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According to a report , more than a million workers will fail to take their full annul leave this year in UK. That's to say, totally, those workers will give up 6.2 million days of vacation, with an average of five days for each worker. For their employers, they feel happy because that is equal to a potential $500 million of 'free' work, which, according to an economist will boost the output of the economy by about two percent. The report also showed that the main reasons employees give up their remaining annul leave are due to pressures at work and their failing to appreciate that taking a break could make them more productive and, in turn, boost the economy in the long term. The research, done by price comparison website Travel Supermarket, found that more than one in four of those who will give up their remaining holidays (28 percent) will do so due to pressures at work. Bob Atkinson, travel expert for Travel Supermarket said: "As the economy is not so satisfying, it's no surprise that people are cautious to take all their leave, especially if they feel stressed and uncertainty at work." Nine percent of the 2,020 people surveyed also said they would feel guilty about taking the leave because their work would have to be taken care of by their colleagues. A further three percent said they would be concerned about how taking time off would look to their employer, while the same percentage said they did not want to miss anything interesting or beneficial at work in the time they would be away. Vicky Redwood, chief UK economist at Capital Economics, said: "Suppose that there are about 250 working days in a year, getting an extra five 'free' days of work from their employees could in theory boost the output of the economy by about two percent. On the other hand, if workers are less productive as a result of not getting enough breaks from work, taking all the annual leave, in fact, will perhaps increase the economy." According to the report, in UK more than a million workers_. A will not ask for leave in their working days B will take five days leave on average C will work 500 million days freely for their employers D will not take all their holiday leave this year Answer: D if a place has clean air, food, water and safe shelter for an animal, what would happen? A the species would have to emigrate B the species would thrive C the species would die off D that animal type would be depleted Answer: B Scott Langteau has this message for kids:spend less time playing video games. It's a message that many a mom and dad have tried to impress upon many a youngster (and some notsoyoungsters) who spend perhaps a bit too much time with game controllers in hand. But the 40yearold Langteau isn't a parent.He's a veteran of the video game industry--one who played producer on three "Medal of Honor" games and cofounded his own game development company. Langteau has just published a children's books called Sofa Boy,which tells the story of a kid who spends too much time sitting on the couch with controller clutched in hand and the rather terrible consequences that follow. It's a fairy tale plucked straight from Langteau's own experiences as a lad with a fondness for video games and his own bouts with a bit of game addiction.But first,Langteau would like to make one thing clear,"I'm not saying that you shouldn't play video games.I think video games are great.I think they do great things for kids."Instead,Langteau says his book is all about a little something called moderation . "It's about being well rounded," he says."Just like with anything else,we all need to make sure that there's a variety in what we do." Video gamers can be rather badtempered when it comes to accepting criticism about their favorite entertainment.And understandably so.After all,most people who go around talking about the dangers of playing video games tend to be outsiders--people who don't play video games and certainly don't understand that they can be a valuable and healthy form of entertainment. But Langteau and Sofa Boy seem to be in a unique position to deliver a message of gaming moderation that the young game masses might actually listen to.After all,this is a man who understands what it means to be a kid with a passion for games.His early experience has taught him a lesson. We can learn from the passage that _ . A Langteau advises the young to play games within limits B Langteau advises the young not to play games C playing video games ruins the future of kids D playing video games doesn't benefit kids Answer: A Every student in America likes popular music. Students carry small radios with earphones and listen to music before class, after class and at lunch. Students with cars buy large speakers and play the music as they drive on the street. Adult drivers listen to music on the car radio as they drive to work. They also listen to the news about sports, the weather, the life of American people. Most of the radio programmes are music. Pop music singers make much money. Once the popular singer is famous all over the country, young people buy his or her tapes . Some of the money from these tapes comes to the singer. Wherever the singer goes, all the young people want to meet him or her. There are other kinds of music. They are important to Americans. One is folk music. It tells stories about the common life of Americans. Another is western or country music. This kind of songs started by cowboys watching. Today, any music about country life and the love between a country boy and his girl we call western or country music. Who wants to meet pop singers when they are famous? A students. B Adult drivers. C All the young people. D All girls. Answer: C Read the following time table and then answer the following question. Train Time Table lv. (Leave) Boston Ar. (Arrive) Midway Ar. New York 5:10 AM EX.(Except)Sun. 7:00 AM 10:45 AM 7:10 AM Daily 9:00 AM 12:45 PM 9:10 AM Ex. Sat. & Sun. 11:00 AM 2:45 PM 10:00 AM Ex. Hol.(Holiday) 11:45 AM 2:55 PM 1:15 PM Daily 3:15 PM 5:45 PM 3:40 PM Ex. Hol. 5:40 PM 8:15 PM 5:20 PM Daily 7:20 PM 9:55 PM How many trains have to spend over five hours on the way from Boston to New York? A 5 B 3 C 7 D 2 Answer: B
Question: Many parents today worry about their children's diets. Then what is a healthy diet for children? Miss Jones from Happy Children Hospital gives the following advice: * Children shouldn't eat food with too much salt, because it can cause high blood pressure . * Children should eat food with less fat, oil and sugar. They should not eat too much _ . * Fruit and vegetables are rich in vitamins. Children need to eat fruit and vegetables often. * Water is important to everyone. Children need to drink enough water every day. * Children need to eat breakfast every day. It is good for their bodies and minds. According to Miss Jones, children should drink _ every day. A. enough juice B. enough water C. enough coffee D. enough milk Answer: B. enough water Question: Stubbornness(,) can push a business to hold on but can also kill your business if it keeps stopping you. Because I'm stubborn. I chased my dream of creating a pet-food company that sells what it claims to sell and not some unidentifiable substance in a dressed-up bag. Originally we packed our foods in transparent bags, which became our guiding philosophy. To start the company in 2003, I visited every pet-food store in Manhattan and some outside the city. By 2006 Stella&Chewy's was sold in 250 stores, mostly in New York City. In 2007 I moved the company to Wisconsin, with our earnings reaching almost $500,000 that year.But getting my product into stores was just the beginning. We were competing against much bigger pet-food companies whose monthly marketing budgets were more than our yearly sales. So we invested in advertisements and a website and even stood on sidewalks giving our samples. With more customers came more feedback , much of which I ignored, I was also receiving complaints about ice crystals on the food, which form when the air temperature changes during transport. For this reason, most frozen foods are packaged in opaque bags or boxes. Studies have proved that ice crystals have little effect on either the quality or the taste of the food. So I ignored the complaints. After all, we were better than our competitors that wouldn't even show their products. We didn't hide anything. In 2007 our sales kept growing, but not as fast as those of our competitors. We were told that new consumers were choosing products packaged in opaque bags. When I visited the stores and forced myself to consider my products objectively, I had to degree: The ice crystals reduced the look I wanted. The food looked as if a snowstorm had hit the inside of the bag. We switched to opaque bags and tried to make ice crystals smaller. Customers responded: In 2009 Stella$Chewy's was sold in 2,500 stores across the country. At the beginning, the author's company packaged their foods in transparent bags to _ . A. make their foods seen clearly B. make their foods look attractive C. let customers know their guiding philosophy D. show their foods are environmentally friendly Answer: A. make their foods seen clearly Question: A fouryearold boy has become pen pals with Britain's Queen Elizabeth.Tom Stancombe started exchanging letters with the queen after he set free a balloon,carrying his name and address,at a school party and it landed in the grounds of Windsor Castle. The queen spotted the balloon and asked her personal assistant,Angela Kelly,to write a letter on her behalf. She wrote,"The queen was delighted to find that your balloon had traveled all the way to the gardens at Windsor Castle." Tom,who proudly put the letter on his wall,wrote back to say that his great,great grandfather,the artist Petrus Johannes Arundzen,had been commissioned to copy Dutch masters' on display at Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace. Angela at once replied that she would contact the Royal Collection to find out what had happened to the art works.She kept her word and two weeks later wrote to Tom to tell him what had happened to the _ ,explaining they now form part of the print collection in the Print Library. Angela then asked a favor of Tom,writing,"Would you be able to ask your Mummy and Daddy for me if they know anything more about your great,great grandfather.Royal Collection would love to know more about him." Along with his parents,Tom wrote back to fill in all the gaps about Petrus Johannes Arundzen. Although Tom's parents don't think there will be any more letters exchanged between the pair,they were touched that she had taken time to contact them. Tom's father said,"I don't expect we'll get another one,but I think it's incredible they bothered replying at all." Tom's parents _ . A. feel very much shocked about the letters and refuse to answer them B. try to deal with the friendship naturally but refuse to do anything about it C. don't take the matter very seriously D. don't think this friendship will last long but somehow feel good Answer: D. don't think this friendship will last long but somehow feel good Question: When I had breast cancer I had to have chemotherapy . The hardest part of that entire experience was losing my hair. It was like having a tattoo across my forehead that said "chemotherapy patient." I am a very active and athletic person, so to have people looking at me with pity as if I was an invalid was very hard to take. Of course they never said anything, but if I got in an elevator. Everyone looked away because they didn't know what to say. But I didn't blame them. The best compliment I ever received was when I was at work one day, wearing my scarf over my bald head, and a UPS guy came in to deliver a package. He looked me right in the eye and said, "So, are you on chemotherapy?" I said, "Yes, thank you for asking. You are the first person to actually acknowledge that fact." It felt so good to be talked to like a "real" person, without any pity, just the facts. I asked him what made him decide to say something, and he told me that a woman he worked with had just gone through the same thing several months before. I had some joke business cards that said my job title was "Supreme Commander of the Universe", so whenever this same UPS guy came to deliver a package, he would also say, "Hey, Supreme Commander, how is it going?" Then my company moved to a new location, and since that time I hadn't seen the UPS guy-Bryan- in probably two years. I went to answer my door at home one day, and there was Bryan with a package. Small world. "Hey, Supreme Commander, long time no see!" he said. He sees so many people all day long, every day, delivering packages but he remembered me after two years. What a great compliment! Of course, I remembered him, too, because he was the only person who could see me during that time when I was "the invisible woman." What was the author's attitude towards her cancer? A. Surprised. B. Regretful. C. Positive. D. Depressed. Answer: C. Positive. Question: Different colours can affect us in many different ways, according to Verity Allen. In her new series ' Colour me Healthy', Verity looks at the ways that colours can influence how hard we work and the choices we make. They can even change our emotions and influence how healthy we are. "Have you ever noticed how people always use the same colours for the same things ?" says Verity. " Our toothpaste is always white or blue or maybe red. It's never green. For some reason we consider green products as being a bit unacceptable. It's the same for businesses. We respect a company writing its name in blue or black, but we don't respect one that uses pink or orange. People designing new products can use these ideas to influence what we buy." During the four-part series, Verity studies eight different colours, two colours in each programme. She meets people who work in all aspects of the colour industry, from people designing food packets , to people naming the colours of lipsticks . Some of the people she meets clearly have very little scientific knowledge to support their ideas, such as the American " Colour Doctor" who believes that serious diseases can be treated by the use of coloured lights. However, she also interviews real scientists who are studying the effects of green and red lights on mice, with some surprising results. In a word, it's an interesting show, and anyone who watches it will probably find out something new. But because Verity goes out of her way to be polite to everyone she meets on the series, it's up to the viewers to make their own decisions about how much they should believe. Which of the following shows the probable parts of the four shows? A. Part1--Blue and White; Part2--Products and Industry; Part3--Emotions; Part4--Decisions B. Part1--Blue and Black ; Part2--White and Grey; Part3--Clothes; Part4--Green and Yellow C. Part1--Meeting Designers; Part2--Pink and Orange; Part3--MeetingDoctors; Part4--Meeting Scientists D. Part1--Blue and Black ; Part2--Red and Orange; Part3--White and Grey ; Part4--Green and Yellow Answer: D. Part1--Blue and Black ; Part2--Red and Orange; Part3--White and Grey ; Part4--Green and Yellow
Women's fashions change more rapidly than men's. In the early 1990's, all women wore their skirts to the ankle. Today, some skirts are even longer than before, but some are very short. Women's shoes have also gone through all sorts of boots for women were very common at the beginning of this century. Then for years, they were not considered fashionable. Today, they're back again in all colours, lengths and materials. In fact, today's women can wear all types of clothes on almost any occasion. While all of these changes were taking place in women's fashions, men's clothing remained almost the same until a few years ago. And, in fact, most men are still dressed in the kinds of clothes they used to wear. Now boots are considered _ now. A. fashionable B. unfashionable C. uncommon D. fit for girls most Answer: A. fashionable I am truly saddened about what is going on in my school district, especially in the school where I am currently working. Why are so many students not doing well? Why is there such a huge achievement gap between urban and suburban students? Just this week, in my school the seventh grade team leader called a meeting to discuss academic detention . The purpose of the detention is to allow students who are doing poorly a second chance to redo the work. Now if a st udent did not understand an assignment, I have no trouble allowing that student to redo a test or give some extra credit work, but if a student did poorly because he/she opted not to do the work out of sheer laziness, that student should not be given a second chance. And parents should be responsible for their children. That is another reason why there is such a huge achievement gap. All children should be monitored at home in order to achieve great success in school. Perhaps it might be a great idea for urban school districts to offer free classes to parents on how to help their students at home. Of course this idea is far-fetched(,), after all we do not want to offend the parents. What we will do instead is to spend a large amount of money on teacher training because if the kids are not doing well it must be the fault of the teacher. That kind of mindset, if allowed to continue will be a perfect recipe for greater achievement gaps. I started working at my current school in August and I have been in the teaching field for 25 years. What I believe is that you can lead a horse to water but you can't make that horse drink. You can't force kids to change bad habits overnight, nor can we afford to lower standards just so a kid can pass a class. The author believes that a student can be given a second chance _ . A. if he did poorly the first time B. for whatever reason he did poorly the first time C. if he failed the first time in spite of his efforts D. if he comes from a suburban area Answer: C. if he failed the first time in spite of his efforts When I am feeling down, I listen to uplifting music to lift my spirits. When I want to calm down, I listen to Indian classical instrumental music. Many times, I look at contemporary Indian art - either in real art galleries or in virtual art galleries on the Web to improve my mood. I particularly like the paintings with vibrant colors or ones which present a calm landscape using gentle colors. Art therapy uses the creation or viewing of art to help people discover and express their feelings. Unlike art for art's sake, which focuses on the finished piece, art therapy focuses on the process of creation itself. Art therapists believe that the act of making a piece of art _ internal activity that contributes to physical, emotional and spiritual healing. For people who are not able or ready to create art, going to an art museum or looking through art books or virtual art galleries can also be helpful. Simply viewing art refreshes the spirit and promotes relaxation. Art therapy is helpful in healing in various ways. The aesthetic quality of the work produced can lift a person's mood, boost self-awareness, improve self-esteem and increase self-confidence. Also, research shows that physiological functions, such as heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration , become slow when people are deeply involved in an activity they enjoy. Because art therapy uses a language other than words, it is often employed in treating patients with physical or emotional illnesses who have difficulty talking about their fears or hopes, or about their anger and other strong emotions. The creation of art helps people get in touch with thoughts and feelings that are often hidden from the conscious mind. Stress reduction is also a significant benefit. Studies have shown that repressing strong feelings can lead to a buildup of stress, and that stress can intensify pain and the symptoms of various diseases. Because art therapy helps people access their unconscious mind and release pent-up emotions, it has been found to be very useful in treating those suffering from stress and stress-related illnesses. All of the following are helpful in healing EXCEPT _ . A. going to an art museum B. surfing on the Internet C. going to the virtual art galleries D. reading art books Answer: C. going to the virtual art galleries Sonia lives in Sun District with her parents and sister. She loves this district very much. There is a restaurant next to her house. She often has lunch with her family there. A library is across from the restaurant on Sun Street. The street is quiet in the afternoon, but at night it is very crowded and busy. It's open from 9:00am to 4:00pm. She goes to read books with her sister very afternoon. There is a tall mall near the library across from Sonia's house. People can buy lots of delicious foods and some beautiful clothes in the mall. Welcome to Sonia's district. Sun Street is _ in the evening A. crowed and quiet B. busy and clean C. crowed and busy D. quiet and clean Answer: C. crowed and busy The blue eyes that looked at him from outside the door were like the light through a maginifying glass when it is at its brightest and smallest, when paper and leaves begin to smoke. "Hey . " said the man in the door. " Remember me? " " Yes. " the boy said. whispering. "Rick. " He felt so surprised to see Rick. All of Rick seemed to be shown in the eyes. With a strong feeling that ought to have hurt him. " You knew me." Rick said. " You hadn't forgotten. " " You're--just the same. " the boy said. and felt much thankful. He seemed even to be wearing the same clothes, the same blue shirt and grey trousers. He was thin, but he was built to be lean; and he was still, or again. sunburnt. After everything, the slow white smile still showed the slight feeling of happiness. " Let's look at you." Rick said, dropping into a chair. Then slowly he felt more at home, and he became once more just Rick as if nothing had happened. There were lines about his eyes. and deeper lines on his cheeks. but he looked like-just Rick, lined by sunfight and smiling. " When I look at you." he said, " You make me think about me, for we look like each other. " " Yes, " said the boy, eagerly, " they all think we both look like my grandfather. " Rick and the boy are probably _ . A. brothers B. related C. friends D. neighbours Answer: B. related
Until last summer I had a very comfortable life: winter vacations skiing and summer cruises. My parents spent a lot of money on a private school, so they could get me into a competitive middle school. Everything was about tomorrow, next year, my graduation. We never had to worry about today. Before last summer I never thought much about the people in the world who live day to day, every day, whose lives are controlled by poverty and hunger. Then I enrolled in a two-week intensive program. We lived in a "Tribal Village," in a hot, dry open grassland in Arkansas, a state of the south-central United States. I am a tribal member in Mozambique, a country of southeast Africa. Every meal, I make the fire for my family, and feel the flames lick up my nostrils as I blow to keep the fuel alive. I cook mush with vegetables. This is all my family is ever given. I feed the hen and three rabbits their dinner. I grow attached to the rabbits, even though I know I shouldn't. I name them. I'm not getting enough to eat; it's time to decide whether or not to kill the rabbits. I feel pain but it's a privileged child's pain because I know I will soon be eating again. That's not true for a lot of other children around the world. Growing up comfortably in the U.S., I've never had to worry about my dinner, and even though this whole process was only a _ , it changed my life. Now I believe in doing whatever I can to help find practical ways to defeat hunger. So I've become president of Roots and Shoots, a group working to improve local environments for people and animals. I'm also working to create a program at my high school called the "Safe Passage" trip to help young people in the Guatemala City dump. And I've got plans to do more. I'm often thinking of laboring in the hot sun and the millions who still do. Now, I try to live for today and stop worrying so much about the future. When I eat or feel full, I am grateful for this fortunate life and want to extend the same feeling to others. I believe in offering help to those who need it. What is true about the author before last summer? Answer: Her life was well-planned. It would be pleasant to believe that all young girls in the past got married for romantic reasons; but the fact is that many of them regarded marriage as their only chance to gain independence from their parents, to have a provider, or to be assured of a good place in society. A couple of generations ago, an old maid of twenty-five did not have much to look forward to, she was more or less fated to remain with her parents or to live in some relative's home where she would help with the chores and the children. Not so any more. In the first place, women remain young much longer than they used to, and an unmarried woman of twenty-eight or thirty does not feel that her life is over. Besides, since she is probably working and supporting herself, she is free to marry only when and if she chooses. As a result, today's women tend to marry later in life. They have fewer children-or none at all--if they prefer to devote themselves to their profession. The result is a decline in the birthrate. The new role that women have developed for themselves has changed family life. Children are raised differently; they spend more time with adults who are not their parents: baby sitters, day-care center personnel, relatives, or neighbors. Whether they gain or lose in the process is a hotly debated question. Some child experts believe that young children must spend all their time with their mother if they are to grow sound in body and mind. Others think that children get more from a mother who spends with them "quality time" (a time of fun and relaxation set aside for them) rather than hours of forced and unhappy baby sitting. And many child psychologists point out that children kept in day-care centers every day are brighter than those raised at home. No matter what it is, one thing about child-raising to be certain of is that the longer the child is with the mother, the better. The author suggests that _ . Answer: young children should stay with their mother as long as possible They once seemed more at home on the busy streets of Asia like Delhi, Calcutta and Bangkok but cycle powered rickshaws can now be seen taking people across town in many European cities. Many people believe that rickshaws are a good way of experiencing a city close-up, while also cutting down on traffic jams and pollution. In Berlin, one of the first cities to introduce this new model of transport, more than 200 bike-taxis go along at 15km per hour, past many tourist attractions and city parks. "It is completely environmentally friendly; we have new models with an engine to help the driver up the hills but they use renewable energy." said a spokesman for VELOTAXI, the leading rickshaw company which has carried a quarter of a million people this year. While the city still has 7,000 motor-taxis, rickshaw company officials say their taxis' green ideas, speed and safety make them more than just a tourist attraction. While now increasingly out of fashion in Delhi, Berlin people have eagerly accepted the new fleet since their launch in 1997. "It's better than a taxi, better than a bus, better than the train," said ULF Lehman, 36, as he leapt out of a rickshaw near the world famous Brandenburg gate. "It feels so free." " _ ," said another traveler. In Amsterdam, driver Peter Jancso said people like to be driven around in his bright yellow rickshaw and pretend to be a queen in a golden carriage. "I like my passengers to feel important," he said as he dropped off another passenger. Another visitor noted how cheap it was compared with a normal taxi. Although increasingly popular in Europe, it is the opposite in India, where hand-pulled rickshaws are considered inhuman and a symbol of India's backward past. Nearly 500 bike-rickshaws are running in London and are not required to pay the city's road tax but things may change as other taxi drivers complain of unfair treatment. What is the author's attitude towards rickshaws? Answer: He gives no personal opinion. With just a few minutes left before school was to start, my six-year-old, Dustin, was crying. "I don't want to go," he said. Ever since he'd entered first grade, he had hated school. What's going on? If he hates school this much now, how bad will it be later on? Every kid sometimes complains about school. But five to ten percent of kids dislike it so much they don't want to attend. "If a child seems worried or anxious about school, pretends illness to stay home, or refuses to talk about things of the school day, you should be concerned," says a school psychologist, Michael Martin. Fortunately, you can usually solve the problem--sometimes very easily. In our case, my husband and I visited Dustin's class and noticed that the teacher, just out of college, called only on kids who sat right under her nose. Dustin, who often sat near the back, was ignored . We simply told him to move up front. He did, and he was happy again. What's the reason that Dustin dislikes going to school? Answer: He feels like being ignored in class. Jolly Joe always arrived at my neighborhood at exactly half past noon. The clang of the bell on his red and black truck was then the sweetest sound in the world. Brightly colored stickers advertising his amazing kinds of treats could be found on all sides of his truck. The whole neighborhood would magically come to life. Holding a nickel , I'd run to the back of the vehicle, where children were already gathering. Jolly Joe would jump out of his truck, the sun shining on his hair. He was an older man, short and round, with a pleasant face and a welcoming smile. I don't know how, but he knew us all by name, as well as which treats we preferred. My favorite was the Buried Treasure. By eating all the ice cream, you'd discover the treasure inside: a lion, a dog or even a funny clown -- printed onto a plastic stick. When it was finally my turn, he'd put his arm deep inside one of the boxes, and pause for a moment, a puzzled look crossing his face. Then, suddenly, he'd pull it out: the Buried Treasure! I couldn't wait to enjoy the cool, sweet ice cream. As quickly as he arrived, it was time for Jolly Joe to go, leaving behind laughing, excited children with sticky hands and faces. Soon the sound of his clanging bell would slowly disappear in the distance. I always hated to see Jolly Joe go, because I knew the rest of the day would be as hot and boring as before. But I took some comfort in knowing that the next day he'd come round the corner at half past noon and once again spread his magic. Why did the author like the Buried Treasure best? Answer: It contained something very interesting.
Ohner owns the Acme Hotel. When the International Order of Badgers came to town for its convention, its members rented 400 of the 500 rooms, and the hotel opened its convention facilities to them. Badgers are a rowdy group, and during their convention they littered both the inside and the outside of the hotel with debris and bottles. The hotel manager knew that objects were being thrown out of the hotel windows. At his direction, hotel employees patrolled the hallways telling the guests to refrain from such conduct. Ohner was out of town and was not aware of the problems which were occurring. During the convention, as Smith walked past the Acme Hotel on the sidewalk, he was hit and injured by an ashtray thrown out of a window in the hotel. Smith sued Ohner for damages for his injuries. Will Smith prevail in his claim against Ohner? Answer: Normally and naturally, a daughter is more attached to her mother in comparison to her father or other siblings . The attachment is also due to the fact that the daughter finds it easier to believe in the mother on personal and biological matters at different stages while growing up. The bonding between mother and daughter will increase with their being together and going out on excursions. An excursion is a journey to some far-off place undertaken by people. It is not necessary that such a trip be taken on a lavish scale involving lots of money. It can be as short as an overnight trip to some place to improve bonding. To surprise her daughter with an unexpected excursion, mother can plan a trip to some local spa without the knowledge of her daughter. She can be ready with baggage packed and wait for the moment the daughter comes back from school. Once in the hotel they can enjoy the night together getting refreshing treatments like massage or mud packs. After relaxing spa they can laze in bed, enjoying favourite food or drink and if possible enjoying nature through the window. After a long period of relaxation, going out for a walk together will improve bonding. Going out overnight to enjoy walk at the beach, and relaxing at intervals without the interference of any other person can be a great idea of bonding. Being of the same sex, and often having the same set of likes and dislikes, they can spend time on makeup or applying nail polish. The daughter should never forget to thank the mother for the wonderful time they spent together, and the mother should never hesitate to say a few words of praise to the daughter. Going out for shopping together is a good bonding idea too. It is not essential that lots of money should be spent on shopping. The mother can take the daughter to some shops where she can buy her uniform or some other things. They can jointly enjoy window shopping, expressing love and gratitude for the other. What is the passage mainly about? Answer: There are four people in my family. They're my grandfather, my parents and me. My grandfather exercises every day. He never uses the Internet. He eats vegetables three times a day, but he hardly ever drinks milk. And he watches TV every night. My father is a taxi driver. He's very busy. He never exercises, but he sometimes use the Internet. He watches TV on Saturday and Sunday evening. He often eats vegetables and drinks milk. My mother is a housewife . She watches TV every day. She never use the Internet. She sometimes eats vegetables, but she drinks milk three times a week. Exercise? Of course she does. She exercises every day by doing housework. I'm a middle school student. I go to school from Monday to Friday. I often exercise. But on Saturday and Sunday, I don't exercise because I have too much homework to do. I watch TV only on Sunday evening. But I use the Internet twice a week. I drink milk every day, but I don't like vegetables. My mother often says to me, "Why do you eat so much meat, Mike? It's not good for your health." But I like it very much. Why don't Mike exercise on Saturday and Sunday? Answer: It's not about how much money you make, and it's not about who your daddy is. We're talking about being attractive in general, whether it's on a job interview or just gaining the respect of your colleagues . . . Ask lots of questions If you come across as a know-it-all (even if you really do know it all!), it really pushes people away. Rather, asking lots and lots of questions makes people feel like you care, you can be trusted. Great body language Your body language says a lot about you - it says whether you have confidence, or simply if you really care. Talking physically, it is one of the most important physical characteristics you need! Stay busy Always have something to do. Have you ever seen someone just sitting around, doing nothing? How unattractive. Always be busy with something, even if for some reason you have to make something up. Show your pearly whites (or just smile) Smile more, no matter how ugly your teeth are. I'm not kidding about this one. It's not all about the teeth. If you are smiling genuinely, you can draw everyone for 100 meters around to you. Wear what fits Wear clothing that fits you. For women, wearing tight pants or shirts is not attractive. Things that just fit you and your shape are the best but not tight. Wear things that fit you nicely, please . . . And for goodness sake, both sexes, stay away from logos and printed shirts! Most people you may ask do not find this attractive. Stop being some company's billboard . Be interested in other man Be interested in the other person. Don't talk about. If you are truly interested in the person, it will come across. And if you want to talk about yourself, you'll find that putting the other person first actually opens him up to return the favor and ask you questions. See how fun this is? According to the author, if you _ , you can be trusted. Answer: We have always been interested in the moon. 2000 years ago people already knew it moved around the earth and where it would be in the sky at different times of the year. At that time, everything about the moon was learned by watching it carefully in the sky. When scientists could use telescopes to study the moon more closely, their ideas began to change. They could see the moon was made of rocks. Most scientists thought moon rocks would be different from those on Earth. This was because they believed the moon had once been a planet that had been caught in the earth's gravity millions of years earlier. In 1969 moon rocks were finally brought to the earth and studied. Much to their surprise, scientists found that, except for water, the moon and the earth were made of the same things. Once again new ideas were needed for this new information. After years of study, most scientists now think that the moon was once part of Earth. They believe very early in its history, maybe 4 million years ago, something about the size of Mars hit Earth. This sent billions of rocks into space around our planet. These rocks slowly joined together and after many years became the moon. In the future, even though our ideas about the moon may change again, we will still be interested in it. In the passage the writer wants to tell us _ . Answer:
My mother loves flowers. As soon as warm weather comes around, you will find her planting, watering and weeding over everything .For many years we lived next door to each other, and she spent as much time in my garden as she did her own. After the flowers became plentiful each summer, she would cut colorful bouquets to enjoy inside the house--both hers and mine . I would often come home from work and find a beautiful arrangement of fresh flowers on my coffee table. Shortly before Christmas one year, a local flower shop offered a bouquet-a-month special. It seemed to be a great way to thank her for all of the flowers she had given me through the years. After the holidays, in early January, I drove her to the flower shop to pick up her first month's bouquet. the small fresh colorful bouquet would hardly fill a small vase . I was so embarrassed .However, after we returned home, she began to arrange the flowers she had received."Mom, I'm sorry, "I told her."I can't believe how _ that bouquet is."She looked at me and smiled."It's okay,"she said"It allows me to better enjoy the beauty of each one." Mom's words helped me to realize something bigger and more important--when we have too many good things, we often fail to enjoy the beauty of each one. Thanks, Mom ,for helping me understand that less is sometimes more. The author bought her mother flowers to _ . Answer: express thanks for all her mother's done The illegal ivory trade has been a major problem in Africa for decades. Poachers have killed hundreds of thousands of elephants to obtain ivory. Now, affected areas are taking action. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) announced on Wednesday key African states where poaching takes place have promised to stop the ivory trade to protect elephants. Over the past few days, top officials and experts from 30 states met at the African Elephant Summit. The conference, organized by the IUCN and the government of Botswana, was held in Gaborone, Botswana. Conservation efforts will include China and Thailand, where much of the ivory is sent. "Now is the time for Africa and Asia to join forces to protect this universally valued species," said Botswana President Ian Khama. In the 1980s, as many as 1 million elephants across Africa were killed for their ivory. The ivory was used to make jewelry and other items. This continued until 1989, when the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) voted to ban all the trade in ivory. As a result, demand for ivory fell. Governments cracked down on poachers. Elephant populations slowly began to increase. However , this progress was short-lived. According to the IUCN, 2011 saw the highest levels of poaching and illegal ivory trading in at least 16 years. Around 25,000 elephants were killed in Africa that year. Data from the IUCN show even higher levels of illegal trade may have been reached in 2013. "With an estimated 22,000 elephants illegally killed in 2012, we continue to face a critical situation," said John E. Scanlon, CITES Secretary-General. "Current elephant poaching in Africa remains far too high, and could soon lead to local extinction if the present killing rate continues. At the African Elephant Summit , key African states where elephants make their home agreed to develop a "zerotolerance approach" to poaching. The deal calls for maximum sentences for poachers and hunters, and increased cooperation between affected states. Officials are committed to classifying wildlife trafficking as a serious crime --- and to making sure that the people who commit it are punished. All participants at the conference agreed to sign the deal. With these states working together, there may yet be hope for elephants. The purpose of holding the African Elephant Summit is to _ . Answer: prevent elephants from being poached. Who is the most powerful woman in the world? According to the US media, it's Janet Yellen, or at least she's about to be. On Oct 9, 2013,US President Barack Obama nominated Yellen to serve as the next US Federal Reserve (the Fed, )chair. If confirmed by the Senate, Yellen will become the first woman to serve in the top spot. Aged 67, silver-haired and tiny, Yellen is said to be the most qualified nominee ever. She chaired President Bill Clinton's Council of Economic Advisers, taught at Harvard and Berkeley, and was president of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. She is currently the Fed's vice chair. Many think Yellen is the right choice to deal with the challenges the Fed now faces:First, to bring interest rates back to more normal levels without triggering a new recession .Second, to reduce the US unemployment rate, which remains at historically high levels. A CNN opinion piece says Yellen is unusual for an economist of her caliber ."She has kept her eyes on what's critical-the people. Her research has centered on unemployment, on the best way to modulate government policies to benefit the people." Past records also show that Yellen is exceptionally good at predicting where the economy is headed. An article in The Washington Post points out that she was one of the few voices at the Fed inDecember 2009 warning about the subprime crisis and the following recession. The reason why Yellen will be the most powerful woman in the world has to do with the unique position of the Federal Reserve, explains an article on Quartz, a US news outlet for business people in the new global economy, First of all, the Fed is independent. Unlike US Secretaries of State Madeleine Albright and Hilary Clinton, the decisions made by the organization Yellen will lead next year are not subject to approval by anyone in the government. Within the Fed, the chair alone sets the agenda. The Fed chairperson has huge influence on monetary policy and financial regulation. And don't forget how powerful the Fed itself is. It controls the money supply in the world's largest economy. The Fed's interest rate decisions don't just set the course for the US economy, its decisions set the course for the world economy, too. Because of globalization, Yellen's decisions will affect everyone around the world, says an article in The Atlantic, making her even more powerful than some great women rulers in history, including Elizabeth I of England and China's Wu Zetian. For example, the article continues: "If Yellen even just talks about slowing down the Fed's bond-buying, Europe's troubled economies are likely to see their interest rates rise, and emerging markets, some of which, like India and Indonesia, used foreign capital to fund their current account deficits ,are likely to see their currencies collapse." What is the author's attitude towards Yellen's being nominated? Answer: Optimistic. It was a Sunday morning. Peter, a seven-year-old boy, watched TV in the room while his brother Bill did his homework. Their father watered the flowers in the garden and their mother went out to do some shopping. At ten the woman came back with a heavy basket. Peter ran up to her. He wanted to know what his mother bought. He found a bag of oranges in it. He liked them very much and wanted to eat. His mother stopped him. She gave five to each son and went to cook food. Peter ate his oranges soon but his brother was busy doing his homework and didn't eat his. Suddenly the telephone rang and Bill ran to answer it. Bill's friend asked him to play football with them. And when Bill talked with his friend, Peter took two of his oranges away and ate them. Bill found it and called him out and beat him behind the house. Peter didn't tell his parents about it. The next morning Peter's teacher, Mrs Ball, taught the students subtraction . Peter didn't listen to her carefully and couldn't understand it. So he couldn't answer her questions. The teacher began to give him an example, "If your brother has five oranges and you take two from him, what will the result be?" "He'll beat me, madam," answered the boy. All his classmates began to laugh. When did Peter's mother come back? Answer: At ten. In my opinion, there is only one legitimate handgun sport and that is aim practice. It is practiced at objects which are properly monitored and usually quite safe. Only certain handguns are true "sporting weapons", seen as such by the sport's lovers. On the other hand, shooting at tin cans and other small objects in one's backyard is not and should not be considered a serious sport. When uncontrolled, it can be a very dangerous practice. Some opponents of handgun control have stated that we are out to stop all hunting and that controlling the handgun would severely affect hunting. That is simply untrue. Handgun control would in no way limit the freedom of the true hunter. Few if any hunters consider the handgun an effective hunting weapon. There are a few hunters who do hunt with handguns, but most states place restrictions on the type of guns that can be used in hunting, the reason is that killing of game should be done in as humane a way as possible. Some small handguns are more likely to wound the animal rather than kill it at once. Only long guns, rifles and shotguns are effective arms of hunting. People must understand that handguns and hunters are separate matters. Because most of the hunters use a rifle or shotgun, there is no reason why their search for game and sport should be affected by handgun control. Mixing the anti-hunting matter with the handgun matter confuses the killing of animals with killing of people. This passage mainly talks about _ . Answer: the relation between hunting and handgun control
A: Good afternoon. Are you Zhang Li? B: Yes, I am. A: Is Li your family name? B: No, Li is my given name. My family name is Zhang. What's your name? A: My name is Alice. I'm from the USA. B: Nice to meet you, Alice. A: Nice to meet you, too! I'm a student in Sunny Middle School. B: Oh, great! We are in the _ school. I'm in Class Three, Grade Seven. What class are you in? A: I'm in Class Four, Grade Seven. B: My English teacher is Mr. Miller. He is from the USA, too. Is he your English teacher? A: No, he isn't. He's my father. B: Oh? That's good. My QQ number is 2521786. Do you use QQ? A: No, I don't . But you can call me at 789-0765. B: OK, my phone number is 675-4721. A:OK! See you! B: Bye! Alice's family name is _ . Mater, a wealthy widow, wishing to make a substantial and potentially enduring gift to her beloved adult stepson Prodigal, established with Vault Savings and Loan Association a passbook savings account by an initial deposit of $10,000."For this question only, assume the following facts. The passbook was issued by Vault to Mater solely in her own name. That same day, disinterested witnesses being present, she handed the passbook to Prodigal and said, "As a token of my love and affection for you, I give you this $10,000 savings account." Shortly thereafter, she changed her mind and wrote Prodigal, "I hereby revoke my gift to you of the $10,000 savings account with Vault Savings and Loan Association. Please return my passbook immediately. Signed: Mater." Prodigal received the letter but ignored it, and Mater died unexpectedly a few days later. In litigation between Prodigal and Mater's estate, which of the following is a correct statement of the parties' rights with respect to the money on deposit with Vault? Some 80 percent of graduate students in East China's Zhejiang Province said in a survey they will give up trying to find jobs in Beijing,Shanghai and Guangzhou,first-tier cities in China that have been considered dream places for many,because of the untouchable home prices and high living costs. The Yangtse Evening Post conducted the survey among 50 job seekers who were attending Sunday's job fair in Jiangsu for graduate students.The survey showed graduates are becoming more realistic in their job search despite the job market becoming better. The fair attracted more than 10,000 graduate students with 7,382 positions. "The pressure of buying a house in Beijing is unbelievable,"said Wang Jian from Nanjiing Normal University,who acknowledged he had thought about finding a job in Beijing,Shanghai or Guangzhou,but in the face of huge pressures,he has no choice but to be "realistic". People can have a very comfortable life in Nanjing with a monthly salary of between 3,000 yuan($450)and 4,000 yuan,but in Shanghai,5,000 yuan a month can only help you survive and buying a house will remain a dream. A student from Nanjing University of Science and Technology said he just turned down an offer from a Shanghai company of 7,000 yuan a month because"living costs in Shanghai are too high." An unnamed male student from Nanjing University said he will try first-tier cities only if he can get a high salary."I would go to Beijing only if I can earn 200,000 yuan a year,"he said. "Beijing,Shanghai and Guangzhou once had the advantages that other cities don't have,but the high housing prices and living costs make young people barely able to breathe,"said Ren Leiming from the job service center of Jiangsu's colleges and universities. "First-tier cities have plenty of talents that make it hard for people to be outstanding,and if you go work in smaller cities you can become a dominant player at your position much more easily,"said Ren. The majority of graduate students will give up trying to find jobs in the first-tier cities because _ . If someone asks you, "What do you usually do with your QQ?'' You may say, "I just chat ." Niu Lianzhong teaches PE in a middle school and he sets up a QQ group. However, his purpose is not to chat or show himself. He doesn't want to do anything for fun, either. He just wants more people to know the QQ group. He hopes to help others and now he saves more than 400 people's lives. We all know there are four blood types-A, B, AB, and O. But in fact, a few people's blood types are very special . Niu is just one of them. Since he sets up his QQ group, more than 100 special-blooded people in China join in it. Now, when a patient or a hospital needs some special blood, they just call Niu for help. And Niu contacts his members of the QQ group quickly. Till now, he has donated his blood for about 20 times. Niu hopes that more people will join his group to help others. How many people does he help in all ? Xinhua News Agency-The International Conference on Power Engineering (ICOPE) 2013, organized by the Chinese Society of Power Engineering, School of Energy and Power Engineering, China-EU Institute for Clean and Renewable Energy, opened in Wuhan, on Oct 24. More than 300 energy experts, scholars and businessmen from countries and areas including the United States, Japan, the EU, Australia, South Africa, Thailand, Nigeria, Arab and China are attending the three-day academic conference on the world's energy problems. Professor Zheng Chuguang, from the School of Energy and Power Engineering at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, gave a speech on the development of oxygen fuel technology in China, and said that settling the problem of cost ranks highest. George Saxon, vice-president of Conco Systems Inc, US, presented a report on the topic of Energy Engineer to Shape the Future. He said that the company's research and innovation are of great significance for the future and already contribute to reducing costs and improving efficiency . Professor Didier Mayer from the Ecole des Mines de Paris, France, spoke about "Wind Energy R&D Line Based on the Global Renewable Energy Status", and Professor Yasuo Koizumi of Shinshu University in Japan and Li Chun-Zhu of Curtin University of Technology in Australia also gave speeches at the conference. The academic meetings are expected to cover topics from various fields. In addition, the participants will discuss the most advanced academic research around the world, the latest progress and development trends in the various fields. The conference has attracted 232 academic papers, with 176 papers from China, and 56 from abroad. Who probably attended the meeting?
Question: Mom and Dad are two of the most important people in your life. Over your lifetime, they may influence you more than anyone else you will meet. So if your mom loves to read, you just might grow up carrying a book wherever you go, just as she does. But parents do a lot more than just pass on their hobbies. Moms and Dads need to care for their kids the minute their kids are born. Most parents will do this as long as they live. Here are some ways you can stay close, get along well, and build a strong relationship( )with your parents. Spend time together. Instead of playing computer games or watching TV, ask your mom and dad to play with you. Go outside together, or do some reading. Be kind.Little things might mean a lot to your mom or dad. You can brighten a parent's day with a hug , a card , or a joke. It's also lovely when a kid cleans up his or her room without being asked. And if you try not to fight with your brothers or sisters, your parents will be so happy! Do your best at whatever you do. You don't have to be perfect, but when you do your best, you make your parents proud. It makes them happy to see how you're turning into a great kid. Why? Because it lets them know . Who may influence you more than anyone else you will meet according to the passage? A. Teachers B. Friends C. Parents D. Grandparents Answer: C. Parents Question: Many people believe that all ice cubes are created equal, but they are not. At least that's what the folks at California's Glace Luxury Ice Company would like us to believe. The Davisbased company says that the ice cubes they make are healthier and last longer than the ones that we throw into our drinks on a daily basis. What's more, the company also says that their ice cubes do mot leave behind an aftertaste in drinks, like regular ones do. In order to create these unique ice cubes, Glace Luxury begins with water that has been rid of the _ impurities that the company says can lead to cancer and exist in regular ice. They then freeze it in large blocks. Once ready, the ice is carved into perfect cubes and each cube measures 2.5 inches across. Besides being healthier, these ice cubes apparently also take longer to melt. The company says that each ice cube can last up to 30 minutes. Of course, those ice cubes do not come cheap. Those that wish to have a taste of this "tasteless" frozen perfection will have to pay $325USD for a bag of 50 ice cubes. That comes to $6.50USD for a single cube of ice! The unique product is the brainchild of Robert Sequeira, a former business school lecturer who said that he wanted to establish a profitable business that could be easily scaled. Given that he can make as mush Glace Luxury ice as he needs for as little as $0.12USD per cube, he thinks that the idea certainly meets the standard. Now, if he can find that the few people can afford to buy this Glace Luxury ice, life would be great! What does the author think of the ice cubes created by Glace Luxury Ice Company? A. They will be a big success B. They are too costly to make. C. They are just regular ice cubes. D. They are too expensive for consumers Answer: D. They are too expensive for consumers Question: Every day as I drove through town, I saw a one-legged man going through the dustbins next to McDonalds looking for food. It was only a month before Christmas, starting to get cold and I could not help thinking about him. So I bought a brush, pack of cigarettes, cans of fish, and then I added a blanket and sweatshirts. I made a box up like a present and went in search of this man. I saw him hobble away from the dustbin. I pulled over, took the box and went up to him. I said, "I would like to give you a Christmas present, there are some food items in here and some things you might be able to use." He sidestepped around me and said, "No, thank you. I just had lunch. I don't need anything." Then he hobbled on down the sidewalk, leaving me standing there in tears. I took the box down to a little shop that gave things out to the poor and homeless and told them what had happened and asked them to give the box to someone who could use it. The person there told me not to be upset and let my feelings be hurt as I was still crying. I told her I was not crying for me but for him because what I had done took away his dignity by treating him like a person in need. I was so ashamed. A few years later I was able to volunteer in St. Anthony's Dining Room in San Francisco. These people had to stand in line for up to 6 hours to receive the only food they will get. We took one tray of food at a time, and treated them as if they were in a restaurant ordering a meal they were paying for. From this I learned a great lesson. Accepting help is sometimes harder than giving it. What can we infer from the passage? A. The author regretted hurting the man's self-respect. B. The author cried because she was hurt badly. C. The author couldn't understand why she was refused. D. The author was sad because she was left alone. Answer: A. The author regretted hurting the man's self-respect. Question: Hi Jane, I hope you and your family are all well. I'm e-mailing you to tell you about my new hobby, surfing. My brother, Peter, is at home from college for the summer holiday. He is very good at surfing. We go to the beach every day and Peter teaches me to surf. I don't do well in it but it's fun. Most days we bring a picnic and stay on the beach all day. Surfing is a good exercise and an interesting way to get a suntan ! All my friends think it's a great new hobby. Bye for now. Love, Rose Who is the e-mail from? A. Jane B. Rose C. Peter D. Love Answer: B. Rose Question: If you dream of going to someplace warm to escape the cold winter weather, a trip to a recently discovered planet would certainly warm you right up. The planet, named OCLE-TR-56b, has temperatures of more than 3,000 degF. "This is the hottest planet we know about," says Dr. Dimitar Sasselov, a scientist who led the discovery team, "It is hot enough to have an iron fog and to rain hot iron droplets " The new planet is 30 times farther away than any planet discovered by scientists before. It is in the Milky Way but it is not in our solar system The new planet moves around a star much like our sun, however. Scientists discovered the planet by using a new planet-searching method, called"transit technique" They were able to catch sight of the planet when it moved in front of its star, causing the star's light to dim .Scientists compare the method to discovering the shadow of a bee flying in front of a searchlight 200 miles away. "We believe the door has been opened wide to go and discover planets like Earth," says Sasedlov. The "transit technique" can _ . A. help dim the light of a star. B. help scientists with a searchlight C. help discover a bee on a planet D. help find a planet moving before its star Answer: D. help find a planet moving before its star
In front of a popular restaurant, a line of customers wait for taxis. And wait. Most of the cabs(taxis) are full. That's nothing unusual in this city of 4 million people. But it's 2:30 in the morning. Visitors to the Olympic Games may leave disappointed if they see Athens only through the eyes of the typical tourist, who makes a beeline of the islands after the visit to the Acropolis and the unusual and attractive Plaka district. To fully appreciate and discover Athens' many charms , do as the Greeks do: walk out into the neighborhoods, find the packed nightclubs, eat at one of the innumerable restaurants, or see Hollywood stars under real stars in a romantic outdoor cinema. The Greek capital is named for the ancient goddess Athena, whose favourite animal was the owl . It's a fitting symbol for the city's nocturnal nature, which often reaches its highest point in summer with a rush hour just before dawn. As native Athenian Panos Demestiha said, Athens by day is unlivable , but it's magical at night. Athenians face up to heavy traffic block, decreasing green space, dusty streets... City officials are using the momentum of the August 13-29 Olympics to fix some of these problems and make city life more bearable. To the surprise of the visitors to Athens , _ . A most of the cabs are often full all day long B the cabs are often empty C the cabs are almost full even at 2:30 am D there is no cab in the street at 2:30 am. Answer: C What will you do if you have six million dollars? Different people give different answers. David I will buy an island if I have six million dollars. Then I will be the king of the island. I will invite my friends to my island and we'll have a good time there. Cathy If I get six million dollars, I want to start my own business and I will do a lot of things for my family. For me, nothing is more important than my family. I will buy a new house for my parents and take them to travel around the world. Julie If I have six million dollars, I will put five million in the bank and spend one million. I will visit Sydney, Toronto, Moscow and other interesting cities. I want to try different kinds of delicious food, and build a house with a swimming pool. Victor If I have six million dollars, I will use the money to do everything I like. I will use two million to open my own shop. And I will give another four million to schools and charities. I would like to help students in poor areas to get good education. I want everyone to live a happy life. David will invite his friends to _ . A his new house B his island C his country D his factory Answer: B Car sharing is another way to drive green that's gaining in popularity, especially in urban areas.People who may not drive every day but still want a car to run errands or drive on weekends benefit most from car sharing.Car sharing is usually run by a service like Zipcar, though there are non-profit and informal car sharing services.Members pay a monthly fee and have access to an entire fleet of cars when they need one.The cars are parked in fixed spots around the city, so members only need to make a reservation, and then go to the pickup spot. Car sharing has major environmental benefits because it reduces the number of cars on the road.Members don't drive just because they are in a car.They plan trips, and if they don't need a car, they don't use one.Still, a car is available to them if they need to make a big trip to the grocery store, pick someone up at the airport or if they want to go to the beach for the day.Members also benefit by having access to a car without any of the headaches of ownership.They usually don't have to pay for the gas, insurance or maintenance , and the monthly membership fee is less than a typical car payment.So if you really want to go green but aren't ready to totally give up a car yet, car sharing may be the way to go. If you still need to get around, but want to go even greener than sharing a car, share a bus! We can conclude from the passage that _ . A Zipear can't help you if you are running urgent errands B Zipcar, different from other services, aims green driving with no profit C Zipcar is a company supplying car sharing service for a monthly payment D Zipcar is a company providing formal car sharing free Answer: C A very strict officer was talking to some new soldiers whom he had to train. He had never seen them before, so began, "My name is Stone, and I'm even harder than stone, so do what I tell you or there'll be trouble. Don't try any tricks with me, and then we'll get on well together." Then he went to each soldier one after the other and asked him his name, "Speak loudly so that everyone can hear you clearly," he said, "and don't forget to call me 'sir'." Each soldier told him name, until he came to the last one. This man remained silent, and so Captain Stone shouted at him, " when I ask you a question, answer it! I'll ask you again: What's your name, soldier?" The soldier was very unhappy, but at last he replied, "My name's Stonebreaker, sir," he said nervously . 52. According to what the officer said, _ . A obeying his orders would sometimes bring no trouble. B trouble would come if anybody made tricks. C he always got on well with his soldiers. D he often had trouble with his soldiers. Answer: B What is colour? Why do some of the things around us look red, some green, others blue? Colours are really made by reflected light. We see colour because most of the things reflect light. Something is red, for it reflects most of the red light. In the same way, if something is green, it reflects most of the green light. If something reflects all light, it is white. If it doesn't reflect any light, it is black. Some of the light is reflected and some is taken in and turned into heat .The darker the colour is, the less light is reflected, the more light is taken in. So dark-coloured clothes are warmer in the sun than light-coloured clothes. When something reflects light, we can _ . A see its colour B see its heat C not see its colour D see nothing Answer: A
No quick change I would be the first to say that I am not materialistic. My friends regard me as a goody-goody . My parents say I am conservative and modest when it comes to clothes. I don't wear bikinis, and none of my skirts or shorts end above my knees. That is my choice. So why, why did I decide to buy that skirt? My family and I were in Target, and there it was, waiting - a skirt specifically designed not to cover anything. It was light brown and looked like something one of those anime schoolgirls would wear. I checked my purse. The skirt cost $10. I had the money. I could buy it. I imagined walking into school and my pals' jaws dropping. Guys would ask me out, and I would be happy. I could buy it - no, I should buy it. I showed my mother. She was surprised but said it was my decision. My sister looked on jealously. I went into the dressing room to try it on. I was so sure that this skirt would change me, somehow make me not what I am but what I wished to be. I slid my jeans off and put it on. Now for the decisive moment. I looked in the mirror. There I was - a girl in a Superman T-shirt and sneakers who didn't know how to make friends with others. Of course, the skirt had not changed me. It fit me well; that wasn't the problem. It might make me look good in the eyes of today's world. But it simply was not me. I am not a girl who wears cool clothes to fit in. My glasses fogged up as I started to cry. I took the thing off and went back into the comfort and safety of modesty. My mom knocked on the door. "Emily, are you okay?" I wiped away my tears. "I'm fine." I looked in the mirror again and saw a blond skinny girl with thick glasses and a ponytail . I saw myself. How did the author think her friends would react to her new skirt? Answer: They would be amazed to see the big change in her. In recent years, the price of gas has been rising sharply, and people have made many adjustments. There was, for a time, considerable unemployment in the auto industry, and three quarters of the garages and service stations have gone out of business. However; the bicycle and motor-scooter business has flourished ; and many people have found employment there: Now that Federal Motors has brought out its new Lilliput, which travels forty miles on a gallon, the auto business is picking up again. The factories that haven't switched over to two-wheel transportation are working on their new smaller models. There is talk, too, about bringing out new steam and electric automobiles that will be just as economical as the old cars. In the meantime, streetcars are gradually replacing buses all over the country because of the greater economy of electric power. And many people who have seldom used public transportation are now riding the streetcars while their automobiles rust in their garages. There's no market at all for their big, luxurious cars, for only the wealthy can now afford to operate them. Many people are now shopping in their own neighborhood, and small businesses are thriving. Ministers, educators, and editorial writers are pointing out that there has been a great improvement in family life. Families now stay at home more for their fun, and children and parents are becoming better acquainted. The stores report a booming business in parlor games, hobby materials, books, musical instruments and albums. People have lost their pale indoor look. The revival of the lost art of walking has brought a healthy pink back to many a cheek. This return to the heels has revolutionized the clothing styles; people now need to be ready for all kinds of weather: These conditions, however, may not last. Already our clever chemists are at work on new synthetic fuels which, they say, will put us right back where we wereon wheels. Shall we wish them success or not? What is the main idea of this passage? Answer: This passage mainly shows the chain reactions of the rising gas price It was Mother's Day,but the young mother was a little unhappy,because she was 800 miles away from her parents.In the morning she phoned her mother to wish her a happy Mother's Day,and her mother told her about the beautiful lilacs in the garden. Later that day,when she told her husband about the lilacs,he said,"I know where we can find all that you want.Get the children and come on."So they went,driving down the country roads. There on a small hill,they saw a lot of beautiful purple lilacs.The young woman ran quickly to enjoy the flowers.Carefully,she picked a few here and a few there.On their way home there was a smile on her face. When they were passing a nursing home ,the young woman saw an old granny sitting in a chair.She had no children with her.They stopped the car and the young woman walked to the old woman,put the flowers in her hands,and smiled at her.The old granny thanked her again and again.She smiled happily,too. When the young mother came back to her car,her children asked her,"Who is that old granny?Why did you give our flowers to her?" "I don't know her,"their mother said."But it's Mother's Day,and she has no children.I have all of you,and I still have my mother.Just think how much those flowers meant to her. Which of the following is NOT true? Answer: The young woman was surprised. 57-year-old Mo Yan has become the first Chinese to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. "I grew up in an environment immersed with folk culture, which inevitably comes in to my novels when I pick up a pen to write. This has definitely affected, even decided, my works' artistic style," Mo told a group of reporters in his hometown of Gaomi, Shandong Province, shortly after he won the award. Gaomi county is where most of Mo's stories happen. It's a place that has inspired him throughout his 31-year writing career. "I really didn't see this coming," Lu Jiande, director of the Institute of Literature at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told 21st Century. "I know Mo Yan pretty well and one thing a lot of people don't know is how good he is with words." "His calligraphy is surprisingly beautiful. In his writing, he can make words live and breathe," Lu said. Mo created a cast of colorful characters and said that if there was a prototype , it would be the abandoned "black boy" who first appeared in the 1985 novel Red Transparent Radish, which bears imprints of the author's childhood. Mo dropped out of school during the Cultural Revolution when he was 12 and began to work, first in agriculture, later in a factory. At 20, he joined the People's Liberation Army and during this time he began to study literature and write. His first short story was published in a literary journal in 1981. His breakthrough came a few years later with the novel Red Transparent Radish. Many got to know of Mo through director Zhang Yimou's film, Red Sorghum. It was adapted from his 1986 novel of the same name, bringing to life a visual landscape of red sorghum fields and a fiery setting sun. Mo left the army in 1997 and gradually developed a writing style all of his own. History, family sagas, blood and violence are frequent elements in his most famous works, such as Big Breasts and Wide Hips or Sandalwood Penalty. On August 20, 2011, Mo's full-length novel The Frog won the eighth Mao Dun Literature Prize. Some critics point out that Mo's works have a tendency toward vulgarity(, . In an interview with South China Morning Post, Professor Xiao Ying of Tsinghua University said the award was "outside of my expectations, as Mo Yan's works are still short on the idealism of pursuing humanity, which marks previous Nobel literature prize winners". According to the passage, which of the following is not right? Answer: Mo enjoyed great popularity after his first short story was published in a literary journal. It seems that school children all over the world complain about their school food. What do students of your age eat for lunch at school in other countries? Japan High schools have dining rooms. They serve everything from noodles to rice, but not burgers and chips. Other children bring food from home, such as cold rice balls, meat or fish, pickles and vegetables. Twice a year parents are invited to have a taste of the food. United States A typical menu from a US school is made up of a hamburger with fried potatoes or roast chicken, lettuce and pickles, fruit and cookies. School lunches must also provide at least one third of the daily amount of necessary nutrition , such as, vitamin A, vitamin C and calcium . Australia Meat pies, sausage rolls and hotdogs are all traditional dishes in Australian school shops. But as the country pays more attention to children's health, healthier foods have started to appear on school menus. Many schools have used a traffic light system. The sale of red labeled c) foods, including cookies, chocolate and soft drinks. Is served only twice a week. Healthier green labeled foods such as sushi, sandwiches, corn and watermelons, however, are available every day. South Africa Most of South African schools do not serve meals at all. Classes end at l; 30 p. m. and students get their own lunches. Many students bring food from home, usually sandwiches. Fast food and fried food sell the best among students. As a result, it has caused a rise in obesity c) among children. But as more people began to realize that being too fat may cause different kinds of serious illnesses, some schools in towns have led the way towards better nutrition. Now students at these schools are offered lunches of porridge with vegetables, such as cabbage, onions, beans, carrots and tomatoes. In South Africa, _ . Answer: students like fast food and fried food very much
Gants Hill, London We are looking for a few volunteers to work with us in the creation of a new events group which is needing help to expand and may lead to part-time or full-time work. Hours are flexible, and successful candidates will be working on social media and liaising phone calls with organizations and groups. Candidates must speak excellent fluent English. VOLUNTEER EVENTS ADMINISTRATION Westminster, London We would like an enthusiastic and outgoing administration volunteer for our Events Team at our London Head Office. This opportunity would suit a well-organized person with an eye for detail and good computer skills. You will support our Events by sending thank-you letters, answering the telephone, and assisting with all aspects of event organization for 2 days a week. LOVE MUSIC? WANT EVENTS EXPERIENCE? Notting Hill, London Oxfam Notting Hill Takeover are looking for volunteers for our music festival on 19th October 2013. The festival takes place in 5 places in Notting Hill. This charity event will be showcasing over 30 bands and DJs and playing all forms of music. We need a team of volunteers to assist us on the day in order to make sure everybody has a good time. If you want to be a part of a great event to help us raise money for Oxfam then please come along to our open recruitment session . VOLUNTEERS WANTED! Hillingdon, London Royal Voluntary Service is a national charity which delivers services through volunteers to help older people remain active and independent in their communities. We are growing our new Dementia Support Service in Hillingdon and need help from you! You will be required to have good communication skills. All of the four ads were written to _ . A. look for some volunteers B. provide some job opportunities C. introduce some new information D. complain about volunteers' poor service Answer: A. look for some volunteers For thousands of years, people have lived with dogs. Ancient paintings on the walls of caves show people living with dogs. Almost a third of the homes in the United States and England have dogs, and these dogs come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. The largest dog in the world was a dog named Zorba. When Zorba, a _ , was seven years old in 1989, he was 94 centimeters (37 inches) tall. In other words, Zorba was more than half as tall as an adult man. At his largest, Zorba weighed more than a heavy weight boxer at 156 kilograms(343 pounds). In comparison, the smallest bog was a Yorkshire terrier from England. This dog was only the size of a matchbox, measuring 7.1 centimeters(2.8 inches) tall and 9.5 centimeters (3.75 inches) from nose to tail. It weighed about half as much as a common book, and even a young child could easily pick it up with one hand. It passed away in 1945 when it was only two years old. Some dogs are wonderful, not for their sizes, but for their brains. One incredible dog is Endal, the companion of a man named Allen Parton who has used a wheelchair since a car accident in 1991. In 2001, Parton was hit by a car while crossing a road with Endal, and thrown out of his chair. Endal quickly moved Parton into the recovery place, covered him with a blanket , and pushed his mobile phone close enough for him to reach. Then, once he saw that Parton was all right, Endal ran back and forth to a nearby hotel, barking until people came out to help. Endal was rewarded for his bravery by being awarded a medal, and he has been the subject of a number of TV documentaries. The world's smallest dog weighed half as much as _ according to the passage. A. a child's hand B. a matchbox C. a common book D. a car Answer: C. a common book I come from a city on the United States'east coast. It's a ten-hour flight for me to get home from Shanghai. When I got off the plane, I took photos of the blue sky and white clouds along the way. After two weeks, I returned to Shanghai. Much to my surprise, the blue sky in Shanghai that I liked before was not as blue as that in the US. I couldn't help wondering what had happened. A few days later, I went to tour Waitan (a famous tourist attraction in Shanghai) by the Huangpu River with some of my friends. There we saw five Ferrari sports cars by the side of the road. The red and yellow cars looked so nice that everyone was looking at them. However, when I turned my head, I noticed the sky over Waitan, I was shocked to find that the buildings in the Lujiazui area on the other side of Huangpu River could hardly be seen. It was then that I realized that Ferrari cars could be bought with money, but a blue sky couldn't. Shanghai is an important economic and trade center in China. It has made great contributions to the whole nation's economic development. However, we need to protect the environment during economic growth. Pollution is poisoning our air and our rivers. Without clean air and rivers, how will people be able to survive? The author mentioned the Ferrari sports cars in order to _ . A. tell us that Shanghai is a developed city B. ask us to stop driving sports cars C. tell us how much people like cars D. focus our attention on air pollution Answer: D. focus our attention on air pollution Single people, especially women, are stigmatized in our society: We're all familiar with the image of a sad, lonely woman eating ice cream with her cats in her pajamas on Saturday night. But about 45 percent of US adults aren't married and around one in seven lives alone. This might be you. Research shows that young people's expectations about their marital status (e.g. the desire to be married by 30 and have kids by 32) have little or no relationship to what actually happens to people. So, go with the flow. And, if you're single, you're in good company. Single people spend more time with friends, volunteer more, and are more involved in their communities than married people. Never-married and divorced women are happier, on average, than married women. So, don't buy into the myth of the miserable singleton. If you do get married, keep going with the flow. Relationship satisfaction, financial security, and happy kids are more strongly related to flexibility in the face of life's challenges than any particular way of organizing families. The most functional families are ones that can bend. So partnering with someone who thinks that one partner should support their families and the other should take responsibility for the house and children is a recipe for disaster. So is being equally rigid about non-traditional divisions of labor. It's okay to have ideas about how to organize your family but your best bet for happiness is to be flexible. Buying a home is often taken for granted as a stage on the path to adulthood. But the ideal of universal home ownership was born in the 1950s. It's a rather new idea.With such a short history, it's funny that people often insist that buying a house is a fool-proof investment and the best way to secure retirement. In fact, buying a house may not be the best choice for you. The mortgage may be less than rent, but there are also taxes, insurance, and the increasingly common Home Owners Association (HOA) fees. You may someday sell the house for more than you bought it but, if you paid interest on a mortgage, you also paid far more than the sale price. You have freedom from a landlord, but may discover your HOA is just as controlling, or worse. And then there's the headache: renting relieves you from the stress of being responsible for repairs. It also offers a freedom of movement that you might cherish. So be wise and consider all your options. According to the passage, what can be a happy family? A. The happy family is flexible in the face of life's challenges. B. The happy family has particular way of organizing families. C. The happy family believes the traditional divisions of labor. D. The happy family has relationship satisfaction, financial security and happy kids. Answer: A. The happy family is flexible in the face of life's challenges. A 12-year old boy who donated bone marrow to his dying sister and has raised more thanPS10,000 for charity has been named the UK's Family Hero of the Year. Adam Kerr, 12, from Armagh, Northern Ireland, also helps his mother care for his younger brother Brian, 9, who suffers from the genetic disease Fanconi's anaemia . But it is not the first hardship that has affected young Adam. When he was just six, he donated his own bone marrow to his younger sister Helen who suffered from a rare blood disorder. Sadly she developed complications and died a few months after the operation in 2005. Adam found it very difficult to be happy after Helen's death. So he decided to start raising money in memory of Helen to help local poor children and families with bereavement . Overall he has raised PS10,000 and he has no intentions of giving up. He organised a Fun Day to provide the money for a brother and sister from Northern Ireland to visit their sick brother having a bone marrow transplant in a London hospital. He received his award and a cheque forPS2,000 at an "Oscar's style" ceremony in London. Ms Phillips said: "Adam is an incredible young man. In his relatively short life he has faced real sadness and bad luck and yet he works tirelessly to make life better for others." The Awards were sponsored by the charity 4Children and Take a Break Magazine. Anne Longfield OBE, Chief Executive of 4Children said:"It's an honour to recognise Adam's devotion and self-sacrifice, and his bravery shows there is always reason for hope and optimism. There is so much unrecognized goodwill out there of people who do so much for others, and the inspiring winners of the Family Heroes Awards remind us how important it is for us all to do our best to make a difference in the lives of others." From the passage we can see Adam's younger brother _ . A. was too young and ill to look after himself B. was fortunate enough to be cured C. donated his bone marrow to his sister D. was going to have an operation Answer: A. was too young and ill to look after himself
Question: Hello Sandy, We have just returned form our holiday. We went with our friends,Edward Smith and his wife Tina, to the Yorkshire Moors. It is a beautiful natural park. There are lots of places to walk on the tops of the hills,miles of grassland with no people,just sheep and birds. Edward had just come out of hospital and he could not walk as far as before. However, this meant that we walked in the mornings, and then stopped at a restaurant for lunch each day before returning to the place we lived in. Edward and I slept in front of the fire all afternoon, while the ladies went for another walk. Very pleasant! I took lots of photos from the place we lived in, across the valley below us, of the morning sunrise, and the mist in the valley. Also, in England, the old steam-powered trains are very popular. I took many photos of the train. Yesterday we had the first snow of this winter. It is very early. We usually have snow in January. It rained all day, then snowed in the evening .Today we have bright sunshine! Both Jenny and I are well. I don't know if I told you, in the last e-mail , that Jenny is now working in a hotel. Although she has to work hard, people there are nice, and she is enjoying the work. Please write to us to tell us your news. Yours, Victor Where does Jenny work now? A. In a computer company B. In the hospital C. In a restaurant D. In a hotel Answer: D. In a hotel Question: To safely conduct an experiment using chemicals, what should students always do? A. Work in large groups. B. Wear safety goggles. C. Wear short sleeves. D. Keep a window open. Answer: B. Wear safety goggles. Question: Hello, my name is Mike.I am from England. I am a new student in Jason School. I am in Class 2, Grade 1. I go to school 5 days a week and there are 6 classes a day. There are 25 students in my class. I am very happy to meet them. English is my favorite lesson. Miss Green is my English teacher. She is 27 years old. I like having her class. There is a computer in my classroom. Miss Green likes playing English songs on the computer in her class and we like these songs. Now I can sing many English songs. There are some pictures in the classroom because some students like drawing pictures and they draw very well. I like my classroom and my new school. Welcome to my school! What can we see in Mike's classroom? A. A map. B. Some flowers. C. A television. D. Some pictures. Answer: D. Some pictures. Question: Many Americans spend more time in cars these days than in the kitchen. But as lives grow busier--and waistlines grow larger--a number of health experts are calling for Americans to reduce their risk of cancer and other diseases by cooking at home more and eating out less. "When dining out, people are likely to _ all the wrong thing," says Rachel Brandeis of the American Dietetic Association. "People take in 50% more fat and sodium when they eat out than when they cook at home. And they often miss out on fruits, vegetables and other vitamin-rich 'powerhouse foods' that may reduce the risk of cancer." Nutritionists know it's not easy to break old habits. Many people say they hardly have time to exercise, let alone fix dinner. Brandeis says her secret is organization. She cooks six nights a week, even though she and her husband both work. She spends 20 minutes thinking about a week's worth of menus and writing a list. She shops just once a week. Brandeis says she chooses easy cooking methods, too. Since she is not quite good at cooking. The American Institute for Cancer Research has produced a guide filled with tips like "Homemade for Health". Melanie Polk, the institute's director of nutrition education, says cooking at home has many advantages. It teaches children about nutrition as well as the importance of sharing housework. The 39-year-old homemaker Kirstin Kristinus of Washington, D.C. says cooking at home brings her family together. She also tries to reduce her family's cancer risk by preparing every meal with many different kinds of food. "The only way to know that you are getting all the good things is to expose yourself to a wide variety of food," says Steven Shiff, a doctor in New Jersey. "If you eat out at a restaurant, it's a lot easier to choose unhealthful things." However, "families don't have to give up restaurants," Shiff says. "It is possible to eat healthfully if you eat outside the home. But it takes probably the same sort of planning that you would have to do to prepare meals at home." What is worrying health experts? A. Americans are having a too busy life. B. Americans are getting fatter and fatter. C. Americans are eating out more and more. D. Americans are in greater danger of getting cancer. Answer: C. Americans are eating out more and more. Question: People have always wanted to speak with animals. There are many books about this, especially children books. Now there are also movies, such as Dr. Doolittle. When you watch animals, it seems clear that they can communicate with each other. Many people wonder why people can't also communicate with them. Scientists know how some animals communicate. Bees, for example, use their bodies. They do a kind of dance to give information about food. Birds, on the other hand, share information with sounds. They use certain sounds to protect their homes and to stay together when they fly. Some male birds use lovely songs to attract a female . Other animals communicate with both body movements and sounds. For example, dogs wag their tails when they are happy, and they bark when they are excited. People used to think it was possible to teach human language to animals. Parrots and other birds, for example, can learn to say words. But the birds just repeat the words. They don't understand them. Some American scientists tried to teach English to chimpanzees , close s of human beings. However, this was impossible. Chimpanzees can't move their mouths the right way. They could never learn to speak like people. Then scientists tried to teach human language to chimpanzees in other ways. Some tried with American Sign Language (ASL). Others tried with a simple computer. But chimpanzees could only learn to use a few words. They could never learn to use grammar. Their brains are very different from the brains of human beings. Now some scientists are studying the same points between human and animal language. In fact, some animals use sounds like people do. Dogs, for example, use an unpleasant, low sound to tell other dogs to stay away. People, too, use that kind of voice to say the same things. A dog's noisy bark communicate that something is happening. People use the same high tone when they shout, "Watch out!" Scientists want to understand the language of other animals, such as whales and bears. To do this, they go out to the animals' natural homes. They watch the animals for days or even years. They take pictures and make tape recordings and share the information with other scientists. In this way, they hope to learn more about the way animals communicate, and maybe someday we'll be able to communicate better with them. Which of the following is TRUE? A. Bees communicate by making a noise. B. Dogs wag their tails when they are angry. C. Chimpanzees can learn to use some grammar. D. Birds use sounds to stay together. Answer: D. Birds use sounds to stay together.
There once was a very honest shopkeeper whose business was to provide goods to the local people. He would open his shop at 8:00 a.m. after having his breakfast and at 1:00 p.m. he would go for lunch. In the evening at 8:30 p.m. he closed his shop to complete his daily routine. However, to get time for lunch was really difficult because he didn't have anybody to help him at that time. Therefore, it was his daily practice that whichever customer was shopping at 1:00 p.m. would be asked to oversee the shop until the shopkeeper returned from lunch. One day, a group of four thieves planned to steal from his shop while he was gone for lunch. One of the thieves went at 1:00 p.m. to be the customer that would be asked to oversee the shop. The thief, pretending to be a customer, went in at 1:00 p.m. and started buying several items. As planned, the shopkeeper asked the thief to sit on his chair for thirty minutes until he returned from lunch. Then, the other three thieves quickly came and told the pretend customer to help, but something had changed within him and he knew deeply in his heart that if he was given responsibility for the shop, he should not perform any dishonest acts during that time. His friends did not agree. As the now honest man tried to stop them, they resisted and a fight started. And at the same time the shopkeeper returned and asked why there was a fighting. The now honest man explained the entire plan. The shopkeeper had been searching for an honest man who could take ownership of the shop and run it. The shopkeeper felt that he had found the right man. What is the problem for the shopkeeper? He had nobody to keep the shop when he went for lunch. As skies are filled with millions of migrating birds, European scientists say the seasonal wonder appears to be strange: The fatter the bird, tile better it flies. The results of their study led to a theory opposite to a central one of aerodynamics , which says that the power needed to fly increases with weight. For birds, obviously, the cost of flying with heavy fat is much smaller than we used to think. Researchers found that red knot wading birds double their normal body weight of 100 grams before making their twice-a-year nonstop flight between the British Isles and the Russian Arctic. Distance: 5,000 kilometers. Another study in the magazine Nature measured the advantage of flying in an aerodynamic group which allows birds to save energy by flying smoothly and quietly in the lead bird' s air stream. Flying in groups, their heart rates were 14.5 percent lower than flying alone, according to Henri, a French scientist. The findings help explain how birds complete difficult migrations. Researchers had thought that thinner, stronger birds would have the best chance to survive. The first study suggests that building up fat to be burnt as fuel during the migration is worth more than the energy it takes to carry the additional weight. In the study, researchers said their team studied the birds flown at different body weights during 28 simulated flights. They forced a small amount of special water into the birds' bodies so that they could measure the amount of energy burnt during the flight. A red knot wading bird of 100 grams will probably weigh _ before making its nonstop migrating flight. 200 grams There was a time when, if a lady got onto a crowded bus or train, a gentleman would immediately stand up and offer her his seat. No more, though. Today, a gentleman will probably look out of the window, or, if he feels a bit guilty , hides behind his newspaper. Either way, the lady will have to stand until someone else gets off. You can't entirely blame men for this change in manners. The days are gone when women could be referred to as the weaker sex. A whole generation of women has grown up demanding equality with men; not just equality in jobs or education, but in social attitudes . Hold a door open for some women and you're likely to get an angry lecture on treating women as inferiors , unable to open doors for themselves. Take a girl out for a meal and she'll probably insist on paying her share of the bill; though on second thoughts perhaps that's not such a bad idea. It's no wonder, then, that men have given up some of the gestures of politeness and consideration which they used to show towards women. On the other hand, automatic male (men) politeness is perhaps slowly being replaced by true consideration for the needs of women, so that men can see women as equal human beings. Maybe that's worth standing in the bus or train. The new generation of women wants to be _ . treated not as the weaker sex College students go 'blind for a day' A group of 18 students at the prefix = st1 /leshanTeachers' Collegeexperienced the hardships of the vision damaged during a "blind for a day" exercise over the weekend. The college's Department of Education organized the event, aiming to give students an understanding of the daily battle faced by the vision damaged so that they may offer their help in the future. Taiyuan forbids taking pets into its parks The local government of Taiyuanhas banned pets from being taken into the city's parks. The regulation, which came into effect on Saturday, states that anyone who takes pets into parks will be fined from 10 yuan (US$1.27) to 200(US$25). The local government said it introduced the rule because pets may cause harm to other park visitors and their waste pollutes the environment. Enormous pumpkin steals the show A 240-kilogram pumpkin worth over 2,300 yuan (US$293) was the star attraction at an agricultural show in Foshan's Shunde District over the weekend. Visitors all wanted to have their pictures taken with the huge pumpkin at the first Guangdong Agricultural Products Fair. The pumpkin was planted by the Zhuhai Academy of Agriculture Science. More than 1,000 seagulls die on beachofShandong More than 1,000 seagulls died on the beach in Jimo,ShandongProvince, last week. Experts investigating the case stressed that the cause of death was not bird flu. They said the seagulls died from a disease, but they are still testing samples to determine which one. The aim of the event "blind for a day" is to _ . make the students understand the blind people and offer help in the future There was a wonder-filled little girl who was hurt so badly that when she entered adult life, she thought she was so bad that others just couldn't be nice to her. But she had a lot of curiosity, which kept her going. She sought many wise people to help her understand why she was so bad that her mother hurt her and why she was unable to be better so that men wouldn't hurt her. She was on a journey that she thought was to help her be "better". She carried a big bag with her everywhere she went. Inside it were all the hurts she had experienced. Because she was so eager to please those who offered their wisdom, she willingly agreed with what they said about forgiving. But she held that bag of hurts tightly. After 50 years of carrying that bag around and showing it to all she met as if it were proof that she was a good person, she decided to open it up and just see what happened. When she looked inside it was filled with bits of paper. At one time they had words on them, detailing the hurts. But time had faded the words and all that was left was some useless paper. She had been struggling to carry this bag that held nothing but the image of something that once was. She saw the absurdity of carrying that bag around. It made her laugh. By letting go of the paper and having pity for those that hurt her, this little girl was able to become a woman with beautiful hair. The woman looked in the mirror and said, "I am lovable." Although it took many years, she was finally open to bringing love and respect into her life. What lesson can we learn from the story? You will get peace after forgiving others.
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. The best time to travel to Bermuda is _ A spring B Summer C Autumn D winter Answer: C. Autumn Rabbits with white fur are hardest to detect in A a forest in Spring B The middle of a well-lit street C Mexico in the Winter D the arctic in Winter Answer: D. the arctic in Winter As South Africa starts to celebrate 20 years of freedom in South Africa, the moment is ruined with disappointment for many of the nation's poorest, who feel change has been slow to come. Today thousands of people are expected to gather near Cape Town to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Nelson Mandela's release. The moment when Mr. Mandela, who was 71 and had spent 27 years in prison on Robben Island, walked free marked a change from apartheid to multi-racial democracy . He went on to become the country's first black president. His African National Congress (ANC) party has reduced poverty, built houses and delivered water, electricity and schools to blacks. Still, though, needs remain great. With some observers comparing the event to South Africa's equal of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the occasion has sparked debate about unhappy promises and riots among the nation's very poorest, who feel short-changed. Agnes Ntali shares her two-roomed Department of Housing in Soweto with three grandchildren. The 55-year-old widow, who first came to Soweto with her husband in the days after Nelson Mandela's release has been waiting 10 years to be re-housed. "We have stayed here for a long time now but nothing has changed. Now we are free but we are not happy... we have no jobs and we are hungry," she told The Times newspaper. "Since Mandela left, there have been no changes, " she said. Last week the "informal settlement" she shares with several hundred other very poor black South Africans, broke out into violence. Tired of unhappy promises to provide electricity and toilets, some people cut off the power to new council houses nearby. A riot started and the police responded with teargas and rubber bullets. Across the nation, black townships are exploding in violent protests about services they are still waiting for. It is a sign that the poor are prepared to wait no longer for the better life which was forecast 20 years ago, but has, for thousands, failed to appear. From what Agnes Ntali says we can know _ . A she is a close friend of Mandela B she is living in a newly-built house C she isn't pleased with Mandela's plan D she isn't satisfied with the present situation Answer: D. she isn't satisfied with the present situation When a consumer finds that an item she or he bought is faulty or in some other way does not live up to the manufacturer's claims, the first step is to present the warranty, or any other records which might help at the store of purchase. In most cases, this action will produce results. However, if it does not, there are various means the consumer may use to gain satisfaction. A simple and common method used by many consumers is to complain directly to the store manager. In general, the "higher up" his or her complaint, the faster he or she can expect it to be settled. In such a case, it is usually settled in the consumer's favor, assuming he or she has a just claim. Consumers should complain in person whenever possible, but if they cannot get to the place of purchase, it is acceptable to phone or write the complaint in a letter. Complaining is usually most effective when it is done politely but firmly, and especially when the consumer can demonstrate what is wrong with the item in question. If this cannot be done, the consumer will succeed best by presenting specific information as to what is wrong, rather than by making general statements. For example, "The left speaker does not work at all and the sound coming out of the right one is unclear" is better than "This stereo does not work". The store manager may advise the consumer to write to the manufacturer. If so, the consumer should do this, stating the complaint as politely and firmly as possible. If a polite complaint does not achieve the desired result, the consumer can go to a step further. She or he can threaten to take the seller to court or report the seller to a private or public organization responsible for protecting consumer's rights. When a consumer finds that his or her purchase has a fault in it, the first thing he or she should do is to _ . A complain personally to the manager B threaten to take the matter to court C write a firm letter of complaint to the store of purchase D show some written proof of the purchase to the store Answer: D. show some written proof of the purchase to the store Last year, I was on a plane with my friend, waiting for it to take off. The pilot's voice was heard throughout the plane: "Sorry for the delay, ladies and gentlemen. Our engines don't work. We are going to jump-start them. _ " That was all he said. "See what happens?" Shouldn't we have had a better plan than that? At that point. I could only laugh nervously. One woman started crying, "Oh no! We are going to crash!'' There were sighs of hopelessness and anxiety, and we hadn't even taken off yet. The pilot even seemed unhappy. He told us our one engine was working double time, and his plan was to get up in the air and see what happens! Then we did. We got up in the air, and what happened? Nothing. We arrived in Norfolk, and no sooner had the wheels touched down than applause burst out as everyone on the airplane breathed a sigh of relief. All too often, people stop trying to achieve their goals just because they don't have a guaranteed result. But success will never be guaranteed. The best thing that you can do is just get up in the air, and see what happens. While I do prefer planning better than "see what happens" when it comes to flying, it really isn't such a bad idea for life. If your effort is to build a business then get up in the air and see what happens! Don't give yourself all the reasons why you can't. Do not wait until you have everything you need. You never will! If your goal is to start a friendship, say "Hello", get up in the air and see what happens! The results could be very rewarding. If your goal is to learn a new skill, get up in the air and see what happens! It might not be as difficult as your think. It could be fun! How did the author feel when the pilot said the engines didn't work? A Disappointed. B Anxious. C Curious. D Relieved. Answer: B. Anxious.
Have you ever noticed what happens to an idea once you express it ? Just talking about it or writing it down causes you to make it clear in your own mind. How can you use this to increase your brain power? Start writing. By putting thoughts into words, you are telling yourself the logic behind what you think, feel,or only partly understand. Often,explaining a thought is the process of understanding.In other words, you increase your brain power by exercising your"explain power". Another benefit of writing is that it helps you remember. Many,if not most,highly productive people are always taking notes.You can try keeping it all in your head,but if you keep a journal of your ideas the next time you're working on a big project, you'11 probably have more success. Want to understand a topic? Write a book about it.That's an extreme example, but if you are learning something new,write a letter to a friend about it,and you will understand it better. Want to invent something? Write an explanation of the problem---why you want to solve it,and why it is worth solving, and you're half-way there. Writers don't always write because they clearly understand something beforehand. Often,they write about something because they want to understand it. You can do the same. Writing will help bring you to all understanding. Give it a try. What would be the best title for the passage? Answer: One important difference between living things and nonliving things is that only living things have Answer: Robert went to visit his friends in Paris last weekend.His friends met him at the airport on Friday afternoon and drove him to the hotel.They ate dinner at a Chinese restaurant and went to see a film after that. Robert and his friends set out early on Saturday morning for a farm and stayed there until Sunday morning.During their stay,they played football in the field and enjoyed a big meal around a camp fire ,singing and dancing till late into the night. Nobody could get up early on Sunday morning.So when they got back to Paris,it was about three o'clock in the afternoon.They drove right to the airport because Robert didn't want to miss his plane back home.Robert only stayed in Paris for two nights but he had a great time with his friends. What did Robert and his friends do after dinner on Friday? Answer: Mr Stilwell looked out of his window. There was a boy at the other side of the street. The boy sat before a store and took some bread out of a bag and then began eating it. There was a very thin dog in the street too. The boy said to it very kindly. "Come here, good dog. Do you want a piece of bread?" The dog was very hungry and went to the boy, but he didn't give it any of his bread. Instead, he kicked the dog. It ran away and the boy laughed. Then Mr Stilwell came out of his house and said to the boy, "Do you want a dollar?" The boy was happy and said, "Yes, I do." "Come here," Mr Stilwell said. The boy went to Mr. Stilwell, but Mr Stilwell didn't give him a dollar. Instead, he hit him with a stick. The boy cried and said, "Why did you hit me? I didn't ask you for any money." "No," Mr. Stilwell said, "and the dog didn't ask you for any bread, but you kicked it." What can we learn from the passage? Answer: What do you hear? Sounds all around you! You can hear the sound of traffic, the wind in the trees, a dog barking, your own breathing and lots of other things. But what is sound? Sound happens when something vibrates or shakes. We can make something vibrate by hitting it. Try this experiment. Put your ruler on your desk so that part of it sticks out over the edge . Put your hand on the part of the ruler that is on the desk. Now pull the part that is sticking out over the edge down, and then let it go. The part you let go will vibrate. It will move up and down very quickly, and give out sound. The part of the ruler sticking out over the edge of the desk produced the sound. If you make that part longer, you will hear a lower sound. When you shorten it, you will hear a higher sound. Why does this happen? When you shorten the ruler, it will vibrate more quickly. When something vibrates more quickly it produces a higher sound. If you _ the ruler, it will vibrate more slowly. When something vibrates more slowly, it produces a lower sound. We can hear a_sound if we make the part of the ruler sticking out over the edge of the desk longer. Answer:
I lay on the bed trying to put on my favorite pair of pants, pulling and dragging, but the zipper wouldn't close. Angrily I threw them to the back of the closet. I found a long large skirt, tied it around my middle, and then joined my husband downstairs. I caught sight of myself in the halfway mirror--I didn't like the person I saw. The weight kept climbing higher each year. The problem was that I hated the word "diet". To me it meant my keeping off every good thing I loved. Later that summer, I found myself out of breath when I climbed two flights of stairs and my heart started beating heavily. I saw my doctor and she told me that I needed to bring down my blood pressure. "Easy for her to say," I thought when I drove back home. Up ahead I saw a McDonald's. I pulled in. The doctor's warning couldn't resist the pull of McDonald's food. The next morning I stepped on the scale and weighed more than I had ever had in my life. Just at the very moment, my thoughts were finally clear. To check the weight I needed to control my choices. Several days later, I went to my favorite restaurant for lunch--I only chose Chinese chicken salad. I felt great when I left the restaurant carrying a take-home box filled with half of that huge salad. But most of all, I discovered I had control over my choices. The weight came off slowly, but after a while it made no progress. Eating a light meal a couple of nights a week would help, but that meant I would prepare two separate dinners, for I would have to continue to make my husband his favorite meals, who supported my weight loss goal. Dusting off the old two--wheel vehicle in the garage, I added exercise by pedaling for 30 minutes after dinner. A year later I lost 25 pounds and my blood pressure was normal. I tried on my favorite pants again. They fit perfectly. On the way back from the doctor's, the author _ . A. climbed two flights of stairs B. had her blood pressure tested C. had a meal at McDonald D. weighed herself on a scale Answer: C The booking notes of the play The Age of Innocence: Price:$10 BOOKING There are four easy ways to book seats for performance: --in person The Box Office is open from Monday to Saturday,10 a.m.--8 p.m. --by telephone Ring 01324976 to reserve your tickets or to pay by credit card(Visa, MasterCard and Amex accepted) --by post Simply complete the booking form and return it to Global Theatre Box Office. --on line Complete the on-line booking form at www. Satan-fiedtheatre.com DISCOUNTS: Saver: $ 2 off any seat booked any time in advance for performances from Monday to Thursday. Savers are available for children up to 16 years old, over 60s and full-time students. Supersaver: half-price seats are available for people with disabilities and one companion. It is advisable to book in advance. There is a maximum of eight wheelchair spaces available and one wheelchair space will be held until an hour before the show. Standby: best available seats are on sale for $ 6 from one hour before the performance for people eligible (suitable) for Saver and Supersaver discounts and thirty minutes before for all other customers. Group Bookings: there is a ten percent discount for parties of twelve or more. School: school parties of ten or more can book $6 standby tickets in advance and will get every tenth ticket free. Please note: we are unable to exchange tickets or refund money unless a performance is canceled due to unforeseen circumstances. According to the notes, who can get $ 2 off? A. A 20-year-old full-time college student. B. A 55-year-old woman. C. An 18-year-old teenager. D. The people who book the tickets on Fridays. Answer: A The _ is the tallest modern land animal. It can be over 5. 5 meters tall. Its neck alone may be 1. 9 meters long. Yet the giraffe has only seven bones in its neck, the same number as in the humans'. Even a small bird has many more bones in its neck than a tall giraffe. Each bone in a giraffe's neck is very long, while the bones in a human's neck are short. That makes the difference. A female giraffe gives birth to one baby at a time. The baby, called a calf, is about 1. 9 meters tall at birth. By the age of eight it is full-grown. The giraffe eats mostly leaves. Because it has a long neck, it can reach the high leaves on the trees. ,. The bones in a bird's neck are _ . A. as big as in a human's neck B. as big as in a giraffe's neck C. many more than in a human's neck D. much smaller than in a giraffe's neck Answer: C The emotions of the athletes in the prize-awarding moments are often some of the most unforgettable images of the Olympics.Yet, a number of people have noticed some strange things.Yes, the gold medal winner is filled with pride and excitement, which is to be expected.Yet often, it seems the bronze medal winner is happier than the silver medalist.It is strange that the 3rd place contestant might be happier than someone who did better (the 2nd place).How can this be so? "What if reasoning can help to explain this interesting effect. In order to understand our world and our choices, we often imagine how things could have been different.A wife may ask, " Would I be happier today if I had married someone else?" Likewise, a student may think, "If 1 had chosen another major, maybe I would have a better shot at getting into graduate school." In short, " what if thinking allows us to mentally create alternative to our reality. In the Olympics, the "what ifs" of the winners are different.Clearly, the "what ifs" for the gold medalist involve not being No.1--this thought makes this athlete realize how fortunate he or she is.For the bronze medalist, the "what ifs" involve not being on the medal list at all, producing positive feelings.However, for the silver medalist, the "what ifs" can easily make the athlete ponder how things could have been different if he or she has won the gold medal (e.g.what if I practiced harder, and what if I had not made the small error in my routine).Thus, the "what ifs" that come to mind of the 1st and 3rd place finishers are positive, but the 2nd place finishers have a number of dissatisfying alternatives to reality that can make them feel less happy. In which part of a newspaper would you most probably read the passage? A. Education B. Family C. Life D. Psychology Answer: D Experts estimate that one out of every five fish sold was caught illegally. It threatens food security and hurts the environment. Officials are using new observational technology to fight illegal fishing. "Thank you for taking the time to join us here in Harwell (UK) in the Operations Center to what we call 'Project Eyes on the Seas.'" says Tony Long, who leads the Ending Illegal Fishing program for Pew Charitable Trusts. The group created Project Eyes on the Seas. Large three-dimensional images of a globe can be seen on a video. "It looks different from what you might expect because this globe only shows you the boats that are coming into this system from a live automated information system or AIS." The screen shows 120,000 fishing boats have AIS. They are required to have the technology. But those who are fishing illegally often turn it off. The technology does not tell observers when that happens. Project Eyes on the Seas combines satellite information with secret government records on every ship's past activities. Mr. Long says that permits researchers to understand exactly where the fishing boats are operating. The Pew team gives the information it gathers to port officials to help them decide if they should take action against a ship. Tony Long says he would like to be able to provide port officials all over the world with clear lists. They would inform the officials about ships to inspect, ships to bar from entrance, and ships to permit entrance for trade activities. The Pacific island nation of Palau was an early user of the technology. Palau has one of the richest fishing areas in the world. Last year, it announced a plan to ban commercial fishing in a 630,000 square kilometer area. K.B. Sakuma is a special adviser to the president of Palau. He says Palau is trying to deal with a recent increase in illegal, unsupervised and unreported fishing. "And it's come to a head in the last year or two. From our southern island in the evening you can see on the horizon just dotted lights of these illegal fishermen that come into our waters, fill their ships with our fish, our resources, our food security..." Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? A. When the fishermen turn off the AIS, the inspector will know the situation. B. The special adviser to the president of Palau leads the Ending Illegal Fishing program. C. The new technology contributes to solving the problem of illegal fishing. D. Commercial fishing is permitted in Palau. Answer: C
When I was seven years old my mom was diagnosed with cancer. The doctors told us my mom might be saved with surgery. But it could also kill her. She chose to have it. The day before the surgery I was off school, and my mom planned the best day of my life, everything I loved at seven and everything that would put a smile on my face. The day began with her waking me up saying, "Kate, I have a surprise for you. Come and see." The surprise was a doll I had wanted for the longest time. Throughout the day, she told me everything that she thought I would need to know to grow up and be a good person; she told me to be the best I could be and that I would always make her proud. We had a picnic in the park, and it was so cold that we moved to the car. The day was filled with laughter. For the first time in a long time I could see she was really happy. I would never forget her smile, or the way her eyes shone as if we were the same age. It was the best day of my life, and I will never forget the conversations we shared. My mother managed to live through the surgery. Now when I look back, I realize that the best day of my life could be her last and this could be the last day I would remember with her, the last one we shared. I also understand how unselfish a mother is. What did the writer's mother do the day before the surgery? Answer: She stayed all day with her child. Happiness is a feeling that lights up your eyes, makes your steps light and makes you want to sing for no reason. Everyone wants to be happy. But sometimes, a guest comes in without invitation. It's unhappiness. Don't let it get you down. Send it away! When you are happy, the world feels like a better place. As the saying goes: When you smile, the world smiles with you; when you cry, you cry alone. Wearing a smile will make you more charming and help you to win lots of friends. A good mood always gives you hope, which makes troubles and problems easier to handle. No matte how happy you are, it's normal to feel angry, sad or gloomy once in a while. Life is full of ups and downs. We can't change the way life is, but we can do our best to change a bad situation into a good one. To help us do this, it's good to know some of the factors that influence happiness. One of the biggest factors is social relationships. People who are close to family and friends are happier than people who don't have those relationships. Talking and sharing is a good way to relax and build confidence . Knowing someone is there for you will make you braver and more outgoing. Another factor is work or school. If you enjoy school, even if you have lots of homework or extra classes, you will still feel that your school life is meaningful and happy. But if you hate school, your negative attitude may cause you to feel bored and upset that you have to do so much work. A third factor is your attitude towards life. How do you feel if you fail in an exam? Maybe you think it's unfair because you always study hard and should get a good mark. You can't stop blaming yourself. Or, maybe you accept it. You go through the paper carefully, find our why you made stupid mistakes, and tell yourself, "Take it easy! I'll do better next time!" Your attitude makes a big difference. Which of the following is probably the best title for the passage? Answer: You Make Your Own Happiness. A chemical change is likely to happen in which body part? Answer: stomach Mr Green has a car. In the morning he takes his children to school in his car. Then he drives to work. Mr Green and his children do not have lunch at home, but Mrs Green does. She does not go to work. She stays at home and does some shopping and cleaning in the morning. In the afternoon she usually goes to see some of her friends, has tea and talks a lot with them. Then she cooks supper for her family. Mr Green comes back home much later than his children. They do not come back in their father's car. They take a bus home. They usually come back home before five. From the passage we can see _ . Answer: Mrs Green has supper only with her children What is a lever used to move? Answer: substantial objects
Even in early time, people could realize the important of dreams and knew that dreams gave meaning to life. Every great achievement has been the result of years of dreaming. If a person has a dream and holds fast to it, he or she will find a way to bring it into reality . Children do not have much experience or knowledge. However, they are natural dreamers. We should not laugh at them for being _ . Many great men were dreamers when they were children. One such dreamer was Thomas Edison. He used to be ostracized when he was in primary school, but his achievements were greater than everyone else's in his time. Teenagers and young people should also be encouraged to dream. The world is full of successful teenagers and young people. They dreamt big and their dreams changed their lives and even the world. Steve Jobs and Bill Gates are the good examples. They have developed technology and brought great progress to human besides making money for themselves. Older people should believe that it is never too late to dream and that human mind is never too old to make dreams turn into reality. Colonel Saunders realized his dreams at the age of 67 and set up the biggest fried chicken company (KFC) in the world. To dream is a wonderful ability which can lead to wonderful results. Olympic records were broken by players who were brave enough to dream. No one is too young or too old to dream and to make dreams come true. The best title for the passage is " _ ". A. From Dream to Reality B. Good Examples of Dreams C. Achievements in History D. A list of Successful Dreamers Answer: A. From Dream to Reality Besides news reports that tend to focus on war or election, Americans generally don't hear much about people in other countries. One reason may be that very little foreign-language literature is translated into English. In the United States, just a few of the titles, mainly translations of foreign novels, short stories, or poetry, make it into English. However, a number of efforts have taken root to try to bring more global literature to US audiences. Ks5u The online magazine of international literature, Words Without Borders, was founded by Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y. The nonprofit site, now in its fifth year, offers modern writing from places such as Argentina, China and Italy, often for the first time in English. It gets about 200,000 page views per month and counts roughly 8,000 subscribers , more than one-quarter of whom live in the US. "There's a wave of interest right now," says Jill Schoolman, publisher of Archipelago Books, a small nonprofit press in Brooklyn, N.Y., opened in 2003 to publish world literature in translation only. "People are hungry for ideas from other countries." Rainmaker Translations, a Las Vegas-based nonprofit, was formed two years ago to support the publication of more top-quality global writing here in the US. They put out their first three titles, translated from Arabic, Chinese and Russian, in the spring of 2006 and plan to aid up to four more in the coming year. In March, the Center for the Art of Translation, a nonprofit started in 1994 in San Francisco, will publish Two Lines World Library, focused on writing from some particular areas published over the last several decades. Dalkey Archive Press, a century-old nonprofit publisher in Champaign, Illinois, has upped the number of translations on its publication list since 2003, from 25 percent to nearly 80 percent. In recent years, more nonprofits have applied to the National Endowment for the Arts for help to publish literary translations. The agency is also trying to increase the availability of translated prose and poetry in the US, such as publishing partnerships with foreign governments. The main purpose in founding the magazine Words Without Borders is _ . A. to compete for page views and subscribers online B. to get American literature better known to the world C. to help advance nonprofit world literature translation D. to introduce more world literature to readers in the US Answer: D. to introduce more world literature to readers in the US Wanting: I want nothing but music Wanting Qu,born and raised in Harbin, Heilongjiang, China, has become one of the most popular singers in China this year. During the past few months, her name and songs have spread quickly on the Internet, over the radio, and in almost every corner of China. You would be considered totally "out" if you have never heard of her song "Stay in My Song". She is a girl full of courage. At only 16, Wanting left home and entered a Canadian school to study business, starting her life in a foreign country alone. Soon,she found that her true passion was music. She went on to get her degree , but also tried her hand at songwriting. She did part-time jobs to keep on her study like many Chinese students who study in foreign countries, but never gave up her dream of being a musician. When the chance came, she bravely introduced herself to the CEO of Nettwerk and became the first Chinese singer-songwriter the company signed in 26 years. Wanting's music career started to _ in 2009 when she worked in Nettwerk. In 2011, after hearing the songs she wrote and recorded, the famous Chinese composer Zhang Yadong called her and would like to work with her. With all the successes she has achieved in China, Wanting is recording her first English album. She is ready to conquer the world. What is Wanting going to do next? She is going to _ A. write songs by herself. B. make people in the world know her music and love it. C. work together with Zhang Yadong. D. start her own business company,dreaming of becoming a CEO. Answer: B. make people in the world know her music and love it. There are stories about two U.S . presidents,Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren,which attempt to explain the American English term OK.We don't know if either story is true,but they are both interesting. The first explanation is based on the fact that President Jackson had very little education.In fact,he had difficulty reading and writing.When important papers came to Jackson,he tried to read them and then had his assistants explain what they said.If he approved of a paper, he would write "all correct"on it.The problem was that he didn't know how to spell.So what he really wrote was "ol korekt".After a while,he shortened that term to "OK". The second explanation is based on the place where President Van Buren was born,Kinderhook,New York.Van Buren's friends organized a club to help him become President .They called the club the Old Kinderhook Club,and anyone who supported Van Buren was called"OK". .The author _ . A. believes both of the stories B. doesn't believe a word of the stories C. is not sure whether the stories are true D. is telling the stories just for fun Answer: C. is not sure whether the stories are true 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!" From the passage we can learn that _ . A. more and more people went to Scotland to practise their English B. Angus became a member of the Scottish Olympic team C. Angus had been planning a trip to Barcelona to see the Olympic Games D. the Spanish student's description of his country excited Angus Answer: D. the Spanish student's description of his country excited Angus
GERALD Christian is in Grade 8 at Ridge Road Middle School in North Carolina, US. She is a member of her school basketball team. Late last month, the 14-year-old faced a big problem. Her mother lost her job. She thought she couldn't pay the $ 50 fee for the city's sports meet this year. Christian was not the only one who had this problem. Some other middle school players in the city had the same problem. That's why famous NBA player Michael Jordan gave $ 250, 000 to the city earlier this month. He wanted to help the poor students. Jordan said: "I know there are kids who get an education by playing sports. We need to keep sports alive for them." Christian was _ . "Really? I can't believe Michael did that for us. These days, I go to bed thinking about it and I wake up thinking about it," she said. "Now the problem is over. " Christian wanted to say "thanks" to Jordan. "Michael, thank you for giving me the chance to show myself. I will do my best at the meet. Christian thanked Jordan because he helped her _ . Answer: Which day is the most important for you? Your birthday, the first day of your work or the day you win a prize. Many teenagers may think their birthday is the happiest time because they can receive many wonderful presents and have much fun with their friends. Others may regard the starting day of their work as the most meaningful. They think it's the first big step in their life and they can depend on themselves. They like to deal with challenges rather than to ask for the help of adults. According to a survey, more than half of the Chinese people, certain ages and birthdays are especially important. One hundred days after a baby's birth has special meaning. On that day, relatives and friends come to bless the baby. In northern part of China, like Inner Mongolia, a child's 12th birthday is a big day. This is when a child becomes a teenager. Eighteen is another important age, which means you must be responsible for what you have done in laws. As for adults, maybe the anniversary of their marriage is the most important. For some old people, the 60th or 70th birthday is also very important. They like to be cared about by all his family and friends, and the big family get-together can provide them a good chance to recall the past. When you are _ years old, you must be responsible for what you have done in laws. Answer: A long time ago, in an Italian city, the people there built a tower which was admired by everyone passing through. A little further down the road, in a neighboring city, they had built a tower of similar beauty. The two towers were equally well known. The people of the second city, envious and filled with pride, planned to destroy the neighboring tower so it wouldn't take attention away from their own. One night, they came to the tower and began to quietly its foundations . The next morning, the tower was leaning slightly ,but nobody noticed. The same happened for the following few days, until a little girl who was passing by pointed up at the tower and said: " I think the tower is going to fall down." And everyone around looked closely, and could see that she was right .Nervousness spread through the city. And they tried many methods to try to straighten the tower, but nothing seemed to work. That was, until one day when the same little girl was walking up again, and she put her arm on the side of the tower to rest. She felt the tower shaking slightly. When she took her hand off it, the movement stopped. And when she put it back on again, the same thing happened. The girl spent a while doing this, until she was completely certain of what she had discovered: " The tower is ticklish ( ) !" She ran to get some plants, and she planted them right next to the tower. Now if the tower leant over any further it would be tickled by the leaves of those plants. Being a ticklish tower, it would then return to where it had been. In this way, the girl managed to make sure that the tower didn't fall down, but still kept it leaning a little. The fact that it was leaning made it even more famous, and this taught a fine lesson to the envious people of the neighboring city. Why did the people of the second city plan to destroy the neighboring tower? Answer: Worried about how many calories( ) you are going to get in that piece of pizza, chocolate cake or bag of chips? A new iPhone application that takes a picture of the meal with the phone and gives a calorie read-out almost at once, may help. The MealSnap was developed by DailyBurn, a fitness social network that has created several other fitness and diet-related iPhone applications. Within minutes of taking a picture of a meal and matching it to the given information of some 500, 000 kinds of food, the application sends users a warning with a range of calories for the meal that was photographed. To start with, we sent it something simple--a Braeburn apple. A couple of minutes later the application replied that it was between 64 and 96 calories. Andy Smith, chief director at DailyBurn, said: "The database can also quickly help recognize the food, how many calories there are, proteins, fat, carbs, vitamins, whatever you may want to know." Mr Smith added that it will take some time to complete calorie counting but the application makes it easier to record the calories in food. That is why it is so popular among those who are trying hard to lose weight. "The pure act of recording something can cause a psychological change that can help people on their health and fitness plan. Just the simple fact of recording it makes me more understand what I'm eating," he said. In addition, MealSnap can serve as a food diary, allowing users to keep a readable record of the meals they have eaten. Mr Smith said:"It's like a food journal, but easier. All you do is take the picture." MealSnap is available on the iTunes store for PS1.79, or $2,99 in the US. Why did DailyBurn invent the MealSnap according to the passage? Answer: Dear Gregory, Merry Christmas! You are now the proud owner of an iPhone. Hot Damn! You are a good & responsible 13 year old boy and you deserve this gift. But with the acceptance of this present comes rules and regulations. Please read through the following contract. I hope that you understand it is my job to raise you into a well rounded, healthy young man that can function in the world and coexist with technology, not be ruled by it. Failure to comply with the following list will result in termination of your iPhone ownership. 1. It is my phone. I bought it. I pay for it. I am loaning it to you. Aren't I the greatest? 2. If it rings, answer it. It is a phone. Say hello, use your manners. Do not ever ignore a phone call if the screen reads "Mom" or "Dad". Not ever. 3. It does not go to school with you. Have a conversation with the people you text in person. It's a life skill. *Half days, field trips and after school activities will require special consideration. 4. If it falls into the toilet, smashes on the ground, or vanishes into thin air, you are responsible for the replacement costs or repairs. Mow a lawn, babysit, stash some birthday money. It will happen, you should be prepared. 5. Turn it off, silence it, put it away in public. Especially in a restaurant, at the movies, or while speaking with another human being. You are not a rude person; do not allow the iPhone to change that. 7. Learn to live without it. Be bigger and more powerful than FOMO - fear of missing out. Leave your phone home sometimes and feel safe and secure in that decision. It is not alive or an extension of you. 8. Keep your eyes up. See the world happening around you. Stare out a window. Listen to the birds. Take a walk. Talk to a stranger. Wonder without googling. 9. If you will mess up. I will take away your phone. We will sit down and talk about it. We will start over again. You and I, we are always learning. I am on your team. We are in this together. It is my hope that you can agree to these terms. I hope you enjoy your awesome new iPhone. Merry Christmas! xoxoxo Mom We can learn from the article that George's parents _ Answer:
An invisible smile Mr. Dawson was an old grouch , and everyone in town knew it. Kids knew not to go into his yard to pick a delicious apple, even off the ground, because old Dawson, they said, would come after you with his ball bullet gun. One Friday, 12-year-old Janet was going to stay all night with her friend Amy. They had to walk by Dawson's house on the way to Amy's house, but as they got close Janet saw him sitting on his front porch and suggested they cross over to the other side of the street. Like most of the children, she was scared of the old man because of the stories she'd heard about him. Amy said not to worry, Mr. Dawson wouldn't hurt anyone. When they got close enough, Dawson looked up with his usual frown, but when he saw it was Amy, a broad smile changed his entire face as he said, "Hello Miss Amy. I see you've got a little friend with you today." Amy smiled back and told him Janet was staying overnight and they were going to listen to music and play games. Dawson told them that sounded fun, and offered them each a fresh picked apple off his tree. When they got out of Dawson on earshot, Janet asked Amy, "Everyone says he's the meanest man in town. How come was he so nice to us?" Amy explained that when she first started walking past his house he wasn't very friendly and she was afraid of him, but she pretended he was wearing an invisible smile and so she always smiled back at him. It took a while, but one day he half-smiled back at her. After some more time, he started smiling real smiles and then started talking to her. "An invisible smile?" questioned Janet. "Yes," answered Amy, "my grandma told me that if I pretended I wasn't afraid and pretended he was smiling an invisible smile at me and I smiled back at him, that sooner or later he would really smile. Grandma says smiles are contagious." However, it's so easy to get caught up in everyday life that we forget how simple it can be to bring cheer to ourselves and others. If we remember what Amy's grandma said, that everyone wears an invisible smile, we too will find that most people can't resist our smile after a while. Amy told Janet not to worry because she knew Mr. Dawson would _ . Tess still stood hesitating like a swimmer about to make his dive, hardly knowing whether to return or move forward, when a figure came out from the dark door of the tent. It was a tall young man, smoking. He had an almost black face, though red and smooth. His moustache was black with curled points, though he could not be more than twenty three or--four. There was an unusual force in his face, and in his daring rolling eyes. "Well, my beauty, what can I do for you?" said he, coming forward. And seeing that she was quite at a loss, "Never mind me. I am Mr. d'Urberville. Have you come to see me or my mother?" This differed greatly from what Tess had expected. She had dreamed of an aged and dignified face. She tried to keep calm and answered-- "I came to see your mother, sir." "I am afraid you cannot see her--she is ill in bed," replied the representative of the house; for this was Mr. Alee, the only son of the noble family. "What is the business you wish to see her about?" "It isn't business--it is--I can hardly say what!" "Pleasure?" "Oh no. Why, sir, if I tell you, it will seem..." Tess's sense of a certain ridicule was now so strong that, despite her general discomfort at being here, her rosy lips curved towards a smile, much to the attraction of the young man. "It is so foolish", she stammered . "I fear I can't tell you!" "Never mind; I like foolish things. Try again, my dear," said he kindly. "Mother asked me to come," Tess continued; "and, indeed, I was in the mind to do so myself. But I did not think it would be like this. I came, sir, to tell you that we are of the same family as you." "Ho! Poor relations?" "Yes." "Stokes?" "No; d'Urbervilles." "Ay, ay; I mean d'Urbervilles." "Our names are worn away to Durbeyfield; but we have several proofs that we are d'Urbervilles. The local scholars hold the view that we are, and...and we have an old seal and a silver spoon marked with the same castle as yours. So mother said we ought to make ourselves known to you, as we've lost our horse by a bad accident; we can hardly make a living." "Very kind of your mother, I'm sure." Alec looked at Tess as he spoke, in a way that made her uneasy. "And so, my pretty girl, you've come on a friendly visit to us, as relations?" "I suppose I have," looking less confident and uncomfortable again. "Well--there's no harm in it. Where do you live? What are you?" ---Tess of the d'Urbervilles By Thomas Hardy Alec appears quite friendly to Tess mainly because _ . You might be thinking about entering healthcare as a second career but are having lots of doubts, primarily because you feel that the time and energy you invested in your profession might just go to waste. On the contrary, many of the skills and strengths you need in healthcare, particularly in the nursing field, are strengths and skills that you most likely have developed already in your professional career, especially if you worked in a high-pressure office setting or any form of customer service. In healthcare, you will be communicating face-to-face with people on a daily basis --- nurses, doctors, patients, family of patients, and so on. In fact, when you are working, you will probably be getting instructions from someone, relaying a message, soothing the worries of a patient, explaining circumstances, and so on. To have strong communication skills, you need to be able to speak clearly and listen carefully. It is important that the messages you deliver are accurate and brief, not only orally but also literally --- documentation is part of the job. In most professions, communication skills are also highly valued and developed. Writing memos, speaking and listening in meetings, and understanding nonverbal and verbal cues are all helpful and transferable to a health career. For professionals with a background in psychology, counseling, teaching, social work, public speaking, customer service, and any job that teaches empathy, they might find that they fit well in a nursing job or a job in healthcare. Having empathy is vital to becoming an effective nurse. Good nurses tend to be empathetic, sympathetic, understand different cultures, respect teamwork, and listen well. For those who worked in customer service such as working as a salesperson, waitstaff, or receptionist, they will find that there are a lot of characteristics that they learned from the job and that they can transfer to working in healthcare. Servers or customer care representatives have to be organized, multitask, and provide satisfaction to customers. All these are things that nurses have to be and do as well. To be an effective nurse, one had better have the following qualities EXCEPT _ . The Beginning of the Civil Rights Movement In 1955,bus seats for African Americans and whites were separated in parts of the U.S.. On December 1,1955,in the city of Montgomery,Alabama,a conflict,or disagreement,started when an African American woman named Rosa Parks refused to give her bus seat to a white man and go to the back of the bus. The police took 42yearold Parks to jail. The African American community was extremely angry. They had a meeting and decided to work together to protest discrimination. They agreed to boycott the buses on the day that Parks went to court. The day was a success. Empty buses drove through the streets. The city lost money. The community decided to continue the boycott. They elected a man named Martin Luther King,Jr. to be the leader. The boycott continued. It was difficult for African Americans to get to work without buses,but they didn't stop the boycott. The city continued to lose money. Finally,the U.S. Supreme Court decided that Montgomery's bus laws were unfair and gave the African American community equal right. On December 21,1956,the bus boycott ended. The Montgomery Bus Boycott was the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement. The movement eventually led to the Civil Rights Act in 1964,a set of laws that made discrimination a crime. During the Montgomery Bus Boycott,people worked together to change the government. Today,people in the U.S. continue to work together for a change. Now hundreds of organizations and community groups work to protect the rights of U.S. citizens and residents. What is the final result of the Civil Rights Movement? One morning Julie took her dog, Rosie, for a walk. Rosie loved to walk outside. She loved to walk any time - morning, afternoon, or night. She liked to smell everything. This morning she smelled something new. It was another animal. It was not a squirrel. It was not another dog. Maybe it was a tiger! Rosie sniffed around until she saw the other animal. It was not a tiger. It was a cat. The cat was watching Rosie. The cat was afraid Rosie would try to bite her, so she climbed up a tree. Rosie tried to follow her, but she could not climb up. Instead, she barked at the cat in the tree. Julie did not want Rosie to scare the cat. She called Rosie away from the tree. The cat watched them walk away. When they came back, the cat was gone. Rosie remembered the cat. She started digging in the dirt under the tree. But there was no cat there. Julie and Rosie went home for breakfast. Why did Julie call Rosie away from the tree?
Question: How did the ancient Chinese keep food warm in winter? Facilities like electric rice cookers, microwaves, and electric kettles, make it easy for people to keep food warm and enjoy a comfortable winter. So how did Chinese people in ancient times keep food warm in winter without these? In fact, ancient Chinese people used their own methods of heat preservation as early as the Shang and Zhou dynasties. * "Wen Ding", ancient rice cooker One of the major functions of an electric rice cooker is to keep food warm. The "Wen Ding", an ancient cooking container, served the same purpose, but instead of using electric energy, the ancient cooking container, served the same purpose, but instead of using electric energy, the ancient cooking container preserved heart by burning fuels like charcoal. The "Wen Ding" unearthed in Nanjing in 1989 is thought to be the oldest of its kind discovered in China, dating back to the Stone Age, The craftsmanship of making the "Wen Ding" was developed in the Bronze Age. The bronze Ding from Shang and Zhou dynasties took on different shapes and structures. * "Ran LU", ancient small hot pot The "Ran LU" is a small size cooking vessel made of bronze, which can be divided into three parts. A charcoal stove forms the main structure, with a bottom tray to hold charcoal ashes, and a movable cup at the top. Some experts have concluded that the vessel's structure suggests it may have been used as a small hot pot and that these vessels became popular in the Warring States Period(475--221 BC) Bronze You, ancient kettle The Bronze You was one of the most common wine containers during the Shang and Zhou dynasties. The Bronze You can also be used to warm wine. For example, the Bronze You with beast mask design, unearthed in Jiangxi province, has an opening where charcoals could be placed. Just as people today can't do without an electric kettle, the Bronze You allowed people to enjoy a hot drink. Bronze Yan, ancient steamer Although the "Wen Ding" was effective at keeping food warm, the ancient Chinese people later found that its burning produced pollution. As a result, the Bronze Yan was made with a two-tier structure and used to steam rice and other grains. After the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25-AD 220), further improvements to the Bronze Yan led to the modern-day steamer. The Bronze You, unearthed in Jiangxi province, has an opening to _ . A. store wine B. pour water C. place charcoals D. hold charcoal ashes Answer: C. place charcoals Question: Imagine someone has crossed the seas joining five continents by swimming. It is a major success for anyone. But it is an even greater success for Philippe Croizon, who has no arms, and no legs! His achievements show that we can all achieve great things--no matter who we are. Philippe Croizon was 26 years old when he had an accident. The doctors had to remove both of his arms and legs. "When they cut off my last leg I wanted to die. I suffered great depression and my spirit was as low as you can get. But you have to choose--and I chose to live!" said Croizon. While he was recovering in hospital, Croizon saw a television programme about a woman who had been swimming across the English Channel. After watching the programme Croizon decided to do it. He began to exercise every day to make him strong and it took him two years to prepare. Finally in 2010, Croizon was ready. He entered the cold, grey sea of the English Channel. He was now 42 years old. It took him from early morning until night to swim the distance. He felt a lot of pain. But he had become the first person without arms and legs to swim between France and England. Croizon had achieved his dream, but he did not stop there. He looked for a new goal. Early in 2012 he planned to swim across the seas that join five major continents. During the next few months he swam between the four continents of Australia, Asia, Africa and Europe and finally in the cold waters of the Bering Strait between the continents of Asia and the Americas. "We want to show people something. If disabled people have courage and a lot of training they can do the same things as those who are not disabled," said Croizon. What do we know about Philippe Croizon's swimming across the English Channel? A. It took him two years to finish it. B. He was the first person to achieve it. C. It was easy for him to finish the swim. D. He spent a lot of time preparing for it. Answer: D. He spent a lot of time preparing for it. Question: Duffer and Slicker, who lived in different suburbs 20 miles apart, were golfing acquaintances at the Interurban Country Club. Both were traveling salesmen Duffer for a pharmaceutical house and Slicker for a widget manufacturer. Duffer wrote Slicker by United States mail on Friday, October 8: I need a motorcycle for transportation to the country club, and will buy your Sujocki for $1,200 upon your bringing it to my home address above [stated in the letterhead] on or before noon, November 12 next. This offer is not subject to countermand. Sincerely, [signed] Duffer Slicker replied by mail the following day: I accept your offer, and promise to deliver the bike as you specified. Sincerely, [signed] Slicker This letter, although properly addressed, was misdirected by the postal service and not received by Duffer until November 10. Duffer had bought another Sujocki bike from Koolcat for $1,050 a few hours before. Koolcat saw Slicker at the Interurban Country Club on November 11 and said, "I sold my Sujocki to Duffer yesterday for $1,050. Would you consider selling me 46 yours for $950?" Slicker replied, "I'll let you know in a few days." On November 12, Slicker took his Sujocki to Duffer's residence; he arrived at 11:15 a.m. Duffer was asleep and did not answer Slicker's doorbell rings until 12:15 p.m. Duffer then rejected Slicker's bike on the ground that he had already bought Koolcat's"What is the probable legal effect of Koolcat's conversation with Slicker and report that he (Koolcat) had sold his Sujocki to Duffer on November 10? A. This report had no legal effect because Duffer's offer was irrevocable until November 12. B. Unless a contract had already been formed between Slicker and Duffer, Koolcat's report to Slicker operated to terminate Slicker's power of accepting Duffer's offer. C. This report has no legal effect because the offer had been made by a prospective buyer (Duffer) rather than a prospective seller. D. Koolcat's conversation with Slicker on November 11 terminated Duffer's original offer and operated as an offer by Koolcat to buy Slicker's Sujocki for $950. Answer: B. Unless a contract had already been formed between Slicker and Duffer, Koolcat's report to Slicker operated to terminate Slicker's power of accepting Duffer's offer. Question: Are you a bit bored with your nine-to-five routine? Have a look at our exciting range of holidays and decide what type of adventure you'd like. Activity holidays Our activity holidays are for everyone who loves danger. We have a huge of water, snow and desert holidays. We'll take you scuba diving in the Red Sea of kayaking and white water rafting in Canada. If you prefer snow, you can try skiing or snowboarding in the Alps or even igloo-building( ).For those who like warm weather, we also have sand boarding(the desert version of skateboarding) or camel safaris. Polar expeditions Take a cruise to the Antarctic or the Arctic; explore a land of white nature beauty or wonderful wildlife. Our experts will explain everything about the two poles as you watch penguins or whales in the Antarctic and polar bears in the Arctic. There's no greater adventure than traveling to the two ends of the earth. Culture journeys Our culture journeys will help you discover the secrets of distant places such as India, Thailand or Egypt. Explore their history by visiting temples, palaces and ancient ruins. You can also get to know how people live in the modem world by exploring markets, eating exotic foods and meeting local people. Hiking tours We have hiking holidays to famous places, such as Machu Picchu or the Everest Base Camp Trek,as well as some nearer to home, for example in the highlands of Scotland. You don't need to be too sporty, just fairly fit. You'll have a great time enjoying nature with a group of new friends. Some of the holidays need camping, but we'll transport the tents for you! Wildlife holidays We organize small group tours to get closer to nature in Africa, Asia or South Africa. Go on safari in Africa and watch lions and giraffes. Meet the famous turtles of Galapagos Islands. Look for tigers in India, or take an elephant safari in Sri Lanka. We use local guides and stay in a range of accommodation, from tents to tree houses. Which country might make the advertisement? A. Egypt B. Canada C. Britain D. India Answer: C. Britain Question: The Greens are English. Now they are in Beijing. This is their first visit to China. They are going to stay in China for three weeks. They want to visit some big cities and villages. They want to learn some Chinese. Mr Green is driver. He likes driving in Beijing very much. Mrs Green is a teacher. She is visiting a middle school near Beijing. Their son Jim is a middle school student. He meets some Chinese students, and he likes to speak English with them. They take a lot of photos in China. When they are back in English, they are going to show the photos to their friends. They want the English people to know more about China. The Greens are staying in _ now. A. Shanghai B. London C. Beijing D. Hangzhou Answer: C. Beijing
Recently a man came to me, because he was told that there is fluid around his heart. After trying many drugs which were of no use to reduce the fluid, the doctor told him the only other choice was to have an operation. He refused because he knew that every illness has a mental cause and that if he had the operation but did not clear the mental cause, the fluid would return. At last, he searched the Internet to find a metaphysical healer , and he found me. The mental cause of his disease was an experience of breaking up five years ago with several friends, whom he had known for over twenty years. This experience broke his heart. Not knowing how to "mend" his broken heart, his body created a "repair" by surrounding his heart with fluid to protect it from the sad feelings. Our work focused on reminding him of the feelings of being loved and forgiving his friends. Months later, his hearts was mended and the fluid disappeared. He left my office after the final session with a smile on his face and a spring in his step. The key is: to create a healthy body, you must be healthy not only in body, but also in mind. To be mentally healthy, you need to build up strong relationships. Creating strong relationships will insure that you are accompanied by a network of loving persons. _ is important for building a support system that lifts your spirits. Even when you are alone, you will not feel lonely or upset. Strong relationships are not spaceships----they are not hard to build. What is the main idea of the passage? Answer: Spiritual health is necessary for physical health. I began to send e-mails when I was 17. I discovered Google 5 years later. Now, I use the internet all the time. The Internet has become so popular that 90 percent of 12-to-17-year-olds in the United States use the internet, and about half of these kids use it every day. They visit chat rooms and send e-mails. They go to websites to get information for their homework. "Kids are now living in a virtual world," says Greenfield, an expert at University of California, "As the Internet is becoming more and more important for our life, we should worry about one question: Is the Internet good or bad for kids? " "It's ***to answer the question because the Internet involves so many things," says Justine, who is from Northwestern University. "They include online computer games, news, messages and even e-mails to your grandmother." So more and more people believe that the online world can be helpful in some ways but dangerous in others. "Although it's not easy to tell whether it's good or bad,"says Justine, "the Internet, at least, is very useful and can be used widely by everyone in the world. The writer discovered Google at the age of _ Answer: 22 We have all heard the expression: "Remember to stop and smell the roses." But, how often do we really take time out of our hectic fast-paced lives to notice the world around us? I am as guilty as anyone of tuning out the world in this manner, especially when I am driving on California's overcrowded streets. A short time ago, however, I witnessed an event that showed me how being wrapped up in my own little world has kept me from being fully aware of the bigger world picture around me. I was driving to a business appointment and, as usual, I was planning in my mind what I was going to say. I came to a very busy crossroads where the stoplight had just turned red. "All right," I thought to myself, "I can beat the next light if I race ahead of the pack ."My mind and car were in auto pilot, ready to go when suddenly my trance was broken by an unforgettable sight. A young couple, both blind, were walking arm-in-arm across this busy crossroads with cars whizzing by in every direction. The man was holding the hand of a little boy , while the woman was clutching a baby sling to her chest, obviously carrying a child. Each of them had a white cane extended, searching for clues to navigate them across the crossroads. Initially I was moved. They were overcoming what I felt was one of the most feared handicaps-blindness. "Wouldn't it be terrible to be blind?" I thought. Without realizing the danger they were in, they were walking right the path of oncoming cars. I was frightened for them because I didn't know if the other drivers understood what was happening. As I watched from the front line of traffic (I had the best seat in the house), I saw a miracle unfold before my eyes. Every car in every direction came to a simultaneous stop. I never heard the screech of brakes or even the peep of a car horn. Nobody even yelled, "Get out of the way!" Everything froze. In that moment, time seemed to stand still for this family. Amazed , I looked at the cars around me to verify that we were all seeing the same thing, I noticed that everyone's attention was also fixed on the couple. Never skipping a beat, the couple adjusted their course as they followed the coaching. Trusting their white canes and the calls from some concerned citizens, they made it to the other side of the road. As they arrived at the curb, one thing struck me-they were still arm-in-arm .I was taken aback by the emotionless expressions on their faces and judged that they had no idea what was really going on around them. Yet I immediately sensed the sighs of relief exhaled by everyone stopped at that intersection. As I glanced into the cars around me, the driver on my right was mouthing the words "oh, did you see that?!" The driver to the left of me was saying, "I can't believe it!" I think all of us were deeply moved by what we had just witnessed. Here were human beings stepping outside themselves for a moment to help four people in need. I have reflected back on this situation many times since it happened and have leamed several powerful lessons from it. Take time to look around and really see what is going on in front of you right now. Do this and you will realize that this moment is all there is, more importantly, this moment is all that you have to make a difference in life. As I drove away from that busy intersection, I did so with more awareness of life and compassion for others than I had arrived there with. Since then I have made the decision to really see life as I go about my daily activities and use my God-given talents to help others less fortunate. Do yourself a favor as you walk through life: Slow down and take the time to really see. Take a moment to see what is going on around you right now, right where you are. You may be missing something wonderful. What is the author's purpose of writing this passage? Answer: To persuade people to enjoy a wonderful moment in life. Robert Fredy was general manager of a large hotel in Ashbury park. New Jersey. One cold day two years ago when he stopped his car at a traffic light, Stephen Pear man, an out-of-work taxi and truck driver, walked up to Fredy's car hoping to earn some change by washing his windshield.Like many motorists who try to keep the beggars off, Fredy turned on the wipers to show he wasn't interested. Pearman put his head close to the window."Come on, mister.Give me a chance.I need a job," he said.Something in Stephen Pearman's voice moved Robert Fredy.In the seconds before traffic started moving again, Fredy handed a business card and told him to call if he was serious. "My friends told me he was just pulling my leg, "said Pearman."But I said, " No, he's a businessman.I need to give it a shot." Two days later,29-year-old Pearman appeared in the manager's office of the big hotel.Fredy gave him a job and housing and lent him pocket money while training him. Today, Pearman works full time setting up the hotel's dining halls for business meetings.In the past two years, he has found a flat, married and repaid Fredy's loans. "Mr.Fredy gave me a second chance, "says Pearman, " And I took advantage of it.I could have just come here a while, eaten up and left.But there is no future in washing windshields." Ordinarily, Fredy keeps away from the street people."But Pearman seemed so honest and open, asking for a chance rather than just money," Fredy says, "I don't hand my business card to just anybody.But I'm glad I did in this case." Pearman is now_. Answer: full - time employed at the hotel Proudly reading my words, I glanced around the room, only to find my classmates bearing big smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes. Confused, I glanced toward my stonefaced teacher. Having no choice, I slowly raised the report I had read carefully, hoping to hide myself. "What could be causing everyone to act this way?" Quickly, I flashed back to the day Miss Lancelot gave me the task. This was the first real task I received in my new school. It seemed simple: go on the Internet and find information about a man named George Washington. Since my idea of history came from an ancient teacher in my home country, I had never heard of that name before. As I searched the name of this fellow, it became evident that there were two people bearing the same name who looked completely different! One invented hundreds of uses for peanuts, while the other led some sort of army across America. I stared at the screen, wondering which one my teacher meant. I called my grandfather for a golden piece of advice: flip a coin. Heads--the commander, and tails--the peanuts guy. Ah! Tails,my report would be about the great man who invented peanut butter, George Washington Carver. Weeks later, standing before this unfriendly class, I was totally lost. Oh well, I lowered the paper and sat down at my desk, burning to find out what I had done wrong. As a classmate began his report, it all became clear,"My report is on George Washington, the man who started the American Revolution." The whole world became quiet! How could I know that she meant that George Washington? Obviously, my grade was awful. Heartbroken but fearless, I decided to turn this around. I talked to Miss Lancelot, but she insisted: No redos; no new grade. I felt that the punishment was not fair, and I believed I deserved a second chance. Consequently, I threw myself heartily into my work for the rest of the school year. Ten months later, that chance unfolded as I found myself sitting in the headmaster's office with my grandfather, now having an entirely different conversation. I smiled and flashed back to the embarrassing moment at the beginning of the year as the headmaster informed me of my opinion to skip the sixth grade. Justice is sweet! In the end, the author turned things around _ . Answer: through his own efforts
Gravity is an example of which? Answer: Mark Twain is a name not usually connected with Broadway , but now his play "Is He Dead" will receive its first public performance on November 29. "Is He Dead" was written by Mark Twain in 1898 but was never performed. It was rediscovered in 2002 by Shelley Fisher Fishkin, an English professor and director of the American Studies Program at Stanford University. It was published the following year by the University of California Press. The story is about a group of poor artists who fake the death of their friend in order to increase the value of his work. "Is He Dead" is set in France in the 1840s and centers on the French painter Jean-Francois Millet. "Millet was probably the most popular European painter in the United States in Twain's lifetime," Fishkin said in a telephone interview. "Americans greatly admired him because he focused on the life of the common man and the common woman." According to Fishkin, "Is He Dead" is a satire about how value is created in the art world. Twain wrote the play when he was coming out of the hardest time of his life. According to Fishkin, Jean-Francois Millet was admired by Americans because _ . Answer: Look and feel better in 30 days, guaranteed! Our proven workout system helps you reach your goals fast. Many Americans are overweight for lack of physical activity. Many are struggling to lose weight, but most give up just within days. If you've struggled with diets and workout routines, only to feel like you aren't getting anywhere, our gym is for you! Take a moment to read this page to find out what we can do for you. Let us help you Reach your fitness goals quickly and safely Work out in a comfortable environment Look and feel great Get the results you've been looking for Have you tried dieting and working out, only to be let down? Do you have trouble pulling yourself to the gym every day? Our program is designed for the "average Joe or Jane" to be able to lose weight and keep it off, with a combination of nutrition, motivation, and fitness. Our fitness method Our workout system will ensure that you lose weight and build muscles quickly and safely. We have developed a workout that targets all the right muscle groups, while at the same time burning unwanted fat. Our experienced trainers can help you with nutrition in between workouts to allow you to reach your goals faster. Nutrition is a big part of getting fit; don't overlook it! If working out on your own hasn't produced the type of results you want, that's why we're here. Join today! We charge $500 for each membership, but people who join our gym today can get a 20 percent discount. Those who join in the following week can get a 10 percent discount. For more information, please click here. This text is most probably taken from a _ . Answer: The arts, especially music, should be part of every school's lessons at every grade level. Students would be much smarter if they had some musical experience. They could improve their classroom skills, like paying attention and following directions. People develop all these skills when they learn music. Making music also lets children use their imagination. It provides students with a chance to try out their own ideas. Music not only makes children better students, but also gives them something positive to do. In a music program, children can be part of a band instead of joining a gang . Parents can enjoy listening to their children's music instead of seeing them _ a computer or TV screen. In a school band, students get to be part of a team. They can get along well with old friends and make new friends through music. Music builds self-confidence, too. It gives children a sense of achievement and success. Making music is something for them to be proud of, and it lets kids practice performing in front of an audience. Music gives children an opportunity for self-expression, and that helps develop their self-confidence. Once again, music is important because it can make children better students, give them something positive to do, and build their character. That is why music should be offered in every single grade in every school. According to the passage, music could make students smarter by _ . Answer: Timmy liked to play games and play sports but more than anything he liked to collect things. He collected bottle caps. He collected sea shells. He collected baseball cards. He has collected baseball cards the longest. He likes to collect the thing that he has collected the longest the most. He once thought about collecting stamps but never did. His most expensive collection was not his favorite collection. Timmy spent the most money on his bottle cap collection. Timmy liked to do which of these things the most? Answer:
The concept of solar power satellites, or SPS, first put forward in the 1960s, is still not widely known by the general public. For example, at many public exhibitions about energy, SPS is not even mentioned. This is mainly because very little money has been spent on SPS research There are people who claim that SPS is unrealistic - because launch costs are much too high today; or because it is too far away. So why do we believe that it is important to continue to do researches on SPS? The reason is very simple. Humans are going to need huge amounts of electric power in coming decades. Within 50 years the world population is expected to double, while economic growth will continue around the world, especially in the poorer countries. But existing energy sources already face serious problems. They are limited; they are polluted; they are dangerous. So 50 or 100 years from now, where is our power going to come from? Nobody knows. And so we believe that new large-scale possibilities should be studied further. We must remember that humans have some choices concerning our future. To some extent we can choose the direction in which our civilization develops. And choices that are made in the coming decades - such as the energy sources that we will or will not use, will have major, long-term meaning for human life on earth. We believe that if research continues to show that SPS is environmentally and economically attractive, SPS will open the door to a much more attractive future for human civilization than any ground-based energy source, and one that the public will support and that young people will find challenging and exciting. Furthermore energy from SPS can be readily used in developing countries, as the SPS 2000 project will show, thus aiding economic development worldwide. In addition, by creating large commercial fund for space engineering, SPS will open the frontier of space to economic development, thus creating a limitless new field for the growth of the world economy. Which of the following statements about SPS is TRUE? A. The research on SPS started in the 1960s is still not appreciated by the public. B. The research is showing SPS can benefit environment and economy at present. C. The energy from SPS is now being used in some developing countries. D. The public don't know about SPS because little time is devoted to the research. Answer: A. The research on SPS started in the 1960s is still not appreciated by the public. the nervous system sends observations in the form of electrical signals to what? A. cell towers B. persons flesh C. computers D. plugs Answer: B. persons flesh When her five daughters were young, Helene An always told them that there was strength in unity . To show this, she held up one chopstick, representing oneperson. Then she easily broke it into two pieces. Next, she tied several chopsticks together, representing a family. She showed the girls it was hard to break the tied chopsticks. This lesson about family unity stayed with the daughters as they grew up. Helene An and her family own a large restaurant business in California. However, when Helene and her husband Danny left their home in Vietnam in 1975, they didn't have much money. They moved their family to San Francisco. There they joined Danny's mother, Diana, who owned a small Italian sandwich shop. Soon afterwards, Helene and Diana changed the sandwich shop into a small Vietnamese restaurant. The five daughters helped in the restaurant when they were young. However, Helene did not want her daughters to always work in the family business because she thought it was too hard. Eventually the girls all graduated from college and went away to work for themselves, but one by one, the daughters returned to work in the family business. They opened new restaurants in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Even though family members sometimes disagreed with each other, they worked together to make the business successful. Daughter Elisabeth explains, "Our mother taught us that to succeed we must have unity, and to have unity we must have peace. Without the strength of the family, there is no business." Their expanding business became a large corporation in 1996, with three generations of Ans working together. Now the Ans' corporation makes more than $20 million each year. Although they began with a small restaurant, they had big dreams, and they worked together. Now they are a big success. Helene tied several chopsticks together to show _ . A. the strength of family unity B. the difficulty of growing up C. the advantage of chopsticks D. the best way of giving a lesson Answer: A. the strength of family unity You are watching a film in which two men are having a fight. They hit one another hard. At the start they only fight with their fists .But soon they begin hitting one another over the heads with chairs. And so it goes on until one of the men crashes through a window and falls thirty feet to the ground below. He is dead! Of course he isn't really dead. With any luck he isn't even hurt. Why ? Because the men who fall out of high windows or jump from fast moving trains, who crash cars of even catching fire, are professionals .They do this for a living. These men are called stuntmen. That is to say, they perform tricks . There are two sides to their work. They actually do most of the things you see on the screen. For example, they fall from a high building. However, they do not fall on to hard ground but on to empty cardboard boxes covered with a mattress . Again, when they hit one another with chairs, the chairs are made of soft wood and when they crash through windows, the glass is made of sugar! But although their work depend on trick of this sort, it also requires a high degree of skill and training. Often a stuntman's success depends on careful timing .For example, when he is "blown up" in a battle scene, he has to jump out of the way of the explosion just at the right moment. Naturally stuntmen are well paid for their work, but they lead dangerous lives. They often get seriously injured, and sometimes killed. A Norwegian stuntman, for example, skied over the edge of a cliff a thousand feet high. His parachute failed to open, and he was killed. In spite of all the risks, this is no longer a profession for men only. Men no longer dress up as women when actresses have to perform some dangerous action. For nowadays there are stuntgirls too! Stuntmen earn their living by _ A. playing their dirty tricks B. selling their special skills C. jumping out of high windows D. jumping from fast moving trains Answer: B. selling their special skills Toads lay their eggs in ponds. Tadpoles hatch from the eggs and eat the plants floating in the pond. Which resource is most important for toads to survive? A. grass B. rocks C. trees D. water Answer: D. water
Bruce and Bruno looked worried those days. Their father went to a town far away. Before leaving, he said he would write to them as soon as he found a job there. But two months passed, they did not hear from him. Now they had nothing except the old house and they had no money to buy any food. They thought for a long time. Then they decided to sell the house and look for their father. So one day the two brothers said goodbye to their friends and started to go. They got to the station and bought two tickets. They were afraid that they would be hungry in the train, so they went to the market to buy something to eat. They saw bananas for the first time. The seller told them the bananas were very delicious, so they bought five kilos and got on the train with them. After a while Bruce brought out a banana and bit a little. Just at that moment the train went into a tunnel and it was dark in the train. He was afraid and called out,"Have you taken a bite of your bananas, Bruno?" "Not yet." "That's good."Bruce said, crying,"I did and went blind!" Bruce and Bruno were worried because _ . A. their father couldn't find a job in the town.. B. they didn't hear from their father. C. Their father left them away. D. They had no money to buy any food. Answer: D. They had no money to buy any food. Grey clouds move as low as smoke over the treetops at Lolo Pass. The ground is white. The day is June 10.It has been snowing for the past four days in the Bitterroot Mountains.Wayne Fairchild is getting worried about our trek over the Lolo Trail-95 miles from Lolo Montana to Weippe in Idaho, across the roughest country in the West. Lewis and Clark were nearly defeated 200 years ago by snowstorms on the Lolo.Today Fairchild is nervously checking the weather reports.He has agreed to take me across the toughest,middle section of the trail. When Lewis climbed on top of Lemhi Pass,140 miles south of Missoula,on Aug.12,1805,he was astonished by what was in front of him;"high mountain chains still to the West of us with their tops partially covered with snow."Nobody in what was then the US knew the Rocky Mountains existed,with peaks twice as high as anything in the Appalachians back East. Today their pathway through those mountains holds more attraction than any other ground over which they traveled,for its raw wilderness is an evidence to the character of two cultures:the explorers who braved its hardships and the Native Americans who prize and conserve the path as a sacred gift. It remains today the same condition as when Lewis and Clark walked it. The Lolo is passable only from July to mid-September.Our luck is holding with the weather,although the snow keeps getting deeper.As we climb to Indian Post Office,the highest point on the trail at 7,033 ft,we have covered 13 miles in soft snow,and we hardly have enough energy to make dinner.After a meal of chicken,I sit on a rock on top of the ridge .There is no light visible in any direction,not even another campfire.For four days we do not see another human being.We are occupied with the things that mix fear with joy.In our imagination we have finally caught up with Lewis and Clark. We learn from the text that the Lolo Pass _ . A. has changed a lot since 1805 B. is the meeting point of three cultures C. remains much the same as it was 200 years ago D. now attracts a large number of tourists to visit Answer: C. remains much the same as it was 200 years ago A young American doctor is asleep when his doorbell rings. It is late at night, but he has to put on his coat to answer it. It is a man! He is standing with a hat in his hand. "How do you do?" says the man. "Can you go with me now to a place out of the town? It is quite far from here, but I know you have a car and I can show you the way." "Certainly," says the doctor, "I can go with you now." The car is at the front door. The man gets into the doctor's car and they drive off. They drive for a long time, and finally the man says, "Here we are. This is my home. Now I give you money and you may go back." "But I must see the patient ," the doctor says. "How can I go back without seeing the patient?" "There's no patient," says the man, "nobody is ill. I live here. There is no taxi at this time, but a doctor often goes out for night calls . So, excuse me. Here is your money. Thank you, doctor. Good night!" Why does the man come to see the doctor so late at night? A. Because someone is badly ill. B. Because he is too tired. C. Because he wants the doctor to drive him home. D. Because he wants to go to a place out of the town. Answer: C. Because he wants the doctor to drive him home. Although April did not bring us the rains we all hoped for, and although the Central Valley doesn't generally experience the sound and lightning that can go with those rains, it's still important for parents to be able to answer the youthful questions about thunder and lightning. The reason these two wonders of nature are so difficult for many adults to explain to children is that they are not very well understood by adults themselves. For example, did you know that the lightning we see flashing down to the earth from a cloud is actually flashing up to a cloud from the earth? Our eyes trick us into thinking we see a downward motion when it's actually the other way around. But then, if we believed only what we think and we see, we'd still insist that the sun rises in the morning and sets at night. Most lightning flashes take place inside a cloud, and only a few can be seen jumping between two clouds or between earth and a cloud. But, with about 2,000 thunderstorms taking place above the earth every minute of the day and night, there's enough _ to produce about 100 lightning strikes on earth every second. Parents can use thunder and lightning to help their children learn more about the world around them. When children understand that the light of the lightning flashing reaches their eyes almost at the same moment, but the sound of the thunder takes about 5 seconds to travel just one mile, they can begin to time the interval between the flash and the crash to learn how close they were to the actual spark . We believe that lightning is a downward motion because _ . A. we were taught so by our parents from our childhood. B. we are taken in by our sense of vision. C. it is a common natural sight. D. it is a truth proved by science. Answer: B. we are taken in by our sense of vision. What prevents depression:tea,coffee or hot chocolate? Women who drink for or more cups of coffee a day are a fifth less likely to become depressed.Drinking two or three cups reduces the risk by 15 percent. This is the result of a study of 51,000 women over ten years, published in the Journal of the American Medicine Association. One theory is that caffeine reduces the effect of the chemical adenosine in the brain, which can make us feel sleepy by slowing down nerve cell activity. Some anti-depressants also work by blocking the adenosine receptors. Coffee was found to be far more influential on depression levels than hot chocolate or tea due to the high caffeine content. How many eggs can we healthily eat: one a day or two a day? Neither-eat them freely. We've long been warned to stick to two or three eggs a week because of their high cholesterol content. But according to the Food Standards Agency, there is no recommended limit to how many eggs we can healthily eat, unless you have been told to cut down by your doctor. There is no evidence that eating eggs raises cholesterol levels, and researchers found that eggs contain less cholesterol than in the past because hens are no longer given bone meal, which was banned in the 1990s after the BSE cresis. Research by the British Egg Council found that a medium egg gives you around 100 mg of cholesterol, a third of the 300mg recommended daily limit. We can infer from the text that _ . A. too much caffeine will probably make people sleepy B. coffee contains less caffeine than tea or hot chocolate C. one is depressed if his brain chemical adenosine is active D. tea and hot chocolate have no effect on men's depression Answer: C. one is depressed if his brain chemical adenosine is active
Dear Uncle Horton, We just want to let you know what a great weekend we had with you while we were in Boise. You are a fantastic guide and it was so nice of you to have taken us out for a tour of the city. The sights were beautiful and our two girls loved the Discovery Centre very much. They are still talking about it. We are not sure when we'll meet again, but we hope it won't be too long. Please let us know of any plans you might have to visit New York. We would love you to visit us and we hope to have the pleasure of taking you around New York City. Thanks again for a truly great weekend. Much love, Dick and Kate Dear.Mum, Happy Mother's Day! Since I have my own kid, I have got to know how hard mothering is. Thank you for being so patient with me through my ups and downs. I hope I can be as good a mother to Lily as you are to me. Thanks for being such a good mum. Whether you come to visit me or we talk on the phone, l always feel we're so close. You're always my best friend. I hope you know how much I love you! Helen ,. Why did Dick and Kate write to Uncle Horton? To say thanks to him. Karl Fleming joined the military because he needed a change in his life. He had a successful career with a shipping company but he wanted to do something more. He found that something in the U.S. army. Fleming began his service in 2009 and never looked back. A few years later, Fleming volunteered to go to Afghanistan. There, he worked as a bodyguard for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He enjoyed it, except for the almost-nightly rocket attacks. Karl was never hit directly by a rocket, but he didn't need to be to feel its effects. The rockets caused severe shaking, shaking so bad that Fleming was left with many injuries. He was also diagnosed with concussions and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder(PTSD). Fleming said he was down but not out. Once he returned from Afghanistan, Fleming underwent one test after another. At first, Fleming said he thought he could recover or be able to return to duty and realize his dream of becoming an officer. But then came the news he had never imagined: Fleming would never be an officer because he was too injured to continue. Fleming said he was depressed after learning his military career was over. Add that to the memory loss, extreme anxiety and the many painful medical procedures he was already experiencing. He rarely ventured outside on the weekend. Instead, he preferred to sleep in. All that changed, however, with Fleming's service dog, Kuchar. Fleming said he had heard dogs could help people suffering from PTSD, so he started doing research. Karl eventually selected K9s for Warriors, which is where he met Kuchar, a yellow lab. Fleming and Kuchar trained together for weeks, before returning to Fort Benning. K9s for Warriors provided Fleming with Kuchar and the training for free. Life with Kuchar has been life-changing. Fleming doesn't sleep in any more because Kuchar won't let him. Instead, they venture out into a world Karl was once afraid of -- a world for Fleming that now seems impossible to imagine without Kuchar by his side. Karl Fleming joined the army because _ . he wanted to have a change Sunnyside School Bookshop Sunnyside Secondary School A Warm Welcome To All Secondary Pupils! Congratulations on getting into Singapore's premier school. To do well in English, you must have a good English dictionary. May we recommend that you buy any of these two, which have been specially selected by the English teachers in the school. Select the one that fits your needs! Foster's Advanced Learners' Dictionary The most authoritative and up-to-date dictionary for intermediate learners of English. * Over 50,000 references, including new words created over the past ten years. * 20 full-page colour illustrations. * Grammar and spelling rules simply and completely explained. * Lots of examples of how to use words in the correct context. * l0-page appendix on "How To Write More Effectively". Active Learners' English Dictionary A most useful dictionary which not only helps you to learn new words but also shows you different ways of using them in your writing. Particularly useful for foreign students and non-native speakers of English! * Over 48,000 references with explanations focusing on a speaker's attitude and intentions. * Each definition together with tips on how to use the word or its synonyms in the correct context. * Right margin gives a list of synonyms. * Left margin gives information on grammar and spelling. * Clear pronunciation guide. The purpose of the notice is to _ . make sales ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia - One of the world's most famous fossils - the 3.2 million-year-old Lucy skeleton unearthed in Ethiopia in 1974 - will go on an exhibition tour abroad for the first time in the United States, officials said Tuesday. Even the Ethiopian public has only seen Lucy twice. The Lucy on exhibition at the Ethiopian National Museum in the capital, Addis Ababa, is _ while the real remains are usually locked in a secret storeroom. A team from the Museum of National Science in Houston, Texas, spent four years discussing with the Ethiopians for the U.S. tour, which will start in Houston next September. "Ethiopia's rich culture of both the past and today, is one of the best kept secrets in the world," said Joel Bartsch, director of the Houston museum. The six-year tour will also go to Washington, New York, Denver and Chicago. Officials said six other U.S. cities may be on the tour. But they said plans had not been worked out. Travelling with Lucy will be 190 other fossils. Lucy, her name taken from a Beatles song that played in a camp the night of her discovery, is part of the skeleton of what was once a 3-foot-tall ape-man . How many cities has Lucy's U.S. tour plan already included? Five. The world's native languages are dying out at an unprecedented rate, taking with them irreplaceable knowledge about the natural world, according to a new study. The study identified five global "hot spots" where languages are _ faster than anywhere else ---- eastern Siberia, northern Australia, central South America, the US state of Oklahoma and the US Pacific Northwest. "Languages are suffering a global extinction crisis that greatly goes beyond the pace of species extinction," linguistics professor David Harrison noted, who said half of the world's 7,000 languages were expected to disappear before the end of the century. Native people had an intimate knowledge of their environment that was lost when their language disappeared, along with other certain things often unfamiliar to us, Harrison stressed. "Most of what we know about species and ecosystems is not written down anywhere, it's only in people's heads," he said. "We are seeing in front of our eyes the loss of the human knowledge base." Harrison was one of a team of linguists who carried out the study. The researchers traveled to Australia this year to study native languages, some of the most endangered. According to Harrison, in Australia, they were heartened to see a woman in her 80s who was one of the only three remaining speakers of the Yawuru language passing on her knowledge to schoolchildren. He said such inter-generational exchanges were the only way native languages could survive. "The children had elected to take this course, no one forced them," he said. "When we asked them why they were learning it, they said,'This is a dying language, we need to learn it'." Also, while there they found a man with knowledge of the Amurdag language, which had previously been thought extinct. The researchers said all five of the hot spots identified were areas that had been successfully colonized and where a dominant language such as Spanish or English was threatening native tongues. What does this text mainly talk about? A study on native languages endangered.
I didn't feel well when I woke up yesterday morning. My throat hurt and _ . I also felt hot. My mother said I had a bad cold. I didn't want to get up, so she let me stay in bed all day. I don't usually like being in bed during the day, but I like it yesterday. I listened to the music and read a magazine. I slept a lot. I had all my meals in bed, though I didn't want to eat much. I had just soup and toast for lunch and some rice and chicken for dinner. By evening I was beginning to feel better. I asked my mother if I could get up and watch television but she said no. Today I feel much better, so I didn't stay in bed. I didn't go to school again, though. I'll go tomorrow if I feel well enough. What happens when your "nose is running"? Answer: Watery stuff comes out of your nose. After ten years, the world' s largest music festival, Rock in Rio, returned to its hometown Rio de Janeiro for seven days of concerts from Friday, September 23rd, attracting 700,000 people over the whole week. It is the 10th edition of the Rock in Rio festival, but only the 4th to be held in Rio as the organizers exported the festival to Lisbon and Madrid ten years ago.The first edition of the festival was in 1985 and the most recent edition in Rio was held in January, 2001.A total of 700,000 tickets were sold out for this year' s festival. The festival consists of four stages with the participation of International stars including Elton John, Katy Perry, and bands Metallica, Evanescence and System of a Down.Several stars which performed in previous editions are also on the list this year..In addition, a number of local singers and bands will also join this year. The performance site, named as Rock City, is a 150,000-square-meter area.Besides the concert area, the site also has a giant Ferns wheel, a roller coaster, and a small shopping mall.After the festival, the Rock City area will be converted into a leisure area to athletes in the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro According to Rio' s tourism company Riotur, out of the 700,000 people expected in the festival, some 315,000 will be tourists, who raised the hotels' occupation rate to 98 percent.Riotur estimated that the Rock in Rio festival will bring 419 million U.S.dollars for the city and create 10,000 jobs. The creator of the festival, Brazilian businessmen Roberto Medina, insisted on opening the Rock City gates himself, in the early afternoon, and greeted the first fans to enter the site."We come to the gate because the Brazilian audience is even more important than the bands.We applaud them.They make the greatest show," he said. The first edition of the festival may be held in _ . Answer: Rio de Janeiro Which characteristic of a kitten is an acquired trait due to environmental influences? Answer: sharpening its claws 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. A 2-year-old still lacks all of the following EXCEPT _ . Answer: signs that express his emotional changes What purposes can a library serve in an era when research can be done at home computers, thousannds of public books can be downloaded for free, and people are starting to carry around e-book readers? That's the question that David Sarno seeks to answer. "It's very common for people to say, 'Why do I need a library when I've got a computer?'" said Pam Sandlian-Smith, director of the seven-branch Rangeview, Colo. , Library District. "We have to reframe what the library means to the community." In the struggle to stay important-and ultimately to stay open-libraries are reinventing themselves in ways unimaginable even a few years ago, preparing for a future in which most materials can be checked and read from a home computer, smartphone or electronic reading device. But not all library professionals are enthusiastic about the community-building efforts. Sandlian-Smith and others like her have taken: "If you want to have game rooms and pingpong tables and God knows what-poker parties-fine, do it, but don't pretend it has anything to do with libraries," said Michael Gorman, a former president of the American Library Assn. "The argument that all these young people would turn up to play video games and think, 'Oh by the way, I must borrow that book by Dostoyevsky'-it seems ridiculous to me." Sarno reports that lending books is taking a back seat as libraries diversify their holdings-DVDs! E-books! -and struggle to define how they can serve their local communities. And yet libraries can also serve a wider audience; some are bringing rare archival materials online. That doesn't mean that there are e-books available yet for everything in their collections. Publishers hold back e-book versions of some big sellers from libraries, for example, Jonathan Franzen's Freedom, and the Harry Potter series. How are the libraries struggling to stay important? Answer: By preparing for a future in which other electronic reading devices may be used.
One day a poor student walked in a town. He didn't have anything to eat for several days and he was very hungry. But when he saw a man selling steamed bread ( ), he let out a scream ( ) and fell ( ) to the ground. When the man asked the student what was the matter, the student answered, "I don't like steamed bread. Whenever Isee them , I feel ill and can't eat ." The man then wanted to play a joke on the student. He put ten steamed bread in a room and then put the student in it. After a short time, the man opened the door of the room. H e was surprised to find that the student ate all the steamed bread. The student explained, "For some strange reason, I suddenly find that I like steamed bread." The man was angry that the student had fooled ( ) him. He asked what other things he did not like to eat. "Oh, I like everything," answered the student. "But at the moment I don't like to drink two cups of good strong tea!" In fact, _ . A the man wanted to sell some steamed bread to the student. B The student didn't really like steamed bread. C the student fooled the man. D the man fooled the student. Answer: C. the student fooled the man. Christopher Columbus was born in Genoa, Italy. He was the oldest of five children in his family. His father was a wool weaver. He helped his father with the weaving, but he always wanted to sail the seas. He didn't get to school very much, but he learned to read and write Spanish during his travels. He also taught himself Latin because all the geography books were written in Latin. Some people thought he was trying to prove the world was round, but this is not true. He wanted to find a short way to get to the Indies by ship. He was a Christian and wanted to tell the story of Christ to the people he would find in the far-away lands. He also wanted wealth for himself and for Spain, and he wanted to be famous. He tried for eight years to get King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella to supply him with ships and money. They left Spain on August 3, 1492 and sailed toward the west. After many days, the sailors had covered a long distance on the sea and were ready to turn around for home when they saw land, an island Columbus named San Salvador. He thought he had found the Indies and called the people he saw there "Indians". When they got to Cuba, he thought he was in Japan. The world was a lot larger than he thought. On Christmas Eve, the Santa Maria was wrecked near Haiti. Columbus built a fort and left 40 men to hunt for gold. Then he returned to Spain on the Nina. The people of Spain welcomed him as a hero. He made three more voyages across the ocean. His 13-year-old son, Ferdinand, went with him on the fourth voyage. Columbus did not become rich as he had hoped. At the end of his life he only had a pension the king and the queen had given him because he was the first to reach the New World. He spent the last few months of his life in bed because of the pain of arthritis . Columbus not only discovered a New World, but he led the way for other explorers. How was Columbus able to make his voyage to the west? A He was supported by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. B He worked hard for eight for to save enough money for his voyage. C The king and the queen helped him with money and ships. D Many people supported him with money and food for his voyage. Answer: C. The king and the queen helped him with money and ships. If you knew you had only three years left to live, how would you use your time? It's a hard question and few of us would even like to think about it. But 18-year-old Huang Ge has to answer this question and he says, "I want to thank the people who have helped me." At the age of one, Huang's mother left the family. Six years later, he was badly ill. He has been using a wheelchair since 9 years old. Doctors said he would only live to be 18. After Huang's story went on TV, hundreds of Chinese sent money to help him. The boy was so moved that he decided to thank everyone of them. But it is not an easy job, because Huang was too sick even to drive a mosquito away from his leg. Huang has to be tied to his wheelchair to stop him from falling out. And the family can only afford a three-wheeled motorcycle . Since 2003, the father and son have traveled 14,000 kilometers to 10 provinces, and thanked more than 30 helpers. "I am moved by the story of this boy. We need the courage to face death, and we should also feel the thankfulness for those who help us," reads an online article on CCTV,com. They _ to thank the helpers. A took a train B took a ship C took a motorcycle D took a bus Answer: C. took a motorcycle Five teens from Sarasota, Florida, are making music from garbage. The Garbage-Men band's instruments are made from recycled objects. The guitars are boxes. A horn is made from pipes. The keyboard is formed from old bottles. The band started about two years ago. Jack Berry decided to make a playable, homemade guitar. After some trial-and-error, he ended up building it from a cereal box, a yardstick and toothpicks. After Jack showed his creation to his friend Ollie Gray, Ollie had the idea to form a band using other homemade instruments as a way to promote recycling. "We want to show people there is more to recycling than throwing things away in the bin ," Jack, 16, said, "You can actually reuse materials." Ollie, 15, plays drums made from trash cans. Evan Tucker, 15 (bass guitar); Harrison Paparatto, 15 (horns and violin); and Austin Siegel, 15, (keyboard), round out the band. The Garbage-Men plays at local events around Sarasota, including festivals, farmer's markets and community fundraisers. Typically, the teens will set up on the street and perform popular songs from the 1960s, including classic Beatles tunes and people's favorite "Wipe Out," by The Surfaris. In between sets, they talk about recycling the offer tips for how to help the environment. while they perform, Jack's little brother Trent, 11, gives out flyers about recycling and helps sell the band's CD and other merchandise. The band donates the money from sales to charity. They have raised more than $2,500 for Heifer International. The organization gives farm animals, seeds and agricultural training to people in poor countries to help end poverty and hunger. The band--all tenth graders--tries to play a gig for America's Got Talent. The teens hope to eventually take their show on the road by touring in other states. "Music is a really good way to get a good message across to people because it's really accessible," Jack says. Their instruments may be garbage, but their message isn't. What's the best title of the passage? A Five teens make music from garbage. B Heifer International, a charity becomes sustainable. C Recycling, a tip on how to protect the environment. D Donating animals, helping poor countries. Answer: A. Five teens make music from garbage. The market is a concept. If you are growing tomatoes in your backyard for sale you are producing for the market. You might sell some to your neighbor and some to the local manager of the supermarket. But in either case, you are producing for the market. Your efforts are being directed by the market. If people stop buying tomatoes, you will stop producing them. If you take care of a sick person to earn money, you are producing for the market. If your father is a steel worker or a truck driver or a doctor or a grocer, he is producing goods or service for the market. When you spend your income, you are buying things from the market. You may spend money in stores, supermarkets, gas stations and restaurants. Still you are buying from the market. When the local grocer hires you to drive the delivery truck, he is buying your labor in the labor market. The market may be something abstract . But for each person or business that is making and selling something, it is very _ . If nobody buys your tomatoes, it won't be long before you get the message. The market is telling you something. It is telling you that you are using energies and resources in doing something the market doesn't want you to do. Which of the following would be the best title of the passage? A Selling and Buying. B Everything you do is producing for the market. C What is the market? D What the market can do for you. Answer: C. What is the market?
Which of the following characteristics of an individual wolf is most affected by its environment? Answer: the condition of its fur We live in an amazing world, reading the following news and you will find it yourself. News 1: Bao Xishun is the tallest man in the world. He is 2.36 metres tall. He Pingping is the shortest man in the world. He is only 0.73 metres tall. They are Chinese. On July 13th, Bao Xishun married a girl and He Pingping took part in their wedding ceremony . News 2: In the USA, a seventh-grader, Aidan Murray Medley went fishing in the sea one morning. The 12-year-old boy caught a 250-kilogram shark! It took Aidan 28 minutes to catch the shark. It was so hard that his body lost all feeling. Aidan now has the Florida record . He beat a 232-kilogram catch from 1981. News 3: A young sheep climbs a tree to feed on leaves in a park in the southern Swedish town of Lund. The sheep climbed to a height of seven metres and spent an hour and a half in the tree before returning to the ground. How long did it take Aidan to catch the fish? Answer: Nearly half an hour. Singer-songwriter Tori Kelly is close to a huge breakthrough. Her recent performances on the BET Awards shows have created a sensation in pop music. You couldn't call Kelly an overnight success. Sure she's only 22. The Southern Californian girl first appeared in public on the talent show "Star Search" when she was only 10. But her real appearance came from posting videos on YouTube. Eventually Kelly made her way to "American Idol", and advanced through to Hollywood. But she did not make the Top 24. That loss encouraged her to write more of her own material, which eventually became part of her first album "Handmade Songs by Tori Kelly". "Even just releasing music in general is an achievement. I get to put out a whole album of songs that I just put my whole heart into, and people are responding really well to it," she said. "It's like the best feeling in the world because these are songs about my life. So it's really cool to be able to do what I love." "Handmade Songs" sold well enough to reach the top 10 in a number of music charts .She followed that success with live performances at clubs in Los Angeles. Recently, Kelly excited audiences at the Billboard Music Awards with her performance of her song "Nobody Love". The singer-songwriter says that being within reach of her goal is amazing. "I think all the awards shows I have done so far have just been so _ l," she said. "Like, I always dreamed of being on different awards shows, sitting at home on my sofa and watching. I think as a kid I just always put myself on that stage, and the fact that it's actually happening, that I get to be a part of these shows is unbelievable." Kelly released her full-length album "Unbreakable Smile" in June, 2015. Her single "Should've been us" is also rising on the Billboard Hot 100. It can be known from the passage that Tori Kelly _ . Answer: focuses on her career because she loves music The olive tree probably first grew in southern Asia. And then it spread to Mediterranean countries about 6,000 years ago. Since then, it has been important in Mediterranean people's lives. The olive tree grows in rocky places and it doesn't need much water. Its fruit can be made into olive oil. People have used olive oil to cook dishes for centuries. But they haven't only used it for cooking. Some ancient cultures believed that it was useful as medicine. In modern times, people still use olive oil both for its taste and its health advantages. Olive oil has also been an important product in the business and culture of Mediterranean countries. In ancient Greece, for example, anyone who cut down an olive tree was heavily punished. Winners at the Olympic Games wore wreaths . They were made of olive branches . Sometimes winners were also given a prize of olive oil. People from Greece built ships so that they could use olive oil for trade. But it was the Romans who grew the olive tree in the rest of southern Europe and northern Africa. Today, olive oil is still a very valuable product, and many different kinds of olive oil are sold in countries all over the world. What can we learn about olive oil? Answer: It can be good for health. From bankers to factory staff, employees in the West face a cold _ of losing their jobs as a global recession starts to bite. For colleagues in the East, the pain is more likely to come through a pay cut. Human resource experts say cultural differences explain why Asian companies try harder to preserve jobs in difficult times, which will prevent unemployment and may help Asian economies survive at a time of slowing exports. The East Asian attitude may also make it easier for companies to recover quickly from the economic downturn since they will not need to rehire or train new staff, but build up a more loyal and devoted group. "In the Confucian mindset, the right thing to do is to share the burden, which is the sense of collective responsibility. While in the West, it's more about individual survival," said Michael Benoliel, associate professor of organizational behavior at Singapore Management University (SMU). In contrast, local Western companies from General Motors to Goldman Sachs plan to lay off workers by the thousand, but at the Asian units of Western multinationals or western units of Asian groups, job cuts will probably be less severe. Japan's jobless rate was 4 percent in September, up from 3.8 percent in January, while Hong Kong's was flat at 3.4 percent. But US unemployment is expected to have jumped to 6.3 percent last month from below 5 percent in January. Experts say that while there are noticeable differences in labor practices in East and West, the gap will narrow as more firms become more multinational and competition forces firms to adopt the best practices of rivals from abroad. Compared with job cuts, pay cuts can bring the following benefits EXCEPT that _ . Answer: it costs the company less money to survive
As long as you have broadband service in your home, you can turn on your desktop computer and connect to the Internet. If you have a wireless router , a device that spreads the broadband connection to other devices, you can set up a Wi-Fi network, which enables your cellphones and tablets go online too. And when you are outdoors where is no Wi-Fi, such as in the park or at the beach, having 3G service allows you to stay connected. It seems that lots of us have Internet coverage everywhere we go. So why have mobile companies around the world lately been so enthusiastic about a new term, "4G"? First, you need to know that the letter :G" stands for "generation". Even if you have no idea what 4G is, at least you can figure out that it is a step up from 3G since it's the latest generation of mobile internet service. Unlike broadband, mobile Internet uses the same signal towers that provide voice service to your cellphone, which means wherever you can make phone calls with your cellphone you also have an Internet connection. But mobile connections have their _ : they don't carry as much information as broadband does, making opening websites and downloading music slower than they are on a Wi-Fi connection. This is why mobile connections have been constantly upgraded since the first generation was launched back in the 1980s. According to BBC, 4G is five to seven times faster than current 3G network speeds, almost as fast as home broadband. Because of this, 4G is widely suited for services like video downloading, mapping, online shopping and even video conferencing. To achieve the high speeds, network companies have to spend a lot of money on building new signal towers, which will eventually lead to a higher phone bill if you switch to 4G, and you will also have to get a new phone with 4G capacity. What is the weakness of 3G compared with 4G? A Its voice is not as clear as 4G B It can't satisfy the users' basic needs. C Its network speeds are much slower. D It has much less popularity than 4G. Answer: C. Its network speeds are much slower. The saying "a penny for your thoughts" is an English idiom simply asking people to volunteer their opinions on an issue being discussed. In modern usage, it is often stated as an indirect way of asking what someone is thinking about. This phrase is basically a proposal , and the speaker is offering to pay to hear the listener's thoughts. It is an idiom, of course, and not meant literally so no real payment generally takes place. When the saying originated, a penny was worth a lot more than it is in the 21st century. Therefore, "a penny for your thoughts" likely indicated the thoughts were more valuable to those asking the listener for them than they are by today's standards. This loss of value can be used ironically , however, through tone of voice; it can be used to indicate that someone's idea is bad or worth a penny in modern value. The phrase is generally credited to a man by the name of John Heywood, who was born sometime just before the 16th century. During his life, he was a writer who penned many plays and a book in 1546, later known as The Proverbs of John Heywood. It is likely Heywood did not actually come up with the phrase "a penny for your thoughts". Rather, he was simply the first person to have set the phrase down in written form. The actual origins of the term are unknown, and since his book was simply a collection of common idioms and expressions, it was probably familiar to people in the mid 1500s. Another phrase similar to "a penny for your thoughts" is offering "your two cents" after making a statement. Someone might give his or her opinion and then say, "that's my two cents," to indicate the value of his or her idea. While, much like a penny, "two cents" is relatively low in value now, it would have been more valuable at one time and the expression is used in much the same way. The modern meaning of "a penny for your thoughts" _ . A is more closely connected to the value of the penny B can differ greatly according to a speaker's manner C can confuse the listener easily D is more popularly accepted Answer: B. can differ greatly according to a speaker's manner Life is not easy in senior high school. You've got the pressure of studies and exams. From time to time, you may feel depressed and frustrated. When depression strikes, you have to take measures to fight it. One of the strangest ways to fight depression is to eat salt, scientists have found. Salt acts as a natural anti-depressant , researchers say. While too much can lead to high blood pressure and heart disease, not enough can cause "psychological depressions", a study has reported. The study, by researchers at the University of Iowa in the US, discovered that when rats are _ in salt, they don't do activities they normally enjoy. The recommended daily salt intake for an adult is four grams, although experts say the body needs only half as much. However, most adults in the developed world consume around ten grams a day, mainly because their diets contain high salt amounts. Today, 77 percent of US salt intake comes from processed and restaurant foods, like frozen dinners and fast food. The minerals in salt are required by the body--in small quantities--to help move liquid in and out of cells. But too much can cause diseases, for example high blood pressure. Today scientists are finding that salt is an addictive substance--almost like a drug. One sign of addiction is using a substance even when it's known to be harmful. Many people are told to eat less salt due to health concerns, but they have trouble doing so because they like the taste and find low-salt foods tasteless. Humans have a long history of eating salt. In the Stone Age, people didn't need to find salt, because they hunted most of their food, and ate a lot of red meat, which has plenty of salt in it. But when people began to farm, about 10,000 BC, they started to eat mainly grains like rice and wheat, and very little meat. Then they had to find another way to get salt. What kind of food should people eat more of? A Frozen food B Fast food C Red meat D Low-salt food Answer: D. Low-salt food Do you like animals? Come to Xinxin zoo to see the Australian koalas and lions from South Africa. The American tigers are waiting for you. Do you want to see penguins? They are kind of interesting. We also have very cute pandas, but they are a little shy, so please be very quiet. You can play with the dolphins. They are smart and cute. Do you like the giraffes? They are fun. And there are many other animals, too. It's really exciting! Tickets :Grown--ups :Y=2.00 Students of 6--12:Y=1.00 Time: Monday--Friday: 9:00 a.m--4:00 p.m Saturday--Sunday:8:00 a.m--5:00 p.m Don't give food to the animals. Today is Monday. It's 8:00 a.m now. Can we see the animals now? A Yes, we do B No, we don't C Yes, we can D No, we can't Answer: D. No, we can't One fine day, an old couple around the age of 70, walks into a lawyer's office. Apparently, they are there to file a divorce. Lawyer was very puzzled, after having a chat with them, he got their story. This couple had been quarreling all their 40 years of marriage nothing ever seems to go right. They hang on because of their children, afraid that it might affect their up-bringing. Now, all their children have already grown up, have their own family, there's nothing else the old couple have to worry about, all they wanted is to lead their own life free from all these years of unhappiness from their marriage, so both agree on a divorce. While they were signing the papers, the wife told the husband. "I really love you, but I really can't carry on anymore, I'm sorry." "It's OK, I understand." said the husband. Little did she know that, over the years, the husband has been trying all ways to please her, little did she know that drumsticks were the husband's favorite. Little did he know that she never thought he understands her at all, little did he know that she hates drumsticks even though all he wants is the best for her. That night, both of them couldn't sleep, toss and turn, toss and turn. After hours, the old man couldn't take it anymore, he knows that he still loves her, and he can't carry on life without her, he wants her back, he wants to tell her, he is sorry, he wants to tell her, "I love you." He picked up the phone, started dialing her number. Ringing never stops. He never stops dialing. On the other side, she was sad, she couldn't understand how come after all these years, he still doesn't understand her at all, she loves him a lot, but she just can't take it any more. Phone's ringing, she refuses to answer knowing that it's him. "I want to keep it this way, if not I will lose face. "She thought. Phone is still ringing. She has decided to pull out the cord. Little did she remember, he had heart problems. The next day, she received news that he had passed away. She rushed down to his apartment, saw his body, lying on the couch still holding on to the phone. He had a heart attack when he was still trying to get through her phone line. According to the passage we can know that _ . A the old man still loved his wife really. B the wife didn't love her husband at all. C their children still lived with old couple. D they were in harmony over 40 years. Answer: A. the old man still loved his wife really.
An Outstanding Teacher Ben put the white envelope into the mailbox. He felt proud, excited, and happy--and also a little nervous about whether his essay would win. Ben's local newspaper had advertised a contest inviting students to submit essays in honor of a remarkable teacher. The newspaper would choose the five best essays and print them in the paper. As soon as Ben heard about the contest, he knew he wanted to write about Mrs. Gruen. Mrs. Gruen was always so friendly and patient, and she always had something encouraging to say to her students. Even more importantly, she knew how to make science interesting and enjoyable. Before being in her class, Ben would have said he was uninterested in science, but now science was his favorite subject. At first, Ben had struggled with his essay. After he finished his first draft, he asked his older sister, Hannah, to review it. Eventually, after many more revisions, the essay was ready to mail. As Ben stood before the mailbox, he imagined how surprised Mrs. Gruen would be to open the newspaper and see her name in print. When the big day finally came, Ben opened the newspaper and eagerly studied the columns of print for the essay he had written. He did not see his essay anywhere. He turned through all of the pages, but it was not there! Instead, he saw five other essays talking about five other teachers. Ben felt like a balloon that had suddenly lost all its air. A few days later in science class, Mrs. Gruen asked Ben to stay after class for a few minutes. "Your sister stopped by yesterday," Mrs. Gruen told Ben. "She brought me the most wonderful gift." Ben saw that Mrs. Gruen was holding a copy of his essay. "You have no idea how much it means to me that you enjoy my class and think I'm a good teacher. No reward or honor could ever be greater than this essay," said Mrs. Gruen. "OK," Ben said, "I meant everything I wrote." Then he stepped into the hallway with his head held high. From the passage, we can learn that Mrs. Gruen _ . A got great achievements in science B educated many outstanding students C encouraged her students in writing contests D developed her students' interest in science Answer: D. developed her students' interest in science Dear Dr. White, Welcome to Philadelphia! Welcome to The City of Brotherly Love! We have some amazing historic sites to see during your stay. Do take advantage of them. You may have seen the filmThePhiladelphiaStory. Actually it is a comedy and still popular among the young though it was shot in the 1940s. "The City of Brotherly Love", the favored nickname for Philadelphia, is more popular. The name, Philadelphia, which means"brotherly love", is an ancient name that can be found in the Bible. Late in the 17th century, Philadelphia's founding father, William Penn, borrowed the name because its meaning represented his own beliefs. Our first stop will be the Franklin Institute which is one of the country's best science museums. The scientist and inventor Benjamin Franklin would take pride in the impressive museum named for him and presenting one of the major focuses of his life work -- spreading knowledge of the universe through science. It's the most visited museum and surely the most fun. Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. Also Franklin was a leading author, printer, politician, scientist, musician, inventor, statesman, and diplomat. As a scientist, he was a major figure in the American Enlightenment and the history of physics for his discoveries and theories regarding electricity. He earned the title of"The First American"for his campaigning for colonial unity; as an author and spokesman in London for several colonies, then as the first United States Ambassador to France, he contributed much to the building of the American nation. We won't miss Please Touch Museum too. The straightforward name of this museum is accurate: As the first museum in the nation to target children aged seven and younger, Please Touch Museum encourages children to learn through active touching and doing. It is certainly one of the best places for kids. Philadelphia is also unique in that it has a"State Store"system for non-alcoholic beer sales. Wine and spirits are only sold at stores operated by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board. For many years, these stores were called"State Store", which were strictly closed on Sundays to prevent those under 21 from drinking wine and harming others. But I will show you around the stores. You can't imagine how impressive the stores are. Do you know Segway? It is a two-wheeled self-balancing battery-powered electric vehicle which is popular among those who prefer personal and green transportation. The Segway tour is a unique and fun experience to travel in Philadelphia. If you have never experienced a Segway tour before, we expect you to join us. Look forward to your coming! Sincerely, Joy What is the feature of Please Touch Museum? A All of the items can be touched by visitors. B It's only open to children who like to use their head. C Children will be taught how those things are created. D It inspires children to learn through hands-on experiences. Answer: D. It inspires children to learn through hands-on experiences. A Special Appointment Years ago I moved to Woodland Hills to take a job in a small hospital's emergency department.No one wanted to work on Christmas Eve, so the shift went to me.I kissed my family goodbye and went off to spend the night in the hospital.It was a thankless job. At 9 pm, the ambulance brought in a man in his 60s who was having a heart attack.His face was pale, and he was frightened. The whole night I did my best to save his life.Before I left in the morning to spend Christmas with my family, I stopped by to see how he was doing.It was still tough, but he had survived the night and was sleeping. The following year I got Christmas Eve duty again.At 9 pm sharp, the ward clerk told me there was a couple who wanted to speak with me.When I approached them, the man introduced himself as Mr.Lee and said, "You probably don't remember me, but last Christmas Eve you saved my life.Thank you for the year you gave me." He and his wife hugged me, handed me a small gift, and left. The following year a new doctor had joined the group, but I wanted to see if Mr.and Mrs.Lee would return.This time, I volunteered for the shift.I kept an eye on the door.Once again, at exactly 9 pm, the Lees appeared, carrying a warmly wrapped bundle.It was their new grandchild. Mr.Lee, his family and I spent 13 Christmas Eves together.In the later years the staff all knew about the story and would work to give me time with him in the break room, where we spent a half-hour each Christmas Eve. The last year I saw him, he brought me a gift.I carefully opened the package and found a crystal bell inside.It was engraved with a single word: Friendship.Now, my family, friends and I ring that bell every Christmas Eve at exactly 9 pm and offer our best wishes to the man who we won't forget. Why does the author ring the bell on Christmas Eve? A To honor her working experience. B To tell kids the traditional custom. C To show the beginning of the holiday. D To remember an old friend of hers. Answer: D. To remember an old friend of hers. I think that I am very lucky because I have a lot of friends. My best friend is Mai. She is 16 years old. She is 2 years older than me. We live in the same village. She is my neighbor and we are now classmates, so we have been friends for so long. Mai is tall and thin. With long black hair, she has got an oval face with big bright eyes, a high nose and a small mouth. Mai is very beautiful, especially when she smiles. She is always helpful, polite and honest . When her friends have difficulties, she always tries her best to help them. Although we have the same hobbies and interests, we have different personalities . I am sociable and enjoy telling jokes. My classmates think that I'm rather outgoing .Unlike me, Mai is quite serious and prefer quietness to noise.However, we can keep secrets together, so we are close friends. Mai is one of the best students in my class and she works hard. I like doing homework with her. She always tries her best to help me with my studies. I think as time goes by, our friendship will be deeper and deeper. The writer and Mai can become friends mainly because they _ . A have the same personality. B are in the same class C live in the same village D can keep secrets together Answer: D. can keep secrets together Many people like to travel by plane because it is fast, but I don't like it because an airport is usually far from the city. You have to get there early and wait for hours for the plane to take off and it is often late. You can't open the windows. You can't choose the food. Planes are fast, but they still take hours to get out of the airport and into the city. I like traveling by train . I think trains are safe. Railway stations are usually in cities. When you are late for a train, you can catch another one. You can walk around in the train and open the windows. You can see many interesting things on your way. I know it takes a little more time. I also like cars. You can start your journey when you want to , and you don't need to get to a railway station or a bus stop. Also you can carry many things with you in a car. But sometimes there are too many cars on the road. ,. (5) If you want to take a lot of things with you , what do you take to go out ? A A bus B A car C A train D A bike Answer: B. A car
Ernest Hemingway was born in Oak Park, Illinois, on July 21st, 1899. Influenced by his father, he enjoyed camping, fishing and hunting at his early age. In 1917, after graduation from high school, Hemingway began his writing career with The Kansas City Star. And then, after being rejected for army service in World War I because of poor vision, he volunteered to serve as a driver for an American ambulance unit in France. In 1918, he transferred to duty on the Italian front, where he was seriously wounded in an explosion. After his recovery, he returned home. He worked for The Toronto star, covered the Greco-Turkish war as a foreign reporter, and then returned to Paris, which was a city full of intellectual life, creativity, and genius after the war. In Paris, where he accomplished a revolution in literary style and language, his first book, Three Stories and Ten Poems, appeared in 1923, and was followed by a short story collection In Our Time, which marked his entry to American literature in 1925. Hemingway's status as a remarkable writer of his time was confirmed with the publication of A Farewell to Arms in 1929. The novel represented a farewell both for war and for love. In 1937, he became a foreign reporter covering the Spanish Civil war. Three years later, he published For Whom the Bell Tolls. Set in Spain during the Civil war, the novel restated his view of love found and lost and described the tough spirit of the common people. In 1912, the same judgment was reflected in his portrait of fisherman, Santiago, with an _ spirit in defeat, in The Old Man and the Sea, which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1953. Hemingway won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954. With one of the most important influences on the development of the American short story and novel, Hemingway has seized the imagination of the American public like no other twentieth-century author. He died by suicide, in Ketchum, Idaho, in 1961. The publication of _ proved Hemingway one of the greatest literary lights of the 20th century. Answer: A Farewell to Arms Certain flowers will open for twelve hours and then close. Which stimulus do the flowers respond to when they open and then when they close for that time period? Answer: light levels I worked abroad one year ago Once I was sent to attend a conference. It was downpouring outside, Though I was holding an umbrella, my trouser legs as well as my shoes and socks still got wet. Entering the conference hall, I shook the umbrella, and at the same time, stamped my feet. Suddenly I caught sight of my chief boss strolling in. At that time,I just got the job.Therefor,I hurriedly went to meet this superior in the highest rank and introduced myself to him as I was a new comer.He said,"Yes,I recognize you.Got your feet wet?"I lowered my head to look at my wet trouser legs and with a helpless tone,I said,"Yeah,It's raining cats and dogs,isn't it?"Gazing at me for a moment,the chief boss said nothing with a amile. Later on, I mentioned the incident of meeting the chief boss to my colleague. Hence I learnt that I had made a big fool of myself. It turns out that "Get one's feet wet" is an American slang , with the meaning of reaching the state of affairs." However, I regarded myself as humorous and replied with a slang sentence, which is seldom used now, describing the rain falling heavily. This was completely off the point. I am lucky that the chief boss is really gentle and did not point it out at once. Got your feet wet is a (n) _ . Answer: American slang My name is Michael. This is my neighborhood. There is a big supermarket near my house. The things there are cheap, so many people like shopping there. Across from the supermarket is a school. It's my school. There is a library next to my school. I like reading books there. I am Nick. My neighborhood is busy. There are a lot of stores and restaurants in my neighborhood. My house is on a street corner . There is a post office near it. And next to the post office is a pay phone. *My name is Amy. In my neighborhood, there is a big park. Lots of people go there to have fun. I like to play there, too. There is a restaurant across from the park. A bank is next to the restaurant. And some clothes stores are near the bank. ,. How is the supermarket near Michael's house? Answer: Big. Besides the pain, what bothered Yang Zhihong the most during an operation were the female nurses in the operation room. "It couldn't be more embarrassing," said the 23-year-old senior student from Beijing Foreign Studies University, who underwent an operation at Peking University Third Hospital in March, for reasons of hygiene. "I just felt uneasy with women around me and my pants off, even if they're there to help with my operation." That wasn't the first time Yang thought there should be more male nurses in the hospital. "For a physical examination on private parts, it would be better to be helped by nurses of the same gender," he added. While their numbers have increased in recent years, male nurses still only account for less than 1% of all nurses in China, according to the Ministry of Health. In the United States and many European countries, the percentage of male nurses is around 10%, Beijing Peking University First Hospital head nurse Deng Jun said during a forum focusing on male nurses. "We need to come up with more male nurses to meet the deficiency for male nurses in China," he said. "The lack of male nurses is mainly due to the misconception that a nursing job is a disgraceful job requiring no technical skills with a comparatively poor salary," Deng said. "People hold the belief that men are too clumsy to clean a patient's body or take care of the sick. However, male nurses possess some unique features." In some high-pressure and fast-paced working environments, such as operating rooms or emergency rooms, male nurses definitely have an advantage as well, Deng said. "It's difficult for a female nurse to turn over a paralyzed patient by herself in an intensive care unit. And during natural disasters, earthquakes for example, male nurses also play a vital role in rescuing victims and providing healthcare in a dangerous environment." Men make up only 1,900 of the 69,000 registered nurses in the capital, and they mainly work in the departments that are "labor-demanding", according to the Beijing Municipal Health Bureau. "I've seen so many male nurses quit or resign in the past few years," he said. "With a basic salary of around 1,500 yuan, most male nurses simply find themselves cornered." "Many students even reject their identity as a male nurse, out of the long-existing discrimination," Zhao said. "But nursing truly needs the male because of their rational thinking, physical strength and calmness in face of emergency and disasters." Nothing will change "until the public changes its attitude and nurses' pay is raised", he said. It can be inferred from the passage that _ . Answer: China faces difficulty in employing male nurses
rocks often contain large amounts of Answer: AmericanMalinois We have extra large,strong and healthy puppies born on May 29,2014 and raised on 2.5 acres fenced in Williston Highlands by American Malinois Foundation. They are not caged or home-raised Malinois.They have taken swimming training and full exercise routine with their parents to make sure they know how to guard themselves and other things this breed can do.I work specifically on the ones which have service dog qualities. My ideal buyer would be a disabled person in need of a mobile or medical alert service dog.The American Malinois is a working dog and is most content to bond with one person and only follow this person' s orders.Potential owners should be familiar or experienced with this breed. My fee represents the cost of feeding,grooming,boarding,training,medical and registration with the CKC(Continental Kennel Club).Puppies will have health certificates from vets. To see videos of the puppies and their parents, go to YouTube and search: American Malinois Foundation. MiniSchnauzers We have 4 males and 4 females.Our puppies come with a health guarantee.They are trained and all of them have great personalities and would be a great addition to any home.These puppies are for pets only.To keep our bloodlines pure, we do not allow our puppies to be bred. We have been breeding for over 13 years and we only breed Mini Schnauzers. They are the best dogs. They are very smart. We will not ship our puppies. We have had people drive over 1500 miles to purchase our babies. Which of the following can be used to describe Mini Schnauzers? Answer: Greece's finance minister says his country's financial situation is "terribly urgent" and the crisis could come to a head in a couple of weeks. Yanis Varoufakis gave the warning after eurozone finance ministers met in Brussels to discuss the final EUR7.2bn tranche of Greece's EUR240bn EU/IMF bailout . Ministers said Greece had made "progress" but more work was needed. The Greek government is struggling to meet its payment obligations . Earlier, Greece began the transfer of EUR750m (PS544m, $834m) in debt interest to the International Monetary Fund -- a day ahead of a payment deadline. "The liquidity issue is a terribly urgent issue. It's common knowledge, let's not beat around the bush," Mr Varoufakis told reporters in Brussels. "From the perspective of timing, we are talking about the next couple of weeks." Greece has until the end of June to reach a reform deal with its international creditors. Its finances are running so low that it has had to ask public bodies for help. The crisis has raised the prospect that Greece might default on its debts and leave the euro. In a statement, the eurozone finance ministers said they "welcomed the progress that has been achieved so far" in the negotiations," but added: "We acknowledged that more time and effort are needed to bridge the gaps on the remaining open issues." Eurogroup chairman Jeroen Dijsselbloem said there had to be a full deal on the bailout before Greece received any further payments. "There are time constraints(;) and liquidity constraints and hopefully we will reach an agreement before time runs out and before money runs out." he said. There had been fears that Greece would default on its IMF debt repayment due on Tuesday. However, a Greek finance ministry official was quoted as saying that the order for repayment had been executed on Monday. Almost EUR1bn has been handed over to the IMF in interest payments since the start of May. It is unclear how the government came up with the funds, but the mayor of Greece's second city Thessaloniki revealed last week that he had handed over cash reserves in response to an appeal for money. What is Yanis Varoufakis? Answer: A person uses all of a renewable resource that they had in a bucket. They can get more of it by Answer: Once upon a time if we wanted to make a phone call or wait for someone to contact us, we had to sit at home or at our desks. There were public phones in the street of course, _ . And of course you had to bring a lot of coins to pay for the calls. So people didn't phone their friends as often. Mobile phones, these small pieces of electronic equipment which allow us to talk with friends and family while we are on the move, have greatly changed the way we live. Before the age of the mobile phone, our loved ones would sit around worried sick if we were late coming home. There were no quick calls to tell mum that there would be additional guests coming for dinner. We would have to depend on notes left on fridges or desks to communicate messages. But mobile phones have also had a negative effect and what people don't seem to realize is that we've lost something very valuable: our privacy. Now our friends and family can contact us wherever and whenever they want to. We can never get away from them. The way people communicate with each other is totally different now. It's difficult to have a conversation face-to-face with a friend without being disturbed every couple of minutes by the ring of their phones, ,most people don't see anything wrong in having a long conversation on their mobile phone while forgetting all about the person sitting opposite. It seems the art of real conversation may be dying. Of course, people could leave their mobile phones at home or even switch them off but no one ever does that. Why not? Because the worrying thing is we can't live without our phones. We've become communication addicts, unable to spend even a few minutes out of contact, in case we miss something 'important'. What's the writer's point about using telephones before the invention of mobile phones? Answer:
Do you have to be very smart to live a happy life? The character of McDull tells you that this is not true. He is famous for having a birthmark on his right eye. He is not very clever, but he has a heart of gold. He is also happy, with lots of dreams. McDull wanted to visit the Maldives . But his mother didn't have enough money for a trip there. So she lied to him and took him to a place called Hong Kong. The place has a sign that says, "Go to the Maldives." It made McDull very happy. He thought he was really excited in the Maldives! McDull is just a common pig. He has many dreams, but they never come true. That doesn't stop him trying. McDull lives his life in a simple and happy way. His idea towards life is "Never give up". The cartoon pig character was created in Hong Kong by Alice Mark and Brian Tse. McDull first showed up as a character in the McMug comics. McMug is another cartoon pig. But McDull is more popular with a huge number of fans everywhere! McDull is famous for _ . A. having a birthmark on his left eye B. having a birthmark on his right eye C. his wonderful character D. visiting the Maldives Answer: B. having a birthmark on his right eye The Chinese invented paper in 105 A. D. They mixed the bark of a tree and rags with water, put a screen into the mixture, and lifted out a thin piece of wet paper. They dried the paper in the sun. The Chinese kept their secret of how to make paper until a war with Muslims in the ninth century. The art of papermaking soon spread throughout the Muslim world. The Mayan Indians in Central America and Pacific Islanders also discovered how to make paper, but their knowledge never spread to the rest of the world. For centuries, all paper was made by hand. Rags were the main material. Then a French scientist discovered that people could make paper from wood, too. Finally, in the eighteenth century. a Frenchman invented a machine to make paper from wood. Which of the following is the best title for this passage? A. The Invention of Paper. B. The History of Papermaking. C. Different Ways of Making Paper. D. The Invention of a Papermaking Machine. Answer: B. The History of Papermaking. One day a rich boy bought a magic mirror . When he got home, he looked in the mirror. His face looked sad. He tried to smile and make funny faces, his face looked still sad. Then he did many happy things, but his face always looked sad. "Oh, what a terrible mirror! It doesn't work! " he said angrily. The next day on his way to buy some chocolate, he saw a little girl crying sadly. The rich boy went up to her and asked what happened. The little girl said she couldn't find her parents. "Don't worry. I'll help you," the rich boy said. So they went to look for them together. Finally they found her parents. They were so thankful for his help. After the rich boy arrived home, he looked in the mirror as usual. To his surprise, his face looked very happy. The boy understood the magic of the mirror. The mirror could show the true feelings of its owner. This was true--the rich boy helped that little girl, so he felt really happy. , . What did the boy's face always look lie in the mirror on the first day? A. Happy. B. Sad. C. Terrible. D. Funny. Answer: B. Sad. It's you and I who are to blame for the state of the earth. No question about it. It's our life-style that is threatening life on Earth, so we must make the changes. The good news is that many of those changes are really quite simple, even enjoyable, but for every careful step we take as individuals , we must press government and industry to take a big step on our benefit . And we must start now. Tomorrow's too late. My aim this year is to persuade as many of my friends and colleagues as possible to choose the train, and leave their cars behind too. My gardens have been pesticide -free zones for years and I enjoy seeing more wildlife on my doorstep as a result; I've tried to reduce my contribution to water pollution too, by using environment-friendly, phosphate -free washing powder , and by no longer thinking of the toilet as a suitable waste-disposal point . I ran after a young lady through town recently to give her back the piece of paper she had carelessly thrown away. She disappeared into a shop, and when I followed her inside and made my presentation, she was doubly embarrassed--she worked there, and the boss gave her a ticking-off too. I've started asking fellow drivers at gas stations why they aren't using unleaded petrol . These are small things, but we have to start somewhere, and every little does help . To help the environment, the author is trying to do everything mentioned below EXCEPT_. A. taking the train instead of a car B. throwing away the old cars C. avoiding the use of pesticides D. running after those who throw articles carelessly Answer: B. throwing away the old cars The revolution was over by the time Tom Ford started working in the fashion world. The expensive fashion design houses such as Channel, Yves Saint Laurent, and Christian Dior, which earned money by designing and making very expensive custom clothes, had lost many of their wealthy customers. To stay in business, they started selling more reasonably priced ready-to-wear clothing along with a wide range of accessories , that is, related products such as shoes, bags, watches. All of these products needed to blend with the clothing and with each other so that they made up a brand that everyone would recognize and wanted to buy. Though they did not use that name, each company needed a "master designer." Born in Texas and growing up in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Ford had a diverse background in the arts. Soon after completing high school, he moved to New York, where he studied art history, trained as an actor, and worked as a model. Following that, Ford completed a program in indoor design, but later decided that he was more interested in designing clothes than in decorating house. He was hired by the firm Cathy Hardwick in 1986, where he began to work as a fashion designer. His talent stood out from the rest and soon he moved to Perry Ellis, where he became design director. Then in 1990 he made an important move by taking a position with the New York branch of Gucci, the famous design house based in Milan, Italy. During his first years at Gucci, the company was going through a very difficult period. Its products were once considered highly desirable, and were worn by famous women such as Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn, and Jacqueline Kennedy. However, by the early 1990s they had lost their reputation for quality. Other producers had started making cheap, widely available imitations of the brand, and the sales of Gucci's own products had dropped. Things were so bad at one point that Ford was almost fired. However, some people at the company believed in his talent, and in 1994 they hired him to work in Milan as the creative director for the entire company. In this position Ford had artistic control over all of the company's products, as well as its advertising and the design of its stores. Under Ford's direction, Gucci's reputation for cutting-edge style soon returned, and the company began to recover. The style shows starting in 1994 were wildly successful. People loved the low-cut velvet pants, unbuttoned silk shirts, and shiny boots in metallic color1s. By 1999 Gucci, which had almost gone out of business, was worth over $4 billion. When Gucci bought Yves Saint Laurent , Ford became creative director for that fashion house while continuing to design for Gucci. When asked how he would be able to keep the two styles apart, Ford said it wasn't a problem and offered a comparison. Yves Saint Laurent was like Catherine Deneuve, he said while Gucci was more like Sophia Loren. Both are sexy and beautiful women, but with very different styles. Ford left Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent in 2004 to form his own company called simply "Tom Ford". Not long after, he was working together with cosmetics producer Estee Lauder to bring out new beauty products, and then developed and sold a perfume under his own name. His plans for the future? Ford says that someday he'd definitely like to make a film. He puts it his way: "That is the main design project. You don't just get to design what people wear, but you design the whole world and whether characters get to live or die. There is what fashion lacks. The passage doesn't mention that Ford received any training in _ . A. acting B. modeling C. photography D. designing Answer: C. photography
What requires nutrients to grow and heal, and use a bill type instrument to process them? A. metals B. dirt C. birds D. bear Answer: C. birds Which is true? A. balloons and stars are composed of exactly the same materials B. balloons and stars are the same size C. stars and balloons share some of the same gases D. balloons and stars contain sodium Answer: C. stars and balloons share some of the same gases Do you know why different animals or pests have their special color1s? Their color1s in them seem to be used mainly to protect themselves. Some birds like eating locusts , but birds cannot easily catch them. Why? It is because locusts change their color1s together with the change of the color1s of crops . When crops are green, locusts look green. But as the harvest time comes, locusts change to the same brown color1 as crops have. Some other pests with different color1s from plants are easily found and eaten by others. So they have to hide themselves for lives and appear only at night. If you study the animal life, you'll find the main use of color1ing is to protect the animals themselves. Bears, lions and other animals move quietly through forests. They cannot be easily seen by hunters . This is because they have the color1s much like the trees'. Have you ever noticed an even stranger act? A kind of fish in the sea can send out a kind of very black liquid when it faces danger. While the liquid spreads over , its enemies cannot find it. And it immediately swims away. So it has lived up to now though it is not strong at all. Bears and lions can keep safe because _ . A. they have the color1s much like the trees B. they move quietly C. they like brown and gray color1s D. they live in forests Answer: A. they have the color1s much like the trees Societies all over the world name places in similar ways. Quite often there is no official naming ceremony but places tend to be called names as points of reference by people. Then an organized body steps in and gives the place a name. Frequently it happens that a place has two names: One is named by the people and the other by the government. As in many areas, old habits _ and the place continues to be called by its unofficial name long after the meaning is lost. Many roads and places in Singapore are named in order that the pioneers will be remembered by future generations. Thus we have names such as Stamford Road and Raffles Place. This is in keeping with traditions in many countries --in both the West and the East. Another way of naming places is naming them after other places. Perhaps they were named to promote friendships between the two places or it could be that the people who used to live there were originally from the places that the roads were named after. The mystery is clearer when we see some of the roads named in former British bases. If you step into Selector Airbase you will see Piccadilly Circus --obviously named by some homesick Royal Air Force personnel. Some places were named after the activities that used to go on at those places. Bras Basah Road is an interesting example, "Base Basah" means "wet rice" in Malay . Now why would anyone want to name a road "Wet Rice Road"? The reason is simple. During the pioneering days, wet rice was laid out to dry along this road. A few roads in Singapore are named by their shapes. There is "Circular Road" for one. Other roads may have part of their names to describe their shapes, like "Paya Lebar Crescent". This road is called a crescent because it begins on the main road, makes a crescent and comes back to join the main road again. Which of the following places is named after a person? A. Raffles Place. B. Selector Airbase. C. Piccadilly Circus. D. Paya Lebar Crescent. Answer: A. Raffles Place. "Look, my mum's in hospital, dying, she won't survive the night, I'm going to miss the connection to Leeds at Peterborough, I'd be grateful if you'd leave me alone.Okay?" "Okay," he said, finally getting up."Sorry to hear that, son.Hope you make it home in time." Then he left. Ten minutes later, he was back.Oh no, I thought, "here we go again".This time I really want to rag him down the train. He touched my arm."Listen, when we get to Peterborough, shoot straight over to Platform One as quick as you like.The Leeds train'll be there." I said, stupidly, "What do you mean? Is it late, or something?" "No, it isn't late," he said."No, I've just radioed Peterborough.They're going to hold the train up for you.As soon as you get on, it goes." " Everyone will be complaining about how late it is, but let' s not worry about that on this occasion.You'll get home and that's the main thing.Good luck and God bless. Then he was off down the train again. I chased him down the train.I wanted to give him all the things I had, but I knew he would be offended. I caught him up and grabbed his arm."Oh, er, I just wanted to..." I was suddenly speechless."I, if erm... "It's okay," he said."Not a problem. " I wish I had some way to thank you," I said." I appreciate what you've done." "Not a problem," he said again."If you feel the need to thank me, the next time you see someone in trouble, you help them out.That will pay me back enough.Tell them to pay you back the same way and soon the world will be a better place." I was at my mother's side when she died in the early hours of the morning. Why was the author not in the mood for talking? A. He was too tired and wanted to have a rest. B. He was a shy man and didn't want to chat with strangers. C. He was sad for fear of not being with his mother when she died. D. He disliked the conductor. Answer: C. He was sad for fear of not being with his mother when she died.
Question: Water can be a liquid, a solid or a gas. When it is a solid, it can be as hard as stone. When it is a liquid, it can run through your fingers. When it is a gas, you may not see or feel it. Water can change from a solid to a liquid or to a gas easily. This is why we always have fresh water. Now let us find out how it does. The heat of the sun turns liquid water into gas from the oceans, seas, rivers and lakes. The heat also turns liquid water into gas from the ground, the plants and the animals. Water in the gas rises and turns into clouds in the air. When the clouds come near a mountain, they rise high. As the clouds rise, they get cooler. The higher they rise, the cooler they become. Then more and more water gas turn into water drops. In this way, the drops of water in the clouds get bigger and bigger. Then they fall to the earth as rain. , According to the passage, it rains most over the _ A. seas B. oceans C. mountains D. farms Answer: C. mountains Question: "I sometimes get up at three or four in the morning and I surf the net." "I often check my e-mail forty times a day. " "I often spend more than three hours during one time on the net." "I spend more time in chat rooms than with my 'real-life' friends." Do you know any people like these? They are part of a new addiction called Internet addiction. Internet addicts spend at least thirty to forty hours online every week. The use of the Internet can be an addiction like drug use. People lose control of the time they spend on the Internet. For example, one college student was missing for several days. His friends were worried, and they called the police. The police found the student in the computer lab: he was surfing the net for several days straight. Studies show that about 6% to 10% of Internet users become addicted. And people worry about the teens because the Internet is changing the playing field for some of them. They spend more time in cyberspace than in the real world of friends and family. Is "surfing the net" a hobby or an addiction for you? You may have a problem if you have these symptoms : 1You do not go to important family activities or you do not do school work because you like to spend hours on the Internet. 2You can't wait for your next online time. 3You go out with your friends less and less. 4You plan to spend a short time online, but then you spend several hours. Why do people worry about the teens? A. The teens are wasting too much money. B. They used to work on the Internet. C. The playing field of the teens will disappear. D. More and more of the teens will become addicted to the Internet. Answer: D. More and more of the teens will become addicted to the Internet. Question: The spectrum of visible light can be seen in a rainbow because white light is A. reflected and transmitted. B. refracted and dispersed. C. absorbed and diffracted. D. produced and emitted. Answer: B. refracted and dispersed. Question: Baekeland and Hartmann report that the " short sleepers" had been more or less average in their sleep needs until the men were in their teens. But at about age 15 0r so, the men voluntarily began cutting down their nightly sleep time because of pressures from school, work, and other activities. These men tended to regard their nightly periods of unconsciousness as bothersome interruptions in their daily routines. In general, these "short sleepers" appeared ambitious, active, energetic and cheerful. They stuck to their opinions, and were very sure about their job choices..They often held several jobs at once, or worked full-or part-time while going to school. And many of them had a strong urge to appear "normal" or " acceptable" to their friends and colleagues. When asked to remember their dreams, the " short sleepers" did poorly. More than this, they seemed to prefer not remembering. Similarly, their usual way of dealing with psychological problems was not to admit that the problem existed, and then to keep busy in the hope that the trouble would go away. The sleep patterns of the " short sleepers" were similar to, but less extreme than, sleep patterns shown by many mental patients categorized as manic . The "long sleepers" were quite different indeed. Baekeland and Hanmann report that these young men have been lengthy sleepers since childhood. They seemed to enjoy their sleep, protected it, and were quite concemed when sometimes they didn't have their desired 9 hours of nightly bed rest. They tended to remember their dreams much better than the " short sleepers". Many of the "long sleepers" were shy, anxious, quiet, nervous, passive, mildly depressed, and unsure of themselves ( particularly in social situations) . Several openly stated that sleep was an escape from their daily problems. It can be learned from the passage that the"short sleepers" _ . A. do not know how to relax properly B. are more unlikely to run into mental problems C. are full of energy even under the pressures of life D. often pay little attention to the consequences of inadequate sleep Answer: D. often pay little attention to the consequences of inadequate sleep Question: Few people realize that there is a big difference between formal English and informal English. Formal English is used for most writing, and often in public speaking and formal meetings. It pays close attention to grammar rules, because if we use proper grammar, our meaning is often more _ . Also, on important occasions, we do not want to appear uneducated or to offend others, so we are very careful about how we speak. Informal English is used in speaking or writing to our friends and family. It often does not pay such close attention to grammar rules, because when we speak or write to them, we want our words to flow quickly. Also, with our friends and family, we are usually not so worried about appearing uneducated or about offending them by how we write or speak. A big difference between formal and informal English is the use of contractions. A contraction is where we make a word shorter or where we put two words together and take away some of the letters. For example, instead of saying "do not", many people say "don't". Using contractions in our speech is fine because it sounds natural, especially when we speak to our friends. In formal writing, however, contractions are usually avoided because people might think that you have made a mistake, or that you do not know proper grammar. In the same way we might make words shorter, in informal English we often make sentences shorter as well. For example, if someone asks you your name, you will likely answer with one word: your first name. However, in formal English we usually use complete sentences. For example, we might write "My name is John". In most speaking, we may not need to use every word in a sentence because the person we are speaking to will probably still understand us. In most writing, however, every word in a sentence must be written out in order to make sure that we can be understood. When we use formal English, _ . A. we will offend others B. we will appear educated on important occasions C. we needn't pay more attention to grammar rules D. we can express ourselves more directly and more quickly Answer: B. we will appear educated on important occasions
Opened in 1971, the Magic Kingdom was the first theme park at Walt Disney World. All Disney World theme parks are open 365 days a year, although opening and closing times for each park are different from day to day. If you are traveling without kids, try to visit it on a school day to avoid the largest crowds. If you need to visit it during a school vacation, try at least to avoid the week between Christmas and New Year's Day and the Fourth of July. If you are not staying at a Disney World hotel, avoid visiting the Magic Kingdom on its Extra Magic Hours days. The hotel guests get into the park early on those days, increasing the waiting time for visitors who arrive at the normal opening time. Buy your Walt Disney World tickets online at Disney World's website. There will be some advice on picking the right ticket. See the guide to Disney World tickets. You will also need to call in advance to make lunch or dinner reservations . Disney accepts reservations, through 1-407-WDW-DINE, up to 180 days in advance. Time does pass quickly, so you should call six months before your trip to get a lunch reservation in the castle. We suggest you should have your lunch at Cinderella's Royal Table for your tour. If you can't get the reservation, ask for the Liberty Tree Tavern instead. Keep in mind that to reach the Magic Kingdom, you must park at Disney World's Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC) parking lot, take a tram , and then take a boat across the Seven Seas Lagoon to the Magic Kingdom. If you want to have dinner in the Walt Disney World, you can _ . make a call to reserve a table for dinner in advance When you are feeling unhappy or forget how great you are ,there are six ways to make you feel confident about yourself , 1.Look in the mirror and say to yourself,"I am a special person and there's no one in the world like me. I can do anything!"It may not sound so good ,bur it really works! 2.Do something nice for someone. Helping others always makes you feel so good. 3.Smile! Be friendly to the people you meet. Look for the good things of your friends and family. 4.Learn something new! Do you want to decorate your own room or learn how to swim? Go for it !New challenges are fun and give you a sense of accomplishment when you finish them, 5.Keep a diary. Turn off the TV and let your imagination fly! Write down your thoughts, dreams or anything you want! Writing always helps to express your feelings. 6.Stay with your family. We all need our family time .Talk with your mum or dad or maybe even your cousin You may see this passage in _ a magazine Since the beginning of the year, smog has covered parts of North China. In January, Beijing saw only five days without smog. The rising PM2.5 readings terrified many people, and some health experts said that whenever the smog gets serious, hospitals receive more patients suffering acute respiratory and heart diseases. Later, news of polluted underground water in some provinces scared people who wondered whether the water they drink is safe. So the need to emphasize environmental protection while developing the economy is heard everywhere. Smog is especially a common concern. As a popular online post said, air may be the only thing that is equal for everyone, despite your income or profession. People with higher incomes are able to drink only bottled spring water and eat only organic food by paying higher prices, but they breathe the same air as everyone else. At a meeting on Monday, many representatives have expressed their concerns about the air quality, too. One talked about his experience in Beijing. "After taking a taxi from the capital airport to my hotel, which took about an hour, I washed my nose and found the inside of my nose was black. We should ask ourselves this question: Why do we want to develop? It's for living a better life. Dirty air is definitely not a better life," he said. China needs to develop its economy and invest in hightech. Every Chinese has a dream to make China stronger. But without blue sky, clean water and safe food, the achievements in the economy will become meaningless. Space technologies are not to be developed for building a base on Mars so that one day all human beings can move to the red planet because they have destroyed Earth. What the public wants is a strong and beautiful China. The great efforts must be made to promote ecological progress and build a beautiful China. The words have shown the central government's determination to address the environment issue. Why has smog become a common concern? _ Because nobody can avoid it. Only about 30 percent of people in the US know how to perform CPR . Recently, a 9-year-old boy showed a Georgia woman how to perform CPR on her newborn baby. Susanna Rohm said she had experienced a parent's worst nightmare -- her 2-month-old son, Isiah, was not breathing. "I noticed he looked pale. I looked at his arms and his legs and they were limp ," Rohm told a local newspaper. "Then I noticed that he looked like he wasn't alive." In _ , she dropped and broke her cellphone. Rohm had to run into the street, screaming for help. "I had him in my arms and screamed over and over. Then I ran outside. I saw two boys playing across the street, and I yelled, 'Go and ask your parents to call 911,'" Rohm said. But the two boys were able to do more than that. Nine-year-old Ethan Wilson took action, showing Rohm how to perform CPR on little Isiah while ten-year-old Rocky Hurt helped as well. Rocky said he had learned the CPR technique from a poster in a health class at their school, Sedalia Park Elementary. "I was thinking we'd better give her a helping hand instead of getting scared," Ethan said. "I told her to push on the baby's chest five to ten times a minute with only two fingers, tilt back the baby's head, plug the baby's nose and breathe into the baby's mouth," Ethan said in an interview. At last, Isiah began crying and was breathing again. He spent two nights in a local hospital. "If the little boy hadn't shown me what to do right there, my baby would probably not be alive right now," Rohm said. What did Rohm do when she saw the two boys? She asked them to ask their parents for help. Schools have been blamed for giving kids access to soda in vending machines . But new data suggest that school soft drink sales may not be an important factor in how much soda kids drink. In the current issue of The Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, researchers compared soda consumption among nearly 500 students inprefix = st1 /Mainewho attended seven schools over two school years. Four of the schools cut back on soft drink availability at the schools, while three of the schools made no changes. All the students were drinking less soda by the end of the study period, but there were no meaningful differences in overall soft drink consumption among the different schools. The data suggest that limiting soft drink availability at school doesn't result in meaningful changes in drink consumption patterns. While there were no changes in overall soda consumption, there was a notable shift in diet soda drinking among girls. If the school cut back on soda availability, girls were less likely to drink diet soda, compared to girls in schools that made no changes. The data are the latest to suggest that schools may not play as big of a role in kids' poor eating habits as widely believed. Last year, The American Journal of Public Healthpublished a provocative study showing that childhood weight problems often get worse in the summer, when kids are out of school. Data from kindergarteners and first graders found that body mass index increased two to three times as fast in summer as during the regular school year. Minority children were especially at risk, as were children who were already overweight. Even children who were too thin and needed to gain weight appeared to have better eating habits during the school year. They actually gained more weight while in school and less in the summer. Even so, much of the focus on childhood nutrition and obesity remains in the nation's schools. Today, The Timesreported that even the school bake sale is disappearing as districts impose strict standards on the food served on school grounds. What can be learned from The Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior? Soft drinks may not to be blame for eating problems.
Do you want to live with a strong sense of peacefulness, happiness, goodness, and self- respect? The collection of happiness actions broadly categorized as "honor" help you create this life of good feelings. Here's an example to show how honorable actions create happiness. Say a store clerk fails to charge us for an item. If we keep silent, and profit from the clerk's mistake, we would drive home with a sense of sneaky excitement. Later we might tell our family or friends about our good fortune. On the other hand, if we tell the clerk about the uncharged item, the clerk would be grateful and thank us for our honesty. We would leave the store with a quiet sense of honor that we might never share with another soul. Then, what is it to do with our sense of happiness? In the first case, where we don't tell the clerk, a couple of things would happen. Deep down inside we would know ourselves as a type of thief. In the process, we would lose some peace of mind and self-respect. We would also demonstrate that we cannot be trusted, since we advertise our dishonor by telling our family and friends. We damage our own reputations by telling others. In contrast, bringing the error to the clerk's attention causes different things to happen. Immediately the clerk knows us to be honorable. Upon leaving the store, we feel honorable and our self-respect is increased. Whenever we take honorable action we gain the deep internal rewards of goodness and a sense of nobility. There is a beautiful positive cycle that is created by living a life of honorable actions. Honorable thoughts lead to honorable actions. Honorable actions lead us to a happier existence. And it's easy to think and act honorably again when we're happy. While the positive cycle can be difficult to start, once it's started, it's easy to continue. Keeping on doing good deeds brings us peace of mind, which is important for our happiness. Which of the following can be the best title of this passage? A. How to Live Truthfully B. Importance of Peacefulness C. Ways of Gaining Self-respect D. Happiness through Honorable Actions Answer: D Who's building the new China? It's not the factory owners or the business men.It's someone else. We see them every day.They work day and night in the terrible working places and weather.They build the roads,the theaters,the cinemas and the supermarkets.They even clean up our rubbish.They are China's migrant workers . Over 140 million workers left their homes in the countryside to look for jobs in big cities around China.They hope to be rich,but they find they have many difficulties in making enough money.And one of the difficulties is the pride and discrimination from the people in cities. When night falls.I see the sad faces of the migrant workers.Many are living far away from the people whom they love. Yes,they dress differently,they speak differently,and they have different habits,but they work hard.The people in cities think they are outsiders,and most governments refuse to give them medical care and public schooling for their children. If China hopes to move into the future.many things need to change.The first is discrimination! We need to stop our discrimination against the migrant workers of China! They may not make as much money as some people in cities,but they are good people just trying to _ . These workers are very important and necessary to China's economic development and play an important role in changing Chinese society .They are building the new China,so we should help them. The writer thinks _ is building the new China. A. the factory owners of China B. the business men and women of China C. the migrant workers of China D. the people in Chinese cities Answer: C There is some unwelcome news for students preparing for exams and officers putting in long hours-----you don't need the break as much as you may think that makes you feel less tired. Scientists have long assumed that willpower is a limited resource, which is why you feel the need to have a rest, have a snack and come back to a task when you're feeling better. They argued that the only way to restore willpower was by rest, food or entertainment. But psychologists have challenged this theory, saying weak willpower is all in your head. They found that people's beliefs in willpower determine how long and how well they'll be able to work on a tough mental exercise. "If you think of willpower as something that's limited, you're more likely to be tired when you perform a difficult task," said Prof.Veronika Job. "'But if you think of willpower as something that is not easily used up, you can go on and on." The researchers designed four experiments to test students'-beliefs in willpower. After a tiring task, those, who believed or were led to believe that willpower is a limited resource, performed worse on standard concentration tests than those who thought of willpower as something they had more control over. They also found that leading up to final exam week, students who believed the limited resource theory ate junk food 24 percent more often than those who believed they had more control in resisting temptation . Mr. Job said. "The theory that willpower is a limited resource is interesting, but it has had unintended consequences. Students who may already have trouble studying are being told that their power of concentration is limited, and they need to take frequent breaks. But a belief in willpower as a non-limited resource makes people stronger in their ability to work through challenges.'" The findings could help people who are" battling temptation. Willpower isn't driven by a biologically based process as much as we used to think. The belief in it is what influences your behavior. What have the scientists long believed regarding willpower? A. It is in the charge of people. B. It is a limited resource. C. There is no way to restore willpower. D. It doesn't easily run out. Answer: B If you were a pilot flying a plane, and suddenly the engine failed, would you eject , or stay in? For a pilot, the choice is very difficult. If he ejects, he is wise, but the plane crashes. If he stays in the plane, he risks his life. Recently, Chinese Air Force pilot Li Feng, 38, faced this choice during a training exercise. It was March 7 and he was flying a Jian-10 (Flghter-10) at 4,500 meters. A warning appeared on the plane's computer screen. He realized the plane might fail at any moment. Li Feng did a quick check of the engine and asked the base if he could return. When the fighter was 7km away from the airport, however, the engine stopped working. The plane began to fall at a speed of 25 meters a second from an altitude of 1,160 meters. Under Air Force rules fighter pilots may eject if their aircraft loses engine power below 2,000 meters and can't be restarted. Before Li lost contact with the control tower, the commander in the air base asked him to eject. But Li Feng insisted on having another try. "I knew where the deadline (to abandon the aircraft) was and was prepared for the ejection, but I decided not to give up unless the fighter was totally out of control," Li recalled during a recent television interview. After 104 seconds, Li was able to bring the fighter to a safe landing. The plane only suffered slight damage. "You are a hero! Congratulations!" Li's teacher, Xu yongling wrote in a text message to him after the landing. He said Li was a cool-headed pilot and very professional. Li's brave and calm act not only saved the 200 million yuan aircraft but also gave him invaluable first-hand experience of dealing with an engine emergency. For his outstanding performance, the Air Force recently awarded him a gold medal. When the fighter plane loses engine power below 2,000 meters, _ . A. pilots must restart it as soon as possible B. pilots should repair it as soon as possible C. pilots may eject for safety D. pilots should bring it to a safe landing Answer: C One morning, Bill said he was ill. His mother called a taxi and took him to the doctor. The doctor asked Bill, "What's the matter, young man?" Bill answered, "I'm feeling sick. I'm coughing and having a headache . I won't be able to go to school today, I'm afraid." The doctor looked him over carefully, and then asked his mother, "What did he have for breakfast?" His mother said, "He had four pieces of dread, two eggs, a bottle of milk and an orange." The doctor smiled, "Don't worry. It's nothing serious. The boy will be all right after the football match." The mother said, "I don't understand, Doctor." The doctor smiled again," This afternoon, the biggest football game of the year will be on TV. Your boy doesn't want to miss it. I think he will be fine after the game. You wait and see." The doctor didn't give Bill any medicine , because _ . A. he didn't think Bill was ill B. Bill didn't like having medicine C. Bill's mother didn't have enough money D. he had no medicine left Answer: A
Many things -- genetics, environment, the food you eat, illness, sleep, even the seasons -- influence your emotional state. But at the heart of it is how you regard yourself. If you have a healthy level of self-esteem, you not only cope with life's challenges better than people with low self-esteem, but you're probably more content, confident, and successful. You're probably also healthier. Studies show that positive self-esteem actually helps inoculate (......) people against depression and anxiety, conditions that may present increased risk of everything from colds to heart diseases. Most people's good sense of worth is rooted in their childhood -- in the early approval of their parents, teachers, and friends. But as we get older, most of us judge ourselves by our sense of how effectively we're managing in the world, especially in the areas of love and work. Our ability to love and to be loved can give us a sense of purpose and deep fulfillment. We can also find satisfaction and pride in work-related accomplishments and the people we meet and work with can reinforce our sense of self and our role in life. Once midlife comes along, however, our self-esteem can take a turn in response to changes in our lives. Marital relationship may change, children may leave home , and we may begin to scale back our work as we approach retirement. Of course, the view in the mirror may not be what it used to be, either. If you find your self-esteem eroding a bit, try to build it up again. As the saying goes, it's better to try something and fail than to be successful at not trying anything . Focus on goals that are linked to activities you're really interested in, so you'll enjoy a sense of purpose and gain pleasure from the pursuit whether or not you achieve your goal in full. If a child is often scolded, when he grows up he may _ , according to the passage. Answer: It is the last day of June today. It is grandma's birthday. Father, mother and I go to see her. My grandma lives with my uncle in a village not too far away. Uncle works there. Early in the morning we buy a birthday cake and some fruit and go to her home by bus. Grandma and uncle are very glad to see us. We give the present to grandma and say, "Happy birthday to you!" She is very happy. Then we sit down to talk. Uncle goes to prepare lunch. The meal is very nice. We all enjoy it very much. At 4 o'clock, we say goodbye and go back home. We _ with grandma in her house. Answer: An Invisible Smile Mr. Dawson was an old grouch, and everyone in town knew it. Kids knew not to go into his yard to pick a delicious apple. Old Dawson, they said, would come after you with his gun. One Friday, 12-year-old Janet was going to stay all night with her friend Amy. They had to walk by Dawson's house on the way to Amy's house, but as they got close, Janet saw him sitting on his front porch and suggested they cross over to the other side of the street. Like most of the children, Janet was scared of the old man. Amy said not to worry. Mr. Dawson wouldn't hurt anyone. Still, Janet was growing more nervous with each step closer to the old man's house. When they got close enough, Dawson looked up with his usual frown , but when he saw it was Amy, a broad smile changed his entire face as he said, "Hello Miss Amy. I see you've got a little friend with you today." Amy smiled back and told him Janet was staying overnight and they were going to listen to music and play games. Mr. Dawson said that sounded fun, and offered them each a fresh picked apple off his tree. They gladly accepted. Mr. Dawson had the best apples in the whole town. When they left, Janet asked Amy, "Everyone says he's the meanest man in town. How come he was so nice to us?" Amy explained that when she first started walking past his house he wasn't very friendly and she was afraid of him, but she pretended he was wearing an invisible smile and so she always smiled back at him. It took a while, but one day he half-smiled back at her. After some more time, he started smiling real smiles and then started talking to her. Just a "hello" at first, then more. She said he always offers her an apple now, and is always very kind. "An invisible smile?" questioned Janet. "Yes," answered Amy, "my grandma told me that if I pretended I wasn't afraid and pretended he was smiling an invisible smile at me and I smiled back at him, sooner or later he would really smile. Grandma says smiles are _ If we remember what Amy's grandma said, that everyone wears an invisible smile, we too will find that We're always on the go trying to accomplish so much, aren't we? It's so easy to get caught up in everyday life that we forget how simple it can be to bring cheer to ourselves and others. Giving a smile away takes so little effort and time, let's make sure that we're not the one that others have to pretend to be wearing an invisible smile. We can infer from the passage that _ . Answer: Connecticut College senior Paul Dryden has known for years that he'd have lots of competition for an entry--level promotions job inprefix = st1 /New York's music industry. So in a bid to get an advantage last summer, he invented a job for himself. The job, as an intern in Universal MusiCs Buenos Aires office, had never existed before Dryden proposed it. Yet because he was willing to work without pay, he got his foot in the door and was soon translating interviews with American rock stars for his boss, who didn't speak English. "In theU.S., lye done a lot of internships where interns do all the busywork -- copying, stapling, the boring stuff," Dryden says. "But in this position (inArgentina), I felt very valuable to the company." International internships have been around since the 1950s, but they've become much more popular lately. Over the past three years, colleges have on average seen a 6% increase in the number of students doing international internships, according to a 39--college survey in March by the National Society for Experiential Education, an association of campus internship organizers. And the Institute for the International Education of Students says 25% of its 5, 000 annual study--abroad participants now do an internship component, up from 17% in the 1980s and 21% in the 1990s. National data aren't available on the total number of students doing internships overseas, but career--planning experts say such experience is an increasingly popular way to get" resume radiance ." Because 84 % of college students say they'll do at least one internship before graduating, many now aim to distinguish themselves with experience _ to a global economy. More and more students tend to choose International internships because _ Answer: David Moore taught science at the City School. He needed some expensive books, and 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 to Fry Road. On Friday people read this in the newspaper: Books: Have you any old books? I buy old and modern books. Open all day on Saturdays. David Moore, 26 Fry Road. David stayed at home on Saturday. The first man 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. Mr Moore lived _ . Answer:
Become a volunteer and help those who need your help in your community ! Volunteer work includes helping the poor, helping the families whose houses were destroyed by national disasters or creating green spaces for neighborhood families. Whichever service activity you choose, you have the "power of one" to make a difference and create a real change in the community! Our holiday volunteer jobs are open to all Americans. You don't need any special skills to join and there are no age limits . With Biosphere Expedition , you can be a wildlife and environmental volunteer for anywhere from two weeks to two months. You'll work with local scientists, and the leaders from Biosphere Expedition will be by your side. We need students at the age of 16 and up who study at school and want a chance to use their talents, skills and knowledge to help the little kids. Most of them have enough patience and are warm-hearted. Join the Volunteer Service Center today! Volunteers are the greatest people in the world. Let's work together to make the world a better place. What is the best title for this passage? A. Volunteers Wanted. B. A Job Interview. C. An Expedition Club. D. Education Service. Answer: A Jon woke up knowing that today was finally the day. It was his birthday! He had been waiting for this day all year long. He was super excited to get all his presents and hoped he finally got the basketball he wanted. As he ran outside, he saw his parents weren't even awake yet! He looked at the clock and it was still only six in the morning. He tried to wake up his parents, but they told him to go back to sleep. Jon went back to his bed and laid there until it was finally time to open presents. His parents were brushing their teeth and taking a shower, so Jon waited outside where the presents were. He saw that he had three gifts from his parents waiting for him. He had really hoped there was a basketball. The first gift he opened was a new pair of pants his mom had bought for him. The second gift he opened was a picture of his favorite basketball player to hang on his wall. Jon was starting to feel nervous as there was only one gift left! He wished and wished with all his might for a basketball. The last box was a square shape. If it was a basketball, surely it would have been round! He opened the box and saw that it really was a basketball! His parents had put it in a box so it wouldn't be clear. He was so happy he hugged his parents and told them thank you. His parents brought the cake out and he ate cake, holding on to his basketball the whole time. There was pizza and ice cream and chips, but Jon was too full and wanted to play with his new ball right away! How many gifts did Jon get? A. two B. one C. four D. three Answer: D Sometimes,you just can't help it.Maybe you're watching a sad movie,or thinking about the friend who moved away.Next thing you know,your eyes are watering,and you have tears running down your cheeks.Why do people cry when they are emotional? What are tears? Scientists are working hard to find the answers to these questions. Ad Vingerhoets is a professor of psychology at Tilburg University,in the Netherlands.He is one of the few scientists in the world who have studied crying.According to Vingerhoets,there are three types of tears.Basal tears are the first type.They lubricate the eyes and act as a protective barrier between the eye and the rest of the World.Next are reflex tears.They wash your eyes clean when something gets in them.Finally,there are emotional tears. "These are released in response to emotional states,"explains Vingerhoets."Especially when we feel helpless." Scientists believe that crying has something to do with how humans developed and learned to depend on each other."Humans are very complex social creatures,"says Lauren Bylsma,a professor at the University of Pittsburgh,in Pennsylvania."It seems that tears serve to arouse help and support from others,''She says."Another reason we weep is that humans have the longest developmental period of almost any animal.It takes a long time to grow up." Vingerhoets agrees."I think that the reason why humans shed tears has something to do with our childhood,"he says."That's the time when we are stir dependent on adults for love and protection and care.The major advantage of emotional tears is that you can target them at a specific person."Vingerhoets says this ability to target someone could have come in hand in prehistoric times,when humans were living among dangerous animals.Crying could attract predators .Tears were a safer way to get attention.In this case,it is better to use a silent signal to ask for help,"he says. Vingerhoets and Bylsma do frequent studies to better understand why humans cry.According to Byhma,there is still much more to discover."It's surprising,"she says,"how much we still don't know." What's the main idea of this passage? A. Why people shed tears. B. When people shed tears. C. How people shed tears. D. Where people shed tears. Answer: A When the traffic lights turn red, we will stop driving a car or crossing a street. Why is red used for traffic lights instead of other colors? As we know, scattering happens when light goes through the air. For the same media , if the _ is long, the sscattering will be short. If the wavelength is short, then the scattering will be long. Of all lights we can see, red has the longest wavelength. So the scattering is the weakest. That means the red light travels far. In fact, it travels farther on rainy days. Using the red light can help drivers in farther places see the lights. It helps drivers slow down or stop in time. So there will be fewer accidents. Moreover, red can also excite people. We can act more quickly when we see the color red. In a word, red lights help drivers stop in time and help prevent accidents. What can the red light help drivers do? A. It can make drivers stop in time. B. It can help drivers act more slowly. C. It can help drivers see the lights in farther areas . D. A and C Answer: D Singles' Day ---- the Chinese opposite of Valentine's Day has turned into a massive online shopping event. It is a day when single people are supposed to buy themselves presents. But there are sociological reasons behind China's "celebration" of single life. And the imbalance could have big consequences for the country. There were 34 million more men than women in China in 2011. Part of that is natural - usually there are 105 boys born for every 100 girls. But the Chinese gender ratio at birth is much more obvious. It was 116 boys to 100 girls in 2012. The one child policy is largely to blame. Brought in to limit population expansion, the policy allows only one child per family. But because male children are seen as more valuable, as well as more likely to support their parents in old age, some parents choose to have a son over a daughter. The result is that large numbers of men will likely never get married. In fact, one study has predicted that by 2030, 1 in 5 Chinese men in their 30s will never have married, while another states that 94% of unmarried people in China are men. Traditionally, China has seen high levels of marriage, usually among the young. Besides, the increased education and career opportunities for women have meant that marriages are happening later. It is also traditional that women often marry men of a higher socioeconomic status than themselves. So women at the top and men at the bottom find themselves alone. One study has even suggested a link between an imbalanced gender ratio and growth in violent crime in the country. Singles' Day can't solve all the problems China's singles face. Indeed, it is possible that it is causing even more problems, as men resort to increasingly risky lines of work to increase their chances of gaining money and thus a wife. I am worried that as money starts to overcome romance, there is evidence that China's marriage market is increasingly materialistic. We can learn from the passage that _ . A. Singles' Day is celebrated all over the world. B. an imbalanced gender ratio is related to the growth in violent crime. C. by 2030, 1 in 5 Chinese women in their 30s will be out of marriage. D. Singles' Day will solve all the problems China's singles face. Answer: B
A little stress is good, since it helps you keep motivated to meet your goals. However, too much stress is bad for your health. Stress needs to be managed in order to prevent anxiety . Here are some tips on how to manage stress. Write it out Write down everything that seems stressful, and ways to deal with each problem. You'll find a things-to-do list much easier to manage than having all messed up in your head. Write down the tasks along with the specific times when you can do them. One task at a time Give each task all your attention while you're doing it, and forget the rest. This will keep you from feeling anxious about things you have left to do. Thinking about other tasks only adds unnecessary stress, and can even stop you from doing the task you're busy with at present. You don't need to do everything all at once, or on your own. The feeling of being pressed to finish something on time will somehow disappear if someone is there to help you. Give yourself a reward Rewarding yourself for what you've already done, no matter how small, is a great way to motivate yourself to keep going. It will reduce stress, and make you happier to go on with the next task. Give yourself a break Breaks of ten to fifteen minutes are important. Visit a cafe or take a quick walk --anything to take your mind off the work for a while. If you need to stay at work, sit with your eyes closed and imagine a peaceful place or some other relaxing scenes. This will remove the stress from your muscles and mind. The best title for the passage would probably be _ . Answer: Anny was a five-year-old girl. One day when she and her mother were in a department store , Anny saw a plastic pearl necklace . What a beautiful necklace! She wanted it very much, so she begged her mother to buy it for her. The mother said, "Well, I can buy you the necklace, but when we get home, we should discuss what you can do to pay for it. Can we do that?" Anny agreed with much happiness, and she got the necklace. How much Anny loved the necklace! She wore it everywhere and every minute. Anny also did part - time jobs to make pocket money. She worked very hard. Soon she succeeded in paying off the price for the necklace. Anny's daddy knew how she tried her best to get the necklace. He also knew how much Anny cared about it. One night, he asked Anny if she loved him. "Sure, Daddy." the little girl said. "Then how about giving me your necklace?" "Oh, no, Daddy! Not my necklace!" Anny cried. "Oh, dear, it's fine." her father gave her a kiss. Several days later, Anny went to her daddy, with her lips trembling . "Here, Daddy. I love you." She held out her hand. Inside it was the plastic pearl necklace that she loved so much. When he saw this, Anny's father smiled with surprise. He then pulled a cute box out of his pocket. Inside the box was a real and colourful pearl necklace, which was waiting for Anny for so long. According to the passage, which of the following statements is true? _ . Answer: Smog has affected Beijing for at least a week and the Great Hall of the People, where lawmakers will meet next week for the country's parliamentary session , is hardly visible. Much of north and central China, or one-seventh of the country, was covered in it over the weekend. Responses have included reduced industrial activities, a ban on fireworks and barbecues, raised pollution alerts and reduced vehicles travelling on the roads. Citizens are advised to stay indoors while schools have either stopped classes or suspended outdoor activities. And Chinese officials, after a long period of prioritizing economic development over environmental protection, are now likely to see their future career shaped by how effectively they handle the serious pollution. "Even as a foreigner, I know the pollution has a lot to do with too much focus on economic indicators in evaluating Chinese officials," said Florian Kessler, an executive director with German law firm WZR Consulting. The German executive speaks fluent Chinese, loves Beijing food and is a big fan of Beijing Guo'an Football Club, but after staying in the city for eight years, he now wants to leave. "Since I smoke, I'm okay with the pollution, but I can't let my kid breathe in the polluted air. That's why I'm leaving," Kessler explained. He also said that German companies operating in Beijing, such as BMW, Benz and Volkswagen, have all had a hard time finding staff willing to work here. China has repeated in the past that we would not follow the old path of industrialized nations to develop first and deal with pollution afterward. But the smog is an awkward reminder that our country is already on that path. Whether we can change route depends on the choice Chinese officials make between environment and growth in the years ahead. What's the author's purpose to write this passage? Answer: The police use computers. They save all the information on the computer. So the police can often check the information. And they can also visit some websites and get more information to catch criminals on the Internet. Scientists today have computers for their work. They can do their work easily and quickly with the help of computers. Today in many schools, there is a computer room. Children can have their lessons with computers. For example, computers give questions on the screen of the monitor in front of the children and the children answer them with keyboards . A computer can do many things. With the computer, we can write novels, listen to music, draw pictures, play computer games, make friends, send emails and download information and so on. In the future, we may use computers for more things. But it can't take the place of man. We can think but it can't. Which of the following is not right? Answer: "What's the name of our neighbor? I can't remember right now. " Have you ever heard your grandparents ask questions like this sometimes? Usually, we think that older people's memory becomes bad because their brains get weak. But now a team of scientists at the University of Tubingen in Germany has a new idea.[ "The human brain works slower in old age," says Michael Ramscar, the lead scientist. "But only because they have stored more information overtime. " The findings are based on a series of computer simulations of learning and memory. Scientists let the computers read a certain amount of words and learn new things each day. When the computer "reads" only so much, its performance on cognitive tests is similar of a young adult. But if the computer learns the experiences we might encounter over a lifetime, its performance is similar to that of an older adult. Often it is slower, but not because its processing capacity has declined. Rather, increased "experience" has caused the computer's database to grow, giving it more data to process-which takes time. This is similar to old people. Imagine a person knows two people's birthdays. Another person knows the birthdays of 2000 people, but can only match the right person to the right birthday nine times out of 10. Can you say the first person has a better memory than the second person? What would be the best title for the passage? Answer:
America, has always had people of many different nationalities and languages. The 1990 census indicates that almost 14% of Americans speak a non-English language at home. Yet only 3% reported that they spoke English "not well" or "not at all ". That means that slightly more than one out of 10 Americans could be considered _ . Besides that, many high school and college students---and even some elementary school students---are required to take a foreign language. Actually, a growing number of Americans are coming to appreciate the benefits of using different languages. Ethnic enclaves have preserved the language and culture of American immigrants. Some local residents can function quite well in their native language, without having to bother learning English. Regions such as southern Florida and the Southwest have numerous Spanish-speaking neighborhoods. In fact, Spanish speakers---numbering over 17 million---form the largest non-English linguistic group in America. But Chinese, Vietnamese, Italian, Polish and many other ethnic group add to the linguistic flavor of America. Foreign languages are so commonly used in some ethnic neighborhoods that visitors might think they are in another country! Although some Americans welcome this linguistic and cultural diversity, others have begun to fear that the English language is being threatened. Since the 1980s, the "English Only " movement has sought to promote legislation which would establish English as the "official language" and restrict the use of non-English language. However, some groups, including TESOL, the organization for Teachers of English to Speakers of Other language, object to such "language restrictionism". But so far, 19 states have passed "English Only" legislation, and the topic is the focus of an ongoing debate. Whether or not English is the official language of the United States, it remains the "language of wider communication". Nearly everyone recognizes the need to develop the ability in using English in order to do well in America. American also recognize that English is the international language, and people with good English skills can get by in many international settings. On the other hand, in a world growing increasingly smaller, second language skills can be a great favor. They can build cross-cultural bridges and give people an edge in a variety of career field. Indeed, lack of foreign language skill can limit one's chances for advancement and keep one in a cultural dead-end street. Ethnic groups have preserved their native languages because _ . Answer: Experts do not really know when people began keeping fish as pets. But they say that people have been interested in fish for thousands of years. Some say the ancient Sumerians were the first civilization to keep fish in ponds more than four thousand years ago. The Chinese kept and studied carp and goldfish more than one thousand years ago. The ancient Romans kept eels as pets. And the Greek philosopher Aristotle made what is believed to be the first known study of sea life, including sharks and dolphins. Keeping fish at home in small water tanks called _ is extremely popular today. And everyone seems to enjoy visiting huge public aquariums that have opened around the world. By the middle of the eighteen hundreds, science had shown that plants, fish and other sea creatures could survive together under water. So it was no longer necessary to change the water in a tank for the fish to live there. This led to the building of the first public aquariums. The first aquariums opened in London, England in 1853. in the next fifteen years, other aquariums opened in Europe and the United States. By 1928, there were about forty-five public aquariums. The Monterey Bay Aquarium has been recognized as the first aquarium in the United States and it shows visitors the underwater life in the bay. The Georgia Aquarium opening in 2005 says it is the largest in the world. It has more than one hundred thousand sea animals in thirty million liters of water including two whale sharks---the world's largest fish. Another aquarium re-opened in 2005 in Camden, New Jersey. The Adventure Aquarium first opened in 1992. It spent about fifty million dollars expanding its building and improving its exhibits. Aquariums provide the public with many chances to experience life under the sea. They can be found in most areas of the world. People might even want to start an aquarium at home and join the millions of people around the world who keep fish as pets. Which aquarium opened again after its rebuilding ? Answer: My name is Bill. I have a friend called Mike. Today is Mike's birthday. I'm at his birthday party. There are a lot of friends in his house. Some stand beside the table and enjoy the snacks and drinks. There is some food on the table. I like the chocolate and the fruit very much. Mike sits on the sofa and chats with some friends there. He wears a yellow T-shirt and a pair of blue jeans. He looks so cool today. Wow! The cake is really big. There are some candles on it. Mike's friends begin to sing 'Happy Birthday' to Mike. Mike is very happy. He blows out the candles and cuts the cake. Everyone has a good time at the party. There are a lot of friends at _ birthday party. Answer: People who show confidence really seem to have it made. They seize more rewarding careers, keep good relationships, and just seem to do everything with more styles than the rest of us. So what is the secret? There isn't one. Self-confidence is a skill and habit that anyone can learn to develop. And although people who are raised in an encouraging environment with confident role models have a hard start in self-confidence development, we all can learn to become more confident at any age. Try these simple tips for practising and increasing your self-confidence levels: Dare to fail. Anybody who's out there bravely performing is going to fail repeatedly. If you are not failing, you are not trying. So don't take failure too hard or too personally. Just learn to deal with it and use its lessons to keep improving. When in doubt, pretend you know what you are doing. Because, if you are confident of your abilities, by the time you have done it, you will be experienced. Dress for success. You don't have to be beautiful to be confident. Make the most of your own unique physical characters and weaken your disadvantages. Listen to yourself. You are the only person who knows what's right for you. Don't put others' opinions above your own inner voice. Build a confident vocabulary. Stop putting yourself down and give up continually blaming your tiny weaknesses. Learn to show up your strong points and the world will learn to see and celebrate them with you. Pass on the praise. Praise others for their virtues and strengths. This practice will not decrease your confidence, but help increase it. The passage is written mainly _ . Answer: Ashley woke up bright and early on Friday morning during summer. Her birthday was only a day away, and her parents had promised her a trip to the fair as her present the next day! She thought it was going to be quite a treat. She skipped down the stairs to see her mom making a chocolate cake on the stove. "You run along outside to go play with your friends," her mom told her, "I can get everything ready for your special lunch on my own." When Ashley made it outside, she found her friend Katherine playing in the dirt. When Ashley came closer, she saw that in the dirt were a bunch of insects. Katherine loved finding and collecting different ones for her insect collection. Ashley thought it was kind of gross personally, but she sat down next her anyways. "Happy birthday, Ashley," Katherine yelled when she saw her best friend. "Thank you," Ashley answered, "Do you want to go up to the playground until it's time for lunchtime? Mom says you're invited to come by the way." Katherine nodded, and the two spent a fun morning playing on the playground. Once lunchtime came, the two walked back to Ashley's house. She could picture how many of her favorite foods her mom had most likely made, and she could almost taste the spaghetti on her tongue. Lunch was ready when they arrived, and it was delicious! The chocolate cake her mom made was an extra special treat. She couldn't wait to go to the fair tomorrow! What was Katherine playing with when Ashley found her? Answer:
Question: Planet Earth would be a scary place for humans if dinosaurs still ruled the world. Though there are still some traces of life from the Jurassic Period, the Age of Dinosaurs more than 65 million years ago. This mass extinction is believed to be the result of an asteriod hitting Earth. A new report by the journal Biological Reviews called " The Extinction of Dinosaurs" concludes that this impact was, indeed, the cause of the dinosaurs' _ . But the space blast wasn't the only reason these creatures aren't still around today. Dinosaurs need food to survive. Meat-eating monsters like the Tyrannosaurus Rex were at the top of the food chain, and fed off plant eaters like the horned Triceratops . These herbivores were decreasing in population after the asteroid hit Earth, which left the meat-eating species less food to survive on. "In any ecosystem where you remove links to key species, that community has problems," Richard Butler, one of the review's authors, told National Ceographic. While the herbivore population was going down, Earth's temperatures were rising when volcanoes erupted. Hot vapors and gases began wiping out some of the dinosaur population and weakening the survivors. These changes made the asteroid's impact especially powerful. It caused more volcanoes to erupt, heated up Earth's atmosphere, and led to a sharp drop in the level of oxygen in the oceans. With the dinosaurs gone, mammals began to evolve into bigger and more diverse species. Many animals we see today, like birds, sharks, and even some cats and dogs, appeared after the asteroid hit Earth. But none rule Earth quite like the dinosaurs did.. What was the negative effect of the asteroid hitting Earth? A. Oceans became too hot for animals. B. There was less oxygen in the oceans. C. Earth's climate became violent. D. The majority of the plants gradually died out. Answer: B. There was less oxygen in the oceans. Question: Paul was dealing with _ . The new girl Linda in class really liked him a lot. Paul was not happy about it. Paul's good friend, Sam, tried to comfort him. "What's the big deal? I think Linda is kind of cute and nice enough." Paul glared at Sam. "Then why don't you ask her to be your girlfriend? There she is, sitting all by herself at the other end of the cafeteria. Go there and ask her to be your honey!" "She's crazy about you, not me," Sam replied. "Well, I don't want any girlfriend, especially not a girl like her! "Paul growled. Sam wouldn't give up. "The only thing pesky about her is that she keeps writing you those notes ." "I don't like notes at all!" Paul interrupted. He took another sip of milk. "Did you notice those strange brown eyes? Why aren't they normal red or pink?" Sam took another look at Linda. "I think her face is a lovely shade of green. And her dark green curly hair is quite pretty. Besides, she's very gentle and that's what really matters." Paul stuck out his tongue. "I think I'm going to be sick! I'd better save my dessert for later." He crammed a small bag of Maggot Munchies into his even smaller shirt pocket. "The fact is, I have a problem. That girl is getting on my nerves! " Sam followed Paul's example and decided to save his dessert for later. However, he carefully placed the bag into his lunch box. "Do you have any ideas about how to solve your problem?" Tremor asked. "I'm going to be mean and rude to her," Paul announced. "I'll call her names and make ugly faces at her." "That's how you treat everyone," Sam reminded his friend. Paul nodded. "It's time that Linda got to know the real Paul !" How did Linda feel about Paul ? A. She didn't like him because he was rude. B. She was annoyed by his strange appearance. C. She didn't have any strong feelings about him. D. She fell in love with him. Answer: D. She fell in love with him. Question: One day an ant was drinking at a small stream and fell in. She made desperate efforts to reach the side, but made no progress at all. The poor ant almost exhausted was still bravely doing her best when a dove saw her. Moved with pity, the bird threw her a blade of grass, which supported her like a raft, and thus the ant reached the bank again. While she was resting and drying herself in the grass, she heard a man come near. He was walking along barefooted with a gun in his hand. As soon as he saw the dove, he wished to kill it. He would certainly have done so, but the ant bit him in the foot just as he raised his gun to fire. He stopped to see what had bit him, and the dove immediately flew away. It was an animal much weaker and smaller than herself that had saved her life. The ant could not reach the side though _ . A. she could smell well B. she asked the dove to save her C. she tried very hard D. she cried for help Answer: C. she tried very hard Question: A student was going to spend his holiday in a cool mountain village. That evening he stayed at an inn near the railway station . Before going to bed, he went to the boss of the inn and said, "Excuse me, sir. Will you please wake me up at a quarter to five tomorrow morning? I'll take the five o'clock train." "Oh, sorry, sir," the boss said in a hurry, "I'm afraid I can't. I won't be able to get up so early." The student was disappointed . When he began to return to his room, be stopped and asked, "Have you got an alarm-clock ? Maybe it can help me." "Wait a minute, then." The boss said and brought out an alarm-clock. "Here you are, sir." "Thank you very much." The student said happily. But he found it was rusty when he had a look at it. And it sometimes worked and sometimes didn't. He asked, "Will it ring in time?" "I don't know, either." said the boss, "But it doesn't matter. You just give it a good shake at a quarter to five. And it will ring on time." The train the student was going to take would start at _ the next morning. A. five o'clock B. a quarter to five C. half past four D. a quarter to six Answer: A. five o'clock Question: The original Olympics took place nearly 3000 years ago in the year 776 BC. Many different sports were played, including boxing, running, throwing the discuss , though there were fewer sports involved than those in the modern Olympics. The Games were held every five years until they were forbidden by the Romans in AD 393. The first new Olympics were held in 1896 in Greece. From 1900, the Games were held every four years, only three Olympics were wiped out because of wars---1916, 1940 and 1944. Nowadays, different countries hold the Games in turns. The country which holds the Games provides vast facilities, including a stadium , swimming pools and accommodation , but competing countries pay their own players' expense. The Olympics start with the arrival in the stadium of a torch , lighted on Mount Olympus by the sun's rays. The well-known Olympic flag, however, is a modern conception : the five interlocking rings symbolize the uniting of all five continents that take part in the Games. What do the five interlocking rings symbolize? _ . A. Five continents B. Five players C. Five cities D. Five countries Answer: A. Five continents
Some time ago, a friend working in a part of the city I did not know very well, invited me to visit him. It took me hours to get there and I drove round and round looking for a place to park my car. At last I found a place in a back street. As I was already half an hour late, I parked my car quickly and hurried off on foot. Making my way rapidly along the street, I could not help thinking that it was much easier to walk than to drive. At noon, I left my friend's office. It suddenly stuck me that I had no idea where I had parked my car. Walking down street after street, I examined each car closely and was greatly relaxed to see a small green car just behind an old truck. But how _ I was to discover that though the car was very much like my own, it belonged to someone else. Quite tired now, I was ready to give up the search when I turned the corner. I nearly jumped with joy: my car was just in front of me ! Which of the following sentences is TRUE? Answer: He found his car at last. Free and secure accommodation, no bills and even the odd home-cooked meal. It sounds like the perfect living arrangement for cash-strapped students. Two mothers believe they have devised a way for struggling students to save on accommodation costs when they leave home to study at university. Kate Barnham and Amanda Flude have launched Student Swaps, an online accommodation forum for parents and students, in advance of the introduction in September of PS3,000 higher education top-up fees. Their website says, "The principle behind Student Swaps is to enable students to literally swap family homes." The website will hold a database of students who would like to swap and link them with suitable matches. So those from one town / city could swap with those from a different town / city. The site describes itself as offering a "cost-free accommodation alternative... at a time of growing student debt". There is no charge for the service at the moment but Ms Barnham and Ms Flude intend to introduce a PS10 annual fee if it becomes established. However, the National Union of Students (NUS) has warned that, while the scheme may sound appealing to struggling freshers, it lacks any formal regulation. Veronica King, NUS vice-president of welfare, said, "The fact that this scheme has even been suggested is evidence to the high levels of debt students now face on graduation." Recent research has shown that students are more likely to live at home in coming years, in a bid to cut down on the cost of a degree. "This is worrying, as it may mean that students choose their university on the basis of where it is, rather than because it offers the best course for them. It also means students will miss out on what is for some a key part of the student experience-living away from home." What would be the best title for the passage? Answer: Website Helps Students Live at Someone Else's Home. The new studies show that fewer than half of the 9th graders in many of the nation's largest cities, can ever graduate. _ And, in particular, the dropout rate isn't dropping for poor and minority students. Amazingly, though so many regret the rising dropout rate, our schools continue to lack formal plans--or any plans--to teach students motivation. Most schools have no game plan to ensure that students understand that schooling will be completely necessary. Schools expect youth and children to act as though schooling is important, but they never teach them to believe that. Years ago, families ensured that the children recognized the value of schooling. But in many modern families, the children may fail to recognize the importance of school life just because these families may actually tell their children that school is not important. Since many families are not motivating their children to be interested students, youth professionals, like teachers may need to provide this training. Here are some strategies to convince even the most apathetic students that they must stay in school. Ask students if they will ever need to work: The world has changed. 100 years ago, factory work was the booming job, and it required no education. Today, factories are increasingly automated. Most computer-related jobs require education and at least a high school diploma. Ask students which century they will be prepared for: In 1900, the most common jobs were farm laborer and domestic servant--education not needed. Now, the most common jobs are office and sales staff--education and diploma usually needed. An amazing 6 out of 10 people today work in a store or office. Ask students to devise a way that the employee could be replaced. For example, the coming trend in fast food is to use computers rather than people to run the restaurant. A prototype is apparently already being tested. The students should discover that most jobs that lack education and diploma requirements may be ripe for automation. The author takes factory work for example mainly to _ . Answer: emphasize that modern jobs require education and schools are necessary Which of the following is most consistent with the modern theory of evolution? Answer: Parents pass their physical traits to their offspring; those offspring with traits that help them survive in the environment are able to reproduce. It has been more than 50 years since Harvard Business School started admitting women, yet the institution is still trying hard to find out how to best attract and support them. Its latest effort: a program targeting women's colleges--place that are not traditional feeding grounds for the male-majority business school. The program is called Peek. It offers juniors, seniors and recent graduates from women's colleges the opportunity to read and discuss four HBS case studies in class specially taught by top HBS members. About 50 to 70 promising students will pay $500 for their stay there. Women make up 41 percent of Harvard Business School class of 2016--the most the school has had. In 1985, women made up only one-quarter of the graduating class. Harvard is not alone when it comes to struggling with a gender gap . At Wharton, the class of 2016 is 40 percent women; at Standford Business School, it's 42 percent. No top business school had gotten to 50 percent yet. Despite the Peek program's good intention, the $500 fee bothered someone, said John A. Byrne, the editor of business school new site. "The fact that HBS would charge women for the chance of coming to campus rubbed a lot of people the wrong way," said Byrne. HBS said the $500 fee was a "fair price" for room and daily meals at the business school for a weekend, and didn't actually cover the full costs of the program. For years, women students at Harvard Business School failed to keep pace with men. In 2010, Harvard business School got a new manager, Nitin Nohrin, who promised a turnaround. Nohrin designed a program to encourage women students and professors. He promised to change the school's case studies so that at least 20 percent of the people in the business texts would be women. What can we learn about the program Peek? Answer: It is helped by the best teachers.
If You Make a Mistake, Don't Worry! Yeah, you'll want to forget about them, but mistakes can be useful. Making a mistake doesn't mean it's the end of the world. In real life you have to grow and mature, and with that comes some growing pains. You know you should have studied hard but you went out with some friends instead. You know you should have put the money into the bank for a rainy day instead of spending it on all kinds of things you didn't need. It's the growing pains called mistakes that most people make when they are growing up. Face them. You are going to make them. Learn from them. All of the people you wish to copy, such as all the experts in your business field, have made mistakes. They'll continue to make mistakes for all their successes. One of the major differences between people like them and the vast majority of others is that they don't let their mistakes stop them. Instead, they use their mistakes as learning tools. At the very least, when you make a mistake, you'll know what not to do. And you can help others by warning them of the mistakes you've made. Don't let mistakes stop you from doing anything. Learn from them, don't hide in a closet. Facing up to your mistakes now and later will mature. What mistakes are you making right now? Take a look at anything you might be doing wrong. Take a step back and evaluate your situation, then fix whatever needs to be corrected. Then move forward. Always remember your mistakes to remind yourself of what not to do for the future. When we make any mistake next time, we should do the followings except _ . Answer: Be careful not to do anything. Christopher Columbus was born in Genoa, Italy. He was the oldest of five children in his family. His father was a wool weaver. He helped his father with the weaving, but he always wanted to sail the seas. He didn't get to school very much, but he learned to read and write Spanish during his travels. He also taught himself Latin because all the geography books were written in Latin. Some people thought he was trying to prove the world was round, but this is not true. He wanted to find a short way to get to the Indies by ship. He was a Christian and wanted to tell the story of Christ to the people he would find in the far-away lands. He also wanted wealth for himself and for Spain, and he wanted to be famous. He tried for eight years to get King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella to supply him with ships and money. They left Spain on August 3, 1492 and sailed toward the west. After many days, the sailors had covered a long distance on the sea and were ready to turn around for home when they saw land, an island Columbus named San Salvador. He thought he had found the Indies and called the people he saw there "Indians". When they got to Cuba, he thought he was in Japan. The world was a lot larger than he thought. On Christmas Eve, the Santa Maria was wrecked near Haiti. Columbus built a fort and left 40 men to hunt for gold. Then he returned to Spain on the Nina. The people of Spain welcomed him as a hero. He made three more voyages across the ocean. His 13-year-old son, Ferdinand, went with him on the fourth voyage. Columbus did not become rich as he had hoped. At the end of his life he only had a pension the king and the queen had given him because he was the first to reach the New World. He spent the last few months of his life in bed because of the pain of arthritis . Columbus not only discovered a New World, but he led the way for other explorers. From the text we know that _ . Answer: Columbus didn't get the wealth as he had hoped for. What would be an example of a force acting on an object in the opposite direction that the object is moving, which would cause the object's speed to decrease in a forward motion? Answer: a car is driving north with strong winds blowing south Rodd and Todd were lucky children chosen to see Santa Claus himself up at the North Pole. Some elves come in and said, "Santa Claus is very busy. You'll only be able to see him for a short while, so make the most of it." Santa Claus appeared, carrying all the toys the two boys had ever wanted. While Todd ran to hug Santa Claus, Rodd went over to the bicycle he had always dreamed of having. Santa was only there for a few seconds, and disappeared before Rodd had even looked at him. He cried and complained, but within a few hours the two boys had been returned to their homes. From that day on, every time Rodd saw a toy he felt the excitement of receiving a present, but he would instantly look around to see what else of importance he was missing. And in this way, Rodd helped those who had nothing, giving love to those who almost never received it, and putting smiles on the faces of the unhappy. All by himself, he managed to change the atmosphere of his town, and no one could know him without being grateful to him. One Christmas, while he was sleeping, he felt someone pulling his leg. Rodd opened his eyes and saw the long white beard and the soft red suit. "Forgive me. I didn't know how to choose what was most important," said Rodd. But Santa Claus answered with a smile. "I chose to spend some time with the best boy in the world, just before I leave you the great gift you've earned for yourself. Thank you!" And the next morning, there were no presents under the Christmas tree. That Christmas, the gift had been so big that it couldn't fit down the chimney; the only place it could fit was in Rodd's heart. Rodd and Todd were told by elves that _ . Answer: they have only a little time to be with Santa Claus I grew up with a fat dad--450 pounds at his heaviest.Every week he would try a new diet,and my family ended up eating whatever strange food he was trying at that moment. After my thirdgrade year,my dad landed a lifechanging job in Manhattan.My mom,my little sister and I had to move away from our hometown,Chicago,and leave my grandmother and her beautiful food behind. Leaving my grandmother was far more frightening than the move to New York City.There would be no more special weekends at my grandmother's house,the only place I can remember feeling happy,safe and nourished .It was what I desired.In this new city,I felt extremely alone and lost,and I missed my grandmother terribly. My grandmother knew just how I felt--And she knew the _ .Every week,she would send me a card with a $20 bill,a recipe and a list of what to buy at the market.It kept us bonded,and her recipes filled my body and soul. Over the years,I have grown to better understand my father's struggles with weight and the toll it took on him and those who love him.I have come to realize he was driven not by vanity or selfishness as much as by a deep pain.And in spite of growing up in such an unhealthy eating environment (or perhaps because of it),as an adult I found a passion and a career as a nutrition consultant. Today,my father weighs 220 pounds and is a vegan .How he got there is a story I hope to share in the coming weeks.More importantly,food is no longer a barrier that keeps us apart,but a bridge that keep us connected.There is nothing my dad enjoys more than talking with me about dietary theories and his weightloss victories.And now I am the one regularly sending recipe cards to my father's house,just as my grandmother did for me. What kind of person was actually the author's father? Answer: He was more painful than selfish.
We know that hugs make us feel easy inside. And this feeling, it turns out, could actually _ stress and protect r the immune system, according to a new research from Carnegie Mellon University. It's a well-known fact that stress can weaken the immune system. In this study, the researchers sought to determine whether hugs----like social support more broadly ----could protect individuals from the increased sensitivity to illness brought on by the particular stress that come with interpersonal conflict. "We know that people experiencing ongoing conflicts with others are less able to fight off cold viruses. We also know that people who report having social support are partly protected from the effects of stress on psychological states, such as depression and anxiety, "the study's lead author, psychologist Dr. Sheldon Cohen , said in a statement. "We tested whether awareness of social support is equally effective in protecting us from sensitivity to infection caused by stress and also whether receiving hugs might partially account for those feeling of support and thus protect a person against infection." In the experiment , over 400 healthy adults filled out a questionnaire about their perceived social support and also participated in a nightly phone interview for two weeks . They were asked the frequency they engaged in interpersonal conflicts and received bugs that day.[:++Z+X+X+K] Then, the researchers exposed the participants to a common cold virus, and monitored them to assess signs of infection. They found that both perceived social support and more frequent hugs reduced the risk of infection associated with experiencing interpersonal conflict. Regardless of whether or not they experienced social conflicts, infected participants with greater perceived social support and more frequent hugs had less severe illness symptoms. "This suggests that being hugged by a trusted person may act as an effective means of conveying support and that increasing the frequency of hugs might be an effective means of reducing the effects of stress," Cohen said. "The apparent protective effect of hugs may result from the physical contact itself or hugging being a behavioral indicator of support and closeness. Either way, those who receive more hugs are somewhat more protected from infection." If you need any more reason to go wrap your arms around someone special, consider this: hugs also lower blood pressure, reduce fearsome around death and dying, improve heart health and decrease feeling of loneliness. The passage is most likely to be found in _ . A a social science magazine B a commercial brochure C a medical report D an academic essay Answer: A. a social science magazine I have always loved kids. However, the children here at Shanti Bhavan are unlike any that I have ever met. They have a strong drive and determination and are thankful for the wonderful opportunity they have been given. While at Shanti Bhavan, I taught 3 graders writing, language, and literature, 8 , 9 , and 10 graders public speaking, 9 and 10 graders basketball, and piano lessons. I found teaching the children was the most rewarding experience of my life. They are really fast learners and really have an interest in knowledge. It was easy to get on with such polite, well-mannered, and hard-working students. They dream big and I only hope that I can continue to be a part of helping them achieve their goals. As far as my day-to-day living went, I was perfectly comfortable here and came to consider it as a second home. My room was clean and comfortable and the staff could not have been nicer. In addition, I really appreciated the support of all the teachers. They were so welcoming and kind that it truly cleared away my fears and culture shock. They often gave me advice and befriended me and I owe much to them for their warmth. I honestly feel that Shanti Bhavan is the most beautiful place on earth. It has love and learning, and I am very sad to be leaving. I am looking forward to my return to this newly found family as soon as possible. Thank you so much Miss Beena and Mrs. Law for all of your love and support. The experience that I worked with them will always come into my mind. This has been the greatest experience of my life. Which of the following statements is TRUE? A The author will come back soon. B The author has decided to settle at Shanti Bhavan. C The author once felt uneasy at Shanti Bhavan. D The author was forced to come to Shanti Bhavan at first. Answer: C. The author once felt uneasy at Shanti Bhavan. Once upon a time, there was a little white mouse that lived on a farm. He liked to hide in the hay stacks where it was warm through the day and night. On cold winter days, he would wiggle out from the hay stack to get closer to the lamp in the barn, getting some extra warmth. One winter day, the mouse was very cold, but needed something to eat. He left the hay stack, and ran past the lamp. He ran across an old wood board that was laying on top of the snow - the mouse didn't have mittens and wanted to keep his feet warm. He ran and ran until he couldn't any longer. The cold weather was keeping every living thing inside, so the mouse was all alone. He walked towards the house and met a little bug named Fred. Fred told the mouse that he went inside and found lots of crumbs to eat on the kitchen floor. The mouse waited until the farmer's wife, Julie, came out the back door, and then the mouse ran into the kitchen. There were bread crumbs everywhere! The mouse ate as many as he could before anyone found him. He heard the back door open again, and hid under the oven. It was warm there - there must have been a pie baking. Farmer Bill liked pies more than bread, cake, or cookies. The mouse stayed there to warm up, then ran back to the barn to sleep for the night. Who opened the back door? A The mouse B The farmer's wife C Fred D The farmer Answer: B. The farmer's wife Have you ever considered all the English expressions that include words about clothes? Let's have a look. People wear pants to cover the lower part of their bodies.We sometimes say that people who are nervous have ants in their pants.Sometimes,people may get caught with their pants down.They are found doing something they should not be doing.And,in every family,one person takes contro1.Sometimes a wife tells her husband what to do.Then we say she wears the pants in the family. Pants usually have pockets to hold things.Money that is likely to be spent quickly can bum a hole in your pocket.Sometimes you need a belt to hold up your pants.If you have less money than usual,you may have to tighten your belt. I always praise people who can save their money and not spend too much. l really take my hat off to them. Yet, when it comes to my own money, I spend it at the drop of a hat, which means I immediately spend it. Boots are a heavy or strong kind of shoes. People who are too big for their boots think they are more important than they really are. I dislike such people. My father is an important person. He runs a big company. He wears a suit and tie, and a shirt with sleeves that cover his arms. Some people who do not know him will think he is too serious and never shows his feelings openly. But I know that my father wears his heart on his sleeve. If we say someone has to tighten his belt, we probably mean he _ A has done something wrong B used to live a rich life C has put on the wrong pants D doesn't have enough money Answer: B. used to live a rich life 1) Your teens don't want you to be their friends. What they need is for you to be a reliable responsible role model worthy of their respect, and not some overgrown child who wears too tight jeans or T-shirts with slogans advocating the good points of 100 proof liquor. 2) Don't debate the teen ever. If she wants to debate, suggest she sign up for the Debate Club. If you buy into their teen logic (which is basically illogic, the product of an immature brain and every extreme of emotion known to mankind) your mouth will go dry. Teens need to know that no means no. Remember when your teen was two years old and he said "no" a lot? Well now it's your turn, particularly when your teen wants to engage in behaviors that are dangerous. 3) Don't buy your teen a car. If you do, he will _ it in record time. Guaranteed. The teen should earn the car, or at least a portion of it (and by that I don't mean one of the tires). You know how you take much better care of an item of clothing you spent a fortune on compared to one you bought in a bargain basement? It's the same thing, only a car can do serious damage. 4) Encourage sports participation even if your teen has two left feet. In some sports, two left feet won't knock him out of the box, so to speak. Sports participation develops perseverance and cheerfully functioning as a team member. You also will know where your child is every day after school (on the field, that is, or at a rival school). Just make sure you root for the right team, okay? Been there, done that. 5) Let the school know you in a good way so that school personnel do not dive under the desk when you approach. If you are asked to speak at the school, your teen will feel mighty proud. If you make something for the bake sale, try to make it taste edible and if you can't see it through, do yourself and your child a favor and buy something at the local bakery or supermarket. 6) To know your teens' friends is to know your teens. Teens have a secret life, and a parent's goal is to find out secrecy that is sometimes thicker than the CIA and the KGB combined. If you really want to know what your kid is up to, get to know their friends. How? By being warm and kind, and by asking questions that don't sound like an interrogation , but serve that purpose without their knowing it. According to the passage, as a parent, you should encourage your kids _ . A to wear too tight jeans B to sign up for the Debate Club C to be greatly involved in sports D to make as many friends as they can Answer: C. to be greatly involved in sports
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) about visiting Hong Kong: Q: When is the best time to visit Hong Kong? A: Hong Kong is an all-year round destination. It enjoys a mild climate from the middle of September to the end of February, while the weather from May to mid-September can be hot. About 80% of Hong Kong's rainfall occurs between May and September, with August usually the wettest month. Q: Do I need a visa to visit Hong Kong? A: Visitors from most countries can enter Hong Kong without a visa for periods of seven days to 180 days, depending on nationality. You may check with the Hong Kong Immigration Department for details of visa requirements. Q: How is the local public transport? A: Hong Kong has an excellent public transport system, with most transportation air-conditioned. Depending on where you are going, you have a choice of MTR, trains, buses, trams, ferries and taxies. The clean and efficient means of transport cover all areas of Hong Kong, and have signs in English and Chinese. Q: Is Hong Kong safe for visitors? A: Yes. Hong Kong is one of the safest cities in the world even at night, when people may walk alone with confidence. To ensure your stay is a pleasant one always take care of your belongings. Q: Is English widely spoken? A: Yes, particularly in places frequently visited by visitors. You should have no problem communicating with people in most hotels, shops, restaurants and even some taxies. If enjoy pleasant weather, when can you visit Hong Kong? Answer: In autumn or winter. A wolf feels the snow with Answer: touch When Jackie Robinson walked onto Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York, on April 15, 1947, he changed baseball forever. As the first African American to play in the Major League in modern times, many believe he changed the country forever. Robinson was born in 1919. He lived in a time when rules controlled what African Americans could do. He was a top athlete, playing football, basketball and baseball. But playing for a major League team was off limits to Robinson because of his race. Branch Rickey, president and manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, signed (......) Robinson in 1947. He believed that Robinson not only had the skills, but the courage to face the challenge of becoming modern baseball's first black player. It wasn't easy. Robinson sometimes faced boos from fans. But he became a star, anyway. In 1962, he became the first African-American player chosen to enter the Baseball Hall of Fame. In 2005, he was awarded a Congressional Gold Medal, the highest award Congress can give to an American. By breaking baseball's color barrier , Robinson opened the door for many to follow his footsteps, not only in baseball, but in other areas of life as well. After he stopped playing the game, Robinson worked as a manager for a coffee company. He wrote a newspaper column . He also started a bank. According to Branch Rickey, Jackie Robinson was _ . Answer: brave and skilled That woman carried a new blanket over her arm. Wordlessly, she gave it to me. "Is it finished?" I asked. She shook her head. "No. It is ready," she replied. I handed her the money and took the blanket. "It is beautiful, so skillfully woven ," I said to my mother. "But what did she mean when she said it was not finished? How can it be ready if it is not finished?" "I will tell you later," my mother said, "but first I will take you to the Navajo village." We went down to the village. A group of young men were making sand pictures. We walked through the whole village, watching the different things the people were doing. It was not until that evening that my mother finally explained the Navajo woman's words. "Did you notice anything about the things the people were making?" my mother asked. "What should I have noticed?" I looked at her and asked. "Each thing the Navajo make has one small part that is not complete. The designs in their sand pictures are often not perfectly done, for example---the line of a circle may not quite close. If you look carefully at your blanket, you will probably find a stitch missing." I took the blanket off, but it looked as perfect as any design could be. Then suddenly, I noticed that sure enough a stitch was missing! "But why do the Navajo intentionally leave some tiny part unfinished?" I asked. "They believe that when anything is completed or finished, it means the end has come--it will not be perfect until then. Then too, with a circle, they believe that they must leave a pathway for the bad spirits to run away and the good spirits to come in. So, often, they do not make the line close." Why was the author shown around the village? Answer: To have a deeper understanding of the Navajo. Can you imagine a world without the Internet?It's surprising to think about it Now,China has more than 162 million Internet users,according to the China Internet Network Information Center. This is the second highest number of user in the world after the United States. Today,66% of Chinese "netizens "are teenagers. "They spend about thirteen hours every week online,"said Qian Hulin,an Internet expert . Doctor Song in Beijing Xuanwu Hospital said about 14% of Chinese netizens who are teens often lasted over ten hours to play online games. The main reasons why teenagers surf the Web are to search for information,to communicate with others and to have fun. On the Internet,teenagers can find out almost everything. And surfing the Web can help students with their homework and widen their knowledge. Li Dong,a teacher at No. 41 Middle School in Shijiazhuang,likes her students to use the Internet. "When we talk in class,students who surf the Net usually know more background information than the others,"she said. In addition,people can use the Internet to write letters or stories and send emails. Many teens keep in touch with their friends online. It is cheaper than phoning somebody far away and also much quicker. ,,. (1,5) Song said some teenagers continued _ more than ten hours. Answer: playing online games
Question: One of the major problems in our economy is inflation , a situation in which prices are going up faster than salary . Thus, a person has to work more hours to pay for the same thing. For example, let's say that this year a loaf of bread costs $1.00 and average salary in the United Sates is $10.00 per hour. That means a person could earn enough money to buy a loaf of bread in one-tenth of an hour, or six minutes. Then, halfway through the year, the price of the bread goes up to $1.25, while salary stay the same. That means that a person now has to work one-eighth of an hour--seven and a half minutes to buy the same loaf of bread. Now let's say that at the end of the year, salary go up to $11.00 per hour, but the price of bread goes up to $1.50. Now a person has to work more than one-seventh of an hour--over eight minutes--to buy loaves of bread, employees will have less money left over to buy other things, Inflation means that the same money buys fewer things and everybody's standard of living goes down, even if salaries are going up. Some kinds of inflation are worse than others. Moderate inflation does not distort relative prices or incomes seriously. Galloping inflation happens rapidly, say at a rate of 100percent or more within a year. And then there's hyperinflation--inflation so serious that people try to get rid of their currency before prices rise further and make the money worthless. Times of hyperinflation are usually characterized by social and political disorder. Which of the following belongs to the type of moderate inflation? A. People try to get rid of their currency B. Inflation occurs at a rate of 100percent in a year C. Incomes and relative prices rise slightly D. There is social and political disorder Answer: C. Incomes and relative prices rise slightly Question: Have you ever wondered what you would look like if you were an Asian, Middle Eastern, black, white or Indian person? By stepping into the Human Race Machine, you can find out. When you sit inside it, the machine creates a digital image of your face. After pushing certain buttons, the machine uses various photos of people of a certain ethnic group mixed with your own facial features. From this, it can _ an image showing how you would look as a member of a different race. The machine is part of a traveling retrospective called " Seeing and Believing: The Art of Nancy Burson." Burson is a famous American photographer and inventor. The show of 100 photos and multimedia works was on view at the Grey Art Gallery in New York on April 20. " It is a strange feeling, just like stepping into someone else's skin." said Hathy Zajchenko, a museum visitor from Pennsylvania, US. As soon as she sat down, she tried out a range of ethnic groups. " The Middle Eastern image worked pretty well for me," she said with a smile. According to Burson, _ It is about seeing through differences to find the things we all share in common. Burson added the database of Middle Eastern faces, both Arab and Jewish, after the terrorist attacks on September 11. "I have always wanted to allow people to see differently. I am a photographer. I am recording the unseen, because what we can not see is so much more interesting than what we can see," Burson said. For those who missed the show, the Human Race machine will be on view at the New York Hall of Science in the Queens district full-time as of June. Burson added the database of Middle Eastern faces after the September 11 attack because _ . A. she wanted to show people what terrorists look like B. she wanted to record what people cannot see C. she wanted to be famous as a photographer D. she wanted to let people see the foreign people Answer: B. she wanted to record what people cannot see Question: A dense wave of smog began in the Chinese city of Harbin and the surrounding Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning Provinces on 20 October 2013. Unseasonably warm temperatures with very little wind across northeastern China coincided with the smoke from local farmers' burning straws and the start-up of Harbin's coal-powered central heating system. Record densities of fine particulates were measured in the city. In Harbin, the levels of PM2.5 (particulate matter) rise to 1,000 micrograms per cubic meter, worse than Beijing's historic highs. Visibility was reduced to below 50m in parts of Harbin, and below 500m in most of the neighbouring Jilin Province. On Fa Yuen Street in Harbin, visibility of less than 5m was reported. The smog reduced after October 23, 2013 and completely broke up on October 28, 2013 by the first local snow and icy rain due to a cold front moving in from Russia. Harbin lies in the north of China where winter temperatures can drop to -40degC, demanding a six-month heating season. Daily particulate levels of more than 40 times the World Health Organization recommended maximum level were reported in parts of Harbin. The smog remained till 23 October, when almost all monitoring stations in Heilongjiang, Jilin,and Liaoning Provincesreported readings above 200mg/m3forPM2.5. PM2.5 is the amount of particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter in the air, with the WHO recommending a maximum 24-hour mean of 25 micrograms per cubic meter (mg/m3). On the morning of 25 October, PM2.5 measurements in Harbin had fallen to an average of 123mg/m3. All highways in the surrounding Heilongjiang Province were closed. In Harbin, all primary and middle schools were closed for three days and authorities stopped flights at the airports. Hospitals reported a 23 percent increase in admissions for breathing problems. However, this smog will have no influence on Harbin Ice Festival events later in December 2013. Air pollution in Chinese cities is of increasing concern to China's leadership. Particulates in the air can affect human health and also have influences on climate and rainfall. Pollution from the burning of coal has reduced life expectancy by 5.5 years in the north of China, as a result of heart and lung diseases. The harmful smog was most serious on _ . A. October 20 B. October 23 C. October 25 D. October 28 Answer: B. October 23 Question: How did people in ancient China change their luck? Most of them would take the exam, Keju, which began during the Sui Dynasty and lasted for 1,300 years before it was ended in the Qing Dynasty. Keju, the early "gaokao", played a very important role in choosing qualified persons to work for the king. The Keju exams were mainly based on classical literature and philo- sophy. Poetry was very important in earlier Keju exams, and later Keju focused more on writing. All _ had to write an article explaining ideas from those books, which was called Eight Part Essay. Two sentences were required at the start of the article, about the main idea of the title, which was called "to clear the topic". The exams also focused on more practical matters. Most candidates in ancient China had to go a long way to the capital city for the exam. As transportation in ancient times was not developed, they usually went to the capital on foot, and some took several months to reach the capital. The exam was held once every three years and it was made up of four levels: the county examination, provincial examination, academy examination and palace examination. Candidates had to first pass one level in order to take part in the next level. Each examination would take from one to three days to finish, and they were locked in a small room and received cold meals. On the exam day, candidates had to first go through safety check. They had to let their hair loose so that it could be checked and their trouser legs, shoes and socks, even bottoms were also checked. Keju was held for the kings to _ . A. test people's luck B. focus more on writing C. choose the best people in the country D. write an article explaining ideas from those books Answer: C. choose the best people in the country Question: Jack was born in a poor family. His father had a small boat and went fishing in the morning and sold the fish in the market in the afternoon. Then he bought some food for his family. When winter came, they were often hungry. One morning the hungry man fell into the river and nobody found him. Jack's mother left her three-year-old son without saying goodbye. His aunt had to look after him. Twenty years passed. Jack became a tall, strong man. He worked on a farm. He worked hard and wanted to get more money to marry . He often went to see his aunt with some nice presents. The woman was very happy. But one day she died in a traffic accident . The young man was very sad. After he buried her, he decided to buy a beautiful tombstone for her. He went to the town and came into a shop, but all the tombstones were too expensive. He asked, "Do you sell an old tombstone, sir?" "Yes, we do, sir," answered the shopkeeper. "Is it as expensive as the new one?" "No, it is much cheaper," said the man. "But another name was engraved on it." "It doesn't matter," said the man. "My aunt could not read." Jack's mother _ when Jack was three years old. A. left B. went out C. married D. died Answer: D. died
There are many things we need to know that we do not learn at school. For example, if we want to use our money wisely, we need to shop carefully. We need to know how to compare the prices of things in different shops. We need to be able to compare the quality of different brands . We need to know how to make a choice when we shop. Knowing how to make such choices is a "life skill", and we need these skills if we are to live useful and happy lives. Some of these choices are small. For example, will I take an apple for lunch or a pear? Will I go to school by bus or on foot? Will I wear the red T-shirt or the blue one to the movies? Other choices are more important. For example, will I eat healthy food for lunch or will eat junk food because it is tastier? Will I work hard in all my classes or will I only work hard in the classes I enjoy? We make choices like this every day. We have to realize that the choices we make can affect the rest of our lives. Just as importantly, our choices can also affect other people. The next time you decide to waste time in class, play a joke on someone or talk loudly at the movies, think about this: who else does your choice affect? Which of the following statement is TRUE? A. We need to go to different shops before we buy something. B. The prices in different shops must be different. C. If we shop carefully, we can use our money wisely. D. We don't need to compare the quality of different brands. Answer: C "On a spring night, we offer book lovers a desk and a light. You can stay here as long as you want to." This is the slogan of Sanlian Taofen Bookstore in Beijing. Earlier this month, Sanlian Taofen Bookstore became the first 24-hour bookstore in the city. It hopes to encourage more people to read books. Bookstores are the brain of a city. Although many people can now buy books online, many readers still like the feeling in bookstores. They can touch the books and smell the print In China, most cities are home to at least one bookstore. Some have special themes . Popular Holdings ( ) in Shanghai is a film-themed bookstore. There are film books and posters inside. Other bookstores have colorful activities. Eslite Bookstore in Taiwan has activities like talks with famous writers as well as holding gallery shows . People come here not only for reading but also to communicate with others. Popular Holdings in Shanghai is one of the bookstores with _ . A. asmallgallery B. colourful activities C. aspecialslogan D. a special theme Answer: D Everything has a name. All people, places and things have names.Cities and towns have names,too.Schools and office buildings also have names. Names are important. We use names every day.When we meet a new person, we usually ask"What's your name?" It's important to learn a person's name. Most people have two names. Some have more names. Names are different all over the world, so it is very difficult to remember all of them. In the USA, most people have a first name, a middle name and a last name. Parents choose the first name and middle names for their babies.There are names for boys and names for girls. For example, John, Peter, Tom and Mike are all names for boys, Elizabeth, Bonnie, Susan and Mary are all girls' names. The last name is the family name. Usually it is the father's family name. Does everyone have a name? A. Yes, they do. B. No, they don't. C. Yes, they have. D. No, they haven't. Answer: A As a senior high school student, my-future is always on my mind. To-be exact,thoughts of the future have kept me up count.less nights and made me worrv enough to do poorly on more than one test. Because of this, words of wisdom are a scurce of comfort.Steve Jobs gave a speech to Stanford's graduating.class in 2005 and his words resound re-peatedly in my mind whenever I think about my future. It started when l became a junior, when college came into view. It's the first big step to making your life your own. So when Jobs discussed his life as a student, some fears were eased. He, too, felt the need to attend college to make something of himself. He faced what many are extremely afraid of: uncertainty. His lack of understanding caused him to stop attending college and focus on what he felt was important. His story had a happy ending, of course, since he certainly turned out well. This doesn't mean that students shouldn't attend college, but rather that theyshouldn't worry so much. You'll get where you neecl to go, even if your path is a bit morewinding than you'd like. Jobs.talked about the hardships in his work. His love of his work helped him carry on and he got wh.ere he was meant to be, which restates the point: don't panic.One particular part of his speech stayed with me. Steve Jobs quoted thc saying"Stay hungry, stay foolisll" and it has become my motto. Staying foolish is realizing thatyou are still a fool, no matter how much you've learned or experienced. There is alwaysmore to explore. Staying hungry is wanting to find those things about which you are stilluneducated. Steve Jobs' level of success is possible to achieve, and I aim to prove that. With the will power to go into the world living every day like it's my last and allowing the future to take care of itself, 1 will do great things. In the last moments of my life, I'll be proud of what I have done and hope to have all the wisdom -a person could wish for. The author felt worried when _ . A. he had to take tests at school B. he had lots of sleepless nights C. he thought about his future D. he searched for words of wisdom Answer: C Annie sometimes felt puzzled by the relationship between her parents. They never seemed to show much love for each other. Annie believed that people who were in love would show it. They would hold hands, speak sweet words to each other and give each other nice gifts. Annie's parents did none of these things. So, she doubted whether they really loved each other. It was Annie's plan to ask her parents about their feelings for each other. But it was hard to find the right moment. One Saturday afternoon, she noticed that her dad was in the garage, doing some work on the engine of his sports car. Annie's dad was always in a good mood when he was near his sports car, so she decided to ask him the question that had been bothering her." Dad, do you and Mom really love each other?" "Of course," her father replied. "Why do you ask?" "Well, you never seem to show it." Annie's father was silent for a while, he spoke again. "Look at the engine of this car," he said. "It is oily and messy, and the car looks much better when the hood is down. Don't you agree?" Without waiting for a reply, he went on. "If I took out the engine and put the hood back down, the car would look just as beautiful, right? But it wouldn't be a car anymore. The engine is its beating heart. You don't usually see it, but it has to be there. It's the same with your Mom and me. Our love for each other is the beating heart of this family. Don't worry just because it isn't on show all the time. " About six months later, Annie's father lost his job. The family had to cut back on many things to make ends meet. And he had to sell his beloved sports car. But Annie noticed another change. Because he had more free time, her father spent more of it with her mother. They seemed to grow closer together, and showed their love more often. Their love, which Annie had been afraid did not exist, was plain to see. Annie was sad that the sports car had gone, but at least she understood what her father had told her that day. What happened to the love between Annie's parents after her father lost his job? A. It no longer existed. B. It became easier to see. C. It grew weaker. D. It changed completely. Answer: B
China Science and Technology Museum was opened to the public in September 1988. But the second project was completed in May 2000. Its main task is to spread knowledge of science and technology among the public. The activities of China Science and Technology Museum include popular science exhibitions, Astro-vision film shows, training education programs and experiment exhibition programs. The museum has an area of 40,000 square metres, of which 16,000 square metres is for exhibition halls. The Astro-vision Theatre is one of the museum's major attractions and also one of the largest Astro-vision theatres in the world. It makes visitors feel they are in actual events rather than see a film. Many great science activities are often held at the museum, and the museum wants to be an important window to the world. What is one of the most attractions for the visitors? A. The Astro-vision Theatre. B. Science Hall. C. Experiment Exhibition. D. Education Programs. Answer: A. The Astro-vision Theatre. Scientists have discovered thirteen kinds of vitamins. They say vitamins help to carry out chemical changes within cells. If we do not get enough of the vitamins we need in our food, we are at risk of developing a number of diseases. Which foods should be eaten to keep us healthy? Let us look at some important vitamins. Vitamin A helps prevent skin and other tissues from becoming dry. People who do not get enough vitamin A cannot see well in darkness. Vitamin A is found in fish liver oil and the yellow part of eggs. Vitamin B-1 is also called thiamine. Thiamine changes starchy foods into energy. Thiamine is found not just in whole grains like brown rice, but also in beans and peas, nuts, and meat and fish. Vitamin B-12 is needed so folic acid can do its work. Together, they help produce red blood cells. Folic acid has been shown to prevent physical problems in babies when taken by their mothers during pregnancy. Vitamin B-12 is found naturally in foods like eggs, meat, fish and milk products. Vitamin B-12 is found in green leafy vegetables and other foods, like legumes and citrus fruits . Vitamin C is needed for strong bones and teeth. The body stores little vitamin C. So we must get it every day in foods such as citrus fruits, tomatoes and uncooked cabbage. Vitamin D prevents the children's bone disease rickets . Ultraviolet light from the sun changes a substance in the skin into vitamin D. Fish liver oil also contains vitamin D. Vitamin K is needed for healthy blood. It thickens the blood around a cut to stop bleeding. It can also be found in pork products, liver and in vegetables like cabbage, kale and spinach . Vitamins are important to our health. A lack of required vitamins can lead to health problems. Women who wish to become mothers should take in _ . A. vitamin A B. vitamin B-1 C. vitamin B-12 D. vitamin C Answer: C. vitamin B-12 We know that many animals do not stay in one place.Birds,fish and other animals move from one place to another at a certain time.They move for different reasons:most of them move to find food more easily,but others move to get away from places that are too crowded. When cold weather comes,many birds move to warmer places to find food.Some fishes give birth in warm water and move to cold water to feed.The most famous migration is probably the migration of fish,which is called "Salmon".This fish is born in fresh water but it travels many miles to salt water.There it spends its life.When it is old,it returns to its birthplace in fresh water.Then it gives birth and dies there.In northern Europe,there is a kind of mouse.They leave their mountain homes when they become too crowded.They move down to the low land.Sometimes they move all the way to the seaside,and many of them are killed when they fall into the sea. Recently,scientists have studied the migration of a kind of lobster .Every year,when the season of bad weather arrives,the lobsters get into a long time and start to walk across the floor of the ocean.Nobody knows why they do this,and nobody knows where they go. So,sometimes we know why humans and animals move from one place to another,but at other times we don't.Maybe living things just like to travel. The lobsters move _ . A. to the fresh water B. to the deeper sea C. at a certain time D. to find more food Answer: C. at a certain time My neighbor Mrs. Gargan first told me about it. "Have you seen the tree?" She asked as I was sitting in the backyard enjoying the autumn twilight . "The one down at the corner," she explained. "It's a beautiful tree--all kinds of colors. All the passers-by stop to have a look. You ought to see it." I told her I would, but I soon forgot about the tree. Three days later, I was jogging down the street when a splash of bright orange caught my eyes. For an instant, I thought someone's house had caught fire. Then I remembered the tree. I approached the tree to look at it closely. There was nothing remarkable about the shape of the tree. It was a medium-sized maple. But Mrs. Gargan had been right about its colors. Like the mess of an artist's palette , the tree blazed a bright crimson on its lower branches and burned with vivid yellows and oranges in its center, and deep red at its top. Through these colors were light green leaves as yet untouched by autumn. Walking closer I noticed several bare branches near the top, their small black branches scratching the air like claws. The fallen leaves lay like a red carpet around the trunk. As I was amazed at this beauty, I thought of Ralph Waldo Emerson's comments about the stars. "If the constellations appeared only once in a thousand years, imagine what an exciting event it would be. But because they're up there every night, we barely give them a look," he made a remark in Nature. I felt the same way about the tree. Because its beauty will last only a week, it should be especially precious to us. And I had almost missed it. Once in the 19th century when a man noticed a brilliant display of northern lights in the sky over Massachusetts, he rang a church bell to alert the whole town's people. That's what I felt like doing about the tree. I wanted to awake the countryside to its wonder. I didn't have a church bell, but as I walked home, I did ask each neighbor I passed the same simple but important question Mrs. Gargan had asked me: "Have you seen the tree?". The best title of the passage can be _ . A. Have You Seen the Tree? B. The Most Beautiful Tree C. One of the Wonders in Nature D. The Precious Moment in Life Answer: A. Have You Seen the Tree? On Sunday, our family went for a picnic. Mom, dad, Alice, Sissy (our dog), and I got in the van and drove to the park. Alice and I played fetch with Sissy. Dad fired up the grill and made some hamburgers. Mom made some salad. Mom asked me to spread the picnic cloth. Sissy wanted to help me too. Once the burgers were ready, we sat down to eat. They were delicious, I ate two! Alice only ate one hamburger. I didn't like the salad because I don't like carrots. Mom says they're good for me. Sissy doesn't like carrots either. After lunch, I played with dad and Alice played with mom and Sissy. Dad and I were flying a kite. Alice and mom played with flowers. Then we packed up the van and went home. I fell asleep on the way home. Sunday was a lot of fun. I want to do it again! What did the family do on Sunday A. Went to a picnic B. Made hotdogs C. Went for a swim D. Went to church Answer: A. Went to a picnic
Lady Bird Johnson was born Claudia Alta Taylor in nineteen twelve. The Taylor family lived in the small town of Karnack, Texas. Claudia's father, Thomas Jefferson Taylor, owned two stores as well as thousands of hectares for cotton production. Her mother, Minnie Taylor, died when Claudia was only five years old. A woman who worked for the Taylor family gave Claudia her nickname. Alice Tittle said the small child was "as purty as a lady bird." As first lady, Missus Johnson became an energetic activist for educational and environmental issues. She helped support Head Start, a public program aimed at giving educational and health services to young children from poor families. She started the Society for a More Beautiful National Capitol. Its aim was to improve the beauty of Washington by planting trees and flowers in public areas and parks. Missus Johnson understood that these improvements were also linked to important issues such as pollution, public transportation, mental health, and crime rates. Lyndon Johnson and Lady Bird Johnson had a difficult four-year term. The president faced strong opposition about the United States involvement in the war in Vietnam. In nineteen sixty-eight, President Johnson surprised the nation by announcing that he would not seek reelection as president. The Johnsons left politics and returned home to Texas. Mister Johnson died of a heart attack in nineteen seventy-three. Lady Bird Johnson continued her tireless work to improve the country's natural environment. She created the National Wildflower Research Center in nineteen eighty-two. The center helps to educate people about the environmental importance and value of native plants. Missus Johnson died in two thousand seven at the age of ninety-four. Her memory lives in the many fields of wildflowers that color the roads of America. From the passage,we know that The Beautifieation Act is a(n) _ . A activity B ornanization C Law D center Answer: C. Law 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). What is the purpose of the passage? A To invite people to take a breath in the Bay of Naples. B To advise people to telephone Newmarket Air Holidays Ltd. C To persuade people to tour in the area of the Mediterranean Sea. D To attract people to go to Sant' Agata or Sorrento for sightseeing. Answer: D. To attract people to go to Sant' Agata or Sorrento for sightseeing. Secondary succession is a process that reestablishes a previously colonized, but disturbed or damaged habitat. Which will most likely result in colonization by large herbivores and carnivores? A saplings and trees B grasses and shrubs C lichens and mosses D seedlings and bushes Answer: A. saplings and trees Recently, Danny Meyer, founder of the Shake Shack chain, announced that his restaurants will do away with tipping. He plans to pay his staff higher wages and pass the cost to customers by raising prices on menus. Is this a good idea? I'm sure Meyer's latest move will be a winner. The new model could work in Meyer's restaurants because he draws a particular type of customers who are there for a high-end experience. Besides, if the restaurants charge more for meals, they'll pay higher in taxes. As restaurants move to higher wages, the benefit costs will be higher, too. --Mel Robbins For a European, eating in an American restaurant is like attending a high school reunion. Tipping turns the whole process into a drawn-out experience where money is at the center stage. There are so many opportunities for embarrassment. So I think Danny Meyer's proposal will change it for the better. --Andre Spicer Danny Meyer is doing the right thing by stopping tipping. Eating out costs what it costs and workers are hard-working humans who deserve the stability of a wage. It may take a while to catch on, but we'll get there and it'll become the norm. --Kat Kinsman I've found that the practice of tipping has traditionally attracted millions of employees to our industry. The current tipping model still has strong support from diners and they are more than happy to reward good service. But it is vital that restaurants continue to have the freedom to choose what works best for their business and their employees. --Cicely Simpson The four people's topic is focused on . A how diners feel in American restaurants B whether diners should be charged more C how restaurants can offer good service D whether restaurants should ban tipping Answer: D. whether restaurants should ban tipping 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. Which of the following statements is NOT true? A He had expected that the school had completely changed. B In the writer's time, all the teachers were dressed in black gowns and high collars. C There was a well-kept lawn in their school when he visited it. D An untidy gravel yard had disappeared. Answer: A. He had expected that the school had completely changed.
One Tuesday evening in the beginning of the fall 1996 semester at Shippensburg University, sirens sounded. These sirens were not in celebration; they were a cry to the university that something was wrong. A house, only one block away, was on fire. Nine of the university's students lived there. From the minute the word got out that help was needed, it seemed like everyone showed up. The victims of the fire were offered endless invitations for housing for the night. The very next day, everyone to do their part in helping them. Flyers were posted with items that were immediately needed, just to get these students through this next couple of days. Boxes for donations and money jars were placed in every residence hall . As a residence director,I went before the students in my hall to ask them to do what they could. I knew that college students don't have much, but I asked them to do their best: "Every little bit will help." I really didn't think they could do much. I was proved wrong. At the hall council meeting the night after the fire, my residents decided to have a wing competition, where each wing of the building would team up to see who could bring In the most donations. I announced that the wing who won would receive a free pizza party. Thursday evening we announced over the PA system that we were beginning the wing competition. Within minutes, the place exploded. The single large box that I had placed in the lobby was over-flowing. We quickly grabbed more boxes, and we watched in amazement as they, too, filled to the brim. Members of the resident assistant staff and I began to count the items. I was astonished by what I saw, and I was inspired by these kids. When we came to the final tally , the winners turned to me and announced that they would like to donate their winnings as well. They wanted the victims of the fire to have their pizza party. Tears welled up in my eyes. I had watched these students jump to action, work tirelessly and donate all that they could. And then, as if that were not enough, they handed over their reward's was touched and so very proud of them. The writer mainly wanted to _ by the story. Answer: praise the college students helping the victims selflessly Something was crying outside. So I went out to see what was happening. A big cat sat by the door. It must run for a long time as it looked tired and dirty. I let it in my house and took out some food; this poor cat ate all, but still looked starving..., so I got my own cats' fish, and the cat ate that too! My five-year-old son and eight-year-old daughter were interested in the cat. They bathed (......) it and fed it more food. They wanted to keep it. But I didn't agree. It was not because I didn't love it. We already had 2 cats and 2 dogs and our house was not big enough to keep more. Another reason was that I thought maybe it got lost. And its owner must be worried about it. Then I posted notices all over the town in the hope of finding its home. I also bought an ad time on a radio station. Three weeks passed, but there was no response . Finally, I decided to keep the cat. Our house was small, but I would take good care of it as possible as I could. Why didn't the writer agree to keep the cat? Answer: He wanted to help the cat find its owner. Alan, who was already married, went through a marriage ceremony with Betty and committed bigamy. Carl, his friend, who did not know of Alan's previous marriage, had encouraged Alan to marry Betty and was best man at the ceremony. If Carl is charged with being an accessory to bigamy, he should be found Answer: not guilty, because he did not have the mental state required for aiding and abetting. It seems more and more Americans want schools to teach foreign languages to children younger than five years old.The most popular way to teach these young children another language is called immersion . Children in immersion programs hear only the new language in the classroom.The children play games, sing songs and talk to one another in the new languages, some experts say immersion programs are the most effective way for young children to learn a language.But there can be a problem when children in the United States begin to learn another language at such an early age.Not many elementary schools continue to teach a foreign language.Only seven of the fifty states require schools to teach a foreign language to students between the ages of six and twelve.Language experts say it is easier for younger children to learn a language.Still, American schools generally do not begin to teach foreign languages until secondary schools.By then, students are about thirteen years old. American schools face difficult choices about the cost of educational programs.The government has increased support for foreign language study in its education law called No Child Left Behind. At the college, the Modern Language Association says more students than ever are studying foreign languages and more languages are being studied now than in the past.Spanish is the most widely taught in American colleges and universities.French, German, Chinese and Italian are also popular. What is the passage mainly about? Answer: Foreign language teaching ways in America. This is the legal part of the show. It's just so everybody knows the rules for Nickelodeon on the Web. Be sure to get your parents to review and discuss these rules with you: 1.All the toys and games here are just for you to play with. You can't sell them,give them to anyone,or pretend you made them. You can't do anything EXCEPT play with them,unless you ask us first and we say it's OK. 2.If you see something you don't like,remember that all the stuff on the message boards ,chat rooms and "Write to Nick"comes straight from other kids,not from someone at nick.com. Nick.com wouldn't tell kids what to say,because kids have minds of their own!But if someone sends ugly messages,we'll do our best to take care of it. We all want nick.com to be a good,clean place to hang out. 3.If you write something that catches our eye in "Write to Nick"on a message board or in a chat room,we might want to use it on the site. By sending in your thoughts and hanging out in the chat rooms,and getting your parent's permission to do so,you and your parents are telling us it's OK to repeat what you say. It's even OK to put it in an advertisement. It means we can use it in any way we want,anywhere,until the end of time. Remember to ALWAYS check with your parents before you send anything to us. And of course,the folks in the legal office upstairs have their own code for saying all that. Please read these terms and conditions carefully before using this website. This site at nick.com is fully controlled and operated by Nickelodeon Online,a business unit of MTV Networks. You can find this passage in a _ . Answer: Internet web
Passage 2 Colin is a twenty-year-old young man. Two years ago, when he finished middle school, he got a job in a store. Usually he works until ten o'clock in the evening. He is very tired when he gets home. After a quick supper he goes to bed and soon falls asleep. His grandma who lives downstairs is satisfied with him. One day, on his way home, he met Nancy. They were both happy. He asked the girl to his house. She agreed happily. He bought some fruit and drinks for her. And they talked about the school life they spent together, their teachers, classmates and their future . They talked for a long time. "Have a look at your watch, please," said the girl. "What time is it now?" "Sorry, something is wrong with my watch," said Colin. "Where's yours?" "I left it at home." Colin thought for a moment and found a way. He began to stamp his foot on the floor, "Bang! Bang! Bang!" The sound woke his grandma up. The old woman shouted downstairs, "It's twelve o'clock in the night, Colin. Why are you still jumping upstairs?" Colin was _ when he finished middle school. Answer: eighteen Today we have the second report explaining how to prepare fish by drying or smoking them. We talked last week about the first steps of cleaning and salting freshly caught fish. To dry fish, you will need either a drying table or a place to hang them. If a table is used, it should have a top made of wire screen or thin pieces of wood with space between each piece. Lay the cleaned, wet salted fish on top of the table. Do not let them touch each other. Be sure that air can reach the fish from all sides. _ Turn the fish over every other day. Small fish will dry in about three days if the air is dry. Large fish will take a week or ten days to dry. After the fish have dried, place them in a basket. Cover them with clean paper or large leaves. Then put the basket in a cool, dry place off the ground. Make sure as much of the saltwater as possible is removed before you smoke the fish. The smoking can be done in a large, round metal container. Remove the top of the drum and cut a small opening on one side at the bottom. Cover the top with a strong wire screen, where you put the fish. Build a small fire in the drum by reaching in through the opening at the bottom. Wood from fruit trees makes good fuel for your fire. _ will give the smoked fish good color1 and taste. One way to get a lot of smoke is to use green wood, not dried wood. You should smoke the fish for five days or longer if you plan to keep them for a long time. After that, wrap them in clean paper, put the fish in baskets and keep them in a cool, dry place off the ground. In drying or smoking fish, the following tools are mentioned in the passage EXCEPT_. Answer: spoon I was an introvert by nature. For as long as I remember, showing a sincere smile when meeting someone had never been easy. When meeting people, instead of being excited, I often felt upset or self-disturbed. But we all know having friends is important. The more friends you have, the more opportunities you get, no matter whether it's a job opportunity, a romantic relationship, or a business partner. So a smile is important to making others feel comfortable. Mother Teresa said, "Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person and a beautiful thing." The smile I'm talking about is not to make a face to someone. I'm talking about those wide smiles you make when meeting old friends. So I've discovered a trick. I call this technique "Oh, it's Jamie!" When I meet someone, I imagine him as an old friend of mine called Jamie. He was my first friend when we were still kids. It's no secret why my smile is as wide as I can possibly make. And the best part, whenever you're friendly to others, they are friendly in return. You're not hearing this from me. A research which was done early by scientists actually backs this claim. So do remember to give it a try. The author writes the text mainly to tell readers _ . Answer: to show their perfect smile Ellis Island is located in New York Harbor. Ellis Island is open daily year round from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., with extended hours during summer. It is closed on December 25. There is no admission charge to Ellis Island; but donations are gratefully accepted. At Your Fingertips Park information (212) 363-7620 Emergencies (212) 363-3260 Ferryboat information (212) 269-5755 Lost and found (212)363-7620 Dining, gifts & audio tour 344-0996 Transportation Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Ferry; boats leave from Battery Park, Manhattan, and from Liberty State Park, New Jersey. They run about every 30 to 45 minutes beginning at 9:15 a.m.(The time for ferry is changeable) Hours: May vary; call the number above Closed: December 25 Ferry fees (includes Liberty and Islands) adults, $7; senior citizens, $6; children (age 3~17), $5. (Group rates are available for 25 or more adults.) Which of the following is NOT true? _ Answer: The boats departure time from Battery Park is at 9:15 all the year round. "Gold Rush Alaska" has given America gold fever. A lot of young men put everything at risk to find gold in Alaska. They face problems with their machines and the Alaska wild animals. They're just ordinary people out trying to realize a dream. Todd Dorsey is one of them. He spent $100,000 on it and prepared for a year before going to Alaska. He brought his family and friends to help him out. He must get them mining and a place to stay. He also had to keep their spirits up and kept everyone working as a team. They had to run off bears sometimes from their camp. They had to face the fact that their lead mechanic's health was not good. They called him Harness, and he was on medication that was hard for him to take, because out in Alaska it was not easy to get to the hospital and so he didn't enjoy good health. He was the only one who could keep things running the way they were supposed to. There was one guy that didn't seem to get along with anyone. But didn't there always have to be someone that didn't get along and messed things up? They got excited when they found a few small pieces of gold, but they needed a lot more to cover the cost of mining every day. It cost Todd $1,000 a day to run everything they needed to mine. They had to make money before the Alaska summer came to an end or they would go broke . According to the text, Harness _ . Answer: was very important to everyone
Question: Could smells affect your lifespan? Female fruit flies rid of the ability to smell food outlive their peers.The sense of smell may be linked to the cellular ageing process in many other organisms--even people.A link has recently been found between sensory experiences and lifespan in both worms and flies.For example, Scott Pletcher, a biologist at the University of Michigan, found that eliminating fruit flies' ability to smell enabled them to live nearly 20 percent longer than flies with an intact sense of smell. Pletcher's team reasoned that food smells were the ones most likely to affect ageing, as nutrition and longevity are known to be linked in many organisms.To test the idea that food odors affect lifespan, Pletcher's team eliminated flies' ability to smell carbon dioxide, which is produced by some fly foods.They left the rest of the smelling system intact. This intervention had no effect on male flies, but the females lived 30 percent longer than normal.Pletcher thinks eliminating the ability to smell CO2may deprive flies of information about food availability.This could signal to cells that food is scarce, causing processes that promote survival.Indeed, his team found that the CO2-insensitive female flies stored extra fat and that both males and females immune to CO2were more resistant to stress than normal flies.Pletcher isn't sure why the change in his fruit flies only affected the lifespan of the females, but he suggests that females may simply be more sensitive to the odor of CO2. A smell or taste that stretches lifespan in humans could be a potential preventative for age-related disease, he adds.Although in fruit flies it appears to be the smell of CO2that affects ageing, he says that an analogue in humans might be a smell or taste linked to human food--or a lack of it.Matt Kaeberlein studies ageing at the University of Washington in Seattle. He cautions that we don't know whether ageing and smell are linked in mammals.But " we definitely undergo physiological changes in response to smelling food--I'm getting hungry just thinking about it--so I think it's possible." Pletcher's team does some researches to prove _ . A. the immune system of flies to chemicals B. the links between nutrition and longevity C. the importance of food odors to our humans D. the connections between food odors and lifespan Answer: D. the connections between food odors and lifespan Question: If music makes you smarter, and exercise helps brain function, can exercising to music really boost brainpower? Some researchers said it could. Volunteers who listened to Vivaldi~ "Four Seasons" while working out on a treadmill did much better on a test of verbal ability than when they exercised without music, a team at prefix = st1 /OhioStateUniversityfound. "Evidence suggests that exercise improves the cognitive performance of people with coronary artery disease ," said psychologist Charles Emery, who led the study. "And listening to music is thought to enhance brainpower. We wanted to put the _ together," Emery added in a statement. Writing in the latest issue of the journal Heart & Lung, Emery and colleagues said they studied 33 men and women taking part in a cardiac rehabilitation program after having bypass surgery, angioplasty or other procedures to treat clogged arteries. The volunteers said they felt better emotionally and mentally after working out with or without the music. But their improvement on the verbal fluency test doubled after listening to music on the treadmills ."Exercise seems to cause positive changes in the nervous system, and these changes may have a direct effect on cognitive ability," Emery said. "Listening to music may influence cognitive function through different pathways in the brain. The combination of music and exercise may stimulate and increase cognitive arousal while helping to organize cognitive output." Emery said he now wanted to test people using music of their own choice. "We used The Four Seasons' because of its moderate tempo and positive effects on medical patients in previous research," Emery said. "But given the range of music preferences among patients, it's especially important to evaluate the influence of other types of music on cognitive outcomes." The best title of this passage is _ A. Music's Function in Helping Recovery B. Exercising to Music Pumps up Brain Power C. "Four Seasons" Helps Cognitive Output D. Always Music Answer: B. Exercising to Music Pumps up Brain Power Question: Once upon a time, two men were walking in the forest. One was thin and tall, and very bad too. The other was fat and short, and very honest. The tall man said to the short man, "We are good friends. If any beast comes, I'll help you." The short man said, " Of course, we are good friends. We will help each other." At that time, a bear came to them. The tall man climbed up the tree quickly to hide himself in the branches and forgot his promise to the short man. But the fat man couldn't climb the tree. He said to his friend, "Help me! Help me! I can't climb up. Look! The bear is coming!" The tall man said, "No! No! No! You can't stay with me. The tree is not strong." The bear was coming. The short man lay down under the tree, pretending to be dead and holding his breath. The bear smelled around his body. It doesn't touch the dead. After the bear went away without harming the short man, the tall man came down and asked the short man, "What did the bear whisper in your ear when it was close to you?" The short man answered, "the bear told me not to believe such a selfish friend like you. And it also said that a friend in need is a friend indeed." The two men were _ in the passage. A. workers B. brothers C. friends D. hunters Answer: C. friends Question: Most Chinese people these days know what it is like to have an "English teacher", since almost all pupils study English from their third year. Usually that first English teacher will be a young and lovely lady in primary school. But my first English teacher is _ . Looking back, I can see that, when I was only a little girl, he created an English environment by providing me with flashcards,fun English- language toys and even dolls which can sing English songs! My interest in English had certainly been awakened when I began to learn English at school. Just imagine, he went a step further and asked me to learn New Concept English by myself! I was puzzled and even angry. I could not understand why a father could be so strict with his little girl. All the same, he never gave up and he gently insisted that I follow through with his idea. At first, I read stories with tears and I actually hated them because they were too difficult for me. In the end, I came to love the funny stories and, to be honest, my father was always there with a helping hand. I am sure that my English would never have got so far without his support. And that's why my father is not only my first English teacher but also my lifelong teacher. He is one who awoke my interest, and who gave me much confidence . Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage? A. The girl's father is her first English teacher. B. The girl had been interested in English before going to school. C. The girl's father was always ready to help her with her English. D. The girl could have learned English well by herself without her father. Answer: D. The girl could have learned English well by herself without her father. Question: Do you have bright ideas? Ideas or inventions that change society or, at least, make life easier for somebody? Perhaps we all do sometimes, but we don't often make the idea a reality. Recently, in Britain, there was a competition called British Designers for Tomorrow. The competition encourages young people to carry out their bright ideas. There were two groups in the contest: Group One was for schoolchildren under 16; Group Two was for schoolchildren over 16, and there were eleven prize-winners altogether. Neil Hunt, one of the prize-winners, was called "Sunshine Superman". It's important when people study the weather to be able to record sunshine accurately. We need to know how many hours of sunshine we have and how strong it is. Most sunshine recorders only record direct sunlight. Neil's is more accurate and this is very important for research into the way of using solar power. You can do so much with animated cartoon. Look at Simon West's idea for animated road signs. He uses pictures which appear to move as you go nearer to or farther from them. This isn't a new idea. But it is new to use these pictures on road signs. "We found that people were more likely to see moving signs," said Simon. So now, you can really see rocks falling, trains moving, horses running or a car falling over the edge of a cliff. Quite a warning! The ideas in the competition were so inventive that we are surprised that British industry doesn't ask more schoolchildren for suggestions. Perhaps this will be the start of "pupil power!" The organizers of the competition hoped the schoolchildren would _ . . A. become good designers for future Britain B. win as many prizes as they could C. design something useful for the next day D. invent something for immediate use Answer: A. become good designers for future Britain
General Airport Tips Plan to get to the airport at least an hour early,or two during holidays and other busy times;this will reduce the stress of the flight,If all goes well, you will have time to relax,shop for last-minute items,or have a meal before the flight. Flight Delays Find out why your flight is delayed.Gall the free call numbers. Find out if other airlines are experiencing similar delays.If you believe the delay is due to something other than weather or air traffic problems, then mention your suspicion and ask the airline agent to book you on the next available flight,either on the same air-line or a competing one. This is called "Rule 240",and all airlines are required to do it. Use the lingo ;ask,"Can you 240 me?"when speaking with an agent. They will know what you mean. Flight Cancellations If your flight is canceled,then make a reservation on the next flight to your destination .Usually, air-line officials will try to book everyone on their next flight out. Often they will put you on a competitor's next flight only if you request it. If on-time arrival is important to you, when you check flights through our reservation system yon can make your choices based on their on-time arrival records. Be sure to also check the weather conditions,as they often affect flight schedules. Getting bumped To avoid getting bumped, you must be at the loading gate at least 10 minutes ahead of scheduled departure for a U.S. Flight,20 minutes to/from Bahamas,Canada,and Mexico and 30 to/from all other international points. You must be at the loading gate,not the airport entrance. People heading for Germany must be at the loading gate at least _ . A 40 minutes ahead of time B 30 minutes ahead of time C 20 minutes ahead of time D 10 minutes ahead of time Answer: B. 30 minutes ahead of time Lots of people have hobbies. Some people collect old coins or foreign stamps; some do needlework; others spend most of their spare time on a particular sport. A lot of people enjoy reading. But reading tastes differ widely. Some people only read newspapers or comics, some like reading novels, while others prefer books on astronomy, wildlife, or technological discoveries. If I happen to be interested in horses or precious stones, I cannot expect everyone else to share my enthusiasm. If I watch all the sports programs on TV with great pleasure, I must put up with the fact that other people find sports boring. Is there nothing that interests us all? Is there nothing that concerns everyone--no matter who they are or where they live in the world? Yes, dear Sophie, there are questions that certainly should interest everyone. They are precisely the questions this course is about. What is the most important thing in life? If we ask someone living on the edge of starvation, the answer is food. If we ask someone dying of cold, the answer is warmth. If we put the same question to someone who feels lonely and isolated, the answer will probably be the company of other people. But when these basic needs have been satisfied--will there still be something that everybody needs? Philosophers think so. They believe that man cannot live by bread alone. Of course everyone needs food. And everyone needs love and care. But there is something else--apart from that--which everyone needs, and that is to figure out who we are and why we are here. Being interested in why we are here is not a "casual" interest like collecting stamps. People who ask such questions are taking part in a debate that has gone on as long as man has lived on this planet. How the universe, the earth, and life came into being is a bigger and more important question than who won the most gold medals in the last Olympics. Which of the following best states the main idea of the passage? A Philosophical questions are as interesting as collecting stamps. B Thinking about philosophical questions is a serious interest. C Figuring out who we are and why we are here is man's basic needs. D Philosophy has universal appeal and concerns everybody in nature. Answer: D. Philosophy has universal appeal and concerns everybody in nature. Sharks are the most frightening animals in the sea. Sometimes we can see sharks swimming in the sea around Hong Kong. People put nets around some beaches to protect swimmers. When there is a "shark's flag", people must slay on the beach. It will be too late if a shark can swim sixty kilometers an hour to you. There are 30 kinds of sharks and 25 kinds of them are dangerous. The whale sharks are very big. They can grow to 18 meters long, but they are not dangerous to people. The jaws and the tiger sharks are the most dangerous kinds of sharks. Do you know all sharks must keep swimming, or they will go down? All sharks can feel everything that happens around them. We must keep _ and don't make any noise when a shark is swimming near you. If a shark loses a tooth, a new one will grow out very quickly. So sharks always have many sharp teeth. Why do people put nets around some beaches? A To keep swimmers running. B To keep swimmers swimming. C To keep swimmers safe. D To keep sharks swimming. Answer: C. To keep swimmers safe. I was never tired of heating their story.As a little girl,I'd sit beside my mom with their wedding album spread across my lap,slowly turning the pages of 8 x l 0 glossy black and white photographs.I'd trace my fingers along their faces,along that white wedding dress. "Tell me again,"I said . "Tell me again about you and dad." And she'd smile and her eyes would crinkle and she'd get that loving look and then she'd repeat once more Their Love Story. I'd smile too and stare at that photo of my non looking SO beautiful and my dad so tall and handsome. "Your dad was tall and really good--looking as he stood by his classroom door greeting his students.Besides coaching,he taught history and social studies.I often stole a few looks since my classes were nearby.That year I had many conversations with ' Mr.Kehoe',sometimes when he had lunch duty,sometimes when I had cheerleading practice.He was appointed cheerleader sponsor and I'd been a cheerleader for four years. We were married that November during the Thanksgiving holiday.1 went from a graduate one year to a teacher's wife the next! But part of the story that I loved most,that all my life I thought was magical and wonderful and amazing and exciting and oh--so romantic. So,what do you think ?Did God speak to me?" I'd catch and hold my breath,then exclaim,"Oh,yes !God told you that you'd marry Dad!" Now can you see why I loved heating Their Love Story ?And SO their wedding.Then their marriage.Then their family.Three babies in three years,then a fourth. Then,what else would you expect after heating the Voice of God--years and years and years of Happy Moments! Now it's come to this:60 years of marriage ! We can learn from the passage that _ . A the couple has three children in all B the album was all the photos of the girl C the girl heard her parents'love story many times D the girl's mother got married in December after graduating Answer: C. the girl heard her parents'love story many times The European Union announced plans on Tuesday to temporar-ily ban the use of animal cloning for food production, while allowing imports of food derived from the offspring of clones from the United States and elsewhere. The report from the European Commission followed a call by EU lawmakers in July for a total ban on food derived from cloned animals and their traditionally bred offspring, citing ethical concerns over the industrial production of cloned meat. The Commission said a temporary five-year EU ban on cloning for food production was justified on animal welfare grounds, but said banning imports of food from the offspring of clones was unnecessary and would disrupt global trade. "Food from cloned animals is safe. In fact, the scientific opinion is that it cannot be differentiated in any way from food normally bred animals. The issue is animal welfare," EU Health and Consumer Commissioner John Dalli told reporters. Food derived from the offspring of clones presents no such animal welfare issues, and banning its sale and import would be impossible because the origin is untraceable, Dalli said. "Such a prohibition would lead to a ban of imports of any food of animal origin (meat, milk and processed products)from third countries allowing the cloning technique," the report said. "We're not going to regulate for the world," Dalli added. But animal welfare groups criticized the Commission's decision, saying it had bowed to pressure from third countries. "We do not accept the Commission's position that it would be impossible to enforce a ban that includes the offspring of cloned animals, as (other) meat traceability systems are already in place," said Sonja Van Tichelen, director of the Eurogroup for Animals. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? A The ban is permanent. B The imports of food from the offspring of clones are not banned. C Animal welfare groups support the ban. D The ban has been put into effect. Answer: B. The imports of food from the offspring of clones are not banned.
When you walk into the small Australian town of Coober Pedy, you may be surprised by what you can see. It's just barren land there! So why even call it a town? There are more than 4,000 people of 48 nationalities. However, all of the people live underground! Coober Pedy was established in 1915, following the discovery of opals . The town is sometimes called the "opal capital of the world," because it is the largest opal mining area in the world. Due to a desert climate , people came to realize that while working under the ground was easy, living above it was not. The solution was to move underground, by changing old mines into homes and establishing the world's first and most likely, only underground town. As years have gone by, the homes have become bigger. There are now also some hotels for tourists. They come from all over the world just to see this unusual town. Coober Pedy is probably best known for its unique style of underground living. While the structures may be located underground, they are in no way worse than those that lie above. Not only do their walls have the color of beautiful red, but also the structures have all the modern equipment like walk-in closets, modern kitchens and televisions. And the town also has gift shops selling opal jewelry, a couple of museums and even a church! Besides, Coober Pedy is also a favourite among filmmakers. And it has appeared in a series of movies such as Pitch Black, Red Planet and Opal Dream. We know from the passage that Coober Pedy _ . A. is a small town with 400 people B. was established before the year 1915 C. is famous for its desert climate D. was established after opals were discovered Answer: D Heroes of Our Time A good heart Dikembe Mutombo grew up in Africa among great poverty and disease. He came to Georgetown University on a scholarship to study medicine--but Coach John Thompson got a look at Dikembe and had a different idea. Dikembe became a star in the NBA, and a citizen of the United States. But he never forgot the land of his birth, or the duty to share his fortune with others. He built a new hospital in his old hometown in the Congo. A friend has said of this goodhearted man: " Mutombo believes that God has given him this chance to do great things." Success and kindness After her daughter was born, Julie Aigner-Clark searched for ways to share her love of music and art with her child. So she borrowed some equipment, and began filming children's videos in her own house. The Baby Einstein Company was born, and in just five years her business grew to more than $20 million in sales. And she is using her success to help others--producing child safety videos with John Walsh of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Julie says of her new program: " I believe it's the most important thing that I have ever done. I believe that children have the right to live in a world that is safe." Bravery and courage A few weeks ago, Wesley Autrey was waiting at a Harlen subway station with his two little girls when he saw a man fall into the path of a train. With seconds to act, Wesley jumped onto the tracks, pulled the man into the space between the rails, and held him as the train passed right above their heads. He insists he's not a hero. He says: " We have got to show each other some love." What was Mutombo praised for? A. His work in the church B. Being a student of medicine C. His willingness to help the needy D. Being a star in the NBA Answer: C Accurately forecasting the weather is a very hard thing to do. There are many parts of weather dynamics -- the study of how water and air in motion cause weather patterns -- to consider. Even the best forecast can be changed by a small weather disturbance halfway around the world. Today's forecast use complex computer models, weather instruments, and detailed analyses of daily observations to predict the weather. However, it hasn't always been that way. People, like your grandparents, use folklore and proverbs to help forecast the weather. They remembered what conditions caused changes and observed the factors associated with weather: atmospheric and cloud conditions, temperature, winds, and reactions of plants and animals. Many people believe that this way of forecasting weather is accurate more often than modem forecasting. Grandma's aching joints might indicate the arrival of a low-pressure system. She might also observe the geese flying lower than usual, confirming the low-pressure system. Finally, she might feel dampness on her skin, a sign of high humidity . Based on these three observations, grandma might warn that a storm is brewing. Joints and nerves can indicate dropping air pressure, dissolved gases in the blood form bubbles under low air pressure. This causes pain in joints and nerve endings. Geese and other birds respond to changes in air pressure by adjusting how high they fly. In the fair, calm weather of a high-pressure system, the birds fly higher than in the stormy weather associated with a low-pressure system. Nature provides other clues to changing weather. A decrease in air pressure causes deer and elk to come down from the mountains to look for shelter. Some animals feed more than usual. The higher humidity before a storm causes some insects to leave the trees and gather near the ground. Some flowers close so rain doesn't get inside them. In winter, rhododendron plants curl up to protect themselves as the temperature drops. Several of the sayings apply in particular areas of the world. Here are some of them. #Early thunder, early spring. #Rainbow in the morning gives you fair warning. #When teeth and bones ache, expect the clouds to fill the lake. #When high clouds and low clouds do not match together, prepare for a blow and a change in the weather. It is true that _ . A. using folklore and proverbs to forecast weather is more accurate than modem forecasting B. complex computer models and weather instruments can always forecast weather accurately C. modern forecasting cannot always guarantee accurate weather forecasting for some reason D. modem forecasting along with other observations is sure to give accurate weather forecast Answer: C The prairie grass ecosystem once had a deep layer of topsoil which was protected by the grasses that covered it. Removal of these grasses for farmland is causing the soil to be eroded mainly by A. wind and rain. B. animal movement. C. crops grown in the soil. D. increased temperatures. Answer: A "Homestay is a form of study abroad program. It allows the visitor to rent a room from a local family to better understand the local lifestyle. It also helps to improve the visitor's language ability," said a teacher during a school meeting last term. "Students who wish to learn more about foreign cultures or to get foreign experience should join this kind of holiday. I am sure you won't be disappointed." After this special meeting, I always thought about this kind of holiday. Last month, I had a chance at last to go on such a holiday with some of my schoolmates and we went to London, a place where I had wanted to go since years ago. As we were still young, we had a group leader who planned things for us and looked after us. After we got to London, we went to stay with different families. I was lucky that my host family was a white couple who had a daughter about my age. They treated me as a daughter of their family during my stay there. They were interested in me and I learnt a lot of things from them, too. The holiday was filled with activities every day. After breakfast, a local teacher would come to take us in his car. Then we would have classes or go on a sight-seeing trip to different places of interest like the Big Ben, the London Bridge, and the Buckingham Palace. We would go back to our own homes after the activities. The holiday was a valuable experience for me. I enjoyed every minute of it. Yet, time really flew fast. Three weeks later, we had to leave "home" for Hong Kong. The writer had wanted to visit London since _ . A. last month B. a long time ago C. the special meeting D. her stay abroad Answer: B
Jan was a window cleaner. One morning, Jan was in a lift of a high building with his window cleaning tools when the building was on fire. There were five other passengers in the lift. All of a sudden the lift stopped. Although they didn't know what had happened outside, they had only 100 minutes to get out of the building before it would fall into the dust. Soon smoke began coming into the lift. The men knew that something was wrong. They tried to open the door but found a wall in front of them. The wall had the number 15 on it and they knew they were on the 15th floor. But their lift usually didn't stop there, so there was no opening for them to escape. Jan decided they would have to make their own. Knowing that the wall was made of a material that could be cut through, Jan took out his window cleaning tools, and began knocking a hole through the wall. When he felt tired, others helped. Starting with one small hole, they cut through the three-inch-thick wall. Then they kicked hard at the wall. The wall cracked apart. They saw before them a tile wall! Refusing to give up, they knocked a hole through the tile, then made the opening big enough to get through. Surprisingly, the fire-fighters were outside the hole, they took Jan and his partners to the nearest stairs and they ran down the stairs as quickly as possible. By 10:23, Jan and the others ran out of the building. Five minutes later, the building burned down. According to the passage, how many people were in the lift? 6. I was waiting for a phone call from my agent. He had left at message the night before, telling me that my show was to be cancelled. I called him several times, but each time his secretary told me that he was in a meeting and that he would call me later. So I waited and waited, but there was still no call. Three hours passing by, I became more and more and impatient. I was certain that my agent didn't care about my work, and he didn't care about me. I was overcome with that thought. I started to shout at the phone, "Let me wait, will you? Who do you think you are?" At that time I didn't realize my wife was looking on. Without showing her surprise, she rushed in, seized the phone, tore off the wires, and shouted at the phone, "Yeah! Who do you think you are? Bad telephone! Bad telephone!" And she swept it into the wastebasket. I stood watching her, speechless. What on earth...? She stepped to the doorway and shouted at the test of the house, "Now hear this! All objects in this room----if you do anything to upset my husband, out you go!" Then she turned to me. Kissed me and said calmly, "Honey, you just have to learn how to take control." With that, she left the room. After watching a crazy woman rushing in and out, shouting at everything in sight , I noticed that something in my mood had changed. I was laughing. How could I have trouble with that phone? Her aunties helped me realize I had been driven crazy by small things. Twenty minutes later my agent did call. I was able to listen to him and talk to him and talk to him calmly. Why did the author shout at the telephone?, He was angry with his agent. Which can happen during an experiment that might be dangerous? lemon juice splashing Do you feel lucky? You probably don't. You may think you've got where you are today through willpower and hard work. We tend to overlook luck's role,and this seems to get worse the richer we get; surveys show that the wealthiest are least likely to owe their fortunes to good fortune. Many such people oppose taxation and government spending: why should others get a handout if they don't need one? More often than not,they vote against the very policies that helped them get lucky to begin with. In a recent Atlantic essay,Robert Frank,an economist who has studied attitudes to chance,quoted EB White: "Luck is not something you can mention in the presence of self-made men." However, if we see this just as a problem of the super-rich people,we may let the rest of us off too easily. Anyone living in a highly developed economy in 2016 is already the one who benefits from luck--for example,not living in the modern-day Central African Republic, where few people can live a long life. In fact,we are lucky to have been born human. You might have been a battery hen,or a mayfly with only one day to live. Our blindness to such truths isn't only because we're self-absorbed but also we attach more significance to things that are easier to call to mind. It's not hard to recall countless times when you put in the effort to succeed: struggling through university finals,preparing for job interviews,tolerating a long-distance travel to work. On the other hand,it's rather difficult to realize you're privileged--like not being born in a war zone,or before antibiotics ,and so forth. Which of the following might be the best title for the text? We Are Lucky On Halloween Night, children go trick-treating in their neighborhoods. Dressed up as ghosts, skeleton devils, and various other characters, children knock on doors to collect their treats. Seldom do they actually perform a "trick". It is thought that trick-or-treating comes from an old English custom. On All Souls Day, poor people went begging and promised to say prayers in exchange for food. Apple bobbing, still a favorite Halloween game, was originally an ancient ceremony honoring the harvest time. A jack-o'-lantern is placed on porches and windows to tell children that treats are available. The legend was that a man named Jack could enter heaven because he played tricks on the devil. As punishment, he had to wander the earth carrying a lantern waiting to be judged fit to get into heaven. People believed that Halloween marked the connection between the world of the living and the world of the dead. This meant that ghosts would _ the earth on this night. Some believed that these ghosts would go back to the homes they lived in before they died. Thankfully, Halloween is an amusing night when children can dress up and get a bag full of candy. We don't have to worry about ghosts. Or do we? According to the passage, Halloween is a(n) _ festival. interesting
Most people think of a camel as an obedient beast of burden, because it is best known for its ability to carry heavy loads across vast stretches of desert without requiring water. In reality, the camel is considerably more than just the Arabian equivalent of mule . It also possesses a great amount of intelligence and sensitivity. The Arabs say that camels are so acutely aware of injustice and ill-treatment that a camel owner who punishes one of the beasts too hard finds it difficult to escape the camel's revenge .Apparently, the animal will remember an injury and wait for an opportunity to get revenge. In order to protect themselves from the vengeful beasts, Arabian camel drivers have learned to trick their camels into believing they have achieved revenge. When an Arab realizes that he has excited a camel's rage, he places his own garments on the ground in the animal's path. He arranges the clothing so that it appears to cover a man's body. When the camel recognizes its master's clothing on the ground, it seizes the pile with its teeth, shakes the garments angrily and steps on them in a rage again and again. In the end, after its rage has died away, the camel leaves, believing its revenge is completed. Only then does the owner of the garments comes out of hiding, safe for the time being, thanks to this clever trick. The writer makes the camel's vengeful behavior clear to the readers by presenting _ A. a well-planed argument B. a large variety of examples C. some eyewitness accounts D. a typical incident Answer: D. a typical incident Mary is getting married next Saturday.Today she asks her best friend Lucy to shop for clothes to wear at the wedding.'So what are we looking for, Mary,' Lucy asks. 'Well, my parents want me to wear a traditional Chinese dress, but I prefer a more modern style.I think I'll buy two dresses and wear them at different times on my wedding day.' Mary answers.The girls look in many shops.At one shop, Mary tries on a Chinese-style dress.'I like it,' Lucy says.'Red is a very strong color and represents love and prosperity for Chinese weddings.I think your parents will be pleased. ' Mary does not look happy.'I don't think I look good in red. I think it makes me look too od. What about this blue one?' 'Well, that's a nice dre ss too, but blue is a calm color.It could help you feel calm, but I think you want a happier color for your wedding.If you don't like red, what about orange? It represents joy and it is a good color for weddings,' Lucy explains. After listening to Lucy's opinions, Mary says, 'Even though the orange dress would be the best for my wedding because it represents joy, I'll choose the red dress because it will remind my mother of her own wedding and will make her happy.' Why will Mary buy two dress? A. Because she is greedy . B. Because she likes shopping so much. C. Because she has lots of money. D. Because she wants to keep her parents and herself happy. Answer: D. Because she wants to keep her parents and herself happy. School of Cinema and Performing Arts It offers two two-week sessions and one three-week session during the summer. Your teen can participate in the filmmaking, acting, dance, photography programs. He will work with professionals who will teach him the latest technology through hands-on experience. Tuition includes day trips to amusement parks and other Los Angeles tourism sites. Housing and food can be arranged in dorms for an additional fee. Address: 1600 Campus Road, Los Angeles Tel: 800-718-2787 iD Tech Camps at UCLA It offers computer and gaming related camps at the UCLA campus. Teens can join in day camps, overnight camps or weekend gaming camps. Your teen will use the latest technology available to learn video game design, web design and computer programming. Overnight campers will stay in the college dorms. Address: 405 Hilgard Ave, Los Angeles Tel: 888-709-8324 Summer Discovery at UCLA It offers three or six week residential camps at the UCLA campus. Three-week courses can include academic or art classes for enrichment purposes. In this summer camp, your teen will get a taste of what to expect when she enters college. She can choose from sports management, business management, healthy lifestyle programs, ESL-TOEFL programs and more. Address: 405 Hilgard Ave, Los Angeles Tel: 516-621-3939 Power Chord Academy It offers a seven-day course that caters to residential or day teens, as well as a three-day course. Teens will meet a touring band, learn technical aspects about the music industry and being a musician in current times, write songs, perform concerts, make a music video, record a CD and meet a touring band. No experience or musical background is necessary. Address: 7336 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles Tel: 800-897-6677 Which number will you dial if you want to become a businessman in future? A. 800-718-2787. B. 888-709-8324. C. 516-621-3939. D. 800-897-6677. Answer: C. 516-621-3939. A Gold Cup for an Orange There is a poor man. He has an orange tree. On the tree, there are many fine oranges. One of them is very, very big. It is as big as a football. Nobody sees so big an orange. The poor man is very happy. He takes it to the king . The King is so pleased that he gives the man a lot of money for it. When a rich man hears of it, he says to himself, "It's only an orange. Why does the king give so much money for it? I'll take my gold cup to the king. He'll give me more money". The next day when the king receives the gold cup, he says to the rich man, "what a beautiful cup! I'll show you something wonderful, please take this great orange away. The orange is _ A. a football B. like a gold cup C. like a football D. like an egg Answer: C. like a football Oleksander Pylyshenko is either very fearless,very foolish... or both. The 40-year-old zookeeper from the Ukraine recently spent five weeks in a cage with Katya, a 200-kilo African lioness. Why? Well for a start, he wanted to raise awareness of the treatment of animals in captivity. Secondly, he hoped to break the Guinness World Record for time spent living in a cage with a lion. And thirdly? "I wanted to show my children what kind of man I am," said Oleksander. For 36 days, Oleksander and Katya shared the cage together. They ate hunks of meat thrown into the cage by Oleksander's wife, and slept side by side on a bed of hay. Oleksander did have a few more creature comforts than his feline flatmate - he built himself a shower and toilet inside the enclosure. But he didn't use any soap as the sharp scent is upsetting to lions. And as if living with the king of the jungle wasn't dangerous enough, Katya was also pregnant at the time. She gave birth during Oleksander's stay. Wild animals are very protective of their young but the zookeeper said Katya trusted him completely. Oleksander' wife, Olena, was also very trusting. "when he first told me about the plan I was very scared. But I decided to support my husband." Once the five weeks was up, Oleksander stepped out of the cage and declared the experiment a success. He told a Russian news agency, "Katya taught me a lot about honesty and kindness." Also, a representative from Guinness World Records confirmed that Oleksander ahd beaten the previous record by three weeks. But the parting was also bittersweet. "Katya was very sad to see me go," Oleksander noted. Oleksander's wife, on the other hand, was very happy to have her husband back. [(<<>> 20121 "Into the Lion's Den" )] Why didn't he use any soap when he took the shower? [ ] A. He didn't use any soap for fear of annoying the lion. B. He didn't have any access to soap. C. He didn't like the smell of soap. D. Soap was forbidden in the zoo. Answer: A. He didn't use any soap for fear of annoying the lion.
After we meet people it is up to us to make them our friends. Let us stop a moment and consider what really makes a friend. The major qualities like faithfulness, devotion, friendly company, flash through our minds. But it is the large number of very small particular qualities that make up one's whole character, such as cheerfulness, friendliness, and punctuality . After all, " to make a friend, be a friend" is not such a big and difficult order. There are particular favorable qualities, which attract others to us, and some elements which do have an effect on people in fundamental psychology or not. If you are in the presence of a shy person, talking and asking casual questions may _ . Think of what would be most acceptable to the other person, for you to talk, or to listen. Either way the goal is to make yourself pleasant. Always remember to listen, but listen intelligently. To have anyone " hang on our words" is the most unnoticeably clever way in the world to please somebody. For a few extremely happy seconds we are the center of attraction, but when it is our turn to be audience, let us remember how we felt as the actor, and let's be genuinely interested in what the other fellow is saying. Other people will like us, if we like them. If you want friends, keep your mind and heart open to friendship. Be alive to the other person's world. The words " bring him out of his shell" in this passage most probably mean _ . Answer: Good news for game lovers-- a tank game has come out recently. In this game you are in a tank and the screen shows your view of the landscape outside. You gain points by shooting enemy tanks, supertanks, missiles and flying saucers . Expert players can gain scores of around 150,000 points at this game. To get a high score you have to destroy twenty tanks as quickly as possible. After this, the supertanks, missiles and flying saucers appear. These are worth far more points than the ordinary tanks. However, the number of tanks you have to destroy before the supertanks appear varies on different machines. Try to get close to an enemy tank from the side or the back, so it cannot shoot at you. Then, when you get close, turn to face it, line it up in your sights and fire before it turns to shoot at you. If you miss or are too slow, quickly escape by moving out of the enemy's line of fire. You can then move around the enemy and come in from another side. When a supertank appears, try to destroy it as quickly as possible. Then wait safely behind an obstacle for a missile or flying saucer. The cubes are useful objects to hide behind as you can fire over them without exposing yourself to danger. The missiles will fly straight at you, but they are difficult to hit, so do not shoot at them until they are quite close. The saucers are much easier to hit, but do not follow them as you will be open to attack from enemy tanks. ADAB This passage is an_about a game. Answer: Peter was walking in the street with two big and heavy boxes. A stranger walked up to him and asked, "What is the time?" Peter stopped, put down the boxes and looked at his watch. "It's five fifteen," he said. "Hey, what a nice watch!" said the stranger. Peter smiled a little and said, "Yes, it's not bad. Look at this." Then he showed the stranger the time for 86 big cities in the world. He hit a few buttons and it told the time in Chinese. Peter went on ," You can set it in English, Chinese, Japanese and so on." The stranger looked very interested in the watch. "That's not all," said Peter. He then pushed a few more buttons and there was a small map appeared on the watch. "The map can show where we are," said Peter. "I want to buy this watch!" said the stranger. "Oh, no, I' m not selling it. I designed it myself. I spent nearly two years making it." said Peter. "Oh, you are the designer. I'll give you $ 1,000 for it!" "Oh, no, I spent more than that." "I'll give you $ 5,000 for it!" Peter stopped to think. The stranger quickly gave him a check and said ,"$ 5,000. Here it is." Peter finally agreed to sell the watch. When the stranger was going to leave with the watch, Peter pointed to the two big boxes and said, "Hey, wait a minute. Don' t forget your batteries ." The stranger paid _ for the watch. Answer: To have a positive impact on the environment Answer: If you have ever been rock climbing, you will know that it is not a very easy sport. In fact, you probably felt quite defeated when you first tried to do any serious climbing. Indoor and outdoor rock climbing are both extremely demanding and require practice to get good at. It is one of the most physically and mentally demanding sports. There are three basic types of rock climbing. Top roping is the most common type and the climber need to climb with a partner. The second type, which is very similar to top roping, is called lead climbing. In both of the types, the climber can sit off the wall and rest on the rope. The third type is called bouldering. Bouldering is a type of free climbing without any ropes. This is the most demanding of all climbing types. The climber must be able to complete the climbing without taking a rest on the rope. Believe it or not, climbing is said to be about 75% legs and only 25% arms. To climb efficiently and successfully, a person needs to have a wonderful technique. One of the major rules of rock climbing is to always have three points touching the wall, whether it is both feet and one hand, or one foot and both hands, as it is much easier to have your weight cases will not do the climbing; they only hold you into the wall so that your legs are actually pushing you upward. Also, the closer you are to the wall, the easier it is to climb. Rock climbing may sound a bit too extreme for the everyday person, but it is really an amazing workout. Once you get into the sport, and learn how to position your body and rest your weight, then you can begin to deal with some difficult problems. The great thing about rock climbing is that it is mentally challenging as well. You are constantly analyzing the way your body moves and how to do certain moves on the wall. For anyone who wants to get into shape, rock climbing is a fun and effective way to exercise muscles. By rock climbing, one can _ . Answer:
Which substance is usually found in nature as a liquid, solid, and gas? water I was blind, but I was ashamed of it if it was known. I refused to use a white stick and hated asking for help. After all, I was a teenager girl, and I couldn't bear people to look at me and think I was not like them. I must have been a terrible danger on the roads, coming across me wandering through the traffic, motorists probably would have to step rapidly on their brakes. Apart from that, there were all sorts of disasters that used to occur on the way to and from work. One evening, I got off the bus about halfway home where I had to change buses, and as usual I ran into something,"I'm awfully sorry,"I said and stepped forward only to run into it again. When it happened a third time, I realized I had been apologizing to a lamppost. This was just one of the stupid things that constantly happened to me. So I carried on and found the bus stop, which was a request stop, where the bus wouldn't stop unless passengers wanted to get on or off. No one else was there and I had to try to guess if the bus had arrived. Generally in this situation, because I hated showing I was blind by asking for help, I tried to guess at the sound. Sometimes I would stop a big lorry and stand there feeling stupid as it drew away. In the end, I usually managed to swallow my pride and ask someone at the stop for help. But on this particular evening no one joined me at the stop; It seemed that everyone had suddenly decided not to travel by bus. Of course I heard plenty of buses pass, or I thought I did. But because I had given up stopping them for fear of making a fool of myself, I let them all go by. I stood there alone for half an hour without stopping one. Then I gave up. I decided to walk on to the next stop. After the girl got off the bus that evening, she _ . hit a lamppost by accident Meryl Streep is an American actress who has worked in theatre, television and film. She is regarded as one of the most talented actresses of all time. The following is a list of movies that Meryl Streep has been involved with: Kramer vs. Krammer (1979) In the film, Meryl plays a mother caught up in a custody dispute . Her co-star, Dustin Hoffman, said, "She's extraordinarily hardworking. I think she thinks about nothing else but what she's doing." Meryl won her first Oscar for her performance in this film. Sophie's Choice (1982) Meryl plays Sophie, a Polish war survivor. To prepare for the role she learned to speak German and perfected a Polish accent. Film critic Roger Ebert said, "This is one of the most astonishing and yet one of the most natural performances I can imagine." Meryl won her second Best Actress Oscar for her performance. Out of Africa(1985) Meryl is Karen Blixen, a Danish woman living in Kenya in the early 20th century. The story follows Karens attempts to run a coffee plantation and her love affair with big-game hunter Denys. The film is based on the memoirs of the real Karen Blixen. A Cry in the Dark (1995) This is based on the true-life case of the disappearance of baby Azaria. Meryl plays Linda Chamberlain, a mother who is wrongly accused of killing her own child. After spending four years in prison, it was found that wild dogs had taken away the baby. Meryl won Best Actress at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival. The Bridge of Madison County (1995) This movie is based on one of the biggest bestsellers of the 20th century (the book sold 50 million copies worldwide). Meryl plays Francesca Johnson, an Italian war bride living in 1960s Iowa. It's about her brief affair with photographer Robert Kincaid. Mamma Mial(2008) This is a romantic comedy based on the stage musical Mamma Mial, featuring the music from 1970s Swedish pop group ABBA. Meryl plays Donna Sheridan, a hotel owner on the Greek island of Kalokairi. Mamma Mial made over U.S. $ 600 million worldwide. Apparently, Meryl had seen the musical in 2001 and was completely absorbed in it. She had no idea that seven years later she'd be in the movie version. Which of the following films are based on true-life stories? Out of Africa & A Cry in the Dark. My life, as it really is, is always filled with sadness and little joy. However, no matter what happens, I can always face it bravely. In July, last year, I couldn't believe the news that I was allowed to enter the only key high school in my hometown. Then I rushed to my home and told my parents. But my father didn't seem as excited as I was. They didn't say a word. My father just kept smoking and my mother put her head down and couldn't help crying. What I saw didn't make me surprise. I knew very well what my family was like. My mum had been in bed for two years because of her disease. I knew my family lived a hard life and couldn't afford my tuition fee . I felt so upset at that moment, but I could say nothing to my parents. I decided to help my father with his work to support my family instead of continuing my schooling. To my surprise, things completely changed just three days before the beginning of the new term. My head teacher who had taught me three years came to my family with some money, which had been raised by my schoolmates. He encouraged me, "Always have dreams." At the same time,my father also earned some extra money so that he could afford part of my tuition fee. I knew I was such a lucky dog and decided to study harder in return. With tears in my eyes, I stepped into the key high school that I had dreamed of. I have been studying hard since I entered the high school. Whenever I meet difficulties, I always think of my teacher and schoolmates, and I can always get enough courage to go on, because I have a college dream and must work hard for it no matter how hard the life is. I believe what the saying "where there is will, there is a way." tells us. ,. Which is not the reason why he has been studying hard at school? _ His dream of making more money. Life in the future will be different from life today. The population is growing fast. There will be more people in the world and most of them will live longer. Computer will be much smaller and more useful, and there will be at least one in each home. And computer science will be one of the most important subjects in school then. People will work fewer hours than they do now, and they will have more free time for sports, watching TV and travel. Our food will be different, too. More land will be used for building new towns and houses for people. So there will be less land for cows and sheep, and meat will be more expensive. Maybe no one will eat it one day. They will eat more fruits and vegetables. Work in the future will also be different. Robots will do dangerous and hard work. Because of this, many people will have no jobs to do. This will be a big problem in the future. ,. In the future there will be _ . more people
Last month when I was taking part in a US college interview, I was asked, " what makes you special ? " In fact I had answered questions likes this many times since I decided to go to college in the US .college paid special attention to different achievement . For example, a person who is very good at math can go to a famous college but also can be a good football player . This experience made me think again that I must try to find where my own interests might lead me . To be honest, it was not easy . However, I never felt sorry to choose this way because it helped me understand myself . If I took the College Entrance Examination,as we call it gaokao in China, it could never possibly do . When I entered high school, I took gaokao seriously because it seemed to me a great way to show how good at my lessons . However,as I grew older, I realized gaokao did make me work hard at my lessons, but the pressure also pushed many other activities out of my life, like guitar--playing . Although I had no time for it, I will still get to it in the future . No doubt, gaokao provides a way of choosing those who are successful in their studies . But it is really important for all of us to rethink what " talent " really is today . This is because we now live in a world in which all of our other human qualities ( )are needed for success, not just the high grade . Ken Robinson once said, " the society depends on different kinds of talents . " However, gaokao pays too attention to a person's grades but little to his other qualities. And it is these qualities that makes life colorful and fun . As high school students, we can not change the present situation of eduction, but we are always free to think outside of the box . Although good school grade is still useful, I hope one day we will see our education also welcomes the amazing possibilities in different people . The US College pay special attention to _ . the different achievement There was a pilot and four people in a small plane.Suddenly there was something wrong with the machine while it was flying in the air. The smoke was everywhere in the plane.The pilot told the people there were only four parachutes .They all became worried and started to make excuses . "I must go and mend the machine,"said the pilot , taking one of the parachutes.There was nothing he could do so he jumped out. The first person stood up. "I'm a doctor,"he said. "I help people live longer and I save lives"He also took a parachute and jumped out. The next person said , "I must have a parachute.I'm a very clever person.I have to attend an important sports match.I know I'll win the game because I'll be the cleverest person there."He picked up a pack and jumped out. Two men were left--- an old businessman and a young mountain climber .By this time the plane was going down fast.The businessman said, "Young man,I'm old but you're still young ,You take the last parachute."The yougng mountain climber smiled , "Don't worry."he said, "We can both jump to safety because there are still two parachutes.Just now the clever person jumped out with my backpack." All the people thought of themselves only except _ . the businessman A tall figure appeared from the dark door of the tent. It was a smoking young man about twenty three or four. He had an almost black face, though smooth. His moustache was black with curled points. There was an unusual force in his face, and in his daring rolling eyes. cef Rebecca still stood hesitating like a swimmer about to make his dive, hardly knowing whether to return or move forward. "Hi, my beauty, what can I do for you?" said he, approaching. Realizing that she was quite at a loss, the man spoke in a gentle voice, "Never mind. I am Mr. Thackeray. Have you come to see me or my mother?" This scene differed greatly from what Rebecca had expected. She had dreamed of an aged and dignified face. She told herself to be calm and answered "I came to see your mother, sir." "I am afraid you cannot see her-she is ill in bed," replied the representative of the house; for this was Mr. Alee Thackeray, the only son of the noble family. "What is the business you wish to see her about?" "It isn't business-it is-I can hardly say what!" "Pleasure?" "Oh no. Why, sir, if I tell you, it will seem..." Rebecca's sense of a certain ridicule(,) was now so obvious and strong that, despite her general discomfort at being here, her rosy lips curved towards a smile, much to the attraction of the young man. "It is so foolish", she murmured. "I fear I can't tell you!" "Never mind; I like foolish things. Try again, my dear," said he kindly. "Mother told me to come," Rebecca continued; "and, indeed, I was in the mind to do so myself. But I did not expect it would turn out like this. I came...sir, I came to tell you that we are of the same family as you." "Ho Ho! Poor relations?" "Yes." "Rossetti?" "No. Thackeray." "Ay, ay; I mean Thackeray." "Our names are worn away to Durbeyfield; but we have several proofs that we are Thackeray. The local scholars hold the view that we are, and...and we have an old seal and a silver spoon marked with the same castle as yours. So mother said we ought to make ourselves known to you, as we've lost our horse by a bad accident. We can hardly make a living." "It's very kind of your mother, I'm sure." Alec looked at Rebecca as he spoke, in a way that made her uneasy. "And so, my pretty girl, you've come on a friendly visit to us, as relations?" "I suppose I have," looking less confident and uncomfortable again. "Well, there's no harm in it. I mean it doesn't hurt to come and make yourself known to me. Where do you live? What are you?" ... Which of the following is suitable to describe Rebecca's impression of Alec? forceful and daring There is a saying "Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder." What one individual considers beautiful may not be beautiful to another. When we talk about beauty in people, we often refer to their physical attractiveness. Of course, a beautiful or handsome face is pleasant to look at. But to me, beauty is not only something that pleases the eyes, but also pleases the other senses and the mind. I think true beauty makes you see beyond the lovely sight. It will give you insight or realization of something interesting beyond just the outward appearance. The most memorable "beautiful people" are those who have attractive personalities behind the pretty faces. In one of my previous classes, there were two beautiful girls, Sue and Lin. Both had almost perfect faces and slender figures. But Lin was used to getting her way. She felt that her looks could help her get anything she wanted, especially among the boys. Sue, on the other hand, treated her beauty in a matter-of-fact way and she was nice to everyone. She was also a member of the debating team. Her personality was mostly accepted by others and it made her a more outstanding beauty than Lin. Inner beauty is another kind of beauty that attracts people greatly. People who have this kind of beauty have attained inner peace. They care about their fellow-men, and try to right the injustices in this world. Two well-known personalities who exemplify (...) this are Nelson Mandela and Mother Theresa. Mandela is willing to sacrifice his life and freedom to obtain equal right for the blacks in South Africa. Mother Theresa's mission is to help the poorest of the world's poor. This inner look makes the world a better place. What's the author's opinion on beauty? Beauty is an attractive personality behind the pretty faces. Working on a team is a good thing. But it can bring you some troubles. If people on your team are not good at communicating, you may often feel terrible. To create a successful team, good communication is the most necessary part for both team members and the leader. The following are some helpful suggestions. Don't criticize other people. When someone on your team does something wrong, don't criticize him. You can help him to find out reasons and then help him to solve the problem. Criticizing your team members too often may make them keep away from you. As a result, you may feel lonely. Think about other people's ideas carefully. When someone tells you about his ideas, you should think about them carefully, no matter how silly they may seem. This shows you are interested in his ideas and makes him feel good. Listen to other people actively. When someone is speaking to you, you need to listen to him actively. If you're unclear about something, you should ask him about it. By doing this you can clear up any confusion before moving on. Share your ideas with other people. When you have a new idea, talk about it with your team members. This helps to improve the idea. Besides this, it also helps to improve your relationships between you and your team members. If you criticize your team members too often, they will _ . keep away from you
Question: There is famous story about British poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge.He was writing a poem when he was interrupted by a knock at the door. This was an age before telephones.Someone was delivering a message.When Colcridge got back to his poem, he had lost his inspiration.His poetic mood had been broken by the knock on his door.His unfinished poem, which could otherwise have been a masterpiece, would now never be more than a fragment(,). This story tells how unexpected communication can destroy an important thought, which brings us to the cell phone. The most common complaint about cell phones is that people talk on them to the annoyance of people around them.But marc damaging may be the cell phone's disruption of our thoughts. We have already entered a golden age of little white lies about our call phones, and this is by and large a healthy, productive development." I didn't hear it ring" or " I didn't realize my cell phone had shut off" arc among the lies we tell to give ourselves space where we're beyond reach. The notion or idea of being unreachable is not a new concept-we havoc "Do Not Disturb" signs on the doors of hotel rooms. So why must we feel guilty when it comes to cell phones? Why must we apologize if we decide to shut off the phone for a while? The problem is that we come from a long-established tradition of difficulty with distance communication.Until the recent mass deployment of cell phones, it was easy to communicate with someone next to us or a few feet away, but difficult with someone across town, the country or the globe.We came to take it for granted. But cell phones make long-distance communication common, and endanger our time by ourselves.Now time alone, or conversation with someone next to us which cannot be interrupted by a phone, is something to be cherished.Even cell phone devotees, myself usually included, can't help at times wanting to throw their cell phone away, or curse the day they were invented. But we don't and won't, and there really is no need.All that's required to take back our private time is a general social recognition that we have the right to it. In other words, we have to develop a healthy contempt for the rings of our phones.Given the case of making and receiving cell phone calls, if we don-t talk to the caller right now, we surely will shortly later. A cell phone call deserves no greater priority than a random word from a person next to us.Though the call on my cell phone may be the one-in-a-million from Steven Spielberg-who has finally read my novel and wants to make it his next movie.But most likely it is not, and I'm better off thinking about the idea I just had for a new story, or the pizza I'll eat for lunch. What does the writer thinks about people telling "white lies" about their cell phones? A. It is a way of signaling that you don-t like the caller. B. It is natural to tell lies about small things. C. It is basically a good way to protect one's privacy. D. We should feel guilty when we can't tell the truth. Answer: C. It is basically a good way to protect one's privacy. Question: Is it time to kick Russia out of the BRICs ?If so, it may end up sounding like a famous ball-point pen maker--BIC. An argument is being made that Goldman Sach's famous marketing device , the BRICs, should really be the BICs. "Is Russia really worth the name BRICs?" asks Anders Aslund, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, in an article for Foreign Policy. Aslund, who is also co-author with Andrew Kuchins of "The Russian Balance Sheet", thinks the Russia of Putin and Medvedev is just not worthy of inclusion alongside Brazil, India and China in the list of future economic powerhouses. He writes: "The country's economic performance has fallen to such a weak level that one must ask whether it has any say at all on the global economy, compared with the other members of its group. I have just returned from Moscow, which is always dull around this season. For the last seven years, Russia has taken very few measures to improve its economy. Instead, the state has been living on oil and gas." Economically, Aslund has the numbers on his side. The International Monetary Fund figures that the Russian economy will fall by 6.7 percent in 2009, while China will grow 8.5 percent and India 5.4 percent. There is less of a case for Brazil, with a fall of 0.7 percent, but it is still doing far better than Russia. But the BRICs are not just about economy. As is mentioned above, it is a marketing device to encourage investors to focus on the big promising players. From an investment standpoint, it could be argued that Russia is leading the BRICs. Its stock market is up 128 percent this year while around 80 percent is for the other three. At very least, despite Russia's economic underperformance, its stock market outperformance does suggest it is indeed one of the group. The author seems to _ . A. suggest it's time to kick Russia out of the BRICs B. feel worried about the economy of the BRICs C. think Russia is worth being one of the group D. show disappointment to Russia's economy Answer: C. think Russia is worth being one of the group Question: There is an English saying that goes,"he who laughs last,laughs the hardest."High School Musical star Zac Efron is laughing a lot these days. As a young boy,Efron was _ in school because he was always the smallest in his class and teased because he had a big space between his teeth. In sixth grade,Efron's basketball team made it to the league championships. In double overtime ,with three seconds left,he rebounded the ball and passed it--to the wrong team! They scored and his team lost the game. But history, as they say, is a thing of the past. Now at 21,Efron is one of People magazine's 100 Most Beautiful People,appears on the cover of Entertainment Weekly,Hollywood's most influential magazine,and is traveling the world promoting the third High School Musical film. Director Adam Shankman described Efron as "arguably the biggest teen star in America right now."Simply geogle"Zac Efron"and you get more than 14 million responses. Yes,it seems Efron has a lot to smile about these days. Efron was born and raised in California. He took school seriously. According to Efron, "he would go mad if he got a B and not an A in school, and that he was a class clown."It was his father who encouraged him to act. He took part in school performances and with a local theater group. He also took singing lessons. He graduated high school in 2006 and was accepted at the University of Southern California to study film. But he postponed it-why study movies when you can star in them. Now he has signed on to star in the romantic comedy Seventeen Again and to play in the remake of the hugely popular movie,Footloose.Efron is also earning more than $3 million for his role in High School Musical 3.Not bad for a 21-year-old. But Efron still remembers those bullies . "You always have to remember that bullies want to bring you down because you have something that they admire,"Efron said."Also,when you get made fun of, when people point out your weaknesses, it's an opportunity for you to rise above". Efron has risen all the way to the top of the movie business.And he can now laugh all the way to the bank. The English saying is used at the beginning to show Efron _ . A. .has achieved worldwide fame B. still has a long way to go C. has a not so smooth past D. is optimistic all the way Answer: C. has a not so smooth past Question: "Opinion" is a word that is used carelessly today. It is used to refer to matters of taste, belief, and judgment. This casual use would probably cause little confusion if people didn't attach too much importance to opinion. Unfortunately, most to attach great importance to it. "I have as much right to my opinion as you to yours," and "Everyone's entitled to his opinion," are common expressions. In fact, anyone who would challenge another's opinion is likely to be branded intolerant. Is that label accurate? Is it intolerant to challenge another's opinion? It depends on what definition of opinion you have in mind. For example, you may ask a friend "What do you think of the new Ford cars?" And he may reply, "In my opinion, they're ugly." In this case, it would not only be intolerant to challenge his statement, but foolish. For it's obvious that by opinion he means his personal preference, a matter of taste. And as the old saying goes, "It's pointless to argue about matters of taste." But consider this very different use of the term, a newspaper reports that the Supreme Court has delivered its opinion in a controversial case. Obviously the justices did not shale their personal preferences, their mere likes and dislikes, they stated their considered judgment, painstakingly arrived at after thorough inquiry and deliberation. Most of what is referred to as opinion falls somewhere between these two extremes. It is not an expression of taste. Nor is it careful judgment. Yet it may contain elements of both. It is a view or belief more or less casually arrived at, with or without examining the evidence. Is everyone entitled to his opinion? Of course, this is not only permitted, but guaranteed. We are free to act on our opinions only so long as, in doing so, we do not harm others. According to the author, who of the following would be labeled as intolerant? A. Someone who turns a deaf ear to others' opinions. B. Someone who can't put up with others' tastes. C. Someone who values only their own opinions. D. Someone whose opinion harms other people.(B) Answer: B. Someone who can't put up with others' tastes. Question: At 26, Jane Goodall had no college education or science training. But since childhood, she had been dreaming of working closely with animals in Africa. "All through my childhood people said you can't go to Africa. You're a girl." Goodall said. "But my mother used to say, if you really want to, there's nothing you can't do." In 1957, the 26-year-old Goodall went to Kenya to work as a secretary. She also arranged to meet the famous scientist Louis Leakey, who was so impressed by her enthusiasm that he hired her as his assistant. She went with him on many trips to the African jungle and in 1960 Leakey sent Goodall to live among chimpanzees in a remote animal preserve, recording the animals' behavior and interactions. For three months Goodall made little progress. But she said, "I never came close to giving up." Her breakthrough came one day when she saw a male chimpanzee stick a piece of grass into a termite hill, then put the grass in his mouth. Afterward she came to the hill and did the same. Pulling the grass out, she discovered dozens of termites on it. The discovery -- that some animals use tools -- was unknown to most scientists at the time. Goodall saw chimpanzees exhibit human-like emotions, such as jealousy and love. But she also discovered they were capable of violent attacks against each other. Goodall received her Ph.D. in the study of animal behavior at England's Cambridge University. Now she travels around the globe raising money to preserve wildlife. "I love being in the forest with the chimpanzees," she said. "I'd much rather be there than traveling around from city to city." What is Goodall doing now? A. Studying animal behavior at Cambridge University. B. Raising funds for the preservation of wildlife. C. Observing chimpanzees in African jungles. D. Working hard for a PhD degree. Answer: B. Raising funds for the preservation of wildlife.
A water pipe burst in the basement of Supermart, a grocery store, flooding the basement and damaging cases of canned goods on the floor. The plumbing contractor's workmen, in repairing the leak, knocked over several stacks of canned goods in cases, denting the cans. After settling its claims against the landlord for the water leak and against the plumbing contractor for the damage done by his workmen, Supermart put the goods on special sale. Four weeks later, Dotty was shopping in Supermart. Several tables in the market were covered with assorted canned foods, all of which were dirty and dented. A sign on each of the tables read: "Damaged Cans Half Price." Dotty was having Guest for dinner that evening and purchased two dented cans of tuna, packed by Canco, from one of the tables displaying the damaged cans. Before Guest arrived, Dotty prepared a tuna casserole which she and Guest ate. Both became ill, and the medical testimony established that the illness was caused by the tuna's being unfit for consumption. The tuna consumed by Dotty and Guest came from the case that was at the top of one of the stacks knocked over by the workmen. The tuna in undamaged cans from the same Canco shipment was fit for consumption"If Dotty asserts a claim against Canco based on negligence, the doctrine of res ipsa loquitur is A. applicable, because the tuna was packed in a sealed can. B. applicable, because Canco as the packer is strictly liable. C. not applicable, because the case of tuna had been knocked over by the workmen. D. not applicable, because of the sign on the table from which Dotty purchased the tuna Answer: C. not applicable, because the case of tuna had been knocked over by the workmen. It is well known that Albert Einstein was one of the greatest scientists of all time and he was also a really great person. Here are some interesting things about him. When Einstein started to work in America, someone asked him what he needed. He said he needed a desk, some paper and a pencil. He also asked for a big waste-paper basket to hold all of his mistakes. This shows that he knew even the cleverest man in the world can only learn by making mistakes. Einstein regarded time as very important. He never wore socks and he thought putting on socks was a waste of time as people already wore shoes. He also thought it was a waste of time remembering things that could quickly be found in a book. That's why he never remembered his own phone number, which was in the phone book. He knew what was worth remembering. It is true that if we are going to do great things in our lives, we can not waste our time. Einstein liked to joke too. Once in an exam a student asked him why all the questions were the same as last year's. Einstein replied the questions were the same but the answers were different! ,A, B, C, D,,. From the passage we learn _ . A. Einstein thought time was very important B. Einstein was too careless to make mistakes C. Einstein made few jokes with his students D. Einstein was a person who remembered everything clearly Answer: A. Einstein thought time was very important The Big Wedding Actor:Diane Keaton, Robert De Niro, The Big Wedding is about a modern family holding a weekend wedding celebration. To make their adult children and friends happy, the long divorced couple Don and Ellie Griffin are once again forced to play the happy couple because of their son's wedding. With all guests looking on, the Griffins are forced to face their past, present and future. To come out on Oct26, 2012. Teddy Bear Director: Seth MacFarlane, the creator of Family Guy He brings his way of humor to the big screen for the first time as writer, director and voice star of Teddy. In the play, he tells the story of John Bennett, a grown man who must deal with the lovely teddy bear who came to life as the result of a childhood wish...and has refused to leave his side ever since. To be _ d on July13, 2012. The impossible Actor: Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor Maria, Henry and their three sons begin their winter vacation in Thailand.But on the morning of December 26th, as the family relaxes around the pool after their Christmas party the night before, a scaring noise rises up from the center of the earth. As Maria freezes in fear, a huge wall of water runs toward her. Based on a true story, The impossible is the unforgettable experience of a family caught in the worst natural disasters of our time, with tens of thousands of strangers. It is planned to be on on Dec21, 2012. Which of the following is based on a true story? A. The Big Wedding. B. Teddy Bear. C. The Impossible. D. Family Guy. Answer: C. The Impossible. Mr. and Mrs. Wu were fed up with their neighbor. He was always borrowing things from them. "It's not right." Mr. Wu said to his wife one evening. "At some time or another that man has borrowed nearly everything we have. Almost every day he comes over to borrow something." "You are quite right," his wife replied, "and most of the things he's never returned." "What I want to know," her husband said, "is why he can't buy the things he needs like everyone else." "Because people like us are foolish enough to lend him what he needs." she replied. "As long as we are willing to lend, he'll keep on borrowing." "Then we'll never lend him anything again." Mr. Wu said. "The next time he asks to borrow something, I'll say no." "We must have a good reason for saying no," his wire said, "and we must always try to be polite to him. We don't want to make an enemy of the man." It was not long before their decision not to lend their neighbor anything ever again was put to the test. The next morning there was a knock on the door. Mr. Wu went to answer it. Their neighbor was standing there. Mr. Wu knew he was going to ask to borrow something, and was ready to refuse him politely. "Good morning," their neighbor said, "I'm sorry to trouble you, but I wonder if I could borrow your garden scissors." "I'm sorry," Mr. Wu said, "but I'm afraid my wife and I will be using them today. We'll be spending all day working in the garden." "Oh, ! see." the neighbor said, "In that case, may I borrow your golf clubs? You won't be needing them if you are working in the garden all day, will you?" When did the neighbor want to borrow again? A. The next day. B. A week later. C. The morning after the following month. D. A few days later. Answer: A. The next day. A group of students plans to build a model of a local pond habitat. Which model best represents an environment similar to a pond? A. a sealed plastic bottle containing insects and algae from a pond B. a classroom aquarium containing plants and animals bought from a store C. a classroom aquarium containing freshwater, non-native plants, and non-native animals D. a small plastic outdoor pool containing freshwater, native plants, and native animals Answer: D. a small plastic outdoor pool containing freshwater, native plants, and native animals
Labor force is defined as being the total number of people who are available to work and earn income. This definition includes everyone who is employed or seeking paid employment, so it includes employers and the self-employed. Labor is one of the country's resources which can be combined with other resources to produce the goods and services wanted by the community. Although the size of the workforce depends a great deal on the size of the total population, there are several other influences which also affect it. The age distribution of the total population has a very marked effect on the available workforce. If the population has a high proportion of very young people or of those too old to work, then the available workforce would be lower than if there were a balanced spread age distribution. If the population naturally grows rapidly, the number of births greatly exceeds the number of deaths then as a total population increases proportion of the workforce declines. Sometimes a population is described as aging which means that the birth rate is either falling or growing very slowly, and as people retire from the workforce there are insufficient numbers of young people entering it to replace those who are leaving it. In that situation the population is top-heavy with older people. So the percentage of the population in the workforce declines when there is either a rapid increase in births or a falling birth rate. The age distribution of the population has several important effects on the economy. If the population is aging and there is an increase in the number of people retiring without a corresponding increase in the number entering the workforce, this raises the problem of the ability of the economy to provide a reasonable level of social services to the retired group. If the aged are to be cared for in special homes, finance must be available for that purpose. If the size of the workforce is small to the total population, then the government tax revenue is ly low and either the government has less money available to it or workforce members have to be taxed more heavily. When a population is said to be aging, _ . Answer: A small man went to a cinema, bought a ticket and went in. But after two or three minutes he came out, bought a second ticket and went in again. After a few minutes, he came out again and bought a third ticket. Two or three minutes after that, he came out a third time and asked for another ticket. But the girl said to him, "Why are you buying all these tickets? Are you waiting for friends in the cinema all the time?" "No, I am not doing that," answered the small man. "But a big woman always stops me at the door and tears my ticket up." The girl smiled and sold him another ticket. The small man _ . Answer: Food safety will become the food industry's key target as the nation tries to adopt international food standards. The National Development and Reform Commission, the Standardization Administration of China, the Ministry of Agriculture and six other departments announced their 2004-05 development programme for national food standards over the weekend. China is conducting a rectification within two years. Inspectors will search for all known banned materials in food production. To reduce trading barriers, China will raise the ratio of adopting international standards in the food industry to 55 percent from today's 23 percent. "Safety is the first consideration for anything entering people's mouth followed by its nutritious value," said Hao Yu, secretary-general of the National Food Industry Standardization Technique Committee. He added the usage of food addictives will be a major field for consideration in setting the new standards. On-the-spot checks during the past two years have shown the abuse or misuse of addictives in food production and processing has become the biggest threat to food safety. In one case, talcum powder was found in flour products, which is outlawed according to national food standards. "At present there are no methods or standards to test the content of talcum powder in flour," said Shang Yan'e, an official with the national watchdog on grain and oil inspections. Under the guidelines, all banned addictives will be recorded as inspections increase, Relevant departments have allocated funds to conduct risk evaluations on current food addictives to fix the limits of their usage. China will adopt international advanced techniques and standards so as to find out the harmful materials in food within a shortest period. _ is the second consideration for anything people eat according to the passage. Answer: Betty is an American school girl. She is very happy because her parents will take her to China for a visit. They are going to fly from New York on June 30 and get to Beijing on July 1. They will stay at Lido Holiday Inn. Their Chinese friends will show them around Beijing. They are going to visit the Palace Museum, the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven and the Great Wall. They will also visit some Chinese homes and try some Chinese food. They will spend a week in Beijing and then go to Xi'an, Guilin and some other places for sightseeing. The whole trip will take three weeks and she is sure she will have a great time in China. From the text we can know that they will _ in Beijing. Answer: Are you afraid of tests? What will you do to prepare for a test? The following suggestions will be helpful. Pay attention to what your teacher gives about a coming test. Write down exactly what you will be tested on. Knowing what the test will cover is half done. Make a review list that includes important points from class and reading material. Then your studying notes will be in one place. What's more, rewriting the material will help you to remember it. Don't cram !Test preparation begins the first day of class, so keep on doing your reading and homework. Then you just need to review for the test--not learn all the materials. If you wait until the night before to try to learn everything, you will only put more stress on yourself. Get a good night's sleep before the test, but if you can't, don't be awake the whole night. Research shows that getting at least four hours of sleep produces the better test results. Eat a healthy breakfast to keep your mind sharp . Avoid sugar, as it will weaken your ability to concentrate . How many suggestions have you got from the text? Answer:
Tom was not old, but he did not have much hair. His wife, Grace, had thick, beautiful, black hair. They had one daughter. Her name was Jane, and she was four and a half years old. There was a photo of her father in the living-room, and a few days ago, Jane looked at it for a long time and then said to her mother, "Mummy, why had Dad got very little hair? " Grace laughed and said, "He's got very little hair because he thinks a lot, Jane. He' s a clever man." Jane looked at her mother's thick, black hair for a few seconds , and then she asked, "Mum, why have you got a lot of hair? " Grace had _ hair than Tom. A much B more C the most D many Answer: B. more Christmas in Australia is often very hot. Whereas the northern hemisphere is in the middle of winter, Australians are baking in summer heat. It is not unusual to have Christmas Day well into the mid 30 degrees Celsius, or near 100 degrees Fahrenheit. A traditional meal includes a turkey dinner, with ham, and pork. A flaming Christmas plum pudding is added for dessert. In the Australian gold rushes, Christmas puddings often contained a gold nugget. Today a small favor is baked inside. Whoever finds this knows s/he will enjoy good luck. Another treat is Mince Pies. Some Australians and particularly tourists often have their Christmas dinner at midday on a local beach, Bondi Beach in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs attracts thousands of people on Christmas Day. Other families enjoy their day by having a picnic. If they are at home, the day is punctuated by swimming in a pool, playing Cricket out the backyard, and other outdoor activities. The warm weather allows Australians to enjoy a tradition which started in 1937. Carols by Candlelight is held every year on Christmas Eve, where tens of thousands of people gather in the city of Melbourne to sing their favorite Christmas songs. The evening is lit by as many candles singing under a clean cut night sky. The sky with its Southern Cross stars is like a mirror. Sydney and the other capital cities also enjoy Carols in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Australians surround themselves with Christmas Bush, a native plant which has little red flowered leaves. It seems that people can enjoy Carols by Candlelight because of _ . A the warm weather B the Christmas Bush C the activities at daytime D the Southern Cross stars Answer: A. the warm weather I have spent almost a third of my life in China, living and working in this beautiful country. In a sense, China has been and is still my second home But in those past years I had never been to Quzhou. Some days ago, for the first time in my Chinese life, I stepped into the beautiful city of Quzhou. My impressions of Quzhou city were as I always thought: green countryside, rainy sky, wet air. That was what I imagined for years the south of China would be. When we finally arrived, I was impressed by the elegant city. Next day we were taken to visit some places not far away from the city. I was not aware of the direction of our short trip, but when we arrived at Lanke Mountain and got out of the car, I thought that we had been taken to a fairyland : the light rain over the green and thick plants, the silvery sky like a heavy blanket and the mystery of this mountain made me feel like being part of a picture. Jiulong Lake was our next step. The mystic atmosphere of this place was so strong that I decided to watch the view standing at the top when I stepped into the small boat to sail upstream. Sometimes we were so close to the mountain that we could clearly see the red soil under the plants. _ The final leg of the day's journey was a primary school. We were welcomed by the smiles on the faces of many young pioneers. The energy of the hundreds of kids made me feel younger for a while, so educated, so polite and so warm that I had no doubt about the future generations of Quzhou people. The people seem to me the best of Quzhou and they will remain in my memories forever. From the passage, we can know the writer _ . A will come to work in Quzhou B will leave China soon C has lived in China for a long time D has just come to China Answer: C. has lived in China for a long time Your teenage daughter is supposed to be doing homework, but you catch her chatting online. She tells you that she's talking about the math test tomorrow. Before your eyes start rolling, listen up: teens are using social networking sites for more than just gossip, according to a new study by the National School Boards Association. The students who took part in the online survey, aged 9 to 17, said they spent almost as much time on social networking online as they did watching television. And it is what these kids are talking about online that is causing such a cheer: education. Of the students who took part in the study 60 percent reported that some of the most popular social networking topics were college planning, learning outside of school, careers, and schoolwork. They also reported posting writing and art projects that might have nothing to do with schoolwork. Ann Flynn, director of education technology for the National School Boards Association, says social networking tools into educational is the way forward. Flynn says a school in Cleveland, Ohio is posting students' book reports on a blog for students of their own ages, parents and other teachers to read and comment on. "If someone reacts other than the teacher, a child is much more likely to take an assignment seriously," Flynn says. Not only students but also parents can benefit. Now parents can go online and know what the class is doing. So, next time your child says her blog is educational, get curious, sit down and check out the blog with her. You might just learn something new yourself. Why can parents benefit from social networking sites? A Because parents can make a lot of friends online. B Because parents can help their children with their schoolwork. C Because parents can know their children's learning at school. D Because parents can keep up with social development. Answer: C. Because parents can know their children's learning at school. Police Officer Tidwell left the station just after 8 a.m.on Sunday June 4.He had spent aboring night on duty and was looking forward to his day of rest.By habit he took a short-cutdown the path behind Dugby Hall road and after a minute or two he saw a man climbing down a drainpipe from an open bedroom window of Number 29.In silence,Tidwell crept into the garden.The man reached the ground and was dusting himself down when he felt his arm caught. "It's 8:15 on a Sunday morning,"said the officer,"and this sort of thing seems an unlikely adventure at such a time.Would you mind explaining?" The man was obviously scared but tried to keep calm.He said,"I know what you are thinking,officer,but it isn't true.This is a funny mistake." "It's part of my job to take an interest in unusual events.I think you've just left this house in a manner other than the customary one.That may be quite innocent,but I'd like to make sure."Tidwell took out his notebook and a pen."Name,address and occupation and then,please,tell me your story..." "Charlie Crane,lorry driver,from Nottingham,51 Breton Street.My story..." "Yes.What were you doing like a fly on that wall,Mr.Crane?" "Well,I had a breakdown yesterday and had to stay the night here.Bed and breakfast.Theland-lady's name is Mrs.Fern.She gave me breakfast at seven,and I was out of here in the right way and down at the lorry by half past seven.Only when I felt around for a cigarette did I realize I'd left$80in my envelope under the pillow here at number 29.I always put it under my pillow at night.It's a habit I've got into.I even do it at home..." "I see.Why didn't you miss it when you went to pay Mrs...What's her name?" "I'd paid her last night.You've got to pay when you take the room,see?So I came rushing back,but it's Sunday,and she'd gone back to bed,and could I wake her?I rang the bell and banged on the front door for ten minutes before I came round here to the back and spotted my bedroom window still open.Up I went,then,up this pipe.It's a trick I learned in the army.She didn't make the bed,and money was still there.You know the rest,I hope you believe it because..." "Mr.Crane,whatever are you doing here?I thought you'd gone an hour ago."It was Mrs.Fern,speaking from the kitchen at the corner of the house. Crane stayed the night at number 29 because . A he had lost his way in the dark B there was something wrong with his lorry C Nottingham was too far for him to drive that night D he had suddenly fallen ill that night Answer: B. there was something wrong with his lorry
The wolves are very hungry. They go out to look for food. There are many sheep ( ) near the hill( ). There are also a few sheepdogs with them. The wolves think of an idea. They speak to the sheepdogs," You are like us and we are brothers. But we have a very different life. We do what we like, and you must work for man. They make you look after their sheep. They eat meat and give you the bones . If you listen to us and give us the sheep, we can eat them together. All of us will be happy,right?"The dogs are happy and do like this. The wolves ask the dogs to go to their house. The sheepdogs go to the wolves' home. But the wolves eat them and then eat the sheep. Why do the wolves ask the sheepdogs to go to their home? A. Because they want to eat them. B. Because they want to be sheepdogs ' friends. C. Because they want to help sheepdogs to get freedom( ). D. Because their home is near this mountain. Answer: A If you ask someone why he or she wears clothes, the answer will probably be "to keep warm and to cover my body". These are the basic reasons why clothes are worn, but people also want to look attractive and appear successful to others. If people only wore clothes for warmth and to cover their bodies, most clothes would be simple and cheap. In most Western countries, however, clothes are sometimes very expensive. The main reason for this is not the cost of the cloth or the cost of making the clothes. The clothes are expensive because of fashion . Successful businessmen, for example, often wear very expensive suits, shirts and ties. Sometimes they pay thousands of dollars for a suit and hundreds of dollars for a tie. It's just a suit and a tie but they pay these prices because of the famous name of the designer. A suit costing much less would be just as warm and would cover the wearer's body just as well. Fashion is always changing, which means those who want to be fashionable have to buy new clothes every few months, even if last month's clothes have only been worn once or twice. Some people have wardrobes full of clothes that have hardly been worn but are no longer in fashion. Being fashionable, therefore, can be a very expensive pastime ! The main reason why clothes are sometimes very expensive is that _ . A. one has to buy new clothes B. these clothes are in fashion C. the cost of the cloth is high D. making clothes costs much Answer: B Have you ever felt so anxious during an examination that you couldn't even put down the answers you knew? If so, you were suffering from what is known as test anxiety. According to psychologist Ralph Trimble, test anxiety is a very real problem for many people. When you're worried over your performance on an exam, your heart beats faster and your pulse speeds up. These reactions start others: You may sweat more than normal or suffer from a stomachache or headache. Your field of vision narrows and becomes tunnel-like. Before you know it, you're having difficulty focusing. "What I hear students say over and over again," says Dr. Trimble, who is working at the Psychological and Counseling Center at the University of Illinois, "is, 'My mind went blank.'" For a number of years, Dr. Trimble helped many students learn how to perform better during exams and to bring up their grades. Some of these students were interested in sharing what they learned and, with Trimble's help, began holding workshops on overcoming test anxiety. For many students, just being in a workshop(,) with other sufferers made them feel better. They realized that they were not the only ones who had done poorly on tests because of tension. The workshops were so successful that they are still given. In the workshops, students are taught that anxiety is normal. You just have to prevent it from getting the best of you. The first step is to learn to relax. If before or during an examination you start to panic, stretch as hard as you can, tensing the muscles in your arms and legs; then suddenly relax all of them. This will help relieve tension. But keep in mind that you don't want to be too relaxed. Being completely relaxed is no better than being too tense. "If you are so calm you don't care how you do on an examination, you won't do well," Trimble says. "There is an optimum level of concern when you perform at your best. Some stress helps. There are people who can't take even slight stress. They have to learn that in a challenging situation, being anxiously excited is good and will help them to do better. But if they call it anxiety and say, 'It's going to hit me again,' that will make them nervous and worried." As a student you must also realize that if you leave too much studying until a day or two before the examination, you can't do the impossible and learn it all. Instead, concentrate on what you can do and try to think what questions are likely to be asked and what you can do in the time left for studying. When you sit down to study, set a moderate pace and vary it by reading, writing notes, and going over any papers you have already written for the course, as well as the textbooks and notes you took in class. Review what you know. Take breaks and go to sleep early enough to get a good night's rest before the exam. You should also eat a moderate breakfast or lunch, avoid drinks like coffee and stay away from fellow students who get tense. Panic spreads easily. Get to the exam room a few minutes early so that you will have a chance to familiarize yourself with the surroundings and get out your supplies. When the examination is handed out, read the directions twice and underline the significant instructions, making sure you understand them. Ask the teacher to explain if you don't. First answer the easiest questions, then go back to the more difficult. On essay questions, instead of starting right away, take a few minutes to organize your thoughts, make a brief outline, and then start off with a summary sentence. Keep working steadily, and even when time starts to run out, don't speed up. The author suggests that before a test _ . A. you should avoid staying with a fellow student who suffers test anxiety. B. you should not think that you will be affected by your fellow student's anxiety C. you should get together with other sufferers of test anxiety in order to feel better D. you should eat a big meal and drink some coffee to keep yourself in high spirits Answer: A It may seem to be a hard task to trace back the history of rap music, though you often see the informal music associated with highly informal dance style. As far as the origin of rap music is concerned, most people agree that it is from Afro-American and Latino Street culture of New York City. Not only in this city but in the surrounding areas there is the influence of African people and their culture. Rap is a vocal style in which the performer speaks rhythmically and in rhyme, generally to a beat. The term of rap music is the same with hip-hop music typically-consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rap. If we see it carefully, then we will definitely notice that the music usually is sung at higher pitches . Most of the time rap music is associated with chorus. Though rap music was primarily an American music style with African influence over its music and lyrics, recently it has been spread to almost the entire world. There is hardly any country or nation where rap music cannot be seen in some form or another, and it is one of the most popular music styles among the youngsters. However, when it comes to its history, it is believed that hip-hop or rap music started in the early 1970s,and gained much popularity throughout the world during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The history of rap music and hip-hop music is full of controversies and bans, as the lyrics sometimes relate to drugs and crime; even most famous pop stars and hip-hop musicians and singers were found to be associated with the controversies in their life. For that reason, no matter how popular this music style was or still is, it has always had a bad reputation in the eyes of mainstream society. The passage is mainly about _ . A. when rap music started B. how rap music develops C. what rap music is like D. why rap music is popular Answer: B I'd just got in a taxi at the railway station when suddenly I found one of my suitcases missing. Just then, I saw a young fellow about 30 walking away with it, opening it and drawing out the valuables. "Stop thief! Stop thief!" I shouted and threw open the car door and rushed out to him, followed by the driver and half a dozen passers-by. Very soon the thief was cornered at the turn of the road. My driver caught the thief by the neck and put his hand into his trouser pocket, drawing out money, credit card, telephone book and so on and put them back into my suitcase. Half an hour later, the car was running at full speed on the express highway. I sat back and breathed a long sigh of relief . But as I pulled out those stolen things from the suitcase and started to check them, I became dumbfounded . Before my eyes were 200 yuan instead of 100. And a blood test report of a 58-year-old woman appeared. I suddenly realized that the taxi driver must have mistaken the thief's belongs and put his into my suitcase. The pitiful and begging look of the poor young man flashed across my mind again. My heart began to sink. Two years has passed since then. But this event keeps coming back to me. Was the young man a habitual robber or a dutiful son who had been driven to desperation to find money to save his mother's life? My heart aches for him. How I wish I had gone back that summer afternoon to return the 200 yuan and say sorry to him. For the first time in my life, I realized that hate and love are very close. Who helped the writer catch the thief? A. No one. He caught the thief all by himself. B. The driver with several other people. C. Some policemen. D. The thief came back and gave back the suitcase to him. Answer: B
Exhausted and unhappy, you still have to squeeze a smile to your friends, or teachers. That's just life, you may think. But new research suggests that putting on a fake smile can worsen people's mood and even lower work efficiency. Lead researcher Brent Scott with other researchers studied a group of bus drivers for two weeks. They tried to find out what happened when the drivers were involved in "surface acting" or fake smiling, and the opposite, "deep acting" which means people put on real smiles by recalling pleasant memories or thinking about their current situation more positively. The results showed that on days when drivers were forced to smile, they felt depressed and didn't want to work. On days when they smiled due to positive thoughts, their mood improved a lot as well as their work efficiency. The research goes against the popular belief among companies that employees should be cheerful to customers at all times. They include employees of shops, banks, call center workers and others who have face-to-face contact with members of the public. "Smiling for the sake of smiling can lead to emotional exhaustion and coldness, and that's bad for the organization," Scott told the Daily Mail. The study also showed that women were harmed more by fake smiling than men. Their mood and work performance both worsened more. But they were helped more by deep acting -- their mood became better and they worked more efficiently. However, while deep acting seemed to improve mood in the short term, Scott says it's not a long-term solution for unhappiness. "There have been some suggestions that if you do this over a long period that you start to feel inauthentic ," Scott said. "You may be trying to cultivate positive emotions, but at the end of the day you may not feel like yourself anymore." The article is mainly about _ . Answer: The American tradition of Thanksgiving dates back to colonial times, to the Pilgrims of Plymouth rock Colony. To escape religious persecution in England, the Pilgrims journeyed to the New World on their ship, the Mayflower. After a long journey, they finally arrived at Plymouth Rock in autumn of 1620. They could not finish building the settlement before winter, so many froze to death. They ate most of their food on the journey over, so many also starved. However, the Pilgrims met a Native American named Tisquantum, or Squanto as he was better known, who taught them how to plant corn and catch eel . By the same time next year, the Pilgrims had built a steady settlement, and had a bountiful harvest. To thank the Native Americans for their help and to celebrate the harvest, the Pilgrims held a grand banquet . Together, they feasted on corn, yams, fish, and most importantly: roast turkey, which became the highlight of the modern Thanksgiving feast. Schools always make a big deal about Thanksgiving, because they feel that it teaches children how to be thankful and to treat others with kindness. I spent the many years of elementary school making paper turkeys, fake cornucopias(a shell filled with food, a symbol of the holiday), and writing lists of what I'm thankful for. When I grew older, I watched movies and read books about the First Thanksgiving, and completed crossword puzzles and word searches filled with holiday themed words. While the idea for Thanksgiving is great, and it is a wonderful opportunity to instill certain values in children, I don't think we should name a special holiday for being thankful. We should be thankful for what we have every day, not just Thanksgiving. For Thanksgiving, all the activities are normally done EXCEPT _ . Answer: On the eve of our daughters' weddings, I gave both of them what I considered to be excellent marital advice: never leave your husband unsupervised with pruning shears . _ I recently let my guard down. Thirty-some years of marriage can do that to a woman. Give a man pruning shears and electric trimmers and he will give new meaning to "armed and dangerous." One day earlier this year, my husband said that the crab apple tree was dead. "Why do you think it is dead?" I asked. "Look at it. There's not a leaf on it." "There's not a leaf on anything. It's March," I said. "It looked sick last fall and with this bitter winter we had, I'm convinced it's dead." The truth is he's never liked the crab apple. Sure, it has beautiful blooms in the spring, but then it gets a disease, the leaves curl, and it drops those little apples that sit on the driveway. Each passing week he pronounced the tree dead. Eventually I began to believe him. Though he agreed it would be a regrettable loss, there was a twinkle in his eye. He armed himself a couple of weeks ago and began trimming. A branch here, a branch there, a small limb, then a large limb. I watched and then decided to check the wood on some of the branches closer to the trunk. I broke one off and saw green. The crab apple was not dead. It just hadn't had time to leaf out. The tree was now falling to one side, but it was not dead. I would have told him so, but he had moved on to a maple. Once the man starts, he can't stop. One trim leads to another. "Please, stop!" I called. He smiled and nodded, but he couldn't hear because he had started the hedge trimmers and was getting ready to fix a line of hedges. Zip , zip, zip. "What do you think?" he shouted. "It's supposed to be a privacy hedge; now all that will be private are our ankles." He started the trimmers again. "Stop!" I called, "Come back!" "Why?" he shouted. "You're in the neighbor's yard." By saying "if only I had taken my own advice." the author means that _ . Answer: What will the future be like? What do you think of it? Here are some answers from some students. Roy Burns: I think life in the future will be better. Most people in the world will use "green cars" by 2020, so there will be less pollution and people will live to be 200 years old. As for space travel, I would say, we will travel to Mars and some other stars in about fifty years. Helen Lester: If we don't take good care of the earth now, our children and grandchildren will be born into a world with too much pollution. There will be fewer trees and more buildings, because there will be more people. Kitty Smith: I agree with Helen Lester. Things will be worse. The weather in the future will be much hotter. Human beings will have to look for another _ to live on. What are the students doing? Answer: My sister has a nice room, There is a bed near (......) the desk. A bookcase is between (......) the bed and the desk. There is a jacket and a ring on the bed. A baseball is under the bed. There is a chair under the desk. There is a computer on the desk. Her hat and keys are under the chair. Her schoolbag is on the chair. Some books and CDs are in the bookcase. She has a photo on the wall. You can see some plants in the photo. Our family photo is on the wall , too. You can see my father, my mother, my sister and me in the photo. It is a nice photo. The best title for this passage is _ . Answer:
Television has a huge influence on our lives. It is one of the most important ways of getting information. People spend part of their spare time watching television, and much of what they learn comes from it. What we see on TV-movies, news shows, sports shows, advertisements and so on have increased our knowledge and have changed the way we learn about the world today. However, not everything on TV is true. Most of the viewers are children. Television sometimes is like a baby-sitter . It spends more time with children than parents do. But it keeps them in the living room away from healthy outdoor activities. They spend less time playing soccer or walking in the park or playing games in the yard. Of course, there are some programs on TV that are good for children. But there are also some shows which are bad. Children should not watch unhealthy shows. Maybe we can't change what is on TV, but we can choose what we watch. Do you agree? Why is television sometimes like a baby-sitter? Answer: Because children spend more time watching TV than staying with their parents. Frank was a barber and my grandma Joan was a hairdresser, who moved from London to Rugby and then settled in Cambridge. The worked together in their own shop on Mill Road, and it was above it that my mother and my two older sisters were born. I remember visiting them often at the salon and sitting in the back room eating my lunch, which always seemed to be a boiled egg. I can still recall the burst linoleum ,the almost overpowering smell of hairdresser s chemicals, the barber s shop was at the front and the ladies' salon at the back. They was always barber's banter and customers would try to talk to me, but I mistrusted strangers and was not interested, much to my grandpa's disgust. Frank was a conscientious objector in the second world war and was sent to Bedford prison, Later, he was sent to a prisoner-of-war camp for hard labor, and to guard the prisoners. He made good friends with some of the Italians and after war they visited each other for many years until they all became too old to travel. Grandma was a fantastic cook and picked up a lot of Italian cookery tips on her visits. She could make a delicious meal from basic materials and was a very inventive person, who recycled long before it was fashionable. That generation lived through hard times and two world wars. They were resourceful through necessity, making use and re-using whatever they could. Although my grandfather was a _ man who could be quite difficult sometimes, they were devoted to each other and spent many happy years together. My grandma had a heavy stroke in her 90s and was never the same again, as though part of her brain had been switched off. She tried hard to carry on with her cooking, sewing and knitting etc, but it became too much of a challenge. She died a few years later in 1998, and it broke Frank's heart. Exactly a year later, Frank died, aged 91. The nurse who was with him when he died said his last words were: "I'm coming. Joan." The old couple gradually formed the habit of _ . Answer: living an economic life Sadness and happiness are often talked about by people in their spare time. Most people want themselves to be happy for ever, but few know how to find happiness. Others say if you own lots of money and success, you will be happy. However, money and success alone do notbring lasting happiness. A famous a Greek thinker, Aristotle, said, "Happiness depends upon ourselves." That's to say,we make our own happiness. Here are a few suggestions to help you be happier. The first secret of happiness is to enjoy the simple things in life. Too often, we spend so much timethinking about the future. For example, getting into college or getting a good job, which we fail to enjoy thepresent. You should enjoy life's simple pleasures, such as reading a good book, listening to your favorite music, or spending time with close friends. People who have several close friends often live happier and healthier lives. Another secret to living a happy life is to be active. Many people go dancing or play sports. People can forget about their problems and only think about the activities. Finally, many people find happiness in helping others. Studies show that people feel good when they spend their time helping others. If you want to feel happier, do good things for someone. You can help a friend with his or her studies, go shopping or help out with some things around the house for an elderly person. If you do above, you will be happy. If you want to enjoy the simple things in life, you can _ . Answer: listen to your favorite music An old lady in a plane had a blanket over her head and she did not want to take it off. The air hostess spoke to her, but the old lady said, "I have never been in a plane before, and I am frightened. I am going to keep this blanket over my head until we are back on the ground again!" Then the captain came. He said, "Madam, I am the captain of this plane. The weather is fine, there are no clouds in the sky, and everything is going very well."But she continued to hide. So the captain turned and started to go back. Then the old lady looked out from under the blanket with one eye and said, "I am sorry, young man, but I don't like planes and I am never going to fly again. But I'll say one thing," She continued kindly, "You and your wife keep your plane very clean!" An old lady had _ . Answer: a blanket over her head London-Lazy students can now give up on work altogether as two Oxford University students have made scores of A-grade essays on the website for students to copy. The essays are on the new website, "revise.it" The website includes an "EssayLab" designed to make cheating as effective and effortless as possible. Its homepage announces to surfers : "The revise.it EssayLab is a bank of hundreds of A-Level essays covering popular topics." "Next time you are asked to write an essay, why not see what we have on the subject-if you are in a lazy state of mind you can even use our guide to writing the essays and then just hand them in." Nick Rose and Jordan Mayo, both 19 and first from Manchester, spent much of their first year as students at the university setting up the website. There is no charge for downloading the essays. "I have never been very good at essay writing," Rose admitted. "We don't see essay bank as a cheating way. It's a surprising valuable resource. You can learn a lot by reading other people's work on the subject." Among other tips, the website suggests inventing important speeches to give essays extra weight: "Popular people to quote are Douglass Hurd or Disraeli." Hurd was a foreign secretary in the 1980s and Disraeli was a 19 century prime minister. Teachers are expressing their opinions by e-mail that they are angry about the website that "encourages students to cheat", but students disagree. According to Rose: "Exams are a fight. It's us against them." It can be inferred from this passage that _ . Answer: websites can provide people with different kinds of information
World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Greenpeace are two famous organizations in the world. They both aim at making our planet a better place to live. World Wildlife Fund works to protect wild animals and plants. It began in Switzerland on September 11, 1961. Now, it has offices in 100 countries and nearly 5 million members all over the world. The members are from different groups, including government officials, businessmen, scientists and farmers. They have played an active role in saving animals and rainforests. One recent WWF project is protecting the Amazon rainforest. WWF has done plenty of research to find creative ways that meet the need of both people and nature. Greenpeace was set up in 1971, with an idea of working for world peace at the very beginning. Now it is active in protecting oceans, forests, and animals as well. It also calls for the use of clean energy, like wind power and solar power. Greenpeace has offices in 45 countries such as America and Canada. Its head office is in Netherlands. Greenpeace has about 3 million members at present. Small steps lead to big changes. It has encouraged more and more people to take action. The head office of Greenpeace is in _ . A Canada B America C Netherlands D Switzerland Answer: C. Netherlands Have you ever been to the following places? If not, try to find a chance to visit them. Fez, Morocco Fez, about 240 miles northeast from Marrakesh,a wonderful scene is taking root slowly. It started with immigrants building castles, and continues as hotels and restaurants. The biggest news is that the Hotel Sahrai is completed with a bar and 50 rooms, many overlooking a pool. Catskills, New York The region that welcomed Jewish families in the 50s,hippies in the 60s, and soon, casino gamblers . Many stylish B&Bs have opened. Among them are the Hotel Dylan in Woodstock, the Arnold House in Livingston Manor,with its bar and diminutive spa . So now is the time to enjoy fly-fishing, hiking and other peaceful experiences. Rotterdam, Netherlands The constantly unfolding city center in Rotterdam has become one amazing explosion of style, which surprised the tourists greatly. The latest attraction, and reason enough to visit, is the MVRDV-designed Markthal, an igloo -like horseshoe that houses 20 shops, nine restaurants, and 228 apartments. It also happens to be Holland' s largest artwork. Chengdu, China Famous for its 1,600 pandas, most of which still live in the wild, Chengdu has introduced a 72-hour no-visa policy that makes it easier for Americans to drop in on one of the city' s three major panda research facilities. But it' s worth sticking around longer to experience what' s doing in Chengdu, a city on the rise. One of the shiniest attractions is New Century Global Centre, the world' s largest building, complete with an artificial beach. What did Chengdu do to attract the American travelers? A It improved its quality of service. B It introduced a 72-hour no-visa policy. C It built the world' s largest building. D It completed a building with an artificial beach. Answer: B. It introduced a 72-hour no-visa policy. Jiajia, a third grader who was born with anemia, a medical condition in which there are too few red cells in blood, wrote an affecting article that moved many netizens. In the article, she shared her biggest wish: to survive so she could take care of her grandparents. Jiajia, 9, currently lives in the city of Suining in Sichuan province. In the article, she writes, "My heart gets heavier each time I see my grandma cry for me. If I ever get to grow up, I will take good care of her." Jiajia contracted pneumonia when she was 4 months old. Since then, she has required a blood transfusion every two weeks. After her parents' divorce, her grandparents took her in and faced many challenges in the process of raising her. The girl's article was only 235 words long, and it was handed in as a school assignment. Nevertheless, Jiajia's words "deeply impressed" her elementary school teacher, who then posted the article online, where it struck a chord with many people. Up till now, a fund started by teachers at Jiajia's school has reached more than 30,000 RMB, which will be put toward Jiajia's future blood transfusions. How can Jiajia survive? A by receiving a blood transfusion every two weeks. B by being in hospital every day. C by receiving a big operation at once. D by being looked after by her parents. Answer: A. by receiving a blood transfusion every two weeks. A When you think of success, you think of relative achievements in your own world. Each element of your world is important to you, and there is no need to compare with others. You cannot affect the success of others; you can affect your own success. Success is very much achievable to everybody. Believe that and you have taken the first step. If you do not believe in yourself, then building self-esteem is your first task. However, believing in your ability to achieve whatever you want to succeed in is very important if you are not to be held back by self-doubt throughout your journey to success. There are many things that will affect your ability to succeed, and it is best to focus on those under your immediate control. Once you do that, then the characteristics you develop can be applied to becoming successful in a range of activities. What is important to you is that, as you start to reach milestones in your ambitions, you should appreciate your own achievements. Appreciating yourself will strengthen your self-confidence and your determination to succeed. Some of the key characteristics you will find in those who are successful are perseverance, prepared to research, plan, work hard and practice a lot even when things do not seem to be going well, and an ability to recover and learn from setbacks. At the beginning of whatever you are trying to succeed in, a strong vision of your future, planning, and setting yourself achievable tar gets can all play an important role. All these qualities, skills and characteristics can be learned and developed. But it is up to you to get things started. Those who do not start travel nowhere. For others, life can be a continuous journey of fulfillment. 57. Why should you appreciate your own achievements according to the passage? A It will allow you to recover from past failures. B It will remind you of the vision of your future. C It will motivate you to continue pursuing success. D It will help you develop your characteristics in everything. Answer: C. It will motivate you to continue pursuing success. Copper is used in house wiring because it is A magnetic. B an insulator. C an electrical conductor. D hard to bend into new shapes. Answer: C. an electrical conductor.
There was once a family called the McAllisters. There was a dad, John McAllister, a mom, Amy McAllister, and their two twins, Ally and Jonah McAllister. This family was a family family, but when it came time to eat dinner, they sometimes argued. This is because different people liked different meals. John liked chicken most of all, and Amy liked vegetables. The twins, Ally and Jonah, preferred hotdogs, but Ally preferred ketchup, and Jonah preferred mustard. When it came to every day dinners, they took turns eating what each person liked. However, when it came to special meals like thanksgiving, it was difficult for the family to choose what to have. There would be frequent fights between all of them on what they would eat. Finally, they all had the answer. They would invite their grandpa over, because their grandpa was a great cook and could make everyone's favorite food, including chicken, vegetables, and hotdogs. On Thanksgiving, everyone was happy. What was the mom's favorite food? A. Hotdog with mustard B. Hotdog with Ketchup C. Chicken D. Vegetables Answer: D. Vegetables Which animal emits something that many autistic people would be extra sensitive to? A. cow B. dog C. cat D. skunk Answer: D. skunk EVERY so often, a sensational story hits the media about the kind of role models influencing UK teenagers. Youth culture celebrates too many bad examples, the reports say, and the finger of blame is often pointed at celebrities who drink or take drugs, or who are seen as sexually casual. Yet according to parents and educationalists the media itself is partly to blame. They argue that television, newspapers and magazines are obsessed with celebrity lives and over-promote a "celebrity culture" in which reality show stars are respected purely because they are on television. Meanwhile child psychologists warn of the negative effects of unsuitable role models, claiming that young people are being brainwashed into wanting to become famous overnight. They are taught to value physical appearance over personal achievement and set themselves impossible goals. According to a 2010 Home Office study, too many girls think that they have to look "sexy" and "hot" like their idols , and when they can't achieve this, they lose self-esteem or suffer from depression and eating disorders. But perhaps young people today are not as easily influenced as we think. The Girls' Attitudes Survey by Girlguiding UK (2011), for example, showed that young girls aged 11 to 21 questioned the media's description of women. Over half of the respondents disagreed with the statement that "girls and young women are portrayed fairly in the media". A Scout Association survey, of over a thousand 13- to 18-year-olds, showed that teenagers see their parents and siblings as far more positive role models than celebrities, and while many youngsters list celebrities like Kate Moss and Katie Price as role models, others list high achievers like David Beckham, Paralympian swimmer Eleanor Simmons, and grandparents who fought in the Second World War. What is the main purpose of this article? A. To analyze what influences UK's youth culture. B. To criticize the media's influence on UK's youth culture. C. To figure out who is to blame for the celebrity obsession. D. To discuss how much the media affects the role models UK's young people choose. Answer: D. To discuss how much the media affects the role models UK's young people choose. It's a Friday night. Your girl friends are out at a bar and your boyfriend is playing soccer with his mates. Two text messages later, you're eating pizza and watching action movies with three guy friends. Perfect. "Guy friends" have the potential to enrich your life in ways that female friends and boyfriends just can't. For starters, they provide an insider's perspective on how men think, feel and behave. When dealing with male relatives, coworkers and even boyfriends, another man's point of view can be incredibly useful. Three hours spent analyzing a situation in a cafe with your girlfriends can't compete with a quick chat to a guy friend. Many women find that time spent with male friends can be a liberating and somewhat refreshing break from spending time with the girls. Without the judgmental gaze of other females, there is less pressure to dress up and compete for attention. Traditionally, girl-guy friendships are seen as hard to maintain. Most relationships between males and females that we come across in our day-to-day lives, whether in movies or books, are romantic by nature. These cultural images make girl-guy friendships seem impossible. Yet in reality, as gender roles loosen and equality becomes a norm in the workplace, it has become much more common for platonic friendships to blossom. "The belief that men and women can't be friends comes from another era in which women were at home and men were in the workplace, and the only way they could get together was for romance," explains psychologist Linda Sapadin to Psychology Today magazine. "Now they work together and share sports interests and socialize together." "My boyfriend has met all of my guy friends so he's quite accepting of me hanging out with them," says Nellie. "Because we've been dating so long, there's a level of trust where he knows I will make the right decision when choosing who to be friends with. "He understands that the kind of time that I spend differs between guys and girls. When I'm out with the girls, we're gossiping or talking about clothes but when I'm spending time with the guys, it's different. I think their carefree and 'whatever goes' attitude can sometimes be exactly what I need." Why did people think men and women can't be friends in the past? A. Becausemen were at home and women were in the workplace. B. Becauseboth men and women are too shy to make friends. C. Because they were hard to keep in touch and only bymarrying cantheystay in touch with each other. D. Becausewomen were at home and men were in the workplace, and the only way they could get together was for friendship. Answer: C. Because they were hard to keep in touch and only bymarrying cantheystay in touch with each other. Women should not drink any alcohol during pregnancy. A report released by NICE says. It says if they must drink, they should not do so in the first three months and should limit to one or two ounces once or twice a week afterwards. It replaces previous guidance of saying small daily amounts were fine. NICE decided to tighten its guidance partly because of the concern that people are now drinking more than in the past. Previous draft guidance suggested women should drink an ounce of alcohol a day once they were past the first three months of pregnancy. The Department of Health in England changed its guidance last year, calling for no drinking while pregnant or while trying to get pregnant. Drinking heavily in pregnancy can cause fetal alcohol syndrome , which can leave children with features like small heads, widely spaced eyes and behavior or learning problems. The experts said there was no evidence that several ounces once or twice a week would do any harm to the baby but could not categorically rule out any risk. National Childbirth Trust agreed women should limit their drinking during pregnancy. "Pregnant women who have had a few drinks often worry a great deal about whether they have harmed their baby. In general, it is believed that if a light infrequent drinker, in good health, drinks to the point of drunkenness on one occasion, the risk to her baby is small." NICE also made a number of other recommendations for the care of women in the UK who were pregnant or planning to get pregnant. It said vitamin D and folic acid supplements should be offered by health staff to help avoid conditions such as rickets and spina bifida . Officials also called for local health officials to ensure equal support plans where mothers encourage new parents to breastfeed are set up. NICE also called for improvements in the care of pregnant women with diabetes. About 20;000 pregnancies each year are affected by diabetes and, therefore, carry, higher risk of miscarriage and still birth. The guidance said women should get access to advice and support, in particular to achieve good blood sugar control before they get pregnant. In this passage, the author mainly intends to _ . A. show NICE's new guidance on pregnant women's alcohol drinking and its advice for the care of pregnant women B. warn pregnant women against any alcohol during pregnancy C. show the present situation of pregnant women's drinking limit D. call for more care for pregnant women in society Answer: A. show NICE's new guidance on pregnant women's alcohol drinking and its advice for the care of pregnant women
Summer Posts Once again we require 10 excellent TEFL Teachers for our summer program. Large thriving Arels- Felco school offers special package to qualified, TEFL experienced teachers.$1,500 and free accommodation for 200 hours teaching from 2 July-24August. Overtime available. Good Possibility of longer term and permanent posts. Shorter contracts available. Letters of application and C.V. to Teacher Recruitment (Dept. E),prefix = st1 /ChurchillHouseSchool,40-42 Spencer Square,Ramsgate,KentCT11 9LD. Fax: (0843)584827. Established 20 years. Recognized by the British Council. Some teachers may be able to _ . continue working at the school after the summer Base your answers on the information below. One hot, summer day it rained very heavily. After the rain, a plastic pan on a picnic table had 2 cm of rainwater in it. Four hours later, all the rainwater in the pan was gone. Which process caused the rainwater in the pan to disappear as it sat outside in the hot air? evaporation Cameras reflect UV rays Last year I had a wonderful experience. I went on a student exchange to Japan. It was an exciting time of my life and I learned many things about the school system in Japan. I was in Grade 11, which is second year of high school in Japan, but I was younger than most of my classmates. That's because Japanese children enter first year ofelementary school in April following their sixth birthday. I started school when I was still five years old. In Japan, Children attend elementary school for six years, where they study Japanese, arithmetic, science, social studies, music, crafts, physical education, and home economics (simple cooking and sewing skills). During their three years in middle school, English is added to this list. Most schools have access to computers and the Internet. The classes in my school seemed rather big to me, around 30 students in a typical high school class. We ate lunch in the classroom, instead of a cafeteria and enjoyed a healthy, nutritious meal prepared by the school or by a local "school lunch centre" instead of eating the same, dry sandwiches every day. I really like the Japanese interpretation of school lunches. I also enjoyed the field trips and activities. At Japanese schools, there are many school events during the year, such as field day when students compete in tug-of-war, field trips, and arts and cultural festivals. Children in Japan may start their elementary school at the age of _ . 6 Dear Tim, Today is Saturday.It's 7:00 in the evening here.I'm writing to tell you something about my life.My father is watching CCTV news.That's his favorite program.My brother is playing computer games.My dog Dick is taking a hat to me.He wants me to put it on and go out for a walk with him.What a clever dog!My little sister is practicing playing the piano.It sounds beautiful today.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 that in New York.Are you getting up? Please write to me soon.Best wishes! Yours, Denial The dog wants the writer to put the hat on because _ . he wants to go out for a walk
Question: Mrs. Blake teaches English in a large school in the inner area of a big city on the west coast. Even since she was a young girl, she has wanted to become a teacher. She has taught eight years now and hasn't changed her mind. After she graduated from high school, she went on to college. Four years later, she received her bachelor's degree (BA) in English and her teaching certificate . Then she went to teach in the secondary schools of her state. In the summers, Mrs. Blake takes more classes; she hopes to get a master's degree ( MA ). With an MA, she will receive a higher salary and if possible, she hopes to get a doctor's degree as well. The school day at Mrs. Blake's high school, like that in many high schools in the United States, is divided into one hour each. Mrs. Blake must teach five of these periods. During her free period, which for her is from 2 to 3 P.M, Mrs. Blake must meet with parents, make our examinations, check assignments at all, Mrs. Blake works continuously from the time she arrives at school in the morning till the time she leaves for home late in the afternoon. Which of the following sentences is not true? A. Mrs. Blake teaches in the inner area of big city on the east of the United States. B. Mrs. Blake has turned her wish of becoming a teacher into reality. C. Mrs. Blake is still studying in her holidays in order to get higher degree. D. The working hours in the school where Mrs. Blake works are similar to those of may other high schools in the states. Answer: A Question: Simon is a student in a middle school. He is very strong. He goes to No.6 Middle School on a bus. He's good at English. But he's often late for his English classes. His father is a doctor. He's big and tall. He works in a big hospital. His mother is a nurse. She's slim and pretty. They are in the same hospital. They all work hard. He loves his father and mother very much. His father and mother both go to work by bike. We can see bikes here and there. And China is a "country of bikes". How does Simon go to school? A. By bike. B. His father takes him to school every day. C. On foot. D. By bus. Answer: D Question: Ted lives in a big city .Today he's very happy .it's the first day of school .Ted to go back to school. He wants to see his friends. He is going to meet his new teachers. Ted gets up early in the morning .He washes and puts on his new clothes .Look !He is having breakfast with his parents .Now ,he is ready for school. He goes to school by bike .He meets his friends outside the school gate .They are talking about something .Then the bell rings . Everyone runs to his or her classroom. Who does he want to see ? A. His friends B. His brother C. His father D. His mother Answer: A Question: My uncle likes sports very much. He loves soccer ball, basketball, baseball, tennis and more. He plays baseball and basketball very well. He likes to watch the sports games on TV. He plays sports every day. He has a small sports collection. He has 12 tennis rackets, 10 baseballs, 3 basketballs and a soccer ball. He likes to _ games on TV. A. play the baseball B. watch the sports C. play the sports D. watch the baseball Answer: B Question: Peter is a boy. His full name is Peter Brown. He is nine years old. His telephone number is 010-55882226. Peter has an email address. It's peterbrown@hotmail.com. He likes singing and dancing. Jane is Peter's sister. Jane is seven years old. Her QQ number is 735469. Jane's email address is janebrown@hotmail.com. She is good at swimming and playing volleyball. 735469 is _ . A. Peter's QQ number B. Jane's QQ number C. Peter's phone number D. Jane's phone number Answer: B
Australia is the largest island in the world. It is a little smaller than China. It is in the south of the earth. Australia is big, but its population is small. The population of it is nearly as large as that of Shanghai. We cannot believe it is such a big country with so small population! Enough laws have been made to fight against pollution. The cities in Australia have little air or water pollution. The sky is blue and the water is clean. You can clearly see fish swimming in the rivers. Plants grow very well. Last month we visited Perth, the biggest city in Western Australia, and went to a wild flowers. Exhibition In spring every year Perth has the wild flower exhibition. After visting Perth, we spent a day in the countryside. We sat down and had a rest near a path at the foot of the hill. But what we saw made us pick up all our things and run back to the car as quickly as we could--there were about three hundred sheep coming towards us down the path! Australia is famous for its sheep and kangaroos. After a short drive from any town, you will find yourself in the middle of white sheep. Sheep ,sheep, everwhere are sheep. Which of the following statements is TRUE? A All the cities in Australia are seriously polluted. B Australia is famous for its sheep, kangaroos and large population. C We ran back to the car because we were in the middle of the white sheep. D If you go to the countryside in Australia, you will see a lot of white sheep. Answer: D Americans do many different things during their vacations. Some people stay at home and enjoy time with their families. They may go to a local swimming pool, zoo or museum. Other people travel to enjoy large national parks, the mountains, the ocean, or large amusement parks. Many people visit interesting American cities or historic areas. Some people visit family members in other states. Still other Americans visit foreign countries. Recently there is a new use for vacation time -- learning about a new kind of job. This program is called Vocation Vacations. People pay between six hundred and five thousand dollars to work at a job for a few days or a week. Brian Kurth of Portland, Oregon, started Vocation Vacations. He says it serves a valuable purpose. It gives people a chance to try out a job they always wanted without leaving their present job. People use Vocation Vacations to try many kinds of jobs around the United States. These are jobs that anyone can learn to do. For example, they can learn how to make beer, wine, cheese or cakes. They can help train dogs or horses. They can learn how to be a hunting and fishing guide or a gardener. They can work with a sports announcer, television producer, wedding planner or photographer. Or they can learn how to operate a very small hotel, called a "bed and breakfast". Vocation Vacations recently added several new jobs. They include comedians, dog-sled drivers and hair stylists. The company says the most popular job so far is winemaking. The Vocation Vacations Website recently asked visitors what prevents them from working at their dream job. More than two thousand people answered. Forty-two percent said the main block is money. Lack of the right education or experience was the answer given by twenty-five percent. Other answers included fear of failure and lack of family support. When people take the jobs in vocation vacations, _ . A they can choose many kinds of them B they can get some money for their work C they must have much experience D they must have a lot of money Answer: A 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. According to the passage, the school-age kids exposed to pets . A will be more caring B will grow up more happily C are less likely to have asthma D are probably behave better in school Answer: C Hello, I'm Linda. This is a photo of my friend's family. Her name is Jane. These are her parents, Jeff Brown and Emily Brown. Those are her brothers, Harry and Dick. Is that her grandfather? Yes, it is. His name is Henry. . Jane is Linda's _ . A sister B mother C friend D mother Answer: C "I planted a seed. Finally grow fruits. Today is a great day. Pick off the star for you. Pick off the moon for you. Let it rise for you every day. Become candles burning myself. Just light you up, hey!... You are my little little apple. How much I love you, still no enough." This words are from the popular song You Are My Little Dear Apple. Bae Seul-Ki acted as the leading dancer in the MV of the song. She loves dancing. She became crazy about hip-hop when she was a school girl. Bai Seul-Ki was born on September 27, 1986. She is a South Korean singer and dancer. She is 168cm tall. She loves cooking. Her favourite food is spicy and salty. She like pink and red most. There are five members in her family---father, mother, two younger brothers and herself. She isn't married. After her father and mother broke up, she lived with her mother and new daddy. She enjoys being alone. We can infer from the passage that _ . A this article is mainly about a song. B Bai Seul-Ki can't cook C Bai Seul-Ki doesn't have a good family life. D Bai Seul-Ki became interested in dancing after she left school. Answer: C
Question: Morocco is located at the northwest of Africa and is bordered in the north by the strait of Gibraltar and the Mediterranean Sea. The Atlantic Ocean keeps the west and the north of the country more temperate . The country also offers the broadest plains some of which run along the Atlantic Ocean and the highest mountains in North Africa including the Atlas Mountains. Starting with the symbol of Morocco, Marrakech is a beautiful city that has remained unspoiled by the volume of tourists that flock there each year. One of the finest monuments in Morocco is greatly benefited by this amount of tourism. Actually their high volume contributes in a positive way to preserve one of the greatest monuments of Morocco. Fes is the third largest city in Morocco and is the capital of the Fes-Boulemane Region. It is separated into three parts, Fes el Bali more commonly known as the old walled city, now classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Fes-Jdid and the Ville Nouvelle. Fes el Bali is believed to be the largest car-free urban area in the world. Fes is a splendid place to visit to heighten the senses with the colours, smells and sounds. Casablanca is an enormous city which is near the capital of Morocco and a place where any European would feel at home. Casablanca was made famous by the movie and gives the impression of being a romantic place. Unfortunately like many other popular cities around the world, it is crowded, noisy, and polluted, a far cry from the romantic ideal of the film. Because it has the biggest port, Casablanca being the important city of Morocco, has everything that the tourists need. Asilah is a city situated on the Atlantic Ocean and is one of the most stunning old cities of Morocco. The city is set along the cliffs which make it beautifully presented and an ideal place to continue adding to its economy by the fishermen. The economy is also reliant on the trading of cattle, sheep and cereal. If you are having a holiday in Morocco during August then you will be fortunate enough to experience one of Asilah's cultural festivals where you can enjoy the lively music and wonderful paintings. How many cities in Morocco are introduced in the passage? A. 4. B. 5. C. 6. D. 7. Answer: A Question: The world's most famous awards, the Nobel Prizes, are given for achievements that benefit humankind. Ironically they are named for a 19thcentury scientist who invented powerful explosives that came to be used as weapons of war. Alfred Nobel, a Swedish-born chemist who died in 1896, was known by some as "The Mad Scientist," and by others as "The Merchant of Death." He was really pacifist, who at one time believed that his explosives could end warfare. Later, he realized that he was wrong. "High explosives will not stop men from war," he wrote. "Nobody will benefit from my inventions except manufacturers of war materials, some generals, and diplomats." Nobel was born in Sweden in 1833. His father was an architect and inventor who moved to Russia. With only one year formal schooling, Nobel became a chemist and inventor by the age of 16. He was also excellent in languages, speaking English, Russian, German, and French in addition to Swedish. He wrote poetry. His study of explosives began with manufacturing liquid nitroglycerin for use in mining and construction. But in 1864, the factory blew up, killing his youngest brother and four others. He then discovered that liquid nitroglycerin could be dried and handled safely to be a mixture, which can explode. He called the mixture dynamite, after the Greek word dynamis, meaning "power." He then perfected a more powerful form of dynamite that made him a multimillionaire. When he died, his fortune was about $9 million. Nobel never married, and he left his fortune to what has since become known as the Nobel Prizes. The money is invested and the interest is given out every year as prizes for the most important work in six fields: Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Peace. Nobel Prize winners receive money, a gold medal, and a diploma. Prizes were first awarded in 1901, and the list of Nobel laureates contains many well-known names: Albert Einstein in Physics, Marie Curie in Chemistry, Toni Morrison and William Faulkner in Literature, Martin Luther King, Jr., for Peace. Which might be the best title for the passage? A. The Nobel Prizes B. Alfred Nobel C. The Invention of Dynamite D. The Mad Scientist Answer: A Question: It is really a happy thing to look back on the days I spent with Jennie. We met in night school. After Jennie and I had completed the required courses, we started teaching in the same school. For a time we were just casual friends, but one day, when I was telling Jennie about my problem son, we discovered we were kindred spirits. "He's a difficult little character," I explained. Jennie looked thoughtful. "Maybe you're only seeing him with your eyes." She was silent for a moment and then added softly, "It is only with the heart that one sees rightly." I stared at her. "You're quoting that! It's from The Little Prince, Saint-Exupery's book for children, one of my favorites. You know it, too?" Jennie nodded. "I love it. I've read it so often. I've practically memorized it." Now, when I think of Jennie, I recall that book because Jennie --more than anyone I know --possessed the gift of seeing with the heart. From that moment of a treasured book shared, our friendship grew steadily. It wasn't that I didn't have an excellent relationship with my husband and son, but my mother had died shortly after my marriage, and I had neither sisters nor daughters. I realize, now, how I needed someone to share those little, seemingly unimportant things that add so much to life --things that must be shared to be fully appreciated. And it was Jennie who helped me with my fourth-grade problem child. One day I was at my wit's end. "What he needs is a good beating!" I exploded. "He's probably had plenty of those," Jennie said. "Maybe he just needs sincere praise for anything he does right, and a hug or two each day." I followed this suggestion, and eventually, because of Jennie, I discovered a lovable little boy. Looking back, I have to admit that she taught me so much. The days I spent with her has become one of my happiest memories. How did the author and Jennie's friendship grow? A. They both were interested in children's education. B. They both liked a novel, The Little Prince. C. They often chatted together about their families. D. They both worked in the same school. Answer: B Question: One evening Mr. Green is driving his car in the country and looking for a small hotel. When he sees an old man on the side of the road, Mr. Green stops his car and says to the old man, 'I want to go to the Sun Hotel. Do you know how to get there?' 'Yes, of course,' the old man answers, 'I will show you the way. Please let me sit in your car. I can go with you and tell you where to turn.' He gets in Mr. Green's car. They drive about twelve miles . When they come to a small house, the old man says, 'Stop here.' Mr. Green stops his car and says, 'But this isn't a hotel.' 'No,' the old man answers. 'This is my house. Thank you very much for driving me home. And I'll show you the way to the Sun Hotel. Turn around and go back nine miles. Then you will get to the hotel.' How does Mr. Green feel after he hears the old man's words? A. Angry. B. Hungry. C. Happy. D. Glad. Answer: A Question: A new concept vehicle, Pod was introduced by Toyota and Sony at the Tokyo motor show. The car is intended as a four-wheeled friend. It aims to provide affection, sympathy and encouragement. Like a dog welcoming its master, the car sits up, wags its tail and acknowledges its owner's presence using hydraulics and a multi-coloured LED display panel across the front. While on the road, the car constantly monitors the driver's mood with pulse and sweat sensors on the joystick . Cameras focused on the eyes keep watch for any sigh of _ . If a driver appears to be losing his or her cool, Pod will display warnings, play soft music and blow cold air at the face. Drivers are shaken awake with loud music and a shaking chair. To improve driving skills, Pod uses a comparison to score drivers, offer advice and rank all Pod owners. Toyota claims that the car will eventually be able to learn its owner's likes and dislikes by monitoring passenger conversations. If the car hears a favorite song being discussed, it will download the track from the Internet and play it without being asked. It will also recommend restaurants that might suit the driver's taste and take photographs of passengers when they sound particularly happy. In keeping with the moodiness that is the car's main selling point, Pod expresses a form of road anger. If a driver brakes or swerves suddenly, the LED panel shows an angry red and the tail rises at the back. Anger is one of the car's ten "emotional states". Another is sadness --- a blue front with tear-shaped lights seemingly dropping from headlights --- which appears after a flat tire or when gas is low. "We wanted to show that the cars can be cheerful and entertaining," said Yasunori Sakamoto, part of the Toyota design team. Mr Sakamoto said Toyota has no plans to put Pod on the market. Sad, really. If the new concept vehicle is running out of gas, _ . A. the LED panel turns red B. the tail rises at the back of the car C. the front light turn blue and look like tears D. the car stops and shake with loud music Answer: C
A father wanted to buy a horse for his son. After looking at many horses, the man's decision was almost made. It had come down to a choice between two horses. They were quite similar and the prices were the same. He decided to take another look so he could make a final decision. The first farmer was eagerly trying to sell his horse and talked much about how cute his horse was, but the father didn't reach a decision. The second farmer was different. He didn't say anything about the horse, but he simply said that he was sure the man's son would love his horse. He offered to bring the man a saddle , a bridle , the horse and enough food for it for 30 days. In return , the father should give him a check, and he would hold it for 30 days. If the man's son decided to keep the horse, he could let him know at the end of the 30 days, and he would cash the check. Otherwise, he would give back the man's check, pick up the horse and even clean up where the horse had been to. Which farmer do you think sold his horse? Can you see that if you promise buyers reliable business dealings with you, you are more likely to be successful? The farmer gave more far beyond what the father thought or even imagined. We can learn from the passage that _ . A. one should get along with partners at work B. people can be persuaded by strangers' words C. people often make up their mind all at a sudden D. one should know how to please his buyers Answer: D Let children learn to judge their own work. A child who learns to talk does not learn by being corrected all the time. If corrected too much., he will stop talking. He notices a thousand times a day the differences between the language he uses and the language those around him. Little by little, he makes the necessary changes to make his language like other people's. In the same way, children learn to do all the other things without being taught-to walk, run, climb, whistle, ride a bicycle-compare their performances with those of more skilled people, and slowly make the needed changes. But in school we never give a child a chance to find out his mistakes and correct them himself. We do it all for his act as if we thought that he would never notice a mistake unless it was pointed out to him, or correct it unless he was made to. Let him work out, with the help of other children if he wants it, what this word says , what the answer is to that problem, whether this is a good way of saying or doing this or not. If it is a matter of right answers, as it may be in mathematics or science, give him the answer book. Let him correct his own papers. Why should we teachers waste time on such routine(daily) work? Our job should be to help the children when they tell us that they can't find the way to get to measure their own understanding, how to know what they know or do not know. According to the writer, teachers in school should _ . A. encourage children to learn from each other. B. point out children's mistakes whenever they are found. C. correct children's mistakes as much as possible. D. teach children more knowledge from book. Answer: A Education is an expensive part of American life. Its size is matched by its variety. Differences in American schools compared with those found in the majority of other countries lie in the fact that education here has long been intended for everyone. Schools are expected to meet the needs of every child, regardless of ability, and also the needs of society itself. This means that public schools offer more than academic subjects. It surprises many people when they come here to find high schools offering such courses as typing, sewing, radio repair, computer programming or driver training, along with traditional academic subjects such as mathematics, history, and languages. Students choose their courses depending on their interests, future goals, and level of ability. The basic goal of American education is to develop every child to the utmost of his or her own possibilities, and to give each one a sense of community. Schools have traditionally played an important role in creating national unity and "Americanizing" the millions of immigrants who have poured into this country from many different backgrounds and origins. Schools still play a large role in the community, especially in the small towns. The teaching may seem unfamiliar to many, not only because it is informal, but also because there is not much emphasis on learning facts. Instead, Americans try to teach their children to think for themselves and to develop their own intellectual and creative abilities. Students spend much time learning how to use materials, libraries, statistics, and computers. Americans believe that if children are taught to _ and to research well, they will be able to find whatever facts they need throughout the rest of their lives. Knowing how to solve problems is considered more important than the accumulation of facts. This is America's answer to the searching question that thoughtful parents all over the world are asking themselves in the fast-moving time, "How can one prepare today's child for a tomorrow that one can neither predict nor understand?" What makes American education different from others'? A. The large number of schools. B. The variety of the courses. C. Its consideration for immigrants. D. The basic goal of the education. Answer: D A federal statute provides that the cities in which certain specified airports are located may regulate the rates and services of all limousines that serve those airports, without regard to the origin or destination of the passengers who use the limousines. The cities of Redville and Greenville are located adjacent to each other in different states. The airport serving both of them is located in Redville and is one of those airports specified in the federal statute. The Redville City Council has adopted a rule that requires any limousines serving the airport to charge only the rates authorized by the Redville City Council. Airline Limousine Service has a lucrative business transporting passengers between Greenville and the airport in Redville, at much lower rates than those required by the Redville City Council. It transports passengers in interstate traffic only; it does not provide local service within Redville. The new rule adopted by the Redville City Council will require Airline Limousine Service to charge the same rates as limousines operating only in Redville. Must Airline Limousine Service comply with the new rule of the Redville City Council? A. Yes, because the airport is located in Redville and, therefore, its city council has exclusive regulatory authority over all transportation to and from the airport. B. Yes, because Congress has authorized this form of regulation by Redville and, therefore, removed any constitutional impediments to it that may have otherwise existed. C. No, because the rule would arbitrarily destroy a lucrative existing business and, therefore, would amount to a taking without just compensation. D. No, because Airline Limousine Service is engaged in interstate commerce and this rule is an undue burden on that commerce. Answer: B Several interesting American museums tell about health subjects. One is the Doctor Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry. It is at the University of Maryland in Baltimore. That is where the first college in the world to train dentists began. The museum tells about the history of the medical treatment of teeth. Visitors can see some frightening _ that once were used to remove infected teeth. They also can see sets of teeth made of animal bone. They were made for a famous American -- the first President, George Washington. Most people do not consider a visit to the dentist their idea of a good time. However, the director of the museum says he wanted to make the museum a fun place to visit. He says he also wants to teach visitors about the importance of taking care of their teeth. Another museum collects _ that help people hear. The Kenneth W. Berger Hearing Aid Museum is at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. The museum has more than three-thousand hearing aids from around the world. They include old and strange devices. Some hearing aids were made to look like other objects. That is because in the past many people did not want anyone to know they were wearing a hearing aid. The text mainly tells about _ . A. museums in the US B. interesting American museums C. American museums with health subjects D. the history of the medical treatment of teeth Answer: C
If you do not use your arms or your legs for some time, they become weak. When you start using them again, they slowly become strong again. Everybody knows this. Yet there are many people who do not seem to know that one's memory works in the same way. When someone says that he has a good memory, he really means that he keeps his memory in practice by exercising it regularly. When someone else says that his memory is poor, he really means that he does not give it enough chance to become strong. If a friend complains that his arms are weak, we know that it is his own fault. But if he tells us that he has a poor memory, many of us think that his parents are to blame, or that he is just unlucky, and few of us realize that it is really his own fault. Not all of us can become very strong or very clever, but all of us can improve our memory by the same means -- practice. Have you ever noticed that people who cannot read or write usually have a better memory than those who can? Why is this? Of course, because people who can't read or write have to remember things: they cannot write them down in a little notebook. They have to remember dates, prices, names, songs and stories, so their memory is exercised all the time. So if you want a good memory, learn from those who cannot read or write: practise remembering. The passage mainly tells us _ . A. how to get our arms and legs stronger B. how to improve our memory C. how to read and write D. how to remember dates and prices Answer: B. how to improve our memory Do you want to be healthy? Then you must eat well and get a lot of exercise. If you're healthy, your body works well and you also feel well. Here are some trips. Eat more fruit and vegetables. "One apple a day, keep the doctor away!"Fruit and vegetables have rich vitamins. They can help us to keep healthy. Remember to eat some fruit and vegetables every day. Drink water and milk often. When you are thirsty, water is the best choice. Try to limit soda drinks, such as Coca Cola, Sprite and Fanta. Milk is also very good for your body. Drink a cup of milk every day if possible. Listen to your body. You'd better notice how your body feels when you eat. That is to say you should stop eating when you're full. It can make you feel comfortable. Limit screen time. Don't spend too much time watching TV or DCDs, playing video games or using the computer. You should do some outdoor activities, such as playing basketball, going riding and swimming. If you follow the tips, I'm sure you'll have a healthy body. What are good for your body? A. Coffee and Sprite. B. Water and Sprite. C. Coffee and milk. D. Milk and water. Answer: D. Milk and water. The plane landed with a gentle stop at the airport in Paris. I looked out of the window and noticed the boiling hot sun was shinning down on the city. I stepped down the stairs into the luggage room, and my family were practically busy. I walked down to the convey belt and waited for my suitcase to come along. I must wait there for about ten minutes before it actually came, by then my family had signed forms so we could be let into the country properly. I met up with my dad by the main entrance. My extremely annoying sister Talia was waving at us from the exit of the airport. My dad and I walked over and left the airport. We walked around for an hour before we actually found our hotel. The French taxi driver had dropped us off at the wrong hotel, and we found out the hotel he had dropped us off about an hour away from where our hotel was. We walked around different streets. We walked into different shops, but they all had the same answer "sorry". My mom was so annoyed that she took about several mouthfuls of her vodka she'd bought at this alcohol shop before. When we finally made it to the hotel, we checked in and made our way to our rooms. We were on the 17th floor, so the elevator ride up was rather long. I also had to share a room with Talia, which didn't really make my day. Ks5u I got into my room and sat on my bed. I took my shoes and socks off and rubbed my hurt feet. Could this day get any worse? Well it could. "Let's go," my mom said excitedly. "Go where?" I said unwillingly. "Outside of course, we're in France! I want to taste the snails, the frogs' legs, the ... French wine!" she said. We stepped out of the hotel entrance and lights came from everywhere. It looked wonderful and a bit like New York, but the building weren't as high and everyone looked so kind. We walked down to the Eiffel Tower which was amazing, it was beautiful. I know I had to see this again, but maybe when I wasn't so tired. I sat down on the grass, and looked up at the sky, Paris looked wonderful at night, and the stars in the sky added to the effect. I looked back down and someone caught my eye, his face was not very familiar... Why were the author's family especially busy when they got off the plane? A. Because they looked for their luggage. B. Because they went to buy something special. C. Because they had to sign forms to enter France properly. D. Because they were not familiar with the foreign country and didn't know where to go. Answer: C. Because they had to sign forms to enter France properly. Americans are buying more products and services than ever before through the Internet.And experts say the popularity of online sales is likely to spread to other countries.Online sales now represent as much as one-tenth of all retail sales in the United States.This has led traditional stores to seek new ways to keep their customers loyal. Lynne Shaner used the Internet to buy everything she needed.Other than food,90%of her purchases were made on her home computer.She said."I find that.by being able to go online and choose the things that I need to choose,and have them delivered to me right at my doorstep,I _ all the driving,all the crowds,all the noise of that,and I usually get a better selection. " There are a lot of people like her.57%of Americans have bought something electronically in the past few months.Store owners worry that this growing amount of online sales will hurt their business. Cornell University marketing professor says traditional stores can keep their customers by selling goods like clothing,which buyers may want to see and try on before purchasing.He says the stores could also offer things that are difficult to ship.He also says some stores can please customers by offering to set up or repair electronic products. Bill Martin is the founder of ShopperTrak which helps stores learn about their customers.He says that traditional stores offer a social experience that some people enjoy and the experience and emotion in the buying decision before they're ready to part with money can't be gotten on--line.It's a rather cold process.Bill Martin says traditional stores can provide goods to buyers more quickly than online stores. While e-commerce worries some business owners,the worry for delivery services like FedEx and UPS is keeping up with the number of packages.UPS Manager Dana Kline says her company is very busy at this time of year. What can we learn about Bill Martin? A. He assists traditional stores in selling products. B. He founded a delivery company. C. He is in favor of online shopping. D. He thinks online sales are quicker than retail sales. Answer: A. He assists traditional stores in selling products. As more Americans go to mainland China to take jobs, more Chinese and Americans are working side by side. These cross cultural partnerships, while beneficial in many ways, are also highlighting tensions that expose differences in work experience, pay levels and communication. In the last few years, a growing number of Americans in their 20s and 30s have been heading to China for employment, attracted by its faster growing economy and lower jobless rate. Their Chinese coworkers are often around the same age. But the two groups were raised differently. The Americans have had more exposure to freemarket principles. "Young Americans were brought up in a commercial environment," said Neng Zhao, 28, a senior associate at Blue Oak Capital, a private firm based in Beijing. "We weren't. So the workplace is a unique learning process for my generation." Managers hiring workers in China appear to be paying for Western experience. Foreigners tend to earn 10 to 15 percent more than their Chinese counterparts (persons working in similar positions), said Michael Norman, senior vice president at Sibson Consulting, an American firm. That _ does not go unnoticed by Chinese workers. "There is definitely the belief that Americans get paid more for the same work." said Ting Wang, 25, an associate at Wild China, a travel company based in Beijing. On the other hand, Chinese workers have a deeper understanding of the influences, like Confucianism and Communism, which play a part in their country's culture and economy. It is important and necessary for Americans working in China to adjust, said Mr. Norman, who works on management and work force issues for multinational companies operating in Asia. "In the West, there is such a bonus on getting things done quickly, but when you come to work in China, you need to work on listening and being more patient and understanding of local ways of doing business," he said. What can we learn from the passage? A. Americans benefit more from working in China. B. Chinese and American employees have the same experience. C. Young Chinese can benefit from crosscultural partnerships. D. More Americans working in China cause higher jobless rate. Answer: C. Young Chinese can benefit from crosscultural partnerships.
The history of modern art begins with Impressionism, a movement started in Paris in the mid-1800's. At that time many artists painted in a very traditional way that involved spending hours in a studio,painstakingly creating paintings that were extremely detailed. These paintings were sometimes of people or landscapes or historical events. In 1863, Edouard Manet exhibited his painting "Dejeuner sur l'erbe" at the Salon des Refuses. The painting caused acommotion , thus starting the Impressionist movement. Although Edouard Manet is the declared leader and founder of the group, he was not present at the first group exhibition or any of the other eight collective Impressionist shows. The movement gained more attention in the April of 1874 when Claude Monet, Auguste Renoir, Alfred Sisley, and Jean-Frederic Bazille formed Society of Artists, Painters, Sculptors, Engravers and began exhibiting outside of the official salon. The same year, the term Impressionism was invented by criticizing journalist Louis Leroy to describe their paintings, who worked for the magazineLe Charivari. The Impressionists often paint out of doors and want to show how light and shadow fall on objects at particular times of the day. Their works are sometimes described as "captured moments" and are characterized by short quickbrushstrokes of colour which, when viewed up close looks quite messy and unreal. If we step back from the Impressionist paintings, the colours are blended together by our eyes and we are able to see the painters' subjects which often show colourful landscapes, sunlight on water as well as people busy with outdoor activities. Who first started Impressionism? _ A Claude Monet. B Edouard Manet. C Auguste Renoir. D Alfred Sisley. Answer: B. Edouard Manet. When gasoline in a car engine is burned, only about 15 percent of the gasoline is converted into mechanical energy. This is because most of the energy in the gasoline is A transformed into heat. B stored for use at a later time. C changed into chemical energy. D used to make the vehicle move. Answer: A. transformed into heat. Perhaps the most famous clothing brand name in the world is Levi's.Levi Strauss & Co.is the producer of blue denim jeans.Here's how it happened. In the mid 1800s many people went to California to look for gold.A young German named Levi Strauss traveled to San Francisco to help his brother on business.He sold canvas to the workers for tents.But the workers said they needed pants more,because their pants were easy to wear out.Instead of selling his canvas for tent-making,he turned it into pants.These kinds of pants were very popular with workers.He was very happy and named the kind of pants"denims".And in 1853 he founded Levi Strauss & Co. Twenty years later the company began using a design with pockets.During the working,Strauss _ the process for putting metal rivets in the eans for strength. On May 20,1873,they received the U.S.Patent No.139,121 for the process and that date is now considered the official birthday of"blue jeans". Today the company still has its factories in San Francisco,California.Over 11,000 people work in them and bring in over $4 billion a year. The passage mainly tells us _ . A who invented jeans B how jeans were invented C when jeans were invented D why jeans are so popular Answer: B. how jeans were invented Henry was from the United States and he had come to London for a holiday. One day he was not feeling well. So he was to the clerk at the desk of his hotel and said, "I want to see a doctor. Can you give me the name of a good one?" The clerk looked in a book, and said, "Dr. Grey." "Is he expensive?" "Well," the clerk answered, "he always asks for his patients two pounds for their first visit to him, and 1.5 pounds for later visit." Henry decided to save 50 pence. When he went to see the doctor he said, "I've come again, doctor." For a few seconds the doctor looked at his face carefully without saying anything. Then he nodded and said, "Oh, yes." He examined him and then said, "Everything's going as it should do. Just continue with the medicine I gave you last time." Henry came to London _ . A to do some shopping B to visit friend C to spend his holiday D to find a job Answer: D. to find a job Which statement about the Sun is true? A The Sun is a very large star that exists far from the Milky Way Galaxy. B The Sun is at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. C The Sun is a medium-sized star near the edge of the Milky Way Galaxy. D The Sun has the Milky Way and several other galaxies moving in orbits around it. Answer: C. The Sun is a medium-sized star near the edge of the Milky Way Galaxy.
Have you ever rubbed your hands together when they get cold? Why do we do that? We do that for _ . Friction happens when two things that aren't very smooth rub together to make heat energy. The faster you rub two things together, the more friction ( and heat) you can make. Let's discover friction! WHAT YOU'LL NEED Soap Water*Your hands! WHAT TO DO Make sure your hands are dirty. Rub your hands together until you feel the heat of your hands. Now, use soap and water to get your hands very slippery . Try to make friction happen while your hands are slippery. Please write down what has happened. LET'S TALK! Friction is an energy that happens when two things rub together. When friction happens, it makes heat! When your hands are slippery, they won't make very much friction and your hands won't get so hot. DID YOU KNOW? Friction happens when you stop your fast running bike. Ancient people made fire by rubbing two pieces of wood together. Friction happened though they didn't know it. _ Friction is everywhere. Have you ever noticed situations where friction is happening? If not, ask your parents to take you out in a car. If it is not hot, touch the tires of the car before and after a short drive to see how much warmer they get from friction. _ is not an example of friction. Which of these provide the best evidence that life could develop on Mars? It can be hard to encourage families of preschoolers to turn off the TV,but there are plenty of highquality shows that promote learning and positive relationships rather than violence,researchers noted. "Although clearly kids watch too much,what's more worrying is that they watch poor quality shows," said Dr Christakis,the lead researcher on the new study from the University of Washington in Seattle.His former survey of parents of threeto fiveyearold children showed the kids often watched violent cartoons and movies that are "totally inappropriate". For their study,he and his colleagues randomly divide 565 preschoolers into two groups.In one group,parents recorded notes about kids' normal TV viewing,without receiving any guidelines to reduce or change those habits.In the other group,researchers made visits and calls and sent monthly newsletters encouraging parents to replace violent TV with educational programming.After six and 12 months,parents reported their kid's angry,aggressive or anxious behaviors on a questionnaire.At both time points,children in the TV intervention program had slightly fewer problems than those in the comparison group.Boys in lowincome families seemed to benefit most from the change in programming,the researchers found. "The point is,this is something that is as effective as other things we do to try to guide behavior in children,and it's fairly simple," Christakis said. Another study published in Pediatrics found the more TV kids and teens watched,the more likely they were to have a crime or other problems in society.Children may imitate violence they see--or more time in front of the TV could simply mean less communication with peers and families,and worse performance in school. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends kids watch no more than one to two hours of highquality programming each day.Researchers agreed parents should be mindful of what exactly their young kids are watching on TV as well."It's not just about turning the TV off,it's about changing the channel," Christakis said. What is the positive effect of highquality TV shows on kids? Any foreigner who has tried to learn Chinese can tell how hard it is to master the tones required to speak and understand.And anyone who has tried to learn to play the violin or other instruments can report similar challenges. Now researchers have found that people with musical training have an easier time learning Chinese.Writing in the online edition of Nature Nenroscieme, researchers from Northwestern University say that both skills draw on the same parts of the brain that help people discover changes in pitch . One of the study's authors, Nina Kraus, said the findings suggested that studying music "actually tunes our sensory system".This means that schools that want children to do well in languages should hesitate before cutting music programs.Dr.Kraus said.She said music training might also help children with language problems. Mandarin speakers have been shown to have a more complex encoding of pitch patterns in their brains than English speakers do.This is because in Mandarin and other Asian languages, pitch plays a central role.A single syllable word can have several meanings depending on how it is _ . For this study, the researchers looked at 20 non Chinese speaking volunteers, half with no musical background and half who have studied an instrument for at least six years. As they were shown a movie, the volunteers also heard an audio tape of the Mandarin word "mi" in three of its meanings: squint, bewilder and rice.The researchers recorded activities in their brain stems to see how well they were processing the sounds.Those with a music background showed much more brain activities in response to the Chinese sounds. The lead author of the study, Patrick C.M.Wong, said it might work both ways.It appear? That native speakers of tonal languages may do better at learning instruments. What would be the best title for this passage? In America, when people say "man's best friend", they don't mean another person. Instead, they are talking about a lovely animal:A dog! These words show the friendship between people and animals. Dogs and other pets can give happiness to people's lives. Some people think of their pets as their children. A few even leave all their money to their pets when they die! Animals can help people, too. Dogs can be taught to become the "eyes"for a blind person or "ears"for a deaf people. Scientists have found that pets help people live longer! They make people happier, too. Because of that, animals are brought into hospitals for "visit". Americans hold "Be---Kind-to-Animals Week"in the first week of May. Pets shows are held during the week. Even if you don't live in America, you, too, can do this. How? First, think about how animals make your life richer. If you have a pet, take more time this week to play with it. Remember to give it delicious food. Also, be sure to keep your pet from those unwanted babies. If you don't have a pet, be kind to animals around you. For example, if you see a street dog, don't kick it or throw things at it. Instead, just leave it alone, or beter yet, make friends with it. If others around you do bad things to an animal, try to shop them. As people, we must protect animals who can't speak for themselves. What's the passage mainly about?
Question: The number of smokers in England is about 8 million. According to the Department of Health, smoking is the biggest cause of early death in the country. Smokers in England have been asked to give up smoking for 28 days this month, in an action backed by Cancer Research UK and the British Heart Foundation. Research shows people who manage not to light up for this length of time are 5 times more likely to kick the habit. Public health experts say campaigns that include a combination of hard-hitting ads and supportive messages work best. Quitting smoking can be difficult. However, people are much more likely to succeed if other people are doing the same than if they try to do it alone and _ . Robert West, Director of Tobacco Studies at University College London, points out how pressure from people around can prevent a smoker going on smoking. "We are social animals," he said. The action has met some doubts among readers of the BBC News Online website. Some compared it to asking people to stop eating as a way of fighting overweight. Others doubt the action's effectiveness. "Its weakness is that it fails to explain why a person smokes, and the reasons are as many as the number of smokers", says someone who signed as BluesBerry. Another reader, Cazz, has decided to give it some credit. He says:" Campaigns like this won't necessarily inspire the majority of smokers to quit, but may encourage those thinking about quitting to set a date and try. Surely it's worth a shot. " Why is it easier to stop smoking when other people are doing the same? A. Because people usually respect each other. B. Because they're faced with the same pressure. C. Because people are influenced by each other. D. Because they keep the same animals as pets. Answer: C Question: Seasons cause change to what? A. volcanic eruptions B. moon cycles C. prairies D. planets orbit Answer: C Question: The sun is a star of average size and brightness. From Earth, the sun appears as a round, yellow object in the daytime sky. At night, we see other stars. They appear as tiny points of light. Why does the sun appear larger than stars that we see at night? A. Daylight brightens the sun, making it appear larger. B. Starlight bends as it passes planets, making the stars appear smaller. C. The sun is closer to Earth than other stars, making the sun appear larger. D. Earth's atmosphere filters out light from other stars, making them appear smaller. Answer: C Question: Bill Gates has a nice house on a hill by Lake Washington. Inside the house there are seven bedrooms, 24 bathrooms, six kitchens and six fireplaces. It even has a theatre, a library, an exercise room and a swimming pool. You can say the house is very big. However, it doesn't look so big, because a large part of it is in the hills. The house is famous for many reasons. One is its large size, and another is its amazing electronic systems . Before a visitor goes into the house, he/she gets a chip at the gate. The chip sends information about the visitor to the electronic systems in the house. When the visitor goes into the house, lights are on automatically . When the visitor goes into a room, the temperature will change to make the visitor comfortable. When the visitor goes from one room to another, he/she can hear music. Bill Gates began to build his house in 1990. It took him about 7 years to build it. Which is the best title for the passage? A. Bill Gates' dream home B. Bill Gates' house C. Bill Gates and his house D. Bill Gates' family Answer: B Question: Many years ago in a small village, an old man was hired to clear the spring up on the mountain. He patrolled the spring every day, and swept away all the leaves and other things that would dirty the fresh flow of water. Soon, beautiful swans came to the clear spring, and the village became a popular attraction for visitors. Years passed. One evening the town leaders held a meeting. As they looked at the salary list, one of them said, "Why do we keep this old man on year after year? I don't think we need him or his work." Later, the old man was asked to leave. For several weeks, nothing changed. By early autumn, the leaves began to fall off the trees, and the spring was covered with leaves. A few days later, the water was much darker. Only a few months after the old man left, all the swans left, as did the tourists. Disease reached deeply into the village. Quickly, the leaders held a special meeting. Realizing their mistake, they rehired the old man. Then within a few weeks, the spring began to clear up. Soon new life returned to the village. So, my friends, do you see? No matter how small your work or your life seems to be, never _ it. Anything we can do will make a difference. How did the leaders feel a few months after the old man left? A. Regretful. B. Moved. C. Excited. D. Calm. Answer: A
Food prices have risen sharply over the past few years. The good news is that the rate of increase has slowed. The bad news is that prices will not go down anytime soon. Also,the rate of global agricultural production is slowing. Yet it needs to increase 60% over the next 40 years to feed a growing world population. These are among the findings from the OECDFAO(the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development & the Food and Agriculture Organization)Agricultural Outlook 2012-2021. FAO DirectorGeneral Jose Graziano da Silva spoke at a news conference in Rome when the report was released. Mr.Da Silva said that,not surprisingly,the world's poorest people will feel the greatest effects of higher prices. "For the millions and millions of extremely poor people, the effects of high food prices are clear--they might have to change their diets,usually to ones with poorer nutrition quality, "he said. In middleincome countries, people are gaining weight as they eat fewer fruits and vegetables and more of the cheaper but less nutritious foods. The report also shows that farmers in poorer countries will be leading efforts to feed an expected 9,000,000,000 people by 2050.The outlook predicts that farmers in Latin America,the Caribbean and subSaharan Africa will drive agricultural production in the future. Angel Gurria,SecretaryGeneral of the OECD,said:"We can feed 9,000,000,000 people by 2050 on this planet. But we have to organize ourselves better." But there are plenty of challenges.Onefourth of all agricultural land is damaged. Many countries face water shortages .And experts believe climate change is driving increasingly unusual weather patterns. The report says farmers need to use more growing methods that can't cause damage to the environment.At the same time,it says governments should end economically harmful supports and spend more money to increase agricultural production.Mr.Gurria says rich and poor nations need to treat agriculture more like a business. "In many cases,agriculture is related in people's minds to the poorest. It's related to aid. It's related to very poor living conditions,etc. We have got to shake that image away,"he said. It can be inferred from the text that poorer countries _ . A are damaging a great part of their agricultural land B will play a great role in feeding the growing world population C are spending lots of money increasing agricultural production D will not be so seriously affected by food prices as rich nations Answer: B. will play a great role in feeding the growing world population We started out in a great morning and were heading over the mountain range to Ellensburg. We stopped at Snoqualmie summit for a quick rest. About a mile from there, we heard a loud sound and thought we might hit a rock. However, we were wrong. As we were turning into the rest area, we heard a loud banging sound again, and all I could do was get this car pulled over and stopped. Once we got stopped, and tire pulled off, we found that the bolt ,which is necessary for the brake to work, had been missing. Had I hit the brake with any more speed, I am sure the car would have turned over and we could have all been killed. The first thing we needed to do was get a new bolt, so my husband went to get a cup of coffee and to ask whether there would be an auto parts store. They told him where, and then he came back to find we had no way to get there. _ One of the coffee volunteers was getting off her shift and offered to take him to the auto parts store. So this angel took him to Ellensburg to get the part, only to find out that it was the wrong part. So she came back to see if everything fit and sure enough, she offered to take him to the hardware store in town to see if they could find this bolt! She spent well over 4 hours with us, driving us around to help fix our car and protect us until we were safe. She even followed us for a short time on the freeway until she knew we were well on our way safely. We were blessed that day, and when I told her she was an angel she just said we would do the same thing, and she was right, I would and I will again! Which of the following words can best describe the volunteer? A Kindhearted and patient. B Humorous and helpful. C Patient and humorous. D Helpful and funny. Answer: A. Kindhearted and patient. California experiences heavy earthquake activity due to A errostion B techtonics C volcanic activity D fire Answer: B. techtonics While sweet treats can be hard to resist, the World Health Organization(WHO) has set new guidelines for people around the world. The guidelines, released on Wednesday, advise that both adults and children cut back on their sugar intake to stay healthy. In a statement, Francesco Branca, director of the WHO's nutrition department, said there is evidence that reducing daily sugar intake reduces the risk of being overweight and tooth decay . The guidelines do not apply to the sugars in fresh fruit and vegetables or those that are naturally present in milk. According to the WHO, there is no reported evidence of negative effects of consuming those sugars. Instead, the new guidelines focus on "added" or "free" sugars. These include sugars that are added to processed foods and drinks such as candy and soft drinks. Added sugars are sometimes described as " hidden" sugars because they exist in foods we might not think of as sweets, such as honey and ketchup . Health experts advise that consumers look at ingredients on food packages to help make better-informed decisions. The WHO recommends that people in the United States, Europe and other Western societies should cut their average sugar intake by about two-thirds, or down to just 10% of their overall calories. For developing countries, where dental care is less advanced, the WHO recommends that sugar intake be reduced to 5%. Scientist Kieran Clarke, of the University of Oxford, notes that for those people who can't shake their love for sweets, getting more exercise is a good solution. "If you get enough exercise, you can eat almost anything," she said "But it's very hard to avoid large amounts of sugar unless all you're eating is fruit and vegetables." We can learn from the text that _ . A added sugar isn't marked on food packages B we should drink as little milk as possible as it contains sugar C soft drinks don't contain added sugar D the less exercise you do, the fewer sweet things you should eat Answer: D. the less exercise you do, the fewer sweet things you should eat James and Harry came to London and stayed in the same hotel. James came in in a great hurry one evening.A friend had offered him a ticket for a play. He saw a 1etter on the hall table."That will keep till I get back,"he thought,"no time to lose now."And he went off. Harry came in a minute after James.There was a letter for him,too,which he opened at once.It was from the secretary of a company,offering him a post in their office. He Was told to be there at 10 a.m.the next morning,as there were others who wanted the job. James got back from the play at midnight.He was sleepy."That letter can be opened in the morning,"he thought.The next morning when he woke up,he at once jumped out of bed,tore it open- _ .It was a similar letter to the one Harry had received the night before. But James' chance was gone .It was five to ten, and he could never be at the office in time. As soon as he woke up,James _ . A wondered where Harry had gone B was eager to know the time C knew he could never be at the office in time D remembered the letter from the company Answer: D. remembered the letter from the company
Timmy liked to play games and play sports but more than anything he liked to collect things. He collected bottle caps. He collected sea shells. He collected baseball cards. He has collected baseball cards the longest. He likes to collect the thing that he has collected the longest the most. He once thought about collecting stamps but never did. His most expensive collection was not his favorite collection. Timmy spent the most money on his bottle cap collection. Which item did Timmy like to collect the most? Answer: Women teachers are holding back boy students by blaming them for typically male behavior, according to a new study. Women teachers are always saying that boys are "silly" in class. They refuse to "sit nicely like girls" and are more likely to be addicted to "schoolboy tricks".Women teachers may also keep low expectations of boys' academic achievement and encourage girls to work harder by letting them think they are cleverer than boys. The study suggests that under-performance among boys in most national exams could be linked to lower expectations of their women teachers. The researchers did their research mainly on women teachers, since nearly 90 percent of primary school teachers are female. According to the research, women teachers said they often found boys' play in the classroom or in the playground, such as playing with toy guns. The researcher also found that boys were often punished and urged to follow a more feminine style of play instead of being taught how to play responsibly with their favorite toys by their women teachers. Bonny Hartley, the study's lead author, said, "By seven or eight years old, children of both boys and girls believe that boys are less focused, less able, and less successful than girls -- and think that adults admit this idea. There are signs that these expectations have the potential to become self-fulfilling in influencing children's achievement. Boys are really held back by their women teachers." The passage is probably taken from a _ . Answer: Older plants will most-likely have more leaves than when Answer: Royal palace and fortress for over 900 years , scene of mystery , murder and home to the Crown Jewels . KENSINGTON PALACE Birthplace of Queen Victoria , this royal retreat is home to magnificent State Apartments and the stunning Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection , which includes dresses worn by HM Queen Elizabeth II and Diana , Princess of Wales . HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES Hampton Court Palace is part of Historic Royal Palaces , a registered charity (N 1068852 ) that receives no public funding . We rely on the income from admission tickets to the palaces to pay for vital protection work, necessary for the preservation of these national monuments and collections for future generations . Please ask at the ticket office for more information or visit www.hrp.org.uk . VISITOR INFORMATION CARRIAGE RIDES Take a trip around Home Park in a horse-drawn carriage. Rides begin and end in Home Park at the entrance by the East Front Gardens. Available all day. 20 minute duration . PS10.00 per carriage . Subject to weather and ground conditions . ENQUIRIES For details of admission charges , group rates , the Friends of Hampton Court Palace and facilities for disabled visitors , call 0870 752 7777 or visit www. Hampton-court- palace.org.uk RESTAURANTS &SHOPS Choose from the Tiltyard Tea-rooms or the Privy Kitchen Coffee Shop. There are also a number of ice-cream kiosks open in the summer . The palace shops offer a wide range of gifts and souvenirs . AUDIO GUIDES Audio guides are included in the palace ticket and are available in English , French , German , Italian , Spanish and Japanese . How long will a carriage ride last, according to the passage? Answer: According to its label , a pint of Haagen-Dazs ice cream contains four servings . But when was the last time you measured out a fourth of a container of Cookies & Cream, then put the rest away for another day? For many people, the reality is that much of a pint can easily disappear in one sitting. A large package of Cool Ranch Doritos lists a single serving as roughly 12 chips, but it's hard to imagine keeping count of every last chip as you dig into a bag. Canned soup may be one of the more obvious examples. According to its label, a single serving of Campbell's Chunky Classic Chicken Noodle soup is one cup--just under half a can-- and contains about 790 milligrams of sodium . But in a national survey of 1,000 consumers, only 10 percent of people said they would eat a one-cup portion. Most, about 64 percent, said they would eat an entire can at one time, taking in 1,840 milligrams of sodium in a sitting. That is roughly 80 percent of the 2,300 milligrams recommended as the upper limit for daily salt intake. In the face of increasing criticism, the Food and Drug Administration (F.D.A.) has been under pressure for years to force food makers to include more realistic serving-size information on their labels. The agency regulates the serving sizes that can be listed on packages by providing food makers with detailed instructions to follow, which list the amounts of a specific food that a person would "customarily consume" in a typical sitting. But critics say these so-called reference amounts are often laughably small because they're based in part on surveys of eating behavior that were carried out in the 1970s, when Americans ate less food and portions had not been supersized. Now, in an effort to emphasize the problems with some labels, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a consumer advocacy group, has picked out what it says are some of the worst offenders. At the top of its list are labels for canned soups, ice cream, coffee creamers and nonstick cooking sprays--all of which grossly understate the calories, sodium and saturated fat the average person typically consumes when eating these foods. The F.D.A. has been in the process of revising existing food labels since 2005. But the agency has been somewhat tight-lipped about where it is in the process and any changes it plans to make, like whether labels should include details on added sugars or just total sugar, for example, and whether calories should be emphasized less or more than they are now. This fall, the Institute of Medicine is expected to release its own report on food packaging and labeling as well. What does the writer seem to think of the F.D.A's efforts? Answer:
Question: Baseball is one of the favorite sports in the USA. Children play baseball in sports fields or parks. At summer picnic, there is often an informal baseball game. Boys and girls, young and old take turns to bat. There are nine players on each team. The baseball season goes from April to September. During this time, baseball matches are showed on TV and members of the important baseball teams become America's heroes . At the end of the season, the two top teams play against each other. Many baseball fans go together to watch the game. Millions of others listen to the radio or watch the television. People seem to talk only about the game. Even long after it is over, they still talk about the result and the players. American football is perhaps the most popular sport in the USA. The football season begins when the baseball season ends. More people are interested in football than baseball. When there is an important game, thousands of people sit beside radios or in front of television sets to get the result. ,. American people play baseball in April, _ and September. A. May, June, July, August B. March, May, July, August C. January, June, October, November D. February, May, July, December Answer: A. May, June, July, August Question: As a young boy, I sometimes traveled the country roads with my dad. He was a rural mill carrier, and on Saturdays he would ask me to go with him. Driving through the countryside was always an adventure: There were animals to see, people to visit, and chocolate cookies if you knew where to stop, and Dad did. In the spring, Dad delivered boxes full of baby chickens, and when 1 was a boy it was such a fun to stick your finger 'through one of the holes of the boxes and let the baby birds peck on your fingers. On Dad' s final day of work, it took him well into the evening to complete his rounds because at least one member from each family was waiting at their mailbox to thank him for his friendship and his years of service. "Two hundred and nineteen mailboxes on my route." he used to say, "and a story at every one. " One lady had no mailbox, so Dad took the mail in to her every day because she was nearly blind. Once inside, he read her mail and helped her pay her bills. Mailboxes were sometimes used for things other than mail. One note left in a mailbox read. "Nat, take these eggs to Marian; she's baking a cake and doesn't have any eggs. " Mailboxes might be buried in the snow, or broken, or lying on the groom:. bat the mail was always delivered On cold days Dad might find one of his customers waiting for him with a cup of hot chocolate. A young wrote letters but had no stamps, so she left a few button on the envelope in the mailbox; Dad paid for the stamps. One businessman used to leave large amounts of cash in his mailbox for Dad to take to the bank. Once, the amount came to 8 32,000. A dozen years ago, when I traveled back to my hometown on the sad occasion of Dad's death, the mailboxes along the way reminded me of some of his stories. I thought I knew them all, but that wasn't the case. As I drove home, I noticed two lamp poles, one on each side of the street. When my dad was around, those poles supported wooden boxes about four feet off the ground. One box was painted green and the other was red, and each had a long narrow hole at the top with white lettering: SANTA CLAUS, NORTH POLE. For years children had dropped letters to Santa through those holes. I made a turn at the comer and drove past the post office and across the railroad tracks to our house. Mom and I were sitting at the kitchen table when I heard footsteps. There, at the door, stood Frank Townsend, Dad's postmaster and great friend for many years. So we all sat down at the table and began to tell stories. At one point Frank looked at me with tears in his eyes. " What are we going to do about the letters this Christmas?" he asked. "The letters?" 'I guess you never knew. " "Knew what?" " Remember, when you were a kid and you used to put your letters to Santa in those green and red boxes on Main Street? It was your dad who answered all those letters every year. " I just sat there with tears in my eyes. It wasn't hard for me to imagine Dad sitting at the old table in our basement reading those letters and answering each one. I have since spoken with several of the people who received Christmas letters during their childhood, and they told me how amazed they were that Santa had known so much about their homes and families. For me, just knowing that story about my father was the gift of a lifetime. The writer provides the detail about the businessman to show that _ . A. Dad had a strong sense of duty B. Dad was an honest and reliable man C. Dad had a strong sense of honor D. Dad was a kind and generous man Answer: B. Dad was an honest and reliable man Question: Television has taken the place of schools as the main educator in America. There are several reasons for this. First, there is the number of hours. While Americans spend about 13,000 hours in schools, they spend 15,000 to 16,000 hours in front of a TV set. Second is the age at which viewers start watching TV. People start watching and understanding TV at about the age of 3, which is several years before they start to do school work. Finally, there is the number of viewers. About 90,000,000 young people are attending school, but most of the Americans watch TV every day. It seems, then, that TV shows are taking the place of teachers and professors as the educators in America. Every day in America _ . A. teachers and professors watch TV B. 90,000,000 young people watch TV C. not only young people watch TV D. 15,000--16,000 people each hour watch TV Answer: C. not only young people watch TV Question: Consumer electronics once again topped the list of the most wanted gifts this holiday season. "Seventy-six percent of consumers who plan to buy holiday gifts say that they will spend money buying at least one technology product; definitely a solid vote of confidence for technology." Steve Koenig is with the Consumer Electronics Association. He says the group's latest research also shows that Americans this year are spending more on technology products. "Here in 2012, $252 on average-the technology spend for consumers this year." From tablet computers to smartphones, American shoppers have been lining up to get the newest and coolest electronic devices on the market. There are more choices today than ever before. "It's kind of hard to make a decision." Tablet computers are one of the best-selling products this year. Brian Tong is Senior Editor of CNET.com. The website reports on tech news and examines the latest electronic products. He says the Apple iPad Mini is one of the most popular tablets. Its starting price is $329. One of Apple's biggest competitors is the Google Nexus 7. It starts at $199. "The hardware inside is more powerful than what's in the iPad Mini, but also it offers you a lot of things like maps that work better than Apple's maps." Brian Tong says there is one reason why people may like the iPad Mini more than the Nexus 7. "If you just want to read books and surf the Internet, you don't really need to get an iPad Mini, but if you want the largest group of apps that's where the iPad and Apple's ecosystem shines the most." Elman Chacon is with the electronics store Best Buy. He says another hot product this season is smart cameras. They connect to the Internet through Wi-Fi. This makes it easy for users to email or upload photographs directly from the camera. "You can literally take a picture, upload it into your Facebook in a matter of seconds. These things are pretty cool because they do a lot of things." Streaming media boxes also connect to the Internet. People are able to watch web content such as movies and YouTube videos on their televisions. Another popular item is wireless speaker systems. The newest ones work with any device that has Bluetooth technology, including smartphones, laptops and tablets. With the growing popularity of Internet shopping, many consumers will visit a store first to look at a product, and then go online to find it at a lower price. Stores like Best Buy understand that and they want to stay competitive. "We have something called the perfect match promise which means if you buy a certain device and you find it cheaper within 30 days we'll go ahead and price match that for you." Elman Chacon said. If you've discovered that a certain device you bought at Best Buy is more expensive than one at another store, _ . A. you are sure to get double the amount you paid B. you can return the device and get your money back C. the store will return the price differences D. the store will lower the price within 30 days Answer: C. the store will return the price differences Question: studying a soil sample means studying the microorganisms in the A. dirt B. air C. lava D. water Answer: A. dirt
A funny thing happened on the way to the communication revolution: we stopped talking to one another. I was walking in the park with a friend recently, and his cell phone rang, interrupting our conversation. There we were, walking and talking on a beautiful sunny day and suddenly, I became invisible, absent from the conversation. The telephone used to connect you to the absent. Now it makes people sitting next to you feel absent. Why is it that the more connected we get, the more disconnected I feel? Every advance in communication technology is a tragedy to the closeness of human interaction. With email and instant messaging over the Internet, we can now communicate without seeing or talking to one another. With voice-mail, you can conduct entire conversations without ever reaching anyone. If my mom has a question, I just leave the answer on her machine. As almost every contact we can imagine between human beings gets automated, the emotional distance index goes up. You can't even call a person to get the phone number of another person any more. Directory assistance is almost always fully automated. I am not against modern technology. I own a cell phone, an ATM card, a voice-mail system, and an email account. Giving them up isn't wise. They're a great help to us. It's some of their possible consequences that make me feel uneasy. More and more, I find myself hiding behind email to do a job meant for conversations or being relieved with voice-mail picking up because I don't really have time to talk. The industry devoted to helping me keep in touch is making me lonelier. The writer feels that the use of modern communication is _ . Answer: embarrassing What is the difference between a college and a university? This is a good question for students who want to attend a college or a university in the United States. Colleges and universities have many things in common. Both provide a greater understanding of the world and its past. Both provide education in the arts and sciences. And both can help prepare young people to earn a living. Students who complete their undergraduate studies either at a four-year college or a university receive a bachelor's degree. One difference is that many colleges do not offer graduate studies. Universities are generally bigger, offer more programs and do more research. Modern universities developed from those of the Middle Ages in Europe. The word "university" comes from the Latin "universitas". This described a group of people organized for a common purpose. The word "college" comes from a Latin word with a similar meaning, "collegium". In England, colleges were formed to provide students with places to live in. Usually each group of students was studying the same thing. So college came to mean an area of study. But a college can also be a part of a university. The first American universities divided their studies into a number of areas and called each one a college. This is still true. Programs in higher learning may also be called schools. The University of Arizona in Tucson, for example, has 18 colleges and 10 schools. They include the colleges of pharmacy , education, engineering and law. They also include the schools of architecture, dance and public administration. College is also used as a general term for higher education. A news report might talk about "college students" even if they include students at universities. Or someone might ask, "Where do you go to college?" Today, most American colleges offer an area of study called liberal arts. These are subjects first developed and taught in ancient Greece. They include language, philosophy and mathematics. The purpose is to train a person's mind instead of teaching job skills. What can we learn from the passage? Answer: Both universities and colleges can help prepare students to make a living. First published in 2001, the book Life of Pi written by Canadian author Yann Martel won the Man Booker Prize and an Asian American Prize for Literature. It is the story of a young boy named Pi who spends 227 days at sea with a small group of animals after disaster strikes their ship and is an account of his journey of survival and hardship. Piscine "Pi" Molitor Patel, on whom Life of Pi is based, is a young boy living in Pondicherry, India, where his father owns a zoo. The story starts when Patel's family decide to move to Canada, along with their zoo animals for their new home. However, because of the bad weather, the ship sinks. Pi along with an orangutan , an injured zebra, a hyena and a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker are the only survivors who take shelter in a small lifeboat. Both the injured zebra and the orangutan are soon killed and eaten by the hyena. The tiger in turn kills and eats the hyena, leaving just the two of them alone on the boat now. In an effort to avoid being eaten by Richard Parker, Pi acts himself as the head of the group and remains safe from harm. Since he does not want the tiger to die for fear of going mad by being alone on the boat, he fishes and feeds the two of them in order to stay alive. The life of Pi then enters its third stage when their lifeboat washes up on the shores of Mexico and the tiger escapes into a nearby forest leaving Pi alone. After the Mexicans refuse to believe Pi's story, he changes his tale by replacing the animals with his mother, a cook and a sailor and asks the Mexicans which one they prefer. They prefer hearing the first story though they do not believe a word of it. In my view, Life of Pi is a must read book for all those who love reading. We can learn that the book Life of Pi _ . Answer: was awarded two prizes Galaxy saw a man and a woman who communicated with the sign language at the train station when she was on the way home one evening. She noticed that the woman asked the mon for the direction. He told her that he did not know. Galaxy decided to help them. She had learned the sign language when she served as a volunteer in the deaf and mute school. Then she showed the woman the direction and left her email address to them in case they needed her help later. She received an email from that man the next day. Kazrim was his name. Galaxy replied his mail sincerely. They both started chatting online soon after and began seeing each other. Although they only communicated with the sign language, it never bothered her. Galaxy was fond of him gradually. Obviously, Kazrim was the same too. He presented Galaxy with a bunch of sunflowers and asked her sincerely, "Are you willing to be my girlfriend?" Galaxy was pleasantly surprised. She requested him to give her some time to persuade her parents. As she had expected, her parents were very angry after they had learned of their love story. Galaxy explained, "Kazrim is an excellent and a very optimistic person. He has a very positive attitude towards life and work. He cares for others always. He is 100% better than the normal. Moreover, the mute is still a human. He should possess a perfect and wonderful love. " Her parents asked to see him, then. The very worried Galaxy took Kazrim home a few days later. When they were on the train, Kazrim told her, ''I'm going to tell your parents I'll be looking after you well with all my life!" Galaxy was deeply moved. As soon as they had entered the house, Galaxy introduced him to her parents. She said, ''This is Kazrim." Just right after her speech, an unbelievable thing happened. Kazrim threw the gift away and held her in his arms tightly. He said, "YOU CAN TALK?" It was the same question that Galaxy wanted to ask, too. The four people were shocked all of a sudden. As a matter of fact, Kazrim always believed that Galaxy was a mute and he still fell in love with her deeply. How did Galaxy and Kazrim get to know each other? Answer: They met each other by chance. Which types of objects are most easily seen by the human eye? Answer: objects that reflect most of the light that strikes them
Question: Dolphins live in a dark underwater world. It's often impossible to see each other or anything else around them, so sound plays an important role in their survival. To communicate with each other, dolphins produce all kinds of sounds. Only other dolphins understand what the sounds mean. Scientists haven't uncovered their secret communication, except for one kind of whistle. It might last less than a second, but this whistle is a big deal. Why? Because these whistles are actually names of dolphins - and every dolphin has one. Scientists call these sounds a "signature whistle." When other dolphins hear the whistle, they know which dolphin is calling. Dolphins often hunt by themselves but still need to stay connected to the group. Since they can't always see each other, dolphins use their signature whistles to check in with other dolphins hundreds of yards away. "In coastal areas, dolphins exchange whistles even when they're a third of a mile apart," says Greg Campbell, who studies animals. That means dolphins shout out to group members that might be nearly five football fields away. What's amazing is who names the baby dolphin. Not the mother. Not an auntie dolphin or another group member. Scientists believe the baby dolphin itself comes up with the signature whistle. Like human babies, a baby dolphin plays with sounds throughout its first year. While testing its sound skills, a baby dolphin is doing something amazing. It's creating or figuring out its signature whistle. How or why it chooses its signature whistle is not clear. Studies show that most of the time the signature whistle is nothing like its mother's or group members' whistles. When the baby dolphin is about a year old, its signature whistle is set. It repeats it often so the other dolphins learn to recognize it. Deciphering dolphin names is just the beginning of figuring out what dolphins communicate about. Do they chat about sharks? Discuss the tides? Maybe they even have a name for people. Someday scientists are to decipher the rest of dolphins' communication. A baby dolphin gets its name _ . A. soon after it was born B. according to its size C. all by itself D. with the help of its group Answer: C. all by itself Question: What will the weather be like in the future? Some people say they can know the weather from animals. If birds are flying high in the sky, there will be a nice day. When they sit in trees or stay close together, bad weather is on the way. Ants often build their homes on the steep side just before the rain comes. Cats like to clean their ears before the rain. Chickens make a loud noise and run here and there when the rain is coming. Frogs will stay in the water and make a lot of noise, too. But on a nice day, they are quiet and jump out of the water. Turtles often look for higher ground and cows like to lie down when the rain is on the way. How will the weather be if birds are flying high in the sky? A. Sunny. B. Windy. C. Rainy. D. Snowy. Answer: A. Sunny. Question: This was no ordinary class. The students who came together were all science or engineering professors at Cornell University. They had interrupted their research to accept an invitation to take part in an unusual experiment: "an interesting week of poetry." This class was part of a study to answer the questions: Why is science difficult for many nonscience students? What can teachers learn about teaching if they take a class that is not in their field? The students in the poetry class listened to lectures and took notes. They had reading tasks and had to write three short papers. All students noticed one thing - the importance of spoken words. In science and engineering classes, the instructors put tables and drawings on the blackboard. But in this poetry class, the instructors just talked. They didn't write anything on the board. The scientists and engineers noticed one similarity between science and poetry. In both subjects, students need to find layers of meaning . Some layers are simple, clean, and on the surface; other layers are deeper and more difficult. This search for different levels of meaning doesn't happen much in undergraduate science classes, but it is important later, in graduate school. And it is always important in humanities . Both the poetry instructors and their students learned something about teaching from this experience. One poetry instructor, for example, now sees the importance of using informative as he teaches. Most of the scientists agreed on several points. First, humanities classes might help science students to see patterns and decide which information is important. Second, the poetry class was fun. One engineer decided, "We need to change the way we teach engineering to make to make it an enjoyable experience for students." But perhaps the most important result of the experience was this; All of the professors began to think about how they teach and how they cam teach better. What do we know about this unusual class? A. The teachers did lots of writing on the board B. The teacher were invited to attend several lectures. C. The student were professors from a university D. The students were studying science and humanities. Answer: C. The student were professors from a university Question: It was the day after Halloween when my grandmother was admitted to the hospital with the worst headache she'd ever had. While posing in our costumes the night before, we knew something was wrong, just not how wrong. Grandma's house was the central gathering place of my family. Sunday lunches, birthday dinners, Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas -- all were our traditions, with her as hostess. While my parents were busy running their small business, there were many nights when Grandma fed me and put me to bed in her spare room, until they came to get me. I spent my summers at Grandma's and I went everywhere with her. I couldn't imagine a time when she wouldn't be around me. Then November 1, 1991 began her month-long stay in the hospital--she suffered from a rare infection called nocardia asteroides. After being born in the year of the Great Depression, living through World War II, raising three kids, and being widowed at the age of 48, Grandma never expected to live into her seventies. The infection in her brain seemed to confirm that she wasn't long for this world. But that's not the end of her story. A team of doctors successfully removed the abscess , and Grandma even made it into a local medical journal. Her doctor called her "the brain lady". Grandma celebrated her 85thbirthday in March this year. In the almost 23 years since her recovery, she's seen two of her four grandchildren get married and welcomed three great-grandsons. Although they damage something in her house, she loves it when my two boys come over. And while I know they make her day, seeing her love blossom for another generation makes my day too. Happy Grandparents' Day to my amazing grandmother! The author wrote this text _ . A. in honor of Grandma B. to promote Grandparents' Day C. to stress the importance of health D. in celebration of Grandma's recovery Answer: A. in honor of Grandma Question: You can find what on the crust of earth A. clouds B. stars C. air D. worms Answer: D. worms
When you were looking for a reliable,honest auto mechanic ,how did you find him?Before you went into that restaurant you recently tried,how did you know that it served great food?If you are like most people on the planet,you want to lower your risk of a big ugly surprise so you asked people you trust to refer to a business they trust. Marketers call this friendtofriend recognition of a business "wordofmouth" advertising. When you do a great job for your customer or a bad job,people are going to talk about your business. Unfortunately,because we humans seem to feel negative emotions more intensively than positive ones,we're more likely to tell more of our friends about bad experiences with a business than positive ones. Understand this:Customers believe their own experience. You can't make them believe that your company is wonderful when they felt they were treated badly. So,to get positive wordofmouth going for your business in this servicebased economy,you've got to do a really outstanding job for everyone,exactly. And when you do,you build a great reputation . That takes time. But it forms a close link with your customers in a way that no advertising and no promotional coupon ever could. The good news is that because there are so many different businesses chasing after your customers' money,people want to know whom they can trust. So people are going to be talking about you create a free sales force for your business---- an army of delighted customers who tell everyone that they know how good your company is to do business with. That's a great antidote to nonconfidence. What is the main topic of this passage? Answer: A good name will bring you money. Dear Zhou Lan, Thank you very much for your mail. I want to go to China. I know something about China from your e-mails. Your English is very good. But I don't know much Chinese. Now I'm learning it from my parents. They know much about China. They tell me many things about China. I'm happy to know you like your school and your family. You want to know my family and my school. I have a big family. My grandparents and my parents are all very fine. My father has a brother. He is my uncle, John. He and my aunt have their children. They're Bill, Linda, Mary and Lily. My brother Dick is a boy of eighteen. I like my family very much. I'll go to China next year with my mother. She is going to teach English in a middle school in Beijing. Yours, Annie How old is Dick? Answer: 18 Boom boom!( I'm here, come to me!) Krak krak!( Watch out, aleopard !) Hok hok hok!( Hey, crowned eagle!) Very good -- you've already mastered half the basic vocabulary of the Campbell's monkey, which lives in the forests of the Tai National Park in Ivory Coast. The adult males have six types of call, each with a specific meaning, but they can mix two or more calls together into a message with a different meaning. Having spent months recording the monkeys' calls in response to both natural and artificialstimuli , a group led by Klaus Zuberbuhler of the University of St. Andrews in Scotland argues that the Campbell's monkeys have a certain form ofsyntax . This is likely to be controversial because despite great effort to teachchimpanzees language, they showed little or no ability to combine the sounds they learned into a sentence with a larger meaning. Syntax, basic to the structure of language, uniquely belongs to humans. "Krak" is a call that warns of leopards in the neighborhood. The monkeys give it in response to real leopards and to leopard shouting broadcast by the researchers. The monkeys can vary the call by adding "-oo": "Krak-oo" seems to be a general word for hunter, but one given in a special context - when monkeys hear but don't see a hunter, or when they hear the alarm calls of another species. The "boom-boom" call invites other monkeys to come toward the male making the sound. Two booms can be combined with a series of "krak-oos", with a meaning entirely different to that of either of its single parts. "Boom boom krak-oo krak-oo krak-oo" is the monkey's version of "Timber!" - it warns of falling trees. If Zuberbuhler is correct, the Campbell's monkeys can both vary the meaning of specific calls by adding something and combine calls to make a different meaning. What is the passage mainly about? Answer: Calls of Campbell's monkeys. Look at the girl. She is eleven. Her name is Wang Fang. I am eleven, too. My name is Kate. Wang Fang and I are good friends. She is in Class 1, Grade 7. She is Number 8 in Row 5. I am in Class 1, Grade 7, too. I am Number 9 in Row 6. We are at school today. Wang Fang is Kate's _ . Answer: classmate Mirth Pham was born in Vietnam. He left his native country when he was 21 years old. Minh has been in America for almost two years. There is still much he does not understand about America. Once Minh was in a supermarket. He saw an old man and an old woman. They wanted a box of cereal .The box was on a high shelf. The man and the woman couldn't reach it. Minh saw a ladder. He got on the ladder and got the box. He handed it to the elderly couple. They thanked him. "Where are your children?" asked Minh. "Why don' t they help you buy food?" "Our children have their own lives," said the man and the woman. "We like to be independent." Mirth doesn't think this is right. In his country, .children help their parents. Minh gave the elderly couple his phone number. He told them to call him if they needed help. One night they asked Mirth to dinner, but they never asked him for help. One day, Minh was walking with a Vietnamese friend. The two were going to a movie. Minh wanted to go to a restaurant first. Minh took his friend's hand. He pulled him toward the restaurant. People on the street stared at Minh. In Vietnam, friends often hold hands. Minh found out that people in America are not used to holding hands. Minh Pham is going through a process known as re-socialization. Socialization is the process in which a person learns to live in a society. Everyone goes through this process. Minh went through it when he lived in Vietnam. But the Vietnamese way of life is much different from the American way of life. When Mirth came to America, he had to learn a new way of life. He had to learn how to live in a new society. Minh has learned a lot about American life in two years. He still has a lot to learn. The process of re-socialization can take many years. What the elderly couple said gave us an example that American people, young or old, try to be _ . Answer: independent
Making the announcement, Peter Englund, permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy, called Alice Munro a "master of the contemporary short story". "She has taken an art form, the short story, which has tended to live a little bit in the shadow of the novel, and she has cultivated it almost to perfection," he said. The 82-year-old, whose books include Dear Life and dance of the Happy Shades, is only the 13thwoman to win the Nobel Prize for literature since its start in 1901. "I knew I was in the running, yes, but I never thought I would win," Munro told Canadian media. Alice Munro: "I would really hope that this would make people see the short story as an important art form." Munro, who began writing in her teenage years, published her first story, The Dimensions of a Shadow, in 1950. Dance of the Happy Shades, published in 1968, was Munro's first collection, and it went on to win Canada's highest literary prize, the Governor General's Award. In 2009, she won the Man Booker International Prize for her entire body of work -- but she downplayed her achievements. "I think maybe I was successful in doing this because I didn't have any other talents," she once said in an interview. BBC Arts Editor Will Gompertz said Munro had been "at the very top of her game since she started". "Very few writers are her equal," he said, adding "She gets to the heart of what it is to be human". The award "probably won't make a commercial difference" to the author, he added, but it "makes a huge difference to how her work will be viewed in historical terms". "If she hadn't won it before she died, I think it would have been a terrible, terrible omission ." Often compared to Anton Chekhov, she is known for writing about the human spirit and a regular theme of her work is the dilemma faced by young girls growing up and coming to terms with living in a small town. Several of her stories have also been adapted for the screen, including The Bear Came over the Mountain. According to the text, Alice Munro _ . Answer: is very good at writing short stories James Joyce was an Irish novelist who revolutionized the methods of depicting characters and developing a plot in modern fiction. his astonishing way of constructing a novel, his frank portrayal(, )of human nature in his books, and his complete command of English have made him one of the outstanding influences on literature in the 20th century. Many critics judge that _ in his mastery of the English language. Joyce was deeply influenced by Ireland and wrote all his books about Dublin. When he was in Dublin College, he studied languages and spent his spare time reading books. He refused to take part in the nationalist movement like his fellow students, but he became passionately(, )interested in literature. He wrote outspoken articles of literary criticism that shocked his teachers and even taught himself norwegian so that he could read Ibsen's works in the original. When he graduated in 1902, he knew he would become a writer and an exile(, ), because he felt he could not be one without the other. In order to preserve his ideal of writing truthfully, fully, and as objectively as he knew how, about the people and places he knew best, he had to escape from all temptations to become involved in popular opinion or public life. He went to France, Italy and Switzerland, where he lived in poverty and obscurity for the first 20 years, only returning to Ireland when his mother was dying. Except for a couple of brief trips, he stayed abroad all his life. How many examples are used to show his passion in literature? Answer: 2. Silvia Garcia,a black woman.applied for a job at a small company.One question on the application form was"Who else lives at your home address?"Ms.Garcia did not answer this question.She left the space blank. The boss,Jeff Erler, was a very religious man.He had started the company himself and felt that his employees were like his family.Mr Erler interviewed Ms.Garcia personally,He noticed that she had marked"single" on her application and he was surprised that she was not married at her age.When he mentioned this to her, she just laughed and did not answer.He decided that she was a very nice woman.He also needed to hire members of minorities,so he hired her. Ms.Garcia did very well in the company.In a few months she got a rise and was happy with the additional money.However, seven months after Mr.Erler hired her, he overheard a conversation in the dining hall.Two other workers were talking about her and "the guy she's living with." Mr Erler called Ms.Garcia into his office that afternoon.He questioned her about her living situation and she admitted that she was living with her boyfriend.Mr Erler told her that he was very sorry, but he did not want immoral people to work in his company.At first,she could not believe that Mr.Erler was serious.She told him that he had no right to call her immoral because she was living with her boyfriend.She said that as long as she was a good worker, her personal life was her own business and that he could not make judgments about it.However, Mr.Erler fired Ms. Garcia. From the passage we know that Jeff Erler _ . Answer: wouldn't employ people he considered to be immoral The work of railroad pioneers in America became the basis for a great surge of railroad building halfway though the nineteenth century that linked the nation together as never before. Railroads eventually became the nation's number one transportation system, and remained so until the construction of the interstate highway system halfway through the twentieth century. They were of great importance stimulating economic expansion,but their influence reached beyond the economy and was strong in American society at large. By 1804, English as American inventors had experimented with steam engines for moving land vehicles. In 1820,John Stevens ran a locomotive and cars around in a circular track on his New Jersey estate,which the public saw as amusing toy. And in 1825, after opening a short length of track, the Stockton to Darlington Railroad in England became the first line to carry general traffic. American businesspeople, especially those in the Atlanic coastal region who looked for better communication with the West, quickly became interested in the English experiment. The first company in America to begin actual operations was the Baltimore and Ohio,wich opened a thirteen-mile length of track in 1830. It used a team of horses to pull a trainof passenger carriages and freight wagons along the track. Steam locomotive power didn't come into regular service until two years later. However, for the first decade or more, there was not yet a true railroad system. Even the longest of the lines was ly short in the 1830's, and most of them served simply to connect water routes to each other, not to link one railroad to another. Even when two lines did connect, the tracks often differed in width, so cars from one line couldn't fit onto tracks of the next line. Schedules were unreliable and wrecks were frequent. Significantly, however, some important developments during the 1830's and 1840's included the introduction of heavier iron rails, more flexible and powerful locomotives, and passenger cars were redesigned to become more stable, comfortable, and larger. By the end of 1830 only 23 miles of track had been laid in the country. But by 1936, more than 1,000 miles of track had been laid in eleven States, and within the decade, almost 3,000 miles had been constructed. By that early age, the United States had already surpassed Great Britain in railroad construction, and particularly from the mid-1860's, the late nineteenth century belonged to the railroads. The word "stimulating" in line 5 is closest in meaning to Answer: promoting Which is the source of a nonrenewable resource? Answer: oil deposits
What requires nutrients to grow? A metals B birds C dirt D computers Answer: B. birds Whether you're eating at a fancy restaurant or dining in someone's home. Proper table manners are likely to help you make a good impression. According to a US expert, Emily Post, "All rules of table manners are made to avoid ugliness." While Henry Hitchings of the Los Angeles Times admits that good manners can reduce social conflict, he points out that mostly their purpose is protective - they turn our natural warrior-like selves into more elegant ones. So where did table manners come from? In medieval England, a writer named Petrus Alfonsi took the lead to urge people not to speak with their mouths full. And King David I of Scotland also proposed that any of his people who learned to eat more neatly be given a tax deduction . Disappointingly, that idea never _ . It was during the Renaissance, when there were real technical developments, opinions of correct behavior changed for good. "None of these was more significant than the introduction of the table fork," wrote Hitchings. "Gradually, as forks became popular, they brought the new way of eating, making it possible, for instance, to consume berries without making one's fingers dirty." Forks were introduced to Britain in 1608 and 25 years later, the first table fork reached America. Yet while most of the essentials are the same on both sides of the Atlantic, there are a few clear differences between what's normal in the US and what holds true in the UK. For example, in the US, when food needs cutting with a knife, people generally cut a bite, then lay aside the knife and switch the fork to their right hand. Then they pick up one bite at a time. By contrast, Britons keep the fork in the left hand and don't lay the knife down. Though globalization has developed a new, simpler international standard of table manners, some people still stick with the American cut-and-switch method.The Los Angeles Times noted, "They are hanging on to a form of behavior that favors manners above efficiency." What can we conclude from the article? A British and American table manners are completely different from each other. B American people pay more attention to their table manners than British people do. C With globalization, the American cut-and-switch method has been abandoned in the US. D British people's way of using a knife and fork may be more efficient than American people's. Answer: D. British people's way of using a knife and fork may be more efficient than American people's. Saying "thank you" is probably the first thing most of us learn to do in a foreign language. After all, we're brought up to be kind and polite. So, what exactly are you supposed to say when "thank you" is only the 20thmost popular way to express gratitude ? According to a recent report, 19 other ways of expressing gratitude finished ahead of "thank you" in a poll of 3,000 people. Pollsters found almost half those asked preferred the more informal "cheers", while others liked to use such expressions as "ta", "great" and "nice one". So, just what is the right form of words to express your thanks? Luckily, the answer is in the language itself. "Cheers" is considered an informal way to say thank you. For example, when going for a drink with friends, a smile and a "cheers" by way of thanks is not only acceptable to the situation, it is also culturally _ . "Ta" was the second-most popular expression of thanks, and is also commonly used in informal situations, along with phrases such as "nice one", and "wonderful". Interestingly, one word that didn't make it into the top 20 was "thanks". But "thanks" can be useful, as it is able to bridge the divide between "thank you" and the downright relaxed "cheers". Certain words can double as an expression of thanks as well as delight. For example, words like "awesome", "brilliant" and "you star" can tell both your pleasure at someone's action, as well as serving to express your thanks. If you are on the receiving end of a "new" thank you, you can reply with a simple "no problem", or "sure". Of course, a simple wave, nod or smile may be all right. For example, if a car driver slows down to let you cross the road, simply raising your hand is enough to show that you are thankful for the driver's consideration. Sometimes, formality is necessary, and "thank you" is still the best choice in such situations. But students should not worry about when exactly to use certain expressions. Many people in western countries are worried that good manners are in decline . People are tired of seeing their acts of kindness and service pass without any feedback. So don't think that your "thank you" was useless or too formal. The chances are, if you said "thank you", you made someone's day. Which of the following can express gratitude as well as pleasure? A Sure. B No problem. C Ta. D You star. Answer: D. You star. If you are like most people ,your intelligence changes with the seasons ,You are probably a lot sharper in the spring than you are at any other time of year . A famous scientist ,Ellsworth Huntington (1876--1947),concluded from other men's work and his own among people in different climates that climate and temperature have an effect on your mental abilities . He found that cool weather is much more favorable for creative thinking than summer heat .This does not mean that all people are less intelligent in the summer than they are during the rest of the year. It does mean, however , that the mental abilities of large numbers of people tend to be lowest in the summer . Spring appears to be the best period of the year for thinking One reason may be that in the spring man's mental abilities are affected by the same factors that bring about great changes in nature . Fall is the next-best season ,then winter .As for summer ,it seems to be a good time to take a long vacation from thinking . Why is spring the best season for thinking ? Because _ . A all nature ,including man ,is growing then B it lasts longer than the other seasons C it is not too warm and not too cold D both B and C Answer: A. all nature ,including man ,is growing then A little boy invited his mother to attend his school's first teacher-parent meeting. To the little boy's dismay , his mother said she would go. This would be the first time that his classmates and teachers met his mother and he was _ by her appearance . There was a severe scar that covered nearly the whole right side of her face. The boy never wanted to talk about why or how she got the scar. At the meeting, the people were impressed by the kindness of his mother with the scar, but the little boy was still embarrassed and hid himself from everyone. However, he could hear clearly the conversation between his mother and the teacher. "How did you get the scar on your face?" the teacher asked. The mother replied, "When my son was a baby, he was in a room that caught on fire. Everyone was too afraid to go in because the fire was out of control, but I went in. As I was running towards his bed, I saw a burning wood falling down and I placed myself over him trying to protect him. I was knocked to be unconscious , but luckily, a fireman came in and saved both of us." She touched the burned side of her face. "This scar will be forever, but until today, I have never regretted doing what I did." When the little boy heard this, he couldn't help running towards his mother with tears in his eyes. He hugged her and felt his mother was greater than anyone. He held her hand tightly for the rest of the day. Which of the following is true? A The boy's mother was brave but foolish B The boy hated what his mother had done C We should love our parents whatever they are like D The people at the meeting didn't like the boy's mother Answer: C. We should love our parents whatever they are like
One of the tough things about being a high school student is that you never seem to get enough sleep at night, which often leaves you nodding off during classes. "The best amount of sleep to get is about seven and a half to eight hours," Peter Venn at Queen Victoria Hospital, UK, told The Telegraph. Spending either less than six or more than nine hours in sleeping puts your health at risk. A popular solution to a lack of sleep at night is to take a "power nap" during the day, but does this work? Generally speaking, it can be beneficial. Research shows that a nap in the middle of the day --even a brief one as short as five or 10 minutes ---can clear your mind and leave you with increased energy and improved productivity , according to Forbes. However, as refreshing as it might be, if you are getting adequate sleep at night, taking a power nap isn't such a wise choice. The reason is that sleeping during the day can interfere with your body's biorhythms . The brain gets used to going to bed at roughly the same time each night and getting up at the same time each day, and you don't want to disturb this routine. One more thing to keep in mind is that a power nap should never be used as a replacement for a good night's sleep. "Twenty minutes of power nap during the day is not like a tablet which will definitely work," Rahul Mukherjee, an Indian sleep specialist, told The Telegraph. "An hour's sleep before midnight is worth a couple of hours' sleep after midnight." Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the article? Answer: If you sleep well at night, it is unnecessary to take a power nap in the daytime. Hello! I'm Tom Green. I'm English. This is my mother. Her first name is Mary. This is my father. His first name is Steve. My phone number is seven six zero, nine one seven six. Li Lei is my friend. His English name is Paul. He is Chinese. His phone number is two eight one, five two four eight. Look at the photo. Who is that in the photo? It' s my cousin. His name is Eric. He is a middle school student. What' s Tom's last name? Answer: Green. When the Farnsworth family moved to their new farm in 1919, eleven-year-old Philo was surprised to find it wired for electricity. This unusual circumstance contributed to his fate -- to become an important inventor of the twentieth century. By thirteen, Farnsworth had become a self-taught electrical engineer. He was able to fix the farm's generator when none of the adults could. In 1922, he read an article about a new idea of John Baird, a Scottish scientist, who had been working with the cathode ray tube for the transmission of electronic pictures and wanted to attempt it himself. Farnsworth studied everything he could find on the subject. Although many older engineers with money backers were already developing television, Farnsworth made a bold decision -- he was going to perfect a working model of it before anybody else. In college, Farnsworth continued his research with cathode ray and vacuum tubes, but the death of his father, the only money maker in the family, forced him to give up this research and find a job. His first job was for George Everson, with whom Farnsworth discussed his dream of television. While acknowledging the achievements of those who came before, Farnsworth thought that he could get closer. Everson agreed to risk $6,000 for the research. Backers came in 1927 to see the first American television, one year after Baird's. They were astonished to see the image of a single white line resolve itself on the screen before them, and agreed that this new invention was worth putting money into. In 1930, Farnsworth won a patent for his all-electronic TV. By the time he died, he had earned over 300 American and foreign patents for electronic and mechanical devices. How old was Philo Farnsworth when he invented the first American television? Answer: 19. Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you. Well, ni-hao. (Laughter) It is such a pleasure and an honor to be here with all of you at this great university, so thank you so much for having me. I'm here today because I know that our future depends on connections like these among young people like you across the world. That's why when my husband and I travel abroad, we don't just visit palaces and parliaments and meet with heads of countries. We also come to schools like this one to meet with students like you, because we believe that relationships between countries aren't just about relationships between governments or leaders -- they're about relationships between people, particularly young people. So we view study abroad programs not just as an educational chance for students, but also as an active part of America's foreign policy . Through the wonders of modern technology, our world is more connected than ever before. Ideas can cross oceans with the click of a mouse. Companies can do business and _ with companies across the world. And we can text, email, Skype with people in the world. So studying abroad isn't just a fun way to spend a time of learning; it is quickly becoming the key to success in our times. Because getting ahead in today's workplaces isn't just about getting good grades or test scores in school, which are important. It's also about having real experience with the world beyond your borders -- experience with languages, cultures and societies very different from your own. Or, as the Chinese saying goes: "It is better to travel ten thousand miles than to read ten thousand books." In the speaker's opinion, what is the key to success in our times? Answer: Studying abroad. Some of the best-known names in the entertainment industry have taken part in an unprecedented _ to help victims of the terrorist attacks in the United States. The benefit , called "America: a Tribute to Heroes," was sponsored by all four major U.S television networks, ABC,CBS, FOIX and NBC. It was broadcast by three-dozen television, cable and radio networks across the country and aired live to more than a hundred countries around the world. Hollywood stars joined music entertainers in asking listeners and viewers to pledge cash donations to charities helping the victims of the September 11thattacks. Actors, including Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, tom Cruise and Clint Eastwood, told stories of heroic acts by people who tried to save others from the burning World trade Center and the Pentagon. Former heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali made a rare public appearance in show of support. The appeals alternated with performances by such popular entertainers a Bruce Springsteen, Mariah Carey, Steve Wonder, Paul Simon and the rock band U--2. They appeared on stages in New York, Los Angeles and London, decorated with hundreds of burning candles. Singer Billy Joel sang " New York State of Mind" with a New York City firefighter's hat on his piano. Sting dedicated his song " Gragile" to a friend who died in the World Trade Center. Stevie Wonder condemned hatred in the name of religion before singing his song " Love's in Need of Love today". Pledge phones were manned by dozens of other celebrities, including Jack Nicholson, Meg Ryan, Whoopic Goldberg, Cindy Crawford, Al Pacino and Sylvester Stallone. Organizers say the two-hour telethon raised millions of dollars. All participants, from stars to stagehands, worked without pay. Those who appeared on stages were _ . Answer: some famous singer, film stars and other music entertainers
There are many festivals in Argentina during the year. Therefore, you can enjoy the different interesting festivals when traveling there. First of all, we should talk about the Tango Festival in Argentina, which is held in the capital of this country -- Buenos Aires, from February to March. You ought to know that Argentina is the home of tango, so Argentineans admire this dance very much. Even if you cannot dance perfectly, you should join the people and try to perform this dance. The next festival in Argentina is Open Polo Tournament. You should go to Palermo to see this festival in Argentina. This festival is held every year and is the most important polo tournament in Argentina. This kind of sport is considered the most important in Argentina. Attending this festival in Argentina, you will be able to communicate with different people, admire the fascinating competition between the teams of different countries, such as Argentina, England, Australia, as well as the US. This festival in Argentina is usually held between November and December every year. So don't miss the opportunity if you travel to Argentina at this time. The other festival in Argentina is the Semana Musical Llao Llao. This is a festival of classical music. The festival was created in 1993 and is held at the Llao Llao Hotel, near Bariloche. The festival is held yearly in October. So if you admire this kind of music, you should travel to Argentina in October. There are also many carnivals in October. There are also many carnivals in Argentina in summer. Of course, it's impossible to put everything about festivals in Argentina into just one article. We hope that you have found this article interesting and eye-catching. What would be the best title for the passage? Festivals in Argentina Waxy leaves are used by some plants for what? Keeping hyrdrogen dioxide In 1826, a Frenchman named Niepce needed pictures for his business. But he was not a good artist. So he invented a very simple camera. He put it in a window of his house and took a picture of his garden. That was the first photo. The next important date in the history of photography was in 1837.That year, Daguerre, another Frenchman, took a picture of his reading-room. He used a new kind of camera in a different way. In his picture you could see everything very clearly, even the smallest thing. The kind of photo was called a Daguerreotype. Soon, other people began to use Daguerre's way. Travellers brought back wonderful photos from all round the world. People took pictures of famous buildings, cities and mountains. In about 1840, photography was developed . Then photographers could take pictures of people and moving things. That was not simple. The photographers had to carry a lot of film and other machines. But this did not stop them, for example, some in the United States worked so hard.Mathew Brady was a famous American photographer. He took many pictures of great people. The pictures were unusual because they were very lifelike . Photographers also became one kind of art by the end of the 19th century. Some photos were not just taken of the real world, they showed ideas and feelings, like other kinds of art. The first photo taken by Niepce was a picture of _ . his garden When people in the U. S. have company or when they're invited to (formal or informal) get-togethers, they usually make a point of trying to make others feel comfortable and relaxed. On the whole, they tend to be informal. Men shake hands, but usually only when they're introduced. Male friends and business associated who haven' t seen each other in a while may shake hands when they say hello. Women usually don't shake hands when being introduced to each other. When a woman and man are introduced, shaking hands is up to the woman. Americans rarely shake hands to say goodbye, except on business occasions. American women are used to being independent. They are used to going to places by themselves, making their own money, and often living alone. Sometimes they will ask men for help, but they usually don" t want to be protected. Since the women's movement started, it's not always clear whether women expect men to open doors or help them into their coats. American women may start conversations with men or even ask them to dance. There are a lot of Americans who don't smoke or drink, and many who don't want people to do those things in their houses. It" s always best to ask for permission before you bring alcohol to a dinner or before you light up a cigarette, if you are with people you don't know very well. Non-smokers have become more militant about smoking in public places. Many restaurants, for example, have set up special areas for smokers. Houseguests may bring gifts when they come to visit, and they often offer to help in some way. As a guest, you may want to ask your host or hostess if there's anything you can do to help in the kitchen. In many cases, _ . Which one is not right? None of Americans want people to smoke or drink in their houses. The American economic system is organized around a basically private-enterprise, market-oriented economy in which consumers largely determine what shall be produced by spending their money in the marketplace for those goods and services that they want most. Private businessmen, striving to make profits, produce these goods and services in competition with other businessmen; and the profit motive, operating under competitive pressures, largely determines how these goods and services are produced. Thus, in the American economic system it is the demand of individual consumers, coupled with the desire of businessmen to maximize profits and the desire of individuals to maximize their incomes, that together determine what shall be produced and how resources are used to produce it. An important factor in a market-oriented economy is the mechanism by which consumer demands can be expressed and responded to by producers. In the American economy, this mechanism is provided by a price system, a process in which prices rise and fall in response to demands of consumers and supplies offered by seller-producers. If the product is in short supply to the demand, the price will be bid up and some consumers will be eliminated from the market. If, on the other hand, producing more of a commodity results in reducing its cost, this will tend to increase the supply offered by seller-producers, which in turn will lower the price and permit more consumers to buy the product. Thus, price is the regulating mechanism in the America economic system. The important factor in a private-enterprise economy is that individual are allowed to own productive resources (private property), and they are permitted to hire labor, gain control over natural resources, and produce goods and services for sale at a profit. In the American economy, the concept of private property embraces not only the ownership of productive resources but also certain rights, including the right to determine the price of a product or to make a free contract with another private individual. According to the passage, a private-enterprise economy is characterized by _ . private property and rights concerned.
At night, the Moon is the brightest object in the sky. Where does the Moon's light come from? A. The Moon reflects light from Earth. B. The Moon reflects light from the Sun. C. The Moon makes light beneath its surface. D. The Moon has rocks on its surface that glow. Answer: B (Some classmates are talking about their weekend.) Linda: I stayed at home and studied over the weekend. I studied for my English test on Saturday. Yesterday I wrote a geography paper. In the evening I talked to my pen pal on the phone. What did you do? Tim: I had a good time. On Saturday morning I played tennis, in the afternoon I went to the beach, and in the evening I went to Nancy's birthday party. On Sunday I went to the mountains with my friends. Mary: Oh, your weekend was great. But mine was boring. I stayed at home the whole weekend. I cleaned my room and washed my clothes. I even watered the flowers. And only in the evening I watched TV for a short time. Did you go out, Dave? Dave: No, I didn't. I stayed at home and watched TV on Saturday. Yesterday I watched a movie on TV, Fearless. It was very exciting. Who stayed at home and did some housework? A. Linda. B. Tim. C. Mary. D. Dave. Answer: C Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do; once or twice she had looked into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, "and what is the use of the book," thought Alice, "without pictures and conversations?" So she was considering in her own mind whether the pleasure of making a daisy-chain would be worth the trouble of getting up and picking the daisies, when suddenly a white rabbit with pink eyes ran close by her. There was nothing so very remarkable in that; but when the rabbit actually took a watch out of its waistcoat-pocket, and looked at it, and then hurried on, Alice started to her feet, for it flashed across her mind that she had never before seen a rabbit with either a waistcoat-pocket, or a watch to take out of it, and burning with curiosity, she ran across the field after it, and fortunately was just in time to see it pop down a large rabbit- hole under the bush. The rabbit-hole went straight on like a tunnel for some way, and then dipped suddenly down, so suddenly that Alice had not a moment to think about stopping herself before she found herself falling down a very deep well. Down, down, down. Would the fall never come to an end? "I wonder how many miles I've fallen by this time?" she said aloud. "I must be getting somewhere near the centre of the earth. Let me see: that would be four thousand miles down, I think. I wonder if I shall fall right through the earth! How funny it'll seem to come out among the people that walk with their heads downward! The Antipathies, I think--but I shall have to ask them what the name of the country is, you know. 'Please, Ma'am, is this New Zealand or Australia?' And what an ignorant little girl she'll think me for asking! No, it'll never do to ask." Down, down, down. There was nothing else to do, when suddenly, thump! thump! Down she came upon a heap of sticks and dry leaves, and the fall was over. Which of the following is true? A. Alice suddenly saw a white rabbit with a strange umbrella. B. Alice managed to fall right through the earth. C. Alice ran after the white rabbit across the field out of curiosity. D. The people on the opposite side of the earth walk with their heads downward. Answer: C In the past,when people had problems,they went to their families or friends to get advice.Today it is possible to get advice from radio shows.TV programs or telephone hot lines,too.A hot line is a telephone line that offers a direct way of getting in touch with advicers.Most hot lines are completely anonymous --callers do not have to say their names or telephone numbers.Most hot lines are usually free,too.Callers do not have to pay for their advice or the phone calls--even if the calls are long distance.At some hot lines,the advicers are volunteers.Other hot lines pay their advicers for their work.Usually the advicers are full-job people with years of education and experience,but sometimes the advicers have only taken a short class before starting to work on the hot line.All the advicers listen to the people and help them solve their problems. A hot line is a telephone line _ . A. that is hot B. through which people get advice C. whose number no one knows D. through which callers take a short class Answer: B The Verizon Innovative App Challenge gives kids a chance to create apps that can solve problems in their community. Do you want to make a difference in your community? The Verizon Innovative App Challenge can get you started. The first step is to think of a problem in your community. The next step is to create an app that can solve the problem. Groups of five to seven students in middle school or high school, led by a teacher, can enter the contest. First, teams compete on a local level. Teams that make it to the next round receive $5,000 for their schools. Finalists present their app ideas to judges in a live webinar . Next, the judges pick national winners. The top eight teams receive an additional $15,000 for their schools, and each team member receives a Samsung tablet. Plus, the winning teams get the chance to bring their app to life. A group of six girls from Los Fresnos, Texas, won the second annual Verizon Innovative App Challenge. They came up with the Hello Navi app concept, short for "hello navigation". The app was designed to help visuallyimpaired students navigate their school by using an internal compass and voiceover technology. Read more about the team in September 19, 2016 issue of TIME For Kids: Edition 3-4. Do you have an app idea that could help solve a local issue? The deadline to register is November 24, 2016. Find more information and register your team at www. verizonfoundation. org/appchallenge. Here are some tips from the Verizon Foundation to get you started: Get your team together for a brainstorming meeting. Write out all the ideas that come to mind. Don't ignore challenges. Think of the problems that exist in your community. *Ask family, friends, and people in your community to share their thoughts about problems that they want to see solved. What's the purpose of the passage? A. To tell readers how to solve a local issue. B. To invite kids to join in the Verizon Innovative App Challenge. C. To offer readers information about a talent show. D. To appeal to adults to make contributions to society. Answer: B
There is not enough oil in the world now. As time goes by, it becomes less and less, so what are we going to do when it runs out? Perhaps we will go back to using horses, carriages and bicycles. In the Second World War, some people didn't use gas made from petroleum in their cars. They made gas from wood and plants instead. The car didn't go fast, but they ran, so this was better than nothing. However, in the future, we can't cut down all our trees to make gas; we need our trees for other things, too. Besides different types of gas, we can also use electricity to run our cars, but first we must make the electricity! Some countries have coal and they make electricity with that, but we might not always have coal, either. Other countries have big, strong rivers, and they can use the power of water to turn turbines and make electricity more easily and cheaply. We are also able to get power from the ocean tides. We put turbines into the mouth of the river. Then the tide comes in, the water turns the turbines and then it goes out, it turns them again. Which of these ways will be used to run our cars in the future? According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE? A. There is more petroleum than we can use now. B. Trees are needed for some other things besides making gas. C. We got electricity from ocean tides in the old days. D. Gas wasn't used to run cars in the Second World War. Answer: B My school stood in a big square playground in southeastern South Dakota. One teacher taught all grades, first through eighth. Most grades had only two or three students. Our school day started with the flag pledge . Then the teacher called one grade at a time to the recitation bench beside her desk. She'd check our work, explain the new lesson, and dismiss us to go back to our own desks and do our new work, all in less than ten minutes per grade. At noon we ate lunches we had brought. Our lunches consisted of homemade sandwiches and if we were lucky, dessert. My favorite dessert was a fresh pear, and a piece of Mom's delicious sour cream chocolate cake. The annual Christmas program was the most exciting part of the year. We hurried through our lessons during December to allow time to practise poems, songs, and plays. A few days before the performance, the school board members borrowed equipment from the town and set up a stage across one side of the classroom. We hung bed sheets for curtains. On the evening of the performance, petrol lanterns hanging along the walls cast a warm, though not very bright, light over the gathering crowd. We could hardly contain our excitement as we looked from behind the curtains to wave at our parents. On a spring Sunday in a new term, just before the last day of the school term, everyone in the neighborhood gathered for a picnic. Our moms set fried chicken, bowls of salads, and desserts on the teacher's desk and the library table. After the dinner, we played games. One of the school board members brought big buckets of ice cream in the afternoon to top off the picnic. How we looked forward to that treat! I was just nineteen years old when I started my first teaching position in a country school with thirteen students. I felt excited, nervous and happy as I prepared my lunch bucket the first morning of the term. I can't remember what kind of sandwiches I packed, but I do remember I put in a fresh pear and a piece of chocolate cake for dessert! It can be concluded from the text that the author _ . A. was fond of cooking B. was very independent C. earned little from her job D. was happy though life was hard sometimes Answer: D Teenagers who drink alcohol are at higher risk of becoming victims of violence, a Cardiff University study has found. A team from the School of Dentistry's Violence Research Group studied drinking habits in children aged 11 - 16 in England. They found not only a link between drink and violence but also that children who drank were more likely to be hit, even if they weren't violent themselves. The researchers are now calling for measures to prevent alcohol misuse to reduce injury risk. Current policy focuses on reducing aggression but this research shows that there should be equal effort to reduce victimization. More than 4,000 children were surveyed at 13 schools at four local authorities in the North, the Midlands, London, and the South. The study found that 25% of 11-year-olds were drinking monthly and 3.6% daily, with 12.8% admitting to getting drunk 3 to 5 times a year. By the age of 16, 40% were drinking weekly and 6.2% were drinking every day. The research also showed 22.6% of 16-year-olds were getting drunk more than 21 times a year. The study, which has just been published in the Journal of Adolescence, found a strong link between frequency of drinking and frequency of hitting other people. However, children who reported drinking monthly were also three times more likely to be hit. Adolescents who drank but didn't get into fights were more likely to be hit than those who did fight. Professor Jonathan Shepherd, who led the research, said a lot of previous alcohol-related violence work had focused on the offenders rather than the victims. His team is calling for more prevention work from parents and teachers in the first two years of secondary school by taking advantage of the "teachable moment", that is, immediately after a student has missed school because of drunkenness. Previous work by Professor Jonathan Shepherd has shown drinkers may be more at risk of violence because of reduced physical co-ordination, poor decision-making in threatening situations and isolation while out late at night. He said, "This new study seems to be the first to show a direct link between alcohol misuse and victimization. There now needs to be much more effort put into reducing alcohol misuse in order to reduce injury." The research argues that more effort should be made to _ . A. reduce aggression B. prevent fighting C. reduce victimization D. prevent drinking alcohol Answer: C Now people in England, the US and many other countries celebrate Mother's Day. Mother's Day is on the second* Sunday of May. On this day, children give flowers, cards, chocolate and other things to their mothers, but they don't give money to them. And they also make presents for their mothers. And some of them get up early to cook breakfast for their mothers. They also help their mothers do housework. They want to show their love to their mothers. They know if they have no mothers; they can't live a happy life. Many people in China celebrate this festival for their mothers because they want to show* their love to their mothers too. In every Chinese family, the mother looks after* the children, does the housework and cooks meals for the family, so she is quite _ and she is always busy in the family. Now more and more people celebrate Mother' Day in China.[:Zxxk.Com] On Mother's Day, children don't _ . A. make presents B. cook breakfast C. get up late D. do housework Answer: C "Enough" with the multivitamins already. That's the message from experts behind three new studies that tackled an often debated question: Do daily multivitaminsmake you healthier? "We believe that the case is closed - supplementing the diet of well-nourished adults with (most) mineral or vitamin supplements has no clear benefit and might even be harmful," concluded the authors of the editorial summarizing the new research papers. They urge consumers to not 'waste' their money on multivitamins. "The 'stop wasting your money' means that perhaps you're spending money on things that won't protect you long term," editorial co-author, Dr. Edgar Miller said, "What will protect you is if you spend the money on fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, low fat dairy, and things like that. Exercising would probably be a better use of the money." The strong message was based on a review of the findings from three studies that tracked multivitamins link to cancer protection, heart health, and brain and cognitive measures. The first study looked at vitamin supplementation's role in preventing chronic disease. The next study looked at whether long-term use of multivitamins would have any effect on slowing cognitive decline. The third study looked specifically at multivitamins and minerals role in preventing heart attack. "The three studies found no difference in rates of chronic disease, heart attack and the need for hospitalization between vitamin-takers and placebo -takers." Dr. Edgar Miller stated. One expert agreed some nutrient-deficient people may still benefit from multivitamins. "There might be an argument to continue taking a multi(vitamin) to replace or supplement your not healthy diet," Dr. Edgar Miller added. He also notes that vitamins can benefit people with celiac disease and those who are pregnant. What can be inferred from the text? A. Vitamin supplements have proved harmful to the health of adults. B. Vitamin supplements are beneficial in certain conditions. C. Nowadays taking vitamin supplements is common to most people. D. Daily multivitamins will make you healthier. Answer: B
What's life like on a deserted island? Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona decided to find out. The adventurous senator took a vacation from Capitol Hill and went on a four-day Robinson Crusoe style holiday with his two teenage sons to a remote, uninhabited island in the North Pacific Ocean. The senator and his sons, 15-year-old Tanner and 13-year-old Dallin, traveled 5,200 miles from Phoenix, Arizona to the island of Biggarenn. They didn't carry any food or water. The island is part of the Marshall Islands. It offered no basic facilities, so the Flakes had to catch and cook their own food and purify their water. Their diet was made up of coconuts, crab and fish. They captured the crab and fish themselves and cooked the food over an open fire started with a magnifying glass . The Flakes brought along a lobster trap in hopes of having some delicious treats, but lost it within the first few hours after it was attacked by a shark. They also carried two pumps to remove salt from ocean water. It took them hours each night pumping for just a few gallons of fresh water. One of the most memorable moments of the trip, the father said, was when he and his 15-year-old son were chased by sharks after spearing a fish in the ocean. Still, it was quite an enjoyable holiday for the senator. "For a dad it was a wonderful thing. No video games around, no television, no distractions, no texting," Flake recalled. Where did the Flakes take their holiday? On an island. an animal that moves quickly through the water is a swordfish A boy named Eduardo in a far away place is thinking about a girl he loves. He is cold. It is snowing where he lives. He lives in Argentina. It's warm where she lives in Hawaii. She eats fresh fruit. Her shower is outdoors under the warm sun as red birds fly around her. It is nice, but she misses him. She remembers he is very pretty. She wondered if he would really love her always, because she is older. He didn't care. Eduardo was poor, so he could not visit her. Maybe a time machine would help!! She can give back her birthdays! But she didn't want to bring back any dinosaurs back by accident. Like last time. Then an angel flew down from a star called the Pleiades to help her. His name was Eh. He said, "close your eyes! Then remember the most happy you have ever felt! Let go of any thing that feels like clouds. Imagine puppies hugging you, and kitties purring with you. Imagine you are eating chocolate ice cream! As long as you remember how to be happy you can ALWAYS be as young as Eduardo! And you can think of GREAT ways you can see him again!" It worked! She had an idea. Someone in a place called MR was buying stories that people wrote. She wrote one about her & Eduardo! It paid for her airplane ride. Wow. Then they were together again. Hugging each other in happiness, they said, "Thank you everyone, for helping us!" Where is it snowing? Argentina A group of soldiers were stationed in the country near the home of a big landowner, called Lord Hunt. As they wanted to stay on good terms with the landowner, they offered to blow up a large tree _ that had remained after part of a tree had been blown down in the storm. But Lord Hunt asked them not to damage the plantation of young trees that was next to the stump. The officer in charge of the engineers promised him that they would be careful. Lord Hunt was so pleased that he asked the whole group to lunch on the day of the explosion. The day came and just before lunch, the officer checked with one of his men to see if they had put enough explosive in the stump. "I checked the maths," said the soldier "and it comes to 32 kilos." "Are you sure?" asked the officer. "Perhaps you'd better put in a bit more just to make sure." The lunch continued and everyone ate a lot and drank a lot. A little later, the group of soldiers went outside with Lord Hunt to see the explosion. "You just see, Lord Hunt, that tree will fall in exactly the right place without hurting any of your young trees," said the officer. The soldier lit the fuse, then walked quickly away to take cover. After a minute the tree, instead of falling over on its side, rose with the explosion 20 metres into the air, taking with it a huge quantity of earth together with all the young plantation. "Sorry sir, I made a mistake!" said the soldier. "It should have been 3.2 kilos, not 32 kilos." Lord Hunt was so upset that he turned around and walked back to his house. He looked at the house in horror and saw that every single window had been broken by the explosion. He was so upset that he went to the toilet on the ground floor to get over his feelings of shock. When he had finished, he pulled the plug of the toilet and the whole ceiling, which had been weakened by the explosion, fell on his head. When Lord Hunt saw the results of the explosion, _ . he was shocked and upset Which of the following processes is responsible for changing liquid water into water vapor? evaporation
As the capital of China's Shaanxi Province, Xi'an's long history was properly summed up by our English-speaking guide: "If Xi'an is the grandmother of cities, Beijing is a youth and Shanghai is just a baby in the womb. " However, it was not until 1974, following the chance discovery of the Army of Terracotta Warriors by well-digging farmers, that Xi'an was once again pushed onto the international map. Three decades later, the local government is pouring funds into the tourism sector. Ancient monuments and museums are being restored, and various copies of Buddhist and Tang heritage are being constructed to help Chinese tourists rediscover their national heritage. One of those ancient monuments is the Big Wild Goose Pagoda-Xi'an's most sacred monument-which was built in 652 by the monk Xuanzang ,who travelled across India for 18 years and returned with a precious collection of Buddhist sacred texts. In 1966,the Red Guards burnt the pagoda's scriptures, silk wall hangings and other relics in a bonfire that raged all night. But that destruction has largely been forgotten as tourists flock to the newly restored pagoda. The only original remainders-the empty shell of the seven-storey pagoda-light up at night, standing out in the city's skyline. Xi'an is also displaying the glories of the ancient Tang Dynasty, with a 165-acre Tang Paradise Theme Park that is visited by flocks of tourist groups. Although every bit of this Tang heritage is recreated, it is artistically pleasing, landscaped with ponds and lakes, classical gardens, bridges, palaces and pavilions. Explore the vast area on a golf cart, hopping on and off to see shortened operas from the Tang Dynasty days, laser shows on the lake, highly structured man-made waterfalls, as well as murals and statues of historical figures ,philosophers and poets. A 36km drive northeast takes you to Xi'an's most famous attraction, the Army of Terracotta Warriors. They were made to order in 221BC by the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huangdi, who used the forced labour of 700,000 subjects to create a mausoleum guarded by an entire army. How many historical sites in Xi'an have been referred to in the passage? A. Three. B. Four. C. One. D. Six. Answer: A Yorkshire, England was the setting for two great novels of the 19th century. One of them is Jane Eyre written by Charlotte Bronte. The Bronte family had three girls and a boy. Charlotte was born in 1816, Emily was born in 1818 and Anne in 1820. Their brother Branwell was born in 1817. The children wrote and told stories and walked over the hills. They grew up largely self-educated. Branwell showed a great interest in drawing. The girls took positions as teachers or taught children in their homes. The girls were determined to earn money for Branwell's art education. As children, the girls had all written many stories. Charlotte alone wrote 22 books, each with 60 to 100 pages of small handwriting. Therefore, they turned to writing for income. By 1847, Charlotte had written The Professor; Emily, Wuthering Heights; and Anne, Agnes Grey. After much difficulty, Anne and Emily found a publisher , but there was no interest shown in Charlotte's book. ( It was not published until 1859. ) However, one publisher expressed an interest in seeing more of her work. Jane Eyre was already started, and she hurriedly finished it. It was accepted at once; thus each of the sisters had a book published in 1847. Jane Eyre was immediately successful; _ , however, did not do so well. Emily lived only a short while after the publication of her book, and Anne died in 1849. Charlotte published Shirley in 1849, and Villette in 1853. In 1854 she married Arthur Bell Nicholls. But only a year later, she died of tuberculosis as her sisters had. We know from the text that A. Jane Eyre was published in 1847 B. Charlotte Bronte wrote 22 books in all C. the Bronte sisters received good education D. the father helped his daughters with their writing Answer: A The evidence for harmony may not be obvious in some families. But it seems that four out of five young people now get on well with their parents, which is the opposite of the popularly-held image of unhappy teenagers locked in their room after endless family quarrels. An important new study into teenage attitudes surprisingly shows that their family life is more harmonious than it had ever been in the past. "We were surprised by just how positive today's young people seem to be about their families," said one number of the research team. "They're expected to be rebellious and selfish but actually they have other things on their minds: they want a car and material goods, and they worry about whether school is serving them well. There's more negotiation and discussion between parents and children, and children expect to take part in the family decision-making process. They don't want to rock the boat." So it seems that this generation of parents is much more likely than parents of 30 years ago to treat their children as friends. "My parents are happy to discuss things with me and willing to listen to me," says 17-year-old Daniel Lazall. "I always tell them when I'm going out clubbing. As long as they know what I'm doing, they're fine with me." Susan Crome, who is now 21, agrees. "Looking back on the last 10 years, there was a lot of what you could call negotiation. For example, as long as I'd done all my homework, I could go out on a Saturday night. But I think my grandparents were a lot stricter with my parents than that." Maybe this positive view of family life should not be unexpected. It is possible that the idea of teenage rebellion is not rooted in real facts. A researcher comments, "Our surprise that teenagers say they get along well with their parents comes because of a brief period in our social history when teenagers were regarded as different beings. But that idea of rebelling and breaking away from their parents really happened during that one time in the 1960s when everyone rebelled. The normal situation throughout history has been a smooth change. " According to the writer, teenage rebellion _ . A. may be a false belief B. is common nowadays C. existed only in the 1960s D. resulted from changes in families Answer: A This is Joy's bedroom.it's a small room . He has some pictures.They are on the wall. He also has a desk and a chair in his bedroom.The desk is near the window. His bag and pencil box are on the desk. There are some pencils,a pen,a ruler in the pencil box. He has a baseball and a basketball. They are under the bed.Joy likes playing basketball and baseball. He also has two volleyb alls,but he doesn't like playing volleyball. ,A, B, C, D. (5,2,10) Joy doesn't like playing _ . A. basketball B. baseball C. ping-pong D. volleyballl Answer: D Shangri-La Hotel Singapore 22 Orange Grove Road, Singapore, 258350 Singapore General * Air-condition public areas; * Ballroom(s); * Ballroom(s); * Bar; * Elevator/lift; * Gift shops or newsstand(,); * Restaurant(s) in hotel; * Number of rooms:110; * Swimming pool--outdoor; * Tennis on site; * Wired(high-speed) Internet access--free Check-in time is 2PM Check-out time is Noon Pets not allowed 2 Swissotel Merchant Court---Singapore 20 Merchant Road, Singapore, 058281 Singapore General * Air-conditioned public areas; * Ballroom(s); * Bar; * Coffee shop or cafe; * Elevator/lift; * Number of floors:5; * Number of rooms: 120; * Restaurant(s)in hotel; * Swimming pool-outdoor; * Television in entrance hall Check-in time is 3PM Check-out time is Noon Pets not allowed 3 Royal Plaza On Scotts-Singapore 25 Scotts Road, Singapore, 228220 Singapore General * Air-conditioned public areas; Ballroom(s); Bar/lounge; * Elevator/lift; * Gift shops or newsstand; * Number of floors: 6; * Number of rooms: 160; * Restaurant(s) in hotel; * Smoke-free property ; * Swimming pool--outdoor; Check-in time is 2PM Check-out time is Noon Pets not allowed 4 Rendezvous Singapore--Singapore 9 Bras Basah Road, Marina Bay, 189559 Singapore General * Air-conditioned public areas; * Ballroom(s); * Bar/lounge; * Coffee shop or cafe; * Elevator/lift; * Number of floors: 6; * Number of rooms: 150; * Restaurant(s) in hotel; * Swimming pool--children's; * Swimming pool--outdoor; Check-in time is 2PM Check-out time is Noon Pets not allowed 5 Landmark Village Hotel - Singapore 390 Victoria Street, Singapore, 188061 Singapore General Air-conditioned public areas; * Ballroom(s); * Bar; * Coffee shop or cafe; * Elevator/lift; * Number of floors: 6; * Number of rooms: 156; * Restaurant(s) in hotel; * Swimming pool--outdoor; Check-in time is 2PM Check-out time is Noon Pets not allowed If you have a child who loves swimming, you should stay in _ . A. Landmark Village Hotel B. Royal Plaza On Scotts C. Rendezvous Singapore D. Swissotel Merchant Court Answer: C
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 . French students usually spend _ on homework than American students . A more time B less time C more daytime D two hours Answer: A One day, I heard an American boy said to a Chinese girl student, "You speak very good English. " But the girl answered, " No, no. My English is very poor. " The foreigner was quite surprised at the answer. Thinking he had not made himself understood or the girl had not heard him clearly, he said, " Yes, indeed, you speak very well. " But the girl still kept saying, "No. " In the end, the American boy could not understand and didn't know what to say. What's wrong with the girl's answer? She didn't accept a compliment in the same way as the American people do. She should answer, "Thank you" instead of "No". She really understood what the American boy had said, but she thought she should be modest. In the west, people will feel proud and confident when they are praised. So if someone says the dishes you have cooked are very delicious, you should say, "Thank you." In our country, we think being modest is a virtue and being proud is a bad thing, but in my opinion, being confident does not mean being proud, so sometimes you should be confident instead of being modest. If you are modest and say, "No, I'm afraid I can't do it well", while working in a western country, the others may think that you really cannot do it. If you often say, "No", you will certainly be _ by others. When asking for a job, if one says something like''Yes,I can certainly do it"instead of "let me have a try",he or she will expect to get it. So in the west, you should be brave to show your self-confidence. What does the writer want to tell us? A We should be proud and selfish in the west. B We should be modest and confident in the West. C We should be modest and brave in the West. D We should be brave and confident in the West. Answer: D San Francisco(People's Daily Online)-- Apple Inc. Tuesday introduced its mobile payment service Apple Pay alongside the company's iPhone 6 Plus and Apple Watch at the Flint Center in Cupertino, California. What apple does is to replace consumers' wallet with its cell phone. Apple said it hopes to speed up the checkout process, make credit-card payments more secure and ultimately, to replace physical wallets. With the near-field communication technology, Apple's gadgets like iPhone and Apple watch can transmit a radio signal between the device and a receiver when the two are in an inch apart. "To pay, just hold your iPhone near the contactless reader with your finger on Touch ID. You don't even have to look at the screen to know your payment information was successfully sent," Apple says on its official website. Apple said that each transaction would be authorized with a one-time, unique number, creating a security code that it said is more secure than the one on the back of your credit card because cashiers won't see your name, card number or security code. The service will work with the three major payment networks -- American Express, MasterCard and Visa -- and Apple said that there are 220,000 merchant locations that accept these contactless payments. When some applaud this disrupted service that will compete with Paypal and endanger other online payment companies, some others concern about its safety, especially when another retailer Home Depot confirmed a data opening yesterday and iCloud was reported exposing nude pictures of celebrities a week ago. Leo Zheng, a technology reporter in Silicon Valley said: "When Apple attracts consumers to put all their cards into one iPhone and promised the security, Jennifer Lawrence should say something." What could have happened to Jennifer Lawrence? A She made great contributions to Apple. B She put all her cards into her iPhone. C Her nude pictures were spread online. D Her iPhone often broke down. Answer: C Bill Gates, the billionaire Microsoft chairman without a single earned university degree, is by his success raising new doubts about the worth of the business world's favorite academic title: the MBA (Master of Business Administration). The MBA, a 20thcentury product, always has borne the mark of lowly commerce and greed on the tree-lined campuses ruled by purer disciplines such as philosophy and literature. But even with the recession apparently cutting down the hiring of business school graduates, about 79,000 people are expected to receive MBAs in 1993. This is nearly 16 times the number of business graduates in 1960. "If you are going into the corporate world it is still a disadvantage not to have one," said Donald Morrison, professor of marketing and management science. "But in the last five years or so, when someone says, 'Should I attempt to get an MBA?' the answer a lot more is: It depends." The success of Bill Gates and other non-MBAs, such as the late Sam Walton of Wal-Mart Stores Inc., has helped inspire self-conscious debates on business school campuses over the worth of a business degree and whether management skills can be taught. The Harvard Business Review printed a lively, fictional exchange of letters to dramatize complaints about business degree holders. The article called MBA hires "extremely disappointing" and said "MBAs want to move up too fast, they don't understand politics and people, and they aren't able to function as part of a team until their third year. But by then, they're out looking for other jobs." The problem, most participants in the debate acknowledge, is that the MBA has acquired an aura of future riches and power far beyond its actual importance and usefulness. Business people who have hired or worked with MBAs say those with the degrees of ten know how to analyze systems but are not so skillful at motivating people. "They don't get a lot of grounding in the people side of the business", said James Shaffer, vice-president and principal of the Towers Perrin management consulting firm. . It seems that the argument over the value of MBA degrees had been fueled mainly by _ . A the complaints from various employers B the success of many non-MBAs C the criticism from the scientists of purer disciplines D the poor performance of MBAs at work Answer: B GUATEMALA CITY(Reuters)---- A fish that lives in mangrove swamps across the Americas can live out of water for months at a time, similar to how animals adapted to land millions of years ago, a new study shows. The Mangrove Rivulus, a type of small killifish, lives in small pools of water in a certain type of empty nut or even old beer cans in the mangrove swamps of Belize, the United States and Brazil. When their living place dries up, they live on the land in logs , said Scott Taylor, a researcher at the Brevard Endangered Lands Program in Florida . The fish, whose scientific name is Rivulus marmoratus, can grow as large as three inches. They group together in logs and breathe air through their skin until they can find water again. The new scientific discovery came after a trip to Belize. "We kicked over a log and the fish just came crowding out," Taylor told Reuters in neighboring Guatemala by telephone. He said he will make his study on the fish known to the public in an American magazine early next year. In lab tests, Taylor said he found the fish can live up to 66 days out of water without eating. Some other fish can live out of water for a short period of time. The walking catfish found in Southeast Asia can stay on land for hours at a time, while lungfish found in Australia, Africa and South America can live out of water, but only in an inactive state. But no other known fish can be out of water as long as the Mangrove Rivulus and remain active, according to Patricia Wright, a biologist at Canada's University of Guelph. Further studies of the fish may tell how animals changed over time. "These animals live in conditions similar to those that existed millions of years ago, when animals began making the transition form water onto land, " Wright said. The Mangrove Rivulus is a type of fish that _ . A likes eating nuts B prefers living in dry places C is the longest living fish on earth D can stay alive for two months out of water Answer: D
Mr. Green is a famous writer now. But he said he was not a good student when he was young. He was often late for school and didn't like doing his homework. Sometimes he slept in class while the teacher was teaching. He didn't understand much, but he always thought he understood everything. One day the teacher asked the students a question, "When John was ten years old, his brother was twenty. John is fifteen now and how old is his brother?" Mr. Green answered, "That's easy. His brother is twice as old as John, so he is now thirty." Another time, the teacher in a science class asked, "When it thunders , why do we always see the light before we hear the sound?" "But, Miss White," said Mr. Green quickly, "can't you see our eyes are in front of our ears?" The third time, the teacher in a biology class asked, "Why can fish swim in the water?" "But, Miss White," said Mr. Green quickly, "don't you know fish can't walk on land?" Mr. Green _ when he was a student. A understood much B did a lot of housework C didn't like to do his homework D learned science and biology very well Answer: C Spiderman is one of the most famous comic book heroes of all time. He was created by Stan Lee in 1963 and was first introduced to the world in the pages of Marvel Comic Books. Spiderman's story is the story of Peter Parker, a child who lost his parents and lives with his aunt and uncle. Peter is a shy, quiet boy wearing glasses and has few friends. One day, on a high school class trip to a science lab, he gets bitten by a special spider. Soon Peter realizes he has amazing powers: he is as strong and quick as a spider and also has a type of sixth sense. He no longer needs his glasses and he can use his super power to fly through the city streets! Remembering something his Uncle Ben has told him _ ,Peter decides to use his powers to fight against enemies who do cruel things to people. And so, Spiderman is born. Life is not easy for Peter even though he is a superhero. He is in love with Mary Jane but he can't tell her about his amazing powers. Besides, his best friend Harry hates Spiderman! Peter is also short of money and time. He has to sell photos of Spiderman (himself!) to a newspaper and he keeps losing his other jobs because he's so busy saving people! Yet he has to fight against different kinds of cruel enemies. What do you know about Peter Parker? A He is loved by his parents. B He is outgoing. C He has a few friend. D He is an orphan. Answer: D One evening last summer, when I asked my 14-year-old son, Ray, for help with dinner, his response shocked me. "What's a colander ? " he asked. I could only blame myself. In the family, nobody else's hands went in the sauce except my own. But that night, as I explained with a touch of panic that a colander is the thing with holes in it, I wondered what else I hadn't prepared Ray for. As parents, while we focus on our sons' confidence and character, we perhaps don't always consider that we are also raising someone's future roommates, boyfriends, husbands, or fathers. I wanted to know that I'd raised a boy who would never ask the woman in his life, "What's for dinner?" So I came up with a plan: I would offer Ray a private home economics course. I was delighted to find that he didn't say no. For two hours, three days a week, Ray was all mine. One day, as his tomato sauce reduced on the stove, he washed and seasoned a chicken for roasting. Then he rolled out the piecrust and filled it with apples, all while listening to my explanation on the importance of preheating an oven. I knew that he would rather have been shooting hoops in the driveway than learning to mend socks with his mother--he tried to beg off sewing lessons, even though I insisted that one day, someone would find the sight of him fixing his own shirt very attractive-- but it couldn't be denied that he was learning, and more than just housekeeping. "I appreciate what you do as a mom," he told me one day. Ray now understands the finer points of cooking, and more importantly, he realizes there's nothing masculine about being helpless. Now, not only can he make his own dinner, but also he can make a big meal for his family. That's what I call a man. I'm glad that I prepared so great a present for my future daughter-in-law. After learning to do housework, Ray _ . A fell in love with sewing B did other work in the house C began to be more hardworking D acknowledged his mother's efforts Answer: D Dear Disney, Last weekend, the four members of my family spent an enjoyable holiday at the Magic Kingdom - Disneyland. And one event made our visit seem truly magical. We got to the front of the line at Space Mountain, only to find out that our little daughter Gloria couldn't take her ice-cream on the ride. We were so excited that we all forgot ice-cream was not allowed on the ride. Gloria broke into tears and we all had no idea what to do. Then Murphy, one of the staff members, came over. She bent down and told Gloria that she would hold the ice-cream for her and give it to her when she finished the ride. Gloria said, "Promise? "Then she gave Murphy her ice-cream, and she completely enjoyed the ride. Sure enough, as we walked out the exit, there was Gloria's new friend with "her"ice-cream. Now you and I both know what happened, because we know that an ice-cream won't last twenty minutes on a summer afternoon in Florida. Murphy knew what time we would get off the ride; she went to the nearest shop and bought a brand-new ice-cream thirty seconds before we walked out the exit. Gloria said, "Thank you, "but I'm sure she thought it was the same ice-cream. We know that _ tried hard to make our visit special. Thanks so much for going above and beyond! Yours, Carmen Rivera Before the ride, Gloria cried because _ . A she couldn't find her parents in the line B she was too little to take the ride C she couldn't take her ice-cream on the ride D she had to wait for twenty minutes Answer: C Surrounded by the towns of Davidson, Huntersville and Cornelius, Lake Norman is a man-made lake. It is also the largest lake in the state covering a shoreline of more than 500 miles. State Park on the lake gives a chance for different water activities. People, both tourists and locals, come to the area on weekends, where during the peak season a large crowd arrives to relax and have fun. A great activity for kids is education except fun. The tour coversaquatic life, especially that seen at Lake Norman. Since it is more of an educational one it also covers other important knowledge about water. Those wanting to go boating are seen off into the lake on canoes and pedal boats which are rented on hourly basis. The charges are $5 per hour increased by $3 for everyadditional hour. The boats can be kept on the lake all day from 10 in the morning till 5 in the evening during the summers. Both canoes and pedal boats can seat 2 to 4 people. The park also set up a group tent camp, where a site can hold about 25 people. People from all over the country come here to catch some fishing action, obviously hoping to catch some fish as well. The inner park lake is also great for fishing, though it offers a smaller area compared to Lake Norman. Those here for adventure like to go for biking and hiking on the trails inside the park. Lake Norman is a great place to spend time with family and friends. People come here on vacation or simply to kick back after a week's work and relax. If you want to save more money you can _ . A stay in the hotel that is near the park B come to the park in summer or spring C stay in the tent of the park for the night D fish in the small lake in the park Answer: C
When Emily Beardmore first heard that a trip was being planned by the biology class at Windsor High School, she thought about how much fun it would be. "I thought it would be a really good experience to go with other friends and teachers to another country in an environment other than a vacation environment," the 17-year-old girl said. A few months later, Emily got her chance when she and 14 of her classmates, along with biology teacher Tamara Pennington went to Costa Rica for eight days in late May. "It was not just a tour," said Pennington, who organized the trip. "You can go any place in the world on just a tour. This one was really working with the sea turtles and practicing conservation . It just seemed like the perfect science field trip for kids who think they want to get into science to see what it's really like to be out in the field and enjoy themselves." Emily said her time on the turtle program, which was the focus of the trip, was "crazy." "We were walking on the beach at night and you can't see anything--just see a big black dot." She said with a laugh. "I was not expecting the turtles to be that big." The turtles are leatherback turtles, which are becoming extinct because their eggs are used as food. "When they would move their legs while laying their eggs they were really hard to control because they were a lot more powerful than you would imagine," Emily said. Once the eggs were collected, the students took them back to a hatchery and dug holes to copy the hole the mother turtle had made and then buried the eggs for the 60 days needed to hatch. "The experience was so cool," Emily said. "You go to another country to see what their culture is like and learn what their everyday lives are like. It made me really want to help out my mom a lot more than I do, and value what I have." What did Pennington consider the trip to be? Answer: It was a trip to do practical science activities. I Don't Have to Be Like Them All students have to face their own problems when they are growing up. You may not think that having a good family is a problem. But for me , it was. I had to face the problem of being the youngest of the Smith girls. We live in a small town in Pennsylvania, US. There are three girls in the Smith family, Amanda, Theresa and me . People often say things to me , like " Oh, the three of you , you're such nice girls. Your sisters are so pretty and so thin! You're really nothing like them . " That made me sad. At school , all of my teachers had taught my sisters . On the first day of school , they said , "Oh , the youngest of the three! I hope you're just like your sisters. They're such wonderful students." People always compared me with my sisters . So I couldn't help comparing myself with them , too. Theresa was smarter , Amanda was prettier . I began to work hard to be more like them . What my sisters did , I did , too. At last , I became drum major of our school 's marching band . Both Amanda and Theresa had been drum majors . I became editor of the school's newspaper . Theresa had been the editor two years before. But last year, Amanda went to college , and Theresa went to high school . Now I'm by myself at junior high . Everyone knows me , because I'm the drum major and the newspaper's editor . Now I don't feel like a Smith girl any more , I feel like myself . I'm proud of doing all of the same great things that my sisters did . But the best thing I did was to learn to stop comparing myself with them . To the author , now the best thing is that _ . Answer: she stops comparing herself with her sisters At no time in history has there been such a mass movement of people from the countryside to the city as is happening now. By the year 2030, it's estimated that more than two thirds of the world's population will be living in cities, twice as many as today. This means that the problems faced by cities today--overcrowding, poor housing, unemployment, poverty and lack of food and water--will be twice as bad, unless we find solutions soon. Another serious issue is how to provide good transportation for their citizens. Many of the world's major cities are already struggling with out-of-date transport infrastructures . How can they deal with the additional demands? London is a good example. Its enlargement was made possible by the invention of the steam engine, which powered the world's first underground railway. But its transport system are now hopelessly out-of-date and need urgent modernization. London's future success depends very much on developing better public transport. Over a million people travel into central London every day from outside the city. _ , together with the people who live in London, want a public transport system that is efficient, safe and _ . What they often get, however, falls far short of that ideal. Passengers complain about cost and pollution, while businesses worry about the problems their staff have in getting to work on time. Yes, the proportion of London households that own a car grew from just over ten percent in the early 1950s to over sixty percent today. As the city has become increasingly crowded and polluted, there has been a growing realization that action must be taken soon. From the passage we know that the mass movement to the city will cause the following problems EXCEPT _ . Answer: better environment The group of people introduced themselves to me and my German classmate Julia. They were from a production company, currently in the process of filming a movie based in DuAn, a rural area a few hours north of Nanning. They tried to explain the plot of the film, but neither mine nor Julia's Chinese was good enough to fully understand what they were saying. They then asked if we would be interested in being part of the project. I came to China to experience new things and new opportunity, and being in a movie sounded so exciting. So in less than a second, I jumped at the chance of being in the film. Julia on the other hand was not so enthusiastic. It took 30 minutes to convince her to be part of the film, and she eventually accepted the chance. That afternoon we were taken to the production company's office to meet the director and some of the cast. We all sat together, drinking tea, talking about why I and Julia were in China and about the film. It seemed a little bit like a dream. Ever since I was a small child, I dreamed of becoming a movie star, but I would never have guessed that my dream would come true, especially now in China. At the end of the talk, we were given scripts and had a few photographs taken. We were given the production schedule and ensured that our scenes would only be shot at weekends so it wouldn't interfere with our studies. We left the office excited about the film, but unknowing what filming was actually like. On our first day of filming, we were picked up in the early morning from the university and we drove deep into the countryside. We arrived on location and waited for our scene to be shot. We watched as the other actors and crew went about their work, busy shooting and re-shooting the same scene from different angles and perspectives. I never knew how much effort and care went into filming even the most short and simple scene. It was then our turn to shoot, and I was very nervous and very excited. From the passage we can learn that the writer _ . Answer: was interested in new things Many jobs must be done with two people. One person takes the lead. The other helps. So it is with the human body. Much of our body depends on the cooperation between substances. When they work together, chemical reactions take place smoothly. Body systems are kept in balance. Some of the most important helpers in the job of good health are the substances we call vitamins. The word "vitamin" dates back to Polish scientist Casimir Funk in 1912. He was studying a substance in rice. Funk believed the substance belonged to a group of chemicals known as amines . He added the Latin word "vita", meaning life. So he called the substance a "vitamine"--an amine necessary for life. Other studies found that not all vitamins were amines. So the name was shortened to vitamin. But Funk was correct in recognizing their importance. Scientists have discovered 14 kinds of vitamins. They say vitamins help to carry out chemicals changes within cells. If we do not get enough of the vitamins, we are at risk of developing a number of diseases. _ brings us back to James Lind of Scotland. In the 1740s, Lind was a doctor for the British Navy. He was investigating a problem that had existed in the Navy for many years. The problem was the disease scurvy . The sailors were weak from bleeding inside their bodies. Even the smallest wound would not heal. Doctor Lind thought the sailors were getting sick because they failed to eat some kinds of foods when they were at sea for many months. Doctor Lind separated twelve sailors who had scurvy into two groups. He gave each group different foods to eat. One group got oranges and lemons. The other did not. The men who ate the fruit began to improve within seven days. The other men got weaker. However, which foods should be eaten to keep us healthy? Let us look at some important vitamins for these answers. What is the main topic of the passage? Answer: Facts about vitamins.
Today, bicycles are elegantly simple machines that are common around the world. Many people ride bicycles for recreation, whereas others use them as a means of transportation. The first bicycle was invented in Germany in 1818. Because it was made of wood, it wasn't very strong nor did it have pedals .Riders moved it by pushing their feet against the ground. In 1839, Kirkpatrick Macmillan, a Scottish blacksmith, invented a much better bicycle. Macmillan's machine had iron-covered wheels to keep them from getting worn down. He also used foot-operated levers, similar to pedals, so his bicycle could be ridden at a quick pace. It didn't look much like the modem bicycle, though, because its back wheel was substantially larger than its front wheel. Although Macmillan's bicycles could be ridden easily, they were never produced in large numbers. In 1861, Frenchman Pierre Michaux and his brother Ernest invented a bicycle with an improved pedal mechanism. They called their bicycle a velocipede,but most people called it a "bone shaker" because of the effect of the wood and iron frame. Despite the impolite nickname, the velocipede was a hit. After a few years, the Michaux family was making hundreds of the machines annually, mostly for fun-seeking young people. Ten years later, James Starley , an English inventor, made several innovations that revolutionized bicycle design. He made the front wheel many times larger than the back wheel, put a gear on the pedals to make the bicycle more efficient,and lightened the wheels by using wire spokes. Although this bicycle was much lighter and less tiring to ride, it was still clumsy, extremely top-heavy,and ridden mostly for entertainment. It wasn't until 1874 that the first truly modern bicycle appeared on the scene. Invented by another Englishman, H. J. Lawson, the safety bicycle would look familiar to today's cyclists. The safety bicycle had equal-sized wheels, which made it easier to ride. Lawson also attached a chain to the pedals to drive the back wheel. By 1893,the safety bicycle had been further improved with air-filled rubber tires, a diamond-shaped frame, and easy braking. With the improvements provided by Lawson;bicycles became extremely popular and useful for transportation. Today, they are built, used, and enjoyed all over the world. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage? Answer: In my long years of teaching, I often ask my students to read the texts until they can recite them, and I tell them that recitation is an important part of their homework. However, some of my students are tired of doing so, thinking that it is both hard and useless. They argue that it takes a long time to recite a text from memory and text itself never appears in a test paper. In my opinion, it naturally takes time to recite a text, but it is worth doing so. When you are able to recite a text, you are sure to be familiar with the words and expressions. When you need them in reading or writing or doing exercises, they will come to your mind quickly, and so you will give quick response to all kinds of language situation. How can we say that it is useless? Besides, many students complain that they soon forget what they were once able to recite. This is true, but you don't need to worry. While you are reading and forgetting the texts, your language level is being raised. Sure you don't remember your Chinese texts that you once read in the primary school, but now you are able to read novels and newspaper. So, recitation of the texts will help you improve your language ability. The writer often asks his students to recite the texts, _ . Answer: Choosing a nice mountain bike for you is easier than learning how to ride it. Keep these tips in mind: Decide how you are going to use your new mountain bike. Are you a new rider who simply wants to travel outdoors on the weekend,weather permitting?Do you intend to test yourself on the rough roads,every day,rain or shine?Or are you going to use your new mountain bike to ride to and from school or work?Be honest about your intentions,and you're more than half way toward choosing the right mountain bike for you. Visit your local bike shops. Any good bike shop will stock a wide range of quality mountain bikes in all price points and sizes. Your local bike shops will carry more than one brand of bicycle. Not only will they sell you a mountain bike that suits your needs,but they will service what they sell. Visit at least a few shops. You'll get one that satisfies you right away. Don't be bashful. Tell your salesperson how you intend to use your new mountain bike,and how much you are willing to spend. Your salesperson will show you a selection of models and brands accordingly. He or she will also help you determine the right size for you. You may ask more without any sense of shyness. Take a test ride. All good bike shops let customers take test rides. There's a good reason for this beyond "trybeforeyoubuy" salesmanship. Since you already know your price range and find the right size,you now have to find out which brand you ride best. They want you to be happy with your purchase. After only a few test rides from more than one bike shop,the right mountain bike will choose you. Which of the following is probably the author's attitude towards "trybeforeyoubuy" salesmanship? Answer: I always experienced guilt when I passed by without giving a coin or two to a beggar. My conscience was pricked again on a tour of Venice in 2010. I had taken refuge from the crowds in a quiet canal-side cafe. Outside the cafe was an old woman kneeling on the ancient cobbled stones, begging. Steady streams of tourists were walking past her. A lone young back-packer stood away from the crowds drinking something, but I noticed he was also observing the woman. A tourist group glanced at the woman and walked on. Another group of tourists arrived and, again, walked past her. The backpacker watched. Then, as I prepared to leave, I stopped at the sight of the backpacker stepping forward and placing some money in the woman's cup. He did this rather ostentatiously , just before the arrival of another tourist group. I watched as the leader of the group stopped and put some money in the cup. Having been shown the way, other tourists followed suit and added more coins to the woman's cup. The young backpacker repeated this process in front of the next tour party going past. Once again, the subtle peer pressure worked on the tourists, who all added coins to the cup. His work done, the young man walked over to the old beggar woman, patted her shoulder and said, "I hope that helps a bit." I don't know if the woman understood his English or realized what had just happened, but I did. I placed some money in the woman's cup and continued my travels, light-hearted after witnessing such an act of caring. We can infer from the passage that _ . Answer: Patricia Blues, 29, has a new aim in life: to keep drivers' hands on their steering wheels and off their cell phones. On November 2, 2007, Blues lived through a horrible experience. A motorist dialing a cell phone drove through a stop sign at 45 miles per hour and ran into the side of Blues' car. Blues' 2-year-old daughter was killed immediately in the crash. Blues has since devoted her time top pushing for laws that would prevent this type of tragedy from happening again. Cell phones are not the only distractions that cause accidents. Eating, changing CDs, reading maps, talking to passengers, and just reaching for an object on the floor can be dangerous. Therefore, the emphasis should be on educating drivers to avoid all distractions. However, talking on cell phones might be easier to regulate than eating or changing music. At least 34 states have already passed laws to restrict cell phone use in moving cars. No state has banned it yet, but several US. cities. Worldwide, 13 nations, including Australia, England, Germany, Japan and China have banned drivers' use of cell phones in moving cars. To date, no scientific evidence has been published showing that talking on the phone affects driving safety. But according to a test by some high school students, "driving while on the phone does affect safety and probably shouldn't be done". Patricia Blues' new goal of life is to persuade the government _ . Answer:
On Nov.18th, 1908, three men went up in a balloon. They started early in London. The headman was Augusta Gaudron, and the other two men were Tannar and Maitland. They had a big balloon and they were ready for a long way. Soon they heard the sea. They were carrying the usual rope, and it was hanging down from the basket of the balloon. At the end of the rope they had tied a metal box. This could hold water, or it could be empty. So they were able to change its weight. It was for use over the sea. They were also carrying some bags of sand. After the sun rose, the balloon went higher. It went up to 3,000 meters, and the air was very cold. The water in the balloon became ice. Snow fell past the men's basket, and they could see more snow on the ground. The men tried to throw out some more sand, but it was hard. They tried to break the icy sand with their knives, but it was not easy. The work was slow and they were still falling, so they had to drop some whole bags of sand. One of them fell on an icy lake and made a black hole in the ice. At last they pulled the box into the basket. It was still snowing; so they climbed up to get away from the snow. They rose to 5,100 meters! Everything became icy. They were so cold that they decided to land. They came down in Poland heavily but safely. They had travelled 1,797 kilometers from London! The metal box was used for _ . Answer: Jack used to curse the front yard as if it were a living thing. He was the man who lived with my grandmother for thirty years. He was not my grandfather, but an Italian who came down the road one day, selling fruit in Florida. Jack stopped at my grandmother's house to sell her some oranges just a stone's throw from downtown Miami, and he was delivering her whiskey a week later. He stayed for thirty years. Jack hated the front yard because he thought it was against him. There had been a beautiful lawn there when Jack came along, but he let it wander off into nothing. He refused to water it or take care of it in any way. Now the ground was so hard that it gave his car flat tires in the summer. The yard was always finding a nail to put in one of his tires or the car as always sinking out of sight in the winter when the rains came on. The lawn had belonged to my grandfather, who lived out the end of his life in an insane hospital. It had been his pride and joy and was said to be the place where his powers came. It can be inferred that the real reason Jack had problems with the yard was that _ . Answer: Read the advertisements, and then choose the best answers. Driver Wanted 1. Clean driving license 2. Must be of smart appearance. 3. Aged over 25. Apply to :Capes Taxis, 17 Palace Road, Boston Air Hostesses for International Flight Wanted 1. Applicants must be between 20 and 33 years old. 2. Height 1.6m to 1.75m. 3. Education to GCSE standard. 4. Two languages. 5. Must be able to swim. Apply to: Recruitment office, Southern Airlines, Heathrow Airport West HR37KK Teachers Needed For private language school. Teaching experience unnecessary. Apply to: The Director of Studies, Instant Language Ltd, 279 Canal Street If Mary wants to work for Southern Airlines, she must _ . Answer: There is a famous English saying "You are what you eat", and _ means what you put in your mouth will become part of you. Many experts use it to tell people it's important to have a good eating habit. For example, too much sweet food makes a person overweight . To avoid being fat, kids are told to keep off sweet food. But, a team of American scientists have found something new about eating sweet food. "When we say some people 'sweet', we mean they are kind and friendly to us. Perhaps this word can help us learn more about people's feelings and acts." said Brian Meier, a scientist from the study team. "Taste is something we experience every day. What we have done is to find whether we can know someone's character and behavior depending on their taste." In one of their experiments , students were asked questions about their character-whether, for example, they were soft-hearted or not. Then they were asked to make a list of their favorite food. According to their answers, the scientists found that the students who liked sweet food were nicer. In their another experiment, the scientists found that people who preferred sweet food such as cookies and chocolate were more willing to help other people in need, and those who ate non-sweet food such as chips weren't. For example, people with a sweet tooth were more likely to volunteer to clean up their city, visit sick children in the hospital and so on. The result of the experiments is that people's helpfulness or being nice has something to do with their taste for sweet food. So eating sweet food is a useful way to make people nice and helpful. Next time, try some ice-cream. ,. According to the passage, which of the followings is NOT true? Answer: Why did the roadrunner cross the desert road? Answer:
Maxine was a happy frog that lived in a beautiful pond by the river. She loved to play in the water and take a bath every day. But her friends, Martin, Edgar, and Cindy didn't like to take baths. So one day when she was swimming alone, she met a new friend names Thomas. Thomas loved to take lots of baths, so he became friends with Maxine. But Martin, Edgar, and Cindy didn't like Thomas. So one day when Maxine and Thomas were swimming, Cindy did something mean. She threw rocks and Maxine and Thomas. Maxine's dad saw what happened and he was very mad. He went over and yelled at Cindy for what she did. After that Cindy didn't throw any rocks, and Maxine and Thomas could swim together and take lots of baths. They were very happy since they could play in the water as much as they wanted without other frogs being mean to them. Why did Maxine's dad yell at Cindy? Answer: She threw rocks Just then the police radio says there was a robbery in a supermarket nearby. The police told Mr. Brown to stay there and they would be back soon. Then the police ran to the supermarket. Mr. Brown didn't wait but drove home. When he got home, he was tired and went to bed. Mrs. Brown found a police car in front of their house and the lights were still on. . Mr. Brown met _ on his way home. Answer: the police Mr. Black was the manager of a hotel in Atlanta. One weekend all of the hotels were full because of a large business meeting being held in the city. On Sunday night, three men came into Mr. Black's hotel and asked for rooms. Mr. Black told them that there were no more rooms available. The men didn't know what to do because they had no place to stay in. Mr. Black wanted to help them. He remembered that there was an empty room at the far end of the first floor -- Room 112. It was a very small room, and had rarely been used as a guest room before. So, he asked the three men if they would mind sharing that small room. They replied that they would be very satisfied so long as there was a room for them to stay in for the night. Mr. Black then told them that the room would cost them $ 30 in total. On hearing this, each of the three men gave Mr. Black $ 10 before they left for their room. However, Mr. Black soon began to think that $ 30 was really too much for that small room. He called his assistant over and said, "Here is $ 5. Give it back to the three men in Room 112. Each of them paid me $10. That's too much." The assistant took the money. While he was on the way to that small room, he thought, "How can three men divide $ 5? I'll give each of them only $ 1 and keep the $ 2 left to myself. The men will be happy to get anything back, and I can also make some money that way. After all, Mr. Black will never know anything about it." So, the assistant returned only $1 to each of the three men. Each man had first paid $ 10. After the assistant returned $1 to him, each man had actually paid only $ 9. There were three men. $ 9x3="$27." The assistant kept $ 2. $ 27 + $ 2=" $" 29. Where is the missing dollar? Why didn't Mr. Black offer Room 112 to the three men at first? Answer: It was too small for three men. David comes from the train station and he doesn't know where to go. This is the first time he comes to this town. He comes to see his good friend, Peter. Peter is a doctor. He works in a hospital. But David doesn't know where the hospital is. He walks in the street. He passes a bank, a post office, a hotel and at last he goes to a school. Some students are coming out, so he asks one of the students, "Excuse me. Which is the way to People's Hospital?" "Well, I know, you can go along this street, take the second turning on the right, and then take the third turning on your left. It's next to a museum." "I'm sorry I can't follow you." "Well, I just live near there, and my mother works in that hospital, too. I'm going home now. Will you go with me? I'll take you there." "That's great! Thank you very much!" "Then, let's go to the bus stop. And we'll take the No.12 bus there." Where do the student and David go at last? Answer: A bus stop At East China University of Science and Technology,students will get a coupon if they eat up their food.Students can collect coupons and exchange them for small gifts, such as books, magazines, mobile phone covers and hand warmers. "It's been such a surprise," said Liang Zahaoyun, 19, a student at the university in Shanghai. "It has given us one more motivation to finish our food. " The measure is part of a national "eat-up" campaign which is organized by students to deal with food waste on campuses . Why only on campuses, you might ask? Because according to a report by Xinhna News Agency,students waste twice as much food as the national average . The campaign on campus food waste is receiving attention across the country. "The aim of the campaign is not only to encourage students to finish their food. We hope it can also encourage students to choose a more environment-friendly and healthy lifestyle," said Tao Siliang, secretary of the Youth League Committee at Shanghai University. But some school food is poorly prepared, so students do not like to finish it all. Some schools have taken notice of this and they are taking measures to improve it. "I'm glad that we've reduced food waste since the 'eat-up' campaign began. But if we call on students to waste less food, we should also improve the service and food standard on campuses." said Tao. The "eat-up" campaign is carried out on campuses because _ . Answer: students waste too much food
According to Spanish business newspaper, Spain is planning to build the largest traditional Chinese medicine hospital in Europe. It's an important practice agreement between China and Spain. Barcelona will provide land for its construction and the new hospital is expected to cost 80 million euros ($88.6 million). This center will be the first of its kind outside Asia. The agreement also includes the teaching and studying of TCM (traditional Chinese medicine). The hospital will develop a joint --- research program among the scientists from both of the countries. The agreement makes it possible for doctors of TCM to work in Barcelona. So far, China has been making efforts to _ TCM outside the country, pushing the ancient medical science to the world. Calduch, a spokesperson for the Spain -based European Foundation of TCM, said the plan to build Europe's largest TCM hospital shows China's great dream. "Not only will it help us learn more about this ancient medical science, but it will also bring help to Spanish patients." said Calduch. It's reported that 23.6 percent of the country's population has used natural remedies , and TCM is the most popular. According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE? A The TCM hospital in Spain will cost 80 million dollars. B The TCM hospital in Spain will be the largest in the world. C The new TCM hospital will lie in Barcelona. D About 23.6 percent of the Spanish get help from TCM. Answer: C The long, lonely voyage of the Japanese ghost ship is over. A US Coast Guard cutter poured cannon fire into an abandoned Japanese ghost ship that had been drifting since last year's tsunami , sinking the vessel into waters more than 305 meters deep in the Gulf of Alaska and removing the danger it posed to shipping and the coastline on Thursday. The cutter's guns tore holes in the 164-foot Ryou-Un Maru, and then it began to take on water and lean to one side. In about four hours, the ship disappeared into the sea, said Chief Petty Officer Kip Wadlow. The ship had no lights or communications system, and its tank was able to carry more than 7,570 liters of diesel fuel. Officials, however, didn't know exactly how much fuel was aboard. "It's less risky than it would be running into shore or running into other ships," coast guard spokesman Paul Webb said. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency studied the problem and decided it is safer to sink the ship than let the fuel evaporate and pollute the sea environment. Ryou-Un Maru was probably among the first wave of the 1.5 million tons of garbage of refrigerators, washing machines, televisions, roofs and fishing nets heading toward North America since last March when a magnitude-9.0 earthquake struck Japan. As the coast guard was ready to fire on the vessel, a Canadian fishing vessel, the 19-meter Bernice C, claimed the rights to save the ghost ship in international waters. Plans to sink it were paused so the Canadian crew could have a chance to take the stricken ship. A Canadian official with knowledge of the situation told the Associated Press that the Bernice C was unable to drag it. Then the Canadian boat left, and once it was about 10 kilometers from the Japanese vessel, the Coast Guard began to fire, first with 25 mm shells, then a few hours later with ammunition twice that size. State officials have been working to test the danger of garbage including materials affected by a damaged nuclear power plant, to see if Alaska residents, seafood or wild animals could be affected. Which of the following could be the best title for the passage? A Japanese ghost ship arriving at US B Tsunami garbage heading to US C Japanese ghost ship polluting the Pacific D Cannon fire sinking Japanese ghost ship Answer: D Is it important for teenagers to own the latest cell-phone models? There are different ways of looking at this question. First, why do teenagers need to have the latest models? Often it's just to show off. The paradox is that there are many teenagers who own the latest cell-phone models but don't even know how to use them properly. This is true. They just want one because their friends have similar ones, or because they take very good videos and photos. On the other hand, if they do know how to use them, the latest cell phones are really good. They not only help teens to stay in touch with friends and family, but also help them to access the Internet and download pictures, videos or music they need when studying. These new phones are so powerful that having one is almost like having a whole library in your pocket. It's an instant source of information that helps young people get the latest news. But many parents, thinking only of such positive sides, do not take into consideration the potential dangers. For example, children may constantly be distracted during class by sending and receiving text messages. Each young generation loves the new technologies available --just think back to when you were a kid. But your job as a parent is to make sure your child gets the most out of this technology with the least possible harm. What is the text mainly about? A Different ways to deal with teenagers' using the latest cell phones. B That teenagers should not use the latest cell phones at school. C Different views on teenagers' using the latest cell phones. D That the latest cell phone models are becoming very popular with teenagers. Answer: C The first field season is now over at the hut village of the workmen who built the tombs in the Valley of the Kings. However, the archaeologists working on the excavation have found that they still have a great deal to do. The sun, the wind and tourists have left their mark on the village, originally discovered by Bernard Bruyere in 1935. "From our modern perspective, it is upsetting to see how the village was first excavated and then left to be destroyed. Passers-by have used the huts as rubbish dumps and restrooms," says Jaana Toivari-Viitala, a teacher at the University of Helsinki. "Fortunately, while we still have some surface cleaning to do, conservation are off to a good start." The hut village offers rare insight into everyday life in ancient Egypt. "In the early twentieth century, archaeologists were only interested in the tombs of kings. The workmen's huts they discovered were seen as a necessary evil in the quest for the real treasures." "Now several international research groups on different excavations are examining everyday life and work in the Valley of the Kings. This seems to be a trend in archaeology right now," Toivari-Viitala says. Her research group wants to find out why the hut village was built on the slope of a mountain, halfway between the construction site and Deir-el-Medina. They are also interested in how many workers lived in the village at a time, when they lived there, and what their role was in the construction work. "Comparing the names found in the village and in Deir-el-Medina provides useful information. Judging from the construction methods, settlement in the village can be divided into two separate periods: the initial settlement and a later one." For the time being, much is up to guessing, but Toivari-Viitala believes that the coming four field seasons, three months each, will see results. "The working conditions are not nearly as difficult as I thought they would be. The cool winds in the mountains nicely _ the heat." The research group working on the "Workmen's huts in the Theban mountains" project is planning to return to the Valley of the Kings in October. Which of the following is NOT true of the hut village according to the passage? A It has been damaged a lot. B It can tell us a lot about ancient Egypt. C It has attracted archaeologists' attention. D It has a lot of real treasures somewhere in it. Answer: D I Have to See Another Doctor Mr. Clarke lives at the foot of the mountain. He keeps the forest for a rich farmer there. The only road to the forest is just in front of his house. He can easily see the people who want to enter the forest. Sometimes he has to be on duty at night. When he hears some sound, he has to get up to see if someone cuts the trees. One day he bought something in the town. He found a strong dog and bought it. He loves it very much and often gives some meat or bread to it. And when a strange man walks close to his house, it barks loudly. So he can soon know about it and goes out to find out who it is. But last week something was wrong with Mr. Clarke. He didn't feel well and couldn't fall asleep in the evening. He had to go to a hospital in the town. The doctor looked him over and then asked, "Have you got a dog, sir " "Yes, I have got one." "You have got a skin disease ," said the doctor. "I am sure your dog infected it to you. You can't come in touch with it any longer." When he came out of the hospital, he met a friend and told him about it. The man asked, "What are you going to do, to sell your dog or to give it to another man " "Neither," answered Mr. Clarke, "I have decided to see another doctor. It's much easier to find a doctor than to buy a good dog!" Mr. Clarke lives at the foot of the mountain because _ . A it's very quiet there B he has a farm there C his work is to keep the forest D he can have a good rest there Answer: C

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