIDS control had received money from the Global Fund before this announcement on Monday. Answer: B Question: Anyone who wants to buy a gun in California will have to wait for 2 weeks. Four people waited for 15 days to buy guns. Then they robbed a store and shot 3 people . Congress is now trying to pass a law that will make everyone wait to buy a gun. Many people do not want this law. Others are glad it might happen. California is one of the longest waiting times for someone to buy a gun. A gun dealer said that this waiting time does not seems to do much good.He has not seen crime go away because of it. One good thing that has happened with the waiting time to buy a gun is a smaller number of suicide . a lot of suicides are with a gun. In California, there are less suicides by gun than in other places. One reason to make people wait to buy a gun is to make sure the guns are not sold to criminals . Last year, this check stopped 2,400 guns from being sold to criminals. This check does not stop anyone else from buying a gun. Many criminals buy guns on the street and not in a store... some people think that a law like this will not do any good.But other people think that if only one person is stopped from getting a gun, then this law is worth it. A long waiting time to buy in California has led to _ . A. a good gun control B. less suicides by gun C. less shop robbery D. a sharp fall of gun sales Answer: B
The other day an acquaintance of mine, an outgoing and charming man, told me he had found himself unexpectedly alone in New York for an hour or two between appointments. He went to the Whitney and spent the "empty" time looking at things in solitary happiness. For him it proved to be a shock nearly as great as falling in love to discover that he could enjoy himself so much alone. What had he been afraid of, I asked myself? That, suddenly alone, he would discover that he bored himself, or that there was, quite simply, no self there to meet? But having taken a decisive step, he is now on the edge of adventure; he is about to be launched into his own inner space to the astronaut. His every perception will come to him with a new freshness and, for a time, seem surprisingly original. For anyone who can see things for himself with a naked eye becomes, for a moment or two, something of a genius. With another human being present, vision becomes double vision, unavoidably. We are busy wondering, what does my companion see or think of this, and what do I think of it? The original impact gets lost. "Music I heard with you was more than music." Exactly. And therefore music itself can only be heard alone. Solitude is the salt of personhood. It brings out the authentic flavor of every experience. "Alone one is never lonely: the spirit adventures, walking in a quiet garden, in a cool house, staying single there." Loneliness is very strongly felt with other people, for with others, even with a lover sometimes, we suffer from our differences of taste, temperament and mood. Human intercourse often demands that we soften the edge of perception, or withdraw at the very instant of personal truth for fear of hurting, or of being inappropriately present, which is to say naked, in a social situation. Alone we can afford to be wholly whatever we are, and to feel whatever we feel ly. That is a great luxury! For me the most interesting thing about a solitary life, and mine has been that for the last twenty years, is that it becomes increasingly rewarding. When I can wake up and watch the sun rise over the ocean, as I do most days, and know that I have an entire day ahead, uninterrupted, in which to write a few pages, take a walk with my dog, lie down in the afternoon for a long think (why does one think better in a horizontal position?), read and listen to music, I am flooded with happiness. I'm lonely only when I am overtired, when I have worked too long without a break, when from the time being I feel empty and need filling up. And I am lonely sometimes when I come back home after a lecture trip, when I have seen a lot of people and talked a lot, and am full to the brim with experience that needs to be sorted out. Then for a little while the house feels huge and empty, and I wonder where my self is hiding. It has to be recaptured slowly by watering the plants and perhaps, by looking again at each one as though it were a person. It takes a while, as I watch the surf blowing up in fountains at the end of the field, but the moment comes when the world falls away, and the self emerges again from the deep unconscious, bringing back all I have recently experienced to be explored and slowly understood, when I can converse again with my hidden powers, and so grow, and so be renewed, till death do us part. The writer's purpose for writing this article is to _ . Answer: share her understanding of solitude with the readers While researchers have long shown that tall people earn more than their shorter counterparts, it's not only social discrimination that accounts for this inequality but tall people are just smarter than their height-challenged peers, a new study finds. "As early as age three, before schooling a child has had a chance to play a role, and throughout childhood, taller children perform significantly better on cognitive tests," wrote Anne Case and Christina Paxson ofprefix = st1 /PrincetonUniversityin a paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research. The findings were based primarily on two British studies that followed children born in 1958 and 1970, respectively, through adulthood and aU.S.study on height and occupational choice. Other studies have pointed to low self-esteem, better health that accompanies greater height, and social discrimination as criminals for lower pay for shorter people. But researchers Case and Paxson believe the height advantage in the job world is more than just a question of image. "As adults, taller individuals are more likely to be selected into higher paying occupations that require more advanced verbal and numerical skills and greater intelligence, for which they earn handsome returns," they wrote. But the researchers said the differences in performance _ long before the tall people enter the job force. Prenatal care and the time between birth and the age of 3 are critical periods for determining future cognitive ability and height. "Prenatal care and prenatal nutrition are just incredibly important, even more so than we already knew," Case said in an interview. If you are among the taller individuals, you are likely to _ . Answer: get higher paying occupations A wallet that looks like a piece of newspaper, an atlas, or an express parcel receipt? Or a business card that looks like a notepad? No kidding. Bai Minghui, a Beijing-based designer, creates his artwork using Tyvek, a synthetic paper material which is difficult to tear, waterproof and, more importantly, totally recyclable. Born to a worker family in 1983 in Tangshan, Hebei Province, Bai worked as a graphic designer at a financial magazine in Beijing after graduating from Minzu University of China. In the spring of 2008, Bai visited an exhibition about Tyvek in Beijing's 798 art zone, and then worked with the material, trying to bring his designs to life. The first thing that came into his mind was the paper wallet, a must-try handicraft assignment that most Chinese students do in elementary school. "A paper wallet is definitely more useful than a paper crane or frog," Bai told Beijing Review, smiling. "At first, many people have no idea what it is, because it looks like a piece of newspaper or an express parcel receipt, and feels like real paper. But it's hard to tear." "The completed, folded wallet is seamless , which creates so much fun for a designer. To be honest, I didn't think about profits at all," he said. After months of research and development on printing and designing, the first generation of his paper wallet made a stunning debut in May 2008. The second generation, which offers a greater range of pattern options, was put on the market at the beginning of 2009. "You can have graffiti or write down phone numbers on it, or paint whatever you like. I would like people to be able to use it easily," he said. "I don't want to do things without creative ideas. Now my focus is on how to create better design rather than the wallet itself." What can people do with this kind of wallet? Answer: They can write their friend's phone number on it. In its latest step to attract Chinese smartphone users, e-commerce company Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. said it is planning to launch a mobile gaming service soon. Alibaba is considering integrating its new mobile gaming service into its messaging app, Laiwang, as well as its Mobile Taobao app for online shopping, a person familiar with the matter said. It is also planning to launch the gaming service as a standalone app, the person said. In the world of gaming and other mobile-based services, Alibaba faces powerful competitor Tencent Holdings Ltd., a giant in online gaming and social networking services. Many analysts view Tencent as a leader in mobile-based businesses in China because of its popular WeChat instant-messaging app, which has over 272 million monthly active users worldwide according to the company. Tencent could use WeChat's massive user base to offer additional mobile services such as gaming or e-commerce, analysts say. Alibaba's push into mobile-based services hasn't always been smooth. It launched Laiwang more than a year ago, but the app, which competes against WeChat, struggled to gain popularity. In September, a person familiar with the situation said Alibaba was in talks with China Telecom Corp., to have the app preinstalled in smartphones sold by the country's third-largest mobile carrier. According to Alibaba, Laiwang had more than 10 million registered users as of November. Alibaba dominates China's e-commerce market with its Taobao and Tmall shopping sites, but one of the biggest challenges it faces is how to hold onto its vast user base when more Chinese Internet users access online services from smartphones. To meet this challenge, Alibaba has made several acquisitions to strengthen its mobile-based services. Last year, it took an 18% stake in Sina Corp.'s Twitter-like Weibo service and integrated some of Taobao's e-commerce services with the microblog. It also bought a 28% stake in mobile mapping firm AutoNavi Holdings Ltd., a move that could enable Alibaba to send location-based ads to smartphone users. Why does Alibaba plan to launch a mobile gaming services? _ Answer: Alibaba wants to take more shares in the market of mobile-based services Too much eating. Too many unhealthy foods. Too many ads for food. Too few activities. Different reasons are given for America's weight problem---a problem increasingly shared by other countries. Almost one-fifth of American children and teenagers are overweight. Schools have been asked to increase physical education, an important tool for public health. However, a recent study has shown an increase in the number of injuries in P.E. classes. Researchers say one possible reason for this is a decrease in the number of school nurses. Schools without a nurse on duty may be more likely to send an injured child to a hospital. Another possible reason for more injuries is a change in the traditional idea of physical education. This "New P.E." expands the kinds of sports that are taught. But activities that some schools offer now, like rock climbing and skateboarding, can also increase the risks, says Cheryl Richardson, who is with the National Association for Sport and Physical Education(NASPE). She also says not all states require P.E. teachers to be specially trained. Untrained teachers could be less likely to recognize unsafe conditions. Cheryl Richardson points to one of the study's findings -that injuries are often the result of contact with a person or a structure. This tells her that the teachers were not giving each student enough space to move around safely. Six activities produced seventy percent of all injuries: running, basketball, football, volleyball, rugby and gymnastics. The researchers say larger class sizes are another possible reason for the increase in injuries. Larger classes can mean less supervision . The National Association for Sport and Physical Education says twenty to thirty students in a P.E. class should be the limit. Which of the following statements is TRUE? Answer: P.E. classes become more dangerous for students now in America.
An ocean, a forest, and a grassy meadow are each examples of a complete ecosystem. Complete ecosystems contain only Nobody is sure where and when the expression "apple-pie order" began. Some say that Scottish and English writers used the expression a long time ago. Others say it was first used in the northeastern American states known as New England. The housewives of New England cut their apples in even slices. Then they filled pie pans with them in an organized way, row upon row. As one writer said, the women of New England loved to have everything in its place. This perhaps explains why it generally is believed that the expression "apple-pie order" began in New England. Another old expression, "apple of discord", comes from ancient mythology ,however. The myth says that all the gods and goddesses were sitting around the table tocelebrate the marriage of Thetis and Peleus. One of the goddesses-Discord-was a troublemaker. She threw away a golden apple on the table to be given as a prize to the most beautiful goddess. At one time, the tomato was called a love apple. That was a mistake. This is how the mistake happened: In the sixteenth century, Spain brought the tomato from South America after Spanish explorers had landed there. Spain then sold the tomato to Morocco. Italian traders carried it on to Italy. The Italian name for the tomato was "pomo di Moro"-apple of the Moors. When French growers brought it in from Italy, they thought "di Moro" meant"d'amour"-the French word for love. And so "pomo di Moro" became the apple of love. People believe many things about the apple. One belief is that it has great power of keeping people healthy. A very common expression is "an apple a day keeps the doctor away. " Another belief is based on fact. The expression is "one rotten apple spoils the barrel. "When an apple begins to go bad, it ruins all the other apples around it in the container. The expression has come to mean that one bad person in a group can cause everyone to act bad. Which of the following can we know about the phrase "apple-pie order"? Moving can bring out the best and the worst in people, I'm finding. And I've discovered where a very generous spirit lives: Defiance, Ohio. After suffering through many months of unemployment, my wife and I had to move this week from Colorado to Ohio, where she would work as a sales assistant. Not knowing a person there, we were pretty concerned about all the work, including how we'd get all the things unloaded without killing ourselves. We decided to pay a couple of college students to help with all the heavy lifting once we got there. But one neighbor after another stopped by and joined in. "What? Have we moved to some other country? Maybe we've died and gone to heaven!" I thought. Unloading actually became fun as we connected with so many wonderful new friends as we worked. The more people that helped, the easier the work became. A job we were afraid might take days for the two of us alone was done in just a few hours. Many total strangers would either walk by or drive by to ask us if we were moving in. Many were delighted that this fine old house that had sat empty for so long was coming to life again. We were invited to an outdoor meal yesterday by neighbors on the same street. All the while, my brain was on this new sense of hope that people could be outgoing and kind to strangers. Among all the conversations were lots of offers to be of help to one another in a variety of ways. It's wonderful to live in such a kind little town. I feel so grateful to be here, and wish the rest of the world could see how an entire society can be a model for what it's like to look out for one another. I used to stay away from friendships with strangers, but now I live in Defiance! The author mainly wants to tell us _ . Have you still remember what happened when you went to school on the first day? I still remember my interesting first day of school . On that day, I hurried to my science class in the morning and found a seat in the back. I waited there for 15 minutes before the bell rang. The science teacher told us about some class rules. No one talked to me nor did I talk to anyone else. I was one of those very shy girls. After the science class, I had an English class. I thought it would be boring but it turned out to be very funny. When the classes of the morning ended I went to lunch. I sat outside the dining room with no one to talk to and no food because I was too nervous to join the lunch line. I kept looking around hoping to see someone I knew but I never saw anyone. Lunch ended and I went to have my art class. I was the first one there and not even my teacher was there yet. So I sat at my desk and started drawing some pictures. I didn't notice the rest of the class walking in or the girl that was standing behind me till I surprised by the voice, "So what are you drawing?" It was a girl who had really long hair. She ended up being my best friend and one of the kindest and liveliest girls I know. In the next class meeting, the teacher asked us to talk about the past holiday. I was glad to make some new friends in the class. The first day of high school was hard for me but I got through it. The writer had no lunch because she _ . Lincoln Park With its many fashion shops and coffee shops,Lincoln Park is also a wonderful part of Chicago which is a delight for people to visit.The Chicago History Museum shows typical Americas,and then of course there's the park itself.Facing Lake Michigan,it offers beaches,wildlife signs and Lincoln Park Zoo,where you can see gorillas and polar bears free of charge. Lombard-Oak Brook Unlike many parts in Washington DC and New York,Lombard in Chicago is an old-fashioned suburb which shows the traditional attraction of old-time America.It's known for its every year's Lilac Festival ,and for the"Little Orphan Annie"house,where the red-headed character was dreamt up by Harold Gray.The nearby village of Oak Brook is even more pleasant,and known for its golf courses and polo club. Magnificent Mile-River North Forming part of the always busy Michigan Avenue,Magnificent Mile is the place to shop in Chicago.Fashion shops,supermarket department stores,and smart restaurants make it a must-visit.And places to look out for include the epic Wrigley Building and the Chicago Water Tower,one of the few buildings to survive the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.The nearby River North district is well known for its many art galleries. The Loop-Downtown Home to the Civic Opera House,the Goodman Theatre,and the Art Institute of Chicago,where American masterpieces can be found alongside Old Masters,the Loop is worth visiting just for the streets alone.Look up at some of the USA's most famous skyscrapers ,and there is Grant Park-a wonderful place with the huge Buckingham Fountain at its centre. Which of the following buildings survived a big fire in history?
Last summer vacation, I volunteered to work at a vet's . There I saw a lot of dogs. Minnie was the funniest-looking dog I'd ever seen. _ She was brought to the vet because her owners didn't want her any more. I thought Minnie had a sweet personality, though."No one should judge her by her looks,"I thought. Finally, I advertised Minnie in the local paper."Funny-looking dog, well-behaved, needs a loving family." When a boy called, I warned him that Minnie was strange-looking. The boy on the phone told me that his grandfather's sixteen-year-old dog had just died. They wanted Minnie no matter what. I gave Minnie a good bath. Then we waited for them to arrive. At last, an old car pulled up in front of the vet's. Two kids raced to the door. They picked Minnie up and rushed her out to their grandfather, who was waiting in the car. I hurried behind them to see his reaction to Minnie. Inside the car, the grandfather held Minnie in his arms and _ her soft hair. She licked his face. Her tail wagged around so quickly that it looked like it might fly off her body. "She's perfect!"the old man said happily. I was thankful that Minnie had found a good home. Suddenly, I saw that the grandfather's eyes were a milky white colour--he was blind. Why did the boy who called the writer want Minnie? A Because he loved all kinds of dogs very much. B Because he had seen Minnie and loved her very much. C Because his grandfather's dog was too old. D Because his grandfather's dog had just died. Answer: D In her new book, "The Smartest Kidsin the World", Amanda Ripley, an investigative journalist, tells the story of Tom, a high-school student from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, who decides to spend his senior year in Wroclaw, Poland. Poland is a surprising educational success story: in the past decade, the country raised students' test scores from significantly below average to well above it. Polish kids have now outscored American kids in math and science, even though Poland spends, on average, less than half as much per student as the United States does. One of the most striking differences between the high school Tom attended in Gettysburg and the one he ends up at in Wroclaw is that the latter has no football team or teams of any kind. That American high schools spend more time and money on sports than on math is an old complaint. In December, when the latest Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) results are announced, it's safe to predict that American high-school students will once again show their limited skills in math and reading, outscored not just by students in Poland but also by students in places like China, Finland, Singapore, and Japan. Meanwhile, they will have played some very exciting football games, which will have been breathlessly written up in their hometown papers. Why does this situation continue? Well, for one thing, kids like it. And for another, according to Ripley, parents seem to like the arrangement, too. She describes a tour she took of a school in Washington D.C., which costs thirty thousand dollars a year. The tour leader -- a mother with three children in the school -- was asked about the school's flaws . When she said that the math program was weak, none of the parents taking the tour reacted. When she said that the football program was weak, theu mean?" One of the ironies of the situation is that sports show what is possible. American kids' performance on the field shows just how well they can do when expectations are high. It's too bad that their test scores show the same thing. Tom decides to spend his senior year in Poland because _ . A he intends to improve his scores B Polish kids are better at learning C sports are not supported at schools in Gettysburg D he wants to be the smartest kid in the world Answer: A Thousands of people began pouring into Pennsylvania from other states. They wanted to buy lottery tickets. The tickets cost only $0.9each. But that small spending could bring them a reward of $90 million. That was the second largest lottery jackpot in history. More than 87 million tickets were bought for the Pennsylvania lottery drawing . Those who bought tickets had to choose seven numbers from 1 to 80 The chance of winning was one in 9.6 million. But that little chance certainly did not affect tickets sales. In the last few days before the drawing , tickets were selling at the unbelievable rate of 500 per second . Experts say many people buy lottery tickets because they just want to have a piece of the action .Others say the lottery is a stock market for poor people . It allows them to dream about wealth they will probably never have . But many people believe lotteries are no better than legalized gambling . Some critics note that most people who play are poor and may not be able to afford the tickets .There are also many addicts who take the game seriously, They may pour their life savings into lottery tickets .Some clubs have been formed to help them kick the habit. Politicians like lotteries because they provide money that would otherwise have to come from new taxes. The profits from lotteries are usually used to pay for education or programs for senior citizens. But critics say this arrangement just allows states to legalize vice under the name of social progress . No matter whether you regard state lotteries right or not , you can not refuse to accept their extreme popularity with many Americans . People who are addicted to playing lotteries should _ . A join a club B kick the habit C win the Pennsylvania D save every cent Answer: B A couple of years ago, before a trip to China, Nicole Davis and her US women's volleyball teammates were warned about the prominence (, ) of coach "Jenny" Lang Ping in her native country. "I was pushed over by Chinese journalists while I was just trying to put my luggage on the bus," said Davis. Known as the "Iron Hammer" for her punishing spikes , Lang made it possible for China to dominate in the sport in the early 1980s. She was a key player on China's 1984 Olympic gold medal winning team. When the US team arrived for the Olympics, Lang, 48, who is from Beijing, had to take a different route to avoid a crowd of reporters and fans. Then came the greatest moment to Lang:while the US team was playing in a packed gym, at least 8,000 Chinese fans _ an American flag. "That really says it all," Davis said. "They look at her as an icon .I'm sure it's hard for them to see her coaching another country, but they love her so deeply that her success is their success." The loyalty of the Chinese fans was tested on Friday, when China lost a match to the US. "It's a pity that China lost the match, but I'm still glad that Lang Ping's team won, since she is the pride of China's volleyball," said Liu Chengli, a spectator. "We also cheered for Lang's victory." Lang said she just tried to stay professional when the two teams meet. "It doesn't matter if we play China or any other team. It's the same." Lang said. Davis said she and her teammates could not have imagined the passion for volleyball among Chinese because the sport was lack of popularity in the US. The reception from Chinese fans has touched the US players, said a US volleyball player Lindsey Berg. "It's such an honor to be here and play for our coach here in China," she said. "The amount of support that the Chinese give to her and us has been tremendous. The whole event has been unbelievable." What's the passage mainly about? A Staying professional. B Cheering for the Iron Hammer. C A match between China and the US. D Lang Ping's career as a coach. Answer: B One of the most popular American singers of the twentieth century was Elvis Presley. He made the rock & roll music popular all over the world. He sold millions of records and made many successful films, and he helped change the direction of popular music in the 1960 s. Elvis Presley was born in a poor family in 1935. His parents were simple country people who often took him to church, where he learned to sing, and he never forgot the kind of songs that he used to sing in church as a child. When he was young, Elvis moved from Toledo to Memphis in Tennessee, where he attended high school. But he was not a good student. His only real interest was singing. He began to sing in the style that is called "country and western". In 1955 he recorded some songs for his mother's birthday. The people at the recording studio liked his singing and his music. It was country and western music, but it also sounded a little like the music which black people used to sing in the American South. It was called "blues". Shortly after that, Elvis met Tom Parker, who became his manager and arranged concerts for him across the United States and new recordings as well. Soon Elvis became famous around the country. Later Elvis went to Hollywood and began to appear in films such as Love Me Tender and King Creole. But Elvis found it difficult to live with success. Like many other famous people, He began to take drugs and his health started to suffer. When he died at an early age of 42 in 1977,his many millions of fans were shocked. "The King Is Dead!" the newspaper said. But today his memory and his music live on and will always be remembered as the King of Rock & roll. Who was Tom Parker? A A manager of a bank B A famous singer C Elvis' manager D Elvis' best friend since childhood Answer: C
Dear Estelle, Saturday, 5th June I hope you' re well and not working too hard! I' ve been revising for my exams now for the last two weeks. That' s why I haven' t written for such a long time. Since the beginning of this year we' ve been doing a project called ' World Class'. Have you heard of it.'? Not everyone in the class could take part, but luckily I could. The school chooses a 'twin school' in a different area of the world. Our head teacher chose a school in Uganda. They gave us someone to write to from that school. For three months, I've written to a girl called Louisa, who is the same age as me. It' s been more interesting to hear about her life. She' s told me all about her school and described her daily life. I can' t believe that her School doesn' t. have any electricity. She goes to 'school from eight o' clock in the morning until six. O'clock. in the evening. I can' t believe how lucky we are here! She' s also told me that she often can' t go to school because she has to look after her baby brother and sister. She's tried to teach me some of her language and it' s really difficult. I love it because it' s the first time I' ve thought about what life must be like somewhere else. I can' t believe people miss classes here when everything is so easy for us. I think more people should help out with projects like this. At the weekend we' re going to have a sports day to help raise money to send to the school. Perhaps one day I'll be able to go to Uganda and meet Louisa myself--who knows? Lots of 1ove, Suzanne From the passage we know that A Louisa lives a poor life B Louisa has stopped going to school C Louisa is older than Susanne D Louisa and Suzanne have the same interests Answer: A If you had billions of dollars, would you donate almost all of it to charity? Well, that's what Mark Zuckerburg, CEO and founder of Facebook, just said he would do. Zuckerburg and his wife Priscilla Chan promised to give 90% of their Facebook _ to society. Right now that is about $45 billion, and they plan to donate the money to things like science and education. Many billionaires have done similar things. Bill Gates, creator of Microsoft, made The Giving Pledge, an activity in which billionaires promise donate more than half of their wealth to charities. This started in 2010, and now 139 people from 15 countries joined it. But giving back and helping others isn't just for big billionaires. People like Zuckerberg, and Gates may have more to give, but people with less are doing it, too. Especially around the holidays, people want to do their part and give back to people who are less lucky than them. Schools may have food collections where people bring a few food items*, and together they can make a big donation to places like homeless people's homes. People also host special events like concerts of runs to be creative while raising money. Regular people donate whatever they can to US charities like the United Way and the American Red Cross. Then these charities are able to help US communities in different ways like education, health and improving the lives of the poor. These individual* donations come together to make a big difference. According to this passage, regular people _ A get help from rich people. B hold special events to celebrate holidays C help the people who is less lucky. D collect food in homeless people's home. Answer: C I know it is wrong to envy your children. But when I see my son, Tonio and his younger brother Sam going down a slide together, one's arm around the other, I know I have missed something wonderful. Not only did I never have a brother, but also I had no friendships like theirs. My sister was old enough to help take care of me, so she was more a mother than a playmate, and I was more a _ than a friend. A brother would have been wonderful, but it was not in the family planning. Now I finally live with brothers, my sons, Tonio and Sam. I am watching them build the kind of relationship that I once dreamed about. They go to bed together. When one comes into our bed after a nightmare, my wife and I know that before morning his brother will follow. Sam manages the world with more ease than his elder brother, whose frustrations often bring him to tears. With a sincere "Smile, Tonio," Sam is the one who comforts him. Tonio, on the other hand, has stopped playing with boys at his age who don't like playing with Sam. They are always backing each other up. I don't know what kind of relationship they will have when they grow up. Parents always want their children to have what they never could. I want them to have each other. So I imagine them going to the same college, marrying sisters and living on the same block. That's why I was so worried the day Tonio started kindergarten. I felt that I would lose something too. As we headed for school that morning, both boys seemed relaxed, as if neither had any idea that the day was going to be different, that starting then, Tonio would be leaving behind his brother, his best friend, his right arm. Tonio's first day was chaotic, with hundreds of children outside looking for their teachers. Before any of us could say goodbye, Tonio disappeared with his new classmates. He turned to wave and then was gone. It was so sudden. Sam even didn' t see him go. Although parents had been asked to ease the craziness of the first day by statying out of the school, I lifted Sam up and took him to Tonio's classroom, looking for a glimpse of Tonio. Sam spotted him first. My wife and I didn't head back home immediately, stopping instead at a coffee shop to treat Sam to hot chocolate. We even let him eat ice-cream with his fingers. Sam was still quiet, so I asked him if he missed his brother already. He didn't answer. Instead he asked, "Daddy, is Tonio going to be gone forever?" "No, Sammy," I said, feeling happy about his sweet question. "Not forever, just until three o'clock." I sometimes think that the greatest thing I have ever done is to help create these brothers. And I didn't stop with them. We had another child, and for the third time in a row, it was a boy. It wasn't long before his brothers climbed into the crib to play with him. I am surrounded by brothers. What can we learn about the two little brothers? A Tonio often encouraged Sam when Sam burst into tears. B The two brothers went to the same kindergarten. C Neither of the brothers played with other children. D They supported each other in different ways. Answer: D Dining Experiences at Belmond Grand Hotel Europe Delicious cuisine is paired with excellent musical entertainment at Belmond Grand Hotel Europe. TCHAIKOVSKY NIGHT Every Friday, dine in Lobby Bar and be treated to a special musical accompaniment. Enjoy timeless classics from the great Russian composer Tchaikovsky, performed by local dancers and a chamber orchestra. Time: 7 pm - 10 pm Price: RUB 2, 000 per adult RUSSIAN AFTERNOON TEA Take a seat in the Mezzanine Cafe at a table laid out with Imperial Porcelain china.Feast on Borodinsky bread sandwiches with various fillings, hot smoked trout , delightful mini pirozhki and sweets such as vatrushkas, all accompanied by good, strong tea and light music. Available daily 2 pm - 6 pm, priced at 1800 RUB for two. TAITTINGER CHAMPAGNE BRUNCH Enjoy a wide variety of international dishes and unlimited drinks accompanied by live jazz at L'Europe Restaurant every Sunday.A supervised playroom for children is also available. Time: I pm - 4:30 pm Price: RUB 4, 900 per adult; Children': up t0 7 - free / 7 t0 15 - RUBI, 800 / above 16 - full price VODKA EXPERIENCE Available in the Caviar Bar, let our seasoned chef take you through caviar and vodka pairings. You can also take part in cocktail demonstrations, or enjoy vodka-themed treatments at the beauty salon. Available daily 4 pm - 11 pm, priced at RUB 3, 000 for one bottle. Where does this passage probably come from? A A science fiction. B A hotel brochure. C A recipe book. D A geography textbook. Answer: B Trip 1 Black Bear Count There have been fires in this area in the last few years and the Office of the National Park is not sure how many black bears are still living. Some bears have been seen since the fires, and the Office has asked for young people to help count them. The entire trip will last three hours. Bookings necessary. Cost: Free When: May 8 Trip 2 Garland Valley Bring your drink and lunch for this walk in a beautiful area of the Blue Mountains. Garland Valley is close to the town of Garland hut is part of the National Park. Many wild animals live in this area, including many rare birds. This is a great walk for bird-lovers. The trip lasts four hours. Bookings necessary. Cost: $ 15 When: May 8, May 15 Trip 3 Flashlight Adventure Put on your warm clothes, bring a flashlight and a pair of glasses, and come for a night walk along the Dungog Valley. A guide will lead the tour. Many of the animals you will see on this trip . The guide will tell you about the lives of the animals you see. Numbers are strictly limited on night trips, so be sure to book early. This walk lasts two and a half hours. Cost: $ 12 When: May 8, May 15, May22 Equipment to be needed: * Please bring enough water and food for all walks. * Wear good walking shoes--no high heels. * Wear a hat for day walks. * Dress warmly for night walks. * Children must be with an adult. * Make sure your flashlight works well and bring extra batteries for night walks. * Follow all instructions from guides during the walks. The mountains are a dangerous place. Bookings: * Bookings for the above trips can be trade by telephone(893 -- 4847)or on the Internet at Which of the following is NOT necessary for the three trips? A Good walking shoes B A pair of glasses C Food and water D A sleeping-bag Answer: D
Our sense of smell, which we normally take for granted, is nowadays being increasingly used for purposes which might surprise us if we realized them. One area in which smells are created to achieve particular results is marketing. For some time producers have taken advantage of our sense of smell with regard to household goods. When pleasant smells are passed through a store's air conditioning system, people tend to spend more time in the store and buy more. For example, the smell of chocolate is used in sweet stores, while the smell of leather and perfume are used in clothes stores. In a test, people looked at the same types of shoes in two rooms--one filled with purified air, the other with a smell of mixed flowers. Eighty-four percent of the people preferred the shoes in the room with the smell of flowers. In fact, many said they would have paid up to US $ 10 more for a pair. Smells also have other uses. Research has shown that certain smells can help to calm anxious people and increase their feeling of safety. Smells such as that of flowers and pine forests might therefore be used to relax patients in doctors' and dentists' waiting rooms, and to make the environment more pleasant and less stressful to _ Some companies are experimenting with different smells to produce different efferent effects on their workers according to the time of day. For example, early in the morning they might put the smell of lemon in the air conditioning system to wake people up. In the middle of the morning, when the atmosphere tends to become more tense, the smell of wood could be used to calm people down. Before lunchtime the smell of melting butter would encourage people to go to lunch on time. After lunch, when people often begin to lose attention, the smell of mint would increase their watchfulness. While some of these uses of smells may e helpful and effective, not everyone would agree with their use to control customers in stores. It has been suggested by consumers' organizations that one way to avoid this new subconscious pressure to buy is to go shopping when people are less likely to be influenced by smells. We can conclude from the text that _ smells are effective if used in suitable cases Steven Jobs, the designer of Apple Computer, was not clever when he was in school. At that time, he was not a good student and he always made troubles with his schoolmates. When he went into college, he didn't change a lot. Then he dropped out . But he was full of new ideas. After he left college, Steven Jobs worked as a video game designer. He worked there for only several months and then he went to India. He hoped that the trip would give him some new ideas and give him a change in his life. Steven Jobs lived on a farm in California for a year after he returned from India. In 1975, he began to make a new type of computer. He designed the Apple Computer with his friend in his garage. He chose the name "Apple" just because it could help him to remember a happy summer he once spent in an apple tree garden. His Apple Computer was so successful that Steven Jobs soon became famous all over the world. He often said, "I live in order to change the world, there aren't any other reasons. The only way to have a great achievement is to love your own career. If you can't find your favorite career, go on looking for it and never give up." This is Steven Jobs, though he is dead, his spirit and achievements still influence our lives. From this passage we know Steven Jobs _ . liked trying new things and making his new ideas come true 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.' Which is TURE according to the passage? All the telephones look the same. Different countries have different customs. When you travel to another countries, please follow their customs, just as the saying goes, " _ ." Very often people who travel to the United States forget to tip. It is usual to tip _ who help carry your bags, taxi drivers and waiters. Waiters expect to get a 15% tip on the cost of your meal. Taxi drivers expect about the same amount. In England, make sure to stand in line even if there are only two of you. It's important to respect lines there. It's a good idea to talk about the weather. It's a favorite subject of conversation with the British. In Spain, it's a good idea to have a light meal in the afternoon if someone invites you for dinner. People have dinner very late, and restaurants do not generally open until after 9 pm. In Arab countries, men kiss one another on the cheek. Your host may welcome you with a kiss on both cheeks. It is polite for you to do the same. In Japan, people usually give personal or business cards to each other when they meet for the first time. When a person gives you a card, don't put it into your pocket right away. The person expects you to read it. Don't forget to be careful of your body language to express something in conversation. A kind of body language that is acceptable in one culture may be impolite in another. What's the best title of the passage? Advice to International Travelers When something goes wrong,it can be very satisfying to say,"Well,it's so-and-so's fault."or "I know I'm late,but it's not my fault;the car broke down."It is probably not your fault,but once you form the habit of blaming somebody or something else for a bad situation,you are a loser. You have no power and could do nothing that helps change the situation. However,you can have great power over what happens to you if you stop focusing on whom to blame and start focusing on how to _ the situation. This is the winner's key to success. Winners are great at overcoming problems. For example, if you were late because your car broke down, maybe you need to have your car examined more regularly. Or, you might start to carry along with you the useful phone numbers, so you could call for help when in need. For another example, if your colleague causes you problems on the job for lack of responsibility or ability, find ways of dealing with his irresponsibility or inability rather than simply blame the person. Ask to work with a different person, or don't rely on this person. You should accept that the person is not reliable and find creative ways to work successfully regardless of how your colleague fails to do his job well. This is what being a winner is all about--creatively using your skills and talents so that you are successful no matter what happens. Winners don't have fewer problems in their lives; they have just as many difficult situations to face as anybody else. They are just better at seeing those problems as challenges and opportunities to develop their own talents. So, stop focusing on "whose fault it is." Once you are confident about your power over bad situations, problems are just stepping stone on for success. When your colleague brings about a problem, you should _ . find a better way to handle the problem
People who have a fear of ugly insects will want to stay far away from Lake Tawakoni State Park in north Texas, US. A giant spider web was recently found there. The thick web is swarming with millions of little spiders. Stretching across several acres it blankets a number of trees, bushes and even the ground. While the web may make some people nervous, it has become a big attraction for others-especially for unlucky insects. "At first, it was so white that it looked like fairyland," said Donna Garde, the park's manager. "Now it's filled with so many mosquitoes that it's turned a little brown." Most spiders work alone, which is why the discovery of the huge web has caused such a stir. Scientists across the country have been debating its origin. Some spider experts' say the monstrous web may have been weaved by social spiders. Social spiders work together to build larger webs to catch small insects. However, those webs take years to build. Park officials say this web was formed in just a few months. Others say it could be the work of millions of tiny ballooning spiders. These types of spiders 'fly' by throwing out thin threads of silk, which they use to ride air currents . In 2002, a similar giant web made by ballooning spiders was discovered in a field in Canada. Texas entomologist Herbert Pase says the giant web is very unusual. "From what I'm hearing, it could be a once-in-a-life-time event," he said. But John Jackman, an entomologist and professor at Texas A&M University, disagrees. Jackman says he hears reports of similar webs, like the one in Canada, every few years. "There are a lot of folks that don't realize spiders do that," he said. "Until we get some samples sent to us, we won't know what species of spider we're talking about." Park officials expect the web to last until fall when the weather gets cooler. That's when the spiders begin dying off in the park. Which of the following sentences about the web in north Texas is TRUE according to the passage? Answer: It is not certain yet what spiders made the web. I am a vegetarian . Many people are quick to think of vegetarianism as strange behavior. I treasure our Earth, and since we only have one, we should protect it and the wildlife that lives on it. But that's only one of the reasons to be a vegetarian. Vegetarians may live longer, healthier lives. There is a connection between red meat consumption and various diseases. From an economic standpoint, it requires less land, money and energy to produce foods for a vegetarian diet. While there are many benefits to being a vegetarian, only a handful of those who attempt to adopt this lifestyle succeed. The most important quality required to be a vegetarian is firmness since surrounded by the _ of meat, we tend to give up vegetarianism easily. Creativity is almost as important as commitment. It's easy to tire of eating nothing but salad. But with a little creativity and some soy products, almost any meal can become vegetarian-friendly. Not everyone wants to be vegetarian. Accepting this is part of being a vegetarian with style. Forcing your beliefs on others is disrespectful. Stylish vegetarians should also be able to turn down a meaty dish politely without annoying their hosts. Being a successful vegetarian has been easy for me, but it may not be so for others. A common mistake is quitting before your body has adjusted to the change. It can be difficult to keep the lifestyle in the beginning because of temptation. However, it fades over time. Another common mistake is quitting because you've been misinformed about the nutritional wisdom of being a vegetarian. That's why it is vital to be educated. Countless people will tell you that it's impossible to obtain the nutrients and protein your body requires without meat, but they are incorrect. People actually need only 44-55 grams of protein a day, and that is easily found in a vegetarian diet. Many meat eaters are consuming three times that amount, which is not beneficial. It leads to diseases. Vegetables can also supply all the vitamins, minerals and nutrients your body needs. However, if you're still not convinced, you can take a multi-vitamin. Which of the following is NOT true? Answer: Vegetarians need multi-vitamins to keep healthy. The following are selected contributors' notes for an essay collection. KATY BUTLER, a 2004 finalist for a National Magazine Award, has written for The New Yorker, the New York Times, Mother Jones, Salon, Tricycle, and other magazines. She was born in South Africa and raised in England, and came to the United States with her family at the age of eight. "Everything Is Holy," her essay about nature worship, Buddhism , and ecology, was selected for Best Buddhist Writing 2006. In 2009 she won a literary award from the Elizabeth George Foundation. "What Broke My Father's Heart" was named a "notable narrative" by the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard, won a first-place award from the Association of Health Care Journalists, and was named one of the 100 Best Magazine Articles of All Time. Butler has taught narrative nonfiction at Nieman Foundation conferences and memoir writing at Esalen Institute. Her current book project is Knocking on Heaven's Door: A Journey Through Old Age and New Medicine to be published in 2013. VICTOR LAVALLE is the author of a collection of stories, Slapboxing with Jesus, and two novels, The Ecstatic and Big Machine, for which he won the Shirley Jackson Award, the American Book Award, and the Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence. He is a 2010 Guggenheim Award winner and an assistant professor at Columbia University's School of the Arts. About "Long Distance" he says: "This essay actually came about when I was asked to write about my life after having lost a great deal of weight. And yet, when I sat down to work, all I could do was return to that time when I was much heavier and deeply unhappy. Why? I sure didn't miss those days. And yet, I felt I couldn't write about my present without touching on that past. But, of course, I never reach the true present in the essay. Maybe I still don't know how to talk about a life with greater happiness. " BRIDGET POTTER was born in Brompton-on-Swale, Yorkshire, and came to the United States as a teenager in 1958. She spent the first forty years of her career in television, beginning as a secretary, then as a producer and an executive, including fifteen years as senior vice president of original programming at HBO. In 2007 she earned a BA in cultural anthropology from Columbia University. This year she will complete an MFA in nonfiction, also from Columbia, where she has been an instructor in the University Writing Program. She is currently working on her first book, a memoir / social history of the 1960s, from which her essay "Lucky Girl" is adapted. PATRICIA SMITH is the author of five books of poetry, including Blood Dazzler, chronicling the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina, which was a finalist for the 2008 National Book Award, and Teahouse of the Almighty, a National Poetry Series selection. Her work has appeared in Poetry, The Paris Review, TriQuarterly, and The Best American Poetry 2011. She is a Pushcart Prize winner and a four-time individual champion of the National Poetry Slam, the most successful poet in the competition's history. RESHMA MEMON YAQUB wouldn't even be fit to write a grocery list were it not for her guardian editors. Her stories owe many glorious plot twists to Zain, eleven, and Zach, seven. Ditto their dad (Amer) and grandparents (Ali, Razia, Muhammad, Nasreen). Costars: Sophie, Sana, Yousef, and Maryam. Miss Yaqub lives in Bethesda, Maryland. Her next project is an investigation into the whereabouts of two missing people: Mr. Right and Ms. Memoir Literary Agent. Which of the following won the Shirley Jackson Award? Answer: Big Machine. The Vieira family moved to the United States in 1981. At that time, they decided to stop speaking Spanish at home and only communicate in English. This was because they were now living in an English-speaking country. Now the Vieira children are adults, and they sometimes travel to Spain to visit their family and friends. But they cannot communicate with them. Unfortunately this is common. When people move to new countries, they often leave their own customs and mother language behind. This is a mistake because there are many benefits to knowing more than one language. One advantage of speaking more than one language is that you can communicate directly with more people around the world. You do not have to depend on others to talk for you, so you're more independent. People who know only one language must use others to help them communicate Furthermore, speaking a second language also allows people to experience other cultures and customs more effectively. Local expressions, vocabulary, and even jokes can have a powerful effect on a person's understanding of another culture. So, knowing more than one language increases your knowledge of other cultures. Finally, having more _ improves relationships between countries. If people from different countries can communicate well, the world can become closer. Countries will then have more respect for each other and better understand each other's problems. The benefits of knowing more than one language are clear. In fact, there are no disadvantages. It is very sad that many people don't try to learn another language. It is even worse when people let themselves forget their mother language and become silent. The passage begins with the experience of the Vieira family in order to _ . Answer: show the problems of speaking only one language Three surfers rushed to save a man's life after he was left drifting on a notorious stretch of water. The men stayed with Greg Popple for 30 minutes and had to be rescued themselves by helicopter as the drama unfolded. The 45-year-old had floated out on a body board near Hutchwns Point at 8:30 am. He found himself in trouble about half-a-mile from the shore and dangerously close to rocks. Surfers Graig Evans, 31, Robert Miles, 19, and Owain Daviees, 23, were risking their own safety to keep him floating for 30 minutes. Luckily a passer-by noticed what was going on and raised the alarm. Porthcawl Coastguard, Porthcaw Lifeboat and an RAF helicopter all took part in the rescue. "The man who got into trouble was a body boarder-there was a big tide where he was," said Joe Missen. "Three other surfers spotted he was in difficulty and he was going down. They kept him afloat because he was in a state of shock and out of energy. If Mr. Popple was closer to the rocks, it could have been a lot worse, but they managed to keep him from harm". Mr. Missen's mum Alison, also part of the rescue team, said, "That part of the water is notorious for taking people out to nowhere". The three men had clocked off a night shift at Ford Motor Company shortly before the incident. "I headed straight down to the beach for a surf, when I saw him flailing . We just swam straight out to him and kept him calm while the help came". The four men were taken to the life boat house to recover, without injuries. The helicopter came up at the request of _ . Answer: a passer-by
The technology is great. Without it we wouldn't have been able to put a man on the moon, explore the ocean's depths or eat microwave sausages. Computers have revolutionized our lives and they have the power to educate and pass on knowledge. But sometimes this power can create more problems than it solves. Every doctor has had to try their best to calm down patients who've come into their surgery waving an Internet print-out, convinced that they have some rare incurable disease, say, throat cancer. The truth is usually far more ordinary, though: they don't have throat cancer, and it's just that their throats are swollen. Being a graduate of the Internet "school" of medicine does not guarantee accurate self-health-checks. One day Mrs. Almond came to my hospital after feeling faint at work. While I took her blood sample and tried to find out what was wrong, she said calmly, "I know what's wrong;I've got throat cancer. I know there's nothing you doctors can do about it and I've just got to wait until the day comes." As a matter of routine I ordered a chest X-ray. I looked at it and the blood results an hour later. Something wasn't right. "Did your local doctor do an X-ray?" I asked. "Oh, I haven't been to the doctor for years," she replied. "I read about it on a website and the symptoms fitted, so I knew that's what I had." However, some of her symptoms, like the severe cough and weight loss, didn't fit with it--but she'd just ignored this. I looked at the X-ray again, and more tests confirmed it wasn't the cancer but tuberculosis --something that most certainly did need treating, and could be deadly. She was lucky we caught it when we did. Mrs. Almond went pale when I explained she would have to be on treatment for the next six months to ensure that she was fully recovered. It was certainly a lesson for her. " _ ," she said, shaking her head, as I explained that all the people she had come into close contact with would have to be found out and tested. She listed up to about 20, and then I went to my office to type up my notes. Unexpectedly, the computer was not working, so I had to wait until someone from the IT department came to fix it. Typical. Maybe I should have a microwave sausage while I waited? By mentioning the breakdown of the computer, the author probably wants to prove _ . A it's a must to take a break at work B it's vital to believe in IT professionals C it's unwise to simply rely on technology D it's a danger to work long hours on computers Answer: C. it's unwise to simply rely on technology Winter in the northern hemisphere is occurring on A the day after July 4th B two days before April 23rd C the day after November 30th D the day before Halloween Answer: C. the day after November 30th Parents can be very important teachers in our lives. However, they are not always the best teachers. Parents may be too close to their children emotionally . Sometimes they can only see their children through the eyes of a protector. For example, a teacher might see a trip to a big city as a valuable experience. However, it might seem too dangerous to a parent. Another problem is that parents may expect their children's interests to be similar to their own. If they love science, they may try to force their child to love science too. But what if (......) their child's true love is art, or writing, or car repair? Parents usually want to _ their values to their children. But should children always believe what their parents do? When children are young, they believe that their parents are always right. But when they get older, they will have different ways of thinking. The most important thing to realize is that we all have many teachers in our lives. Our parents teach us, our teachers teach us, and our friends teach us. Books and newspapers and televisions also teach us. All of them are valuable. _ might see a trip to a big city as a valuable experience, according to the passage. A A parent B A teacher C Either a teacher or a parent D Neither a teacher nor a parent Answer: B. A teacher In Africa, Christmas day begins with groups of carolers walking to and fro through the village, along the roadway, by the houses of the churchmen, singing the lovely carols known the world around. Often people may be awakened by a group of carolers beginning to gather at the church. They return home to make final preparation as to the clothes one must wear and also as to his offering for the Christmas service. The most important part of their Christmas service is the love offering. This is the gift in honor of Jesus. At about 8 or 9 o'clock, everyone makes their way to the celebration of the birthday of Jesus. Everyone who attends the service goes forward to lay down their gift upon the raised platform near the Communion table. Not one person will attend the service without giving a gift. Christmas in South Africa is a summer holiday. There is no snow, but it has many flowers, many beautiful varieties of wild flowers being in their full pride. In Ghana, most churches announce the coming of Christmas by decorating the church and homes beginning with the first week in Advent, four weeks before Christmas. This season happens to be the cocoa harvest time, so it is a time of wealth. Everyone returns home from wherever they might be, such as farms or mines. In Africa, it is the traditional dinner of turkey, roast beef, mince pies, suckling pig, yellow rice with raisins, vegetables, and plum pudding, or crackers. In the afternoon, families go out into the country and usually there are games or bathing in the warm sunshine, and then home in the cool of the evening. Boxing Day is also a public holiday of real relaxation usually spent in the open air, which falls on December 26. The correct order of the following festivals should be _ . A Christmas- Boxing Day- Advent B Boxing Day- Christmas- Advent C Christmas- Advent- Boxing Day D Advent- Christmas- Boxing Day Answer: D. Advent- Christmas- Boxing Day At noon, Shi Huizi received a text message: "This is Yuantong Express. Please come to the school gate and pick up your parcel." The 22-year-old girl at Beijing International Studies University rushed to the school gate, where hundreds of parcels lay waiting to be collected by their owners. This scene is not uncommon on China's campuses, as shopping online has become an important part of their lifestyle for many university students. But convenient as it is, online shopping among students is marked by impulse buying and other risks. Students should be cautious to avoid them. According to Taobao, during last year's graduation season, 250,000 graduate students from 116 "211" project universities nationwide spent 846 million yuan on Taobao. Beijing Haidian Consumers' Association conducted a survey on the online purchasing behavior of students, which showed that nearly 54 percent of respondents had made _ purchases. Yang Yi is one of them. The 23-year-old business administration major at Beijing Wuzi University bought a limited edition Gundam model kit online for a small fortune, only to find that its appeal faded rapidly. "I did like it when I bought it, but it doesn't look so attractive to me anymore now. So I've decided to sell it to pay off my debts," says Yang. Yang's experience reflects the consumption patterns of many university students. In an attempt to be unique, many of them turn to online shops to buy "exotic " items not easily found in the domestic market. According to Lei Li, a psychology professor at Renmin University, the impulsive buying patterns found among students have psychological roots. When shopping online is a campus trend, it's not only about convenience, but also about group identification . "If everyone is doing something and you're not, you're less likely to be accepted by others," Lei says. The mentality of not wanting to be left out is fuelling impulse buying. As he Haidian survey indicates, online shopping is not always a satisfying experience. Of 848 respondents from universities based in Beijing, 42 percent said they had received products that didn't match the online description or photos. Even so, 72.5 percent of student buyers don't return unsatisfactory goods due to the inconvenience it causes and long procedures. Lei suggests that students who are enthusiastic about online shopping "pay attention to the consequences and develop a wiser way of consuming--namely, buying items within their budget and being aware of the risks of buying online." According to the passage, which of the following is NOT the reason why shopping online becomes a campus trend? A Because of the mind of not wanting to be left out in a group. B Because many students turn to online shops trying to buy rare items in China. C Because it is convenient to buy online. D Because the school hasn't taught them how to consume wisely. Answer: D. Because the school hasn't taught them how to consume wisely.
It is eight o'clock. The children go to school by car every day, they are going to school on foot. It is ten o'clock. Mrs. Sawyer usually stays at home in the morning, but this morning, she is going to the shops. It is four o'clock in the afternoon, Mrs. Sawyer usually drinks tea in the living room. But this afternoon, she is drinking tea in the garden. It is six o'clock, In the evening, the children usually do their homework, but this evening, they are not doing their homework. At the moment, they are playing in the garden. It is nine o'clock. Mr. Sawyer usually reads his newspaper at night. But he's not reading his newspaper tonight. At the moment, he's reading an interesting book. Mrs. Sawyer is going to _ this morning. A. staying at home B. go shopping C. drinking tea D. watching TV Answer: B. go shopping Anthropologists are scientists that study people who often lived hundreds or even thousands of years ago. Items those men, women, and children left behind when they died --- everything from clothing to jewelry and tools --- tell anthropologists a lot. And sometimes even their words survive. Experts believe that a discovery in Mexico is the oldest example of writing ever found in the Americas. The people who created it probably lived 3,000 years ago, long before Christopher Columbus arrived in the New World. Workers digging in a rock mine happened to notice a stone block with marks carved onto its surface. They found the large piece of stone near the city of Cascajal, Mexico, which was once the capital of an ancient people called the Ohmec. "There are signs on the block that seem to show objects used by the Olmec during their religious ceremonies," says Dr. Stephen Houston, of Brown University in the USA. "There is a sign that looks very similar to a knife and another that looks like the chair of a King," he explains. Houston, an expert on the writing systems of ancient cultures, says the discovery is exciting because "it makes clear that the Olmec could read and write. It is like hearing voices from the past." But experts don't know exactly what the writing says. Finding other examples of Olmec writing could help decipher the puzzle. "We could have whole sets of ancient writing which will basically make ancient people speak to us directly," says Houston. "There are many puzzles to be solved, and this is just one of them." What is important about the stone block mentioned in the passage? A. It proves that people lived in this part of the world more than 3,000 years ago. B. It allows scientists to translate the ancient language used in this area. C. It is evidence of the oldest form of writing ever found in the Americas. D. It shows the people of the area have a written language. Answer: C. It is evidence of the oldest form of writing ever found in the Americas. Celebrities are more in love with themselves than the average person,according to a new study. In case anyone needed proof, a new study supports the widely held perception:Famous people are more narcissistic ,which means they are more in love with themselves than the average person is.That is the conclusion drawn by Drew Pinsky and S.Mark Young of the University of Southern California,whose study of 200 celebrities will appear in the Journal Of Research in Personality. It is not the entertainment industry that turns stars into narcissists,the study found.Rather, it suggests,the self-adoring people seek jobs in show business.The study, whose subjects were a11 celebrities from Pinsky's'Loveline'radio show, found that reality TV stars were the most narcissistic of all celebrities.Female stars were also more likely than the male stars to exhibit narcissistic characteristics. It's "common sense" that celebrities are narcissists,said Jeremy Ritzlin,a longtime Hollywood psychologist who has not seen the study."Everyone knows famous people are really in love with themselves,"he said."So it would be natural for narcissists to be attracted toward the stage and spotlight,where other people will also think highly of them." Pinsky, an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at USC'S Keck School of Medicine,said narcissists desire attention,are overconfident,behave strangely and lack sympathy."However, they are easily-liked,especially on first meeting,are outgoing and perform well in public," added Pinsky, who has hosted the radio show"Loveline"for 20 years. Celebrity guests appearing on the program were randomly chosen to participate in the study.They anonymously took the Narcissistic Personality Inventory test.which rates self-love levels based on seven components:superiority, exhibitionism,entitlement,vanity,authority, exploitativeness,and self-sufficiency. Who are most likely to be self-adoring in the study? A. The women stars. B. The men stars C. The average people. D. It is not mentioned in the passage. Answer: A. The women stars. Over the holidays, I took my three young children into a fancy chocolate shop to buy a gift. I was feeling pretty good until halfway home when I looked in the rearview mirror and noticed my 7-year-old son playing with a plastic toy. "Um, where did you get that, Alex?!" "Did you buy it?" "Did I buy it?" "Did you take it?!" Long story short: He had stolen the toy. I kept my cool--even when he said, "but it was only a $1.50, mom!"--and explained why it was unacceptable to take things we didn't buy. I also said he would be returning to the store to apologize and return the item. A few hours later, I marched my son back to the store with two dollars from his pocket money. I stood by the door as he walked sheepishly to the counter and told the clerk that he had taken something without paying for it, that he was sorry and that he would pay for it now. (The toy could not be returned now because Alex had broken it.) Tears streamed down my cheeks as I watched him fidget nervously and search the clerk's face for a sign of approval. Fortunately, the clerk at the chocolate shop was gracious. She told my son he had done the right thing and when she caught my eye, I smiled in thanks and we left. I told my son that I was proud of him and to remember how awful the experience felt. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage? A. Alex had stolen a bar of chocolate from the shop. B. The writer got very angry when she found out what Alex had done. C. The writer asked her son to go back to the store alone. D. Alex paid for the toy with his money in the end. Answer: D. Alex paid for the toy with his money in the end. Wine drinkers tend to buy healthier food than beer drinkers, according to a Danish study published on Tuesday on the website of a weekly medical magazine. People who bought wine at the store were also more likely to buy fruit, vegetables, fish, lean meat and milk than beer buyers did, said the study. Beer buyers were more likely to buy frozen dinners, cold cuts, pork, sugary products, and soft drinks. The study was conducted by four researchers from the National Institute of Public Health over the course of six months. Alcohol researchers Erik Schulenburg and Marten Greenback and two other doctors collected 3.5 million receipts from 98 stores. The customers at the stores represented a large number of Danish people, they said. "Our results confirm international studies which show that wine drinkers tend to eat more fruit, vegetables and fish and rarely eat fats, compared to those who like other kinds of alcoholic drinks," they concluded. Wine buyers also tended to have higher education levels, higher earnings and be in better mental health, they added. Their interest in consumers' shopping bags followed a series of studies in the Danish media. The studies suggested that wine drinkers ran a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and some types of cancer than beer drinkers. The researchers did the study mainly by means of _ . A. handing out papers with a list of questions B. collecting receipts from stores C. watching what customers bought at stores D. visiting some families throughout the country Answer: B. collecting receipts from stores
Question: Dear God, I am a boy. I live in a poor village. My Parents used to be farmer but now they are working in a big city. They want to build a new house. Our old house is _ It becomes wet after a heavy rain. I think our new house must look clean and smart. I don't mind if it is big or small. It is not in the centre of the city or near the sea. _ lies in a peaceful valley. There are flowers and grasses around the house. My father can ride his horse to look after his sheep; my mother can milk her cows. My brother's cat is lying in the sun while I am reading under the tree. How beautiful! Our new house has three bedrooms. There is a bedroom for my mother and father , one for me and one for my brother. There is a living room, a kitchen and a bathroom. There is a small balcony in front of the house, and a armchair stands there quietly. There are some plants on the balcony, too. My family will be very happy in the new house. God, tell me, can my dream come true? What should I do for that? Sincerely yours, Amos How many people are there in Amos' family? A. Five B. Two C. There D. Four Answer: D Question: One day, my mother said, "Let's buy you some new clothes." I was very happy and surprised because my family didn't have much money at that time. I bought three dresses, a pink one, a blue one and, best of all, a yellow and blue one. I loved that yellow and blue dress. I showed my three new beautiful dresses to my best friend Emily. She loved them all and was happy for me. But she also felt sad and said her father could only buy her new clothes for her birthday. So I asked her to pick one. Then she picked the best one--the yellow and blue dress! You should know that I was only 7 years old and it was my turn to feel sad. She wore it and I saw her smiling, so happy and beautiful. I could feel her joy! So, I told her it looked great on her. That day, I did my best to explain this to my mother. She smiled and said, "I understand. You're always my good little girl!" I shared my dress with my friend, and she shared her joy with me. That's friendship. And we are still best friends today! How did Emily feel when the writer showed her clothes? A. Excited and happy. B. Angry and sad. C. Happy but sad. D. Excited but sad. Answer: C Question: As long as I can remember, I've always loved to draw. But my interest in drawing wasn't encouraged very much. Growing up in the 1950s, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, boys were supposed to be athletic. Certain peer pressures encouraged little fingers to learn how to hold footballs rather than crayons. My early love for drawing developed into a love for telling stories through pictures. Stories began as fragments of pictures in my mind. I created a story by posing questions to myself. I called it the "what if" and "what then" approach. For example, for my book The Polar Express, I started out by thinking "What if a boy gets on that train? Where does he go?" From the time I come up with the idea, write and illustrate the book, and deliver it to the printer, it takes about seven months. First, I begin thinking of the idea. Then I imagine the pictures and the story. A good picture book should have events that are visually _ . I first consider scenes that are exciting to look at and then my challenge is to weave a story around those pictures. The next step is putting the illustrations and story down on paper. When you first look at my illustrations, you see ordinary, everyday things. But if you look closer, things might not seem quite so simple. When I'm writing a book, I always try to create something strange or puzzling in each picture. By using artistic strategies, I can give the drawing a kind of mysterious quality. All of my books are picture books, so they are generally thought of as books for children. But when I make them, I think of the books as being for everybody -- for people of all ages. When I was a kid, I had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up, but now I'm really glad I became an artist and a storyteller. Which of the following is TRUE about the author? A. He did well when he was at school. B. He only wrote something for children. C. He tried his best to meet the readers' taste. D. He regretted not working hard at drawing. Answer: C Question: Henry Smith taught science at the City School. One day, he wen to a bookstore and bought some books. Most of them were expensive. He left them in his car in a quiet street. Then he went and bought some other things at other shops. At 6 o'clock he came back to the car. One window was open and the books were gone. Henry drove back to his home in Lake Street. That night he wrote a letter to a newspaper. The next day he went to the police station. On Friday people read an advertisement in the newspaper. BOOKS WANTED DO YOU HAVE ANY BOOKS THAT YOU NO LONGER WANTED? I BUY OLD AND MODERN BOOKS. OPEN ALL DAY ON SATURDAY. HENRY SMITH, 18 LAKE STREET. Henry stayed at home on Saturday. His first visitor came at 8 o'clock. Henry took him to the kitchen. At half past nine another man arrived. He had a bag under his arm. "Mr Smith?" the man asked. "That's right," Henry said, "Can I help you?" "I have some good books. You buy books, don't you?" "Yes, bring them in. I'll have a look at them." Soon the books were on the dining-table. "Come in now," Henry called out, "And bring the list." A policeman came into the dining-room. He read the titles on the books and those on the list in his hand. They were the same. "Come with me, Sir," the policeman said to the man. What is the best title for this reading? A. A Book Advertisement B. Mr Henry Smith C. How Mr Smith Lost His Books D. A clever man Answer: D Question: There are many cars over there. Five of them are brown. Twelve of them are red. Three of them are yellow. Four green cars, eight blue cars, two orange cars and one white car are there, too. They are new. They are nice. Look, these aren't cars, they are buses. They are in different colors: ten red, eleven green, seventy yellow and nine blue. They are all old. They are big. All the cars and buses belong to Mr. Smith. There are _ cars over there. A. thirty B. thirty-five C. forty D. forty-five Answer: B
New rules will let millions of Americans know where more of their food comes from. The law is known as COOL -- Country of Origin Labeling . American congress first passed the law in 2002. Stores have had to label seafood by country of origin since 2005. But industry pressure delayed other requirements until last week. Products that must now be labeled include fresh fruits and vegetables, muscle meats and some kinds of nuts. But the rules are complex, and many foods are not included. For example, organ meats are free to be labeled. So are processed foods, including cooked or smoked foods. The same food may sometimes have to be labeled and other times not. Fresh or frozen peas, for example, have to be labeled but not canned peas. Foods that are mixed with other foods are also excluded. Mixed nuts, for example, do not need to be labeled. The same is true of a salad mix that contains different things like lettuce and carrots. Or a fruit cup that combines different fruits. Also, the law doesn't include restaurants and other food service organizations. Department of Agriculture officials say the law is really meant for larger grocery stores. The United States has imported more and more food in recent years to save money and expand choices. Country-of-origin labeling has become more common lately but has still been limited in many stores. Food safety is one reason why some shoppers pay close attention to where foods came from. For example, when a large number of people recently got sick from salmonella , officials blamed peppers from Mexico. Yet the last big food scare involved spinach grown in California. But labeling is also a way for people to know they are getting what they want. Some want to buy local foods or foods from a particular country. The country-of-origin labeling law gives stores 30 days to correct any violations that are found. Stores and suppliers that are found to be deliberately violating the law could be fined 1,000 dollars per violation. Federal inspectors are not to take action to enforce the law for six months to give time for an education campaign. Some food safety activists say they are generally pleased with the law. They call it a good step that will give people more useful information. Consumers are more concerned about where foods come from because _ . Answer: On May 2, 2012, Ashok Gadgil became the winner of the $100,000 Lemelson-MIT Award for Global Innovation . Each year, the honor is given to an inventor who has made a big difference in the lives of people in developing countries. Gadgil is a professor and physicist at the University of California, Berkeley. He spent thirty years helping people in need. His inventions have helped more than 100 million people around the world. "I chose to focus on problems where my knowledge of science could help," Gadgil said. In the 1990s, Gadgil designed his first life-saving invention after more than 10,000 people died from Bengal cholera because of the clean water crisis in India. His invention uses ultraviolet light to kill deadly disease-carrying germs from drinking water. It costs just one cent to clean five liters of water (about 21 cups). So far, the invention has provided safe drinking water for more than five million people in India and other developing countries. Gadgil's another important invention is the Berkeley-Darfur Stove . The long and violent war in Darfur, Sudan, has caused many people to move to foreign countries and live in refugee camps . They are given food aid. But people still have to travel a long distance five times a week to gather firewood to cook meals. This can be dangerous because of street violence in the area. To avoid danger, some spend much of their money used to feed their families buying firewood. The stove Gadgil created cuts fuel usage by 55%. That means people wouldn't have to leave the camps to find firewood as often. The invention also helps to save homes more than $300 a year. About 125,000 people and their families have been helped. As a professor, Gadgil encourages his students, "Be optimistic when you try a hard problem," he says. "It's when you solve a large problem that you can have a big influence on the world." What do people benefit from the Berkeley-Darfur Stove? Answer: Weekend one -day out A walk along the Great Wallw _ w w. k#s5 _ u.c o*m Beijing Hikers is organizing a hike in a village along the Great Wall in Changping District, north of downtown Beijing. The walk will take around three hours covering a distance of 10 kilometres. Time:8:30 a.m~4:30 p.m,Dec,4 Cost:200 yuan(US$25) per adult, 150 yuan ((US$18.5)for under~12s. Meeting place:8:30 a.m. in front of Satarbucks at Lido Holiday Inn, Jiangtai Lu To sign-up(one day before the hike)and more infrormation ,contact Huijie at 139 100 5516. Skiing and hot springs Cycle China plans a day's skiing fun at a resort around Beijing followed by an outdoor hot spring bath for your sore body. Cost:.50 yuan (US$43.40) Time :8:30 a.m~6:30p.m, Dec.4 Location: Meet at the office of Cycle China, opposite the east gate of Jinshan Park, Xicheng District. For more information and reservation, email reserve@ cyclechina. Com or call 139 1188 6524. Horse riding This is a trip to a professional horse- riding club with well- trained bilingual instructors, offering lessons to people who love riding and those willing to learn more. The club is located in Hebei Province next to the Kangxi Grassland. Time:1:30a.m~4:30p.m,Dec.4 Cost:3320 yuan (US$40.74)including one hour's riding, transportation, guide ,lunch To sign-up and more information, contact Lucy at 8580 5080 or 130 1117 1326. If Mary, who is ten years old, wants to hike along the Great Wall with her parents, they will pay _ dollars. Answer: A 15-year-old American has become the youngest person to climb the highest mountains on each of the seven continents, completing the feat by summiting Antarctica's Mount Vinson over the weekend. Jordan Romero, who last year at age 13 became the youngest person to climb the world's tallest peak Mt Everest, was descending to base camp on Sunday after reaching the summit of Vinson Massif with a team that included his father and stepmother, according to his team's website. "We're at the roof of Antarctica," a member of Team Jordan said in a webcast from near the 4897-metre peak on a frigid but "legendary day". Romero beat the record previously held by Britain's George Atkinson, who in May completed the seven ascents at the age of 16. The junior mountaineer from Big Bear Lake, California has been hooked on climbing from an early age. When he was just 10, he became the youngest person to climb Mt Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest peak at 5895 meters. Before his 11th birthday, he had another world record under his belt, summiting Europe's Mt Elbrus, in Russia's Caucasus mountains, in July 2007. Five months later, it was the 6962-metre Mt Aconcagua in Argentina, followed by Alaska's Mt McKinley at 6194 meters. In September 2009 at age 13, he climbed Indonesia's Carstensz Pyramid, at 6194 meters the tallest island peak in the world, breaking another record. Eight months later in May 2010, he climbed Everest, and ever since he and his team had been preparing for his Antarctic expedition. "Looking forward to tomorrow, and we'll make you guys proud and promise we'll come back home safe and sound," Romero said in a webcast on Saturday, hours before he began the final ascent to Mt Vinson's summit. The team had intended to reach the top on Christmas Day, but ideal weather and good progress allowed them to summit a day ahead of schedule. What's the main idea of the passage? Answer: My friend Tom is a schoolboy. Everyone likes him very much because he is funny. He can play many instruments. When he is with his friends, he often plays for them. Today is October 8th. It's Tom's birthday. He has a big and interesting party at home. Many friends come to his party. Tom's mother cooks a lot of food for them. Everyone gives a beautiful gift to him. Sally gives him an English dictionary because Tom also likes English. Bob gives Tom a guitar because he likes playing the guitar very much. At the party, Tom plays the guitar and he also plays the piano. We sing many songs and play some interesting games. We have a good time today. ,. What does Tom play at the party? Answer:
She is a beautiful red-haired girl. she has been shopping with her mom in Wal-Mart. It was raining hard outside. We all stood there under the awning . Her voice was so sweet. "Mom, let's run through the rain," she said. "What?" Mom asked. "Let's run through the rain!" "No, honey. We'll wait until it slows down a bit," Mom replied. The child waited about another minute and repeated, "Mom, let's run through the rain." "We'll get wet if we do," Mom said. "No, we won't, Mom. That's not what you said this morning," the young girl said as she pulled her mom's arm. "This morning? When did I say we could run through the rain and not get wet?" "Don't you remember? When you were talking to Daddy about his cancer , you said, we can get through anything!" The crowd became silent. Nothing could be heard but the rain. No one came or left in the next few minutes. Mom thought for a moment about what she would say. "Honey, you are right. Let's run through the rain. If we get wet, maybe we'll just need to get a wash," Mom said. Then off they ran. People all stood watching, smiling and laughing as they rushed past the cars and through the puddles . They held their shopping bags over their heads. They got wet through. But they were followed by a few who laughed like children all the way to their cars. People can take away your money and health. But no one can ever take away your memories....So don't forget to make time to make memories every day. Mom told the girl's father "we can get through anything" in order to _ . Answer: encourage him If you ask me to tell how to get along in the United States, I think the following "do's" and "don'ts" would be helpful. Generally speaking, it isn't easy to find anyone to talk to in a busy city, so you should try to do the following. First, get or borrow a dog! Walk him several times a day! Americans love dogs and cats and usually stop to talk to anyone with a dog. Then, try to eat in a restaurant. People generally share the same table and will sometimes talk to you if they see you are new there. Next, take your dirty clothes to a laundry ! It takes about an hour to wash and dry them and people there often pass the time talking with each other. Always ask for information from a woman if you are a man, and from a man, if you are a woman! Learn to say, "Please" "Thank you" and "You're welcome" and use them all the time! There are some things you shouldn't do. Don't tell the truth when people ask, "How are you?" The only answer they want is "Fine". Never ask people their age--especially women! Everyone wants to be young. Don't tell heavy people they are fat. Tell them they are losing weight. Everyone wants to be thin. Don't be late when meeting people! When someone says six o'clock, be sure to be there by six. Americans respect time and want everyone to be "on time". It isn't easy to find anyone to talk to in the USA because _ . Answer: people there are busy When we are unfamiliar with something, we may feel nervous and fearful. The help of others is a good way to make us pull through. I write for a big newspaper, and I wanted to write a story about parachute jumping. To make it a realistic as well as exciting story, I decided that I first had to make a jump myself. Unfortunately, I am not good at any sport of any kind, let alone parachute jumping. My friend Mr. Smith was willing to give me a hand. He took me to a ground school. The first day's training included several hours of instruction but not my first drop from an airplane. For this, I had to wait until the following morning. The next morning, after a hurried, anxious breakfast, I was taken to the airfield. There, two heavy parachutes were put on my back. Then I was asked to make my way to a small plane which had just stopped slowly on the runway. Once on the plane, it was soon climbing. I began to feel nervous. As we reached one thousand meters, Harry, my teacher, hooked a line from my parachute to a steel ring inside the plane. The line was to pull my parachute open after I jumped. "Get ready, Henry," Harry said. I moved carefully to the door. I wanted to cry, "No, no, no!" but no word came. "Jump!" Harry called out loudly. "Jump!" To my surprise, kicking like a frog, I did jump. Away from the plane, and down, down I fell. It worked! The air seemed to hold me up. I was very happy. Then I felt a quick pull. My big parachute had opened! It was like the best surprise I'd ever had. I looked down. There were rivers, trees, fields and houses. I heard the soft sound of the air. This was fun! The writer made a parachute jump himself _ . Answer: to make his story realistic and exciting You stare at waterfall for a minute or two, and then shift your gaze to its surroundings. What you now see appears to drift upward. These optical illusions occur because the brain is constantly matching its model of reality to signals from the body's sensors and interpreting what must be happening--that your brain must have moved, not the other; that downward motions is now normal, so a change from it must now be perceived as upward motion. The sensors that make this magic are of two kinds. Each eye contains about 120 million rods , which provide somewhat blurry black and white vision. These are the windows of night vision; once adapted to the dark, they can detect a candle burning ten miles away. Color vision in each eye comes from six to seven million structures called cones . Under ideal conditions, every cone can "see" the entire rainbow spectrum of visible color1s, but one type of cone is most sensitive to red, another to green, a third to blue. Rods and cones send their messages pulsing an average 20 to 25 times per second along the optic nerve. We see an image for a fraction of a second longer than it actually appears. In movies, reels of still photographs are projected onto screens at 24 frames per second, tricking our eyes into seeing a continuous moving picture. Like apparent motion, color1 vision is also subject to unusual effects. When day gives way to night, twilight brings what the poet T.S. Eliot called "the violet hour." A light levels fall, the rods become progressively less responsive. Rods are most sensitive to the shorter wavelengths of blue and green, and they impart a strange vividness to the garden's blue flowers. However, look at a white shirt during the reddish light of sunset, and you'll still see it in its "true" color1--white, not red. Our eyes are constantly comparing an object against its surroundings. They therefore observe the effect of a shift in the color1 of illuminating on both, and adjust accordingly. The eyes can distinguish several million graduations of light and shade of color1. Each waking second they flash tens of millions of pieces of information to the brain, which weaves them incessantly into a picture of the world around us. Yet all this is done at the back of each eye by a fabric of sensors, called the retina , about as wide and as thick as a postage stamp. As the Renaissance inventor and artist Leonardo da Vinci wrote in wonder, "Who would believe that so small a space could contain the images of all the universe?" The author's purpose in writing the passage lies in _ . Answer: informing us about the different functions of the eye organs. Here are some advertisements taken from a newspaper. (1) Dear Drew Carter, Your first year on this earth has been a pleasure ride for all of us. We love you! Love, Dad and Mom and many friends. (2)Lawlis-Clarke The Doctors Virgil and Marjorie Lawlis are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter Diane Susan to Mr.Robert Brent Clarke,son of Mr.and Mrs.James Clarke of Herford,Texas. A spring wedding is planned in Houston. (3) Isbell-Foss Mr.and Mrs.Davis K.Isbell announce the marriage of their daughter Dang to Mr.Stanley Foss,son of Mrs.John Sipe of Ada,Minnesota. The wedding will be early April at Abiding Love Lutheran Church. (4) Story-Kurio Miss Stephanie Story and Mr.Warren Kurio were married February 5,at half past seven o'clock in the evening at Highland Park Presbyterian Church in Dallas,Texas.The bride is the daughter of Mr.and Mrs.Herbert Brule Story Jr.of Dallas.The groom is the son of Mr.and Mrs.Gerald Stanley Kurio of Austin. What would be the best title for the first advertisement? Answer: Happy 1st Birthday
When Lady Gaga releases a new, pleasing and easily remembered single, it quickly goes around the world. Now scientists have discovered the same thing happens with the songs of another creature----the humpback whale. The mammals become absorbed by new tunes just like people do, and the most popular original whale songs spread globally like hit singles. Male humpback whales are famed for the loud, long and complicated songs they make during the mating season. Each song lasts for 10 to 20 minutes and the males can sing nonstop for 24 hours. At any one time, all the males in a population sing the same song. But a study shows that this song changes over time and spreads around the oceans. Dr. Ellen Garland of Queensland University, said: "Songs move like cultural communication from one population to another, causing all males to change their song to a new version." Researchers recorded songs from six neighboring populations of whales in the Pacific over a decade. They found that new versions of the songs appear over time and always spread from west to east. It takes two years for songs that appear in the waters off Australia to be heard in French Polynesia. Most of the new songs contain material from the previous year mixed with something new. " It would be like getting an old Beatles song together with U2," she said. " Occasionally they completely throw the current song out of the window and start singing a completely new song". Dr. Garland believes that a small number of whales may migrate to other populations carrying the new songs with them, or that they are heard by passing whales. The researchers suspect whales adopt new songs to make themselves distinct. Dr. Garland said: " we think this male search for new songs is in the hope of being that little bit different and perhaps more attractive to the opposite sex." In which part of the website may the text appear? A News B Amusement. C Education. D Health Answer: A Barack Obama has never been shy about comparing himself with Abraham Lincoln. He did so when he announced his presidential election in Illinois, where both he and Lincoln served in the legislature . "The life of a tall, thin, self-made Springfield lawyer tells us that a different future is possible." Obama said. "He tells us that there is power in words and that there is power in hope." Such comparisons have continued on big and small occasions, but the most important similarity, in Obama's mind, is how he plans to govern if elected. Obama says he admires Doris Kearns Goodwin' s wonderful Lincoln biography, Team of Rivals. "He talks about it all the time." says a top assistant. "He is particularly interested in the idea that Lincoln successfully won the hearts of many people who had run against him for President, some of them even disagree with him firmly." "The lesson is that you shouldn't let your hatred get in the way of hiring ly the best people." says Obama. "I think American people are practical and so I have an interest in casting a wide net, seeking out people with a wide range of expert knowledge, including Republicans, for the highest positions in the government." "I don't want to have people who just agree with me." He says. "I want people who are continually pushing me forward and I'd be very interested in having those sorts of Republicans in my government, especially people who can speed up a responsible and logical conclusion to the Iraq war." Obama is willing to cooperate with those who disagree with him because _ . A he is interested in Republicans' ideas B they may push him to make the right decisions C they have the highest positions in the government D he doesn't want to show his hatred to the public Answer: B When we talk about red packets, the most important question is "What are you going to do with it?" One thing you could do is to put your money in the bank. Maybe you don't know, some students in Hubei began to use the Xiaogui Dangjia bank card this year. This is a card for children. It is from China Minsheng Bank in Wuhan. Wang Ming is a 14-year-old junior student in Wuhan. He said "All my pocket money has a place to go now. I can pay my own school fees ." Zhu Yu, a manager of Minsheng Bank, said that they knew lots of students who didn't know how to use their money. So they wanted them to know how to use it carefully. Parents worry that children don't know how to take care of the money by themselves. Shen qiangqiang's mother like the card very much. Shen was asking his mother for a computer for a long time, but his mother didn't buy it for him. She said, "We want him to use his card to save money for the computer. If we buy everything he asks for, he will think money comes too easily, and he won't work hard for it." Today, there are many different kinds of bank cards. They are from different banks. People put their money in them. Then they can use their money at any time. People can do many things with bank cards. They can wash cars, go shopping, eat delicious food and travel to other places with the money in their bank cards. The most important thing is not "How much did you get?" It is necessary for everyone to learn how to save your money and use your money correctly. In Wuhan, Xiaogui Dangjia bank card is for _ . A some teachers B some parents C some students D some workers Answer: C Perhaps every older generation since ancient times has complained about young people, and today is no different. Isn't it obvious that kids these days are self-absorbed social network addicts? However, this summer, my impression of today's kids has been restored by the story of Rachel Beckwith. She could teach my generation a great deal about maturity and unselfishness -- even though she's just 9 years old, or was when she died on July 23. At age 5, Rachel had her long hair cut off and sent to Locks of Love, which uses hair donations to make artificial hair for children who have lost their own hair because of cancer or other diseases. After that, Rachel announced that she would grow her hair long again and donate it again. And that's what she did. Then when she was 8 years old, her church began raising money to build wells in Africa through an organization called "charity: water". Rachel was astonished when she learned that other children had no clean water, so she _ her ninth birthday party. Rachel set up a birthday page on the charity: water website with a target of $300. Instead of presents, she asked her friends to donate $9 each to charity: water. Finally Rachel raised only $220 -- which had left her just a bit disappointed. Then, on July 20, a serious traffic accident left Rachel critically injured. Church members and friends, seeking some way of showing support, began donating on Rachel's birthday page -- charitywater.org/Rachel -- and donations reached her $300 goal, and kept rising. When it was clear that Rachel would never regain consciousness, the family decided to remove the life-support machine. Her parents donated her hair for the final time to Locks of Love, and her organs to other children. Word spread about Rachel's last fund-raiser . Contributions poured in, often they donated $9. The total donations soon topped $100,000, then $300,000. This is a story not just of one girl, but of a young generation of outstanding problem-solvers working creatively. What would be the best title for the text? A Rachel's last fund-raiser B Rachel and her birthday page C Kids are addicted to social networks. D What's wrong with the young generation? Answer: A "Depend on yourself" is what nature says to every man. Parents can help you. Teachers can help you. But all these only help you to help yourself. There have been many men in history. But many of them were very poor in childhood, and no uncles, aunts or friends to help them. Schools were few. They could not depend upon themselves for an education. They saw how it was and set to work with all their strength to know something. They worked their own way till they became well known. One of the most famous teachers in England used to tell his pupils, "I can not make worthy men of you, but I can help make men of yourself." Some young men don't try their best to make themselves valuable to the human beings. They can never gain achievement unless they see their weak points and change their course. They are nothing now, and will be nothing as long as they live, unless they accept the advice of their parents and teachers, and depend on their own efforts. From this article we can learn the writer _ . A sings highly praise for parents and teachers B is a man of strong character C thinks highly of those who are struggling or success D feels it the most important of all to accept the advice of others Answer: C
After being driven, a car's hood feels Answer: Bill McIntosh and Royce Wedding had been the best friends for 30 years. Now, living alone 12 miles east of the town, Bill earned his living by hunting foxes and rabbits. "Coming to the football match this afternoon?" Bill McIntosh asked 54-year-old Royce Wedding as they drank beer at the Eureka Hotel. Royce shook his head, "I promised Mom I'd burn off the weeds in one of our fields." "I'll give you a hand," Bill said. Driving slowly from the southern edge of the field, they worked their way upwind, leaving a line of burning weeds in their wake. Suddenly the fire was on them. Bill pushed open his door only to find himself thrown through the air, the gasoline tank exploded and the car jumped three feet off the ground. When it crashed back down Royce found himself unable to move. Bill lay where he fell. "Royce!" he cried, struggling to his feet and heading for the car. Pulling open the door, he seized Royce's arms through the smoke. "I'm stuck," Royce said. "Get yourself away!" The fire bit at Bill's arms, face and legs, but he said, "I'm not leaving you here." Now Bill pulled as hard as he could. Suddenly he fell backward. Royce was free and out of the car. "What's the matter with that dog?" said Vicky Wedding, Royce's mom. Shocked by noise behind her, she turned to see Bill leaning against the door. Six months after the fire, when Royce went out of hospital, he walked into the Eureka Hotel and bought Bill a beer. Why did Royce tell Bill to leave? Answer: I'm 14, a year younger than most of my classmates. A week ago one of my classmates, Nitin, asked me for help with math homework. We ended up talking about computers and file-sharing . As we talked I found that he was more experienced and could teach me about file-sharing and networking. We went to his room and watched a movie about robots that he'd downloaded. The math homework was forgotten. The next day he came again for homework help "What do you do on weekends?" he asked. The truth is, when I have work to do, I do it. I have no special time to with friends. I was embarrassed about this. I expected him to think I was boring and said, "Get a life!" He said, "OK. You're having trouble getting along with people I can show you. I'm old than you." Later, he checked my computer. He even connected me to an Internet chess server .He was becoming like a big brother. But when I thought about it, I didn't really want Nitin's help" His big-brother idea began to bore me. "I'll get you some cool computer programs ". "I'll teach you how to talk to girls." He meant what he was saying, but I don't know why it didn't make me feel good. Since then he's hardly talked to me; we seem to have forgotten each other. I don't think he can "teach" me much, and I don't think much of him. But I could be wrong* Can you use a word to describe the writer? Answer: Former President Jimmy Carter believes U.S central intelligence agency is spying on him -- so much so, he gives up email to avoid government spies. "You know, I have felt that my own communications are probably monitored," Carter told NBC's Andrea Mitchell in an interview broadcast Sunday. "And when I want to communicate with a foreign leader privately, I type or write a letter myself, put it in the post office and mail it. "I believe if I send an email, it will be monitored," Carter continued. The 89-year-old said the National Security Agency and others have abused the argument that gathering intelligence is important to homeland security. "That has been extremely liberalized and, I think, abused by our own intelligence agencies," Carter said. The 39th president, however, stopped short of criticizing No. 44 over the handling of the N.S.A. scandal , the crisis in Ukraine or anything else. "I don't have any criticism of him," Carter said of Obama. He was asked if the president ever asks him for advice. "Unfortunately, the answer is no," Carter said. "President Obama doesn't. But previous presidents have called on me and the Carter Center to take action." Why not Obama? "That's a hard question for me to answer, you know, with complete directness," he said. "I think the problem was that in dealing with the issue of peace between Israel and Egypt, the Carter Center took a very strong and public position of equal treatment between the Palestinians and the Israelis. And I think this was a sensitive area in which the president didn't want to be involved." Former President Cater is being spied because _ Answer: Mrs. Smith liked to deliver her pies with her big hot air balloon. Mrs. Smith like baking pies of all shapes and sizes. She baked for her neighbors of all ages. She would bake them up all on Sunday and pile them high in her balloon. Then she would take off into the sky! Mr. Jones down the street loved strawberry pie. He would stand on his roof and catch the pie as the balloon flew by. Mrs. Kenner liked apple pie. She would run after the balloon and catch her pie in a big basket. Bobby and Sue were brother and sister. They loved chocolate pie. They would ride their bicycles to the top of a hill. Mrs. Smith would hand them their pies as she floated by. Mrs. Smith would throw peach pies down Mr. Tevo's chimney, where they would all land in a big box. Josh had his dog Rex chase after the pies for him. Rex would jump high in the air and catch the pie like frisbee! Everyone would clap as Mrs. Smith rode by and delivered her pies. Then they would eat and be happy. Mrs. Smith loved riding her balloon and making her neighbors so happy! Who liked to deliver pies? Answer:
It seems that beauty and women are twins.You are joking? No,I do not.Observe for yourself Ads on fashion TV screens,radio programs,magazines,newspapers,and the streets.Whether they have realized it or not, women are surrounded by a sea of fashion.They are taught to think that without beautiful clothes they will grow old and lose their charm.So who dares to neglect dressing up at the cost of their appearance and youth? But I do not agree with the opinion that women have to show their beauty through their looks.The richness of their minds proves to be more beautiful and attractive than their looks.A woman who has experienced many troubles and may be called "aunt" or "granny" can still keep up her beauty if she has such excellent qualities as knowledge,ability,a kind heart,great courage,concern for others,etc. In addition,old and young,beautiful and ugly are concept.People who keep a young mind will never feel old.Interested in new things and eager to learn more,they keep up with the tide.Plainly dressed women may have a type of beauty that is pure and real.Reading and learning is the best way to keep one youthful.Good books ale rich soil which can feed the flower of one's heart and looks. Which is more important to a woman in the author's opinion? A Richness of one's mind. B Looks. C Following the fashion. D Wealth. Answer: A More and more people take part in marathons these days - over 30,000 people will run the London Marathon this weekend, for instance. But it's not just the 26 miles and 385 yards that could be a daunting prospect. "I have to admit to being completely frustrated by the blocking and for 18-19 miles was just keeping away from people and being held up," one participant grumbled after the 2012 London Marathon. "I had to overtake a lot of people and ended up with bruised forearms from all the elbows," said another. How do such crowding problems arise, and could they be reduced? Some researchers believe that we can find the answers through a more familiar system in which jams appear - road traffic flow. Martin Treiber, of the Technical University of Dresden in Germany, has previously developed models for traffic flow. One of the first attempts to model traffic flow was made in the 1950s by James Lighthill and his collaborator Gerard Whitham of Manchester University. They considered the traffic as a kind of liquid flowing down a pipe, and looked at how the flow changes as the fluid gets denser . At first the flow rate increases as the density increases, since you simply get more stuff through in the same period of time. But if the density becomes too high, there's a risk of jams, and the flow rate drops sharply. Treiber's model of a marathon uses this same principle that the flow rate first increases and then decreases as the density of runners increases, thanks to an sudden switch from free to crowded flow. He assumes that there is a range of different preferred speeds for different runners, which each maintains throughout the race. With just these factors, Treiber can calculate the flow rate of runners, knowing the "carrying capacity" at each point on the route. This allows Treiber to figure out how blocking might depend on the race conditions - for example, for different starting procedures. Some marathons start by letting all the runners set off at once (which means those at the back have to wait until those in front have moved forward). Others assign runners to various groups according to ability, and let them start in a series of waves. Treiber has applied the model to the annual Rennsteig half-marathon in central Germany, which attracts around 6,000 participants. The traditional route had to be changed in 2013, because the police were no longer willing to close a road to ensure that runners could cross safely. It could pass either over a 60m wooden bridge or through a tunnel. Treiber used his model to predict the likely blocking caused in the various options. The model predicted that a mass start would risk an overload of runners if the bridge were to be used. Only by moving the starting point further back from the bridge could the danger be avoided - and even then, if some of the numbers assumed in the model were only slightly inaccurate, there was still a risk of jams at the bridge. On the other hand, no dangerous blocking seemed likely for the tunnel route. The run organizers consulted Treiber's team, and eventually chose this option. What is the worst thing while running a marathon? A The long distance. B Too many participants. C The dangerous blocking. D Serious injuries in forearms. Answer: C Dear Reader, Today I am going to ask you to support Wikipedia with a donation. Wikipedia is built differently from almost every other top 50 website. We have a small number of paid staff,just twenty-three. Wikipedia content is free to use by anyone for any purpose. Our annual expenses are less than six million dollars. Wikipedia is run by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation,which I founded in 2003. Wikipedia is driven by a global community of more than 150,000 volunteers--all devoted to sharing knowledge freely. Over almost eight years,these volunteers have contributed more than 11 million articles in 265 languages. More than 275 million people come to our website every month to access information,free of charge and free of advertising. But Wikipedia is more than a website. We share a common cause:Imagine a world in which every single person on the planet is given free access to the sum of all human knowledge. _ 's our commitment. Your donation helps us in several ways. Most importantly,you will help us cover the increasing cost of managing global traffic to one of the most popular websites on the Internet. Funds also help us improve the software that runs Wikipedia--making it easier to search,easier to read,and easier to write for. We are committed to increasing the free knowledge movement worldwide,by taking on new volunteers,and building strategic partnerships with institutions of culture and learning. Wikipedia is different. It's the largest encyclopedia in history,written by volunteers. Like a national park or a school,we don't believe advertising should have a place in Wikipedia. We want to keep it free and strong, but we need the support of thousands of people like you. Thank you, Jimmy Wales All the following are the reasons for the need of your donation EXCEPT _ . A to keep Wikipedia free for people all over the world B to update the software that runs Wikipedia C to raise the salaries of the staff D to pay the cost of running the website Answer: C I really love my job because I enjoy working with small children and like the challenges and awards from the job. I also think my work is important. I wasn't an excellent student because I didn't do much schoolwork. In my final term I started thinking what I might do and found I didn't have much to offer. I then found myself a job, looking after two little girls. It wasn't too bad at first. But the problems began when I agreed to live in. I would be there if my boss had to go out for business in the evening. We agreed that if I had to work extra hours one week, she'd give me time off the next. But unluckily, it didn't often work out. I was getting very tired. Because I had too many late nights and early mornings with the children. One Sunday, I was in the park with the children, and met Megan who used to go to school with me. I told her about my situation. She suggested that I should do a course and get a qualification if I wanted to work with children. I didn't think I would be accepted because I didn't take many exams in school. She asked me to phone the local college and they were really helpful. My experience counted for a lot and I got on a part-time course. I had to leave my job with the family, and got work helping out at a kindergarten. Now I've got a full-time job there. I shall always be thankful to Megan. I wish I had known earlier that I could have a success, even if I am not top of the class at school. What is the writer's first job? A A cleaner B A babysitter C An assistant D A teacher Answer: B The HOPE IS A GAME--CHANGER PROJECT will deliver unbreakable soccer balls to kids who, all too often, see things horrible, broken and not survive the simplest of circumstances. The project started taking form well before anyone knew where it would lead -which is to test the power of like-minded people working together to turn inspiration into action. Four years ago Bobby was in Rwanda offering help to the people there and taking photos of a child soldier named Moise with his "soccer ball",which was a pile of rubbish tied together with a string. This "ball" was the only thing Moise could call his own --- no family, no home, no place to go. Forced to fight in the Congo and having killed three people at the unbearably young age of seven, the boy's spirit was broken. And Bobby knew, as he took one photo after the next, that he'd never forget him. In fact, he returned the following year to tell Moise he had stayed deep within his heart ---but he was gone. I recently helped Bobby launch his new bookThe Power of the Invisible Sunwhich features a photo of Moise, his ball, and kids from war-torn areas around the world. All of his earnings go towards the HOPE IS A GAME-CHANGER PROJECT for the kids he visited over the past decade. They caught the emotional landscape from heartbreak to joy, but share the undeniable longing for recovery and hope. Bobby and I share the unchangeable belief that delivering hope is really a game-changer, especially to a child. We believe that each indestructible ball will come to represent a lasting symbol of hope. A light no matter how small---The Power of the Invisible Sun. This holiday season, I ask you to think about whether you are doing enough to help someone else in the world. Or as Bobby likes to put it, consider _ , which added together, can create transformational change. It's my great hope that the HOPE IS A GAME-CHANGER PROJECT will change the lives of children the world over --- one book, one ball at a time. The purpose of The HOPE IS A GAME-CHANGER PROJECT is to _ . A send ball gifts to kids in poor countries B collect money to help kids in need C comfort kids in war-torn areas D offer kids help to change their lives Answer: D