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The other day I was really annoyed by a friend's behavior, and when I told my best friend Terry about it, he laughed and said, " But Jenny, you do that all the time!" Well, that surprised me and set me laughing as well. Terry was absolutely correct. The very thing I had been annoyed at my friend for was a reflection of my own behavior. Almost all of us have experienced something like this at some time. When we find ourselves upset or annoyed by situations or by the behaviors of others, it is usually because they are mirroring something in ourselves that we subconsciously know, and we are ready to look at _ and make a change. Understanding this is an important part of self-growth. When we become aware of the characteristics or behaviors we dislike in others, it may be because we are displaying those features in others in order for us to see and deal with them in ourselves. For example, if we need to learn to control our own habit of using sarcasm , then we will attract very sarcastic people to us. And we will continue to do so until our lesson in regard to sarcasm is learned. Recognizing these mirrors helps us do two very important things. It helps us to accept ourselves fully, not just the parts we are happy with. And secondly, it helps us to become more caring and able to love others just as they are. After all, they are only showing us what we do ourselves. Who knows? We could very well be mirrors for them, too. Recognizing these mirrors helps us _ . Answer: accept our bad parts Kate lives in London with her parents. She is a schoolgirl. Today is Kate's birthday and she's fifteen years old. Her father's name is Smith. He works in a hospital. People think he is a good doctor. Kate's mother is a nurse. She is a very good nurse. Kate has two brothers and a sister, and they study in China. Her elder brother speaks Chinese very well and has many friends there. He is a college student. But her younger brother and sister are middle-school students. Both of them are studying Chinese very hard and want to be teachers of Chinese in their country . Today Kate is _ . Answer: fifteen English is fast becoming the only language of a new generation of educated Arabs. This isn't a good thing for the region or the rest of the world. The journalism school at the AUD is the only modern program in the Middle East that allows students to study in Arabic. Still, many students arrive with poorly written Arabic and the formal spoken language and require refresher Arabic language courses. Literacy in the Gulf States is 98%, according to UNESCO. But that literacy is increasingly in English, not Arabic. This English bias starts early, with children in private "model" schools in the United Arab Emirates studying all their subjects, including math and science, in English. But the trend appears to be taking hold regionwide. In Saudi Arabia, many upper-middle-class families speak English at home -- not just at work . One Arabic official told me his own children do not speak Arabic fluently. He said he put them in English schools to help ensure they'd have great career prospects. But now he says he regrets that his children don't feel comfortable speaking the language of their forefathers. Why is there the anxiety among these elites? I am continually told that what I've experienced anecdotally is true: The wealthier the family, the less likely its members speak Arabic at home. If people in the same country don't speak the same language, how can they work across class lines to solve the problems of high unemployment that affect even oil-rich Saudi Arabia? For executives trying to build local businesses, the English bias is a challenge. The dean of the AUD's school of journalism, Ali Al Jaber, told me, "If you can't address your own people, then you can't be successful." Sure, English is the world's business language. More Chinese are learning English right now than there are Americans in the U.S. But China has struck a bilingual balance. Its research universities teach some of the world's brightest minds in Chinese. Professor Wardeh finds much for Arab nations to admire in _ . Many Arabic parents prefer their children to speak English because _ . Answer: they believe it's an advantage in their future careers Several years ago Robert knew a girl at a party. He loved her at once. But he hadn't enough money to marry her. He went to another village and wanted to borrow five thousand dollars from Peter, one of his classmates. He said he was going to return the money in two years. Peter Black believed him and lent the money to him. And Robert thanked the young man very much. In the past four years Robert married the girl and she had a baby. They lived a happy life, but he didn't give the money back to Peter. One day Peter's mother was ill and needed an operation. He looked for Robert for a few times, but he never met him. One day Peter heard that the young man was in. He hurried there. He knocked at the door for a long time and Robert's wife came out to meet him. "I'm sorry, Mr. Black." said the woman. "My husband has just gone out." Peter thought for a while and said, "Yes, I met him on my way here. He told me that he had left all his money at home and let you return it to me." "Don't believe him, dear!" Robert came out in a hurry and called out. "I've never told him about it!" Which of the following is true? _ . Answer: Peter was clever enough to make Robert come out. In late March,Southwest University became the first school in China to open a 24-hour hotline providing suicide-prevention counseling. College suicide is a heart-breaking and argumentative topic.Chinese college students have long been the focus of public attention:their youth,education and,most importantly, bright futures make them the envy of society. However, in recent years,we've read more reports of student suicides.Perhaps that's simply because of society's attention with youth.But it could also signify the increasing troubled mental state of college students. Many studies have sought to find out the causes of student suicides.Not surprisingly, the top factors usually include psychological and physical sickness,emotional trouble and peer pressure. Despair about their futures is also quickly becoming a leading factor:Many students say they feel hopeless and confused about the direction of their careers in a crowded job market. Thankfully, more and more universities and colleges are providing counseling services to address students'mental and psychological problems.These at least offer some comfort to students facing tough job prospects and personal difficulties. From appointing in-house student counselors to setting up hotlines and recruiting students to help their troubled peers.many universities are making efforts to fight student depression.There is no denying that much remains to be done,but such efforts are already working,helping students and saving lives. However, the most important front in this battle lies with the students themselves.Whatever efforts school officials make,it is up to students to realize their problems and ask help.Unfortunately, many students considering suicide refuse to seek help.By shutting themselves away, they can easily fall into vicious cycles ,becoming ever more vulnerable to.personal difficulties and the pressures of the outside world. While establishing better on-campus psychological education and outreach programs are a step forward,students themselves must actively reach out for help.These dangers are a reality for every student not only those who feel confused and depressed. This article is probably a/an_. Answer: commentary
Imagine being the only person in the Forbidden City. You could stay there all day without swarms of people crowding around. You'd be able to look at the ancient treasures without worrying about other visitors pushing you for a better view. Well, in two years time you'll be able to have such an experience, just like the former emperors used to. The only difference is that your Forbidden City fun will be online. Thanks to new technology, a virtual tour of the Forbidden City will be available online by 2008. The project - jointly driven by the Palace Museum and computer company IBM - aims to help teenagers around the world become more interested in Chinese culture. The project will offer an interactive, three-dimensional view of the palace. The virtual tour will provide images from all over the 780,000-square-metre palace. "The Palace Museum is a big book; there are always places you haven't read about," said Hu Chui from the museum. There are many rooms closed for protection. But the virtual platform breaks the boundaries of time and space, meaning visitors can see whatever they want. "The interaction and games content in the virtual tour will attract more young people to understand and love our cultural heritage," added Hu. In the virtual tour, historical figures will actually talk to visitors and answer their questions. The stories behind the buildings and treasures will also be told. "The online environment, presented in both Chinese and English, enables visitors to experience the culture and stories of the museum," said James Yeh, an IBM official. Which of the following is not the advantage of the virtual tour of the Forbidden City? Answer: Visitors can walk around the Forbidden City with your family. "Why should I care about the environment?" some people ask. There is a very simple reason: We live on the earth, and it is the only place we can live on right now, as we cannot live in space yet. If we treat the earth like a garbage dump, it will become dirty and unlivable. If we treat it well by being eco-conscious, the earth will stay clean and suitable for living, for ourselves and for our children. What is "being eco-conscious"? Being eco-conscious means being aware of your actions, and what you do to the environment. For example, you might think, "Using hairspray is great for fixing my hair." However, if you are eco-conscious, you would ask, "Does this hairspray have CFCs in it? Could I be destroying the earth by using hairspray?" How can I be eco-conscious? You can find many simple ways to help the environment in your everyday life. When you go shopping, bring a bag or a basket with you. Please try not to use plastic bags as much as you can. You can go to work by bike or on foot if it is not far from your home. You can put your rubbish into different bags, which makes it convenient for recycling. You can eat less chewing gum. You can use your own chopsticks instead of the disposable ones in your company or in restaurants. You can put batteries in a special box instead of in garbage bins. You can use the water which has been used for washing vegetables or fruits to clean the floor and the toilet or to water your garden. You can turn off the decorative lights in your room when watching TV. You can turn down your air conditioner by one degree, as this will cause a 10% reduction in energy use. You can use recycled paper. Every ton of recycled office paper saves 380 gallons of oil. You can also use recycled glass instead of glass made from raw materials. This will reduce the related air pollution by 20%, and the related water pollution by 50%. Please believe that. If you do a little, it will make a big difference. According to the author, which of the following statements is WRONG? Answer: If each of us just does a little, we can't make any difference. Tony:I like eating hamburgers and drinking cola. Yes, they are not healthy. But I eat hamburgers and drink cola every day.I don't like vegetables. I hate tomatoes. Cindy: My favourite food is chocolate and my favourite drink is milk. Milk can make me healthy. I drink milk every morning. I like fruit too. And my favourite fruit is oranges. Zhang Qiang: I like meat. I eat beef and chicken, but my favourite is beef. So I'm strong and tall. Liu Xin: I like candy and vegetables. I eat candy every day. But my mum says candy can make me fat. Now I'm fat so I do sports every day. _ is so fat so he/she does sports every day. Answer: Liu Xin A Nepalese teenager had made a PS 23 solar panel ( ) using human hair. Milan Karki, who is 18 years old and lives in a village, used human hair to replace silicon, which is a common but expensive part of solar panels. By using hair as a replacement, Karki says that solar panels can be produced for around PS 23. Karki got the idea from a Stephen Hawking book, which explained how to create energy from hair. The device that Karki has showed can produce 18w of energy -- plenty to _ a mobile phone. "Half a kilo of hair can be bought for only 16p in Nepal and last a few months; but a pack of batteries would cost 50p and last a few nights," according to The Daily Mail. The solar panel is easy to service as the hair is easy to replace. Karki has now sent out several devices to other places near his home for testing. He said, "First I wanted to provide energy for my home, then my village. Now I am thinking for the whole world." Karki wanted to use human hair because it is Answer: cheap Hetty Robinson learnt all about money when very young. As a child, she read the financial pages of the newspaper to her rich father. Her father died when Hetty was 30, and she inherited $1 million. When she herself died in 1916, she left almost $100 million to her two children. Hetty made her money on the New York stock exchange. She was a financial genius. She made money so easily that people called her the Witch of Wall Street. But although she was one of the richest women in the world, she counted every cent and spent as little as possible. She didn't own a house, because she didn't want to pay taxes. So she and her children lived in cheap hotels. She spent almost nothing on clothes, and always wore the same long black dress. She washed it herself, but to save soap she only washed the bottom of the dress, where it touched the ground. Other people had their own offices, but Hetty used a desk in the bank where she kept her money, because it didn't cost anything. She sat in the bank and ate her sandwiches while she bought and sold stocks and shares. If the bank complained, she just moved all her money to another bank. Hetty's family paid the price for her meanness. When she was 33 she married a millionaire, Edward Green, and they had two children. But Green lost all his money, so she left him. When her son, Ned, injured his knee, Hetty didn't want to pay for a doctor, so she took him to a free hospital for poor people. Unfortunately the doctor knew Hetty was rich and he asked for money. Hetty refused and took the boy away. His leg got worse and two years later doctors removed it. But eventually Ned got his revenge . At the age of 81, Hetty had an argument with a shop assistant about the price of a bottle of milk. She became so angry that she had a heart attack and died. So Hetty's meanness finally killed her. Ned inherited half his mother's fortune, and he spent it all on parties, holidays and expensive jewellery. Why was Hetty Robinson called the Witch of Wall Street? Answer: She made a large amount of money easily through stocks and shares.
It's nine o'clock in the evening. The family are all at home. Jim's father is sitting in a chair. He's watching TV. Jim's mother is standing near the window. She's giving some food to a bird. Polly says,"Thanks ! Thanks!" Where's Jim ? Oh, he's behind the door. Kate, Jim's sister, is looking for him. They are playing games. They have no homework on Sunday evening. The children _ doing their homework A. aren't B. isn't C. don't D. not Answer: A. aren't There was once a man called Mr. Flowers, and flowers were his only joy in life. He spent all his free time in one of his four glass-houses and grew flowers of every color, with long and difficult names, for competitions. He tried to grow a rose of a new color to win the silver cup for the Rose of the Year. Mr. Flowers' glass-houses were very near to a middle school. Boys of around thirteen of age were often tempted to throw a stone or two at one of Mr. Flowers' glass-houses. So Mr. Flowers did his best to be in or near his glass-houses at the beginning and end of the school day. But it was not always possible to be on watch at those times. Mr. Flowers had tried in many ways to protect his glass, but nothing that he had done had been useful. He had been to school to report to the headmaster; but this had not done any good. He had tried to drive away the boys that threw stones into his garden; but the boys could run faster than he could, and they laughed at him from far away. He had even picked up all the stones that he could find around his garden, so that the boys would have nothing to throw; but they soon found others. At last Mr. Flowers had a good idea. He put up a large notice made of good, strong wood, some meters away from the glass-houses. On it he had written the words: DO NOT THROW STONES AT THIS NOTICE. After this, Mr. Flowers had no further trouble; the boys were much more tempted to throw stones at the notice than at the glass-houses. Boys were often tempted to _ . A. throw stones at Mr. Flowers' glass-house B. throw stones at Mr. Flowers from their school C. be in or near by Mr. Flowers' glass-houses D. play with Mr. Flowers near his glass-houses Answer: A. throw stones at Mr. Flowers' glass-house Angus MacLeod was fifty and he had spent his entire life as a shepherd in the remote mountainous region of northwest Scotland. He had never owned a radio or television nor had he travelled further than forty kilometres from his birthplace. His knowledge of the world was gained only from his brief trips to the village to sell his sheep and buy food. However, he had lately come to rely on the growing number of hill-walkers in the region as sources of international news. In the spring of 1992, a Spanish student came across Angus high in the mountains. Eager to practise his English he engaged Angus in conversation. The student told Angus of the forthcoming Olympic Games in Barcelona. Excited by the student's colourful description of Spain and the Games, Angus decided to attend the event in person and two months later arrived in Barcelona. The ticketless Angus stood outside the stadium with his canny brain working overtime, watching a growing number of individuals entering the stadium through a small entrance at the side. He noticed that they all seemed to be carrying objects. Perhaps they were workmen, he thought. He moved closer and watched. Within minutes a thin young man came along carrying an extremely long pole. He approached the official at the door and said "Pole Vault". The official moved to the side and the man entered. Next came a heavy-set man with a spear. Angus wondered how a man could carry such a dangerous weapon in a modern city. The man shouted " Javelin " and was presently admitted. Angus was puzzled. Perhaps they were all connected with security. His puzzlement grew when a huge man appeared with a steel ball in his hand. He shouted "Shot Putt" and walked past the official. It suddenly dawned on Angus that these people were competitors. He opened his programme and sure enough under the heading "events" he saw the three words the men had said. Angus laughed to himself as a plan began to take shape in his mind. First he needed to buy one or two things. An hour later he reappeared dressed in a tracksuit with "Scotland" written across the chest. Over his shoulder he carried a roll of barbed wire . Smiling to himself he walked up to the official and as casually as he could, shouted, "Fencing!" What are "Javelin" , "Pole Vault", "Shot Putt" and "Fencing" in the passage? A. Olympic events. B. Names of competitors. C. Security weapons. D. Names of countries. Answer: A. Olympic events. Which best describes the speed of a ball as it is thrown straight up into the air and comes back down? A. The ball goes up at a constant speed, stops, then comes down at a constant speed. B. The ball goes up at a constant speed, stops, and increases speed as it comes down. C. The ball goes slower and slower as it goes up, stops, and then goes faster and faster as it comes down. D. The ball goes slower and slower as it goes up, stops, and then comes down at a constant speed. Answer: C. The ball goes slower and slower as it goes up, stops, and then goes faster and faster as it comes down. Hello! My name is Zhao Na. I'm nine years old. I am in Rizhao Middle School in Shangdong. My English name is Julia. I like green. My telephone number is 1238-6517. I have a good friend. She is English. Her name is Helen Smith. Her Chinese name is Wang Min. She is ten years old. She likes red. Her phone number is 2816-3018. Helen and I are in the same school. Zhao Na's English name is _ . A. Julia B. Helen C. Nancy D. Smith Answer: A. Julia
In tough economic times, school counselors don't just wait for students to come to their offices in search of college brochures, health pamphlets or other help. These days, they are looking for at-risk kids to prevent personal or academic troubles before they arise. Nowadays, students and families need the guidance more than ever. Counselors play a steadying role in schools as the economy weighs on families, college admission becomes even more competitive, immigration continues to reshape the population and state-testing pressures many students. They use computers to search through attendance data, grades and standardized test scores for kids who might need extra help. Schlatter, director of guidance and counseling at Prince William County's Woodbridge Senior High School, has checked attendance records against grades and test results to start peer groups for students who are failing classes but not skipping them. She said group counseling is another way to reach more students though it can be difficult. "Kids really do start helping and sharing with each other." At Fairfax High School, counselors found through surveys that students who transferred to the school after ninth grade enjoyed school significantly less than those who had been there all four years. The counseling staff set up a special program and group for new arrivals in response, said Marcy Miller, the school's director of student services. Counseling staff members also have started small study groups for students to prepare for state Standards of Learning exams, which Miller said have helped raise test scores. She said that some of the newest counselors have had some of the freshest ideas. What would the author most probably discuss in the following part? Answer: Which of these effects are most likely to happen if someone brakes to avoid hitting a deer? Answer: It was the last day of my four-month interview to hold the job as a salesman in the World Trade Center -- in simpler words, an end to being perfect for four months. I took the last drop of my coffee, pushed in my chair, and said goodbye to my family -- little did they know, this could have been my final goodbye. I went to room 911, as I had the past three times, to meet my boss, Mr. Clarke. I was just about to have a seat, when suddenly I heard the sound of explosion. Then, the floor beneath my feet began shaking, which was when I began to realize that something had gone completely wrong. "Run! Let's get out of here!" Mr. Clarke cried. Seconds after the first massive explosion, I heard another explosion from way above. My heartbeat seemed to be the drum of a heavy-metal song and all the employees were rushing to get out; the lifts were out of order, and only screaming could be heard up and down the stairwell. All of us were unaware at the time that this was the airplane hitting the tower. Fire then began to swallow the walls and all you could see is gray smoke. Mr. Clarke had fallen and went unconscious. I used all my strength to throw his heavy weight on my shoulders and run down the steps. I then felt myself sinking into the floor. I ran and ran, but I was not going anywhere. The only option left was to jump. With Mr. Clarke still lying in my arms, I closed my eyes and jumped. My boss safely reached the edge of the trampoline a group of firemen held beneath us. However, I landed on the concrete floor and suffered a broken back and neck, which was considered lucky. The last sentence of the passage suggests that _ . Answer: Some American high schools are for students with special interests, like science or the arts. New York City even has a program for those interested in the food service industry, called Food and Finance High School. New York also has what are called international high schools, or internationals, for immigrant students. They must be new learners of English who have been in the United States less than four years. The first school opened in nineteen eighty-five. The city will begin the new term next month with ten. New York works with a nonprofit organization, the Internationals Network for Public Schools. Support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has helped the network expand. The network says the graduation rate was seventy percent last year in the four New York schools open long enough to have graduating classes. That, compared with twenty-three percent for English language learners in all of the city schools. Over all, New York officials recently reported that the city's four-year graduation rate, reached fifty-two percent last year. At the same time, they reported that the city's dropout rate fell below fifteen percent. The Internationals Network says its schools have an average dropout rate of just five percent. Claire Sylvan is the executive director of the group. She says students drop out mainly because their families need them to work or because parents arrange marriages for girls. The Internationals Network mainly helps find teachers and trains them in the teaching method of the internationals. Claire Sylvan says the teaching approach is to have students use their different strengths to help each other. They work in small groups, but she says they are not grouped by ability. She says the students discuss issues, then produce a product like a paper, a play, a poster or a report. They learn English as they work. One of the reasons why some students drop out of school is that _ . Answer: Where would rocks be the smoothest? Answer:
Researchers and many scientists are concerned that the earth's climate and atmosphere are becoming warmer than they should be. What scientists do agree on is that the temperature will continue to increase if measures are not taken to reduce pollution and emission from cars and factories. It is widely agreed that oil and coal create greenhouse gases when they are burned to produce heat or power. These emissions include carbon dioxide, which is the cause of most of the global warming problem. The loss of the trees in many areas is making the problem worse, because trees and plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen. The fewer trees that are left standing, the less carbon dioxide can be absorbed. Scientists predict that the sea level will rise, ice caps will melt, and some animals and plants will fail to survive because their habitat will disappear. There may be more deserts and less available farmland because of the dry ground, and there may be more storms and floods in many countries. Some countries, including the UK and the US, are taking steps to prevent the situation from becoming worse. There are programmes to educate citizens and students about the situation and recycling waste is becoming more common. New guidelines are being introduced to try to limit greenhouse gases from being produced by factories and businesses. Using more alternative energy sources is also a good way to prevent global warming. One thing that everyone can do is limit their use of energy every day, and you can do this no matter how old or young you are. Try to limit the unnecessary use of electricity and work to conserve energy every day. What is the author's attitude toward global warming? A Concerned B Satisfied C Frustrated D Puzzled Answer: A Dear Mr. Wang, Someone comes to the office to see you in the morning, but you and your wife are out. He comes here at 10am. Because he is very busy, he goes away half an hour later. He tells me that he is your classmate at college . Now he teaches Chinese in a high school in this city and he lives near the No. 6 Middle School. He is a very tall man with short hair. He wears a pair of glasses. He tells me his telephone number is 33426685. He is often at home at 7:00 pm. So you can call him in the evening. How long does Mr. Wang's classmate stay in the office? A Ten hours. B An hour. C Two hours. D Half an hour. Answer: D Samantha, or Sam, as her husband, John, called her, had left the doctor's house looking perfect, satisfied with her appearance. The year was 1862. It seemed that the war with the North would never come to an end. Sam's father had left as soon as possible, swearing that he'd fight for Virginia, for their land, for their new government, for God, for the South. At last, Samantha reached the house that she and John owned. It was a cold, rainy night, and she was glad to be home. She stepped into the sitting room. John rested in an armchair, reading a book. He glanced at her, put the book down, and stood, reaching his arms out for her. They kissed briefly. He put a hand to her now slightly round belly and asked, "What did the doctor say?" "He said the baby was fine and that I seemed healthy. Do you have any news?" "Surprisingly, yes." John hesitated for a moment, as if deciding how he would phrase what he was about to say, and then unwillingly continued, "I've been demanded to join the army." Sam screamed, "What?" She was near tears. "But-but we're just starting out." Her voice shook. "I thought that after two years of begging my mother to let the two of us get married that our life would finally be happy. Isn't there any way you can get out of this?" John answered, "I'm afraid not." "Please. Please, John, if you love me, please get out of this. Break a leg, fake an illness, do something." She began to sob. John comforted her, resting her head on his shoulder. "Sam." "What?" "Name the child after me; name it John or Joanna. I'll come back as soon as I can. I promise." Sam smiled into his collar bone, knowing that John lived by his word. He never broke a promise. She pressed her hand to her belly, and, unknown to her, the baby was a girl. And unknown to both of them, the promise that John had just made would be the only promise he would ever break. Sam visited the doctor probably because she _ . A tried to see her husband B wanted to look perfect C was a little worried about her appearance D needed an examination for her baby Answer: D Alice Walker makes her living by writing. And her poems, short stories, and novels have won many prizes for her. She was born in Eatonton, Georgia. She went to public schools there, and then to Spelman College in Atlanta before coming to New York to attend Sarah Lawrence College, from which she graduated in 1966. For a time she lived in Jackson, Mississippi, with her lawyer husband and small daughter. About Langston Hughes, American Poet, her first book for children, she says, "After my first meeting with Langston Hughes, I promised I would write a book for children someday. Why? Because I, at twenty-two, knew next to nothing of his work, and he didn't scold me; he just gave me a pile of his books. And he was kind to me; I will always be thankful that in his warmth he fulfilled my deepest dream (and need) of what a poet should be." "To me he is not dead at all. Hardly a day goes by that I don't think of him or speak of him. Once, just before he died, when he was sick with the flu, I took him a basket full or oranges. The joy I felt in giving that simple gift is undiminished by time. He said he liked oranges, too. " From the passage we can conclude that Alice Walker was twenty-two years old when _ . A she moved to Jackson, Mississippi B she moved to New York C she first met with Langston Hughes D Langston Hughes died Answer: C Famous centenarians still active in arts, science are in no mood to retire. "Those who stand still, die," is one of Oliveira's favorite phrases. He knows from experience what it means, as the Portuguese film director has reached the age of 102 and is still active in his profession. Every year, Oliveira shoots a film and is currently working on his next project. "You have to work, work, work in order to forget that death is not far away," he said. When asked about his age, Oliveira said with some humility: "It's down to mother nature. It gave to me what it took from others." Being both mentally and physically fit in old age is partly a matter of luck, but it also has something to do with character. Not every white-haired person is wise and social skills, openness and the ability to train the brain are essential for senior citizens. Along with the architect Oscar Niemeyer (103), Nobel laureate Montalcini (101) and director Kurt Maetzig (100), Oliveira is one of those people of whom it would be very wrong to think as members of a listless elderly generation. Another master in his profession is the architect Oscar Niemeyer. The 103-year-old Brazilian is best known for his futuristic-looking buildings in Brasilia, but he also speaks out on behalf of the poor. "The role of the architect is to struggle for a better world where we can develop a form of architecture that serves everyone and not just a privileged few," said Niemeyer recently. He spends almost every day working in his office in Copacabana, and even when he falls ill he keeps working on ideas: After a gallbladder operation he composed a samba tune in the clinic. Another man who could sing a song about age is 107-year-old Heesters. The Dutch-born opera singer spent most of his life performing in Germany, where he still works. Recently Heesters said: "I want to be at least 108-years-old." He also plans to keep performing. " _ " Heesters has not given up trying to add to his tally of awards and is looking for a "good stage role". Italian scientist Rita Levi-Montalcini, who is 101-year-old and is still active in medical science, has described the force that keeps driving her on: "Progress is created through imperfection." In 1986 she and her lab colleague were awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine for their work on nerve growth factor. She's convinced that humans grow on challenges. With so many brilliant examples given, we can see clearly that age is no barrier to some high achievers. How many centenarians are mentioned in this passage? A 4 B 5 C 6 D 7 Answer: B
Smoking is the single worst thing you can do for your health. Fortunately, it's never too late to get the benefits of quitting. If you've tried to quit before and failed, it's time to make up your mind and try again. Smoking is responsible for one of every five deaths. That includes 29% of all cancer deaths, 87% of all lung cancer deaths, and nearly 20% of all deaths from cardiovascular disease. But long before smoking kills you, it ages you. You can see for yourself that smoking accelerates the drying and wrinkling of the skin. But there are less obvious effects as well. Indeed, smoking takes years away from your life. Nearly half of all chronic smokers die an average of 20 to 25 years before their time. Besides an early death from cancer or heart disease, smoking can cause lung disorders. People who smoke over a pack a day have almost three times the risk of contracting pneumonia than that of nonsmokers. By lowering levels of estrogen in men and women, smoking speeds bone less. If a woman smokes a pack of cigarettes every day, she will enter menopause with 5 to 10% less bone mass than a nonsmoker. The good news is that no matter what your age is or how long you've smoked, you'll live longer if you quit today. The Coronary Artery Surgery Study examined nearly 2,000 long-term smokers over age 54. Those who quit had significantly lower death rates six years later than those who didn't. Even the oldest ex-smokers had a higher survival rate. Not only will live longer if you quit, you'll feel better, breathe easier, and find that you have more energy. You'll have fewer respiratory infections,headaches, and stomachaches. What's more, you'll save money. Your clothes and breath won't smell unpleasant any longer. And your habit won't annoy--or threaten the health of --the people who live and work with you. According to the passage, the percentage of deaths due to smoking is _ . Answer: Whitney Houston, who died on February 11, 2012 in Beverly Hills, California, is being remembered across the globe as a trailblazer . Among all of Houston's outstanding achievements, including a total of more than 400 career a wards , her most significant achievement was her record-setting string of seven Number One singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart . It broke the previous record of six set by The Bee Gees and The Beatles. The string began on October 26 , 1985 with her Grammy-winning hit "Saving All My Love For You," and ended on April 23, 1988 with her R&B ballad "Where Do Broken Hearts Go." It was the fourth single from her album"Whitney"to go to Number One, also a record for a female artist. She sold more than 170 million albums worldwide and co-produced and recorded songs for one of the best-selling soundtracks of all time,The Bodyguard. Whitney Houston was born the daughter of famed gospel singer Cissy Houston in Newak , New Jersey. Dionne Warwick was her cousin and Aretha Franklin her godmother. She began as a gospel singer and pianist in her mother's church and sometimes performed alongside her in nightclubs. At age 15 , Whitney sang backup on Chaka Khan's "I'm Every Woman," a tune she later performed on The Bodyguard soundtrack. Whitney signed with Arista in 1983 and released her self-titied debut album two years later. The New York Times called her first effort, "an impressive, musically conservative showcase for an exceptional vocal talent ." She continued to achieve similar praise for subsequent albums, while her fast-growing fan base put her into the world-class entertainer. In 1998, she released her most musically-diverse album to date, "My Love Is Your Love." The title track became her third best-selling single ever. The past 10 years were filled with highs and lows. While Whitney's contract at Arista Records was renewed for $100 million, album sales began to slide. Her 14-year marriage to singer Bobby Brown ended in 2007 , she canceled concerts and interviews , and accusation arose of drug abuse. Her final album "I Look To you," sold more than two million copies and reached the Number One spot in 2009. According to the text, Houston _ . Answer: Woman Uses Daughter's Key to "Steal" Car Charlie Vansant, a college student of Athens, Ohio, who reported that his car was stolen, got a surprise when he learned that a woman had mistaken it for her daughter's car and driven it home--using her key. Kate Anderson became an accidental "car thief" when picking up her daughter's car near an Ohio University building last week. Anderson found the Toyota Camry and used her daughter's car key to unlock the car, start the engine and drove it home--without realizing that the car didn't belong to her daughter. When Charlie Vansant left class a short time later, he found only an empty parking spot. He first assumed the car had been towed , but when the police couldn't find a record of it, then they took a theft report. That morning, after Anderson drove the car home, her daughter discovered the Camry in the driveway wasn't hers. Anderson said she was able to find Vansant's name on the paperwork in the glove compartment and look up his phone number on the website for the university. When Anderson told Charlie the car was in her driveway, "It sounded really suspicious at first, as if she wanted to hold the thing for ransom ," said Vansant. He eventually went to the house with a police officer, where he was reunited with his car. According to the police report, the case was closed "because of mistaken car identity", and Anderson wasn't charged. Vansant blamed the car company more than the "thief". "Her key fit not only my lock, but my ignition as well--so high-five for Toyota, I guess," he said. (307 words) Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the passage? Answer: April 2009, in the state of Georgia, USA, twenty thousand people watched high school students from twenty- eight countries compete with robots they had built. More than ten thousand students and more than five hundred robots took part in the competition. Almost 1,700 high school teams took part in the competition called LUNACY. In January, the organization sent the same robots to each team. The teams had six weeks to build robots that could compete in the LUNACY game. The playing area consisted of six robots, three on each team. Each robot had a trailer connected to it. The robots had to pick up large balls and throw them into the trailers of opposing robots. The robots were moving on a platform where they could move smoothly. A team from the USA won the LUNACY competition. American inventor Dean Kamen started the competition in 1989 to increase young people's interest in science and technology. The organization holds robotic competitions around the world. It offers programs that help young people learn about science, technology, engineering and maths, and at the same time build life skills. Many companies provide support for the organization. Mr. Kamen says the goal is more than building robots. He says the student competitors showed they could solve difficult technological problems and, he says that it is good news because the world needs creative thinkers to solve the increasingly difficult problems of the future. Dean Kamen's reason for starting this competition was _ . Answer: The children often play soccer in the garden .Sometimes they break Mrs. Smith's windows. One afternoon , Mrs. Smith is reading a newspaper at home.After a short time, she closes her eyes and goes to _ At that time a little boy knocks at the door.Mrs. Smith opens the door and asks, "Do you break my windows again ?" "Oh, no", says the boy." Your windows are open this time and our soccer is in your room.Can I get it back, please?" ,. The little boy _ Mrs. Smith 's door. Answer:
Hello, dear friends! I'm Jenny. Please look at this photo. The girl in red is me. I'm 13. I have a sister and two brothers. My sister, Linda, is 15. She likes red and green. She has two red rulers and a green pencil case. She also likes sports and she has a great sports collection. She has five baseballs, three basketballs and two volleyballs. The baseballs and basketballs are under her bed. The volleyballs are under her chair. . And she is in the baseball club. My brothers are Alan and Tom. Alan is 14 and Tom is 8.Alan likes English very much, and he is in the English club. He has many English books and English tapes. But Tom only likes watching TV. He watches it every evening. Linda has _ volleyballs. A. one B. two C. three D. five Answer: B. two Believe it or not, going to school is not a legal requirement in the United States. It is a legal requirement that all kids be educated, though. When parents believe they can give their kids a better education--- or have other reasons for not wanting to send their kids to a local school --- they may choose home schooling. However, if a kid hates school, home schooling is probably not the escape he is looking for. Home schooled students can learn just as much as they would in regular school if they and their parents work hard to cover all the subjects and experiences necessary. Parents who home school usually have higher levels of education than parents who do not. They already have the skills to educate themselves about teaching their kids. Parents who home school have to be able to put the time and skill into not just teaching, but also researching lesson plans and resources . So they have to know how to find the information necessary to teach their kids. State schools often provide home-schooling parents with a curriculum , books and materials and places to meet. Some state schools will point parents to other resources for _ forgotten subjects. Or parents may receive continuing education at local colleges or universities. Which of the following is NOT true about parents who home school? A. They should have enough time. B. They should have some skills in teaching. C. They must receive special curriculums at the university. D. They have to be able to know lesson plans and resources. Answer: C. They must receive special curriculums at the university. This is news on the Hour. Ed Wilson is reporting. The President and First Lady will visit Africa on a goodwill tour in May. They plan to visit eight African countries. Reports from China say the Chinese want closer ties between China and the U.S. and Western Europe. A group of top China scientists starts its ten-nation tour next month. Here in Milmi, the mayor is still meeting with the leaders of the teachers' union to try to find a way to end the strike. City schools are still closed after two weeks. In news about health, scientists in California report findings of relationship between the drinking of coffee and the increase of heart disease among woman. According to the report in the American Medical Journal, the five-year study shows this: women who drink more than two cups of coffee a day have a greater chance of having heart disease than women who do not. In sports, the Chargers lost again last night. The BBS beat them one to nothing. The Wingers had better results. They beat the Rifles 7 to 3.It was their first win in their five matches. That the news of the Hour. And now back to more easy listening with Jan Singer. What is the purpose for China scientists to visit ten nations next month? A. China expect closer ties between China and the U.S. and Western Europe. B. They want to travel abroad C. They need a rest D. They are seeking for an opportunity to work abroad. Answer: A. China expect closer ties between China and the U.S. and Western Europe. Mrs. Hunt comes back from work. She tells Mr. Hunt about a nice dress. "I see it in the shop every day," she says "and..." "And you want to buy it?" says Mr. Hunt. "How much is it?" "Two hundred and sixty dollars." "Wow, two hundred and sixty dollars for a dress? That's too much!" But every evening when he comes back, Mrs. Hunt only speaks about the dress, so at last he says, "Oh, buy the dress! Here is the money!" She is very happy. But the next evening, when Mr. Hunt wants to have a look at the nice dress, Mrs. Hunt says "I don't want to buy it." "Why not?" he asks. "Well, it's still in the window of the shop after a week. So I think no one wants this dress. And I don't want it, either." Which of the following is TRUE? A. Many other people see the dress in the shop. B. Mr. Hunt doesn't let his wife buy the dress. C. Mrs. Hunt doesn't see one dress in the shop, but two. D. Mr. and Mrs. Hunt come back together every day. Answer: A. Many other people see the dress in the shop. Most young boys like spending time on things like video games, superhero movies and sports, but Ken, a 9-year-old boy from the Philippines, is spending his free time trying to start an animal shelter for at-risk dogs. In February, photos of Ken feeding dogs on the street circled the Internet and immediately attracted many people who wanted to help. "I feel sorry for the dogs with no owners while other dogs around the world are being pampered ," Ken tells Pet360 in an email. "It really wasn't fair. And they are really thin." When Ken began feeding the dogs which had health problems, they would not let the boy come close. But after several feedings, the dogs warmed up to Ken and allowed the boy to help them. When animal lovers found out what Ken was doing, donations started to roll in, and Ken and his father were able to start a non-profit animal shelter called Happy Animals Club. The donations helped three dogs, Blackie, Brownie and White Puppy, receive high-quality canned food and treatment. After two months with Ken at Happy Animals Club, the dogs look like completely different animals and will be adopted soon. In May, Ken and his father hiring a 10,000-square-foot lot , where Ken hopes to build a no-kill animal shelter to help more dogs in need. "I want the dogs to have a home, where they can have shelter, eat and have fun," says Ken. Ken wants to save dogs from the city pound where most animals are put down. Right now, Ken doesn't have enough money to start the shelter. If you also want to save homeless dogs, you can visit the Happy Animals Club's website and offer some help. What makes Ken different from other boys of his age? A. That he lives at a shelter. B. That he wants to save homeless dogs. C. That he loves animals very much. D. That he loves watching superhero movies. Answer: B. That he wants to save homeless dogs.
Which statement best explains Earth's day and night cycle? A Earth rotates once each day on its axis. B Earth revolves around the Sun each year. C The Sun is closest to Earth during the day. D The tilt of Earth changes throughout the year. Answer: A A mathematician who goes mad is not a subject most directors consider commercially attractive, but then Ron Howard isn't among most directors, despite an impressive list of credits, a Beautiful Mind is his most successful work to date, combining psychological drama with a moving love story to produce a film that is as interesting as it is entertaining. The Oscar winning Russel Crowe has put himself in line for further honors with his acting John Nash, the Nobel Prize-winning mathematician troubled by schizophrenia . A Beautiful Mind pictures Nash as an unusual hero, not just because of his academic achievements, but also because of the courage he displays while battling his illness. In 1947, Nash was one of many great young minds at Princeton. "To find a truly original idea is the only way to distinguish myself." The proud and determined student declared. His exploration of such an idea afforded him little time for the normal socializing. His shyness and straightforward approach brought him few friends. After finally _ a revolutionary new idea, Nash's career took off and his reputation was secured. He balanced research work with teaching, which is where he met the bright and beautiful student Alicia (Jennifer Connelly). Things in his life were going well when his talent for code breaking brought him to the attention of the military who employed him during the early stages of the cold war with Russia. However, the stress of his work made Nash's illness develop. Crowe's performance is perfect. He and Connelly ignite (make something exciting) the film's passionate love story and Connelly's wonderful performance makes the audience moved by Alicia, whose courage, strength and faith in her husband are the primary reasons for his recovery. We can infer form the text that _ . A without Alicia, John Nash would not have recovered from schizophrenia. B John Nash gave up his career when troubled by schizophrenia. C Russell Crowe won another Oscar Award after this movie. D John Nash volunteered to serve in the army. Answer: A The forces that make Japan one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries could become part of its long-term energy solution. Water from deep below the ground at Japan's tens of thousands of hot springs could be used to produce electricity. Although Japanese high-tech companies are leaders in geothermal technology and export it, its use is limited in the nation. "Japan should no doubt make use of its resources of geothermal energy," said Yoshiyasu Takefuji, a leading researcher of thermal-electric power production. The disastrous earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011 caused a reaction against atomic power, which previously made up 30 percent of Japan's energy needs, and increased interest in alternative energies, which account for only 8 percent. Artist Yoko Ono has called on Japan to explore its natural energy, following the example of Iceland which uses renewable energy for more than 80 percent of its needs. For now, geothermal energy makes up less than 1 percent of the energy needs in Japan, which has for decades relied heavily on fossil fuels and atomic power. The biggest problem to geothermal energy is the high initial cost of the exploration and constructing the factories.Another problem is that Japan's potentially best sites are already being developed for tourism or are located within national parks where construction is forbidden. "We can't even dig 10cm inside national parks." said Shigeto Yamada of Fuji Electric, adding that regulations protecting nature would need to be relaxed for geothermal energy to grow. Researcher Hideaki Matsui said, "Producing electricity using hot springs is a decades-long project.We also have to think about what to do for now as energy supplies will decline in the short term." The Earth Policy Institute in Washington, US, believed Japan could produce 80,000 megawatts and meet more than half its electricity needs with geothermal technology. Japanese giants such as Toshiba are already global leaders in geothermal technology, with a 70 percent market share.In 2010, Fuji Electric built the world's largest geothermal factory in New Zealand. What would be the best title for the text? A Alternative energies in Japan B World's largest geothermal plant C Japan takes the lead in geothermal technology D Japan thinks of geothermal energy Answer: D It takes two to duet , and one question for scientists is how these coordinated performances arise -- in birds. Are they the result of cooperation, a way in which one pair signals to others that they've got it together? Or are they the result of conflict, evolving to avoid one partner's song interfering with the other's? A study of duetting in Peruvian warbling antbirds suggests that it might be a little of both, and that context is everything. Joseph A. Tobias and Nathalie Seddon of the University of Oxford show in Current Biology that sexual conflict can cause the female of a pair that normally cooperates to "jam" the male's song by singing over it. The researchers exposed antbird pairs to recorded songs of other antbirds and monitored the songs the pairs produced. In one experiment, they played the songs of an intruding pair. In this case, the resident pair "both are likely to lose their territory, so both should cooperate," Dr. Tobias said. And they do. They produce a coordinated duet that in effect tells the intruders to keep away. But when the researchers played the song of a single female, the pair behaved differently. "You'd expect the resident female to be highly motivated to defend her position in the partnership," Dr. Tobias said. And that's what occurs. The male sings its heart out, flirting with the single female, and the female of the pair does its best to interfere with the song by singing over it, apparently to make her mate less attractive to the other female. "It's clear that the male doesn't like what she's doing," Dr. Tobias said. The behavior "breaks up what is otherwise a very cooperative situation into a more complicated signal," he added. It's the first evidence of this kind of signal jamming among pairs, Dr. Tobias said. And in that it leads the male to alter its song to avoid the female's interfering notes, it shows that this kind of conflict could, over a long period, drive the evolution of coordinated song. Which of the following is the topic of this passage? A The special phenomenon about birds pairs. B The conflict of bird pairs. C The cooperation of bird pairs. D The piece of music for bird pairs. Answer: D A recent survey in the United States showed that the average family spent more money on its pets than on its children. Although rather shocking, it should not surprise anyone who has seen the doggy parlors where loved pets rest. Are Americans unique in treating their little friends in this way? No, the English, too, pay more attention to their pets. This can clearly be seen when we look at pet foods, which often contain more vitamins than human food. They certainly cost much. Last year the British public spent two hundred million pounds on pet food alone, to say nothing of veterinary bills or animal furniture. It is difficult not to feel angry about this when considering what the same amount could do for victims of starvation and poverty, so it is not unusual for me _ when I read an old man left all his money to his dog instead of his children. There are a variety of reasons why I find pets-raising alarming. They cause physical problems. An example of this is New York where they have great difficulty getting rid of the mess that dogs leave on the streets. Many people find this funny, but in a number of large cities it is a major problem. Animals can cause disease, too. It is the threat of rabies -- a disease with no known cure. Another problem is the carelessness of pet owners. Most little children want a dog or a cat, and they continually push their mothers and fathers until they get one. It is only when the "sweet little thing" has been brought home that the parents realize how much time and money must be spent on "Rover" or "Bonzo". Then they just abandon it. As a result, they are allowed to run free. English farmers lose hundreds of sheep a year, killed by someone's pet and you must have read of children being hurt by some pets of their own. Lastly, I would only suggest that we have got our priorities wrong and that something should be done about it. In my view, it's time we stopped being sentimental about pets. I can see no reason why we should get upset when animals are cut up for medical experiments. This will lead us to discovering cures for serious human diseases, then I say, "keep cutting!" According to the author, in which field can animals be most useful? A Pet. B Food. C Medicine. D Sports. Answer: C
"Babies are supposed to instinctually know who they daddy is," Gerald, Dooriya's daddy, said, holding Dooriya before him."But she don't recognize nothing." Everybody had something to say about raising my baby, but none of them actually did any raising.Taking Dooriya to see the ocean had become the only thing that kept me from feeling like my life was an everlasting losing race, this vision of what could be for my little girl.When I told Momma about my plans to visit the lighthouse at Cape Hatteras, she just spun her broken record. "That baby'11 never understand a thing of what she's seeing." "My baby book says I should treat her just like any other child.It's good to show her beautiful things even if she don't know what she's seeing.It helps her brain develop.How's her brain gonna develop if all she ever sees is the walls inside this crummy house?" "That child's brain ain't never gonna develop.We love her, but it's not like she's ever gonna not be a Mongoloid ." I had read a half-dozen books about Down Syndrome that said stimulation might improve a child's chances of developing to her fullest potential.And what's more stimulating than a trip to see the ocean? Guidebooks described the area as the land of beginnings, which I liked the sound of.But before I could map out a plan, I woke up one night when Dooriya hiccupped .Then she just stopped breathing.The ER doctor gave me a pamphlet on SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) and said, children with Down Syndrome are much more likely to be affected by this sort of thing. I didn't remember much about driving to Cape Hatteras, especially taking Dooriya from the hospital. But up on that lighthouse, with its broad spiral running up and around it like a black and white barber's pole, I saw my life twist into the air. As I climbed the winding stairs, I counted the steps, 268 in all, stopping on 77, Dooriya's very number of days on this planet.At the top, I held Dooriya up to the Atlantic, its cold air raising the thin soft hair on her head.With her eyes closed and her arms spread out, it looked like she was bathing in the warmth of the sun. Which of the following is true according to the text? A The doctor eventually saved the life of the baby. B The baby was disabled by her careless mother. C The baby enjoyed the sunshine while seeing the ocean. D The disease SIDS took away the life of the baby. Answer: D If we are asked exactly what we were doing a year ago, we might have to say that we could not remember. But if we had kept a book and written in it an account of what we did each day, we should be able to give an answer to the question. It is the same in history. Many things have been forgotten because we do not have any written account of them. Sometimes men did keep a record of the important happenings in their country, but often it was destroyed by fire or in a war. Sometimes there was never any written record at all because the people of that time and place did not know how to write. For example, we know a great deal about the people who lived in china 4,000 years ago, because they could write and leave written records for whose who lived after them. But we know almost nothing about the people who lived even 200 years ago in central Africa, because they had not learned go write. Sometimes, of course, even if the people cannot write, they may know something of the past. They have heard about it from older people, and often songs and dances and stories have been made about the most important happenings, and those have been sung and acted and told for many generations, for most people are proud to tell what their fathers did in the past. This we may call 'remembered history'. Some of it has now been written history, because words are much more easily changed when used again and again in speech than when copied in writing. But where there are no written records, such spoken stories are often very helpful. Which of the following ideas is NOT talked about in the passage above? A "Remembered history" is less reliable than written history. B Written records of the past played a most important in our learning of the human history. C A written account of our daily activities helps us to remember what we have done D Where there are no written records, there is no history. Answer: D How could we possibly think that keeping animals in cages in unnatural environments-mostly for entertainment purposes-is fair and respectful? Zoo officials say they are concerned about animals.How ever, most zoos remain "collections" of interesting "things" rather than protective habitats .Zoos teach people that it is acceptable to keep animals bored, lonely, and far from their natural bones. Zoos claim to educate people and save endangered species , but visitors leave zoos without having learned anything meaningful about the animals' natural behavior, intelligence, or beauty.Zoos keep animals in small spaces or cages, and most signs only mention the species' name, diet, and natural range .The animals' normal behavior is seldom noticed because zoos don't usually take care of the animals' natural needs. The animals are kept together in small spaces, with no privacy and little opportunity for mental and physical exercise.These results in unusual and self-destructive behavior called zoophobia.A worldwide study of zoos found that zoophobia is common among animals kept in small spaces or cages.Another study showed that elephants spend 22 percent of their time making repeated head movements or biting cage bars, and bears spend 30 percent of their time walking back and forth, a sign of unhappiness and pain. Furthermore, most animals in zoos are not endangered.Captive breeding of endangered big cats, Asian elephants, and other species has not resulted in their being sent back to the wild.Zoos talk a lot about their captive breeding programs because they do not want people to worry about a species dying out.In fact, baby animals also attract a lot of paying customers.Haven't we seen enough competitions to name baby animals? Actually, we will save endangered species only if we save their habitats and put an end to the reasons people kill them.Instead of supporting zoos, we should support groups that work to protect animals' natural habitats. The author tries to persuade readers to accept his argument mainly by _ . A pointing out the faults in what zoos do B using evidence he has collected at zoos C questioning the way animals is protected D discussing the advantages of natural habitats Answer: A Compared to the other parts of the body, our ears don't ask for much. They don't need to be brushed once a day like your teeth. But they need some special care, especially if you like listening to music with earphones. Maybe your mum or dad has told you, "Turn that down before you go deaf!" Well, they are quite right. Loud noise might cause hearing loss for a short time or even forever. Think that earphones are a good way to escape from tour parents' eyes? Well. It may not be as good a way as you expect. American doctors have studied a group of 44,000 people who used earphones more than 15 hours per week. The doctors found that 37,000 of them were getting hearing problems. If you use earphones for too long a time, your ears might feel painful. You could also lose your hearing for the rest of your life. So don't wear your earphones too long. Use them less than one hour a day. Want sharp hearing? Don't forget to do the following: Try to stay away from places where there is too much noise, like a disco. If you have to go, wear earplugs. When swimming, remember to put earplugs into your ears to stop water from getting in. Never put anything sharp into your ears. If you think you have too much earwax, ask your mum or dad to help you clean it out. Keep these things in mind! Then you won't be saying "WHAT???" when you are older. If you want sharp hearing, you should _ . A have your ears specially trained B often wear earplugs and clean out the earwax C take good care of your ears D choose what you listen to carefully Answer: C Why does most of the world travel on the right side today? Theories differ, but there's no doubt that Napoleon was a major influence. The French had used the right since at least the late 18th century. Some say that before the French Revolution, noblemen drove their carriages on the left, forcing the peasants to the right. Regardless of the origin, Napoleon brought right-hand traffic to the nations he conquered, including Russia, Switzerland and Germany. Hitler, in turn, ordered right-hand traffic in Czechoslovakia and Austria in the 1930s. Nations that escaped right-hand control, like Great Britain, followed their left-hand tradition. The U.S. has not always been a nation of right-hand rivers; earlier in its history, carriage and horse traffic traveled on the left, as it did in England. But by the late 1700s, people driving large wagons pulled by several pairs of horses began promoting a shift to the right. A driver would sit on the rear left horse in order to wave his whip with his right hand; to see opposite traffic clearly, they traveled on the right. One of the final moves to firmly standardize traffic directions in the U.S. occurred in the 20th century, when Henry Ford decided to mass-produce his cars with controls on the left (one reason, stated in 1908; the convenience for passengers exiting directly onto the edge, especially... if there is a lady to be considered). Once these rules were set, many countries eventually adjusted to the right-hand standard, including Canada in the 1920s, Sweden in 1967 and Burma in 1970. The U.K. and former colonies such as Australia and India are among the western world's few remaining holdouts. Several Asian countries, including Japan, use the left as well -- thought many places use both right-hand-drive and left-hand-drive cars. Of all the countries below, the one that travels on the right is _ . A Austria B England C Japan D Australia Answer: A
running turns carbohydrates into A fat B protein C motion and heat D sweat Answer: C. motion and heat Last summer, 15-year-old Bob had a problem. Like a lot of children, Bob was interested in doing many things. He liked dancing most and wanted to join a dancing group. But Bob's high school didn't have a boys' dancing group but a girls' group. He tried to join the girls' group. And he made it. Bob thought his problem was over after he had been one of the dancers in the dancing group. But a bigger problem was just beginning. The school didn't allow Bob to stay in the girls' group. "If we let Bob stay in the group," the school said, "other boys will want to join, too. Soon, there won't be any girls in the group." They took Bob off the group. Bob was very angry about it, so he went to a judge . The judge said it was not a right decision and told the school to let Bob go back to the dancing group. It was difficult for Bob to join the school dancing group because _ . A the school only had a girls' dancing group B the school didn't allow boys to dance C the group had enough dancers already D he was not a good dancer Answer: A. the school only had a girls' dancing group It's so difficult to follow the _ of a 2-year-old. One moment he's beaming and friendly; the next he's sullen and weepy, often for no apparent reason. These mood swings, however, are just part of growing up. They are signs of the emotional changes taking place as your child struggles to take control of actions, impulses, feelings and his body. At this age, your child wants to explore the world and seek adventure. As a result, he'll spend most of his time testing limits, his own, yours and his environments. Unfortunately, he still lacks many of the skills required for the safe accomplishment of everything he needs to do, and he often will need you to protect him. When he oversteps a limit and is pulled back, he often reacts with anger and frustration, possibly with a temper tantrum . He may even strike back by hitting, biting and kicking. At this age, he doesn't have much control over his emotional impulse . So his anger and frustration tend to erupt suddenly in the form of crying, hitting or screaming. It's his only way of dealing with the difficult realities of life. He may even act out in ways that unintentionally harm himself or others. It's all part of being 2. It's not uncommon for toddlers to be angels when you're not around, because they don't trust people enough to test their limits. But with you, your toddler will be willing to try things that may be dangerous or difficult, because he knows you'll rescue him if he gets into trouble. Whatever protest pattern he has developed around the end of his first year will probably persist for some time. For instance, when you're about to leave him with a sitter, he may become angry and throw a tantrum in anticipation of the separation. Or he may cry and cling to you. Or he could simply become subdued and silent. Whatever his behavior, try not to overreact by scolding or punishing him. The best tactic is to reassure him before you leave that you will be back and, when you return, to praise him for being so patient while you are gone. Take comfort in the fact that separations should be much easier by the time he's 3 years old. When a mother is about to separate with her baby, she'd better _ . A leave without the baby's knowledge B make the baby subdued and silent C comfort the baby that she'll be back soon D ignore the baby's reactions Answer: C. comfort the baby that she'll be back soon Students often complain their teachers give them too much homework . Now , two reports show that in America this is not true . The Brookings report shows that most students do less than one hour of homework . The Rand report shows that only 10% of high school students spend more than two hours a night on homework . The Brookings report also talks about a study from 1995 . American students do almost the least homework among twenty countries . Students in France , Italy and South Africa spend more than two hours on homework . The Rand report says there was only one time when homework greatly increased in America .During the early 1960s , Americans were not happy when the former Soviet Union became the first country to reach space . People thought it was necessary to improve education . Parents want their children to have time for sports , music lessons and other things after school. some experts say schools need to give useful homework . _ shows homework once greatly increased in America . A The Brookings report B The Rand report C A university D A piece of news Answer: B. The Rand report We were on the way from Hutchinson to Chicago for a short spring break. For many years I had wanted to take my family on the train. We all had been to Chicago four years ago, and the kids loved it. Chicago is one of my favorite cities, too, so the thought struck me again last fall to ride the train to Chicago. Of course, flying would have been faster. But I don't think flying is easier, especially these days, with all the security and waiting in lines at airports. Though we were tired in the middle of the night, the kids got on the train with the _ of this adventure. "We're moving," my son William shouted happily with big eyes as the train began to pull away from the Hutchinson station. I removed my shoes and lay down to try to finish my night's sleep. The sleeper car would have better enabled that, but the ordinary train seats were not too bad. An airline flight is a more miserable experience for me: not enough room, two hours of pain with my knees almost touching my chin, the hard seatback in front cracking my kneecaps with every move of the body planted in front of me. On the train I could almost outstretch all of my 6-foot-2-plus body in the generous legroom. The journey didn't feel at all as long as it was. We all found the train ride a joy. The car ride would have felt every minute of 13 hours. But on the train you are free to walk around, sit in the observation carriage for a while and enjoy the scenery out the windows, have a nice meal in the dining car, read a book, or play a board game. In short, the train is all about enjoying the trip, which isn't something I do so much when traveling by airline or by car, when the trip seems more of a mission to get there than an experience to enjoy along the way. Chicago offers much to do for a family. This time, getting there was half the fun. Which of the following words best describes the whole family's feeling about the train journey? A Moved. B Delighted. C Disappointed. D Nervous. Answer: B. Delighted.
Never go into a supermarket hungry! This is a good piece of advice. If you go shopping for food before lunchtime, you'll probably buy more than you plan to. Unfortunately, however, just this advice isn't enough for shoppers these days. Modern shoppers need an education in how and how not to buy things at the store. First, you check the weekly newspaper ads. Find out the items that are on sale and decide if you really need these things. In other words, don't buy anything just because it's cheaper than usual! Second, never let "New and Improved!" or "All Natural" on the front of a package influence you. Instead, read the list of contents on the back. Third,compare prices: that is, you should examine the prices of both different brands and different sizes of the same brand. Another suggestion for shoppers is to buy ordinary items instead of famous brands. Ordinary items in supermarkets come in plain packages. These products are cheaper because producers don't spend much money on packing or advertising. However, they are still of high quality. In the same way, in buying clothes, you can often find high quality and low prices in brands that are not famous. Shopping in discount clothing stores can help you save a lot of money. Although these stores aren't very attractive, and they usually do not have individual dressing rooms, not only are the prices low, but you can often find the same famous brands that you find in high-priced department stores. Wise shoppers read magazine ads and watch TV commercials ,but they do this with one advantage: knowledge of the psychology behind the ads. In other words, will-informed shoppers watch for information and check for misinformation. They ask themselves questions: Is the advertiser hiding something in small print at the bottom of the page? Is there any real information in the commercial, or is the advertiser simply showing an attractive image? With the answers to these questions, shoppers can make a wise choice. The author's main purpose of writing the passage is to advise shoppers _ . A. to buy ordinary items instead of famous brands B. how to buy ordinary things in supermarkets C. how to make a proper decision while shopping D. not to believe advertisements or commercials Answer: C Plants make sugars in the presence of sunlight in a process called photosynthesis. What form of carbon do the plants take in for this process? A. glucose molecule B. carbon dioxide C. single carbon atoms D. complex organic compounds Answer: B COURSE: History 101 "Instruction to American History" INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Jane Klammer OFFICE: 305 Marshall Hall OFFICE HOURS: 11:15 -12:30 M, W, F, (Monday Wednesday Friday) CLASS: 363 Marshall Hall 3:35 -5:00 T, Th (Tuesday Thursday) 10:00-11:00 M, W, F, other times by appointment TELEPHONE: 255---4786 TEXTBOOK: Green, Robert P. ,The American Tradition; Charles E. A History of the United States, Merrill Publishing Co. Columbus, Ohio 1984 which is available (that can be obtained) at the College Bookstore. COURSE REQUIREMENT: (something needed) mid-term exam: October 10 20% of the final grade final exam: December 10 40% of the final grade Term paper due: December 15 40% of the final grade Attendance is not required, but you are responsible for all the information given in the class lectures. In the lectures I will talk about the chapters in the textbook and other material that I choose to supplement the course. The exams will cover all the information. Therefore, I advise you to come to the classroom as much as possible. If you have to miss a class, be sure to get the class notes from another student. Your homework assignments are listed on the next page. You are supposed to read the chapter about which I will be lecturing before you come to class. This is to make sure that you understand as much as possible while taking notes in my lectures. Be prepared when you come to class. If there are any changes in the assigned homework, I will announce in class. The term paper is 40% of your final grade. It should not exceed15 pages. (Anyone thinking of majoring in history may write 25 pages). Before the mid-term exam you will choose the topic for your paper. Have a good term! If a freshman thinks that he might major in history, what can the maximum length of his paper be? A. 15 pages. B. 25 pages. C. 10 pages. D. No maximum. Answer: B This time, it is to be worn on wrists. Having already changed the way we communicate with its smartphones, Apple Inc released its next big thing on March 9 in San Francisco, US. The Apple Watch, according to CNN, is "a simple rectangular shape with a range of stylish and useful wristbands." "The style is classic... in those respects it's up there with the top quality Swiss watches," commented the news outlet. The watch will be available in nine places, including the US, the UK and China, from April 24. The starting price is $349 (2,186 yuan). With six different designs and 30 or so wristbands, the gadget "sets the standard for smartwatches, in style," agreed The Brisbane Times,"but more importantly, in functionality ." "With the built-in speaker and microphone, you can receive calls on your watch. I have been wanting to do this since I was 5 years old," said Apple's chief executive Tim Cook. In fact, anything you can do on the iPhone is there on the watch - e-mails, text messages, airline boarding services, and directions from Apple Maps. Using a home security app, you can keep an eye on your home from afar, or even open a locked door. There are some features that have made Cook sure the watch is "our most personal device yet; a new chapter in the way we relate to technology". According to NPR, the watch taps you on the wrist to draw your attention to a message or a calendar reminder, and it can send a tap on the wrist to another Apple Watch wearer. However, the watch can also do things that are just plain fun. You can send a real-time display of your heartbeat to another Apple Watch to "let someone know you are thinking about them." Patrick Moorhead, a leading technology analyst in the US, described the tech company as "a master in the art of persuasion". "The secret weapon is the ability to message each other by tapping on the watch," he told The Associated Press. "I think people, particularly kids, are going to go nuts over that." So far, though, the most impressive part of this new device is "the monitoring of the wearer's health and fitness," said AFP. It will even tap you on the wrist if you have been sitting down for longer than is good for your health. Which of the following words best describes Tim Cook's attitude toward the Apple Watch? A. Proud. B. Modest. C. Serious. D. Cautious. Answer: A The Chang'e-3, named after a Chinese goddess, is China's first spacecraft to make a soft landing on the moon. It includes a lander and a moon rover called Yutu. The Chang'e-3 spacecraft is the second phase China's lunar rogramme, which includes orbiting, landing and returning to Earth. It follows the success of the Chang'e-1 and Chang'e-2 spacecraft in 2007 and 2010. The launch of Chang'e-3 was successful. The Chang'e-3 is one of the most difficult tasks in China's space programme, the news says. The news adds that exploring the universe and seeking peaceful use of space are dreams of Chinese for thousands of years. With a lander and the moon rover Yutu, Chang'e-3 soft-landed on the moon at 9:11 p.m. Saturday. Yutu later separated from the lander and ran to the moon surface earlier Sunday. China has chosen the name Yutu for its first moon rover, after a worldwide online vote attracted people to come up with names. In Chinese folk tale, Yutu is the white pet rabbit of Chang'e, the moon goddess. Chang'e took her pet and flew towards the moon. She became a goddess and has lived there with the white animal ever since. Which of the following is Not true? A. Chang'e-2 was set up in 2010. B. Yutu isn't the first rover of China. C. Many people voted for Yutu online. D. Yutu separated after Chang'e-3 landed on the moon. Answer: B
I made a promise to myself on the way down to the vacation beach cottage. For two weeks I would try to be a loving husband and father. Totally loving. No ifs, ands or buts. The idea had come to me as I listened to a talk on my car radio. The speaker was quoting a Biblical passage about husbands and their wives. Then he went on to say, "Love is an act of will. A person can choose to love." To myself, I had to admit that I had been a selfish husband. Well, for two weeks that would change. And it did. On arriving at the beach cottage, I kissed Evelyn meeting me at the door and said, "That new yellow sweater looks great on you." "Oh, Tom, you noticed", she said, surprised and pleased. Maybe a little puzzled. After the long drive, I wanted to sit and read. Evelyn suggested a walk on the beach. I started to refuse, but then I thought, "Evelyn's been alone here with the kids all week and now she wants to be alone with me." We walked on the beach while the children flew their kites. So it went. Two weeks of not calling the Wall Street firm where I am a director; a visit to the shell museum though I usually hate museums. Relaxed and happy, that's how the whole vacation passed. I made a new promise to keep on remembering to choose love. There was one thing that went wrong with my experiment, however. Evelyn and I still laugh about it today. On the last night at our cottage, preparing for bed, Evelyn stared at me with the saddest expression. "What's the matter?" I asked her. "Tom," she said in a voice filled with distress, "I don't?" "What do you mean?" "Well...that checkup I had several weeks ago...our doctor...did he tell you something about me? Tom, you've been so good to me...am I dying?" It took a moment for it all to be understood. Then I burst out laughing. "No, honey," I said, wrapping her in my arms. "You're not dying; I'm just starting to live." During the two weeks on the beach, Tom showed more love to his wife because _ . Answer: Contrary to most people' s idea, the air in Coastal cities can be far from fresh and healthful, said a report recently published. University of California Professor Mark Thiemens led the research team. His team. report blames ships that release dirty smoke by burning low-cost, high-sulfur fuel. They directly measured smoke released from a ship. They also tested air at the end of the Scripps Pier .The area is just north of San Diego, which is both a major city and port. The Scripps Pier is also close to waters with heavy shipping traffic and the city of Los Angeles. Los Angeles has the third largest port in the world. Primary sulfate is produced when a ship burns fuel called bunker oil. Bunker oil contains a Large amount of sulfur. Most sulfur released by ships burning bunker oil is a gaseous pollutant--sulfur dioxide. After a time, sulfur dioxide becomes sulfate in the atmosphere. The researchers say this primary sulfate may be only a small part of what ships produce. Professor Thiemens said no one had really expected that ships would be responsible for so many , particulates .He said the extremely small particles ( )are especially threatening. They measure only one and one half microns in size., A micron is one millionth of a meter. The researchers say the particulates can travel long distances because they stay in the atmosphere longer than other pollutants. Professor Thiemens noted that the air of Los Angeles influenced air quality in San Die -go. That distance is almost 180 kilometers. , Primary sulfur particulates can also threaten human health. When people breathe, the particulates stay in their lungs. Other scientists have said that up to 60,000 people around the world die each year from dirty ship smoke. Other gaseous pollutants from ships include nitrogen oxide and carbon dioxide. Earlier this year, a United Nations' report said gases from ships produce more than one billion tons of carbon dioxide every year. Ships are not governed under the Kyoto Protocol, the agreement that establishes limits for gases linked to climate change. But international rules requiring ship fuels that burn cleanly are to become effective in 2015. Gaseous pollutants from ships mentioned in the passage include _ Answer: Further education is officially described as the"post-secondary stage of education, comprising all vocational and non-vocational provision made for young people who have left school, or for adults". Further education thus embraces the vast range of university, technical, commercial, and art education and the wide field of adult education. It is this sector of education, which is concerned with education beyond the normal school-leaving ages of 16 or 18, that has experienced the most astonishing growth in the number of students. In the 19th century the dominance of Oxford and Cambridge was challenged by the rise of the civic universities, such as London, Manchester, and Birmingham. Following the lead of the 18th century German universities and responding to a public demand for increased opportunity for higher education, Britain's new civic universities quickly acquired recognition--not only in technological fields but also in the fine and liberal arts. Many new post-school technical colleges were founded in the early 20th century. The Fisher Act of 1918 empowered the local authorities to levy a rate (tax) to finance such colleges. The universities, on the other hand, received funds from the central government through the University Grants Committee, established in 1911 and recognized in 1920, after World War I. A new type of technical college was established in the 1960s--the polytechnic, which provides mainly technological courses of university level as well as courses of a general kind in the arts and sciences. Polytechnics are chartered to award degrees validated by a Council for National Academic Awards. Thus, the third level in the United Kingdom is made up of colleges of further education, technical colleges, polytechnics, and universities. The colleges offer full-time and part-time courses beyond compulsory-school level. Polytechnics and universities are mainly responsible for degrees and research. The innovative Open University, with its flexible admission policy and study arrangements, opened in 1971. It uses various media to provide highly accessible and flexible higher education for working adults and other part-time students. It serves as an organizational model and provides course-materials for similar institutions in other countries. Changes in British education in the second half of the 20th century have, without changing the basic values in the system, extended education by population, level, and content. New areas for expansion include immigrant cultural groups and multicultural content, the accommodation of special needs, and the development of tools and content in the expanding fields of microelectronics. Further education is _ . Answer: Mr. Lang worked in a factory. As a driver he was busy but he was paid much. His wife was an able woman and did all the housework. When he came back, she took good care of him and he never did anything at home. So he had enough time when he had a holiday. A few friends of his liked gambling and he learned it soon. So he was interested in it and hardly forgot anything except gambling. He lost all his money and later he began to sell the television, watches and so on. His wife told him not to do it but he didn't listen to her. She had to tell the police. He and his friends were punished for it. And he was nearly sent away. After he came out of lock-up , he hated her very much and the woman had to leave him. It was New Year's Day. Mr. Lang didn't go to work. He felt lonely and wanted to gamble again. He called his friends and they came soon. But they were afraid the police would come. He told his five-year-old son to go to find out if there were the policemen outside. They waited for a long time and didn't think the police would come and began to gamble. Suddenly a few policemen opened the door and came in. "I saw there weren't any policemen outside, Daddy" said the boy "So I went to the crossing and asked some to come." Which of the following is right? _ . Answer: OTTAWA -- Canada's western city of Calgary is the world's best city when it comes to healthy living, local press reported Monday. According to an international survey by Mercer Human Resource Consulting, a London-based consulting firm, Calgary was put at the top of a list of 144 cities. It scored 121 points, just above Honolulu's score of 120. Helsinki(,) and Ottawa followed at 119.5 and 118.5 respectively. Three other Canadian cities came in the top 20. Montreal and Vancouver tied for ninth and Toronto came in at 18th. The scores are based on air pollution levels, availability and quality of hospitals and medical supplies, as well as the efficiency of waste removal and sewage systems. In America, the lowest scoring city was Atlanta, which was ranked 76th. Athens was the lowest scoring city in Western Europe, ranking 120th because of its air pollution. London was ranked 59th. How many Canadian cities are in the top 20? Answer:
Question: Joe came to New York from the Middle West, dreaming about painting. Delia came to New York from the South, dreaming about music. Joe and Delia met in a studio. Before long they were good friends and got married. They had only a small flat to live in, but they were happy. They loved each other, and they were both interested in art. Everything was fine until one day they found they had spent all their money. Delia decided to give music lessons. One afternoon she said to her husband: "Joe, , I've found a pupil, a general's daughter. She is a sweet girl. I'm to give three lessons a week and get $5 a lesson." But Joe was not glad. "But how about me?" he said." Do you think I'm going to watch you work while I play with my art? No, I want to earn some money too." "Joe, , you are silly," said Delia. "You must keep at your studies. We can live quite happily on $15 a week." "Well, perhaps I can sell some of my pictures," said Joe. Every day they parted in the morning and met in the evening. A week passed and Delia brought home fifteen dollars, but she looked a little tired. "Clementina sometimes gets on my nerves. I'm afraid she doesn't practice enough. But the general is the nicest old man! I wish you could know him, Joe." And then Joe took eighteen dollars out of his pocket. "I've sold one of my pictures to a man from Peoria," he said, "and he has ordered another." "I'm so glad," said Delia. "Thirty-three dollars! We never had so much to spend before. We'll have a good supper tonight." Next week Joe came home and put another eighteen dollars on the table. In half an hour Delia came, her right hand in a bandage. "What's the matter with your hand?" said Joe. Delia laughed and said: "Oh, a funny thing happened! Clemantina gave me a plate of soup and spilled some of it on my hand. She was very sorry for it. And so was the old general. But why are you looking at me like that, Joe?" "What time this afternoon did you burn your hand, Delia?" "Five o'clock, I think. The iron-I mean the soup-was ready about five, Why?" "Delia, come and sit here," said Joe. He drew her to the couch and sat beside her. "What do you do every day, Delia? Do you really give music lesson? Tell me the truth." She began to cry. "I couldn't get any pupils," she said, "So I got a place in a laundry ironing shirts. This afternoon a girl accidentally set down an iron on my hand and I got a bad burn. But tell me, Joe, how did you guess that I wasn't giving music lessons?" "It's very simple," said Joe. "I knew all about your bandages because I had to send them upstairs to a girl in the laundry who had an accident with a hot iron. You see, I work in the engine-room of the same laundry where you work." "And your pictures? Did you sell any to that man from Peoria?" "Well, _ And then they both laughed. To support the family, Delia worked as_. A. a tutor B. a music teacher C. a laundry assistant D. an artist Answer: C. a laundry assistant Question: An interesting experiment is taking place at the Children's Hospital in London. Dogs, cats, and even horses help sick children to get better. Dr. Marcus Finch of the Children's Hospital says,"Children have many problems as they are growing up. When they have problems, it's not easy for them to open up. But when they are with a pet animal, they feel relaxed and always smile. Animals don't speak, so they don't criticize .They listen and don't stop children. Children can talk with animals because they can believe them. Animals know how to keep secret! Also, children feel they are needed because they help to feed the animals and look after them."At the Children's Hospital, you can find children playing with cats, dogs, and goats,and riding horses. The doctors just watch them and are surprised at the power of the animals. This passage is mainly about _ . A. Sick children and doctors B. How to make friends with animals. C. Sick children don't like doctors. D. Sick children and animal treatment Answer: D. Sick children and animal treatment Question: Some people may be born happy, while others are genetically negative, scientists have suggested in a study published late February in a British journal. Earlier research had already established that the gene known as 5-HTTLPR plays a key role in determining how the neurotransmitter serotonin works within the brain. Serotonin, a hormone , passes chemical messages between nerve cells. It has been closely linked to mood. Several anti-depressant drugs regulate serotonin levels. Scientists had also identified three variants of the gene. Two so-called "short" variants were linked to a higher risk of depression and suicide attempts. Unlike the two "short" variants, the "long" variant of 5-HTTLPR showed a clear dislike of negative images, such as fierce animals, and a clear liking for positive ones, such as flowers. Researchers from the University of Essex in Britain showed participants a series of images, which were divided into three kinds: negative ones aimed at inspiring fear or stress such as a snake or person about to commit suicide, pleasant ones and neutral ones. The participants who had the long variant of the 5-HTTLPR gene "showed a clear dislike of negative material alongside a careful attention for positive material," the researchers found. They paid close attention to the pretty pictures, and ignored the frightening ones. On the other hand, the short variant groups had the opposite reaction. In January, the Australian government organized "happiness workshops", teaching government staff how to be happy. The department that held the "happiness workshops" said unhappy staff weren't productive staff. Australian political opposition parties have argued that the "happiness workshops" are probably a waste of money and couldn't increase productivity as intended. However, whether the workshop will have a happy or disappointing result, we will have to wait and see. The "short" variants of 5-HTTLPR differ from the "long" variants of 5-HTTLPR in that _ . A. the former is connected with positive mood while the latter negative B. the former is connected with negative mood while the latter positive C. the former has a greater effect on one's mood than the latterww.k@s@5@u.com #### D. the latter has a greater effect on one's mood than the former Answer: B. the former is connected with negative mood while the latter positive Question: Bali is an Indonesian island rich in indigenous culture. A lot of people say that Balinese culture is unique and that the people of Bali have always been content with the "now". If you ask a Balinese person what heaven is like, the probable answer will be "just like Bali". This only goes to show that most Balinese people are happy to be where they are and never worry. One factor that contributes to this laidback lifestyle is the culture of close family ties in Bali. In the Balinese culture, support is always available. Balinese extended families are so tightly knit that all members usually reside in the same complex. Balinese culture is based on a form of this religion, which is called "Hindu Darma". This religion reached the island during the eleventh century. Most of the family customs and traditions as well as community lifestyles of the Balinese people are influenced by this.The religious influence even expands widely into the arts, which makes Bali distinct from the rest of Indonesia. In spite of the fact that tourists flood to the island every year, Balinese people have managed to conserve their culture. Almost every native of Bali is an artist in some form or another. Parents and villagers have passed on their skills to their children, who all seem to have preference either for music, dance, or painting. Another remarkable mark of the Balinese culture is the series of ceremonies and rituals known as the Manusa Yadnya. This marks the different stages of Balinese life. Cremation is very popular on this island--and unlike in the West, death is a joyous and color1ful event for the Balinese. Bali is distinguished from the rest of Indonesia by _ . A. people's tight family relationship. B. the family customs and traditions. C. people's great affection for religion. D. the influence of Hinduism on their culture. Answer: D. the influence of Hinduism on their culture. Question: The Intel Science Talent Search is the top science competition for high school students in the US. The 40 finalists were honored in Washington last week. They met with scientists and politicians. President Obama welcomed them to the White House. These 40 students were selected from almost 2,000 contestants nationwide. They had to present original research to be judged by professional scientists. The students showed their research projects on large posters. The winners were announced on March 15th, 2011. Wendy Hawkins is executive director of the Intel Foundation, who says the 40 finalists represented excellence across many areas of science. Selena Li is from Fair Oaks, California. She wanted to find a more effective treatment for liver cancer. She began her research four years ago. A scientist at the University of California, Davis, taught her how to design and do experimental work in the laboratory. Ms. Li placed 5th in the Intel Science Talent Search and was awarded 30,000 dollars. Scott Boisvert lives near Phoenix, Arizona. He began using a laboratory at the University of Arizona at the age of 14. Over four years, he completed a project studying a fungus linked to the decrease in amphibians around the world. He was trying to find out if different chemicals and substances in the water could kill the fungus. He collected and tested water samples across Arizona. He says, "My results were able to identify a list of chemicals that were significant in the growth and in the movement of the fungus." He placed10th in the Intel competition and was awarded 20,000 dollars. Evan O'Dorney of Danville, California, won the top award of 100,000 dollars in this year's Intel Science Talent Search. For his mathematical project, he compared two ways to estimate the square root of an integer , a number with no fractional parts. Wendy Hawkins at the Intel Foundation says these young people represent the next generation of scientists who will help shape America's future. Who will be probably engaged in math study in the future and become a mathematician? A. Wendy Hawkins. B. Selena Li. C. Scott Boisvert. D. Evan O'Dorney Answer: D. Evan O'Dorney
what kind of changes in an environment will cause a plant to adapt to survive? Answer: So the little girl now walked on, her bare feet quite red and blue with the cold. She carried a small bundle of matches in her hand, and a good many more in her tattered dress. No one had bought any of them the live long day; no one had given her a single penny. Trembling with cold and hunger crept she on, the picture of sorrow: poor little child! The snow-flakes fell on her long, fair hair, which curled in such pretty ringlets over her shoulders; but she thought not of her own beauty, or of the cold. Lights were glimmering through every window, and the savor of roast goose reached her from several houses;it was New Year's eve, and it was of this that she thought. In a corner formed by two houses, one of which projected beyond the other. She sat down, drawing her little feet close under her, but in vain, she could not warm them. She dared not go home, she had sold no matches, earned not a single penny, and perhaps her father would beat her,besides her home was almost as cold as the street,it was an attic; and although the larger of the many chinks in the roof were stopped up with straw and rags. The wind and snow often penetrated through. Her hands were nearly dead with cold; one little match from her bundle would warm them. Perhaps, if she dared light it, she drew one out, and struck it against the wall, bravo! It was a bright, warm flame, and she held her hands over it. It was quite an illumination for that poor little girl; no, I call it rather a magic taper, _ , so beautifully blazed the fire within! The child stretched out her feet to warm them also; alas, in an instant the flame had died away, the stove disappeared, the little girl sat cold and comfortless, with the burnt match in her hand. The little girl gave us an impression of being _ . Answer: Jumping on your bike, even in the city, is becoming increasingly popular--- in London, for example, cycle use has more than doubled in the past ten years. So, which is the best bike for you? If you're traveling to work, a folding bike such as one of the models here is suitable unless you're cycling more than a couple of miles, in which case it might be uncomfortable . You can take a fold-up on the train and as it goes indoors with you, it's secure . For longer journeys, a road bike with drop handlebars and narrow tyres is a good choice. Try Specialized, from PS400. Note that the riding position encourages you to look downwards, which can be dangerous. Mountain bikes are best suited to off-road travel; their fat and strong tyres are good for climbing steep, muddy slopes . Good brands include Trek and Giant, with prices starting at less than PS300. A hybrid bike (halfway between a mountain bike and a road bike) is a good compromise with more upright riding position and thin, fast tyres. Ridgeback makes great hybrids, from around PS350. For a classic sit-up-and-beg bike, it's still hard to beat Pashley, which makes its bikes by hand. Expect to pay around PS500. Once you've picked your bike, sizing is crucial or you may suffer back or neck pain. A famous bike shop will help you choose the right size frame. The height of the seat should be adjusted carefully---again, a good shop will advise. If you only plan to cycle once or twice a month, you can choose a lower-priced bike, but for regular use, paying more means better quality: cheaper bikes need more frequent adjustment of brakes and gears ---and tend to be heavier, too. Finally, items such as mudguards aren't always included. According to the passage, which kind of bike is least likely to be stolen? Answer: According to a report by London's Sunday Times on December 24, 2011, the world's youngest professional gamer is an 8-year -old American boy, Victor De Leon. Victor has been gaming since age two, when his dad used to hand him a game-controller to soothe crying mood . He then gradually turned himself into Lil poison, king of the world of acrobatic combat . He got his first professional contract at the age of six. Lil Poison is beginning to make money from web tournaments, business activities and celebrity financial support. His name will soon appear on a line of some clothing and on special "skins" used to house gaming panels . Victor's success as a celebrity is burning great interest in what Americans are beginning to call "e-sports" or "cyber athletics". What is the best title of the passage? Answer: American scientists are developing an "intelligent" mobile phone capable of blocking incoming calls depending on the owner's mood. Using "context aware" technology, the "Sensay" phone will monitor calls and send back polite messages saying the user may be contacted later. A research team at the Institute for Complex Engineering Systems at Carragie Mellon University in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, are developing body temperature and electrical skin monitors to help the device understand the emotional state of its user. If the phone senses that the user is busy -- for instance, involved in a conversation -- it might block an incoming call and turn it onto voicemail. The phone would send back a text message saying the user is unavailable, but advising that if the matter is urgent the caller can try again in three minutes. If a call from the same person came in again, the phone would put it through. The researchers are interested in four basic different states -- busy and not to be interrupted, physically active, idle, and "normal." Most people are said to change between these states, an average of 6 to 12 times a day. Professor Asim Smailagic, a leading member of the Carnegic Mellon team, told The Engineer magazine, "Today's computers are pretty dumb compared with the device. We got to work at the beginning of May and since then have been improving it. The next stage is to make it smarter, adding various intelligence systems so it can learn about the user. The phone also employs four primary sensors -- two microphones to pick up conversations and monitor local noise, a light detector and an accelerometer .The light sensor shows if the phone is being carried in a bag or pocket, while the accelerometer determines whether the user is walking, running or standing still. In the future, the sensor box, phone and personal organizer will be combined into one device." According to the passage, the "Sensay" phone is capable of _ . Answer:
When you watch TV and play video games you make global warming worse! It may seem hard to believe, but when electricity is made, so are greenhouse gases . This means that every time you use electricity you help make global warming worse! Cars are also making global warming worse. They burn fossil fuels in their engines, and send lots of greenhouse gases into the air. Global warming may be a big problem, but we can all help stop it. People can try to drive their cars less. Or even get ones that run on sunlight! You can also help. Let's try one of these top ideas: (1) Try to use less electricity. Turn off lights, your television, and your computer when you've stopped using them. To make electricity, fossil fuels are burned in big factories. But burning fossil fuels also makes greenhouse gases. You should also try to watch less TV. (2) Plant trees. Not only is it a fun thing to do, but it is also a great way to lower the number of greenhouse gases in the air. Trees take carbon dioxide out of the air when they grow. (3) Don't throw away your rubbish, try to recycle it. If rubbish is not recycled, it is put in the ground. There it rots and makes a greenhouse gas called methane .So try to recycle cans, bottles, plastic bags and newspapers. It'll make you feel great! And it'll help the Earth. Using less electricity does good to global warming because _ . A. the less electricity is used, the more greenhouse gases are produced B. the more electricity is used, the more greenhouse gases are produced C. more electricity is used, less greenhouse gases are produced D. less electricity is used, more greenhouse gases are produced Answer: B. the more electricity is used, the more greenhouse gases are produced A city has a temperature of 75 °F, with partly cloudy skies. Weather forecasters are predicting that the air pressure and temperature will drop during the day. Which type of weather is most likely for this area in the late afternoon? A. rainy. B. sunny. C. snowing. D. hailing. Answer: A. rainy. Where Are They Now: Life after Olympic Gold These celebrated Olympic champions from decades past wrote sports history, but what are they up to now? Here's the latest on some of the greatest. Edwin Moses _ : Gold Medals in 400 Meters Hurdles (1976 Montreal Games, 1984 Los Angeles Games) _ : Moses earned a degree in physics and later held a full-time job as an engineer.After retirement, he earned his master's degree in business.In 2000, Moses took on the role of executive chairman of Laureus. Kerri Strug _ : Gold Medal in Gymnastics (1996 Atlanta), when she competed through the pain of the ankle damage to land the gold-winning vault. _ : Strug lives in Tucson, Arizona.She does public relations for USA Gymnastics, speaking regularly at events and attending the Games on behalf of sponsors. Dick Fosbury _ : Gold Medal in High Jump (1968 Mexico City Games) _ : Fosbury is an executive committee member of the World Olympians Association.But he hasn't left the tracks just yet - he coaches teenager athletes at Dick Fosbury Track Camps. Greg Louganis _ : Gold Medals in Diving (1984 Los Angeles Games, 1988 Seoul Games) _ : Louganis developed AIDS and retired in 1989.It wasn't until the mid-90s that he announced he was HTV-positive.Since then, Louganis has been an outspoken advocate for HTV awareness. Dominique Dawes _ : Gold Medal in Gymnastics (1996 Atlanta Games) _ : President Barack Obama appointed her and New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees as co-chairs of the President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition. Dawes is also the co-host for Yahoo! News Weekend Edition. The gold medalist who is still training young sportsmen is _ . A. Greg Louganis B. Dick Fosbury C. Edwin Moses D. Dominique Dawes Answer: B. Dick Fosbury Sociologists , working in western countries, have found that a large number of women wished they had been born men. The number is said to be as high as 60% in Germany. "Women often wish they had the same chances as men have, and think it is still men's world. " said Dr. James Helen, one of the sociologists who did the study. Many men say that they have more duties than women. A man has to make money to support his family and to make the important decision, so it is right for men to be paid more. Some are even against their wives working at all. When wives go out to work, they say, the home and children cannot be taken good care of. If women take full-time jobs, they won't be able to do what they are best at doing: making a nice home and bringing up the children. Some women disagree. They say they want to get out of their homes and to have freedom to choose between work and home life. Women have the right of equal pay and equal chances. Anne Harper has a very good job. She also believes in "Women's Liberation", "I don't wish I were a man," she says, "and I don't think many women do. But I do wish people would stop treating us like second-class people. At work, for example, we usually do the work that men do but get paid less. There are still a lot of jobs only to men--usually they are the best ones. If you are a man, you have a much better chance of living a wonderful life. How many women scientists are there...or engineers?" Many men think _ . A. women can't do what men can B. men have to work much harder than women C. men can make money more easily than women D. women's duty is mainly to do housework at home Answer: D. women's duty is mainly to do housework at home It could happen just about any time you step out in public. You get onto an almost-empty bus, but the next passenger in decides to ignore dozens of empty seats to sit right next to you. While you're waiting in line at a supermarket, the next customer insists on standing only two inches behind you and shouting into his cell-phone. You go into a public restroom, and the next person to enter decides to use the next stall. Transgressions like these don't just make us feel uncomfortable; we often feel anxious, alarmed; and violated . It is the attack of the personal-space invaders. In any society, shared definitions of personal space govern how we interact with other people. People living in densely populated cities like Mumbai, Beijing, or Mexico City tend to require less personal space than people living in sparsely populated places within the country. In America, New Yorkers often have smaller requirements than residents of western states, like Montana, Shenandoah and Wyoming. Because everyone has different standards, gestures that are innocent in one place can be interpreted as opposite in another, especially in Britain. As the British etiquette website Debrett puts it, as a British person, somebody standing too close may make you "focus less on what somebody is saying than on how close they are to you". Simple acts like putting an arm around someone you don't know may seem friendly in China, but they can make us very uncomfortable. People from many European countries such as France and Spain kiss each other on the cheek when they meet, yet to British person, this seems too friendly and "touch-freely". The website explains! "The British are not backslappers and generally do not show affection in public". Are British people unfriendly? Far from it. The website adds that they are not as " _ ' as they may seem, but very friendly and helpful to foreigners. However, remember not to be too close. If you are going to come closer than an arm's length, please let them know. What can we conclude from the article? A. British people like to sit next to other people on empty buses. B. British people usually kiss strangers on the cheek to greet them. C. British people are helpful though they may not appear to be. D. British people are delighted to show affection in public. Answer: C. British people are helpful though they may not appear to be.
We Americans are wasteful people, not used to saving. The frontiersmen began this pattern, for natural resources were so plentiful that no one ever imagined a shortage, within a few years of the first Virginia settlement, for example, pioneers burned down their houses when they were ready to move west. They wanted to have the nails for future use. No one ever gave a thought to the priceless hardwoods that went up in smoke. As a people,we destroy many things that other people save. I noticed a letter from one of England's largest banks. It was enclosed in a used envelope that had been readdressed to me. Such a practice would be unthinkable in the United States. American banks, even the smallest, always use expensive stationery with the names of all twenty-eight vice-presidents listed on one side of the page. What do we know about American banks? On a grassy plain in South Africa,thousands of miles from home,two pairs of Zoo--bred South China tiger cubs----one-year-o1d Hope and Cathay and six-month-old Tiger Woods and Madonna--are learning to hunt in the wild.The hope is that they will one day pass on their skills to their young,allowing the next generation to get back to wildlife reserves in China. A survey shows that the tigers are in more danger of dying out than China's most famous animal,the giant panda.Forty years ago,about 4,000 South China tigers lived in the wild.Today there are only about 30.An additional 64 live in 19 zoos in China,,which are all descendants of six wild animals seized in 1956. The cubs were born in zoos in China and removed from their mothers when they were three months old.Their first home in South Africa was a one-acre camp where they stayed for a month.Their next home was a ten acre area,where they lived for three months to help them gradually get used to life outside a cage. When the cubs first arrived in South Africa,they didn't even want to leave their cages.It took weeks to get them to eat chicken,used as they were to being fed beef at the Zoo in China where they were born.It took months of practice to hunt a live animal and then make the link between the kill and food.Now just a few months on,and living in a 150-acre camp,they have become remarkably skilled hunters. All four animals will finally return to Zoos in China while the pioneering pairs' cubs will grow up completely wild.The aim is for _ to go to reserves developed in China by 2008,when the Olympic Games will be held in Beijing. Which of the following is true? Kelly Christopher, a student at Lutheran High School in California, US, loves oranges. One day last week, she used a pole to pick oranges off trees and collect them in baskets. It's the first time in her 15 years she's picked fruit from trees. "This is quite different from buying oranges in the supermarket," said Christopher. "Every time I eat an orange, I'll remember this experience." Christopher was one of the 30 student volunteers at Soil Born Farms. She volunteered as part of a project which was set up in 2009 to help homeowners in South Land Park pick oranges and other fruits out of their backyards. Before, the fruit would rot on the ground or get eaten by animals. Now the fruit is donated to those who need it. "It is good for many people", said Randy Stannard, who works for the project. "The homeowner gets fruit picked and more people can have healthy food." "Two harvests ( ) were organized in 2009 and volunteers picked 3,000 pounds (1,360kg) of fruit", Stannard said. In 2010, the number was 20,000. This year, Soil Born Farms hopes to get 40,000 pounds. They will harvest every weekend from January to April. Shannon Galloway, Christopher's science teacher, brought her students into the project this year. "You're making use of a _ that might be wasted," she said. "I think it's meaningful to everyone." Donato Frazier, 15, always climbs up a ladder and gets on the top of the tree. "Standing on the treetop is pretty cool," Frazier said. "I can see clearly that many baskets are filled up, and even see that many people are eating healthy fruit because of our volunteer work." How do the students feel about their work? BEIJING--Just as the Chinese people joyfully await the traditional Spring Festival, President Hu Jintao returned here Saturday after successfully concluding a four-day state visit to the United States,which opens a new chapter in cooperative partnership between China and the United States. During his visit,President Hu spared no efforts to make friends,to proclaim China' s philosophy of peaceful development and to express the Chinese people' s willingness to join hands with the world to greet a spring of harmonious development. In Washington,President Hu and his US counterpart,Barack Obama,agreed to build a China-US cooperative partnership based on mutual respect and mutual benefit,and marke d out priorities of the development of China-US relations for the future. Hu met with people from all walks of life in the United States,expounding to them the various policies of the Chinese government and China' s stand on developing China-US ties in the new era. The strengthening of bilateral cooperation and the shaping of a new type of relationship between two great nations will give some enlightenment to the world when tackling regional and international issues,will strengthen the belief of the international communities jointly facing common challenges and will forge a new way for all countries to co-exist harmoniously in a globalized world. During his visit,President Hu stressed that a China-US cooperative partnership should be based on mutual respect and mutual benefit. "Mutual respect and mutual benefit"is not only the keyword in defining China-US relations,but also the principle China honors in the common development with other partners. As a goodwill messenger of a population of 1.3 billion, President Hu' s successful visit will more clearly define the relations between China' s development and the co-prosperity of the world,opening a new chapter in the history of international relations. What is the main idea of the passage? Compared with other European countries, lifestyle in Italy is slower and more relaxing in its own way. Italians love to chat over a cup of coffee, go out for a walk in the middle of the day, and enjoy long lunches and dinners. Family is important to Italians. They can't think of spending a day without asking about their parents or children, and a weekend without a family lunch or dinner. Italians living outside their country also miss their family a lot. Italians like simple life. Their days start and end with a cup of coffee. A cup of coffee after every meal is a must. Italians love to spend time over a hot cup of coffee and even hotter conversation with friends. Topics are usually about family, football and politics . Sport is a very important part in the lives of many Italians. Football is their favorite sport. There are hundreds of football clubs with top soccer teams in Italy. Also, many top players from all over the world play in Italy. Volleyball is also popular and so is rugby , with the top rugby team playing for the European Challenge Cup. Every Italian province, city, town and street has a historical even that took place there and the Italian calendar is filled with national holidays that they love to celebrate . Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
In April this year, lots of bags full of small change were seen at bus stops in Tianjin. They were made for passengers to turn their notes into small change. And such an idea came from four students from Zhongbei Middle School, Tianjin. "People will surely feel worried when they take a bus without coins. We just want to do something to help them," said Wang Yongcun, 15, one of the four students. The four boys spent their whole weekend making the change bags. After that they went to see the number of the passengers at each bus stop near their school, and then chose the top six stops to put the bags. Many people think that the four boys have really done a good job. But, things didn't go as the boys thought. Two days later, they found that the money was gone, and that even the bags were taken. It really made them sad but they would not give up. Their classmates and teachers came to help them in time. They put their pocket money in bags again. And the teachers also taught them to make better change bags. They tried their best to do it. The four boys feel very happy because they have done something good for the passengers. Their warm hearts are moving. More and more people are beginning to join in the activity. What's the main idea of this passage? A. Making change bags is difficult B. Pocket money can be helpful C. Giving help brings us happiness D. Every coin has two sides Answer: C Space tourism might be the dream of many people on the planet, but a journey to space is not is not as easy as simply buying some tickets at a travel search engine;it is only reserved for the privileged few that can afford the cost.. One of the options that impressed me most is the one offered by a company called Space Adventures. What they have in place is a space tourism program that slows you to travel with the Soyuz to the International Space Station (ISS).The trip starts a few months in advance with intensive training dealing mainly with gravity operations, fight control and survival activities. When all tins training is over, your space trip begins. The trip can be planned exactly according to your needs, whether you're going for scientific research , or simply for an adventure. I doubt whether you will find any other kind of trip that has such a thorough preparation period beforehand. One of the great things to do, even if it makes your space trip a bit more expensive, is that you could go on a space walk during your trip. _ would definitely be a good opportunity to dance outside with your loved one to a slow waltz...Sorry, I forget there's no sound in space! Whatever option you choose, the only obstacle you might face is the cost. All the other requirements seem to be less than those for getting a visa to a foreign country. Generally your height should be between 160 and 185 cm, your weight between 50and 95 kg and be in good health. Finally ,in answer to the question you've been wondering about .Granted, space tourism is expensive, but exactly how expensive would a normal scheduled flight to the ISS cost? Would you believe it costs between $30 and $40 million? A Russian language course is included! Which of the following statements best describes the main idea of this passage? A. Space tourism-- a dream made reality? B. Are you ready for space tourism? C. How to participate in a space tourism program. D. Why only a few privileged persons can afford space trips. Answer: A Children don't come with an instruction manual ,but now their grades in school do! Finally,parents can stop worrying about what their child's next school year will bring and get a glimpse of what's coming. Education.com,an easy-to-use,one-stop online destination with over 4,000 articles,that helps parents and educators take an ever more active role in their children's education,unveiled Grade Specific Cheat Sheets for grades pre-school through grade 5.From academic expectations,developmental milestones,and typical social issues,to fun learning activities that literally bring it all home,parents can now find it all in one place. "As the school year approaches,parents struggle to find time to adequately prepare themselves and their children for what's ahead," said Ron Fortune,CEO of Education.com."Every grade is different.Whether it's helping parents understand what their third grader should be reading or how they should be talking to their teen about peer pressure,our goal is to provide parents with a grade and developmental stage-specific user manual that helps parents find authoritative information as quickly as possible." The start of a new grade means many new questions.Now,a parent with a child about to embark on a new school year can go to Education.com's new Grade Specific Cheat Sheets and find age-specific information and content including what their child should be learning in math,reading,writing,and science,as well as physical and language milestones.Parents can find over forty articles per grade,on everything from peer relationships to self-esteem,how gender affects development,to ideas for using goldfish crackers for math practice or making a homemade fossil. Education.com's new Grade Specific Cheat Sheets provide parents with articles and content from trusted sources such as teachers,child psychologists,parents,and guidance counselors. The role of Education.com is _ . A. passive B. big C. small D. active Answer: D England is the largest country in Britain. Its capital is London, which is on the Thames. The port of London is one of the greatest ports in the world. Ships from all countries go up and down the Thames. They bring food to the people of Britain. Then they take British machines and other things back to the ports from which they come. There are many scenic spots in the West of England. The lakes here are the most beautiful in England. There are trees, flowers and green grass round them. The water is almost always very still,and you can see the green hills ,the brown mountains and everything else round the lake upside-down in the water. There are boats on all the larger lakes, which take people from one side to the other. There are always a lot of boats on the lakes in summer. Travelers from many countries of the world go to the west of England in summer. There are boat races on the largest lakes, and people from many places in Great Britain and Europe come to see them. Young people travel from one place to another on their bicycles, or walk from one lake to another. Young Londoners go to see _ . A. beautiful lakes on foot B. boat races by bicycle C. the port of London in their cars D. the still water in the lake by air Answer: B Language is always changing and developing. This isn't a bad thing. If English hadn't changed for a long time, we won't have words to describe telephones, washing machines, computers or some other new things. Language changes for several reasons. First, it changes because the needs of its speaker change. New technologies, new products, and new experiences need new words to express them clearly. Another reason for change is that different people have different language experiences. People use different sets of words and expressions, because they have different ages, jobs, education levels and so on. How does language develop then? On the one hand, many of the languages changes begin with young people. When young people communicate with others of their own age, their language grows in grammar, words and expressions that are different from the older people's. Some have a short lifetime but others can influence the language for long. On the other hand, we get new words in many different ways. We borrow them from other languages, we create them by making words shorter or combining words and we make them out of proper names. Languages that don't change over time are considered dead languages. The fact that English changes so much shows that it is alive and well. How many reasons for language change are mentioned in this passage? A. 2 B. 3 C. 4 D. 5 Answer: A
Which comparison of ecosystems is true? Grasslands get more rain than deserts. In the winter months the temperature in most of Canada usually stays below 0degC. However, in some parts of Canada, such as southern British Columbia, the temperature rarely goes below 0degC. In most areas where people live, snow will be on the ground from mid-December to the middle of March. Though Canada's winter may be much colder and longer than you are used to, it can be very enjoyable. For many Canadians, being active in winter is an important part of enjoying life. There are many outdoor winter activities, including skiing, ice fishing, walking, and skating. Joining in one of these activities may help you appreciate winter and enjoy your time outside in the snow. Dressing for winter. During winter in Canada, you will need warm clothing. If possible, arrive with these items or be prepared to buy them soon after your arrival. You will need: A warm waterproof boots. A scarf for your neck. A hat that covers your ears. Gloves for your hands. Thick winter coats, pants and sweaters. Layers keep you warm. It's a good idea to layer your clothing by, for example, wearing a T-shirt and a sweater underneath a jacket. If you become too hot, it is always easier to remove a piece of clothing than to add another. On the West Coast, prepare to dress for cool rainy or snowy weather. You will need: A warm waterproof coat. Waterproof hats. An umbrella. *Rain boots or snow boots. Learn more about weather and seasons across Canada. You can also contact Related Links.com, for example, an immigrant-serving organization in the community where you live for more information about dressing for winter. If you spend a winter in Canada, you will prepare all EXCEPT _ . an umbrella and sunglasses Paula Radcliffe, chasing a third London marathon title , says she has became a stronger person after her terrible experience at the 2004 Athens Gaines. Radcliffe, who failed to complete the Olympic marathon and the 10,000m last August, said: "Athens made me a stronger person and it made me care less about criticism " "In the past I wanted to please everyone, but now I am going to listen even more to the people around me." She didn't care about criticism made at the weekend by Liz McColgan, who felt Radcliffe should have rested and let her body recover after her failure inprefix = st1 /Athens. "Liz is someone I look up to but she hasn't spoken to me since last year and if she really eared for me, I'm sure she would have contacted me." Instead Radcliffe won the New York City marathon just 11 weeks afterAthens. "In New York I wasn't in my best state but I did know I was good enough to win the Radcliffe insisted her only goal in Sunday's race would be winning a third title and not chasing world records. However, RadcIiffe has not ruled out m the future chasing her "final" world record time and questioned sayings that marathon runners have the ability in their career to produce only four or five world-class times. "I don't think that -- although _ ," said. RadcLiffe. "That changes from person to person." Radcliffe is sure she can better her winning London 2003 performance at some point in the future. Following a successful three-month training period in theUnited States, the 31-year-old will chase a third title on Sunday after her first victory in 2O02 and again 12 months later. Radcliffe clocked a time of 2:18:56 in her first 42.2-kdnmetre race three years ago. Afterwards she set a "mixed course" mark of 2:17:18 five months later In Chicago before lowering that to a time of 2:15:25 m the 2003Londonevent. Radcliffe's failure in Athensmade her _ face criticism calmly The poachers had finally found a buyer for their stolen _ .At the meeting with the buyer,they brought out a bag,inside which was a terrified one-year-old baby gorilla.The poachers had killed the little female's parents and captured her in the forests of Congo, Africa.Then they took her across the border into Rwanda, with the intention of selling her as a pet. However,the buyer did not bring any money.He brought the police.The poachers were arrested on the spot but the police knew the orphan was still in danger.They had rescued baby gorillas before and understood that they needed to act quickly.They rushed the young gorilla to the nearby Mountain Gorilla Rescue Centre.The vets there realized that she had not been given enough food or water, but they were much more worried about something else.The baby gorilla,which was later named Dunia,had not been getting enough touch. "Baby gorillas simply don't survive without their mother's constant body contact," says Chris, a vet."They give up the will to live."The project's staff immediately began holding and hugging Dunia,the little baby gorilla. Dunia resisted attention at first, shying away from people who reached for her. "She needed contact, but there is no reason that she should trust people after what she'd been through,"says Christ."Humans had killed her family." Although she became stronger a month after she was recued, her appearance revealed the psychological stress she carried inside--much of her hair had fallen out.That was a delayed reaction to the combined terrible experiences of losing her parents and being kept with a poor diet by the poachers. After six months of loving care, a good diet, and a comfortable home at the centre, Dunia was looking and acting like a healthy, happy young gorilla should. When Dunia was taken to Rwanda,the most important thing she needed was _ touch Boy's schools are the perfect place to teach young men to express their emotions and involve them in activities such as art dance and music. Far from the traditional image of a culture of aggressive masculinity , the absence of girls gives boys the chance to develop without pressure to agree with a stereotype, a US study says. Boys at single-sex schools were said to be more likely to get involved in cultural and artistic activities that helped develop their emotional expressiveness, rather than feeling they had to agree with the "boy code"of hiding their emotions to be a "real man". The report, presented at a conference of the International Boys'Schools Coalition in London attended by the heads of private and state schools, goes against _ that boys do better when taught alongside girls. Tony little, headmaster of Eton, warned that boys were being failed by the British education system because it had become too focused on girls. He criticized teachers for failing to recognize that boys are actually more emotional than girls. The research argued that boys often perform badly in mixed schools because they become discouraged when their females peers do better earlier in speaking and reading skills. But in single-sex schools teachers can tailor lessons to boy's learning style, letting them move around the classroom and getting them to compete in teams to prevent boredom, wrote the study's author, Abigail James, of the University of Virginia. Teachers could encourage boys to enjoy reading and writing with "boy-focused"approaches such as themes and characters that interest them. Because boys generally have more acute(sharp)vision, learn best through touch, and are physically more active, they need to be given "hands-on"lessons where they are allowed to walk around. "Boys in mixed schools view classical music as feminine and prefer the modern type in which violence and sexism are major themes" James wrote. Single-sex education also made it less likely that boys would feel they had to agree with a stereotype that men should be "masterful and in charge" in relationships, "In mixed schools boys feel forced to act like men before they understand themselves well enough to know what that means." The study reported. In the eyes of the author, a single-sex school would _ . encourage boys to express their emotions more freely
Having good etiquette at the workplace is very important to be a favorite in an office.However,it's observed that many people aren't aware of the workplace etiquette and this creates a very bad impression in the office.So it's important to know some workplace etiquette tips. Among all the workplace etiquette guidelines,the most important is to be punctual to your office.Though going late due to an emergency is okay,habitual late comers are never appreciated in any organization.By arriving at your office on time,you show that you're aware of your responsibilities and have respect for the organization.In case you feel that you would be late,call the concerned authority and report the matter to him or her. Also,a proper knowledge of the workplace email etiquette is a must.In the official emails,you need to mention the subject concisely,while at the same time include all the important details which are to be shared.You should use good and grammatically correct language while writing emails. A knowledge of telephone etiquette in the workplace is very important as well.While talking on the telephone,be polite and listen to what they're saying carefully.Only then should you say what you feel.Speak in a voice which would be heard clearly at the other end. The workplace guidelines are important even while you're dining or celebrating with your coworkers.If you get a call in between,receive it after you're permitted by the others by saying "excuse me".Don't talk loudly while eating.Greet people well and try to make them feel comfortable while being in your company. These guidelines will help you become the best employee of a company.All the best! How should you write an official email? Answer: A device that stops drivers from falling asleep at the wheel is about to undergo testing at Department of Transport laboratories and could go on sale within 12 months. The system, called Driver Alert, aims to reduce deadly road accidents by 20% - 40% that are caused by tiredness. Airline pilots can also use it to reduce the 30% of all pilot-error accidents that are related to fatigue. Driver Alert is based on a computerized wristband. The device, worn by drivers or pilots, gives out a sound about every four minutes during a car journey. After each sound the driver must respond by squeezing the steering wheel. A sensor in the wristband detects this pressing action and measures the time between the sound the driver's response. Tiredness is directly related to a driver's response time. Usually, a watchful driver would take about 400 milliseconds to respond, but once that falls to more than 500 milliseconds, it suggests that the driver is getting sleepy. In such cases the device gives out more regular and louder sounds, showing that the driver should open a window or stop for a rest. If the driver's response continues to slow down, the sounds become more frequent until a nonstop alarm warns that the driver must stop as soon as possible. The device has been delivered to the department's laboratories for testing. If these tests, scheduled for six months' time, are successful, the makers will bring the product to market within about a year. How should a driver respond to the sounds from Driver Alert? Answer: Sound can be used for communication by Answer: Most people at some time or another have dreamed of being a popular kid at school. Being popular in middle school is much easier than it sounds. Just follow a few steps and finally see what it feels like to be a popular kid. First, why do you want to be popular? Ask yourself if your desire for being popular comes from looking down on yourself or an unlucky situation. If it does, then work first on your self-confidence. Be friendly to everyone, even people that other people think are _ or different. If you are strange or different, realize that everyone is strange in their own way. Take part in school activities and make yourself more visible( ) to the school population. Find a talent or special skill that you have. Whether your skill is telling jokes, drawing, singing or playing soccer, show your skill in right way. Volunteer to help with classroom or school activities that will help you leave a good impression on teachers. Develop a personal style that you feel goes well with your personality. Be yourself and have fun. Keep your strong sense and personality. Join school clubs, sporting teams and student government to show yourself as someone who makes a difference at your school . The writer writes the passage to tell us _ . Answer: My father was a St. Bernard , and my mother was a collie . This was what my mother had told me. I did not know these nice differences myself. My mother like to say them and see other dogs look surprised and jealous , wondering how she got so much education. But, indeed, it was not real education. She got the words by listening in the dining room and the sitting room when there were people talking, and by going with the children to school and listening there. Whenever she heard a word showing great knowledge, she said it to herself many times so that she could keep it until there was a meeting in the neighbourhood. Then, she would show off her knowledge and surprise them all, from small-sized dogs to large-sized dogs. If there was a stranger being doubtful and getting his breath to ask her what it meant, she always explained to him in detail. He had never expected this but thought he would make fool of her. However, in the end, he was the one who was fooled. The others knew what was going to happen, because they had experienced that. When she explained the meaning of a big world, no dogs doubted if it was right. It was natural, because, for one thing, she answered very quickly and confidently, and for another, there were no knowledgeable dogs pointing out the answer was wrong. When I was older, she brought home the word, "unintellectual", and worked on it very hard all the week at different meetings. It was at this time that I realized she made up a fresh meaning of the same word every time. It showed that she was more calm than knowledgeable. (From A Dog's Tale, by Mark Twain) Why were other dogs jealous of "my" mother? Answer:
I have recently completed my college degree. The last project was called "Smile". The class was asked to go out to smile at three people and document their reactions. I am a very friendly person and always smile at everyone and say hello anyway. So, I thought this would be a piece of cake. My husband, youngest son and I went out to McDonald. We were standing in line when all of a sudden everyone around us began to back away. As I turned around I smelled a horrible body odour and saw two poor homeless men standing behind me. As I looked at the short blue-eyed gentleman closest to me, he was "smiling". The second man fumbled with his hands as he stood behind his friend. The young lady at the counter asked him what they wanted. He said, "Coffee is all, Miss," because that was all they could afford. Then I really felt it-I embraced the little man with the blue eyes. That is when I noticed all eyes in the restaurant were set on me, judging my every action. I smiled and asked two more breakfast meals on and gave them to the men. The blue-eyed gentleman looked up at me, with tears in his eyes, and said, "Thank you." When I sat down my husband smiled at me. We held hands for a moment and at that time, we knew that because of the good fortune that we had been given. I turned in my project. My teacher said, "Can I share this?" I slowly nodded as she got the attention of the class. She began to read and that is when I knew that we as human beings share this need to heal people and to be healed. In my own way I had touched the people at McDonald's and every soul that heard the story in the classroom. But, I graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn. What did the author think she learn from the story? Answer: One of the earth's layer's is it's crust. It can be found Answer: Playing with toy blocks may lead to improved language development in young children, a new study reported. Early childhood is an important period in the development of young minds. The newborn brain grows three times in size between birth and age 2. Scientists have said that certain activities during this important period may promote healthy development while others may hold it back, and development of memory and language may especially be helped by imaginative play. After six months, language scores among half of the 175 children aged 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 who were sent plastic blocks were 15 percent higher than a matched group that did not receive the free blocks, according to the study by researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle. Parents were given ideas about how to help their children play with the blocks, then were told to keep diaries of their children's activities over four days. Finally, all the parents filled out questionnaires that judged their children's vocabulary, grammar, and other language abilities. Study author Dimitri Christakis said unstructured play with blocks motivated children's thinking, memory and physical skills at a time when a child's brain is growing rapidly. "They are the foundation of thought and language," he wrote of the skills learned from building blocks. "Older children begin to make up stories for these objects ." Such play may also take the place of less helpful activities such as watching TV, he said, adding parents ought to have doubts about some toy-makers' words. "An increasing number of media-based products are making ungrounded claims that they can make children smarter, more literate, and more musical," Christakis said. Building blocks helps kids gain language skills because _ . Answer: It was time for Mr. Rocco to shut up shop when I hurried into the florist's. "Now, what is it that you want?" Mr. Rocco turned to me. "I want the most beautiful flower you have." I replied, "And just how much do you have to pay for this most beautiful flower?" I held out a wet hand showing a quarter and dime. He nodded, and then showed me a plant on the counter "I can give you this one for 35 cents." he said," Aw, gee," I protested, "it looks like a weed!" About l 8 inches high, the plant was in a small pot covered with faded red paper." Now trust me, boy---I promise that tomorrow morning when you get up, you will find your most beautiful flower. "said Mr. Rocco. I knew him to be a good honest man, so I agreed to take it. It was almost midnight when I arrived home. Mom was seriously sick and using the front bedroom. I looked in to see if she was asleep, and then quietly tiptoed in and set the plant on the table beside her bed. I wanted her to be surprised when she woke on Mother's Day. The next morning, I dressed and hurried downstairs. The sun was shining through kitchen window as I looked into Mom's room. She motioned for me to come in, then glanced over at the table where the plant was. Holy mackerel! There were three big yellow trumpet-shaped blooms. It was just like Mr. Rocco said---the most beautiful flower I ever saw! When I looked at Mom, she was smiling as tears streamed down her cheeks. She held out her hand for me to come near, then pulled me close and hugged till it hurt. Then, remembering her _ condition and that she wasn't supposed to touch me, she quickly let me go. My dear Mom died the next night. The moment she hugged me turned out to be the most wonderful moment of my life. Not only had that beautiful plant helped show just how much I loved her, but I'd always know how much she loved me. When mother hugged the author tightly, she was showing that _ . Answer: Mini Hoover Dam Tour ONLY $48 per person LIST PRICE $60 This tour begins with beautiful sights as you travel by coach through famous Las Vegas towards Boulder City, Nevada. As you leave Boulder City on your way to the famous Hoover Dam, you will see in the distance Lake Mead. Created by the Hoover Dam, it is one of the largest and most beautiful man-made lakes in America! When you arrive at Hoover Dam, you can visit the museum, watch a movie on the Dam's construction and see Oskar J.W. Hansen's famous sculptures on the Nevada side. Experience the excitement of this man-made wonder with great views that will create memories of a lifetime! Tour Highlights * Free hotel-to-hotel pick-up and drop-off * Coaches with windows for your viewing pleasure * Beautiful views of man-made Lake Mead * Experience the Hoover Dam from two states * Hoover Dam Discovery Tour * Time for souvenir shopping * Relax and enjoy our return journey by coach to Las Vegas What can you enjoy during the Mini Hoover Dam Tour? Answer:
The advantages of an international language in the modern world are obvious. Thanks to modern methods of transport, we can travel everywhere more easily and more quickly than ever before, but the language problem still remains. Without a common language, there may be misunderstandings between people of different countries. There are two possible solutions to this problem: either we choose one of the main living languages of the world, or we make up an artificial one. But neither solution is simple because no living language will be acceptable to everyone and because an artificial language, such as Esperanto, has no culture and would be thought boring by many learners. It is often said that English is quickly becoming a world language. It is certainly the most widely used language in the world, and second only to Chinese in its number or native speakers, but there are certain worries of choosing English as an international language. First of all, for political reasons and national pride, English is not acceptable to everyone as a world language. Many dislike its influence. English words enter their language and this often threats their own language. In France, a new word "frangla is" has been invented to describe the results. Although English is being taught in more and more schools abroad, the process is not always popular. Not every nation is prepared to accept the leading position of English in their education system What are the advantages of an international language? We can understand each other. The cat woke up from its nap under the couch. Poking his head out from under the couch, there were no dogs there. He walked out from under the couch and stretched out his paws along the hard wood floor. Far outside there was some barking from the dogs, but he was safe from them for now. The smell of tuna was in the air and the cat followed the scent to the kitchen. A woman was making a tuna sandwich for her two kids. When she finished, she put the tuna can on to the floor. The cat slowly walked up to the can and saw some juice inside. He licked up the yummy tuna juice and was sad when it was all gone. The woman brought the tuna sandwiches over to her sons at the table, then she opened the back door to let the dogs in. The cat's fur stood on end as the dogs came running after him. He ran away into the other and back to under the couch where it was safe. Where do the dogs chase the cat to? Under the couch One day, a farmer was walking along a road with his son Thomas. The father said. "Look! There's a horseshoe. Pick it up and put it in your bag." Thomas said, "It isn't worth the trouble." His father said nothing but picked it up himself. When they got to a nearby town, they had a rest. There the farmer sold the horseshoe and with the pennies he bought some grapes. It was very hot, and there wasn't a house or a tree where they could have a rest. Thomas felt too thirsty to walk on. At this time. his father dropped a grape on the ground and Thomas picked it up quickly and ate it. After a while. his father dropped another grape and once again. his son picked it up and put it in his mouth. And so they went on. The old farmer dropped the grapes and the son picked them up. When Thomas had eaten up all the grapes, his father said to him. "My dear son, if you had bent down early to pick up that horseshoe. It would not have been necessary for you to bend so many times for the grapes, always remember the lesson : A person who does not worry about the little things will find that he can not do the great things." The father dropped the grapes one by one because he wanted _ . to teach his son a lesson Women who own cats are more likely to have mental health problems and kill themselves because they can be infected by a common parasite that can be caught from cat litter, a study has found. Researchers found women infected with the Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) parasite , which is spread through contact with cat waste or eating undercooked meat or unwashed vegetables, are at increased risk of attempting suicide. The study involved more than 45,000 women in Denmark. About a third of the world's population is infected with the parasite, which hides in cells in the brain and muscles, often without producing symptoms. The infection, which is called toxoplasmosis , has been linked to mental illness, such as schizophrenia , and changes in behavior. The study's senior author Doctor Teodor Postolache, an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in the United States, said, "We can't say with certainty that T. gondii caused the women to try to kill themselves, but we did find a predictive association between the infection and suicide attempts later in life that deserves additional studies." Doctor Albert Reece, vice president of medical affairs at the University of Maryland, said, "T. gondii infection is a major public health problem around the world, and many people don't realize they're infected. "Dr Postolache is a leading expert on suicide neuroimmunology . Suicide is a critically important mental health issue. About one million people commit suicide and another 10 million attempt suicide worldwide each year. We hope that this type of research will one day help us find ways to save many lives that now end too early in suicide." Dr. Postolache's research team at the University of Maryland was the first to report a connection between T. gondii and suicidal behavior in 2009. He is cooperating with researchers in Denmark, Germany and Sweden to confirm and investigate the way leading to this association. The T. gondii parasite thrives in the intestines of cats, and it is spread through their waste. All warm-blooded animals can become infected through contact with it. Humans can become infected by changing their infected cats' litter boxes, eating unwashed vegetables, drinking water from a polluted source, or by eating undercooked or raw meat. Not washing kitchen knives after preparing raw meat before handling another food item also can lead to infection. Pregnant women can pass the parasite directly to their unborn babies and are advised not to change cat litter boxes to avoid possible infection. Babies don't produce antibodies to T. gondii for three months after they are born, so the antibodies present in their blood represented infection in the mothers. The scientists studied Danish health patients to determine if any of these women later attempted suicide, including cases of violent suicide attempts which may have involved guns, sharp instruments and jumping from high places. The study found that women infected with T. gondii were one and a half times more likely to attempt suicide compared to those who were not infected, and the risk seemed to rise with increasing levels of the T. gondii antibodies. Dr Postolache noted limitations to the study, such as the inability to determine the cause of the suicidal behavior. The findings were published online in the Archives of General Psychiatry. What is the consequence if a woman is infected with the parasite in the passage? Doing deliberate self-harm. David Moore taught science at the City School.He needed some expensive books,so he bought them.He put the books in his car in a quiet street.Then he went to other shops to buy something else.At six he came back to the car.One door was open--and the books were not there.David drove home. That night he wrote a letter to a newspaper.The next day he went to the police station. On Friday people read this in the newspaper: Books: Have you any old books? I buy old and modern books. Open all day on Saturday.Dauid Moore.26 Fry Road. David stayed at home on Saturday.The first mall came at eight.David took him to the kitchen.At half past nine another man arrived.He had a bag under his arm. "Mr.Moore?"the man asked. "That's right,"David said."Can I help you?" "I've got some good books.You buy books,don't you?" "Yes.Bring them in. Let me have a look." Soon the books were on the dining-table."Come in now."David called,"and bring the list." A policeman came into the dining-room.He read the names on the books and the names on the list in his hand.They were the same. "Come with me.Sir."the policeman said to the man. From the story,we know the second man _ . wants to show the books to David
Slow parenting means parenting children in the contact of nature without any interference of materialistic influence. We can also term it as "self-raising". In slow parenting children are allowed to do what they think proper and parents just keep a watch over the child. Curiosity of the child leads to exploring and discovering things. Parents provide little help only when it's too necessary, otherwise keep themselves away from the child and just have a look on him/her: This brings about a feeling of self-dependency and they are encouraged to solve their problems. This is a natural way of learning. When a child is left to learn in a natural environment, the child's natural development takes place. Influence of any materialistic way doesn't let the mind develop naturally. Watching TV, playing video games or joining classes of dance, swimming or any other sports will not let the mind develop naturally. Here creativity of their mind is developed. They explore ideas. The logic behind this is that the kids of animals learn by nature, so can our kids. So let our children play in the garden, to watch flowers, plants, birds, butterflies and other gifts of nature. In the classes of dance, swimming etc. their creativity is influenced and their natural creativity is suppressed . In these classes they are overburdened and can't train their creativity. So let them play in the open air or garden without any burden instead of joining classes. Generally parents give toys to their children and explain how to operate them. But those parents who believe in slow parenting give toys and observe how the children are managing them. Their skill to learn and understand comes out. Maybe the process is slow, but it will be their exploration, which will make them self-dependent, and self-capable to learn. What is the main advantage of slow parenting according to the passage? Answer: Helping children to be independent. We moved into a beautiful two-story old house. The house was built in 1956. It was repaired in 2003. At first, really small things began to happen. They didn't make me believe that something was wrong, but as time went on, things started becoming stranger and stranger. Early something was missing, and later on it would be found somewhere else. I just thought I had forgotten where I put it, or perhaps my daughter was playing around with things. Then later on I would hear strange sounds when nobody was at home but me. . . yet it was an old house, and sometimes old houses did make little noises, so again, I didn't really mind. Then things that I couldn't explain started happening. It was last November and I was at home alone cleaning the house. When I was sweeping the kitchen floor, I felt a very cold wind blowing my hair. I thought the kitchen window must have been opened, but when I checked it, it was closed. The windows were new, and there was no way any cold air came in. We all felt very strange and moved away from there in October, 2014. I was never really frightened. It was just strange, like something or someone was trying to get my attention or something. According to the passage, the things that were missing in the old house _ . Answer: would be seen in another place Do you love the holidays,but hate the pounds that follow? You are not alone. Holidays are times for feasting and celebrating. Many people are worried about their weight.With proper planning,though,it is possible to keep normal weight during the holidays.Whether it is celebrating at the office party or sitting down for the traditional family dinner,regard eating as a time for tasting a variety of the foods.The idea is to enjoy the holidays but not to eat too much. You don't have to turn away from the foods that you enjoy. Here are some tips for preventing weight gain and maintaining physical fitness: Don't skip meals.Before you leave home,have a small,low-fat meal or snack.This may help to avoid getting too excited before delicious foods. Control portions.Use a small plate (about 10 inches) and put aside the large ones that may encourage you to "load up." You should be most comfortable eating an amount of food about the size of your fist. Once you have your "tasting" serving,move away from the buffet . Doing so will make it less tempting to be eating constantly as your appetite is inspired by the sight of food. Begin with soup and fruit or vegetables. Fill up beforehand on water-based soup and raw fruit or vegetables. Or drink a large glass of water before you eat to help you feel full. Stick to physical activity. Don't let exercise take a break during the holidays. A 20-minute walk after a meal can help burn off excess calories. Avoid high-fat foods. Dishes that look oily or creamy may have a large amount of fat. Choose lean meats. Fill your plate with salad and green vegetables. Use lemon juice instead of dessert or butter. If the passage appears in the newspaper,you think it should belong to _ Column. Answer: Health and Fitness Ice wedging might create Answer: mountainsides According to a survey,more Europeans go digitalchanging from fixed lines to mobile phones and from narrowband to broadband Internet connections. The survey showed that 22 percent of EU households use only mobile phones, up from I8 percent a year ago,while the percentage of households with at least one fixed line decreased by 5 percent to 72 percent, although the percentage of households with at least one mobile phone remains fairly stable at 8l per cent. Broadband is presenting a rapid upward trend in the EU, showed the survey, which polled(...)27,000 households across the union. 'Itventy-eight percent of households are now connected to the Internet via high-speed "broadband" links, up six percent from last year, while narrowband usage has dipped by three percentage points to 12 percent. More than half of households access the Internet via an ADSL line and 34 percent of broadband connections are wireless. "Europe's digital economy is growing strongly as more and more households love to choose between fixed, mobile and Internet services," said EU Information Society and Media Commissioner wiane Reding. "The challenge of this year's reform of the EU's telecom rules will be to respond to this rapidly changing technological environment while enhancing at the same time effective competition:' Meanwhile, nearly 20 percent of Europeans buy two or more telecom products from a single service provider, the combination of fixed telephony and.Internet access being the most common. The result may strengthen the commission's case for breaking up telecom giants, whose control over the fixed line networks~accused of hindering competition."Today's survey findings will feed into the ongoing public debate on the reform of the EU telecom rules, planned for summer this year," said Reding. The best title of this article is Answer: More Europeans Go Digital
If an apple tree wanted to spread it's seeds via another entity, it would Answer: It remained a question who had to be the pioneer life on a new island. In fact, few people knew it. Thousands of years ago, in the middle of an ocean, miles from the nearest island, an undersea volcano broke out. The hot liquid rock piled higher and higher and spread wider and wider. In this way, an island rose up in the sea. As time went on, hot sun and cool rains made the rock split and break into pieces. Sea waves dashed against the rock. In this way, soil and sand came into being. It is well known that nothing lived on the naked soil. And then the wind and the birds brought plant seeds, spiders and other creatures there. Only plants could grow first. Only they, in sunlight, could produce food from the minerals of the soil, water and air. While many animals landed on the island, they could find no food. A spider spun its web in vain , because there were no insects for its web to catch. Insects could not stay until there were plants for them to eat. So plants had to be the pioneer life on his new island. The passage centers on _ . Answer: The City Mouse and the Country Mouse Once there were two mice. They were friends. One mouse lived in the country; the other mouse lived in the city. After many years the Country mouse saw the City mouse; he said, "Do come and see me at my house in the country." So the City mouse went. The City mouse said, "This food is not good, and your house is not good. Why do you live in a hole in the field? You should come and live in the city. You would live in a nice house made of stone. You would have nice food to eat. You must come and see me at my house in the city." The Country mouse went to the house of the City mouse. It was a very good house. Nice food was set ready for them to eat. But just as they began to eat they heard a great noise. The City mouse cried, "Run! Run! The cat is coming!" They ran away quickly and hid. After some time they came out. When they came out, the Country mouse said, "I do not like living in the city. I like living in my hole in the field. For it is nicer to be poor and happy, than to be rich and afraid." The story is about _ . Answer: For children with cancer ,the facts of life include the facts of death. There is always the fear that they might not live to grow up.Yet they realize that fighting cancer is the only way of beating it. So they fight.And sometimes, they win.It may take years.It certainly takes support from parents and doctors. Unfortunately, many parents can't deal with their child's illness.And doctors, no matter how caring, have other patients to care for. At times like these, the Children's Cancer Foundation can help. We are a group of Hong Kong doctors, nurses, psychologists, parents of children with cancer and concerned persons .All of us are volunteers (offer one's help without payment).We're with the children every day, listening to, and encouraging them. We also advise parents, educate the public and send doctors overseas to study new cancer treatments. Our funding (providing money) has brought better equipment to the wards (large rooms of a hospital), and paid for special flats where the children can recover. We want to do even more.But to do it, we need your help. It will be money well spent.One who looks at our past achievements should prove that. To the children, your contribution will also be a show of support.A sign that you're behind them is just the sort of news that a six-year-old chlid with cancer needs to hear. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage? Answer: The green turtle is listed as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Under the U.S. Endangered Species Act of 1973, the green turtle was listed as threatened except for the breeding populations in Florida and on the Pacific coast of Mexico, where it is listed as endangered. Green turtles continue to be caught for money by humans, and the destruction and loss of nesting and foraging sites is a serious problem. Humans have already caused the decrease of large green turtle populations, including those that once nested in Bermuda and Cayman Islands. The situation of green turtle populations is difficult to determine because of our lack of knowledge about their life cycles. The number of nests in Florida appears to be increasing, but we don't know whether this is due to an increase in the number of nests or because we have started to monitor nesting beaches more closely. The green turtle is the largest hardshelled sea turtle. Adults of this species commonly reach 100 cm in length and 150 kg in mass. The average size of a female nesting in Florida is 101.5 cm straight in length, with an average body mass of 136 kg. Growth rates of green turtles have not been measured under natural conditions. Green turtles grow slowly. In the southern Bahamas, green turtles grow from 30 to 75 cm in 17 years, and according to Bjorndal and Bolten, growth rates decrease with increasing length. Growth rates measured in green turtles from Florida and Puerto Rico fall within the range of growth rates measured in the southern Bahamas. Based on growth rate studies of wild green turtles, the researchers Balazs, Frazer and Ehrhart estimate the age of sexual maturity can range anywhere from 20 to 50 years. Why is it hard for us to know the number of green turtles? Answer:
Doctor are known to be terrible pilots. They don't listen because they already know it all. I was lucky: I became a pilot in 1970, almost ten years before I graduated from medical school. I didn't realize then, but becoming a pilot makes me a better surgeon. I loved flying. As I flew bigger, faster planes, and in worse weather. I learned about crew resource management , or CRM, a new idea to make flying safer. It means that crew members should listen and speak up for a good result, regardless of positions. I first read about CRM in 1980. Not long after that, an attending doctor and I were flying in bad weather. The controller had us turn too late to get our landing ready. The attending doctor was flying; I was safety pilot He was so busy because of the bad turn, he had forgotten to put the landing gear down. He was a better pilot - and my boss - so it felt unusual to speak up. But I had to: Our lives were in danger. I put aside my uneasiness and said, "We need to put the landing gear down now!" That was my first real lesson in the power of CRM, and I've used it in the operating room ever since. CRM requires that the pilot/ surgeon encourage others to speak up. It further requires that when opinions are from the opposite, the doctor doesn't overreact, which might prevent fellow doctors from voicing opinions again. So when I'm in the operating room, I ask for ideas and help from others. Sometimes they're not willing to speak up. But I hope that if I continue to encourage them, someday someone will keep me from " _ ". What does the author say about doctors in general? Answer: They are unwilling to take advice. The Weekly Telegraph is Britain's global newspaper, the home-grown quality newspaper that delivers the best of The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Telegraph to the British around the world and adds its special articles, features and reports designed to be of real value to foreign readers.Telegraph.co.uk/expat, the website, increases the value of the newspaper, thus creating a complete expatriate support system, both online and offline. Order a gift subscription for a friend or relation overseas this Christmas and they will begin to recognize what a useful investment your subscription represents, and you'll receive a FREE bottle of 10-year-old Tawny Port to enjoy at home in the UK. Subscriptions will start early January 2010.Port can only be delivered to a UK address and receivers must be over 18 years of age. For more details or for 6-month subscriptions, please contact our subscriptions department on Tel +44 (0) 1622 335080 or email weeklytelegraphsubs@telegraph.co.uk Office hours: 09:00-17:00 GMT). Please contact weeklytelegraphsubs@telegraph.co.uk with any questions regarding your subscription. Your money back if you are not satisfied Our "no quibble" money-back policy means that we guarantee to return the money for your subscription in full if you are not satisfied with the first four issues. YOUR PAYMENT Select a zone of payment.Price is for 52 issues. United Kingdom 105.00 GBP (Great Britain Pound) USA 125.00 GBP Canada/ Australia/ New Zealand 108.00 GBP Zambia/ Zimbabwe /Tanzania 85.00 GBP South Africa 80.00 GBP Middle East/ Europe/ Rest of the world 80.00 GBP Which of the following statements is true based on the text? Answer: Subscriptions of the paper can be made starting from January 2010. Large wall posters for kids. Your kids will love these cool posters by artist Darla Daly--zebras boarding in the skateboard park, a group of jungle animals playing in the playground and two giraffes taking a drive in the city. Your kids will enjoy decorating their bedroom walls with these posters and their friends will think they are the coolest! Displaying 1 to 4 (of 4 products) . Which poster has the biggest size? Answer: Kids World Map. What do you think of black cats? Are they unluckier than cats of other colors? Many people in Western countries think so. Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley), did a study on cat colours and people's understandings of cat personalities. The study found that people do judge cat personalities by color. Scientists did a survey on the Internet. There were 49 statements matching five cat colorings with 10 personalities. People think orange and bi-coloured cats are friendly, tri-coloured cats are not generous, and white cats are calm, lazy and shy. As for black cats, people think they don't have special personalities. But why do so many people dislike keeping black cats as pets? People think black cats have less special personalities, which might be because of their bad reputation . They think black cats may bring bad luck, especially at Halloween. Movies and television shows also make people believe that. Although people have these ideas, UC Berkeley scientists give another reason: people don't think black cats are pretty enough. After all, nothing can show black cats are unluckier than other cats. "You can't judge a cat by its colour, because it's the personality of the cat, not the colour, that will let you know if the cat is right for you," Cathy Marden, a scientist said. According to the study, people think that _ . Answer: white cats are calm, lazy and shy On October 22, Officer Jones submitted an application for a warrant to search 217 Elm Street for cocaine. In the application, Officer Jones stated under oath that he believed there was cocaine at that location because of information supplied to him on the morning of October 22 by Susie Schultz. He described Schultz as a cocaine user who had previously supplied accurate information concerning the use of cocaine in the community and summarized what Schultz had told him as follows: the previous night, October 21, Schultz was in Robert Redd's house at 217 Elm Street. Redd gave her cocaine. She also saw three cellophane bags containing cocaine in his bedroom. The warrant was issued and a search of 217 Elm Street was conducted on October 22. The search turned up a quantity of marijuana but no cocaine. Robert Redd was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana. Redd moved to suppress the use of the marijuana as evidence contending that Susie Schultz was not in 217 Elm Street on October 21 or at any other time. If, after hearing evidence, the judge concludes that the statement in the application attributed to Susie Schultz is incorrect, the judge should grant the motion to suppress Answer: only if he also finds that Officer Jones knew the statement was false.
In China, chain restaurants -- especially the big multinational ones -- are cool. Going to Starbucks, for example, is a status symbol. It not only says, "I'm rich enough to buy this overpriced coffee," but also, "I'm cosmopolitan enough to be part of globalization." Where I come from in the UK, however, chains are neither fashionable nor gourmet . Chains are where you go on New Year's Day when nowhere else is open, or when you are 5 years old and your parents can't stand hearing, "I'm huuuuuungry!" any longer. In my own case (with regards to McDonald's), a chain is where you are taken on your first "date". Even at the age of 13, I knew to give the guy the "let's just be friends" phone call the next day. In the UK, independent cafes and restaurants are making a comeback on the fashion scene. Nowadays, a Londoner who says "let's meet for a coffee at Monmouth" (an independent cafe) is much cooler than one who says "let's go to Starbucks". Even if Monmouth's coffee is a little more expensive, there's a satisfaction in knowing your pounds aren't going straight to the big corporations. Of course, there are chain stores all over the UK; you can't go five minutes without spotting a Costa Coffee. But numbers do not add up to good taste. I do, however, have a confession . After moving to China I had moments when all the rice and Kung Pao Chicken became too much. I, too, have _ to McDonald's. Which of the following statements is TRUE? Most independent stores are closed on New Year's Day in the UK. Adam owns Townacres in fee simple, and Bess owns the adjoining Greenacres in fee simple. Adam has kept the lawns and trees on Townacres trimmed and neat. Bess "lets nature take its course" at Greenacres. The result on Greenacres is a tangle of underbrush, fallen trees, and standing trees that are in danger of losing limbs. Many of the trees on Greenacres are near Townacres. In the past, debris and large limbs have been blown from Greenacres onto Townacres. By local standards Greenacres is an eyesore that depresses market values of real property in the vicinity, but the condition of Greenacres violates no applicable laws or ordinances. Adam demanded that Bess keep the trees near Townacres trimmed. Bess refused. Adam brought an appropriate action against Bess to require Bess to abate what Adam alleges to be a nuisance. In the lawsuit, the only issue is whether the condition of Greenacres constitutes a nuisance. The strongest argument that Adam can present is that the condition of Greenacres poses a danger to the occupants of Townacres. Mom rushed her eight-year-old daughter, Child, to the emergency room at Hospital after Child fell off her bicycle and hit her head on a sharp rock. The wound caused by the fall was extensive and bloody. Mom was permitted to remain in the treatment room, and held Child's hand while the emergency room physician cleaned and sutured the wound. During the procedure, Mom said that she was feeling faint and stood up to leave the room. While leaving the room, Mom fainted and, in falling, struck her head on a metal fixture that protruded from the emergency room wall. She sustained a serious injury as a consequence. If Mom sues Hospital to recover damages for her injury, will she prevail? No, unless Hospital's personnel failed to take reasonable steps to anticipate and prevent Mom's injury. As an English teacher, one of the most common problems I've found with my students is their lack of confidence with speaking, and difficulty in understanding native speakers. Another problem could be that a foreign language taught in schools can sound quite different to what native speakers actually use. There are a few English words and expressions that I'd never heard until I came to China. The most common one in my experience is "How are you? I'm fine, thank you, and you?" I appreciate that although this greeting is much too formal for everyday use - it's easy to learn and helps build confidence. However, it can be a hard habit to break. I've seen many parents correct their kids if they don't use that exact phrase, as if simply replying "I'm fine" would somehow be rude. In fact I'm banning my students from saying that in the classroom, insisting a simple "I'm fine, thanks" is good enough. "Seldom" is another one that I find interesting. The first time a student told me "I seldom watch TV", my initial reaction was a stupefied look, followed by "Huh?" I then realized the student used "seldom" when it's more common for us to use "rarely." I was just as confused when I first heard a toilet referred to as a WC (water closet), another English term I'd never heard of back in Australia. Of course, my students know the other names for it like bathroom, toilet, washroom etc. so to prefer that name is an interesting choice. I don't mind that my students have substituted familiar English words with their own, far from it. It reminds me how creative they can be with not only their language, but with mine as well. It's healthy for English to evolve and change and I'm happy to add these new words to my vocabulary. One important lesson I've learnt is that textbooks can only help you so much. For further improvement you'd better practice with native speakers. What does the article mainly tell about? Chinese-English has something different. A small group of people around the world have started implanting microchips to link the body and the computer. Mr. Donelson and three friends, who had driven 100 miles from their homes in Loockport, New York, to have the implants put in by Dr. Jesse Villemaire, whom they had persuaded to do the work, are part of a small group, about 30 people around the world, who have independently put in microchips into their bodies, according to Web-based reports. At a shop William Donelson was having a four-millimeter-wide needle put into his left hand. "I'm set,"he said with a deep breath. He watched as the needle pierced the fleshy webbing between his thumb and a microchip was set under his skin. At last he would be able to do what he had long imagined: strengthen his body's powers through technology. By putting the chip inside--a radio frequency identification device (RFID)--Mr. Donelson would have at his fingertips the same magic that makes safety gates open with a knock of a card, and bridge and tunnel traffic flow smoothly with an E-Zpass. With a wave of his hand he plans to connect with his computer, open doors and unlock his car. Implanting the chip was relatively simple task but very meaningful to Mr. Doneselson, a 21-year-old computer networking student so interested in the link between technology and the body that he has data-input jacks inside his body. _ might lead to an imagined future when people can be connected directly into computers. His new chip is enclosed in a glass container no bigger than a piece of rice and has a small memory where he has stored the words "Technology". Some doctors have done the piercing in people's homes, and others have implanted chips in their offices after patients signed forms showing the fact that long-term studies have not been done on their safety. Piercers treat the implants much like any other medical operation steps, instructing people to keep the site dry, and advising them that swelling and redness should last a week. What will happen to the site on the body after the operation? There will be swelling and redness.
In Canada and the United States, there is a new group of children called "satellite kids", who live in one place but whose parents live in another place. Asians are immigrating to Canada and the United States in larger numbers than ever believe that they can give their children a better education in the west. In Asia, especially in China, Japan, and Korea, it is difficult to go to university. Students must first pass the strict national examination. However, in Canada and the United States, it is easy to go to university, and anyone who wants to go can go. As a result, Asian parents decide to leave their countries so that their children can go to university. The problem is that when Asians arrive, they discover that finding a job and making money are more difficult in the West than in the East. Also, they find that they are very lonely, and that they miss their homes. Because of these two reasons, most Asian parents decide to go back to work while their children study in the West. Therefore, these two reasons, most Asian parents decide to go back to work while their children study in the west. Therefore, these children become satellite kids", and most of their parents do not know how sad it is to be a "satellite kid". Only until now are Canadians and Americans discovering the "satellite kids" problem. Because these children do mot speak English and because their parents are not there to take care of them, they are often absent from school. To be a "satellite kid" means growing up in a country where you know you are different and where you cannot make friends because you do not speak English well. Also, it means growing up lonely, because your parents are elsewhere. What these "satellite kids "will probably say to their parents is that it's better to have parents around than to have a university education. ,. Some Asian immigrant children become "satellite kids" because their parents _ . A. want to leave their own country B. want them to go to university C. return to their country to work D. want them to be independent Answer: C. return to their country to work It was New Year's Night. An aged man was standing at a window. He raised his sad eyes towards the deep blue sky, where the stars were floating like white lilies on the surface of a clear calm lake. He had already passed sixty and brought from his journey nothing but errors and regrets. Now his health was poor, his mind empty, his heart sorrowful . The days of his youth appeared like dreams before him, and he remembered the serious moment when his father placed him at the entrance of the two roads --- one leading to a peaceful, sunny place, covered with flowers, fruits and filled with soft, sweet songs; the other leading to a deep, dark cave, which was endless, where poison flowed instead of water and devils and poisonous snakes hissed and crawled. He saw the lights flowing away in the darkness. These were the days of his wasted life; he saw a star fall down from the sky and disappeared, and this was the symbol of himself. His regret like a sharp arrow struck deeply into his heart. Then he remembered his friends in his childhood. But they had made their way to success and were now honored and happy on this night.www.ks5u.com The clock in the high church tower struck and the sound made him remember his parents' early love for him. They had taught him and prayed to God for his good. But he chose the wrong way. With shame and sorrow he dared no longer look towards that heaven where his father lived. His darkened eyes were full of tears, and with a hopeless effort, he burst out a cry: "Come back, my early days! Come back!" His youth did return, for all this was only a dream which he had on New Year's Night. He was still young though his faults were real; he had not yet entered the deep, dark cave, and he was still free to walk on the road which leads to the peaceful and sunny land. Those who still wander on the entrance of life, hesitating to choose the bright road, remember that when years are passed and your feet stumble on the dark mountains, you will cry bitterly, but in vain : "Oh youth, return! Oh give me back my early days!" We can learn from the passage that the man _ . A. returned from a long journey and regretted what he had done. B. was ignored by his parents when he was only a child. C. didn't enter the deep, dark cave when he was young. D. found it no use crying over the wrong past. Answer: D. found it no use crying over the wrong past. She belongs to no one but the whole world that can understand her language. Her music is appreciated across the globe but it is Singapore, China, Thailand and Britain that have helped to shape her talent. Violinist, Vanessa-Mae, best known for her pioneering mix of pop and classical music, has just completed her Asian tour. She has a magic power that has attracted an audience from around the world but the violin genius has always drawn fans by blazing a new trail. "I don't like playing it safe, I like jumping into new styles," she said. She started her Asian performance tour in China's Hong Kong on September 19 and visited the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumper. The tour, aiming to promote her new album, "The Best of Vanessa-Mae", ends in Thailand's capital Bangkok on September 30. The graceful and beautiful musician has attracted lots of fans in the places she has visited. She said although she enjoys trying out different forms of performance, including fashion shows and singing, she feels more comfortable with her violin. She has promised her fans she will never abandon the classical music that was the foundation of her training. Vanessa-Mae, now 23, first picked up the violin at five. After six months of intensive training in Beijing, he turned professional at 10. it was her fusion of classical and rock in her 1995 album "The Violin Player", that shot the then 17-year-old to international recognition. The record sold 3 million copies worldwide. She has a Chinese-Singaporean mother and a Thai father. She was born in Singapore and grew up in Britain. Vanessa-Mae has released seven albums and plans two more in the near future--first a classical album,, then a pop recording. She has said she wants to perform for the next 10 years, but after that she may settle down with her boyfriend, a 33-year-old wine-dealer from France, and concentrate on writing music. Vanessa-Mae started her Asian performance tour _ . A. to concentrate on writing music B. to go on a lobng journey C. to sell her new album "The Best of Vanessa-Mae" D. to attract her fans Answer: C. to sell her new album "The Best of Vanessa-Mae" We can slow down aging. That is the message Dr. Shen Ziyin wants to give the world. And the Chinese doctor claims that he has found an answer to the problems of aging. His solution is a herbal medicine to slow the process of aging. Dr. Shen Ziyin has been trained in Western medicine. At the same time he studied traditional Chinese medicine. And, he has been working for the past forty years to put together the best of both and find a cure for aging. He has taken a hint from the ancient Chinese medicine system called "Shen". According to Shen, it is the kidney which adjusts the functioning of the body as well as its aging process. It is responsible for the level of activity that the human bodies go through. Studies conducted by Dr. Shen show that herbal medicine based on the Shen system slows the aging process, says a report in the Telegraph newspaper. We notice that when people grow old, they have reduced strength, loss of hair, backache, weakness, wrinkles and so on. This happens because when people grow old, their bodies produce T-cells. These T-cells contain a particular substance called Fas. Fas makes the cells in the body destruct themselves. So the only way to slow down aging is to slow the production of T-cells in the body. This can happen if people eat low calorie food. Then the body is not active enough to produce extra T-cells. But, is going hungry all the time a good price to pay for staying young? This is where Dr. Shen's herbal medicine comes in. But how effective it will be, only time can tell. We can probably learn from the passage that _ . A. producing more low calorie food allows people to keep young B. the more Chinese herbal medicine people drink, the better for health C. people should try to quicken the production of T-cells in the body D. it remains unknown how effective Dr. Shen's herbal medicine is Answer: D. it remains unknown how effective Dr. Shen's herbal medicine is Wanted:Babysitter Do you like children?Do you have free time in the afternoon?We need a babysitter for our son.He's 5 years old.Hours are from Monday to Friday,2:00p.m. to 6:00p.m.Sometimes you will work the whole day at the weekend.Pay is PS4 per hour. Watch our son Read to him *Play with him You will work in our house.We live in London,near City Hall Subway Station. Please call 2956-4938.Ask for Ms White. What is NOT the babysitter's job? A. Reading books to the child. B. Playing games with the child. C. Cleaning the child's house. D. Taking care of the child. Answer: C. Cleaning the child's house.
It is a beautiful spring morning. There isn't a cloud, and the sun is warm but not too hot. So Mr. Green is surprised when he sees an old man at the bus stop with a big strong black umbrella in his hand. Mr. Green says to him, "Do you think we are going to have rain today?" "No," says the old man,"I don't think so." "Then are you carrying the umbrella to keep the sun off you?" "No, the sun is not very hot in spring." Mr. Green looks at the big umbrella again, then the man says, "I am an old man, and my legs are not very strong. So I really need a walking stick . When I carry a walking stick, people will say, "Look at that poor man. " And I don't like that. When I carry an umbrella in fine weather, people only say,"Look at that foolish man. " How does Mr. Green feel when he sees the old man with an umbrella in his hand? Answer: There is only one winner and in this case it is Gina Rinehart who has won it all. In her own words,"beauty is an iron mine", Gina suggested her recipe for glory and fame. She has been announced as the richest woman of the world by BRW (formerly Business Review Weekly) in May 2012. Let's read more about her life and journey to the top. Georgina "Gina" Hope Rinehart was born on 9th February, 1954 in Perth, Western Australia, to Hope Margaret Nicholas and Lang Hancock, the mining king. Her father discovered one of the world's biggest reserves in the early 1950s. Gina gained lots of knowledge of the iron-ore industry while working with her father. She married an Englishman Greg Milton, at the age of 19 and together they had two children, John Langley and Bianca Hope. Soon the marriage broke off and she remarried in 1983. Frank Rinehart and Gina had two children: Ginia and Hope. Frank died in 1990. Since then, Gina has devoted herself to her work and empire. She was the sole heir of her family's wealth. Then after her father died in 1992, she started her professional career as the Executive Chairman of Hancock Prospecting Pty Limited (HPPL) and other privately owned group of companies. At that time, the company centered its functioning to mining-related explorations and accumulation of vast mining leases . From there, Rinehart worked her way towards transforming the leases into profit earning mines. She also worked together with other companies to raise capital. Her efforts made the business increase three times in 2011 as much as before. At home, Rinehart was working to expand the family business, but she did not satisfy herself with it. In 2010, she stepped into the media industry by acquiring 10% stake in Ten Network Holdings. Afterwards, she went on to hold stake in Fairfax Media, proving that mining is not her only interest. In June 2012, by increasing her stake in Fairfax to 18.67%, she became the largest stakeholder in the company. With this, she now stands at the head of $US 29.3 billion worth of an empire. Two new projects related to the mining sector in Central Queensland and Roy Hill are expected to begin in 2013. Gina Rinehart has made her way from being Australia's Richest Woman to Australia's Richest Person and then to World's Richest Woman. How old was Gina Rinehart when she succeeded her father? Answer: If there is one thing I'm quite sure about, it is that in a hundred years from now we still be reading newspapers. Not those newspapers are a necessity. Even now some people get most of the news from the television or have the radio switched on in the background or in the car. Many buy a paper only on Saturday or Sunday. But for most people a newspaper has become a habit passed down from generation to generation. The basic British character won't change, and one of the characteristics of the British is that we don't much like talking to each other when we get up. So what better way is there to keep yourself thinking in the morning than to wrap yourself in a newspaper? Over the past couple of centuries, human beings have developed a close relationship with the newspaper. It has become as natural as breathing or enjoying the sun. And it is not just the British who love newspapers. On suburban trains in Calcutta, for instance, just one person in the whole car will buy a newspaper and read aloud the best bits to his fellow passengers, much to everybody's enjoyment. The nature of what is news may change. What essentially makes news is what affects our lives and the big political stories, the coverage of the wars, earthquakes and other disasters, will continue much the same. I think there will be more coverage of scientific research, though. It's already happening in areas that may directly affect our lives, like genetic engineering. In the future I think there will be more coverage of scientific explanations of why we feel as we do, whether it's love or depression. We develop a better understanding of how the brain operates and what our feelings really are. It's quite possible that in the next century newspaper will be transmitted electronically from thenational equivalents of Fleet Street (,) and printed out in our own homes. In fact, I'm pretty sure that that is how it will happen in future. You'll be probably selecting from a menu, making up your own _ by picking out the things you want to read and say. You might even have an intelligent screening device to do the job for you. I think people have got it wrong when they talk about the competition between the different media. They actually have a relationship, feeding off each other. It was once predicted that television would kill off newspapers, which hasn't happened. What is read on the printed page is more enduring than pictures on a flickering screen or sound lost in the sky. And as for the Internet, it's never really satisfying to read something just on a screen. According to the passage, the future of newspapers _ . Answer: Which process in the water cycle returns water from the surface of Earth to the atmosphere? Answer: I'm a Chinese girl. My name is Li Ying. I'm twelve. I'm in No. 1 Middle school . Chen Hong is my friend . She is nine. Mr Wu is my Chinese teacher and Miss Zhao is my English teacher. My Chinese teacher is _ Answer:
Planning a visit to the UK? Here we help with ways to cut your costs. AVOID BIG EVENTS Big sporting events, concerts and exhibitions can increase the cost of accommodation and make it harder to find a room. A standard double room at the Thistle Brighton on the final Friday of the Brighton Comedy Festival(19 Oct.) cost PS169. 15 at Booking.com. A week later, the same room costPS 118.15 If you can be flexible and want to know dates to avoid--or you're looking for a big event to pass your time--check out sites such as Whatsonwhen.com, which allow you to search for events in the UK by city, date and category. STAYAWAY FROM THE STATIONIf traveling to your destination by train, you may want to find a good base close to the station, but you could end up paying more for the sake of convenience at the start of your holiday. Don't be too choosy about the part of town you stay in. Booking two months in advance, the cheapest room at Travelodge's Central Euston hotel inLondonfor Saturday 22 September was PS95.95. A room just a tube journey away at itsCovent Gardenhotel was PS75.75. And at Farringdon, a double room cost just PS62.95. LOOK AFTER YOURSELFReally central hotels in cities such asLondon,EdinburghandCardiffcan cost a fortune, especially at weekends and during big events. As an alternative consider checking into a self-catering flat with its own kitchen. Often these flats are hidden away on the top floors of city centre buildings. A great example is the historic O'Neill Flat onEdinburgh's Royal Mile, available for PS420 for five days in late September, with room for four adults. GET ON A BIKELondon's 'Boris bikes' have attracted the most attention, but other cities also have similar programmes that let you rent a bicycle and explore at your own pace, saving you on public transport or car parking costs. Among the smaller cities with their own programmes areNewcastle(casual members pay around PS1.50 for two hours) andCardiff(free for up to 30 minutes, or PS5 per day). Cardiff's program allows a free bike for a maximum period of _ . Answer: What functions without contact between objects? Answer: Cindy likes eating ice cream very much. She often buys ice cream in the shop and takes it home. So does her husband . One day her husband sees the ice cream and thinks, "Good! Now, I can have a delicious dessert ." When Cindy comes home from work in the evening, the ice cream is not there and her husband says, "Oh, you see the fridge is broken . It's not cold at all." "Really?" Cindy says. And at the same time, she put her husband's arm into the fridge. Cindy says "Keep it in the fridge for an hour. Don't move it away before I come back." She goes to cook dinner. "Oh, no." her husband shouts loudly. Does Cindy know her husband eats her ice cream? Answer: What is used to catch prey by some birds? Answer: Do you think of white when someone talks about a polar bear? In fact, the polar bear does not have white fur. It just appears to be white. Polar bears have a very good sense of smell. It helps them to find food. During summer, polar bears sleep longer, because they are able to find their food more easily at night. Usually, after a meal, polar bears have a short sleep. A polar bear can have 2-3 babies at a time. They live with their mothers until they are about two-and-a-half years old. However, polar bears will die out soon because of people. There are only 20,000 to 25,000 polar bears in the world. The ones that are left are trying to survive today. The number of polar bears is becoming smaller and smaller because of the loss of sea ice-- polar bears mostly inhabit the sea ice, not the land ice. This is happening because of global warming , pollution, hunting and so on. Ordinary people don't care, but great people have the power and want to save tigers, fight for giant pandas and save polar bears. Ordinary people will wait, but great people will find a new world. For me, I will not waiting. I will take the bus more often from now on. Join me and save the polar bears, and, of course, the tigers, the giant pandas and... What is the main idea of this passage? Answer:
Many everyday American expressions are based on colors. Red is a hot color. Americans often use it to express heat. They may say they are red hot about something unfair. When they are red hot they are very angry about something. The small hot tasting peppers found in many Mexican foods are called red hots for their color and their fiery taste. Pink is a lighter kind of color. People sometimes say they are in the pink when they are in good health. It probably comes from the fact that many babies are born with a nice pink color that shows that they are in good health. Blue is a cool color. The traditional blues music in the United States is the opposite of red hot music. Blues is slow, sad and soulful. Someone who is blue is very sad. The color green is natural for trees and grass. But it is an unnatural color for humans. A person who has a sick stomach may say he feels a little green. A passenger on a boat who is feeling very sick from high waves may look very green. If a person is green at his job, he may be a newcomer and inexperienced. Sometimes a person may be upset because he does not have something as nice as a friend has, like a new sports car. That person may say he is green with envy. Some people are green with envy because their friend has more dollars. The color black is used often in expressions. People describe a day in which everything goes wrong as a black day. The date of a major tragedy is remembered as a black day. If a person feels blue, he is _ . Answer: depressed Did you know that about 55% of communication is unspoken, so in fact, our bodies are actually saying more than our words. I find that the key to a successful conversation in any language is to speak to people not only in their spoken language but also with the body language they know best. Britain, along with much of Northern Europe, has a non-touch culture, so personal space is very important. In a formal situation, we would usually greet each other with a handshake. Informally, but not so often, my British friends and I would greet with a hug. Hardly ever would we greet with a kiss on the cheek, let alone a hug and two kisses on the cheek![:\|\|] Here in the south of Italy, and in many different parts of the world, both men and women greet with two kisses on the cheek, use a lot of hand signs and often touch each other. In other words, little personal space is left between people when communicating. At university, I have learnt to successfully communicate in spoken Italian. And since I moved to live with the local people, I have also started to pick up their body language. Sometimes, I find myself not knowing what hand signs to use when expressing myself. However, what I know for sure is that I would miss the opportunity to fully put myself in the Italian culture if I keep my personal space unbroken. Here are 5 body language tips in Italy; * Use different signs; head, arms and hands. * Use facial expressions. Always smile at people! It is said that smiling is the most powerful unspoken way to communicate friendliness. * Use eye contact , because "the eyes are the window to the soul." * Don't worry about personal space. Italians are a people who like to use the sense of touch, so moving away or keeping your distance may be considered as being unfriendly. * Touch. When meeting and leaving, always shake hands. What is the most powerful unspoken way to show friendliness in Italy? Answer: Smiling. Before the opening of the Cape Cod Canal in 1914,the only way ships could leave Boston was on a route around Race Point--the northern tip of Cape Cod.However,navigation during the 18th century was a nightmare,because the floating cross current around Race Point caused countless accidents.So building a lighthouse to lighten the place was very necessary. As early as 1808,the people of Provincetown requested a lighthouse on Race Point,but it took Congress eight years to react when they finally paid $ 8,000 on April 27,1816 to build a lighthouse --Race Point Light,which was located in the town of Provincetown,Massachusetts.It was first built of stone 25 feet high with no foundation and its light was 30 feet above the sea.It was equipped with one of the nation's earliest revolving lights. Actually,there were two other lighthouses on Cape Cod,but they were hit by a storm in October 1841.In the following year,Race Point Light was examined by I.W.P.Lewis,who realized the light's importance.He said,"The light should be useful to all ships leaving Boston.However,its _ power is so weak that people would hardly be able to differentiate it from the lights set on the ships which stay in the bay,or close by.It hasn't played its role as a lighthouse well." The result was that old lighthouse was destroyed and a new iron lighthouse with a proper foundation was put up to take its place.The new lighthouse was 45 feet high.Although the original keeper's house was in good repair,it was destroyed too and a new one was built.Today the lighthouse has been automated and Race Point Light is still an active aid to navigation. You can park at Race Point Beach and walk about 45 minutes to the lighthouse.Sunset at Race Point Light is one of the Cape Cod's most popular scenes.And at times whales can be seen in the lighthouse.For reservations to stay one night in the keeper's house at Race Point call(508)487-9930. According to the passage,Race Point Light _ . Answer: is also a tourist spot now Wonderful Events HORSE RACING 100 YEARS OF PICTURES ALL YEAR ROUND THEN AND NOW (Photo Show) Races Starting at 3 p.m. February 1 - April 30 Every Sunday City Art Museum Racetrack only 20 Miles Away 750, High Street Lots of Parking Space Tuesday to Sunday City Stadium 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Free Presents No Children Allowed WEEKEND SALES DANCE PARTY This Saturday 2-6 p.m. CELEBRATE AN IMPORTANT DAY EVERYTHING 20-50% OFF Bring Your Friends Visit Us at Block G. Grandview Mall SUNDAY NIGHT, GOUNTRY CLUB Realize Your Dream, Save Time and Live Band from 7 p.m.-10 p.m. Money Y= 10, and adult Fall in Love with our Prices Y= 2, a child People can see the photo show at _ . Answer: The City Art Museum One day a young man was standing in the middle of the town announcing that he had the most beautiful heart in the whole town. A large crowd gathered, and they all thought it was perfect. There was not a flaw in it. Suddenly, an old man said, "Your heart is not nearly as beautiful as mine." The crowd and the young man looked at the old man's heart. It was full of scars . The young man laughed. "Comparing your heart with mine, mine is perfect and yours is a mess of scars." "Yes," said the old man, "You see, every scar represents a person to whom I have given my love. I tear out a piece of my heart and give it to them, and often they give me a piece of their heart that fits into the empty place in my heart. Though it has some scars, I cherish . Because they remind me of the love we shared. Sometimes I have given pieces of my heart away, and the other person hasn't returned a piece of his or her heart to me. These are the empty gouges . Although these gouges are painful, they stay open, reminding me of the love I have for those people too, and I hope someday they may return and fill the space I have waiting. So now do you see what true beauty is?" The young man ripped a piece out of his perfect heart and offered it to the old man. The old man placed it in his heart, then took a piece from his old scarred heart and placed it in the _ in the young man's heart. The young man looked at his heart, not perfect anymore but more beautiful than ever, since love from the old man's heart flowed into his. They embraced and walked away side by side. ,. The old man's heart _ . Answer: is a mess of scars
When asked to point out one or two things that are most important to themselves, many put friends ahead of homes, jobs, clothes and cars. A true friendship carries a long history of experience that determines who we are and keeps us connected. It is a treasure we should protect. Unfortunately, the better friends you are, the more probably you'll have disagreements. And the result can be what you don't want--an end to the relationship. The good news is that most troubled friendships can be mended. First, don't let your pride get in your way. Most of us can forgive each other when differences are brought out in the open. Second, apologize when you're wrong -- even if you've been wronged. Over the course of a friendship, even the best people make mistakes. Sometimes, it may be best if the _ takes the lead and apologizes. When you apologize, give your friend a chance to admit that he has been wrong. Third, see things from your friend's point of view. And finally, accept that friendships change as our needs and lifestyle change. Making friends can sometimes seem easy. The hard part is keeping the connections strong during the natural ups and downs that have an effect on all relationships. My suggestion: consider friendship as an honor and a gift, and worth the effort to treasure and nurture . What should we do if we follow the author's second suggestion? Have you ever suddenly felt that someone you know was in trouble -- and he was? Have you ever dreamed something that came true later? Maybe you have ESP. ESP stands for Extra Sensory Perception. It may be called a sixth sense. It seems to let people know about events before they happen, or events that are happening some distance away. Here is an example: A woman was doing washing. Suddenly she shouted, "My father is dead! I saw him sitting in the chair!" Just then, a telephone came. The woman's father had died of a heart illness. He died sitting in a chair. There are thousands of stories like this on record. Scientists are studying them to find out what is behind these strange mental messages. Here's another example ---- one of hundreds of dreams that have come true. A man dreamed he was walking along a road when a horse and carriage came by. The driver said, "There's room for one more." The man felt the driver was Death, so he ran away. The next day the man was getting on a crowded bus. The bus driver said, "There's room for one more". Then the man saw the driver's face was the same face he had seen in the dream. He wouldn't get on the bus. As the bus drove off, it crashed and burst into fires. Everyone was killed! Some people say stories like these are lies or coincidences. Others say that are ESP in true, from studies of ESP, we may some day learn more about the human mind. ESP lets people know about _ . Will Bowen is the author of the famous book-A Complaint Free World, and he is a minister With a very simple message: quit complaining. If you do ,you'll be happier and healthier. The goal is to live for 21 continuous days without complaint That's how long it takes to break a habit according to Bowen. In your hands, you hold the secret to change your life. Will Bowen developed the life-changing plan based on the simple idea that good thing will happen to you if you can just leave your complaint behind Less than a year later, more than six million people took up the challenge, trying to go 21 continuous days without complaining. By changing your words, you can change your thoughts and then begin to create your new life. People have shared stories with Will Bowen on relationships cured, careers improved, and becoming all overall happier person. According to Bill Bowen, _ ? My name is Lily. This is my classroom. There are 40 desks, 40 chairs, a bookcase, a computer and a teacher's desk in it. It has two green doors and four windows. There's a clock and a map on the wall . Look, that is Kate. She is my friend. A red bag, three black pens and four green pencils are on her desk. My favourite day is Saturday. We have no classes on Saturdays and Sundays. Which is TRUE? When thinking about quitting... List all the reasons why you want to quit. Every night before going to bed, repeat one of the reasons 10 times. Decide surely that you want to quit. Try to avoid negative thoughts about how difficult it might be. Develop strong personal reasons in addition to your health and duties to others. For example, think all the time you waste taking cigarette breaks, rushing out to buy a pack, hunting a light, etc. Set a date for quitting--perhaps a special day like your birthday, or a holiday. If you smoke heavily at work, quit during your vacation. Make the date seriously, and don't let anything change it. Begin to prepare yourself physically: start a modest exercise, drink more water, get plenty of rest. Immediately after quitting... The first few days after you quit, spend as much free time as possible in places where smoking is forbidden, e.g. libraries, museums, theatres, department stores, etc. Drink large quantities of water and fruit juice. Try to avoid wine, coffee, and other drinks, which remind you of cigarette smoking. Start a conversation with someone instead of asking for a match for a cigarette. If you miss the sensation of having a cigarette in your hand, play with something else--a pencil, a pen, or a ruler. If you miss having something in your mouth, try toothpicks or a fake cigarette. Which of the following statements is best supported by the author?
Read the advertisements, and then choose the right answer. 1 Driver Wanted (1) Clean driving license. (2) Must be of smart appearance. (3) Aged over 25. Apply to: Capes Taxi,17 Palace Road, Boston. 2 Air Hostesses for International Flights Wanted (1)Applicants must be between 20 and 33 years old. (2) Height 1.6m to 1.75m. (3)Education to GCSE(General Certificate of Secondary Education)standard. (4)Two languages. Must be able to swim. Apply to: Recruitment office, Southern Airline, Heathrow Airport West.HR37KK. 3 Teachers Needed (1For private language school. . (2)Teaching experience unnecessary. Apply to: The Director of Studies. Instant Language Ltd,279 Canal street, Boston. What prevents Jack, an experienced taxi driver, working for Capes Taxis? Answer: Radio, telephone and TV are widely used in the world. When you turn on the radio, you can listen. But when you use telephone, not only can you listen to others but also you can chat with them, however, you can't see anything at all. TV is much better than both of them. People can watch TV and listen to it, but they can't take part in what they see. Today, some people are using a type of telephone called vision-phone . With it, two people who are talking can see each other. It is better than radio, telephone or TV. Vision-phones can be of great use when you have something to show the person whom you are calling. It will be helpful in people's life. Some day you may be able to call up a library and ask to read a book on your vision-phone. You may be able to do some shopping too. Perhaps in the future, people will use vision-phone. ,. Which of the following is NOT true? Answer: The winter Vacation is just around the corner.With such along holiday to spend,have you decided where to get yourself relaxed from the great pressure of school study? Our company specializes in civil tours.we take pride in offering you the best services and in providing you with a vacation that will be fondly remembered.The following places can be your unforgettable destinations in our country. A.The Australian Museum The Australian Museum has an international reputation in the fields of natural history and indigenous studies research and exhibitions.The museum was established in 1827 and is Australia's first museum of natural science and cultural artifacts. B.Sydney Olympic Park Home of the Best Games Ever and 2003 Rugby World,Sydney Olympic Park is a gold medal attraction and continues to serve as a major sport and social venue. Apart from its ultra-modern sport venues,Sydney Olympic Park is set in extensive parklands. Bicentennial Park,one of Sydney's most popular recreational areas,is cris-crossed with walking and bicycle tracks C.Art Gallery of New South Wales Located within a short walking distance from Sydney's CBD,the Art Gallery of New South Wales is one of Australia's foremost art museums housing some of the finest works of art in the country. The Gallery has a rich and diverse collection including key works of the Heidelberg School and favorite modern Australian artists including Brett Whiteley and Margaret Preston,as well as permanent Australian,European,Asian,contemporary and photographic galleries. D.Koalas Park Sanctuary. Koalas are on show every day.Shows are at 10:20 AM,11:20 A.M,2:00 RM,3:00 P.M.where you can cuddle,feed,pat and have your photo taken with the Koalas. See free roaming Koalas as well,10 acres of rainforest.Walk in and pat our kangaroos. Which of the following might be more inviting to a sports fan? Answer: Donald was not very good at math. He could not understand the teacher's explanations . Even when the teacher explained something a second time, Donald still could not understand it. "Never mind," Donald told himself. "I am quite good at other subjects. I will cheat in the math exam, then I won't be in trouble." "I will sit next to the boy who is best at math," he thought, "and copy down his answers." The day of the exam came, and Donald sat next to Brain Smith, who always was at the top of the class in math. Donald carefully copied Brian's answers onto his own exam paper. At the end of the exam, the teacher collected the papers and graded them. Then she said, "well, boys and girls. I have decided to give a prize to the student who got the highest grade. It's difficult for me to decide who to give the prize to, however, because two students, Donald and Brian, got the same grade." "Let them share it," one of the other students said. "I thought about that," the teacher said, "but I decided to give the prize to Brian." Donald was angry when he heard this. He stood up and said. "That's not fair. I got the same grade as Brian." 'That's true." The teacher said." However, Brian's answer to Question 18 was "I don't know," yours was "Neither do I". Donald decided to cheat in the math exam because _ . Answer: Data on British buying habits in 2015 reveals a move away from products such as sausages and bacon in favour of fish and poultry . The move may be because high-end consumers are noticing growing warnings about their impact on health. That was reinforced by an assessment by the World Health Organization in October that placed cured and processed meats in the same category as asbestos, alcohol, arsenic and tobacco as major causes of cancer. Sales of sausages and bacon were down 14.4% last year compared with 2014 and sales of red meat fell by 8.1%. In contrast, sales of poultry and fish rose by 13.1% and 25.1% respectively. The sustained interest in organic food is driven by an increase in young and socially conscious"millennials"(born from the early 1980s to the early 2000s) with strong social, ethical and environmental values. They are prepared to pay extra for healthier options and shifting shopping patterns away from"the big weekly shop"in favour of"a few and often". At Tesco sales of organic fruit and vegetables have risen by more than 18% over the last year -- double the market average. Tesco fruit commercial manager Gareth Wilcock said,"The revival of organic foods has been gathering pace over the last few years, with lower prices and better availability both playing a major part in that." George Scott, food and grocery analyst with Verdict Retail, said,"Organic food is no longer niche and I think this upward sales trend is here to stay. It is very significant that we have acute consumers who are prepared to trade up to the foods where they want the best quality and assurances of provenance." What can we know about"millennials"? Answer:
For as long as humans have lived on the earth, they have made use of various forms of communication. Generally, this expression of thoughts and feelings has been in the form of oral speech. When there is a spoken language problem, communication can be carried out through sign language, in which gestures stand for letters, words, and ideas. Tourists and people unable to hear or speak have often had to turn to this form of expression. When gestures describe words or ideas, they can often be used internationally. When used for spelling words however, where each gesture stands for a single letter, people must share the same written language. Body language sends ideas or thoughts by certain actions, either meaningfully or not. A wink can be a way of showing that the person is only joking. A nod means agreement, while shaking the head indicates disagreement. Other forms of language can be found in Braille (a reading system of raised dots read with the fingertips used by the blind), signal flags, Morse code, and smoke signals. Road maps and picture signs also guide and warn people. While language is the most common form of communication, other systems and techniques also express human thoughts and feelings. What does the author mainly want to say? A. People can communicate in many different ways. B. Everybody uses only one form of communication. C. Language is invaluable to foreigners. D. Non-spoken communication is of little value. Answer: A Singles' Day, also called Double Eleven, began as a day for unmarried or uncoupled people to celebrate their lives on November 11, 1993. In China, however, Singles' Day has become the biggest online shopping day in the world, which was created in 2009 by Alibaba's CEO Daniel Zhang to increase online sales. Since then, it has grown into a cultural phenomenon. China Singles' Day, as a shopping day, takes place on November 11 each year. There are sharp _ and other promotions designed by Alibaba to attract online customers. In 2015, E-commerce giant Alibaba broke records with sales of $14.3 billion on China Singles' Day, with online sales increasing 60 percent from last year, according to Alibaba. "Most people shop on mobile phones or ipads and online shopping has become a comfortable channel for most consumers", said Kitty Fok, China manager for market research. "China is a big market with close to one billion smart, connected device users. It is good news for both Alibaba and their competitors," she said. The company is focusing on international e-commerce for future Singles' Days, reported Reuters. "Within the next five years, we expect China will become the world's largest e-commerce market for imported products," President Michael Evans told reporters on Wednesday. Alibaba Chief Executive Daniel Zhang said in a statement that Singles' Day would mean that "the whole world will see the power of Chinese consumption." Over 130 million users visited Alibaba's marketplace app, Taobao, reported the BBC. What attitude does President Michael Evans hold toward the future of China Singles' Day? A. doubtful B. optimistic C. negative D. uncertain Answer: B There are four seasons in a year. They are spring, summer. autumn and winter. Spring is a beautiful season. In spring, the trees turn green and the flowers come out. Everything looks new. We can have a trip in spring. Summer is a happy season. In summer, we can swim and eat lots of ice cream. Autumn is a season. In autumn, some leaves on the trees turn yellow or red. Winter is a cold season. In some places, it snows and everything looks white. The children like playing with snow. Winter is my favourite season. I like snow very much. The writer likes winter because he likes _ . A. green leaves B. ice cream C. flowers D. snow Answer: D Dolphins call out the specific names of loved ones when they become separated, a study finds. Other than humans, they are the only animals known to do this, according to the study. The big difference with dolphins is that these communications consist of whistles , not words. Earlier research found that dolphins have a "signature whistle" that would be somewhat like human shouting, "Hey everybody! I'm an adult healthy male named George, and I mean you no harm. " The new finding is that dolphins also say the names of certain other dolphins. "Animals produced copies of the same sound when they were separated from a close partner. This supports our belief that dolphins copy another animal's signature whistle when they want to reunite with that animal," Stephanie King, who led the study, says. King and her colleagues collected acoustic data from wild dolphins around Sarasota Bay, Florida, from 1984 to 2009. The researchers also studied four adult male dolphins _ at the Seas Aquarium, also in Florida. Those males are adults that keepers named Calvin, Khyber, Malabar and Ranier, all of whom, as well as all of the wild ones, developed their own signature whistles that served as names in communication with other dolphins. "A dolphin uses its signature whistle to broadcast its identity and announce its presence. The signature whistles allow animals to identify one another over long distances and allow animals to recognize one another and to join up with each other," King explains. "Dolphin whistles can be heard up to 20km away, depending on water depth and whistle frequency ." The researchers said dolphins copy the signature whistles of loved ones, such as a mother, when the two are separated. These "names" are always used in positive situations, and are only directed toward loved ones. While researchers are often unwilling to apply the word language to non-human communications, dolphins clearly have a very complex communication system. When do dolphins copy the signature whistles of loved ones? A. When there is a fight. B. When their keeper comes. C. When they are apart. D. When they are hungry. Answer: C On Tuesday, Timmy went to go visit his grandma for the day. She lived in a town close to where Timmy lived, so Timmy got in the car and his mom drove him to his grandma's house. Timmy wanted to bring his big white dog with him, but his mom said no because his grandma doesn't like dogs. Instead, Timmy brought his favorite toys: a blue car, a puzzle with a picture of green trees on it, and a few fun board games in brown boxes. When Timmy got to his grandma's house, she was standing at the door waiting for him. She had a plate of cookies in her hands and was very excited to see him. "Hi, Timmy!" She said. "Hi, Grandma!" Timmy said. "I'm so happy to see you!" Grandma smiled. "We're going to have so much fun today, Timmy. I have ham sandwiches, chips, and fresh lemonade for lunch, and I also have a whole plate of warm cookies all for you." "Wow, Grandma, that sounds great! I brought some games for us to play. This is going to be a great day!" Grandma and Timmy went inside Grandma's house and Timmy opened his bag of toys to show Grandma. She looked at the car, the puzzle, and the games, and then looked at Timmy. "Well, Timmy, what do you want to do first?" She asked. Timmy chose the puzzle, and they spent a few hours putting it together. Then, they ate lunch. The sandwiches, chips, lemonade and cookies are all delicious. Timmy ate three whole cookies by himself. After lunch, they played outside with the car, and then when they got tired, they sat on the porch and rested. It was starting to get dark out. "I had a great day, Timmy," Grandma said. Timmy smiled. "Me too, Grandma. I love spending time with you!" Timmy thought it had been a perfect day, even if he couldn't bring his dog. What food was Grandma holding when she was standing at the door? A. Cookies B. Lemonade C. Sandwiches D. Chips Answer: A
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 German nuclear plants," Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters. "This moratorium will run for three months and it will allow for a thorough examination of the safety standards of the county'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, Guido Westerwelle, called for a new risk analysis of the country's nuclear 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 government would "draw conclusions from what's going on in Japan." Where can you most likely read this passage? Answer: Taxi, the underground, driving...in London these means of transport are expensive. As a student on a budget, I couldn't afford the 30 pounds (around 300 yuan) fare for a taxi. Even a bus was one pound and 20 pence (about 12 yuan) for a single ticket. I didn't need to travel this way anyway. I had Mabel-- my London bike. When I moved to Beijing, like every foreigner, I was delighted to discover I could take a cab for cheaper than a single journey on the subway. But something was wrong. I missed Mabel. That was when I met Mandarin Mabel also known as Mandy, my Beijing bike. In many ways, Beijing is made for: It is a flat, easy land compared with hilly London. The cycling city's north/south/east/west square structure is also easier to travel than London's unplanned, twisting streets. However, Beijing comes completely with its own dangers. The rules of the road are flexible. Bikes, cars, passers-by all float up and down ways in both directions. Compared with London's terrible cycle paths, in Beijing, every road has huge, wide cycle ways. But cars, taxis and motorbikes see no reason why they shouldn't use the cycle ways as a shortcut, and why they shouldn't announce you to get out of their way when they do. Beijing traffic is more good-natured. In London, the road is an active war. People shout, quarrel and beat on each other's windows. In Beijing zone, drivers never get actively angry. In fact, often they ignore cyclists. Obviously that means it's up to the cyclists to see them. Mandy is a tree Beijing bike. It is nearly broken, it makes loud noises every time you ride on it, and I have had to make several emergency repair stops for it. But cycling round Beijing on a sunny day is a joy. It is just me, Mandy and the city. What does the article mainly talk about? Answer: I attended a birthday party in 1991. My teacher was then 59 years old. But her fellow teacher said that we were celebrating her 39thbirthday! We were all surprised and puzzled. After the party I was told by the fellow teacher that American women have a special saying about birthdays. If a woman is over 40, or even if she is 80, her birthday is always the 39th. If she is in her thirties, her birthday will be the 29th. And in her twenties, it's the 19th. They usually have their "real" birthday when they are below 20. This shows that American women, especially elderly women, are very sensitive about their ages. But my teacher always says, "We want to be younger," so about the age of Western women, my advice is that if you don't know it, don't ask about it; if you really know it, don't mention it. The writer felt the birthday party he attended was _ . Answer: I woke up late and had breakfast in a hurry.I had never been late and didn't want my boss to be unsatisfied. However,it seemed that the day wasn't a lucky one for me from the very second I left my flat.The moment I wanted to rush downstairs,one of my stiletto heels broke.I had to return to change my red shoes.I also had to change my purse and other little things that I had tried to match with the shoes.I was sure I would be late for work. On my way to work I had to wait for over half an hour because of an accident.I had no choice but to wait.I phoned my boss and he told me that it was no problem,but he needed me for the meeting with the Japanese clients that morning. Finally,I arrived at the office one hour later.I had to keep calm and be fresh for the meeting to make the clients sure that our plan was the best for their future business project.However,I left the plan I had made the night before at home and was going to make a presentation about it to the clients.I was about to get angry when I realised that I had a copy of it in my office. At last,the meeting came to an end and it turned out to be a success.But I have to say that I had a terrible day,full of incidents. According to the passage,what could we learn about the writer? Answer: With the Tesla Roadster and other plugin electric vehicles hitting the road,demand is growing for accessible refueling points to recharge them. Carbon Day Automotive, a Chicagobased company,has now demonstrated a solarpowered recharging point, known as the Solar PlugIn Station,which lets motorists easily charge their cars using electricity that has been produced without any environmental damage. The Solar PlugIn Station has gone on show in Chicago as part of the city's bid to host the 2016 Olympic Games. According to Carbon Day Automotive,the Solar PlugIn Station on show in Chicago is part of the vital infrastructure required for electric vehicles in Chicago and was the focus of a recent visit by the International Olympic Committee. These solarpowered electricity points will be used daily to fuel the city's electric vehicles with power from the sun. By producing the electricity from pollutionfree solar cell, the CO2 emissions are reduced to zero. "Solar energy and electric vehicles are a partnership that is one more step to reducing our dependence on foreign oil," says Richard Lowenthal, CEO of Coulomb Technologies.Coulomb Technologies recently developed the components required for individual recharging stations,marketed as ChargePoint Networked Charging Stations.Carbon Day Automotive is the Midwest distributor for the ChargePoint stations. The Solar PlugIn Station consists of giant solar panels that shade the tiny ChargePoint Networked Charging Station.The solar panel is connected to an underground battery pack,ready for everyday refueling. "Without these stations it would be like driving around in a traditional car without the availability of gas stations," says Scott Emalfarb,CEO at Carbon Day."The day of true plugin electric vehicles will be here sooner than most people realize and the world needs to be ready to accommodate(......)them." The passage implies that when the Solar PlugIn Station becomes popular, _ . Answer:
Question: Has this happened to you? You're about to drift off to sleep when suddenly you feel like you're falling or coming down on a roller coaster. You then wake up to realize that you're safe in your bed. You may have been confused or frightened for a second or two and your heart may be beating faster. You may have also felt the muscles in your body jerk when this all happened. Did you ever wonder why? This falling sensation, together with a body movement known as a "sleep start", is what doctors and scientists call a myoclonic jerk, and it usually happens right before going into deeper stages of sleep. Here's why doctors think the falling feeling and myoclonic jerks happen. When you fall asleep, normally your body temperature goes down and your heart start to beat just a little slower. This is because your brain signals your body to relax to prepare for sleep. When your muscles are relaxed, you go into the very first stages of sleep, but you're not sleeping too deeply yet. This brain activity may cause your larger muscles to contract a little bit. In response, another part of your brain will make up a very quick mini-dream to go along with _ . You might think this would take a while, but your brain works so fast that it makes up the story almost at the same instant that your muscles jerk. During this light sleep, you can be awakened easily. People who wake up during this light sleep believe they haven't fallen asleep yet. That's why you may think that your body jerked right before you were about to fall asleep. Myoclonic jerk are a normal part of sleep. Most people have them at one time or another. But many people don't realize their muscles are jerking during night sleep if it doesn't wake them up. So the next time you dream about falling and wake up in a sweat, don't worry! Your body is just telling your muscles to relax and get some rest! People sometimes wake up during a light sleep because _ . A. they are disturbed by others. B. they are too tired to fall asleep. C. their bodies are preparing for sleep. D. they believe their lives are in danger. Answer: C. their bodies are preparing for sleep. Question: While I was waiting to enter university,I saw advertised in a local newspaper a teaching post at a school in a suburb of London about ten miles from where I lived. Being very short of money, I applied. Three days later, a letter arrived, asking me to go to Croydon for an interview. It proved a tiring journey: a train to Croydon station; a ten-minute bus ride and then a walk of at least fifteen minutes. It was clearly the headmaster himself that opened the door. He was short and fat, with a grey-color1ed moustache,a deeply lined face and hardly any hair. He looked at me with surprised disapproval. Then he said. "You'd better come inside." Leading me into his study, he started to ask me a number of questions: what subjects I had taken in my General School Certificate;how old I was; what games I played; whether I thought games were an important part of a boy's education, etc. I said something about not attaching too much importance to them. We obviously had very little in common. The teaching arrangement filled me with fear. I was to divide the class of twenty-four boys, aged from seven to thirteen, into three groups and teach them all subjects--including art, football, cricket and so on--in turn at three different levels. Actually, I was depressed at the thought of teaching algebra and geometry--two subjects in which I had been rather weak at school. I said shyly, "What would my salary be?" "Twelve pounds a week plus lunch." Before I could speak, he got to his feet. "Now," he said, "you'd better meet my wife. She's the one who really runs this school." This was the last thing I could hear. I was young. How could my dignity allow me to work under an old woman? Which subjects was the writer poor at? A. Art and cricket. B. Football and cricket. C. Art and football. D. Algebra and geometry, Answer: D. Algebra and geometry, Question: Almost every girl wants to be healthy and beautiful. They try every means to make themselves look smarter. "What are the best ways?" Many girls may have this question in mind. Here is some advice that is very important for girls to follow. Keep fit. Check with your doctor for your proper weight range and work to get and stay within it. Exercise, eat properly, and drink plenty of water to achieve that weight and be as healthy as you can be. As long as you're in your healthy range, you'll look great. Mind your style, from top to bottom. There are two things that can make or break your look: your hair and your shoes. Look through hair magazines and talk with your hairstylist about what will look good with your face structure. Always keep your hair clean and styled. Wear clean, feminine shoes. That doesn't mean you always have to wear high heels. Make sure you can walk comfortably in them. Be fashionable. Learn about your body type, height, skin and preferences. Discover yourself, and fashion will come to you. You don't have to wear designer clothes, especially if you can't afford them. You can look through fashion magazines, pick your favourites and then find the similar ones that you can afford. Smile, and do it like you mean it. Smile, be merry and people will notice that. It will help you in many ways. Be nice to others. Looking pretty doesn't give you the right to look down on others or treat them badly. Only having good appearance doesn't mean you are beautiful. However, in order to get slim and beautiful, some girls can easily be absorbed in losing weight, resulting in eating disorders. Keep in mind that being healthy is more important than being thin. So try to eat healthy food, take regular exercise and keep a good mood. What does the passage mainly talk about? A. How to choose clothes and shoes. B. What is the real beauty for girls. C. What are the ways to keep fit for girls. D. How to be a healthy and beautiful girl. Answer: D. How to be a healthy and beautiful girl. Question: Hercule Poirot looked over the small gate which gave admission to Pine Crest. It was a modern nicely-built house. It was on a hill top, and the hill top was planted with a few sparse pines. It had a small neat garden and a large elderly man was watering with a big tin. Spence's hair was now grey all over. He had not shrunk much in girth , though. He stopped watering and looked at the visitor at the gate. Hercule Poirot stood there without moving. "God bless my soul," said Spence. "It must be. It can't be but it is. Yes, it must be Hercule Poirot!" "Aha," said Poirot, "you remember me. I'm grateful." Spence abandoned the watering can and came down to the gate. "What brings you down here?" "What has brought me to many places in my time," said Poirot, "and what once a good many years ago brought you to see me. Murder, Spence." "I'm done with murder since I retired," said Spence, "except in the case of weeds. Killing weeds is never easy as you think, something's always wrong. How did you know where to find me?" he asked as he opened the gate and Poirot passed through. "You sent me a Christmas card. It had your new address on it." "Ah yes, so I did. I'm old-fashioned, you know, I like to send round cards at Christmas time to a few old friends. I'm an old man now." "We both are." "Not much grey in your hair," said Spence. "I take care of my hair with a bottle," said Poirot. "There is no need to appear in public with grey hair unless you wish to do so. By the way, why have you come to live in Woodleigh Common?" "As a matter of fact, I came here to join forces with a sister of mine. She lost her husband, her children are married and living abroad. So I moved in here. Pensions don't go far nowadays, but we do comfortably living together." From the passage we can infer that they might _ next. A. meet Spence's family B. discuss about a murder C. visit Spence's new home D. water the garden together Answer: B. discuss about a murder Question: E-waste is fast becoming a serious problem around the world. This report will examine this problem and provide some possible ways to solve it. We live in a society that is producing and using electronics all the time. It is often cheaper to buy new products than to repair old ones. Also, through clever advertising, companies always encourage people to change their old TVs, mobile phones and computers for the latest models. E-waste is created when we throw away old ones. In the EU alone, about 8,700,000 tons of e-waste is produced each year. Sadly, just over 1,000,000 tons is recycled. Burying e-waste or burning it cause serious problems for the environment. Electronics have dangerous things in them. These things can then get into the ground or pollute the air when they are burnt. In recent years, _ . However, their plans are not always managed properly. Sometimes electronics are just sent to poor countries such as Ghana. Here they are often burnt in public areas, which is very bad for people's health. Setting up recycling centers is a good way to solve this problem. E-cycling centers could recycle the parts that can be reused and deal with the rest properly. Another way is to make producers responsible for their used products. This means that producers must take back old products which are no longer wanted. They should then make sure _ are properly recycled or reused. As for us, we should try to cut down on e-waste. Change electronics only when we have to. And don't buy a product just to have the latest model. E-waste is a serious problem in the modern world. Both producers and users must take actions and try to keep it to the smallest amount. Which sentence shows the writer's opinion? A. Burning e-waste causes problems for the environment. B. E-waste problem is very serious and people should take actions. C. Sometimes electronics are sent to poor countries such as Ghana. D. In the EU alone, about 8,700,000 tons of e-waste is produced each year. Answer: B. E-waste problem is very serious and people should take actions.
Six years ago, I walked into a local animal shelter on a cold, rainy day. Although my house was already full of cats and dogs, I still couldn't resist an occasional visit to the shelter. This time as I was walking down the row of pens full of barking dogs I noticed a small boy looking into one of them. He had a malnourished looking body and a bony face with a big nose sticking out of the middle of it. He was looking at a small, golden dog. Its bony ribs were showing and its thin tail was folded between its legs. It wasn't begging for attention like the other puppies but was hiding in the corner instead. The boy looked up at me with sad eyes and asked what was wrong with it. "It was probably abused and abandoned", I said. "That is why it is so scared." The boy immediately turned to an older lady and said, "Grandma, I want this one." The old woman smiled and walked to the front desk to fill out the adoption forms. I followed and asked about the boy. I found out that he'd had a rough start in life too. She had just gotten custody of him after the state had taken him from his parents. She had hoped getting a dog would make it easier on him. I looked back at him, holding his scared puppy, and said a prayer for them both. It was yesterday. I was driving down the road enjoying a gloriously sunny, spring day. Then in a green front yard I saw the boy. His teenage body was tall and strong. His nose no longer seemed big but fit well into his smiling face. He was throwing a ball to a healthy, happy dog with shining golden hair. His little act of love and kindness had indeed gone a long way. It had saved a dog's life, healed his own heart, and given this middle-aged man fresh hope for us all. Why did the boy want to adopt the golden dog? Because they had something in common. On behalf of the Obama family,I want to wish you a very happy Thanksgiving. Like many of you. we'll spend the day with family and friends,catching up,eating some good food and watching a little football.Before we lift a fork,we lend a hand by going out in the community to serve some of our neighbors in need.And we give thanks for each other, and for all of God's blessings.We all share this day,united by the gratitude for the bounty of this nation. And we welcome the contributions of all people-no matter their origin or color or beliefs-who call America home, and who enrich the life of our nation. It is a belief as old as our founding:"Epluribus unum" -- _ . We are reminded that this creed, and America itself was never an inevitability, but the result of ordinary people in every generation doing their part to uphold our founding ideals-by taking the blessings of freedom, and multiplying them for those who would follow. As President Kennedy once wrote, even as we give thanks for all that we've inherited from those who came before us-"the decency(,) of purpose, steadfastness of resolve and strength of will, for the courage and the humility, which they possessed." we must also remember that "the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them." Today,we are grateful to all Americans who do their part to live by those ideals, including our brave men and women in uniform overseas and their families, who sacrifice so much to keep America safe.We are grateful to the countless Americans who serve their communities in soup kitchens and shelters,looking out for those who are less fortunate,and lifting up those who have fallen on hard times. This generosity, this compassion, this belief that we are each other's keepers, is essential to who we are, not just on this day,but every day.It's easy to focus on what separates us.But as we gather with loved ones on this Thanksgiving, let's remember and be grateful for what ties us together. Our love of country.Our commitment to justice and equality.Our belief that America's best days are ahead,and that her destiny is ours to shape-and that our inherited ideals must be the birthright of all of our children. That's what today is all about: _ Thank you, God bless you. What's the purpose by referring to President Kennedy's saying? To encourage every American to do their own part in building the country. Science has a lot of uses. It can uncover laws of nature, cure diseases, make bombs, and help bridges to stand up. Indeed science is so good at what it does that there's always a temptation to drag it into problems where it may not be helpful. David Brooks, author of The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement, appears to be the latest in a long line of writers who have failed to go against the temptation. Brooks gained fame for several books. His latest book The Social Animal, however, is more ambitious and serious than his earlier books. It is an attempt to deal with a set of weighty topics. The book focuses on big questions: What has science uncovered about human nature? What are the sources of character? And why are some people happy and successful while others aren't? To answer these questions, Brooks studies a wide range of disciplines . Considering this, you might expect the book to be a simple description of facts. But Brooks has formed his book in an unusual, and perhaps unfortunate way. Instead of introducing scientific theories, he tells a story, within which he tries to make his points, perhaps in order to keep the reader's attention. So as Harold and Erica, the hero and heroine in his story, live through childhood, we hear about the science of child development and as they begin to date we hear about the theory of sexual attraction. Brooks carries this through to the death of one of his characters. On the whole, Brooks' story is acceptable if uninspired. As one would expect, his writing is mostly clear and, to be fair, some chapters stand out above the rest. I enjoyed, for instance, the chapter in which Harold discovers how to think on his own. While Harold and Erica are certainly not strong or memorable characters, the more serious problems with The Social Animal lie elsewhere. These problems partly involve Brooks' attempt to translate his tale into science. What is the author's general attitude towards the book? Critical. Here's the travel plan for some museums on our "Museums of the World" tour. The Museum of Bad Art (Boston, USA) shows what it describes as "art too bad to be ignored". The museum hopes to bring the worst of art to the widest possible audience and has even published a book of its most "important" works. As part of the visit, we'll be shown some truly awful portraits, landscapes and sculptures. The Washington Banana Museum (Auburn, Washington, USA) contains 4,000 objects related to the history of what the museum describes as "the world's most perfect fruit". We'll be given a guided tour around the museum, during which we'll learn all sorts of interesting things, such as the fact that bananas were introduced to the USA in 1878 in the same exhibition as Alexander Graham Bell's telephone, and that the banana is now the US' number-one selling fruit. The Hair Museum (Avanos, Turkey) is located in a cave in Cappadocia, in Central Anatolia. It contains 160,000 samples of people's hair. You'll be offered a chance to add your own hair to the collection. Later in the year, the museum curator selects 10 donors to attend a pottery workshop. If you're one of them, you'll be invited to stay in his guest house. The museum du Slip (Brussels, Belgium) is devoted to underwear. The idea behind the museum is that everyone is equal in their underwear. You'll be fascinated to know that it has collected samples from all sorts of people, including artists, politicians and pop stars. The Museum de Carrosses Funebres (Barcelona, Spain) is a museum of funeral hearses . It takes a look at how local people have been transported to their funerals since the 19th century. During the tour, we'll be provided with a fascinating insight into how the people of Barcelona viewed death. Among the 1,000 or so exhibits, pride of place goes to a "flap-coffin", which is a reusable coffin from the 18th century. According to the passage, to which museum can you donate your hair? The Hair Museum. As a recipe for losing weight, taking a slice of chocolate cake at breakfast would seem an unlikely fantasy. A team from Tel Aviv University found that eating pudding as part of a balanced 600-calorie breakfast that also included proteins and carbohydrates , could help dieter to lose more weight---and keep _ off in the long run. Attempting to avoid sweets entirely can create a psychological addiction to these same foods in the long term. So adding desserts to breakfast can control craving throughout the rest of the day. Over the course of a 32-week-long study, participants, who added desserts to their breakfast lost about 40 pounds more than a group that avoided such foods. What's more, they kept off the pounds longer. A meal in the morning provides energy for the day's tasks, aids in brain functioning, and kick-starts the body's metabolism , making it decisive to weight loss and maintenance. And breakfast is the meal that most successfully regulates ghrelin, the hormone that increases longer. While the level of ghrelin rises before every meals, it is controlled most effectively at breakfast time. The researchers hoped to determine whether meal time and composition had an impact on weight loss in the short and long term, or whether it was a simple matter of the caloric count. What will the passage develope next? Another experiment on weight loss.
It's summer movie time again.And heroes are ready to try their strength and magic on the silver screen.Check out our list of four films that look most promising to young audience. Which of the following films is set in ancient Britain? King Arthur What is the main source of raw material for the production of plastics? petroleum This is a song millions of Americans will hear this New Year's Eve. It is called Auld Lang Syne (<<>> ). It is the traditional music played during the New Year's celebration. Auld Lang Syne is an old Scottish poem. It tells about the need to remember old friends. The words "auld lang syne" mean "old long since". No one knows who wrote the poem first. However, a version by Scottish poet Robert Bums was published in 1796. The words and music we know today first appeared in a songbook three years later. The song is played in the United States mainly on New Year's Eve. The version you are hearing today is by the Washington Saxophone Quartet. As we end our program with Auld Lang Syne. I would like to wish all of our radio friends a very Happy New Year! This is Buddy Thomas. ,. When is Auld Lang Syne mainly played in the USA according to the pass--age? On New Year's Eve. Lighter and cheaper than high-quality video cameras, today's best smartphones can shoot and edit high-definition (HD) videos. With lower-quality lenses and image sensors, smartphones probably won't replace professional video cameras anytime soon. Still, some creative filmmakers are extending the borders of smartphone moviemaking by shooting professional-quality films using only smartphones. Soon after Apple's iPhone 4 was released, two filmmakers decided to make a short film using only their iPhone 4s. Michael Koerbel and Anna Elizabeth James shot and edited the one-and-a-half-minute film Apple of My Eye in only 48 hours. Audiences were fascinated with the film, in which a man and his grandfather connect emotionally while admiring a model train set in a store window. The filmmakers followed up their success with Goldilocks, an extraordinary spy novel told over nine, three-minute films. Many filmmakers are convinced that smartphone films are here to stay. One sign is their inclusion in major film festivals. In February 2012, organizers of the Berkshire International Film Festival staged the 10 X 10 On North Festival. Entries included Oliver by Hooman Khalili, an award-winning film about a girl whose special powers enable her to brighten the lives of three lonely people. Another entry was Yearlapse'11, a 365-second film by Zsolt Haraszti that describes an actual journey he made from New York to London. During the festival, which ran from February 16 to 26, these and many other smartphone films were shown at the Beacon Cinema in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Similar festivals in Canada and South Korea have given smartphone filmmakers opportunities to show off their creative work. What does the article imply about smartphone filmmakers? They must overcome equipment limitations. Dear David, How are you? I'm fine. I'm in London , at a school of English. I'm in Class Seven. It has eight students. They are from different countries ----Spain, Japan , Argentina, Switzerland and Thailand. Our teacher's name is Henry Briscall. He's very nice. He's a good teacher. I live with an English family, Mr. and Mrs. Brown. They have two sons and a daughter. Thomas is fourteen, Catherine is twelve, and Andrew is seven. They are all very friendly to me, and we are good friends. London is very big and very interesting. The weather is good and the parks are nice! Hyde Park, Green Park and St. James' Park are all in the city center . English food is OK, but the coffee is not good! Are you all right at home in Shanghai? Is everything OK? Write to me. Love, Paul The letter is from _ . London
One of the problems career people have in the morning is dressing for the office when there will be an evening party immediately followed, with no time to return home to change. The easiest solution is to keep a full set of toiletries and make-ups stored somewhere at the office. A woman going to an evening party should dress in one of her "basic dresses" in the morning--the kind that can change into a different look with an added scarf or jewelry. In fifteen minutes, when her office day has ended, she can metamorphose herself into another person with freshly cleaned teeth, combed hair, a new face, a different and dressier pair of shoes, and some sparkling jewelry. If she must wear a long dress for the party, she should bring it to the office in a protective bag and store it safely until she has to put it on. The easiest solution is _ . A to keep a full set of toiletries and make-ups stored somewhere at the office B not to go to the party C to take a taxi home D to finish work earlier Answer: A. to keep a full set of toiletries and make-ups stored somewhere at the office Drunken driving--sometimes called America's socially accepted form of murder--has become a national epidemic . Every hour of every day about three Americans on average are killed by drunken drivers, adding up to an incredible 250,000 over the past ten years. A drunken driver is usually defined as one with a 0.10 blood alcohol content or roughly three beers, glasses of wine or several glasses of whisky drunk within two hours. Heavy drinking used to be an acceptable part of the American manly image and judges were serious in most courts, but the drunken slaughter has recently caused so many well-publicized tragedies, especially involving young children, that public opinion is no longer so tolerant. Twenty states have raised the legal drinking age to 21, reversing a trend in the 1960s to reduce it to 18. After New Jersey lowered it to 18, the number of people killed by 18-20-year-old drivers more than doubled, so the state recently upped it back to 21. Reformers, however, fear raising the drinking age will have little effect unless accompanied by educational programs to help young people to develop "responsible attitudes" about drinking and teach them to resist peer pressure to drink. Though new laws have led to increased arrests and tests and, in many areas already, to a marked decline in accidents, some states are also punishing bars for serving customers too many drinks. A bar in Massachusetts was fined for serving six or more double brandies to a customer who "obviously drunk" and later drove off the road, killing a nine-year-old boy. As the accidents continue to occur daily in every state, some Americans are even beginning to speak well of the 13 years of national prohibition of alcohol that began in 1919, what President Hoover called the "noble experiment". They forgot that legal prohibition didn't stop drinking, but encouraged political corruption and organized crime. As with the booming drug trade generally, there is no easy solution. Laws recently introduced in some states have _ . A reduced the number of deaths. B resulted in fewer serious accidents. C prevented bars from serving drunken customers. D specified the amount drivers can drink. Answer: B. resulted in fewer serious accidents. The secret of carrier pigeons' unbelievable ability to find their way home has been discovered by scientists: _ follow the roads just like we do. Scientists now believe the phrase "as the crow flies" no longer means the shortest most direct route between two points. They say it is likely that crows and other day birds also choose AA-suggested routes, even though it makes their journeys longer. Scientists at Oxford University spent 10 years studying homing pigeons using global positioning satellite (GPS) and got a surprising result. The birds often don't use the sun to decide their directions. Instead they fly along motorways, turn at crossing and even go around roundabouts , adding miles to their journeys. "It really has knocked our research team sideways to find that after a decade-long international study, pigeons appear to ignore their inbuilt directional instincts and follow the road system," said Prof Tim Guilford, reader in animal behavior at Oxford University's Department of Zoology. Guilford said pigeons use their own navigational system when doing long distance trips or when a bird does a journey for the first time. "But once homing pigeons have flown a journey more than once, they can fly home on a habitual route, much as we do when we are driving or walking home from work," said Guilford. "In short, it looks like it is mentally easier for a bird to fly down a road. They are just making their journey as simple as possible." Why do homing pigeons tend to follow the road system daring the r journey? A Because they don't have their inbuilt directional instincts now. B Because their own navigational system doesn't work. C Because it is too hard to use their own navigational system. D Because it is easier to make journey simple by following road system. Answer: D. Because it is easier to make journey simple by following road system. "He who can have patience can have what he wants," said Benjamin Franklin. They say patience is a virtue seldom found in women and never in men. This may or may not be true, but it's fair to say that there is nobody on the earth who couldn't benefit from more patience. Patience is necessary for success. It is said that "all good things come to those who wait". Many of the great scientists have remarked that their scientific discoveries came only through patient perseverance . Edison said, "Genius was 99% perspiration and only 1% inspiration." Patience teaches us to value the effort and not just the success. It is a mistake to think that happiness can only be obtained through achievements. Patience brings peace of mind. When we desire certain outcomes , we'll have no peace of mind. Even if one desire is filled, the nature of desire is that more will appear in its place. There is no end to human desires. Patience means we will work with an attitude of detachment . Patience can transform suffering into joy. Throughout life we suffer injustice; the best healer is patience. Through being patient and accepting our situation, it's quite possible for our suffering to be transformed. Sri Chinmoy said, "If failure has the strength to turn your life into bitterness itself, then patience has the strength to turn your life into the sweetest joy." How is the whole passage organized? A General-detail-general. B General-detail. C Detail-general-detail. D Detail-general. Answer: B. General-detail. The property of fur that is a result of the way that it reflects or emits light is A an inherited characteristic B a fabricated characteristic C a manufacturing characteristic D an age characteristic Answer: A. an inherited characteristic
When the world was very young, people lived in hot places .They didn't live in cold places because they could not keep warm there. At first men didn't know how to make a fire. Sometimes trees were hit by lightning .Then a fire was started .People took some of the fire near their homes. A fire was very important for three reasons. It kept them warm. Wild animals were frightened when they saw it. And when food was cooked, it tasted much better. But men didn't know how to make a fire. When they had a fire, they didn't let it stop burning. If it went out, they couldn't start it again. They had to wait for lightning to start another fire. Sometimes they had to wait for years. Later, they learned how to make a fire. But it was not easy to make something burn . Now we have matches. We can carry them in our pockets and make a fire when we want to. Now we can make a fire _ . A in cold places B in our pockets C if it is necessary D in the forest Answer: C. if it is necessary I'd had the piggy bank for a long time. So long, in fact, that I don't really remember getting it. My aunt once told me a whole story about it, in which it was passed down through the family for many, many years, only to come to me. I was pretty little at the time, so I believed her with no question. It made me think that the bank was important. It became some sort of sign of family and togetherness. I would imagine my mom and my grandmother and even my great grandmother before that, putting coins in the little white pig and waiting for them to fill it up, to be spent on some sort of treasure. And then, when I was fifteen, I broke it. I didn't mean to. I was cleaning my room in a hurry, so I could finish quickly and go to a friend's house. I swung the vacuum hose around too quickly, knocking the pig's shelf, and down it went. About a thousand pieces, and way fewer coins than I would have believed, flew everywhere. I started to cry. My mother came in at the sound of the crash. "I'm so, so sorry!" I cried. "I broke the bank! I broke the family bank!" "What, Sarah?" my mother asked, kneeling next to me on the floor. "The what?" "The bank! Aunt Tracy said it was in the family for years!" "What, this? We got it for you at a garage sale when you were two. It was fifty cents." How old was Sarah when she broke the piggy bank? A 5 B 17 C 15 D 12 Answer: C. 15 My mom isn't fancy like other moms.They wear fancy clothes and drive fancy cars.My mom wears her gardening clothes when she walks me to school. When fancy moms laugh,their laughs sound soft and whispery.You can hear my mom's laugh from down the hall.I show her how to laugh quietly and she practices.But before long she starts laughing even harder than before. At the talent show,my mom cheers loudly,"Bravo,everyone!Bravo!"instead of clapping politely the way fancy moms do. For our class hike ,parents are invited.At breakfast I go over my rules for Mom,"Please don't whistle.Don't laugh loudly.No clapping.And stay in line." The other moms show up wearing fancy jackets and sneakers.My mom wears cutoffs,a floppy straw hat,and her old hiking boots. We hike along,all in a line.Soon Mom starts to whistle her hiking songs,She'll Be Coming Round the Mountain.I shake my head at her.She stops and whispers,"Oops.Sorry,Jane." We keep hiking.Everything is perfect until... Our teacher,Ms.Steele,stops and points,"A snake!"All the moms hold their kids hands and back up,except my mom."Watch out!It might be poisonous !"Ms.Steele says. The other moms shuttle back some more.However,my mom steps forward and says,"Hmm.Let's see what kind it is.Nope,lt's not poisonous." I shut my eyes.I know what's coming next.Mom makes a sudden attack."Got it!"she says.The other moms scream,not sounding fancy at all. Kids gather around as Mom examines the snake."It's OK to touch,"she says. Everyone's too scared,but I go first."snakes aren't slimy,"I tell them.Right away,others line up.A couple of the fancy moms come up to touch the snake's tail. Later,Ms.Steele tells us to draw our favorite part of the hike.After a while,I look around quickly.Everyone's picture is of Mom and me with the snake. As we hike back to the bus,I squeeze Mom's hand."I'm glad I didn't tell you my don't-catch-snakes rule."She smiles.But soon,she's whistling her hiking songs again! I start to make her silent,then stop.Instead,I take a deep breath and sing out too.Everyone joins in,even the fancy moms. Jane tries to make some rules for her mom because _ . A she expects her mom not to catch snakes B she is afraid her mom will make her lose face C she wants her mom to be different from others D she wishes her mom to act more politely than the other moms Answer: B. she is afraid her mom will make her lose face It is said that there's no such thing as a free lunch, but even if you manage to bag a bargain meal, it will not taste as good as a more expensive choice, according to scientists. A new study has found that restaurant goers who pay more for their meals think the food is tastier than offered for a smaller price. The experts think that people tend to associate cost with quality and this changes their perception of how food tastes. Scientists at Cornell University studied the eating habits of 139 people enjoying an Italian buffet in a restaurant. The price of the food was set by the researchers at either $4 or $8 for the all-you-can-eat meal. Customers were asked to rate how good the food tasted, the quality of the restaurant and to leave their names. The experiment showed that the people who paid $8 enjoyed their meal 11% more than those who ate the "cheaper" buffet. Interestingly those that paid for the $4 buffet said they felt guiltier about loading up their plates and felt that they overate. However, the scientists said that both groups ate around the same quantity of food in total. Brian Wansink, a professor of consumer behavior at the university, said: "We were fascinated to find that pricing has little effect on how much one eats, but a huge effect on how you interpret the experience." He thinks that people enjoyed their food more as they associated cost with quality and that small changes to a restaurant can change how tasty people find their meals. In a previous study, researchers from the university showed that people who eat in bright lighting consume more than people who eat in less brightly lit areas. Who will benefit most from the new study? A The person who runs a restaurant. B The person who often eats outside. C The person who works on decoration. D The person who studies in university. Answer: A. The person who runs a restaurant. Thousands of years ago, birthdays were considered special days. On birthdays, the bad spirits were able to harm you and change your life. It was believed that the only way to solve the problem was to have your friends and family around you, so that good wishes and presents would keep the bad spirits away. Also, noisemakers were thought to be used at parties as a way of scaring away the evil spirits. The custom of lighting candles was created by people believing that the gods lived in the sky. By lighting candles and torches, they were sending a signal or prayer to the gods, so they could be answered. Blowing out the candles and making a wish were thought to be another way of sending a signal or a message. This is how the way we celebrate our birthdays came about. But different cultures celebrate in different ways. The birthday story in the Bible that we know best is about the birth of the Christ in Bethlehem(:). For nearly 2000 years since that day, the Christian world has been honoring this birth. The day many Englishmen celebrate is, of course, Christmas. There are other references to birthday parties. King Pharaoh celebrated his birthday by making a feast for his court followers. That was over 4000 years ago. The story of King Herod tells that on his birthday he made a supper for his lords, high captains and other special friends in Galilee (:). The two ancient kings' ways of celebrating their birthdays show _ . A how great the two kings were B that their court followers were awarded the special honors C the two kings' excellent cooking skills D how different cultures celebrate in different ways Answer: D. how different cultures celebrate in different ways
Question: The Winter Olympics proved no match for television's gold-medal winner, "American Idol". Fox's unbelievable successful contest crashed the Olympics in head-to-head competition on Tuesday night, 27 million viewers to 16.1 million, according to Nielsen Media Research. The Olympics recovered a bit after "Idol" went off the air, but its overall audience of 18.6 million was the least-watched winter Olympics telecast since Nagano's closing ceremonies in 1998, Nielsen said. Since its opening on Friday, the Turin games have been running well below the 2002 Salt Lake City games in viewership interest. Much of that was expected, but Tuesday's rating was the first alarming sign for NBC that increased TV competition has _ . "The competition from 'Idol' is heavier than the Olympics has ever seen," said NBC Sports spokeswoman Alana Russo. It doesn't figure to get any easier, with "Idol" and ABC's "Lost" on the air Wednesday. CBS' "Survivor" and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" offer more competition on Thursday. Even figure skating, the most popular winter Olympics sport for viewers, didn't help much on Tuesday. NBC filled about two-thirds of the hour during which it competed with "American Idol" with tape of the men's figure-skating competition. Through five nights of Olympics coverage, NBC's average prime time rating is 12.7 ( a rating point represents 1,102, 000 households, or 1 percent of the nation's estimated 110.2 million TV homes). NBC said before the games started that it had promised its advertisers a rating of between 12 and 14. If it slips below that, NBC will have to make it up to advertisers with free commercial time. " 'American Idol' is clearly a phenomenon," said Randy Falco, president of the NBC Universal Television Group. "But we expected it and are tracking fight where we planned to be at this point." Between NBC and its networks, about 65 percent of the nation's television homes have tuned in at least some of the games. What did NBC do on Tuesday night to attract more viewers? A. To ask the "idol" to go off the air. B. To play the tapes of men's figure skating. C. To add "Survivor" to its program. D. To do more advertising. Answer: B Question: the night sky shows very far away what A. clumps of flaming gas B. tidal waves washing over beaches C. party balloons tied to houses D. aircraft falling towards collision Answer: A Question: Chinese car makers have narrowed the quality gap with their foreign rivals in the world's largest vehicle market to the smallest level in seven years, according to research. But the improvements have not been enough to see an obvious drop in the market share for local car companies this year, raising questions about their ability to be global competitors. The annual quality survey of China's car market by J.D. Power, a Californian market research company, tracks the number of mechanical and design problems reported per 100 vehicles by more than 21,000 Chinese drivers. It documented 131 problems per 100 domestic vehicles, compared with 95 per 100 foreign vehicles. The 36-point gap was the narrowest in the study's seven-year history. When China overtook the US as the world's largest car maker in the 2009, the gap between domestic and foreign cars was 145 points. "It's evidence to the improvements that domestic brands have been making," said Geoff Broderick, head of J.D. Power's operations. "By 2018 the domestic and the global brands will be equal in terms of quality." Despite the steady improvement in quality, local vehicle makers have been performing poorly this year. According to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, domestic brand's share of the market for cars--not including SUVs--has fallen from about 25 percent to 20 percent. "Chinese customers are very picky in the world because they have been trained to distrust products," said Mr Broderick, citing scandals affecting baby milk powder and toys. "They go into a situation expecting there could be quality issues, whereas in the West we trust the brands. J.D. Power is _ . A. a name of a company B. a car maker C. a head of an association D. a milk brand Answer: A Question: If you are not any kind of a longtime A-list New Yorker celebrity like Woody Allen,chances are that you have never experienced,and will never experience-a meal in a legendary Italian-American restaurant called Rao's. Rao's,the East Harlem restaurant with a history of more than l00 years,is simply the toughest restaurant to get a reservation in the US, if not the world.Michelin three-star restaurants like elBulli in Spain,often ranked the world's top restaurant,would sell out the second phone lines opened.But in the case of Rao's,the phone lines never open. There are about a dozen tables in the tiny restaurant, and each is spoken for, semi-permanently, as regulars have had their reservations for years, and when they can't use them,they often gift them to friends. The place is so small that the owners rarely have the flexibility to do favors even for people they know. Since it is always busy,there has never been a need for publicity.The last remarkable national review of the restaurant came from The New York Times more than 35 years ago.It was already tough to get a table at Rao's but reservations have been non-existent ever sincce the magic review. According to a critic who is "very, very lucky to have dined at Rao's a few times,"the experience rivals the tasty food.There are no menus at Rao's, and one of the owners will pull up a chair and run through the massive list of options, allowing people to have diner by mixing and matching nearly any ingredient with any classical Italian style of cooking. The place doesn't take credit cards, isn't open on weekends or for 1unch, and "at some point during your meal the one-room restaurant will almost unavoidably break out in song." It is truly one of a kind,"the critic wrote. We can conclude from the critic's words that _ . A. Rao's menus are specially designed for its regular diners B. customers of Rao's can use credit cards on weekends C. the experience dining in Rao's is as unforgettable as its food D. diners in Rao's are used to being disturbed by sudden noises Answer: C Question: Some people say that the best way to reduce the size of your waist is to do stomach exercise. Many people believe that when specific muscles are exercised, the fatty tissues in the immediate area are burned up. The truth is that exercise burns fat from all over the body and not from one specific area. Of course, if you reduce the fat throughout your body, you will certainly see results around your waist too. Some people believe that you need to exercise twice a week in order to keep a sufficient level of physical fitness. However, studies directed by American scientists show that unexercised muscles lose their strength very quickly. Within 48 to 72 hours, you must use the muscles again to reestablish the good physical effects. And what does that mean to you? American scientists concluded that while daily exercise is most helpful, exercising every other day or three days a week will keep a sufficient level of physical fitness. Is it true that you burn more calories running one mile than walking the same distance? The answer is no. The truth is that you use the same amount of energy whether you walk or run the mile, since in both cases you are moving the same weight the same distance. The speed does not matter. Of course, if you run rather than walk for 30 minutes, you will cover more distance, and therefore burn more calories. If your breathing doesn't return to normal within 5 minutes after you finish exercising, you have exercised too much. Five minutes or so after exercising, your breathing should be normal, your heart shouldn't be beating loudly, and you shouldn't be tired. If you have exercised too much, _ . A. your breathing will take longer than 5 minutes to return to normal after you finish exercising B. your breathing will return to normal within 5 minutes after finishing exercising C. your heart will not be beating loudly D. you will be too tired to move Answer: A
Question: Children who are raised in households with dogs during their first year of life may have a lower risk of asthma a few years later, a new study suggests. In the study, the researchers looked at early exposure to dogs and farm animals and the rate of asthma among about 276,000 school-age children in Sweden. Among the school-age kids in the study, those who had been exposed to dogs during their first year of life were 13 percent less likely to have asthma at age 6. The researchers said they don't know for sure what exactly may explain the relationship between early exposure to animals and a reduced risk of asthma."It might be due to a single factor, or more likely, a combination of several factors related to a dog ownership lifestyle or dog owners' attitudes, such as kids' exposure to household dirt and pet dust, time spent outdoors or being physically active,"Fall told LiveScience."As a parent in a dog-and-baby household, it is nearly impossible to keep everything clean, and maybe this is a good thing for your baby's future health." Currently, one of the main hypotheses that aim to explain the link between a lower risk of asthma and early exposure to pets is that"kids in animal environments breathe air that contains more bacteria and bacterial fragments, which actually could lower their risk of asthma,"she said. Previous research on having pets and the risk of asthma in kids has mixed results. For example, the results of a 2001 review of previous studies suggested that exposure to pets was linked to an increased risk of asthma in children. But a 2012 review suggested that exposure to pets, especially dogs, was tied to a decreased risk of asthma and allergies in childhood. "My take-home message from this study is that parents at this point do not need to worry about keeping their dog when expecting a baby for fear of asthmatic disease,"Fall said."I do want to be clear that this recommendation is valid only for families without a child already having allergies. If they already have a furred-animal-allergic child, we do not recommend them to get a furred pet." According to this hypothesis, being exposed to bacteria early in life is crucial for shaping a healthy immune system, and may play a role in modifying a person's risk of developing asthma and allergies."As to allergies and asthma, it is partially genetic, but studies like this do show us that your environment does play a key role in the development of your immune system, and the development of allergies and asthma,"Parikh told LiveScience. Which of the following will Fall probably agree with? A. The link between keeping pets and asthma among kids isn't clear. B. Parents should take their pet for physical examination regularly. C. Asthma is still a common and serious disease for most children. D. Dirt and pet dust in the family are bad for children's health. Answer: A. The link between keeping pets and asthma among kids isn't clear. Question: Tommy was a little boy who lived by a big lake by the woods. One day he saw two little mice looking at the water. They seemed very sad. "What is wrong?" Tommy asked. Mary, one of the little mice, stood. "My brother and I love to see new things. We want to see what is on the other side of the lake. But we do not know how to build a boat to get there." Tommy smiled. "I have plenty of toy boats," he said. "They are your size!" "Oh, thank you!" said Steve, the other little mouse. "We would be very glad if we could borrow it!" Tommy went to his house and returned with a small toy boat. The boat had a big sail to make the boat go. Mary and Steve climbed on and Tommy put the boat into the water. The boat sailed away across the water! Mary and Steve laughed with joy and had great fun riding the toy boat. Soon, they reached the other side of the lake. Many people were having fun swimming and splashing in the water. Steve and Mary loved seeing all the new things and people. A man threw a ball into the water. It landed by the toy boat. The man's big dog came splashing into the water to fetch it. The big waves splashed the little boat every which way! Mary and Steve got very wet. Mary and Steve went back home after that. They told Tommy of what they saw, and they all laughed at the big dog's wave. Tomorrow the mice would see even more of the lake on Tommy's toy boat! What did the big dog chase after? A. Ball B. The Toy Boat C. Mary and Steve D. Tommy Answer: A. Ball Question: The first Ml choir rehearsal of the school year took place in the school hall. All the students joined together to sing. I watched as my elder sister and her grade came in and took their places next to us on the stage. Meanwhile, I could hear laughing. Some students were pointing at a girl standing next to my sister. I'd never seen this girl before. A girl whispered in my ear, " Did you know she's wearing diapers ?" After school that evening, I asked my sister about the girl I'd seen. She told me her name was Theresa and that she was a very nice girL ." Why were those kids being mean to her? I asked, "Because they're stupid," she said. One day, I was walking home from school when I heard voices behind me. "There's the little idiot's sister. Does your sister wet her pants too?" I walked a little faster and then I felt a atone hit me in the back. When I got home, I ran down to my sister's room. I pushed my way into her room, screaming at her. "Why do you have to be that giri's friend? I don't see anyone else being nice to her, " Janelle yelled back, Because she is a wonderful person and she is dying!" I will remember those words as long as I live. Theresa wet her pants because she had an illness, which was killing her. My sister was the only one nice enough to be her friend and stick up for her. A few months later, Hieresa passed away. I felt proud that Janelle was my sister. Throughout the years I watched her, and she always made friends with everyone. It didn't matter if they ware fat, thin, brilliant or not. She never left anyone feeling isolated or alone. It was she who changed me and taught me to never look at anyone in the same way again. Why did other students make fun of Theresa? A. Because she was dying very soon. B. Because she was not good at singing, C. Because she behaved in an unusual way. D. Because she was usually dressed poorly. Answer: C. Because she behaved in an unusual way. Question: Everyday rubbish could provide a valuable source of energy thanks to a clever new invention. Smelly methane gas expelled from landfill sites containing tones of rotting household waste could be used to produce a valuable energy resource. In Europe alone land fill tips produce 94 billion cubic meters of methane per year but currently only one percent of what could be a valuable source of energy is used, the rest is burnt off to prevent an explosive build up of gas. Methane gas forms when organic matter breaks down and is drawn off from large rubbish tips by pipes sunk into the middle of the waste. Until now this process wasn't possible on small sites because the pipe allowed oxygen to seep in and that stop the breakdown process. Viktor Popov of the Wessex Institute of Technology has now developed a system to modify existing landfill sites by making them airtight while the methane is extracted from sunken wells. The site is covered by a special three-layered skin whose two outer layers are made of clay with a pressurized layer of carbon dioxide gas in the middle. As the methane is sucked out through a central well it is replaced by carbon dioxide from the middle layer rather than oxygen, allowing the breakdown process to continue. Unfortunately there are no plans to use the power of methane even though Popov claims his invention could provide a valuable source of energy over the next 20 years. From the passage we can see that _ . A. in Europe 94 billion cubic meters of methane is produced every year B. some of the waste will explode if it is not burnt off C. 99% of the rubbish has been burnt off in Europe D. only a very small part of this kind of energy is used in Europe Answer: C. 99% of the rubbish has been burnt off in Europe Question: Riding School: You can start horse-riding at any age. Choose private or group lessons any weekday between 9 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. (3:30 p.m. on Saturdays). There are 10 kilometres of tracks and paths for leisurely rides across farmland and open country. You will need a riding hat. Opening Hours: Monday through Friday:9:00 a.m. ~ 8:30p.m. Phone: (412) 396-6754 Fax: (412) 396-6752 Sailing Club: Our Young Sailor's Course leads to the Stage Sailing qualification. You'll learn how to sail safely and the course also covers sailing theory and first aid. Have fun with other course members afterwards in the clubroom. There are 10 weekly two-hour lessons (Tuesdays 6p.m.~ 8p.m.) Opening Hours: Tuesdays: 6:00p.m.~ 8:00p.m Phone:( 412)396-6644 Fax: (412) 396-6644 Diving Centre: Our experienced instructors offer one-month courses in deep-sea diving for beginners. There are two evening lessons a week, in which you learn to breathe underwater and use the equipment safely. You only need a swimming costume and towel. Reduced rates for couples. Opening Hours: Monday and Friday: 6:30p.m.~ 8:30p.m Phone: (412)396-6312 Fax: (412) 396-6706 Medical Center: The staff of the Medical Center aim to provide convenient and comprehensive medical care to students and staff of the university. The center is well equipped and the staff here are trained to deal with a broad range of medical problems. Both female and male doctors as well as nursing staff are available for consultation. Also, all kinds of medicines are sold here and are cheaper for students than other drugstores. Opening Hours: 24 hours from Monday to Sunday Phone: ( 412)396-6649 Fax: (412) 396-6648 Watersports club: We use a two-kilometre length of river for speedboat racing, and water-skiing. A beginners' course consists of ten 20-minute lessons. You will learn to handle boats safely and confidently but must be able to swim. The club is in a convenient central position and is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with lessons all through the day. Opening Hours: Monday through Friday: 9:00a.m.~ 4:00p.m Phone: (412)396-6899 Fax: (412) 396-6890 If you want to experience a new activity in the countryside in the mornings, you may fax _ . A. (412) 396-6752 B. (412) 396-6706 C. (412 ) 396-6648 D. (412) 396- 6876 Answer: A. (412) 396-6752
Most cities and towns in China have night markets . During the day, these streets are quiet. At night, they become crowded and lively. Usually, people get there at three or four in the afternoon. By 6:00, the streets are like rivers of people. Night markets are fun places to shop. You can buy clothes, shoes, and many other things. If you think the price is too high, you can _ with the seller. You can also buy nice food. When you are hungry, you can Sit down for a meal. Smelly tofu is popular, but it really smells bad! The best thing is that everything in night markets is cheap! The best advantage of night markets is that _ . Answer: you can have a good time without paying too much money The Davis Mountains in West Texas used to be taller than they are now. Which of the following conditions most likely caused the mountains to become shorter over time? Answer: Rain and wind Experiments under way in several labs aim to create beneficial types of genetically modified foods, including starchier potatoes and caffeine-free coffee beans. Genetic engineers are even trying to transfer genes from a cold-winter fish to make a frost-resistant tomato. A low-sugar GM strawberry now in the works might one day allow people with health problems such as diabetes to enjoy the little delicious red fruits again. GM beans and grains rich in protein might help people at risk of developing kwashiorkor. Kwashiorkor, a disease caused by severe lack of protein, is common in parts of the world where there are severe food shortages. Commenting on GM foods, Jonathon Jones, a British researcher, said: "The future benefits will be enormous , and the best is yet to come". To some people, GM foods are no different from unmodified foods. "A tomato is a tomato," said Brian Sansoni, an American food manufacturer. Critics of GM foods challenge Sansoni's opinion. They worry about the harm that GM crops might do to people, other animals, and plants. In a recent lab study conducted at Cornell University, scientists tested pollen made by BT corn, which makes up one-fourth of the U.S. corn crop. The scientist dropped the pollen onto milkweed, a plant that is the only known food source of a butterfly caterpillar . Within four days of feeding on the leaves, almost half of a test group of caterpillars died. "This is a warning bell." said Cornell researcher Linda Raynor. Some insects that are not killed by GM foods might find themselves made stronger. How so? The insecticides are used on the crops to kill the pests. But GM plants produce a continuous level of insecticide. Insects relying on those crops may develop resistance to the plants and they may also develop a resistance to the insecticide. At the forum on GM food held last year in Canada. GM crops that have been made resistant to the herbicide might crossbreed with wild plants, creating "superweeds" that could take over whole fields. So where do you stand? Should GM food be banned in the United States, as they are in parts of Europe? Or do their benefits outweigh any of the risks they might carry? Which of the following statements concerning banning GM foods is true according to the passage? Answer: The United States has not banned GM foods. Bob was happy. He was at a new school, and students there were friendly. "Hi, Bob!" some students greeted him, but some students said, "Hi, Peter!" Bob didn't understand. He asked one student. "Why do some students call me Peter?" "Oh, that's easy to answer," the students said, "Peter was a student here last year. Now he is at a different school. You look like Peter. Some students thought that you were Peter." Bob wanted to meet Peter. He got Peter's address from a student and went to Peter's house. Peter opened the door. Bob couldn't believe his eyes. He looked really like Peter! Bob and Peter had the same color eyes and same smile. They had the same black hair. They also had the same birthday. And they both were adopted by two different families. Bob and Peter found out that they were twin brothers. Soon after the boys were born, one family adopted Bob, and another family adopted Peter. Bob's family never knew about Peter, and Peter's family never knew about Bob. Soon Bob and Peter's story appeared in the newspaper. There was a photo of Bob and Peter next to the story. A young man called John saw the photo in the newspaper. John couldn't believe his eyes. He looked like Bob and Peter! He had the same color eyes and the same smile. He had the same black hair. He had the same birthday. And he, too, was adopted by another family. Later John met Bob and Peter. When Bob and Peter saw John, they couldn't believe their eyes. John looked really like them! Why did John looked really like Bob and Peter? You can guess. Bob and Peter are not twins. Bob, Peter and John are triplets. John knew the story of Bob and Peter from _ . Answer: a newspaper If boy wizard Harry Potter uses his magic to capture the hearts of millions of teenagers, high school students Gabriella and Troy have charmed American boys and girls with their stories of campus life. They are the leading characters in High School Musical, a series of hugely successful films in the US. The sequel , High School Musical 3, came out on October 24 and has topped the American box office for two straight weeks. The show has everything attractive to teenagers -- dancing, catchy music, puppy love and good looks. The story starts when high school basketball star Troy and brainy Gabriella -- _ -- meet during the winter break. At a karaoke contest they discover their love for singing and an interest in each other. When school starts, Troy finds out that Gabriella is the new girl at his school. Eager to find the magic they had during karaoke, Troy and Gabriella decide to audition for the school's upcoming musical. This angers the school's drama queen Sharpay. However, they overcome difficulties and become the leading actors. But the story doesn't end there. High School Musical 2 follows their adventures over summer vacation when Sharpay tires to break up Troy and Gabriella. In the latest sequel, high-school seniors are facing the possibilities of being separated from each other as they go off in different directions when graduating from high school. Joined by the rest of their friends, Troy and Gabriella stage a musical reflecting their experiences, hopes and fears about the future. "The success of the High School Musical films shows Disney's long-term efforts to attract youngsters for whom Mickey Mouse seems to babyish," wrote New York Times reporter Dave Itzkoff. "For the time being, the movie has made fictional high school students as recognizable as that 79-year-old mouse." What can you learn from the words "two teenagers who are worlds apart"? Answer: They have a big difference between each other.
Question: Many everyday American expressions are based on colors. Red is a hot color. Americans often use it to express heat. They may say they are red hot about something unfair. When they are red hot they are very angry about something. The small hot tasting peppers found in many Mexican foods are called red hots for their color and their fiery taste. Pink is a lighter kind of color. People sometimes say they are in the pink when they are in good health. It probably comes from the fact that many babies are born with a nice pink color that shows that they are in good health. Blue is a cool color. The traditional blues music in the United States is the opposite of red hot music. Blues is slow, sad and soulful. Someone who is blue is very sad. The color green is natural for trees and grass. But it is an unnatural color for humans. A person who has a sick stomach may say he feels a little green. A passenger on a boat who is feeling very sick from high waves may look very green. If a person is green at his job, he may be a newcomer and inexperienced. Sometimes a person may be upset because he does not have something as nice as a friend has, like a new sports car. That person may say he is green with envy. Some people are green with envy because their friend has more dollars. The color black is used often in expressions. People describe a day in which everything goes wrong as a black day. The date of a major tragedy is remembered as a black day. If someone says "you are still green", he probably means that _ . A. you are very young B. you are in a bad mood C. you are inexperienced D. you are in good health Answer: C Question: Two thirds of women prefer working for male bosses because they are better managers and less likely to lose their temper, a study has suggested. Many female employees also like having a man in charge because they can "more authoritative " and "more straight-forward" than _ . Women consider men "tougher", "better at delegation " and also more likely to regularly dish out praise. And men were also rated as being better decision-makers and having more grasp of the business overall than women do. It also shows that four out of ten women who have female bosses believe they could do a better job than their immediate superior. The study of 2,000 women in full or part-time employment asked whether they would prefer to have a man or woman as their immediate line manager. About 63 percent expressed a male preference, while only 37 percent choose a woman. The results also revealed one in six women who currently work under a woman is experiencing "underlying tension" between themselves and their boss. There are a number of reasons for the male preference including a feeling that female managers felt threatened by other women at work. A failure to leave personal problems at home was also cited . Other issues included a lack of flexibility over leaving early or starting late. But despite the worries, female bosses did score highly on the more personal side of the manager-employee relationship. They were thought of as being approachable, more trustworthy and more compassionate in a member of staff's time of need. What is the best title of the text? A. Male or female boss? B. The finding of a new study. C. Women prefer to work for male bosses. D. Who is better at managing a company? Answer: C Question: Television will turn 86 years old on September 7, 2013, and it has never looked better. In its youth, television was a piece of furniture with a tiny, round screen showing unclear pictures of lowbudget programs. In spite of its shortcomings, it became well-received. Between 1950 and 1963, the number of American families with a television jumped from 9% to 92% of the population. As the audience got larger, the technology got better. Television sets became more reliable through the 1960s. Both of the reception and the picture improved. The major networks started broadcasting programs in color. Even greater improvements were coming according to Sanford Brown, who wrote an article forthe Postin 1967. Surprisingly, just about every prediction he made in the article became a reality. For example: All sets in the notdistant future will be color instruments. He also predicted that TV sets would become smaller, simpler, more reliable and less expensive and may forever put the TV repairman out of work. Smaller sets do not, of course, mean smaller screens. TV engineers expect screens to get much bigger. However, today's 3D TV is even farther away, if it's coming at all. There is some doubt whether the public would be eager to pay for it, in view of people's cold reception given to 3D movies. But the technology with the greatest potential, according to Brown, was cable television , which was still in its early stages then. As he predicted, the future of cable television was highly interactive. It wasn't cable television that gave Americans their electronic connection to the world, however. It was the Internet. He even foresaw the future office: using picture phones, bigscreen televisions for conferences, and computers providing information, at the touch of a button. Brown ever said, "The future of television is no longer a question of what we can invent. It's a question of what we want." From the passage we know _ . A. TV will certainly take the place of computers B. There won't be further improvement on TV C. TV repairmen will be out of work in the future D. 3D movies don't appeal to people very much Answer: D Question: Have you ever wondered how your favorite NBA team received its famous name? All NBA teams have an interesting story or a history behind their names. Some of the names reflect the city's culture or history, others came from previous owners and many were selected through "Name the Team" contests. For teams like Los Angeles and Utah, the names were not always a reflection of the city. Even though Los Angeles has no lakes, the Laker name has been a city treasure for almost 40 years. Before going to Los Angeles, the team originated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In 1948, team officials chose the name for its direct relationship to the state's motto, "The Land of 10,000 Lakes." The team name went unchanged after moving to Los Angeles in 1960. Because Utah's team originated in New Orleans, Louisiana, it was called the Jazz. In 1974, New Orleans club officials chose the name to represent the city for its reputation as the "jazz capital of the world." The name stayed with the team even after finding a new home in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1979. The Chicago Bull's original owner, Richard Klein, named the team the Bulls. He picked the name because a fighting bull is relentless, and never quits. Klein, who founded the club in1966, believed these qualities were necessary for a championship team and hoped his Chicago athletes would live up to the team name. A belief that Bulls----winner of the six NBA championships have definitely followed. In 1967, the Indian Pacers selected their team name in a different way from most other teams. Their decision was based on what they wanted to accomplish in the NBA. Team officials chose the Pacers name because the organization wanted to set the "pace" in professional basketball Los Angeles' team is named "the Laker" because _ . A. Los Angeles is a city of lakes B. it was named after a city treasure C. the team got this name in another city, which had a lot of lakes D. the name was selected from a "Name the Team" contest Answer: C Question: I often dreamed about Pisa when I was a boy .I read about the famous building called the Leaning Tower of Pisa. But when I read the word Pisa, I was thinking of pizza. I thought this tower was a place to buy pizza. It must be the best place to buy pizza in the world, I thought. Many years later finally saw the Leaning Tower . I knew then that it was Pisa and no pizza. But there was still something special about it for me. The tower got its name because it really does lean to one side. Some people want to try to fix it. They are afraid it may fall over and they don't like it leans over city. I do not think it's a good idea to try to fix it. The tower probably will not fall down. It is 600 years old. Why should anything happen to it now? And , if you ask me, I like what it looks like. To me it is a very human kind of leaning. Nothing is perfect, it seems to say. And who cares? Why do people want things to be perfect? Imperfect things may be more interesting. Let's take the tower in Pisa. Why is it so famous? There are many other older, more beautiful towers in Italy. But Pisa tower is the most famous. People come all over the world to see it. This passage is about _ A. Italian pizza B. Italy's problems C. How the leaning Tower of Pisa got its name D. Why the writer likes Pisa Answer: D
Peter and I are good friends. Peter is an American boy. I am a Japanese girl. He is thirteen. I am twelve. We are in the same class,Class Two. Peter has a nice clock. He likes it very much. He puts it on his desk. Every morning it wakes him up . I have a new watch. It looks beautiful. I wear it every day. It tells me the time. Peter and I are _ . A in different classes B in the same row C in Class Two D in America Answer: B The riches in the world are not found in the famous gold and diamond mines,where many men and women are digging for them.Most riches in the world are found in the cemeteries and grave yards,buried with people's dreams,aspirations,and unfulfilled potential.Why is it so? Countless men and women died without ever having the courage to follow their own paths.Maybe because they were afraid to violate some kinds of social norms, maybe because they were afraid to be alone,or maybe simply because they preferred to settle for the familiar.They went to the graves,with a song that would never be heard,a piece of poetry never be written, a dance step never be initiated and a heart full of dreams and aspirations,leaving behind a life full of potential yet no legacy. Michael Jordan,one of the greatest athletes once said,''I can fail,but I cannot afford not to try." Life remains a beautiful journey if we learn to take that step and to work that path.Every challenge and defeat in the process becomes a light post that sharpens the vision and shapes the direction forward. "In my world nothing goes wrong,"said the great Indian sage Nmaja Dhahta Majraj.We must learn to trust the greatness within all of us and know that each of as is here to bring our unique contribution to the universal monument.If each of us learns to dance to the music we only can hear, society as a whole will evolve naturally and spiritually toward love,peace and happiness,and will be void of jealousy,envy and discrimination. And Henry David Thoreau would say, "If a man does not keep pace with his companions,that is because he hears a difierent drum.''And one truly believes that the path to success and happiness passes through the dancing to such a unique drumbeat.Therefore,do not die with the music still playing inside you. What does Michael Jordan mean by saying "I can fail, but I cannot afrord not to try"? A Having a try is an easy thing we can do. B Trying something new will bring us benefits. C We should be careful if we want to have a try. D All people are not brave enough to experience something new. Answer: B For most city people, the elevator is an unremarkable machine that inspires none of the enthusiasm or interest that Americans afford trains, jets,and even bicycles. Dr. Christopher Wilk is a member of a small group of elevator experts who consider _ a misunderstanding. Without the elevator, they point out, there could be no downtown skyscrapers or tall buildings, and city life as we know it would be impossible. In that sense, they argue,the elevator's role in American history has been no less significant than that of cars. In fact, according to Wilk?the car and the elevator have been locked in a "secret war" for over a century, with cars making it possible for people to spread horizontally ,and elevators pushing them toward life in close groups of towering vertical columns. If we tend to ignore the significance of elevators, it might be because riding in them tends to be such a brief, boring, and even awkward experience^one that can involve unexpectedly meeting people with whom we have nothing in common, and an unpleasant awareness of the fact that we're hanging from a cable in a long passage. In a new book, Lifted, German journalist and cultural studies professor Andreas Bernard directed all his attention to this experience, studying the origins of elevator and its relationship to humankind and finding that riding in an elevator has never been a totally comfortable experience. "After 150 years, we are still not used to it", Bernard said. "We still have not exactly learned to cope with the mixture of closeness and displeasure." That mixture, according to Bernard, sets the elevator ride apart from just about every other situation we find ourselves in as we go about our lives. Today,as the world's urban population explodes,and cities become more crowded, taller, and more crowded, America's total number of elevators--900,000 at last count, according to Elevator World magazine's "2012 Vertical Transportation Industry"are a force that's becoming more important than ever. And for the people who really, really love them, it seems like high time that we looked seriously at just what kind of force they are. The author urges readers to consider _ . A the exact number of elevator lovers B the serious future situation of elevators C the role of elevators in city development D the relationship between cars and elevators Answer: C When we have small cuts in the skin , something strange may happen. The cuts are able to heal themselves in a couple of days. How does this happen? Read on, and you will find out the secret. Every living thing on the earth is made up of cells . Cells grow and make new cells. Most cells are very small and we can't see them with our eyes. Different cells have different uses. Our skin cells are special ones. The cells on the outside of our skin are old dead cells. New skin cells are right under the outside. These are the living skin cells. They work for our bodies. They help protect our bodies and heal cuts. Our bodies make skin cells all the time. As the old cells fall off, new cells grow in the same place. Each person makes about 18 kg of skin cells during his or her life. Outside skin cells fit together closely with no _ between them. When you cut yourself, you can harm your skin cells. A small cut will not be harmful. Your skin will quickly heal itself by making new skin cells. How do skin cells work? First, the cells near the cut get bigger and move into the gap. Next, these bigger cells meet in the middle. They form a new layer of skin cells. Finally, new cells will grow until the gap disappears. In this way, your skin can grow and get well itself. How amazing the small cells are! Next time you have a cut, don't worry about it. Maybe in a few days, you will be surprised to find it healed. From the passage, we know that cells _ . A are large and we can see them with our eyes B can heal few cuts themselves C are in everything on the earth D can grow and make new cells Answer: D A child's room is not only a bedroom. You can see computers, mobile phones, televisions, DVD players, Playstation, and other 21st-century toys. Britain's 8 to 16-year-olds have bedroom possessions about PS 3,300. But they don't just have hi-tech toys . A child's room also has expensive clothes, sunglasses, watches, and sports equipment 40% of children have a room that is a home office, mini cinema, and sports hall . 90% have a TV, and 70% have a DVD player. 60% have a CD player, iPod, or MP3 player. 25% have their own computers. With so much to do in their bedrooms, it is no surprise that children spend more time there than anywhere else in the house. One girl spends so long on her mobile phone in her room that her parents have to text her to speak to her. Another child goes into his room as soon as he gets home form school and plays on his Playstation until bedtime. Childred's bedrooms are their kingdoms . Some families hardly do anylhing all together. People eat different meals at different times, and watch different TV programmes in different rooms. _ of children can work, watch movies and exercise in their rooms. A 70% B 60% C 40% D 90% Answer: C
Lighting a match and baking a cake are two actions that involve chemical changes. Why are these actions considered chemical changes? In 1918, after four years of war which had left millions of people dead, the people alive began to look for a better and happier world. The cinema supplied an answer. For little money, people could forget their unhappy lives and dream of better ones. In the years between 1918 and 1939, going to the cinema became the most popular family free-time activity. Hollywood in America, made more films than any other film center in the world. The warm climate and long hours of sunlight meant that film-making was easy and quite cheap. This was also a rich part of America and there were many businessmen who wanted to make money from the film industry. At first short cowboy films were popular because they added excitement and adventure to people's lives. Later comedy films were made so that people could laugh and forget their troubles. Charlie Chaplin was probably the most liked of all comedy actors. A "comedy" is something that is _ . I was fortunate enough to discover my love for flying when I was very young. Lucky that some things went my way: my eyesight, for example, was good enough to allow me to become a fighter pilot. And lucky that when I left the army, I found work as an airline pilot, when such jobs weren't plentiful. I still feel lucky, after all these years, to be able to follow my passion. The airline industry has its problems, and a lot of them can be troubling, but I still find purpose and satisfaction in flying. There's some freedom you feel when you're flying above the surface of the earth, no longer limited by gravity. Even at a thousand feet, you get a wider perspective. Problems that seem large down below feel smaller from that height, and smaller still by the time you reach thirty-five thousand feet. I love that flying is an intellectual challenge. If you change the angle of the nose by even one degree while traveling at a typical commercial airliner speed of seven miles a minute, it's enough to increase or decrease your rate of climb or descent by seven hundred feet per minute. I enjoy keeping track of all the calculations, staying aware of the weather conditions, working with a team while knowing closely what the plane can and cannot do. I like the challenge of that. I also like sharing my passion for flying. It's a disappointment to me that a lot of kids today aren't fascinated by flight. I've watched countless children walk past the plane without paying much attention; they're too focused on their video games or their iPods. When there are children who eagerly want a look inside "my office" at the front of the plane, it's so rewarding to see their excitement about something I care deeply about. If we aren't busy during boarding, the first officer and I enjoy inviting curious children to sit in our seats in the cockpit , ask questions, and let their parents take photos of them wearing a captain's hat. Being a pilot has a tangible end result that is beneficial to society. It feels good to take a planeload of 183 people where they need or want to go. My job is to reunite people with family and friends, to send them on vacations, to bring them to loved ones' funerals, to get them to their job interviews. By the end of a day, I feel as if I've accomplished something. All of them have their own stories, motivations, needs -- and helping them brings a rewarding feeling. This is what gets me ready for work, and one of the things I look forward to. The author expresses regret that some children no longer seem to appreciate the _ . When kids at Archisha Singh's school in Loudoun County have a birthday, no parents buy them birthday cakes. Some schools are worried that children might become fat or eat unhealthy food, so they have banned cupcakes altogether. What do kids do? Birthday kids can donate a book. The headmaster of their school will then read it to their class. The headmaster also hands out birthday certificates , special pencils, and makes sure the kids' names are read out in the school's morning news. Parents can send stickers , pencils and other things to students. None of the things can be food. If a child donates jump ropes or other sports equipment, that child may get his or her name on a certificate. It will then be displayed at school. Archisha really misses cupcakes, especially those her mother used to make for her kindergarten class, but her school's way is fun, too. "I like both ways," she said. The headmaster says it's important that the school should be not only teaching, but offering healthy choices to kids. "There is a better life without cupcakes. If you eat a cupcake, then it's gone in two seconds, but a book lasts a lifetime. The sports equipment lasts, and the kids can use it day after day." What do birthday kids do? SHANGHAI - Health experts in Shanghai are calling for more protection for young children as the latest research shows about half of the youngsters are suffering from secondhand smoke. About 45 percent of children suffer passive smoking in families, 50 percent in public places, and almost 6 percent on public transportation, shows a research released by the Shanghai Children's Medical Center on Tuesday. "Not only adults but also children and newborn babies are at risk for the adverse effects of passive smoking," said Tang Jingyan, a doctor at the Shanghai Children's Medical Center. "Actually, those young children whose bodies are still growing and developing are more sensitive to the effects of secondhand smoke." Research has shown that children who are exposed to secondhand smoke will suffer from more colds, coughs and sore throats, and they are more likely to suffer from bronchitis, pneumonia and will have a higher risk of developing cancer. Doctors even suggested that children suffering passive smoking are more likely to have behavioral problems and may not develop mentally as quickly as their peers. Other research by the Shanghai Children's Medical Center has found that more than 80 percent of child patients in the center live in a smoke-filled household, where one or both parents smoke. "Though doctors have stressed the harm of passive smoking over and over, it is still hard to reach a totally 'smoke free' home," said a pediatrician named Zhang Yiwen, noting that parents are often tempted to smoke even though they have learned the harmful effects of secondhand smoke. China has 540 million people suffering from passive smoke, 180 million of them younger than 15.The age of smokers is also getting lower, earlier reports said. "There are more young smokers than before.You can see young people wearing a school uniform and carrying a schoolbag light a cigarette on the street.Some of them are even female students," said Jing Xingming, a professor of children's developmental behavior at the center. "Children like to imitate adults, especially their parents.If parents often smoke at home, it is very likely children will develop a smoking habit, which can cause a vicious circle," Jin said. Reports from the Ministry of Health said China has about 350 million smokers, of whom 15 million are underage smokers.Also, around 40 million of the country's 130 million children aged between 13 and 18 had tried smoking, and 15 million had become addicted to tobacco. What kind of the youngsters most possibly develop a habit of smoking?
Bruno was a boy of eight. His father worked in a cinema and his mother worked in a shop. He lived not far from his school. He always walked there and walked home. On his way to school he had to pass a playground. It was very wet after it rained. One day, when he got home, his clothes were all wet. His mother became angry and said, "Don't play in the water on your way home from school!" On the next day Bruno came home with wet and dirty clothes. His mother became even angrier. "I 'll tell your father if you come back wet again." said his mother. "He will punish you, you know." The third day the little boy was dry when he came home. "You 're a good boy today." His mother said happily. "You didn't play in the water." "No, "the boy said unhappily. "There were too many older boys in the water when i got there this afternoon. There wasn't any room for me at all." Bruno went to school _ every day. A cat finds it easiest to get a grip when climbing up People People is America's No.1 magazine about fascinating people. It's a guide to who and what's hot in the arts, science, business, politics, television, movies, books, music and sports. It is published weekly. Publisher: The Time Inc. Magazine Company Cover Price: $211.47 Our Price:$117.00 Issues :53 issues/ 12 months Lucky Lucky is the shopping magazine with the best buys, and the fashion tips you'll need before you hit the stores. What makes Lucky really different is that it gets you the information you need before anyone else has it. Publisher: Conde Nast Publications Inc. Cover Price: $35.40 Our Price:$15.00 Issues: 12 issues/ 12 months Parents The most trusted magazine for parents who want to raise smart, loving and self-confident children. Each issue has age-specific child-development guidance, advice on your child's health and safety, and the best ways to encourage your child's learning. Publisher: Meredith Corporation Cover Price: $42.00 Our Price:$9.97 Issues: 12 issues/ 12 months Entertainment This magazine covers movies, television, music, Broadway stage productions, books, and popular culture. Unlike _ like People, its main concentration is on entertainment media and reviews. It's intended for a more general audience. Publisher: The Time Inc. Magazine Company Cover Price: $199.50 Our Price:$38.95 Issues: 62 issues/ 12 months Which of the following comes out every week? Stanford University, which was established between San Francisco and San Jose in the heart of California's Silicon Valley, is one of the world's leading teaching and research universities. Since its opening in 1891, Stanford has been dedicated to finding solutions to big challenges and to preparing students for leadership in the world. Stanford that was once a horse farm belonging to Jane and Leland is still known as "the Farm." Living at Stanford brings surprises and new experiences every day. Stanford welcomes more than 150,000 visitors every year. Whether you live in the neighborhood or are coming from far away, we look forward to seeing you here on the Farm. John Hennessy, President of Stanford University, says, "We can't predict, but we can make sure that our students will be the most knowledgeable of leaders, that they will make a difference and that they will creatively and skillfully guide the next century of progress and excellence." Stanford University was set up in the center of _ . It may be hard to believe, but the American Revolution --the war that freed the American states from British control--began over a cup of tea. Tea was not the only thing that caused the war, of course, but it played a very big part. The British people's love of tea is well-known. When the British won control over mush of North America in the early 1700s, they brought their tea- drinking habits with them. Tea quickly became the continents most popular drink. As tea could not be grown locally, just as in Britain, it was shipped into the country--mostly from India. In the early 1700s, the Britain government made a special deal with the East India Company, as an English trading company. They agreed that no other company was allowed to bring tea to Britain or any country controlled by Britain, including America. It was a great deal for the East India Company, since it meant that the company could decide whatever price it wanted for its products. And _ always decided on a high price! In North America, the local people did not like having to pay such high prices. Instead of overpaying for tea from the British, they turned to Dutch traders, who secretly brought tea to the country that was just as good--and much less expensive. Although this broke the law, the American people didn't care. They got the same cup of tea at a much lower price. The East India Company, however, didn't like this at all. By the 1760s, they were losing millions of pounds each year to Dutch traders--a huge amount of money in a time when PS60 a year was considered a good income. Instead of reducing their prices to compete with the Dutch, the company asked the British government for help and the government agreed. In 1767, the British introduced new law that increased the prices of all goods which were brought into America. These laws helped make the East India Company even richer and forced local people to pay much more for everything. The American leaders asked the British government not to do so, but the British refused to listen. These unfair laws increased Americans' anger about British rule and the rest, as they say, is history. What is the passage mainly about?
A sound is heard when you pluck a string on a guitar. What will happen to the sound if the same string is plucked harder? Answer: The pitch will stay the same, and the volume will be higher. Many years ago my student asked me the question, "Mrs. Kindred, why do you teach?" Without taking time to reflect, I answered, "Because someday I might say something that might make a difference in someone's life." Even though I was sincere, that wasn't a very good answer and my student didn't let it slide. "Let me get this straight," he said, "You went to college for four years so you could come here every day because you have the hope that someday you might say something that will influence someone?" He shook his head as if I were crazy and walked away looking confused. I'm one of those people who look back and wish they had said something smart or witty, or swift. Even though that particular student might no longer wonder why I teach, there are days when I wonder. On those days, I remind myself of the real reasons I teach: It's in my blood. My mother was my most influential teacher, and she was a 6th grade reading teacher until her death in 1990. She instilled in me a love of reading and the knowledge that education opens doors. Teaching is a way to make a difference. If you throw a stone in a pond the ripples go on and on until they reach the shore. You can't have ripples without a "stone." Good teachers throw stones that make a positive difference, and that's what I strive to do. I genuinely love teenagers. I want to share with others what I know and what I have learned through the years. Life is full of ups and downs, and if I can help students avoid some potholes on the road of life, I want to do so. If they'll allow me to celebrate their victories with them, I want to do too. Teaching isn't for everyone, but I know I made the right career choice. What's the main idea of the text? Answer: The reason why I teach. For a small town, Manhattan, Kansas has some big surprises. And one of them is the Holiday Inn Hotel, with rooms built around a swimming pool and a friendly family atmosphere. The Holiday Inn is where Manhattan people often go for a special party, or a night out. A lot of them choose to eat in the brightly lit restaurant near the pool. And many of them will be served by Ellen Logan, who has worked as a waitress here for more than two years . Ellen, like most of the waitresses, is also a student. She comes from Nebraska, but she's planning one day to be a veterinary surgeon, and to care for small animals. But in order to support herself at college, she works twenty hours a week at the Holiday Inn. Ellen soon learned what every waitress finds out. Your best friend has a good pair of shoes. She paid forty - five dollars for hers, much more than she would usually spend. She's discovered something else too. You don't have to know much about food to be a good waitress, but you do have to know a lot about people. "A lot of business people always stay here when they come to Manhattan, " she explains. "They like you to recognize them and remember their favorite dishes. But some couples come for a night out together. They just want to be left alone. Then there are people who can't make up their minds. They look down the menu and say'What do you suggest?'So I ask them how hungry they are. If they say, 'Not very', I suggest the salad bar, with soup, salad, bread, and a fruit plate. But if they say they're very hungry, I suggest a Kansas Strip Steak, with potatoes or rice. You get salad and bread as well. It's very nice. Real good value." Ellen may get tired feet sometimes, but at least she's learning too much about people . She'll probably make a good animal doctor, but if she find she doesn't like it after all, she can always become a psychiatrist instead." A good title for this passage is _ . Answer: Ellen Logan at the Holiday Inn Ruby, the artist, is an Asian elephant, She is17 years old. She lives in the zoo. Ruby has produced about 100 paintings since last year. She has made more than $ 40,000 for the zoo. Zoo leaders say Ruby first showed the talent about four years ago. Zoo workers watched her make the marks in the sand with her trunk. She rubbed out the marks, then made the new ones. The zoo worker gave her brushes and paints. Soon Ruby painted pictures. Newspaper reporters wrote Ruby, then people asked about buying her pictures. And in this way, she made a lot of money for the zoo. This is how Ruby does the paintings. A zoo worker holds different color paints. Ruby touches the colors she wants. Then the worker gives her brushes with the chosen colors in her trunk and Ruby begins painting. We can most probably read this story _ . Answer: in a newspaper French novelist Jules Verne (1828--1905) is often called the father of science fiction. Although he was not a great traveler himself, his characters travelled to the moon (inFrom the Earth to the Moon), under the sea (inTwenty thousand leagues under the sea), into a volcano (inA journey to the centre of the earth), around the world (inAround the World in Eighty Days) and to many other places. Jules Verne was born in the French city of Nantes in 1828. When he was a boy he ran away from home to work on a ship. However, his father soon found him and brought him home. After that he decided that any future travel he did would be in books. In 1847 his father sent Jules to Paris to study to be a lawyer. Even though he was busy writing, Verne passed his exams in 1849 with high marks. When Jules told his father he did not want to be a lawyer, his father was very angry. He stopped sending his son any money, so Jules had to earn a living by his writing. Over the next few years he wrote many stories and plays, which brought him only a little money. Then, in 1856, he met Honorine de Viane, a rich, young widow with two children. The couple married the next year. After his marriage, Verne worked as a businessman in Paris. However, he was not very successful at his job and spent most of his time writing books and doing research for the next one. In 1863 he published his novelFive Weeks in a balloonand the following year he publishedA Journey to the centre of the earthwhich made him famous. His books became so popular and earned him so much money that he was able to leave his job and work full time on his writing. In his Lifetime, Jules Verne wrote more than 50 books and he became a rich man. Many of this imaginative novels have been turned into films. When Jules Verne was brought home by his father, he decided that _ . Answer: he would devote himself to writing
Question: IQUIQUE, Chile (Reuters) -- Rescue workers at the San Jose gold and copper mine in northern Chile had reason to sing this week. A small hole drilled into the earth became a passage to freedom for 33 trapped miners, who spent 69 days underground. "Never have people been trapped for so long so deeply," says a doctor at NASA, the American space agency, which helped in the rescue. But the chief medical officer for the miners said most are in good enough health to leave the hospital within a day or so. The first three recovered and went home Thursday night. For much of the day the miners relaxed with Chilean President Sebastian Pinera. The 32 Chileans and 1 Bolivian still wore special sunglasses to protect their eyes. A partial mine collapse on 5th August trapped them more than half a kilometer underground. They had to stretch a two-day food supply. For two weeks no one knew if they were alive or dead. Later, they received supplies. The first miner rescued on Wednesday was Florencio Avalos. The second was Mario Sepulveda, who talked about how the experience tested his faith. The last miner up was Luis Urzua, who was the shift leader when his crew became trapped. Rescuers used a metal cage to pull the miners to safety in less than 24 hours -- faster than expected. The rescue capsule was a half-meter wide and known as the Phoenix, an imaginary bird from ancient stories. It bursts into flames but is continually reborn and rises from the ashes. Chile's Navy built the capsule with advice from mining experts and NASA engineers. It worked like an elevator, traveling up and down on a cable through a shaft drilled 622 meters into the rocks. Millions of people around the world watched the rescue. More than one thousand journalists traveled to the mine in the Atacama Desert to report on the rescue. They joined family members of the miners and rescue crews housed in an area of tents known as Camp Hope. How many rescued miners are still in hospital? A. 3. B. 30. C. 33. D. 69. Answer: B Question: As we all know, nature has supplied every animal except man with some covering for his body such as fur, feathers, hair, and shells as a thick hide. But man has nothing but a thin skin. If someone were to ask you, "Why did human beings start to cover their bodies with clothes?" most would answer, "To keep themselves warm, of course." It is only when we begin to think about it a little that we realize that clothes are worn for a great many reasons that have nothing to do with our need for warmth at all. For example, we wear clothes to some degree in order to decorate ourselves -- to make ourselves, if possible, look more dignified or nicer. Clothes of a special kind are often worn to show that the wearer has authority or power. The individual wearing them is treated with respect because he occupies a certain office. The judge on the Bench, for example, might look a very ordinary and unimpressive figure without his wig and gown. Clothes are an important part of ceremony, whether it is connected with belief, the law, parliament, and royalty, the fighting forces or the state. How very different the Queen's Coronation ceremony would have looked without the robes, coronets and the cloth of gold. Sometimes, even in some modern countries people wear some article of clothing, or some jewel, because they believe that it will bring them luck or protect them from evil or illness, or because it is connected with their beliefs. None of these reasons for wearing clothes -- to decorate ourselves, to show our position in the world, for ceremonial purposes, for "luck", to give ourselves dignity and authority -- have anything to do with our need for warmth. From the passage we know that wearing clothes is man's basic necessity to _ . A. protect skin B. show beauty C. keep warm D. bring luck Answer: C Question: We have met the enemy and he is ours We bought him at a pet shop. When monkey-pox, a disease usually found in the African rain forest suddenly turns up in children in the American .Midwest it's hard not to wonder of the disease that comes from foreign animals is homing in on human beings. "Most of the infections we think of as human infections started in other animals " says Stephen Morse director of the Center for Public Health Preparedness at Columbia University. It's not just that we're going to where the animals are; we're also bringing them closer to us Popular foreign pets have brought a whole new disease to this country A strange illness killed Isaksen's pets and she now thinks that keeping foreign pets is a bad idea "I don't think it's fair to have them as pets when we have such a limited knowledge of them "says Isaksen "Laws allowing these animals to be brought in from deep forest areas without stricter control need changing "says Peter Schantz Monkey-pox may be the wake-up call. Researchers believe infected animals may infect their owners. We know very little about these new diseases A new bug may be kind at first. But it may develop into something harmful Monkey-pox doesn't look a major infectious disease But is not impossible to pass the disease from person to person Why did Isaksen advise people not to have foreign pets? A. They attack human beings B. We need to study native animals C. They can't live out of the rain forest D. We do not know much about them yet Answer: D Question: Answers to life can be found in everyday events. Watching nature, watching people and watching animals communicate with each other provide some of the simplest ways to life's biggest problems. This became clearer to me yesterday. It caused me to ask myself, "How do I respond to the storms in life?" People usually run when it starts to rain. I love to walk in it, stand on my front door and feel it. I grew up doing it and have never really felt the fear many people do. The animal world senses changes in the weather far earlier than humans. My dog, Ricky, begins to shake long before the storm is close enough to be noticed. I was about to feed my three dogs yesterday and as usual, I let them out in the yard first. They didn't move when thunder came across the skies. So I placed their food in their bowls and called Ricky into the kitchen. Ricky was just standing there in place next to his bowl. The thunder became louder, which forced him to stop eating his meal. Then I watched Phil. He made his way across the kitchen floor and stood over Ricky's bowl. He ate all the remaining food. Generally, if Ricky was standing there, he wouldn't dare come close. But today, he took advantage of the storm and got what he wanted. His hope for the prize outweighed his fear of the storm. That's when it hit me. As men, we face all kinds of storms. They come in unannounced. Sometimes we stay in a corner or under the blankets, hoping it will all pass. However, if you dare put your head out, you'll discover there're people doing what they must to get what they must have out of life. Isn't it time you decided to take advantage of the storm? According to the passage, what hit the writer most? A. Phil wasn't afraid of the storm. B. Ricky stopped eating food. C. Phil ate the rest of Ricky's food. D. Ricky sensed the storm earlier than he. Answer: C Question: Billionaire Dennis Tito, tired of being told that we can't send humans to Mars just yet, on Wednesday revealed his scheme for launching two astronauts to the red planet as early as December 2017. Titled "Inspiration Mars," the flyby mission would exploit a rare line of Earth and Mars that minimizes the time and the fuel it would take to get to Mars and back home again. The astronauts would come within 100 miles of the Martian surface before being taken back to Earth. "It would be a voyage of around 800 million miles around the sun in 501 days," Tito testified Wednesday at a hearing of the House subcommittee on space. "No longer is a Mars flyby mission just one more theoretical idea. It can be done. Not in a matter of decades, but in a few years." Tito is a former engineer who made a fortune in investment management and, in 2001, became the first person to pay his way into space, buying a seat on a Russian rocket. Now he's pitching Inspiration Mars as a national priority for the United States. Grab this rare chance to go to Mars quickly or risk seeing China or Russia get there first, he told members of Congress. Tito mentioned a backup plan that would offer Inspiration Mars four more years of development time. Another line of planets in 2021 offers a second chance to go to Mars fairly quickly, but the journey would last 80 days longer and require that the astronauts fly much closer to the sun, within the orbit of Venus, in one portion of the trip. That would add to the already considerable radiation hazards. When Tito talked of the idea of Inspiration Mars early this year, he thought he could use primarily private rockets and minimize the need for NASA involvement. But the possibility study led Tito back to NASA. NASA is building a huge rocket, the Space Launch System, that is supposed to be ready for its originally, uncrewed test flight in 2017. The second launch, carrying a crew in NASA's new Orion capsule for the first time, isn't scheduled until 2021. Tito's plan would essentially borrow the SLS for the Mars mission, if NASA agreed. And NASA would have to pay for a lot of this. Tito described Inspiration Mars as a "charity partnership with government." He said private donors would probably give about $300 million for the mission, and the government would need to provide about $700 million -- in addition to the money NASA is already spending, under current programs, on rocket and spacecraft development. NASA reacted coolly to Tito's proposal. "Inspiration Mars's proposed schedule is a significant challenge due to life support systems, space radiation response, habitats and the human psychology of being in a small spacecraft for over 500 days," spokesman David Weaver said in a statement. "The agency is willing to share technical and programmatic expertise with Inspiration Mars but is unable to commit to sharing expenses with them. However, we remain open to further cooperation as their proposal and plans for a later mission develop." From the passage we know Dennis Tito probably was _ . A. a successful businessman B. a creative engineer C. a famous astronaut D. a generous expert Answer: B
The Venice Carnival is the largest and the most important Venetian festival. It is a festival that celebrates the passage from winter to spring, a time when seemingly anything is possible, including the illusion that the people at the bottom become the most powerful by wearing masks on their faces. The Venice Carnival could date back to 1296. It was confirmed on the day before Lent, a public holiday, but it had no direct religious connection at that time. However, the participants were not allowed to wear masks around the city at night; men could not enter convents if they pretended to be women, and celebrations within the convents were strictly forbidden. People who broke the rules could be put into prison. The laws were not relaxed until the late 17thcentury, when the carnival-goers were allowed to wear masks throughout the carnival. Participants would wear a white mask in old days, while costumes have become even wilder today. St. Mark's Square is the center for the carnival, while Campo San Polo and Sestiere are two other popular places where events take place. Most of the events are free, along with several unusual masked balls for which visitors will have to buy tickets in advance. The 2012 Venetian Carnival was celebrated from February 11 to 21. There were the liveliest celebrations of parties, performances, show, music, dances, dinner sets along streets, and hotels. It attracted a great number of visitors around the world. Many travelers booked Venice hotels and prepared costumes and masks well ahead of time so that they couldn't be made fun of by local people. In the Venice Carnival people wearing masks _ . A are usually rich B like to daydream C can imagine they have great power D frighten those without masks Answer: C According to a recent survey, Canadian parents realize their role as protectors and providers to raise their children both emotionally and physically. That's not very different from the way our parents saw themselves. But with more two-career families and busy schedules, one thing parents today recognize more than ever is the need to set aside special time for their children. These 'nurturing moments' are changed into memories that they will treasure all their lives. Nurturing moments might be the time between our work and life,bringing your child to work with you to see what you do during the day,visiting your child's make-believe world,discussing his other school day and exploring the natural world outside your door. These times are not merely a luxury , they're a necessity. It's during these moments that parents pass values and attitudes to their children. Over time, children pick up good habits and positive self-image. Here are a few tips for making the most of your family time together: Regularly sit down as a family to share a meal. Allow each person to describe something interesting about his or her day. Make one night a week family night. Family members take turns choosing a special activity for the evening everyone partakes in the fun. Show your children you care about their interests by having them teach you about their activity or hobby. Nurturing healthy children involves body, mind and spirit. The little things you do to your care are the building blocks for confidence, self-esteem and a healthy outlook. By giving your children these tools, you prepare them for life. .We can infer that "visiting your child's make-believe world" _ . A is a luxury for parents B is a necessity for parents C is good to the imagination of the children D benefits the healthy growth of the children Answer: D Martha's Vineyard has long been considered a favorite quiet of the Northeast. The vineyard is rich in history, breathtaking beaches, and beautiful scenery. It is well known for its unique lighthouses - you'll enjoy the variety and the history of each lighthouse, among the most photographed structures on the Vineyard. When the former First Family, the Clintons, chose to vacation on the island several years ago, it became a more popular tourist attraction. Martha's Vineyard got its name from its discoverer, Bartholomew Gosnold, who gave it the name of his wife Martha and was in memory of the thick growth of wild trees on the land. The island of Martha's Vineyard lies south of Cape Cod off the southeastern coast of Massachusetts,United States. It is nearly 20 miles long and runs from 2 to 10 miles in width. There are wide,hard beaches on the southern side. The north is hilly, but in the south and eastern parts there are wide areas of open land covered with wild flowers. The island was discovered early in the 17th century. The Indians were quiet and friendly, and the new-comers fished for a living, making a lot of money from whaling . With the decline of whaling and sailing ships. Martha's Vineyard was almost forgotten until about 60 years ago when people began to buy the old houses of the whaling captains and the small building of the fishermen near the beaches. Now people go there year after year for their summer holidays. When you visit Martha's Vineyard,_. A you can see a lot of hills in the eastern parts B you can enjoy the sunshine on the beach on the northern side C you can live in the fishermen's old houses in the hills D you can see different kinds of lighthouses and learn about the history Answer: D Why do doctors suggest that people get a flu vaccine each year? A Viruses replicate more rapidly over time. B Viruses can mutate from year to year. C Vaccines are absorbed by the body after a year. D Vaccines get stronger over time. Answer: B Greeks play a special game at Easter and it's good fun! The rules of the game are as follows: 1.Everyone picks out a hard-boiled Waster Egg.2.Each player finds a partner.One person will be a "holder", and the other will be a "tapper".Holders should hold the egg with either the pointy end or the round end facing up.Tappers should hold the egg with that same end facing down.Tapping must be done pointy-end-to-pointy-end or round-end-to-round-end.3.With one good tap, the tapper tries to crack the holder's egg.One player will end up with a cracked egg.4.Each player finds another partner and repeats steps 2 and 3.(After one end of the egg is cracked, players may continue to play using the uncracked end).5.A player loses when both ends of his egg have been cracked.The winner is the person who still has an uncracked egg.6.Enjoy eating the eggs! Dye your Easter eggs.With an adult's help, dye hard-boiled eggs red using food coloring or egg dye.For a nice sheen, use a paper towel to rub some oil on each egg.But don't use too much oil---you wouldn't want your egg to slide out of your hand when you play the egg-cracking game! Why dye eggs red? Eggs represent new life and the red dye symbolizes the pain and suffering in the past. Why crack eggs? Some say that the cracking of the eggs symbolizes a wish to break away from human misery and enter the new life. Which of the following is the best title for the passage? A The suffering of the Greeks B The Easter holidays C Celebrate Greek Easter D A special game Answer: C
Soft winds blew throughout the Windy City today. We welcomed the winds, as it was another hot day in Chicago. The wind blew, bringing us some coolness and making the weather not that hot. But it was a beautiful summer day with a blue sky. Chicago is a great city for eating, and we have enjoyed tasting the different foods. Last night, we tried one of the city's most famous foods: deep-dish pizza. Chicago claims credit for the rich and cheesy thick-crust pizza, covered with a sweet tomato sauce. We topped it with olives and green peppers. We were touring the city, mainly looking for delicious local foods. Today, we enjoyed a Polish specialty at lunch: Pierogis, an Eastern European dumpling-like dish, filled with foods like potatoes, cheese, mushrooms, cabbage and meat. Polish immigrants started settling in Chicago in the 1850s, and the city has one of the largest Polish communities in the U.S. We took a break from exploring the city to talk with some of you! Ashley and Caty logged onto the Internet for an on-the-road version of TALK2US. We spoke to an English teacher in Tokyo, Japan, and a graduate student in India. Meanwhile, Adam searched for some locations around the city to shoot some video. He chose a spectacular spot: Navy Pier, Chicago's most-visited attraction. The winds from Lake Michigan keep visitors cool, and the view of the Chicago skyline never fails to impress. In fact, the view made all of us _ ! Our time in Chicago has come to an end. Tomorrow, the true journey begins, as we pass through Illinois and into Missouri via Route 66. Springfield, the home of Abe Lincoln, and St. Louis, the "gateway to the West," wait for us. The author and her companions stayed online _ . A. communicating with strangers abroad B. asking for information on foreign foods C. sharing their travel plan with strangers D. learning about different cultures in the world Answer: A. communicating with strangers abroad Last Christmas was a very difficult time for me. My family and all of my close friends were back home in Florida, and I was all alone in a rather cold California. I was working too many hours and became very sick. I was working a double shift at the Southwest Airlines ticket counter, it was about 9:00 PM on Christmas Eve, and I was feeling really miserable inside. There were a few of us working and very few customers waiting to be helped. When it was time for me to call the next person to the counter, I looked out to see the sweetest-looking old man standing with a cane. He walked very slowly over to the counter and in the faintest voice told me that he had to go to New Orleans. I tried to explain to him that there were no more flights that night and that he would have to go in the morning. He looked so confused and very worried. I tried to find out more information by asking if he had a reservation or if he remembered when he was supposed to travel, but he seemed to become more confused with each question. He just kept saying, "She said I have to go to New Orleans." After much time, I was able to at least find out that this old man had been dropped off at the curb on Christmas Eve by his sister-in-law and told to go to New Orleans, where he had family. She had given him some cash and told him just to go inside and buy a ticket. When I asked if he could come back tomorrow, he said that she was gone and that he had no place to stay. He then said he would wait at the airport until tomorrow. Naturally, I felt a little ashamed. Here I was feeling very sorry for myself about being alone on Christmas, when this angel named Clarence MacDonald was sent to me to remind me of what being alone really meant. It broke my heart. Immediately, I told him we would get it all straightened out, and our Customer Service agent helped to book him a seat for the earliest flight the next morning. We gave him the senior citizen's fare, which gave him some extra money for travelling. About this time he started to look very tired, and when I stepped around the counter to ask him if he was all right, I saw that his leg was wrapped in a bandage. He had been standing on it that whole time, holding a plastic bag full of clothes. I called for a wheelchair. When the wheelchair came, we all stepped around to help him in, and I noticed a small amount of blood on his bandage. I asked how he hurt his leg, and he said that he had just had bypass surgery and an artery was taken from his leg. Can you imagine? This man had had heart surgery, and then shortly afterward, was dropped off at the curb to buy a ticket with no reservation to fly to New Orleans, alone! I never really had a situation like this, and I wasn't sure what I could do. I went back to ask my supervisors if we could find a place for him to stay. They both said yes, and they obtained a hotel voucher for Mr. MacDonald for one night and a meal ticket for dinner and breakfast. When I came back out, we got his plastic bag of clothes and cane together and gave the porter a tip to take him downstairs to wait for the airport shuttle. I bent down to explain the hotel, food and itinerary again to Mr. MacDonald, and then patted him on the arm and told him everything would be just fine. As he left he said, "Thank you," bent his head and started to cry. I cried too. When I went back to thank my supervisor, she just smiled and said, "I love stories like that. He is your Christmas Man." The writer called for a wheelchair for the old man because _ . A. the old man had broken his leg when he was dropped off at the curb B. the old man could spend the whole night on it at the airport C. the old man was carrying a whole lot of clothes D. the old man had had surgery just before and was very weak by then Answer: D. the old man had had surgery just before and was very weak by then When I heard the piano, I walked to Mrs. Windsor's house and waited outside as I always did. That meant she was working with another student, and I was not supposed to bother them by ringing the bell. I stood against the wall and daydreamed what I'd rather be doing. "Almost anything", I sighed _ . I had been tutored enough to read, understand, and even write some musical compositions, but I just didn't have a gift for it. It didn't come to me naturally. I thought back to happier times when I was writing stories and acting them out with my friends, cutting up old clothes to make dresses that performers wear in plays, and building scenery out of old things we found. But Mrs. Windsor had offered to give me the lessons for free, so I felt my duty to try. The door opened and Wendy Barton came out. I walked in, sat down on the piano bench and began to sort through my sheet music. "Hello," I heard a voice behind me say softly. I turned around to see a little girl standing behind me, eating an apple. But before I could make any response, Mrs. Windsor walked into the room in her usual urgent manner and announced,"Jennifer, this is my niece, Pasha. Pasha, this is Jennifer. Pasha will be giving you your lesson today. I'm up to my ears in something else!" she then exited to the kitchen. Pasha set her apple down on the side table and slid beside me on the piano bench. "What piece do you like best?"she asked. "What do you mean?" I asked. "They're all the same to me. I don't know. "You mean you don't have a favorite?" "No, not really." Pasha looked at me, rather puzzled, then opened my sheet music to the beginning page and asked me to play. I arranged my fingers on the keys and studied the notes on the page for a moment. Then I frowned and concentrated to make the notes on the page match the finger movements. I have to admit I was a rather mechanical pianist. After about a page or two, Pasha gently put her hand on top of mine as if to calm my fingers. There was a long pause. "What are you hearing in the music?" I looked at her rather strangely and admitted I didn't know what she meant. "Like a story. What story is being playing out within the music?" "I guess I've never thought about it before. I don't know." "Here, let me try and you listen," Pasha advised. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting her fingers dance lightly over the keys. Then, she began to play. "See, it begins here beside some kind of river. Hear the water flowing beside you?" Her fingers rose and fell gently on the keys."Now the princess appears and she's picking flowers from the water's edge."A carefree, happy piece of music filled the air in time to Pasha's dancing fingers. "Oh, but she slips!"The music changed. "And our princess is being carried off by the fast-flowing stream. Quickly, the princess's horse sees her plight ," Pasha continued, and races to the river's edge where he swims out to let her catch hold of him. They make it to the bank and she hugs her faithful horse and swears she will never again wear princess skirts that weigh her down. She will only wear jeans and T-shirt from now on." Pasha finished with a big smile and then looked at me. "Aren't you the girl who tells the stories?" she asked. "I guess. I do tell a lot of stories." "Oh, yes! All the kids talk about them. I've heard about you. Well, all you have to do is learn to hear the stories in the music. That's all there is to it." "I've never thought it that way." "Let's try another one, shall we?"Pasha smiled and together we played that afternoon, finding the stories in the music and learning that sometimes it takes a friend to pull you out of the river onto dry land again. Which of the following is the best title for the text? A. Never Give up B. A Piano Lesson C. Why I Hated Playing the Piano D. A Friend for Ever Answer: B. A Piano Lesson Your living room Feng shui is all about balance. Try to arrange sofas and chairs in a square around a circular table. Avoid an L-shaped arrangement as this leaves a missing corner. The centre of the living room should be left clear. Make sure there is a lot of light, which will promote good energy. Put plants in the corners of the room, as they attract good energy and will energize your health, but not ones with sharp leaves such as yuccas or cactus. Fresh flowers also bring good energy, but throw them away as soon as they begin to die, and don't have dried flowers. Mirrors are vital because they reflect energy. Round or oval ones are best, but they should not be opposite each other, nor should they reflect a door, otherwise your good fortune will go out of it. To promote harmony between the members of your family, have photos of them around the room, preferably smiling. If you want to find a partner, energize the south-west corner of your living room or bedroom by placing a floor light at least 1.75m high there, and turn it on every evening. Surround yourself with decorations and objects in pairs, such as ducks or birds. To avoid blocking the positive energy in the room, keep everything tidy. Don't accumulate too many unnecessary things. Take a look at every object, and ask yourself, "Do I really need it? Do I really like it?" If the answer is no, get rid of it. Your bedroom You should have the head of your bed placed against a wall, as this gives you a sense of security. Avoid having a bed under a window, as you are exposed to danger and bad energy from outside. If this is impossible, use blinds or heavy curtains to cover the window. Never sleep in a place where you can't see the door--you should always be able to see someone who's coming in. Avoid hanging pictures or lights above your bed, as this leads to a subconscious feeling of threat. Don't put mirrors opposite the bed either, as they "break up" the image, and therefore the relationship reflected in them. Keep lighting low and soft, and decorate preferably with dark colors. Do not hang paintings of fierce animals, abstract subjects, or water in the bedroom. Water is very good elsewhere, but in the bedroom it suggests financial loss. Make sure you never put plants in the bedroom, and don't have a TV facing the bed, or at least cover it when it is not in use. Your study Don't use the same room for your bedroom and your study, as the different energies will be in conflict. If you have to do this, try to separate the areas either symbolically with plants, or with a screen. Put away piles of files or unfinished work--don't leave them on your desk. Being tidy promotes positive energy. Wherever you study make sure your desk is in the north-east corner, especially if you are preparing for exams, as this area symbolizes education. A bookcase is bad feng shui, as its sharp corners generate negative "arrows", and if you have one you ought to put a climbing plant on it to avoid this effect. Cupboards are better than open shelves. As for lights, which of the following statements is false? A. A partner may come with a tall burning floor light in the south-west corner of your room. B. Good energy can be promoted if there is a lot of light in the living room. C. Bright lighting in the bedroom can light your mood. D. It is not a good idea to hang lights above your bed. Answer: C. Bright lighting in the bedroom can light your mood. Why Doesn't Anybody Copy Apple? Apple's products are the envy of the world. They have been spectacularly successful and are widely imitated, if not copied. The minute Apple crystallizes a product, everyone knows how to compete. This idea that the basis of competition is set by Apple and then the race is on to climb the path of improvement is unquestionable. When Apple releases a product that defines a category or dramatically changes the structure of an industry, it becomes obvious what needs to be built. But what I wonder is why everyone wants to copy Apple's products but nobody wants to copy being Apple? I can think of two reasons. Firstly, Apple is not worth copying because it's not successful; secondly, Apple's success cannot be copied because it is a magical process. There is a great deal of evidence for the first hypothesis. The idea of Apple being successful is not something reflected in its stock price. Being valued lower than the average company in the S&P 500 indicates that to whatever degree Apple was successful in the past, it's not seen by the vast majority of observers as successful in the future. Why should one bother copying Apple if it results in being punished with a low valuation? If one works really hard at innovation and then that innovation becomes commoditized very quickly, why should one bother? When innovation practitioners are asked what makes Apple successful,the answers regarding the cause of this success border on the mythical.The climax of this hypothesis is the "chief-sorcerer"theory of success which places one magician,like Steve Jobs,in charge of casting all the right spells What about Apple's own opinion of what makes it tick? Tim Cook refers to a great team and integration of hardware, software and services as unique Apple advantages. It's a better explanation. Integration is something that can take a long time, but it is possible with great effort. A few companies are starting to make moves in that direction, but efforts are half-hearted. There is no "move the Earth" panic to become an integrated company from Samsung, Google or Microsoft. My own suspicion is that Apple is more aware of what makes it special than it lets out. However, as Tim points out, it's not a formula. It's complex, it's subtle, but it's not magic. It's a process that requires a degree of faith and courage. We can infer from Para.5 that _ . A. other companies are dedicated to integration B. Apple itself is fully aware of its unique advantages C. Apple will hold the leading position in this industry D. other companies don't have a great team as Apple does Answer: C. Apple will hold the leading position in this industry
Chris Rock was born in the state of South Carolina in the United States. When he was a child, his family moved, and he grew up in a poor area in Brooklyn, New York. As a teenager, Rock left high school and started telling jokes in comedy clubs in New York City, Even at age 18, Chris Rock was very funny. He told jokes about his family (his parents were very strict) , and about growing up in Brooklyn in the 1980s. Many of his jokes were also about high school, which Rock says was terrible. Famous comedians went to see Rock's performances. One comedian (Eddie Murphy) helped him get work on television and in the movies. Chris Rock still acts in movies, but he does not want to be a serious actor. For him, comedy is more important. It makes people laugh, but it can also make people think. Today,Chris Rock still does live comedy shows around the world. He also created a TV show called "Everybody Hates Chris. " It is about his teenage years growing up and going to school in Brooklyn. In 2006, it was considered as one of the best comedy shows on American television. What is this passage mainly about? Answer: One comedian's life, One morning, Wu Liang discovered that her classroom had changed. She found that the desks were no longer in rows, but pushed together to make eight bigger desks. She was so excited about it for the first two days that she couldn't listen to the teachers carefully. But soon she and her classmates got used to this new classroom arrangement . "Now our class is quieter," said Wu. "What's more, we can come up with our own ideas and learn more through discussion. It's a better way to study." Li Yu liked it, too. "Group members first discuss," he said, "and then present to the whole class. It makes us believe in ourselves." This was part of a reform at Li's school. The school made this reform because they wanted to offer students easier ways to study and more chances to discuss. "Our school hopes to improve students' abilities to study by themselves and work in groups." said Zhang Ming, an English teacher. However, the reform has demanded more from teachers. Now they have only 15 minutes to give a lesson that would have been taught in 45 minutes before. It is difficult to teach in such a short time. The teachers have to find better ways to teach more effectively. "The reform demands more, but I'm sure it is helpful." added Zhang Ming. It was easier for Wu Liang to _ in class after the new classroom arrangement. Answer: discuss with other students My name is Frank White. I'm fifteen years old. I was born on May 13th, 1996. Mike is my good friend. His birthday is on May 15th. He is only 13 years old now. Every year on May 14th, we have a birthday party together in our school. We often have a pop concert . I play the guitar. He plays the drum. Many friends come to our party. We are very happy. _ on May 14 th. Answer: They have a birthday party. About the year 1900,a small,darkhaired hot boy named Charlie Chaplin was often seen waiting outside the back entrance of London Theatre.He looked thin and hungry.He was hoping to get work in show business.He could sing and dance;above all,he knew how to make people laugh.But he couldn't get work and so he wandered about the city streets.Sometimes he was sent away to a home for children who had no parents. But twenty years later this name Chaplin became the greatest,bestknown,and bestloved comedian in the world.Any visitor to the cinema must have seen some of Chaplin's filmstrips .People everywhere have sat and laughed at them until the tears ran down their faces.Even people who don't understand English can enjoy Chaplin's films though most of them are silent.It isn't what he says that makes people laugh.His comedy doesn't depend upon words and languages.It depends upon little actions which mean the same thing to people all over the world.Acting out,without words,common human situations play an important part in the dances and plays of many countries.It's a kind of world language. Chaplin lived most of his life in America and died in Switzerland on Christmas Day,1977,at the age of eightyeight.The world was astonished at the news of the death and burst into sadness. The reason why Chaplin is regarded as king of comedy is that _ . Answer: he acted out the common human situation best in his comedy One of the easiest and cheapest ways to help your health is just to sleep eight hours or more every night, but more and more people in the world are not sleeping enough. According to the World Health Organization, over half the people in the world may be _ . The result of this is not just a lot of tired people; in the United States alone, sleepy drivers cause at least 100,000 car accidents, and 1,500 deaths a year. Problems with sleep can also cause mental problems, as well as medical problems such as high blood pressure and heart problems. American culture values work and often doesn't value sleep. In fact, people who sleep a lot are often called "lazy". Many famous men say proudly, "I only have time to sleep four or five hours a night." Students, especially college students, often sleep only a few hours a night. They often say, "I'm used to sleeping only a little." But according to experts, sleep is like money. If you sleep only five hours a day, you don't "get used to it", but instead, build up a "sleep deficit ". "It's like a credit card (a card used to buy things or services)," says Dr. James Maas, "You are only borrowing time. You always have to pay it back." The more hours you don't sleep, the more hours you should sleep to "pay back" the hours on your "sleep credit card". For example, if you sleep four hours on Monday and then sleep eight hours on Tuesday, on Wednesday you will still have a "sleep deficit" of four hours. This deficit can continue for months or even years. People with a "sleep deficit" are sleep-deprived. Driving and making decisions can be dangerous for these people. Another research shows people should sleep nine or ten hours every night. More than half the people in the world may be running a "sleep deficit". You didn't do your homework last night? Maybe you can tell your teacher that you were working hard on your sleep deficit. "Don't think you will be doing less work because you sleep during the day. That's a foolish idea which is held by people who have no imagination. You will be able to do more," said Winston Churchill. How many hours do we need to sleep every day if we want to keep healthy? Answer: 8.
When I was 4, my parents decided they could no longer live together. That same year, my mom moved to Los Angeles (L.A.) and a therapist was hired to decide where I would live. Playing with a dollhouse in her office, I showed her the mother's room on one side and the father's room on the other. When she asked me about the little boy's room, I told her the little boy didn't know where to sleep. The therapist finally decided I would stay with my dad during the school years and visit my mom on long holidays and for summers. I began flying between two cities and leading two different lives. I remember my last school day in Grade Six. My friends made plans to go to the beach together, but I couldn't join them because I had to fly to L.A. It wasn't that I didn't want to see my mom and stepdad; I just didn't want to leave my friends. It wasn't easy to put up a wall, and pretend I didn't hate saying goodbye to them. In the morning, my dad drove me to school with my packed bags, and after school, my friends went together, and I went to the airport. What has come of this in the end is that I'm always missing somebody. When I'm in northern California, I miss my mom and stepdad, while in L.A. I miss going out with my friends, my dad, and my little brother and sister. But after so many flights, I've learned that it's also fun traveling between two cities and experiencing different lives. Other children may not have the opportunity to experience so much. Why didn't the author like traveling between two cities at first? A Because the traveling separated him from his friends. B Because he hated saying goodbye to his mom. C Because the traveling made it difficult for him to meet his parents. D Because he wanted to spend his summers with his dad. Answer: A Jack gets to the bus station very early. The bus for Beijing is leaving at twelve. He sees many people at the station. Some are waiting in line, and others are walking around. Jack looks around but there is no room for him to sit in. He walks into a restaurant. He looks up at the clock there. It's only 11:30. Then he finds a seat and sits down. At that time, Tom, one of his friends, comes in and sits in front of him. They talk and drink. After a while, Jack looks up at the clock again. "Oh, my God. It's still 11:30. The clock doesn't work at all." Jack becomes very sad because he misses the bus. Jack becomes sad because _ . A he misses the bus B he can't find a seat C he meets Tom at the station D the clock is broken Answer: A Pat sustained personal injuries in a three-car collision caused by the concurrent negligence of the three drivers, Pat, Donald, and Drew. In Pat's action for damages against Donald and Drew, the jury apportioned the negligence 30% to Pat, 30% to Donald, and 40% to Drew. Pat's total damages were $100,000. Assume for this question only that a state statute provides for a system of pure comparative negligence, joint and several liability of concurrent tortfeasors, and contribution based upon proportionate fault. If Pat chooses to execute against Donald alone, she will be entitled to collect at most A $70,000 from Donald, and then Donald will be entitled to collect $40,000 from Drew. B $30,000 from Donald, and then Donald will be entitled to collect $10,000 from Drew. C $30,000 from Donald, and then Donald will be entitled to collect nothing from Drew. D nothing from Donald, because Donald's percentage of fault is not greater than that of Pat. Answer: A If you think by examining someone's facial expressions you can judge if he has good or bad luck in the stock market, think again. A study published in the journal, Science, has shown that body language provides a better signal in judging whether the observed subject has just gone through an intensely positive or negative experience. To test highly intense faces, Dr. Hillel Aviezer and his colleagues presented test groups with photos of dozens of highly intense facial expressions in real-life situations. In one study, they compared emotional expressions of professional tennis players winning or losing a point. To discover exactly how people view images, the researchers showed different editions of the pictures to three groups of participants: 1 ) the full picture with the face and body;2) the body with the face removed; 3) the face with the body removed. Remarkably, participants could easily pick the losers from winners when they judged by the full picture or the body alone, but they only had a 50:50 chance of being right when judging by the face alone. Strangely, the participants .who viewed the full image believed that it was the face, not the body, that revealed the person's emotions. In an additional study, the researchers performed the same series of tests, asking viewers to examine a wider range of real-life intense faces. Again, viewers were unable to tell faces in positive situations from negative situations. The researchers also "planted" faces on bodies expressing positive or negative emotions. Sure enough, the researchers discovered that the emotion of the same face on different bodies was determined by the body on which it appeared. "These results show that when emotions become extremely intense, the difference between positive and negative facial expressions no longer seems clear," says Aviezer. "The findings challenge classic behavioral models, in which the boundary between positive and negative emotions is clear." Aviezer adds, "The results may help researchers understand how body and facial expressions interact during emotional situations. For example, individuals with autism may fail to recognize facial expressions, but if trained to read important body language signs, their performance may significantly improve." What can we learn from the first study? A The participants were divided into three groups. B Half the participants judged right by the body alone. C The participants couldn't judge by the face alone. D All participants believed faces showed emotions. Answer: A Last week a study of one hundred ninety-nine countries confirmed what many people may have already noticed. People around the world are getting fatter. The study found that obesity has almost doubled since 1980. Majid Ezzati, who led the research team, says the results show that obesity, high blood pressure and high blood pressure are no longer just found in wealthy nations. These are now worldwide problems. The study appeared shows that in 2008, almost ten percent of men were obese. That was up from about five percent in 1980. That same year, almost eight percent of women were obese. By 2008, the rate of obesity among women was almost fourteen percent. Obesity is commonly measured by body mass index , or BMI. This is a measure of a person's weight in relation to height. A person with a BMI of twenty-five to twenty-nine is considered overweight. The World Health Organization defines obesity as a body mass index of thirty or more. Pacific island nations have an average BMI of around thirty-five -- the highest in the world. But the study found that the United States had the single highest average among wealthy countries. Men and women had an average BMI of over twenty-eight. New Zealand was next. Japan had the lowest, at about twenty-two for women and twenty-four for men. The report had some good news, however, about high blood pressure. The percentage of people with this major cause of heart attacks and strokes has fallen since 1980. Dr. Ezzati credits improved testing and treatment in wealthy countries. He says a decrease in the use of salt and unhealthful fats probably also helped. In the United States, new guidelines urge Americans to reduce salt, sugar and fatty meats and to eat more fish and whole grains. People are being urged to choose water over sugared drinks and to eat more fruits and vegetables. But whatever they eat, Americans are being urged to follow new advice from the government: eat less. The passage mainly tells us about _ . A why more and more people are getting fat B some advice on keeping fit C a study of obesity D how to know a person's body mass index Answer: C
Welcome to our food shop. All kinds of food are on sale! Do you need vegetables? We have many kinds of vegetables. They are not dear. Do you like milk? We have good milk, like Guangming, Mengniu and Yili, for just two yuan a bottle. Do you like chicken? Chicken is for just twelve yuan a kilo. Beef is for just eighteen yuan a kilo. Fish is for eight yuan a kilo. Come with your family and friends! ,. A kilo of chicken is _ yuan. A 2 B 12 C 20 D 24 Answer: B May: Happenings from the Past May 5, 1884 Issac Murpthy, son of a slave and perhaps the greatest horse rider in American history, rides Buchanan to win his first Kentucky Derby. He became the first rider ever to win the race three times. May 9, 1754 Benjamin Franklin's Pennsylvania Gazetteproduces perhaps the first American political cartoon , showing a snake cut in pieces with the words "Jion or Die" printed under the picture. May 11, 1934 The first great dust storm of the Great Plains Dust Bowl, the result of years drought . Blows topsoil all the way to New York City and Washington,D.C. May 19, 1994 Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, former first lady and ond of the most famous people of the 1960s, died od cancer in Mew York City at the age of 64 May 24, 1844 Samuel F.B. Morse taps out the first massage, "What hatch God wrought," over the experimental long -distance telegraph line which runs from Washington,D.C. ,to Baltimore,Md. We knoe from the text that Buchanan is _ . A Isaac's father B a winning horse C a slave taking care of horse D the first racing horse in Kentucky Answer: D In a lab investigation, a student notes that two metal blocks have the same mass. Based on this observation, if the two blocks were put on opposite sides of a balance, they would best represent A balanced forces. B unbalanced forces. C equal and opposite reactions. D objects in motion. Answer: A Now, more and more cities are facing problems, such as high housing costs, pollution and crime. Let's see what people in Hyderabad, India and in Sao Paulo, Brazil do to solve the problems. Hyderabad, India To improve people's lives, Hyderabad is planting more and more trees. The city is even creating _ buildings that use less water and less electricity for power. Adding green to a city has a number of advantages. For example, trees make the air cleaner. In Hyderabad, streets were grey and dirty in the past. However, today they are filled with trees and flowers, making the city cleaner and more colourful. Green areas also give people places to relax or exercise. A study in the USA shows an interesting thing: the greener a neighborhood is, the less crime there is. Sao Paulo, Brazil Many people work in the centre of Sao Paulo, but they don't live there. They've spread out to neighborhoods outside the city because housing is cheaper. Every day, these people travel into the city, and traffic is very heavy. City planners are using different ways to deal with the problem. First, they are building better subways. Another goal is to make it cheaper for people to live in the downtown area . Doing this will reduce traffic and pollution in the city. According to the passage, what problem does Sao Paulo have? A A lot of people don't have jobs. B Too many people live in the city centre. C A lot of people are moving out of the city. D Too many people travel into the city every day. Answer: D Preschool-aged children who can focus on a particular task for an extended period of time have a 50 percent greater chance of graduating from college, according to a new study from Oregon State University. Observing 430 preschoolers, researchers asked parents to rate their children based on social and behavioral skills, such as "plays with a single toy for long periods of time" or "child gives up easily when difficulties are encountered." Additionally, in order to find out the changes happening on them, the children's reading and math skills were assessed at age 7 and again at age 21. What researchers discovered was that the ability to pay attention and follow directions may be more critical than academic abilities to overall academic success. "There is a big push now to teach children early academic skills at the preschool level," said Megan McClelland, an early child development researcher at Oregon State and lead author of the study, in a news release. "Our study shows that the biggest predictor of college completion wasn't math or reading skills, but whether or not they were able to pay attention and finish tasks at age 4." Parents whose children rated higher on attention span and persistence at the age of 4 had a nearly 50 percent greater chance of completing their college degree by age 25, according to the study. Fortunately, as McClelland noted in the news release, these social and behavioral skills can be taught, and the earlier adults step in to guide the student, the greater chances a child has to succeed academically. "Academic ability carries you a long way, but these other skills are also important," McClelland said. "Increasingly, we see that the ability to listen, pay attention, and complete important tasks is _ for success later in life." From the passage we know _ . A preschool children can focus on things for a long time. B preschool children's performance can reflect their future. C the more preschoolers play toys, the more likely they are to succeed. D hard working preschoolers are more likely to be admitted into college. Answer: B
We spent a day in the country and picked a lot of flowers. Our car was full of flowers inside! On the way home we had to stop at traffic lights, and there my wife saw the bookshelf. It stood outside a furniture shop." Buy it," she said at once."We'll carry it home on the roof-rack . I've always wanted one like that." What should I do?Ten minutes later I was twenty dollars poorer,and the bookshelf was tied onto the roof-rack. It was tall and narrow, quite heavy too.As it was getting darker, I drove slowly.Other drivers seemed more polite than usual that evening. The police evenstopped teaffic to let us through. Carrying furniture was a good idea. After some time my wife said,"There's a long line of cars behind. Why don't they overtake " Just at that time a police car did overtake. The two officers inside looked at us seriously when they went past.But then, with a kind smile they asked us to follow their car through the busy traffic. The police car stopped at our village church .One of the officers came to me. "Right, sir!"he said,"Do you need any more help now?" I didn't quite understand. "Thanks, officer," I said. "You've been very kind. I live just down the road." He was looking at our things, first at the flowers, then at the bookshelf. "Well, well," he said and laughed. "It's a bookshelf you've got there! We thought it was... er ..., something else." My wife began to laugh. Suddenly i understood why the police drove here. I smiled at the officer. "Yes, it's a bookshelf, but thanks again." I drove home as fast as i could. What made the writer think that carrying furniture was "a good idea"? Answer: Other drivers would let him go first. Diary of a Do - It - Yourself Book This book based on Greg Hefley's own "diary" lets kids express themselves in an exciting way. In the book, kids will be asked: What was the best dream you have ever had? The worst thing you have ever eaten? The best secret you have ever heard? This Do - It - Yourself Book is unique and special because it has blank pages for readers to write their own stories and keep their own diaries. Author: Jeff Kinney List Price: $10.95 Price: $6.57 Buy it on Amazon.com. You save: $4.38(40%) Train to Somewhere Marianne, heading west with fourteen other children on a train, is sure her mother will show up at one of the stations along the way. Stop after stop goes by, and there is no sign of her mother in the crowds that come to look over the children. No one shows any interest in adopting shy Marianne, either. But that is all right. She has to be free for her mother to claim her. Then the train stopped at its final stop, a town called Somewhere... Author: Eve Bunting List Price: $6.95 Price: $6.95 Buy it on Amazon.com. You save: $0.00(0%) Chinese Children's Favorite Stories This volume of beloved Chinese stories contains a delightful selection from the rich store of Chinese legend. Discover many delightful animal characters as well as Chang'e and Guan Yin. Retold for an international audience, the stories with beautiful pictures will give children aged six to ten in other countries a chance to learn about both the tradition and culture of China. Author: Mingmei Yip List Price: $18.95 Price: $12.89 Buy it on Amazon.com. You save: $6.06(32%) The Way Science Works The perfect introduction to show how science explains the world around us! Eye-opening experiments and extraordinary photography bring science to life. Discover science in action from the principles that explain everyday facts to the theories behind the technology in today's fast-moving world. Full of facts about famous scientists, technology news and more. Author: Robin Kerrod List Price: $24.99 Price: $16.49 Buy it on Amazon.com. You save: $8.50(34%) Whose book would you like to read if you are interested in science and technology? Answer: Robin Kerrod's. Tom and Joseph are best friends. They spent their summer vacation in Africa. When they were walking through the desert , they started to argue about something. Tom became very angry and slapped Joseph in the face. Joseph felt hurt, but he didn't say anything to Tom. Then Joseph wrote in the sand : "Today my best friend slapped me in the face." They kept on walking until they found a small lake. They decided to have a bath . But when Joseph got in the water, he started to sink . Tom jumped in after him and pulled him out. His friend saved his life. After he became well again, Joseph wrote on a stone : "Today my best friend saved my life." Tom couldn't understand it. "After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand. Now you write on a stone. Why?" he asked. _ " Joseph answered. "But when someone does something good for us, we must write it on stones so that no wind can ever take it away." Tom and Joseph went on a trip in _ . Answer: Africa. Rose sat behind Kate in the classroom. They got on well with each other. But one day, Rose didn't see her school IC card at lunch time. She asked her classmates and looked for it everywhere. But she couldn't find it. Later, one girl said that she saw Kate take a card from Rose's desk. Hearing this, Rose got very angry. When she met Kate in the afternoon, Rose shouted, "You have stolen my card!" Hearing this, Kate began to cry, "No, no, I didn't steal it! I only took it by mistake." But Rose didn't think so and she began to say bad words to Kate. Just then a teacher came up and asked what had happened. Kate told the whole story. She said a middle school classmate of hers came to see her in the morning. She was so excited that she took the card on the desk and rushed out. Then they went for lunch happily. "I used the card, but I had thought it was mine. I didn't know it was Rose's until she looked for it. I was too afraid to explain it to her. So I decided to put the card back with some money secretly. I am sorry, Rose." Kate said in a low voice. "It's just a misunderstanding !" said the teacher. Tears came into Rose's eyes. Then she said, "I was very sorry, Kate! I hope we are still good friends." Kate smiled when she heard the words. Hand in hand, they walked toward the classroom building. Kate didn't find her mistake until _ . Answer: Rose looked for the card "Your homework is to collect sounds and take them down," Mrs. Olson said before class was over. She handed out sheets of paper shaped like giant ears. On his way home, Colin glared out of the school-bus window. Not fair, he thought. How could he collect enough sounds on his family's farm? If only he lived in the town. He got off the bus when it stopped at his mailbox. But he wasn't in the mood to wave as it drove away. "I'm home!"Colin called when he pushed open the gate. He threw his schoolbag down on a kitchen chair. "How was school?" His mother asked, walking in with his baby brother on her shoulder. "I've got homework," Colin complained. "Eat something before _ " His mother gave him the animal biscuits. Colin ate two tigers, three lions, and a seal, then drank some milk. Astrid, Colin's dog, woofed as Colin walked toward the barn .Her young dogs were yipping. Colin placed dog food into their pan. In the chicken house, Colin hurried two hens from their nests.He put their warm eggs into his jacket. The black cow napped in the sun. Colin woke her when he poured corn into her pan. "Moo, thank you!"she seemed to say. Colin put the eggs in the kitchen, then climbed to his tree house as usual. He could see Dad's beehives by the field. Six hives usually meant plenty of humming noise. But today he couldn't hear it over the chattering sound of the sparrows,How could a person think? "QUIET!"Colin shouted. Suddenly, he sat up straight. Cows mooed and young dogs yipped. Chickens crackled in their yard. When Astrid began woofing below, Colin smiled broadly. "I hear you!"he called. He hurried down from the tree. Why did Colin wish he lived in the town? Answer: Because collecting sounds would be easier.
Our school has a big library. We often go there. Today is Sunday. Lily and I are in the library. In the library there are some signs on the wall. The signs mean different things. We know them. Don't shout in the reading room. Don't drink or eat here. Don't litter in the library. I see a man smoking in the reading room. I go to him and say, "Sir, you can't smoke here. Look at the sign. It says 'No smoking'.You can smoke in the smoking room." The man says sorry. The man can smoke _ . in the smoking room Mountain lions live in mountainous areas of the western prefix = st1 /United States. Lately, however, people have reported seeing them in quiet neighborhoods all across the country! Usually considered shy and seldom seen, these lions are becoming more noticeable. In addition, the lions appear to be moving east. They were even reported in the suburbs of Boston, Philadelphia, andChicago. It seems certain that these "Kings of the mountains" are moving. Why? Scientists are not sure. Some think that as the mountain lion population increases in the west, younger wild cats are leaving the area. These cats are searching for new homes and new places for food. "The young males are looking for new homes," says Lynn Sadler, who is the director of the Mountain Lion Foundation in Sacramento,Calif."People tend to create too many barriers, such as buildings, fences, roads, and noise. As the mountain lions seek new places and food and water sources, these barriers get in their way." The sightings have made people increasingly watchful . Sometimes the "mountain lions" that people report seeing turn out to be large dogs or even house cats. But at least a few of the meetings have been real. The building of new roads, the growing of suburbs and the growing popularity of outdoor activities are all increasing the chances that people in various parts of the country may meet up with a mountain lion. Because many people are concerned about the reappearance of the American lion, an expert outlined some ways they can avoid attracting the wild cats: Never leave pets or pet food outside; properly care for farm animals; and plan public land use to enable the lions to move safely from one place to another. "To be fair," says the expert, "mountain lions are trying to regain their homes. They were here first. Now we need to find ways we can live together." Which is the best title for the passage? Mountain Lions in Unlikely Places American magician David Blaine left the glass box in which he had lived for 44 days without food on October 19, 2003. Hundreds of people came to watch the end of his starvation experiment, which has become one of London's main tourist attractions. Looking thinner and darker, 30-year-old Blaine was taken out of his box over the River Thames and immediately went to hospital. He was then slowly reintroduced to food, a process doctors say could be life threatening. He had been drinking only water since September 5. A native of Brooklyn, New York, Blaine first became known as a street magician in the early 1990s. He soon found himself doing magic tricks in bars for the likes of American actor Leonardo DiCaprio and his super model friends. Over the last decade Blaine has become famous with a combination of breathtaking magic and clever tricks aimed at getting a lot of attention. In 1999, he was buried in a coffin for one week and, in 2000, he spent 62 hours in a giant block of ice. Last year he stood on top of a 25-meter pillar in the center of New York for 35 hours before jumping into a pile of boxes. "I think a lot of people are unable to accept that they're able to do what they can do," he said. "They don't realize we can survive. The human being is an amazing creation." But he seems to have suffered from spending so long in the glass box. He said that at times he was unable to see, had serious back pains and lost his sense of taste. Which of the following is NOT true about David Blaine? Blaine was born and brought up in England. China may be the world's most populous country ,and it won the most gold medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. But its prowess at soccer is lamentable. China is ranked 84th in the sport's world standing. Chinese are huge soccer fans, and hundreds of millions are expected to tune in to the World Cup, with all the matches broadcast live on public TV. But this time the Chinese don't have their own team to root for. "Chinese have a reputation of being good at math, but they have trouble explaining why a population of 1.3 billion cannot produce a winning 11-member soccer team," said Xu Guoqi, a history professor at the University of Hong Kong. Journalists and soccer fans offer a number of reasons, most often money issues, politics, corruption and culture, and sometimes a combination of the four. Even though China now boasts wealthy companies and individuals who could sponsor teams, there is little support as long as Chinese teams are perceived as perennial losers. "This is a very bad circle," Ma said. "No results, no money. No money, no results." Few Chinese children are playing soccer. Some sports journalists and fans attribute the lack of interest partly to schools de-emphasizing sports in general and the lack of playing venues in the country's dense urban areas. "What can Chinese kids do?" said Fan Huiming, 61, a Chinese soccer fan who grew up watching matches at Beijing's Workers' Stadium, which was built in 1958 near his childhood home. "If they play soccer, the ball may fly directly into the glass of someone's home." For young people, soccer has largely been _ by basketball, thanks in part to Chinese NBA players who are treated like rock stars. Journalists and fans say NBA's aggressive campaign of marketing and merchandise in China has helped swell the popularity of basketball. By comparison, they noted that international soccer does not even have an office in China. Rowan Simons, a Briton who came to China more than two decades ago and discovered he wasn't able to play weekend soccer, has been on a campaign to popularize the sport here. Simons said the main problem is that soccer elsewhere has traditionally started as a series of neighborhood clubs, but in China, "there's virtually no football at community level". "Football in China can only succeed if it's a grass-roots activity organized by the people," he said. According to Rowan,what can be inferred ? Chinese football should get into the life of ordinary people to survive. What is the correct explanation for why we have day and night on Earth? Earth turns on its axis.
People have always been dreaming of going to the moon. As long as the year 1901, H. G. Wells, an English writer, wrote a book vividly describing a trip to the moon. On landing there, the explorers discovered that the moon was full of underground cities. Words failed to express their surprise when they spotted so many "moon people". The "moon people" felt even more surprised. "Why," they asked, "are you traveling to outer space when you don't even use your inner space?" H. G. Wells could only imagine a travel to the moon. In 1969, human beings really left their footsteps on the moon. People today know that there are no underground cities on the moon. However, the question that the "moon people" asked is still an interesting one. A growing number of scientists are seriously thinking about _ . Underground systems are already in place. Many cities have underground car parks. In some cities, such as Tokyo, Seoul and Montreal, there are large underground shopping areas. The "Channel", a tunnel connecting England and France, is now complete. But what about underground cities? Japan's Taisei Corporation is designing a network of underground systems, called "Alice Cities". The designers imagine using surface space for public parks and using underground space for flats, offices, shopping, and so on. A solar dome would cover the whole city. Supporters of underground development argue that building down rather than building up is a good way to use the earth's space. The space, they say, can be used for farms, parks, gardens, and wilderness. H. G. Wells' "moon people" would second it. Would you? What would be the best title of the text? A. Alice Cities -- cities of the future B. Space travel with H. G. Wells C. Enjoy living underground D. Building down, not up Answer: D Have you ever thought of such questions as "Why do I have to study math?"or "I am not interested in history at all. My dream is to be an actor. Should I give history up?" Maybe you are right. After you leave school, it's not necessary for you to understand everything. But please remember that at school,besides getting knowledge, you should pay attention to some other important things. First, try to find what you are most interested in. At school, you study many subjects. Try to find what you like and what you don't like. This may be helpful to you in the future. Second, maybe you don't like math and you want to drop it. But the logical thinking ability from math can help you solve some problems.At school, you should practice your brain by thinking. Third, you should believe in yourself. Maybe you learn French at school, but you don't need to speak French at all.But learning French can prove that you have the ability of learning languages. Suppose you go to France one day and find a good job well. At school I learned French well, and now I must be able to learn German. But if you have no confidence, what will happen? Try to challenge yourself as often as possible. I think many of us like playing computer games. When we fail in a game, we always want to try it again. Why? Because it is hard for us to get the highest mark. If we want to challenge ourselves, we must face more difficult things and make greater progress. Math can improve one's _ . A. logical thinking ability B. skills in computer C. interest in other subjects D. ability of finding a job Answer: A Researchers from France and Italy discovered that Canadian parents are less strict with their children than mothers and fathers in France and Italy. "Our most important finding was the difference between Canadians and the others," said Professor Michel Claes,the lead author of the study."Canadians focus on independence and negotiation.On the other hand,Italians,for example,exercise more control.We found Canadians seem to focus on negotiation in case of a conflict." Claes said Canada,France and Italy were selected for the study because they share important cultural and social factors."We chose FrenchCanadians because they share the same language as France,and originally came from France and share certain values.Italy was included because it was considered to have similar,strong and important family values," he explained. The researchers examined the emotional ties between parents and their children by questioning 1,256 students aged 11 to 19 years old. Canadian students reported less control and more free actions,according to the study.Italian parents were stricter and French parents were somewhere in the middle. Claes explains that the differences lie in education in Canada,France and Italy. "North America has its own educational values,which promote individualization.Tolerance and comprehension are encouraged.Italy,on the other hand,promotes respect of authority,control,and the need for permission." he said. Children from all three countries described their mothers as warm and communicative.Italian and Canadian children had similar feelings about their fathers,and reported high levels of emotional ties.But French fathers were generally thought by their children to be more distant and cold. "We were surprised by this," Claes admitted."It seems as though the relationships between French mothers and their children were becoming closer over time,while fathers maintain a form of distance and coldness,which is more of a source of conflict in France than in the other countries." Which of the following is NOT a finding of the study? A. French children have troubled relationships with their parents. B. Canadian children have close relationships with their parents. C. Italian children have good relationships with their parents. D. Kids from Canada,France and Italy have closer ties with their moms. Answer: A "Lizzie, there's a letter for you!" Emily called up the stairs to her sister. Elizabeth looked down. "Is it from Harvard? They refused my application once." Emily answered, "No, it's from Yale." Quickly, Elizabeth walked downstairs. She took the letter and opened it. "Rejected again," Elizabeth said unhappily. "Who says women can't be doctors?" "They are fools not to accept you. You can't let them stop you, Lizzie," Emily said. "I won't. I'll apply to Geneva Medical College," Elizabeth told her sister. As it turned out, the professors at Geneva Medical College were not fools. They allowed Elizabeth Blackwell to study medicine. In 1848, a year before Elizabeth would graduate, a typhoid epidemic broke out in New York. Elizabeth wrote to Emily. "There's an outbreak of typhoid, and I am going to help. It is dangerous, so if I should not survive, please do me the honor of studying medicine yourself." Emily replied, "Encouraged by your dream and success, I have decided to study in medical school, as well." Having survived the disease, Elizabeth tried to set up a private medical practice. "I graduated first in my class but no one believes a woman can be a good doctor," she said to Emily one day. "All I hear is that doctors should be men, while women should stay home to cook and clean." Emily said worriedly, "I will graduate in June with my medical degree. What shall we do?" Elizabeth thought for a while and replied, "There's a big house in the poor part of our town. We can practice medicine there for people who couldn't afford care." Soon with the help of some friends, Elizabeth and Emily bought the house and opened a hospital for poor women and children. "We'll have an all-women staff ," Elizabeth said. "And later, we'll add a medical college for women!" Emily added. At last, Elizabeth realized her dream of being a doctor. Which of the following can best be used to describe Elizabeth? A. Humorous. B. Honest. C. Determined. D. Careful. Answer: C One of the most common forms of public speaking is the --presentation\|\|. A presentation is one of the best ways of communicating your message. This article will give you seven of the most important areas to consider when giving any presentation. Preparation Prepare! Prepare! Prepare! Good preparation is very important for any presentation. With good preparation and planning you will be fully confident. This will give you control. With control, you will be --in charge\|\| and your audience will listen positively to your message. Structure A good presentation has a clear structure, like a good book or film. It usually has a beginning, a middle part and an end. Equipment You may use any of the following pieces of equipment as you want: whiteboard, flipchart, overhead projector, 35 mm slide projector and computer graphics. Each of these has advantages and disadvantages. The important thing is to know and understand your equipment perfectly, and then you can use it freely and properly. Visual Aids --A picture is worth 1,000 words.\|\| There are many types of visual aids - photographs, maps, tables etc. But you should use them with care. Do not overload your audience with too much information in a short time. A good rule is: use one image to give one message. Signposting When you read a book, you know where you are. You know the title of the book, the end of one chapter, and even the page number. But when you give a presentation, your audience does not know where they are - unless you TELL them! You can use special language called --signaling\|\| or --signposting\|\| to help you. Here are a few examples: Let's begin by...; Now we'll move on to...; To start with...later...; To finish up.... Audience Relations You need a warm and friendly relationship with your audience. How do you achieve this? Well, enthusiasm is contagious. If you are enthusiastic , your audience will be enthusiastic too. Try to make eye contact with each member of your audience. Each person should feel that you are speaking to him or her personally. *Body Language Your BODY speaks to your audience even before you open your mouth. From your clothes, walk, glasses, haircut and your expression, your listeners form their first impression as you enter the room. The writer may agree that signposting can help _ . A. speakers to be more enthusiastic B. the audience catch up with speakers C. the audience form the first impression D. speakers avoid using equipment improperly Answer: B
Question: The type of things we remember are different. Although we tend to remember good things in our lives, bad things have a way of on us. One such thing I remember happened when I was 10 years old. I decided to ride my bicycle over a near-by stream. I carefully planned the adventure, and asked my friends to go there and have a watch. This was going to be my moment! I started riding down the hill, picking up speed and then pulled up on the at the precise moment and landed face-first into the muddy stream! That painful moment is one that I will never forget. As long as I live, I will remember the pain and embarrassment at that moment. When we do something stupid or thoughtless, it has a way of sticking with us. Fortunately, good momories have a way of over-riding the bad ones. I have memories that I gladly remember, like what happened today. I had my first conversation with my son today. It was not anything . It was a simple connection between father and son. It was one of those bonding moments that you can't plan or force. They just happen on their own. I was walking into the living room where my son sat in bed watching television attentively. Then he looked up at me and pointed to the television and something. I asked him if he was watching and he nodded his head and said,"Yes". It was at that moment that his eyes lit up and it was as if we both realized we had communicated. And how happy I was! Sure, at eighteen months, he probably did not realize what communication was like, but his joy at that moment was evident. It was a moment I will remember all my life. Good or bad, memories can last a lifetime. As for an unpleasant memory, though we can't forget it we can get lessons from it and it is like a mirror that will warn us against making such mistakes again. As for a good memory, we should try our best to enjoy it during our lifetime. Such moments are the treasures that we store up forever. Why was the author so happy when hearing his son's answer "YES"? A. Because his son respected the author and was very understanding. B. Because it was the fist time he communicated with his little son. C. Because his little son didn't make trouble and behaved quite well. D. Because his son could understand the meaning of Answer: B Question: A bunch of lava that is sitting somewhere could create on its own A. an icy, frozen villa B. a flat raised area C. a new oak tree D. a happy landscape portrait Answer: B Question: Dever was indicted for the murder of Vickers by poison. At trial, the prosecutor calls the county coroner, Dr. Wolfe, who is a boardcertified pathologist, to testify that, in accord with good practice in her specialty, she has studied microphotographic slides, made under her supervision by medical assistants, of tissue taken from Vickers' corpse and that it is Wolfe's opinion, based on that study, that Vickers died of poisoning. The slides have not been offered in evidence. Dr. Wolfe's opinion should be A. excluded, because the cause of death is a critical issue to be decided by the trier of fact. 81 B. excluded, because her opinion is based on facts not in evidence. C. admitted, because Wolfe followed accepted medical practice in arriving at her opinion D. admitted, because her opinion is based on matters observed pursuant to a duty imposed by law. Answer: C Question: On October 10, 2014, Malala, 17, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for struggling for the right of children to education. Malala is the youngest Nobel winner in history. Malala Yousafzai has never been ordinary. When she was just 11, she started blogging about the Taliban takeover of her hometown of Mingora, Pakistan. Taliban members follow an extreme belief of Islam and forbid girls to go to school. Classrooms were closed for several months. Malala spoke out about her desire to go back to school. "All I want is an education," she told one television broadcaster. Malala was later able to return to class. But she continued to blog and speak out about girls' right to education. On October 9, 2012, the Taliban tried to silence her. A gunman boarded her school bus and shot her in the head. Malala survived and showed great courage and optimism during her long recovery. At that time she became a symbol of the struggle for girls' rights all over the world. Nine months after she was shot, she gave a now-famous speech at the United Nations. "They thought that the bullets would silence us. But they failed," she said. "And then, out of that silence came thousands of voices. ... Weakness, fear and hopelessness died. Strength, power, and courage were born." Malala has also become an international symbol for peace. In 2011, she won Pakistan's National Youth Peace Prize, which is now renamed the National Malala Peace Prize. Malala said the 2014 Nobel Prize was an "encouragement" to go forward to help kids. "I want to tell children all around the world that they should stand up for their rights," she said. "This award is for all those children whose voices need to be heard." We can learn from the passage that Malala is _ . A. creative and outgoing B. strict and stubborn C. simple and warm-hearted D. brave and determined Answer: D Question: You never forget your first whale. The impact it makes upon you is huge and life is never quite the same again. My first whale was a 40ft grey, off the coast of California in 1979, and I've been a whale addict ever since. Now I have to go whale watching regularly just to survive normal daily life. I may be crazy but I am certainly not alone. The world is filled with whale watchers: since its beginnings in the mid-fifties, whale watching has grown dramatically and now more than 13 million people join organized whale watching trips every year. As a faithful whale watcher, all your holidays center on whales. The only books you read are ones about whales; you wear whale T-shirts, and every time you meet your friends you talk about whales. So what is it about these larger-than-life animals that makes them so special? Their enormous size is one possible explanation: imagine sitting in a small boat next to a blue whale almost as long as a Boeing 737.The fact that we know so little about them is another possibility: modern technology has taken us to the moon and beyond, yet we are only just beginning to understand these extraordinary forms of intelligent life on our own planet. Planning and patience are just two essential requirements for successful whale watching. Planning is needed because there are certain whale hot spots--where you have the best chance of seeing them--and because the larger species tend to be on their way from feeding areas to breeding grounds, so rarely do they stay in one place for more than a few months at a time. Patience is necessary because, even under the best conditions, whales can be tricky to find. However, most commercial whale watching trips have a surprisingly high success rate because they tend to concentrate on well-known whale populations at peak seasons. What will a faithful whale watcher do usually? A. Take part in whale forums. B. Wear only whale-themed clothes. C. Join an organization for whale watching every month. D. Pay much attention to whales in the holidays. Answer: D
Question: Which would most rely on a coal-fire power station? A. a nuclear sub B. the space shuttle C. a locomotive D. a solar panel Answer: C Question: One day an old man is selling a horse. A young man comes to the horse and begins to look at it slowly. Then the old man goes up to him and says in his ears, "Don't say anything about the horse before I sell it, then I will give you some meat." "All right," says the young man. After the old man sells the horse, he gives the young man some meat and says, "Now, can you tell me how you see the bad ears of the horse?" "I didn't find the bad ears," says the young man. "Then why do you look at the horse?" asks the old man. The young man answers, "Because I never saw a horse before, and I want to know what it looks like." Which of the following is Not true according to the passage? A. The old man sells the horse. B. The young man doesn't say anything about the horse before the old man sells it. C. The old man doesn't give the young man any meat. D. The young man doesn't know there is something wrong with the horse. Answer: C Question: Many centuries ago, birthdays were considered a time when the bad spirits were able to harm you. It was believed that you should have your friends and family around you so that their good wishes and present-giving would keep the bad spirits away. People also believed that, by lighting candles, they were sending a signal or wishes to the gods. Later on, candles started to be used on birthday cakes. One story about the beginnings of the birthday cake is that it started with the Greeks, who made round cakes standing for the full moon for their moon goddess . They also placed candles on the cake to make it light, again like the moon. However, the Germans are said to have first used cakes and candles. They used a sweet cake and they put a large candle in the centre of the cake to mean "the light of life". The "Happy Birthday" song is more than a hundred years old. The music was written in 1893 by two sisters, Patty and Mildred Hill, who were schoolteachers in Louisville, Kentucky. The music was first used as a morning greeting to their students with the title, "Good Morning To All". In 1935, the words legally belonged to the Hill sisters, and the copyright has been bought and sold for millions of dollars ever since. The present copyright is owned by Warner Communications. They bought it in 1989 for more than $22 million. When was the music written? A. In 1893. B. In 1913. C. In 1935. D. In 1989. Answer: A Question: My friend BJ Gallagher told me a great story recently, about her own experience with resentment . She once worked as the training manager for a large newspaper, where she found the corporate culture extremely frustrating. The company was a hundred years old and their past success had blinded them to the need for change. Finally, after _ several senior executives many times, she left the company. But she found that she hadn't left her resentment, frustration, and anger behind when she resigned. "I finally decided to write about my experiences and my feelings at the newspaper. I wanted to be rid of that company and those people, once and for all. So I wrote and I wrote. It wasn't just a story that poured out; it was a whole book! We called it A peacock in the Land of Penguins. I was the peacock and those newspaper executives were the penguins." "It took me several more years to finally get over my negative emotions. Through a lot of soul-searching and reflection, I finally was able to let go of my resentment. I came to see that there was nothing personal in the way they treated me, and they were good people doing what they thought best for the company. I was the one who had made it personal. I thought they were making my life miserable on purpose."[:Z#xx#k.Com] "Finally, the time came when I decided to make amends for the sharp, angry things I had said about the company. I invited my former boss to dinner and made my apology. It was a great healing process for me. I finally felt free of the resentment that had been eating me up." "What was the final outcome?" I asked her. "Gratitude," she replied. "Not only wasn't I resentful any more, I was grateful to the company. If I hadn't had those painful experiences, I would never have written a book. And the book became hugely successful - now published in 21 languages; it transformed my business." What made BJ Gallagher frustrated in the company? A. Unfair treatment by the senior executives. B. The culture and tradition of the company. C. The strict rules in the company. D. Her low position in the company. Answer: B Question: Buses in Singapore The introduction of air conditioners into the buses means a comfortable ride for the passengers. And instead of looking for loose change for the bus fares, travelers can easily get from one point to another with an Ez-Link card. Operating from 6 am to midnight, the fare ranges from $0.90 to $1.80 for all buses. The Ez-Link card will deduct the fare upon each ride on an automatic basis. The attraction of buses now lies in its more extensive travel, with a wider option of drop-off points, as opposed to MRT . Singapore Trolley , Tram Service for City Viewing The introduction of the Singapore trolley tram makes it easier for tourists to travel around the hot spots of Singapore such as the Orchard Road shopping belt, the Central District and the Singapore River. These are places known for the highly outstanding architectural value with a very commercial appeal, suitable for everyone. Tickets can be purchased on board or from the hotel concierge. With fares at $ 9.00 for adults and $ 7.00 for children per day, the rides are unlimited and you can easily enjoy any of these places that meet your fancy without worry about extra monetary incurrence. Singapore River Taxi, Cruise by the River There are several pick-up and drop-off points for the river taxi. Pay between $ 3 and $ 12 and enjoy a scenic ride along the river that holds so much history and memories. Perhaps this is the most ideal way to finish an evening at the Singapore River. Singapore Mass Rapid Transit, MRT The MRT network is the quickest way of getting around the island. Stops are frequent and it will give passengers an idea of the lesser-known areas of Singapore. Train operations start from 5:30 am and end about midnight. However, it is advised to check with the station masters first as some lines end earlier. Traveling on the MRT is cheap, with fares ranging from $ 0.80 to a maximum of $ 1.80. The Ez-Link cards, which are tapped upon every entry and exit of the stations, have a $ 15.00 stored value with a refundable $3 deposit included. Available at every train station. The Different Taxis & Cabs in Singapore Taxis are the easiest ways to go around Singapore, though more costly than the rest. Taxis can be flagged on the streets or at taxi stands located at all train stations, malls and hotels. The initial flag-down meter fare starts between $ 3.00, $ 3.60, $ 3.80 and $ 5.00, which covers the first 1 km. Different taxi companies impose different extra charges, so do check with the driver before you board the taxi. You can also use the streetdirectory app to calculate your taxi fare rate from point A to B. What advantage do buses have over MRT in Singapore? A. More drop-off points. B. Lower fares. C. Longer operation time. D. More traffic lines. Answer: A
Question: The human body is designed to move. But modern lifestyles and office jobs rarely give us the chance to move around. As we know. we're while we're eating; we sit in the car and we sit while we watch TV. And many of us sit for many hours at work. New research shows that sitting less than three hours a day might extend your life by two years. Peter Katzmarzyk,a scientist at the University of Louisiana in the southern United States,says that sitting is ubiquitous in our lives,meaning it is something we do all the time,everywhere. However,Mr. Katzmarzyk says that does not mean you can sit for the rest of your waking hours. He also says you may exercise often,"We can't throw away physical activity. It's extremely important. We have 60 years of research showing us that. " Mr. Katzmarzyk and his coi leagues are part of a new generation of researchers studying how sitting all day affects length of life. "Studies that have assessed the relationship between sitting and mortality or television viewing and mortality are very rare. There's only been a few of them,actually five or six now,in the last four or five years. "They found that cutting television time to less than two hours a day could add one-point four years to life. Luckily,change is already coming to some offices,especially in the design of desks. A "standing desk"lets people stand while they work. Another new design is called the "treadmill desk. " A treadmill is an exercise machine that lets you walk in one place. Even some U. S. schools are beginning to experiment with desks that are part bicycle to keep children moving. That's one of the strategies that many companies are using now. Mr. Katzmarzyk also says studying this problem has inspired his team to make a few changes in their own lives. Which view agrees with the opinion of Mr. Katzmarzyk? A. Sitting too long may help increase one's life. B. Exercise is important and don't sit too long. C. Watching TV is bad,but can broaden one's horizons. D. Stopping watching TV is a necessary but hard task. Answer: B Question: New findings suggest that brainy card games such as contract bridge may temporarily raise production of a key blood cell including in fighting off illness. After 90 minutes of play, bridge players had increased level of immune cell, according to research reported last week. A researcher, Diamond, studies bridge players from a woman's bridge club. She chose bridge players because the game includes skills stimulating a part of the brain called the dorsolateral cortex. Earlier animal research suggests that this part of the brain may play a role in the immune system. The findings are based on blood samples drawn from 12 women players. Their blood samples showed a rise in levels of white blood cells called T cells after they played bridge for 90 minutes. T cells are produced by the thymus gland and used by the immune system against diseases. The T cells count jumped significantly in eight of the bridge players, and slightly in the other four. The findings contribute to the field of neuroimmunology , whose name reflects the fact that the nervous system and the immune system are not considered separate and isolated systems. What isn't clear is whether the help to the immune system from an activity like contract bridge is lasting or temporary. It's also not clear whether the increase in T cells could finally be targeted against special illness. Playing bridge can help one to fight off diseases because it can _ . A. raise production of a key blood cell B. make people joyful C. aid digestion D. make break-away from the bad habits Answer: A Question: On Boy's Day,children don't have to go to school.Every family with a boy hangs up huge carpshaped flags.The flags are usually three colors:black(representing the father),red (representing the mother)and blue(representing the son). Japanese parents believe that the flags will bring their boys good luck and give them courage and power. May 5th is Japanese Children's Day. But since the festival is mainly celebrated by boys,it is usually called Boy's Day. The celebration of Boy's Day has a long history.It is said that the festival is derived from the Dragon Boat Festival in China. On this day,Japanese boys eat a special kind of rice cake. It is covered with a leaf and filled with bean paste .Children love to eat it. And eggs on leaves are another traditional food. Japanese children are so happy that they have three festivals each year. In addition to Boy's Day,they also have Girl's Day and the 753 Festival. Girl's Day is the girl's festival on March 3. It is also called the Doll's Festival because on that day,families get a set of dolls at home for their daughters. It is celebrated because the parents want their daughters to be strong and healthy. The 753 Festival is for children aged three, five and seven years old. Japanese people think that these three ages are the luckiest ones in one's life. On that day, these children get special candies wrapped in beautiful bags.The candy is a symbol of a long and healthy life for these children. The 753 Festival falls in November. According to the passage,why do the girls in Japan always receive dolls on Girl's Day? A. Because girls themselves want dolls. B. Because doll factories want to send dolls to girls to celebrate Girl's Day. C. Because parents want their daughters to be healthy. D. Because parents believe dolls can bring them good luck. Answer: C Question: Which animals are most likely to carry the seeds found in berries from the parent plant to another area? A. bees B. birds C. flies D. caterpillars Answer: B Question: 50 years ago Barbie Millicent Roberts first appeared in the world of toys. Barbie, as everyone called her, has become the most successful toy in history. According to Barbie's parents, the Mattel Company, 90% of all American girls between 3 and 10 have at least one Barbie at home. In today's world, however, Barbie is facing an identity crisis. There are many rivals on the market. For example, Bratz dolls, which are very popular among older girls, came to life seven years ago. They look more like today's pop stars with heavy make-up and fashionable miniskirts. Today Bratz is a challenge for Barbie, because the company offers a wide variety of clothing, too. It seems that Barbie has lost her appeal to older girls. "For younger girls playing with a Barbie is much fun, but when you get older you want something _ , says Alina Foley, a shop assistant in a New York toy store. Indeed, sales have been going down over the past year, partly because of the world's economic crisis. Barbie still has a lot going for her. More and more doll lovers all over the globe have become collectors. They trade Barbies or buy them on eBay. Others look for special and rare Barbie dolls, like Scarlett O'Hara from "Gone with the Wind". On the international market, Barbie remains number one. Although Mattel has been selling fewer Barbies in the United States over the past year, sales in other countries have been going up. In January Mattel opened its first Barbie store in Shanghai, where girls can shop, eat or even become their own fashion designer. Barbie has changed her image many times over the past decades. Originally she worn blond pony tails and had bright red lips. In the 80s she changed to a more colorful new look. For her 50th birthday Mattel is planning some big events. Fashion designers from all over the world have been called to make new clothes for Barbie. She is also scheduled to be a big star during the New York Fashion Week. How long will Barbie stay on as a celebrity in the world of toy dolls? Hard to say, but 50 is definitely not the age to retire. We can learn from the text that Barbie _ . A. plays a role in a film directed by Scarlett O'Hara B. is most popular with girls under the age of ten C. has rarely changed its image since its birth 50 years ago D. has long lost its leading position on the market of toy dolls Answer: B
Five years ago, my mother gave birth to a brother for me when I was 8. I have learned a lot from getting along with him. After he was born, I almost became a babysitter. I had to _ him after school. I would make faces and sing to him when he was crying. Sometimes I even carried him everywhere in our yard to refresh him while my parents were busy. What I liked to do best was to feed him when looking after him. How cute he was as he tasted his favorite food!My parents often praised me happily. As an elder brother, you've made contributions to looking after your younger brother. " I have got happiness from sharing. When I was young, I was the only child in my family. I could get what I wanted from my parents and get my parents' whole love. I was a" Little Emperor". But now, as long as I get something good, I will share it with him. I remembered the year when he was three, he was fond of Rubik cubes I bought one for him with my lucky money as a birthday present. When he got the toy, he was so happy that he laughed, hugged me and said, " Brother, I love you ! " Thanks for spending these years together with my family. It has taught me what responsibility means, what unselfishness means and what friendship means. Not only should I look after myself, but also I should pay attention to my family and my friends. If you have a brother or a sister in your family, you might learn to be _ from the passage. A. responsible B. selfish C. lonely D. puzzled Answer: A Most people have heard of shakespeare and probably know something of the plays that he wrote. However, not everybody knows much about the life of this remarkable man. Except perhaps that he was born in the market town of stratforduponAvon and that he married a woman called Anne Hathaway,We know nothing of his school life.We do not know,for example,how long it lasted,but we presume that he attended the local grammar school,where the principal subject taught was Latin. Nothing certain is known of what he did between the time he left school and his departure for London.According to a local legend,he was beaten and even put in prison for stealing rabbits and deer from the estate of neighbouring landowner, Sir Thomas Lucy, It is said that because of this he was forced to run away from his native place.A different legend says that he was apprenticed to a Strstford butcher, but did not like the life and for this reason decided to leave Strstford. Whatever caused him to leave the town of his birth, the world could be grateful that he did so.What is certain is that he set his foot on the road to fame when he arrived in London, It is said that at first he was without money or friends there, but that he earned a little by taking care of the horses of the gentleman who attended the plays at the theatre.They stopped and spoke to him.They found his conversations so brilliant that finally he was invited to join their compeny. In the early life of Shakespeare,he_. A. attended a public school B. lived in London C. studied Latin D. was put in prison for stealing cattle Answer: C We all know that food makes us grow every day, but sometimes it can make us happy when we feel bad. Food such as sea fish, bananas, pumpkins and chicken can help us be happy. How can they affect our feelings? People living by the sea look much happier than other people, because the fresh sea air helps them clear their minds and they eat a lot of sea fish. Bananas have much Vitamin B6. Having more bananas can help us make a quick decision, and become more confident . Eating pumpkins can also help people get into a good feeling because it's rich in Vitamin B6 and iron . Are you in a bad mood ? If you are, don't sit alone. Go to eat such happy food with your friends. Maybe you'll feel better. ,. (5) What food can make us more confident? A. Sea fish. B. Chicken. C. Apples. D. Bananas. Answer: D Architecture lovers in Washington do not have to travel far to see some of the world's most famous buildings. Architect Adam Reed Tucker has recreated fifteen of them using Lego bricks. The exhibit is called "LEGO Architecture: Towering Ambition." It is at the National Building Museum in Washington until early September. Faith Lapidus has more. Lego bricks are small, color1ful plastic blocks. They can be snapped together to make any number of objects. They are popular with children of all ages around the world. Adam Reed Tucker calls himself an "architectural artist". He was a professional architect for ten years. After the terrorist attacks against the United States in two thousand one he decided to do something different. He wanted to express his feelings for the form of the skyscraper while deepening his understanding of architecture, engineering and construction. He chose to use something that most people used as children. Tucker does all his work by hand, using only pictures of the buildings. He does not use any computers or drawings to plan his buildings. While the exhibit is going on, Tucker will be working on his latest work, the White House where the American president lives. Visitors can watch him create the famous building brick by brick. After walking through Tucker's models, visitors can create their own works at the building station. They can make houses, office buildings, stores or factories. They can then place their models on a large map of a city. As more visitors come, the Lego city will grow. To many people, Legos might seem like toys for kids. But Adam Reed Tucker proves that _ . To watch another Lego artist at work, go to 51voa.com and click on Captioned Videos. Lowry Baker came from McLean, Virginia, to see the exhibit. Baker said, "When we saw the models, there were just amazing. As soon as my son got a look at all of the stations here, he wanted to start building. It's really a great set-up. It really encourages creativity on the kids' part." Which of the following statements is NOT true about Adam Tucker? A. He has created his buildings all by hand. B. He is not only an architect but also an artist. C. He is not good at using computers or drawing. D. He was a professional architect for 10 year. Answer: C Scientists say they have discovered a promising treatment for sleeping sickness, a killer disease that infects about 60,000 people in Africa a year. British and Canadian experts say drugs could attack the parasite causing the illness needs to survive. They say the drug could be ready for human medical test in about 18 months. The disease, spread by the bite of a fly, is caused by a parasite attacking the central nervous system. It has similar symptoms to malaria , making it difficult to diagnose. Left untreated, it moves to the brain, resulting in mental confusion and final death The "breakthrough" came at the University of Dundee in Scotland, where scientists were offered money to research diseases ignored by major drugs companies. Professor Paul Wyatt, director of the programme, said: "This is one of the most significant findings made in recent years in terms of drug discovery and development for ignored diseases." He said the research, published in the journal Nature, represented "significant progress" in the development of a full blown drug against the disease. The World Health Organization said there are between 50,000 and 70,000 cases of the disease a year, with a further 60 million people at risk of infection. The research in Dundee was _ by partners at the University of York in England and the Structural Genomics Consortium in Toronto, Canada. The two drugs currently available to treat sleeping sickness both have problems. One is with side effects that kill one in 20 patients and the other is costly, only partially effective and requires long-time hospital treatment, the scientists said. We can learn from the passage that _ . A. big drug companies play an important role in the research of the new drug B. people who get infected with the disease are mentally disturbed C. among 200 people infected with the disease, 5 may die because of the old drug D. Professor Paul Wyatt may be a professor at the University of York Answer: B
Question: Which cell can survive without the help of other cells? A. leaf cell B. yeast cell C. onion cell D. muscle cell Answer: B. yeast cell Question: A normal conversation between strangers involves more than talk. It also involves the dynamics of space interaction. If one person gets too close, the other person will back up. If the first person invades the other's space again, the other person will back up again. The person who finds himself or herself backing up is trying to increase the distance of the comfort zone. The person closing in is trying to decrease that distance. Most likely neither person is fully aware of what is going on. In the 1960s, American anthropologist Edward T. Hall was a pioneer in the study of human behavioral use of space. His field of study became known as proxemics.Hall said that personal space for people in the United States can be defined as having four distinct zones: the intimate zone within 18 inches of your body, for whispering and embracing; the personal zone of 18 inches to four feet, for talking with close friends; the social zone of four to 10 feet, for conversing with acquaintances; and the public zone of 10 to 25 feet, for interacting with strangers or talking to a group. Historians say that our standards of personal space began with the Industrial Revolution in the 18thcentury. In cities such as London and New York, people of different social and economic classes were suddenly crammed together, so they unconsciously developed a commonly understood code of courtesy to restrict the space around them. People exhibit nonverbal messages of discomfort when their zones are violated. Invaded people might tap their toes, pull at their hair, become completely rigid, or even become angry. As hall noted in his landmark work, a comfortable conversation needs to include the parameters of human personal space. Edward T. Hall identified _ . A. interactions between strangers B. angry people C. four zones of personal space D. the Industrial Revolution Answer: C. four zones of personal space Question: If you have dinner with people in the west, I think you must pay more attention to the table manners. Here are some good table manners for you. When you eat something, try not to make a noise or burp at the table. Because people think that is not polite. People will say "Excuse me" when they want to burp. Talking with food in the mouth is very rude. So you must eat the food quietly and slowly. If you eat too fast, people think you are rude too. Do not talk with others when you have food in your mouth. It is good to eat all the food on your plate. This means you like the food very much. Remember to say the food is nice. And this can make the host very happy. When you finish eating, you can place your knife and fork together. The topic of this passage is _ in the west. A. how to burp B. what to eat C. school rules D. table manners Answer: D. table manners Question: The art of reading fiction is largely a matter of inferring meanings. To infer means to understand facts which are not directly stated---only suggested. Inference is one of the commonest ways of knowing things: a child holds his knee and cries; this action implies his feeling; an observer infers that the child is hurt. To infer accurately in everyday life requires caution in observing; to infer skillfully in fiction requires caution in reading; both require disciplined imagination. The short-story reader can expect to find certain basic elements in any story. For example, all stories involve a person or persons, in a particular setting, faced with a demand for a response. The response called for may be a physical action, such as defeating an adversary or escaping from a danger; or it may be a mental action, such as adjusting to others or within oneself. In either case, the short story is a description in two ways: first, it shows the motives for a given human action; second, it makes a point about the general human situation. Such descriptions, however, rather than being stated directly, usually are implied by the elements of the story. When the reader of a story understands all the facts and their interrelationships, he is ready to infer the significance of the story as a whole---its comment on the human situation. This comment, or theme, is the seed from which the story grew. It is also the idea by which all the separate elements of the story are governed, while these in turn further shape and modify the theme. In addition to action, character, and setting, these elements include structure, mood, tone, and point of view. Fiction reading requires an awareness of all the ways in which a story communicates. It also requires attention to detail. What the author provides is a network of points which serve as clues to his meaning. He invites the reader to develop the meaning by inference, actually to create much of the story himself and so make it part of his own experience. According to the author, "infer" means _ . A. knowingfactsbeyondthestatement B. lookingformoreevidencesforthestatement C. findingoutadifferentmeaningfromthestatement D. addingsomefactstothestatement Answer: A. knowingfactsbeyondthestatement Question: Most people want to work, but in today's word ,it is more difficult to find work for everybody.The economics of the world need to grow by 4% each year just to keep the old number of jobs for people. Often this is not possible,and so more people are out of work. Some people have no jobs now because new machines can do the work of many people do in a short time.Also, machines do not ask for more money and longer holidays. In all the countries of the world, machines are taking work from people ,not only in factories but also on the farms. One machine can often do the work of forty people. About 75,000 people are moving to the cities a day to look for jobs ,but only 70% of them can find jobs . About machines,which of the following is NOT RIGHT? _ . A. Machines can do the work of many people do in a short time. B. Machines do not ask for more money and holidays. C. Two machines can do the work of eighty people. D. Machines cant't take work from people at all. Answer: D. Machines cant't take work from people at all.
Question: Patients and doctors alike have long believed in the healing power of humor.It is claimed that humor not only affects patients' moods, but can actually help them recover faster. Several studies seem to support this.Patients in better spirits are known to have higher immune cell counts.Some have even claimed to have healed themselves of serious illnesses by reading comics and watching comedies. Despite all this, many researchers are not convinced.They point out the fact that many sufferings have been known to disappear naturally, with or without a daily dose of laughter.They also say that while optimism in general does seem to be related to better health, it is hard to tell which comes first. Humor in times of stress, however, clearly makes us feel better.On one level, it takes our minds off our troubles and relaxes us.On another, it releases powerful endorphins, a chemical produced by your body that reduces pain. There are cases where the appreciation of a good joke is indeed directly related to a person's health.It can show, for example, whether a person has suffered damage to one particular area of the brain: the right frontal lobe . Scientists confirmed this by having people read jokes and asking them to choose the funniest endings from a list.Subjects with normal brains usually chose endings that were based on a relatively complex synthesis of ideas.Subjects with specifically located brain damage, however, responded only to slapstick endings, which did not depend on a particular context.When pressed, the brain-damaged subjects saw the logic in the correct endings.They simply did not find them funny. Of course, humor is largely an individual matter.Next time your friend does not get one of your jokes, there is no need to accuse him of being a lamebrain.However, you might suggest that he lighten up--for the health of it. Scientists had some people read jokes and asked them to choose the funniest endings from a list to confirm that _ . A. the brain-damaged people are different from those with normal brains B. a person with a normal brain usually responds to slapstick endings C. a person suffering certain brain damage doesn't appreciate a good joke D. humor takes our minds off our troubles by releasing powerful endorphins Answer: C Question: Sartorial, Inc., a new business enterprise about to commence the manufacture of clothing, entered into a written agreement to purchase all of its monthly requirements of a certain elasticized fabric for a period of three years from the Stretch Company at a specified unit price and agreed delivery and payment terms. The agreement also provided: 1. The parties covenant not to assign this contract. 2. Payments coming due hereunder for the first two months shall be made directly by Sartorial to Virginia Wear and Son, Inc., a creditor of Stretch. Stretch promptly made an "assignment of the contract" to Finance Company as security for a $100,000 loan. Sartorial subsequently ordered, took delivery of, and paid Stretch the agreed price ($5,000) for Sartorial's requirement of the fabric for the first month of its operation.Assume for this question only that the assignment from Stretch to Finance Company was effective, and that Sartorial was unaware of the assignment when it paid Stretch the $5,000. Which of the following is correct? A. Sartorial is liable to Finance Company for $5,000. B. Stretch is liable to Finance Company for $5,000. C. Sartorial and Stretch are each liable to Finance Company for $2,500. D. Neither Sartorial nor Stretch is liable to Finance Company for any amount Answer: B Question: As frozen water decreases more sunlight is A. absorbed B. frozen C. detected D. reflected Answer: A Question: Maps of the world's population show that the majority of people today live near water. We live along coastlines, around bays, up the course of rivers and streams and on islands. We also vacation at the beach and find comfort fishing on a lake. Nothing makes small children happier than the chance of playing in water. More surprisingly, this human favor for water makes evolutionary sense. Sure, we need drinking water to live, but we have also benefited from what's swimming under the waves. Neuroscientist Crawford of the University of North London has proposed that our ancient ancestors attached to the sea, and that their devotion paid off by allowing the human species to develop large and complex brains. Crawford claims that when humans separated from apes and appeared in the forests of Africa, they stuck close to rivers and beaches and started catching fish, clams and crabs. That seafood was packed with omega-3 fatty acids, essential fatty acids that promote brain cell growth. It's no coincidence, Crawford claims, that human brain growth began to increase rapidly once we left the woods and headed for the beach. Scientists have also discovered that people who eat fish regularly are less likely to suffer from depression than those who eat less seafood. Biochemist Hibbelin of the National Institutes of Health has shown that across cultures there is a direct link between amount of fish eaten each week and rates of depression. More interestingly, Hibbelin and researcher Laura have found that fish is commonly used as a symbol of happiness and good health in various religions and cultures. We know that fish and the sea are good for us, and so we seek them out. We vacation on the coast and see the waves come and go, feeling happiness has taken over our brain. When we move inland, or go home from vacation, we lose touch with our sea roots and feel unhappy. What can we infer from the passage? A. It's good to our health to swim under the waves. B. Human has the largest and most complex brains. C. Beach is the best destination of vacation. D. It's human nature to seek out bodies of water. Answer: D Question: Cast your mind back to the past twenty years and hardly did anyone have their own email account. The Internet had just taken off in 1991 and people were only using office and PCbased email exchanges. In the mid 1990s external email providers appeared. The most famous of these was Hotmail, the first free email provider and webbased email service. Sabeer Bhatia and Jack Smith launched Hotmail on July 4, 1996. And Microsoft took note of and bought Hotmail for $400 million on December 30, 1997, a nice birthday present for Bhatia who turned 29 that day. It was relaunched as MSN Hotmail and in 2007 was relaunched again as Windows Live Hotmail. Fast forward the present day and most of us have at least a personal webbased email account. It seems impossible to live without them. One of the biggest advantages of email is the fact that communication has become so much easier, especially with those across different time zones. Email takes seconds to send a message whereas letters, as we used to communicate by, could take weeks. Of course there was the fax, that beeping invention from the 1980s, but it wasn't as secure as email and you never knew if the person on the other end had picked up your fax or if it had got lost somewhere in the office. In conclusion, one of the best inventions from the 1990s has to be email. But sometimes people are too closely connected to their email and have a _ to check it several times a day. At work, people have become lazy and instead of going to speak to the person sitting next to them, they send an email,causing an in box to pile up with more time spent reading email and responding rather than working. Clearly, an invention that saved time because of its quick and speedy connection can now also cause us to waste a lot of time. The earliest web-based email came into being probably _ . A. in 1991 B. in 1996 C. in 1997 D. in 2007 Answer: B
Melting of polar icecaps will A lead to more some US states gaining surface area B lead to more animal species roaming the Earth C cause the loss of animal habitats D cause a boom in the polar bear population Answer: C A thing's position is altered when A the thing adjusts its location B the thing is in position C thing feels moved emotionally D things are considering moving Answer: A A yoga master made a shocking statement that Abraham Lincoln had been a Himalayan yogi in a past life.Lincoln delivered a proclamation setting up Thanksgiving as an American holiday in 1863.Research throws light on a possible Hindu origin for the American celebration of Thanksgiving. "The holiday of Thanksgiving has a Hindu origin," says Richard Salva, author of a book on the reincarnation of Abraham Lincoln entitled Soul Journey: From Lincoln to Lindbergh which is based on a statement by the great master of yoga, Paramhamsa Yogananda, who declared that Abraham Lincoln had been a Himalayan yogi in a past life, and that he was reborn as the famous pilot, Charles Lindbergh. "During my search for signs of a past-life yoga practice," SaIva said, "I noticed that President Lincoln repeatedly chose Thursdays as national days of prayer, fasting ,and thanksgiving.This was interesting, because Thursday is considered a holy day -- a day for prayer, fasting, and spiritual reflection -- among Hindus, who call it "guru day"." "Lincoln also set aside time on Thursdays to grieve for his son,Willie, who died in Washington.Clearly, Thursdays had a spiritual significance in Lincoln's mind. In his book, Richard Salva presents more than 500 connections between Lincoln, Lindergh, and the ancient spiritual science of yoga. The connections run through every aspect of the human condition and provide convincing evidence that Lincoln had had a Hindu past life. More than one out of every five Americans today believes in reincarnation--yet few are aware of how past-life patterns affect them. Soul Journey tries to fill this gap, by offering a substitute experience of reincarnation. Through clear and persuasive similarities between the lives of Lincoln and Lindbergh, the book discovers how the hidden laws of fate and reincarnation impact the events of his or her daily life. It addresses other issues, such as the secret spiritual history of America's greatest president, including his past life as a Himalayan yogi; the hidden clues that reveal past lives; the greatness he achieved; and the spiritual principles behind the yoga postures that millions now practice. Based on Richard Salva's view, _ . A Hindus started the holiday of Thanksgiving B the Americans copied Thanksgiving from Hindus C Charles Lindbergh had been a Himalayan yogi D Thanksgiving had Hindus roots Answer: D A whale that became stranded in the River Thames in Central London has died after attempts to save its life failed. The whole nation had been hoping for a more successful outcome to the attempted rescue, updates of which were shown on TV news programmes throughout the day and night. The five- meter long bottle-nosed whale, which probably weighted about four tones, was first spotted in the river on Friday. There had been reports that a pod of whales had swum into the Thames Estuary earlier in the week, which caused terror among naturalists, as this kind of whale only thrives in much deeper water. It was the first sighting of the endangered species in the Thames since records began nearly a century ago. There was no more news of the pod, which suggests that most of them turned back and swam out to sea. However, one whale clearly became separated from this group. Incredibly, the first person to raise the alarm was a man who saw the giant mammal from the train he was on when it crossed the river. Almost immediately, a rescue attempt was mounted and further attempts to move the whale began on Saturday morning. After unsuccessfully attempting to gently encourage it to swim downstream of its own accord towards the Thames Estuary and eventually the sea, rescuers decided to move it onto the barge . The rescue operation involved winching the whale onto an inflatable raft which had been placed on the barge. 3,000 onlookers watched as the whale was treated with extreme care by the rescuers and applauded when the transfer operation was complete. The barge then set off with the intention of freeing the whale in deeper water. Sadly, it began to convulse during the journey and died. Earlier in the day, naturalist and TV presenter Terry Nuktins had warned that attempts to move the large mammal were misguided and that the proximity of the rescuers to the whale was potentially disastrous. He said that the whale would have been terrified by the people around it and it wouldn't have been used to the sight of boats and the noise of the engines and propellers. Who was the first person to raise the alarm? A A person who was walking on the bridge over the Thames. B A naturalist who was interested in whales. C A passenger who was taking the train across the Thames. D A rescuer who was worried about the whale. Answer: C When the Japanese attacked America's ships at Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, they did it secretly. The makers of the movie Pearl Harbor have behaved differently. The noise about Pearl Harbor, made by Disney,has reached its highest point with its premiere before the movie opens in cinemas across the US at the start of the Memorial Day holiday weekend, a time to recall national heroes who sacrificed their lives on the battlefield. As Ben Affleck is the main star, the movie seems sure to become a success in the United States at least. At almost three hours in length, it promises to be a good old Hollywood movie. There is a love story. Affleck and his co-star, Josh Hartnett, both fall in love with the navy nurse, Kate Beckinsale and, of course, there is much human courage and love of country. It's certain that Disney will be accused of "changing" history. The showing of actual events in a movie always causes arguments. Bits of the story are deliberately not mentioned in the movie. It does not address the theory held by some historians that President Franklin Roosevelt knew about Japan's intention to attack the ships in Pearl Harbor.It is said he did nothing, as he was aware that such a blow would allow him to take America into the Second World War. Japan remains sensitive about being accused of wartime atrocities . And Disney is sensitive about its business in Japan, where it has a theme park. Not all the reviews of the movie have been full of praise. A reviewer for Newsweek, who was given an early preview, acknowledged that the 40-minute sequence showing the attack itself was powerful. The attack comes quite late in the movie, however, and the reviewer was less impressed with the characters and the love story. "Almost every line of the dialogue sounds like it comes from an old movie, " the reviewer wrote. Which of the following is the best title for the passage? A Ben Affleck in Pearl Harbor. B The True Fact of Pearl Harbor. C Reviewer:Pearl Harbor is a success. D Attention!Pearl Harbor is arriving. Answer: D
Nicaragua's Cerro Negro Volcano has erupted 23 times in the past 100 years,burying homes, crops and people in lava and ashes. But recently the black mountain has become a tourist draw, thanks to a newly invented extreme sport: volcano boarding. Thousands of thrill-seekers have climbed to the top of Cerro Negro, peered into its mouth, then zipped down its rough-and--rocky 41--degree slope on special boards. The volcano-boarding speed, set by an Israeli woman, is 54 mph. "Rushing down an active volcano is something that people expect." Said Anthony Alcalde, an expert volcano boarder. The sport was developed in the mid-2000s by Darryn Webb, an Australian who had climbed the nearby Cerro Negro but was looking for a faster way to get to the bottom. He tried sliding down on surfboards, snowboards, and even a refrgerrator door before inventing a sit-down board made of plywood. "At first, Darryn planned to use a snowboard," said Gemma Cope, a British woman who now runs Big Foot, which offers volcano boarding tours. "But he realized he couldn't cut an edge for there were little rocks everywhere. So he came up with the sitting-down option and realized he can go pretty fast. " Tourists,who are nearly all foreigners,pay $28 for the experience, which begins with a truck ride on dirt roads to Cerro Negr0.a 2,400-foot--high volcano that last erupted in l999.Visitors must carry their boards during the half-hour climb to the top. There,they go straight down the slope and sometimes they have to use their feet for brakes.Along the way.The board fills with rocks and dust,making boarders almost blind.Crashes are common."l wiped out twice and ripped my pants."said Melinda Vorisek, a tourist from Miami."But I'd do it again." Another tourist added:"It was sheer terror. I was eating dirt.But how many people can say they've bombed down a volcano?" Who is the key person to develop the sport of volcano boarding? Answer: Once upon a time two brothers who lived on neighboring farms fell into conflict . It was the first serious one in 40 years of farming side by side, sharing machinery, and trading labor and goods as needed. Then the long cooperation fell apart. It began with a small misunderstanding and it grew into a major difference, and finally it exploded into an exchange of bitter words followed by weeks of silence. One morning there was a knock on John' door. He opened it to find a man with a carpenter's toolbox. "I'm looking for a few days' work," he said. "Could I help you?" "Yes," said the older brother. "I do have a job for you. Look across the creek at that farm. That's my neighbor, in fact, it's my younger brother. Last week there was a meadow between us and he took his bulldozer to the levee and now there is a creek between us. Well, he may have done this to spite me, but I'll go him one better. I want you to build me a fence--an 8-foot fence --so I won't need to see his place anymore. Cool him down, anyhow." The carpenter said, "I think I understand the situation. I'll be able to do a job that pleases you." The older brother had to go to town for supplies, so he helped the carpenter get the materials ready and then he was off for the day. The carpenter worked hard all that day measuring, sawing, nailing. About sunset when the farmer returned, the carpenter had just finished his job. The farmer's eyes opened wide, his jaw dropped. There was no fence there at all. It was a bridge-- a bridge stretching from one side of the creek to the other! A fine piece of work-- and his younger brother was coming across, his hand outstretched. "You are quite a fellow to build this bridge after all I've said and done." The brothers stood at each end of the bridge, and then they met in the middle, taking each other's hand. They turned to see the carpenter lift his toolbox on his shoulder. "No, wait! Stay a few days. I've a lot of other projects for you," said the older brother. "I'd love to stay on," the carpenter said, "but, I have so many more bridges to build." The best title for this passage is _ . Answer: Do you like sitting on the edge of your seat? How about falling off it laughing? If so, "Rush Hour 1" is the perfect movie for you. Although it didn't get the best reviews, it is perfect for those who like a good comedy. Just as in the first "Rush Hour," Inspector Lee (Jackie Chan) and LAPD Detective James Carter (Chris Tucker) are partners. This time, they are on vacation in China and Carter is looking for a good time, but they are on the job again when a bombing at the American Embassy kills two customs agents. Lee and Carter go to look for a suspect named Ricky Tan. For Lee this is a serious case because Tan killed his father. Will Carter and Lee be able to capture Tan? Another reason to see this movie perhaps is for the thrilling action, which includes karate fights with Jackie Chan. One of my favorite scenes shows Carter and Lee in a massage parlor when everything goes crazy. "Rush Hour 2" is, of course, really funny with Chris Tucker in the lead role. Chan and Tucker have many clever jokes and remarks. Some of the jokes aren't enjoyed by the critics, but most will find them entertaining. With no doubt, the movie was great. I was filled with anxiety about what was going to happen next. Many critics say that sequels are not as good as the original but this one is great. I especially enjoyed it because the special effects are minimal so everything looks as though it actually happened. The lighting effect is great as well as the sound. So, if you are looking for a great action movie that leaves you at the edge of your seat and makes you laugh quite a bit, you should rush to see "Rush Hour 2." If "Rush Hour 3" is shot, what kind of the movie will it be? _ . Answer: Processes in the food chain begin with Answer: We are so used to having a cup of tea before heading off to work, during work or after getting back from work. Tea breaks are more like a custom that takes place regularly several times a day. This tea break tradition has been happening during the past 200 years or so. Tea just happens to be a wonderful drink for most of us. The day simply feels incomplete without a hot cup of tea. However, is tea good for you? In 2006, the papers were flooded with the news of research showing that drinking 2-3 cups of tea a day is as beneficial as drinking water, with even some additional health benefits. Another report published in November 2009, stated that drinking up to eight cups of tea a day is good for you. The research conducted by nutrition expert Dr. Carrie Ruxton, debunked the popular stories about caffeinated drinks like tea, coffee and cocoa. According to Dr. Ruxton, the caffeine present in tea tends to lower the risk of heart attacks and strokes. She says that drinking 8 cups of tea a day gives the drinkers "the best levels of health-giving substances" present in tea and other caffeinated drinks. Contrary to popular belief that tea does not contain more caffeine than coffee, it actually contains almost half the amount. Caffeine is a natural thing found in many types of food and drink. It's also something that can give you a much needed lift for a demanding and tiring afternoon ahead. Research shows that proper amounts of caffeine are safe for most people. So why not take full advantage of your tea breaks at work, or make time for afternoon tea while out shopping at the weekend? And remember that tea is not just a great drink, but it helps to keep you looking and feeling healthy. What would be the best title for the passage? Answer:
Love, success, happiness, family and freedom--how important are these values to you? Here is one interview which explores the fundamental questions in life. Question: Could you introduce yourself first? Answer: My name is Misbah, 27 years old. I was born in a war-torn area. Right now I'm a web designer. Q: What are your great memories? A: My parents used to take us to hunt birds, climb trees, and play in the fields. For me it was like a holiday because we were going to have fun all day long. Those are my great memories. Q: Does your childhood mean a lot to you? A: Yes. As life was very hard, I used to work to help bring money in for the family. I spent my childhood working, with responsibilities beyond my age. However, it taught me to deal with problems all alone. I learnt to be independent. Q: What changes would you like to make in your life? A: If I could change something in my life, I'd change it so that my childhood could have taken place in another area. I would have loved to live with my family in freedom. Who cares whether we have much money, or whether we have a beautiful house? It doesn't matter as long as I can live with my family and we are safe. Q: How do your get along with your parents? A: My parents supported me until I came of age. I want to give back what I've got. That's our way. But I am working in another city. My only contact with my parents now is through the phone, but I hate using it. It filters out your emotion and leaves your voice only. My deepest feelings should be passed through sight, hearing and touch. What did Misbah desire most in his childhood? Answer: Peace and freedom. Walker, who knew nothing about horses, inherited Aberlone, a thoroughbred colt whose disagreeable behavior made him a pest around the barn. Walker sold the colt for $1,500 to Sherwood, an experienced racehorse-trainer who knew of Walker's ignorance about horses. At the time of sale, Walker said to Sherwood, "I hate to say it, but this horse is said to Sherwood, "I hate to say it, but this horse is bad-tempered and nothing special." For this question only, assume that soon after the sale, Aberlone won three races and earned $400,000 for Sherwood. Which of the following additional facts, if established by Walker, would best support his chance of obtaining rescission of the sale to Sherwood? Answer: At a pre-sale exercise session of which Sherwood knew that Walker was not aware, Sherwood clocked Aberlone in record-setting time, far surpassing any previous performance. I got tired of living the life that everybody told me I "should" be living , so one day I decided to start living life on my own terms. Frustrated with my job, I came home, put on my shoes, and just started running. It felt so good to be free. That first day I ended up running 30 miles without stopping. Yes, I had rediscovered my old passion ( ) -- and it felt so good I set a goal to support myself and my family from my running alone. I trained hard every day. Since I wanted to be the best I could be, I knew I would have to set some clear goals for myself. A couple of my goals were: run a 135-mile ultra-marathon across Death Valley, win the Badwater Ultra-Marathon, and run a marathon to the South Pole. I had no idea how I was going to achieve these goals, but they certainly encouraged me to work hard. Today, I am really grateful to say that I have achieved all of them. Shortly after completing these goals, I set another goal: to run fifty marathons, in fifty states, in fifty days. Nobody had done anything like this before. To be honest, I was not quite sure if I could. But there was only one way to find out...so I just started training and preparing to give it my best try. I completed _ one year ago, and it felt great! But for me, life is not all about achieving goals. Sure, it feels good to succeed, but the greatest reward for me was learning more about myself and what I was able to do. Only by stepping out into the unknown and stretching ourselves can we really discover what our true potential is. Which played an important role in the author's success? Answer: Setting goals Not all bodies of water are so evidently alive as the Atlantic Ocean, an S-shaped body of water covering 33 million square miles. The Atlantic has, in a sense, replaced the Mediterranean as the inland sea of Western civilization. Unlike real inland seas, which seem strangely still, the Atlantic is rich in oceanic liveliness. It is perhaps not surprising that its vitality has been much written about by ancient poets. "Storm at Sea", a short poem written around 700, is generally regarded as one of mankind's earliest artistic representations of the Atlantic. When the wind is from the west All the waves that cannot rest To the east must thunder on Where the bright tree of the sun Is rooted in the ocean's breast. As the poem suggests, the Atlantic is never dead and dull. It is an ocean that moves, impressively and endlessly. It makes all kinds of noise--it is forever thundering, boiling, crashing, and whistling. It is easy to imagine the Atlantic trying to draw breath--perhaps not so noticeably out in mid-ocean, but where it meets land, its waters bathing up and down a sandy beach. It mimics nearly perfectly the steady breathing of a living creature. It is filled with _ existences, too: unimaginable quantities of creatures, little and large alike, mix within its depths in a kind of oceanic harmony, giving to the waters a feeling of heartbeat, a kind of sub-ocean vitality. And it has a psychology. It has personalities: sometimes peaceful and pleasant, on rare occasions rough and wild; always it is strong and striking. What is the purpose of using the poem "Storm at Sea" in the passage? Answer: To represent the power of the ocean. That was my grandmother's first Christmas without Grandfather. When my parents and I arrived at her little house ,we found she had waited up all night for us. Grandfather had always said that the Christmas tree was the most important decoration of all. So first we took out the beautiful tree that was stored in the closet . But the star was _ . It was my grandmother's favorite part of the tree. "Why? It must be somewhere in the closet," my grandmother said. As we opened up boxes one by one and found no star, my grandmother's eyes were full of tears. Grandfather had given it to her some fifty years ago, on their first Christmas together. But on her first Christmas without him, the star was gone. The next morning, my family sat down together to open the presents. "The last gift is to Grandmother from Grandfather," Father said, in a strange voice. "From whom?" There was surprise in my grandmother's voice. "I found this gift in Grandfather's closet when we got the tree down," Mother explained. My grandmother opened the box. There was a shinning golden star and a note in it: Don't be angry with me, dear. I broke your star while putting away the decorations, and I couldn't bear to tell you. I hope it brings you as much happiness as the first one. Merry Christmas! Love, Bryant ,A, B, C, D,. (10) Which of the following is TRUE about the grandmother? Answer: She felt sad when the star was missing.
Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side. Most people know this joke. But recently, some people have been much more worried about how the grizzly bear and mountain lion can cross the road. "Millions of animals die each year on U.S. roads," the Federal Highway Administration reports. In fact, only about 80 ocelots, an endangered wild cat, exist in the U.S. today. The main reason? Roadkill. "Eco-passages" may help animals cross the road without being hit by cars. They are paths both over and under roads. "These eco-passages can be extremely useful, so that wildlife can avoid road accidents," said Jodi Hilty of the Wildlife Protection Society. But do animals actually use the eco-passages? The answer is yes. Paul Beier of Northern Arizona University found foot marks left by mountain lions on an eco-passage that went under a highway. This showed that the lions used the passage. Builders of eco-passages try to make them look like a natural part of an area by planting trees on and around them. Animals seem to be catching on. Animals as different as salamanders and grizzly bears are using the bridges and underpasses. The next time you visit a park or drive through an area with a lot of wildlife, look around. You might see an animal overpass! From the story, we know an eco-passage is _ . A an underground path for cars B a fence built for the safety of the area C a bridge for animals to get over a river D a path for animals to cross the road Answer: D. a path for animals to cross the road Risk of death is 3.5 t0 5 times greater for obese smokers than it is for people who have never smoked and are at a normal weight, according to a study published in the November, 2006 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. The study, which began with a self-administered questionnaire taken between 1983 and 1989, asked more than 80,000 radiologic technologists aged 22 t0 92 questions about age, height, weight and smoking behavior. BMI (body mass index) was calculated, with a BMI of 30 t0 34.9 being considered obese, and 35 and over being very obese. Smoking behavior was analyzed by looking at a person's tobacco consumption level, number of years smoked, and current smoking status. Researchers then followed participants through December of 2002, noting the number of deaths that occurred. The study involved researchers from the National Cancer Institute, the University of Minnesota and the American Registry of Radiolegic Technologists. Key Findings: 20 percent of obese adults in the United States smoke. Obese smokers face a greater risk of death from cancer and circulatory disease. Current smoking is a greater risk factor for death by cancer than obesity is, generally speaking. The higher a person's pack-years (number of packs smoked per day times the number of years smoked) are, the greater the risk of death. Men and women of all ages faced an elevated risk of death due to circulatory disease as BMI increased. And for those who were both obese and currently smoking, risk of circulatory disease increased 6 to 11 times under the age of 65, as compared to their never-smoking, normal weight counterparts. While it's not surprising that obesity coupled with smoking is a recipe for trouble, it is important to highlight this growing health concern in America today. Taking Charge of Your Health Making healthy choices can be difficult when we're constantly bombarded with products that are hazardous to our health, but it's not impossible. With education and some motivation, we all have the ability to make lasting changes for the better. If you're an overweight smoker worried about gaining weight due to quitting, take heart. It's never too late to change your course and even reverse damage to some extent. What is the purpose of the text? A To inform the readers of the findings about obese smoking. B To warn the readers of the danger of obese smoking. C To tell us what obese smoking is. D To call on the obese smolkers to quit smoking. Answer: D. To call on the obese smolkers to quit smoking. On a BA flight from Johannesburg, a middle-aged South African lady found herself sitting next to a black man. She called the cabin crew attendant over to complain about her seating. "What seems to be the problem, Madam?" Asked the attendant. "Can't you see?" She said, "You've sat me next to a black. I can't possibly sit next to this dirty disgusting human. Find me another seat!" "Please calm down, Madam," the attendant replied, "The flight is very full today, but I'll tell you what I'll do--I'll go and check to see if we have any seats available in club or first class." A few minutes later, the attendant returned with the good news, which she delivered to the lady, who cannot help but look at the people around her with a smug and self-satisfied grin. "Madam, unfortunately, as I guessed, economy is full. I've spoken to the cabin services director, and club is also full. However, we do have one seat in first class." Before the lady had a chance to answer, the attendant continued. "It's most extraordinary to make this kind of upgrade, however, and I have had to get special permission from the captain. But, according to this _ , the captain felt that it was unbelievable that someone should be forced to sit next to such an obnoxious person." Having said that, the attendant turned to the black man sitting next to the lady, and said, "So if you'd like to get your things, sir, I have your seat ready for you." At that moment, the surrounding passengers stood and gave a long-lasting ovation while the black man walked up to the front of the plane... From the passage, we can make a conclusion that _ . A people don't like those who look down on others B the attendant aboard is unfriendly C the white lady was refused to go on the plane at last D many passengers aboard don't like to sit next to the black man. Answer: A. people don't like those who look down on others Cats are the most popular pets among Americans. So it is not surprising there are many expressions about cats. Do you know any of them? Now let me introduce some to you. Some cats like to catch small birds, like canaries. If someone looks very proud or satisfied with himself, we say he looks like the cat that ate the canary. Sometimes, a cat likes to play with a small animal it catches. So if you play cat and mouse with someone, you change between different kinds of behavior when dealing with another person. For example, a child might offer something sweet to her little brother, and then take it away when reaches for it. A cat will often catch a small animal and present it to its owner. The saying that looks like something the cat dragged in describes something in bad condition. A fat cat is a person with a lot of money. There are many other expressions about cats in America. How interesting! Which kind of cat are you, or which kind would you like to be? If someone always thinks highly of himself, we can say _ . A he plays cat and mouse with someone B he looks like the cat that ate the canary C he is a lazy cat D he has dragged in something Answer: B. he looks like the cat that ate the canary One of the most widely accepted, commonly repeated assumptions in our culture is that if you exercise, you will lose weight. I exercise all the time, but I still have gut fat that hangs over my belt when I sit. Why isn't all the exercise getting rid of it? It's a question many of us could ask. More than 45 million Americans now belong to a health club, up from 23 million in 1993. We spend some $19 billion a year on gym memberships. Of course, some people join and never go. Still, as one major study -- the Minnesota Heart Survey -- found, more of us at least say we exercise regularly. And yet obesity figures have risen sharply in the same period: a third of Americans are obese, and another third count as overweight by the Federal Government's definition. Yes, it's entirely possible that those of us who regularly go to the gym would weigh even more if we exercised less. But like many other people, I get hungry after I exercise, so I often eat more on the days I work out than on the days I don't. Could exercise actually be keeping me from losing weight? The popular belief that exercise is essential for weight control is actually fairly new. As recently as the 1960s, doctors routinely advised against too much exercise, particularly for older adults who could injure themselves. Today doctors encourage even their oldest patients to exercise, which is sound advice for many reasons: People who regularly exercise are at significantly lower risk for all manner of diseases -- those of the heart in particular. They less often develop cancer and many other illnesses. But the past few years of obesity research show that the role of exercise in weight loss has been wildly over-evaluated. "In general, for weight loss, exercise is pretty useless," says Eric Ravussin, exercise researcher at Louisiana State University. Many recent studies have found that exercise isn't as important in helping people lose weight as you hear so regularly in gym advertisements or on shows likeThe Biggest Loser -- or, for that matter, from magazines like this one. The basic problem is that while it's true that exercise burns calories and that you must burn calories to lose weight, exercise has another effect: it can make one hungry. That causes us to eat more, which in turn can negate the weight-loss benefits we just gained. Exercise, in other words, isn't necessarily helping us lose weight. It may even be making it harder. What may be the best title for this passage? A Overweight Is Not Good for Your Health B Exercise Won't Make You Thin C Gym Is Part of American Lifestyle D Obesity Is a Social Problem in America Answer: B. Exercise Won't Make You Thin
Question: Here are my three photos. This is my friend, Wu Huan. She is a good girl. She is 11 years old. She is in ChongQing with her family. She likes vegetables and chicken. She doesn't like ice cream or strawberries. This is me. My name is Chen Ming. I am 12 years old. I am a middle school student in Suzhou. I like eating fruit and vegetables. But I don't like eggs or carrots. This is my friend, too. His name is Doudou. He is in Suzhou with me. He likes bones . He doesn't like broccoli. He likes playing with balls. He is a nice dog! Which is the best title of the text? A. My friend and I. B. My family. C. My dog and I. D. My three photos. Answer: D. My three photos. Question: In tests, it shrank breast tumours by 80 percent and researchers believe it could also treat prostate, pancreatic, bowel and ovarian cancers. Even tumours that resist treatment with the best medicines on the market, including the "wonder drug" Herceptin, may surrender to the vaccine. The experiments so far have been on mice - but researchers hope to pilot the drug on people within two years. If all goes well, the vaccine could be on the market by 2020. Rather than attacking cancer cells, like many drugs, the new treatment arouses the power of the immune system to fight tumours. The search for vaccines has been prevented by fears that healthy tissue would be destroyed along with tumours. Researchers from the University of Georgia and the Mayo Clinic in the US focused on a protein called MUC1 that is made in bigger amounts in cancerous cells than in healthy ones.Not only is there more of it, but a sugar that it is "decorated" with has a distinctive shape. The vaccine trains the immune system to recognise the rogue sugar and turn its weapons against the cancer. "Cancer cells have a special way of thwarting the immune system by putting sugars on the surface of tumour cells so they can travel around the body without being detected," researcher Professor Sandra Gendler said. "To enable the immune system to recognise the sugar it took a special vaccine that had three parts to it. "She said it was this that "turned out to be a winning combination". The passage mainly recommends me _ A. a sugar that it is decorated with a distinctive shape. B. a medicine that could attack cancers. C. a protein that exists in cancerous cells D. a vaccine that could treat fatal cancers. Answer: D. a vaccine that could treat fatal cancers. Question: Facebook is now used by 30 million people in the UK,about half the population. Joanna Shields,vice president of Facebook Europe,made the announcement this morning at a media conference in London. She said: "We can announce today that we have reached 30 million in the UK,which we are really excited about." Globally,Facebook has more than 500 million registered users,a milestone it hit last summer.Last July,it also revealed that it had 26 million registered UK users.In the last eight months,it has attracted four million extra UK users,bringing the UK total to 30 million,while in January 2009,Facebook had only 150 million registered users. Last year,Zuckerberg,Facebook's founder,said it was "almost a guarantee" that the site would hit one billion users.He explained: "If we succeed in innovating,there is a good chance of bringing this to a billion people...it will be interesting to see how it comes true." One third of women aged 18 to 34 check Facebook when they first wake up,before even going to the toilet,according to research.Twenty-one per cent of women aged between 18 to 34 check Facebook in the middle of the night,while 42 per cent of the same group think it is fine to post drunken photos of themselves onto the social network,a study by Oxygen Media found. Shields was speaking this morning at the Financial Times Digital Media and Broadcasting Conference about the power Facebook's referrals can bring to media sites,such as newspapers and TV services. She explained that the average Facebook user has 130 friends who they share links to media sites with on a regular basis."Media companies which take advantage of that are really seeing the benefits",Shields said. Shields refused to say whether Facebook would develop its own mobile phone operating system and also said it was "silly" that Google had recently disabled the feature which allowed Google users to sync their contacts with Facebook friends. From the passage we know that _ . A. Facebook would develop its own mobile phone operating system B. Google didn't allow its users to sync their contacts with Facebook friends C. Shields refused to admit the power Facebook's referrals could bring D. Google was always silly Answer: B. Google didn't allow its users to sync their contacts with Facebook friends Question: Although the New Year is already here, the great moments of the past year are still in the memory. Let's look back at some of them. United States One of the world's largest New Year's Eve parties was held in Times Square, New York. The festival attracted hundreds of thousands of people to watch a brightly-lit ball drop on a landmark building at the stroke (, ) of midnight. A great amount of confetti was released from the sky at zero o'clock. Britain Painted in shinning colors, blowing whistles, 50,000 party-goers arrived in London's Millennium Dome to dance in the New Year. The Millennium Dome came to life at midnight as 50 DJs started up, competing on five separate dance floors to warm the crowd into the party mood. Russia New Year is the biggest holiday in Russia. It is traditional to put up a tree for celebrations with family and friends. On the very last day of last year, Russians with a taste for a very cold swim braved freezing temperatures to plant traditional, festival trees on the bed of the Northern Ocean and at the bottom of Lake Baikal, the world's deepest lake. Malaysia Brave skydivers threw themselves off the world's tallest building near midnight and floated towards the New Year. The jump from the 452-metre Petronas Twin Tower was called a real leap from one year to the next since the group took off in the last second of the old year and landed a minute later in the New Year. "That was really cool," said Roland Simpson, "over crowds of onlookers to the landing spot." Which of the following is NOT traditional to welcome a new year? A. Sharing the happiness and excitement together. B. Setting up a tree for celebrations. C. Planting trees on the bed of a lake. D. 50 DJs' competing on five separate floors. Answer: D. 50 DJs' competing on five separate floors. Question: Which type of cell must perform all life functions? A. candida B. sea turtle C. dragonfly D. daisy Answer: A. candida
A meteorite flew fast across the sky and exploded over central Russia on Friday, raining fireballs over a vast area and causing a shock wave that smashed windows, damaged buildings and injured l,200 people. People heading to work in Chelyabinsk heard what sounded like an explosion, saw a bright light and then felt the shock wave. According to Russian space agency Roscosmos, the fireball, travelling at a speed of 30km per second, had burnt very brightly across the horizon, leaving a long white trail that could be seen as far as 200km away. Car alarms went off, thousands of windows shattered and mobile phone networks were disrupted. "I was driving to work, it was quite dark, but it suddenly became as bright as if it were day," said Viktor Prokofiev, 36, a resident of Yekaterinburg in the Urals Mountains. "I felt like I was blinded by headlights." The meteorite, which weighed about 20 tons and may have been made of iron, entered Earth's atmosphere and broke apart 30-50km above ground, according to Russia's Academy of Sciences. The energy released when it entered the Earth's atmosphere was about several thousand tons, the academy said, the power of a small atomic weapon exploding. No deaths were reported, but the Emergencies Ministry said 20,000 rescue and clean-up workers were sent to the region after President Vladimir Putin told Emergencies Minister Vladimir Puchkov to ease the disruption and help the victims. The Interior Ministry said about l,200 people had been injured, at least 200 of them children, and most from broken pieces of glass."While events this big are rare, an impact that could cause damage and death could happen every century or so. Unfortunately there is absolutely nothing we can do to stop impacts." It can be inferred that the loss caused by meteorites _ . Answer: is nearly unavoidable A needle lined with magnets will pull north. If north is to the right and you want to go west, you'd walk Answer: straight Reading for pleasure is declining among primary-age pupils, and increasing numbers of "time poor" parents are dropping the practice of sharing bedtime stories with their children once they start school. Research presented to a conference last week found that, while parents read to preschoolers, this later tails off, and by the final year of primary school only around 2% read to their children every day. Once children can read skillfully, parents tend to step back, and this usually happens at the age of seven or eight. The report also found that 82% of teachers blame the government's "target--driven" education policies for the fact that fewer children are reading for pleasure. They believe that a straitjacket of strictly organized schooling is containing young people's ability to read more widely. Two-thirds of teachers surveyed said they lacked time in the school day to introduce a variety of books and that this was a "major obstacle to being able to develop a level of reading". Teachers also cited as main factors the reduction in the number of school librarians, who could put interesting books before children, and the rise in "screen time", switching children from reading to playing games. The majority of teachers said the curriculum's " emphasis on reading as a skill to be mastered" was increasing the pressure. This was _ by parents who saw reading just as a focus of learning, a skill critical to career advancement in a competitive world. Reading habits and the digital revolution in publishing were key topics of debate at the conference. The theme of the lack of British culture was supported by children's writer Frank Cottrell Boyce, who wrote the scripts( ) for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2012 Olympics. "We discovered the whole nation had forgotten that they did the industrial revolution," he said. "Books are so central to it; books can be written by anyone. A lot of the pleasure of a book is listening to somebody read it to you. " "We found a real love of reading among teachers, and a strong desire ,to encourage more children to read for pleasure ,"said Rob Cheney," However, the teachers also had an overpowering sense of frustration with their situation." "Touch-screen phone and tablets ( )are naturally attractive to children ," the survey Said ,and predicted a period of awkwardness as everyone else adapts . By 2018, children's television will have adopted the presence of this second screen, and it "will be strange not to have children, at home drawing along on tablets and then having these appearing live in the show ". The hope is "that user-friendly screens could, if material is adapted and downloaded easily, present an opportunity for more ambitious publishing - for example, books children can either read or choose to have read to them; or digital books with moving pictures instead of photos to clarify factual and scientific points. Parental controls that are easy to use would be key, the conference was told, such as "a warning for when devices use the Wi-Fi, especially after bedtimes", to allow parents to shut off access to children in the home. What leads to parents' dropping the practice of sharing bedtime stories with their children? Answer: Parents think it unnecessary to do so when children can read themselves. A year ago August, Dave Fuss lost his job driving a truck for a small company in west Michigan. His wife, Gerrie, was still working in the local school cafeteria , but work for Dave was scarce (,), and the price of everything was rising. The Fusses were at risk of joining the millions of Americans who have lost their homes in recent years. Then Dave and Gerrie received a timely gift--$7,000,a legacy from their neighbors Ish and Arlene Hatch, who died in an accident . " It really made a difference when we were going under financially, " says Dave. But the Fusses weren't the only folks in Alto and the neighboring town of Lowell to receive unexpected legacy from the Hatches. Dozens of other families were touched by the Hatches' generosity. In some cases, it was a few thousand dollars ; in others, it was more than $100,000. It surprised nearly everyone that the Hatches had so much money, more than $3 million--they were an elderly couple who lived in an old house on what was left of the family farm . Children of the Great Depression, Ish and Arlene were known for their habit of saving, They thrived on comparison shopping and would routinely go from store to store, checking prices before making a new purchase . Through the years, the Hatches paid for local children to attend summer camp when their parents couldn't afford it. "Ish and Arlene never asked if you needed anything," says their friend Sand Van Weelden, "They could see things they could do to make you happier, and they would do them. Even more extraordinary was that the Hatches had their farmland distributed (;). It was the Hatches' wish that their legacy--a legacy of kindness as much as one of dollars and cents should enrich the whole community and last for generations to come. Neighbors helping neighbors ----that was Ish and Arlene Hatch's story. According to Sand Van Weelden, the Hatches were _ . Answer: understanding My first performance in front of an audience was coming up soon. I tried as hard as I could to keep calm, but my heart was racing. I stared down at my sweat-covered, shaking hands. I looked up again at the audience, realizing that these were real people. They were not just my mum and dad, who would say, "Good job!" even if I missed up the whole piece. What if I had the wrong music? What if I played the wrong notes? As it turned out, I was never able to answer these questions because the spotlight was waiting for me. I grasped my hands tightly together, drying off the sweat. Slowly I walked to the mud-brown piano in the centre of the room. It had 88 _ keys, which were waiting impatiently to be played. _ in my throat and sat down. Slowly, I opened the music. Next, I rested my still shaking hands on the keys. As my fingers played across the keys, I was becoming more unsure of my preparation for this moment. But the memory of my year of training came flooding back. I knew that I had practised this piece so many times that I could play it backwards if asked. Although at one point I accidently played two keys instead of the intended one, I continued to move my fingers automatically . My eyes burned holes into the page in front of me. There was no way that I was going to lose my concentration. To keep this promise to myself, I leaned forward and concentrated carefully on the music. When I came to the end of the page, a warning went off inside my head: don't make a mistake when you turn the page! Needless to say, I obeyed myself with all my heart and mind, and was proud of my "page-turning" feat . I finished the rest of the piece without making a single mistake. I had finished. I had mastered the impossible. Before the writer gave her first performance, _ . Answer: her heart beat very fast.
It took 100 years, but finally, scientists proved Albert Einstein's theory that gravitational waves exist. The waves were predicted as part of Einstein's general theory of relativity nearly 100 years ago. It was the theory of the physics behind the workings of our world and the universe. The idea was that the waves are like ripples in space, caused by some of the violent and energetic processes in the universe. For example, two black holes crashing into each other. Now a group of scientists, including ones from Caltech, MIT and the LIGO Scientific, Collaboration finally found the gravitational waves. David Reitze is the executive director of the LIGO observatory at Caltech. "We have detected gravitational waves. We did it!" What are these gravitational waves? Well, imagine throwing a rock into a pond. When the rock hits the flat surface of the water, it creates ripples or waves. Space-time is like the surface of the water. So that means gravitational waves are like the ripples moving out from where the rock hits the water. It might be hard to understand, but those gravitational waves expand and contract space and time as they move through space. And when they get to the Earth, the waves pass through, and they contract and expand the planet as the waves go by. It was Einstein who said these gravitational waves should be observable. But these are not huge waves. They are very, very small, which is why it took so long to find them. You cannot see them with your eyes. They are smaller than the size of an atom. How did the scientists find them? They used a giant scientific tool called LIGO, which stands for the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory. The billion-dollar LIGO project is two L-shaped observatories. One is in Louisiana and the other in Washington state. For years, scientists have been watching two black holes in another faraway galaxy. The two were spinning around each other, moving closer and closer together. When they finally crashed into each other, it was with such power and force that gravitational waves rang throughout the universe, like a giant bell. Those waves, traveling at the speed of light, finally reached the Earth, some l. 3 billion years later. They are the same waves that the scientists announced this past week. So, what does this discovery mean? Our understanding of the heavens changed dramatically. Why are gravitational waves difficult to detect? Answer: Until a few months ago, he was a butler in one of the more expensive residential buildings in Manhattan. But now, Nepal-born Indra Tamang is the owner of two multi-million dollar apartments in the same building. The former owner - his former employer, Ruth Ford - died last year and left the apartments to Mr Tamang in her will. Mr Tamang is happy but quickly points out that his good fortune did not come easily. "I am happy and have been touched by the generosity of the Ford family," he says. "I never expected that I will be given the ownership of these apartments. But I have been working for the family for the last 36 years, devotedly, with honesty and dedication . So my hard work has been rewarded." Mr Tamang was 21 when he was brought from Nepal by Charles Ford, a writer and a photographer. Mr Ford died in 2002; his sister, actress Ruth Ford, then took charge and told Mr Tamang that he was like a brother to her after Charles's death. Mrs Ford died aged 98. During the last five years of her life, she lost her eyesight and also developed speech problems. Mr Tamang looked after her most of the time and took care of her medicines and food. He also worked with Charles Ford on various photography projects, which he now wants to keep as the photographer's legacy . He hopes to organize exhibitions of Mr Ford's photographs and edit a book of his works. Mr Tamang plans to sell the bigger, three-bedroom apartment to pay the taxes he owes to the government on his legacy. He says: "The rules of the building might be a problem, as they require a minimum monthly income to qualify to live as owner of apartments. I have my small house here but I am happy with it," Mr Tamang has learnt his lesson from the life of his employers and plans to use his money with great caution. "I think one should save money for old age. That's when you need it the most to get care," he says. What DIDN'T Mr Tamang do in the Ford family? Answer: A boy who was nervous on his first day of school climbed onto a third-floor balcony and put legs over the side. His mother and teachers tried their best to bring him down, but failed. However, a firefighter who dressed as "Spiderman" succeeded in saving him. Firefighter David Smith was called in after the 6-year-old's teachers and mother had failed to get him down from the balcony. "He was asking for his mother, "Smith said. "He was crying, and wouldn't let any of us get near him." After hearing a conversation between the boy's mother and his teachers about his love of superheroes , Smith hurried home to get his Spiderman clothes. "I told him 'Spiderman is here to save you. No one will hurt you now,'" Smith said. "Then I told him to walk slowly toward me. I was really nervous that he might fall if he got too excited and started running." Then the crying boy broke into a smile and walked into the fireman's arms. The fictional superhero was created by writer Stan Lee in the early 1960s. It has recently become popular again through a series of movies made about him. In them he is acted by superstar Tobey Maguire, who acted with Kirsten Dunst and James Franco. How did the fireman succeed in saving the boy? Answer: A popular saying goes, "Sticks and stone may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." However, that's not really true. Words have the power to build us up or tear us down. It doesn't matter if the words come from someone else or ourselves-the positive and negative effects are just as lasting. We all talk to ourselves sometimes. We're usually too embarrassed to admit it, though. But we really shouldn't be, because more and more experts believe talking to ourselves out loud is a healthy habit. This self-talk helps us motivate ourselves, remember things, solve problems, and calm ourselves down. Beware, though, that as much as 77% of self-talk tends to be negative. So in order to stay positive, we should only speak words of encouragement to ourselves. We should also be quick to give ourselves a pat on the back. The next time you finish a project, do well in a test, or finally clean your room, join me in saying, "Good job !" Often, words come out of our mouths without our thinking about the effects they will have; but we should be aware that our words cause certain responses to others. For example, when returning an item to a store, we might use warm friendly language during the exchange. And the clerk will probably respond in a similar manner. Or we can use harsh, critical language, which will most likely cause the clerk to be defensive. Words possess power because of their lasting effects. Many of us regret something we once said. And we remember unkind words said to us! Before speaking, we should always ask ourselves:Is it true? Is it loving? Is it needed? If what we want to say doesn't pass this test, then it's better left unsaid. Words possess power both positive and negative. Those around us receive encouragement when we speak positively. We can offer hope, build self-esteem and motivate others to do their best. Negative words destroy all those things. Will we use our words to hurt or to heal?The choice is ours. Why should we talk in a friendly way when returning an item to a store? Answer: On a Saturday morning earlier this September, the world got its first look at the Strati. This electric vehicle is unlike any other currently on the road. It rolls on four wheels, but its body and chassis weren't built in a factory. Instead, Strati's designers used a technology called 3-D printing. It created those parts of the car in one piece, from the ground up. "Compared to a typical vehicle on the road, the Strati definitely looks different," says Greg Schroeder, a senior research engineer at the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Mich. He did not work on the new car. His organization studies trends and changes in the auto industry. It took 44 hours to print the new car at the International Manufacturing Technology Show in Chicago. Over the next few days, the car's designers installed additional parts. These included the car's engine, brakes and tires. Then, early on September 13, Jay Rogers climbed into the car, started its engine and drove the vehicle onto the street. Rogers helped found Local Motors. It's the Arizona-based company behind the Strati. Two weeks later, his team printed a second Strati, and just as fast, at a fair in New York City. Justin Fishkin, a local Motors official, sees the Strati as a window into the future. Today, car buyers are limited in their choice of a vehicle. They can order only what car companies have already designed. But in the future, he says, you may be able to design your own car online and then get it printed to order. Manufacturing experts say 3-D printing has begun to revolutionize how they make things. The technology has been around for decades. But these machines used to be so expensive that only large companies could afford them. In the last few years, though, that has changed. Many of the machines are now inexpensive enough for small companies--or even individuals --to own. Some local libraries make them available to the public. High Schools are beginning to use them in classrooms. Wide access to these printers means people can now design and print a wide variety of new things. The car's printer is a one-of-a-kind device. The technology behind the 3-D printer used in Chicago is an example of additive manufacturing. This process builds solid objects, slice by slice, from the bottom up. ("Strati" means layers, in Italian.) A mechanical arm moves a _ from one side to another, back and forth. As it moves, the nozzle deposits a liquid--often melted plastic or metal (but it could be food, concrete or even cells) --that quickly hardens or bonds to become solid or semi-solid. This creates a single, thin layer. Once a layer is complete, the printer starts depositing the next one. "There's a lot of interest in 3-D printing in the auto industry," says Schroeder. Right now, the technology is particularly useful for building models of cars or car parts. To compete with current auto manufacturers, the 3-D printer would have to increase in a hurry, Schroeder says. By contrast, he notes, a Ford F-150 pickup truck rolls off an assembly line at a rate of roughly one per minute. To print as many Stratis would require many more printers. Schroeder says he doesn't see 3-D printing soon taking over for such high-volume manufacturing. But, he adds, "Who knows what will happen in the long term?" Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee designed the 3-D printer used in Chicago. Lonnie Love, a research scientist at the lab, led the effort. Additive manufacturing often is slow and expensive. It also may produce materials that are unreliable, Love says. So for two years, his team searched for ways to make 3-D printing better. They built new machines and tested them over and over. All of that work paid off: their new machine is fast and uses less expensive material than earlier printers. In addition, it prints a plastic embedded with fibers of carbon to produce a stronger material. This helps ensure the material won't crack or break under pressure. Which of the following statements about the first Strati is TRUE? Answer:
A water bearer in India had two large pots,each hung on each end of a pole which he neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full load of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master's house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For two years this went on daily. The perfect pot was proud of its accomplishment. Of course,the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection. After two years of this sense of bitter failure, it spoke one day to the water bearer by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you. " "Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?" "I have been able for these last two years to deliver only half my load, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back. And you do no get full value for your efforts" the pot explained. The water bearer, hearing this, said, "As we return to the master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path. " As they wnet up the hill, the cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it a little. The bearer said, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side ?" That is because I have known about you, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you have watered them. For two years I have been able to pick those beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty in his house. " Why did the cracked pot feel ashamed? A. Because it didn't hold water. B. Because the water bearer didn't like it. C. Because it didn't have a perfect appearance. D. Because it could only accomplish half of its load. Answer: D When my parents were alive, they weren't well off financially. Yet they helped their two older daughters time after time. My sisters paid Mom and Dad back part of the time, but when Daddy passed away, his cash journal showed debts due from several of his children. I was not among them. I seldom borrowed money and when I did, at the beginning I set a repayment plan and stuck to it. It was a matter of pride for me. When you think that I was raised in the same household with my brothers and sisters and had the same parents, it is hard to figure out why I was the only one who couldn't stand to owe them -- or anyone -- money. Maybe it's because I watched my parents struggle to help my older sisters out when they were in financial difficulties themselves. Maybe it's because of that reason, I was just too proud to depend on anyone else. These days, I am the one of those other people turn to for help when they need it. Just as I can't stand to owe other people, I can't stand to say no to anyone who presents a credible case of need. So I am what is called an"enabler". Being an enabler is an insidious disorder. It starts simply enough when you help someone with an extraordinary expense created by an unusual event. Then when people find out you will provide aid, they ask you more and more and you -- being a nice person -- just keep giving. It's a hard cycle to break and I personally have no clue how to escape. I'm not angry. I'm not holding a grudge. I don't try to tell my children or my sisters how to run their lives because they ask me for money. Yet I would be so proud of all of them if they were to make more of an effort to handle things themselves, perhaps by doing some financial planning -- like planning not to spend money they don't have! And I don't see why they can't do this. After all, I'm not lassoing them and forcing them to take my money. I'm just not good at saying"no". So I ask you, what can I do when so many people around me have no shame in owing others money? On the other hand, I am doing them a greatdisserviceby my"kindness". I remember as a child how my father always said these two things,"If at first you don't succeed, try, try again,"and"I can't get stuck in the fence. I'll try to pull it down."As an enabler, I have prevented my children from learning to keep trying instead of turning to me for help. Yes, they could change their ways and learn to get along on their own, but why would they do that? Who among us would choose to be out of a car because we can't afford to fix it when Mom will supply the money to get it fixed? Yes, I am an enabler; and I am wronging my children by enabling them to be less than self-sufficient. I have known this for a long time but I still can't say no. What prevents the children from changing their ways and getting along on their own? A. Their mother's kind action. B. Their financial state. C. Their lack of creativity and courage. D. Their traditional culture. Answer: A Tom Becker has won the 2007 Waterstone's children's book prize with his first novel, Darkside, receiving a cheque for PS1,000 and the promise of display in branches of the book store across the country. The 25-year-old author described winning as an "unbelievable feeling". "I didn't think my book would be on the shortlist and stood a chance of winning, and it's amazing to receive such an important award at the beginning of my writing career. Needless to say I am absolutely made up." he said. The novel, inspired by film noir , fantasy and a fascination with the dark side of the 19th century, is for children between the ages of nine and 12. It tells the story of a boy, Jonathan Stirling, who discovers a similar world filled with vampires and werewolves . This alternative reality has a clearly Victorian air, and is ruled by a descendant of Jack the Ripper. Soon hunters from the other side begin searching for Jonathan, who finds himself driven into their world. Waterstone's head children's buyer, Wayne Winstone, thought highly of Becker's "huge" achievement. He said: "Tom Becker's writing style attracts you in the same way that Darren Shan's does with his mix of adventure and the supernatural. "I have a feeling that Tom has real potential and could be one of the big names in children's writing in the future." This year's shortlist also included Michael Broad's Jake Cake, Philip Caveney's Sebastian Darke and Siobhan Dowd's A Swift Pure Cry. Last year's prize was won by Julia Golding with The Diamond of Drury Lane. What can we infer from the passage? A. Tom Becker is likely to be a most promising novelist in children's writing in the future. B. Darren Shan's novels are all very popular with children between the ages of 9 and 12. C. The Waterstone's children's book prize is an important prize for young novelists. D. The novels of Michael Broad, Philip Caveney and Siobhan Dowd will be on the shortlist next year. Answer: A You surely want to take a good school yearbook photo, for you only get to do it once, and it's what people remember you by for the whole school year. Learn how to look good and look natural in your yearbook photo with these simple tips. 1. Practice smiling in a mirror. It sounds crazy, but figuring out how to make a natural looking smile for the camera does need a little preparation. Don't be shy! Just imagine you are in front of a camera --hold your head high, look straight into the mirror and smile. Keep practicing until you find out your most attractive smiling face. 2. Choose your color wisely. In yearbook photos, lots of people look good in darker colors because they draw attention to the face. Generally, white often isn't the best choice because it can make your skin look a bit gray, especially if you're pale. Besides, stay away from super -bright colors ( bright yellow, bright blue) unless you're really sure they make you look perfect. 3. Avoid unnecessary details. Busy patterns draw attention to themselves in yearbook photos, not to your face and smile. Save them for your everyday fashion experiments. Besides, have your clothes prepared for the day when the yearbook photo is taken. The last thing you want to do is pick out the perfect thing to wear, only to find that it's in the laundry. 4. Avoid big changes to your appearance. Big changes may not turn out the way you hope. Leave some time to do your hair, such as combing it up right before the yearbook photo is taken. Don't overdo it, since you want your hair to stay in one place and your face to draw all the attention, but go for the "less is more" approach. The best title of this passage is _ . A. How to Make Yourself Look Good B. How to Do When Taking a School Photo C. How to Get Ready for Your School Photo-taking D. How to Make a Good School Photo Book Answer: C In gym class a student kicks a soccer ball high into the air. As the ball goes upward, which type of energy is increasing? A. kinetic energy B. thermal energy C. potential energy D. mechanical energy Answer: C
Today I was at the mall waiting for friends, when a lady wearing a knit hat and a sweater came up to me and, shivering, said, "I'm homeless. Would you mind buying me some food?" In that split second, everything I'd learned since kindergarten flashed through my mind. Don't talk to strangers ... Be a good citizen ... People will take advantage of you ... Treat others as you wish to be treated ... The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return ... I guess love won the debate. "Sure," I said. "What would you like?" She thought and then said, "I'd like to get Chinese food." We headed upstairs. On the way she told me about when she was a teenager. She remembers taking pictures for the yearbook with her best friend. She was in the band and played basketball. She got good grades and was a good student. She ordered soup, an egg roll, white rice, and pepper chicken. I would normally think that was a lot, but she had probably barely eaten in the last few days. I got my usual - lo mein and General Tso's chicken. As we ate, we got to know each other. She asked if I played any instruments. I replied that I played the violin, cello, and guitar. She told me she played the flute, piano, guitar, and violin. In the middle of our meal, I realized something. And she thought of it at exactly the same time. "So, what's your name?" she asked. "I'm Claire," I said, startled at our exact same thought. "What's yours?" "Joyce," she said with a smile. We continued talking, and she asked my favorite subjects in school and if I wanted to go to college. "Hopefully," I replied. "I'm interested in nursing." "I went to college for nursing," she said. I was taken aback. How could we have so much in common? Was she pretending so I'd feel sympathy for her? But her eyes were genuine as she said this. Meanwhile I was eating my lo mein, picking around the cabbage and the other vegetables. Joyce said, "If you don't like it you can take it back." I told her that I liked it, but was not fond of the vegetables. She broke into a big grin. "You don't like vegetables, huh? Neither did I. But now I do." I immediately felt guilty. How could I be picking at my food across from someone who barely gets to eat at all? I tried my best to finish, but she seemed to sense my guilt and said, "You don't have to eat it if you don't want it." How could she know what I was feeling? I told her the dish was my favorite, but I just eat slowly. She replied, "I used to like lo mein, but pepper chicken was my dad's favorite, so I get that now." Noticing that she used the word "was," I assumed her dad had passed away. I found it sweet that she gave up her favorite in order to honor her dad. She asked why I was at the mall. "I'm waiting for friends. We're going to see 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,'" I replied, stumbling over the words a bit. "'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,'" she echoed in awe. "What's that about?" I realized that she didn't see commercials for movies. I explained the basic plot and she chuckled. "A man who is born 80 years old and ages backwards! That sounds interesting." She got up to get a to-go box. "Would you like one?" she asked, but I refused. I realized that this food would probably last her for a few days, and I was glad she had ordered a lot. "Would you like these?" I asked, gesturing at the food I had left untouched. "Oh, no, thank you," she said. "This is enough." I got up to throw my tray away, feeling guilty about wasting so much. "I need to meet my friends now," I explained. "It was so nice to meet you, Joyce." "You too, Claire," she replied with a smile. "Thank you." I headed to the theater, and she went back downstairs. It sounds like a perfect coincidence, but I can't help but think that some force compelled us to meet. I kept puzzling, Why is Joyce homeless? It seems so unfair. She shouldn't need people to buy her dinner. She was a nurse. She got good grades. She took pictures for her yearbook. She was the person I hope to be in the future. What went wrong? How could such a good life be rewarded with horrible luck? I feel lucky to have run into Joyce. She changed my outlook. She is still a wonderful person, despite what the world has done to her. I wish her the best, and can only hope that the force that brought us together will help her find what she deserves in life. Which detail doesn't show the coincidence in the story? When Claire headed to the theater, Joyce went back downstairs. Wait for it...that sigh of relief you hearing is wives, girlfriends and partners across London celebrating the end of Movember. This year's annual moustache-growing campaign in London will surpass 2014 fundraising numbers. Last year, London men grew enough facial hair to raise S 200,000. As of Thursday, 2015 fundraising sat at $250.000, with additional money still expected to roll in. "Well, I think London is a pretty charitable community," said Lincoln McCardle, president of the London chapter. "Whether it is a food drive or Movember, we always step up and either meet or surpass the goal." As a result of last year's success, London was awarded a wrap-up gala , which took place Thursday night at Jim Bob Ray's on Richmond Street. "Up until now, the galas have been happening in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary," said McCandle. "We wanted to have a gala. I told the guys in head office in Toronto, to pick a number - not to tell me - but if we hit it, I want a gala in London. And we did. It is a chance to thank the people who registered, hand out a few awards and have some fun. " This year, 60 percent of the money collected in Canada will still go to prostrate cancer research with the remaining 40 percent being directed towards men's mental health. For men looking for a professional to take off their month-long growth, there are a number of "shave-off" events around the city Friday. One will be at David E. White at the corner of Richmond Street and Queens Avenue. For a $20 donation, your prized moustache will be professionally removed. Organizers are hoping to set a Guinness World Record for the most number of shaves given in a day. Started in Australia in 2003, the craze found its way to Canadian men by 2007, and in the last couple of years, Canada has collected more, setting the pace in terms of fundraising. Money raised has traditionally gone toward prostate-cancer research, which is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in men, according to Health Canada. Which Guinness World Record the organizers may set? The number of moustaches removed in a day. With the average temperature for January standing at -50 degC,it is no wonder the Russian village of Oymyakon is the coldest permanently inhabited settlement in the world.Known as the"Pole of Cold",the coldest ever temperature recorded in Oymyakon is -71.2 degC.This is the lowest recorded temperature for any permanently inhabited location on Earth and the lowest temperature recorded in the northern hemisphere . Ironically,Oymyakon actually means"nonfreezing water"due to a nearby hot spring.Most homes in Oymyakon still burn coal and wood for heat and enjoy few modern conveniences. Nothing grows there so people eat reindeer meat and horsemeat.A single shop provides the town's bare necessities and the locals work as reindeerbreeders,hunters and icefishermen. There are few modern conveniences in the village--with many buildings still having outdoor toilets--and most people still burn coal and wood for heat.When coal deliveries are irregular,the power station starts burning wood.If the power ceases,the town shuts down in about five hours,and the pipes freeze and crack. Daily problems that come with living in Oymyakon include pen ink freezing,glasses freezing to people's faces and batteries losing power.Locals are said to leave their cars running all day for fear of not being able to restart them.Even if there was coverage for mobile phone reception,the phones themselves would not work in such conditions. Another problem caused by the frozen temperatures is burying dead bodies,which can take anything up to three days.The earth must first have thawed sufficiently in order to dig it,so a bonfire is lit for a couple of hours.Hot coals are then pushed to the side and a hole couple of inches deep is dug.The process is repeated for several days until the hole is deep enough to bury the coffin. Travel companies offer tourists the opportunity to visit the village and sample life in the freezing conditions. Mobile phones would not work in Oymyakon because _ . the extreme coldness makes the batteries lose power To get the right job you need to be attractive to employers from the moment they first hear about you. We specialize in thoroughly preparing professional people for effective job searching. Our confidential and professional service includes: l a personal interview with one of our qualified counselors; l advice and training in approaching employers; l all application letters prepared and professionally typed or you; l an individually-prepared CV that emphasizes your achievements; l training in interview techniques. Our service will ensure that employers put you on their short list and that you present yourself positively and effectively at the interview. SUSANBRIGHT CVs: 891 New Oxford Street, London WC1TSJK 019978091 It can be inferred from the context that CV most probably means_. a resume Dear David, I'm glad you would like to share your feelings with me. It's hardly surprising that your feelings of not being "grown up" have come on strongly at this point in your life, just before you're about to become a father. You are asking: will I make a good father? How will I deal with? Should I have brought another little person into the world? Can I provide for it? Heeelp! I think nearly every sensitive about-to-be-parent must have these occasional feelings of self-doubt and inadequacy before the birth and it would be most unusual if you didn't share them. It's difficult, honestly, to feel grown-up unless you have something less grown-up to relate to. The boss with a hen-pecking wife may feel like a seven-year-old when he's at home. But as he walks through the office door, and knows he's going to be surrounded by staff looking to him for advice, he grows into a fully mature man. And I think it's a mistake to imagine that we all feel, as we age, a kind of progression of states, from the baby to the adult. Most people feel, on Tuesday, about three years old, and on a Wednesday, around 80. I remember feeling very grown-up at eight, a time when I was weighed down with responsibility. These days, much older, I can, in the company of people I feel at ease with, feel like a young girl. There's a common remark that "all men are little boys", but it's not true. It's more true that men often behave like little boys. But nearly all people, at some moments in their lives, are able of great maturity. Once your baby arrives, you'll soon feel less childlike, or rather, less often. When your child tries to put its fingers into the electric plug, the adult in you will rise up to prevent it. You'll see you have very little in common with a needy child, particularly if it's looking to you for comfort and support. Comfort yourself, David, with two truths. One is that your friends laugh when they talk about this subject because they, like you, feel frightened. And remember that people who haven't grown up don't go around talking about the fact that they don't feel grown-up. Hope my advice will be helpful and good luck to you and your little one. Sincerely Yours, Miss Advice According to the passage, Miss Advice thinks David's self-doubt _ . natural
" Yeah! Auntie is here! " screamed my husband's niece and nephew together. " Let me get the door!" " No, let me !" Each one's goal was to get there first and open the door for their Auntie, Me! I couldn't get enough of them, of their youthful love of life, and their excitement every time I visited! To be honest, it was partially because of the Surprise Travel Bag that I carried in. It was a tradition that I started when they were young. Each time I went to see them, I would take a large bag filled with toys, coloring books, candy, magic markers and "games". The contents were different but the rules were not. They included: one may get a turn to choose what activity we would do; another may take a turn to go first when we played a game; ..... We shared the treats after the games and cleaned up after we played . Then, sadly, they watched the Surprise Travel Bag go away with their Auntie. Now my niece and nephew have grown into young adults. They spend most of their visits listening to their iPods, messaging on their phones.... I completely forgot that I had put my two Surprise Travel Bags in the basement until my husband found them this weekend. I held the bags tightly in my arms, remembering our laughter and fun-filled get-togethers. My big decision now is to whom I will pass the Surprise Travel Bags so that the fun that the bags help to create can continue. Why did the author forget the Surprise Travel Bags? A Because she is too old to remember them. B Because the children have grown up and have their own interests. C Because she has put too many things in the basement. D Because she doesn't like the children any longer. Answer: B. Because the children have grown up and have their own interests. Asexually produced offspring are genetically A identical to the parent B different from the parent C different from each other D formed by two parents Answer: A. identical to the parent It is a familiar scene these days: employees taking newly laidoff coworkers out for a drink for comfort. But which side deserves sympathy more, the jobless or the still employed? On March 6, researchers at a conference at the University of Cambridge heard data suggesting it's the latter. Brendan Burchell, a Cambridge sociologist, presented his analysis based on various surveys conducted across Europe. The data suggest that employed people who feel insecure in their jobs show similar levels of anxiety and depression as those who are unemployed. Although a newly jobless person's mental health may "bottom out" after about six months, and then even begin to improve,the mental state of people who are continuously worried about losing their job "just continues to get worse and worse," Burchell says. Evolutionary psychologists support this theory by arguing that human beings feel more stress during times of insecurity because they sense an immediate but invisible threat. Patients have been known to experience higher levels of anxiety, for example, while waiting for examination results than knowing what they are suffering from -- even if the result is cancer. It's better to get the bad news and start doing something about it rather than wait with anxiety. When the uncertainty continues, people stay in a nonstop "fight or flight" response, which leads to damaging stress. But not every employee in insecure industries has such a discouraging view, Burchell says. In general, women get on better. While reporting higher levels of anxiety than men when directly questioned, women scored lower in stress on the GHQ 12, even when they had a job they felt insecure about losing. As Burchell explains, "For women, most studies show that any job -- it doesn't matter whether it is secure or insecure -- gives psychological improvement over unemployment." Burchell supposes that the difference in men is that they tend to feel pressure not only to be employed, but also to be the primary breadwinner, and that more of a man's selfworth depends on his job. What is most likely to cause a "fight or flight" response? A Not having a paid job. B Fierce competition for jobs. C Not knowing what will happen. D Pressure to work longer hours. Answer: C. Not knowing what will happen. Australia's koalas could die out within 30 years unless immediate action is taken to stop the losing in population, according to researchers. They say development, climate change and bushfires have all combined to reduce the number of wild koalas sharply. The Australian Koala Foundation said a recent survey showed the population could have dropped by more than half in the past six years. The number of koalas was once estimated to be more than 100,000, but now is as few as 43,000. The foundation collected field data from 1,800 sites and 80,000 trees to calculate the numbers. In one area in northern Queensland estimated to have 20,000 koalas a decade ago, a team of eight people could not find a single animal in four days of searching. The foundation said besides problems caused by cutting down forests, hotter and drier conditions because of global warming had reduced the nutritional value of their main food, eucalyptus leaves, leading to poor nutrition for them. Koalas, which live in the forests in Australia's east and south, are very picky about what types of the leaves they eat. Foundation chief Deborah Tabart said: "The koalas are missing everywhere we look. It's really no tree, no me. If you keep cutting down trees you don't have any koalas."She is hoping the new figures will persuade the government's Threatened Species Steering Committee (TSSC) to list the koala as threatened. But committee chairman Bob Beeton said a decision was not likely recently and the koala's status as one of the country's favorite animals would not be a factor. "There's a number of species which are attractive and people have special feelings towards them. We don't consider that," Mr Beeton said. According to Bob Beeton, _ . A the koala is one of his favorite animals B a decision will be made to protect koalas in the future C they needn't pay special attention to koalas D koalas needn't be protected at all Answer: C. they needn't pay special attention to koalas Forty-two of the fifty American states offered some kind of public online learning this past school year.One state,Michigan,now requires all students to have an online learning experience before they finish high school.Even the idea of a school has changed since the rise ofthe Internet in the 1990s. A new report from the Center for Evaluation and Education Policy at Indiana University says eighteen states have full-time virtual schools.There are no buildings.All classes are online. Florida started the first statewide public virtual school in the United States in 1997.Today,the Florida Virtual School offers more man ninety courses.56,000 students were enrolled as of December.Almost sixty percent were female.The school's website says each student was enrolled in an average of two classes. Florida Virtual School has now opened the Florida Virtual Global School.Students in other countries pay for classes.Janet Heiking teaches an English class.She lives in Indianapolis, Indiana.Her students live as far away as Africa and Japan.She says they are taking her Advanced Placement class to prepare for attending an American college.They can earn college credits by passing the AP test. So how good are virtual schools? Studies have shown mixed results, as a new report from Indiana University notes.For example, students at Florida Virtual School earned higher grades than those taking the same courses the traditional way.And they scored higher on a statewide test.But virtual school students in Kansas and Colorado had lower test scores or performed at a lower level than traditional learners.Studies also find that virtual schools may not save much in operating costs. Education experts say the mixed results suggest the need for more research to find the best ways to teach in virtual schools.A1so, they say schools of education need to train more teachers to work in both real and virtual classrooms. Foreign students take Advanced Placement classes for the eventual purpose of _ . A earning college credits B entering an American college C learning advanced science D passin Answer: B. entering an American college
Britain's most popular lie has been disclosed, with one in four people admitting using "Sorry I had no signal" when returning a missed mobile phone call, a survey found. Researchers found the average Briton tells on average four lies every day or almost 1500 every year. Almost one in six men admitted they were most likely to lie to their wife or girlfriend, on average at least twice a day. The most popular lie was saying you had no mobile phone signal, with one in four people admitting regularly using the little white lie. It usually came after they hit the "ignore" button when their mobile rang. Three quarters of people think women are better liars. The research found 46 per cent of girls have been caught lying, compared to 58 of men. The second most common fib is "I haven't got any cash on me" when asked for money by tramps , beggars and Big Issue sellers. "Nothing's wrong - I'm fine" came third followed by "You look lovely" and "Nice to see you". Modern technology turned out to have contributed to many lies with "I didn't get your text" in 18th, "Our server was down" in 20th and "My battery died" in 26th place. Other lies to make the top ten included "I'll give you a ring", "We're just good friends" and "We'll have to meet up soon". "I'm on my way" and "No, your bum doesn't look big in that" completed the top ten. Men tell the most fibs, coming out with five every day compared to women who lie just three times. In many cases perhaps it is better to flatter with a fib than destroy someone with the truth, according to a spokesman for OnePoll, which carried out the research of 4,300 adults. Most people think women are better liars because _ . Answer: US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is likely to visit China at an "appropriate" time this year, a senior Chinese military official said on Monday. Colonel Tu Qiming, director of the American and Oceania Affairs Bureau of the Foreign Affairs Office at the National Defense Ministry, made the remark during Sino-US defense talks this week. This is the first ever "special defense policy dialogue" between the two defense ministries, according to the Chinese military. * FRANCES Agriculture Ministry has confirmed the first case of mad cow disease detected in a goat last Friday. The goat killed in 2002 tested positive for mad cow disease. It is the first case in the world of the fatal disease being found in an animal other than a bovine. The human form of mad cow disease causes brain-wasting, personality change, loss of body function, and ends in death. The European Commission has not advised any change in farming and consuming goats, said the French Ministry in a statement published last Friday. * MOBILE phone sales hit a new record in 2010, with some 684 million units sold around the world, the US research institute Strategy Analytics said on Thursday. The number represents an increase of 32 per cent over 2003, when 571 million units were sold. Strategy Analytics predicts a more modest rise of 8 per cent for this year, to 735 million. Finnish cell phone provider Nokia stayed out in front in 2010, with sales of 207.6 million units, giving it a market share of 30.4 per cent. Motorola moved to No 2, just ahead of the South Korean company Samsung. *** SIX male penguins at a German zoo are proving stubbornly resistant to females brought in from Sweden to make them into breeding .Of the ten male penguins at the zoo, six have formed into "homosexual" couples and have shown no interest in the females, making breeding an impossibility. So the zoo imported the four female penguins from Sweden last month, full of hope that the new arrivals could "turn" the males. But so far, the boys are remaining strictly with the boys. Which of the following are the suitable headlines for the pieces of news? Answer: I am 22. I used to work in a hotel. It was boring. One day a guest and I had a conversation. She asked me, 6/Do you like your job?" I was sad because I knew the answer. "No". She was 74 and gave me the most beautiful advice that I remember in all my life: You are too young to hate your job, young man. Go to get your passport and start your adventure( ). " So I did. Since I was a little kid I was dreaming to know Europe. So next day I had my passport. And one week later, my plane tickets. It was impossible to have a long holiday. So I resigned . My boss said I was crazy. My friends said that I was not responsible. I just paid no attention to those voices. It was Europe in winter. Not the best time to travel there. But Europe in winter is really cheap. I packed some books, a camera, 4 shirts, 2 pants, a coat, gloves, 2 pairs of walking shoes, candies and music to give away. I had little money. I just walked and walked. I went to high mountains and big cities. saw some beautiful sunsets . I heard some of the best musicians (for free). I discovered that there was still love in the world. I realized that sunrises are not always blue or yellow. Sometimes they mix. I spent 22 days and $1,500 (including the plane tickets). What I did to save money: 1. Used Couch, Surfing'( ). 2. Ate 20-cents bread. 3. Went to Burger King to get free potato chips and water. 4. Learned to cook. 5. Talked with local people. They always know where to do cool and cheap 6. Only went to free museums (only in England). Until this point in my life, I never had a clear idea of how to deal with my life. Now I do. I want to be a photographer so that I can inspire people with my pictures. Thanks to this travel. Thanks to that lady. In order to save money, he _ . Answer: Having spring around makes you feel different after such a long winter journey. The power of sunshine brings us a lot of comfort, optimism, self-confidence and of course a smile. Imagine how great it will be if we are so positive all year round! Living like this is possible if you really think about it. In order to exist in such a state of happiness, we must have sunshine radiating from within ourselves, shining from our hearts, minds and souls. Actually,that's your choice, and if you think that way then your own life will reflect that attitude of yours! In order to make "sunshine" or rather, "light" part of our being, it is so important that you watch your thoughts, your words and your actions so that you will accept what you really feel you'd like to create in your own life. Watch your thoughts and really become aware of how many negative thoughts pass through your mind about yourself and other people around you. Watch to see how often you gossip about other people, which is actually often attached with feelings of jealousy and insecurity about yourself. You are also supposed to take a close look at your "intention". How many of you do something for another person without expecting to receive something in return? It might not even have to be a material or physical thing you expect; expecting to be recognized for what you have done is enough to create conditions on Having spring around makes you feel differentyour intention. Think about it! Putting all of these together, it seems that most of us are creating monsters inside us just by simply talking, thinking and not putting our heart out with the right intention towards helping someone else. If you take all your negative attitudes in one hand and measure your need to feel "sunshine" in the other, you will see how both these elements really contradict each other. Be brave and break your patterns and your habits this spring, and by doing so,you will allow the true sunshine to take place by radiating out from your heart and into your life and the lives of the people around you! The passage is written mainly to _ . Answer: Mrs Smith's husband went off on a business trip to Australia. He wanted to catch the 3:30 plane to Darwin. She was very surprised when he telephoned her at 5 o'clock and said that he was still at the airport. "What happened?" asked Mrs Smith. "Well," said Mr Smith, "everything was going fine. I got my ticket, checked my luggage and waited in line at the gate. I walked across the runway to the airplane and I saw my friend Jack Scott. Jack was an airplane engineer. I shouted to him and a policeman caught me." "Why did he catch you?" "I don't know," said Mr Smith," All I said was 'Hi, Jack! '" The word "hijack" means "to take control of a plane by force". Why did Mr Smith want to fly to Australia? Because _ . Answer:
George liked flying a plane. Once he bought a small plane and learned how to fly it. He soon became so good that he could make his plane do all kinds of tricks . George had a friend. His name was Peter. One day George said to his friend, " Peter, would you like to have a trip in my plane?" Peter thought, " I've traveled in a big plane several times, but I've never been in a small one, so I'll go." They went up, and George flew around for half an hour and did all kinds of tricks.Peter said in a shaken voice , " Well, George, thank you very much for these two trips in your plane." George was very surprised and asked, " Two trips? " "Yes, my first and my last." Answered Peter. They were in the plane for _ minutes. A forty-five B sixty C thirty D ninety Answer: C. thirty In the carbon cycle, carbon moves from reservoir to reservoir as various organic and inorganic processes occur on Earth. Only a small percentage of the global carbon is moved in this cycle each year. The remaining carbon is stored in these reservoirs. Which reservoir contains the greatest amount of stored carbon? A plant biomass B the atmosphere C fossil fuels D the deep ocean Answer: D. the deep ocean Christian Eijkman, a Dutch doctor, left the Netherlands for the island of Java. Many people on the island had a disease called beri-beri. He was going there to try and find a _ . At first, Eijkman thought some kind of germ caused beri-beri. He raised some chickens. He didn't eat them, but made experiments on them. The local people were quite surprised at that. One day he noticed that his chickens became sick when they were fed the food most Javanese ate -- refined white rice . When he fed them with unrefined rice, also known as brown rice, they recovered. Eijkman realized that he had made an important discovery -- that some things in food could prevent disease. These things were named vitamins . The Javanese were not getting enough vitamins because they had actually removed the part that contains vitamins. Later, other diseases were also found to be caused by the lack of vitamins in a person's food. Today many people know the importance of vitamins and they make sure they have enough vitamins from the food they eat. If they don't, they can also take vitamin pills. Why did Christian Eijkman raise some chickens? A To eat them. B To give the Javanese a surprise. C To carry out his experiments. D To make money by selling them. Answer: C. To carry out his experiments. A video is very popular on the Internet these days. It's South Korean star PSY's Gangnam style <<style>> video. He stands above Justin Bieber and becomes the most popular singer on YouTube. In fact, the video sets the Guinness World Record in YouTube history. Gangnam Style was put onto the Internet on July 15,2012.What's catching the eyes in Gangnam style is PSY's special dance moves, funny horse riding poses and dancing in a towel. Many people may not understand the Korean language, they are still interested in the video The video also has many different versions now. The song has topped the iTunes charts in 31 countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada. The song tells us the rich people's lifestyle in today's Gangnam Block, South Korea. Psy looks at here as Seoul's Beverly Hills. What's catching the eyes the Gangnanm style? A His special voice B His fat body C His dance moves D His strange clothes Answer: C. His dance moves Penguins live together, but each pair has a little piece of ground of their own. When a penguin wants to walk through its neighbor's ground, it must ask for permission . If it does not, it will have to fight. Penguins come and go all day. They fight for fish and look after their children. All penguins are good parents--the male penguins are perhaps the best parents in the world. They choose their wives in the dark They can only hear them--not see them. Then the female penguins lay their eggs and go away for about two months. The males look after the eggs. If the eggs get cold, there will be no chicks. There is no food. The snow falls and the wind blows--sometimes at 150 kilometers an hour. The penguins do not move. When the females return from the sea, they will not remember their husbands. It doesn't matter. Only one thing-- their eggs. Male penguins never fight--unless a penguin leaves a chick for a minute. Then they fight because they all want it. They are strange and wonderful birds. From the passage we know that penguins usually lead _ life. A an active B a quiet C a hard D an easy Answer: D. an easy
Education is not an end, but a means to an end. In other words, we do not educate children only for the purpose of educating them. Our purpose is to fit them for life. In some modern countries it has for some time been fashionable to think that by free education for all -- one can solve all the problems of society and build a perfect nation. But we can already see that free education for all is not enough; we find in such countries a far larger number of people with university degree; they refuse to do what they think "low" work; and, in fact, work with hands is thought to be dirty and shameful in such countries. But we have only to think a moment to understand that the work of a completely uneducated farmer is far more important than that of a professor; we can live without education, but we die if we have no food. If no one cleaned our streets and took the rubbish away from our houses, we should get terrible diseases in our towns... In fact, when we say that all of us must be educated to fit us for life, it means that we must be educated in such a way that, firstly, each of us can do whatever work suited to his brains and ability and, secondly, that we can realize that all jobs are necessary to society, and that is very bad to be ashamed of one's work. Only such a type of education can be considered valuable to society. The writer wants to prove that _ . A. our society needs all kinds of jobs B. our society needs free education for all C. a farmer is more important than a professor D. work with hands is the most important Answer: A It's good to get along with your teacher because it makes the time you spend in the classroom more pleasant. It's also good to get along with your teacher because, in general, it's smart to learn how to relate to the different types of people you'll meet throughout your life. But really, there's one super-important reason why you should get along with your teacher. When you do, "learning bursts right open," says Evelyn Vuko, a longtime teacher who writes an education column called "Teacher Says" for the Washington Post newspaper. In fact, kids who get along with their teachers not only learn more, but they're also more comfortable asking questions and getting extra help. This makes it easier to understand new material and do the best on tests. When you have this kind of relationship with a teacher, he or she can be someone to turn to when you have problems, such as problems with learning, school issues, or bullying. As a kid in elementary or middle school, you're at a wonderful stage in your life. You're like a sponge , able to take in lots of new and exciting information. On top of that, you're able to think about all this information in new ways. Remember teachers are people too, and they feel great if you're open to what they're teaching you. That's why they wanted to be teachers in the first place--to teach! In every school, kids will say certain teachers are tough. In fact, in most cases, your teacher wants to help you. And a teacher who's called tough may be someone who feels strongly about getting his or her job done -- teaching you what you are supposed to learn. From this passage we know that teachers like students who _ . A. want to get extra help after class B. think about information in new ways C. understand new material quickly D. are open to what they're learning Answer: A Susan Sontag (1933 ------ 2004) was one of the most noticeable figures in the world of literature. For more than 40 years she made it morally necessary to know everything----- to read every book worth reading, to see every movie worth seeing. When she was still in her early 30s, publishing essays in such important magazines as Partisan Review, she appeared as the symbol of American culture life, trying hard to follow every new development in literature, film and art. With great effort and serious judgment, Sontag walked at the latest edges of world culture. Seriousness was one of Sontag's lifelong watchwords , but at a time when the barriers between the well-educated and the poorly-educated were obvious, she argued for a true openness to the pleasure of pop culture. In Notes Camp, the 1964 essay that first made her name, she explained what was then a little-known set of difficult understandings, through which she could not have been more famous. Notes on Camp, she wrote, represents "a victory of 'form' over 'content', 'beauty' over 'morals'". By conviction she was a sensualist , but by nature she was a moralist, and in the works she published in the 1970s and 1980s, it was the latter side of her that came forward. In Illness as Metaphor ------published in 1978, after she suffered cancer ------ she argued against the idea that cancer was somehow a special problem of repressed personalities, a concept that effectively blamed the victim for the disease. In fact, re-examining old positions was her lifelong habit. In America, her story of a 19thcentury Polish actress who set up a perfect society in California, won the National Book Award in 2000. But it was as a tireless, all-purpose cultural view that she made her lasting fame. "Sometimes," she once said, "I feel that, in the end, all I am really defending... is the idea of seriousness, of true seriousness." And in the end, she made us take it seriously too. From the works Susan published in the 1970s and 1980s, we can learn that _ . A. she was more of a moralist than a sensualist B. she was more of a sensualist than a moralist C. she believed repressed personalities mainly led to illness D. she would like to re-examine old positions Answer: A Two men are working in the park. One is Mr. Brown, a worker, and the other is Mr. Black. Mr. Brown is going to a chair. It is next to the road. Mr. Black is after him. Mr. Brown finds Mr. Black. Now Mr. Black begins to walk faster. Because he wants to get to the chair before Mr. Brown. Now Mr. Brown begins to walk faster because he also wants to get to the chair first. Then they both run. Mr. Black runs faster than Mr. Brown. So he gets to the chair first and sits down on it. Mr. Brown runs after Mr. Black. When he gets to the chair. He sees Mr. Black sitting on it. He is sorry to show a notice with the words. "Wet Paint" to Mr. Black. Now Mr. Black knows Why Mr. Brown is going to the chair. Mr. Brown gets to the chair because _ . A. he wants to sit there. B. He wants to tell people "wet paint" C. it is his chair D. He wants to talk to Mr. Black on the chair Answer: B The "59 smiles" on a smartphone by an old woman in Wuhan, Hubei province in about six months tell a big story. The smiles are from the 59 people who offered her seats on buses. "Everybody can be a good _ , because in many cases a friendly smile is all that is needed to build a better world." says Zhang Yongsheng in an article on youth.cn. The 69-year-old Wuhan woman has taken photographs of the people who offered their seats to her on buses. The 59 photographs are good memories for her. Some of the smiles are shy, some friendly, while others are like sunshine. The old lady is not good at taking photographs with her smartphone, because some of them are of poor quality, but in spite of that, the series of photographs has become famous immediately on the Internet. The smiles that the old lady has taken show people's care and love for others, which is becoming valuable in today's society. Her act also expressed her thanks to those who have helped her, says Zhang. Offering one's seat to elderly people on buses has become a hot topic of discussion. There have been many cases of quarrels between young and aged people recently. They could have been avoided if we had thought more about others and also more thankful when others offered help. Which of the following statement is NOT true? A. The woman is 69 years old. B. It took her about 6 months to photograph the "smiles". C. People offering seats to her are not happy at all. D. The 59 photos are valuable to the woman. Answer: C
I will never forget what my old headmaster told me. Normally when you are only 15years of age you do not remember most of the things that are preached by your teachers. But, this particular story is one such lesson that I will never forget. Every time I drift off course, I get reminded of this story. It was a normal Monday morning at an assembly, and he was addressing the students on important things in life and about committing ourselves to what is important to us. This is how the story went: An old man lived in a certain part of London, and he would wake up every morning and go to the subway. He would get the train right to Central London, and then sit at the street corner and beg. He would do this every single day of his life. He sat at the same street corner and begged for almost 20 years. His house was filthy, and a stench came out of the house and it smelled horribly. The neighbours could not stand the smell anymore, so they summoned the police officers to clear the place. The officers knocked down the door and cleaned the house. There were small bags of money all over the house that he had collected over the years. The police counted the money, and they soon realized that the old man was a millionaire. They waited outside his house in anticipation to share the good news with him. When he arrived home that evening, he was met by one of the officers who told him that there was no need for him to beg any more as he was a rich man now, a millionaire. He said nothing at all: he went into his house and locked the door. The next morning he woke up as usual, went to the subway, got into the train, and sat at the street corner and continued to beg. Obviously, this old man had no great plans, dreams or anything significant for his life. We learn nothing from this story other than staying focused on the things we enjoy doing, commitment(,). We should remain true to our course, although it may mean committing ourselves to things that people around us would normally disapprove. Just keep it in mind that commitment attracts wealth. According to the passage which of the following is true? Answer: Hello! Nice to meet you. Now let me introduce myself to you. My name is Mary. I'm 12 years old. I'm from Canada and I speak English. I'm a tall girl. I have long brown hair and big blue eyes. I like _ a lot. I often sing songs with my friends in my free time. I have a happy family. There are four people in my family. They are my mom, my dad, my sister and me. I like China very much and I want to visit Beijing, but I can't speak Chinese at all. I hope to be your friend, then we can help each other with English and Chinese. ,. Which of the following is TRUE? Answer: Whether the eyes are "the windows of the soul" is debatable;that they are intensely important in interpersonal communication is a fact.During the first two months of a baby's life,the stimulus that produces a smile is a pair of eyes.The eyes need not be real:a mask with two dots will produce a smile.Significantly,a real human face with eyes covered will not motivate a smile,nor will the sight of only one eye when the face is presented in profile .This attraction to eyes as opposed to the nose or mouth continues as the baby matures.In one study,when American four--year--olds were asked to draw people,75 percent of them drew people with mouths,but 99 percent of them drew people with eyes. In Japan.however,where babies are carried on their mother's back,they do not acquire as much attachment to eyes as they do in other cultures.As a result,Japanese adults make little use of the face either to encode (...) or decode meaning.In fact,Argyle reveals that the "proper place to focus one's gaze during a conversation in Japan is on the neck of one's conversation partner." The role of eye contact in a conversational exchange between two Americans is well defined:speakers make contact with the eyes of their listener for about one second,then dance away as they talk;in a few moments they re-establish eye contact with the listener or reassure themselves that their audience is still attentive,then shift their gaze away once more.Listeners,meanwhile,keep their eyes on the face of the speaker,allowing themselves to glance away only briefly.It is important that they be looking at the speaker at the precise moment when the speaker reestablishes eye contact:if they are not looking,the speaker assumes that they are disinterested and either will pause until eye contact is resumed or will stop the conversation.Just how critical this eye contacting is to the maintenance of conversational flow becomes clear when two speakers are wearing dark glasses:there may be a sort of traffic jam of words caused by interruption,false starts,and unpredictable pauses. According to the passage,the Japanese fix their gaze on their conversation partner's neck because _ . Answer: It was a long time since I visited my mother last time. The demands of my work and my three children had made it possible to visit her only occasionally. That night I called to invite her to go out for dinner and a movie. She thought about it for a moment, and then agreed. That Friday after work, I drove over to pick her up. When I arrived at her house, I noticed that she had curled her hair and was wearing the dress that she had worn to celebrate her last wedding anniversary. She smiled from a face that was as beautiful as an angel's. We went to a very nice and comfortable restaurant. After we sat down, I had to read the menu. A smile was on her lips."It was I who used to have to read the menu when you -were a child," she said. "Then it's time that you relax and let me return the favor," I responded. During the dinner we had an agreeable conversation-nothing special but catching up on recent events of each other's life. We talked so much that we missed the movie. As we arrived at her house later, she said,"I'll go out with you again, but only if you let me invite you." I agreed. A few days later my mother died of an unexpected heart attack. It happened so suddenly that I didn't have a chance to do anything for her. At that moment I understood the importance of saying "I love you" in time and giving our loved ones the time that they deserve. Nothing in life is more important than your family. Give them the time they deserve, because these things cannot be put off till "some other time". Why did the mother curl her hair and wear the dress that night? Answer: Nigel is our new next-door neighbour. He's a pilot . He was in the R.F.A. He will fly to New York next month. The month after next he'll fly to Tokyo. At the moment, he's in Madrid. He flew to Spain a week ago. He'll return to London the week after next . He's only forty-one years old, and he has already been to nearly every country in the world. Nigel is a very lucky man. But his wife isn't very lucky. She usually stays at home! Is Nigel's wife lucky? Answer:
Group exercise is one of the most effective ways to improve physical fitness and sustain a healthy lifestyle.Group exercise is challenging, yet fun and empowering! Of course everyone knows that exercise is good for the body.However, studies have shown that when exercise is performed in groups, it's not only great for improving physical health but for psychological health. It's an opportunity to be social, release endorphins , and improve your strength. Additionally, group exercise creates a community feel and the shared common goal motivates participants to work hard. The instrumental support of taking on a fitness journey with others proves more effective than going to the gym alone. Another beneficial aspect of group exercise is the informational support participants receive from the instructor.Many people fear the gym because they feel lost and don't want to embarrass themselves. If you feel you can relate, then group training is an even better option for you. It's a great opportunity to learn more about fitness through the clear instruction and supervision of a fitness instructor. If you're tired of wandering around the gym wasting time and becoming bored, !you can attend an upbeat group fitness class that'll keep your workout on track. Don't let fitness frighten you! If you're serious about wanting to live a healthy lifestyle, it's extremely important to surround yourself with people who'll provide you with the proper emotional support. I wouldn't scold anyone for deciding to party on weekends and in turn I wouldn't expect anyone to give offence to me for focusing on my health. Surround yourself with people who uplift, encourage and understand you! Make fitness even more fun by trying something new or any group fitness class, with a friend. Plan to go for a jog together. Then try a fun healthy restaurant or fresh juice bar! Fitness can be both fun and social! Surrounding yourself with people who'll provide you with respect support can be very beneficial while working towards reaching health and fitness goals. First, decide to do it for yourself and work towards staying positive. Then make sure the people you surround yourself with are supportive. Don't let negativity ruin your motivation. _ When it comes to emotional support, the author thinks it necessary Answer: to surround yourself with supportive people Do you know Open Farm Sunday? It is a new day in Britain. It is the fourth mayional open day for the farming industry .Now it is setting more and more popular among people, especially among young people. It is said that about 435 farms opened their gates to the public. The farmers invited people to their farms. Many people help the farmers work on the farms. They can do many things over there,such as water the crops and gather the crops. People could find pleasure of farming. Open Farm Sunday is a good chance to enjoy the life of countryside,especially for people living in the cities.If you come to the farm,you will fall in love with the country life.Here you can listen to the birds,enjoy the beautiful _ of countryside breathe the fresh air and watch the crops grow.You can also work with the farmers and taste the produce,such as tomatoes and cucumbers. One farmer said,"Welcome children to our farms. We will show you where your food comes from." The farmer said they would show us children _ . Answer: where our food came from Grasshoppers are having to change their song -- one of the iconic sounds of summer -- to make themselves heard above the noise of road traffic, ecologists have discovered. The study, published in the British Ecological Society's journal Functional Ecology, is the first to show that human-made noise affects natural insect populations. Animals use sound to communicate for many reasons, including marking out territory, warning of predators and finding mates, and although previous research shows birds, whales and even frogs change their calls in noisy environments, the impact of human-made noise on insects has been neglected until now. Ulrike Lampe and colleagues from the University of Bielefeld in Germany caught 188 male bow-winged grasshoppers, half from quiet locations and half from beside busy roads. The grasshoppers use their song to attract mates. The team then studied the differences in the two groups' songs in the laboratory. To encourage them to sing they exposed the males to a female grasshopper, and then recorded their courtship songs. Analysis of almost 1,000 recordings revealed grasshoppers living beside noisy roads produced different songs to those living in quieter locations. According to Lampe: "Bow-winged grasshoppers produce songs that include low and high frequency components. We found that grasshoppers from noisy habitats increase the volume of the lower-frequency part of their song, which makes sense since road noise can mask signals in this part of the frequency spectrum ." The team's findings are important because traffic noise could be upsetting the grasshopper's mating system . "Increased noise levels could affect grasshopper courtship in several ways. It could prevent females from hearing male courtship songs properly, prevent females from recognizing males of their own species, or _ females' ability to estimate how attractive a male is from his song," Lampe explains. Having discovered that human-made noise affects insect communication, the researchers now want to learn more about how the mechanism works, and whether the grasshoppers adapt to noise during their development as larvae , or whether males from noisy habitats produce different songs due to genetic differences. The bow-winged grasshopper is a common species in Central Europe. Adults occur mainly between July and September, preferring dry grasslands. Around 1.5 cm long, they vary in colour from green and browns to red and purple. The male's song consists of 2 second-long phrases that increase in amplitude towards the end. The beginning of a phrase is characterized by slower ticking sounds that increase in speed and amplitude, leading to a buzzing sound towards the end of the phrase. A courtship song usually includes 2 phrases. Which of the following statements is true according the passage? Answer: Road noise can cover the lower-frequency part of their song. It was a quarter past nine as Marie hurried into the office building where she was going to work. Her bus had inched along through heavy morning traffic, making her a few minutes late for her very first job. She decided to start out half an hour earlier the next day Once inside the lobby, she had to stand at the elevators and wait several minutes before she could get on one going to the sixth floor. When she finally reached the office marked "King Enterprises", she knocked at the door nervously and waited. There was no answer. She tapped on the door again, but still, there was no reply. From inside the next office, she could hear the sound of voices, so she opened the door and went in. Although she was sure it was the same office she had been in two weeks before when she had had the interview with Mr King, it looked quite different now. In fact, it hardly looked like an office at all. The employees were just standing around chatting and smoking. At the far end of the room, somebody must have just told a good joke, she thought, because there was a loud burst of laughter as she came in. For a moment she had thought they were laughing at her. Then one of the men looked at his watch, clapped his hands and said something to the others. Quickly they all went to their desks and, in a matter of seconds, everyone was hard at work. No one paid any attention to Marie. Finally she went up to the man who was sitting at the desk nearest to the door and explained that this was her first day in the office. Hardly looking up from his work, he told her to have a seat and wait for Mr King, who would arrive at any moment. Then Marie realised that the day's work in the office began just before Mr King arrived. Later she found out that he lived in Connecticut and came into Manhattan on the same train every morning, arriving in the office at 9:35, so that his staff knew exactly when to start working. The people in the office suddenly started working because _ Answer: the boss was about to arrive No trip to Chicago is complete without a visit to the Art Institute, which is the second largest art museum in the nation. Opening hours: Mon - Wed & Fri - Sun, 10:30 am - 5 pm; Thu, 10:30 am- 8 pm; closed on New Year's Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day. Highlights: * The Modern Wing contains contemporary masterpieces by Dali, Matisse, Miro, Picasso, Pollock, and Warhol. * View one of the world's finest Impressionist collections, including masterpieces by Monet, Degas, Renoir, Seurat, Gauguin, and Van Gogh. * Thorne Miniature Rooms offer a detailed view of European homes from the 16th century through the 1930s and American homes from the 17th century to 1940. * The past returns as over 550 works from 4,000 years of art come together in Of Gods and Glamour, located in the beautiful new Mary and Michael Jaharis Galleries of Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Art. Advice for visitors: * Free guided tours are available daily at noon. * Free art-making activities are available for children each weekend from 11 am to 2 pm. * Visit the Family Room in the Ryan Education Center, open daily from 10:30 am - 5 pm, and introduce your child to the museum's collections with a variety of hands-on activities. Assemble puzzles based on masterpieces you'll see in the galleries, build architectural wonders with colorful blocks, and learn about art through stories and games at Curious Corner. * Check out the Lion's Trial tour for children ages 5-10. This tour is especially designed for the young people in your group! Don't miss it! Getting there: You can take the follow buses: 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 14, 26, 28, 126, 143. The Art Institute of Chicago can be visited on _ . Answer: Independence Day
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 is true of the holiday camp? Answer: Taxpayers in America pay less in income tax than many Europeans, according to a Pew Research Center report. Belgium has the highest income tax rate, at nearly 56 percent of income, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, or OECD. Taxpayers in the U.S. pay less than 36 percent of their incomes into the national treasury. Taxes pay for services provided by the government. The U.S. ranks 25 of the 34 developed countries polled in the report. An unmarried person with no children was used as an example in the report. In America, an unmarried person, with no children, making the average wage of $50,000 in 2014 paid 24.8 percent of their income in federal income tax and payroll taxes . A similar person living in Belgium would pay 42.3 percent of their income. The average among the 39 countries in the poll was 27.3 percent income tax. The deadline to pay taxes in America is usually April 15. This year, the deadline is April 18. American taxpayers complain that wealthy people and large companies pay too little tax, according to a Pew Research Center poll from 2015. Americans pay tax to fund programs like Social Security and Medicaid, according to the Pew Research Center. Last year, American taxes paid for $888 billion in Social Security benefits. Social Security pays the elderly an income after they stop working. The government also paid more than $546 billion in Medicaid and Medicare benefits. Those programs pay for health and medical care to people who cannot afford it, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. The author mainly wants to tell us _ . Answer: Beijing-- During the 24-hour period ending at 4 pm on Sunday, China confirmed six new cases of human H7N9 bird flu , including five in Zhejiang and one in Jiangsu. The National Health and Family Planning Commission said that a total of 102 H7N9 cases have been reported in China, including 20 that have died. Of the total, 12 H7N9 patients have been _ from hospitals after receiving treatment, and the other 70 patients are being treated in designated hospitals, according to the commission. A total of 33 cases, including 11 that have died, have been reported in Shanghai. Twenty-four cases, including three deaths, have been reported in Jiangsu province, and 38 cases, including five deaths, in Zhejiang province. Anhui province has reported three cases, including one death. Beijing has reported one case and three have been reported in Henan province. China officially confirmed the human cases infected with the H7N9 virus since last month. According to the commission, China's confirmed H7N9 cases are isolated and there has been no sign of human to-human transmission . According to the passage, which of the statements is NOT true? Answer: A parrot has been eating a lot of fattening food. This could lead to Answer: CNN news-Jan 16,2013 Protests have been going on for about a week now in the northern Irish capital of Belfast. They Started out peacefuily , bus some of them turn violent later on. There is a lot of history behind these protests,and it starts with geography, What's interesting is that Northern Ireland is not part of the republic of Iteland. It,s part of the United Kingdom, and that's what's behind this tension, Nationalists, mostly Catholic, think Northern Ireland should be part of the Republic of Ireland, Unionists, or Loyalists, mostly Protestants, wanted to stay part of the United Kingdom, The conflict between those two groups led to decades of violence ,and more than3,000 people were killed before a peace deal was signed in 1998,The protests happening now are connected to a decision regarding the British flahg ,In Belfast ,the capital of Northern Ireland ,the flag used to fly over City Halll every day of the year , Last month, local officials decided to limit that to 18 days per year. Unionists weren't happy about that . In some cases protesters have thrown concrete blocks, bricks, even weren't happy about that , In some cases protesters have thrown concrete blocks, bricks, even gasoline bombs at police ,Officers have responded by using water cannons to break up the protests. Nest up ,we are heading to the capital of China , Beijing, Experts say that city has something in common with Los Angeles; smog This gray haze is hanging in the air, making things hard to see ,Yesterday, the numbers indicating smog levels were off the charts, A uthorities warn people there to stay inside, Last year nearly 700 flights were canceled at Beijing airports because of haze and smog, Officials in China say that the air quality in the capital has gotten better since Beijing hosted the 2008 Olympics, but residents say the pollution levels have gotten worse. According to the news report ,what does Beijing have in common with Los Angeles? Answer:
Which is the best example of recycling? using aluminum cans to make new products Which two objects produce their own light? sun and candle Dear Tim, Today is Saturday. It's 7:00 in the evening in Beijing. I'm writing to tell you something about my life. My father is watching CCTV news. That's his favorite show. My brother is playing computer games. My dog Dick is taking the hat to me. He wants me to put it on and go out for a walk with him. What a clever dog! Outside, I can hear cars and buses coming and going quickly. Also there are some boys playing ball games. It's really a noisy but happy evening. Do you think so? What are your family doing? I know the time here is thirteen hours ahead of the time in New York. Please write to me soon. Best wishes! Yours, Daniel The dog wants to _ . go out for a walk I come from Holland . In our country, there are plenty of _ . There are more than 2,000 windmills in Holland. These windmills make electricity for the country. It is a small country in Europe. About 20% of its land comes from the sea. The population of Holland is only 16,000,000. The weather is very nice, so the flowers can grow very well. Maybe you like roses, kapoks or lilies. However, the tulip is a symbol of the country. People celebrate Tulip Festival every year. There are a lot of cows in this country. You can enjoy good milk and cheese here. You can go everywhere by train, taxi, underground or ship. They are fast and convenient. People here also love to ride bikes. Riding a bike is free and relaxing. What do children do when they pass their exam? They often hang a schoolbag and a national flag at the gate! Come and have a good time in Holland! Why do children hang a school bag and a national flag at the gate? Because they pass the exam. Your body works 24 hours a day. It's always building and repairing, feeding and cleansing itself. Its goal is to be ready for your every movement, breath, and thought. The quality of your life depends on how well your body works. And how well your body works depends on how much energy it gets. Energy comes from the food you eat. Food contains nutrients that your body needs for growth and energy. By eating a balanced diet, your body gets the six important nutrients it needs.Minerals are nutrients that build bones and teeth. Minerals also form red blood cells and other substances.Wateraids digestion and waste removal.Carbohydrates give your body its main source of energy. Two carbohydrates are sugars from foods such as fruits and vegetables and starches found in rice, potatoes, and bread.Fatshelp build cell membranes .Proteinsrepair and grow body tissues . Finally,vitaminshelp your body use carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. The United States Department of Agriculture(USDA) has created a nutritional food pyramid . It shows the daily number of servings you should eat from five food groups. The food pyramid has four levels. The base of the pyramid is the largest level. It contains the bread, cereal, rice, and pasta group from which you need six to eleven servings. The next level has two food groups: vegetables and fruits. The USDA recommends three to five servings of vegetables and two to four servings of fruit. The third level also has two groups: the milk, yogurt, and cheese group and the meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs, and nuts group. You need two to three servings from each of these groups. The top of the pyramid is the smallest level. It contains fats, oils, and sweets. These foods have few nutrients, so eat them sparingly . By eating a balanced diet, your body gets the _ important nutrients it needs. six
Question: After an absence of thirty years, I decided to visit my old school again. I had expected to find changes, but not a completely different building. As I walked up the school drive, I wondered for a moment if I had come to the right address. The dirty red brick houses had been swept away. In its place stood a bright, modern block. A huge expanse of glass extended across the face of the building, and in front, there was a well-kept lawn where previously there had been "an untidy gravel yard". I was pleased to find that it was bread time and that the children were all in the playground. This would enable me to meet some members of staff . On entering the building, I was surprised to hear loud laughter coming from what appeared to be the masters' common room. I could not help remembering the teachers in my time, all dressed in black gowns and high collars . And above all, I recalled Mr Garston whom we had nicknamed "Mr Ghastly", the headmaster who had iron discipline on staff and pupils alike. I knocked at the common room door and was welcomed by a smiling young man who introduced himself to me as the headmaster. He was dressed casually in a sports jacket, and his cheerful manner, quickly dispelled the image of Mr Ghastly. After I had explained who I was, the headmaster presented me to the teachers all of whom were a little younger than himself, and said he would take me round the school. Here the biggest surprise of all was _ me. Gone were the heavy desks of old with their deeply carved names; gone too, were the dark classrooms with their ink stained, dark brown walls, and their raised platforms for the teachers. The rooms now were painted in bright colors, and the children, far from sitting straight in their places, seemed almost free to do as they liked. I looked with envy as I remembered how, as a child, I had looked at the blackboard hardly daring to whisper to my neighbor. Mr Ghastly must be _ . A. the writer's teacher B. a serious old man C. the strict headmaster D. a naughty boy Answer: C. the strict headmaster Question: Sally was a student. It was going to be her mother's birthday. She wanted to buy her a present that would be nice and useful but not expensive. A week before her mother's birthday, she went shopping after a quick and simple lunch. When she had been looking for half an hour, she found a shop that was selling cheep umbrellas , and decided to take a black one, since her mother had lost hers the month before. She thought, "You could carry that when you are wearing clothes of any color." So she decided to buy a lovely black umbrella and took it back to school with her until her classes had finished. On her way back home in the train that evening, she felt hungry because she had such a small lunch that she went along to the buffet car for another sandwich and cup of coffee. She had left the black umbrella above her seat in the compartment , but when she got back, it had gone! When she had left the compartment, there had been no other passengers in it, but now there were three. Sally began to cry when she saw that the umbrella was no longer there. The other passengers felt very sorry for her and asked what the matter was. She told them that the black umbrella she had bought for her mother was gone, and that she had to get out at the next station. After the three other passengers heard it, they asked her for her mother's address so that they could sent the umbrella to her if someone had taken it by mistake and brought it back after Sally had got out of the train. The next week, Sally heard from her mother. It said, "Thank you very much for your lovely presents, but why did you send me three black umbrellas?" The best name of the story is _ . A. A Lucky Girl B. The Missing Umbrella C. A Happy Mother D. Mother's Present Answer: D. Mother's Present Question: Mr. King was over sixty and lived by himself a long way from town. He nearly hadn't left his home. But one day he went into town to buy things. After he bought them, he went into a restaurant and sat down at a table by himself. When he looked around, he saw several old people put glasses on before they read their newspapers. So after lunch he decided to go to a shop to buy himself a pair of glasses, too. He walked along the street and soon found a shop. The man in the shop helped him try on many pairs of glasses, but Mr. King always said, "No, I cannot read with them." The man became more and more puzzled and in the end ha said, "Excuse me, but can you read?" "No, of course not!" Mr. King said angrily. "If I can read, why have I come here?" What mistake did Mr. King make? A. He didn't try on all the glasses in the shop. B. He thought that he would be able to read with glasses even if he couldn't read. C. He went to the wrong shop. D. He didn't know how to choose glasses. Answer: B. He thought that he would be able to read with glasses even if he couldn't read. Question: How many coins have you got in your pocket right now?Three?Two?Or one?With a phonecard you can make up to 200 calls without any change at all. 1.What do you do with it? Go to a telephone box marked "Phonecard".Put in your card,make your call and when you've finished,a screen tells you how much is left on your card.It costs no extra for the cards,and the calls cast 10 per unit,the same as any other payphone call.You can put them in units of 10,20,40,100 or 200. 2.Now appearing in a shop near you Near each card phone place you'll find a shop where you can buy one.They're at bus,train and city tube stations.Many universities,hospitals and clubs,restaurants and gas stations on the highway and shopping centers.At airports and seaports. 3.No more broken payphones Most broken payphones are like that they've been vandalized .There are no coins in Cardphone to excite thieves' interest in it.So you're not probably to find a vandalized one.Get a phonecard yourself and try it out.Or get a bigger wallet. There are three sections in the passage.Which section do you think is about why phonecards are good? A. Section 1. B. Section 2. C. Section 3. D. Section 1&2. Answer: C. Section 3. Question: Sleep -- or a lack of it -- is probably the most-discussed part of baby care. New parents discover its importance in those first few weeks and months after their babies were born. Actually, the quality and quantity of a baby's sleep affects the well-being of everyone in the family. So how do new parents get their children to bed through the cries? And how much sleep is enough for their children? It all depends on their children' s age. Sleeping charts that list the hours of sleep likely to be required by a baby or a two-year-old may cause concern if individual differences aren't considered. These numbers are simply averages reported by large groups of children of a particular age. There's no satisfactory number of hours required by all kids in a certain age group. Two-year-old Sarah might sleep from 8:00 pm to 8:00 am, while two-year-old Johnny is just as alert the next day after sleeping from 10:00 pm to 5:00 am. Still, sleep is very important to a child's well-being. The link between a child's lack of sleep and his or her behavior isn't always obvious. When adults are tired, they can have low energy, but kids can become overexcited, disagreeable and have extremes in behavior. Most children's sleep requirements fall within a predictable range of hours based on their age, but each child is a unique individual with different sleep needs. Here's a summary of a few ways that may help your child ease into a good night's sleep: Stick to bedtime. Consider playing soft music. Don't give your baby a bottle of milk or any sugar-containing drink to aid sleep. There isn't one sure way to raise a good sleeper, but every parent should be encouraged to know that most children have the ability to sleep well. The key is to try, from early on, to establish healthy sleep habits that may last a lifetime. We can know from the passage that _ . A. the quality and quantity of a baby's sleep has an influence on everyone in the family B. all the children should have the same sleep time C. sleep has no influence on children's behavior D. giving children some milk before sleep can help them sleep Answer: A. the quality and quantity of a baby's sleep has an influence on everyone in the family
Question: Schooling Matters March 25, 2014 Chengdu Michelle Obama You see, the truth is that I grew up like many of you. My mom, my dad, my brother and I, we lived in a tiny apartment in Chicago, which is one of the largest cities in America. My father worked at the local water plant... While we certainly weren't rich, my parents had big dreams for me and my brother. They had only a high school education themselves, but they were determined to send us both to universities. So they poured all of their love and all of their hope into us, and they worked hard. They saved every penny. And I know that wasn't easy for them, especially for my father. You see, my father had serious illness called multiple sclerosis . And as he got sicker, it got harder for him to walk, and it took him longer to get dressed in the morning. But no matter how tired he felt, no matter how much pain he was in, my father hardly ever missed a day of work, because he was determined to give me and my brother a better life. And every day, like so many of you, I felt the weight of my parents' sacrifices on my shoulders. Every day, I wanted to make them proud. So, while most American kids attend public schools near their homes, when it was time for me to attend high school, I took an exam and got into a special public high school where I could get a better education. But the school was very far from my home, so I had to get up early every morning and ride a bus for an hour, sometimes an hour and a half if the weather was bad. And every afternoon, I'd ride that same bus back home and then immediately start my homework, often studying late into the night - and sometimes I would wake up at 4:30 or 5:00 in the morning to study even more. And it wasn't easy. But whenever I got tired or discouraged, I would just think about how hard my parents were working for me. And I would remember something my mother always told me - she said, "A good education is something that no one can take away from you." Which of the following words best describes Michelle's father? A. Optimistic. B. Humorous. C. Strong-minded D. Generous Answer: C. Strong-minded Question: A recent study, while showing a generally positive attitude toward science, also suggests a widespread worry that it may be "running out of control". This idea is dangerous. Science can be a force for evil as well as for good. Its applications can be channeled either way, depending on our decisions. The decisions we make, personally or collectively, will determine the outcomes of science. But here is a real danger. Science is advancing so fast is so strongly influenced by businesses that we are likely to believe whatever decisions we come to will make little difference. And, rather than fighting for the best possible policies, we may step back and do nothing. Some people go even further. They say that despite the moral and legal objections , whatever is scientifically possible will be done ----somewhere, sometime. They believe that science will get out of control in the end. This belief is dangerous too, because it a fuels sense of hopelessness and discourages them from making efforts to build a safer world. In our interconnected world, the lack of agreement in and of the world of science can lead to the failure to control the use of science. Without a common understanding, the challenges of "controlling" science in this century will be really tough. Take human cloning for example. Despite the general agreement among scientists on its possible huge impact on traditional moral values, some countries still go ahead with the research and development of its related techniques. The outcomes are hard to predict. Therefore, discussions on how science is applied should be extended far beyond scientific societies. Only through the united efforts of people with hope, can we be fully safe against the misuse of science and can science best serve mankind in the future. The discussion should reach beyond scientific societies because _ . A. scientists have failed to predict the outcomes B. the ties between different areas need strengthening C. united efforts are necessary for the development of science D. people need to work together to prevent the bad use of science Answer: D. people need to work together to prevent the bad use of science Question: When we walk through the city, we all experience a kind of information overload but we pay attention only to those that are important to us. We don't stop, we keep our faces expressionless and eyes straight ahead, and in doing so, we are not just protecting ourselves but are avoiding overloading other people as well. We make use of stereotypes as convenient ways to make quick judgments about situations and people around us. They may not always be accurate, and they can often be dangerously wrong, but they are used regularly. The problem with the stereotypes is that they restrict experience. By using limited clues to provide us with a rapid opinion of other people or places we may choose to limit our communication. We may decide not to go to certain places because we believe they will not offer something we enjoy. In the city, styles of dress are particularly important with regard to self-presentation. Different groups often use clearly identifiable styles of clothes so that they can be easily recognized. It is becoming increasingly common for brand names to be placed on the outside of clothes, and this labeling makes it easy to send out information about fashion and price instantly, and lets other tell at a distance whether an individual has similar tastes and is a suitable person to associate with. In England, where social grouping or class continues to make social distinctions, clothes, hairstyles, people's pronunciation and the manner of speaking are all clues to our social group. Class distinctions tend to be relatively fixed, although in the city where greater variety is permitted, they are more likely to be secondary determining factors of friendship and association. From the passage we may conclude that _ . A. stereotypes can help to understand people fully B. people are becoming more interested in fashion C. dressing can send messages about individuals D. stereotypes can do more harm than good to people Answer: C. dressing can send messages about individuals Question: Most of us spend our lives seeking the natural world. To this end, we walk the dog, play golf, go fishing, sit in the garden, drink outside rather than inside the pub, have a picnic, live in the suburbs, go to the seaside, buy a weekend place in the country. The most popular free time activity in Britain is going for a walk. And when joggers jog, they don't run down the streets. Every one of them automatically heads to the park or the river. It is my firm belief that not only do we all need nature, but we all seek nature, whether we know we are doing so or not. But despite this, our children are growing up nature-deprived . I spent my boyhood climbing trees. These days, children are robbed of these ancient freedoms, due to problems like crime, traffic, the loss of the open spaces and strange new ideas about what is best for children, that is to say, things that can be bought, rather than things that can be found. The truth is to be found elsewhere. A study in the US: families had moved to better housing and the children were assessed for ADHD . Those whose housing had more natural views showed an improvement of 19%; those who had the same improvement in material surroundings but no nice view improved just 4%. A study in Sweden indicated that kindergarten children who could play in a natural environment had less illness and greater physical ability than children used only to a normal playground. A US study suggested that when a school gave children access to a natural environment, the entire school would do better in studies. Another study found that children play differently in a natural environment. In playgrounds, children create a hierarchy based on physical abilities, with the tough ones taking the lead. But when a grassy area was planted with bushes, the children got much more into fantasy play, and the social hierarchy was now based on imagination and creativity. Most bullying is found in schools where there is a tarmac playground; the least bullying is in a natural area that the children are encouraged to explore. This reminds me unpleasantly of Sunnyhill School, with its hard tarmac, where I used to hang about in corners dreaming about wildlife. But children are frequently discouraged from involvement with natural spaces, for health and safety reasons, for fear that they might get dirty or that they might cause damage. So, instead, the damage is done to the children themselves: not to their bodies but to their souls. One of the great problems of modern childhood is ADHD, now increasingly and expensively treated with drugs. Yet one study after another indicates that contact with nature gives huge benefits to ADHD children. However, we spend money on drugs rather than on green places. The life of old people is much better when they have access to nature. The most important for the growing population of old people is in quality rather than quantity of years. And study after study finds that a garden is the single most important thing in finding that quality. In wider and more difficult areas of life, there is evidence to indicate that natural surroundings improve all kinds of things. Even problems with crime and aggressive behaviour are reduced when there is contact with the natural world. Dr William Bird, researcher from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, states in his study, "A natural environment can reduce violent behaviour because its process helps reduce anger and behavior that people might regret later." Wild places need encouraging for this reason, no matter how small their contribution. We tend to think human beings are doing nature some kind of favour when we are protecting nature. The error here is far too deep: not only do humans need nature for themselves, but the very idea that humanity and the natural world are separable things is damaging. Human beings are a species of animals. For seven million years we lived on the planet as part of nature. So we miss the natural world and long for contact with non-human life. Anyone who has patted a dog, stroked a cat, sat under a tree with a glass of beer, given or received a bunch of flowers or chosen to walk through the park on a nice day, understands that. We need the wild world. It is necessary to our well-being, our health, our happiness. Without other living things around us we are less than human. In what way do elderly people benefit from their contact with nature? A. They look on life optimistically. B. They enjoy a life of better quality. C. They are able to live longer. D. They become good-humoured. Answer: B. They enjoy a life of better quality. Question: All around the world, people drink tea. But tea doesn't mean the same thing to everyone. In different countries people have different ideas about drinking tea. People in China like to drink tea with nothing in it, and they often have it with their friends or by themselves. They have two kinds of tea--green tea and black tea. They may drink tea at any time of the day anywhere. But they don't drink tea just before they go to bed, for tea makes them awake. In England, people like to drink tea with milk and sugar in it, and they often have it in the afternoon with their friends. In Japan, people also like drinking tea very much. It is very popular there. They drink tea every day. They have it in different ways from that in China. Some young Japanese girls are good at making tea. They can do it beautifully. In the U.S.A., people drink tea at breakfast or after meals. They usually use tea bags to make their tea. Making tea with tea bags is faster and easier than making it with tea leaves in teapots. Chinese people like to drink _ . A. tea with anything in it B. milk and sugar in it C. tea with tea bags in it D. tea with nothing in it Answer: D. tea with nothing in it
Question: Contrary to many people believe, highly intelligent children are not necessarily certain to achieve academic success. In fact, so-called gifted students may fail to do well because they are unusually smart. Ensuring that a gifted child reaches his or her potential requires an understanding of what can go wrong and how to satisfy the unusual learning requirements of extremely bright young people. One common problem gifted kids face is that they, and those around them, place too much importance on being smart. Such an emphasis can encourage a belief that bright people do not have to work hard to do well. Although smart kids may not need to work hard in the lower grades, when the work is easy, they may struggle and perform poorly when the work gets harder because they do not make the effort to learn. If the academic achievement of highly intelligent children remains below average for an extended period, many teachers will fail to recognize their potential. As a result, such students may not get the encouragement they need, further depressing their desire to learn. They may fall far behind in their schoolwork and even develop behavior problems. IQ is just one element among many in the recipe for success--Children develop well or struggle in school for a host of reasons apart from IQ. These include motivation and persistence, social competence, and the support of family, educators and friends. Because highly gifted children solve the most varied thought problems faster and more thoroughly than those with more average talents do, they need additional intellectual stimulation while they wait for the rest of the kids to learn the basics. Two central approaches are used to satisfy the educational needs of such children: acceleration and enrichment. Acceleration means studying material that is part of the standard subjects for older students. Enrichment involves learning information that falls outside the usual subjects. A child might skip one or more grades as a way of accelerating in school. But being with older children for the entire school day--and perhaps for grade-based extracurricular activities such as sports--can make a child feel inferior in every filed outside of academics. One very bright fourth-grader who had skipped two grades remained far ahead of his classmates intellectually, but as his classmates reached adolescence, his social and other shortcomings became painfully apparent. While acceleration is not an option, or not a good one, enrichment can be. After all, school is not a race but an adventure in learning. As such, the goal is not finishing first but absorbing as much knowledge as possible in the time assigned. Thus, providing opportunities for a child to study topics outside the regular subjects can be at least as valuable as pushing him or her through the required material faster. Which of the following statements do you think is true about the writer? A. He is in favor of enrichment rather than acceleration. B. He is in favor of acceleration rather than enrichment. C. He speaks highly of both enrichment and acceleration. D. He thinks neither enrichment nor acceleration is a good choice. Answer: A. He is in favor of enrichment rather than acceleration. Question: If you are looking for an animal to take the title of "most violent fish in the sea", then the tiger puffer fish would have to be a strong contestant. Not only is it deadly poisonous --- though that doesn't stop people trying to eat it --- but it is also able to scare off enemies by inflating itself to become much larger than normal, when it is young it even chews on its own brothers and sisters. Tiger puffer fish attach their eggs to rocks near the bottom of the sea, often at the mouths of bays. Then the larvae move to the entries of rivers and lakes once they have grown a little. Then, having put on a lot of weight, they head out to sea. There's no innocent childhood for the puffer fish, as Shin Oikawa of Kyushu University in Japan and his colleagues found out when they put the larvae of tiger puffer fish in the lab and monitored them for two months. They found that the larvae went through three steps in which their metabolic rates increased dramatically when they reached body weights of 0.002g, 0.01g, and 0.1g. When a larva went through one of these steps, its behavior also changed. For instance, once a larva had passed the first level it would have grown its first tooth and could start attacking larvae that had not yet reached that stage. Similarly, any larva that had reached the 0.01g or 0.1g levels would start attacking lighter larvae. The researchers noted that the baby fish had a "relatively small mouth", so rather than swallowing their brothers and sisters whole, they would bite pieces out of them. Despite this limitation, the fish caused plenty of deaths --- up to 12 per cent of the deaths that happened in the lab each day. Those fish that grew fast enough to be able to chew on their fellows had an advantage. The extra food accelerated their growth and development. Tiger puffer fish are likely to be faster and swifter, so they can deal better with enemies. As the name suggests, puffer fish can inflate to make themselves seem much larger than they really are, thus scaring off enemies. They do this by filling their stomachs, which are extremely elastic , with water. If that's not enough of a threat, the tiger puffer fish --- like most of the other puffer fish in the family --- carries a deadly toxin . Eat one puffer fish and the poison will paralyze your muscles, including the muscles responsible for breathing, so death is usually caused by a lack of oxygen. Famously, the fish is a delicacy in Japan, where highly qualified chefs produce dishes that contain the safe level of the poison. Interestingly, the puffer fish does not go to the trouble of producing the poison itself. Instead, it hosts bacteria that produce the stuff. It obtains these bacteria from its diet, so the youngest adult fish are not poisonous. Where does the poison in the puffer fish's body come from? A. Its inner organs. B. The air it breathes in. C. The diet it eats. D. The bacteria around it. Answer: C. The diet it eats. Question: "I will never marry," the future Elizabeth I declared at the age of eight, and, to the terror of her people, the Great Queen kept her word. For four centuries, historians have guessed why Elizabeth never married.In her own day, her decision to remain single was considered absurd and dangerous.A queen needed a husband to make political decisions for her and to organise and lead her military campaigns.More important, she needed male heirs to avoid a civil war after her death. There was no shortage of suitors for the Queen, both English courtiers and foreign princes, and it was confidently expected for the best part of 30 years that Elizabeth would eventually marry one of them.Indeed, although she insisted that she preferred the single state, she kept these suitors in a state of permanent expectation.This was a deliberate policy on the Queen's part, since by keeping foreign princes in hope, sometimes for a decade, she kept them friendly when they might otherwise have made war on her kingdom. There were, indeed, good political reasons for her avoiding marriage.The disastrous union of her sister Mary I to Philip II of Spain had had an unwelcome foreign influence upon English politics.The English were generally prejudiced against the Queen taking a foreign husband, particularly a Catholic one.Yet if she married an English, jealousy might lead to the separation of the court. There were other, deeper reasons for Elizabeth's unwillingness to marry, chief of which, I believe, was her fear of losing her autonomy as Queen. In the 16th century, a queen was regarded as holding supreme dominion over the state, while a husband was thought to hold supreme dominion over his wife.Elizabeth knew that marriage and motherhood would bring some harm to her power. She once pointed out that marriage seemed too uncertain a state for her. She had seen several unions in her immediate family break down, including that of her own parents. Some writers, based on very fragile evidence, have argued that Elizabeth was frightened or incapable of the sex act, but it is more likely that she feared childbirth. Two of her stepmothers, her grandmother and several acquaintances had died in childbed. Elizabeth's father, Henry VIII, had had her mother, Anne Boleyn, killed; her stepmother Catherine Howard later suffered the same fate. When Elizabeth was 14 she was all but attracted by Admiral Thomas Seymour, who also went to the prison within a year. Witnessing these terrible events at an early age, it has been argued, may have put Elizabeth off marriage. Elizabeth had to decide her priorities. Marriage or being single? Elizabeth was far too intelligent.The choice she made was courageous and revolutionary, and, in the long run, the right one for England. What is the attitude of the author towards Queen Elizabeth never marrying in her life? A. Pitiful. B. Approving. C. Negative. D. Neutral. Answer: B. Approving. Question: The Doll and the White Rose I was walking around in a mall, when I saw a cashier hand this little boy some money back.The cashier said, "I'm sorry, but you don't have enough money to buy this doll."The little boy seemed very disappointed. I walked toward him and asked him who he wished to give this doll to."It's the doll that my sister wanted so much for Christmas.She was sure that Santa Claus would bring it to her: But Santa Claus can't bring it to her where she is now.I have to give the doll to my mommy so that she can give it to my sister when she goes there."His eyes were so sad."My sister has gone to be with God.Daddy says that Mommy is going to see God very soon too, so I thought that she could take the doll with her to give it to my sister." My heart nearly stopped.The little boy looked up at me and continued, "I told Daddy to tell Mommy not to go yet.I need her to wait until I come back from the mall." I quickly reached for my wallet and said," Suppose we check again, just in case you do have enough money for the doll." "OK, I hope I do have enough," he said.I put some of my money with his without him seeing and we started to count it.There was enough for the doll and even some spare money. Surprisingly, the little boy cried, "Thank you God for giving me enough money!" Then he looked at me and added, "I asked last night before I went to sleep for God to make sure I had enough money to buy this doll, so that Mommy could give it to my sister. He heard me! I also wanted to have enough money to buy a white rose for my mommy, but I didn't dare to ask God for too much.But he gave me enough to buy the doll and a white rose ! " Then I remembered two days before a local newspaper reported an accident in which a woman and a little girl were badly injured.The little girl died right away, and the mother was left in a critical state.Was this the family of the little boy? Two days after I met the little boy, I read in the newspaper that the woman had passed away.I couldn't stop myself from going to the funeral.Teary-eyed, I felt that my life had been changed forever. The story most probably conveys the message that _ . A. a kind act can bring joy and hope to others B. a gift is a perfect way to express love for others C. losing a family member is a heavy blow to children D. a religious belief can help one solve problems in his life Answer: A. a kind act can bring joy and hope to others Question: Mary Allen was my best friend- like the sister I ever had. We did everything together : piano lessons, movies, swimming, and horseback riding. When I was 13, my family moved away. Mary and I kept in touch through letters and we saw each other on special occasions- like my wedding and Mary's. Soon we were busy with children and moving to new homes, and we wrote less often. One day a card that I sent came back stamped "Address Unknown". Over the years, I thought of Mary often. I wanted to share stories of my children and then grandchildren. And I needed to share my sorrow when my brother and then mother died. There was an empty place in my heart that only a friend like Mary could fill. One day I was reading the newspaper when I noticed a photo of a young woman who looked a lot like Mary and whose last name was Wagman- Mary's married name. "There must be thousands of Wagman. "I thought, but I wrote to her anyway. She called as soon as she got my letter. "Mrs Tobin!"she said excitedly. "Mary Allen Wagman "is my mother. Minutes later I heard a voice that was recognized instantly, even after 40 years. We laughed and cried and caught up on each others lives. Now the empty place in my heart is filled. And theres one thing that Mary and I know for sure: We don't lose each other again. I want to find Mary _ . A. to share my stories B. to share my sorrow C. to fill the empty in my heart D. all of the above Answer: D. all of the above
As is known, healthy foods can help save your life.Now, here is a list of healthy foods that can save your memory.It is best that every person knows what he eats, as he takes in, can make or break himself, in terms of health. Fish is helpful in regaining back the kind of memory that a person once has.Eating fish can help you save the trouble of forgetfulness.Vegetables rich in fiber and other dark and green leafy kinds are very suitable for people who want to avoid mental blocks.These foods contain high units of vitamin E. Another food that is considered having different effects on preventing this brain deficiency is avocado , which is also rich in vitamins E and C.It is really good to know these healthy foods that can save your memory are always at hand so as to help you in your fight against diseases.Sunflower seeds are regarded as Vitamin C-powered seeds and also give you enough energy. As for red wine, do not over consume it, as it is said to have to be taken in moderate amounts in order to help the body.Over-drinking can cause illness and like anything else.This is considered as one of the healthy foods that can save your memory; alcohol can otherwise lose it. It is better to consume color1ed bread, rice and whole grains for you t o get the best out of fiber.These foods can lower the body' s risk of being infected with Alzheimer' s disease. Knowing the healthy foods that can save your memory is living the life that you have longed and desired.Among the others, the best, of course, is exercise.Taking in different kind of exercises, physical activities or sports can keep both your body and mind healthy How many healthy foods does the author mention in the passage? Answer: It was Sunday and Tom was staying home. After breakfast he went out into the garden and played quietly by himself. There were no kids around and he was used to playing alone quietly. He played with Bobby, the dog. He climbed up and down the trees. Sometimes a bird would come down to perch on top of the doghouse. Then Tom would have the greatest fun by throwing a stone or something at it. Though he never made it, he did like doing this kind of things. Now Tom had been in the garden for half an hour. Suddenly a crack was heard and the little boy began crying. "What's the matter, Tom?" his mother looked through the kitchen window. Tom ran into the kitchen. "Mum," he sobbed , "I broke Bobby's plate. I didn't know it was so fragile ." His mother put her arms round him and said, "Don't feel too bad, Tom. We have other plates for Bobby. But how did you break that one?" "I throw this at a bird but missed, and it went straight to the plate." In Tom's hand was his father's gold pocket watch. ! There were no kids around and he was used to playing alone quietly. Here "kids" means _ Answer: The journey to the moon had been the first step toward future exploration in space. The distance between the Moon and Earth is very short indeed when compared with the distances between Earth and the other planets. Mars, the nearest planet to Earth is millions of miles away. Traveling to the planets will be man's next aim. Such travels will be more challenging than the trip to the moon and certainly more adventurous. Recently, two American spaceships, Vikings 1 and 2, landed on Mars trying to discover whether that planet has any life on it. So far the signs of life on Mars has neither confirmed nor ruled out. Russians have discovered that the surface of Venus is so hot that it is almost certain that there is no life there. Also the atmosphere of Venus is extremely dense and the pressure is nearly a hundred times greater than that of the Earth's atmosphere. Scientists believe man may find planets which have the same conditions as those we have on Earth , but man should realize Earth will be his only home for a long time and begin to love and care for it. (www.ks5u.com) From the passage, we can guess _ . Answer: Teen Climbing Camp 2010 This 5-day climbing camp is suitable for teenagers between the ages of 13 and 18 who have an interest in rock climbing. The climbing days are designed for beginners and those who have some basic experience in a gym or outdoors. Participants will find themselves challenged physically and mentally. Rock Dimensions camps are designed to be a positive and memorable experience by providing healthy communication between participants, individual goal setting, and challenges that lead to personal growth. Dates Monday, June 29-Friday, July 3 Monday, July 27-Friday, July 31 Locations Climbing Tower at Footsloggers Linville Gorge and Table Rock area Local climbing areas near Boone Responsibilities Participants will meet Rock Dimensions guides at our location each morning and at the end of each day. Rock Dimensions will provide all climbing items, including a safety rope, a helmet and climbing shoes for each participant. Participants are responsible for bringing their own lunch, water, small backpack, appropriate clothing, and personal items like sun cream, etc. Pre-camp planning Participants will receive the following information in their registration packet Medical Form, Responsibility Agreement, Clothing/Equipment List, and Directions. Cost $575/person for the 5-day camp $325/person for the first 3 days Anyone interested in participating in just the last two days of the camp should call to discuss pricing and necessary skills/experience. What of the following do participants need to bring with them? Answer: A businessman walks into a bank in San Francisco and asks for the loan officer. He says he is going to Europe on business for two weeks and needs to borrow $5,000.The bank officer says the bank will need some kind of security for such a loan. So the businessman hands over the keys to a Rolls Royce parked on the street in front of the bank. Everything checks out, and the bank agrees to accept the car as collateral for the loan. An employee drives the Rolls into the bank's underground garage and parks it there. Two weeks later, the businessman returns, and repays the $5,000 and the interest, which comes to $15.41. The loan officer says, "We are very happy to have had your business, and this transaction has worked out very nicely, but we are a little puzzled. While you were away, we checked you out and found that you are a multimillionaire. What puzzles us is that why would you bother to borrow $5,000?" Laughing, the businessman replies, "Where else in San Francisco can I park my car for two weeks for $15?" The businessman walks into the bank with the true purpose of _ . Answer:
What can be formed by damming a river? A. metals B. H2O body C. fires D. mountains Answer: B. H2O body Look at your classmates around you. You all wear the same uniform and similar sneakers. Do you want to stand out among them? A fashionable and useful backpack can be a great idea! Backpacks are lightweight and easy to carry. They are great tools for students. They help you to stay organized. You can keep school things, books and personal items like cell phones and keys neatly . With a _ backpack, you can also stand out among your classmates. Tourists also love backpacks. With convenient backpacks, backpackers can move freely from one place to another. Meanwhile, they can also free their hands to do other things like taking photos. But in the very beginning backpacks were not what we see today. It is thought that US hiker Dick Kelty invented the first modern backpack in 1951. He used nylon and aluminum tubing to make backpacks lightweight. Then he added shoulder straps and waist straps to transfer much of the weight to the hips . Today, backpacks come in different styles. Rolling backpacks have wheels on the bottom. Users can pull them along the ground if they are too heavy to carry on their shoulders. And with more people bringing laptops to school and work, backpacks also offer space for lightweight electronics. The first modern backpack was thought to be invented by _ . A. a famous inventor B. an Englishman C. a hiker D. a student Answer: C. a hiker I revisited Beichuan of Mid-Autumn Festival. As the car drove into the ruined city, tears streamed down my cheeks. Giant rocks from the mountain destroyed the road and houses fell, breaking into bricks and pieces of cement . Beichuan Middle School, which was once filled with energy and laughter, now so unrecognizable ,so empery, so quiet, so still, was a death valley. I couldn't really imagine at that moment, how much pain they had suffered or how hopeless they felt as they waited to be rescued. Those unfortunate ones watched the devil of death march over them, taking them away. I can't really imagine how heartbroken their parents or beloved ones were. As I wandered in the ruins, I was lost in deep thoughts. The day before, we were sitting in the brightly lit classroom, heatedly arguing the importance of shapes, color1s and styles in architecture , comparing ancient time housing with the modern ones. Their similarities, their differences, their pros and cons... Now , facing the terrible scene, I realized how childlike we were and how easily we forget the most important element of architect is SAFETY, it is how housing is supposed to be: to _ us from burning sun and pouring rain, to provide us with a comfortable warm place to sleep and relax. Obviously, the style and shape do play important roles in architecture. But when a natural disaster such as this earthquake came upon us without warning, will beauty stay over anybody's life? From this trip, we can no doubt give the clear loud answer; NO!!! Words after such a great disaster could appear nothing but empty and pointless. So many people's lives were taken, so much damage was done and a whole city was wiped out. Beichuan has become a history. Nevertheless, I still keep on dreaming and still long for a better future: to make our homes prettier yet safer. Which of the following statements goes with the author's view? A. Had more emphasis been put on the safety of the architect, no building would have fallen. B. The sufferers waited too long to get rescued when the earthquake happened, C. When a disaster hits human beings, the safety is important rather than the beauty. D. The damage, the destruction, even the deaths could all have been avoided if rescues had come without delay. Answer: C. When a disaster hits human beings, the safety is important rather than the beauty. I left a statue outside away from water for 100 years, when I come back it is significantly smaller, why? A. The Wind B. Birds C. Tiny Trolls D. Ants Answer: A. The Wind If doctors want to test you for something, they'll usually take a blood or urine sample . But wouldn't it be much more convenient if they just asked you to breathe through a special instrument? In fact, your breath can say a lot about you. In traditional Chinese medicine, doctors draw a conclusion about the health state of a patient based on the smell of his or her breath; trained dogs and rats can identify the smells of the breaths of people suffering from certain cancers; traffic police also monitor drivers' alcohol consumption by testing their breaths. Just like blood and urine, your breath contains lots of " metabolites " --- the waste chemicals that the body produces, which vary from person to person. They are like personal health fingerprints, which is why scientists sometimes call them " breath prints", according to Science Daily. Compared to blood or urine testing, breath testing takes only seconds instead of hours, and it requires neither a needle nor a container to hold the body fluids . This means the test can be taken frequently to better detect early signs of diseases and monitor the progress of a medical treatment. On the other hand, as an identifier, you might think that breaths are not as reliable as fingerprints since they might change based on what you eat. However, researchers in Zurich, Switzerland mapped 11 healthy volunteers' chemical patterns by having them breathe through a special instrument, and they found that each pattern was unique and the patterns didn't change much throughout the day, reported BBC. "Our goal is to develop breath analysis to the point where it becomes competitive with the established analysis of blood and urine," said Malcolm Kohler, professor at the University Hospital Zurich. In comparison with blood or urine testing, breath testing is _ . A. comfortable and convincing B. traditional and reliable C. accurate and competitive D. quick and convenient Answer: D. quick and convenient
The winter vacation is coming. I don't want to spend more time playing. I decide to work to make money for the next term. But I don't know what work I can do. Now, my mother is writing a book. She is busy and tired. I want to type for her for pay. When I tell her, she is very happy. She agrees to pay me 5 yuan for 1,000 words. But she asks me to do it carefully. It is a hard job for me. I type so slowly that I can type only 800 words a day. But I don't want to give up. I will keep typing all day long. I think I can type faster and faster. I plan to finish the work in two weeks. Then, I will do my winter homework. I begin to know how hard it is to make money. And I really know the meaning of "Where there's a will, there's a way." Who does the writer want to work for? Answer: Mr. and Mrs. Jackson worked in the same workplace. The man was skillful and could make all kinds of parts and repair the machines. The boss liked him and paid him more than his workmates. But he had to give all his money to his wife and she bought the food, clothes and drinks for him. He was angry with her but couldn't say anything. All the men in the workplace were afraid of their wives and they felt sorry for each other. It was March 8 and all the women had a day off. The men could say all they wanted. They said they had to do all the housework at home but the women always spent much money on their clothes. And they didn't think it was fair that women had their own festival but they didn't. The more they said, the angrier they became. They decided to write a letter to the UN and advised them to rescind the" Women's Day". And they asked Mr. Jackson to do it. The man agreed and began to write it at a table. Just at that moment when Mr. Jackson finished it, his wife came in. She had left her key in the workplace and came to look for it. The man hurried to hide the letter. But it was too late. She made him hand it to her. Having read it, the woman returned the letter to him and said with a smile, "How can you post it to the UN if I don't supply you the money for buying a stamp?" _ , so Mr. Jackson and his friends could discuss the festival "Women's Day". Answer: Miss Wu is a young teacher of English in China. She loves teaching very much. One day when she was giving an English lesson, she found the headmaster sitting at the back of the classroom. After class, the headmaster told her that he came to her class to find out how much English and how much Chinese she was using. The result was about half English and half Chinese. She was using Chinese when she gave instructions to her students and when she wanted to get feedback from her students. The headmaster told her that she should use more English in her class. Miss Wu made a plan like this: talk with an Englishman every Sunday for two hours to learn more English expressions; write some English expressions on cards. These cards not only _ her to use English in class, but also help her remember some expressions; *have a five-minute talk in English with students before class. She used body language to help her if students could not understand. One year later, she found she could use English freely in class. After the headmaster left, Miss Wu realized that she should _ in her class. Answer: The Man Who Never Puts a Foot Wrong Some people do not like anything to be out of place. They are never late for work; they return their books to the library on time; they remember people's birthdays; they pay their bills as soon as they arrive. Mr. Dodds is such a person. Mr. Dodds works in a bank, and lives on his own. The only family he has is in the next town: his sister lives there with her husband, and her son, Mark. Mr. Dodds does not visit his sister, or her family, from one year to the next, but he sends them Christmas cards, and he has not forgotten one of Mark's seventeen birthdays. Last week Mr. Dodds had quite a surprise. He drove home from the bank at the usual time, driving neither too slowly nor too fast. He parked his car where he always parked it, out of the way of other cars, and he went inside to make his evening meal. Straight away, there was a knock at the door. Mr. Dodds opened the door to find a policeman standing on the doorstep. "What have I done wrong?" Mr. Dodds asked himself. "Have I driven on the wrong side of the road? Has there been some trouble at the bank? Have I forgotten to pay an important bill?" "Hello, uncle," said the policeman, "my name is Mark." He has not forgotten one of Mark's seventeen birthdays means _ . Answer: I was giving the class when her giggling drew my attention. Walking over to the young trouble-maker, I asked for the note in her hands. It was a had-drawn picture of me, teeth blackened, nostrils upwards, and the words "I'm stupid" coming out of my mouth. I managed to fold up the picture calmly and continue the class. My mind, however, was working angrily. I knew the two most likely suspects for drawing the picture. Maybe it was high time that I taught them a lesson! Somehow, in the very moment of real hurt and anger, I asked myself very softly, "How can I ever bring good out of this?" When there were about six minutes left of the class, I showed the kids the picture. The whole class was silent. I told them there must be a reason behind such a picture and that now was their chance to tell me the reason. Then I let them write silently while I stood sadly in the back of the classroom. Most of them either blamed the artist or felt sorry. But two notes, from the girls I figured were behind the picture, had a list of issues. I was too mean and too strict. Reading those notes, I realized that where I thought I was driving them to success I was actually driving them away. I had some apologizing to do. When the kids walked into my classroom the next day, one boy and one girl each handed me a card. The one signed by all the boys expressed sincere regret for the ugly joke. The one from the girls asked for forgiveness. I was extremely surprised. And more than a little shameful. I had my little speech all ready to give to the kids, but they did it before me. What caused the girl to giggle? Answer:
Many English learners have difficulty deciding what kind of English accent they want to have. A US accent, perhaps modeled on the way a Hollywood star speaks? Or maybe you want to imitate the British accent of a BBC news reader? Young British people find the US accent attractive while young US people like a British accent. Especially when the person speaking is of the opposite sex ! Let's listen to what they have to say. Stephen Yang, 17, from London, UK A US accent is cute, especially when a girl speaks it. Whether it's Jessia Alba speaking or the girl- next-door, the way US girls speak has a sweet tingle that is really sassy . A girl from Texas recently moved into our neighborhood. _ . To me, accents reflect the attitudes, characteristics and lifestyles of the people. Jennifer Sun, 16, from New Jersey, US From watching English actors like Daniel Radcliffe, my friends and I have developed a soft spot for British men.Some are attracted to the qualities of English males, while others admire their sense of style. Everyone, however, agrees that the most appealing aspect of an English man is his accent. For example, many American girls watch Harry Potter movies over and over again just to listen to the actors speak. The English accent seems almost like art. Many American girls watch Harry Porter again and again in order to _ . A. learn the acting skills of the these stars B. learn the magic performed by Harry Potter C. imitate the actors' accents D. know more about British English Answer: C An experienced teacher is offering private lessons in English. Please email me at the address below and tell me: Your age Reasons for learning English Your level of English Areas that you need to focus on - grammar, listening, speaking, reading, writing, etc. Mrs. Daniels( daniels _ m@mail.com) From: Li _ Hua@gmail.com To: daniels _ m@mail.com CC...: Subject: English Lessons Dear Mrs. Daniels, I recently saw your advertisement on the university website offering private English lessons. I'm very interested in your private lessons and would like some more information. I am a student at Aston College here in Hong Kong studying English, so my language level is already quite good. However, I feel that I need to improve my listening and speaking skills. This is because I'm planning to study at London University in England next year and I think your lessons will help me to live and study abroad. Could you send me some more information about the lessons offered, such as where and when they will be held and how much they cost? Also, I would like to know whether you teach students in groups or one-on-one. I would be glad to supply any further information you might need. Regards, Li Hua Why did Li Hua write the email? A. To make friends with Mrs. Daniels B. To apply to study at London University C. To get more information about Mrs. Daniels' lessons D. To find out more information about Aston College Answer: C Most people around the world are right-handed. This also seems to be true in history. In 1799, scientists studied works of art made at different times from 1,500 B.C. to the 1950s. Most of the people shown in these works are right-handed, so the scientists guessed that right-handedness has always been common through history. Today, only about 10% to 15% of the world's population is left-handed. Why are there more right-handed people than left-handed ones? Scientists now know that a person's two hands each have their own jobs. For most people, the hand is used to find things or hold things. The right hand is used to work with things. This is because of the different work of the two sides of the brain. The right side of the brain, which makes a person's hands and eyes work together, controls the left hand. The left-side of the brain, which controls the right hand, is the centre for thinking and doing problems. These findings show that more artists should be left-handed, and studies have found that left-handedness is twice as common among artists as among people in other jobs. No one really knows what makes a person become right-handed instead of left-handed. Scientists have found that almost 40% of the people become left-handed because their main brain is damaged when they are born. However, this doesn't happen to everyone, so scientists guess there must be another reason why people become left-handed. One idea is that people usually get right-handed from their parents. If a person does not receive the gene for right-handedness, he / she may become either right-handed or left-handed according to the chance and the people they work or live with. Though right-handedness is more common than left-handedness, people no longer think left-handed people are strange or unusual. A long time ago, left-handed children were made to use their right hands like other children, but today they don't have to. How many people in the world are left-handed now? A. Less than one sixth. B. More than a half. C. About 40%. D. The passage doesn't tell us. Answer: A Desalinating water from the ocean does what to nearby fish? A. helps them out B. makes habitat nicer C. gives them money D. demolishes habitat Answer: D Shenzhen is a city in South China.It is not very big, but it has attracted people of the whole country and the whole world as well. Just about twenty years ago, it was only a small fishing village.There were not many people there. Most of them lived on fishing.Things have greatly changed since the 1980s.It became the first special economic zone in China. Because of the opening policy , economic changes between China and the outside world have increased greatly.People can come and go easily between Shenzhen and Hong Kong.Both foreigners and Chinese have built a lot of factories, companies and tourists' attractions there.People all over the country have come to find jobs.Many of them have settled down in this new booming city. Shenzhen is developing so fast that it has become a well-known metropolis in China. When did Shenzhen become a special economic zone? A. . B. . C. . D. . Answer: D
DNA tells the story of the race to discover the structure of DNA, and the scientists who changed our understanding of the world and everything in it. The five-part series, to be broadcast from Thursday July 14 at 8:30 p.m. on ABC TV, also looks at the scientists' work for the future of mankind. The scientists were a small group of pioneers who explored a world too small to see. What they found there answered some eternal questions--What is life? How is it made ? Why are children like their parents? DNA is without doubt the most powerful substance on earth. The order of its chemicals determines whether a child has her mother's eyes or her father's smile. But as DNA shows, until 50 years ago, almost no one knew of its existence. All that changed when two unknown scientists - Jim Watson and Francis Crick -ran into a pub in Cambridge shouting that they'd found the secret of life. This declaration heralded a momentous discovery, not just for the human race but for the people involved. As this program shows, it was one of the most heated scientific races the world has ever seen. Dr Watson takes us back 50 years, guiding us through the tumultuous events that led to the creation of a double helix model being built by Dr Francis Crick and himself. He tells how he and Crick try hard to find the double helix first and win the Noble Prize. The program shows others involved with the DNA story, including Maurice Wilkins, who helped create the atom bomb. He became disillusioned with the science of death and chose the science of life instead, by looking for the structure of DNA. The purpose in writing this text is to _ . A introduce some scientists B report on a study on DNA C tell the importance of DNA D give a TV program summary Answer: D Friendship Day in India falls on the first Sunday of August every year. It is celebrated with many activities. Young people in India spend the day with their closest friends and have fun together. Most youngsters in India plan a movie or have a meal with their friends. Many friends may go on a drive to tourist places or make a plan for camping. Some friends go to the supermarket to do some shopping. On Friendship Day, most stores offer discounted prices for customers and it is the perfect day to buy something for friends. Some friends go to parties that are organized by many restaurants in order to attract youngsters. Such parties are very enjoyable. You can get food at a discounted price. Some friends just decide to meet up (,) at someone's home and talk about their happy time. The time good friends spend sitting together and talking over a cup of coffee is precious and unforgettable. Long-distance friends call up each other on this day and wish each other with warm feelings. Some of them even plan to meet up on this particular day. Yet some others plan a surprising visit just to see their friend gasp in shock! In 2009, Friendship Day in India falls on August 2nd. So don't forget to celebrate it with your friends. When is Friendship Day celebrated in India? A On August 2nd every year. B On the third weekend of August every year. C On August 1st every year. D On the first weekend of August every year. Answer: D A teacher of English as a second language is the 2004 Teacher of the Year in the United States .Kathy Mellor of Rhode Island will spend the next year as an international spokeswoman for education. President Bush and his wife, Laura ,honored her during a ceremony at the White House last week. For the past nineteen years ,Kathy Mellor has taught English as a second language at Davisville Middle School in North Kingstown, Rhode Island ,in the northeastern United States .She redesigned the program for E.S.L students at her school to provide each student with one to three periods per day in classes for English learners .How much instruction the students get depends on their level of skill in listening ,speaking ,reading and writing. The amount of time they spend in these classes in reduced as their level of English increases. A teacher describes this as the most successful E.S.L. program in North Kingstown. She also praises Kathy Mellor for providing help to students and their families by forming a local parents group for speakers of other languages .This improved their ability to help their children. Kathy Mellor earned a master's degree in education from Rhode Island College. She studied teaching English as a second language. She was chosen for the national honor of Teacher of the Year from among top teachers in each of the fifty states .As Teacher of the Year ,Kathy Mellor will travel around the United States and to other countries .She will talk about the importance of education and the work of teachers. This passage is mainly about _ . A Teacher of the Year 2004 in the United States B Ms Mellor's English teaching instruction C Ms Mellor's teaching skills of learning English D praises to Ms Mellor from other teachers Answer: A After suffering through many months of unemployment . my wife and I moved this week from Colorado to Ohio. where she was starting a new job. Not knowing anybody there. we were pretty concerned about how we'd get our entire home unloaded without killing ourselves. We made a phone call to hire a couple of college students to help with all the heavy lifting once we got there. But one neighbor after another stopped by to help us. _ Unloading actually became fun and joy because there were so many wonderful new friends to help when we worked. The more people helped. the easier the work became. We were afraid the job might take days for the two of us alone. but it was finished in a few hours. Many total strangers would either walk by the sidewalk or drive by to ask us if we were moving in. Many were happy that this 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 time. my brain was resting on this new sense of hope that people can be so friendly to strangers. Among all the conversation were lots of offers to help each other in all kinds 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 community can model what it's like to help each other. The author and his wife moved to Ohio because _ . A they liked moving from one place to another B they were both out of work in Colorado C the students of his wife were living there D his wife had found a new job there Answer: D A previously unknown kind of human group disappeared from the world so completely that it has left behind the merest piece of evidence that it ever existed -- a single bone from the little finger of a child, buried in a cave in the Altai Mountains of southern Siberia. Researchers removed DNA from the bone and reported that it differed obviously from that of both modern humans and of Neanderthals , living in Europe until the arrival of modern humans on the continent some 44,000 years ago. The child carrying the DNA line was probably 5 to 7 years old, but it is not yet known if it was a boy or a girl. The finger bone was unearthed in 2008 from a place known as the Denisova cave. Researchers are careful not to call the Denisova child a new human species, though it may prove to be so, because the evidence is initial. But the genetic material removed from the bone, found in a layer laid down on the cave floor between 48,000 and 30,000 years ago, belonged to a distinct human line that traveled out of Africa at a different time from the two known ancient human species. Homo erectus , found in East Asia, left Africa two million years ago, and the ancestor of Neanderthals moved away some 500,000 years ago. The numbers of differences found in the child's DNA indicate that its ancestors left Africa about one million years ago. The region was inhabited by both Neanderthals and modern humans at that time. Counting the new human line, three human species may have lived together. The standard view has long been that there were three human resettlements out of Africa -- those of Homo erectus; of the ancestor of Neanderthals; and finally, some 50,000 years ago, of modern humans. But in 2004, archaeologists reported that they had found the bones of small humans who lived on the Indonesian island of Flores until 13,000 years ago, causing a serious problem to this view. The new line is the second such challenge. If the nuclear DNA of the Denisova child should differ as much as its mitochondrial DNA does from that of Neanderthals and modern humans, the case for declaring it a new species would be strengthened. But it would be unusual for a new species to be recognized on the basis of DNA alone. In new diggings starting this summer, archaeologists will look for remains more analytical than the finger bone. Researchers will also begin re-examining the fossil collections in museums to see if any wrongly assigned bones might belong instead to the new line. According to the passage, _ . A modern humans arrived in Europe before Neanderthals B modern humans arrived in Europe about 44,000 years ago C Neanderthals arrived in Europe about 44, 000 years ago D Neanderthals arrived in Europe soon after modern humans did Answer: B
Question: When I was fifteen months old.I fell on a glass rabbit which cut my eye badly enough to blind it.And as I grew,this sightless eye , in so many ways controlled me that I walked with my face looking at the floor so people would not see the ugly me. Yet Mama would hold me in her arms and stroke my hair and say,"If you hold your head up high,it will be OK.And people will see your beautiful soul."She continued this message whenever I wanted to hide. As a little child,I thought Mama meant,"Be careful or you will fall down or bump into something because you are not looking."As a teenager, I found that my mama's words helped me begin to realize that by letting people look at my face,I let them recognize the intelligence and beauty behind my eyes. In high school I was successful both academically and socially.I was even elected class president,but inside me I still felt like a freak .When things got really bad,I would cry to my mama and she would look at me with loving eyes and say, "Hold your head up high and face the world.Let them see the beauty that is inside." When I met the man who became my partner for life,we looked each other straight in the eye,and he told me I was beautiful inside and out.Mama's love and encouragement were the spark that gave me the confidence to overcome my own doubt. "Hold your head up high" has been heard many times in my home.Each of my children has felt its _ .The gift my mama gave me lives on in another generation. What's the author's purpose in writing the passage? A. To show the power of confidence. B. To express her attitude to her mom. C. To explain how to build confidence. D. To inspire people to face difficulties Answer: B Question: The oldest and most common source of renewaBle energy known to man, Biomass is one of the most important forms energy production in the United States and elsewhere. Since such a wide variety of Biomass materials is everywhere ---- from trees and grasses to agricultural and city ---- life wastes ----Biomass promises to play a continuing role in providing power and heat for millions of people around the world. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists(UCS), Biomass is a kind of renewaBle energy source that produces no carBon dioxide , Because the energy it contains comes from the sun. When plant matter is Burned, it gives off the sun's energy. In this way, Biomass serves as a sort of natural Battery for storing the sun's energy. As long as Biomass is produced continuously ----with only as much grown as is used--- the "Battery" lasts forever. According to the Energy Information Administration, Biomass has Been one of the leading renewaBle energy sources in the United States for several years running through 2007, making up Between 0.5 and 0.9 percent of the nation's total electricity supply. In 2008----although the numBers aren't all in yet----wind power proBaBly took over first place Because of the rapid development of wind farms across the country. Producing power from Biomass helps reduce some 11 million tons of carBon dioxide each year. Some homeowners also try to make their own heat By using Biomass materials. Such practice may save homeowner's money, But it also produces a lot of pollution. So, the Best way is to encourage power plants to use it. Why does the author encourage power plants to use Biomass? A. To prevent the waste of energy. B. To increase production safety. C. To reduce pollution. D. To save money. Answer: C Question: Bai Yansong, a famous TV host, expressed his support for students wearing green scarves at a primary school in Xi'an. He wore a green tie on a TV program on October 19, 2011. "I just want the students to know that I'm also wearing green. And we are all great people and are as good as those wearing red scarves." The First Experimental Primary School in Xi'an made children with poor schoolwork and behavior wear green scarves. Parents whose children wore green scarves were angry. "The children still need their self-esteem even though they are very young, and they know the green scarf means something is not quite right," said one mother. Now, the school has stopped the practice. Educational expert Li Zhenxi said that primary and junior high school students have strong self-esteem. They are eager to be respected and understood. Punishment will hurt them. "It's better to encourage them rather than separating some 'bad' students," he said. A survey made by the Ministry of Education shows that 75 percent of students feel nervous and scared when the teacher is about to announce their grades. Some schools have done better in protecting students' privacy and encouraging them. In American schools, teachers post test results on the wall. Instead of using student names, they use secret numbers. This way, students know their secret numbers and can check their own grades only. Some teachers might call the students up to the desk and tell them their scores one at a time. But test scores are not the only measures of a student's ability. Everyone has his own strengths and everyone can make great progress by working hard. According to the article, which of the following is TRUE? A. Primary school students are too young to know what self-esteem is. B. Separating some "bad" students helps create good learning environment. C. Most "good" students like their teachers to announce their scores. D. Using secret numbers instead of students' names can protect their privacy better. Answer: D Question: A good way to pass an examination is to work hard everyday in the year. You may fail in the examination if you are lazy for most of the year and then work hard only a few days before the examination. If you are taking an English examination, you shouldn't only learn the rules of grammar. Try to read stories in English and speak in English whenever you can. Several days before examination you should start going to bed early. Do not stay up late at night studying and learning things. Before you start the examination, read carefully over the examination paper. Try to understand the exact meaning ofeach question before you pick up your pen to write. When you have finished your examination At last ,read your answers, correct any mistakes that you see and make sure that you have not _ anything _ ,. If you are going to take an examination, _ . A. study hard and sleep less B. get up early and do a lot of reading C. go to bed early and have a good rest D. go to bed late and get up late Answer: C Question: From: _ Sent: Wed., Oct. 19 To: _ Subject: Hello! Hi, Liam! So you're my new pen friend. Let me tell you a bit about myself. I'm 14 years old and I live in Calgary, Canada. I have two older brothers, Brian and Sam. I'm the only girl. I love sports and I'm always looking for exciting new hobbies to try. I like playing baseball in winter. It's fun beating the boys! But summer is my favourite time of the year. I love skateboarding and rock climbing in summer. Skateboarding's great because it's so fun and easy to learn! I often skateboard after school. There are many places in the park where I can do stunts. I'm good at stunts like jumping and turning the skateboard! Rock climbing is also really fun. I usually climb with my dad on weekends. We can't do it on real mountains very often because we live in the city. We do indoor rock climbing instead but it's not as challenging. So that's me! How about you? Please write back soon! Bye for now! Anne Who wrote this email? A. Liam. B. Brian. C. Sam. D. Anne. Answer: D
A year ago, I paid no attention to English idioms, though my teacher stressed the importance again and again. But soon, the importance of English idioms was shown in an amusing experience. One day, I happened to meet an Englishman on the road, and soon we began to talk. As I was talking about how I was studying English, the foreigner seemed to be astonished. Gently shaking his head and shrugging his shoulders, he said, "You don't say!" "You don't say!" I was puzzled. I thought, perhaps this is not a proper topic. "Well, I'd better change the topic." So I said to him, "Well, shall we talk about the Great Wall? By the way, have you ever been there?" "Certainly, everyone back home will laugh at me if I leave China without seeing it. It was wonderful." He was deep in thought when I began to talk like a tourist guide. "The Great Wall is one of the wonders in the world. We are very proud of it". Soon I was interrupted again by his words:"You don't say!" I couldn't help asking, "Why do you ask me not to talk about it?" "Well, I didn't request you to do so," he answered, greatly surprised. I said, "Didn't you say 'you don't say'?" Hearing this, the Englishman laughed to tears. He began to explain, "'You don't say' actually means 'really?' It is an expression of surprise. Perhaps you don't pay attention to English idioms." Only then did I know I had made a fool of myself. Since then I have been more careful with idiomatic expressions. Always remember: what the English teachers say is always right to us students. A year ago, I paid no attention to English idioms because _ . A I didn't have the slightest interest in them B English idioms are not important C My teacher didn't emphasize the importance of them D I was not careful with English idioms Answer: D. I was not careful with English idioms Eight Days from Just PS 299 Departs May October 2005 Includes: Return flights from 8 UK airports to Naples Return airport to hotel transport Seven nights' accommodation at the 3 Hotel Nice The services of guides Government taxes Join us for a wonderful holiday in one of Europe's most wonderful comers. Long a favorite with holidaymakers--indeed the ancient Romans called the area "happy land"--this simply attractive coastline of colorful towns, splendid views and the warm Mediterranean Sea is a perfect choice for a truly memorable holiday! Choose between the peaceful traditional village of Sant' Agata, set on a hillside six miles from Sorrento, or the more lively and well-known international resort town of Sorrento, with wonderful views over the Bay of Naples. Breathtaking scenery and famous sights everywhere. From the legendary Isle of Capri to the haunting ruins of Pompeii and from the unforgettable "Amalfi Drive" to the delightful resorts of Positano, Sorrento and Ravello, _ Should you choose to join us, we know that you will not be disappointed! With a choice of hotels , and optional excursions including Capri, Pompeii and the "Amalfi Drive" , this is a truly unmissable holiday. Price based on two tourists sharing a twin /double room at the Hotel Nice. Like to know more? Then telephone Newmarket Air Holidays Ltd on: 0845-226-7766(A11 calls charged at local rates). After reading the ad, one will probably join in the tour because _ . A the sights are attractive and the tour starts in May or October B the price is low for those intending to stay at the 3 Hotel Nice C the price offered is reasonable and the sights are beautiful D good services are offered to those intending to stay in double rooms Answer: C. the price offered is reasonable and the sights are beautiful To Whom It May Concern, My husband Jim and I got married in 1965. For the first ten years of our marriage, I was very happy to stay home and raise our three children. Then about four years ago, our youngest child went to school, and I thought I might go back to work. Jim was very supportive and helped me to make my decision. He started to do all the things I used to do around the house, and said he thought I could be a great success in business. After several weeks of job hunting, I found my present job, which is working for a small public relation firm. At first, my husband was proud of me and would tell his friends, "My clever little wife can run that company she's working for." But, as his joking words were becoming reality, Jim stopped talking to me about my job. I have received several promotions and pay increases, and I am now making more money than he is. I can buy my own clothes and a new car. Because of our combined incomes, Jim can do things that we had always dreamed of doing, but we don't do these things because he is unhappy. We fought about little things, and Jim is very critical of me in front of our friends. For the first time in our marriage, I think there is a possibility that our marriage may come to an end. I love Jim very much, and I don't want him to feel inferior , but I also love my job. I think I can be a good wife and a working woman, but I don't know how. Can you give me some advice? Will I have to choose one or the other or can I keep both my husband and my new career? Please help. Yours, Mary When was the letter most probably written? A In 1975. B Around 1980. C Four years ago. D In 1965. Answer: B. Around 1980. A strong earthquake has hit the town of Galta 200 kilometres north of Madras. The earthquake hit the town at 7:15 yesterday evening. The earthquake measured 7.2 on the Richter scale , the strongest for five years. The earthquake happened as most people were having their evening meal at home. There were very few people outside in the streets. Buildings fell down and many fires started. The electricity and water were cut off. As it was dark, the emergency services had a lot of problems. There was no electricity for lights, and there was no water to put out the fires. Early this morning, planes flew over the town to see the damage. The emergency services are now trying to reach the town. The nearest airport is at Bandel, about 100 kilometers away. The railway station at Galta is closed, because four bridges fell down in the earth. The nearest train station is 32 kilometres away at Solan. We shall have more reports for you during the day. Why didn't the emergency services reach the town? A Because it was dark. B Because planes flew over. C Because there was no water. D Because four bridges fell down Answer: A. Because it was dark. "Seven out of ten people have tried to learn a language at some point in their life and most wish they could speak one more fluently," a survey found. "And nine out of ten people want their children to learn foreign languages at primary school," said the poll for the OCR Examing Board .Languages are no longer compulsory for pupils aged 14 and over. But the government wants all primary school pupils in England to learn a language by the end of the decade. A survey of 1000 people was carried out, which is organised by the National Centre of Language .The study suggested people in London were the most likely(78%) to have studied another language, Scots were next at 74%, followed by the northeast of England (71%).In the west of England, more than six in ten have knowledge of another language. Barrie Hunt from OCR said, "People are often very negative about Britain,s grasp of foreign languages but in reality the number of people who can speak a second language is impressive. The great joke is that many of these people will have no formal qualification to show their family, friends and employers what they can do. Whether they are fluent or just able to hold a short conversation in another language is unknown." He said OCR had set a new language scheme called Asset Languages to encourage people of all ages to learn languages in bite-sized amounts and get a qualification. The scheme also provides assessment for community languages spoken at home, such as Chinese, Urdu and Punjabi. Isabella Moore from the National Centre of Languages said, "Employers want evidence of good communication skills, confidence and outward-looking attitudes, so a language qualification is an important addition to anyone,s resume." Which statement is true according to the text? A A language qualification is the only evidence of a high-quality employee. B Speaking foreign languages is the most important skill required in employment among all. C A language qualification is very difficult to get in UK. D Many people in UK don,t have a qualification although they can speak foreign languages. Answer: D. Many people in UK don,t have a qualification although they can speak foreign languages.
Teaching Boys: Developing classroom practices that work Amanda Keddie and Martin Mills Bridges the gap between theory and practice to offer a practical and sustainable framework for teaching boys in classrooms of all levels. Sales points Teaching boys remains one of the most concerned issues in education today. Many books have been published analysing why boys perform less well than girls, and why some boys struggle at school. But they don't show teachers what will work: this book does. The authors offer a research-based framework for classroom strategies that work with boys--and don't disadvantage girls. Description Boys' education continues to be a focus of public anxiety among teachers. Concern about boys' general educational under-achievement and the impact this under-achievement has on the boys themselves, as well as on the broader society, continues to fuel disagreement and debate on the best approach to take in response. Teaching Boys provides a framework for developing practical and sustainable ways to improve boys' education. The book indicates how what teachers do in the classroom can enable boys' academic and social outcomes. With detailed case studies, Keddie & Mills outline a range of practical classroom strategies that will assist teachers to meet the challenge of teaching boys, without neglecting the girls in the process. About the Authors Amanda Keddie is a researcher at the University of Queensland. Her research interests and teaching areas focus on classroom teaching, curriculum and educational sociology. Martin Mills is Associate Professor in the School of Education at the University of Queensland. He has written several books, and is co-author of Teachers and Schooling Making a Difference (Allen & Unwin, 2010). The purpose of this passage is _ . Answer: to advertising a book CANYOUIMAGINEHOWHARDITWOULDBETOREADSENTENCESLIKETHIS? Every one of us gets so used to punctuation marks that not many of us give them a second thought. Actually, the ancient Greeks wrote this way. The lack of punctuation marks probably didn't bother good readers, though. As they read, they just put pauses where they fit best. Also at this time, sentences switched directions. A sentence read from left to right. The next one read right to left, and then left to right again, etc. The ancient Romans sometimes punctuated like this: They * put * something * that * can * separate * words * in * a * sentence. The word punctuation actually comes from this idea and the Latin word punctum, which means a dot. When the 5thcentury arrived, there were just two punctuation marks: spaces and points. The spaces separated words while the points showed pauses in reading. Then in the 13thcentury, a printer named Aldus Manutius tried to standardize punctuation. He always used a period for a complete stop at the end of a sentence. He used a slash (/) to indicate a short pause. Over time, that slash was shortened and curled, and it became the modern comma . Since that time, other marks have enlarged the punctuation family. The exclamation mark comes from the Latin word io. It means "exclamation of joy." The question mark originally started out as the Latin word questio, meaning question. Eventually, scholars put it at the end of a sentence to show a question. Punctuation even keeps changing nowadays. New marks are coming into existence, and old punctuation marks are used in new ways. Take for example the "interrobang". This 1962 invention combines the question mark and exclamation mark for times when writers want both. For example, "She did what?" or "How much did you pay for that dress?" Obviously, the interrobang is not widely used or recognized yet, but its invention shows that English is not yet finished with its punctuation. The passage is developed _ . Answer: by time When children start kindergarten, evident gaps in science knowledge already exist between Whites and minorities and between youngsters from upper-income and low-income families. And they often deepen into significant achievement gaps by the end of eighth grade if they are not dealt with during elementary school. The findings suggest that, in order for the United States to maintain long-term scientific and economic competitiveness in the world, policymakers need to renew efforts to ensure access(n.,) to high-quality, early learning experiences in childcare settings, preschools and elementary schools. The researchers' study tracked 7,757 children from their start in kindergarten to the end of eighth grade. Researchers found that, among kindergarteners with low levels of general knowledge, 62 percent were struggling in science by the time they reached third grade and 54 percent were struggling in that subject in eighth grade. And general knowledge gaps between minorities and Whites were already large at the time when students began kindergarten. "Children growing up in low-income families typically experience comparatively fewer early opportunities to learn about the natural and social sciences," the authors wrote. "Their parents often have lower educational levels and therefore less science knowledge themselves as well as fewer resources available to direct the children's academic growth. Children raised in poverty often attend poorly resourced schools that futher limit their academic opportunities." Morgan said that, within families, parents who regularly talk and interact with toddlers can point out and explain physical, natural and social events occurring around them daily. This might help youngsters learn facts and concepts that will prepare them to take better advantage of science instruction they receive during elementary and middle school. Which of the following can be the best title for the text? Answer: Science Knowledge Gaps Are Obvious in Kindergarten More and more people are trying to learn English than any other language in the world. English is the world language of politics and international business. It becomes the international language of science, medicine, sports, travel and so on. In most schools in Asia, English is taught as the main foreign language. School children in China and Japan begin to learn English at an early age. English is the official language of more than seventy-five countries including Britain, Canada, the United States and Australia. Many different languages are spoken in some countries. However, English is often used as an official language to help people communicate with each other. India is a good example. English is the common language in this country, but at least twenty-four languages are spoken there. Do you know the history of English? Old English took many words from the French language. Most English words came from French, especially those words used for describing the law and the government, such as "damage"," prison "and " marriage". Then, English became what language experts called Middle English. The history of English continues as Middle English, and then it becomes Modern English, and it is spoken today. ,. How many languages are spoken in India? Answer: At least 24. Dr. Jack M. Gwaltney, Jr. a professor at the University Of Virginia School Of Medicine infected six student volunteers with virus, the most common cause of colds. A few days later, when they were coughing and sneezing, he gathered 37 more people and divided them into three groups. Group 1 members spent three days and nights in the same room with one of the infected students, separated by a screen so they couldn't touch one another. Group 2 sat around a table while an infected volunteer talked, coughed and sang to them. Group 3 held hands with an infected student for ten seconds, and then touched their own noses or eyes. Although most scientists at the time, the mid-70s, believed colds were spread by virus-laden droplets spread through the air when infected people coughed or sneezed, Gwaltney suspected physical contact might play an important role. Sure enough, of the 15 people who had touched a student volunteer, 11 became infected--compared with only one of those who had been sitting at the table, and none who had spent three days and nights together. "The best evidence we have is that hand-to-hand contact is the most efficient way of transmitting virus," says Gwaltney. The study was one of a series that helped establish Gwaltney's reputation as a leading authority. Dr. Robert Couch says, "It would not be inappropriate to call him Mr. Common Cold." When Gwaltney is asked how close scientists are to finding a cure, he replies: "If you mean 'get rid of', I don't think we're going to be able to do that with cold viruses any time soon. But if you look in the dictionary, you'll see that 'cure' is explained as a successful treatment. And we're not just getting more effective at treating the symptoms --we're getting at the root cause too. " Mr. Common Cold is _ . Answer: a nickname of respect to Dr. Gwaltney
Question: Most English people have three names: a first name, a middle name and a family name . For example, my full name is Ann Allan Green. Green is my family name. Ann and Allan are my given names. People don't use their middle names very much.So we can say Ann Green. We can say Miss Green or Mrs. Green. But we can't say Miss Ann or Mrs. Ann. It's different from Chinese names. In China, the first name is the family name and the last name is the given name. The boy's name is John Allan King, you can call him _ . A. Mr. John B. Mr. Allan C. Mr. King D. Allan King Answer: C. Mr. King Question: A compass uses natural magnetism so it works only because A. the world is positive B. the world is wet C. the Earth is fat D. the Earth yanks it Answer: D. the Earth yanks it Question: My name is Nick. I have four new good friends. They are Dick, Helen, Jack and Amy. Now, they're in the garden. Dick and Jack are boys. Dick is tall and strong. Jack is tall but he's not strong. He is thin. Helen and Amy are girls. They're twins. They are short and slim. Dick is thirteen. Helen is thirteen too. They're in the same class. Jack is in Class4. His shoes are black and his T-shirt is white. Who are thirteen years old? A. Dick and Helen B. Dick and Jack C. Simon, Helen and Jack D. Jack and Amy Answer: A. Dick and Helen Question: Most people think about donating blood. However. Very few actuallv do it. Even the most consistent ones donate an average of just three to four times during their lifetime. Now the officials in Sweden are trying to change the trend with the help of modern-day technology. The encouragement to donate again begins shortly after the donor leaves the clinic when he/she receives a "thank you" text. Though that certainly helps them feel appreciated, what is even more pleasing is the text they receive each time their blood is used to help someone in need. Karolina Wiberg, manager of the Stockholm blood service, believes this small gesture not only results in repeat donors, but helps bring in new ones. The program that was started in Stockholm has received such positive feedback that it is now being rolled out across the country. However, Swedish officials are not stopping there. They are also encouraging local clinics to publish the exact levels of the different blood groups they have at any given time on their websites. This allows potential donors to realize that their blood can make a difference in saving someone ' s life. While all these outreach programs are great, busy citizens, even the ones with the best intentions have to be occasionally reminded. In order to jog their memories, officials ask people for authorization to send them text, Facebook, and e-mail reminders. Though that may sound disturbing, the citizens do not seem to mind, given that the messages are light-hearted and fun-things like "We won't give up until you bleed." Though Sweden is currently the only country using modern technology to urge more donations, don't be surprised if more join in, especially if the Nordic country's blood banks start to overflow! What do people think of blood donation reminders? A. Disturbing. B. Memorable. C. Authentic. D. Acceptable. Answer: D. Acceptable. Question: In most parts of the world there are four seasons. They are spring, summer, fall and winter. In different seasons people wear different clothes and do different things. For example, in summer the weather is hot, so people usually wear cool clothes and do things like swimming, boating or surfing . But near the polar regions , there are only two seasons: winter and summer. In winter, nights are long. For more than two months you can't see the sun. In summer, days are long and the sun is always in the sky. There are no nights. The people living near the North Pole are called Inuit . In summer they live in tents and catch deer for food. In winter they live in small round snow houses. They can build a snow house. They make holes in the ice and catch fish and seals . They eat much meat but not many vegetables. There are two seasons near the polar regions. They are _ . A. summer and spring B. fall and winter C. summer and winter D. summer and fall Answer: C. summer and winter
We've talked about snails and their slow move. But much of the time snails don't move at all. They are in their shells --sleeping. Hot sun will dry out a snail's body. So at the least sign of hot sun, a snail draws its body into his shell. A snail will die in a heavy rain. So when it rains, a snail does the same thing, too. A snail can sleep for as long as it needs to. It spends all the winter months in its shell, asleep. In the spring the snail wakes up. Its body, about three inches long, comes out from the shell. When hungry, the snail looks for food. Its eyes, at the end of the top feelers, are very weak. But its sense of smell is very strong. It helps the snail to find food and the new greens. A snail's mouth is no bigger than the point of a pin. Yet it has 256,000 teeth! The teeth are very small, and you can't see them. If you put a snail in a hard paper box, it will eat its way out! And if a snail wears out its teeth, it will grow new ones. In the sentence "A snail draws its body into its shell", the word "draw" means _ . A to make with a pencil B to push C to pull D to move away Answer: C. to pull Some caterpillars' warning signals may have evolved from walking. A team, writing in the journal Nature Communications, reported that the hair-like structures the creatures use to make sounds evolved from legs. The team studied caterpillars which use these structures to communicate their ownership of leaves. This means the caterpillars are able to "tell" strangers to go away without risking injury in conflicts. "These are really interesting caterpillars," said Dr. Jayne Yack from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, who led the research. "They make signals using hair-like structures which are on their back ends." The caterpillars drag these structures across the leaf to make scraping sounds when strangers enter their "leaf shelters". "When they make this signal, the strangers leave," explained Dr. Yack. "It's like saying 'I'm here, get out of here --I already own this leaf'." The scientists looked at other species within the same group of caterpillars and created a "family tree" of the creatures. They used chemical markers to work out the relationship between the animals, showing which in the group were the more ancient species and which species evolved more recently. "Those more ancient species actually don't have these sound-producing structures. They have legs that they use to walk towards strangers," said Dr. Yack. These more ancient species, she explained, walk towards strangers and try to attack them. "They can kill each other in the conflicts," Dr. Yack added. She said that the evolution of the scraping show had allowed the caterpillars to solve their conflicts without fighting. "So our idea is that these signals actually avoid damage to both sides --they solve conflicts in a more 'friendly' way." The study also provides a map of an evolutionary path that many other biologists are exploring. According to the text, Dr. Yack's team did NOT _ . A investigate species within the same group of cater-pillars B make clear the relationship between different species of caterpillars C draw a family tree of caterpillars D create a map to show how caterpillars evolve Answer: D. create a map to show how caterpillars evolve An allergy is a strong reaction to a substance. Many things can cause allergies. The most common cause is pollen , which is usually produced by trees in the spring, grasses in the summer and weeds in the fall, as part of their reproductive process. Other causes include organisms, chemicals, plants and dead skin particles from dogs and cats can also cause allergic reactions. So can insect stings and some food. The most common kind of allergic reactions is itchy , watery eyes and a blocked or watery nose. Allergies can also cause red, itchy skin. Some reactions can be life-threatening, for example, when breathing passages become blocked. It is not always easy to avoid allergies. Drugs may offer an effective treatment. Another treatment used in some cases is called immunotherapy. A patient is injected with small amounts of the allergy-causing substance. The idea is that larger and larger amounts are given over time until the patient develops resistance in his body. In the United States, experts estimate that up to 8% of young children have food allergies. Every year these allergies cause about 30,000 cases with severe reactions that require immediate treatment. It can result in breathing trouble and in some cases death. It is said that about 100 to 200 people will die. It is said that most of the reactions are caused by peanuts and tree nuts like walnuts. People can also be allergic to medicines. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology says about 10% of bad reactions to commonly used medicines are allergic. In other words, a person's immune system overreacts and produces an allergic reaction. The most common reactions include skin rashes, itching, breathing problems and swelling in areas such as the face. What will happen if one's breathing passages get blocked? A It is nothing serious. B One's life is at risk. C One has to be sent to hospital. D One is sure to breathe easily. Answer: B. One's life is at risk. John: Here's a good shop. Shall we buy mother's birthday present here? Mary: Yes, that's a good idea. Shall we go inside? Tom: No. Let's look in the window. Shall we buy her a sweater? Anne: Er, no. It'll soon be summer. Let's buy her a blouse to wear. There's a nice one in the window. John: No, she has two blouses. Let's buy a ring. Mary: Oh, no! They're diamond rings. Look at the price. The cheapest is $15. John: A real diamond ring is at least $500.They only look like diamonds. Tom: Shall we buy a table? It's only $15. Anne: It doesn't look good, just like a big box. Mum likes chairs. Tom: But they haven't any here. Mary: What about a pen? So cheap! Only $10. John: She has a lot of pens and pencils. All of them are new. Tom: Oh, look here. These flowers are beautiful. Mary: They aren't real and will never die. John: And they're the cheapest of all these things. Yes, let's buy them. Anne: All right. Who finds the shop to buy the present first? A John. B Anne. C Tom. D Mary. Answer: A. John. If you travel in some areas of India, you'll be lucky enough to be waited on by special guides - monkeys. These monkeys are always ready to serve you. Hungry, you just need to point to your own stomach and they'll lead you to the nearest restaurant. Thirsty, the monkeys will lead you to a bar. Tired, you put both of your hands behind your head and the monkeys will take you to the nearest hotel. Don't feel surprised when they put out their hairy hands to you after the service is done. They are just asking for a little money as a tip. After that, they will wave their hands as if they are saying goodbye to you. Believe it or not, these monkeys are from the school for monkeys in India, where they were trained for one year. They are not the only monkey students in the world. Some are being trained as nurses in an American medical college. These monkeys are about to look after patients and help-them with their housework. A three-year-old monkey named Helen has learned to turn on TV, turn off lights, and open doors and windows when she is told to. Once the job is done, she will rush to her master, hoping to get some food as a reward. According to the passage, monkeys aren't trained to _ . A open doors B buy food C turn off lights D look after patients Answer: B. buy food
If you are invited to a party by the Austrians and the suggested dress is "informal " (usually marked in the lower left-hand coner of the invitation) , it may mean dark suit and a white shirt for men and cocktail dress( ) for women. Or again, may mean something considerably less formal. "Formal" means a black tie and evening dress for men and a floor-length dress for women. If a man is in doubt about what to wear, he may come slightly overdressed and then take his coat and tie off when he sees that others are wearing sports shirts. National dress is always acceptable. Suppose you are a man invited to an informal party by an Austrian, you'd better _ . To be able to motivate oneself, or self-motivate, occurs when a person has the willingness to do something and is internally motivated to do it. Sometimes it's very difficult to get ourselves moving.The natural tendency is to postpone.Life just seems to get in the way! There is a job to go to, groceries to do, television to watch--whoops! I guess we get pretty good at finding excuses to escape getting started on goals like an exercise routine or reading a new book.The fact is that we are creatures of routine and habit.So what can we do to motivate ourselves to accomplish our goals? Here are some tips on how to get moving: Decide what you want.It's hard to motivate an aimless mind.Set a goal and decide how you are going to go about it.Then break it down into smaller sections so it's easier to handle and less overwhelming. Keep track of your progress.Keep a log or journal where you can measure how much you have accomplished.Looking at it can also motivate you to keep pushing ahead. Post motivating pictures or slogans within your sight.It is always inspiring to see pictures of people who have accomplished what you're going for.It makes it attainable and realistic.Likewise, little slogans like "go for it" or "just do it" can give you the little support you need. _ .If you remind yourself to go for the desired promotion, it will re-establish why you are doing what you're doing. Make it a habit.Once you have accomplished your objective, e.g.becoming an early riser, keep it up so that it's second nature to you and you don't have to think about it anymore. Which of the following is the best title for the passage? The British coloney of Bermude is a top summertime escape. Yet, even through October, Bermuda isn't ready to stop for the winter. During this month, world-class festivals on teh island keep things lively and the weather remains comfortable enough for Bermuda shorts and bathing suits. In October, Bermuda hosts two major festivals--the Bermuda Music Festival and the Bermuda Culinary Arts Festival. The 10thanniversary Bermuda Music Festival begins October 5 and features three days of performances at the Royal Naval Dockyard on Bermuda's West End. Featured main stage performers include Joss Stone, Pattie Labelle, and Al Green, and a second stage spotlights local Bermudian artists. General admission tickets start at $60 for on e day or $160 for a three-day pass. Starting October 21, the Culinary Arts Festival brings some of North America's top chefs to the island for four days of food and wine tastings, conferences and cooking competitions. Participating chefs include Todd English and Michael Lomonaco, among others. Three-day festival passes start at $649 per person, but you can also buy separate tickets for individual events. Even if you don't attend one of the festivals, there's still plenty to do. With mostly sunny days and temperatures averaging aroung 79 degrees, the weather is just right for participating in Bermuda's two favorite pastimes--golf and tennis. With fewer visitors on the island than during the summer, you may have an easier time getting the best times or a spot on the courts. It's also still warm enough to enjoy the island's pink sand beaches and go swimming, because the water keeps the summer's heat longer than the air. Of course, you can always shop in the city of Hamilton's upscale small goods arts and crafts shops. According to the text which of the following statements is true? A farm planted levels or floors is called a vertical farm. A skyscraper type building can house a vertical farm. Since the garden is built upwards,rather than outwards,it requires much less space than a conventional farm. The world is quickly running out of room for conventional farming. Vertical farms could be a key to this situation. An 18story vertical farm could feed as many as 50,000 people,all in an area which is the size of the average city block. Vertical farms in the city could cut down on transportation costs as well. Think about the amount of fuel it takes to transport food from farmland to city. The resources saved would be surprising. Besides saving travel time,food would be delivered in fresher condition and with less damage. There is a growing concern about the use of pesticides in agriculture today. But the vertical farm would be a greenhouse type environment, avoiding the need for a large number of pesticides. Vertical farms can be built in a contained space,therefore they are an excellent solution for living well in an environment far different from our own. Hydroponics could be a big part of vertical gardening. This would reduce the amount of soil needed to grow food. Of course,not all food does well with this type of planting,but there are many crops that actually seem to do better. In some climates,a lack of sunlight creates a short growing season. The solar power option may not work as well here. The addition of grow lights would make it possible to grow crops in vertical gardens in these areas .In other words,we could grow crops in areas where we never could before. Vertical farms may just be a concept for now,but they are a concept that will solve many of our problems in the future. Compared to the conventional farm, the vertical farm can _ . Interactive Home-security Systems Tarik Celebi, who lives in San Francisco suburb, takes his home-security system with him to work, to dinner, just about anywhere.By his cell phone, he "arms" his home-security alarm from his car before he leaves for work.During his workday, he gets e-mail alerts every time his front door opens, even though he's miles away.If the door opens at an unusual time -say midday when no one should be coming or going - he can order a 30-second video clip from the camera that watches the door.If it's just his mother-in-law getting a package delivery, no worries. Celebi is one of the first users of the latest interactive home-security systems.In addition to sounding alarms when the house is broken into and notifying homeowners or police, as traditional systems do, the interactive systems give users new ways to remotely control their systems and their home environment.Different from traditional home-security alarms, which homeowners typically have to press buttons on a keypad to turn on before they leave their homes, the interactive systems enable consumers to arm and disarm systems from smart phones, iPads and PCs, no matter where they are. Most traditional systems are set up to sound an alarm if doors or windows are opened. The interactive systems give homeowners more options.For example, users can elect when they want to be notified.They might want an e-mail or a text every time a door is opened, or only during the hours of 3 to 4 p.m., when kids come home from school.Like Celebi, they can add cameras and get video clips when doors open.That could be helpful in making sure kids aren't bringing friends home when they're not supposed to. Nationwide, about 20% of homes have.traditional home-security systems.About half stop using them because they tire of the trouble.Being able to arm systems even while dashing to the subway or while at work will increase their usage of the new interactive systems.Although the new functions add costs to home security, the interactive-systems are believed to push home-security systems' usage rates closer to 30%, which would be a big movement for an industry that's been largely stuck at 20% for the past decade."We all know it's going to get bigger, though we don't know how long it's going to take," Eric Taylor, an officer from San Francisco Security Department says. What may Celebi first do if his front door opens at a wrong time when he is away?
Do you know why you sleep? You may think it's because you're tired. Or perhaps you've been told sleep is good for you. Yet no one knows exactly why or how people sleep. Until the early 1950s, most scientists thought the body and brain rested during sleep. Then a scientist watched people sleep. He noticed that during periods of between 5 and 30 minutes each, sleepers' eyes made rapid movements, as if they were watching something. He called these periods REM sleep, for Rapid Eye Movement. Periods when sleepers' eyes did not move he called non-REM sleep. Whenever the scientist woke people during REM sleep, they were having vivid dreams. Measurements showed that sleepers' pulses went up quickly during REM sleep. Their breathing, heartbeat, and the blood going to the brain also increased. Far from being a time of rest, REM sleep is a time when the body is hard at work. Scientists still don't know the reason for this. Some believe REM sleep makes learning easier. Babies spend a lot of time in REM sleep. Because of this, some scientists believe that REM sleep helps the brain grow. Others think REM sleep is a time for the brain to empty the day's garbage. One thing all the scientists agree on is that sleep is necessary. Without enough sleep, people make mistakes. Most major car accidents happen during the early morning hours, when people are sleepiest. What is the main idea of the article? A REM sleep helps the brain grow. B REM sleep has been watched and recorded by scientists. C REM sleep is a time to empty the day's garbage. D REM sleep is an active time when the body is hard at work. Answer: B. REM sleep has been watched and recorded by scientists. Going green is something that affects every single one of us. Whether by recycling those plastic water bottles, or by cutting down on electricity in your home, the importance of going green on a personal level is extremely important. But, when you're a millionaire NBA basketball star, how do you help out the environment? Yao Ming is a basketball player that plays for the Houston Rockets and has spoken out against hunting of sharks for fins, a delicious food in his native China. He is also the United Nations' Environmental champion. His goal is to raise awareness of climate change and energy-saving. "I will work with young people across the world and try to inspire them to plant trees, harvest rainwater and to become environmental champions in their own communities." The Philadelphia Eagles, a professional American football team, are really doing their part to give back to the community. The Eagles Go Green page has a "Green Energy Calculator" and according to the web site fans have saved $ 73,674.90 a year and saved 666,320 pounds of CO per year. Also, the Eagles have set up a "Stop global warming virtual march on Washington", a march across America for one year, through the Internet with a goal to bring fans together and to urge leaders to deal with the serious problem of global warming now. Bob Burnquist, a Brazilian skateboarder, is a member of Action Sports Environmental Coalition and founder of a program that gets organic foods and farming into schools for healthy lunch programs. Bob also has a huge homegrown organic farm where he hosted a gathering in celebration of Earth Day. Kelly Slater is a surfer and eight-time champion, but he also supports saving the coral reefs world wide. He has founded the Kelly Slater Invitational Competition which raises funds and awareness for Reef Check, which is able to get its message out to a large group of guests including professional surfers, film and music stars, and other famous people. What can we learn from the passage? A Only famous people need to care about environmental problems. B America is the country that takes best care of environment. C Environmental problems have a common effect on everyone of us. D Yao Ming's goals to raise people's awareness of environment are mainly about climate change and air pollution. Answer: C. Environmental problems have a common effect on everyone of us. Which scientist is known for his genetics experiments with pea plants? A Charles Darwin B Gregor Mendel C Carolus Linnaeus D Robert Hooke Answer: B. Gregor Mendel Alexandra Scott was born to Liz and Jay Scott in Manchester,Connecticut on January 18, 1996,the second of four children. Shortly before her first birthday,Alex was diagnosed with neuroblastoma,a type of childhood cancer. On her first birthday, the doctors informed Alex's parents that if she beat her cancer it was doubtful that she would ever walk again. Just two weeks later,Alex slightly moved her leg at her parents' request to kick. This was the first indication that she would turn out to be a courageous and confident child with big dreams and big accomplishments. By her second birthday,Alex was able to stand up with leg braces .She worked hard to gain strength and to learn how to walk. She appeared to be overcoming the difficulties, until the shocking discovery within the next year that her tumors had started growing again. In the year 2000,the day after her fourth birthday,Alex received a stem cell transplant and informed her mother,"When I get out of the hospital I want to have a lemonade stand. " She said she wanted to give the money to doctors to allow them to "help other kids,like they helped me.,,True to her word, she held her first lemonade stand later that year with the help of her older brother and raised an amazing $ 2,000 for "her hospital, People from all over the world,moved by her story,held their own lemonade stands and donated the earnings to Alex and her cause. In August of 2004,Alex passed away at the age of 8,knowing that,with the help of others,she had raised more than $ 1 million to help find a cure for the disease that took her life. Alex's family--including brothers Patrick,Eddie,and Joey--and supporters around the world are committed to continuing her inspiring cause through Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation . Which of the following can best describe Alex? A Stubborn. B Determined. C Innocent. D Energetic. Answer: B. Determined. Steve had a very long finger. It was the longest finger anyone in his town had. One day Steve shut the toilet seat, and his finger got caught in it. He couldn't get it out. It was very cold in the bathroom. This is why his sister brought him a coat. He was in the bathroom a long time. So, Steve started pasting a stone on the wall with glue on the end of his brush. Then he wrote the truth on this stone. He used a black pencil to write the truth on this stone, but the writing turned out blue. He did not know that his sister was watching him write the truth from the ceiling. He was upset because he always had a fear that he would have to share his secret power with his sister. It was too late, she saw that he wrote the truth on the stone. So he let her see his power. With a twirl of his long finger he magically made the toilet seat lift up. He could make things move with his mind. Who had the longest finger in Steve's town? A the toilet seat B the stone C Steve D Steve's sister Answer: C. Steve
Every student can learn rope jumping. You can jump alone or with your classmate. You can also help turn a long rope for many others to jump over, one at a time. If you jump alone, you will need a short rope and it will be just enough for your height. Try ropes of different lengths until you find a right one for your size. A rope should be turned slowly. It must also be turned high enough to let you jump freely and safely. Turning the rope freely and safely needs careful timing. In rope jumping, timing means turning the rope slowly enough for you to jump over at the right time without its striking your feet. When you jump rope, your heart beats faster and your face has a healthy color1. But if you jump too many times at first, you will get fired. You must learn when to stop for a rest before you jump again, If you practice, you can increase the number of limes you jumpers without resting. Which of the following is true? Answer: You're in a department store and you see a couple of attractive young women looking at a sweater. You listen to their dialogue: "I can't believe it -- Lorenzo Bertolla! They are almost impossible to find. Isn't it beautiful? And it's a lot cheaper than the one Sara bought in Rome." They leave and you go over to see this unbelievable sweater. It's nice and the price is right. You've never heard of Lorenzo Bertolla, but those girls looked really stylish . They must know. So, you buy it. You never realize that those young women are employees of an advertising agency. They are actually paid to go from store to store, talking loudly about Lorenzo Bertolla clothes. Every day we notice what people are wearing, driving and eating. If the person looks cool, the product seems cool, too. This is the secret of undercover marketing. Companies from Ford to Nike are starting to use it. Undercover marketing is important because it reaches people that don't pay attention to traditional advertising. This is particularly true of the MTV generation -- consumers between the age of 18 and 34. It's a golden group. They have a lot of money to spend, but they don't believe in ads. So advertising agencies hire young actors to "perform" in bars and other places where young adults go. Some people might call this practice misleading, but marketing executive Jonathan Ressler calls it creative. "Look at traditional advertising. Its effectiveness is decreasing." It is true, because everyone knows an ad is trying to persuade you to buy something. However, you don't know when a dialogue you overhear is just a performance. What can we infer from the passage? Answer: When a dirty and untidy grey cat showed up in the prison yard, I was one of the first to go out there and pet it. I hadn't touched a cat or a dog in over 20 years. I spent at least 20 minutes, knelt down behind the kitchen as the cat rolled around, relaxed. When he was expressing outwardly, I was feeling inwardly. It was an amazing bit of grace to feel him under my hand and note that I was reaching a life or another creature with something as simple as my care. Over the next few days, there were other prisoners responding to the cat. Every yard period, a group of prisoners gathered there. They stood around talking and taking turns petting the cat. These were guys you wouldn't usually find talking to each other. Several times I saw an officer in the group, not chasing people away, but just watching and seeming to enjoy along with the prisoners. Bowls of milk and water appeared along with bread, wisely placed under the edge of the dustbin to keep the birds from getting it. The cat was obviously homeless and in pretty bad shape. People said that the cat came to the right place. He's getting treated like a king. This was true, but as I watched I was also thinking about what the cat was doing for us. There was a lot of talk about what's wrong with prisons in America. We need more programs. We need more psychologists or treatment of various kinds. Some may even talk about making prisons more kind. But I think what we really need is a chance to practice our own kindness. Not receive it, but give it. After more than two decades here, I know kindness is not a value that's encouraged. It's often thought of as a weakness. Instead, the culture encourages keeping your head down, minding your own business, and never letting yourself be weak. The cat did my heart good to see the effect he had on me and the men here. By simply saying, "I need some help here", he did something important for us. He needed us. And we needed to be needed. I believe we all do. Which of the following statements is TRUE? Answer: Jack woke up on a Saturday morning. He got out of bed and went to the bathroom, and brushed his teeth. He put on his clothes and walked to the kitchen. Jack had a few choices to pick for breakfast. He could choose between an apple, pear, cereal or eggs. He picked an apple to eat for breakfast. After his breakfast, he turned on the TV to find something to watch. He could watch sports, the news, the weather or a cooking show. He chose to watch the weather. The reporter said fall was coming but that the weather was getting warmer instead of cooler. He turned off the TV and went outside to the backyard. Jack wanted to make some hot dogs for lunch the next day. He went to the store to get hot dogs, mustard, and ketchup. After coming back home from the store, Jack made lunch. After lunch, he found that he needed to do some cleaning. He started cleaning the kitchen and moved on to the living room. What did Jack eat for breakfast? Answer: Audrey Hepburn (.)won an Academy Award as Best Actress for her first major American movie, Roman Holiday, which was released in 1953. But she is remembered as much for her aid work as for her acting. Born in Belgium in 1929, Audrey's father was British and her mother was Dutch. Audrey was sent to live at a British school for part of her childhood. During World War II, she lived and studied in the Netherlands. Her mother thought it would be safe from German attacks. Audrey studied dance as a teenager and when she returned to London after the war. But she realized she wasn't going to be a ballerina .So she began taking acting parts in stage shows. Later she began to get small parts in movies. But it was Audrey Hepburn's move to America that brought her true fame. In 1951 she played the character "Gigi" in the Broadway play of the same name to great critical praise. Two years later, Roman Holiday made her a star at the age of 24. Audrey made more than 25 movies. Among her most popular roles was Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's in 1961. Three years later, she played Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady. She was married twice. In 1989, the UN Children's Fund named Audrey a goodwill ambassador. She travelled all over the world in support of UNICEF projects. She often gave 15 interviews a day to gain money and support for UNICEF projects. Audrey Hepburn often said her loyalty to UNICEF was the result of her experiences as a child during World War U. She said she knew what it was like to be starving and to be saved by international aid. She was a goodwill ambassador until her death in 1993 from colon cancer. The reason why Audrey lived and studied in the Netherlands was that _ . Answer:
Question: A Two-day Trip to Beijing If you want to know about China. Please come to Beijing. You can visit the Great Wall and other places of interest and enjoy Beijing Duck. Time: May 6~May 7 Price: 480 yuan per person Tel: 78456895 A Four- day Trip to Qinhuangdao If you like warm weather and clean city, Qinhuangdao is a good place for you. You can climb mountains, enjoy beautiful beaches and go to the zoo. Time: May 1~May 4 Tel: 56478445 Adult: 780 yuan per person Child: 550 yuan per person E-mail: 126yc@sina.com A Seven-day Trip to Sanya There are many beautiful places in Sanya. You can walk along the beaches, go fishing and go boating. Time: May 10~May 17 Price: 1 person: 650 yuan per person 2-5 persons: 600 yuan per person 6-9 persons: 550 yuan per person Call us at 800-820-8199. Sam wants to visit Sanya, he can call _ . A. 78456895 B. 56478445 C. 800-820-8199 D. 800-802-8099 Answer: C Question: As we have seen, the focus of medical care in our society has been shifting from curing disease to preventing disease--especially in terms of changing our many unhealthy behaviors, such as poor eating habits, smoking, and failure to exercise. The line of thought involved in this shift can be pursued further. Imagine a person who is about the right weight, but does not eat very nutritious foods, who feels OK but exercises only occasionally, who goes to work every day, but is not an outstanding worker, who drinks a few beers at home most nights but does not drive while drunk, and who has no chest pains or abnormal blood counts, but sleeps a lot and often feels tired. This person is not ill. He may not even be at risk for any particular disease. But we can imagine that this person could be a lot healthier. The field of medicine has not traditionally distinguished between someone who is merely "not ill" and someone who is in excellent health and pays attention to the body's special needs. Both types have simply been called "well". In recent years, however, some health specialists have begun to apply the terms "well" and "wellness" only to those who are actively striving to maintain and improve their health. People who are well are concerned with nutrition and exercise, and they make a point of monitoring their body's condition. Most important, perhaps, people who are well take active responsibility for all matters related to their health. Even people who have a physical disease or handicap may be "well" in this new sense, if they make an effort to maintain the best possible health they can in the face of their physical limitations. "Wellness" may perhaps best be viewed not as a state that people can achieve, but as an ideal that people can strive for. People who are well are likely to be better able to resist disease and to fight disease when it strikes. And by focusing attention on healthy ways of living, the concept of wellness can have a beneficial impact on the ways in which people face the challenges of daily life. According to what the author advocates, which of the following groups of people would be considered healthy? A. People who have strong muscles as well as slim figures. B. People who are not presently experiencing any symptoms of disease. C. People who try to be as possible, regardless of their limitations. D. People who can recover from illness even without seeking medical care. Answer: C Question: Hi! My name is Hunt. Here is a picture of my class. Joan is short and is wearing a yellow dress. She is good at maths. David is tall and has black hair. He is good at playing basketball. Mike is big. He has small eyes. He is funny. He can play football. Lily has long hair. She can speak Japanese. Helen is a black girl. She has short hair. She likes swimming. She is on the swimming team. I like music. Can you find me? I'm the boy with glasses. Becky is new here. She comes from Hong Kong. She has black hair and black eyes. She speaks English well. And she is very good at computer. Which sentence is right ? A. David is short. B. Mike has long hair. C. Helen is a white girl. D. Becky is good at computer. Answer: D Question: Food festivals around the world Stilton Cheese Rolling May Day is a traditional day for celebrations, but the 2,000 English villagers of Stilton must be the only people in the world who include these rolling in their annual plans. Teams of four,dressed in a variety of strange and funny clothes , roll a complete cheese along a 50-metre course. On the way, they must not kick or throw their cheese, or go into their competitors' lane. Competition is fierce and the chief prize is a complete Stilton cheese weighing about four kilos (disappointingly, but understandably the cheeses used in the race are wooden ones). All the competitors arc served with beer or port wine, the traditional accompaniment for Stilton cheese. Fiery Foods Festival--The Hottest Festival on Earth Every year more than 10,000 people head for the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico. They come from as far away as Australia, the Caribbean and China, but they all share a common addiction--food that is not just spicy ,but hot enough to make your mouth burn, your head spin and your eyes water. Their destination is the Fiery Eood and BBQ Festival which is held over a period of three clays every March. You might like to try a chocolate-covered habanero pepper--officially the hottest pepper in the world--or any one of the thousands of products that are on show. But one thing's for sure--if you don't like the feeling of a burning tongue, this festival isn't for you! La Tomatina--The World's Biggest Food Fight On the last Wednesday of every August, the Spanish town of Bunol hosts Ea Tomatina--the world's largest food fight. A week-long celebration leads up to an exciting tomato battle as the highlight of the week's events. The early morning sees the arrival of large trucks with tomatoes--official fight-starters get things going by casting tomatoes at the crowd. The battle lasts little more than half an hour, in which time around 50,000 kilograms of tomatoes have been thrown at anyone or anything that moves, runs, or fights back. Then everyone heads down to the river to make friends again--and for a much-needed wash! In the Stilton cheese rolling competition, competitors on each team must . A. wear various formal clothes B. roll a wooden cheese in their own lane C. kick or throw their cheese D. use a real cheese weighing about four kilos Answer: B Question: People have been interested in color and its effects for hundreds of years. More recently, research has turned to the question of how different colors can help students learn better. Believe it or not, some colors can affect a child's IQ . For example, a simple black and white color scheme may cause IQ to become low, while the good use of reds and oranges may raise it as much as 15 points. Be careful not to use too much, however; a little red is exciting, but too much makes people uncomfortable. Bright yellow is exciting to the brain, while the color green is thought to encourage creativity. Use blue and green to calm yourself. Blue, especially, can cause you to calm down. Something blue in a reading area, for example, may help you focus on what you are reading. But too much dark blue can make you sad, so use light blue on walls or large floor areas. If you are struggling to read, try a different color of paper. According to a study, 80 percent of children who had difficulty in reading improved their understanding when they put something grey or blue over their pages. Do not use bright colors here, as they become difficult to look at after a while. However, use bright colors like red, orange and yellow for important points. These colors attract the eye and may help you notice details. The same color of the walls of a room do not help you focus on your studies, but make you slow in understanding. Colors, on the other hand, make the senses active and encourage learning. Use primary colors red, yellow and blue in a proper way. Then how do you make your choices of color? It mainly depends on your space, the lighting and the function of the room. If you want to remember some important points, you may use the colors _ . A. green and blue B. grey and blue C. red and yellow D. black and white Answer: C
Parents have widely different views on the problem of pocket money . Four new fathers were asked this question and this is how they answered . Ashish Khanna :Although many argue that pocket money helps develop children's sense of value , I don't agree . I wouldn't give my child any pocket money . First of all , I never got pocket money and I seem to have a good value for money . If my child ever needed something and I felt it was areasonable request , I would buy it for him . Sharad Sanghi : No , I wouldn't give my child pocket money because I don't want to create theperception of " her " money and " my " money . Besides , if I refuse to buy her something that I think is bad for her , she may buy it with her pocket money _ . In this way , I would lose control over my child's requests . I feel it also encourages children to care more about money than anything else . I don't want my child to start judging other children by the amount of money or pocket money they have . Rakesh Shah : Yes , I would give my child pocket money . I feel that children should learn to spend money intelligently and not go overboard spending . They will learn what theirlimitations are and feel the difficulty when they have to pay for something that is over in their own pockets . Rajiv Patel : Yes , I would give my child pocket money because it is important that she learns to manage money . I will give her a fixed amount every month and if she spends the money before the month is over , then she will learn a lesson and not spend money so freely . Vikram Desai : Yes , I would certainly give my child pocket money . But I would not give it to him on a weekly or monthly basis . He would have to earn it . If he helped me finish some of my jobs or helped his mother with housework , I would reward him . This helps him realize that " money does not grow on trees " and it requires hard work to earn money . Who would give his child pocket money every month ? Life in the year 3044 is very different from life in the 21st century . We still do many of the things you did, but we do them differently. For example, we now have e-friends to help us and keep us company. An e-friend is a machine that looks just like a human being. It can walk and talk like humans and can do almost the same things as we human beings do. My e-friend is a lot like me and we have much fun together. She helps me with my homework and we often go swimming. She is computerized to take care of me in case anything happens, so I always feel safe when we are together. She can also send me messages, just like old-fashioned e-mail, and I can download information from her memory chip. It's so great to have an e-friend - I feel never lonely and I always have someone to talk to. Actually, I would plan to tell you more about life in the year 3044, I have to send my e-friend to clean up my room, though. Maybe one day I will be able to fly back in time rocket and visit you and old friends. Looking forward to! What can we learn from the passage? The English test will be removed from China's college entrance exam by 2020, according to the Ministry of Education. The national college entrance exam, known as the "Gaokao" has been used to evaluate Chinese students for three decades. The Ministry of Education has worked out a plan for reforming exams and enrollment. Tests will be held several times a year to allow students to choose when and how often they sit the exam so as to reduce study pressure and change China's once-in-a-lifetime exam system. The decision has aroused a heated discussion among Shanghai educators and parents who doubted the reform would reduce the burden of learning English or if the substitute test could reflect a student's English skills and help students learn English better. Cai Jigang, a professor from Fudan University said, "The reform shows China is to give students more test-taking chances. But more chances might become more of a burden since Chinese students are likely to repeat the test until they get the highest score." "In my opinion, the reform doesn't mean English is no longer important for Chinese students after it will be excluded from the unified college entrance exam," said Yu Lizhong, chancellor of New York University Shanghai, "In a way, English is even more important than before since the test would only serve as reference, while every college and university, even every major, canhave different requirements of a student's English skills under a diverse evaluation system." Yu said some students will have their study pressure reduced if the major they choose doesn't need excellent English while others still need to study hard if they want to be among the best students. The education ministry said the reform would not affect students attending the college entrance exam over the next three years. But parents with younger children are concerned. Zhang Hui, the mother of a fourth-grade girl at Pudong Zhuyuan Primary School, said English was her daughter's strength, so canceling the English test would not favor her child. What's the purpose of writing the passage? if a person wanted to hunt down some deer, which of these would be the wrong place to visit? Starting college can be a difficult experience. You have to deal with new responsibilities and growing independence, a challenging course load and, of course, the social scene. When a roommate is thrown into the mix, it may feel like you're struggling with all that stuff while living in a small box with a stranger. But having a roommate doesn't need to be one more thing to worry about. When students go into their living situations with realistic expectations and a willingness to compromise, things can work out just fine. When you first meet your roommate, chances are you'll be on your best behaviour. You want to get along, since this is the person who's going to be sharing your living space for the next year. But try to think ahead to potential worst cases, too. For example, imagine it's 2 a.m. and you're working on a paper that should be finished in 8 hours. Your roommate comes in from a party and wants to continue the party in your room. At times like these, you won't be feeling good. That's why talking about problems that might come up ahead of time -- and respecting each other's wishes when the time comes -- is so important. Talk about the things that are really important to you, and make sure your roommate understands. Then encourage him or her to do the same. For example, does it make you angry when people take things without asking first? Let your roommate know your feelings about these types of things from the start, so that both of you have a feel for each other's likes, dislikes, and habits. Which of the following is the best way to get along well with your roommate?
Question: Today is Tom's birthday. After school he walks past the shop on the street corner. He looks at the window. That pair of trainers is still there. He really wants to have them very much. He was very sad and walks away. He knows his mother can give him anything he likes if she can. But he also knows she has no money and the trainers are too expensive. He doesn't go home at once because his mother could notice his worry. So he goes to the park and sits on the grass. Then he sees a boy in a wheel chair . He finds that the boy moves the wheel with his hands. Tom looks at him carefully and is surprised to see that the boy has no feet. He looks at his own feet. "It's much better to be without shoes than without feet." he thinks. There is no reason for him to feel so sorry and sad. He smiles and thinks he is happier. Tom wants to buy a pair of trainers and the trainers are _ . A. too expensive B. quite cheap C. not there D. not fit him Answer: A. too expensive Question: Pollution is A. trees in a green forest B. when wind carries seeds C. throwing a candy wrapper down D. Fish swimming in the sea Answer: C. throwing a candy wrapper down Question: In the first programme,The Mexican Wave, the focus is on the Orange Monarch butterfly. Each autumn in the pine forests of central prefix = st1 /Mexico, one of the greatest natural phenomena appears, as tens of millions of beautiful orange Monarch butterflies pour into the trees to spend the winter months. Some of them have migrated several thousand kilometres from their breeding grounds in North America and Canada, but although they've never been here before, they travel south and find their way to an area not much bigger than the English county of Devon. Although they coat the trees and when they take flight, look like an orange snowstorm, these butterflies are under threat at both ends of their journey.The pine forest are being cut down illegally by gangs of loggers, despite protection from the Mexican government. Local people need timber and firewood to survive. Where the butterflies breed in North America, their foodplant, the milkweed, is being killed by herbicides and agricultural practices, and the Monarch's migration is in danger.With location reports from the Mexican forests, Brett Westwood explores how steps are being taken to develop sustainable forestry to help preserve this magnificent insect. What do we learn about the Orange Monarch butterflies? A. They are good at hiding themselves from the enemies B. They travelled thousands of miles to the English countyofDevon. C. They breed in the central Mexico. D. Their food source pine trees have been destroyed by loggers. Answer: A. They are good at hiding themselves from the enemies Question: KFC , one of the most famous fast-food chains, saw its reputation in China shaken because of "quick chicken". Recent years, KFC has ever shocked us more than once because of its food safety, which made itself in severe trust crisis. Now it greatly surprised us again owing to the poultry incident. We could never believe it should have cheated us again and again. In fact, as a well-known restaurant chain, KFC's business records at China's is not very good. There's no doubt that the very incident has made things worse and worse. However, what surprised us is that although a series of misdeeds had reduced KFC's reputation, its business is increasing. What's more, KFC just made a so-called apology after what had happened, the content of which is not responsible at all for the public. As a matter of fact, this is not an ordinary chance incident. Recent years have seen so many food-safety problems in China, such as wasted oil, lean meat powder , melamine , which has done great damage to people's life. We don't know what can be eaten and how much harmful food we have eaten. Now it is not wars and natural disasters but everyday food safety that has been a great risk to human health. So what can be done to prevent our health from being damaged? To begin with, the related departments should strengthen laws to stop such illegal products from being produced. In addition, it would be a good idea to call on the media to perform its further function to monitor the businesses, factories and traders. Besides, everybody should be made aware of the risks of harmful food and only in this way can people improve their self-protection. In a word, everyone should play a role in making our food safer and better in quality. Meanwhile, the government and the related departments should take their responsibilities for people's health. The main purpose of the passage is to _ . A. introduce some food safety incidents B. make people not support KFC C. ask people not to eat fast food D. appeal to people for food safety Answer: D. appeal to people for food safety Question: Mrs. Smith is an unusual teacher. Once she told each student to bring along a few potatoes in plastic bag. On each potato the students had to write a name of a person that they hated And the next day, every child brought some potatoes. Some had two potatoes;some three;some up to five. Mrs. Smith then told the children to carry the bags everywhere they went, even to the toilet, for two weeks. As day after day passed, the children started to complain about the awful smell of the rotten potatoes. Those children who brought five potatoes began to feel the weight trouble of the bags. After two weeks, the children were happy to hear that the game was finally ended. Mrs. Smith asked,"How did you feel while carrying the potatoes for two weeks?" The children started complaining about the trouble loudly. Then Mrs. Smith told them why she asked them to play the game. She said,"This is exactly the situation when you carry your hatred for somebody inside your heart. The terrible smell of the hatred will pollute your heart and you will carry something unnecessary with you all the time. If you cannot stand the smell of the rotten potatoes for just two weeks, can you imagine how heavy it would be to have the hatred in your heart for your lifetime? So throw away any hatred from your heart, and you'll be really happy. ,. Which of the following is True according to the passage? A. The teacher just wanted to play a game with her students. B. If a kid hated four people,he or she had to carry four potatoes. C. The kids ate all the rotten potatoes. D. The game went on for two months. Answer: B. If a kid hated four people,he or she had to carry four potatoes.
Open Letter to an Editor I had an interesting conversation with a reporter recently -- one who works for you. In fact, he's one of your best reporters. He wants to leave. Your reporter gave me a copy of his resume and photocopies of six stories that he wrote for you. The headlines showed you played them proudly. With great enthusiasm, he talked about how he finds issues, approaches them, and writes about them, which tells me he is one of your best. I'm sure you would hate to lose him. Surprisingly, your reporter is not unhappy. In fact, he told me he really likes his job. He has a great assignment , and said you run a great paper. It would be easy for you to keep him, he said. He knows that the paper values him. He appreciates the responsibility you've given him, takes ownership of his profession, and enjoys his freedom. So why is he looking for a way out? He talked to me because he wants his editors to demand so much more of him. He wants to be pushed, challenged, coached to new heights. The reporter believes that good stories spring from good questions, but his editors usually ask how long the story will be, when it will be in, where it can play, and what the budget is. He longs for conversations with an editor who will help him turn his good ideas into great ones. He wants someone to get excited about what he's doing and to help him , exploring the best ways to report it. He wants to be more valuable for your paper. That's what you want for him, too, isn't it? So your reporter has set me thinking. Our best hope in keeping our best reporters, copy editors, photographers, artists -- everyone -- is to work harder to make sure they get the help they are demanding to reach their potential. If we can't do it, they'll find someone who can. Which of the following is nearest to the meaning of " _ " in the passage? A. Study his story idea in details. B. Get some general idea of his story. C. Turn his writing over and over. D. Find some reasons to kill his story. Answer: A This is a tense time for students in America,with the exam season in full swing and the stress and anxiety being felt across the country.At some universities,students are reviewing their lessons,knowing that in a few weeks the stress will be over once they put pen to paper in that exam hall.For others,however,that stress and anxiety may well last a while longer as lecturers continue to refuse to set exams.No one knows when things will get back to normal. The reason behind this trouble is the ongoing argument in higher education between lecturers and employers over pay.The Association of University Teachers(AUT)are currently taking industrial action because of the fact that lecturers have been underpaid for years.Vice-presidents of the universities,who enjoy six-figure salaries,are not making any noises to suggest that this will change in the near future. The National Union of Students(NUS) ly believes that our lecturers should be better paid,and that the promises made to them during the top-up fees debate about extra income must be kept. It's shameful that 1ecturers have had to take industrial action to achieve better pay and conditions while vice-presidents'own salaries have risen 25%over the past three years.But the students who are suffering as a result of the argument must be put first.We do not agree with the attitude taken by the AUT,which is refusing to set exams.We admit that the decision to take this course of action was democratically reached.However,it is having the biggest effect on our members at this moment in time and we will continue to let the AUT know the results of this. We call on both sides to sort this mess out.Hopefully then our members can get the horrible exam season Out of the way and start planning,and enjoying,their upcoming summer holiday. The author wrote this article on behalf of _ . A. the vice-presidents B. the lecturers C. the students D. the AUT Answer: C We have met the enemy, and he is ours. We bought him at a pet shop. When monkey-pox, a disease usually found in the African rain forest, suddenly turns up in children in the American Midwest, it's hard not to wonder if the disease that comes from foreign animals is homing in on human beings. "Most of the infections we think of as human infections started in other animals, " says Stephen Morse, director of the Center for Public Health Preparedness at Columbia University. It's not just that we're going to where the animals are, we're also bringing them closer to us. Popular foreign pets have brought a whole new disease to this country. A strange illness killed Isaksen's pets, and she now thinks that keeping foreign pets is a bad idea. "I don't think it's fair to have them as pets when we have such a limited knowledge of them," says Isaksen. "Laws allowing these animals to be brought in from deep forest areas without stricter control need changing," says Peter Schantz. Monkey-pox may be Researchers believe infected animals may infect their owners. We know very little about these new diseases. A new bug may be kind at first. But some strains may become harmful. Monkey-pox doesn't look a major infectious disease. But it is not impossible to pass the disease from person to person. The text suggests that in the future we _ . A. may have to fight against more new diseases B. may easily get infected by diseases from dogs. C. should not be allowed to have pets D. should stop buying pets form Africa. Answer: A Forty years ago, I was in Grade One. One day,I was asked to go to the principal's office . I was really nervous. When I pushed the heavy door open. I found my parents were sitting in the office,too. My father walked to me,with some of my drawings in his hand. "Why do you only use a black crayon when you draw?" he asked. I said nothing. "Show me to your desk," said my father. So we returned to my classroom. My father pulled out my crayon box. There was only one black crayon in it. "Where are the rest of your crayons?" I quietly explained that I'd given all the other crayons to my friends. I shared my things with others as my parents had taught me. Then I looked at my father, then at the principal--both their faces were red. Years later, I learned that my father's face was red because of anger and the principal was red because he was embarrassed . When the principal saw all my pictures, he thought that I had a deep emotional problem. So he had called my parents in to discuss "my problem". In fact, I was too shy to ask for my "shared" crayons back. I didn't stand up for myself! That night, my father told me about the difference between sharing and giving. He also gave me a new box of crayons. He said, "These crayons are for you. I don't want you to share or give these crayons to anyone else. " The girl drew pictures only in black because _ . A. she had an emotional problem B. she had only a black crayon left C. she loved the black crayon only D. her teacher had told her to do so Answer: B Imagine a classroom missing the one thing that's long been considered a necessary part to reading and writing---paper. No notebooks, no textbooks, no test papers. Nor are there any pencils or pens, which always seems to _ . A "paperless classroom" is what more and more schools are trying to achieve . Students don't do any handwriting in this class . Instead , they use palm size , or specially--designed computers. The teacher downloads texts from Internet libraries and sends them to every student's personal computer. Having computers also means that students use the Web. They can look up information on any subject they're studying from maths to social science. High school teacher Judy Herrell in Florida, US, described how her class used the Web to learn about the war in Afghanistan over one year ago. We could touch every side of the country through different sites from the forest to refugee camps, she said ."Using a book that's three or four years old is impossible."And exams can go on line too. At a high school in Tennessee, US, students take tests on their own computers. The teacher records the grades on the network for everyone to see and then copies them to his own electronic grade book. A paperless classroom is a big step towards reducing the waste of paper. High school teacher Stephanie--Sorrell in Kentucky,US, said she used to give about 900 pieces of paper each week to each student. "Think about the money and trees we could save with the computers,"she said .But, with all this technology, there is always the risk that the machines will break down. So , in case of a power failure or technical problems, paper textbooks are still widely available for these hi--tech students. The paperless classroom will benefit _ the most. A. students B. teachers C. trees D. computers Answer: C
Many children first learn the value of money by receiving an allowance. The purpose is to let children learn from experience at an age when financial mistakes are not very costly. The amount of money that parents give to their children to spend as they wish differs from family to family. Timing is another consideration. Some children get a weekly allowance. Others get a monthly allowance. In any case, parents should make clear what, if anything, the child is expected to pay for with the money. At first, young children may spend all of their allowance soon after they receive it. If they do this, they will learn the hard way that spending must be done within a budget. Parents are usually advised not to offer more money until the next allowance. The object is to show young people that a budget demands choices between spending and saving. Older children may be responsible enough to save money for larger costs, like clothing or electronics. Allowances give children a chance to experience the things they can do with money. They can share it in the form of gifts or giving to a good cause. They can spend it by buying things they want. Or they can save and maybe even invest it. Saving helps children understand that costly goals require sacrifice: you have to cut costs and plan for the future. Requiring children to save part of their allowance can also open the door to future saving and investing. Many banks offer services to help children and teenagers learn about personal finance. A savings account is an excellent way to learn about the power of compound interest . That may not seem like a lot. But over time it adds up. Parents give their children allowance to _ . Answer: In 1800, only three percent of the world's population lived in cities. Only one city -- Beijing -- had a population of over a million. Most people lived in rural areas, and never saw a city in their lives. In 1900, just a hundred years later, roughly 150 million people lived in cities, and the world's ten largest cities all had populations exceeding one million. By 2000, the number of city dwellers exceeded three billion; and in 2008, the world's population crossed a tipping point -- more than half of the people on Earth lived in cities. By 2050, that could increase to over two-thirds. Clearly, humans have become an urban species. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, many people viewed cities negatively -- crowded, dirty environments full of disease and crime. They feared that as cities got bigger, living conditions would worsen. In recent decades, however, attitudes have changed. Many experts now think urbanization is good news, offering solutions to the problems of Earth's growing population. Harvard economist Edward Glaeser, author of The Victory of the Cir, is one such person. Glaeser argues that cities are very productive because "the absence of space between people" reduces the cost of transporting goods, people, and ideas. While the flow of goods has always been important to cities, what is most important today is the flow of ideas. Successful cities enable people to learn from each other easily, and attract and reward smart people with higher wages. Another urbanization supporter is environmentalist Stewart Brand. Brand believes cities help the environment because they allow haft of the world's population to live on about four percent of the land. This leaves more space for open country, such as farmland. City dwellers also have less impact per person on the environment than people in the countryside. Their roads, sewers, and power lines need fewer resources to build and operate. City apartments require less energy to heat, cool, and light. Most importantly, people in cities drive less so they produce fewer greenhouse gases per person. So it's a mistake to see urbanization as evil; it's a natural part of development. The challenge is how to manage the growth. How have experts' attitudes towards cities changed in recent decades? Answer: Spain is a country that lies in southwestern Europe. It's surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea on the south and the east, while to the north of Spain lie France, Andorra and the Bay of Biscay. The west and northwest of Spain are surrounded by Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean. The official name of the state is the Kingdom of Spain. Madrid is the capital city, which is also one of the famous places in Spain. Spain, which covers 506,000 square kilometers, is one of the largest countries in Europe. The weather in Spain differs from one area to another. Most of the rain that happens in Spain is in the mountainous areas. The plains hardly receive any rainfall. Soccer in Spain is an important part of life of the people in Spain. It's said that Spanish children learn to walk and play soccer at exactly the same time. Real Madrid and FC Barcelona are two Spanish soccer teams, which are respected by soccer fans not only in Spain, but all over the world. The popularity of the sport can be judged from the fact that three major soccer teams, which are Real Madrid, Atletico de Madrid , and Rayo Vallecano, were born in Madrid. If you are a tourist, then you would want to know about the driving rules in Spain. If you're not from the European Union, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein, then for you to drive you'll have to carry your international driver's license. Bad news if you haven't celebrated your 18th birthday. If you want to rent a car, then you must have completed 21 years of age. If you're driving, make sure you carry all the documents on you at all times during your stay in Spain. Which of the following about Spain is NOT mentioned in the passage? Answer: a revolution is when something revolves around Answer: It seems that some people go out of their way to get into trouble.That's more or less what happened the night that Nashville Police officer Floyd Hyde was on duty. "I was on the way to a personal-injury accident in West Nashville.As I got onto Highway 40,blue lights and sirens going.I fell in behind a gold Pontiac Firebird that suddenly seemed to take off quickly down the highway.The driver somehow panicked at the sight of me.He was going more than a hundred miles an hour and began passing cars on the shoulder." But Hyde couldn't go after him.Taking care of injured people is always more important than worrying about speeders,so the officer had to stay on his way to the accident.But he did try to keep the Firebird in sight as he drove,hoping another nearby unit would be able to step in and stop the speeding car.As it turned out,keeping the Firebird in sight was not that difficult.Every turn the Pontiac made was the very turn the officer needed to get to the accident scene. Hyde followed the Pontiac all the way to his destination .At that point he found another unit had already arrived at the accident scene.His help wasn't needed.Now he was free to try to stop the driver of the Firebird,who by this time had developed something new to panic about. "Just about that time," Hyde said,"I saw fire coming out from under that car,with blue smoke and oil going everywhere.He'd blown his engine.Now he had to stop." "After I arrested him.I asked him why he was running.He told me he didn't have a driver's license ." That accident cost the driver of the Firebird plenty---a thousand dollars for the new engine---not to mention the charges for driving without a license,attempting to run away,and dangerous driving. Choose the best title for the passage. Answer:
Cyril was a small town. The houses there were all made of wood; almost everything in the houses such as cupboards, tables and chairs were made of wood, too. And all the houses faced south. The town was never peaceful. Fire broke out once a week on summer afternoons. Residents were puzzled who the real firebug was. One day a big fire broke out. It was said that a Negro had jumped out of the house on fire, so the police arrested all the Negroes in the street. However, fire never stopped to breaking out when the Negroes were in prison. Mauson, a physics teacher didn't believe that the Negroes were the firebugs, for he really knew about those Negroes, He made up his mind to find out who the real firebug was. One day he was invited to drink in a pub and happened to notice that many bottles and plastic plates were baked by the hot sunrays. Suddenly he realized what the actual fact was. He jumped with joy, saying, "I've got the answer!" Mauson dashed out of the pub to his friend's house nearby, which also faced south. He made an experiment there to confirm his idea. The next Saturday afternoon, Mauson asked some policemen and newsmen to come to the house. They were told that the real firebug would be shown there. At that time the sun was shining full into the house and it became hotter and hotter inside the room. Someone wanted to draw the curtains together, while another was going to use a bottle to drink water, but neither got permission from Mauson, who wanted to let the firebug in. "Now," said Mauson, "this house will soon catch fire." People looked at each other in surprise. Mauson asked them to look at the bottles and focus on the table cloth. After a while the cloth gave off a burning smell and began to catch fire! The mystery of fire was discovered, but the police wouldn't believe him and insisted that Negroes had been the firebugs. Instead they arrested Mauson and put him into prison. But Mauson said he would never turn against science. Mauson was put into prison, because _ . A he had told a lie B he had fund out the real firebug C he had turned against science D he had made friends with the Negroes Answer: B. he had fund out the real firebug In my mind, there is a moving story about a skinny young boy who loved football with all his heart. Practice after practice, he eagerly gave everything he had. But being half the size of the other boys,he got ly nowhere. Despite his hard training at all the games, this hopeful athlete sat on the bench and hardly ever played. This teenager lived alone with his father, and the relationship between the two of them was very special. Even though the son was always on the bench, his father was always in the stands cheering. He never missed a game. This young man was still the smallest of the class when he entered high school. But his father continued to encourage him. The young man loved football and was determined to try his best at every practice, and perhaps he'd get to play when he became a senior. All through high school he never missed a practice nor a game but remained a benchwarmer. Besides, his faithful father was always in the stands, always with words of encouragement for him. When the young man went to college, he decided to try out for the football team as a"walk-on". Everyone firmly believed that he could never make the cut, but he did. The news that he had survived the cut thrilled him so much that he rushed to the nearest phone and called his father. His father shared his excitement and was sent season tickets for all the college games. This persistent young athlete never missed practice during his four years at college, butactually he never got the real chance to play in a game. It was at the end of his senior football season that the coach met him with a telegram. The young man read the telegram and he became totally silent. Swallowing hard, he mumbled to the coach,"My father died this morning. Is it all right if I miss practice today?"The coach put his arm gently around his shoulder and said,"Take the rest of the week off, son. And don't even plan to come back to the game on Saturday." Saturday arrived, and the game was not going well. In the third quarter, when the team was ten points behind, a silent young man quietly slipped into the empty locker room and put on his football gear. As he ran onto the sidelines , the coach and his players were surprised to see their faithful teammate back so soon."Coach, please let me play. I've just got to play today,"said the young man. The coach pretended not to hear him. There was no way he wanted his worst player in this close play-off game. But the young man insisted, and finally feeling sorry for the kid, the coach gave in."All right,"he said."You can go in."Before long, the coach, the players and everyone in the stands could not believe their eyes. This little unknown, who had never played before, was doing everything right. The opposing team could not stop him. He ran, passed, blocked, and tackled like a star. His team began to succeed. The score was soon tied. In the closing seconds of the game, this kid got a pass and ran all the way for the winning touchdown. Finally, after the stands had emptied, the coach noticed that this young man was sitting quietly in the corner all alone. The coach came to him and said,"Kid, you were unbelievably fantastic! Tell me what got into you? How did you do it?" He looked at the coach, tears in his eyes, and said,"Well, you knew my dad died, but did you know that my dad was blind?"The young man swallowed hard and forced a smile,"Dad came to all my games, but today was the first time he could see me play, and I wanted to show him I could make it!" Why did the young man return to the match on Saturday? A He hoped his dead father could be proud of his performance. B He thought he was much better than other players in his team. C He wanted to defeat the opposing team in this significant game. D He planned to make money to cure his father of his blindness. Answer: A. He hoped his dead father could be proud of his performance. With a busy life and job, pressure can make you look tired and aged.Kissi Health-Beauty Center gives classes, makes training plans according to your physical conditions, and sets up an individual file .All these things will help you to get to know your body and the way to keep it fit. 1)BODY-BUILDING Imported gym equipment that will help you build up your body's muscle, making you look full of energy and strength. 2)GYMNASTIC EXERCISE A bright and large exercise room with excellent equipment and music will give your body a chance to enjoy movement with rhythm. 3)SPECIAL "LAZY-BONE" FITNESS CENTER 'Lazy-bone' fitness equipment is the first body shaping set of seven beds in Beijing, which helps you to exercise your waist, abdomen, hips or legs.In the relaxing hours you may try them to strengthen your muscles and lose weight. Tuition: 'Lazy-bone' fitness card, 1,200 yuan/ month (gymnastic classes included) Class Time: Gymnastic Class, 18:30-19:30 every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Tel: 5918570 Address: 16 Dongsanhuan Beilu, Chaoyang District, Beijing Those who keep 'Lazy-bone' fitness cards are probably _ people. A lazy B rich C unhealthy D young Answer: A. lazy Have you ever had a science class that you look forward to? It doesn't happen often. But when you have a teacher like Mrs. Rheineck, it's more than a science class. It's a science class where learning is easy and fun. There is no getting down to a huge textbook or listening to a teacher about something you don't care about. My experience with Mrs. Rheineck didn't start with science class, but with her as my tutor(,). I was always a weak reader and wasn't getting any better. My parents told me I needed to be tutored. One day after school, I went into the library with my mom for my first tutoring time. I had no idea who was tutoring me. My mom practically had to pull me into the library. The first thing we did was to play a game to get to know each other and get rid of the awkwardness (,). We didn't even play a reading game. We also went around the library and I got to pick out a book I wanted to read. She didn't make me read a boring textbook about something I didn't care about. I didn't even pick a book. I picked out a magazine about remote control cars. I thought to myself, how bad could it be? I got to read about remote control cars. She told me even though I was reading a magazine, I was still reading. After the first magazine, she picked out a book she liked. I would read a chapter and then she would read a chapter to me, this way I didn't have to read for long periods of time. As I got better and faster at reading, I was able to read two chapters in the same amount of time, which used to take me to read one chapter. Reading is one of the most important things in high school and college to be successful. If it wasn't for her, I would not be the reader I am today and I thank her for that. At the library, the writer _ . A chose any book he was interested in B played a reading game with Mrs. Rheineck C was asked to read one chapter after another D had to read textbooks rather than magazines Answer: A. chose any book he was interested in Reached My Destination "Ego has an enormous appetite, the more you feed it, the hungrier it gets." --Nathaniel Bronner Jr. It has been two years, we have not met. Last time was when we were departing at Rome Airport as a procedure of joining different competitive firms. We exchanged our personal email IDs and I never realized my email ID was one with an error. We had been in six years of professional relationship that ended with a small misunderstanding. We never realized that we might not get a chance to clear it. We both had tough ego levels to shed off. In these two years work has always kept me busy. There have been instances where I wanted to write to him for his expertise advice but my ego always stopped me. And then one day flying to London for a conference was taking away my peace of mind. I knew he would be there as a part of the event from his firm. I thought to ignore him and behave professionally as an employee. Finally, I entered the conference hall. I was quick enough to realize that he would take over participants' attention with his confidence, and all I would do sitting there would be appreciating him, nodding my head as "Yes to Yes" and "No to No". Finally, he approached the stage. The very first line that fell into my ears was my name as he continued, "I am proud to be here with 8 years of experience and I would like to share my best practices with all of you. This is a journey I completed with one of my best colleagues and my best friend 'my name' who supported me through day and night with the toughest projects and killing deadlines". For a moment I fell numbed and completely lost. All I could remember were my thoughts for him before entering the room and his greatness to acknowledge my presence. Finally, the conference ended and we all left for refreshment. I was struggling hard to face him. I saw him coming towards me with a gift. I asked him, "Why this gift?" He was very humble to answer, 'This is a small symbol of friendship to tell how much I missed my friend when I wanted her the most. A small token to represent that even when you were not with me, your teachings helped me to work on difficult projects." I asked curiously, "But you never wrote to me, if I was so important and helpful." He replied, "You left me with an email ID that is not reachable, maybe you missed a letter. I had no number to call you either but when I read your name in the list, I did all these arrangements. We never know when we meet again in life, so this gift is for you my friend." Finally, we again departed to our respective destinations but this time with a smile. Before the writer entered the conference hall, she intended to _ . A attract the participants' attention B pay little attention to her friend C appreciate her friend from a distance D clear her misunderstanding with her friend Answer: B. pay little attention to her friend

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